Determination of the Underdog
A lone figure walked, through an endless expanse of white. Everywhere around her was blanketed in a thick fog, obscuring her vision. The sky, the ground, everything was filled with a silvery light that seemed to brighten and dim at irregular intervals.
"Where…am I?" The figure thought to herself. "Where…where is everyone?."
Every step was agonizing. Not only was the fog obfuscating everything a few steps away from her, the swirls of mist seemed to pull at her legs, slowing her footsteps.
Out of nowhere, a voice floated through the mist, ethereal and familiar.
"Mei-Lin…"
The inkling looked up. There was no discernible source of the voice anywhere near her.
"Who…who's there…?" Mei-Lin wanted to say. But while the thought shot through her mind, her voice refused to respond. Instinctively inhaling the air, she could feel the musky air swirl around in her gut, weighing her body down even further.
Despite the lack of a voice, the other figure seemingly sensed her presence. Within the fog, a silhouette of another figure began to take shape.
"Is it not obvious…?" The voice echoed back. "How could you so easily forget… this face?"
Mei-Lin's eyes widened in shock as the other figure stepped into view. As if she were staring into a mirror, she could see her own forlorn face staring back. However, 'her' clothes are ripped and torn, revealing skin heavily stained by blotches of black and auburn, as well as a heavy collection of scars and cuts.
"W-what?" Once again, Mei-Lin's vocal cords failed to work. Perturbed by the sight, she took a few steps back, all the while massaging her own throat.
"I am sad… Why must you forget about me so easily…?" 'Mei-Lin' crooned, as she stepped forward, a heartbroken smile forming on her face. "Your own… precious… precious self…"
"Wait… no…!" Mei-Lin tried to turn and run, but then she realized her feet had gone numb. Glancing down quickly, she could see strands of black liquid crawling up her legs, gumming her down onto the floor.
She tried to scream. But even that ability deserted her, as she could feel nothing but a burst of air exhale from her windpipe. Her eyes darted upwards, as she watched her doppelganger approach, spreading 'her' arms wide. Every step that 'she' took was rigid and mechanical, like a puppet.
"I've missed you… Why… why do you look so sad?" 'She' stepped up to the pinned Mei-Lin, until 'she' was mere inches away from her. 'She' looked up towards Mei-Lin, staring longingly at her face with dead, soulless eyes.
"…no! Please…get away…!" Mei-Lin could feel 'herself' play with her clothing, brushing the fabric aside and gently caressing her skin with cold stained hands. She tried to resist, but her body refused to listen to her commands.
She felt as if she were a prisoner in her own body, unable to yell, or move. A rush of hysteria began to envelop her mind.
"Oh gods…! Someone…anyone…!" Mei-Lin's eyes darted everywhere she could look. She could see others within the thick mist, silhouettes of those familiar and close to her. But whenever she glanced directly at them, they seemed to shy away from her, fading into the fog.
"They can't help you. No one can. What do they know?" Seeing 'her' double's exposed neck, 'Mei-Lin' smiled contently, before brushing it slowly with 'her' fingers. "But… I do. I know everything about you. Your body… Your needs… Your desires…"
"No… I don't want this…" The fingers on Mei-Lin's left hand twitched slightly. Little by little, her left arm began to move as she resisted the paralysis.
"I know too… that you are afraid. Afraid of those around you. Afraid of their color, their essence… how they will burn you, defile you…" Embracing Mei-Lin's frozen body, 'she' spoke into her ear, 'her' voice nary a whisper. "But… that is okay. You will… always… have me… forever."
Mei-Lin felt a chill down her back as her double seductively licked her neck with 'her' tongue. Repulsed by the sight, she closed her eyes, as tears began to form.
"No…please…!"
"There is… nothing to fear… anymore. Let me inside you… my poor…terrible self…" Baring 'her' sharp beaks, 'she' prepared to bite down on Mei-Lin's exposed skin…
"NO! GET AWAY!" Mei-Lin screamed, abruptly regaining control over her own body and voice. In a fit of panic, she shoved her double as hard as she could, the 'inkling' collapsing onto the misty floor.
Watching 'herself' lie there, unmoving, Mei-Lin quickly pulled her parka over her exposed neck, backing away from the body as she fell onto the floor herself. As her panicked whimpers subsided, it gave way to a series of wracked sobs as she broke down.
"Why… why must you always torment me?!" Mei-Lin cried, wiping tears away from her eyes. "I…I just want to be left alone…! Leave me be!"
"I am no tormentor." 'Mei-Lin' began to rise from the floor, 'her' head bruised and tilted at an unnatural angle. "I am you. Why must you reject who you truly are?"
"I… I DON'T want to be that anymore…!" Mei-Lin crawled away from 'herself', looking around in a state of hysteria. "STAY AWAY FROM ME!"
"My terrible, pitiful self… YOU CAN'T RUN FROM WHO YOU TRULY ARE!"
Abruptly, 'her' body began convulsing horribly, as 'her' entire torso split open lengthwise. From the hollow cavity, countless geysers of black fluid erupted forth, before they shot straight at Mei-Lin.
