Special thanks to CoalTreasure taking the time out of her day to edit this and catching the mistakes I missed while writing this.

Changes Arc

The Wheel Begins to Roll

People were huddled around their tables in groups, what few adults there were, assuming they were parents, were keeping their children by their side at all times. The screens were blank and silent; meanwhile robots were almost racing around trying to make everyone comfortable as possible. Subsequently, a lot of people had blankets clenched around their shoulders and hot drinks or food by their side.

It'd been a few days since the start of the negotiations between Chaotic and Perim, and an entire week since Chaotic had been attacked. Everybody was anxious, irritable and also bored, a potentially devastating combination of moods. Especially when no one dared use the dromes yet, taking away their best outlet for stress.

The fact that their fourth friend was nowhere to be found did not help the mood of three players in particular.

"So the negotiations are over today," Kaz said lamely, slumped over their table with a dejected look.

"Wonder what's gonna change." Peyton asked, playing with the collar of his thoroughly rumpled shirt.

"I hope it involves a shower," Sarah said darkly, her hair a shade darker than it was before.

"You and ninety nine percent of Chaotic." Kaz snapped before sighing. "We've really gotten into a great big fat mess this time, haven't we?"

"One thing's for sure I guess, it's definitely going to be interesting from here on out." Peyton said.

As if just to prove his point, they heard startled chatter rise around them accompanied by a couple of surprised screams. All three kids started looking around in confusion just before an orange Mipedian with a bright red fringe one the sides of his neck suddenly appeared out of thin air behind Peyton. They didn't have to question who the Mipedian was, they'd met the Mipedian Stalker enough times to know that it was Siado.

It didn't make his sudden appearance any less surprising, which was why Sarah and Kaz both jumped a mile in their skins. Meanwhile Peyton didn't even react until Siado made his presence known.

"Hi Peyton."

"Hi Siado," Peyton replied automatically with a wave, while Sarah and Kaz gawked, before he went bug-eyed himself and whipped around. "SIADO!? What the Hell are you doing here?!"

"This is part of the arrangements our leaders and your Code Masters made." Siado explained. "There's going to be one creature from each tribe, on guard here in Chaotic, in case the M'arrillians try and pull anything again."

"Oh, y'know that's probably a really good idea." Peyton said thoughtfully.

"Anyway, aren't you guys one short?" Siado asked, gesturing a claw towards the empty seat next to Kaz where Tom would have been sitting if he were there. "Where's your other friend, the one that got attacked?"

"Tom, and we think he's still in Kiru City." Kaz said.

"Dude's been awful quiet since the Code Masters first made their announcement." Peyton said before asking inquisitively, "Why do you ask?"

"Well there's a rumor that…" Siado began, when Kaz cut him off.

"Tom!"

The player in question wasn't too far away from their table, though he had his back turned on them as he spoke to Nebres. The champion looked like he was asking Tom about a scroll in his left hand before the human raised his right. Something about it must've startled Nebres because he jumped a bit before grinning and clapping Tom's shoulder.

Tom smiled back somewhat unsurely back before turning to head towards their table.

"Hey guys."

"Dude, what was that about?" Peyton asked as Tom took his seat across from him. "I didn't know you were friends with the three-time Perim Battle Royale champ."

"Um, I'm not, Nebres wanted to know if this scroll was what he thought it was." Tom explained, holding the scroll in question up. It was rather unassuming and simple, a bright blue ribbon tying it closed. However the broken golden seal of what was still recognizably the Overworld Mark gave its true importance away.

It was a message from Maxxor.

"And what did he think it was?" Kaz asked cautiously.

"Well, it's…"

"Wait, hold the phone Tom." Peyton suddenly cut him off. "Is what you're about to tell us something you're only supposed to tell us and not anybody else? Like is it okay if Siado hears?"

Peyton jabbed a thumb at the Mipedian behind him, who waved and Tom politely waved back.

"I guess so, I mean he's going to find out sooner or later." Tom said, before hunching over a bit with a pleading look. "But I'd rather if you didn't talk about it to anyone else for now. It's kind of personal."

Peyton promptly ducked down under the table and retrieved one of Krystella's bugs.

