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Light poles were illuminating the sidewalks and the streets. From the apartments located to the left, some windows were showing light on, many others were filled with darkness. Occasionally some medium-size car, sometimes small-size were going at high speed on the right-side of the road, which had a continuous white line in the middle.
Mirii on the front, she kept her face ahead, with her eyebrows a little lowered: her tentacles gently waving around, once in a while caressing her hands. Her stomach quietly grumbles: her mouth wobbles a bit. Her legs were burning, her feet made her yelp mentally.
"Ehm… Mirii…" Bars walks closer to her right side.
She turns her head over him, as the view stumbled a little: the boy was slightly bended forward with his back, as his eyebrows were raised up.
"What's it, Bars…?" She sighs lowly.
"Can we stop for a moment? Like, I need some urgent privacy space…" His hands were down.
Mirii stops, frowning a little, feeling some pain on her shoulders.
"Of all the moments…!" She slowly clenches her fists. "You had all this time to get your services down in a bathroom!"
"Mirii, please!" Grina clasped her hands, raising her eyebrows. "Let him go for a second! He can't use his weapon properly like this!"
The girl breathes loudly, as her lungs were hurting at each second. Her view was getting slightly blurry.
"The Stingrays could decide to do bad things at Hunley… if we keep wasting our time like this, it'd be too late to rescue him!" Her stomach grumbles a little louder.
Mirii… stop moving for now.
"What?!" Mirii turns her head to her left. "Why such nonsensical command?!"
Don't lie to me… my computer isn't just good at revealing other's positions. Since you three are wearing the Hero Suit, my computer can also scan your health and emotional status.
"… really?" Grina holds her left ear cover.
Yes. You and Bars are fine, but Mirii seriously need a temporarily rest…
"NO!" Mirii raises her eyebrows. "NO! I REFUSE RESTING IN THE MIDDLE OF A MISSION!"
Mirii, calm down! Don't let the stress get the best of you. Relax…
Mirii keeps shaking her head.
"I… I'll go ahead…" She steps forward.
If you disobey my orders, I'll cut you down points.
"Argh!" Mirii stops instantly, gritting her teeth.
Her back was burning a little, her legs even more: she yelps in a whisper.
Good. Trust me… the pain will go away in a moment, thanks to the technology of this suit.
"The… the technology of this suit…?" Mirii rests her hands on her knees, breathing widely, as she bends down.
Don't move now, ok? You'll see…
Her right eyebrow raises up a bit. Seconds were passing: Bars was walking from the left, getting away from a small wall. Suddenly, Mirii's legs were flowing with tons of energy, same for her feet. She moves her shoulders a lot faster, together with her back: the girl widely smiles.
"What's happening to me? I feel so full of energy!" She closes her eyes.
Eh eh! That's one of the secret abilities this special suit possess! You should all thank Mr. Tarfo, since he insisted so much about research and development on those accessories.
"Hey, hey!" Grina smiles too. "I never seen Mirii this happy! Shall we throw a party later?"
"A party!" Mirii turns behind, frowning a lot. "Why are you always thinking about having fun?! Focus on the mission already!"
… there it goes her happiness…
"She's going to recover soon from that, right?" She moves her palms back and forth in front of Mirii, as a large sweat drop appears on her forehead's right side.
Well… not really. Long story short, Mirii's Hero Suit needs at least 45 minutes before her body can instinctively request another instant medical treatment.
"Aaaah… well, at least she doesn't need to sleep on the sidewalk." Grina chuckles a bit.
"Hmpf." Mirii turns around, as a small breeze moved her tentacles on her left. "You better watch your back from those Stingrays or else you'll desperately need your suit's medical equipment."
Are you ready to proceed now? The Moray Towers are 200 yards away from your current position.
"Man, like we got there faster than a speeding bullet!" Bars grins, as his wrists rest on his stomach's sides.
"It wasn't too distant from the movie theater in the first place." Mirii moves her legs ahead. "Now, Tonna…"
Yes?
"Can you give us more information about the upcoming location? Or even an update about the situation." Mirii's eyes move a little up.
Well, they seem to have changed their positions: there are less Stingrays on the top now.
"Heh! Maybe they are like, giving up and going home!" Bars chuckles, while closing his eyes.
"Not so fast, big boy!" Grina lies her left arm on his shoulder, as she sticks out her tongue. "How about some secret Spy is trying to mess around with Miss FreeInformation?"
Miss FreeInformation?!
"Oh come on… it isn't really a bad nickname!" The girl grins wide.
"It's a mockery, Grina." Mirii keeps looking ahead, while walking. "In this situation I wouldn't lower my guard down and dive into a fantasy realm."
