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The woman's arms opened a bit.
"Why you are making such face? I never attacked anyone…"
"You are floating!" Mirii frowned, as her head lowered. "That's enough to make anyone react in the same way!"
"… so you are thinking that I'm a ghost, aren't you?" The woman's head rose.
"Ghosts do not exist!" Mirii's right forefinger pointed at the woman. "You must be using some kind of secret technology." Her arms folded.
"Yes and no." The woman kept her posture. "I'm not using any technological device at the moment… although this phenomenon was a product of one."
Mirii's irises shrunk.
"Wait… then means, someone did this to you?!" She bended forward.
"… hmpf." The woman's nose rose. "You wanted to kick me first and now you want to know more about my past?" She turns behind. "I do not talk with people who disrespect me."
"N-no, wait!" Mirii's left arm stretched forward, her left hand opened, sweat jumped out of her head and her eyebrows were up. "I-I wasn't really sure wh-what your intentions are…"
"… I only talk about me with friends." She returns looking at Mirii, showing a downturned mouth. "They are the only ones who can understand my inner passion for science…"
"Passion?" Mirii's head tilted to her right a bit. "But you are a scientist aren't you? There should be plenty of people"
"Those scientists… who like seeing Squids suffering?" The woman's head shakes slowly. "No, that's not what science is all about… nor it's an endless search for money."
Mirii's mouth opened wide.
"They make Squids… suffer?" Her eyes were blinking. "Bu-but"
"Science is about the understanding of the mechanics." The woman's head lowered, as her right fist rested on her chest. "Seeing how the magic works… so scientists would become scientific magicians and impress the whole world with their scientific skills."
Mirii's eyebrows were up. Her mouth was sealed.
"… I-I can't hold this… … I was quiet for the last 50 years." The woman starts trembling. "… today it would be the moment, where my revenge will finally begin…"
"Revenge…?" Mirii's right eyebrow rose. "What's going on now? She seems… changed somehow."
"… you don't want to be my friend? Fine. I'll accept this." The woman's head rose. "But you are the only person who can finally listen to my words. I don't know why, you have such ability… but I'm using my only chance to talk with someone, after being the asocial I was labeled for 50 years ago."
"You don't look anything like 50 years old…" A sweat drop appears on the right side of Mirii's head.
"That's because my youth was preserved thanks to a machine… which I do not know where it is. But that's not important…" The woman shakes her head. "The scientists working here, though… I hate them. Every single one of them." Her face grimaces. "Even after that incident, Squids here are working as if nothing happened. They still throw dirt at Science's reputation…"
"And you want me to arrest them?" Mirii's head rose, as her arms folded.
"No. They deserve to be experimented in the same way as they did with all the cavies… that's my revenge." Her right hand lifted her long fringe, as her black irises were staring at the girl.
Mirii's eyes expanded.
"You can't be serious…"
The woman's eyebrows lowered.
"If you were my friend, you would understand my position… and also prove how I wasn't that asocial Squid everyone keep talking about." Her eyes squeezed. "Unfortunately, the only person who can see me happens to be even more asocial than myself."
"That's false!" Mirii's left forefinger points at the woman. "it's just your ideas of revenge are the same ones you are against!"
"My revenge is nothing more than a lesson." Her eyes were slightly watery. "I-I was expecting to be surrounded by Squids who could see Science in the same way as I do. Instead, I saw the most horrifying experiments in existence… th-the same scientists were all monsters who kept calling me asocial and laughing at the idea that Squid cavies should be treated with more respect!"
The woman took a deep breath.
"... one day… they were all near that machine… some were even inside it. I was assigned another lab, but… I-I couldn't resist… hearing that asocial word and those laughs were making me pulling my own tentacles. I… I infiltrated inside that lab and took over the control panel. The machine starts functioning… … blowing its ray throughout the lab." Her head turned down-right.
"So, you are not the only one who was affected by the machine?" Mirii's head rose, as her right forefinger rested on her right cheek.
"… probably… but I have never seen it." The woman's head rose back, with her fringe still up. "Instead, I woke up in the void… and became the Void scientist, since nothing more was around. I lived around those hallways for 50 years ever since… but my thirst of revenge never felt satisfied."
The woman snorted.
"My attempt was forgotten rather quickly… and younger scientists kept following the same mistakes the older ones were doing."
"And you never attempted to escape?" Mirii lowered her head.
"… you can't escape the void when you are in such state." The woman flew a bit up. "The only thing you can do is... talking with mirrors..."
Mirii shivered.