"AHHHH! No, no, nonononono!" Scrambling onto her feet, Mei-Lin spun around before breaking into a run. Feeling her feet weighted down by the fog, she dragged her body forward as hard as she could, exhausting her body to its limits.
Feeling shadows growing around her, the inkling briefly looked behind, to her dismay. The geysers have become an unending collection of shadowy hands, clawing and grabbing at her body. Her eyes widened with fear, and she began to hyperventilate, the mist whirling around in her lungs like a tempest.
"Look before you. There is nowhere to run…"
Seeing the flowing mist before her terminate abruptly, Mei-Lin could barely stop herself before she could plummet into the gaping chasm before her. Turning around in panic, Mei-Lin could see the shadowy tendrils hovering dangerous close to her, as her double slowly approached, still twitching gruesomely as the liquid flowed out of 'her'.
"Don't reject… who you really are." 'Mei-Lin' hissed, 'her' voice echoing through the air. "Come. Be one with me. Let us embrace…"
Her face a mask of terror, Mei-Lin briefly glanced at the sheer drop behind her, and back at her warped self. A rush of memories flew past. The Kraken. The cliff. Her own hands, stained in black…
"No….NO!" Cornered, her mind began to drown in her own fear. "I…I don't…I DON'T WANT TO DIE! PLEASE!"
Right then and there, the ground beneath Mei-Lin gave way, plunging her backwards into the sheer drop below. Feeling the rush of air blow past her as she plummeted into the bottomless abyss, a cloud of darkness quickly obscured her vision…
"Ahh!"
Mei-Lin abruptly shot up from her lying position, her movement somewhat restricted by the sleeping bag she was in. Feeling a bead of cold sweat run down her neck, the inkling looked around, realizing that she was in the ruined observatory that she had fallen asleep in. Raising her right hand to pinch herself, Mei-Lin was almost relieved to feel a sting of pain on her cheek.
"…A dream." Mei-Lin reassured herself. "It's just a dream. It isn't real. It cannot hurt me. Everything is…fine…"
Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply, before breathing out again. Feeling her tensed up muscles relax, Mei-Lin crawled out of the bag she was in, before opening her eyes again.
"It's okay, Mei-Lin… just look around you." She thought to herself. "Clear your mind… and forget about the…nightmare…"
The first thing the inkling noticed was the other sleeping bag across the room, or rather the lack of a certain octoling snoozing inside it. Concluding the likelihood that Eliza most likely woke up before she did, Mei-Lin proceeded to look around the rest of the observatory from her position, taking in the sights of the crumbling concrete, the damaged fluorescent lights, and the barely flickering lights that formed the artificial starscape on the ceiling.
As she did so, she could feel the lingering memories of her nightmare slowly fading away, to her relief.
"That… I suppose that will do… for now." Mei-Lin sighed a breath of relief, before her eyes trailed to the ajar doorway. "But… Where did Eliza go?"
It was at that moment, that Mei-Lin heard the distinctive sound of a Charger going off just outside, the abrupt bang startling her somewhat.
"Perhaps… that answers my question. Is she…"
Right then and there, the inkling recalled the promise she made with Eliza just yesterday. Along with it came the realization that she most likely overslept.
"Oh… Oh crud." Mei-Lin muttered aloud. Scrambling out of her sleeping bag, she grabbed the backpack placed next to her, and broke into a run out of the observatory.
The moment Mei-Lin ran past the deteriorating door frame of the observatory's entrance, she could hear another gunshot. To her surprise, a used tin can coated in fuchsia sailed past her right afterwards, causing her to give off a timid yelp. Clattering onto the floor, the can rolled for a bit before coming to a dead stop just a few feet away from the inkling. Looking in the direction where the object flew from, she noticed Eliza having her Charger pointed at a row of other tin cans placed neatly in a row on a concrete barrier in front of her.
The octoling looked up from the scope on her charger, before staring at Mei-Lin.
"You're awake." She remarked, in the same stern tone of voice as always. "It has been two hours."
"S-sorry." Mei-Lin stammered, somewhat embarrassed by the yelp that came out of her mouth. "I…"
"I can let it slide." Eliza interrupted, lowering her gun. "I am aware of the extended rest period that inklings possess compared to us. You can't fight your natural instincts."
"That's true…" Mei-Lin mumbled.
"There was something else." Eliza continued. "As I left, I noticed you were thrashing about in your sleep. Are you certain you are mentally fit for training?"
"Ah… I…" Mei-Lin was briefly taken aback, unsure how to answer. "I'm… I'm fine! I can train! Don't worry about me…"
"Is that so?" Holstering her Charger behind her back, Eliza motioned Mei-Lin to follow her. "Very well then. Follow me."
As the octoling turned away, Mei-Lin couldn't help but catch a glimpse of skepticism in Eliza's eyes. Looking down at her feet, she could feel a sense of dread growing in her gut.
"Did… did she guess that I was having… those nightmares?" She thought to herself, her face falling as uncomfortable memories immediately popped into her mind. "I… wasn't really very convincing."
She shook her head, attempting to suppress the images in her mind.
"I…I can't worry about that now. Best I go with the flow… for now." With that thought, Mei-Lin sighed, before hurriedly running after the octoling.
