Tom didn't come back to Chaotic for at least another two days. It was more under Kaz's instruction then his own, but he decided not to fight it and allow some time away. Yet everything seemed pretty normal. He didn't feel too different, he didn't feel like he'd been gone for months, at least not on earth. He clearly remembered all the homework he did and the new classmates he met. He didn't really feel anything…

Maybe it was because of the Chaotic effect, how his earth self remained and such.

It was on the third day that he'd finally had enough and ported back to Chaotic, but not before giving his Mom a quick hug. She only assumed he was going to the movies with Kaz, which was true. But Tom just wanted to be sure he'd said a proper good bye if anything else happened.

So here he was, waiting at the drones for two competitors to leave so he and Kaz could try out whatever weird creature he scanned. The breeze blew the planted grass by, shaking the small trees that decorated the area. Next to them, the Crellen Drones shines with its cerulean shine, the blue almost matching the sky perfectly. Tom never really noticed the dome being that vibrante before…

Was it always so bright?

"You excited?" Kaz asked, leaning over Tom's shoulder to get a better view of his scanner. The scan of Picsis remained in it shiny silvery white wonder. "I mean, maybe if you think about yourself, you'll be able to remember what happened."

"Yeah, but I wanna test her out first." Tom replied,looking down and squinting at the image. "I mean, we don't know who she is. She could have been wiped too, or maybe she's feral like some of the other Tribeless."

"Tom, i'm pretty sure that if you make battle gear, you still have some sort of humanity….Or, would it be creaturity? Whatever it is, she's probably civilized enough that she'll be fine." Kaz smirked, pulling away from his friend and starting at the battle dome again. He still seemed a bit tired, yet was doing far much better then when Tom first saw him. Some color was starting to return to his cheeks, and he was more relaxed than before. "Speaking of battle gear, I'm surprised you haven't gone to get information from Bodal, or really any of the overworlders."

"I want to figure out what I can on my own, first." Tom shrugged, looking away from the scan and back to the drones. What was taking those players so long, he'd go missing for another six or so months if they didn't hurry up. "I mean, if the tribeless are so secretive, I don't want to give anything away…"

"Right, I understand...But maybe after this, we could swing on by so that Maxxor can take a chill pill." Kas stated a bit cheekily, looking to the drones as well. He shoves his hands in his pockets, recalling a previous few rumors he'd hear. "Apparently he's been a bit on edge when he heard you'd been missing for so long."

"Did he send anyone?" Tom questioned, a bit surprised.

"Kind of? It wasn't an official order or anything, but he did add a sweet pay bonus if anyone found you while they were out on patrol." Kaz replied honestly, a bit of a sad smile on his face. "I mean, he can't just send a search party out to the Mipedian Desert, it could stir up a few angry Mipedian Royals."

The drone doors opened with a quick whoosh of hydraulics, just in time for Tom and Kaz to see the two previous players walking out of the other side. He didn't recognize them, and they didn't see him. He should have watched the screen, maybe he could have seen who won the match then.

"I figured." Tom nodded along, walking in and making his way to a scanner deck. "I'm honestly glad he didn't send anyone over, I'd feel horrible if the alliance was ruined because of me."

"Well it didn't, and you're back. All's well that ends well and stuff. Now come on, let's see if you remember anything!" Kaz said with a smile, placing his scanner on the deck and already getting his gear in order. It was agreed beforehand that it would be a simple one on one battle. Tom figured Kaz would pick Chaor, like he always did, so there wasn't any mystery there. As for area, the Forest of life was also agreed upon. Tom ignored the robotic drones around him and started to come up with a plan. Even though they'd be using this time to try and figure things out, it was still a match. And like hell was Tom going to go easy on his best buddy. Picsis was still a new character, one he had to figure out, and possible use in matches, if he could.

He stared at the card as he went through the motions, waiting for his turn to call out the challenge. Kaz smiled, sending one last look over at his buddy. A hint of worry glistened in his eyes, through the rose tinted glasses he wore.

