What If...?: A Splat Force Story; Chapter 3

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W E L C O M E ! ! !

This is Nomad! I hope you're having a great day! I'm back with the third Chapter of What If...?: A Splat Force Story!

So far, I've really been enjoying the making of this story. Though last week's Chapters did sadly underperform a little (due to multiple circumstances, one of which being a freakin' Splatfest), I still wish to continue and not leave a story unfinished.

As said last week, this Chapter will be a mystery-based story as the Splat Force investigates into the sudden murders of their own men set in an alternative version of the very first Splat Force story, Splat Force: The Gifted.

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

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(Chapter Hub)

("Time... Space... Reality... Destiny...")

("Every born hero... Every fallen villain ... Every life shaped all come from these four concepts...")

("However, no fate is set in stone... Every destiny is counted on by the very beings who control it...")

("Your destiny isn't a singular path... It is a prism of infinite possibilities where a singular choice can shape the lives of everyone around you...")

("I'm The Beholder... It is my sworn duty to watch over the multiverse and learn of every new reality that is born...")

("Every reality is unique in their own way, with each of their differences being caused by something as big as a historic event, down to the actions of singular being...")

(" me on this journey through the multiverse as you and I ponder the big question... What If...?")

C H A P T E R  3 : W H A T I F . . . T H E W O R L D L O S T I T S H E R O E S ?

("The Splat Force, a brave group of heroes who fought for peace during the Gifted Wars, taking down great threats and saving many lives.")

("However, like the other stories we've witnessed together, something will change in the timeline, something that'll change the course of history. In order to understand the change, we must begin our story on a fateful night...")

E A R T H 5 6 0 5

"Grab onto your tentacles because it's time for the main story!"

Callie said, opening with the main story of her and her cousin's late-night show, the Squid Sisters' News Of The World.

"May we please introduce tonight's very special guest: former Major of the Splat Force, Henry Spence!"

Marie called out. Henry walked onto the set waving at the delighted crowd and shook both Callie and Marie's hands.

Like the iconic duo, the room felt lively lively and vibrant. The audience all sat on soft pink sofas. The ceiling was colored blue light the sky, it even had clouds painted on it. The stage itself was full of color. Callie and Marie both sat on a wide pink sofa, with the solo guest sofa being green. The back wall behind them was a painting of Inkopolis Plaza with the Great Zapfish wrapped around the big green tower.

"Welcome to the show, Henry!"

Callie greeted, face full of smiles.

"Oh, and thank you for your service all those years ago!"

"No need to thank me, Callie, I was just a guy doing the right thing..."

Henry replied, quietly questioning his choice of words as if he had baggage over the Gifted Wars.

"What brings you here tonight?"

Marie asked, now on the edge of her seat.

"I have collected information about the red-haired man."

He answered. The audience was now going dead silent.

"How did you get the information?"

Marie asked. She wanted to know what his source was.

"I recently went back to the old Splat Force base and found Commander Allen's old files containing information about various gifted individuals. The one I have with me now was his last file, his last case. This file I have is about the red-haired man, who is named-"

Henry paused mid-sentence and began holding his head.

"Ugh..."

"Are you okay, sir?"

Marie asked, she looked at her cousin and signaled her to get refreshments for the Splat Force Major.

"W-Where did this migraine come from?!"

Henry muttered. He was struggling to maintain his composure.

All of a sudden, the lights went out, causing panic in the studio. Audience jumped out of their seats and started talking to themselves.

"What happened to the lights?!"

Callie asked as the production team all scurried around to try and find the problem.

Suddenly, Henry let out two panicked pants before unleashing a violent scream, a scream that went on for five long seconds before falling silent.

"Henry, are you alright? Henry!"

Callie asked. Suspiciously, Henry didn't respond.

"Henry?"

The lights turned back on. Henry Spence was dead. His corpse was laid back on the green sofa, blood poured down from his eyes like tears as he stared lifelessly into the audience, who all began to scream and cry along with their hosts.

T H E N E X T D A Y . . .

Rex Allen and Alyssa Frida heard the news from their home at Reef Road. They watched sitting on their dark red couch in their living room. The room was a small squared one with a couple of sofas, one in the middle and one on the right, and a stand-alone seat against the window at the far left. The carpet was navy-green, and the walls were a pale white.

