Disclaimer: I own only Angel, Manny, Kat and Kit because they're my OC's!

Does anyone want to guess at who their parents are? The Twins are obvious, and I've said Manny's last name. Angel's might be obvious too (depending).

I was standing just outside the Drome. Kat was waiting inside. I was all nerves. Manny was standing next to Kit off to the side. "You put that Underworlder in her place, Ange!" Manny cheered.

"Ignoring that." Kit stated to Manny, then to me: "You've got a solid strategy and know what to expect. Good luck, Angel!"

Looking over my shoulder, I smiled and nodded at them. I have never been so nervous about anything- No, the school play tryouts, but still! Once I went in there I would be changed, put into battle and then either come out a winner or a loser. No pressure… I breathed. This is just a game. I won't even really get hurt. The fact that this was a game did give me one, solid drive.

I'm playing to win!

Still I didn't walk in there with much confidence. Maybe that was why Kat was smirking as I walked holding my scanner close to my chest. "I've been waiting for you to come in, Overworlder." She said.

I didn't say anything, I just felt a slight glare creep onto my face as she said that. "Oh, I came to win Underworlder." Kat's eyes narrowed.

I locked in my scanner and began arranging. Okay… so water Creatures include Intress, Owis, Antidaeon, and Katharaz. I'll just stick to the ones who have two legs. A Torrent Krinth is a good BattleGear to start with. And I need to pick one good mugic. For Location, I put in a place Dad told me about in the Overworld, it seemed right to start out there.

"You've seen me smoke both my brother and your best friend, PerimPride." Kat said once she was ready. "I haven't picked the Location I want yet, but just in case… Where do you want to go?"

I looked over at her before I put in my last choice. "Hopefully, it's a place we all will like. But you'll have to wait until after I win to see it." I gave myself a boost of confidence.

"Ooo!" Kat mocked. "And I had you for a 'good-girl'. Glad to see you've got some bite."

I locked in. My scanner went down and our battleboards came up. My eyes went wide at the sight of it. Takinom wasn't there.

"Chaor!?" I shouted out.

"Surprise!" Kat stated. "This is the last match, so I thought I'd change things up to be more interesting. 'Chaotic' is the name of the game."

I knew she was right. I hated to admit it, but she had gone completely against the strategy Kit and I had made. Chaor still breathes fire, so that advantage is still in. But he's the Underworld Tribe Leader! He's way stronger than Takinom! The mugic and BattleGear I have may not cut it aymore.

"PerimPride," The Drome-voice sounded out. "Activate the Location Randomizer and state your attacking and target Creature." I got my game-face on. Now I was mad, and I felt ready! I spun the wheel between our two Locations. It landed on mine.

"Glacier Plains." The voice stated.

I called out, "Intress attacks Chaor!"

I saw a ring of light form around me. As it rose up and around my body. I could feel myself changing! My shoes morphed into unprotected feet with claws. My muscles stretched and became longer, along with the rest of my body. My clothes changed to that of Intress' and orange fur grew on every inch of me! It wasn't painful, instead it felt like I was becoming something far stronger than my normal self. I was becoming something deadly, fierce and unstoppable! The stretching and fur eventually made it all the way up to my face which changed with it. Opened my eyes. I looked down at my hands.

They weren't mine.

Neither was the tail!

"If mom caught me in this outfit, she'd lock me up for life!" I covered my mouth. My voice was now of an older woman's. Intress was a lot like a tiger, and her voice was somewhere between a giant cat's and a strong woman you wouldn't want to mess with!

"Take a minute, I can wait." Said a deep, male, gravelly voice. I looked up across the room, there was Chaor where Kat had been standing. "Your friend Manny screamed when he saw his tail." Must have missed that when I was talking to Kit. Kat flexed her new, giant red muscles. "Now I really feel powerful!"

I smiled and looked at her challengingly. It even felt like some of Intress' own confidence and come in along with the new body. "How many pounds did you gain from that?"

Chaor's eyes went wide, then angry looking over at my new form. "Oh.. No. You. Didn't!" Yep, there's still another girl under all that.

I was blinded by a bright flash, then I felt a cold wind blowing all around me.

Glacier Plains. The frozen Artic of Perim, and the place were Dad told me he had his first battle in. I was instantly glad I chose a Creature like Intress who had plenty of fur.

I shivered, only at the suddenness of the temperature change. "Good thing the cold doesn't bother her too much." I said in my new voice. I looked around, when I didn't see Chaor (Kat), I decided to take this moment to get used to my body. Intress is bipedal so there shouldn't be much change. I felt where my knee was, I raised it up and took a step. Because Intress is much taller than I am the step went farther. I was kind of amazed by this, and took another. And another. And another!