"You sure you ready for this, Tom?" He asked, trying not to let his emotions dampen the mood.

"...I gotta know what happened," Tom replied, after a second of waiting. He looked at the screen again, before swiping Picsis's scan to Chaor's.

"Picsis attacks Chaor!"

With that, his vision went white.

The sun was warm, it's glow danced across his skin, yet felt cool compared to the heat of the underworld. The brightness stung his eyes, but only for a second, as they began to adjust to his surroundings. He flexed his hands, then his arms, and in a matter of moments, he was Chaor. Not completely, to be exact, but he was always able to adjust to being the Underworld leader better than his other scans. He always enjoyed the feeling, the confidence that rushed into his own personality. It was weird, sure, but it remained his little secret.

"Alright," Chaor's voice, booming and gravely, echoed across the forest. He cracked a cocky grin as he looked around. "C'mon Tom, where you hiding at?"

Yet all he heard was the lack lazy breeze, and the sound of some bird chirping in the distance. All of it was white noise, made the make the area seem far more real then it was. But no Tom, no Picsis, not a single word. Kaz instantly felt his nerves spike, and he started to roam around the area. All he saw was the flora and fauna, but no Picsis.

"Tom?! C'mon, you ok buddy?!"

He picked up the pace as he moved onwards, starting to bat aside whatever got in his way. He was yelling now, loudly and skittishly and his mind was racing. What if it was a trap, what if the creature was infected with something, like Razmus, but worse! What if he was trapped in some sort of trance, or what it was like Maxxor and that one mugic?!

"Tom! Tom where are you?!"

He couldn't lose his buddy again, not after all this.

"Tom! T-"

"Over here!"

Chaor's head whipped so fast, Kaz swore he'd probably break his neck right then and there. Yet instantly, he was charging to the direction he heard Picsis's voice. He pushed aside plants, almost burnt the ground with each step, yet by the time he'd made it, he'd calmed himself down to a simmer.

In front of him stood Picsis, not smiling like her picture portrayed, but in fact frowning. She seemed to be a good bit shorter then him, but would definitely be a little taller than his normal height. Her hair seemed to move wildly, flicking around like a cat's tail would, yet each at a different pace and time. It was a little distracting, but Kaz had dealt with worse distractions. Other than these facts, she looked every bit like her Scan. She also looked completely fine, no bad mugic effects, no infection, no nothing.

Kaz mentally sighed in relief.

"Jeez, talk about a weird spawn spot," Chaor mused, looking around him. There was a small creek, shallow and crystal clear, yet it was rather cramped around the trees and plants, being more of minor inconvenience to move from.

"I didn't spawn here." Picsis's voice, young and surprisingly chipper, replied. She turned her gaze to the small stream, and ran a hand through the water. "I...just felt like coming here."

"Which you?" Chaor asked, leaning against the nearest tree as they waited. For what, neither really knew. Maybe a clue, maybe for everything to come back to Tom and their mystery be answered. Yet they both knew this would take time, it would take patience, and it would take some luck as well. "Does any of this seem familiar to you? To her?'

A pause, Picsis rose up, looking at the sky and squinting. Slowly, she smiled, showing off rows of sharp teeth as she spread her arms out to catch the sun rays.

"Nope!" Picsis replied, almost humming as she spoke. "But she I think she likes it. It feels different, different from...I think where she used to live?"

"Where does she live?" Chaor asked, not moving from his spot. His eyebrow was raised, but he'd seen weirder things happen in the drones. Some people could get pretty out there if they wanted too.

"I dunno, i'm trying to think on it but…ugh, every time I do, it shifts. Sometimes it's a desert, a cavern, a forest?" Picsis said, the once pleased look vanishing. "Screw it, I'm gonna try thinking about myself instead."

"I thought you already did that?"

"Nah, I wanted to get a feel for this first." Picsis responded honestly, sitting down on the river bank and relaxing. "And seeing as I didn't know what to expect, I figured i'd wait and see if the she was infected or something."

