Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“You are proactive, aren’t you… “

His voice is emotionless, cold, and sterile to the ears. The static tone of his corporate words lay heavy in Neo’s mind, accompanied by the blank, fixed gaze of the bear’s eyes staring down at them, white and soulless.

Threaded through Mr. Grizz’s matted fur was a familiar yellow ink, the smeared aftermath of a battle yet finished; the result of Neo’s progress so far. Most, if not all of the unnatural growths that had then protruded into pulsating lumps of hazardous fuzzballs had been eradicated thanks to the help of the cephalopod’s trusted Smallfry, who had been quick to confide in the safety of the backpack after the last attack, thankfully safe.

Gripping their weapon securely, the Agent winces slightly at the wounds that bit back. They knew they themselves weren’t faring well, having been dealt many blows against the sickly ooze and onslaught of Mr. Grizz’s own strikes. The constant strenuous exposure had already whittled away at their armour multiple times, to the extent where their legs had started to shake slightly, though they did their best to ignore it.

In front of them, the bear heaves slightly, a low hoarse grumble that brings Agent 3 a small bit of satisfaction; the bear was exhausted. They were sure of it. Surely, the battle was nearing its conclusion.

A noise crackles in Neo’s ear and they jump at it before reminding themselves of their communicator. Sure enough, the familiar sound of Agent 2’s voice bleeds through the cracks.
“Keep vigilant,” she begins, caution lacing her tone. “He’s been nothing but trouble so far. Be prepared for anything.” Gone was her casual tone, and for a moment, 3 notes how nerving it was to hear the Inkling speak with such seriousness. A reminder of the weight of their actions against the very thing seeking to destroy the world.

They nod.

Agent 3 could feel the thrum of their hearts beating against their chest wildly, the firm hold on their weapon tightening once more. Agent 2 was right; the fight had been unpredictable to this point. Fuzzy Octarians that had littered the body of the ship, spontaneous outbursts of Inkstrikes, turned to eruptions of ooze by Mr. Grizz’s claws. The startling realization the mammal had an altered version of a Killer Wail had them barely escaping the echoing threat with minimal damage.

No, Neo wouldn’t let their guard down yet.

Mr. Grizz shifts.

Lowering their stance instantly, heeding their friend’s words, the cephalopod watches as the fuzzy ooze begins to latch onto the bear’s limbs, writhing around once more.

Another attack, then.

Agent 3 takes no time to scour their eyes rapidly upon the metal base of the rocket, pinpointing quick escape points. Most of the fuzzy ooze had already been diminished thanks to their Little Buddy, leaving the rocket clear of most obstacles apart from Mr. Grizz himself. Even still, hypervigilant of the bear in front of them, they watch with bated breath for his next move.

They were ready for this.

They had to be.

Mr. Grizz huffs from where he stands, expressionless gaze boring down at the inkling. “But it’s time to clock out.” He starts in familiar monotone. “In a few moments, Earth will be ruled by mammals once again.” He persists, deep tone laced in finality.
Leering forward, he shifts again as a pool of ooze bubbles from below his feet, a low growl emitting from him.

Not. Good.

“What does he mean by that?” Shiver’s voice comes to life from the communicator, tone threaded in urgency; others add to the outcry.
“I thought we got all his weak spots. How is he still up?!”
“What’s that rumbling- “

“No- “ A new voice protests.
Mr. Grizz’s arms raise swiftly, the action startling the Inkling.
“Agent three- move. Now!”

For one moment, Neo takes to the realization that the voice had come from the Captain. Startled by the unfamiliar voice, their words take yet another moment to register, giving only seconds to realise what was happening.

By that time Mr. Grizz’s arms had already begun to descend upon the metal frame of the rocket and the cephalopod’s blood runs cold.
“Get out of there!”
The Captain’s words were deafening, but blind terror had already taken a hold.

Colliding with the structure below their feet, the metal groans underneath the bear’s paws at the intensity of the action. Steel tears, surging like a wave in a storm as Mr. Grizz holds their gaze, unwavering; he knew what was going to happen.

The alarmed voices of their friends become muffled against their ears as Agent 3 could only watch as cracks split forth from the metal plating, sickly ooze jerking against the frame in the aftermath of the strike.

Dread twisted within their gut, fear paralyzing; Neo’s hearts leap to their throat.

The effect was instantaneous.

Light scorched the pathway, scattering through rips that broke through the metal surface like a hot knife to butter, effortlessly annihilating anything in its path. A deafening explosion followed, a rising amalgamation of metal, ooze and searing hot inferno expanding, detonating towards the Inkling in rapid progression.

Panic seized Agent 3’s entire being, fear choking them. They’re mind screamed to run- to do anything. Barely, Neo could hear the panicked cries of familiar muffled voices from their communicator, but their echoes were drowned out as the growth of destruction advanced towards them.

