"Mr. Johnson, what are your thoughts on these recent events concerning the Doppelgangers?" Sean Stewart, one of the more popular talk show hosts in the City, asked.

"I think it's outrageous!" Johnson exclaimed. "These people show up out of nowhere, claim to have been some of the most respected heroes of the City, and just expect us to believe them?!? Oh, and not to mention they just happen to be anti-determinists! I don't know where Perez got it in his head to pull this kind of stunt, but it's a ridiculous attempt to salvage an election he was clearly losing!"

Sean cocked his head. "Are you saying that the Doppelgangers are a hoax?"

Johnson waved his hand. "No, no, of course not, but it should be clear to everyone that they have an agenda! Beyond the fact that they exist, what else can we be sure of? They can claim anyone was a Doppelganger! I'm surprised they didn't lump the founding fathers in there with them!"

Sean leaned forward across his desk. "And what do you think this agenda might be?"

Johnson snorted. "What else? Control! Why else would Perez be running for Mayor? These Doppelgangers want to waltz into our City and take over!"

Sean leaned back in his chair. "Then why haven't they done anything sooner? I've looked over the evidence and it's clear that these Doppelgangers have been in the City for decades at least, with similar positions as they have now. Why would they suddenly decide to make a play for power which they clearly weren't interested in before?"

"Because they're getting scared!" Johnson replied. "Humanity is growing stronger every year thanks to the principles of genetic determinism, and that frightens these Doppelgangers! They want to keep us weak so we can't threaten them!"

"Then why not simply attack us and take over that way?" Sean frowned. "They had plenty of opportunities to do so before their reveal. They have several members in key positions that could have let them cripple the City before we even knew what was happening! And that doesn't even take into account the problem of Christopher Vincent!"

"Christopher Vincent is exactly why they're using this tactic!" Johnson retorted. "I agree that the Doppelgangers would prefer to work with us peacefully, but that doesn't mean they want to work to our benefit! After all, a happy slave works harder than a rebellious one! They want to get everyone thinking that we should do what they say because it's good for us, when the only ones it will benefit will be them! You'll see, it won't be long before they seek to abolish the Trial, to stop expanding our efforts in the Maze, and keep us cowering in the City, dependent on them for everything! And if we don't go along with it… well, they can always send Christopher Vincent to make us go along with it."

"If that's the case, then what truly are our options?" Sean raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like we're doomed either way. We either willingly become their slaves, or they force us into it anyway."

"I don't know about you, but I'm not going to just roll over and let these Doppelgangers fuck us! If they want to control humanity, they're going to have to do it over my cold, dead body!" Johnson roared. "We may not be able to beat them, but we can at least ruin their victory! I'd sooner burn this City to the ground than just hand it over to these conniving bastards!"

A few cheers went up from the crowd, along with some grumbled protests. No one was exactly happy with the Doppelgangers suddenly showing up, but everyone was a bit mixed on whether or not they should actually consider them their enemies. A lot of people were pretty much of the opinion that hiding the fact that they were in the City for so long was pretty shitty, but they got it. Of course, there were the extremists on both sides who either completely believed in the Doppelgangers, painting them as hidden angels watching over the City, or thought everything they'd said was a lie, seeing them as demons out to destroy the City. Thankfully both groups were in the minority, though for some reason they always ended up talking the loudest. Case in point, Johnson.

"I think it's a bit too early to call for something so extreme, don't you?" Sean frowned at him. "We can't say everything the Doppelgangers claim is true, but there's no evidence that their claims are false, either. Refusing to work with them just because they might be lying seems a little rash."

"Extreme situations call for extreme measures." Johnson growled. "Should we just give these creatures who admit that they've been lying to us for centuries the benefit of the doubt?!?"

"Of course not, but that doesn't mean we need to condemn them out of hand!" Sean retorted.

"Any leeway we give them is like putting a knife to our own throat! If we simply allow them to do whatever they want-" Johnson countered.

"They've already been doing whatever they want! They've been here for centuries! What more could they possibly accomplish now that we're aware of them that they couldn't before we knew of them?!? The only thing they've done by revealing themselves is shaken a trust we already had in them! If they were trying to control us, they wouldn't have revealed themselves, they would have continued moving in secret until they replaced every person in authority in the City with one of their own!" Sean exclaimed. "Until there was nothing we could do to resist them!"

"Maybe they were trying to, but with this unknown enemy on the surface they couldn't anymore!" Johnson shouted back. "Maybe this is their last ditch effort before they resort to force!"

"That's a possibility but why should we assume that's the case?!?" Sean snapped.

"Because the other option is walking blindly into slavery!" Johnson sneered.

"Okay, that's enough of that." Chris sighed, turning off the TV. "Do I have to do this?" He asked, turning to Beth.

Beth grimaced slightly. "Sean is usually more level headed than that… but at least he seems to be on our side, so it shouldn't be too bad?"

