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The Sins of Humanity - A LoH Splatoon Sequel.
Author's Notes: First, I'm well aware that new material contradicts with a number of "head-canon" in my stories. The most prominent, is the Octarian section from the art book. This section alone contradicts at least 3 scrolls in the first game, so I do not believe anything in the art book to be anything more than a beta idea, and as such, will not be used. Nor will anything from stage announcements due to the awful localization. Next, the Pearl in the previous story (user OC), is not the same Pearl in this one (canon char). Also, I will be using canon characters again, but I will try to base them off of their originals for the new ones. I'm usually fine with liberal translations, but tree-house and NOA really dropped the ball with this one. If it isn't in the game or confirmed by the devs, its not canon. And yes, there will be hero mode spoilers. May or may not contain octo expansion spoilers. Lastly, I will not be using reader OCs again, so please do not ask me to add them. Though, you are free to throw ideas for characters or events to me. The few reader OCs that do return will be credited on the chapter they first appear on. Others will just have references to them. Splatoon and all canon characters belong to Nintendo. All OCs besides the few readers ocs that return belong to me.
My update schedule will not be as consistent as the last story, nor will it be as long. I strongly recommend reading The Legacy of Humanity first. The prequel book, Fall of Humanity, will probably not be required. All feedback and suggestions are appreciated.

This really should have been out months ago but being stubborn kinda messed that up.
1.1 - Deceptive TranquilityEarth 2019 O.S.C. Early WinterDeep beneath the new Eden Colonial State settlement, is a facility that once housed the last of a mere 100 members of the once dead elder race. Now that the humans have grown to nearly 500 after a large number of them were rescued from an underwater facility, they were slowly relocating to the surface. The scattered apartment sized dwellings and farms are what most Oceanics see when they curiously approach the race they once believed extinct. But few outside the Octarian imperial family or the agents of squid beak, actually see the inner workings of the E.C.S. Which is why the figure that was crawling through the ventilation system wondered how his infiltration had gone smoothly."Their security has gotten lax." The figure continued to move through the vents. Several defense force members passed by underneath, but one of them stopped. Thinking it had been detected, the figure froze in place. After a few seconds, the guard shrugged, and moved on. "That was close. Why was I the one stuck with this job?" After a few more minutes, the figure found itself above the old cryogenic sleeper bay, which was still being used as Manfred Von Kaufmann's lab."Found it!" The figure changed forms, and slid through the grate. It hit the ground, and reverted back to bipedal. It quickly made its way to the lab computer, and connected its phone with a newly created device that was supplied to it. The words on the computer screen were instantly translated to Oceanic. "Good to see my equipment is working. Now to find the blue prints." After digging through a number of files, the figure managed to pull up several schematics for engineering projects. Namely, a large tunnel. The figure quickly copied the plans to its phone."That's one. Now for the formula." It next pulled up a formula for a chemical agent. The tag next to the formula said 'Mutagen'. It was quickly downloaded to its phone. "That's two for two. Now to get out of here." It quickly disconnected the phone, but before he could shut off the computer, another figure walked into the lab. The first figure quickly sent a signal to his partner via text."What? Why is the computer on?" Manfred, the middle aged head scientist and acting director, walked over to the station. "Wait, I don't remember doing anything with the mutagen." While the figure could not understand the words spoken due to neither of them having an autotran, it could sense that it was on the verge of being exposed. Just as it was about to take measures into its own hands, another human burst into the room with a panicked expression."Professor! We have a fire in the power room! We're sealing it off!""What?! Get the hazard crew down there immediately! And inform Drake that we may have an intruder!" Both men quickly left the lab, and the figure dove into another air vent. As it made its way back to the airlock, it saw a number of emergency response personnel rushing towards the source of its partner's distraction, along with defense force members. Using the confusion to its advantage, the figure quickly made its way back to the airlock that lead to the emergency exit."Took you long enough!" The figure's partner said, as it emerged from the exit hatch."Me? What about you? If you had delayed that distraction any longer, I would have been detected for sure!""I had to give myself an escape window. Something you should have done on your side. Now let's go before we get found out for real!" The two jumped from roof to roof top in an effort to avoid the alerted E.C.S. guards. When they finally made their way out of the settlement's boarder, they wasted no time in fading away into the nearby tree line....Earth 2020 O.S.C. - Late Fall"THIS THING IS NOT GOING TO HOLD!" The 23 year old human, Drake Von Kaufmann, was flying through the air with the grace of a cat. Or at least he would have been, if the inkjet that he was riding would respond to his inputs properly. His blue eyes were wide, and you could see his brown hair being blown everywhere due to the squid Nordic that Marie gave him falling off. It didn't help that said Marie was laughing like the extinct hyena. "I TOLD YOU THIS WASN'T GOING TO SUPPORT MY WEIGHT, SHELDON!""Keep it steady, buddy!" Sheldon yelled back. He turned one of the dials of the remote control pad in an effort to stabilize it. "I boosted the output. Try to get it stable!""ON IT!" Drake responded. He tilted the control stick to get the jet to level out, but Sheldon had raised the sensitivity too high. The inkjet tilted sharply, and sent the human flying towards a large stack of crates on the far side of Sheldon's new target range. "OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTT!""Drake! Look out!" Callie shouted, but her warnings were useless. Drake and the inkjet slammed into the stack of crates, knocking most of them over, and causing the inkjet to shutdown. "Oh crud! Are you okay?" Both squid sisters rushed over to the now collapsed crate stack, and Callie helped him climb out of the debris."You didn't break anything, did you?" Sheldon asked. He retrieved the inkjet, and gave it a glance over. "Nah, nothing broken. I'd say it fared pretty well.""Drake are- shu nevin vem nahi?" Callie's speach broke into her native language."Yeah, I'm fine," Drake said in a sarcastic tone. He then gave the auto translator a quick smack. "Your concern is as overwhelming as ever, Sheldon. And you can stop laughing, Marie.""I- I'm s-sorry. Y-you know th-that I'm relieved t-that you are o-okay. But t-the l-l-look on your f-face-" was all Marie got out before she went into another laughing fit. Drake brushed himself off, and