This is a personal note to all the readers. I would like to thank you all for reading this far into the story, despite its rocky ups and downs. The story of Red Ink: Human versus Squid has gone through quite a few twists and turns in its first 16-chapter arc.
For the next 14 chapters after this one, we will be slowing down a bit and focus more on Amelia's relationship with her friends and family, as well as focus more on her Turf War ambitions. The revelation in this chapter will be the last major bombshell until the third arc is introduced.
There will be some small discoveries, but none that are too groundbreaking. There will be developments in Amelia's condition, too. For those of you who have stuck with this story so far, I thank you and I hope you will continue to enjoy this story.
And so begins our second arc.
—-
"Hold it steady," said Ace. I laid on my stomach, looking through the scope of my new E-liter 4K. Bryson was in my sights, having volunteered to be target practice. We were at Blackbelly skatepark outside of Turf War hours and I wanted to get the hang of my new weapon.
"I see him," I whispered.
"Remember to hold your breath while lining up the shot," he said. "Precise control is the key to being a good E-liter main. If you move even the slightest in the wrong direction, you're sure to miss."
I held my breath, then fired my weapon, missing as Bryson moved out of the way in a flash, not surprising me. Knowing him for this long, I got used to his movements, knowing to expect everything from this inkling.
"He moves just like a cheetah!" said Berry from behind me.
"What's a cheetah?" asked Ace.
"Extinct mammal, a hunter known for its speed," Berry answered.
"You sound like Dimitri," Ace remarked.
Berry, Doctor Scalpel's prodigy son, had been hanging out with us more and more, becoming less shy and coming out of his shell. I was grateful to him for helping me contact Marina earlier, and so I was more than happy to let him hang out with me and the others.
He was just misunderstood, a shy boy who didn't want to be immersed in the world of science like his father wanted him to. No, he was a boy who loved Turf War, just like any other inkling, even if his father didn't approve.
"If he moved, that means I would've hit him," I said about Bryson.
"Yep," said Ace. "Your aim's getting better."
"Bryson just stands there, though," I said. "What I need is to practice on moving targets now."
"We'll work on moving targets later, Amelia," said Ace. "For now, you're doing good. I'm proud of ya.~"
"Thanks," I said, standing up, holding my E-liter in my arms. It was a prized possession of mine now, all thanks to Ace.
A silence came over us, breaking the peaceful mood. Ace's stare notified me of them.
I slowly turned around, seeing inklings walk onto skatepark property, but these weren't your average inklings. They had sickly-green skin and black eyes with piercing aqua-blue pupils. No matter what team they were on, they would always have the same blue tentacle hair color. Seeing them would always send shivers up my spine.
"We should leave," said Ace, hand on my shoulder.
I nodded and motioned for Bryson to follow. While he was hesitant to leave, he still listened, noticing the strange inklings as well.
It had been three months since that public news announcement back in January.
No one had thought it was possible, and yet it was all too real. Doctor Scalpel, the inkling I had feared, had achieved the unthinkable. He had defied the very concept of death and had brought back his daughter. In the weeks after, more inklings had been brought back from beyond the grave, specifically the victims of spawn point malfunctions.
The public didn't seem too welcoming at first until tests were run to make sure these weren't just mindless zombies, and so the government acted upon it, putting a special status upon the resurrected and giving them weekly psychological evaluations to ensure mental stability.
To everyone's relief, these resurrected inklings seemed stable, with most of the examinations being passed. While they typically functioned normally like any other inkling, there were very rare instances where resurrected inklings avoided social interaction at all costs, having been traumatized by the fact that they had been dead for so long.
How most of them were able to go mentally unscathed confused me. According to David, who had some experience in psychiatry, the most likely emotions these inklings would have would have been a mix of fear and confusion, followed by very mixed emotions, but...
Most of these inklings didn't have any of that. They were calm, collected, and sometimes calculating, especially in Turf War.
Because of their unique ability to stay calm in a match, they were able to achieve win streaks that rivaled even the Annaki, and Bryson was not pleased, especially since this turn of events had forced his father to turn up the heat in training him.
"Where do you wanna go?" asked Ace as Bryson walked over to us.
"Anywhere but near these freaks," grumbled Bryson.
"Bryson, c'mon..." said Ace. "They may be... different, but they're still inklings."
"They're anything but inklings," said Bryson. "I've been having trouble keeping up my longest win streak. They're killing my reputation."
Ace shook his head while rolling his eyes. "Amelia, where do you want to go?" he asked me.
I gave it a small bit of thought before suggesting, "The arcade?"
"Can't go there," said Berry.
