And another chapter, freshly betaed! I have good news, my beta should be getting her internet back this week sometime. I still wouldn't mind an extra beta, but I don't want to impose on anyone. So, onto the next chapter, hope you enjoy it!
Also, I've been able to reconcile season 3 with this fic, so thankfully I won't have to change canon at all. I HATE doing that.
"Ow!" Tom dropped the battlegear he was cleaning as a clipboard came in contact with his head. He turned to Bodal with a scowl, "What was that for?"
"You weren't paying attention." The nasally voice of the tiny Overworlder answered, level and calm and just a touch haughty as usual. "Now, to repeat myself, I need twenty eight of those Liquilizers cleaned and sorted into the proper shelves. Fourteen Torweggs seem to have been misplaced; you will need to find and resort them. I will be in the office taking inventory." A hairless green brow rose, "Did you manage to stay awake this time?"
"Yeah, yeah...I heard you." Tom waited for Bodal to leave, but the creature just stood there expectantly. Finally Bodal cleared his throat, and Tom rolled his eyes. "Clean and sort twenty-eight Liquilizers, replace fourteen Torweggs into proper shelves, I got it. Don't freak."
"Hmph. I do not 'freak.'" Bodal turned on his heel and shuffled into his office, door only half closing behind him.
Tom rolled his eyes again, not really as annoyed as he seemed. Really, Bodal wasn't too bad. He could be annoying, but he also knew a lot of secrets and always had the scoop on the newest Battlegear. Shaking his head and chuckling, Tom went back to cleaning the Liquilizer. This one was just dusty...but there were a few covered in a foul smelling gunk, and Tom was more than sure he didn't want to know where they had been.
Silence returned to the armoury again, and with it Tom's former train of thought. His relaxed smile quickly turned into a worried frown. Something big was going to happen, he knew it... But he didn't know what. He didn't know anything, really. Not how, when, where, if, ands or buts, nothing. And there was no one he could go to, since Kaz, Sarah and Peyton were all in the same boat as he was. It was frustrating.
He set the Liquilizer aside mechanically, reaching for the next and beginning his task all over again, lost in thought as he went through the motions. Those things Peyton had said...
The Mipedian Oasis was on high alert, and Chaotic players were less than welcome. Most creatures had taken to all out avoiding any players that came by, while stalkers had become their constant shadow just in case. Even worse, according to the rumours he and Sarah heard this morning, Mudeenu had taken to pushing Chaotic players around and snatching their Scanners for an hour or two. Any Chaotic player found near the dig site was thrown into the jailhouse for at least four days, with some Mipedians calling for their destruction. The only thing protecting the players was Prince Iflar's decree that no harm shall come to any human under his rule, something that everyone was suddenly thankful for.
The only thing they hadn't heard a rumour about were those beasts Qwun had mentioned. Tom felt a shiver go up his spine. He didn't doubt Qwun, Peyton had a lot of trust in the scout, but somehow the lack of rumours about any strange beasts was disconcerting... Especially with the rumours of missing players on the rise. Oh, and to make matters worse, no one had heard a peep out of the Codemasters.
And then there was his own experience with Drakness. How Kaz can handle being in the Underworld with creatures like that, Tom did not know. Drakness had been cryptic, and yet not cryptic enough. And that stupid riddle! It had a million answers. Was the 'light' that drives 'it' away the Mugic that Iflar used? Was the 'chamber' they should never enter the Rune chamber at the ruins? But that had already happened. Why would Drakness make a riddle of something that already happened? Then again, he wasn't really the trustworthy type.
Tom sighed, pulling out his Scanner and looking down at the blank screen. The power they hold... Somehow, Tom knew Drakness was talking about their Scanners. Kaz and Sarah had come to the exact same conclusion.
Last he heard, Peyton was still trying to puzzle out the riddle. Just how had Drakness known about the rune chamber and the things that escaped from it? And why couldn't anyone get a hold of the Codemasters?
Frustrated, Tom whipped the cloth he was using to clean the Liquilizers at the nearest wall. His Scanner dropped to the floor by his side. Tom rested his head in his hands, the Liquilizer sitting in his lap. He needed more! More information, more clues, more anything!
