Anonymous reviews:
ika tako gamer: Yeah, poor Inigo. He's been through a lot. I don't know remember writing Via getting a stomachache from drinking coffee, though... I read through the chapter listed in that review, and I didn't see her drinking coffee there. If you could tell me what chapter it happened in, I could give a clear answer, but I would say the answer to that would be that she drank too fast. She doesn't particularly care who Inigo dates, just that he doesn't get hurt - he is her friend, after all.
To answer your question about how I manage to post this both on this site and AO3, it's actually quite simple. I signed up for AO3 after the Season 1 finale had been published, so I only had to port over 28 chapters initially. Since then, I've been posting them around the same time. I post the Fanfiction net first. After that, I go into the preview found in the story management dashboard of this site and copy-paste that into the AO3 text editor, which is how I put it on AO3. So, the AO3 version comes a few minutes after the Fanfiction net version.
For the third question: I'm pretty sure canonically they don't, since Hero Mode and Octo Expansion are said to happen at the same time, but in this fanfic, they do, since the end of Octo Expansion occurs after the end of Hero Mode in this timeline. And yes, Agent 3 has a scar here. It's present in her right eye and a small mark on the back of her head. Which makes it easy to hide... Also, happy belated birthday! Hopefully things will get better over the next year.
The final question: Perry's obsession with Pearl arose between the time Geneva broke up with Inigo and the start of the story. It's nothing more than a celebrity crush: he thinks she's pretty. That's all there is to it. And what does Tiffany want with Geneva? She sees her as a way to contact Asher so they can get back together again, despite how much Asher does not want that. Since he won't answer her calls, she has to settle with the next best thing - either call Asher using Geneva's phone, or sneak into their apartment using Geneva (much like how Giovanni got to the surface by latching onto Perry back in Season 1 when he and Alexis left Octo Valley). It's pretty twisted, but that's Tiffany, unfortunately...
Now, for the story.
Roy's PoV
Roy lounged back in the spinning chair, watching his laptop screen as a pink-haired inkling girl stood in the Ammo Knights shooting range, holding a Luna Blaster in her hands.
"Next, we're gonna go into some advance techniques," she started. "First-"
Her voice was suddenly cut off by an advertisement, much to the red-haired boy's dismay. He let out a groan, curling his lip. He moved the mouse cursor over to the skip button, only to find that he had to wait a few more seconds. Just as he was about to click it, something caught his eye.
"Are you looking for a new way to spice up your battle?" a woman's voice questioned. "Well, why not try the brand-new Kensa Luna Blaster! Coming with the novel Fizzy Bomb and the versatile Ink Storm, this weapon will surely be...a blast!"
Roy blinked. The Kensa Luna Blaster? He's never heard of that before. Though now that he thought about it, he did notice some odd black-and-white Luna Blasters over the past few days. Maybe he should get one himself. He had never used a fizzy bomb before, after all. Besides, it seemed fun to shake it and then watch it pop as it traveled across the stage.
...He would have to go Ammo Knights after he finished watching this video.
After the video finished, he closed his laptop and put on his shoes, walking down to the exit. His parents weren't home, so he left a note on the counter and ventured off into the streets of Inkopolis. His house wasn't too far from Inkopolis Square, but it was still a fair distance from it. He opted for walking instead of driving. It was early enough in the day that he didn't expect a closure by the time he got there. By the time he reached the square, he noticed a line of inklings stretching out from Ammo Knights, much to his disappointment. He got in line and stood in place, arms crossed. He hated waiting...
Eventually, he entered the shop, only to find it packed. Pretty much every weapon was being examined carefully by an inkling, and the weapons themselves sold like hot cakes, coins piling up behind the counter Sheldon worked at. He even had a helper today: an oddly familiar pink-haired girl who gave weapons to people who wished to try them out first.
Towards the entrance of the shop were two other familiar faces—Giovanni and Peyton. The former examined a Kensa Splattershot, while the latter stood next to him with a poker face. Roy started to walk past them, but then he heard his name.
"Roy!"
