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Agent 4: Season 6 will definitely not be happening before Splatoon 3 comes out. If my calculations are correct (and the bonus story comes out a week after the Season 5 finale), then there would be less than a week between it and Splatoon 3's release. Besides, I always take a hiatus between seasons. Therefore, Season 6 will come in 2023. These months fly by fast - it'll be here before you know it!

Onto the story.

Roy's PoV

Valentine's Day. Roy would've loved to spend it with Oscar, relaxing in the Reef and sharing chocolates with each other.

Unfortunately, he had work. At least Oscar would hopefully join him soon.

He had arrived at Starfish Drinks before his boyfriend, and as he took some chocolates out of his bag, he heard someone clear his throat behind him. He turned around to look at the newcomer, his face red. Standing in front of him was Molas, already dressed in his worker's uniform. He noticed a smirk on his face.

"Who are those for?" he jested.

"N-No one!" he lied. "A girl gave them to me at school today. I don't even like her!"

The young man laughed. "C'mon, Blacktip, you don't have to lie to me. You're dating Margina, right? You two look at each other the same way my girlfriend does at me."

Defeated, he sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Just don't tell anyone, OK?"

"I mean, it's kinda obvious," he pointed out. "I've had some people ask me about you two, which, not gonna lie, is pretty weird, don't you think? And that's not even the worst of it!"

Roy's heart started to beat faster, and his worries began to manifest in anger. "You see, this is just why I didn't want people to know!" He began to parade around the room, continuing to rant. "Once they know, they start looking at you weirdly, like you're not even a person. Not to mention the people who act rude, or worse."

His coworker frowned. "If it helps, it was mostly kids doing that. Most adults don't care."

"Still! I'm glad I haven't encountered anyone like that while I'm dating Oscar, but I'm still scared we'll come across someone like that one day. And then... I don't wanna think about what could happen."

"Hey, calm down, Blacktip!" Molas placed his hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look into his yellow eyes. "Those kinds of people are really rare. You'll be fine, I promise. And I'll just keep doing what I'm doing—talk sense into anyone who tries to act weird."

At his words, Roy smiled. "...Thanks, dude."

"No prob. It's my job to help junior baristas." He chuckled. "But I guess you aren't new anymore. You've been here for what, a year and a half now?"

"You've been here for two—I remember Boss gave you that medal last month. That's not much longer than me."

"Alright, alright, enough messing around. We gotta get to work. ...And you might want to hide those chocolates, too. We don't want anyone stealing them."

"R-Right." Roy stuffed the box of chocolates back into his bag and hung it and his jacket up on the coat rack, putting on a green apron in its place. Together, he and Molas left the room, heading out to the counter. Starfish Drinks was packed today, and Oscar had still not arrived. He, too, had to work today, and Roy had no idea where he was. He wasn't at school today, so he couldn't give him the chocolates then. He just had to hope nothing happened to him.

Thankfully, the boy with the afro walked through the entrance about ten minutes later, and Roy's eyes immediately lit up, a smiling touching his lips. Oscar carried a box under his arm, which Roy could only presume to be another set of chocolates. They waved at each other as he passed by the counter, slipping into the employees only area. A few minutes later, he came out wearing the same green apron Roy and his coworkers wore. He stepped next to the red-haired inkling, watching him as he prepared a frappé.

After delivering the frappé to a customer, Roy whispered to him, "Where were you?"

Oscar paused for a few moments, but he eventually replied, "I will tell you after work."

"Really?" He sighed. "Guess I'll wait..."

The shift continued, and the two boys took turns making drinks, alternating between making them and giving them to customers. As per Starfish Drinks tradition, they misspelled some names on the cups, though they did have to cut down on them after the place received numerous complaints. Nonetheless, Roy managed to get through the shift, his eagerness to give Oscar his gift helping him power through it. The same could not be said for Oscar. By the time their shift ended, he looked like he was going to fall asleep any second.

"Finally," the octoling cheered. "That was a long shift."

"I know," Roy agreed. "C'mon, let's get out of this shop."

