Anonymous reviews time. It's been a while since we've had these.
Agent 4: Well, I can't stop anyone from reading the Halloween story. It's ultimately their choice. At least you thought it was a good thing to read it before the reveals in Season 3! And to answer your question, AO3 stands for Archive of Our Own. It's another website to post fanfiction on. Glad to see you like Alexis! This bonus story is in her point of view, though it mainly focuses on her agent side. After this one, though, she won't have another chapter for quite a while. So, I really hope you like this one. And about Skylar...you'll have to wait and see!
Guest: Perry bought the Pearlescent Squidkid IV (and accordingly, the Marina-themed shoes are the Rina Squidkid IV). They were both given out for the Springfest (Hare vs. Tortoise), so if you've never heard of them, that's understandable. It has been almost three years (wow! those shoes were brand new when I started writing this fanfic) since then, after all.
Now, since we'll be on a hiatus until then, I'd like to note that if you don't want to wait until March to get your question answered (or a response to your review in general), please make an account for this website! I'll be able to PM you the answer that way. But if you don't want to or can't, that's fine. I'll answer them either way, it'll just take longer.
Onto the story!
Agent 4's PoV
For what seemed like forever, Agent 4 kept running.
And running.
And running.
Eventually, she stopped behind a small wall to catch her breath. Who knew constant patrol was so much work?
A red beam shined past her, and she quickly stepped aside as magenta ink flew past her. She looked over her shoulder. An Octosniper had been positioned on an UFO, and now it was chasing after her. She took out her Hero Dualies and blew the barrel of one of them. Well, there was only one option now: fight.
She dodge-rolled from her hiding spot, shooting straight ahead. The Octosniper's eyes widened and shot another beam of ink, with Agent 4 jumping over this shot. She scrambled onto the UFO, her enemy now shooting frantically at her. She winced as some stray ink got in her face, but she ignored it, firing her dualies and splatting her enemy. The UFO continued to float aimlessly through the dome, now that no one was controlling it. She inked a spot in the middle of it and hid in the orange puddle, surveying her surroundings.
The abyss stretched far below her, though in the distance, she could see several smaller domes with hints of blue and green inside. If she had to guess, she was in some sort of agricultural area, with the area above it serving as protection for the residents below. Her stomach growled at the thought of food. She hadn't had a good meal in days! All that kept her going was an energy bar Callie gave her before she left and a bottle of water. But, she couldn't turn back now. She had to dispose of the Octarians, and quickly.
As soon as the coast was clear, she emerged from the puddle and continued ahead, gripping her dualies tightly in her hand. She dropped down onto a platform and stopped at its ledge, where she spotted some inkfurlers lined up on the sides. Behind the inkfurlers, the heads of shielded Octotroopers poked out as they wandered around on a wooden platform. She inked a puddle at her feet before pulling out a splat bomb, tossing it in her hand a few times before finally launching it towards the Octotroopers. Bulging eyes widened on sight of the grenade, turning around to face it. Orange ink splattered onto their shields, and they proceeded to cover up the puddle, spewing cascades of magenta from their machines. Agent 4 sighed as she revealed another bomb, chucking it at the Octarians again before submerging in her puddle of ink. Still, their shields did not break, must to her frustration. Thankfully, the bomb also made the inkfurler closest to her unfurl, revealing an orange path for her to step on. She swam through the ink, traveling towards the Octarians. She leaped up from the ink and shot at their shields, breaking them and soon splatting the Octotroopers themselves.
But she didn't splat them all. Enemy ink shot into her back, breaking her hero suit and causing her to fall to her knees, gritting her teeth as her body screamed with pain. She glanced over her shoulder, eyes wide as the Octarians began to approach her, mouths gaping. Tears began to sting her eyes. This was it. This was the end, wasn't it? And there was nothing she could do to avoid it. No one would ever see her again.
