Chapter Text
It only takes thirty hours of reaching and exploring the surface of Inkopolis before Agent 8 decides to return to the Deepsea Metro. Don't get him wrong, he loves Inkopolis with his recently freed soul and heart, and he's barely scraped the surface of all the possibilities Inkopolis has to offer. But there's some unfinished business underground he has to complete.
Aboard the Deepsea Metro, he catches sight of Cap’n Cuttlefish, who waves the octoling over with his cane. Eight is wary for a moment before taking hesitant steps towards him.
“How’s it hangin’, Agent 8?” Cuttlefish starts to rap, waving his hand in his face. “Now that you're free, you don't have to stay here- there's so much to see!”
Eight explains that he's here to regain the rest of his memories, and Cuttlefish pulls out a guilty face.
“Yeah…” Cuttlefish’s rap dialect is gone. “I apologize for that. Since I sent Agent 3 after you, I'm partly to blame. Although Tartar seemed to be the real threat…”
Eight nods, fists clenched and panic rising at the mention of Three. Cuttlefish takes notice and tries to reassure him.
“Don't worry, I sent Three on patrol for a couple of days. I figured it'd be best to keep some distance between you two due to your... past interactions.”
Eight opens his fists and thanks Cuttlefish silently.
“Besides, you can never be too careful when it comes to protecting Inkopolis!” Cuttlefish stands and strikes a pose. “We are the New SquidBeak Splatoon, you know!”
The New Squidbeak Splatoon… The term swims around Eight’s head.
“Speaking of Inkopolis,” Cuttlefish continues, “Surely you've had your fun up there since we escaped this place. Tell us about it!”
“Inkopolis does sound pretty fascinating,” Iso Padre chimes in, “From what Cuttlefish tells me. I'd like to hear more about it.”
So Eight tells them everything he can remember about the surface. He describes how colorful the streets are, about the posters and videos scattered across the city announcing new weapons and gear. He mentions how diverse the people in Inkopolis are, inklings and jellyfish filling the place, sea urchins and shellfish sealing deals by the minute. He explains all the comparisons he's made between inkling and octoling culture, from the technology to the tunes to the tattooed art on the buildings.
“Sounds like a beauty,” Padre nods. “The promised land truly is something amazing. Even now, I wish I could see it.”
When Eight gets off the Deepsea Metro to participate in another test, he makes a mental note to take pictures of Inkopolis for Iso Padre. He'll make it a surprise, for an amplified response.
Over the next few days, Eight completes test after test, adding more mem cakes to his collection, all while pleasing both Iso Padre and CQ Cumber. In time, Eight warms up to Cuttlefish as well. He's even learned to tolerate his freestyle raps.
At some point, when Eight is close to regaining all his memories, Cuttlefish invites him to a party, and Eight raises his eyebrows in question.
“It’s more of a social gathering between the agents of the Splatoon,” Cuttlefish explains. “We don't wanna leave you alone and confused when we go back. Inkopolis is a lot more fun with friends!”
Eight agrees. The number of inklings in the huge city overwhelms him.
“And try not to be too scared of Three, yeah? He’s actually a nice kid. Though I fear all the missions I've sent Agent 3 on have made him isolated from others… He’s just a tad cautious, is all. I feel you both could use a friend.”
Agent 8 nods after a while. He won't make any promises, but he can at least say that he put in effort. He agrees with Cuttlefish on one thing; being scared of Agent 3 wasn't doing him any favors.