She didn't have to go very far. Going round the back of the observatory towards the entrance into an alleyway coated in cobwebs, Mei-Lin could see Eliza carefully setting up four more tin cans on a faraway dumpster. Walking out of the alley, Eliza nonchalantly brushed the dust off of a nearby fallen slab of rock, before sitting down.
"Now." Eliza began, looking straight at Mei-Lin. "First, show me what you are currently capable of."
"Capable…?" Mei-Lin repeated.
"There are targets over there." Eliza clarified, "Use your weapon, and shoot them from where you are standing now."
"O-ok…" Reaching into her backpack, Mei-Lin pulled out the New Squiffer along with the accompanying ink tank, strapping the tank carefully onto her back and pointing the weapon towards the alleyway.
Squinting her eyes, she looked down the barrel of the weapon, and slowly took aim towards the closest can.
Pulling the trigger on her Charger, she could hear the gurgle of liquid as the ink rushed through the tubes in the weapon, collecting towards a single point within. Taking a deep breath, she let go of the trigger, causing a high-velocity jet of ink to blast out of the barrel, shooting towards the alleyway as it left a trail of ink in a split second. Not anticipating the recoil of the weapon however, Mei-Lin's aim was thrown wildly upward, causing the jet to impact well over a meter above her intended target, the splash of auburn coating the cans.
"Ah…" Mei-Lin quickly glanced sideways at Eliza, but all she got was the octoling's unflinching gaze, not even a single word being spoken. Ignoring the octoling silently judging her, Mei-Lin switched into squid form and sunk into the auburn ink trail she left on the floor to refill her tank, before reverting back to take aim at the alleyway again, this time bracing herself for the Charger's recoil. Her hands trembling with tenseness however, she missed her target a second time, the shot impacting slightly to the left of the intended target.
Gritting her teeth in frustration, the inkling didn't even switch into squid form this time and simply waited for her ink tank to refill by itself, prepping herself for another shot as she attempted to steady her arms. Unfortunately, the tight grip she had on the handle caused the recoil to once again affect her aim. The shot barely grazed the can, tipping it onto its side before it rolled off the dumpster, clattering onto the floor with an audible clang.
"Stop." Eliza interjected, raising a hand as her eyes quickly darted from the can on the floor towards Mei-Lin. "I've seen enough."
"I… um…" Mei-Lin mumbled, lowering her weapon and setting it aside on a fallen piece of concrete. "…that was terrible. How is it even possible to fight with this thing?"
"Perhaps an on-hands demonstration is in order. Watch how I fire." Eliza replied. Stepping up next to where Mei-Lin was standing, the octoling fired a short burst onto the floor with her Splatterscope, before bringing up the rifle at the alleyway herself. In a comparatively shorter moment, Eliza charged up and fired three shots in rapid succession, reflexively switching into octopus form and jumping into the fuchsia stain on the floor between shots to refill her reserves. Every shot met their mark, hitting a tin can on the other side of the alleyway dead on.
"That's…!" Mei-Lin was in a state of disbelief as she watched the cans roll down towards the floor. "H-how did you do that?!"
"The 'how' can wait." Eliza simply answered. "What do you see?"
"You were a lot faster at refilling the tank… and you're barely moving when you aimed." Mei-Lin replied, somewhat unsure. "And you were standing up tall. Your shoulders were relaxed, and your feet were flat on the ground. Is that… a good posture for combat?"
Eliza raised a single eyebrow, mildly impressed. "You are more observant than I expected."
"It's… not really anything special." Mei-Lin mumbled, fidgeting on the spot. "You're probably better than I am…"
"There's no need to hide your talents." Eliza replied. "A sense of awareness to your environment is a great thing to have for a sniper. A Charger as a weapon of choice is a wise decision."
"That's not…" Mei-Lin looked down on the weapon in her arms, remembering how she got her hands on it. "…it wasn't my choice. My friends… we got in a fight. The Splattershot Jr I had at the time was destroyed, and Chris gave this to me as a replacement."
"I see. It will be prudent for me to teach you the principles, then." Lowering her Charger, Eliza walked into the alleyway along the trail of fuchsia her weapon left behind, scooping up a couple of discarded bottles along the way.
"The concept of being a sniper is simple." Eliza began, placing down a bottle onto the dumpster, "In a battle situation, you stray as far away as you can from the field, and support your squad from a distance. The sniper's job is to eliminate key targets, changing the flow of battle in your favor."
"Key targets…" Mei-Lin repeated quietly, reaching for her backpack and pulling out a notepad.
"Your shots will be powerful, but infrequent." The octoling continued, placing down another bottle, "In a dire situation, you must make every shot count. Therefore, it is a necessity to be able to be able to keep a cool and focused mind even in combat."
"A focused mind…" Mei-Lin paused in the middle of scribbling down Eliza's words. "…how am I supposed to do that?"
Pausing in the middle of placing down a third bottle, Eliza noticed Mei-Lin struggling to write down every last word she had said. Seeing this, the octoling shook her head disapprovingly.
"Put that notepad away." She remarked, "It won't help you here."
"B-but…" Mei-Lin looked up, somewhat flustered. "Why?"