"How many of these things does she have?" Kaz demanded, Siado looking at it with interest, before the Underworld Player snapped, "Give it."

Peyton handed it over and Kaz dropped it on the ground before stomping on it, hard. The Underworld-Player smirked spitefully as Krystella jumped a mile in her seat, startling Klay, and practically tried to claw the ear bud out.

"Okay MajorT, you may proceed." Peyton declared as Kaz sat down, the redhead giving Krystella an obscene gesture when she glared in their direction.

"I…well, Najarin…he…and Maxxor…" Tom tried to begin before groaning, forehead landing on his forearm on the table as he used is other hand to gesture to the scroll. "Just read it."

Peyton was the one who grabbed the scroll first, clearing his throat and began reading in his best imitation of a pompous and stuffy voice,

"Official Documentation of-" Peyton read before dropping the act with a dramatic gasp, voice cracking half way through the last word, "Overworld Citizenship!?"

Sarah and Kaz both jumped and stared at Peyton with shock, Siado however barely widened his eyes.

"What?!" Kaz said as Peyton quickly mumbled his way through the first paragraph. His eyes were wide as he hunched with the paper closer to his face, and his voice was getting higher and higher until it cracked again near the end.

"I, Maxxor, Leader of the Overworld, de-de-de-de-dah, recognize your achievements in aiding the Overworld tribe such as –insert-long-ass-list-of-things-we-already-know-about– and hereby personally invite you to become an official member of the Overworld tribe?! HOLY FREAKIN-ARE YOU SERIOUS?"

Tom nodded his head.

"After the negotiations were over, Najarin gave me this and told me to think it over." Tom explained, raising his head to look at them. "Apparently, since they don't know what the Hell the M'arrillians want with humans, it'd be a good idea if they had at least one human on their side. And because Maxxor trusts me more than any other human he knows…he…well…"

He gestured feebly towards the document in Peyton's hands.

"Holy. Shit." Kaz almost wheezed out, shoulders slack and eyes like dinner plates. "I mean, we've joked about it like a million times, but I never thought Maxxor'd actually go through with it!"

"Dude this is huge!" Peyton exclaimed. "This has gotta be like a Chaotic First! And you knew about this?!"

He suddenly rounded on Siado, pointing at him accusatorily.

"Sort of, they were talking about it during the negotiations that we should have a couple humans in the Alliance for the same reason your friend already explained." Siado explained. "I kind of figured he must be important to the Overworlders somehow if Maxxor sent Intress to rescue him."

"Also, it's rude to point," Siado chided, gently pressing Peyton's hand back down.

"Right," Peyton replied, turning back around in his seat with a sheepish look, "I guess it would make sense Maxxor'd ask Tom first."

"Tom, this is incredible!" Kaz said, "I can't believe you've seriously been asked to join the Overworlders."

"Uh huh, I'm going to be the first human Overworlder…ever." Tom said, numb with shock.

"Tom, I don't think you'll just be the first human Overworlder, you'll be the first human to actually join one of the tribes, period!" Kaz stated. "This isn't just a Chaotic first, this is literal Perim history!"

"So, what exactly is going to happen if and when you sign it?" Sarah asked.

"Um…" Tom said hesitantly, leaning back with an awkward grin as he scratched the base of his skull, "It's not a matter of if and when."

He gestured towards the document and Peyton unrolled it a bit more. There at the bottom in wobbly and blotchy handwriting was Tom's signature and a smear of blood next to it.

"You already signed it?!" Sarah exclaimed incredulously, before angrily demanding as she slammed her hands on the table, "Did you even think before you signed the damn thing!?"

"I got the 'damn thing' two days ago." Tom retorted sharply, suddenly losing his anxious tone and sitting up straighter. "Maxxor wanted me to stay in Kiru City where they could keep an eye on me until I made my decision. Y'know, so that no M'arrillians try to kidnap me while they aren't looking?"

"Oh," Sarah replied flatly, falling back in her seat, though she still did not look all that pleased.

"What's up with this smear of blood next to your name?" Kaz asked, squinting at the rust-red smear in the corner.

"Well, it kind of literally ties my blood with the tribe, and it also makes it so I can do this."

