Tandava

Scorching heat. Ruptured steam pouring from pipes. The sound of metal under heavy stress.
"If this isn't close to what inkling hell looks like, I don't know what is." Chris thought to himself, his footsteps echoing loudly around the vast room. He wasn't the only one feeling the pressure either, the entire group was wandering aimlessly, perturbed by what lay before them.

It was evident that once upon a time, the freight elevator room has seen its fair share of activity. Worn parts and scrap metal piled around the cylindrical chamber, along with industrial vehicles left to rust and fall apart dotted here and there. On the other side of the barely lit space, a gigantic shutter dominating a section of the wall seemed to shudder every so often, coinciding with a glare of orange light as it barely held back a powerful force from breaking through, the rumble echoing throughout the entire chamber like a discontent beast.
A large elevator was situated at the very center of the chamber, wide enough to fit an entire airplane onto the platform and still have room for a couple of buses at least. Part of the elevator was already occupied by storage containers on two ends, some with their doors hanging open and revealing a collection of construction materials within. As the bursts of magma hammered onto the walls of the chamber, the platform seemed to shake ever so slightly too, coinciding with a burst of hot air that seemed to erupt from the gaps.

"Urgh… this is just like back we had to deal with Tetanus." Cobalt mumbled, beads of sweat running down the side of his mask. "What happened to the AC down here, anyway?!"
"If there's one at all, I don't think it's working any more..." Katelyn groaned, already exhausted from the extreme heat. "I'm gonna boil at this rate!"

"It's understandable that the conditions within this room are extreme." Eliza remarked, seemingly the only one in the group unperturbed by the heat. "This geothermal plant extends down to the mantle of the Earth. It is a safe assumption that the high temperature is due to the latent heat leaking out of the center of the structure."
"Wait, isn't that bad?! If we stay here for too long we'll be cooked alive!" Cobalt turned towards the octoling with a look of alarm. "What are we even standing around here for?!"
"He's right…" Chris muttered, casting his gaze around the cluttered space, before noticing a gigantic fan attached to the ceiling that still seemed to be operational. "Hmm… looks like the ventilation system is on. We should be fine up here, but if we head downwards…"
"…I'm not sure becoming baked squid is part of the to-do list." Cobalt finished worriedly. "I don't suppose there's something stashed in those crates over there?"

"That shouldn't be necessary. The bottom of the shaft is somehow shielded from the…heat?" Eliza replied, hesitating at the very last word. "Wait… is it?"
"Hey… you sure about that?" Katelyn mumbled, watching Cobalt run off into the distance before he began to fiddle with the handle on one of the storage crates. "Have you been down here before?"
"I… haven't… huh?" Eliza paused, her train of thought coming into a screeching halt. "Then why do I…?"

The octoling ran a hand down the elongated tentacle wrapped around her waist, seemingly contemplating something. A few seconds later, she shrugged.
"…it doesn't matter. Chris, I'll need help locating the elevator controls, can I ask you to search around the freight elevator itself?" Eliza asked, turning towards the inkling in question. "I'll examine the balcony in the upper levels over there."

Suddenly, the screech of a rusty door abruptly flying open punctured the air, followed by a yelp of surprise being drowned out by a loud rustling noise. Facing the source of the commotion, Chris was mildly amused to see that Cobalt had opened the shipping container, only to have gotten himself buried from head to foot by an avalanche of packing pellets that had spilled out of the box. The only sight of the masked inkling within the pile was a pair of legs flailing desperately in the air.

"Looks like I'll be doing that anyway…" Chris quipped, barely holding back a chuckle.

"Hey, you alright there? …Is something bothering you?"

"Wh- Huh?"

Mei-Lin looked up abruptly, snapping out of her stupor. Katelyn was looking right at her, her face drooping into a frown. From the look in her eyes, it was clear that she had noticed how unusually silent she had been the entire time.
"It's… it's nothing!" Mei-Lin sputtered, stumbling over her own words. "I just…"

"You're always this quiet when something's on your mind…" Katelyn glanced at the bandages wrapped around Mei-Lin's abdomen, a concerned expression forming. "That wound's not bothering you, is it?"
"No, it's not that…" Almost reflexively, Mei-Lin's hand went to the auburn stain on the bandage. "This doesn't hurt anymore."
"Then what was it?! Are you hiding something from me?" Katelyn shot back unexpectedly. "Tell me now… Please!"

Mei-Lin backed away a step or two, feeling a sudden spike of anxiousness. While she was somewhat grateful that Katelyn was concerned over her wellbeing, a part of her felt strangely frightened at her dearest friend for reasons she could not explain. Shocked at her own thoughts, she felt as if someone impaled a cold metal spike directly into her heart.

Her worries must've shown up outwards, as Katelyn immediately stopped mid-sentence, stepping away from Mei-Lin before letting out a sigh.
"…I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Mei-Lin was confused. "Why are you apologizing?"

Katelyn didn't answer. Instead, she looked elsewhere, noticing Chris in the distance desperately brushing away packing pellets away from Cobalt, seemingly to no avail as more cascaded out of the shipping container. The sight caused a weak chuckle to escape from her lips.

"Did I… do something wrong?" Mei-Lin mumbled quietly, too silent for her friend to hear.

As Katelyn turned to face her again, Mei-Lin couldn't help but notice that her friend was desperately trying to avoid eye contact.
"…Hey." Katelyn finally spoke up. "Mei-Lin… what do you think of me?"
"…what?"

This wasn't a question she had expected, given the circumstances.

"What are you talking about…?" Mei-Lin asked. "You're a great friend of mine… always had."
"No, that's not I meant…" Katelyn shook her head. "I mean, do you think… I seem overprotective to you?"
"Overprotective? That's…" Mei-Lin was surprised. "Where did this come from?"

