Tonyo's weapon - a custom N-Zap from his favourite brand, Krak-on - was nestled in his lap as he took a brief nap on a bench in the plaza. His friends, Mika and Liat, watched in amusement. They normally didn't see him so relaxed.
"It's funny," Mika commented, brushing her yellow tentacles behind her shoulders and placing one hand on her hip. "I know that losing Anasia hit him hard, but it's hard to imagine a time when he hasn't been constantly on his guard."
Liat shook his head. "What I can't imagine is what those icy, expressionless eyes of his used to be like. Surely he wasn't this cold before."
Mika kneeled down, and carefully prodded her foot, which was slightly misshapen from during the Permadis Incident. Standing again, apparently satisfied, she nodded in agreement to her roller-wielding companion.
"I guess I am limited to chargers since my foot got messed up, but I feel much worse for Tonyo. I'm sure he really liked Anasia, even though they only knew each other for a few minutes." she mused gently.
Just then, a familiar tone sounded through the plaza, waking their sleepy companion. The Squid Sisters, the most iconic pop group in Inkopolis, appeared on the screen.
"Good Morning, Inkopolis!" Shouted Callie from the screen. "Let's get right to the stage news today!"
Marie slumped and smirked at her cousin. "Come now, Callie, Don't be in such a rush." Regardless of this comment, the first stage icon appeared on the screen, and the squid sisters discussed tactical objectives in Urchin Underpass. The second regular stage caught the small group by surprise, and Tonyo visibly frowned.
"And we have... Walleye Warehouse!" declared Callie, excitably.
Marie replied, "Anyone remember the inkling-destiny story? I like that one." Afterwards, ranked battles came on, though the group ignored the rest of the broadcast.
"Hey, dude," Liat asked cautiously, "you wanna step out o' games for today? We could go do something else until the stages change again." To their surprise, he shook his head.
"I need to be out there. I might..." he drifted off into his own world, and suddenly snapped back, silently walking towards the towering structure in which battles were hosted.
He managed to get into a battle before Mika or Liat even got to the tower. Obviously others were enthusiastic about the stages. He was placed on a team filled with rollers - only one Splattershot Jr remained, and he was nervous. A clear sign of a beginner.
The other team, as they spawned, were revealed to be more than he expected. Three of them were celebrities in the inkling world, and he suddenly gulped, hopeful that they would at least get part of the map. There was almost no chance of winning. The buzzer went and they instantly went for the center field, while the splattershot and Tonyo decided to take the side paths of walleye warehouse.
He shot is way to the first side, carefully inking until his N-Zap's special was charged. With a click, his Inkzooka went off, and he quickly eliminated most of the players. One, however, remained.
He aimed carefully and landed a direct hit. The Inkzooka dissipated, only for Tonyo to find that the boy was unharmed. He seemed older and splatted a few of Tonyo's teammates before the celebrities got back in. Suddenly, with a booming voice, a screech let out, distracting everyone.
"Cheater," it hissed, and all looked up to a wall where stood a peculiar sight. It was armoured entirely in tight black gear which shielded it completely. In its hand was a weapon similar to Tonyo's N-Zap, but it was a dark purple. It shot the invincible boy in the face, sending him back to spawn.
As the players looked around, it ran off, and Judd insisted the match continue - but the invincible boy was nowhere to be seen, and at the very end, Tonyo discovered why.
The splattershot user walked up to him and exclaimed, "Wow! I can't believe I actually met Blacklight! He's so cool, just like the stories! That cheater is probably in custody by now!" Soon, the boy walked off again, not waiting for a reply. Tonyo left the area.
"Hey!" Mika scolded playfully, "Where'd you go, bucko?" She laughed.
"I encountered a cheater in Walleye, but some dude calling himself Blacklight got him first." At this statement, both friends gasped.
"Y-you say you met Blacklight?" they stammered in unison. Tonyo stared unblinking at his friends. Mika continued, "That famed cheater-beater? The Blacklight?" She exclaimed excitedly. Suddenly remembering the article he had read on cheater-beaters - inklings who hacked the system to get the better of cheaters who ruined the sport - he recalled that there was a particular focus on an inkling known only as Blacklight.