put his hat back on."I'll admit that thing looked kinda fun, but tell me again WHY you needed a human to test that!" Drake spat out. Before the inkjet crash, Sheldon also had the human test out the new bomb launcher, stingray and tentamissile special morph weapons."We're scheduled to replace all the old special morph weapons next year, so a little extra data never hurts.""Never hurts, my ass! But now that you mention it, why are you replacing all the old specials?""According to the 'powers that be', the turf war commission has decided that some of the old special weapons were too powerful for non military use. Same reason we are retiring the ancient rainmakers. Speaking of which, the new rainmaker replicas have arrived!" Sheldon excitedly went over to the crate stack that Drake had slammed into. He pulled out a crowbar, and cracked one of them open. "While these aren't as powerful as the real thing, these new replicas that Tentatek created should shake things up a bit."Oh! OH! ME FIRST! I WANNA TRY!" Callie said while bouncing up and down."Geez, Cal. It's been over a year, and you haven't changed at all." Marie smirked at her, as Sheldon handed Callie one of the replicas."Don't be so sure!" Callie aimed the rainmaker down range, while charging it up. When the charge was finished, Callie released the trigger. Instead of a large ink cyclone like Callie had expected, a large ink missile flew from the rainmaker's barrel. Callie was disappointed for a second, but when the shot hit the target, a large explosion of ink enveloped the targeted area. "WHOA! What the heck was that?""That looked more like a mortar round than a rainmaker shot," Drake added."Exactly! I got the idea from some old weapons your father showed me, and Tentatek was all too eager to capitalize on it!" Sheldon said in an excited tone."I like it," Marie chimed in with a dirty smirk. "Just think of all the chaos I can spread with this new toy. Tell me when these are getting added, because I have first dibs.""About the same time the new specials will be added. When the construction on the square and the tower are finished, I would guess. Won't be much longer, now.""Speaking of time, it's about time we get Callie to the airport," Marie said, after checking her squid phone."Aw, but I wanted to hang out longer!" Callie protested. "I haven't gotten to spend much time with either of you in months!""I know, Callie. I wish we had more time too, but you can't miss that movie shoot. I'll make it up to you when you get back," Marie responded. Callie continued to pout."The price of fame," Sheldon chimed in. Then he turned to Drake. "Though, I haven't seen much of you either, since you and the Octoling broke up." Callie winced, Marie shook her head, and Drake just shrugged. "Oh, sorry. Is that still a sensitive topic?""No. It happened almost a year ago. Besides, I've been busy with providing security at the project site. I haven't even been back to Eden in months.""In that case, why don't you ride with me? I'm heading over there in about 2 hours, and I bet you would find the projects I have been working on with your father, to be interesting.""You know what? I'll take you up on that. I should make sure the rest of the defense force isn't slacking off." Drake and the squid sisters left Sheldon's shop a few minutes later, and headed into Inkopolis square. Despite the fact that there was still construction going on, and that Deca tower that served as the new turf war hub wasn't open, the square was getting rather lively. The three strolled around or a few minutes, talking among themselves until they reached the tram station. Callie's face darkened a little."Callie? What's wrong?" Marie asked."I don't want to go..." Callie responded. "Can't we just go back to being pop singers?""Callie, we've been over this," Marie said, and put her hand on her cousin's shoulder. "The producer wants more than just news casters and splatfest singers. Besides, the people at Jellyfish island are counting on you to finish the movie.""I know..." Callie sighed and forced a smile. "But you two have to promise to go see it with me once it's finished!""Sure thing, Callie," Drake replied. Callie's smile became genuine, and she hugged her cousin. Then she did the same for Drake, before lightly pecking him on the cheek. This naturally caused Marie to smirk even harder."Oh, he gets a hug and kiss, but I only get a hug?""Hush, you!" Callie replied with her tongue stuck out."Anyway, don't forget we also have that Calamari County vacation coming in the summer. Our parents are looking forward to seeing us again.""I hope they will at least stop calling us Aori and Hotaru.""Yeah, we both know that's not happening. Anyway, have a good trip, Cal. Try not to get too scared on that plane.""Yup! I'll update my blog as soon as I get there! Bye-bye! See you when I get- HEY!""Seriously, you need to go. And try not to get mobbed by the Jellyfish when you land!" The two cousins waved at each other one last time. Then Callie disappeared into the tram station. Marie turned her attention towards her human friend, and Drake spoke up."So, where was she going again?""New Sardine. An island the Jellyfish control. That's why she has to fly instead of taking the train. Anyway, I've got to head back to the studio. Want to tag along for a bit?""Sure. I haven't seen the new studio, after all," Drake responded. Marie positioned her arms in a pose that screamed 'link arms with me', and her grin grew even wider."Well you know what the price of admission is," she said. Ignoring the glares he was getting from the other Inklings, Drake did as she wanted, and followed her to the new studio. Contrary to the large and colorful studio in the plaza, the new one felt smaller and more drab. Then again, like the rest of the square, there was still construction going on. Marie lead the way to the main broadcast room."Hey, Marie. You're a little late, and the producer was starting to get worried," a short male Inkling said."Sorry, Fran. I was just seeing my cousin off." Marie noticed that a short girl with white and pink tentacles was standing next to him, and was gazing up at her. "Who is she?""A new recruit from your hometown that the producer wants to turn into an idol. Her name is Pearl, and we're trying to find a partner for her.""N-no way! It's.. it's MARIE!?" The girl said, and her eyes widened with an excited look. "Is Callie here?! PLEASE TELL ME CALLIE IS HERE!" Pearl was very clearly starstruck. Her behavior surprised them, as they expected a new idol to be nervous to say the least."As you can see, she's a big fan of yours.""I- I can't believe I finally get to meet you! Callie was my main inspiration! And you are awesome too!" The girl was practically jumping up and down. Then she noticed Drake, and gave him a suspicious glare. "What's with the fossil? Waaaaiiiitttt...""Pearl, that's the human I told you about. The one that has been helping out the squid sisters." Pearl's expression didn't change. Drake bent down and stuck his hand out."My name's Drake. So you're a new idol? Well, you're certainly-" instead of shaking his hand, she leaned in and bit down hard on it. Due to the shock, he didn't react for a second, but quickly started screaming. "GGGGGGAAAAAAAAAHHHH! WHAT THE HELL!?" He shook and pulled on his hand for several moments, until he was able to pull his hand out of her mouth. Marie was literally on the ground, and dying of laughter. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR? YOU... YOU LITTLE GREMLIN!""NYEEEE!" Pearl stuck her tongue out, then ran behind Fran."Sorry about that," Fran said, and shrugged. "I think she's jealous of you for being close to her idols. And she doesn't seem to like humans much... I should have mentioned that.""Be quiet, you! You're just the camera man!""A-as m-much as I-I would l-like to continue w-watch this." Marie slowly stood up from her laughing fit. "I need to get back to work. Are you heading out, or do you want to help me practice for study hour?" Marie said with another smirk. Pearl's face went into a scowl."No, I've got another stop to make before meeting up with Sheldon," Drake responded. Pearl's face relaxed, and both Marie and Drake noticed this."By the way. Are you still up for joining us at Calamari County?" Marie asked, and Pearl twitched."You know it." Pearl's glare couldn't be any more obvious. "Anyway, I'm heading out. Good luck with your shoot, Marie." Drake turned to leave the studio."I WANT TO HANG OUT WITH THE SQUID SISTERS! WHY DOES THAT FREAKING FOSSIL GET TO BE CLOSE TO THEM!?" He could hear Pearl yell. Drake headed towards to the tram station. On the way, he saw Crusty Sean setting up a food truck. The shrimp man noticed him, and waved as Drake walked over."What up, brudda? What can I getcha?" Sean asked. While the guy did have an annoying speech pattern, he had grown on Drake ever since he left the retail business. Back then, Marie had mistakenly blamed the plaza shop policies on Sean, but it had actually been the building owner that had roped everyone in. After eating lunch at the truck for the last few months, he learned that the shrimp was pretty reasonable."Just heading back. You got any hot dogfish?" Drake responded."Fresh off the grill, boy-o. Shall I whip you one up?""Yeah, but make it two." Sean looked at Drake with surprise."Two? You extra hungry today? You know how big my servings are, man.""One is for a friend," Drake said, and Sean laughed a little."Oh, I get it. You finally found a new girl, after breaking up with the Octobabe. Right?""No, I don't have a new girl." Drake rolled his eyes at the shrimp."Aight, Aight. Two hot dogfish coming up." Sean quickly prepared two orders, and placed them in front of the human. "By the way, yah seen Annie recently?""Not since Cooler Heads closed up.""She's got a new custom order online shop going. You should check it out sometime, bro. You know Annie knows her stuff.""I'll be sure to do that. Tell her I said hi if you see her." Drake payed for the food, and left for the tram station. His destination was the old Plaza. After exiting the tram, he glanced at the near deserted block that once served as the main hub for turf wars and hang outs. He was reminded of the day a certain Octoling had her first turf war, and when Callie and Marie showed them what splatfest was."It's a real shame those two couldn't stay as just singers." Drake moved past the plaza, and into a nearby street that lead into a dead end. Since the Inkling chancellor still insisted on limiting traffic from Octarians and Humans, this area was dedicated to housing both official visitors, and those that were hoping to gain permanent residency.On the left, were several buildings that housed the Octarians, and the right was for the humans. The largest building was for the Octarian imperial family and the E.C.S. officials. At the far end of the street, was the main attraction of this part of Inkopolis. The trading post. The Octarians had several shops in which to sell their food and various goods. The humans had a couple of booths dedicated to handmade crafts. These were popular with the female inklings and Octolings.Drake entered one of the larger apartment buildings that the Octarians were using. When he got to the third floor, he quickly made his way to the far side, and knocked on one of the doors. After a few moments, the door opened, and a feminine voice spoke up."You're late." An Octoling opened the door for him. She wore an Octo-tee and Inkling shorts, instead of the usual uniform."Well, I got us lunch," Drake responded, and held up the food. The Octoling nodded, and motioned him to follow her inside. He set the food down on the table, and sat down on one of the chairs. "The squid sisters were asking about you.""I-I see. I'm sorry I couldn't make it today. I had to pull a double shift in the tunnels, thanks to that accident.""Yeah, that was a real-" Drake was cut off when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind."I- I missed you.""It's only been a couple of days." He turned towards the Octoling. "But I did too, Otome." The two leaned in, and shared a deep kiss. After parting, the red tentacled Octoling sat down next to him. Despite being a lieutenant and an elite, she chose not to dye her tentacles dark brown, or wear the traditional kelp stocks."I really hate having to hide our relationship," Otome said while looking down. "I... wanted to... be more than... a couple that... goes out every once in a while... and kissing when we part..." Otome's face couldn't have been more than red. Drake couldn't have been more pleased at her reservation, as he knew better than anyone how strong Otome normally is."Tell me about it. I don't really care what the E.C.S. or the chancellor thinks, but Octarias isn't making this easy. It really messed with my plans.""W-what plans?" Otome looked up again, and locked eyes with him."Heh, you'll have to wait until Octarias gets off our back before I reveal that one.""Hmpf! Then it had better be something good." Otome pouted a bit, then the two started eating their food."By the way, have you gotten a new team yet?" Drake asked while munching on the hot dogfish. After the battle against The Chaos, two of her teammates had left the squad. One was dismissed from the military, and now lives in the same apartment complex with her sister. The other was transferred back to the Science division."Not yet. It looks like it's going to just be me and Yako for a while longer.""How is your sister doing?""As big a handful as ever." Otome rolled her eyes a bit. "She was complaining all day about not getting to see you and Callie. You know how she likes her head rubbed.""Ha! That sounds like Yako." Drake finished eating, and stood up. "Well, I hate to eat and run, but I got to head out.""What? Already?!" Otome gave him a disappointed look."Sorry, but I'm hitching a ride back to the E.C.S. with Sheldon. I'll come see you first thing when I get back. Promise.""Okay, but I'm holding you to that.""And don't forget that we have the Calamari County trip with the squid sisters in a few months," Drake said. Otome finally smiled again after hearing this."Oh yeah! I'm really looking forward to that. It's been a while since the four of us could be together again." The two stood up, and as Drake started to head out, he turned and pulled Otome into another kiss. "Take care on your way back, Drake. I love you.""Love you too, Otome." They kissed again, and Drake left her apartment, as Otome lightly waved at him. As he went into the main hall, he saw Otome's neighbor exit her apartment at the same time. She was a chocolate skinned girl, with dark brown tentacles that were teal on the tips. He had spoken to her a few times, and they were on fairly friendly terms."O-oh. Hello D-Drake," The