Luca didn't think this was the 'afterglow' he had heard about. All those fanfiction stories had him believe that after a couple…you know…there was always this cuddle time where they would talk on how 'amazing' or 'mind blowing' what just happened was. But here he sat alone. The sound of the shower further proof of how the nearest person was so far away.

He stared at the door in silence. His arms were propped up on either side of him as if resting them on his lap was now a grave sin. His mom would murder him. His father would probably give him that stern look and head shake that said "I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed." Luca didn't know which was worse. His parents had made it very clear that he should wait til marriage before establishing the closest connection two people could make. His father being more lenient by adding on if he did go that far before marriage, at least use a condom. He hadn't even did the 'at least' part!

His head was swarming with so many thoughts that he felt his eyes would swirl-over at any minute. Did Senia actually have feelings for him? Or was he just used as a toy? Bang buddies? Luca didn't think he was emotionally stable enough for that kind of relationship. Was Senia the kind of girl who would get into one though? She obviously knew what she was doing. There wasn't a nerve in his shoulder that she didn't attack. But she was barely any older than him. She looked so sweet and innocent. And her mannerism definitely didn't seem like someone who would fool around with a lot of people. She sounded high-class for whatever reason. How many people had she banged before him?

Luca groaned and brought a hand to his head. His mother had warned him how the pretties smiles hid the biggest fangs, and he thought it would be so easy to just say 'no', but Senia did a great job in putting him under her spell. Luca turned back towards the bathroom door and just waited. She couldn't be in there much longer, right?

Meanwhile Senia was humming a cheery little tune in the shower. Her fingers lathered the soap over her tentacles and the rest of her body. The warm clear liquid only served to brighten her mood even further as she twirled around in it, enjoying the feeling of it against her skin. She was just so excited and she could barely hide it! A big smile was plastered on her face. She was gonna have to make sure Sebastian and her older brother didn't find out, but she was sure it would all work out in the end. It was just a matter of surviving til then.

Once properly clean, Senia grabbed her towels and began drying herself. She wrapped one around her tentacles and another around her body and exited the bathroom. In the bedroom, Luca had somewhat pieced together the questions he wanted to ask. He looked up once when the water stopped running and again when the door opened.

Just like that, every tangible thought in his head shattered. Senia stepped into the room, still glistening from the shower. The towel she wore barely covered either the north or south regions. Luca was sure that if he tilted his head just slightly, he could see all the areas the towel was supposed to keep from view. The same went for if she bent over the slightest for the top half.

Still with a smile on her face and a merry tune leaving her throat, Senia walked over to her closet and began grabbing her things to wear. Her rear peeked from under the towel with the slightest movement. All of which Luca's eyes caught. He swallowed and Senia seemed to perk up at the sound.

"See something you like Luke?" Senia purred causing Luca's eyes to widen. Senia turned on a dime, clothing she pulled out firmly grasped between her fingers. She took quick, sultry steps towards Luca. He wasn't hard to find, having not moved from his original spot on the bed. Once she reached him, she leaned over him, a predator like smirk on her face. It certainly made him feel like a minnow staring down a shark. "You haven't answered me, darling." Luca responded with a loud gulp followed by him attempting to but failing to make words. "You're so adorable, Luke."She teased before giving Luca a quick peck on the lips.

"Don't…tease me…" Luca whispered. Senia chuckled at him again before rubbing her hand up his arms.

"You know Luke, I was thinking while I was in the shower." Luca felt a chill go up his spine at her touch. "I was being a bit selfish earlier wasn't I? I mean…that was your first time right?"

"Y-yeah…"

"And I just rushed to the main event. No foreplay or pillow talk or anything." Senia playfully whined. "So I was thinking…" She teased, gently pulling Luca's hands up with one of hers. "Next time, we'll take it nice and slow." She guided Luca's hands to her waist, leading them to caress her rear and thigh. Though her hands guided his, his fingers were more than willing to explore on their own. Her body seemed even softer than before from the shower. He squeezed and shifted the flesh in his hands and Senia bit her lip seductively. She hiked a leg up and propped her knee on the bed beside Luca, lifting the towel high enough to fully display her womanhood.

Luca eyed it hungrily as his internal debate picked up again. Any words still refused to come out as instead he felt his pants tighten as Senia guide his finger to the thing of his attention. He could feel the heat coming from it and his mind was filled with anticipation. Senia gave a smile as Luca cupped her, slowly inserting a testing finger. Senia gave off a soft moan in response.

Luca gently swirled around his finger, pumping it in and out to test Senia's reaction. Senia let out a louder moan as she held on to Luca's wrist, grinding herself onto his palm. Senia's motion of course edged Luca on and his body was completely ready for a round two, even if his mind wasn't. Almost as quickly as it began, Senia stopped it, pulling the fingers Luca had inside of her out and into her mouth. She swirled her tongue around and sucked lightly on the digits before letting them out of her mouth with a soft pop. She pressed Luca's hand against his chest.