He raised his right hand, showing them the back of it just before the Overworld Mark suddenly appeared and started to glow, making the others jump.

"Whoa!"

"Cool!" Peyton exclaimed.

"Is that what you were showing Nebres earlier?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, it's to prove I really am a member of the Overworld tribe," Tom explained, "Apparently other Overworlders originally from the other tribes can do the same thing. Like Hune Marquard, he was originally from the Danian tribe. Tang- Heptadd can do it too."

"I always wondered how that worked." Peyton said.

"Alright, so I guess the question is, what's going to change from now on?" Sarah corrected.

"Well, I'm moving into my room at the arsenal, I'm going to have to get some new clothes since the ones on my back are all the ones I got and they're not exactly the best for fighting in." Tom began listing off, counting each change on his fingers, "Intress'll start training me in how to fight and stuff, somebody like Vidav'll probably be the one who teaches me how to read and write Perimian and history and all that…

"I'll probably start going on missions in a month or two…but during the time I'm not training or studying or going on missions I can come back and hang out with you guys…but that's probably how it's going to go until the transport center gets fixed. We'll have to come up with something when it does happen, but hey, baby steps."

He finished with a shrug; a bit anxious under the dumbstruck looks his friends were giving him.

"Wow. They're not screwing around, you really are an Overworlder." Kaz said, eyes like dinner plates.

"Yeah," Tom agreed before taking back the scroll and getting up. "It's getting late, I should head back now. I just wanted to have a chance to tell you guys what was going on with me before things had a chance to take off."

"Um, okay," Kaz said, unsure how to react now. "See you later?"

"See you later." Tom said with a reassuring smile before adding, "I'm going to be fine you guys, stop looking so worried, okay?"

As he turned to leave Sarah appeared to have an inward debate, glaring at Tom's retreating back before getting up and running after him. She caught him just before he disappeared of to his home away from home, Kiru City.

"Tom, wait."

"Yeah?

"Are…are you sure about this?" Sarah asked, concern in her tone. "This is kind of a huge decision."

"I can't exactly back out of it now, Sarah." Tom pointed out.

"I know but…are you sure this is really what you want?" Sarah replied, emphasizing 'you' with a jab at Tom's shoulder. "That you're not just doing this because you're friends with Maxxor and you don't want to disappoint him?"

Lord knows what the boy had been willing to go through just to help Maxxor before he actually became friends with the green man.

Tom shook his head with almost no hesitation.

"I've been around Maxxor long enough to know he wouldn't hold it against me if I refused." Tom said confidently. "I'm doing this because I want to, and because I want to be able to find out what the M'arrillians are doing and put a stop to it first hand, instead of hearing about it like last time."

Sarah winced as a painful reminder of the last M'arrillian invasion came to mind. After the Mister E incident, Tom had been effectively shut out of anything involving the M'arrillians. Not because he was in trouble or anyone was angry with him, but because Maxxor hadn't wanted to give the M'arrillians another reason to go after Tom again, directly this time.

And, honestly, when one considered the fact that Tom was still technically the weakest member of Maxxor's inner circle, as well as the hardest to keep track of, it wasn't an unfounded concern.

So after that, Tom had gotten no missions or information about anything involving Maxxor or the M'arrillians.

And it drove her friend up the wall that nobody would tell him what was going on or what he could do to help. She was pretty sure that fact had a lot to do with why he chose to stay in Perim instead of heading to Chaotic during the climax.

"Okay…" Sarah said, apparently somewhat satisfied with his answer. She folded her arms with a sigh, giving her friend a pleading look, "Just…be careful. Okay? Just because the M'arrillians don't have their mind control anymore doesn't mean that they're still not a huge threat. And you've just basically painted a great big target on your back."

"I think I did that the moment I stabbed Milla'iin with Roxanne's knife." Tom said with a weary grin.

"Tom, I'm being serious!" Sarah snapped. "You're not just making yourself a target for the M'arrillians, but for any of the other tribes once this is over. Hell, despite his popularity, not every Overworlder likes Maxxor, he's bound to have an enemy somewhere in his own tribe that isn't above attacking a kid. You could get seriously hurt, or worse."