Chris sighed. Somehow he'd let the Doppelgangers rope him into doing a few talk shows, and Sean Stewart was the first up. He and Beth were currently waiting in the green room while Sean did the initial interview with Johnson. In a few minutes it'd be his turn to sit in the hot seat. "There has to be someone better for this. Like Dichonius! This is what he does!"

Beth shook her head. "Chris, it has to be you. You're… terrifying. The Doppelgangers need to humanize you, make you look like a person instead of a threat hanging over everyone's head."

"And how is putting me up there supposed to make me look more human?" Chris grumbled.

Beth smiled. "That's why I'm here."

The two waited a few more minutes before they were called onto stage, passing Johnson as he left, shooting them a nasty look.

"And now for our next guest, Major Christopher Vincent and his fiance Private Beth Klein everybody!" Sean announced, a light applause greeting the two as they stepped on stage. Sean smiled at them as they sat. "It's good to see you again Beth. I believe the last time we had you on the show was just last year, wasn't it? For your big win at the City Performing Arts Showcase, right?"

Beth flushed slightly. "Yes, I believe that's right."

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"And look at you now! A proud member of the Scouts and engaged!" Sean exclaimed. "Have you already set a date?"

"Either Friday or Saturday, depending." Chris answered as Beth hesitated slightly.

Sean blinked. "This Friday or Saturday?" Chris nodded. "Well… congratulations! I wish you both the best of luck, truly. But now I suppose we should get to the meat of things, shouldn't we? Christopher, your abilities have been a subject of much debate and concern these past few days. Many people fear that by siding with the Doppelgangers over humanity, you've placed yourself as an ultimatum hanging over our heads. That if we don't work with the Doppelgangers, the alternative is being tied to your world and forced to work for them. What do you say to these claims?"

Chris frowned. "I think the first misunderstanding is that the Doppelgangers need me to do anything. Are you aware of the nature of the Doppelgangers?"

"That they start as slimes and then mutate to become stronger until they mature as Doppelgangers? Yes, I'm aware." Sean replied.

"Right, well, this means that even discounting their ability to transform, which is a fairly potent ability in and of itself, they're also all physically equal to a high-tier, with an ability on top, which is usually high-tier or higher as well." Chris explained. "They may only constitute about one percent of the population, but that one percent could tear through the rest like butter. They can do whatever they want to humanity without me."

Sean frowned. "That's hardly a comforting thought…"

"That's my second point, the misunderstanding that I'm on the Doppelgangers 'side'." Chris continued, making air quotes. "You see, as much as Dichonius is my father, that has little to no bearing on my loyalty. Due to circumstances related to the Doppelgangers remaining hidden, he had to abandon me when I was a child, leaving me in an orphanage for most of my life. I grew up as a human, and I consider myself human still, no matter what my parentage. What I am loyal to is the City and the people that live here, human or not. If the Doppelgangers decide to use violence to try and take over the City, I'll stop them. Same as if humanity attempts to exterminate the Doppelgangers."

"Only if they attempt to use violence?" Sean asked, raising an eyebrow. "As my previous guest noted, just because a method is peaceful, that doesn't mean it's beneficial."

Chris shrugged. "As long as people are happy, who cares? There's nothing particularly wrong with being a slave in my opinion." Beth froze, suppressing a groan. "The problem comes when a slave is abused." Chris paused. "Well, for a loose definition of abuse… obviously limiting someone's ability to choose how they live their life is problematic. Which… is pretty much the definition of slavery, so I guess I kinda do have a problem with it. Unless you choose to live as a slave?"

"Chris, get to your point." Beth sighed, patting him on the knee.

Chris nodded. "Right, my point is that if everyone is happy with a situation, what's actually wrong with it? For example, let's say there was a person with the potential to be the best bowler ever, but they never tried to bowl, so they never knew. However, they still lived a happy life, job, family, whatever it was they did, they were satisfied. Is their life ruined by the fact that they could have done this amazing thing? Of course not! Because ultimately it doesn't matter what you do with your life, all that matters is that you live your life in a way you can be satisfied with."

Sean hesitated. "So… even if the Doppelgangers do enslave humanity, as long as everyone is happy, you won't do anything to stop it?"

"Who am I to say how people should live their lives?" Chris replied. "Part of having freedom is having the ability to give up that freedom. If humanity chooses to do so, who am I to stop them?"

"I see." Sean muttered. "Then I suppose my next question would be, what are the Doppelgangers plans for humanity?"

Chris frowned. "They- don't have any? As far as I know, all they want is to be accepted. To be able to defend the City, their home, without worrying about humanity stabbing them in the back, just because they happen to be a little different."

Sean blinked. "Then- what was all that about slavery?"

Chris cocked his head. "I was just talking theoretically? I just meant that as long as everyone keeps things peaceful, there's no reason for me to step in. Hell, if humanity can convince the Doppelgangers to willingly eradicate themselves, I'll have nothing to say either. I mean, that'd be pretty suspicious and I'd have to check to make sure there wasn't some mental ability forcing them to do it, but if everything was on the up and up… well, that's life. People do weird things sometimes and even if I don't understand it, it's not my place to stop them. Unless it's hurting someone else, obviously."

