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Bars was rushing down while grinning widely: each step on the semi-reflecting floor was causing a small earthquaky-sound. He slowed down, before approaching a corner on the right side… accelerating once he passes it.
He was aiming at a large multi-door on the left, as he left a pant as loud as his own steps. He slid on his feet, stopping right in front of the room entrance.
CLANG!
The multi-doors tilted rapidly, almost touching the other side of the wall.
"Like, here I am!" He chuckled, watching Greta sitting on a wooden chair and putting her feet covered in pink socks on the wooden table.
"Monstrous entrance as always, big boy!" She grins a bit. "Make sure it's all closed it up."
"Leave it to me!" Bars reached each door and pushed it all the way back.
Greta's feet went off the table and landed each on her black, athletic shoes. The little Shrine girl was sweating, while standing near Greta and keeping her hands down.
"I-Is he Barsy?!" She turned her head over the taller girl. "I-I thought he was…"
Bars pushed the last door back to its previous position, before turning behind and dusting off his hands, now walking in the direction of Greta.
"Like, can she see us with those bangs?" He rose his mouth.
"Better than I without glasses or contact lenses." Greta smiled widely, raising her forefinger. "Guess I have to grow some bangs too, if I want to see beyond the horizon!"
"Nah!" He stopped, shrugging in front of the girl. "You look slick in normal mode, girl!"
She blushed, lowering down her raised hand.
"Besides, having longer bangs is a genetic propriety that certain Inklings possess."
Sheldon stepped closer to the group of Inklings, pointing upwards as usual.
"There are special medical treatments for shortening such bangs… and they are quite expensive too!" He clapped shortly.
"… how much does he know about the Shrine, again…?" The small girl walked away from Sheldon and went behind Greta's back.
"As much as us!" Greta turned behind, bending her knees down. "He might be a Splatling-talking machine, but he's a good business man in the end."
"Ever since I heard about the Shrine, I just can't get enough of it!" Sheldon rose back his forefinger, as his eyes sparkled. "It's a total inspiration for coming up with new branded weapon designs… as well as studying a conceivable way for creating a Squid suit that emulates Hun's powers on ordinary Squids!"
He clapped too.
"I can't even imagine the success of such product! The whole Squid society will build a statue in my honor!" He grins a bit.
"Yeah, yeah, keep dreamin' that…" Greta turned over Sheldon, waving her hand over him. "… once you are done providing us with the goodies." She nodded, carrying her hands on her hips. "But make sure that your adrenaline-dosed lecture is at bay. We have a saving ship to catch!"
"Sure, sure! There isn't much to say, actually…" Sheldon turned over the table, jumping a bit and glimpsing a Splattershot and a Dynamo Roller-like weapon sitting on it. "As you already know, those are improved versions of your previous weapons which went missing two months ago… or was it three?" He looked upwards.
"Whatever!" Greta shook her head. "As long as they can kick butt, it's all good!"
"Like, did you made the motor a roaring beast?" Bars folded his arms. "Keeping it all silent while rolling, isn't really capturing the essence of Bars…"
"Yeah, because you really need to let Squids know how much of a big target you are!" Greta bended forward and downturned her mouth, while putting her wrists on her sides and making her own eyebrows 'smile'. "Did you implement a tactic department yet in your operating system?!"
"Nah… I have to upgrade it first." He grins, chuckling a bit.
Greta shook her head, as she sighed and turned her sight over the little girl.
"Alright, time to draw down the splendid image of our battle destination!" She smiled a bit. "Use A3 papers though, since I"
"I-I don't know how to draw anything, a-actually!" Sweat jumped from her little hands, carrying her fists near her chest. "I use something else for carrying Squids around…" Her head lowered down.
…
Greta's face went paler.
"You and your surprises…" She showed her teeth. "Wh-what do you use for transporting us…?!"
"A big, flying car?" Bars rose his mouth.
"SHUT UP, BARSY!" Greta frowned a lot, as sweat covered her face. "MY PSYCHOLOGICAL PREPARATIONS ARE ALREADY CRUMBLING ALL THE WAY DOWN!"
"I-I… I-I use a special kind…" Her little head rose back. "It-it was discovered just recently… an-and I-I'm one of the very few Squids wh-who know how to use it…" She swallowed silently. "I-In fact, I-I'm also here to test my powers… an-and let the Shrine know a-about its results…"
Greta's tentacles rose all the way up.
"Nope!" She sprinted the other way, before Bars grabbed her with his arms. "NOPE! NOOO!" She moved her limbs rapidly. "I'M TOO YOUNG TO BE TREATED AS A GUINEA SEAPIG!"
"But girl!" Bars shook all around, while gritting his teeth and frowning slightly. "What about our friends?! They have stinky turf on their throat, like you just said!"
"TELL THEM TO SLEEP OR SOMETHING!" She lifted her posture, pushing her hands on Bars' right arm. "I'M OUTTA HERE!"
"Little fella, might I ask what is this…" Sheldon's glasses shined. "… special kind of transportation you are speaking of?"
"Basically, I can let them connect their minds on their ink and think about the destination they want to reach." She nodded.
…
Greta lowered down her stomach, resting it on Bars' arm.
"… even better than an A3 Paper." Her eyes grew, as she smiled widely. "THIS IS A DREAM COMING TRUE!"
The tall boy smiled, as he let the girl standing on her feet: she dashed and hugged the little lady, even lifting her from the floor.
"THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!" She grasped her tightly. "No more last-minute worries, whenever I hear the word 'Transportation'! Ha ha ha haaaa!"