"But we can't right now," She said with a wide smile. "I just got clean you know," Luca was dumbfounded. Was this what all the movies meant by the 'you're such a tease' phrase? Cause he certainly felt toyed with at the moment.

Without another word, Senia let go of Luca's hand and turned around, picking up the clothes she had sat down earlier. With her back still turned to Luca, she let her towel drop to the ground. She slowly dressed herself, going as far as to bend over more than necessary towards Luca. The hybrid was in the sweetest form of hell. He watched in stunned silence as Senia fully dressed herself.

Now sporting a frilly white dress, with equally frilly lace underwear underneath, Senia turned towards Luca and gave a smile. Not one that was predator-like like the one before. It was a sweet gentle smile that made Luca all fuzzy inside. More than he already was.

"Care to come downstairs and get something to drink with me?" Senia asked. Luca gave a stuttered yes and rose from his seat, following Senia out of the room. He trailed behind in silence, trying to put his thoughts in a coherent form. They reached the kitchen and Luca took a seat at the table as Senia went to the fridge. "I should know where everything is unless Sebastian moved it. Anything in particular sound good on your tongue?" The response that came to mind wasn't a clean one.

"Anything is good. Surprise me," Luca answered instead of the first idea. Senia grabbed two drinks and returned to the table. She sat a grape soda in front of her and a peach one in front of Luca. "Thank you…So Senia…"

"Yes Luke?"

"I was thinking…if you want, we could go…and uh…maybe…"Luca's voice trailed off as Senia's face slowly turned into a look Luca couldn't quite read. Disappointment? Concern? She was obviously thinking something over and the thought of saying something that upset her pushed him into silence.

"Are you asking me on a date, Luke darling?" Luca's face colored as he swallowed again.

"I mean…if you're okay with that." Senia's face stayed pretty much emotionless until a small smile graced her lips.

"Sure. How about tomorrow?" Luca perked up, honestly expecting her to say no for one reason or another. To say something along the lines of 'nah, I just wanted you for sex' or something.

"Tomorrow?" Luca parroted.

"Well sure. I'm positive it'll be fun. You can plan it today and we'll go out tomorrow. Sound good?" Luca gave an excited 'yes!', which in turn made Senia giggle. "Though if you don't mind, would it be a burden to keep this a secret from Sebastian?" Luca tilted his head and raised a brow in confusion.

"What? Why?"

"He may not show it, but he gets really emotional. I think it's just better to keep this underwraps for now." Luca didn't quite understand it but if it was a request. He agreed. "Wonderful! Thank you Luke. I'm sure you'll plan out a wonderful day." Senia gave Luca a bright smile and looking at her beam, he smiled too.

"What do you mean 'there no longer is a Squidville'? An entire city doesn't just disappear Number 2!" Inkay's eyes were in this odd state where he tried to narrow them with a calm collected stare, but fear was clawing them upward. His hands were balled up at his sides as he looked to the people in the room. Agent 4 squeezed his eyes shut and looked away. Apalo had his fist clasped together and his head resting on it like he was praying. His breathing was uneven as if he was trying not to burst into tears, which Agent 3 assumed he had before judging by how Agent 1 continued to rub his back.

"I mean that the entire city is gone. Skyscapers, cars…the people…Everything has been destroyed…" Agent 2 had her hands folded calmly on the table but Agent 3 knew her. She was panicking. The way that her eyes looked through him instead of at him and the way her thumbs anxiously strummed at each other. She was losing it just as bad as the rest were.

"But…what could have done that? What weapon could…possibly destroy an entire city so quickly?" Inkay could feel his legs shake beneath him. His heart beat quicken in fear of the unknown. A side of him wanting to see what did it. To see what could cause such destruction. The other side didn't want to. To see the weapon would be to confirm its existence, rooting it into reality and proving it to be real.

"That's the thing." Apalo said sitting up, his eyes closed as he breathed uneven breaths through his nose. "I received…a video on my way to work this morning…It was left outside my door. I didn't watch it in fear of being late and as soon as I reached the building I was hit with the news."Apalo reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a blue disc.

"So you think this disc is related to the bombing?"

"I don't know Agent 3. For all I know it could be a cocky youth passing around his mix tape. But…I didn't want to view it alone in case." Agent 3 nodded and as Agent 1 gently took the disc from Apalo. She moved over to the computer and placed this disc in. A projector turned on as the disc loaded and an image appeared on the wall.

It was a city line. Squidville's to be exact. In the distance you could see cars traveling to and from the city. The camera was propped up on a hill quite a bit away from the city. The video was silent for a moment before a voice spoke up.

"Sure is beautiful isn't it?" Agent 4's eyes widened as Agent 3's fists clenched tighter at his sides. The camera was picked up and turned around to no longer show the city, but the camera man. Bright green eyes peered over a taunting smile. Yellow tentacles framed the face of the camera man as Agent 3 grinded his teeth together.

"Agent 3…is that?…"

"Yeah number one…that's the guy." Agent 3 growled as the figure on the screen chuckled.

