Anoynmous reviews:

Agent 4: I'm glad you like it! Yeah, Clark's supposed to be a jerk. He grew up with Wyatt, who's also kind of a jerk. To top it off, he's also younger, less experienced. So he's a little more naïve when it comes to relationships. That's all I have to say for now.

Onto the story:

Bonnie's PoV

Tonight's dinner was a quiet one, with only Bonnie and her mother sitting at the table. They ate their ramen in silence, Bonnie picking at her food while her mom slurped it up with a strange elegance.

As Bonnie finally managed to take a bite of her food, her mother said, "It's unusual for your father to be late."

She nodded her head. "Yeah," she agreed. "I wonder where he is." Perhaps her concern was being exaggerated at this moment, but she did still worry about him. The idea that he would never come home was just too much for her to bear.

The room went silent again, and they continued to eat their dinners, their words heavy in the air. Just as her mom finished her bowl, rising from her seat to put it into the sink, Bonnie heard the door unlock, snapping her attention towards it. A noodle slipped inside her mouth as her eyes widened, seeing her father enter the house and wipe his shoes on the rug. A brown jacket was tied around his waist, revealing he had been wearing a rather tight turtleneck underneath it. One sleeve had been rolled up, showcasing an arm wrapped in bandages, splotches of blood dotting the gauze. While he didn't seem to be in immense pain, the look on his face was aghast.

Bonnie's mother shrieked upon sight of his injury. "Oh my cod!" She rushed over to him, grabbing his hand. "Henry, what happened?!"

"A gang attacked me," he explained. "I didn't even do anything—they just jumped me out of nowhere."

"Geez." Her hands brushed the bandages. "I'm surprised only your arm was injured."

"It's not just that," he admitted. He lifted the turtleneck, revealing more bandages on his torso, though they were much cleaner than the one on his arm. "I got shot with a Bamboozler a few times. I'm grateful I didn't splat from all that."

As her mom continued to worry over him, Bonnie felt herself losing her appetite. Seeing her dad's injuries, she didn't want to eat any more of this ramen. She didn't even want to think about it. The fact that someone would go out of their way to attack an innocent man? It was deplorable. But at the same time, she could sense something was amiss. Perhaps there was more to the story than what meets the eye.

She knew she would get no answers out of her dad, though. He would just dismiss it and tell her to go back to her room. There really was nothing she could do right now.

...Except leave.

She stood up from her chair, carrying the bowl in her hand. Clearing her throat, her parents' attention her drawn towards her.

"I'm...going out for some turf wars," she announced.

"This late?" her mother puzzled. "Bonnie, your father just got attacked. That gang could still be out there."

"I'll be fine," she insisted. "I can just super-jump there and back, no problem at all."

"That far?" Her father shook his head. "You'd be better off taking a train."

"Yeah, a train would be good," she agreed. "You have money, right?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah." She reached into her pocket and pulled out some cash. "See?"

Her mom examined her hand before nodding. "Good, good. You may go out, then. ...But come back by eleven, OK?"

"I will, don't worry." Saying her goodbyes, she walked past her parents, exiting her house out of the front door. She climbed down the stairs, jumping onto the streets. Stars hung above her, not a single cloud in the sky. The moon was just a sliver in the darkness, foreboding as she walked along the sidewalk.

Contrary to what she told her parents, she had no plans to do any turf wars. She had just ate, after all. Eating and then battling immediately after usually did not mix well. She just needed an excuse to get out of the house. And now, she could breathe in the fresh air, giving her a chance to relax.

Suddenly, she heard the roar of motors nearby, her ears piqued with interest. Blue eyes trailed over to her right, where there was an entrance to a parking lot. Curious, she started to walk down the side of the road, into the parking lot, where she would find several people on motorcycles, circling around the empty space. Spectators watched from the sidelines, waving flags around.

Bonnie pushed her way through the crowd, towards the front. The headlights on the motorcycles shined through the darkness, and eventually, they lined up side-by-side, looking over the audience. In the middle of the group was a swordfish, his outfit completely consisting of leather. A pink helmet was situated on his head, his sky blue eyes twinkling in the light. He stepped off of his motorcycle, crossing his arms.

"Thank you all for coming!" his husky voice announced. "We'll host another show next week. Until then!" Climbing back on, he called to his gang, "Aight, let's go!"

An inkling from one end of the line ran up to the leader, the visor of his helmet shielding his eyes from the harsh light. "Wait!" Reminding Bonnie of all the octolings she had ever met, he spoke with an accent. "May I stay?"

The swordfish sighed. "You said the same thing last week, rookie. Are you sure you're committed to this?"

"Yes, I am sure," he insisted. "I won't do the same thing again next week, I promise."

