[A/N] Still trying to get through some of these requests! Here's another one from my good friend Chris PH (and also sort of from my other good friend, InsomniousNights).

Michael belongs to InsomniousNights.

Tori dashed through the ink covering her side of Bluefin Depot. The team was losing ground, and she had to help gain it back. They weren't doing too well.

She popped out of the ink in the center of the stage and started taking back the turf that was claimed by their opponents. She made sure to avoid the enemy team's charger; the girl was a crack shot like Tori had never seen before.

In fact, all four of their opponents were dangerous in their own way. Tori would've preferred to just stay away from them, but she knew her team couldn't necessarily handle them, so fight she would.

In fact, the one wielding the Slosher was coming her way. This would be a perfect opportunity to get a splat under her belt. She hid in her ink until the guy was close…

When he was close enough, she dashed out of her ink. As she was aiming her weapon, she accidentally slammed into him and fell backward on her behind. Dammit, she thought.

She looked up and got a quick glance at his face before he splatted her.

What she saw stunned her as she was returned to her base. It stayed in the back of her mind until the end of the match, and the score was tallied.

Unsurprisingly, Tori's team lost. "Better luck next time," one of her teammates muttered. She wasn't really listening. She was trying to get a good look at the Inkling with the Slosher.

As it turned out, she didn't have to. He approached her first. "Hey," he said with a little grin. "You weren't half bad out there."

She didn't say anything. The boy kept talking.

"So, uh… I haven't seen an Octoling around here before. Are you new in town?"

"I've lived in Inkopolis for about a year and a half now, actually," Tori replied. She kept her tone neutral. His eyebrows went up.

"Oh, that's cool," he said casually. "By the way, I'm-"

"I know exactly who you are, Agent 3," Tori interrupted. She couldn't help a bit of venom seeping into her voice.

Agent 3's expression sobered a little. "Well, my name is Michael."

"Don't care," Tori said. "I've got nothing to say to you." She turned to leave.

"Hey, hey, hold on," Michael said. He fell in step beside her. "I don't know what your problem is, but-"

"My problem?!" Tori asked. "My problem is that you slaughtered too many of my friends and allies to count! You're the reason no one ever came back! And I don't want a damn thing to do with you!" She shook a little, and tears pricked the corners of her eyes. "Just leave me alone!"

Tori didn't realize that she started shouting until she saw the looks of those around her, and she ran off. Michael found himself staring after her, a little dazed from what just happened.

{asterisks}

Jake had a party in another part of town, so Tori found herself alone in the apartment when the phone rang. She picked it up on the second chime. "Hello?"

"Hello, Miss Tori," said a voice. She recognized it as Michael's.

"How did you- what did- how do you know my name?" Tori sputtered in surprise.

"You're in the Turf War League," he explained. "It's all public information. Setting up squads, you kn-"

She didn't let him finish, and slammed the phone in his ear.

Less than a minute later, it rang again. She picked it up once again, a little more warily. "Hello?"

"That was pretty rude, y'know," Michael protested. "I just wanted to-"

She slammed it again.

It didn't take much longer for the phone to ring once more. She ignored it, and walked over to Jake's little portable speaker to put on some music – some old human band that Jake liked. She could never remember their name – Baboons? Macaques? Some kind of animal she'd never seen.

The phone eventually stopped ringing, but Tori kept the music on anyway. She only turned it off when there was a knock on the door, and, guessing that it was Jake, she went over to open it.

That should've been her first clue, she later realized. Jake had his key on him and he would've let himself in.

As it were, she opened the door and saw him yet again.

"Y'know, you should really try to remember your manners," Michael drawled. "Most people hang up the phone after they're finished talking."

Tori stared at him in disbelief, and moved to close the door. Michael stopped it with both hands.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I wanna talk to you," he said. "I know some stuff that you should hear!"

"And I don't wanna hear it!" Tori told him. "Shove off or I'll make you!" She couldn't quite get the door closed, and eventually it swung open again.

"So will you talk to me yet?" he asked.

"Answer some questions first," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "How did you get my address?"

"When you ran off earlier, this is the direction you were heading in. I just put two and two together and came up with four." He grinned a little. "Didn't know which apartment you were in, though. I had to do a bit of trial-and-error on that one."

Tori wrinkled her nose.

"So, as I was saying," Michael continued. "I've got some information that you need to know."

She narrowed her eyes. "Fine. You might as well come in."

He watched her with a sly grin. "I thought you didn't want anything to do with me."

"Yeah, well, people talk," she replied. "I don't want anyone seeing you hanging around the doorway for too long."

Michael's mouth quirked, and he stepped inside and took a seat on the couch. Tori watched him, and took a seat on the chair opposite him.

"So what's this important information you've got?" she asked coldly.

He pulled a folded little piece of paper out of his pocket and passed it to her. "You should probably read it for yourself," he said. "I couldn't do it justice."

Tori stared at him for a moment, and took the paper. She unfolded it and something immediately caught her eye. "That's the Octarian Army insignia."

"My friends and I did a bit of a raid a while ago," Michael said. "Long story. But that's one of the things I found."

Tori started reading the paper. Her eyes got wider as she got further down the page.

"No way…" she whispered. "This can't be true…"

"But it is," Michael replied.

"That's impossible… if… why wouldn't anyone tell us?"

"My theory is for propaganda," Michael said.

"But how can working respawn pads be used for propaganda?"

"Think about it," Michael told her. "If you think everyone's dead, then that'll generate more hate for the Inklings, and make more ruthless warriors. Right?"

Tori thought about that for a moment. "So everyone's still alive? That's what you're telling me?"

"If they're gone, I know I didn't do it," Michael said truthfully.

"Okay, but…" Tori drew in a shuddering breath. This was a lot to take in. "What about the power crisis in the valley?"

Michael's smile faded. "Well…"

"They might… they might still be gone," she said.

Michael stared at her for a moment. She was thinking hard.

"Well, the solution is obvious, isn't it?" she said, more to herself than him. "I have to go."

"Go?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I have to find out what really happened," Tori said. "For myself."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, you can't just go in there by yourself," Michael protested.

"You're right."

Their heads snapped toward the doorway.

"You're damn right," Jake said. "I'm going with her." Tori grinned.

"Don't count me outta this either," Michael said.

Jake crossed his arms across his chest. "And why's that?"

Michael got up off the couch. "Because I know you could use a little extra firepower. They might not be able to hurt your girlfriend here, but she can't hurt them either, and I know the Octarians have some damn good shots. Like it or not, you'll need someone to watch your back." He jabbed his finger against Jake's chest.

Jake stared him down for a second.

"Face it, big guy," Michael told him. "You need me."

Jake's eyes narrowed. "Fine. But if you aren't in Octo Valley tomorrow at eight in the morning, we're leaving without you."

Michael's mouth crooked up in a grin. "Consider it done. I can get some friends in here too. The more, the merrier, right?"

Jake shook his head. "Not happening. This is an infiltration mission, not an invasion."

"Gotcha, boss-man," Michael said. "Tomorrow, I'm coming alone." He rushed out the door. Jake watched him leave before turning back to Tori.

"We can do this," he said confidently. "We'll get in and out and nobody will even know we were there."

"Shouldn't you be saving the pep talk?" she asked with a grin. "We aren't heading out yet."

"I know that. But raising spirits never hurt anyone. Now c'mon, we need to rest up."

[A/N] What is this? A multi-chapter story? I still do those? Apparently. Last time that happened was over a year ago, but hey, apparently it still happens.

I'm not exactly sure where this one is going to lead, actually. I'm just gonna write and see where this takes me. It should be fun.