Splat Force II: Allegiance; Chapter 4

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W E L C O M E ! ! !

This is Nomad! Back with yet another chapter of Splat Force II: Allegiance!

The ending previous chapter was one that left us all with burning questions. They will all be answered, in time.

This chapter is going to focus on Ami once more, alongside Alyssa and a familiar face from Cosmo: A Splat Force Story!

Without further ado, let's get into this!

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(Chapter Hub)

C H A P T E R 4 : W E L C O M E T O T H E F A M I L Y

The Inkfish Rehabilitation was the go to hospital for the injured. Whether it be fighting a disease or a severe injury, Inkfish was always there to heal those in need.

Alone sat Alyssa in the plain white waiting room. She tapped her fingers together in anticipation, hoping that it would be that long of a wait. She wore a black Inky Rider jacket and long black tros, the opposite of the Splat Force gear she used.

"Mrs Frida?"

A Nurse called out as she entered the room, straightening her bright blue jacket and pulling down her face mask.

Alyssa stood up from her seat and greeted her with a small wave.

"How is she?"

She asked, sounding very worried.

"She'll be alright: it was only just a burn. She might be in a little bit of pain over the next couple of days but I assure you, she'll be alright."

The Nurse assured her, giving her a smile.

Alyssa sighed in relief as she placed her right hand on her chest.

"How long until she's out?"

She asked.

"Miss Stewart will be aloud to leave in a few hours time. In the meantime, I'll allow you to pay her a small visit."

The Nurse said.

"Thank you Nurse Seddan!"

She said as the two of them shake each others hands.

"Anytime! May I escort you to her?"

Nurse Seddan asked, assuming that Alyssa would just get lost in the hospital's hallways.

"That would be great!"

Alyssa answered with a hopeful smile.

Alyssa followed Nurse Seddan through the hallways, each turn they made lead into the same looking white hallway with the same light blue line at the top and bottom. After a short minute, they arrived at door fifty three. Nurse Seddan walked inside the room.

"Miss Stewart, a guest has come to see you!"

She announced to her, who was just bearly awake to begin with. She walked out of the room and looked at Alyssa.

"You are free to enter now!"

Alyssa nodded at Nurse Seddan, thanking her as she walked away. She then entered the small room and saw the pink haired Inkling that she had been meaning to visit, who was laid back against her pillow, slowly starting to fully wake up. Alyssa walked over to her bed side and kneeled down.

"Hello Ami."

She whispered.

"C-Cosmo?"

Ami called out to which Alyssa nodded. Within seconds, Ami burst into tears at the sight of the blue haired Octoling.

"I-I'm so s-sorry!"

"Why are you sorry?"

Alyssa asked as she frowned in sorrow at her, not wanting her to be sad anymore.

"Because...I-I've let myself down, I've let my s-sister down and I've probably let y-you down..."

She sniffled, her voice sounding weak.

"You haven't let me down tho!"

Alyssa assured her, giving her a friendly smile in hope that it would make Ami feel less sad.

"If I had losed Rex I would've gone down a dark path as well...It's perfectly normal to feel the way you do! Are you able to sit up?"

Ami slowly managed to sit up, even though her chested slightly ached from it. Within seconds of her sitting up, Alyssa wrapped her arms around her and gently hugged her.

"It's okay, Ami. I'm here for you!"

She whispered as Ami cried into her shoulders for the next two minutes.

After the hug ended, Ami looked down at her blanket, feeling immensely better after the hug.

"I-I don't have anywhere to go, Cosmo: I'm homeless..."

She sighed heavily.

Alyssa had a long pause, looking down at the ground before looking back at Ami with an idea that she was sure would help her.

"If you want, you could come and live with me and Rex, I'm sure Platinum wouldn't mind you sharing a room."

She suggested, knowing that Ami was hopeless on the streets.

Ami looked back up at Alyssa and sniffled, her face no longer showing pure sadness.

"R-Really?!"

She asked to which Alyssa nodded. Ami pulled her in for another hug.

"Thank you!"

She whispered. Alyssa smiled, knowing that her actions had just saved someone's life.

4 H O U R S L A T E R . . .

Alyssa was once again in the waiting room, this time she was sat next to an old woman.

"So who are you waiting for, hmm?"

She asked Alyssa.

"I'm waiting for a girl, she was injured two days ago."

