Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was dead into the late hours of the night… well, as far as the screens on the fake sky would say. Somehow, a dim light still managed to shine through a barred window which led into a small room. Lying underneath it was a lone Inkling. His purple hair was tied back, but one lock of hair on down on the side of his head.

A door slid open and two figures walked into the room and approached the boy on on the ground.

“Get up!” a harsh voice said, as the boy was awakened with a harsh kick to the chest. The Inkling squirmed, feeling the air get knocked out of him. He gasped for air while grabbing his chest and stared up at his captors… a pair of Octolings.

“Okay! Let’s go!” the Octoling boy said, walking out with his partner. “You’re being transferred to a new cell. Now, I don’t wanna clean squid guts off these walls, so you’d better get the heck out here!”

The boy grasped the wall, finding the strength to stand on his bare feet. He stumbled into the hallway and Octolings harshly grabbed him, dragging him down into another part of the facility. If the slowed down even a little, they’d harshly push him forward.

“This is the one,” the Octoling girl said, approaching the cell at the next cell block.

The boy’s new cell had a bed and even a table. He walked in and the Octolings slammed the door behind him. The sound of it made him jump and turn around. He could hear the soldiers chuckle a bit.

“I’ll admit, it’s a lot nicer than your old cell,” said the Octoling. “So enjoy it, but don’t get used to it! You’re being taken to a new place tomorrow, freak!”

The Octolings walked off, chatting with each other. The boy collapse onto the bed. He couldn’t think about anything, but how tired he was and immediately fell asleep. Even though there was a blanket, it was still freezing in the room, but that was still the least of his troubles…

An Inkling peeked from behind a crate. Her gray hair was covered with a hat and a mask covered her mouth and nose. She wore a green outfit and a pair of black boots. Through a scope she zoomed in on an Octoling patrolling in a tower.

“Agent 2, can you make the shot?” said a voice.

Agent 2 nearly dropped her Splat Charger at the sound. She turned to her partner, another Inkling girl. She had two black locks of hair that were long enough to almost reach the ground and was tipped with pink. A violet colored beanie was on her head with a matching outfit and black boots. She had a pair of shades to cover her eyes.

“Not when you’re talking so loud, Agent 1…” Agent 2 whispered.

“Oh! Sorry!” Agent 1 said, hiding back behind the box.

“We gotta stay quiet, remember?” Agent 2 took aim with the scope on her Splat Charger.

She held her breath, steadied her aim, and locked onto the Octoling. And she fired. It splatted the Octoling instantly.

“Got him,” Agent 2 said, quietly.

The Agents were now free to run around the perimeter of the building. They hid behind crates to hide from the guards on patrol and made their way to the back.

Agent 1 found a ladder and put it against the wall, so they could climb onto the roof. They could have just shot ink on the wall and swam up the wall, but they didn’t want to leave a trail that they were here. The two ran across the roof and busted in through a trapdoor.

Once they landed on the floor inside the building, they found themselves in an armory. Agent 2 ran up to the only Octoling in the room.

“Put your hands up!” Agent 2 said, harshly.

“What the?!” the Octoling said, raising his hands.

“Now hand over your keys!” said Agent 1.

The Octoling handed over his keys. Agent 1 happily took them. Then she bashed him over the head with a roller. He hit his head on a metal cabinet and was out cold.

“Thank-you!” Agent 1 said, cheerfully.

“My cod!” Agent 2 said, looking around. “The cap’n wasn’t joking!”

“They’re just weapons! That can’t-”

“This many, Agent 1?” She yanked Agent 1’s arm to make her partner face her. “This has to mean something! We gotta look around some more so we know where to set the charges.”

Agent 1 unlocked the door and they ran down the hallway. They checked every corner to avoid patrols. Octolings and Octarians were scattered around everywhere. They memorized the path they took and found themselves in a cellblock.

“What is this place?” Agent 1 whispered.

“Looks like a place for prisoners…” said Agent 2.

Suddenly, the two agents could see the whispers of prisoners as they approached the bars. To their horror, they were were fellow Inklings like them. The two agents backed up against each other, staring in horror.

“Okay… I guess the cap’n was right…” Agent 1 said, looking around.

“Forget blowing this place up,” said Agent 2. “We gotta help them.”

“This many?!”.

“It’s like ten prisoners,” said Agent 2. “And we could use the extra help. They can’t take us all. We just gotta stay quiet.”

“Okay,” said Agent 1. “Well, I’ve got the key…”

Agents 1 and 2 ran to every cell and unlocked them to free the Inklings. They grabbed whatever they could to use as a weapon, but they had to remind them to stay quiet.

Agent 1 opened the last cell and went in to find an Inkling boy asleep on a bed.

“Hey!” Agent 1, said tapping the boy on the shoulder.

The Inkling boy jolted up to a sitting position and tried swatting away Agent 1 in fear.

“Hey!” Agent 1 said, covering her face.

The boy pushed her away and made a run for the door. Luckily, Agent 2 rushed in and grabbed him before he got out. She pinned him against the wall, but he wouldn’t stop kicking and screaming. Agent 2 was forced to cover his mouth.

“Are you trying to get all of us splatted?!” she snapped.

The boy tried to break away but the Agent’s grip was too strong. As soon as calmed down, Agent 2 let him drop to the floor. He grabbed his chest and opened his purple eyes and saw the ones standing before him… were Inklings like him.

“We’re trying to help you,” said Agent 1. “Don’t you want to get out of here?”

The boy looked at them. Clearly he was still shaking, but he shrugged.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” said Agent 1.

“Agent 1… look at him!” said Agent 2.

The two took notice of all the scars and bruises he had. The boy stayed still, feeling scared and embarrassed.

“You’re scared, aren’t you?” said Agent 1.

The boy nodded, wiping his eyes.

“Well, don’t worry!” Agent 1 said, cheerfully. “We’ll make it! It’s that or my name isn’t-”

“Agent 1!” Agent 2 snapped.

“Um… Agent 1?” Agent 1 said, finishing her sentence.

“Oh… right…” said Agent 2. “Anyway, let’s get going!”

“Right!” Agent 1 put her hands on hips. “Let’s go, kid!”

Agent 1 grabbed the boy by his arm and pulled him outside without warning. The Inklings raced down the hallway and took out any Octarians that got in the way. After they set the charges in the armory, they made their way outside when the alarms started going off. The agents guided the Inklings towards a way back to Inkopolis.

“Get out of here!” Agent 1 yelled, as Octarians started rushing outside. “Run! We’ll hold them off!”

The Inklings made a run for the teapot that led back to the surface. Agent 1 flicked her roller, launching ink at the enemy and Agent 2 was providing supporting fire.

The Inkling boy followed the others towards the exit, but turned around to see Agents 1 and 2 getting pinned down by incoming fire. They were running low on ink, but if they stopped shooting, they’d be splatted. Agent 2 managed to splat on of the Octolings. His weapon flew through the air and landed at the boy’s feet. He wanted to run. They had told him to… Finally, he felt a fire he had not felt in so long. He grabbed the gun and charged in. The Octarians were taken by surprise, getting shot from the side by a rallied up Inkling.

“What’s he doing?!” Agent 2 said, shocked.

“Saving us! That’s what!” said Agent 1. “Reload! Quick!

It had been so long since the boy last held a weapon. He felt so empowered. He ducked under a shot and beat down the shooter. A bomb flew towards his face, but he caught it and threw back his opponent. It hit the Octoling in the face and while he was distracted he shot him down. Agent 1 and 2 wondered what the heck made his mood do take a complete opposite turn.

Suddenly, the boy was shot down by a direct hit on his shoulder. He screamed out in pain and spun around before falling onto his knees and dropping his weapon. The Octoling who escorted him before came up and struck him in the chest with the back of his charger. The boy fell flat on his his back and rolled onto his side, clutching his shoulder and his chest.

“Well, isn’t this disappointing…” said the Octoling.

The boy coughed several times. He saw the weapon in front of him and reached for it, but the Octoling shot him in the leg. The boy screamed out in pain as tears came down his eyes.

“You were so well-behaved before…” said the Octoling. “I honestly thought I wouldn’t have to splat you, but… whatever…”

The Octoling raised his charger. The boy covered his face in fear. Suddenly, the Octoling was splatted by another charger.

“Kid!” Agent 2 yelled, as she and Agent 1 rushed over to him.

Ink was seeping out from his shoulder and leg. Agent 1 applied pressure to the boy’s wounds. The tried to pull away but Agent 2 held him still.

“Easy!” said Agent 1. “We’re trying to help you!”

“Forget it!” said Agent 2. “Let’s just take him with us! More could be coming!”

“O-Okay!” Agent 1 said, trying to stay calm. “Wait! What about-”

“I’ll explain it to the Cap’n!” said Agent. “Now, come on!”

“Alright! Alright!” said Agent 1.

Agent 1 one lifted the boy off the ground. He cried out in pain, but it was a bit quieter.

“Hang in there, alright?” said Agent 1. “You can scream all you want, but don’t pass out.”

Agent 1 got a head start on the way back. Agent 2 followed behind to cover them. Once they were far enough, Agent 2 pulled out a button and pressed it. The charges set off and an explosion occurred in the building before they ran back to the surface.

The boy was barely conscious by the time they got back to the base. Agent 2 opened the door and they ran into the main room and shut the door. Agent 1 set the boy on the floor and slapped him.

“Stay awake!” Agent 1 yelled. “Stay with me!”

The boy let out a soft moan his eyes were barely open. Agent 2 ran into the back and got the first aid kit. Once she got back, Agent 1 held the boy still while Agent 2 grabbed a needle and stitched his wounds shut. They boy gritted his teeth, trying to get up and break away, but Agent 1 held him down. He was muttering something they couldn’t quite understand while grabbing his chest.

Agent 2 let out a heavy sigh when she finished. Agent 1 gave the boy a pat on his wrist to let him know he was fine.

“Try not to move,” said Agent 1. “It’ll hurt less if you stay still.”

“Urgh… St… Stop… him…” the boy muttered softly through the pain.

Agent 1 and 2 exchanged glances.

“Who?!” said Agent 2.

The boy tried to reach out his hand, but then he limp. Agent 1 covered her mouth.

“He… He spoke…” she said, softly.

“Don’t worry,” said Agent 2. “I think he just passed out… So much for answers…”

Agent 1 stared down the hall and then also the couch.

“We should let him rest somewhere… I’ll tell the cap’n what happened.”

Agent 2 glanced around.

“Well… there’s always Agent 3’s room…” said Agent 2.

“But-” Agent 1 tried to say.

“What?!” said Agent 2. “It’s not like Agent 3 is using it… the jerk…”

Agent 2 bandaged the boy’s wounds before carrying him down the hall to Agent 3’s old room. Agent 1 watched them go, dancing with the emotions that had flared up in her heart.

The Octarian forces still at work… The squidnapping of Inklings… Agent 1 saw only one thing to do…

“I’ve gotta find Agent 3…” Agent 1 muttered. And she went into her room.

Chapter Text

The skies were covered in dark clouds. A slight chill hung over the Marooner’s Bay. Standing by the shore was one little Inkling with short orange hair. She made sure her rubber gloves and boots were on right, and adjusted her hat. Then she rebuckled her orange rubber overalls.

A charger hung on her back, and a Splattershot was on her side. She turned around to face the recruits. All three of them were wearing the same outfit as her, but they all had different weapons.

“Anemy?” said one of the recruits.

The leader turned to look at her.

“What is it, Coral?” said Anemy.

“O-Oh! S-Sorry!” said Coral. “I mean Captain Arowana?”

“Yes?” said Anemy.

She hesitated to say what was on her mind, but the fact that her Luna Blaster was shaking said it all.

“It’s okay to be nervous,” said Anemy. “Just remember your training and you’ll be fine.”

Gill gasped at the sight of something. Anemy turned around took notice of the incoming fog.

“The fog will impair our vision, so stay sharp,” I said.

Gill pulled out his Splattershot Jr. and Char had a Carbon Roller The group stood close with their back to each other, as the fog grew thicker.

Then, out of nowhere, a big Cohock jumped at them, the fog making it but a silhouette in the distance. The recruits gasped in surprise and fear, but Anemy did not falter. She raised her charger and took out in a single shot. The other Inklings watched as the Salmanoid died and orange ink fell on the ground.

More of the Salmonoid troops began to come from the shore.

“Get them!” Anemy ordered. “I’ll get them from the high ground.”

The recruits nodded and did as they were told. Char headed in first and crushed the common Chum. Then he noticed something at his feet, but he got out of the way, as Coral threw a bomb. The Maws emerged from the ink, devouring the bomb and making it explode. Char rolled out the way of a Scrapper and shot it down from behind. A three Inklings froze when the saw the enormous Steel Head making its way onto the shore. Steelheads were slow, but devastating if left unchecked. Luckily for them, Anemy had made it to a high point. She raised her charger as it summoned a bomb on it’s head and shot it down, the explosion splatting the Steelhead.

The recruits had to get the eggs they dropped back to the basket. The golden ones, dropped by the boss Salmonoids, that shined even in the fog, were the top priority. Anemy stayed on the abandoned ship, providing covering fire, while they got the eggs to the basket. It seemed to be going well, but Anemy refused to let her guard down.

Cohocks began to come from the shore in armies. They were coming from all sides.

“Coral! Char!” Anemy yelled. “Take the cannons!”

As Coral and Char swam in their ink to rush to the turrents, Anemy took a deep breath, trying to keep her fear at bay. Then, with her Splattershot, she dove into the into and swam towards the fray to help Gill. She jumped out right in front of a Cohock and splatted it right in the face and dashed around, splatting any that got close. Missile shot from the turrents, providing support. Gill shot around in a circle, but they were getting closer. When they were to close, Anemy jumped into the air, and slammed into the ground with Splash Down. The Cohocks were taken out in the explosion of ink.

The battlefield grew silent. As Anemy caught her breath, the others made haste to bring the golden eggs back to the basket. Though, she could tell the others were on edge, too.

It happened suddenly! A flurry of missiles shot through the air, forcing everyone to scatter. Armies of Salmonoids and bosses came onto the shore, overwhelming the team. Anemy found herself dodging Scrappers and narrowly escaping an explosion from a Steelhead that caused her to drop her weapon and fall to the ground. She then froze as she saw the mothership approaching.

“Anemy!” Char yelled from afar.

“I need help!” Coral cried.

“Help us!” Gill yelled.

The cries of her comrades grew faint as what she saw were no longer Salmonoids and their weapons, but the sight of her worst nightmare. Nightmares she thought she left behind… Her right hand reached around, enemy ink stinging her like acid. She couldn’t surrender! She couldn’t be weak! She can’t!

Anemy reached for her charger and immediately sprang to her feet. Hair glowing, she held out her special weapon at the mothership.

“NO!” Anemy yelled, as she open fired with a stingray. The firepower was enough to cause an explosion, big enough to wipe out the remaining Salmonoids.

The shore was once again silent, covered in orange ink. The Mothership had been sent flying towards the horizon. Anemy was on her knees. Her arms felt like jelly.

“Anemy!” said a voice.

Anemy quickly stood onto her feet as the recruits caught up with her. The world was spinning, making her stumble, but she tried her best to hide it.

“Why didn’t you use your specials?!” Anemy said, angrily. “We have them for a reason! If I hadn’t pulled out my Stingray, we’d all be splatted! You know how Mr. Grizz feels about crew wipes.”

The recruits took Anemy’s words like a slap to the face.

“W-We’re sorry…” Coral said, sadly. “We’ll get better.”

Anemy gazed at the empty battleground. Golden eggs were lying around for the taking.

“...Just… get those eggs to the basket,” I said. “The boat should be here soon.”

“Yes, sir…” the recruits said.

Anemy’s crew swam off in their ink to get the eggs. Anemy retrieved her Splattershot and walked alone in the rain towards the shore, trying to let the sound of it falling sooth her fear. Luckily for her, the boat was drawing close to the shore. As soon as it docked for them, they loaded the eggs onto the ship and were on their way back.

Salmonoids tended to try and attack ships sometimes to steal the eggs back, so Anemy and her crew took turns keeping watch through the night.

Anemy was feeling better by the next morning. She was finally heading back to Inkopolis after a lot of time at sea. She awoke in her hammock, in the employee quarters to the sound of the radio..

“And that’s it for today’s weather,” Anemy heard on the radio. “Now onto today’s news. Inklings that have been reported missing have suddenly been found, as mysteriously as they disappeared. Sources say that each recovered Inkling has reported the same thing regarding what happened to them, but authorities have declined to say anything until they have put all the Inklings under psychological evaluation.”

Anemy looked out the window and saw Inkopolis in the distance. The sight of it made her mouth drop a little, and let out a heavy sigh…

Chapter Text

An Inkling boy awoke with a start. The memories of his dream lingered in his mind. He took a minute to let the scenery around him calm him down. The leaves on every tree were a pure dark green signifying the end of a long summer, and soon, the start of fall. He sat under one of the trees, wearing a striped t-shirt, and pair of brown shorts with many pockets, with matching colored sandals.

“Bass!” said a voice.

Bass turned around and his hazel eyes looked on to the Inkling girl nearby. Her hair was mostly short except for one lock that hung down to the left. She wore a flowered skirt and her eyes were colored purple.

“Did you have that dream again?” she said, concerned. Her voice was gentle.

“Don’t worry about it,” Bass said, adjusting his boater hat. “Why didn’t you wake me up, Cici?”

“It seemed like you were tired, so I let you be,” said Cici. “Don’t worry I finished the work for today.” She gestured to the many fruit baskets near her. “And all the Zapfish have been fed. You can make up for it by helping load everything on the truck.”

“Oh, okay…” Bass said, rising to his feet.

Bass got all the baskets of produce over to the truck and loaded them in the back. The sun was already setting, but Bass hoped they would get everything to the warehouse before it got dark.

Cici decided to take the wheel, so Bass just sat in the passenger seat. He just saw the scenery as she drove through Ceviché. They went past the neighborhood, the plaza where people liked to hang out, and the many small shops. At least Bass could wave to the other villagers as they drove by. Then he became distracted by something on the radio.

“Blushing faces covered in pink! Rushing bombs, exploding ink!”

Bass grimaced at the music.

“Ugh, can I change the station?” Bass said, reaching for the dial.

“What?!” said Cici. “That’s that single from the Squid Sister! I think it was Calle?”

“Sorry…” said Bass. His hands gathered in his laps and they balled up into fists. “I’m just… more of a Wet Floor fan.”

“Fine...” Cici said, sighing. “Have at it! It’s not like I can get distracted about what’s on the radio right now.”

“I’m glad the orchards managed to give us one more harvest before summer ends,” sai Cici.

“...I think fall is gonna be easy,” said Bass. “It’s gonna start getting cooler! Air conditioners aren’t gonna break down everywhere anymore and no more of that stupid curfew telling us when we can turn them on.”

“Well, we’ve gotta save power,” said Cici. “All those Zapfishes can only power so much… At least there’s those fall festivals to look forward to!”

Bass lean back on his seat. A smile grew on his face. It was one of things he like about living all the way out in sleepy, peaceful village.

“I guess…” he said, with a sigh.

“Well, we’re almost at the warehouse,” said Cici. “Once we get everything there and we can go home, maybe we can figure out what to dress up as for Splat-o-ween.”

“You’re right!” Bass said, jolting up. He started laughing at the thought.

“What?” Cici raised a brow, briefly glancing at her friend.

“It’s just… this is gonna be my first Splat-o-ween… regularly,” said Bass. “Or are going to parties?”

“A little of both.” Cici tapped her fingers at the wheel. “Hopefully, Vichay will be back to celebrate with us…” She frowned a little, but then shook her head. “But, what do you mean, you’ve never celebrated regularly?”

Bass leaned his head against the window, a hand on his arm.

“Well, back in Inkopolis, I-”

Bass and Cici both jumped at the sound of a loud of booming noise. Suddenly, the truck began to swerve. Cici harshly turned the wheel the opposite direction and slammed the brakes, but the truck crashed into the warehouse wall and everything went black for the two Inklings.

Bass awoke a few minutes later. It seemed the air bag managed to save them. As he sat up, he felt a painful sting in his right arm. The windows had shattered, making him realize that the glass must have done the job. He glanced over at Cici and saw she was out cold.

“Cici!” Bass said, trying to shake her awake. Then he saw a shadow zip past on the roof of the warehouses. So he reached under his seat, pulled out a Blaster and kicked the door open. He stepped out and pointed his weapon as he walked around.

“Hello?” he said. “Who’s there?! If you’re trying to rob us, I have a Blaster and I know how to use it!”

Bass ran to the nearest corner in the direction he saw the shadow go. The sound of footsteps entered his ears… and it got louder. Once it got too loud, Bass immediately turned the corner and open fired. Bass couldn’t believe who it he splatted.

“Was that… an Octarian?” he said. “Gah!”

Bass narrowly dodged a shot from a sniper. He shot a path for himself and swam back to the truck in squid form.

It was there that he saw what happened. The front right tire had been shot. He shut the car door to protect Cici and climbed onto the roof, before turning on his ink armor. He could see the Octarians and Octolings swimming in their own ink and open fired before they got close.

Suddenly, a sniper shot landed a hit on Bass. It shattered his armor and he hit his back on the roof end before falling off and hitting the ground. His hat fell off, revealing his green spiky hair, which was brushed back.

“It’s him!” said a voice.

Bass raised head and reached for his weapon with his right hand, but and Octoling kicked it away.

“Get up!” the Octoling said, harshly.

Bass stumbled to his feet as the three Octolings surrounded him. Then his hair glowed and he showed what was in his left hand… which was a Splat Bomb. The Octolings screamed and ran and one got caught in the explosion. Bass soared into the air on an Inkjet and fired away on the remaining forces, before it overheated and sent Bass into the sky and back down.

One remaining Octoling grabbed his charger and and aimed it up as he fell. Bass was ready, though. He got out Splashdown and pierced through the blast catching the Octoling in the blast.

As soon as he landed on his feet, Bass grabbed his blaster and closed in on the motionless Octoling.

“Tell me who sent you!” Bass said, angrily, while pointing the blaster at the Octoling’s face.

“You… You’ll never stop us…” the Octoling said.

“Stop squidding me!” Bass yelled.

“What?” said the Octoling. “You… You know that it’s true. Inkopolis… and the rest will fall…”

Bass’s right eye began to twitch.

“Shut. Up!” he said.

“He won’t stop until you’re all wiped out…” the Octoling said with a weak smile. “And your precious Agent 3 won’t be there to save y-”

“DON’T SAY THAT NAME!” Bass yelled.

Bass yelled out as loud as possible as he splatted the Octoling by shooting him in the face. He stepped back trying to catch his breath. His face and clothes were covered in ink that was not his. He was lucky they were all linked to Spawn Points, but he was trembling. It had been a long time since he had gotten so angry and hearing his own voice like that was horrifying to himself.

“No…” he said, leaning against the car. “N-Not again!” He put his hands on his face, but was met with the sting of the cuts on his face from falling onto the ground earlier.

“Cici!” Bass realized. He got up and ran over to the driver seat. She was still out cold, but she only had a few bruises and cuts. Bass ran over and changed the wheel with the spare. Then pushed Cici to the passenger side and got in the driver seat. He reversed out of the parking lot and made a mad drive back to the house. He wanted to get home fast, so hopefully, the villagers had already went inside for the night and wouldn’t notice the damage to the truck.

Cici began to wake up as they were almost home. After half an hour of driving, Bass’s hands were still shaking.

“Ugh… Bass?” Cici said, rubbing her head and sitting up.

Bass teared up, but wiped them immediately to see the road.

“Aw, thank cod! Are you okay?”

“I… I think so…” said Cici. “I…” She then gasped, as she what happened to the truck. “B-Bass! What happened to the car?!”

Bass’s arms were still shaking at the wheel.

“It crashed,” he said, shortly. “Don’t worry about it. I’m taking us home.”

“Bass! Your arm!” said Cici. “And your face! Why are you covered in ink?!”

“Cici, we need to get home.”

“Bass, you need a doctor!

“What I need is for you to SHUT THE SHELL UP AND LET ME DRIVE!” Bass yelled.

Cici winced back in horror and grew silent after that. Bass hated having to act like this to someone like Cici, but if he went to a hospital, they would only demand to know what happened. He stared at road, once again wanting punch himself for getting angry again.

As soon as he pulled up by the house, he parked the truck in it’s usual spot and headed inside with Cici following him. Bass stormed ahead, opened the door and walked past the living room. The couch facing the TV was covered with a cloth. On the side was fireplace, with a family photo over the mantle. More photos were along the walls.

“How long until your grandfather gets back?” said Bass.

“I think he won’t be back until morning…” Cici said, shyly.

Bass walked into the bathroom, grabbed a towel and wiped the ink off himself. Cici stepped in with him.

“Let me,” Cici said, grabbing his arm. Bass tried to pull away, but she seemed serious, so he conceded.

Bass winced as she disinfected his arm, but it wasn’t so bad. He had gotten plenty of scrapes before, so this was nothing. Once it was bandaged up, Cici turned to the door.

“Cici, patch yourself, too,” said Bass.

Cici gasped, looking at herself in the mirror. “O-Okay,” she said. “Go relax in your room.”

Bass walked towards the door, but then laid his hand on the doorway.

“I’m sorry I yelled…” he muttered, softly.

Bass walked into his bedroom. He had been given one rule since he moved in to work with Cici’s grandfather: To not change anything in there. So, he could only assume someone else lived here before him. He did decide to organize a little, even though he didn’t care about cleaning up all that much. The books were in their bookshelf, which was also a nightstand, a bunch of sweaters and shirts were on hangers in the closet. The walls were decorated with posters of various bands and about the city of Inkopolis. The one with the Squid Sisters always annoyed him, but he never took it down out of respect.

“Hopefully, the stains will come out…” Bass muttered. Now if only he could fix the car as easily as Cici fixed his arm.

Bass sat on his bed quietly, with his hands on his head. The Octarians were really back… and the worst part of it was that Octoling was right… Agent 3 was gone… and not coming back. They knew where he was, but… how? If they knew where he was… then that meant…

“Angel!” Bass suddenly realized.

Fear coursed through him as the thought of her came to mind. Was she really in danger? Or was this a trick? Either way, he had to protect her! The Inkling trembled, wondering if he should, or should not. He glared at the poster of the Squid Sisters.

Splat it! he thought.

He grabbed a backpack and filled it with whatever he could. Then he ran towards the front door and took one last glance around the living room, before he opened the door.

“Bass?” Cici said, from down the hall. Bass had already headed out by the time she had spoken.

“...I’m sorry, Cici…” Bass said, before heading out.

Bass hopped into the truck, and with the key, turned the gas on. Cici ran outside, just then.

“What are you doing?!” Cici yelled, as Bass pulled out from the dirt driveway. “Grandpa’s gonna be mad at you?!”

“Sorry, Cici…” Bass said, softly, as he drove away.

The Inkling drove back into town, past the residential district, through the plaza and to the other side of town. Once in the parking lot he ran down into the train station. The clerk at the front desk was giving Bass a funny look due to his injuries and the flustered look on his face.

“Oh! Um… hello,” said the clerk. “Can I help you?”

Bass needed a minute to catch his breath.

“When… When’s the next train to Inkopolis?”

Chapter Text

The streets were filled with Inklings and Jellyfish, despite the fact of how late it was. Lights, green and pink, shot into the sky from the roofs of the Galleria and the Shoal, shining the attention towards Deca Tower at the center.

The staff had spent hours getting all the equipment onto the stage, and making sure everything was working properly. A stage had been set up by Deca Tower. In fact, it was just below the giant screen, but it was high enough, so that it didn’t block the entrance inside.

“Angel!” the manager called. A Inkling girl with a white skirt, pink hair that reached just past her shoulders, and gray eyes glanced over. “Test the mics, will ya?”

“Right away, sir,” said Angel.

Angel ran over onto the stage and adjusted the mics hanging over.

“U-Um…” Angel stammered, trying to come up with something.

At that moment they eyes of everyone in the square fell onto her, filling the Inkling with rush of excitement.

“T-Testing…” said Angel. “Testing… One, two three…”

“Good job, Angel,” the manager said from the back. “Everything sounds perfect!”

Angel smiled at that.

“Why don’t you go ahead and announce our stars?” the manager then said.

Angel sighed.

“R-Right…” she said. “A-hem! Now presenting tonight’s performance. The rap duo taking Inkopolis by Inkstorm! Off the Hook!”

The audience cheered as Angel stepped off stage and an Inkling with white hair with pink tips in a white skirt, pink legging and white shoes, came on stage with an Octoling with a black top that showed most of her mid-section. She had black shorts, green leggings and black shoes.

A bass rhythm started playing as the two idols took their positions. Once they were ready, they went live and the music started playing.

“Y’all feeling fresh out there?” the Inkling said, raising her fist into the air.

“We’re Off the Hook coming at you live from the middle of Inkopolis Square!” said the Octoling.

The audience let out another round of cheering as the screen on Deca Tower turned on. It showed a funny picture of a cake and an ice cream cone.

“Which is better: cake or ice cream?” said the Inkling.

“Head over to the Splatfest Terminal and pick a side!” said the Octoling.

“And the Splatfest stages are… BLAM!” the Inkling announced and the screen changed to show one of tonight’s stages: Starfish Mainstage. “Night concerts at Starfish Mainstage are the best!” she commented.

And I love the track they spin during Splatfests,” said the Octoling.

The next stage was shown to be Inkblot Art Academy.

“Marina! Marina! The statues’ eyes glow at night!” said the Inkling. “I SWEAR I SAW THEM GLOW!”

“Preeeeeetty sure those are just Judd’s and Li’l Judd’s eyes, Pearl…” said Marina.

“Until next time…” said Pearl.

“Don’t get cooked… Stay off the hook!” the duo said together.

The music started playing, echoing throughout the square. Inklings and Jellyfish wearing t-shirts of the team they had chosen were dancing away, as Off the Hook sang their songs.

Some of the other staff members came up to Angel. She was sitting alone at a table, staring at the performers, while everyone else was getting into the groove.

“Hey, Angel!” said an Inkling boy. “We’re gonna go battle. You in?”

“No, thanks…” said Angel.

“Aw, come on!” said his friend. “Tonight’s a night to party!”

“I… uh… I’m not really… feeling too great…” Angel said, lowering her head. “Maybe later…?” she said, glancing up a little.

“The two Inklings looked at each other.

“Well.. alright…” said the first. And they walked away. Angel took the opportunity to get away and go someplace else.

Angel made her way back to the studio. Even there, she could still the music going. She wandered to the back and it led her outside to a few warehouses. There was an Inkling still patrolling around.

“Angel? What are you doing here?” she said.

“I need to… check on something, Vichay,” said Angel.

“Well, okay…” said Vichay. “Just be careful. The manager will splat me if anything gets damaged.”

“Okay,” said Angel.

Angel wandered into warehouse D-2. Nothing in there had been touched in ages. They only time someone would come in was only to check if everything was still there.

Angel found the lever and switched on the lights. Everything from the Splatfests of the Squid Sisters era was still around: Cats versus dogs, roller coasters versus waterslides, art versus science… all of them.

Angel closed the door and wander to the center of it all. Then she fell onto her knees and stared up as tears began to fill her eyes. She was on the verge of weeping, when she heard a noise from outside.

“H-Hello?” Angel said, wiping her eyes. “Vichay? Is that you?”

“This way!” said a deep voice. “I saw her go in here.”

Angel gasped and quickly searched for a place to hide. The door was forced open with a crowbar and a group of Octolings made their way into the warehouse. They closed the door and started searching through everything inside.

“What is all this junk?” said an Octoling boy.

“Splatfest crap…” an Octoling girl grumbled.

The Octoling girl continued to look around the back, when a hand emerged from the shadows and grabbed her. Angel threw the girl across the room and she crashed into music player.

Everyone’s attention turned to Angel, as the broken music player began to play Bomb Rush Blush.

Angel ran at them and the Octolings open fired. She roll out of the way to dodge the shots and made way closer. Then she jumped into the air jumped into the middle of the group with a Splat Bomb. The group was taken out and the remaining ones without weapons came at her.

A fist flew at her face. Angel grabbed the Octoling by the wrist and Splatted her with a bomb. She dodged three swings thrown by another before she kicked him in the chest, sending him flying back. Just as she turned around, the Octoling she threw into the music player jumped into the air to try and strike her down.

“Eat this!” Angel yelled, throwing a burst bomb at her. As she was sent flying back she pulled out a weapon she shot her down.

Angel ran in and kicked down the remaining Octolings. Just when they were all taken out, the warehouse door opened and then came an Octoling wielding and Octobrush. He rushed in and swung at her splashing Ink on the floor as he did.

Angel tried blocking with her Ink Armor, but she was knocked back. She ran in, trying to shoot him, but he ran at her too. The Octoling swung horizontally, so she slide under the swing and turned around, but he did, as well. He refused to leave Angel an opening or give her space to attack. The Octoling launched her into the air with one swing and back to the ground with another.

Angel managed to land on her feet, but the vibration of the landing hurt her knees. The Octoling wasn’t finished, though. He open fired with a Stingray. Angel defended herself the best she could, but the armor eventually shattered and she crashed into the same music player.

“End of the line…” the Octoling said, flinging a wave of ink at her.

Suddenly, Angel held out her weapon and it unfolded into an umbrella and shielded her from the ink. She stepped back onto her feet, as Tide Goes Out began to play.

Angel and the Octoling ran at each other once again. She dodged the Octoling’s swing and kicked back, giving her space to shoot back. Before he got too close, she jumped and twirled around his Octobrush swing and landed behind him. The Octoing recieved a direct hit from behind and flew towards the door. Angel threw a suction bomb at and splatted him in the explosion, but it also made a hole in the door.

The Inkling jumped through the hole in the door and saw the remaining Octolings running at her. Angel threw something at the ground and it created a puff of smoke. It went upward and it was as if the girl had disappeared. A cloud formed above and unleashed a harsh downpour on the Octolings. Any who weren’t splatted beat a hasty retreat.

Angel arose from the puddles of pink ink and held umbrella of weapon over her head as the rain fell and the song ended.

“Angel!” yelled a voice.

Vichay came running from Angel’s right.

“What the heck happened?!” Vichay yelled.

“Um…” said Angel. “...Oops.”

Chapter Text

Agent 2

Well… that happened… I thought.

I’ll be honest. I was actually pretty freaked out for a moment there. Good thing I stayed fresh through that whole ordeal. Agent 1 did a good job, too, but now she’s shut herself in her room for some reason… Great. What did I say, now? Guess I’m on my own right now.

The kid was dead weight on my back, but I knew he was still alive. He breathing was really heavy. Maybe he was still in pain and feeling it in his unconscious state. I couldn’t just turn him into a squid to make him lighter. It’s really dangerous for an Inkling to transform when they’re seriously injured.

Agent 3’s room hadn’t been entered much, since the stupid jerk left. Dust had settled on pretty much everything, and a musty smell was everywhere, but it’ll have to do. I set the boy down next to Agent 3’s bed and checked on him. There were ink stains on his clothes and there was a huge tear from wear I had patched up his shoulder.

“Yep, it’s ruined,” I said. “Wait here. I’ll get something else… Not that you can hear me…”

I ran to the closet and found a white long-cuff sweater. Sure, it was probably Agent 3’s, but Agent 3 wasn’t here. Then I ran back and quickly changed his shirt. His shorts were pretty messed up, too, but it wasn’t as bad as his shoulder. I put some new sheets on the bed, gently set him down on it, and pulled the blanket over him.

“Ce… Vi…” the boy muttered, softly. “Che…”

The squid was he saying?

Suddenly, the door swung open and Agent 1 came into the room.

“Oh! There you are!” she said.

“Me?” I said. “What were you doing? You locked yourself in your room! I could’ve used some help here!” I held out my hand towards our little guest in the bed.

“Oh, come on!” said Agent 1. “He couldn’t have been heavy!”

“It’s different when he’s unconscious!” I said. “He was dead-weight.”

“Look, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about!”

“Then what is it?” I said, hands on my hips.

“The cap’n is back,” said Agent 1.

“Dang it!” I said. “Already?!”

“And you said you’d explain everything to the cap’n…” said Agent 1. “So…”

“Oh, come on!” I said, grabbing her hand before she could run off.

“You said!” Agent 1 taunted.

“I was in the moment!” I said. “And what were we gonna do? Leave him there?”

“Okay, okay!” said Agent 1. “I’ll go with you! I just joking!”

“You better be…” I said.

Agent 1 and I headed out of the room and closed the door. I wasn’t sure about leaving the kid alone, but I knew it would only be for a few minutes. Then we went down the hall and met with the Cap’n at the entrance of the house… I mean, base!

“Hey, Cap’n Cuttlefish!” Agent 1 said, cheerfully. “We’re back from our mission!”

“It seems ya are!” said the Cap’n. “How’d it go.”

“Um… Great!” said Agent 1.

“No, it didn’t!” I said. “You were right, gramps! The Octarians are at it again! We had to blow up all weapons we found in their armory.”

“Sink me! Is that true?” said the Cap’n.

“Yeah…” said Agent 1. “What’s even weirder was that some of them looked like the new Dualies Inkopolis started making…”

“But how would they get their weapons from the surface so quickly?” said the Cap’n.

“So, you gonna tell him?” said Agent 1.

“Tell me what?” said the Cap’n.

“We… brought an extra Squid back with us…” I said.

“What?!” said the Cap’n. “I thought I told ya girls-”

“I know, I know!” I said. “We’re not suppose to bring outsiders, but he saved us and we couldn’t just leave him there!”

“What was he doing there?” said the Cap’n.

“We found him the facility,” I said, as the memory began to scare me. “The Octarians were keeping Inklings prisoner…”

“What?!” Cap’n Cuttlefish yelled. “But why?!”

“We don’t know,” said Agent 1, “but we managed help them all escape.”

“Then why did ya bring one of them here?” said the Cap’n.

“An Octarian shot him down when he was trying to save us,” I said. “So, we brought him here to help him.”

“Alright… Alright…” said the Cap’n. “Where is he?”

“This way,” I said, walking ahead.

We led the Cap’n down the hall into Agent 3’s room. The boy was still safely in bed, but he was clearly still in pain, even in his sleep. His eyelids kept twitching and his teeth were held tight.

“How long has he been out?” said the Cap’n.

“Since we brought him here,” I said. “So, I guess like half an hour or so…”

“He was hit on his left shoulder and his left leg,” said Agent 1. “And… Wait. Is he wearing Agent 3’s sweater?”

“His shirt was ruined!” I said.

The cap’n walked over and got a good look at him.

“Did ya get his name?” he said.

“No,” said Agent 1. “He didn’t really speak. Maybe the Octarians scared him into silence… until we got him here…”

“What did he say?” said the Cap’n.

“‘Stop him’,” I recalled.

“That so?” said the Cap’n. “He could have been talking about their leader.”

“What are we going to do with him?” said Agent 1. “I know we shouldn’t have brought him here, but-”

“No, no,” said the Cap’n. “What choice did ya have? He saved you both, so it’s only fair that you saved him in return.”

“Ci… Vi… Che…” the boy muttered through the pain.

“Wait,” said Agent 1. “Did he just say ceviché?”

“What could that mean?” I said.

“Hmm… There a village a few hours away if you take a train,” said the Cap’n. “It’s known as Ceviche Village, a small town on the countryside.”

“Maybe that’s his home?” said Agent 1.

“It’s a bit far-fetched, but I guess it’s not impossible,” I said.

“Well, maybe this boy can help us, after all,” said the Cap’n. “He may be able to tell us what those Octo-jerks are up to.”

“Hey, you’re right!” said Agent 1.

“Let’s just keep a close eye on him until he comes around,” said the cap’n. “We gotta let him know he’s in safe hands. One of you watch over him for now. I’ll be in my room.”

The cap’n left us alone with the kid. I wished there was something we could do make him sleep a little more peacefully, but we didn’t really have anything that could help dull the pain. I know Octarians harmed Inklings in the Great Turf War, but seeing it first-hand made me wanna fry those Octo-slobs!

“Well, that went better than I thought!” said Agent 1.

“Can you watch him for little while?” I said. “I know it’ll be morning soon, but I want to at least take a small nap before then.”

“Okay,” said Agent 1. “I still can’t believe you just used one of those shirts like that! Agent 3’s gonna be so mad when-”

Okay, that was the last straw...

“Agent 3’s gone!” I said. “Geez, when will you get that?!”

“But-” said Agent 1.

“It’s been two years!” I said. “Isn’t that a bigger sign than anything?!”

Agent 1’s usually smiling face turned sad and her eyes filled to the brim with tears.

“Get out,” she said.

“Cal-” I said.

“GET OUT!” she yelled.

“WILL YOU JUST LISTEN?!” I said. “FORGET ABOUT AGENT 3!” And I stormed out of the room before I got a chance to calm down. I turned around a little to look at Agent 1 again. “...This is hard on me, too…” I said to her, softly.

And Agent 1 slammed the door shut.

I let out a sigh and wandered into my room. Then I took off my mask and face-planted onto the bed. Then I made my head face to the side. A few tears built up in my eyes. We were working so well together back there, then as soon as left, we were back in reality… It had been a while since Agent 1 and I hung out at the cap’n’s base. The tears in my eyes escaped as my sadness drifted me off to sleep.

Probably wasn’t a good idea to sleep the way I did... My neck was killing me when I woke up and shoulders kind of ached, too. Great. Now I get to deal with that all day… I thought about just lying down correctly and getting a little more shut eye.

Wait.

Octarian base.

Almost got splatted.

The kid!

Well, dang!

I forced myself to sit up and I just sat there while I let myself look around so my body could wake up a little. There was note on the floor that looked like it was slid in from the bottom of the door.

After stretching a bit I got up and picked up the note. This cute handwriting could only be Agent 1’s.

The kid’s fine. It’s your turn to watch him… And don’t touch anything in Agent 3’s room!

Agent 1 didn’t leave a greeting. Great, she’s really mad at me now… Ugh… Well, better hurry up. I headed out of my room.

Down the hall, I saw the door to Agent 1’s room slightly open. She was at her desk with the communication radio, setting it to some frequency. My cousin took a deep breath and began to speak into the mic.

“Agent 3…?” she said. My jaw dropped when she said that. “Agent 3? Can you hear me? Listen… I know it’s been two years… and we’ve had our differences, but… we need you back more than ever! DJ Octavio’s forces are at it again!”

There was no answer.

“Agent 3, I know this may be hard to hear, but… we found a bunch of Inklings being held prisoner. We managed to rescue them, but one almost got splatted. He’s safe now, but he’s hurt real bad. Please! We need your help! We can’t do it without you!”

There was nothing. I had expected this, but... somehow it still hurt.

Agent 1 stared down at her desk and let out a sigh.

“Agent 3… I know you’re listening…” she said, sadly.

I kept walking down the hall after that. Why did I allow myself to watch my cousin torture herself like this? Agent 3 has been gone forever and has done a good job of staying hidden… We taught that jerk too well…

Seriously, what the heck has gotten into her? Why would she want to find Agent 3? Honestly, I can’t keep track of that girl anymore… even here... I guess the least I could do was just let her be hopeful. It wasn’t my fault we were like this. It’s Agent 3’s!

I knew those Octarians didn’t give two splats about the truce between the them and the Squids, but to kidnap them? For what reason?! That was what the Cap’n hoped to get out of the Inkling we brought in. Hopefully, he’ll comply in exchange for rescuing him.

That musty smell enter my nose when I came in again… It actually made me kinda sad… Made I should dust in here a little...

The kid was still out cold, but it looked like he stopped talking and stirring in his sleep. That was probably a good sign. Since we couldn’t trust this kid yet, I had to come into the room wearing the full uniform. Good thing I fell asleep in it. I grabbed the chair by Agent 3’s desk and sat by the bed.

“St… Stop… him…” I recalled the boy saying.

Questions filled my mind when that boy said that back there. How were they so organized and why did they have so much weaponry? Who would approve the imprisoning and possibly the splatting of Inklings? Only one name came to mind when I thought of this… and his name was Octavio. Only problem was… he was behind glass. Agent 3 defeated him two years ago.

Leading the charge against the Octarians was really stressful sometimes… Could more Inklings be imprisoned underground? Agent 1 asked me about it, too? She even explained it to Agent 3. Is that jerk really going to ignore it?!

Alright! Calm down, Agent 2! At least this kid is safe!

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I glanced at the boy. It looked like he was finally coming around.

“Urghh…” the boy moaned.

I stood up from the chair and walked over to the bed.

“Hey,” I said. “You alive?”

“My leg…” the boy said, moving his left arm. “Argh!” He jolted up and grabbed his left shoulder with his right hand.

I walked over to help, but he tried to pull away and yelled.

“Hey! Hey!” I said. “It’s me! The agent!”

“Huh?” the boy said. He stayed still for a moment and opened his eyes.

“Yeah, Agent 2,” I said. “Remember me?”

“Uh… Uh-huh…” the boy said, holding his teeth together tightly.

“Don’t worry,” I said, holding out my hands to show that I had no weapon. “No one’s trying to splat you. You’re safe.”

The boy stayed still and grew silent. I walked over slowly and gently pushed him back down.

“No sudden movements, okay?” I said. “You could injure yourself.”

“...O… Okay…” the boy said, softly. Good. Actual words. Now that he calmed down, he actually still sounded pretty weak.

“You okay?” I said. “Don’t worry. You can talk here. No Octarians for miles!”

“O-Oh… Okay…” said the boy. “Um… C-Can you t-tell what this p-place is…?”

“It’s our base,” I said, sitting down in the chair. “We brought you here after our little fight with the Octolings. “You’ve been out all night.”

“Octolings?” said the boy. “I don’t…” Then gasped and grabbed shoulder. “I… I was sh-shot…”

“Twice…” I said.

The boy began to tear up.

“Hey, don’t worry…” I said, patting his unwounded shoulder. “You’re safe now and your wounds look like they’re gonna heal up nicely. Just… no walking around for a while, okay?”

The boy nodded.

“Anyway, you were pretty out of it once we got here,” I said, sitting back in the chair. “So, it’s okay if your memory of last night is a bit fuzzy.”

“Y-Yeah…” the boy said, softly. He started rubbing his chest. Maybe it was still sore from that Octo boy hitting him. I did see a bruise when I changed his shirt. “S-So… Is this… Am I-I… Am I on the s-surface?”

“Um… yeah…” I said.

“O-Okay…” said the boy. He breathed a sigh of relief and the tears in his eyes escaped. As he wiped them away, it made me wonder how long this poor guy was down there.

“Alright,” I said. “I’m gonna go tell the cap’n you’re awake. You stay here and rest some more.

The boy gave soft nod and began to close his eyes. Another batch of tears escaped them as he did. I began to walk out, then I realized that I had almost forgotten something.

“Wait,” I said. “ Before I go… one more thing.”

“Wh-What?” the boy said, looking at me once more.

“Do you have a name?” I said.

The boy held his hands together trying to collect warmth.

“...Erray,” said the boy. “Erray Trow…”

“Okay, Erray,” I said. “Sit tight. Or, I guess lay tight… I’ll be back soon.”

I stepped out of the room and closed the door gently. The cap’n was probably still the hou… I mean... Okay, you know what? It’s a house. Anyway, I passed by Agent 1’s room and I saw her just sulking on her bed. I doubt I could make her mood any better if I came in so I just left her to it.

The cap’n was in the kitchen. Probably up all night baking crabby cakes.

“Hey, gramps,” I said.

“Ahoy!” said the cap’n. “How’s things?”

“Great…” I said, cracking a smile… even though I was pretty miserable right now.

“Now, Marie, I heard yelling last night,” said the cap’n. “Don’t lie to yer cap’n.”

“We… yelled a little last night…” I said.

“We can’t have that right now,” said the cap’n, “especially, when the Octarians are back, and it would make us look unprofessional in front of that kid when wakes up. How is that bucko, anyway?”

“Oh, he finally woke up a little bit ago,” I said. “I think he’s still shaken from it and a bit tired. Other than that, I think he’s okay.”

“At least that’s some good news,” said the cap’n. “Just let him rest a little more before we question him. He might might have something useful for us. Where’s your cousin?”

“She’s in her room,” I said. “I think this whole thing is getting to her…”

“Really?” said the cap’n. “What do ya mean?”

“I caught her trying to contact… Agent 3…” I said.

“Oh…” he said, solemnly. “That again…”

“But… Agent 3 isn’t coming back,” I said. “It’s been two years.”

“Marie… try to have a little faith,” said the cap’n. “I just have this feeling that something is about to change…”

“For better or for worse?” I said.

“I can’t really say… said the cap’n, “but I’m not giving up on that bucko like you have. Agent 3 can’t ignore how bad things are now.”

“Yeah… I guess…” I said, trying not to sound as doubtful as I really was. “I’ll go look after the kid now. Oh! And he said his name is Erray. Erray Trow.”

I walked back into the living room and heard the TV on. The news was on. Two girls were on the screen. It was Off the Hook.

“Y’all know what time it is?” said Pearl.

“It’s Off the Hook coming to you live from Inkopolis Square!” said Marina.

It seemed like everything today was out to make me sentimental. I still remember when my cousin and I did news shows. It felt so long ago…

The streets were quiet after a whole night of partying and battles. Green and pink ink were staining the battlegrounds. Surprisingly enough, I was still full of energy, and I think my cousin was, too…

“Okay, girls,” said the camera squid. “We’re live in 3… 2… 1…”

“Hold onto your tentacles…” my cousin said, cheerfully.

“It’s Inkopolis News time!” I said, as usual.

“Before we reveal the stages, some special news!” said my cousin>

“Huh? Really?” I said.

“The Splatfest results are in!” my cousin cheered, as the screen behind us showed the teams.

“Ooohhh!” I said.

“First, we’ll reveal which team was the most popular!” said my cousin.

“Come on,” I said.

The numbers started adding up.

“Bada-bada-bada-bada…” my cousin said along with sound.

“Wait for iiiiiit…” I said.

“Boom!” we said at the same time. We looked at the screen. It was 46% to 54%.

“Awww… We lost…” my cousin pouted.

“Yay!” I said.

“Next up…” my cousin said, quickly regain her happy smile.

“Quickly! Quickly!” I said.

“Time to see which team won the most battles!” said my cousin.

“Bring it on!” I said.

The next was super close. It was 49% to 51% percent.

“Noooooo…” my cousin said.

“Heheheh!” I cackled.

“No hard feelings either way, yeah?” said my cousin. “And finally…”

“The final results!” I said.

“That’s right!” said my cousin. “The winning team of this Splatfest is…”

“Come on, come on…!” I said.

It was really close… but my team had won by twenty points.

“HOLY CARP!” I yelled. “I… WON?” It took a moment for it to sink in. “I WON! Thanks for believing in me, Team Marie!” I gave the camera a smile.

“I’d also like to thank Judd, Gramps, and most of all…” said my cousin.

“Thank-you, Callie, for being my best friend,” I said.

“Congrats, Marie,” said Callie. “You earned it. SQUID SISTERS FOREVER!”

Why, Agent 3? Why did you leave us all behind…?

Chapter Text

Erray

Inklings were kind people, and always had fun on the battlefield. We liked fun and games… but back there… it was all too real…

The music… It still haunted me… I couldn’t get it out of my head…

Dramatic music played, but it sounded like it was on some kind of music player. A figure appeared in the distance. His piercing green eyes made me remember who that was.

I woke up screaming and sat up so fast that the pain in my leg punished me for it. I laid my right hand on my forehead, trying to catch my breath. My left hand was on my chest. My heavy breathing made the bruise ache.

As soon as I was calm enough, I allowed myself to lay down again. I thought about waiting a few minutes to go back to sleep again. My mind began to wonder about other things to forget about the dream.

What is this place? I thought, as I stared at the ceiling. The fact that this room was filled with furniture gave me even more questions. Like, who was in here before me?

I had no idea who were these Squids that rescued me. Only one of them would come in here at a time, and while they spoke to me a little when they did, they never really wanted to talk about themselves. They wore accessories to conceal their faces, and the fact that they continued to do that in front of me, made me wonder if there was something they were hiding.

I sat up and began wondering how long I was going to be in this room. I wanted to know where I was and see more of the world that I had been stolen away from, when the fear began to creep up again. Had I really been rescued, or had I been taken somewhere worse than Octarian clutches?

Snap out of it, Erray! You’re overthinking this! They’re Inklings just like you! I thought to myself.

I suddenly lost my nerve to explore and just lied back down. Just thinking about those Octarian scum was making me sick! I was finally amongst my own kind again, and yet, I was just as scared as from when I was held prisoner.

There was a remote on the nightstand. After I let myself relax a little, I reached for it with my uninjured arm. At least I still knew how to work a TV. Just as I grabbed it, the door suddenly opened. I dropped the remote from being startled. It fell off the bed.

“Oh! Morning, Erray!” said Agent 1. “I thought you were still sleeping.”

“I-I… I’ve been trying…” I said. “I-I’m sorry… I’m n-not… really f-feeling too great…”

“Trouble sleeping, huh?”

“The… The Octarians…” I said, staring at the ceiling. “Th-They can’t-”

“Don’t worry, kid,” Agent 1 said. Her voice sounded gentle. “You’re completely safe here. The Octarians have no idea where this place is.”

“Um… What is… ‘this place?”

“It’s our base.”

“For… what?” I said, hesitantly.

“Um… I really can’t say… Not right now, anyways…”

“Not now?” I said.

“Now where was I?” Agent 1 thought to herself, changing the subject. “Oh! Right! The cap’n wants to speak to you!”

“Your captain…?”

“He’s our leader,” said Agent 1. “He gives us our missions and stuff.”

I gulped at that. I knew being rescued came with a catch. What did he want in return? Money? Information? What could it be…?

“Don’t worry,” Agent 1 said, seeing the unsure look on my face. “The cap’n is really nice. Now, I know you’re still pretty freaked out from what happened, but the cap’n wants to speak with while your memories are still fresh. Well not like ‘fresh’ fresh, but… You know what I mean!”

“I-I… I know…” I said.

“Well, I’ll go let the cap’n know, you’re well enough to speak with him…” said Agent 1.

Agent 1 stepped out of the room. Even though I was resting, I started feeling worse. What were they going to ask? I-I… I don’t know if I can… say anything… I’m not sure why… but I had a really bad feeling about this place…

Agent 1 came back faster than I thought she would.

“Okay,” said Agent 1. “The cap’n is ready to meet you. I’ll help you get around.”

I sat up slowly and swung my legs out of bed as I sat on the edge for the first time. Then I put a hand on the nightstand. Finally, I brought myself to try and stand, putting pressure on my feet.

And I almost fell flat on my face from the pain in my leg…

“I’ve got you!” Agent 1 called out, rushing over. She wrapped my arm around her shoulders and helped me stand. I let out a sigh of relief. “There we go!” said Agent 1. “Are you ready?”

“I-I guess so…” I said.

Now that Agent 1 was helping me, I could walk without applying too much pressure to my leg. She took the lead and led me out of the room. I found myself going down a hallway. It… actually looked like a person’s house. I was given more evidence of this when I was taken into a living room. How did I know this? There was a simple couch and a small coffee table in there and a few photos were hung around on the walls. Actually, it looked like some of them were missing… and the TV looked kind of old. Agent 1 helped me onto the couch.

“Okay, I’ll be right back,” said Agent 1. She dashed out of the room quickly and I was left alone.

There was a window or two in the room, but the curtains were closed. Maybe they didn’t want any witnesses. Was… I in trouble? Geez, it was kind of cold in here, too… and I had this nice sweater on… It smelled a little musty, though…

A few minutes later, Agent 1 and Agent 2 walked into the room. Agent 1 guarded the front door and Agent 2 guarded the way to room they just came in from. Then I saw an old white-bearded man with a tattered shirt and a blue sea captain’s hat walk in from where Agent 2 was guarding. He was supporting himself slightly with a bamboo cane.

“Oh ho ho! So… you finally awake,” he said. “Welcome back to the world of the living.”

The old man walked over and placed a plate of food on the coffee table in front of me. My eyes suddenly became big when I realized how I was.

“It’s… for me?” I said, shyly.

“Go ahead!” said the man said. “They’re some of me best crabby cakes!”

I took a crabby cake and gave it a bite. Then I took another… and another… Then I ate three more of those crabby cakes. It was the best thing I had eaten in such a long time… and Agents 1 and 2 were smirking at my reaction.

“Glad to see you’re enjoying them,” the man said, happily. “So, yer name is Erray Trow, is it?”

“Yeth ith…” I said, before covering my mouth to swallow the food in my mouth first. “Y-Yes… That… That’s my name… Are… Are you the captain?”

“That’s right!” said the man. “I’m Cap’n Cuttlefish, leader of the legendary Squidbeak Splatoon. My agents and I have been keeping an eye on those Octo jerks for quite some time. I guess it was a good thing we did, too…”

“Uh… Should we be telling him that?” said Agent 2.

“Don’t worry,” said the cap’n. “I know he’s just tense. I just want to assure him that he’s safe.”

“You’ve been spying on them?” I said.

“I have to make sure the truce we swore is still in check. The politicians are doing all they can and we’re secretly doing our part here.”

“T-Truce? Y-You mean like the Great Turf War?”

“The same exact war.”

“Th-They… They don’t… It’s just… I was told tales about the war as a young Squid in my family...”

“Oh, I see…”

“I… I kind of thought… Octarians were just a myth until I came to Inkopolis… But… after what th-they done… doesn’t that mean the truce is broken?”

“Well… Technically…”

“We have to tell everyone! They can’t be allowed to get away with this!”

“Now, calm down, bucko!” said the cap’n. “It ain’t as simple as that! Last time it happened, nobody believed me. As it stands, the other Inklings and Octarians believe we’re in a time of peace.”

“B-But… What about the other Inklings who were imprisoned with me? Didn’t they escape?”

“And all of those who ran to the police are temporarily in the loony bin…” said Agent 2.

“So… they’re not even investigating?!” I said.

“Well, last I heard, they were investigating to see if anyone in Inkopolis is being suspicious since it’s where most of the missing Inklings turned up,” said Agent 1.

“But… that’s not even…” I said, before trailing off.

“It’s better this way, bucko,” said the cap’n.

“How?!” I said, angrily.

“Think about it, Erray,” said Agent 2. “Tensions would go up again and explode. Politicians and even us will be powerless against it, and it would be the Great Turf War all over again. More innocent lives would be taken or be in danger…”

I looked away in anger.

“Erray… I know this upsetting, but… we need to ask you a few things…” said the cap’n.

I tensed up.

“What… things…?” I said, grabbing my chest. It was suddenly feeling tighter.

“Well, I know ya were probably in there for quite a while,” said the cap’n. “Why were you there in the first place?”

“I-I… I don’t… I don’t know…” I averted my eyes.

Agent 2 crossed her arms.

“Well, when that Octarian shot you, I heard him talk about your behavior,” she said. “Now, let me ask you again? What were you doing there?”

“Th-They made us… do things for them…” I said. “If we misbehaved… they’d… beat us…”

“You were kept as a slave?!” said Agent 1.

“I-If we behaved… sometimes they’d treat us better…” I said. “...Not everyone was like that, though…”

“What did they make you do there?” said the cap’n.

“Ch… Chores, mostly…” I said, putting my right hand on my left arm. “Y-You know… cleaning and stuff…”

“Geez, your tells are super obvious…” said Agent 1.

“Huh?” I said.

“You’re lying…” said Agent 2.

“Listen up, bucko,” said the cap’n. “We are trying to stop the people who did this to you. I can’t help ya if yer lying to me.”

“Erray just tell the truth,” said Agent 1. “We don’t want to force it out of you, and you have no reason to hide it.”

“...I-I… I’m not…” I tried to say.

“Guess we’ll be doing this the hard way,” said the cap’n. “Agent 2?”

“Erray, when we entered the facility, we found weapons,” said Agent 2. “Weapons made only recently here on the surface. Now how do they know about those weapons?”

I stayed silent.

“Erray!” said Agent 1.

“W-Weapons!” I said. “Th-They force us to t-tell them… about the weapons we had in Inkopolis. Any Inkling caught with a weapon had it taken away from them and were forced to tell as much as they could about it. I-I… I guess that’s… how they got all those new special attacks I heard about…”

“Did ya have a weapon when they captured you?” said the cap’n.

“N-No, sir…” I said. “I-I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time…”

“Alright, alright,” said the cap’n. “Did you manage to uncover anything while you were down there…”

“They… They didn’t like to talk about things in front of prisoners…” I said.

“Anything you know can be useful to use, bucko,” said the cap’n. “So spill it!”

“Something… They said something about a giant weapon…” I said. “Octo… Octo weapons…”

“The Great Octo Weapons!” said Agent 2.

“But weren’t they destroyed?” said Agent 1.

“Guess they still have some more up their sleeves…” said the cap’n. “One more question.”

“O… Okay…” I said.

“Do you have any idea who’s in charge there?” said the cap’n.

I gasped at that question… making it obvious of my knowledge of it.

“Y-You… You… You’ll b… believe me… if I… if I t-tell you…?” I said.

“Of course,” said the cap’n.

“I-I… I met… We’ve only met once…” I said.

“You have?” said Agent 1. “Who is it?”

“He…” I said. “He… Guh!”

The song began to play in my head again. I grabbed my wounded shoulder. The memories were suddenly flashing through my mind. I didn’t know where I was anymore. Then a hand grabbed my shoulder and snapped me back to reality.

I was staring at the floor and I was gasping for air. Agents 1 and 2 were holding me steady.

“Stay with us, Erray!” said Agent 1.

“It’s okay,” said Agent 2. “You’re safe. No one’s trying to hurt you.”

“O… Oct… Octav… Octavio…” I said, softly. “H… His name was Octavio…”

Agent 1 and 2 looked at each other and then looked to the cap’n.

“Ya sure about this, bucko?” said the cap’n.

I nodded. The agents had me lean back against the couch.

“How long ago was this meeting?” said the cap’n.

“T… Two years ago…” I said, wiping the tears in my eyes.

“Ah, I see!” said the cap’n.

“What is it?” I said.

“I’m not saying I don’t believe you,” said the cap’n. “But the Octo-jerk you’re speaking of was defeated a long time ago by an agent of mine.”

“Do you still think he’s still plotting from the shadows?” said Agent 1.

“There’s only one way to find out…” said the cap’n. “Follow me, agents. You too, Erray.”

“Huh?” I said.

“Let’s go,” said Agent 2. “We’re going to get some answers.”

“I’ve already told you what I know,” I said. “I swear!”

“Not from you,” said Agent 2. “C’mon!”

Agent 2 led me out of the room with the others. We went back down the hall and took a sharp left. Then we approached a big metal door. It creaked loudly as it opened.

“Watch your step,” the cap’n said, before he went ahead.

Agent 1 followed after the cap’n and Agent 2 guided me down a flight of stars. I held my eyes shut until someone turned on the light. Maybe this was the way to the basement.

Finally, we made it to the bottom. I immediately hid behind Agent 2 as soon as I saw what I saw. It was the Octarian who had all those poor Inklings locked up: Octavio himself.

He was a fully grown, reddish violet octopus, wearing a golden samurai helmet. Two of his tentacles were crossed together, showing a green X on one of them, and he shot me a look with his big green eyes. That’s when I also saw that he was in some kind of snow globe.

“...What are you doing here?” he said, menacingly.

“I’m sure you know, don’t you?” Agent 2 said, lowering me onto a nearby crate to sit on.

“And what makes you think that?” said Octavio.

“Don’t you?!” Agent 1 pouted.

“So what? Did that broken Inkling there give me away…?” said Octavio. “Isn’t that right, Erray Trow?”

I gasped, immediately beginning to shiver.

“Don’t worry,” said the cap’n. “He’s completely harmless in that snow globe. And besides Octavio! It was an Inkling broken by your hands.”

“Was it really me?” said Octavio. “Or is the fact that the Inkling race has reduced its skill and weaponry to mere fun and games.”

“Octavio, I want the truth!” said the cap’n. “Are you behind this, or not?”

“What do you think?” said the Octavio. “Of course I am.”

“You’d just flat out tell us?” said Agent 1.

“Probably a trick…” Agent 2 muttered.

“No,” said Octavio. “I just don’t have time for stupid games. Everything is going as planned.”

“Whatever you’re doing, Octavio, we’re going to stop,” said cap’n, “just like before…”

“Poor Cap’n Cuttlefish…” said Octavio. “Has your age made you delusional, old timer? We both know your only hope is gone. The one who I should’ve dubstomped into oblivion two years ago: Your beloved Agent 3. Don’t you see? None of you can splat me!”

Agent 1 stepped forward with fire in her heart and tears in her eyes.

“Agent 3’s coming back!” Agent 1 yelled. “I know it will happen!”

“Agent… 3?” I said.

Agent 2 glanced at me and then to Agent 1.

“I ordered Agent 3 not to kill you because you were once my friend!” said the cap’n. “There could have been peace, Octavio. The Great Turf War did not have to happen!”

“It’s too late for that, Cuttlefish…” said Octavio. “You forced my race to live in the shadows! I will have my revenge, and you and your precious squids will pay the price!”

“Then I guess you can just stay in that snow globe for all I care!” said the cap’n. “We’re gonna put a stop to whatever yer doing no matter what ya say! Agents! Erray! We’re done here.”

Agent 2 helped me to my feet. The cap’n exited first and then we followed with Agent 1.

“We’ll meet again…” Octavio said, as we headed out. “And I can’t wait to remix your face, Erray Trow!”

I turned my head and looked at him, but only for a second. By then, Agent 1 had closed the door.

Agent 2 saw me back to the room. She set me down on the bed… but I knew I had a reason to be scared.

“He’s gonna splat us…” I said, with my hands shaking. “He knew my name? How? How does he know my name?”

“Why would he know your name?” said Agent 2.

“I-I… I don’t know!” I said. “I thought Inklings were just worthless to him! What does he want from me?!”

“Look, just calm down!” said Agent 2. “As long as Octavio is in that snowglobe, he can’t lay a tentacle on you. Now you stay here. I gotta go meet up with the cap’n and Agent 1.”

Agent 2 headed towards the door.

“W-Well…” I said, making her stop. “M… Maybe there’s… something I can do to help.”

“Heh…” Agent 2 actually cracked a smile. “You really want to do something for us? Get some rest. You’re in no condition to do anything for us right now. I’d also like to inform you to not leave the base for now.”

“Huh?” I said.

“It’s for your protection,” said Agent 2. “Those Octarians could be out looking for you. You’re free to go into the living area and dining area as you please once you’re well enough, but stay out of the other bedrooms.”

“O… Okay… It… It’s not like I have anywhere else to go…”

“What about your parents?” said Agent 2.

I stayed silent.

“...I see…” said Agent 2. “Well, do you have any other questions?”

Now that she mentioned it, there was something that had been bothering me.

“Um… Who… Who’s Agent 3?” I said.
Agent 2 let out a deep sigh and headed towards the door.

“...No one important…” said Agent 2. “If you need anything, give a holler.”

Agent 2 stepped out and closed the door. I couldn’t do anything, but feel so helpless. I wanted those Octarians to pay for what they did, but… what was I gonna do?

Then the answer came when I saw the closet near the desk. There was gear and weapons in the back. They were covered in dust, but still looked usable. An idea sparked in my mind… and I would put it into action once I was well enough…

Those Octarians won’t know what hit them...

Chapter Text

Bass

It was a windy night in Inkopolis. Usually, it was pretty sunny in this city, but I guess it was due for its stormy days, too. There was a scrap of paper in my hand. The ink on it was faded, but hopefully it held up. Then my phone went off.

“Aw! What now?!” I said, looking at the screen.

“The National Weather Service has issued a rainstorm warning for Inkopolis and the surrounding areas. All Inklings are advised to stay indoors until the storm blows over or at least the warning ends at 8:00 am.”

“Great…” I said, putting my phone away. Luckily, I was almost to my destination. I pulled the door open and entered the lobby of Flounder Heights.

“Hello!” I said the receptionist. “Welcome to Flounder Heights. How may I help you today?”

“Oh, hello.”

“You came in at a good time. There could be a storm today, and we all know what water can do to Inklings.”

“Yeah, my phone let me know…” I said, reaching into my pocket. “I’m looking for a friend of mine. Do you know if this person still lives here?”

I handed the woman the paper scrap she had and typed the information in the computer.

“Ah, yes,” said the receptionist. “Apartment 303, was it?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Thank-you.”

I walked into the elevator and pressed the button to the third floor.

“Here we go…” I muttered, as the door closed.

Once I was there, I was somewhere in the middle of the hallway. I went down where the numbers on the door decreased until I found it: Apartment 303.

I took a minute to stop and get my thoughts together. It had been… quite a while since I had last seen her.

Well, I did come all this way…

I raised my right hand and knocked on the door. Then I stepped back and waited.

Questions raced through my mind as I waited. Would she be happy to see me? Was this really a good time? Should I not have come back at all? Maybe I should just go…

Well, too late. The door opened… but an Inkling girl with green short hair, with a lock hanging down to the right was at the door. She wore a white t-shirt, black pair of pants and blue colored sneakers.

“Bass…?” said the girl.

“Um… Hey, Vichay,” I said.

Vichay ran outside of the apartment and hugged me.

“Ah! It’s so good to see you!” she said.

I began to smile and hugged her back.

“Vichay, who is it?” said a voice.

And there she was. Angel walked up to the doorway. Vichay stepped aside and Angel’s jaw almost dropped.

“Bass…” said Angel. Her eyes shifted to my right. “Your arm…”

Vichay glanced over. “Hey, what’s with your arm?” she said.

“Look, it’s a long story,” I said, “but it’s why I’m here.”

“Well, let’s get you inside,” said Vichay. “Oh, um… Is that okay, Angel?”

“Um… yeah…” Angel said, nervously running her hands on a lock of her hair. “You can come in…”

Angel turned around and headed inside. Vichay signaled for me to follow. The apartment seemed the same, but it seemed that the couch was changed in the living room and there was a different rug. The chairs by the counter seemed the same, though.

Vichay made some coffee for us. While I waited at the table, Angel sat down with me, but she was quiet the whole time. The rain began to come down as I looked out the window.

“It’s a good thing you came here when you did,” said Vichay. “There was a rain warning out, and it seems to be accurate this time.”

Vichay placed coffee on the table for each of us. “Cici called me about what happened back in the village,” she said. “We were both terrified.”

“I guess…” Angel said, drinking from her cup of coffee.

“What?” I said. “You weren’t worried?”

“I knew you’d be okay…” said Angel.

“That’s not true!” said Vichay. “You should have seen her asking a million questions about you after Cici called.”

“Vichay!” Angel pouted.

“But what the heck, Bass?!” said Vichay. “You just stole my Grandpa Coel’s truck and drove on over to the train station without even saying good-bye?!”

I shot Vichay a weird look. “How much did Cici tell you?” I said.

“As much as she could!” Vichay put her hands on her hips. “She said you both crashed and then she woke up to a broken windshield and you with fuchsia ink stains on your clothes. Oh! And when she asked, you told her to ‘just shut up and let me drive’.”

“I was under a lot of stress…” I said.

“Why did you crash, anyway?” said Vichay.

I stared down at my coffee.

“The, uh… One of the back tires were shot out by an Octoling…” I said.

Angel finally brought herself to look at me.

“Were they wearing-” said Vichay.

“Yes,” I said.

“But Agent 3-”

“Isn’t around and they know it!” I said. “One said so himself…” The memory still haunted me…

Vichay turned to Angel. She was turning pale.

“Angel, are you okay?” said Vichay.

“...What does this mean for us?” said Angel.

I let out a sigh.

“I wish I knew…” I said. “But… that’s why I came back. It wasn’t Cici or Max they wanted. It was me.”

“Not just you…” Angel said, looking me in the eye.

“What do you mean?”

“A night or so ago… Octolings came for me while I was… working late…”

“Well, that simplifies things,” said Vichay. “The Octarians were after you both, because you two are the only link to Agent 3 they have.”

“Maybe, but… we don’t even know where Agent 3 went after… you know…” Angel said, looking away.

“Angel…” I said.

“Well, Cici said she’d stay in Ceviche Village and look after my grandpa,” said Vichay. “While they’re holding their ground, we have to hold our own here.”

“And what?” said Angel. “Fight the Octarians forever.”

“Of course she doesn’t mean that,” I said. “We have to figure out a way to stop them.”

“But how?” said Angel.

“Well…” I said, crossing my arms and pacing away. “I guess… we would have to get in touch in with… them…”

“Who’s them?” said Vichay.

“The Squid Sisters,” I said. “They were the only members of the New Squidbeak Splatoon along with Agent 3 back in the day. Cap’n Cuttlefish is their grandfather.”

“Okay, my grandpa said Cuttlefish had two granddaughters,” said Vichay, “but he never said they were the Squid Sisters.

“Well, believe it, because it’s true,” said Angel. “Anyway, I don’t want to talk to them! If you don’t remember, the last time I talked to them, I told them to splat off!”

“But what about the Octarians?” I said. “They could go after them, too!”

“Then whatever!” Angel yelled, harshly, rising from her seat. “They can handle it themselves! They’ve done it in the past… without ruining other Inklings’ lives!”

Angel walked towards her room.

“Angel…” I said.

“I’m going to bed!” Angel grumbled. “Bass you can sleep on the couch.”

Angel slammed the door to her room shut.

“...I’m sorry…” said Vichay.

“Nah, it’s fine…” I said. “I don’t care for the Squid Sisters, either…”

The storm managed to blow over by the next morning. When I awoke on the fold-out bed that was also a couch, my mind was blank at first. I wondered where I was, but when I looked around the apartment, I remembered what happened. I guess I was so tired from yesterday, I slept until noon.

My arm still ached from the glass that cut my arm, but at least the bleeding had stopped. Just to be safe, I decided to take off the bandages I had on and put on some new ones. Afterward, I stepped into the kitchen. It was at that time that Angel came out of her room. I wasn’t sure if she wanted to speak to me or not, so I didn’t bat an eye… I wasn’t mad at her… I was worried she was mad at me.

“Um… hey…” she said, quietly.

I finally turned around. Angel seemed fine, but it also looked like she had been crying.

“I’m… I’m sorry about last night…” I said.

“N-No…” said Angel. “I’m the one who’s being selfish.”

“No, I actually agree with you,” I said.

“Huh?” She glanced over at me with her glittering gray eyes.

“I don’t want anything to do with the Squid Sisters, either,” I said. “Not after what they did to us!” I sighed before bringing myself to speak again, and turned back to the counter behind. “You not only who’s still in pain after everything…”

A wave of emotion came over me. I hung onto the counter through it all, but a tear or two still managed to get in my eyes.

“Ugh… Damn it!” I said, wiping them away.

Angel went up from behind and laid a hand on my back. I turned to look at her, she seemed conflicted, as well.

“What are we going to do…?” said Angel.

“I… I don’t know…” I said. “I came back after the Octolings attacked me, because I was worried about you, but I don’t feel safe going back to Ceviché Village, either…”

“It’s Agent 3 they want,” Angel said, pacing to the counter. “I think… our only chance is to find Agent 3 before the Octarians do…”

“Yeah… I guess you’re right… I don’t know where to start, though. After Agent 3 first went missing, the trail was fresh, at first, but it was made clear that Agent 3 didn’t want to be found and didn’t want to be taken back. Every attempt always ended in disaster…”

“Anger makes a powerful foe…” said Angel. “No wonder you guys had trouble… I couldn’t do anything for you. All I did was mope…”

“Angel…” I said.

“But, I swear… I won’t this time!”

“But it’s been two years, Angel. The trail is probably dead cold now. Who knows where Agent 3 could’ve gone…”

“Then how are we going to do this?” said Angel.

“I… I don’t know…” I said. “How ‘bout we just take a break for today…”

“You… You wanna go to the square?” said Angel.

“Square?” I said.

“Yeah, Inkopolis Square. It’s the hot spot of Inkopolis, nowadays.”

“What about the plaza? Is that still around?”

“Yeah, but it hasn’t been as popular since the Squid Sisters stopped giving the news,” said Angel.

“Ha! So karma finally bit them, huh?”

“...I wish.”

“What do you mean?”

“Let’s just… get going…”

Angel led me out of the apartment and began to tell me as we walked to the Square.

“The last Splatfest ended in victory for Marie,” Angel said, as we walked through the town. “Yet, after it was over, their popularity grew super fast and they went from from Inkopolis idols to basically the biggest stars in our culture. Why would you do the news when you can be in movies and on talk shows?”

“I’m sorry, Angel,” I said, as we walked into the Square.

There were many Inklings when I got there. It wasn’t as open-spaced as the plaza, but there was still room to move around. Several tables were out for Inklings and Jellyfish to relax in and among the buildings the largest one, a tower, stood tall over it all and at the top was the Great Zapfish, the very thing basically powers the entire city. Guess it had been moved since the plaza days.

“This is pretty nice…” I said.

“It’s like a new home-sweet-home for me,” said Angel. She pointed to the tower ahead. “That’s Deca Tower where the Inklings go to battle on the first floor. Over on the left we have the Galleria, which is basically where the gear is sold around here.”

“What about over there?” I said, gesturing to the right. There was a giant pair of arrows as its sign on the building..

“Oh, that’s the Shoal,” said Angel. “A lot of Inklings tend gather there to hang out. It’s mostly an arcade. And next we have…”

“Excuse me?” said a voice.

Angel backed up a bit. An Inkling with a green parasol approached us. She was wearing a black kimono, but she was using a parasol to cover her face.

“O-Oh!” said Angel. “Can I help you?”

“I’m, uh… looking for someone…” said the girl. “He’s about this tall…” She held out her hand to show us a height. “His hair is usually purple and his eyes are a brighter shade of that, and his hair is loosely tied back. Seen him?”

“Um… no,” I said. “We just got here.”

“Well, okay…” said the girl. “Well, thank-you for your time…”

“No… problem…” I said, as the girl walked away. I had to stop myself from gasping. On the surface of her parasol was that symbol for the New Squidbeak Splatoon!

“Angel! You see that?!” I said, pointing.

“See what?” said Angel.

“She’s-” I began to say, but when I looked again, the girl was gone. “...Nevermind.”

Suddenly, the giant screen on Deca Tower came on and began to show a broadcast. An Inkling girl was sitting in a beanbag chair and an Octoling girl was behind some turntables.

“Y'all know what time it is?” said the Inkling.

“It’s Off the Hook, coming at you LIVE from Inkopolis Square!” said the Octoling.

“Who are they?” I said.

“They’re a duo called Off the Hook,” said Angel. “That’s Pearl on the left and Marina on the right.”

“Yo, Marina! Tell the people the good news before we introduce the stages!” said Pearl.

“Huh? Like, right now?!” said Marina. “What was the good news again?”

“You know…” said Pearl. “The single most important celebration of our culture? The Spla-”

“OOH! The SPLATFEST!” Marina realized.

“Ding ding ding!” Pearl exclaimed. She leaned back in her hair and held her arms and legs out as she shouted. “We’ve got a Splatfest coming up quick!”

“Splatfests always get my ink pumping!” said Marina. “I’ve gotta get my gear ready!”

“Yo, Marina,” said Pearl. “What’s the Splatfest theme this time?”

A hand with a paper reached out towards Marina.

“Haaaagh… I’m too nervous to look!” Marina said, leaning away and closing her eyes. “You do it.”

“Fine,” Pearl said, taking the paper from what I assumed to be the producer. “The Splatfest theme is…” She read over it carefully. “WHAT?!”

“What is it, Pearlie? What’s the theme?” Marina said, excitedly. “TELL MEEEEE!”

“Okay, here it comes,” Pearl said, setting the paper aside.

Marina pulled down a gulp.

“The Splatfest theme is…” said Pearl.

The screen behind them switched on to reveal a picture of a jar of mayo on one side and a bottle of ketchup on the other.

“It’s the glorious union of eggs and oil - MAYONNAISE!” Pearl exclaimed.

“Versus the red stuff that runs through my veins - KETCHUP!” Marina cheered.

“Pshh. Ketchup is BOOOOOOOO-RING!” said Pearl. “It’s like the Sheldon of condiments!”

“Boring?” said Marina. “At least ketchup has flavor. Mayo is just tasteless lard! Even when it’s cold from the fridge, it still somehow feels warm in your mouth! That disgusting mouth feel… I’d rather lick Crusty Seans’s grease trap!”

“What,” Pearl said, leaning back in her chair. “Okay, we get it. You don’t like mayo. But at least mayo is true to itself. Ketchup is just wannabe jam.”

“Sorry… what?” said Marina.

“You basically just take some fruit and mix it with sugar,” said Pearl. “Boom. Tomato Jam.”

“It’s not jam,” Marina said, crossing her arms.

“Tomato is a fruit, Marina,” said Pearl.

“I mean, well, technically yeah,” said Marina. “But not REALLY.”

“What you y'all think?” said Pearl. “Head over to the Splatfest terminal and pick a side. Alright! Now, check it! Here are the current Regular Battle stages!”

“Hey, Angel,” I said. “You see that?”

Behind the duo, I could see Inklings and Jellyfish looking at them through a window.

“Oh yeah,” said Angel. “Their studio is actually right here in the square. Fans like to gather there and stare like creeps.”

On the far right, I swore I saw an Inkling boy who matched that girl’s description.

“Hey, isn’t that the kid the parasol girl was looking for?” I said.

“Maybe, but the girl disappeared,” said Angel.

“Then let’s just see if it’s him and say who’s looking for him,” I said.

“Uh, okay,” said Angel. “The studio’s this way.”

Angel walked me over to the right of Deca Tower. The broadcast had just about ended when we got there. A lot of the people who had gathered by the window began to leave. Pearl, along with Marina were just sitting in the back, chatting.

The boy in question had remained. HIs hair was tied back, with one lock hanging down to the side of his head. He wore a white long-cuff sweater, dark gray shorts with black leggings and his shoes were black as well with light green edgings on them. He had a face mask over his mouth and nose.

“...Octarian…” I heard as I approached him.

“Uh… hey,” I said, tapping his shoulder.

“GAH!” the boy yelped in pain. He immediately backed away, yelling as if he were hit. His hand was on his shoulder and looked at me with his wide purple eyes. HIs Splattershot landed on the floor. The Inklings and Jellyfish who were still around stared at me.

“S-Sorry!” I said. “I-”

“N-No! No!” said the boy. “I’m sorry.” He reached for his Splattershot. “I-I gotta go!”

“Hey, wait!” I yelled. The boy ran off into Deca Tower.

“Geez, Bass,” said Angel. “I know you wanted to get his attention, but did you have to hit him?”

“I didn’t!” I said. “It was just a tap!”

“I know. I was just messing with you,” said Angel.

“You know what?” I said, staring at Deca Tower. “It’s been a while since I ever battled here. How ‘bout we check it out?”

“But there’s only two of us!” said Angel. “What? You wanna fight with randoms?”

“Sure, why not?” I said. “Isn’t that why we came down to the square?”

“Well, I guess,” said Angel. “But…”

“Then, I’m so glad I brought the Blaster,” I said. “Last one in is a fried Squid!”

I held my Blaster on my back and charged into the tower.

“B-Bass!” said Angel. “Wait for me!”

