Work Text:
Another day in Inkopolis, the yellow green inkling opened his eyes, slowly sitting up. He had glanced around his room, before looking towards the bathroom. He slowly staggered to the bathroom to put his contacts in. Problem is.. he couldn’t find them! When did he get so clumsy? Probably when his team decided he needed a break after the metro.. He quickly opened up the case that held his glasses, putting them on. Guess they’d have to do. He got himself ready, doing his usual morning routine, getting dressed and ready to head out.
“Why am I even out here today..? The team hasn’t made any plans for us in a week, all we’ve been doing is training. And yet, I’m still going out to our usual meetup area.” He complained in his head.
He grabbed a drink and walked out the door. He was walking to the train station, thinking about how his day would play out. It was gonna be a long ride…
He’d been sitting on the train, mind wandering..
He couldn’t feel anything, it was all numb, cold. Freezing, even. Sitting on a train to nowhere, with other cephalopods that had sported the same teal green as what he thinks could be his eye. He couldn’t see, he couldn’t breathe. The only thing he was focused on? Killing whoever stood in his way, until they were reduced to nothing but a puddle of yellow green ink. Ears ringing, the muffled pleas of other squids and octopi begging to not be hurt.. followed by cries of pain. What was he doing? Did he do that..?
His teammate, Stealth, who’d been riding on the train with him for whoever knows how long, had sat next to him.
“Hey, Rider? Hellooo? Earth to Rider!”
Rider exhaled a breath he didn’t know he was holding, looking like a deer in headlights.
“Hey, Stealth.”
Stealth had a weak smile, lifting the night vision goggles from his eyes.
“You look like you saw a ghost, are you alright?”
Rider stared at Stealth, his eyes bored into him without noticing. He was admiring Stealth, it seems.
“Rider? Are you listening??”
The octoling had a slight frown on his face, Rider had never been this.. absentminded.
“Oh— Yeah. What’s up?”
“Are you alright?”
Stealth reiterated, his head cocked to the side like a confused dog.
“Yeah, I’m alright. Just.. thinking.”
A look of partial relief washed over the octarians face.
“That’s good.”
He smiled warmly, as the train came to a halt. This was their stop— Inkopolis Square!
The two walked together through the bustling crowd, spotting the rest of their team.
Bamboo and Blazer caught sight of the boys, Blazer was quick to wave out to them.
“Hey!! Guys, over here!”
Blazer had her famous smile on her face, she seemed happy as usual today.
The two were standing outside Blazers apartment building, in the shade.
The two approached the girls, who had cold drinks in their hands to fight off the heat.
“How do you two wear long sleeves all the time..? Jeez it’s blazing hot out here— I’m even in a t-shirt!”
Bamboo questioned them, their attire was different from normal, a t-shirt and slides.
Blazer was in a white polo and tie, with her makeup done in aqua blue today.
Meanwhile, Stealth was just in his goggles, with his usual hoodie unzipped with the sleeves pulled up.
Rider had been in the same outfit they see him in every day, seemingly unaffected by the heat.
“Say, it’s hot out. How about we go inside? I have A/C!”
Blazer offered, as they all nodded in agreement.
As they walked inside, they all sat down in Blazer’s bed, they noticed how quiet Rider had been.
“Guys, let’s take a pic!”
Blazer said, trying to lighten his mood.
Rider stared into the camera with a hint of fear in his eyes, his head was pounding. He could feel the vertigo.
Three, you know what you’re supposed to do. Kill them, they’re in your way..
“No.. stop. Get out of my head, I don’t care!”
You hold all this potential, and you still hang around these buffoons? Grab something and put them to sleep, Three.
“I won’t, just.. get out of my head!!”
He yelled by accident, his voice hoarse.
Rider quickly covered his mouth, while also trying to cover his ears.
“Rider?! Dude, are you okay?!”
Blazer exclaimed, seeing him fold over a bit.
They all looked at him, trying to figure out what was wrong..
“Hey, Rider. You’re doing the thing again.. Calm down.. They can’t get you up here.”
Stealth reassured, a small smile on his face as they all hugged him.
“He’s out to get me. I’m gonna get blended!”
“No, you’re not gonna get blended, Rider. It’s a part of your imagination. That thing died, didn’t it? You have nothing to worry about.”
Bamboo shook him a bit, looking at the way his hands were balled up so hard that his knuckles were white.
“You’re gonna be okay! That telephone jerk can’t get you from here! And if he does, we’ll help you!”
Blazer took her shot at making him feel better, feeling his muscles tense up..
“You can’t help.. you’ll all be killed! He’ll— he— he’ll turn you guys into more of his mindless soldiers!”
Bamboo shot a look at Blazer.
“Now what made you think the “if” would make him feel better?? That probably worsened the paranoia!”
Blazer chuckled, raising her hands in mock surrender.
“I didn’t mean to! It’d make me feel better so I thought it’d work!”
They sat in silence for a bit, slowly moving him into a lying position..
They were all intertwined with one another, all cuddling together.
Riders breath had evened out, the warmth and comfort of his teammates had calmed him down.
Stealth slowly reached and took his glasses off, seeing his dark eye bags.
“You can sleep, y’know..”
Stealth whispered.
They all smiled a bit, watching their captain slip off into the dream world. They all soon followed suit.
The entirety of the team had slept through the afternoon, enjoying one another’s presence.