"Why not?" asked Ace.
"...Because," said Berry.
Ace patted Berry on the head. "I need a reason, buddy. What's botherin' ya about the arcade?"
Berry looked down at the ground as he said, "Sister."
Oh...
As with every great ambition, it had to have a starting point. Doctor Scalpel's pre-deceased daughter. It was a major turning point that had almost ruined my relationship with Nem-Nem, and I wished I had never known.
On the day the news had been announced, when I had recognized Saffaia from my dreams, I had contronted Nem-Nem, who was very upset. I had to practically beg her to tell me what was going on. I was done with the secrets.
I think we were all done with the secrets at this point. The saga of twists and turns had to come to an end so we could get on with our lives. And so... it ended. She had told me everything. She had told me the story of her and Doctor Scalpel.
She had told me how it had all started, from her point of view.
—-
It was two years after I had stopped participating in Turf Wars. Since the accident with Nemmi, nothing was ever the same. I couldn't compete anymore because of what had happened. I didn't eat, I didn't sleep. My entire life schedule was a wreck. My precious daughter had been ripped away from me that night, and I had stayed depressed for those two years.
David had tried his best to console me. He had tried everything to make me happy, but in the end, he couldn't. A few months later, we had broken up. He had returned the necklace I had given to him, said he couldn't take the guilt anymore. He blamed it all on himself.
Bram was the only one who would keep in contact, having heard of the news. He'd bring over groceries out of kindness, and for those next two years, he'd visit me, talk to me, but I would hardly ever leave my apartment.
One night, as I was laying on my couch, someone knocked on my door. Opening it, I saw Bram standing there, his gray eyes looking at me with genuine worry. Bram was always worried about me, and he had always tried to comfort me.
This was another attempt.
"Nem, we need to talk," he said with a concerned tone. "You haven't socialized for a long time, your home is a wreck, and I can't stand to see you like this."
I tried to close the door, but he put his foot out before gently pushing me back so he could walk inside. Our eyes were locked onto each other, the squid filled with determination to get me to listen. It was sweet, but...
"I can survive on my own..." I said.
"On what job?" he asked me. " David and I have been helping with your bills for you."
"I never asked you to..." I said, turning away from him. I was stubborn, dark thoughts manipulating me and making me see the negative in everything. "You should've let me fend for myself. I could've found something..."
"Nem, when did you last go outside?" he asked me, making me feel ashamed. "We've been trying to help you! Look, I know it's rough! No one wants to lose a child, but what would Nemmi think if she were to see you like this?"
"D-Don't use my daughter's name," I mumbled in protest, but he grabbed my shoulder and turned me around to face him.
"Two years," he reminded. "It's been two years and you're letting your own life slip away from you."
"I deserve it..." I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. For a long time, I had gone over so many hypothetical scenarios in my head. The what-ifs... and how it could've changed things. How she might have still been here if we'd done something different. "I should've gone with David to pick her up. I should've been in that car. I could have protected her, shielded her. It should've been me, not her..."
Bram put his hands on my cheeks, his thumb wiping away a tear that was dripping down. He looked me in the eyes, shushing me. "You couldn't have known, Nem..."
I tried to say something, but my mind was so rattled with distress. "I... I..."
"Would she have wanted you to be sad, Nem...?" he asked me. "You wouldn't have cried in front of her, would you? She'd want you to be happy... She looked up to you, saw you as an idol. You gave her the best years of her life. You were a good mother..."
"B-Bram..." I uttered, choking up on the rest of my sentence. I couldn't say a thing.
"Try for Nemmi," he said to me. "Please? You need to interact with people again. You can't waste away like this."
"I need... help," I admitted, thinking of what Nemmi would have thought if she'd seen her own mother crying. I had done everything for her sake.
And I'd continue to live on for her sake.
In the following months, Bram helped me reintegrate into society. He planned so many activities. We went to the park, scouted the beach for shells, and even looked at the local bakeries. It was... refreshing, to say the least.
One day, seeing all the cakes in their glass display boxes at one of the bakeries, I said to Bram, "I've always wanted to try running a bakery at some point in my life. I just don't know how to start one..."
"It's not too late," he said. "You're still in your early thirties. By my calculations, you've only lived about a third of your potential lifespan."
"Ugh, my thirties..." I said with a displeased smile. "I feel so old now that you say that."
"I'm twenty-nine," he said. "I don't feel old."
"It's different," she said. "Once you hit that thirty mark... it'll be stuck on your mind."
Bram chuckled and shook his head. "I don't care about my age. My only regret is not having even tried dating."