"I'll be fine, Sarah," Tom assured her hands resting on her shoulders as he looked her straight in the eye. "Believe it or not I do know how to look after myself, and even if I do get in over my head I've got Maxxor and Intress looking out for me. Aren't you always teasing me about how much they act like overprotective parents?"

Sarah couldn't help smiling at that. It was true that the two Overworlders did have a habit of acting overly paternal around Tom, though it wasn't obvious unless he A. screwed up royally or B. was in danger. She was glad for it in this case however, it was a lot more assuring to know that Tom had someone like them to keep an eye on him.

"Not to mention you, Kaz, and Peyton to depend on." He added with a grin. "It's going to be alright. I know it."

Even as he said it, Sarah could see the little squirm of doubt in his eyes. However, even with that ugly little doubt in the back of his mind, Tom looked a hell of a lot surer about what he was saying than the rest of Chaotic did about the situation entirely. It said a lot about how close Tom really was with the Overworld, that he could put so much faith in them in a situation like this.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Tom promised,

"See you," Sarah replied back, trying to smile but dropping it the moment Tom disappeared.

She had a funny feeling this was only just the beginning of 'human' creatures.

Meanwhile in a Secluded Corner of Chaotic

Siado had a report to make, staring down at the blue Communications Crystal in his hand. It was hardly something he had to keep secret, the other creatures inside of Chaotic had their own crystals in their pockets somewhere. It was to keep tabs on what was happening and if anything big came up.

Soon enough the sandy colored dragon-like face of Mudeenu appeared in it, glaring at Siado with blood red eyes.

"Well?" Mudeenu asked impatiently. "What do you have to report?"

"Your Highness, I've only been here for an hour but from what I can tell, all I'm seeing are a bunch of terrified kids." Siado said, glancing around with pity. "They have a lot of odd technology, but none of it is geared towards combat or defense, only for entertainment. There was this eavesdropping device that Peyton found under their table, but I don't think that's something they normally have, if the fact that only one girl reacted when Kaz stomped on it was any indicator."

"Are there any humans behaving strangely?" Mudeenu pressed. "Like they're hiding something?"

"There are a lot of humans, but again, not from what I'm seeing. Anxious and confused seems to be the most common mood everyone is in." Siado said. "It'll take more time to know for sure, but as far as I can tell the M'arrillians have absolutely no reason to be doing any of this."

"But they must." Mudeenu insisted. "Otherwise they wouldn't be going to these lengths to trap these Players between Chaotic and Perim."

"I know that, but for the life of me I can't see what it is."

Mudeenu growled. He didn't care much for humans, but whatever the M'arrillians wanted with these children could mean nothing good for anyone else involved.

"There's…something else."

"What's that?"

"One of the children that was attacked, his name is Tom, apparently he was invited to join the Overworld Tribe."

"Yes, I remember discussing this with the Code Masters a few days ago. They were not very keen on the idea, but they did eventually agree to allow the older players to make their own decision." Mudeenu said thoughtfully, "and did he accept?"

"Has the mark and everything, didn't even try to hide it from me."

"Well, that's good at least. It means Maxxor isn't trying to go behind our backs on this." Mudeenu said, before making another growling noise. He didn't want to admit it, but the Overworld Leader might have the right idea with having at least one human under the Overworld's control. "Perhaps it may be a wise idea to claim a human for the Mipedians as well."

Siado impulsively glanced in Peyton's direction, the boy doing his best to keep his friends distracted by animatedly telling stories the Mipedian couldn't hear. There was a reason why Peyton was able to easily charm Mipedians into being his friends; creativity was a skill that air valued most. The fact that he just so happened to be friends with the human Overworlder only made him all the more perfect.

Which made the Mipedian worry more than anything else.

"That is something my Father will have to consider." Iflar's voice came in through the crystal, catching the other Mipedians' attention. "I just received a message from him."

Both the Prince and the Stalker felt their hearts stop for a moment. There was only one reason why the King of the Mipedians would send a message.

"King Theb-Sarr is coming home."

