Bolton: A Splat Force Story; Chapter 1

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W E L C O M E ! ! !

This is Nomad! Today is the day, folks! Today is the premier of Bolton: A Splat Force Story!

As you have probably already learnt, this story will dive into the backstory of Bolton Vulcan. We will learn his origin on how he became the feared villain that the world would one day know him as.

So without further ado, let's get into this!

(EDIT: I'VE CHANGED THE FRONT COVER OF THE STORY!)

:warning: WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER CONTAINS STRONG VIOLENCE/GORE AND SCENES WITH BRIEF, EXPLICIT MENTIONS OF UPSETTING TOPICS REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH AND SCENES CONTAINING PHYSICAL ABUSE. PLEASE PROCEED WITH CAUTION! :warning:

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(Chapter Hub)

C H A P T E R 1 : R E J E C T E D

S L A M , S L A M , S L A M ! ! !

A red-haired Octoling was knocked to the ground after taking in three strong punches. He groaned in agony but found the will to stand up and continue the fight.

"You just don't know when to give up don't you, Vulcan?"

A large crowd of Inkling students from Todarodes College circled the fight between one Inkling against one Octoling. To the Octoling's dismay, almost everyone in the area was rooting for his ab because unlike him, he fitted in well with the others.

S L A M ! ! !

The ab landed a devastating blow. The impact of the punch caused blood to shoot out of his mouth like a Splattershot. The Octoling gasped out in pain and covered his mouth with his left hand.

"Aw, did I hit you too hard?"

The Ab said in a sarcastic tone, mocking his victim.

"Stop being a little bitch and fight back like a man!"

Among the crowd, an Inkling with dark hair and green highlights rushed to the front of the crowd and saw the fight.

"Oh no, not again!"

She whispered to herself.

The Octoling slowly removed his left hand from his mouth. Both of his fists were clenched tight.

"There we are!"

The ab exclaimed with a sense of satisfaction in his voice.

"Come on then, hit me-"

S L A M , S L A M , S L A M ! ! !

The Octoling lashed out at the ab, landing three strong hits on his nose. Whilst the ab yelled in agony, the Octoling grabbed the back of his head and forced him over towards the small, brick wall.

S L A M , S L A M , S L A M ! ! !

The abs head was smashed in the wall, blood bursting from his mouth and nose. The brick wall left bruises and cuts on his face.

"Bolton, no!"

The green-haired Inkling yelled as she ran over to stop the fight. She grabbed him by his right arm.

"Bolton, please calm down, I'm here now! Deep breaths, okay?"

Bolton stopped slamming the abs head in and took in several deep breathes, calming himself down. The ab fell out of his grasp and landed headfirst onto the ground, crying in pain.

"Miss Court, get away from him!"

A member of staff called out, forcing the young woman away from him.

"Someone send Mr Rogerson to the medical room. Mr Vulcan, you're coming with me!"

He snarled. He grabbed Bolton by the arm and forced him to walk with him. The students who watched backed away from him as he walked past them.

Bolton was taken into the College building, ing the main reception and into the wide main hall. The main hall had a massive logo in the centre of the floor. Ahead of the logo was a staircase that led to the second floor.

Bolton was forced up the stairs by the teacher, ing many students who looked concerned by his bloody face. Both the teacher and Bolton turned left and entered the language department, the very department that was home to the heaster's office.

K N O C K , K N O C K ! ! !

"Come in!"

Mr Hamer answered from his office.

"Sorry to bother you, sir, but there has been yet another incident revolving around you know who!"

The teacher snarled as he shoved Bolton into the office.

"In you go!"

Mr Hamer sighed in frustration as Bolton entered the room.

"Leave us, Mr Ward! I'll speak to him again."

He instructed. Mr Ward grunted as he walked out of the office, giving Bolton a harsh stare.

"Take a seat, young man."

Bolton turned towards Mr Hamer and his desk and slowly walked to the chair at the opposite side of the name plated table.

"Now if I'm correct, this is the eighth time that you've been here, am I right, Mr Vulcan."

He asked as he held both hands together and placed his elbows on the desk.

"Yeah, because Kye doesn't know how to get a fracking life!"

Bolton growled.

"Watch your language, anymore of that and you'll be suspended for disrespecting a member of staff! And I'm sure you wouldn't like that now, would you?"

He asked him.

Bolton sighed, knowing full well that there was no point in trying to argue with Mr Hamer.

"No, I most certainly wouldn't like that..."

He whispered under his breath.

"Good!"

Mr Hamer replied abruptly.

"Now, let's talk about today's situation. Why would you get into a fight at the end of the day, hmm?"

"Actually sir, it was Ky-"

Bolton tried to explain but got quickly cut off to his dismay.

"Don't talk back to me, young man!"

