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Guest: I don't know if I'll have any chapters of Perry with his half-siblings yet. But I will consider it. (And yes, narwhal plushie supremacy.)

Onto the story.

Roy's PoV

"And...now!"

Roy activated the Baller, and upon his command, Oscar swung his Inkbrush, hitting the plastic ball as hard as he could, sending it flying. Roy started hurtling towards one of the squid bumpers, popping it upon contact. The Baller then exploded, painting the rest of the area in orange ink.

"Booyah!" Oscar cheered. "We did it!"

Roy lowered his Luna Blaster, walking over to his boyfriend. "How's your Inkbrush?"

He began to examine his weapon, and it didn't take him long to let out a groan. "The handle is bent..."

"Brayden can fix it, can't he?" he pointed out.

"Yes, but I do not like to bother him." The octoling sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "He would likely ask for money, too."

"Well..." He grabbed the brush, twirling it around before handing it back to Oscar. "It still works, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but the trail it makes will be crooked, and now it is awkward to be holding."

"So you're just gonna buy a new one? Just like that?"

"I guess."

"Dude, Sheldon's gonna flip when he sees that Inkbrush. If you're lucky, he'll just give you a scolding."

Oscar stared at his brush for a few moments before shaking his head. "I am thinking I could fix it myself. I have experience."

Roy snorted. "Good luck with that."

"Roy..."

"Kidding, kidding. If you say you can, then I have full faith you can fix it."

He opened his mouth to respond, but he was quickly interrupted when his phone rang, and he took it out of his pocket. "Eight?" He swiped a finger across the phone screen, and he proceeded to read something. "Roy... Please check your phone."

"Me?" He took his phone out of his pocket, and like Oscar, he had gotten a text, except this one was from Geneva. He opened it up and read it out loud. "'Please meet up in Octo Canyon as soon as possible. We have something important to discuss. If you see anyone else on our team or Octa Prisma, tell them to meet up in Octo Canyon, too.'"

"My text say the same," the octoling commented. "I wonder why the Splatoon is trying to gather us."

"Only one way to find out." He put his weapon away, his ink color shifting from orange to red. "C'mon, let's go."

They exited the shooting range and Ammo Knights together, walking over to the manhole that led to Octo Canyon. Ensuring no one else was watching, they proceeded to transform into the cephalopod forms, slipping through the grates and letting the current take them to their next destination. When they arrived, a few people were there already, along with the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Oscar's eyes trailed over to DJ Octavio, and on sight of the DJ Octavio, Roy saw him stiffen.

"He can't hurt you," he whispered. "C'mon, let's go."

"I-I know," he acknowledged, fixing his shirt collar. "Bad memories, that is all."

They approached the New Squidbeak Splatoon, who waved hello upon their arrival. Octavia, Bonnie, and Peyton were also present, also greeting them. Moments later, though, they proceeded to discuss among themselves, occasionally greeting someone whenever they arrived. About a half hour later, with Perry's arrival, every member of the Rainbow Squids and Octa Prisma were now present. With that, Agent 8 cleared her throat, allowing their meeting to proceed.

"At the last Splatfest, we discussed new octolings arriving to Inkopolis," she began. "Eden, Trace, Victor, and Valerie. As Brayden and Peyton say..." Pink eyes glanced over at the mentioned octolings for a few moments before staring straight ahead again. "They all work for Takko previously."

"So, we did some research," Agent 3 continued. "The results?"

Agent 4 pulled out a few sheets of paper from behind her back. "Their files say every one of them had escaped the Octarian domes somewhat recently, without our influence."

"I still suspicious," Eight admitted. "Maybe they add more security to database."

"I do not think it is that," Brayden interjected. "Perhaps they are hiding something."

Peyton nodded. "They might notice you are looking into them."

"So, if I'm hearing what you're saying correctly," Three started, "you think that at least one of these entries is fake?"

The blue-haired boy nodded. "Yes. Putting fake files into the database is not unheard of. That way, only a few select people would know the truth."

Agent 4 turned to face DJ Octavio, and she shouted, "Hey, Octavio! Do you know something?"

The giant octopus jumped upon being startled. "What? Why do ya think that?"

"You literally lead the Octarians," Marie pointed out. "If anyone would know something, it's you."