"Now you're probably wondering, 'why is he so far away if all the beauty is over there?'" The figure turned the camera back towards the city. "Well let me tell you. I don't really give a damn about this city. It's all hustle and bustle. Work this and build that. No one ever takes the time, to appreciate the little things in life. " The Inkling turned the camera back to himself. "I always was more of a fan of Inkopolis. Those people know how to party! And the girls like to carry a little junk if you know what I mean." The Inkling winked and nudged at the camera as if talking to old friends as everyone in the room were practically steaming out the ears.

"Unfortunately," the Inkling continued, "my fun, has been constantly crashed! By the likes of your FUCKING agents! And I am tired of it! You even had the gall to tell the public about me!" The Inkling's face turned into a scowl as he yelled into the camera. "So I decided, to issue you a little warning. Now like I said, I like Inkopolis, so I would like to keep it in one piece. For…reasons. But this place," The Inkling turned the camera back towards the city. "I don't care what happens to it. So I decided, that this place would be the perfect area, to show off my new toy. It should be activating any second now." The Inkling zoomed in towards the city as a small speck could be seen rising over the skyscraper.

"Is that an Inkstrike?" Apalo muttered to himself as he scooted further in his seat to see better.

"There it is! Oooooo, this is gonna be amazing!" The Inkling yelled as he aimed the camera at the speck. It rose to a point higher than any of the skyscrapers before coming to a stop, gravity pulling it back towards the earth. When it disappeared behind the buildings again, the Inkling zoomed the camera back to get the entire view of the city back into frame. "Here it comes…" There was a flash of light before a large boom rang out. A cloud of debris shaped like a mushroom slowly consumed the city.

All present in the room went wide eyed at the level of damage as the cloud consumed the entire city and then some. A force of wind could be seen traveling across the area, eventually reaching the Inkling and knocking him off balance a bit. He quickly regained his footing and kept the camera pointed towards what used to be a Squidville.

"Wow! That's a big one ain't it?" He hollered. The Inkling cackled until eventually the cloud died down. It took forever as all agents stared forward in shock. When the cloud somewhat settled, the city was all but flattened. Building near the epicenter of the blast were completely gone while chunks and debris were left of the outermost ones. A slow chuckle came from the Inkling.

"Welp…there you go. That was your last warning. Have a beeeeaaautiful day." The video ended, leaving the room in silence. Agent 1 had her hands clasped over her mouth as Agent 2 had her fists clenched in her lap. Agent 3 fell to his knees as Agent 4 stared blankly at the table. Apalo stared at the black screen slack-jawed. They were all shaking.

"W….what kind of bomb…" Agent 4 started, "can do damage like that?" Tears ran from Agent 1's eyes as Agent 2 began taking quick inhales, biting her lips and squeezing her eyes shut to keep her tears from falling. Agent 3, now sitting flat on his rear from his legs giving out beneath him, slowly turned toward the table behind him.

"What…what do we do?" He asked. Apalo raised a shaking hand to his face, running it along his brow and trying his best to calm his nerves. "Do we announce this to the public?"

"No!" Apalo blurted as he shot up from his seat. "We can't! It was my decision to keep the public informed that caused this!" Apalo's fists were now clenched at his sides as he fought back fearful tears of his own. "The criminal is clearly still in the kidnapping game as well. If we announce that he has a soft spot for Inkopolis, then neighboring cities will have their population flock here in hopes of safety."

"And feeding the number of prey he has…"Agent 4 added, looking up.

"So what do we do?!" Agent 3 shot up, standing on the opposite side of the table to Apalo. "Stand here with our thumbs up our asses and continue to let him snatch people off the streets?!"

"No Agent 3. We just have to tread carefully. You and Agent 4 will have to keep an eye out for him. But…it would be dangerous if you continue to carry around all your weapons…he'll know we're still chasing him. You'll have to carry something light and inconspicuous . Searching in a group may also make him feel threatened and more likely to bomb the city." Agent 3 and 4 looked at each other. Take him on alone? They barely lasted together. But they both could see this fierce determination in the other person's eyes. This guy had to be stopped. He couldn't be allowed to continue to run free. "Engaging him should only happen if you're one hundred percent certain that you can take him out. We can't risk him escaping and getting angry if he has access to weapons that powerful." Agents 3 and 4 looked at Apalo and nodded when Agent 4 remembered something.

"Wait! After Cerata beat him, he said something…discouraging…" The group looked towards Agent 4 with dread in the eyes. "He said something about 'the old man having his ass' or something. He can't be working alone." Apalo's shoulders slumped and he took a deep breath before angrily slamming his fist on the table.

"Damn it! This complicates the situation greatly! If there's another presence behind all this then for all we know this guy is just a decoy! If he's the errand boy then the person he's referring to is the one with the actual access to the weapons!"

"Meaning stopping him won't be the end of it. We have to figure out who else is involved…" Agent 2 added. Apalo took another deep breath and squeezed the bridge of his nose.