"The suspect behind Henry Spence's killing is still unknown, with some viewers suggesting it could be the work of the supposed red-haired Man, although one thing was for certain, this was the work of the gifted."

The news reporter informed the curious and shocked viewers before reading out a statement from the showrunners.

"We've just received a statement from the Squid Sisters' themselves. It says: to our loyal viewers, we are so sorry for what you had to witness last night. At this time, neither of us knows what happened. Our amazing security team is working to find out the culprit behind Henry Spence's murder. So far, they have found nothing of the CCTV. We'll make sure to keep you all updated as we all process this together. If you, or anyone you know, have been affected emotionally by what happened, we've left links to mental health hotlines on our website. We are so sorry for what happened, and we vow that nothing like this will ever happen again... this has been What's The Freshest, see you again mid-day."

As the news broadcast came to a close, Rex and Alyssa were left stunned and devastated, more so the latter. Their old friend, their ally, had been murdered, and the details of his murder did not sound pretty.

"N-Now what?"

Alyssa asked, her hand shivering.

"I don't know... could this have something to do with the red-haired man? The same man who killed Jamie and Chester?"

Rex asked, to which Alyssa shook her head.

"That man processed Pyrokinesis and had a blade, neither of those things could cause someone's brain to collapse on itself so suddenly."

Alyssa explained.

"Whoever it was that killed Henry must've possessed something else, something that would make someone's brain fail. Someone like-"

"Kamala Sabrina died during the Gifted Wars, it can't be her."

Rex said, shutting down an idea before it was even suggested to him.

Their daughter, Platinum dashed down the stairs and stood at the front door patiently.

"Mom! I'm ready for school!"

"Just a second, honey!"

Alyssa told her child before looking back to her husband.

"Whatever happened to Henry is bound to happen to someone else. We don't know who's next. It could be, you, Frederick, Oscar, maybe even Barry and Ollie or Peter. It's dangerous out there, Rex. The last thing I want is for Platinum to get mixed up in this."

"Yeah, I know..."

Rex said whilst stroking his chin. He let out a sigh, closing his eyes in frustration, unsure of what to do.

"You go and take Platinum to school... I'll just... I don't even know what to do, Alyssa..."

"It's okay! You find something to clear your mind. I'll be back in twenty minutes."

Alyssa said. She then touched Rex's left cheek.

"Hey, I love you."

"I love you too..."

Rex whispered back. The two of them kissed each other goodbye as Alyssa went away to drive Platinum to school.

M E A N W H I L E E L S E W H E R E . . .

In another household not too far away, Oscar Rogue was sending his daughter, Emily, off for school. Oscar was tidying up the kitchen after breakfast. The walls, floors, and walls were all bright white and silver. The back wall held the sink, stove, oven, and microwave, as well as a fridge and freezer. In the middle was a white table with stools. In front of the table was a sofa which started the living room. Against the left wall in the middle of that room was a long, grey sofa that would work well as a bed. Opposite it was a TV hung on the wall. In the center was a dark grey table.

"The bus should be here in a few minutes. I best get goin' now!"

Emily told her father.

"Alright then! Have a good day, love you lots!"

"Love you too, Dad!"

Emily said before giving her Dad a quick hug. Oscar kissed the top of her head and waved her goodbye as she left the house.

As she left, Oscar sat on the couch and began watching the TV, tuning in to the same news channel that Rex and Alyssa were on. He saw the news about Henry's murder. He was shook. The happy mood he got from his daughter was now gone, now filled with sorrow and fear. His smile had turned into a worried frown.

The front door opened again before quickly closing. Hearing the door from the hallway, Oscar looked to his left and called out.

"Forgettin' somethin', sweetheart?"

He asked, thinking that it was Emily coming back to collect something. Maybe it was some stationary she left in her room, or a soft toy to keep with her in her bag, which wouldn't be out of the ordinary for her.

"Emily?"

Confused as to why his daughter didn't respond, Oscar stood up and walked to the living room door. He looked out into the hallway leading up to the stairs and front door. Nobody was there.

"Emily?"

He called out again, but to no answer. He thought to himself that he might've heard something in his head. He sighed before gently slapping his face and walking back into the living room, sitting back down to watch the news.