"And we know some Octarians visit you," Callie added, putting her hands on her hips. "So if one of them told you something, fess up, will ya?"

DJ Octavio held up two of his tentacles. "I don't know anything, I swear! And even if I did, there's no way I'm telling you slimy hipsters and traitors."

Oscar winced at his words, and Roy squeezed his hand in an attempt to comfort him. He didn't want to interrupt the conversation, nor did he think it would be a good idea to lash out at this particular moment. How could one person cause so much pain? If DJ Octavio was no longer around, perhaps the Octarians could lead a more peaceful existence. And they could, given the amount of octolings he's seen in Inkopolis.

Agent 4 raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Cap'n Cuttlefish slammed his cane into the ground, directing everyone's attention towards him. "Aye, I'm sure he's telling the truth." He walked over to the snow globe, staring into the octopus's bulging eyes. "Else you'd be walking the plank!"

DJ Octavio growled. "You're just bluffing, Cuttlefish. No way you're letting me free."

"Ye be right, I am bluffing," he confirmed. He looked over his shoulder. "But it's important to get the point across, right?"

Agent 8 nodded, saluting. "Yes, Cap'n!"

Callie giggled. "No need to be so formal!"

She lowered her hand, sighing. "Apologies...it is a habit."

"So..." Inigo turned to face the agents. "Is that it?" He tapped his foot on the ground, impatient.

Marie shook her head. "There's one more thing."

Agent 4 disappeared into the Cuttlefish Cabin for a few moments before returning with a DVD case. "Callie found this yesterday." She held it out for everyone to see. Examining it, Roy found that there were words written on it in marker, but it was not in the Inkling language.

"'February 2018: DJ Octavio ft. Callie vs. Marie,'" Giovanni read. "That must be..."

"When Agent 4 fought Octavio, yes," the grey-haired idol confirmed. "Cap'n and I watched the whole thing this morning. It's about what you'd expect. Except it cuts out the part where we sing Calamari Inkantation."

"It's the circumstances that's most disturbing," Agent 3 continued. "A little girl—the daughter of Callie's actress friend—found it a few days ago at school, and when Callie was visiting, she tried playing it."

"I recognized what it was and took it away before they could watch it," Callie finished. "I couldn't even imagine what would've happened if I wasn't there!"

Cap'n Cuttlefish rejoined the group, snatching the DVD out of Four's hands. "We're still figuring out what to do with it. So, no need to worry, buckos. The New Squidbeak Splatoon has got this covered!"

"You could find out who put it there, first," Brayden suggested in a condescending tone. "You cannot accomplish much by sitting around and talking."

Agent 4 scowled. "And you're not gonna accomplish much if you keep trying to tell us what to do, either."

"Very good idea, Brayden," Iris deadpanned. "Fantastic indeed."

"I assure you, we have everything under control," Agent 3 insisted. "If you have any complaints, then take it to the Cap'n."

The blue-haired octoling huffed, folding his arms. "Is this meeting over, then?" Roy agreed—he didn't see why they were needed any longer. Judging by the murmurs from the Rainbow Squids, it seemed they agreed as well.

Marie looked between the group before answering, "I...guess, yeah."

"Then it's settled." Cap'n Cuttlefish tapped his cane on the ground again, the tiniest bits of a smile visible from underneath his thick beard. "Keep yer eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. You never know what plan the Octarians might be hatching. Er, that's not you lot, of course. We know you well enough to know ye wouldn't think up anything nefarious."

Bonnie nodded, giving a thumbs-up. "Will do."

"If you spot anything suspicious, let us know," Callie added. "We'll take care of it!"

With the meeting settled, everyone said their goodbyes to the New Squidbeak Splatoon, and they proceeded to return to Inkopolis Square, where the group proceeded to split up even further. Inigo left to do some ranked battles alone, Yuri and Perry left to do some turf wars together in an attempt to cheer the latter up, Brayden, Iris, and Peyton all left together to do something they did not specify, and Yvonne offered to take the remaining group to a restaurant, though only Bonnie and Giovanni accepted the offer.

"You and Gio?" Octavia remarked. "That's an odd combination."

"We've hung out together before," Bonnie defended.

Gio nodded. "I trust her. She can come."

