Splatoon! Breaking News: Ft. Angel & Vivian

[MIIDD]

SPLAT!

It was mid-match on Flounder Heights, and Lee "Kraken_Lee" Amos had taken point at the top, rushing down the enemy with ease before placing squid beacons for his recently deceased team. Whoever the charger was on the opposing side, she knew what she was doing. Any time his teammate would pop their head out of cover, a sharp stream of ink would splat them in the second. If he hadn't burned his Kraken to get an early lead, he could've rushed in to take her out, but now he was stuck behind a wall, forced to hold the center stage while his team found stable ground.

"C'mon!" Lee shouted. The one minute mark was coming up, and he needed one solid push to seal the game. One by one his team super jumped to his location, taking point behind cover on landing. One slosher, one splatling, and a carbon roller...not the best team composition, but it would work out if they played it right. So far, the only issue they had was the charger, wherever she was. The rest of them were very clearly outmatched in comparison. Of course, the same could be said of his own team. This wasn't ranked, after all. Regardless, both teams seemed to be at an impasse. Lee had the higher ground, but he and his team were stuck there until the charger laid off. At the same time, the charger had the perfect vantage point to keep them at bay, but coming into view of Lee and his team would be suicide. Once everyone spawned, the standoff began. Lee and his teammates held their ground, and the enemy didn't give up any of theirs. Ink strikes flew back and forth, but no real headway was made. It was the truest of stalemates. The match was coming down to the last minute now. Only a few more seconds until Lee could revive his namesake once more. Hopefully his team could survive until then.

 

[Vivian]

A light sigh escaped Vivian's lips as she raised the charger once again, taking out another one of the opposing team members who got a little too close to one of her own. Beside her sat an inkling fresh out of practice, and a fellow charger themselves. "What's wrong, Vi?" she asked curiously, in her small and almost timid voice, but her question remained unanswered as Vivian's gold colored eyes stared intently at the ground below. She wasn't much of a competitive player, but the fact someone as infamous as Lee was against her team or newbies was just a run of bad luck. One had a vague grasp, and even won enough cash to purchase their on Splat Roller, but the other two were at a complete loss, spending to much time inking the small bits of territory and having the worst possible aim when going in to attempt a splat, but to her surprise they were holding out well enough.

Vivian glanced at the electronic strapped to her arm, a rectangular device that was sized comfortably to her arm. It was minimal, light, and didn't get in the way of anything, providing her with the locations of her teammates and if they request help or not, but most importantly, it offered her a map with details of how much turf was inked and occasionally the positions of the enemy team, but that was irrelevant in a turf war.

"Oh, crap!" The words left Vivian's lips faster than her legs had jumped out of the way of an oncoming ink strike, but unfortunately for her, the rookie charger didn't make it out of the way in time, the additional weight of her scope making the difference. Frantically, she tossed a bomb at the opposing ink and shifting forms to refill what ink she had lost, not spending more than three seconds under before resurfacing and resuming her fire, although this time around she was focusing more on covering ground that defending teammates. She felt a small twinge of pride noticing her team's roller was beginning to get a hang of how the weapon works.

It was down to the last 30 seconds and her team could feel the pressure. Her team didn't seem to do well under pressure.

 

[MIIDD]

Lee felt his tentacles surge. His kraken was finally ready, and with thirty seconds to spare. There was no better time to give one final hoorah. After splatting the last encroacher to the center of the stage, he was ready to lead the charge that he was so well known for. Stepping onto the center grate, the highest point of the field, Lee surveyed the chaos in front of him. Finally, he caught the eye of the one specific charger, tossing a bomb into the result of a recent ink strike before dropping out of sight. There was his window. Changing to his squid form, Lee dropped through the grate and transformed again, slamming his roller on the ground as he began his rush through enemy lines. All the while, his eyes were locked on where the charger had submerged to reload. It hadn't been three seconds into his rush before she popped up again. He had one more second before she could charge a kill shot, and he used that window to close the gap just enough. Then, he released the kraken. Just in time too, as it seemed the enemy was converging around him, just as he planned. Immediately, he jumped at his rival, taking the air time to get a good, long look at who had been stopping his advance for the whole game. Lee's eyes bore into hers until she was no more, ending her current life with a violent SPLAT!

