Squid Party

Chapter 32: Another One Bites the Dust

"What do we want?!"

"FREEDOM!"

"When do we want it?!"

"RIGHT NOW!"

"What do we want?!"

"FREEDOM!"

"When do we want it?!"

"RIGHT NOW!"

Orange scrambled out of the cabin in time to hear the thunderous cheers of the Inklings and Octolings. Her hearts pounded in her chest from the sudden noise as she turned her head towards the source. In the time she'd been in the cabin, Ness and Lucas had rallied both the Inkopolians and the Octarians together for the greater good.

By now, the atmosphere had completely changed. If Orange hadn't been outside earlier, she never would've known they'd been a hapless, ragtag group of survivors just moments before. Now they were a fearless, allied force of warriors ready to take on the world. She couldn't help but look on with a sense of awe and respect. ...Unfortunately, the Smashers' efforts did little to quell the underlying horror she'd just learned of.

As her body was assaulted by a sudden shudder of horror, the Inkling tried to steady herself. She inhaled sharply and held it before loosing it as a shaky sigh. Come what may, she had to keep herself together for the good of the others and the mission...

Still, she wasn't quite ready to rejoin the others yet, choosing to amble around the cabin a bit longer. Sighing again, she leaned against the wooden exterior and slid down until she collapsed in a heap on the outside bench. In doing so, she hung her head and rubbed her face, still trying to process everything that'd happened. Eventually, she let her hands drop, but noticed something in doing so.

On the other side of the cabin, huddled together in a tiny ball away from the world, was Magenta. The Inkling's head was buried in her arms as her knees were pulled up to her chest. She must've also learned the ugly truth of not only their sanitized friends' fate, but her boyfriend's impending demise.

Cautiously, Orange stood and walked over to console her. "Magenta? Are you—?"

"...Please don't touch me..." she whimpered. "Just go away..."

Orange stopped, more hurt from her somber tone than her demands. Losing their friends to Tartar's cronies was bad enough, but Green wasn't just Magenta's friend; he was her lover, her soulmate, and the only Inkling in the world who truly understood and loved her for all she was. There was nothing anyone could do or say to ease that sort of pain.

Orange slowly backed away from Magenta, eyes drifting off to the side to see Octavia leaning against the cabin. Her arms were crossed, head down and gaze distant. Now knowing the consequences they were dealing with, the Octoling was forced to come to terms that not only had she lost her brother, but an unrequited love in Blue. Something told Orange she wasn't much in the mood for talking, either...

"Agent 3."

The Inkling flinched, whipping around to see a grinning Callie.

"Sorry. I know it's weird to just start calling you that, but we gotta lock in now, so it only feels right. Anyway, guess what? The Smashers got a plan! They're gonna need our help, but they said they can deal with Tartar, save the city, and get everything back to the way it was!"

"..." Orange just stared, looking through Callie as if in a trance. She still had no idea. None of them did.

Callie frowned. "3? ...Is something wrong?"

Orange wasn't sure how to respond, or even if she could respond. There was so much to say, yet she had no will to say it. Her silence caused the Squid Sister's concern to become fear.

"3, you're scaring me... Are you okay? W-what happened?" Callie looked past her to see the morose Octavia and Magenta. "W-what is it? What's wrong?!"

"...Nothing," curtly answered Octavia, briskly coming out of her slump to approach Callie. Her face was as stern as it was unreadable. "Come now. If the Smashers have a strategy, we must prepare to aid them in the battle ahead."

The idol's frown deepened. Something was definitely wrong now. Octavia's normally calm and gentle demeanor now came across as harsh and stoic, as if trying to gloss over an underlying issue. Part of her wanted to pry further, but something told her it was best to let sleeping dogfish lie. At least, for now...

"R-right..." Callie quietly murmured. Her optimism slowly returned in the form of a cautious smile. "Well... Like I said, the Smashers have a plan. They've been briefing everyone in the meantime, and we can fill you in on what we're gonna do."

