IGHNS

Erray

"Rockstar!"

"Diva!"

"Here we go!"

"Dancing away!"

After yesterday, I tried my best to forget about what happened. I didn't think about Angel, or Bass, Marie, the Squidbeak Splatoon, Octavio, or even about my family issues. The only thing that mattered right now was Inkling in the room with me, as we practiced the song, Ebb and Flow. Unfortunately, Anemy almost threw a fit, since she was the only one who could hit this high note the closest. She coughed, before having something to drink.

"C'mon!" I said, as Anemy sat down at her desk to drink her beverage. "You were so close this time."

"Yeah, but if I can't get it by the audition, we're fried," she sighed, before giving a slightly audible chuckle. "I guess that's what I get when I stop singing for a little while, huh?"

"Well, we can't give up now…" I said, shyly. "You… uh… I like…" I didn't know why I was starting to stutter, but I was suddenly shaking. "You have… a beautiful voice, Anemy. Don't waste it…" My eyes landed on hers. "Please?" I was smiling, but I was so flustered, I'm pretty it came out looking goofy.

Anemy closed her eyes and smiled. It was small, but it warmed my heart.

"Okay, one more try and then we can take a break, okay?"

"Sure!" I nodded excitedly. "I didn't know what to think about Off the Hook's music, but I kind of like it now."

"Heh." Anemy leapt out of her chair and wandered back to her keyboard. "I knew you'd come around. What changed your mind?"

"I-I dunno," I said, shrugging. "Oscar and… I guess his brother, too, were kind of pushing me to try it, I guess."

"Huh. I never would've guessed." The captain tapped a few of the keys. "Now, shall we continue?"

After we were done practicing, we took a break, and watched some TV. Then, we went out to fight some Salmonids. We got lots of eggs that were regular and gold, and brought them back. Oscar and I unloaded the basket onto the docks together. The sun was setting and the sky was that pretty orange color.

"I have always wondered…" Oscar said, he walked onto the dock first holding one end. I soon followed holding the other end. "If I keep a golden egg, will it hatch another gold Salmonid? And then, could we use that Salmonid to get all the golden eggs Mr. Grizz wants?"

"Maybe…" said Erray. "But I guess this is just faster?" We set the basket down on the dock with the other ones. "But that would be captivity, and I think Mr. Grizz wants to keep a low profile, and not end up taking one home."

"I guess so…" We began to make their way back while other employees got the eggs sorted out.

"You wanna go to Deca Tower with me tomorrow?" Oscar suddenly asked. "I think there's battles happening then."

"Um, I dunno…" I said.

"Pleeease…?" said Oscar. "Oliver's always busy, so he never has time to take me."

"What about the time you went by yourself?"

"Well, Oliver said it's been getting dangerous, because people are mad about the Octoling stuff going on, so he doesn't want me to go alone."

I was a bit hesitant, remembering what happened when I played Clam Blitz. Oscar was still looking up at me, hope in his eyes.

"Don't be afraid of your powers, Erray. Use them. They can save your life."

"O… Okay…" I answered, hesitantly. "When? In the afternoon?"

"Late afternoon," Oscar chirped. He giggled before he threw himself at me, into a hug. "Thank-you, Mr. Trow!" I didn't really move, but I just patted the top of his head lightly. Once he let me go I wiped my hand on the side of my shirt. "Come on! Let's get back before we're late and my brother starts worrying."

As expected, Oliver was waiting to pick up Oscar from work, but he seemed pleased that we were on time. It was getting pretty late anyway. The Octoling gave me some kind of look before he walked off with his brother.

I didn't know what I was going to do. If I sided with Marie and the Splatoon, I knew I'd probably have to fight him, and she and Cuttlefish would keep hiding the truth from me. All of what Oliver said sounded perfect, and had all the reasons to join him. Plus, I might finally get to meet this legendary Agent 3, but why was I hesitating to make that step? Why don't I want Octavio dead? I should, right?! He took me from my goal, locked me away. I was beaten, tortured… Agh! I shouldn't… think about that…

I had been so caught up in what I was thinking I almost walked right into the door to Anemy's room. The captain had been busy figuring out the Salmonid trouble that she wasn't able to come with us today. Hopefully, she was resting by now.

When I opened the door, I saw that I was half right. She was resting, but she was hunched over her desk, her head buried in her arms and that map she got from Mr. Grizz was on the desk underneath her. She had a slight snore, but I assumed it was from the position she was sleeping in.

I openly sighed. What was I going to do with her?

"Come back…"

The voice came from Anemy. She was still sleeping, but she was mumbling.

"Come back…" her voice grew more urgent. One of her arms reached out and formed a fist. "Please! Don't leave… Don't leave me…"

"Anemy?" I walked over to her but she wasn't waking up.

"Come back!" She started to shiver.

I put my hands on her shoulder and shook her. "Anemy, wake up! You're having a nightmare!"

