SPLATOON: The Octarian Race

Chapter 5- Meeting New Members

It was currently the middle of the day at 3:17. Flynn was resting in his room on top of the bed, staring at the ceiling. "...Can't stop thinking about how number- Eliana actually talked to me. I wonder if she talked with anyone else in our race. But also…" He stopped and looked outside his window, staring at Inkopolis. "...I wonder…how much longer do we have to keep killing the innocents? I'm glad I kinda don't have to go on a mission tonight. Might be assigned to do another assasination but it also might've been a side mission." Flynn said to himself.

Eliana was exploring the base of the race slowly. Everywhere she walked looked the same.
Gosh…I feel like I'm walking in circles…I wonder how Master and the others know where to go.
She heard some explosion down the hallway. Eliana ran towards it and as soon as she turned to the left, she encountered a room. She opened it slowly and the room was white. A male octoling with lime green hair looked at Eliana. "O-Oh…number 8…sorry. If you heard that explosion, I was just testing out some bombs and all." "..." She didn't talk, but she slowly started to exit the room. "You're welcome to watch, you know. I'm currently looking for some criticism. Care to help me?" He asked. Eliana stopped and turned back at him. "...Sure…!" She said as she entered the room again. "Ah. My manners…you probably don't remember because of your unconsciousness, but I'm number 6 in the race, Oliver." He said as he introduced himself. Eliana nodded silently as she slowly walked to the table Oliver was working at. "Bomb prototypes. Inklings use some of these in the Great Turf War. Master told me to try and make some differences in their prototypes for our own good use and our great leader's good use." He said as he looked underneath the bomb. "...So...we're basically…copying?" Eliana asked curiously. Oliver made an annoyed face. "N-No. Simply, modifying." Oliver corrected.
...Wha-?
"W-Well, asides from that, do you know anything about our great leader?" Oliver asked. Eliana looked at him curiously. "..." "From the look you're giving me, it seems like you don't. Look at this." He pointed at calamari on a plate. "...Calamari? What about it?" She asked. "The leader of the Octarians says that he loves calamari. Currently, this has to be one of the worst bomb prototypes I ever invented." He threw the piece of calamari and as soon as it touched the grown, it made a tower of magenta ink. "Amazing…!" Eliana said as she was amazed by the bomb. Oliver was quiet and had an embarrassed face. She saw his face. "...Why are you so embarrassed…? It's a great bomb. I never even seen one like this before." "...It's nothing…I'll get over it. I just never thought the great leader would want a bomb like this. It is clearly not my type to invent FOOD as  a weapon." Oliver said as he took back the calamari as soon as it stopped making a tower of ink. Eliana made a curious face. "So…you're a scientist in our race? From the looks of it, you don't really seem like you go on missions every night…" She said to him. Oliver looked at her highly astonished. "...Oh. Yeah. That's right. As I first came into the race as member 6, Master told me that I should be in charge of experimenting weapons and other things." He said. "I really wish I've gone on missions though. They seem so fun. You're lucky to go every night. Whether I have to stay up day and night just making inventions for our race." He said as he walked to his computer. Eliana looked around the lab room and found results on the table. She looked at it, but Oliver caught her staring at the papers. "W-Wait!" He rushed over and snatched the papers out of her hands. "Sorry, number 8. I can't have others looking at test results like these. I do hope you understand." He said as he straightened the papers and put them in a folder inside the drawer. 
...Is he hiding something…? I barely saw what was on those papers…it must be something an inkling like me couldn't see. After all, even though these octolings may or may not treat me nicely, I am still a member of this race.
Eliana didn't look at the lime octoling's eyes. "...No. I understand. It's alright if it's something personal." She said with a forced smile. Oliver looked at her smile, but he couldn't bear to come up with an excuse for what he was hiding. "...Thanks. I apologize again. You should get going. I currently have something else to do right now." He said. The female inkling's smile lowered slowly. "...Alright…thanks for…your time." She said and left the room.

