Chapter 17: The Climb
As the elevator came to a stop Jack looked around at the basement area he was left in. As he stepped out the elevator door closed behind him and he heard a voice come through a speaker system.
"Remember. It's a battle to the top. No mercy. No rules." The announcer said.
Jack looked around for Cici, not finding her anywhere. "I gotta find her ASAP." He got his Hero Shot ready and cautiously stepped forward, hearing fighting coming from other areas in the basement.
Cici glanced around at the people fighting. She dodged their attacks with ease. She never had to attack anyone as they did the work for her by attacking each other.
"There you are… Come here, hobo!" The rude inkling from earlier tried to shoot Cici.
Cici dodged his attacks and ran off. He happily chased after her. She ran herself into a dead end.
"Nowhere to run now, hobo! Now die!"
She took out her paper fans and the inkling started cracking up, "You serious? You gonna fight back with those?"
"Yeah, I am" Cici smiled when she flinched a bit and all the lights were busted in the area.
It was pitch black.
"Wh-what? Where did you go, you pip squeak?!"
"I never left, but not running away was YOUR biggest mistake"
The only sound after was that inkling's scream.
As soon as the tournament started Adstrum wasted no time attacking anyone he found. He charged forward without stopping toward every target he spotted, some noticing him as well and others being surprised when they found a modified sledgehammer pounding them out of nowhere. Most inklings went down in one swing, while others got two when they were able to dodge but were surprised by the blast radius. About half the inklings in his group had been taken out as Adstrum took cover in an empty room. He had taken a lot of shots, more than enough to splat a normal inkling. But the Tenebris family ink was at his back.
"This is so much fun." He smiled widely and let out a chuckle. He slammed the Ink Sledge against the ground, creating a splatter of black ink. He dove down into it to heal before hearing an alarm sound.
"The escalators are open." The announcer said.
"HEY YO, QUESTION! IS FIGHTING ALLOWED ON ESCALATORS?" Someone shouted.
Adstrum smiled as he jumped out of his ink and ran toward the source of the voice.
"Remember, no fighting is to take place on escalators." The announcement said.
Some of the lights went out in certain areas. A lots of people scrambled away.
"Guess that announcement answered your question!" The inkling turned around to be greeted by Adstrum's hammer swinging right at his face.
"Sure did" They jumped back, "See ya, partner!"
Adstrum slammed the hammer against the ground, splashing ink right at the inkling.
"No time, gotta go fast!" He dashed away.
Adstrum ran after him, picking up any weapon he found on the way that was dropped by enemy players.
Jack made use of his Agent 3 training and kept his eyes open, being cautious of every nook and cranny. He had already splatted multiple players and gone up to the next area of the Gauntlet, which was the first floor.
Something walked nonchalantly past him in the darkness. It didn't even care about fighting him. It kept smashing the lights and spread the darkness.
Jack took note of the disappearing lights, hearing the bulbs burst. 'Someone's taking them out.' He thought as he jumped up onto a pillar.
"I found you!" Someone shouted far away only to have them splattered against a wall from a person lurking in the dark.
Jack squinted his eyes, noticing a distinct movement in the darkness. He took note of the ink's spread. "Seems like a roller's spread, but it's not a roller." He jumped onto a second story, grabbing onto the ledge of a balcony and pulling himself up.
The person started humming like it was just a normal day.
'They sound like they are having fun.' He thought as he turned a corner and came face to face with another player, Jack pulling his trigger faster than the other player could pull their weapon up. 'Another down.'
"The hatches are- Wait, I mean escalators are open." The announcer said as the bars blocking the escalators opened.
The room was completely pitch black as people scrambled to the glowing escalators. The person in the dark did not attack less they attacked first. Once on the escalator, the person sat on the step and faintly glowed.
"That hobo is still alive?! No way!" The inkling yelled as he looked at the leaderboard outside the building.
