It's been a while...sorry about that. Busy. Very busy. That being said-as always, thank you for reading and I hope to see you next chapter! :D
Mondays are days to start the long week of work and are usually a dread and that was the case for Squidcom, who although didn't have to do a Rank War today still had to attend classes and do homework. Sore from the strenuous work of battling against tough opponents in such a short span were the main four of Azule, Sally, Violet, and Reice, but they weren't the only ones who felt fatigue on the team. Lately, Kosami's been working herself to the core to find the whereabouts of Ixia in the hopes that she can stop them before they unleash their attack; the fear of what they might do weighing heavy on her mind and making her grow anxious to catch any leads. Coming into homeroom, she looked drained, although the others weren't aware that she'd gotten less sleep after meeting up with Sky and Pastelle. School went on like usual with students putting their focus on surviving the boring classes, anticipating lunchtime, and preparing for the new week of matches. The standings for the Rank Wars were updated that morning and as expected not much changed among the teams at the top of the tables, but the midtable and bottom had plenty of shake-ups with Meta making a huge jump of six spots from 13th to 8th; Squidcom remained in the same position as before.
Throughout the day, Kosami spent the time in between classes contacting her upperclassmen in Sky and Pastelle, looking to continue the conversation that ended abruptly earlier that morning. After spending her last four periods of the day trying to keep her eyes from shutting, she finally averted the snooze when Pastelle called her and asked if she wanted to go for a ride later with Sky, which she accepted without hesitation-anxious to continue their previous conversation. Skipping out on hanging out with her friends and team after school to get her homework out the way in time for when her seniors would pick her up, she waited patiently for the call, sitting on her bed with her earbuds plugged in to her laptop and her fingers typing automatically as she tried to get a paper done that was due later in the week. Just as she was about to make the finishing touches on the paper some odd minutes later after making an outline and speeding through the paper, her phone buzzed and quickly she left.
Smooth jazz dominated by energetic trumpets and the saxophone play through Sky's car as they taking their evening drive to continue where they left off early this morning. With the view of the sunset painting the city in an orange hue, Sky's matching blue sports car roared as she smashed the pedal and shifted gears; Pastelle and Kosami's bodies sinked into the seat as she went into the fourth gear, merging onto the highway soon after. Like a steady pillar, Sky's right arm stays firm on the wheel as her left hand wrapped around the gear shift and her eyes locked on the road, constantly having a quick glance in the rearview mirror; they reached their destination later that drive just before the sun prepared to set. After nearly hurling from the turbulence of driving with Sky, Kosami and Pastelle got themselves together as they joined Sky who sat over on a bench overlooking the grand sight before them: The tangerine evening coast. Known as the Sugar Coast for the organized dunes of white and brown sand that resembled brown and white sugar, meeting the edges of the orange sea that brought calm waves that settled on the coastline, leaving an outline in the sugar sand. The breeze tasted sweet and salty as the girls inhaled the coastal delight, mesmerized by the sparkling ocean and its gem-like shine.
"What a sight…" Kosami gasped; "How do you find so many beautiful places hidden in Inkopolis?"
Sky shrugs her shoulder with a relaxed smile as she stares off into the orange atmosphere ahead, "I like driving. It puts me at ease, and I guess finding places such as this one makes it worth the drive. Maybe next time we should rent a van and go on a huge road trip, huh?"
Pastelle did a quick stretch before taking a seat next to Sky, "I wouldn't mind a road trip, actually. I heard the east of Inkopolis is nice to visit, the North where Flounder Heights is also has some great spots. Oh, we could even do a cross country trip to the west! I'd love to visit the arid sands out west."
"Easy there-that's a very long drive!" Sky responded energetically, secretly on board with the idea.
Kosami thought about it and liked the idea of a road trip with everyone, but she knew that it was time to pick up where they left off. "So, uh-Sky? Can we continue from before?"
Sky motioned her hand, "Take a seat, already! I can't bother to look up at you if we're going to have a talk."
