Chapter Text
...
Loud whirring. That's all Agent 3's mind can process right now.
It's unbearably loud.
Slowly, she regains more of her senses. The ground under her is hard and solid, probably some sort of metal. It's cold, and really windy. Agent 3 can hear faint voices, but she's not sure whose voices these are or what they're saying, which puts her a little on edge.
Cod, her head hurts.
Agent 3 tries to recollect herself. What's the last thing she remembers?
____________
Carefully, Agent 3 makes her way through this facility. She's not sure anymore how long she's been down here, how long it's been since she's last seen the sun shine, felt it's warm beams on her skin...
Every second down here in this dark, hauting facility is a living nightmare. A nightmare she can manage, but a nightmare nonetheless.
So far, Agent 3 has gained so much intel about Kamabo Co., which was great since she was doing the task she was given before she...fell down here, but also more horrifying than anything she's had to do research on before.
Octarians being sedated and operated on in the open, injected with this weird, blue-green-ish fluid that turns them green..
Apparantly, they blend Octarians alive to get this gooey substance...
And the green ones all look so lifeless, like literal zombies. It's so removed from everything she was doing before, which mostly consisted of breaking into octarian domes and stealing all sorts of documents.
It's not like breaking into the domes isn't scary (at least, not anymore), but this place is with no doubt worse.
Apparantly, they blend Octarians alive to get this gooey substance...
Cod, this place gives her the creeps.
Luckily, Agent 3 was able to snatch a 'CQ-80', which seems to be this facility's version of a cellphone.
Currently, she's going back to the center of this entire facility that was built around an abandoned metro station, the central station.
It's the calmest place here. Three just wants to catch her breath, find something to eat and move on. That's been her entire daily routine the past whatever how long...
Three removes her CQ-80 from her pocket to check her location, but is met with the thing blinking red and beeping ear-piercingly loud.
"What the-"
Agent 3 winces. Stupid piece of junk...
Then, she comes across a glass-paneled section of the roof. This has to be the central station!
Though, looking through the glass she can see a big fat blender. This isn't good.
She has to get whoever is being blended out of there.
Three quickly backs up, climbing the conveniently ramp-shaped structure in front of the glass.
As she's moving backwards, she can see two familiar figures.
Oh shit.
Now with even more fuel to break that thing into pieces, Three sprints towards the ramp, then slides down it.
Breaking through the glass, she punches the thing on top of the blender as hard as she can, which to her luck, seems to have done the trick in breaking the whole thing!
Oh, shit.
Landing head-first on the concrete floor, everything goes black for Agent 3.
___________
Three groans at herself internally. She should've thought of a better plan to break that thing...How embarrassing.
And now she'll probably have to deal with a concussion too.
Carefully, she sits up, using one of her arms as a crutch while the other was holding her aching head. Her body feels stiff but also as if it's melting.
As she attempts to sit up, she hears a familiar voice call out,
"Ah, Agent 3! Are ya alright, lassie?"
Agent 3 opens her eyes, wincing as the sun shines right into them. She moves her hand away from her head to block the sun. Thank cod the captain was okay, she would never forgive herself if something happened to him.
"Captain...? I'm.."
Despite being in a lot of pain right now, Agent 3 decides she shouldn't worry the old man right now. She fully sits up, still using her arm as a crutch.
"...I'll be alright. All good."
She forces out of herself. Cuttlefish pats her on her shoulder.
"I'm glad. The bandages not botherin' you?"
"Uh...no."
Touching her head carefully, Agent 3 can definitely feel some cloth-like material covering it.
"Good, good."
As the captain asked her further questions about how she's feeling, Three glances around at her surroundings
She seemed to be on some sort of platform connected to a helicopter. Odd for her, but considering the type of connections the NSS has, it was probably nothing out of the ordinary.
Is that...Off the Hook? Are they also part of the NSS?
Three doesn't look at them much though. Apparently they are just unnecessarily lovey-dovey and it was not just some publicity stunt.