As the news station began reading out the Squid Sisters' statement, the TV switched off. It couldn't have been Oscar. The remote was on the small table ahead of him. He stood up and cautiously picked up the remote, trying to switch the TV back on... nothing was happening. It appeared to be a power outage.

Oscar put the remote back down and began pacing, first walking over to the still unclean kitchen. The Knifes and Forks had still not been put away and were lying by the sink. The news had distracted him from the cleaning. Oscar faced back towards the TV in the living room, still unsure about what happened to the power.

Oscar walked to the living room to hopefully take a closer look at the TV and find the problem. However, as he walked past the sofa, he was then stopped.

"G'ah! What the?!"

He groaned. Oscar's entire body began to feel tight. He was then lifted off of the ground.

"W-W-What's ha-happening?!"

S L A M ! ! !

Oscar was sent flying back into the stove, slamming his back against it. He was struggling to get back up. The pain was severe. Suddenly, the Knives and Forks from the sink began to fly, drifting their way towards the former Splat Force Major until they were directly in his view. Oscar tried to get up and run, but it was no use, it felt as if his body had been crushed under rubble. All he could do was watch helplessly as the Knives and Forks flew at him...

S L A S H , S L A S H , S L A S H ! ! !

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

Police were surrounding the Rogue household, surrounding it in tape. Local residents all gathered around to investigate what was happening. Among them was Alyssa Frida, wearing her old Splat Force gear. Pushing her way through the crowd.

Police were moving in and out of the building. Next to one of the vans was Emily, who was wrapped up in blankets, crying. That sight alone was all Alyssa needed to see for her to understand what happened.

"Alyssa, do you see anything?"

Rex asked over the coms. Alyssa began to tear up from the sight and the loss of another friend. A tear fell down her cheek as she answered.

"Oscar's dead..."

Alyssa whispered. Her full attention was on the young girl in blankets. Emily began cuddling a small, pink Squid plushie in her arms, unable to bear the fact that her father was no more.

"No..."

Rex uttered. First Henry, now Oscar. Both Rex and Alyssa were now thinking the same thing.

"Get back to the house, you and I both know what's happening."

T H E N E X T D A Y . . .

An Emergency Alert was Broadcast on the TV the following morning. Rex, Alyssa, and Platinum watched with great worry.

"This is an emergency action notification. The following message has been transmitted at the request of the Royal Army of Inkopolis City for the city of Inkopolis and any surrounding towns. At around ten- thirty-two a.m., Oscar Rogue, a former Major of the Splat Force, was found dead in his home. We have reason to believe this was connected to Henry Spence's death only two nights ago and could be the start of multiple killings. Due to this, all schools, Turf Wars, and non-major jobs will not be active until further notice. It is advised that you stay inside, and close and lock all windows, curtains, and doors. Do not attempt to interact with anyone outside your home. If you see any suspicious activity, report it to the local authorities. It is important that you remain calm in these times. This message will repeat once more before normal programming resumes."

"I'm scared..."

Platinum whimpered, cuddling into her mother's left hip as the message began to repeat.

"It'll be okay, baby, don't worry! You'll be back in school in no time!"

She assured her child. Alyssa looked to Rex and spoke quietly so as to not freak Platinum out.

"Any idea who's next?"

"No... it could be anyone. If the killer wants to go after the big guns, they might end up going Fred, or even us..."

"It would be a fool move to go after Frederick, especially since his kid would be around to witness."

Alyssa said. She failed to see the logic of what she had said, focusing more on trying to be uplifting than facing the truth.

"Alyssa, they murdered Henry in front of a live audience on TV, and Oscar had a daughter, that didn't stop him from dying..."

Rex replied. Alyssa sighed, looking to the ground. She felt like an idiot for what she had said, though she wished that there was a chance she'd be right.

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

The family flinched, all looking to the front door.

"Stay here!"

Rex demanded. Alyssa cradled Platinum in her arms as Rex slowly made his way to the front door, grabbing his N-Zap which had been hiding in the back of his tros. He felt his heart beat faster as he reached the door. Rex then looked through the peephole and was shocked to see who it was on the other side. Quickly, he put away his N-Zap and opened the door.

