Perry's PoV
"Pulp vs. No-Pulp?" Geneva puzzled, looking at the Splatfest terminal. "And I thought nothing could get weirder than Mayo vs. Ketchup..."
"You should've seen the Squidmas Splatfest," Octavia remarked. "It was Sweater vs. Sock."
"Hey, at least it was fitting," Perry encouraged. The long-haired inkling didn't seem aware of the Splatfest, becoming immensely surprised the moment she walked into Inkopolis Square. Off the Hook was sitting Color Pulse, their harmonic voices ringing throughout the area. Still, Geneva eyed both choices, indecisive.
"Don't you like your orange juice without pulp?" Inigo pointed out.
"Yeah," she confirmed.
"Then choose!" Alexis egged. "We don't got all day!"
"Fine, fine," she sighed. She selected Team No Pulp, and the jellyfish standing next to it gave her a green t-shirt and a bracelet. "So, just put it on now, huh?"
"Exactly," the boy with the ponytail confirmed.
"Alright," she muttered. She turned around and started to walk towards the Deca Tower.
"Wait!" Perry called. Geneva stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder, the side with the eyepatch facing them. "Tiffany's usually 'round here when there's a Splatfest," he warned. "You should like, put on a helmet or something."
"She hasn't seen me in four years," she pointed out. "I highly doubt she'll recognize me at first glance."
"But what about a second glance?" Octavia argued. "She might do a double take and recognize you."
"...Oh," she realized. "I don't think I have a helmet, though."
"Well, I think somethin' to cover your eyes is good enough," Perry suggested. "So shades or somethin'."
"Hm." She gave a quick nod. "I definitely have shades."
"We'll follow you," the wavy-haired inkling announced. "We're all on the same team, after all."
Via was correct—all of the Rainbow Squids present were part of Team No Pulp. Roy, Yuri, and Bonnie were off battling for Team Pulp, thanks to the tan-skinned boy's eagerness to battle. The latter two were not as willing to leave their friends so easily, but eventually, they yielded, leaving not long before the others realized Geneva had yet to pick a team.
"Lead the way, Geneva!" the pale-skinned boy announced.
They walked through the crowd, into the Deca Tower. Just before they entered, however, Inigo's phone chimed. He took it out and read the message he got. With a frown, he sighed, and he turned to face the others.
"I gotta go," he announced. "I...promised someone I would battle with them today."
"That's a shame," the long-haired girl muttered.
"Hey, we don't have to split up now," Alexis tried to cheer them up. "So we can all battle in the same team!"
"But we'll technically still be split up, if Inigo's leaving," Geneva pointed out.
"Yeah, you're right," she admitted, "but...uh...shoot..."
"Judd got your tongue?" Octavia teased her sister.
"N-No!" she protested. "Just give me a moment!"
"Judd got her tongue," the older sister deadpanned. Everyone laughed, except Alexis, who was scowling.
"Anyways, I can't waste time," Inigo announced. "See ya." He waved goodbye and headed towards the dressing rooms, running past them. After he was out of sight, the group continued walking to their destination, which also happened to be the dressing rooms. Geneva stepped inside one of them, and the other Rainbow Squids leaned against the wall, waiting for her to come out.
While she was changing, they noticed another door open, of which the Vigilante popped out. Like them, he wore a green t-shirt, marking him as part of Team No Pulp. He carried his signature roller over his shoulder, a serious gaze on his face. Perry opened his mouth to comment on him, but Octavia quickly shushed him. The Vigilante stopped and looked over at them, though he then moved on after a few brief moments.
Just what is he up to? Perry wondered. Did he see Geneva...? Nah, he probably would've shown his face sooner if he did.
Geneva then exited the dressing room, wearing the Splatfest tee. A Squid Nordic covered her head, with the ski goggles that came with it pulled down over her eyes. As a result, only her hair tentacles, nose, and mouth were visible. Everything else was hidden by the hat and goggles.
"I'm confident she won't see me with this," the long-haired inkling commented. "So, if we run into her, we don't have to worry."
"Sure you don't want a fake name?" Octavia asked. "Like, call yourself Gertrude or something."