That made me look at him in surprise. "You've never dated?"
He looked out the window at two parents with their child walking in the nearby park. "I never saw it as something that was important until now."
It really made me think about his personality. This was Bram Lancet, one of the smartest inklings I had ever known, and he had never dated? "And you think it's important now?" I asked.
"I do," he said. "I'll find someone. Don't worry."
While he did say that, I had my doubts. "Did you have someone in mind?"
His silence answered me. He had no idea how to even go about this. Funny enough, a year later, he had confessed his love to me, and I returned it. Spending all that time together, knowing he was there for me was what I needed. We got married, had a child who we had named Safaia, and fourteen years later, she was participating in Turf Wars, just like Nemmi had.
That wasn't to say it was a perfect family, though...
Bram was... really obsessive when it came to the future of our daughter. He didn't want her participating in Turf Wars should she ever come of age. He instead wanted her to go into a field of science and I disagreed, wanting her to be able to live life as she wanted. After the disagreements grew into fights, We divorced two years after Safaia was born, and Bram eventually went on to marry another woman, but that definitely didn't stop him from visiting Safaia weekly. He still loved her regardless of our broken relationship. David was supportive of Safaia as well, acting as an uncle. He tried to be there for us, teaching Safaia everything he could as if she were his own.
Safaia had some internal struggling, wanting to be like the other inklings. Being a hybrid, she was a target for teasing. In school, she would be picked on, and she'd come home crying. I did everything I could to help her. One day, she asked me, "Why can't I change myself?"
I was watching television at the time and, turning off the TV, I turned to face her, sitting back. "What do you mean, Safaia?"
"These inklings... they can change everything about themselves!" she said. "They're literally shapeshifting and they're... happy with it! They can be whatever they want!"
"Safaia," I said with concern. "Come here."
She was almost the spitting image of me. The same colors as me, but just with the form of an inkling. While she was a hybrid, she was still my everything, just like Nemmi was. Just like you still are, Amelia. She sat down next to me and I held her close.
Burying her face into my chest, she said to me, "I don't want to be this way... I don't want to look like this! I don't fit in!"
Holding her tightly, I said. "I know what it's like to be jealous. I know they pick on you. They picked on me, and they picked on our ancestors. I wish you could do whatever you want to, but the world can be harsh... Biology can be unforgiving... I'd do anything to help you."
"There's this... red punk..." she muttered. "They recently changed their form. They... They laughed at me because I couldn't do the same..."
This bullying was going too far and I couldn't do a thing to help her. I was helpless to watch her grow a hatred for all inklings in the coming weeks. Her aggression fueled her participation in Turf Wars and yet, I supported her all the same. It was the least I could do. I tried to get her to stop being so... violent, but...
Nothing Bram and I said could do anything. Even therapy wasn't enough...
And then that day came, the day Safaia was participating in a ranked match. I was so proud of her for getting into S rank, and so was Bram. We watched her fight bravely, match after match, cutting down the competition.
But then the spawn point malfunctioned, and she...
She never respawned. I was devastated. It was claimed to be a malfunction, but Bram kept ranting, saying it was sabotage. He grew obsessive over the following weeks, and he began going into dark research.
Over the phone, I'd try everything to calm him down, but he was just so intent... "You need to stop, please... I... I don't want you to stay like this."
"N-No," he replied. "I've lost my pride and joy and I can't let it stay snuffed out!"
"What are you saying...?" I asked in fear.
He had this tone of desperation, the tone of an inkling who'd ignore all morality. "I can bring her back. I can bring them both back!"
I had to admit... it was tempting. He was claiming such a miraculous thing. To bring both of my daughters back... it was surreal, but...
"B-Bram... You've accomplished some crazy things, but... you know that's not possible," I said to him, scared. "What if it doesn't work? What if something really bad happens? Safaia was already suffering from dysphoria! What if this freak science makes them into monsters?!"
"I can perfect the science!" he said. "I know I can!"
"Bram, you've lost it..." I whispered into the phone. "Please, be rational..."
"I am rational," he said back. "Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to do this."
He hung up, and I hadn't heard from him for a long time.
Two years passed and I was a bit more composed. I missed both of them, but crying wouldn't do anything. I had to keep on living for them.
When David knocked on my door, I was surprised to see him shaking. "N-Nem, I need you to trust me when I say I respect you in the highest regard."
Looking at him, I was worried, but then... I saw you, Amelia, standing behind him. You were wide-eyed and fearful of the strange, new world around you, clutching David's hand so tightly. "Who is this...?" I asked.