"Fred?! What are you doing here?"

"Hello, old friend."

Frederick Evans greeted. He wore his full Splat Force gear and had a serious look on his face.

"We need to talk."

"Absolutely! Come in!"

Rex said, stepping aside to let his brother-in-arms into his home.

Relieved to see her father feel relieved, but confused as to what was happening, Platinum ran out of the living room and saw who was just let in.

"Uncle Frederick!"

"Hey kiddo!"

Frederick greeted, kneeling to hug her.

"You've grown a lot!"

Alyssa entered the hallway to see Frederick. She smiled and waved.

"You know, I was just about to call you!"

"I read your mind from afar!"

Frederick joked as he pulled out from his hug with Platinum, placing his right hand the Inktoling's left shoulder.

"You go in your room for a bit whilst the adults talk. We can have a little catch-up sometime soon, okay?"

"Okay!"

She replied before running up the stairs, not feeling scared anymore. She entered her room and closed the door, allowing the adults to walk into the living room.

"It's hard to believe she's twelve now!"

Frederick exclaimed in amazement.

"Yeah, we're just as shocked as you, Fred."

Rex said with his hands on his hips before switching to the dire topic at hand.

"Why are you here, Fred? Did you not the broadcast?"

Rex pointed at the TV, which still showed the emergency broadcast. Frederick picked up the remote and switched it off.

"Firstly, the broadcast first played when I was arriving, I got the notification. Secondly, I've been disobeying those since I was eight. Must I remind you of the time serial killers were loose whilst we were at a movie theatre?"

"Me being scared squitless and you edging me on? Yeah, I that."

Rex said before switching back to the current crisis.

"That doesn't explain why you're here?"

"I know who the killer will go after next?"

Frederick told them. Both Rex and Alyssa glanced at each other and then back at Frederick.

"Have the pair of you been in with Barry or Oliver recently."

"I have."

Alyssa told him.

"They work as gatekeepers at Bluegill."

Frederick squinted his eyes.

"Bluegill? They still live there?"

"Yup! I see them whenever I go back to the old base. I try and give them some company."

Alyssa explained.

All three of their minds synced together over one thought. There was a brief moment of silence before all of them said one thing in unison.

"We have to go there."

"You two get your gear on."

Frederick instructed. Alyssa ran upstairs to get changed. Frederick then saw the nervous look on Rex's face. Of course, he was nervous about his allies, and his friends, but one more thing was on his mind.

"Rex, I know this is gonna be hard on you, especially with the simple life you created for yourself and Alyssa, but-"

"I know, Fred, I know..."

Rex replied. As he exited the living room, he stopped at the door and glanced back.

"It's the right thing to do."

Frederick smiled at Rex as he watched him run up the stairs. Rex entered his and Alyssa's room and grabbed a brown box from under the bed, opening it to reveal his old gear. He grabbed his N-Zap from the back of his tros and placed it on the bed. Seeing the gear again felt odd to him, and he knew the cost of getting involved, but he knew that if he didn't help, many more would die. With that in mind, he finally took the gear out of the box and got changed.

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

The three Commanders drove down the road leading up to the gates of Bluegill Town. The sky was clear and starting to go orange. Nobody was outside, as to be expected by the broadcast. Though nobody could ever see, an enormous silhouette in the sky watched over the events. His silhouette had the color of galaxies and his eyes were glowing. It was the silhouette of The Beholder.

Reaching the gates, the three of them exited the car.

"Aside from looking dirtier than I , this place hasn't really changed that much since I was last here."

Rex commented as the three of them headed to the gate.

"Really?"

Frederick replied, squinting his eyes and looking over to his friend, judging his thoughts.

"This place was always dirty."

"It's been sixteen years, Fred, give me a break!"

Rex replied sarcastically. The three of them are then approached by the guards.

"Hey! Did you not see the TV, there's an ale-"

"Barry, are you blind?!"

Oliver Amell said, stopping Barry Gustin mid-sentence and pointing at the Commanders.

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't recognize any of you!"

Barry exclaimed, putting his hands in the air, and making Oliver roll his eyes.

"You didn't recognize your own gear?"

Rex asked, emerging from the back and into the spotlight.

