The TV roared with the recent news, the popular singing duo covering live, as they always did.

"Another bomb explosion has gone off near Moray Towers. Thankfully, the towers are still standing, but the shopping center nearby can't say the same thing. Emergency responders are still trying to find and fish out any survivors from the wreckage."

The TV was showing the live recording of smoke and dust rising in the air from the explosion in the city, sirens blaring from police cars, fire engines, and ambulances alike.

Callie continued, "No reports on the whereabouts of the suspect have come in, but we hope that they are found soon."

Marie nodded. "In the meantime, Moray Towers is shut down for turf wars and ranked battles alike until further notice. We'll be sure to let every squid know once it's open for battle again. We hope that every squid is safe and that the terrorist behind these recent bombings is found soon."

He shut the TV off, sighing heavily in frustration. From the kitchen, his fiancée called, "What tragic news this time, Dear?"

"Another city bombing, this time near Moray Towers."

"Oh my! Are they still standing?"

"Yeah. but shut down for battles. No casualties recorded as of yet."

She sighed. "Let's hope the number remains at zero."

Nabooru, for that was the woman's name, walked out from the kitchen. She eyed her fiancé in worry. Tragic events like such had been going on for a while, now, and it was worrying both of them... especially him. His attitude had become far less carefree and easygoing since they started.

"Ganon, Dear, there's nothing that you can do about it."

"We should be able to do something!" He snapped, standing up and turning to face her. "People are being killed out there because some messed up kid is running free and causing trouble. It's costing the city millions in cash to repair the damage, and we're just sitting in our homes not doing anything but going out and fighting each other every month just for bragging rights!"

She sighed. "I know it sucks to feel so helpless, but we can't do anything. I'm sure that the SSCI will find and catch them eventually."

"Eventually?" He repeated in disbelief. "That could be years from now. By then, half the city will be destroyed at the rate these are happening. What happened to the days where people actually cared about one another and got along instead of fighting over whether marshmallows or hot dogs are better, or fighting over which shoes look best with which shirt, or literally going out and destroying entire buildings and putting people's lives in danger?!"

She walked over to him, grabbing his hands and holding them tightly. "I know it's frustrating, but you need to calm down. I don't like seeing you so upset and angry."

He sighed, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated."

"I know." She jumped forward, wrapping her arms around him. "I love you."

Smiling, he hugged her back. "I love you, too."

Weeks passed.

The apartment building shook violently, immediately waking the two up, followed by the sound of a dying explosion. Looking to each other in worry, the two threw off their bedsheets, running over and pushing the glass doors open, running onto their apartment balcony. Around them, many others did the same, looking to the sky in the distance. Smoke and fire rose up as the one office building several blocks down slowly started to crumble, glass shattering and falling to the ground. Steel beams broke apart and dislocated from one another as the entire building came crashing down. As it collapsed, they could see hundreds of office workers from the building super jumping out of the broken windows to safety. They could barely see the moon through the thick smoke rising from below.

In the distance, ambulance, police, and fire sirens could be heard blaring through the dark city.

Rushing inside, Nabooru immediately grabbed the TV remote, turning the TV on to the news. Ganondorf quickly followed her inside, watching from the doorway.

"Another city bombing has occurred, this time at the base of the Firefin company headquarters, just a mile from Inkopolis Plaza," Marie announced.

"Emergency responders are heading there now," Callie continued, "but while it seems that everyone inside was able to super jump to safety, the office building didn't get to see the sunshine again."

"That's a lot of cleaning up to do," Marie noted. "Do you think it's the same person who keeps doing this?"

Callie shrugged. "Seems likely, at this point. For all we know, though, it's a whole gang trying to cause trouble."

"Those workers are going to need to rebuild that tower fast if they want to get back to work on one of the top turf war brands," Marie noted. "Either way, I hope the culprits are caught soon. This is getting out of control."

"I agree. If anyone has any details on the culprit, be sure to alert the Squidbeak Splatoon Criminal Investigation society so that they can catch the perpetrator."

Nabooru sighed. "We might have to move to the country at this point. I don't feel safe living in the city anymore."

Behind her, she felt her fiancé walk up, wrapping his arms around him and placing his chin on her head in an effort to comfort her.