Marina joined the girls, sharing Callie's optimism. "We're fine-tuning the details with the others as we speak. The Smashers are super confident they can get rid of Tartar, so no worries! We'd enact the plan now, but everyone's tired, so we all agreed it'd be best to attack tomorrow morning. For now, we rest and prepare."

Callie's face fell a little. "I know it's a little scary we're not springing into action and marching back into the city tonight, but we all agreed it's just too dangerous..." Instantly, she perked back up. "But hey, Inkopolians are nothing if not resourceful! If they can just hold out until tomorrow, we'll be back with more then enough firepower to save them all!"

"The Octarians agreed to let us stay in their spare lodgings for tonight and will be joining us in the battle tomorrow," added Marina. "The Smashers are leading the charge and will be doing most of the work, but we'll still need to bring our A-game and support them with all we've got."

Callie fistpumped. "And the New Squidbeak Splatoon should be right up there with them! Think of it as a game of Rainmaker; working together in guiding the heavy hitter to the goal of victory!"

"It would be our honor," said Octavia with a slight bow. "Anything to assist the Smashers in their path to success."

"Great! Then we're all settled!" Callie clapped her hands together, having forgotten all about her earlier worries. "After we give you the rundown, you and Agent 3 can escort the Smashers to their lodgings for the night!"

"Callie and I will be keeping each other company while everyone else will be sorted accordingly." Marina looked over at Magenta with a soft smile. "Magenta? You're more than welcome to stay the night with us, if you'd like."

"..." Magenta didn't respond, making the Octoling idol frown.

Marina stepped closer. "Magenta?"

Octavia quickly intercepted her advances. "The offer is most appreciated, but she is quite exhausted from the night's affairs, you see."

"Oh." Marina frowned sadly, feeling there was more to this than Octavia was letting on. "Well, okay then..."

"YO!"

The girls turned towards the demanding voice to see Octavio lumbering over. At his sides were Ness and Lucas, a small squadron of Octarians bringing up the rear.

"Thanks to the Smashers here, our attack plan is now complete! Everyone's got a job to do, and it'll be done flawlessly come tomorrow!" He raised a clenched tentacle. "We'll take back what's ours and mop up that bucket of bolts for all cephalopod kind and the soldiers we've lost along the way!"

The squadron saluted. "SIR, YES, SIR!"

Lowering his arm, Octavio looked around. "Now, where's that old seadog, Cuttlefish? I got some things to go over with him, as well."

"...Yeah, yeah, I'm right here," grumbled Cuttlefish as he hobbled out of the cabin. "Mind keeping it down? I'm about ready to turn in for the night..."

Try as he might to hide it, Cuttlefish wasn't just tired; he looked utterly withered and exhausted. As old as he already was, it was as if he'd aged another decade or two in the span of several minutes. Despite their long-standing rivalry, Octavio raised a brow in genuine concern for the captain. This only lasted a moment before he snapped back into his default frown and kingly mindset.

"...My soldiers will be stationed twice over in every part of Octo Canyon until tomorrow," he informed Cuttlefish, tone slightly less stern than usual. "For safety reasons, we'll be relocating you and the city dwellers to our secured lodgings for the night. This shabby, old shack couldn't keep a Smallfry out..."

Cuttlefish looked him over with the smallest tinge of gratitude. "I appreciate your hospitality, but I'll have to decline. My agent's in no condition to move, and I can't leave him—"

"Then I'll have some soldiers stay here and guard your quarters instead," insisted Octavio.

At this, some of the squadron left his side to gather around Cuttlefish. He noticed all of them were Elite Octolings, Octavio's strongest fighters. It was a generous gesture that made the captain's previous respect for Octavio grow even more.

An elite saluted to the old Inkling. "By official order of the Great King Octavio, it is our sworn duty to see to it that the Smashers and any allies be guarded with 'round-the-clock supervision. Not to worry, you'll be in safe hands with us."