"Gertrude?!" she gasped. "That name sounds horrible. I'm not using it."
"I dunno, you could be like-" Perry cleared his throat, and then in a higher voice, imitating Geneva, he said, "'Hi, my name is Gertrude Goldfish, and I like being fresh!'"
Everyone laughed. "Hey, that's funny," Geneva commented. "Now, let's go. And hope we don't run into Tiffany. Or the Vigilante."
They started walking out of the small hallway where the dressing rooms were, only to come across the two people they weren't looking for as soon as they left. Tiffany and the Vigilante were talking to each other, heading towards the back rooms. As soon as they saw the Rainbow Squids, they stopped.
"What a coincidence we ran into you," the lady remarked. "We were just looking for you."
Perry's heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words. "Why?" Alexis demanded, positioning into a defensive stance.
"I thought I saw the girl my boss is looking for with you squids," the Vigilante explained. "So, I wanted her to see for herself."
"Hm?" Octavia murmured. "But none of us match that girl's description."
"Well..." The boy with the ponytail smirked. "The girl in the middle, with that Squid Nordic." He pointed at Geneva. "She has long hair and fair skin. Just like my boss described."
"Me?" Geneva lied, lowering her voice to make it seem deeper. "But that's a very generic description."
"Let me see, boy," Tiffany told him. The Vigilante stepped back, frowning. "I know her better than you do."
The long-haired inkling gulped, looking straight at the lady. Though Perry usually saw her in a sweater, she was wearing a Splatfest tee today, its orange color marking her as part of Team Pulp. Geez, no wonder Asher hates her, he remarked silently. Tiffany's dark eyes examined her, putting a hand on her chin. Geneva was unusually tense, her feet close together, and her shoulders squared. Eventually, Tiffany sighed and shook her head.
"I can't deny the similarities, but I don't think it's her," she revealed. "Maybe if I could see her eyes, then I could tell for sure."
Geneva let out a sigh of relief. Perry found himself relaxing as well, exhaling. He had been holding his breath. The thought that one of his closest friends would be taken away just as he got her back was terrifying to him. Now that she had evaded Tiffany, even if just for a little while, he could continue not to worry.
"Why don't we battle?" Tiffany offered. "I always have wanted to try out an Inkopolis Splatfest." She pulled out a Forge Splattershot Pro, relaxing it by her side.
"I won't be able to join you," the Vigilante pointed out to the lady. "We're on different teams, and the other team is already full."
"I'm well aware," she acknowledged. "Just do your own battles. Keep searching."
"...OK." He simply nodded. "I will." He turned around, walking away. He entered one of the elevators, disappearing from sight.
"So, anyways." Tiffany turned back to the group, giving a small smile. "Are we going to battle?"
"Uh..." Alexis started, trailing off.
"I'm taking that as a yes," she announced, grabbing the short-haired inkling's hand, pulling her towards her.
"Wait! I didn't finish!" she complained.
"Well, too late now," she shrugged it off. She started walking towards the nearest elevator, Alexis in tow.
"Get your hands off of her!" Octavia demanded, running after her. Perry and Geneva were quick to follow.
They ran into the elevator—exactly what Tiffany wanted. There, the pale-skinned lady unhanded the bronze-skinned girl, causing her to stumble backwards. She took out the strange, orange shooter Perry had once seen her with.
"Our weapons are in a storage room," Alexis pointed out. "We needed to get them to do our best."
"Surely you have some on you," Tiffany dismissed. "Like that shooter. I've never seen it before."
"It's a Hero Shot," she explained. "The new version."
"So that's what it is!" Octavia exclaimed. "It looks different from the replica..."
"Well, we don't have our normal weapons on us," Geneva groaned, again feigning the deeper voice. "I don't have a good feeling about this..."
"What do you have?" Via asked her.
"Uh..." The long-haired inkling proceeded to pull out a Splat Charger, much to her own surprise. "Shoot, I forgot to return this..."
"Who's is it?" Perry asked. "You get a new boyfriend or?"
"No!" she snapped. "It's Eight's!"
"Eight?" Alexis relaxed, blinking at her. "Why do you have Eight's charger?"