"Troubled, are we?" A very familiar, powerful voice asked from above him, causing the teen to jump and whip around as best he could.
"M-Maxxor?" Tom blinked, catching the heavy Battlegear before it toppled off of his lap.
Maxxor simply arched a brow, "Bodal was right. You are distracted."
"Uh- Sorry, Maxxor." Tom frowned, looking at the half-cleaned Liquilizer in his lap, "I was just thinking. Oh, uh, do you need something? Bodal's in the office."
"I know. I was just there." Maxxor crossed his arms loosely, studying the human seated on the floor. Tom was as easy to read as an open children's tome. "Come with me, Tom; I might be able to use your help for something."
"Ha...of course." Tom laughed at himself sheepishly, only to stop in surprise as the Overworld Leader continued. Tom jumped again as Bodal appeared and cut him off – since when did Overworlders get so sneaky?
"Hmph. I suppose I have to do all of this myself. Again." Bodal drawled, rolling his eyes, "Just like every other day."
Maxxor gave the smaller Overworlder an amused look, "Were you not just complaining about his lack of focus?"
"Huh?" Tom looked between the two, confused, which only made Bodal scoff.
"Good point. Now if you are done here, go. Shoo shoo, I have a lot of work to do." Bodal shuffled off again, muttering the whole time about how much work he did and how underappreciated he was. Maxxor simply turned and left, Tom following after a moment of hesitation.
"I was supposed to go with you, right?" Tom asked as they left the armoury, if only for the sake of being certain. He didn't want to flake out on Bodal.
"That is correct." Maxxor answered easily, glancing over his shoulder at the teen.
"Oh. Alright then." Tom jogged a little to catch up to his hero, falling into pace beside the creature. "Why'd you get called back so early? I thought you were out on an expedition or something?"
"Something like that." Maxxor's features hardened a little as he stared forward, "There's been trouble around the Mipedian borders. I have been reviewing reports from the scouts – there have been some troubling encounters."
"O-Oh?" Tom faltered, instantly trying to cover up the hitch in his voice. He knew it was already too late when Maxxor glanced over at him, suspicion showing in his eyes.
"We still do not have the full story. I am trying to arrange a meeting with the Mipedian Royals but it is slow going." Maxxor continued on as if nothing had happened, leading the way into the Overworld castle. "You and your friends can travel anywhere at any time, can you not?"
Tom nodded an affirmative, "Yeah. But Mipedian security is so tight that even Peyton has a hard time getting in."
Maxxor made a thoughtful sound, "And the rest of the desert?"
"Uh...I don't really go there. Often." Tom lied as best he could, fighting an internal war with himself. If Kaz was right about anything, it was that Tom had a hard time keeping secrets. Not small secrets, not even big ones, no. Secrets that affected a lot of people, definitely. And what happened in the desert... It affected all of Perim. Especially those on the surface.
"Hm." That was all Maxxor said for the rest of the walk to his office, Tom following just a little behind. In an attempt to lighten the mood Tom started to recount the last few matches he'd had in Chaotic, both won and lost. That at least seemed to entertain Maxxor, and Tom got more and more involved in his stories as he helped the Overworld leader go over some inconsequential reports.
That is, until Tom came across one about changes in the desert. He sobered up immediately, head swirling with the same questions that had troubled him before. Maxxor plucked the report out of Tom's hand and skimmed over it before setting it aside. That report wasn't supposed to be there; he had specifically ordered that anything about the Mipedian desert should be sent in separately.
"...Maxxor?" Tom asked quietly, not looking at the creature in question. Still, Maxxor focused his attention on Tom and nodded, letting the Chaotic player know that he was listening.
"Well...If you knew about something that could cause big trouble for...a lot of people, but you promised to keep it a secret to someone else, even though it's bothering you and..." He shook his head, taking a moment to center himself before looking up at the Overworld leader, searching for any kind of guidance. "What would you do?"
Maxxor sat back in his seat, bringing a hand to his chin as he studied Tom. It was no secret that Tom held him in high regard; in fact, it was quite obvious. Most things about the human were quite obvious; he wore his heart on his sleeve and freely bared his feelings about any situation. Such honesty was a quality most strived for but never achieved. A quality to be respected.