An inkling snuck his way through the corridors of the building, spotting the escalator as he turned a corner. "Oh, thank goodness." He took a step forward before feeling an Aerospray on the back of his head.
"Yep, glad to have found it." The Aerospray wielder said as he pulled the trigger, covering the inkling from head to toe in black ink. The inkling fell to the floor, looking up at Adstrum.
"Really?"
"Sorry, Charlie. This just isn't your day." Adstrum said as he pulled out a roller.
"My name's David!" The inkling said before the roller was slammed on him, finishing him off and sending his ghost toward the respawn point outside.
"On to the next." Adstrum smiled as he stepped onto the escalator.
"It's bright…. I don't like that…." Cici complained as people surrounded her.
Jack ran around the corner to see Cici surrounded. "NO!" He ran forward, splatting a couple of players that were running toward her.
"I can do this…. It's not that bright…" Cici whipped out her paper fans. The paper got soaked and dissolved. The fans were golden laced metal fans dripping with pink ink. She spun around and sent a wave of pink glittery ink around her.
Jack stopped in his tracks as he saw Cici take out 3 inklings at once, while others were covered in glittery pink ink and started to back off. "Woah…" He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and looked to see a charger sneaking to a firing spot, her eyes on Cici. "Oh, hell no." He ran toward the charger's position.
She waved one of the fans and sent a flying wave of ink at the group surrounding her. Someone rushed at her and she used the fans as knives. The inkling splatted and their clothes were ripped to shreds.
The charger got into position and took aim at Cici, fully charging up a shot. Before they could release the trigger she heard someone yell, "NO!" before getting tackled, her finger slipping off the trigger and the charge shot missing Cici by a few inches.
Cici stopped at looked at the sudden outburst.
Jack was holding the charger user down, trying to pull up his Hero Shot without letting the inkling reach toward her back to pull out a Splat Bomb.
Cici put her fans together and dragged it against the floor. A monsterous wave dragged out. Everyone stopped and stared at this ink tsunami.
Jack looked up to see the wave coming. He pushed himself off the inkling girl, jumping out of the way as the wave hit her and splat her in one go. Jack fell down from the ledge and landed on the ground. "Whew…" He took a few deep breaths and looked up to see an inkling holding a roller. He pulled out his Hero Shot and aimed at them.
Cici seemed tired, but at least nobody planned to attack her after she eliminated many in that wave. She sat down for a bit.
Jack finished taking out the roller user and looked back at Cici. "Are you okay?!" He ran toward her but jumped to the side as someone started firing at him. He fired back and got behind cover.
Cici dashed at them and cut their clothes clean off, "That is mercy… Unless you wish me to cut into you next time"
The inkling covered themselves as they were left in their underwear. "I spent all my money on that gear."
"...Oops…. Sorry… I'll make you new ones…." Cici scratched her head.
"Well, Prince Charming came to the rescue." Adstrum said sarcastically and chuckled as he saw the fight from a different rooftop. He saw Cici notice him.
"Addie!" Cici waved hello.
He waved back as he reached into his jacket and grabbed the handle of his Ink Sledge, quickly spinning around and slamming it against the side of an inkling holding up a roller behind him, splatting them instantly. "I'll see one of them at the top." He said to himself as he heard an alarm.
"The escalators are open."
Cici turned her attention back to Jack. She sent a wave at him cutting his cheek.
Jack's eyes went wide as he quickly sprinted away, dodging another wave that splatted the almost naked inkling. "I am not hurting you, Cici!" He ran around a corner and saw the escalator.
"Fight me, Jack!" Cici chased him.
"No!" He yelled back, turning into a squid and superjumping straight toward the escalator like a rocket. But he slammed against the wall next to it, slowly sliding down the wall. "Ow…" He dragged himself onto the escalator, riding up as he rubbed his mantle.
Cici stood in front of the escalator. In a fit of rage she sent another monstrous wave at the poor souls trying to get to the escalator. She sat down on the step again.