He stopped in his tracks and looked over at the two octolings. "Come here," Gio beckoned, gesturing him over. The shooter stood on a pedestal, held up straight with a rack. The green-haired boy removed it from the rack, feeling it in his hands. "Do you think Geneva uses this weapon?" he asked him.
"No," he replied. "She usually just sticks to one weapon."
"Hm, but they are still the same weapon," he remarked. "They just have different sub and special weapons."
"I know her better than you do," he argued. "She'll probably just try it once and drop it."
"I do not know," Giovanni teased with a smirk. "People will always surprise you."
"Especially the inklings," Peyton chimed in. She tugged Gio's arm, and he gave her the Kensa Splattershot. "The collaboration with Toni Kensa also of the surprise." She put a hand on her chin. "Is Toni Kensa inkling? Not sure, I am."
"Why would I know?" Roy pointed out. "I don't look at the fashion magazines. I just see neat clothes and buy them."
"So we should be asking Octavia that question," the octoling boy concluded.
"Yeah, yeah, sure," he dismissed. He cleared his throat and continued, "Anyways, I'm here for the Kensa Luna Blaster." He pointed to Giovanni. "You're here for the Kensa Splattershot." Then he pointed to Peyton. "And you...?"
"He make me come," she replied. "I am not having something better to be doing."
"Well... I've seen Kensa Sloshing Machines. You can buy that."
"I do not like the Sloshing Machine."
"Oh." I'm glad Perry isn't around to hear that.
The group stared at each other for a few moments, silence settling in. The tan-skinned inkling could hear people talking in the background, though since he was not very close to them, their chatter was more like gibberish right now. Some music played throughout the store, but thanks to the chaos, he couldn't hear it well. The trio met each other's glances before looking away. Peyton started fiddling with her fingers, while Roy proceeded to stretch his arms.
"...This is awkward," Giovanni spoke at last.
"'Awkward.' So that is the word," the purple-haired girl commented.
"Yes, yes," he affirmed. He took back the Kensa Splattershot from Peyton's hands. "Because it is awkward, then I think you should go back to finding a Kensa Luna Blaster, Roy."
He snapped his attention to the other boy upon mention of his name. "Oh, yeah, yeah." He backed away. "I'm going now..."
Peyton raised a hand and waved it. "Goodbye."
"Bye." He turned away from the octolings at last, now deciding to explore the store some more. If only he could find out where the Kensa Luna Blasters were. Maybe he should ask Sheldon? He stopped in the middle of the store, red eyes glancing over at the horseshoe crab. He seemed preoccupied at the moment. So, he decided against it. Besides, he would probably go into a rant about the Kensa Luna Blaster anyways. And no one wants to hear that. He continued to seek out his desired weapon.
While he wandered off to the other side of the store, he bumped into someone. He looked down at the newcomer—Geneva.
"Geneva!" he gasped. "You're here?"
She crossed her arms. "What? Is that a surprise or somethin'?"
"No, I..." He rubbed the back of his head. "I thought you would be doin' something else."
She raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Uh..." He trailed off. He actually didn't have an answer, but he wasn't going to admit that.
After a few moments without an answer, she put her hands on her hips. "I don't do secret stuff all the time, Roy. Nor am I glued to Eight all the time." She sighed. "I mean, she's helping out right now, but why I'm here and why she's here have nothing to do with each other."
He looked back at the helper Sheldon had today. Upon closer inspection—she was right. That was Eight. The octoling grabbed a Kensa Sloshing Machine off the shelf and handed it to a dark-skinned inkling, who proceeded to run out towards the shooting range. But why would anyone want to work for Sheldon? They would have to listen to his rambles all day...
Maybe Eight was just nice. That could explain it.
"So... Why are you here?" he then asked his friend.
"I wanted to check out that Kensa Splattershot," she explained. "Simple as that."
"I saw Gio and Peyton checking one out over there. You can go over there."
"...Why? There's more than one copy." She scratched her head, a half-hearted smile on her face. "And Gio's probably gonna hound me with questions."
"I can make him shut up." He pounded a fist into his hand, smirking.