She closed her eyes, expecting another to tear through her body and splat her at any moment, but nothing happened. Instead, she heard the cry of Octarians and metal clanking on the ground. She opened her eyes, wiping her eyes as her hero suit repaired itself. As her vision cleared up, she could now see her savior.
Standing in front of her was a pale-skinned octoling wearing a soldier's uniform, her black hair tied up into a bun. In her hand was a black-and-red Octobrush, orange ink dripping off of its tip. She turned to face Agent 4, and to her surprise, she stared into brilliant blue eyes and not the red glow of hypnoshades.
"Close," she remarked in Inkling. Before Four could respond, she declared, "Let's leave."
"I..." The bronze-skinned girl rose to her feet, surprised. Just who was this octoling? And why did she save her?
Well, there was no time to ask questions. With how close she came to splatting forever, it would be in her best interest to leave this place. There was nothing here for her, anyways.
The newcomer transformed into an octopus, and in accordance, Four turned into a squid, and together, they super-jumped out of the dome, light hitting her eyes. She rubbed her eyes, looking up at the sky. It was colored orange, clouds that became more concentrated near Inkopolis dotting the sky. Returning her attention to the octoling, she studied her in search of anything suspicious. Her arms were crossed as she stared out into the distance, the sun shining brightly off the back of her head. After a few moments, Agent 4 cleared her throat, grabbing her attention.
"So," she started, "you have a name?"
"My name?" She lowered her arms and turned to face the bronze-skinned girl. "My name is Yaki." Smiling, she then outstretched a gloved hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Yaki..." She stared down at her hand. She didn't want to be rude, but this lady was an octoling. One wearing a soldier's uniform, nonetheless, even if she didn't wear hypnoshades. Chances are, she could betray her and splat her at any moment.
...But she also saved her. She owed her something, didn't she?
She took the hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you too." After they let go, she rubbed the back of her head. "Thanks for saving me back there."
"It was nothing," Yaki said. "They are just Octotroopers, after all."
"Yeah..." Still, she couldn't help but feel like something was off. "You're better at Inkling than I thought you would be."
She laughed. "Well, we are all full of surprises, are we not?"
Agent 4 gave a half-hearted laugh. "I guess so." Would her status as an agent be surprising? ...Nowadays, she would say no. Everyone knows that she was in S+ rank. But if the Rainbow Squids had found out much sooner? Yes, it would be surprising. And even today, people would be surprised to know she knew some Octarian. No one spoke Octarian in Inkopolis. Except Octarians themselves, of course.
"Come on," Yaki egged, blue eyes sparkling. "If you still want to fight, I know a place where you could go."
"Fight?" She shook her head. "I'm just patrolling."
"You do fight Octarians when you come across them, correct?"
"I mean, yeah, but that's not my main goal."
The pale-skinned lady let out a sigh, crossing her arms once more. She turned away from Agent 4, looking out at the scenery, just as she had done when they initially emerged from the dome. Various floating platforms were scattered around the area, many of them close to the abyss. Yaki began tapping her foot, and after a few moments, she pointed to a structure held up by metal beams, a singular kettle lying its center. They would still have to super-jump there, but it wasn't as far as some of the other platforms.
"There," she instructed. "Let's go."
The bronze-skinned girl narrowed her eyes. "Who says I'm following you?"
"You said you were on patrol," she argued. "Reasonably, that place is your next destination." She looked over her shoulder and smirked. "Besides, perhaps you could help me with something."
I guess I should help her, Four decided. "With what?" she asked.
"You must be aware that I am not with the Octarian army," Yaki started, facing her once more. "While DJ Octavio is absent, I want to cause some chaos." She giggled. "I know that place in particular contains valuable supplies for the Octarian army. So, if we can destroy them, then that will set them back."
"That's...not a bad idea, actually," she admitted. It wasn't in her usual route, but it didn't hurt to check it out. Nodding her head, she declared, "Fine, I'll help you. But only this, alright?"
"Great!" she cheered, lowering her arms. "Now, we can finally go. Follow me."
