Splatoon Manga: NightRoad

Chapter 59: Hustle

⭐️Chapter 59: Hustle

Meanwhile, at the same time the squidbeak had been planning their strategy, the Ebon 8 were busy with their plans. Ebony stayed out of the chat, just because they had come from a uh...bit of a rough spot.

"Alright, listen up. We need a strategy" Crow said, slamming both hands on a nearby crate like it was a table.

"What do you mean?" Heise asked. Didn't they just...roll with whatever came? Why did they need a strategy NOW?

"Look, we've been healed by yours truly, but those inklings and octolings have learned from us. What we're like, what we do. We need to come up with an actual plan" he explained.

"I thought we were just going to 1v1 them with the occasional helping of others?" Negro asked. He just expected the same thing as last time.

"Well, we could, but they might be ready for that. We need something that will catch them off guard" Kuro said, agreeing with Crow's idea of changing tactics.

"Right."

"What if we only sent in a few of us to fight at first, and then send in backup later?" Pitch suggested. That would be a good trap, with luring them into a false sense of security and then attacking when they had their guards down.

"That might work. Only problem would be them taking advantage of it. Numbers and strengths are important" Jet replied. If that wasn't done right, the other team could turn the tide on THEM, and this was going to be their biggest battle yet. They couldn't waste any chances.

"True, true."

"Scratch that plan then?" Crow mumbled.

Jet nodded.
"Yup."

"What else..."

"Well, there's also setting up small traps. Like, minor inconveniences?" Heise said.

"Yeah, but that'd take us time. We don't have that right now. Those cephalos could take advantage of this time" Noir mumbled rather angrily.

"Oh yeah, we wouldn't want that..."

"Okay look, if we can't come up with something, then maybe we should just not go for a plan at all" Pitch said. Simple answer to simple problem.

"What?! No, those cephalos gotta be up to something!" Crow exclaimed. If they were, he'd give everyone the biggest "I told you so" face ever.

"Well yeah, but maybe they're just as lost as we are?" Heise asked, remembering the times.

"Well. We can't go over there right now. Seira said she was coming back to inkopolis and if she saw us she might cause us to get caught" Crow said.

"Dangit" she hissed.

"Anyway, here Ebony. Catch."

Noir threw him a healing vial, which Ebony snatched with a shadow hand. He opened the bottle and drank it, and he almost immediately felt better. It was quicker and easier then self healing, since that took some time and also drained his energy. He sighed after drinking it. He wanted to betray this team so badly, to prove that they were all wrong about their views. He was never given the chance, though. Even if he could sneak away, who knows what might happen when they found him a traitor. They might hurt the others and he didn't want it to be his fault.

"Any last ideas?" Noir asked the group.

Nobody spoke up. Everyone shrugged or shook their heads.

"Well. No plan it is, then."

To be honest? They didn't really need a plan. They could probably just make do with what they had. They'd done it before and could do it again.

"Shall we head to the square, then?" Kuro asked.

"Sure."

And with that, the group walked out of their alleyway and into the square. They were on guard at all times, in case the squidbeak were waiting to ambush them from somewhere. Noir couldn't scan for their minds as they walked, since that would use up energy needed for fighting. They tried to keep calm as they walked, but even they were nervous for this fight.

They arrived at the square to find...

Nobody there.
No squidbeak, not random citizens, nobody.

"Oh. I guess they're still planning..." Negro mumbled, still scanning the place.

"We'll wait here in the square for them, then" Noir said.

Crow looked at them like they were crazy.
"And we can't attack them because?"

"Just roll with it for now" Jet grumbled. He knew Crow was impatient, but this argument would be a waste of time.

Crow raised a finger to say something, but decided it was best not to get into a fight before they actually fought. Fighting amongst a team was never good. It would give the other side an advantage and they didn't want that now.
Just then, they spotted some figured walking in the distance. Noir read one person's mind and picked up a "let's do this". That must be them, then.

"Ah, there they are..." he said with a smile.

Pitch looked at him like he forgot something.
"Are you going to. Yknow. Read their minds for their attack strategies?"

Noir did so.

"Well, it seems they're aware of all our weapon sets and attack moves, but that won't stop us from changing things up a little."

"Wait, they don't actually have a plan?" Heise asked.

Ebony was surprised to hear this. The team didn't have a plan? That was strange. Maybe they couldn't decide on a method like the shadowlings? Either way, he hoped they would be able to do this.

"I didn't see one."

He double checked. Yup. No plan. Odd. Maybe they weren't thinking about a plan at the moment just so he wouldn't be able to know?

"Odd indeed..." Ebony mumbled to himself.

And so, the two groups walked up to each other. They stopped at a few feet for distance. Their eyes locked onto their counterpart, and stayed there. The squidbeak kept their serious expressions on, and all of the shadowlings stayed serious as well, with the exception of Noir, who only kept his smile. The tension between the two increased.

"All out fight. Don't hold back" Emperor mumbled.

"Eight vs Eight" Hachi said.

"Even strength" Rider added.

"Let's do this" Prince whispered.

Ready?

Fight.