"Don't you think fighting so high up is kind of thrilling?" - Marie

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Moray Towers was one of the more dangerous stages. Looking down from atop the tall building, I could see the many cars driving down below. My stomach felt queasy, the thought of falling starting to get to me. I looked at Ace, the fear in my eyes letting him know how I felt.

Ace smirked and said, "Don't worry, we got this. I'll make sure you're safe. Just stay close to me, alright?"

A small, spherical drone hovered around us, its camera pointed at each of us, one at a time. Ace grinned at the camera, and then it panned to me, making me blush. I had never been on television before. The fact that these Turf Wars were broadcasted put even more pressure on me.

I swallowed my own spit, nervous. I was afraid of heights as well, and this Turf War would probably make it even worse. To my knowledge, Moray Towers consisted of two buildings, both connected by ramped roads and a small wide platform between the two goliaths.

Even though I was scared, I had to admit that the stars above us were beautiful, and helped ease my fears a little. But after I had realized I could fall if I wasn't looking where I was going, my fear quickly returned in full force.

I could see the other team on the second building ahead of us. Two of the opponents were familiar enemies. One was the helmeted octoling, and the other... was Bryson. The very thought of fighting on these tall buildings with Bryson coming at me was intimidating.

Hector seemed to be very calm, leaning on his brush as he waited for our phones to give the starting beep. Liv, who I had talked to earlier about my brother, held something slightly different. Her blaster had gotten an upgrade and had become a Grim Range Blaster.

With burst bombs as her sub-weapon and Tenta Missiles as her special, she could fight both short-range and long-range opponents. Although it had a lower rate of fire at about one shot per second, its blasts were deadly to inklings, especially with its increased range. A middleweight weapon to be sure, dangerous in the hands of someone skilled with tactics.

Nem-Nem could see me from another building nearby, able to watch me on the big screen in front of the audience. Looking up, I could see the flying spherical camera drone, its lens zooming in on us. I wondered if Nem-Nem was proud of me. I hoped she was...

Our phones beeped, and Ace grabbed me by the wrist, helping me down off the spawn point. We both began running down the ramps, my dualies and his hydra covering the turf in glittering bronze ink. My heart raced, knowing that I was this high up while still running and covering the turf.

As we made our way down the ramp, I saw the helmeted octoling jump directly down from the top of the other building and down onto the center platform, wielding a roller that was more suitable for crushing opponents, the Dynamo Roller, or more specifically, the Kensa Dynamo Roller.

Like most other Kensa products, this roller had a black frame with a white roller cover. Equipped with the Booyah Bomb, it was a force to be reckoned with. The Booyah Bomb was a very effective special move that allowed an inkling to charge up a large ball of swirling ink-composed energy.

It could wipe out entire teams with ease...

As Ace and I reached the center platform, the octoling was already on the move, with his dynamo swinging around, flinging ink. I jumped out of the way, firing my dualies at him, trying to draw his attention while Ace charged up his Hydra.

The octoling swung at me directly, his dynamo flinging large globs of silver ink. I was coated in it, the ink covering my visor. Ace fired his Hydra, hitting the octoling as I quickly recovered. I had to admit that Ace was carrying me quite a bit. Sometimes I felt like such a burden, but after conveying that feeling to Ace, he told me not to worry about it.

"Booyah!" I shouted enthusiastically. I was pumped, already forgetting about my fear of heights. As long as we were on this wider platform, we were safe. With Ace, I felt like I could do anything, and I owed him for that.

I could see Hector twirling his brush, taking on a Kensa .52 Gal, and Bryson himself on the enemy ramps. Bryson used his umbrella to parry the brush with some difficulty. My mind was a bit worried, however. Noting that the Kensa .52 Gal also carried the Booyah Bomb

Were these guys fans of the Toni Kensa company or something?

I didn't get to figure that out, as I was suddenly hit from behind by a heavy weapon. I climbed up on the raised portion of the roof in the center. It was like a small hill, one I could use to my advantage. ...Right now wasn't one of those advantages.

My back was pelted, pain exploding through my torso. After the shots had finished, I turned around, breathless. In front of me was a Splatling Remix, and with Ace suddenly missing, I was about to face its full wrath.

I assumed it had taken quick care of Ace, its rate of fire allowing it to wipe out its foes with ease, and now that it had slain him, it was focused on me. The inkling unleashed his weapon's maximum charge, my body was blown off the small raised bump, my helmeted head hitting the concrete as I landed on my back.

My vision was blurry, and I didn't want to move. Seeing the inkling stand over me with his weapon aimed point-blank at my face filled me with hopelessness. Why... could I never win these harder battles on my own? Whenever I faced someone with skill, they always had the advantage. Ace was always there, saving me, but he wasn't here now.

My eyes would nearly shed tears at the thought of never being able to overcome these challenges on my own. Was I really so weak? These inklings, they were the dominant species now. Humans had their time in the spotlight, and now, here I was, at the mercy of these creatures who could easily hurt me.