Yaki transformed into an octopus and leaped into the air, orange ink trailing behind her. At the peak of her jump, she turned towards, barreling towards the structure as she transformed back. Agent 4 proceeded to do the same, and they landed a few feet from the kettle, the soles of their boots screeching against the metal surface. Yaki grimaced briefly at the sound, but her expression quickly returned to that of a smile as she approached the kettle. Gesturing for Four to follow her, she slipped through the grate, and of course, so did the inkling.
They landed in a dark room, magenta lights flickering along the walls. The pale-skinned octoling flipped a light switch, and in an instant, the room lit up, revealing several rows of wooden crates scattered around the room. A hallway led deeper into the facility, the gloom only making Agent 4 nervous. She thought back to the Deepsea Metro and her brief adventure with Agent 3, the cyan glow of the strange Octarians' eyes ingrained in her mind.
She had a really bad feeling about this.
Yaki, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. "We are here," she announced. She cracked her knuckles and pulled out her Octobrush. "Let us begin."
Before Four could speak any further, she walked up to the boxes and began swinging her brush, destroying them. Splinters of ink-covered wood scattered around the room, though none seemed to hit the pale-skinned octoling. She adjusted her bun and turned around to face the inkling. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything, magenta blobs appeared in the middle of the room, eventually forming into a few Twintacle Octotroopers. At the sight of them, Agent 4 immediately revealed her Hero Dualies, dodge-rolling to the side and shooting at them. Meanwhile, Yaki put the bristles of her brush to the ground and circled around them, confusing the group of Octarians. At last, she struck them, and together, the two of them managed to splat them.
"Easy," she declared. "Now, let us break more boxes..."
The short-haired girl nodded and turned around to look at the boxes behind her. She shot them and destroyed a few of them, pausing to look at their contents. As she examined them, she found...nothing. Not even some power eggs. At that thought, she turned around to face Yaki once more.
"You sure there's 'valuable supplies' down here?" she asked her.
The octoling had just finished destroying a few more boxes as Agent 4 spoke. "Yes," she insisted after a brief pause. "They are just deeper in here."
"Then let's go deeper in," she suggested. "No use breaking these boxes."
"No, no, empty boxes have their uses, too," Yaki denied. "They allow the transportation of such supplies. If we destroy these boxes, then the army will not have anything to transport them in."
"Fine, fine," she grumbled. She returned her attention to the wooden crates and continued shooting at them, destroying them. Once every single box was destroyed, the octoling proceeded to grab the inkling's hand and drag her deeper into the facility, not letting her admire the work she had done. As they entered the dark hallway, Yaki flipped another light switch, illuminating it. Several doors were lined up along the walls, card readers next to them. She didn't spot any keyholes, much to her disappointment. She doubted Yaki had a card to open them, too.
"We're just gonna ignore those doors?" Agent 4 asked the pale-skinned octoling.
"Yes," she replied. "There is nothing of importance inside."
"So they're just...empty rooms?"
"They are extra rooms in case more storage is needed. Last time I checked, however, they were not needed."
She shrugged. "Well, that works, I guess."
They continued walking down the hallway, eventually reaching another dark room. The dark-haired octoling turned the lights on, and soon as the room was illuminated, more magenta blobs appeared, forming some Octotroopers and two Octobombers. The latter spat bombs at them, causing the two to scatter to opposite sides of the room. The former proceeded to shoot at them, but with the slow velocity of the bullets, they easily managed to dodge the shots. The Octarian bombs blew up, splattering magenta ink onto the wall. Agent 4 tossed a splat bomb at the Octotroopers, and they proceeded to panic, trying to scatter. Four's bomb blew up, taking out half of them. Yaki finished them off, and now, only the Octobombers remained. They started to hover up towards the ceiling, but Agent 4 merely dodge-rolled and shot at them, quickly splatting them. Their helmets clattered to the ground, soon disappearing. With her opponents gone, the short-haired girl lowered her dualies, now realizing how tense she had been during the entire encounter. That was scary.
