Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In a dark room far, far beneath the ground, a creature sat on a rusted bronze throne. Six more of these creatures kneeled on a cracked concrete floor, heads ducked, and eyes averted. The leader was leaning against the arm of the throne, her head propped up with her hand and her legs crossed. A shadow was cast across her face and torso.

“Ma’am, the plan is in motion.” One of the creatures spoke in a low, raspy voice. “We just require the six candidates for testing and experimentation.”

The one on the throne leaned forward into the light created by the flickering fluorescents overhead, her features now visible. “Fantastic, thank you, Yon.” She hissed through pointed teeth and a crazed smile. She stood from the throne with a malicious sense of grace and power. She was tall and spindly, but you could see the muscles lurking under her armor. “We need to collect the six of the most skilled and talented-”

“A-about that, Ma’am,” Another creature spoke up, their voice and hands shaking. “We- we can’t choose your initial c-candidates-”

“Why not!?” The leader roared and lunged forward, making the creature whimper.

“I-If they g-go missing, th-then people will notice. We c-could be dis-discovered be-before we want t-to, Ma’am,” The quivering creature stammered, their eyes never moving from the ground.

The leader growled, moving away from the creature. “You’re right, Go,” She admitted before folding her arms and beginning to pace in front of her throne. Her steel boots sent echoing noises bouncing off the worn stone walls. “Then who do you suggest we acquire? We need others of equal skill as the original six, but less of their popularity-”

“If I’m correct, Ma’am,” A third creature spoke up, interrupting his leader. They were not kneeling like the other five. “And I usually am. The surface dwellers work in teams of four. The original six candidates are leaders of these said teams, so the rest of the team are most likely just as skilled as their leaders, just not nearly as… erm- popular.”

The leader’s glowing yellow eyes lingered on the other creature, before a devilish smile spread across her face. “Why that is a wonderful idea, Ichi. I’m glad you thought of it.”

The one called Ichi smiled, pleased with himself before joining the other five kneeling before their leader.

“Roku! Go!” The leader shouted.

“Yes, Ma’am?” A fourth creature looked up, her green tentacles sliding away from her face. The being to her left also looked up, still shaking as they were earlier.

“Go, I need you to assess each of the candidate’s teams. Find the second most skilled and their locations. Roku, I need you to find and obtain the new subjects by sundown tomorrow. Is that doable?” The way the leader said the last part made it a demand, not a request.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Roku and Go agreed, both standing.

Roku was tall and bulky, her gradient green tentacles pulled into a high ponytail on the top of her head. Her breastplate was made of interlocking steel slats with a thick charcoal sweatshirt underneath. She wore thick black leggings that hugged all her muscles tightly. Glittering steel boots reached just below her kneecaps and the same armor as her breastplate covered her thighs. A sheath containing a long sword hung off a silver belt. She smiled at Go, her sharp white teeth an intense contrast to her dark mocha skin.

Go was short and thin. They wore the same attire as Roku, just on a much smaller scale. Their sweatshirt sleeves were rolled up past their elbows and large round glasses set on their nose. The silver belt was lined with various tools and devices in place of the sword. Go’s sharp tentacles were short, just barely touching their shoulders. Go had the signature glowing yellow eyes that all their species shared and tanned skin, covered in dark freckles.

“We will have them here soon, my empress.” Roku bowed, Go quickly doing the same.

Chapter Text

“You look great.”

“Rims, you’re not even looking!” Gloves loudly complained, turning around to look at himself from different angles. “I need your opinion on this suit.”

Half-Rims sighed and looked up from their phone. “Gloves, it looks just like every other suit you’ve tried on.”

The dualie main huffed, once again spinning around. “This one has different stitching than the other four. Plus, it’s more of a coal color than black.” Gloves stuck his hands in the jacket pockets, turning to admire himself from the side.

“Alright, I still think they look the same though,” Rims confessed. The sniper stood to adjust Gloves’s shirt collar.

“I just don’t want to look like an idiot when I go to Emp’s gala tomorrow night. His parents already disapprove of us dating and stuff, I just want to make a good impression, y’know?”

“Don’t worry about Emp’s family, Gloves. All the suits look cool and you’ll be fine. If there’s one person I know to stay cool under pressure, it’s you.”

With that compliment, Gloves’s emerald eyes lit up and the tension was let out of his shoulders. “Yeah, they all look cool.” He smirked at his reflection. “I think I’m going to get this one and the first one.”

“I’ll put these ones back on the rack while you change.” Rims clapped Gloves on the shoulder and offered their leader a small smile. Gloves beamed and entered the changing room to switch back into his usual attire.

The poker-faced Inkling walked out of the dressing room area with the three suits Gloves didn’t want draped over their arm. After wandering the store for a little bit, trying to find where the suits went, a worker found Rims and took the clothes off their hands.

They returned to the changing rooms to grab their phone. “Hey Gloves, I’ll just meet you out in the car, alright?”

“Kay, cool!” Gloves responded enthusiastically from behind the door.

Rims smirked at Gloves’s consistent choice of words. They busied themselves with scrolling through Inkstagram while they walked through the store. A worker bid them farewell as the green Inkling exited the store. Rims offered a slight wave as they pushed through the glass doors and into the parking lot.

They looked down to read the caption on Aloha’s newest post.

“Smoothies with my favorite person!! <3”

The picture attached was a selfie of the pink party animal with none other than his boyfriend, the orange drill sergeant. The hand with the camera was wrapped around Army’s shoulders and the other hand was holding a clear cup filled with bright pink liquid. Aloha’s eyes were closed, and a huge smile was plastered on his face. Army was shyly smiling at the camera, a faint dusting of orange blush on his cheeks. He was holding his own cup, but his was filled with a mint green smoothie.

That was one of the few pictures where Aloha had gotten his boyfriend to smile. The rest of the shots of Army were blurry, side glares, regular glares, unknowing that there’s a picture being taken of him, or mid-sneeze. Half-Rims snickered quietly at the last one. The mid-sneeze one was funny.

The co-captain quickly skimmed the comments. A few popping out were Moon screaming “SHIIIIIPPPPPP”, Eging Jr. going “damn that smoothie place is the best”, and Rim’s favorite, Vintage commenting “love is for the weak”, with Double Egg quickly responding with “>:O vin no im telling mega”.

Rims put away their phone and pulled on the driver’s side door handle, frowning when they realized that it was locked. “Ugh, Gloves has the keys,” They muttered to themselves, resting their forehead on the white metal walls of the vehicle.

They looked back to the store and saw Gloves checking out. He was talking animatedly with the cashier as she put the suits into nice bags. What Half-Rims also saw was a figure approaching them.

Rims brushed it off and opened their phone back up to play some mindless game to pass the time. Also, to make them look busy so the figure would hopefully ignore the green Inkling.

When Rims glanced up to see that the figure was still walking right for them, they panicked. Rims pulled a little harder on the door handle as if it had magically unlocked. Their green eyes darted back to the store, Gloves still in deep conversation with the cashier. The Splatterscope main internally cursed their best friend’s social nature.

“Hello, there!” The figure greeted in a low, feminine voice. “I hate to bother you, sir-” Rims felt their blood boil. Nothing was worse to them than being misgendered. “But I need some help getting some things into my car.”

They narrowed their eyes at the figure. The woman was wearing a huge gray sweatshirt that she practically swam in, black sweatpants, what looked like gray sneakers, and a pair of sunglasses. Very suspicious.

“My friend’s going to be back soon,” Rims answered. “I think I should stay here and wait for him.”

“We can do it really fast,” The woman said with a smile. Rims was momentarily taken aback by her teeth. All of them were pointed and razor sharp, unlike the two or three fangs Inklings and Octolings had. “Please.”

Rims’s eyes darted again to where Gloves was still talking with the cashier. “C’mon you idiot! Wrap it up!” The Splatterscope internally cried. “No, he’s almost done.”

The woman pursed her lips. Rims could almost fell her glare intensifying behind those tinted shades. “I need you. Now.”

“No.”

The woman sighed, reaching for the hem of her sweatshirt. “I was really hoping it wouldn’t come to this.”

“What-”

And then there was a cloth over the Inkling’s nose and mouth. Their eyes went wide and Rims thrashed under her, but the woman’s grip was like iron. Rims’s vision was slowly clouding, their muscles becoming harder and harder to move. The Inkling fought the drug overcoming them, but it was a pointless battle.

After a minute, they went limp in the woman’s grip and she quickly carried them away.

Chapter Text

Rider burst through the door of the apartment he shared with his teammate and best friend. The Dynamo main shut it and locked it, peering through the peephole to ensure that he wasn’t followed.

“You alright, Ri?” Stealth asked from his position on the couch. His game was paused so he could check in on his friend.

“Damn School Cardigans,” Rider grumbled, double checking the lock and heading over to the kitchen. “Practically ambushed me when I was training.”

“Oh, uh, that’s rough,” Stealth supplied.

“Yeah,” Rider agreed as he opened the fridge. He found a can of lemon-lime soda and cracked it open, taking a long drink and no doubt downing half of the can. “Had to get out of there ASAP. I’m just hoping they didn’t follow me here. Those girls can be a ton of trouble.”

“I thought that acting like girls was just a-”

“Metry told me that they would like to be addressed using feminine pronouns, so I am going to do that. I might not like them, but I’m not an asshole.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Stealth sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

Rider shrugged, finishing the rest of his soda before tossing the empty can into a recycling bin. “Well, now you know.” The dark-toned Inkling sat down next to his friend on the couch, naturally draping his arms on the back of it.

Stealth sighed and resumed his game. It was just a basic RPG shooter game that had come out years before. Nothing new or extraordinarily intense. Just enough to keep Stealth occupied until the Airsoft Arena he usually played at reopened after remodeling.

“We’re out of soap by the way,” Stealth attempted to start a conversation with his emotionally distant but easily angered friend.

“Okay.”

“So, I think I might swing by the store in a couple minutes. You need anything?”

“Just more soda and some more Doritos,” Rider replied, busying himself with his phone. He ignored the constant texts from Goggles, making sure to leave them on read. He could only stand so much of the energetic blue Inkling.

Stealth nodded and finished the level. He exited from the game and set his controller on the modern glass coffee table that horribly clashed with their old burnt orange couch. They were the type to look for function, not looks. The co-captain fastened his namesake headgear on and walked over to the door. He unbolted it and turned one last time to Rider. “Anything other than Doritos and soda?”

“Maybe some cheese dip. The good kind, not the rip off brand.”

Stealth smiled softly and exited the apartment. He walked through cream-colored hallways with identical brown doors, travelled down worn grey-carpeted stairs, and went through the glass door that led to the parking lot. Rider’s motorcycle was parked it its usual spot, the vehicle visible through their living room window. Stealth’s old dark green pick-up was parked next to the sleek cycle.

“Eh, the store’s close enough,” Stealth muttered to himself, deciding to walk rather than drive. He strolled through the parking lot, passing a new family with their baby Octo. Stealth offered a large smile to the mother who mirrored his grin. The father was shushing the crying baby, his eyes were wide and anxious. The scene reminded Stealth of growing up in a large family.

He was the third oldest out of eight in an Octarian family. His parents were both grandchildren to Octolings that fought in the Great Turf War a hundred years prior. Once his parents heard that the Inklings were thriving on the surface, free to do whatever they wanted without the oppression of a dictator, they didn’t hesitate to escape the OctoLands and move to Inkopolis. Stealth grew up with lots of rules and limitations, but he knew that it was all to protect him. Stealth and his siblings were all homeschooled and never got out of the house much. When he finally moved out, the Jet Squelcher was still hesitant to go into the city. So, he hid his wide Octarian eyes, rounded ears and pointed tentacles with his namesake.

Even when Rider found him and invited Stealth to join his team, the Octoling was still nervous about every battle. It was only when Team Octo gained a ton of popularity and love that Stealth felt safe enough to show his face. It was a shock to some people, like Forge and Rider, at first, but then they grew to love and accept him how he was.

Stealth was in his own little world, thinking of his past and future as he wandered down the sidewalk to the small convenience store on the corner of the block. He hummed the latest Off the Hook single and timed his strides to match the beat.