shy Octoling said."Marina Ida. Afternoon. How is the job search going?""G-great! I finally got an interview today! It's at the new studio in the square!" For the past several weeks, Marina had been applying to various talent agencies. "Ever since I saw what happened in Octovalley two years ago, I've been wanting to follow the squid sisters footsteps. I-I hope I can make the cut this time.""Huh? I wonder if this has something to do with that new idol they recruited. Fran said that they needed to get her a new partner, but..""B-but what?" Marina gave him a confused look, and Drake smirked a bit."You'll see for yourself. If I'm right, then we are in for a rather interesting match up.""Uwa? W-what does-""Don't worry, you'll be fine. I've got to slip out, but good luck with your interview.""O-oh, right. I need to head out too, but thanks, Drake. I-if we get the job, a-are you and Otome going to come s-s-see me?" The girl's face went bright red."I'll talk to Otome about that. In the mean time, you might want to work on that shyness a bit.""I-I'll try.""Oh, by the way.. do you mind if I ask a dumb question?""U-uh, sure." she looked a little hesitant on what an elder race would call a dumb question."Been meaning to ask this for a while, but I keep forgetting when I'm around Otome. Anyway, I've seen some of the other Octolings at the trading post have smaller and thinner tentacles than what you or her have.""O-oh, that's easy. Younger Octolings don't get larger tentacles until they are sixteen at the earliest. Though some late bloomers don't until they are almost twenty. That's also why most of the Octolings you see in the ar-" she paused and closed her mouth."Marina?""N-nothing. Does that answer your question?""I think so. But does that have to do with why I'm seeing more black eye rings instead of purple?""O-oh, that's because younger Octolings are more susceptible to sun light. If they stay above ground for a certain amount of time, the rings turn black. I-I-I was exposed to it at a younger age that most ar- Octolings my age.. so that's why mine and the new comers have black rings and Otome's will probably always be purple.""Huh.. you're pretty smart, huh? I guess that's how they intent to balance that girl's behavior." Drake smirked a little"W-what?""It's nothing. You'll be fine... probably. But thanks for the info""S-sure. I-I don't mind answering questions, but I really need to go.""Oh, sorry for keeping you. Next time there's a few things about Octarian tech I've been wondering about too that Otome doesn't have an answer for.""O-oh! Sure. That's right up my alley" Drake could see her smile a little."Well don't let me keep you," Drake said. Marina gave a light bow, then headed out. Drake checked the time, and headed out to meet Sheldon....A few hours later..."Well, what do you think?" Sheldon asked. Drake was standing in front of two large bipedal robots. They looked like something out of the old mech simulation games he used to play. The bipedal tanks were gray with a tinted black cockpit, had two arms, were well armored and were at least 12 feet tall and had two arms that looked like jet wings on each side. "One of the many projects your dad and I have been working on.""We call it the Tiger mk3. Each arm is armed with a heavy chain gun, and the shoulder has a heavy rocket launcher and heat seeking SAM pod." Manfred said, and his face went into a grin. "And that's not all! Each arm also has a mounted hydra splatling, and the back has twin ink strike missiles!""Seriously, dad? How did I know you two would get along so well?" Drake looked at the second Tiger mk3, and noticed that its weapon set was a little different. "What's up with the other one?""We stuck a pair of ink canons on the arms, and swapped the rocket launcher with a howitzer canon. As you can guess, one of them is made for dealing with infantry and light targets, while the other is made for armor. These new walkers should easily replace conventional tanks. It will definitely be more effective than the APCs or that scrap panzer we built. Oh, and they can be piloted both in person and remotely."Drake continued to eye the two battle walkers. "How much time and resources did it take to build that? And are you trying to start another war?""A lot. Even with the factory back on line. We could likely only produce a few more. As for your second question," Manfred answered, and his face darkened. "After the day of hell as you like to call it, as well as the security breach last year, we can't take any chances. That's also why we're producing the new M14k marksman rifle and M441 pulse gun.""I'm surprised you would help with this," Drake said to Sheldon."Oh, it's been most fascinating." The horseshoe crab didn't even bother to hide his enjoyment. "But it's not like I don't get anything out of it. We're also working on a new splattershot that's very similar to your own weapons." He pointed to a splattershot that looked like a p90 sub-machine gun. Sheldon then walked over to a large truck that was parked on the other side of the motor pool. "Then, there's this.""Looks like a normal truck to me." Drake then took another look at the vehicle, and noticed that it looked familiar. "Wait a minute. This is one of the trucks that Callie and Marie used for makeshift stages. What's it doing here?""Huhu. I would love to explain it all to you, but I want this one to be a surprise. You aren't going to believe what I've done to this baby!" Drake could swear that Sheldon was drooling."Oh, by the way, Drake. How has the new autotran been working out?" Manfred asked. Another one of his joint efforts with Sheldon, was the mk2 autotran. This version had an extended range, and was capable of working over electronics."It's been working great so far. I'm surprised you figured out how to get it to work over the phone.""Want me to explain it to you? Well, to start, we-" Sheldon started to ramble, but Drake waved his hand."Please don't. I get enough of that from my father."Just then, Sheldon's squid phone vibrated. "Huh? Callie updated her blog. She hasn't done that in a while.""Oh, yeah. She mentioned that earlier.""Yeah, but neither of them use it a lot. Want me to read it for you?" Even with the autotran being vastly improved, it still couldn't translate written dialogue."Sure," Drake answered. Sheldon started reading the content of Callie's post aloud."Hey, squidkids! It's me Callie! It's been so long since I've written a proper blog post! Being on my own like this, I've got time to think, but sometimes I think too much! But I'm really psyched for filming today! Stay Fresh!" Sheldon paused a moment, before speaking again. "I wonder if this has something to do with what happened at the airport.""Wait, what? What happened at the airport?" Drake started probing the crab man for answers."According to a recent report, she was apparently mobbed by her Jellyfish fans. Thankfully, she got through it okay, but I wonder if it shook her up a bit," Sheldon said, and Drake's expression quickly became worried."I knew I should have gone with her."
A\N: Hope you like the start of the next story. Again, any and all feed back would be appreciated. Cover art by Luna96 aka IV Luna.

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Authors note: I apparently got a little ahead of myself and botched the date on the first part of chapter 1. it was supposed to be 2019. fixed now.