The older man paused, pondering on his words before giving a nod. "Fine." He glared at the inkling. "But you better hold up on that promise, or else."

"Of course," he insisted. With that, the inkling ran back to his end of the line, climbing back onto his motorcycle. He moved out of the way while the other members of the gang drove off, disappearing into the darkness. The crowd began to disperse, and eventually, Bonnie was the only one left, street lights shining down on her. Seeing no reason to linger, she put her hands in her pockets and started to walk towards the sidewalk, intending to go deeper into Inkopolis.

Suddenly, she felt something grasp her hand. With a squeak, she freed her hand and swung around to face the suspect. She found herself staring into a dark visor, catching the hint of purple eyes behind them. The inkling from earlier placed his hands on the side of his helmet and lifted it off of him, a hot pink afro popping out to take its full shape. Donning a cheeky grin, he offered his hand again.

"Sorry for the abrupt meeting," he said. "When I saw you, I knew I could not pass up this chance."

She stared at him, unimpressed. "...I'm pretty sure you're older than me."

The motorcyclist shrugged. "Are you sure? We look about the same age, unless you are younger than you look."

She had to admit, he had a point, but she should still be careful. "Well, how old are you?"

"18," he replied. "And you?"

"Oh." She rubbed the back of her head, feeling a little flustered. How could someone so young be in a motorcycle gang? "I just turned 18 yesterday."

He laughed. "See? We are the same age!"

Bonnie opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Silently, she cursed. Was she really going to go along with whatever this squid was doing? If her parents were here, they would definitely not approve.

But they aren't. And despite all the alarms going off in her head, screaming at her to just run and go home, her feet were planted firmly to the ground, curiosity getting the better of her. It wasn't like she had anything better to do anyways.

The stranger put a hand on his hip. "So, what's your name?"

Gulping, she replied, "Bonnie."

"Bonnie, eh?" He smirked. "My name is Victor." Dramatically, he bowed, purple eyes focused on Bonnie's blue ones. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too," she said back. "So..." She trailed off, a lump in her throat.

"Awestruck?" he teased. "I have that effect on people." Victor dashed away, soon returning with his motorcycle. "So, do you want to ride it?"

Bonnie let out a squeak. "Ride?! I don't even have a helmet!"

"Relax, Bonnie." He offered his helmet to her. "I do not need it."

"You were just wearing it a few moments ago, though..."

"My passengers' safety takes priority."

He seems serious about this, she thought. "Alright." She retracted the visor and put the helmet on, buckling it under her chin. "I'm ready."

Victor did a small clap. "Good, good." He hopped on the motorcycle and patted the seat behind him. "Hop on."

She followed his instructions, climbing onto the seat. Now, she faced his back, her eyes trailing down to his waist. There really was nothing else to hold onto other than him. Frowning, she wrapped her arms around his black inky rider, feeling the leather fabric underneath her fingers. Even if she would rather not be touching him, there was really no other way to do it. And besides, she already agreed to go along with whatever he planned. She didn't want to disappoint him.

Victor lifted his foot off the ground and revved the engines of the motorcycle. A few moments later, they drove into the streets, headlights illuminating the path ahead of him. He started driving in the direction Bonnie came from, and for a moment, she thought they would stop at her house. But they didn't, instead speeding by it. Now, she only began to wonder just where he was taking her.

Eventually, the buildings became more and more sparse until they reached the highway, the road stretching out for several miles. She bit her tongue, trying to keep herself from screaming as cars sped by them. Her heart felt as if it would burst out of her chest, if Victor didn't crash first. She dug her head into his afro, closing her eyes to keep her eyes away from the road. But the sense of dread only grew, like she was stumbling through the darkness and not riding on a motorcycle with a guy she just met.

She lifted her head, trying to piece together where they were. They were on a bridge now, and risking a glance over at her side, she could see a river down below. It winded around the land, meandering through the forest as a mountain rose high into the sky.

Mount Nantai. Is that where they were going? Surely, she was not prepared to spend the night there. With her luck, Victor might as well call it quits and fall asleep upon arrival, leaving her alone and without a way to get home until he woke up. Or perhaps something worse could happen, and she would never return home. She pushed away the thought, unable to bear it.

Eventually, they arrived at the mountain's base, and Victor parked the motorcycle in the parking lot, the terrifying trip coming to an end at last. But the journey was not over. They climbed off the bike, and once again, she found herself staring into his purple eyes.

"Have you ever been here before?" he asked, putting a hand on his hip. "I have many times. It truly is beautiful. Especially in the winter."

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah, a few times. Never during the winter, though."

"Well, now you get to find out." He walked towards the hiking trail, gesturing for her to follow him. "Let me show you."

She nodded. "O-Okay."