"I hate to add more pressure to you two, but if possible it would be great if you managed to restrain him. Bring him in for questioning. If that doesn't seem doable then by all means, go for the kill. But bringing him in alive would be great help in stopping all this for good." Agents 3 and 4 nodded as Apalo sat back down. "So many years without a problem…and now this…" Apalo rubbed his eyes with a groan. Agent 2 brought a shaky hand to his shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.

"Whatever it takes, we'll find a way to bring him to justice." There was a collective nod at Agent 1's words.

"Speaking of justice, 1, 2, and 3, I need you to head over to what used to be Squidville." All agents looked at Apalo.

"What? You want us to leave the city now of all times?" Agent 3 had already began scowling at his superior.

"But we haven't even managed to look over the mask found at 3 and 4's last fight. It might have clues on the whereabouts of this group!" Agent 1 added.

"I understand where you're coming from, but this isn't something that can simply be hidden. An entire city has been destroyed. The only reason it hasn't hit the news yet is because the news crews at the city were destroyed with it. I assure you that it will be over all media within the hour at least. If a calamity of this size isn't looked at by the best agents, then the public's panic will only increase. Knowing you three are looking over things will bring at least a little peace of mind. Remember, they don't know you've all been working on anything up til this point." The agents held their heads down in silence. "Besides, Agent 4 can carry the bulk of whatever happens until you get back."

"Yeah. I promise you Inkopolis will be in even better shape when you come back." Agent 4 said throwing his colleagues a smile and a thumbs up. They didn't bother to return the falseness in it.

"Alright. We'll leave immediately." Agents 1 and 2 looked at 3 in surprise.

"What?"

"Are we really going to just go?"

"There's a chance we may find something else there. And we really don't need more panic than what's already gonna build up." Agent 3 stood up and gave Apalo a nod. The Octoling nodded back with a sigh.

"Be careful agents. Watch your backs and be prepared for anything." Agent 3 didn't say anything as he exited the room with narrowed eyes.

Matzuo sat on a park bench. His arm spread along the backside with his eyes wandering around. There were a few people around and his eyes darted to each of them. Some were alone. Some were with friends. Some laughed with lovers. Some were on some device or another. Each person Matzuo scanned over brought the same question to his head. Are they good people?

Of course they all looked like good people. But Matzuo knew that some people hid a much darker side. He'd grown to be weary of smiles in public. His fingers strummed the faded wood of the bench as he sat judging those around him. They all were hiding something. Matzuo could see it. A lot of them, all of which were with others, held fake smiles. The look in their eyes were all but genuine. Which made the question rise up even louder. Are they good people?

Just how dark were the secrets they were keeping? Would their companions still be smiling if they knew them? These were the thoughts that plagued Matzuo when he was alone. He went from silently watching to scowling at those around him. His pocket vibrated and yanked him from his thoughts. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. A picture of Cereza greeted him on the screen. Though it was enough to wipe the scowl off his face, Matzuo didn't crack a smile.

Cereza was hiding something too. But what he couldn't quite tell. It didn't seem like she was hiding something that wouldn't make her a good person. More so she hid something that showed how others weren't good people. Matzuo found himself wanting to know her secrets. The tales she wouldn't tell anyone else. And because of that he had become attached to every move she made. He looked at the message that showed up beneath her.

Hi there! How are you? :3

Matzuo cracked a smile at the message. He ran his thumb over his reply.

Looking forward to seeing you later. :)

Not as much as me. ;)

Then why not push up the meeting time? I'm willing to meet up now.

Can't. About to start a movie with my friends.

But we can meet afterwards. :D

Can't wait.

Yay! I'll see you later.

Matzuo locked his phone and took a deep breath. Now all he had to do was find a way to kill some time.

Sebastian hummed a tune to himself. His bag of groceries swayed with his body as he walked with a small pep to his step. His tentacles were down like a certain hybrid, and he sported his signature blue hoodie. Things were going excellent. He had a best friend, his relationship with his sister was the brightest it had been for a long time, he hadn't heard from his dad for a while, and they were having taco salad for dinner! Sebastian began to wonder if these good things would still be happening if he hadn't decided to talk to Luca. He made a mental note to thank Luca later.

He reached his home and fumbled around for the keys, pulling out his little ring of keys with a small crown keychain dangling besides the door key. He unlocked the door and made his way in.

"Hey Senia! I'm home! I got the stuff for the salad." He headed towards the kitchen to put all of the things he bought down. "I was thinking we could try the extra spicy sauce toni-" Sebastian paused when he saw Luca sitting across from Senia at the kitchen table. Senia gave her brother a large smile.

"Oh? Feeling adventurous today, brother?" Senia teased. Sebastian chuckled and sat the bags down.

"Just call me Jones." Sebastian looked over to Luca with a smile. "Luke I didn't know you'd be joining us today. I thought you had training with your dad." Luca reached up and ran his hand over his tentacles with a smile of his own.

"Something came up at work. So I decided to come hang out with you guys. But since you weren't here I just hung out with Senia."