Mr Hamer exclaimed sternly.

Bolton clenched his fists under the desk. He was being pushed to his limits.

"I'm...sorry!"

He whispered. Of course, he didn't actually mean it.

"What I meant to say was...I hit him to get back at him. Are you happy now?"

"Watch you manors!"

Mr Hamer exclaimed. Bolton rolled his eyes as the same could be said for Mr Hamer, but he didn't want to get into any more trouble.

"And yes, thank you for your honesty. Anyways, back to what I was saying, your violent outbursts have started to get out of hand. Did your father teach you to fight?"

"No, he taught me how to endure pain, he taught me the hard way..."

He muttered in a moody tone.

"He taught me that all my life, ever since my mother died bringing me into this world. My very existence has brought bad luck."

"I see...So you were brought up in an abusive household with no mother to back you up."

He asked, sounding as if he was asking in a bitter taste.

As Bolton's fists were being clenched tighter and tighter, his temptation to beat Mr Hamer to a bloody pulp grew.

"Yes..."

He whispered with ive aggression.

"Surely you must've fought back at least once."

He asked him. For the first time, Mr Hamer showed genuine worry for the Octoling.

"I did once, only to receive one black eye and a nose bleed."

Bolton answered. The bitterness in his voice grew. He pulled up his sleeves and showed Mr Hamer cut marks.

"He even tried to teach me with a whip."

"Oh my..."

Mr Hamer whispered as he stroked his chin.

"Is that where your fighting skills come from?"

"No, around seven years ago I started taking lessons in martial arts."

He answered as he pulled his sleeves back down.

"I'm guessing it's the Curry Dojo."

He said.

"That's the closest Dojo to where you live."

"Yes, it is."

Bolton answered.

"Marshal Curry is one of the only people who actually gives a squit about me. He has been more of a dad than my actual dad could ever dream about being."

"I'm assuming that Miss Helena Court is also among them because of how close you two are?"

Mr Hamer asked. He was quite aware of all the times that she had tried to help him out.

"Yes..."

He replied.

"I know you two love each other. It's obvious. Whenever you had an outburst or a bad day, she would give you warm cuddles. That sounds just like any couple to me."

He said to him.

"I'm not sure if people like the idea of an Inkling and an Octoling together."

"No squit! You should've seen my leavers prom from high school. That would've given you a bright idea."

He muttered with a sorrowful tone.

Mr Hamer took some time to think about what Bolton had told him. He felt lots of sympathy for him.

"I'm sorry if I've been rude to you, Bolton. You may not believe it, Bolton, but unlike many teachers here, I believe that you can accomplish wonders."

He said with a small sigh.

"I'm sorry if this is a personal question but have you ever harmed yourself out of sorrow or anger."

"Many times..."

He uttered.

"And each time felt good."

Mr Hamer was taken by surprise over what Bolton had answered.

"I see...Feel free to go now, it is the end of the day, after all, just one more step until the weekend. Thank you for talking!"

Bolton didn't say anything. Instead, he got up from his seat and walked out of the room without looking back.

He walked down the hallway, seeing nothing but judging faces and snarls. He didn't care anymore, he was used to it.

He left the campus and walked down the pathway, seeing the same thing except for this time, many of the ing Inklings were considering attacking him.

He arrived at a bus stop. Several Inklings walked away from him, not wanting to be near him, especially after seeing how rough he looked. As the bus arrived and the Inklings each started to get on, paying their regular amount, Bolton got on and paid double to amount.

L A T E R  T H A T  A F T E R N O O N . . .

The bus arrived at Pulpo City, a small brick city that paled in comparison to Inkopolis. Bolton was shoved off the bus, landing head first onto the pathway. He groaned as he began to pick himself up, several Inklings laughed at him.

To his right was the entrance to the Curry Dojo. He walked past the Dojo's car park and entered the building. Inside was a small box of a room with bright wooden floors and ceiling. The doors and walls had a unique pattern and texture that separated them from other buildings

"Ah, Master Vulcan! I'm glad you showed up"

The Dojo Master greeted with his old, thin open arms. He was quick to notice the damage done to Bolton's face during the fight.

"Another fight? I take it you held back, did you?"

"Yeah, I just want the staff to understand that I don't start all this squit on purpose, you know?"

Bolton answered.

"I also don't want them to take you away from me. You're one of my only friends, Sensei."

"Ah, I see."

Marshal Curry whispered as he stroked his grey beard.

"Even if I do leave, don't be sad. Just close your eyes and think back to all the happy times."

"I guess that can help..."

Bolton muttered as he placed his bag on the ground in the bottom right corner. Even if the words helped many, it didn't help him, not much could've helped him.

"This won't be a long session. But, before we begin, I just want to say that if the time comes in which you are forced to not hold back, don't hold back."