Together, they walked to the back, taking off their aprons. Roy put his jacket on and stared at his bag. He thought about giving Oscar the chocolate box now, but he figured it would be best to give them once they were somewhere safe. After all, if anyone other than Molas walked in on them, who knows what could happen? Slinging the bag across his shoulder, he left Starfish Drinks with Oscar, and now, they were on the streets of Inkopolis, heading deeper into the eastern side of the city instead of heading to the Square.

After about ten minutes of walking, they arrived at a small park, located behind a bus stop. Though it generally was well-kept, the grass a brilliant shade of green, trash littered the sides, as if it had just been a pile of filth stacking up against the wall. There, the grass had started to wilt, brown spots mottling the area. Nonetheless, it was one of their favorite places to hang out—there was a fountain in the middle of the park, benches surrounding it. He could taste the slightest hint of the sea breeze in the air, the saltiness refreshing. Overall, they treated it as a retreat, even if a few seagulls tended to attack them occasionally.

Roy and Oscar sat down on one of the benches, and the latter held out the box he was carrying towards the former. "For you."

With that smile on his face, how could possibly say no? A smile growing on his own face, he took the box and opened it up to reveal some chocolates. He popped one of them in his mouth, and instead of the sweetness he would expect of normal milk chocolates, he found himself biting into something creamy, with a hint of earthiness to it. Peanut butter.

"Wow," he commented, chewing on the peanut butter chocolate. "You know me so well."

"It would be weird if I did not," he pointed out with a frown. "We date for some months, now."

"Yeah, you're right." He popped another chocolate into his mouth. "And I know you well enough to get you..." He reached into his bag and pulled out his own box of chocolates, shaped into a heart. "...This!"

Immediately, Oscar's eyes lit up. "Chocolate?"

"Yep." He set the box down on his boyfriend's lap. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day." He opened the box up, and his mouth started to gape open. "Wow... Thank you!" Without saying a second, he began to stuff his mouth full of chocolates, some of it smearing onto his lips. Roy had made sure to buy a box with a variety of chocolates—milk chocolate, dark chocolate, strawberry-covered chocolates... Knowing Oscar, he would like them all. Evidently, his prediction was correct.

After eating another handful of chocolates, Oscar cleared his throat, and Roy lifted his head, staring deep into his orange eyes. "About my absence..."

"Oh!" Roy scowled, feeling ashamed that he had forgotten to remind him. "Just...get to the point."

"I overslept. That is all."

"...Seriously? That's it?"

"Yes... I'm sorry if you were expecting a more exciting excuse."

"Yvonne didn't wake you up?"

"We wake up separately. Maybe she did not notice."

"Oh... I'm stealing a chocolate for this." He reached into the box he had given Oscar and took a chocolate out. Seeing the octoling's eyes grow wide with surprise, Roy lifted his hand into the air, smirking as he tried to grab it.

"Hey!" he whined. However, his protests quickly ceased as he lowered his hand. Roy observed him, trying to anticipate his next move. With lightning-fast speed, he snatched a chocolate out of the other box and threw it in his mouth, satisfied as he chewed it.

Defeated, he let out a small laugh. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised." He lowered his hand, holding out the chocolate he had stolen from Oscar. "Want it?"

"No," he replied. "You eat it."

"Really? OK." Without any hesitation, he ate it, the bitterness of dark chocolate imminent. Yet, it still had a hint of sweetness to it, like all chocolates should. It was a taste that could not be reproduced in any other foods.

As the hours flew by, they continued chatting away, watching as the sun hung lower and lower in the sky, until it couldn't be seen at all.

One uneventful month later, the next Splatfest had arrived—Knight vs. Wizard. In preparation, Roy bought a knight costume. However, when trying it on, he thought it looked goofy, so he stored it away and headed to Inkopolis Square just wearing his usual skull bandana, red hi-tops, and the Splatfest tee. He was among the first to arrive—only Perry sat at the Rainbow Squids' table, his hands behind his head as his legs rested on the table. Like Roy, he was on Team Knight.

"Hey," he greeted. "You're early."

"So are you!" he complained. "You're usually late!"

Perry shrugged. "Hey, what if I want to change things up every once in a while?"

With a sigh, he changed the subject. "Do you know who else is on Team Knight?"

"Geneva, I think. Maybe there's some people on Octa Prisma on that team, but as far as I know, she's the only other one on the Rainbow Squids."

"Oscar's also on Team Knight. I know that."