She answered, the old woman's pause told her to elaborate.

"She was the girl from the viral video with the gifted Inkling."

The old woman scuffed after hearing about the video.

"My grandson fought in the Gifted Wars. He was a very honourable boy, my daughter raised a good man, you know."

She said, her voice starting to trip.

"His name was Andrew Tyler, he was a Rookie. He was killed during the war..."

Alyssa frowned after hearing about her grandson.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, I seriously am..."

"I hearing the news like it was yesterday. Frederick Evans came to my daughters house and announced it. He said he died to an Octoling with a blade, among many others. It was just..."

The Old Woman paused, trying to collect herself.

"He was a bright young man, always positive..."

Alyssa was on the verge of tears. That very day still haunted her. She patted the old woman's back just before Nurse Seddan walked back into the waiting room, followed by Ami.

"Mrs Frida!"

She called out.

Alyssa stood back up and walked over to her and Ami.

"Thank you for helping her!"

She said to her.

"Anytime! And thank you for offering her to stay at your place, Mrs Frida! If only there was more people like you!"

Nurse Seddan said to her before turning to face Ami.

"How are you feeling sweet heart?"

"G-Good, I guess..."

Ami whispered as she walked next to Alyssa.

"Take good care of her Mrs Frida!"

Nurse Seddan said as both Alyssa and Ami started to leave.

"I will do!"

Alyssa assured her, giving her a small wink.

They both walk through the large, square car park, walking towards a grey car. Alyssa puts her keys in the key hole and twists it, unlocking the car. Both she and Ami walked into the car and put on their seatbelts. After several seconds of preparation, the car started moving.

"Thank you for doing this, Cosmo!"

Ami said to her.

"Anytime Sweet Heart!"

She said.

"Also, you don't have to call me Cosmo. If you want, you can call me by my real name, Alyssa."

Ami slowly nodded.

"Okay Alyssa."

She whispered as she looked out the window.

"Is Drift okay?"

Alyssa took several seconds to answer. She hadn't spoken to him since the incident occurred but she was aware that Drift wouldn't be okay.

"I don't know, Ami. I seriously don't know."

"What's going to happen to him?"

She asked, sounding immensely worried.

"I-I don't know either..."

Alyssa replied. She noticed through her reflection that Ami was about to start crying again. She didn't want her to cry, not again.

"I had no idea he was gifted. Yet the signs were there, I knew something was up when his hands started getting increasingly warm that one training session."

"Drift was the last person that I thought was gifted: I've met both his parents yet neither of them were gifted. So I don't even know how this is possible..."

Ami muttered with worry.

Upon reaching a traffic light, Alyssa patted Ami's back.

"Hey, don't worry! Drift is a strong young man, tho he can be just as arrogant as his father. I'm sure that he'll find a solution to all of this. He has to!"

Alyssa tried assuring her, but even she knew it wasn't worth it. Ami remained silent for the rest of the car trip.

8 M I N U T E S L A T E R . . .

Alyssa drove past a sign that read:

'Reef Road'

Alyssa drove slowly towards the parking space which was right next to the pathway.

"Well, this is it Ami!"

Alyssa said to her before she opened the car door and exited, Ami exiting through her door.

"It already looks better then my carppy apartment."

She said, sounding refreshed but still down.

Alyssa walked over to the front door and opened it, both she and Ami walked inside.

"I'm home!"

She called out as she wiped her feet on the door mat before she took them off and placed them on the shoe rack. Ami did the same as her but slower.

The first thing one could see upon entering the house was a small hallway, one half taking up by the stairs on the right whereas the other was a hallway that lead towards two doors, one straight ahead and into the kitchen and the other to the far left leading into the living room. The wallpaper had the same grey colour with a small rose pattern.

The kitchen door was open, the thrilling scent of food flowed through the hallway. A brown haired Inkling walked up to the door and stopped moving before smiling at Alyssa.

"Glad to see that you've made it home alright!"

He said before walking up to her and giving her a kiss. He then turned his attention to Ami.

"You must be Ami. I'm Rex!"

Ami didn't respond to Rex, even after he offered a hand shake. Instead of her voice responding, it was her stomach. It growled louder then it had ever growled before. Ami pressed her right hand against her stomach.

"She needs food as soon as possible. How long until dinner is ready?"

Alyssa asked, frowning at Ami's stomach grow.