Mount Pillar

Queen Aszil's decision to lax their security in regards to humans was one she had yet to come to regret. It was a simple yet effective arrangement; Danians players were allowed in provided they had someone willing to look after them. Now they had an applicable means of keeping track of humans and what they were doing, and could stop wasting supplies, time, and energy trying to keep them out on top of everything else.

Even the more stubborn higher ups had to admit it was a nice change not having to worry about what the humans were getting up to without their knowledge.

She had been surprised just how many Danians were willing to play chaperone to the humans that visited. But it wasn't an unpleasant one, just an interesting one.

Something that the other tribes tended to underestimate was how possessive Danians could be over what was rightfully theirs. After all, most Danians had the affinity for the element earth, and earth was the element of stubborn willpower. It did not change and it did not yield easily, and once something, or someone, belonged to one Danian, they belonged to the whole Hive.

This was something that Danian Players had yet to realize, but undoubtedly would very soon.

The M'arrillians were going to get another reminder as to why you should never mess with what belonged to the Danians. Claiming the M'arrillian's brightest and most powerful Fluidmorpher had been a direct retaliation to their taking of the Mount Pillar Reservoir. It was a prize that Aszil gleefully took pride in.

Although, right now she was none too happy with him.

"You are telling me," She said, being very, very careful to keep her temper under control. "That you have absolutely no idea as to what your former tribe is up to concerning Chaotic Players."

Aszil was smaller than her mother, thinner and a deep dark orange color with strips of aqua green decorated across her arms, legs, and stomach. Her large wings fanned out behind her, arching with orange, brown and clear strips. Apparently, she was very sinister looking, if the somewhat terrified reactions of players that actually see her were anything to go by.

"No, my Queen." The former M'arrillian said, brown wings fluttering uncomfortably. He sat in front of Queen Aszil and her Mother at the center of Queen's Gate, most of her tribe in attendance watching attentively. "I lost my connection with my former brothers and sisters the moment I became a Danian. I have no idea why they would be doing this. They had never really regarded humans with much interest before."

"How did they regard humans before?" She inquired, bright orange eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Annoying and bothersome. Weak, petulant brats that got in the way too much and contributed too little." Nunk'worn replied without hesitation. "They were useful for information but nothing else."

"Something obviously must have changed within the last moon or so, that was the time we infected him." Odu-Bathax said, the blue-shelled Danian rubbing his jaw with one of his four arms.

"But what? Nothing significant has happened in Chaotic, outside of the events of the last week." Lore replied.

"They must have discovered something we haven't," Raznus reasoned,

"And whatever it is, it must benefit the M'arrillians somehow, or else they would not bother with humans." Nunk'worn added. "And if they don't get what they want before the two solans are up and the Code Masters repair the transport center, they might go to greater extremes."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"They might try to trap humans here permanently." Nunk'worn said, before adding almost offhandedly, "May already be planning to do that as we speak."

The Hive suddenly went very, very quiet.

This did not surprise them in the least, in all honesty. The M'arrillians had already more than demonstrated their capacity for cruelty; they nearly committed mass genocide after all. Trapping a few hundred thousand of men, women, and children in a world they did not belong to nor did they understand was not beyond the Danians' comprehension. The fact that the arrangements they had decided upon could very well become permanent did not come as a shock.

It was why that bothered them.

How could this possibly benefit the M'arrillians?

To what end was this all for?

"I think," Illexia, her mother's, elderly voice came in, speaking up for the first time. "It may be wise that we take at least one human into our tribe, not as Assimilated Danian, but as a human joining of their own volition."

"I agree." Queen Aszil stated. "Whatever the M'arrillians want with humans, there is no doubt in my mind that it will not end well for anyone. We should have at least one under our command. We might be able to turn it to our advantage, or at the very least put a stop to whatever the M'arrillians are planning. Are there any humans you were thinking of in particular, Mother?"

"There is one, actually." Illexia said, "If I recall correctly, her name is Sarah."

Wamma felt his heart take a plunge into his stomach.

He really should have known that girl was going to be the end of him one day.

Underworld City

Underworlders were possessive.

That was a fact of life.

