Hun could barely see who did that frightening laugh, but he didn't really feel like seeing the subject since he's getting scared.
"Well, well, well… are you enjoying this cage, friends?" A male voice asked.
"No… it can't be!" Grina said in shock.
"It looks like we have a traitor among us." Mirii said seriously.
"Stino! W-what's the meaning of this?! I thought that we were best buds!" Grina shouts in disbelief.
"So, all your babbling about revenge and such…" Ana starts guessing.
"A flat-out lie!" Nick shouts, getting mad.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! You kids are so naive! Did you really think that some cutesy-wootsy words would really change a person like that?!" Stoni explains, shouting a bit at the end.
Grina couldn't believe this: for the first time, her skill was shown to be utterly useless.
"Man, that's like fresh low! No, actually… it's just plain Stinky Rotten!" Bars complains.
"You'll not get away with this!" Enrick said while holding the cell's bars.
Suddenly, he got zapped by them! He quickly retreat while massaging his hands.
"Lil' bro!" Zira got worried and goes near him.
"Ooooh, I'm going to get away all right! I'll watch your last moments, soon!" Stoni did a malicious smile.
Everyone got a bad feeling about that last statement.
"W-what do you mean?!" Ana asked.
"Haaaahahahahaha! After we are done exploring this area, you'll take a nice little dive into our relaxing Poison Water." Stoni explained. "A type of water, much more dangerous than the usual one!"
Considering how Inklings can't stand the normal kind, the bad news brought great panic on everyone else.
"STONI! FREE US RIGHT IN THIS INSTANT!" Grina orders.
"Hmpf. I see you still think to be some kind of big shot, huh? Your shouting can't even scare mice."
"P-Please, Stoni… I still believe in you…" She starts begging him.
Stoni didn't say a word…
"… sniff… what an AWFUL performance!" Stoni starts laughing.
That phrase offended Grina at the point, she starts water her eyes a bit. Mirii leans her hand on Grina's left shoulder, trying to give some comfort.
"Ya like laughin', fat bullfish? The Squids aren't all in the fence!" Fara talks in a big manner.
"Fence? Aren't we in a prison?" Nick asked confused.
"She meant exactly that, Nick…" Ana shakes her head.
"Oh, that's right! Hunter! He's the only one out there!" Bars suddenly remembers.
"Yep! Big bro is gunna kick 'hat Sting of yers, faster than glazin' rainfire!"
"… eh eh eh eh, is the little girl talking about that Squid inside my female colleague?" Stoni asked.
"Huh?! What did ya just said?!" She looks at him, getting quickly worried even more.
"Ooooh, now I remember… actually, there are some updates!" Stoni grins.
"WHAT UPDATES?!" Mirii shouts, expecting nothing good from that.
"Good news, really: that woman barfed everything inside her stomach! That's… nothing but a lake of disgusting Orange ink!" Stoni explained.
Everyone felt like fainting, except Hun that is imagining the whole thing, since he still wasn't able to see the other Inklings.
"YOU'RE BLUFFING! WHY WE SHOULD BELIEVE IN YOU, AFTER ALL THE MESS YOU HAVE CAUSED?!" Grina was getting really desperate, almost crying.
"Ha! They wiped out all the Ink and no one was found under it! Your friend is probably watching you, from above! Haaahahahahahaha!"
Hun was hearing that laugh, starting to hurt him from the inside. He remembers how he tried to save his sister before, but he failed and got himself into trouble again. He feels so useless and weak, that the boy will never forgive himself. Unable to do anything to protect his sister and friends…
The emotional pain starts evolving into a strong desire. The desire to change. Yes, he doesn't want to be like this, anymore! Always running away, receiving help or hiding in fear. Especially the last one, since that's what he really did all this time, instead of rushing quickly and save everyone like a true hero would…
Hun didn't fully realize this yet, but his point of view was changing slowly: no more he feels scared or tired of the situation… instead, he becomes much more courageous than before, getting the urge to hug his sister as he never wanted before.
Instantly, he goes through the grate and falls down towards the ground at high speed. He becomes humanoid in mid-air to land on his feet.
SPLOM!
His loud landing was noticed by everyone: needless to say, all the Inklings call him with their founded nicknames.
"HUN!" Fara calls him out, crying from joy.
"All right, you freak! Free my friends and sister now!" Hun said pointing Stoni with his forefinger.
"Ooooh… what do we have here? The little scared Squid! So, you finally decide to get away from that air duct, right?"
"Y-YOU KNEW?!" Grina asked, knowing this the first time.
