Splat Force: The Gifted; Chapter 9

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W E L C O M E ! ! !

"This is Nomad! Back with you guessed it, more Splat Force: The Gifted!

Last time we saw our trio in Drift's when someone made an entrance. How did that end for them?

This chapter is going to be a shorter one. Well without further ado, Let's find out what happens now!

(This Chapter has been Remastered)

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(Previous Chapter)(Chapter Hub)

C H A P T E R 9 : O N T H E R U N

It was him. Bolton Vulcan stood at Drift's front door. The young boy took several, quivering steps back.

"You're him..."

Drift stuttered. Bolton stayed silent, glaring into Drift's eyes. His blade remained in its scabbard, though that didn't take away any ounce of fear that Drift felt seeing him.

Panicking, Drift dashed to his front room and slammed the door shut, panting heavily. He held against the door with all his strength.

"Are you okay?"

Ami asked, raising an eyebrow. Before Drift was able to speak about what was going on, Bolton's ignited blade was jabbed in the middle of the door, and the sound of melting followed behind it.

The blade slowly withdrew as the wooden door started to melt. The door glowed a bright orange whilst it started turning into a thick, burning liquid. Upon the melting, two red menacing eyes with white pupils looked into the room. Inevitably, the door melted to the ground and Bolton walked into the room. Drift was cornered as he ran to the side of his friends. Ami held on to his arm and buried her face in it.

Zane backed up into the right corner. He realized who they were up against.

"You're that man from all over the news! You're-"

"Stop talking! I'm not gonna hurt any of you. You three will live as long as you stay out of my way."

Bolton growled, silencing Zane before looking directly into Drift's soul.

"It's your father that I want. Where is he?"

"Wh-What do you want from my-"

"Your father led the charge against my home. He and his team took many lives. I'm here to seek justice for them!"

Bolton explained, taking two steps forward, making all three kids cower in fear with them now pressing themselves against the back wall.

"Bring your father here. I'll make it quick for you, don't worry..."

Suddenly, Bolton paused and tilted his head to the melted living room door, sensing danger. Moments later, a light blue energy beam was blasted at him. Though he sensed the attack coming, he wasn't fast enough to deflect it.

The three kids ran out of the way as Bolton was sent flying against the wall. Stepping through the living room door was the same Octoling woman who had met with Frederick earlier that day. She wore the same gear, gear that Drift was familiar with.

"That gear! You're-"

"Get out of here, you three! I'll distract him!"

She exclaimed, her firsts began glowing light blue. Like the red-haired man who rose to his feet before her, the Octoling woman was also gifted.

Complying with the Woman's orders, the trio all ran through the living room door, though they made steady movements to not get burnt by the damage. Meanwhile, the woman stared into Bolton's eyes.

"I haven't seen you since the Gifted Wars. You were foolish to side with them!"

"You've taken innocent lives! I'm not gonna let you hurt these kids!"

The woman grunted.

The two Octolings faced off, both charging at each other. The woman fired another beam, this time at Bolton's blade. As he was busy shielding the blast, she went in for an attack.

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

The first punch landed on his right cheek, stunning him for a split second and allowing the woman to go in for another punch to his nose, making him step back to reel in the pain. The woman then blasted at Bolton's left arm, forcing the blade out of his hand before leaping in for a knee to the face. However, unlike the punches, Bolton resisted. The red-haired man grabbed the Woman's knee, forcing it down the floor before going in for a punch to the chest.

S L A M ! ! !

The punch sent her flying back against the wall, the weight of her body caused a dent. She groaned after falling onto her legs, reeling in the pain as Bolton towered over her. Bolton reached out with his left arm, seconds later, the blade flew into his grasp.

Bolton stepped closer to Alyssa, looking to finish her off. Knowing that the kids were still out there on the run was enough to motivate her to fight back. Using her right arm, she blasted another beam at Bolton, holding him back as she slowly got back onto her feet. Whilst still blasted, she grabbed a Splat Bomb from her belt, activated it, and threw it in Bolton's way like a grenade before running out of the room.