David was sweating, looking up at me with hopeful eyes. "Nem, we've made a discovery of great importance, but... none of us are experienced enough to care for a child. If I could, I would, but I have too much work to be able to look after her. Please, you need to help me. I promise I'll explain everything later."
"Is she what I think she is...?" I asked.
David nodded slowly. "She is, and she needs our help. Please, Nem..."
It had been two years since Safaia's death. Could I really take on this responsibility...? I didn't want to lose another. "David, do you know what you're asking of me...?"
"I know..." he said, looking down. "But she has nowhere to go right now and no family. If we don't help her, the government will find her and she won't survive. They'll dissect her, take her apart in the name of science. Please, just... spend a month with her until we can decide what to do?"
My lower lip quivered and I shook, holding back tears. I was adopting a third child, but I had so much stress, so much fear inside me. Seeing your face, however, I took on that task. I couldn't let anyone hurt you.
David thanked me and left, and I did everything to try and teach you basic communication. At first, I taught you simple hand signs for when you were hungry, when you needed to go, when you were tired. It was our own simple language.
We didn't get along at first. You were always so afraid of me and you sometimes refused to eat the meals I made for you. You'd even lock the door to your room at night, but as I introduced you to more and more of our culture, like our movies and TV shows, you began to slowly grow interested.
On the final day of that month, I took you out to go shopping. To disguise you, I put a hat on your head, tucking your hair underneath as best I could. I suppose... it was all too much. You were very afraid of some of the shopkeepers and you eventually let that fear get the better of you. When you ran off, I was scared. I couldn't lose another one. We were just barely getting to know each other.
I searched everywhere for as long as I could until the end of the day, where I found you in an alleyway, sobbing your poor eyes out. I couldn't help myself. Seeing you cry reminded me of Nemmi and Safaia, and I couldn't help but hug you tight to comfort you.
Since that day, we were inseparable. I know we still are. Bram has gone too far. For all I know, that may not even be the same Safaia... I've done wrong by hiding this from you.
But you, Amelia, can judge me with your own eyes. Am I really going to abandon you after all this time for a chance to relive the past, especially after all I've done for you?
—-
Nem had done a lot for me, all at the cost of her peace of mind, she'd let me participate in events where I could've gotten myself killed. She gave me her dualies, trained me, prepped me. Was she right, though? Was it not the same Safaia?
There were plenty of more questions in my mind that had stumped me. Scalpel was pretty quick to find someone else, allowing Ace to be born. Then there was the case of Berry. The math just didn't add up. Berry was fourteen and so was Ace, so... was Berry from a secret affair? I couldn't just ask him. It was just pushing it, wasn't it? Something wasn't right. Was Berry adopted...?
It was too much. I couldn't deal with the mysteries anymore. This year, I would focus on getting back into Turf Wars and wait for either Marina or Scalpel to find a cure to this serum. My hopes were mostly on Marina so Ezra could have her own body, that way, everyone would be happy.
"You don't seem to like your sister very much," said Ace. "Safaia, right?"
Berry nodded. "She... stares at me when I'm trying to sleep at night. I'll sometimes see her in the doorway and... her eyes would just watch me."
Creepy...
"She hasn't tried anything, right?" I asked.
"She hasn't, no," said Berry. "She's trying to readjust to normal, everyday life. Kinda hard to do that when psychiatrists are visiting her weekly. Dad tried to get her and me to hang out, but... I was too scared."
Ace patted him on the back, looking sympathetic. "Hey, it's okay, bud. Things'll get better. I promise. And if they don't, come talk to me."
Berry nodded and we all left the skatepark for the mall. Bryson stayed quiet the entire walk while the rest of us conversed, worrying me a little bit. With all that had been happening lately, I hadn't been able to talk to him about it all that much.
He'd been keeping quiet about family affairs, especially regarding Guava. Did Guava successfully fake her death? Did it get botched? What had happened eluded me for now. I just couldn't get him to open up.
"I feel like we should probably get some popsicles," Ace suggested. "I'm up for something sweet, don't you agree, Amelia?"
This snapped me out of my thoughts. "Yeah, it'd be great!" I exclaimed in response, a smile on my face. While I was forcing it, I wanted to keep away from the bad things. I kept wanting to push them all out of my head and focus on a relatively-normal life.
Was that healthy, though?
As we each got a popsicle, I couldn't help but notice something wrong. Ezra, the other person living in my head, was watching me from across the food court. She looked... tired.
"Hey," she said to me, clear as day, despite the distance between us.
With my thoughts, I replied, "Hello."
She smirked and said to me, "Havin' fun?"
"I'm trying to," I replied.