"Manuals can only go so far, theory and practice are wildly different concepts." Eliza replied. "In the heat of battle, you cannot rely on memory to guide you. Technique must become second nature to you, an extension of your very being. In battle, your mental state is just as important as being able to use the weapon in your hands."
The octoling sat up, carrying her own Charger with her. "That is where your problem is: your mental state."
"My…mental state?" Mei-Lin repeated, confused at what Eliza was talking about.
"I can see it in your posture and the way you fire your weapon." Eliza clarified. "I have seen my fair share of rookies, but none tremble as much as you do. Do you fear your own weapon?"
Mei-Lin flinched. Eliza was much closer to the mark than she had expected. "…Y-yes."
"Just as I thought." The octoling muttered to herself, her face falling.
"What…?" Mei-Lin looked down on the incomplete scrawls on her notepad, and back up to the octoling. "What do you mean…?"
Placing down one last bottle, Eliza turned to face Mei-Lin. "I'm afraid you might be mentally unprepared for battle. From what I have seen thus far, coupled with yesterday's… outburst, your will may be too fragile."
"…that's…" Mei-Lin unconsciously dropped her notepad, her fingers going numb from shock.
"At your current state, I would much rather send you to a psychologist as opposed to teach you how to handle firearms." Eliza remarked, a frown forming on her face. "I probably should not have given the offer to train you… I am at fault in this instance."
"…huh?" Mei-Lin was not expecting that remark. "What did…you…say?"
"Hah… It would seem I'm slipping. I must confess, I know nothing of solving the mental problems of others. My expertise doesn't cover such a dilemma." A look of guilt was forming on Eliza's face, something Mei-Lin definitely did not expect. "I must apologize-"
"WAIT!" The inkling interrupted, unable to keep silent. "It's… it's entirely my fault! You don't have… to blame yourself!"
"…!" Taken aback, Eliza was rendered temporarily speechless.
"I know I'm much less qualified to be training compared to my team, and I know I'm a liability. But…" Mei-Lin uncomfortably fidgeted on the spot. "I… I don't want to be weak anymore! I hate being a coward! I want to be helpful to my friends, not be a useless burden!"
"Oh my…" The sniper was at a loss for words.
"Besides…" Mei-Lin flashed a wry smile. "This training… it's meant to help me overcome my…shortcomings…right?"
A few moments of silence passed by as the inkling and the octoling merely stared at one another. Mei-Lin briefly stooped for a moment to pick up the notepad she dropped on the floor, looking up nervously at Eliza as she did so.
Eventually, Eliza responded with a curt nod, her frown slowly fading.
"Perhaps… you are correct." She replied. "But what do you wish me to do?"
"I…um…" Mei-Lin mumbled, "I… suppose you can teach me everything else?"
"That is a valid option. I may not be able to improve your mental condition, but I am certain your physical condition can be honed." Eliza gave a hand wave towards the Squiffer leaning on the concrete. "Let us continue, shall we?"
Mei-Lin was rather hesitant, but she reached for her weapon regardless. "…yeah."
The next few moments passed by in a blur. During that period, Mei-Lin was subjected to a plethora of quick lessons, some physical such as proper firing posture, and some being theories on being a good sniper such as high elevation. There were a few more practice shots as well, with Eliza sometimes stepping up to help point out irregularities in her posture.
Despite having a mentor by her side however, Mei-Lin didn't really improve all that much regardless. As she lowered her Charger for the final time, she could see that the alleyway was completely coated in auburn, but three out of four of the bottles placed there before they resumed the training were still standing. The remaining one was in pieces on the ground, though she was more than certain that the shot that dislodged it was a fluke.
"That…" The inkling mumbled. "That could've been better…"
"Most likely. But it is impossible to become a trained soldier in a matter of hours." Eliza replied, "No one can learn a new skill in that allocated time and instantly master it, not even myself."
"True. But, what do I do now…?" Mei-Lin asked, facing the octoling. "Do I just…practice?"
"Yes. Practice with that weapon, and you should be able to use it in the field once the need arises. But, improving your mental state is something you will have to discover for yourself. As I said, I am unable to assist you on that front." Eliza slung her Splatterscope behind her back, preparing to walk back towards the observatory. "Now, let us pack our things, and be on our way. Your companions must be expecting us."
Mei-Lin nodded. "…Alright."
As the two walked back inside the observatory and they began packing up the equipment and supplies in the makeshift camp inside, Mei-Lin's thoughts were thoroughly occupied. Pausing in the middle of rolling up her sleeping bag, she took a momentary glance at the octoling sniper across the room, busy with the campfire's remains.
"Improving my mental state…" She thought to herself, "How…? Should I tell her about… that…?"
Her fingers momentarily slackened, and the sleeping bag in her arms quickly unfurled. Cursing under her breath, Mei-Lin shook it loose, before carefully rolling it up again.
"…how does Eliza do it anyway? She always looks so calm… nothing seems to get to her. That's just not possible…"
Managing to roll up the sleeping bag, Mei-Lin proceeded to attempt to stuff it inside her backpack. In an attempt to vent, she hammered the object inside with her right elbow, throttling the backpack with her left hand as she did so. It seemed to help somewhat, as she could feel her stress dissipating ever so slightly.