The splatling main suddenly pulled his weapon away and held out his hand. I was confused. Why was he helping me? He was the opponent. Regardless, I took it, grateful to get up onto my feet. He looked at me and smirked.

"You're that inkling who can't be splatted, right?" he asked. "Major respect for someone that tough."

He... respected me? I was surprised and confused. Sure, I couldn't be splatted, but... that wasn't because I was tough. He quickly ran off, inking more turf and leaving me bewildered. Did they talk about me? Was I really that well-known? More importantly, would this draw unwanted attention?

I then remembered that I had a match to finish. I held out my dualies, shooting as much as I could. It was slow by inkling standards, but it was a speed I trained so hard just to attain. The seconds counted down, and I began to wonder if the clock was broken. Taking out my phone, my eyes widened when I saw the timer. We had twenty-five minutes left! What had happened to the usual three minutes?!

I then remembered what Ace had told me earlier, right before the battle. As a special treat, the judges had decided to make today's Splatfest battles last thirty minutes. This wasn't going to be good. I had to be up here for twenty-five more minutes?!

I reassured myself that I shouldn't fall off if I stayed in the center of the middle platform. It was pretty big, so I should be safe. I inked as much of the platform as I could, other inklings moving around me to spray the area I was just at.

I was so slow compared to these guys. No matter where I sprayed, there was always at least one inkling I'd have to deal with. So far, I hadn't faced Bryson yet, but that quickly changed when he jumped down onto the platform from above.

He quickly aimed at me, and I raised my arms in defense, expecting a shot to the face. Instead, he just inked the ground around me. I suppose it made sense. I couldn't be splatted, and although he wanted to fight me, he couldn't.

He pitied me, I think, and because of that, I felt self-conscious, continuing to ink turf on my own. Occasionally, the helmeted octoling would try to come after me, but Ace was always there to take him out with a well-aimed spray of ink.

It... felt like I depended on Ace quite a bit... I didn't really want it to be that way. I wanted to at least make him and Bryson proud. For the rest of the time there, I kept inking turf, going in a pattern, from one end to the other.

There were five minutes left, and I was exhausted from running around for so long. I was desperate to keep the platform inked for my team, so I just kept going, not even looking back. I simply sprayed what wasn't bronze.

Suddenly, I heard multiple inklings shouting, "Booyah!"

Confused, I turned around, my eyes widening when I saw one of them floating in the air, a ball of swirling ink energy swelling up above their raised hand as the cheers grew louder. As the sphere reached its maximum size limit, the inkling threw right in front of me.

The dreaded Booyah Bomb, capable of eliminating any inkling caught in its explosion radius. Developed by Kensa, this weapon delivers a whole new level of power.

I couldn't move, my fear catching me like I was a deer in front of a car's headlights. Unable to get out of the way, I was caught in the blast radius. This was where my body was overloaded. I didn't know why, but my body's senses were completely overrun with a mix of different sensations. Pain, pleasure, happiness, sadness, anger, fear, confidence, doubt, and everything else was running through my head.

My brain was very confused, as I could no longer communicate with the rest of me. As the blast dissipated, I stumbled backward, my vision spinning. I soon passed out, only to gain consciousness a minute later.

I could hear Nem-Nem screaming my name. As I opened my eyes, I noticed that everything was upside-down. In fact, I was upside-down. I was dangling off the side of the central platform, and the person keeping me from falling to my death was a surprise to me.

It was the helmeted octoling, the one who had tried so hard to take a shot at me throughout the match. My mind was sluggish, my fear not registering at all. That Booyah Bomb did something bad to me, but... my mind didn't seem to care. With Ace's and Bryson's help, the octoling was able to pull me up.

I laid on the edge, my body slow. I could see Ace's eyes showing fear. Bryson had his usual serious look. And the octoling... I couldn't see their face at all through their tinted visor. A mysterious stranger who went out of his way to help me.

Ace said something, but I could hardly hear. He seemed frantic as he looked me over with great worry. I wanted to tell him I was okay, but my voice came out in slurred speech.

I heard Nem-Nem's cries get louder as she got closer. "Out of the way!" she shouted.

She pulled me close, clinging tightly. "N-No! I shouldn't have let you out here!"

"Nem-Nem," I somehow managed to whisper, almost incoherent. "Th-The Splatfest..."

She shook her head. "I need to get you medical attention!"

I tried to object, but... the dizziness swarmed over me, and I passed out once again.

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I woke up in a room of white, the sound of rhythmic beeping hitting my eardrums. I tried getting up, but pain pulled me back down. I then saw Nem-Nem by my bedside. She put the back of her hand to my head, then took my hand in hers.

"Amelia, I..." she started. "I shouldn't have let you compete..."

I shivered, feeling strange. My body felt like it was floating in cold water, but... my eyes said otherwise. "Please don't stop me," I whispered. "I'll do anything to keep competing."

Nem-Nem shook her head. "J-Just stay home for a few days before you even think about going back out there. You almost died!"