"Of course: he almost fell into a fan, before. Only his cap was sliced into pieces!" Stoni explained.
"H-he's right! Hun doesn't have that kyut cap, 'nymore…" Fara adds.
"So, you don't want to open that thing, is that correct?!" Hun shouts.
"This shouting will lead you to nowhere, kid! You're not scaring anyone with that." Stoni replied, followed by a short laugh.
"You think I'm joking, huh… not this time, you piece of squid." Hun looks right into his eyes. "I'M GOING TO SAVE THOSE GOOD PEOPLE, EVEN IF THIS WOULD COST MY LIFE!" He screamed that last phrase, with all the might he possess.
His friends were never that shocked about that outburst: Hun was feeling very different, in front of them… like he suddenly grows up, acting in a mature way. Mirii starts blushing a lot, leaving her mouth open and eyes a bit watery.
However, Stoni shakes his head.
"Poor kid… so much inner strength inside that little body… but alas, it has to end like this." He said in a serious voice. "Do you think you can really beat a Flyer? With just your puny Squid form?! Pfffff, haaaahahahahahaha! You stupid…! Very well: let's start this little game already! I can't wait to squash you, like an insignificant bug!"
Before Hun knows it, the battle starts now! Stoni starts diving towards the boy, which he evades after becoming a Squid and swim through his own Orange ink. Stoni got up in the air and starts looking down, seeing Hun inking the ground.
He tried diving again, getting a bit lower than before: this time, Hun jumped on his back while spinning. The stingray screamed in pain: he quickly performs a spin, getting the boy away from him. Hun crashed through a bunch of weapons, getting a bit hurt: after a quick recovery, only know the boy realizes to be in a very big Weapon Depot.
"Not bad, scrub! Let me get some bombs, now…!" Stoni said, as he was flying near an open container full of bombs.
"WATCH OUT, HUNRY!" Grina shouts to him. "HE'S GOING TO THROW BOMBS AT YOU!"
Unfortunately, he doesn't know what a bomb is… but that didn't stop him from being careful! Suddenly, bombs were flying towards Hun, which he quickly evades just in time: those explode loudly, covering the ground and even the ink into goo!
"Ha ha ha ha! Run, you pesky insect! Run for your life!" Stoni was taunting him.
Hun kept running away, while avoiding all the furniture and other similar obstacles in his way. The blows were damaging the area's elements, creating a big mess!
"IIII'M GOING TO GET YOU!" Stoni shouts with a sarcastic voice.
All the sudden, he turns back and performs a very high jump! At the highest peak, he dives while spinning getting faster and faster, reaching the monster with a huge blow! Because of that powerful move, Stoni falls down very quickly, with Hun pressing his back with the head.
SLAAAAAM!
The impact on the ground was very strong: Stoni almost loses his senses! Everyone was cheering a lot, for the boy! But once Hun jumps out, the monster attacks him with his long tail! The attack sends the boy rolling on the ground and then slamming against the metallic wall.
The before-optimistic atmosphere in the prison was becoming a vicious nightmare: the Inklings starts calling him, in an attempt to wake him up. Hun becomes humanoid again, getting up slowly: he was severely injured, especially on his right arm. He tried his best to not think about the pain, clenching his teeth as much as he can.
"Eh… eh… eh… you know… ugh, I'm actually… having fun… cough, cough!" Stoni said, while flying in air lower than usual, because of the pain he was suffering on the back.
Hun didn't say anything: he was looking at him, with the concentration of a ninja.
"I never faced… such a fighter… urgh, especially coming… from a pipsqueak, like you…"
"S-shut up… a-argh… w-we… g-gasp, we didn't finish… y-yet!" Hun said between his teeth, while crying in pain.
"Right… … LET'S FINISH THIS!" Stino dashes towards the boy, with all his energy!
He becomes a Squid and avoided the attack! Hun tried to attack back, but Stoni blocked it successfully. The boy didn't give up and keeps attacking more and more in many directions, trying to deal a big blow! Unfortunately, the stingray reads his next move and gives him a huge slap right on his body!
"NOOOOO!" Grina screams, reliving a bad experience.
"BUUUB!" Fara shouts as she was seeing Hun flying a bit and then laying on the ground.
"Haaaa… ha… ha… at the end… cough, you lose… good-for-nothing kid…" Stoni goes slowly near him.
"HUNLEY, GET UP PLEASE!" Mirii cries.
"HUNTER, COME ON PAAAL!" Bars yells.
"It's no use… he's done for… heh… eh eh… n-now… watch me… the greatest Flyer in history… eliminating this madkid!" Stoni announced as he lifts his right wing, with the intention to crush the boy.