"Th-that machine must be destroyed at all costs, so no one would ever get to fall in the void just like this woman did. Once I'm out of this place, I'll make sure to accelerate my Project Neo searches even faster than before!" Mirii cleared her voice. "Ok, I understand the whole situation… but I'll never help you achieve your revenge."
"Not even after my story?!" The woman frowned, showing her teeth. "Grrrr… I thought you would change your mind, so I could at least get that satisfaction… instead, I-I talked about me for nothing!"
"Hmpf, rest assured that those scientists will all end up in jail… trust me." Mirii rose her head. "Thanks to this testimony of"
"Jail?! NO! NOOOO!" Her mouth opened wide.
Mirii's hands covered her ears, as her knees bended a bit down and her eyes squeezed.
"THEY DID WRONG! THEY DESERVE TO TAKE THEIR OWN MEDICINE! I ORDER YOU TO MAKE THEM SUFFER!" She flew in front of Mirii, stopping in midair.
"Not all scientists are as evil as you described!" Mirii's right eye opened a bit, as her hands were pressing her ears.
"They are all as disgusting as your passive attitude!" Her nose inhales loudly. "That's it, you are now my enemy. I may not have my revenge… but I can at least destroy your eardrums. That will teach you to have some pity for the others."
"You are the first to spit on their faces…" Mirii was walking backwards.
The woman screamed: Mirii was yelling loudly, as she turns behind and runs with her hands still covering her ears.
"Nnngghhh! Th-the situation got worse!" Mirii frowned. "W-what I'm going to do now?!"
The woman screamed again, as Mirii shrugged a lot while closing her eyes for a moment.
"Curses! My attacks are useless against her! I-I need to find a solution, before she'll truly break my eardrums!" Her eyes squeezed a bit. "… I wonder why I can hear her voices and see her. Could that be somehow connected with that helmet I wore before?!"
Mirii's eyes were seeing the hallway with light bulbs on, forming a circle under each of them.
"… actually… she said that for some reason, escaping the void was useless in such form. The void… is she talking about the darkness?!" Mirii rose her head, as her mouth opened a bit. "If she can't leave the darkness… that's because she can't stand the light!"
The fallen door was in the middle of the hallway.
"Hunley… he came from the room to the left." Her head turned in that direction. "Let's see if that Squid will follow me inside that illuminated room!"
The girl turn to the left, diving down. The screams disappeared instantly. Mirii stands up, turning behind and seeing the same door on the floor: she smiled.
"As I suspected!" She jumped with her right fist up. "Wh-what a relief…! I really need to take a quick rest, before passing the whole hallway again."
The girl turns behind: a white bed was in the middle of the room, with cut ropes hanging on the edges. Mirii's head rose.
"Ropes…? How in the world did Hunley got here in the first place?" Her irises went to her right. "I thought he was waiting for the demonstration course to start… what happened?"
Her eyebrows went down.
"Speaking of Hunley… sigh, I promised to give him cures. I keep causing trouble…" Her head lowered, her eyebrows went up. "… and I can't even redeem myself from them."
Her head shakes slowly.
"What kind of perfectionist I am…? I was lucky to hear that accidental tip from that woman. What I am doing wrong…?" She sighs loudly. "I'm tired of all this… I just want to go home, so no more disasters are caused from my part."
Her shoulders turned to her right: the whole hallway was covered in light. Mirii's irises shrunk as her mouth opened.
"Wh-what the?! The hallway"
Drat! Hun escaped!
Those two are coming… quick, everyone! Search throughout every single room!
Mirii frowned: she rushes near the left wall, as her back leans on it. An Inkling man wearing a black shirt with a red tie, white pants and black shoes walked inside the room while holding a Splattershot and an Ink Tank behind his back with ink colored in magenta.
The girl jumped, kicking the man on his head: he spins clockwise, falling down with his eyes closed. The Splattershot weapon flew to the right, hitting the wall.
An intruder!
She escaped from the lab!
Mirii slides towards the weapon, picking it up with her right hand: she jumps, flipping to the left and landing on her feet. Her eyes were seeing two Inkling women wearing Assistance workers clothes. Both were chuckling.
"Oh sure, try hitting us with that little magenta ink left!" The left one bended, while smiling. "Not that you would like walking on magenta pond, greenie!"
"Hmpf, I prefer another means of attack…" Mirii's head turned towards the bed.
She walks behind the bed, as her right foot pushed it: the little black wheels under the bed were moving fast towards the two women, which they jumped to the sides. Mirii's head pointed over a pad covered in Magenta ink.
"… I finally understand why Hunley came from here." Mirii's head rose. "Whoever splatted such kind Squid, is going to be punished by perfection." Her eyes squeezed.