He was almost to the store when something grabbed his wrist, yanking him into the alleyway.

“EEP!” Stealth squeaked as he was thrown to the asphalt. His head hit the ground hard, the sound of breaking plastic and glass filling the air. His eyes struggled to peer through the cracked lenses of his namesake. All he saw was a tall figure dressed in dark grey and sparkling silver armor. The Octoling opened his mouth to scream for help, but the figure pressed a cloth to his face, muffling his cries and making him dizzy.

And then everything went black.

Chapter Text

“HIT AGAIN?!” Army cried, pulling at his tentacles. “No, I refuse to believe that you knew the exact location of each and every one of my ships, Blue!”

The dark-toned Inkling sitting across from the drill sergeant only shrugged with a sly grin. “I took Battle Strategy for eight years while in Military School.”

Forge, who was sitting next to her leader on the couch laughed. “Don’t stress it, Army. I’ve known Blue for eighteen years and I still can’t beat him in Battleship.”

“What were you taking in Military School?” Army shot a glare at Forge though there was no heat behind it. The orange leader began to put away the game that he so miserably lost to his teammate to.

Forge looked at the ceiling, trying to recall the classes she took. “Uh, hand-to-hand combat, medicine on the battlefield, camp construction, Inkopolis war history, and wilderness survival. I took everything offered pretty much.”

White nodded. “I just kept taking med on the field and history classes. They were the only things that didn’t require a ton of running.” She said the last part with a laugh. “Which is funny because now the only thing that it seems like I do is run.”

Army cracked a smile at White’s comment and wrapped up cleaning the game. “I still think that it’s impressive that you three went to Military School for ten years. I may be your leader, but I think I’m learning more and more about you guys every day.” He set the box in the middle of the coffee table next to other games that Blue somehow always seemed to beat them in.

“Well, Commander Squak’s Military Academy was hell,” Forge deadpanned. “I’m glad we got out of there when we did.”

“Gave up the military life for the turfing life.” Blue nodded at his cousin’s statement. “Though once we retire from turf, I think that I’ll go back in. Grandpa always wanted one of us to be as great as he and great-grandpa were.”

Forge made a face at the mention of their grandfather. “I wanted to go into the Navy when I was a kid, but after hearing how Great-Grandpa Starboard turned out, I wanted to stay as far away from the military as possible.” The Rapid Blaster cringed and clutched her stomach, as if the mere thought sickened her.

“Oh, yeah I don’t blame you.” White sighed, wrapping her arms around Blue’s neck and resting her chin on his beret. “Phineas Starboard, most gruesome death in the Great Turf War,” White recited a line from some textbook she read years ago. “Wasn’t he shot to death by a dozen OctoCommanders? Just didn’t splat for some reason. He just kept taking the bullets over and over-”

“White!” Forge halted her friend by holding up a hand. White immediately shut up, her eyes wide and apologetic. “I don’t need to be reminded of it. Grandpa already told us plenty of stories and showed plenty of pictures.”

The dark-toned Inkling girl buried her face in her hands. Blue looked up to give his girlfriend an exasperated look. White muttered a small apology and excused herself to go pour herself a glass of juice.

“Are you alright, Forge?” Army asked, placing a comforting hand on her knee.

“I’m sorry about that. I know how much it affected you when we were kids,” Blue sat down on Forge’s other side, sandwiching her between him and Army.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” She muttered, not moving from her position. “Those stories just make me sick. My own ancestor just dying in such a terrible way… I mean he was a hero-” She looked up; dark orange eyes glazed over. “He held off the Octarians so the rest of his battalion could escape. It’s just…” She trailed off before standing.

“Where are you going?” Army asked, also standing. The drill sergeant would never admit how much he and Forge’s height difference annoyed him. He was 5’6” and Forge practically towered over him at 5’11”. And then Blue stood as well, standing a full foot taller than his leader at 6’6”.

“Just to get some fresh air, clear my head,” Forge responded, running her hands over her face.

The Rapid Blaster main left Blue and White’s apartment, walking down halls and stairs and eventually winding up outside. It was barely 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The warm midday sun beat down on the sidewalk, making Forge already feel hot in her large coat and beret. The Inkling unzipped her namesake, letting it slide down her shoulders and bunch up around her elbows. Luckily, her dark grey button-up that she wore underneath the coat was thin and breathable. She ran a hand through her tentacles, removing the burnt orange beret.

The street was surprisingly quiet. No cars rushed by, the windows in all the buildings seemed empty, and the park nearby was silent. Forge raised an eyebrow, straining to hear for any noise at all.

The silence was suspicious and unnerving. She turned around to head back inside when she felt something approach her from behind.

Forge whipped around, coming face-to-face with a somewhat feminine creature. The creature’s hand came up to her face, a white cloth in hand. Forge quickly swatted it away and shuffled backwards.

“Who are you?” Forge asked, bringing her fists up, ready to fight.

“Just a woman completing a mission,” her opponent hissed. “And I really wish you didn’t just do that because now I’m going to have to take you in the hard way.” The creature took a step forward. “And it’s going to hurt a lot more.”

Forge’s mind raced. Nothing she had ever studied prepared her for an actual fight. Turfing and Ranked was intense enough, but there was a reason she preferred her long-ranged Rapid Blaster over anything close-ranged. Her anxiety levels raised, and Forge fought to keep them down.

The creature sent one of their fists flying for Forge’s head. The orange Inkling quickly dodged, dropping to the sidewalk, her jacket sliding off the rest of her arms and joining her beret on the floor. She used her low position to her advantage, swinging her leg under the creature’s and knocking them off balance. The creature regained their balance much quicker than anticipated and knocked the Inkling to the ground once more.

Forge rolled away to dodge a punch coming in from the creature. She got to her feet just in time to block a punch aimed for her chest. Forge winced at the pain, trying to formulate a plan. She could try to run, make it back to Army, Blue, and White, but this creature was much taller and broader than Forge. No doubt more powerful and faster.

Lost in thought, Forge momentarily let her guard down and the creature didn’t hesitate to knock the Inkling to the ground once more. Forge cried out in pain, but there was no one around to hear it.

“I have to admit,” The creature hissed, keeping Forge on the ground with a sturdy boot pressed to her chest. “You put up much more of a fight than the other two.”

“The other tw-” The creatures large hand wrapped around Forge’s throat, cutting her sentence off. Forge clawed at the fist around her neck, trying to trash against the hold. The corners of her vision were slowly turning black. Her muscles felt like lead.

The last thing she saw was the creature smiling at her with pointed teeth.

Chapter Text

“Bye, Desi!” Snorkel called through the passenger seat window of Aviator’s car. “See ya’ tomorrow, love!”

The cyan gamer blushed and waved goodbye to Avi and Snorkel. He opened the door to his home and disappeared from the pink and purple squid’s view. With one last look at his house, Avi drove away.

“That was fun,” The sunglasses-wearing Inkling stated with a smile.

“Mhm,” Snorkel responded, closing his eyes and leaning back into the soft seat. “Glad we fin’ly gotta see tha’ movie… I’m paying for the next date though.” He opened one eye to peer at his purple boyfriend.

“No, you won’t,” Avi replied with a laugh. “I think you forget that you’re broke, and Desi and I are happy to pay.”

Snorkel huffed, closing his eyes again. “I do to have money.”

“Stop lying.”

“Nope. I am paying for our next date. I don’t care that I don’t have money. It’s my turn to treat ya’ two.”

Avi sighed. “Alright, enjoy going into debt.”

“Ey!” Snorkel lightly slapped his boyfriend’s arm. The purple co-captain only laughed in response.

The two fell into a comfortable silence, letting the noise of the radio overtake them. Avi tapped his fingers on the wheel to the beat and bobbed his head along. Snorkel lightly hummed the tune, too embarrassed to sing louder.

“Cod, why do you live so far away?” Avi asked his boyfriend with a smile. “And why in such a sketchy part of Inkopolis?”

“Ya’ said it ya’self, Avi, I don’t have the money,” Snorkel replied with a shrug. “Plus, it’s not tha’ bad. Once ya’ learn how to avoid the urchins tryna sell ya’ stuff, it’s pretty peaceful.”

“You need to stop blowing all of your money on-”

“Ey! Don’t go all ‘Dad Friend’ on me, Avi. Save tha’ for ya’ actual kids and people yer not dating.”

“Can’t help it, Snorkel,” Avi answered. “It’s in my nature.”

“Haha- AVI LOOK OUT!” Snorkel’s mock laughter turned into a scream as the pink Inkling noticed someone walking right in front of their car.

Avi slammed on the breaks, the tires squealing on the road. The car halted, Snorkel and Aviators jerking forward with the momentum.

“Y-you okay?” Avi asked shakily.

“Yeah… You?”

“I’m good.”

“That’s good.”

“Uh-huh.”

Despite it being four in the afternoon, the pedestrian that daringly chose to walk in front of Avi’s silver car looked like a shadow.

Avi rolled down his window, craning his head out to speak to the pedestrian. “Hey, bud, why’d you walk in front of us? We coulda hit you.”

The figure turned towards Avi’s voice but stayed silent.

“Hey, pal, are you okay?” When the figure didn’t respond for a second time, Avi got out of the car, fearlessly striding towards the figure. “Do you need me to call someone?”

The figure took a step towards Avi, and Snorkel didn’t hesitate to race out of the car to defend his boyfriend if necessary.

“Hello?”

And then everything happened at once.

The figure reached behind them, grasping Snorkel’s head and bashing it against the car. Avi yelped in surprise, springing into action. The figure let Snorkel’s limp body hit the ground as they focused their attention on Avi. Avi tried to land a punch on the attacker, but it resulted nothing. Zero. Zilch.

The figure was a foot taller than Avi and at least twice as muscled. They fought with such speed and accuracy, they rivaled Aloha and Skull combined.

“Who the hell are you?” Avi cried as the creature managed to knock him to the ground. He glanced over at Snorkel, who was moaning and clutching his head. Pink blood trailed out of a gash in his head. “What do you want with us?!”

The creature grasped the back of Snorkel’s neck, lifting him up so he was dangling a foot off the ground. His hot pink eyes were glazed in pain, his mask was cracked at the corners, and his breathing was labored.

Shiiink-

The sound of metal-on-metal tore Avi’s gaze from his severely injured boyfriend to a longsword that the creature pulled from a sheath on their belt. The assaulter held the blade to Snorkel’s neck, their gaze held firmly on Aviators.

“If you come with me,” It hissed in a low, feminine voice. “No more harm will come to him.”

Aviators stared at the creature with wide eyes. His heart pounded in his chest.

“Avi…” Snorkel groaned, tears piling up in the bottom of his namesake.

“I’ll come.”

“Wonderful.”

The creature dropped Snorkel and lunged for Avi, pressing a thick cloth to his face.

A few minutes later the attacker walked away from the scene, dragging an unconscious Aviators and barley breathing Snorkel to a dark van.

Chapter Text

“Bye, Paige!” Moon said goodbye to the comic store owner.

“See ya later, Moon!” The tanned Octo behind the counter offered a large smile. “Don’t forget to come in next week to use those coupons. The next installment of that manga you like should be here.”

“Sounds great! I’ll be here.” Moon returned the smile and exited the shop through the glass doors covered in stickers and posters. The sun was just beginning to set, making the sky a beautiful pinkish color. In her hand was a small plastic bag filled with four copies of the newest comic series written by Team Cyan’s favorite comic author, Stan Jee. She planned to meet up with the rest of Team Cyan later to read it and maybe practice for their upcoming gaming tournament.

Moon scrolled through her Inkstagram, liking a post every now and then. Her eyes looked over her namesake when she noticed how eerily quiet the streets were.

Moon never liked quiet. It made her ADHD act up. Before she could form a full thought, Moon had already dialed the first number in her recent calls list.

“Hellooooo?”

“Uh, hi Mask,” She replied to her team leader.

“Doooo yoooou need sooomethiiing?”

“Uh, no not really. It’s just really quiet walking home and I just needed something to distract myself.”

“Oookaay…”

“So, um, I got the comics! Is it okay if we meet up at Desi’s tonight to read ‘em?”

“Suuure… Doooes Desi knooow?”