A frown touched the pale boy's face, and he quickly lost his usual disposition. "Of course you do." When Roy opened his mouth to protest, he quickly added, "It has nothin' to do with ya, I swear. Just me being crappy."

He put his hands on his hips. "What, do you need me to hook you up with someone?"

"Nah, I can figure it out myself," he rejected. "No need to step in."

"Phew... What a relief."

Roy proceeded to take his seat at the Rainbow Squids' table, waiting for everyone else to arrive. Slowly, but surely, the table filled up, and soon, everyone was present. Alexis, as he expected, did not come, though he figured she was already in a match, inking away with people her own age. Roy didn't know her friends outside of the Rainbow Squids very well, but they seemed pretty fresh from what he did know of them.

Even Octa Prisma came to join them. They circled around the table, watching as Bonnie worked on a puzzle she had brought. Oscar had turned into an octopus and rested on Roy's shoulder, a tentacle draped around his neck as he watched the beige-skinned girl intently with large eyes.

She didn't finish by the time a new group arrive, loudly making their presence known. Eden, Victor, Trace, and Valerie had once again arrived, Victor having a wide smile on his face as he waved at them, much to the others' annoyance.

"What are you working on?" Valerie pondered, standing on the tips of her toes to look at the center of the table.

"A puzzle," Bonnie replied, her focus unwavering. "When done, it'll be a picture of an aquarium."

"An aquarium..." she repeated. "I have never been to one."

"I don't think any of us has been to an aquarium," Victor remarked.

"Maybe we should go to one someday," Trace suggested. Yellow-green eyes fell on the leader of the group. "What do you think, Eden?"

"Maybe," she repeated, "but there are more important things to attend to right now." Smiling, she declared, "...Like a battle!"

Inigo lifted his head. "You want to battle us?"

"I feel like we've battled your team a lot these past few months," Roy commented.

"Well, we are all on Team Wizard," Eden started, tugging at the deep red Splatfest tee she wore. "Because your group is so big, there must be enough people on Team Knight for us to fight you."

Roy stood up from his chair, and Oscar slipped off of him and dropped to the ground, transforming back into a kid. "Then we will," the tan-skinned inkling declared. "We'll show you why knights are much better than wizards."

Geneva and Perry rose from their seats. "I've yet to battle you," the former mused. "I can guess why, but wouldn't you like to test your skills against me some day? It'd be fun for you and me both."

Trace scanned the group. "Is this all who is on Team Knight?"

"On the Rainbow Squids, yeah," Perry confirmed. Purple eyes glanced over at Oscar. "Though I guess he's coming along, too."

"Yes," Oscar confirmed. "You need a fourth member."

"What about Alexis?" Bonnie asked. "She's on Team Knight too, isn't she?"

"I've checked, she's already battling," Octavia replied. "So she's out. Which means Oscar's coming along."

"So it is settled," Eden announced. "Follow me."

Without letting anyone protest, she immediately began to walk through the Square, and of course, her teammates were not far behind. Sighing, Roy began to follow her as she instructed, gesturing for his teammates to follow him, too. The rest of the group waved goodbye as they neared the Deca Tower, and Roy's team proceeded to wave back at them. Upon reaching the elevator, the team of octolings stepped out of the way, gesturing for Team Knight to enter first.

Together, Roy, Oscar, Perry, and Geneva stepped inside the elevator, followed by Eden's team. Afterwards, it shut, allowing them to descend deeper into the Deca Tower.

With a smile, Geneva announced, "Good luck. May the best team win."

When the floor beneath their feet opened up to reveal a grate, they all transformed into cephalopods, and in an instant, they were transported to their next destination. Upon emerging from a spawn point, Roy was met with a dark, starry sky, neon signs shimmering and strange objects floating in the distance. Immediately, he knew that they had arrived at a Shifty Station. With how distinctive it was compared to every other stage, there was no mistaking it.

Now, it was time to see what Marina had brewing for them today.

In an instant, the match started, and immediately, his team launched off the spawn point, all rushing towards the center of the stage. Roy opted to go through the right, and as he ran down the pavement, he spotted a glowing switch begging to be inked. Curious, he threw a splat bomb at the switch, and when it blew up, the switch flashed silver as two long, metallic brushes began to move from side to side, spreading grey ink along with them. Seeing as it covered such a small area, he figured there must be something larger that a switch controlled, right?