I felt the urge to start running, my body didn't fight it. My new body longed to be moving fast, to erase the feeling of cold and snow and move in any way I felt I wanted to. My claws sunk into the snow, but Intress is so limber that it felt like she could jump or dodge in any direction! "This is amazing!" I cried out like a little girl!

"No kidding!"

The second I looked, I was hit by a flaming fireball. "Augh!" it knocked by back, hard. But like Kit had said I didn't feel like I was hurt. I could feel Intress' power be drained, however the 'me' inside of the creature was perfectly fine. I had a feeling that if this was really real, I'd be down and out with a third-degree burn in my side.

In the direction of the shot, walked a shivering Chaor from an ice cave. It was actually funny seeing the fierce leader of the Underworld hugging himself from the cold. "I-I-I've b-b-b-battled i-in a la-lava hole and-d-d-d desert! Th-This!?"

Smirking I got up and said, "I'm toasty!" Kat growled in frustration. "Wanna drink?" I had asked Manny how to summon BattleGear before the match. But just to be safe, I called it out. "Torrent Krinth!" and it appeared on Intress' wrist. I fired and aimed it at Chaor! Bullseye!

To add insult to injury, Chaor was now soaked to the bone in a freezing wasteland. And he had lost about 10 of his 65 energy. I'll know when my numbers are right when Kat or I'm code. "Blech!" Chaor coughed out the mouthful of water. "YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT!" He slammed both fists on the ground "ROCKWAVE!" A series of rocks came out of the ground and made a bee-line right towards me! I jumped.

And when I say 'jumped' I mean Intress launched herself up into the air away from the attack. My mind was in a spin, so I barely registered that I had landed safely in the snow. "Wow," I said, still in a state of shock. "I guess cat really do land on their feet."

"You're not getting off that easy, Intress!" Chaor roared.

With Intress' senses I could even smell the burning brimstone of the Underworld on him. And it finally dawned on me that I was really doing this. I can't think of this as I'm fighting another human girl. I'll just keep dodging until I lose that way. I am Intress and over there is Chaor, the face of the enemy. I'm one of the fiercest Warriors of the Overworld! I can't let him just take a hit at me and get away with it! Psyched, I began to remember the plan I made with Kit back in the Port Court.

He said that Kat's style is hit hard and hit hot. She's also keeps herself mentally ready for sneak attacks. Since she's not Takinom and Chaor doesn't have wings, I won't have to worry about looking up for my enemy. I'll just have to edit the plan we made around Chaor's limitations and Kat's method of fighting. She thinks she has me on the run. And I was running, but sending blasts of water her way so she wouldn't lose me. Kit tried to match her in fist-a-cops and Manny tried to use mugic and special abilities. Kat thinks she's got the lead on us since she's won two out of three. All I have to do is make her lose once.

I made it to the perfect spot. An area in Glacier Plains where there's a dangling ice cliff over my head. I just have to make sure it's ready to go at the right time. "Grr!" I could hear and smell her a ways behind me. But for Intress' nose, ears and instincts, Chaor was already getting closer at a steady, charging speed. "Better be quick. Pebble storm!" I shot at the ceiling above, the ice was too thick so I tried somewhere else. Nothing was working, and a stronger attack would alert Chaor! There were plenty of ice boulders and formations to hide around, I decided to go for an ambush and try my luck during a face off instead.

"Intress~" Chaor sing-songed once he arrved. "Come on out, Kitty-cat~!" I have a tasty Flame Torrent with your name on it."

The cat-thing? Really? I figured why not as I climbed up a large boulder to get a jump on my opponent. Water's still my best bet, I should have chosen a Location that ups those attacks. But now's not the time to think that! I got a little higher, and Chaor was still looking around. I jumped and mid-air cried out, "Rip Tide!" and two gushing torrents of water came out from my hands. It felt like the power came from my arms and reaching past to somewhere in my very core! Chaor saw me at the moment I screamed out and called for a "Magma Might!" Which went over my right attack.

Fire and water hit each of us, dealing a lot of damage. Chaor was knocked to the ground, and I was hit so hard that I bounced of a giant icicle and sent sliding onto the floor. Toward Chaor! I was dizzy from the attack and not fully in control as I zoomed on one foot. I felt myself collide with the fiery Underworlder and we both coughed from the impact, but kept going from my momentum until Chaor's back hit the frozen wall.