Anemy stirred, flinching and flailing back from the table. I caught her before she tipped her chair over.

"Easy, easy!" I said. "You're okay."

Anemy caught her hands on the desk and took deep breaths. I stayed with her, rubbing her back.

"It was a dream…" she mumbled.

"Yeah… Are you okay?" There was a nod.

"I… I guess I fell asleep," said Anemy. She rubbed her eyes, but they were still half-opened and unfocused. "Sorry…"

"It's okay. It's pretty late, anyway. Do you wanna talk about your dream?" Anemy shook her head. "Alright. Well, come on. It's still gonna be some time before it's morning. You don't have to sleep right away, but you still look tired."

"Um…" The captain still looked distracted. "But I have to-"

"You can't continue if you're tired. You can finish whatever you have to do in the morning."

Anemy crossed arms, running her hands up and down her upper arms. She was frowning, staring down at the map before her. "Um… Are you going to bed, too?"

I almost stepped back, but then I worried that she'd think that I thought she was weird or something. It wasn't weird, right? She was just frightened from her dream.

"Well, I will if you want me to…" I said.

Anemy just gave me another nod, and I helped her up from her chair and pulled out the bed from the fold-out couch. She took off her sweater, kicked off her boots and was the first on the mattress, before I took off my shoes and joined her. I also felt a bit of heat on the sides of my face, but hopefully, the captain wouldn't notice that my face was a light shade of purple.

I pulled the blanket over us and laid on my side facing Anemy. She was clearly tired, but every time she closed her eyes they would open again after a few seconds.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"It… It was just a nightmare…" said Anemy. "I used to get them all the time, remember?" That was followed by a sniffle.

"Anemy?" The captain wiped her eyes.

"S-Sorry…" She crossed her arms again, holding herself. She looked pale.

"Why are you apologizing?" I laid a hand on her shoulder. "You just had a bad dream. Don't be hard on yourself."

Anemy sighed. "If Mr. Grizz was easy on me, I would never get stronger…" she said, softly. Her words made me tighten my grip on her shoulder.

"You are strong, Anemy." You've shown me that so many times. If I was in trouble, I know you would save me. You have already. I would've frozen outside in the rain if it weren't for you."

Finally, I saw a tiny smile, but it wasn't there long. She moved a bit closer and I let out a tiny gasp, when she put her arms around me and snuggled up close.

"Just don't leave me…" she whispered.

I hugged her in return, one hand on her back and one on the back of her head. "I won't," I replied. "It's okay. I'm here."

"Promise?"

I rubbed her back gently. "Yes. I promise."

Anemy said nothing else. I just stayed still, holding her securly, until I heard her breathing change. It was slow and steady and her eyes were closed. She was finally asleep and soon enough, I joined her.

When the morning came, I wasn't sure what woke me up. Either it was the lighting shining through the window or the annoying buzzing sound coming from the lobby. I was really comfortable where I was, though, so it was so tempting to just ignore it. Anemy was still fast asleep, and she even had a small smile. A small laugh escaped me, when I realized her arms were still around me. I didn't want to ruin it by laughing, but I was nervous. She looked so peaceful. The captain shifted a little, snuggling a little closer. I started rubbing her back again.

"Is someone at the door, Trow?" she mumbled.

I let out a sigh. "I guess so. Wait here. I'll go see who it is." After a small whine from her, she let me go and rolled onto her back.

"Fine," she muttered. She looked at me with half-opened eyes, before closing them again.

I tipped-toed out of her room and made my way to the lobby. The halls and the lobby were still dark, since it wasn't open yet, and we had to save power. The sun provided enough light for me to see who was out there once I pulled up the shutters. It kind of looked like…

"Jelini?!" I said. I walked up and leaned against the metal of the gate. "What are you doing here?"

"Good hellos, Mr. Trow," said Jelini. "Ms. Manta has been trying to get in contact with you."

"Hmph. Then I guess you didn't get the memoir?"

"No. She said everything to me." The Jellyfish reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Many thanking if you read this for me, please?"

I reached out and took the envelope. It was white, but the edges had fancy curves and they changed to a purple color once it was in my hand. It was probably a letter.

"Uh, okay. I'll read it, I guess. Thank-you."

Jelini nodded, said her goodbyes and went on her way. Granted, my phone was really reliable these days, even if Oliver removed the tracker. The front simply read, "To Erray" on it, it perfect and concise cursive. So yes, it probably was from Angel, but if the song swiper wasn't going to stop bothering me, I guess I had no choice.

Erray,

You wouldn't answer my texts. Understandable, considering what I did, but you are a member of the Squidbeak Splatoon! They're the people who ruined my life! They took everything I gave up my old life for, and I was left with nothing!

I don't why you joined them, and I don't know if I want to care. Thes-

There was more to the sentence, but it had been scribbled out violently. Yet, there was still more.