Taking a seat on the opposite side of where Pastelle sat, Sky motioned for Kosami to take a seat next to her. Following her senior's suggestion, she sat next to her and looked off into the distance at the sea that seemed to have no end. The warmth of being next to such a figure like Sky, someone who she considered to be her family, she couldn't help but beam and close her eyes, savoring the feeling of being with a sister. Sky's shoulder propped as she leaned to Kosami.
"I'll always have your back." she whispered, extending her pinkie.
Kosami giggled, "I'll hold you to it."
Pastelle sat on the other side of Sky with a dumbfounded smile as she watched the tender moment between the two, feeling the throes of rage boil from inside as she felt left out like a third wheel. "Ahem!" she coughed.
"Oh, right… So, picking up from early this morning. You've been recruited to help us find Ixia and we need the help. We have the numbers to investigate areas and contain them, but we don't any strong leads."
"Until I told them what you were doing!" Pastelle winked.
"Hee-hee, I always knew you had a good brain. But to think you were able to track down the locations of some of the members… You'd be a big help if you joined us. Of course, this is a dangerous mission and I totally understand why you wouldn't want to participate."
"Dangerous..."
That's right. If Kosami chose to join, not only would her meddling become more plentiful, but she'd also be in the thick of the conflict and in potential danger. Ixia did more than just online hacking. They did organized crimes and based on some of her research, it seemed like they were getting involved in politics. If this allied force wasn't careful about their procedures and thoroughness of capturing the enemy, it could backfire. Knowing this, Kosami concentrated on the sea and weighed her options. Sky and Pastelle quiet with serious expressions on both their faces, hoping that their inquiry for her services would be a success. After minutes go by of no answer Pastelle's impatience grew; having the stress of Ixia in the Rank Wars while her and her team had to focus only on the competition and be left out of the loop of the process. Unable to defend her school, the institution she loved dearly. It's frustrating. Seeing someone with talent who can use it to play a significant role in stopping such an enemy, it only riled her up a bit as she watched the indecisiveness of the same girl who was quick to call a hit on her stepfather and have him be assassinated at the hands of her close childhood friend. Opening her mouth-about to make a remark about the reluctance of Kosami, she was quickly silence when an answer was given.
"Sky, you said you'd have my back. Pastelle, you're probably upset that you can't do anything to help since you're ordered to focus on the Rank Wars, only learning about the details of what was going on thanks to Sky's kindness. I can't possibly decline to help either of you. I'll do it."
Her seniors were stunned blank. She accepted it. Kosami just threw herself into a mess she could've avoided if she decided to keep quiet and not share with anyone, and yet she was fine with it. If it wasn't for Pastelle name dropping her, Sky wouldn't have even known. Pastelle felt some guilt once she realized that Kosami had the resolve to do something dangerous again. She initially thought it was hypocritical for someone who was willing to kill their own parent to struggle with making an effort to save the school she attended. Save the biggest event on campus from the enemies of the outside, of the underworld. But, seeing that resolve in her eyes as she gave her answer. Pastelle couldn't find the words to show gratitude for the selfless action of Kosami.
Sky began to frown once she thought about the repercussions, "I know it took a while to give a response, but it's fine if you don't-"
"No, I want to help. I want to serve a purpose to my team, my school, and myself. I've been saved more than once. When we were kids, it was you and Azule who welcomed me in and accepted me as part of the group with Cobalt and Tangie. Then, there was when I came here and saw you guys again…" her gaze fell to her lap as she remembered her father's assassination; "I found another family. I got to meet Reice, Sally, Violet, Fuchsia, Jory, Pastelle, and so many others. I want to fight in my own way to protect the thing they love. To protect what I love. I want to protect the Rank Wars!"
Sky couldn't help but smile at the selfless intention, "Kosami…"
Pastelle was surprised, "Y-you…"
"I'll never forget that feeling. The feeling of emancipation… If I have an opportunity to show my gratitude, I will seize it. So don't try to talk me out, especially when you brought me out here." Her smile, radiant like the sun but stinging like a poison needle. So genuine, so sincere.
Both were stunned but slowly began to laugh it off as they realized she had a great point. They came all this way to convince her and she gave them the answer they wanted, so there wasn't any turning back. She was a big girl and could handle herself. After all, she's a member of Squidcom. Understanding the feelings of their junior, Pastelle and Sky decided to spend a little bit enjoying the sunset together with Kosami. Hopefully, the first of many.