She was right, as usual. I had nearly fallen to my death. I didn't want to leave Nem-Nem alone, to go on knowing I was gone. But... I also didn't want to stop competing. My heart burned with passion for it, and if I were to be told to never fight again, I don't know if my mind could handle it.

"J-Just one more night?" I asked. Splatfest was almost over. Tomorrow there'd be one more night of it. "I promise, after that, I'll stay home to recover."

Then I realized... I wasn't home. I was in a hospital. But, if I was in a hospital, that meant that doctors saw me up close. I stood up straight, despite the pain, shouting, "Th-They know I'm---!!!"

Nem-Nem slapped her hand against my mouth. "It's okay. These are friends of David's. This hospital is funded by Enperry."

"B-But I thought they only dealt in sportswear," I queried, noting what Dimitri had told me.

David stepped in through the doorway with a warm smile, saying, "Of course they do, but they also have charity centers. All the money that is donated to Enperry is given to all the hospitals in Inkopolis. In return, these hospitals promote Enperry's gear."

These brands seemed to play such a major role in Inkopolis. They were always everywhere, on the sodas, on the gear, on the weapons. Brands were everything here. I often thought back to what Dad would say about brand companies, how they caused destruction, but... these brands in Inkopolis were doing good.

Maybe they were better than the human brands?

Nem-Nem looked at David and asked, "Will she be alright?"

"We, uh, don't know," replied David, coughing into his hand. "We know almost nothing about humans. We've used X-rays to see if anything was wrong, but it doesn't tell us much. We simply know that none of her bones were broken."

"S-So, I can go, right?" I asked.

David looked at Nem-Nem, who looked back with an expression of worry. There was a long moment of silence as he looked at me with pity. David then said, "That... is up to your caretaker. From how I see it, you're in fairly good condition, but... going back out there is something I wouldn't recommend."

"B-But I--"

"Amelia, listen to me," he said, his expression much more serious. "You're not cut out for Turf War..."

My heart suddenly sank, hearing this from an inkling. "I-I..."

"You have a fragile body," he said. "All it takes is one bad accident and you're gone forever. Nem-Nem would be all alone, blaming herself. Why were you even turfing in the first place? You know you shouldn't be out there. Can you imagine the stress you've put your caretaker through?"

That hit me bad. My thoughts raced towards Nem-Nem. If I was gone, she'd be by herself. I felt selfish, having never thought about it all that much before. I looked at her, my eyes getting blurry. I tried not to cry. She meant the world to me. Merely thinking about her being alone made my insides tense up. I didn't like this. It was too sudden, too abrupt. I didn't want to stop competing, but I also didn't want to make Nem-Nem worry.

Nem-Nem stood up, then put a hand on David's shoulder. "May I talk to her alone, please?" she asked in the most sincere and softest tone, her voice glitching.

"Of course," he said, looking at her with eyes that showed respect. He walked over to the door, then looked back at me with a sad expression, saying, "I'm sorry for my words, but... I only care about what happens to you. What your caretaker decides to do isn't up to me, but... in my personal opinion, you should be inside, safe and sound."

After he walked out, Nem-Nem closed the door and turned to face me. There was a long silence as she stood there, and I could feel the tension in the air. She then walked up to my bedside and smiled down on me, my feelings somewhat comforted. She reminded me so much of Mom, and I was so grateful to her.

I was afraid, though, because if she told me not to compete, I'd simply stop, because I loved and respected her too much. She knew my feelings, and I knew hers. It was often like we were connected, and because of that, I'd do anything to see her be happy, even if...

Even if I were to stop competing to do so...

"Nem-Nem, I'm sorry," I whispered, looking up at her with tears rolling down my cheeks. "Please, I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have done these stupid turf wars."

Nem-Nem took a deep breath, her smile gone. She then exhaled, looking thoughtful for several minutes while I sniffled. Then she asked me with a very unsure expression, "How badly do you want this?"

I was afraid of saying the wrong thing. I've wanted this for so long. I was finally a competitor, and it pained me to struggle against the inklings. I was human. I had bones to break. I could easily die. But... I still replied, "More than anything, but you're the only one I'd quit for..."

Nem-Nem tried not to, but she smiled, giggling. I was confused. Was she making fun of me? No, it wasn't that. There was something in her eyes... there was a fire in them, a fire that showed a mix of pride and sadness.

"Would you do anything to stay in the game?" she asked.

"Yes!" I said a little too loudly, catching myself at the end, my own determination hard to hold back.

"Would you fight for it?" asked Nem-Nem.

"Yes," I answered.

"Would you train your hardest for it?" she asked.

"Y-Yes," I answered.

"Would you be anemone enough to carry yourself to the top?"

"I-I... yes!" I answered, a little confused by her way of speaking.

She sighed, then asked me, "Have I ever told you what I used to be...?"

"Y-You said you were a competitor once, right?" I replied. I had remembered what Liv had shown me earlier. Nem-Nem was once pretty famous on the battlefield.