The Ink Battle lobby only had a few in the room we walked into. So, we had some time to chill. Three Inklings were on one side already, so we went to the other. Only the kid we ran into earlier was sitting there. He only gave me a slight glance, as we sat next to him, before going back to looking at his weapon.

“Um… hey,” I said.

“The boy turned to me at the immediate sound of my voice. His eyes were wide open as if surprised.

“Uh… Sorry about earlier…” I said.

“Um… That’s okay…” the boy said, shyly. He hugged his Splattershot close to him. He obviously seemed nervous about something.

“Uuuugh… Where’s the players?” Angel whined leaning back in her chair.

“Angel, we just got here!” I said.

In all seriousness, it had been a while since I went into a battle with random Inklings. It was getting really quiet and awkward, so I tried to make conversation.

“So… you got a name, kid?” I said.

“I am not a child!” the boy said, suddenly raising his tone. “And my name is Erray.”

“Uh, alright,” I said. “Well, I’m Bass, and this Angel.”

“Oh… um, hi,” said Angel.

“So, what brings you to Deca Tower, Erray?” I said.

“Practice…” Erray answered.

“Practice for what?” I said.

“Hey, mind if I join you?” said voice.

A boy with a boater hat came up to us. He had black t-shirt and a pair of black pants and shoes. His green hair was poorly covered by his boater hat. It was automatically clear he was an Octoling, but he didn’t seem all that nervous about it.

“Uh, not at all?” I said. “Go ahead.”

“Ah, thank-you!” the boy said, taking a seat. “I just got into town today! It’s very lively!”

“That… seems to be what attracts people here…” Angel said, avoiding eye contact.

“A lot of people here are so nice, too!” said the Octoling.

“We don’t see many Octolings around here,” I said.

“Oh… heh… Guess you saw, huh?” said the boy.

“Hey, I don’t care what you are,” I said. “It’s who you are that matters. I’m Bass, by the way!”

“Thank-you!” the Octoling replied, happily. “Oh! And my name is-”

“Attention, Lobby C,” said an automated message. “The match is about to begin.”

The two teams stood up and we met up in the middle. A pair of metal grates appeared on the floor and our teams went to the stage through them.

We appeared on a spawn point at Musselforge Fitness. It was as the name would suggest. It was a place for fitness. There were rock climbing walls and several gyms, but the area had been cleared out for the battles today. It was surprising to know that this area was now an Ink Battle stage.

Erray was here first, so we were the purple team. The other team was orange. We had our ink tanks on with the light glowing at the tops, indicating that we were linked to the Spawn Point. The Octoling had a Slosher, but I don’t think I’ve seen his kind of Slosher before. I didn’t even know what kind of weapon Angel had. I probably should’ve asked before we came in here.

“Ready?” said an automated voice. “GO!”

Angel and I covered the area around our Spawn Point with ink before we moved forward. Erray and the Octo boy had already begun to climb down from there and went in the opposite directions of each other down the side passages, so Angel and I went towards the center. There was a bridge with a walkable underpass underneath. I saw the Octoling run by, spreading ink.

Once we were at the center was when we actually encountered trouble. I threw a toxic mist to stop the opponents’ advance, but their weapons were longer ranged and they were pointing them right at me.

“I don’t think so!” Angel said, stepping in front of me. She held out her weapon and it folded out into an umbrella. It took the hits for us. Then Angel threw something onto the floor. It soared into the air and a purple cloud formed, making it rain our team’s ink. Anyone on the opponent’s side got splatted if they didn’t flee.

“I got this spot!” said Angel.

“Cool then,” I said.

I turned into a squid and swam through the ink to find more turf to cover. Erray had the left side when he threw two Burst Bombs at an opponent and fired a few shots, before running out of ammo.

“Erray!” I yelled, as the Inking, while mildly damaged, began to close in.

“Heads up!” said a voice.

The Octoling pushed Erray aside by the shoulder. The kid almost cried out in pain, but he was clearly trying to hold it back. The Octo boy swung his Slosher and finished the Inkling for Erray.

“Nice!” I said.

“Thanks!” the Octoling said. “I-AH!”

The Octoling was suddenly splatted from afar. An Inkling girl was on a perch with a charger.

“Sniper!” I yelled.

Erray and I scattered as the Inkling girl tried to shoot at us. Another Inkling was chasing after us. Angel swam up as we went through the underpass and threw a sprinkler to distract him and shot him down.

“Take out the sniper!” said Angel.

“Got it!” I said. “Let’s go Er-”

I couldn’t find Erray anywhere. I swore he was following me. Could he have gotten splatted on the way?

Angel held out her umbrella as another Inkling tried to shoot at her.

“Go! Now!” Angel yelled.

The Octoling met up with me back at the center. The sniper on the perch saw the Octo boy and tried shooting at him. His dodging provided a nice distraction, though. So I made my way into enemy territory and snuck up on the girl from behind. I got her in one hit.

“I did it!” I said, jumping back to the Octoling’s side.

Suddenly, the remaining enemies surrounded us.

“Wow! I’ve always wanted to splat an Octarian!” said an Inkling boy.

A mark appeared on the ground. Someone was Super Jumping to us.

“Ha! Idiot!” said the boy. But that opinion was put to rest when just before Erray landed, a field appeared and Erray landed with an explosion of ink. All the Inklings around us were splatted by the Splashdown.

“Whoa!” the Octoling said, excitedly.

The whistle went off shortly after that. We were sent back to the lobby.

Judd, a cat with tuxedo-patterned fur came up while accompanied by a little friend.

“Who’s that?” I said.

“It’s Li’l Judd,” said Angel. “Isn’t the resemblance obvious?”

Judd quickly held up a flag in our direction while Li’l Judd fell backwards, pretending to faint.

“Yes!” the Octoling exclaimed.

“All right then!” I said, with a smile.

“Guess I did it right…” said Angel.

Erray let out a relieved sigh. The other team groaned in disappointment.

“That was pretty fun, actually…” said Angel.

“Yeah,” I said. “What about you, Octo-”

I turned around, but the Octo boy had disappeared from the room.

“You okay?” I heard Angel say.

I looked back at Angel, who was looking at Erray. He was grabbing his shoulder again. His hands were shaking and he looked even more pale than he already was.

“I… I don’t know about you…” Erray muttered. “But… I’m battling again.”

Before Erray could walk off, Judd grabbed him by the end of his shirt.

“Huh?” said Erray.

“Are you injured?” said Judd.

Erray couldn’t even work out a response.

“We can’t have someone injured out on the stages,” said Li’l Judd. “You could get hurt even worse.”

“I-I… I’m not…” Erray tried to respond, but he grabbed his shoulder again.

“Come on, kid,” I said. “Let’s go find somewhere for you to sit.”

“I don’t need to-”

Angel tapped his shoulder and he backed away in pain.

“Yes, you do!” she said.

“Let’s just go,” I said, putting his other arm around my shoulders. “Let’s not make a scene. Thank-you, Judds!”

“No, purroblem!” said Judd. “And it’s great to see you again, Bass.”

Erray looked like he was going to say something in protest, but stayed quiet instead. I guided Erray out of the tower with Angel following closely behind.

“Would you let go?” Erray pouted. “I don’t need you Squid handling me!”

“Would you be nice!” Angel snapped. “He’s trying to help you!”

I lowered Erray into a chair at a table. Angel wanted to take a look at his injury, but Erray pushed her away.

“What happened to your shoulder?” I said.

“Urgh…” Erray moaned, rubbing his shoulder. It looked like he was desperately trying to ease the pain. It also seemed he there was pain on his leg, too. “What happened to your arm?” he sassed back.

I grabbed my arm.

“Touché…” I said. “Angel, keep an eye on him. “I’m gonna get some drinks.

“Oh! Try that truck over there,” said Angel. “They’re pretty good. Oh! You’ll need these!”

Angel handed me three tickets. They looked the same, but I headed to the truck anyway.

And wouldn’t you know it? A familiar tiger prawn was running the business.

“Sean?!” I said.

“What’s kraken, squiddo?!” said Sean. “I didn’t know you were back in town. You’re not causing trouble, are you?”

“Of course not,” I said. “I’ll just take three…” I read the tickets. “Swim Speed Apples.”

“You got it,” said Sean.

I took the drinks and headed back to the table. Erray took his and held it up to his shoulder to provide relief. He was winced a bit in pain, but eventually relaxed enough to take a drink.

“Thank-you…” said Erray. “It tastes pretty good…”

“So, Erray…” said Angel. “Where did you come from?”

“...The countryside…” Erray responded. “I… uh… ran into some trouble… on the way to Inkopolis… And, uh… That’s how I got hurt.”

Angel and I exchanged glances.

“Look, I don’t know what happened,” I said, “but you shouldn’t be pushing yourself.”

“I-I thought… I was feeling better,” said Erray. “That’s why I came here to train… But I guess the pain started acting up again.”

“Ohh…” Angel realized.

“Can I… ask you something?” said Erray.

“Shoot!” I said.

“Why… Why did you help me?” said Erray. “I barely even know you…”

“...It’s not in me to leave someone in need…” I said, staring at my drink.

“Bass…” said Angel.

“Huh…?” said Erray.

Suddenly, a bell went off. It played a melody and then ended.

“Oh… the hour bell,” said Angel. “It’s four o’ clock.”

“Wait, four?!” said Erray. “Ah! I gotta get back! Thank-you for the drink! I’ll see you later!”

Erray dashed off with his drink, but then I saw that he left his Splatter shot.

“Bass! Erray left without his weapon!” said Angel.

“Don’t worry,” I said, picking it up. “I’ll give it to him. Wait here.”

I went off in Erray’s direction. The sun was beginning to set, so I had to hurry. I wondered how Erray was supposed to get home through this dark alley he was in. Suddenly, he came running back.

“Erray?” I said.

“RUN!” he yelled, dashing past me.

“Huh?” Then I was almost hit by fuchsia ink. I ran behind Erray, as the Octolings chased after us. If they went to the Square it would only cause a panic, so I led Erray somewhere else.

We ended up at some remote dock. Erray tripped over the pain of his injuries, so I had to drag him behind a few crates. I leaned him against on of the crates, but he was shifting uncomfortably.

“Not again…” the boy muttered, softly. “Not again… I can’t do this!”

“Wait! Hold up! Hold up!” I said, grabbing him by his shoulders. “...What happened?”

Erray brought himself to look at me. He pulled down a gulp and tears were in his eyes.

“...I-I…” he tried to say.

“Where are you?!” said a voice. “You can’t hide forever, little Inkling!”

Erray grabbed his Splattershot from me.

“I’ve gotta…” He tried to get up, but the pain was too much for him.

“Erray…” I said, pushing him back down. I pulled out my Blaster.

“B… Bass, they’ll kill you…” said Erray.

“It’s not in me to leave someone in need…” I said once more, as I rose to my feet.

I walked out and the Octolings got close to me. One of them, a boy, walked out to approached me.

“What do you want?” I said.

“Straight to the point,” said the Octoling. “I like that. It’s a shame you’re an Inkling. You would do fine in our ranks.”

I shot him a glare.

“I will not stoop to your level,” I said, sternly.

“Well, then… today’s your lucky day,” said the Octoling. “We’re not here for you. We’re here for that little buddy you were with. So how about you just tell us where he is, step aside, and we’ll spare you?”

“What do you want with him?” I said.

“That’s none of your business,” said the Octoling. “The only business I have is with Erray. When I say I’m gonna splat someone, I intend to finish what I started.”

I pulled out my Blaster. The Octoling held up their weapons.

“Alright, then…” said the Octoling. “Get him!”

The Octolings walked towards me. One swung his Octobrush, but I pulled it out his hand and shot him in the face. Then I knocked the other Octolings away by swinging it at them, before throwing it into the ocean. Some of the Octos fell into the ocean with it. Don’t worry! They were linked to Spawn Points. I saw the light on their ink tanks. The others that weren’t fell on the crates and broke them on impact.

Before the survivors got close, I threw a Toxic Mist Bomb at the floor. As they tried to get close they quickly ran out of ink from it. I ran up and used Splash Down on them. The explosion took them out, but destroyed more of the boxes. Then I immdiately moved my head out of the way as a sniper shot flew past me. I tossed a curling bomb at her and swam in its trail. She kept trying to shoot me and got out of the way when it exploded, but I was right behind her before I shot her down.

I looked around and saw the damage I caused. Heh… Whoops. Those who weren’t splatted got up and ran.

“Yeah! You better run!” I yelled.

I let out a sigh and walked back to check on the kid.

“Stop right there!” yelled a voice.

I turned around, thinking that the Octolings were back for more, but they weren’t Octolings. A group of Inklings wearing orange overalls, green boots and gloves and green and white caps surrounded me with their weapons out.

“What the heck did you do?!” said an Inkling girl. “You realize you just destroyed Grizzco property?!”

“You’re in a lot of trouble, kid!” said an Inkling boy.

“N-No! Wait!” I said. “I can explain!”

“STOP!” yelled a voice.

Erray walked out and pushed me out of the way. I was shocked to see that he changed his hair to match the color of the fuchsia ink left on the grounds. I forgot that Octarian ink took longer to disappear than Inkling ink.

“It was me…” Erray lied.

The Inklings looked at each other.

“His hair matches…” said the Inkling girl.

“Fine! Fine!” said the boy. “You! In the sweater! You’re coming with us!”

Erray surrendered his Splattershot and the Inklings escorted him away. He gazed at me one more time, and his eyes looked like they were saying thank-you. I decided to follow him to make sure he was okay and pulled out my phone to call Angel.

What kind of trouble has Erray gotten into…? I had no idea…

“Hey, Angel?” I said on the phone. “We have a problem…”

Chapter Text

Erray

My fingers tapped the surface of the desk violently. I was trapped in a lone room with only a chair to sit on, the desk in front of me, and one light in the room. This situation was oddly and obviously familiar and that fact made me shiver. I wasn’t sure if I was being watched or not, so I tried to keep my fears suppressed.

Finally, after what felt like to be an eternity of silence, the door opened. That Octoling from earlier came in. I immediately stood up and backed into a wall.

“You won’t take me alive!” I shouted loudly, not caring if anyone else heard.

“Huh?” said the Octoling.

I grabbed the chair I was sitting in. This was a trap, wasn’t it?! Those Octarians always had a plan B!

“I’m not going back!” I yelled, raising the chair up.

Suddenly, an Inkling girl ran into the room. She was holding a Charger and pointing it right at me.

“Drop the chair!” the girl yelled. “Drop it, now!”

I dropped the chair… not because I wanted to, but because picking it up strained my shoulder wound. I fell on my knees and tried to ease the pain. The Octoling put the chair back in place and then reached out for me.

The Inkling sighed when I winced back in terror.

“He works for me, kid,” she said.

The Octoling guided me back into the chair. It was weird that he was being so nice to me about what happened… at least in my opinion.

“So… what happened?” said the girl.

“I don’t know…” said the Octoling. “ I walked in to see if he was okay and he flipped out.”

The girl checked her clipboard and wrote something down.

“Huh… Well… Go wait outside, I guess,” said the girl.

“Yes, ma’m, said the Octoling.

The Octoling walked out of the room and shut the door. I was still trying to catch my breath.

The Inkling girl had short orange hair that only went down to her shoulders. She wore a jacket that was mostly red with a broad gray stripe around the waist area with two pockets. A dress shirt could be seen underneath, since it wasn’t zipped up all the way. Her pants were plach and looked made of cotton cloth and she wore brown boots.

“So… Um… Erray… was it?” said the girl.

“Um… Yes,” I said.

“Right, then,” said the girl. “I’m Captain Arowana, leader of Squad Seven of the Salmon Run Brigade. Before you ask, no, I am not related to the guy who founded the Arowana Mall. Anyway… What are you doing here again?”

“I damaged Grizzco property…?”

Captain Arowana glanced at her clipboard.

“Oh! Right! Right…” she said. “So, according to this, you destroyed a crate of Grizzco weapons, shipments of Power Eggs and Golden Eggs and several cases of empty Splat Bombs. How do you plea?”

“Wait, I have a choice of a plea?”

“Ha ha ha!” the captain chuckled. “Of course not!”

“S-So, what are you going to do with me?”

“Well, under these circumstances the police would be here by now. But, luckily for you, I guess… Grizzco doesn’t roll that way…”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, my boss wants to talk to you or something…” the captain said, beginning to stumble to the door. She stepped out for a second and came back with a small wooden statue of an animal, with a fish in its mouth. A long radio antenna was attached to the top of its head. She pressed a button and there was the sound of a radio whirring on.

“You on, sir,” the Captain Arowana said.

“Hello, kid,” said a voice from the radio. His voice sounded low and raspy. I think whoever was talking was using some kind of modulator, too.

“Uh… hi,” I said.

“Welcome to Grizzco Industries,” the voice said. “I’m Mr. Grizz. My employees told me about what happened.”

“L-Look,” I said. “I… I’m sorry! I-It was an accident! I swear!”

“Yeah, well, saying it was an accident doesn’t fix my merchandise,” Mr. Grizz responded. “But, I will admit, that was quite a lot of damage back there.”

“Y-Yeah, I guess…” I said, shyly.

“Well, I’m sure Ms. Arowana has already informed you that we will not be calling the police.”

“Why not?”

“Because I have a better idea than getting the fuzz involved,” Mr. Grizz said, confidently. “I want you to work here to pay off the damages.”

“W-Well… what would I have to do here?”

“Well, here at Grizzco, we’re tryin’ to make the world a better place,” said Mr. Grizz. “It just your run-of-the-mill manual labor type of work, but its for a good cause. So if you work here, no one goes to jail, and get to help shape the future of Inkopolis. It’s a win-win!”

“Well, I don’t want to go to jail…” I said.

“Well, I don’t either…”

“Huh?”

“So, whaddya say?”

“Uh… Well, I guess I don’t have much of I choice,” I said. “I don’t have that kind of money.”

“Alright then,” said Mr. Grizz. “Captain Arowana?”

The captain was leaning against the door, but her eyes were closed.

“ANEMY!” Mr. Grizz shouted.

“Oh! What?!” Anemy said, jumping at the noise and dropping her clipboard. “I’m up!”

“Grr… Will you handle Erray’s training?” said Mr. Grizz.

“Huh? Uh, yeah… Okay…” said Anemy. She bent down to pick up her clipboard. “Come back here tomorrow and we can get started.”

“That sounds fine,” I said.

“Okay, then…” said Anemy. She placed my Splattershot on the desk. “You’re free to go, but don’t even think about running off on our deal. Mr. Grizz has eyes in more places than you think.”

Anemy left the room and took the radio with her. I got up to leave, but then Bass came in with Angel.

“Aw, there you are!” said Bass. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I said. “They just talked to me. That’s all.”

“What did they say?” said Angel.

“They want me to work here to pay off the damages,” I said.

“Are you sure you wanna do that?” said Angel.

“Well, I… kind of have to,” I said. “I don’t have any money.”

Bass and Angel walked me out of the building. Surprisingly enough, it was located near the square, right next to Deca Tower. It was slightly hidden by the shops near it.

“Don’t worry,” said Bass. “I’ll find a way to help you out.”

“How?” I said.

“Well, I-”

“There you are!” said a voice.

A girl with a black kimono and a green parasol walked up to us.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” she said. “Thank-you for finding him!”

“Um… No problem,” said Bass.

“Let’s go, Erray,” the girl said, pulling me by the hand.

“Uh, bye,” I said, waving at Bass and Angel.

The girl led me away from the square and around the corner of a street.

“Um… Who are you?” I said.

The girl let go of my hand and moved the parasol away from her face. The facemask and hat…

“Agent 2?” I said.

“Yep,” said Agent 2. “Now do you mind telling me what the heck you were doing sneaking off like that?”

“I’m… sorry…” I said.

“Wait, wait,” said Agent 2. “Not here. Let’s just get you somewhere safe and then you can explain.”

Agent 2 guided me back through the secret way back to Cap’n Cuttlefish’s house.

“Guess who I found?” Agent 2 said, as she guided me through the front door.

Agent 1 ran into the living room.

“Hey! You found him!” Agent 1 said, cheerfully.

“Sit!” Agent 2 said to me, sternly.

I did as Agent 2 said and sat on the couch.

“Okay, now tell what the heck you think you were doing sneaking off like that,” she said.

“I went to the square to try and practice,” I said. “The cat they call Judd told me to leave after one match. He knew I was injured. Anyway, I was gonna head back, but I got attacked by Octolings.”

“What?!” said Agent 1. “Are you okay?”

“Well, I met a friend who helped,” I said. “But, he blew up some of Grizzo property, so I have to go back tomorrow and work for them.”

“Erray, I told you not to go out!” said Agent 2. “What if your friend didn’t show up to fight those Octarians for you? What then?”

“Well, I was sick of just doing nothing!” I said. “I-I’m scared, but I don’t want the Octarians to get away with what they’ve done!”

“I told you if you wanted to help, you have to rest and recover first,” said Agent 2.

“I felt useless!”

“Better you feel that way for a few days then have you dead in eight seconds,” said Agent 2.

“Uh, hate to interrupt,” said Agent 1, “but can you keep it down? The cap’n’s trying to sleep.”

“L-Look…” I said. “I’m really sorry… Today was just… really crazy for me, and I guess that’s what I get for disobeying what I was told…”

Agents 1 and 2 glanced at each other.

“But you know what?” I said. “I finally got to see Inkopolis. It’s beautiful… I’ve got to see Inkopolis. It’s beautiful… I’ve never seen so many creatures gathering to meet up in such a kind community, and Inklings using weapons not in the name of conflict, but for fun. The Zapfish is so much bigger in person. Again, I’m sorry for running off. It was selfish, foolish and irresponsible. Whatever you want me to do… I’ll do it.”

Agent 2 sighed. “When do you have to go back?”

“Tomorrow,” I said.

“Then off to bed with you,” said Agent 2. “You’ll need to be fully recovered by then. We can’t draw suspicion to us,”

“Okay…” I said, getting up. “Good-night.”

Agent 1 followed me into Agent 3’s old room. I kicked off my shoes and sat on the bed.

“Sorry about Agent 2,” said Agent 1. “My cousin has been pretty bitter since Agent 3 left.”

“Well, I was the one who ran off,” I said.

“It’s not just that…” Agent 1 said, looking solemn. “In… our line of work, we don’t have that many people to talk to…”

“What do you mean?”

Agent 1 tensed up.

“You… You said you really want to help us, right?” said Agent 1.

I nodded.

“When you’ve proven we can trust you, I promise to tell you everything,” said Agent 1. “Now get some sleep.”

Agent 1 walked out of the room. I laid on the bed and began to ponder Agent 1 and 2’s predicament. What kind of mess were they in since Agent 3 disappeared?

The exhaustion of today set in and I drifted off to sleep… wondering what tomorrow would bring…

Wait.. Did Agent 1 just say they were cousins?

My shoulder felt less painful the next morning. I hoped it would hold up today. Over in the kitchen, I found Agent 1 with Cap’n Cuttlefish.

“Mornin’, Erray,” said Cap’n Cuttlefish.

“Oh, hey,” I said. “Where’s Agent 2?”

“She’s out on an errand,” said the cap’n. “You really have a knack for getting yourself into trouble, don’t you?”

“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry, sir.” “Well… What’s done is done,” said the cap’n. “Agent 1 will take you to Grizzco today, and Agent 2 will take you back here when your shift is over. I don’t want you wandering into town right now. Those Octarians could be looking for you. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” I said.

Agent 1 walked over with a bottle of medicine.

“I found some medicine that can help you today,” said Agent 1. “If the pain starts acting up, just take some of this. It should help. Swimming in your own ink will help you heal faster, too.”

“Thanks, Agent 1,” I said, taking the bottle.

“Alright, Agent 1,” said the cap’n. “Make sure he gets to Grizzco safely.”

“Yes, cap’n!” said Agent 1.

After breakfast, Agent 1 escorted me out of the base. We took the secret way to Inkopolis and took an alternate route to Grizzco that wasn’t through the square to avoid drawing attention.

“Okay,” Agent 1 said, as we approached the Grizzco building. “Is this the place?”

“Yeah…” I said.

“Okay,” said Agent 1. “I’ll watch you in. After that, I have to leave.”

“Okay… Thanks, Agent 1,” I said.

Agent 1 backed into the corner we turned from and didn’t leave until I entered the building. It was kind of chilly inside. Cans and coolers were lying around in somewhat messy stacks. The lights were a little dim. Nets were hanging from the roof with some sphere things caught in them. There were several screens on the wall and some kind of control panel on a wall adjacent to it. A lot of Inklings were around and the ones that were already in uniform were glancing over at me.

“Erray,” said Mr. Grizz.

I found the radio on top of one of the coolers and walked up to it.

“Glad to see you’re on time,” said Mr. Grizz.

“You can see me?” I said.

“Cameras,” said Mr. Grizz. “They’re everywhere.”

“Do you always talk through a radio?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why can’t you talk to me in person?”

“Are you crazy, kid?” Mr. Grizz said, suddenly raising his tone. “I can’t leave-Well, I think it’s better that I don’t tell you my location.”

I squinted slightly. This was getting really suspicious, but it’s not like I should question this place right now.

“Riiight…” I said.

“Just get over to the break room,” Mr. Grizz grumbled. “Orientation is happening there.”

“Um, yes, sir,” I said.

There was a hallway that led down to the breakroom. The room was lit with some dingy lights. The tables looked a bit scratched and there seemed to be a few stains on them. At least the wooden flooring and walls were a bit comforting. Many Inklings were sealed in the chairs and I took one, as well.

Anemy was standing at the front. She seemed absorbed in that clipboard of hers, before she saw the audience. She jumped when her phone went off.

“Huh?!” Anemy yelled in surprise. She pulled her phone and checked the time. “Oh….” After clearing her throat she began to speak. “Okay… Hey, everyone. Uh, I think I told you all yesterday, but… we have some new recruits. Due to, uh… unusual circumstances…” She stopped for a moment to look me in the eye. “I will be handling their training. So, uh, I guess Char will lead your shifts today. Is that okay?”

Anemy’s crew nodded.

“Alright,” said Anemy. “Newbies, come with me.”

I followed the new recruits with Anemy and we were outfitting with some Grizzco uniforms. They looked like the ones those Inklings wore when they confronted Bass and I.

After we were all in uniform, Anemy led us into a room and when she turned on the light, we were shocked to see pretty much every weapon in existence in the room.

“Take only one and meet me out on the deck,” said Anemy. “Splat Bombs will be provided for you… Oh, uh, and Mr. Grizz said to not even think about taking weapons off the property. He said that there cameras and went off to say a bunch of bad things and yadda, yadda, yadda… Anyway, get your weapons. I’m getting a soda.”

The new recruits walked around searching for the perfect weapon. I found a Splattershot and took it before anyone else.

As soon as everyone was on the docks, Anemy, soda in hand, led everyone onto the one of the ships. They had a big satellite stuck on each of them. We headed out to sea, and I hoped the driver knew what he was doing. It was dangerous for Inklings to be out on water.

Everyone stayed below deck until Anemy called us out. Weapons in hand, we went out onto the deck and Super Jumped to an island. We were all given life preservers to wear on our back and they somehow function as ink tanks.

A small island we stood on had a lot of metal platforms and ramps that led to higher points on the island. Grates hung over a lower level of the area. I wasn’t sure where on the ocean we were, but the water around us was green and a distinct smell was in the air.

A basket was set up near where they landed. The recruits assembled near it and Anemy stood in front of them.

“Welcome to the Salmon Run, kiddies,” Anemy said with a smirk. “Those of you standing before me have been assigned to my squad. I am your leader, Captain Arowana. Understood?”

“Yes!” the recruits said, along with myself.

“Alright, see those life savers on you backs?” said Anemy. “Basically, those are not only your ink tank, but are also the things that stands between you and a horrible death.”

The recruits gasped.

“See, unlike Inkopolis, there no Spawn Points out here,” said Anemy. “To substitute, those preservers are your Spawn Point, but a one of your teammates have to shoot it with ink for it to work. So, make sure your communicators are working. Now, I guess we should start today’s lesson.”

Anemy wandered to the side, quickly checking her clipboard.

“Okay, so there’s these creatures called Salmonids will come out of the water,” said Anemy. “Like those ones over there!”

Everyone looked over toward the shore of the island. Oddly shaped creatures were making their way onto the shore.

“Hey, Erray,” said Anemy. “How ‘bout you go take them out? Show the other recruits what you’re made of.”

“Sure,” I said, Splattershot in hand.

“Be careful,” said Anemy.

I carefully crept closer to the creatures. They were an odd shape. They had big eyes bulging out from the sides of their heads. Their hair pointed upward like a mohawk and… Were they holding frying pans?

Once one of them saw me, all three of them charged at me. Up close, I could see their strange crooked teeth.

I jumped back when a frying pan nearly hit my face. I ran and attacked the assaulter, then ran back a few feet to toss a bomb at the last two. Orange sphere looking things landed on the ground. Trails of green ink were left behind by the Salmonids.

“Good,” said Anemy. “Everyone grab those Power Eggs. We need them almost as much as the golden ones.”

“Gold ones?” I asked, as everyone ran in to gather the power eggs.

“Yeah, here’s where things get messy,” Anemy said, sounding like it was nothing.

“Captain, what’s that shiny thing over there?” said a recruit.

Anemy gazed at the shore with her binoculars.

“Golden Salmonid!” Anemy yelled. “Go get it!”

The recruits all yelled and ran at the Salmonoid. Some of them inked a path to swim in to go faster. I followed behind them and got to see the creature before wailing on it. It was bigger than those other Salmonids from before with shiny golden skin, which was probably why it took several shots to take it down and it wore what looked like a toga. The recruits picked up some Golden Eggs and Anemy signaled us to bring them back to the basket. I followed behind, but then I narrowly dodged the swing of a frying pan.

I was flustered and fell to the ground, but I managed to shoot the Salmonid in the face.

“Erray! On your feet!” Anemy yelled.

I pushed myself back onto my feet. More Salmonids began to rise out of the waters. Behind the smaller ones were a few bigger, more slow moving ones.

“You got specials on your head, kid!” said Anemy. “Use ‘em!”

I was wondering what those things on my hat were. I tore one of them off.

“What is this? An MRE?” I said.

“Just eat it!” Anemy yelled.

I tore into it like she wanted and suddenly, I was full of energy. I rose into the air and took out the surrounding Salmonids in an explosion.

“Nice Splashdown!” an Inkling boy said as he ran back over with a Roller. The rest of the recruits came to take out any stragglers.

“Wonderful!” Anemy said, twirling around. “Not bad for a training session. Let’s head back to the ship.”

We all saluted and Super Jumped back to the boat.

As we made our way back, I took a rest below deck. My shoulder and leg were only slightly sore, so I decided to take that medicine Agent 1 gave me.

“Sore?” said a voice.

I looked up from my seat and saw that the Anemy had followed me.

“Here,” she said, hand me another can of that soda she had earlier. “You’ve earned it.”

“Really?” I said, taking the soda from her.

“Meh, you were a bit jumpy, but you did good,” she said. “I’ll let Grizz know.”

I watched Anemy wander back above deck, whistling a song. I swore I’ve heard it somewhere, before…

“Thank-you…” I said.

After we got back to Grizzco, each of us were given a 338-page manual to read over, and we were each given a card used to check in and out with.

Once I stepped out of Grizzco, Agent 2 was waiting for me, still covering her face. I think it was only into the afternoon at the moment.

“So, how’d it go?” said Agent 2.

“Not bad,” I said. “It’s actually kind of fun.”

Agent 2 chuckled a bit.

“Glad to hear it,” she said. “C’mon. Let’s get you back.”

Manual in hand, I followed Agent 2 back. I was actually feeling a bit better. So, why couldn’t I escape the feeling that I was being watched…?

Chapter Text

Angel could still remember it like it was yesterday. She was finally in the city of Inkopolis. Inkopolis Tower was right in front of her, but she ran into another Inkling. Her hair was green and she had a Roller.

“Ooh! Another new Squid on the block!” she taunted, as she saw the Splattershot Jr. that had landed near her. Angel gasped when the girl took it.

“Hey, give it back!” Angel yelled, picking herself off the ground. She reached for it but the girl was just a bit too tall for her to reach.

“Are these stickers you put on supposed to be cute?” the Inkling joked.

“Hey! Leave her alone!”

The two turned their gaze to an Inkling boy with his tied back, blue hair. His sharp orange eyes focused on Angel’s assailant. He wore a white t-shirt, black shorts and a pair of sneakers.

“This doesn’t involve you, kid!” the Inkling girl spat.

“It will if you don’t give her weapon back!” he said, pulling out his Roller.

The girl rolled her eyes and threw Angel’s Splattershot back on the ground.

“Okay, tough guy,” said the girl. “We can settle this inside!”

The girl walked towards the tower with a smug look on her face. Angel ran over and retrieved her weapon.

“Are you okay?” said the boy.

“Uh… yeah…” Angel said, shyly. “I think so… Um…” She had to look away for a second. “Th-Thank-you. My name’s Angel.”

“Nice to meet you,” said the boy. “Oh! I guess I should tell you my name.”

“Angel?” Vichay said, snapping her out from her thoughts. She had been sitting on the couch in her apartment, lost in thought.

“Huh?” Angel responded, raising her head. “What?”

“You’ve been spacing out a lot lately,” said Vichay. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah…” said Angel. “Did you do something?”

“I’m, uh… I’m gonna go out for a few hours,” said Vichay.

That made Angel raise a brow.

“For what?” she said.

“There’s… There’s something I need to take care of…” said Vichay.

“Um, okay,” said Angel. “Just be careful.”

“I always am,” said Vichay.

Angel saw her go. After she was gone, the Inkling lowered her head.

“Sounds just like him…” she muttered.

Bass had noticed Angel’s behavior, too. Luckily, he made one her favorite drinks and brought it over to her.

“Here,” he said. “I made some pink lemonade.” He set it down on the coffee table.

“Oh, you didn’t have to-”

“Please, it’s the least I can do for you letting me stay here,” said Bass.

Angel took the glass and had a taste. Then she set it back on the table.

“What? Too sweet?” said Bass.

“...Why?” said Angel.

“Angel… what’s wrong?” said Bass. “What did I do?”

Angel brought herself to look at her friend. Tears were streaming down from her silver eyes.

“How can you still care about me after everything?” said Angel.

Bass sat down next to Angel.

“Don’t talk like that!” said Bass. “You’re my friend, no matter what.”

“You were right!” Angel said, beginning to sob. “I blamed you… and Anemy! And everyone else! And when you gave up searching I called you all quitters!”

“Angel, it’s fine,” Bass said, pulling her into his arms. “I… I abandoned you after everything we went through in your time of need.”

Angel wiped her eyes. “I deserved that.”

“No, you didn’t!” said Bass. You managed to pick up the pieces even though you were alone. And I… I just ran away to a farm!”

“I didn’t do it alone,” Angel said, wiping away her tears.

“I know,” said Bass. He let Angel go, so she could sit properly. “I-I think-” He took a minute to gather his thoughts. “I think I’ve found some people who can help us find Agent 3.”

“Bass,” said Angel. “Not-”

“I’ll be careful,” said Bass. “I promise.”

Angel knew what he was talking about, but what could she do? It was that or talk to the Squid Sisters.

She turned to him with her lips trembling and her palms sweating.

“Okay,” she said.

“What is that?!” Erray yelled.

Erray, Anemy and two other workers were greeted by a massive Salmonoid that was covered in protective armor.

Anemy got out her charger.

“Boss Salmonid - Steelhead!” said Anemy. She held her teeth tightly as she saw a bomb appearing on the behemoth’s head. “Scatter!”

The squad swam a distance in their ink. The Steelhead threw down a large bomb, causing an explosion of dark green ink.

“Whoa…” said Erray. “Gah!” he yelled, as a green ray of ink barely missed. He began to run as the ray followed. Over by one of the edges of the small island was a small Salmonid with on top of a stack of pots and pans.

“I’ll leave the Steelhead to you,” said Anemy. “Shoot the bomb on its head before it throws it off its head. I’ll take the Stinger.”

Anemy swam away in her squid from form in our team’s orange ink. Erray swam up a inked wall, and stood on higher ground to shoot the Steelheads bomb while Coral and Char provided a distraction. Char’s Splattershot Pro had range, so he could shoot from the ground.

The next bomb exploded on the Steelhead’s head, dropping three Golden Eggs. Erray shot down a couple Salmonoids to help them secure them. Once all three were in the basket, they swam down to help their captain.

Ink Bombs were being through everywhere, wasting Salmonoids left and right. The Stinger had been taken down and we rushed in to secure the Golden Eggs lying nearby.

“Char! Coral! Get the eggs back!” Anemy ordered, as she continued rushing the enemies with bombs. Her glowing hair indicated she was full of energy, hence why the Bomb Rush.

“What about me?” Erray said, as Anemy shot down a Small Fry rushing at her. She walked up and put a hand on my shoulder.

“Step this way,” Anemy said, pushing me a few feet to the right

“What? Why?” said Erray.

Anemy turned around and threw a bomb at Erray’s previous location. A strange bobber was there and at that moment, an enormous monster emerged from the ink. Erray screamed and clung to the captain from behind as the monsters ate the bomb and exploded, leaving another three Golden Eggs.

“That’s why,” Anemy said, pushing the newbie off her, gently. “Keep an eye on your feet, kid. Let’s get those eggs back before the Snatchers show up.”

“Uh, aye-aye!” said Erray.

Erray was so glad after their shift was over. They had been working since the early morning into the afternoon. After returning the uniform, and changing back into his regular clothes, he went to go get his shoes.

Anemy sat down on the bench and set down a fresh can of cherry cola beside her. She relaxed for a few minutes before deciding to get her regular boots on. Several Inklings were chatting in the same room.

“I wish I had your confidence, ‘Miss’ Arowana,” said an Inkling girl. “I couldn’t imagine being so laid back as a captain.”

“How nice it must be to be Mr. Grizz’s favorite!” an Inkling boy said, shooting a glare.

Anemy paid them no heed and pulled out her phone to return a few texts.

“Fine then,” the boy went on. “Act like you’re better than us.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that you just another lowly worker, Anemy,” said another Inkling boy.
“Just doing run-of-the-mill manual type labor for the benefit for only one person… thing… Whatever Mr. Grizz is.”

Erray had walked in just then and sat by Anemy who had just finished messing with her phone.

“Captain, are you just gonna take that?” Erray whispered, angrily.

Anemy set her phone beside her and grabbed one of her boots.

“Why should words matter to me?” said Anemy

Anemy slipped on her right boot. Erray let out a sigh and gave up… until he heard his captain yell out in pain.

Quickly, Anemy pulled off her boot and slid her sock of her foot. She saw the bottom her foot bleeding. Ink dripped onto the floor. She shook her boot and saw a thorn fall out.

“Oh, someone get the first-aid kit,” said the first Inkling boy. “This fair captain appears to be bleeding.”

Erray glared.

“Perhaps she got a blister?” said the Inkling girl. “She always seems to be working so hard,” she said rolling her eyes. And they started laughing.

“Hey!” Erray yelled. “You-”

Anemy reached over and covered his mouth. She stood up and walked over, despite her injury. The three Inklings seemed back away little.

“Very funny…” Anemy said in her usual, casual tone. “You’re all fired.”

“You can’t do that!” said the Inkling Girl.

“Page 25 of the Grizzco handbook,” said Anemy. “Assault on another employee is punishable by loss of employment.”

“We didn’t know that!” said the second Inkling boy.

“Well, if you spent more time reading the handbook than thinking about ways to torment a squad captain, you’d probably know that.” She pulled out her Splattershot from behind. “Now the get the shell away from me!”

“I thought weapons weren’t allowed in here!” said the Inkling girl.

“Well, I guess that’s what I can do for being ‘Grizz’s favorite’,” Anemy said, smirking. She readied her weapon and the other Inklings ran out of the room.

Erray walked over to Anemy’s side.

“Are you okay” said Erray.

“I’m fine…” Anemy said. Her eye was twitching slightly through the pain.

“Here,” Erray said, guiding her back to the bench. He ran over to the corner of the room and came back with first-aid kit.

Anemy tried to reach for the supplies, but Erray pushed her hand away.

“Relax,” said Erray. “I’ve got this.” He pulled out a cloth and put some disinfectant on it. “This might sting a little.”

Anemy held her teeth tightly at the stinging sensation and squeezed her eyes shut. Eventually, the pain faded and Erray wrapped her foot in some bandages. When he was done, he saw his captain drinking her soda, acting like normal.

“There you go,” Erray said, letting go of her foot. He closed the first aid kid and got up to put it away.

“Hm?” Anemy glanced downward. “Oh. Well done.” She set her foot on the ground gently, trying not to apply pressure. “Um, you didn’t have to-”

“It’s the least I can do after what they did,” Erray said, turning to face her. “You did offer me a soda, too.”

“Right…” Anemy said.

“Um, are you okay?” said Erray.

“Course I am…” said Anemy. She took a heavy drink from her soda. “Why should I care about what they did. I didn’t bleed out, did I?”

“But-”

“Oscar!” Anemy yelled down the hallway.

The Octoling from the other day walkede in.

“Yes, captain?” said Oscar.

“Um…” Anemy couldn’t piece together the words. So, she just held out her right foot.

“Oh,” said Oscar. “Do you want me to help you back to your quarters?”

“Yeah…” said Anemy. She grabbed her soda with one hand and wrapped her other arm around Oscar. He helped her walk out of the room.

“Thanks, Erray,” Anemy said, sounding defeated.

Erray watched her go. It was the first time he had actually seen her so… vulnerable, and sounded so sincere. He wondered if she was going to be okay. Even though he feared and somewhat despised Octarians, he was sure Anemy was in good hands, so he decided to head back.

Marie sat on the couch in her apartment. She was finally able to go home and not be busy with work or being Agent 2. Cap’n Cuttlefish said he would guide Erray back today, so she was free to relax.

As usual, Callie wasn’t here. It hurt even more that this had become routine. She thought it would get better after they had worked together to rescue Erray, but she knew they had done missions alone, too. She tried to take her mind off things and watch TV, but the Off the Hook broadcast reminded her of Callie even more. It seemed they were spending more and more time apart…
The thoughts of the last Splatfest they hosted began to poke at her mind again.

How did Callie truly feel at the end of that last Splatfest? Marie thought to herself. She knew she was disappointed, but she was a good sport about it… right? She did notice they were fighting more. Is my popularity making Callie mad at me? She thought.

The memories of their last fight began to play again in her thoughts. Why couldn’t Calie accept that Agent 3 was gone and had no reason to come back?

“Agent 3’s gone! Geez, when will you get that?!”

“But-”

“It’s been two years! Isn’t that a bigger sign than anything?!”

“Get out.”

“Cal-”

“GET OUT!”

They had barely spoken since that day. Whenever they had a fight, they used to make up by the end of the day, but it had been days since they fought and they still hadn’t patched things up.

Marie lowered her head into her hands. It was times like these that she truly missed Agent, despite the idiot just up and abandoning them.

She leaned back against the couch.

Today was the anniversary, she realized. How long has it been since Agent 3’s desertion? Two years? She recalled the good old days. Her grandfather going missing did make her worry, but for the first time in so long, she had met someone who didn’t freak out at the mere sight of her and her cousin and liked them for who they were, not what they were.

It seems I’m driving everyone away nowadays… Marie thought, as green, transparent tears ran down from her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Callie,” Marie said, beginning to weep.

“Busy?” Callie said, as she peeked into Agent 3’s old room. Erray was sitting on the bed reading the Grizzco manual. There was a desk he could use, but she was glad that he respected her wishes to not touch Agent 3’s things.

Erray glanced up from his reading and looked at Callie.

“Oh, hey Agent 1,” said Erray. “I thought Cap’n Cuttlefish was here watching me.”

“He had to take care of something, so here I am,” said Callie. “The cap’n told me you’re feeling better.”

“Thanks to your help,” said Erray. He felt his shoulder, no longer feeling any pain. Then he lowered it. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met nice cephalopods like you.”

Callie smiled, but his compliment made her even more scared to finally tell him.

“U-Um… Look,” said Callie. “I-I didn’t just come here to check on you. I need to ask you something.”

“What is it?” said Erray.

“Well-” said Callie.

The two were interrupted when they heard a loud shattering noise.

“What was that!” Erray jolted back in shock. He rose to his feet, trembling slightly.

“Gramps?” said Callie.

There was no answer. Callie turned to Erray.

“Get the Splattershot,” said Calle.

Erray ran to the closet to get it. Callie reached into her room to get her Roller. She took the lead Erray followed closely behind. They entered the hallway and saw that the door to the basement had broken ope. Quickly, they rushed down the stairs and to their shock and dismay, Octavio was standing outside of the snow globe, that was now broken with Octolings at his side.

“Octavio!” Erray said, stopping as Callie went forward.

If Octavio was in in his humanoid form, he’d be smiling at Erray trembling. He was afraid of him and they both knew it.

Callie held up her Roller.

“How did you get out?” Callie yelled, harshly.

“It’s all thanks to your friend leading my followers here,” Octavio said, smugly.

Erray gasped. Callie turned to him when he heard him yell. He ran forward and aimed his weapon, but an Octoling shot it out of his hands. Octavio grabbed Erray and threw him into a metal shelf nearby. He fell to the floor, motionless.

“ERRAY!” Callie yelled.

The last thing Erray remembered through the pain in his head, was Callie jumping in to save him...

Chapter Text

Erray

I still remember climbing out that window and looking in my bedroom one last time. Then I took in the fresh air outside. It was warm for so late in the night. This would probably be the last time I would see my hometown.

I still remembered walking to the bus stop. How would they feel? How do they feel now? I only wish I could tell them I was sorry…

My mind was blank when I finally felt my senses coming back to me. My forehead was throbbing with pain, causing my closed eyes to tighten, but I fought through it to open them. The lights above were almost too bright for me. I had to block it out with one of my hands. Turning my head slightly, I saw I was back in Agent 3’s old room, lying on the bed. My facemask was on the nightstand.

“Erray!” It sounded like Agent 2. With a few quick footsteps, she came into view.

“Agent… 2?” I croaked. My throat felt really dry.

“Are you okay?” said Agent 2. “I came back here and I found the front door broken. I ran in and found you in the basement with a gash on your forehead.”

Immediately, I remembered what happened. Talking to Agent 1, going down into the basement, and-

“W-Wait!” I said, trying to sit up. “Wh-Where’s… Where’s Agent…” I felt my forehead, feeling the bandages. “Agent…” I became distracted by the room spinning.

Agent 2 lowered me back against the pillows.

“Where’s Agent 1?” I said.

“I don’t know,” said Agent 2. “I came in and everyone was gone.”

“C-Cuttlefish?” I said.

“He’s still out getting groceries,” said Agent 2. “Oh, where are you?” The Inkling looked around the room, shaking in worry.

I turned away and closed my eyes. How could I tell her what happened? I thought.

Agent 2 grabbed my shoulder and shook me.

“Erray, stay awake!” she said. “You just got a bad blow to the head!” She grabbed another pillow from the closet and set under my head so I could sit up. “Erray, where’s Agent 1?”

The memory continued to flash through my mind. My mouth struggled to form the words. I was dreading where she was, or what could be happening to her.

“O… Oct…”

Agent 2 grabbed me by the shoulders.

“Erray, you have to tell me!” she pleaded, desperately. “Where's she?! Where’s my cousin?!”

“O… Octavio..” I finally said, my hands shaking. “I-I… I think he took her.”

Agent 2 set me back down and backed away. Her golden eyes began to fill with tears.

“N-No…” she said, her voice trembling. “H-He couldn’t have-”

I hung my head low.

“I saw her jump in to save me before I passed out…” I said.

There was silence. I forced myself to look up at Agent 2… and she was glaring.

“I’m sorry…” I said.

“Yeah, you should be…” Agent 2 said, storming to the door.

“I-”

Agent 2 slammed the door shut. I heard her footsteps before they grew faint. Lying on the bed, I shuddered to think about what Octavio wanted with her.

It should’ve been me… I thought. She didn’t deserve this.

I had gone to Inkopolis Square and used working at Grizzco to try and get back on my feet to fight. Octavio was there, right in front of me… and in the end, I couldn’t do anything for Agent 1…

Cap’n Cuttlefish was back soon. I didn’t really understand what he and Agent 2 were saying, since they were in the living room. Their exchange sounded serious, though… as it should be.

I was bedridden for the rest of the day. Agent 2 would only come in to bring me food and nothing more. She wouldn’t even talk to me.

By nightfall, I was able to get up. I had to grab nearby objects for support. The cap’n made dinner and I insisted that I go to the kitchen and meet him.

With a hand against the wall and the other on my forehead, I made my way down the hall. Then I heard the whirring of a radio coming from Agent 1’s room.

I stumbled close to the slightly opened door and saw Agent 2 in there. She was sitting at a table with a radio in front of her and a mic to her mouth. Her hand wiped one of her eyes before she began to speak.

“Agent… Agent 3?” Agent 2, finally said. Her voice sounded dry. I assumed she had probably been crying. “Yeah… It’s me. Agent 2… I… I have tried being patient. We all have. We have tried to reason with you… I am done using reason! This is no longer a request. I am ordering you to come back!”

No response.

“When you signed up from the New Squidbeak Splatoon, you made a promise: To protect Inkopolis and the world. You swore to uphold that, even if it demanded sacrifice.”

Still nothing.

I gasped, forcing myself to cover my mouth so I could be silent. Marie had stood up, slamming her fists into the table.

“She’s gone, Agent 3!” Agent 2 yelled, harshly. “She’s kept her faith in you this entire time and now she’s gone. Inkopolis, your home, is in danger! We’re the ones who took you in and called you family! DOES THAT MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?!”

Agent 2’s arms shivered. I could see her teeth out. This was actually the first time I had seen her mouth. Well, partially. Her eyes are shaded by the dimly lit room and her hair.

She sank back in her chair and I backed away from the door.

“I guess I have my answer…” she said.

Realizing I had spent too much time here, I continued down the hall. It began to be filled with the sound of Agent 2’s weeping…

I’m sorry, Agent 1, I thought, wiping away years of my own. I began to wonder if it would have been better if I never came here…

I didn’t know how I got to sleep that night, but I was tired the next morning. So, I knew I didn’t sleep much. After changing the bandages on my head, I headed out towards the living room. The house was a lot quieter and I couldn’t find the cap’n in the rooms I was allowed to go in. At least the mess had been cleaned up from yesterday. It would probably be a while before the door to the basement was fixed.

Then, out on the porch, I saw someone standing there. It had to be Agent 2, because of that kimono and parasol.

I tried to open the front door quietly, but it squeaked when I turned it. Agent 2 turned around, causing me to pull my hands away from the door. She was wearing that facemask and that hat again.

“Oh, you’re up,” said Agent 2.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words would come out. She walked over and opened the door again to get inside.

“C’mon. I’ll make you cereal,” said Agent 2.

I followed Agent 2 into the kitchen and grabbed a seat. She asked which cereal I wanted and she grabbed a bowl and poured it for me. I stood up to get milk, but she pushed me back into my seat and got it for me.

“I’m sorry for what I said yesterday,” Agent 2 finally said. She set her parasol aside. “It’s just… my cousin and I had a fight, and I wanted to… Look, it’s been tough between us lately, but we were supposed to tell you yesterday.”

“Wait… tell me what?” I said.

“We think you’re ready to know who we really are,” said Agent 2.

“Um… Who are you, then?” I said.

Agent 2 reached for her hat and took off her facemask. Finally, I got to see what she actually looked like.

“My real name is Marie,” said Agent 2. The Inkling who saved you - Agent 1 - She’s my cousin, Callie.”

“C-Callie?” I said. Then I gasped. “D-Does that mean you’re-”

“Yes, I’m THAT Mare,” Marie said, holding up her arms to make a pose. “You know, from the Squid Sisters.”

“Whoa..” I said. My heart was racing. I was in front of a celebrity and now she’s also a hero. “I-I… I don’t know what to say…”

“Alright, I know you’re a bit starstruck, but I need you to get over it,” said Marie.

“Um… okay,” I said. “But, why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“We didn’t want to overwhelm you while you were still in a fragile state,” said Marie. “So, the cap’n, Callie and I thought it was best to keep our identities a secret until yesterday.”

My hands balled up into fists on the table.

“That’s what Agent 1… I mean, Callie. She was going to tell me this, wasn’t she?” I said.

“Yeah,” said Marie. “If you know anything about the Great Turf War, you would know that it’s left scars that still haven’t healed. What do you know about the Great Turf War, Erray?”

“Well, rising sea levels caused the two races - Inklings and Octarians - to fight over the remaining territory,” said Erray. “The Octarians were led by General Octavio and the Inklings were led by… Captain… Cuttlefish…. Wait! Is your grandfather-”

“Yes…” Marie said with a sigh.

I guess that explains why he’s been keeping an eye on them… I thought.

“Anything else?” said Marie.

“After the Octarians were defeated they were banished from the surface and forced to make a home underground,” said Erray. “I had heard stories of that law being lifted, but… some Inklings aren’t willing to change…”

“Hate, discrimination, prejudice…” said Marie. “These are some of the reasons of why the Octarians want to strike back. But Octavio… He just wants revenge. The surface could be completely equal to both races and he still wouldn’t be satisfied.”

Marie took a seat across from me.

“Two years ago, the Great Zapfish, the one hundred year old Zapfish that powers Inkopolis was stolen. The cap’n knew that this a part of Octavio’s plan for revenge. So, he got Callie and myself to try and stop him. Being pop stars, however, made us busy girls and we didn’t want to draw suspicion. So, we recruited another Squid who believed in cap’n’s story enough to not call him crazy. With that, we were called Agents and the New Squidbeak Splatoon was born.”

“The Inkling you recruited…” I said. “That was Agent 3, right?”

Marie formed a frown. She closed her eyes and fought it back to look at me once more.

“Yeah…” she said. “Obviously… When we defeated Octavio, we imprisoned him in that snow globe you saw in the basement. But he’s free now… and from the looks of things, Agent 3 has left us on our own.” She grasped her hands together. “I don’t know if I deserve to ask you, considering that I couldn’t protect my cousin, but…”

“You want me to join you?” I said.

“We’re a secret society of heroes who protect the world from the Octarian menace,” said Marie. “So, you can’t expect the city will throw you a parade for this, and I understand if you’re scared after what the Octarians did.”

I took a deep breath. Already, my hands were shaking, but I had to fight it.

“I… I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll help you track down Octavio.”

“Are you sure?” said Marie.

“I thought you’d be happy,” I said.

“I just… I spent the whole morning trying to figure out how I was going to convince you,” said Marie.

“Look,” I said. “I have family back home. After what those Octarians did to me, I don’t want them or anyone to experience the same fate. Please. I want to help. Besides, I owe it to Callie to at least try.”

“...Alright,” said Marie.

Marie and I turned to the doorway and saw Cap’n Cuttlefish walking in.

“Mornin’, bucko,” the cap’n said. He sounded really. It made sense since one of his granddaughters was squidnapped. He turned to Marie. “So?”

“He wants to help us,” said Marie.

“Really?!” the cap’n said, joyfully. “You see, Marie? I told you things were about to change,”

Marie looked to the floor, but I could see a small smile.

“Well then, I guess it’s time we welcome the boy into our group,” said the cap’n. “Any opposed?”

Marie shook her head. She was the only one to say yes or no, given the circumstances.

“Alright, then,” said the cap’n. “Erray, stand up and come this way.”

I stood up and walked over to the cap’n. We stood in the light shining down from the window and Marie stood up to witness.

“Erray Trow. Do you swear to protect Inkopolis and the world and to keep the innocent safe?” said the cap’n.

“Yes,” I said.

“And to never share our secrets or tell anyone who we are unless it’s absolutely necessary and with my permission?”

“Yes.”

“Then-”

“Wait!” Marie blurted out. She stepped over and firmly gripped my shoulder. A glare appeared on her face.

“Do you swear to stand by our side no matter what?” she said, seriously.

“Um… yes,” I said.

Marie sighed and stepped back, giving the cap’n a nod.

“Then we welcome you aboard, Erray,” said the cap’n. “Starting today, you are now Agent 4 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon!”

Chapter Text

Anemy

“Ugh… Shut up…” I groaned at the sound of my alarm clock. My right hand reached around for the button and I ended up hitting the snooze one.

After that, I sighed, sinking back into the sheets. Then my phone went off…

“Cod, dang it!” I said, reaching for my cell phone that was on my nightstand. It was Grizz. “What?”

“Are you still sleeping?” said Mr. Grizz. “It’s almost way into the afternoon.”

“Ugh! Cut me some slack, Grizz,” I said. “I was up late dealing with those crew wipes from Marooners Bay yesterday.”

“What did they say this time?”

“Same old thing as last time,” I said. “Silver Salmonid this and silver Salmonid that… There’s no such thing as a silver Salmonoid!”

“Maybe, but whatever is out there, is interfering with getting those Golden Eggs!” Grizz yelled, clearly outraged. “Anemy, I need you to get to the bottom of this.”

“Fine,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Permission to use-”

“Granted. Just get that Salmonid!”

“Fine… Seventh captain out.”

I hung up and then my alarm went off again. I fell back, burying my face in a pillow and yelling in frustration. Finally, I dragged myself out of bed and let my bare feet touch the floor. I had to move the pillows and adjust the bed sheets to fold the bed back into a couch.

Just another day at Grizzco… I thought. I walked over to my closet in the back of the room and pulled out my dress shirt and Juice Parka sweater. By the way, that’s what my sweater was called. I didn’t make the name, I think Grizz did. I also got some new boots. They were Grizzco officials. They were black with edgings that changed color based on what your ink color is. I think Grizz called them Angry Rain Boots.

After folding the futon, I pushed the old coffee table back near the couch. Several old stains were on it and I never did know where they came from, or how to get rid of them. But hey, like I care.

I walked over to the back wall. That’s where I kept my weapons. Several were on the table from which I was trying to fix or improve. The manual written by Sheldon went on and on, thought and it sat on that same table, left open with a thin layer of dust.

Splat Charger on my back, and Splattershot at my side, I made my way out of my room, down the hall and into the break room. The next shift wasn’t for another hour or two, so not many employees were around.

I knew it’d be a bit before my coffee would be ready, so I switched on that TV stuck on the wall in the corner and watched for a few minutes. Off the Hook was on right now. Their banters were a little humorous.

“Pearl, stop giving shout-outs and read the news! I heard Marina say, as I pour coffee into a mug.

“Okay, fine!” Pearl said. I shook my head, giving a slight chuckle. “Guess we should show the Ranked Battle stages.” She paused for a second, while I waited for my drink to cool. “Uhh… Why is our producer freaking out?”

I glanced at the screen, seeing both Pearl and Marina staring past the camera. Man, I thought they’d actually show the producer freaking out.

“I’m not sure,” said Marina.

“Well, read the teleprompter!” said Pearl.

“Huh? Let’s see here…”

I sighed, beginning to take a drink. The turntables Marina had were turned and I heard a new image being displayed.

“Oh no! Pop superstar Callie of the Squid Sisters has gone missing!” Marina cried.

And like that, I spat out my drink.

“Cod, dang it!” I yelled, staring at the mess I made on the counter.

“NOOOO! NOT CALLIE!” Pearl shouted. “Do something, Marina!”

“Uh, okay,” said Marina. “I’ll put together a search part-”

“Whatever,” Pearl then said, leaning back in her bean bag chair. “I’m sure she’ll turn up at some point. In other news…”

“But shouldn’t we form a search party or someth-”

“And that’s all the time we’ve got!” said Pearl. She stood up from her seat. “Until next time… A-hem!” She signaled for Marina to come over. Marina sighed and moved her turntables.

“Don’t get cooked… Stay off the hook!”

Pearl and Marina held their pose as the broadcast ended.

Callie… missing?! How the heck does that work? I wonder what happened? Last time I checked, Marie was more popular than Callie. Even then, they were probably the biggest thing in Inkopolis right now. I’ve never heard a story of a currently popular celebrity dropping off the radar.

Well, whatever. I guess I’ll worry about that later. I had a Salmonid to hunt down!

After cleaning up that mess in the breakroom, I went back to my room. I walked over to my desk seeing all the clutter of reports from last night. I sat in my chair and read over them. After reading several, I began to see a pattern. So, I made a note of its movements and drew on a map I had of Marooners Bay.

Grizz called me after hours into my investigation.

“Yes?” I said.

“Did you find anything?” said Grizz.

“I’ve read over the reports, and noticed a pattern,” I said, leaning back in my chair and putting my feet up. “This ‘silver Salmonid’ only appears at night on Marooners Bay. And, from the looks of it, the tide has to be low for it to happen.”

“Go on.”

“Well, that’s all I got,” I said. “I’d like to assemble a group and head out on a night watch there. I’ll send you the list of volunteers when I have it.”

“Alright. Go ahead and try to recruit Trow while you’re at it,” Grizz responded. “Tell him I’ll take a huge chunk off his debt if he decides to help you.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I said. “Seventh captain out.”

So, I got out my squad list and started calling in employees one by one. Some were up for it, some weren’t. Oscar said yes in a heartbeat. I swear, that kid is up for anything. Coral was afraid of the dark so that was a no. Char was up for busting some Salmonid heads.

And then there was Erray…

I was taking inventory in the storage house. Then Grizz called.

“Talk to me,” I said.

“Erray’s here,” said Mr. Grizz. “I sent him to your room.”

“Fine. I’ll meet up with him. Seventh captain out.”

I left the storage house and made my way back to the main building. Erray was probably in my room by now. I just never thought he’d be a snooper.

When I got there, he was looking at my weapons. The one roller I had was in his hands. It was blue with multiple Squid Sister and star stickers on it.

“Hey, don’t touch that!” I snapped.

Erray gasped. He set the roller back down on the table and backed away.

“S-Sorry,” Erray said, pulling his hands close to him. “I-I didn’t mean…”

I walked over and examined the roller for myself. There didn’t appear to be any damage.

“I-It’s fine…” I said, setting it down. “Just be careful around it. This is custom.”

“Oh. I didn’t know you used rollers, too,” said Erray.

“I don’t,” I said, walking back to my desk. “It’s my brother’s.”

“You have a brother?”

“Finn,” I answered. “But that’s not why I called you here.”

“Of course,” Erray said, slowly making his way to my desk. His head hung a little low in embarrassment, but he kept his eyes on me. There, I showed him the map I’ve been marking on, but also noticed the light green bandana he had around his forehead.

“What’s with the bandana?” I said. “Is that one those things you Squids call…”

“Gear?” Erray said.

“Yeah, that.”

Erray reached up and adjusted it a bit. I saw a thin layer of bandages.

“Oh, sorry,” he said. “I, uh… got injured a few days ago.”

“How?” I said.

“Uh, it’s kind of personal, captain,” said Erray.

I sighed.

“Fine. I won’t pry. I glanced down at my map. “Do you know what this place is?”

“Uh, no?” said Erray.

I reached under my desk for a cherry soda.

“This is Marooners Bay,” I said, opening the can. “It’s the sight of an old abandoned ship. It’s been plated with metal for our convenience, of course.” I pointed to the shore far from the ship. “Now, Mr. Grizz has been given dozens of reports of a suspicious looking Salmonid that’s been appearing at night or when there’s fog, but this one is silver.”

“What?” said Erray. “But that’s-”

“Not in the Grizzco manual,” I finished. “Exactly. Regular attacks can’t do the guy in and by the time the employees think to use their specials, they get splatted.”

“So… you want me to help?” Erray said, as I took a drink from my soda. I held up my hand to tell him to wait a moment.

“Well, there’s you…” I continued, setting the can down. “I already asked Oscar. Coral’s afraid of the dark, so she’s out.”

Erray gasped, but it looked he tried to hide it by covering his mouth.

“What?” I said.

“D-Dark?” Erray said, nervously.

“Yeah,” I said. “The Salmonid only comes out at night when the tide is low. That’s why I wanted to ask if you wanted to come here tonight and help out instead of now. Grizz said he’d take a huge chunk off your debt if you do.”

“Uhh… Is night really the only time?” said Erray.

“Well, there’s no reports of it in the day. What? You afraid of the dark or something?”

“Wh-What? N-No! Not at all!”

“Sounds like it,” I said, before taking another drink.

“I’m not!” said Erray. “I was just about to accept!”

“Cool.” I searched my desk for that dang clipboard, so I could write his name down. “Okay. I’ll make sure they let you in tonight. Now get out. I need to sleep for tonight.”

“Ugh! Fine…” said Erray.

“What was that?”

Erray sighed.

“Yes, Captain Arowana.”

“Okay, now you can go,” I said. I kepting filling out some paperwork as he walked out.

This is classified to the other employees, but Mr. Grizz demanded that I continue my investigation of the incident at the docks. Not that there was much of a crime scene to work with…

If Erray fessed up then he’s guilty, right? True, but Grizz saw something was amiss. According to Erray’s report, he said that he and Bass were playing around and Erray caused all that damage, because he got too rowdy.

I’ve been watching how Erray behaves and he doesn’t seem like the rowdy type. In fact, he’s pretty shy. He minds his manners… for the most part, but how he acts around Oscar is… questionable. He’s not the only Octoling to work here, but Erray keeps his distance from all of them. I don’t know how he is outside of work, but he’s a bit jumpy, if not paranoid. It’s almost like he’s constantly looking over his shoulder. Sorry to say, but this is far from someone who’s rowdy. Erray constantly kept his ink color on purple, but the color found was pinkish. If he was gonna confess, anyway, why change ink color for the crime?

So, that’s basically what I jotted down for my report. I’m no private investigator, but the contradictions are clear.

Ooh, boy! But tonight was all the more crazy…

So, I was in the breakroom. The map of Marooners Bay was on the wall and a table was set aside for tonight’s workers. An hour would go by before anyone would be allowed in tonight, so I caught up on sleep.

Too bad Grizz’s radio was right next to me.

“Anemy… ANEMY!”

“Uh… What?” I said, raising my head from the table.

“The meeting is about to start in five minutes,” said Mr. Grizz. “Can you PLEASE pretend you care?”

“Fine…” I grumbled. “I really don’t think this Salmonid is real, though.”

“How about, if you nab this Salmonoid, I’ll give you a raise?” said Mr. Grizz.

I gasped, a palm slapping down on the table.

“Really?! No fooling?!”

“Have I ever been fooling?”

“No, I guess not… So, did you get that report I sent in?”

“Well, you certainly have been doing your homework on Mr. Trow. Even drew a doodle of him, huh?”

“Yeah, you know… Like a suspect artist,” I said, crossing my arms.

“But we already know what he looks like,” said Mr. Grizz.

“I do. You don’t… until now.”

“Well, I didn’t expect you to draw him so cute.”

“Hey, it ain’t cute!” I said, sharply, while point at the radio. I’ll mess you up… wherever you are.”

“Whatever,” said Mr. Grizz. “It should be time to open up. I’ll tell security to start letting the people on the list in.”

“Alright,” I said, getting up.

One by one, the employees I called here tonight started to come in. Soon, everyone was here… including Erray.

“We all here?” I said, taking a count. “Yeah, I guess so. Alright! Hey, everyone! It’s very important to Mr. Grizz that you’ve decided to assemble here tonight. So, you’ve all been informed of that ‘silver Salmonid' business, right?”

I looked around the room, seeing most of the employees nod.

“Well, Grizz has asked us to take care of it. I’m gonna warn you right now that the night shift can be a little more dangerous. If you haven’t read your Grizzco manuals, you best read that section on night jobs on the way to Marooners Bay. Any questions?”

Char raised his hand.

“Um, how are we gonna take down that silver Salmonid?”

“Oh. Right,” I said. “Mr. Grizz has given me special permission to use special gear not normally allowed on regular shifts.”

Oscar sat in the chair next to Char, swinging his feet excitedly.

“Oh! What weapons are we using?” he said.

“Well, Grizz is allowing the use of items that are not Splat Bombs as sub weapons,” I said. “I’ve modded some of the Ink Mines to a remote control, but I couldn’t disable the trigger that activates when you trip over it. So, if they don’t work…”

I reached into the cabinet and pulled out our secret weapon. It basically looked like a Blaster, but it’s been altered to the extreme. Various parts of the exterior were taken apart from it for modifying and adding other parts to power it up.

“Workers, I present to you the Grizzco Blaster,” I continued. “This lovely little machine has the power of a regular Blaster, with the firing rate faster than the Clash Blaster.”

“Whoa…” Most of the workers stared in curiosity.

“Sheldon would never let that be used at Deca Tower…” said Gill.

“Yeah, well no telling anyone!” I said. “Now grab your weapons and head to the dock.”

“Yes, captain!” the squad all said. And they began to head to prepare.

Once we were on the boat, we headed out to sea. It wasn’t long until we got to Marooners Bay. There stood a decommissioned ship, surrounded by land. Metal covered it with ramps to make it accessible. A set of platforms with switches were on the sides of the ship for quicker access on and off it.

We super jumped to the ship and set up the basket. While the others inked the area for faster movement, I scanned the area with a pair of binoculars. The sun was almost all the way down, but few lights had been put up… too bad they were dim.

“Captain Arowana?”

“Yeah?” I said. It sounded like Erray.

“Why did we bring the basket?”

“Well, we don’t know if that Salmonid is gonna turn up tonight,” I said, lowering my binoculars. “But I guess we might as well get some golden eggs.” I turned to face him. “Are you shades?”

Maybe it was the soda, or maybe I’m just that stupid. How did I not notice that he came in with shades. And why did no one report this?!

“Um… yes?” Erray responded.

“How are you gonna see with those on?” I said.

“Uh… They look good on me, okay?” said Erray.

“You can’t bring additional stuff out on Salmon Run without permission,” I said. “It’s against Grizzco policy!”

I tried to reach for them, but Erray backed away.

“Erray, hand them over!” I said. “That’s an order!”

“Captain, please!” Erray pleaded. He held out his hand to keep me away. “I’m fine!”

I shot a glare.

“Erray…” I said.

“Captain?”

Oscar walked up during our struggle. Erray struggled to keep my hands away, but grabbed my wrists. We ended up falling onto the ground. Even when I was on top of him, he continued to fight.

“Well, this is embarrassing, now is it?” I said.

“Only because you’re making it that way!” Erray barked.

“Um, Captain?” said Oscar.

“Yes, Oscar?” I said, fighting against Erray’s strength. “I’m kind of busy here.”

“Look what I found!” Oscar said, excitedly.

I looked over. Oscar had a glowing bug in his hand.

“Isn’t it cool?” He said.

“Is that a glowfly?” said Erray.

I stood up and ran over to Oscar.

“Cod! Oscar, get to the back of the ship!” I said, pushing him away from the basket. I then pushed the button by it, setting one loud siren to alert the others.

“GLOWFLIES!” I shouted. “Everyone return to the basket!”

“What’s going on?” Erray said, stumbling to his feet.

“Get your weapon and start shooting!” I ordered.

“Y-Yes, captain,” said Erray.

Quickly, the other employees were gathered back by the basket. Oscar looked around as more glowflies surrounded him. He didn’t seem bothered at all.

Then they came. Salmonids rushing in single files towards the source of the light. Their eyes were red with crazed fury. The squad open fired, some sneaking off to get the golden eggs the Goldies dropped.

“Careful,” I said. “Don’t get caught in the trail.” I held my teeth tight as the glowflies began to surround me instead of Oscar. “Carp! Oscar, take over!”

I jumped to the back. Oscar stepped forward with his Slosher to provide assistance. Full of energy from an MRE I threw an array from Splat Bombs at the frenzied Salmonids while the other recruits reloaded.

“I’m going for it!” Char exclaimed. He summoned his Stingray and open fired at the line, buying the fellow employees more time to nab some Golden Eggs before the Snatchers showed up.

The glowflies began to leave after that. The Marooners Bay was soon quiet once again.

I looked over at Erray, trying to regain his breath.

“Wh… What was that?” said Erray.

“The Salmonids are attracted to glowflies,” I answered. “There are theories as to why, but none are concrete. All I knew is run for your life if a glowfly is on you out here.” I turned to the rest of the crew. “Good work. Now keep an eye out. The tide is sure to go out soon. We’ll have to set up the basket down by the shore once it does.”

Everyone wandered around on break. Then I saw Erray alone by the back. He was adjusting his shades.

“You realize if you don’t take those off, I’m going to have to report this,” I said.

“Th-That’s fine…” said Erray.

The kid lowered his hands to his sides. I raised a brow.

“You know, for someone trying to hide something, you’re doing a terrible job at it,” I said.

“Well, you’re not making it easy!” Erray spat.

“Hey, watch your tone, sir!” I said back, sternly.

Erray flinched at those words. HIs posture suffered as a result.

“Y-Yes, Captain…” Erray mumbled.

I tried to not let my anger get the better of me. Think, Anemy! What’s up with this kid? Then I remembered how he came in earlier.

“Erray,” I began. “Are you being bullied?”

“What?!” Erray sounded shocked to hear that.

“I know I said I wouldn’t pry, but you came in with that handkerchief on your head and now the shades,” I went on. “Is it someone here at Grizzco? Because I swear I’ll-”

“N-No! Captain, it isn’t like that at all!” said Erray. “Thank-you for being concerned, but it’s not that!”

“Then what is it?” I said.

Suddenly, there was the sound of water going down. The tide was going out and the shore could start to be seen. There was no time to waste.

“I’ll deal with you later,” I said. I turned to the rest of the crew. “Assemble by the shore.”

Everyone inked a path with their weapons and to get to the shore faster. The basket was moved below and the crew spread the ink around to get around faster.

So I went up and started setting up the Ink Mines. They were submerged in ink, hidden from sight. Then the cannons appeared.

“Cohock wave!” I announced. “Two take the cannons.” Normally, I’d tried to utilize one, but we had more than four employees out here, so why now? “Keep them off the trap path.”

Erray and Oscar were with me until they took the side routes while I stayed in the middle, securing the traps. I threw a bomb or a shot or so to help the others or to revive anyone who got splatted. I mean it was pretty chill where I was at. Meanwhile it was chaos where the others were… Well, at least they had the cannons. The only things that came my way were a few Chum and some Small Fry.

“Goldies ahoy!” I exclaimed, as three of them came ashore. The other swam towards them to take them down, but it seemed to be a distraction. Not long after splatting them, the Stingers showed up. Trying to shoot them down, I waved to the cannons to aim at them, but I guess they had already been taken out.

So I got the Grizzco Blaster and ran in. Cohocks were in front of me and I was lobbing bombs and shooting like crazy and they were out in seconds. Soon I was getting shot at by Stingers, and the pots they were standing on came down in loud crashes. Then I ran back and revived some of the employees before the next wave of Cohocks got too close.

“Get to the cannons!” I yelled. “Go! Go! Go!”

I swam in my team’s ink to get back to the middle path to defend it. I opened fire, but there were a lot more Cohocks than I thought. Geez, that Grizzco Blaster is an ink eater. With no time to reload, I ran in and tackled the nearest Cohock.

“Gimme that frying pan!” I yelled. I saw the shadow of another one behind me. “Carp!”

Suddenly, Erray came in and used Splashdown on all the Cohocks around us. Once I reloaded I rose up and shot the remaining ones. The rest of the employees took the eggs back to the basket, and the Salmonids stopped coming.

“Captain, are you okay?” said Erray. He ran up as soon as the wave was over. I was so distracted by the mess, I almost didn’t notice until he grabbed my arm.

“Oh. Yeah, I’m okay,” I said. “Retake the turf and secure the area.” I announced it to the rest of the crew.

Everyone went off to do as they were told. I pushed Erray’s hand away and went to take a break.

The others were chatting by the shore and I sat on the ship, watching them. There was the sound of footsteps and there was Char. He had taken off his hat, showing his hair. It was cut mostly to the scalp, except the lines of spiky hair that went down the middle.

“Hey, I thought you might be thirsty, so I saved a soda for you,” he said.

“Oh,” I said. “Noticing it was cherry. Thanks.”

“No problem,” Char said, setting it down next to me. And then he jumped off and swam back to shore in our ink.

I opened the can and took a drink, and stared at everyone below. Some were patrolling and others were chatting. Despite the danger, everyone sounded in a good mood… together… Huh…

It’s lonely at the top… literally… Heh…

Then I saw Erray, staring up at me. He wouldn’t stop, so I just tilted my head to point him towards the lift platform.

“Um, Captain, Erray said, once he met up with me. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I said, after taking another drink from my soda. “Why?”

“I-I… I just thought, you’d like to come down and chat with us,” said Erray.

“Not much of a talker…” I said.

“Well, you seem excited whenever we go out on our shifts.”

“Yeah, but no idle chat wise.”

“Oh.”

The kid put his hands behind his back. He looked to the floor with a frown.

“Hey, that doesn’t mean I feel bad about being alone,” I said. “It let’s me appreciate more things.”

“Like what?” said Erray.

“Well, take off those shades and maybe I’ll tell you.”

“Heh…” Erray nervously chuckled.

Suddenly, we were interrupted by the sound of Inklings getting splatted. I turned to the shore, and cod! There it was!

The Salmonoid! It was as big as Goldie, maybe bigger! It’s silver shined in the moonlight and the employees who weren’t splatted made it go on the middle path.

“Erray!” I yelled, pointing towards the shore below. The kid nodded and dove down to help the others.

Charger in hand, I used the other hand to hold a button to detonate the mines. They all went off at the same time, and the Salmonids was engulfed in orange ink.

“YES!” I yelled.

The remaining employees cheered, while the ones who were just floating around the ink in their life preservers jumped around. Then we saw the Salmonid emerge from the explosion. A few dings were on it, but it was still going strong. I got the Grizzco Blaster and jumped into the fray.

I was front and center, firing at the dang thing, but it didn’t seem to be doing much and it was coming right at us. The other employees continued to open fire.

“Captain!” Erray yelled.

Suddenly, he pulled out a Stingray and fired at the Salmonoid. The others did the same and I could see it really slowing down. I grew a smile. They remembered to use their flipping specials. So casted the Blaster aside and used the Stingray, too. Thank cod for its piercing effect!

What was shocking was that I then heard the sound of metal snapping. Our specials wore off and the Salmonids head had broken. Pinkish ink was spewing from it like a wild fountain.

“What the-” was all I could say before it exploded.

I awoke to the others moaning. Metal shrapnel had flown all over the place. Green and pinkish ink was on my skin and uniform. The others looked okay. They were helping each other up. Nothing but metal remained of that Salmonid. I looked around and a figure round a corner led to an underpass beneath the ship.

There was a grunt. Erray had gotten up and started after it… and I noticed his shades had been left behind… in pieces.

I grabbed the Splattershot and followed him. We then came up on a strange grate that was in the space under the ship. It kind of resembles one of those things for carrying tea in.

“Is that… a sewer grate?” I said.

Erray gasped and looked at me and there I saw it. His… His eyes! They were glowing in the dark. He quickly looked back at the grate in question.

“Erray, I saw a figure,” I said. “What do you think it was? Could it have gone this way?”

Erray wouldn’t answer.

“Erray?” I said.

“It doesn’t matter…” he grumbled. He tore into an MRE and he summoned that device one uses when using Splash Down. I had never heard that kid yell so loud before he broke that kettle beyond recognition.

“They’re not coming back!”

Well… This was certainly going in my report...

Chapter Text

Marie sighed. She walked over to the cap’n’s desk and handed the maps over. Her heart was sinking and it crashed as she felt the map being snatched from her hand. She refused to look at the perpetrator.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to shout. Wake up from this and make it just a dream.

The barrel of the weapon pressed against the back of her head.

“I’m sorry it’s come to this…” For once it actually sounded sincere.

Marie swallowed hard and closed her eyes. A single tear escaped her right eye.

“Yeah…” Marie whispered. “Me too.”

Erray

I was a mess. I was in my room - Agent 3’s room - speechless. Carp! I really messed up. The fuschia ink and that Octarian kettle. I just… reacted! After the shift ended, I ran out of there as fast as I could. Why did I let her see my eyes in the dark? Why did I decide to do that stupid night mission?! She couldn’t know! No one could know!

I don't know how I got to sleep last night. The Octarian kettle made me wonder about informing Marie and Cap’n Cuttlefish. I didn’t think Anemy was going to follow me back there. So, I sat around, wondering what I should do before my next shift. Should I even go to my next shift?

No! I thought. No more running! I had to talk to the captain about this before my next shift.

Marie said she wanted to introduce me to an ally of the New Squidbeak Splatoon who could help us out. All I had to do was wait for her to get back from recording this new show she’s been working on.

When I got back last night, the cap’n said that Marie got me a present for deciding to help them out. So, when I got to Agent 3’s room, I found a new phone. As much as it’s so fresh that I’m basically becoming friends with a celebrity - Well, I’d like to think of it as such - I’m finding it hard to trust her. They still haven’t told me the plan to rescue Callie yet, and not a word of what happened to Agent 3. Well, at least my head was fully healed.

Anyway, I got the TV working in the room and Off the Hook was doing a broadcast.

“I’m so excited for the Splatfest, Pearlie!” Marina said, cheerfully.

“Oh, right!” said Pearl. “We’re gonna krill it on stage tonight! So, bring your friends… if they’re on the same team as yours, though.”

“Pearl, it shouldn’t matter what team you’re on!” said Marina. “We’re just supposed to have fun!”

“Competitively!” said Pearl.

“Okay…” Marina said, shyly. “Um, in other news, here’s an update on the Callie situation. Super popstar Marie was interviewed about this problem and she was really torn up about it. She said Callie left to go live on a talk show and that was the last time she saw her.”

“Look, Callie, I don't know where you are or whatever, but I hope you can see tonight’s Splatfest,” said Pearl.

“Well, against Pearl’s judgement, I did set up a search party,” Marina said, while Pearl leaned back in her chair, glaring. “I know a lot of people are worried about our super popstar, but we’re going to start searching tomorrow. Who knows?! Maybe if we play our hearts out tonight, Callie will hear it.”

“Yeah, yeah. That was beautiful, Marina. In other news…”

“Um, Pearl, that's all the news we had…” said Marina. “You said that last time, too, and we were also out of news.”

“Uhhh… whatever!” said Pearl. She stood from her seat. “Until tonight…”

“Don’t get cooked… Stay off the hook!” they said, doing their signature pose.

Just as their broadcast ended, I heard a knock on the door.

“It’s open!” I said.

“I’m back,” Marie said, as she opened the door.

“Oh. Hey,” I said. “I was just watching stuff.”

“Like what?”

I grabbed the remote and switched off the TV. Mentioning Callie probably wouldn’t do much good.

“Just an Off the Hook broadcast,” I answered. “They were talking about the Splatfest tonight.”

“Oh, well, I assume you’re going tonight?” said Marie.

“What? No. I thought we had to focus on finding Callie.”

“Well, gramps and I have been scouting in the Octarian domes, but we still don’t have any clear leads. He’s been writing clues on all these maps and stuff in his room. Until then, the Splatfest could be good training for you.”

“Well, I guess you have a point,” I said.

“But, I expect you to come back at a certain time.”

“Why?”

“Well,” Marie said, tightly gripping the handle of her parasol. “I know gramps told me to, but I still don’t trust you yet.”

Likewise… I thought.

“Well, that notebook I saw this morning suggested as much…” I said.

“What… notebook?” Marie said, squinting.

“The one labeled ‘Agent 4’s Factopedia’? Ring any bells?”