But, she managed to survive thanks to Yaki's help. Some of the boxes had been destroyed, though it looked like they didn't hold anything anyways. Nonetheless, the pale-skinned lady continued to destroy the boxes in the roll, defiling the room with ink and wooden splinters. Four proceeded to do the same, and soon enough, the room was empty. Satisfied, the octoling dipped her head and grabbed the inkling's hand again, forcing them to move on.
In the next hallway, several more doors were lined up against the walls. Just like the set of doors she had seen previously, they required special cards to access. Yaki simply ignored them, dragging her companion along. Eventually, they came to a fork in the road, the hallway splitting into two different paths. More magenta blobs began to form out of nowhere, this wave summoning Octocopters and another Octobomber. Readying her dualies again, Agent 4 attacked the Octarians, avoiding the bomb the Octobomber spat out and focusing on the Octocopters. Despite the lack of room, she managed to splat them pretty easily, though one blob of Octarian ink landed on her hoodie, and in response, she gritted her teeth, trying to ignore the pain searing through her clothes, into her skin.
A bomb from the remaining enemy landed on Yaki's head, stunning her momentarily as it bounced off of her and landed behind her. The grenade exploded, splattering magenta ink onto her back. She stumbled, her face twisting into one of anger. She leaped up into the air and swung her Octobrush as fast as she could, splatting the Octobomber. Orange ink streaked the room, and she let out a sigh of relief. Beckoning Four to follow her, she put away her weapon and took the right path, limping as she gripped her shoulder.
"You OK?" the inkling asked her once she caught up with her.
"Yes," she responded. "I will recover. It is just ink, after all."
She went silent as they trudged through the somber hallway, magenta lights similar to the ones found at the entrance flickering around them. Slowly, the ink on the octoling's back dissipated, and as it shrunk, she steadily began to walk faster and faster. By the time they reached the next open room, the ink had completely disappeared, and Yaki was back to her usual self. They stopped in the middle of the room, and Agent 4 looked around to examine it. Unlike the previous rooms, there were barely any boxes in here, but in return, the ceiling appeared to be higher up, metal pillars situated in each corner of the room. Beams connected the pillars, pipes and electrical wiring apparent in the darkness between each of them.
Strangely enough, though, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.
"Yaki..." Four started, grabbing the octoling's attention. "Something's wrong."
She turned around to face her. "What makes you say that?" she challenged, sending shivers through her body. Her eyes glanced up briefly before focusing them on the inkling's orange eyes—so brief that if she blinked, she would miss it.
Before Four could answer, Yaki's blue eyes flashed with surprise as she let out a pained cry, lime green ink sparking off of the back of her head. Falling unconscious, she collapsed to the ground, limbs sprawled out. Enemy ink dripped off of where she had been hit.
Marie?! she thought, alarmed.
When she looked up, however, her face quickly fell. "Oh."
Brayden jumped down from the perch he was hiding in, a Splat Charger at his side. His hair had been colored the same green as Marie's, and an ink tank with a sticker on it was slung around his shoulder. Other than that, however, he was in his normal attire, blue eyes narrowed at her.
"Why are you here?" Four demanded.
"Two reasons," he started. He started to speak some more before he was quickly cut off, looking up. Before she could say anything, he grabbed her and jumped out of the way, magenta ink landing where they once stood moments later. "That is one of them."
"What do you mean, 'that is one of them?'" she chastised him. "It wouldn't splat you to explain!"
"I will explain, when we get out of here," he grumbled. "Surviving is our priority." At that moment, he jumped out of the way again, dragging Agent 4 along with him. Another magenta beam sped by them, landing on the ground. The bronze-skinned girl lifted her head, orange eyes drifting over to the source.