She nodded and said, "Not only that, but... I was in the number one spot at several points in my life."

My heart nearly stopped. "Wh-What?"

She looked over to the counter behind her where the tetra dualies were. She picked one up and turned it, inspecting it as she said, "Amelia. I'd do anything for you, and if this dumb sport is what does it for you, then you need a better trainer. I refuse to let you go back out there without the best training possible..."

Something in me broke. I was panicking. Something told me this was bad, and I didn't know why. She looked at me, her pupils no longer the pearlescence they once were. They were light pink, glowing a little.

She said in the calmest voice possible, "You won't need squid abilities when I'm done with you."

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I struggled to keep up. I had been running for hours straight, my body screaming at me, begging me to stop. Up ahead, Nem-Nem was up ahead of me, looking back at me as she ran with ease.

"You're not stopping yet," she said. "We're almost there. This isn't even the beginning of your training."

When Nem-Nem had taken me home last night, I had passed out, my body still feeling strange from the effects of the Booyah Bomb. I had dreams of being some kind of strange creature in the deep ocean, seeing so many fish swarming, and there'd often be the occasional thunder coming from up above as the nukes went off.

I'd hide whenever a boat floated overhead, narrowly escaping with my life. Years would pass like seconds, my surroundings changing. There was so much debris down here, the water becoming contaminated. Eventually, I rose to the surface, and I woke up in my bed.

Nem-Nem had only given me several granola bars, telling me we'd be running. And we did, we ran for two, running to the far edges of the city. I felt dizzy at times, the effects of the Booyah Bomb from last night still present, but I kept going.

I kept going for her. She gave me this chance, and I wasn't going to waste it.

After she stopped, I collapsed from exhaustion. I could hear her snapping her fingers, trying to get my attention. As I looked up at her, sweat dripping down my face, she held out her hand and I took it, getting back onto my feet with her help.

In front of us was a large, silver-painted building, and on the front was a familiar symbol. It looked like a sideways eight after being filled in with the color pink. I recognized it immediately, noting that we were in front of the Tentatek company building.

Nem-Nem walked up to the glass doors and pushed the button on an intercom next to it. "Open up," she said.

"What?" replied the speaker on the intercom. "Who is this? You have some nerve."

Nem-Nem grumbled and pushed the button again, saying, "Three eighty-seven."

"N-Nem Nemone?!" the speaker replied. The doors slid open, the anemone giving a victorious chuckle.

"C'mon," she said to me. "Your training takes place here."

As I followed her, I could see various sea creatures gawking and staring whenever they spotted Nem-Nem. It only made her more mysterious to me, and... I was excited about that. She had never told me anything about her past, but if she was this epic, could... could she beat Bryson?

We went into the very back, where an inkling in a lab coat looked at her with nervousness in his expression. "Nem Nemone, m-might I say you're looking lovely today?"

"Oh, stop," she said, smiling. "Amelia, this is Stuart. He tests the weapons here."

I waved shyly, stepping behind her. He looked at her, asking, "Is she with you?"

"She is," said Nem. "I came here to cash in on that favor you guys still owe me."

"B-But it's been so long!" he exclaimed.

"Hey!" shouted Nem-Nem, looking very angry. "Are you backing out of our deal now?!"

"N-Not at all!" he shouted back, smiling nervously, shaking his hands.

"Thank you," Nem-Nem sweetly said with an innocent-looking smile. "You're so fresh! I'm just going to take Amelia here to the old training room.~"

Nem-Nem then led me into another room, one that was large and empty. Blue and red holograms of inklings stood there, their eyes vacant, devoid of life. This room was massive, easily able to fit all of Blackbelly Skatepark.

"Amelia, listen up," said Nem-Nem, turning to face me. She handed me my dualies, and when I raised them, an ink tank appeared on my back. This place was apparently outfitted to simulate Turf War in every way. "You're going to be on team blue," she said. "I'll be team red. I want to see what you can really do."

I swallowed my own spit, nervous that I'd have to face her. "Sh-Shouldn't I warm up fi--"

Nem-Nem grinned, saying, "Nope!"

She clapped her hands in a strange, rhythmic pattern. When she was finished, we were transported to an empty version of the previous room. Nem-Nem raised her arms, dualies materializing from a bluish glow. "Get ready, Amelia, because I'm not stopping until you're as quick as me."

"I have a lot of questions," I said, worried. This wasn't the Nem-Nem I knew at all. This was a turfer. This was someone who was scaring me a bit, but at the same time... it was also really awesome.

"I'll answer them later," she replied. "You have Splatfest tonight, and I'm not letting you go back until you beat me."

"B-Beat you?" I repeated, now very worried.

She walked calmly towards the other end of the room, where the red holograms followed her. I heard a loud beeping noise.

One time...

Two times...

Three times...

Then a loud beep, and certain areas of the floor rose up, becoming obstacles and platforms. The blue holograms ran up to my side, one on them grinning smugly as they shouted in a synthetic voice, "Booyah!"