Vichay and Jelini set me straight last night. My roommate is your sister, after all.

I spent a few nights thinking about what you said, and thinking about myself. If you're not still too mad at me, come back to the Albacore Hotel, and, uh… maybe we can talk this out like civil Inklings. There's so much I want to tell you that I don't think should be appropriate to do in writing or texting.

Vichay told me that the best thing to do should be to warn you. I should tell you why you shouldn't be in the New Squidbeak Splatoon. I'll tell you how they ruined my life. Just come to the hotel.

-Angel Manta

"Who was out there?"

At first, I gasped, turning around suddenly to find the source of that voice. It was just Mr. Grizz's radio.

"Oh, it's just you," I said, slipping the letter into my pocket. "Don't worry. She's just a friend of someone I know."

"Okay, okay…" Mr. Grizz seemed to calm down. "Hey, uh… Seeing that there's no one in here right now, uh… Grr… Look, thanks for looking after Ms. Arowana last night. She still gets nightmares, and I can't really be around to do anything."

"No problem," I turned back to the hall briefly, but heard nothing from Anemy's room. The captain was probably still resting. "Do you know her personally?"

"Why else would she live where she works? She's not only the best, but she was the first."

"She was your first Grizzco employee?"

"Well, back then, there was no Grizzco. I was just minding my own business, when I ran into her. She was all by herself, and no Inkling should be in a rainstorm, so, you know... I took her in. She had this look in her eyes, so one thing led to another, and here we are."

"Oh, I didn't know that," I said. Then the realization hit me like a shot from Splat Charger. "Wait, does Anemy know what you look like?"

"Uh… A-hem! Alright, enough! Go get ready for the day!" Mr. Grizz then ordered.

"Y-Yes, sir," I said, saluting.

I ran back to Anemy's room, and found that it was empty. Putting on my sneakers, I wandered into the breakroom and saw the captain making breakfast. The TV was already on, and some trailer for a movie was playing.

"Morning," she said, but my eyes were on the TV.

"Never forget what drives you," said the voice of the narrator. "Love." Erray saw friends of different species chilling like krill together. An Octarian and a Jellyfish were corner by a figure with a gun, until they were shot down by another figure wearing a cape. "Justice." There was then a shadow on a walls that had a dim light on it, a shot from a Splat weapon was heard and ink spilled onto the floor. "Vengeance."

"But the moment you put that drive before the needs of those who care about you…"

There was a jellyfish, an anemone, an isopod, and an urchin all looking in the same direction and then there was the figure: An Inkling boy, dressed in some kind of uniform.

"You will be lost to that drive…"

The screen faded to black, before showing the title. "Nate Boluga stars in… 'The Caped Crusader II'."

"Wow…" I said. "They made a second one?"

"Yeah, there was a lot of good reception after the first one, and there seemed to be potential for a second one," said Anemy. "I think it's out tomorrow or something."

Immediately, I was beaming. "I loved the first movie!"

"Yeah, me too." Waffles suddenly popped up from the toaster. "The Crusader is so passionate and brave, yet, so misunderstood. I'll probably try to see it on opening night."

"Me too," I said. "Oh! I know! Maybe we could go together?"

"Yeah, I guess that could be more convenient." Anemy grabbed a napkin, set out two plates and put one waffle on each. "So, have you thought about what you're gonna do about that thing going with your roommate?"

"Huh?" I know she was talking about Marie. It had been a few days, and it was a bit sudden to hear brought up, even if the captain didn't know who my "roommate" was.

"I mean, I don't mind you staying here, but I just want to know what's up with that?"

"Oh, uh... I don't know," I said.

"What were you guys fighting about, anyway?"

"Uh…" I was going to say something, but I didn't know how to word it, without giving away too much. Anemy just nodded and sat down to eat.

"Right. I won't pry then. You have the day off, Trow, so do whatever you like, while Ihave to deal with today's squad on shift. I need to also look into where Mr. Treval is, because he hasn't been here in a few days."

"O-Okay…"

She was probably talking about Char. I knew he hadn't been here in a bit, but now that she brought him up, I think I knew what I was doing first. Before I saw Angel, I wanted to know more about these folks. They're connected to Finn, and more likely, Agent 3.

I vaguely remembered the way to get to Shellover Inn. So, I took some money and boarded a bus. As expected, there were Octolings on there, and the strangest thing was, when I got on, the driver told me to sit on the left. Most of the Octolings were on the right. The other passengers weren't Octoling or Inkling were sitting wherever they wanted, but there was still awkward stares.

Finally, the bus stopped near the place I needed to be. Everyone who needed to get off, myself included started getting up, gathering their things.

"Hey! Inklings first!" the driver ordered. The other people grumbled in annoyance. "None of that. Just cooperate and this'll go by a lot faster.

Once I stood up, I walked off with some other Inklings who needed to get off, but I could feel eyes on me. Now that I was off the bus I immediately started running towards the inn.