"Behaving yourselves I hope." Sebastian said as he began placing items in their designated places. Luca stole a glance at Senia and saw the edges of Senia's mouth curve upwards slightly before she stood to join him at the counter.

"Of course. What do you think we are, some kind of savages?" Sebastian chuckled as Senia stood beside him. He began handing her various items, calling out what they were before giving them to her. Luca silently watched the system they had going.

"Chips." Senia grabbed the bag and sat it on the counter. "So what did you guys do while I was away?" Sebastian asked.

"Just talked. Joked around and things like that." Luca said also standing to join the siblings at the counter. "Can I help?"

"Of course. Put all the drinks in the frig." Sebastian handed Luca the items with a smile and Luca obeyed.

"Yeah, Luca and I spent the day just getting to know each other better." With a heated face Luca dared steal a glance towards Senia, who seemed to throw him a knowing look.

"That's always fun. So Luca, you gonna stay for dinner? Senia and I make a mean taco salad." Sebastian asked he had already began unwrapping the meat for the meal.

"I mean, do you have enough? I don't want to overload you guys."

"Please. Sebastian always eats enough for three people, so we always buy more than we need." Senia smirked at her younger brother and he gave a tired one back.

"Come on sis. I don't eat like that."

"Well you're right. But I didn't want to give Luke the actual number. It'll just prove how much of a pig you are." Senia and Luca shared a laugh as Sebastian gave a chuckle.

"Why you gotta be like this, sis?" Sebastian playfully whined, handing her a head of lettuce. Senia began daintily pulling the vegetable apart.

"I tease because I love you brother." Sebastian froze. His movements came to such a stop that Luca stopped to look at him. Sebastian turned towards Senia, his eyes wide and mouth parted slightly. Senia simply continued what she was doing without skipping a beat. Sebastian stared at her silently for a moment. Luca tried to get a good view of his face but all he could see was the back of his head.

He slowly turned his head back towards what he was doing, his tentacles blocking some of his face from Luca. From what he saw, Sebastian had a crooked smile on his face. Sebastian's fingers gripped the edge of the counter for awhile before he continued his task.

"Heh. Heheh. I love you too sis." Somehow, the room seemed so much more comforting all of a sudden. Sebastian raised his head, giving Luca a bright smile. "Now you gotta stay for dindin, Luca." He beamed. Luca couldn't help but beam just as brightly at him.

"Sure. Just let me call my mom."

A pair of electric green eyes glared forward, walking through the dark, empty halls of the base he resided in. He wasn't in his standard mission gear. Instead he wore a pair of lounge pants and a plain white T-shirt. One of his arms hung loosely beside him. The other delicately held on to a rather large piece of pound cake.

He walked calmly towards his destination. His face was contorted in focus. The only sound was of his footfalls against the floor. He passed a few doors on his journey, all were a cold steel with small one way windows on them. He ignored them completely as he walked.

Eventually, he came upon a different door. It was a warm brown wooden door that stood out greatly to the mechanical like surroundings. He reached the door and pushed it open. On the other side was a standard bedroom. It was a dark red with a mahogany dresser and nightstands with a little wear and tear here and there. The bed had a big fluffy wine colored quilt on it and even fluffier pillows. The room didn't have a window in it. Instead it had a girl.

An Octoling girl. Dull yellow tentacles draped her face as she hung shackled to the wall by her wrists. Her breathing was slow and haggard. The Inkling watched her chest rise and fall with so little movement the untrained eye would think she was dead. The various marks and bruises covering her body further supporting that argument. The Inkling took a moment to look over her frame.

Once light brown colored skin was now a purplish-blue in varying shades. Her legs touch the ground but they were practically props rather than functioning limbs based on how they slouched lifelessly. He didn't even want to think about the dried substances on the girls inner thighs and stomach. The Inkling looked upwards. He didn't even know the girl's eye blindfold was apparently a necessity but he couldn't help but wonder.

He took steps forward until he stood directly in front of her. With his free hand, he reached up and gently cupped her face. The smooth skin of his palm contrasting greatly to her bruised cheek. The cool touch of his hand caused her to jerk awake. Her breathing picked up as her face contorted to one of sadness. Her body began shaking slightly with the beginning of a fresh set of tears.

"Please…" Came her plea. Her voice was so broken and weak the Inkling wouldn't have even known she said anything if he hadn't seen her mouth move. He didn't say a word. He just continued to stare at her. The girl fled from his touch the best she could as he continued to just stare. Eventually he raised the cake in his hand towards her mouth. The girl instantly jerked away when something came close to her mouth. "No…Please…No…"

"Open." The Inkling commanded. The girl perked up at his voice. She opened her mouth without resistance. The Inkling inched the cake in her mouth and she took small but eager bites out of it. The Inkling stood there hand feeding the Octoling girl as she seemed to get a bit of strength back. She held herself up on her legs instead of simply dangling and her breathing was more noticeable. After she finished her food, the Inkling reached in his back pocket and pulled out a drink. He helped her down it as well with just as much care.