Hun seems to be covering, while staying on the ground… and suddenly starts to shake.
"HASTA LA VISTA, SQUID!"
ZOOM!
The boy charged right into Stoni's stomach and pushes him towards a tall and big shelf, with all his strength! The impact was devastating: so much that the entire shelf fell down, along with all its weapons and other similar tools, on both of them. The crash was very loud and catastrophic: a good portion of the area, is completely destroyed in the process!
The Inklings backed up as much as they can, to avoid the disaster coming to them. Everyone cover themselves, hoping to survive. Then… silence. Nobody said anything after that pandemonium. Mirii was holding Fara tightly, looking down with the eyes closed.
She opens her right eye, looking at the consequences: the bars were broken! After realizing this, Mirii rushes away from it and starts calling Hun. She didn't receive any answers: desperate, she starts digging through the mess of weapons and other unidentified broken objects.
Soon after, everyone was searching around in silence.
"I FOUND HIM!" Enrick shouts.
Quickly everyone ran to Enrick: he pointed Hun laying on the ground in humanoid form, with his eyes closed.
"HUN!" Fara hugs him. "Please, don't go… not now… s-stay with us, PLEASE!"
Hun wasn't saying anything…
"H-Hun… please… HUUUUN!" She starts crying on his chest.
Everyone reacted in a different way, but they all were very sad. They couldn't believe that such ending would happen… especially to a boy like him.
"… … … F… … Fa… … Fara…"
She quickly rises her head, looking at her brother: Hun was slowly opening his eyes and starts moving just a tiny bit. That simple name he said, gave such hope to everyone!
"BROTHER!" She shouts, getting a big smile on her face.
"… nnnggghhh… m-my… head…" He said trying to get up, but Grina blocked him.
"You don't even dare…" She said.
"Uh… u-urgh… w… why…" He tried to ask.
"We're going out of this place, Hunry. You'll stay in Squid form, while I carry you with me." Grina explained.
"… b-but… I… hhhnnn, I can… do… t-this…"
"No, Hunley. We can't let you walk on your feet, like this…" Mirii explained.
"Yeah, man! I mean, just l-look at you Hunter…! So much… ink all around! No way, you're going to keep with us!"
"Want some candy?!" Zira, with her eyes open, shows Hun some candies.
"Zira!" Enrick got really upset over his sister.
"Sorry… I wanted to help…" Zira apologizes.
That scene reminded Mirii about something really important: she checks on her pockets, until the girl took out something similar to a candy. She opens it, with agile movement.
"Hunley, please… eat this candy." Mirii shows the candy to swallow.
"Mirii, what are you doing?!" Grina asked, with a tone of reproach.
"This is not an ordinary one: it's specifically created to give back some energy. I'm sure it'll be enough, before we get to the hospital."
Grina didn't say anything and let Mirii get near Hun.
"C'mon big bro! Eat that thin' for me!" Fara encourages her brother.
Hun opens his mouth and let the candy get inside it. He chews it loudly and then gulps it. Everyone waited for a bit.
"… I… feel better, now... thanks Mirii…" Hun said with a smile, while blushing a little bit.
She blushes a lot, while smiling back.
"Well, it's time to move then!" Grina did a loud clap.
"Wait, we need to recover our weapons first! They took them, while we were sleeping…" Enrick pointed that out.
"Oh gee, I wonder where those are…!" Grina does a fake thinking pose. "Maybe in this very same room?"
"But still we don't know their exact point." Ana replied.
"Hey, why we can't just pick up those weapons? They look pretty cool, too!" Nick suggested.
"Weapons that shoot nothing but goo… … ARE YOU AWAKE, IDIOT?!" Ana shouts.
"After that trip into Dreamland… guess not!" He laughs at it, while Ana did a facepalm in disappointment.
Mirii takes out her smartphone and starts checking on something.
"If the weapons are in this very room, then I'll find them with this." Mirii explained.
"S-she can track our weapons?!" Enrick asked, in shock.
"I can only track Inkinators weapons. I hope they are all in the same spot…"
Mirii localized the 3 weapons.
"Just as suspected! They are… over there!" Mirii points into a direction.
"Then, we better get ready for the REAL finale, guys!" Grina cheers up everyone.
"The great escape, I 'sume…" Fara tried to guess.
"Yep! It's going to be crazy, I can tell!"
"I hope you know how we're going to escape this giant flying machine." Enrick said, a bit worried.
"Don't worry... we will find a way, like usual!" Grina winks at him. "Now let's do this, team!"