July 20th, 2019 -

Waiting for more players...

As you wait in the splatfest terminal, the lobby's music becomes increasingly more distorted. Your breath syncs with the bizarre noise and mimics an unsettling static sound.

Callie's voice snaps you back to reality. "It's 11:57," Callie mumbles. "We have to make this last match count."

You've already battled your way through a plethora of deadly rounds. A stingray wiped out your fleet in Port Mackerel, the Kelp Dome was transformed into paint wonderland through torpedos and splat bombs, and team order was utterly decimated by a volley of jet squelchers in the Goby Arena.

Callie catches her breath on the side. In the previous game, she was almost crushed by a rampaging ultra stamp. "You need to be more careful and less reckless," she gasps. "We can't win by rushing in head-on — we have to be more strategic. Although I must confess, your sheer courage is quite impressive," Callie affirms playfully.

"How about you take an offensive approach and replenish the Booyah Bomb, and I'll take a more defensive route and assemble the Squid Beacons," Callie proposes. After Callie communicates her plan, four members from Team Order enter the ring. It's Battle Time! The screen fades to black, and you warp to the battlefield.

Turf War

Ink the most turf to win!

Moray Towers

You spawn in the base and ready your Kensa Splattershot Pro. Callie wields her custom pair of Dapple Dualies. "Where did our other teammates go?" Callie queries. "Did they already disconnect?" The opposing forces are all clothed in high-quality Grizzco gear. You and Callie clasp each other's hands and take a deep breath.

Ready...

GO!

You and Callie jet down the steep skyscrapers into the misty fog. The opposite team mirrors your descent, barrelling into the concrete abyss. You confront the other group in the center of the stage, one player charges his Heavy Splatling and releases a barrage of ink bullets.

"Get down." Callie jumps on top of you and pushes you to the ground. As she straddles your chest, her breasts accidentally brush against your face. Callie's cheeks exhibit a rosy shade of red, and an awkward silence pervades the area.

All of a sudden, a silver pellet grazes her jawbone. Callie hastily shifts her attention back to the competition.

"Come out already; we don't have all day," The team's leader commands.

Callie lobs a suction bomb over the barrier, but the blast misses its mark. She leans close to your body, "How are their weapons so fast, and how are they not out of ink yet?" She frantically questions. "This isn't looking good for us. We have to find an opening in their defense." She mutters.

A Tenta Missile target forms around you and Callie. "It looks like we don't have a choice," Callie begrudgingly admits. You both charge out of cover and rush at the small battalion of ink brushes and paint rollers. Callie evades a swarm of ink-flings and fires a few precise shots at the enemy. You deliver a slide tackle to the ink brush wielder and seize the abandoned brush. You sling the weapon towards the other players, forcing the team to fall back and reload their ammo. "Now we have the upper han-

There's a sniper, watch out," Callie alerts.

Suddenly, a yellow light flickers on your jacket, and with the pull of a trigger, you respawn at the base. You race to the edge of the tower and overlook an alarming sight. Callie is surrounded by four of the opposition troops. This wasn't looking good, and you couldn't afford to lose the position. In a desperate last-ditch effort, you splat any ink-able surfaces in the area. As team order slowly circles in on Callie, you fire bullets in a spinning frenzy, gradually building up your ink gauge. Once fully energized, you reap the award of a Booyah Bomb.

You rocket into the sky and conceive a round ball of ink from your fingertips.

Callie cheers with multiple Booyahs from a distance.

You launch the acrylic hurricane into the arena. The adversaries scatter from the middle. As their squadron is distracted, you escape with Callie into the other team's fortress. "Super Jump on my signal," Callie pronounces. You give her a quick nod after you notice her newly constructed Squid Beacon.

"They're getting away, after them," The leader growls.

You catapult your body up the ramps as your chased by the unit of riflemen. Climbing walls and buildings, the air becomes thicker the higher you ascend, and more static noise crowds your hearing.

"Pull him out of there," C exclaims.

Error Code 67251461278

The virtual set disappears. You remove the headset from your face and cough up a puddle of blood. "Oh no, you too," C utters. "Just sit tight Agent 4; the medical staff is already on its way," C reassures. You take a deep breath and clasp your hand tightly. You fasten the device around your ears again and reenter the simulation.

"What are you doing Agent 4? I gave you orders," C announces. You ignore his incessant babbling and proceed to turn on the system's power.

"Wait, guards leave him. I want to see where this goes."

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You and Callie reach the foes spawn point.

"End of the line," The leader smirks.

"Wait a minute," Callie interjects. "Where did you get those weapons? Are they even legal?" She inquiries.

The gang grins, "Let's just say some generous individuals supplied us with them."

The clock reaches the thirty-second marker, and the enemy group prepares their weapons for a flurry rush.

"Now," Callie sounds.

Callie unleashes a suction bomb blitz at the rival faction. You and her then Super Jump back to a well-positioned Squid Beacon in the center of the map. The other team struggles to get their bearings. It seems the explosive assault has mortified them. You and Callie spray the pavement like a blank canvas, covering any un-inked turf.

"One more paint bullet for good luck," Callie remarks.

Suddenly, a swell of caution tape strings across the field. The words Stop Battling appear on the face of the ribbon. Judd immediately tallies up the scores between the two sides. Good Guys vs. Bad Guys. Judd pauses for suspense and continues to pull out a brown flag from behind his back.

45.6% to 45.4%

Victory! Let the confetti fly. "I can't believe it we beat them," Callie says, as she stands in absolute shock. She promptly sticks her tongue out at the other team. "Usually, I don't condone bad sportsmanship, but this is different."

You withdraw the VR equipment.

"That was an extremely eventfully match Agent 4, but I don't see how that information was useful to us. Unless you think Callie straddling you is vital information," C teases.

You comb through the machine's data files and rewind to the time you obtained to opponent's paintbrush. You pause the screen and attempt to decipher the tool's branding. You notice a tag between the bristles.

Property of...

SHARK enterprises