"We were practicing yesterday, and she wanted to switch chargers, so she told me to 'hold on to it,'" Geneva explained. "I guess I was so caught up in it that I forgot that I still had it..."
"It is fine."
Geneva lifted her head towards the entrance. Standing in the middle of it was Agent 8, wearing an orange Splatfest tee. She held the E-liter 4K in her light brown hands. Her curly tentacles were drooping slightly.
"This is 'Eight?'" Tiffany asked the Rainbow Squids. They nodded. She turned to face the octoling, causing her to flinch. "What an odd name."
"Ah! You are...Tiffany!" Eight gasped. "I hear bad things about you."
"Whatever 'bad things' they may be, they're false," she countered. "Not all rumors are true."
The girl raised an eyebrow. "'Rumors?'" She scowled, raising her voice. "The inklings I talk to know you. They say, 'you bad.' It is fact then, right?"
"Little rose, barely anyone in Inkopolis truly knows me," she shot her claims down. "They probably heard those nasty rumors about me and told them to you. And now, you're hearing it from me. If I say they're false, they're false."
"And the inklings who 'truly knows' you," Eight challenged. "Who they?"
"It's not important," she argued. "They aren't showing their faces, anyways. At least...for now."
"What?!" she cried. "Not-"
"Eight, stop," Geneva interfered, stepping in front of her. "It's not worth it."
"I..." She lowered her head. "I understand." She started walking towards the back of the elevator. "I am the sorry...that I am making you mad."
"Huh? No, I'm not mad!" Geneva reached a hand for her, frowning. Eight ignored her, her back turned. She lowered her hand, silent.
"It's OK," Octavia comforted her. "She'll come around."
"I really hope so..." she muttered.
Two more inklings proceeded to enter the elevator, both boys. One had orange hair slicked back, with fair skin and dark red eyes. Much like Bonnie, he wore retro specs, though he wore angry rain boots as well. He wielded a H-3 Nozzlenose D. The other boy appeared to be the first's friend, having tanned skin and orange hair styled into a bowl cut. The shoes he wore were blue sea slugs, and he wore a Forge mask on his face. His weapon was the Dark Tetra Dualies. They simply looked at the scene, then at each other, before stepping into the elevator completely. The door closed, and the elevator started to descend.
"I'm surprised ya actually battle, Tiffany," Perry remarked. "Thought ya just sit around all day."
"I battle more than you think," she noted. "You'll be surprised."
Why do I feel like she's lying? he thought. Guess we'll see.
The floor opened beneath their feet, and once again, they turned into squids—octopus in Eight's case—and slipped through the grate. They traveled to their next destination—an unfamiliar area. The skies were starry, and a few buildings shot up from outside the stage's bounds. The ground was made of cement, as if he was walking through the city. In the distance, he saw some peculiar devices with a target on them. Perry glanced over at his side. The walls were transparent, the glass being held up by metal beams. He could actually see the other team through the wall. Eight seemed to have the same thought, as she was staring right back at him with pink eyes. He noticed a neon sign with some kind of design behind them, though they likely could not reach it.
The match proceeded to start. He found himself holding an Inkbrush. He was confused at first, until he remembered he finally took it out of the Rainbow Squids' storage room a few weeks ago. He had barely used it ever since he got it, after all. But, it appears that it would get some use today. He swung his brush a few times, spreading green ink in the area in front of him. He smirked and started running down the ramp, speeding past everyone else. He ran to the closest device and swung the Inkbrush at it. It made a sound as he hit it, kind of like a drum. He looked over to see that a wall was rising behind him. He stopped attacking it for a few moments, and the wall began to lower.
Weird... he remarked silently. He continued inking the far area, hoping that it would give his team an advantage in the battle. Attacking another device, a platform raised into the air, though it appeared that he could climb on this one. He turned around and tried inking the wall, but it sunk back into the ground before he could climb up the platform. From there, he hit the device again, and it shot up into the sky once more. He climbed up it, getting a better view of the map. However, his observations were short lived when a beam of ink pierced through him, splatting him. Indeed, Eight had splatted him, watching him from a perch. She hid back behind the wall, going out of sight.