Mirii, what are you saying now…?
"Tonna, can you please check the top of the Moray Towers again? If you can also focus on the majority of the area, instead of just counting"
Ah! I found something extremely important!
"Speak!" Mirii lowers her eyebrows.
Silence followed up for several seconds.
I… uhm… I don't know exactly what I'm looking at…
"Tonna, we are almost at the entrance."
Mirii is seeing a tall, thin white tower with each small window showing a white light. Behind, a much larger and taller tower, very close to an almost identical one. No light was pointing on its sides. Around the towers, iron fences extending all around the two buildings, each with an pointy iron rail head shapely similar to a rhombus.
Sorry! There is something very weird on the ground… but I can't see exactly what that is, since the area is too dark. However, no Stingray creatures are around it… and I'm sure someone was standing earlier right where that… that thing was.
"In other words, just recently the unidentified material appeared on it." Mirii looks at each window.
Precisely. Something tells me that the Stingray creatures stopped for another reason.
"Eh eh… something tells me we don't even need Stealth to get in this flying ship." Grina smiles, closing her eyes.
Suddenly, a scream echoes through the ears of the trio: they all shivered.
"It came from the entrance!" Mirii accelerates.
"Whoa girl, wait! Why are you running?!" Bars was right behind the girl, as Grina reaches his left side.
"Isn't it already obvious?! Something terrible is going on in there! We must reach the towers at once!" Mirii's irises rest on the right side of her eyes.
Another scream came out: Mirii swallows as her forehead was covered in sweat. All the sudden, a dark figure ran from an open rectangular hole to the right.
"HEY YOU!" Mirii turns her head to the right, as she holds the trigger of her weapon. "STOP IN THE NAME OF THE LAW!"
The trio stopped… seeing nothing but darkness.
"Sure thing this suit doesn't have an infrared eyes feature!" Grina folds her arms. "Was that thing a Stingling…?"
"Correct!" Mirii turns around, seeing the girl. "We must chase the villain down, before the criminal could be anywhere in this city!"
Be careful, Inkinators! Someone else is coming from the entrance!
Mirii frowns, as she points over the rectangular hole ahead. Out of it, two Stinglings were out: a male and a female. The male was resting his right hand on his left arm.
"STOP YOU TWO!" Mirii points her weapon, while her right eye was looking through the scope.
The two Stingling turn around, as the male was stumbling a little backwards. Grina and Bars rush near them, each with their weapons thrust forward. The girl points her weapon from the right side of the Stingray creatures, while the boy lift his weapon standing on their left side.
"One wrong move and you will fly right back in your stinky ship!" Grina sticks out her tongue, as it stands on her mouth's left side.
The female raises her hands.
"No hurting! No hurting!" Her eyes were watery. "We deep trouble!"
"Yeah sure! Words said by criminals holding hostages!"
"No more hostages!" The woman shakes her head, looking at each Inkling. "Monster… monster is out!"
"Ha ha! Good one, ignorant!" Grina chuckles. "Like if you weren't monsters from the very beginning!"
"… insolents…" The man lowers his head. "You… followed Stingrays… you thought… we hostages have…"
"I also thought you all knew how to talk!" Grina lowers her eyebrows, smiling. "Now, how about you gently get on the nice fence there and drop down all your weapons?"
"WE… NOT… WEAPONS IN HANDS!" He raises his head, frowning and gritting his teeth. "INCIDENT! HOSTAGES ALL ESCAPE!"
"Ah… aaaaah! I see it now!" Grina nods. "It looks like Hunry found another"
"Noooooo!" The woman keeps sobbing.
She falls on her knees, as her hands cover her eyes: tears were crossing between her fingers, her sobs echoes throughout the area. Grina downturns her mouth, raising her eyebrows.
"… wh-what's up with her…?" She lowers her weapon.
The man shakes her head, lowering it.
"… Hun… bad… name… all…" He whispers.
"You… you just said that Hun is a bad name?" Bars scratches the back of his head, as his head tilts upwards and one of his eyebrows lower. "Wha…?"
"He… cause!" He lifts his head. "He… responsible!"
"Responsible for what?! What's going on now?!" Grina grits her teeth.
"Away… is he… fear… … fear." His eyes were getting watery.
Grina turns her head over Mirii: she was walking near everyone, with her eyebrows raised.
"Mirii… I don't know you, but something is not right here."
"... Tonna, can you see this right now?" Mirii lowers her weapon.
Yes, I can. Getting closer to the building, allowed my computer to send me more details. I'm actually shocked by the results…
"You mean…?" She holds her right ear cover.
Silence followed for three seconds.