They were so lifelike...

I ran up ahead, going around a few of the raised platforms. Many of them were climbable while some weren't, and whenever I climbed on what I could, I could see Nem-Nem moving with grace as she took out opponents left and right. My artificial teammates cried out as they were splatted with ease one by one.

My blood ran cold the moment she locked her eyes with mine. I was dead. I scrambled, jumping from platform to platform, barely able to keep my balance. Nem-Nem was easily able to catch up, sighing as she climbed onto the platform I was on.

She grabbed me, keeping me balanced. "Keep your center of gravity above your feet," she instructed. "Make sure your head doesn't sway. Once your head goes, your body does because it's one of the heaviest parts in your body."

I looked up at her and she simply smiled back. "Just watch your head, keep moving, and don't make unsure movements. Don't lean, either. Watch your head and make sure it's in the center, right above your feet. Understand?"

"I think so," I replied back. How did she know so much? Could I really be like her?

"Now jump," she said, pointing to a long, thin platform. It wasn't too high off the ground. If I fell, it wouldn't have been bad. Looking ahead, I jumped, trying to keep my head balanced. So far, so good. Just need to kee--

I was suddenly shot at from behind. Looking at Nem-Nem, she held up a dualie. I was very confused. Wasn't she trying to teach me?

"What?" she asked. "You thought I was gonna let you do this the easy way? You're doing what I did at your age."

She fired again. "C'mon. Move along it. Keep going."

Feeling the ink pelt my back, I walked forward calmly, feeling the ink hit me at random periods. It hurt a little, but letting her down would've hurt more. She was giving me this chance. She knew what my dream was, and she was determined to let me have this.

I was grateful to her, and so I endured what I could. Suddenly, I felt more ink hitting me from both my sides. There were two red holograms, firing their Splattershots. I was pelted all over, red ink covering me completely as I kept going. I was almost at the end.

"Well?" asked Nem-Nem, following me on the platform. I was afraid to look back, as I didn't want to lose my balance. "If you can walk, you can also fire back, so do it!" she instructed.

Don't make unsure movements. Don't second-guess. I turned to my side, firing at one red hologram, taking him down, then I turned to the other side, firing again and taking the other out.

"Not bad," said Nem, "but you could use some more refinement."

We did this for several hours, with me jumping onto platforms wide and thin, firing at holograms, and occasionally even hitting Nem-Nem. She was still much faster than me though, often firing back with great precision.

Keeping up with her was difficult, and oftentimes, I wanted to stop and cry from the struggle. But she'd always just give me that smile, and everything would feel better. I wanted her to be proud of me. I wanted to hear her say those words so badly, and so I fought. I fought with everything I had in me.

After many hours of practice, I was jumping almost like her, using her careful instruction. I was still very sloppy, but I still felt like I could take on the world with her teachings. I was taught how to jump, how to dodge, how to aim properly, how to never hesitate.

After all those hours, it was just me and her. I looked at her, and she looked back at me, her own dualies raised. Before her, I was nothing. Now it was time to show her that I was a real turfer. She smirked at me, her eyes pink and glowing.

"C'mon!" she shouted. "Come at me!"

I ran, jumping up onto a platform and running along it, aiming down at her. My dualies fired, hitting the spot where she once was. I had lost sight of her, and this scared me. Where was she?!

"Watch your back!" she shouted, firing. I jumped off the platform and onto another, losing my balance easily. I quickly pulled back as best as I could, but I fell forward. I wasn't ready. Who was I kidding?

Suddenly, she grabbed my arm, pulling me back onto it. She looked down at me, and I felt intimidated. Then she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tight and surprising me. I didn't say anything, simply letting her hug me. I felt helpless.

She sighed, smiling. "You won't be ready by Splatfest tonight," she said. "Your balance is worse than you think, and while I've taught you the basics, you're definitely not ready to face real inklings."

"I understand," I replied, feeling like a failure. I leaned into her, just needing comfort.

She then said, "I'll give you a pass... for now. You can go to Splatfest, but... be more careful."

This confused me greatly. Looking up at her, I could see her grin.

She said, "Look, kiddo... I'd love for you to stay home, but... I need to let you experience life."

I had so many questions for her. I wanted to know why she had quit turfing. I wanted to know why she had never talked about it, and I wanted to know why she was letting me go to Splatfest, even after the accident.

"Nem, I--"

She shushed me. "None of that. You're going to that Splatfest, even if I have to drag you there. But don't worry. Your training isn't over yet."

"You're going to keep training me?" I asked, looking up in awe.

Nem-Nem still had an unsure expression on her face as she replied, "Who else will guide you if I don't?"

Seeing this, I took her hand, squeezing it gently, making her smile again. If... I could just...

"Nem," I said.

She looked down at me. "What's up, kiddo?"

"I... I've never told you this before," I said, afraid of what I was about to say. "I... I always saw you as..."