"We should get you back into ranked," she said. "I know it went badly last time, but as long as you avoid Guava, it shouldn't be an issue, right? Plus... you could use a break from all the mysteries you're being fed."
Hm... Ezra was right, but was I really doing it to take a break? Or was I doing it because she suggested it?
"Hey, Ace?" I spoke up. "Is there a way we can do ranked together?"
"Nah," he said. "But we can do League. It's the same, but just with a team."
"Good enough," Ezra confirmed.
"Good enough," I said. Yeah, probably because she suggested it. "I think maybe you, me, Bryson and Liv should enter?"
"Eh, sure," said Ace. "But Bryson's gonna need convincing. He's been avoiding the ranked scene, so I'm not so sure about League."
Bryson would be a bit of a hurdle, but... "Hey, Bryson? If I can just land a single hit on you in a one-on-one Turf War, would you join us for League?"
I just had to prove I was able to keep up.
"You serious?" he questioned, crossing his arms. "This isn't some VR game, Amelia."
"I know," I said, looking back at him. "I really need this."
"I think there's a Turf War arena in this mall on the roof," said Ace.
It was amazing to me how available the public areas were to inklings. Sometimes I wondered if this was because inklings were so likely to fight. To an inkling, Turf War was everything. It dominated the everyday lifestyle, and because of that, it seemed that many of these buildings were centered around that in mind.
Once we made our way to the rooftops, I stepped out onto a spawn point, my dualies appearing in my hands via special teleportation tech. It was funny how I was so used to it by now. Back when humans were alive, we didn't have anything like this. To me, it was completely normal. I wondered how my dad would've reacted to all this stuff.
Bryson registered to the spawn point on the other end of the roof, holding his brella weapon. Behind those shades, I couldn't tell if he was going to be serious or if he was going to go easy on me. I wouldn't hold back, and I hoped he wouldn't, either.
"You ready?" he shouted. It was just a regular, flat platform. There was nothing in between us to shield us from ink. He had the advantage with his brella weapon because it could easily be used as defense just as well as offense. Bryson and Berry hung out just outside the chalkline that outlines the circular battlegrounds.
"I'm ready," I said, gripping my dualies tighter. I just had to land one hit with ink on him. One hit.
My phone beeped to indicate the start of the match and I dashed towards him. He wasn't phased, rushing towards me as well. Sadly, while my speed had increased greatly due to Ezra's manipulation on my DNA, Bryson was still much faster. I couldn't do a thing to keep him from firing off short bursts of ink from his umbrella as the canopy opened up, blocking any chance I had of hitting him from the front.
It was odd... The ink stung me, but I couldn't worry about it now. I had to hit him . While it felt like my skin was burning, I ignored the pain, adrenaline coursing through me as I tried to get him from the side, running around him. He'd easily block my ink with it.
If he wanted to keep playing defense, fine! I'd break through it!
I screamed as I fired both dualies at his defensive umbrella in a steady stream, eventually breaking through it, but he jumped higher then I could've imagined, going over me and landing behind me. Before I could react, an elbow hit me in the back and I felt my breath leave me for that moment, keeping me from focusing.
As I was kicked forward and towards the chalkline, I felt angry, stamping my foot on the ground, my shoes gripping the concrete as best they could, keeping me from crossing over the boundary. I turned around, glaring at Bryson who simply stared back through his Annaki shades. Was he disappointed? Was he judging me? Those stupid glasses kept me from figuring him out!
"Let me help," Ezra said in my head.
"No Turf Madness!" I screamed at her through my thoughts as I rushed him again. "I'm going to beat him without it!"
Bryson calmly stood there, putting down his umbrella and making me a little paranoid. What was he doing? Was there some trick I didn't know about?! I quickly aimed at him and fired from further than I normally would've. I didn't want to risk getting caught in some strange Annaki maneuver. Unfortunately, that was what I ended up doing.
He flowed like water, moving his body in strange and graceful ways to avoid each drop of ink as he closed in and slammed his fist into my gut.
"Wh-What was that?!" I tried to say as my breath left me, my words barely audible.
Bryson sighed. "Amelia, you're in over your head. You're not going to win against me. I've been personally taught by my dad how to take down anyone who's not an inkling. Don't think I'll ever go easy on you..."
"Let me help," Ezra said once again.
"No," I replied through thought.
"He's kicking your–"
"NO," I shouted, gripping the arm he'd used to punch me with, and while he tried to pull away, I did as Nem had taught me a while back, quickly turning him around, kicking him in the back to the ground and firing my dualies at him.
...