Blackness..."Why can't I feel my limbs?"Empty Void..."I'm moving... why am I moving?"Weightless..."These thoughts... why am I thinking these thoughts?"Consciousness slipping..."I don't like this... My cousin!"Failing..."My brother... My first love..."Falling..."My friends..."Losing..."I don't want too... HELP ME!"...Earth 2021 O.S.C. Early SummerIt was early in the morning at Calamari County, and Marie had awoken with a start. After rubbing her head for a few minutes, she glanced at the clock. It was early. "Why.. am I.. awake.. Am I turning into Callie?" She paused. "Wait, Callie!" Wide awake, she went for her phone."Hotaru? Are you okay in there?" A voice called through the door. Marie sighed, as only two people still called her that."Yeah. I'm okay mom!" She yelled back."You sure? I heard you groaning and sobbing earlier," Marie's mom continued."It must have been that nightmare.." Marie sighed again and shook her head. "Really, I'm fine mom. I'm not a kid.""Well, if you're sure. You'll always be my little Hotaru, though." Marie facepalmed at this. "By the way, has Aori arrived yet? Your aunt is getting worried about her," she continued, referring to Callie's mom."No, she didn't... let me see if she called.""Okay, but let us know if you hear from her." Marie could hear her mother walk off and turned her attention back to her phone. Callie was supposed to show up two days ago for their vacation, along with Drake and Otome, but none of them showed up at the station. There was no word from them the previous day, either."Come on, Cal..." Marie scrolled through there phone. No luck. There were no new text or voice messages from her or any of their friends. She dialed Callie's phone and was quickly sent to voice mail. "Callie? It's me. Please pick up... look, call me back as soon as you get this. If you're upset with me, then I'm sorry... just.. let me know when you're ready to come visit. Mom is worried about you too." She hung up the phone and tried to call Drake and Otome. Neither of them answered. Marie sighed and tied her tentacles back in their usual bow and to the side style, then got ready to head out after slipping into her Kimono.Hours later, Marie found herself at the station. The train had come and gone, but still no Callie. Marie checked her phone, but no replies had come. The next train was about to leave, when Marie, who was overcome with worry, decided she'd had enough. She hopped on just before the train departed, and was soon on her way back to Inkopolis.Thoughts were swirling in Marie's head on the way back. Was she angry or upset? They had been becoming distant in the last few months, but Marie had thought they had overcome it after talking about it over dinner and spending a whole day together. They had planned this trip to make up for lost time from their new careers, as well as spend time with their closest friends and family. Or perhaps it was something else. What if something had happened to her?Marie's thoughts were brought back to reality when the train pulled into Inkopolis station. As expected, Callie was not at the station, and after speaking to the employees, never was. After making sure she wasn't at home, she went to the studio to ask around. Neither Fran, the producer nor the new idols who formed the duo, Off the Hook, had seen her. Dismayed, she headed back to the square, but not before grabbing a parasol prop to cover her."Dang it Cal, what's going on?" She sighed and went to the vending machine to buy a drink. As she looked around, she noticed that the square was starting to get packed with young inklings, many of which had just turned 14. Luckily for her, they didn't pay her much attention since they were all getting ready for the grand opening of Deca Tower in a few hours."Wish I could just forget everything else and go play like you." She sighed and tossed the empty soda can away. Just as she was about to turn away, she noticed something. It was the manhole cover that lead to Octovally and Octocanyon. "Wait... it couldn't be... could it?" Worried that something had happened with the Octarians, she changed forms and hopped in. "Please be okay, please be okay," she squeaked as the green squid made her way to the neutral zone.It was quiet in Octovally. More quiet then it should have been. Marie looked around the shack her grandfather lived in, but saw no signs of life. "Gramps!" she banged on the door and got no response. "Gramps, are you in there? It's me!" she repeated. Still no response. Overcome with worry, she let herself inside. She searched the shack from head to toe, but saw no signs of her grandfather, Cap'n Cuttlefish. "Great.. now gramps is missing too.." She sat down on his bed and sobbed."Callie... Gramps... Drake.. Otome.. Where are you guys?" She finally lost her cool persona. She let a tear shed and collapsed on Cuttlefish's bed. "Callie... I'm sorry! I should have lost splatfest! I should have payed more attention to you! Please..." All the tension from the previous months came flooding out at once. She wailed and sobbed for several minutes as her mind ran through various scenarios. Eventually, her eyes dried up, and she noticed a note on the table. "H-huh..?" She wiped her face with her Kimono's sleeve, and picked up the brown note that look like an old telegraph. She picked it up and turned it around."My dearest Callie and Marie -(STOP)- On a research trip to the cape with Agt 3 -(STOP)- May be late, but left dinner in the fridge -(STOP)-""Why the heck did he send a telegraph? We got him a new phone-" She stopped when she saw the old inkling's phone laying on the ground, and facepalmed hard enough to leave a mark. As if a switch was flicked, all her overwhelming sadness was quickly replaced by sheer irritation. "Dammit, Gramps... You're getting too old to keep doing this.." She tossed the note aside."Well... at least he's with Neptune... or is he with the old Agent 3? Ugh, I told him these number based code names are stupid!" Since Levin and Shara had retired in a sense to focus on their lives, and Kirk, the former Agent 5, was no longer with them, Marie assumed it was Neptune that was being dragged out to the trip. Though not being able to reach them wasn't helping either. "Seriously, why can't anyone answer their phone!" Her frustration at the breaking point, she shoved her phone back into her pocket and stomped out of the shack. It was then that she finally noticed several things that shouldn't have been there."Wait... what... the hell?" Her exasperated expression quickly changed to one of shock when she laid eyes on the large orb that had once been used to contain DJ Octavio before he was transferred to the actual Inkling prison. "But... why is this here.. and... broken?" She looked up and saw that the top part had been smashed open, leaving more than enough room for the massive Octo to escape if he had been contained in the sphere."Oh no... then was Callie..." Marie's mind started piecing together a dark scenario. She quickly ran back into the shack and grabbed her replica army type-H charger that she had left behind for safe keeping during the trip, and with out even bothering with the uniform, quickly rushed back to the entrance. However, before she blasted out the front door, something else caught her eye. In the small entry way, there was a bright yellow uniform that was similar to the old army outfit the agents used, along with a weapon that looked like something from the E.C.S. There was also a small note lying against the weapon. Marie picked up the note to inspect it.'Old man- You were out when I came by, so I'm leaving you this note. I have finished our work on the new Type H splattershot and it is ready for field testing. Combined with human tech, this beauty has high potential for customization and modification. It should far outpace the original, once it's been tweaked to the user's liking. I have given you 2 for your agents to test, and should have other Type H model weapons ready very soon. I eagerly look forward to the results!