“Hey, that was supposed to be classified!”

“Well, it’s not really classified if you write in it out in the open during breakfast.”

“Look, do you want new weapons or not?!” Marie shouted.

I flinched at her outburst. It was weird to see the usually chill Squid Sister this angry.

“Sorry about Agent 2,” Callie had said. “My cousin has been pretty bitter since Agent 3 left.”

“S-Sure,” I said.

Marie sighed and brushed her bangs up a little.

“Fine,” she said. “Let’s go, and wear your facemask.”

I put on a sweater that was like the white one I had, but it was black. The facemask was on like Marie requested and we went out. She told me we were going to Ammo Knights, but we went to the one at Inkopolis Plaza.

Generally, there were still a few Inklings and other creatures around, but there weren’t as many as Marie told me there was back in the day.

“Why didn’t we just go to the one in the square?” I said.

“Because there’s less people here,” said Marie.

When we approached the door, Marie looked both ways before we went inside. It was a store to buy ink weapons from.

The walls were gray and so was the floor. It was also a bit dirty. Some ink weapons were on display on a metal rack in the back and some were below it in protective glass. Ink tanks were off to the side and there was a small table on the other side where a weapon was there that looked partially on the way of being repaired or modified. Light fixtures hung down from the roof with a gentle yellow light illuminating the room. While a few Inklings were around, browsing, and I followed Marie to the desk.

“Sheldon?” Marie said, trying not to get too loud. “Sheldon are you there?” She tried not to get too loud. She tried not to flinch when a horseshoe crab popped up from below the desk. He wore a military shirt with a red scarf and belt. A pair of binoculars was strapped onto his head over his eyes and his shell was resting on his head, making it look like a helmet.

“Hello, hello. Welcome to Ammo Knights!” he said, happily. “How can I help you?”

“Sheldon, it’s me,” Marie whispered.

“Oh! I see. Right this way!”

Sheldon stepped away from the counter and Marie signaled for me to follow. The shop owner opened a door in the back and we followed him inside.

It seemed to be a small office. A lot of schematics and parts of Ink weapons and bombs were lying around. A whole case of tools were scattered across some tables in the back. Only one light bulb was keeping the room lit and the only window in there had curtains over it.

“Sheldon, this is Erray,” said Marie, “but out on the field, he’ll be known as Agent 4.”

“Oh, this is so cool!” Sheldon said, excitedly, trying not to jump. “A-hem!” He grabbed one of my hands with both of his and shook it. “Pleased to meet you, Agent 4. I’m Sheldon from Ammo Knights, as you can already tell. This is the one of the only shops in Inkopolis with over 542 million years of trusted service.”

“Well, that’s… a lot of years…” I said.

“That’s right!” Sheldon responded excitedly. “Marie told me everything over the radio. To think that my signature weapons can be of help to the New Squidbeak Splatoon. I’m honored!”

“We’re looking to arm our new recruit with some new weapons to use out on the field,” said Marie.

“I-I thought the Splattershot I had was fine,” I said.

“Perhaps,” said Sheldon. “But most of the weapons you will find in the shops have been modded for Ink Battles. They make them have drawbacks to avoid unfairness and keep safety. And the Octarians out there don’t care about safety. So what I’ll do is make custom weapons, modded for more firepower to show those Octarians who’s boss. I guess I could start by making a new Hero-shot, since Agent 3 ran off with the last one.”

“Okay,” said Marie. “I think Agent 4 gets it. So, Erray, have you been interested in other weapons?”

“Well, back home, I was taught starting off with a Splattershot Jr.,” I said. “My sisters eventually took interest in other weapon classes, but I just stuck with standard shooters.”

“Well, if you’re gonna be an agent, Erray, your weapons skill need some variety,” said Marie. “Sheldon. Why don’t you show him one of the new weapons classes?”

“Wait, there’s new ones now?” I said.

“Of course!” Sheldon said, excitedly. “I think I may have something that may catch your interest.”

Sheldon walked over to a shelf and carried a box to the desk. Once the lid was off I saw a set of small shooter weapons. Small tanks were on the bottoms connecting to the rest of the barrel, with a green, pink and black color scheme.

“Kind of small, huh?” I said, peeking into the box.

“They’re new weapons to Turf War,” said Sheldon. “They’re called Splat Dualies.”

“Dualies?” I said. I did notice there were two of them. “So, you hold both of them?”

“Yes, you carry one in each hand,” said Sheldon. “Their propulsive exhaust nozzles allow you to perform high speed dodge rolls! In ink battles you’re allowed to use Burst Bombs and you can hit far off opponents with Tenta Missiles.”

I grabbed the Dualies, holding one in each hand like Sheldon instructed.

“So, these must be rapid fire, huh?” I said, pointing it around. Marie backed away.

“Hey, watch where you point that thing!” said Marie.

“Don’t worry, Marie,” said Sheldon. “It’s empty.”

I twirled one around in my hand.

“Cool,” I said.

“Well, you’re certainly getting the hang of holding them already,” said Marie. “So, ya want it?”

“Yeah!” I said. “Ah!” The Dualie I was twirling slipped and fell on the floor. “Okay, maybe I need a little more practice.”

“Well, that’ll be 2,400 coins!” said Sheldon.

“Wait, what?!” I said.

“I can’t let you treat my shop like an all-you-can-ink buffet! I still have a business to run.”

“Okay…” I said. I still thought it was a bit weird since I’m trying to protect Inkopolis. “I think I have…”

“Erray, relax,” said Marie. “I’ve got you.”

“Wait, really?” I said.

“Just this once.” Marie reached into her purse and pulled out a card.

“That’s very nice of you, Marie,” said Sheldon. “Let me ring you up.”

Sheldon let us back outside. He went behind the counter, took Marie’s card and swiped it on the machine. After that, he handed the Dualies to me.

“Enjoy, Erray,” said Sheldon. “I know you’ll give them a good home.”

Marie took her card back. Then her phone rang.

“Ugh!”

“What is it?” I said.

“Hang on.” Marie pulled out her phone and answered it. I half-expected that it was green. “Hello? Yeah, I’m in the area. Right now? Alright, alright. I’m coming.” And she hung up.

“What was that?” I said.

“My agent,” said Marie. “Called me in to film something. Apparently, some people need to leave early or something. It’s probably about the Splatfest tonight.”

“Oh.”

“The Splatfest Pledge Box should be in the square,” Marie went on. “Just make sure you’re not followed. I will text you when I need you to come back.”

“Okay. Thanks, Sheldon!”

“Come back anytime!” he said, waving happily.

Marie and I parted ways once we were outside of the shop. I began to head to the square, when I saw Bass coming out of some back alley. He then walked over to Inkopolis Tower and just stood there.

I also saw he had a new outfit. He wore a black jacket with a yellow stripe going down the middle. He had sneakers that were gray with red laces and a beanie.

“Bass?” I said.

Bass gasped when he saw me.

“Oh, right.” I moved the mask off my face. “It’s me, Erray.”

“Oh…” he said, taking off his beanie. “I was hoping I’d see you again.”

“Really?”

“Well, Angel and I are trying to get four people for the Splatfest tonight. You want in? We’re going on Team Ketchup.”

“Actually, I was going to head over to pick a side,” I said. “Sure.”

“Great!” said Bass. “We still need one more person. So if you find anyone, let us know.”

“Okay,” I said.

“Sure thing,” said Bass. “I’ll see you at the square tonight.”

I thought to get this out of the way before the Splatfest tonight. So, I made my way to Grizzco, but I basically stood outside the whole time, trying to find the guts to go in.

Oscar then came out about twenty minutes later.

“Sir, security’s complaining about… Oh, it’s you, Erray.” He perked up, showing a little smile.

I crossed my arms, regaining a good posture.

“Oscar,” was all I said.

“The captain wanted to speak with you before your next shift,” said Oscar, “but since you’re here, why don’t you talk to her now?”

“...Sure,” I said. “I sounded flat, but my heart was pounding.

“Okay,” said Oscar.

Oscar led me inside and to the door to the captain’s quarters. He knocked on the door and the intercom came on.

“Speak,” said a voice.

“Captain, Erray wants to talk to you,” said Oscar.

“Trow?” said Anemy. “He doesn’t have a shift today.”

“Well…”

“Wait, wait… I was gonna talk to him, anyway. Better get it out of the way. Send him in.”

“Go ahead,” said Oscar.

“Thanks,” I said, before waving him off.

Once I was in the room, I found Anemy by her desk. A set of cards were laid out on it.

“Um… hey,” I said.

“Erray,” Anemy said, laying a card down. It looked like she was playing solitaire.

I walked up as close as I felt safe going.

“You realize I had to put what happened last night into my report?” said Anemy.

“I know,” I said. “I-”

“Did I say you could destroy it?!” Anemy yelled.

“Anemy, I can explain!” I said.

Anemy’s glare grew deeper.

“Ugh! I can explain, Captain,” I said. Her glare softened a little after that. “L-Look! It was coming right at me and I got really scared.” I hugged myself trying not to spill my guts about the truth. “I was already flustered because you saw my-”

“Eyes,” Anemy finished.

I lowered my arms. Anemy didn’t seem so mad anymore.

“So, is that like a mutation, or what?” she said.

My hand moved over my left shoulder.

“Yes, you… could say that,” I said.

“Hey, if that was the case, you should’ve just said so,” said Anemy. “In all fairness, though, that Salmonid was looking to splat all of us, Trow.” She let out a sigh before putting the cards down.

“I’m sorry, Captain,” I said.

“Well, as much as I would’ve liked to know what thing was, Mr. Grizz is just happy that it’s gone.”

“So… I’m not in trouble?”

“I guess I’ll let this slide with a warning…” Anemy said, rolling her eyes.

I sighed in relief.

“Thank-you, Captain,” I said.

“So like, is there anything else you need?” said Anemy.

I thought about leaving after that. Then the thing Bass wanted surfaced.

“Um, how about I make it up to you?” I said.

Anemy leaned back in her chair.

“Go on…” she said.

“Well, I met a fellow squid and I think we’re starting to become friends,” I said. “He’s looking for someone for tonight’s Splatfest.”

Anemy leaned forward, putting an elbow on the desk and the hand it belonged to on the side of her face.

“Uh, how do I say this…?” she began. “I… don’t have a lot of experience… battling at Deca Tower. That’s what it's called, right?”

“Yeah, yeah! You’re not wrong,” I said. “I just thought maybe you’d like change from fighting Salmonids.”

“Hey, there’s more to do at Grizzco than just fighting Salmonids.”

“Like what?”

“Uhhh, it’s classified for legal reasons. So shut your mouth!”

“Yes, Captain!” I said, sitting up.

“On the other hand, it might be fun to try and understand the mind of a fellow Cephalopod as an opponent for a change.”

Anemy tapped her fingers on the desk and then nodded.

“Okay. I’ll accept your offer. I’ll see what I can get that I can use for clothes at the Splatfest.”

“Um, it’s called gear,” I said.

“Riiight…” said Anemy.

“Don’t worry about a shirt,” I said. “They’ll be complementary there. Just bring headwear and shoes.”

Anemy pulled out her phone.

“Yeah, I’m texting Grizz right now… So, meet at the square tonight?”

“Yeah,” I said. “I’m picking Team Ketchup.”

“As am I…” Anemy continued to look at her phone. “Okay, Grizz said it’s fine.”

“Yes!” I jumped. “I’ll see you in a few hours!”

I began to head towards the door.

“And Erray?” said Anemy.

I looked back.

“If there’s anything, you want to tell me… you know where I am…” said Anemy.

“Yeah…” I said.

The square was unbelievable tonight. A stage had been set up for the performance. Inklings and other fresh creatures had come out for tonight. Lights were shining upward towards the sky, showing the giant Zapfish that powered the tower and the rest of the town.

Bass told me to meet him by the window where we can see those girls from Off the Hook. They weren’t actually in there right now. The performance had yet to start, but the people in the Square were already getting antsy. I had already gotten a Splatfest shirt and it wasn’t long before Bass came along.

“Hey! You made it!” said Bass.

“Of course!” I said, excitedly. “This is my first Splatfest! I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Oh, I also found someone who wants to join us. She usually works at the Grizzco, so her skill at Deca Tower may be shaky.”

“That’s fine,” said Bass. “Let’s go get Angel and we can meet this friend of yours.”

“Okay. Where is she?”

“Probably in there…” Bass said, pointing at the studio.

“She works there?!”

“As a stagehand,” said Bass.

“Here we go, Marina!” a voice said, excitedly.

The crew began to come out carrying equipment. Among the people of various shapes and sizes was Angel with those girls from that duo, Off the Hook.

“Angel, over here!” Bass yelled.

Angel held out her hand to wait a bit. She had a box of equipment, so she probably had to help set up, and she went on stage. The singers saw us and waved.

“Aren’t those the singers on TV?” I said.

“Yeah, Off the Hook,” Bass said, as the two went on stage. “That’s Pearl, the Inkling and the Octoling is Marina. And they’re rappers, not singers.”

Bass and I turned to the rest of the plaza. It looked like they had noticed the final touch ups before starting.

“Off the Hook!” they chanted. “Off the Hook!” The audience started cheering once the lights came on and the two girls were on stage.

“Y’all feeling fresh out there?” said Pearl.

“We’re Off the Hook! Coming at you LIVE from the middle of Inkopolis Square!” said Marina.

The screen above them turned on, showing the designs of the two sides.

“Which is the better condiment: mayo or ketchup?” said Pearl.

“Head over to the Splatfest terminal and pick a side!” said Marina.

The screen showed a picture of a place called Moray Towers.

“There’s something magical about Moray Towers at night,” said Pearl.

“You know what else is magical?” said Marina. “Winning instead of staring at a parking garage.”

The second one was Sturgeon Shipyard.

“The night sky makes me want to sing!” Pearl exclaimed. “WOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“Pearl! Save it for our next concert!” said Marina. “We made a special stage for tonight’s Splatfest.”

There was no picture for this, but it said “Shifty Station”.

“You helped make a stage, Marina?” said Pearl. “That’s amazing!” She turned back to someone who looked like the producer. “Oh, right! And, uh… Grizzco Industries is now hiring. Anyone of any age or background is allowed to join. Apply now!”

“Let’s do Salmon Run shift later, Pearl,” said Marina.

“Until next time…”

“Don’t get cooked… Stay off the hook!” they said. And the crowd cheered as they struck a pose.

Music amped up and “Off the Hook” started dancing and singing on stage. Some people were heading into the tower and some were dancing along and letting loose.

I began to smile. I have dreamed of these Splatfests and now I was finally here, living it!

“Bass…” said a voice.

Angel had finally come back down from the stage. She had her Splatfest t-shirt on and she wore a skirt with shorts underneath. Her ink color had already changed to red like the rest of us.

“Angel, you remember Erray, right?” said Bass.

“Oh. Right,” said Angel. “I can’t believe you took the fall for the fight Bass was in!”

“Well, it was the least I could do,” I said.

“Well still, thank-you,” said Angel. “So did you manage to find anyone since Vichay bailed.”

“Uh… Vi… chay?” I said.

“My roommate,” said Angel. “Why?”

“Uhhh… Why did she bail?”

“We’re not sure,” said Bass.

“Yeah, she’s been acting really strange lately,” said Angel. “She’s been going out at night and telling anyone where.”

“Oh…” I said.

“Yeah, we’re trying to figure it out,” said Bass. “You can meet her after the Splatfest, I guess.”

“Um… yeah…” I said, trying not to sound nervous.

“So, who did you get to join us?” said Bass.

“My boss,” I said. “She’s kind of a pain, but she should be here soon.”

Past the two I saw someone waving. They looked like they were from the direction of Grizzco.

“That must be her!” I said, running over. It was a bit weird to see my captain outside of work. She had a welding mask and her boots were also Grizzco issued. I think they were called “Angry Rain Boots”. She already had her Splatfest shirt on. Through the dark, but transparent enough window on the mask, I could see her blue eyes.

“Sorry, this was all I could find on short notice,” said Anemy.

“Oh, it’s fine,” I said, reassuringly. “So, guys. This is…”

I turned back to Bass and Angel. They were covering their noses.

“What?” I said.

“Um… no offense, but… do you smell that?” said Angel.

I looked back at Anemy, and began to notice that same smell that was at Grizzco. I was used to it by now, but I guess Bass and Angel weren’t since they didn’t work there.

“Whoops! Guess the smell is still in my clothes…” said Anemy. “You guys just… go in and I’ll stay at a ten foot radius.”

“Good plan!” said Bass.

Anemy shrugged as Bass and Angel went ahead, and then we went in together.

The first place we battled was at Moray Towers. It was, as the name would suggest, high up. The regular path would zig-zag downward to a large center area. In fact, the entire arena was connected on the tops of towers. Bass had a Blaster, Angel had her Splatbrella, Anemy brought a charger and I had my Dualies.

“Whoa! High up!” said Anemy. She waved her arms around trying to keep her balance.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “You’re completely safe.”

Our ink color was red while the opposing team was a very bright yellow. It was almost white. Once the buzzer went off, Anemy charged ahead, diving down towards the center. Bass dove down, too, but stayed a level above Anemy. Angel left a sprinkler to cover turf beneath the Spawn Point, before going off to ink more turf.

I dove down after Anemy to check on her. She was by the middle area on a ledge. Inklings on the opposite team were trying to ink the turf there. A lot of turf wasn’t covered where she was, so I decided to help her with that.

“What are you doing?” I said.

“Well, this guy needs to ketchup on his skills!” Anemy said. She cackled, as she splatted an Inkling from afar.

“Um, Captain?” I said.

An Inkling to our left turned on the Ink Line and was coming up towards us.

“Ha ha! Ya silly kid!” Anemy said, sinisterly. She threw a Splat Bomb and it splatted the opponent before he landed. “YES! Are we winning?!”

“Um, great defense,” I said. “But the point of the game is to get the most turf, not just splat people.”

“Ohhh…” said Anemy. “Oops.”

“Hyah!” Anemy yelled from afar. A ink cloud appeared from above and began raining down red ink. Bars threw toxic mist to block out our opponents escape.

The Inklings that did make a hasty retreat were no match for the Tenta Missiles I sent out towards them. Well, it didn’t splat any of them, but it was enough damage for Bass to finish them without a direct hit.

It wasn’t long before the whistle went off at the end of the match. We won by a knockout! Okay, by 68.47% of turf covered. Once we were back in the lobby, we began to wait for the next match.

“Salmon Girl did great,” said Bass.

“What?”

Anemy was standing across the room.

“He said you did great!” I yelled back.

“Oh.”

“So, another round?” said Bass.

“Yes!” I cheered.

about you?” bass turned to Anemy who nodded in agreement. “Angel?”

Angel was staring at one of the TVs. It was showing a live broadcast of Off the Hook performing.

“Angel?” I said.

“Huh?” Angel said, turning away from the screen. “Um.. yeah. Sorry. I was distracted.” She stood up and grabbed her Splatbrella. “Let’s go.”

For our next match, we were to go to the infamous Shifty Station. Once we were clear, we went through the grates.

Oh, cod!

When we ended up at the Spawn Point, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Oct… Oct… We were in Octarian territory! I recognized those screens anywhere. The billboards and streamers of lights did help. This was Octarian territory!

I struggled to keep my hands steady. Why were these squids happy? I thought, as I observed them.

My entire body jolted at the sound of the buzzer going off. Bass, Angel and Anemy got a head start without me.

“You okay?” said Anemy.

“I’m fine! I’m fine!” I said. “Let’s go!”

So, this place was pretty standard. The side areas, however, were rigged to move to and fro from the center. When they were outward, the only way to enemy territory through the middle ramp.

Keep calm, I thought. No one but you knows what’s been going on. I continued to ink turf and slowly made my way towards the center.

It wasn’t long before I encountered an enemy. Once she started shooting me with her Splooh-o-matic. So, I used a dodge roo and it worked like a charm. The shots just barely grazed me and I threw some Splat Bombs to send her running… before I shot her down.

“Erray, we need a little help!” Bass called from our intercom. I saw the Splashdown and ran towards the center of the arena.

The platforms moved before I could get there, leaving a huge gap between Bass, Angel and myself. Angel was faced with another Blaster wielder. Her umbrella unfolded, but it wouldn't be long before it broke. Seeing no other option, I super jumped to her side… only to get splatted instead.

When I returned to the Spawn Point I heard a scream. Suddenly, the buzzer went off early. So, I ran back to investigate.

Judd and Lil’ Judd were already on the scene. Angel was standing in the same spot with her hands over her mouth. Bass and Anemy were on a ledge and the Inkling who was attacking her, was on the ground, holding his nose, with his teammates behind him. Ink was running down through his hands.

“She bashed me with her brella!” He winced at the pain.

“Mew?” Lil’ Judd looked over at Judd.

“Sorry, I’ve gotta give the match to Team Mayo for this one,” said Judd.

“Yeah. That’s fine…” said Bass. “Angel, what were you thinking?!”

Angel said nothing. She turned away and started running.

“Angel, wait!” I said.

I ran after her and was led back to the lobby, where I saw her exit the tower. She took a right, leading to the studio.

The inside appeared to be empty, but I could still hear the music playing in the square. I was led outside through a back door to some kind of warehouse district.

“Angel?” I said.

I looked around and saw her turn a corner, so I pursued. SHe led me to a warehouse that said “D-2” on it. The door wasn’t that hard to open, but pushed it aside to keep quiet.

I couldn’t believe my eyes once I was inside. A bunch of things like Splatfest items were in there. Logos, billboards and posters of the Squid Sisters were in there on the walls and in stacks. Angel had fallen onto her knees in the middle of it. Thank goodness the lights were on in here.

“Angel,” I said.

“I told him… I couldn’t do this…” Angel mumbled. I heard her cover her mouth as she began to weep.

“Angel, what’s wrong?” I said.

“Why wouldn’t he just listen?!”

I walked closer and Angel tried to regain her composure.

“Sorry, I was talking about Bass… I didn’t actually want to come out tonight… but he wouldn’t listen…”

“Why not?” I said.

Angel lowered her hands, hugging herself.

“You saw what I did to that poor boy…”

Angel began to cry.

“You should go…” she said in between sobs.

I got on my knees and removed my facemask.

“Angel, I want to help…” I said.

“Why?”

“Well, I don’t have a lot of friends here, yet,” I said. “But… even though I don’t know you well, I want to know what’s wrong so I can help.”

“I just… I…” Angel trembled, struggling to sit up. I put a hand on her shoulder and she threw herself at me, embracing me. “I haven’t been the same since…” Her crying only became louder.

“Angel, since what?” I said.

“If I tell you, you won’t believe me…” she cried. Red, transparent tears continued to run down from her eyes. Well, good thing this t-shirt was red.

“Well, at least if you tell me… you might feel better,” I said.

Angel nodded. She broke away and raised her head to look at me, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“The Squid Sisters ruined my life…”

My heart skipped a beat.

“I… What?”

“Angel!” said a voice.

Bass came in. As soon as she did, Angel stood onto her feet.

“What are you doing here?” said Bass.

“I told you I didn’t want to do this,” Angel said, as she stormed over to him. She was right in his face, making him lean back a little.

“Angel-”

“You wouldn’t stop trying to persuade me! I’m NOT ready!”

“Angel-”

“NO!” Angel yelled, pushing Bass to the ground.

“Whoa!” I quickly got on my feet. “Angel!”

Tears came down from Angel’s eyes.

“You shouldn’t have come back…” she said to Bass. And she ran off. He held out his hand, but she was already out of reach.

“Bass?” I said.

Bass wiped his eyes. What the heck was going on.

“I’m sorry…” he said. “You… You should go…”

I said nothing else. I walked away, leaving Bass alone.

I made it back to the square and found Anemy at Crusty Sean’s. She got a Seanwich and sat herself at a table.

“Oh. there you are,” she said. She took off her welding mask and set it on the table. “Everyone just left so I got myself some food. Want some?”

“No…” I said. And I took a seat across from her. “Bass and Angel had a fight, so they’re done for tonight. Sorry…”

“Well, I had fun,” Anemy said. She finish her Seanwich in a few bites. “Apology accepted. I know we’re not supposed to pay you, but… here!”

Anemy reached into her pocket and passed me some tickets to Crusty Sean’s food truck. She then stood up and patted my shoulder.

“You know, you’re alright, Erray,” she said. She picked up her welding mask. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at Grizzco.”

“Bye,” I said.

I thought about going back, but I couldn’t get my mind off what happened. So, I bought some food from Sean and just watched Off the Hook. I’ve had my doubts about Marie and now… I don’t know what to think…

Suddenly, my phone started going off, so I answered it.

“Uh, hello?” I said.

“Agent 4! You need to get back!” It sounded like Cap’n Cuttlefish. “Someone broke into the house!”

I gasped.

“I’ll be right there!” I said.

I ran back to the house as fast as I could. Once I got there, I found that the door was still open. It didn’t look busted, though. There was no ink on the floors and I checked carefully before pressing forward.

“Cap’n?” I said.

“Erray! In here!” said a voice.

I ran over to the cap’n’s room. What I saw was a mess of maps and papers on the floor and Marie lying unconscious in the cap’n’s arms.

Chapter Text

Callie

“What’s this? Where mah beats?!”

“Agent 3! Can you hear our song?”

“Radio override activated!”

“That heavenly melody... It’s the one and only Squid Sisters!”

The notes of that classic hit song rang in my head. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt very reminiscent at the moment. I’ve been feeling like that for a while...

A harsh smack hit me across the face. I woke up screaming, struggling to open my eyes. My vision was blurred, but the room was mostly dark. Only a single light was illuminating the room. Someone was standing right in front of me.

“Marie?” I said, weakly. The laughing that came after I said that, probably meant a no. I tried to focus on who it was. It was Octoling, who wore a black jacket and pants. Her boots had fuschia edging that glowed in the dark. Two locks of her hair hung on the sides of her head and the rest was tied back in a ponytail.

Immediately, I lunged forward, only to find I was tied to a chair.

“Don’t bother,” the Octoling said. “The cords are covered in ink. We would have been happy to take back our little Squid who slipped away.” She leaned and I could see her red eyes, making me squirm. “But once we realized you were a Squid Sister, we had a better idea.”

“Why didn’t you just take the both of us?” I said.

“Because your house is too small for a massive team!” said the Octoling. “But don’t worry! We’ll come back for him soon enough.”

“What do you want with Erray?!” I shouted.

“Last time I checked, I was the one asking the questions!” the Octoling yelled back. “And that is none of your concern!” The Octoling turned to the one-way glass door behind her. “As we speak, we’re heading to our HQ. So get comfy. Our DJ has big plans for you…”

“Yeah, I’m sure he does…” I said. “What is it? Bait, like the cap’n?”

“For who?” said the Octoling. “Isn’t Agent 3-”

“SHUT UP!” I shouted.

“-not around to help you?” she finished. I didn’t dare give a response on that. “That’s what I thought. My name’s Jade. Hope to see you again. Maybe I can get your autograph?”

“Splat you!”

“Whatever. I’ll get it… one way or another…”

Jade left me alone. I quickly looked around, trying to think of anything I could use to escape. Everytime I moved, though, the ink continued to sting my skin and I couldn't find the knot that tied it. I could feel this room moving, so I knew she wasn’t lying that we were moving. Maybe we were on some sort of train?

Marie will come and get me! I thought. She has to! Until then, I would have to find my own way out. Or at least try.

Suddenly, the door opened again and the next Octarian that came in was Octavio.

“Aw, shell…” I said.

“Yeah, nice to see you, too,” he said. “I guess Jade filled you in on the ink.”

“What do you want?!”

“For you to behave. You wouldn’t want to miss one of my best remixes yet.”

I formed a glare.

“I think if I heard any of your ‘sick beats’ I’d actually get sick!” I said.

Octavio’s usual glare grew deeper when I said that.

“I had to sit through one of your shows!” he yelled. “Now it’s your turn to attend one of mine!”

Whatever we were in, suddenly came to a stop.

“Let’s go,” he said. He headed out the door and Jade, with another Octoling untied my torso and legs, but kept my hands tied behind my back, pulling me along with them. Once we were out of the transport train, I saw the dome screens above me, showing a night sky. We were heading towards a large facility ahead. If I slowed down for even a second, Jade would push me forward.

“Callie,” said Octavio.

“What?!” I said, as flat as possible.

“...How are things with Marie?”

“Why the shell would you care?!”

“Gyah ha ha! My soldiers have filled me in on what’s been happening.”

“And?”

“Your cousin appears to be the better Squid Sister…”

“We’re equals!”

“That's not what your Splatfest said!”

“Shut up! What are you getting at!”

“I’ll tell you once we’re there.”

I growled, continuing to try and break free, but the conflicting ink was just too painful. The facility was huge, but I could tell we were high up. A lot of Octavio’s secret bases were like these to keep this a secret and some of the domes were off limits to the public. There had to be some way out.

As we got closer, I started thinking about Marie again. Why did our last words to each other have to be of us fighting? I thought. I should’ve apologized. I-

Suddenly, I heard Octavio scream as if he was in pain. An Octoling that was next to me was shot. Octolings rushed in front of the DJ to defend him. A figure was in the distance and when the Octolings tried to counter attack a Splash Wall blocked their shot.

I tried to run away, but I tripped. So, I could only watch what was happening. Whoever was there, fired several more shots at the Octolings. They looked like charger shots.

“Marie?” I said, craning my head up a little.

When the remaining Octolings got close, the charger was set aside for a shooter. The figure dodge and then grabbed it, knocking off the edge, skillfully. Then they threw one of them to the ground, before they were grabbed and thrown as well.

“Get up!” I yelled. “You have to win!”

The figure scooted back as the Octoling closed in, but just before the Octoling could deliver the blow. A ink mine went off, splatting it instantly.

Wait. One ink mine doesn’t splat an opponent anymore, I thought. They should only take damage and alert the user to their presence. Was that the older model?

The figure stood up, grabbing their right hand as they stumbled. They walked over and I saw a knife! It was covered in ink. Maybe it was a new ink weapon. I struggled to break free, but nothing was working. Tears formed in my eyes as the figure got closer.

“Damn it!”

I opened my eyes and saw that figure didn’t go for me, but for DJ Octavio instead. Only, when I checked, he was gone. The figure was standing where he was, with that knife still out.

“Well, Octavio, you may have escaped me this time… but I will get you!”

Wait… It couldn’t be.

I didn’t recognize anything about this person. I didn’t recognize the hoodie, the facemask, the beanie, the gray sweater, the black pants or even the black boots, But I did remember that glowing headset and those… piercing orange eyes.

“Agent… 3?” I said.

There were no words. Agent 3 walked over with the knife still out.

“Ah! I know we’ve had our differences, but-” I closed my eyes tightly, but then the ropes on my hands were cut. Finally freed, I stood up. My wrists were really sore from the ink.

“Agent-” I was stopped in my talking when I met the gun end of the Hero-shot. I was relieved to see it, since I hadn’t seen it in so long, but obviously, I was still scared at what could happen next. At least Agent 3 had taken really good care of it.

“This changes nothing!” The shout carried an echo. “Where is Octavio?! I would’ve gotten him, but you ruined my shot! What are you doing here?!”

“I got captured…” I answered quickly. I felt so vulnerable without a weapon out here. “They knew where we were because they followed followed that-”

“Squid you saved?”

“You were listening!” I exclaimed. The deeper glare I was given signaled me to shut up. “Um… yeah.”

Agent 3 stood on the bridge edge and then pointed south.

“There’s a kettle that way. It should take you back to the surface. Get moving before the Octolings respawn. Too bad I missed the only one that wasn’t linked to Spawn Point.”

“W-Wait!” I said.

“Now, go!”

Agent 3 jumped off the ledge. I ran over immediately.

“Agent 3!” I yelled.

I only saw a bus-like lift on the rail and on the roof of it was Agent 3. We had been looking for so long and now our target was right in front of me. What could I do unarmed? Not much, duh! But maybe that was exactly what I needed. I jumped off and landed on the bus lift as well.

“What are you doing?!” Agent 3 yelled.

I stood up on the roof, holding my arms out to try and balance with the swaying. When the Hero-shot was pointed at me again I almost fell.

“I can’t let you get away!” I said. Agent 3 said nothing, so I just kept talking. “I know you’re upset, but what you’re doing is wrong! This isn’t what you or any of us wanted.” Already, tears were filling my eyes. I held out my hand. “Come back with me. At least we can help you if we’re all together.” I reached out my hand. “Please…”

Agent 3 looked around. Then the orange eyes narrowed.

“You sound just like your grandfather… You should’ve gone back to your cousin! I gave you the opportunity to leave!”

“I can’t leave without you!” I said. “We need you.”

“You’ve gotten on fine without me… Your hit songs and success says it all.”

“You’ve got it all wrong!” My vision was blurred by the gathering tears.. “We’ve been miserable without you!”

“Really? Because Marie wanted me to come back… but it sounded like an order.”

“What?” I said, wiping my eyes.

“That’s what I am to you, isn’t it?” Agent 3’s voice grew more and more aggressive. “Just a weapon! I’m just a GAME you play to get what you want!” I saw the finger beginning to press the trigger. So, I ducked under the shot that came from it and tackled Agent 3, making the Hero-shot fall near by. We struggled, throwing punches and kicks until I took a forehead to my forehead and was knocked onto my back. Before Agent 3 could get to the Hero-shot I jumped from behind holding on with all my might and we fell off the bus.

With the Hero-shot firmly in Agent 3’s grasp, a few Burst Bombs were thrown at me. I held out my hand, but that only resulted in conflicting ink burning my hands. Already, multiple specks of ink were in the air, but I didn’t remember the Hero-shot being fired while we fell. More was thrown at me and I could only remember screaming as more conflicting ink hit me. Then I was grabbed by the arm and thrown down to the roof an Octarian building. I cried out as I tumbled across the surface and almost fell off the edge, but managed to grab on with my hands.

Agent 3 stood over me as I clung for dear life.

“H-Help…” I whispered. “Please…”

“I helped you escape Octavio, because you saved me before,” Agent 3 responded. “I now see that doing it again would only be a mistake.”

My eyes began to water. Agent 3’s sharp orange eyes, narrowed as the weapon was lowered.

“You’ll never change. You’re just like your grandfather… You’re just like Marie…” Agent 3 turned and walked away.

“Agent 3!” I pleaded. “P-Please! Come back! Come back!” I started to cry. “DON’T LEAVE ME!”

Someone suddenly grabbed my wrist and pulled me up onto the roof’s surface. At first, I was relieved, but then weapons were in my face and I saw it was the Octarians.

“Such a shame, really?” said Jade. “Maybe you should’ve listened to your friend, there. If you had, you’d be back home by now, huh?”

I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want to believe it, but it was true! Marie wasn’t around, and Agent 3… abandoned me. It didn’t matter what those Octarians thought. I started to cry. I didn’t care what happened to me anymore.

Gramps, Marie and I… We created a monster...

Chapter Text

Erray

“Marie?!”

Marie was out cold on the floor. The cap’n held her head gently.

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure!” said the cap’n. “I came and just found her like this. She has a pretty bad bump, but she should be okay.”

“H-Here,” I said, kneeling down. “I’ll carry her to her bedroom.”

“Thank-you,” said the cap’n.

I gathered Marie in my arms and lifted her off the ground. The cap’n followed me out of his room and into Marie’s. A lot of her furniture was green, even the walls and the carpet. A few photos of her with Callie were on the walls. At her desk was a mirror with some makeup kit, it’s contents spilled out on the desk. Dust had been settling on the surface of it. Marie’s draws were forced open. Clothes and other contents were lying on the floor. Even Marie’s bed sheets had been messed up.

“Great Zapfish!” The cap’n exclaimed, looking around. “Even Marie’s room is a mess!”

I set Marie on her bed, making sure her head was neatly on the pillow and set her shoes on the floor.

“What do you think the perpetrator wanted?” I said.

“I’m not sure,” said the cap’n. “Take a look in here. I’m gonna check the rest of the house.”

“Yes, sir.”

The cap’n left me alone. Nothing looked missing, but I had never been in Marie’s room until now, so I wasn’t sure. I just started picking up from the floor and checking for any clues. I folded the laundry and tucked them away in the draws and sorted Marie’s makeup bottles. Before leaving, I checked on Marie again.

“Rest easy, Marie,” I said. “I’ll find who did this.”

I went towards Callie’s room. Upon peeking in, I saw it was just as messy as the other room. Pink as it was, and the posters of music bands and family pictures aside, I found that radio I heard Marie talking into the other day. In fact, it looked like the only thing in the room that was untouched. Like Marie’s room, I didn’t find any clues and cleaned up the mess.

Then I went into Agent 3’s old room and found that barely anything was touched. In fact, it wasn’t a mess at all. It looked pretty much the same. Granted, some things one Agent 3’s desk were gone, but it looked like whoever was here left it alone. I checked the closet and some of the weapons and all the Splat Bombs were no longer in there, along with some gear.

I headed down the hall and into the living room and it looked almost as messy as the rooms. Even the couch cushions had been tossed aside. Once I went into the kitchen, I saw the cap’n trying to clean up.

“Did you find any clues?” said the cap’n.

“No,” I said. “But it doesn’t seem anything valuable was missing.”

The cap’n opened the fridge.

“Whoever was in here, it looked like they were looking for something.”

“And they stole all my crabby cakes!” he yelled. “Curse those Octo jerks!”

“You think it was them?” I said.

“Who else could it have been?!”

I checked the living room again from the doorway.

“It’s just… the Octarians don’t really care for discretion. They would’ve left fuschia ink on the floor.”

“It probably evaporated already.”

“M-Maybe. But… Octarian ink has a tendency to stay around a lot longer than ink from Inklings.”

The cap’n gasped. “You’re right!”

“Then, whoever was here…” I began to walk back into the living room. “It wasn’t an Octarian.”

“No…” the cap’n said. “It couldn’t be…”

“Cap’n?”

The cap’n rushed past me and towards the hall. I followed after him and found him going into the basement. Once again, the door had been left open. I switched on the light, before following him down stairs. A lot of the storage crates had been broken by some kind of force.

“The damage…” I said. “It looks like… ink weapon shots…”

“Agent 3…” said the cap’n.

“Agent 3?” I knew that was a topic that both Marie and the cap’n avoided talking about. “What would Agent 3 want with this place?”

The cap’n looked up at the empty, broken snow globe.

“To finish the job…” he mumbled.

As the cap’n stared at the globe when he said that, I could only come to the conclusion that shook me to my core.

“W-Wait,” I said, slowly. “Agent 3... wants to... kill Octavio?”

The cap’n sighed. “Yes… That’s probably one of the reasons the bucko went awol. We wouldn’t let that happen.”

“Agent 3 came back to finish the job,” I pondered out loud, “only to find out he wasn’t here. That’s probably why all your maps are gone.”

“To find out where he is!” said the cap’n. “We need to find Octavio before Agent 3 does!”

The cap’n went back up the stairs and I followed after him. After we finished cleaning up the house, he went to go look after Marie and I went to bed. I sat down, but couldn’t take my mind off what happened. And… a thought entered my mind that I never thought would. Why not kill Octavio? He and his fellow Octarians are beings who allow the suffering of Inklings over a war that happened over a hundred years ago. The scars and my… eyes… were a constant reminder of that. As long as he stands, no Inkling will be safe. Just thinking about that was making knots in my stomach. Almost the whole house looked like it had been hit by a tornado.

Agent 3… what the shell happened to you?

When I woke up the next morning, it was pretty quiet. It was a bit unsettling to still be staying here, since it had been broken into twice. I stood up from the bed, put on a t-shirt and made my way out.

“Marie?” I said, peeking into her bedroom. Marie was still out cold, but it didn’t seem like she was in any pain. I began to guess that Marie was just in the wrong place at the wrong time and that’s why Agent 3 knocked her out. At least, that’s what I hope happened.

Once I had breakfast ready, I went into the living room and switched on the TV.

“...currently awaiting trial.” I tuned in just in time to see the end of a news story. “In other news, local rap duo, Off the Hook, unveiled their new song during last night’s concert at Starfish Mainstage.”

Footage began to play of the concert. Pearl and Marina were really into this song. Their ink colors of pink and green had changed to blue and red. The crowd was going wild.

“An interview with the duo has brought to light that this new song they’ve debut has been titled ‘Nasty Majesty’, and… Hold on.” The newscaster leaned closer to what I assumed was the teleprompter. “This just in. We now go live to Off the Hook who are currently standing in front of Deca Tower.”

The camera switched over to show Pearl and Marina. Other Inklings were there nervously chatting and pointing upward and taking photos. Some Inklings were waving at the camera.

“Are we live?” said Pearl. “Okay! Okay! So, in case you didn’t know, THE GREAT ZAPFISH HAS VANISHED!”

“What?!” I said.

The camera looked to the top of the tower. They weren’t lying. The giant fish that was there was gone!

“This is terrible!” Marina said, as the camera lowered to focus on them again.

“I swear, I’ve heard this thing somewhere before,” said Pearl.

“W-Well, yeah… M-Me too, but what’s been going on?! First Callie, now the Zapfish?! We should do something!”

“Maybe, but... Eh, I’m sure they’ll turn up eventually,” said Pearl. “I think that’s what happened last time, so… maybe that’ll happen again?”

“Um, I guess…?” said Marina. “Well, Judd and Lil’ Judd have set up ink battle schedules to save power for the time being. I hope we find that Zapfish soon. How are we gonna run Splatfests without power? NO! I CAN’T IMAGINE THAT!”

“Relax, Marina,” said Pearl. “I’m sure it’ll work out in the end. Probably... Well, we’ll be sure to keep you posted on this Zapfish business. Oh! And we should have the Splatfest results soon. Until next time…”

“Don’t get cooked… stay off the hook!” the two said.

“It’s happening!”

I turned from the TV to see that the cap’n was up.

“The Octarians are coming!” he said.

“Yeah, no squidding!” I said, shutting off the TV. “They stole the Great Zapfish from Deca Tower. They’re probably going to use it to power something big.”

“Like what?” said the cap’n.

“I don’t know,” I said. “I do remember the Octarians talking about a huge project, just before Callie and Marie rescued me.”

“We gotta assemble the Splatoon!” said the cap’n.

“Yeah.” I stood up. “I’ll go check on Marie.”

I walked back towards Marie’s room. It was still quiet, but when I looked in, Marie was sitting on the edge of her bed. She was staring towards the window in the back.

“Marie,” I said.

She didn’t turn to me when I said her name. She seemed hunched over, her hand covering her mouth.

“You’re… awake,” I said, sounding more soft. I walked over slowly, not wanting to scare her. Marie straightened up gently, taking her hand off her mouth.

“Agent 3…” She turned towards me. “-was here.” Tears were filling her eyes. “I had to hand over the maps.”

“What?” I said.

“Agent 3 was going to kill me…” Marie said that in almost a whisper. She was shivering.

“But… you’re okay,” I said.

“Because I handed over the maps…” said Marie. “Then I felt the Hero-shot on the back of my head and… I thought…”

“Marie, don’t think about that!” I said. “You’re okay. Agent 3 is gone now.”

“Marie!”

The cap’n came through the door and rushed over to his granddaughter, putting both hands on her shoulders. “Are you alright? Can you stand?”

“Gramps, I’m fine,” Marie said, pushing him away, gently. “My head just… hurts kinda.”

“Oh, you dropped this,” I said, picking up his cane. On closer inspection it looked more of a weapon. “Wait. Is this a Bamboozler?”

“Yep,” the cap’n said, his weapon back. “The old classic from the Great Turf War days.”

“So, what happened?” said Marie. “You guys were yelling about something in the living room.”
“Off the Hook went live, and… they said the Zapfish disappeared from Deca Tower,” said Erray.

Marie sighed. She began to stand up from the bed. “I think I know where we can go.”

“Whoa! Marie, you just took a nasty blow,” said the cap’n. “Are you sure you don’t want to… take a minute?”

“I’m fine,” Marie said, gruffly. “We have to track down the Great Zapfish, and possibly any other Zapfish they may have taken. She slipped on her shoes and began to walk towards the door. Come on, Erray. Let’s get you suited up. Gramps, can you make sure no one else breaks in?”

“Of course, Marie,” said the cap’n.

“Let’s go, Erray,” Marie said, grabbing her parasol.

“But-”

“Best to do as she says, bucko,” said the cap’n.

“O-Okay,” I said. “Just let me put on my shoes.”

After Marie and I were ready, we headed out of the house and went from the outskirts of Inkopolis back into the city. We went back to the square, which seemed to be populated with a bunch of people of all kinds who came to look at the missing Zapish. There were also Inklings sitting sadly in front of the tower and on the benches, probably waiting for the chance to get into a match. We passed by Sheldon’s place and stopped near a grate.

“Through here,” said Marie.

“This sewer grate?” I said. “I don’t know.”

“Just go through it. I’ll be right behind you.”

“Okay,” I said. I looked both ways, to make sure no one was looking. Then I turned into a squid and went right through the grate into what felt like a dark abyss. There were a few twists and turns as I slid through it, but then I was thrown out of another grate back into the sun and onto solid ground. I turned back and stood up to get a look at my surroundings.

I didn’t know where I was exactly, but it was pretty clear this wasn’t Inkopolis. The area had some safety rails on the cliff. There was a couch with a TV near the grate and a small little abode was near this rock tunnel. It had these unique red lit lanterns on it and there was a green tapestry on the wall with the symbol of the Splatoon on it. The roof was red and a giant record player was on top, which was probably a satellite. There were also three targets set up for what I thought could be used for shooting practice.

“We made it,” Marie said, who came up from the grate after me. After she was back to her humanoid form, she pulled out her parasol.

“Where… are we, exactly?” I said.

“This is Octo Valley,” said Marie. “We’ve had an outpost here for quite a while, but I came here recently after Octavio broke into the cap’n’s house and found traces of fuschia ink up ahead. So, they’re probably nearby. Oh, and this house here, is like a little base. We call it Cuttlefish Cabin.” She walked into it and came out with some gear. “Here. This is for you.”

Marie put the items in my hands. It was a yellow sweater and a pair of snow boats.

“You’ll need them,” she said. “It’ll help protect you from the Octarians.”

“Okay,” I said. I slipped the sweater over my t-shirt and then took of my shoes to put on the boots. “There?”

“Not quite,” said Marie walked over and put some kind of headset that went around the back of my head. It also glowed whatever color my ink color was. “There. Not a bad fit for a hand-me-down. That headset you have will keep us in touch while you’re down in Octarian lairs.”

“W-Wait!” I said. “Y-You’re not gonna come with me?!”

“I’ve gotta stay and make sure no one come to the outpost,” said Marie.

“B-But-”

“Don’t worry,” said Marie. “I’ll talk you through every step, and I won’t leave unless I’m hungry or something.”

“Marie!”

“Just kidding! I won’t leave until you’re back out! Oh, and Sheldon finished this. Behold! The new Hero-shot.” She tossed me a yellow weapon with a black coloring on top. The handle could fit my whole arm for a good grip on the trigger and it was actually really light. Then I was given an ink tank and Marie turned the light on to link me to the Spawn Point nearby. “Now, come on.”

Marie and I went through the tunnel and on the other side was an open space. There were a few lamps that led up to these weird looking grates.

“Are these the entrances?” I said.

“Yeah,” said Marie. “How did you know? They’re invisible.”

“No, they’re not.”

“Um, they clearly are.”

“But I can…” I trailed off, realizing what was happening. Marie was already squinting at me. “Um, yeah, I’ll go… ink them right now!”

“Yeah…” Marie mumbled. “You do that…”

The first kettle I uncovered was near this giant one that was sealed off.

“So through there, then?” I said.

“Yup,” said Marie. “Now remember to use our code names while we speak to each other over the radio. I’ll be at Cuttlefish Cabin, talking to you.”

“O… kay,” I said.

Marie rushed back towards Cuttlefish Cabin. The darkness of the grate underneath gave me the chills. If I didn’t get the Zapfish back, Inkopolis would only be in more danger. I took a deep breath and went into the grate.

I came upon the familiarity of the screens around me when I rose up in my normal form and already felt the weight of the world on my shoulders again. I was high up since the buildings were held up high from many other buildings that were below. The screens looked hexagonal, and the sky they had at the moment was blue, but had an orange like hue on the other side, almost like a sunset.

“Agent 4, can you hear me?”

The voice came from the headphones.

“Yeah, I made it, Mar… Er, Agent 2,” I said.

“Okay,” said Marie. “There should be a swirling ink pool ahead. It’s a launchpad.”

“Okay,” I said.

I walked down the path forward, seeing as it was the only way forward. I spotted the swirling ink in front of me, so I turned into a squid and soared into the air as soon as I went into the vortex.

A whole field of fuschia ink covered the next rooftop I landed on. There had to be Octarians nearby, so I snuck around, inking a path to not touch the enemy ink, and hid behind the walls. Out around a corner I saw an Octo Trooper. It kind of just looked like a small octopus tentacle that piloted a small vehicle. It could also shoot these tiny blobs of ink when they see an enemy.

I immediately hid back behind the barricade, trying to hide my terrified gasp.

“What did you see?” said Marie.

“An Octo Trooper,” I answered.

“Does it have armor?”

“Well, no… but-”

“Then you’re fine,” said Marie. “Just take it out. You’re armed this time, remember?”

“Okay, okay,” I said. “Come on, Er… Agent 4!” I whispered to myself. “You can do this!”

I held the Hero-shot and then ran out yelling. “RAAAAAAAH!” I quickly fell forward to dodge its very slow shot that floated above me and splatted in in just a few hits.

“I did it!” I exclaimed, jumping in the air. Every limb I had was shaking, but I was happy.

“Yeah, yeah!” said Marie. “Good job, kid. Now just keep going.”

“Right away!” I said. And I inked a path and swam ahead. There was another Octo Trooper, but this one had a shield in front of it. All I had to do was through a Splat Bomb to distract it and shoot it from behind.

“Smart thinking!” said Marie.

“Well, I kind of remember these troopers not being the brightest,” I said. I super jumped to a roof that was higher up. “Okay, Octo slobs! Who’s next?!”

No one was around.

“Geez, Agent 4! Don’t draw attention to yourself!” said Marie.

I looked over the edge and saw more Troopers below. I could see through a grated platform. “Oh, here’s some more.” The Troopers immediately looked up.

“Um… hello?” I said.

They immediately shot upwards. I stumbled around and fell off the edge. Luckily, I threw a Splat Bomb and they lost me in the explosion. While they were distracted, I got them by swimming around quickly and shooting them.

“Phew!” I stood up from the ink.

“That sounded close,” said Marie. “Now, before you-”

I rounded the corner and threw a bomb at a pack of Octo Troopers who were stationed on top of a bunch of crates, yelling really loud. While they were startled by the collapsing pile and falling on each other, I ran in and splatted them.

“Take that!” I exclaimed. I ran towards the edge, feeling full of energy. A bunch of Octo Troopers with shields were below, surrounding a vault.

“What do you see now?” said Marie.

“Octo Troopers around a vault,” I said. “I got it.” With a round of Tenta Missiles, I dove down as they landed just to see them all get splatted, and a golden key landed near my feet. “Found a key.”

“Splatastic,” said Marie. “Try opening the vault.”

“Right away,” I said.

Another launchpad was in the vault, so I took it to see where it would land me. It was a lone platform, but at the end of it was what I thought we were looking for.

“What do you see?” said Marie.

“A weird looking yellow fish thing,” I said. “It’s surrounded by a barrier.”

“That’s a Zapfish! Bust it out and grab it!”

“Okay,” I said. “Easy does it, Zapfish.”

I shot at the barrier until it exploded, then I grabbed the fish gently, carefully freeing its antennas from whatever it was attached to and pulled it into my arms.

“I got it!” I said.

“Yes! Okay, just go back the way you came and come back to Octo Canyon.”

Since all the Octarians were gone, it was just a peaceful stroll back to where I came in. Soon I was back at Octo Canyon with the Zapfish in tow. Marie ran out to meet me when I made it back to Cuttlefish Cabin.

“You made it!” said Marie. She finally smiled at the results. “And the Zapfish looks okay. Here. I’ll go make sure it’s safe.” She took the Zapfish from me and went to put it in Cuttlefish Cabin. She came back out and picked up her parasol. “Did you find any clues about Callie in there?”

“No,” I said. “Sorry.”

Marie sighed. “Well, that was a low level security place,” she said. “You did a good job, though… even if you did a terrible job remaining stealthy.”

“They’re just low level troops,” I said. “Besides, I feel great! It’s nice to be the one holding the weapon for a change.”

“Yeah, but when you face the bigger opponents, you’ll be sorry you hadn’t mastered stealth,” said Marie. “I would know, since I main chargers and that’s all about stealth.”

“Okay, fine,” I said. “What do we do now?”

“Well, I lock up the tunnel and we can go back and see the cap’n. I’ll get the Zapfish somewhere safe, since his house obviously isn’t safe for hiding important stuff.”

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll meet you there.”

Once I made it back, Sheldon was actually there, waiting for me.

“Hello, hello!” he said, as I stepped into the living room.

“Oh, hey Sheldon,” I said. “What brings you by?”

“Well, Marie told me how your first mission went. Were there any problems with your new Hero-shot?”

“No, it works fine,” I said. “Average rate of fire and a good amount of damage dealing.”

“Well, that’s good to hear,” said Sheldon. “I hear you’ve also been fancying the Dualies. I can make upgrades to your weapons and make a hero version of the Dualies if you’d like. Of course, I still have a business to run, so you know.”

“Yeah, I still have to pay you,” I said.

“Well, I also wanted to talk to Marie about her charger. So I’ll be here until she gets back.”

“Oh, okay,” I said.

I wandered into Agent 3’s old room and sat around, thinking about what to do. So much has happened lately, I had completely forgotten about Bass and Angel. I wondered what they were up to right now? Angel seemed really upset, and it seemed to be tied to Callie and Marie, but… they would never do something so terrible to someone… right?

Then Agent 3 came to mind. Why did Agent 3 abandon them? Marie was demanding for Agent 3 to come back, but nothing. I wish I could ask, but something was telling me that they wouldn’t say if I did.

I got up and wandered into Callie’s room. The radio was still on the table. Agent 3 maybe wasn’t willing to talk to Callie or Marie, but maybe Agent 3 will respond to someone new. Once the radio was on, I grabbed the mic, hoping that it was still on the right frequency.

“Um… Hello?” I said. “S-Sorry, I’m new to this radio thing, but… Is this… Agent 3?”

There was no response.

“W-Well, I’m not sure I should give away who I am, but I’m Agent 4 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon.”

I fell silent after that, but there was still nothing, so I had to think of something else to say.

“U-Um, so obviously, I met Agent’s 1 and 2 and, in case you didn’t know, Agent 1 is missing. I don’t know what’s happened between you and them, but… I don’t think you should let that stop you from working together to defeat Octavio. I also think it would make everyone feel better if you came back.”

“Hey, I’m back!” It sounded like Marie. The radio still remained silent.

“Well, I should get going,” I said. “Sorry.”

I got up and set the mic down. That’s when I saw Marie in the doorway.

“Hey,” she said. “What are you-”

“Who… is… this?”

Marie and I turned to the radio. It was probably some kind of modulator.

“I was… just…” I said, but Marie pushed me out of the way and marched right over to the radio.

“Agent 3?” said Marie. “Agent 3, lose the modulator and talk to us normally!”

“What’s going on in here?” Sheldon was in the doorway.

“Agent 3?” said Marie. I guess whoever was there wasn’t responding anymore. “Sheldon, quick! Can you trace where that came from?”

Sheldon raced over and grabbed Callie’s laptop. He began typing rapidly.

“I-I can’t!” he said. “There’s some kind of interference blocking me from doing so. Let me just… Awwww, carp! I lost it.”

Marie growled, her shoulder raised and she formed fists with her hands. She then stopped and looked at me and Sheldon and took a deep breath. “S-Sorry. I know you did all you could. Come on, Sheldon. I need you to take a look at my charger.”

“S-Sorry, Marie…” I said.

“Just… stop touching things.” Marie hissed.

Marie said nothing else to me as she walked out with Sheldon. I couldn’t believe Agent 3 actually spoke to me. Maybe it was because I was new and so there wasn’t a reason to be mad at me? I don’t know. I wish I could know what was going on...

Chapter Text

“Stay back, Agent 3! It’s a trap!”

His voice echoed throughout that quiet place.

“Figures…”

“But we don’t have a choice!”

No matter how many times I tell myself to stop, it doesn’t do anything. It always happens the same: I walk towards that Great Zapfish, only to watch it get sucked into the giant machine. The machines around me, spring to life with red lights and the loud music amping up that Octarian’s dramatic entrance.

I gasped, standing back from that music player someone must have left with the volume raised when it was on last. I looked around, seeing that I was still in the living room. Rapid footsteps came down the hall, and I was greeted by an Octoling with his hair that went down to his shoulders, but didn’t stand in the way of his face. His eyes were green, and he had a long-sleeved, white collared shirt with a green vest, along with gray formal pants and formal shoes.

“Are you alright?” he said. He reached over and shut the radio off. I looked to the floor and saw the glass I dropped.

“Y-Yeah. I-I’m fine, Oliver,” I said. My hands were still shaking.

“Don’t worry,” said Oliver. “I’ll clean this up. Would you like something to help you relax?”

“N-No, it’s okay.” I grabbed my ink tank and hoisted it onto my back. “Besides, I don’t have that luxury tonight. This may be my only chance.”

Oliver sighed.

“I see…”

I pulled on my beanie and set my headphones in place.

“Everything should be in working order,” said Oliver. “Maintenance was performed this morning.”

“Thank-you, Oliver,” I said.

Oliver brushed his vest with his hands, to either straighten it out or because he had sweaty palms. I wasn’t sure. He pulled me into his arms.

“Be careful,” he said. “I just… wish I could go with you.”

“No,” I said, pulling away. “You’re good enough here. I need you to be ready when this is over. We have to leave as soon as possible when I get back.”

“I know. Just… be safe.”

The Square was quite a different place from the plaza. It seemed less open and spacious, yet almost a little more cozy, but I wasn’t here for that. Everyone was probably distracted by the Splatfest. Why did I used to like them so much? I will never know. I had to maintain a low profile, anyway.

Out in the outskirts, it was quiet and there were just houses, the grass, trees, and the road. There I saw it: the cap’n’s house.

I hid behind a nearby tree, checking for anyone nearby. When I got nothing, it was off to the house. All the windows were dark, so either they were sleeping or no one was there.

I approached the front door and broke the lock. Holding my weapon out, I scanned the rooms, making my way through the hall. No one had to be home. Those idiots were dumb enough to leave this place unattended.

Then I finally approached the door to the basement. It wasn’t unlocked, which was suspicious, but it didn’t matter. He was just ahead. The moment was finally here.

The door was open.

“OCTAVIO!” I yelled. I stormed down the steps, making sure my ink tank was loaded, my flashlight turned on. “I hope you’re ready, Octavio! It’s TIME FOR YOU TO-”

I stepped on glass. Broken glass. I shined my flashlight on the mess. Octavio wasn’t here. There was just an empty broken snow globe.

Incompetent!

Foolish!

Squidiots!

I shouted those words in my head. Growling turned into a desperate attempt to contain my screaming. No! I couldn’t lose it here! Not now! Not until that Octarian is in front of me!

I could hear footsteps and ran for cover.

“Gramps?” said a voice.

The soft footsteps grew closer and then I heard whoever it was coming down the steps. The lights came on, revealing the one who intruded.

Marie…

She examined the broken snow globe. I took this opportunity to take the element of surprise.

“Hello, popstar!” I yelled, pointing my weapon at her.

Marie turned to me to see the end of my gun. She gasped, backed up a bit but didn’t over after that. I scanned her, seeing that she wasn’t wearing any gear and wasn’t linked to any spawn points.

“What’s with the get-up?” I said, seeing her kimono.

Marie formed a glare.

“What the shell are you doing here?” said Marie.

“Please keep resisting,” I grumbled. “I like that. Now, either you tell me where I can find Octavio, so I can kill him because he’s stupid, or you can keep making making that face at me, and I can just put a shot in your head and call Octavio a write off for tonight. Now what’s it gonna be, Squid Sister?”

“You… You want me to help you?”

“Please don’t make me use the Anti-hero-shot,” I said.

“It’s not called-”

I shut her up by pressing the end of the barrel to her head.

“Fine! Fine!” she yelled.

“Not so high and mighty now, huh?” I said.

Marie huffed, her lips trembled.

“Now where’s Octavio?!” I said, sharply.

“I don’t know,” said Marie.

“Why?!”

“His followers broke in here and freed him.”

“And of course, no one was guarding!” I said, rolling my eyes. “This is Turf War 101!”

“Well, sorry, but it’s done! I don’t know what to do.”

“Upstairs!” I yelled, pushing her forward.

“Why?”

“You’re gonna give me Craig’s maps!” I said. “I know he’s been tracking those Octarians. Now move!”

Marie yelped as I pushed her again. She walked upstairs first and I followed, still pointing the gun at her.

“Don’t do this…” Marie said, as we walked down the hall. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“You didn’t have to do what you did back then, but you did!” I said. “But you know what’s different here? I’m honest about it!”

“It was never like that!” Marie shrieked.

“Then what was it?!” I spat. “Once you got what you wanted, you tossed me aside like yesterday’s trash!”

“I-”

“Now shut up! I’m going to kill Octavio! And you shot me in me in the face! What do you think I’m gonna do to you?”

“U-Uh… L-Let me off with just a slap on the wrist?” Marie said, nervously.

“Well, it’ll be more than a slap, and it definitely won’t be and wrist,” I said.

Marie sighed, and opened the door to Cuttlefish’s room. The room was littered with notes and pictures on the falls and the tables. His board was on the back wall tacked on with maps and theories.

“Give me the maps,” I said.

Marie walked over quietly. She gathered the maps in the pile and handed them to me. Then she flinched as I swiped it out of her hands. She didn’t look back at me. I pressed the weapon to the back of her head. I finally felt in charge, like I was the one in control of all this stupid carp.

“I’m sorry it’s come to this,” I said.

“Yeah…” Marie said, softly. “Me too…”

And with one strike to the head with the hand of my Anti-Hero-Shot, she was out like a light. I caught her… and laid her quietly on the floor. Finally, I was free to check out the place. I searched every room from top to bottom, just to make sure they weren’t hiding anything else I could use. Then I saw the old room. It seemed untouched, for the most part, but the bed definitely looked like it had been used recently. Whatever. I don’t sleep here anymore. I just took what I really wanted or needed and checked the rest of this place, before hightailing it out of there.

Octavio not being there was disappointing, but I had what I needed. I could not return empty handed, and I was still ready to fight. He was probably going straight to his HQ. Fine then. We’ll settle this on your home turf. I’ve already been there enough times to know what’s up there.

I stayed in the shadows, out of sight, thanks to how dark it was in the domes at the moment. The Octarian always liked a grand entrance, so I knew he would pass through the bridge to get to his base. Among the edges were giant pillars, so it was nothing short of inking a path and swimming to the top.

One shot is all I need, I thought, as I set up the scope. I saw the train arriving and lifted up the weapon and looked through the lense. The Octarians started marching out in formation. I held my breath, took my aim. He was there. I could see him! It was finally-

Callie?!

My weapon slipped, but I still pulled the trigger. There was a scream. I jumped down from the pillar and before the first counter shot was thrown I threw down a Splash Wall, continuing to fire more rounds, as I walked forward, exchanging this current weapon for my Anti-Hero-Shot. The end of my weapon met the face of an Octoling before I pulled the trigger. The red lights were in my sights. They were all linked to spawn points.

All except one.

I took out one my right, narrowing backing away from a burst bomb throw, before I could shoot them back. An Octoling missed with a swing of a brush, allowing me to grab his weapon and push him to the ground, and he was met with ink in his face. Then I took a hit to my left arm, and by the time I noticed where it came from, Octoling grabbed me and threw me to the ground. I swam in ink but couldn’t for long on the count of my injury. Yet, before the Octoling could close in, she stepped on the ink mine I planted.

I stood up, and caught my trembling hand, reaching over for that knife. But all that remained was nothing but weapons, a golden samurai helmet… and Callie, lying on the ground, her hands bound behind her back and shivering in fear.

“Damn it!” My injured arm trembled, but I held it in place with the other. “Well, Octavio, you may have escaped me this time… but I will get you!”

“Agent… 3?”

Callie had looked over. We were alone, and she didn’t seem to be armed… or linked to any spawn points. Just this once… since she did save me once, I thought.

I walked over with the knife. Callie shut her eyes tightly.

“Ah! I know we’ve had our differences, but-”

She shut up once I cut her free, and she got up right away. I could see rings of faded fuschia ink around her wrists. Her smile came through.

“Agent-”

I pointed my weapon at her.

“This changes nothing!” I yelled.“Where is Octavio?! I would’ve gotten him, but you ruined my shot! What are you doing here?!”

“I got captured…” Callie said, trembling slightly. “They knew where we were because they followed followed that-”

“Squid you saved?”

“You were listening!” Callie exclaimed.

My glare shut her up. She was freed now, so I had no business with her anymore, so I stood on the bridge edge, since I heard a bus lift coming and pointed down south.

“There’s a kettle that way,” I said, flatly. “It should take you back to the surface. Get moving before the Octolings respawn. Too bad I missed the only one that wasn’t linked to Spawn Point.”

“W-Wait!” said Callie.

“Now go!”

And with that, I jumped just in time to land on the roof of the bus lift. I walked towards the edge just so I could see where this was heading, when another set of feet landed onto the roof with me.

Callie!

“What are you doing?!” I yelled.

The girl waved her arms around, as she tried to keep her balance. Regardless of her struggle, I had my weapon pointed at her.

“I can’t let you get away!” she said.

Seriously? Is she still trying to talk to me?

“I know you’re upset, but what you're doing is wrong!” she continued. “This isn’t what you or any of us wanted.” She held out her hand. “Come back with me. At least we can help you if we’re all together. Please…”

There was no other place to go. My only choice was to fight if she tried.

“You sound just like your grandfather…”

Callie gasped.

“You should’ve gone back to your cousin!” I continued. “I gave you the opportunity to leave!”

“I can’t leave without you!” said Callie. “We need you.”

“You’ve gotten on fine without me… Your hit songs and success says it all.”

“You’ve got it all wrong! We’ve been miserable without you!”

“Really? Because Marie wanted me to come back… but it sounded like an order.”

“What?”

“That’s what I am to you, isn’t it?” My voice was growing more harsh. “Just a weapon! I’m just a GAME you play to get what you want!” I took a deep breath. She was just trying to get in my head to get to me! I opened fire, but she ducked under my shot and tackled me. We fought for a bit until we fell off the lift.

Great, I thought. This was just what I needed. If she really insisted on fighting me, I was going to hold back anymore. I threw several Burst Bombs at her until I could grab a hold of her and throw her to the ground.

I landed with the ink onto the roof of a building, still far off from the ground of this dome. Callie had taken a tumble and was hanging off the edge.

“Help…” She whispered. “Please…”

Why? I thought. So you could try and capture me again?

“I helped you escape Octavio, because you saved me before,” Agent 3 responded. “I now see that doing it again would only be a mistake.” Her eyes began to water, but that meant little to me. She was nothing to me, just like Marie and Cuttlefish.

The whir of machinery was in the air. It sounded like Octarian weaponry.

“You’ll never change. You’re just like your grandfather… You’re just like Marie…” And with that, I turned away.

I don’t know what happened after I left her with Octarians, but I repaid a favor, so I had no obligations to help her. Exhausted and frustrated, I made a retreat back home. At the sound of me closing the door, Oliver immediately came rushing towards me.

“Y-You’re back!” he said. He looked really pale, and he trembled slightly. “Is… Is it over? Did you do it?”

I hung my sweater on the hanger, taking my headset and beanie off.

“He wasn’t there…” I said. “The Splatoon was too incompetent to keep him contained. And-”

“Goodness! Your arm!” said Oliver.

I looked over, seeing that my left arm was still bleeding from the shot. So that’s what that nagging pain was.

“Come this way,” said Oliver. “Let’s get you fixed up.”

“Olive-”

“No arguing with me!” he huffed, pulling me along. I rolled my eyes, but was too tired to fight back.

So, I set my boots aside and sat down on the bed. Oliver tended to my arm, cleaning it up and wrapping it in bandages. I explained to him what happened while I was out there.

“And so, I just wasted the other Octolings, but Octavio got away before I could get to him. And Callie, even though I gave her mercy, chose to try and capture me, despite how pointless it was…”

“The Squid Sister, correct?” Oliver said, as he finished wrapping my arm.

“Yeah…” I said. “I was so close, Oliver.” My eyes drooped. Admittingly, I was tired from all that running around. “He slipped right out from under me… Maybe I’m not strong enough.”

“No, General Octavio is nothing but a coward,” Oliver said, his sharp green eyes narrowing in disgust. “He couldn’t even remain with his soldiers who were engaging in combat to defend him! You managed to out maneuver and defeat every single one of them despite being outnumbered. Besides, you retrieved those maps and scrolls, so now we may discover a new lead before the Splatoon. You will get your chance. And we will do it together.”

I nodded.”Yeah...”

“Please, get some rest. I will make sure the items you retrieved are put in their proper storage places.”

“Yeah, alright…” I said, my eyes drooping shut. I remembered being pushed against my pillows gently before I fell asleep.

I wasn’t sure how late I got back last night, but I knew I slept supremely long. When I awoke the next day, I could see the sun shining through the window. My left arm stung when I sat up, mostly because that had been forgotten… again.

Trying to shake off the sleepiness, I managed to make my way into the kitchen down stairs and slumped into a chair at the table.

“Ah! You’re awake,” he said. He walked over and set a plate of food in front of me “I made breakfast. Bacon and eggs.”

“Cool,” I said.

A set of footsteps came down the hall and it sounded like it stopped in the doorway behind me.

“YAY! You’re finally back!”

I turned around.

“Well, if it isn’t Oscar,” I said.

“Oliver told me it didn’t go well…” Oscar said, as he walked over to the table. “Oh! But he said you brought back some useful stuff.”

“Yeah,” I said, as Oliver set down my utensils. “I got something for you, too.”

Oscar’s eyes lit up at that.

“Really?! What?!”

“Check the fridge,” I said.

Oscar rushed over to the fridge. I started to dig into my meal.

“YAY!” Oscar exclaimed. “Crabby cakes!”

“Those are for a snack, Oscar,” said Oliver. “And you share with the rest of us.”

“Yes, Oliver…”

“Actually, Oscar,” I said. “I need to talk to you.”

“What is it?” said Oscar.

After biting into the bacon, I looked over. “So, uh… is there anything you want to tell me?”

“What do you mean?” said Oscar.

“Oscar, we’re not imbeciles,” said Oliver. “We know you’ve been wandering into town and into the square, of all places!”

Oscar held his hands close, forming fists.

“It’s just… really fun there and… there’s a lot Inklings and-”

“Are you trying to draw attention, Oscar?!” said Oliver. “I even have knowledge you got a job at that… uh… What was it called?”

“Grizzco,” said Oscar. “But the job doesn’t even happen in town. We go out to certain islands and collect Golden Eggs. And it’s totally safe. We’re linked to spawns and everything.”

“Oscar-”

“Now, wait a minute, Oliver,” I said. “As far as intel goes, we have some potential enemies in the area of the square and Oscar, being where he is, can keep tabs on them. As it stands, we have three.”

“What about-”

“Yes, I’m aware. Oscar, just don’t talk about what you do at home.”

“Okay,” said Oscar.

“And absolutely, under no circumstances, are you to mention me,” I said. “All you have to do is check in on the square and keep an eye on… you know who… at Grizzco.”

Oscar’s eyes softened. Hopefully, he knew who I was talking about.

“Y-Yeah. I’ll do that. Thank-you for letting me continue to work there. It’s a lot of fun and I don’t think Mr. Grizz would like it if I had to quit. So, what are you going to do today?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “With this injured arm, I thought I would just chill out and look at the maps and stuff. Oh, and by the way, where’s-”

And my phone started going off.

“Well, speaking of her,” I said. I pulled out my phone and answered it. “Hello?”

“Hey! It’s P-”

“Codenames, remember?”

“Oh, right! It me, MC.Princess.”

“Where are you?” I said. “I didn’t see you here last night or this morning.”

“Oh, DJ_Hyperfresh and I were up late in the studio, because of the whole Zapfish craziness. We slept in the studio. Some place to go to sleep, right?”

“Okay, are you on your way back?” I said.

“Yeah! We’re tired and we desperately need food.”

“Oh, well we can whip something up for you. It should be ready by the time you get here.”

“Yeah, let me ask DJ_Hyperfresh and I’ll get back to you.”

“Alright. Text me later. See ya.” I hung up. “Oliver, could you-”

“I will attend to that right away,” said Oliver.

“Thanks,” I said. “If you two need anything, I’ll be in my room.”

After finishing my breakfast, I went back to my room. The most important maps and scrolls I had were tacked onto my thinking wall. My radio was on just in case it intercepted any Octarian messages.

By the afternoon, I had just about finished sorting through half the maps when I kept hearing static constantly flickering on the radio. I glanced over for a bit, before getting back to work, but then I heard a voice.

“Um… Hello? S-Sorry, I’m new to this radio thing, but… Is this… Agent 3?”

I stopped what I was doing and walked over to the radio.

“W-Well, I’m not sure I should give away who I am, but I’m Agent 4 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon.”

4? I thought. No wonder this voice didn’t sound familiar. The Splatoon hired someone else to use.

“U-Um, so obviously, I met Agent’s 1 and 2 and, in case you didn’t know, Agent 1 is missing,” the voice continued. “I don’t know what’s happened between you and them, but… I don’t think you should let that stop you from working together to defeat Octavio. I also think it would make everyone feel better if you came back.”

I sat down in the chair in front of the radio.

“Well, I should get going. Sorry.”

I grabbed the mic and turned on the proper settings.

“Who… is… this?”

There was silence after that.

“Agent 3?” It sounded like Marie. Oh, I got it. Use him to get me talking. Well, nice try, popstar. I hit mute. “Agent 3, lose the modulator and talk to us normally!”

“Hmph… Good luck…” I muttered.

“Agent 3? Sheldon, quick! Can you trace where that came from?”

Really? They even recruited Sheldon?

“I-I can’t!” I then heard from Sheldon. “There’s some kind of interference blocking me from doing so. Let me just… Awwww, carp! I lost it.”

I grinned at this. DJ_Hyperfresh was a genius. Still, there was something else we had to do now that I knew of this new information.

“Oliver!” I called.

Oliver was in my room in a matter of seconds.

“Yes?” he said.

“Assemble everyone in the dining hall,” I said. “I have a new mission.”

“What is it?”

“Finding whoever the shell this Agent 4 is.”

Chapter Text

“The customary chorus of Calimari County. Nowadays, this song and dance may as well be carved into the very DNA of Inklings. It began as a way to celebrate and show respect for the bounty of the sea.”

-Sunken Scroll 1.23

Angel

My eyes felt dry as I watched late into the night. The TV was the only thing that lit the room. Used tissues littered the couch and the coffee table. I was sad, but at the same time I was angry. I was sad that I drove Bass away, angry that I’m still depressed, despite that it’s been two years. Yet, how could I not be? I gave up so much just to be here… and it all blew up in my face!

Where do I go? I thought. What do I do with myself? Why can’t I move on? Why can’t I forget about that STUPID SONG?!

“This was the song that launched the Squid Sisters’ career,” the TV went on. “This song lies in the hearts of pretty much every Inkling.” A slight chuckle came from the person talking on the documentary. “It’s almost a crime for an Inkling to not know it. It is known as ‘Calamari Inkantation’.”

I switched off the TV. Was I the only one who wanted to forget that stupid song? It’s been two years, and I still know every note and every lyric of the song. I pulled out my phone, and checked my text messages. Bass still hadn’t responded back to me and it had been two days. Was he ignoring me? Was he busy? Busy with what? He doesn’t have a job here. I told him I was sorry several times over texting, but he still wouldn’t respond. So, I eventually gave up and just left one last text.

“Please talk to me…”

Vichay finally came back to the apartment. It looked like she went grocery shopping after work. She set the bags on the counter and then walked over to me.

“Angel…”

“What?” I said, flatly.

“Uh, how’s… Bass?”

“Still ignoring me,” I said, tossing my phone across the couch.

Vichay covered her mouth.

“Okay, okay…” said Vichay. “This is a little worrying… Should we call the police?”

“N-No!” I cried. “We can’t do that!”

“Why not?” said Vichay. “Oh… right. So, what should we do?”

“Does it matter?!” I spat. “It’s over! He hates me! He’s gone…” I sank on the couch a bit and tears filled my eyes. “Just like everyone else in my life…”

Vichay sighed and sat down next to me.

“Ugh, Angel I can’t stand to see you like this anymore!” said Vichay.

“Well, get used to it…” I mumbled. “It’s all I’m good for…”

“No, you’re not!” Vichay’s grabbed my shoulders, forcing my to look at her. She looked mad. I thought it only made sense, since I had been nothing but a burden on her, but she began to speak about herself.

“When my brother went missing,” she began. I found this shocking, since she almost never talked about her brother. “I was devastated. Cici was too. She was sad he was gone, and I was angry, because I thought he abandoned us. As much as I didn’t want to show it, I was sad, too. I kept thinking about what went wrong. Did I do something wrong? Could I have seen it coming. Why couldn’t I stop him? I don’t know, and still don’t know, but I finally realized that there was no use dwelling on it like that.”

I shook my head. “You don’t understand! You had your grandfather! You’re twin sister. You were able to rely on them to help you. I don’t have any of that. My father… left me the second I told him-”

“Yeah, well, my brother left the second my grandfather told him that he was ‘not going to Inkopolis. End of story.’ But you know what? I soon realized that I had to fight. I couldn’t give up. And… you shouldn’t either.” Her grip on my shoulders only got tighter. “Listen, you gave up a life of luxury to sing. You should go ahead and do that. I didn’t want that for my brother just to keep us together and just drove him away further.”

“It’s been too long…” I said, wiping my eyes. “What if my voice isn’t even…”

“I’ll help you!” said Vichay. “Jelini has been looking for someone to sing at her restaurant at night. I know it isn’t much, but it could be a good place to start. And besides, you can always rely on me.” A small, but apparent smile appeared on her face.

“Okay…” I said, softly. “I… I’ll sing again for him.”

Vichay sighed, but hugged me anyway.

The next morning, I awoke in my room. I actually didn’t remember when I fell asleep or when I decided to go to my room. I checked my phone and there were still no new messages, so I tossed my phone aside and got for the day. A knock was at the door and I rushed over immediately.

“Bass?” I said. “I… Oh.”

It turned out to be Erray. He was wearing a normal long sleeved shirt today, with several little black stripes across it with tiny white writing in them.

“Hey, Angel,” said Erray. “S-Sorry about…”

“No, I… overreacted during the Splatfest,” I said. “You own none of the blame. Besides, I heard Team Mayo won in the end, anyway.”

“Oh, okay then,” he said, shyly.

“So, how did you find this address?” I said.

“That’s what I was here about.” Erray reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. “I got a call this morning and it was from Bass.”

I gasped. “What did he say? Is he okay?!”

“You don’t know how he’s doing?”

“N-No! I haven’t seen him since the Splatfest,”I said.

“R-Really?!” Erray jumped a little at this. “W-Well he didn’t say much.”

“Well, what did he say?!” My voice was getting a little rash, but I really wanted to know.

“He just left this,” Erray said, holding out his phone. It had Erray sounding curious about why Bass was texting and was telling him to check on me. He seemed to have asked what he was up to, but instead of answering, he sent my location.

“Flounder Heights - Apt. 303.”

“That’s all he texted me,” said Erray. “He didn’t say anything to you?”

“No,” I said. “Not a word.”

“So…” Erray said, tapping his foot as he looked around. “I just wanted to check on you like Bass wanted.”

“I’m fine,” I said. “Vichay and I were about to head to a restaurant.”

“You and Vichay?” Erray jumped slightly at this.

“Yeah,” I said. “Do you want to meet her?”

“U-Uh…”

“Angel, are you ready to go?” I could hear Vichay down the all.

“Oh, you want to meet her?”

“U-Uh, actually, I only had time to stop by,” Erray said, backing away. “I’ll see you see later. Call me if you need anything! Bye!”

Erray dashed off, before I could say bye back. Wonder what that was about?

“Angel?” Vichay had stepped out of the hall. “Who was that?”

“Oh, it was a friend we met a few days ago,” I said. “He helped out during the Splatfest.”

“Right. I think you told me,” said Vichay. “Did he take off?’

“Yeah, he said he was busy. Shall we get going?”

“Okay,” said Angel.

Vichay and I left the apartment and we made our way to a huge building that was titled “Albacore Hotel”.

“It’s here?” I said.

“Not quite,” said Vichay. “Come on!” She led me inside and we took the elevator all the way to the roof floor.

Once we were there, I could see the roofs of many other buildings from where we were. Granted, some of the buildings were still taller than this one, but the view was incredible. Even up here, there were a bunch of shops, restaurants, spas, and saunas. There was even one at the edge of the rooftop pool. I was always jealous of how everyone else could swim in water while we Inklings can’t. There was even sand in the middle of the roof. There was beach equipment set up everywhere and there were all kinds of people hanging out. Palm trees were growing at the edges of the roof.

Vichay had me follow her into a three floored restaurant.

“Vichay, this hotel is amazing!” I said.

“I know!” Vichay exclaimed. We walked up to the counter and Vichay rung the bell. “Hello! Jelini?”

In a few seconds, a Jellyfish with a straw hat and a flower t-shirt walked up to the counter.

“Hello!” she said happily. “Thanking you for coming to the restaurant!”

“Heh heh! You kind of sound like Jelonzo,” I said.

“Of course! Jelini is the brother of Jelonzo!”

“Hey, Jelini!” said Vichay. “This the girl I was telling you about.”

“BLUHH?! Are you serious!” Jelini walked out from behind the counter and looked at me. “Oh, she is looking the perfection. Can you sing, Inkling?”

“Y-Yes, of course,” I said. “It’s just been a while.”

“Good then! Well, let me show where you will be doing the singing!” She began to walk towards the stairs. “Come on!” She said waving.

Vichay followed behind me and we went to the roof of the restaurant. Already we were high up and now we were even higher. I could see a good view of the entire rooftop of the hotel. A few Jellyfish were already up here working or being customers.

“Many more the people like to being here at night,” said Jelini. She approached a small stage that was just off the ground with a few stairs. Simple speakers and equipment was already set up.

“The singer I had cancelled on me, but a lot of people are very wanting of a show this week,” said Jelini. “You will help me, yes?”

My hands were suddenly very cold. I held them closely as I approached the stage. The memories were tickling the edge of my head.

“Angel?” Vichay said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I pulled down a huge gulp.

“Yeah, I’ll do it,” I said.

“YES!” Jelini exclaimed. “Thank-you so much! Let me write down your name for board at the door. Uh, what was your name again?”

“Angel,” I said. “Angel Manta.”

“Okay, okay!” Jelini exclaimed, writing down my name on a notepad she pulled out. “Jelini is very happy to have you here. Thanking you very much!” She reached over and shook my hand up and down. “The performance is at the ending of the week. This is good, yes?”