As Eliana left the room with the door shut, Oliver sighed in relief. “...That was close…way too close…crab. If she saw the papers, Master would kill me…!” He mumbled as he opened the drawer. “...Why’s that?” A voice said behind Oliver. Oliver looked behind him, but no one was there. “W-Who’s there…!?” Oliver asked as he hid the papers in his drawer again. “Huh…must be imagining things…” In front of him, he saw a male inkling. He was wearing a hood, so it was hard to tell his face. Oliver was frightened that he fell over and tried to grab the emergency phone. However, the male inkling stopped him by pointing his roller at the male octoling. “...I dare you.” Said the male inkling. Oliver was shaking as he had no weapon in the room to fight with. But he slowly put down the phone and made a serious face. “...What is it that you want, exactly?” The octoling scientist asked. The male inkling put his roller on his shoulder and took out the test papers from the drawer. “Tell me…about these test results.” “First, why should I answer to a common inkling like you?  Second, you must be the inkling who wants answers on our number 8.” Oliver said. The test papers had Eliana’s pictures on it. “...Your valuable number 8…Eliana. Why have you done this? What exactly is your race’s goal?” Asked the male inkling. Oliver folded his arms. “What you’re looking for is classified info. An inkling like you shouldn’t even be here. As inklings as our sworn enemy, you should be killed if you were here by now. However, I’m granting you a chance to exit right now.” He responded again. The male inkling pulled up his sweater to cover his face. “...Hmph. Would you prefer to end up like a splatted calamari?” The male inkling threatened as he pointed the roller back at Oliver’s face. Oliver started sweating in panic. “N-No! Fine! Fine! I’ll talk!” He said to the male inkling as it was just the two of them in the lab.

Eliana continued walking down the halls. She looked at her octopus watch and it became 5:23. 
How much longer until the next mission I wonder? Hmm…I’m probably not going to be partnered up with Flynn tonight…maybe someone else in the race. Maybe I should pay a visit to Flynn and apologize…I can’t believe I left him to battle that inkling alone…I should've fought alongside Flynn. I should apologize…
She walked down the hallway to their numbered rooms. She approached door 5 with her hood on. Naoto was silently staring at her as he was leaning on the wall and drinking juice outside his room. “Wonder what she’s doing…bothering Flynn at this time?” He wondered. Naoto put down his drink and tapped the hooded inkling. “Don’t even think about bothering him. He’s resting and after all, you’re the one that caused this. Bet he regrets saving you.” He said to her. Eliana made a serious face under her hood. “...I…don’t care. I left him in battle. I only want to apologize.” “No matter. Now go and mind your business. An inkling like you shouldn’t even be in our race in the first place.” Naoto said back to her. Eliana was silent as she couldn’t think about anything else to say. The door in front of them opened. Flynn opened it. “You guys are so noisy. Including you, Naoto.” Flynn said but the injury on his waist almost made him fall. Naoto had a surprised face as he helped Flynn up. “Y-You shouldn’t be up, Flynn! What the fish are you thinking?” Eliana stared at Flynn as he almost fell. Flynn pushed Naoto’s hands away and looked at him and Eliana with a forced smile. “...I’m alright…really. If you guys are concerned for me like this, Master would probably get mad at you all. Remember?” He asked. “You can’t show your true feelings…no matter what in this race.” Naoto said. Eliana looked at the two of them in confusion. 
What exactly is this race…? Showing no emotion for a member…?! How cruel is that…? 
“B-But…” Eliana cut in. The two octolings turned to her. “Naoto…you helped him, didn’t you? When you guys came in earlier…you helped Flynn, didn’t you?” Eliana said. Naoto looked at Flynn. Flynn also looked back at his friend. “...I did. I don’t know what happened back there, but I felt like Master’s rules didn’t apply to me when I saw how bad Flynn was hurt.” Naoto said. “...Naoto…you actually helped me…? When’s the last time you did that? Good thing Master didn’t see you when you helped me inside. Otherwise we would’ve been in trouble. Hahahaha!” Flynn said with a slight chuckle. “No kidding.” Naoto laughed. Eliana had a faint smile under her hood. “...Uh Flynn…I wanted to apologi-” Eliana was caught off by an alarm. Naoto, Flynn and Eliana heard the speakers as Yuka was speaking. “We have an intruder in lab room 6. I repeat. An intruder in lab room 6. All members and guards find and catch the intruder.” Yuka said.
…That’s where…Oliver was working…!
 Flynn and Naoto looked back at Eliana. “Save it for later. This sounds important.” Flynn said as he tried to walk. But he was still too injured. Naoto made a serious face. “...Flynn. Rest. Me, Eliana and the others will catch the intruder.” Naoto said as he pulled Eliana with his thumbs up. Eliana’s hood came off and she nodded. “...Yeah. Trust us, Flynn.” She said to Flynn. Flynn nodded. “...Alright…good luck…!” Flynn said as he went back to his room. Naoto looked at Eliana. “Let’s go, number 8.” he said. Eliana nodded and they both started running down the hallway.