My vision was blurry as I tried to get up, but I still saw the giant crack traveling up the ice wall towards the cliff. "Yipe!" I screeched out in a very un-Intress way. Using all four limbs I made a break to get clear form the cliff. Behind me, Chaor was taking longer to recover holding his head with one hand. I heard him groan and grumble as he must have tried to get up then slip on the ice and snow. I could hear another kind of rumbling coming from above me. It made me leap and run faster to get out from under the cliff. Without even thinking I called back, "Run! It's gonna fall!"

I don't know if she got up and tried to get out, or if she didn't hear me. I just remember making a sliding stop as I made it out into the open and saw the whole cliff of the glacier crashing down. And the blinding light returned.

Now we were back in the BattleDrome. Kat was back to her human form and I was….still Interess.

I had won.

I won?

"I won!" I jumped up and cheered at the white swirling light changed me back to my black-haired, pale-skinned self.

To confirm the declaration, the BattleDrome voice sounded. "The winner is: PerimPride. Congratulations."

I had done it! "I won my very first Chaotic match!" I had played as Intress in Glacier Plains and beaten Chaor! Our scanner came back up and Kat and I both unlocked them from their stands. Kat had a look that I wasn't sure was agitated or resigned, but I was to absorbed in absolute glee that I didn't care. I ran straight to her and enveloped her in a tight hug. "Thank you!" I squealed. "Kat, that was the most awesome thing I've ever done! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"

After a brief laugh, Kat patted me on the back. "Ha-Hey! Take it down a notch there, PerimPride. I wasn't even this happy when I first won!" She and I were both smiling as she kept an arm around me as we walked out.

Manny and Kit both came running up to us! Kit was looking proud,… for some reason, Manny wasn't. Kit spoke up first. "Angel, that was great! You used our strategy even after Kat changed her Creature choice. You didn't even have to use the mugic!"

"Yes, Kit I am devastated by my first loss." Kate said, sarcastically. "But please. Feel free to congratulate the person who left me to be crushed under the snow!"

Snoodily, Kit replied. "Seeing how you let two matches get to your head and left me alone with the person most likely to beat you from the start, I'd say it was your own fault you lost, Kat."

The two of them shared a glare, before Kat playfully punched him in the arm. The twins laughed and Kit said, "C'mon, I got you a feel-better chocolate shake."

Seeing's how Kit and Kat were now fine, I was now perplexed as to why Manny looked so upset. And at me. Does hethink I shouldn't have won the match? He can't be jealous. Can he? "How did I do in there, Manny?" I asked eagerly. Yes, I was fishing for compliments, and still too excited to care.

"You won didn't you?" Manny replied crossing his arms. "Ya slipped-slide a few times, but ya came out on top."

"And…" I tried venturing a guess. "You're not happy that I won?"

"No, I'm happy for that." He said.

"Then what's wrong?"

"YOU GAVE KAT MY HUG!" he said. I leaned back from his yell. And it stopped the twins in their tracks. "You've given me that hug for fifteen years every time we do something great together! Then the second you win your first Chaotic match, you can't wait five minutes before giving it to the closest person! Real, great friend you are Angel, really great."

"That's what you're mad about?" Kit asked as he back with his sister.

"Yeah!" Manny threw up his arms like it was obvious. "That's kind of important. I've been Angel's right-hand man since our diaper days. I always get that hug! Not someone she only met a few hours ago and that throwing fireballs in her face!"

You might not think Manny was that serious about it. But he really was. I know how ridiculous that sounds, especially coming from a fifteen year-old boy. Manny is Manny, I wouldn't want him to be anyone else. So I giggled and explained. "Except when Mom's there. Manny, you know I always keep a spare of those right?"

"A spare hug?" Kat questioned.

"Yep!" I replied and gave a big hug to Manny. "Just in case."

Manny hugged back, saying happily. "Okay, that's better, Missy." When he let me go, he said in a British accent. "Now my fearsome foursome, we feast! In celebration of the victory of the Pride of Perim!"

Sure enough, we had a feast of burgers, fries and milkshakes. No one was mad about battles or losing or any mention of the matches. Though we had plenty to comment on as we watched other players battle from the Port Court. We shared our amazement at this whole adventure, and how we all looked forward to going back.

"Why do have to leave at all?" Manny said, still chewing. "We have Earth-selves that will keep our parents from worrying and school. Why even go back at all?"

"Chances are the yous, and us, back on Earth will think your scanners are broken and might try to replace them." Kat said. "If that happens, you'll be stuck here forever, and if you get coded your other self will never know."

Kit continued. "Plus, Earth is as much part of the game as Chaotic and Perim. You can still find rare cards online from people who don't have codes and trade the cards you still have even if you don't have them over here."