When Perry respawned, he wanted to try going a different path down to the lower part of the map. He turned left from the spawn, racing down the platform until he dropped another level. He glanced back towards the ramp. There was another drop down to a lower level, one where the two paths would meet. However, he did not go that way. He instead ran up a ramp, perhaps one of the highest points on the map. Unfortunately, the peak was no use to him. He drew a squid on the ground with his Inkbrush before jumping down to the glass bridge. Pipes could be seen running through it. He ran to the perch on his side of the map, where the platform closest to it was rising. Someone climbed up it, and Tiffany proceeded to pop out on the top of the platform. She winked and summoned her special weapon, Bubble Blower. Perry tried maneuvering around them, but it was too late. As soon as the bubbles had settled, Tiffany started to fire at them. Before she could pop them, however, someone else appeared and slammed a roller down on her.
Octavia raised the Splat Roller, smiling. "Caught a dogfish," she snickered.
"Huh," Perry muttered. "Didn't know you still had that." He remembered the Splat Roller being her weapon of choice before she was able to buy the Octobrush from Ammo Knights.
"Neither did I," she said. "But, I'm glad to have it anyways." She jumped over to Perry and started swatting the bubbles away. They eventually disappeared, the soapy substance falling to the ground.
"Hey, Via," started the purple-eyed inkling, smirked. "Wanna see a drawing?"
"I don't think it'll be good, but sure," she replied.
He chuckled, drawing an inappropriate image in the empty space. "Like it?" he asked.
Octavia ended up slapping him. "No!" she scolded. She slammed her roller down and covered up the image. "What even gave you that idea?"
Perry rubbed his cheek. "Geez, you didn't have to do that. I just thought it'd be funny."
"Maybe to a guy," she grumbled, "but not to me."
He shrugged. "Whatever."
The two inklings jumped down to the lowest point of the map, the far end. Geneva was on the top ramp that was located behind the devices, aiming the Splat Charger she held. She fired once, and her hair began to glow green. She pulled out a Sting Ray and aimed it towards their opponent's spawn point. Perry started running towards the device that would lead them to the enemy base, but Octavia grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back before he could make any progress. He looked back at her to see her shaking her head. After the Sting Ray expired, she let him go, and again, he was dashing towards the device, this time successfully activating it.
As he climbed up the platform, he heard Geneva cry out behind him. When he got to the top of the platform, he saw Eight dashing behind the wall, presumably to recharge. With an idea, he jumped onto the grate and ran towards solid ground, ambushing the curly-haired octoling. She started firing her E-liter 4K rapidly, though Perry's speed was no match for her. She splatted, creating a green puddle of ink at his feet. He snickered and started running further into the enemy base.
The boy with the H-3 Nozzlenose D jumped out at him, aiming his shooter at him. He jumped out of the way, some orange ink brushing his arm. He scrambled towards him, Inkbrush in hand. The boy backed up, still shooting at him. A marker appeared at the boy's feet, indicating that someone was super-jumping to him. Perry continued to chase the boy, but he stopped in his tracks when an orange, glowing wall appeared in front of him. He turned around to see the other boy, covered with an orange armor as he barreled towards the ground. He was too fast for Perry to react—the pale-skinned inkling splatted, his ghost floating away from where he had exploded into a puddle of ink, his gear falling into the abyss.
He respawned, his head throbbing. "Ow..." he groaned, rubbing the spot where the most ink had splattered onto him. He turned into a squid and dove into the green ink, the pain quickly disappearing. He swam back towards the middle of the map, where the uninkable wall was raised. He looked for an opening towards the far end. He quickly spotted one and jumped down towards it. Tiffany was shooting at the device, though she stopped as soon as she heard Perry's arrival. She whipped her head towards him and threw a suction bomb towards him. He dodged it, running out of the blast range.