He inked a path closer to the center, where Oscar and Victor dueled for control of the central switch. Currently, the metal brushes around it were deactivated, though ink from both teams covered the area. Oscar swung behind the other boy and struck him from behind, splatting him. He exploded into grey ink and covered some more of the switch, allowing it to be activated. In an instant, the metal brushes began to circle around the switch, grey ink trailing behind them.

It wasn't safe yet, though. Trace charged ahead, eyes narrowed as he fired his Octo Shot Replica. Upon reaching the switch, he launched into the air, creating a deep red ring that marked the area of impact. Roy tried to splat him before he could land, but the Luna Blaster's range fell short. It was too late to flee, and he ended up getting caught in the range of a Splashdown, splatting him and turning control of the switch over to Team Wizard.

When Roy respawned, he ran straight ahead without a second thought, wondering what was on the other path. Upon reaching the end of the catwalk, he found another switch on the platform below, already glowing silver. He jumped down to the top of the switch and looked around for the brush it activated. As it turned out, the brush was behind him—it moved back and forth, inking the wall for anyone to climb on. ...It didn't look like the brush itself could be inked, though. He figured it would be a waste of time to try to climb up it, so he instead charged on forward, returning to the giant switch in the middle of the stage.

Team Wizard still had control of the central switch, and now, they were trying to push into Team Knight's territory. Eden jumped over a brush and tried to ink the switch controlling the two smaller brushes, only to be splashed with a blob of grey ink. Perry stood at the top of the hill, winking as he continued swinging his Sloshing Machine. Another swing later, she splatted, and Perry pumped a fist in triumph. With her gone, he turned into a squid and swam away, searching for other members of the enemy team.

Roy, on the other hand, decided to return to the central switch, just in time to watch Geneva activate Splashdown, a vortex swirling around her as her fist contacted the ground. The switch flashed silver, and once again, the brushes spread grey ink. Though, in the distance, he could see Valerie rising into the air, smiling as she held the Ink Jet's gun.

"Watch out!" Roy warned, running towards her.

Though, it seems like Geneva didn't need the warning. She whipped around to see the curly-haired octoling and rolled out of the way, successfully dodging the blob of ink. Consequently, Valerie turned his attention over to him, the Ink Jet starting to loom over him as she flew faster towards him. Roy jumped up into the air and fired his blaster at her, though the shot went in a completely different direction than what he would've liked. Thankfully, Geneva was quick to save him from being splatted, splatting Valerie before she could fire a bullet right in his face. Once Roy reached the ground, they bumped fists and went their separate ways.

The tan-skinned boy started running through the grass, towards the hill the switch controlling two brushes was on. He jumped on the closer one and inked the switch, turning it grey, before moving deeper into Team Knight's base. In the distance, he spotted someone respawn, and by the time they could leave the spawn point, Roy was practically at their doorstep. Not taking a look to see who was coming towards him, he lifted his Luna Blaster towards them and fired. Though he failed to get a direct hit, the blast still splattered grey ink onto them, forcing them to stumble backwards, against the wall. A splat bomb was thrown at him, forcing him to scramble away before it could catch him in its explosion. Once it cleared, he now saw who he was up against—Victor.

The boy with the afro held his Octo Shot Replica out in front of him as he slowly approached Roy, his finger resting on the trigger. The grip on his Luna Blaster tightened, gritting his teeth as he planted his feet firmly into the ground. He could just anticipate his splatting—after all, if another member of Team Wizard respawned, they could team up with Victor to splat him. But at the same time, he couldn't do nothing. Taking the risk, he threw a splat bomb at Victor to see what he would do.

He jumped back upon seeing the grey splat bomb, lights reflecting in his purple eyes as he watched it blow up into a puddle of ink. Shaking his head, Victor fired his weapon, inking the area back up with deep red ink. As he started to charge towards him, Roy activated his special weapon, surrounding him in a protective plastic barrier. Still, the bullets of the Octo Shot Replica knocked the Baller down to the ground, Roy along with it. It rolled closer to the central switch, but Roy quickly rose to his feet, pushing the Baller forward towards Victor. A few seconds later, it began to fill up with grey ink, soon exploding. Victor managed to escape the blast, hissing as some enemy ink hit his skin. He still would not quit, however, as he charged towards Roy once more.