“Yeah, I talked to him before I picked up the comics. He said that we could always use his house. His mom doesn’t care. We just stay in the basement most of the time, anyways.”

“Yeeeeahhh.”

“So… um. How did your S4 practice go this morning? I know how you guys get all hot-headed and stuff around each other.”

“It waaaaas fiiiine… Aaarmy just keept going over tactics and swiiitching betweeen yelling aaand kiiiissing Alooooha. Skuuull was haaaalf an hoouur laaaate thooough. That waaas annoooying.”

Moon hummed. “Yeah, that is annoying.” She was running out of things to talk about and wasn’t even close to her and Jersey’s apartment. She knew Mask would stay on the phone with her though. Beneath that rough and cynical exterior, Mask was truly an amazing friend. He was protective and an amazing listener and was always there if any of his teammates needed him.

“Are we going to practice for…” Moon trailed off before finishing her thought. A shadow emerging from an alley caught her attention.

“Fooor whaaat? Our tuuurfing tournament comiiing up or ooour gaaaaming tournament?”

Moon slowly lowered her hand, bringing the phone away from her ear. Her cyan eyes watched as the figure began walking towards her.

“Mooooon? Aaare yoooou there?”

The figure didn’t seem to be slowing down. They kept trekking over the Luna Blaster main, hands in their pockets and head ducked.

“Mooooon?”

And then the figure stopped in front of her. Moon took a few steps back before going to walk across the street. Just as her foot stepped down from the sidewalk, the figure grabbed the back of her yellow sweatshirt and yanked her back. She yelped at the unexpected contact and dropped her phone, the screen cracking as its corner hit the asphalt.

“Mooon?! Aaare yoooou aaalright?!?”

The figure sneered at the phone before bringing a steel boot down to its surface, shattering the device into a thousand pieces.

Moon shrieked as the figure wrapped a huge arm around her and pressed a cloth to her nose and mouth. She thrashed under their grip, but it was no use.

And then she was limp.

Chapter Text

Stealth groggily blinked his eyes open.

“Ugh…” He groaned, rubbing his aching head. His clouded mind managed to notice that his signature headgear was missing, but he had bigger problems than to wonder what happened to his helmet. Everything around him was fuzzy and unfocused and his head felt like it was the ball in a soccer game.

“Good to see your awake,” A monotone voice snapped Stealth out of his haze.

Yellow-green eyes met emerald green. “Half-Rims?”

“Hey, Stealth.” The poker-faced sniper sighed, rubbing their eyes under their namesake.

“W-where are we?”

Half-Rims shrugged, their eyes scanning the dark room. “I don’t know. I was the only one up until you came to it.”

“A-are there others?” Stealth’s eyes struggled to adjust to the dark environment.

“Yeah,” Rims sighed, hugging their knees. “Forge, Moon, Snorkel, and Avi are here.”

Stealth’s eyes went wide and his mouth fell open. “A-are they okay? I can’t see ‘em-”

“They’re here.” Rims gestured vaguely to dark lumps laying around them. “Just unconscious. Snorkel was still somewhat awake when she brought him in, but he passed out not too long after. He looked like he was in pretty bad shape.”

“She?”

“The person who abducted us. She’s not Inkling nor Octo, kidnapped me earlier today. That was not fun.”

“W-what’s going to happen to us? Why did she snatch us six? We’re not even near the most powerful or talented or-”

“Strategy.” A new raspy voice joined Rims and Stealth’s conversation, making the anxious Jet Squelcher jump. “It was strategy.” One of the lumps slowly sat up, bracing themselves with their arms as they moved to a sitting position. “If the six of us were targeted, it was for a reason.”

They scooted out of the heavy shadows, revealing that the one talking was Forge, co-captain to Army, one of the legendary S4.

“Forge.” Stealth let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and scooted over to hug his friend. As he neared her, he noticed the red marks around her neck. Her eyes were glazed and she kept messing with the collar of her button-up. Her namesake and signature beret lay in a heap next to her. “Are you okay?”

She shook her head, shutting her eyes tight. Stealth lightly sighed and wrapped Forge into a tight embrace, she gladly returned it.

“Forge, you’re good at planning. Do you have any idea on how to get us out of here?” Half-Rims slid over to the orange Inkling; their voice soft.

Forge shrugged hopelessly, her eyes staring a hole into the ground. “Let’s just wait for the other three to wake up. Then maybe I’ll have something to get us-”

Before she could finish a door formerly unseen burst open, slamming against the wall with a BANG. Forge and Stealth jumped, clinging even more tightly onto each other. Half-Rims stared at the door, squinting their eyes to block out the sudden and blinding light streaming into the dark room. With the new light, Stealth could see that Aviators was slowly coming to it. The purple co-captain hastily looked around before spotting Snorkel in the far corner and rushing over to him. Snorkel looked terrible. His usually tan skin was pale and magenta blood was leaking out of a poorly-bandaged wound on his head.

Slow, heavy footsteps filled the air as a figure slowly appeared in the light. The co-captains were expecting their captor, but instead they were greeted by another woman. She was slightly shorter than the first creature but was still heavily muscled and powerful. Sharp, sickly neon green tentacles were pulled into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck and reached to just past her bottom. She had glowing yellow eyes that only illuminated the room further.

“Welcome!” Their captor smiled at them with a gleaming smile of fangs. She walked around the room with an aura of power. Her hands were firmly clasped behind her back and her head was held high, reminding Forge of how Army walked. She snapped her fingers, the sound sharply echoing through the room. Two more creatures rushed in: one of them was the one who kidnapped them and the other was new. “I assume that you’ve already met with Roku? I’m not sure about Go, but Go was the soldier kind enough to locate you for me.” She gestured to the shorter creature who quickly averted their eyes. Their hands were messing with small pieces of scrap metal, configuring them into small inventions before dismantling it and doing it over.

None of the captives answered, only staring at the three creatures with terrified stares.

“Oh, where are my manners?” She cackled. “You can call me Unagi. Queen Unagi.”

Chapter Text

“Where could they be, Emp!?”

“I’m sure Half-Rims is fine, Gloves. Relax.” Emp sat in his shining chair inspecting his nails.

“I can’t relax, Emp!” Gloves cried, pacing a trench in the floor. He gestured wildly with every word and the usually cool-headed Inkling looked near tears. “My best friend is missing and I don’t know where they are a-and what if something bad happened to them and-”

“Gloves,” Emperor rose from his throne to his full height, an astounding 7’0” tall. The King wrapped his arms around Gloves, resting his head atop of the green Inkling’s. “I’m sure Half-Rims is just fine.

“But you don’t know that, Emp,” Gloves muttered, his voice strained and his eyes glossed. “T-they could be in trouble and hurt or something. I can’t just sit around and wait for something to happen!” He pressed his face into Emperor’s jacket.

“Gloves, look at me,” Emperor sighed, pulling away and leading him to the soft and luxury couch. The green Inkling furiously wiped at his eyes in attempt to dry them. “Gloves, sweetheart.” Emperor lightly cupped his face, moving his head so they were staring into each other’s eyes. “Everything it going to be alright. We’ll do everything in our power to locate Rims. I’m sure they just went for a walk or-”

“But Rims wouldn’t leave their phone smashed into a bazillion pieces next to our truck!” Gloves cried, the tears that he had just wiped away quickly replaced by new ones. “Something happened to them, Emp!” His voice cracked at the end.

The green Inkling violently ran his hand through his tentacles, one of them haphazardly falling to the floor. Gloves was too disheveled to notice. “W-we need to go to the police. Maybe they’ll know something or at least help me find Rims.”

“Do you need me to take you?” Emp asked, once again wrapping his boyfriend into a hug. “I think they just closed up for the night but I can take you to report a missing person in the morning. Do you want to do that, love?”

Gloves melted into the embrace, burying his face into Emperor’s Eminence Jacket. “Can you?”

“Anything for you.”

Chapter Text

“Hey Avi, I’m here!” Omega called into the house as she opened the front door. In her hand was the case to her Nautilus.

After a few moments of silence, the X-ranked Inkling set down her weapon and closed the door behind her. She padded into the living room, looking for her friend. “Avi?” She called again. “Hello?”

She raised an eyebrow. She could have sworn that Aviators told her that he was going to be home. Omega took her phone from the pocket in her leggings and dialed her friend’s number.

“Straight to voicemail?” She grumbled. “What the hell, Aviators? You tell me you want to League together and then you aren’t even home?”

Omega sighed and redialed Avi’s number, groaning when it went straight to voicemail once again. The two-toned Inkling set her phone on the end table and headed for the kitchen. As much as she loved Vintage, she couldn’t handle his cooking. It was all burnt or overly spicy and no matter how many times she told him; Vintage would refuse to accept that he was the only one in the X-Blood who could actually stomach a ghost pepper. She raided the fridge knowing that Avi wouldn’t mind. There was a reason he gave her a house key after all. She found some leftover salad that smelled relatively fresh and didn’t wait to dig in. Omega nodded at the taste, somewhat surprised that she didn’t have to spit it out.

Her dinner was interrupted by her phone violently vibrating from the living room. Omega hustled from the kitchen to the room over, hastily picking up the phone and answering it, not bothering to check the caller ID.

“Hwewwo?” She answered, her mouth still full of lettuce, carrots, and tomatoes.

“Mega?”

Shit.

Omega chewed and swallowed. “Vin, do you need something?”

“You weren’t home and I was just wanting to know where you are.”

“I’m at Aviators’s,” She replied without missing a beat. “Why?”

“Just thought you would tell me if you left. And why are you over there?”

“We were just going to go Leaguing. He’s not even home though...”

“That’s unfortunate,” Vintage sighed over the phone. “Well, are you going to come home then?”

Omega huffed, slowly walking back to the kitchen where she could finish her salad. “I mean I could, but I think I’m going to wait here for a little longer, just in case he comes home.”

“Alright, just be home by midnight.” And with that, the Ballpoint Main hung up.

Omega slipped her phone back into the pocket of her leggings and took another bite of Avi’s salad. She nodded as she chewed, silently complimenting the not-terrible taste and mentally reminded herself to ask Avi for the recipe later. Once she finished, she rinsed the Tupperware and fork and stuck them in the half-full dishwasher.

She turned around and almost fell over when came face-to-chest with a giant Inkling.

“Skull,” She sighed, clutching her racing heart. Omega looked up to see the face of the legendary sniper she used to call a teammate. “You snuck up on me.”

“Mm,” Skull hummed and looked down at Omega. “Have you seen Avi?”

Mega shook her head, grabbing a glass from the cupboard and filling it up with tap water. She took a long sip, setting the glass down on the island with a sigh. “We were supposed to go Leaguing today.”

“It surprises me that you two are still so close.” Skull busied himself with watering one of Avi’s house plants. Where he somehow got a glass of water was a mystery to Omega.

Mega shrugged, staring at the wall rather than facing Skull. “We just forgave and forgot. I can’t say the same for my brother though.” She paused and added quietly. “And I don’t know about you either, Skull.”

The E-Liter grunted, but didn’t say anything, only finding a fruit snack in Avi’s pantry. He opened the pouch and began to shove each of the gummies under his namesake. Omega knew what was hiding: nasty scars from when Vintage shattered his jaw out of pure spite after Skull left the team. Omega always felt guilty when she looked at the bandanna. Maybe if she could’ve stopped Vintage from lashing out, could’ve told Skull and Avi to be more careful, could’ve done literally anything other than be a bystander. But that was in the past and Omega knew she wouldn’t get anywhere on “what ifs” and “could haves”.

Skull checked his phone on the way back from the trash can. “That’s weird,” he muttered.

“Hmm?”

“Army and his team can’t find Forge anywhere, and Mask is saying that something weird happened while he was on the phone with Moon a little while ago.”

“Snorkel?” Omega inquired, leaning on the island countertop.

“Aloha says he hasn’t talked to him all day, but when he called him, Snorkel didn’t answer. He wasn’t home either.”

She furrowed her brow, tilting her head to the side. “None of the S4 have heard from their co-captains today?”

Skull shook his head. Skull might’ve been an airhead, but he wasn’t stupid. Sometimes the Nautilus main could see the gears turning in his violet eyes. “None of them have been heard from since noon.”