On a beam opposite of the one Brayden was standing on previously stood another octoling, this one with dark tentacles curling around his chin. The back tentacles curled upwards as well, making his hair seem rather stiff when compared to most other octolings. Like Yaki, he had pale skin and blue eyes, and she couldn't see his ears either. He wore a black kimono with gold accents, the bottom of it having a simple triangle pattern. The belt he wore was gold, and his sandals were black with gold straps, wearing white socks underneath them. In his hands, he clutched a black charger with red accents. His eyes met with Brayden's, and he proceeded to jump down to the metal floor, narrowing his gaze.
"I recognize you," the new octoling noted, speaking in Octarian. "Pallidus, was it?"
He snickered. "How smart," he remarked. "I'm surprised you still remember me."
He didn't seem impressed. "Remember that it was I who recognized your talent." He rolled his eyes. "I see that you're a traitor now, after you went missing for several months."
"Is it really that bad to be a traitor, though?" he taunted. "After all, you're free. Unlike life down there, I can do whatever I want."
The new octoling growled. "Then I'll have to teach you a lesson on loyalty." He aimed his charger, charging it up before firing another shot. Agent 4 rolled out of the way this time, taking Brayden with her. He shot at them yet again, and the two merely dodged the shots. With each shot, however, their movements slowly became sloppier, while their attacker showed no signs of tiring.
"Can't we just get out of here?" the short-haired girl hissed to her companion as yet another shot sped by them.
"He would just follow us," he argued, switching back over to Inkling. "He is persistent in his target." They stopped behind a pillar to hide. Four peeked out from behind it. The black-haired octoling lowered his charger, blue eyes scanning the area. He walked over to where Yaki laid and poked her with his charger, but she didn't respond. Sighing, he resumed his search for her and Brayden.
"Who is that?" she whispered.
"Takko," he answered. "He is an official for the Octarian government. Yaki, another official, is his sister." His blue eyes then glared at her. "Seriously, did your team not tell you who to watch out for?"
So that explained everything—Yaki's odd behavior, her insistence on Agent 4 following her, all the empty boxes down here, and the charged shot aimed at Four. Yaki had been leading her into a trap, and she knew it. She only had herself to blame for being so gullible.
She saw a light shine in the corner of her eye, and immediately, she grabbed Brayden's hand again, dragging him out of the way of the charged shot. They moved behind a few boxes, puddles of magenta ink surrounding them. Another charged shot sped by them, only increasing the size of the puddles as the ink fell on the ground.
"Your skills have weakened," their attacker, Takko, called. "Inkopolis must've made you lazy."
"On the contrary, they have not," Brayden sneered, speaking Octarian once more. "How else would I get here without anyone else knowing?" As he spoke, Four notice his hands sliding over to his charger, keeping it low as he pressed down on the trigger.
Takko's mouth fell open as a gasp escaped his lips, and for a moment, he faltered, his fingers slipping away from the trigger. Quickly, he regained his composure and lifted his charger again, aiming at the tan-skinned boy's head. Agent 4 gulped. If he succeeded in splatting Brayden, she would be next.
With a confident chuckle, he announced, "Say goodbye, traitor."
What he didn't know was that Brayden had been charging his own weapon the entire time.
Before their attacker could fire, his charger snapped up, and he released the trigger, a beam of lime green ink flying out of the barrel. The shot collided with Takko's forehead, and he let out a cry as he dropped his charger, magenta ink rising into the air before falling to the floor.
"You..." he muttered, gripping his head. "...Dang it."
He stumbled around before collapsing, landing on the ground with a thud. Four let out a sigh of relief, unaware that she had been holding her breath the entire time. When Brayden emerged from their hiding spot, she deduced that finally, they were safe. The octoling with a side cut walked over to where Takko had collapsed, kneeling down to undo his kimono.
The short-haired inkling walked over to join him. "What are you doing?" she questioned.
"That is not important," he replied. "I just need something, and he happens to have it."
She examined his body. The octoling had been wearing shorts and a black undershirt underneath the garment. A belt with a few pouches on it was strapped to his right leg, likely containing anything he deemed important. Brayden undid one pouch, pulling a plastic card from it before closing it. He stood up, giving one final look at Takko before resuming his attention to Four.