Cuttlefish flashed her a tired smile. "Thanks. This ol' squid'll need all the help he can get."

"Good." Satisfied, the DJ King turned his attention back to the agents and idols. "I'll be retiring to my quarters for the night and have the elites prepare and supply the finest weaponry for the Inkopolians. We attack at first light, and my soldiers will see to it no one sleeps in. We'll meet back here tomorrow for one last briefing, then storm the city and enact the Smashers' plan. Any questions?"

"Nah, we got it!" Callie gave him a thumbs up. "And hey, thanks again for taking us all in and helping out with this. Who knows? When this is all over, maybe we can make you an honorary agent for your services!"

"GRAH!" Octavio sneered, recoiling in disgust. "I'd rather be turned into takoyaki!"

Callie giggled. "I'll take that as a 'maybe'."

With an indignant huff and a roll of his eyes, Octavio departed, taking what remained of his troops with him. By now, the earlier crowd had started to thin out. Less and less X Rankers remained as they were gradually led off off by Octavio's troops, the area slowly being replaced with Elite Octolings.

Ness looked around. "Wow, these guys are quick. Already got the place swarming with them."

"It's good they work well under pressure," added Lucas. "I guess we just wait for some of them to come get us, then?"

"Affirmative," said a new voice. The group turned to see three Elite Octolings approach. One saluted as she continued. "Apologies for the delay, but we've finished preparing things for you."

"Our lodgings are many, but quite small, so we'll have to divide you up into pairs for ideal comfort." Another Elite Octoling said with a bow. "Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause."

Ness waved it off. "Nah, no biggie. We're just glad we were able to smooth things over without having to bust a few heads, heh."

"Trust me, we are just as appreciative," laughed the third elite.

Glancing over at Ness, Lucas cleared his throat and quickly elbowed him, making the capped boy roll his eyes with a smile. Facing the agents, he asked, "Hey, if it makes no difference to you, could I crash with Octavia and Luke with Orange?"

"Most certainly, if that is what you desire," responded Octavia. The request came off as a bit strange, but she figured it made no difference who stayed with who.

"Cool, thanks." Ness slid off his backpack, passing it off to Lucas as he playfully punched his shoulder. "Now, don't you go losing anything in there, all right?"

"Yeah, yeah. I won't." Lucas faked a pout as he hefted it onto his back.

"So all is settled," confirmed Octavia. "Callie and Marina, go and be at ease with yourselves. Sleep away this long night in safety and comfort."

Marina looked at her before sadly glancing over Magenta. The sullen Inkling hadn't moved once in all this time. "But what about—?"

"Now, now, you heard her," gently soothed Cuttlefish. The old man had taken a seat on the outside bench, a relenting, yet wise smile on his beard. "We'll be fine here. You ladies go on and have a well-deserved rest."

A frown creased Marina's face, soon shared by Callie as the girls looked worriedly at each other. This lasted only a moment before Callie's optimism shone through with a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry. Gramps got this. He'll keep Magenta company and the Elite Octolings will keep them safe, okay?"

Defeated, Marina sighed. As troubled as she was, she couldn't help but give in to the other idol's hopefulness with a slight smile. "...All right. I suppose worrying ourselves on into the night won't help anyone, huh?"

"Right!" Callie snagged her wrist and dragged her over to one of the elites. "So, let's go check out these lodgings and get some shuteye already! I don't know about you, but I'm beat!"

Marina allowed herself be led along until she and Callie reached the elites. Seeing everything was in order, one of them motioned to the girls. "Follow me, if you please."

With that, she turned into an octopus and Super Jumped off. Callie and Marina also became their cephalopod forms and rocketed off after her.

Cuttlefish looked to Orange. "Agent 3? It's time you get some rest, as well."

Orange had been wading in a fog of nothingness for what felt like forever until he addressed her. Despite not really hearing or seeing what'd happened in the past few minutes, Cuttlefish's voice rang clear as a bell in her hazy mind. She came back to herself in the blink of an eye, completely cognizant as if she'd never left.