"Yvonne," Oscar spoke up, grabbing her attention. "Do you have enough money?"

"Yes!" She pulled out her wallet and opened it, only for her face to fall. "...Never mind." She put it away, pouting. "I leave it at home, I think."

The boy with the afro let out a sigh, resting some fingers on his forehead. "Again? I should be buying a planner for you..."

"I can pay," Bonnie offered, clasping her hands together. "I have money."

Yvonne immediately nodded, smiling. "Booyah! Now, let us go!" She grabbed the duo's hands and started to drag them away, leading to a rather awkward goodbye. Now, only Roy, Oscar, and Octavia remained.

"Well, that happened," she declared. "I'll get going, too. Probably do some ranked battles or something. You wanna join?"

Before Roy could speak, Oscar said, "We were doing the practice of a technique before we were called to Octo Canyon." He glanced over at the red-haired boy, and warmth started to flush his cheeks. "So, I want to continue doing the practice."

"A technique." Octavia crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Whatever you're thinking, it's not that," Roy interjected. "It's a battle technique."

"Roy uses Baller, and I hit him with my Inkbrush," the octoling explained. "It not work well, though."

"Oh, I see now." She smiled, looking rather smug. "Have you tried using an Octobrush? It's much more sturdy than an Inkbrush."

"An Octobrush..." Roy wondered why they hadn't thought of that before. "You got a point, there, Via."

"I think about it," Oscar admitted, "but Octobrush more expensive. I do not want to be breaking one."

"Well, maybe you could just...throw him?" she then suggested. "I'm sure you're strong enough. It'd be like pushing a giant beach ball."

"I think an exercise ball is a better comparison," the inkling boy groaned.

In the midst of their brainstorming, some footsteps started to approach them, and once they directed their attention to the newcomers, Via's face fell. Two inklings stood before them. One was an inkling girl with long, green hair and dark skin, though a face visor shielded her eyes. Along with the face visor, she also wore an Ink-Wash shirt and angry rain boots. The girl next to her had violet hair up into a double bun, Octoglasses framing her honey-colored skin. She, too, appeared to be a Toni Kensa fan, wearing a pullover jacket and Arrow pull-ons. Most noticeably, the girl with long hair had an eyebrow piercing, while the girl with the double bun had a lip piercing.

"Oh, Maeve," Octavia greeted. "Hi."

The girl with the double bun blinked, surprised. "You're not going to ask who the girl next to me is?"

"Well, I was gonna get to that," she defended.

"My name is Freya," the other girl introduced herself, "to answer your question."

Maeve clapped. "Well, that's that!" Cyan eyes focused on Roy and Oscar. "So, who are your friends? You haven't bothered to introduce them either."

Octavia sighed. "I was gonna get to that, too." She cleared her throat and gestured to the two boys. "Anyways, this is Roy, and this is Oscar."

"Nice to meet you," the octoling said, outstretching a hand.

Maeve took the hand and shook it. "The pleasure is mine as well. Now that everything's settled, I should be introducing myself more properly to you two."

Before she could continue, Via interjected, "To keep it short, she's a daughter of some turf war star from when our parents were our age."

"Hey! Don't go stealing my thunder!"

Freya smirked. "Yeah, she takes great pride in it."

"Oh..." Once against, Maeve focused on the boys. "Do you even know who the Sucker Princess is?"

Roy crossed his arms. "Let me guess, it's your mom's title?"

She clapped. "Good job! ...But it doesn't look like you know her otherwise."

Oscar gave a nervous chuckle. "I do not think I will know any names you give."

"Me neither," the red-haired boy agreed. His parents never really did talk much about their turf war days.

"It doesn't hurt to try," Maeve commented. "Now, the Big Four. Fresh, but also crazy strong. Everyone knew their name back in the day. Their names? King Kraken, Tentacle Queen, the Sucker Princess, and Bigfin Bully."

King Kraken? "Hey, wait. Did you say 'King Kraken?'"

She blinked, surprised. "Why, yes, I did! ...Is that seriously the only one you know?"

"Roy," Oscar whispered in his ear. "Please do not do something rash."

Taking his boyfriend's warning in mind, he replied, "Yeah." He paused, keeping himself from doing anything impulsive. He would have to choose his next words carefully. From his first impression of Maeve, it seemed like if he told her King Kraken was his dad, she would only force unreasonable expectations onto him.