However, it was clear that Tiffany's sights were set on the pale-skinned boy now. She started running towards him, firing her Forge Splattershot Pro. Perry threw a splat bomb in response, running further away from her. She jumped away from the bomb, some green ink getting on her feet. She inked the spot back up and continued to advance. Soon, there was nowhere left to run. His only options were to fight, or jump off the platform, into the abyss. Though, he wasn't going to give up yet. Tiffany was the Rainbow Squids' one common enemy, and he wanted to beat her up at least once. He thought the feeling would be satisfying. So, he started running towards her with the bristles of the Inkbrush on the ground, dodging Tiffany's shots.
He swung his brush at her, causing her to stumble back as green ink covered her face. She let out a cry of pain, trying to wipe the ink off. Perry swung around and swiped at her legs, causing her to trip, and with one last swipe, she splatted.
"Booyah!" he cheered, pumping a fist. "I splatted her!"
Alexis super-jumped to him. "Hey!" she called. She lowered her weapon as she looked around, confused. "...Well, guess you splatted her yourself..." She pouted.
"Ah, don't worry." He patted her head. "If I can do it myself, then that's a good thing, right?"
"Yeah, but I thought you were in trouble!" she defended. "Which means I super-jumped here for nothing!"
"Well, what happened happened," he tried to cheer her up. "We just gotta focus on winning."
Alexis gave a quick nod. "Right." She went to the device and starting shooting at it. "You go ahead," she told him. "I'll keep shooting this ink switch."
"Is that what they're called?" he asked.
She nodded. "Don't ask how I know."
"Wasn't plannin' to," he remarked. Besides, he already had an idea on how she knew. Based on how he had seen Alexis with Agents 1 and 2—who he now knew to be Callie and Marie—before, he guessed that she was Agent 4. Agent 4 probably encountered weird technology on her quest to save the Great Zapfish, right? And that's not the mention the physical similarities they shared. But, he wouldn't pry her for information. It was supposed to be a secret in the first place...
He climbed up the platform and jumped onto the grate. To his surprise, Agent 8 was absent. Must be trying something different, he assumed. He continued ahead, inking whatever turf he saw. Soon, the perch was completely green, and he could continue on. He heard someone laugh behind him. He turned around to see the boy with the Dark Tetra Dualies, also jumping onto the perch. He threw an autobomb at Perry and started inking the surrounding area back up. The pale-skinned boy gasped and started running away from it. It blew up just as he reached the ramp, though he was able to get far enough away that he escaped unscathed. Perry continued running until he reached the enemy spawn. The boy with the H-3 Nozzlenose D had just respawned, and he gasped upon seeing Perry. Perry tried attacking him from inside the spawn, but his swipes simply bounced off of the spawn point's shield, the force sending him back a few feet.
At this revelation, the fair-skinned boy laughed. "Ha! You can't get in here!" he taunted, sticking a tongue out.
Perry laughed. "Well, alright. Then get out here and fight me like a real man!"
The boy's demeanor immediately changed. "Well, I'll show you what a 'real man' is like!" He tossed a suction bomb at Perry, causing him to flee while the other stepped out of the spawn point. Perry risked a glance behind him. His opponent had transformed into a squid, swimming after him. He emerged when they reached the ramp, now firing the H-3 Nozzlenose D at him. When Perry reached the bridge, the boy with the Dark Tetra Dualies jumped out at him, smirking. He looked around and opted to jump down to the courtyard below. He landed on the concrete, and the two boys ran into each other, leaving them dazed.
"Booyah!" he cheered. He ran towards the middle ink switch, only for him to be launched up into the air the moment he stepped onto the wall. He let out a cry of surprise, unable to stop himself before he was sent flying towards the ground, screaming. He knew it would he would be fine, but he wasn't a particular fan of heights. He braced for impact, even turning into a squid to lessen the impact.
He found himself not on the ground, but in the arms of someone. He opened his eyes to meet a pair of ski goggles staring down at him. A disguised Geneva. Her teeth were clenched together. He transformed back into a kid, catching her off-guard with the sudden shift in weight. He jumped out of her arms and gave a thumbs-up.
"Thanks, G," he said. "Really gave me a hand there."
Geneva relaxed and smiled. "No problem. Guess I could've let you land on your butt, but I decided to be nice."