Katelyn sighed, briefly glancing back at her teammates in the distance.
"It's been on my mind lately." She mumbled. "Ever since I… lashed out at Eliza. Whenever I see you hurt just like back there, I… just can't seem to keep myself from getting mad."
"But... isn't that normal?" Mei-Lin replied. "I'd be angry too if someone hurt you."
"…not when I wanted to end her life right there, it wasn't." Katelyn looked down at her hands in guilt.

Mei-Lin's mouth fell in shock.
"That's…!"

"Thinking back… a similar thing happened with Cobalt. It was… when I thought he was the reason you locked yourself away from the world. I…" Katelyn balled up her hands into fists. "…I attacked him. It was in public, in Cooler Heads. But it didn't matter to me, I wanted him to disappear. Had I not been stopped by Chris, Cobalt would've been dead… by my hands."

"I…" Mei-Lin was reeling from shock. "That… that happened…?"

"Mei-Lin… I'm scared." Tears were beginning to pool in Katelyn's eyes. "This desire to destroy others that want to harm you… I'm… I'm terrified of myself... What's h-happening to me?!"

As she watched Katelyn curl up on the spot, shivering, Mei-Lin felt a lump form in her throat. She had always known her friend became incensed easily, but this was most certainly out of left field. Her mouth opening and closing silently like a fool, she realized she cannot find the words to console her.

"For me… she's willing to end the lives of others…?" Mei-Lin's thoughts were racing. "That… that can't be true…!"
"I-I…" Katelyn's voice was weaker than usual. "Mei-Lin… what should I do?"

"HEEEEY!" A voice suddenly exclaimed from the distance. "Katelyn! Mei-Lin! Over here! I found something!"

The terse mood seemed to abruptly dispel. Mei-Lin looked towards the source alongside Katelyn, and saw Cobalt waving towards them from the shipping container as Chris dragged something from the mound of packing pellets.
Getting up, Katelyn wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Ah…hahaha. Looks like I fell apart a bit there."
"Yeah…" Mei-Lin replied quietly. "C'mon, let's join the others."
"A-alright then."

As Katelyn skated shakily over to the group, Mei-Lin went over their conversation in her head a few times, her face expressionless.
"Killing… for the sake of the happiness of others…"
Her stomach churned.
"It's wrong… isn't it…?"

"So, what have you found?" Eliza asked, approaching the gathering team.

Brushing aside a handful of loose pellets, Chris examined the metallic pad that lay on the ground before them. Upon closer examination, it was a respawn pad, complete with a cable and plug.
"This was in the shipping container. Nothing else in there, as far as I can tell." He replied. "Why would something like THIS be down here?"
"A respawn pad? Huh…" Katelyn said, looking down at the glassy surface of the pad. "You got a point, Chris."

"Hey. Katelyn, you were yelling back there. What gives?" Cobalt asked. "Something happen?"
"O-oh! I-it's nothing!" Katelyn stammered. "That's not important right now… reckon we can use this?"
"Well, as long as we got a power source of some kind. But it's not like we got any Zapfish on hand this time…"

A moment of silence seemed to follow Cobalt's statement. The masked inkling looked around at his companions, puzzled.
"Erm… did I say something weird?"

"Cobalt… you DO realize this is a power plant, right?" Chris groaned. "It'd be weird if there WASN'T a power source."
"Oh. Right…" Cobalt examined the nearby surroundings, shortly after noticing a socket sticking out of the elevator. "It's weird though, now that you mention it. I thought this place should be busted thanks to that whole earthquake that happened down here..."
"You're right… didn't Octavio say that the earthquake happened when they mined this far down?" Chris pondered. "Then surely it would've made sense if this place suffered the most wear and tear. But…"
Cobalt slotted the plug into the socket, and watched as the respawn pad slowly activated. "Yeah, this place seems rather pretty for some earthquake-ridden junk heap. I mean, there's all that steam, and this thing IS turning on…"

"If anything, I think the places we went past to get here were even more worn down." Katelyn chimed in. "I mean, those vents I went through seemed pretty busted. The civilian district looked okay, but I think that's only because octarians were living there."
"Not to mention that fortress. It's like… all broken down and partly sunken into the ground, and all." Cobalt added. "That place is jam-packed with octarians. If that's what they can manage even after all their renovations…"
"It's as if… it wasn't so much an earthquake, but more like Sector 0 was deliberately sealed off from the rest of Octo Valley." Mei-Lin finished. "But… why?"

"Wait… deliberate?" Chris interjected. "But who would do such a-"

He fell silent. A chilling memory had abruptly interrupted his train of thought, mainly the appearance of that strange machine that had rampaged in the Grand Library before it was stopped. In particular, it was one sentence it had spoken before it went berserk.

"YES…IT IS AS HE SAID. I AWAKEN TODAY, BEFORE ONE OF THE CHOSEN. HE TRULY…SEES…FATE."

"…'as HE said'?" Chris muttered to himself.
"Eh…. Chris?" Cobalt asked. "What's wrong?"
"Well… there was-"

But before Chris could start elaborating, the ground abruptly shook. The group look around in alarm as the entire elevator began to descend rapidly with everyone on it.
"Hey… why are we moving?!" Chris exclaimed. "Eliza? Did you activate the elevator?"
The octoling seemed just as surprised as the others. "I haven't. There were no controls up on that balcony!"
"Wait, does that mean-"

The group exchanged looks of alarm, realizing what was coming next. Without another word, they quickly moved to the respawn pad to prepare for battle, the surface now an iridescent fiery orange.
As Chris emerged from the pad, examining Cobalt and Katelyn which are dyed a shade of orange just like him, he turned to face Mei-Lin.

"Alright, you're next Mei-Lin." Chris said, beckoning her to follow. "There's no need to be scared, you've done this once already. C'mon."
"R-right…" Mei-Lin stuttered. "Let me just-"

But just as Mei-Lin bent down towards the pad seemingly with the intent to switch to squid form, she suddenly stumbled and fell on all fours, clutching her side in agony.
"M-Mei-Lin!" Katelyn exclaimed, attempting to help her up. "Are you alright?!"
"It… it hurts…" Mei-Lin groaned, lifting up her hand to examine it. Auburn ink was dripping from her hands, trailing from the bandage she had on.