“Um, I guess I could use an old song I have…” I said.

“Good then!” said Jelini. “Very exciting for the happening of this event! Come give me the song when it is the ready. We practice in the back room down stairs, yes?”

“M-Music, huh?”

“Of course!” said Vichay. “Every song needs music and don’t worry! Jelini is really good on a piano and we have some equipment for you to use.”

This news was a bit overwhelming. I already had the jitters from the thought of stepping on stage, but I already made a promise.

After we went home, Vichay assisted me in helping me practice. I searched through the old draws for anything I had written down, but most of them had been crumpled. Ink from the pen was faded from all the time and lack of care. I checked my phone, seeing there was no response and threw it across the room where it landed on my bed. Then I sat down at my desk, finally took a moment to calm down and found an old song written in pencil in the locked drawer… and a photo that I never framed… and a mood necklace with a tiny squid design hanging in the middle. This was the only song I had lying around that I didn’t shred, so I guess I had no choice but to use it.

I got out the old books and started to memorize music notes, singing the classic warm ups like the “Do, Re, Mi” thing. After enough warm ups, I got out the old song and struggled to build the strength to sing even the first lyric. The second the words came to me, I remembered when I had wrote this…

Am I really ready? I thought. Am I doomed to walk in this shroud of sadness forever? A tear formed in my eye. I dropped to sitting on my bed, more tears escaping, praying that Bass was safe wherever he was… And then I saw him… He flashed through my mind. I shook my head, wiping away the tears. I couldn’t just dwell on this forever… I can’t! My job now was to prove my father wrong and I will… even if I had to alone.

In fact, I was probably one of the only people who knew the true significance of what music can really do...

I hit the record button on my tape recorder and started singing… To this day, Vichay still doesn’t know that I saw her look in through the door to my bedroom from the mirror and saw her smile.

Two days later, I got a text from Erray. I was in my bedroom after having breakfast when my phone beeped. I rushed to pull it out, thinking it was Bass, but turned out to be Erray. He said that Bass wanted him to check on me again, but for once in a long while, I was actually feeling better than usual.

I then asked him what he was doing and he said that was just finished work and was hanging out with his friend. I asked what their name was and he got a little confused. “I thought if we’re going to talk, I’d get to know you better.” I responded with.

Five minutes later, he responded that his friend’s name was “Mary”. This was interesting, I guess, so I asked what she was like. He then texted me this:

“Well, she’s kind of reserved and sometimes snaps at me, but I know she means well… I think.”

No wonder Erray was willing to make friends with Bass and myself, I thought. This girl sounded like a handful. So I ended up inviting him to my performance.

I went down to the Albacore Hotel later with my voice recorded. Vichay was busy with work, so I had to go alone. Once I was on the roof of the hotel and at the restaurant, I was shocked to see the new decorations. On the news bulletin board, I saw my name on the headline for the end of this week.

“Angel!” Jelini called, as she ran out from behind the counter. “Jelini is very happy to see you. The song you’re doing the singing for is ready, yes?”

“Sure,” I said, holding out my tape recorder. “It’s just my vocals, but I thought you could work with it to put on some music?”

“Yes, yes! Of course!” said Jelini. “This way with me, yes?”

Jelini walked into the back room. There was a single piano, among the other cleaning appliances.

“Will you show Jelini the song?” she said.

“S-Sure,” I said. I pulled out the tape recorder. “H-Here goes…” And I pressed play.

I wasn’t going to lie. I poured my heart and soul into this song. Even then, I was hesitating in that recording, but Jelini was listening intently, and when it was over, I was tense to hear Jelini’s response.

“This was… so beautiful…” Jelini whispered. “Yes! You will do the singing of this song at the ending of the week. Let me keep this recording until then and I will be making the music to go with it, yes?”

“O-Okay,” I said, smiling. “Thank-you!” I wiped my eyes. “Thank-you...”

It was finally the end of the week. Tonight I was going to perform. Vichay had gone out of her way to find me a nice dress coat and dress pants and I already found a nice pair of blue flats to go with it. I had stopped checking my phone for Bass’s text. I thought it was better I accept that he may not want to ever talk to me or even come back.

It would be easier this way than how I handled it last time…

Vichay came into my room and I stood up, ready to go.

“You look amazing!” she said, with a proud smirk. Her mouth opened slightly, and her eyes focused on my neck. “Nice necklace.”

I was wondering when she would notice that I had put on the old necklace from the draw.

“Thanks, I found it a few days ago,” I said.

“Well, let’s go!” Vichay cheered. “No turning back now!”

With Vichay, who was probably the only friend I had left with me, we went down to Albacore Hotel together, making our way to the restaurant on the roof. Even at night, there were many people out, but most of them were at the bars and the restaurant. Those that were using the pool were a lot more quiet, as well. Music was played at the stage in the water, though.

We made our way into the restaurant and went to the roof. A lot more people were up on the roof tonight. Maybe they knew about the performance. Lights had been set up for the stage and the piano had been moved up here.

“Angel!” Jelini said, as she ran over. “You made it! And you look stunning!”

I could only laugh nervously.

“Don’t have the worries,” said Jelini. “Jelini spent the last few days working a piano music around your beautiful voice for the singing. The peoples here are going to fall in love.”

Before I could even say anything, Jelini walked on stage, and at that moment the chatter of the customers grew quiet.

“Hello, peoples at the Albacore Hotel,” Jelini said into the mic. “I hope you are enjoying the food the chefs having prepared for you, yes? Well, tonight, I have you some the music from a special little Inkling who was kind enough to sing for us. Please, welcome, Angel Manta!”

A round of applause rang out from the people. Vichay gave me a push and I slowly stumbled my way onto the stage. I had my speech ready and the audience, neatly seated at their tables grew silent. Among them, I could see Erray wearing a white collared long-sleeved shirt with a black tie. That mysterious girl was there, too, holding that parasol out even though it was night time. That was probably that friend Erray was talking about. With gentle hands I grabbed the mic.

“H-Hello, I…”

At the sight of the people staring at me, it all came rushing back to me. It was flashing before my very mind. Then my hand reached up, grabbing the necklace around my neck. I was back, and the people were still silently staring.

“Th-Thank-you for allowing me to sing here tonight,” I said. “I wrote this a long time ago in dedication to someone I knew. And now, I wish to express how I feel… to you, the kind people who are willing to listen to me tonight.”

Another round of applause rang out before the silence came back. I turned to Jelini who was at the piano. Once she started playing, I waited for my cue.

The tears escaped my eyes, but I wiped them away. Then after that, I was met with applause. Some people were cheering. Erray was with them, too, but the parasol girl turned to Erray, and looked as if she told him something because his expression changed, before she walked away.

I looked up at the sky then back at the audience. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

“ANGEL!” Vichay yelled, once we were backstage. She pulled me into her arms squeezing me tightly. “You were amazing!”

“Let… me… go…” I managed to say.

“Oh, sorry!” Vichay said, letting me go.

“Well, I certainly feel better now that I did this,” I said, straightening out my blouse. Vichay smiled at this. Then I heard a phone.

“Hang on,” said Vichay. She stepped away to answer it. “Hello? Wait, what?! Really?! Where?! Okay, bye!”

“What is it?” I said.

“I gotta go!” Vichay ran and grabbed her bag.

“W-Wait!”

“I’ll see you at home!” she said, before she ran out the door.

“Angel!” said Jelini who came in soon after Vichay left. “This Squid keeps saying that you know him.”

Bass followed in right behind her. My eyes welled up with tears.

“Bass…?” I said. I dashed over to him. “I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have ever said what I did back there.”

I took a good look at his face. He had bags under his eyes and a frown was clear on his face. His sweater and his clothes looked kind of dirty. Yet, he didn’t respond to my apology.

“Are you… okay?”

“I saw you sing,” he finally said. His voice sounded flat and empty. “You were beautiful.”

“Bass, where have you been?”

Bass growled slightly, before bringing himself to raise his head to look at me.

“I’ve been doing what I came here to do,” he said. “Find Agent 3 and help you, but… You’ve clearly been doing just fine without me.”

“Bass…”

“I’m sorry…” he mumbled. He turned away then and ran out the door.

“Bass, wait!” I said, running to the door. By the time, I got to the doorway, I couldn’t find him anywhere. I dropped to the floor and began to cry.

Oh, cod! I thought. What have I done?

Chapter Text

Erray

“Why is it so hot in here?” I whined. Octopia, a name given to this particular Octarian Dome had sandy beaches and water that was all over the place. Luckily, there were platforms, but there was a big light acting as the sun. There were a lot of beach toys and life preservers lying around and some kind of water rafts were in the water. I could see boats in the distance, too. “I thought Octarians were vulnerable to ink like us Inklings.”

“Oh, quit whining,” said Marie. “I think you’re almost there.”

There were even a few parasols and beach towers as I walked into a clearing with a set of four small sponges. It wasn’t long until the Octo Troopers began to float down on balloons from above.

“Baddies inbound!” said Marie. “LET’S GOOOOO!”

“Got it!” I said, running in making the sponges grow big by shooting it with ink. The Troopers started looking around the four sponges to find me, but I had swam in squid form to the top of one of them, before I came crashing down with Splash Down.

Up ahead were some balloon shaped fish. Obviously, they’re called Balloon Fish which exploded with the ink that it gets hit with and they expanded all these sponges up ahead and created a path where there was an Octobomber. They were these Octarians with big round bodies but with a set of tentacles for hands, and were able to float in the air with some headgear with a propeller on it like Octocopters. As the name would suggest, it threw Splat Bomb at me, so I ran for cover behind a sponge. At the sound of the last explosion I ran in and shot it down before it could throw another.

“Nice!” said Marie. “Just grab that Zapfish and you’re home free, Agent 4,” said Marie.

“Right,” I said. It was just an upward climb, but some Balloon Fish that were nearby made the trip there easier.

Marie was waiting for me when I made it back out of the kettle.

“There you are,” she said. “How’d it go?”

“Well, it wasn’t that bad,” I said, handing her the Zapfish. “It was pretty hot in there.”

“At least the Zapfish is back here safely,” said Marie. “So what was that thing tonight?”

“Angel wanted me to go to her performance.”

“Oh.” Marie said, making some kind of weird face. She seemed taken back by this. “Wh-Where is it?”

“The Albacore Hotel,” I said.

“Okay,” she said, spinning her parasol a bit. “You’ll need something to wear to a fancy place like that. I’m sure I can find you something.”

“Thanks, Marie!”

Music was something that always drew me. I always wanted to come to this town to play music, but… I had to find my own way here, because everyone… and, after what I’ve been through, everything was trying to keep me from coming here. To be frank, I thought that after this Octarian business was over, I’d go home and apologize for being stupid, but… hearing Angel sing inspired me. I had gone through so much just to be here, and I wasn’t about to just turn around and stop.

It didn’t stop me from thinking about them, though…

I heard Marie sniff, wiping her eyes, just as the song ended and the crowd began applauding.

“Marie?”

“I… uh, I’m gonna go get some air,” she said, standing up. She kept her face covered with her parasol as she walked off.

Angel was wiping her eyes on stage, but she was smiling. Whatever… I mean, whoever she was singing about, must mean a lot to her. I was really happy for her, but seeing the tears in her eyes made me remember what she said that night.

“The Squid Sisters ruined my life…”

“And here we are,” Marie said, as we walked into her apartment. “I thought we’d stay here tonight, since it’s closer to the Square and the Square is closer to the grate to Octo Canyon.”

“Yeah…” I said. My mind was still thinking about Angel. I hung my coat on the coat hanger.

“So, uh… I guess you could sleep in Callie’s room,” said Marie. “Just don’t touch her stuff. I’m gonna dust in here a little. You’re spacey. What’s up?”

“M-Marie?” I said.

“Yeah?”

“I was wondering about… Angel.”

“What about her?”

“W-Well, the other night, when I told you that she and her friend had a fight, she actually said something to me before he caught up with her.”

“What?”

“She told me… That you and Callie ‘ruined her life’,” I answered.

“Gah! Wh-What?!” Marie’s tone raised up a few notches. Her eyes were widened and her pupils went small. Her closed parasol dropped onto the floor. “Well, you don’t believe that, do you?!”

“W-Well…”

“Erray, sometimes unhappy people say things about celebrities like me to feel better about themselves,” said Marie.

“So, you think she’s lying?”

Marie’s shocked expression turned to a glare.

“Why does it matter to you?”

I wondered why she was deflecting. No, she was just straight up lying!

“What did you do?!” I snapped.

“That’s irrelevant to why you’re here, Erray!” Marie said, walking towards the hall. “You’re here to help us stop Octavio.”

“Does Angel have something to do with Agent 3?!” I yelled.

“I told you-”

“And I was the one who volunteered to join your Splatoon! I should be entitled to know information about what I’m getting into.”

“THAT’S IRRELEVANT!” Marie shouted. “AGENT 3 MEANS NOTHING TO ME! How many more times are you going to make me angry?!”

“You’re impossible!” I yelled. “I thought it’d be amazing to know the Squid Sisters, but all you do is lie to me! Why should I tell you everything, if you can’t tell me anything?”

“Wait! What do you mean ‘tell me everything’?” said Marie.

I turned away, grabbing my coat and heading towards the door.

“FORGET IT!” I yelled. “Just stay here by yourself!”

I stormed out and went back to Cuttlefish’s place and stormed into Agent 3’s old room. I guess it was true what they say about never meeting your heroes.

I had a dream last night, but it’s really hard to explain. It was really dark, but I could tell people were there. I couldn’t move my arms or my legs, but I knew I was sitting. Some irritating, but familiar song was playing and there was a red light that wouldn’t stop bugging my eyes. I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me. I had to get out here, but I couldn’t, no matter how much I tried, my limbs felt sluggish and they only got heavier and the red light only got brighter until it consumed my vision.

Then I awoke, my eyes shooting open. Relief washed over me when I realized it was just a dream. After putting on my agent gear I headed out into the kitchen.

“Hello, Cap’n,” I said, as I walked in.

“Erray, Marie told you and her had a falling out,” he said.

“I wouldn’t exactly put it as that,” I said, as I grabbed a box of cereal from the cabinet.

“Well, I’m pretty sure yelling at each other and you storming out counts as arguing.”

I sat down at the table and sighed.

“Why… Why won’t you guys just tell me anything?” I said.

“Erray, we’re telling you lots of things,” said the cap’n. “You need all the intel on the Octarians if you hope to stop-”

“I’m not talking about the Octarians,” I said, slamming my palm on the table.

“Then, what is it?” said cap’n.

“What happened to Agent 3?” I said. “Did they disappear? Were they captured by Octavio?”

“Now, that’s not important, bucko!” The cap’n’s tone even grew rough at the mention of that name. “Agent 3 is no longer with us and has nothing to do with our job to stop Octavio!”

“I’m pretty sure the breaking and entering and the assault on Marie, makes Agent 3 apart of our mission. Especially about the agenda of wanting to kill Octavio.”

“Erray-”

“And why can’t Octavio’s death be allowed?” I continued. “That… Octarian did horrible things to the Inklings he captured.” I laid a hand on my head and closed my eyes for a second, but it still shook. “To me! I-”

“Erray, we’re trying to keep the peace!” the cap’n insisted. “We don’t want to cause another Great Turf War.”

“So you want me and those other poor Inklings who were there to suffer in silence?” I said.

“Erray, that’s enough!” the cap’n said, pointing his cane that was also a weapon at me. “I know you’re frustrated, but you have to focus on what’s important. Would you rather see Inkopolis’s peace stay standing or see it fall to another Great Turf War? Because trust me, if that happens, you and your friends and family will have to fight in it, and more people are going to suffer. You need to think very hard about this. Did you actually just consider taking the life of another?”

I couldn’t provide an answer to that, but my glare was still apparent.

“It’s as they say, Erray,” said the cap’n. “The path we walk is a lonely one. Agent 3 just couldn’t walk that path.”

“But-”

“Now, I think you have an Octarian lair to infiltrate,” said the cap’n.

“Yeah, and some liars to try and tolerate,” I muttered, as I walked out of the kitchen.

“Hey, you’re not gonna eat?”

“No,” I said. “This conversation made me lose my appetite.”

I made my way to the Square and used the grate to Octo Canyon’s Tentakeel Outpost. The third kettle wasn’t hard to find and I was in the lair in no time. A sunset kind of sky was on the screens. There were these ramps that moved like a rapid conveyor belt, and they launched me onto platforms I couldn’t reach. There were ink covered turbines that were probably security for the Octarians over gaps and up walls. I had to wait until they stopped or moved in order to pass through quickly.

In a clearing, I came upon some Octo Troopers that had two tentacles instead of one. Its weapon shot more rapidly, so I ran for cover. Luckily I was able to sneak around, using that wall as cover and I got behind the Trooper and tackled him.

“I don’t suppose you know where Callie is?” I said, as it struggled. It didn’t give any answers. “Guess not.” I splatted it before going onward. Up ahead was a narrow path, but there were a bunch of turbines, but there were more of those moving ramps that could speed me through right up to the Zapfish at the end.

“Okay… just time it…” I said to myself.

Once they were clearing out, I ran on the first ramp and flung forward again and again. The turbines were coming back out behind me.

“HO… LY… CARP!” I yelled, and I landed near the Zapfish. “Oh.” I took a minute to collect myself before grabbing the Zapfish.

It was kind of a trek to get back to Octo Canyon, but when I did make it, I was just glad to get out of there. Once I was back at Cuttlefish Cabin, I found Marie waiting for me.

“What were you doing?!” she snapped. “You didn’t wait for me to get here so I could talk to you over the radio?!”

“I’m fine,” I said. “Here’s your Zapfish.”

Marie seemed taken back when I put the Zapfish in her arms. The Octarians weren’t so bad when I had something to fight them with.

“Well, at least we have enough to finally open that giant kettle in the middle,” Marie said, turning away. “They probably have something big in that place.”

“An Octo Weapon…” I said.

“Head there,” Marie said, avoiding eye contact. It should be unlocked in a second.

Marie walked over to the cabin. I rolled my eyes and made my way to the kettle. It turned out the kettle was in the middle of the area. It sat on a purple cushion-looking thing, but when I heard the power whir on, the top came off immediately.

“Well, there you go,” Marie said over the radio to my headphones. “Careful. I guess…”

“Whatever,” I said.

I huffed before turning into a Squid to go through the grate. Once again, I was standing on a floating platform with some kind of roof over this arena-like place. Using a launchpad and jumped there. A large puddle of fuschia ink was near the edge of the field and there was a Zapfish above it surrounded by a barrier.

“What do you see?” said Marie.

“The Zapfish,” I said.

Suddenly, a big octopus tentacle with a green X on it rose out of the ink and snatched the Zapfish, dragging it into the ink. I backed away when sparks appeared and the big light shot upward and a large structure began rising up, a slow but suspenseful music played.

Once the light vanished along with the song, I saw a huge machine. It had several openings that contained giant bread loaves with faces on them like an oven. They had goofy faces like the Octo Troops. A red light shined, which for some reason made my eyes shut tightly. My head was suddenly hurting.

“What’s happening?”

“N-Nothing!” I rubbed my temples, opening my eyes to see the machine began to move towards me. “I’m fine. There’s a giant machine.”

The red light appeared to be the machine's camera to see me with, because it kept trying to follow me when I swam around it in my ink. Bombs did nothing to it, but it did leave ink on the giant loaves of bread. I did my best to describe it to Marie.

“Trying climbing to the top of the machine, Agent 4!” she told me.

The second the loaves came out I inked up one of them and then climbed up the actual oven itself.

“There’s a giant tentacle on the top of it,” I said.

“Quick! Shoot it!” said Marie.

I shot at it until it exploded. A fountain of fuschia ink came forth so I super jumped away.

“Donut stop! You kneed to keep going!” I could hear Marie snickering.

Some vents appeared on the top of the machine that pointed upward. Then it shot several cylinders of spinning ink turbines that landed on the ground. I stumbled, trying to get around the columns while not getting hit by the bread. Finally I got on top of it again and took out another tentacle.

“Good. But doughn’t start loafing around or things might go a rye,” Marie said, as I super jumped to safety.

“Agent 2, is this really the time to be making puns?!” I snapped.

“Just figured I make you laugh a little since you’re out there.”

More armor appeared on the machine and even the bread. More turbines appeared in rows of three. I tried to run in one direction, but some kind of device appeared from the side and started raining down ink while the oven began turning.

“RUN!” said Marie. “Or swim! Whatever!”

The machine left a complete path of fuschia ink as it turned. I kept shooting ink forward and swimming, seeing the pretty much almost the whole area covered, by the time it finally stopped. I was low on turf, but it's a big attack of shooting all the loaves of bread at me knocked to the ground into ink.

“UGH!” I yelled, trying to get up. I noticed the machine wasn’t moving.

“Quick! Get up! It’s jammed!” said Marie.

I ignored the sting of enemy ink to climb up carefully. Once I was at the top I could feel the machine beginning to shake, so I quickly shot at the tentacle and jumped to safety once it was gone.

“This guy’s toast!” Marie exclaimed.

All the bread loaves came out burned and the machine started shaking. Then I hid the ink as it exploded. Once it was quiet, I rose up and saw that the machine was gone, but the Zapfish was back. I ran up and freed it.

“Agent 2, I got it!” I said.

“Nice. Bring it back here.” She sounded flat.

“Fine.”

“So it’s you!” said a voice.

“What the heck?! Who’s that?!” said Marie.

My hearts started racing. I held up my weapon and pointed it around.

“So, the Squidbeak Splatoon recruited another agent? Well, whatever. You’re probably a lot better than that other agent.”

“Erray, who’s there?” said Marie.

I ignored her, super jumping away to the starting pointing and rushing back to Octo Canyon. Once I was out I grabbed the lid to the boss kettle and put it back. My body was trembling and I fell to the floor as I was sure the kettle was shut. It was her. It had to be.

“Erray, what happened?!” Marie said, who ran out and saw me. “Why did you leave?”

I crossed my arms, but I was really trying to calm myself.

“Th… that’s irrelevant to why I’m here,” I said, glaring. I stood up on my wobbly feet. “I’m here to help stop Octavio, remember?” I walked past her heading towards the grate towards Inkopolis Square.

I… I just needed some air.

Chapter Text

Oscar

“Oscar, you need to know this, because it’s important,” said Oliver.

It was the early days of my time on the surface. Even then, our leader didn’t allow us in public that much. Oliver had sat me down, saying that we needed to talk.

“Being on the surface is a dream come true,” said Oliver. “I’ve seen so many wonderful things, but… It’s not all just real sunshine, Oscar.”

“Why?”

Oliver laughed a little, a smile was there, but it faded. “You’re still young, Oscar, but… I know that you understand that the world isn’t all black and white after what grandfather has put us through.”

“Grandpa?” I asked, curiously. “W… We’re going to stop him, right?”

Oliver looked to the floor for a second and then looked at me.

“Yes,” he said. “But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about. Our leader and Pearl may be accepting of us, but I can’t say the same applies to everyone else on the surface world. Just like if Octarians see an Inkling in the world below, beings in this world may despise us for what our predecessors did, despite that their crimes were not ours.”

“Oh…” I said.

“That being said, some will treat you kindly no matter who or what you are. I’m just saying that you should be prepared.”

I stood up and hugged my brother.

“Okay,” I said. He hugged me back, but I was so unsure of what he was talking about back then.

“Hey,” I said. “What’s going-”

“The Zapfish…”

Those were the first words I heard the second I entered the living room. Our leader had stood up from the couch and Oliver was there, too. Deca Tower was on TV and the Great Zapfish was gone.

“It’s vanished… Oliver?”

Oliver was shaking up a storm.

“I-It’s nothing.” He took a deep breath. “What shall we do?”

“We carry on as planned,” our leader answered. “Assemble everyone in the-”

Our leader answered the cell phone that went off.

“Hello? Hyperfresh, calm down! Yes, I know about the Zapfish. Hang on! Hyperfresh, let me go into another room first.”

“Brother?” I said, as our leader walked out of the room. He looked pale.

“Nothing.” He grabbed the remote and switched off the TV. “Go wash up for dinner. It should be ready soon.”

“Yes, Oliver…” I said, as he walked out of the room.

The Zapfish was missing again? I knew who could be behind it and we wouldn’t be the only ones going after the guy. Oliver was scared and so was I. We went through so much just to be here and they could take that away from us. It was a quiet dinner and that was when our leader informed us of the solo-mission and told us to be ready when it was over… too bad it didn’t go so well.

At least we could stay in Inkopolis a bit longer. I was really having fun playing at Deca Tower and working at Grizzco. When I got there, I ran up to the window to get the bonuses I forgot to get after my last shift.

I got several tickets and a new shirt. Mr. Grizz calls it a Squiddor Polo, but I’ve some of the few Octolings that work here wear them, too.

“Oh, so one wipe out and I don’t get the bonus he got?” I heard as I walked away. An unruly Inkling was arguing at the gate. “I’ll stop holding up the line when I get my bonus. What did that Octarian do that I didn’t?!”

“Huh?” I said. He grabbed my new shirt and tried to pull it out of my grasp.

“Give it, Octo boy!”

“No, I worked for it!” I yelled pulling back.

“It’s called a Squiddor Polo. You certainly don’t look like a squid.”

“Well, you certainly don’t look like a good person!” I spat.

Just then he elbowed me in the face and I fell to the ground, letting go of the shirt.

“Hey, that’s enough!”

Char came out from inside. “Grizz saw everything on his cameras. You’re done for the day! Get out of here, and give the kid his shirt back!”

The Inkling huffed and threw the shirt back at me, before storming off. Char held out his hand.

“You okay?” he said.

I nodded while he helped me up.

“Thank-you…” I said. “He’s been giving me trouble lately.”

“Well, don’t let it get to you, kid,” said Char. “I think our captain is getting ready for our scouting mission today.”

“Okay,” I said.

Char and I walked over to Anemy’s quarters. He knocked on the door, before he heard Anemy’s voice telling us to come in.

Her room was more of a mess than usual. Papers were scattered on the floor, along with a bunch of wrappers and snacks. Even the bed hadn’t been folded back into a couch yet. Meanwhile, our captain was pacing back and forth with this frown plastered across her face, but her eyes were wide open.

“Um, captain?” said Char.

“Hang on!” said Anemy. She set down her clipboard, only to pick up another one. She glanced over at me. “What happened to you?”

“Oh, some scuffle with an Inkling outside,” I said.

“Then I don’t have time for that!” said Anemy. “Mr. Grizz is furious that the Great Zapfish is gone, because our Salmon Runs are going to have be limited and it ain’t good for business.”

“Didn’t Mr. Grizz want you to scout out something at Marooner’s Bay today?” I said.

Anemy stopped in her tracks and looked over at the calendar in the back. “Carp! That’s today? Okay, okay!” She set her clipboard down and wiped her eyes. “Okay, get ready and meet me at the docks.” She dashed out of the room to put on her uniform.

“What was the mission about again?” said Char.

“Uh, I think it had something to do about that night shift?” I said.

“Oh, with that Silver Salmonid?”

“Yeah, I guess…”

There was something in Anemy report that said something about a sewer grate. My hearts started racing, when I read over it. Oliver told me to stay calm about it, but I guess I won’t know what’s going on until I see. In fact, it was probably one of the reasons he decided to let me keep working here

Marooner’s Bay was quiet at the moment we stepped off the ship. The scanners hadn’t picked up any Salmonoid activity here today, but the captain said that we weren’t here for Salmonids today. She told Char to stand guard until they were back and we went off towards that underpass on the abandoned ship.

“Now we can get to bottom of this, hopefully,” Anemy said.

“S-Sure, captain…” I said.

“What the shell?!” she said.

I was shocked, too. When we got up to the location of that kettle, we saw that it was gone without a trace. Anemy got out her phone bringing up a photo she took of the scene.

“How is this possible?!” said Anemy. “It couldn’t have been that long since I’ve been here. She walked over and started digging, but only dug up dirt. “There’s no trace…” She stood up. “Well, this is a waste…” Anemy grumbled, as she wrote on her notepad. “I’ll have to check the other places later.”

“Sorry, captain…” I said.

“C’mon, let’s get back to the boat.”

Once we were on the boat we headed back to Grizzco. Mr. Grizz wasn’t happy to hear that Anemy came up empty handed on the whole “kettle” investigation.

“Sorry, sir…” said Anemy. “But if there’s some kind outside force with the Salmonids it makes sense.”

“How so?”

“Whatever is there, I believe it is what gave the Salmonids the weapons we have,” said Anemy. “Think about it: the Stingray, the Tenta Missiles, Inkstorm, armor, giant bombs? Clearly, they got those from an outside source.”

“Huh. You might be right Ms. Arowana,” said Mr. Grizz. “Anything else?”

Anemy sighed.

“It’s been one year since you started the company, sir.”

“Oh, that. I had completely forgotten with the Zapfish business and everything. Ah, feels like only yesterday I started recruiting Golden Egg hunters. I do appreciate all you’ve done for me… Er, I mean this company. We can’t really do much with the Zapfish gone, so Anemy, I can only authorize a small party.”

My eyes lit up at those words.

“A party?!” I exclaimed. “Ooh! We’re gonna need food! Oh! And music, and-”

“Well, we’re going to have to be discreet about this,” said Mr. Grizz. “Security’s gotta make sure that no outsiders enter this place.”

“But we’ll need music!” I said, excitedly. “I know where we can get someone with music.”

“Dude, he just said no outsiders,” said Anemy.

“I’m talking about my brother!”

Anemy raised a brow. Her hands were on her hips.

“Your… brother?”

I nodded, forming fists. “Yep. He’s a really good DJ, and I can play guitar.”

“Hm. Well, what do you think, Grizz?” said Anemy.

“How good is he?” said Mr. Grizz.

“Really good, sir,” I said. “He’s been practicing ever since he was little.”

“Well, let him prove it at the party tomorrow. Anemy, you’re in charge putting it together.”

“Hooray, more work…” Anemy mumbled, lazily throwing her hands in the air.

“YAY!” I yelled. “I haven’t been to a party in ages.”

Anemy chuckled slightly. “Well, don’t fall asleep at the party, kid.”

“Hey, I’m twelve! I snapped. “I’m not a little kid anymore.”

The captain sighed. “Just teasing, kid. Sorry.”

So after that, I clocked out for the day. We didn’t have shifts since the Zapfish has caused less Salmon Runs to go on, so I went home. Once I was back, the foyer was quiet, but I heard music upstairs. The others were probably recording or something.

Once I was on the second floor, I found Oliver dusting in the recording studio, while Pearl and Marina were by the keyboard.

“Now, I think the next verse of the song should go something like this,” said Marina. She stopped when she saw me come in. “Oh, hey Oscar! You’re home early!”

“Hey, welcome home, Os!” said Pearl. “Our leader’s still busy out.”

“I worry sometimes,” said Marina. “The second that arm was better, it was right back into action.”

“Well, with Octavio released from his prison, it’s only agitating up our leader even more,” Oliver said, walking over to the waste basket nearby. He rang out his feather duster there.

“Don’t worry, Marina,” I said. “I’m sure it’s okay.”

“As long as there are no signs of overexertion it should be fine,” Oliver continued. “Besides, we have to stay sharp ourselves, especially with the New Squidbeak Splatoon recruiting this ‘Agent 4’.”

“Yo, how are we suppose to find who’s Agent 4?” said Pearl. “All we know is that he’s… well, he-”

“Well, we’re… ‘acquainted’ with the Squid Sisters,” said Marina. “Maybe we could squeeze the information out of Marie… but we can’t give away our association, either.”

“Well, Callie and Marie haven’t seen you with their ex-agent, so you and Pearl are our only hope of getting this information without violence.”

“Didn’t our leader already bonk Marie on the head with the Anti-hero-shot?” said Pearl.

“Um, I think so,” Marina said, a small frown formed on her lips. “But that was before we knew about Agent 4.”

Oliver turned to me and looked down at my shoes.

“Ugh, Oscar, didn’t you wipe your shoes before you entered this manor?”

I stared at my shoes and noticed I had been tracked in dirt. Oliver ran out into the hall.

“And I just mopped!” he said. “Mr. Pygmy will have my tentacles if he sees this.”

“W-Wait! Wait!” I said, before he could dash.

“Yes?” he said.

“W-Well, Mr. Grizz is having a small party tomorrow,” I said, putting my hands behind my back. “And so, I was wondering if... maybe…”

“Maybe what?”

“You could… DJ there?” I answered, shyly. I tried looking at him with my big eyes.

“What?!”

“C’mon, we have turntables here you could just take, and a bunch of sound equipment to use.”

“Oscar, I can’t perform just out of the blue.”

“But you could use a break. It’s better than just trying to do chores near Marina to hear her sing all day!”

“Oscar!” Oliver snapped. He glared, but looked away while his cheeks turned velvet like his ink color. I couldn’t help but laugh.

Marina giggled, too. “Aw, go ahead, Oliver,” she said. “Take a night off and play some music.”

“Yeah, and you can see what Grizzco looks like,” said Pearl.

Oliver’s palm met with his forehead.

“Very well,” he said, before moving his hand away.

“Yay!” I yelled embracing him. “Thank-you, Oliver. Mr. Grizz is gonna be so happy!”

“It would also be a good time to inspect your working conditions. I refuse to allow my little brother to work any place that’s not up to code.”

It then just occurred to me that Oliver was still my older brother.

“Um, maybe not…” I said.

“It is far too late to reconsider,” Oliver said, and his smirking told me that he already knew what I was thinking.

“Just don’t embarrass me!” I snapped. “Because I can embarrass you back, too.”

“Okay, okay,” Marina said, pushing us away from each other. “Come on. Don’t fight. It’ll be a good night for both of you. I’ll take care of the mess, Oliver. Tell us how it goes, okay?”

“Yes, Marina,” Oliver said, smiling.

Oliver and I walked out of the recording studio, but I wouldn’t stop looking at him.

“What?” he said.

“You love her,” I taunted.

“That’s it! Get over here!” Oliver snapped.

And the rest of the night went on with me running from my brother. He agreed to play at the party and he wanted me to help bring some equipment there. Other than a few minor hiccups, I was really enjoying Inkopolis Square. I remember always talking about how much I wanted to see it, despite everyone else telling me how unsafe it would be.

The next day, Oliver gathered all the equipment he needed into a cart and we went down to Inkopolis Square. He picked up a beanie and put it over his head, covering the suction cups on his tentacles, even though it didn’t go with his formal clothes. We had to walk, but it provided enough time for me to tell him about things at the Square.

“Oh, you’ll love it at the square, Oliver,” I said. “There’s a lot of Inklings and other people there. There’s shops for clothes, shoes, hats, and a food truck. The guy’s name is Sean. Oh! And there’s an arcade called ‘the Shoal’.”

“Yes,” he said. “And bullies?”

“What?” I said.

“You’re scratched elbows,” Oliver mumbled. “I refused to say anything last night, because I didn’t wish to embarrass you.”

“Hey, you don’t know that!” I said. “I could’ve just fallen.”

“Then why did you become defensive?”

Oliver had keen insight. He could read me like a book.

“I… didn’t want you to worry about me,” I said. “An Inkling… he pushed me because I did a better job than him.”

“Hmph! I knew it,” Oliver grumbled. “What’s his name?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “Mr. Grizz had him go home after the whole incident was over.”

“Why didn’t you wear the hat I gave you?”

“Because-”

My big brother stopped once we approached Inkopolis Square. I looked at him and he was gazing up at the Deca Tower.

“My… cod,” he said, dazed. “A-hem! So, where is Grizzco located.”

“Heh heh! This way!” I led on with a smirk. We walked to the right of Deca Tower and headed up to the entrance.

“There doesn’t appear to be a door…” Oliver said.

“Oh, there is,” I said. “It’s just a metal gate they put on when Grizzco is closed. Come on! I’ll introduce you to Mr. Grizz.”

“Yes, I suppose I heard you speak of him,” Oliver said, as we walked into the building. He gazed around the inside, seeing Grizzco’s… cleanliness… which wasn’t much.

“Aw, carp…” he muttered under his breath. He covered his nose. “What’s that smell?”

“Oliver, there’s other people in here!” I hissed.

“Is that Oliver?”

I looked over at the coolers and saw Mr. Grizz’s radio.

“Good morning, Mr. Grizz!” I said. Oliver followed behind me with his equipment.

“Hello, Oscar,” he said. “I trust you brought your brother?”

“Yes, sir!” I saluted.

Oliver squinted at the radio.

“So, you’ve never actually seen Mr. Grizz?” said Oliver.

“Well, no, but he’s okay.”

“Hm.” Oliver crooked frown told me that he didn’t seem convinced. “Well, hello Mr. Grizz. I am Oscar’s older brother, Oliver.”

“Ah, Oscar talks about you from time-to-time,” said Mr. Grizz. “As you may or may not know, Grizzco has officially been running for over a year now and since everyone won’t stop complaining to me, I’ve decided to allow a small celebration. So, we need you to DJ for us tonight. Think you can handle that?”

“Of course,” said Oliver.

“Good. Go confirm things with Ms. Arowana. She should be in her quarters.”

“I see,” said Oliver. “As you wish.”

“This way,” I said to him. “I’ll show to the captain.”

“Hey! Octo boy!”

That same Inkling from the other day was storming past other Inklings.

“Think you can just get me in trouble like that the other day?” he snapped.

“Hey!” I spat. “You’re the one who decided to pick a fight with someone who didn’t do anything, you insecure squid!”

Just then, the Inkling threw a punch, but Oliver stepped and blocked it with his hand when I flinched. He pushed back with little effort. My hearts were pounding.

“My apologies,” he said. “But if you have some kind of dispute with my brother, I highly suggest you handle it like gentlemen rather than like barbarians. If not, I suggest you leave us be.”

The Inkling backed away. “Fine. Good luck when your brother isn’t here to hold your hand, Octo Boy.”

Oliver huffed as the Inkling stormed off. Before he was outside, he bumped into Erray who was walking in. It looked like he just brushed it off and kept going into the hall.

“Are you alright?” said Oliver.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Sure you don’t want a hat?”

“No! I’m fine! Stop worrying!” I pouted. “Besides, everyone here already knows I’m an Octoling.”

“I just worry…” Oliver sighed.

“Well, stop it,” I said. “Now let’s go find the captain.”

Oliver followed behind me into the hall and we entered Anemy’s quarters. It looked the same amount of messy as yesterday, but it looked like Erray was picking up a bit. Anemy walked out the closet for a second. She had bags under her eyes.

“You know, you really don’t have clean up in here if you don’t want to,” said Anemy.

“Please, it’s the least I can do,” said Erray. “You look tired.”

Anemy chuckled. “I’m not a little kid.”

“Yeah, but it’s okay to ask for help.” Anemy huffed, but didn’t say anything. Erray reached into the closet to put a coat away.

“Hey!” I said. “We’re here.”

“Huh?!” Erray looked over, but then a bunch of stuff fell out.

“Hey, watch it!” Anemy snapped.

“Sorry.” He reached down and picked up a blue rock guitar. “Oh, cool! Is this yours?”

“Nope,” she said. “That would be my brother’s.” She took it from Erray.

“Um, Oliver?” I said.

“Shh!” he hissed.

“What are you doing here,” Erray said, glaring. He then looked over at Oliver. “Who’s this?”

“My brother, Oliver,” I said.

“Oh cod… Another one…” Erray mumbled.

Oliver gasped.

“Excuse me?!” he snapped.

“Alright, alright!” Anemy said, stepping in between us. “If ya gonna fight, do it outside. I ain’t got time for it today.”

Erray backed away, but kept his glare. Then he walked back to sort out Anemy’s things.

“So… what’s up with you?” said Anemy.

“I brought Oliver to DJ here!” I said, happily.

“Ah, Ms. Arowana,” Oliver said. He took a bow. “A pleasure.”

“Looks too formal for DJ,” Erray said in the back.

“I’ll have you know I’ve been busy with another job, sir!” Oliver spat back.

“Alright, dude,” said Anemy. “Focus on me, not him.”

Oliver took a step back, putting his hands behind him. “Very well.”

“You can set up near the entrance,” said Anemy. “There’s a lot of space. People from my squad are gonna set up the tables and chairs.” She paused for a second to yawn. “And then, there should be a list of activities to set up.” She walked over to her couch with her eyes half-closed.

“Um, captain?” I said. “Are you okay?”

Anemy plopped down on the couch.

“Yeah. I’m good. Been busy all night sorting out reduced schedules, but… yeah.”

“Um, I think you should go to bed,” I said.

“I can’t go to bed! I still have to make sure no one gets hurt or steals anything,” she said, wiping her eyes.”

“I can keep an eye out,” said Erray. “And I can get a list of volunteers for security.”

“Uh… I guess that could work,” said Anemy. “Just don’t destroy each other… or whatever.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said.

“Keep the peace, you guys…” Anemy said, before she slumped over on the couch.

“Uh… Ms. Arowana?” said Oliver.

Erray walked over with a blanket and put it over her.

“Guess I’ll have to take it from here,” he said.

“You mean we’ll take it from here,” I said.

“Whatever,” said Erray. And he walked out of the room.

“Ugh! I don’t understand how you can tolerate these people!” said Oliver. “Is everyone like this to you?”

“Anemy’s nice,” I said. “And so is Char. Coral’s quiet, so I don’t really know.” Oliver had told me to be prepared for stuff like this happening, but it never stopped it from hurting. “I don’t think Erray likes me and I don’t know why.”

“Was he the Inkling who tried to attack you with a chair?”

“Yeah…” I said, softly. “He yelled something about how he’s ‘not going back’. I don’t know. It happened really fast.”

“Is that so?” Oliver said. He fell silent to think for a second. “Our leader might be very interested to hear that. But anyway, I don’t think Erray needs a reason to not like you. We’re Octarians, Oscar. Inklings will simply hate us. We came here for freedom, but it comes with a price. Now help me set up this equipment.”

I sighed. “Yes, Brother.”

Members from Anemy’s squad along with other employees volunteered for security. We spent the day getting the tables and chairs set. Erray was among them, but he kept getting distracted by his phone. People started coming in with drinks and food. Soon, nightfall was here and the people were getting antsy.

Meanwhile, Oliver’s equipment was ready. I was amazed to see his quick work.

“Wow! So are you ready to go?”

“Not quite,” said Oliver. He casted off his tie, undid the buttons on his vest and loosened the collar on his white shirt, and put on come black fingerless gloves. I perked up a smile. “Oh right. I almost forgot.” He reached into the crate, pulled out a set of headphones, and placed it onto his head, covering his ears.

“Oliver, are you ready to start?”

Erray walked over with his clipboard. Oliver nodded simply and walked over to the turntables.

“Good luck!” I said. And I backed away from his setup to give him some space. He was nervous. I could tell because his hands trembled when he laid them on his turntables. A song started playing and it caught the attention of the employees.

“Good evening guys and gals!” Oliver said on his mic. “Welcome to the one year anniversary party of Grizzco Industries. I’d like to give thanks to the generous efforts of Anemy, Mr. Grizz and the rest of you who helped make tonight possible. Well, anyway. Enough chat! Let’s slay!”

The cheering of the audience created a smile on Oliver’s face, and they went louder when he started playing a remix of Pearl and Marina’s new song, “Nasty Majesty”. I threw my fist into the air with everyone who went along with the beat… until someone pulled on one of my tentacles. I only assumed it was that Inkling again, but he pointed at Erray.

“What?!” said Erray. “No, I didn’t!”

“Says Mr. I Screamed In Terror At An Octo Boy,” the Inking went on.

“I wasn’t scared!” Erray snapped. “Why haven’t you been fired yet?”

“What? Nobody cares if I pick on Octoling.”

That’s when I growled, and punched the stupid Inkling in the nose. Erray back away, looking paler than usual. Some people looked over while I drew my hand back and rubbed it with the other one. I actually felt a rush of adrenaline when I saw the Inking’s nose bleeding.

“I’d do it again if my hand didn’t hurt so much!” I shouted.

Suddenly, the Inkling threw a fist back, but I jumped out of the way before tripping him. Erray yelled out when that happened, before the Inkling dragged me down with him, making me grab the table cloth and pull the cups along with the giant punch bowl down. Good thing it was plastic, but the punch spilled everywhere.

The second I got up my wrist was hurting like crazy, but that Inkling was getting up for more. That’s when two Inklings ran over and grabbed us.

“Hey, break it up! Grizz wants to talk to the both of you!”

We were dragged into a back room and sat in a set of chairs. Mr. Grizz’s radio was set in front of us. Erray also came in since he witnessed the fight.

“Um, I think it’s just a sprain,” Coral said, as she wrapped the bandages around my wrist. “Just, uh… take it easy a-and don’t overexert it.”

“The party hasn’t even been going on for an hour, and this is going on…” said Mr. Grizz. “How do you explain that?”

“Mr. Grizz, I’m very sorry about that-” the Inkling began.

“No, shut up!” I spat, standing up immediately, only to get sat back down by a guard. “I’m sick and tired of all this stupid carp! I shouldn’t have to be the one to put up with this, just because I’m an Octoling!”

“Why didn’t you report this, if it was happening?” said Mr. Grizz.

“Because I’m not a little kid! I shouldn’t need to depend the adults who don’t understand!”

“Well, if you have so many problems, why don’t you just go back underground where you came from.”

“Grr…”

I lunged at him, but the guards held me back.

“ALRIGHT, THAT’S ENOUGH!” Grizz shouted. “If you’re gonna keep making remarks like that and upsetting employees, then all you’re gonna do is slow us down.”

“Wait, what?” said Inkling.

“You heard me,” said Mr. Grizz. “Pack up your stuff and leave. You’re fired!”

The Inkling rolled his eyes and stood up.

“Fine. I was getting sick of this place anyway.”

The Inkling stormed off, leaving me alone.

“And you!” said Mr. Grizz. “Didn’t Anemy tell you to behave yourself?”

“Well, I couldn’t exactly do that when-”

Suddenly, the door opened and Oliver came racing in. I looked away and crossed my arms.

“I was just informed Mr. Grizz. What’s happened?”

“You’re little brother got into a bit of a scrap,” said Mr. Grizz.

“Oscar, honesty…”

“Well, I guess the squid kind of just set him off…” Mr. Grizz.

Just him talking about it was only making me angrier. Oliver walked over and looked at me. He was probably concerned that I was hurt.

“Oscar, if you’re this upset about people making fun of you, why don’t you just hide your hair?” said Oliver.

“Well, look at Marina!” I said. “She doesn’t have to wear any headgear and people love her!”

“That’s different! She’s famous!”

“So what? I’m a nobody?!”

“That’s not what I meant!” said Oliver.

“U-Um… Should I… leave?” Erray said, softly.

“No, it’s fine!” I said. “C’mon, Oliver. I want to play guitar while you perform.”

“But you’re wrist!” said Oliver. “You can’t play with an injury like that.”

“But-”

“No, buts! You’re still in trouble for engaging in roughhousing like that!”

“But he was attacking-”

“Enough!” Oliver snapped. “Guess I’ll see if I can find another person who can play guitar.”

“A-Actually…” said Erray. “I can.”

We looked over at Erray, trying to look us in the eye.

“Really? You?” said Oliver.

“Yeah, I’m a little rusty, though,” said Erray. He sighed, with a small glare forming for only a second. “It’s… been a while.”

Oliver sighed. “Well, it’s better than no one. Prove your worth on stage.”

“O-Okay,” said Erray.

“No!” I yelled. I stood up from my seat and stormed up to my brother. “I get pushed to the ground and my hair pulled by Inklings and you reward them by letting them perform with you?!”

“Oscar, get it together!” Oliver said, grabbing me by the shoulders.

“No! I’m tired of being pushed around for being who I am! Hey, Erray!”

“What?” he said.

“Would you like it if I did this to you?!”

I pulled on Erray’s lock of hair that hung on the front. He yelled out in pain.

“OSCAR!” Oliver yelled.

Erray shook violently. The guards ran over to pull me away, but then he opened his eyes, and I saw them glowing. He pushed me away, and I swear I flew a bit before I actually hit the ground.

“Whoa…” Oliver mumbled.

Erray covered his mouth and the light in eyes faded.

“I-I… I’m so sorry…” I said. “I-”

Erray dashed towards the door, shoving Oliver out of the way. Just then, the door opened again, and Anemy came in, wiping her eyes.

“What’s going on?” she mumbled.

“Ah, Ms. Arowana, it seems your crew can’t behave themselves without you,” said Mr. Grizz. “Glad to see you’ve gotten some rest.”

“Oscar, how could you startle him like that?!” Oliver snapped.

“Didn’t he offend you?”

“Well, pulling his hair isn’t an appropriate response!!”

“Was that why he was running?” said Anemy.

“You can thank Oscar for that, Ms. Arowana,” said Oliver.

Anemy sighed. “I’m gonna go find him.”

“Can I come, too?” I said.

“I think you’ve done enough!” Oliver said, sternly.

“But I saw…”

“Saw what?” said Oliver.

I let out a sigh.

“Let me… say sorry…”

“Very well, but I have to perform another song,” said Oliver. “Do you mind watching him, Ms. Arowana?”

“Sure,” said Anemy. “Come on, kid.”

“And we’re going to discuss your punishment once this is over!” Oliver said, as we walked out.

I walked with Anemy out of Grizzco and into the square, looking around for Erray. Eventually, we found him around the corner where the café was. The spiky-haired urchin was in there and Erray was sitting in the back grabbing the lock of hair I pulled.

Anemy walked in ahead of me.

“Erray!” she called.

Erray faced towards us, only to look away again. He was shaking in fear, taking deep breaths.

“Whoa, you okay?” she said, once she was at the table. She put a hand on his shoulder, which only caused tears to come out of his eyes. “Dude, he just pulled your hair.”

“You wouldn’t understand…” Erray mumbled. “None of you understand!” He yelled as he turned to us, and Anemy backed away at the crazed look in his eyes. “And why is he here?!”

“He’s here to apologize,” said Anemy.

“I don’t want his apology!” His voice sounded strained from trying not to cry.

“Erray, I just… I was so tired of being pushed around and ridiculed,” I said. “I just… snapped. I don’t know what to say and I don’t know what it means to you, but…”

“Yeah, you don’t!” Erray huffed. “Because if you did, you wouldn’t be talking to me… You don’t know me! He doesn’t know what I’ve been through! The choices I’ve had to make!”

“What?” said Anemy.

Oh no… I thought.

Erray pulled away from Anemy’s grasp. Maybe Oliver was wrong. Some Inklings didn’t have a reason to hate us, but Erray clearly does. I’ve seen those reasons for myself, and so has Oliver. Erray didn’t just hold anger for us, but… fear.

“You’re right,” I said. The two looked over. “I don’t. But clearly, you have your reasons for not liking me. I just… don’t know them, and maybe I’ll never know them. Octarians have their reasons for not liking Inklings, too, and some of them just hate them for the sake of hating them. I… I was just angry at all the ridicule, when no one knows if I’ve done anything wrong.”

Erray stared at the table, wiping his eyes.

“But I want you to know that despite what Octarians have done in the past, know that my brother and I bear no ill will towards you or any Inkling,” I continued. “We just want to live in Inkopolis like anyone else.”

“I… I guess I get it,” he mumbled, he rubbed his temples a bit.

“You… okay?” said Anemy.

“I’m fine. Just a little bit of a headache,” said Erray. He tried to get up from his seat, but Anemy stepped in to help him.

“It’s okay to ask for help, you know,” said Anemy.

“I’m sorry I’ve been cold to you…” said Erray.

“Well, I’m sorry I… pulled your hair,” I muttered, shyly.

“That doesn’t mean I trust you!” His voice raised up sharply and he crossed his arms. “Not yet, anyway.”

“Well, Oscar’s been real help ever since he joined Grizzco,” said Anemy. “Just give him a chance, okay? I’m not saying you have to be his friend, but I just want none this fighting to happen anymore. The only brawl I want to see is with the Salmonids. Are we clear?”

“Yes, captain,” Erray said.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said.

“Okay, well, let’s get back before Grizz starts wondering where we are,” said Anemy.

Anemy walked out of the shop first and we followed after her back to Grizzco. Once we were there, we saw two employees singing Ebb and Flow with Oliver busting the beats for them. Once it was over, the audience started cheering. Another thing I saw was… Well, Oliver wasn’t hiding his hair anymore.

“Nice job,” Oliver said, he looked over towards us. “Hey! It’s Anemy Arowana! The gal who made this all possible.”

Applause rang out throughout the room. Anemy avoided eye contact, her cheeks turning orange from embarrassment.

“Aw, geez,” said Anemy.

“To end the night, why don’t you do a song for us?”

“Oh, I don’t know…” said Anemy.

“Come on!” someone from the audience said.

“Yeah, just one song!”

People started chanting Anemy’s name. She rolled her eyes and walked towards the stage. “Fine, ‘Mister’ Oliver.” We followed her onto the stage.

“Glad you could make it back Erray,” said Oliver. He walked over with my rock guitar. It was black, and it had lights that glowed when it was played, shining with whatever ink color the user had. “I trust you’ve worked things out with my brother?”

“I guess so,” said Erray.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “I said it’s okay.”

Erray glanced over at me, but then he looked away.

“So, you can play?” said Oliver.

“Yeah,” said Erray.

“Then prove it!” He tossed my guitar into Erray’s hands. “It’s already tuned and everything.”

Erray looked at the audience and they went silent. Oliver and I gave him a nod, and Anemy was spacing out. He looked at the custom guitar and immediately started to play a wicked tune.

“Oh my cod!” I exclaimed.

“Huh?” said Anemy. “What’s going on?”

The audience started cheering. After Erray was done, there was loud applause.

“Holy carp…” Anemy mumbled.

“So, I can play?” said Erray.

“Well, you certainly are competent,” said Oliver. “Ready to sing, Ms. Arowana?”

“Alright, alright,” said Anemy. “Play something easy to follow. Do you have something like that?”

“Course I do,” said Oliver. “How about we give her hand, everybody? When we sing this,” Oliver cleared his throat before singing, “‘la, la, lala, la la’, you sing with us.”

“Okay, okay,” said Anemy. “Can we just do this? Drop a beat, already.”

“As you wish,” said Oliver. “Just look at the screen and you should know what to sing.”

Anemy stumbled over to the mic and Oliver walked over to the turntables and started to play.

“Louder, Anemy!” said Anemy. “They can’t hear you!” Anemy glared, but sung on.

“Here we go!” I shouted, as Erray started playing the guitar.

Oliver started mixing it up with on his turntables. The audience was going crazy and even more so, when Erray added his guitar solo. I actually saw the captain smile with a jaw drop when he did that.

A round of applause was given once it was over, people were cheering even afterwards. Oliver removed his headphones and set them down. Anemy was actually laughing in delight at this. I guess she had a good time after all.

“Well, Erray,” he said. “You really do have skill. Way to shred it.”

“I know!” I said. “Not bad for a squid kid.”

“Thank-you all for coming tonight,” said Oliver. “And don’t forget to thank Mr. Grizz for starting this company. ‘Working for a better tomorrow for Inkopolis’… supposedly.”

Well, other than the few fights I got into, today was okay. Erray was still a little distant, but he wasn’t acting so mean anymore.

I walked outside after Oliver began packing up and saw Anemy talking with Erray.

“You did pretty great, Erray,” she said. “Where’d you learn to play like that?”

“Oh, well, I’ve been practicing ever since I was little,” said Erray. “My grandpa taught me and really enjoyed it. I came here hoping to find more opportunities, but… I still need to get my feet steady here.”

“Oh,” she said. “Well, thanks for helping out, even though it was pretty hectic.”

“Oscar!”

I turned around to see Oliver walking out with all of his stuff packed.

“Oh, hey,” I said. “Um, I’m really sorry I overreacted. I took it too far…”

“Well, I suppose we all have our limits,” said Oliver.

“Um… You took off your hat…” I said.

Oliver took his hands off the cart. “I’ve… been spending time pondering since our last argument, and I realized that you’re right. We shouldn’t hide who we are. If people can accept Marina for who she is, they can learn to accept us.”

I ran over and hugged him. Oliver could only laugh nervously and he hugged back, but then a voice cut through the night.

“Erray?!”

Chapter Text

Erray

I’ve never heard someone sing like Anemy. In fact, I was surprised I could still play the guitar. At least no one seemed to notice that I missed a few notes. Oscar pulling my hair… I don’t know what to say to that… but seeing that Anemy came looking for me, I guess it’s good to know I’m not really alone out here. To be honest, I don’t trust Marie anymore and the same goes for Cap’n Cuttlefish. They’ve been intentionally secretive and cryptic. They really don’t want me to know about what happened to Agent 3 and I don’t know why. Marie warned me that things would get dangerous, the deeper we went into Octo Canyon, but I don’t know if I could rely on her to watch my back. Especially with what happened the other day…

I was prepared to never see them again. I came to Inkopolis never planning to return, but all of that flew out the window when I saw her outside of Grizzco.

“Erray?!”

The voice was foreign to me at first. Everyone who was outside looked over as well from the sheer volume of it. She was there. It was her. Vichay. I didn’t know what to say to her. What could I say to her?

“Erray, do you know her?” said Anemy.

Vichay took one step forward and immediately I turned into a squid and super jumped as far as I could.

“Erray, wait!” I heard Vichay yell, as her voice grew further. I landed just outside of the square and ran back to Cuttlefish’s house as fast as I could. Once I was there, I was out of breath. She was here? How? And why? I thought. I sat on the porch to catch my breath, before I was calm enough to head inside.

I walked inside and the cap’n came in from the kitchen.

“Hello, bucko!” he said. “Back from the party I see. Great Zapfish! Are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost.”

I really wasn’t in the mood tonight…

“Don’t worry about it…” I said, as I wandered into the hall towards Agent 3’s old room Marie also wasn’t home. Maybe she was recording something? I don’t know, and I didn’t really care.

I had that dream again. I couldn’t move, the red light, and that music… There was less control I had every time I had it and I always woke up frightened.

Sheldon wanted me to try out this new roller he made. So I took it with me into an Octarian dome. The rectangle screens were showing a cloudy sky. It looked like a bunch of wires and rocks were hanging from above. The roller covered a lot of turf, but it was kind of heavy.

“How does Cal… uh, Agent 1 fight with this?” I said. I stopped when I saw a small swarm of small explosives with red glowing eyes charged at me. “Octopods!” I flung ink from the roller and they were taken out in the wave. “Okay, this is actually pretty cool.”

“Rollers are powerful, but they’re mostly close range and a little slow,” said Sheldon. “Remember that.”

“Okay,” I said, as I headed up an ink gusher. On the top I saw a few troopers and a bomber. There was also an odd pile of a pink alloy. “Sheldon, I see something. It’s in a neat pile and it’s pink.”

“Sounds like Rolonium,” said Sheldon. “Try hitting it at something.”

Suddenly, I was spotted by the nearby enemies and a bomb landed near my feet. I dove into the ink for cover, but the explosion sent the Rolonium flying away. So I swam towards another stack as the troops gave chase. Once I was behind it, I launched it at the enemies, crushing them in my ink color.

“Phew!” I said, rising up.

“Close one,” said Sheldon. “Just collect yourself and keep going.”

I headed up a ramp and took cover behind a pillar. Rolonium kept rolling past me. Around the corner was this large Octarian with four tentacles on its head and it wore goggles with tiny lenses and it sat on a chair.

“Ew, gross!” I hissed as it hurled Rolonium from it’s mouth.

“What is it?” said Sheldon.

“Some Octarian shooting Rolonium from its mouth.”

“Oh. An Octo Hurler. Just don’t stand in front of it when it shoots, or I guess you could hit the Rolonium back.”

“Fine,” I said. “But I’m not touching it.”

As soon as the next Rolonium came by, I stepped out and I bash it back with the roller. It hit the enemy, knocking it off the edge.

“Splatterized!” I said, rolling ahead.

I ran up ahead, shooting the Rolonium lying around to shoot more Octo Troops. Soon I made it to Zapfish and headed back to base.

Sheldon had guided me deeper into Octo Canyon. We were in a new area which was called Suction-Cup Lookout. Sheldon took the Zapfish from me.

“Nice job,” he said. “Marie will be happy to see this.”

“Yeah, I guess…” I said. Marie and I haven’t really talked since our argument. Frankly, I was glad that Sheldon showed up to help me instead of Marie.

Sheldon gave me the Hero Dualies today. I was really happy to see them, but he told me I wasn’t allowed to use them in Turf War. I had nothing else to do and Deca Tower was closed off entirely for today for some reason, so shut myself in Agent 3’s old room. Then I got a call from Anemy.

“Hello?” I said.

“Hey, Erray,” said Anemy.

“Oh, what’s up?”

“Well, I just wanted to check on you, buddy. You took off without saying anything, and the Inkling girl from yesterday is here again demanding answers.”

“Wait, what?!”

“Don’t worry, I haven’t told her anything on the account of employee confidentiality and whatever.” I heard her sigh, like she was leaning against something. “So, uh… she keeps saying she’s your sister or something. Is this true?”

I sighed. All this time… She was following me. Just when I thought I had forgotten them.

“No,” I said, sternly. “I don’t know who she is. Make her go away.”

“Fine. I’ll shut her up.”

“Thank-you.”

“Oh, and uh, Grizz wanted me to tell you that you’ve paid off your debt, but if you still want to work for us that’s fine. We’ll actually pay you for it.”

“Really?! Well, mostly everyone’s been really nice and I could use the money. Sure. I’ll stay.”

“Alright. I’ll let Grizz know. Later.”

Anemy hung up and I sat on the bed… just thinking.

The more I thought about what could’ve happened to Agent 3 or Angel, the more I began to trust Marie and Cap’n Cuttlefish even less. All I wanted was to play music, and instead I got captured and pulled into this mess. There was no way I could ever approach Vichay… ever!

“The Squid Sisters ruined my life…”

Bass going missing… and that text.

Angel kept sending me updates. Apparently, he was still missing. What a small world that she just so happened to be friends with Vichay. What a headache.

“The path we walk is a lonely one. Agent 3 just couldn’t walk that path.”

I looked over at the untouched desk. A screen was on there along with a bunch of small draws and books in the small shelves… or what was left of them.

“Sorry, Callie,” I said, walking over. I looked in the draws, but I did find a small scrap of an ad for Inkblot Art Academy’s performing arts program. Several pens and pins were on the floor. Agent 3 probably took things out of the draws in a hurry. Most of the books were tactics on various weapons during ink battles. So, I found that the screen was connected to the computer that was on a floor shelf in the desk, so I switched it on. It was a bit of wait for the screen to turn on, but it did, and I wiped the layer of dust that had gathered over it. Unfortunately, it asked for a password.

“Damn…” I grumbled. “Uh… password?” I typed it in but it didn’t work. “Squid Sisters?” That didn’t work either. “Didn’t think so…” I mumbled. Once again, I saw the paper scrap in the draw. “Inkblot Art Academy?” That didn’t work, and the computer locked me out. With no other way to get through, I turned off the computer. What else could the password be? I thought. It was a shame I didn’t know much about Agent 3, or maybe I could’ve found a way in.

Thinking that there might be more clues hidden in this room, I stood up to search some more. I couldn’t believe I let them control me into not searching the very room I’ve been sleeping in.

There was an empty box under the bed. It looked like a case where a weapon was contained. Maybe it was Agent 3’s Hero Shot? Whatever the case, it didn’t really tell me anything. The second I stood up, though, the door opened, so I sat down on the bed.

“Yeah?” I said, flatly. I held my phone in my hands, making it look like I was texting.

“I have a new mission for you, Erray,” said the cap’n. “Meet in the kitchen.”

“Yes, sir,” I said.

As soon as Cap’n Cuttlefish did leave the room, I actually did go ahead and see if I got any texts. There were none, but I had wondered when I would since it would be a matter of time before Vichay told Angel about me. With nothing else to do, I made my way to the kitchen. Marie was there, waiting for me with the cap’n. I gave her the same cold stare she was giving me. She wasn’t wearing her kimono, it was that same outfit I saw her in when she rescued me.

Cap’n Cuttlefish sighed when he saw the two of us glaring.

“Look, we ain’t got time for arguing,” said the cap’n. “Can you two just patch things up already?”

Immediately, the two of us began to yell something. I couldn’t hear what Marie was saying, because I was trying to talk.

“Stop!” the cap’n said, sternly. “One at a time.”

I crossed my arms and sat down in a nearby chair.

“Listen, it’s not that I’m mad,” said Marie. “I’m just shocked that you would accuse me of doing something like that after Callie and I basically saved your life.”

“So, what?” I said. “Am I bound to do what you say because of it? Angel is clearly affected by something. She flipped out during the last Splatfest and she named you and Callie responsible, and Bass has gone missing and we can’t find him.”

Marie’s glare deepened. “Gramps-”

“No, Marie,” said the cap’n. “Erray, just like many Inklings… Agent 3 had friends and they were let in on the secret of this organization. Two years ago they followed Agent 3 to Octo Valley and found out the truth. They blamed us for Agent 3’s disappearance.”

“Yeah…” said Marie. Her glare went from me to the cap’n. “You happy now?”

That was it? I thought. They flat out told me? I mean, it was good to get answers, but it was a bit of a shock.

“What a small world that you somehow befriended them,” said Marie. She sighed, and the cap’n put a hand on her shoulder. “I did nothing wrong…” There was a slight shake in her voice. “I know you have no reason to believe me about that.” She put a hand on her head and wiped her eyes. “But the least you could do for us, saving you, is believe us when I say that everything we do, we have the best intentions. Alright?”

“Okay,” I said. “I’m sorry I yelled. I was just worried about my new friend.”

“That’s fine. Now, can we please get on with the mission? The Zapfish aren’t going to rescue themselves.”

“Sure. What are we doing today?”

“Well, glad you asked!” said the cap’n. “Marie’s been scouting the Octarian Domes while you were off and came up on something.”

“I found this place in the Octarian Domes that looks just like the Reef in Inkopolis for some reason,” said Marie. “I don’t know what they’re doing, but I found several Mini Zapfish there. Supposedly, eight Mini Zapfish add up to the power of one regular Zapfish.”

“So we have to get them,” I said.

“Yeah. But there’s several Octolings there guarding the Mini Zapfish, so we have to be careful. That’s why I’m coming to back you up. The cap’n will keep an eye on us over the radio.”

“Okay. I’ll go get ready.”

“Glad we could come to an agreement,” said the cap’n. “Remember, you won’t just going into a kettle that’ll take you straight to your mission. You’ll be exploring strange territory. Just follow Marie and you’ll be fine.”

“Yes, sir,” I said.

Once I was ready, Marie and headed out into Octo Valley to Suction-Cup Lookout. Then we entered a kettle she said would take us as close to the location where she saw the Mini Zapfish.

Once we were in, Marie pulled up her facemask. Then I followed Marie and super jumped off in the direction she went, taking her hand when we landed, to match our ink colors as the same shade of green she had. We landed in some kind of place near the bottom of the dome we were in, on top of some buildings. The screens were casting some kind of sunset with a light sprinkle of clouds. Around us were weird shaped houses. They were all a light shade of brown and kind of looked like giant pots and some of them had a big plant growing up from the roofs of them.

“Can you hear me?”

“Oh, it’s the cap’n,” I said.

“Hey, cap’n,” said Marie.

“You two in?” said the cap’n.

“Yeah, we’re fine.”

“Okay, just be careful.”

“This way,” said Marie. She jumped onto the ground and I followed, entering the alleyways. “Stay out of sight,” she whispered.

I stayed silent and followed behind her. As we passed through the streets, though, I caught glimpses of Octarians and other types of creatures, like eels and fish. Despite the amount of people here, it was pretty quiet.

“We need a lift,” said Marie. “This way!” We ran out into the streets and Marie shot up a large building and we swam up the ink trail she left. Then we jumped onto a moving lift and rode into a tunnel. It was dark, but there were several lights on the roof. We got down on our knees to keep a balance.

“Hang on tight,” said the cap’n.

“Where are we going?” I said.

“Another dome,” said Marie. “So, do you know anything about this place?”

“Well, all the temperatures here are artificial. If it weren’t for their technology every dome would be freezing.” My hand fell over my left shoulder, as a chill went down my back. “I only remember being in the cold ones, though…”

“Oh…” said Marie.

“It’s scary, though,” I confessed. “I mean, what if they have more Inklings held captive here?”

“I’m looking into that, actually,” said the cap’n. “I haven’t seen or come across reports of any more Inklings getting dragged down here, but we’ll have to mount another rescue operation if it does happen. Anyway, we can talk more about that once you two are back at base.”

“Right…” I said.

Once we were out of the tunnel we entered another dome. It didn’t look residential. There were a lot of metal like buildings.

“Now!” said Marie.

We jumped off the lift and landed on top of some wall. Marie pulled me along and we hid in a watch tower, she ran up and slammed an Octoling’s head into a wall knocking her out.

“Whoa…” I said.

Marie walked up to the window. “There!” she said.

“What do you see?” said the cap’n.

I followed and I saw below an entire area that look just like the Reef in Inkopolis. The Reef was a place filled with popular boutiques. It was often used for Ink Battles at Deca Tower. I could see rays of yellow light coming up from it.

“It looks like the Reef in Inkopolis,” I said. “What are those lights?”

“That’s probably where the Mini Zapfish are kept,” said Marie. “If you go towards them they should be there in barriers. There also could be Octolings, so keep your guard up.”

“Y-Yeah,” I said. I got out my Dualies, but struggled to keep them steady. I haven’t fought an Octoling since, well… you know.

“Don’t worry,” said Marie. “I’ll be behind you giving support with my charger.”

We went below towards an unattended Spawn Point. It was definitely like the Reef in Inkopolis. There didn’t appear to be grass yet, though. We submerged ourselves in ink as we landed. Once our tanks were full we stood up and charged into the fray.

There was a Mini Zapfish right in front of us. The Octolings that served Octavio tended to have red tentacles but shot fuschia ink. Their shirts, shorts and boots, and gloves were black and had gray armor on their chest. On their face they had shades that glowed with a red light. In fact one of them was by the fist Mini Zapfish we saw.

“Hey!” she called out. She got her Octo Shot and shot at me, but I shot back. She ran to the side but found herself cornered. Marie took her down with the charger.

“Nice,” said Marie. She broke the barrier with the Zapfish with one shot. “Go get that Zapfish.”

Marie followed behind, checking for anyone else coming. I freed the Zapfish and handed it to Marie, who put it into a bag she had.

“Just hang in there, little guy,” Marie said to it, gently. “There could be Octolings hiding in ink. So watch your step, Agent 4.”

I nodded and went into the narrow path on the side. An Octoling was in the ink lying around and she started shooting, so I charged in, dodging side to side and throwing a Splat Bomb, before diving into the ink for cover. After she was taken care of, I heard another one and swam up quietly, before tripping the other troop and shooting her. Once I stood, I ran out in the open towards another Zapfish. Marie was nearby providing cover fire and ink turf around me, while I freed the next Mini Zapfish. I saw her whack an Octoling with her charger before splatting her. She had two other Zapfish and I ran up to give her the one I had.

Suddenly, a streak of fuschia ink barely missed our faces. We shot at the Octoling nearby but she rolled behind a wall. So, Marie threw an auto bomb. The Octoling kept running and I ran ahead.

“He’s not getting away!” I yelled.

“Whoa!” said the cap’n.

“Careful, Agent 4!” Marie yelled.

Cornered, the Octoling shot back, causing me to roll out of the way twice before I made a straight shot at him. Before he was splatted he threw a bomb, causing me to jump out of the way. I swam up the trail of ink I had left behind me and ran out throwing a bomb at the nearest trapped Zapfish. Once the Zapfish was with me, I dove back into the ink to avoid another shot and swam back to Marie.

“Nice,” she said.

Suddenly, a bunch of Splat Bombs began being thrown at us from a couple of Octolings.

“RUN!” Marie yelled.

“What is it?!” the cap’n said, urgently.

“SPLAT BOMBS!” I yelled.

I swam in the green ink to get away from all the exploding bombs, ending up in some kind of alleyway. Marie must have gone in another direction, because I couldn’t find her anywhere. So I kept going down the alleyway until I found myself on the other side of this fake Reef. There was another Mini Zapfish, so I freed it.

“...And what do we have here?”

I gasped. It was that same voice from the other day. With the Zapfish in one of my arms, I could only point one Dualie at the source: An Octoling girl with her fuschia colored hair tied back and red eyes. Her armor was the same as the others and there was kelp in her hair.

“Agent 4? Are you okay?” I heard Marie over in my headphones.

“Stay back, Jade!” I yelled.

“To think I’m going through all this trouble to find you, only to have you run into me,” Jade said, beginning to smirk.

“Agent 4?! Who’s there?!” I heard the cap’n say.

Jade took one step and I shot near her feet.

“I said stay back!” I shouted.

“So, you’re still mad, huh?” said Jade.

“Of course I am! You lied to me! You dragged me down here and did horrible things to me! And here I was thinking that your kind could ever be anything more than-”

Jade growled and open fired. She missed, of course and I shot back and I ran into the ink when she threw a bomb in my path, forcing me to stand up and back away. I placed the Zapfish on my head to use both Dualies and side stepped from her attack. With my squid reflexes, I jumped over her and shot her in the back, making her drop to her knees.

“Oh, so now you can fight?” she said.

“I’m not afraid anymore…” I said.

“Agent 4?” said the cap’n.

“Then why are you still pointing the guns at me?” Jade hissed.

“Agent 4, what are you doing?” said the cap’n.

“Get up!” I yelled. She reached for her weapon, but I kicked it away. “I said GET UP!” There was a reflection in the ink around us. My eyes were glowing again, but the screens were casting a sunset.

Jade closed her eyes and gathered her hands.

“How about you get down?!” she then spat. In a moment, she put on her shades and they shined red. A horrible, sharp pain struck my head and I fell onto the ground grabbing my head, and screaming.

Jade stood up.

“There,” she said. “That’s more like it. And this still works! Now Erray… DJ Octavio has-”

There was a shot. A charger shot I heard footsteps and the sound of someone super jumping.

“Agent 4!”

I slowly moved my hands away and saw Marie kneeling down and taking the Mini Zapfish off my head and putting it in a bag with the rest. Jade was gone, nowhere to be seen. “Are you okay? What did she do?”

“I-” I grabbed my head again. It was still throbbing. “Red… light…” I stuttered.

“Agent 2, what happened?” said the cap’n.

“Something’s up with Agent 4,” said Marie. “I think it has something to do with whoever was here earlier. I got the rest of the Mini Zapfish, though. I’m getting him back to base before more Octolings show up.”

“Okay,” said the cap’n. “Make it quick.”

“Let’s go, Agent 4.”

I nodded, and didn’t argue. My head hurt too much to say anything else. Marie helped me up and took my weapons with her. Eventually, we found a nearby kettle and used it to get back to Octo Canyon.

Chapter Text

Cici couldn’t believe what Vichay was screaming over the phone.

“Could you say that again?” she said.

“I said I FOUND ERRAY!” Vichay exclaimed. “I saw our brother at Inkopolis Square, near that shady business.” She paused when she didn’t really hear a reaction. “Cici? You okay? You’re pretty quiet.”

Cici could barely speak. Her hand was over her mouth and tears were welling up in her eyes.

“Y-Yeah…” Cici mumbled. “Can I talk to him?”

“Well, that’s gonna be a problem,” said Vichay.

“Why?”

“Because the stupid Grizzco girl won’t let me see him! Stupid employee confidentiality…”

“Vichay, calm down!” Cici said, sternly. “We haven’t seen Erray in two years.”

“Exactly!” said Vichay. “Why can’t we get to him?”

“Well, remember. He’s not just mad at our grandfather. He’s mad at all of us.”

“But I think we could make things right if we just talk to him!”

Cici knew Vichay was right about that, but she also knew that they couldn’t just force him to do that. She really missed him, though.

“Cici, who’s on the phone?”

The young Inkling turned towards the hall to see her grandfather. He had gray hair and a beard. He wore a gray striped short sleeved, collared shirt, khaki pants and a pair of brown sandals that were slightly worn. In his right hand was a bamboozler that he also used as a cane.

“It’s Vichay, grandpa,” said Cici. The phone shook in her hands and she struggled to look Coel in the eyes. “She… she found… Erray…” she mumbled.

At those words, Coel’s weapon/cane fell to the ground. There was silence.

“Cici? Is grandpa okay?”

“Um… hang on,” said Cici. She put the phone on the table and walked over to him. His gaze was set on the family photo on the mantle. It was a picture of a younger them, still young, but happy. “Grandpa?”

Coel tried to pick up his cane/weapon, but Cici leaned down and got it for him.

“Are you okay?” she said.

“Cici, pack your bags,” Coel said. “We’re going to Inkopolis.”

One of Coel’s old friends promised to look after the place while they were gone. Cici tirelessly loaded all the luggage onto the truck. Frankly, she wasn’t sure if she would like the city over the quiet countryside, but surely her brother saw something in it. As she got in the passenger seat with her grandfather, she could only pray that her little brother was okay. On the bright side, she’d also get to see her younger sister again.

It wasn’t long until they were on the road, riding out of the small town they lived in for years and leaving the sights that she had seen as part of Cici’s home. All of this, and her grandfather had the same stare in his eyes.

Once they were out of town, it was just them and the open road. The radio was on. Since it was Coel who was driving, Cici let him pick the station. She stared up at the sky, seeing the sun beginning to set.

“Maybe when we get to Inkopolis, Erray will be happy to see his family there,” said Cici. “And maybe… he won’t be mad at us anymore.”

Coel smiled. “Just like your mother…” He let out a sigh. “Cici, I know the last conversation Erray and I had didn’t end on the most… favorable side. In fact, I don’t know how he will react when he sees, when and if Vichay can get a hold of him. But… I was the one at fault.”

Cici was staring at the road as they talked. Slowly, she turned and faced him.

“You’re not bad for wanting to keep your grandson safe,” said Cici.

“No,” said Coel. “There’s something else. I promise I’ll explain once we’re all back together.”

“Okay,” Cici said.

Cici wondered what her grandfather was talking about. He was never one for keeping secrets. Well, only about the Great Turf War…

The sun was setting once they pulled into a town that was close to Inkopolis. Coel thought it would be best if they found a place to stay for the night and made the rest of the trip in the morning. It was a small bay, surrounded by cliffs, but it was by a beach.

“Here ya go,” the urchin said, handing Cici the key to their motel room. “Room 12. Just make sure the beds are made when you leave in the morning.”

“Thank-you, young man,” Coel said.

“Why don’t you get settled, grandpa?” said Cici. “I’ll go fuel up the truck from the nearby gas station.”

“How nice of you, sweetie,” said Coel. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer.”

After carrying their suitcases to their room, Cici walked across the street to the gas station. It was quiet at the moment, but she guessed that’s just how it was at a stop. She wandered over into the aisle, wondering what kind of snacks to take with her.

“Can I help you?” Cici heard from the jellyfish at the counter. The Inkling girl found a bag of Rays and peeked out to see a person of some sort. She couldn’t tell what kind of creature they were from the cloak, but they were wearing all black. “Just these then?” the clerk went on. Cici gasped when she saw the jellyfish turn blue. After a brief nod and some silence he put all the stuff in a bag. “Here you go. Have a nice evening.”

Cici waited for the person to leave before paying for things. The jellyfish turned back to normal.

“What was that about?” she said.

“Oh, the weirdos always start coming in when nightfall is almost here,” the jellyfish mumbled. “Well, here ya go and your can of gas. Just be sure to return the can.”

“I will, sir,” said Cici. “Thank-you.”

Cici wandered back across the street and placed the chips in the truck, before filing the tank up. Suddenly, she felt a rush of sadness enter her mind. She figured it was about Erray. It sure had been a while since she had seen him. She wiped her eyes and turned to return the can, when she saw that same figure leave the corner of her eye, going towards the beach.

“Hel...lo?” said Cici. She went back across the street toward the beach. Most people were out with parasols, beach towels and surfing equipment. Well, at least those who could touch water, unlike Cici. The figure walked on the shore, not towards the ocean but to a small path into the mountain. This was strangely suspicious, but she hadn’t seen this person say a word. She ran back to the truck, grabbed her Mini Splatling and followed this… whoever it was.

She walked up the path, finding herself in the thick of many trees, but the path clear, even though it was narrow. Suddenly, Cici’s felt a huge pressure in her chest and she found herself beginning to tremble. She couldn’t understand, but kept walking, even when tears began to fill her eyes.

Higher up, came upon a Splash Wall, or more like a Splash Fence. The rest of the way up was sealed off by a fence where endless ink rained down. Cici shivered, her ink color turned blue, and tears began to leave her eyes.

What’s happening? She thought. Why am I crying? I do miss Erray. Is it Erray? It has to be, right?

Cici covered her eyes, catching her tears, continuing to weep quietly.

“What are you doing out here?”

A set of feet hit the ground. Cici’s sadness began to subside enough for her to regain her composure. She raised her face out of her hands and gasped when she saw the suspicious entity in front of her.

“Curiosity can get you hurt, you know,” the figure said.

“O-Oh, I…” Cici sniffed and wiped her nose. “I’m sorry. I guess I shouldn’t have followed. S-Sorry.” She looked at the person’s face, seeing that the tears that fell were also blue. “You’re… an Inkling? What are you doing out here?”

“Trying to deal with regret… Something that an ordinary Inkling like you wouldn’t understand…” This Inkling’s voice sounded strained, probably tired from sobbing.

“Well… I do have regret, if you must know…” said Cici.

There was a pause of silence.

“You… do?”

“My brother,” said Cici. “We argued so much to the point where he ran away. We were so bent on standing our ground that we drove him off. If we had just… compromised, maybe we’d still be talking to each other. That’s why we’re out here. We’re going to Inkopolis to find him.”

A small sniffle escaped from the Inkling.

“I guess, there are those who could understand regret. It’s a shame. There are those who feel no remorse for their actions…” The Inkling formed fists, the voice growing a little sinister. “They will know the consequences for it soon enough.”

Cici was curious, but also anxious. What was this Inkling going on about?

“But… you don’t deserve that… do you?”

“Um… what?”

The Inkling began to walk away.

“I am only going to warn you once. Stay away from Inkopolis. Get as far away from it… while you still can. I don’t know about your brother, whoever he is, but I don’t think he’d want you to die for him.”

Cici watched the Inkling go. She was tempted to follow, but her hearts were beating so fast. She ran out the way she came and made it back to the motel. She sat in the back of the truck, taking a few minutes to calm down, her hair turning back to pink.

“It was so weird,” Cici said on the phone with Vichay. “It was like I was crying, but I wasn’t really sad.”

“Who do you think that was?” said Vichay. “You don’t think it was a ghost, do you?”

“I thought it was an Inkling, but I’m not sure,” Cici said, rubbing the back of her head. “The tears that person cried were blue. Was… Was I crying that Inkling’s tears?”

“Sis, are you sure that wasn’t a daydream?”

“If it was a daydream, I wouldn’t have this bag of Rays with me.” Cici looked up, seeing all the stars twinkling in the sky. “I’m gonna head inside and meet up with grandpa. Can we talk about this later? I’m really tired.”

“Um… fine,” said Vichay. “Keep this on the down low for now. We’ve got to see this once we’re back together.”

“Yeah, same here,” said Cici. “Keep me updated about Erray.”