"...Oh," she said faintly. "Y-yeah, okay..."

She shambled over to Octavia and the Smashers as the remaining Elite Octolings saluted and got into formation. One took the lead as the other brought up the rear, the group corralled in the middle.

"Since the Smashers can't Super Jump, we'll have to walk there," the front one explained. "It's not a long journey, but please stay vigilant."

Cuttlefish watched as the group marched off into the night, waiting until they were out of sight to heave a ragged sigh. Bringing a shaky hand up to his wizened face, his shoulders shook as he finally let his own quiet, haggard sobs break through.

Magenta remained rooted to her spot.

The group's trek to their lodgings was relatively uneventful, but the sights sure weren't. As they traversed the gnarled, fragmented land of Octo Canyon, Ness and Lucas were treated to a strange, new world unlike anything Inkopolis could offer. They passed countless warped buildings and bizarre machinery, all cobbled together to form a haphazard community. Through liminal spaces and down ledges they passed, delving deeper into the heart of the valley.

More and more, the organic environment was slowly phased out in favor of technology. The earth became patched over with steel plating as the atmosphere was replaced by thousands of TV screens welded together to form an artificial "sky". All throughout the shifting and sprawling land, Octarians on high alert seemed the only constant. Some even drove around, wore, or wielded odd machinery of their own. Ness was enamored, but Lucas couldn't help but wrinkle his nose in disapproval. The death of nature to make way for science always left him a bit sour...

Eventually, the disorganized terrain evened out to a more leveled locale as they reached an imposing iron gate connected to a lengthy fence. The doors were patchworked together by metal recycled from various other machines, but still proved secure. Guarding it were another pair of Elite Octolings, each stepping to the side as their fellow elites approached. The ground shook as the door's enormous lock was undone from the inside, rumbling even more as the gigantic gate slid open to grant them access. Upon walking through, the earth rumbled again as it slid shut and heavily locked behind them.

Inside were several groups of two-story buildings lined up in orderly rows, crisscrossed with sidewalks and pathways. A wasteland of steel and concrete structures, it seemed to be the Octarians' version of Flounder Heights. Upon reaching the buildings, the elite soldiers separated and bowed.

"We have arrived," informed the first elite. "This is where you'll be staying for the night."

"We will be separating you at this point," said the other, "but your groups will be next to each other for safety."

"Callie and Marina have already been settled in here," said the first elite, gesturing to a nearby door. Turning, she pointed to two neighboring doors. "Ness and Octavia will stay here, while Lucas and Orange will stay there."

"Now, if each pair would please follow one of us as we get you acclimated," requested the second elite.

Ness looked to Lucas. "Guess this is where we split."

"Guess so..." mumbled Lucas, now completely unenthused.

After getting a good look at his surroundings, he realized he wasn't too thrilled about boarding in what looked like a glorified factory. He knew that's not what it was, but the lifeless, artificial layout brought back bad memories of the Pigmask Army, nonetheless.

Ness sensed his unease, offering solace with a grin. "Hey, we'll be right next door, so don't worry. It's only for tonight, right?"

Lucas relented with a slight sigh. "...Right."

"Take care and stay safe, both of you," said Octavia. "We shall see you on the morrow."

With that, she and Ness' elite opened the next door over and welcomed them in. Lucas turned around in time to see the other elite also opening their door and entering. The blonde promptly followed her inside, Orange aimlessly wandering in behind them.

As the Elite Octoling said earlier, the lodgings were small; it was basically a glorified one-room house. The den was quaint, containing a simple couch with a small table facing a large CRT TV against the wall. Adjacent to this was a kitchenette, a hallway leading away from it to a bathroom on the left and a bedroom on the right. All were humble in size, having the essentials and for easy use and basic needs.

Simple as it was, Lucas quickly took to the tiny abode. He wandered through the small house as if exploring a mansion, examining his new environment with approval. Meanwhile, Orange said nothing. She did nothing. She thought nothing.