Noticing the Bomb by his feet, and knowing it was too low down to slice in time, Bolton shielded himself in a shield of fire using his right hand.

B O O M ! ! !

The living room was in ruins after the blast. The furniture had been torn apart. Windows were smashed, the couch was on fire, and the walls were cracked, though Bolton remained unharmed. As the dust finally settled, Bolton dropped his defenses. The woman was far gone now.

Bolton thought about chasing after and finishing her off. It wouldn't take him very long, after all, he nearly had her just then. However, another thought came to mind, Frederick Evans, he was at his home. He thought that if he waited until he returned home, he could be face-to-face with him. After making his mind up, Bolton wiped the dust from his robes and sat down on the floor, crossing his legs together, putting his hands on his knees, and closing his eyes.

Meanwhile, the three kids had reached a small park only a few blocks away. They each climbed up a climbing tower in the playground and hid inside it.

"What was that all about?!"

Zane asked in alarm, trying to catch his breath. Ami sat in the corner in a ball, arms folded around her legs that her head was buried in. Drift sat next to the girl and spooned her.

"I have no idea! What did he want from my Dad?!"

Drift asked out loud before giving Ami some comforting words.

"Shh! It's okay, Ami, don't be scared! We've got you!"

"Yeah, what did your Dad do?!"

Zane asked before an even more important question sprang to his mind. He stopped looking outside and turned to his friend.

"W-Who even is your Dad?!"

"That's a personal matter, Zane! That's not something I'm ready to share!"

"Well you're gonna have to share because that Bolton guy is now after us! You can't keep secrets like that from us, especially now!"

"I'm not sharing that with you, Zane! I've just met you! Why would I give away my big secret to someone I've just met?!"

"None of that matters right now!"

"BOTH OF YOU, STOP!"

Ami screamed, not wanting her friends to fall out, especially under these circumstances.

Both Zane and Drift fell silent, realizing that the small argument they had was only adding to the pile of stress.

"I'm sorry..."

They both said in unison, to each other and Ami.

Zane went back to looking outside the tower. His entire body was quivering, both from the adrenaline and the cold. Eventually, someone walked into the park, their face was unidentified because it was too dark. Zane saw the person and hid behind the wall, thinking it was Bolton.

"I'm not him, don't worry! You three can come out now!"

The Octoling woman assured. The three kids were at ease now they knew it wasn't Bolton, but none of them were familiar with the voice.

Zane stood up and walked over to the entrance of the climbing tower as the woman came to the light, revealing her long ocean-like blue hair.

"And how do we know if we could trust you?"

He asked, feeling very cautious.

Drift and Ami stood up and walked to the entrance to get a close look. Drift still had one arm around his best friend. Upon seeing the woman, the first thing that saw was her gear.

"She's wearing Splat Force gear."

He told Zane. He then brought it up with the woman.

"You're wearing Splat Force gear?"

"Yes. I fought alongside them during the Gifted Wars. Rex Allen found me after a battle. He and I saw eye-to-eye, we both wanted peace. I ed the Splat Force to help bring that peace, and now the time has come once again."

The Woman explained before turning her full focus onto Drift.

"I fought alongside your father against Terrador. He's a great fighter."

"Fought alongside his what?!"

Zane asked, though his question got ignored.

"Do you know anywhere that is safe for us?"

Drift asked.

"I do. Come, I'll take you there."

She told them. Drift let go of Ami and jumped down, Zane, who was more hesitant of the woman, and had many questions for both her and Drift, ed him at the bottom of the climbing tower. That just left Ami, who was still scared. The woman slowly approached her, offering her hand.

"It's okay! You're safe with me!"

Ami looked back and forth between the Woman's hand, her blue eyes, and her comforting smile. Ami smiled back at the woman before grabbing her hand. The woman helped her down. Now that all the kids were down, the woman began to walk out of the park. With nowhere else to go, nor anywhere else to turn to, they followed the woman.