She dived towards the pad, while turning into a Squid: after 1 second, Mirii jumped back and returned into her humanoid form, now with her tentacles colored magenta.
"She's 1 and we are 2: let's get her!" The left one threw her Splattershot behind.
The women rushed towards the girl, while frowning.
Mirii bended down, snorting.
"This victory will put my worth back to its place." Her right eye closed, as she points her weapon over the women.
Ink projectiles fell on their faces, as their eyes closed. Their mouths were sealed, as their hands were covering their own faces, while standing still. Mirii dashed, throwing a flying kick towards the right woman, making her fall down.
"Nice one with that Splattershot trick!"
Mirii's head rose: Bars and Grina were smiling, each holding a Splattershot and a blue Ink Tank. Mirii smiled, as her eyebrows rose.
"Everyone! You did it!" The girl sprinted towards them.
Bars' shoot towards the man: he exploded in blue ink, flying away as a small Squid.
"Eh eh, like we are gonna clean up the mess!" Bars' right forefinger was rotating his weapon.
The left women lifted the right one with both her hands: the two stared at Grina and Bars walking towards them.
"You had your fun, locking everyone up inside the shops…" Grina points her weapon towards the left one. "… how about you get lock down in a stinkin' prison?"
"Darn you…" The left one frowned. "I really wanted that promotion… with the extra cash I could had bought that nice vacuum cleaner, which is so easy to use."
"You want more cash?" Grina grins a bit.
Ink projectiles flew towards the two women, as they exploded in blue ink.
"You play Turf Wars!" Her head rose, seeing the two Squids flying away. "Got that?! Good!"
"If there are more of those Inklings around…" Mirii folds her arms, as she snorted. "… just give me an Ink Tank and a pad full of blue ink: I'll take care of all the rest."
"Tough luck, Miss Perfection!" Grina shrugged, as her head shakes. "Those Squids jet out from the mall."
"Jet out…?" Mirii frowned. "Would you care to talk correctly?! This nation's language is one of the most refined in the whole world!"
"Sheesh… I talk normally all the time!" Grina sighs, frowning a bit. "Sometimes I just feel giving words more… personality, you might say."
"Hmpf, personality…" Mirii passes Grina, while walking forward. "… in any case, I'm going to wake up Hunley."
"Wake up?!" Grina's mouth opened wide. "What happened to him?!"
"He… bonked against the wall. That's all." Mirii's head rose, turning to her right and walking behind the right corner.
Bars and Grina stared at each other. Mirii's hands were behind her back, as her head lowered and her eyebrows were up: her mind was seeing herself wearing a black and white stripped prison uniform, with even a hat of the same kind. Her right hand grasped her Splattershot weapon.
"Calm down, Mirii… yo-you are innocent… I-I swear." She swallows silently. "I hope that Hunley is standing on his feet, smiling… so I can get my regular clothes back."
"Mirii!"
The girl jumped, quickly pointing her weapon towards Hun: he was standing still with his eyes expanded. His hands were in front of him, as sweat jumped out from his head.
"Wh-what are you doing, Mirii?!" His teeth gritted.
Mirii's irises shrunk: immediately, her right hand threw the Splattershot behind as it bounces a bit on the floor.
"Reaction!" Mirii grins widely, as her eyebrows were up and sweat covered her head. "I-I didn't see you, that's why I-I pointed the weapon at you! I-I never hurt my friends in any way possible!"
"Phew! You scared me for a second!" His right hand slides on his forehead.
Mirii sighed silently: her eyes were seeing a bump on the middle of Hun's head. She shivered.
"How are you, anyway?" Hun's right hand massages the top of his head. "I have this headache which is making me sick…"
"Oh… b-because you bumped against a wall…" Her right forefinger pulled the top of her shirt's right side.
"I don't remember that…" Hun's eyebrows went down, as he looks up towards the ceiling. "… I'm pretty sure I was walking…" He folds his arms.
"I-I found you on the floor, unconscious!" Mirii's thumbs were rotating while her hands were clasping. "I-I escaped from the lab where I was… and I found no one else around."
"Ah… then I guess you are right!" Hun chuckles, while closing his eyes. "After all, you would never think to hurt me…"
Mirii chuckles a bit, as her mind was seeing many eyes watching her while holding a broom with both her hands. She swallows loudly.
"What about you?" Hun opened his eyes.
"… I… I'm tired, Hunley…" Mirii's eyebrows were up, as her mouth downturned. "I'm so tired and stressed… I'm sick of this place and all the wrong things running around here. It's a marathon of negative events."
"I understand…" Hun's eyebrows were up, his mouth downturned a bit. "… do you want to get back home?"