"Got it," he announced. "We should head back to Tentakeel Outpost."
"Head back?" She blinked, appalled. "No, I'm not going back there. It would be better for me to keep patrolling." She gave a nervous laugh. "After all, the Rainbow Squids don't want me. But here? Here, I can actually make a difference without everyone ignoring me! The New Squidbeak Splatoon cares about me. Why stay in Inkopolis when-"
"Alexis, stop."
She jumped as Brayden placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look into his blue eyes, like she was staring straight into the eye of a storm.
"The other reason I came for you is to bring you back to Inkopolis," he revealed. "Everyone is worried about you. Callie, Marie, Cuttlefish, the Rainbow Squids, and your sister. Especially your sister."
She turned her head away, hardly believing her ears. "How do you know?" she challenged, the remark coming out weaker than she expected. "You're part of Octa Prisma. You barely know them." She looked down at the floor. "You'd rather goof off in Octo Canyon than even be in Inkopolis."
"First of all, you make too many assumptions," he started. "Second of all, you do not need to know how. Either way...look at yourself! You look terrible. Your clothes are dirty, and your hair is dull. You do not really believe the Rainbow Squids do not want you, do you?" After she didn't answer, continuing to avert her gaze, he commanded, "Look at me."
She turned her attention back towards Brayden, feeling tears swell up inside of her. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes.
"If you want to only be Agent 4 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, fine," he muttered, "but at least take care of yourself. This is not the way to go." As he finished, he let go of her, opening his eyes. "Now, do you understand why you must go back to Inkopolis."
The words hung in the room, Four feeling her hands trembling. She lifted them in front of her face, staring at them. Brayden pulled out his phone and showed it to her, seeing her reflection in the dim screen.
For once, he was right. She did look terrible. She was in no state to continue.
And at that realization, she finally released her tears. She let out a sob, feeling them roll down her cheeks, falling to the metal floor. She sat down and cried, sniffling as she rubbed her eyes.
"I'm so dumb," she hiccupped. "I get tricked, and now this? Why can't Marie just tell me Three's better than me?" She let out another sob. "...She wouldn't mess up this badly. Not like me." She paused, blinking and clearing her eyes of tears. "I wanna go home."
"Then let us leave," Brayden suggested. She looked up to see him reaching out a hand, his expression unreadable. "We have no reason to be here any longer."
She nodded and took his hand, where he proceeded to help her to her feet. She turned into a squid and crawled on top of his head, closing her eyes. After the chaos that was the past few days, she felt like she could fall asleep and never wake up. But in reality, she just wanted to rest. Brayden patted the top of her head and started to walk off towards the entrance of the facility. He turned off each set of lights as he passed by them and super-jumped outside once they arrived at the entryway, with Alexis holding on tightly.
As soon as she could smell fresh air, she peered her eyes open. The sky was purple now, signifying that nightfall would soon arrive. The tan-skinned octoling super-jumped once more, and from here, she could see the various landmarks scattered around the canyon. But she had no intention on sightseeing today. She returned her attention to the Cuttlefish Cabin, where she just barely see Callie and Marie. Soon enough, they landed, catching them off-guard. Brayden set Four down on the ground, where she proceeded to transform back into her kid form.
"I found her," he announced.
Instead of a usual sarcastic remark like usual, Marie lowered her umbrella, setting it on the bench next to Cap'n Cuttlefish and walked over to Alexis. She extended her arms out, beckoning her for a hug. The bronze-skinned inkling stood up and walked into her embrace, closing her eyes and digging her head into her chest as the idol wrapped her arms around her. A new wave of tears started, and she began to sob into Marie's kimono.
"I'm sorry," she blubbered. "I'm so, so, sorry."