"Good call, good call...so, you uh, see anything yet?"

"...nah, so far it's-"

And then everything went dark.

Suddenly, he's not there, he's somewhere else. Somewhere dark and cool, but not cold. He can feel the sand beneath his feet, and the soothing sound of waves crashing on a shore somewhere.

He tries to turn to around, but this is still a memory, he has no control here. He's still Picsis. And what Piscis does, after taking a few moments to breath, is turn around.

And low and behold, it's him. He's dressed in his original clothes, but they're beat up and stitched together and such, more like rags then anything really. He also seem a bit different too; a bit more scraggly, a bit more toned, and a whole lot tanner. Most importantly, he had his scanner with him, thankfully. He also seems a bit sad, as if he knows what's going to happen next. As if he knew far more about this person the the current Tom did.

"...So," Picsis began, more of a sigh then anything. "You're going to go through with this?"

"I have to," Tom, memory Tom, said. He turns his gaze away from her, to the tide pools that surrounded them. In the distance, the sound of chanting could be heard, a dull hum to the emptiness and echoes of their voices. "Najarian's not the only creature that can read minds. If I go out there, then I risk bringing everyone here in danger. We both know that."

"...Then scan me."

Picsis blinked, but when she did, Tom opened his own eyes.

He was looking at her now, looking at the creature who save him, who helped him, who trusted him ever since he got here. His memory flickered with the night he was injured. With the fall and the pain in his arm, and the warm glow of Picsis finding him before he passed out. Another blink, and he saw her laughing, giggling madly at some sort of prank they pulled on a bigger creature. Another blink, and he's helping her repair Battle gear, watching as her many limbs detach and reattach machinery at a precise rate. He blinks once more, and he sees her on the edge of a cliff, they two of them sharing their worries.

With each snippet of a memory, Tom realizes that in all these memories, she's happy.

But in this one, she isn't. Or at least, she's trying to. She doesn't want to send him off with a frown.

"What?"

"You heard me!" Picsis exclaimed with a half-assed smirk, taking another step towards Tom. "You spent all this time with us, learning how to fix battle gear and helping other creatures. You've even saved my skin a few times! It's the least we can do for getting you mixed up with us in the first place."

"But what about everyone else? Aren't you worried I'd be able to find this place through you?" Tom asked cautiously, taking a few steps back.

"Nope! I trust you. And if the rumor about scans having memories is true, then you'll see this conversation through me!" Her smile started to fade, and she turned her gaze away. "You'll remember that… that I'm glad to call you my friend, Tom. So scan me! Quickly, before they come back!"

Tom felt his own face start to shift and stiffen. His eyes started to water, but he quickly tried to wipe the tears away as he smiled. Holding up the scanner, he hold down on the button as Picsis was bathed in the familiar blue glow.

His vision went white.

"-om! Tom!"

Tom's eyes, his own, real eyes, snapped open. He looked around hazily, blinking as his vision came back to focus. Above him was Kaz, normal, regular Kaz, looked scared out of his mind. Yet he starts to relax when he notices his friend's awake. The dark walls and blue lights seemed to accentuate his friend's gaze.

"What...happened?" Tom asked, his mouth still a bit slow on the uptake. He tried to sit up, but Kaz kept him from standing all the way.

"You passed out during the match, that's what happened!" Kaz snarked, starting to relax as his buddy slowly woke up. "But more importantly, what happened to you?! Are you feeling ok? Do you remember anything new?"

Tom paused, letting the flashes he caught earlier flicker across his mind. They didn't feel new, they felt like they'd always been there. Almost like they'd been uncovered then introduced. He could still feel the heat of the place, the sounds of the square. He could remember voices, some stronger while others fainter; but the only creature who ever stuck out was Picsis. Everyone else's faces were blurred, if they were even there…

"I remember her." Tom replied honestly, still trying to gather himself. "A lot of things are a bit fuzzy, but she's the clearest thing i can recall. Apparently she wanted me to scan her cause she didn't want me to go back empty handed."