Nem-Nem tilted her head a little. "Hm?"

Now. Do it. "I always saw you as my m-mom..." I whispered, afraid of her rejection.

Nem-Nem's eyes stared into mine, our gazes locked. "You really see me that way...?" she asked.

I nodded slowly, trembling a little. "Y-Yeah..."

Nem-Nem closed her eyes, a tear running down her cheek, a smile spreading across her face. Her hand squeezed mine, and after four years, I finally felt like a weight had been lifted. "W-Well, I have something to say, too," she said.

"W-What?" I asked.

"Ever since you were handed over to me, I did my best to raise you right," she said. "And it was only after a few days that I started growing attached. Amelia, I... I see you as my daughter."

If there was a perfect day, it was this. My heart swelled up with pride, and I felt like I belonged here in this world for once. I should've told her so long ago. I cried with joy, burying my face into her shirt, my tears staining it.

She hugged me tightly, and I felt at ease with myself. I had confidence for tonight. I'd show Ace and Bryson what I could really do, and it was all because of Nem-Nem.

I was ready.

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I wasn't ready.

This stage, designed by Marina, was one of the strangest places I had ever been in. Instead of starting together as a quartet, my team was separated, all of us spawning in different areas in a place that was way too similar to downtown Inkopolis, with abandoned buildings and plenty of places to hide in.

I snuck through one of the buildings, making my way up to the second floor to get a better view of the streets from above. The night sky's starlight glowed with pretty colors, and while I wanted to look at them more, I had to be sneaky, as this particular battle would be two hours long, a single goal: elimination.

Because I couldn't be splatted, they had outfitted me with a device that wrapped around my waist like a belt. It was normally used for non-inkling competitors in elimination rounds. If I was hit with the same amount of force that would splat an inkling, it'd teleport me out of the stage and back into the lobby.

I just had to stay in the round to win, but my confidence was a little low, because the helmeted octoling was in this match as well as Bryson. If I were to guess how I'd fare against him now, I'd say I felt confident, but Nem-Nem told me otherwise, and I trusted her more than I trusted myself.

The emotions from earlier were keeping me going. I felt such a great pride swelling in my chest. To know that she saw me as one of her own made me feel like I belonged here, and I finally felt validation for my own existence in this inkling-dominated world.

I walked into the next room of the building, seeing dusty furniture and old newspaper clippings. Seeing human language on them struck me as odd, considering this was a Splatfest to begin with. I wanted to at least know what it read.

I picked up a clipping and held it by the window, barely making out of letters in the starlight. It read, "Imminent Exodus Declared. President Denies Claims of Extra Bunkers."

Bunkers...?

I remembered now. Dad had talked about Japan evacuating people into the bunkers. He told me there wasn't any more room for us, that the bunkers had already exceeded their maximum occupancy. The President, who hired Dad, wanted him to focus on the cryogenics project.

Why the President didn't want to go into the bunkers was anyone's guess. Was he being humble? Or did he want to avoid the angry citizens down below after his most recent scandal? He had been accused of giving priority to the rich, making sure they had reserved spots when he had promised that everyone would have an equal chance of survival.

I sighed, thinking of Dad. I missed him so much...

A hand on my shoulder startled me a little. Turning my head, I saw the helmeted octoling. I quickly pulled away and aimed my dualies at him. "Stay back!" I warned.

The octoling stayed silent, his black visor hiding his face. He merely walked up to me, gently pushed me aside, and looked out the window. I kept my dualies aimed at him, thinking it was a trick.

"Unsplattable, but not immortal," he said. "You think you're fooling people?"

"F-Fooling?" I queried, stepping back a little.

"Don't shoot, or I'll tell," he said. "You're a special one, aren't you?"

There was no way that he'd... he didn't know about me, I was sure of it. He was lying, and... I looked to see if the camera drone was around. When I saw no sign of it, I asked, "What do you mean?"

"You think your games go unnoticed, but we Octarians know who you are all too well," he claimed. "We're much too smart for you."

My body got chills. "You know I'm--"

"Human," he finished. "It's cute, but... also sad. You must be lonely, being the last one..."

I slowly lowered my dualies, leaning against the wall. "I mean... y-yeah, a little...?"

He turned his head to me. "Took me a while to figure out what you were, but after last night, from what my splatling teammate told me, I knew I couldn't let you fall to your death."

He did save me... "Thanks," I replied.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be hiding...?"

"I love Turf War," I answered.

"Why?" he asked. "Is it because you're so desperate for a place in a world not meant for you that you'd try so foolishly to blend in with its society?"

"I j-just like the action," I said. "It's so cool, and... there was nothing like this in my world."

"Very innocent, very simple-minded," he said, plopping down onto a dusty old couch. As he laid down, he twiddled his fingers. "What's your name?"

"Amelia," I answered, trying not to be offended. Why did I give him my name so easily...?

He laid there, quiet for a minute. I was about to ask if he was okay when he finally replied, "Henry."