Victor ventured deeper into the forest, Bonnie not far behind. The world was silent as they walked, with only the sounds of broken twigs and leaves and the rustling of the trees accompanying the duo. Though the journey was arduous, they still managed to persist. Slowly, the foliage grew thinner and thinner, replaced with snow. Grass peeked through the white, and while trees still hung over them, they could see the night sky more clearly now, the stars seemingly shining brighter than ever before.

In the meantime, Victor attempted to start up a conversation. "Did you like the ride? On my motorcycle, that is."

Bonnie paused, thinking of an answer. "I...guess."

"You guess?" he muttered, surprised. "But you were at the motorcycle rally. Why else would you be there?"

She shrugged. "Well, I just happened to stumble upon it. I was walking towards Inkopolis Square, and I heard some motorcycles, so I got curious."

"I see. Would you be doing turf wars right now if I had not stepped in?"

"Well...maybe. I just wanted to go out for a bit. It didn't matter if I did turf wars or not. ...Surely you've played in some turf wars?"

"I have, but it is not nearly as much as some other people my age. Now, riding around, I find that much more fun!"

"I see..." With that, Bonnie fell silent, and Victor made no more attempts to talk to her. The rest of the trip was conducted without a single word spoken between them. She supposed it was better this way—it would be ideal for her to conserve her energy as much as possible.

Eventually, they reached the top, and Bonnie's mouth fell as her blue eyes laid upon the land below. It was breathtaking. The forests stretched out for what seemed like forever, and in the distance, she could even see Inkopolis, the city lights so far and small. She couldn't see the sea from here, but she could spot several rivers, alongside multiple octopus-shaped rock formations. A chilling breeze blew through the area, and she shivered, rubbing her arms to warm herself up.

"Do you like it?" Victor asked.

"Yes," was all she said. She was too enthralled by its beauty to say anything else.

"When I was younger, sometimes I snuck outside to go here," he started, turning her attention to him. "It was a safe place for me." He frowned, sitting down cross-legged. Bonnie sat down as well, suddenly interested in what he had to say. "Then, things started to change. Any sense of individuality I had started to be stripped away. At the time, though, I did not see anything wrong with it. I thought that it was what was best for me. Soon, I forgot all about this place, and all I did was follow orders."

Wherever Victor was from, she did not want to go to it. "That sounds terrible."

"Yeah, it was. But, like I said, I did not think that at the time."

"So, what changed? How did you get out?"

"Music," he replied. "When I heard that heavenly melody, I knew that I could not stay there anymore. So, I escaped. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if they found me. I hope I do not have to find out the answer." He laughed. "Isn't it silly? I have only been in Inkopolis for a month, and I already worry about what could happen to me. I am just glad that gang accepted me as quickly as they did. It is the only way I make money."

"Don't feel bad," she comforted him. "My parents aren't great either." She clenched her fists. "Not to the level of your parents, but they're still pretty strict." She chuckled. "They would be furious if they found out I rode on a motorcycle with a squid I just met to the middle of nowhere." She frowned, her voice lowering. "...I hope they don't find out about this."

"Then I will have to get you home. Even if you come home in the middle of the night, they won't found out about it."

"Sure, but I have to be home by eleven." Bonnie glanced off to the side. "And even if they didn't set a curfew, they'd still ask why I came hope so late."

"Lying is something you can do," Victor pointed out.

"But I don't like lying," she admitted. "Besides, I'm super bad at it anyways."

He sighed. "Some people have to lie to survive. That is how life works."

"But..."

"You can lie, Bonnie." Honey-colored fingers brushed her hand, and while she retreated it, her gaze focused on Victor's purple eyes, a warm smile tugging at his lips. "What's the worst that could happen?"

In a twist of irony, magenta blobs of ink suddenly appeared in the sky, circling around them. They shifted around, growing in size before spawning Octarians wearing propeller helmets, droplets of ink falling to the ground. Their plump bodies wiggled around as they neared the duo, looking kind of sickly in the darkness.

"Octarians!" she cried out, blue eyes wide.

"What the shell...?" Victor pulled out an Octo Shot, and with a click, he readied his weapon, pointing it at some of the flying Octarians. Blobs of ink spat out of the gun attached to their helmets, slowly flying towards them. They were easily able to dodge it, but then a wave of pain splashed onto her back, and she stumbled forward, letting out a cry. Rubbing her back, she found it slick with magenta ink. They fired again, and Bonnie had to roll out of the way this time to avoid all the shots. Ink smeared across the ground, dirt now clinging to her body.

Victor fired his weapon, and the Octarians gurgled in pain as they splatted, their helmets loudly crashing to the ground. Bonnie stood up, rubbing the debris off of her. She had no weapon—all she could do was dodge. Thankfully, the boy had managed to take out the Octarians, wiping some sweat off his face as puddles of hot pink ink dotted the area. Bonnie changed her ink color to match Victor's and trudged back over to him.

