#eimie

Overtime, Fynn’s mobility and combat is improving since the first day of training. Each day, he recieved a heavier set of ankle weights from Tundra. As always, Fynn followed her instructions by walking in a patient manner around the dojo.

After perfecting his slightly toned ankles, he’s feeling as light as a Carbon Roller when he took them off. It feels weird at first, but it didn’t take long for him to move around freely. He was feeling quick and nimble as a result. Now that the first session is done, he stick to his usual regiment. 50 pushups, 50 situps, 50 squats, and a 5km run around the dojo. After he was done with his set, Tundra and Fynn began sparring on the battlefield.

“C'mon, don’t tell me that’s all you got?” Tundra was wielding a Classic Squiffer for battle. She looked down on Fynn, who is on his knees and covered in teal ink.

“Haa… ha.. Not even close..” Even though he’s taken so many beatings, he still smiled up at him. Fynn slowly got up on his knees, still gripping his Wasabi Splattershot. “Again..!!” Fynn lets out his battle cry and charged in, guns blazing.

Tundra readied her charger and aimed at Fynn’s head. She might have lost her eye, but it doesn’t mean that she’s out of commission. She fired her weapon and… she missed!

Fynn had swiftly moved to the right and managed to get behind her. He dropped in a Splat Bomb near her feet.

“Oh, man..!!” She was too late for to escape from the blast. Luckily, she survived the inksplosion from the Splat Bomb. She was about to recover, until Fynn had trapped her. A cunning tactic to flush out the enemy and finish the job. She’s rather impressed than surprised.

Fynn looked down at her with his Splattershot in his hand. “Yield, now.” He demanded. He could splat her in any moment.

Tundra looked around to see that her weapon had fallen out of her hands and she’s unable to move in his own ink. She sighed in defeat and held her hands up. “Ya got me. I surrender.”

“Not falling for the same trick, again.” He still has his finger on the trigger. He was tricked the first time when Tundra had swept him off his feet, causing him to lose his balance.

“Shoot..! Thought it would’ve worked a second time..” She had been toying with the new disciple for a month and a half. It’s about to time to end today’s session. “I mean it, this time. I, Tundra shall admit defeat. Now, can you help me up?” She asked, extending an arm.

Fynn lowered his weapon and reached out his hand to Tundra. He pulled her up with a bit of strength left. He was completely drained from today. “So, that’s it for now?” He panted, lightly. He was wondering how long has he been cooped up in this dusty old dojo? After every session, he felt homesick. He really misses his girlfriend, Eimie and the rest of his friends and family.

“You’re worried about your friends, eh?” Tundra can read him like a book. She glanced over to see the calendar. Today’s July 5th and it's 11:00 pm, which is close to Fynn’s 20th birthday. “Since you’ve improved well since the beginning, I guess I’ll let you go for a few days.” She’s got some other errands to run while he’s away from the dojo.

Fynn’s eyes lit up when she said it. “F-For realsies?! I can return back to Inkopolis?!” He’s not sure if she was joking or not. Definitely not.

Tundra nodded happily. “You’re free to go for the time being. I got some other things to attend to." She walked upstairs to her own room. She looked back at him and said: "Hurry along, now. It'd be best to return home and rest.” She waved goodbye to him and proceed to take a nap in her room.

Several minutes later, Fynn was returning home from Octo Valley with his stuff in tow. It's already nighttime and everyone's either asleep or enjoying their evening. Once he made it home safely, he noticed a certain purple squid on the rooftop. She seemed very sad and lonely, which made Fynn worry. ("Eimie... please forgive me for leaving you....")

Eimie was about to get back down until she had noticed the random squid who is super jumping to her on the rooftop. Hopefully, it doesn't disturb the other neighbors. She was startle at first until she saw Fynn, right next to her. "F-F-Fynny..?!" Eimie stared up at Fynn, shaking like a leaf. It's been a month in a half since Fynn was missing. Not only Eimie was worrying about her boyfriend, but Team Pinkognito's Angie, Maye, and Dewey. Without warning, she hugged him tightly. "W-Where on earth have you been?! We were worried sick..!!" She began to sob.

"Shhh.. It's okay.. I'm here now... I'll explain this til' morning.." Fynn wrapped his arms around her waist and shushed her. It didn't take long for Eimie to calm herself down from the uncontrollable sobbing. All it matters is that he returned back to Inkopolis for the weekend.

