Chapter 2: Reminiscent Moments in the Deep

Turf War: Walleye Warehouse

"Wow! Looks like today's turf war is getting brutal for the orange and purple teams," said Riva as she and her co-host Lumi watched the current turf war on commentary.

"You said it Riva. None of them seems to be holding back," said the bio-luminous inkling.

"If I didn't know anything about good sportsmanship, I'd say they're playing dirty," said Riva as the eight participants splatted ink about.

"Well, technically, there aren't any rules in turf war, are there?" said Lumi. "I'm just surprised that they aren't losing it at this point."

"Guys, get Maika to the centre of the stage. Make sure she keeps enough ink to launch the Tentamissiles," said the male inkling in the Purple Team.

"Sorry Hitto, this guy's got me backed into a corner. I need time to recharge but he wouldn't let me, said the female octoling teammate as she hid herself from a hareling roller. "Inkogen, you think you can handle it?"

"Don't worry Nana, I got this one. You go stop that roller Hitto!" said the female hareling, swimming through the ink as she searched for her teammate.

Meanwhile, Hitto ran around the boxes and crates that littered the area. Fortunately, just down the hallway, he found the octoling hostage and the roller trying his best to swing orange ink as far as possible.

'You try hard friend. But not hard enough,' he thought as he hurled a splat bomb just behind him.

The roller was focused at covering the turf and keep Nana at one spot. So it was predictable that he would notice the pyramidal ink bomb right there. With one swift move, he jumped hid in a nearby ink puddle he made.

But it gave Nana just enough time to run further into the warehouse.

"Smart move, squiddy," said the hareling as he rose from the mass of ink.

"Wish I could say the same thing for a guy who was trying to corner the one with the slosher," Hitto snarked.

"Well, it is still lethal. And I am still new to this thing. But at least I can use this…" said the hareling as he launched his sub: a seeker.

By that time, Maika and Inkogen were at the head of the battle. The hareling was swinging her inkhor while the inkling had to momentarily swim in ink to at least get enough ink on time. They were going against an inkling splatling and an octoling charger.

The inkling had shot a melee directly aimed at Maika. However, Inkogen had jumped in the way just in time to catch it and let her hide in ink for a while. She was thus splatted and back to the spawn point.

But just as the octoling had splatted the area Maika was swimming to, leaving her immobilized, two splashes of purple ink were enough to splat her back to the spawn point.

"What happened?" asked Inkogen as Nana splatted the trap puddle.

"The guy has to deal with Hitto now," said Nana as she and Inkogen handled the turf and the remaining opponents. "Don't you think it's time to launch the missiles?'

"I still need some more ink. You think you can hold them off a little longer?" asked the inkling's now warped voice in the puddle.

"HA! Watch me!" Nana boasted as her limbs grew into tentacles, rendering her in Kraken form, ready to act.

Hitto was still having the trouble of evading the seeker with one minute left. Although he tried to splat some turf as he ran, the crowded environment of the warehouse was making it harder and harder for him. If somehow, he could get the seeker to hit something else…

And given where he was, that idea was perfect to enact.

Up ahead was a crate, large and inkable. He had to make it, no matter how fast the seeker was gaining up on him. When he was close enough, he shot the crate, morphed into a squid and bounced high off of it as the seeker crashed into the crate under him.

Hitto safely landed on another crate just in time to see purple ink rain from the skies in form of splashing blobs. Looking ahead, he saw his three teammates, Maika's Tentamissiles being the source of the fire.

A minute smirk grew on his face. This was sure win…

GAME!

"Now that was a turf war. Wouldn't wanna mess with those guys!" said Riva as they awaited the results on the screen.

"Yes but there has to be only one better team in the end," said Lumi as Judd and his tiny look alike prepared the results on screen.

"And the winner is…"

…

Judd fell.

"Team Purple!" Coralstar shouted s confetti fell from the ceiling of the studio.

"What a match. I wonder if they're alright," said Lumi.

"Given what everybody saw, I can say they've seen worse," said Riva as stastistics rolled through the screen. "But let's give a special mention to the harelings in this match. They really gave it their all!"

"To be honest, we'd be rambling all day. So as we wait for the next match, that's it for now," said Lumi. "Until next time…"

"Reach for the stars!"

"And CUT!"

"Man, that was intense though, don't you think?" said Squishy the sea cucumber as Lumi set him on the nearby chair.

"You're telling me. I nearly screamed back there," said Riva, taking a cup of coffee offered by a crew member.

Watching as Lumi was delved into her phone for the third time skimming through messages, she was too curious to ignore.

"Hey Lumi, any text you're waiting for? Because your bubble tea is getting cold and usually, that doesn't happen before you finish it," the cuttlefish asked as she took a sip from the foam cup.

"Yeah. Onyo said she was coming back from their tour," said the inkling, eyes fixed on the screen. "She said she would text me by the time they get to Inkopoli-"

"Wait, you mean your sister Onyo?" asked Riva, just after spitting her coffee.

"Yes," said Lumi.

"From Hadal Zone?"

"Yes,"

"The Hadal Zone?"

"There is no other Riva…" said Squishy, getting exhausted by the river of questions.

"EEEEEE! That means we should throw a party for them!" Riva squealed.

"Riva, pull yourself together. Please?" Lumi insisted.

"Don't worry Lumi. I'm fine. Good thing the next match is our last for the day. They need a well-deserved homecoming party after all that travelling," Riva remembered.

"Riva, don't you think that would be a bit…much?" asked Squishy as he and Lumi sweatdropped.

"Squishy, I see what you mean by that but we would be selfish if we didn't celebrate the return of the iconic band that has spent a whole month around the world, probably exhausted from all the singing and rocking the stage. I wouldn't live with myself!" Riva said sympathetically.