The building was still pretty much the same, but the windows were glowing with a warm light. There was cheering inside, but all I could hear were some percussion. When I stepped in, I saw why.

"Piker! Piker!"

People were cheering for Bass, who was on stage with a whole set of drums, symbols, and other equipment. That squid was playing a whole drum solo, and once the music started kicking from the speakers everyone started cheering even more. Bass, even smiled, his spiky hair starting to shine.

"Holy Squid Rings…" I said. And once he was done, everyone in the inn erupted with cheering and applauding, calling his name.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed the hood on my sweater and yanked me towards a room in the back. After a yelp, I turned into a squid, but the same pair of hands caught me and tossed me into the room. Surprisingly, it wasn't hard. The room smelled like dust and there were old boxes in there. That was what I could see, and then the lights turned on when I turned back from a squid.

"Nice trick, shiny eyes," I looked up and was greeted by violet eyes, and light blue hair. I knew it was Char. Great, he knows about my eyes now. "Or, should I say Agent 4?"

Slowly, I stumbled to my feet, fearing he'd push me down again. "Wait. Did he-"

"Bass told me all about you and the whole Splatoon business," said Char. "I don't know why you're here, but you need to leave."

"A-Anemy…" I said. The smallness of the room was starting to get to me. It was also a bit dim, which wasn't helping. "She's… w-worried about you."

"The captain?" said Char. "She'll be fine. She's handled worse without me."

"The captain's job is to take care of her crew. She has the right to be concerned. B-But I can see you're fine, but I really need to talk to Bass."

"Look, I-"

"Char, stop."

Bass had come in and pushed Char aside. He locked eyes with me.

"What are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you…" I said, nervously. "It's about Angel."

Bass sighed and rolled his eyes. "What about her? Didn't I say the other I was done with her? I just want to be here. Spyke is still kind of a jerk, but at least I have a roof over my head, and Char's here." He glanced over at the other Inkling and the two exchanged smiles.

"C-Can I explain?"

"What?"

"The other night, she stole one of my songs."

"Oh." Bass suddenly sounded calmer.

"Aw, squid rings…" said Char. Bass suddenly stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. I shivered at first, but the way he looked at me told me he wasn't going to do any harm.

"Alright, Char. Leave us alone," he then said.

"Are you sure?" said Char.

"I'll be fine."

Char sighed, clearly he was annoyed of me, I think. He left, though, leaving just us. Bass sighed.

"So, Angel struck again, didn't she?" he then said.

I gasped. "She's done this before?"

"Well, not exactly. But, that's Angel for you. She'll play the helpless act, until she has you, and when she wants to she'll take what wants and feel entitled to do so. Just like when she got mad, and pushed me to the floor. That was only a small part of that. You said she wants you to come back to the Albacore Hotel?"

I nodded. "What should I do? I don't know if she's being honest."

Bass shook his head. "Me neither. She fought with everyone in the old band, until we split up. Well, except one."

"Uh…" I hesitated to say. "Is… Was it… Finn?"

I could hear Bass's breath hitch a little. He backed up, and I flinched. "Wh-When did you hear that?"

"Wh… When… Angel and I came here together, you said his name."

Bass dragged his palm over his forehead. "Right."

"Who… Who is he?" I asked, shyly. Bass just sighed and walked towards the door.

"The best thing that ever happened in my life…" he said, sighing. "Or the worst thing, depending on how you look at it. I'd be shocked that the New Squidbeak Splatoon didn't tell you, but given their need to keep their mouths shut, no matter what, I guess I'm not. I was a thief, just like I am now, but one day I was out running the heat and snuck into Inkblot Art Academy, and then I met Finn. He was just another Inkling, but hearing him and his sister perform Calimari Inkcantation live, just changed everything."

I was amazed at how big Bass' smile was getting.

"I, uh… lied when I told Finn I was a student, or that I could play the drums." He held his hands together awkwardly. "I still got into fights sometimes, usually over something stupid, like someone stepped on my shoe, or if someone knocked over food, but once I met Finn, I was more determined. I even went out of my way to read up on proper ways to play the drum. Me, reading… Char was laughing when he saw me reading for once. When they found out, they told me to pick between this and them. I thought I was making the right choice, but… nothing lasts forever…" He gestured towards the crowd of people outside. "This won't last forever, either…"

"What do you mean?"

"I… I shouldn't even be talking to you," said Bass. His voice started sounding shaky. "Don't trust Angel, Erray." He grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the door. "Whatever she says to you to win you back, don't believe it!"

So he does know Finn! I thought. Wait a minute…

"Was… Anemy in your band, too?"

Just before I got close to the door, Bass yanked me back, another yelp escaping me. For someone who had just gotten back into crime, he sure was strong.

"WHERE DID YOU HEAR THAT?!" he then yelled.