Barry and Oliver were left stunned at the sight of their missing Commander.

"Holy..."

Barry uttered before getting excited.

"I KNEW YOU WERE STILL ALIVE! I KNEW IT! IN YOUR FACE, OLLIE!"

"Hey! I didn't! I-I..."

Oliver exclaimed, trying to defend himself before seeing his Commander raise an eyebrow.

"Okay... I did think you were dead... I'm my defense, that was a big explosion and nobody saw you leave!"

"We'll talk about this later."

Rex said with a grin on his face as the three Commanders began to move.

"Come on, let's go back to the base."

After a nostalgic walk through the old town, the resembled Splat Force made their way back to their old base under the wooden shed. As the lights flickered on, they were all greeted with a wide, but empty room. Training displays and stationary equipment were gone, all that remained was the stage at the far back.

"Wow... this room is bigger than I ..."

Rex whispered, overwhelmed.

"We did have to put everything away, so I guess that counts for something."

Barry replied.

"I guess so..."

Rex said as he, Frederick, and Alyssa all walked to the stage and sat down.

"Look, you two need to know why it is we're here-"

"We're next?"

Oliver guessed loudly. Rex went silent. The remaining Majors could see the pain on his face.

"I figured... Henry and Oscar kicked the bucket, we might as well be next."

Frederick cleared his throat.

"If this continues, then it won't be long until the rest of us are hunted. I'm not just talking about the Commanders, but also the Rookies, and maybe even our families."

He said before thinking about his kid.

"When word broke out about Oscar's murder, my son, Drift, was still at the mall with a couple of his friends, one of whom was Oscar's nephew."

"Zane, right?"

Oliver asked to which Frederick nodded.

"Yeah. Drift said his Mom took him home, leaving him and Ami, his best friend. I called him and told him to come home, thankfully he came back in one piece after Ami's sister dropped him off. He was scared. He asked me if I would be next, or if he would..."

Frederick paused mid-sentence, closing his eyes and sighing as his head faced the ground. Rex patted him on the back.

"Thankfully, Oscar's daughter is alright, she's staying with her Uncle, Aunt, and Cousin's place, which happens to be in this very town."

"Sounds like we have a lot at stake here, Commander."

Oliver said. He and Barry looked at each other, both feeling the pressure.

"Yeah, no squit."

Frederick uttered before detailing the plan.

"This needs to end tonight. If our predictions are true, then the killer should be here tonight. Unlike Henry and Oscar, we'll be ready for it. It's risky, and if things go wrong, we could all die, but we have to fight back!"

"So, we're finally getting some excitement in our lives, Ollie?"

Barry said. The two Majors smiled at each other before both gave the other the v-sign.

"I'll stay on the lookout."

Alyssa told them before standing up.

"If they come, I doubt they'd be expecting a gifted Octoling with them. Might take them by surprise."

"Just stay safe for me, okay?"

Rex said, he too stood up.

"I will... I love you."

"I love you too!"

Rex replied before sharing another kiss with his wife.

"ooOOoo!"

Both Barry and Oliver said in unison.

"Come on, you two!"

Alyssa said with a smirk as the three of them headed for the elevator, leaving Rex and Frederick alone.

"I hope this works, Fred."

"Me too. Otherwise, I'd be forced to stay indoors forever, and frankly, I've just gotten out of retirement, I don't plan on going back in!"

Frederick replied, determined to win this ongoing conflict.

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

It was pitch black outside. Barry, Oliver, and Alyssa all stuck together on the road just outside of the old Shed.

"You know, the last time we've had this much action was sixteen years ago during the Gifted Wars."

Barry told Alyssa.

"And so you've told me in the countless times we've seen each other, haha!"

"Say, if you ever need help finding the red-haired man, me and Ollie would happily lend a hand, right bud?"

"Uh..."

Oliver thought out loud. Unlike Barry, Oliver had the misfortune of encountering that very man on the cliffside many years ago, hence the hesitation.

The sounds of their surroundings began to grow louder and louder with time, making Alysss nervous.

"Guys, keep your heads up! I have a bad feeling about this!"

Alyssa said, tightening her clenched fists, preparing for an attack.

Oliver held up his Splattershot, feeling good that he could finally put it to good use after all the years of showing it off on display. Barry kept his weapon up high too. It wouldn't take too long for action to follow, however.