At least... I wish it had ended like that. The moment I actually tried any of that, he merely cut me off before I could kick him, elbowing me in the stomach and grabbing my face, throwing me onto the ground.
"I'll admit," he said, looking down on me. "You're getting better, but you're sloppy. I see through your moves like clear glass."
Ezra sighed in my head, and I sighed along with her, looking up at the blue sky. "This is so stupid," I muttered.
"Get up," Bryson commanded. "We're getting you ready for League."
"But I lost?" I said back to him.
He stood over me, holding out a hand. "Screw that. I need to prove myself, too. I can't let these undead freaks take my spotlight."
He had such a strange mindset and I could never tell what he was thinking because he was always so silent. One minute, he was avoiding the new inklings and the next he was ready to face them in a full frontal assault. I gripped tightly and he pulled me up, looking at Ace and Berry. "Hey," said Bryson. "Call Liv and tell her to meet us at Deca Tower."
Ace didn't skip a beat, already having his phone out. "I'm way ahead of you."
Ace and Bryson were always on the same page and that just simply astounded me. I struggled to keep up with what Bryson was thinking, but Ace didn't even have to look at him to know what his thoughts were. These two were the very definition of best friends.
Ezra gave me a judgmental look, seeming disappointed in me. "I told you to let me help. I'm not trying to ruin everything for you."
Ezra's personality had just been rapidly changing so much lately, going from helpful to downright terrifying, then back to helpful again. With the nanobots messing with her, I wondered which side of her was the definitive version.
If the nanobots hadn't messed with you... would you have just manipulated me from the start and end it all? Signs pointed to yes, but... I wanted to think she might have been different.
Berry looked at me and asked, "Mind if I watch from the sidelines? I really don't wanna go home right now..."
I nodded to him. "Sure, Berry."
Getting to Deca Tower as quickly as possible, we registered for League. Liv seemed pretty happy to team up with us again, holding up her blaster with pride. Come to think of it, I hadn't spent all that much time with Liv as of lately. I vowed to myself to make some time for her and I to hang out.
These days, I'd been spending more time with Ace, going to the movies, the mall, the skatepark, and even doing one-on-one matches. I'd been learning a lot from him, like how to counter hydra users. Getting up close to one without getting pelted by ink was difficult, but there was a trick. Hydra mains used intimidation tactics to keep inklings at bay, but I only needed one other person with me to distract while I'd go in for the finish.
Sometimes charging in as they're charging up was a valid move, but only if you were certain they weren't going to release the trigger and hit you. I learned that a half-charged shot didn't have as much accuracy as a fully-charged shot, so that was another option, and a risky one at that.
I'd also been learning more about foreign weapons from Splatsville, like the splatana and the stringer, both of them classes I've yet to see. What Wreckage had been using back in her fight against Bryson back in Wahoo World seemed to be a very crude version of the stringer. While I was unlikely to encounter these weapons in ranked, it was always best to be prepared, to know more about them so that I could plan a counter.
"So, you all ready?" asked Ace.
Looking at Liv and Bryson, I could tell we were. Bryson seemed to still have that determination in his eyes and Liv just looked gleeful. Berry seemed to stay back, though. "I'll be in the seats," he assured.
Liv, holding her blaster, shouted, "Let's reach the top, everyone!~"
"Since when were you interested in reaching the top?" asked Bryson, giving Liv a confused stare, a single brow raised. "I thought your thing was science."
"It's just been a while since I've been able to hang out with you all!" she said with joy.
Yeah, I definitely needed to hang out with her more.
Ace brought up the holopanels, moving them about as he selected the League option. "So, first seven matches will be analyzed by the systems to determine what rank we stand in as a team. We're likely to end up in B, maybe even A if we push hard enough. Not a bad thing, though."
Ace tapped at one last holopanel before a bright light consumed us, the familiar feeling of being displaced hitting me again. I was pretty much used to it at this point, not even batting an eye. Once the light was gone, I immediately recognized where we were.
It was the Inkblot Art Academy, a well-known school for art students. Some might say that even Turf Wars could be considered an artform. There were two high platforms with ramps that led down to the lower central area between the two. In the center of the large central area was the art display that acted as a decent tower for inklings to climb up onto for an advantage. On both the eastern and western sides of the stage were small ponds with lilypads and pretty pink lotuses lazily floating in the water.
On the other side of the stage, where the other elevated platform across from us was the enemy team. Two of them were seemingly normal inklings, but the other two... were an odd sight. One inkling was a girl with an all-black, leather getup. Black leather tanktop with a silver stripe crossing diagonally across it, black sweats, and black leather boots.