Once the sun raises on the horizon, Fynn got plenty of good sleep with Eimie. For some odd reason, the nightmares were gone after each training session with Tundra. Now, Fynn was sitting by the dinning room table and he was face-to-face with Eimie. She was waiting for an answer from Fynn after so long.

"If you're wondering about my disappearance, I was out in Octo Valley. I met a pro battler like me who knows more about mobility and endurance. Her name is Tundra and she's my personal trainer at her own Battle Dojo. I've been training for at least a month in a half. Soon, I'll be finshed for a couple of months. It's a good thing, I got here in time to see you." Fynn smiles for a bit until he stared down at the table. "I'm sorry for making you and my friends worry like this.."

Without warning, Eimie flicked him on the forehead, causing Fynn to cover his forehead in pain. "You just don't go off without telling me, dork.." She couldn't stay mad at him after his explanation. She kissed the bruised spot on his forehead to make it feel better. "How about I make you some breakfast? You seemed starving from the training." She walked over to the kitchen to fetch some pancake mix, bacon, and eggs.

"I have been eating fruit because I'm staying fit." A little fattening wouldn't hurt him. He'll just burn off the calories during a light jog.

A few moments later, Fynn was feeling satified and refreshed after breakfast. It's great to have a girlfriend who can cook, as long as Fynn cleans the entire apartment room with ease. Fynn was sitting on the couch, reading all the birthday wishes, not to mention the "please come back safe" messages from his friends. He scheduled a meeting at his place in response. He sent the same message to both Sky Splash and Kriller Bees.

Once he was done with his phone, he noticed Eimie was about to leave. "We're you heading off too, babe?" Fynn asked, feeling curious. Before he left Inkopolis, he'd noticed that Eimie went off to see Eika.

"I'm going to stop by the grocery store and pick up some food and drinks. Just in case if your friends show up." Suddenly, Eimie gave him a kiss on the lips. "It won't take long, Fynny. Don't go anywhere~" Who knows what would happen if Eimie starts to worry again.

Fynn did some summer cleaning around the apartment while Eimie was out to buy some groceries. It's been an hour or two to make preparation for their arrival. As he was about done with cleaning, he heard a light knock on the front door. He spun around and made his way to the door. "I'm coming!" He said, before unlocking the door and opening it. Suddenly, he was immediately glomped by another pink inkling with a straw boater hat.

"Ohmygosh, you're back!! I've been trying to reach you, but you didn't answer and..." Fynn's teammate, Maye blurted out quickly. She was later, shushed by her twin brother; Dewey.

"Calm down, sis. He's not dead or anything." Dewey's gaze was focused on his captain. "Seriously, Fynn. Where on earth have you been? As a captain like yourself, you shouldn't just leave without an explanation. Everybody knows that."

And then, there's Angie with her roomate, Mysti. "The other two are arriving, shortly. Unfortunately for Dawn and Hanzo, they're both busy at the moment.. And Hunni's team aren't going to make it because they're already training for the tournament.." Behind Angie, Mysti was standing there and looking over her roommates shoulder. The Mimic Octoling seems to be a bit concerning about Fynn's health.

"I'm relieved, you're alright..!" She stepped closer to him and checked for any scars or injuries. She noticed that Fynn's face still has a bit of dirt from outside. ("There's no mistaken it.. He must've been training hard.. I know someone who would do such a thing...") She rubbed her chin until she looked up into Fynn's gaze. "There are no major injuries on your body. That's good."

Fynn was rather exhausted after each session. During training, he didn't whine or complain and he takes it easy on his own pace. "Of course, I'm alright. There's no need tp worry about me. Noow then, let's all sit down and I'll tell you what really happened." Everyone including Fynn sat down on either the couch or the floor. Before Fynn could confess, there was another knock at the door. He quickly opened the door ro reveal his cousin, Skyla and Scorpia. "Hey, cousin! Scorp! Come sit with us. I was just about to tell you my story." He went back to his seat.

"Where the hell were you for the past few weeks!? Dawn, Aunt Cherry, AND Uncle Ray were worried sick about you!" The tiny inkling sat down with the rest of them. She had already signed the applications for the fall semester and she has gotten the word from Angie.

"......" Scorpia leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. During Fynn's absense, she got a new mask from the new Galleria as a present from her sister, Azalea.

And so, Fynn explained why he was gone. He met a teal-colored inkling at Arowana Mall while Fynn and Dawn were out shopping. He accepted her as her new disciple and began training at her Battle Dojo in Octo Valley. He's been working hard for a month in the half, until he came back to Inkopolis to spend some quality time with the gang for the weekend.