The next day, it was an hour before the matchday began, and this time it's taking place at Blackbelly Skatepark. Squidcom sat together and were going over team strategies and rotation. Usually, teams decided their rosters ahead of time to avoid any sort of errors that might occur, but in the case of Squidcom having a fifth member meant that there was room to move players around, and that's exactly what was being discussed in this quick team meeting. The crew sat together near and around a bench with each of them giving their own opinion on what should be done. Starting with Fuchsia's push for Reice to sit out for this match since he didn't seem to fully recover from the strained work of the previous week, the focus of whether Jory should start over him became the hot topic of discussion. So far, there wasn't any hostility within the group, but there was disagreement with Fuchsia's proposal. Reice and Sally were on the fence about switching the team lineup so suddenly after it seemed to be unanimous that the original squad would start the week, but after an urge from Fuchsia after checking out the previous games that a change should be made, she got the support of Azule and Violet to make the push.
Fuchsia's holding out her hands and moving them in sync as she gives her reason to put Jory in over Reice, "It's not like you can't play in the following matches this week, Reice. We're going up against another difficult opponent in the Rebels and right now, you're not completely healthy-you're exhausted and need to rest. We should let Jory play and give him that valuable regular season play so that when playoff time comes around, he'll be ready."
"Why does it feel like I'm being singled out though!?" Reice retorted. A bit aggravated by how insisting the lead scout of the team wanted him to sit out, he was ready to take a passionate stand to protect his pride.
Fuchsia sighs with frustration and her concern for him clearly wasn't enough, "I'm not singling you out, Reice! Of the four, you show the most wear and tear from your quests to always practice and push your body to the limit. If anyone needs rest, no-deserves it...it's you. You've been pushing yourself too hard. Let your body recover."
Reice couldn't respond immediately and only shook his head in denial while he crosses his arms with an expression of dissatisfaction. Azule urged that Jory take over for some games to build up experience while giving Reice some well-deserved rest, believing that the team would do fine and that Reice wasn't in any condition to handle another troublesome opponent like the one they were about to face. After a convincing push by Sally and Azule, Reice submitted with an abhorrent exhale and held out his hand for Jory, offering him words of encouragement and good luck. He knew Jory was about to experience his first ever meaningful game as a member of Squidcom and decided that there was no point in creating any additional discourse-the best thing to do now was to support his teammates and their wishes, even if it meant he had to sit out. Butterflies fill Jory's stomach as he tries to digest the sudden reality of competing in the Rank Wars with Reice instead being on the bench. The excitement that he should've felt by being given the opportunity to play was instead drowned out by the sudden nervousness that coursed through his body like a raging river as he selected his weapon and readied for spawn. This was a huge match against a familiar rival in the Rebels, the team that used to be captained by Azule's arch rival, Todd. But after a sudden change in leadership, the Rebels found themselves picking up where they left off but with a different attitude than the one they had when Todd was in charge.
"His real name is Vince Vaseppe. Apparently, he's a foreigner that transferred back in middle school and has been living here since." Fuchsia leered at the prepared Rebels, informing her two friends that sat next to her the identity of the Rebels captain; Reice had his arms crossed with dissatisfaction with Kosami sitting between them feeling confused on how to stop the tension.