"No! Don't hurt him! I'll just avoid them." She started walking towards the curly-haired octoling, gesturing for Roy to follow. "Besides, I'll just ask Eight."
He put his hands into his pockets and started to walk after her. "Aight, if you say so."
Their appearance caught her off-guard when she noticed them just after an inkling returned a Kensa Charger to her. A small blush appeared on her face, but she quickly regained her composure as she bowed. Alongside her golden toothpick and piranha moccasins, she wore a Record Shop Look EP, though the pins he usually saw on the apron were replaced by a badge depicting the Ammo Knights logo.
"H-Hello," she greeted. "You are here..."
"Yep," Geneva confirmed. "Can I try out a Kensa Splattershot?"
"Give me a Kensa Luna Blaster," Roy then spoke up. "We'll try 'em out in the same area."
"Oh..." She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, frowning. "Someone is using the Kensa Splattershot at the time of right."
"We gotta wait?" the red-haired boy grumbled.
"Correct," she muttered. "I give apology."
He sighed, clenching a fist. "Fine, fine, I can wait."
"We can chat while we wait," Geneva suggested.
"Yes, we can!" Eight exclaimed. She turned to Roy. "I have not be talk to other Rainbow Squids much. Now is a good time."
"Well, whaddya wanna talk about?" he inquired.
"Hm..." She put a hand on her chin. "Crushes be inappropriate." Roy could imagine himself wiping sweat off of his forehead. Eight couldn't go and tell Oscar about his crush on him if she found out. Though...he was sure Oscar liked him. His past experiences just prevented him from telling him. "How about... Hm..." Eight trailed off, and then she opened her mouth, snapping her fingers as she got an idea. "Ranked! There is much stress to be found in ranked battles."
"In case you wanna know, I'm in S+1," Roy replied. "In all modes."
"You're getting there," Geneva remarked. "I'm stuck in S+9."
"I think that if your eye did not limit you, you could be in the rank of the X now," the curly-haired girl commented. "You are very good, I know personally!"
"No need to flatter me, Eight," the long-haired inkling murmured, blushing. She smirked in response.
"What 'bout you?" he then asked. "I dunno a single thing about your ranks."
"I...do not do ranked battles very much," she admitted. "It is stressful. Turf wars are much more fun."
"But you do League, right?"
"Yes, yes. I do not have to worry about my ranking in League."
"So... What is your rank?"
"...A+ in Clam Blitz. S in the other modes."
He chuckled. "Of course Clam Blitz is your lowest rank. I know so many squids who hate that mode."
"I am too used to being by myself. Even in the past, before the metro, I fight alone." She shook her head. "Fight in teams is still odd to me."
"I see..."
An almond-skinned inkling girl walked into the building, holding the Kensa Splattershot. "Uh, lady? I'm back," she announced.
"Oh!" Eight turned to the newcomer. "May I have the Splattershot back to me?"
"Yeah, I was gonna give it to you anyways." She placed the Splattershot in the octoling's hands. "By the way, this weapon ain't worth carp. The Tentatek Splattershot is much better."
"I...give apologies." She bowed and shooed her away. The almond-skinned girl grumbled, stomping out of Ammo Knights. The octoling with light brown skin then turned to face the two inklings she had been talking to. "Now..." She placed the Kensa Splattershot in Geneva's hands and grabbed a Kensa Luna Blaster off of the shelf before handing it over to Roy.
"Finally," Geneva cheered. "Can't wait to try this out."
Roy stared down at the Kensa Luna Blaster in his hands. It was so sleek with its black-and-white color scheme. He messed with the red clothespin attached to the upper protrusion. It was an interesting way to mark it as a Toni Kensa version of the Luna Blaster, if the colors weren't enough. Though, squids could have black ink, even if it was very rare, so he thought of it as necessary.
"Let's go," he told the green-haired girl.
"Alright." She looked over at her girlfriend. "Bye Eight."
"Goodbye!" The curly-haired octoling raised a hand and waved as they disappeared into the shooting range.