I see.. So, that's why you kept this to yourself? And what about your nightmares that Eimie me mentioned about..?" Angie said, still worried about him.

"I.. kinda forgotten all about that during training. I slept well, I ate well, and there's nothing wrong with me." Fynn shrugged. He stopped worrying about himself and others, just his main purpose. "So, there you have it. I've been improving for a month in a half I couldn't bare the thought of letting my teammates down.. No, everyone down.." He lowered his gaze.

Everyone remained silent for a while until Skyla walked up to Fynn. She planted a light and painless jab to his cheek. She looked up at her cousin and smiles. "You really are an idiot by heart, but you're my idiot. There's no need to worry about us. Whatever training you're doing, don't lose faith." Skyla has known him for 6 years when he started moving in with his aunt, Naomi.

"Sky's right. You're still stronger than you think. We'll be there to support you." Scorpia took off her surgical mask and smiles. She's not worrying about revealing her scar on her mouth.

Next up is the Berri Twins. Dewey stepped up to face Fynn. "I've always been frustated because of you. But you're a great addition to the team. I hate to admit it, but I respect you."

Maye nodded, ethusiastically. "I couldn't thank you enough for treating me for ice cream after my rejection, about a year ago. I'm happy to have you as our captain!"

Last but not least, Angie and Mysti approached to Fynn. "You're not a burden to everyone. You've done so much for the past year. You don't need to worry about us, all the time. If you're feeling down, please tell us. Because that's what friends do.." And with that, Mysti nodded happily with her.

Fynn was moved by everyone. He's been worried about his dark past for a while. Angie was right about one thing, he has friends to support him and guide him in the right direction. "Everyone.. Thank you.. You don't know how much this means alot to me.." Fynn was about to shed a tear, but he dried up.

The heart-warming moment was interrupted when his girlfriend immediately opened the door with some groceries in her hand. She looked very shocked and frightened.

"F-Fynn, everyone, You've got to see this!" Eimie cried, reaching for the remote to the TV. She flipped the channels until she found the Inkopolis News.

"Eimie.. What's going o-" Fynn stopped his sentence when he saw there's no Great Zapfish on the tower in Inkopolis PLaza. It's been captured again. But they were far from over. Everyone was questioning about Callie's disappearance. Once the news is over, everyone went silent again.

"M-Missing..?!" Mysti gasped. She knows who is behind all of this. The Mimic Octoling has heard about her kind's attempt at stealing the Great Zapfish once. She's got a bad feeling about this.

"W-What happened to Callie?! I thought, she was going to do a fan meeting at Starfish Mainstage..!" Maye panicked, a bit.

("This can't be happening.. At a time like this..?!") As a former agent like Fynn, he used to defend Inkopolis during situations like this one. Now that the Great Zapfish is missing again, they'll lose power for good. He needs to find Tundra and fast. Maybe, they'll investigate the problem and inform a Squidbeak Splatoon member. If only Agent 3 was here.

"E-Everybody, remain calm!!" Eimie stood in the middle of the group. "We still have generators, in case of emergency. For the meantime, I brought snacks and drinks over. Ain't that right, Fynn?" She looked around to find Fynn, but he vanished without a trace. Eimie's heart felt cold. "F-Fynn..?! Fynn..!!" She cried out, but he was long gone.

The group searched for Fynn as well, still no use. He must've snuck out to find help while Eimie was talking. "Oh no... Where did Fynn go, this time...?" Angie said, worrying about him even more.

Fynn rushed out of the apartment, heading straight towards the Plaza by bike. The situation is starting to take effect. Some of the lights began flickering on and off until the flickering stopped. He must head back to the dojo, before it's too late.

A few moments later, Fynn arrived at the Battle Dojo and he came to a screeching halt. He quickly stepped inside of the dojo and Fynn froze in place. The entire dojo is trashed and covered in fuschia ink. That ink is color is coming from the Octarians. ("There's no mistaken the ink.. It's from the Octarians.. I need to search for Tundra..") Before he could go up the stairs, he heard an eerie and cute giggle from afar.

"Lost, little rat?" A female voice filled Fynn's ears. It wasn't long until one Octoling approached to him with an Octoshot in her hand. If Fynn could see through her new shades, her eyes were filled with inklust. Suddenly, the other three soldiers have surrounded him.

"Okay.. What's going on..?" Fynn looked around to see the 4 Octolings that are aiming at him. Could they be out for revenge from 2 years ago?