Without another moment of hesitation, the match began. Enemy ink covers the concrete floor after a war cry from the leader of the Rebels, and following his lead, his team all give a boorish yell as they start their match. The Rebels went along at their own pace, with Phillip taking the main route to the tower in the center of the map, looking to splat any unfortunate enemies while claiming the pockets of clams scattered in the area. Vince was over to the furthest left of in a pathway that gave him room to catch anyone in a blind spot. Dustin and Corey both had clams collected from their efforts of a quick salvage and were working their way to a power clam. On Squidcom's side, Azule and Jory made quick work to collect as many clams as possible and get a power clam while Sally gave them support from behind, with Violet just a little further behind acting as a watchful sentry who collected an occasional clam here and there, already as time continues to pass, both teams were working quick to land the first crucial hit on the other as they neared no man's land in the middle of the map. Multiple skirmishes unfold as Azule encounters Corey in his sights-locking on and giving chase for the Rebel scum, Jory runs into the duo of Phillip and Dustin who look to take him down quickly and get to the goal- Jory leads them away from goal by heading towards theirs with the clams he already had, missing only a trio which he could find by scavenging on the enemy turf; Violet conceals her presence and leaves Vince an opening to collect enough clams for a power clam and drops a Squid Beakon. A few seconds pass by but the score is still even with neither team able to break the defenses of their opponent and throw clams at the goal, but that would soon change as a crucial encounter unfolded between Vince and a surprise deadeye inkling who swiftly met him before he could attack the goal. Soaring through the sky like a rocket and landing at a blind spot out the corner of Vince's eye, a massive weight of fear settled in his chest as he recognized what enemy he'd have to encounter in the next moment. Believing he had an easy path to just sneak behind Squidcom's defenses was a foolish idea. Why? Because Sally Walleye appeared from the spot of the hidden squid beakon and was adjacent to the Rebels leader who had his own power clam in hand after searching around the area.
He couldn't take his eyes off her. The girl who destroyed Mason and Legion on her own was now within shooting range. He had to decide: Shoot Sally or aim for the goal and take the quick lead. If he failed to shoot her down, he'd be calamari since her aim was precise, and her weapon had range, but if he could pull a fast one a get the clam at the goal, his team would take the lead. Having to sort this through with only a millisecond of time to think, Vince made his move…
"They took the lead." Reice sighed. How frustrating. To have to sit on the bench and watch his team battle, and the worst start imaginable of being behind. It was only the first game and already it felt like the tenth.
Kosami gave him a pat on the back, "Don't worry, there's plenty of time in the match. Besides, Sally splatted him on the spot. He just got lucky that he aimed properly and got the power clam off before Sally could obliterate him."
It was 80-100 in favor of the Rebels thanks to Vince's attack. Having made the wise move to draw the first points on the board and happily take a powerful splat from Sally afterwards, Vince managed to dump all the pressure onto Squidcom. Now, Squidcom had to score. Failure to do so would mean the first round would go to the Rebels, and potentially the entire match if they could pull off another swift victory in the second game. Amidst the deafening cheers from those that crowded the borders of the map were some notable people with relation to Azule and Squidcom that were attendance for today's game. Standing behind a crowd with arms crossed as she peers through the bodies to get a fair scope of the game was none other than Luna. A disgruntled expression accompanied by a fiery aura, though she was in her disguise as Azule's mentor, her maternal side was showing as she passionately cheered for her son from the inside, giving a forced exhale from the nose like an angry bull. Over at another part of the skatepark were Verde and Lime, who linked up after having been invited by their little brother to come and watch him; they have confident smirks on their face as they watch one of the monitors displaying their little brother who had all the attention as he played with plenty of heart. Julian sat off to a corner at a nearby juice stand, listening to the voice of the crowd and making deductions on whether Azule was doing well or not; he was too nervous to watch, and partially felt guilty for not being able to get a close-up view where he could see his son in the spotlight.
"OH! Azule's made the turnaround!" The commentator shouted suddenly; All family members in attendance lift their heads and twitch their ears as they hear their boy's name called.