"She… She's…" It came out so quiet. Bass yanked me towards the door again, growling as he dragged me through onlookers, who either looked and didn't care, or were actually staring. This was probably a normal thing for them.

"DON'T EVER MENTION THAT NAME AGAIN!" Bass yelled.

"But-" I squeaked, before he threw me outside into the dirt.

"And stay the SHELL away from Anemy Arowana!" he then yelled. The Inkling hung onto the doorway caught himself, taking deep breaths. I quickly sat up and looked at him. "Erray, in the name of the Great Zapfish, don't ever come back here." And the door was slammed shut.

I sat there for a few minutes, trying to shake off how fast my hearts were pounding, my limbs were shaking and the tears kept coming out from my eyes. Never had I heard such anger from somebody, but why Anemy? It sounded like Finn meant so much to Bass, Angel, and the captain, but at the same time they didn't.

"Well, back then, there was no Grizzco. I was just minding my own business, when I ran into her. She was all by herself, and no Inkling should be in a rainstorm, so, you know... I took her in. She had this look in her eyes, so one thing led to another, and here we are."

All by herself… I thought. She loved her brother, though. She learned everything from him, but won't talk about him. None of these three would talk about him.

Did Finn… abandon his sister?

Standing up, slowly, I dusted myself off the best I could and started walking. It was almost noon, and I had to go meet with a certain kid.

The trek back to Inkopolis Square took a while. Sure, I could Super Jump, but landing was always unpredictable with all the tall buildings.

Anemy, what happened? I thought to myself. I kept thinking as I made my way there. What was I doing getting involved in all this. Honestly, I was just doing what Tina said: Whatever, really. There was just little reason to be so invested, but now that Anemy's name was in it, I was worried. Did she do something? Or did they do something? And what happened to Finn?

"This is a load of carp!" I then heard.

Inklings and Octolings were gathered around the Deca Tower, and were shouting. None of the lights on the front were on. But, it looked like the law had been called, because there were several police officers of all kinds of different creatues with riot shields.

"Try to calm the pawsitively clawful mood!" Judd announced. Lil' Judd was standing next to him. "The city has decided not to allow anymore Ink Battles today, due to the increasing crimes, and the pawer needs to be used to protect the city first."

I tried to walk into the crowd a bit and found Oscar. He was wearing a camo cap, that was a light blue color because of his ink. He was also wearing a light blue Tentatek t-shirt. He didn't look mad, but a bit more confused.

"Oscar?" I whispered. He was holding his slosher.

"They won't let us play, Mr. Trow…" said Oscar.

"Yeah, Octo crimes!" an Inkling yelled. "Never say anything when other people did crimes. What's your problem?!"

"YEAH!" everyone yelled.

"If that's the problem, send the Octoings home and let the ones who invented this game go play," a voice in the crowd said.

"Excuse me?!"

"You think you can just walk in because you Octos can also produce ink? I'm sick of waiting twenty minutes to play, because there's too many new players."

"ENOUGH! You heard the cat, calm down and go home," said the leading officer. "You can't go in and fight today."

"Then maybe we'll just fight out here!" an Octoling shouted.

"Ladies and gentlemen there's no need for this!"

The shouting only got louder and louder. Oscar backed into me by accident, but he got the same idea that I had. Suddenly, I saw someone hold up an Octo shot and shot into the air. Judd grabbed Lil' Judd and ran inside, and everyone erupted in fighting, there were shots flying everywhere. Quickly, I ran and rounded the corner of the clothing store, "Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe" and slid down the wall against my back to a sitting position.

After calming down a bit, taking deep breaths, I peeked around the corner again. It was absolute chaos. I wasn't even sure who was fighting and on which side. Inklings and Octolings were fighting with the police. Octolings were fighting Inklings. Octolings were fighting Octolings, and Inklings were fighting Inklings.

My hearts were racing again. The yelling, the fighting… I had no control over the situation. Everything was getting destroyed. It was all too fast, too… familiar.

"Oliver! Somebody! Help!"

I gasped, seeing Oscar was on the ground, covering himself almost in a ball. He shivered, until his form gave out and he turned into an Octopus.

"Carp…" I said, looking around. Seeing shots and subs being fired. I saw an officer with a toxic mist bomb, and it looked huge.

After a few short breaths and just ran out towards Oscar. Dodging shots and hopping over puddles of multi-colored ink. I quickly picked up the quivering Octoling. Then, I turned and ran back towards the corner of the shop, holding in a cry when something hit my arm. The toxic mist flew into the air and I made it into safety just as it landed.

The smoke was spreading too quickly, so I had to leave the square, trying to ignore the screaming and coughing.

"Search the square! There could be stragglers!"

I left, running far away enough into an alleyway near Inkopolis Plaza. There was a back alley to hide in since it didn't look like anyone was there. There were some old empty Super Sea Snail shells, though.

Oscar's squeaking was loud, but I didn't really hear it until we were safe in the alley. I sat down and his tentacles were clinging to me like his life depended on it.