"Ooo! Ooo!" Manny had finished with his food and looked over at me. "Angel's prize! Where did you pick to go?"

"Can we go right away, or do you want to port back home first?" Kat asked.

Kit was eager too. "Are we going to the Underworld or the Overworld?"

My straw was in my mouth, so it took just a moment for me to gulp and answer them. "Both." I told them.

"Both?" the whole table said in unison.

"This has all been a little much and I know our brains will definitely be on overload as it is. So why don't we go back home and them come here in an hour?" Safe money says Manny will have a head-rush and might even faint from all this new information. I'll have to remember to breathe steadily myself. "Then we can come back here and go to…" I pulled out my scanner for all of them to see the location.

"Cordac Falls!" I thought it would be the perfect Location for all of us. The Falls lead directly to the Underworld from the Overworld, and I've heard that a lot of action goes down around there so it'll be a great chance to test out our scanners and get used to Perim!

"Sweet!" Manny replied.

"Alright!" Kat cheered.

"Phew!" Kit whipped his brow.

Looks like they all have a Cordac Falls too. "But first," I slowed my speech. "How do we get home?"

We all took out their scanner and began studying them. There was no new button or instant return image on the monitors. Thankfully, one of the service robots spotted us and offered us help. It said we can leave home from anywhere in Chaotic when we press the target symbol on the top of our scanners.

"Well," Kat piped up, "See ya all in an hour!" And she ported home, fading into light before our eyes.

"I better go too." Kit said. "It'll be better if I know what she's talking about when she runs out of detention. See you, Manny! See you, Angel!"

It was just the two of us again. "I'm uh…" I had to confess. "A little unsure about this." What if I just disappear?

Manny elbowed me. "Hey, I came in here with ya, I' m going out with ya." He smiled at me encouragingly. I smiled back.

"On three."

Back on Earth…

As Manny and I were walking down the street to home, I pulled out my broken scanner again. "Manny…" I sadly looked over at him. "I'm really sorry."

"What?" he raised an eyebrow at me. "Angel, it wasn't your fault. It was a accident! Well, an accident that we put in a code that killed both our scanners in three seconds and lost our online decks forever." My hand hit my own face in shame. "Still! It's not your fault. You take chances and sometimes you fall and sometimes you soar. Isn't that what your mom said?"

Yeah, but she's going to be a little ticked off about this. Manny and I are still a year too young to get jobs, so this repair is going to have to come from chore-money. And Mom's not one to hold back when it comes to doing work. Even if we landscaped the whole yard for her it might not be enough to get a new scanner. I sighed; this would be a long, tough defeat to take.

Shorter than I expected when my scanner started sounding off and buzzing in my hands! I gasped, "Manny!" We both stopped and looked down at my scanner. "It's alive!" he cheered.

Happily relieved, I pressed on the blinking light. I gasped again as memories of a newfound land, a game, new friends and chances for greater adventure flowed into my mind! My head jerked back from the rush of images so new to my brain. "Whao!"

Manny came right over like a good friend and steadied me. "It's a miracle, but it's not that amazing." He said.

"Quick, Manny, take out your scanner!" I told him.

He reached behind him and pulled it out of his backpack. "Oh, yeah! Maybe me too." The light was blinking, Manny pressed it. His face went blank as all the memories of Chaotic caught up to him. "Yow-zah!"

We looked around. We were back. School was over, and along with the memories of today were a whole set of impossible but real memories.

"Dude!" Manny said to me.

"I know!" I said to him.

"Dude!" His hands few up to his head.

"I know!" I broke out into a happy dance!

Manny watched, screaming out one last time, "Angel!"

"One hour!" I reminded him. "One hour and we go back and meet them in the Port Court!" We both sped home, happily laughing like little children.

My first day in Chaotic was a mind-blowing. I made two new friends, battled as one of my favorite Creatures, and won in my first match ever! I even had my first trip to real Perim planned! There was an unspoken agreement between Manny and I that our parents couldn't know about this. His dad was off touring and my Mom had never been a Chaotic Player. Neither of them would believe this anyway. I've just been there and I could barely believe it! My life would never be the same after today. My childhood dream of going to Perim was coming true!

My own adventures were just in their first steps. And what I was about to find out, was that the finish line would lead to something bigger than I had ever dreamed.

Next Time:

The kids' first trip into Perim is to Cordac Falls!

Every adveture needs some danger in the mix, and this is no exception.

But what or who is waiting for them there?

And even so... how has Perim changed since Chaotic was down?