“Yeah, I already told Angel, so she’s gonna help. Stay safe, Cici.”

“I will, Vichay. See you in the city.”

Cici hung up and got off the back of the truck and headed towards her door.

“Excuse me?” a harsh voice suddenly cut through the night. Cici could see various shadows, meaning people behind her. She could make out the shape of weapons and reached for her Mini Splatling, only to cry out in pain when a shot hit in the back. She was then grabbed and pinned against the truck, meeting the face of an Octoling.

“Where’s Agent 3?!”

“Wh… Who?” Cici said through the pain.

“We saw you with the target!” the Octoling said, sternly.

Cici held her eyes shut through the pain, but it was too much and she went limp.

Coel awoke at the sound of a scream outside. It sounded female and like his granddaughter.

“Cici?” he said, concerned. Quickly, he grabbed his Bamboozler and ran outside. To his horror, he saw Octoling carrying an unconscious Cici to a huge flying saucer.

“CICI!” Coel yelled. He ran towards the UFO as it soared into the air. With all his strength, he super jumped into the air towards the strange craft and reached out his hand only to see it vanish into the clouds.

“Cici…” he could only mutter breathlessly, as he could only watch helplessly as his granddaughter was taken from him. He fell back, his body refusing to move to get a good landing, as he stared with emptiness in his eyes.

Suddenly, he was caught by a set of arms. The Inkling from before saw him safely back to the ground and set him back on his feet.

“Sir, I… I’m sorry.”

“What?!” said Coel.

“I saw them come here after that girl. If she hadn’t followed me as she did-”

Coel pulled away from the Inkling.

“They were after you?!” Coel yelled. He pointed his Bamboozler at the Inkling in question. The only response to that was a hand held out gently.

“You won’t splat me,” the Inkling said, flatly. “I’m the only hope of getting your granddaughter back. Now do you want to help her, or not?”

Coel wiped his eyes and lowered his weapon. “Then who are you?”

“I’d rather not tell you that. You… can just call me 3 for short.”

Chapter Text

Marie awoke in her apartment, the door to her bedroom was creaking open. So she sat up slowly, wondering what was going on. Then her body froze. Near her bedside was Agent 3.

“Hey, Marie.”

“I thought I recognized that smell,” Marie mumbled.

“Ow,” Agent 3 said, flatly. “That really hurt. Did you stay up all night coming up with that one? So, where’s your cousin?”

Marie’s lips trembled and her eyes began to water. This Inkling had the audacity to even mention her?! She thought.

“That’s really what you want to talk about? If you had been here, you would’ve been able to protect her!” Marie spat.

“...Well, maybe she’ll finally learn her lesson,” said Agent 3.

“In what, 3?!” Marie sniffed, wiping her nose. “We spent so much time… searching for you, thinking you were in danger. Why are you doing this?”

“Like you don’t already know…” Agent 3 mumbled. “Why are you all so stupid?!”

The popstar gasped in horror when she saw the Anti-Hero-shot. It was aimed at her head.

“3, y-you wouldn’t!” she whimpered, shivering.

“Try me.” That was the last thing Marie heard before the sound of the trigger being pulled.

Marie awoke with a gasp, finding herself sitting on the floor in Cuttlefish Cabin. Her body was shaking and sweat was on her forehead. The dream still lingered in Marie’s mind. She looked around and saw Erray still resting on a mat that she had laid out for him. A pillow was under his head. His ink color had changed back to purple and he didn’t seem to be in pain anymore. The poor guy couldn’t even walk if Marie hadn’t been supporting him.

A deep sigh escaped from her. She pulled out Agent 4’s Factopedia and decided to jot down some new notes while making food on a small stove. Her phone went off not long after.

“Hello?” she said.

“Marie!” It was her agent. “I just got off the phone with Off the Hook. They want you to come on their show. I know this is hard on you, but maybe you could share your thoughts on your cousin’s disappearance.”

“It’s fine,” said Marie. “I guess talking about it could really help. I’ll drop by soon. Just text me the details.”

“Got it. Over and out.”

Marie hung up and checked on the food. When she turned back to Erray, she saw him grabbing his head and opened his eyes.

“M-Marie?” Erray mumbled. He sat up slowly. With lights in the cabin dimmed, it was there that she saw Erray’s eyes. They were glowing! Marie’s mouth hung open as she stared, but she shut it and grabbed the stew she was making and brought a bowl of it over to him.

“You’re up,” she said. “I thought you might be hungry.”

Erray took the bowl of stew and gasped upon seeing the contents.

“What?” said Marie.

“Seaweed stew,” said Erray. “My grandfather used to make this for me all the time.”

Marie chuckled as Erray began to eat. “Reminds you of home, huh?”

Erray nodded as he slurped down his food. She figured he forgot his manners since he’s been held captive for two years. So she sat down in front of him, because she had a lot to ask him.

“So, you okay?” she said.

Erray rubbed his temples before staring at his food. “I don’t know…” he mumbled. He just couldn’t bear to tell Marie what actually happened. Marie looked him in his glowing eyes. “It was a trap.”

“Why do you say that?” said Marie.

“Jade was waiting for us there… She would never show up to a lowly guarding mission unless she had a reason.”

Marie sat up a little more straight at those words. “You know her name?”

“She’s one of Octavio’s top soldiers,” Erray said. He couldn’t bear to look Marie in the eyes, his mouth slanted, as if disgusted. “I… don’t really know what happened. She put on her shades and there was a bright… red light and…” His recurring dream replayed in his mind. “I wonder if it has something to do with this dream I keep having.”

“What kind of dream?”

“I couldn’t move and this red light was in my face. Irritating music was playing in the background and I always wake up afraid.”

Marie began to recall first seeing Erray in that base: Scared, injured, scars and bruises all over his body. Even now, he was grasping his shoulder where he was once shot, even though it had healed a while ago now. Incredible and unique to Marie that his eyes could glow in the dark, he was looking away, as if he were ashamed.

“Erray, they didn’t just interrogate you, did they?” she said. “There was more, wasn’t there?”

Erray couldn’t bear to answer verbally. So, he just shook his head. Marie could then now understand fully the gravity of his hatred and violence towards the Octarians. She simply put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Just take it easy today, alright?” said Marie. “I have to head out, but Sheldon or the cap’n should come by later.”

“Okay,” Erray said, softly.

Marie got up, picked up her kimono to change out of her uniform and headed out. Erray’s grip on his own shoulder only tightened as his hand shook. Jade was still weighing heavily on his mind and he growled at the thought of her being out there.

“You’ll pay for this…” he mumbled. “I swear, you’ll-”

“4…”

Erray fell silent.

“4…”.

Erray saw his headphones sitting on the couch.

“Agent… 4,” he heard.

Slowly, he got up and walked towards the device. He could hear static, as he put them on.

“Um… hello?”

“Where are you Bass?!”

That was the last thing Angel texted recently. She and Vichay had already checked some of his favorite old places: Saltspray Rig, Moray Towers, even tried checking the Albacore Hotel. His favorite food places saw no sign of him, either, even Crusty Sean.

The only place they thought to go was the square, since they had a bit of time before they had to report to work. So the two went into Headspace, the Square’s local shop for headgear. It was run by Flow, a sea slug. She wore a purple shawl with tassels over a gray shirt and a long, black dress. A black beaded necklace with a teal squid shaped jewel was around her necklace, and she had black sandals with red jewels in the center. Her eyelashes were pretty long. On her head was an emperor shrimp named Craymond.

“Ah, hello my little ink fish. Welcome to Headspace,” she said.

“Hello,” Angel said, running up to her.

“Why the urgency, girl? Are you troubled?”

“We’re looking for two people,” said Vichay. “Know anyone who looks like them?” She held out a picture of Bass and an old picture of Erray.

Flow leaned in for a closer look. “I don’t know about the purple-haired one, but that spikey haired one looks familiar,” she said.

“Really?!” said Angel. “You’ve seen him?!”

“He was merely here for only a few minutes,” said Flow. “His aura was very troubling to me. Sad? Anger? Maybe both. It was very curious, because after he left several of my best headgear went missing.”

Angel gasped. She looked over at Angel, who was giving her the same look.

“No matter, though,” said Flow. “I’ll just order some more.”

“Did he say where he was going?” said Vichay.

“No, he was silent the whole time he was here.”

“Well, thank-you, Flow.”

“Glad I could help.”

The two headed back outside. People were gathering at Off the Hook’s Studio for some reason.

“He’s stealing again…” Angel muttered, grabbing the strap of her purse.

“But why?” said Vichay. “I thought he went straight.”

“This is my fault,” Angel said.

Vichay laid a hand on her shoulder. “C’mon, we have to get to work. We’ll find them. Besides, Cici and my gramps are on their way here. We’re gonna have all the help we can get.”

Angel sighed. “That’s what Bass said with 3…” she mumbled, as she walked onward. Vichay reached out for her, but said nothing. What could she say that wouldn’t make her feel worse?

Once they were in the studio, Vichay went backstage to prepare the equipment. So, Angel went to Pearl and Marina’s recording studio to clean up a few things. The people outside suddenly started getting loud, cheering and holding up their cameras at whatever was to their left. Fans always went crazy about Pearl and Marina, but not this crazy. So Angel left the room to see what was going on.

“We’re so glad you could be here today, Marie,” said the voice of Marina.

Angel stopped then and there. Marie was walking into the studio with Pearl and Marina. She was wearing her normal popstar outfit. It was a blue sequined skirt with three green stripes in the middle and her shoes matched and her leggings were lime green.

“Do you know why she disappeared?!” said Pearl.

“No,” Marie said, shaking her head. She kept looking to the floor as she spoke to them. “I don’t know why.” Marie hated having to lie to everyone. “Cod, if anything has happened to her…”

Pearl and Marina looked at each other.

“Yo! Callie wouldn’t want you worrying like that!” said Pearl. “Let’s talk about this more on the set.”

Marie raised her head up and Angel turned away towards some backdrops.

“Angel?” said Marie.

Angel said nothing and pretended to work, checking equipment. Marie walked over and observed what she was doing.

“Um, Angel?”

“Angel, be nice!” said Pearl. “That’s a Squid Sister behind you!”

Angel set down a sound mic and turned to Marie. Her brows were furrowed and her hands were on her hips.

“Hello,” she said, simply, before walking off. She did push Marie out of the way, before doing just that.

“Whoa!” said Pearl. “You two know each other?”

Marie rubbed her arm where Angel had nudged her. “We met,” she said. “Once.”

“Oh…” said Marina. “Well, we’re about to go live. Maybe you could talk to her later.”

“Yeah…” Marie said, before walking towards their studio. Pearl and Marina waited before following.

“Wow,” said Pearl. “That was cold.”

“I hate pretending to be oblivious to all of this,” said Marina.

“Doesn’t fix what Marie has done, though.”

Marina bit her lip, but pulled a gulp down at the thought.

“Yeah,” she said. “You’re right. I have an idea. Try to squeeze out the information on her ‘friend’. If not, try to get your hands on her phone and leave the rest to me.”

“Got it,” said Pearl.

The two walked into the studio and sat down in their seats.

“Marie, wait outside, we’ll call you when it’s time,” said Pearl.

“Okay.” And Marie crept just outside the door.

The buzzer counted down from 5 and then they were live.

“Y’all know what time it is?” said Pearl.

“It’s Off the Hook! Coming at you LIVE from Inkopolis Square,” said Marina.

“Hey, before we unveil today’s stages, we have some news.”

“Really?” Marina said, adjusting her headphones.

“First off, a few nights ago, Jelini owner of a local restaurant at the Albacore Hotel, graced the audience with the lovely voice of Angel Manta,” said Pearl. “She’s due to perform more songs there in the coming weeks, so why not drop by?”

“Wow, Pearl. That’s really nice of you to advertise someone who’s singing small time.”

“Meh, why not?” said Pearl. “So, how about we bring in our special guest?”

“Ooh! Great idea!” said Marina. “From the super popstar duo, the Squid Sisters, please welcome, Marie!” The two stood up and clapped excitedly as Marie came onto the stage. Marina walked over to her turntables and the song from when the Squid Sisters did the new started playing.

“It’s so cool for you to come to our show!” said Pearl.

“Sure,” said Marie. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Pearl looked at the teleprompter before looking back towards Marina and Marie. “So, I’m sure you know the question lingering in everyone's thoughts. We’re all worried about Callie, but how are you doing, Marie.”

Marie sat down in the seat, leaning against the back part.

“Well, it hasn’t been easy…” she said. “With Callie gone, home just feels so lonely but I've been keeping busy mostly. The police told me that they’re doing everything in their power to find her, they just don’t have any leads.” She needed a minute to take a breath. “Sorry.”

“Not at all, Marie,” said Pearl. “I’d be doing the same thing if something happened to Marina.”

“And the same to Pearl,” said Marina.

Marie smiled, but still couldn’t help but be a bit envious of how good their friendship was. It was true she was keeping busy, but she couldn’t help remembering how bitter she and Callie have been towards each other before her cousin disappeared.

“Well, let’s talk about something else, then,” said Marina. “Everyone’s been raving about you’re new show. Why don’t you tell us what it’s about.”

Marie smiled, perking up, and sitting up a bit. “Sure,” she said. “Well, I’ve been working on this show called ‘Problem Solved: Studying with Marie’. Basically, I lend tips on studying with a WHOLE lot of procrastination. Heh heh!”

Pearl rubbed her hands together. “Man, I could’ve used that when I was still in school.”

“Same here,” Marina said, nodding. “But I guess the younger folks out there could use it.”

“Well, my first episode is going to be about-”

Marie yelped in pain when a sound mic hit her on the head from above. Marina immediately got up and saw that the mic stand came loose. She quickly grabbed the mic and leaned back into the camera's view.

“Uh, whoops! L-Looks like we’re having some technical difficulties,” said Marina. “L-Let’s come back after these messages.”

“Aw, man…” said Pearl. She looked over at Marie, who was rubbing her head. “Well, whatever. Until then…”

“Don’t get cooked… stay off the hook!” the two rappers said.

Once they were off the air, the people outside began to disperse. Pearl and Marina checked on Marie. She slowly moved Marie’s hands away from her head, seeing a small bump.

“Ooh! Why don’t you go into the break room?” said Marina. “Use something cold for that. But put a cloth over it, of course, so no water touches you.”

Marie nodded and got up, wandering out of the room. Behind the door to the recording studio was Angel, who saw the popstar walking out. A smile was on her face, and when she was out of her radar, she couldn’t help but giggle gleefully, before going back to work.

Meanwhile, Pearl ran over to the door to make sure that Marie was gone. She then closed it and gave Marina a thumbs up and she started looking through Marie’s phone that she left behind.

“Well, that was convenient,” said Pearl.

“So, why did you really talk about Angel?” said Marina.

“The boss wanted me to,” Pearl said, trying to readjust the sound mic. “What a weird request.”

“Well, ya know, Pearlie-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” the MC said, rolling her eyes as she walked back to her seat. “And speaking of the boss, have we found where that Octavio guy is, yet?”

“With all the maps, we have a lead now,” said Marina. “Oliver and Oscar have tagged along to find the place. They’re breaking in at the end of the week.”

“Whoa, wait! We’re not allowed to go with?”

“The boss wants us here to guard the home front.”

Pearl leaned back in her seat and laid her head back. “Awwwwwwww…”

Marina continued to scroll through Marie’s contact. Her eyes squinted. “Clever Squid…”

“What?” Pearl sat up immediately.

“She labeled him as Agent 4 on her contacts.”

“Ooh! Let’s call it!” said Pearl. “See if he’ll spill the beans on himself.”

“No! We’ll give ourselves away,” said Marina. “We don’t have any equipment to disguise our voices.”

Pearl looked around the room and grabbed a pen and paper. “Then write the number down, quick! She could be back any minute!”

“Genius, Pearlie!” Marina exclaimed.

Angel went into the break room to get lunch. To her dismay, the sandwich she put in there was gone. She looked around to see if anyone was eating it, but then saw Marie using it on her head. A growl escaped from her mouth.

That self-entitled little brat! She thought. She rolled her eyes and stormed towards the door.

“Hey,” she then heard. The voice stopped her in her tracks for some reason.

Marie walked up to her.

“I think this is yours,” she said, holding out her sandwich.

Angel’s hands moved to her hips. “I don’t want it.” Her closed mouth made funny shape in disgust, “especially if your grubby hands have touched it.” She turned away to leave once more.

“No, wait!” Marie cried.

Angel sighed and turned toward her once more.

“I… I just wanted to say… Congratulations on getting to sing at the Albacore Hotel,” Marie said, her fists shaking. “And, uh…” She sighed. “How are you doing?”

“Fine,” Angel said, flatly. “Nothing you need to worry about.”

“I know Bass is missing,” she said.

Angel jumped at those words.

“How did you-”

“I can help you find him.”

Angel’s glare grew deeper. “I don’t want your help. Why can’t you get the message? I want nothing to do with you!”

Marie sighed. “I know you’re still angry, but-”

“And don’t start with the ‘greater good’ talk!” Angel snapped.

se, listen!” said Marie. “Do you think this is what he wants?”

“Don’t you DARE bring him up! You don’t have the right to even mention-”

“Okay, okay,” Marie said, putting her hands up. “Look, I know you’re angry. You’re alone, but you have that Vichay girl and you don’t have to be alone. I want to make things right.”

“You can’t,” Angel said, crossing her arms. “Do you have any idea what it’s like walking around with things you can never talk about?”

“Yes, I do,” said Marie. “I’m in the Squidbeak Splatoon, you know.”

“What’s left of it…” Angel mumbled.

Marie knew it was all over the news that Callie was missing. That was how she knew, but the fact that she would say that, just made her fist shook…

“Look, what do you want?!” she snapped. “I’m trying to help you! Whatever, it is. Whatever you want that’ll make things easier… I’ll do it.”

Angel lowered her hands and closed her eyes. All her strength built up to let her say this. She then opened them, with the deepest squint she could muster.

“I want you… TO LEAVE!” she shouted.

Marie nearly jumped to the back of the room. She did lean backward from it, but she slowly stood back straight. Her hearts were racing.

“Okay…” the popstar said, softly.

Marie walked across the studio and went back into the room Marina and Pearl were in. Thoughts raced through her mind. She couldn’t mend any friendships. She knew Erray mistrusted her. And Callie… she hated her guts.

“Oh, you’re back,” said Pearl. “Whoa! You look pale.”

Marina turned around and saw the same thing. The star merely grabbed her phone.

“I-I’m gonna cancel the rest of this i-interview,” she said. She sounded on the verge of crying. “S-Sorry…” She grabbed her bag and ran out of the room, leaving the studio entirely.

Just then the two heard sobbing in the break room. So, they ran in there and found Angel crying her eyes out, while Vichay was hugging her…

“Aw, Squidrings…” Pearl whispered.

Chapter Text

Bass

I swore to him that I’d never go back. I sat there, with my head hung low, ashamed of… not what I had done, but the fact that I was caught. Tons of thoughts raced through my mind. Would I get thrown out? Where would I go? I’ve done this for a long time, though. It’s all I’ve ever known until I met them and found the music. How else would we have made it into Inkblot Art Academy - Performing Arts?

“Bass.”

I looked up at him.

“Don’t push him on this,” Angel pleaded.

“Hey, he did get us this far,” his sister said. “I-I know it was still not the right thing to do but-”

With a wave of his hand, we were all silent.

“Of course we understand,” he said. “Heck, Angel beat me right to it.”

I sat up straight in shock. My hearts were pumping really fast.

“We’ve been friends since we became teenagers. We know that what you’ve been doing, you meant no harm.”

“I-”

“As long as you promise to not do this again,” he continued. “You’re done seeing them.”

“But-”

“They only wanted you so they could do business with you for your skills. I know it’s hard but…” I gasped when he pulled me into a hug. “We’re here for you, okay? We’ll be your family.”

They stared at me with smiles. Well, Angel’s was only slight, with her arms crossed. The tears in my eyes escaped.

“Finn… Thank-you.”

“Are you kidding me?!” Coel screamed over the phone. “You wrecked my truck and endangered my granddaughter. Why won’t tell me what this is about?!”

“Sir, for your own safety, I highly suggest that you let me keep silent about that,” I responded.

“Then you can keep silent somewhere else! Don’t bother coming back to Ceviché Village after whatever you’re doing is over.”

“But-”

“You’re fired!”

Bass gripped his phone tighter.

“Fine. I don’t need you, old man. I bet your grandson had good reason for leaving someone like you!”

“What?!”

“Bye.”

I hung up, setting the phone down and running my hands through my hair. I sat alone at a table in the square, near the shops. Now what? Thoughts rushed through my mind.

Where do I go? What do I do? What can I do? I thought. My elbows hit the table as my head sank. Angel, doesn’t need me. No one ever needs me… What am I doing?

I then caught the sight of some Inklings walking past me. They went up to a little urchin in the square. Upon squinting, I saw them handing over money for some gear. My head hung low, thinking of the old days. If only I could feel that rush again… maybe I could. It’s not like I had anything else to do, or anywhere to go. I glanced over at the shops and saw Head Space.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!”

Sitting on one of the benches of Deca Tower was a little one-eyed sea urchin. He had orange skin and his eye was green. He wore a purple bandana, a white t-shirt with black sleeves, black jean shorts, and blue shoes. A phone was in his hands and it sounded like he was playing the Squid Jump game. Here I was, standing here, talking to this guy in the middle of the night.

“You can’t just walk up to me after two years and then ask to see Spyke,” he said.

I glared, balling up my fists. In my mind, I was telling myself to stay calm.

“I wasn’t asking,” I said. “I’m here to do business.”

Murch put down his phone. “You don’t scare me, Inkling.”

I just stood there, my facial expression unchanged, with my furrowed brows and narrowed eyes remaining on the little urchin.

“Listen Spyke’s more busy than he used to be,” said Murch. He looked both ways before looking back at Bass. “How did you even know about me?!”

“I know Vichay has been using you to find her brother,” said Bass. “You work for Spyke, and I need to talk to him.”

“And why would I do that, especially for a deserter like you?”

Making sure Judd and Lil’ Judd weren’t nearby, I reached into my bag and dropped some hats in front of him. Murch flinched at them. They were rare and really hard to find. He slammed his phone on the seat under him and grabbed my shirt. Yes, he did that and it shocked me since he was so short.

“Dude! Don’t show those out here!” he said. He let me go and gathered the gear in his arms.

“BASS!”

The voice shook me to my core. It was Angel’s voice. It had to be. Murch stood up and put away his phone.

“Wait, who’s that?” said Murch.

“C’mon! We have to hide!” I said.

Murch jumped off his little bench and waved his hand for me to follow. I followed into the alley that was just out of sight from the entire square. It was next to a little café that was currently closing since it was around midnight. I peeked around the corner, seeing her look around before going elsewhere. After we were sure she was gone, Murch took a look at the gear I got. I refused to meet his gaze as he inspected him, adjusting the collar of my coat.

“Yeah.” Murch nodded. “It’s legit.”

“So-”

“A few hats and some attempted intimidation isn’t going to make us take you back,” Murch then said.

“Then what will?!”

“So, s’appening, here, Murch?”

Our bickering finally stopped when Murch’s boss walked outside from the café. He was a sea urchin like Murch except he was taller than him. The spikes in his hair were bigger and covered one of his eyes. He wore a dark colored poncho, green pants, and a pair of brown shoes. He wore multi-colored bracelets on his left wrist. The first thing he did when he stepped outside was notice me.

“Bass?” He walked up to me, which made me freeze up. I raised my hands, showing that I had no weapon in any of them. He then turned to Murch. “Wot’s this bloke doing here?”

“Beats me,” said Murch. “He came here asking for you.” He pulled out the hats I took. “And he brought gifts.”

Spyke looked at me and I still wasn’t moving from my hands in the air and couldn’t make eye contact.

“Stay right there, love,” he said. And I nodded, looking to the floor, thinking about what I was doing. Then I shook my head. Why was I thinking about that? I’ve done this before. This was nothing new to me.

Spyke walked back to me when he was done looking at that gear Murch was showing him.

“It’s a nice gesture, Bass,” he said. “But why did you get this, and why are you here now? Didn’t you decide to go off wif those Squids yammerin’ on about starting a band at some school.”

I shook my head. The thought of what I said, returning to my mind. It was then that I brought myself to look Spyke in the eye.

“It’s over,” I said. “It’s been over.”

“What?” said Spyke.

“Ha! He’s only here, because he has nothing!” said Murch. “He’s just desperate!”

“Murch!” I then yelled, irritably. The two then stared at me for my tone. “Okay! I left! That much is true… And… I was wrong to think that things would work out because they didn’t. Even when that happened… I was so embarrassed to come back I tried getting a job elsewhere, but I got fired for trashing a truck.” I gulped, sinking down the memory or those Octoling’s attacking.

Spyke laughed. I felt relieved at the change in attitude, but I didn’t smile.

“So you caused trouble out in the country, huh?”

“Everywhere I go, I cause trouble,” I said. “But you know what? At least here, I can cause trouble and get something out of it. I know you have no reason to take me back, but I hope you know that… I’m sorry.”

Spyke looked over at me.

“Well, it’s not like I don’t understand why you left, mate” he said. “You spotted an opportunity and you took it.”

“So, am I forgiven?” I said.

“I never said you were,” said Spyke. “Sorry, love. I may be willin’ to forgive and forget, but it doesn’t mean I can just trust you again… and you’ll have to earn the respect of my ‘associates’.”

“Associates? You mean, you got more-”

“Of course I did. How did you think I met Murch over here? Anyway, if you want back in, you’re back in. Just don’t go expectin’ everyone to be so welcomin’ of you, mate. Besides, I’m not going to pass up some perfectly good gear, but you’d better start proving yourself first thing in thing in the mornin’.”

I nodded.

“Well, you know where to go, mate,” said Spyke.

“Oh. So they still stay at the same place?”

“Shellover Inn. By Port Mackerel. You do still remember how to get there, don’t you?”

“Of course,” I nodded. “Th-Thanks.”

“Hey, it’ll be like ol’ times, Bass,” Spyke said, with a smile. He looked over at Murch, texting on his phone. “Get your suitcases, Murch. We’re done for tonight.”

“Alright,” said Murch.

“We’ll talk later.” Spyke patted me on the shoulder before walking off with Murch.

I was left alone in the alley, as a cold breeze blew through it, making me shiver. Then I grimaced at how dirt gathered in my hands just from touching my sleeves. My clothes were a mess. I couldn’t sleep another night out here. Shellover Inn, it is.

I snuck my way out of the square and made my way onto a bus. I tried to avoid making a scene, but I saw a lot of people staring at me because of my messy clothes, making me have to stare out the window to avoid their gaze. On the way, I saw a lot of places I hadn’t been to in a while. It made me smile to think that I could explore them now that I had no ties to anyone holding me down to stop me. There were a few TV screens on the bus, but it was muted with subtitles, and the news was on. It was showing pictures of various Inklings and I began to read the subtitles.

“Authorities finally release information regarding the sudden findings of the various Inklings who had turned up after going missing over two years ago. While they denied for a time, the evidence has been lined up. Most Inklings who had gone missing and were found have been released from facilities, and some have been transferred for treatment for psychological trauma.”

I then saw a photo of a bus that was damaged beyond repair. In fact, it was tipped over and there were fuschia ink stains everywhere.

“Two years ago, the Inklings that had disappeared were all from this bus that was on it’s way to Inkopolis. Authorities have gone on record, finally revealing, that the groups of Octarian extremists destroyed these ships and have recorded testimonies of the victims who were brave enough to come forward.”

I leaned forward in my seat.

Extremists? I thought.

“Meanwhile, Octarians of the CRP have been forced to call out against the accusations from various citizens, blaming them for being a part in the kidnapping and endangerment of innocent Inklings. Saltwater City, Ceviché Village, and various other cities are in uproar due to the release of this information.”

I heard the murmuring on the bus begin to pick up. Luckily, the bus began to stop where I wanted to go.

I stepped off near the port. The bus drove off and I was left to walk in the cold, quiet night towards the inn. I tried to dust off some of the dirt and dust on my clothes before I got there. Up ahead, I saw the building ahead of me. It was made of old blue bricks and a small shade was set up on the porch. It was about three stories high and the room was made out of an enormous shell that covered the top. A stoney path led up to the building, with small rocks surrounded it, and small shells covered the windows. Upon hearing glass shatter, I looked over at the parking lot to see a few Inklings and an Octoling breaking bottles in the parking lot. With an eye roll, I made my way inside, pushing aside the handmade double doors.

The first that I saw when I stepped in was ink barely missing my face. Two teams of Inklings were having a little turf war inside the large dining area, using the dark, wooden chairs and tables as defense. Thank cod, they had ink tanks and the lights were on them, meaning they were linked to a Spawn Point. Some of the ink had stained some of the light fixtures, changing the color of the room to a mix between green or pink.

“Hold your fire!” one of the Inklings said on the green team. She hid behind a table and turned to me. “Hey. Spectators go upstairs. Can’t have bystanders getting hit, now can we?”

“Uh, my bad,” I said. I looked both ways before running past them, making sure to jump over the puddles of ink left on the floor, before reaching the stairs. Once I was at the top, the fighting resumed, I heard the firing and cheering of the two teams. Luckily, upstairs were tables and chairs to sit in, Inklings, and to my surprise Octolings, were sitting around chatting and cheering on the match. Already, a smile was across my face. This place was as lively as ever.

“BASS PIKER!”

Silence cut through the place, but I could still hear the ink being fired below. Everyone began to stare in the direction of the voice, and some of them began to stare at me. Secretly, I was reaching for the blaster on my hip.

Finally, an Inkling I was all too familiar with walked through the groups of tables and chair, and past the several people who were peeking out of their rooms from the commotion. His blue hair was cut mostly to the scalp, except the lines of spiky hair that went down the middle. I was caught in his serious stare, his eyes were cyan. He wore a dark jacket and black leggings, and sneakers that were white with black and blue down the middle of them.

“Ch… Char,” I said, nervously.

“What are you doing here?” he said, flatly.

“Spyke…” I sucked in a breath, trying to speak up. “Spyke said I could come here.”

“No,” he said, angrily. He shook his head, and I jumped when I saw him reaching for an Ink Bomb. Which one? I wasn’t sure. “What are you doing here?” he asked again.

“Char,” I said, raising my hands. “Listen…”

“No, you listen!” Char yelled. “You can’t just walk out on everything we’ve done and then try to waltz in here.” He held out his arms showing the amount of people among us and the fight still going on downstairs. “Look at all Spyke and I have done without you. Oh, did I mention I got a job at Grizzco? Oh! And I didn’t have to leave Spyke and everyone to do that, did I?”

“Char-”

“Spyke may be okay with this, but Murch and I are not!”

“Murch doesn’t even know me!” I yelled back. “Where did he come from?”

“Where did Lil’ Judd come from? I don’t know! And I don’t care either. The only thing I care about is making you leave! Now get out!”

Don’t get mad! I thought to myself. Cod, please don’t get mad!

I put my hand on the handle of my Blaster, but was hesitant to draw it. A direct hit from this thing would splat a target almost instantly, and he didn’t look like he was linked to a Spawn Point. Instead, I put my hands up.

“I… I’m not leaving,” I said.

“Then I’ll MAKE YOU!” he yelled.

Char charged at me with an Octo Brush, but I grabbed the handle, trying to stop him from hitting me… or anyone. Everyone around us yelled, and some got up from their chairs. Some hid back in their rooms.

“I don’t want… to fight you!” I grunted, trying to pull the brush out of his hands.

“I wouldn’t want to fight me neither!”

He moved his brush harshly to the left, making me let go and I stumbled over the railing. I let out a yell, and I heard other Cephalopods yell too. My back hit the table, sending a jolt of pain through my body. The Inklings below stopped fighting and screamed in terror. Just then, Char jumped over the edge, pouncing down with Splat Bomb. With no other choice I ran into ink on the green team and swam away before he landed.

“Hey!”

I looked over seeing an Inkling with the same matching ink as mine.

“Catch!”

The Inkling tossed a pair of Dualies into my hands. I didn’t even have a chance to say thank-you before Char jumped from the table slinging ink at me, forcing me to jump back into the ink to gain some distance. He kept swinging, so I forced myself to use a Bubbler, to get through his swings while I inked some turf. Once it wore off I swam in it towards him, side stepping through his swings so I could jab him in the gut to disorient him and land in a few shots. Before he could try and hit me again, I grabbed his brush wielding arm and flipped him over the nearby table. Once he was up, I was charging in shooting rounds at him. Char ran, holding his brush in front of him and made a path. My hand landed on the handle and I kicked it from his grasp and landed near the green team.

Char dove into the ink, swimming circles around me from the path he made, but then the ripples he made from movement disappeared. Then he came from the air, landing near me and I was thrown back from an explosion of ink from a Splashdown. I was thrown back, my back hitting the wall, enemy ink rendering me unable to move. The Dualies fell out of my hands.

My fists gathered, my breathing becoming unsteady. My eyes shut tightly. All of this yelling and fighting was too familiar.

“Why are you even here?!”

“So, that’s it?! You’re not going to say anything?!”

“Stop it! I don’t want you here!”

“You just stood there!”

“He would still be here if you never came!”

“Maybe you should’ve stayed on the streets!”

Then finally, a voice snapped me back to reality.

“Are you… crying?”

Char’s footsteps let me know that he was standing right before me. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t think. If this was how it ends, it didn’t matter. Tears fell down from my face, and then… I heard something fall. In my vision, now blurred and tinted green from my tears, was a fallen Octo Brush near my feet.

“Do you have… No.” I stopped myself. “I don’t expect… Pity. In fact, I didn’t expect Spyke to allow me to come back. I left because I was a stupid idiot who thought that throwing away everything I had here was worth it, but it wasn’t. They’re gone. All of them! I don’t know where they went, and frankly, I don’t care anymore. They don’t want me to care and the only one who does keeps flipping how she feels like a coddamn lightswitch! She hasn’t changed at all and she NEVER WILL!”

“Bass,” I then heard Char say.

“I gave it my all in exchange for him, for the sake of our band, and the other’s friendship, but it meant nothing to them… And in the end… I couldn’t do anything for him.”

“Wait… what?!” I heard the tone of his voice shift. “Dude. Why didn’t you-”

“I DON’T WANT YOUR PITY!” I yelled. I drew my Blaster only to have Char grab my wrist to stop me. I still pulled the trigger, but nothing shot from it. It was then I saw parts falling out of it. It must’ve cracked when I landed.

“Stop!” Char then pleaded. His voice sounded genuine. The tears escaped my eyes and I saw that he was shaking. He was angry, but not in the way he was when I first walked in. “Just stop.” I planned to just leave like he said, but he wouldn’t let go no matter how much I struggled. “Bass!” he then yelled. And I froze the second he hugged me. It made me shiver, not knowing what to say or do. “Just drop it.” I tried to move, but he wouldn’t let me. “Drop it. It’s alright.”

I trembled. For the first time in a few days, I felt something other than loneliness and I didn’t know how to handle this. What could come next? I didn’t know and that terrified me to no end. I dropped the weapon and was unable to stop myself from breaking down, crying into the shoulder of Char, the only person who I’ve known longer than anyone. Screw the murmuring of the audience around us and the people upstairs. I didn’t care.

“What happened to you?” I heard Char say.

After I caught my breath for only a second, I tried to speak.

“I…” my voice sounded incredibly hoarse.

“No,” Char then said. “You know what? Just… don’t say anything. Not now, at least. Let’s just get you to a room, and… maybe get you some new clothes?”

I nodded, but I felt like I couldn’t even move anymore. Luckily, Char was willing to help me onto my feet. With his arms still around and using the wall as support, he forced me to stand.

“Come on,” he said, once I was up. He grabbed my arm and hoisted it around the back of his neck, making me lean on him for support. I looked over at my Blaster, but Char forced me to walk. “We can pick it up later. Let’s go.”

We made it to the second floor and walked past the concerned onlookers and eventually made it to some room. I think it was room 208, or something. He opened the door and led me inside. The next thing I knew I was sitting down on a bed, Char pulling off my coat and the beanie on my head, before laying my head on the pillow and pulling off my shoes to set them on the floor. All of a sudden, this comfort was too much for me and I lost myself to tears again.

“I’m sorry!” I cried. “I never should’ve left-”

“No more words,” Char then said, pulling the blanket over me. “You may have left, but I’m not leaving you tonight.” He marched over to the switch near the door and dimmed the lights down, before walking back to me. “And I’m not letting you leave me again.”

“But, I-”

Char covered my mouth. This scared me little, making me almost jump, but I could tell he meant no harm.

“We can talk in the morning,” he said. “Please. Just get some rest.”

After that, I gave up on talking and just laid there closing my tear-filled eyes and Char let go of my mouth. My will to speak faded after that anyway. I didn’t want to talk, to walk, or think about anything, especially Angel. He was right. I just wanted to rest, even if for a little while. I was so upset. So very… tired.

When I woke up, the sky was bright blue once more, when I saw the window. My mind felt blank, I felt so empty from lack of energy. Maybe I overexerted myself last night. It has been a while since I’ve fought in Inkopolis… or at all, for that matter.

“I told you that girl was bad news.”

My attention was brought to Char, who was sitting on the bed across from me. His arms were crossed, but he was frowning, staring at the ground until he looked at me, seeing that I was awake.

“Angel?” I said.

“A girl of that class is spoiled rotten,” said Char. “You can’t look me in the eye and tell me she wasn’t.”

I sat up slowly, rubbing my temples. It was a struggle to even sit up straight. I began to think about Angel, even though I didn’t want to anymore.

“She was…” I paused. “She was a…” I began to glare. “A self-entitled brat who only cared about him and what she wanted!” I said. “I…” I swallowed before speaking again. “I didn’t come back to Inkopolis for her. I came back because it’s what he would’ve wanted. But… Angel hasn’t changed at all! Has losing our friends meant nothing to her?!”

“Bass,” said Char. “You keep talking about what others want, but don’t you remember how you were last night. You left us, because that Inkling and his friends wanted you to, and you left Inkopolis because Angel told you to.”

“I-”

“Was it… what you wanted?”

My hands trembled, making me cross my arms.

“I wanted… to play music,” I mumbled. “Was that so much to ask? Apparently, it was. Once everything went wrong, I almost fell into complete rage, but after wh-what… What I… He…”

I held myself tighter, my own fingers digging into skin, through my shirt. Char stood up and held me as my breathing became unsteady.

“Hey, I’m right here,” said Char.

“I… I had to get in control of my anger, because I was scared I’d end up… k-killing someone,” I said.

“Bass, please. For your sake… and… and my own, you need to forget about them. Please.”

I forced myself to look at him.

“I’m still upset that you left, but you’re back. So, you can start making it up to me now,” said Char.

“L… Just like old times?” I said.

Char finally smiled. “I wouldn’t want it any other way.” And with Char’s reassuring words, I was finally able to smile, even if it was small.

“I’m just glad to be home.”

Char pulled at my arm. “Come on. You look like you could use some food.”

I walked out of the room, wearing a red flannel hoodie, Char let me borrow for the time being. My shoes were still the same, but he offered to give me new ones later. We made our way downstairs. All the ink from the fight last night had faded and the tables and chairs were set back in their proper places. We sat at the counter on some of the bar stools. The jellyfish working there waved at us.

“One our finest breakfast for Bass, please,” said Char. I reached for my wallet, when he grabbed my wrist and stopped me. “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.”

Char sat down next to me and I looked around, but he was only watching me. It was pretty clear that he wasn’t going to let out of his sight again. I guess me leaving really hurt him, but I was going to try my best to make it up to him, like he wanted.

“And you are positive this is one of the best?”

I turned around slightly to see an Octoling wearing a black sweater, a same colored beanie, with edging and a puffball that matched his ink color, which was light green. His pants and boots matched with the rest of the outfit. It didn’t matter what he was wearing, or what color he changed his color to. I knew that voice anywhere.

Oliver? I thought.

“Absolutely,” the Inkling he was talking to responded. Oliver took the scope and set down some money.

“Very well,” he said. “I will be on my way. Thank-you for your time.”

“Thanks for the business,” said the Inkling.

I looked away as Oliver walked past, hoping he wouldn’t recognize me. Was that actually him? If he was here then that meant…

“Hey, Bass!” Char tapped my shoulder. A plate of pancakes were set in front of me.

“Bass, please. For your sake… and… and my own, you need to forget about them. Please.”

I sighed. Blocking out the thought of… them. No more. I’m done. I need to think about myself.

“Are you okay?” said Char.

I looked down at the pancakes and grabbed the pancakes.

“I will be…” I said. A poster of the Squid Sisters that was near the wall, caught my attention. All around it were newspaper clippings and small post-it notes from people concerned about the recent news of her going missing.

Whatever… I thought.

Chapter Text

Erray

Slowly, I got up and walked towards my headphones. I could hear static, as I put them on my head.

“Um… hello?”

“Listen to me, Agent 4.” The modulated voice could only tell who this was. I looked to the door, knowing that Marie’s presence would only scare the rogue off.

“Agent... 3?” I asked.

“And this is?”

I squinted. “Nice try. I’m Agent 4.”

“Well. Worth a shot. Now listen!” The rogue’s voice suddenly grew very serious. “I’m only going to say this once: Go! Sever ties with the New Squidbeak Splatoon immediately. They’ll hold out their hand, take you in, have you play their game… but when it’s over, they’ll cast you aside. Forgotten.”

I gasped. Various things I had been told repeated in my head.

“The Squid Sisters ruined my life.”

“What happened to Agent 3? Did they disappear? Were they captured by Octavio?”

“The path we walk is a lonely one. Agent 3 just couldn’t walk that path.”

“F-Forgotten?” I said.

“‘I did nothing wrong’,” said Agent 3. “Is that what Marie told you? The same thing she tells herself at night to keep herself sane?”

“Wait, how do you know that?!” I said.

“Ask yourself: What do you think she did? I don’t know who you are, but I’m warning you, so you don’t end up like me. Get in my way, though, and I will treat you no different than them. That is all.”

“Like you? 3, wait!” But then there was static. I took off my headphones, looking around the room. Agent 3 was trying to warn me, but about what? In frustration, I threw the headphones back on the couch.

It was always one thing or the other. I wasn’t sure who I should believe in anymore.

“So unfortunately, we had to cut our interview with Marie short,” said Marina.

Sitting in the Grizzco break room the next afternoon, my attention was brought to the TV. It was another Off the Hook broadcast.

“Yeah, it was because of, uh… She had to get back to recording for her new show!” said Pearl. “In other news… Hang on.” She flipped through her papers. “Oh, here we go. So, in case you didn’t know, a bunch of missing Inklings were found a few weeks back.”

Marina sighed, brushing her big lock of tentacle hair aside. I formed fists on the table.

“Yeah…” Marina said, flatly. Her tone was already making me glare at her. “Apparently, they went missing over a year ago.” An image of a tipped over and destroyed bus appeared on the big screen behind them. It was in the middle of a road. “Apparently, they were from this incident.” It made me frown, crossing my arms, trying to hide my trembles. “But, hey! If those Inklings were found, maybe Callie will be fine, too!”

I growled at the television. I bet my money that the Octo girl knew exactly where Callie was. They started to talk about today’s stages and when they would be open. Apparently, today’s rotation would only be about six hours.

Once again, my phone went off. It was another incoming call from Angel. I couldn’t bear to answer it with the fact that there was no doubt that Vichay told Angel about me. For all I knew, Vichay was using Angel’s phone in an attempt to talk to me. Bass told me to watch out for her, but… There was no way he could’ve known about Vichay… wherever he was. I was curious as to how he was doing and thought about searching for him in my free time.

A sigh escaped from me as I looked back at the magazine in front of me. It was about time I caught up on what I missed out on while I’ve been away. There have been a lot of new bands picking up in Inkopolis lately: Bottom Feeders, Ink Theory, Wet Floor, Diss Pair, and a lot more. The instruments section showed there were a lot of sales on guitars.

“And then I said, ‘That’s why you shouldn’t put all your eggs in one basket!’”

I lowered my magazine for only a second to see Oscar walking into the break room with some other employees, who were laughing at whatever he was talking about. My focus drifted back on the magazine in my hands, but they were shaking. Cod dammit! He’s a kid! He’s like… twelve! I kept kicking myself every night for being afraid of a kid. Then my thoughts would turn back on the fact due to this: Yes, he’s a kid, but an Octoling no less. All the Octolings came from below the surface. You know, where they have all the plans to conquer Inkopolis and I’m pretty sure they train soldiers from childhood.

I grumbled to myself. It was then Char ran into the break room, there was a skip in his step.

“Guys. The boss called out!” he said. “She says it’s urgent! Let’s go sevens!”

That was my cue. So, I stood up and walked towards Char. Oscar also followed. We ran down the hall to get changed, but Char had this grin on his face.

“You’re in a good mood!” said Oscar.

“Shell yeah!” Char replied. “I ran into an old buddy of mine and it’s like he’s bringing life back to the inn.”

Oscar giggled. “Cool. I’d like to meet him.”

“Sure,” said Char. “If there’s time at some point.”

I rolled my eyes and started walking faster, getting past Char and being the first into the locker room.

Once we were ready, the captain led us out to sea. Today, we were going to a new area that Mr. Grizz called the Lost Outpost. Anemy was urgent to get there, and when we got there, I could see why.

The center of this place was surrounded by walls. There were passageways from the center of all angles. The path in front of where the basket was set up led out to a platform made out of grates and on the sides were the docks and the other had a ramp that led down to another deck. Upon our approach, however, we already saw other employees fighting the Salmonids. It was a mess out there. There were Cohocks everywhere and it wasn’t even nightfall.

After changing our ink color to orange to match our captain. We Super Jumped to the location and Char immediately charged in with an Octobrush towards the center.

“Dude, wait!” Anemy called.

“Let’s follow him!” I said.

Anemy nodded and we followed the ink trail he left, running with his brush. Once we got to the center we saw him desperately trying to fight off the Cohocks. Other employees were calling for help from their lifesavers. That’s when I came out the ink and wasted the Cohocks around with Splashdown. Char nodded at me with a smile, and while he reloaded in the ink.

“Go help the others!” said Char.

“Right!”

With a Bomb Rush I rained down a whole bunch of bombs taking out more inkcoming Cohocks and the blasts managed to also hit the lifesavers. The other employees sprung back into action, but what I didn’t account for was that they were Octolings. They ran towards me, but I yelled, backing away slowly.

My mind flashed for a second, and I saw myself in an open field, in the middle of nowhere. Nothing was there but an open road. There was smoke in the air and I coughed as it entered my throat. The faint cries of other Inklings were all around me and I was at the end of weapons. All of them were held by Octolings and my eyes met with the red eyes of Jade.

“ERRAY!”

Suddenly, I was brought back to reality when Oscar tackled me to the ground. Anemy ran in just before a Cohock that was right in front of us. Char blocked the frying pan swing at him and pushed it aside. Anemy, jumped off the head of a Chum and kicked a Splat Bomb Char threw into the air into his face and it exploded.

Anemy landed in front of me. She then turned around and shot down the Cohocks behind us in a few rounds of shots. The other recruits took out the rest with Bomb Rushes, Stingrays, and Splashdown.

“You okay, Erray?”

In a huff, I pushed Oscar off of me and helped myself up.

“I-I’m fine,” I said, dusting off my overalls.

Anemy’s weapon lowered her weapon slowly. Her eyes were lidded slightly and her mouth was held shut neutrally. She didn’t seem amused, but she also didn’t look impressed.

“You… froze,” she said, softly.

“I-It was nothing!” I said. “I just… thought I saw something.”

Anemy rolled her eyes and sighed. She then turned to the Octolings in question.

“You guys okay?” she said.

The Octoling leading the other group nodded.

“Yeah,” she said. “We got all the eggs we needed, when all these Cohocks came out of nowhere. They were non-stop and they just kept coming!”

Anemy pondered it as she scratched the back of her head with her handle of her Splattershot.

“How the heck does that work?” said Anemy.

“What do you mean?” I said.

“Page 156 of the Grizzco Handbook,” Anemy stated. “‘No Cohock attack ever occurs during any time of day other than nightfall.’ So what’s all this?”

“FLYFISH SIGHTED AHEAD!” an Octoling shouted. He had climbed up the wall to get a better view from above. “THEY’RE MAKING READY TO FIRE!” His voice made me jump.

“Don’t y-yell like that!” I said.

“Erray!” Anemy snapped. She turned to the Octoling above. “How many do you-”

A whole swarm of missiles few threw the air. There were too many to count.

“FIND COVER!” Anemy yelled.

Everyone swam for their lives. I followed Anemy and everyone was scattered into the barrage of missiles that pelted the ground. Almost the whole area was covered in green. Anemy and I were facing a whole new horde of Cohocks and Steel Eels that were walking towards us, along with the Fly Fish, who were getting ready for another attack.

I grabbed a bomb and was about to go forward, but Anemy held her hand out in front of me.

“There’s too many!” she said. She put a finger on her ear piece, just as the four more Stingers approached the shores.

“What the shell?!” said Char.

“SCATTER!” Anemy yelled.

Despite the squad’s attempt to do so, some them still got splatted. Missiles flew down from everywhere, practically taking over the entire center area. I had to run jumping over the puddles of green ink. I heard some trip and fall, but when I turned around, I saw it was Oscar. While I was standing there, more missiles started landing around us, so I bolted before the Stingers could try and shoot me. Those who remained, followed Anemy to the empty space in the back.

“GRIZZ! Hurry and send the cannons, already! MR. GRIZZ!” She slammed her weapon on the floor. “What do you mean they won’t activate?!” She turned to the remaining members of her squad. “Splat it! Everyone, grab whatever Golden Eggs you can from the basket and Super Jump to the boat.”

We danced through green ink and had to shoot our own paths. Anemy and Char covered everyone from the inkcoming Cohocks, while people grabbed the Golden Eggs and Super Jumped. Luckily, those who were splatted had a Super Jump function on their lifesavers, so they were able to make it to the ship, too. There, Anemy revived the splatted with her Splattershot.

The entire outpost was overrun with Salmonids. There was basically almost no room for a Cephalopod to set a tentacle on there without putting themselves in danger. As the ship sailed away, I decided to go below deck… mostly because all the Octolings were glaring at me, and so was the captain.

I wasn’t surprised to hear that Grizz wanted to talk to me, but was afraid to hear what he was going to say. It’s not like I could just say no. He was the CEO, after all.

I walked out near the lobby, where Mr. Grizz’s radio was usually kept and I saw Anemy talking to him. Luckily, most of the employees were busy, recuperating from the attack, eating or sorting things out in storage. So, there weren’t that many people to hear what they were talking about.

“I don’t understand,” said Anemy. “I’ve never seen such a coordinated attack from the Salmonids before. Usually, Salmonids attack when we get there because they detected intruders on their grounds, but this was like they were waiting for us.”

“They’re gettin’ smarter, Anemy,” said Mr. Grizz. He was grumbling into the mic. “So they want war, huh?! Well, it’s a war they’ll get! I’ll get my guy on the line and get some of the finest artillery sent our way.”

A mischievous grin grew on the captain’s face. Then she saw me and shut her mouth.

“Um, Mr. Grizz? Maybe we can talk about this later? Erray is here.”

“Urgh, fine,” he said. “Trow?”

I straightened up, pulling down a gulp. “Y-Yes, sir?”

“A bunch of Octolings from Squad 7 walked up to Ms. Arowana and complained about you!” Grizz snapped.

“Sorry, sir,” I said, hiding my hands behind my back. “I-”

“I don’t want you to apologize. Your mannerisms around your fellow cephalopods have not gone unnoticed.”

I huffed, forming a glare.

“You problems with your employees are going to hinder our business if this continues,” said Mr. Grizz. “Little Oscar even told me you left him to get splatted by missiles.”

“Grr… So what?!” I said. “Everyone was wearing a life preserver. He was fine either way!”

“That’s not the point, Erray!” said Anemy. “What happened to what I said during the party? The Octolings are asking me to let you go.”

I gasped.

“N-No!” I said. “I need this job! Please!”

“Don’t worry, I’m not!” Anemy said, putting her hands up lazily, before letting them fall back at her sides. “But, clearly my words didn’t go through the other night. Listen, though. Until Grizz and I come up with a plan about this, I want you to just go home for the day.”

“But-”

“Just do it,” said Anemy. “I want you to see me in the morning. Right now, Mr. Grizz and I need to talk about this Salmonoid attack. Alright?”

I sighed, but nodded.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said.

“Good,” Anemy said. “Grizz, mind if I get a soda before we continue?”

I turned away and walked toward the entrance. With nothing else to do, I decided to head back to Cap’n Cuttlefish’s house.

Music was playing once I entered the house. The song sounded like it was made a long time ago, but it sounded somehow familiar. In the living room, I saw Cap’n Cuttlefish sitting on the couch in a green track suit and black shoes. Of course, he was still proudly wearing those medals. Next to where he was sitting, was a phonograph. Only then, did I remember the song.

“Marooners Over the Tide,” I said.

“Huh?!” the cap’n said, flailing a bit. I backed away until he made eye contact with me. “Oh, it’s you, bucko. You’re home early.”

“Uh, I was sent home early,” I said, scratching the back of my head. “They were mad at my behavior towards the Octolings.”

“Are you serious?” the cap’n said, tapping his weapon of a cane on the floor.

“I thought you’d understand! You went to war with them! And…” I put a hand over my shoulder. My eyes darted to the side. “Seeing them with weapons made me uneasy.”

“That war was a hundred years ago, Erray!” the cap’n explained. “Tell me, do you like the Calimari Inkantation?”

“Oh, that Squid Sisters song?” The sound of its very name made me smile. “Yes. The people in my hometown sang it all the time. Especially during festivals. I would get my guitar and… uh, sorry, I’m rambling.”

“Nah, that’s okay. But ya see? You forgot about all that negativity when you thought of the inkantation. And that’s exactly what happened when my granddaughters sang it when Agent 3 fought DJ Octavio. The Octolings' hearts were freed from the darkness and they didn’t want to fight the Inklings anymore.”

“You mean… a song is why there’s so many Octolings on the surface these days?”

Cap’n Cuttlefish nodded, just as the song on the phonograph ended.

“Yes,” he said. A smile was on his face. “A strange power is in those notes. And I couldn’t be prouder of my granddaughters for using their voices to help Agent 3… even though that rogue caused a mess.” He sighed. “Cod, I hope Callie is alright. Marie, too.”

“M-Marie?” I said. “What happened. Is she alright?”

“She came back in tears. I tried to ask her what happened, but she locked herself in her room. She won’t respond to anything I say. Anyway, you can search for more Zapfish tomorrow. Right now, I think Marie just needs time to think.”

“Yes, sir,” I said.

I walked towards Agent 3’s old room to relax for the rest of the day. Once I was in the hallway, I heard the cap’n play that song on the phonograph again. Turning around to see, the cap’n put a hand on his forehead.

“Where did I go wrong…?” he muttered.

As I wandered into the room and closed the door behind me, I couldn’t help but wonder about the Calimari Inkantation. A strange power in those notes? It sounded like something out a myth, but as I traced my finger over the outline of my eyes, I couldn’t help but think that it could be possible. No, my eyes were a matter of science… right?

How can a song change someone’s mind? I thought. Especially someone like an Octarian?

Sitting on the bed, I rubbed my face with my hands. With all that was going on, I needed a break. Since I had extra money lying around from working at Grizzco, I wondered if it was okay to go shopping.

Might as well, I thought. Here’s hoping I still have a job tomorrow.

The next morning, I wore that black sweater before I left my room and headed to the front door. I passed by Marie’s room. It was still locked, but it was also still early, and I knew Marie liked to sleep in. I shrugged it off and left a note on the fridge before I went out.

I took in the fresh air as I got to the long-fabled Arowana Mall. I decided to hurry before today’s scheduled Ink Battle time for this place. Some of the stores were holding up signs. They had planned to close earlier to save power.

Then, I came across the music store I saw in the magazine yesterday. Giant music notes were on the sign above the door, and it read, “Melody’s Music.” Instruments were on display, including a wonderful rock guitar. I’ve always wanted one, since I lost my old acoustic one. It was black and there were lights on it that would turn on whenever it was played. The sign on it said it would change color based on what color a Cephalopod’s ink color was.

In the reflection, I saw an Octoling walk by and it made me turn around. She didn’t turn and look at me, because she was talking to a friend, a Jellyfish. I crossed my arms as I turned back to the window and pondered going in and I saw a picture of an Octopus with a line drawn diagonally through it, so I went inside.

“Hello… Welcome to Melody’s Music…” the clerk said, unenthusiastically. It was a Nautilus with her hair pulled back, her sort of big, green eyes were on the sides of her head, and she was wearing a plain green sweater. She sat at the counter, with her slender arms on the table tapping a pen softly on the table’s surface. “We’re a bit slow at the moment, but please feel free to look around. If you need me, I’ll be here…”

“Okay,” I said.

The first thing I saw upon entering, were the many pianos inside. The paint on them smelled fresh and the keys sounded smooth when I pressed them. Other instruments were here, like saxophones, clarinets, trumpets, and even guitars. The guitars were near the section with all the music books. Upon picking up one of the acoustic guitars, it made me smile, but I also felt a tug at my heart strings.

I can’t buy this… I thought. Not after how I lost the old one. All this sentimental thinking was making me glare to myself. What do I care?! Grandpa isn’t here! Who cares what the old man thinks! I certainly don’t! Wasn’t I here to buy a rock guitar, anyway? I tried to stop myself from laughing. Man, Grandpa would never let me have a rock guitar back home. I guess I should at least tune this thing.

I pulled on each individual string and made sure every sting was playing the correct note. After that I played some chords and I started to feel better. The sounds kept reminding of when I was little and my tension from earlier began to fade away. Well, it did…

“Erray?”

I nearly dropped the guitar but managed to catch it. The clerk was shooting me a nasty look.

“Sorry,” I said. I slowly turned around and saw the person who called for me. It was Angel. She was holding a bunch of music books in her hands. She didn’t look mad. Her eyes were half lidded and her mouth expression was neutral. “Uh, Angel?” The girl just kept looking at me. “Uh, hi?”

“There you are!” she finally snapped, leaning forward, and making me wince back. Even the clerk flinched at her tone. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been trying to contact you?! Why haven’t you been picking up the phone?”

I set the guitar back on the shelf. Then, I turned back to the aspiring singer.

“Sorry,” I said, looking at the shelf of song books. “I… I assume Vichay told you what was going on?”

Angel nodded. “You’re her younger brother, Erray Trow. She’s been searching for you, while Cici stayed behind to look after your grandfather. Vichay even said she saw you at this shady business in the alley.”

“G-Grizzco,” I said.

“Yeah, that!” she said. “Why did you run? And why didn’t you pick up the phone when I called?”

I sighed, briefly glancing at the guitar I put down.

“You wouldn’t understand…” I said, rubbing my shoulder. “I have to. I’ve wanted to come to Inkopolis for years, but… they… Grandpa. They didn’t want me to. Listen, I’ve gone through a lot to be here, and I can’t- No! I won’t let her take this away from me!” The hand on my shoulder started to shake. “And if Vichay is here, I will fight back!”

Angel held her books closer to herself. The tiny squid on her mood necklace turned yellow. Her jaw dropped slightly and she was looking towards the shelves of music and song books, as well.

“She’s not here,” she then said, softly. “And… I kind of do understand?”

“How?” I said.

“I… gave up a lot to be here, too,” said Angel. “But, if I were you, I’d be careful. It’s kind of lonely when no one believes in you. You want to play music, right?”

“Um…”

“I saw you tuning that guitar… You were wonderful.”

The guitar entered my gaze once again.

“Yeah, I do,” I said. “And I’m guessing you want to sing?”

“Yep,” Angel said, looking down on her books. “And… reopen an old investigation.” She reached out a hand and put it on my shoulder. The touch made me flinch. “I won’t tell Vichay. I promise. But, you have to help me find Bass!”

I nodded. “It’s a deal! I was actually thinking about looking for him after work. Do you have any leads?”

“I’ve checked his favorite places. I was thinking of going to…” She paused for a second, swinging the books around in her arms. “Well, he’s an urchin and his name is Spyke.”

“Spyke?”

“He gets people gear in…” She leaned close to my ear and whispered the rest, “unconventional ways.”

My brows raised up. I knew what she was implying.

“Oh…” I said.

“He has a lot of people working for him, so I’m a little afraid to see him. Maybe you could go with me?”

“S-Sure,” I said. This wasn’t Octarian business but it still sounded dangerous.

“Hey. HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

The Nautilus stormed outside of the ship just in time to see some Inklings and Octolings running away from the shop after writing graffiti on the window. I couldn’t read all of it, since it was backwards from the inside but I saw the word “haters” on it.

“That’s been happening lately,” said Angel. “I think it has to do with all that stuff the reporters talked about the other day. So, let’s meet up tomorrow at my apartment? I’ll make sure Vichay isn’t home when you do.”

“Yeah,” I said, staring at the vandalism.

Anemy was probably going to want to hear an explanation for this. I thought about telling her, but that was basically New Squidbeak Splatoon business and she wasn’t an agent. I know the captain can take care of herself, but I took an oath not to say anything unless it was absolutely necessary and I needed permission from Cap’n Cuttlefish. Besides, I didn’t want to put Anemy or the Inklings at Grizzco in danger.

I got some stares when I went into the building but I kept facing forward and headed to Anemy’s office. Several Halloween decorations were set up on some of the office doors. There were murmurs of a Splatfest for Halloween, but with the Great Zapfish gone, it might be unlikely.

When I got there, I could hear music. The door creaked open slowly and I saw Anemy near her work table that had a framed photo sitting on it. A keyboard was to her side and she had set it to play a tune. Meanwhile, in her hands, was that blue rock guitar that belonged to her brother and she was playing it as she sung.

I began to smile. Especially, when Anemy’s hair started glowing and she sung even louder. The chords from the guitar were heard even more prominently.

Anemy continued with her playing until she played a nice tune to end the song and the keyboard finished playing it’s playback. She stared intently at the photo.

“Happy Birthday…” she whispered.

“Whoa…” I started clapping, but that only made her almost drop her guitar.

“GAH!” Anemy turned around, just as the light in her hair faded. A huge blush was on her face. “ERRAY?! What are you doing here?!”

“You… said you wanted to talk to me in your office?” I said.

“At least knock!” she snapped. “What if I was changing or something?!”

“B-But, I was hearing music!” I held out my hand, like she was about to jump me… even though she wasn’t. She just looked a little steamed and that orange blush on her face was still there. Eventually, her face softened and she stared at the guitar in her hands before saying something again.

“Sorry,” I said, lowering my hands. “I-I guess I was interrupting something.”

“It’s fine,” she said, flatly. She headed towards the closet. “Have a seat, while I put all this stuff away.

I sat down in the chair in front of her desk. While Anemy was in her closet, I couldn’t help but notice the photo she had been staring at. She was in the picture, but it looked like her hair used to be longer. I do remember that hairstyle was once popular, in fact, Anemy’s current look just had her long locks of hair cut short with the small locks in the back left untouched. Next to her was an Inkling boy with blue hair tied back and he was wearing a Squid Sister t-shirt that just showed the pop stars' silhouettes surrounded by their colors. His eyes were orange and Anemy was wearing the exact same t-shirt, too. It looked like they were standing in front of Inkopolis Tower.

As Anemy walked back towards her desk after putting her instruments away, I stared at my own lap. It was rude to snoop, I know, but my old habits were catching up with me. Well, that and my training habits.

“What song was that, anyway?” I said.

“Tide Goes Out by Marie of the Squid Sisters,” said Anemy. “She and Callie did solo songs before the last Splatfest they hosted.”

“I… I didn’t know you could play guitar like your brother,” I said.

“Of course I can!” Anemy said, as she plopped into her swivel chair. It drifted a little and she put her feet on the table. “My brother taught me everything I know: How to walk, how to talk,” she briefly held up her Splattershot, “how to shoot, and how to love music.” She turned to face me properly and set her feet on the floor. “Well, ever since you I was pushed on stage to sing during that party, I’ve been compelled to… well, sing again.”

I looked up, a smile appearing on my face.

“You’re a music fan?” I said.

“Who isn’t?” said Anemy.

“Do you… have a favorite band?”

“Well, in recent years I like Off the Hook.” The captain gestured to the many posters on the wall behind her. “I love Ebb and Flow. What about you?”

I was about to say the Squid Sisters, but… considering that I found out what they do behind the scenes, I wasn’t sure. Agent 3’s words repeated in my head over and over whenever I thought about them. They clearly weren’t telling me everything, but they probably have good reasons, right?

“Uh… I wouldn’t say I have one per say,” I answered, crossing my arms. I shifted in my chair uncomfortably. “But if I had a favorite song, I’d say Calamari Inkantation.”

Anemy rolled her eyes. “A lot of employees here say that.” She reached into a draw and pulled out a file. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about your behavior from the other day.”

I pulled down a gulp.

“Where did you say you were from again?” she said.

“Ceviché,” I said. “Ceviché Village. Why?”

“Grizz had me do research for some reason, but when I finally decided to start I came upon some things,” Anemy said, running her fingers under her hair as she checked the file. I saw my photo in it and those red tabs on the other pages didn’t look good.

“Um, l-like what?” I said, nervously.

“They’re very anti-Octarian over there,” she went on. “Is that why you…”

“What?!” I stood up. “Of course not! And how dare you pry into my past?!”

Anemy set her hand down from her hair. Her eyes were half closed and she did not look impressed.

“It’s not… ‘prying’,” she insisted, without moving her teeth. “After enough incidents caused by an employee the manager is entitled to perform a background check. Erray, you’ve destroyed property, interrupted one of my investigations, assaulted one of my employees, who is a kid, by the way, and now you’ve endangered and have shown ill behavior towards my employees.” She stood up, pressing her hands against the surface of the table. “I think that’s more than enough reason to perform a background check!” Her sudden rise in tone was making me lean back against the chair. “And may I point out that many of these incidents are Octarian related?”

“So?” I said.

“You’re discriminatory!” she yelled.

“I’M A VICTIM!” I shouted. Anemy’s mouth flew shut… and I covered mined with my hands. My eyes darted around the room and my heart was beating fast. It felt like I was being interrogated… again. Before I knew it was holding my shoulder again.

“You were... attacked by Octarians?” Anemy finally said, after the long pause of silence.

I let out a breath I didn’t even know I was holding. Tried as I might to let go of my own shoulder, I couldn’t, my hand was still shaking.

“I…”

“Your tells…” Anemy mumbled. “Whenever you’re nervous, you do that.”

A blush crept onto my face. I hated being vulnerable like this. But man, the captain was smart. I’ll give her that. The sting of tears could be felt in my eyes, but I refused to cry. She can’t know about the New Squidbeak Splatoon. I made a vow, and if word got out the town would be in uproar.

Anemy sat back down in her seat. Then she looked directly at me.

“Erray, I’m going to be real with you for a second,” she said, sternly. “Yes, change is coming to Inkopolis and to the rest of the world. We fought a vicious war, but don’t you see that this is our first step to heal.”

“And they took two steps back!” I spat.

“Not everyone did!” Anemy hissed. “You don’t hate them, do you? You’re afraid.”

I let go of my shoulder, letting my hand hang limply at my side. My eyes refused to lock onto my captain. She sat back in her chair and rested her head in her hands, leaning against her desk.

“Listen, I guess you heard about that thing with missing Inklings and that tipped over the bus,” she said.

I nodded.

“Well, they are some groups to help ease tensions.” She slid a card across the table. “Maybe they can help you.”

I read the card and saw a name: Dr. Tina Tuna. I leaned back in my own chair and crossed my arms.

“I don’t need it,” I said, flatly.

“I never said you did,” said Anemy. “I was just suggesting. I’ve said this back during the party and I’ll say it here: You don’t have to like Octarians, but if you can’t stand act, at the very least, civil, I can’t continue to deal with you problems. She stood up from her table and gestured to the door. Grizz has something planned for us tomorrow, so you’d better get ready. Tomorrow will be your last chance.”

I stood, my glare remained on her. Already, I wanted this to stop, but I figured how familiar this felt. No. It wasn’t about the Octarians… but before that. Then my eyes fell back on the card… and I picked it up.

“Just… think about it, okay?” Anemy said, softly.

I walked towards the door, but when I opened it, I turned back at her.

“Why do you care so much?”

“It’s my job,” said Anemy. “It’s certainly not Mr. Grizz’s. Nothing is more valuable to a captain than the lives and well-being of their crew.” She turned away, the blush on her face was creeping onto her face. “Stop making me mushy! I’m getting a soda!”

“O… kay,” I said. And I left Anemy to herself.

Angel and I agreed to meet up in the square. She was sitting at one of the tables reading through those music books she bought.

“Hey, I made it,” I said.

“Hm?” Angel turned her head to see me. “Oh, I didn’t think you’d be so quick.”

“Yeah…” I said, rubbing the back of my head. “My boss, her boss and I were kind of having some trouble right now. She said I have to be at work tomorrow.”

“Really?” she said. “Like what?”

“I… don’t really want to talk about it.”

Angel shrugged and turned back to her books. “Well, if that’s what you really want.”

“What are you doing?” I said, leaning over the table. They were music books but some of them just had words in them.

“I’m researching something on music and the ‘Glow Effect,’” said Angel.

“Glow… effect?”

“Yeah,” she said, turning the page. “Ever notice when an Inkling or an Octoling play music or sing, their hair glows when they really get into it.”

“Um, actually, I saw that very recently,” I said, staring at the various open books.

“I was just theorizing some of its effects…” Angel said, staring back at the words on the page.

“Effects? When an Inkling’s hair glows it means they have a lot of energy. That’s why they can use devastating attacks in Ink Battles. With music, it’s an emotional response.”

“Yeah, that’s what the books all say…” Angel said. She closed the one she was reading and started packing everything into her bag. “Anyway, I guess we should go see Spyke, or at least one of his associates. I’ve got my Splat Brella in case we need to defend ourselves.”

My hands fell on my Dualies, hanging on my sides. “I’ve got my weapons.”

Angel stood up and held her bag close to herself. She looked at me with her silver eyes with focus.

“Remember: Be discreet and don’t be loud.”

“Got it,” I said.

I followed Angel from behind, not knowing what I was getting myself into. In fact, I wasn’t sure Angel knew either. We went up to Deca Tower and towards a small urchin playing Squid Jump on his phone. He actually had been there almost every day, but I never talked to him.

“Um, Murch?” Angel said, shyly.

The urchin glanced over with his single eye before putting his phone down. He stood up on his seat and barely reached Angel’s height from that, because he was so short.

“Angel Manta?” he said. “What’s a gal as dull as you doing here?” He tilted his head to the side and saw past her. “Hey! Erray Trow! Guess I found Vichay’s target.” He picked up his phone.

“Vichay? No, wait! Murch!” Angel yelled. Her voice made the urchin stop for a second. “Don’t call Vichay!”

“Why?” said Murch. “I thought you were helping her.”

“I… I was…” she responded, “but Vichay didn’t tell you the whole story, did she?”

“Didn’t have to,” said Murch. “We don’t normally deal in finding people, but the Inkling girl was willing to pay.”

“How about I pay you more?” said Angel. “I need your help to find someone else.”

“Is it Bass?” he said.

I stepped in to stand beside Angel.

“How do you know that?” I said.

Angel frowned. “Don’t tell me!” she said.

“I’m not supposed to say anything,” said Murch, “but sorry, I can’t help you find him. Orders are straight from the boss.”

“Then where’s your boss?!” Angel said, stomping her sandal on the floor. “Let me speak with him directly.”

“He’s busy,” the urchin said, taking out his phone once again.

“Then call him!” Angel said, sternly.

“I can’t just call the boss without a good reason! Spyke’s doing more stuff these days, Princess.”

Angel’s eye twitched at the insult.

“And I can’t just leave unless you tell me about Bass,” she said, sternly. Her hand was on the handle of her Splat Brella.

Murch rolled his eye. “Sure you wanna threaten me?” He then turned to me. “Erray, I know you don’t want your sister finding you, but she promised to pay handsomely. I dunno what your beef is, but it’s not my job to know. I have my orders and I don’t intend to break them. Now, unless the two of you are interested in acquiring some gear you can’t find in the store right now…” He sat back down and resumed playing Squid Jump.

Angel scoffed to herself and stormed the other direction.

“Uh, bye,” I said, before following after her.

“Spyke and his stupid lackeys…” Angel mumbled. The little squid on her necklace was red and she stomped with her fists held at her sides.

“Sorry, I wasn’t much help…” I said. It haunted me that Vichay was resorting to questionable methods to find me. “Why is Vichay-”

“I didn’t know either,” she said. We stopped once we were in front of the shoe store. It had a sign above the entrance that said “Shella Fresh.” Several jack-o-lantern and bat stickers were sticking onto the windows.

“Why can’t we just call the police?” I said.

Angel snapped around, facing me at once. “Because Bass was a thief!”

“Wh-What?!”

The pink-haired girl rubbed her elbow, staring out towards the plaza. Then, she brought herself to face me again.

“And… if I can get what Murch was implying, he’s back with them,” she continued.

“Well…” I thought for a moment, trying to say the first thing that came to mind. “Don’t they have some kind of base of operations?”

“Well, when we found out about this, we did drag him back to my apartment, so he could explain himself,” she paced down the sidewalk before turning back, “But I never went to that place he was staying at when he used to steal. In fact, the only person who went was…” She stopped, and her view drifted away from me again. “Listen, I need to get back before Vichay starts wondering where I am. Maybe we can meet up at my apartment when I have a plan? I’ll make sure Vichay isn’t home.”

“That sounds fine,” I said. “Just be careful.”

“I will,” said Angel. She adjusted her bag and started to head off. “I’ll see you later.” And she waved as she headed down the street.

Out of all the things Angel had told me. Bass being a thief was a little shocking, but I barely knew anything about him. Angel couldn’t find him and neither could I. From the Splatfest to now, I could only think of one person who could know where Bass was.

Agent 3.

Chapter Text

Erray

I could hear that song again. The red light shined down in my face and was painful to my eyes and my head, but for some reason, I couldn’t look away. Whatever was holding me in place was wound even tighter. Slowly, I was losing control of my ability to move.

I woke up in my room, shivering. She was never seen, but I knew Jade was there in my dream. She wanted this to happen. I’m far away from her, but she won’t leave my head. Then I realized that I wasn’t shaking, the room was. At first I didn’t understand, but upon seeing several things fall over, I knew it was some kind of earthquake. I rolled out of bed and hid under Agent 3’s desk.

Once it subsided, I was hesitant to step out. Once I felt brave enough to, I stepped into the hallway and made sure Marie and the cap’n were okay.

“Did you kids feel that?” the cap’n said.

“Yeah,” Marie was wearing her pajamas. She walked over to her grandfather to give him a hug. “Are you two okay?”

“I’m fine, Marie,” the cap’n said. “Don’t worry.”

“Me too,” I said.

We went back to bed after the quake, but it took me half an hour to calm down enough from my dream and the earthquake to fall asleep again until morning. At least today was training day, so I grabbed my dualies after breakfast and went down to Sheldon’s store in the square.

“GO!”

The targets flew through the air. I shot at them with the charger, but I only managed to only hit one. We were in the back of the shop in the training grounds. Marie and I were both in our agent attires. Sheldon had a machine that threw targets. Marie was finally out and about again, but she seemed different. She didn’t seem up for conversation yesterday, but I saw her come out of one of the kettle’s in Suction Cup Look Out with several Zapfish.

“Splat it!” I said. “Can we just go to the Roller already. I can’t do this.”

“This is like your third try!” said Marie. “It isn’t gonna click immediately.”

“She’s right,” Sheldon said, setting up the next round. “It took Marie a while to master the charger class.”

“And even if you do manage to masterfully hit moving targets, you have to figure out how to balance that with stealth,” Marie continued. She paused for a moment while Sheldon got the machine ready. “Tell me, what do you think about when you're fighting?”

“What’s out on the battlefield,” I said. “I have to take out my targets, or they’ll take me out.”

“You’re vulnerable alone when an enemy is up close, so don’t go into battle alone if you have to. Now, when you see your target, your first instinct is to take it out. That still applies to chargers, but instead of rushing in, you think. Stay calm and try to predict where the target will be and shoot there.”

I sighed. “Fine.” And I held up the charger once more.

“Okay,” said Marie. “Sheldon! GO!”

Sheldon restarted the machine and more targets into the air. I did as she said. I slowed my breathing and focused on purely the targets and their movement.

“Targets up high, shoot them out of the sky,” Marie sang.

And I fired, hitting three out of the five targets.

“Excellent! That was much better!” said Sheldon.

“Three out of five!” I exclaimed. My phone then went off. I saw it said it was 14:00.”

“I’ve gotta get to Grizzco,” I said.

“You’re on shift today?” said Marie.

I nodded. “I think so. Mr. Grizz says he had something planned. So, I should get going.”

“Is that so?” said Sheldon. “Well, I suppose we can continue this session when you get back.”

“Okay,” I said. “I’ll get going now.”

Marie pulled out her parasol.

“Good luck with that,” she said, flatly.

“Oh, wait!” I said. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“It can wait,” Marie said. “I need to get on the set for my new show.” And she walked inside. I couldn’t help but notice how cold she sounded when she said that. Then again, I don’t think she’d talk if I brought up Agent 3, but I needed this information to find Bass.

“She’ll be fine, Erray,” Sheldon said, interrupting my thoughts. “Get to Grizzco before you get in trouble for being late.”

“Okay…” Marie took her time walking inside before closing the door. The cap’n was worried about her. What the shell happened the other night?

Today, I was wearing a black, long sleeved shirt with a purple circle on it that had the number four on it. I found it in a store and the color changed based on my ink color. I thought it was cool, since I was Agent 4. After making sure my shorts and my leggings were on okay and pulled on my sneakers I headed out of Sheldon’s store.

When I got out by the square, I saw that Grizzco was actually closed. A sign that was tacked onto the metal bars that said to meet at Deca Tower.

When I got the square, I saw some Inklings and Octolings arguing outside of The Shoal.

“Very sorry!” said a jellyfish said from outside. “But the manager has disallowed Octolings to enter after sunset until further notice.”

I gasped upon seeing some Cephalopods throwing empty cans.

“This is stupid!”

“It’s discriminatory!”

Security eventually rushed outside and it got pretty ugly. I shook my head and went to Deca Tower. Near the entrance, I could see several new flyers up and it had Pearl and Marina on them.

“Wanna meet us in the flesh? Want to see how we make our music? Prove to us you can be a star, and you might be lucky enough to see our awesome place in a tour and perform during our next Splatfest!”

The date was listed below. It sounded incredible, and I could think of the publicity if I managed to win. Although, I thought I had better chances if I auditioned with someone who knew how to play music. I’ve performed before, but someone was always with me and thought of going on stage alone was frightening.

Wait. I know a certain captain…,/i> I thought.

The sign at Deca Tower had the limited schedule displayed. It wasn’t supposed to open for a few hours but it was open.

“Meow!” Judd said, upon me getting in. I was a little surprised until I saw it was just him. “Your boss is waiting in Lobby 4. She and some of her employees brought a lot of purrty weapons with her.”

“Okay,” I said. “Thank-you, Judd.”

It seemed like almost everyone from Squad 7 was here, and yes, even the Octolings. I tried not to make eye contact with them as I sat next to Char, but I could still feel their eyes on me. Hopefully, Anemy would come in here any minute now to break the ice.

Where is she, anyway? I thought.

“Holy carp!” I heard from outside. “This is awesome!” I saw her silhouette in the doorway to the lobby. Judd was there, too and she was holding up her player card. “Oh my cod! Rank B?! YES!”

“I guess the captain reached B Rank in some of the private battles she had…” Char said, chuckling.

I covered my mouth and tried not to laugh out loud. I had almost forgotten that she has never really battled at Deca Tower before. After it the captain sounded like she calmed down, she walked into the lobby with Mr. Grizz’s radio and set it down. The chatter slowed and eventually went silent. Anemy threw her empty soda can into the trash.

“Okay, guys,” she said, putting on hand on her hip. “You’re all probably wondering why you’re here today instead of Grizzco. Well, I was going to say why, but the boss wants to say it instead.” Anemy switched the radio on and took a step back.

“Hello, employees.” He sounded a little more grumpy than usual. “You’re probably wondering why I had you come here instead of you all being out there gettin’ me those Golden Eggs. I’ve filled in the other squads, and they’re here in the other lobbies. For those of you who weren’t with Ms. Arowana, yesterday, the Salmonids are gettin’ smarter. They were ready for some of my other workers and she, along with Mr. Trow, Mr. Treva, and little Oscar there had to go rescue and they messed with my cannons! And because of some… ‘issues,’ in recent events regarding the employees,” I tried not make any eye contact with the Octolings, but I think Oscar was rubbing his wrist, “I decided that this would be more efficient while we wait for the guy I have making weapons to finish up.”

“So, we’re going to play here today instead?” said Oscar.

“I’m gonna say it like it is right now,” said Mr. Grizz. “I know what just came out on TV, and I haven’t forgotten what's happened in my own company, but you what? I don’t give a Fly Fish if you’re a squid or an octopus! All I care about is that you get me those Golden Eggs… oh, and, uh, give Inkopolis a better tomorrow and all that. So, Ms. Arowana thought that this would be a good opportunity to bring the squad out for some… ugh… Team bonding.”

Some of the employees cheered.

“Oh boy…” I said. It sounded nice, but I wasn’t sure how the Octarians would feel.

“The cat said that what you do here today won’t affect your rank no matter how much you win or lose today,” Mr. Grizz continued, “but because of the Great Zapfish being missing, we have to power the Spawn Points with our own Zapfishes. Everyone here will be playing at least three times today before we go home, or the games will end if we run out of power. So, I want to see your best moves out there today! NO SLACKING OFF! This is training? Understood?”

“Yes, Mr. Grizz,” we all said.

“Alright. Now get yourselves to our battlefield.”

After we all went into the grate to our destination, we appeared in a new area that looked like it was in the suburbs, but we were under some giant train tracks. The ground sloped inward past the Spawn Point with a flat center and a small river of water ran through the stage, with several platforms scattered throughout the place. There were large areas for taking turf on the left and right side of the stage. Outside of this place, there were more train tracks but they were smaller. Several jellyfish could be seen doing construction from far away. A few skateboards were left around here.

As soon as the rest of the squad was out here, Anemy Super Jumped to a high point. We could hear Mr. Grizz over on the intercom.

“Alright, workers. Welcome to the Snapper Canal. We’re going to have you play various matches from ranked battles. This won’t be your average walk in the park, instead of taking out your weapons, I will select a weapon for you. Hopefully, we can find some of your strengths and weaknesses to bring out your full potential, so we strike back against those vicious Salmonids. Each of you will take turns competing and Ms. Arowana will oversee your progress. The same goes to the captains of the other squads who are overseeing the progress of their own on other stages. Are we clear?”

“Yes, sir!” the employees all said. I looked at the others and nodded.

“Alright, so I know you guys have all been gettin’ friendly with each other, so I decided to call in some volunteers who don’t work here for a fresh fight. Ms. Arowana will announce who will be up first in a few minutes, so get ready! NO SLACKING OFF!”

The other employees started chatting and sitting around on the sidelines or high off the ground with jellyfish spectators.