"In roughly five to ten minutes, fifteen if things don't go one hundred percent smoothly."

Rex answered.

"Ami, I've picked up your bag from the allyway and I've put it in Platinum's room. As soon as you get upstairs, turn right and head straight to the end of the hallway and enter the door on the right."

Ami walked up the stairs and left both Rex and Alyssa behind.

"Have you heard any updates about Drift?"

Alyssa asked, hoping for some good news to tell Ami.

"Even after a couple of days I have nothing."

Rex sighed as he started to walk back to the kitchen, straightening his black apron.

"Neither Fred nor Abbie were gifted, neither were his grandparents, so I wonder why he is suddenly gifted. It makes no sense..."

Alyssa sighed, knowing that there wasn't going to be a definitive answer just yet. All they had to do was wait and all was going to be revealed.

"I hope we get some sort of answer to all of this."

She whispered to him.

"Same here. Last thing I want is for him to put a stain on Fred's reputation because of his gifts. I don't want his name to be feared like a certain other flaming being we know."

Rex said as he walked back into the kitchen.

M E A N W H I L E W I T H A M I . . .

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, Ami did exactly what Rex told her to do: head right and go straight forward and head for the door at the far right. The door at was already open for her. She walked inside the room.

The room had bright pink walls with a bed to the right of the entrance. The right hand side of the door took up most of the room, there was a drawer next to the bed with a study desk to it's right. There was another, smaller drawer next to the window which held a small TV on top of it, next to a video game console. The box at the top left corner, and opposite the entrance was filled up with plush toys.

In the middle of the room rested Ami's bag. She quickly walked over to it and checked to see if anything was taken, luckily everything was there. Ami then heard the sound of a toilet flushing and a door from the opposite left side of the hallway opened. A few seconds later, an Inktoling walked into the room and stared at Ami.

The Inkoling's blue haired was wrapped into a ponytail. Her dark eyes had the shape of an Octoling but still had the black, connecting line of an Inkling. She wore a black and red checkered hoodie. Her rosie cheeks held many freckles.

"Did you wash those hands?"

Ami asked cheekily, feeling more better that she was in an environment full of people that cared, well mostly: she still had to get a good impression from the Inktoling.

"Uh...Hehehe!"

The Inkoling chuckled awkwardly and she held her hands behind her back.

"I'm just kidding."

She said.

"From what Alyssa said, you must be Platinum, am I right?"

"Yeah! I'm Platinum, I'm assuming your Ami. I've heard so much about you!"

She answered, sounding very enthusiastic, almost reminding Ami of her old self.

"Have you now?"

Ami asked as she took her blanket out of her bag.

"Yeah! Daddy told me that this Inkling was coming to live was us and I got very excited. Mommy also talked about you. She said she was worried about you."

Platinum responded.

"Really?"

Ami whispered to herself.

"She must be a very positive person then."

"Yup! She's the most positive person in this world world!"

Platinum said before climbing onto her bed and grabbing a teddy bear.

"This teddy used to be Mommy's when she was young, she gave it to me when I was only a baby."

Platinum ed Ami the teddy bear. The teddy was brown, stuffed and fluffy. It contained small blue writing on the teddy's stomach that read:

'Always stay positive, my little Cosmo!'

Ami saw the message as if it was talking to her, especially the positive part.

"Mommy used to hug this teddy when she was sad and lost. I'm not sure if Daddy ever had something like this when he was sad, then again I've only ever seen him sad once a couple years ago."

Platinum said, catching Ami's attention.

2 Y E A R S A G O . . .

It was mid day and everyone in the neighborhood was now awake, thanks to the bright warm ball of gas in the sky.

Whist Platinum was sat in the kitchen eating lunch, Rex was sat in the living room, watching the news.

"Good afternoon! This is What's The Freshest! Today we have a strange story revolving around Infantry Forest, the forest that earned the name after the Gifted Wars. It has been reported that there have been strange sounds coming from the forest, sounds that sound like those of a Shark. We are currently unsure about what the noises are about, and I'll doubt it would be changing anytime soon. Perhaps this is connected to Bolton, since it has been a month since his appearance at the Inkopolis Mall so who knows what we could expect to see at this point."

The front door opened and Rex's face lit up as he dashed to the door.

"Alyssa! Welcome home!"

He greeted as he gave her a kiss that lasted longer then five seconds.

"H-Hey!"

