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“You’ve done it, Roach!”
The joyful, albeit slightly crackly voice of Marina perked the Octarian’s ear tips ever so slightly. She had done it, hadn’t she!
A careful step off of the grind rail had caused her to wobble a little. She’d been at this for cod knows how long, the idea of finally reaching the promised land was within arms reach and she was taking it with no hesitation! She’d been through hell today!! This was way worse than any of the tests she’d been through…
Maybe. That pool table esque one still flitted about in her mind from time to time.
Silent the area was aside from the soft click, clack of Roach’s heels as she stepped onto the platform in front. As it shook to life she flinched, unhooking her Octoshot and spinning around as if there was something nearby. The cocky snort from Pearl down her CQ Device was frustrating to say the least.
“Chillax, Roach! S’just an elevator! That reminds me! We should bring the helicopters to pick her up!!! She deserves a sweetass ride to kick back in on the way home!”
“Really? You think the Heli will be needed?”
“Yeah, whatever that is, I want.” Roach’s voice chimed in, part of her hoping that the signal was good enough to pick up, the other half hoping it didn’t. Her voice crack just then wasn’t all that appealing.
“See! She--- That!”
Huh.
What?
She knew her Inkling wasn’t the best but dang what the fuck was Pearl saying?
Ah well, nothing to stress herself over.
What was for her to stress over, however, was how the elevator had just come to a jarring stop.
“Uh… Pearl, Marina? Something happen?”
Pressing the button a few times in frustration of not getting an immediate answer, Roach huffed. Wow!!! She does all these tests, gets all these CQ points! Sneaks through a facility and dodges lasers all to be stranded on an elevator for the rest of her days! Great! Perfect! Won- OW.
The sudden feeling of what could only be described as her ink being swapped out with gasoline and it being ignited rushed through her at an uncomfortable rate. A hand moved up to quickly wipe off whatever was causing such a feeling. Grimacing as she felt something squelch beneath her fingertips, the Octarian pulled her hand back to see exactly what had hit her uncovered shoulder.
Sanitized Ink? She’d been hit with this stuff a million times and it’d never burnt like that…
With her tired mind still chugging away, her immediate instinct was to look up, which seemed to be a good idea as the Octarian immediately scrambled to get back. Claws and heels pushing against the pristine floor as her back met the cool wall of glass surrounding the elevator.
A sharp hiss followed next, her still sensitive back didn’t seem to appreciate such a rough amount of pressure.
Orange eyes flickered to greet whatever had come crashing down on top of her. All around said party crasher was specks of sanitized ink, shifting against the light fixture from above in an almost unnatural away. Standing slap bang in the middle was a a vaguely familiar face, to which the Octoling’s ears perked up. Oh!!
“Oh. Uh. Agent Three, right? Thanks very much for saving me back there!”
Easing herself onto wobbly legs, she held one of her hands out in the form of a handshake. Pearl had taught her that one, Inkling customs and all.
“AGENT EIGHT”
Oh great! Just when she was trying to introduce herself to her savior and make amends, that old bastard had to show up! Glancing upwards, Roach squinted. What was the Captain doing all the way up there…
“SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH AGENT THREE, YOU NEED TO GET AWAY FROM HER!”
Glancing back to the supposed incorrect Agent, Roach froze. It seems that rather extravagant entrance had worn the other girl down ever so slightly, but not enough to seemingly stop the look she was currently getting. One fist still jammed against the floor, honestly if it wasn't surrounded by sanitized ink she would've assumed the other had broken the tiles on this thing; the other resting on her raised knee. Her chest was heaving, gaze completely locked with the other cephalopod. The two were locked in a staring contest that, in all honesty, was starting to make Roach’s ink run cold. Seemed like Agent Three was a poor loser however, as she was the first to finally break their connected line of sight and make the first move.
And what a move it was.