Freya quickly noticed his hesitation. "What? Judd got your tongue?"

"I, uh..." There was no time to think of an excuse now. He had to act! "...I want to battle!"

Maeve gasped, eyes wide. "What?! Why?"

Carp. "W-Well, since your mom was so good at turf wars, I wanted to fight you. I think it would be a good challenge."

Freya and Maeve looked at each other, the former whispering, "I think he's hiding something."

"Definitely," the latter agreed. She cleared her throat and faced Roy and friends again. "I accept your offer. You want a one-on-one battle, or what?"

"Two-on-two," he declared. "Me and Oscar versus you two."

"Guess I'm the referee," Octavia noted.

"A shame," Maeve sighed. "I was wanting to battle you, but I guess that'll have to be another day."

"Oh, I don't mind refereeing," she said. "Just, try to make it less sudden next time, alright?"

Freya pounded a fist in her hand. "Then it's settled! Let's get going!"

"Wait," Oscar spoke up just before they started to head off. "I need to get weapon. Please meet me inside."

The girl with the double bun nodded. "Alright. But don't keep us waiting too long, OK?"

He gave a thumbs-up. "I will not." He waved goodbye and disappeared into the Deca Tower, where the rest of the group soon followed. While they did not spot him when they stepped inside, Roy knew he was nearby. Regardless, they headed over to an empty elevator, blocking the entrance so that no one else could enter in the meantime. Roy took out his phone, only to find a text from his father.

'I'm going to MakoMart,' it read. 'Do you want anything?'

MakoMart... Thinking about it, he could ask if they could fight there specifically. That way, if they happened to run into his dad, then perhaps he would be able to explain the whole King Kraken thing better than he can. He replied no and put away his phone, and a few minutes later, Oscar returned holding an Octobrush, much to Roy's surprise.

"Huh, you actually took my advice," Octavia commented.

"My Inkbrush is broken," he pointed out. "My other Inkbrush is at my house, so the Octobrush works for now."

"Well, now that you're here, let's get started," Freya declared. "I've been itching to battle."

They stepped inside the elevator, and Maeve hovered the elevator, staring at a panel. "Any particular stage you want to fight at?"

Immediately, Roy blurted, "MakoMart." Oscar looked over at him at the request, puzzled.

She looked over her shoulder, surprised. "That was fast." In an instant, she returned her attention back to the panel. "But, alright." She pressed a few buttons, the door slid shut behind them, and the elevator started to descend. As usual, the floor beneath them soon opened up, revealing a grate for everyone to slip through. When Roy emerged on the other side, he found himself in MakoMart as expected, though something seemed off.

"Roy," Oscar said, grabbing his attention. "Look." He pointed his brush towards the center of the stage, where a tower stood, green and purple lines running across the ground, heading towards each team's spawn points.

"So they set it to Tower Control," he deduced. "Really, I thought it was going to be a turf war."

"Me too," he agreed. "Now, hurry!" He slashed his Octobrush at the ground and ran up ahead. Nodding, Roy dove into the ink trail he created and followed him, soon arriving at the tower. While they managed to reach it first, they had only managed to travel a few feet before Maeve arrived, holding a Kensa Splattershot Pro. She aimed her weapon at them and fired, purple ink flying past them as they hid behind the tower pole. Some ink had gotten onto Roy's arm, and deciding to take the risk, he stepped out from behind the pole and fired his Luna Blaster. Unfortunately, the bullet failed to reach her, and he ended up splatting a few moments later.

When he respawned, he spotted a purple beam of light in the distance. Maeve's team had taken control of the tower, though he saw no sign that Oscar had splatted. Perhaps he was hiding? Nonetheless, he swam towards the tower again, and while he saw no sign of Maeve, he did, however, see Freya on the tower. A splash wall was set up on the very edge of the tower as she spun a Kensa .52 Gal in her hand, whistling. The splash wall broke moments later, and the tower arrived at a checkpoint, coming to a stop as the clock ticked down. Roy crept towards her, and just before it could clear the checkpoint, he popped out of the ink and fired his Luna Blaster, splatting her. He pumped a fist and hopped onto the tower, turning the tracks green.