"Sorry…." She watched the souls fly away.
As the escalator ride came to an end Jack stood up after turning back to his humanoid form, holding his forehead. "I don't want to fight Cici…" He walked down the hall toward a large empty area, a few pillars and piles of construction equipment sitting around. He looked back toward the escalator, seeing the steps moving. "She's coming up." He leaned against the center pillar.
Cici got off and looked around.
Jack looked at her, his hand on his wrist. He waved at her. "You really want to fight?"
She whipped a slash that nearly cut his tentacles off.
"Will it help you feel better?" He just stared at her as he didn't get a response. "Fine."
Cici waited for him to do something.
He didn't say anything as he pulled out his Hero Shot and pulled out a Special Can. He opened it up before superjumping above Cici and activated it, a blast radius warning appearing below him.
Cici whipped a series of waves at him.
He came shooting toward the ground at a fast speed, Cici barely dodging as a large explosion of ink exploded where he landed.
Cici send a wave away from him to get some area to move.
He started firing shots toward her, trying to cover up the area in orange ink. He threw a splat bomb toward her position.
Cici's shield popped and she was sent back. She super jumped away and recovered. She came back with another fury of waves followed by a huge tidal wave.
Jack rolled out of the way and dove behind a pillar, the wave hitting against it and going past. There was a slice in the wave where it hit the pillar. He breathed a sigh as he poked his head out and fired toward her.
Cici's tentacles bubbled and sent out bubbles from the bubble wand. She fanned the bubbles to where she wanted.
"What kinds of specials are these?" Jack asked aloud as he shot the bubbles, reducing their size and even destroying a couple. He threw a bomb toward Cici again as he swam toward a pile of construction equipment.
Cici dodged the bomb and slashed wave after wave, covering his orange ink with her sparkly pink ink.
Jack jumped on top of a pillar, firing down at her. "Wow, your ink is pretty." He said as he kept firing.
"...Nobody asked you…" Cici muttered to herself.
Jack jumped down behind her and fired a few shots at her back, jumping backward afterward.
Cici yelped and another shield shattered. She superjumped away and pulled out another type of fan.
He pulled out another Special Can, finding himself inside of a strange, plastic ball. "What is this?"
She whipped the air and it sent a whirlwind at him.
He ran inside the ball, moving it out of the way and rolling himself toward her. "Hey, look! I'm a hamster!"
Cici stopped for a bit confused. She whipped out a wave and then brightly flashed. Blinding lights engulfed the area around.
Jack's eyes widened and he let out a scream as he saw a kraken burst out of a wave and coming at him. "Cici, don't!" He screwed his eyes shut as she collided with his ball, knocking him back and bouncing him against a pillar. He opened his eyes and let out a laugh. "Heh, I'm alive. Hahahahahaha. Woah!" He was knocked back again, nearly falling off the rooftop they were on. He charged toward her, knocking her back as well.
She rammed at him.
Jack kept ramming against her, each knocking each other back the same amount of distance. He felt ink in his shoes as he looked down, seeing the ball fill up with orange ink. "What the-? Cici, wa-!" He was cut off as the ball fully filled up before blinking slightly, Cici jumping right at it before it exploded, launching her a bit of a ways away. Jack looked up from the orange blast area and saw her just as her Kraken form ended. "Well, that was interesting, huh?"
She seemed really exhausted.
"Are you okay?" He walked up to her slowly, holding up his Hero Shot.
"No more games…" She took off her cloth revealing a different, more flashy outfit. It moved like waves as the wind blew through it.
Jack stared wide eyed at Cici. "Wow, you look amazing."
Some of the people watching whistled.
Jack looked upset at hearing the whistles, almost jealous.
She fanned out her fans and they leaked with multiple colors.
Jack stood there in thought for a moment. "I don't know if I want to keep going…" He held up his Hero Shot. "Your move."