"No sense just standing here making wild guesses… Maybe I'll just ask her along the way."
Slinging the backpack onto her back, Mei-Lin did a quick look of her surroundings to make sure she didn't leave anything behind. It was then she noticed the flashlight that she left next to where she slept. Picking it up, she experimentally switched it on, shining the beam around the observatory's roof.
"You have a flashlight? That could be useful." Eliza commented, noticing the illumination.
"…yeah." Mei-Lin replied, turning off the flashlight and stuffing it into a side pocket on her parka.
"The visibility down here is fairly poor, that should help us avoid any possible pitfalls up ahead. It was certainly fortunate you managed to acquire a working one down here… where did you find it?"
"I…" Mei-Lin hesitated for a moment, recalling the incident the other day. "…I just did."
"Hmm… very well. I was only inquiring in case there are any supplies down that may come in useful." Finished with packing up the last of her own equipment, Eliza made her way out of the observatory, motioning Mei-Lin to follow. "Take point. You have the flashlight."
"O-okay." The inkling replied, reaching for her pocket and withdrawing the flashlight. She stepped out of the observatory, with the octoling following close behind.
"Hey… can I ask you something?"
"…"
Having gone a bit of distance away from the observatory and onto a nearby walkway, the duo are now in the middle of surveying the rest of Low Tide Park from their current vantage point, trying to determine the path to their next destination. Their progress was cut short several times however, with many of the walkways in an advanced state of deterioration. Either they are too unsafe to traverse or they have already collapsed, leaving their options limited.
"I…I just want to know…" Mei-Lin mumbled, holding out the flashlight in her hand to illuminate the darkness in the area Eliza was trying to survey. "What is it that…makes you-"
"Later." Eliza interrupted. "Move the light just a bit to the left, I think I see something."
"Alright…" Mei-Lin obliged. "But…where exactly are we headed, anyway?"
"There." Eliza pointed at a dull grey building in the distance that was barely visible in the darkness, which seemed at odds with the colorful attractions around it. "That is the power station to this place. From there, it is a straight climb down to the Smokestack geothermal plant."
"I just wish super-jumping there is possible…" Mei-Lin sighed. "But I'm not used to doing such a thing."
"That is not advisable, regardless of whether or not you are familiar with the action." Eliza replied flatly. "With visibility this poor, missing the landing is entirely probable. I would not risk seeing if the bottom of the dome is a good place to land, if it is even there to begin with."
"Y-yeah…" Mei-Lin leaned slightly forward, trying to get a good look at what she was shining on. "Do you see anything?"
Eliza was silent for a moment, before she shook her head. "…no, just a stray girder. Try the other side."
Shining the beam to the right, Mei-Lin then noticed a glint of light reflecting off a metallic surface. Squinting her eyes, she could barely make out the contours of what appears to be another walkway down below. Or rather, it looked to be part of the walkway they currently stood on, but the set of stairs connecting the two have long since collapsed into the abyss.
"Eliza… I found something." She said, pointing at the walkway. "It's another one of those broken paths. Reckon that's safe enough?"
"Hmm… it is worth the risk." Eliza mused. "We will need to jump from here, however. I do not see a means to climb down."
"Alright…" Mei-Lin held up the light, illuminating the other walkway. "You first."
"Understood." Stepping away from the railings, the octoling spun around towards where the walkway abruptly ends, and went into a running start. Reaching the very edge of the rusting walkway, she crouched down and leapt towards the other walkway, successfully landing as she slid to a halt. The supports adhering to the rocks above the walkway disgorged some dust from the impact, but otherwise it held on just fine.
"It's safe." Eliza said, turning round to face the inkling above her. "Now it's your turn."
"Okay… I'll-" Mei-Lin froze abruptly at the very edge of the walkway. Having gone for a closer look, it occurred to her right there that there was a frighteningly large distance between her walkway and Eliza's. The blackness that is the pitfall in the middle certainly doesn't help.
"A-ah…!" Mei-Lin backed away as quickly as her shaking legs could manage, grabbing hold onto the nearby railings for dear life with her free hand as she did so.
"What's wrong?" Eliza asked, looking up at the trembling inkling. "Jump down."
"It…it's…" Mei-Lin stuttered, glancing at her feet. "…I'm sorry. I don't have… good experiences with heights…"
"Don't let appearances deceive you." Eliza replied. "Toss me the flashlight, I'll show you where you need to land."
Looking up at Eliza, Mei-Lin nodded. Still gripping hard on the railings, she lobbed the flashlight in Eliza's general direction. There was a clatter of plastic meeting metal as she missed the octoling entirely and the object landed just short of where she stood, but the beam of light revealed that the walkway Eliza was standing on extruded several feet from where she stood before it terminated.
"Feeling confident now?" Eliza said, picking up and shining the flashlight at where the walkway stops.
"I…I think so." Tentatively letting go of the railings, Mei-Lin peered over the edge and towards her destination. While still quite a distance to jump, it seems manageable even for someone like her.
Taking a deep breath, Mei-Lin imitated what Eliza and performed a running jump towards the walkway below. Feeling gravity quickly take hold of her body, she felt a sense of dread as she started to fall down.