"Oh great! At least something came out of all of this! Now lets not do it again, cause I don't think i can handle having to mercy code you each time you have a flashback. " Kaz replied as he stood up, offering Tom a hand. "We aren't going to do this again, are we?"

"...No," Tom took Kaz's hand, and allowed himself to be helped off the floor. He stumbled for a second, but was quickly able to regain his balance. He felt different now, a little light headed, but strangely level headed. "I think I'll be fine for now, if i get any more flashbacks, i think my mind's gonna explode. I was actually thinking about porting to Kiru city instead, you wanna tag along?"

The sun was setting in Perim, and Kiru city was just starting to settle down for the night. Many creatures were already in their homes, eating dinner or preparing for their nightly jobs. Guards were switching their posts, merchants were backing their supplies, and even those left on the streets were finding alleys to settle for the night. Yet Bodal could see none of this, as he was busy burying himself in his job.

Bodal stared at the piles and piles of paperwork in front of him, and for a moment he felt highly pleased. He'd managed to get the new budget designed, create three lists of which Battle gear needed repairs (from most to least important, separated alphabetically, timely, and the rank of who they belong to), and even set up the orders for new battle gear parts from the eastern side of the Overworld. He had signed, filled the proper forms, and even gotten his own paper work done in the span of three days. He'd swore he broke a personal record of his, as his writing hadn't been this fast and this through since his days as a soldier, recording his current commanders orders.

Yet whatever pride he felt was short lived, as he remember the rest of the work he'd have to do. Turning around, his simple grin fell at the sight of the heave battle gear he'd have to reorganize. He'd have Olkiex do it, but he'd also need him to work on the repairs if they were to make next week's deadline. Surprisingly, even though the death of Tangath Toborn allowed the tribes to restore their alliance, there was no peace in Perim. As the borders grew to become more patrolled and disputed, many tribes turned their attention inwards, and had started to try and enforce better law enforcement. Warriors and soldiers became guards, keeping watch over the smaller villages away from Kiru City, and when confronted with bandits and low lives, they needed battlegear.

And it was the Overworld arsenal's job to make sure, at the very least, Kiru city had fully functioning battle gear.

"No rest for the weary, it seems." Bodal mused to himself as he walked over to the nearest box. He'd get what he could move, and if he needed to, find some battle gear to help him with the tasks. It would be so much easier if they had another hand, but no soldiers could be spared, it seemed. And Tom…

He wouldn't ever admit this, not even to himself at times, but he was worried for the human. He'd grown attached to his sly wit and snarky humor, who's pride rivaled his compassion. There had been times where that boy had torn his nerves to shreds, but there were also times where he saw Tom as a student, a person to teach and to learn from. For Chothica's sake, he housed Tom for a few months, even though it was under Maxxor's orders. He'd gotten use to having his help around the arsenal.

And now, he was gone. Possibly forever.

He regretted opening his big mouth, telling that fool about the Tribeless, and especially regretted giving him that stupid map. Maybe if it wasn't for those things, for indulging him in those ideas, he'd still be here today! He wouldn't be lost somewhere, or dead, or worse! He would be here, bothering him about some new battlegear, or telling him about a chaotic match. He'd be wasting Bodal's time, sure, but… at least he'd be fine.

At least Bodal, himself, would be able to stop-

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Bodal, who was completely on the other side of the arselan, let out an annoyed sigh as he carefully set down the box of battle gear and shuffled towards the door. Who could it be at this hour? Perhaps it was that red haired player -Kaz, was it?- who came by to check on him. His visits had become rarer and rarer, most likely cause the boy had ties to the underworld or something. At least, that's what red scanners usually meant…

"I'd hope you have a very good reason for being here, else-" Bodal began as he cracked the cracked the door open slightly, the scowl instantly vanishing from his face when he saw who it was.

"Well hey to you too." Tom replied with a grin, crossing his arms and staring down at the small Overworlder. The two seemed to stare at eachother for a moment. Bodal's mind wrapping around who he was seeing, and Tom's once smug girn quickly fading as he realized he may have startled Bodal.