"Agh!" I cried, trying to shake him off my arm. His ink was staining my sleeve, but he only squealed even louder as I tried to get Oscar to let go. I let out a sigh, seeing him so scared reminded me of… myself. The kid wouldn't stop shaking almost as much as I was.

After a deep breath, I tried to calm down, and lowered the young Octoling, laying the back of him on my other arm.

"Y-You're okay," I stuttered. "You're okay." Oscar's crying started slowing down, growing quieter. "Sh-Shh… W-We're safe. We're safe now."

We sat there for a few minutes until finally, he was quiet. He had let go of my arm and now I was just awkwardly holding him.

"Um… So…"

"I-I think I'm okay…" Oscar said, softly. He suddenly leapt out of my hands and onto the floor. He turned back from an octopus to his normal self, but he was sitting on his knees. I stood up, and looked around.

"You're hurt."

My arm was stained with yellow ink, and it stung a little.

"It's just a scratch."

Oscar reached into his pocket and pulled out some kind of handkerchief. It looked like it was Off the Hook branded. He reached out and tied it around my arm.

"There you go…" he said, softly.

"I guess… let's just head back to Grizzco, so your brother can take you home," I said. "I have to do some other things." I started walking, but the kid grabbed my arm.

"It's… It's too dangerous!" said Oscar. "The police are probably still there. A-And they have really good snipers for Super Jumpers."

"Well… I can't take you where I'm going," I said.

"Where?"

"The… Albacore Hotel." I wasn't sure if I should tell the kid this, considering that he might also be working with Agent 3.

"Please?" Oscar begged. "I'm really scared." He started tearing up again. "A-And if I call my brother, I'm scared he won't let me go anywhere alone again." The kid sniffled, wiping his eyes.

"Okay, okay! Just… stop crying, before people stare." I started walking again, but the kid ran up and hugged me again. He nearly knocked me down. "O… Okay." All I could bring myself to do was pat him on the head. Only once. Then, he let go. "Just stick close and follow my lead."

"Yes, Mr. Trow."

I sighed. Oliver was going to kill me.

Was this the right thing to do? I thought, as Oscar and I approached the Albacore Hotel. The sun had just disappeared over the buildings, but the sky was that shade of maroon, with a touch of blue.

"Why are we here?" said Oscar.

"I just need to have a chat with a… friend," I said. "Okay?"

"Yes, sir."

We went into the hotel and into the elevator. I knew the stage was probably on the roof, which was fine with me. I wasn't afraid of heights and I was here the other night with Oliver. If the New Squidbeak Splatoon won't tell me what happened, or seek justice for these poor souls, I would find it myself. They deserve justice, just like me.

When I got to the roof, I headed towards the place where Angel performed, but was blocked by security. Oscar stepped behind. Maybe he was intimidated.

"I'm sorry, sir. There was a huge riot in the square today and now the city's on high alert. We're going to have to go into lockdown," an giant isopod said.

"Mr. Trow?"

Jelini approached the entrance and the isopod turned to her. "Miss Manta invited him here. Let him talk to the singer, yes?"

"What about the Octo kid there?" said the isopod.

"Um, would you watch him for me?" I said. "I'll only be here a few minutes."

With a sigh he nodded. "Okay. Just stay where I can see you."

"Yes, sir," Oscar said with a nod.

"I'll be back," I said, walking past the guard.

The restaurant was empty, which was surprising. It was usually always packed. Well, in the two times I've been here it was packed.

"Miss Angel, is in the back doing the warm ups, I think. Even though the show tonight is cancelled, she wants practice."

"Okay," I said, softly. There was a door in the back of the restaurant, so I assumed that was where he was talking about. "Angel? Are you there? I-"

There was then a loud whirring noise, and all the lights just went out. Jelini nearly jumped three feet into the air.

"BLUH! What happened?! Miss Manta?"

Jelini pulled out a flashlight and we kept walking. When we got to the back there was no response behind the door.

"Angel?!" I said.

Then we did hear something. There was thrashing, and the sound of things pounding. Then the door started getting pounded.

"What the…" I backed away. Jelini did, too. My hands were balled into fists, and I was also really glad the Jellyfish wasn't looking at me right now, since it was dark. This was all too familiar to me all of a sudden. The lights go out. Loud noises and then there was…

"JELINI, GET DOWN!" I grabbed the Jellyfish and dove to the nearest table and hid under the table curtain. The sound of the door breaking off was heard and I could hear it, slam onto the floor. I then heard the yelling of a Zapfish and that of a child.

"NO! LET ME GO!"

I peeked under the curtain and saw an Octolings carrying Oscar, who was kicking and squirming. There were Octo Troopers Bombers and other Octolings, all wearing some kind of night vision goggles. They also had a Zapfish.

"Hello, little Oscar," said the voice of an Octoling. "Your grandfather will be thrilled to see you safe and sound."