She also had a bowlcut that seemed to cover her eyes completely, leading me to wonder how she'd ba able to fight in the first place. The inkling next to her seemed to be a carbon copy of her with the same getup and haircut, but a little more masculine, probably a male twin. But what struck me more oddly was that he was sickly green, much like the other revived inklings.
Bryson seemed especially tense, gripping his umbrella tightly. "I'm going after those twins. You guys keep focused on turfing."
"Do what you need to, Bry," said Ace as he held up his hydra.
My phone beeped, and we went into action. I began firing blue ink at the ground as usual, making sure to cover as much as I could. Liv stayed by my side, watching my back, blasting the inklings when they got too close. While the two regular inklings were easy to deal with, the twins seemed to be a whole other matter.
"SPLATANAS!" Ace shouted from the tower in the center area. "Amelia, stay away from them!"
Wait, stay away?
Looking at where Ace was firing, I could see the two twins holding what looked almost like window wipers from a car These wipers had a smooth, black handle on the bottom half, and on the upper half was the wiper piece, holding the enemy team's green ink. They reminded me of... samurai swords, making me shiver with excitement and fear. If they were melee weapons like the rollers and brushes, I had to stay as far away as possible.
The twins ran side-by-side, faster than most inklings could while swimming, avoiding all of his shots. How were they this fast on foot alone?! Bryson rushed up to them, somehow matching their speed. Was this his real potential? How much had he trained since his loss to Emperor? The way he moved, it told me that these twins were supposed to be a real challenge. Somehow, he knew they'd require more than just tenacity to be defeated.
The twin sister giggled the moment she saw Bryson. "I didn't think we'd be facing the Annaki child! You should feel honored to face the Barazushi Twins.~"
Barazushi? But... that was a brand name only found in the Splatlands, wasn't it?
"Uh-oh..." muttered Ace.
"What's going on?" I asked. "Who are they?"
"Barazushi is a rival clan of Annaki," Ace explained to me. "They used to work with Enperry and would do mercenary work a long time ago. Nowadays, they're the face of a brand company in the Splatlands, but they still have beef with Annaki. These two must've been sent to challenge Bryson."
"They have no honor," said Bryson. "Let me deal with them!"
The female twin let out a cackle, gurgles of glee ringing through the air. She and her undead sibling both swung their splatanas as they sped past Bryson. For a moment, I thought I saw them hit him, but... he'd raised his umbrella just in time, a rip torn through the defensive covering. The seriousness on his face let me know he was out for ink and honor.
As Bryson skid past them, he panted heavily, then grit his teeth. "Come at me! Both of you!"
The two twins looked at one another, the girl grinning. "Be careful," she said to Bryson. "My bro's got an appetite for punks like you.~"
The undead twin didn't say a word, running towards Bryson with his splatana gripped tightly in his hands, his twin following close behind him. As the undead twin struck with multiple attempts to splat, Bryson swung his closed umbrella to parry it each time.
"Bryson, let me help you!" I shouted, starting to run towards him.
"Keep inking the turf while I keep them busy!" he screamed in anger, making me stop in my tracks. I didn't want to just let him fight alone. If he had the need to start fighting seriously now, then he probably needed help, right?
"Amelia!" Ace shouted. "C'mon! Ink the turf! Bry knows what he's doing!"
Sigh...
Okay, let's do this.
I fired at everything I could, on occasion covering up enemy ink with my own. Liv and Ace continued to watch my back. I know I was doing my part, I know Bryson had it handled, but... I could hear his struggling. He was doing his best not to go down. This was the first time I'd ever seen splatana users before. Why were they here in Inkopolis? What was going on?
While the undead twin was giving Bryson a hard time, the twin sister was doing just as much damage, swinging constantly at a speed my eyes couldn't keep up with. "Just give up, Spawn of Annaki!"
I wanted to help him but I wasn't allowed to. I was forced to just watch as I inked the turf and there was only one minute left. With Ace and Liv keeping the other half of the enemy team in check, I had succeeded in covering the entire battlefield. All I could do at this point was watch as Bryson kept going, unable to get in close. The twins had managed to push Bryson towards one of the ponds, the boy at his limits. I was scared for him, fearful of seeing him lose. I had a mix of emotions running through me that gave me an adrenaline rush.
Liv looked at me, noticing the look on my face. "He'll be okay."
"How do you know?" I asked her.
"You ever seen Bryson with Turf Madness?," Ace suddenly pointed out, directing my attention to Bryson. His head was flaming, his special move ready to be used.
"B-But you said Bryson could control his Turf Madness," I said.
"I said he mastered it," said Ace, scaring me a little.