Yet it was quickly dismissed when Bodal yanked Tom into the arsenal and shut the door, giving him the meanest glare he could muster, which honestly wasn't half bad. "...I'll make a wild guess and say you don't have my map with you, do you?"

"Uh, well, it kind of got lost, and I'm not sure where-"

"Forget it." Bodal replied, surprising Tom as he began to shuffle off towards the kitchen area. He needed something to soothe him right now. "Map's can be replaced, and besides, it's become outdated while you were gone. You've done me more of a favor getting rid of it then keeping it...Would you like some tea?"

"...What kind?" Tom hesitantly asked, taking a seat on a sturdy set of crates. This surprised Bodal slightly, as the boy always turned down his offers for tea when he rarely made them. "Besides, aren't you surprised to see me?"

"Me, surprised?" Bodal asked mockingly, already rummaging for a specific type that would be nice about now. He'd have to make one for Olkiex, incase he finished fixing the damaged battle gear before Tom left. "I figured if you hadn't been died yet, you'd never would. Speaking of which, where did you run off too?"

Choosing not to answer Tom's first question, he quickly sat up his old teapot over an open flame, waiting for the water to boil. Looking around, he spotted some Gwabba fruit Olkiex must have left out earlier. The dolt must have been in such a rush to finish his job, he'd forgotten to clean up. Yet it just so happened that the peels and seeds could be used to make a bittersweet tea.

"Wow, thanks Bodal. Glad you're ok too…" Tom snarked back, rolling his eyes as he looked around. His eyes scanned the room, taking note of all the clutter and battle gear strung about. It honestly seemed like an organized mess more so then anything. "And I can't really tell you...details are a bit fuzzy at the moment. But what's up with the Arsenal?"

"Hm… Well, if you're referring to the state it's in, which I will assume you are," Bodal spoke from the kitchen doorway, startling Tom slightly. He always forgot how sneaky Bodal was. "It would have to do with the fact that despite my amazing intelligence, we're understaffed here at the arsenal. All the other guards that I could rope into helping out had been called to outer posts. It's just been Olkiex and I for the past for solars or so. Which reminds me, as collateral for losing that map, I'll have you work here until we can get this cleaned up."

"What? But I just got back!" Tom cried out, shocked at already being put back to work. "C'mon, don't I atleast get a few days to let everyone else know I'm alive before I'm back at work?"

"You mean you haven't gone to tell anyone else?" Bodal replied back, trying to hide his surprise and mildly succeeding. "What are you even doing here then? Shouldn't you be off bothering Maxxor and Intress? Or is that why you're here. If you expect me to know where they are, well then I'm sorry to say this, but it's strictly classified. They will be here by tomorrow morning th-"

"No, no, Bodal. I came here to see you cause..." Tom's voice drifted off, before he shook his head. " I came to check on you cause I figured you were worried about me, I guess…And maybe I wanted to make sure you guys knew I was alright? I mean, that's what friends do, right?"

"...Well, I wasn't," Bodal said, his tone suggesting otherwise. After a few moments in the kitchen, he returned with two cups of Qwabba tea, and his eyes a little wetter than normal. "But for the sake of our work load, give us a little warning the next time you go vanishing for a few Solons, understand? It's already hard enough trying to organize these extra orders but when one of your workers disappears out of nowhere, it's an absolute madhouse. Why, just the other day-"

Not a lot of work was done that night. Instead Bodal just allowed himself to ramble on and on, like he normally would. Tom would listen, occasionally give a snarky comment, and then quickly the two would bicker, like they normally would. Eventually, Olkiex would rear his head, and would rush over and give Tom a heartfelt hug, mumbling about how glad he is Tom was alright.

Bodal didn't ask Tom where he went after this, he honestly didn't care. He was just happy Tom wasn't dead, and for tonight, the consequences of his disappearance would remain out of the arsenal for as long as Bodal saw fit. For once in his life, he allowed himself a break...