"This isn't good. That wound's stopping you from transforming. If you're stuck with that shade of color, we'd risk friendly fire." Eliza remarked tersely, helping Mei-Lin up from the floor. "…looks like I have no choice. Mei-Lin, take shelter behind the shipping containers. I'll take on your role of team sniper."
"But… w-will you be…?" Mei-Lin gasped, still in pain.
"I will be fine, Mei-Lin. Does this look like my first firefight?" Eliza reassured, hopping into the respawn pad. "Go. I sense hostiles fast approaching."

As the team watched Mei-Lin take cover behind the cotnainers, three metallic clangs made contact with the floor behind them one after another. Turning to face the source, they were met with the sight of the Under-Sea-Dogs all riding their vehicles, looking straight at them. Instinctively, the squad took up a stance, preparing themselves for the upcoming battle.

"One, two, three… hmm? One inkling's missing." Heather mumbled. "Well, it'll do."
"We meet again, Chris. I see you've bought company." Clarence said, glancing at the assembled team before him. "I'm sure you recall my parting words. Are you prepared for battle?"
"…" Morgan was quiet, compared to his companions. Katelyn could've sworn he was looking at her briefly, but ultimately decided it was her imagination.

"So, you three are the Under-Sea-Dogs." Eliza said, emerging out of the respawn pad with her tentacles now dyed orange as well. "State your purpose for hindering us."
"Hmph, the traitor speaks." Heather snorted. "That's our question!"
"…!" Eliza didn't retort, but she seemed oddly shaken by the remark.

"Please, we're just here to visit the cross that's located at the bottom of this power plant!" Katelyn interjected. "We don't want to fight you!"
"Unfortunately, that feeling isn't mutual." Clarence replied. "We have our reasons to stop you."
"…one of our own was taken." Morgan finally spoke. "…you know, don't you Katelyn? You must have overheard my conversation with Granny."
"Katelyn…?" Chris asked, looking at her. "What are they talking about?"

Katelyn briefly hesitated, before speaking up. "…There was this octosniper, goes by the name of Anna. Some time ago, she… disappeared from her home, and never came back. I don't know the details exactly, but the way that Granny and Morgan were talking about her, I think she's…"
"Hold up, did you say 'Anna'?" Cobalt said. "I heard those three bring that name up. Was she one of the Under-Sea-Dogs?"
"Probably. These skates here... they were originally hers. Granny wanted me to have them…"

"It was as that inkling said." Heather confirmed. "She was the most cheerful and naïve one out of all of us. Never meant any harm. But… one day, during a routine sweep…"
"We were called upon to investigate possible intruders, and Anna went to observe." Clarence continued, "But then, we lost contact. We followed suit… only to find a deserted battleground stained with unfamiliar ink…"
"…and her prized necklace." Morgan finished. "She never takes it off. Finding it with her abandoned equipment… that can only mean one thing."

A stunned silence lingered in the air, punctuated by the steady whirring of the elevator and the distant rumbling of magma impacting the walls.
"Oh." Cobalt averted his eyes. "That… explains a lot."

"So that's why the three of you are hindering us? Over a mere grudge?" Eliza interrupted. "What petty reasoning."
"Eliza!" Katelyn exclaimed, alarmed.
"We have another purpose to be here." The octoling continued, ignoring her. "Once we are finished here, we are rescuing every last octarian from Sector 0. But, if you insist in getting in our way, we will not hesitate to fight."

"Quiet! What would an octoling like you know about our suffering, huh?!" Heather yelled, rattling her hovercraft. "These people here, they don't give a damn about the so-called cannon fodder like us! We went and reported the loss of one of our own, and you know what the higher-ups said?!"
"…they didn't even bat an eye!" Morgan shouted. "'It was just one octosniper, so what?' That's all they said before they tossed us aside like it never happened!"
"But, if we capture you all, those selfish higher-ups will finally acknowledge us." Clarence spoke. "We will not splat any of you permanently… but do not expect to come out of this unscathed."

"T-that's… that's terrible!" Katelyn was shocked as she watched the Under-Sea-Dogs rev up their machines. "Why?!"
"It's not good, Katelyn. Looks like we're not talking our way out of this fight." Cobalt said, readying his weapons. "We'll just have to knock some sense into these idiots!"
"I was hoping we could avoid fighting anyone… Urgh, fine!" Katelyn reluctantly accepted, preparing her Inkbrush.

"Do think about this, won't you?" Chris attempted to reason with their opponents. "It's four of us here against three of you, and we're much more experienced in combat together thanks to our bouts in Turf Wars. Don't do anything you'll regret later!"

"Oh, you think you got us backed into a corner, huh?" Heather sneered. "I don't think you four get it at all… We've got you where we wanted you!"
"You think you're the only ones reliant on teamwork? So are we!" Clarence continued. "Allow us to show you our combined strength!"

It was then Eliza realized that while they were talking, a pool of fuchsia ink was slowly forming underneath the Under-Sea-Dogs. Noticing this, she readied her Splatterscope, bracing herself.
"Watch out!" She exclaimed. "They're going to-"

But before Eliza could finish her sentence, the Under-Sea-Dogs dove into the ink all at once. Not even a second later, the pool rippled and bubbled furiously, before a large splash of fuchsia cascaded everywhere as a towering figure emerged from its depths. A loud crash echoed all around the elevator as the figure made contact with the metallic floor, the sound reverberating throughout the entire shaft.

Cobalt looked at the being before them, a look of utter disbelief on his face. It was an expression currently reflected in all his teammates.

"Oh… this isn't good." He gulped.

It is all going horribly wrong.

Mei-Lin watched with terror at her teammates, fighting for their dear lives. At the very center of the platform, an imposing being dominated the scene, casting a shadow over the combatants as it rampaged.

