Chapter Ten:

Splatsassins Unmasked

Mario suggested taking the interrogation outside, and he had no second thoughts about picking up one of the subdued assassins, and dragging them out of the subway car, and out onto the nearest Metro platform the group was passing when their ride stopped midway through the chaos.

Saiko, who was eager to get answers, wound up agreeing with the plumber. She began dragging the other masked assailants outside with help from Jeeves, Whimpu, and Shroomy, and they made sure neither of the bound would-be murderers attempted to pull a fast one.

For a moment, Saiko wondered why Meggy was taking her time to come outside with the others. A short nick of time later, and the former Inkling finally came out... wearing black shades, and her police uniform. Saiko didn't question how and where Meggy had her uniform ready, but the beanie girl made sure she looked her best.

And seconds later, the group heard footsteps, and watched as a computer-headed entity in a cop uniform emerged from the shadows; Mr. Hal Monitor, the Mushroom Kingdom's top police officer.

When Meggy had talked about making calls not long after the first attempt on Saiko and her group's life, she undoubtedly must have called Mr. Monitor, just for an ocassion like this.

"My illegal senses sure were tingling like crazy." Mr. Monitor remarked, staring angrily at the gang's tied-up assailants, "And I see you already subdued them without my help, makes the questioning a whole lot easier. Would you agree that it's time to unmask these punks, and grill for answers, Meggy?"

"It sure is." Meggy dusted her hands in a dramatic fashion.

Mario held up a Charger, then he held up several other guns. "All weapons have been removed from their owner's inventory." He said in a chipper tone.

Mr. Hal Monitor approached the struggling, unarmed subway attackers, both of whom were making terrified Inkling sounds while they looked up at the robotic police officer with frightened eyes behind their masks. Meggy stepped forward, and Saiko began to fidget with her hammer like a club in an intimidating fashion.

"Let's see what we got here." Meggy said in her best police voice.

She grabbed the mask of the first assassin, then she yanked it off to reveal the face of a cyan-blue Inkling girl with yellow eyes, and a single tentacle that dangled down her shoulder. Saiko, Meggy, Mario, and Shroomy were all taken by surprise as they recognized her;

Vin Valentine, the infamous leader of Team Killer Ink, the racist, dirty-playing Inkling whom the SplatSquad had battled in the FinalFest.

Mario, Jeeves, Whimpu, and Shroomy unmasked the next assassin, revealing the face of another cyan-blue Inkling girl with short-trimmed tentacles and the same eye color as Vin;

The girl who served as Killer Ink's Sniper.

Meggy and the group unmasked the others, revealing a blue Inkling who'd been part of the Ink Brigade, and the sunglasses-sporting Killer Ink thug himself;

Rays.

"You better start explaining yourselves! Right now!" Saiko shouted, gripping her hammer angrily, "BECAUSE YOU ARE BOTH IN MASSIVE TROUBLE FOR COMING AFTER MY BAND! JUST WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR ANGLE IN ALL OF THIS?! ARE YOU PART OF SOME MAFIA?!"

"Let the professionals handle it, Saiko." Meggy told the anime girl as calmly as she could, but everyone could tell by the Inkling-turned human's voice that she was pretty irked by what was happening.

Hal Monitor's screen was flashing his iconic death glare, and he moved closer, staring into Vin's face while the Inkling recoiled a little. "Do you have any explanation for your actions before you face the appropriate punishment for your illegal actions?!" He snarled, "We have aaallll day to talk, and you're not going anywhere..."

"You don't scare me, Computer-Head Cop." Vin said, she locked eyes with Meggy, "Didn't think we would meet again like this, Spletzer? It sure has been a while since our last meeting."

"Yeah. I kicked your butt and made you eat your spiteful sentiments." Meggy retorted.

"And got my team banned from Turf Wars." The Killer Ink leader's voice was full of disdain, "And Ranked Battles, and Rainmaker Challenges, and Tower Control. You destroyed our reputation. After that, it was hard to make income. But now, we got a new pay job... and taking out the anime girl along with you is big easy money."

"Let's not forget." Rays added, "You not only whooped us, you beat the carp out of Vin, and humiliated her further in front of all Inkopolis."

"Who are you working for?" Mario asked, "Someone paid you to go after us."

"And why should we talk to YOU, pudgy human?" Vin spat at the fat Italian.

"You said you were being paid to go after Saiko and the band." Mr. Monitor intoned, "I suggest you begin telling us about your employers right now. Otherwise, I will begin to do so many unspeakable things to you... and it will not be very pretty."

"FORGET IT!" Meggy shouted, she couldn't hold her anger back any longer.

Saiko recoiled with surprise, Mario yelped, even Jeeves and Shroomy were caught by surprise. While the pink-haired anime rock star was angry at Vin and her group for coming after then, neither she, Mario, the rest of the band or Mr. Monitor expected their orange-haired friend to be this angry.

Meggy's fists were tightly clenched, and she approached Vin and her group as the human Splatfest champion's rage rose to the peak. "I LET YOU WALK AWAY WITH PLENTY OF DIGNITY LEFT!" Meggy screamed, "AND YOU JUST COULDN'T LET IT GO!? JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!

"YOU JUST GUARANTEED YOURSELF A WORLD OF MAJOR, MAJOR HURT! I DIDN'T FORGET THAT YOU PUSHED ME INTO THAT PIT IN THE FIRST MATCH, even though that could've been avoided if I used the Ink Boi, AND THAT ALONG WITH EVERY RACIST WORD YOUR CREW SAID WERE ENOUGH TO GUARANTEE THAT BEATING I GAVE YOU.

"WELL, MRS. NICE WOOMY ISN'T GOING TO SAVE YOU FROM THAT BOATLOAD OF TROUBLE YOU'RE IN NOW. AND THIS TIME, NOTHING IS GOING TO STOP ME FROM TAKING IT UP TO ELEVEN..." The former Inkling prepped a police bat along with her service revolver, "AND, NEWS FLASH, YOU WON'T BE GETTING A TRIAL! FAIR OR OTHERWISE!"

Meggy swung the bat, and struck Vin across the head from every direction. She raised the bat up, and brought it down, bashing the cyan-blue squid above the forehead. The sounds of banging and screaming echoed through the Metro, making Jellyfish and Inklings flinch a little.

Saiko almost dropped her hammer, having never seeing Meggy be this angry. Then again, it wouldn't have been too out-of-character for the old Saiko to go nuts in bashing Vin's head in, even though the anime girl didn't hesitate to throw Francis into an Ink Zuccer on Anime Island after watching a certain Octoling get stabbed to death.

Gunshots then rang out, and Rays, the Killer Ink Sniper, and the deep blue Ink Brigade squid screamed in pain before they went silent after more gunshots. Mario kicked the three shot-up Inklings, all while Jeeves grimaced a little, and Shroomy gulped with shock.

Just as Meggy was bringing up the police bat to hit Vin again, the cyan-blue Inkling moved in her binds, and a slight blooping noise echoed off the walls.

The ropes loosened, and a light blue squid slid through the binds before sliding along the floor and raced through the station. Mr. Monitor let off a siren noise, and Meggy clicked her gun before shooting a glance at Saiko.

It was time to hunt a criminal.