Swift like lightning, Azule turned the game around in the blink of an eye. Starting back with the score turning to 80-100 after Vince's move, Azule had managed to form his power clam after splatting Corey and getting to the goal, only to realize that he was blocked off and unable to get points. The moment the goal came down, he was met by Corey and Vince, who'd both respawned and noticed the moving blue inkling over by their goal. Having to dodge the brownish yellow ink of the Rebels, Azule made sure to use his rolls to perfect as he covered the turf and spaced the floor, throwing out a curling bomb to separate the enemies. With Corey going left looking to climb and Vince going right over to the half pipe, a pincer attack became clear as Vince looked to conceal his presence behind the goal while Corey drew Azule's attention. But before the pincer attack could work, a power shot that cracked through the air forced them to withdraw in fear as reinforcements came. Targeting her enemies with her scope, Violet lined up the enemy inklings and kept driving them back, all the while Azule activated his inkjet and drove the nail in the coffin. Throwing his power clam at the goal to take the lead, they'd soon be joined by another member who emerged from their ink. Throwing as many clams as he possibly can, Jory didn't hold back as he rockets his throws with a spin like a windmill that saw the clams just drop into the goal with a curve in the apex of the arc, getting a pleased reaction from the crowd who began chanting Squidcom's name as they took a convincing lead. Since the Rebels had the lead and failed to get their score to zero before time was over, they were given a penalty bonus on top of Squidcom taking the lead with their score at 72. This was the only action that'd get seen for the rest of the game as Squidcom held their own by running out the clock and viciously stopping any hopes of Vince and the Rebels from getting that first game, and the crowd loved it based on how they reciprocated the hard-fought victory. One game down, and one more to go!
The second game…
All went well in the following game for Squidcom as they used the momentum from the first game to contain the feisty Rebels that were trying to mount a comeback. Desperation began to settle in for Vince and his team as he realized that he'd hit a wall in this competition. The chemistry that Squidcom had made it feel as though they were facing an unfair battle of ten instead of four with opponents like Azule and Sally appearing to be everywhere whether it was through the air or at the high ground, or from below and around every corner; every chance that seemed like the moment for the Rebels to break the ice and get on the board, they got stopped. It was a tough game to watch for Todd, who was standing by himself as he leered at his former team that struggled against his rival. Though he'd been betrayed and cast aside by his closest of friends, to see them get manhandled like this…
Only a couple minutes remained in the match and for the most part is wasn't even a contest as Squidcom jumped to a 100-40 lead after nailing a trio of power clams, having no need to force any extra clams to widen their lead after seeing the life leave the bodies of the Rebels. Putting all the other teams on notice, Squidcom showcased how dangerous their squad was both on offense and on defense with the way they were able to attack their prey like a savage predator and defend their turf like a proud warrior. Those who cheered for Squidcom saw great satisfaction in seeing how far Squidcom had come as a team, managing to move past their hardships and rise to one of the best teams in the competition. With each game they played, in the eyes of their supporters such Sky, they were looking more like the future champions that this school had been waiting for. But, just when it seemed like the game was over with Squidcom cruising to victory, a painful cry shot throughout the skatepark followed by a siren. Though the game was being played in daylight, an eerie presence haunted the area as many murmurs and whispers filled the crowd after a brief silence with everyone trying to make sense of what happened; the interruptions had been so sudden that event eh teams halted their actions as they tried to figure out what was happening.
"We told you that we would make an appearance..."
Sharp static courses through the airwaves and cuts off the commentator's connection, echoing throughout the park and through the radio and television. The hearts of the many inklings in attendance felt a sinking feeling as their fears were coming true; Ixia finally announced their arrival and were interfering in an exciting match. Recognizing that it was finally happening, Kosami excused herself and left Reice and Fuchsia alone making a sprint to meet up with her comrades. Sky stood with her arms crossed and a deadly glare scoping through the crowd as if trying to pinpoint any enemies that might be lurking nearby, but after seeing that the shivers of fear people got from her glare, she figured there wouldn't be anyone here; Kosami came a few minutes later and was out of breath.
"It's happening, Sky. What do we do…?"
Sky closed her eyes briefly before looking to her junior, "The Elites dispatched into the city for a quick search with trackers. Bianca and her team also made their departure with the same equipment. The nerds also got their own gadgets so they're on a search. As for us, we're keeping watch over here."
"Ara Ara? What are you doing here, little sister?" a sweet and endearing voice called from afar; Sky's blue eyes dulled as she recognized the person's voice.
"Li-"
She got smothered in a hug immediately, "S-sis I can't breathe with your melons in my face!" she yelled as she pushed her sister off.
"You're Sky's older sister. Nice to meet you!" Kosami saluted as she recognized the general by her uniform.
"Hm? I think we might've met before. Nice to meet you, too!"
"What are you doing here?" a cat eyed Sky grumbled, unhappy to have been caught off guard like that.