"Obviously." Sean agreed tentatively, giving him a weird look. "Then, I suppose, how do you think the City will change with the inclusion of the Doppelgangers?"

"Well, for the most part, it won't." Chris shrugged. "It's pretty well established that the Doppelgangers have been here for a while now, and they're already fairly ingrained. The fact that people refer to them as Doppelgangers instead of humans now doesn't change who they are or what they're about. The only aspect of the City I can see changing in any significant way would be the military. As I said, Doppelgangers are notably stronger than humans, so they're more suited for pushing deeper into the Maze. I could see them taking a lot of Vanguard positions, or possibly even forming a new branch dedicated to the higher levels."

Chris cocked his head. "Actually, probably two… one for each of the upper sections. Of course, humans would still have the Defense Force and the Scouts, since putting Doppelgangers in those branches would be a waste. I'd probably say humans would mostly be in the lower sections, Doppelgangers in the upper, and the Vanguard would have a mix of the two. At least at first. As more resources are brought into the City, humanities power will grow, reaching into the superior and omega-tier, which will allow them to serve in the upper levels as well."

"What about the surface?" Sean asked. "If the City begins operating on all levels of the Maze, then we'll have access to the surface as well, won't we? What would that look like?"

Chris frowned. "The surface is… tricky. I don't know if it will ever be a place humanity can live. Visit maybe, but… well, honestly, the City is better in almost every way. We don't have to worry about Dragons down here, or the weather. Weather sucks guys."

Sean paused. "Have you been to the surface?"

"Kinda. I have a whole universe in my world, which includes surfaces, so I have a pretty good handle on what they're like." Chris explained. "Trust me, underground is better."

"I enjoy the surface." Beth rolled her eyes. "But I do agree that the benefits of it aren't worth the danger. If the Doppelgangers are to be believed, of course, but then again, we already know the dangers of letting kobolds grow unchecked. There's a reason our ancestors created the City and the Maze, after all."

"Indeed." Sean nodded. "Then what about this potential threat from the surface? Do you think the Doppelgangers are capable of keeping them at bay long enough for you to grow into your power?"

"It really depends on what gets sent after us." Chris sighed. "We have a lot of advantages in the Maze, but the surface is capable of bringing overwhelming force down on us. Thankfully, there's just no reason for them to actually do so. We are, at best, an annoyance, and there are better things for them to focus on."

Sean's expression twisted. "That is… not a comforting thought."

"No it isn't, but the fact remains that humanity is weak." Chris shrugged. "I don't like it, but it's true, and it isn't something we can change, at least not quickly. All we can do is try our best, and whatever happens, happens. I will say that our chances are better with the Doppelgangers, rather than without them. Not to mention if we had to go against them… I've already mentioned the problems with that, and while I'd do everything I could to keep as many people safe as possible, I'm not omnipotent. People would die, the City would be torn apart, and I couldn't say what the future would look like after that, but I can't imagine it would be pretty."

"I believe that sums up the situation fairly well, doesn't it?" Sean commented. "No matter what, a war with the Doppelgangers would ruin the City. If nothing else, we can be sure of that." He shook his head. "Tell me about this Eternal Tribe of yours."

"Basically it's just what I call the people connected to my world." Chris explained. "After all, 'the people connected to my world' is a bit of a mouthful. Eternal Tribe is better."

"I was more asking what being a member actually entailed." Sean elaborated.

"Ah, right… Well, basically, it means you're connected to my world, with all the benefits that entails. In return, there are certain tenets you'll have to live by. First, if you see a problem, do what you can to fix that problem. As a member of the Eternal Tribe, you have power and what use is power if you don't work to make the world a better place? Second, before you do anything, consider the consequences of your actions. And third, after you act, take responsibility for any consequences that do happen. Again, you have power. Don't be careless, and don't be a dick. If you are, you aren't going to be allowed out of my world. Other than that, just help out with exploring the Maze? Which isn't exactly a requirement, but it is the main reason we're recruiting."

"Hasn't the Maze already been explored by the Doppelgangers?" Sean asked, cocking his head.

"It has, but my ability works based on where my subordinates and I have been." Chris explained. "The more of the Maze I explore, the better I can respond to any threats that emerge from it."

Sean nodded. "I see. Well, I believe those are all the questions I had. Thank you for your time, and I wish you both the best on your upcoming nuptials."

Beth and Chris said their own goodbyes before stepping off the stage. "Well, that went better than expected." Chris commented.

Beth glared at him. "Chris, you said, on camera, that you didn't have any problems with slavery! You can't- you can't say things like that! They'll cut that up and make you look like some sort of monster!"

Chris paused. "Huh… oops?"

Beth sighed, rubbing her temple. "Overall you did fine, but… I don't know. You couldn't look coached, because that would defeat the purpose, but- ugh. You made it pretty easy for anyone who wants to make you look bad. As for whether anyone will… Well, we'll just have to wait and see."