Chapter Nineteen:
The Evil That Inklings Do
"You must have had quite the evening at that bar."
The Spider-Inkling studied Octo-Kitty with perplexion, taking a moment to take in every detail of her story that she'd divulged to him. In that moment, the white-haired Octoling, whose struggle to break free from the web had settled a little, closed her eyes to let another small tear roll down her cheek.
"From the pole-dancing to letting loose on those low-life tentacled carp buckets?" Serlinka chuckled and smiled, "Oh, it was fun like you'd never believe, and the Squid Sisters' tune was worth listening to."
"What about the first time you experienced Inkopolis?" The dark-clad super Inkling asked, and he was silent as the trapped Octoling began to fill him in on her arrival in Inkopolis, followed by the period of settling into the city of color prior to her encounter with Enimagico...
Inkopolis, a city full of colorful beauty and culture, and Serlinka was dazzled. Not only did she feel free here, this place was better than Octo-Valley could have been. The sky was very real, and she could hear birds singing. Inklings roamed the plaza, enjoying their lives, and neither of them had to worry about joining an army.
She saw a handful of Octolings exiting the closest clothing store, interacting with some of the squids in a friendly manner, and Serlinka was filled with peace. Inkopolis looked so clean, and she could hear the vibrant music playing through the sound-speakers near the Turf War Lobby.
What was it like to play Turf War, a war-turned sport, where team of four had to ink the most land within three minutes?
An upbeat Serlinka saw a trio of Inkling boys chatting, with a yellow squid polishing a Splattershot. She found her opportunity, and the shapely Octoling made her way towards the group, picked up a standard Splattershot that had been advertised on the jumbotron, and made her presence known.
"Hey, boys..." Octo-Kitty said in her best, confident and playful voice yet, "You got room for a gal?"
Both Inklings looked at her, nearly surprised by her presence, but one squid, a brown-haired Inkling boy in a black and brown-striped bodysuit whistled and remarked, "Dang, girl. What apartment gives out costumes like that?"
It took a while, but the trio of squids, calling themselves the Splat-Claws, accepted Serlinka into their team. Not long after, she and the boys were letting loose at Camp Triggerfish, spraying every inch of the platform with ink while they engaged the opposing team, the Sea-Sprayers, in heated combat.
Having observed Octarian soldiers training from a distance, Serlinka had it figured out when it came to the Splattershot action. She gracefully evaded a pellet of gray ink fired by a yellow Inkling girl in sunglasses, and the Octo-Kitty opened fire, taking out her opponent in seconds.
She proved herself to be a rising natural, a level one pro, and the Splat-Claws inked the most turf over the Sea-Sprayers by the time their three minutes was up. Serlinka found herself departing the Turf War Lobby with her arms full of Sea Coins and a Sea Snail that she found to be highly adorable, even as she had her eye on the smooth, handsome Inkling boys.
Finding a place to stay at, to call home in Inkopolis, wasn't too hard. A dark-suited Jellyfish gave Serlinka a penthouse at the apartment in Flounder Heights on the fifth floor, which granted the attractive Octoling a good view. The Jellyfish's name was Eerin, a name Serlinka took a liking to.
"Enjoy your stay, Ms. Serlinka." Eerin told her.
It was in the night when she would set off into the dark-covered districts of Inkopolis in her costume, just like in Octo-Valley after her mother's funeral, and the white-tentacled catsuit-clad beauty found the closest of antique stores a few streets away from Inkopolis Square, full of glittering silver necklaces and crystal sea snails.
She pressed herself against the glass, surveying each and every item with a smile in her eyes. Before her death, Serlinka's mother had told her of how she'd raided every Octarian treasury to steal whatever Octavio's troops had in their possession. She'd even gone up to Inkopolis, just to steal jewelry.
And now, it was Serlinka's turn. She brought out the whip, and smacked the window, cracking it hard enough to shatter it. The intrepid Octo-Kitty somersaulted into the store, and grabbed a pair of crystal sea snails, followed by a silver necklace...
Footsteps perked her ears, and Serlinka saw a flashlight shining through the room, held by a brown-eyed Inkling boy in a security guard outfit. Only one security guard? Serlinka could take him in a second.
"Who's there?" The guard demanded.
'Let's work some magic...' Serlinka thought, and she made herself known to the Inkling as she brought out her seduction magic.
"Nice evening, isn't it, squid boy?" The Octoling asked as she approached him.
"Hey!" The guard pulled out a Splat-Pistol, "What are you doing in here? The shop's closed. There will be no stealing! I'll trip the silent alarm, I swear I will, and I'm not afraid to pull the trigger on this weapon either!"
"Why be so tense and alert...?" Serlinka said in her best seductive voice yet, swaying her hips suggestively as she moved closer, "You handsome, lonely, smooth Inkling? Think about the opportunity in front of you, the opportunity for a night off. You want some fun? I can give that all to you... Jake F., is it?"
The guard, Jake F., studied the advancing Octo-Kitty with confusion, and the Splattershot slipped from his hand as the Octoling pressed herself against his body, looping her arms around his neck in a slow, seductive fashion. Jake was at a loss for words, and Serlinka took full advantage, kissing him passionately. The claws came out, and then, the guard's shirt was off.
Jake succumbed to Serlinka's seduction as she cornered him, and the store was full of passionate love. Serlinka and Jake played for what felt like hours, then the latter was out, leaving the former as she made off with half the items that the Octoling had come to collect.
