Splatoon: Security in Chaos

Abandoned

Albert approached Pearl in her holding cell as she popped cookies into her mouth. He tapped on the clear glass wall of it, prompting Pearl to turn around, "Oh hey Albert! Been a couple of weeks! What's up?"

"Why are you so casual about this?" Albert demanded.

"I get free food," Pearl explained, "You don't seem to hold any active malice and, frankly I bet if I asked nicely you would let me out."

"What makes you say that?" Albert demanded.

"You're just not a leader, dude." Pearl shrugged, "That's not a bad thing but it's just not your strong suit."

Albert fell silent. Pearl turned around in her black swivel chair, "So, what's up?"

"Can you desanatize someone?" Albert demanded with a tinge of hope in his voice.

"Depends but sometimes yeah," Pearl replied, "Is this about Dedf1sh?"

Albert took a seat in front of the cell, looking down at his feet he sighed, "Please answer the question."

"Albert..." Pearl sighed, "I get maybe you're scared of telling Terry and Cara, scared they'll judge you or something, but you already don't consider me a friend. So, why not tell me? I won't judge, and even if I did, it wouldn't matter to you."

Albert shook his head, "My... past experiences deprived me of security and safety for most of my life until three years ago. Then I lost that, the only thing I had left. So, I helped the refugees who hated how things were as I do, and sought to reinstate my ability to feel safe."

"But what about Dedf1sh?" Pearl demanded. "I met her, she used to sneak up here to the surface before she went all zombie."

"We were..." Albert didn't know why he was telling Pearl this, but it was something bottled up for so long it just started looting out, he couldn't bear the burden alone any longer, "Partners. In combat, and romantically... but she abandoned me. I remember it clearly. The worst day of my life..."

Albert had fallen asleep cuddling Dedf1sh, who looked at the roof of the train car. She sighed solemnly, "So... I'm really doing this..."

She sighed and kissed Albert on the forehead, "I love you. Get to the surface. OK?"

Dedf1sh slipped away from Albert, gently placing his head on the soft brush of Stormbringer as a pillow. She sighed as the train came to a stop.

This was it.

All that fear and anxiety, she was going to be free from it.

But she wondered, was this choice causing some of it?

Was she merely being prideful, just as Albert was in the present day?

She lied to herself. Told herself that the doubt in this choice was why she had to go through with it, her stubbornness guiding her towards self destruction.

She approached her door, beyond which she would be sanitized.

She would never see her friends again.

Or get to play Rainmaker with Albert on the surface.

Or go to Off the Hook concerts.

Or get to share her music with her main inspirations.

Or hug Albert again...

...

No, she told herself these doubts proved the necessity of her action. No more doubt or fear of her choices or work or anything.

She would finally be free she told herself...

But then she heard a voice, full of worry and genuine care, "Dedf1sh there you!" Albert rushed up to her, "What are you doing? This place is giving mega bad vibes! Let's go!"