Stuff and Things

Suicide Twins

"It's advised to simply move around in here, rather than talk or stare." He made no direct remark, but uttered it only loud enough for myself. I did not mind following his advice at all, however, the cerulean inked person moved far too swiftly through the crowd of hardened ranked fighters. I had trouble keeping up, but eventually he stopped and I had a chance to catch my breath. The dynamo weapon was very heavy.

"Showing that you have trouble with even your weapon may be a death sentence." Krill intoned monotonously. I snorted indignantly back, "You try carrying this bugger around an entire block and then through here without seriously hitting someone." Krill blinked slowly with his red eyes and surveyed the squads. He simply started listing off known faces without much indication, as if recognizing old comrades and enemies.

"Over there are some S- ranks. I believe one of them is that Vera kid that Xalla knows. Strange seeing a young face as such a high rank. He's starting a fight already. (Here, Krill sighed and shook his head)

"Over there is our main concern. Hopefully, we either do not share a battle with them, or we do share a team with them. That is the Suicide Twins, a volatile squad of cheats," Krill indicated with a nod of his head towards two skinny inklings that were tussling with each other loudly, shouting curses and slurs. "They take absolutely no heed for their safety, or others' safety during a battle. It's why they're named the Suicide Twins- here they come now, say nothing." Krill cleared his face of slight disgust from describing them as both sauntered by, grinning like devils caught torturing some poor helpless kid on a playground.

"Fancy seein' you here, love!" Each intoned at the same time, high pitched and creaky with a hint of a more western accent. I horrifyingly noticed that each of the twins were not just exactly alike, but boasted blind eyes on the opposite of the other's. A grey, milky eye with a cross hair pupil. "Who's the fishbait ya brought here, eh?" Only one of them spoke, and only to Krill.

Krill closed his eyes a moment and opened them to stare both of the villains down. Surprisingly, he did not speak yet. His face was broken by a crooked grin and he hooked each of the twins around the neck with his arms. Raucous laughter ensued from either of the Suicide Twins, as they clearly expected this despite how Krill spoke of the two.

"Haven't I told you lot to keep off my turf? Villains the both of you!" Krill's voice boomed over most of the noise in the Rank Lobby. The dark skinned inkling let loose both of the twins, who sniggered ferociously and stood in a sort of attentive manner in front of him.

"We have not seen you in YEARS Krill! Where have you been hiding, laddie?" The twins chattered excitedly, momentarily forgetting about myself who numbly just watched the whole exchange. Save for when one jammed their thumb in my direction, asking Krill once more who I was.

"Someone that turned their back on rank for good reason. Same story for myself." Krill replied flatly, not stating otherwise of reasons or actions. Both twins raised an eyebrow and drew a suspicious look across their features, but didn't say a word to fight Krill over it. The more clothed twin pulled a glowing visor over his face, and data streamed across shakily like a phone without good, reliable connection. He snapped it back behind his head after a minute.

"Jeremy Holtz, ain't it? What luck now, love?" I stiffened at the mention of my name. It was not the one that I thought I heard, just the twin making a statement and staring at me. It still was incredibly terrifying for him to have known my name before I said a word. I opened my mouth behind my bandana to say something in return, but the twin simply talked over me.

"No, I can't read minds, love. Databases run far and wide. Considering what Krill just said, you haven't checked in since about... seven years ago. Your photo hasn't changed much, so it was easy eliminating the other users inside the database. And yes, all players in turf and ranked are kept on file as to easily stack them within brackets." A few shrugged gestures and a matter-of-fact facial expression explained it all. "Cheats"... that's what Krill called the Suicide Twins. He smiled roguishly, glancing noticeably towards the timer which ended, signaling the next round to start.

"Fancy meetin' ya here, you know." His western accent returned briefly. And some other bit- sympathy? "A pain to have ta probably destroy you in the battle, since my brother and I are signed to go at the same time you are. No hard feelings, eh, love?" The twin elbowed me lightly, before trotting off and tackling his brother from some other inklings, dragging the snarling twin to the elevator. Krill tapped my shoulder and jerked his head in the same direction, before following the raucous twins into the dark of the elevator. I huffed and dragged the dynamo roller with.

I remembered what Krill had said. How the twins did not care about safety within battles, how they would cheat and break rules. How Krill gave a note of fear when he mentioned hoping they were not on the opposing team. I held my breath, the bandana around my mouth fluttering and stopping just before my mouth.

Bright lights assaulted my eyes as the elevator dropped us within Bluefin Depot. It took merely seconds before I had adjusted, and my heart raced.

The twins stood in front of myself and Krill.