What was Bryson like with Turf Madness?!
The Annaki boy grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming in the sunlight. "I'm not sorry for this."
With thirty seconds left...
He lunged...
For the neck of the undead twin...
I couldn't believe what I'd witnessed. Bryson, the boy I'd known for almost a year, had bitten into the neck of the undead inkling and tore through the thin inkling skin, causing the poor twin to suddenly explode into a burst of ink. My heart jumped as Bryson then turned to face the twin sister with a bored look on his face.
Horrified, the remaining twin stumbled back, with Bryson slowly approaching her, dropping his umbrella. "Lemme ask you somethin'," he said. "When you challenged Bryson Rex Annaki, did you ever think about what I'd resort to in order to win a single match?"
The remaining twin began swinging frantically at breakneck speeds, but Bryson would simply move about to dodge her before he lunged at her and grabbed her splatana, throwing it into the water. As his body began to turn blue from his stored special ability, my phone beeped, the match declared over.
"Hmph... Get out of my sight," Bryson commanded.
I quickly ran over to him, grinning. "Bryson! That was so hardcore!"
"Instinct won't always save me," Bryson replied. "It was the only thing my brain could think of in such a short time."
"You may have won this match," said the female twin, "but I, Tsuki Barazushi will take you down personally in the upcoming Splatfest!"
"Uh-huh," Bryson replied. "Sure. Go back to Splatsville, Barazushi noob."
I was surprised. "Wait, another Splatfest?!"
"You didn't hear?" asked Ace, coming up from behind me. "A new splatfest was announced for Inkopolis earlier this morning."
"N-No, I didn't!" I replied, turning around to face him. "I was too busy getting ready to join up with you guys!"
The twin, Tsuki, looked at me with a smug smirk on her face. "She must live under a rock if she doesn't keep up with the announcements!~"
Liv didn't seem to like that. "Hey! Don't act so mean!"
Meanwhile, Bryson quickly tried to swing his umbrella at Tsuki, but it was suddenly grabbed by her brother who had finally made it back from the spawn point. The two exchanged glances, with the brother giving off a blank expression and Bryson giving off an angry look.
"Bry, cool it!" said Ace before he walked over to Tsuki and her brother, extending his hand. "Nice to meetcha. You two are obviously some kinda team if you can both take on my best friend."
Tsuki seemed hesitant, looking at Ace's hand as if it were the most disgusting thing she'd ever seen, but she shook it anyway. "Hmph... I should think so. I'm Tsuki and this is my brother, Taiyo. We are the Barazushi Twins and we came from the Splatlands to participate in the Inkopolis Splatfest."
"Wait, how many from the Splatlands are attending?!" asked Liv.
"Pretty much almost the whole city!" Tsuki replied with a prideful grin. "Even Deep Cut is gonna be here!"
Woah, DEEP CUT!
Wait... "Who's Deep Cut?" I asked, feeling cultureless.
Tsuki stared at me as if I'd told her I liked pineapple on pizza. (Which I actually enjoy.) "You don't know who Deep Cut is?!"
"N-No," I replied. "I don't."
"Oh, don't worry. I, Tsuki Barazushi will introduce you to true music!"
"What's with your brother, huh...?" asked Bryson, glaring at Taiyo with a growl. "He doesn't speak at all. I've seen the other undead talk. Why not him?"
"He's... a special case," said Tsuki. "He used to talk before he died. We'd even finish each other's sentences, but ever since he was brought back, he's been silent from the trauma. However, I'm not complaining. He's still my brother and you're not to judge him!"
"No one's judging," said Ace. "Well, Bryson might, but not Amelia and I."
Tsuki seemed to admire Ace's words, a smile on her face. "Then, perhaps, we can be friends."
"Excuse me?!" shouted Bryson. "Us?! Friends with Barazushi?!"
"Yo, chill!" Ace argued back. "Clan wars ended a long time ago!"
Bryson growled, then turned away. "Fine... But if they try anything, I'll splat them both! They'll regret crossing Annaki!"
Bryson was... really trying to uphold the Annaki name, it seemed. While it was understandable, I couldn't help but think the anger was unnecessary. Ace was right. The clan wars had ended long ago as he'd said. I just couldn't get why the anger was held onto so tightly. But, then again, I was not Annaki. I wouldn't understand. Still, I had to tolerate it.
I looked over at Ace and smiled. "Hey, shouldn't we head to the next match?"
Ace smiled back, holding my hand. "Yep! We'll reach the top together as a team!"
And we'd give it our all, no matter how fierce the newfound competition may seem.