Omega looked at Skull, her eyes wide. “Skull, this can’t be a coincidence.”

“I know,” He answered grimly, staring at his former teammate with a piercing glare. “That’s what scares me.”

Chapter Text

Mask furiously paced in front of the couch in Desi’s basement. His namesake was laying on the floor next to his overnight bag. His head was ducked and his cool cyan eyes blazed with pure rage.

“Mask, we’ll find Moon,” Jersey supplied, her face and eyes red and puffy from crying. “I-I’m sure she’s okay... Moon’s tough...” She sniffled, wiping her nose on the back of her hand.

After the unsettling phone call with Moon, Mask didn’t hesitate to race over to Desi’s house, picking up Jersey on the way. He told his other teammates what happened and Jersey almost immediately had a panic attack. Her eyes were big and her breathing was shallow and quick. Desi was good at taking care of her, but the entire time Mask could tell that he was holding back tears.

The Carbon Roller main texted his other team, the S4, asking if they had seen anything of Moon. It was then that Army realized that Forge hadn’t returned and Snorkel’s usual almost-always-active Inkstagram page had been idle for a few hours. Skull was late to conversation (much like everything else) and had supplied that Aviators was also missing.

This was enough to make Desi crack. First one of his best friends, and then both of his boyfriends. The Tri-Slosher's eyes were glued to the TV. He was still. A fuzzy dark blue blanket was wrapped around his shoulders and his signature headphones were sitting around his neck. The usual cat-shaped smile was now a fine line and his wide, innocent eyes were glazed and drooping. He was watching the news, but like usual it was nothing but the latest trends and the Turf and Ranked stages.

Pearl and Marina did their signature ‘Off the Hook’ move, and the broadcast cut to commercial. Desi took a shaky breath, pulling the blanket tighter around his shoulders.

“Damnit, I should’ve gone to Moon as soon as I heard something happening!” Mask ranted. The drawl was gone in his raspy voice, as if the rage within had finally smoothed out his speaking pattern. “I could’ve helped her! I could’ve stopped whatever bastard took her and maybe I could’ve-”

“Mask,” Desi spoke up for the first time since he heard the news. “You aren’t going to get anywhere on could haves. We just have to let the police do their job a-and hope that m-maybe th-they-they-” Desi stopped, rubbing his face angerly with his hands.

Jersey’s phone buzzed in her pocket and she stood up to take the call in the other room.

The Cyan leader groaned, sitting next to his friend on the couch. Mask’s breathing was labored and his body shook with each breath he took.

“Mask, are you okay? Do you need your inhaler or-”

“Desi.” Mask put a hand on his shoulder and faced him. “For once, stop taking care of me.”

The cat-like boy stared at for a second and shook his head. “No, you could have an attack soon and you’re all worked up and you need to be healthy and-”

“Desi.” When Mask interrupted this time, it was sharper. “You just went through probably some of the shittiest news of your life. Jersey and I, we lost Moon, but you? You lost Moon, Avi, and Snorkel. And I know you’re trying to hide it. Just like you always do for the sake of the team, but you can’t keep that all bottled up, Desi. You need to take care of yourself just this once.”

A tear fell from Desi’s eye. He shook his head and buried it into the blanket around his shoulders. And then Mask did something unexpected.

He hugged Desi.

The Tri-Slosher squeaked at the contact, but eventually melted into the embrace. His shoulders shook with quiet sobs and the tears fell freely. Mask squeezed Desi tighter, for once putting aside his cynical exterior to comfort his friend.

For as long as Mask could remember, Desi had always been there for him- for all of Team Cyan. Desi had managed to break down the angry and depressed shell and get to know the real Mask. He had been able to see past all of the crude labels kids had given Moon and see her for who she was, not who people said she was. Desi had been able to get Jersey to speak full sentences and help her overcome most of her social anxiety. Whether it be just watching their backs in Turf Wars, or helping them through a rough asthma or anxiety attack, or just sitting in his basement to play the newest game with his team, Desi was always there.

And now it was Mask’s turn.

“Yeah,” Mask sighed, instinctively rubbing circles onto Desi’s back. “Just... Just- uh let it out... Yeah.”

Jersey walked in from the other room; her expression unreadable. “Paisley just called. Skull and Omega are out looking for the missing co-captains.”

Chapter Text

Rider groaned when the knocks came for the eighth time that hour. “Goggles! I already told you that I don’t want to play Monopoly with you and your team!” He shouted with a scowl before going back to his notebook. He and his team had a match coming up against Team Zip at Ancho-V Games. As much as he hated to admit it, Zip’s team was already so much better than them and Ancho-V Games was their garden.

When the knock came again, Rider stood from the couch and stomped over to the door. He opened the door, coming face-to-face with Omega. Rider furrowed his brow and went to slam the door in her face. How many pesky visitors was he going to get in one night?! However, as he was in the process of slamming the door, a hand that didn’t belong to Omega sprung out and stopped the door from closing.

Before he could think, Skull had pushed the door open and invited himself inside, Omega following at his heels.

“The hell?” Rider asked, closing the door and watching Skull make himself comfortable on the couch. “You can’t just barge into my house and-”

“Where’s Stealth?” Skull didn’t hesitate to get straight to the point.

“What?”

“Where is Stealth? You’re co-captain slash best friend?”

Rider shook his head. “What do you mean? Why?”

“Four other co-captains are missing,” Omega added, leaning on the back of the couch. “Either Stealth is too or he might have some idea of where they are.”

“Wait-” Rider held up his hands. “Who’s missing?”

“The S4 co-captains, y’know Forge, Snorkel, Moon and Aviators,” Omega answered. “You’re an S+ too, so Stealth might’ve been involved.”

“Where’s Stealth?” Skull repeated like a broken record.

“H-he went to the store a few hours ago...” Rider trailed off, his yellow-green eyes drifting to the window.

“Is he back?” Skull asked, leaning forward in his seat. His elbows were on his knees and his hands were clasped together, acting like a perch for his chin to rest on.

Rider didn’t answer. He darted for his Dynamo, which sat in his heavy-duty case in his room, and dashed out the door without a word to his “guests”. He sprinted down the halls and stairs before barging into the parking lot. The sun was down now and the time was around 7PM. Stealth had been gone for hours, and Rider didn’t notice. The Dynamo main didn’t have time to beat himself up about it though. The only thing on his mind was to find his best friend.

It the haste to get on his motorcycle, one of the steel buckles on his Dynamo case ripped the arm of his namesake leather jacket. He cursed aggressively and started his vehicle. The loud purr of the engine filled the silent parking lot as he drove off.

Chapter Text

“It’s all my fault,” White whispered. She was curled up and hugging her knees on the couch in her and Blue’s apartment. Army had already set off to search for Forge while the other two remained at the house in case she came back.

“No, White, it’s not your fault,” Blue answered, rubbing her knee soothingly. “Not even in the slightest, baby.”

“If I never would’ve said those things about your great-grandpa, then Forge wouldn’t have gotten all worked up and disappeared, Blue! It is my fault!” She protested.

Being the good boyfriend he was, Blue wiped White’s tears away and pulled her in closer. “No, it’s not your fault-”

“Then whose fault is it!?” White cried, pushing Blue away. “Forge, your cousin and best friend, is gone and she might as well be in danger, and it’s all my fault!” She stood up, furiously wiping at her eyes with the sleeves of her namesake.

“White-” Blue stood as well, taking a few steps towards the Dualie Squelcher main. “No, stop that-”

“No, you stop, Blue!” She shook her head and walked into their room, closing the door in his face. “Just- just leave me alone... I don’t want something to happen to you as well.”

Blue sighed in defeat and left his girlfriend to wind down. It was around 8PM and he hadn’t eaten yet. Usually, Army would have already had curry on the table and a dozen side dishes that all catered to their individual tastes. It always amazed Blue how put together Army seemed.

The soldier spent over half of his life training at a brutal military academy that his grandpa sent him to. He was clueless at the time. He had no way of contacting home, no way out, and only his cousin as a familiar face. No matter how much training and studying Blue did there, Army was a natural and always came out on top. He had a commanding presence that only he could constantly uphold and a glorious knack for discovering all of an enemy’s weaknesses and exploiting them. Anyone who could do that had Blue’s immediate respect.

The soldier sighed when he got into the kitchen. He flicked on the light, letting the yellow light bulbs flicker to life and illuminate the room. His kitchen wasn’t nearly as used or updated as Army’s. The appliances were dated and sometimes liked to break, but it was nice. Nothing fancy or modern, just what Blue liked.

He got a few slices of bread from the bread box and began to butter one side of them. He put a simple pan on their stove and turned on the burner. While the buttered side of the bread was grilling, he grated a mix of cheddar, mozzarella, and swiss cheese. He added the cheese and other slice of bread and flipped the sandwich over and compressed it with a spatula. He knew his girlfriend well, and the one thing that always got her to smile was a grilled cheese with a glass of lemonade.

With a plate and glass in hand, Blue made his way out of the kitchen, through the living room and stopped at their bedroom door. He softly knocked and turned the knob of the door.

“Hey-”

“I told you to leave me alone,” White muttered. She was wrapped in her favorite burnt orange blanket and was staring out the window. It was a cloudless night with bright stars and neon lights illuminating the sky.

“I brought you food,” Blue supplied with a sheepish grin and shrug. “I know you haven’t eaten since lunch.”

White sighed and turned around to face Blue. Just the sight of her current state made his heart hurt. Her usual bright orange eyes were dull and red. Her usual bubbly attitude had diminished into a wreck of sorrow and self-blame. “I’m not in the mood, Blue.”

His heart hurt even more at her tone. She sounded so defeated and broken. He set the sandwich and drink down on their desk and walked over to wrap her into a big hug. She leaned into it, but made no move to return the embrace.

“Please don’t do this to yourself, White,” He whispered into the top of her head. “Please don’t. It hurts me to see you beating yourself up like this.”

“I’m sorry, Blue,” She replied, her voice strained and sounding as if she could break at any second. “I-I-” She broke off into sobs. Her knees gave out and Blue easily scooped her up, now holding her bridal style.

“Shh,” Blue shushed softly. “It’s okay, White. We have Army out looking for Forge right now and everyone else is looking for them. Skull, Omega, Rider, Army, Stitch and Paisley and so many others. White, we’ll find Forge and the others, alright? It’ll all be okay. I promise.”

Chapter Text

After her brief introduction, Queen Unagi left the co-captains with Roku and Go watching over them. Roku could’ve been mistaken for a statue granted how still she was standing. Go, however, would not stop moving. Go’s long and slender fingers wouldn’t stop playing with spare parts, occasionally pulling another random scrap from their belt.

“So,” Half-Rims, ever the fearless one, spoke up. Roku’s gleaming golds shot over to the sniper with a warning glance. They decided to ignore it and continue talking. “Why did you bring us here?”

Roku raised an eyebrow in response. Go kept fidgeting.

“I mean there has to be some reason, right?” Rims continued despite the other co-captain’s looks that screamed ‘knock it off before you get us killed’. “My best guess is that you couldn’t handle our leaders so you settled for the next best thing.”

That. That got Roku’s attention. She snarled and took two long strides over to Rims. She grabbed their shirt and lifted them from their sitting position. “I could handle all of you combined and still come out without breaking a sweat,” She hissed, some saliva dripping from her teeth and onto Rims’s namesake.

“Geez, say it don’t spray it,” Rims responded seemingly unfazed by the threat. They calmly removed their glasses and wiped them clean with their shirt. They inspected them in the light and slipped the glasses back onto their face once satisfied that they were clean. “And I mean that’s neat and all, but I know you didn’t bring us here just to keep up in a dark room. If you wanted to babysit there’s a website. You don’t have to go around kidnapping random-”

“I am not a babysitter!” Roku roared, throwing the Splatterscope main to the floor with unexpected force. “You were brought here to be tested on like the little rats you are!”

“Tested?” Forge’s eyes went wide. “L-like experimented on?”

Roku turned to face the orange Inkling. “Well, yes my dear.” Her words were sweet but her tone was pure poison. “We needed someone to test our newest creation on.”