Before he could splat him, a Sting Ray's beam suddenly pierced through the air, right through Victor. Eyes wide, the octoling splatted moments later, his gear clattering to the ground as an octopus-shaped ghost flew away. Roy let out a sigh of relief, wiping his forehead free of sweat. Looking behind him, he spotted Perry on a perch, repositioning his Sting Ray to fire higher into the sky. Despite the fact that it quickly expired, he quickly noticed Roy and gave him a thumbs-up.

Roy swam to the middle of the giant switch and submerged in the ink, awaiting his next opponent. Soon, Eden appeared, red eyes scanning the land. Finding nothing, she began firing her weapon at the switch, forcing him to emerge and go after her. Her attention immediately snapped towards him, and she was unable to react before receiving a direct hit from his Luna Blaster, splatting her. With a cheer, Roy dove back into the ink, hunting for more opponents.

Eventually, he got bored sitting around, so he emerged from the switch and started to run up the hill once again. Team Wizard had been cornered, and they were not able to get very far before one of his teammates splatted them. The rush of battle roaring in his ears, he darted over to join his friends and threw a splat bomb up at their splat bomb, forcing them to huddle inside the spawn point's shield.

"Hey, Roy!" Victor snapped. "Back off!"

"And lose the lead?" Roy laughed. "No way I'm doing that!"

"Roy!" Geneva called. "I really think you should back off!"

"Yes, it becoming unfair!" Oscar agreed.

At their cries, Roy lowered his weapon, taking a deep breath and observing his surroundings. Geneva and Oscar stood near the switch controlling the wall brush, and Perry was nowhere to be seen. So, they were right—he really was the only one attacking them.

However, he spotted a stretch of deep red towards his team's base, and it was only growing bigger and bigger.

He began to rush towards it, swimming as fast as he possibly could. Once his opponent—Valerie—was in reach, he leaped out of the ink, aiming his Luna Blaster at her and firing. Swiftly, she dodged the attack, causing Roy to fall to the ground uselessly. He lifted his head just in time to see her smirking, pressing down on the trigger of her Octo Shot Replica. Deep red ink pelted his face, and moments later, he splatted.

When he respawned, the whistle blew, bringing an end to the match. Despite his failure to stop Valerie, he could see that grey still dominated the Shifty Station. A surge of confidence rushed through him, and he hopped off the spawn point, walking closer towards the center of the stage. He was certain Team Knight would win, but the only people who could be the judge of that were Judd and Li'l Judd. Thus, while he awaited their arrival, he began searching for Oscar.

He found him near the central switch, hiding behind a wall. He greeted Roy, and quickly, the two became engaged in a conversation. Time began to move faster as they chatted, and by the time the two cats arrived a few minutes later, the tan-skinned inkling felt as if not much time had passed at all.

Upon their arrival, they balanced on the bumper in the middle of the central switch with some difficultly. However, once they were settled, they immediately began to dance, and then Judd struck out a grey flag, marking Team Knight the winner. Li'l Judd lost his balance and tumbled to the ground, his claws ripping through the bumper as he tried to stay on. Victor chuckled, amused, but the other octolings on his team merely stared at the scene.

"Well, guess we won," Perry declared, walking up to the team. "Wanna battle again?"

Eden shook her head. "We cannot battle only you the entire. We need variety."

Trace made a small sound of agreement. "It would get boring after a while, I think."

Geneva jumped down from the grate she was sitting on, joining the group. "Guess we're jumping back to the Deca Tower."

"Right we are!" the pale-skinned boy confirmed. "Now, let's go! Last one there is a rotten egg!" Without warning, he turned into a squid and super-jumped away, grey ink trailing behind him.

Roy's mouth fell open, surprised. "Hey! That's cheating!" he complained, cupping his hands around his mouth. "I won't be that rotten egg, that's for sure!" Moments later, he transformed into a squid as well, super-jumping after Perry.

"Wait for me!" Oscar called, flying through the air as well.

