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The gate opens, and the little blue guy- C.Q., right?- pushes you into a... forest? There's grass and trees like it's an Inkling base, but the walls and ceiling are still the the same metal and glass of the rest of the subway. Set dressing, huh?
The first enemy starts to Super Jump in- wait, is it an Inkling?- and you hold out your newly-returned gun like a prize. It's not the exact same one, of course, but they're standard-issue! Only thing actually different is the number on the handle!
The first enemy lands on that pillar in the middle, and-
An Elite Octoling looks back down. As ridiculous as you think having an Elite Octoling be the entrance exam is, she's still clearly not a normal one. Her skin's pale green, and her dark tentacles fade into the same color at the ends. The red light from her glasses pins you in place like that sort of thing tends to, forced to watch her raise her gun and-
She's lifting it straight up like the handle of a Roller. Instead of aiming it, moving, anything-
She brings it down on the edge of the pillar, the ink tank shattering instantly. Glass and light green ink rain down on the testing area.
You back up. You're leaving. There's gotta be someone back on the train who knows why your superior's mad! Who knows what you did!
...The gate's not budging.
You turn back around.
The Elite Octoling grabs you by the shoulders, no interest in your gun. Up close you can see that her- or, well, his- tentacles are tied back like one of those Inkling boys. You've just been stuck with whatever you had, so-
"Even if it rings, don't pick up," the Elite Octoling just about says. His voice is a gurgle and his hands are freezing. "Don't pick up." There's no heartbeat in his clawed fingers. "Don't pick up."
"What?" you squeak.
The strange Octoling continues like he didn't hear you. "Don't pick up. Applicant 8,331, don't pick up."
What?
You look down, just in case your number is written on your uniform. Nope.
How does he- "Don't pick up."
There's a balloon on his ink tank, swelling up purple. Oh no. Oh no.
He's holding your arms so tight the claws are starting to hurt you. "Avery. Turn b-"
The balloon explodes.
You stand there in a puddle of your own ink. The trees whistle once with the impact, before the world goes back to being silent.
"One of the enemies was defective," C.Q. explains matter-of-factly over the intercom. "We disabled it. Sorry for the trouble."