"Coff, coff!" The little girl's cheeks were puffed, as her arms stretched upwards. "… help…"
Greta put the little girl down, as she spun and grabbed the Splattershot at the end of her spin.
"Who would have thought that this table would turn into a pool?! Talk about versatility!" She pressed the trigger, as the weapon released clicking sounds. "… ah right, the tanks!" She chuckled.
Bending forward, she grabbed an Ink Tank, wearing it on her shoulders. Bars moved closer to the table, grabbing his Ink Tank first and then his Dynamo weapon. From the bottom of the tanks, blue ink began emerging, piling itself at a moderate speed.
"It's a test, though…!" The little girl sighed, putting her little hand on her chest. "I-I don't know if things will"
"Go full motivational on yourself and believe in those powers!" Greta rose her thumb, while winking and grinning. "This is how you make things happen in our society!"
"Like, I don't know where this Happy Squid Land is though…" Bars rose his mouth.
"At least one thinking Squid is required to think about the destination… the Squids connected to the ink can utilize it for reaching said location." The little girl nodded.
"Even if the Inkling has a different tentacle color than the ink in question?" Sheldon rose his forefinger.
"No, that wouldn't work at all…" She shook her head, looking back at the short man.
"Interesting!" He clapped. "What's your name, anyway? You still haven't told me just yet!"
"Nira." She smiled a bit. "I'm sorry for doubting"
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta!
Greta was laughing, while shooting at the wooden table: soon, blue ink was covering the entire surface. The girl jumped on her wooden chair.
"Oh my! The shoes!" Her fist knocked her head, as her tongue stick out. "This whole idea is worse than a pure sugar rush!"
She jumped off, putting her weapon on the table and wearing her shoes.
"Go ahead, Nira! Make us mental wonders!" She grins a bit.
"You mean… connecting your mind on the ink?" Nira turned over her, resting her fists on her chest.
"Yep!" Greta was tying her laces. "Hurry up! Fun is at essence!"
"A-alright, alright!" Nira sighed loudly. "Yo-you are already connected to your ink, since you are seeing me…"
"That means I can affect the destination too?" Sheldon's eyes sparkled, as he clapped. "Aaaah, that looks fun!"
"Keep that mind of yours working on your next weapon upgrades!" Greta stands up, frowning at him. "Otherwise we might end up in your brain!"
"Ah, well… I-I don't think it's even possible such thing…" Nira lifted her posture, bringing her hands down. "For now, only clear thoughts work…"
Greta's hands landed on the table, staring at the blue ink.
"Watch me creating my own irony… a teleporter of all things!" Her eyes closed. "… ok, I released the thought." Her eyes opened.
The ink was now showing the entrance of a building, which had a colorful logo and drawn Squids above.
"User friendly, eh?" She nodded. "I'm already a fan of this…!"
She took some steps backwards…
"Onward we go, me mateys!" Greta sprinted over the table. "We have Land to conquer!"
She jumped, turning into a Squid in midair and diving inside her ink. She immediately jumped off, landing on the grass…
"Ha! No one in sight! A nice occasion for walking around all casual and friendly!"
Womp, womp, womp…
"Huh? Why I am… bouncing this madly at each step?" Her sight went down. "EEEEEEEK!"
She fell on her back, watching her stomach and legs… all wobbly and blue.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?!"
Bumf!
She twisted to her right side, watching a humanoid Squid standing nearby, holding a Roller weapon with the tentacles…
"DASQUID ARE YOU?!" Bars' eyes expanded.
"BARSY?! IS THAT YOU?!" Greta lifted herself up, almost falling the other way!
"G-girl?!" He bended forward. "What's going on?!"
"A lifting gone wrong, that's what!" Her eyes went sadder. "L-look at your face… a-and yourself…"
The humanoid Squid boy lowered his head, watching his clothing carefully…
"… as if my two forms merged into one!" Raising back his head, his eyes went also sadder. "And the same is for you, girl!"
"Yeah…" She sighed, lifting her weapon with her tentacles. "… just look at my limbs! They are all deformed and weak…"
"But girl, we can't give up like that!" Bars frowned a bit.
"Barsy, those aren't the words of the surrendered… those are the words of a Squid who just started the fight!" Greta frowned a bit as well. "No matter if I look like the geekiest of them all, I can still kick butt and taking names with the same ease as my former self!"
"Like, that's the spirit!" He chuckled.
"Oooh, but I'm not done yet…" She waved her Splattershot. "Kicking butt is nice and all, but this form we got might hide more shenanigans than it meets the eye! Wouldn't you agree?"
"Totally!" He rose his Roller.
"Then, let's see…" Greta turned behind, watching the entrance in the distance. "… what if I claim some turf…"
She shot ink projectiles on the asphalt, as it formed a stain. She proceeded to walk over it…
"… and attempt to dive in like usual?"
Her foot hovered above the ink, before landing towards it… as the foot sunk inside the ink.
"What the?!" The girl tripped, falling inside the ink.
"Oh ship!" Bars rushed, while bouncing left and right. "Girl!"
He stopped nearby, kneeing down as much as he could. Greta emerged from the ink, as her legs were still immerged.
"Our ink acts like a giant bathtub!" Her arms opened wide. "Now that's some head-scratching problem we have!"
… ugh… where is this pain coming from…? … where am I…?
Uh? Squids? They are sliding on the floor… … they are passing nearby without even glimpsing at me. Where are they going, exactly…?
Uff… I can't turn into my taller form. I have to slid like them… … the pain is not going away… just, what happened here?!
Perhaps, I should look at my surroundings more… … hmm? There are multiple ink trails on the floor. They weren't here, before… unless… unless those Squids I just saw… did they…