"Grandfather?" I whispered.

"What's going on?" Jelini whispered. "Everything is black!"

I didn't answer. Because I wasn't seeing all black. Oscar continued to kick and scream, tears streaming down from his eyes.

"Search the place. There could be people hiding," I then heard.

"No! I don't wanna go back!" Oscar cried. "Oliver! Somebody! HELP! PLEASE!"

"Pipe down, kid!"

I froze for a minute. Seeing the little kid crying, flailing around uselessly, know he wouldn't be able to break free. He wanted to get away, but was helpless. Just like… me. The Octolings here wanted to get away… right?

One of my hands reached for one of my Dualies.

"Erray Trow. Do you swear to protect Inkopolis and the world and to keep the innocent safe?"

"I do."

I reached for the other Dualie.

"Do you swear to stand by our side no matter what?"

This was why they fought. Secrets or no secrets. They just want to keep Inkopolis safe. But I… I just want its people to be safe. No one should suffer how I did.

"Um… yes."

Ignoring Jelini's yell, I pushed up on the table, tipping it over for a shield and open fired at the Octoling holding Oscar. Shocked, she fell down letting the kid go before being splatted. After that, I ducked back under the table. Suddenly, an Octopus had swam in the ink I threw down and met up back with me. It was Oscar who had changed his ink color to purple to get away from them.

"Mr. Trow!" said Oscar. He was still in tears.

"You can't see in the dark, so stay quiet, and don't move."

"Yes, sir."

"Come out, glowy eyes! Got some ink with your name on it!" said a voice.

All of a sudden there was a sniper laser above us, but then there was a splattering noise and it was gone.

"Leave them… alone."

I peeked from the table a bit and saw Angel standing in the doorway to the back with a cellphone shining a light in one hand, and her Splat Brella in the other. She grasped her head a bit with her phone hand.

"Shut the princess up!" an Octolings said.

Angel held out her umbrella and blocked in the inkcoming shots. A sprinkler was thrown into the air and it started raining down pink ink from the roof. I jumped over the table protecting the others and used the ink that I left before to swim into the fray. The Octo Troopers were no problem, but the Twintacle Octo Trooper. Were shooting really fast so I dove into the ink and jumped over them to get them from behind.

Purple ink was lying all over the place. Angel's umbrella breaks and she retreats behind the door. More Octolings came out from the vents and behind tables and chairs. All of them had their weapons out.

"Mr. Trow!" Oscar reached out, but Jelini held him back.

My hair started glowing, but I wasn't about to use a special. I launched myself into the air as a squid just as everyone shot where I was and hit the roof with my feet. Already, specks of ink started floating into the air. With a shout, I jumped back with a fist full of ink and pounded the floor, the purple ink on the floor flew everywhere like a bomb. The enemies were either knocked out or splatted.

After that everything went dark and there was silence. When I opened my eyes, I was on the floor on my back. Someone was shaking me, but I still felt dizzy. I saw the Zapfish on the ground in the distance, and tried in vain to grab it.

"Mr. Trow! Mr. Trow!"

"Erray!"

Angel, Oscar, and Jelini were standing over me. I turned my head to them slowly.

"G… Guys…?"

"Let's get him up," said Angel.

"Slow…" I mumbled, as they pulled on my arms and shoulder and the back of my head to get me up. Angel was really pale, and Oscar was in tears.

"Are you okay?" said Oscar. "I was really scared!" He hiccuped, tears escaping. The kid lunged forward and wrapped his arms around me.

"I… It's…" I stuttered. The Octoling was shivering still. "It's okay." I put my hands on his back gently. "You're okay. You're not going back underground."

Oscar sniffled. "Promise?"

"Yeah. I promise."

"I will get the powers back," said Jellini. "Many thank-yous for saving us, Mr. Trow… whatever that was." She picked up the Zapfish and headed towards the back.

"Erray…" Angel said, softly. She was staring right at me. "Your eyes… Do you-"

Suddenly, we heard something come out of ink. There was one Octo Trooper left, and he was right behind us. Then there was a shot, but it was green.

"4!"

Marie was standing by the entrance to the restaurant in her agent attire, holding a Hero Charger. The cap'n was there, too. Both of them were wearing some kind of night vision goggles.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" I said.

Oscar looked at them after breaking away from me. "Miss Marie?" I tried to stand up, but my legs were still wobbly, and things started spinning again.

"Whoa, easy, bucko," said the cap'n. Almost at once, everyone rushed over to ease me into a chair.

"We came for you, dummy," said Marie. "Not to make you keep your mouth shut, or do whatever we said. I was worried." She gestured to the cap'n. "Both of us were. I… I'm sorry, Erray. How we were acting wasn't fresh, at all. I was trying so hard to keep you from doing what 3 did, but it happened anyway. I… You have Agent 3's gift."