They laughed for a few good seconds, which was long enough for the match to end. In fact, Perry didn't even realize that it had ended until he found himself unable to ink anything—it was like someone was compelling him, making his body work against him, resisting his efforts to swing his Inkbrush. He gave up and plopped to the ground, leaning against the ink switch. The wall lowered, revealing what was in the courtyard since he had escaped the two boys on the other team. The boys had fallen to the ground, rubbing their heads. Tiffany was behind them, messing with her Forge Splattershot Pro. Judging by the splatters of orange ink, she was likely inking the area before it ended. He couldn't find Eight, but he assumed she was elsewhere. Additionally, Alexis was leaning on the wall, holding the Hero Shot in the hand not up against it.
Judd and Li'l Judd arrived sooner than usual, landing just in front of Geneva and Perry. Everyone looked at the two cats, their gazes unwavering.
"Must be close," Perry remarked to them. Judd meowed approvingly in response.
Eventually, they proceeded to dance. Judd struck out a green flag, causing Li'l Judd to fall over. Team No Pulp had managed to win by a small margin.
Tiffany broke her composure for a few moments, her face contorting in rage. However, she quickly fixed herself, walking up to the two inklings near the ink switch.
"Good game," she said, reaching a hand out.
Perry got up, and took her hand, shaking it. "Good game." He looked at Geneva, expectant.
Hesitantly, she shook Tiffany's hand as well. "...Good game," she said in that deeper voice.
"What's wrong, blindfold girl?" the lady teased. "Did you want to lose?"
Geneva didn't answer. "We're done here," she replied instead, rather coldly. She turned into a squid and super-jumped away. Perry's mouth fell open slightly, and he super-jumped after her. They arrived in the Deca Tower, the map displayed on the screen. The long-haired inkling ignored it, however, immediately walking out of the elevator. Again, Perry followed her, and not long after, Octavia, Alexis, and Eight also popped out of the room.
"You OK?" Via asked her, stepping up next to her.
"...No," she admitted. They walked out of the tower, back into the square. Geneva sat down on a bench outside the tower, crossing her arms.
"Please, Geneva," Eight requested. "Do the speaking." She clasped her hands together, frowning.
"I just...don't know how the Vigilante found me," the long-haired girl started. "I almost got caught, and I don't know what would've happened if she did. And even then, I expected him to drag me to her myself."
"I don't think he wants to give you to Tiffany," Octavia remarked. At this comment, she looked up at the wavy-haired girl.
"How do you know?" she asked.
"Because I've seen who he is," she revealed. "I knocked his shades off one time during a battle."
"I know who he is, too," Alexis added. "...I don't think you want to know."
"Why? Do I know him?" Geneva questioned. The sisters looked at each other, frowning.
"Trust me, you don't want to know," Via answered at last.
"I mean, if he doesn't want to out you, then you have nothin' to worry about, right?" Perry encouraged. "You just gotta worry if Tiffany's 'round."
"...I guess," she muttered.
"Well, it's all settled now," he finished. "Let's go do some more battles, aight?"
Geneva smiled, standing up. "Right."
They started heading back towards the Deca Tower, ready for another match. Perry looked behind him for a few moments, and he could've sworn he saw a fair-skinned inkling watching them, a glare bouncing off of his tinted shades. Then, he noticed the pale-skinned boy and retreated back behind the wall. There was only one person that could've possibly been—the Vigilante.
Just what did he want...? Perry still couldn't figure that out.
A/N: Hi, sorry for the late chapter... Again. Though, to be fair, my body was working against me yesterday. Thanks, migraines... I'm better now, all I needed to do was sleep. Maybe I should move the posting time back an hour normally? Hmm... There's not much else I can comment on this chapter. Not sure if Geneva's characterization is consistent right now, though in her defense, she was going up against her sworn enemy that hurt her and her brother deeply. I think anyone would be nervous to go up against someone like that. Trust me, you'll be seeing Geneva in a more relaxed state in the next few chapters. She really only shows her emotions to her friends and family, giving her the calm and serious demeanor she's known for. The same can be said for Tiffany - she was a lot more snappy in her earlier appearances, but now she feigns kindness in front of most people, which I feel is more accurate for a person of her type. See you next week, and Branchwing, out!