"What if the next bombing is our apartment building? We might not have the time to escape!"

"Hey," he called. "They only seem to be going for large establishments and companies. We're safe."

She shook her head. "I don't feel safe. We should find a place in the country and live there instead so that we don't get bombed, or killed, or..."

"If anyone touches you, they'll answer to me," Ganondorf assured her. "We're safe."

"But I don't feel safe..."

He sighed, not arguing with her anymore.

Several hours passed before the sun began to rise over the horizon. The events from the night before kept the two awake the whole night, Nabooru cuddling her fiancé while Ganondorf laid still, thinking about everything that had been happening recently. Why were they doing this? Why go after innocent civilians? A game? A dare? The man sighed while his fiancée got up from the bed, leaving the room.

He got up from the bed and walked out to the kitchen, seeing Nabooru holding a shaky cup of coffee. "Babe, it is going to be alright," he said as he took a seat across from her. He looked at her with golden eyes filled with worry and protection. "No one will attack us, I promise."

"I just..." Nabooru sighed and looked away. "...I don't feel safe here anymore. I just don't. Ever since the first attack, I hoped and prayed it was all just a sick prank. An accident, even, but more and more just keep happening. I just don't feel safe anymore. It's not safe here."

"Nothing is going to happen to us."

She shook her head. "You're just saying that. You know as well as I do that we can't stay here."

Not saying anything else, he just took her hand, holding it tightly, sighing deeply. Something had to be done, but what?...

A month passed. Another bombing, and a breakin at Sheldon's famous shop, having stolen much of his gear stock and vandalizing the test facility in the back. It was as if they had almost hit rock bottom, and couldn't come back up. To make matters worse, it seemed like the SSCI wasn't even trying to do much to stop it.

Nabooru sat up, hearing commotion from downstairs. She looked to her side, seeing that her fiance was absent from their bed. Curiously, she stood up off of her bed, walking downstairs into the kitchen. On the table sat a plate of her favorite dessert, clearly just bought for her, with a note attached to it. Picking up the note, she read it, before looking to the apartment door. It was slightly ajar.

She dropped the note, running through the doorway, to the front apartment desk. She talked to the clerk before darting outside of the apartment complex. She saw a trail of footsteps from a puddle left behind from the rainstorm the previous night. Following the trail, she eventually found her way to the town's plaza. She looked up, the Great Zapfish still powering the tower. Looking back down, she looked to the right of the tower, seeing exactly who she was looking for.

"Ganondorf!"

He whipped around to face her. Nabooru ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!"

"Wha- how did you find me all of the way out here?"

"Your footsteps are unmistakable, especially when you step in a puddle and leave a trail behind you!" She snapped. "Why did you come out here after leaving me a farewell cake and a note that only said I love you?"

"I..."

"Well?" She snapped aggressively. "Spill it, babe!"

He shook his head. "Society is too far gone! Haven't you seen everything going down? No one's even trying to stop it! They report it, they stop the fires. That's it. No extra security, no government help, nothing."

"Okay, so society sucks. That doesn't explain why you're all the way out here," she said, tears in her eyes. "You really scared me with that note..."

He sighed, kissing her forehead and wiping the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay. I'm not going to sit idly as all of this shit keeps happening all over the city. I have to do something, and I know what's going to be."

"And that is?"

He shook his head. "I can't tell you. You wouldn't want to come with me, anyway."

"Ganon, what's gotten into you?" Nabooru asked. "FIrst you run away without saying goodbye, and now you can't talk to me? What's wrong with you?"

He snapped suddenly, "Yes, I am running away! I can't live with these rotten squids anymore! I'm joining the other side. Maybe they can help us force society to start over."

Her eyes widened in terror. Did she really just hear that? Was he really defecting to their top enemy?...

"No, no no no, Babe, you can't do this," she begged. "Please, they'll kill you!"

"Not if I tell them I'm joining their side. They were right; we're all immature idiots who need to start over."

She shook her head, grabbing his wrists, as tears fell from her eyes. "No, this isn't the way! You can't; I won't let you!"

His eyes suddenly darkened at her, grabbing her waist as he stood above the drain grate. "And I won't let you tell anyone else about this."

"Wha- Babe, no! What are you-!..."

The two disappeared through the grate below them. And then everything was silent.