[✓] 𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍 ⸻⸻ [SPLATOON]

⁰⁸ | UNTIL YOU CAME ALONG

.08
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TW: MENTIONS OF S/A AND TOUCHING WITHOUT CONSENT!

IVORY'S PHONE rang as she stepped out of her apartment room—well, the one she rented with the little cash she had saved from past Turf Wars with Ender and her team.

She raised it to her ear, wondering who would be calling her. It couldn't be Ender—he wasn't smart enough to buy another phone just so he could call her.

...right?

"Ivory," a soft, but worried, voice spoke from the other side right as she answered the phone. "I'm so sorry to bother you like this, but it's Ender. He's—"

"Dune? What's Ender doing? Are you okay?" Ivory closed the door behind her, then quickly sped-walked towards the elevator. She waited as it fell to her floor, hopped in, and pressed the button to the main lobby.

"No, everything's not okay, not at all! Fonsie jumped three stories to escape that psychopath of an ex-boyfriend you have, Major said Urchin was kidnapped, and I don't know where my brother is!"

Once the elevator doors opened, Ivory ran out of the building. "Where are Major and Urchin, and your brother—Thatcher?"

"Last time I remember seeing them was at the New Albacore Hotel: Major's apartment complex." Dune said in a hushed tone, trying to keep quiet.

"I'll go look," Ivory volunteered.
She hailed a cab and quickly gave the address to the driver, her mind racing with worry. The New Albacore Hotel wasn't too far from her current location, but every second felt like an eternity as she anticipated what she might find.

As the cab weaved through the streets of Inkopolis, Ivory couldn't help but replay Dune's words in her mind. Fonsie jumping from a three-story building to escape her ex-boyfriend, Urchin—whoever that was, being kidnapped, and Thatcher, Dune's brother, missing. The situation was spiraling out of control, and Ivory knew she had to act fast to protect Team Jellyfin.

Arriving at the New Albacore Hotel, Ivory paid the cab fare and quickly made her way inside. She glanced around the bustling lobby, searching for any signs of Major or Urchin. The atmosphere was tense, with worried inklings and octolings whispering to each other, their eyes darting around nervously. Two police officers were already in the building, asking all the tenants questions.

Ivory approached the front desk, nervously twiddling her thumbs. "Have you seen two inklings run out of here, recently?" She asked the receptionist, but they shook their head, saying that they hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary—except the screams and loud thuds coming from the third floor.

Concern etched deeper into Ivory's features as she realized that finding her friends wouldn't be as straightforward as she had hoped.

She decided to check Major's apartment first, hoping that she would find some clues or leads there. Ivory took the elevator up to the designated floor, her heart pounding with each passing second. She reached the door to Major's apartment and knocked, but there was no response. Frowning, she tried the doorknob, and to her surprise, it was unlocked.

Gently pushing the door open, Ivory cautiously entered the apartment. The room was in disarray, as if a struggle had taken place. Furniture was overturned, and personal belongings were scattered across the floor. Panic gripped Ivory as she realized that something terrible had happened here.

Black ink stained Major's precious kitchen, his couch, and the floor. Ivory's breath hitched as she surveyed the wreckage. The ink, unmistakably fresh, seemed to be everywhere, creating a stark contrast against the vibrant colors of the room. Fear gripped her heart, and she called out Major's name, hoping for a response, but all she heard was an eerie silence.