Oscar super-jumped to him, his hair glowing. "Go," he commanded. "I will make sure no one gets on the tower."

"No, you go on ahead," Roy argued. "I'm better-suited for being on the tower."

He shook his head, frowning. "The Luna Blaster is not a good choice."

"Neither is the Octobrush!"

"It is better for the tower than your weapon."

"Well, I could just pop out Baller. When you use Inkjet, you're not on the tower, which means the other team could grab it."

"...You win." Oscar activated his special weapon, lifting into the air. "I will use this first." He floated off, shooting giant blobs of ink at the area up ahead. He didn't seem to splat anyone, as when his Inkjet expired, flying through the air back to where he activated it, he was frowning, disappointment etched onto his face. They had now reached the first checkpoint, though they were forced to scatter when a Booyah Bomb came hurtling towards them, exploding on contact with the tower.

In the chaos, Freya had slipped back onto the tower, changing the tracks to purple. Oscar attempted to strike her from behind, but she whipped around and fired her weapon at him, splatting him in only two hits. Roy tightened the grip around his Luna Blaster, eyebrows furrowing. He had to reclaim the tower, but without Oscar, it would be difficult. Though, he reassured himself that all he had to do was out-maneuver them. After all, he was only up against two people. He hid in the ink covering a pile of boxes, and when the tower neared, he emerged from the puddle and struck Freya in the back, catching her by surprise and splatting her. Triumphant, he jumped onto the tower, leaning against the pole. When Maeve came, he would do the same.

The tower approached the first checkpoint again, and his red eyes focused on something swimming through enemy ink, ripples marking their position. Moments later, just as he expected, Maeve emerged and fired. Before any bullets could hit him, he activated the Baller, surrounding him in a protective layer of plastic as green ink pooled around his feet. He simply took the bullets, staring into his attacker's eyes until she ran out of ink. She dove into the ink and swam closer towards him, but by the time she reached him, the Baller exploding, splatting her. The first checkpoint had now been cleared, and Roy couldn't help but let out a "booyah."

The tower lifted above the ledge, and Roy continued to scan the horizon. In an instant, he saw another Booyah Bomb hurtling towards him, and he leaped off the tower again, landing on the floor below. The tower beeped after a few seconds and started to travel back towards the center of the stage. Once it was low enough, he climbed back onto the tower, turning the tracks green once more. Oscar ran back over to him, out of breath.

"Freya...gone," he breathed, purple ink dripping off of his body. He hopped onto the tower, and wrapped an arm around the pole. "She fast..."

Roy dipped his head. Until Maeve and Freya respawned, they could continue riding the tower without any interruptions. But Roy wasn't willing to take any chances. As the tower approached the second checkpoint, he started to ink a path towards the other team's base, only to run right into a sponge, forcing him to transform back into a kid. He rubbed his face, wiping it clean of ink before continuing forward. However, he failed to notice a splat bomb falling nearby, and he splatted as soon as it exploded, sending him back to spawn.

The light emitting from the tower was still green by the time respawned, but it quickly turned purple as he spotted ink fly up into the air before landing, signifying Oscar's defeat. The octoling boy respawned a few seconds later, appearing right next to him as he stared at the scene, dumbfounded. Oscar poked his side with the Octobrush's handle rather harshly, and Roy let out a yelp.

"Ow!" He glared over at his boyfriend. "Oscar!"

"You were distracted," he said. "We need to focus."

"Right, right." He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed, before diving into the ink and swimming towards the tower. Maeve rode the tower while Freya inked the area up ahead. The moment her hair flashed purple, she rose into the air, ink gathering around the palm of her hand. Maeve started to cheer her on, only charging up the Booyah Bomb faster.

"Boo...yah!" She tossed the bomb towards Roy, forcing him to run away as a vortex started to expand around the area of impact. He hid behind a glass wall, watching as the tower approached a checkpoint. He tossed out a splat bomb, but all it did was ink a small patch of turf that Maeve quickly covered up. She lifted her head, cyan eyes scanning the area for the source of the bomb. Even as the tower cleared the first checkpoint, she still remained vigilant, her Kensa Splattershot Pro readied.