After they entered the open area, they did rock-paper-scissors to decide whose ink color would be used. Roy threw out a paper sign, while Geneva threw out a scissors sign. Realizing his loss, he groaned and proceeded to change his ink color from red to green. Afterwards, she stepped up to the first squid bumper, aiming her weapon and firing it. It blew up within a few bullets, regenerating a few seconds later.
"Feels just like a Splattershot," she commented, spinning the shooter in her hand.
"We'll have to ink up this place if we wanna try out the specials," he declared. "Let's get to it."
He started to ink the area behind him when he heard Geneva speak. "Why not try out the sub weapons?"
"It's just a suction bomb, isn't it?" he challenged, looking over his shoulder. "I imagine you've used that a million times."
"You got a fizzy bomb. That's new," she argued.
"Well, I..." He shook his head and turned around completely. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. I'll try it out."
He stepped up next to Geneva and pulled out his sub weapon. It looked just like a soda can, but the can was green as his ink. How do I use this...? He shook the can, a soft bubbling sounding from inside it. Suddenly, it made a clinking sound, surprising him and nearly causing him to lose his grip on it. He muttered a curse at it before shaking it some more, soon making a second clinking sound. The fizzy bomb had swelled significantly. He felt that if he shook it more, it would end up exploding in his face. Thus, he tossed it, a green trail of ink pouring from hole on top. It landed on the ground again before exploding again, launching up into the air as more ink flowed from it. It fell to the ground once more, exploding and disappearing just before it hit the wall. Some ink dripped off of the squid bumpers it had passed by.
"Wow," he breathed. "That's a fizzy bomb for sure."
The fair-skinned girl blinked, eyebrow raised. "That's a lot of ink." She brought up a hand to her chin. "Maybe I should bring some next time I go on a mission."
"Or you can buy this Kensa Luna Blaster," Roy suggested, spinning the weapon around once, "and have fun with it in turf war."
"Eh... Maybe if they release a shooter with Fizzy Bomb," she mused. "I mean, a blaster technically is a shooter, but it's not a classic shooter, y'know."
"At least try it."
"Fine." She threw down the Splattershot, and Roy handed her the blaster. She pulled out a fizzy bomb, mimicking the movements he had done less than a minute earlier. She charged it up faster than he did, launching it as soon as it started to glow. The bomb followed roughly the same pattern as the first one, though it flew towards the right this time, bumping into the stairs and landing in front of a squid bumper, blowing it up.
"Geez, this bomb's strong," Roy muttered. "I bet everyone would be using it if it wasn't only on two weapons."
"Hm... What if you could choose your own sub and special weapon?"
"Hey, don't even think 'bout it! Do you want .52 Gals with burst bombs?!"
"Just a suggestion..."
"Alright, alright, now we get to the fun part." Roy swiped the Kensa Luna Blaster from Geneva and smirked. "Time to ink this place up!"
The long-haired girl picked up the Kensa Splattershot, and together, the two started to ink as much turf as possible in the hallway, not leaving a single spot clean. Soon enough, their hair glowed, and they looked back at each other, nodding. Geneva pulled out a Tenta Missiles launcher, while Roy pulled out the canister containing Ink Storm.
"On the count of three," she announced. "One, two, three!"
He threw the canister in front of him, creating a green cloud above them, while Geneva pressed the trigger on the launchers, sending green missiles up into the air. They ran over to the other side of the shooting range, just in time for the missiles to crash down on the moving squid bumpers, popping them thanks to damage from the Ink Storm. The cloud soon dissipated, and the squid bumpers regenerated.
"That was a pretty fresh combo, don't cha think?" Roy chirped, looking over at his friend.
"Yeah," she agreed. "Wonder how good it'll be in an actual battle."
"Then let's buy them and battle together!"
"About that..." She clenched her teeth and sighed. "I got plans today."
"Plans? Like, with Eight?"
"No, this is separate. It's a study group for the next math test."
"Well, you have time before then, don't you?"
"I...guess."
"Then c'mon! Let's go!"
"If you say so."
They exited the shooting range, where Eight was waiting. She put a Kensa Sloshing Machine back on the shelf when Roy cleared his throat, catching her attention.