"Ugh!"

Alyssa grunted as her body began to feel cramped.

"Hey Cosmo, are you feelin-"

Barry asked before stopping mid-sentence after Alyssa was lifted from the ground.

Alyssa's arms and legs were slowly turning against her will. Alyssa fought back, using every ounce of strength to not fall to the might of whatever it was that held her. Luckily, due to her enhanced strength from being gifted, combined with her indestructible willpower, Alyssa was able to fight it off, leading to her being sent flying off into a car, triggering an alarm.

Worried, both Barry and Oliver looked around each other, pointing their respective Splattershots all around... nobody was there apart from them, or at least that was how it appeared to them...

Both men looked at each other, face to face, confused. All of sudden, a hooded figure appeared from behind Barry and latched on to the back of his head. Their sudden appearance took them by surprise and neither of them had time to react. The moment Oliver took notice, the figure put two fingers against their head and disappeared.

"Where'd they go?!"

Oliver yelled, looking all around him before facing his friend, who looked stiff.

"O-Ollie... g'ah!"

Barry cried out as the hand holding his Splattershot slowly began to rise to his head. He tried to fight back, but the force was too strong.

"Barry! No!"

Oliver tried to run forward but the same thing holding Barry and Alyssa in place now held him, stopping him from moving.

Against his will, Barry aimed his Splattershot at his own head. A tear fell from his eye, knowing what was gonna happen next.

"S-Stop t-them for m-"

B A N G ! ! !

"BARRY!"

Oliver cried out as Barry's body dropped to the floor. At last, he and Alyssa were free to move. No longer held against the car, Alyssa ran to Oliver, who kneeled by his friend's side.

"N-No..."

Alyssa covered her mouth, feeling as though she was about to be sick. Oliver looked up with anger in her eyes, standing up whilst the Splattershot shivered in his shaking hands. Whilst Oliver started pacing around, waiting for the killer to strike again, Alyssa kneeled and closed Barry's eyes.

Suddenly, it happened again. Alyssa's body began to feel tight and clenched. Of course, Alyssa tried her hardest to fight back like last time, but the grip was stronger. Having enough of it, Oliver began to spin around whilst blasting away, screaming in rage.

B A N G , B A N G , B A N G ! ! !

B A N G , B A N G , B A N G ! ! !

Though the first five were duds, the sixth one hit the killer, stunning them as they let out a loud yelp, dropping their invisibility and turning to Oliver. Alyssa was dropped to the floor. Seeing the killer up ahead, Oliver managed to get a couple more shots in.

B A N G , B A N G ! ! !

Both shots hit the killer's chest, causing them to cry out in pain. Before Oliver could get any more shots, the killer raised both of their hands, lifting him up. After closing their hands together, the killer let out a scream as they separated them, ripping Oliver in half.

With Oliver now dead, the killer fell to their knees and covered the shot wounds with their hands. Seeing the killer weak, Alyssa got back up and ran past them to try and get to Rex and Frederick, knowing that they couldn't get any further.

The killer tried once again to take down Alyssa, though their grip had weakened, causing Alyssa to break free easily and blast them with an energy beam from her hands.

Down below, both Rex and Frederick were on edge after hearing the gunfire. They rushed to the elevator door and saw Alyssa come out.

"The police have been called. They shouldn't be too-"

Frederick said before being interrupted by the stressed Octoling woman.

"Barry and Ollie are dead!"

"What?! What happened?!"

Rex asked.

"The killer's an empath! They grabbed the back of Barry's head and made him commit suicide using his Splattershot. A-And for Ollie, he got ripped in half after being lifted from the ground!"

Alyssa's story was what put the pieces together. Henry's mind collapsing, Oscar having Knives and Forks thrown into him, and with what happened with Barry and Oliver just then, Frederick came to a conclusion.

"Alyssa, do you know if Kamala Sabrina had any offspring?"

"She did, a little girl? Why do you..."

Alyssa asked before it hit her.

"You two stay close!"

Frederick said as he walked to the elevator. Rex and Alyssa looked at each other with fear in their eyes. They too were thinking the same thing.