Take that, Toby.
Then her eyes land on the elephant in the room. The octoling she fought that got her into Kamabo's facility in the first place. The one that was stuck in the blender along with her captain.
Three is glad to know she survived as well, even though she doesn't really know her at all.
But another octoling out of Octavio's grip is another life saved from being treated like a small cog in the machine their entire life.
"Agent 3? Are ya there?"
"Huh-? Oh, yeah, sorry."
"Them bandages sitting alright?"
"Yep."
"You can thank Agent 8 for that! She's one of the good ones, ha!"
Agent 3 forces a smile, awkwardly looking towards the octoling. Old people, or something.
Having heard her name, the octoling looked towards the two inklings.
Her curious and confused pout morphed into a seemingly nervous smile once she saw that Agent 3 had woken up.
Without any intention to do so, Agent 3 smiled back. Although, as soon as she realised this, she focused back on the captain.
"Ah, right I don't think you've met Pearl and Marina yet, eh?"
"Um."
Agent 3 looks over at the pair, who were now standing beside her. Oh. my. god. She actually gets to talk to them!!!
"Agent 3, right? I'm Marina, it's nice to meet you."
The octoling leans down and extends her hand for a handshake. She has this warm, gentle smile on her face that made her feel like a baby seeing its mom for the first time, as odd as that feeling is. Trying to keep her cool, Agent 3 shakes her hand. She'll never get used to meeting celebrities.
"Uh huh."
The inkling points finger guns at her and winks
"Pearl."
She says bluntly. To be honest, Agent 3 preferred it that way. Or maybe she was just trying to get this over with. She doesn't want to seem like some fangirl, even though she is.
Marina pipes up again, her hands now clasped together.
"I'm sure you arleady know Agent 8, hm?"
"Uh, yeah. I.. guess I do."
Three thinks about their first meeting.
___________
Agent 3 barely dodges the bomb that was thrown at her. Quickly, she submerges herself into her own ink to fill up her tank. Why was this one so difficult compared to the other octolings?!
Was she even one of Octavio's soldiers? She's not wearing their usual armor, not even the shades. Just the shorts and undergarments of the chest armor. This is so...odd.
Just as quickly as she disappeared into it, Agent 3 pops back out of her ink to finish this.
Just as she raises her heroshot to attack, the ground under them shakes.
Both Agent 3 and the octoling stop fighting due to the sudden earthquake. Confused and alarmed, they both stare at the ground for a split second. Agent 3, seeing the cracks forming in the ground, realises the both of them will likely fall down a big cave in less than a few seconds.
Setting the fact that they are enemies aside, Agent 3 grabs the octolings hand and sprints towards the captain, assuming it to be a safe spot.
The attempt to save the both of them fails. The ground beneath the three of them collapses.
___________
"Agent 3? Ya there, kid?"
She's snapped back to reality, literally. The old man has been snapping his fingers in front of her face for probably a whole minute now.
"Yep. I'm there.."
"Classic Agent 3, zoning out whenever it's most convinient, eh?"
Three just laughs dryly. How come this dude's spent every day with her for two years and still barely knows her?
"Anyway. We're all watchin' the sunset. Y'wanna join?"
Agent 3 looks over to the edge of the platform. Pearl and Marina were there together with the octo-....Agent 8, who she fought not long ago.
At least... she thinks it wasn't that long ago? Fuck, why is her memory so hazy..?
"...sure. Yeah."
After a very short, but also very strenuous, trip to the edge of the platform, she sits down next to captain Cuttlefish, letting her feet dangle off of the platform.
She doesn't bother actually watching the sunset or joining in on the conversation the people next to her were having.
Out of nowhere, the right side of Agent 3's head started to burn. Badly.
She hisses through her teeth and clutches her bandaged head.
Fuck, her heads hurts. Again.
She bites her tongue. Get it together, Three.
Luckily for Agent 3, no one noticed her reaction to the pain.
Except Agent 8.