Inkopolis came to be more than just the Octo-Kitty's new home, it was a land of opportunity, and she was so well-skilled, she'd never been caught by the city's police department or the security guards of all those stores the Octoling looted.
For Serlinka, life in Inkopolis was paradise, and she felt free from the pain of her old life in Octo-Valley. The males were nicer, nobody tried to recruit her into an army and assert their dominance upon the Octoling when she refused, and no creeps seemed to be stalking her.
One warm evening, the attractive Octo-Kitty was exploring a dark street near Inkopolis Square, breathing the night air as her tentacles swayed in the breeze. She walked by an alleyway, ignoring the smell of burnt cabbage that emanated from a dumpster, and gazed at the stars as the full moon rose above, shining upon her costume and her white hair.
'Such a lovely sky...' Serlinka thought.
Just then, someone came up behind her, and aggressive hands grabbed her shoulders. Octo-Kitty gasped, taking notice of the blue-haired Inkling male with red eyes who'd just entered the Octoling's vicinity.
"Greetings, gorgeous." The Inkling purred in her ear, "The name's Bhoston. You wanna play with me, baby?"
"What the kelp?!" Serlinka exclaimed, "Did anyone teach you... Ah!"
Bhoston licked the back of the Octoling's neck. Then he took it a step further, and reached around her shoulders to caress his prey's chest. Serlinka gasped at the sensation of the aggressive Inkling male groping her mounds, and memories of her ex-boyfriend asserting himself onto her resurfaced in Octo-Kitty's mind.
"Get. Off. Me!" She gasped.
Bhoston turned the Octoling around, and slammed her against a wall. He began to sniff and lick her cleavage, then he moved closer until he was kissing Serlinka upon the lips. The Octoling protested, and her eyes widened when she felt the Inkling's hands reach around to grope her rump.
"Let's play..." Bhoston hissed, then he slapped a gag on the sultry cephalopod's mouth, cuffed her by the wrists, and slowly unzipped her catsuit as Serlinka protested before the Inkling dragged her into the nearby alley to assert his dominance on her.
The following morning, after helping herself to some breakfast, Serlinka sat alone on the bed, processing the events of the previous evening as she hugged her legs in an uneasy manner.
Inkopolis wasn't THAT bad of a place. It was just one Inkling, one Inkling. And yet, the past tended to haunt people in many ways they never expected. Serlinka never thought she'd deal with men making love to her without her consent again, but that Inkling did it, just like her ex-boyfriend. But still, it happened in Inkopolis too?
Either way, "the deed" was not something that could be brushed off, be it here or in a place like Octo-Valley. The highly-skilled, highly-attractive Octo-Kitty needed to be on guard and prepared the next time someone tried to take advantage of her.
A couple years passed, and, during that time, life in Inkopolis during the day was simple for Serlinka. She'd interact with the other Octolings, flirt with an Inkling boy, partake in a Turf War, and go about her day as if there was nothing she needed to be concerned about. In the night, she would loot jewelry from the antique stores, then get out before the guards caught her.
She worked alone, and teaming up with other burglars was a rarity. And then, one fateful night, the Octo-Kitty found herself sneaking into a theater, with the task of stealing a special crystal that would soon be auctioned.
With all eyes on the prize, Serlinka creeped towards the container where her treasure was being kept. Just then, the container and the Squid Crystal vanished, and smoke filled the room. Her senses became disoriented, and the sneaky Octoling lost consciousness in moments as someone laughed.
Once she'd returned to consciousness, she found herself chained to a couch, and standing close by, was an light-blue Inkling male in a cape and armor, staring at Serlinka with a smirk on his face.
"We finally meet..." The Inkling said, "I've been watching you for some time..."
Serlinka fought against the chains, trying to escape her captor, but the mysterious Inkling, surrounded by green-blue mist, grabbed Octo-Kitty's shoulder. "Don't try..." He told her, "Running won't do you any good."
"Another man taking advantage of me." Serlinka groaned, "You aren't just keeping me hostage with these chains, you're trying to make me your toy, whomever you are."
Her captor smirked, "My name is Curson Benash, but you may refer to me as... Enimagico, master of magics. And as for you..." He stroked Serlinka's cheek, "Octolings are very fascinating specimens, especially the women. You might be useful, given your line of work, with stealing things..."
"I don't steal for people." Serlinka told Enimagico, "And I don't think I'll be of any use to you."
Before she knew it, the blue Inkling was on top of her, glaring at the white-haired Octo. He traced his finger around her neck, then he went lower to stroke her cleavage. Serlinka's heart thumped, knowing what was about to likely come next, and she gasped as Curson groped her breasts.
"Oh, you will, and you can't hide your beauty from me..." The Inkling villain hissed, he lowered himself further, and grabbed Serlinka's cheeks before kissing her aggressively. He gave her chest another grope, and the Octoling gasped.
"Wait!" She protested.
"Yes...?" Curson asked.
"What if I was your stage assistant?" Octo-Kitty offered, "You perform magic, I can assist with your shows."
"Offering to work with me, Octoling? The Inkling smirked, "Work with me as an assistant? Such an offer has potential, and you have the makings of a stage assistant, my octopus friend. And your beauty may be such an asset yet, it appears you will be useful after all. However, there is but a detail to take care of."
And without warning, Curson kissed Serlinka on the lips again while stroking her neck in a seductive manner. He stroked her hips, and every inch of her legs, then he started to unzip the Octoling's catsuit while licking Serlinka's cleavage in an aggressive motion.