"We're finished," he told her, holding out the Kensa Luna Blaster. Geneva then followed.
"Wow, that be quick," she marveled, taking the weapons. "You have the wanting to purchase the weapons?"
"Yep," the long-haired girl confirmed. "We're gonna battle with them."
"Splatastic!" she exclaimed. "Go to Sheldon. You can get weapons from him."
They nodded, with Geneva giving a thumbs-up. They entered the long line, Roy watching as Sheldon handed out weapons to the squidkids. But, of course, he rambled on and on with each and every one of them, the inkling in the front of the line even stifling a yawn. Geneva pulled out her phone to look at the time and then put it back in her pocket. She sighed, crossing her arms. He guessed they both knew that they would be waiting for a long time.
Eventually, they reached the front of the line, where Sheldon greeted them. "Woah, Geneva, hey! What would you like today?" Roy scowled, crossing his arms. The horseshoe crabbed rubbed the back of his head. "Oh, and your friend, too. I suppose you both want some of my marvelous weapons?"
"Precisely," Geneva confirmed. "A Kensa Splattershot..."
"And a Kensa Luna Blaster," the tan-skinned boy interjected.
"Two weapons that work very well together," Sheldon remarked. "With the offensive capabilities both of them bring to the table, they're almost unstoppable together! The Tenta Missiles and Suction Bombs of the Kensa Splattershot help keep your foes isolated, allowing the Kensa Luna Blaster to swoop in and take the splat! Or the Kensa Luna Blaster's Ink Storm might finish them off. Who knows! The Kensa Luna Blaster definitely has an explosive kit!"
"Can we pay?" Roy badgered him, taking out his wallet.
"Huh? Oh, yes, of course." He went ducked under the counter, grabbing a box containing a Kensa Luna Blaster from the glass display and setting it on top of the table. He then grabbed a box with the Kensa Splattershot inside it and placed it next to the Kensa Luna Blaster box. "Now, if you've seen the commercials, you'll know that these new weapons from the Toni Kensa collab are discounted! So, you won't have to pay as much. That means more weapons for everyone!"
So that explains why there's a bunch of squids here today, he noted to himself.
"Now, are you paying separately or together?" Sheldon asked the two inklings.
"Separate," Geneva replied, taking out her own wallet. "We have money."
"Alright." Sheldon opened the cash register and extended his hand, beckoning for the cash. "Now, for the Kensa Splattershot..."
They paid for their respective weapons, grabbing the boxes afterwards. "Now, take good care of them, alright?" Sheldon requested. "Don't damage them so soon!"
"We won't," the fair-skinned girl promised him. "Don't worry."
"Bye," Roy stated.
"Bye! Hope to see you at Ammo Knights again!"
The two inklings walked out of the shop, back into the square. The line seemed to be shorter here than it was when he first entered the shop. Maybe I should've come later, he thought as they walked towards the Deca Tower. But then I wouldn't have seen Geneva, nor would I have seen Gio and Peyton. ...Where are those two, anyways?
He wasn't going to act on it now that they were inside the lobby. Geneva kneeled in the corner and opened the box, pulling out the brand-new Kensa Splattershot. Roy sighed and opened his box too, lifting the Kensa Luna Blaster out of it. It seemed to be even shinier than the test weapon, to the point where he could faintly see his own reflection in it. Keeping the blaster by his side, he stacked the box on top of the first box, leaving them.
"Shouldn't we throw them away?" he suggested.
"Nah, just leave them there," she declined. "I bet the Judds will like them."
"Well, cats do like boxes..." He shook his head. "Enough of that. Let's battle before you go to that study group!"
"You sure do wanna battle," she remarked. She looked up at Roy, speaking louder. "Aight, then let's go."
"Booyah!"
They walked off to the elevator, ready to battle with their new weapons. Despite the new weapon, Roy was confident he would stick to using the Luna Blaster afterwards. Baller was just too good to give up. Though, it never hurts to change weapons every once in and while. If he just kept using the same weapon over and over again, then he would get bored.
Now, in a real battle, this is where the fun begins!