"Thank you." She said. Her voice was less ragged and scratched from the treatment. The Inkling simply glared at her. His fists clenched at his sides as he just looked at her. She was visibly calmer and that only made him glare harder.

Then the door knob jingled. The Inkling took a step back and turned towards the entrance. The Octoling girl flinched and her body tensed up. In the doorway was a male Octoling. His tentacles were a dark purple and draped around his head. One curved around from the back of his head to the left side of his neck. Another slightly longer one did the same on the opposite side while two shorter ones draped the front of his face. His sea green eyes looked over the intruder in the room then the prisoner. He smiled.

"Well well. Didn't expect you to visit little old me in my quarters." The Octoling said. The Inkling didn't respond as he eyed the person across from him. The Octoling chuckled lowly and began stalking towards his bed. It was then the Inkling noticed the body being dragged behind him by the collar. "I mean, you wouldn't be here to visit that thing, would you?" The Octoling said gesturing to the girl chained to the wall. He chuckled again and threw the limb body on his bed. An Inkling girl with bright blue tentacles and pale skin sat limp in the spot. Her eyes were blindfolded like the Octoling girl. The boy walked to the head of the bed, pulling out strings of chain to latch to the girl's wrists. "That would be just silly." The Inkling boy ran a hand down his face and took a deep breath.

"You're treating them harsher than necessary." He said. The Octoling boy smiled a wide smile.

"Poor soft little Mi-"

"Don't call me that." The Octoling glared back at the Inkling who returned it just as fiercely. The two sat silently staring at each other before the Octoling relented, sighing and shrugging his shoulders.

"Fine then. What do you want me to call you?"

"Lucius." The Inkling responded. The Octoling raised an eyebrow before shrugging it off.

"Well poor soft little Lucius." He spat. "I can treat them as harshly as I want." The Octoling reached over and harshly gripped the unconscious Inkling girl's cheeks, forcing her mouth to pucker. "These are the rejects. The ones that didn't agree with the serum. They were gonna be disposed of anyway. I thought I might as well use them for something before then." Lucius tensed his fists as he stared at the tanned Octoling smiling up at him.

"What makes you think you have the right to keep them here?" The Octoling's smile shrunk but stayed. He stood up and walked over to the Inkling, his tentacles being the only reason he was taller than him.

"The old man told me 'son, you won the gene pool.' So I guess I had a head start on you fools. You had your chance to grow up and be king. But instead you chose this. You're, nothing." Lucius's fist tightened again as the Octoling patted his cheek.

"Don't touch me, Dao." The Inkling hissed, causing the Octoling to smile wider.

"There's a reason you're just an errand boy Lucius. You're too soft. Too weak for what we have in the works." Dao taunted, walking over to the chained Octoling. "Isn't that right slut?" He said giving the blindfolded girl a harsh slap. She whimpered at the strike but made no other noise.

"You're not even in it for the outcome anymore. If you were they wouldn't be here." Dao chuckled again as Lucius gestured towards the two chained up girls. "You're just being a bad guy now." Dao walked back to Lucius.

"How bad can I be for indulging myself? I mean, it's not like I, I don't know. Blew up a city or something. I mean that sounds like a bad guy to me." Lucius snarled at the Octoling.

"I'm doing what is best for the mission, as is boss's orders. You're just being a demented monster."

"Yeah yeah." Dao waved off the accusation and took a few steps back, throwing off his jacket. "Big bad monster. I'll admit it. That's why I took a wrench when I went to the dentist. And my smile was dazzlin' after bashin' his head in!" Dao roared as he lunged at Lucius. He grabbed the Inkling by the neck and lifted him off the ground with one arm. Lucius fumed, teeth bared as just as quickly he locked both of his legs to his chest. He shot them forward and kicked Dao in the chest, sending him flying to the opposite wall.

Lucius stalked towards the Octoling. His arms were tense enough to see the veins in them. The Octoling pushed himself up laughing, giving Lucius a proud smile as he rose completely to his feet.

"Not bad. Not bad at all. I remember a time where you would've just waited for me to let go." Lucius was still snarling as the Octoling casually picked up and placed fallen books back on the bookshelf. "You've grown so much." Lucius began a quick sprint towards Dao, who simply held a finger in front of him when Lucius got too close. "Nuh huh huh. You wouldn't start a fight in this small a room would you? Plus, what would 'the boss' think?" Snarling like an animal at the Octoling, Lucius turned and stormed his way out. Dao laughed as he removed his shirt and climbed onto the bed.

"Well, I guess it's time for this one's wake up call."

"Hello beautiful." Matzuo called as Cereza approached.

"Hi handsome." She retorted, color already tinging her cheeks. "How was your day?"

"Excited to show you the surprise I have for you." Matzuo lulled, lightly holding Cereza's hands in his.

"Ooooo, I love surprises. What is it?"

