Chapter Text
Inkopolis Plaza! A bustling hub where all the freshest squids come to hangout and have fun! This place is the most popular location in Greater Inkopolis, also known as Inkadia, and is well known for its tourist destinations from Arowana Mall and Blackbelly Skatepark, to Museum d’Alfonsino and beautiful Mahi-Mahi Resort.
Inklings spend most of their time here relaxing while enjoying some food from Crusty Shawn, listening to the newest music from the idol duo Squid Sisters, or more commonly, playing the ever popular Turf War.
It was a simple bright sunny day, all until the usual news came on.
—
“Hold onto your tentacles..”
“It’s Inkopolis News time!”
In a nearby recording studio, the famous Squid Sisters were reporting the daily news. Callie and Marie, two cousins who rose quickly in popularity. Callie was a loud energetic girl with long black tentacles that faded into hot pink. Marie however was a calm serious girl with short gray tentacles with lime green highlights.
“Ooh!” Shouted Callie, her eyes going wide as she read the teleprompter. “Newsflash, newsflash!”
Marie’s eyes widened, her attention originally focused on the panicked looks of the news crew, “What is it? What is it?!”
“Inkopolis’s Great Zapfish has… vanished!” Callie’s golden eyes went wide as saucers.
“Wait, seriously?” Marie said while trying to keep her cool.
“If it doesn’t get found, are we gonna run out of power?”
“O-Oh, I’m sure it’ll be fine… Hopefully!”
“I wonder if it has anything to do with that UFO crash!”
“Sounds likely to me!”
Callie noticed their manager was motioning for them to wrap it up, “Well, that’s all for now! Until next time, folks…”
The duo then did their iconic pose before shouting in unison, “Staaaay Fresh!”
…
“Aaaaand cut! That’s a wrap, people!” Shouted the director. All of the stage lights dimmed as panic resumed in all of the employees.
A younger inkling intern ran up to the director, “S-Sir! There’s still n-no word on the Great Zapfish, the higher ups are sending out orders to have all stations on watch for a-any sign of it!”
The director rubbed his face while sighing, “Why did this have to happen today of all days… I was supposed to get that promotion soon… now with all this going on I doubt my promotion is on anyone’s mind…”
The Squid Sisters manager, an inkling woman with one long deep blue tentacle wearing a black suit walked over to the director, “Isn’t it meant to be your job to follow stories like this? Why are you complaining?”
The director grumbled, “Shut it Kimchi, at least I get the freedom to do other work besides take care of two teenagers.”
Kimchi scowled, “Those ‘teenagers’ are the girls I have been in charge of since they started. I’m only where I am thanks to those two, and I will do whatever I can to repay those girls' kindness.”
The director laughed, “Well if you haven’t noticed, your charges have vanished… again.” He pointed to the stage where the Squid Sisters were nowhere to be found.
Kimchi sighed, “... God dammit those two…”
—
Two figures made their way across the plaza. One with long black tentacles wore a pink jacket with a matching beanie, she also had a set of sunglasses on. The other had short gray tentacles and wore a lime green jacket and matching baseball cap, she also had a simple white cloth face mask on.
The two wandered over to a grate hidden in a small corner of the plaza. Once there, they both changed into their squid forms and traveled through the grate. They followed several twists and turns of pipes, a normal squid would get lost in this maze, but these two knew exactly where they were going.
Eventually, they found another grate that led into the infamous Octo Valley. Once they popped out of the grate, they changed back to their Inkling forms. The pink one carried a large Roller weapon, while the green one carried a charger.
“Good, you’re both here.” Spoke a shaky voice. The two turned to find an old inkling male, with small gray tentacles making up his beard. He had a patched up poncho, a blue military cap, and used a modified Bambooshooter as a cane. The man was known as Cap’n Cuttlefish. “Agent 1, Agent 2, took you long enough.”
The pink one, identified as Agent 1, spoke up, “Sorry gramps- I mean, Captain. We got held up at the news station.”
Cuttlefish grumbled, “Well you're both here now. Anyway, the Octarians have been on the move. Right before the Great Zapfish vanished, they started moving their forces around, and even repaired many of their old Octoweapons. It is almost guaranteed that they are the ones who stole it.”
Agent 2 hummed, “But why would they act now? It’s been 100 years since the war, yet they chose now to act?”
“I wish I knew why Agent 2. All we can do now is to investigate, find out what's going on, and get the Great Zapfish back.”
“But,” Agent 1 began to say, “Can we do this with just the three of us? I mean, Marie- I mean, Agent 2 and I are the only ones who can go out in the field and explore the kettles, and we know there are more than a dozen domes where they could be keeping it.”
Cuttlefish grumbled again, “Agents Alpha and Beta could easily have done this. They both stopped the theft of an ancient weapon when they were your age.”
The two agents had a saddened expression.
“Yeah… but dad’s gone…” Said Agent 1.
“And mom is in the Splatlands still on recon…” Said Agent 2.
Cuttlefish sighed, “I know… I know… I’m sorry you two. Just this whole business has made me worked up like a smallfry who smells a lone piece of food… But… you’re right…”
The agents looked up in surprise.
“We’re gonna need help…”