"What's your name?"

Ami asked, looking up at the woman.

"I'd prefer to keep my real name a secret until I've gotten close enough with people. In the meantime, I'm happy for you three to call me by code name: Cosmo."

She told them.

"That's a very pretty name!"

Ami complimented, making the woman smile.

Though Ami liked the name, Zane felt confused about it.

"I'm sorry if I'm sounding rude, but that's an unusual name. Where did you get it from?"

"That's a story for another day."

Cosmo answered as the four of them crossed the road.

"Cosmo..."

Drift said, thinking out loud.

"My dad brought up that name once during a bedtime story."

"I'm in bedtime stories... I'm honored!"

She whispered to herself.

They approached a bus stop and waited for the bus to arrive. Not long after, the bus had arrived. Cosmo got on the bus and paid for herself and the three teenagers. The four of them sat down at the back of the bus as the vehicle began moving.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Zane asked, grabbing Cosmo's attention. The blue-haired woman smiled and nodded, giving him the approval.

"You said that you knew Rex Allen, do you know if he's still alive? I've heard some stories about him and there hasn't been a definitive answer on what happened to him."

"He might be, he might not be. After taking down Terrador, he just disappeared. He was last seen getting up close with Terrador. That's all the world knows."

Cosmo answered.

Zane wasn't satisfied with that answer, but he just had to accept it. However, another question was on his mind, one that he turned to Drift for.

"So... your dad. Who exactly is he?"

At this point, Drift knew that it was easier for him to just spill the beans, especially with Zane now knowing that his father fought in the Gifted Wars. However, he had a feeling that his father was gonna get involved sooner or later, he thought it would be easier for Zane to physically see him.

"I'll tell you when it's safe."

"Fine..."

Zane groaned as he started staring at the window.

Whilst looking at the reflection, he saw both Drift and Ami sitting next to each other on the double seat opposite him. Ami had fallen asleep in Drift's arms. Though he didn't understand his feelings, seeing Ami peacefully sleep put him at ease. To him, she looked cute, especially with her warm bobble hat and red hoodie keeping her warm.

1 H O U R L A T E R . . .

After two separate bus journeys, one to the bus station and the next to their desired location, they arrived at their destination at last. The four of them got off the bus and each thanked the driver. After looking around, Zane was shocked to see that he was in his hometown.

"Bluegill? Why are we at Bluegill, I live here!"

Zane questioned. It then took a few seconds for it to hit him.

"Oh... never mind, I know why we're here!"

"What are you talking about, Zane?"

Ami asked as the four of them walked down the pathway towards the gate.

"The old Splat Force base is here. You'll be staying here until it's safe."

Cosmo explained.

The last three words that Cosmo said urked the young girl.

"How long will that be?"

"I don't know, love..."

Cosmo answered with a quiet sigh.

The four of them walked through the gate. After ing through, they were met by the two guards. They were about to ask for ID until Barry saw who it was.

"Cosmo, you're back?!"

Cosmo smiled at the guard's surprise.

"I'm here because I need access to the base. These kids need a safe space for the night."

"Safe space? What's going on?"

Oliver asked.

"They had a run-in with Bolton."

She informed. Both Barry and Oliver looked at each other, both didn't know what to say.

"The base is the only place that they'll be safe."

"Right..."

Oliver whispered, tightening his grip on his Splattershot.

"Me and Barry will stay out here on patrol. It's time for us to finally do our job..."

"Hell yeah!"

Barry exclaimed. His demeanor then dropped as a haunting thought came to his mind.

"Wait, does Bolton know you're here?"

"He doesn't, but just in case he somehow finds us, you two need to be ready to fight."

Alyssa told them.

"Of course! That asshole killed our friends. If he comes, we'll be ready for him!"

Oliver said determinedly before turning to his friend.

"Right, Barry."

"Of course, dude!"

Barry said before giving his friend the v-sign, to which Oliver did the same.