Somehow, the Under-Sea-Dogs had fused their machines together. A monstrous being with six muscly reddish arms towered over the supply crates, perpetually swinging blades coated in fuchsia around in four hands composed of talons, and holding high a harpoon with two metallic gauntlets. Atop the mechanical figure, a head with three faces spun around constantly, surveying every angle of the battlefield.

For all intents and purposes, it was a machine designed for one thing: efficient, painful destruction.

From her hiding place, Mei-Lin watched as her friends slowly fought a losing battle. Almost like a choreographed dance, the mechanical being blocked ink coming from several angles with its armor or by swatting the shots out of the air with its blades, before responding with a series of swings and thrusts that were seemingly everywhere at once.

"Everyone's… fighting so hard." Mei-Lin thought to herself. "If only… I could help…"

She glanced at the Charger in her slackened hands, briefly debating whether she should attempt to get in a few shots from her position. Lifting her right arm gently, she felt an aching sensation swell from her wound, as if it were forcing her to back down. Briefly remembering Eliza mentioning friendly fire, she realized that coating the ground with her own ink will end up hindering her friends in the process.

There was nothing she could do.

Feeling a creeping sense of defeat, Mei-Lin's hands slackened completely. The Charger in her hands clattered onto the ground, as she collapsed onto the ground in despair.

"No…no good. I'm no good at all. Why…. Why am I even here…?"

"Urgh… this guy's tough!" Cobalt groaned. "Nothing's working!"
"If only we can get those blades out of the way…" Chris said, trying to get a shot through. "How are they doing this? These octarians have some serious team coordination to be able to deflect everything so well!"
"C'mon, isn't going for the exposed weak spots obvious enough? We'll need to go for the arms!" Cobalt shouted, barely dodging out of the way of a swipe. "I got this!"
"Huh?! Cobalt, wait-"

But before Chris could stop him, Cobalt rushed straight towards the mechanical monstrosity, coating the ground in orange along the way in order to charge his special. With a determined grunt, Cobalt leapt straight towards the whirling blades, transforming into Kraken form midair.
It seemingly had an effect. The blades that were rushing in bounced off of the Kraken's tough hide, thanks to the ink running off of the sharp edges. With a roar, Cobalt struck one of the arms with his body, causing it to explode in a shower of orange.

"Gotcha!" Cobalt exclaimed triumphantly as he landed, fistpumping as the destroyed arm's remains clattering next to him. "One down, five more to-"

Unexpectedly, a geyser of fuchsia shot out from the machine, making contact with the severed mechanical hand on the floor. With a hiss, it dragged the hand back towards the machine with the blade still within its grasp, before the entire arm reformed and regenerated, all within the span of seconds.

"…go." Cobalt finished flatly. "Oh come ON, that's cheating!"

It was chaos. Sounds of gunfire and grinding metal dominating the air. The steady rising in temperature as the team sunk lower and lower into the very bowels of the earth.

Mei-Lin could feel her own pulse steadily rising as well, as she huddled within the confines of the metal box. The few times she dared to catch a glimpse of the battle unfolding just beyond, what she saw were scenes that may very well haunt her forever.

The Under-Sea-Dogs were relentless. Emboldened by their advantage, they have intensified their attacks, and now some of Mei-Lin's teammates are starting to falter. Cobalt was the first to fall, too late to sidestep a blade bisecting him. His body exploded instantly, showering the battlefield in fuchsia.

Thanks to the respawn pad however, they constantly rejoined the battle the moment they fell. The pad showed no signs of powering down, most likely due to the machine being hooked up to the power plant.
But the Under-Sea-Dogs appeared to have realized this, and while they cannot destroy the pad thanks to the shield, they settled with the next best thing: Rendering the team incapable of fighting any further. Soon, they began to experiment, and some of their attacks started to fall short from outright splatting them.

It was wearing heavily on the entire team, and Mei-Lin can tell, even from afar. While their bodies can be fully restored by the respawn pad, nothing can be done about the mental exhaustion. Soon, her companions are showing signs of slowing down.

Sticking her head out once again, Mei-Lin was horrified to see that the Under-Sea-Dogs had Katelyn backed to a wall. The towering being cast an eerie shadow over the inkling, enshrouding her in darkness.

"Are you ready to give up?!" Heather's voice cried out from the mechanical monstrosity as it advanced towards a cornered and exhausted Katelyn. "This is our secret weapon, the fruit of our teamwork: the Octoasura! Impressed?"
"This had a railgun attachment, once upon a time." Morgan's voice added. "Anna was supposed to control it, but now…"
"We'll just have to settle with more… unconventional means." Clarence finished. "If you wish to surrender, I would advise doing so sooner rather than later."

Katelyn brandished her inkbrush, despite her arms trembling uncontrollably. "L-like… hell…!"

"Then you leave us no choice."

Mei-Lin quickly hid behind the container as the Octoasura lifted one of its blades overhead, the fuchsia ink on its edges swiftly drying up until a few droplets remain. The next thing she knew, Katelyn's cry of agony pierced her eardrums, and a splatter of orange painted the chunk of floor visible to her.

Covering her ears, she could feel herself shivering uncontrollably, her thoughts descending into chaos.
"No… no…! Why is this happening?!"

"KATELYN!" Chris yelled, narrowly dodging a swipe.

"I-I'm… okay…" Katelyn groaned.

"You can't fight in that state! Don't push yourself!"

As Chris stated, one of Katelyn's arms hung uselessly to her side, rendering her Inkbrush ineffective. A particularly nasty gash ran from her right shoulder down to just below her left, the gaping wound sizzling with fuchsia ink.

"Now's not the time to be playing tough!" Cobalt yelled as he fired desperately at his target. "We gotta get outta here!"
"H-How?! We're stuck miles underground in some deserted hole! If help's coming… it'd be too late!" Katelyn tiredly held her Inkbrush with her left hand instead, desperately trying to take up a stance. "We got a respawn pad! We'll just have to throw ourselves at this thing until it stops!"
"Yeah, that'd probably work in turfing, but isn't this far from-"

That was before Cobalt was impaled through his body by the harpoon, splatting him instantly. His ghost sailed straight towards the respawn pad, seemingly shocked by the surprise attack.

