Author's Note: I'm Back! Firstly, I really want to apologize for how long I've been gone. I had a ridiculous amount of studying I needed to concentrate on last semester, and I doubt I'll have any more free time this semester. I'll try to work on this story when I get the chance, but I cannot make any guarantees on release dates. I still have plenty more material I want to create, but reality seems to keep getting in the way. I hope you all can forgive me and my irregular upload times.

With that out of the way, let's get this snowball war started finally!

"The Invasion Grows"

By: pyrotornado

Chapter 10

"Is it guerrilla or 'krill'-a?"

Outside the Southern Winds entrance, Isumi looked out towards the ocean. "Only five more minutes, geso..." She quickly scanned the perimeter before retreating into the restaurant.

"Ika-neechan!" Takeru called out to Isumi. "All of the fortifications are complete, and everyone has taken their positions." He reported.

"Tentacular, geso..." Isumi nodded as she made her way over to the computer, where Ayumi was fidgeting uncomfortably. "What is the status of the enemy base, degeso?" She asked seriously.

"Um...I'm not sure..." Ayumi admitted. "They spotted the camera overlooking the base twenty minutes ago and took it down..." She brought up four more windows, each showing a different part of the field. "But it looks like Father managed to set up the camera's around the immediate area in time, so we won't have to worry about surprise attacks for the moment..."

"He finished setting up that as well, right geso?" She grinned.

"Yes," Ayumi nodded. "It is all ready to go, and we'll be able to monitor it from here."

"Good work, geso…" Isumi nodded in approval. She turned her attention to the doorway, her tentacles waving in anticipation. "Let the ink-vasion commence, degeso!"

"This is so stupid…" Eiko groaned as she made her way through the snowdrifts covering the sand. "I still think this whole 'snowball war' is for little kids…"

"Oh, don't be like that, Eiko…" Chizuru smiled as she looked back at her. "You're never too old to enjoy a game in the snow…"

"A game, huh?" Eiko deadpanned. "Then why are you wearing that?" She pointed to her sister's attire. She was decked out in a winter camouflage outfit from head to toe. Sewed into the side were her initials.

"Oh, I just dug this out of the closet for the game…" She smiled widely. "It really sets the mood, doesn't it Goro-kun?" She turned to the shivering lifeguard.

"H-h-huh?" he stuttered. "Oh, y-yeah… It looks good on you, Chizuru…" Bundled only in a light jacket, the usually shirtless lifeguard seemed to be taking the climate change harder than the others. 'When Chizuru called and asked if I could come help them out at the Shack, this wasn't exactly what I had in mind…' he thought to himself.

"Are you all right, Goro-kun?" Chizuru had doubled back to check on him. "Would you feel better if we had left you on guard duty?" She stared at him with a concerned look on her face.

Goro shook his head furiously. "No way! I'm just fine, Chizuru-san! Never better! I wouldn't even call this cold!" He started marching ahead of them, forcing a laugh.

"Oh, that's good then…" Chizuru smiled as she walked to catch up. Eiko stared at her sister unbelievingly.

"Do you do that on purpose, Aneki?" She asked blankly.

Chizuru looked back to her with a confused expression. "Huh? Do what, Eiko?" She asked, genuinely oblivious to Eiko's meaning.

"Never mind…" Eiko sighed, as she tried to catch up.

Tomomi, Yuka, and Ayano rounded the corner of the street, making sure the coast was clear. The only ones on the street at the time were an afternoon jogger and a few kids in the snow. No one from the list of people recruited to the Lemon Shack.

"This is Ayano," She whispered into her radio. "North-side street is clear. Making way to checkpoint, now…" She led Tomomi and Yuka past the street and into view of their destination: the local park.

"If they are going to plan a surprise attack by going through town…." Isumi's voice rang in their heads. "They will have to go through, or at least very near, the playground at the park, degeso. From the Lemon Shack, it provides lots of cover, and an almost straight route between the two beach houses, geso. Set up an ambush at the park, and attack the team they send in, geso…"

"An ambush? How exciting!" Tomomi smiled.

"I wonder who's going to come," Yuka agreed.

"Whoever it is, we need to take them down or the base will be in trouble, as well as the Commander…" Ayano reminded them. The three girls from the Invasion Club nodded in agreement, and each found a place to hide for the ambush. Ayano hid herself inside the hollow rock that kids often played on; Tomomi concealed herself in the branches of a tree; and Yuka hid herself behind the shrubs at the entrance of the park.

"It's really cold out here," Yuka shivered. "I hope we don't catch a cold…"

"Oh, don't worry about that, dear…" A voice whispered behind her. "You three won't be out here much longer…" Yuka jumped, calling out as she felt a hand on her back, but it was too late. She was already buried in snow…

"We've almost reached the Southern Winds, why haven't we seen anyone?" Eiko muttered, making her way through the sandy snow.