"She really wants to see him," Squishy whispered to Lumi as Riva continued to ramble about the necessities for the party.

"That's Riva for you…" said Lumi with a friendly chuckle for her co-host.

"My cod, that is enough turf war for this week," said Maika as they left the lobby with their prize money in hand, back in their original colors.

"Nana, I'm seriously hoping you don't need any more money for your new laptop," Hitto reminded the inkling, albeit with a whisper to avoid attention. "I might not be as quick as I was today."

"Nope. This is perfect," said Nana as she was already imagining the laptop in front of her.

"You're dreaming of laptops. I'm still trying to figure out how to use a phone," said Inkogen.

"I thought your species was advanced in technology," said Maika.

"The phones were a lot more simple than this. And what is it with people thinking were all geniuses?" Inkogen asked as she examined her phone; rectangular with two antenna-like extensions on the two top corners.

"Well you are the ones who invented cryogenic hibernation," said Nana.

"Wait, that's not normal for the same people who can make air-floating blocks?" asked a confused Inkogen.

"And yet our species is known for once oversleeping in the middle of a war," said Hitto in a deadpan.

"Hey, we got over it, didn't we?" said Maika.

"Quit talking about that. If Hachi were here, would be ashamed," Nana scolded.

"Wait, where is Hachi?" asked Inkogen.

"He said he was at headquarters today," said Maika.

"Not anymore. I called Callie just before the match," said Nana. "She said he's already left about an hour ago."

"Well, try calling him again," Hitto suggested as the octoling pulled out her phone and dialed Hachi's phone number.

The four secret agents stood in silence among the happy residents of Inkopolis, each wondering where Hachi could be at the moment. Then…

"It's on voicemail. He never ignores my calls," said Nana as her worries increased.

'I'm sure he just doesn't have his phone at the moment. It shouldn't be anything serious," Inkogen reassured.

"I guess you're right. I need to get my mind off of this. I should go by that laptop," said Nana as she turned to a different path.

"OOH! Let me go with you. I wanna be the first to see it!" the hareling insisted.

"Sure. Let's go," said Nana.

"Quuvi!" Inkogen squealed as she pulled the octoling deeper into the hotspot.

"So, I have I think I'm gonna go eat. You coming with?" asked Maika.

"Actually-" Hitto was to say before a beep went off on his phone. Upon checking, there happened to be a message from Hachi.

Meet me at Inkopolis Square. Come alone.

"I'm not hungry. I guess we'll meet later at headquarters," he said as Maika nodded before running for the café across the bay.

Now being the only one left, he ran for the spawn point which led to Squidbeak HQ; the one place that linked the Bay, Square and Plaza together.

Hachi had been wandering around the nearly empty city for a long while now, almost aimlessly. In all honesty, he felt tied to the place that had kept him for a year before he moved to the Bay.

After the nightmare he went through with Tartar, he was happy that he was free. For a short time. Even after he met Hitto and the rest of the Squidbeak Splatoon, he had never felt any more alone. There was so much he had to learn. He was scared that he was never gonna make it. Then he met Nana.

She was innocent, just like him at the time. She didn't know which weapon was perfect for her, what gear suited her, or even if she was good for turf wars (she wasn't such a skilled soldier as she remembered her life during hypnosis).

When they became friends, they managed to help each other through the progression. Thanks to Hachi, Nana's signature weapon was the Quad-coil which became a recently upgraded shooter during the transition. Hachi himself also became more outgoing and now, they were just like normal people in town.

After all of that, he couldn't help but believe fate made her become Agent 7.

His smile faded as he stumbled upon a familiar place; the blocked subway. Memories reeled in of the testing stations and the primordial ooze that flooded everywhere, the fight with Hitto and the fact that the world ended up depending on him.

But not everything about Deepsea Metro was terrible. The Denizens of the Deep were great people once he got to know them. It was the fact that they wanted to stay down there after their freedom. He couldn't blame them. It was their home.

Like Inkopolis Square was his…

"Figured I'd find you here..."

Hitto. He's arrived.

"That was fast," said the octoling as he sat upon the barricade.

"So why did you hang up on Nana?" asked Hitto. "She was worried after you didn't pick up."

"I needed some time alone. But then after a while, I guessed it would be best to talk to someone," Hachi admitted.

"But why me?" asked Hitto as he sat next to him.

"Because right now…" said Hachi as he looked back at the entrance to the abandoned subway, "You're the only one I could relate to."

"Have you ever thought of going back to see them?" asked Hitto.

"Yeah but whenever I just think about it, I end up remembering that lunatic. I only hope they don't think I forgot about them," said Hachi.

"They know you haven't. And about going down there, why don't we go down there tonight after patrol hours," Hitto suggested. "You could tell them you stories from up here. Who knows? They might change their minds about staying here."

"I…I guess so. That may not be such a bad idea." Hachi thought.

"Then we're set. We'll meet here right here to pay the Denizens a visit. Just the two of us," said Hitto as another beep went off both of their phones.

"Looks like we have to get to Headquarters. I'm glad we had this talk," said Hachi as they stood up.

"Me too. So, I heard you're getting a new CQ-80," Hitto reminded.

"Custom-made. I can't wait for you to see it," said Hachi. "It's a real surprise."

"That's what you said about the 'new' ink tanks," Hitto boredly replied.

"I'm telling the truth this time. It'll be great,"

"I swear, if I don't like it, I'll stick your charger up your-"

"Trust me, Hitto. That's not gonna happen. Besides, I kicked yours that one time."

"I was hijacked in the brain. That doesn't count."

"You were stronger then. It counts for me."

"Are you calling me weak?!"

"Oh cod!"

And as Hachi ran as fast as possible from the enraged inkling, they jumped into the spawn point making their way to Squidbeak HQ.

End Chapter