"A little less ink, Clarence!" Heather's voice yelled, "That KO-ed him!"

"I hear nothing. I see nothing. I hear nothing. I see nothing. I hear nothing. Nothing… Nothing… Nothing…"

Mei-Lin slowly curled up more and more, her hands to her ears, and her eyes scrunched up tightly. Yet, she couldn't completely block out the sounds of her teammates crying out in pain, her mind conjuring up the worst possible images in response like a slideshow put together by a psychopath.

Torsos rent with deep wounds. Arms and legs torn off violently and twitching on the floor. An entire body sliced in half lengthwise, their faces slackening from fading shock…

"I….I-I see…n-noth…th…!"

An unfamiliar image shot through her mind, rippling like a disturbed surface of water. Underdeveloped, slimy hands grasped tightly around the bars of a cage. Beyond, a shadowy figure, jeered incoherently at her as the musty smell of smoke and dried straw filled her lungs.

Mei-Lin's eyes flashed open.

"W-what …?!" She whimpered, all thought of staying quiet abandoning her. "No… No…"

The hands changed and took on a solid form, changing color from a shade of auburn to the color of flesh. An indescribable feeling as the bars passed through her body. The shadowy figure, alerted by the sound, turned towards her. The eyes barely visible in the darkness glared with nothing but utter contempt.

"I…p-please… please…"

More words, interlaced with hatred, yet sane. The figure disappeared behind a counter, only to return. Within their hands, a cruel serrated knife, and a rusted bucket filled to overflowing with viscous black liquid.

"N-no… I d-don't… remember… This… no, no…"

A struggle. The blade was in her hands. Both the weapon and her body have been stained heavily by black splotches. The figure's face was blurry and distorted, a film of tears obstructing her vision. The angered, dilated eyes glaring back gleamed emerald, a familiar color.

A new voice. It was her own. Emotion tore through her. Desperation. Anger. Sadness.

"I'm… sorry… MOTHER!"

Her hands, knife held within, raised high above her head…

Pain erupted through Mei-Lin's skull, as swiftly as wildfire.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Chris turned towards the source of the scream, alarmed.
"Mei-Lin!"

"Huh, I was wondering where the last one went." Clarence said. Right about the same time, the Octoasura stopped short of slicing Chris's abdomen wide open, withdrawing its blade as it slowly made its way towards the shipping containers...

"I-I won't let you!" Katelyn exclaimed, jumping between them and raising her Inkbrush weakly.

But it may as well be a partially squashed cockroach trying to stop a flash flood. One swing of a blade later, Katelyn was sent flying towards the closest wall, her body crumpling from the impact.
"D-dammit…"

With a flurry of slashes, the shipping container housing Mei-Lin was torn open. She was still screaming, seemingly oblivious to the events happening around her.

"This… this was just like back when we fought Tetanus! W-Why?!" Chris exclaimed. "We can't have hit her by accident… have we?!"

"Think later! We need to stop them!" Cobalt yelled. "Distract that thing!"

Prepping a Splat Bomb, Chris prepared to slide one towards the Octoasura's legs. But then, he realized that it was standing right next to her. He faltered, realizing that Mei-Lin could very likely be caught in the blast radius had he thrown the explosive.

His upraised hand trembling, Chris reluctantly lowered the bomb, a look of defeat on his face.
"I… I can't… Dammit!"

"Giving up so quickly? I expected more from those that can last this long against an Octoweapon of this caliber!"

"What the… What are you doing!?"

"Pain… it hurts… it hurts!"

She was lost. A maelstrom of images and sounds churned and swirled endlessly around her.

Reality seemed meaningless now.

Her own voice echoed through her ears. So loud… so unbearable.

"I'm useless… I'm useless…"

"Mei-Lin… Mei-Lin…"

Faint voices lingered from beyond. They were faint. Incoherent.

But does it matter?

"No one can help me…. No one… no one…"

"Alone… alone…"

"Someone… help… me…"

"SNAP OUT OF IT, MEI-LIN! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"
"W-what are you doing?! STOP!"

Eliza was on her knees, her Splatterscope dropped in front of Mei-Lin. The Octoasura was before her, two of its blades embedded in her outstretched hands. As the edges dug deeper, a steady stream of orange gushed from the cuts, and her arms trembled as they held back the weight of the blades.

"I… I don't understand!" Heather's voice cried out from the machine. "Why are you stopping us?!"
"To go this far for an inkling." Clarence spoke. "That's unusual… even for an octoling."

"Like… you would understand." Eliza's voice was quivering with barely suppressed pain, her face contorted with agony as she forced the blade back. "Have you ever had no choice but to watch… as someone close to you were thrust in harm's way? Knowing that… it was your fault that they were hurt…"

The octoling slowly faced Mei-Lin. She was no longer screaming, but she was huddled on the floor, clutching her head.

"It's strange… Until now, I never would've thrown my life on the line like this for someone like you." Eliza continued. "All that mattered was the mission. My fellow soldiers were just that: soldiers. They did not matter to me, as with anyone that spoke with me."
"But… you were a civilian… not even capable of self-defense. And yet… you flung yourself in front of me, as I was going to be hurt by those ruffians back then." Eliza shook her head. "I could not believe it. Are you truly a weakling, as you claim?"

"Was… was that what happened…?" Katelyn groaned, getting up slowly. "Mei-Lin…"

"You say that you cannot do anything, that you are useless. But despite everything… you still mustered the strength to stand up, again and again." Eliza raised her voice, incensed. "There's no doubt about it… a spark flickers deep within you, one that will never be extinguished!"

Briefly, Mei-Lin stirred in response. It would seem her episode was starting to fade away.