As they traveled towards the Deca Tower, Roy couldn't help but smile. After all, this was what battles should be—fun. Even Eden's team seemed to be learning that, even if they weren't facing them in the match now.

Onwards to the next match! he declared silently. Whatever points he could earn for Team Knight, he would take them.

A few hours of battling later, Oscar was exhausted, to the point where Roy thought he might collapse. They excused themselves and headed out of the Deca Tower, exiting Inkopolis Square and strolling down the streets, their fingers intertwined. They didn't walk for very long, stopping in the Reef and sitting down on a bench, still holding hands. They threw their heads back and looked up at the night sky, stars twinkling in the distance. A clear sky was always beautiful, no matter who he was with.

"Roy..." the octoling said after a while, grabbing his attention. "I am wondering..." As he spoke, his face began to flush, bronze skin tinging red, and Roy couldn't help but blush as well. "Would you like to...kiss?"

"Kiss," Roy repeated, his heart starting to beat faster. After all this time, he still felt nervous. What if someone was watching them?

Oscar squeezed his hand. "Please?"

"I..." He gulped. "F-Fine." He rose from his seat, his hand still holding onto Oscar's. "Let's go." He began dragging him towards the stone bridge, where not a single soul rested.

Now, they stood in the empty Reef, moonlight shining down on them. A soft smile came across Oscar's face as they held hands, the same smile coming across Roy's as well. Without a single word spoken between them, Roy closed his eyes and leaned forward, his lips parted slightly. Soon enough, their faces pressed together, and warmth shot through their bodies. The octoling tasted sweet, just like the lollipop he had been sucking on just moments ago. Even if it wasn't the best, he felt like no one else could interrupt them at this moment. He was just so, so glad he could share it with Oscar.

The kiss was short-lived, however, as Roy ran out of breath, forcing himself off of him. He took some deep breaths, trying to regain it. Oscar opened his eyes, and immediately, his mouth started to gape with shock.

"Roy!" he exclaimed. "Did I hurt you?"

"No!" he insisted. "I'm...fine."

"Are you wanting to try again?" He squeezed his hand, expectant.

The inkling smiled. "I don't care if we do it again or not. Just spending time with you makes everything worth it."

He could see the blush coming across Oscar's face. "Aw... So romantic."

Before they could kiss again, however, the octoling suddenly froze. His face contorted into pain, and he felt the back of his neck, realization soon settling in. Horror came across Roy's face, and his worries began to invade his mind.

"Oscar!" he gasped. "What happened?"

His legs began to wobble, and his eyelids became heavy. "Tranquil..." Before he could finish his sentence, his expression went slack, and he collapsed into Roy's arms, unconscious. Now, he could see magenta feathers sticking out from just below his hair, the rest of it unable to be made out from where he stood.

Moments later, pain exploded in his nape, and Roy had to stifle a cry. He lowered himself to the ground, setting Oscar down next to him. If he could get the dart out of him, then perhaps he could save Oscar as well. Yet his pain quickly became replaced with drowsiness, and soon enough, Roy became unable to fight it any longer. His limbs went slack, and he fell on his side, his world going black before he could hit his head.

When Roy woke up, he was still on the bridge in the Reef, his limbs heavy as a sedative ran through his veins. It was still the middle of the night, though he figured dawn would come sooner or later. However, more importantly, Oscar was nowhere to be seen. He tried calling out his name, but his voice came out as merely a whisper. He didn't want it to be true, but he began to assume the worst.

Gripping the side of the bridge, he pulled himself to his feet, an ache throbbing in the back of his neck, right where he had been shot. He felt the area to find the dart still there. He pulled it out, wincing as a little blood trickled down his neck. However, now that it was free, he took out his phone and turned on the flashlight, illuminating the metal casing of the dart.

There, on the case, was the insignia of the Octarian army. Immediately, fear struck his heart as realization settled in.

Oscar had been taken by the Octarians, and it was all his fault.

A/N: So, as you can see, this chapter is a day late. Surprisingly, I was having a lot of trouble writing this chapter. I was trying to get it out yesterday, but with how increasingly difficult it became to write it, I decided to delay it until today. It helped, because now it's here! Anyways, as you can see, Oscar unfortunately got kidnapped. This situation will only escalate in the coming chapters, so stay tuned! Now, Branchwing, out!