Splatoon: Under Inkopolis

Descends to Ascend

~After confronting Three about the zapfish~

Everything will turn out fine. Yeah right.
Her cheeks flushed with rage as she recalled Three's nonchalance.
Kia kicked a rock. It skidded into the night and bounced off a rather squishy shadow.
"Oww! Watch were you kick those things" Katsu stepped out of the darkness and into the glow of one of Inkopolis' many advertisement screens. She took one look at Kia's frown, "Ohh, I guess you found out"
"You knew about this too?"
"Yeah, I even got to see some, er, other octolings in action"
"By charging into their kettles guns blazing I expect"
"No, an entire squad was trying to conquer the kelp dome. They were relentless"
"Well, at least Three wasn't lying about taking a couple zapfish from places other than caverns" Kia muttered almost to herself as she wandered away.

So the Octarians are starting to scout the surface. Odd. But if they've done it once they might do it again. Kia stopped, mind racing as she tried to piece together an idea forming in the back of her mind. Octoling attacks. Airships. Eleven little zapfish sitting in an abandoned cabin. Kia gazed at Inkopolis tower.  It jutted into the night sky. Bet the view up there is smashing.

Not for the first time Kia wished she could super-jump. However, after she scaled up to the roof of Inkopolis tower's glass observatory room the climb was worth it. The city glittered below her, a sea of lights, but the view above her was the only one Kia had eyes for. The night sky was a washed out dark gray, absolutely devoid of starlight. Kia settled in, staring at the atmosphere. And now we wait.

---

On the tower Kia's head snapped up. Her body was cramped and numb from laying on the cold glass. She cursed herself for dozing off and scanned the skys. It was predawn and the sky showed no signs to the incoming sunrise. Only one speck of light illuminated the void. Kia smiled grimly. No stars shine in this city. Looks like some tourists are about to pay a visit. The light migrated across the horizon. Eventually it landed in the forest of skyscrapers and disappeared. Quickly, Kia memorized two shining landmarks that the light fell between and used them to triangulate the direction she must travel.

If Three finds the squad they'll be going home the long way. I have to be fast. Kia shivered convulsivly, in an attempt to get her ink flowing, before inching back down the tower. About half way to the ground she let herself free fall to concrete, rolled to absorb the shock, and jogged in the direction of the air ship's landing.

A couple hours later Kia arrived at a Skatepark. As she crept across the concrete pits scraps of familiar conversation drifted within earshot.
"Tara, Zek: Finish unloading"
"Rodger" two voices chorused.
"After you finish head to the far end of the park for guard duty. Saya, Rory guard the middle. I'll guard the zapfish. Rotate positions every--"
"Hello fellow comrades!" Kia shouted as she waltzed into view. Instantly five octolings trained their weapons on her and drenched Kia in ink.
"Well someone's a little trigger happy, today" Kia pulled off her beanie and wrung it out.
"You're an octoling! What are you doing up here?" the leader barked.
"I was taken to the surface against my will about a week ago by an agent of the Squidbeak Splatoon. My name is Kia. I'm a private assigned to guard cluster one in the valley"
"Hmph, I suppose you'll be wanting a lift back underground"
"Well, yeah, but first I found where the agents are storing the zapfishies! If we hurry we can go get them now!"
"Woah, slow your roll. Picking up one stray octoling with some borderline crazy story is one thing" the leader jerked his thumb at the tiny UFO the squad had traveled in, "Packing a dozen power generators in that aircraft is just plain hazardous. If your story checks out then I might run the idea by some authorities and maybe it'll get greenlit. Until then Miss you'll just have to sit tight"

Kia ran her hands through her tentacles, "Okay, okay. When you get back to the kettles please find Marina Ida. She's an elite octoling engineer who was recently promoted to the Wasabi Supply chain. Tell her Kia says to read her brochures and trace the agent's signal to find me. I'll be waiting to take a squad to the zapfish"
"Trace what to where? Kid you're not making any sense"
"Please just tell Marina Kia says to read the brochures. She'll know what to do"