“This is just like that comic I read,” Moon muttered. She was absently tapping on the stone floor below her. The other seven heads in the room turned to her. “Except you know, we probably won’t get life-changing superpowers out of this.”

“Will it hurt?” Stealth asked, nervously playing with the singular, curly tentacle on his head.

Roku smiled her terrifying smile. “Only a lot.”

The yellow-green co-captain audibly gulped and scooted away from the creature. The Octo found himself sitting next to Aviators who was nursing a still severely wounded Snorkel. Snorkel groaned and rolled over in Avi’s lap, now facing towards the center of the room rather than the wall. His eyes blinked away the pain in them. “Wha’ even are ya’?” He asked Roku fearlessly.

“I am an-”

“R-Roku?” Go spoke for the first time since they arrived. Their hands were shaking, making the scrap metal in their grasp clatter and clink.

Roku exhaled quickly through her nose and turned to face Go. “What, Go?!” She asked, her tone as sharp as her blade on her side.

“D-do you think t-that it-it's really a-a g-good id-idea to g-give out so-so much information?” They stuttered out; their voice as shaky as their hands.

Roku sighed, slowly walking back to her post on the other side of the door. “You’re right, like usual, Go. It’s best that Queen Unagi tells them what we are.”

Go nodded and went back to fiddling with the parts.

Chapter Text

“Double, what time is it?”

“Uh... Almost nine-thirty. Why?”

“No reason.” Vintage shook his head and went back to cleaning his Ballpoint. The soft rag glided over the shining metal, polishing it to a like-new state. He rubbed away the dried ink towards the firing area, leaving the section spotless.

The X-ranker spared yet another glance up at the clock, seeing that the minute hand had only moved one small space since the last time he checked it.

Vintage folded up the rag and walked it to the laundry room, putting in the hamper and mentally reminding himself that it was Red’s turn to do the laundry. He also made another mental note to remind Red to not wash her Annaki Blue Cuff with his white t-shirts again. He made his way back to the living room, looking at the clock above the bathroom door once more.

Again, the minute hand made no progress.

“Alright, Vinny-”

“Don’t use that nickname.”

“Something’s up and I know it. Don’t lie to me cuz I know when you do.” Double slid his namesake down his nose, giving Vintage a knowing look with his mismatched eyes before sliding the gear back into place.

“I’m fine.” Vintage grabbed his Ballpoint and already made his way to the stairs.

“If you miss Mega just call her or something. She already knows your pathetic and shit so she won’t mind.”

Vintage turned around when he was halfway up the stairs. “Watch your tongue, Double, or I’m going to make you train with a Hydra again.”

Double visible shuddered and went back to watching the re-run soccer game on TV. “Not the Hydra,” he groaned.

Vintage smirked and continued up the stairs, dropping his Splatling in his room before stopping by Omega’s door. It was closed like usual. He checked over his shoulder before turning the handle and entering his sister’s room.

Vintage had rarely been in Omega’s room before. It was simple. Navy blue walls, maroon comforter on the bed, dark wooden desk, bookshelf and nightstand. He made his way to her bookshelf. It was filled with all of the dystopian and sci-fi novels she loved but would never admit. There were old notebooks filled with strategies and battle tactics. The X-Fall was probably somewhere in one of those journals. She was the one who came up with it after all.

He turned to leave the room, but before he got through the door, something caught Vintage’s eye. The drawer to her nightstand was slightly ajar, something shining within. Vintage opened the drawer fully and saw an old picture frame.

With a steady hand, Vintage plucked the frame from the drawer.

The photograph inside had to have been years old. Four young Inklings stood shoulder-to-shoulder, the tallest holding a huge, golden trophy. A skull bandanna was tied around his neck, letting his huge smile show. The Inkling next to him wore his sunglasses on the top of his head, big violet eyes shining in the low evening light. Skull and Avi before the... incident. Omega had a small smile on her face. It had been years since Vin had seen her smile like that. Vintage’s expression was emotionless as ever, but there was a small twinkle in his ruby eyes. Pride.

“What are you doing here?” A voice jerked Vintage from his thoughts.

He calmly set the photo back in the drawer and turned to find Red staring him down with her arms crossed. Vintage shrugged in response. “I was looking for the strategy notebook.”

“Sure,” Red answered, narrowing her eyes skeptically. “Mega told us she left it on the dining table earlier today. What was the real reason you’re in here, Vinny?”

“None of your concern.” Vintage shoved his hands into the pockets of his namesake and strode out of the room, unintentionally hitting Red’s shoulder with his own.

“Rude,” Red scoffed, but thankfully dropping the subject and skipped over to her own room, slamming and locking the door behind her.

Vintage made his way back down the stairs. Double hadn’t moved an inch, eyes still glued to the TV.

“Before you ask, Vin, it’s 9:36.” Double turned to face his leader.

Vintage still checked the clock anyways, only blinking when he realized that Double was right. Without another word, Vintage walked into the kitchen and grabbed his leftover Ghost Pepper Chicken from the fridge. He warmed it up in the microwave and immediately took a big bite of the chicken breast. Vintage sighed, mentally noting to add more ghost peppers the next time he made it. The spice level wasn’t as spicy as he liked.

He was halfway through his meal with his phone chimed.

MEGA: Hey, Skull and I are out looking for missing co-captains. I probably won’t be back until tomorrow.

MEGA: My phone’s about to die so see you later.

Vintage raised his eyebrows, quickly sending her a response.

VIN: Missing co-captains? Omega, what’s going on?

MEGA: Stealth, Forge, Snorkel, Moon, and Avi are missing. Skull and I are out looking for them.

MEGA: And Half-Rims.

VIN: What happened to them?

MEGA: We don’t know Vin, that’s why we’re out looking for them. I’ll be home sometime tomorrow.

Vintage groaned, taking another bite of the subpar chicken. He texted her back, just a simple conformation. When he didn’t receive a response after a few minutes, he put his phone away.

“Ya’ chill, Vin?” Double asked from the living room.

“Omega won’t be home until tomorrow,” Vintage responded, cleaning up his leftovers and meeting Double in the living room. “Her and Skull are out looking for missing co-captains or something.”

“Oh yeah, Blue told me about that.”

“Blue? As in Blue Sailor from Team Orange?”

“Yeah, we went to military school together.”

“Huh.”

Vintage found himself watching the soccer game with Double. It was the Inkopolis Urchins versus the Crustascia Hermits. Vintage had limited knowledge on most sports, he was too focused on Ranked to really pay attention to anything else.

“Wait, you went to military school?” Vintage inquired, finally processing what his teammate had said.

Chapter Text

“He’s gone,” Skull sighed, watching Rider disappear on his motorcycle through the living room window. He turned to see Omega furiously clicking the power button to her phone. “You alright?”

“Phone’s dead,” She answered, slipping it into the pocket in her leggings. “But we should head out. When did you last see Avi?”

Skull stared at the ceiling. “He called me this morning when he went to go pick up Snorkel and Desi. Haven’t heard from him since.”

“Designer’s at his house with Mask and Jersey, so something happened after Avi dropped him off. Maybe we should check the roads from Designer’s house to Snorkel’s. We might find something there.”

“Good idea, Mega,” Skull nodded and headed to the door.

Omega nodded and walked out of Rider’s apartment, turning the light off on the way out. The duo made their way to the parking lot where Omega had parked her modest car. It was a simple sleek silver color with dark, clean seats and an entire backseat reserved for her Nautilus and Skull’s E-Liter 4K Scope. She got into the driver’s side with Skull crammed into the passenger seat. The car wasn’t small, Skull was just huge.

Omega had to bite back laughter watching Skull hunch over and struggle to get the seat down. Double was the tallest on the X-Blood, and he was still only 5’9”, a dwarf compared to Skull’s 6’10”.

“You need any help?” She managed to ask without breaking her monotone voice.

“No,” Skull stubbornly responded, still messing with the mechanics under the seat.

Omega sighed through her nose. “It’s the one towards the back. You need to pull it up.”

Skull followed her advice, and his seat sunk so he could somewhat sit up without being bent over. He sighed in relief and shrugged his shoulders, stretching out his muscles.

Without another word, Omega put the car into reverse and back out of the parking space before shifting the sedan into drive and pulling out of the lot.

The car ride was silent, neither of them daring to talk. Omega’s ruby red eyes were trained on the road in front of her, the LED headlights illuminating the deserted street around them. Skull was faced away from Omega, looking out his door window and sometimes craning his neck to catch a glimpse out the back windshield.

The lights in Omega’s car cast soft shadows across the duo. Omega’s cold and intimidating eyes looked rounder, more innocent and childlike. Skull’s furrowed brow seemed to have lightened up in the dark, for once making him look more confused than pissed. The small digital clock installed above the radio read “10:09 PM”, almost a full 12 hours since the first missing co-captain disappeared.

Omega’s hands tightened around the steering wheel.

For some reason she felt slightly jealous. She was Omega from the X-Blood after all. Co-captain to Vintage, the terrifying X-Ranker that conquered and destroyed at every turn. Why wasn’t she taken too? Six co-captains to six of the most powerful Inklings disappeared, and Omega was still there. She narrowed her eyes, lost in thought. Did that mean that she wasn’t as good as she first thought? Was she just another basic Inkling? Deep down she knew it wasn’t true, but the thoughts still nagged at her.

“Alright, we’re just passing Designer’s house,” Omega spoke up after fifteen minutes of silence. “Do you know the way Avi usually takes to Snorkel’s house?”

Skull nodded and pointed to a street coming upon them. “Go left on Oyster.”

Omega followed as she was told, moving the car from one empty street to the next. Skull grunted, probably his version of praise. The headlights swept the streets and they slowly drove down Oyster Avenue. The small townhouses become closer and lower in quality, turning into apartment buildings and warehouses. More people appeared, just shadows passing, entering and exiting alleyways.

Skull shifted in his seat, violet eyes never leaving from the window. He had only been over to Snorkel’s house a few times and the journey there always made him uncomfortable. Sketchy persons always gave him the side-eye while he passed and more than once he was threatened. He was good at tuning them out though, he was good at tuning a lot of things out.

“Wait, pull over,” Skull instructed, pressing his face to the window.

“Did you see something?” She asked, quickly maneuvering the vehicle to the side of the road.

Skull nodded, getting out of the car and slamming the door behind him. Omega turned off her engine and scrambled after him. Skull turned on his phone flashlight, sending a small beacon slicing through the darkness like a knife. The purple S4 crept into the alley, Golden Hi-Horses silent against the pavement. Both of them were hardly breathing, eyes wide and alert and fists ready to fly if deemed necessary.

Skull paused at what he had spotted from the car. Crouching down next to a small puddle of ink, Skull beckoned for Omega to do the same. The X-Blood squatted, looking at the small dark pink puddle.

“What is this?” She questioned. Skull shrugged, dipping a finger into the liquid and bringing it up to eye level, letting the ink drip off of his finger and joining the pool below.

Skull wiped his finger on his shirt, leaving a small dark pink stain near the hem and stood up, eyes narrowing as he searched around him. Skull’s ears perked up when he found something, walking a few short steps to where a large tarp spread over a larger object. With a swift and fluid pull, Skull had ripped the tarp off of the mystery object, revealing it to be none other than Avi’s old sedan.

Omega and Skull – who were both known for being stoic and emotionless – stared at the vehicle in shock. The car was totaled. Windows were smashed in, seats were torn, metal warped and scratched. On the hood of the car was a large dent, the same dark pink liquid pooling in the crater.

“Is that-” Omega hesitantly reached out with shaking hands. “Is that blood?”

Skull was silent, but this silence was different than his usual demeanor. Even behind the bandanna, Omega could see his clenched jaw and his hairless brow was furrowed more than usual. They might have lost contact for years, but Skull was still the same one she grew up with. She knew how he worked. She knew how a lot of people worked.

Skull once again dipped his finger into the substance, eye slightly twitching when he came in contact with it. “Definitely from an Inkling. And this is Avi’s car...” Skull flicked his wrist, letting the blood fly off of it and splatter onto the cracked windshield. “And who else do we know that’s pink and was with Avi.”

“Oh, my Cod, Snorkel,” Omega gasped, a hand going up to cover her mouth. “He’s hurt... Which means-”

“Avi could be hurt too,” Skull interrupted, his face and eyes stone-cold.