"Wow, this is great!" exclaimed the blonde, finishing his tour nearly as quickly as it started. "You guys didn't make it sound like much, but this is actually a really nice place."

The elite beamed. "It is our pleasure. We mainly operate on a military base of sorts, so we're happy to offer all we can on such sort notice. We've stationed a great many number of soldiers in the vicinity, so I hope you sleep well knowing you're all safe and secure."

Lucas smiled. "We will. Thanks again for all your hard work. You stay safe out there, too."

With one last bow, the elite turned and left, locking the door behind her. The Smasher fondly looked the interior over once more before sitting on the couch. Sliding off Ness' backpack, he placed it next to him and grabbed the TV remote from the table. Turning on the TV, he was greeted by an Octoling with misaligned eyes warning his viewers not to buy seaweed from gas stations. Lucas stifled a laugh. Apparently, the TV down here was no different than in Inkopolis.

Still near the door, Orange hovered around without purpose. Her strange silence was starting to become unnerving. She'd always been so talkative and expressive, but now she just... stood there. Lucas figured she would've struck up a conversation by now; maybe talked about escaping Tartar, asked about the plan to save the city, idle chitchat... Something.

Instead, she slumped past the TV, completely disassociated. As she did, Lucas violently shuddered. It was his PSI again, plaguing him with a strong sense of anguish Orange must've been feeling herself. He watched the Inkling slink off before disappearing around the corner and down the hall. The sound of bedsprings creaking confirmed she'd gone into the bedroom.

Turning off the TV, Lucas instinctively found himself rising from the couch. There was definitely something wrong, and he needed to find out what. ...Or at least his PSI dictated this.

He glanced down at Ness' backpack. After everything that'd happened, maybe Orange just needed a pick-me-up. He was hoping to try and give the Inkling her gift before all hell broke loose tomorrow, and now seemed like a good time as any...

Grabbing the backpack, he cautiously walked down the hallway and into the bedroom. Quietly leaning into the doorframe, he saw Orange laying in one of two beds with her back turned to him. A single lamp on the nightstand sandwiched between the beds was her only source of light.

"Orange?" he gingerly tried.

"...Yeah?" came her quiet voice.

"Are you okay?"

Orange sighed despondently before answering with a hollow, "...No."

"Did you... want to maybe talk about it?"

The Inkling was silent for a long, uncomfortable moment before answering. "...Can you come here a sec?"

Her request came as a surprise, but a welcome one. Walking inside, Lucas sat on the bed adjacent to hers. The bedsprings creaked softly as he did, alerting her to his presence.

"...No," she muttered. "Over here."

Again, her request surprised Lucas, but if it made her feel better...

He got up again and sat down on Orange's bed now, careful not to sit too close as to make things weird. She remained balled up and facing away from Lucas as he continued to sit patiently, ready to offer as much or as little interaction as she wanted. It was nice enough having him nearby, but his genuine concern warmed Orange's heart and soothed her nerves. Despite everything that'd happened that night, she couldn't help blush a little...

After a few minutes, Lucas shuffled a little, but Orange ignored it until something draped over her. Lost in her thoughts, she figured it was him covering her with the bedsheets. She closed her eyes and smiled faintly at the gesture until she realized she was laying on top of the sheets...

Opening her eyes, she sat up to look over her shoulder. "What the...?"

Out the corner of her eye, Lucas flinched away, as if he'd been doing something he wasn't supposed to. This piqued Orange's interest, as he looked a strange combination of startled, curious, and hopeful. ...What did he just do?

Eventually, his conflicted face melted into one of sheepishness. "Um... Happy Birthday?"

"What...?"

It was only when Orange fully sat up and twisted herself around to completely face Lucas did she realize what'd been put over her.

It was a coat. A very expensive coat. A very expensive InkDrip coat.

"..." Orange just stared down at it, completely stupefied.