Alyssa greeted back, sounding suspiciously nervous.

The two walk back into the living room, Platinum ran over and gave her mother the biggest hug before heading back to her lunch.

"So how did everything go? Are the kids safe?"

"Yeah, the kids are all fine, two of them even started dating, strange time to light the spark but if they're happy then that's all that matters. Drift was fine, up until the end when something happened..."

She whispered, her voice getting more nervous near the end of the sentence.

Rex didn't take notice of her attitude and was feeling glad that they were safe.

"That's great to hear! How's Fred? Is he doing Alright?"

Rex asked. Alyssa paused entirely, she wasn't moving at all, let alone talking.

"Alyssa?"

Alyssa turned around and looked at Rex, her face filled with pure fear, and greif.

"R-Rex, there is something I need to t-tell you..."

She whispered, her face cringing up.

"Alyssa, is something wron-"

Rex asked. But then, it finally hit him.

"No...Please tell Fred is okay, please!"

Alyssa bursted into tears, kneeling down on the floor body shivering.

"I-I'm so sorry!"

Tears had already started escaping Rex's eyes. He looked down at his wife with horror and denial.

"He can't be gone, not him! ANYONE BUT HIM!"

He screamed in pain and greif.

"T-There was nothing I could do. H-H-He wouldn't l-let me h-help him!"

Alyssa whispered, refusing to look her husband in the eye.

"Oh cod..."

Rex whispered, holding his teary head in his hands. He walked out of the room, walked into the kitchen and entered the guardian. He sat on the entrance and sobbed immensely.

"DAMMIT! WHY'D IT HAVE TO BE HIM!"

His cries echoed throughout the neighborhood, not that he even cared about that at the moment. He curled up into a ball and balled his eyes out in grief.

Amongst it all, Platinum stood in the kitchen, watching everything unfold. She too teared up at not just hearing what had happened but also see her parents be torn apart by it. She knew that neither of them wanted to talk at the moment. She left the kitchen and walked up the stairs and into her room.

P R E S E N T D A Y . . .

"It was haunting to see them like this, especially daddy: up until that point I've never seen him cry before. It's probably the worst memory I've ever owned."

Platinum said to Ami.

"I always referred to him as Uncle Fred. He didn't come around very often but everytime he did, he was very kind, even if he would often forget Mommy's name."

Ami felt really bad after hearing that story.

"I guess one can only be strong for too long until they break."

She whispered. Not only referring to Rex but also to herself and how far she's fallen since the events that took place two years ago.

"Platinum, Ami, Dinner's ready!"

Alyssa called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Coming Mommy!"

Platinum called back before dashing out the room, Ami slowly following behind.

Both girls arrived at the table in left hand side of the kitchen, away from all the cookery furniture. They were served corn and rice, a favourite of Platinum.

"Do we have to do a pray of something or do we just dig in?"

Ami asked, unsure of how things worked in this house.

"You can just dig in if you like!"

Alyssa answered as they all sat down.

Ami sat away from the family at the opposite side of the table. Everyone began to dig in, Ami ate faster then the rest of them due to how hungry she was.

"So, how long am I staying for?"

Ami asked.

"You can stay here for as long as you need to!"

Alyssa answered with a comforting smile.

"You can leave when you feel that your ready to!"

"Thank you."

Ami said as she continued to dig into her food.

"We are all here for you Ami. It's not the first time I've taken someone in who needed guidance."

Rex said to her.

"I found Alyssa just after the battle of Baxter Village, I was tasked to apprehend or take out those who lived. I stumbled across Alyssa and I saw the fear in her eyes. I never wanted it to come to that. Alyssa had the same views as me: wanting to end the war peacefully. I then took her in and she played a massive role in ending the Gifted Wars. After the war, I gave her a place to live: this very house, and I trained her and eventually, we fell in love."

Ami felt somewhat inspired by his story and saw just how kind Rex really was: when people were losed, he always saw the light.

"That's a good story..."

Ami whispered, making Rex smile. The family continued to eat their meal, Ami was quickly becoming more relaxed and at home.

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

It was getting darker outside, the blue sky was now fading into black and some stars were seen. Ami sat alone on the back porch, looking at the stairs. She was clearing her mind from everything that had been going on.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

Rex asked as he began to lean against the door.

"I've been feeling better then what I have been feeling for the past cod knows how long."