Omega stood, her eyes finding the night sky instead of looking at the blood of someone she knew. “But where could they be?” She asked, her voice quiet and meek.

Skull grunted, turning around in a full circle. “The only thing here is the car.”

Omega narrowed her eyes, straining to see any other evidence than the car. The dim streetlights barely illuminating the streets did nothing to help their cause. “Wait-” She pointed to a small dark spot behind the car. “What’s that?”

Skull crouched down next to a dark smudge behind the car. “Tire tracks,” He muttered. “The pattern doesn’t match up with Avi’s though.” Skull ran his finger along the crevasses in the tire, noting the differences between the smudge and tire.

“They look fresh. That means the person who probably took Avi and Snorkel made these marks.”

Skull nodded, snapping a few pictures of the smudge. “We can see if we can check any of the security cameras around here. That is... if there are any.”

“We could see if anyone else has had any luck. We could compare notes or something,” Omega suggested, looking over her shoulder. “I don’t like this place.”

Skull hummed a small agreement. “Army said that he was currently checking all security cameras around the area where Forge was taken. If he would’ve found something, he would’ve told us. As much as I want to get out of this place too, we finally have a small lead, Mega. If we leave, we could lose it.”

Omega crossed her arms and leaned against the destroyed car. “Fine, where should we go next?”

Skull stared down the alleyway, the end of it impossible to see through the shadows. “The tire tracks go that direction-” He pointed to the other end of the alley. “We should go there.”

“Lead the way.”

Chapter Text

After hours of searching and coming up with absolutely nothing, Rider needed to blow off steam. He drove into a familiar part of Inkopolis. It wasn't lit with neon signs or filled to the brim with young cephalopods with dreams to be the best, it was small and relaxing. Simple wooden shops lined the dimly lit streets, illuminated by streetlamps wrapped in flowers and greens. Most of the shops were closed, the simple boutiques and markets closed down and dark. However, one of the stores still was wide open, even at eleven thirty. Rider parked his bike in a spot near the sidewalk, removing his helmet and shrugging off his backpack-esque Dynamo case. His punk blacks hitting the pavement was the only sound in the quiet street. He stepped up to the familiar store, the door chiming softly when opened.

"Metry?" He called into the seemingly empty shop.

A pink-tentacled head poked out from the back room. "Rider?" She asked, fully emerging from the storage closet. "Why are you here so late?"

Rider slipped his namesake jacket and held it out in front of him. "I ripped this and I need you to fix it."

Metry hesitantly took the leather jacket from Rider's grip, inspecting it in the soft yellow light of the tailor's shop. "Yeah, that's a large rip alright," Metry sighed and walked over to her table. The pink-tentacled Inkling fished some fabric glue and leather patches from her desk drawer. She sat down and silently got to work. "Can I ask how you ripped it?"

"I was in a hurry to get somewhere and it ripped," Rider answered, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. "Is it just you here tonight?"

Metry nodded, pulling the needle through the fabric and turning it over to go right back in. "I sent the girls home a few hours ago. We got a new shipment of fabrics a few hours ago and I just wanted to stock them before I left. Didn't see a reason to keep the girls here."

Rider hummed in response. While the School Cardigan worked on his jacket, he took the time to study the small tailor's shop. Racks of clothes lined most of the walls and a trio of fitting rooms were pushed into the back next to the storage closet. Two stools were placed in front of curved mirrors where the School Cardigan's could make custom adjustments to their customer's outfits. Metry's sewing table was behind the cash register where she could work quietly while her teammates manned the shop. Where clothing racks weren't, posters and signs were placed all over the walls. A majority of them were one's advocating transgender rights and displaying messages such as "love is love" and "be yourself, everyone else is taken." Normally signs like that made Rider roll his eyes and scoff, but just looking at Metry, he couldn't help but smile.

Metry inspected her work in the light before going into the back room and grabbed a hair dryer. Rider raised an eyebrow and Metry giggled, she sat back down at her workstation and turned on the tool. After a few seconds of drying the glue on the jacket, Metry began to start cutting a patch of leather big enough to cover the rip. She glued the patch on with expert craftsmanship and one again went over it with a hair dryer. Rider watched her work with quick and precise movements, as if she was born to be a tailor.

"Like what you see?" Metry asked with a giggle, making Rider's face explode into yellow-green blush.

"I -uh- no!"

Metry rolled her eyes good-naturedly and went back to work. "I'm just messing with you, Ri. Your jacket is almost done, but it's usually good to let the glue sit overnight. You don't want to risk messing it up."

Rider sighed and readjusted his position on the wall. "Well, can I leave it here? I have important stuff I need to be getting to."

"Important stuff?" Metry inquired. She was now sewing the patch onto the jacket with black thread. "What are you doing at midnight?"

Rider huffed, internally debating if he should tell the School Cardigan or not. "Something happened to Stealth," He finally answered in a quiet voice.

"Oh, my Cod," Metry had gotten up from her chair and immediately dashed over to Rider to wrap him in a hug. Normally, the Dynamo main would've resisted and done anything to get away from Metry's grasp, but this time, he found himself leaning into it. "Is he okay?"

Rider shook his head and shrugged. His vision was getting cloudier and a tight lump was forming in his throat. "I-I don't know, Metry. He went missing this afternoon w-with other co-captains a-and-" Rider pushed away from her and turned his back. He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, desperate to not be seen in this vulnerable state.

"Rider-" Metry reached a hand out to comfort him, but Rider shrugged it off. His eyes were screwed shut and his mouth was pressed in a fine line. "Rider, it's okay to cry."

"I'm not crying!" Rider shouted. Despite his words, tears streamed down his cheeks. "I-I just-" He leaned against the wall, sliding down it until he was sitting on the floor. He buried his head between his knees and took a few shaky breaths. "I didn't even know he was gone until Skull and Omega came knocking at my door hours later. Metry, I'm such a terrible friend."

"No, no, you're not," Metry reassured, sitting down next to the S-ranker. "Rider, you're looking for Stealth now, and that's what matters. You might've not seen it a few hours ago, but now, finding Stealth is the only thing on your mind. I know you Rider, and I know you won't give up until Stealth is safe at home."

Rider didn't have words. His yellow-green eyes bore into the floor with sheer determination and intensity. "I need to find him, Metry. I feel like it's on me that he's gone."

Metry put a hand on his knee and lightly squeezed it. "If you need help finding him, I'm happy to tag along with you." Rider looked at her and raised an eyebrow skeptically. "I promise I won't be overbearing or obnoxious." She said the last part with a smile and small laugh.

A small smirk spread across Rider's face. "Thanks for the offer Metry, but I need to do this alone. I don't want to lose another friend to this mystery kidnapper." Rider stood, offering a hand to Metry. She took it and let Rider pull her to her feet. Rider used a little too much muscle and Metry stumbled forward into Rider. She squeaked softly as Rider wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big hug. She returned it with a laugh and pulled away.

"I'm glad you consider me a friend."

“Yeah, you’re pretty cool, I guess,” Rider responded, turning and walking to the door. “I’ll be back in the morning for my jacket. Don’t do anything to it.” He pointed at her with a smile and walked through the door.

Metry waved through the window, watching Rider’s silhouette disappear into the night.

Chapter Text

Vintage stared at the ceiling.

The X-Blood house was silent, save for Double's soft snoring in the room over. Red was probably still up, doing whatever she did behind her locked door and if Omega was there, she would be fast asleep in her room. But she wasn't there, and that was the exact reason Vintage couldn't sleep.

It might sound stupid, but Vintage could only sleep when he knew his sister was safe at home and in her bed. Nobody knew that, and Vin planned on keeping it that way. He sighed and turned in his bed, now staring at the large bookshelf pressed against the opposite wall. Books and journals and random keepsakes lined the shelves. It was disorganized, but Vintage knew where everything was. The X-Blood leader sat up and let his legs dangle off of the side of his bed. The cool air was cold on his bare feet. He checked the clock for the millionth time that night, the blue digits reading "1:09 AM". He was supposed to get up in five hours to start Ranking.

Sleep didn't seem like it was coming for Vintage anytime soon, so instead of waiting for it, he decided to get up and slip on his namesake. The cool nylon brushed against the parts of his arm not covered by his white t-shirt, making him shiver. He rummaged through his dresser, pulling out a pair of socks and slipped them on. Out of habit, Vintage grabbed his Ballpoint and made his way out the door. Light streamed out from under Red's door and soft giggling could be heard from within. Vintage rolled his eyes and made his way down the stairs. The X-Blood house was fairly big, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large kitchen and backyard. They were lucky they got it at such a good price, not that it would've made a difference. X Rank was known not only for the skill of those who possessed the title, but for being one of the best paying jobs in Inkopolis.

Vintage stopped when he got to the front door, pausing to slip on his Orca High-Tops. With one last look over his shoulder to ensure his teammates weren't watching, Vintage exited the house, making sure to re-lock the door from the outside. The night air was freezing to say the least. Vin sucked in a deep breath of the frigid air, making his lungs sting, before exhaling with a puff of steam. He silently wished he would've gotten a heavier jacket, but his namesake would have to do. Vintage made his way to his car and unlocked the door. It was parked next to Double's navy-blue Jeep and Red's bright pink Bug. Vintage's own car was much like his sisters. A simple black sedan. Vintage got into the car after placing his Splatling in the backseat and immediately turned on the heater. He sighed as the warm air rushed out of the vent, warming his once freezing self. He put the sedan in reverse, pulling out of the driveway and beginning to drive down the road. He saw the curtain to Red's room move, internally cursing when his teammate stared at the leaving car from her room.

Vintage drove down a few streets, making his way over to Avi's house. It had been years since he had gone to his former teammates home, but nevertheless, he still knew the way like the back of his hand. After a few silent and agonizing minutes of driving, Vintage slowed when he got to the Nozzlenose main's small house. Omega's car was gone, but Skull's moped was parked by the front door. Vintage scoffed when he saw the scooter. "He still drives that thing?" He asked himself.

Shaking his head, Vintage pulled away from the house, driving into the more populated part of Inkopolis. A majority of Inklings and Octolings lived in cheap apartments near the Square, where Deca Tower was within walking range, those with more money usually liked to live on the outskirts of Downtown Inkopolis.

The X-Ranker decided that it would be better to search for Omega on foot so he quickly parted his car and got out, grabbing his Ballpoint Splatling and Inktank from the back seat in the process. Uncased weapons were strictly prohibited in Inkopolis when not battling, so Vintage had to settle for lugging his case around, the inside containing his main, a few vials of Toxic Mist, an Inkjet Special and some basic cleaning supplies. His Inktank was sitting comfortably on his back, though it felt odd to be wearing it when not battling.

"Where could you be, Omega?" He quietly asked himself as he neared the corner of the street. He could call Skull, the purple Inkling's number had stayed in his phone for years, but that would mean associating with him, and that was something Vintage swore to never do until Skull was strong enough. Vintage rounded the corner of the street and collided with another being.

"Watch it!" Vintage growled, regaining his balance and going to walk around them.

"You too, bud," The person responded.

Vintage stopped dead in his tracks. He knew that voice. Vintage whirled around and said, "Zip, what are you doing out so late?"

The mentioned Inkling stopped and turned. Even behind her Tinted Shades, Vintage could feel the intensity of her glare. "I should be asking you the same thing." Zip crossed her arms and stared down the X-Ranker.

Vintage raised an eyebrow and returned Zip's glare. "I'm looking for someone, you?"

"Training."

"At one in the morning?"

"That's when I work best, gotta work hard to maintain my rank."

"You don't deserve to be X."

"And what makes you better than me?"

"I have skill."

Zip scoffed and took a few steps towards Vintage. "I am the only person you have never been able to splat and my team is the only team that has escaped the X-Fall. Last I checked, that takes plenty of skill.”

Vintage rolled his eyes and looked up at Zip. She wasn't much taller than him, only a few inches, but that height difference still infuriated him.

"Who are you even looking for?" Zip inquired.

Vintage sighed through his nose. He knew that Zip wouldn't back down from a question and he knew that she knew when he was lying. "Omega."