Lucas nervously fiddled with his hands. "...I-I meant to give it to you after the party, but then all this stuff happened, and I know you're not feeling too well right now, so I thought maybe it'd cheer you up?"

Orange continued to stare at the coat. She studied its texture, color, and form in a fog of wariness. It had to be fake, right? It was probably fake. Bless Lucas' little soul, it was fake. There were all sorts of cheap copies out there, and this had to be one of them.

She carefully slipped her arms into the sleeves as if it were some precious artifact before hefting it onto her body and wrapping it around her chest. It was a bit large for her, but the materials and craftmanship were too good to be a cheap knockoff. It was real.

"Do you like it?" Lucas cautiously asked, the anticipation getting to him. "I hope you like it... I'm sorry if it's not your size, but it was the only one I—"

He was cut off as Orange threw herself onto him in a tight hug. With her jacket on, Lucas practically felt smothered, but it didn't deter his PSI. It was like at the hotel, his psyche granting him ecstacy at Orange's touch and appreciation. It had to mean something, but he just couldn't figure out what...

"...How?" Orange's voice snapped Lucas from his thoughts.

"What?"

She slowly pulled back, hands clutching his sides as if she never wanted to let go. Orange's hot, fiery eyes met with Lucas' cool, blue ones with that look again. He felt enamored by it...

"...How did you get this?" Her voice was soft, tinged with disbelief. "Where did you get this? This cost you a fortune, didn't it?"

"Well, maybe, kinda?" Lucas shrugged sheepishly. "But please don't worry about that. What I spent doesn't matter, I promise. I just wanted to make you happy."

Orange responded with a broad smile and a soft gaze. She reached up to gently paw at Lucas' face, an action that both puzzled and entranced him. He now found himself unable to look away from her, trapped by the Inkling's burning irises. Unbeknownst to the psychic, the hand that'd been rubbing him now rested on the back of his head, the other now loosely draped over him. After a few fervent rubs of his warm, soft locks, Orange inched herself closer. Had Lucas not been so focused on her, he would've noticed her hair had turned a vivid fuchsia.

"You don't have to do anything to make me happy ever again. I'm already happy. Because I have y—"

Orange froze, one of her ears perking up as she snapped her head towards the room's sole window. Before Lucas could react, she threw off her coat and jumped up from the bed in a protective stance. Lucas was about to ask what was wrong when he heard a strange noise.

It sounded like... growling. Familiar growling.

Before either of them could react, a figure suddenly lunged at the window, crashing through and toppling to the floor. Glass sprayed everywhere as it gave way to the figure's intrusion, Lucas and Orange shielding their faces from the shards. Looking back up, the two beheld the figure in a mix of shock and horror.

"Green!" Orange rasped.

Green heaved a disgruntled groan, as if responding to his name. He struggled to find his legs before shakily standing, body slowly leveling with Lucas and Orange. Head slumped and body twisted, he took a clumsy step forward. His sanitized eyes lulled around listlessly as he tried to assess his surroundings until they locked onto Orange. At this, he hissed.

Lucas and Orange tensed in preparation for an attack, but Green's speed was unfathomable. In the blink of an eye, he crouched down and lunged forward, pouncing on Orange like a predator on prey. The sudden attack sent them crashing to the floor, Orange crying out in pain from the impact. Pinning down her arms, Green snarled as he lashed his head forward in an effort to bite her. Grimacing, Orange quickly moved her head from side to side to avoid him, kicking her legs wildly in an effort to punt him off.

"Get off of her!"

While Orange couldn't see her savior, his efforts were quickly realized as Lucas got Green in a chokehold and yanked him back. Green roared in frustration as he was pulled away, clawing at the air and thrashing in Lucas' grasp. Freed, Orange scrambled away to find something, anything, as a weapon.

Lucas wouldn't say he was the strongest guy around, but Green's power was terrifyingly unnatural. Holding him back was like trying to contain a bear. The blonde yanked and pulled and struggled with all his might, but it seemed like the harder he tried to contain Green, the more the Inkling's strength grew. How could he be this strong...?!