After reaching the top, Frederick lead the charge, walking straight outside and greeting the killer just ahead of him. Rex and Alyssa stood side by side. They both agreed to engage only if things escalated.

The killer had dropped all of their defenses. No invincibility, no telekinesis, nothing. Frederick now stood six feet from them.

"I know who you are. I know what you're here for."

Frederick said, but the killer remained quiet.

"Your mother was Kamala Sabrina, right?"

"About time you figured that out, Commander..."

The killer answered, pulling down her hood to reveal a twisted Melissa Sabrina. Her skin was as pale as a vampire, her violet hair was down on both sides and not braided. Her eyelashes were thick and blended in with her eye shadow.

"My name is Melissa... I'm here to avenge my mother!"

"Melissa! Please, you have to understand! Terrador killed your mother, not us!"

"LIAR!"

Melissa screamed, now holding Frederick in place. Alyssa's fists began to glow, Rex rushed to her and held her back, shaking his head, signaling her to stand down. The pair then looked back at what was happening before them. Melissa began limping over to Frederick, one hand holding her wound.

"You think I didn't see you? Standing over her body?!"

Melissa then held against Frederick's head, making him relive her memories from when she was a toddler, hiding under her mother's bed at Colley Village, hearing explosions going off, followed by the cries of her mother.

"I heard my mother scream and cry after an explosion. I was scared for her. I needed to see if she was okay. I stayed in hiding for a few more minutes until everything quietened."

Melissa told Frederick, taking him back to the battle of Colley Village and what happened with Kamala.

"A part of myself kept telling me to stay hiding, to not come out, it felt like a force pulling me back, but I pushed through and came out the closet. I rushed to the window and there I saw you standing over Mom's corpse!"

The visions began to change, this time showing what happened next, from Melissa pushing her abilities to the fullest, to tracking down of the team and seeing Henry on the news.

"Henry was easy to track, all I saw was a news article about him being a guest at the Squid Sisters' News Of The World, and boom, tracked him down and finished him off..."

She said as the visions shifted to her looking through Henry's drawers and finding a list for the survivors, including Oscar.

Oscar was hard, I had to look in Henry's own supplies to find his number. I traced it down to his home and finished him. I then tracked down the other two, which led me here to you, the man who killed my mother! And now, I-I'm gonna kill y-"

Melissa stopped speaking. Her hand was still on Frederick's head. She began seeing visions, visions of Frederick's point of view. After knocking Kamala down using Splat Bombs, she saw Kamala beg Frederick for her survival, and to Melissa's surprise, he showed mercy... until Terrador came and disposed of her himself.

As the visions came to a close, Melissa began crying, dropping Frederick and falling to her knees. Frederick kneeled in front of her, holding her shoulder. Police sirens were heard from the distance coming closer and closer.

Rex and Alyssa ed Frederick as he cuddled the dying young girl in his arms.

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

"I know..."

Frederick whispered back, wiping Melissa's tears as she ed away from his wounds.

As the police arrived at the scene, they saw the carnage that had unfolded with Barry and Oliver before noticing the three Commanders. The police were mostly shocked to see Rex Allen in the flesh, who greeted them with a somber nod.

Wanting her to truly rest, Frederick closed Melissa's eyes, allowing her to sleep and for her spirit to rest. At last, the crisis was over, but at the cost of five lives, one of which being a misguided young girl.

T H E F O L L O W I N G N I G H T . . .

Squid Sisters' News Of The World was back on the air, this time with all three Commanders as the guests.

"After revealing herself to me, Melissa showed me everything, from her witnessing the death of her mother to plotting against us, to tracking us all down. She was a misguided young lady, but that doesn't excuse her actions."

Frederick said as he finished the explanation.

"With Melissa taken care of, it is now safe to go outside. You don't have to follow the broadcast protocol anymore. I understand that you were all afraid, and I'm sorry we couldn't do anything sooner, but everything's safer now. That's all I can really say about that."

The production team all began to clap for the Commander on behalf of the empty audience, an audience still isolating.

"That's wonderful to hear!"

Marie said before moving on to the final topic.

"Commander Allen, since coming back into the spotlight, many people have been theorizing about where you've been. Would you like to give the people some insight?"