“How long do you think we’ll be here for?” I said.

“Probably the rest of the afternoon,” Char said. He stepped over to the edge of the platform and squatted down to view the water below us. My skin crawled at how close to water he was, but yet, he was standing there like it was nothing. I slowly approached to find the guts to look over and be brave. The mere sight of the water below was making me tremble. “Hey. There’s some ducks down there.”

I saw four. One was brown, with green feathers on its head. The others were still young, so they were yellow and looked fluffy.

“Oh yeah,” I said, shyly.

“Um, I find it if… you maintain your focus on other things, it takes away fear from the water a bit,” said Char.

“Oh.” He narrowed his neon violet eyes slightly, watching the smaller ducks learn to swim on their own.

“I don’t blame you for your opinion, you know,” he went on. His statement shocked me, making me step back a little. I made sure to be careful.

“I used to have the same opinion you did,” he said.

I actually didn’t know Char all that well, but Anemy seemed to trust him enough to let him be on first call when on shifts. He led some of the new recruits and watched over Oscar when the captains or Mr. Grizz weren’t around.

“Um, if you don’t mind me asking…” My sneaker scraped against the dirt as I hid my hands behind myself. “Why did you hate the…” I lowered my voice to a whisper, “Octarians?”

“Well,” he grunted a little as he stood up and dusted his sweater which had hues of red, whites and grays, with the main of it being a very dark grey on the front and white on the back. Only one end of his left sleeve was red. “I live in an inn and there’s lots of kinds of creatures who come and go in there.” He stretched before turning to me. “We had some disputes a while back when they passed the law allowing Octarians to return to the surface and then there was this… incident. And-” Char then leaned to the side a bit and looked appalled. “Who the shell is that?”

I finally registered the sound of footsteps and I turned to see Angel, where some white sneakers today and a white t-shirt with a pink arrow. There was a single gold earring on her right ear. She had a Splat Brella, but was smaller and was all black. It actually looked like a regular umbrella, but it definitely looked like it could shoot. She had it open, but held over her head like it was a normal umbrella to protect herself from the sun.

“Angel?”

“Hey,” she said, softly.

“H-How’s it going,” I began to walk towards her. “Hang on a sec, I-”

I turned to Char, but found that he had left.

“Who was there?” said Angel.

“Uh, don’t worry about it!” I said, waving it off. “So, you’re volunteering her today?”

“Um, yes,” Angel said. “You can put it like that? L-Listen.” She looked down slightly and put her finger on her chin as if thinking. “I need to talk to you about something.”

“Is it about Bass? Did you find him?”

“C-Can we talk in private?” she said. “I don’t want anyone else to hear.”

“Um, sure,” I said.

Angel turned away and I followed after her. She seemed okay, but that little squid charm that was tied to her necklace was yellow, as if she were nervous. We went around this corner that was covered with a tarp. It was a small, narrow path on the edge of the stage, and then we went down to the ground below, near a small platform that, with ink, was climbable.

“I don’t think there’s anyone here…” I said. I hoped Angel was okay. “So what did you want to talk about.”

“I’m sorry,” Angel said, her eyes went soft as she slowly twirled her umbrella.

“What?”

“UGH! Finally!”

My ink ran cold upon seeing Vichay come out from behind the small platform. She didn’t have any leads on Bass right now, did she? This was just a trap.

“Angel, what the shell?!” I yelled.

“Murch called her after we left,” she said, sadly.

“And shame on you for keeping this from me!” Vichay said, sharply. Angel winced at her pointing.

“Leave her alone!” I snapped. Vichay then turned her head to face me. I lightly grabbed the tip of the neck part of my shirt. A bead of sweat went down my neck. I looked up, but it didn’t look good to jump far away from this place, with the train track bridges above us.

“And I wouldn’t try Super Jumping away from here again!” said Vichay. “Unless you want to hit your head, that is.”

My fingers brushed over the scar of when I was tossed into that metal shelf all that time ago. It had long healed and it was conveniently covered by that one tentacle that hung on the side of my head. I lowered my hand, maintain my glare at Vichay.

“So, what brought you to town, Vichay?” I said, angrily.

Vichay stopped. It looked like she was about explode, but she swallowed hard. She just stood there, staring at me for a whole minute.

“Vich… ay?” said Angel.

“You know I’ve been searching for you,” said Vichay. “I’ve spent two whole years searching for you! And here you are, working for some shady business? You said you wanted to be a musician!”

Those words echoed through my mind. It brought back the memory of what I saw yesterday when I was fighting those Salmonoids and those Octolings showed up.

“Well, you wasted your time,” I said, coldly. “I still do want to be a musician. But… something else got in the way.”

“Like what?” said Vichay.

“I…”

“So, it didn’t work out, didn’t it?” She put her hands on her hips. “This is exactly why grandpa didn’t want you to come out here!”

“I came out here alone, because none of you would listen to a word I said!” I snapped.

Vichay walked over and put a hand on my shoulders. The mere touch of her was enough to almost make me tear up, but I maintained my glare. I refused to let her see me cry.

“We only said that, because we care about you,” Vichay said, her voice softening. “You’re our brother, Erray. Please. Come with me.”

I sighed. “I can’t.” I shook my head. “No. I won’t. And even if I wanted to, I’ve got things to do here in Inkopolis!”

“Like what?!” said Vichay. “You’ve been mucking around in Salmonid territory, interfering with their habitats and getting into trouble. And don’t think I haven’t heard of your tendencies around the Octarians. I know grandpa fought in the war, and Ceviché is kind of set in his ways, but when in the world did you inherit grandpa’s world views?!”

“Listen,” I said, brushing her hand away. “I’ve got more important things to do than worrying about my career choice right now.”

Vichay scowled, her anger rushing back to her. “Since when did you find it appropriate to disobey your older sisters. The same ones who have looked after you after we moved in with Grandpa?”

“I’m not going home!” I stomped my foot in the ground. “I don’t want to!”

“You don’t know what you want, Erray!” said Vichay. “You’re coming with me, even if I have to pick you up, kicking and screaming like when you were little!”

“That’s your problem!” I said forming fists. “You and Cici won’t stop treating me like a baby! You followed me across the country!” Murch, an urchin possibly involved in criminal affairs entered my mind. Vichay wanted to be a journalist, but would she do this?! “You resorted talking with criminals to find me!” The sting of tears entered my eyes. “I…” My hand tightly gripped my shoulder. “And after everything I’ve been through, you want me to just drop it?! I… I DON’T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!”

Vichay gasped. A small layer of green tears escaped from her eyes. Angel was left speechless, covering her mouth.

I had shut my eyes when I shouted. I could let her see my eyes. Not when I was angry.

“I didn’t come to Inkopolis for the sole purpose of journalism…” said Vichay.

“Vichay!” Angel's voice interrupted the both of us. She stepped forward, pulling her away from me. “How can you say such a thing? You’ve believed in my singing since we moved in together.”

Vichay turned towards Angel, putting her hands on her hips.

“Angel this a Trow matter!” she said. “This doesn’t involve you!”

Angel gasped. She held her umbrella close, lowering it to cover her face… and she said nothing else.

“You are about to fight as a volunteer to train Grizzco employees, right?” I said.

“Yeah, so I could see you. But now-”

“Then, we’ll fight!” I said, sharply. “Each employee is going to play three times. Best two of three wins!”

This was a perfect idea. Finally, a chance to show Vichay how much I’ve improved. If only Cici was here, too…

“Fine,” Vichay said, flatly.

“Good!” I said, angrily. “If I win, you back off, and get the shell out of my life!” And with that, I stormed back towards the other employees.

“Fine!” I heard Vichay yell from afar.

I pulled out my facemask and it covered my mouth as I put it on. I prayed that my training instincts would get me through this. As I walked back, I could see Anemy briefly peek over from atop the high ledge she was watching from, before leaving my sight once more.

I managed to make it back to the Spawn Point, but it turned that Angel had followed me. She was shocked when I turned to her ,still looking mad, but it made me feel bad for scaring her. The pink ink colored girl straightened out her white shirt and brown skirt before speaking.

“I’m… sorry,” she said, softly. “I’ve… never witnessed you being that… aggressive. Did you really have to be so mean?”

“Yes, I did…” I grumbled. I sat down at some benches stationed on the sidelines as some of the jellyfish were getting the stage ready. “Vichay has always been really... persistent when she wanted something. If I have to splat her in the face to make her go away, so be it.”

Angel sighed, her teeth showing slightly, but she gulped and twirled her umbrella.

“Erray, there’s more than what you think Vichay is going on about,” Angel said, calmly. I looked up a little and saw her squid charm briefly turn red. “You see-”

“Okay, everyone!” Grizz said over the intercom. “The first four get to spawn for your ink tanks. Chace Inkerman, Coral Reefera, Erray Trow, and Olivia Macky.”

Once our ink tanks were on our backs we stood at the Spawn Point. Vichay was probably over across from us. I knew Coral as a kind of a shy Inkling. Chace was an employee I didn’t see often, so I assumed he worked the night shift. Olivia was an Octoling, though, and she was eying me with her brown eyes.

We rose out of the ink with our color blue, and each of us had a random weapon. I had a Splat Roller, Chace had a Tentatek Splattershot, Coral had a Rapid Blaster and she smiled, since I knew she used Blasters a lot, and Olivia had a Bloblobber. That’s what I heard it was called and Sheldon said it was in the Slosher class.

“Just don’t get in my way…” Olivia grumbled at me.

“Okay,” Char said, over the intercom. “The captain’s taking a nap, so she let me announce this round. We’re going to be doing the Rank Battle, Splat Zones. For those of you who’ve never played Splat Zones, the game is really simple. It’s like Turf Wars, except you need to maintain control over one area. The area is outlined with purple light in the middle. Maintain control for at least 100 seconds in total and you win.”

Everyone raised their weapons.

“Ready? GO!”

I raced ahead, rushing towards the center of the map. From above, I could see blue bubbles tumbling down from above into the highlighted area in the middle. That was probably the Splat Zone. I tried to cover as much turf as I can around it, while Chace tried to maintain control over the path to the enemy side.

“Booyah!” I heard over and over again several times.

“Run!” Coral said, pulling me away. We swam away in the ink until we were a safe distance. Vichay was in the air charging a ball of light and then threw it towards us. Chace had already been splatted, so we kept our distance as the light landed in the Splat Zone causing a large explosion. The ink coverage was enough to turn the make zone switch to the opponents green color.

“What was that?!” I said.

“That’s a Booyah Bomb!” Olivia said, from the ledge above. It depends on your team to power it up, and-”

Vichay shot upward towards, holding a Splattershot Pro. Olivia got his with some ink but managed to turn into an octopus and swim away.

“Away with you!”

Vichay cried out as she was splatted by Coral who snuck up with her blaster. The clock was ticking, and everyone regrouped and I saw Coral and Olivia’s hair glowing with their specials as we ran for cover.

“Wait! That gives me an idea!” I said. “Chace, let’s get out specials!”

Chace and I covered turf to gather our energy and then we ran back towards the Splat Zone. Vichay's teammates were trying to get ahead, when I stood on top of the highest platform on our side with Chace and the others.

“CHARGE!” Chace yelled. His voice knocked me over the edge he and flew into the air on and Inkjet and started to shoot downward. An Inkling who tried to attack me was splatted by the Chace’s ink jet that was keeping him the air. Olivia threw down and Ink Storm and it started raining down blue ink as she charged in, throwing down an ink wall to guard herself from inkcoming fire.

Coral moved forward with me while I covered turf with my roller. She was throwing Splat Bombs left and right taking out our opponents. We finally took control of the zone. Olivia stood on the platform in the middle

I was nearly splatted by another roller, but managed to round a corner with only ink on my shoulder and my leg. Holding the Roller’s handle near me, I saw Olivia get taken out by Vichay who flanked her from the side. A curling bomb flew out from my hand and I swam as a squid in its path, just barely able to dodge in the inkcoming enemy fire. Once it exploded, I rose into the air, with the power of Splash Down took out the team of enemies around me, taking back control of the Splat Zone.

“Oh yeah?!”

Vichay was right behind us. She was covered in blue ink, but still standing, with her hair glowing. Her hand began to glow with a ball of light.

Olivia gasped. “Booyah Bomb…” she whispered. Everyone was getting ready to run, but time was almost up. We didn’t need another delay.

“NO!” I turned into a squid and super jumped right at her, pushing us both into the canal. The water stung like acid, but at least we’d respawn.

As soon as I stood up from the Spawn Point I heard the whistle go off. From what I could see, the match was ours.

“Sorry, Vichay…” I said, still shivering from the water’s sensation.

“And the winner is… Blue Team!” said Char.

Everyone met back at the Spawn Point and the employees cheered. We returned our ink colors to how we liked and Olivia followed the group, slowly. She was eyeing me again. It made me step back when she came up towards me, but something seemed different about her. She had a smirk as she returned her weapon to the employees handling distribution.

“Pushing yourself into the enemy…” she said. “That was a bold move, Trow.”

I handed my Roller back to the an employee collecting them. Then I looked back at her, pulling down my facemask.

“Um… I-”

“I dig it,” she said, with a small hop. Her hands were on her hips. “I don’t what your problem is with Octolings, but at least you get the job done. Hopefully, we can get along.” She gave me a pat on the shoulder before walking off.

“Uh, bye,” I said, shyly.

Well, that wasn’t so bad, I thought.

The next match began for other Inklings and Octolings. It was still Splat Zones, but as soon as everyone else went, we’d move on to another mode. I took off my facemask and decided to go up the tower to check on things.

Anemy had a small picnic laid out. She lying under a parasol, sound asleep. It looked like she had brought some instruments in cases, snacks, and of course, sodas. Char was on the edge, observing the action.

“The captain had another long night…” said Char.

I looked over at her for brief moment. She did have bags under her eyes. My hearts skipped a beat.

“Is she okay?” I said.

“I guess so,” Char said, looking back at her. “She’s pulled all nighters before, but she and Grizz are having a hard time maintaining enough power. Without the Great Zapfish, it’s been getting harder to go on shifts and the regular Zapfish we have need to rest for a while when they’re done giving us power. This thing with the Salmonoids taking over the Lost Outpost is the last thing we need right now.”

Vichay was on the other side of arena with the other volunteers. Most of them were chatting or on their phones. She was staring at me from all the way over there. Angel was sitting next to her nervously looking away from her.

“Well, you’re the center of attention today, huh?” said Char.

I sat down on the edge. As soon as I did, Char did joined me.

“It’s my fault we’re out here training,” I mumbled, pulling my knees to my chest. “You wouldn’t understand.”

Char patted my back.

“Uh… you wouldn’t happen to be involved in one of those Octarian extremist attacks, would you?”

One of my hand drifted to my shoulder and the other on my leg. The wounds had long healed by now, but the memory was still clear in my head.

“So, you’ve heard?” I said.

“It’s been on TV the past few days,” said Char. “A lot of stores aren’t letting Octoling in, and it’s making a lot of people angry.”

I took deep breaths to calm myself, before settling my hands back in my lap.

“I… don’t really want to talk about it.”

Char opened his mouth to speak, but then he stopped. Hopefully, he respected my wishes… unlike Vichay.

“Well, did the captain give you that card?” he said.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the card.

“How do you know about that?” I said.

“I asked after she was done lecturing you the other day. You should see Dr. Tuna. She helped me through some stuff.”

“I dunno,” I said, frowning.

Char rolled his eyes as he stood up. “You’re not crazy for seeing a professional…” he said, sighing.

I stared downward as he left me to myself. It wasn’t thinking I was crazy. I feared that if I went, I’d have to tell his “Dr. Tina Tuna” everything, including about the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Although, I couldn’t ignore the nervous urges I had to be ready to fight at every turn. Then I laid down, trying to relax, realizing that a lot of my muscles were sore from being tense.

I blew the one tentacle the landed on my face out of the way. Geez, I was a nervous wreck, I realized. But, that’s why I loved music. It always helped, even before I left Grandpa, Cici and Vichay and before the Octarians...

After a short nap, Char woke me up just in time for the next mode. It was something called Tower Control.

“Okay,” Char said, over the intercom. “The goal of Tower Control is to ride the tower that station in the middle.” The tower wasn’t very tall, but the bottom part was box shaped and the top of it had a very thin pillar. Even so, I could see it had lights. Both the bottom and top of it had arrows crossing each other with writing. “Ride the tower into the enemy’s base. There will be checkpoints that will make the tower stop for a bit. At least one of you must be riding the tower for it to move. If not, it will simply move back towards the center. The first team to get the tower into the enemy’s base, or gets it close enough when time runs out, is the winner.”

It seems I was with Char this time, since he jumped down immediately after he done making the announcements. He got a Mini Splatling. Splatlings are kind of like chargers, except they’re heavy and when you charge them up they unleash a rapid fire barrage of ink from a rotating barrel. A Squelcher was given to Gill, and Oscar had a slosher, but it was all black and kind of looked like a mini washing machine. As for me, I got a weapon I was kind of familiar with. They were Dualies, but the they were the same color as Oscar’s slosher. This time we were the yellow team. I put my facemask back on.

“Kensa set!” said Char. “Nice.”

Once the buzzer went off, I immediately started rushing towards the tower. Once I was almost there, swimming in my trail of ink, I was met with a suction bomb in front of me.

“WHOA!” I managed to stop in time and flip backwards when it exploded with light blue ink. I managed to make to the tower, but enemy ink was shooting at me from the other side of the tower from both sides, so even if I climbed up, I’d get splatted. A charger was to my left and someone with a what think was a Squelcher was to my right. I couldn’t tell who they were exactly, since I was hiding.

I had enough ink to through one Splat Bomb and the other caught up eventually to help. GIll threw a cloud of toxic mist at the sniper and Oscar raced in and threw shots over the tower to hit the other shooter. I managed to climbed on the tower and hung on to the pillar as it suddenly started moving towards the enemy base. It seemed it was on this set line. The sniper managed to stay out of Gill’s toxic cloud and shot him down. I turned back into a squid and ducked in the ink. Oscar’s signal came from far away, telling me he was also splatted.

I stood up, occasionally throwing a Splat Bomb when I had enough ink. Then, several bubbles that were huge began floating towards me. They were light blue colored.

“What?”

“ERRAY! GET DOWN!” Char yelled. He tried shooting at them, which were making them shrink at little, but other team was shooting back and it was three on one. I yelped as they exploded and I slipped, falling face first into my own ink, but explosions still managed to splat me.

Once I respond I saw the tower going the other way, towards our base. There were more of those giant bubbles heading our way, but Char was launching the Tenta Missiles at them. There was a ramp that could be used to jump over the canal, to the other side, so I went towards it, since that’s was wearing the tower was heading. Oscar was following behind.

Someone was distracted, throwing a barrage of bombs. Since his back was turned, Oscar took him out laughing, and I went for the tower, taking back turf. Once I had enough energy, I soared into the air on an inkjet, splatting the one on the tower, but an Octoling showed up with an N-Zap and started shooting me while I was in the air. I was so flustered, I could get a good hit in and was splatted once again.

With an annoyed growl I rushed in from the spawn again, when missiles started raining down. I covered the blasts they left behind, hoping to charge up my special ability again and this time went to the right of the Spawn Point. I ended up on a grate, but it was a good vantage point to see Oscar use Splashdown on after jumping off Char’s back an onto the tower. Gill shot another round of missiles. Just when it seemed clear a rapid fire of from a blaster near splatted me. I stumbled away, only to get blasted by yet another exploding bubble.

At least, it looked like Oscar was holding his own out there, long enough to keep the tower away from the base. Once I made back into the fray, I saw that it was an Inkling girl who had the Blaster. I think Oscar had already been splatted by her. She then busted out this giant stamp maker and started marching around the arena taking out whoever got in her way. Shooting was still possible, but she then hid behind some crates, where I thought she was done. Then, she sent the mallet flying towards me.

I barely managed to dodge before I fell down a level. I was still in the area where my base was, but I landed in enemy ink. Vichay started rushing towards me with her brush, but I left a Suction Bomb just for her before she could get me and we both went down.

I super jumped near the tower, where Char had been standing. Immediately, after landed I summoned the baller, which locked me in a plastic ball that left ink wherever I walked. So, made it to the top of the tower and used the remaining power to make it explode. The enemies around me were gone, but then I heard the buzzer again just before I set a foot on it. We were barely back on the way towards the enemy’s base.

“This round goes to the light blue team!” Char had to soar back up to the tower to pass judgement.

I leapt off the tower, stumbling a bit from feeling exhausted after being splatted so many times. A bomb was thrown down in frustration. After I handed my weapon back, I took off my mask and sat down on the bench. It wasn’t long before the ink from our match cleared and the next teams began to play their rounds. Of course this had to end with one point each for both Vichay and I…

There was no way… I thought. There’s no way I was going to bow down to her. She had to understand. I wasn’t a child anymore.

By sunset, it looked like the next round was almost here. The mic kept going off with sound of fumbling. Char had just came down from announcing that the next round was going to Rainmaker, so maybe Anemy had woken up. My suspicion was confirmed when I heard her voice… and music.

Chapter Text

“CALLIE! CALLIE!”

Callie was standing outside of the studio as she gazed up at Inkopolis Tower. The sun was shining bright, even as it began to set and the sky turned pink, her favorite color. She had found herself staring at it a lot, lately. Then some excited fans had walked up to her, while she sat on the railing, just outside the window to the studio.

“Oh my cod! Can we have your autograph?!”

Callie giggled. She reached into her bag for a pen.

“Sure. Who should I make it out to?”

The Squid Sister began signing some of the fans' things, then one of them screamed.

“IT’S MARIE!”

Immediately, the binder she was signing was snatched away and Callie gasped, slightly. The entire crowd, along with a bunch of others ran up to Marie, who had finally walked out of the studio for the night. There was shouting, praise and screaming.

Callie stood there, her hands behind her back… alone. It had been like this ever since Marie won their last Splatfest. She pulled out her phone.

“I’ll meet you at home,” she texted. After that, she walked past the crowd, none of them even batting an eye as she stepped down from the high platform.

Callie’s mind was foggy after what had just happened. She remembered being dragged, her hands once again bound, into darkness. They also bound her legs and didn’t give her the privilege of walking anymore as she was hoisted over an Octoling’s shoulder before they carried her back.

She didn’t remember where they took her, nor did she care. After what she just saw what Agent 3 had become capable of: Able to feel fine leaving her in the hands of the enemy. At least, that was what she assumed. Agent 3 wouldn’t leave by herself to fall... right?

Her body and her mind felt completely numb, even when they threw her into what she could only assume was a cell. It was mostly dark, with fuschia colored lights shining down from the high points of the walls. Even then, it was still pretty dark. There was a bed on the right and left side.

Callie’s face fell flat on the floor. The binds on her wrists and ankles had been taken off, but she just laid there, pink tears emerging from her eyes. She felt so stupid. She should’ve just fled from Octarian territory while she had the chance.

Agent 3 gave me a chance and I didn’t listen… Callie thought. She curled up, pulling her hands close to her head. Her eyes closed as warm tears emerged from her eyes once more. Marie was right… Her hands balled up into fists and she slammed one into the stone cold ground. “She’s always… right!” She hiccuped on a sob. “She’s always… right…” she said once more. This time it sounded weaker, before she started crying softly until she fell asleep.

“Al, knock it off!”

Jade laughed out loud as she was spun around on her swivel chair, getting dragged around by one of her fellow soldiers. He was an Octoling, obviously. Two locks of his fuschia hair hung down from the sides of his face, with a short one in the front and the last one was tied back, but very long. His shoulders were pretty broad and he wore a black coat, over a gray shirt. His black shorts only went down to his knees and his black boots were tied with fuschia colored shoelaces.

Finally, her friend let up and was pushed back to her seat by the security screens. He smiled, gazing at her with his brown eyes, seeing her laugh. The other employees, which were mostly Octo Troopers, started laughing, as well.

“Alright, who’s next?” he then said.

“Alex, this isn’t the time for that,” Jade said, turning back to him to face her screens once more.

“Just thought I’d cheer you up a little…” Alex said, waltzing over with a shrug. “How’s the boss, anyway? I heard some stuff. Is this why we’re on lockdown?”

Jade watched footage of Callie’s cell on her screen.

“It seems like a certain someone is back at it again…” she said.

“Oh my cod… Is it Agent 3?” Alex said, rolling his eyes. He sat down on the desk next to her.

“Who else?” Jade said, sighing. “Tried to kill the general. That’s why we headed straight to the main HQ here and he’s in the infirmary right now.”

“And that’s why we’re on lockdown…” Alex then figured out.

“Well, I sent some people out to look for any signs of our target, but nothing’s come up yet.” Jade put on her headphones to briefly hear the audio. Callie was crying, still on the floor.

“She’s always… right! She’s always… right…”

Jade squinted, pulling up a document on another screen and typing.

“Subject… seems… unstable…” she muttered.

“So, when do we call the Splatoon and tell them we have one of their agents?” said Alex.

“We don’t,” Jade said, as she continued jotting down notes. “The general wants to keep her alive.”

“Oh, right! Because of her power… But, you know, you’ve been working almost all night. Sure, you don’t wanna get some rest?”

Jade sighed. “I’m fine.”

“Jade, you have bags under your eyes.”

The girl stopped for a moment. Alex put a hand on her shoulder.

“Al…”

“Is this about Erray?”

“I said ‘Stop him!’” Jade said, standing up from her desk. “I didn’t mean to kill him.”

“He was getting away and attacking us!” said Alex. “It’s protocall. Why do you care? He’s an Inkling!”

“I don’t!” Jade snapped. “I’m upset because you disobeyed!”

Alex sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Look, I’m pretty sure we’re still looking for him.”

“We don’t need him. Besides, we still have the code. I’m gonna check on the general and then go to bed, alright?”

“Alright,” Alex said.

Jade stood from her chair and headed out of the security room. Her feet kind of dragged on the black metal flooring as made her way to the lower levels of the base. The parts only for the staff were illuminated with normal colored lights, so it helped keep Jade awake.

Jade made it into the infirmary and walked up to one of the doctors in charge. She was just coming out from one of the doors and walked down the hall. Her hair was fuschia and very long, but the locks grew then on the ends. Her eyes were a sharp color of yellow and she neatly wore a white lab coat.

“Ms. Lumin? Is something the matter?” she said.

“Oh, no,” said Jade. “I just wanted to check on the general.”

“Not to worry,” she responded. “The shot didn’t hit anything serious. He has to stay in his octopus form until it heals, though. He’s resting now, but you can visit him in the morning. Oh. But he did have something he wanted me to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“He wanted you to explain this to the other soldiers, too. He said to treat our ‘guest’ with some respect.”

“What?!” Jade’s eye twitched. “Are you talking about the Squid Sister. But… she’s-”

“Important to General Octavio’s plan,” the doctor chimed in. “Yes, we could just force her to help us, but it’s easier to just convince her.”

Jade placed a hand on her chin. “True…” she said. “I was wondering why we were left to do so much research on the Squid Sisters. Are you sure I can’t see Octavio now?”

The doctor shook her head. “Sorry. You have to come back in the morning.”

Jade sighed. It had been two years since she saw her general, but she nodded. She had waited all this time, so she could wait one more night.

“Thanks, Dr. Pygma,” she said. She turned away and left the infirmary.

On the way to her quarters, she had to pass by the prison hold. So, she passed by Callie’s cell. The door was made of one way glass, so to Callie, she could only see black, but to Jade, she could see her lying on the ground, totally asleep. The soldier pressed her hands against the glass, staring down at the Inkling with a glare. Her tears stained the floor, her hands were balled up into fists, and her sweater and her two locks of hair were sprawled out on the floor.

Jade sighed. She looked so… pathetic. Her fist shook, reminding her of something… familiar. She shook her head and rubbed her face.

Sympathy? she thought. Nah. I’m just tired.

She turned to leave, only to stop. She glared, her teeth beginning to show. The Octoling growled until she kicked the wall across from Callie’s cell.

“Cod dammit…” she grumbled.

She swung open the cell, surprised that her kicking didn’t wake her. The Squid Sister was the only prisoner they had at the moment. Jade knelt down and gathered the Inkling in her arms, lifting her off the ground. She kept her eyes shut with a huge frown on her face as she placed Callie on the bed to the right. After that, Jade turned away and stepped out of the cell, locking it once more.

“Splat you, Erray…” Jade grumbled, as she walked towards her quarters. Upon reaching it, though, she decided to walk past it and headed to another room near the top of the fortress.

Countless music equipment was scattered around the blue carpet: A guitar, a keytar, a tamborine, and a violin. There was also music books among them. On the left side of the room, up against the gray walls that hung family photos was a keyboard and a set of turntables. Star streamers hung down from the ceiling and glowed. The computer on the right, that was on a desk with bookshelves and a printer beside it was covered under a thick layer of dust. At the back of the room, between two narrow windows that showed a view of the night screen sky was a giant bed with red sheets. The pillows were red too and lots of old notes had been left there.

Jade sat down on the bed, gazing at the family photos that had Octavio in it and two young little Octolings. She fell back onto the sheets, lifted her right hand, and briefly saw the gold band of a ring around her finger, before letting her hand fall beside her. A sigh escaped from her as she closed her eyes and drifted off.

Marie always has crowds of fans around her… Callie thought. She had already awoken, but hadn’t dared to move from the bed Jade had placed her in last night. Her body felt incredibly sluggish, the sheets were sticking to her sweaty face, and she was freezing. The girl snuggled into her pillow, trying to go back to sleep. She was curious as to how she got on the bed, but she didn’t really care right now.

Maybe, I’m just… not good enough anymore… Callie thought.

Outside, she could hear footsteps get louder and then softer. Sometimes she heard the small humming of Octo Troopers passing by on their vehicles. She stared at the ceiling, pulling the ends of her sweater closer, like a blanket.

The door to her cell opened slowly and Jade stepped in with a tray. Callie sat up immediately, despite the room swaying a little. The Octoling from earlier had come back, but she didn’t look like she was here to taunt or torture her. Even though the food Jade brought in looked decent, she grimaced at the mere sight of it: Some sliced sandwiches and an apple.

“What’s wrong?” Jade said, her voice blunt. She was told to be nice, but she wasn’t going to be genuine about it. That was what she wanted. The soldier rolled her eyes. “You haven’t eaten all night.”

Callie covered her mouth. “Urp!”

“Aw, carp!” She dropped the tray and ran outside of the cell and came back in with a trash can. “Carp, carp, carp!” she yelled, under her breath as she handed the trash can to Callie. Jade looked away, covering her mouth as she heard Callie throw up.

Great, this is just what I need right now, Jade thought. As Callie set the can down she nearly fell over. Jade ran in and caught her head, laying her against the pillow. With her shivering, and her forehead nearly to the point of burning, the soldier couldn’t deny it. Callie was sick.

Jade backed away slowly, heading to the door.

“I’m getting someone. Don’t you dare even move!” Jade practically shouted.

Tears escaped from Callie’s eyes as she shivered, curling up into a ball.

“Yes…” she could only whimper. She jumped as the door slammed shut and the darkness in the room was not helping her fear. She was sick, and she knew it. She was trapped in foreign land against her will, and she was sick.

Callie wanted to get up. She wanted to try and find a way out, but she was too weak, too tired, too upset, and too sick. Her face was buried in her pillow and she sobbed quietly, crying out for her grandfather, her cousin, even Agent 3.

She didn’t hear the door open again minutes later, she didn’t hear footsteps of someone approaching her bed, and she didn’t care who heard her as she muttered “3…” over and over again. She did care, however, when a pair of hands picked her up and she was lifted over an Octoling’s shoulder.. Callie’s eyes snapped open and she reached out for the bed, only to pull off the blanket.

Callie started squirming, but the Octoling carrying her refused to let go. Her agent instincts entered her mind and she kneed the Octo in the chest, making him cry out and they fell to the floor. Once again she kicked him to the side, so he’d get off her body and she turned onto her stomach, hoping to stand. She leaned onto the cold, metal wall and her eyes met with the dim lights that still managed to be too much for her vision at the moment.

Callie took a step. She was sure she wasn’t in her squid form, but her legs felt like jelly. The girl looked forward, just in time to see two figures jump at her and pin down, her back hitting the floor. Her hands managed to reach around and grabbed the backs of her enemies’ heads and smacked them together. The Squid Sister only managed to sit up before she was forced onto the ground again. Her arms were pinned down by her wrists. When she tried to kick, her legs were pushed down and she yelped when she felt a knee hit her back.

“DON’T YOU EVEN MOVE!” the voice of one of the soldiers rendered her paralyzed with fear. Her face felt strangely cool against the floor. She didn’t even realize she was panting, and she wondered when these soldiers would get off of her. Then she heard footsteps approaching quickly and felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck briefly. Callie cried out in terror, her urge to break out from the grip returning, but that was also just as brief. Her vision blurred, she felt increasingly tired, her attempt to lift her head was met with dizziness and it sank once more as everything went dark.

Jade kept her mouth covered the whole time. Dr. Pygma was behind the door that Jade sat outside from in the infirmary. She paced back and forth and tried sitting down only to tap her foot tentatively. She had put hand sanitizer on herself at least three times after having to touch that sick Squid, and thought of Jade catching whatever she had, sending chills down her spine.

After what felt like forever, Dr. Pygma finally stepped out from the door, and pulled down her facemask. Jade stood up just then, making contact with the doctor’s sharp yellow eyes.

“S-So?” Jade wanted to kick herself for sounding worried.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” the doctor responded, writing on her clipboard. “Our ‘guest’ just has a case of the flu. Now, because she’s an Inkling, I’m not sure if it's cross species, so we should be careful.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a facemask for Jade.

Once they were ready, they walked back in. A private room, with no windows, had been set up for the Squid Sister. They walked across the white floors and over to the bed, where Callie was resting. There were curtains to surround the bed if need be. The walls were also painted white, but had several landscape drawings of different domes and some of them had little Octo Troopers on them. The light’s had been adjusted to be dim enough to make their patient relax, but bright enough so they could see. There was also a camera in the corner of the room to keep an eye on the Squid Sister.

Callie’s little pink beanie had been taken off and set aside on the table next to her, including her matching sweater. Jade could see her little bow that Callie’s two long tentacles had been tied into. A thermometer was in her mouth and a cooling pad was on her forehead and the blankets had been pulled over her body.

“It can be hard to get fevers down on a Cephalopod,” Pygma said. “Ice packs and washcloths are a staple for treating fevers, but water isn’t good for Octolings and Inklings. So, I had to dig through and find a cooling pad, put it in the freezer, and then, with gloves on, take off any moisture or ice that could melt on the girl with a super absorbent towel.” Her hands were gesturing as she went on.

Jade approached Callie with caution. She had gotten the report of how aggressive she got when the staff tried to bring her here, but she was more worried of catching her sickness.

Tenaca, with gloves on, took the thermometer from Callie's mouth, making Jade wince back. The soldier glared at the doctor chuckling.

“Oh, good. It’s going down, now.” Tenaca set the tool gently on a tray on the rolling cart and turned to Jade. “She’ll live, but she needs rest.”

A soft moan brought the two’s attention to Callie, who opened her sparkling gold eyes and her vision focused, seeing the ceiling. She tried to sit up, but the room started spinning. Tenaca held out her hand and guided the girl back down.

“Easy,” she said, as Callie’s head fell back against the pillows. “You’re gonna be okay, but you need to rest.”

Callie whined. She tried to swat the hand pushing her down away, but then she noticed she couldn’t move it far. Her hands and feet were strapped down.

“What?” she said, raising herself slightly.

“Well, what did you expect,” Tenaca said, putting her hands on her hips. “Did you have to be so rough with our troops?”

“They started it…” Callie mumbled, weakly, her hands lowered, as she laid back against the pillows.

“Uh-huh…” Tenaca said, pulling the blanket back over her body. “Now, listen up. Octavio doesn’t want you dead. You need to eat, drink and rest. And I’m not forgetting to give you medicine.”

Callie’s formed a pout. Her eyes were half opened, as she continued staring at the ceiling.

“Why should I care what Octavio wants…?” she said.

“Well, for starters, if you feel better, it’ll certainly make your time here easier.”

“True…” Callie’s voice sounded a little hoarse. She couldn’t believe she was actually having a conversation with the enemy. Even if she wanted to cooperate, the thought of food made her nervous.

Jade sighed, crossing her arms. She was certainly feeling better, since her sass was back.

“Now, I’ll go check if the soup’s ready,” Tenaca said, walking towards the door. Then she turned her head towards Jade. “Oh, and Jade? The general wants to speak with you. He sounded very pleased. You may see him when I get back. For now, just keep an eye on her.”

Once the doctor was gone, Callie sighed, her eyes drooping.

“Don’t fall asleep, yet!” Jade hissed. “Pygma’s gonna come back with the soup!”

“Did you bring me here?” Callie said, softly.

Jade, her arms still crossed, plopped down onto a nearby chair. The Squid Sister took the soldier’s silence as a yes. She remembered food she brought, which, even though it made her feel sick, was nice. This was the same Octoling who smacked across her face.

Did she carry me to bed? Callie thought.

“Thank-you…” she mumbled. Jade was about to ask for what, but she figured that the girl had pieced together what happened, and she still didn’t respond. The soldier frowned, refusing to look at the Squid Sister and just stared at the fabric of her black pants in her lap.

The last thing Jade wanted to do was show weakness to her captive. Seeing Callie laid up in bed, looking so sickly, made her feel a little bad, even if she was an Inkling.

Splat you, Erray! Jade thought. Her hands in her lap, formed fist and started shaking. SPLAT YOU!

“Why are you being nice to me…?” said Callie.

“I’m under orders…” Jade said, shutting her eyes tightly.

Jade tried not to turn to her. To her relief, the door finally opened, and Tenaca walked with a tray of soup. It seemed really nice, and made the young soldier almost jealous that Callie was one who was going to eat it.

“Thank-you, Jade,” said Tenaca. “I can take care of things from here. Don’t keep our DJ waiting.”

“Okay.” Jade breathed a sigh of relief as she stood on her feet. “Where is he?”

“It should be labelled on my clipboard out front.”

Jade nodded and headed out the door. Callie watched her go and then turned to the tray of soup placed before her. She sat up the best she could before Tenaca took a spoonful and held it to her mouth.

“Open up,” she said.

“Y-You’re not gonna untie me?!” said Callie.

“Nope. You need to rest.”

Callie glared with a closed mouth whine. On the other hand, she certainly wasn’t going anywhere and that soup did look good. It had been a while since someone prepared food for her.

“Okay,” she said, quietly.

Jade’s boots clicked on the white tiles of the floor, as she made back to the lobby. Tenaca’s clipboard was on the receptionist’s desk, who looked over upon seeing Jade pick it up. She took off her face mask and tried to find Octavio’s name. Then, she turned back to the hall.

Jade approached Octavio’s door with caution. She reached for the knob, but hesitated. She stared at, sweat beginning to form on her forehead.

Come on, Jade! she thought to herself. You’ve known him for years. She saw the ring on her finger. The girl shut her eyes tightly and opened the door.

DJ Octavio, of course, had been given a bigger room. There was a huge window, which showed a few of the domes they were in. A giant, flat screen TV was on the wall and the couch was on the side of the general’s bed. She felt a little awkward to see him without his samurai helmet on. Other than a few bruises and a roll of bandages over his left DJing tentacle, he seemed fine. Jade’s jaw dropped at the sight of his wound. The reality of his attempted assassination began to set in for her, since she was in the transport car when it happened: Agent 3 tried to aim for his hearts.

“Um… Sir?” Jade said, shyly. Her hands were together tentatively.

“What is-” Octavio has responded, sharply, like he would to most of his soldiers, but upon looking at Jade, his eyes softened, and if he could be in his humanoid form, he’d smile. “Jade?”

His more gentle voice, made Jade, for once in a long time, start to smile warmly. Fuschia tears filled Jade’s eyes and she walked towards him. Octavio held out his two dominant tentacles and hugged her.

“I missed you so much…” Jade said, tears escaping her eyes.

Octavio hugged her tighter. “I missed you too…”

Once they were done hugging, Jade pulled away, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Alright, alright,” Octavio said. “Enough with the waterworks. I may be back, but we’ve still got work to do. You’re my daughter-in-law, after all.”

Jade sniffled upon hearing that. Her ring hand tightened as it formed a fist.

“Aw, sorry I couldn’t be there for the wedding,” he said. “I would’ve personally performed for you and my Oliver! But hey! I’ll make up for it with my biggest performance yet!”

Jade’s hearts sank at those words. She wiped her eyes, trying not to let anymore tears emerge.

“Of course… w-whatever you say, sir,” she said.

“By the way, how are my grandsons doing?” His glare returned upon recalling last night. “I tried asking, but Pygma wouldn’t tell me a thing!”

Jade tried not to shiver in front of him, but hearing that made her feel like someone hit her with lightning.

Not even the doctor had told him yet?! she thought. Why?! It was then that it came back to her. Oh, yeah! He’s been imprisoned by the enemy for two years and Agent 3 almost killed him! Her need to tell him the truth was her duty, but this news, after all he had been through, would destroy him.

“Th-They’re fine,” Jade said. “They’re just… really busy. I’m sure they’ll come in to see you, eventually.”

“Oh, good then,” said Octavio. “Now, I may be in bed, I don’t want to stop my plans, just because of that. Let’s get back to work! My fellow soldiers informed me of the Zapfish you stole.”

Jade was relieved to see he believed her. Her smile came back and she walked over to the laptop that was set aside and picked it up.

“We stole the Great Zapfish, too, like you wanted,” Jade said, smiling. She set the laptop on the bed and brought up the files with blueprints. “We’ve even designed new machinery to guard them and keep the barrier on our main base secure.”

The future was looking somewhat bright for the Octarians. Their bosses had been deployed, the Octarian troops were going on their patrols in their assigned domes. The domes were shining bright with power.

Jade went outside and saw the dome's light bulbs, acting as suns. There were many bright lights as she walked by the base’s garden to make crops grow and the gardeners were working. She was careful not to step on any crops and some of the creatures who inhabited the domes saluted her. Callie was behaving herself, for the most part, and she was on the mend from her sickness, so Jade didn’t have to see her too much.

Things are looking up! Jade thought, decidingly. She dared to have a skip in her step as she led her group on patrol back home.

Then, as quickly as everything was good, the bad came before too long.

As everyone came back from patrol, some went to dorms and some went to take a break in the break room or the courtyard. The lockdown was still active. No one who didn’t work in the military was allowed on the base. Jade pondered about going to see Octavio. He was almost fully recovered, and Dr. Pygma was planning to let him go tonight.

Then she got the call.

“Lumin!” Jade heard over her earpiece.

“Get to dome B-4! Something’s going on with the Octo Boss. The systems are going nuts!”

Jade gasped. “I’ll check it out!”

The Octoling dashed out from the breakroom and ran out into the courtyard. She Super Jumped, and went through kettle after kettle to get to dome B-4. Thoughts rushed through her head. Who the heck was interfering. It couldn’t be Agent 3! They didn’t have an ace up their sleeve anymore!

When she finally got there she stood on a high platform and the screens were casting a nice blue sky, but Jade could hear noises. She looked below and saw the Octo Boss they had worked so hard to design, the Octo Oven, explode into pieces.

As the ink settled nearby, Jade moved her hands from trying not to get hit from the blast and saw someone below. She pulled out her Octo Shot and dove down to a lower level. Someone was there, taking the Zapfish, the fallen machine had left behind. They were hard to ignore from the yellow sweater. It was so bright and it made the person stand out. Upon seeing the purple hair tied back, Jade knew exactly who it was.

“Is that…”

Erray…?! she thought. There’s no way! After everything she had done… She always saw him with a fearful look in his eyes. She was there when Octavio threw Erray into the metal shelf. But now, as he gathered the little Zapfish in his arms, he was frowning, his brows were furrowed and his eyes were gazing forth with determination.

Jade growled to herself.

So, the Squidbeak Splatoon managed to turn him into one of their pets? she thought.

“So, it’s you!” Jade said, sharply. Her voice echoed enough for Erray to hear. The Inkling looked around, but did not see hear. His demeanor changed. The weapons in his hands was shaking. He still recognized her voice… and feared it.

“So, the Squidbeak Splatoon recruited another agent?” she said. She was annoyed to see it was Erray, but at least it was someone she knew… and someone who she knew feared her. Perhaps she had the advantage. “Well, whatever. You’re probably a lot better than that other agent.”

For my own personal reasons, but he probably knows… Jade thought. She wouldn’t forget the fact that he managed to dispatch one of the Octo Bosses in what seemed like a small amount of time.

Erray suddenly rushed for the entrance. Jade began to leap her way down, but he was too far away and had jumped into the Spawn Point to get back.

This wasn’t good, Jade thought, as she turned back towards base. The bosses are keeping our base’s barrier secured. But at least it’s just Erray.

Jade was back at the base and the soldiers were panicking. They were running back and forth through the halls. Something was telling her that everyone knew what had just happened.

The Octoling ran towards the infirmary to find DJ Octavio and get a summary of the situation. Hopefully, she could get everyone to calm down, somehow.

The entire infirmary had been cleared out. Other than some people who come in with a migraine, the sniffles, or something else minor, there weren’t many people in today.

“Octavio?” Jade ran towards his hospital room. “Octavio!” She stood in the doorway, and found that his room was empty and lights had been turned off.

“He’s not here.”

Dr. Tenaca Pygma had walked up to her from behind. Jade turned around around her pearly red eyes managing to shine a bit in the light that still came in from the hallway.

“Then, where is he?”

Jade rushed down the halls after being told. She pushed past Octo Troopers, Octo Balls, Octo Bombers, and Octolings. She ran so fast, she turned into an Octopus and Super Jumped down the hall in a straight line. Some people stuck to the walls, just so they wouldn’t get hit.

Jade knew exactly where he was.

“Octavi-” Jade covered her mouth.

She entered the room she had fallen asleep in last night and found him there. He had turned into his humanoid form. He wore his traditional samurai armor. It was black with fuschia edgings. The samurai helmet was still on his head. Jade could barely see the ends of his hair sticking out from the bottom of the hat.

“Oscar wasn’t in his room either…” the general said. He turned to her, revealing the medals he had on his clothes. His green colored eyes showed from beneath the shadow his helmet had casted down. “And you’re not my daughter-in-law, are you?”

“I-I…” Jade trembled. It was like his shadow was casting down on her.

“You know, I chose you for my grandson, because I thought ya were the most fly Octo out there. But lying to your boss? Not fly at all, girl. Not even your renowned parents would approve.”

Jade pulled down a gulp. She knew what was happening.

“No one has seen them!” Octavio said, raising his voice. “But now, you’re going to face the music and tell me where Oliver and Oscar are. Now!”

“G-General…” Jade said, hesitantly. “I-”

“WHERE ARE MY GRANDSONS?!”

Jade’s eyes shut tightly and she shook at his tone.

“They… They’re gone…” she finally admitted.

Octavio winced at her confession.

“A-After you left us… they were gone, too,” Jade said, rubbing her arms. “And… several of our personnel also disappeared with them.”

The DJ stood there in disbelief. His jaw dropped slightly.

“Why?”

“I don’t know…” Jade said, placing her hands behind her back. “I-I think it had something to do with that song that played two years ago, when-”

“The Inkantation…” the general said. He stormed past the girl, heading towards the door, his hands in fists. Then he stopped, almost forgetting about her. “Jade. Return to your quarters, and don’t come out. You’re in isolation for two days for insubordination.”

Jade’s head lowered, her eyes meeting the floor.

“Yes, sir…” she said, softly.

With that, Octavio left Jade alone. The girl at Oliver’s things one last time, before heading to her quarters like Octavio had asked.

Tenaca had been nice… Well, as nice as an enemy doctor could be. She was also a soldier. Once she was feeling better, though, she felt like a prisoner again. The morning when she said Callie’s temperature was normal, two guards came in.

“Is there a problem?” Tenaca said. “I don’t recall releasing Callie back to her cell yet.”

“No, ma’am,” one of the guards said. She handed the doctor a sheet of paper. “General’s orders.” Tenaca looked over it and read carefully. Callie, who was sitting on her bed, now with her beanie, boots and sweater back on, tensed up a little.

“Hmm. I see,” Tenaca said. She frowned, her brows furrowing as she glanced at Callie. The look of profreshional, who cared for her because of duty, had now turned as cold and dead as the other soldiers. “Go ahead,” the doctor said, flatly. She walked towards the door, with her clipboard and the written order in hand.

The Squid Sister yelped as she was dragged to her feet. She shook as she felt the barrel of a weapon pushed into her back.

“Turn into a Squid, struggle, or attack, and we shoot!” the other guard said.

Callie did not say a word as they dragged her out. Her hearts were beating rapidly as they took back through the cold hallways. Now they were illuminated brighter, so at least she could see, but she came to the conclusion that it was because of all the Zapfish they had stolen. Now they had additional power.

Soon Callie found herself in an empty room with only a table and two chairs, one on each side. A single light was shining down from above. She knew upon sitting down what was going on, because Alex came in and slammed a file near her.

“So,” Alex said, sitting down across from Callie. “You’re in a lot of trouble, you know that?”

“What? What did I do?!” the Squid Sister practically yelled.

“The general knows what you and your Splatoon have done to our personnel!” Alex said sharply. He opened the file and Callie saw several photos of Octolings. “Any of them look familiar?”

“N-No…” Callie said, gathering the ends of her sweater. She thought about zipping it to warm up.

“Most of them disappeared after your ‘act’ on our great DJ’s last performance before you kidnapped him, including his own grandsons!” Alex’s slam on the desk, made Callie lean back in her chair, shaking. “Oliver and Oscar Octavio! Do those ring any bells?!”

Callie stayed silent, but sweat dripped down from her face.

They… They’re… Callie couldn’t form the thought. Her mind flashed back to an image of Agent 3… a long time ago.

“First and final warning…”

She remembered 3 looming over her, with two Octolings on the left and right of the agent. Callie was on the ground and Marie was nearby, completely unconscious.

“Stay out of our way…”

Callie was brought back to the present as Alex continued to name names. He was reading off of the file. They were labelled as either MIA or AWOL.

“Neo Pygma? Olivia Katta? MARINA IDA?! She was our best engineer!”

Marina…? Callie thought, as she covered her mouth.

“You reacted!” said Alex. “Where is she?”

“I don’t know…” Callie mumbled.

“What?”

“I SAID I DON’T KNOW!” the Squid Sister shouted. Tears were filling her eyes.

“How could you not know, when you brainwashed our troops?!”

“WE DIDN’T BRAINWASH THEM!” Callie stood up and screamed. “We freed them!”

Alex stood up and said nothing else. “We’re done here.”

Callie covered her mouth. “Wh-what?” she replied, her voice muffled. The door opened. Guards came in to take her back to her cell. Callie was frozen, not struggling at all as she was taken. She realized at that point that she had said exactly what they wanted to hear.

Alex turned to the one way mirror in the back and tapped it. Behind it was DJ Octavio himself. He was back in his Octopus form as he sat in the best chair, compared to the others who were watching the quality of the sound equipment, recording the room. He watched as Alex stepped into the back room and joined him as he spoke with other soldiers.

“That was some fly moves, Alex,” said Octavio. “If what that girl says is true, she too, knows the power of a sick melody.”

“Clearly, there was something powerful in the Calimari Inkantation, if it turned all those missing Octarians against their own kind, Your Majesty,” said Alex.

“Then we can turn them back!” the general insisted. Every Octarian in the room stared at the sound of those words. “We have one of the Splatoon’s best. We can use her power to take back what’s ours!” His grip on the chair’s armrest tightened. “Cuttlefish can fight me over and over again, but the moment he brings my grandchildren into this is where I draw the line.

Octavio turned to the rest of the crew. Then, in his grip was a blueprint. “I’ve drawn this up while I was in the infirmary, and I think it’s time we get to work!” He presented it to the team and their eyes lit up with glee. “Get to the briefing room and get everyone! It’s time to plan for my next big performance.”

Every trooper and Octoling rushed out of the room to do as their great leader commanded. Octavio stood up, turning into his humanoid form and a grin grew across his face.

“Octavio’s back in da house…”

Jade laid down on her bed, which was covered with a green blanket. Several tiny pillows were on it. One of them was in her arms as she stared at the dark color ceiling. Her laptop was next to her humming as it searched for something she was looking for on the Inkernet. The lights were out, but her pink color lava lamps were still on and she had boots on the floor. A guard had been coming by to leave her food, but she couldn’t bring herself to eat.

Jade rolled onto her side, her right hand falling near her. She glared at the ring and sat up. It had been two years, so there was no point in it anymore. Somehow Octavio being back was bringing her to her senses and she tossed the ring across the room, before flopping down on the bed once more. She saw the photo near her night stand. Jade was in them, and she looked so happy with her friends.

“Olivia… Neo… Where did you go?” Jade mumbled. “Why did you guys and Oliver just slip out of my life?!” She stood up and brushed them off her nightstand, the frames shattered on the floor. The events of last night brought her back to their first day when they disappeared. They left. One by one. None of them said a word. She sank to the floor, staring at the broken glass. Her messy hair fell around her and pulled her knees up to her chest. She hadn’t bothered to tie it up in her usual ponytail in the last twenty-four hours, since Octavio told her to remain in her room.

“Argh! What now?!” Jade hissed as her laptop dinged. She straightened out her legs and pulled the device into her lap from above and it had finally finished gathering information on their “guest,” Callie.

It was as if people on the Inkernet had been documenting the entire life of the Squid Sisters, like some creepy stalkers.

Age 10: Won the annual Youth Folk-Singing Contest.

Age 15: Callie and Marie move to Inkopolis after parental consent.

Age 16: Received several offers and small time performing jobs while working at Walleye Warehouse.

Age 17: Began doing concerts and working Inkopolis News and hosting Splatfests.

Age 18: Released solo singles, “Bomb Rush Blush” and “Tide Goes Out”

Age 19: Callie appears on multiple variety shows. Marie guest sings on music shows, and performs live concerts solo.

Jade minimized this screen, saving it for later. She found Callie and Marie’s blogs on social media, most of them were either from the Squid Sisters themselves, or were from people advertising their performances, or “Splatfests.”

“What the shell is a Splatfest?” Jade clicked on a tag that had that word and it took her to a video, which showed the last one the Squid Sisters ever hosted. They had their usual banter and then some kind of weird printer was on the screen following two photos appearing on screen. On the left was a picture of Callie and on the right was Marie. Both of them were doing their signature poses.

“I knew this day would come…” said Callie.

“A Splatfest to top all Splatfests,” Marie replied.

“Without further ado, let’s introduce the team’s… She’s the winningest Squid Sister in Splatfest history: CALLIE!” The pink Inkling threw her fist into the air.

Marie grinned, a hand lightly near her mouth.

“Versus the only Squid Sister who isn’t boring: MARIE!” The green Squid Sister glanced back at her cousin. Callie glared, putting her hands on her hips. Then she smiled.

“You know, I’m going to be the bigger squid today… That’s why I’m going Team Marie!”

“Glad you’ve seen the light, teammate. Go Team Marie,” Marie said, smiling as well.

“HEY!” Callie pouted. “But that means you have to go Team Callie!”

“Yeah, right,” Marie said, glancing away from her cousin. “I’d rather give DJ Octavio a sponge bath.”

“THAT’S IT,” Callie shouted. “Team Callie is going to bury you! You and your gray hair are going down, grandma!”

Marie gasped, speechless. Jade covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. The date showed it was posted over a year ago. She scrolled down to find the results and looked like the results were tallied by popularity, wins, and were compiled in the final results.

Callie had lost by twenty points.

Jade set that post aside and found both Callie and Marie’s profiles. Her jaw dropped at the sight of Marie having almost TRIPLE the amount of followers than Callie did. Both of them didn’t seem to post much. It seemed Marie reposted about the appearances she made on shows for the networks. It seemed Callie had some concerts, but there were few. Her activity was slower. On the side of the screen, she found a panel that showed some kind of news report. Callie was shown walking past fans who were taking many photos of her. Text was on the bottom.

“Pandemonium ensued when pop star Callie was spotted at the airport by fans after wrapping up filming for her new upcoming TV drama in New Sardine. She smiled through it all, as she answered each and every question the fans had about her cousin, Marie, to the best of her ability, but it’s clear to this reporter that the pressure of fame is getting to her.”

“Hmm…” Jade clicked off and went back to Callie's social media profile. She was coming up on some of the recent stuff, even if it was few in between. She saw a photo of Callie’s feet near a flower. There was another photo of a drawing on the window. Jade loved doing that as a child. Then she frowned upon seeing that it was a doodle of a sad squid.

The second, most recent post was a straight up blog from Callie.

“Hey, squidkids! It’s me, Callie! ♡ It’s been so long since I’ve written a proper blog post! Being on my own like this, I’ve got time to think, but sometimes I think too much! (>_<;) But I’m really psyched for filming today! Stay fresh! (`w´)”

“Think too much”…? Jade thought, as she scrolled down to the most recent post. It was a marked post from an anonymous person and Callie had marked it as private.

“Dang it!” Jade said. She pulled in her flashdrive and with her skills, she managed to break through it.

“I can’t believe this!” was Callie’s note on it and was titled “Who’s the Better Squid Sister?”

And once again, Marie was winning. This time by a bigger margin.

Jade’s ruby eyes teared up at the sight of it. Pinned at the top of Callie’s profile was her solo music video. She clicked on it, and it began to play the video.

Jade smiled. From the depressing twenty-four hours, this was making her feel better, even if it was an Inkling’s work. Callie was dancing and singing, looking so happy with herself compared to her recent activity. The video was posted over a year ago.

“Callie…” Jade said, a hand over her chest.

Chapter Text

Erray

I carefully glanced into Vichay’s hospital room from the window in the hall. She had woken up, but after a quick meal the doctors told her to get some rest. So, she was sleeping again. Angel, who had folded up her umbrella, walked up to me and I didn’t notice she was behind me until she tapped my shoulder.

“She’s sleeping, but… do you want to see her?” she said, shyly.

I shook my head. “I feel like I said enough…”

“Erray-” Angel glared slightly, but I pulled out a headband. I had dashed back to Cuttlefish’s house and grabbed it from the room I was staying in. It was blue with writing on it.

“Here. Give her this,” I said. I knew how sensitive Vichay was when she was injured, even if she didn’t want to show it. “It’s probably gonna leave a scar and I don’t want her to be embarrassed when the bandages are off.”

I didn’t know why, but Angel gasped upon seeing it. Her hands covered her mouth and her Brella fell on the floor.

“Wh-Where… Did you…?”

“Is… something wrong?” I said.

“N-No! Not at all…” I gasped, upon her snatching the headband from me. “I’ll… I’ll give it to her.”

“O… Okay. I’ll keep you posted about Bass.”

“And…” Angel held the headband close to herself. “I’ll let you know about your sister…”

“Before we start, I just want to tell you all once again, so that the newbies here know: This is a safe place. No one’s gonna force you to say what you don’t wanna say. Everything you say in here, stays in here. All I ask is that what you do say is the truth, I can’t help you if you lie to me.”

I glanced at the floor, knowing I would have to be careful. Mentioning the New Squidbeak Splatoon was out of the question. Tina was just trying to help, but I couldn’t put her in danger. Angel’s actions were distracting me, as I tried to listen to some of the other Inklings talking. Maybe I was too flustered yesterday, but I was only thinking of Vichay. From Angel’s reaction, there was no mistaking it.

She knows Agent 3.

“And that’s how I got away, but…”

I looked up seeing an Inkling girl tearing up. Tina patted her shoulder. It wasn’t until now that I recognized the crying girl as Coral from Anemy’s squad. She mostly kept to herself, so there was no way I could’ve known.

“So… I joined Grizzco so I could become stronger,” Coral then said.

“I see,” said Tina. “And how is that going?”

“My captain is really nice, she says something calming whenever it looks like I’m scared.” And with that, she began to smile. “It’s a little scary to work with… them, though.”

“The Octolings, right?” Tina responded.

“Yeah,” Coral said, shyly. She held her fingers together, tentatively. “There’s one who’s a kid and he's really nice. And… There's this girl. She’s sassy, but fresh. A lot of them are quiet and sometimes stare when an Inkling walks by…”

“Well, it’s only natural,” said Tina. “Many of the Octolings have never even seen an Inkling before. They’ve spent most of their lives underground without contact with the surface world.” She smiled. “From the looks of it, you’ve been doing a great deal to improve.”

“Th-Thank-you for recommending I work at Grizzco,” she said, laughing nervously.

“Alright,” said Tina. “How about we move on to someone else?” She looked around the room, seeing if anyone would volunteer. “Hm. How about one of our newbies? Erray?”

“Huh?” I jolted up. All eyes were suddenly on me.

“So, you’re new to our little group,” she went on. “Tell us about your view on our Octarians friends?”

My eye twitched a little at that remark. It was a little weird to talk about this, but if she wanted the truth, fine.

“They’re not our friends.” My hand drifted over my shoulder.

Tina straightened up in her chair. There were some concerned looks and a few gasps.

“Since when were Octolings allowed on the surface?” I looked at Coral who was just as confused. “They seem nice, Coral? Sure. But you never know with them.” I stared downward, into my lap. The floor reminded me of that bus, before I looked forward again. “I would know. I thought they were nice once, too.”

“Well, a law was passed two years ago after an incident in Saltwater City,” the doctor responded.

“What incident?”

“How can you not know?!” said an Inkling. “It was all over the news! It’s how Off the Hook got their huge break!” his face softened at a realization. “Oh, wait. You’re one of…” His voice trailed off for a second. “Well, anyway, Pearl and Marina saved Saltwater City in style. There were these two other Octolings and another Inkling who was leading them.”

“Good point, Jay,” Tina pointed to him. “After so much fighting and protests, that display of such teamwork between Inklings and Octolings to save the city was enough to finally convince the politicians to let Octarians live among us again.”

“But… how do we know?” I said, crossing my arms.

“What?” The doctor adjusted her glasses.

“How do we know that what those Octolings did was purely for good? Was that what they were going for, or did they just want to win our favor? You can’t trust them! We fought a war with them for a reason!”

“Yes, but that was a hundred years ago, Erray,” said Tina.

My grip tightened on my sleeve.

“It can be two years, and it can be a hundred years. A grudge is a grudge no matter how you put it.” DJ Octavio was a prime example of holding a grudge.

The doctor was writing all of this down on her clipboard. I didn’t care. “So, from what I’ve heard from you, Octarians are not to be trusted, and should remain underground. Is that your stance?”

For some reason I felt bad admitting this.

“Y-Yes,” I said. “Yes!” I added a little more confidence. “I know I almost lost my job at Grizzco because of my views, but I can’t just… trust them, you know?” My hands drifted to the one lock of hair that hung down the side of my head and they petted it softly. “My boss, my captain, and a bunch of others already think I have nothing but malice for Octarians.”

“Well, do you truly believe that?” said Tina.

“Well, I…” I suddenly thought about Vichay, Cici, grandpa… and Jade. “I… I don’t know.” A tear fell from my eye.

“Hmm…” Tina tilted her head slightly. “Erray, my assignment for you is to think about what your colleagues said and come to your own conclusion.”

“O-Okay…” I said.

“RAH!”

I yelled as I practically used a fist full of Burst Bomb to crash through an ink Octocopter. I turned into my squid form leaping around shots from Octo Trooper, super jumping into the air and landing on top of its head in normal form to shoot down with my Dualies. A bomb came flying at my face and I kicked it back into the Octo Bomber’s face. It didn’t do damage since it was it’s own, but I shot down while it was distracted. Then I super jumped for cover as shielded Twintacle OctoTroopers came from behind and started shooting at me. They were like Octo Troopers, but they had two tentacles on their heads and had protective shields on the fronts.

I got the charger on my back and swam up the pillar of cover and shot down from above, splatting them. Then I had to jump, because other Octo Snipers were shooting from similar perchers. Luckily, shooting one of them left a trail of purple in to swim in and dodge the other ones shot. I threw a bomb and left the last one disoriented. I jumped up and landed on it, pressing on it with my foot as it fell back on its sniping device.

“Seen Callie?” I said. I got no response and it struggled. “Didn’t think so.” And I splatted him by shooting through the lengthened mega phone for a sniper weapon.

I jumped back down and walked towards the Zapfish. It was safely still in the barrier. I put the Dualies back at my sides.

“Nice work… But you need to work on that Charger recoil.”

I stopped, pressing a hand against the headphones.

“Agent… 3?” I said. I started looking around. “Are you-”

“Don’t bother trying to see where I am.”

“But you can see me!” I said. “So, I should have-”

“Should? Or will?”

I sighed. “Why are you watching me?”

“...I want to watch… and learn.”

I then began to hear static.

“W-Wait! Agent 3 I need to tell you about…” The signal went silent. “Bass…”

“You okay, 4?” I then heard from Marie. “I lost your signal there for a second.”

My hand lowered from my headset.

“Yeah…” I said, walking towards the Zapfish. I freed it from its prison and began to head back.

Once I got back to Octo Canyon’s Suction Cup Lookout, Marie took the Zapfish and added it to the pile.

“Looks like we almost have enough for the Boss Kettle,” Marie said. She stared at the giant kettle in the middle of the area before twirling the parasol protecting her from the sun that was now setting. “Didn’t you want to tell me something yesterday?”

“Oh, yeah!” I said. “It’s about-”

“If it’s about 3, I don’t want to hear it,” she then said. The Inkling turned toward the path back to the entrance of Octo Canyon.

“It’s not 3,” I said. “It's about Bass.”

Marie then stopped.

“Was he a friend?”

“What about him?” said Marie. So she did know him!

“So he was-”

“He left town two years ago,” said Marie.

“No, he’s here!” I said. “And now he’s missing. He’s been missing for days. My… sister and grandfather are also missing, and I can’t help but feel like it’s connected.”

Marie sighed. “Well, if they’re missing why didn’t you file a report?” she said, flatly.

“Vichay already did,” I said, glaring. I was already getting angry. My grandfather always told me it was rude not to face someone when they were speaking to you. “Of course she can’t report Bass because he's a thief.”

Marie still didn’t turn and face me. She was silent for only a little bit.

“If Bass wants to disappear, then he can,” she said.

I couldn’t believe I was hearing this from a Squid Sister.

“What?!”

“He’s a grown Inkling. He can go wherever he wants. It wouldn’t be the first time someone left without a word, despite the other worrying themselves for nothing.” She lowered her parasol as the sun began to disappear over the horizon. “Or for the wrong reasons…” It was then, Marie finally faced me. “In any case, I do hope the police find your family, but Bass is not Squidbeak Splatoon business.”

“But-”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere to be.”

“But what about dinner with your grand-”

“It can wait.” It was just like yesterday…

It was as Marie said when night time rolled around. Marie wasn’t home tonight. It was just me and the captain eating dinner quietly. Well, I think he was the only one eating.

“What’s the matter, bucko?” he said. “Your dinner’s gonna get cold.”

I looked at him, before staring back at the meal before me. “So… you’re not bothered at all that Marie isn’t eating with us?”

“Well, my grandsquids only visit from time to time…” The cap’n sighed. “Ah, poor Callie… Well, Marie is really busy. She can’t skip jobs to help, or people will get suspicious.”

“True…” I said. “But… is she always this distant and cut off?”

“Well, maybe she’s just upset about Callie?” It looked like the cap’n didn’t even know about her behavior either. “I mean… she and Callie were constantly busy, even before Octavio escaped. So, I understand. We’re family, after all.”

I went back to picking at my food.

“Yeah… family…”

The next day, I went to Angel’s apartment to show her a short song I wrote. Vichay wasn’t going home until nightfall, so it was safe. I had finally bought that guitar and was showing off what I wrote to her. My hair had glowed from singing it. I bit my lip, noticing that it affected Angel. Her hair had turned purple, but I don’t think she had noticed.

“S-So… h-how was that?” I said.

“It’s… good,” Angel said, sitting on the couch, her hands neatly, her ink color turned back to her normal pink. “But, when you sing, try not to do so from the throat. That’s how voices get strained.”

“Oh… okay,” I said. I sat down next to her to re-tune my new instrument. “So, are you going to audition, too? Because I’ve already got another Inkling with me and I guess… the more the merrier?”

“Oh, I can’t…” said Angel. “Employees aren’t allowed to audition. And even if I quit, I would have to wait at least a month and the auditions are coming up soon.” A small smile came from her. I think it was the first time I had seen her do that. “But it’s fine. I’ve got another audition lined up anyway.”

“R-Really? What is it?”

“They’re doing a play at Inkopolis Theater and there’s a singing roll. Jelini says I’ve got good chances, since I’ve been singing at Albacore Hotel.”

“That’s great,” I smiled back at her. I stared back at my guitar again. “So… I think I know how we can find Bass.”

Angel glanced over. “How?”

“Well, do you know anyone else who knows Bass?” I said. “Maybe someone he committed theft with? Maybe if we could find one of them, we could just follow them to wherever Bass could be.”

“Well… Bass was really close with someone before we stopped hanging out with that guy,” said Angel. “I think his name was Char?”

Wait… I thought. My eyes grew to the size of golf balls. “Char Treval?”

Angel gasped. “Yes. How did you know that?”

The only Char I knew was at Grizzco. It couldn’t be that easy, right?

“Erray?” said Angel.

“I think he works at Grizzco.”

Angel then stood up from her couch, her hands on her hips. “Then let’s go there right now!”

“W-Wait! N-Now?” I said, flinching. “I don’t even know if he’s doing a shift right now. A-And, I don’t think direct confrontation would be the best idea. Remember last time?”

“Ah, you’re right.” Angel’s hands lowered and hung limply at her sides. “But we have to find him somehow.”

“Well, I have another idea. We could follow Char after work.” I stood up. “I can go and check if he’s working and we can just wait until he leaves and follow him.”

Angel tensed up.

“Oh. Maybe that’s too much,” I said.

“N-No! No!” said Angel. “It’s just… we’re gonna need to be undercover. Like, we’ll need disguises!”

“Good point. So, I’ll go to Grizzco, then?”

“Yeah…” Angel pulled out a pen and paper from the coffee table. “I’m gonna make a list.”

“O… Okay…” My hearts were already racing over whether or not we would get caught.

I did end up going to Grizzco later. I had gone there straight from Angel’s apartment, so my new guitar was in its case. I held the handle on the side. Mr. Grizz was barking orders at people. Inklings and Octolings were busily working, taking inventory. That familiar stench was still apparent in the building.

“Trow?” said Mr. Grizz. “What are you doing here? Your next shift isn’t until tomorrow.”

“Actually, I had a question,” I said, peeking over at the radio neatly sitting on the cooler. “Is Char here today?”

“Treval? You’ll have to talk to Anemy. She’s in charge of her squad’s shifts.”

“I’m guessing she’s in her room?” I said.

“That, or the breakroom.”

“Okay. Thank-you!”

“Yeah, yeah…” Mr. Grizz grumbled.

I went down the hall and knocked on Anemy’s door.

“Just a minute!” I could hear some shuffling. “Hang on!” I heard the sound of cans falling over. “Splat it!” Anemy opened the door, peeking her head. “Oh, hey! Come on in!”

Anemy let inside and I could see her giant trash can of cherry sodas had tipped over and were spilled on the floor. The futon was folded, but the sheets could still be seen and papers were more scattered than ever on her desk. I felt sorry for her, she seemed so chill, but so busy at the same time.

“So, what’d ya need?” she said. “Your shift isn’t until tomorrow.” Anemy plopped down in her swivel chair and it dragged a little against the wooden floor, forcing her to clumsily slide back into place.

“Uh, I was kind of just wondering if I could talk to Char?”

“Char?” Anemy looked through several layers of paper. “His shift also until tomorrow. Squad 7 has the day off.”

“Oh…” I said, closing the door behind me. I decided to sit in the chair across from her to be polite. The guitar case was set down beside me.

“Yep,” said Anemy. “So, have you picked a song for us yet?”

“Oh, right!” I said. “I was thinking… maybe we could perform Calimari Inkantation?”

Anemy formed a pout with her lips. “Really?”

“Yeah!” I nodded. I always smiled when I talked about that song. “That song inspired me to want to be a musician.”

Anemy’s eyes briefly drifted to her right, before she looked back at me. “Yeah, about that… I found the sign-up sheet.” She slid it across the table. I saw a bunch of people listed and many of them were going to perform that same song.

“Oh.”

“If we want to win Off the Hook’s favor, we have to stand out.” She stood up, seeming almost triumphant. “We appeal to their hearts! Tell me, Erray! What’s the first song Off the Hook ever made?”

“Uh…”

“Ebb and Flow! That’s what!” Slamming her palms on the desk.

“Eep!” I squeaked, flinching a little. “Uh, I don’t really listen to Off the Hook.”

“Ugh!” Anemy face planted her face in the papers.

“B-But, we can do that song, if you think it’ll help,” I said.

“Yes!” Anemy’s voice was muffled by the papers, as she raised a hand. She slowly raised her head, but she was smiling. “Sorry. I’m a little tired.”

“Then, maybe you should get some sleep?”

“But it’s such time waster,” said Anemy. She leaned forward and rested her head in her arms. “Besides, I’m-”

“Busy, but you’re gonna burn yourself out if you keep this up.”

“Don’t we have to practice?” said Anemy.

“Uh, h-how about we practice after you take a short nap?” I said.

“Ugh, fine…” She stood up, and I guided her to the couch.

“One hour! Two hours tops!”

“Okay, okay!” I said. “I mean… Yes, captain…”

As the captain fell asleep next to me, I looked over at her desk and what she glanced at: A picture frame. It looked like the one she was singing to the other day. Once she was fully asleep, I checked it out for myself. As I thought, it was her and her brother standing in front of Inkopolis Tower. Judging from Anemy’s hand reaching out of the frame, she was probably the one who took the photo.

Wow… she looked so happy, I thought.

I looked back at Anemy, who was sleeping peacefully. Who was with her without her crew? I thought. Everything was about work with her, even if she was so chill about it. It was times like these that I couldn’t help, but think that maybe… she was lonely?

I sat down next to her. Nothing was worse than being alone. I knew that feeling more than anyone.

“Let’s see, how long has it been since I last saw him…? Carry the one… A year? Maybe more? I… I don’t really know.”

So many squids are going missing… Callie, Bass, Agent 3 and her brother? What was his name again?

Anemy mumbled a bit in her sleep, then I found her leaning against me. I wanted to jump, but I didn’t want to wake her. She still smelled like how Grizzco smells, but with her it was different for some reason. My hearts were beating really fast and I could feel myself blushing. I leaned my head back and tried to take a nap, too.

If she was alone, I'd be there for her, I decided.

“NO! LET ME GO!”

I couldn’t move. Music was playing and it was getting louder. When I opened my eyes, everything was dark, except a bright red light. It was hurting my head, but I couldn’t look away. A shadow hand raised up and then there was a snap.

I woke up screaming, my arms flailed forward, but were then held back by another pair of hands.

“Erray! Snap out of it!”

Without thinking, my agent instincts kicked in, and I hit whoever was grabbing me in the face with my own head, and ran off whatever I was lying on. The same pair of arms wrapped around my waist and wouldn’t let me move, no matter how much I struggled.

“LET GO!” I screamed.

“Erray, it’s okay…” That didn’t sound like Jade at all. “Just take deep breaths.”

I did as I was told, and I became aware of my surroundings. The hardwood floor, the desk with messy papers, the Off the Hook poster behind it the dimly lit light bulb hanging down, the wall of weapons with Sheldon’s weapon manual, the overly stuffed closet and lastly, the fold out couch, that I found myself sitting back in tears, with Anemy by my side.

“It’s okay, I’m here.” Anemy simply hugged me and rubbed my back. I was shocked at first, but soon I put my arms around her, too.

“I’m s-sorry,” I mumbled. “I didn’t mean to hit your nose…”

“It’s fine,” she said, pulling away. She kept a hand on my shoulder. “I used to get nightmares, too… when I started working here.”

“Wh-Why?”

“The Salmonids… You know how they are…” She pulled out her phone. “But, hey! An hour and a half of sleep. Do you… wanna do some warm ups? It might make you feel better.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“Alright, then!” Anemy jumped up from the couch and walked over to her keyboard across the room. “They won’t even know what hit them when we’re through with the competition.” I leaned back against the couch. She was my captain, but she was always trying to make my day better. I wondered if her brother did the same for her. Why did he leave her?

After our practice I headed home. And, as much as I’m embarrassed to admit it, I had a huge smile on my face. I felt good… that our rehearsals were going so well. Anemy looked happy, too.

Once I was home, I was humming Ebb and Flow down the hall to my room. As much as I didn’t trust Marina, Ebb and Flow was really catchy. When I set the guitar down by my bed, I got a text from Angel.

“I’ve got disguises.”

She’s really serious about this… I thought, as I laid on my bed. My phone was held up and texted her back.

“Char will be at work tomorrow. Meet up in the square then? In the afternoon?”

“Okay,” was the response.

I headed to Octo Canyon. Another day, another Zapfish. To my surprise, when I got there, the Boss Kettle was open.

“I got it.”

Marie walked out in her agent clothes. She was holding a charger.

“Whoa. D-Don’t scare me like that.”

“Sorry.” Marie sounded so flat. “I got the last of the Zapfish here, so the boss kettle’s open.” She pointed towards it. “It should lead us to an Octarian layer. So, be prepared.”

“Okay…” I said, nervously. I walked up to the kettle, Dualies in hand, and Marie went in first, bringing Callie’s Roller if we bumped into her. I pulled down a gulp and dove down as Squid, as well.

The screens were dark when we got there. The way inside was just up ahead, but it looked deserted. There weren’t Octarians on patrol. In fact we were able to waltz right inside. The halls were dark, illuminated by fuchsia lighting. It was all too familiar to me.

“Something’s not right…” said Marie. She took the lead and I flinched upon seeing ink on the wall. It wasn’t fuchsia. It was a light shade of yellow green. Marie stopped me upon us turning the corner at a corridor. I covered my mouth in horror.

Octarians and Octolings alike were on the floor, unconscious. Most of them were gravely injured. Yellow green ink was scattered around the place. We walked by quietly, hearing some moaning from the fallen soldiers.

“There should be a security room somewhere. It might tell us what happened. Maybe up these stairs?” She gestured to them, nearby. We ventured up, but found ourselves back outside on the building's roof. Suddenly the ground caved in beneath my feet and I fell down, while Marie screamed.

“AGENT 4!”

I threw a Splat Bomb downward and fell into a pool of my own purple ink. Once I stood, my hands drifted over my sides, feeling that my Dualies were gone! Maybe they fell out of my hands when I fell. I gasped, seeing that the light on my ink tank was off. Whatever this place was cut off my connection to the HQ Spawn Point. Up ahead, I could see an open space. It was really dark, though.

“Agents…” said a low voice.

“Huh?” I walked carefully ahead, holding a Splat Bomb. The open space was circular and the lights suddenly came on. A huge light shot upward and a round figure. It was an Octarian, but he was huge and riding a unicycle for some reason. His feet were tiny, he wore a black vest and he had one of his tentacles tied back. In his hands was a giant roller and he slammed it into the ground. He held it in his hands like a samurai.

“Agent 4!” a voice yelled. I looked up and saw Marie on the upper level by some railing. “Catch!” She threw down Callie’s Hero Roller. I super jumped and caught it in the air before landing on my feet.

“You couldn’t give me my Dualies?” I said, through my headphones. “I dropped them when I fell.”

“I’ll find them,” said Marie. “Just hold him off. Do it for the honor of your family… or something.”

I ran at him, holding the roller forward to make a path. He was slow, but when I got close, he tried to slam down his own roller on me. So I jumped to the side, yelping as fuschia ink almost hit me and I flicked my own ink at him. My feet kept me leaping around him as I swung at him. Even with a unicycle he could jump really far. In fact, he leapt across the arena. It was a little funny to see him glaring with his tiny eyes while covered in ink.

I suddenly heard the sound of a motor running. Somehow he was riding on the roller like a vehicle and charging right at me. As a squid, I dove into my own ink and swam away. Once he was back on his unicycle, ran towards him only to see his eyes lit up for a brief moment before he spun around. I yelled, managing to block his roller with mine, but was thrown against the metal fence. Beyond it was an endless fall to many buildings below. I slid below his swing and threw two bombs in his face. He nearly fell out of his unicycle and I flung some in forward to swim away. I didn’t stop until I was on the other side of the arena.

“Get back here!” I was shocked to hear it talk. Once I rose up with a full tank of ink I saw pieces of the samurai’s roller spinning. He slammed it down sending a wave of ink towards me. I jumped out, but some ink touched my ankles and landed on uninked turf. Another wave came at me, but the impact sent me flying into the fence again. The roller just barely managed to block enough ink but a lot of it was on my face and suit.

My roller shook in my hand. The enemy ink stung. It was all too familiar. My eyes were shut tightly. I didn’t want to cry.

“I finish the job!”

No, I won’t cry!

The Octo Samurai leapt through the air. I stood on my stinging feet and stopped it’s slam. Pushing back as hard as I could. He was really strong, too.

“Enough! You’ve lost…” he said, pushing back harder.

My grip tightened on the handle I closed my eyes and pushed back harder.

“NEVER!” I said. When I opened my eyes, my hair was glowing and I threw him off his unicycle. The samurai looked shocked. The roller shook in my hands, but I guess almost getting splatted invigorated me. “As I told Jade…” I was shocked to see the ink I had laid out was beginning to float into the air slightly in particles. In the reflection of an ink puddle, I could see my eyes glowing. I shook my head. “As I told her: For every minute of the rest of my life, I will fight! This is why the Inklings won the war!”

I yelled, swinging my roller. All the ink I had scattered followed it and a wave of purple ink was sent towards the samurai and he slammed against the fence. He dropped his roller.

“Now, I finish the job…” I ran towards him. “Octarian scum.”

“AGENT 4, STOP!”

I turned and saw Marie. She jumped a little, but she was pointing her charger right at me.

“D-Drop it!” she said.

My weapon shook. I wanted to show the Octarian I wasn’t afraid… even though I was.

“Just put it down.”

I let go of the roller and it clattered on the floor. Marie walked past me and didn’t say a word as she took Callie’s roller. Then she pointed the charger at the beaten samurai. I took deep breaths, the glow in my hair fading and I prayed my eyes stopped glowing.

What’s… happening to me? I thought.

“Tell us what happened here!” she ordered.

“Wh-What… What do you mean…?” the Octo said. “You agents were just here.”

“What?!” I said.

“Three… there were three of them…”

Marie lowered her charger. “Get out of here. And don’t come back!”

“Agent 2!” I said. “He could’ve-”

“That’s part of the job, 4!” Marie snapped, as the samurai grabbed his unicycle and roller and walked away. “We put our lives on the line everyday. Now, let’s go!”

“What about my weapons?”

“You can have them back when we’re out of here,” she responded.

I followed behind her, my hearts were still pounding from earlier and my hands were shaky. What the shell did I do back there? I thought about the Octarians. I knew it was them. It had to be.

We entered a room with many screens and the Zapfish was in the middle. It was trapped in a barrier, which was powering the room and probably the rest of the base. There were some unconscious Octarians and the white walls were stained with ink.

“There you are!” I said, running up towards it.

“Wait!” Marie said. She ran up to the screens and ran through the footage. “Just here, huh? Then let’s check what happened in the last hour. I already have a good guess.”