"They must be trying to set a trap," Chizuru answered, her eyes darting back and forth along the terrain. "We didn't see them on the road above, so either they went through town or they are all holed up inside the restaurant…"

"If they went through town, Cindy's team will run into them before we do..." As she scanned the beachfront, something odd caught Eiko's eye. A very conspicuous-looking Ika Musume head stuck on top of a lamp post. The way it's eyes followed them was very unsettling. "Another one..." She muttered. "It's kinda creepy how that old man makes so many of these Ika Musume heads...you'd think he were possessed or something." As her focus was dominated by the creepy head, the shifting of the snow behind her escaped her notice...but not Chizuru's.

"Eiko, look out!" Chizuru pulled her sister quickly to the side, just a white blur rocketed right where she had once been. Three snowballs splattered onto the stonewall separating the upper street and the beachfront.

"What the heck!?" Eiko shouted in surprise as she tried to regain her balance. Now on alert, she quickly looked to where the snowballs had been fired, but no one was there. Chizuru cautiously approached the estimated firing spot and noticed a hole about ten centimeters wide. She circled away from the hole and wiped away the piled up snow.

"It's...another Ika head?" Yet another one of the old man's creepy masks was buried into the snow. This one's features seemed to have a large caliber muzzle extending from its mouth.

"That's right, degeso!" Said a voice from behind. Eiko swerved around just in time to dodge another snowball, this one hurled from the street. Isumi triumphantly stood on the edge of the outcropping. "That old man really outdid himself with these squiddle turrets, geso!" She laughed haughtily as she scooped up three more snowballs using her tentacles.

"Turrets!?" Goro yelled out. "Isn't that against the rules? Isn't that unfair because we're outnumbered?" He desperately looked around for some cover to hide behind.

"Not at all, degeso..." Isumi shrugged and shook her head. "The rules stated that in order to be Captured, one must be hit by three different people from the opposing side, degeso. These turrets are being monitored and controlled by Ayumi-san, so that's one. They were made and prepared by her dad, so that's two. So, by the rules you all agreed to, these turrets can only deliver two hits each, degeso..." She began juggling the snowballs with her tentacles. "That's why..." Suddenly, the three snowballs accurately headed for Eiko, Chizuru, and Goro simultaneously. "I'm the only one who needs to be standing guard here, degeso!"

"Whoa!" Goro jumped back to avoid the snowball. As he did, he failed to notice another lump just a few feet away. He didn't even see it coming. Two snowballs landed square in his chest, fired from the hidden turret in the snow. "Ow! Those turret snowballs are packed like ice cubes!" He yelled in complaint to Isumi, who just laughed at him.

"Then you should have worn a heavier coat, geso!" She was preparing three more snowballs, but was forced to stop in order to avoid two white missiles fired from Chizuru.

"So tell me, Isumi-san..." Chizuru called out, in her usual overly polite tone. "If you're out here, that must mean you named someone else the Commander, correct?" As she distracted Isumi, Eiko tried to close in on the staircase that led to the street. "In that case, who is it?"

"As if I would tell you, geso..." She muttered as she gathered snow with her tentacles. "I'm guessing it was the same for you to have come out personally, Chizuru!" She answered as she gathered it all into a single, large snowball. Twisting the dial on her wrist, Isumi's weight increase drastically, allowing her to carry even larger objects with ease. With a flick of her tentacles, she hurled the monolithic ball of white directly towards the staircase...and Eiko.

"Are you nuts?!" Eiko yelled angrily as she jumped off the staircase and onto the snowdrift below. The snow boulder crashed into the staircase, spraying white fluff everywhere. The kicked up snow acted as a smokescreen as Isumi dashed along the street, making a beeline for the Lemon Shack. "Come back here, Isumi!" Eiko attempted to chase her, but as soon as she stood up, a snowball hit her in the back. "Ow!" She turned around and notice another turret had been placed right behind where she landed. "Damn it!" She cursed as she watched Isumi run off.

"Don't worry about it, Eiko..." Chizuru said calmly as she made her way over to her sister. "Because Isumi-san is out here, that must mean her base is without any significant vanguard." She gently wipe the snow that was on her sister's shoulders. "We just need to capture her base and we'll win!" She smiled as she walked over to help Goro to his feet.

"If you say so, Aneki..." She took one last look at the disappearing Squid Girl. "Just you wait, Isumi..." She clenched her fists. "We'll be the ones with the last laugh..."

Another thing I'd like to apologize for is any kind of differences in format you may see. My laptop broke near the end of last year, so I needed to buy a new one. This device runs on Windows 8 and I don't really like it very much. One major drawback is the lack of Microsoft Office already installed, so I needed to download the free LibreOffice. It has trouble reading the .doc files I used on the previous chapters, but I can work around it. But I digress...

On another note: It looks like the two teams are using every trick they've got to win. Just who is going to take the day? Even I don't know yet...seriously I haven't decided who should win yet. I have scenarios I can use to give either team an advantage, but I haven't decided whether Isumi-chan or Chizuru will win. Help me decide by leaving a comment to show you still care about my story, plz.