Ami whispered back, still staring at the sky.

"Well I'm glad your feeling better!"

Rex said to her with a smile.

Rex was about to walk into the living room when Ami had another question.

"Back when I was in Infantry Forest, Alyssa paid her respects to someone at the bottom of a cliff. I think I know who that person is..."

She sighed, knowing that the Inkling in the photo was infact her own father.

Rex heavily sighed hearing her say that and walked outside and sat next to her.

"Jamie was a good young man. He had a massive heart. His courage and dedication to the Splat Force inspired many, including me."

He said to her before looking into the stars.

"Even till this day I feel the guilt of his death. Jamie sacrificed his life to save mine. He died a hero."

"I never knew him, I was only a baby when the Gifted Wars went on."

Ami whispered to him.

"I didn't grow up with a mother either: she ran away sometime after the war. For most of my life I only had Samantha..."

Rex frowned after hearing what she said.

"Jamie loved you very much. You, your sister and your mother were what he was motivated by. You kept him strong until the end, Ami."

Ami managed to hold back tears, wanting to stay strong.

"Thank you for telling me about him."

She muttered as she finally made eye with him.

"You're welcome! I'm glad your feeling better!"

Rex said to her, giving her both a smile and a friendly wink.

"It's getting late, you should probably get some rest soon. Alyssa's already set up your bed."

Ami nodded and slowly stood up and started heading for Platinum's room. She went through the kitchen door and entered the hallway. She walked up the stairs and went right, heading towards Platinum's room against the right hand side wall.

"Hey Ami!"

The Inktoling greeted with a massive smile.

"Hey Platinum!"

Ami responded with a wave before climbing into her small air bed in the middle of Platinum's room.

"I hope we could become good friends one day!"

Platinum said, knowing that Ami needed a friend.

Ami smiled at her. Platinum definitely reminded her of her younger, happier self.

"I hope we can as well!"

She responded as she laid down against her pillow.

"Good night!"

"Good night!"

Platinum responded as she turned of the her lamp that was next to her bed. Everything went dark again.

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

Platinum woke up after she heard sounds of sniffing and sobbing. She looked over to see Ami who was facing the wall opposite the bed.

"Ami...what's wrong?"

She asked her, not getting a response. She climbed out of her and walked out her room.

Platinum walked to the otherside of the hallway and knocked on her parents door.

"Yeah?"

Rex called out from inside.

Platinum opened their door and entered the room, greeting her father, who was now in his grey pyjamas. She looked very worried.

"Ami's crying in her sleep, I don't know what to do?"

She said to him. Only Rex was in the room, Alyssa was sorting out downstairs.

"I'll help her out!"

He said as exited his room. He walked into Platinum's room and saw the fragile young woman.

"Ami, is everything alright?"

Ami opened her eyes, sat up and faced towards Rex and Platinum, her tears were visible to the eye.

"I just had a bad dream, that's all!"

She assured him as she wiped her face with her arm.

"If you don't mind me asking, what was the dream about?"

Rex asked her.

"I-I-"

Ami murmured as she tried to pull herself together.

"It was about a moment from a year ago. It was about me and Samantha. W-We had a fight and-"

Ami couldn't bring herself into finishing the sentence.

"Everything's alright!"

Rex assured as he gave her a small hug. After five seconds, he pulled out of the hug.

"How about this: tomorrow, we'll find you a therapist to talk to. I know you are probably afraid of opening up to others, and that's fine, but you seriously need someone to discuss your problems with."

Although she wasn't a fan of being social with someone, she knew that if she wanted to get back on the right track, she needed to talk with someone.

"That would be good..."

She whispered.

"Thank you for being so kind!"

"Anytime!"

Rex said, giving her a comforting smile.

"Try and get some sleep, if you end up having another bad dream, let me or Alyssa know."

Ami nodded at him and laid back down. Shortly after, she headed back to sleep. There weren't anymore bad dreams for the rest of the night. For the first time in such a long time, she didn't cry throughout the whole night because she knew people were there to help her. She rested easy and in peace, a nice change from the past couple years.

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 Chapter 4 of Splat Force II: Allegiance! I had some fun writing this one and it was really nice to get to write Rex again after almost four months! Next chapter will bring the focus back to Drift and we'll explore his thoughts and reactions to his life changing event. So stay tuned for that! Until next time, stay safe out there! ^^

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