Petrified, a million scenarios flickered in their mind, a ghastly understanding of the unimaginable crashing against their very existence as realization hits them.

They weren’t going to make it out of this, were they?

Agent 3 wanted to cry at the thought- just wanted to go back.

Yet time was not kind; an instant later, the explosion struck.

Reaping the whirlwind of inaction, an anguished cry of pain released from the cephalopod as the impact shattered the very ground they stood upon, unbearable heat rising, the blaze twisting even higher from the ruptured vessel, sparking like firecrackers. The force is enough to thrust the Inkling upward, momentum ricocheting the Agent against the sharp, jagged steel fragments that littered the atmosphere, tearing at their being.

Neo can’t stop it- can’t think, can’t breathe.

The cries in their ear don’t deafen down, only seeming to intensify in panic alongside the splitting cacophony of ringing, yet Agent 3 can’t do anything as the extreme pain writhes across their body, their hearts stammering as their conscious slips away, energy knocked out of them.

Their eyes, hazy and unfocused, start to close. Yet, there, right in front of them, is grey. Spots of red. Wide, curious eyes. The word ‘buddy’ flashes in the Inkling’s mind, and their hearts ache at the thought, an attempt to raise an arm towards the floating shape, but it hurts- it hurts so much.

Their eyes shut.

And everything goes still.

Chapter Text

The silence mocks them.

It’s the beginning of an unforgiving dread that twists within the stomach of those laying witness to the horror set in front of them, gripping their throats tight like a vice. Suspended in time like a guillotine ready to descend in its finality, no one could speak, lost to the chaos that had unfolded mere moments ago.

Helplessness clings in the air.

Tauntingly, the only noise was that of a muffled static hiss resonating from the monitor in front of them like that of a flatline, their only access to Neo gone in the blink of an eye.

The reality of it was suffocating.

An ugly mix of terror and dread, further driven by the fear of the unknown.

Captain 3 can’t find a second to breathe.

Fear grasped eagerly at their throat, tightening with each passing second, their thoughts a minefield. A sea of ‘what if’s crashed feverishly like reckless waves within their mind, screaming at them to do something. They could barely register the tremble in their hands, their hearts shot with overwhelming adrenaline that surged through their veins.

It wasn’t meant to be like this.

They had witnessed what had happened- had tried to get Neo to move, to do anything. The last thing they had seen of the inkling before the communication was severed had been the searing inferno ablaze with a devastating power surging towards the kid.

And then their heart-shattering scream.

…

For all they knew, they had just sent a kid off to their death.

Captain 3 felt like throwing up at the thought, the cap on their head as heavy as lead.

What could they do now from all the way down here? What could they even attempt to do as the endless void of stars above them swallow up one of their own in a ravenous hunger of consuming flames?

They had just sent a kid to their coddamn death-

The erratic tapping of skin to screen hit their ears, breaking the smothering silence. Heads turn, eyes barely able to tear away from the static display. Callie’s form hunches over a familiar hand-held device -the transmission tablet connecting to Neo’s suit- expression twisted in distress. Her fingers dart across the screen in a desperate scramble.

“I can't- I can't find them.” Callie’s voice wavers, tone hoarse. The guttural sound is jarring and unfamiliar from the inkling, her words pouring over the group like a bucket of ice.

“I don't see the- the thing- I-" she pauses, eyes rapidly blinking for a tick, “The GPS signal must of- must have disconnected or, cod,” her voice strains, breaths rapidly increasing, “must have been fried by the explosion, oh my cod-" her breath hastens, grip tightening.

Marie is by her side in an instant.

“Callie- Callie, take a deep breath.”

“I can’t find them, Mar!”

“Focus on your breathing for a moment.”

“They’re gone-“

“They are not gone, Callie, but you need to calm down.”

“How-“

“Callie.”

Insistent, Marie placed a gentle hand to rest upon the other’s shoulder, leaving the inkling to jump at the contact.

Callie’s gaze flicker to meet her cousin’s.

“Breathe with me.” Leaving no room for negotiations, Marie leads with a controlled breath inward, eyes expectant towards Callie.

The inkling complies. A shaky breath escapes her. And then another. Slowly, Callie’s breath begins to match her cousin’s, steadily regaining a soft tempo. Still, her expression betrays the controlled movements, the swelling moisture in her eyes prominent.

“We’ll get them back.” Marie rationalizes. Callie sniffles.  

“How? How can we even do that?”

“… I’m not sure yet, but we’ll find a way.”

Callie’s voice falls into a whisper. “What if…” the grimace on her face tightens, “What if they’re dea-“ Captain 3 recoils at the thought of the question daring to leave the agent's lips, swivelling their head away from the scene. Their stomach pulls at the idea, a dreaded sensation that latches onto them like a parasite.