"I'll ask the questions here, punk!!" The black-tentacled elite barked at him, causing Fynn to silence himself. "Tell us where Unit-237 is or we'll start splatting you to bits. We've already found your location during your so-called training." She has her finger on the trigger and ready to shoot if he tries to escape or not answer to her question.

Today's been a huge mess for him. There was no Great Zapfish, no sign of Tundra, and worst of all, no escape. The four elite have cornered him in all directions. ("So much for a pleasant weekend from the dojo.. Without my gun or roller, I'm screwed... Unless, I need to think carefully and fast..!") His memories came rushing back to the ankle weights training. Maybe, he could juke them out and outsmart them without his weapons. Fynn's sufficient training with Tundra will be put to good use for odds like this.

9 months had passed after the 16th and final Splatfest. Every battler in Inkopolis Plaza were either shocked or sad. For Fynn, he felt no emotion after what happened. Nothing at all.

Fynn was in the bed with his girlfriend, Eimie. It was a quiet spring evening and they were both sleeping together. He was having a good rest, until he started to mumble and shifted his body. “N-No.. please…” He murmered, quietly in his sleep.

In his dream, Fynn was in his Hero Suit as Agent 11. He was stumbling through the destroyed buildings of Inkopolis. Everyone he knew and loved were gone for good. He was sobbing, on his knees, couldn’t protect his friends and family. In the middle of sobbling, there was someone approaching in front of him. The light shined apon the dark figure. The figure is nothing other than.. himself. He was a Blue-ringed Octoling and he grinned in front of him. Before Fynn could escape, he felt immediately grabbed my thousands of limbs. Fynn was struggling to break free, but they were pulling him down into the dark void. The last thing he could see, is Octo Fynn cackling. And then… Fynn blacked out…

“AAAAAGH!!” Fynn screamed as he rose out of bed, he was sweating a lot. Not only he woke up from his nightmare, Eimie woke up as well. She jumped out of bed, staring at Fynn with a mixure of concern and annoyance. She needed more beauty sleep than him.

“B-Bade, what’s wrong..?!” She said, wiping her eyes. She inched in closer to Fynn, comforting him. “You’re shaking, a lot.” She stated.

Fynn looked at Eimie and he hugged her, tightly. “E-Eimie… It was horrible… The people.. -th-they were..” Fynn’s shaking slowed down, still embracing his lover.

“It’s okay, Fynny.. It must’ve been a bad dream.. Was it the same one?” She asked.

“Yes…” He admitted it. This is the 3rd time, he’s having the same nightmare. “Everyone, including you died… I couldn’t save my friends and family and…” Suddenly, he was being to sob.

“Oh, Fynn…” She held him, tightly while Fynn was breaking into tears. “Don’t worry, I’m still here for you.. Eimie said in a soothing tone. Eimie doesn’t know what’s gotten into Fynn, but this isn’t him.

After Fynn calmed down, he went back to sleep until the sun peaks over the city of Inkopolis. Fynn would soon wake up, when Eimie hopped on top of him. He opened his eyes to see his girlfriend with a phone in her hand. Fynn’s phone. He had left it in the kitchen, after Fynn crashed into bed.

"Aqua said, there’s going to some renovation on the diner. So, you have the entire month off until you’ll be able to come back to work. As always, your direct deposit is in a couple of days.” The news did surprise Fynn. He can finally catch a break after being the diner’s doormat, whenever Blush is around. Yet, the dark-blue inkling still gives him the cold scowl. Like he’s broke something.

Fynn was too tired to be relieved. He responded with a loud yawn. “That’s good..” He slowly, closed his eyes to rest some more. Suddenly, the couple hear a knock at the front door.

“Stay right where you are. I’ll get the door.” And with a smooch on Fynn’s lips, she got off of him and walked over to the front door. She unlocked it and proceed to open. Once she opened the door, a sky blue inkling in a green parka stood in front of Eimie.

“Mornin, Eimie.” Fynn’s younger sister, Dawn approached to the door. She’s not a fond of mornings, but her parents had to drag her out of bed. That’s what she get for watching a ghost hunter marathon.

“Mornin’, Dawn! What brings you here?” Eimie had met his sister, before. It was at this time, where Fynn ended up in the hospital due to a lack of blood in his system. He still have two bite marks. One on the arm and one on his neck.

“My parents dropped me off to spend some time with Fynn, before I move away to Inkopolis Square.” Dawn was getting tired of living in a worn out beach house for a year, now. The reason why they’re moving, is that her dad got a new job at Grizzco Industries. “Anyway, is Fynn at work or…” Dawn looked around the living room as she stepped inside.