- Kraken_Lee splatted Vi

He didn't slow down there. Once she had fallen, Lee made a U-turn and crushed the two newbies trying to flank him, using their remains to cover a large amount of ground with ink. Good thing he had been quick about it, because the next second saw him back to his inkling form. Raising his roller high in the air, Lee gave a roar, signaling his team to advance. 15 seconds left on the clock, and he had closed the only gap that mattered. Now Lee controlled well over three quarters of the battlefield, and his team wasn't giving up an inch of it. The infamous roller made his rounds rapidly, covering corners and keeping his team from being surrounded. 5 seconds now. The battle was won, that much was sure. Now he just had to keep his record in check. Four matches in a row without being splatted once was a rarity after all, even for him.

 

[Vivian]

Her tongue clicked as she noticed Lee neared her position, making note of the unusual glow his tentacles made. It's time to get Kraken, eh? She thought sarcastically, struggling to leave her spot due to remaining ink from the previous inkstrike, but she didn't show any fear, nor did she look distressed about the whole situation. Just before being splatted, Vivian shot him a glare that could stop the Octarian army in their tracks, or bring any thug to their knees. It had been a while since Vivian ever got splatted, but it was inevitable given the fact her team didn't seem to understand the definition of teamwork.

- Kraken_Lee splatted Vi

Just as Vivian had made her appearance at the respawn point, so did two other teammates, her team's other charger going back into the fray in hopes of reclaiming some lost territory, the other two was just as eager. The fact they hadn't yet lost their spirits made Vivian's expression soften, but with five seconds left on the clock it was a lost cause, but she wouldn't be the one to stop them. The familiar buzzer rang throughout Flounder Heights, and a cat with a peculiarly shaped tail made an appearance with its little flag in hand. Although her team was new, the knew well enough what this meant.

"40.6% - 56.8%!" The cat exclaimed, popping a party popper and leaning to the other side, indicating the winning team was, in fact, Lee's team. Of course, this was a team of inklings new, although the roller seemed to take the loss better than expected, the shooter on her team looked to be on the verge of tears. Vivian decided to save her lecture for later, they all needed to digest the first loss, as for Vivian she decided to return to the lobby and switch weapons.

 

[MIIDD]

Lee exhaled in relief as Judd popped up, declaring his team the victors. The field ratio could have been more in his favor, but he couldn't help letting his guard down during the last few seconds. Rookie mistake, Lee... he thought to himself, stepping off the field for a breather. In the lobby, he took a seat in a corner, bringing his hand to his chest to feel his heart pound. That match had gone a bit too close for comfort. Despite both teams being stuffed with newbies, it had been an equal match, and all because of that one charger. After waving to the team he had been set up with for that match, it clicked with him. If it wasn't for the map, and the fact he was well known for what he did, that could have easily been a loss. It only made him wonder all the more who his opponent was, and why he had never seen her in ranked before. Deep in thought, Lee left the lobby without noticing his rival was readjusting her equipment right next to him.

Before going home, Lee decided to make a stop at a local food joint. His stomach growled in a demand for sustenance, and he would never forgive himself if he ignored it. After grabbing his food and a seat to enjoy it, he was immediately onset by a few of his groupies.

"Lee! Lee!" The younger inklings shouted, crowding him before he could touch his food, "Can we have your autograph!"

"Y-Yeah, I just got my f-first roller!"

"Sign my hat!"

"Ooh! Me too! Me too!"

It took him a moment to sift through the requests, scratching the back of his head with a grin. "Alright! Hey, hey, settle down! I gotcha, no problem." He reassured his crowd, pulling out a pen with the same deep, dark indigo as his tentacles outside of matches. One by one, he signed the equipment, and one by one, the kids ran off to tell their friends that Kraken_Lee was doing a signing at the cool new diner across the street. Pretty soon his quiet lunch turned into a rambunctious Q&A, but he kept a smile on, not wanting to disappoint the tykes that swarmed him. Questions flew at him, and he answered as many as he could, as best as he could, until it all started to ware down on his nerves. "A-Alright fellas, it's been nice to meet'cha, but I think it's time for ya to head out." His attempt to get out of the situation was met with boo's and cries of disappointment. It was starting to get out of hand. "Listen, guys, I should really-"

KA-BOOOOM!!!

Lee didn't get the chance to reinforce his words. The explosive force of a magenta ink bomb did it for him. Looking around in a panic, he found the source of the explosion: The blown-open doors of a pro-weapons shop just getting its start in the Inkopolis hub... Weapons shop!!! "GET DOWN!" Lee yelled to his little entourage, flipping his table to act as a shield against the chain explosions of previously empty ink bombs in the shop. He could feel the shivering forms of the little inklings at his side as more explosions caused tremors in the ground. Inkopolis was supposed to be a disarmed zone! Nobody should have a weaponized ink-pack outside of matches! Desperate to see who would make an attack on innocent grounds, Lee peered out from the top of his makeshift shield, guarding his eyes with his arms as the explosions continued. Running away from the scene was what looked like an inkling, clothed and covered from head to toe. He couldn't even catch sight of a tentacle as the presumable culprit made their escape, covered in, yet unharmed by, the unique magenta ink that continued flooding from the shop.