"I would keep my promise, Tom." Maxxor answered warmly, putting the tense human at ease, "A situation like that is never an easy one to be in, especially the way you described it. I would be torn, were I in such a bind. But a promise is a binding pact. A man is only as good as his word." Maxxor let that sink in, continuing once he received a nod from Tom. He smiled, giving Tom a knowing look, "Your real friends will never fault you for keeping your word, Tom."
Tom sat up in his chair, a brilliant smile on his face. The hidden message behind Maxxor's words were loud and clear. "Thanks, Maxxor."
"Honour is indeed an important thing."
Tom turned, Maxxor finally looking up at the third occupant of the room. "Intress?" Tom tilted his head to the side, surprised, "But I didn't hear the door open."
The feline woman chuckled, cat-like ears tilting forward and a soft, fond smile on her face. "I climbed in through the window." She supplied, slipping off of her seat on the windowsill, walking over to Tom and leaning down to hug the young human. "It is good to see you again, Tom."
"Heh, you too Intress." Tom smiled sheepishly, a little embarrassed at the open show of affection. Though she was hard to find out in the wilds, Intress didn't make a habit of avoiding humans. And after all she and Tom had been through together, she had practically adopted him.
Maxxor watched the exchange with a small smile on his face, growing even wider when Tom noticed and became even more embarrassed. Intress chuckled as well, and for a moment the atmosphere was warm, comfortable, homey.
Too bad moments like this couldn't last. If Intress was here, she was here for a reason; an important one, if she chose to avoid walking through the halls and just scaled the castle wall to his office. This suspicion was proven as Intress sat on the corner of Maxxor's desk, looking down at Tom.
"I am sorry, Tom, but I have to ask you to leave. I have to discuss something of utmost importance with Maxxor, and we can't have the details leave this room just yet." Intress explained, tail flicking from side to side casually.
"'Kay. No problem." Tom nodded and stood, grabbing his bag and pulling his scanner out of his pocket, "I'll go see if Bodal still needs some help." He was stopped as Intress spoke up again.
"Tom."
"Yeah?" He blinked curiously, thumb hovering over the button that would port him out of the room.
Intress reached out, fixing some of his hair before resting a hand on his shoulder, "Anytime you need anything, we are both here for you." She told him in a soft but authoritative tone.
"...Thanks, guys." Tom ported out, feeling lighter than he had for a long while.
"Sarah? Are you sure you know where you're going?" Kaz piped up for the fifth time, looking over his shoulder every time he heard a sound. They were deep in Danian territory now, almost at the base of the Hive and still descending. How many Mandiblors roamed around here? "I really don't want to spend another day in Danian jail. Or get assimilated." Kaz shivered at the last bit, making a show of it.
"You're the one who insisted on porting in with me." Sarah quipped back, fighting the urge to give him a good smack upside the head.
"Yeah, cause Perim is kind of dangerous right now! I couldn't let you go alone." Kaz jumped, looking around wildly, "What was that sound?"
"Oh, calm down already! That was the wind, and for the last time, I know where I'm going! Wamma's always on guard duty down here." She turned, pinching Kaz's cheek and giving a fake pout, "Don't you worry Kazzy-wazzy, Sarah'll protect you from all the big bad Mandiblors."
Kaz batted the hand away, giving a half hearted glare at his friend. "I'm not scared – okay, maybe I am a little scared, but...Oh, just lead the way already."
Sarah smirked and laughed at his expense, "Tom is right. You are one weird guy. The Hive isn't as dangerous as, say, the Underworld City or Lava Pond?" She taunted again, picking her way down the steep slope with Kaz close behind.
"The Underworld isn't as creepily quiet as this place!" Kaz jumped again as some pebbles were shaken loose above him, "Every sound makes me think a Danian is sneaking up on us."
Sarah rolled her eyes, "Amateur. If a Danian was sneaking up on us, we wouldn't hear them at all."
"Thanks. That makes me feel so much better!"
"Come on Kaz, we're almost there."
They continued down in silence save for the sound of their feet hitting stone and the occasional slip (mostly Kaz), finally reaching the bottom of the chasm a few minutes later. Wamma was sitting at the exact entrance Sarah expected. What she didn't expect was his reaction to their presence.