-SheldonP.S. I have dropped off two sets of the new army uniform as well.'"So this is what Sheldon was working on... Wait.. he said two sets, so why is one of them missing. Did Callie take it? No, that can't be. Her Outfit and roller are gone too." She thought about leaving the set behind, but decided to take it with her. "I might need these if things are worse than I thought." She headed out the door with her belongings. "I just hope I'm wrong..." She sighed and headed out to start searching the valley. "I hate this one girl act... its just not the same."...It's a story many Inklings have heard before. One would be rich in coin if they had one for every squid that came fresh off the train, thinking that they would be the big star of the battlefield known as turf wars. Few would reach that glory, but that didn't stop young Inklings from all over the city and beyond, from trying. It's a story many have heard time and time again. Which is why one could easily mistake the yellowed eyed, tan skinned, and green tentacled squid that had just arrived, as one such dream filled hot head. The six spike tentacle style with three on the bottom and three on the top, would probably reinforce that. Or one might assume he wasn't green due to carrying a weapon most rookie's wouldn't have access to, and wearing pilot goggles, an inkling parka and angry rain boots."Inkopolis, huh?" He stretched out and looked around. After a few minutes of taking in the sights, he grabbed his bag and headed into the square. "Now let's see... no.. this isn't right... He told me it was a circular plaza.. did I come to the wrong place?" He was going to turn around and head back to the station when the large monitor on the tower lit up. A new chime was heard and a pair of Idols, who had only recently made their debut, appeared. The green boy stood and watched as they introduced themselves as Pearl and Marina. "An Octoling, huh..? And with Pearl? I wonder.." He initially didn't intend to give the broadcast much thought, but he was now at full attention."Before we go on to our main announcement, we have some shocking news." Marina continued. "One of the squid sisters has gone missing." A picture of a black and pink tentacled girl appeared behind them."Whhhaaatt? Noooo.. Not Callie!" Pearl yelled, and probably deafened half the studio. The boy shook his head at her behavior."I-it's true." Marina looked like she was in pain as she went on. "If anyone has information on her, please let the news crew or the police know.""You'd better, or you have to deal with me!" Pearl gave the camera a death glare."She hasn't changed one bit." He shook his head with a faint smile."A-anyway. Now for some good news." Marina flicked her DJ panel a few times."Heck yeah! Y'all know what time it is?" Pearl grinned at the camera and the Inklings in the square quickly forgot about the grim report a few moments ago. Pearl raised her arms above her head and leaned back on her beanbag chair. "Its finally time to open Deca Tower and resume turf wars!" The square was quickly lit up as every Inkling shouted in excitement after Pearl's announcement. After all, to young Inklings, turf wars are practically their life blood. Except for one green Inkling that just stood back and watched as the turfers all pushed their way into the tower to try to be one of the first to play in the new season."So simple minded... its no wonder how this city was almost taken over." He sighed and turned away from the tower. "Still.. That missing persons report... I think.. Yeah.. she was one of them.. I finally have a real clue.. but wasn't there also-" He stopped when he noticed a female with milky white Tentacles that had green tips. "Wait.. White and green.. she's... yeah.. Could that be her?" His eyes narrowed, and he started to approach her. He could feel his face heat up and in his concentration of the girl, he didn't notice another young Inkling that had crossed his path until he nearly ran into the other one."Hey! I know yer excited an' all, but watchit will yah?" He turned to the feminine but heavily accented voice. A yellow bob-tail style tentacled girl with pale skin and blue colored eyes was staring him down. "Yah could at least say excuse me or somethin'. You city boys sure can be rude." She rambled on. The boy's eyes narrowed. If there was one thing he took offense too, it was being confused for one of these lazy, selfish city dwellers. After all, it was because of them that..."I'm not a city boy," he said, trying to suppress the urge to growl at her. The only reason he didn't, is that he suspected that she hailed from the same country side town that he did."Really? Yah look, act and talk like em city folk." She then leaned in an sniffed, which made him take a step back while wondering what this girl's deal was. "But... you don't smell like one.""W-what? The hell is wrong with you?" He stared dumbfounded and his mind was trying to decide if it would be better to just turn around and walk away."Yer from the county, aren't yah?" She finally asked, and looked him right in the eyes."H-how did you know?" The urge to run was starting to win over."I'd know that smell a mile away." Her previous look was replaced with a toothy smile. "I'm from Calamari County too! Nice to meetcha! What say we start over and be county pals?"'Looks like I was right...' he internally sighed. He wasn't here to make friends, especially someone from his hometown, but he decided he might be able to get some information out of her by sticking around. After all, he certainly wasn't here to waste time in those stupid games. "Yeah.. sure.. uh..""Selka. Selka Cuda." She stuck her hand out."Kirin. Just Kirin" Against his better judgement, he reached out and took it."Well nice to meetcha just Kirin." She grinned and he rolled his eyes. "So what part of the county, y'all from?""None of your business...""Aw, don't be like that! Yer-" She paused when she saw the weapon he was carrying along with his gear pack. "Hey, Kirin... You ain't a tester, are yah?""A what now?" The question had caught him off guard and stared at her with a confused look."You know, a tester?" She stared, and he continued to return the gaze. "Yah really don't know? Then how do yah have that?" She was pointing to a heavy splatling. "Now that everyone has to restart at the rookie rank, nobody should have access to anythin' but the splattershot jr, an there's no way yah could have already done a match already with that crowd unless yah were one of the testers."'Damn, she's smarter then she looks.' Kirin sighed and decided to just tell the truth. With some omissions. "It was sent to me by.. someone I know that used to play before turf wars were moved here.""Oh, yah know a vet? Cool! Is he comin' to join yah to get his rank up too?""No... he uh.. doesn't play anymore." He looked away, getting tired of her