Just as Lucas' hold began to wane, Orange dashed back over with the nightstand lamp, wielding it with the intent to strike. Green snapped his fangs at her, too focused on the Inkling to notice her weapon, but that didn't stop her from smashing it over his head with all her might. The lamp exploded brilliantly, countless pieces of sharp glass both from the base and the bulb splintering everywhere as it found its target.

...But that's all it did.

To Orange's horror, Green was completely unfazed, almost as if he'd activated Ink Armor. If anything, the attack only made him angrier, the infected Inkling responding with a bellow of vengeance.

But... But how?!

Now absolutely enraged, Green finally wrenched himself free from Lucas' grip and leapt for Orange, causing her to instinctively shield her face with her arms. She already knew her efforts were futile. At best, Green would bite her arm. At worst, he would yank them apart and decimate her neck. Either way, she was good as sanitized.

She tensed, waiting for the pain of Green tearing into her before hearing a grunt of effort that wasn't hers. Startled, she lowered her arms in surprise at what she saw.

At the last possible moment, Lucas had jumped in front of Orange to take the brunt of Green's attack. The boy and the sanitized were now locked in a desperate struggle, like an unstoppable object and an unmovable force.

"Squirt!" exclaimed Orange, in equal parts surprise and fear.

Lucas didn't respond, too busy holding off the ravenous Green. Orange couldn't see the blonde's expression, but something told her it was focused and fierce. Such a thing was nearly impossible to imagine from someone so sweet and mild-mannered... Then again, Lucas was a Smasher, and he damn sure was proving it now.

The struggle between them went on until Green suddenly went into a manic spasm, jerking and thrashing about to get away from Lucas and sink his teeth into Orange. With another forceful grunt, Lucas managed to shove Green away, causing him to lose balance and topple over like a drunkard. This didn't last long as he wildly scrambled onto all fours and leapt back into the fray.

By now, Lucas was starting to get frustrated, evident by a frown marring his face. Orange had never seen him so incensed before, and couldn't help but think about how gallant it made him look... She then immediately cringed upon realized she was being a simp at the absolute worst time.

An aura of psychic energy sparked from Lucas' body before he belted out the command Ness had back at the hotel:

"PK FLASH!"

Just like before, dozens of light spheres spawned in and immediately exploded in a violent shower of claps and crashes like several raging storms. Green seized at the lights and noise, collapsing to the floor like a bird shot out of the sky. Like rolling thunder, the attack's effects reverberated for only a moment longer before subsiding into nothing. Silence fell over the room once more, bringing with it more uneasiness than relief.

"...Sorry." Despite his gentle tone, Orange still flinched at Lucas' voice. "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to that..."

The Inkling crept out from behind him, eyeing the unmoving Green. "Is... Is he—?"

"No," quickly answered Lucas, startled by her accusation. "No, no, he's fine. PK Flash is meant to incapacitate more than damage. He's okay, just unconscious."

Orange cautiously approached Green's crumpled form, just waiting for him to jolt awake and leap back onto her in another manic attack. She studied him for several tense moments before she was struck with a new fear. If Green was here, then...

Cap'n! Magenta! And the others...!

Even if Green had known Orange was staying here, there was no telling what damage he may've caused along the way. No alarms had sounded or warnings raised, but it'd be hard to do either when your neck had been ripped out by something several times stronger and faster than you...

This was a problem; a big, fucking problem.

"...We need to warn the others," Orange said quietly, whirling around to face Lucas. "Like now."

She locked eyes with him for only a second before her gaze dropped down to catch sight of something that made her look as if she'd just seen a murder. For the first time ever, Lucas saw Orange display a new color of ink; a chalky, sickly white. He didn't know what it meant, but judging by her expression, she was nothing short of mortified.

Startled, Lucas looked down to see what the problem was, finding it on his arm.

He'd been bit.