"Wamma!" Sarah called out as she and Kaz made their way over, "You said you had a Battlegear to show me and you never showed up. What's the big-"
Wamma's antennae stood straight up in the air, his entire demeanour shifting from relaxed to alarmed as soon as Sarah's voice reached him. He looked around frantically before closing the distant between him and the humans, cutting Sarah off, "Sarah, what are you doing here? It's too dangerous, you have to go now!"
Sarah took a step back, Kaz looking at her in surprise. Naturally, she offered no explanation. "What are you talking about, Wamma?" Sarah demanded, crossing her arms and giving Wamma a stern look. No one told her to do anything without a good reason. "Spill. Now."
Wamma's antennae flattened back against his head and he looked around again, slumping down a little in Sarah's commanding presence. "A lot of stuff is going on around here, okay? We felt an earthquake a while ago and the Hive's been on high alert ever since then. You're lucky you got this far." He finished miserably.
"Earthquake?" Kaz asked quietly, "Like, a little more than a week ago?"
"About that I guess. It's the worst one we've had in a while." Wamma answered easily, fidgeting with the Plasma Pounder in his hands.
"But, earthquakes happen all the time down here." Kaz frowned, "What made this one so different?"
"Elder Illexia had some kind of dream right before it happened, and ordered that no humans be let in or near the Hive." Wamma's antennae twitched nervously, "She was real fierce about the whole thing. We aren't even allowed to leave the Hive unless we're on a wide patrol." He slumped a little more, looking at Sarah apologetically, "That's why I couldn't come meet you when I said I would."
"Then, they must have felt the earthquake in the Underworld too..." Kaz chewed his lip, looking in the direction of the Underworld worriedly.
Sarah's brows knit together, "Wamma, did Quee- Elder Illexia tell the Hive anything about this dream?"
Wamma shook his head, "Nu-uh. Only that she foresaw something. And one of the old scrolls in the archives had something ominous in it. Queen Aszil agreed with Elder Illexia and backed up her order. I haven't seen a human here since, not this close to the hive." Wamma stood up suddenly, antennae flying up into the air. He then urgently ushered the two away, "You have to go, now! A patrol is coming by and they won't waste any time dealing with you."
"Whoa, hey, Wamma hold up!" Sarah protested.
"No, go now! Please, Sarah? I'll find a way to send a message to you later and tell you more, just not now!"
Sarah gave the nervous Danian a long, hard look, only receiving a pleading one in return. Finally she sighed and pulled out her scanner, Kaz following suit. "Fine. But I still want answers."
Wamma nodded, "Stay safe, Sarah."
"Yeah..." Sarah answered, a little uneasy at the Danian's sudden shift in temperament. "You too." She ported out after Kaz, and Wamma went back to his post just in time for a group of sentries to come around the corner.
Hidden on a pillar far above them, a lithe form shifted in the shadows. Large, glowing eyes peered down at the lone Danian guard below, white hair falling over her shoulder as she watched the Sentries depart. How easy it would be to swoop down and destroy the lone guard...but no, from the sound of it he was much more useful alive. She would have to keep an eye out for those two humans...they made themselves quite useful today. So the Danians did have something to guard after all...
"This is an interesting development...the Masters should be pleased." She mused aloud, another figure materializing behind her.
"Yes, my dear...yes they should." His low voice answered, placing a hand on the other's shoulder. His oddly-shaped wings fanned out behind him, a sickly grin showing on his amphibian like face, "We will have to keep an eye on this Danian – if what our guests say is true, anything he tells the humans will be useful indeed." He sobered up in an instant, turning away from the Hive. "Come. We must report back."
He spread his wings and pushed off their perch, gliding easily onto the next. His companion followed close behind, jumping from perch to perch as quickly as she could to keep up. Yes. They had to report to the Masters.
Below them Wamma stirred, antennae tasting the air. His eyes narrowed...he hadn't smelt that odour since the M'arrillian's invasion of Perim. Could it be they returned? Wamma thought on it for a moment...before sitting right back on his haunches. "Probably just tired or something. I should take a nap."
He yawned and closed his eyes, blissfully oblivious to the escaping spies.
...Yeah, nothing important to say today heh.