They don't want to believe it- they can’t.

It was never meant to be like this.

Still, the two continue in hushed whispers. Captain 3 ignores their voices, a hand numbly reaching to claw at the end of one of their tentacles. A force of habit too deep to control, and even harder to care about when guilts eats away at them.

They didn’t know this was how it was going to go. Didn’t recognize the danger in front of them- in front of Neo.

They shouldn’t have let them go alone, cod, shouldn’t have let them go at all.

Their head drowns in their thoughts as time passes by, minute after minute. 

A kid.

They had sent a kid into space, against an enemy that no one had even known had existed. One who had been hiding in the shadows for years, preparing for the perfect moment to strike with power so immense-

The Captain clenches their teeth, shaking away the memory that threatens to replay in their head, trying their best to ignore the way the pit of their stomach twists, hearts pounding.  

A hand falls onto their shoulder.

The Captain freezes at the touch, stomach dropping further, a feat that leaves them dazed. They can barely find it in them to turn to the culprit, who had by then retracted their hand.

“Sorry!” Recognition hits them as Frye’s face comes into view. “I should’ve- cod, I shouldn’t have just touched you out of nowhere, sorry.” She takes a step back, extending the distance between the two. It’s enough for the Captain to exhale, yet even then their nerves writhe just under their skin, head numb as if full of cotton.

There’s a pause between the two, yet Frye acknowledges this with a slight smile.

“From what I’ve gathered, I know you’re not much of a talker, it’s ok, I understand.” The inkling begins. “I just- I wanted to make sure you’re ok? I know that like… argh.” She looks down, muttering something incomprehensible for a moment before connecting their gaze once more. “The situation- everything. It’s not good. I know your gang and mine didn’t have the best of beginnings, but… we’ll help the best we can, ok? We’ll get the kid back, they’re fine, I just know it.”

The Captain wants to believe her. Wants to take her words to hearts and believe that Neo was ok, that it was just a sick joke ready to end at any moment. Yet as anger wraps around their throat, they find themselves wanting to yell at Frye, too. An ugly mess of how would she know what was happening?- How dare she plant false hope into them-

They clench their fists, eyes falling away from the other’s figure.

Frye’s voice picks up once more.

“I know it’s not what you want to hear.” Subconsciously, Captain 3 spots the way Frye’s fingers tap away at the fabric of her pants, a trait too familiar to their own when they’re nervous. “I’m sorry if it was insensitive for me to say. I just… I hope. I hope… for the best because it’s what we need right now.”

They need more than hope right now, they need Neo back safe-

An abrupt yelp echoes through the camp. Twisting at the sound, the Captain’s gaze locked onto Callie’s figure once more. Eyes hone in, yet they find themselves pausing at the surprised expression etched onto the inkling.

“That’s… !” Callie lifts the transmission tablet up, the screen softly illuminating her face. Captain 3 frowns, looking between the cousins, watching as Marie’s own gaze finds the Captain’s, a skeptical look that falls back over Callie’s shoulder as time seems to slow down.

A beat passes.

Beep…     

Beep…

Callie breaks into a bewildered laugh.

“It's- it’s them!” her gaze is on Marie's in an instant, expression exploding in a watery grin. She looks ahead, finding the Captain’s eyes as she lifts the hand-held device up a big further. “They're back! The connection! It's back, oh cod, I can see it.” Her words bubble out, a sniffle following.

The response is instantaneous.

Shocked gasps and bewildered looks quickly follow as the group huddles in, hope reignited.

Captain 3’s hearts skip, the fear seizing at their throat slipping as they cast a glance over to Frye who shoots them a grin. The feeling of dread doesn’t leave, it refuses until they know the kid is safe, but it's something to hold on to. 

It takes only a moment for the group to cluster into one, questions darting towards the idol.

“Are they ok?”

“Where did they go?”

“How?”

Callie blinks, looking at Captain 3 long enough for the inkling to realise it was them that had asked the last question. Voice strained, hoarse from barely any use; the Captain couldn’t care any less. They just wanted the kid back. Expression expectant towards the idol, Callie takes to answering their captain, gaze plunging back onto the screen.

“An emergency power supply, I think?” her eyes refuse to leave the tablet. “I’m,” she sniffles, “I’m not too sure, exactly. Sheldon’s influence probably, I just…” she taps at the screen, mouth frowning.

“Are they ok?”

Callie pauses.

“I don’t know exactly. It’s on some kind of energy saving mode, so the most I can get is location.”

Marie tuts from beside her cousin. “Location? No heart stats? I thought…”

“I did too.” Callie grimaces.