"I came to watch Azule's game. I met up with Verde, too. Dad's also here. We wanted to show our support, but we couldn't find you anywhere. Great thing I found you here."
Sky sighed, "We're busy, sis. Can we continue this another time?"
Lime smirked and tilted her head to the side, "If you're after Ixia, there's no way you'll catch them. More than likely the person speaking is at the furthest corners of the country or probably outside our borders. They aren't a group who'd be sloppy enough to operate right under our noses unless they were planning something extreme; you're better off staying here."
Kosami's finger twitched as she pointed at the Lime haired beauty, "H-how did you-"
"I'm the head general of the army. Of course, I'd know about one of the biggest terrorist organizations on the continent."
"Don't say that with such an endearing tone. Anyways, how did you know about our situation?"
"You're Agent 5. Trouble follows you like a lost animal. Also, I've heard from some of my colleagues about the rumored attacks that they were planning on taking. As a safety measure, I've got my people looking into this. They'll gather information proficiently." she informed happily, satisfied to get the upper hand on her little sister; Sky forced a smile and twitched as she heard her sister's taunt.
Sky laughed, "You're right. Kosami, we should listen to my sister and stay here. If she's telling us this, there must be a reason, right?"
Lime's warm expression turned serious as a glint appeared in her eyes, "I've got my men searching the parameters for them. You can tell your principal that he needs to save his student's services for another time. This time, Ixia's only giving us a warning. Next time will be the time for us to respond with action."
Following her sister's wise words, Sky called everyone back and talked with Principal Telfin who was on speed dial and in the city while this was happening, watching the match on a TV in a conference room with what seemed like important people.
Ixia's Propaganda was filled with terrorism. Hatred. Division. A yearn for change through radicalism. The message spewing from the mouth of an altered and distorted voice caused a disruption of peace and security within the students of Squid Academy and created panic on social media as many feared that this was a terrorist attack about to occur. Their message included some hints about the dark past of Inkopolis and the controversy of the past Great Turf Wars, also there was disgust regarding the status of Inkopolis and the society in general as they slandered the current state of the country and advocated for reform. As they continued, the threats got more chilling as Ixia explained their reason for targeting Squid Academy and the Rank Wars.
"The pillar of this society's identity, the Turf War, will be no more. We will destroy the way of living that has created complacency among some and ignorance in others. There needs to be reform. There needs to be change. A nation with no leader, no one to guide them, is the same as immediate ruin. We must stop everything we are doing and think about the growing concerns of this nation. The segregation of Octarians and many other species deep under the sea, the blindness of the jellies and their turning of an eye to these problems. The economy is falling apart, and our social environment is worsening as the gap between the rich and the poor grows ever the larger. There needs to be change. There will be change. We are that change! It all begins with the destruction of the Rank Wars, the competition that endorses everything wrong with this society and this nation-no with this entire way of living all around the continent. After its destruction, we will set our sights to changing this world!"
Without another word uttered, the weapons in the hands of Squidcom began to malfunction as electricity spazzed the weapons and freeze them, the static shocking the hands of Violet and Jory, who're forced to drop them. Surprisingly, the weapons of the Rebels were perfectly fine. Confusion filled the crowd as they tried to make sense of the message of Ixia. What the hell were they babbling on about? What did interrupt a game between two teams in a high school competition have to do with the problems of society? What did kids have to do with the downfall of this nation? Those questions loomed in the minds of Todd and others alike as they watched the game slowly turn to a one-sided affair that seemed all the more likely to be rigged by Ixia; Squidcom's weapons were down, but the Rebels were working. Maybe it was just an empty speech to distract everyone from the work being done by the hackers, but the sure thing was that Ixia had gotten involved in the match and were looking to sabotage the favorites in Squidcom.
"Guys, just like we expected!" Azule shouted as he threw his weapon to the floor and pointed to the clock, "They froze the time and hacked our weapons. They're trying to ruin our chances of winning."
Sally grips her heavy splatling with pride and flashes a fierce grin, "Good thing we're not some weaklings who'd let something like this stop us! Bring it on you damn keyboard warriors!"
"Come at us!" Reice yelled from the stands, showing his support-the first of many who brushed aside Ixia's empty words and cheered for Squidcom.