"Well it's a surprise because you don't know isn't it?" Cereza gave a pout and Matzuo laughed. "Don't worry, it's not too far. Just come with me." Cereza nodded and let Matzuo lead her away. The two walked hand in hand as Matzuo led her to his car. It was nothing too fancy, but it was obviously cleaned recently. The black exterior shined as the beige interior didn't have a speck of dirt. Cereza awed as she entered the passenger seat

"Ooooo. Looks fancy. You got a hot date or something tonight?" Cereza smirked causing Matzuo to give an amused smile.

"Something like that." He joked back. He drove the two a bit off the outside of the city, Cereza being an energetic ball of questions as usual. Matzuo was happy to answer them for her to the best of his abilities, but made sure to dodge around the ones about their destination. When they finally arrived, Cereza stepped out of the vehicle with a confused expression.

"Matzuo? Is this a…"

"Yep. It's a carnival." The Octoling boy smiled as he gestured to the darkened attractions. Eyes sparkling with intrigue, Cereza stared at the gate keeping them out.

"Doesn't look like it's open though." With a knowing smile, Matzuo walked up to the gate and pulled out a key. He shuffled it into it's place in the lock and pushed the gates open. He took a few steps in, flipped a switch, and the entire place lit up one by one.

Cereza's eyes followed the lights in amazement as they turned on. Music of varying kinds began playing throughout the place as she took slow steps towards Matzuo.

"Wow. But, how did…."

"I met the owner at work. Nice lady. Ran a few errands and she gave me the go ahead to use the facilities. As long as I don't break anything of course. The place opens tomorrow." There was a shine in Cereza's eyes as her grin grew wider.

"Must. Break. EVERYTHING!" Cereza screamed as she dashed by Matzuo.

"Hey! Wait!" Matzuo laughed as he raced after her. Cereza looked at all the rides and how they flashed in the darkening evening light. She was practically walking in circles unsure of where to begin. She turned towards Matzuo when he caught up, eyes still sparkling.

"Can we ride the rides?" She asked. Matzuo smiled at her excitement.

"Yep. Any ride you want." Cereza's smile widened and she grasped Matzuo's hand in hers.

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's ride a coaster first!" She yelled dragging him off. The two took their time riding all the rides. The faster ones getting multiple turns. Some food stalls had a small amount of food. Plenty for two people but not as much as the stall would normally hold.

As the night came to its conclusion, Cereza decided that the final ride should be a slow one. So the two decided on the Ferris Wheel. They sat next to each other as they steadily rose higher and higher. It was quiet as the two stared out of the window.

"It's funny." Cereza said out of the blue. Matzuo looked at her as she stared out of the window to the city in the distance. "We're having fun just coming up this high, but we go in buildings higher than this all the time." Matzuo laughed.

"Yeah. But I guess those weren't meant for fun." The two shared another laugh as they stared at the skyscrapers in the distance. Cereza glanced down and noticed she had been holding his hand the entire time. She had held onto his hand as if he was the only thing keeping her rooted to this world. She had only let go when they needed to strap into a ride or needed to eat. She was sure to reestablish the link when they were done. She looked up towards Matzuo, his face being slightly outlined by the lights of the carnival as he stared out the window.

Cereza gulped. Now was the time Em had mentioned. Everything was so perfect! He had to be interested to go this far right? And he hadn't even tried to force her to do anything she didn't want up to this point. He seemed like an amazing guy. Now all she needed was just a moment of confidence. Throw caution to the wind for at least a bit. She steeled her nerves as she prepared to speak.

"M-Matzuo…"She breathed, unintentionally gripping his hand a bit harder. Matzuo looked at his hand before up to Cereza and she could feel her heart beating in her ears. His golden eyes were making her even more nervous than when they first met.

"You okay?" Matzuo asked. Cereza bit her bottom lip. Leaning forward she half expected him to do the opposite. Her paranoid mind was being a pain much more than any help. So instead she focused on the words she knew Em would say. She closed her eyes, hoping for Matzuo to meet her halfway.

Her phone vibrated against her thigh. A soft buzz in the background as she and Matzuo gently locked lips. To Cereza, it was electric. As soon as they made contact a pleasant jolt shot up her spine and she did a deep inhale with her nose, softly letting it out as the two scooted closer together. As slowly as it started, the kiss ended. The two parted and stared silently into the other's eyes. Matzuo gently cupped Cereza's cheek and leaned back in. Another kiss, just as sweet and delicate as the first. Cereza felt like she was filled with nothing but butterflies at the sensation.

Her phone vibrated again. Then again. Once more. The two broke apart and Cereza gave a sheepish smile as she bit her lip again.

"Sorry. Let me just see who this is." Matzuo smiled at her and she couldn't help but giggle as she reached in her pocket to her her phone. Her smile dropped at the messages from Em.

CEREZA! HAVE YOU HEARD!

SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED TO SQUIDVILLE!

WHERE ARE YOU?

ARE YOU WITH LUKE?

"Cereza?" Matzuo placed a hand on her shoulder as her expression turned to one of worry. She quickly began typing into her phone's browser. The color drained from her face at the search results. An entire city gone? How? What could possibly have that kind of power? Cereza looked up to Matzuo with worry and a trace of fear.