A sense of unease engulfs them, yet Frye is quick to cut through it, tone laced in hope. “We can’t stop here- the location is something, right? Maybe- maybe Neo had to turn the emergency supply on themselves? There must be a reason for it to have started working again.” The tablet crackles under Callie’s hands. “Is that another ping? We can get someone else up there, my eels can-“

“Stop!” a pause. “Stop- that. That wasn’t another ping.” Callie calls, frowning at the tablet.

“Huh?”

“….ear…. mon.”

Alongside a static crackle, the faint sound of a voice calls out.

“Who…”

“is that Neo?”

“No.” Marie shakes her head, eyes flickering around the camp. “But I think I know who. Get the radio up, Callie.”

Wordlessly, Callie complies. Splitting the screen, it takes only a moment to open up the application, the inkling wordlessly altering the frequency to find the right channel.

“… et your… off of me.”

“… ry about…”

Callie blinks, mouth opening slightly in shock. “… What?”

Silence.

“Oh… eyre you…are! Wonder…” Marie sighs as she shifts her finger to finish the rest of the calibration as Callie’s head frantically whips around the camp. “… hope you can hear me! You know me, not the most techno of squids.”

“GRAMPS?”

“That’s me!”
“what the fuck.”

Captain 3 almost wants to laugh. Wants to cry too. Wants to take back the coddamn tear they had shed for that damn old man because what the fuck is he doing?

Still, their head turns to observe the camp, quick to confirm the missing squid. Their hearts stammer at the realisation, an uncomfortable feeling that gnaws at them. What if something had happened to the old man? no one would have known- He had disappeared without a word.

“… couldn’t just sit and watch, you know?”

“But-“ Callie starts, voice exasperated. “When did you even leave? Why didn’t you tell anyone?”

“Moments after Agent 3 ascended in space! I did a little bit of thinking at the time and was like ‘how are they going to get back?’ So, I decided to answer my own question!”

“How-“ Sighing, Marie rubs at her face. “how are you doing that? What… no, wait, where even are you?”

A chuckle escapes the old man. “With an old friend!”

Before anyone could even begin to ask what he meant by that, their unspoken question was answered.
“We are NOT friends, you old coot!”

…

“DJ OCTAVIO?”

“Keep your voices down! I already have this annoyance to deal with.”

Craig huffs. “He says that with love.”

“I say that with malice and hate and I WILL drop you out of this ship if you say that word again.” Octavio growls out.

“Love?”
“That’s it.”

“STOP! Stop, cod, I-“ Marie huffs, “Ok. Ok- this is fine, you’re only with our biggest enemy.”
“He’s good now!”
“I’m not anything, Craig.”

“You’re my friend.”
“Shut the fu- Oh, you make me so mad.”

“It’s my specialty!”

“LISTEN!” heads flick to meet the Captain’s gaze, expression tight with clenched teeth. They could feel their hands shake; mouth twisted in a frown. Their stomach twists at attention. “Neo.”

The name is quick to reignite the flame of urgency in the group.

“Neo… !”

“Oh cod, right.”
“Gramps.”

“What- what happened? Did I miss something? Is the kid already done with it?”

Callie grimaces, looking away from the screen.

“Not quite.” Marie starts. “It’s bad.”

Craig hums. “Did their weapon malfunction? I swear I just had Sheldon look at it back before this whole shindig started. Either way, I think there’s something back here we can use.”
“Oi! Don’t go snooping! Keep your dehydrated jerky hands off my stuff.”  

“Oh, lighten up, Tavi!”

“Keep that name out of your mouth!”

“You guys!” Marie cried out. “We think they might be dead!”

….

The silence was deafening.

A reminder of what was at stake. Of what may be lost forever. Those words had been the first time the idea of Neo being gone was ever said out loud, where reality was looking at them right in the face, taunting them.

By now, both Craig and Octavio had gone silent, time slipping by ever so slightly.

“… What happened.” Gone was the cheeky tone Craig’s voice held, replaced by something hushed. Muted. Captain 3 could recognize an undertone of fear deep within those two words, the sound unfamiliar from the inkling.  

Marie answers. “An explosion on the rocket. Neo made significant damage to Mr. Grizz, but… He’s too much. Too strong for one agent.”

“For one kid, don’t you mean.” DJ Octavio huffs. The words sting, but Captain 3 couldn’t deny them.

No one could.

“How long ago did this happen?” Craig questions.

“About ten- maybe fifteen minutes ago.”

“Right. Do you know where they are?”

“That’s-“ Marie exhales sharply. “That’s all we know. The connection to their suit got destroyed, and so did the camera. We only managed to salvage a location because of an emergency power source from the suit.”

“Better than nothing.” Octavio grumbles out. “send me the co-ordinates, I can be up there in three minutes.”

“We get there in two.” Craig demands.

A grumble is heard from the Octoling as Callie sends off the location last pinged from Neo’s suit. “Fine. Let’s go.”