"It's about time… you graduated from being a mere civilian…" Eliza's legs buckled, her strength slowly fading. "Stand up straight… soldier…! Show me… my faith… is not... mis…placed…"

With that, the octoling collapsed, unconscious. The Octoasura merely stood there, its pilots stunned.

"That… octoling." Morgan's voice carried a hint of shock. "The way she spoke… It can't be… that's impossible…!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Heather replied.

Before they could properly digest what just happened however, they noticed movement coming from Mei-Lin, and snapped to attention. Wordlessly, the inkling slowly got up on her feet, her fingers coiling around the handle of the Splatterscope Eliza dropped. Standing alert, the Octoasura brandished its blades, ready for anything.

"Mei-Lin!" Katelyn yelled. But before she could react, Chris walked up to her, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright…" he said, looking at the unfamiliar expression on Mei-Lin's face. "It looks like we can sit this one out."

"A….spark…? What…?"

Mei-Lin muttered to herself, as the torrent of sounds and memories lingered around her.

It was a brief moment of lucidity, as disorienting as a drowning man breaking a surface of water for a breath of fresh air. For a few precious seconds, the outside world reached her, as did everyone's voices.

Yet, it was enough. Pieces of her thoughts slowly came together like driftwood, and coherent sentences slowly formed in her mind. The miasma clouding her mind was fading, bit by bit.

"Don't be stupid... No one can help you… That's just how it is, isn't it?"

She could hear it. Her own voice was whispering to her, from the very edges of the miasma.

"This isn't the first time… my dear, sweet self…" 'Mei-Lin' crooned. "It always happens again…and again… this pain is within you…. Forever."

"Pain… again…?" Mei-Lin echoed.

"Yes… there is nothing you can do." 'She' replied, "No matter how hard you try… no matter what people tell you… eventually you will always be back there again…. In that cage… wishing for oblivion."

Sensing a presence, Mei-Lin looked up. From atop the Octoasura, her warped double was staring back, looking down on her with pitying eyes.

"Why even hold back? Why even stand aside?" 'Mei-Lin' whispered. "Deep down, you know the truth. You know you are more than capable of fighting. After all… you ended the life of one you so dearly loved… and hated…"

'Mei-Lin' smiled. It was a strange smile, both heartbroken, yet distorted with hints of ecstasy and madness.

"Let your instincts run wild… destroy the monster before you…" 'She' laughed softly. "They hurt you. Surely it would be fair… to return the favor…"

The idea shot through her mind. It seemed so simple, so clear. Fight the Under-Sea-Dogs. Eliminate all traces of their existence. That way, they can no longer harm her anymore.

And yet…

"I…I will. But… I will not simply fight… for that reason alone…"

"Hmm…?" 'Mei-Lin' cocked her head sideways, interested.

"You said it yourself… This pain… will always come back. It will never truly leave me." Mei-Lin spoke, her voice barely audible. "But does that mean… I have to give up?"

Her hands tightened around the grip of the Splatterscope. The weight of the Charger seemed oddly light, as if it no longer burdened her.

"I… I know now. You're right… I'm scared… scared that my friends will turn on me. Scared that they will defile me… as you said. But… they've stood by me for so long… willing to support and protect me, even now, risking their lives like this…"

She closed her eyes gently. Within her chest, she could feel her heart pulsing gently, her wound throbbing in time with each pulse.

Even now, it hurt. But, it no longer mattered.

"For their sake… I… I'm not just going to sit back and watch. I won't be the useless girl anymore…"

Her eyes flew wide open.

"I…. I will live… for their sakes…!" Mei-Lin faced upwards, staring straight into the eyes of her other self. "I… I WILL FIGHT!"

Her double stared, seemingly surprised by her words. Slowly, 'her' expression changed, looking down at her with a look of…. acceptance?

"It's about time..." 'Mei-Lin' crooned. "Show it to me… the you that shall no longer let the past tie you down… the you willing to give in to chaos… Show me in all your shining grandeur!"

With a hiss, Mei-Lin's doppelgänger dissolved in a rush of black smoke. At the same time, she felt her pulse quicken, a rush of adrenaline coursing through her entire body, followed by a surge of power.
A familiar sensation came over her. It seemed like such a long time ago… when she met Chris for the first time in that battlefield.

It would seem that, somehow, someway, her Special was fully charged.

"W-what the?!" A voice issued from the Octoasura. "Why's she bubbling like that?"
"Her Special's charged, you idiots! Quick, knock her out!"

As the Octoasura advanced on her, brandishing its blades, Mei-Lin felt strangely calm. It seemed so strange… There was one other time she felt this level of tranquility, and that was when she used to sketch in Porpoise Park, Katelyn irritating her like the loudmouth she was.
"…heehee." Despite the situation, Mei-Lin couldn't help but crack a soft smile at the memory.
The images lingering around her vision dissipated entirely. Before her, she could clearly see the Under-Sea-Dog's octoweapon, filling her vision.

"I guess…" Mei-Lin sighed serenely, as she took aim at the mechanical monstrosity, "…I guess having friends that never leave me alone isn't so bad after all."

She pulled the trigger, tripping her Special at the same time. Unexpectedly, the jet of ink that shot out of the barrel seemed to intensify, erupting into a torrent that issued endlessly like a giant fire hose. Caught by surprise, the Octoasura was barely able to lift its weapons in defense before it blocked the burst, as it was slowly pushed back by the kinetic force alone.
But the torrent of ink seemed to intensify even further over time. Soon, the octoweapon was forced into the air, before it was pinned to the sides of the tunnel. The sounds of screeching metal and struggling filled the air as it attempted to escape the slipstream, to no avail. One by one, its arms burst as the ink cascaded over its limbs, the metal hands and weapons clattering to the ground below it.

Eventually, the jet of ink seemed to just abruptly stop. No longer forced onto the rocky walls, the Octoasura fell a considerable distance, before it crumbled onto the ground, still twitching.
Her special no longer active, Mei-Lin's arms fell to her side, as exhaustion overtook her.