He told him as he stood up, placing his teacup on the mattress near him.

"Show me what you've learnt."

The two begin a duel between themselves, each of them warming up with deep breaths and mind-clearing. Eventually, the duel finally began.

Bolton lunged forward with his fists, both of which got caught by his sensei's grasp before one kick from the old master took him down to the ground.

Bolton slowly stood back up, managing to endure the pain fairly well. He got more frustrated, lunging forward with a large variety of punches, each of them getting blocked by his sensei. Marshal Curry began to throw a few punches of his own. Luckily, Bolton managed to quickly avoid a few of those punches before being knocked back by a roundhouse kick to the stomach.

Bolton groaned as he held his stomach, his rage just hit its limit.

"In this situation, Master Vulcan, don't hold back!"

His Sensei told him, encouraging  him to embrace his rage

Bolton growled as he ran forward, managing to quickly overwhelm his sensei with punches, inevitably forcing him down on one knee. The old Inkling struggled to stay put; the Octoling's punches were too much for him to handle. Eventually, he gave in and tapped the ground three times.

As soon as Bolton noticed his sensei tapping out, he quickly managed to calm him down by heavily breathing.

"I-I'm-"

"You don't have to be sorry, Master Vulcan. You acted out of your instincts and didn't hold back."

He assured him as Bolton helped him to his feet.

"If someone attacks you from now on, no matter who it may be, you must always fight back, give it your all."

"Thank you, sensei."

Bolton whispered as he grabbed his bag from the corner of the room and put it on him. He walked to the main entrance and looked back at the old Inkling.

"Thank you for believing in me."

"When I first met you all those years ago, bruised, crying, helpless. I knew I had to take you in. My students called me crazy, due to your species. I told them these words: appearances and conditions don't make them bad, it's who they are that matters."

Marshal Curry told him with a positive smile on his face.

L A T E R  T H A T  E V E N I N G . . .

After a long walk from the Curry Dojo at Pulpo City, Bolton had finally reached Larvae Town. The town was small and was only a long road with a pathway and many grass lawns. There wasn't much range when it came to the houses: they were either Bungalows or two floored houses. Nevertheless, they all looked identical to one another.

Unfortunately for Bolton, he had arrived home, the place that he always dreaded going to. His hands trembled as he opened the front door and entered the bungalow.

The main room was squared and wooden. The bulk of the room was taken up by a large couch on the middle right-hand side. On the middle left was a small kitchen, the messiest kitchen of the entire town. Plates and glasses were shoved into the sink. They were so tight and close that it was surprising to Bolton how none of the glasses had smashed.

On the couch was an Octoling whose skin was sweaty and pale. He wore a plain light brown shirt and was in his boxers. He had white socks on with slippers. His dark red hair was slit back.

"Just had a call from your school!"

He announced with a deep and trippy voice. It became clear to Bolton that he was drunk, again.

"If you think that I'm going to tolerate this squit then you're dead wrong!"

"When do you ever tolerate it..."

Bolton whispered under his breath.

"Say that again!"

His father yelled as he stood up from the couch and gave his son the death stare.

"Say that again, you little squit!"

Bolton's entire body was trembling with fear as his father limped towards him. He tried desperately to not cringe at his scent, knowing that the punishment he would get would not be a pleasant one.

"N-Nothing..."

He whispered.

His father placed the back of his hand gently against his son's face and gave him a crooked smile before removing the hand.

S M A C K ! ! !

In a flash, the back of his hand flew against Bolton's cheek. His son fell to his knees and almost cried.

"Straighten your face and go to your room, you coward!"

He yelled before walking back to the couch.

"Just for that, don't be expecting any meals tonight!"

Bolton held his hand against his cheek. He sniffled, trying desperately to hold back tears as he stood up and slowly made his way towards his bedroom door at the end of the room.

L A T E R  T H A T  N I G H T . . .

The people of Larvae Town were fast asleep, all except Bolton. The Octoling laid awake on his soft bed, the softest part of his entire house. He stared at the dirty window, the only light in the blank slate of a room.

His father never gave Bolton anything. There were no books, no games, no computers, no TV's, he wasn't even allowed posters up on his wall. It didn't help that out of the five rooms of the house, his was the smallest, with the exception of the bathroom.

He sniffled and was about to cry himself to sleep when a small pebble flew through the open window. Bolton sat up and stared at the pebble that now rested on his carpet.

"Psst, Bolton! It's me!"

A soft voice called from outside.

Bolton climbed off his bed and slowly made his way towards the window. He was desperate to not wake his dad up, otherwise, he'll be in more trouble than he already was.

The Octoling looked out the window and saw Helena waiting for him in the garden. He backed away from the window and slowly walked to his bedroom door. He could hear his dad's snoring from the living room; he had fallen asleep on the couch again.