I walked up from behind her and stared at the same screen.

What I saw was shocking.

Chapter Text

“All in favor of using the color, light green, say I.”

“I!”

Two Octolings, led by one Inkling, stood on a rooftop near a base. If Marina was correct, this was where Octavio was. It was a facility for making weapons, but what he was doing there was still a mystery.

That didn’t matter to the Inkling, who stood proudly in front of the Octolings, the screens that casted a night sky hid the three in the shadows.

“So, we’re in agreement.” The Inkling briefly linked hands with the two Octolings and their ink colors changed to light green.

“Wow, Boss!” the shorter Octoling said. He was wearing black boots, matching shorts, a t-shirt with the number 3 on the back and some fingerless gloves. A beanie was on his head with a set of goggles and an ink tank was on his back. “You wore the cape today.”

“I don’t want to forget… I don’t want them to forget…” the Inkling said. The cape on the rogue’s back was torn and tattered from wear and tear, but it proudly bore the number three. “Hyperfresh and Princess are meeting up with us inside.”

Holding a charger was Oliver, wearing a black beanie with a puffball that had changed to light green based on his ink color. His goggles matched Oscar’s. He wore a black sweater over his formal vest, but the collar of his formal shirt could still be seen. The number 3 was on the back and his pants and boots were also black. He also wore an ink tank.

“Are you ready?” he said.

Agent 3 nodded. Everyone pulled their goggles on and Agent 3 placed a facemask on as well.

“Agents of Three, MOVE OUT!” the rogue said, pointing towards the fortress.

“AYE, AYE!!” the Octolings saluted.

“Man, I hate Callie,” Jade admitted, openly. She was standing on a metal pathway, set high above the many workers who were all busy. The room was lit enough so everyone could see. Some of the workers had welder masks on as they tended to the conveyor belts. “She’s so happy, and bubbly…” She crossed her arms. “And friendly.”

“You don’t need to lie to me that you’ve listened to Bomb Rush Blush fifty times,” said Alex. “I gave it a listen or two. It’s catchy.”

“Hey, Alex!” an Octo Trooper said, from below. “You talking about that Inkling’s song?”

“Yeah!” He leaned forward with his hands. “You listened to it, too?”

“Yeah, me and the gang! It helps us work a little better. Doesn’t it, everyone.”

“Yeah!” Everyone cheered.

“See? You’ve got nothing to worry about…” said Alex.

“It’s not the music I’m worried about…” said Jade. “It’s the squid.” She was lying to herself if she said she didn’t feel concerned for Callie when she was sick, but she was a high-ranking member of the Octarian Army. So compassion was out of the question. “Alex, you’re not gonna-”

“Hey, I’m not Oliver,” Alex said, sternly. “I’m not gonna disappear like everyone else.”

Jade held herself tighter, trying not to shiver.

“You promise?”

“Hey,” he put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s a promise. Now, come here.” A small smile formed on Jade’s face when she hugged her. She released her arms and began to put them around Alex. Suddenly, there was a loud inksplosion. The ground rumbled, and red lights flashed and the alarm started ringing.

“What the shell?!” Jade yelled, pulling away. The intercom came on.

“An Inkling intruder has entered the base! An Inkling intruder has… What the?!”

“Gimme that mic!” There was shuffling and the sound of ink being flug. The alarm stopped sounding, but the lights remained red. Everyone in the room froze.

“Hello, Octarians,” the voice was modulated a few notches down. “As you can see we’ve made our way into your lair. Now, no need to panic. I just want one thing and you can get back to pointless lives.” There was some fumbling with the mic. “Ow! Okay, sorry!”

“Just say what you want already!” Jade shouted.

“Your boss!” And with that, whoever was talking hung up.

Jade backed away a little before turning to Alex.

“Find. Octavio. And get the plans deleted from the main computer!”

“Right away!” Alex said, saluting.

“We’ve taken over the PA system,” Marina said over their ear pieces. “We’ll get the music up in a bit.”

“Got it! Thanks!” Agent 3 said, before slamming down a roller and using it to kick a Trooper to the wall with both feet. More were taken out by simple swings and flicks, staining the walls. Agent 3 turned to one more, only to see Oscar land on it with his feet and knock it out with a burst bomb. They were storming the halls of the fortress, taking out many Octarians to find one.

“Nice…” the rogue said. They looked at Oliver's covering fire.

“We’re not done yet, Agent Lightning!” he said.

“On it!” Oscar said. He turned into an Octopus and jumped into a trooper to knock him into the wall. Then he flipped through the air over Agent 3’s head as the music began playing over the comms, and landed on the other throwing down ink with a Slosher.

Some shielded Twintacle Octotrooper came around the corner. Agent 3, with both hands held out, summoned a bubbler just in time. With a yell the barrier stretched to protect Oscar and Oliver from the rapid fire.

“Awesome…” Oscar whispered. Oliver kept shooting at them and Oscar swam in the path he left to get in close and jump over them to get them to turn around. Oliver shot down all three of them. Then there were bombers past those troops which surprised the young Octoling.

Not knowing Agent 3 had followed, going past all the troops and shot them from behind with the “Anti” Hero-Shot. Oliver shot and Octo Trooper past the rogue and Agent 3 ran towards it. Oliver threw a bomb as 3 jumped off the Trooper and kicked the bomb into the door that was behind the guard. There, they entered the factory where all those Octolings were working, but all the machinery had been abandoned. It was empty.

Octolings entered the room armed and ready.

“Now would be a good time, Agent Storm…” said Agent 3.

“Fine…” said Oliver. He pulled his mouth piece close to himself, closing his eyes and getting a feel for the music and the beat. And then, he started to sing and his voice was heard over the comms.

The Octolings opened fire, forcing the three intruders to find cover. Oscar stumbled, and Agent 3 caught him, and saw he was just grazed in the shoulder.

Agent 3 sat down Oscar, only to see a can of Toxic Mist land near them. Oliver ran away from it when it exploded, so he could keep singing.

Oliver could hear Oscar and Agent 3 coughing, but then he only heard it from Oscar. Agent 3 rose up in the mist, the tiny locks of hair, sticking out from the back of the beanie, now glowing green. The rogue only removed the facemask to smile a toothy grin. Oliver smiled, as he sang, and nodded.

Agent 3 ran towards the oncoming horde and opened fire. At almost lighting speed the rogue jumped as a squid past the Octolings that couldn’t keep up. The rogue began to shoot from the weapon, the shots now going further and straighter, while dodging counter attacks at the speed of light.

Agent 3 jumped onto the roof, only to land and using the ink made jumping to fling at the enemies with hand movement, getting the ink in their eyes. None of them were sure how that was done. With a shooter, Agent 3 zoomed around taking out the last of them.

The room was then quiet. Agent 3 stood among the unconscious soldiers, some of them moaning in pain. The light faded away from the rogue’s hair. Oliver, who was done singing, ran over to Oscar who was still tearing up from the gas.

“They’ll live…” said Agent 3.

“It should be over there,” Oliver said, pointing to the back. He turned Oscar, who he was holding by the shoulders. “Come on, Lighting. This way.”

“Okay…” Oscar mumbled, still wiping his eyes.

With the facemask back on, Agent 3 followed the others to the computer. They passed by weapons that were being made, but what made the rogue jump was seeing giant fists now looking like they were made of gold. They both read “octo” on the knuckles.

Oliver was the first at the computer, but he gasped at the screen.

“Deletion in progress?!” he said.

“What do we do, Storm?” said Agent 3.

“They don’t want us to know what they’re up to,” he placed a hand on his chin, “but there’s no way they’d just drop it. They probably have it on a flashdrive. They’re leaving!”

Agent 3 stormed towards the nearest door.

“Try to stop the deletion.” Putting away the Anti-Hero-Shot, 3 pulled out a roller. It was fresh from Sheldon’s shop. “I’m going after him.”

“General, you can go!” said Alex. “The flash drive’s almost done.”

“Ugh! Fine… Octavio! Out!”

The general left Alex to his computer. He tentatively moved his fingers waiting for it to be done. Once he saw the okay, he pulled out the flash drive and ran with other soldiers towards the escape ship.

“I got it!” Alex yelled. “Now, come on!” They headed towards the air lock when suddenly the lights above them shattered and all the power went out in that room. Alex went to the door, but the switch to open it wasn't working.

“HEY!” he yelled. “HELLO?”

Then there were footsteps. Everyone turned towards the darkness, their weapons raised.

“Give. Me. The flash drive!”

With the goggles removed, Agent 3’s eyes glowed in the dark.

“OPEN FIRE!”

Every single Octoling shot at the Inkling, but 3 could block all of them with a roller in one hand and the other putting the goggles back over the eyes. The enemy ink was absorbed into the roller as the rogue swung, taking out Octolings left and right.

The screams of the Octolings caught Jade’s attention. She was already on the ship, but she ran over and saw what was going on. Octolings were being beaten and her enemy’s ink was floating in the air like little particles.

“ALEX!” Jade screamed.

“It’s stuck!” Alex yelled back.

The two were slamming their fists on the door. She started shivering and blue tears poured from her eyes. In her reflection on the window, she saw that her ink color had changed to blue. Upon hearing someone scream, she saw that her fellow Octolings were suffering the same fate. Blue ink, tears in their eyes. Then to Jade’s horror, she saw Agent 3 shoot ink that was in the air directly at the remaining Octolings. Some fell to their knees in tears and collapsed on their own.

Alex got down and slid the flash drive under the door.

“Take it!”

“But what about-”

“GO!” Alex yelled.

Jade grabbed the flash drive just as she heard Alex scream. She ran towards the other side of the airlock, and Super Jumped when the door behind her flew off. She barely escaped the ink into the ship which closed tightly.

“LET’S GO!” Jade yelled, into her mic.

The ship was released from the garage and on full thrusters the flew away. Still in the large garage, was Agent 3, who walked through smoke unphased… but angry.

“Damn it!” Oliver slammed on the keyboard. “It’s airtight!”

“There you are!” Marina said, running over while holding Pearl’s hand. They were both wearing black sweaters, pants, boots and beanies. Marina had an Octo Brush and Pearl had Dualies.

“Man, why’d you drag me away from the mic?” said Pearl. “I was about to spit.”

“Next time.”

Pearl huffed. “Fine…”

“Are you guys okay?”

“Other than getting grazed in the shoulder and getting toxic mist, I’m okay,” Oscar said, wiping his eyes, now bordered with slight light green.

“I can’t stop this from deleting,” said Oliver.

“Let me see…” said Marina. She started typing on the computer. “This should be a snap, Oli!”

Oliver smiled, sighing. A slight blush creeped on his face. Oscar snickered to himself, while Pearl rolled her eyes.

“Hmm… This is some good security,” said Marina. “Oh, you guys forget the latest kernel patch. Tsk, tsk…”

“For shame…” said Oliver.

“And… done!” Marina said, pressing one last key. “Deletion cancelled.”

“Yes!” Oliver exclaimed. Marina bursted out laughing when Oliver hugged her, lifting her into the air and spinning around.

“Okay, keep it at home,” Pearl said, pushing them apart after Oliver set Marina down. “Let’s see what they got.”

Marina smiled as she looked at Oliver. They were still holding hands. She gave a quick peck on the cheek before having to practically drag Oliver over, who almost fell to his knees.

“Whoa…” said Oscar. “Is that a blueprint?”

“Yeah, but what is it?” said Pearl.

As Oliver and Marina approached the computer they both stopped in shock.

“The weapon…” Oliver said, as Marina put in her flash drive to save it.

“We have to tell 3…” said Marina.

Erray stepped back from the security screens.

“3…” Erray whispered.

“Those Octos!” said Marie. “C’mon, we gotta check on them!”

Erray huffed, as Marie ran to the door. “They’re fine.”

“4!” Marie snapped.

“Okay, fine!” said Erray.

Still with no weapon, Erray followed Marie from behind. They went through the workshop, seeing it trashed. The ink was already starting to fade. The computer was still on the same screen. It was blueprints for an enormous super weapon.

Marie trembled.

“No…” she said. “You’ve gotta be squidding me!” She pulled out a camera and took a photo.

“Ma… Agent 2?” said Erray. Marie said nothing and pulled him along. They went down to the garage where they found the unconscious Octolings in the air lock. It was still dark. Blue ink was staining the floor. Among them was Alex.

Marie gasped and dragged him to the wall, so that he was sitting. Erray scoffed and rolled his eyes. Alex opened his eyes, and immediately grabbed Marie’s wrists.

“Hey! Hey!” Marie said, softly. “It’s okay.”

“What do you want… squid?”

“Was it… Agent 3 who did this?”

His grip grew tighter.

“What… was that?” he said, shivering. “The eyes… I’m pretty sure… an Inkling’s eyes never do that…”

“It’s 3…” Marie said, sighing. “Do you know where they went?”

“That’s not my…”

“Answer the question!” Erray yelled, leaning forward. His eyes snapped open, glowing. Alex flinched but his head hit the wall.

“I-I don’t know…”

Sirens could be heard in the distance. Marie let Alex go and stood up.

“We need to get out of here.”

That singing… Jade thought. I’ve heard that voice before...

Jade sat in her room back in HQ. She was still shaking from what she just saw, but her ink color was back to fuschia. The flash drive was safely on her nightstand. That’s when Octavio walked into the room.

“Jade,” he said.

“What was that?!” she said, standing immediately. “No Inkling has ever…” She walked across the room. “I thought it wasn’t certain…”

“It’s my fault…” Octavio said, openly.

“Does that mean… Trow… could he…?”

“No, I don’t think so! We haven’t seen that… yet.”

Jade’s eyes darted back and forth trying to think. She hugged her grandfather in law, and then got an idea.

Meanwhile, Callie sat in her cell which was now decorated with stickers, photos she took with other soldiers, and the lights were now brighter, glowing a comforting pink color, just the way she liked it.

“More fan gifts…” Cici said, walking back. Callie looked up as she placed a fruit basket near her. She saw Cici sigh, seeing all those fruit. It reminded her of home.

“So, is it all the fruit you grew over there?” said Callie.

“No, we grew other things,” Cici said, sitting next to her. “Bred Zapfish, too.” She smiled a little. Maybe if we get out of here, I can show you.”

“Yes!” Callie exclaimed. “Baby Zapfish are so cute! So, other than farming, what do you do?”

Cici sighed. “I dunno… Ever since my brother left, all I’ve ever done is work. Erray always wanted to do music. It runs in the family. We, along with Vichay and our grandfather would always perform at festivals and neighbors’ birthday parties.” She started tearing up. “After he left… it was always so quiet at home…”

“Sing!” Callie cheered. “I wanna hear you!”

“Wh-What?” said Cici. She felt so embarrassed she started blushing. “A-A Squid Sister asking me to sing? I-I don’t kn-know… it’s been two years…”

“Do it! Please?” Callie put her hands together and looked at her with her sparkly eyes.

“W-Well…”

Suddenly, the door swung open and standing there was Jade. She held the glass door against the wall. Cici hid behind the Squid Sister.

“Listen up!” she snapped. “I want you to tell me all the two of you know about Agent 3…”

“Huh?” said Cici.

Callie trembled as she began to tear up.

Erray sat alone in his room. Marie had finally given his weapons back but they sat on the desk, untouched. He couldn’t get over what he saw… what he did…

He wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved or terrified. On one hand, Agent 3 looked as if able to use the same ability he did. On the other hand, Agent 3 has that ability as he did! Experienced as the rogue looked, it terrified him. He wanted revenge on Octavio, but he wasn’t sure if he was willing to cut down anyone in his way.

The newest agent then heard yelling down the hall. He crept to the door and opened it. There, he could see down the hall into the living room and saw Marie and the cap’n arguing.

“He’s gonna make that machine again!” said Marie. She ran her hands through her hair. “I can’t do this! Not again!”

“It’ll be different this time, Marie,” said cap’n. “I promise.”

“Oh, it’s different! Callie’s gone, and we have crazy psycho of an ex-agent trying to commit murder, and will probably kill us if we try to stop-”

“It’s going to be fine!”

Marie formed fists.

“That’s exactly what you said last time…”

Erray closed the door before they noticed. He began to ponder: What the shell happened last time?! His hands trembled at what he was capable of.

Am I gonna end up like Agent 3? Erray thought.

Chapter Text

Bass

A few nights had passed since I came… home. I felt like kicking myself. But, over the next few days that would change.

Not once had I left my room, since I ate breakfast with Char. We were sharing the room, like before. My bed was on the right side of the room and his was on the left. I was leaning against my bed while I sat on the wooden floor. The shell lamp shade sat on the wooden nightstand near me. Blue curtains were covering the window that showed a night sky beyond it. Next to the lamp was my phone.

I hadn’t turned it on since I left and texted that squid. What was his name? Erray? I usually liked going out, but I just didn’t feel it anymore. Char and I agreed that I wouldn’t talk to Angel anymore, but how she was doing was still on my mind. Well, her and Vichay. Did I do the right thing, by coming back here? The quakes that had happened since then didn’t tell me a good sign.

I heard a slight humming noise, making me look up to trace the source. It was coming from the light on the roof. Listening, it sort of sounded like a rhythm and my fingers started going along with it, making a beat every few seconds. It was kind of relaxing, but then I forced myself to stop when the door opened. It was just Char.

“Hey,” he said.

I looked over at him. It looked like he was back from work. There was a lot of noise outside. He threw his cap to his bed.

“Oh, hey,” I said, back, I glanced at the window. “What’s with all the noise out there?”

“There’s people arguing,” Char said, casting aside his coat. “I don’t know what’s going on. So, how was your day?”

I just shrugged. “More or less. Why do you work at Grizzco again?”

“It helps blow off steam,” said Char. “That, and it’s pretty good training. There’s a huge thing going on with the Salmonids, though.”

“Really? Like what?” I said, looking over at him.

“I think they’re getting smarter.” Char walked over to the closet to change into a casual shirt. He put on the white and black sweater he liked. “They took over one of the our Salmon Run places. I think Mr. Grizz is trying to figure out what to do, but it’s being kept secret. I think only him and my squad captain are in the know.” He strolled over to where Bass was. “So… did you stay in here all day?”

“Well, I didn’t really feel like doing anything…” I mumbled.

Char knelt down. I didn’t want to look at him, but since he was so close to me, I didn’t really have a choice.

“C’mon, dude,” he said. “This isn’t you. You used to be out there, keeping everyone together and happy.”

I remembered doing the same for Cici and Vichay when I first started working with them… and the same for Angel when I came back to town. Still, it felt like I didn’t matter to them in the end...

“Why are you being nice?!” I said. “You were so willing to kick me out when I first came back.”

“I was… but… The other day when I was out on a training field day with my squad, I talked with an Inkling who reminded me of you. He seemed lost and confused.”

“Hey!” I snapped. “I’m not…” I gasped a bit, realizing I was getting angry. “Aw, splat it… I feel like you only let me stay, because you felt like you had to.”

“No, dude, I want to,” said Char. “I want you here, but I swear to cod, if you leave again, I will not be as kind if you return.” His glare was apparent, his neon colored eyes staring down at me as his kind tone faded into flatness. My palms grew sweaty and my hearts were beating rapidly in my chest, by the way he leaned in. I gave him a nod and then he stepped away.

“Well, tomorrow, I want to get you out of this slump!” said Char. “It’s my day off, so I have everything planned.”

“Okay…” I said.

“Now eat something and go to bed!” Char lifted me off the ground, by pulling on my arms to make me stand.

“Fine…” I grumbled.

Sleeping in a bed was nice. I had been doing just that for the past few days. It was hard to fall asleep sometimes. I found that if I just stared at the ceiling I’d drift off before I knew it. Too bad falling asleep hadn’t been my problem, though.

“You want to stay here?”

“YES!” was the passionate reply.

“Angel…”

The events of that night, briefly flashed through my mind. I was careless. I felt helpless. It was so dark, and cold. The lights, the music, the hope... everything. It came to a stop.

Why did you do this to us?

“FIIIIIIIIINN!”

I awoke in a cold sweat, sitting up and looking around the room. The sound of sheets moving entered my ears, and I saw that Char was moving.

“Bass, what is it?” he said, rubbing his tired eyes.

I sighed, laying back down and curling up in the sheets, shivering.

“It’s nothing…” I said. “Go back to sleep.”

Char mumbled something, before I heard him settle back in his bed. I spent the rest of the night trying to get the images out of my mind, so I could fall asleep. Everything was telling me the same thing over and over again.

I shouldn’t be here… I shouldn’t be in Inkopolis.

The next morning, I was woken up by Char shaking me.

“Hey, c’mon!” he said. “It’s morning!”

The light from the sun got in my eyes and I pulled the blanket over my face. The darkness was nice… then Char pulled them off.

“Come on…” I groaned. “I had trouble sleeping last night.”

“It’s your first day officially back, and there’s some people I want you to meet.”

I was prepared to spend the whole day in bed. I was also prepared to fight Char on going out, because I really didn’t want to.

Too bad he was also ready.

“I said no!” I whined. Char practically dragged me out of the room, while I went dead weight.

“Stop acting like you’re five!” said Char. We were halfway out the door, when he just set me on the floor. Sure it was almost the afternoon, but Inklings tended to be late risers, anyway. So, the hall was mostly empty and from the sound, I could tell it was quiet downstairs. “You’re not even fighting me. If you’re going to disobey, at least kick or punch or something.”

I looked up at him, seeing that Char looked like a giant from where I was.

“I don’t see why I should fight you,” I said.

Char rolled his eyes, placing his hands on his hips.

“Yep, I’ve got tons of work to do. Let’s just go. You’re already in the hall.”

I sat up, slowly, needing a sec to adjust.

“You try spending two years trying to find where to go…” said Bass.

“Well, you’re here, now,” Char stepped in front of me and held out his hand. “Maybe I can help, and… maybe things can go back to before you met that guitar squid.”

“It won’t go back to that…” They wouldn’t leave my mind no matter how long I sat there, but… maybe going out could help.

Char knelt down and sighed.

“Just… are you gonna make me say it?!” His voice caught my attention. “I thought, before we’re on the job tomorrow, we… could we hang out together?”

And that was all I needed to stand.

We went down the stairs and hanging out at one of the tables was an Octoling. Her hair was long and unusually straight. Her ink color was cyan and was wearing a red cap with a white front. She wore a black Wet Floor t-shirt and some blue jeans. Her sneakers were blue, too.

“Oceania!” Char said, as he and I approached. “What’s up? This is Bass. He’s the guy I told you about last night.”

“Hey,” she said, still typing away on her laptop. “Char said you were the master at our trade back then.”

“Uh…” I could only nervously laugh. “I wouldn’t say that…”

“Well, Spyke’s upped his game since he got Murch along.” She took her hands away from her computer and stretched. “Oceania, your local tech wiz.” I nervously shook her hand. Char sighed in annoyance for some reason.

“She takes care of upgrades of weapons… you know, the ones that Judd can’t see when you take them into battle,” said Char. “She also keeps tabs on targets.” His phone started ringing. “Damn it. Hang on.” He stepped to the side and started chatting. “Spyke, what is it?”

“Eh, don’t mind him,” said Oceania. “He’s been swamped since he took over being in charge of this place.”

“Y-Yeah…” I said, calmly. Even though that was partially my fault.

“Alright, let’s get going,” said Char. He pulled me by the arm towards the door. “Oceania, I’ll see you in a bit.”

“Later,”she said, before going back to her laptop.

When the fresh air touched my face, it felt like a brand new start. No agents, no Squid Sisters, and no Angel. Char still looked a bit mad. I felt kind of bad leaving some Squid I just met to look after someone like her. After all, poor Erray didn’t know the real her. Guess I should actually try and text him later.

“So where are we going?” I said.

“I thought I’d get you acquainted with out new turf,” Char said, checking his phone. “We don’t go to the plaza anymore.”

“I saw that when I got back to town. There’s not many people there anymore.”

“You didn’t see that news broadcast?” Char said, raising a brow.

“What broadcast?”

“There was this whole incident at the plaza two years ago. But, I guess no one really understood what actually happened, so I guess it makes sense why they didn’t say anything wherever you were.”

I stopped walking.

“Wait, what happened?”

Char sighed. “Look, I’ll tell you about it on the way.”

I was amazed when I entered the Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe. The floors were dark planks of wood and the walls were decorated, shirts were hanging around.

“What’s with you?” Char said, seeing that I was starstruck.

“I’ve been living the past two years in the countryside, with barely any air conditioning and shops for gear.”

“Did they still do ink battles out there?”

“Yeah, but only in the summer.”

Char scoffed. “Sounds lame.”

“Yeah, but it made summer more worth it.”

“Well, go pick some stuff out,” Char said, checking his phone again. “Then bring it here and I’ll buy them for you.”

That gesture made me jolt. “A-Are you sure?”

“Well, you need a wardrobe don’t you? Go on. The shops are yours today.”

I walked towards the aisles of clothing, and I was actually unsure of myself. When it was just me and Char, I just wore whatever I could to keep warm, and when I moved out to the country, Mr. Trow picked out clothes as a uniform. Angel bought me an outfit when I came back. And before all that… he chose clothes for our performances.

I was scared, but also refreshed. This time, I could choose what I wanted for once.

After shopping, Char had someone take the clothes I bought back to the inn. Upon seeing the Shoal, I was eager to go in. Too eager, maybe, since Char also had to run to keep up with me.

“GAMES!” I cheer upon getting through the sliding door. I jumped and rubbed the back of my head, trying to avoid the staring eyes of everyone who was inside.

“Two seconds, and you’re already an embarrassed blushing mess,” Char said, walking up from behind me.

I elbowed him in the arm. “Shut up…” I grumbled. “All I had in Ceviché in electronics was my phone. Let’s play some stuff.” I ran up to the nearest crane game.

“Aren’t those things rigged?” said Char.

“I still wanna try,” I said, pressing my hands on the glasses. “Just once?”

“Fine…” Char said, handing me a few coins.

A few seconds later, I came back with a blue squid plush.

“What the-?!”

“It wasn’t too hard,” I said.

Char growled.

“What?”

“N-Nothing!” he said. “Just… I tried a whole week on that thing. Y-You know what? There’s another one over there!” He pointed across the room. “T-Try that one.”

“Oh. Okay,” I said.

I walked over to another crane game and checked for any plushies I thought were fresh enough. Then I put a coin in. I didn’t get Char with this. I thought he’d be happy I won, which I did again.

Char was shocked to see me come back with a jellyfish plush.

“What?!” His eyes darted both ways before he pointed to the other side of the arcade. “Uh, how about that one?!”

“Uh… okay?”

I’ll spare you the details. I won again. And again. And again. Until Char finally pulled away from one.

“Okay, I think that’s enough!” he said. I fell on the ground from the sudden yank, but the last crane managed to grab the toy for me. I reached over and grabbed my prize while he was thinking. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said. “It’s good to see you happy.” He looked around the arcade. “Let’s play something else.”

And almost as soon as he said that, I started hearing music. At the center of the room, was a rhythm game.

“How about that one?” I said. “It’s two players.”

“Uh… okay,” Char said. He reached out his hand and help me up. He seemed uneasy as we approached the musical game. It had buttons to press during the song. He put a coin in and the menu came up. “What song, drummer boy?”

“Oh, uh… you can pick.” Maybe being nicer would make him feel better? I put my new prizes on the floor near my feet.

“Okay.” He scrolled down and picked out a song. And after that, I kind of regretted it.

He picked Ink Me Up by the Squid Sisters.

I pulled down a gulp, gently pressing my hands over the buttons.

“You alright?” I heard from Char.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Just start it.”

The game started and I just focused on hitting the beats to the rhythm. I just wanted it to be over and I was getting more and more irritated that I was missing some notes, because I just wanted the song to be over. Back then, I was the beat master.

At least it ended soon, but it looked like Char got the higher score.

“Yes!” Char cheered. “Want to play another game?”

“Y-Yeah,” I said, irritably. “But, that’s the last one.”

“We can stop now, if you-”

“It’s fine!” I turned back to my controls. As much as I wanted to tell him, those Squid Sister songs were just horrible to listen to now. Ink Me Up was one thing, but hopefully he’ll just pick something from Ink Theory or another band and-

“How about Calimari Inkantation?”

I slammed on the controls, accidentally selecting the song and it started playing. Even then, I didn’t even bother playing at this point.

“Are you TRYING to drive me crazy?!” I yelled. I snapped my head towards him and then as soon as I saw his face, I realized what I was doing and what he was doing. The splatsterd was smiling. He was smiling, while I was angry.

I took deep breaths, trying to ignore everyone who was staring.

“You…” I needed another breath. “You wanted this to happen.”

Char’s smile faded quickly. He reached out. “I just wanted-”

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” I yelled. “I can’t believe this!”

“I-I w-wasn’t me,” Char said, hesitantly. “Spyke just wanted to see if-”

“So, you listened?!” I said, grabbing him by his shirt.

“He’s our boss…”

“I’m not something you can poke at!” I yelled. “I’m not someone to push around and do what you want! I’ll never just sit and obey anymore! I…” I couldn’t believe I was tearing up. “I…” Angel yelling at me crossed my mind. Not just at the Splatfest… There were other times, too. “I…”

I gasped, seeing Char in this grasp reminded me of last time… The Squid Sister gave me the same look. I let him go.

“I’m worth something, damn it!”

I stormed out, embarrassed, infuriated, leaving the toys I won behind.

How many hours passed after I went back to my room at the inn and just laid in my bed? I have no idea. Honestly, I didn’t care, either. I just wanted this day to be over already. My finger kept hesitating to switch on the phone, eventually it was just left on the nightstand again. I didn’t want to be told what to do, where to go, how to act. I was here to find old friends.

I just wanted to belong.

My body woke me up in the middle of the night, because light was seeping in from the hall. Char was probably back, so I tried to pretend I was asleep, but I think he I was awake. Some things were started cluttering on the foot of my bed. He patted my back.

“You seemed… different than in the past,” he said. He was probably trying to explain himself. “Calmer, more cautious.”

“I told you, it would never be the same,” I said. “Do you not speak Inklish?”

“But you don’t have to be afraid, you know,” said Char. “It’s okay to get mad, just control yourself. Keep a level head. Besides…” He took a few steps, I wasn’t sure in what direction. “I sometimes like it when you’re angry. I know you didn’t people choosing stuff for you anymore, but… I’ll tell you one thing. That guitar squid told you leave us, and that Angel girl told you leave town, but… You chose to come back. I guess that’s one step.”

After that, I heard Char go to bed, and I did, as well.

When I woke up the next morning, I saw that the items that were placed on my bed last night were the prizes from the arcade. Char’s bed was empty, but I still thought about getting some air outside, anyway. I just put on a light t-shirt and shorts, put on some sandals and walked out.

The second I got into the hall, a pair of hands covered my eyes.

“Don’t worry, it’s me,” said Char.

“What is it?” I said, sighing.

“I, uh… got you something…”

“Okay, where is it?”

“Let me lead you.”

Char guided me down the stairs and then from what I could feel from my sense of direction, were going to the right side of the inn. Char took his hands away, and I saw the old stage with a drum set. I ran up to it immediately.

“Whoa!” I exclaimed. I rubbed my eyes, making sure I wasn’t dreaming.

“I… thought you’d like to perform here,” Char said, softly. “It would raise moral around here, and some other people hear like to play instruments.”

I turned to him. “You bought this for me?”

“Bass, the last time I discouraged you wanting to do music, it drove you away, and…” Char had trouble looking at me. “I don’t want you to leave again. I don’t want to control you, but… promise me you won’t just… abandon me again?”

“Finn…” I said. Char gasped, since I almost never said his name. “He, his sister and Angel aren’t around to tell me what to do anymore. I’m here, now, and I’m gonna make the most of it.” I walked up to him, he was clearly still nervous, and looking away, but I was so happy I hugged him. “Thank-you, Char. I spent too long trying to help Angel out of her sadness and she pushed me away… twice. I needed this.”

Thinking back… I don’t think Angel ever once thanked me for anything I did.

“Okay, okay,” Char said, pushing me back, gently. He looked embarrassed. “S-Sorry about yesterday. I just want you to be you. Now, let’s go meet with Spyke!”

I followed behind him, the nervousness from earlier was already starting to surface again. Spyke said we’d talk, but I was nervous about that. He was hanging out with Oceania on their computers together.

“S’apping, you two?” Spyke said.

“Hey, where Murch?” said Char.

“He’s at his usual post in the square. Always reeling in new business.” He turned to Bass. “So, now you’ve reacquainted wif Char there, are you ready for your first job?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Cheers,” he sounded a little happy. “This one should be easy. We have a client coming in person to take a look at some of our wares. Unfortunately, they say they’re under a lot of heat right now, so an associate will be sent in their stead. Just make sure no one out of the ordinary comes in here tonight.”

“You got it!” said Char. “No visitors unless they’re customers tonight. Bass, let’s go get the place ready.”

“Right.”

I felt like I was back in the old saddle. Char led the charge, making sure everyone was working, getting the place cleaned up. From the looks of it, this customer was going to hand over quite a lot of dough if the deal was a success.

The night time was getting colder these days. Splat-o-ween decorations were finally being put up. Tonight I put on a black jacket with a yellow stripe down the middle and a pair of sneakers. It wasn’t too cold yet, so I was still wearing shorts.

“Our customer’s here,” Char said, peeking into my room. “He’s talking with Spyke. You ready for guard duty?”

“Yeah,” I said, standing, kicking my sneakers into place. The toys I won had been sorted out on my bed. Char said we’d get a new shelf later. Then, I walked over, put on my ink tank and grabbed my newly repaired Blaster. “Let’s do this.”

We walked out of the room together and the sun had just set. Seeing down to the first floor. Then I stopped. Every nerve in my body was refusing to move.

“Hey, what is it?” said Char.

Shaking, I pointed to the first floor, near the entrance.

“Is that girl with the other Inkling… Angel?”

Chapter Text

Angel

I watched as Vichay put the headband on for the day in her room. Obligated by Erray, I gave it to her, but couldn’t stop thinking about it. I recognized the color, the stitching… everything. I had seen it before… when I first went to Inkopolis Tower with a Splattershot Jr....

Where did he get it? I thought. Is he… No, that’s ridiculous! Right?

I watched Vichay walk out. I was a little peeved that Erray didn’t visit her while she was in the hospital. But, she had bigger things to worry about. Her sister and grandfather were still missing.

“Uh, hey,” I said. “Um, I think I’m ready for my audition soon.”

Vichay walked over to the coffee maker and turned it on.

“Great. We need to get to work.”

“But-”

Vichay set her coffee case down loudly. The sound hurt my ears, and made me jump a little.

“He made it clear he doesn’t want to see me.” She took the coffee pot off the machine and filled up her mug. “Now, let’s go before we’re late, and Pearl makes a rapping joke about our tardiness.”

Vichay stormed out. She was always kind of stubborn and hot-headed when pushed a little, but this looked bad. I grabbed my bag and followed after her.

“Where are we meeting?” I texted Erray.

“Deca Tower” was the response.

I wanted to tell Erray about Vichay, but I wasn’t sure how he’d respond. It doesn’t seem like even Vichay doesn’t want to talk to him.

Once we got to the studio Vichay got right to work. The manager looked antsy.

“Manta, we’re about to go live in twenty minutes!” he said. “Prepare the sound equipment.”

“Right away!” I said. I ran into the news room and made sure all the mics were set up. Then Vichay came in to do a sound test. After that, I went back outside. It had been a while since I stopped by the old warehouse. And frankly, I didn’t know why I kept coming here.

Everytime I walked into this warehouse, I would cry.

I left everything, wanting to be like those Squid Sisters, and frankly, I deserved better. Why did they get to be top idols in the country after what they’ve done? Why aren’t we allowed to tell the world the truth? Why the shell am I not doing something about it?!

Maybe I’m still clinging to my old ways… hoping that someone else will take care of it for me.

“Sweetheart, could you get me a drink?”

“Mother, we have people for that…”

And frankly, I kinda hated having to do things myself. Maybe I’m still not strong enough to be on my own, like my father said. Singing at the Albacore Hotel was nice, but I wanted to do more than just sing on a rooftop. But… He wouldn’t have wanted Bass to go back to thievery. So, I guess I have to drag him back myself this time. At least I have Erray.

I sighed as tears formed in the corner of my eyes. I suppose it was time to go.

“Y’all know what time it is!” said Pearl.

“This is Off the Hook coming at you LIVE at Inkopolis Square!” said Marina.

The show had started, and I was in the back checking the sound with Vichay.

“So, today’s stages will be open at around-”

“Hang on, Pearlie,” said Marina. “Before we go into the stages, I have some reports from fans of the Squid Sisters.

“Look, I told ya Callie will turn up eventually,” said Pearl. “Let’s try to keep a positive vibe on this show.”

Marina frowned, her lips forming a pout. The Inkling sighed, leaning back in her beanbag. “Fine, spit it out.”

“Yay!” Marina cheered. “People have been calling our studio, asking us non-stop to read some of their concerned messages. So, until we find Callie I’d like to start a little thing called Callie Corner. Basically, I’ll read some messages you guys send in, hoping Callie will hear it somewhere.” She pulled up some cards, and every message just made me angier.

“Marie isn’t the same without Callie.”

“Marie doesn’t shine as bright without her.”

“Please come back. Marie needs you.”

I couldn’t make a sound, since that would risk disrupting their recording. I only thought one thing about all this:

Karma.

Even though I was hoping Erray wasn’t one of them, the thought of that headband never left my mind. After I left the studio from our shift, I told Vichay I had to take care of something first and waited for her to leave before going to Deca Tower. Erray was there, like he said sitting on one of the benches just outside. He was wearing a new purple hoodie, texting on his phone. Then, he saw me.

“Oh. You’re here,” he said, jumping down onto his feet. “Ready to go?”

“Yeah, but… I have one question before we go…” I said.

“What?”

“Why do you want to help me? I mean, I guess you can call us friends…” I smiled a little. Making friends was always a little hard. “But, you hardly know Bass.”

“Well, my grandfather always said that you should always repay a favor with another favor,” Erray said, putting his phone away. “I guess… There’s that. You guys were nice to me when I first showed up in Inkopolis. Well, mostly Bass, you were kind of… spacey.”

“Heh… I suppose…”

“Char’s gonna leave in like five minutes. Let’s change into some different gear and we can follow him.”

Once I saw Char leaving Grizzco, I knew it was him. We just put on different outfits than what we usually wore. Erray put on a red jersey with the Enperry symbol on it and white cap, and covered his eyes with shades. I don’t know why he put it on crooked. I put on a cap as well from Zekko, and they came with shades. There was also this satin jacket that Vichay bought but never used, so I took it before I left this morning. We just had to hide who we were well enough.

“Stay out of sight, and make sure he doesn't know we’re following him,” Erray said, as we walked out of the alley.

“Why don’t we just take the roof?” I said, hiding my Splatbrella. The sun was already setting so it'd be dark.

“Won’t the lights come on?” said Erray. “He’ll see our shadows.”

“Okay…” I said. “S-Sorry, I haven’t done something like this before.”

“I thought you’ve fought before.”

“Y-Yes, but not as often as you.”

Erray nodded. “Fine. Let’s just go. He’s on the move.”

Not many people were here tonight since the tower was closed, so we had to hide behind stuff as we watched. As we were walking out, I saw some missing person posters on the walls. Those weren’t there before. Soon Char got on a bus and we hurried to get in it as well. Erray froze right before we got on, though.

“Are you okay?” I said. He pulled down a gulp and nodded.

“Y-Yeah. L-Let’s just go.”

When I got on the bus, I had never seen so many people squeezed into one place before. It was also kind of hot in here and the seats didn’t look all that clean. I sucked in a breath and followed Erray, ignoring the weird smells. I wasn’t used to public transportation. Usually, it was walking… I used to ride his motorcycle, though. And way before, well… It was a limo.

“Now what?” I whispered to him, almost giggling. This was almost thrilling, doing something like this.

“Just act like you're busy,” Erray said, pulling out his phone.

“O… kay,” I said, doing the same.

The bus started moving, and since Erray let me have the window seat, I saw the sights as we moved. It was beautiful, seeing Inkopolis’s buildings and landmarks in the night with the city’s lights. It brought me back to the first time I came here, when I first met Finn and everyone else. They were probably my first real friends.

Erray kept looking at Char who up front and then back at his phone. I guess he looked like he knew what he was doing, but he also looked a bit pale, looking around the bus, checking the time. He had a hand on one of his Dualies.

There were some Octolings on the bus too. Some people were giving them some stares. I just kept looking forward.

“So, what is Bass like most of the time?” said Erray. He kept his voice to a whisper.

“Well, he’s kind, always willing to make new friends and has a nice warm presence,” I said. “But, when he’s out on the battlefield he’s kind of competitive. Oh, and sometimes he gets mad out there, but he really does some damage when he does. Well, he used to.” I shrugged. “I don’t know if he does anymore.” I started to frown. “But, we had a falling out and I just had to mess it all up when he came back. I guess I’m just used to-”

Erray gasped. “Don’t move, but Char’s leaving.”

“Do we-”

“Wait, give it a minute or he’ll know we’re following him.”

Char got off the bus, and I could see through the windows that he was heading south.

“Okay… now,” he said, standing up immediately. “Thank cod…”

We got off the bus, but I was almost disoriented at how dark it was outside now, with these shades on.

“Do I have to wear these? I can hardly see.”

“Well, I ca-” He stopped himself. “Oh. Here, just give me your hand.”

We followed Char down the street, blending in with the crowd. Erray was showing me how. Looking busy, acting like you're reading something, sitting down at a bench.

Soon we approached an inn. A lot of Inklings were around. It made me nervous. Even Erray looked a little hesitant.

“I think this is the place,” Erray whispered, as we kept walking forward. “Don’t make eye contact.” How did he know all this? I wasn’t sure if I should keep going, but Erray was already going ahead, so I followed him in.

It was super lively here. People were chatting, dancing, and playfully throwing Burst Bombs at each other. It also smelled like someone was cooking some good food.

“Do you see him?” said Erray.

“No,” I said, looking around. I checked the second floor balcony, and gasped when I saw Char coming to check out the edge of it. Quickly, I looked away. My hearts were racing.

“What?” Erray whispered.

“Char’s on the second floor. Don’t look up.” I yelped when he pulled me near him.

“I think we’re too late.” Footsteps got louder.” Turning away from Erray, Inklings and Octolings were staring and others were surrounding us.

I turned to Erray, seeing that he was trembling, staring at mostly the Octolings.

“Erray?” I said.

“Trow? What are you doing here?”

I covered my mouth, realizing I said that too loud. Char had made his way downstairs. He pushed his way through the crowd. He didn’t look at me and locked eyes with Erray, who had stopped shaking for only a moment.

“U-Uh…”

Char pushed past Erray, and pointed right at me. “And you. Take off the shades, Princess. Who wears them at night?”

“Well-” Erray tried to say.

“Did she bring you here?”

I removed my shades.

“I told him to help me find this place,” I said.

“Without telling him that you’re just going drag back Bass against his will without thinking about what he wants,” said Char. “You didn’t even know about this place enough to see how much we’ve grown.”

I growled, straightened up. Father always told me to have a good posture, or no one would take you seriously. “We’ve spent too much time getting him to change his ways, and I’m not going to just let him go back so easily!” I snapped.

“Um…” Erray awkwardly stepped forward, holding his right hand in place. “Um, maybe you should let Angel and Bass talk it out. She did feel bad for snapping at him back at the Splatfest.”

“Trow, I’m sorry this girl pulled you into this, but there’s no way I’m letting her near him. Especially not tonight when we have an important client talking with the boss.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms. “As if I give a splat about your illegal business practices.”

“Well, I don’t think you’re in a good position to negotiate.”

“Char, stop it.”

Bass came running down the steps. Finally, maybe he can get these ruffians off our backs. He patted Char’s shoulder.

“It’s okay. I don’t need you to fight my battles.” He looked over and squinted. “Erray? Why are you here?”

“Angel wanted me to help find you,” said Erray.

Bass sighed. “And why is that? She said I shouldn’t have come back, because of her own problems.”

“This isn’t my problem!” I said. “Yes, I had a freak out! But that’s no excuse to go crawling back to Char!”

“You’ve barked orders at me ever since Finn left us, and you feel like you have the power to just tell me to come back whenever you feel like it?!”

“I’m not saying that!” I snapped. “What happened to you when you first came here?! You said you wanted to protect me and find 3!”

“That was before I realized you weren’t doing anything after you said you would! Why can’t you accept the fact that he’s gone and stop moping around hoping that someone will pull you out of the hole you dug yourself, like a damsel in distress!”

“U-Uh, guys,” Erray said, softly. “M-Maybe you shouldn’t do this here?”

Erray’s voice was too gentle for me to listen to at the moment. Besides, I was too busy fuming to listen to him.

“I am not! I came all this way to find you!” I stomped my foot. “Why can’t you understand that I care about you?!”

“You just can’t accept that Finn wasn’t only special to you! He was special to all of us, and yet you’ve treated this whole situation like it was all about you, you, you!” Bass raised his hands mockingly.

“Who’s… Finn?” said Erray.

“Bass, it’s time for us to go,” I said.

“What?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” said Bass. “I’m happy here.”

“You didn’t think that before.”

“Well, I learned my lesson from last time,” said Char. “This time, I’m doing everything in my power to make Bass feel welcome here. Look around you!” Everyone in the inn was staring at us, some with weapons drawn. “We’re stronger from the last time that guitar squid was here. It’s not just Bass, Spyke and myself anymore. We’re a community. A family!”

“A family of thieves who are a bad influence…”

“Maybe, but they’re my family of thieves,” said Bass. He smiled, as Char put a hand on his shoulder, almost having to avert his eyes.

I teared up. “But you said you wanted to find-”

“Finn’s gone, Angel,” Bass said, bluntly. “That Inkling creeping in the shadows, wanting to finish what was started. That’s not the person we once knew. We have to move on.” He began to turn away. “And frankly, maybe we should move on from each other.” He pulled down a gulp, turned his head, slightly towards me and glared. “Let me cut you off, and you let me go. And don’t. Come. Back.” He spoke those words with such bitterness.

I trembled. I was frightened at being left alone again. My eyes fell to the floor, as transparent pink pearls of sadness dropped to the floor. At the same time…

I said those exact words to him, too.

“But without you-”

“You’ll have Vichay.”

“But I won’t have you!”

Bass turned back around. He looked right at me. I was relieved that he did. Without him, I felt like I would lose the last part of him.

“Please don’t leave me…” said Angel. “It was the four of us. We were all so happy. You just came back and you’re leaving again? I don’t want it to end!”

“Angel, it ended a long time ago. You were the one who told me to leave. I’m… sorry.” He turned away again and started towards the stairs. I stepped forward, reaching out my hand.

“It sounds like you’re done here,” Char then said, reaching out his arm to block me. “Trow, are you with her, or not?”

“W-Well, she just told me to come,” Erray said, nervously. “But, I don’t really know what’s-”

“M-Me?” I said. “Wh-Why-”

“Get her out of here,” Char said.

I looked around and saw some of the people walking towards me.

Was this it? The true end of our friendship? I thought. I saw Erray, Bass sent him to watch over me, and it felt like we were becoming friends. But surely, Bass still cares about me to some degree. He wouldn’t let it end here… I can’t either. Erray was waiting for an order, and I just had to give it.

Everyone stopped suddenly, reaching for their weapons, when I put my hand on mine.

“Angel, are you crazy?!” Erray whispered. “We can’t take on all these people. We don’t have tanks! Shell, we’re not even linked to a Spawn Point!”

“He’s right,” said Char. “Just go home. I promise Bass will be happy and cared for here. Maybe you’d be happy if you went home, as well.”

“To her apartment?” Erray said, raising a brow.

“No, I meant to her-”

My grip only tightened on the hand of the Splatbrella. I heard some people were already aiming their weapons at me.

“If you think I’ll just step aside, and let you keep me from my friend, then you’re wron-”

I yelped, feeling something hit me in the back. Everything went fuzzy. I heard Bass yell for me as I fell forward and hit the floor. As everything went dark, I heard Erray say her name.

“Marie?”

I wasn’t really sure what I heard after that. There was yelling I think, and weapons were being fired.

“Are you crazy?! Why was Oliver shooting at you?!”

“How do you know his name?”

“His little brother works at Grizzco, but why did you-”

“Wait, quiet down! I think she’s waking up.”

When I opened my eyes, I was staring at the roof. There were Squid Sister posters and stickers. Was that a computer? Why does it smell like dust? Why is a lot of Erray’s stuff here? Wait. I knew where this place was. I sat up only to be steady by Erray.

“Whoa. Easy,” he said. “She said you might feel a little dizzy for a while.”

I pushed him away.

“What’s wrong with you?!” I said. “Where is she?!”

“Over here, getting your stuff,” as Marie slid into view. Immediately, I got up and lunged at her, before Erray held me back, as I tried to claw at her. Marie flinched, pointing her parasol at me.

“Whoa! Angel!” Erray exclaimed.

“You’re working with her?!” I yelled. How long was he lying to me?!

“Well, I’m… doing jobs,” Erray said, softly.

No. I didn’t need anything specific. I knew what he was implying.

“You’re in the Splatoon?!”

Erray pulled his arms away from me, holding them close to himself.

“M-Marie?” Immediately, I faced her.

“And you! Why did you shoot me?!”

Marie rolled her eyes. “First off, it was low-tide ink, so I didn’t hurt you at all. Second, I wasn’t about to lose an agent to your problems.”

“Did you send him to spy on me?!” I snapped. “Is that it?!”

“No,” Marie said, flaty. “Just go home, and stop getting Erray into trouble.”

“I could’ve gotten Bass to go home with us!” I yelled, tears entering my eyes. “I could’ve won!”

Marie turned to the door and opened it. “That is not Splatoon business.”

Erray gasped. “Whoa. Marie-” He made a weird face at her, when he silenced him, by holding out her hand. I looked around the room and saw a lot of his stuff here. I jumped off the bed.

“What’s wrong with you?!” I turned to Erray. “How could you be working for her?”

“Angel, I can explain!” Erray said.

I shook my head. “I can’t! I just can’t right now.” I pushed past him and left, taking my Splatbrella with me.

I made my way back to the apartment. By the time I got there, I realized it was super early in the morning. Once I got inside, Vichay was sleeping on the couch. She woke up once I walked in. Immediately, I plopped down on the couch, trying to shake off the ink Marie shot me with. I covered my eyes, trying not to cry. It didn’t work.

He had such passion for music and spoke honestly about his family problems. I thought he was being completely honest with me. Does he even know what he’s getting into? The way that Squid Sister spoke to him said no.

“Angel, what happened?” she said, sitting up and wiping her eyes. “You didn’t come back, so I fell asleep wai-”

It then occurred to me that Vichay still didn’t know what was going on.

“Vichay…” I said, wiping the transparent pink tears in my eyes. “Erray, he’s-”

“I told you, I don’t want to hear anything else about my brother,” Vichay grumbled, crossing her arms.

“But-”

“I said stop it!”

“You’re brother’s in the New Squidbeak Splatoon!” I yelled.

It looked like I was finally able to get through to her. She gasped. She knew what this could mean, since I told what I did know in the time I’ve been living with her.

“My… brother is what?”

Chapter Text

Bass

“If you think I’ll just I’ll just step aside and let you keep me from my friend, then you’re wron-”

The moment I heard Angel gasp is when I stopped.

“Marie?”

And that was the moment when I looked. Her gray hair was covered with a hat and a mask covered her mouth and nose. She wore a green outfit and a pair of black boots. Didn’t matter. The name said it all.

“Angel!” I yelled, reaching out.

Immediately, there was another shot. People yelled and ran for cover, not knowing who shot next. Erray took hold of Angel, and super jumped out, tackling Marie. I grabbed my Blaster and stormed towards them.

“Bass, wait!” Char yelled, only managing to touch my arm before I slipped away.

I shoved people out of my way, when another shot flew past, the ink was a warm velvet color that breezed past my neck and almost hit the Inklings outside. I stood in the doorway, and saw Erray turn to me. His eyes were glowing.

What the…

I turned back, tracing where the shot came from, and saw Oliver on the second floor’s railing, holding a charger with a scope attached.

“You!” I said.

Oliver’s sharp green eyes twitched, and I could see his sharp teeth showed as a slight, whispered gasp escaped from him. He was in disguise like the last time he was here, but he failed at it, because I recognized him.

I stared back outside. Marie and Erray were gone, taking Angel with them. My breathing grew unsteady.

“Bass, please. For your sake… and… and my own, you need to forget about them.”

“GET OUT!” I snapped back towards Oliver’s direction and open fired, the blast hit the railing, but Oliver jumped off in time. I super jumped onto the second floor, seeing the Octoling making a dash down the hall.

“Bass, wait!” Char yelled.

I was dashing down the hall running towards Oliver.

“GET BACK HERE!” I shouted.

I could hear Char yelling down the hallway, while I pushed by people, threw chairs and tossed aside tables. Oliver was jumping and leaping to dodge, occasionally, turning into an octopus to zip around and avoid me and his hair started glowing. He got to the window, and blocked himself when I fired and took the hit, seeing the shine of Ink Armor as he was launched out the window.

I landed outside, sneakers hitting the glasses. Oliver was about to shoot me, when I threw a field of mist at him. He then ran out coughing, charging into me and grabbing me by my arms. Getting pinned against the wall made me drop Blaster. With no choice, I hit in the face with my head, and grabbed him by his sweater, practically lifting him off the ground.

“Honestly…” Oliver grunted. I yelled when he shoved his knee into my gut and he dropped to the floor, while I held myself. The Octoling coughed several times. I charged at him, but he grabbed my head as I ran and pushed me to the ground. I grabbed the Blaster and Oliver jumped back. I quickly leapt back onto my feet, pointing my weapon at Oliver, who was still coughing from the mist.

“Bass, no!” Char yelled through the window.

“Are you serious?”

There were footsteps. I knew that voice, and I turned my head only slightly to see someone staying just on the edge of the window’s light. The cape flowed in the wind, but through the darkness, I could see those piercing orange eyes.

“Wait… 3? I-”

I was kicked from behind, hearing my ink tank break. Oliver pinned me down and held my arms behind my back. My chin hit the dirt below me and I almost bit my tongue. I could tell my tank was broken because green ink was spilling onto the floor.

“Wot the shell is happenin’ down there?!”

I looked up, seeing Spyke and Merch in the window with Char.

“You should know better than to mess with the most trained ex-soldier of the Octarian Army,” I heard from 3. “Oli, you okay?”

Even though he had me pinned down, he still coughed occasionally.

“I’ll live…” Oliver said, stifling another coughing fit.

“And what about you?” I said, squirming. “Why are you even here?! Leave?!”

“Alright, shut up, before I make you!” 3 spat. “Yo, Spyke! I sent in one of my own to wrap up a deal, and this is what happens? What kind of customer service is this?!”

“I’m very sorry,” Char said, leaning forward from the broken window. “See, this guy here, he’s been gone, and he’s basically only recently got back into our gig.”

“No, Char!” I yelled, kicking at nothing. “That’s-”

“An important client, who payin’ me tons to supply whatever endeavor they’re up to,” said Spyke. “I don’t really care who they are or what they’re doing.”

“I’m not sure sorry is gonna cut it,” said Agent 3. “He assaulted one of own. The edges of his eyes are already kinda red from the toxic mist.”

“Then what do you say we should do? Anythin’ to let you walk away happy, mate.”

Upon hearing 3 take footsteps, Oliver’s hand met the back of my head and my forehead met the dirt.

“How about… we teach your lackey some respect?”

I grunted, struggling to move. The next thing I saw was the bottom of a boot hitting my face.

“Erray Trow.”

The name echoed in my ears when I finally woke up, along with a clap of thunder. It was pretty dark, wherever I was, and I was lying on the floor on my side. There was a lantern hanging from the roof, but it barely lit anything, other than allowing me to see a few boxes. The floor felt like metal, and it smelled like dust. Everything hurt, but I expected that, since I was fighting with no respawn, and with hand to hand.

“You’re squidding me.”

In the doorway, I saw Oliver and his perfect posture standing in the doorway with 3, who was just in the hallway.

“He’s Agent 4. I’m sure of it.”

I pressed my hands onto the metal flooring, feeling every muscle protesting against me. I reached for Blaster, suddenly seeing that it wasn’t on me, or my broken ink tank. On my knees, I reached for the wall, clutching my stomach that was probably bruised at this point, and accidentally let a groan escape. Then I gasped, feeling something around my neck. It was some kind of weird, metallic neck brace. The two in the doorway were staring at me.

“THREE!” I then yelled. I dashed forward, only to be tripped. Oliver held my left arm up in his grasp almost painfully, while putting his foot to my back.

“I won’t let any more harm come to the boss from the likes of you,” said Oliver. “If you attempt to turn into a squid, your shock collar will activate.”

“What?! You can’t just lock me here like some kind of creature!”

“You did a good job treating me like one…” 3 muttered from outside.

I squirmed, finding myself being pinned down with more force with each movement.

“Let go of me!”

3’s arms hung down limply, with no reaction. Oliver didn’t even look phased and was staring at his boss for instruction.

“Uh… no,” said Agent 3. “You can just stay there, until you chill out.”

“Then you’re going to have one SHELL OF A TIME!” I shouted, kicking, trying to find proper footing. I cried out in pain when Oliver pulled my arm back even further, straining the muscles on it.

“I implore you to cease making a fool of yourself…” Oliver muttered, before letting me go and walking out of the room. The door slammed shut, as I reached out with my right arm and my left fell limply beside me. I pulled it close, almost curling up into a ball to clutch my arm and try to ease the pain.

Suddenly, a pair of hands grabbed me and I flailed, struggling to break free.

“Whoa. Easy, easy, kiddo,” said a voice. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

I was eased against the wall in a sitting position, and for some reason an older inkling was in this room with me. Another roar of thunder was heard.

Wait a minute…

“Mr. Coel Trow?!” I said, rubbing my shoulder. “What the shell are you doing here?!”

“I came here to look for my grandson,” Coel said. “But my granddaughter was taken and these strange people locked me in here.”

“Cod…” I said, staring downward. “Which one?”

“Cici.”

“Well,” I said, pulling my legs closer to myself. “We’re not going to get anywhere just sitting in here.” I tried to get up, only to be reminded of today's scuffle.

“Easy, kid,” Coel said, lowering me back down. “You look like you’ve been through enough tonight.”

I swatted his hands away. “Don’t touch me. You fired me like nothing.”

“You wrecked my car,” the older Inkling responded, sharply.

“I worked for you for a year!” I turned my head towards him.

“And you just up and left?!”

I rolled my eyes, looking away to the door.

“Help me out. I need to get to 3.”

The thunder rumbled again. It was definitely raining outside.

“In the morning,” Coel said, sternly. I tried to resist him pulling me to my feet, but it didn’t work. He dusted off some of the dirt on my black and yellow jacket. “Right now, you need to rest.”

Coel laid me on a nearby cot. It wasn’t anything fancy, but it was better than the floor. I heard him digging through some boxes and felt a blanket covering me soon enough. Pulling it close, I glanced over at the old squid.

“Thanks…” I muttered, before my eyes shut.

“We’ll get your granddaughter back and then you can go back to your village and leave us be.”

When I woke up after what felt like a while. That Octoling kid - I think his name was Oscar - was setting a tray of food near me. Before I could say anything, he looked at me and ran out. I saw Coel arguing at the door. The hallway was dark, but I could see that it was 3.

“Then why are you keeping me locked in here?!”

“It is not something you would understand,” a toneless voice responded.

“I’m the elder here!” Coel shouted.

“And that makes you wiser, how?”

“I know someone who can help!”

Coel was pushed away from the door.

“I know,” A harsh tone said.

I sat up slowly, keeping the blanket around me, while holding my middle. I was pretty sure I had a bruise there at this point.

“3, why are you doing this?!” I yelled. “Is it because I went back to Char?”

“I don’t give a splat about your band of thieves, Bass.”

“Then why did you bring me here?! I have to find Marie! She shot Angel.”

“Angel is the least of my worries. Why were you insistent on attacking my associates?”

“Because I wanted you OUT OF MY LIFE!” I shouted.

“YOU SHOULD BE ON MY SIDE!”

“IT’S WRONG, 3!”

“You didn’t think that before… And I don’t give a splat about what you think.” With one arm at the hip, 3 took hold of the door knob. “Just behave yourself until Spyke and I come to an agreement on our trade, and you’ll be back with your band of misfits.”

“You can’t just use me like some kind of tool!”

3 laughed a little. “Funny. Maybe now you know how it feels.”

Agent 3 said nothing else and slammed the door shut, just as I threw my pillow at it. An annoyed sigh left the old man and walked back towards my direction. I tried to get up, but the old man eased me back down.

“Deep breaths, kiddo,” he said. “Remember what I taught you. How ya feelin’?”

“Just sore…” I said, taking deep breaths. Coel lifted my chin. It hurt a little when he touched it.

“Yeah… You look like you’ve seen better days,” he said, gently. “You okay?”

“I… I don’t know…” Even my arms still sore as I held them. "I used to be able to take hits like this, like it was nothing.” Once he let go, I rubbed my chin. It really felt like a bruise was there now. “Man… I’ve gone soft. Cod, I hope Char isn’t upset with me.”

“Well, don’t shoot yourself in the foot.” He lifted the tray into my lap and dug through some of the boxes. “You came to me, saying you wanted some honest work, and I needed you during a tough time.”

“Your grandson…” I sighed. The food actually did look good, even if it was just some toasted sandwiches, but I wasn’t really hungry. “It was Erray, wasn’t it?”

Coel turned and looked at me.

“Did you see him?”

“I saw him last night before they brought me here. I had no idea his last name was Trow.”

“How was he? Was he okay?”

“He’s, uh…” I remembered seeing him leave with Marie. Does he know about his eyes? I thought.

“Bass-”

“He looked fine,” I answered.

Even if he’s with the wrong crowd, I thought.

“If we get out of here, I might be able to help you find him.”

“Aw, thank-you,” Coel said, turning back to the boxes. “I knew ya couldn’t stay mad.”

“This isn’t about you,” I grumbled. “It’s about something else I can’t talk about right now.”

Coel shrugged. “Well, ya always were kind of secretive.”

I don’t mean to… I thought.

Coel went back to looking through the boxes. Old sound equipment and instruments kept being thrown out onto the floor.

“What are you doing?”

“Looking for anything we can use,” said Coel. “So far, I haven’t found anything useful.”

I looked over at the other cot and it was neatly made. There were several books and newspapers lying near it.

“Wait. How long have you been here?”

“Eh, about a week? Maybe two? I dunno. There’s no calendar here.”

“But, why?”

“I don’t know!” Coel said, his voice raising suddenly. “I told the Inkling my name, and the next thing I knew, I was in here!”

“Wait, this old equipment can be used as a weapon,” I said, pointing at the contents on the floor. “They’re no Splattershot or anything, but we can hit our way out of here.”

“No, we can’t! They always send that little kid in here when we need something.”

“So?” I raised a brow.

“I am not going to hurt a twelve-year-old child…” Coel sighed, “even if he is one of those things…” He then looked at me, while I almost winced in offense. I had almost forgotten he didn’t like Octarians. “Wait, would you-”

“No, I’ve never done that!” I said. “Usually the people I’ve dealt with are grown up enough to take a good hit and not go crying to their mom.”

“Hm. So, is that Inkling a friend of yours?” Coel said, climbing down from the pile.

“Was…” I huffed.

“Well, just eat up and get comfortable. We’ve got a lot of time.”

Coel let me read some of the books they gave him. I was never much of a reader, but it’s not like I had much of a choice in terms of splatting time. I dug through the boxes, too, only finding old mics and other percussion equipment, some that were broken. Was this just some old storage room?

Behind the boxes, I could find a small vent that looked big enough to get through as a squid, but with this stupid collar on, I didn’t stand a chance. Coel kept checking the door’s small window to see if anyone was coming, but it was either too dark, or it was one of those one way windows.

This was stupid. I just want to get back to Char.

Oscar would still come in after several hours to give us food. Sometimes, Oliver was nearby or in the doorway, back in his formal clothes.

Then, around nightfall, something changed.

Coel had gone to bed, and I was getting done reading chapter five about this weird story about some kid snatching back magical hourglasses, when the door opened slowly, and Oscar just walked in. He closed the door behind him, of course. He was wearing that Squid polo shirt that looked like it was from Grizzco.

He walked up to me, tilted his head to what I assume saw that the old man was sleeping, and then looked at me with those big, round Octarian green eyes.

“Uh… I’m sorry I ran earlier, Mr. Piker…” Oscar said, softly. “I know you’re the nice Inkling who let me play with you, Erray and that other girl a while back, but Oliver was standing right there and he always tells me not to talk to strangers.”

I sighed, rubbing my forehead. “It’s okay, kid. And you can just call me Bass. But, what are you doing here?”

“Well, Oliver’s my older brother.”

“No, I mean, here,” I said, pointing down to indicate this place. “This room. And at this hour?”

“Oh, uh… I saw you and I was wondering… Uh…” The kid put his arms behind himself nervously. “Why did the boss bring you here?”

“What? They didn’t tell you?”

Oscar shook his head and pointed at Coel. “I mean, I know why he’s here.”

I looked in the kid’s direction. “Why?”

“He’s Coel Trow. He fought with Captain Craig Cuttlefish in the Great Turf War.”

“Is that thing in here?” Coel muttered, irritably. Oscar winced slightly.

“Dude, ease up on the kid,” I scoffed. “And is that true?”

“What? Did you fail in history or something?”

I crossed my arms. “No. I never went to school, so I only know the jist of it.”

Coel sighed, sitting up slowly, and pulling the blankets away.

“Well, ya ain’t known in history as much for being second in command of the legendary Cuttlefish. I don’t really mind, though. After the war, I didn’t want all that attention, I just wanted to go back to my girl in the village and settle down. But, things don’t always go the way you want them to. My daughter’s husband left us at a young age and she soon followed.” He paused, wiping one of his eyes a little. “Bless her soul. But, I ended up with those three little scamps of hers: Cici, Vichay and Erray. I did my best to give them a good home and make them happy, but I still made sure to talk to that old Cuttlefish every once in a while, since the war ended. That’s why I came after Vichay told me about Erray. I thought Cuttlefish might be able to help, but now that fancy Octo is sayin’ he’s some agent?”

I then just remembered what Oliver said to 3...

“U-Um…” Oscar stuttered.

“Well, spit it out! You Octos and yer secrets…”

“The New Squidbeak Splatoon,” I said. And the old man stopped ranting. I turned to him. “And your grandson is an agent in it.” Coel sat there, frozen, confused, probably.

“So, that other squid who threw us in here…”

“That’s Agent 3, a former agent who left…”

“But why?”

“3 wants Octavio dead.”

Oscar turned pale at the statement. He knew this, but was probably afraid of the idea. At least, that’s what I think.

“But, why are you here Bass?” he then said, quietly.

“I attacked your brother…”

Oscar shrugged, tilting his head slightly “So? People attack my brother all the time.”

“Well, your boss didn’t like it.” I sighed. “Finn would never have been like this…”

“How?”

This kid asked way too many questions. I averted my eyes.

“I don’t think this is the time…”

Coel shook his head. “I hate to burst your bubble, kiddo, but we’ve got nothing but time.”

“Yeah, I know he’s lying, ‘cause his eyes moved to the left,” Oscar pointed out.

I glared at him. Then again, I never told him much while I worked at his place. To this day, I wasn’t sure if I should remember this fondly, or keep trying to forget. For Char’s sake I wanted to!

“Besides, I think it’s only fair, since you wrecked my truck.”

“Yay! Story time!” Oscar cheered. He covered his mouth. “Oh. Everyone else is sleeping. Well, except 3. Night owl. Heh heh. The boss is actually out right now.”

“Why?”

“I dunno. But that happens all the time.”

“Grr… Fine. I’m surprised your boss didn’t just tell you.”

“No, I was told. I just want to know a little more about you.”

This actually made me jolt a little. This kid was on 3’s side, but he wanted to know both sides? Either he was smart, or he was too curious for his own good. I sighed again, deciding to let them hear this story.

“Well, when I met Finn, I wasn’t exactly in control of my emotions as I am now…”

Two years before all of this started, I was perfectly content with I was doing. I never went to school, but I learned everything I needed to on the street. Everything I knew was all I needed and I didn’t need some adult telling me where to go or what to do.

With a backpack on my back, a black t-shirt with a tiny skull on it, with green striped sleeves underneath, some shorts and a pair of sneakers, I was running around Inkopolis. Heck, I could leave town and come back with new stuff like it was nothing.

“You no good stowaway!”

I leapt off the ship, finding myself on the docks, a place where Inklings never risked working at, and started running. My backpack was filled to the brim with lots of rare gear and other things. A skull bandana was over my mouth and nose.

“Stop that squid! He swiped my money!”

I found myself at Port Mackerel, hiding from inkcoming police, among the city of crates. Phone in hand I called the only other person I can count on.

“Yo, I’m back in town!” I looked around the corner and ran towards some voices that sounded like random yelling. Crowds were always an easy way to lose the

“Ugh! Finally!” said Char. “It’s been boring with you gone for the last two weeks.”

“Well, I’m back now. Where are you?”

“Where else? In the plaza. Spyke’s waiting for you.”

“Alright, chill. I’ll be there in a bit.”

Going towards the source of the voices, by jumping over piles and piles of crates and boxes, I found myself in the middle of an ink battle. I knew that since shots of blue ink flew right past my face. Well, all I had to do was get past, and I might be close enough to the plaza to super jump there.

“Inkcoming!”

I slid under a sniper shot running through the center of the arena, and tried not to step in any of the ink. Then a seeker nearly ran over one of my feet, and then I fell back into a girl who yelled out in pain.

“S-Sorry,” I said.

The girl looked at me with her ocean blue eyes. She was wearing a white t-shirt, black shorts with a stripe that matched her ink color and pink sneakers. An ink tank was strapped to her back, and a Splattershot was hanging from her hip. The Rainmaker fell out of her hands.

“Watch where you’re going!” the girl scolded. “Wait. You’re not even blue or orange. What are you doing?”

“Look, I’m in a hurry!” I said, untangling myself from her. “I said I was sorry.”

“Watch out!”

Just as I got up, the Inkling girl pushed me to the floor and took another sniper shot that came right at me. She was splatted instantly. A barrier reformed around the fallen Rainmaker.

Holy squid rings! I thought. I glared at the blue team coming in and curiously looking at me. They were probably confused as to why a third party was here. I stood, ignoring the blue ink stinging my skin. That shot could’ve splatted me for real!

“YOU MONSTERS!” I yelled.

The next thing I knew I had super jumped into the sniper and knocked her off her perch, before taking her out with my Blaster. Two other Inklings came from behind me.

“Hey, you can’t super jump to an enemy. That’s cheati-”

Whoever said that was bashed on the side of my weapon, and I stepped on the foot of the next guy, before blasting him up the head. Then I ran out of the area before an Inkstrike landed on me.

Once I was outside the arena, I almost forgot what I was just doing, until I saw the Inkopolis Tower in the distance. With a smile, I super jumped to the plaza.

The place was always lively. Inklings of all kinds were wandering around, chatting, playing, using their cell phones, gossiping, and sporting some sweet gear I would love to have. The Booyah Base’s shops were open and the Battle Dojo was kicking with friends wanting to practice. Up above was the tall Inkopolis Tower, a landmark I had come to know very well. But, something was off about it for some reason.

I pulled off my facemask, and tried to wipe off the blue ink still on my skin. The giant screen above the Squid Sisters studio turned on. Checking the time, which was around noon-ish I saw that it was about time for a broadcast anyway. The two star singers, Callie and Marie appeared on screen.

“Hold on to your tentacles…” said Callie.

“It’s Inkopolis News Time!” said Marie.

Callie looked towards the screen and gasped.

“News flash! New flash!” she exclaimed.

Marie rolled her eyes and looked towards her pink partner. “What is it? What is it?!”

The screen behind showed what I was missing from when I saw the tower. The Great Zapfish. It wasn’t there anymore!

“Inkopolis’s Great Zapfish has… vanished!” Callie said, shocked.

Marie looked shocked for once. “Wait, seriously?”

“If it isn’t recovered soon, are we gonna lose power?”

“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be fine… probably,” Marie said, smiling lazily.

There was then another photo of some flying aircraft I didn’t recognize. It was a blurry image.

“I wonder if it has anything to do with that UFO crash!” Callie pouted.

“Sounds likely to me…” the green Squid Sister responded.

“Well, that’s all for now! Until next time…”

“Stay fresh!” the two said.

Once that was over, I was almost blinded by some light, but it was Char waving his phone with the sun bouncing off of it. He was wearing clothes similar to mine. Seeing the doors open at the tower made me realize that those players I splatted could come out and see me, so I took Char’s signal and followed him into that back alley. No one ever came back there since it would look pretty fishy.

“Char!” I yelled, racing into hug him. Char chuckled and hugged me back.

“You made it back!” He said, patting my back and holding me by the shoulders. “Come on!” Pulling my hand, led me deeper into the alley and I saw Spyke sitting on a blanket with some Sea Snails and some of them were already carved out.

“‘Ey, Bass. You made it back! Wot happened to you?”

“Uh, I had a run in on the way here. I’m okay, though.”

“Someone took a shot at you, didn’t they?”

“Eh, they had it comin’,” I said. “Anyway, I came back with a bunch of stuff.”

I tossed my backpack near Spyke, silently cheering that it landed right next to him where I wanted and he started looking through it, laying out all the gear and weapons I caught. Then he held out his hand again.

“What?”

“I know you have more from when you came back, mate.”

“Ugh, fine.” I tossed him the wallet I stole from that one guy on the ship. After setting them out and sorting them, Spyke nodded, a slight smile on his face. This made me excited… until he handed about ten percent of the profit from this.

“Come on, dude!” I said. “I went to Saltwater and back and out ran the police more than once out there.”

“And while you’re being reckless, I’m out carefully devising the perfect strategies to sell all of this stuff, so none of the cops notice, entice clients, and make sure the cops who do know keep their mouths shut. Is there a problem with that, love?”

I growled, rolled my sleeve and started walking forward.

“Oh, I’ll show what problems I ha-”

Char held me back and started pulling me away. He laughed nervously.

“Uh… We’ll be at the inn, Spyke. Byeeeee…”

Back then, the inn was full of just regular Inklings and other creatures, who liked to chill like krill. There weren’t any Octolings, though.

The sun was setting and it took almost forever for Char calm me down. Eventually, I did after some of my favorite soda and we were sitting on some lounge chairs on one of the inns balcony.

“You know, I swear your impulsiveness is gonna get you into some real trouble someday,” Char said, leaning back in his seat.

“Why?” I pouted. “I’m out there getting stuff for us, risking arrest, getting beaten, or worse, and what do I get? Nothing!” I held up the small wad of cash. “This won’t even pay back the cost to send me over to Saltwater in the first place. I want to buy my own things, you know.”

“We have our own things, Bass.”

“Things that Spyke lets us buy with money he gives us… And we can’t even steal what we want. I want my own things.”

Char sighed. “Yeah, I get it.”

“You ever think about going solo, Char? I feel like we could get a lot more done, without Spyke on our case.”

“You know we can’t do that!” the spiky haired inkling said. “Who’s the one paying our rent here? Spyke. The second we quit, we’ll be living on the street!”

“Yeah…” I said, clicking my sneakers together.

“You should try and pursue other passions to kill time.”

“Like what? All you do is read.”

“Find something that can calm your mind. That’s what I do.”

“But I like fighting, and stealing. It always a rush when I get away!”

“And losing your temper and beating other Inkling to an inky pulp?”

“They had it coming!” I snapped, turning to him. Char chuckled. He always laughed when I got mad. And for some reason, him laughing made me laugh. “I think you’re the only one who
I can’t get super mad at.”

Char leaned forward, seeing over the balcony. “Aw, no…”

“What?” I leaned forward, only to have Char hold me against the seat.

“I think the police are here…” he said.

“What?!”

“Shh…” Char hissed, covering my mouth. “Just get out of here and come back in a bit.”

I nodded and jumped onto the roof.

“Hey, Bass!” Char then called. He spun and tossed me my blaster.

“Now get out of here!” he said, before chuckling. “I’ll call you when the heat’s gone.”

I nodded and scampered off, running across the roof and jumping as a squid onto other rooftops. Clouds were gathering in the sky, but going anywhere public was too risky right now. Eventually, I heard this loud bassy noise and ended up at Inkblot Art Academy. Lights were shining up from the ground and people were going inside. A cold breeze was blowing in the wind, and something was telling me that it was only a matter of time before rain fell. Everyone looked like students, so I just acted I walked in like I was one of them, and no seemed to notice, as I went into the auditorium.

Then finally I found the source of that noise. It was some kind of performance. And there, I saw them, Finn Arowana and his sister performing “Calamari Inkantation” by the Squid Sisters. Finn, the Inkling with his blue hair tied back and the orange eyes shining under the spotlights was playing this blue guitar and shredding up there and his sister, with the long orange hair and the ocean blue eyes, was playing on the keyboard, and both were singing in sync, just like the Squid Sisters. I assumed they were huge fans ‘cause they were wearing Squid Sister t-shirts.

People were throwing their fists up in the air, waving glow wands and cheering. They were the center of attention and had the people watching them in awe. Eventually, I joined in with the crowd, cheering them.

Of course I had heard the Calimari Inkantation before. Who hasn’t? But hearing it live, brought a whole new feeling to myself. It wasn’t excitement, or anger. It was something I didn’t understand. I felt relaxed… at peace.

I guess in a sense, it changed everything.

I later snuck backstage and found the room where all the equipment was stored. After watching that performance, I wanted to try an instrument, but there were so many. All of them were neatly lying set up, probably for sorting purposes. I picked up a rock guitar.

Now how did that Inkling play it…? I thought.

I plucked the strings, but it wouldn’t make much of a noise and there was this cord that I think I was supposed to plug in, but it didn’t work when I put in the wall. In a huff, it was thrown to the floor.

Then there was a clarinet. I wasn’t sure how to hold and after blowing into several towns and getting no sound, I got so mad I broke it in half with my knee and threw it across the room. The tuba was super heavy. I did remember the old trick of picking up heavy objects.

“Lift with your legs,” I muttered to myself, crouching down. I picked it up, and almost fell forward and wobbled backward. “Whoa, whoa.” And I fell onto the ground. “Okay, no!” I said, pushing it off me. “Cod, CAN I PLAY ANYTHING IN HERE?!”

Then in the back, I found some drums and all the equipment was there. It was probably the only thing I could get a sound out of. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing, but I was having fun making noise.

Then the door swung open, and I still, unfortunately, remember yelping in a slight high-pitched voice.

“S-Sorry!” I then yelled. Secretly, I was reaching for my Blaster. “I didn’t mean to-”

“What do you mean, sorry?” That Inkling who was on stage before walked in with his sister. “We heard yelling and we came to see what’s up.”

“Aw, it’s the squid who costed me the match earlier!” the girl whined.

“Hey, I didn’t tell you to jump in front of me!” I snapped.

“Okay, Sis,” the Inkling boy said to the girl. “Forgiveness. No one’s rank was affected from the incident.” He then turned back to me. “Are you one of the new students here?”

Oh, cod… I thought. He actually thinks I go here.

“...Yes!” I lied.

“We came in because we heard someone playing in here,” the Inkling girl said. “You sounded like you were really into those drums.”

“Um, thanks?” I said.

“You know, we’re new to Inkopolis,” the Inkling boy said. “Think you can help show us how things work around here?”

“Yeah, we’d love another person in our band!” said the Inkling girl.

I couldn’t believe this. It hadn’t even been an hour since I heard the Calimari Inkantation and they were basically offering me a musical position. I was so giddy at the time, I thought I’d super jump through the roof.

“O-Okay!” I said, excitedly. “I’d love to show you things about Inkopolis!”

“Great!” the Inkling boy said. He held out his hand and I shook it. “My name’s Finn. Finn Arowana.” He gestured to the girl behind him. “This is my sister…”

“I was so happy, but at the same time, I was so nervous,” I said to Oscar. “Carp, I remember racing back to the inn and yelling at Char, asking if he had any books on music. Oh, and someone was yelling about the clarinet I broke. Man, that eel was so mad...”

Oscar had resorted to sitting on the floor, but he had continued to listen intently. Coel was still listening, too, of course.

“When I met them, they were so kind, and eventually I did tell them that I wasn’t really a student. Even then, they didn’t care, and when I tried to leave Spyke, they did everything they could to make sure I was still at least welcome with them.” Staring downward, I was brought back to the present. “Then, all of that changed with the New Squidbeak Splatoon nonsense. Now that Finn left…”

“You were left all alone…” said Oscar.

“I had Angel… but she didn’t take it very well and almost reverted back to her spoiled upbringing,” I grumbled. “After everything I did, she just… told me to leave! She like, threw all my stuff out. I-” I looked away. The last thing I wanted was this kid to see me cry.

Oscar stood up. He walked forward, and I almost turned to him, he looked hesitant, but was reaching out his arms. Did he want to hug me out of sympathy?

“Oscar!”

Caught up in my own story, I didn’t even realize that the door had been opened and Oliver was standing there.

“What are you doing?!” he snapped.

Oscar gasped and turned around. “I was just-”

“Don’t mingle with prisoners! Let’s go! It’s way past your bedtime.”

Oscar walked up to Oliver. “I’m sorry…” he mumbled. Oliver sighed and guided him out by his shoulders.

“Here, I’ll read you something to help you go to sleep,” said Oliver. And the door shut.

“So, you never went to school, huh?” said Coel.

“No,” I said, turning to him. “But, Spyke taught Char and Char taught me.” I thought about the kid for a second. “Hey, do you think that kid wants to help us?”

“I don’t think so…” Coel said. “The Octo felt bad, but I’m sure he’s still on the Inkling's side.”

“Yeah, but he’s still a kid,” said Bass. “I don’t think they get him involved too much. Besides, it’s not like there’s any other way to get out of here.”

“It’s worth a shot…” Coel laid back under the covers. “Let’s get some rest, kiddo. We can keep plotting in the morning.”

“Right…” And I decided to get some shut-eye, as well.

“Finn would never have been like this.”

“You’re a real handful, aren’t you?”

I remember Finn having to treat a black eye after I got in a fight. All of it was over some dumb thing that happened during a Tower Control Match. I wasn’t the only one complaining about how ink mines were too strong and easy to hide. Even so, Finn was really, really… disappointed. He had to drag me back to his dorm and clean it out himself.

I flinched when the wipe touched my eye.

“Stop it!” I yelled. “That hurts!”

“Well, if you’d sit still, it wouldn’t hurt as much!”

“Cod, I wish we could just use water like the other races. And why are you mad? That other squid gave me this!” I pointed at my own eye.

“Yeah?” said Finn. “And I saw the one you gave him back in both eyes. You gave him that, didn’t you?”

I sighed, leaning back in my chair. “Yeah…”

Finn sat down on his bed. “Bass, I need to be with you for a second. Yeah, it was a cheap move to put all those mines down just as you were walking, and maybe putting them on the tower was also annoying. Yes, inkmines are annoying, but do you think lashing out the way you did was okay?”

“Hmph. No…” I pouted with my arms crossed.