An Inkjet bullet flew past her, and she snapped her head up towards the sky, where Oscar flew around. At first, he was set on splatting Maeve, but he quickly turned into an octopus and fell from the sky when more bullets started to target him, forcing him to turn his attention onto his attacker. Using the distraction to his advantage, Roy emerged from his hiding spot and started to charge towards Maeve. She whipped her head around at the sound of his footsteps, though she was barely fazed as she fired her weapon, splatting him in only a few hits.

All that effort for nothing, he grumbled silently as he respawned. Though, hope fluttered in his chest as he saw Oscar turn the bend, heading towards the tower. Behind him was a pile of gear that disappeared as soon as he saw it. That meant Freya was splatted, but as long as Maeve was still in the picture, she could easily super-jump back to her. Nonetheless, Roy took the short path back to the tower, where he leaped from the ledge and fired his Luna Blaster, splatting the girl with the double bun upon contact. He landed on the tower, turning the tracks green once more.

He allowed himself to relax for a few moments as the tower sped back towards the other team's base, examining the crowd that had started to gather around the arena. Most of the people watching now were either jellyfish or teenaged inklings that were shopping, though he saw a few adults and members of other species as well. Still, he failed to find his dad, much to his disappointment. But he had to remain hopeful—maybe he just hadn't stumbled upon their match yet.

The tower continued to exchange hands rather rapidly for the next minute or two. While Maeve and Freya primarily used brute force to their advantage, sending out as many Booyah Bombs as possible, Roy and Oscar had the element of surprise on their side, often catching the other team off-guard. The girls seemed to be learning as the match progressed, however, as they only grew more and more precise with their movements, and by the time there was only a minute left in the match, Maeve and Freya had gained the lead, clearing the second checkpoint.

As Roy covered up a patch of purple ink, his hair started to glow. "Oscar!" he called, who was charging ahead. The octoling climbed onto the tower, turning the tracks green, and looked behind his shoulder. "We gotta try that technique now!"

"Now?" He blinked, surprised. "What if my Octobrush breaks?"

"Who cares?" Roy ran after the tower in an effort to catch up with him. "It may the only chance we have left!"

"If it does not work, then my brush will be broken for nothing," he lamented.

"Cut that bullfish, we have to try."

"Well...alright."

Roy climbed onto the tower, and they set their sights out on the area up ahead. Maeve appeared on the ramp in front of them as they approached where the first checkpoint had been previously, eyebrows furrowed as she aimed her Kensa Splattershot Pro.

"So, Maeve," Roy jested, leaning against the pole. "You've run out of turf to ink, haven't ya?"

"I don't need specials to win," she insisted. "I just need to get you two off the tower, and then we're home free."

"What about Freya?" he teased. "You can't do that by yourself."

She scoffed. "I totally can! And Freya can do the same. We're just stronger together."

"Then it's the same with me and Oscar. We can do things by ourselves, but we're stronger together." As Freya proceeded to join Maeve, he looked over at the octoling, smirking. "Ready?"

He dipped his head. "Ready."

As Roy activated the Baller, Freya blinked, surprised. "Huh? What are you doing?"

Oscar grabbed Roy and tossed him into the air, and together, they shouted, "Home run!"

The octoling swung his Octobrush, sending Roy flying through the air. The girls watched him in awe as he barreled towards him, the Baller filling up with green ink as it prepared to explode. They were too shocked to react, and when it exploded, both of them splatted, exploding into puddles of ink and leaving only their gear behind.

Oscar blinked, his mouth gaping. "...We did it!" He grinned. "We actually did it!"

Roy jumped up to the tower and hugged him. "I knew we could!"

He patted his back and turned around to face the trail up ahead. They had reached the second checkpoint now, and it was only a matter of time before it would be cleared. Oscar's hair started to glow, and as the tower proceeded to move on, he lifted into the air with his Inkjet and patrolled the area up ahead, firing when needed. Once his special weapon expired, he flew back to the tower, and as they approached the third checkpoint, a whistle blew, the tower coming to a standstill. At last, the match had ended.

"The winner is..." Octavia's voice started to boom through a megaphone, directing everyone's attention to her. Roy gasped. He was so caught up in the match, he had forgotten she was there! "...Roy and Oscar!"

They bumped fists and cheered, "Booyah!"