"Did I… do… it…?" She breathed, as she collapsed onto the ground.

"What. The. Heck." Cobalt rubbed the glass on his mask, making sure he wasn't imagining things.
"I've… never seen a Splatterscope do THAT before." Chris said, just as bewildered. "I guess Eliza must've made a few modifications."

"MEI-LIN!"

Still limping from her injuries, Katelyn ran up towards the splayed form on the ground. To her relief, Mei-Lin was still alive, if barely able to move.
"Katelyn…?" Mei-Lin groaned, clutching her head. "I… Oh gods…"
"Hey! A-are you alright?!"

"N…no…" Mei-Lin's gaze slowly drifted towards the wreckage in the far distance. "Oh no… What…what have I done…?"

Katelyn's mouth opened, but any words of comfort were stuck in her throat as she saw the haunted expression on Mei-Lin's face. Her eyes were affixed on the carnage she had created, as if it had seen far too much. It was clear that her friend was tormented by demons that she could only imagine.

"Is there really anything else to say?" Chris approached the fallen inkling on the ground, giving her a reassuring look. "You saved us."

"I…I have…?" Mei-Lin replied, uncertain.

"You've definitely changed. That was far from when we first met during that Splatfest match." Chris reassured. "You've grown strong."

Katelyn and Chris exchanged nods, before helping Mei-Lin to her feet together. Her expression was still distraught, but by the way her shoulders seemed more relaxed, and how she was standing just a little straighter than before, it would seem a considerable weight has been lifted from her.

"I… Oh…right." Mei-Lin averted her eyes briefly, realizing that her friends had witnessed everything that happened when she wasn't herself. "You all… saw that… didn't you?"
"Oh, that?" Katelyn replied, "I mean… I still don't know what that was all about… but you pulled through, didn't you? I'm proud of you, Mei-Lin!"
Chris shook his head. "It's okay, there's no need to explain to us just yet. No matter what happens, we'll be here for you."
"Chris… Katelyn…" Mei-Lin shed a tear, wiping it away quickly. "Thank you… both of you…!"

"Hey, um… I hate to be the one to interrupt the mood and all… But we're not done yet!" Cobalt suddenly interrupted, pointing at the downed octoweapon. Sure enough, despite the battering it had received, the machine was somehow still able to move, and is in the process of trying to get itself back up.
"Heather!" Clarence's voice issued from the octoweapon. "How are we doing?! What's the situation?"
"Looks like the concrete did the job, but the gyroscope's shot! Gimme a moment, I'll try and recalibrate this!" Heather's voice replied, followed by the sounds of metal clanging as the octotrooper went and repaired the machine from the inside.

"Are you- HOW MUCH PUNISHMENT CAN ONE ROBOT RECEIVE?!" Katelyn spluttered, exasperated.
"….Concrete?" Chris repeated, catching the word. "What was she talking about?"

As the team watched as jets of fuchsia shot out from the machine, reconnecting with the hands on the ground, Cobalt's eyes shot up as he remembered something. "Concrete… wait, that's it!"
"Cobalt? You got an idea?" Katelyn asked, facing the masked inkling.
"I'll spare everyone the details. I need time to charge the Killer Wail on this thing." Cobalt twirled the Sploosh-O-Matic in his left hand, as he watched the Octasura regenerate. "If I can hit that clunker with it head-on, it oughta have an effect!"
"Head-on… wait, that robot's able to face us at any angle, those octarians will know something's up if Cobalt yanks out a giant megaphone. How are we going to do that?"

"Wait…" Mei-Lin interjected, watching the octoweapon slowly get up on its feet. "I've been watching how it moves… and I don't think it can look directly upwards . If we can get above it somehow…"
"…we can blind it!" Chris concluded, his face lighting up as a plan took shape in his mind. "So, who's volunteering to paint over the eyes on that thing? If it can't see where we're coming from, I should be able to take out those arms without being forced back. We should be able to buy enough time for Cobalt to charge his special if we do that."
"I'll go!" Katelyn replied, glancing briefly down at her skates. "You can leave that part to me!"
"Alright then. Mei-Lin, Eliza will need to be taken care of, so take her round behind those shipping containers for shelter. After that-"

"I'll fight too." Mei-Lin interrupted.
"…what?" Chris seemed slightly taken aback.
"I'll fight too!" Mei-Lin repeated, somewhat forcefully. "I… I want to help out the team however I can. I'm through with being the one forced to stay within the sidelines!"

"Okay… Glad you can join us." Chris said, smiling approvingly. "Though…. You're stuck with that color for the time being. You'll need to keep a safe distance from us, just in case."
"Y-yes, I will." Mei-Lin replied nervously. "If I can, I'll try and destroy those arms from a distance. Just… Be careful, alright?"
"I will. Let's do this!"

As the team scrambled to their various roles, the Octoasura finally rose from the ground. Its metallic armor was cracked in several places, but otherwise it seemed to still be fully functional.
"That was a neat trick, that one!" Heather's voice cried out. "But that isn't going to work a second time!"
"Heather, they're up to something." Clarence said, as the octoweapon's head swiveled around. "Morgan… Morgan! Hey! Stay focused!"
"H-huh? …Right! The one in the mask's up to something! Take him out first!"

Brandishing its blades, the Octoasura immediately advanced towards Cobalt. Seeing the monstrosity approach, the masked inkling ducked into the ink he scattered, barely avoiding the myriad of steel coming his way.
Noticing that his teammate's in trouble, Chris deployed a Splat Bomb and slid it directly below the encroaching octoweapon, the explosive detonating quickly and causing it to flinch. Taking the opportunity, Cobalt went on the offensive, directing his gunfire towards two of the arms closest to him, destroying them.