To her surprise however, she was able to jump further than she had anticipated, and she barely landed onto the walkway before her. Taken aback by the shock of the impact, she briefly stumbled forward a few steps before falling over onto the metallic surface.
"It is a lot easier than it looks, doesn't it?" Eliza remarked, reaching out a hand to help up Mei-Lin. "What may seem impossible only stays that way if you never attempt to prove otherwise."
"…Yeah." Mei-Lin simply replied.
"Good. Let us make haste."
Following the walkway, the two began making progress towards their current goal in silence. The path wound around the rocky structure, sometimes passing through other floating islands, but Mei-Lin could sense that they were getting closer towards the barely visible power station in the distance.
"…An obligation." Eliza eventually said.
"What?" Mei-Lin responded, not sure what the octoling was talking about. "What do you mean?"
"You were going to ask, weren't you?" Eliza replied, "What made me the way I am, correct?"
"…something like that. But, what do you mean by an obligation?"
Eliza stopped in her tracks for a moment, and leaned on a nearby railing. Her eyes seemed unfocused, as she stared at a fixed point in the distance.
"My first memory…" She said, "Was crawling out of rubble. I was bruised, tired, and starving for food. All I can remember on that day was being pulled onto a stretcher, and voices all around me. I was barely conscious at the time, so I cannot even remember who my escorts were."
The octoling paused for a moment, before she continued. "It was only later on that I've realized I've developed amnesia. I cannot remember anything, my childhood, my past life, and the circumstances that led me to where I was. At that point, I can only rely on those around me, specifically those that nursed me back to health."
"You mean… Octavio and his soldiers?" Mei-Lin guessed.
"Yes… It was a routine sweep, and some of his octotroopers found me just outside the entrance to Sector 0. Had they not found me, I may have eventually perished. I felt I owed them a favor, so I requested to join their ranks as a form of gratitude."
Mei-Lin was somewhat astonished. "…I see."
"My earlier days… weren't very proud, however." Eliza continued. "It was clear that even as an octoling, I was different from the rest. People can be…shallow when it comes to appearances."
"You mean…" Mei-Lin's eyes drifted towards the excessively long tentacle that was wrapped around Eliza's left leg.
The octoling noticed where Mei-Lin was glancing, and nodded. "Yes… Back then, I had no means to express my feelings about their…opinions, aside from bouts of violence. It was troublesome, to say the least. Eventually, I resorted to simply demonstrating my superiority by surpassing them in exercises. It got me to where I am now…as one of Octavio's elite."
Eliza paused again, this time gently stroking the seaweed tied to her tentacles. "But…even as commander of the Blue-Ringed Menace squadron, the discrimination never stopped. They don't speak up anymore, but I can see it in their expression that my presence disgusts them. Even some of my own soldiers wear that same expression."
While Eliza didn't express her anger, Mei-Lin could see her fingers on the railing tighten ever so slightly. "All I could do then was to openly express my scorn." She said. "No one dared to approach me ever since."
A few moments of strained silence passed as neither party spoke up. As Eliza turned to face the pathway once again, Mei-Lin was completely stunned.
"I…" The inkling sputtered. "I don't know what to say."
Eliza shook her head. "You don't have to. That would be a waste of pity."
"N-no, it's not that. It's just…" Mei-Lin briefly paused for thought. "…if so many of your own comrades hate you for what you are… then why still be with them…?"
Abruptly, Eliza stopped in her tracks. Seeing this, Mei-Lin blurted out a quick apology.
"…Oh… I…I shouldn't have said-"
"Truth be told... I'm not entirely sure myself." Eliza interrupted. "But… as judgmental as they are, they are still the ones that rescued me. In a manner of speaking, they may well be my family."
The octoling turned to face Mei-Lin. "That is what keeps me going: to protect those that are precious to me. That… is the obligation I speak of."
Motioning Mei-Lin to follow, Eliza spun round again to continue down the walkway. "Enough about the past. We have present matters to attend to. Come on."
"…alright." Mei-Lin mumbled, somewhat confused. Following closely behind the octoling, the inkling's mind was once again crowded with fleeting thoughts.
"She fights for her own kind… even for the ones that hate her?" She mused, "That sounds… contradictory. Is it really true?"
The inkling shook her head. "Can't be. Eliza was seriously blunt… she doesn't seem like the kind of person to tell a lie… right? Still… amnesia? Can it mold a person this easily?"
Absentmindedly, she began tapping on her own chin. "I suppose… that would explain why Octavio and that octocopter he was talking to both seemed so reluctant to send Eliza to help us, if they had to put up with her for so much longer… But that still doesn't explain… how is she so…good…?"
Mei-Lin let out a cry of frustration, unable to think of a proper answer.
"ARGH! I just don't get it…!" She grumbled aloud.
It wasn't that much longer afterwards that the duo reached the end of the walkway. Climbing up the ladder they came face to face with the power station, which looked even less remarkable up close now that the ruined remains of Low Tide Park's attractions were quite visible compared to before. Even the faded colors of the rides and carnival booths seemed full of life next to the dull gray building before them.
"We're here." Eliza remarked.
"Y-yeah." Mei-Lin replied, "But where's the entrance?"