“Bass, there’s going to be times when people or things hurt you.” Finn stood up, and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Yeah, it’s easier to give in to your emotions, and that’s fine. It’s healthy to do that, but never go looking for revenge. You’ll hurt a lot more people than you realize if you do that.”

“I…” I think I understood what he was saying. Finn and his sister… and Angel were the first friends outside of Char I ever had. “I’m sorry.”

Finn sighed, he grabbed a cold soda from the fridge and handed it to me. Well, not before wrapping it in some construction paper. “Here. It should stop it from hurting so much. And, I’m glad you understand.”

The door opened and Finn’s sister peeked in with Angel.

“Is, uh… everything okay?” said Angel.

“Yeah,” I said, pressing the beverage against my eye. “We’re fine.”

“Excuse me? Mr. Piker?”

I awoke to being shook the next morning by Oliver. It wasn’t harsh, but actually really gentle.

“What?” I said, opening one of my eyes. It looked like the toxic mist finally wore off, his eyes weren’t really red anymore.

“I need you to accompany me, and I would prefer if you didn’t hit me again.”

Oliver backed off as I sat up. He had a charger on his back and a Splattershot on his hip.

“Fine…” I said.

Finally, I was brought out of that room, but I was blindfolded. Something was telling that they didn’t want me to know where they were.

We were walking for a while, and I think I was walking on carpet and then some tiles. I wasn’t hearing much.

When Oliver took off the blindfold, I was in a bedroom, but it looked crazy. There were maps of Octarian domes plastered on the walls. Weapons had been broken apart for what I assumed was either for modding or upgrading on many tables along with scattered maps, writing and some small picture frames. The room was so dimly lit, but I knew it was morning, because I could see the light through the dark curtains. And at one of the desks in a swivel chair was, of course, three.

“Do you always work in dark spaces now?” I said.

“I don’t need light to see,” 3 said, turning to face me. “You’ve seen my eyes have you not?”

“Unfortunately…” I grumbled.

I heard a pen snap. Did I hit something?

“You think I’m a freak.”

“No,” I said, sternly. “You’re a monster.” And before 3 could speak again, I kept talking. “And how could I not? The friend I knew behind those shadows, those facemasks and glowy eyes, would never have left us all in the name of revenge!”

Agent 3 slammed the desk and rose up.

“You have no RIGHT to speak to me that way!” Agent 3 shouted. “Like you’ve never taken revenge ever in your life, never caring that the victim would be begging for you to stop like, Calli-”

“You shut your mouth!” I pointed at 3 pushing my ex-friend back. I heard Oliver growl behind me when I did that. “This isn’t about me, this is about what you’ve done!”

“You wanna know I’ve done?!” Agent 3 yelled. “Something about Octavio while the rest of you wouldn’t even look at me! I know you want revenge as much as I do-”

“No! You’re lying!”

“You wanted to silence me, lock me away like some kind of monster.”

I formed fists. “And look at what you’ve become…” The glow in those eyes returned.

“Will you stop fighting against your feelings?” said Agent 3. “Is it because of what you did to Callie? What did you want to do to Marie?”

“I-” I tried to stop myself from shaking.

“Don’t. Fear it.” 3’s eyes were locked right onto mine.

“No! You’re trying to turn me to your side!” I said, backing away. Oliver grabbed my arm. “Locking me up is one thing, but why the old man?”

“If gets to that old codger, Craig, he’s gonna tell this Agent 4 all his secrets,” said Agent 3. “I know it. He’ll tell him where I am, and Craig will send his cronies, which is why I can’t tell you where we are, and I have to stop 4 from being another victim in the Splatoon’s scheme. But, I know more than anything, you’ll either try to stop me, or let the Splatoon do whatever they want, because frankly, I guess helping people is beneath you now.”

“All the Splatoon has done is cause us pain, and I can’t be a part of that mess anymore!” I said, shaking my head. “You chose to get involved in something that we didn’t have to be in!”

“Then, who Bass?!” 3 yelled. “Tell me who else would’ve done it!”

“All I know is that you kidnapped an innocent man!”

“Ugh, I wanted to talk about how to earn your freedom, but if you’re gonna be like that, you can just go back.”

3 walked back towards one of the desks. The Hero-shot was right on the table. Jolting from Oliver’s grasp I grabbed it and shot him in the leg, before he could grab me. The Octoling cried out and fell over onto the ground. Then I pointed it at 3.

“Oliver!” Agent 3 cried. That was probably the most emotion I heard from the traitor in years.

“I don’t need to be able to turn into a squid to beat you!” I said. “What happened to you, 3? What happened to never taking revenge? You made a choice! A choice to put Inkopolis before yourself!”

“SHUT UP!” 3 yelled.

“You weren’t there for us!” I shouted back, tightening the grip on the weapon. “You LEFT us! We just wanted to help! If I had...” I gulped, the look on their faces on that day haunted me.

“Say it, Bass…” 3 muttered.

“What I-I…” the weapon shook in my hand, my breathing grew uneven, and even was going fuzzy. “I-I did… I-If…”

“SAY IT!”

“IF I HAD KILLED CALLIE AND MARIE, WOULD IT HAVE GOTTEN US ANYWHERE?!”

3 stood there, unphased, but moved by this.

“There. Do you feel better now that you got it out?”

It wasn’t until after 3 had said that, that I noticed green, transparent tears streaming down my eyes.

“I finally felt like… I belonged somewhere,” I said, taking deep breaths, tears forming in the corner of my eyes, “and then you…”

“You’re pointing the gun at the wrong target!” Agent 3 said, sternly. “We both have the same target in mind, and I know that deep down, beyond that friendly, and frail, exterior you want what I want. The same thing Angel brainwashed you into not believing.”

“No, it’s your fault!” I shrieked, shutting my eyes tightly.

“Then, why haven’t you fired yet?”

I sniffled, the weapon shaking in my hand. I didn’t want to do this. What was I doing? Please, just let go! Let me go back! Let me stop myself from ever meeting any of them!

“I don’t have time for misplaced blame caused at the hands of Angel,” said Agent 3. “If you truly, truly want justice, take it up with DJ Octavio.”

I fired, but Agent 3 dodged and started jumping around as a squid, and I kept trying to shoot, staining the walls and floor with ink.

“You’re not the only one with a grudge against Octavio!” 3 yelled.

Agent 3 appeared behind me but I managed to get a shot in the wrist, hearing a yelp escape.

“LISTEN!”

Suddenly, it was like a wave of intense feeling washed over me. My ink color turned blue, along with Oliver, and more tears flowed out of my eyes in that blue color. Oliver was covering his eyes, and he softly wept. I fell onto my knees unable to hold the Hero Shot anymore. I managed to raise my head, looking up at 3.

“We both want that Octarian dead.” 3 picked the weapon off the floor with ease. “So, stop wasting your time fighting your feelings and me, and let’s discuss how we kill him, together.”

Was I crying… because of this power…? Or was it because 3 was telling the truth? I couldn’t get up, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn’t believe I thought this back then, and I couldn’t believe I was thinking it now…

I… I want a person dead.

“If… Is… Is it my choice?” I said, shivering.

3 knelt down to my level.

“Yes. You can just leave, if you want, but I know Angel held you back from all of this…”

“3, please…” I felt the power fading away, but tears still escaped, even as my ink returned to green. “Don’t tell Char.”

I couldn’t hold my form anymore and just as 3 took the collar off, I turned into a squid. Gentle hands picked me up, but I never felt more afraid.

“I won’t,” was the response. “But if you double cross me, I won’t hesitate to tell him. A band of thieves like Spyke’s would be quick to throw you out for murder…”

I was blindfolded again. I didn’t really remember what I heard or anything, but when the blindfold was off I was back at the inn once again. Agent 3 talked to Spyke, who had to show up personally since Oliver couldn’t really do it himself, ‘cause I shot him.

I was relieved to be out of… wherever I was, but what was going to happen to Coel? What was I going to do about Erray?

“I’m glad we could come to an agreement, Spyke,” Agent 3 said, shaking his hand. “Now, I will only need to borrow him for a little while sometimes, and I will pay you handsomely if you allow it.”

“Not a problem, love,” said Spyke, counting the money in his hand. I was sitting nearby in a chair, unmoving and not saying a word. I was just glad that 3 took off that stupid collar. They shook hands and then they parted ways. And, since I was still in squid form, 3 just handed me over to Spyke.

“Well, mate, I hope this taught you a small lesson in respect,” he said.

I looked at him. “Yes, sir…” I said, flatly. I was already embarrassed by how squeaky my voice was in this form.

“Well, wotever… Just don’t ever do that again. Char!”

Spyke walked off and Char nearly knocked over people to get to me. He didn’t, he asked politely to get through.

“Are you alright?!” he said. He snatched me from Spyke and looked at me. “Are you hurt?”

“I…” I almost teared up. “I’m bruised, but I’m okay…”

Char gasped and wiped away the tears, but that just made it worse. I already felt vulnerable in this form, shivering in his grasp.

“Aw, carp… C’mon, let’s get you upstairs.”

I threw my tentacles around him, which shocked him, but he didn’t seem to mind. Char waved for Oceania to follow. We went up the stairs and back to the old room.

When we got there, Oceania was setting up the bed and then pulled out the sheets.

“Thanks,” Char said.

“Lemme know if you need anything, Bass…” the Octoling said, before walking out. It was like she didn’t even notice what happened.

Char placed me down on the bed. “It’s okay,” he said. “You’re safe, now.” Then he laid me against the pillows. Char sat down nearby and it was basically silent for a few minutes. Hopefully, he understood that I was embarrassed in this squid form. After a while, I was able to return to normal, but I was really tired. Char walked over and took off my shoes.

“Do you… wanna talk about what happened?” he said, pulling the blanket over me.

“I… can’t…” I said stuttered, tearing up some more.

“Oh…” said Char. “Maybe later, then.” That just made me tear up more. “Well, get some rest.”

“W-Wait!” I almost cried out. I just didn’t want him to leave. He stopped and turned back. “Can you… stay with me?”

Char looked at me and gave me a soft smile. “Sure…” He took off his shoes and sat on the bed with me. “Bass…” His tone grew serious. “That Inkling didn’t torture you, did-”

“N-No…” I said. What the heck would Char say if I told you about 3’s… abilities?

“Good.”

I stifled a sob. “I’m sorry, Char…” I heard a sigh.

“I know,” he said, rubbing my shoulder. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. Just go to sleep.” But, I couldn’t help but keep apologizing over and over, until sleep was given to me. I needed to kill Octavio, but even if 3 kept the promise to stay silent, I couldn’t stand lying to everyone. There was no choice. I’d have to leave again when this was over.

I just wanted to stay with him for as long as I could.

Chapter Text

Erray

“What is wrong with you?!”

Angel had just stormed out, ignoring anything I had to say to her. In fact, when I tried to stop her, she just swatted my hands away like I was just nobody to look at.

“Oliver almost shot me for being an agent…” I yelled. “How many people did we hurt?!”

Marie rolled her eyes. “Erray, we didn’t hurt anybody.” He held out her parasol at me when I tried to speak again. “And, no! The low-tide ink does not count!”

“I thought Angel was finally starting to be my friend. Bass bolted, and I don’t really know anyone else out here, ‘cause I’m trying either work or fight Octarians. You know I would like to go fight at Deca Tower every once in a while.”

“Erray, you took an oath to protect Inkopolis!”

“That’s what I thought we were doing!” I snapped. “Protecting Inkopolis, equals protecting its people! And tonight, it didn't seem like anything! It’s like all you care about is Callie! We’ve barely even talked with each other, and we’re in the same group, consisting of…” I took a minute to count up briefly. “Four people!”

“Wait, four?” Marie said, raising a brow.

“Well, Sheldon, remember?”

“Oh, right…” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I am your superior, 4! When I give you an order, you will do it!”

I took a deep breath, hoping I would never have to say it, but considering what Marie just said, I couldn’t just hold it back in my mind anymore.

“Did you tell that to 3, too?”

Marie jolted back, her parasol lowering.

“The innocent never lie, Marie,” I said, quoting my grandfather. He was a really wise dude, although a little stubborn. “You know, you’ve made a lot of sick burns on Callie before Splatfests, but you’re a lot different than I thought you would be in person.”

Marie lowered her parasol. Her eyes were half closed and she let out a sigh.

“Wow. Glad to see I’m such a disappointment to you…” Marie grumbled.

“Just because you don’t tell me anything, doesn’t mean you’re not lying. And, the more you hide stuff, the more I wonder if… if whatever 3 is telling me is right.”

Marie was shocked to hear that. “What do you mean, what 3’s been telling you?”

“3 talks to me sometimes through my headphones.”

“And you didn’t tell me?!” Marie shrieked.

“You don’t tell me anything!” I yelled. “You’ve barely been here, at all! I wanted to fight some Octarians, not make other Inklings upset.”

“Erray, you just don’t know what you’re talking about,” Marie said, crossing her arms. “You’re going to have to just trust me!”

“I don’t trust anybody!” I said. Backpack on my back, I grabbed my Hero Dualies, and pushed past her.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” She grabbed my arm, but I pulled it away.

“Anywhere but here! I don’t need the Splatoon to defeat Octavio!”

Marie raced after me as I marched down the hallway. Cuttlefish was asleep on the couch until I stomped past him.

“Erray, no!” Marie yelled. “You took an oath!”

I opened the door and stopped at those words.

“We need you here!”

I turned back, suddenly, being reminded of a small house in the countryside. Marie gave me the same look that Cici did. I turned away. Last time, it was to storm into my room, but this time, I had the guts to leave in front of them.

I slammed the door shut and rushed towards the town before any of them could follow.

I felt as stupid as I did two years ago. Where the shell was I supposed to go in the middle of the night? As if it wasn’t bad enough, I looked up and saw clouds gathering overhead. My phone had given me storm warnings, but I had it turned down when I was with Angel. I pulled up the hood on my grape hoodie and just kept walking.

Once again, I wandered into the square. I’ve never been here when it was so late. All the stores and the Shoal was closed. Even the studio’s lights were out and only a few people were around.

Near the doors to Deca Tower, which was closed at this time, I actually saw some Octolings. They were huddled together or just hanging out. Some of them had backpacks or other carrying bags. I wondered if they had nowhere to go, and they were all looking at me when I was close.

I began to walk back outside, when I saw it start to sprinkle out there.

“Aw, cod…” I said, pulling up my hood again. I had an idea of where to go next, and dashed into the rain. I cursed a lot, holding myself until I got to Grizzco, and slammed myself against the wall.

Finally, some shade, I thought, hands tightly gripping my arms. The rain stung and some drops managed to soak through my hoodie a little. The cold breeze of fall was clearly kicking in. It was cold out here. Unfortunately, Grizzco was closed. The metal bars shutters had been pulled down.

“Splat it…” I muttered, placing my hands on the metal bars. A little bit of warmth was felt on my hands, soothing the rain damage on my hands. There were faint, small stains of purple ink on my exposed skin. I put my back to the wall and slid down to a sitting position, and watched the rain fall.

So this is what’s come to… I thought. Sleeping outside in the rain. Or, next to it, at least… Well, I don’t really want to bother Anemy anyway.

It was unusual sleeping outside, but I had a long day. I huddled myself for warmth and closed my eyes.

That music and the red light. NO, STOP!

It got brighter and brighter until I felt like I went blind. My head was hurting. An Octo shot was in my hand and I was pointing it at Marie. I tried to stop, but I didn’t feel like I was in control, no matter how much I was telling myself to move.

“Go ahead. Kill her. Then we can leave.”

No! I thought. NO! STOP! I CAN’T-

When I pulled the trigger, everything went black. But then, I heard a calm voice singing. Orange sparkles floated into the air, making the darkness disappear...

When I opened my eyes, I could hear the rain again. It was pouring really hard now and someone had their arms around me… and there was light in my face.

“Erray.” A hand moved a lock of my hair out of my face. “You okay?”

“Whoa, what?!” I jolted away, arms flying forward, eyes moving, trying to see where I was. And I saw Anemy, who was holding me steady, wearing a helmet with a lamp on it.

“Whoa, whoa!” she said. “Easy. It’s just me.” She held me still as I took deep breaths, wiping away tears I just realized were there.

The captain turned off her light. “You were crying out,” she said. “Were you having a nightmare?”

I nodded. Anemy sat down next to me and I leaned on her shoulder. I just prayed she wouldn’t ask me what happened. “I’m sorry…”

The captain shrugged. “Well, if you weren’t yelling, I wouldn’t have heard you were out here.” She turned to me. “Why are you here, anyway?”

I stared down into my lap. “Oh, I-I got in a fight with my roommate.”

“Oh, they kicked you out.”

“No, I kicked myself out,” I said, softly knocking my sneakers together. Anemy just kept looking at me, and I stared downward at my hands. “I didn’t mean to bother you. I’ll just wait until this rain passes and find a hotel.”

Anemy tilted her head slightly. She stood up and started pulling my arm, trying to get me to stand. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to go inside, it’s just that I was tired. “Nah, come on. Let’s get you out of the rain,” she said, pulling me up. “You’ll catch your death out here… literally!”

The captain guided me inside and closed the door again. I pulled down my purple hood when I walked inside. I could still see in this dark room. Anemy turned her lamp back on and walked ahead. I crossed my arms, still shivering from the dream I had.

“Why are the lights out?” I said, rubbing one of my eyes.

“Well, we’re still closed, and we kinda have to save on power,” said Anemy. She sighed. “Man, I used to have so much fun when we were closed, but now the Great Zapfish is gone, and we all have to cut back.”

Once we got to Anemy’s room, she turned off her lamp, and took off her helmet, shaking out the orange tentacles on her head, before setting the headgear on the table. The lights were out, and only a few candles were on, and a lamp that I think was battery powered was on her desk.

“Heh. Maybe the Splat-o-ween Splatfest won’t have to be cancelled if we just do this,” said Anemy.

“Uh, what were you doing up this late?” I said.

“I’m not sure why,” said Anemy. “But I always get super inspired at night. That, and I’ve been tracking Salmonid activity since the little incident. I tried analyzing the remains of that Silver Salmonoid, and it doesn’t look like anything they could’ve made.” She walked over to her couch and pulled out the bed. “Alright, you troublemaker!”

“Nyah!” I yelped, as she yanked me towards the bed. “Okay, hang on.” I took off my sweater and Anemy hung it on the coat rack. She sat me down, after I kicked off my shoes she laid me against the pillows and pulled the blanket over me.

“There,” Anemy said, hands on her hips. She turned to the many candles lit around the room. “Well, I guess I can’t get back to what I was doing, or you won’t be able to sleep.”

She walked around the room and blew out the candles, leaving only the lamp, which she brought over to the bed and placed on the nightstand. When she kicked off her boots and took off her sweater, revealing a collared shirt underneath, she laid down next to me. I had just been staring at her, since I couldn’t stop being tense. “What’s the matter? Can’t sleep?”

“No,” I said, after sighing. I resorted to staring at the roof. I wasn’t sure if Anemy should trust me… or if I should trust myself. I was angry at Marie, but I would never… Would I?

“Huh.” Anemy stared up at the ceiling, too. “Must have had one heck of a nightmare. Well, the place’s base power is actually still one maintaining security. If someone gets in, the alarms will go off, so you have nothing to worry about, and if they come in, I’ll hit them in the face with a chair!”

I chuckled a little, which made Anemy smile a bit.

“It’s okay,” she said. “My brother let me sleep in his bed, when I had nightmares.” She then paused, before turning her head away slightly. “You know, you’re just the first Inkling in a while, who’s taken an interest in me. I don’t know about you, but I think you could call us friends, which is why I couldn’t just leave you out there.” She then shut her eyes tightly as her cheeks turned a slight shade of orange and the fact that she said that made me a little uneasy, but my hearts had stopped at the word “friend.” “Oh, man. You made me say something embarrassing,” she then said. She rolled onto her side, facing away. “Whatever. Since you’re here, we are practicing for the Off the Hook audition tomorrow.”

“Yes, captain,” I said.

Anemy sighed. “We’re off duty. You can…” She paused for sec to yawn, “call me by name.”

“Ah…” I was nearly taken aback by that. She finally giving me that privilege? “O-Okay. Goodnight, Anemy.”

“I don’t trust anybody!”

I remembered saying that to Marie and the sentence still stayed with me. The next morning, after Anemy and I practiced a bit, I went down to another one of those meetings. Now that she had met everyone, Tina was taking us aside individually to interview us.

“Well, Erray?” Tina said. “It’s been a little bit since our first meeting. Have you thought about what I said.”

“Uh… I guess so. Well.” I sighed. “Yesterday, I got in a fight with my roommate, and I think I came to my own conclusion last night.” I resisted the urge to tell her about my dream. “I don’t think… I can trust the Octarians. When I’m around an Octarian, I get nervous, and if there’s more than one I sometimes need to leave, or I freeze up. Uh…”

“Sounds like a phobia when you put it like that,” said Tina. “Well, I’m glad you’ve been doing your homework.”

“It doesn’t feel like it… I’ve been really busy, so it’s kind of been hard to just think lately.”

“Hmm… You said you got in a fight last night with your roommate?”

“Oh, it was nothing,” I said, shaking my said. “She’s just been doing some, uh… things I don’t agree with. I forget why I came here, sometimes.”

“Really?”

“Well, how I feel about the Octarians is my opinion,” I said. “Why can’t people just respect that?”

“Erray, my job isn’t to make people get over hating the Octarians,” said Tina. “It’s just to help people at the very least, tolerate them, at best. People will always rebel to change and ever since the war ended a hundred years ago, the Octarians have been fighting for the chance to return to the surface, and throughout the whole journey of this both sides have faced opposition. If the tension gets to be too much…”

“War…” I concluded.

“This is why I’m here…” Tina whispered. “My grandmother and grandfather had to fight in the war and I don’t wish that upon my kids… or myself.” She cleared her throat. “And if you’re mean to your Octarian employees, you could be let go, and it could be harder for you to find a job. I’m sure you’re probably very skilled as a fighter, but no one wants to work with someone who’s rude.”

“Yeah…” I said. “I guess that’s why Anemy sent me here. But, I used to think what you were thinking… that we could try to trust the Octarians, and stuff…”

“What do you mean?”

I shifted in my seat a little. “I-It’s not…” I paused for a second, thinking about how I couldn’t bring myself to say it to Anemy, and never to Marie.

Tina placed her hands on her lap gently. “Take your time.”

“Ugh…” I scratched the side of my head. I wanted to say it wasn’t important, but then I remembered about the whole lying situation.” Giving up, I looked up at this woman. “I used to have a friend…” I almost whispered. “And, she was an Octoling.”

The Fireworks Festival was drawing to a close, but it was also the time when Ceviché Village was the most quiet.

Everyone stared up at the sky and watched in awe as fireworks were launched into the air. Fireworks were only seen in the town during this festival and New Years. I remember Cici and Vichay being next to me as we watched.

Taking in everyone around me, I then caught a shadow in the corner of my eye, going behind the performance stage. My sisters and my grandfather were distracted, so I decided to see what was going on.

“Hello?” I said.

I heard a terrified shriek and saw a figure under the stage. It looked like a girl. Maybe Inkling? I held up my hands.

“It’s okay. I’m unarmed.”

Slowly, she crawled out from under, and looked to be wearing a normal t-shirt and shorts. Sandals were on her feet. It wasn’t her clothes that had caught my attention. It felt like discovering a new species like an explorer. Her ears were rounded out at the tips, instead of pointed, her red eyes were sharp, and her fuschia hair had more than one suction cup on each lock, and it was on the outside.

“Whoa…” I said. Gramps had told me stories all the time, so something was telling what she could be. “Are you an Octo?”

The girl gasped, she snapped her head towards me. “Hey, that’s offensive,” she snapped. “It’s Octarian. Or, Octoling in my case. And… how do you know that? People always take me for an ‘exotic’ Inkling.”

“Grandpa told me stories all the time! He fought in the Great Turf War, you know.”

“Look, I just…” She crossed her arms, refusing to look at me, “wanted to see what those stylish flares in the sky were all about.”

I raised a brow. “You mean fireworks?”

“So, that’s what they’re called… My research said that this place wasn’t very open to Octarians, but… I just had to see those things.”

“Oh, well… I don’t care,” I said.

“Really?”

“Yeah, you seem okay. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want to. And if you want to come back after these fireworks we can hang out or something.”

“Let’s just see these things first…” she said walking past me.

Since this Octoling was shy and probably paranoid for perfectly good reasons, we hid under the stage again. Man, I still remember being able to go into dark places without having to worry about my eyes.

“You sure you’re okay with this?” said the Octoling.

“It’s okay,” I said. “Grandpa used to not let me see the fireworks when I was little, since they always fired them really late, so my sister, Cici, would always sneak me out and we’d hide here.”

“Heh. Stealthy, are we,” the Octoling said, smirking.

The two of us were silent when the next round of fireworks launched into the air. The Octoling was mesmerized in the show, looking lost in all of those bright colors. Once it was over we got out from under the stage in the back.

“So, did you like them?” I said.

“So, they’re not calling for backup or anything?” the Octoling said.

“No.” I tilted my head slightly. “Why would we need that? They’re just pretty to look at are a symbol of celebration.”

“Cele… bration?”

“Erray!” I jumped at the sound of Vichay’s voice. “Erray, where are you?!” The Octoling jolted, jumping a bit before backing away.

“I guess I should leave, now.” She turned away. “See you… Erray. I’m trusting you to keep my secret.” I assumed she picked up my name from Vichay calling me.

“Hey, wait!” I said, reaching out my hand. I lowered it when she turned back. “I didn’t get your name.”

“My name?” She turned away again. “It’s Jade. Later!”

“We started hanging out more and more,” I explained to her. “And, yeah, we became friends, and then…” I started shivering. “She turned out to be… not so much of a good person.”

“And so you find yourself being unable to calmly be around Octolings after your… experience?”

I nodded.

“I would’ve gone to the police, but… no one dares to go underground into the domes, and I don’t think she’s left Octarian military, even though she’s committed several crimes on surface territory… If it weren’t for Anemy. I would’ve slept outside. My roommate wasn’t never really open with me ever since we started living together. She was gone a lot and every time I tried to say something other than our work, she would cut me off or go off and do something. I want to do the right things, but I don’t know if that’s what I want.” I wiped the tears in the corner of my eyes. “I had to give up a lot to come to Inkopolis, but now that I’m here, I feel more lost and alone than ever…”

“Hmm…” Tina held her pen up close to herself for a second. “Erray, it sounds like you’re thinking too inwardly. “You said you’re staying with Ms. Arowana at Grizzo?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I suggest you use this time wisely. Hang out with the employees and get to know them, and maybe you can have your captain nearby if you want, but perhaps your Octarian employees will have a little less of a standoffish opinion of you, if you get to know them. And now that this freetime has opened up, play music, go on a walk, do a little dance, whatever. This is your time to try and find yourself and figure out what you want to do.”

“So… just do whatever?” I said.

Tina chuckled a little. “I’m writing you a prescription to go have fun!”

No Marie, no obligations. I never realized that I had been so caught up in other things to think about what I wanted to do. Now that I wasn’t under the Octarians’ thumb anymore, and Marie wasn’t on my back…

I could do whatever I wanted.

After leaving my session with Tina, I checked my phone and there were messages on my phone. Six missed calls were from Marie. One was from an unknown number. I didn’t feel ready to respond to Marie yet, so I made my way to the square, towards Deca Tower.

“Show these bozos how we do it at Grizzco!” Anemy exclaimed.

I had slowly begun getting more and more used to the sound of combat, but I was still a bit tense sometimes, especially since some of my opponents were Inklings. There was always that strange quiet before the action began, and I never get over it. I just had to keep telling myself that this fight wasn’t serious.

But then, two emotions would run through me when I fought: Fear and anger. But as Tenta Missiles shot through the air of Mako Mart, a well known superstore in Inkopolis, Splat Bombs were being thrown, the sound of weapons going off, and the sight of clams being thrown, excited me.

“Trow, on your right!” Olivia yelled.

Everyone on both sides were racing and fighting each other for clams. Olivia jumped up and blind sided the opponent ahead with her Octo Brush. I ran forward, with at least six or seven clams on me. There was a bright light of blue, and I ran forward, practically jumping into the nearest puddle of orange ink I had shot forward.

“Take this!” Anemy yelled. Peeking out slightly as a squid, I saw the captain throw an ink bomb to ledge above where the thrower of the Booyah Bomb was. Emerging from the ink, I shot up a trailed and climbed on top of a shelf cereal boxes, just in time to see her splat the enemy and they dropped two clams. I ran up and added them to my collection.

“Take mine!” Anemy tossed me two more clams and they all fused into giant Power Clam. Anemy dove into the orange ink. “Go! I’ll cover you!” her tiny squid form voice said. I dove off the cereal shelf, and followed the path Coral was leaving from afar with her charger, but with the Super Clam on me, I was a shining beacon.

From far away, I could hear Coral cry out, and then blue ink was following behind me. I Super Jumped to Olivia, who was standing on a ledge near the enemy lines. The opponents were running over towards us.

“Erray!” said Olivia. “Give me the-”

Just before an Inkling could shoot at me I jumped down running, shooting and diving into ink, avoiding shots and skidding around the corner and hiding behind a vending machine. The rush of adrenaline was making my hair start to shine. Blue shots came from overhead. I threw two Burst Bomb, hearing a yelp, before shooting ahead of myself and swimming in the ink to refill my tank. When I got up, I was surrounded by three other enemies. Olivia was waving on her ledge.

“Trow!” An Inkling yelped and I saw a splash of orange ink, seeing the shape of Anemy rise from the ink, standing on top of the frozen food fridges. I super jumped to her side and back to back we shot the enemies, dodging and throwing subweapons. Three Octolings made it onto the ledge and Anemy pulled me behind her, but I could see the goal.

The enemies were getting too close, making me tense. I planted my feet, took the Super Clam, and for some reason, it started to shine with an orange light along with my hair. With a rush of energy, I yelled and threw it in a straight shot, as Anemy ducked, towards the goal. It slammed hard on the goal, and inksplosion sent the opposing team back, and we scored the last 20 points we needed.

“Orange Team wins!” Judd announced.

“Whoa…” I heard Anemy say, as I fell on my knees, the light in my hair fading and turning back from orange to purple. I felt really exhausted, and I was shaking. The next thing I knew, the captain had her hands on my shoulders. “Hey, are you okay?” A set of footsteps were behind me.

“D-Did I miss something?” It sounded like Coral.

I looked at Anemy. “I-I’m fine. I just need to get out of here.”

“Uh, yeah,” said Anemy. “Okay, let’s go.”

Anemy was silent the whole way back to Grizzco. I tried to say something, but couldn’t think of anything. Meanwhile, I was also worried that Marie would spot me if she was in the square, so I was more of in a hurry to just get back to Grizzco.

The captain immediately marched me over to her room, while we were trying to ignore the stares of some of the employees as we made it to her room. She sat me down on the couch.

“Here we are,” Anemy said. She reached around and put cushions behind my back. No matter how much I wanted to talk to her, she wouldn’t make eye contact with me. It was making me nervous. As soon as the pillows were up, Anemy stepped away and I think she was staring at the wall behind her desk for a bit.

Finally, after a few minutes, she faced me, and the knots in my stomach finally settled.

“So… that, uh…” She rubbed the back of her briefly. I didn’t move a muscle while she was trying to talk to me. I know what she saw. Even though it was an accident, she still saw it. Why was she pale? “That thing you did back there?” She paced back and forth, making me shift uncomfortably. “Uh… did you know you could, uh… do that?”

“Uh… Kind of…” I spoke, softly. Anemy looked at me, unable to keep staring at my face. “A-And d-does… that have anything to with the, uh…” She gazed from left to right before pointing at one of her eyes. “This thingy?”

“Y-Yeah…” I answered.

“And, h-how… how long has th-this been going on?”

“Uh… since... A while?” I said. “I’m actually not sure. I just woke up one morning about a year ago and my eyes were glowing in the dark.” Technically, I wasn’t lying.

Anemy wandered around her room searching her fridge and the back of her desk. “Where the carp are my sodas?!”

I stood up. “A-Anemy, are you-”

“SIT!”

I sat back down immediately. Anemy grabbed her backpack and some keys and rushed to the door. “I need to make a run to Mako Mart. Do not leave this building until I come back.”

“U-Uh, y-yes…”

Anemy already slammed the door shut.

“Ma’am…”

I really freaked Anemy out, didn’t I? I thought. I thought she was used to my eyes.

On the table that photo and frame had been turned around, which made me wonder if she wasn’t looking at the wall, but the photo itself. It that one of herself and her brother. Why would she be looking at it, though?

“Oh. I didn’t know you used rollers, too.”

“I don’t. It’s my brother’s.”

“You have a brother?”

I remember her answering as softly as possible.

“Finn.”

Then it hit me like a giant Killer Wail. That was the same name of a person Bass and Angel were arguing about last night. They wanted to find 3 and her brother’s eyes… they were… orange.

Wait, is he…

I jumped, hearing my phone going off. I was almost going to send it straight to voicemail, when I saw it wasn’t from Marie. It was an unknown number.

“Hello?” I said.

“Saw what you did. Impressive,” a deep, modulated voice told me.

“Th-Three?” I backed away towards the couch again. “H-How did you get this number?”

“Hello, Agent 4. Or should I say, Erray Trow?”

I gasped. 3 knew who I was?

“I-I think you have me m-mixed up with-”

“Don’t lie to me. I’m seriously not in the mood.”

“Why?”

“Because an innocent Inkling is being led into a lie, because of his gift.”

“My… gift?”

“Your eyes glow based on your color, ink bends to your will, your emotions affect other people’s emotions when strong enough… You did the right thing by leaving that popstar, Erray.”

“It’s not like you’re doing a good job at telling the truth, either, though,” I said walking back to the couch.

“I guess not. But, it’s because I don’t know if you’ll go back to Marie and tell her things I would tell you if you were on my side.”

“How do you know about… my powers?” I asked, softly.

“I was tipped off by an informant.”

“And that would be?”

“Well, that’s the thing about informants, 4. If you give them up, they stop telling you stuff.”

I held the frame in my hand again. Anemy looked so happy in it, and now she was always working herself half to death, maintaining her crew and the company with Mr. Grizz, drinking soft drinks, and acting aloof, but after seeing her reaction, I couldn’t help but wonder.

“Are you… by any chance, Finn Arowana?”

“Listen 4, we’re not here to talk about who I am. We’re here to talk about you. I know why you fight, and why you tremble and quake in front of an Octarian. You fear them, but you also want your vengeance. They did terrible things to you, didn’t they?”

There was a mirror in the back and I just looked at myself. I was wearing my grape hoodle, my shorts and my tights, but I knew the scars I had underneath were permanent. Even the cut on my head from Octavio tossing me, which was now covered by one of my tentacles, was permanent. Everything they did and what I saw. It was permanent.

“I don’t know who to turn to…” I said. “You… I left Marie, because I thought you were right, but… This whole thing feels familiar and keeps repeating itself. I trusted my family, an Octarian, and then the Splatoon. How do I know you won’t just betray my trust, too?”

“If there’s one thing I do, I keep everyone in my group informed, unlike a certain group, Erray. I’m not sure what I can offer in comforting you and your issues, but if there’s anything I learned from being Agent 3 of that Splatoon, it’s that if I want something, I should’ve just done whatever it took to make it happen. I, uh… I know Octavio has hurt you and other Inklings, and the fact that these twisted minions of Octavio can just flee back to the shadows sickens me.”

I teared up, and the empty silence in the room wasn’t helping.

“All I wanted… was to come to Inkopolis… and play music,” I said, softly. “And get into battles at Inkopolis Tower…”

There was an audible sigh. And I couldn’t believe what I heard next.

“I know exactly how you feel.”

“Huh?” I wiped my eyes.

“Octavio… he has something to pay for… something that I can’t let that debt be paid by him living. I urge you, Erray. Do not return to the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Do let them use you as a pawn as they did with me. If you decide you want in on my plans, I promise I won’t betray your trust, and I will give you the justice that you, myself, and many other victims of Octavio’s regime deserve. I know I can’t force you into making decisions you don’t want. Well, I can, but I don’t want to. A-hem. If you do side with the New Squidbeak Splatoon. I will not be as kind, should we ever meet.”

“Uh, okay…” I said.

“I look forward to seeing your decision. Don’t be afraid of your powers, Erray. Use them. They can save your life.” I heard the dial tone, and hung up.

3 was right, though. I was like this, fearing Octarians, being unable to place trust in anyone, not being able to speak a word to my family, because of Octavio. It was empty in here, the same I felt with myself. Empty. If I dwelled on it, would that be all what I am, damaged because of someone else? Why did this happen to me? Why do I feel this way? And why should I have anything to do with this mess?

I sat back down on the couch. I hope I didn’t freak out Anemy by what I did. Was her brother Agent 3? Does she even know about the Squidbeak Splatoon. Why hasn’t she mention Bass or Angel? Should I even ask? Or, did I open up a can of worms for her?

Barely noticing my own ink color changing from purple to blue, blue tears filled my eyes. I hoped Anemy came back, because I just wanted someone here…

“Um… Mr. Trow? A-Are you… o-okay?”

I opened my eyes, to see a figure trembling in front of me. Wiping the tears, I already saw the damage I was causing. Oscar’s ink color was dark blue, and he was trembling. Tears were coming down from his eyes.

Immediately, I sat up, trying to stop myself from crying.

“C-Carp! What the shell are you doing here?!”

“Um…” Oscar sniffled. “I h-have to give this to the captain?” He held out a sealed envelope. I took it from him immediately. Once my ink color turned back to purple, Oscar’s turned back to a light shade of blue.

“I’ll give it to her when she gets back…” I tried not to make eye contact. “You didn’t see anything.”

“Um... Yes, sir…” Oscar responded.

I sighed, trying to hold back. I had to at least try to make an effort. “Thanks.” The Octoling looked up a smile perking up on his face and wiped away his tears.

“You’re welcome,” he then chimed.

“So, why are you here?”

“Well, I came back after doing something for the captain, when the mail was dropped off. I found that envelope for Anemy, but she’s not here.”

“She, uh…” I wasn’t really sure what to call what she did. “She had to take off for a bit.”

“Anemy told me if no one could look after me here, to just hang out in her room until she came back…” He plopped onto the couch next to me. I looked away, trying to think about something else. “That sucks. I’m kind of hungry.”

“Can’t you just grab something from the fridge in the breakroom?”

“No,” Oscar said. “They’re for other employees. They get mad if I touch their food. On my first day, I thought the food was for everyone.”

“You didn’t bring your own?” I said, resting my arm on the armrest.

“I wasn’t supposed to be here long…” said Oscar. “But, my brother isn’t here yet to take me home.”

I stood up. I needed some fresh air.

“Fine. Let me see if I can make you something.”

“Hooray!” the Octoling cheered, as I stood up. I wondered how many times I was going to sigh because of this Octarian.

We went into the breakroom and I walked into the kitchen. The stove was still usable, but I wasn’t much of a cook. I looked through the cupboards and the fridge and then it hit me, when I looked back at Oscar who was just sitting at a nearby table, just swinging his legs back and forth: What the shell do Octolings like?

“Oh, hey Oscar.”

I turned around immediately, seeing that Coral had walked into the room.

“Who’s looking after you?”

Oscar pointed at me.

“Him? Are you sure?”

“Well, no one else was here… and the captain had to dash out.”

Coral walked up next to me. I continued trying to find something to make.

“Um… Do you know what you’re doing?” said Coral.

“Well, I never cooked much…” I admitted. “I was the youngest in my family, so my grandpa or my sisters usually took care of that. Do you know what Octarian kids eat?”

Coral looked up at the open cupboards. “Um… Pretty much whatever Inklings eat?”

“Oh. Right…”

“Um, I can just... m-make something.” She turned to Oscar. “Hey, Oscar. D-Do you want some crabby cakes?”

Oscar gasped, nearly standing up. “YES!” he exclaimed. “I love those!”

“O-Okay…” Coral walked up and pulled out a box, and I waited by the table. Oscar scooted over on the bench, and I thought it’d be rude if I didn’t sit down next to him.

“I’m the youngest, too,” Oscar chimed in.

I didn’t know how to respond to that. “Yeah, are your siblings…”

“Oh. I only have one brother. He’s kind of annoying sometimes. He almost didn’t allow me to work here.”

“So, your brother’s a bit overbearing?” I said, turning to him.

“A little, but he’s a great musician, and cook! How many do you have?”

“Well, I don’t have a brother, but I have two sisters,” I said, softly. “They’re older than me, and they’re twins. They were named after the village I came from. They were pretty overbearing, too, since I was the youngest.”

“I thought it was annoying, but Oliver’s looked after me for as long as I can remember. I know he’s just looking out for me.”

I looked back at the kitchen already smelling the crabby cakes were almost done. It reminded me of home.

“Yeah…”

“Did your sisters like music as much as my brother does?”

I glanced at him. “Uh…”

“Oscar, are you ready to go?”

I snapped my body around immediately, swinging around to the other side of the bench at the table. Then, my body froze. Oliver was walking right up to me. Coral brought a plate of crabby cakes towards us.

“Uh… A-Are you…?”

“Ah, Ms. Coral Rifa,” said Oliver. “A pleasure to finally meet you. My brother has told me a lot about you.” He looked at me, and I looked to the side. “Mr. Trow.”

Oscar leapt out of the seat and raced up to Oliver. “Hey, Oli!” he chimed.

“Did Mr. Trow do anything disrespectful towards you? Where’s Ms. Arowana?”

Oscar shook his head, politely putting his hands behind his back. “He wasn’t mean, at all. In fact, he was watching me because the captain had to dash out.”

Oliver smiled warmly. “That’s wonderful to hear. I suppose that’s fine…” Slowly, his eyes on Oscar started drifting towards me. “As long as you don’t stick your head in places where it doesn’t belong.”

And, at that moment, the older Octoling stared right into my eyes with the sharpest glare I had ever seen. It sent shivers down my back. His eyes were a pure vivid color of light green, and it made me tremble. Without a weapon on me at the moment, I doubt I could take this guy on this second.

I’d seen that look before.

“Shall we off, Oscar?”

“Um, here,” Coral said, walking up with the plate. “Take some with you, Oscar.”

“Yay!” Oscar cheered, taking some crabby cakes. “Bye, Mr. Trow!” He was led away by his brother. “Bye, Coral.”

“D… Do you want some, Erray?” said Coral. Her small voice managed to help me forget about what I just saw.

“Yeah, okay.”

I took some crabby cakes with me, before heading back to Anemy’s room. Luckily, she had come back with a backpack of sodas, and was stuffing them in the mini fridge under her desk.

“Um, hey.”

“Hey,” she said back.

“Uh, are you… okay?” I asked, holding my hands together.

Anemy set a can on the desk and then pulled herself up from under the desk. She rested her head and sighed. “Yeah. I think I’ve cooled off.” The girl sat down and calmly drank down her beverage. “So, uh… Did you mean to do that, or…”

“It just happened, I guess.”

“Dude. We could use that for Salmon Run!” Anemy exclaimed. “Uh, unless you don’t want to.”

“Well, I don’t really know how it happens… it just… does,” I said. I saw the envelope on the couch and picked it up. “Oh. This is for you. There’s no return address.”

“Oh. That’s probably from Grizz.” Anemy took it and opened the envelope with a pocket knife. It had a handle that changed color based on ink color. Inside was a big map, and she held out her hand for me to step back. “Okay.”

“What?”

“Activity has dropped at the Spawning Grounds and Marooner’s Bay. And… WHOA!” She set her map down flat on the table. “Look at this!”

The map looked like it was showing some of the locations for Salmon Runs. The Lost Outpost, was shown to be fortified. It’s place was huge on the map.

“Aw, carp…” Anemy muttered.

“What are we gonna do?” I said. “How did it get so big in a short amount of time?”

“Maybe they had help…” said Anemy. “The question is: From who?”

I have a hunch… I thought. But, I thought if I involved Anemy, it could put her in danger.

The captain snatched out a tiny note that was attached and read it.

“They’re plotting something, Anemy. I don’t know what, but I don’t like it. We need a plan…' Signed, Mr. Grizz.”

I looked at the captain, a fist over her mouth. Sweat was on her forehead.

“Captain?” I said.

“Forget practicing our music tomorrow!” Anemy folded up her map. “We need more of everything: Weapons, ships, employees! We’re going to need everything possible to stand a chance.”

Already, this was getting my ink pumping. I wasn’t sure if I liked where this was going.

“Is it bad?”

Anemy shook her head. “I don’t know. But, I’ve never seen the Salmonids acting so smart before. Not to say that Salmonids aren’t smart. They’re crafty little things.” She looked at me. “You’re paler than usual.”

Realizing I was shivering, I forced myself to stop, crossing my arms, so I have something to hold on to.

“It’s okay to be scared,” said Anemy. “You think I’m not scared about this, either?” She took the folded map and held it close. “In my experience, Trow, things always get worse before it gets better.” She wiped her forehead. “Sorry. You shouldn’t see me like this. And, you probably shouldn’t have seen me earlier when I… freak out about… your… Well, you know.”

“It’s fine, Anemy,” I said, smiling. “You said we’re friends, right?”

“I guess so…” She pulled out her phone. “I’ll make some calls and see if I can get anything good for us.”

Anemy went out back to make some calls. She told me that she knew someone who could get her stuff. After that, she went back to working on her maps, and I had to convince to go to bed when it got too late.

It took a while to fall asleep. As much as I was afraid, I couldn’t stop thinking about why I should stay involved in this. I didn’t want Octavio to turn me into a monster, but at the same time, I couldn’t let him get away with this, and I couldn’t let him make innocent Inklings suffer.

The sudden image of Callie jumping in to save me crossed my mind.

But what could I do? I thought. Without the New Squidbeak Splatoon, I was just one Inkling. But, when did that stop me? I’ve broken into Octarian territory and taken back several Zapfish on my own. So what was the difference?

Early in the morning, I woke up. Normally, I wanted to wake up until later, but I couldn’t risk Anemy seeing me. Luckily, the captain was still sleeping, which was good, because someone as busy as her needed rest. Backpack in hand, I walked out of Grizzco and took to the square. Something was off. There was graffiti on some of the walls in the alleyways. They looked like an octopus, and some were on the windows of shops. There was no time to think. I had to move before the shopkeepers thought I did it.

Octo Canyon was empty, which was perfect. Dressed in my agent attire I made my way up ahead to Beaker’s Depot. I figured that if I could minimize how many Zapfish the Octarian Army had, whatever they were planning wouldn’t be able to come to pass.

Plus, even if Callie was in cahoots with Marie, which she probably was, I couldn’t just leave someone to suffer how I did.

The place I ended up from taking one of the kettles was really dark. Search lights were everywhere from Octo Seekers. They were these big seeking ships with four propellers on each corner to keep it in the air, with searchlights and they were typically operated by Twintacle Octo Troopers that could be seen through a pink tinted window into the control room. While its searchlight was turned away, I inked a path, and swam slower when the seeker turned its lights in my direction, but when it was directly above me, I could see the face of an Octo Stamp underneath, and dark pinkish ink dripped from it’s face. As soon as it passed I quickly kept going, and tried to get off any enemy ink that dripped onto me.

Surprisingly, there weren’t as many enemies here. I thought there would be, considering this area’s security was supposed to be at level three.

Once I got to the other side of the place, I found out why. It took tons of sneaking around and purple ink was left everywhere from it, but I saw that the Zapfish was already gone. Then I jumped back when a shot of green ink almost hit me. Marie shooting in the direction it came from, Marie jumped and I ran for cover when a wave of ink almost hit me from a Splashdown.

I ran behind the pedestal where the Zapfish used to be. Seeing the figure of Marie. I mean, I knew that hair style anywhere, but she was wearing her Splatoon attire.

“4!” she yelled. “What have you done with the Zapfish?”

“I don’t know!” I yelled, pointing a Dualie at her. “I just got here.” I shook, suddenly remembering that dream I had.

Marie sighed, I think I saw an eye roll. “So you didn’t take it?” I shook my head. “Splatastic… Well, what are you doing here?”

“My job.”

“I thought you-”

“Who said I was done fighting?” I said, sharply, a stern glare aimed at Marie.

“4, just come back already!” said Marie. “We need the Zapfish to get into Octavio’s HQ, anyway. We have the same goal!”

After about a day away, this Inkling still hadn’t learned?

“2, I didn’t leave, because of whose goal was better,” I said. “I left, because you and the cap’n were being dishonest with me. You, who’s famous on the surface world, and the cap’n the war hero they talk about in history classes!”

“I’m not going to argue here!” The popstar hissed. “You don’t know who could be listening!”

“Then, why can’t you just be honest with me?!”

“Er- Agent 4, this is an order! You are to return with me at once!”

“2-”

I ducked under another shot from Marie. I didn’t know if it was low-tide stuff, but I wasn’t about to find out. As much as I didn’t want to remember that dream… I had to defend myself!

I left tons of ink from sneaking around here. Since the sniper was slow with the charging up, it allowed me to swim around faster. Not to say that I wasn’t going to underestimate her. I threw a few Burst Bombs her way, and ran at her to get in range, but I quickly had to skid under another shot, and when close, she almost hit me in the face with her weapon, before I swam away in the ink.

“4! Get out here!” she yelled.

“Agent 2!” I pleaded. “Just talk to me!” I rose out of ink slightly, slowly turning back from a squid.

“Not here!” Marie snapped around and almost shot at me, but I dove to the right and some purple ink started to rise up into the air. My hair started glowing and Marie gasped.

“Just tell me why you won’t-”

“I’m not going to say it again!” Another shot went towards me, but I held out my hand and a wave of purple ink rushed towards Marie. I heard her scream, but I saw the glow of ink armor, but it shattered before she was sent back.

While I was standing there, stunned at what I just did, I almost didn’t see two green Burst Bomb flying through the air. I super jumped back towards where the Zapfish used to be.

“Marie, please!” I pleaded. I didn’t want to fight one of my idols. I didn’t want to fight the people who were supposed to be my friends and allies… and family. I just wanted them to talk to me. Caught up in thinking I almost didn’t see her get up.

“Just-”

I yelped when a shot grazed my left arm. Marie gasping was clear. I just wanted them to...

“LISTEN!” I yelled.

Almost immediately, my eyes started watering. The tears were blue, and Marie’s ink had turned blue, as well. She was teary eyed, as well, and was using her Charger as something to lean on.

“D-D… Do you think I wanted… to leave? To be all alone?” I rubbed my newly injured arm. It was going numb already. So it probably was low-tide ink. “But, I couldn’t stand to be around people who brush what I have to say aside!” The tears were already streaming down my cheeks.

“Y-You… Did 3… teach-”

“This was why Agent 3 left, isn’t it?” I said, softly.

“Erray…” Marie mumbled. “I-”

I Super Jumped past her, knowing she was unable to shoot me, and then dashed towards an exit. If Marie said something, I was too far away to hear it. As soon as I was back in Octo Valley, I immediately left and headed to Inkopolis Square. It was still pretty early in the morning, and seeing the square at sunrise, started putting me at ease. I was just glad that whatever I did wore off, and my ink color turned back from blue to purple.

I was just really tired after all that. Maybe I overexerted myself? So, I went back to Grizzco. Even if some people didn’t like me there, it was probably the best place I could go at the moment.

Before I went into Anemy’s room, I locked myself in the bathroom. Even though the place was full of cameras, there were none in the restrooms. Thank cod… I changed back to my regular clothes. Frankly, they were more comfortable, but before I put on my shirt, I dug into the medicine cabinet, looking for something to treat my arm and found some bandages. It stung when it touched my skin, but I powered through and wrapped my injured arm.

When I closed the medicine cabinet, I saw my reflection and then just stood there. Alone. That’s what I was. Everyone I’ve turned to has either betrayed my trust or can’t trust me enough. If there was anything, none of them would listen. My family, an Octarian I thought was a friend, and the Squid Sisters. My idols! I thought of them as role models...

“I told you! Inkopolis is my-”

“You’re not going, Erray. The answer is no.”

“They always fall for it if you play helpless.”

“You’re going to have to just trust me!”

“I don’t trust anybody!”

I wiped my eyes, stifling a sob. Anemy was probably sleeping, so I decided not to move from here for a bit. Then, there was a knock.

“Trow, are you in there?” Why does the universe hate me?

I sniffed. “No…”

“Come on, I can hear you crying. Just come out, or I can turn into a squid and slide under the door.”

I gasped, reaching for a shirt.

“J-Just a second!” I said. I stuffed my agent clothes into my backpack and after putting on my shirt, I pulled on my grape hoodie. When the door was open, I was actually relieved to see the captain.

“Whoa. You look tired. Are you okay?”

As much as I wanted to pour my guts out on her, I didn’t. If I told her about the Splatoon, I didn’t know how she would react. I stood still, resisting the urge to just tell her everything. At the same time, I hated lying like Marie.

“I… I just went for a walk… and I ran into… my roommate,” I said, softly. “That’s all.”

“O-Oh.” She slowly put her arms around me. I froze, tearing up with purple tears.

“S-Sorry…”

“It’s okay…” said Anemy. “We all go through some hard times. I don’t really know what’s going on, but I’m here.”

I turned to her slowly. “Really?”

“Trow… uh, Erray, I’m the captain,” said Anemy. “Nothing is more important to me than the lives and well-being of my crew. And, well. You’re more than a subordinate. You’re… my friend, I guess. I don’t know what’s up with your family, or that roommate of yours, or what ‘this’ is,” she pointed at her own eyes, but I knew what she was talking about, “but, I’m here if you need a shoulder to cry on, or whatever. If you’re part of my crew, you’ll never be alone.”

Slowly, I hugged her back.

Anemy chuckled. “But, maybe you could stand to be nicer to Oscar.” She pulled away, and patted my shoulder. “Come on. I think you’re the one who needs to get some sleep this time.”

“Okay…” I said, nodding slowly. “I-I trust you…”

Chapter Text

Anemy guided Erray back to her room and set his backpack next to the door. He kept looking away when she tried to see his face, but she could hear him sniffling. The captain gently patted his shoulder.

“It’s okay…” she muttered, as she opened the door and pulled him inside. He kept wiping his eyes. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“I’m sorry…” Erray muttered, as he was sat down on the right side of the bed. He kicked off his shoes. “I know I’ve been such a handful to you…” This time he didn’t even bother to turn away when Anemy looked at him.

Anemy sighed. He was right, but she couldn’t bring herself to be hard on him. Especially not now.

“Well, it’ll just mean more whenever you can make it up to me. So, don’t worry, okay?”

Erray sniffled, but didn’t say another word. With his sweater off, the Inkling let out a soft sigh as Anemy pushed him against the pillows and pulled the blanket over him.

“We still have a few hours before our shift starts, so just go to sleep, alright?” she said. The Inkling walked to the other side of the bed before sitting down and turning on her phone, browsing the web and a few of her aps, and getting updated on some news.

Squid Sister Callie Still Missing - What will become of Marie?

Week Two of the Great Zapfish Disappearance - More Power Cutbacks Inkcoming

Arowana Mall Marred, by Angry Octarians

“Whoa…” Anemy said, seeing images of vandalized shops. Some of them were ones she heard had refused to serve Octarians.

Anemy glanced back at Erray for a second. He’d stopped crying and his breathing had changed. The captain looked over to see Erray’s eyes closed, and his body was relaxing. He was fast asleep. Normally, she loved to snoop, but out of respect, she left Erray’s bag alone and just set it next to him on the floor.

The map she got from Mr. Grizz last night laid across the room on her desk. Instead, though, the Inkling walked up and picked up the photo of her and her brother that sat next to it, and just looked at it for a bit, before glancing back at the map.

Quickly, the girl set the frame back down and stared at the map some more. It was still pretty early and she had been jolted awake by Erray earlier.

Eh, I could use a nap, as well, she thought. She started counting how many times she had to be told to rest, even before Erray started working at Grizzco. So, Anemy walked back over to her bed and kicked off her boots, before climbing into bed. As she pulled the covers over herself, she glanced at the frame one more time, before staring at the ceiling.

“I hope you know… I’m trying my best…” she said, softly. Her eyes slid shut, and within minutes she was asleep.

This was her fault. She let this all get too out of hand.

“This was why 3 left, isn’t it?”

Hearing those words was the final nail in the head. Marie knew it all from the start, but she didn’t want to listen. It was just like before… only very less explosive.

“3, what are you doing?!”

“Remembering who I am!”

The orange light in the ex-agent's eyes was something to behold. It was incredible, but also… terrifying. It was just like how her grandfather described it as he retold his old Great Turf War tales to her and Callie.

“Oh, yeah! And one more thing: I QUIT!”

Marie woke up with a start a few hours later in her apartment… alone. Again. Callie had been gone for so long, she was almost used to it, which saddened her.

The popstar wasn’t sure where Erray was, but after what happened early in the morning, Marie had to come back to her apartment and lie down. What he did left her exhausted. She didn’t even change back when she came home. The second agent was still in uniform as she stumbled out of bed. She went to the kitchen to make a quick breakfast. With the Zapfish missing from its location back in Octarian territory, Marie had to find out why it wasn’t there, and where it was now.

Without Erray, things were going to get a lot trickier. She had checked with Sheldon, but unfortunately, Erray had all but switched off his phone, so they couldn’t find him. Although, the cap’n doubted he would go far. He wanted to come to Inkopolis, after all.

Marie couldn’t help but drag her feet as she made her way into the kitchen. She had been so busy, more so now that they had to stop Octavio again. The dishes hadn’t been washed in ages, the counters were gathering dust, even the TV had a thick layer of dust over the surface in the living room. Even the couch was pretty stiff from lack of use. At least it still looked brand new.

After grabbing a quick bite of toast, Marie got her charger and headed to the door when she heard a knock. To her surprise, it was the cap’n. He was wearing a green sweater with matching sweatpants, with a strange white hat. Of course, he still had his medals pinned on his outfit.

“Gramps?” Marie said, after opening the door. “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at home? What if it gets robbed?”

“Oh, please,” said the cap’n. “At this point, it’s been broken into about two times. It’s safe to say that our enemies know where we are.”

Marie leaned against the doorway. That much was true, the only question was why they hadn’t come and finished them off yet?

“Get back inside, bucko!” the cap’n demanded. “What if someone sees you dressed in your attire?!”

The Squid Sister found herself being shoved back into the apartment.

“You still haven’t told me why you’re here,” Marie said, irritably.

“Marie, Erray is still missing,” said the cap’n. “What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing, I’ve got it handled.” She tried to leave, only to be halted by her grandfather’s cane.

“No, you clearly don’t,” the cap’n added. “Or else, he would’ve been back two days ago. You didn’t even tell me what happened when he stormed out last night.”

“He stormed out because of me, it doesn’t involve you, gramps.”

“Then where is he?”

“I DON’T KNOW!” Marie shouted, pushing the cap’n back forcibly. She shook, trying to hold back tears. “I… I don’t know.”

The cap’n lowered his cane, hesitantly, but approached his granddaughter. “Marie-”

“He’s gone, gramps!” Marie yelled. “Gone, like Callie…” She almost trembled at the next thought. “And gone like 3!”

“This isn’t about Erray, is it?” the cap’n stated. “Is this why you’ve been so distant to us?”

“I knew he’d leave eventually,” Marie said, as she wandered over to the window. Below, she could see the city. “Just like everyone else.”

“Callie didn’t leave you,” said the cap’n. “She was kidnapped.”

“She might as well have! We were at each other’s throats almost every time we went on missions, and ever since we quit Inkopolis News, we almost never saw each and we still live in the same apartment!” Slowly, her voice was growing more and more shaky with every tear that fell.

The elderly Inkling walked forward, towards his suffering granddaughter. She was hugging herself, looking over at her parasol that was leaning against the wall next to the window.

“Why did I do it?” she whispered. “Why did I-” She stopped when the cap’n placed a hand on her shoulder. The second agent turned to him, no longer hiding the light green shade of transparent tears running down from her eyes.

“Marie-”

“Why didn’t you just let 3 kill him?”

“Because if he dies, we could start another war,” said the cap’n.

“Oh, splat off with that carp!” Marie hissed, swatting his hand away. “You just can’t accept that the sweet Octarian you once knew all those years ago has become a monster! Inklings and Octarians died on both sides during the war. Gramps, did having Erray bleeding on our living room carpet when we met him mean nothing to you?! We’ve turned Agent 3 into a monster like him! He’s taken your own granddaughter! He… He’s…”

Marie finally fell silent when the cap’n hugged her, his cane dropping to the floor.

“I’m still here, Marie,” he said, gently. “I promise, everything’s gonna be fine. I know Octavio has done terrible things. I know he hates me with every fiber of his being, and what he did to Erray is unforgivable. But, do you think it’d be right? Do you think we should stoop down to his level?”

Marie sniffed. She hugged him back and started to cry.

“I never should’ve shot Agent 3… We should’ve apologized and been honest with 4! Oh, Callie…”

“Aw, Marie…” the cap’n said, softly. She rubbed her back gently letting her cry until she was calm enough to speak. “You’ve been holding this in the whole time, haven’t you?”

“I had to…” Marie whimpered. “I’m a popstar. An agent. I’m-”

“No, you don’t. Not anymore. You’re not alone, Marie. And you never will be. We’ll find Erray, and we’ll get Callie back. I promise.”

“Mr. Trow? Mr. Trow, it’s time to wake up.”

Erray’s eyes slid open. He sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes, and mumbling to himself. “Anemy?” He was a little surprised to find that his captain was no longer around.

“Hello,” Oscar chimed in, peeking his head over the bedside.

Erray flinched. “Oh, it’s just you… Where’s the captain?”

“She’s talking to the recruits. She tried to wake you up earlier, but you were out like a log, and she was in a hurry, so she sent me. If you get ready quick enough, she won’t mark you tardy. Here.” He set a plate of toast on the bed before standing up. “Okay, bye.” The little Octoling raced out the door.

The Inkling settled down and took the plate into his lap. The toast was decent, and he wondered if Oscar made it himself.

He’s really trying… Erray thought. He almost felt sorry for him.

The Inkling yawned and stretched, climbing out of bed, plate in his hands. His squid patterned socks touched the wooden plank flooring as he walked over towards Anemy’s desk. It looked like she had been marking that map she got from Mr. Grizz, but wasn’t able to fully tell what it all meant. The newly revamped Lost Outpost that was now overrun by the Salmonids. From the looks of it, Anemy was charting predictions of what their next plan would be. Arrows inked in white were pointing towards the other locations with question marks.

To top it off, the photo of the captain and her brother was now lying face down on the table. Erray finished his toast and got dressed for the work day, wondering what the shell was going through the mind of Anemy Arowana.

Despite the Great Zapfish being missing and the Lost Outpost being overrun, Mr. Grizz still wanted Golden Eggs and for the employees to meet their quotas. So, off Erray and others went to gather some from the Spawning Grounds.

Anemy was more determined than the others today. She Super Jumped off their ship first, like most captains do and by the time everyone else had showed up, geared up and ready for action, Anemy was already in the middle of it.

“Captain, wait up!” Coral called.

By the time everyone made it onto dry land, Anemy Arowana landed on a common Chum shooting it until it was splatted, with her Splattershot. Several Scrappers started racing towards them.

Anemy pointed at the inkcoming enemies and Erray and Oscar jumped ahead, charging in with shots, while Anemy and Coral jumped over and took them out from behind.

“Behind you!” Erray yelled.

The team scattered as a giant bomb landed in the middle where they once stood. Once the captain was far away enough, she rose out of the orange ink pulling out her charger, only step back when a big Steel Eel barely missed her.

“Squid rings!” Anemy saw it going towards Erray who was distracted by some Cohocks and Chum. She aimed at the Salmonid controlling it on the end, but it suddenly just got splatted. Erray looked just in time to see it fall apart.

“Thank me later!” Oscar chimed in, before dashing in Octo form to take out an inkcoming horde of Chum. Anemy glanced over at the Steelhead just in time to shoot the giant bomb on its head. Soon it was sprinkling ink on the enemies.

When the ink eventually settled from the fighting that came after, many eggs, golden and regular, were lying around on the floor. Erray ran over to go gather them.

“Shoot! Where’s Coral?” Anemy said, as she used a dry towel to wipe her face. She then saw Coral’s life preserver floating out towards them.

“Over there!” Oscar said, pointing near the shore.

“Got it.” Anemy pulled out her Splattershot. “Wait here, and guard the basket.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The Octoling sat down by the basket swinging his boots back and forth and occasionally looking at the basket of golden eggs.

Then the boy heard something that vaguely sounded like squeaking. Following the sounds he went down to the lower level and caught in a tiny corner, whimpering was a tiny Small Fry Salmonid. It was hugging himself with it’s tiny fins, it’s spoon it had used for a weapon was broken in half and it looked really pale. It was crying little green tears.

Oscar couldn’t help but feel bad. It was probably separated from the rest of the squad they just splatted. He walked over slowly, trying not to startle the poor thing.

“H-Hey, there…” he spoke softly. With his gloved hands he reached out very steadily. The Small Fry looked up just then as Oscar slowly picked up the little guy. “It’s okay, little guy.” Oscar stood up very slowly. “I won’t hurt you.” Still, the creature whimpered. “Shh… Shh… It’s okay. You’re safe now.”

It was a strangely unique Salmonid to him. It’s red mohawk had a streak of purple in it’s hair. Once the little thing was calm it slowly fixed it’s eyes on Oscar.

“All alone, huh?” the Octoling said.

The tiny fry nodded.

“Whoa! You understood!” Oscar exclaimed.

“Oscar, where’d you go?”

Oscar immediately ran back up to where the basket was, just as Erray was dumping a whole load of golden eggs into the basket.

“Captain! Captain, look!” The freckled boy ran up to Anemy with a tiny Salmonid in his hands. “This one was scared and I calmed it down, and now it’s happy!”

“Aw, carp!” Anemy pushed past Coral, who was on her feet again and immediately caught up with Oscar. The sudden movement almost made Erray fall of his perch on top of the basket. She took the Salmonid from him. “It didn’t bite you, did it?”

“N-No!” Oscar said. He gently reached for it back, but the captain held it away. “It was friendly.”

“Oscar, you know why we wear this protective gear. Salmonids aren’t just dirty, they’re infectious!”

“Really?” Erray said, from above.

“Yeah, I got bit by a Chum once,” Anemy held the Small Fry in one hand like a ball. “Nasty mark, and it hurt like something I’ve never imagined. That wasn’t even the worst of it.” Slowly, everyone started listening closely. Even Coral sat down on the ramp to the top of the basket. Anemy stared daggers at the small creature. “A few days later, I broke out in a fever, was sniffling, and spewing up whatever I ate. My ink color had changed to a darkish green color. Took five doctors to hold me down, while they stuck three needles into my arm.”

Oscar looked up briefly, seeing that Erray had turned pale, covering one of his arms and shivering.

“But, I was just-”

“Oscar, you stay away from doing stuff like this, okay?”

“But-”

Anemy tossed the Small Fry towards the ocean, just as the little Octoling cried out for him. He landed into the green tinted water. Oscar shivered, trying to hold back tears, but the pearls of sadness were already in his eyes. The captain looked at him. “I’m… sorry, Oscar. Rifa! Trow! Get those baskets to the ship!”

Erray saw Oscar wiping away tears from his eyes, while Anemy was the first to Super Jump back to the ship. He looked down at his basket briefly, and started walking towards the shore.

“But I wanna go to the festival!”

A tiny Erray pouted to his grandfather. “I can stay up late! I promise I won’t fall asleep!”

“Erray, you’re only six-years-old,” Coel said. “You’re still very little, and growing Inklings need their rest.”

Erray stomped his foot. “I hate you!”

“Then hate me!” Coel yelled. “I’m doing what’s best for you! Now go to your room!”

The little Inkling stomped down the hall and slammed the door shut. Coel sighed, rubbing his brow. “Cod, I hate to raise my voice at the little lad.”

“Well, he was being a little too much of a brat,” Vichay said, glancing to the side.

“Vichay…”

“Sorry…”

“It’s okay, Grandpa,” said Cici. “You could bring him something back from the festival. That could cheer him up tomorrow.”

Coel adjusted his hat. “I suppose. Thanks for looking after him this year, by the way, Cici. We’ll be back before it’s too late. Just make sure Erray gets to bed at his usual time.”

“Of course, grandpa!”

“Okay.” The old Inkling reached out and gave his granddaughter a hug. “You be good to Erray.”

Cici waved as Coel and Vichay went out the door. Once it was shut, Cici made sure it was locked from the inside, as she always does and then stopped by her room, only briefly to grab her bag, before going towards Erray’s room.

“Erray?” Cici said, softly knocking on his door.

“Go away…” was the response.

Cici opened the door anyway and found Erray sniffling, wiping tears away from his face, while he sat on his bed.

“Erray, come on…” Cici said. Her voice was almost down to a whisper. “If you don’t get your shoes on, we can’t go to the festival.”

Erray took his hands away from his eyes. “But, grandpa said-”

“Don’t worry about him,” the eldest sister said, waving his sentence off. “It’ll be our little secret.”

Now that their grandfather and Vichay had left with the truck, Cici, holding Erray’s hand, snuck out of the house and made their way to the festival on foot. Erray was starstruck to see it. It was bustling with people, drinks were being served and delicious food was being handed out. Everyone was happy to play and listen to music.

“This way…” Cici said, pulling towards some bleachers. She crouched down and crawled into the shady place. Then, she turned to Erray, who was standing near the edge. “Come on. Do you want grandpa to see us?”

Erray got down and crawled over to Cici. She kept gesturing for her little brother to catch and once he did, he clung to her.

“It’s okay,” said Cici. “There’s no reason to be afraid of the dark. Look.”

Erray looked through the opening in the seats just in time to see the fireworks go off. Cici giggled at his astonished face.

“Whooooooa…”

The two sat down, seeing the fireworks go off, and listening to music. The two tried to catch any food that fell through before it hit the ground. Concerts were going and Erray clapped to the beat before Cici made him stop to not draw attention.

After the last performance came to an end, Cici looked over and saw Erray rubbing his eyes.

“Are you tired?”

“No…” That sentence was followed by a yawn.

“Okay, I think we should go now, though,” Cici said, shaking her head. She took his hand and guided him out, towards home. The child was leaning on her by the time they got back to the house. She guided a half asleep Erray down the hall and into his room.

“I was really mean to grandpa today…” Erray mumbled rubbing his eyes some more. Cici lifted him onto the bed, and he kicked off his shoes.

“Well, you can apologize to him in the morning, okay?”

Erray nodded. “I don’t really hate him, Cici.”

“He knows, Erray.” She wiped away a tear in one of his eyes when she heard him sniffle. “Don’t cry. It’s gonna be okay. Just go to sleep and he won’t know what we did.” She laid him down and pulled the blanket over him.

“Thank-you, Cici…” Erray said, softly. Cici pulled up a chair next to him.

“You're welcome. I know you’ve been wanting to go to the festival since grandpa took us in.”

Erray snuggled against his pillows, a blanket securely around him. His sister lightly rubbed the top of his head.

“Where’s Mom, Cici?”

“She’s… far away, Erray. But, don’t worry, she’s still watching us. Now just go to sleep, okay?”

“O… kay…” Slowly, his eyes started closing. Cici sighed, smiling to herself and started to sing.

“See the sunset, the day is ending, let that yawn out, there’s no pretending…”

Erray was always asleep before she made it halfway through her song.

Erray looked over at Oscar as the ship sailed away from the Spawning Grounds and started walking towards him. He sighed, leaning forwards just a bit.

“Oscar…”

Oscar flinched, but looked in the Inkling’s direction. Erray looked in all directions, making sure no one was around. The Inkling pulled something out from his pocket and Oscar caught it in his hands. To his surprise, it was that tiny Small Fry from earlier. He looked happy to see the Octoling, and the child’s eyes lit up.

“Until we get to shore, okay?” said Erray. He began to walk towards the stairs that led below deck, when Oscar almost knocked him to the ground by hugging him.

“Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you, Mr. Trow!” Oscar cheered. Erray didn’t move, not hugging back, but let Oscar stay until he pulled away, holding the happy Salmonid.

“Don’t let it bite you, okay? It’ll be our little secret.”

“Yes, sir.”

The boat soon made it back to the docks by sunset. An Inkling was there to see them get off, and made sure everyone was accounted for before they started unloading today’s haul. Once no one was looking, Oscar ran over to the edge of the dock and set the little Small Fry down.

“Okay, little guy,” he said, gently. “I had fun, but it looks like you have to go home now, okay?” The child waved good-bye, but was surprised to see it still follow him as he started walking. “Come on, you have to go, before someone sees you!” Oscar pushed him a bit towards the water with his foot, but his heart sank when the tiny Salmonid hugged it. He knelt down and picked him back up in his hands.

“All alone, huh?” The creature looked up at Oscar with it’s beady eyes. “Me too. Well, Pearl, Marina, and the boss are my friends, but they’re more like family to me, like Oliver. They never have time to play with me.” He gasped, eyes shining, and a smile appearing on his face.

“If you want, you can stay with me. Then we’ll both have someone to always play with!”

The Salmonid nodded, jumping up and down in excitement.

“Oscar, let’s go! It’s getting dark!” Anemy yelled.

“I’m coming!” Oscar yelled back. “No biting, okay?” He put the Small Fry on his head and then put his work hat back on to hide him.

Once they were back at Grizzco, Erray took notice how happy Oscar was acting, as soon as he got out of the locker room. Now that the day was almost over, he wasn’t really sure what to do. Now that he had so much free time, he thought to look into any new video games that came out. It was almost exciting to think about the things he could buy now. He was free now. As he checked his phone, he saw that his best chances of finding a gaming console, at a good price, was at the Arowana Mall.

Even so, he couldn’t forget the burden in the back of his head. Octavio was still out there, and if no one stopped him, he could attack Inkopolis, or worse. Even if Agent 3 promised to bring out justice, it would mean his death. Something about the past few weeks was making Erray doubt what he said a while ago. He wanted Octavio dead, but he wondered… How much does 3 want him dead?

Erray was still confused. This was what he wanted, right? Why was he hesitating? Can Inklings really coexist equally with Octolings? Could he? As he glanced at the Octolings walking around in the break room where he stood, as they were all leaving for the night, and remembered all those Octolings huddled outside, trying to take cover from the rain the other night, he wondered if he even had a choice at this point.

“Hi, Mr. Trow.”

Erray was pulled from his thoughts as he saw Oscar standing in front of him. The Inkling lowered his phone. He took a single step back.

“I thought you were on your way home,” He tried not to sound as rude as possible.

“I was, but-”

“Hey, Erray?” Anemy came out from the hallway with Oliver following her. For some reason, he was using a single crutch to walk. “This guy said he wants to talk to you or something?”

“Ah, there you are,” Oliver said. “Thank-you very much, Ms. Arowana. Um, Oscar, why don’t you go with her and maybe she’ll give you one her many beverages, she seems to enjoy so much?”

Anemy sighed when Oscar turned to her with beady eyes. “Fine. Come on, kid. I also have some peppermint you can have.”

“Okay,” Oscar said, following Anemy down the hall to her quarters. Erray was about to say something, but couldn’t think of any excuses to get away. Suddenly, he heard a strange whirring noise and saw the cameras in the empty break room, just shut down on their own.

“Agent 4, we need to talk.”

Erray turned to him slowly. It was unpredictable what he’d do. He almost reached for a weapon, only to remember that it was still in his bag in the locker room.

“Have no fear, if I were here for a fight, I would’ve already defeated you.”

Erray’s back was already against the door to the locker room. Even as Oliver spoke to him, told him he meant no harm, he trembled. Oliver raised a brow.

“Do you… find me intimidating?”

“I, uh…” Erray only stuttered, not finding a way to make words. He hadn’t been alone with an Octoling, unarmed since Callie and Marie rescued him.

“Pardon me, but do you mind if I sit down?” Erray starred as Oliver walked over to one of the nearby tables and sat down, placing the crutch next to him. He didn’t take his eyes off him for a second.

“A-Are you okay?” said Erray.

“Yeah, just got a scrap a while ago,” Oliver said, rubbing his leg. “I’ll be fine. Anyway, I was sent to check up on you.”

“Check… up?”

“Have you had enough time to think about the boss’s offer? Yes, we could have just called you, but you never know who’s monitoring those lines, given the fact that your phone was given to you by that Squid Sister.”

Erray just remembered that, and quickly reached to turn off his phone.

“Here.” Oliver extended his hand, which made Erray flinch and almost drop his phone. He fumbled with it for a bit before catching it. “Give it here.”

“O… Okay…?” Erray held it towards him slowly and as soon as Oliver had it in grip, the Inkling pulled his hands away. The Octarian pulled out a tiny screwdriver, and opened it from the back before taking out what looked like a tiny chip with New Squidbeak Splatoon’s logo on it..

“Tracker. Knew it.” He tossed it onto the floor, and stood up, making Erray backup a bit. Oliver pulled out his charger and shot the tracking device until it was in pieces. The Octoling closed up the phone and handed it back. “Here.”

He froze when he saw Erray had thrown his hands up, while pale and shivering with fear.

“S-Sorry. I didn’t mean…” When the Octoling stepped forward, Erray flinched again, almost shrieking in terror. Oliver reached out his hands, almost making him yell. “Easy…” he said, gently. “It’s okay. Put your hands down.” The Inkling lowered them slowly. “That’s it. Everything is fine. Here you go.” He handed back Erray’s phone. “There. Now, the New Squidbeak Splatoon can’t track you.” Erray held his phone close, but was still shaking a bit. “I… I forgot. The boss told me that you were… Well, have you taken some time to think about it?”

“Well, I…” Erray took some deep breaths. “I’m not sure. A-A-And, I-I don’t know why. Octavio… Well, the Octarian Army did horrible things to me. I…” One of his hands briefly held his shoulder and the other was on his thigh. The wounds had fully healed a long time ago, but the memory was still fresh.

Oliver only clapped once and the lights went out. Erray yelped, remembering he could see in the dark, and he saw Oliver holding a phone of his own for a light.

“It’s okay, I have a light.” The Octarian looked into Erray’s glittering purple eyes. “But you need no such thing, Trow. Erray, I don’t need to ask, do I? The Octarian Army did this to you, did they?”

Erray, heart pounding, shivering intensifying, nodded. He suddenly felt his hand on his shoulder.

“To some, it’s incredible, but I know to you, it’s a permanent mark of their deeds. You think they haven’t tried this on other Inklings, Erray? The scars you carry, the things they did to your eyes... This will continue happening to your kind, if no one stops him! The Squidbeak Splatoon won’t stop Octavio, only contain him and keep everything he’s done, and everything they’ve done a secret. If you would like proof, you should see the scar on the side of my boss’s face.”

“But… if we kill Octavio… won’t that start another Great Turf War?”

“Is that what the old man told you?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Erray, the Octarians in the domes are under his thumb,” Oliver stated slowly, but sharply. “Yes, there are those who, like Jade, will follow him blindly, but most citizens there are miserable. Oscar and I are among the lucky ones to escape. Even then, it wasn’t easy. Killing Octavio won’t cause another war between Octarians and Inklings. If anything, you’ll free Inklings from having to fear him, and free the Octarians who are still under his control.”

“What… helped you escape?” said Erray. He remembered how aggressive Octarian troops could be. “W-Weren’t you… scared?” His voice sounded really soft.

“I was afraid, but… as much I’d hate to admit it, I heard a song when I first met the boss, fighting my… the general. For the longest time, I had so much fun, playing music down there, but I didn’t know what it truly was supposed to do until I heard it. And, even though I cannot stand what the Squid Sisters have done…” He tightened his grip on the Inkling’s shoulder, before letting go and stepping away from him. “That song set me free…”

Oliver hadn’t even said the name, but Erray with tear filled eyes, who gazed at Oliver, knew exactly what he was talking about. The song inspired Octarian to fight for what he wanted, just like him.

“The Calimari Inkantation.” And the lights came back on. Oliver still hadn’t turned back to him.

“I suppose you’ll need a little more time to think about this.”

“I… Can I ask you something?” Erray said, wiping his eyes. It took all his strength to speak up.

“Well, it depends what it is?”

“Can you tell me why 3 wants Octavio dead?”

Oliver shook his head. “No. Unfortunately, I’d feel very disrespectful if I was the one who told you. You’re going to have to ask the boss, yourself. However, I have another thing to tell you.”

“What is it?” Erray said, wiping his eyes.

“Go to the Albacore Hotel tonight, and you’ll know. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must go get my brother.” He started going down the hall. “The cameras should come back on in about five minutes. And, uh… Erray?” The Octoling turned back to face him. “I, um… I’m sorry for what happened to you. But, if you help us, we can stop him together.”

Erray sniffled. No Octarian had ever apologized to him for that before...

Taking Oliver’s advice, Erray slipped out of Grizzco Industries, hoping that Anemy didn’t notice. Technically, he could do whatever he wanted after work, but if this related to Octavio or anything Octarian, he preferred to keep Anemy out of it.

Albacore Hotel was still the same, but he had only come by to watch Angel perform. Oliver wasn’t around, not even when he stepped into the elevator to get to the roof.

The stars were out. Erray could actually see them since fewer buildings were lit up. The Inkling was really starting to take notice of what losing the Great Zapfish was doing to Inkopolis. The pools were kind of quiet, but there were a few Jellyfish swimming around still. Most of the lights were on the rooftop restaurant.

Erray was almost startled when he was tapped on the shoulder. It was Oliver, but given the circumstances, he wasn’t sure if this was a good thing. He was wearing a hoodie, and a puffball beanie on his head. It was just as he was when the Inkling saw him at Shellover Inn.

“You’re here. I wasn’t one hundred percent sure you would actually show up,” said Oliver.

This time, Erray was armed, but he didn’t want to draw attention if he didn’t need to. Still, Oliver approaching him sent his heart rate up to full speed.

“Well, um… I-I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, I should… c-come here,” Erray stuttered.

“Hm. Well, it’s this way, Mr. Trow.” The Octoling gestured for Erray to follow.

The two started going towards the rooftop restaurant. As they got closer, they could hear soft music from a piano.

“Tell me, Mr. Trow…”

“U-Um, you c-can just call me Erray.”

Oliver, despite not wearing formal wear, straightened out his hoodie. “Very well. I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve brought you here.”

Holding one of his hands as he followed Oliver, Erray nodded.

“The boss wanted me to tell you things that the Splatoon refuses to.”

Erray turned to Oliver slowly

“Why?”

“So, you’re either convinced to help us, or get out while you still can. Don’t end up like what they did to 3. I bet you want to know why the boss left the Squidbeak Splatoon in the first place.”

“Why.” Erray had a lot of questions, but finally getting some was hopefully worth the wait. Even though he felt like he shouldn’t be here, he wasn’t sure if going back was the right choice… even if the Calimari Inkantation set Octarians like Oliver free. The piano music started getting louder as they got closer to the source.

“Agent 3 joined the New Squidbeak Splatoon, but it wasn’t what they promised. At least, that’s not what it turned out to be. The boss wanted to be a hero, but was around some terrible people.” Once they got to the rooftop restaurant, Oliver gestured to the performer on the stage. “Like her.”

Erray looked in Oliver’s direction and saw Angel on the stage, singing.