Only 4 Stingray creatures are around the place.
"4?!" Mirii expands her eyes.
"So… they weren't saying lies…?" Grina looks at the man.
"Dude! Speak to us!" Bars clenches his fists. "What happened in that ship?!"
The man sobs faintly, the woman keeps crying.
"… monster… monster…" He whispers.
Tears were coming down from his eyes.
Inkinators! The computer scanned another living being!
"WHERE?!" Mirii looks down-right.
It's… walking in your direction…
Mirii raises her head, standing there for a second: she turns it left, seeing Bars looking to her right. She twists her head to the right… seeing the same shadowy figure appeared before. The shape seems that of an Inkling.
"Hey… wait a moment…!" Grina squeezes her eyes a little. "Isn't he"
"HUNLEY!" Mirii smiles.
Walking closer to the light, Hun appeared in front of the trio: he was smiling, as a little scratch was left on his left cheek. Mirii dashes, while opening her arms: a loud scream stop her on her tracks. She turns behind, seeing the woman walking behind the man, trembling like a leaf.
"MONSTER!" Her left forefinger points at… Hun. "MONSTER!"
Mirii left her mouth open.
"Mirii… what's going on?" Hun raises his eyebrows.
The girl twists ahead.
"I don't know, Hunley… do you know?"
The boy lowers his head, as he scratches the back of his head.
"Beats me…"
Mirii frowns a little.
"You… don't remember a thing?"
"Yeah, that." He sighs. "It's so frustrating not remembering everything…"
Grina and Bars walk near the other two Inklings.
"You don't remember something that happened right before? That's… a little odd, actually." Grina opens her arms slightly.
"Odd…?" He looks at the girl.
"Yep!" She smiles. "I thought you had a better memory than that!"
"Heh! That's sure my bane of existence!" He chuckles. "So… what are you going to do with those two Stinglings…?"
"I don't know dude… maybe arrest them?" Bars looks over Grina.
"Yeah, seems alright." The girl nods, folding her arms. "I mean, they could still hide important details from us… although I wanted to find the fatty."
"You mean the captain?" Hun smiles. "Last time I saw him was inside that dreadful ship! Is it still there?"
"I think it may be indeed!" Grina grins. "What do you say Tonna, old pal?"
The ship is still there. Inkinators, I heard other agents confirming that other hostages may still be inside…
"Other hostages there? Time to be a real hero, then!" She throws a fist in the air.
"Yeah, man! More action!" Bars stomps the floor.
"Wait just a second, you two…"
Grina and Bars look over Mirii: her eyes were closed. She opens them, as they were pointing at Hun.
"Hunley… before we go inside that ship…"
"Yes?" He smiles.
"… could you please tell us, what you remember exactly from the previous events?"
The boy opens his mouth.
"Huh?!"
"Eh? Mirii…?" Grina raises one of her eyebrows.
"Please, be honest with us…" She kept the same face.
"Uh… huh?! Wh-what do you mean…?" He slightly expands his eyes.
"… please, Hunley…" Her eyes were getting watery, whispering "Don't lie to me…"
"Wait! Wh-where did you get that crazy idea I would lie to you?! You know I'd never do that to my friends!" He frowns a little.
Mirii sighs loudly.
"Now, how did you call those Stingray creatures, before…?"
"… Stingray creatures?" He shows his teeth, while smiling.
"Wrong. You called them Stinglings." She frowns a little.
"Ah… did I…?" Sweat forms on his forehead.
That's true: I remember it too. What are you trying to AH!
"Tonna?! Wh-what's up now?" Grina bends forward, clenching her right fist.
"She found out the inconsistency, Grina. Which is… how he remembers so clearly, the name of a Stingray species he couldn't hear before?"
"ARGH!" Hun expands his eyes, gritting his teeth, as he lies his hands on his head.
"Ehm… what's up with Hunter now…?" Bars raises his right eyebrow.
"… didn't you realize it yet, Bars?! Just look at his face!" Grina frowns a lot, pointing at the boy.
Sweat was coming down from his forehead, his mouth was trembling.
"Whoa, wait… like, are you telling me that Hunter… lied?!" He expands his eyes.
"HUNLEY!" Mirii frowns, as a tear from her right eye fell down. "WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS?! WHY ARE YOU HIDING IMPORTANT INFORMATION FROM US?!"
"Eeeeehhhhmmmm…" He looks around, twiddling his forefingers, as sweat keeps falling from his forehead. "weeelll… that's… ah! Ehm… that's because I just remembered everything!" He raises his right forefinger, smiling.
"… so?" Mirii folds her arms.