Lee's next concern was realized with much more remorse. Above the building hovered a couple inkling "souls," for lack of a better descriptor, their eyes clamped shut in pain. Slowly, the etherial figures tore themselves apart, a lack of a nearby active spawn point refusing their right to continue living. He knew that's how it happened, but it didn't make his first time seeing it any less traumatic. There was nothing he could do, though. Instead, he put his head behind cover once more, bit back a curse, blinked back tears, and clutched his companions tighter to his sides as they all waited out the chaos.

 

[Vivian]

Vivian looked through her choice of weapons, spinning an N-ZAP '89 skillfully in her hands. Light, and offers ink strikes, she thought thinking up possible strategies and the best places to strike for the two different maps. As she was adjusting her gear accordingly to help support her new weapon she saw Lee leave the lobby, a small twinge of relief popping into her head now knowing her team had a chance at winning this time. With a little huff, she took out a beanie and removed her goggles, stuffing her Lilac colored tentacles under the cloth and adjusting a Forest Vest, as she laced up her shoes she noticed her team reforming not too far from her, and to her delight, they all seemed to be strategizing and adjusting their weaponry to support their playstyles.

After waiting a few more minutes and letting the 'bigger squids' file out Vivian and her team entered, this time, the map was Moray towers. She couldn't help but squeak in delight. Rollers and Chargers have the upper hand here, after all, Alek, the team roller seemed just as eager as she was. Judd made his appearance at the center of the field, holding up three small flags with a number on each.

1!

2!

3!

GO...!

And with that, both teams were gone. Vivian rushing to the center of the carnage at an alarming speed, Alek running down the ramps inking whatever his roller touched with their shooter following behind him in squid form. Sylvia the charger was rushing to the ledge ready to fire at any squid with a similar idea. For the duration of the 3 minutes Vivian's team dominated the map, and everyone seemed to get a good handle on their weapons. A pretty good job for a team of noobs anyway. Time flew by, and before she knew it, Judd appeared once again as the buzzer rang, although this time, his announcement didn't go as smoothly. As he tried to announce the winner a loud explosion could be heard, stealing the attention of everyone on the field, and all, Vivian included sharing an exchange of confused stares, but a small bubble of panic surfaced as they noticed Judd's anxious behavior. With a curt nod, the teams agreed to drop the match and make an exit to see what was going on. Just as they stepped out the lobby, a ruined Weapons shop was in clear view and splattered in a peculiar looking magenta ink.

"Sheldon!?" She nearly shrieked, trying to take into the scene as she noticed the souls floating away. The teams jumped at the usually quiet girl's sudden outburst but cowered deeper into the lobby as they saw the chaos happening outside. She gritted her teeth, quickly throwing the N-ZAP '89 into her locker and removing an E-Liter 3K, "Bomb Burst, and Echolocator," she muttered, pushing away security as they tried to confiscate the weapon, they weren't supposed to be taken beyond the lobby after all. They had given up, and themselves had become reluctant to take the gun from the girl. She hurried outside, inking a comfortably high ledge, not too far from the targeted shop and just above a diner. It had only taken three carefully aimed shots before the Choas seemed to die down, but she didn't see anyone run out aside from oddly dressed Inklings. Vivian remained on her ledge, reluctant to leave since the map on her wrist wasn't connected to Inkopolis. For a fact, she knew she would get fined for bringing a weapon outside of Turf and Ranked matches, but that meant little to her at the moment.

 

[MIIDD]

Finally, the constant stream of explosions had ceased, but the charger shots sparked a new fear into Lee's head. Looking out from cover again, he saw Vi with her charger, firing off ink at the store. With his look of remorse and fear replaced with one of fury, he got up and turned to the crowd he was watching over. "All of you, get home, NOW!" He didn't give them a moment to hesitate, nudging the closest inklings to leave in order to pressure the rest to follow suit. The next moment, he was free of the kids and sprinting up to Vi's perch. When he got close, he put his hand around the barrel of her gun and used his other hand to grab her collar, pulling her up to his eyes. "What are you, insane!?" He yelled, keeping her firmly in his grip. Years of hauling his roller had prepared him for any squirming she could have done. "This isn't a match! You could've killed someone by being so reckless! Gods, what'd you think, that it was a fire!? You can't put out ink with more ink!" He growled, shoving his previous rival to the ground to let his whitened knuckles regain their color. "If anything, you could've sparked another chain of explosions with what you tried to pull. And here I was, thinking you had to be some veteran on the field. Turns out you're just some random that got lucky with a charger."