questioning."Ah, that sucks. Well we should-" She paused. "Wait... if that belonged to a vet, then... is that the old version of the heavy splatling?""Does it matter?" he looked back at her, and her expression changed to one of slight shock."Of course it does, dummy!" She yelled, which made him jump a little. "Yah ain't allowed to use outdated weapons!" She suddenly grabbed his hand."S-selka? What the heck?" He tried to pull it back, but she kept a firm grip."We're goin' to go have Sheldon fix yah up. Yer needin' the started kit, anyways." Much to his dismay, she dragged him off to Sheldon's new shop. Thankfully, most of the players had gotten their starter kits long before the tower opened, so it didn't take them long to get inside. Kirin had heard stories of the small and eccentric horseshoe crab, so it didn't startle him much when he hopped over the counter to greet the two newcomers."Hello, hello. More new comers?" Sheldon approached the pair. "Oh, well if it isn't Selka. Was there a problem with your starter kit?""Nah, I'm good. I just-""Well then I don't know how I can help you. I'd love to show you my base line of beauties, but you know that you need to play a few rounds before I-""Cool it, crab man," she waved her hand to cut him off. "Y'all gettin' ahead of yerself. Came here with mah new friend. He's from the county to!" He pointed to Kirin, who could feel another headache coming on."Oh, well welcome to ammo-" Sheldon paused. "Have we met before, friend?" Kirin raised an eye brow at Sheldon's question."This is only my second time in the city, and the first was just a short visit. I think you're confusing me with someone else," he replied in a cool tone. No, he was definitely being confused with someone else. Kirin knew exactly who, but kept his mouth shut. While Selka knowing would pose little issue, Sheldon, on the other hand, might end up being a problem later on. While it was true that Kirin had only briefly visited the city once before, he had known of Sheldon and his connections from certain phone calls he had received two years ago."Well I reckon he needs a starter kit." Sheldon jumped over the counter. "Also, that splatling model isn't allowed anymore.""I'm not really interested in playing-""Sure yah are!" Selka jabbed him in the sides, as Sheldon pulled out the last case."Alright, geez.." Kirin opened the case. he quickly tossed the free clothes in his bag, then strapped on the new inktank. He then attached the special morph, packed the bomb casings and set the automap in place on his arm. All with out any help. Sheldon watched with interest. "Now all that's left is this." He sighed as he picked up the JR."Yer sure yah never done this before?" Selka asked after watching Kirin set up his new gear like a pro."I'm sure. I never said I didn't train a bit at home, though.""Fascinating... and that heavy splatling. Where did you get it?" Sheldon asked with a stern expression. Kirin wanted to leave the shop as soon as possible."It was a hand me down. Now if you'll excuse me." Kirin turned away, but Sheldon quickly hopped over him with surprising agility, and blocked his path."Hold on just a tick, buddy." Sheldon looked him over again, and Kirin was getting more anxious. "Maybe you would be better off starting with a little more kick." Sheldon went over and grabbed a brand new Heavy from the display case. "This baby should be more to your fancy." He grinned and handed the stunned Kirin the weapon."I... uh... but I can't pay for this. I only have enough for a few days food and a ticket home." fighting the urge to run out of the shop with the weapon, he held it out back to Sheldon, who shook his head. "It's on the house. I get the feeling you and me are gonna be seeing each other a lot soon." The horseshoe crab grinned again."What? No fair!" Selka shouted when she came out of her trance. "Y'all won't even SELL me a different weapon an' he gets one for free?!""Well, I am allowed to bend the rules from time to time. Trust me, it isn't the first time.""Lucky..." Shelka gave them both a glare. Kirin rolled his eyes and started to head out, still wanting to get away from Sheldon."Right... now if you two will excuse me.." he tried to escape, but Shelka caught him as soon as he exited the shop."Where do yah think yer goin'?" She grabbed his hand again. "Y'all geared up, so yah gotta play at least a few games!""Yeah, I got it, so let go.." Kirin complained while being dragged to Deca tower, glancing up to see the great zapfish wrapped around the top. By now, most of the crowd were either in a match or finishing up for the day. Due to the massive influx of Inklings coming in for the grand opening, all players were limited to 3 battles for the day, in order to insure that all players would get a turn and that the system wouldn't be overloaded. After the secretary finished her explanation of this, Kirin and Selka were registered with the S.P.A.W.N. system, and sent by the transport pad to the reef."Aw, man! They got a tester on their team!" One of Kirin's teammates wined when they all landed and returned to bipedal forms."How can you tell?" Kirin asked, as he glanced over to the other team's base pad."They got a Krak-on on their team. Look over yonder." Selka pointed to a pink inkling that was indeed holding a krak-on. "Ain't no way he could have gotten that from just three battles.""Yeah, but we got a tester too," another female on their team said, as she looked at Kirin's splatling."What? No, I'm not-""Of course he's a tester!" Selka jabbed him in the sides. "Y'all got nothin' to worry about!" Kirin barely had enough time to roll his eyes, as the starting signal blew. Kirin quickly charged up the heavy, and let lose a torrent of pellets on the ground ahead of him, making a long line of ink. The other three JR. users happily dove in and swam to the end of it. They all came out on the other side after changing forms, and split up to ink different area's of the arena."Okay... just gotta do what I saw him do in the videos.." Kirin followed behind in one of the new trails until he came up to the upper bridge, then found a good perch on a small platform overlooking it. "This will do. Now let's see if they are stupid enough to-" He stopped when he saw a JR. user approach the bridge. "This guy must be newer than I am.." Already charged, he unloaded on the pink enemy. Hit hit hit hit, and the boy went down. Ink was ejected from his system, and the S.P.A.W.N. tether beam latched on to pull him back to his base pad for de-splatting."Nice shootin'! But yah ain't gonna be one uppin' me for long!" he heard Selka shout. He looked over, and saw her waiting under a platform on the opposite side of the bridge. Attracted by her yelling, another enemy JR. user jumped off a platform that was connected to the enemy base pad. Grinning, Selka rolled a splat bomb under where he jumped from, and was splatted before he could get a shot off on her. "Told yah! I- ack!" She yelped as a roller sprayed ink on her from where the JR user came down from, and she was pulled back to the base."You got a big mouth.." Kirin sighed as the roller dropped down, and the third JR user came up to the bridge from the left. He quickly charged the splatling and cut off the JR, but before he could land the final shot, the roller activated his special morph, and blocked his stream with a baller. "Wait... what the hell?" His shock quickly wore off and turned his attention to the baller, but