Taking the opportunity while the Octoasura was occupied, Katelyn ducked away from the confrontation as far as she could, before eyeing the rising elevator shaft behind her. With a determined huff, she activated her skates, diving towards the stone wall before she made her way up, circling around slowly as she made her way above the octoweapon.
This action didn't go noticed, however. As its arms began to regenerate, the Octoasura's head swiveled around towards the inkling, eyeing her as she slowly went upward.

"What the- What's she doing?!" Morgan cried out. "Isn't that the one with Anna's…"
"She… oh crap! They know about the blind spot!" Heather yelled. "Team, defensive stance!"

The Octoasura responded immediately, lifting its weapons up high and crisscrossing them above its head, the edges facing upwards.
"I don't think so…!" Mei-Lin muttered, taking aim at the arms that had been exposed by the shift in stance. With a deep breath, she let loose four shots one by one, the jets of auburn impacting their intended targets, taking them out instantly. No longer supported by the arms, the weapons clattered to the ground, leaving the octoweapon's head exposed.

"Here goes!" Seizing the opening, Katelyn leapt from the wall, brandishing her Inkbrush. Landing atop the Octoasura's head, she swung wildly at the mechanical monstrosity's eyes, covering its entire head in orange ink.
"We lost visual!" Clarence shouted.
"Dammit, what are they up to?!" Heather yelled, "I can't see where they're coming from!"
"Shake her off! SHAKE HER OFF!"

As the Octoasura flailed wildly, it spun around and around at random, trying to dislodge the inkling on top of it. Noticing that its arms are still trying to regenerate, Katelyn quickly flung a few splashes at the severed nubs as she tried to hang on, delaying it.
"Cobalt!" Katelyn yelled, as she was finally flung off the shaking machine. As the Octoasura turned around at the source of the voice, it unintentionally faced the masked inkling, his tentacles shimmering and bubbling.

"SEE YA!"

The Killer Wail materialized as Cobalt tripped his Special, the device screeching before it let loose a sonic wail that seemed to echo throughout the entire elevator shaft. The burst of noise punched straight through the Octoasura's armor, causing its internal systems to overload. Seemingly in an automated response, the armor plating flew open, exposing a smoking reactor core in its chest.
"AGH! Systems are overheating!" Heather cried, "Crap, I haven't had the time to fix that problem yet!"

"This is it! Toldya it would work!" Cobalt shouted, fist-pumping triumphantly as he watched the Octoasura struggle on its last legs. "So! Who's going to do the honors?!"

Chris and Katelyn seemed to have the same idea. Nodding towards one another, they turned together to face Mei-Lin.
"You know what to do." Chris said encouragingly. "Let's end this."

Mei-Lin simply nodded in response, and directed her sights at the Octoasura's core, a look of determination on her face.
"….Goodbye." She whispered gently.

She squeezed the trigger, a jet of auburn flying through the air in response. As it directly hit the reactor core, it began to shimmer with an iridescent light as it started to spasm and fizzle out of control.
"It's gonna blow!" Heather yelled desperately. "EJECT! EJEEEECT!"

The Octoasura's head popped off in response, and it began to ascend as a set of jet boosters activated beneath it. Before it had sufficient time to distance itself however, the octoweapon finally exploded in a shower of orange and auburn ink, causing it to spiral out of control as it sailed upwards into the darkness.
"WE'LL BE BAAAAAAaaaaaaacccck…!"

The team watched as the escape pod flew ever higher, trailing smoke as it did so. As it finally disappeared from their view, they glanced at one another, relaxing now that the battle has ended.
"It's… It's over." Mei-Lin sighed, "Is everyone alright?"
"That got a little hairy." Cobalt admitted. "Man! That was a lot harder than it needed to be… I was kinda worried the Killer Wail wouldn't work."
"How did you even know that the Killer Wail would expose its core, anyway?" Katelyn asked, "Come to think of it, why didn't you do that a lot sooner?!"
"Cut me some slack, okay?! I overheard that Heather chick mentioning something of the sort earlier, but I couldn't have had time to remember that when tall, dark and rusty was chopping us into calamari!"

"If they have the energy to bicker like that, I guess we are." Chris said. "Looks like we don't have to worry."
"Is that so…?" Mei-Lin replied, "Thank… good… ness…"

Suddenly, Mei-Lin stumbled. The others instinctively turned to catch her, but to their relief she managed to stay on her feet, composing herself as she shook her head.
"I'm… I'm okay." She breathed. "It's just… now that it's all over, I'm feeling tired…"

"The adrenaline from that battle must be wearing off." A voice replied. "That was a remarkable display, inklings."

The team turned to face the source of the voice. Eliza was walking towards them, covered in blade wounds and clutching one of her shoulders in pain, but otherwise she seemed to be hanging in there.
"Eliza!" Katelyn exclaimed. She seemed as shocked as everyone else by the octoling's state of injury.
"Don't worry about me, this will all heal up eventually." Eliza responded, letting go of her shoulder. "More importantly, I believe with the Under-Sea-Dogs no longer obstructing us, our path is open. It is time for us to advance."

As if on cue, the freight elevator finally reached its destination. Before them, a metallic shutter slowly slid into view as the platform came to a halt. A whirr echoed throughout the entire shaft as a motor activated, and the shutter slid open inch by inch, revealing a hellish landscape of flame and magma just beyond. The inklings stared agape at the sight before them, entranced.

"We're here." Eliza said, facing the team. "Let's go."

AN: A lot's happened since my absence, hasn't it? Splatoon 2's out, for starters. God knows that'd throw a few wrenches in uncomfortable places in people's headcanons.
This has to be one of the most difficult chapters I ever worked on. What with so much happening at once, I worry that I might've slipped up on a few things here and there, not to mention how much there was to write. But, I must thank the recently established Discord channel full of Splatoon writers for giving me the motivation to keep writing. You guys and girls rock!
While I still cannot guarantee I can keep churning out these chapters frequently enough, I am confident that I won't be stopping anytime soon. Reviews are welcome as always, hearing what others think of my works keeps me going.