Security quickly approached them before Lee could continue his rant, taking hold of both the inklings and locking their arms in place with specialized cuffs. "W-What are you doing? She was the one trying to gun down the rest of the shop!" Lee protested, growing more and more vicious in his struggles until his captors had to resort to a brief taze, rendering him unconscious. The same security guard then looked at Vivian, making sure she wouldn't try pulling the same kind of stunt before confiscating her weapon and leading (or carrying, in Lee's case) them to a cell near the lobby. Once they were secure, a guard informed them that they were going to be tried as the cause of the shop explosion until further notice, then walked to the entrance of the holding cell area and settled down in a seat. Lee woke up a moment later, only to have a glare settle on his face once more at the sight of Vi sitting across from him. His stare unrelenting, the infamous Lee sat in wait to hear what the troublesome charger had to say.

 

[Vivian]

A small gasp escaped her lips; shocked anyone would be so stupid to grab the barrel of a fully charged rifle while her finger was still around the trigger, removing her hand from the gun immediately after she noticed the barrel being grabbed, and just in time too. Vivian was rather forcibly pulled in an opposite direction, the infamous Kraken_Lee there, only inches away from his face as he yelled at her apparent recklessness. Rather than showing fear, she showed disgust, her head turning to the other side as he ranted, silently apologizing to her soon to be deaf right ear. She hated being so close to people, it made her uncomfortable and anxious, but what Lee said meant little to her, she wasn't one to lose her cool over a couple of words, after all, actions did speak louder. As the inkling ranted about the safety risks, her mind was elsewhere, bothered by the oddly dressed inklings that rushed out of the store. Although a small cord was struck when her skill as a charger was put into question, but she remained silent, focusing on the events that unfolded rather than a strangers words.

All their tentacles were covered, when they ran out the bombing stopped, type kinda seemed scared? Not like I was aiming for them, then again not everyone is firing an E-Liter in the middle of Inkopolis... Her head was beginning to hurt as she repeated the same bit of information to herself.

As security approached she didn't struggle, knowing it was pointless, but she couldn't help but snicker at such rebellious behavior Lee displayed, to be expected of a roller as reckless as himself, she only felt uneasy when her E-Liter was picked up in a careless manner, "Watch how you handle that," she snapped, her voice sounding a bit more aggressive than she had intended, but security didn't dare angry her and showed a little more care in handling one of her prized weapons. Vivian, to her dismay, missed seeing Lee getting tased, and would make sure to ask the guards if he could do it a second time as a joke.

Of course she wouldn't she had already wasted all her energy on breaking safety laws, no need to ask for an officer to assault an icon to the Kraken brand.

It wasn't long before the two had been locked away with the key out of reach, she was annoyed that he had woken up by then. She was hoping to wait it out in peace and alone, and a one on one conversation wasn't something she's particularly good at. The longer time dragged on, the more nervous she felt, making note of the glare on his face. Oh god, oh god, sweet calamari he isn't going to fight me, is he?

"What's with the face?" she asked, her voice once again sounding more like she was trying to pick a fight, she cursed herself as soon as she heard it but didn't make an attempt to rephrase it.

 

[MIIDD]

Lee's tentacles stiffened in anger. The first words out of her mouth to him, and that's what she says? "Y'know, I was hoping for an apology. Maybe a reason why you were firing live ink into an already hazardous area. MAYBE an idea of what was going through your thick skull when you brought your charger out of the lobby, thinking it would solve anything..." Lee let his fists clench and unclench methodically while he spoke. He was never a fan of getting violent outside of battle, but this chick was pushing it. "...I dunno what your deal is. The way you were firing, it looked like you wouldn't have cared if some kid had walked under your charger's ink trail, and no matter your skill, that's not something you can just stop. If I hadn't seen the person who caused the whole fiasco, I'd do everything in my power to pin this on you. With the way you've been acting, it'd be plenty believable."

He took a moment to breathe, to calm down, and to close his eyes in a brief interlude of meditation. "...but you didn't do it, and I can only harp on you for so long on one thing. I may not forgive you for being such an idiot, but that doesn't mean I can't be civil." Opening his eyes, Lee looked straight at Vivian, doing his best to rid his face of the frustration he was still experiencing. "So hey, we've never met before. My name's Lee."