A mauve eyebrow raised above her Tinted Shades. "Omega? Why are you looking for her?"

"She went out looking for some missing co-captains with Skull a few hours ago and she's not back."

Zip took out her phone and sent a quick text to her own team.

"What are you doing?"

Zip pocketed her phone in her leggings and stared at Vintage. "It's not safe to be here alone at night."

"Are you coming with me?" Vintage asked, slightly taken aback.

"You're gonna need some help. Sketchy people roam the streets at night, Vintage. Wouldn't want my rival to be taken down by anyone but me." She pointed to herself with her thumb to emphasize her point.

Zip was an unexpected legend in the Ranking industry. She appeared out of nowhere in Inkopolis two years ago. At first, she was a solo act, climbing her way to S+ alone, but then she formed a team. Two Inklings, two Octolings, all four of them female. They were all S+ when Zip assembled them. They began doing Ranked tournaments and quickly became worthy opponents for the X-Blood. Zip had just recently achieved status as X-Rank, the fifth person in Inkopolis to do so, but her team isn't far behind. The Team Zip strategy is stealth and speed, and that works amazing for them. Zip takes control of the objective alone, whether it be grabbing the Rainmaker or start inking the Splat Zone with her Clear Dapple Dualies, and her team stays out of sight for the whole match. The four of them each possess Ninja Squid on their gear and have mastered the art of sneaking up on people. Zip’s team splits up to take down opponents one by one, so they’re never together, making the X-Fall difficult for the X-Blood. Zip's signature move, much like Aloha's Disco Ball Dance or Inkfall's desire to stay clean, was Survival Mode. When she uses her signature move, Zip is nearly impossible to splat. She uses her dodge-roll abilities and Ninja Squid to get away from the enemies safely and progressing towards the goal. She was good, but she wasn't quite Vintage good.

Zip was a worthy ally and an irritating rival.

"Fine," Vintage grumbled, walking down the street. Zip fell in line next to him and was luckily not interested in talking.

They made their way to the Square, where Deca Tower glowed brightly against the midnight sky. The Shoal was still brightly lit and the Galleria's lights were still shining. The Square seemed so full of life, despite there not being a living soul around.

"So, where do you think Omega would be?" Zip asked, turning in a full circle.

Vintage shrugged and walked around a little bit. "We need to start somewhere," He muttered. The X-Blood pointed down a dark street. "Let's try there."

Chapter Text

After the first few hours, Forge had lost track of time. It could’ve been the next week for all she knew. The orange co-captain paced the room, walking from wall to wall over and over again. Roku’s piercing yellow eyes never left the Rapid Blaster main.

Moon was sitting in the corner, fiddling with her shoelaces. She would tie them into a bow, then untie them and make a different knot. The panic had subsided for her, boredom quickly taking its place. The room was fairly quiet, save for Forge’s steps, Go’s tinkering, and Stealth and Half-Rims's quiet conversations. It was still too quiet for Moon. Multiple times she found herself reaching into her back pocket for her phone, only to find it missing.

In the other corner, Snorkel had fallen asleep in Avi’s lap. The purple co-captain absently petted his boyfriend’s tentacles and his gaze never wavered from the peacefully sleeping Inkling. Snorkel’s head wound had been rebandaged by another creature that entered not too long ago, Roku and Go addressing them as Ni. Ni came in, tended to the captives’ wounds and left without saying a full sentence.

A loud knock on the door made all eight people in the room freeze. The door slid open behind Roku and Go and Queen Unagi entered. From her standing angle, Forge noticed the differences between Unagi and her guards. Unagi’s eyes were connected with a fine line and her six waist-long tentacles were slightly rounded at the end. The pupils in her eyes were circles, unlike the vertical slits in Roku and Go’s eyes. Other than that, Unagi and her guards were identical in species.

“Roku,” Unagi addressed her guard. “Pick two and let’s go.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Roku responded, a Cheshire grin spreading on her face. The guard lunged forward, grabbing Forge’s arm and yanking her towards the door. She yelped at the sudden force and choked back a scream when she felt her shoulder pop out of the socket.

“Forge!” Avi yelled from his position under Snorkel.

“Looks like we have another volunteer,” Roku hissed, leaving Forge to Unagi and striding over to where Avi was sitting. The creature carelessly pushed Snorkel off of the purple Inkling and snatched his wrist. Avi was dragged away from the others by Roku. The Nozzlenose main lashed against Roku’s hold, desperately trying to escape the creature, but his attempts were futile. Unagi had cuffed Forge's hands behind her back, making her just as helpless as her friend. Roku threw Avi out the door, his cry of pain echoing across stone walls

Hearing the scream, Snorkel slowly awakened from his sleep. He groggily blinked a few times before making out what was happening. "Avi! Forge!" He screamed, now fully awake and scrambling to his feet. The pink Inkling rushed towards the door but Go was quick to stop him. Despite Go's miniscule size, they managed to flip Snorkel backwards. Rims and Stealth were immediately at the injured Inkling's side while Moon stood. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was open in shock. It usually took Moon a little while to adjust to things, and everything happening was practically overwhelming for the cyan Inkling.

"NO!" Snorkel cried as Avi was dragged away.

Go shut the door to the cell after Roku reentered, a sinister smile on the latter's face.

Queen Unagi was not gentle with her captives. At least three more heavily armored guards joined the leader in taking the two poor Inklings away. Forge found herself walking as close to Avi as possible. Forge Octarian Jacket and Squid Satin Jacket pressed firmly against each other. Forge's eyes were darting around the dimly lit hallway, taking in and noting every detail. Avi was looking straight ahead, his violet eyes not leaving the back of Unagi's head.

"Where are you taking us?" Forge finally asked, breaking the silence.

The three guards around them snickered, each of their laughs wet and inhuman sounding. Queen Unagi simply waved her hand. "Oh, you'll see, girl."

Forge exhaled shakily and blinked rapidly, trying to brink the tears forming in her eyes away. Her hands shook in the cuffs around her wrists, they were tight enough that even if she went into squid form, they wouldn't budge. Avi lightly bumped into her, giving her a glance that said "it will all be okay." Forge only shook her head, a simple gesture saying "I wish I could believe that."

Unagi muttered something in a foreign tongue, the three soldiers each responding in unison with another gargley sound. The one to the left of Forge began cackling, the other two joining in. The way they spoke was neither Inkling nor Octo, both languages Forge was very familiar with. There seemed to be a few shared sounds, but other than that, they were opposite.

"What are you guys?" Curiosity overcame fear, Forge speaking up for the second time.

Unagi sighed as if it was the stupidest question ever asked and turned around to face the two Inklings. "What I am, is just the same as you," Unagi responded, gesturing to herself and then to the duo. "What my beautiful soldiers are, are nothing but unnatural creatures of the best qualities in four species."

"You're an Inkling, but everyone else is a lab-created specimen?" Forge's eyebrows furrowed.

"Exactly, my dear," Queen Unagi reached forward and patted Forge twice on the head before turning and continuing to walk.

"But that doesn't make sense! You don't look anything-"

"Anything like you!?" Unagi whipped around and finished Forge's sentence for her, her deep and murky tentacles flew around her like a whirlwind and her golden eyes shone with hate and fury. "My dear, I know that. I've been told that my entire life! It's the whole reason I created my soldiers!"

Forge shrinked back at Unagi's frightening words, Avi instinctively stepped in front of her.

"I was born this way, and because of it," Unagi hissed, bearing sharp and white teeth. "I was bullied and abused. Now, I want to get back at those who hated me, I want to get back at the whole damn population for doing so! Imagine it girl-" Unagi grabbed Forge's collar and ripped her forward, making her yelp. Avi went to step in, but one of the soldiers grabbed the chain connecting Avi's cuffs and yanked him backwards. "The streets of Inkopolis being flooded with my beautiful creatures. Ones that look exactly like what they hated on in the past. My creatures overtaking you all and ripping each of your kind limb from limb! My army tearing down your buildings and burning them down! Now wouldn't that be spectacular?!"

Forge felt sick at Unagi's description. Her face drained of all color and her stomach churned just thinking about what Unagi would do. "Y-you wouldn't."

"Oh, but I would," Unagi replied. Her pointed white teeth glinted in the low light. "Now come on." Unagi turned on her heel, murky green tentacles flying around her shoulder. "No more questions unless I allow them. There will be consequences if you disobey."

Unagi began walking down the hallway once more. Her three soldiers were silent, sans their low and wet chuckles and hisses. Forge's heart hammered in her chest and her heart raced. Questions kept forming on the tip of her tongue but she always bit them down before she could ask them. Avi, calm and collected as always, whispered into Forge's ear, "Are you okay?"

Forge nodded, not daring to open her mouth. She didn't want to risk another question falling out.

After another minute or two of walking, Unagi held up her hand and her creatures stopped at the command. Unagi made a strange noise deep in her throat, the soldiers all responding unanimously with a hysterical laugh. The Queen stepped to the door in front of them. In the dim lighting it looked dark gray with green light pouring out of the small window, basking the entire hall in the strange green hue. Forge glanced over at Avi and he looked over at her. Even behind his signature shades, Forge could see the worry in his eyes.

Unagi stuck her finger to a control pad and the door clicked open with a beep. She pulled the door open, the hinges squeaking and a strange hissing noise coming from within. Forge inhaled and began coughing almost instantly. The room smelled of mold and steely blood. She went to take a step back, but the soldier guarding them from behind pushed her forward. Forge stumbled into the room, falling flat on her face with her hands still cuffed behind her. Avi was almost instantly at her side.

Queen Unagi smiled at them. Her golden eyes were filled with malice and her smile was sinister and maniacal. She gave them a short wave and closed the door. The door sealed and locked with a hiss and a click and then the orange and purple co-captains were alone... or so they thought.

"I'm assuming that you're Aviators and Forge?" A figure emerged from the harsh green lighting. He was another one of Unagi's creatures, with pointed green tentacles sticking up in a tall mohawk and the same set of metal armor. "My apologies on how you were brought in, I asked for you two as unharmed as possible."

Forge and Avi stared at him from their inferior position on the ground.

"Oh, where are my manners. You may call me Ichi, Unagi's right-hand man and second-in-command to the entire Eeling Army."

Chapter Text

"Checked the security cameras?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"Nothing."

"Oh. Searched all of the scenes for any clues at all?"

"Omega and Skull found tire tracks halfway between Snorkel and Designer Headphone's house and are investigating that. Gloves found Half-Rims's broken SquidPhone outside of his truck. Full Moon's shopping bag and SquidPhone were found on 6th avenue. Nothing has been found on Forge or Stealth's disappearances though." Army sighed and rubbed his bloodshot orange eyes. His beret was on the floor along with his jacket and his tie had been loosened.

Aloha rolled over on the couch. "The police said that they haven't been gone for twenty-four hours yet, so they aren't going to investigate till tomorrow."

"Damnit." Army violently scribbled out a theory so bizarre only Goggles could've come to that conclusion. "We can't wait for tomorrow-"

"I know, Army!" Aloha interrupted with a cry. His usually bright and energetic demeanor had crumbled to nothing but anxiety and sorrow. "I keep telling them that but they say that there's nothing they can do until noon tomorrow."

Army shut his manual with a THWAP and stood up, sending his chair skidding backwards. The drill sergeant steadied himself on his desk and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. "We don't have that kind of time." His voice was a broken whisper.

"Army, I'm just as stressed out about this as you are. Snorkel's my best friend. Forge is like your sister." The pink party animal stood from the couch and walked over to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around the smaller Inkling's torso and resting his chin on Army's shoulder. "We're trying our best, but I can see that we aren't going to get anywhere tonight."

"But-"

"Army, it won't do our friends any good to wear ourselves out. We just need a small br-"

"Aloha!" Army pushed out of his hold and stormed over to the kitchen of their shared apartment. "I don't want to rest! We could be out there trying to find them! We could be searching for more clues! We could be asking around Inkopolis! I can't rest when there's so much to do! I can't rest when- when-" Army's phrase was cut off with a sob. He hastily wiped at his eyes and leaned on the counter for support. Aloha dashed over to his side, helping his partner wipe away the tears.