Green tinted claws sank deeper into the ground as the other agent suddenly kicked off from the floor, charging straight towards Roach with no plans of halting. Having no time to snatch her Octoshot, she quickly turned on her heel in an attempt to get away from having her back smushed against the glass once again. Her destination quickly becoming one of those random boxes atop the elevator, breathing shaky she quickly skidded behind her box of choice; sinking down to the floor for a moment as she tried to make sense of what the fuck was going on here.
The sound of Agent Three slamming with such force into the glass panels made Roach shudder. She could practically see them wobble and threaten to shatter under the force of the other. Though... she couldn't hide here forever; taking the chance to peer around and see where the other was, it seemed her impermanent foe had lost sight of her. Her mismatched eyes flickered around the place, one hand resting on the floor while the other was resting more close to her stomach.
Three's breathing was so loud Roach could’ve sworn she was closer… What the fuck was she supposed to do here!?
“ROACH. ROACH ARE YOU OKAY?!”
Fuck!
The sound of Marina’s voice finally cutting through the heavy silence gave her quite the jump and unfortunately her position away too. A deer in the headlights looking capturing Roach's features rather well as she sheepishly held her hands close to her chest. Their eyes meet a moment later and that was one big que get a fucking move on.
Waiting t'ill the other was charging towards her she quickly flipped sides and made a beeline to her Octoshot. Once some means of self defence was in her hands she quickly began to ink a trail to the next box, climbing to the top of it to get a better look at her makeshift battlefield. As much as the Agent was hot on her trail after the accidental giveaway, Roach having the height advantage seemed to momentary confuse her as she laid low, glancing around. As... quiet as the other seemed right now, Roach didn't miss the specific deep, rough claw marks driven into the floor right across where she'd originally been. Fuck. What on earth had gotten into her?!
“Y-Yeah I’m. I’m the best I can be right now!” Her voice nervous as she kept her eyes on the other. She knew this would give her away but what good would it do being stuck up on a box.
A crackled yet still relieved sigh came from down the line, Roach having no time to properly comment on that as her boots hit the ground once again. Her foe wasn't all that fond of her sightseeing, it seemed.
“Yo, ‘Rina what the fuck is up with the other Agent?”
Oh, how she would love to know, Pearl.
“I-i’m not sure, her limiter seems to have been removed… Has she used any specials Roach?”
“Splashd-DOWN” was all she could shout, having to stumble back from the other swiping outwards at her. A couple of purple globs were shot directly towards her, hitting against the still steaming sanitized ink attached to the side of her face. It was evaporated almost instantaneously, but oddly seemed to chip off parts of it onto the ground an unpleasant sizzling sound rising up once it hit the floor.
The noise of pain that followed after was almost inhuman in a sense, it churned Roach’s insides in the most unpleasant way.
“A-Are you uh… in hurt- pain pain? Does it hurt???” Inklish was escaping her right now, trying as fast as possible to recall as many words as she could.
An unpleasant snort was all she got in response before the other charged directly at her once more, kicking off with one hand pressed flat against the ground, the sound of her claws leaving streaks across the floor was chilling.
“I think she’s hurting!” was all Roach could get out, hoping that the damn receiver would pick her up.
“That’s not like any kind of sanitized ink we’ve seen before... It’s burning hot from what I’m picking up here, did shooting it do anything?” The concern in Marina’s voice was almost soothing. Almost.
“Y-Yeah kind of!! Uh.. Chip. damage?”
“Oh so it was doing something?”
“Y-Yes!”
Roach quickly realized she'd ended up cornering herself so focused on relaying information to the two, not fast enough to rectify her mistake she hissed as one of the other girls claws came in contact with her arm, leaving a rough looking mark. Thankfully she was already trying to duck out from her boxed in situation so it wasn’t as bad as other scrapes she’d received from testing.
The last thing she wanted from today was another fight, let alone against someone who’d decided ripping her apart with sharp claws and fangs was a good way to do things. Why couldn’t she just use a normal ink gun instead! A few close calls and chipping off that pile of sanitation left Roach with her back pressed against one of the boxes, the Agent seemingly being unable to find her with so much of her own pink ink scattered around the place.