Mirii lowered her head for a moment.
"… I-I'm not that tired though." She nodded. "If you need support for your headache, I"
"Mirii, don't worry about me." He smiles. "I'm fine."
"Don't say that!" Mirii bended forward, while her teeth gritted. "You are suffering! I can't stand people suffering from physical pain!"
"But you said to be tired." Hun downturned his mouth. "I can't take advantage of tired people: what kind of Master I would be for the Shrine?!"
Mirii lifted her posture… frowning a bit.
"Hunley, please… even though I'm tired, I can still support you." Mirii's eyes closed. "Seeing such kind Squid suffering is making my heart cry…"
"Miss Perfection has emotions? That's new."
Veins popped out from Mirii's forehead: her right fist rose, clenching tightly. She turns behind, sprinting over Grina and grabbing her shirt. Grina's irises shrunk.
"Hey hey hey!" Sweat jumps out from her head. "What are you doing?! I was joking!"
Mirii kept growling and looking at the girl right on her eyes. Smoke was coming out from her ears.
"… you think that your jokes are always working? DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT?!"
"Calm down Mirii! Please!" Grina's eyes were a bit watery. "I-I didn't wanted to make you this mad! Have mercy, please! Let's not cause the same problem, the entire team solved together!"
Mirii snorted, still grasping her shirt: after about two seconds, her hands retired as Grina immediately walked two steps back.
"Mirii… are you alright?" Grina's head tilted to her left, as her mouth downturned. "You seem… extremely frustrated."
"FRUSTRATED FOR WHAT?!" Mirii stomped the floor. "I'M TIRED AND STRESSED!"
"Girl, like you are overreacting this time!" Bars jumps in front of Grina, with his arms opened. "What happened?!"
Mirii inhales her nose loudly, several times: her head lowered, as her eyes were getting watery.
"Nnnnnggghhh… nnngggghhhh…"
Her mind was seeing herself hitting Hun on his head with a broom.
"Mirii… did something terrible happen?" Grina was walking towards the girl.
Her irises went a bit to her right, seeing Hun standing still with his mouth sealed. Her eyebrows lowered slightly.
"… Hunry, your sister is staying with Aqua and her friends. I'm sure she's worried about you…" Grina's head tilted to her left. "Go there, ok?"
"… alright." Hun began walking, staring down at Mirii for a while.
The boy passed the three Inklings, opening a large red door and passing it as well. Grina's head returns on Mirii, which expression was still the same.
"Alright, Hunry is not here…" Grina bended a bit, as her right hand rests on Mirii's left shoulder. "… could you tell us what's going on?"
"… nngghh… …" Mirii kept looking down.
"Girl, we will not tell Hunter anythin'! We are your friends, remember?" Bars' mouth was downturned, his shoulders shrugged.
"… I'm so useless… that's what." Mirii sighed.
"What?!" Grina opened her mouth. "No! You are not useless!"
"… I… I hate lies… they are so far away from the truth… … I'm really hating myself, now…" Her head rose, as her eyes were watery. "I'm causing trouble after trouble… I-I just want to end this miserable day. I want to think this was all a terrible nightmare, so I can think of perfection once again."
"You… you hit Hunry on the head?" Grina's eyebrows were up.
Mirii gasped, as her tentacles stretched up.
"NO! THAT'S NOT TRUE! I WAS IN ANOTHER ROOM, I SWEAR! I DON'T HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF HURTING HUNLEY NOR MY FRIENDS!" She shivered. "RETREAT THAT QUESTION! I ORDER IT!"
Grina sighed, as her eyes closed.
"… Mirii, I don't think that saying more lies would help you out even more."
Mirii's irises shrunk.
"You said to hate yourself because of those lies… are you sure that later on, you will stop hating yourself all the sudden?" Grina frowned a bit, as her eyes opened. "I can see you right now, hating yourself even more."
Mirii's face was covered in sweat.
"Mirii… this is your chance to throw away that boulder you are carrying on your back right now." Grina nodded while smiling. "We are your friends: no matter what bad you did, we will always try to consular you. We know you are kind…"
Bars nodded while smiling. Mirii kept seeing the two Inklings, as she let out another sigh.
"… Hunley…" Her head lowered, as her eyes squeezed a lot. "… he never bonked his head against the wall… I… I-I was hiding in a room, thinking to be followed by a terrible monster. I-I was scared at first… but then, I decided to face down th-the monster, by grabbing a broom in my hands… th-the monster was coming and I-I swing the broom on his head, before realizing who the monster was in reality."
A tear fell from her right eye, as her fists were clenching.