"Hmm." Eliza peered at the building before them for a while. "This structure is larger than I expected from this angle. I'll circle round towards the right, you circle left. Holler if you find an opening of any sort."
"Okay…?"
Mei-Lin watched as Eliza wandered off. Simply shrugging, she did as she was told, stickling close to the wall and walking along the opposite direction to which the octoling was.
Unexpectedly, the building didn't seem to have any visible entrances. There weren't any signs to point the way either, so Mei-Lin just kept going, getting more puzzled with each step. With the flashlight now in Eliza's possession, she hugged the wall as much as she could in case she tripped over something.
Eventually, her trek led her into another dimly lit alleyway. Walking down the alley, Mei-Lin noticed that the walls were coated in crude graffiti, drawn with jet black paint.
Noticing her hand was on one of the lines, she quickly withdrew her arm, abruptly stepping away from the wall as she examined the palm of her hand. Sighing a breath of relief as she realized the paint was dry, she looked up only to see the drawings in full before her.
Larger in comparison to the countless smaller random doodles surrounding it, the biggest drawing that dominated the wall composed of four octarians, each one a different type. The four appear to be in the act of holding up a roof of a building, while stick figures crowded around the four seemingly in awe. Atop the roof, there appears to be a crude circle drawn with 8 squiggly lines coming out of it, topped with a crude rendition of what Mei-Lin recognized as DJ Octavio's samurai hat.
Having gotten her attention, Mei-Lin stepped in for a closer look at the drawing. Upon closer examination, she noticed an inscription right under the painting, which looked to be sprayed on with a stencil template:
"It is here that the Under-Sea-Dogs are born. We pledge to one day give all octarians the recognition from our great leader that we deserve!
-Heather/Morgan/Clarence/Anna"
"Interesting…" She muttered. But before she could properly process the message, she could hear the sound of a crash not too far away, along with a yell that she could recognize as Eliza's. Following that, she could hear the sounds of a struggle taking place.
"…oh no." Her eyes widening in shock, Mei-Lin quickly retraced her steps back out of the alley, and back the way she came. Passing by the ladder, she followed the path which Eliza went down as quickly as her legs could carry her.
Rounding a corner, she immediately doubled back and hid. In the split second that it took for her to hide, she could spot Eliza pinned down on the floor, along with what she recognized as the octarian ruffians she had encountered yesterday looming over her. One was tying a length of rope around her left ankle, holding her unusually long tentacle in place.
"Grrr…! COWARDS!" The octoling bellowed, but then a sickening crunch came right afterwards, followed by a cry of agony.
"HAHAHA! Not so tough anymore ain'tcha?" One of the octotroopers taunted, having plowed a heel into the back of Eliza's hand. "She looks a lot more pathetic from up here!"
"And that's that oversized limb taken care of!" Another octotrooper interjected. "Helpless as a fish outta water, I say!"
There was a deep laugh that followed afterwards, presumably belonging to the octobomber standing in front of Eliza. "Heh heh heh… You thought I was joking, weren'tcha? Well remember this, lady. When Big Al says he promises to come back for ya, he comes back for ya."
"Staging an ambush? You ruffians… ugh… certainly love to play it low." Eliza spat back.
"I'll take that as a complement." Big Al growled. "But enough talk. You may have turned the tables on us last time, but this time… we're the ones that will beat you to an inch of your life!"
Watching the events unfold before her, Mei-Lin couldn't bear to watch anymore. As the octobomber raised a massive tentacle, preparing to slam the limb down onto the helpless octoling, she suddenly felt her mind go blank. Without thinking, she rushed round the corner, and ran straight in front of the oncoming tentacle, taking the full force of the impact.
"AAAHHHH!"
She hit the ground close to Eliza, a bruise forming on her neck where the tentacle had struck her. In her peripheral vision, she could see Big Al's octotroopers step away in surprise.
"What the… you again?!" the octobomber bellowed. "Unbelievable! How stupid are you!?"
"M-Mei-Lin?" Eliza groaned, just as in shock as the goons around her.
Without replying, Mei-Lin dragged herself off the floor slowly as everyone around her watched in disbelief. Despite the searing pain on her neck, she faced the octobomber before her, and meekly raised her arms, shielding Eliza from him.
"S…Stop." She moaned between labored breaths, "Don't…hurt…her…"
"Don't get in my way!" Big Al shouted, his temper flaring up. "This is MY business you're interrupting!"
He struck out again, this time in Mei-Lin's abdomen. She fell over again, clutching her side with one arm. But gritting her teeth, she got back up once more, holding out her other arm as before.
"…Are you serious?" The octobomber growled. "You're an inkling, and you're seriously defending that octoling? ARE YOU RETARDED?!"
"N-no..." Mei-Lin could feel tears forming in her eyes again. "You… are… wrong…"
"Don't think we haven't been scouting out the premises!" One of the octotroopers spoke up. "We saw ye! You were going to jump down a cliff after that woman said some mean things to you yesterday!"
"…!" Eliza's eyes widened in response to the revelation.
