Anna's POV

My heart pounded in my ears like the chimes on an old grandfather clock. I gripped the splattershot (That's what Merlis told me it was called) tight in my hands, using the tree to hide myself. Remains of a previous battle lay all around me, the two sides' bright colors mixed together.

The enemy could be in one of those color puddles, watching me as I start to panic slightly. But I knew he was in a tree somewhere, waiting for me to pop my head out. I didn't think he would be so good at sniping.

I shook my gun slightly, hearing a small swoosh of ink inside. It would only give me about two shots.

"I know you're hiding over there Anna. Just come out and admit your defeat. Maybe then I won't have to blast you into tomorrow," Merlis said, trying to draw me out.

I knew he knows where I was. He always knows, shown by the complete submersion of my shirt in blue ink. A small laser appeared to my right, moving around in a circle. It then moved to my left, doing the same thing. He was taunting me.

The path ahead of me was littered in trees, making a good retreat path if I could do it right. If I ran far enough, he'll be forced to move spots and that'll give me a chance of finding him. I formed a plan in my head, feeling more confident the more I went over it.

Taking a deep breath, I bolted it farther into the woods. On my first few steps I heard the shot of ink fire. A blast of ink landed to my right, my first stroke of luck. I curved to my left, hoping over a fallen tree and landing in a pile of dead leaves. The surefire crunch of leaves followed after along with a persistent Inkling caused me to smile. I heard the same crunch of leaves only a couple seconds later; my second stroke of luck. That means he took the bait.

Only a few feet away, I jump into the small ditch. Twisting around to face where I was coming from, I aimed my gun in that direction. A flash of blue caught my eye up in the trees. How I didn't hear him climbing up was beyond me. I then spotted his face scanning the area around me, skimming right over me. I couldn't help but feel triumphant as I aimed right at his chest.

While looking off in the distance, his lips twisted up into a smile and his eyes snapped together with mine. In a split second, his gun was aimed at me and I saw the shot get fired before I heard it.

Cold ink covered my head like an ice cold shower. A small squeak came from me. I hurriedly wiped my face enough so I could see. Merlis stood above me, leaning against his splatterscope. He had the same triumphant smile I had only a moment ago.

"Merlis! How!?"

He gave me a hand getting up, the ink already dripping down my shirt. I shivered, one stream of ink running down my back.

"You're not as sneaky as you think you are. It also doesn't help you to have a bright blue shirt in the middle of the woods," Merlis explained.

"Thanks to you."

"Well it's not my fault I do these battles almost every day. You get good at guessing what Inklings would do next. Look at the bright side though, you're better than you were the first time."

"What are you talking about! I completely would have won the first time if there was enough ink in the splattershot!" I exclaimed.

Merlis strolled away, standing under some of his splattered ink.

"I might have been going easy on you then. You would have been destroyed by me," he said in the most challenging sounding voice I heard him speak in yet.

He immediately submerged himself before I could respond. The small ripples bubbled away as I yelled out in anger. "Merlis!"

I thought I was good at this game but apparently not.

A chase commenced as I followed him back to the battlefield, wanting to get my revenge.