"I-I knocked Hunley down… he fainted an-and I panicked!" Her eyes opened. "I-I didn't wanted to"
Suddenly, both Inklings hugged Mirii.
"Ssssh, ssshh… you are innocent, Mirii." Grina smiled. "We know you will never hurt Hunry just like that. You were captured by those freaks after all… us three were looking for you all this time."
"Girl, like I bet that Hunter will believe in you too…" Bars' right hand caressed Mirii's head.
"Mirii."
Mirii jumped, as her eyes were seeing Hun with Fara on his right side, Aqua on his left side and two Inkling men and women behind them. Hun's mouth was a bit flat. Sweating, Mirii passed the two Inklings and stops in the middle between the two groups of Inklings.
"N-no, Hunley!" Her hands were clasping. "You are thinking wrong! I-I would never"
"Mirii… well…" Hun's head lowered. "… I actually remember seeing you hitting me with that broom…"
"YOU DID?!" Mirii's eyes expanded, as her jaw dropped.
"… I-I shouldn't have been quiet." Hun rose back his head, with his eyebrows up. "I-I didn't wanted to upset you or anything…" He starts walking towards the girl. "I chose to believe it was just a mental mistake, because seeing you hurting me… it was so scary for me."
Mirii's teeth gritted.
"Hunley… I-I have still the occasion to erase this gap!" Mirii's right arm thrusts towards Hun with her right hand opened. "Let me use it! That's the only redeem worth of solving this unforgivable error!"
Hun opened his mouth for a moment, while blushing.
"… if that will solve everything… ok." He nodded, while smiling.
Mirii's smiling mouth opened wide.
"But what do you want to do exactly?" His hands were behind his head.
"You got a bump on the head: what you need is a wet towel on it and you'll be fine in no time." Mirii's eyes closed.
"Mirii Kelpshell, isn't it?"
Mirii's eyes opened, staring at Aqua: her wrists were on her hips, her eyes were closed and her smiling mouth was opened.
"Yes… Aqua." Mirii's head rose. "Do you happen to remember the past events…?"
"Yep!" Aqua grins. "From the moment you got in, to the moment where you got out!" She nodded, while opening her eyes and retreating her teeth. "It's something so crazy, I still can't believe it!"
"Are you alright, by the way?!" Hun turns to his left. "That woman was about to hit you!"
"Tar pushed her down!" She turns behind, seeing the taller male Inkling. "That was a pretty smooth move, from someone who doesn't like getting his hands dirty." Her right eye winked.
Tar blushes a bit, as his eyebrows were a bit down.
"There weren't any choices… besides, seeing you splatted down? After all that hard work you did, it would have been unfair." He nodded.
"Well, it was useless anyway." She sighed. "That really stinks… I wanted so badly that job! Seeing Squids learning all the weapons and making friends… what more you could ask?!"
"Speaking of questions…"
Aqua turns behind, seeing Mirii folding her arms.
"… I do have one." Her eyes squeezed.
"Oh sure, fire it!" Aqua closes her eyes while grinning a bit.
Mirii inhales from her nose silently.
"Do you still have that petition?"
"… ah… ehm…" Sweat jumps out from her head, as her hands were behind her back. "… I-I have good news! Also… really bad, bad ones…" She whispered.
"Nnnggghhhhh!" Mirii's hands squeezed her tentacles. "Go ahead with the good one…"
"Well, the petition is still in my laptop!" Aqua lifted her posture, while opening her eyes and smiling. "With all the signatures and the rest. In fact, I was supposed to send everything this night…"
Mirii rose her head.
"… is that it?"
"Ehm… well… not really." She chuckles, as her right forefinger was on her lower lip. "I got the bad news…"
"Sgrumpf!" Mirii returned squeezing her tentacles. "That's not what I meant…"
"Well, there is no turning back." Grina shrugged. "We got salt to gulp down… might as well close our eyes and not think about it!"
"Actually, that salt you are mentioning…" Aqua's irises were turning left and right, as her hands were rubbing and her face was sweating. "… it's boulder sized. You can't even gulp it down."
"Whoa… girl, I need a pool of soda to satisfy my thirst!" Bars' eyes grew a bit.
"So?!" Mirii's right forefinger points at Aqua. "What's this bad news you are talking about?!"
"The bad news… ehm…" Aqua swallows silently.
Everyone was staring the woman down.
"… Inklings can see if my petition was sent. If the petition is still there, unsent… … they will think that the Turf War Station blocked it. From there… they promised to attack the Station by tearing down the gates and kicking everyone out."
"WWWHHHAAAAAAAAAATTT?!" Everyone's eyes almost popped out.