Maeve and Freya approached them, smiles on their faces. "Well done," the former complimented. "I'm surprised you were able to beat both of us. Especially considering we're both X-ranked."

Roy smirked. "We're tougher than you think."

"That move you pulled with the Baller," Freya commented, "it's unlike any I have ever seen before."

"Told ya to use the Octobrush!" Octavia called from where she had been situated. Roy looked up to find her standing on the top of a pile of boxes, a glass shield protecting her from ink. "See? I was right."

Oscar sighed. "I still wish it work with Inkbrush."

Another inkling climbed up the pile of boxes, and when they reformed, Roy found himself staring into his dad's eyes. "Bravo!" He started to clap, the edges of a smile hiding behind his thick beard. "That was a thrilling battle!"

Maeve gasped, her mouth falling open. "Hold on... King Kraken?!"

"King Kraken?" Octavia puzzled. "Maeve, that's Roy's dad."

His dad chuckled. "Both of you are right, actually. Though, it's been a long time since anyone's ever called me that."

"What?" Maeve looked over at Roy with wide eyes. "King Kraken's your dad?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "He told me about it once. I didn't want you to raise your expectations, so I didn't mention it."

"I'll admit," Freya started, "I expected him to be a lot more...fierce." She frowned. "Instead he looks like he just came back from vacation."

"Huh?" Roy's dad looked down at his aloha shirt. "No, I just like wearing this."

"I see..."

"Well." He put his hands on his hips. "I reckon you squids should be heading back to...what was it, Inkopolis Square? I'm sure there's another group who would love to use this space."

Oscar nodded. "Yes! We will be going back!" Before anyone could protest, he turned into an octopus and shot into the sky, disappearing.

His dad laughed. "Your friend's sure an eager one, isn't he?"

"Haha, yeah." Roy gave a nervous smile. He still needed to tell his parents he was dating Oscar someday. Though, he still worried how they would react. But he couldn't hide it forever.

"Wait!" Maeve ran up to the older inkling, holding out her weapon. "Can I get an autograph, King Kraken?"

"Please, just call me Mr. Blacktip," he insisted. "But, sure." He slipped past the glass shield, pulled a pen out of his pocket, and wrote something on her weapon.

She squealed in delight, hugging her shooter. "Wow! Thanks!"

"You're welcome," he said. "Now, I better get back to my cart." He saluted goodbye and disappeared, leaving the group alone once more.

"Let's get back," Freya suggested. "We don't to keep Oscar waiting."

Roy nodded. "Right."

Together, they super-jumped out of MakoMart, back towards the Deca Tower. Oscar greeted them upon their arrival, and they exited the tower, where they would part ways.

"Goodbye!" Maeve called as the two girls walked deeper into the city. "May we meet again!"

"Bye!" Octavia called back. Once they were gone, she turned to Roy and Oscar. "I guess I should be going, too."

The inkling boy nodded. "Well, see ya. Call me if you need me. Don't think you will before tomorrow, though."

"Yeah, you're probably right." The two laughed, and Via waved goodbye. "See ya."

Now that she was gone, only Roy and Oscar remained. "So," the latter started, "what will we do now?"

"I dunno. What do you want to do?"

"Me? Um... I am hungry, actually."

"A restaurant, then. Fresh."

"Come with me, then!" He grabbed his hand, and he started to be dragged away as they entered the streets of Inkopolis. "I know this one restaurant run by octolings. I do not think you have eaten anything Octarian, and now is a good chance to try something."

Octarian cuisine, huh? "Alright, alright. But you're paying."

He groaned. "You are lucky I have money..."

Their banter continued on as they walked towards the restaurant, but regardless, a good meal was the perfect end to their day.

Even as an octoling watched them from the shadows, a red light piercing through the darkness.

A/N: Slightly late chapter today, but that's fine. I'm not sure if I like how it turned out - it feels a little flowery to me. But, I hope you guys like it. We're in June now, huh? Even though E3 isn't happening this year, I'm sure we'll have another direct before too long. Though, I'm guessing it'll be next week. After Mario Strikers comes out, but before Fire Emblem Three Hopes does. It would be a good time to hold a direct! The Splatoon Twitter account seems to be running out of things to tweet about, too, so I'm sure we'll see another trailer before long. Well, Branchwing, out!