___________
Finally, they land near Cuttlefish's cabin.
Marie drops her umbrella to go hug her grandfather as he steps off of the platform
"Im so glad you guys are back. I was so worried, there's so much going on and I was the only one here-"
Tears forming in her eyes, Marie vents about her situation.
Come to think about it, Agent 3 doesn't think she's ever seen Marie cry.
Was it that bad, being alone for a little while? What could have possibly happened?
Together, the whole group comes together and listens to Marie spill everything that happened the past...year.
Her and the captain were gone for....a year. That doesn't sound right. Doesn't feel right.
Callie is also missing. She has been since a little after the last splatfest her and Marie hosted ended.
Agent 3 stares blankly at the ground, swinging her legs around.
Her and the captain never should've left. Callie would be back by now if they hadn't.
Anxiously, she bites at her fingers. Both her and Callie were missing. Well, Callie is still missing.
And Agent 3 has been missing for a year. The amount of things she missed out on! Fuck, she probably got evicted out of her apartment. And her friends...they probably think she's dead.
"Are you okay?"
A very soft voice with a bit of an accent spoke into her ear. It was Agent 8, who has apparently been standing next to her this entire time.
"... I'm alright."
Agent 3 mutters as she crosses her arms. An obvious lie, but this all can be dealt with sometime later when her head is clearer.
The conversation among the rather large group doesn’t last long, due to it being 10 pm and most of them getting tired.
However, Agent 3 found out that Marie had paid her rent the past year where she couldn’t do it herself.
What would she do without her?
Probably get evicted.
Before Agent 3 gets the chance to leave Tentakeel Outpost and finally go home, some one taps her on the shoulder.
It’s Marina. She tries her best to keep her cool.
„I’m so sorry to put this onto you, but…Could you take in Agent 8 just for the night? We just have to clear out a storage room of ours and we’ll take her off your back tomorrow as soon as possible.“
Agent 3 can’t help but look a little dumbfounded. Do these people.. not have a guest room? Aren’t they millionaires?
She looks over at the octoling, who looks twice as exhausted as she does. Agent 3 kind of dreads seeing the state of her apartment, but given that she gave her keys to Callie and Marie, it’s probably not too bad. She’s sure Marie didn’t let it completely rot.
The agent sighs.
„Sure. If it’s just for the night.“
____________
Luckily, her apartment building wasn't too far away from the manhole in Inkopolis Square. Laboriously, she guides Agent 8 to her apartment building. While her body wasn't as stiff and aching as it was earlier, it still exhausted her to even just walk.
The apartment building was on the older side, so it had no elevator. Meaning the two had to go up the stairs to the 5th floor.
Agent 3 takes a deep breath. Why did she have to pick an apartment that high up?!
About two minutes of climbing the ridiculous amount of steps, they finally arrived at Agent 3’s apartment, 502
Using her keys, which Marie returned to her earlier, she unlocks her the door to her apartment.
It’s just a little less messy than usual, still has some clothes laying around, but it’s fine.
„You should probably take your shoes off. I don’t imagine it to be comfortable to wear heels 24/7..“
The inkling throws her own shoes into a corner in the entrance. Without waiting for Agent 8, she enters her apartment, preparing her couch so Eight has a place to sleep.
„What else..“
The inkling mutters before speed-walking into her room.
When she returns, she spots the octoling laying barefoot, face-down and in what Three assumes to be her underwear on the couch.
’Same, girl.’ she thinks, laying her only clean pyjamas, the squid sisters one, onto the octolings back.
„If you need anything, I’m in the room with the door full of stickers. Kay?
Agent 8 slowly sits up normally, hugging the pyjamas that were given to her close to her chest
„Thank you.“
She says in the same timid voice as she spoke in earlier.
„It’s no problem.“
Agent 3 answers with a lowered voice, then retreats back into her own room.
Throwing her agent clothes to the side, Agent 3 crawls under the blanket, not even bothering putting on some pyjamas, and passes out immediately.