That was... Dad's name. Sad emotions stirred in me again. "I like it," I replied. "Reminds me of someone."

He nodded. "Thank you."

"Sh-Shouldn't you be trying to eliminate me?" I asked.

"I could, but... where's the fun in that?" he answered. "As someone who knows your weaknesses very well, I could do a lot of things that would 'eliminate' you."

I felt very uncomfortable, and I wanted very much to leave, but then I wondered if he was like Hector. "I-I guess, but... let's not do that."

"I thought as much," he said with a chuckle. "So, tell me... Is someone taking care of you, at least?"

"Y-Yeah," I replied. "They're like... a mother to me."

"What a nice thought," he said. "She must be very proud of you."

"I like to think she is," I said quietly.

"You don't know...?" he asked.

"Sh-She considers me a daughter," I said proudly, my courage slowly working its way up.

Somehow, I could feel that he was smiling behind that visor. I couldn't see it, but... I just had that feeling. "Must be hard for an inkling to raise a human."

"She's not an inkling," I corrected. "She's a sea anemone."

He slowly nodded. "My mistake."

"Even so, it was difficult for her," I replied. "I certainly didn't make it any easier for her."

I couldn't figure out what this guy wanted. Was there a motive behind his questions, or was he just always like this? I could never even hope to decipher him as long as his face was behind that tinted visor.

"I don't remember much of my own family," he quietly said. "I just remember being trained, then I was sent out to fight. I now work here, undercover for the Octarian forces."

"And you'd just... tell me all this?" I questioned. It didn't make sense.

"Of course," he said. "After all, I wouldn't tell anyone about you, would I?"

Oh...

"W-Well, what do you want?" I asked timidly.

He sat up, drumming his fingers against each other. "That's tricky..."

I tilted my head in question.

He looked at me and said, "I could... offer you many things, being high up in the Octarian hierarchy. But what I most want to offer is a home for you, a real home."

What the...? "But I'm happy here," I said. "Nem-Nem is all I need, and my friends, too. Ace, Bryson, Liv, they're always here for me."

"Amelia," he said. "Keep in mind what position you are in."

I tightened my grip on my dualies. "Position?"

"Sure, you're participating right now. You're happy, carefree, on top of the world. But then it'll come crashing down... and do you know why?" he asked me.

I shook my head slightly, tense, feeling like he was assessing me from behind his visor.

"Eventually you'll draw attention to yourself," he explained. "Word of your unique resistance to ink will most definitely spread throughout Inkopolis, and you'll be catching the gaze of some very intrigued scientists. I mean, think about it. This event is televised.

Suddenly, I was very stressed. He was right, especially since that camera drone was recording the matches. If the Octarians figured it out so quickly, then how long would it take for inkling scientists to notice? If Dimitri could recognize what I was, what about others who were like him?

"I can give you safety, Amelia," he said, standing up and holding out his leather-gloved hand. "You'll never have to worry about them. Come join us, and we can work together. Maybe we can even bring your species back..."

Bring them back...?

I looked up at him, my heart suddenly hopeful. "C-Could you bring back my family?"

His pose shifted, the octoling seeming to not have expected such a question. "It doesn't work like that, Amelia..."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"We can take your DNA, and we can work from that, making humans from scratch," he answered. "We can't, however, bring back those who have passed. My apologies."

So... they could keep me safe, and they could bring humans back, but they couldn't bring my family back. Nem-Nem suddenly came to my mind. She would have been heartbroken if I left. I felt more assurance than ever for my answer. "I'm sorry," I replied. "I can't."

The octoling sighed heavily. "I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do this," he said, walking towards me, raising his arm, an N-Zap materializing in his hand. I quickly booked it, running out through the doorway and down the streets. I wasn't going to give this creep the chance.

I knew that if I kept going with this dream, someone would notice me, but... I'd cross that bridge when I'd get to it. For now, this guy was on my tail, and I wasn't going to let him take me without a fight. I looked back, seeing him running at crazy speeds.

I went down an alley, climbing up and over a fence within to get out the other end. He simply jumped through it in octopus form, his inky body easily slipping between the chainlinks before returning to his humanlike shape.

As I went down the road, I could see a lot of abandoned cars, with some brands being familiar to me, brands from human society. Of course, that wasn't my sole focus at the moment. I jumped behind one and fired from behind it, slouched over the hood, my dualies forcing Henry to get back.

I raised my arm, a sprinkler coming into form in my hand. I tossed it at him, the device landing in front and spraying out bronze ink. I took this opportunity to lose him, heading into a building and running out through its back door.

These homes were fairly big, often looking like they could house entire families. As I went into another, my arm suddenly felt like pins and needles. Looking at it, I saw that I couldn't move it anymore! I picked up the dualie that I had dropped due to loss of control, then put the dualie in my pocket.

There had to be a place to hide out while I figured out what was going on with my arm. I could hear his footsteps, and my heart was pounding faster. As I ran outside the back end of another house, I saw a large dumpster on the sidewalk. I didn't waste a single second. I opened it up and dove in headfirst, regretting it as I hit trash bags that smelled awful.