Cici whipped out a wave that cut the pillars into pieces.
Jack stared wide eyed. "Wow. Um...My turn." He threw a bomb toward her and dove in his ink. When it exploded he popped up right after and fired at her.
Cici dodged and sent splatters of ink at him.
He tried to dodge them, but some hit him. He kept going and fired at her more, getting a few shots on her as well.
She hissed from the sting. She jumped up and swung her fans together sending a huge wave of color down towards the battlefield.
Jack ran away toward the nearest cover, but with the pillars gone he had to go with a risky move. He pulled out another Special Can and opened it up, superjumping into the air and getting hit by the edge of the wave. He made a divebomb toward Cici, his fist reeled back as he got ready to do another splashdown.
Cici crossed her fans to block his fist.
He slammed his fist against her fans, the Splashdown's explosion covering the area in orange ink. When it dissipated Jack was standing there catching his breath, covered in glittery ink while Cici stood there covered in orange ink. A few moments passed as they looked at each other.
Cici refused to faint, it seemed like she could collapse at any second.
"You know, I'm sure Adstrum will be your opponent if you win this." Jack said between breaths. "You really want to beat me that badly?"
Cici fell down and another shield broke.
"Still with those shields." Jack smiled before collapsing to his knees. "I didn't want you getting hurt."
"Zzz...Zz…" Cici seemed to have fallen asleep.
Jack held up his Hero Shot toward her, getting ready to pull the trigger. He bit his lip before lowering it. "I can't…"
Cici kicked it out of his hand, "Zzz.. my eyes are tired so I think I'll rest them… I can still fight like this… I think it's better so there is not light to bother me..."
"Good idea…" Jack nodded before falling forward. "My eyes are tired too…" He laid there unmoving. "Good luck, Cecilia." He gave her a smile before lowering his head again.
Cici swung her fan, but something in her made her reluctant. Her wave missed him. She tried again and missed again. Her hands were shaking.
He reached over and grabbed his Hero Shot, holding it toward her. "Use this if you need to…"
Cici put her fans down and wrapped her cloth around him and threw him down the stairs, a loud splat being heard not long after.
"Jack Trench has been DQ'ed" The announcer shouted.
Cici crossed her arms, " Agent 3 splatted… Stupid hero..."
As Jack reappeared at the respawn point he found Callie, Marie, and Arisara standing there.
"HOLY SHIT, THAT'S FUCKING CICI?! SHE BEAT YOU?!" Arisara's jaw dropped.
Jack slowly stood up. "To tell the truth...I kind of went easy on her." He joked. "But yeah...she's tough…" He walked up to the idols and the therapist. "You guys hungry?"
"You okay, Jack?" Callie asked as she placed her hand on his shoulder.
"She's…. Pretty and yet familiar…" Marie looked at the screen.
"She's very pretty." Jack nodded. "I hope she does well against Adstrum." He looked at Callie. "I'm fine. Just tired." He placed his hand on his chest. "I hope Adstrum goes easy on her." He breathed heavily.
"You know he's not." Callie replied, "But I'll cheer for the both of them"
Jack smiled as he walked off.
"By the way, Jack. Nice cape." Callie smiled.
"Huh?" He looked over his shoulder. "Where did this come from?"
"I am concerned about her, you know? Pushing herself this hard may be bad…"
"Oh, Cici…" Jack got a scared look on his face as he clutched his chest again.
Author's Note: I knew I forgot something. This note. Sorry this is late, guys. Lots of stuff happened. But here is the next chapter!
Thank you The Bowser Monster, Devil Dude 42, GajeSteel, Ashanti, and Agent 8 for leaving reviews. I really appreciate them, guys.
Glad you like the new chapter, Devil Dude.
YAY! NEW CHAPTER, ASHANTI! YAY!
Alright, see you all next week with the next chapter. I promise to get it to you earlier. Have a great week and see you all next time!