"The stuff I remember! It's so scary, that my mind didn't have the courage to remember all the details! You see… the ship was suddenly attacked by a monster! Well, that's the thing everyone kept saying"
"Those two Stinglings reported that the monster in question… was you." She raises her eyebrows.
"Bah!" He frowns a little, sticking out his tongue, moving his right hand down. "And you believe them like that? Their testimony is not bullet-proof in the least!"
Silence fell for several seconds: the Inklings kept looking at Hun. He lowers his eyelids, his mouth downturns, as he taps the floor while folding his arms.
"Now what?!" He opens his arms. "Why you are all so silent now?!"
"… should I even mention it…?" Mirii lowers her eyelids. "I'm actually curious to know how exactly you know the meaning of bullet-proof."
"The mean… AH!" He expands his eyes... but then, he shrinks them back. "No wait… why is that evidence against me?! I knew the meaning, since dad kept saying it!"
"Oh yeah? Your dad that doesn't even own a weapon inside your house…?" Grina smiles, folding her arms.
"Dude, your father doesn't know many things… like you." Bars lifts his weapon.
"Wrong, Bars." Mirii shakes her head.
"Ha! See?! I know my father better than"
"He's not Hunley. Not even in the least…" She closes her eyes, folding her arms.
The wind passes near the Inklings, loudly.
"… actually, I could already tell he wasn't Hunley in the first place."
"How…?" Hun lowers his head.
"Your personality… Hunley would never fall this low. He'd be ashamed to even thinking about talking to his friends like this!" Mirii stretches her arms, folding her fists. "Reveal yourself, fiend! Show us your true identity!"
"NO! NO! AWAY RUN!" The female Stingling picks the male from the back of his shirt, pulling him inside the building.
Grina and Bars walk backwards a little, Mirii standing in her place.
"… eh eh eh eh… EH EH EH EH."
Mirii gasps, backing away quickly. Hun coughs loudly: his voice was now much lower in pitch.
"Miss Mirii, I assume… so, what was your wish? My true identity…? Eh eh eh…"
Suddenly, he raises his face: his irises were pitch black, much smaller than before. His smile was wide, his teeth extremely pointy… his Orange color was slowly getting covered in black, starting from the top of his forehead.
Mirii lies her hand in front of her mouth, as her irises shrunk a little. She was trembling a lot. Grina cocks her weapon, Bars grasps his Roller tighter. Hun's skin got paler, as his color was now completely black. He bows down, slowly.
"There. This is the true me." He raises his head, smiling while showing his teeth.
Mirii shakes her head, lightly.
"You… no… yo-you can't be Hunley…" She whispers.
"Hunley… you mean that pathetic weaker version you knew before?" He stands up.
"Weaker version?!" Grina frowns a lot. "You can't seriously suggesting that"
"Grina, he transformed into this black monster before! When he was fighting someone…" Mirii holds the trigger of her weapon.
"Aaaah, yes… the stupid kid was almost losing conscious that time. That was the start of my rise… eh eh eh!" He lifts himself, standing close to the ground.
"WHAT ARE YOU, DUDE?!" Bars lowers his eyelids, thrusting his weapon forward.
"I'm someone you should always give the greatest respects…! I'm the one who will save your lives! I'm the better version of that old, goofy excuse of a Squid! Meet your newest, freshest friend: JONATHAN!" He raises his arms.
"Jonathan…?" Mirii looks up.
"You better remember it, baby!" He winks at her with his right eye.
Mirii expands her eyes, leaving her mouth open.
"Wow… my fists seriously can't wait to give you some good ol' one and two!" Grina cracks her knuckles.
"Like, I'm gonna send you to the nearest hospital." Bars raises his weapon.
"Bah… envious has never been so big! Very well! I'm going to stop those idiots up there, while you chill out here like statues, ok?" Jonathan looks up.
"WHERE'S HUNLEY?!" Mirii sobs loudly. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"
Suddenly, Jonathan lowers his head: his eyebrows raise and his mouth downturns.
"… Mirii…" He stretches his right arm in her direction… before retreating it back. "NO, NO! YOU IDIOT, STAY INSIDE AND DON'T MOVE AN INCH! I DESERVE THE FREEDOM!"
He starts shaking his head violently. The boy fell on ground, rolling around. The trio stood there, their eyes expanded. The boy starts crying.
"HELP! HELP ME, MIRII! HELP!" He coughs loudly, holding his head. "… eh eh eh… he's still alive… and he'll be forever inside the mind…! Now, if you excuse me… I have a ship to destroy once and for all!"
Jonathan flies up, towards the top of the building. Mirii turns around, sprinting over the rectangular hole: tears kept coming down from her eyes.