"Are you OK?" he whispered. "That came out of nowhere."

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied.

Before they could relax, another wave flying Octarians spawned, this one accompanied by a larger Octarian. Without hesitation, it spat a splat bomb out of its mouth, landing at the duo's feet. They jumped in opposite directions before it exploded, avoiding the blast. Victor was right back to attacking, directing their attackers' attention to him, spitting out various projectiles in an attempt to splat him. In an effort to distract them, she summoned all her might and threw the motorcycle helmet at the Octarians, knocking some of them down to the ground and crushing them under its weight. The remaining Octarians turned around, their bulging eyes now focused on her. Victor took this chance to splat them, leaving only puddles of ink and damaged helmets behind. The onslaught wasn't finished, though—another wave spawned.

Suddenly, Bonnie heard a high-pitched chuckle, lifting her head. Swinging behind her, she caught a glimpse of a red light. She couldn't make out any more details in the darkness, but if past experiences told her anything, it was that behind this all was an octoling soldier.

Victor had saw them too, and his purple eyes widened, his expression stricken with fear. He grabbed the helmet and tossed it to Bonnie, followed by some keys.

"Run!" he demanded. "Take the motorcycle and leave!"

She couldn't believe her ears. "But what about-"

"Don't worry about me," he shouted. "Just go!"

He grunted as enemy ink hit his arm, gritting his teeth as he rubbed it. Another wave of Octarians spawned, and getting one last look of Victor's purple eyes, Bonnie bolted, running as fast as her short legs could take her down the mountain. Exclamations ran through her head, her thoughts swarmed with apprehension. What would happen to him? Would he even survive? She found it astonishing that even with the short amount of time she had spent with him, she had started to worry over him. And now, it was possible she would never see him again.

She soon reached the bottom of the mountain, out of breath. She staggered over to the motorcycle and leaned against the railing, exhausted. Finally, she could go home. For the first time in a while, she took out her phone to check the time. It was nearing ten o'clock now—she only had an hour to get back home. And if she didn't, what would her parents think? ...She didn't want to find out the answer.

Once Bonnie had settled down, she climbed onto the motorcycle and put the helmet on. She took the keys Victor had given her out of her pocket and searched for the key to turn it on. Once she found it, she stuck it in the ignition, and the bike roared to life, the headlights flickering on.

It's just like a bike, right? she mused. I'll be fine.

Rubbing her hands on the handle, she backed out of the parking spot and drove off, soon entering the highway. There were less cars than there were when she and Victor were exiting Inkopolis, only adding to the feeling of melancholy. The stars grew dimmer as she rode along the roads, the earthy smells of Mount Nantai disappearing as she neared the city. Soon, everything became familiar as she entered the outskirts of the city, comforting her ever-so-slightly.

When she reached her house, she parked along the side of the street, hopping off the motorcycle and staring at it. Now, how would she explain this to her parents? She just had to hope they didn't notice it. Checking her phone, she found out that there were only a few minutes left before eleven o'clock and let out a sigh of relief. She had made it in time.

She placed the helmet on the motorcycle seat and Victor's keys in the flower pot. Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell, awaiting her parents' answer. Her mother was the one to answer the door, her hands on her hips.

"I was just about to call you," she commented. "You were cutting it awfully close, you know."

"But I made it," Bonnie remarked. "Right?"

Her mother sighed. "I suppose so... How were the battles, by the way?"

Right. She had told them she was going out to battle. "Good," she replied.

She nodded in approval. "That's good." She stepped out of the way, beckoning her daughter inside. "Now, go to sleep. It's late."

"OK, mom," Bonnie muttered.

She stepped inside, greeted her dad, and climbed upstairs, back to her bedroom. She changed into pajamas and crawled into her bed, closing her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Whatever happened to Victor, she had no way of knowing. Maybe, she could wake up early to take the motorcycle somewhere. That way, her parents wouldn't find out about it. Hopefully.

When she woke up, she immediately changed into sweatpants and a Splatfest tee and walked downstairs, taking her housekeys before walking outside. Thankfully, her parents weren't awake yet. At least, she thought they weren't awake.

Stepping outside, however, she found out the motorcycle was gone.

A/N: So, fun fact about this chapter: before last Sunday, I had a third of it written already. But then I had nothing else to do on Sunday, so I proceeded to write...the rest of the chapter. After some editing, here it is! I'm glad I finished it as early as I did, since I wasn't super motivated to write this week. Anyways, I quite like the vibes this chapter gives off, if that makes sense. It's expanding more on Bonnie's rebellious side, doing things she normally wouldn't do. And a midnight ride on the highway? It's just a cool idea. Well, hope you guys like it as much as I do. Branchwing, out.