"You had me worried there," the idol remarked, her voice becoming surprisingly soft, as if she was a mother talking to her child. Alexis lifted her head, and she looked up into her starry eyes. "Don't scare us like that again, OK?"
She nodded. "I won't," she assured her. "I promise." They let go and turned their attention back to the other two inklings present.
"Welcome back, Agent 4," Cap'n Cuttlefish greeted. "Wouldn't be the same without ya, bucko."
"Go take a break," Callie encouraged. "I think you've gone through enough stuff for tonight."
Four nodded. "Can I just...sleep here?" She frowned. "I don't feel like going to Inkopolis just yet."
"Sure, sure," the elderly inkling replied. "There be a spare bed inside!"
"Ahem."
Everyone turned around to face Brayden, who had his arms crossed. "Do I get some recognition?"
"Well, you got Four out of there," the grey-haired inkling noted.
"Yep," Cap'n agreed. "I thank ye for that."
The octoling smiled. "At least I get that." He lifted his head, looking up towards the sky. "I will go now. I will see you another time, then." Before anyone could say goodbye back, he turned into an octopus and leaped into the air, super-jumping away.
"Bye!" the black-haired inkling called as he left.
"Now that he's gone..." Four turned to Cap'n Cuttlefish. "Where's that spare bed you mentioned?"
"I'll show you," he replied. He hopped off the bench, stretching and balancing himself with his cane before hobbling into the Cuttlefish Cabin, gesturing for her to follow. "C'mon! This bed won't find itself!"
"Alright, alright, I'm coming."
Smiling, she followed the old man into the cabin. For the first time since the Splatfest, she felt like her head had been cleared. After everything, she knew one thing for certain: it didn't matter who or where she was.
There were people that cared for her, and she wouldn't dare abandon them.
Yaki's PoV
The lady groaned, opening eyes to see darkness surrounding her. Her heart skipping a beat, she sat up in a panic. Though her head throbbed, the memories of what happened before she blacked out came rushing back to her. She set up an encounter with the dauntless Agent 4, lulled her into a sense of security as she lured her into this booby-trapped building, and watched Takko as he prepared to deal a swift strike and end her life. But before he could fire, something shot her, knocking her unconscious.
And if the dark figure lying on the ground nearby was any indicator, her brother had failed to take out the young inkling.
Yaki pulled out a flashlight and turned it on, walking over to him and shining the light down on his face. He, too, was unconscious, his kimono lying underneath his body. For whatever reason, the Dauntless and her companion had decided to rob him of his belongings.
"Wake up," she hissed, turning the light on and off. After a few moments, Takko let out a groan, drearily opening his eyes. He sat up as well, the sleeves of the kimono sliding off of him. He rubbed his forehead before looking over at his sister.
"What...?" he moaned. As soon as he finished, he looked down at himself, realizing what had happened while he was gone. "Shoot!" He took off the pouch on his leg and looked through it. "My card! It's missing!" He scowled, eyebrows furrowed as his voice grew more serious. "Pallidus must've took it."
"Who?" She frowned, unamused.
"An old subordinate," he explained. He then shook his head. "Never mind. Let's just get out of here."
Takko attached the pouch back to his leg and picked up his kimono, followed by his charger lying on the ground nearby. With Yaki in the lead, the two siblings navigated the facility, disappearing into the darkness.
She'll get her next time, that's for sure.
A/N: Bonus story complete! At last, it'll be hiatus time. I'll be back on March 1st, 2022(!) with Bonus Story 7, and the Sunday after that will be the start of Season 5! I can't believe we're almost to Season 5 now. For the longest time, it felt unobtainable - it was a goal far-off in the future. But now, it's almost here. That means only two seasons left for this story. It does feel weird to think about that. Splatoon 3's almost here, too, and to be honest, I didn't even think we'd have Splatoon 3 by the time this story will finish (some time in 2023, for reference). Do you think we'll have a release date by the next chapter? I think (and hope) so. Thank you all for sticking with me thus far, and see you in 2022! Branchwing, out.