Frederick nudged Rex's arm and gave him a nod, Rex then looked to his left, seeing Alyssa's look of approval. He took a deep breath before explaining.

"Near the end of the Gifted Wars, I spoke of my desire to lay low and live a peaceful life, a simple life. After Terrador went down and the war ended, I thought I was able to do just that. I see now that with everything that's happened, I shouldn't have, and for that, I am sorry."

Rex explained, taking another pause before going on about the next Chapter.

"Going forward, me, Fred, and Alyssa have decided to bring back the team. The world needs heroes, especially if it's for someone like Terrador, or Melissa Sabrina, or even the mysterious red-haired man. We'll be training new recruits, training up to be what we couldn't be. It'll take time, but eventually, we'll make it, and the Splat Force will go beyond the Gifted Wars. If any threat comes our way now, we'll be ready, and we won't hold back!"

Everyone in the studio went wild, not only was the production time clapping and cheering for their heroes, but even the Squid Sisters' themselves were. Frederick patted Rex's knee, and Alyssa kissed him on the cheek. They were in a new era now, a better era for everyone.

1 W E E K L A T E R . . .

Rex, Alyssa, and Frederick walked around the small forest at the back of the base looking over the new recruits. Brave men and women from across Inkadia had signed up. They already had twenty new Rookies to train.

They wore new gear, the same material and protection used, but with an updated design courtesy of Rex and Alyssa, with the women now having a unique design to the men as opposed to looking identical. In addition, Alyssa now had a blue scarf, signaling her full official turn into a Commander like her husband and Frederick before her.

Amongst the new recruits was Emily Rogue, who ed the team to honor her father. The three Commanders decided to check in on her. She was aggressive with her training dummy, punching it repeatedly in the face and kicking it's groin.

"That's a bit aggressive..."

Alyssa said, though her comment went unnoticed by Emily, who pinned the dummy to the ground, sat on its face, and began aggressively bouncing her butt on it like a trampoline before loudly ing gas on it. Though Rex and Alyssa were disturbed, and grossed out by her ways, Frederick had a different reaction.

"Hahaha! I like this one!"

Frederick said with a chuckle, surprising his fellow Commanders and gaining the attention of young Emily. Frederick kneeled next to her and gave her some inspiring words.

"You have heart, kid, I'd say you're the most committed one of the recruits. You can go very far. You just need to slowly down a little, and use the bathroom before combat, and you'll be golden. Your father raised a fighter, a good fighter."

Those were the words that Emily always needed to hear. She smiled at the Commander, looking up at him with pride, feeling proud to be his new student.

"Thank you, Commander!"

Emily exclaimed happily. Frederick smiled at the girl and winked at her. At long last, Frederick had finally developed a soft side with the recruits, a sofa side that both Rex and Alyssa had before him.

("Anyone can be a hero. Whether it be saving pets from trees, or stopping a fight, or even doing something as simple as being there for someone during a hard time, you can be a hero.")

At the end of the day, as all the recruits went back home, the trio of Commanders all walked through the gates of the now active Bluegill Town, talking amongst themselves about a few of the recruits... that was until danger came their way.

Up ahead, a flame ring had opened up, and out came the red-haired man, Bolton Vulcan, who stared down the Commanders, specifically Frederick Evans. Bolton readied his blade, preparing for his long-awaited face-off. Rex looked to his fellow Commanders with a smirk.

"Shall we?"

("And if there's anything the world needs...")

Frederick looked at Rex and Alyssa, he too now had a smirk on his face as he faced Bolton up ahead.

"Yeah, we shall!"

("It's heroes...")

The three of them ran forward at Bolton, who had also begun running at them at full speed. Alyssa leaped into the air and prepared an attack from above whilst Rex and Frederick stayed on the ground and readied their weapons. Apart, they would stand no chance, but united? They're unstoppable.

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 third Chapter of What If...?: A Splat Force Story! I hope you enjoyed that thrilling mystery! Did you guess who the killer was? Let me know in the comments below! Next week's Chapter will be a tragedy based on Splat Force II: Allegiance. If you want an idea of what it is, go back to the deleted scenes post of that story and you'll find it. If done right, I feel like the next Chapter could end up possibly being the best of this story, so stay tuned for that! Until next time, stay safe out there! ^^

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