"Shh," Aloha softly shushed and wrapped Army into a tight embrace. "Hey, it'll all be okay. We're going to find them... I promise." Aloha squeezed his eyes shut, a few tears falling from beneath the lids. "We'll get them back-"

"How can you be so sure?"

"I know that everyone won't rest until the six are safe at home. We have Skull, Mask, Omega for hell's sake, Gloves and Emperor. And all of their teams. The best fighters in Inkopolis are out searching for them, and that's how I know."

"But-"

"Hey," Aloha pulled to look Army in the eyes. "You need some sleep. I know you. This kind of stress takes a toll on you and we need to be in top shape for tomorrow. We'll go out looking with Mask, alright? I've already asked him and he agreed. Without the usual sarcasm and cynical comments, so I know that he's serious."

Army took a shaky breath and offered a small smile. It was sad and only lasted a few seconds, but that was all Aloha needed. "Let's get to bed, alright?"

Army let Aloha lead him to their bedroom. Army laid down in the bed, looking at the clock on his side of the bed. It was almost three in the morning. The drill sergeant couldn't remember the last time he had stayed up that late. Army was always a stickler to the rules, a sleep schedule included. He never stayed up past midnight, but that night was an exception. Forge, the first person who accepted him into Inkopolis, the first person to take a chance with him, one of the only people who cared about Army's ideas and strategies. Forge was worth staying up past midnight for.

"Get some sleep, okay?" Aloha whispered into the crook of Army's neck. "We'll try to bring them home tomorrow."

Army nodded and Aloha fell asleep snuggled up to him.

Chapter Text

"You found the tire?" Skull immediately put down his food and dashed over to the two-toned Inkling girl who was hovered over a computer. Omega and Skull were at one of those 24-hour libraries researching their findings. Skull had already relayed their information to the other S4, Rider, and Gloves while Omega surfed the internet for any sort of relation. After three long, excruciating hours of searching, Omega had finally found something.

"Apparently the tires were discontinued a few years ago after the manufactures were caught in some sort of tax scandal. There's only one factory in all of Inkopolis-" She pointed to an area on the screen. "And it's over here."

"Isn't that by Marooner's Bay?"

Omega nodded. "Mr. Grizz stopped sending shifts over there last month because of some weird salmonid activity." Her ruby red eyes went wide. "Maybe Mr. Grizz might know something!"

"Why do you think that?"

"Skull, Mr. Grizz is the shadiest guy in all of Inkopolis. He knows something about everything... I mean, it's better than nothing. If he doesn't know anything, maybe he'll let us take a boat over to the factory to check it out."

Skull nodded and shoved the rest of his pastry into his mouth. He stretched and faced Omega. "Wait, how do we know the tire isn't from years ago?"

Omega sighed and grabbed Skull's phone. "The markings are pretty clear. The material that they produced the tires with is more likely to rub off if they're new. So I'm pretty sure these tires are brand new. The only place you could get brand new discontinued tires would be at the factory that they were made at. Does it make sense?"

Skull slowly bobbed his head. He vaguely understood, but that was enough for the purple Inkling. "Let's get going."

Omega checked the time on the computer. 3:47 AM. "GrizzCo should open up in thirteen minutes. That should be long enough to get there. He might make us do a Salmon Run though, have you ever done one?"

"Yeah, it was Mask's idea of a S4 practice. He was the only one who actually knew what was going on though. Aloha kept complaining about how grimey it was, Army kept trying to write everything down in a book, and I'm pretty sure I got lost a few times."

Omega tilted her head in confusion. "How do you get- nevermind." Omega shook the question from her head and walked towards the door. Skull grabbed his E-Liter case from the ground and followed his former teammate out of the shop and into the streets.

The morning was cold, not freezing but it still left Omega wishing for a jacket. Skull seemed unbothered by the breeze; his violet eyes searched the street. Omega got into the driver's seat of her car, Skull quickly placing his charger in the backseat and joining Omega in the front.

They drove down the dark street in silence, both of the high-ranking individuals wrapped up in their own thoughts.

Ten minutes later, Omega parked the car in the parking lot near the Square and exited the vehicle. Skull went to grab his weapon from the backseat, but Omega shook her head. "Don't," She muttered. "Mr. Grizz is supplying his weapons tonight. He finds it offensive if you bring your own."

Skull hummed, a small sign telling Omega that he understood and joined her in walking to the shady company. The familiar jingle wafted into the streets, Omega tapping her fingers on her leg to the beat of the song. They were about to enter the building when an all-too-familiar voice stopped them.

"Omega? Skull?"

The duo turned around. "Vintage?"

"Zip?"

Omega put a hand on her hip and stared down her brother. "Vin, what are you doing out here?"

"You were out late. I wanted to make sure you're fine."

Omega sighed and looked to the Inkling standing behind her brother. "And what are you doing with Zip?"

"He was gonna get himself squidnapped or killed if he went alone," Zip added, shooting a side-glare to the Ballpoint main. "And what are you doing out so late? And with Skull? Last time I checked, Team Purple and the X-Blood had serious beef with each other."

"We're looking for someone," Skull informed.

"By going into GrizzCo?" Vintage asked.

"It's a lead, and we have to follow it," Omega supplied.

"A lead for what?!" Zip rubbed her temple and sighed.

"The missing co-captains," Skull answered.

"Vintage told me about it, but I don’t know anything about what’s going on. Who’s missing?” Zip raised a mauve eyebrow above her Tinted Shades.

"The S4, Yellow-Green, and Gloves co-captains," Omega and Vintage spoke at the same time.

"How long have they been gone?"

"Half a day," Skull muttered. "And GrizzCo's a slight lead. We need to check it out. Ask Mr. Grizz if he'll take us out to Marooner's Bay. There's a factory over there where we might find something."

Zip sighed and looked between the three other Inklings. "Then what are we waiting for?"

Chapter Text

Ichi had the two Inklings strapped to tables with little resistance from them. It might've been due to the fact that Ichi always had some strange contraption pressed to their head, threatening to pull the trigger if they even tried to move without permission. Forge tested the tight leather straps holding her arm down, sighing in defeat when it wouldn't even budge. She looked over at Avi at the table next to her. His signature glasses had been removed along with Forge's beret. His eyes, one a milky lilac and the other a deep violet, stared up at the ceiling. Forge could practically see the gears turning in his head.

Ichi returned from wherever he went, now bearing a pair of goggles almost painstakingly familiar to the headgear Goggles wore. He smiled a pointed grin at the two Inklings. Avi didn't react and Forge clenched her jaw. The questions had all left her head, the only thing remaining was the urge to escape and save the others...

"Now, I bet you're wondering why you're here," Ichi said in a smooth and proper voice, much different than the gurgley sounds the other creatures like him made. He walked over to the purple co-captain and tugged on his restraints. "I can't tell you much, but I can tell you that we've run low on Inkling DNA and samples. I'm afraid Inklings weren't nearly as easy to collect as Octavio's soldiers and those rabid beasts you have named Salmonids."

Forge gasped softly when the last piece clicked. "You're a hybrid."

"Only the best, my dear," Ichi smiled and bowed. "Unagi is a brilliant woman. After her... erm- upbringing, she discovered how to fuse DNA of four species, collecting the best traits from each kind and creating an army of unstoppable creatures. The strength of an Inkling-" Ichi slipped the goggles over his spiked tentacles and fitted them over his eyes. "The agility of an Octoling-" The hybrid turned his back and walked to a table covered in miscellaneous scientific and surgical devices. "The pure power, numbers, and rabidness of a Salmonid-" Ichi laughed and reached for a small, glowing green canister. "And the speed and appearance of an eel." Ichi turned back to the Inklings, a wide shark-like smile spread on his pale complexion.

Avi's gaze never wavered from the dull and dark ceiling above them as Ichi approached him. "Hmm, you might not be as perfect as Go told me you would be," Ichi observed, leaning over the Nozzlenose main and waving his hand over Avi's face. "Only one of the eyes are responsive... Tell me - Aviators was it? - were you born half-blind or was it an injury?"

Avi stayed silent.

"Well, if you won't answer, I'll just take a DNA sample myself." Ichi turned back to the table, grabbing a small syringe with a rusted needle fitted into it. That got Avi's attention.

"It was an injury," Avi quickly answered, shifting as far as he could away from the creature. "It was a weapon malfunction a few years back."

Ichi hummed and placed the syringe back on the table. "I see." The hybrid walked around Avi's table, now heading to Forge's. "Now, Forge. No visible physical handicaps or injuries..." He placed two fingers to Forge's neck, making the girl flinch. "Pulse is higher than average but that's fine..." The creature stared into Forge's orange eyes with his own glowing golds. "Yes. Fine specimens indeed."

Ichi turned his back and absently tossed the canister in his hand back and forth. "I'll have to test how the serum will work on you two, which will be relatively painful, but after that your death will be quick and painless. Queen Unagi is rather merciful with past test subjects."

Forge glanced over back at Avi. His eyes were sturdily on her. He made a shushing shape with his lips and subtly nodded down to where his hands were. Forge looked down to see Avi's left hand furiously trying to pick the padlock of his restraints with a safety pin. Forge nodded in comprehension; she knew that she would have to keep Ichi distracted lock enough for Avi to successfully pick the lock.

"So why do you need us specifically? Why not some random Inklings you can pick off the side of the street?" Forge asked. Ichi's pointed ears perked up at the question.

He turned to face Forge with a menacing grin. "Well, you see Forge, we need the best of the Inklings out there for their strong and powerful genes and skills. We originally were going to take your... what do they call them on the surface" Ichi snapped his fingers a few times, trying to jog the word from his memory. "... Oh! Yes, your leaders. But then we realized that complete havoc would happen if six of the most powerful Inklings went missing, so we settled for the next best thing, their co-captains. Second-in-command, second best, second strongest, second fastest, second ranked. We figured that number two would have to do for now. Soon enough, however, we'll have your leaders and every other squid and octo in Inkopolis."

Forge's heart skipped a beat as more puzzle pieces found their places. A small 'chink' was heard from Avi's direction, but Forge managed to re-catch Ichi's attention before he could see what Avi was doing. "But how would you harness our skills?"

"You see, it's not just your DNA, it's you. We take you and split you into hundreds of small samples, each of them identical with each of your skills. We add those samples to the new batches of Eelings we make and then those Eelings collect your skills and whatever other skills were thrown into the mixture that created them. It's simple, truly, but it's a long process. Unagi is trying to preserve as many soldiers as she can for the upcoming raid but we keep having to send them up by the hundreds to one of the Salmonid homes to collect those specimens." Ichi shuddered. "The salmonids are truly barbaric, aren't they?"

Another 'chink' coming from Avi. "So, what salmonid base do you go to? There are many across the ocean," Forge asked to keep Ichi's attention.

"I believe what you surface dwellers call it is 'Marooner's Bay', a dreadful name if you ask me. It's also a disgusting place. Grimey and filthy and-" Ichi stopped, glowing golds widening behind the goggles. Forge followed his eye line to Aviators, standing next to his bed.

Ichi's mouth fell open and he took a few steps towards the purple co-captain, cracking his knuckles and neck with every step. "You insufferable little-" Ichi threw a punch, which Avi easily caught and returned with an uppercut straight to the hybrid's jaw. Ichi crumpled to the floor unconscious. Avi sighed, looking down at the Eeling and went to work on Forge's restraints. The locks clicked open and Forge sighed with relief. She rubbed her aching wrists and sat up, giving Avi a hug and whispering a 'thank you' into his ear.

"No, thank you," Avi replied. "For keeping Ichi distracted for me."

Forge swung her legs over the side of the table, massaging her calves. "What do we do now? We can't go back for the others- At least not without any weapons. This place is swimming with soldiers... With... Whatever Ichi called them."

"Eelings." Avi reminded.

Forge nodded and hopped off of the table. She grabbed her beret from the table and handed Avi his glasses. "Yeah, right." Forge sighed and looked around the room. The walls and floor were rusted metal and a flickering bulb hung from the ceiling. Tables lined the walls filled with miscellaneous devices, none of them looking safe nor sanitary. "Let's get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps."

Avi nodded and got to work on picking the lock to the door and Forge busied herself by tying up Ichi.