Eimie was about to answer, until Fynn lets out a long yawn. “Hey, sis.. The diner is getting a makeover for a month..” He said, walking over to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of pink lemonade. He to the first gulp, before closing the refridgerator door. “So, you came to visit ol’ me? Say no more, Mom called me yesterday.”

(“Quick to catch on, as usual..”) Dawn sighed. “Yeah, I’m here to hang out for the last time since I’m moving out to the Square.. That means, I won’t be able to hang out with my friends again..” Dawn averted her gaze on Fynn. Now that school’s over, Both Skyla and Scorpia had graduated as seniors. And they’ll soon apply for college.

“You’ll still see them again.. Since that Inkopolis Square is now the new center of fashion and battles, they’ll still be there for a while. The Plaza will be really quiet, soon.” Not only the new attention, but the new tweaks on the weapons.

Dawn was puzzling until she reminded about something big and important. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot! There’s going to be a Splat Tournament coming up in a couple of months! You should totally particpate!” Dawn’s eyes sparkled with pure joy. Since Fynn was promoted as captain, he’s willing to put their experienced battling to good use.

“That would be fun… but… I’m not sure, yet.. We already missed the Turf League because we were a split-second, too late. Then again, I’ve collected enough data on the other teams that Hunni and Sky’s teams.” He might let his team down, because he’s unsure of himself. Sometimes, he forgets why he was made captain in the first place.

Eimie approached to Fynn with a reassuring smile. “C'mon, Fynny. Where’s the fun in that? Remember when we first battled? You seem to handle yourself on the battlefield and you tend to memorize the map and formations. You can do this! We all believe in you.”

Fynn couldn’t say no to that adorable face of hers. “Oh, alright.. I’ll give it a shot.” Fynn gave in, so easily. “Well, I can’t apply this tourney on an empty stomach.” His stomach responded with a low growl.

“I’ll get started with breakfast, then~!” Eimie went into the kitchen. She was planning on serving him breakfast in bed, but Fynn is already up and fully awake. “So, who wants pancakes?” She asked, bringing out the pancake mix.

“Whoo! Pancakes!” Dawn raised her fist into the air, triumphantly. It’s been a while since she had any fluffy pancakes.

“You’re still amazing at cooking. Also, you’d makea great wife.” Fynn winked at her. That caused the purple squid to blush, the moment she brought the butter, milk, and eggs.

“H-Hush, you pink dork!” Eimie giggled, still blushing mad. As long as they’re together, nothing would stop these two lovebirds.

While Eimie is getting starting on cooking and Dawn is sitting at the table, Fynn walking into the bathroom to wash his face. He’s been a mess in bed after his recent nightmare. He turned on the faucet and splashed some cold water on his face. Once he was done, he looked up into the mirror and see Fynn’s conscious in his own reflection. Fynn immediately backed up against the wall in shock.

(“Did you really think you can continue to keep your secret bottled up inside..?”) Fynn’s conscious was wearing an agent uniform. He used to become Agent 11 after he was being betrayed by his ally who cured him from being a vampire squid, 2 years ago. That was when he first met Eimie in an alley way. (“You still act like nothing’s wrong, but you don’t want your loved ones to know. Otherwise, they’d be in grave danger..”) Fynn could hear his consiousness, cackling.

“N-No.. I’ve given up on being a hero for everyone’s sake. I don’t wanna get involved much longer..” He talked back to himself, a bit quieter. After Fynn retired as an agent, the guilt kept weighing him down. The more he kept it a secret, the heavier the guilt will be.

(“And yet, you’ve grown weak as a result. If you hadn’t retired, you’d pay him back for what he did.. If only you’d slaughtered those who opposed you..!”) Suddenly, Fynn’s conscious changed into his octoling form. “(If only you had more.. POWER!”) It was that moment, Fynn had to shut his eyes, tight to avoid his own gaze.

Fynn slowly opened his eyes to see himself in his jammies, again. His heart was beating, rapidly. “Shit…” He cursed under his breath. His conscious was right about one thing. He’d grown too soft, even though he was a friend of his. Fynn would soon hear Dawn’s voice.

Bro? Are you alright in there? Food’s almost done.“ She knocked a few times. She seemed, slightly worried if he was okay. Or maybe, he had to use the toilet.

"I-I’ll be out in a sec!” He said, trying to keep a straight face. He could now feel the guilt, pressing down on him. At times like this, he’d wished he had never signed up to be an agent in the first place. So much for a good morning..