After staring downward for so long, I finally brought myself to look at her. She stared at me, and she looked unphased by my eyes. Then, the lights came back on. Jelini must have put the Zapfish back.

"I think it's only fair we tell you what we know about it. You know, so can control it and not knock yourself out."

"R-Right," I said. "I… I shouldn't have left. I took an oath. But, please. I don't want to fight you. Show me your that same Inklings I grew to be a fan of, and the one who saved me from the Octarians."

Marie nodded.

"Well, I'm glad you two made up," said the cap'n. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance. "Well, sink me!"

"Leave the police to me," said Angel. "Just go." Her voice was really flat.

"Come on." Marie helped me up and we started walking away.

"W-Wait," I said. "What about Oscar?" I looked around, but I couldn't find him anywhere.

Tonight was too far and dangerous to get back to the suburbs quick enough, so we took refuge in Callie and Marie's apartment. As soon as Marie let me go, I immediately laid down on the couch, the color changing to purple because of my ink color. My half-lidded eyes stared at the white ceiling.

"Here." Marie lifted my head and then it set it back down on a pillow.

"You came for me…" I said, softly.

"I was worried. I was worried you'd never come back," said Marie. Green tears entered her eyes. "But… you actually did."

"I can't abandon you, Marie… Not like how I did with Cici and Vichay. But, we can't shut out the people you… we… the New Squidbeak Splatoon has wronged. We have to fix it. We protect the city, but we have to think of its people."

"But, Agent 3…" said Marie. "There's no way…"

"We have to…" I said. "At least try."

Marie turned away, rubbing her right arm. She stared at the floor.

"Marie, what did you do?"

The Squid Sister looked ahead, facing out the window. It was dark, and with so many lights turned off, trying to save power, we could see the stars.

"Agent 3 was going to kill Octavio. Gramps couldn't let that happen, so he turned to me."

I tensed up. "Th-Then what?" I said, hesitantly. There was just silence for a few moments, while Marie gathered her hands. She couldn't even look at me.

"I shot Agent 3 in the face."

My jaw dropped slightly. I didn't move or say anything, but I did remember what Oliver told me the other night.

"...you should see the scar on the side of my boss's face."

"We… I hurt Agent 3 in a way that can't be reversed. I was following orders, but… I still regret it every day. Callie wouldn't even let me live it down." She covered her mouth as the tears in her eyes escaped. "Not even after I won the last Splatfest we hosted together."

"What was it?"

"Callie vs. Marie."

"Why would word from… on high… give you that theme?"

Marie shook her head. "I don't know. But regardless of the theme, we had to do it. It's tradition." She wiped her eyes, but her makeup still ran a little. "I… I think we should r-rest."

"O-Okay…" I said. I patted her hand a bit and she turned to me. "Marie, I'm back now. And, I'm not leaving. But, you have to talk to me. Don't leave it all inside, okay? So, we can move forward. So… I can trust you again."

The Squid Sister nodded. "Okay…" She stood up and a nice, warm blanket was pulled over me, making my eyes droop shut. "Sleep well, Erray."

Even though I was on a couch instead of a bed. It was still really comfortable. It was a little lonely without Anemy, though, but I slept really well.

"Erray, wake up." Someone was moving my shoulder a bit. I swatted them away, but they wouldn't stop, so I opened my eyes and saw the pink inkling with the silver eyes. She had her Splat Brella, but was holding it like a regular umbrella. It was folded on being held to the floor like a cane, since she was indoors. Marie was there, too and she was back in her kimono. Morning had come, I could see the bright blue sky in through the windows.

"Angel?"

"How are you feeling?" she said.

"Uh… Okay, I guess?" I said. "I'm much better than last night."

"I'm glad," Angel said with a soft smile. "I… I shouldn't have done what I did the other night. You lost and confused like me. So, I wanted to do something for you. I think you really need it."

I rubbed my eyes. "What is it?"

Angel moved aside, and I didn't move a muscle after a tiny yelp. Standing behind them in the doorway, was Vichay. I swung my feet off the couch, but stopped when she walked forward. Our matching eyes locked with one another. She was still wearing that headband.

"V… Vichay… I, uh…" I was struggling to come up with words. "I'm so sorry! I… I should've visited you… I should've talked with you, I just…" I sucked in a gasped of air, suddenly feeling tears entering my vision and blurring everything into a shade of purple. It only got worse when she approached. "I wasn't sure if you wanted me around, and-"

I was grabbed. Vichay was holding my shoulders she looked as if she was scanning me or something. But finally, she said something.

"They… They told me what happened to you…"

I trembled, even my mouth shivered. "I didn't want you to worry." My voice was shaky. Then I was pulled into her arms.

"I'm so glad you're okay!" she then cried. "You're my brother! I love you, Erray! Don't ever doubt that!"

"I…" I hiccuped on a sob, but the tears came out. I buried my face in her shoulder and wrapped my arms around her. "I love you, too…"