That always seemed to confuse her for a bit… but never for long enough. Deep and rough, the other girls growling sounds were getting far too close for her own liking. Tired fingers grasping the bottom of her Octoshot as the other Agent neared. Hearing the sound of those claws clicking against the floor was the signal for her to roll out of the way, Octoshot raised as Agent Three stepped out from behind the corner of the box; shoulders hunched and head lowered.
With parts of the sanitation bitten away little by little, it was clear how hot that liquid seemed to be, burn marks poking out from where it had once been. Gut wrenching was the phrase to describe the animalistic noises leaving her mouth as Three placed a hand on the ground. A telltale sign she was about to charge, yet something seemed to change her mind.
The slight shift in her eyes, Roach couldn't place what she was focusing on. The nozzle of her Octoshot was still held forwards, keeping up her stance; she couldn't let her guard down. She had to get that goop off of Agent Three!
A second later and Three finally charged, Roach skidding out of the way just barely as she felt the other whip past- … Wait. What?
Head turning just in time to catch the Inkling charge into the glass hard enough to cause it to shatter, millions of dangerous, sharp pieces and the agent herself falling over the side. Amidst the chaos a split second decision was made as Roach leapt forward, landing roughly on her stomach as she sank her claws into the floor through the others messy cape. She wasn't quite sure what had compelled her to do that, but wherever her state of mind was resting right now she wasn't exactly available to go find it.
Hearing a rough crack as her Octoshot hit the floor, she grit her teeth, pushing her claws deeper into the cape in a desperate attempt to hold on. Come on Agent Three, work with me here! Slowly, but surely, she removed one hand. Three or four claws completely shattered and broken, almost like a hangnail but far worse. Using up any and all of the strength she could, she began to haul the fabric towards her. Just barely managing to tug the other up with it.
The few tense moments of her desperately trying not to let go off the fabric were rewarded with a clawed hand sinking into the elevator floor from below, seemingly unfazed by the tiny pieces glass all over the floor... and now lodged in her hand.
Cape immediately abandoned, her pink tipped claws wrapped around the others hand as quickly as they could. Three seemingly getting the idea and gripping her hand back- Fucking finally, some co-operation! Only issue was that her bright green claw tips were now digging into Roach’s skin in a rather painful, unpleasant way.
“A-Alright! I’m trying my best!” was all she could hiss through gritted teeth, finally managing to haul the other up a moment later.
Letting go was the first thing on her checklist as soon as Three was back up on the elevator platform, stumbling back and landing on her behind once she did. Little droplets of ink were running down her skin from how hard she’d been gripped… Geez!
It was more of a growl than really the word ‘no’ but hey that was progress! Also oh fuck she needed to move, immediately!
No time to get back onto her feet, Roach scooted back, her hand brushing against the barrel of her Octoshot. In quick haste with the other in hot pursuit, she snatched the base and held the shot high. Turning her head away and fearing the worst, hand white-knuckled from holding down on the trigger thatfirmly.
With how close she was to passing out from sheer exhaustion and stress of the situation at this point, the agonizingly painful scream was almost missed. The loud thud what was brought her back from her heart-racing thoughts, her own labored breaths filling her ears as she looked around hastily. Gaze finally being brought to the agent at her feet, cheek resting on the end of her boot and the rest of the sanitation in a burning, spitting mess on the floor.
In an odd moment of panic, Roach hoped she’d been defeated for good.
Though the way the others chest rose and fell softly said otherwise, however.
The sudden loud rumble made her flinched as the ground beneath her hummed to life, she quickly glanced all around from her position on the floor, Octoshot held outwards; expecting it to be another fucking test or fight or something. Though it quickly came to her attention it was just the elevator going through the motions and beginning its descent back up to the top of the facility.
A hefty sigh left the girl as all she could do was sit back and look at the mess of ink and broken glass as the Promised Land drew closer and closer.