Splatoon 2: Lost In The Dark

19- Balance Restored

As Katsu traversed the Garrison she couldn't help but hesitate between attacks. Before the squishy Octarian attacks had almost been comical. Slow, inefficient attacks are easily dodged and easily destroyed. But now the attackers were too familiar.

Soon she found herself dodging around blows instead of tanking to counter. Leaving platforms with only the launch pad interferers and key holders splatted.

After a few kettles of the tactic change every so often a lone Octarian wouldn't fire. Others would mumble something incomprehensible and Katsu would give a half nod as she charged past. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being tested. And most surprisingly of all, that she was passing.

Without stopping to splat she blazed through the kettles, arriving at the octobot in record time.

An airborne bot strung up by a handful of octocopters buzzed about the sanitarium.

"Take out those copters!" Two direct. Weaving between sniping, missiles, buckets, and sting Katsu picked off three waves of copters. The last one struggled with the weight of the entire bot, but it held out til the bitter end, connecting rope lay as stiff as a board.

For the third time, she hit the control tentacle, and the whole stadium burst with orange ink. Before she could advance to the zap fish an octoling superjumped onto the landing.

"Ayla's been drafted! Where's Kia? There can be no more delays!"

Katsu lowered her weapon.

"She's, er, busy."

Ike crumpled fists, pacing in angry ellipses, "Of course she is! Would it kill her to be reliable for once in life!"

"Hey, hey, it'll be okay–"

"Really? My rule-breaking, outlaw idolized, little sister will be working at Cephalon HQ in 17 hours and everything is okay?"

"I meant I can take you! At least to the surface. There's an associate of Kia's that can take it from there..."

A strained smile took over his face, his lone tentacle askew and rumpled.

"Perfect. Let's go now."

"Right now? Where's Ayla?"

"She's with the crew. I'll get once I'm positive the surface will be any better than here."

"Alright," Katsu tapped her headphones, "Here that Two? Set retrieval for two cephalopods and a zapfish."

"Another Octo? I thought we just sent one off?"

"Just roll with it."

Two sighed, "Fine. Only for you Four, only for you."

Two had little to complain about. Ike only needed to be pointed in the direction of delta square with a description of Marina and he raced off without another word.

Katsu yawned, "We finish this tomorrow."

"We're coming for you, One. Just wait a bit longer, " Two agreed.

—

The Squidbeak outpost for HQ hovered above a purple murky bog. Going there directly after school Katsu labored through kettles till late at night. Two handed her an energy drink after she surfaced with the last zapfish.

From the hole in the center of area a boss kettle mounted on a gigantic ufo flew into striking distance.

"Let's finish this," Two glided towards the hole. Katsu drained and crumpled the can in response.

Dunking inside her head spun the ufo twirled rapid-fire circles while sinking back into the underground. She tensed her muscled, refusing to give sway to nausea. A squeeze of pressure and she leaped from a spawner and froze.