"Can you take me home? Please?"

Luca was walking home with a small smile on his face. A carryout of taco salad in his hands as he stepped off of the train leading to his home. Him and the siblings decided to play a few board games rather than anything TV related. The most shocking yet at the same time expected thing being how Senia thoroughly destroyed them at Bop-It. He was pretty sure if she hadn't decided to stop the toy would've just gave up itself.

Now he was walking up to his door steps, pulling out his key to open the door. He stepped in, discarding his jacket on the rack beside the entrance.

"Mom. Dad. I'm home." He began walking forward, preparing to go to his room and tell Eden about the…'events' that happened today. Before he could reach the stairs, his mother and sister turned the corner. "Cereza? Back again? Where's your boyfriend?" Luca joked, feeling a little playful after his day. He wasn't met with a retort. Instead, Cereza and Cerata wrapped their arms around him. Confused by the sudden family hug, Luca simply held them both. The looks on their face when they pulled back only skyrocketed his worry. He was quick to assume something bad happened to the family member who wasn't there. "Did something bad happen to dad?" Came his worried question.

"No Luca. Your dad's fine." Cerata said caressing her son's head. "But, he's gonna be away for awhile. Something came up." Luca tilted his head, worry still etched on his face.

"What came up?"

"Agent stuff. You see…" Cerata looked at her daughter then back to her son. "Something bad happened to Squidville." Luca could feel this sudden weight on his shoulders.

"Bad? How bad?" Cerata explained the situation to Luca to the best of her knowledge. "But…what about Eden?"

"We don't know. We tried to contact his parents but no one's answering…" Luca stood in shock. What a complete one-eighty this day had did.

"But there's a chance he's fine right? H-he could be visiting his grandparents. It is the weekend…right?" Cerata gave Luca a small smile.

"There's always that chance. But we don't know. We don't know his grandparents." Luca stared at the ground in disbelief.

"Luke? Are you okay?" Cereza asked as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah…Yeah I'm fine. I just gotta lie down for a bit…" Luca muttered as he stepped by his family and walked up to his room. Cereza and Cerata gave worried glances towards each other.

Cereza waited for about an hour before checking in on Luca. She gently rapped on the door.

"Luca? Are you okay?" There was silence on the other side. "I'm coming in." She announced as she pushed the door open. She saw pretty much what she was expecting. The room was dark, with the glow of the computer screen and Luca's phone being the only light. Luca himself was sitting at his desk, head laying down on it in front of the screen. Cereza walked over to him and gently rubbed his back.

"I'm fine sis. No need to worry about me." Cereza only frowned. He didn't even bother to attempt to hide the computer screen filled with increasingly desperate attempts to get in contact with his friend.

"Luca…it's not okay. We talked about bottling it up. It's not good for you." Luca sighed and sat up, looking up to his sister.

"Cereza…I'm fine. I mean I'm a little sad but nothing too serious." Cereza slumped at his words. She moved her hand to his shoulder and squeezed it slightly.

"Luca-"

"I said I'm fine." Luca snapped, suddenly standing. "Just because I don't burst into tears like you doesn't mean I'm doing something wrong. I'm just trying to be strong like dad. He wouldn't cry. He would keep pushing forward without batting an eye."

"You know that's not true."

"Seems like it. I've never seen him cry." Luca said storming over to his bed. He crawled into it and laid down with his back to his sister. Cereza slowly stood up, her hands clasped together as she stared at the unmoving form of her brother. "Just go away." Her face looked a bit hurt but she stood in silence for a bit longer.

"Crybaby." Luca visibly flinched.

"Sis. Don't."

"Crybaby, crybaby."

"Sis…"

"Tears fall, to the ground." Luca shot up again. He slowly turned to his sister and stood up, his head held down. He paused in front of her with his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Slowly he looked up to her with tears streaming down his face. His green eyes a blurry mess.

"I just let them drown." He finished, taking the few steps to close the distance between he and his sister. He wrapped his arms around her waist and she held him against her chest as he sobbed. She slowly let the two slide down to the ground and held him, tears falling from her own eyes as the two cried together, siblings sharing their pain.

Hello Hello! How you guys been? Enjoy the chapter? Good, good. Me? Oh just getting my shit kicked in by Physics and DE. No biggy.

But back to the chapter. So a lot of things happened. Luca has asked Senia out on an official date(after already doing the horizontal tango); we see what exactly happened to Squidville; we get the assailant's actual name, as well as a partner that he doesn't seem to agree with; Callie, Marie, and Inkay are heading to the bomb sight to investigate, Cereza and Matzuo have their first kiss; Cereza and Luca share a sibling moment that may seem a bit confusing. Don't worry, next chapter will explain it.

Speaking of next chapter, it will be a bit closer. It's going to be a complete flashback chapter, shedding some light on Cereza and Luca's relationship. I hope you're looking forward to it.

Welp, I have hw that I need to do now that I can't procrastinate it with this. Until next time.

Astalabyebye,

Bang