"We're not afraid!" Fuchsia joined with a shaking fist.
One by one, the voices grew louder as support poured in for Squidcom. A sense of unity growing from within as everyone took courage against their fears and chose instead to believe in the strength of Squidcom, of other teams in the Rank Wars, and of the school's name itself. They weren't going to succumb to fear and let some people behind a screen bully them. Instead, they'd rise above it. Unfortunately for the Rebels, who had to hear those growing echoes, they just wanted to win the game but thanks to Ixia's involvement, it felt like the entire audience was against them. An upsetting revelation for a team to witness while they were fighting their hardest just to survive the competition and stay within the ranks, Vince bites his lip and clenched his fist with tremors of fury. Leading his team of Rebels for a rally to change their fate, one that'd subsequently shut everyone up, Vince gave a war cry with his team following behind with wails of anxiety as they looked to steamroll Squidcom. Likewise, Squidcom were ready to stand their ground and engage in an uphill defensive battle if possible with each of them holding their hands out in a cross-pose to defend the goal behind them. Chugging like trains toward a brick wall, the Rebels slowly closed in on the defensive Squidcom that braced themselves at the goal with focus as they peered their opponents down. The downpour of cries from the crowd escalated as the game and possibly match was about to meet a climatic end with Rebels getting bailed out by a bunch of terrorists. Except…
A ringing whistle blew furiously, and immediately all members of the Rebels were forced to stop. Vince and his boys were bewildered by the sudden stoppage of the game, but once they looked up on the scoreboard and saw that the time was already expired, it became clear. Dropping his weapon to the floor, Vince's mouth dropped like a cinder block as the stinging result settled in his mind; the other Rebels were just as stunned as their captain, and so were the many faces in the crowd who'd witness the sudden end of the game. Azule and Squidcom show no emotion as they look up to the scoreboard, understanding the message. Ixia didn't just get involved, they forced the end of the match by hacking into the clock and immediately expiring the time just before the Rebels could land the finishing blow on them; having given the Rebels the advantage, baiting the team into believing they had an easy situation, Ixia crushed the spirits of the Rebels by ripping away the cheating opportunity. The stunned silence continues as Todd watches his former team struggle with the realization of what just occurred. If it wasn't for Ixia's involvement, this match could've ended in a sweep, or even gone the full trio of games, but now no one would ever know because of that mischievous group's tampering. A bitter defeat and a bitter victory. This was the ultimate robbery of a great game for a social platform by a bunch of trolls. Feeling great dissatisfaction with what he witnessed, he needed to clear his head and go for a walk and leave the scene of this crime. This crime against the spirit of competition. If he stayed there and watched the shaken looks of his former teammates, he'd only feel angrier.
"I don't know what this Ixia group are up to, but they better not get involved in my match with Azule and Squidcom." Todd growled under his breath as he walked through the evening lights of the city, thinking back to how the day played out. When he'd first started the Rank Wars, he only thought this was about deciding the next successor to the Elites to compete on the big stages, but after seeing Ixia's interference, and seeing the way everyone reacted to it, he found it clear that Squid Academy held more weight than he'd believed. There was a reason why they were one of the facilitating networks for the armed forces of the nation, and thus, attracted many enemies. If taking down one of the strongest facilitators could put a dent in the defenses of the powerhouse nation of Inkopolis along with the failing economy and lack of leadership, indeed the nation would be like those of the past that came before. This was bigger than the Rank Wars. Winning meant becoming the next defender like the Elites, it meant carrying the dreams of the entire school, but also meant protecting them from the dangers that lurked in the shadows looking to bring ruin. Seeing just how dangerous enemies like Ixia were, it'd take a heavy resolve to carry that burden. Todd was willing to carry that burden. "Whether it be Squidcom or Ixia, no one is stopping me from achieving my goal. This is my chance to give back to the school, to my new teammates who've been kind enough to welcome me in and even make me their leader. I'll be damned to lose here!"
As he continues along his walk, in his mind the reminder that his fated clash with his arch rival neared; Just one game separates the fateful encounter between two fierce rivals who'll finally get the chance to butt heads…