As the lid closed, I held my breath, the stench becoming unbearable. I couldn't stay in here forever. I heard his footsteps grow louder, then get quieter as he ran past my hiding spot. The moment I could no longer hear his footsteps, I opened up the lid, taking in a lungful of fresh air and climbing out.

I stood up, about to retch from the stench I had to suffer through. My right arm was completely useless, and I knew what I needed to do. I needed to find Ace. He was somewhere in this city, and if I knew him well, he was most likely one of the few competitors left.

Running took a lot out of me, the entire city becoming one big maze to me. I couldn't seem to find anyone here. There was no way Ace could've been taken out, right? I'd even settle for Bryson's help, even if he was the opponent. I just needed to tell someone about Henry.

Several hours passed, and I was beginning to lose hope. There was no way. I couldn't be the only one on my team left. As I walked down the empty streets, I was beginning to feel cold, the night air getting to me. My arm was still useless, and my leg was beginning to feel the pins and needles, too. It hadn't given out yet, so I was at least grateful for that.

I leaned against the wall of a food market, simply standing outside and slumping. I couldn't find anyone, and I was gonna lose it. Just one person. That was all I had asked. And to make matters worse, I could see Henry in the distance, walking calmly towards me.

Standing up straight, I aimed a dualie at him. "Get back!" I warned. "I'll shoot! I mean it!"

He just walked quietly towards me, N-Zap in his hand. He didn't stop until he was three feet in front of me. I wouldn't let this guy take me down. He wouldn't take me without a fight.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"Shut up!" I shouted, firing.

Like flowing water, he gracefully swept himself to the side, firing a well-aimed shot at my face. My visor was completely covered. I stumbled back and felt him grab my useless arm, then my other arm. He pinned me to the wall, and as the ink slid off my visor, I saw the empty blackness of his visor, like an omen of death.

"Stupid kid," he muttered. "You just don't know when to quit."

Behind him, I saw the camera drone hovering down, watching us. Nem-Nem was most likely watching this on the television. Knowing that she was, my own insecurities kicked into overdrive. I couldn't let her see me like this. I needed to be strong. I needed to cement my place into this world.

He was right. I didn't know when to quit. I slammed my knee into his stomach and pushed forward just enough so I could rear my head back as far as I could, then I bashed my helmet against his with a hard headbutt, his visor shattering. Letting me go, he stumbled back, his hand covering his face. I quickly ran at him and kicked him in the chest, forcing him onto the ground.

Aiming down at him, I fired at his hand-covered face with a scream of fury. I was the predator here. No longer would I be useless. He exploded in a mess of bronze ink. Panting heavily, I stood there, feeling adrenaline pumping through me. I was victorious.

But...

I was shot in the back with ink, my belt device beeping and warping me out of the abandoned city stage. Before I knew it, I was in the lobby, with Ace sitting on a bench in front of me.

"Whoooooo! You got him good!" he cheered.

"Nice job," said Liv with a grin, holding a Tentacola in her hand.

Wait, what? "But I lost!" I shouted.

"So?" he replied. "You still took down a toughie today. He got me earlier, so I was forced to watch you on my phone. Didn't think you had that tenacity in you."

But wait, where was... I looked around, seeing that the lobby was empty except for Ace and Liv. "Where's Henry?" I asked.

"Who, the helmet guy?" asked Ace.

"He didn't warp back here," said Liv. "Maybe he's in a separate lobby?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling goosebumps. I wouldn't see the last of him. I knew I wouldn't. He'd be hounding me for a while, and I was very scared of that. Maybe if I didn't tell anyone who he was, he wouldn't tell who I was...? Hopefully...

"But wait, who shot me?" I asked, now curious.

Ace held up his phone, showing Bryson on screen in a battle with Hector. "Sorry, Amelia. He got ya from behind."

Ouch... So much for winning Splatfest against Bryson.

I sat in between Ace and Liv, sulking. "I really thought I had won," I said. "Sorry I let you down."

"Doesn't matter," said Ace as he patted my back. "Way I see it, you've unlocked your inner inkling."

"Yeah, I guess," I said. Suddenly, I could feel my right arm again. I moved it around a bit to make sure it was working properly. That Booyah Bomb must have done something bad to my body, but I wasn't sure if I should have told Nem-Nem or not.

I only hoped that this was the last of it. If it wasn't, I'd tell Nem-Nem straight away. For now, Splatfest was coming to an end, and I felt good about it. If any octolings wanted to come and get me, they'd have to take me by force.

I didn't even want to think about being found out, either. For now, I was going to take a week off from turfing and just hang out with Nem-Nem. Maybe I'd invite Ace, Liv, and Bryson over, too. This would be a week for relaxation. Just me, Nem-Nem, and my best friends.

Hopefully, the talk of the unsplattable inkling girl would die down.