Mona is an Octoling who struggles with inner demons - demon, singular. She is forced to listen to her corporal demon whisper in her ear, feeding her doubts and crushing her hopes.
And then the Kensa Corporation came along, and ruined everything for...
Mona woke up on the wooden floor of the Manta Maria, curled up to conserve heat. She was a bit sore from sleeping on the planks, but it was worth it for the quiet moments of peace she had last night. After Buia left.
She stood up and stretched, easing her aches a bit. She located the exit, and started walking back to Inkopolis Square. She had been gone for a night; Jake and Sheldon would be worried.
It took a half hour to reach Inkopolis Square from the docks. When she got there, she was surprised to see every available wall plastered with posters about the Kensa Control, as it was now called. There were even a few posters from Kensa themselves, assuring everyone that nothing has really changed and discouraging rebellion. There were already a few 'Wanted Fugitive' posters, about those few who were already vandalizing Kensa property or breaking SPAWN Pads. The reward for turning them in was a number of free Turf Wars. A very powerful incentive at the current time. One of these posters caught Mona's eye. It read:
WANTED FOR TERRORIST ATTACKS
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Below was a grainy, dark picture of someone in a gas mask. Mona could faintly see glowing yellow eyes beneath the mask... usually Inkling and Octoling eyes don't glow, but it could just be the lighting or something. Mona didn't think much of it. The reward was listed below: a lifetime of free Turf Wars. Kensa must be desperate to catch this guy if they're already using this as a reward, she thought to herself. She decided to tell Jake about it later.
Mona walked into Sheldon's. The normal bell chimed when she walked through the door, causing Sheldon to look up from the blueprints he was studying.
"Ah, Mona! You're here! I was getting worried! Jake said you left at sundown, but you never came here!"
"Relax, Sheldon. I just took another one of my night trips."
"You know, you really shouldn't be going out so frequently alone. You should really have someone with you."
"It's okay." Mona would never admit to anyone, especially Sheldon, that she was hurting inside, and those trips helped. Having someone there with her would only make matters worse.
"If you say so." Sheldon's concerned face quickly morphed into an excited one. "Speaking of Jake, he wants you to meet him in the Training Room. I saw what he's doing in there, and trust me, it'll be worth your time."
"Alright. Talk to you later, Sheldon."
"Bye, Mona."
Mona sidestepped around the counter and headed towards the back. A handwritten 'DO NOT DISTURB (unless you're Mona)' note was on the door. Mona sighed; he really didn't have to do that. She pushed the door open, and walked in to find Jake sitting on the floor, bits and pieces of machinery scattered around him. He held tools in his hands, safety goggles covering his eyes, and his tongue poking out of his mouth in concentration. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Mona, and stopped his work, whatever it was, to address her.
