"Okay! I'm all rested up, so now it's time to do one more level!" Kai sprung up out of the seat and pulled out his C.Q-80, "Poppin' Fresh Station? That seems pretty fun! I just have to ride the different rails and pop the balloons, right? That'll be easy!"
Kai selected the level, and selected the hardest weapon available, the splat charger. He then walked up the the gate and slid in his card into the slot, and rushed into the test.
"Alright, let's show these balloons who's boss!" Sliding on to the jump pad, he popped the first two balloons. "I'll be done with this super quick! I don't see why this is- OW!" A feeling of pins and needles entered his feet. "What the- what was that?!" Looking down, he wasn't able to see anything but the void.
In the blink of an eye, he was once again at the start, "Ow! Ow, Ow, Ow! What was that thing!?"
"Those were Octo Washers," Pearl remarked.
"Why were those things there?! How do you avoid them?!"
"Woah! Slow down, dude. You just have to jump over them."
"But I'm not good at jump-"
"No kidding! MC Princess, out!"
"Pearl wait- I think this might be a little more challenging than I....thought..." Kai stood there for a moment contemplating, but he knew he had to do this level.
Kai leapt onto the railing once more, popping the balloons as he went. Spotting an Octo Washer in front of him, he jumped into the air. His feet scraped against the inside... and he was put back at the beginning.
"Okay....huff- this-huff- is it! I will do it-huff - this time!"
Kai took a deep breath and jumped onto the rail and popped the first four balloons easily. The Octo Washer he remembered lurked a few feet away from him.
"Okay! I got this!" He used all his might and landed on the other side. "I did it? I did it! Oh my cod, I did it!"
Just as he started to celebrate, he whipped his head around and he spotted another Octo Washer in front of him, just about to his feet.
"Oh no-"
Before he could react, he feet his cramp up, and he yelled in agony as he fell into the void.
He once again went back to the beginning. Kai fell on the ground in exhaustion. He could feel his feet throbbing, and a warm liquid starting to cover the inside of his boots.
He dropped his weapon, "I can do it. I-I have to." Kai wiped his arms across his face, leaving his face dry, "Okay Kai, you got this..."
Kai slowly got up off the ground, feeling the weight of his body being held up by his feet which made them throb. He walked back over to the jump pad and was launched into the air and onto the grind rail.
Pop! Pop! Pop! The first few balloons were finished, and he avoided the first few Octo Washers. His heart pounded and his feet throbbed, but he managed to put a smile on his face, even if it hurt. His eyes darted towards the next Octo Washer in front of him. A hurtful sensation washed over his feet as his toes skimmed over the Octo Washer. He spotted his new enemy in front of him, and held his breath. The last balloon flew on top of it. As he jumped, his feet screamed in pain.
I'm not doing this again, he thought, his body being flung towards the balloon. I'm not doing it! it was almost as if it was in slow motion. He saw the balloon in front of him, he charged his charger and Bam! He shot his ink at the final balloon, and It was finished.
Kai swayed from side to side as he entered the subway car. Specks of dust clouded his vision as he crashed onto the floor. Captain Cuttlefish and Niki lay next to each other, on either side of the car, sleeping without a care in the world. He dragged himself up on a seat, wincing as he felt each step.
The subway car was silent except for the slight clacking of wheels on the tracks beneath the floor. His eyes closed and ignored the liquid still seeping from the soles of his boots.
He lay there feeling every moment of his body, even his breathing was slightly painful. He lay there his face stuck to the bottom of The seat as his eyes slowly drifted shut. Resting was the only thing he needed right now...