Bolton walked back to the window and slowly climbed out. He made sure to slowly lower both legs onto the soil. After escaping the room, he walked through the small bushes before reaching the pavement.

Helena's smile turned into a frown after looking at Bolton's face.

"You're hurt..."

She whispered as she gently placed her left hand on his right cheek.

"Did he hurt you?"

Bolton slowly nodded at her and frowned.

"When does he not?"

Both Helena and Bolton traded hugs before walking through the open gate and leaving the garden. Upon leaving the garden, Bolton was blessed with the cool and relaxing nighttime breeze, a feeling he wished could last an eternity.

"The stars are beautiful tonight, Helena."

He said as he stared at the sky, watching a couple of shooting stars fly by.

"They sure are."

She responded as a graceful smile made its way onto her gorgeous face.

"They remind me of you."

Bolton said, grabbing the Inkling girl's attention.

"They are beautiful, just like you. I can see them whenever I look into your eyes."

Helena blushed at Bolton's comment.

"Thank you!"

She muttered.

"That's probably the kindest thing anyone has been said to me all year."

The two go quiet for a brief moment as they looked at the wondering cosmos.

"Helena, can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah?"

Helena asked as she looked down from the sky and at the Octoling.

"When I turn eighteen, I want to get as far away from my dad as possible, but if I do that, he'll try and stop me. I'm scared of what he'll do to me..."

He said before getting to his question.

"When the time comes that I leave, would you be able to help me?"

"Of course!"

Helena answered with a saddened tone of voice.

"The last thing I want is for you to be in immeasurable pain because of him."

"W-Why couldn't I've been an orphan? At least I wouldn't have to have dealt with him!"

Bolton muttered as his fists started to clench.

"Please don't say that!"

Helena said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Living your life as an orphan would've been bad for you, I can speak from experience..."

"I-I'm sorry..."

Bolton whispered as he held back tears.

"I just want all of this to be over!"

"Me too..."

Helena whispered back as she too held back tears. They both remained silent as they continued to hug.

T H E  N E X T  D A Y . . .

The Cafeteria at Todarodes College was often packed during mid-day. For College standards, the place sold amazing food, all of which was free. Free to Inklings. Bolton had to pay for his food. Granted, the food wasn't extremely expensive for him but it was still unfair to him.

His father didn't supply him with any lunch money. It was Helena who decided to split her money with him and help him eat and stay healthy. After spending their lunch money, the two of them found a small table in the corner of the Cafeteria and began to eat.

"So, how did your lesson go today?"

Helena asked.

"Just as well as you'd expect it to go for me. My tutor gave everyone homework a week ago, well everyone but me, on purpose might I add."

Bolton snarled.

"Here I am now, having to stay late tonight due to them punishing me. Life is not fair, you know..."

"I'm so sorry about that. I wish I could help you..."

Helena muttered, hoping to make him feel better.

"You already help me get through every day, Helena."

Bolton replied, putting a soft smile on her face.

"Well, well, well. Look who we have here!"

Kye Rogerson called out, followed by two of his most loyal friends, both of which were smirking.

"Having a little lunch date are we?"

Not wanting to put up with him much longer, Bolton stood up and walked around the table, standing directly in front of him and looking deep into his eyes.

"Go frack yourself, your worthless piece of squit."

He muttered as Kye smirked.

"I know that your parents probably hate you as much as my dad hates me. I bet they make you so insecure that you retaliate by bullying others. You are a sad, worthless idiot who craves attention."

The smirk on Kye's face faded and his fist began to clench. For the first time, Bolton had struck a nerve, even if he wanted him to just leave.

S L A M ! ! !

Kye's fist flew into Bolton's right cheek, knocking him back. Wanting to end the rivalry once and for all, Bolton grabbed a nearby lunch knife before running forward.

"No!"

Helena yelled, but it was too late...

S L A M ! ! !

Kye let out a painful scream as the knife was stabbed into his left ear. His two friends took several steps back, horrified. Kye fell to the ground, blood streaming out of his ear. He held his ear and wobbled around on the ground in tears. Bolton looked down at his former ab, feeling numb.

Staff ran in and held him down, Helena was taken out of the room, feeling upset at what had just gone down. Bolton had finally snapped for the first time. Little did he know that this was only the beginning of his dark path...

T O B E C O N T I N U E D . . .

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T H X F O R R E A D I N G ! ! !

Thx for reading the first Chapter of Bolton: A Splat Force Story! So far, I'm really proud of this series, and I'm hoping that all those risks I've taken so far will pay off nicely! I certainly hope you all go on to enjoy the remaining nine Chapters left of this story. Until next time, stay safe out there! ^^

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