"Now we're teaching 'er a lesson in manners!" the octotrooper continued, "You of all people should be pleased that we're-"
"YOU'RE WRONG!" Mei-Lin screamed, causing the octotroopers around her to recoil. "She…she…"
The inkling shuddered for a moment, before she coughed out a spray of auburn.
"…she may be cold, but deep down… she's a compassionate person! She wanted to help me… be a better fighter… and she was here…because she wanted to do something for her people! Eliza... I WON'T LET YOU HURT HER!" Mei-Lin stretched out her free hand as far as she could, the arm trembling in a combination of effort and pain.
The octobomber's eyes twitched in anger. "Fine… if you're going to be stubborn like that… I'll just BEAT it out of you!"
Mei-Lin closed her eyes as she felt a third strike impact the side of her head, knocking her to a nearby wall. Colliding with it, she crumpled from the blow and slid down the bricks, feeling a trickle of liquid run down the side of her head.
As she slowly faded into unconsciousness, she could see Eliza rising from the ground through her blurry vision, her face uncharacteristically a mask of fury…
"…are you awake?"
Mei-Lin woke up, feeling a stinging pain all over her body. Regaining her senses, she realized she was being carried in Eliza's arms.
"Ah!" She cried, feeling her face flush in embarrassment.
"Easy, try to stay still." The octoling said, her tone strangely softer than usual. "You're recovering fast, but you're still injured."
Feeling Eliza lower her onto a nearby pillar, Mei-Lin took the time to assess her surroundings. Hearing the faint hum of electricity, she realized she was inside the power station.
"What… what happened?" She asked softly, her voice still weak from the ordeal. "Are we at… Smokestack?"
"Not yet." Eliza replied, shaking her head. "We're right next to the trapdoor which leads into the plant itself. But we cannot climb down just yet in your current state."
Mei-Lin simply nodded, looking around the area and noticing the trapdoor in question just a few steps away. Remembering what one of the octotroopers mentioned, she immediately faced the octoling.
"Hey… Eliza-"
"Don't say another word… I know." Eliza interrupted, averting her eyes. "I wish I had known sooner."
"It…it's not your fault!" Mei-Lin argued.
"No… this is definitely where I am at fault, there is no arguments to be made here." The octoling was notably distraught despite her usual demeanor. "I almost drove an innocent civilian into suicide! How do you expect me to live such a deed down?!"
Eliza stood up once more, her expression darkening. "At the very least… I made it up to you… the only way I can."
Mei-Lin was confused. "What… do you mean?"
"Those ruffians… will not be bothering us anymore." Eliza said, facing away from Mei-Lin. "Rest easy now."
It was then Mei-Lin noticed an open door just to the side. Beyond the doorway, she could see a trail of fuchsia that spread from close to a nearby wall, that trailed all the way out of the building, and which led down a cliff in the far distance.
Realizing what has occurred, she shuddered.
"Eliza…" Mei-Lin whispered. "Was… was that necessary?"
There was a period of silence as the two simply stayed quiet, the hum of machinery thick in the air.
"…I acted on instinct." Eliza eventually replied. "After seeing what you've done and hearing what you said, my body moved on its own. Strange, isn't it?"
"No… I didn't know what I was doing either." Mei-Lin muttered. "Is this… what Katelyn referred to as 'fighting for her friends'?"
"I would find it stranger that you would see me as a 'friend', even after what I had done." Eliza replied, turning back at Mei-Lin. "Why?"
Mei-Lin simply sighed. "…I don't know… People can make unusual decisions at times… you know? Maybe there isn't an answer."
"Possibly."
Deciding to take a rest as well, Eliza sat down at the wall closest to the trapdoor. Another period of time passed as the two stayed quiet, merely staring into space.
Eventually, Mei-Lin could no longer feel the most recent pain in her cheek. Carefully leaning on the pillar, she slowly climbed up with both hands pressed onto the wall, trying to stand up.
"Recovered, have we?" Eliza asked.
"Yeah… I'm fine now…" Mei-Lin confirmed, "Let's go."
"Very well then. Let us rejoin your friends down below."
As Mei-Lin watched Eliza grapple onto the ladder just within the trapdoor and began her descent, she followed suit shortly afterwards.
"Is there really not an answer…?" She thought to herself, grabbing hold of the top rung. "Who in their right mind would get themselves in harm's way just to prevent another being harmed? Surely… that goes against basic survival instinct? Am I insane?"
Carefully slipping her legs into the trapdoor, she planted a foot onto a lower rung. Playing back her train of thought, she smiled faintly.
"If that's the case…" She mused as she descended into the depths of the earth. "I wouldn't mind being insane…for a bit."
AN: Hmm... I think I'm slipping. Perhaps it's just my imagination, but my writing style seems to have frayed a little on the seams. Don't think it's affecting the quality all too much... at least I hope so.
Well, regardless of whether my writing ability has weakened or not, this is an absurdly tough chapter to put out, same reasons as the last one featuring Mei-Lin, really. Taking the time to bounce conversation subjects back and forth between me and ThePizzaLovingTurtle helped a bit, but this did take up more time than it needed to.
So...what now? Well, now that I've returned to university, I may be having trouble getting more chapters out. Hopefully it won't lead to that several month break that I ended up taking a while back... I hope.