Splatoon: Under Inkopolis

Cuttlefish Caper

The sun sunk beneath the horizon. Kia paced back and forth across the square. How long did inkling school take? Finally, she spotted Katsu and Tide on the far end of the square.
"There you guys are!" Kia ran to meet them.
Katsu yawned, "Yeah, practice went on a little long. Let's go eat, I'm starving."
"Sure" Kia slowed to a stop. Now that she was closer to them she could see flecks of familiar magenta ink stained their tee shirts and shoes. Could it be? No, Katsu isn't an Agent. They probably just fought with magenta ink during some practice match or something.

"Great, how about I meet up with you guys at that sandwich place by the school," Tide looked down and gripped the shoulder straps of his backpack, "I have to go to the, uh, bathroom"
"Okay then? Lead the way Katsu"

They waited half an hour for Tide before finally ordering food without him. Most of it was spent in an awkward silence. After losing a tacit staring contest with Katsu for the thirty fifth time Kia finally spoke, "He's not coming"
As soon as she voiced her doubt Katsu's phone buzzed. She flicked it on.
"Tide had some abrupt matters he had to attend to. He says to not wait up"
Abrupt matters? Like harvesting zapfish from unsuspecting kettles? Kia frowned, stop being so paranoid, she scolded herself.

"Let's eat without him then" Kia chirped and pushed all thoughts of where Tide could be out of her mind.
She stood up and walked towards what looked like a drink dispenser.
"Ooh, self serve", picking up a cup Kia added a little bit of every drink until the cup was full. The cashier gaped at her, "Uhh, are you going to pay for that?"
"Mmm, nope!"
Katsu sighed, "Ignore her. I'd like two crusty seanwiches"--she tossed a handful of coins on the counter--"Keep the change."
The cashier plopped a takeout bag down.
"Thank you," Katsu picked up the bag, "Let's go. We'll eat on the way back"
Kia sipped the drink and immediately choked, "Gah! So sickeningly sweet! Yet fizzy and addictive"
"Come on," Katsu grabbed her arm.

------

The next morning Katsu brought Kia to Inkopolis square.
"I got to go check in at school, but the match will start in 45 minutes," she hefted her backpack over shoulder and adjusted her roller, "Just follow B St until it intersects with Terra Avenue. Turn left and continue straight till you get to the kelp dome"
"Got it, I'll be fine"
Katsu jogged away towards the academy, leaving Kia alone in the square.

Kia lounged in the shadow of Inkopolis tower. The square was quiet today. After spending a few minutes watching the foot traffic trickle away towards school or stores she stood up. Probably should go find the kelp dome. Before she took another step the squidhole's grate clattered to the ground. Cap'n Cuttlefish heaved himself out of the hole. Stooping down he grabbed a sack and lifted it from the hole as well. Kia stayed rooted to the ground. Alright, the creepy Cap'n has a creepy bag, so what? If I don't get going I'll be late to Tide's turf war. Hefting the bag over his shoulder, Cap'n shuffled away. Kia's curiosity took over her, and she slinked after him.

The old man hobbled forward with is aged bamboozler cane at an excruciatingly slow pace. This is a waste of time, Kia chided herself, but she still kept her eyes trained on the sack. Suddenly it squirmed. Her throat tightened. No, don't jump to conclusions. There could be anything in the bag. Maybe Cap'n squidnapped an inkling who accidentally fell through a kettle and learned too much.

Cap'n appeared to be hiking aimlessly across the city. Kia kept her distance and walked on the opposite end of every street Cap'n decided to meander down. Around noon Cap'n abandoned roads altogether. He dived into an alleyway guarded by a fluorescent orange sign.
Construction Zone Ahead

Quickly, Kia entered the alley, and almost yelped as she nearly walked straight into a stopped Cap'n. She held her breath as Cap'n bent down and fixed an overturned orange traffic cone. He tapped it once with his cane before sitting down. Cautiously Kia tip toed back to the sign and hid behind it to wait for the scratch of a cane on asphalt to reveal when Cap'n started moving again.