They were the "fire" tribe after all, and it wasn't the element of possessive passion for nothing. Once they "claimed" something, or even someone, as theirs, they'd kill to keep it. This was a fact that applied to most fire users, even Maxxor. There's a reason why the Overworld Leader's inner circle was small and carefully selected, and it was the same reason Chaor kept his small and carefully selected.

They had to, it was a necessity. Having too many 'friends' meant too many possible targets for enemies. And anyone that wanted to be counted as a 'friend' had to earn that right.

Kaz on the other hand, had sort of been an unexpected curveball.

In all honesty, even Chaor wasn't entirely sure why he liked the kid, he just did. By all logic the kid should annoy the ever-loving shit out of him, but he just somehow didn't. He liked having the kid around; he liked listening to him yammer on about past scan-quests or Chaotic Matches, or whatever was on his mind. He even felt a small victory when he realized the kid had stopped flinching and jumping at every growl or shout he, or other Underworlders, made.

If Chaor, Takinom, and Agitos were going to be honest, they all knew who they were going to offer to become a part of the Underworld. He was the only human that Chaor liked.

They'd have to go about it carefully. He was still human and still a kid, not to mention they also had to take into consideration the fact that Kaz's friends were loyal to the other tribes. Chaor hadn't really cared about that factoid up until he realized that despite not having the element, Kaz still had the behavioral habits of a fire user.

Namely, he was willing to do anything to protect what was "his."

That had become painfully obvious during the mission to break into the Overworld Arsenal.

During the mission, there had actually been a miscommunication between the Ruler of the Underworld and the player. To Chaor 'friend' was a meaningless word, or rather it was a sentimental one that implied softness and a weakness. A 'friend' was something for an enemy to exploit, and that was something no Underworlder could afford to have. Meaning that, to the Underworld, 'friends' were expendable. Something to be weary of, not something you got attached to.

So it wasn't until after Kaz had nearly screwed over the entire mission just to give his 'friends' a chance to get off the wall that Chaor realized a rather crucial detail: 'friends' had a much different meaning to humans than it did to Underworlders.

And that Kaz was willing to defy him if it meant protecting his friends.

That could become a problem in the future, and it was definitely something they had to consider.

Still, ultimately, there was no question or debate about who the first 'Human Underworlder' would be.

They just had to wait for a bit before confronting him with it.

Which, for once, Chaor did not have too much of a problem with.

Hovering over a tiny flame only succeeded in one of two things, getting yourself burned or smothering it. Confronting Kaz too quickly with the possibility of joining the Underworld when he was still reeling from the recent events was going to scare him off.

So if they had to back off and let Kaz have a chance to adjust and take in the situation, they'd do exactly that.

They had other things to worry about in the meantime.

Kiru City

Tom had already fallen asleep by the time Maxxor went to the arsenal to check on him. So the Overworld leader said nothing as he took the scroll from off the otherwise empty shelf across from where Tom lay dreaming. He took a moment, however, to glance at the messy signature and the smear of blood that tied the boy to his tribe from now on.

His eyes ran down the list of things that Tom had accomplished over the past two solans, almost tempted to shake his head. It was hard to believe sometimes that someone with no powers whatsoever could accomplish these kinds of feats. The boy could be outstandingly clever when he wanted to be, a trait highly valued in the Overworld.

He couldn't help but remember a rather silly debate he had with Intress about what elements Tom would have if he were a creature, with him arguing for earth and her for water. She had actually won that discussion, since Maxxor couldn't very well deny the fact that Tom was extremely clever. Said ingenuity had been what had saved his and many other Overworlders' lives after all. That and while the boy could be stubborn when he wanted to be, it was nothing in comparison to the stubbornness common with earth-users.

Maxxor sighed, rolling up the scroll with a soft smile to himself. He'd be lying if he said there wasn't a part of him glad to drop the 'honorary' part of Tom's membership in his tribe. Although he still very much wished it could have happened when the boy was much, much older and not under these kinds of circumstances.

When he left that room to file the document safely away, he had no idea the wheel he had just set into motion. He wouldn't know until almost a solan later, when he'd discover the dream Tom had that night and every other night afterwards.

The M'arrillians weren't the only forces with a hidden agenda at work.

And these forces had just claimed their first, but most certainly not last, human.