"You four can go! Stay safe, okay?"

"We will!"

Cosmo told them before turning to the kids.

"Come on!"

The four of them walked through Bluegill Town. Zane stared down his house as the four of them walked past it, wishing for him to be waking up in his own bed and for all of this to be a bad dream. Eventually, they reached the old base.

"Well, this is the place."

Cosmo informed them. Cosmo led the group inside of the shed and was surprised to see how deserted it was. She cringed from the cobwebs and the foul scent. She noticed that the bookshelf was already open with the elevator button out in the open. Cosmo pressed it and waited.

At last, the elevator doors opened. Cosmo looked at the trio and titled her head upwards, telling them to come with her. All four of them managed to get into the elevator. After twenty seconds, the elevator finally opened once more revealing the wide room that was the old Splat Force base.

"Oh wow!"

Ami exclaimed as she began running around the open room.

"Pretty big, right? I think Rex once said that this base was once used as a bunker during the Great Turf Wars. Pretty impressive how this base went through two different wars within a century."

Cosmo explained to Ami before getting back to what she was going to say.

"You three are going to have to stay down here for the night. Don't worry, any negotiations with your parents and legal guardians will be arranged. I just need to know each of your names. Drift, I already know you. I will let your father know about this as soon as possible. Now that just leaves you two."

"My name is Zane Miller"

Zane answered. It was then that another question came to Zane's mind.

"By any chance did you know someone named Oscar Rogue?"

"Of course! He was one of the founding of the Splat Force and one of the six Majors!"

Cosmo answered.

"He's a good man. Why do you ask?"

"I'm his nephew."

"Really?! I can see some resemblance, now that you say that!"

She exclaimed, making Zane chuckle before moving on to Ami.

"What about you, young lady?"

"My name is Ami Stewart."

Ami answered

Cosmo looked at Ami after hearing her surname. Her face started to show sorrow like she knew someone with a similar name. She managed to quickly shrug it off.

"Okay then. Zane and Ami..."

She whispered as she wrote their names down.

"So what should we even do?"

Drift asked, already sounding bored as he sat on the chairs by the bar.

"Stay here, keep yourself occupied till I get back."

Cosmo instructed as she walked over to the elevator.

"Wait, where are you going?"

Ami worryingly asked.

"I'm going to find Commander Evans."

She answered as the elevator closed once more, leaving the three teenagers to themselves.

"Wait... does she mean Frederick Evans? Like, THE Frederick Evans?!"

Zane asked.

"Yup!"

Drift answered. Drift being quick to answer, combined with what he learned about him through Cosmo caused Zane to start connecting some dots in his mind.

"Well... what now?"

"I guess we just wait to see if Cosmo comes back."

Zane answered, giving him the obvious answer.

"No squit, genius!"

Drift replied sarcastically.

"But what if Bolton finds us? We are just helpless kids with no weapons or fighting skills..."

Ami panicked. Seeing Ami stressed out made Zane feel awful.

Wanting her to feel better, Zane hugged her.

"Don't worry, Bolton isn't going to find us here..."

He assured her.

The hug made Ami feel safer and better. She wrapped her arms tightly around her friend, feeling thankful for him.

"Thank you, Zane!"

"No problem! If you need anything, me and Drift are here for you!"

Zane assured her as they pulled out of the hug.

"Yeah, what he said!"

Drift said as he ed the rest of the group.

"We should probably try our best to stay awake for as long as possible for if in the event we fall asleep and he finds us. If he finds us asleep, then we could be in trouble.

"Good idea!"

Ami exclaimed before energetically running around the place to try and find something.

"Does this place have any board games?"

"I don't know why this of all places would have a board game, but it's worth a look."

Drift said, making the three of them chuckle as they all began to look around the base for any sign of entertainment.

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 latest chapter of Splat Force: The Gifted. After next week's Chapter, we will now be halfway through the story already, so stay tuned for that! Until next time, stay safe out there! ^^

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