the rider just rolled off the side of the bridge as the JR retreated to the far right."Move, Kirin!" Selka yelled at him while she came out of the base pad."Why? He dropped off the bridge. He's not gonna climb up the wall or some-" he froze as the baller did just that. After rolling up the side of the bridge wall, the baller was sitting right next to him, and he could do nothing as it filled with ink and burst. He was thrown back and splatted on the spot. He yelled loudly as he felt the ink forced out of his system by the tether beam, and forced back into squid form. The beam then pulled him back to the pad to finish desplatting, making him glow white the whole way."That's why? The ball can climb walls, yah know?" Selka said as she rushed ahead."No I don't know!" He growled. Rather than push back to the bridge, he sprayed the area around the base that his teammates had neglected to cover, until his auto map pinged."Hey tester! How about using that special to cover me?" One of his teammates said over the communicator."Uhh..." he paused. "How.. do I do that again?""Hit the button on the automap, stupid!" The girl replied. Growling in irritation, Kirin did as he was told, and the morpher grew. His eyes widened, and before he knew it, he had a large tank strapped to his back, and a nozzle was in his hands. Curious, he pulled the trigger and a large stream of energized ink came out."Whoa, what?" He waved the beam around while he tried to get control of it, until he noticed that a small screen on the nozzle was showing the positions of the other players through the walls. "Wait.. this thing shoots through walls? This is kinda cool..." He locked the beam onto the roller and started getting hits. "Come on! Get splatted already!" He continued to follow the roller, hitting both him and two other JR users. "Why aren't you getting splat-" His voice trailed off as the beam ran out of power, and the morpher returned to its basic cylinder state. "Oh come on!" He yelled in frustration, not noticing the roller popping up and splatting him with a vertical flick."Ha! What was that? I thought you were a tester?" The girl from before taunted, as she moved in to finish off the damaged roller and both JR users, effectively stealing his splats. "Seriously, get on my level!" She continued to taunt him as he reformed on the base pad."Don't yah worry none bout her. The stingray is kinda weak right now. Just get your little green butt over here an gimme a hand!" Selka said over the com. Grunting in response, he changed into squid form and swam to where she was. Ignoring their bragging teammate, the two of them managed to hunt down the last JR user, and used what little time they had left to trap the other team in there base by not letting the roller get off from the spawn area. Thanks to their fourth teammate re-inking the lost territory, the managed to score a clutch win at the last second when the end signal blew."There yah go. That ain't so hard, now is it?" Selka grinned at him as the computer displayed their statistics. Both teams were sent back to the transport lobby a minute later. "Now, yah can't tell me that wasn't fun," she continued, when the transport was complete."Well..." Despite being irritated from the girl's attitude, he couldn't deny Selka's words. "Yeah.. I guess it was.""Good! Cus we got two more matches to play today!""Wait, wha- ack!" Selka grabbed his tentacles to keep him from escaping, and dragged him into the lobby once more. While he did find that he liked the second arena, Muscle forge fitness center, a lot more than the reef, they ended up losing both matches they were allowed to play for opening day. "A-are we done?" He panted as they came out of there third and final match. He was getting rather thirsty from playing three games in a row."Yeah... sucks we had to lose the other two, but we got us enough prestige to get some basic weapons from the shop. I can't wait to try me out some of those splat duelies!""Good, then he can get a special that he doesn't suck with.. assuming this tester is capable of something like that." The girl from the first match smirked at him as she came out of her third match. Apparently, she had won all three. Kirin clenched his fists as he saw her walk out of the tower, reminding himself that playing these games was just a distraction. One that had gone on long enough."Ah, don't let 'er get to yah. Come on. Let's get something to drink, then we can go weapons shopping!""Wait, I don't need-""Sure yah do!" She pulled him over to a nearby vending machine, since the food truck was busy. "So what yah want? My treat since I made yah hang out today.""O-oh.. uh.. fruit juice, please.""Ah, yah gotta want something with a bite, like a cola. Well, suit yourself." She tossed him a can of juice, then turned back to the machine to get something for herself. Kirin was about to open it, when something caught his eye. He looked over to the far corner of the square, and saw the kimono girl from before. She was standing over a manhole cover. Thoughts started circulating in his head, until the girl noticed his gaze. The two locked eyes for several moments, before her form deteriorated, and a green squid sunk down into the tunnel that was under the cover."She's gotta be one of them..." He said to himself."Hey! Yah listening?" He turned back to see Selka toss the empty cola can into the trash. "Time to go weapon shoppin! There's no limits on battles tomorrow, so we gotta prepare today to beat the crowd!" Kirin groaned, as he tried to think of a way to get away from Selka and stop wasting time. but right before they made it to the shop, the monitors swiched on, and Off the Hook was on the air."Yo, listen up, y'all! We got an emergency!" Pearl started."Pearl, don't just blurt that out from the start!" Marina gave her a sour look."But this is almost as big as Callie going missing!" Pearl continued and Marina just shook her head."Alright, I get it." She moved to the front of the screen. "I'm very sorry to report that the great zap fish has gone missing." As soon as she said these words, the crowd froze."Yeah yeah!" Pearl got off her beanbag chair to join Marina at the front. "And Y'all are gonna hate this, but to save power, the 3 battle a day limit is going to remain in effect until it is found." The crowd went into an uproar."P-please remain calm!" Marina continued. Kirin looked over, and noticed that Selka was glued to the screen with an expression of frustration."Wait.. this is my chance... I can't lose her.. if I'm right." He slowly started backing away. He continued to inch to the grate, until he was right over it."Ah, this is sharkshit!" Shelka turned away from the monitor. "Right Kirin?.. Kirin?" She started to look around and Kirin, eager to not be spotted, changed forms into a squid, and sunk to the tunnels below.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was in Octovalley that a certain squid came out of the Inkopolis access pipe and was made Agent 3, along side his partner, Agent 4. It was here that his fight against the Octarian assault corps, the Mariners, started. It was here that they finished DJ Octavio with the help of the squid sisters. It was here that the first human in over 12 thousand years would make his appearance to the cephalopod community. But that was 2 years ago. The only thing that was there to greet Kirin, was an empty and quiet valley."How... where... I know I saw her go into that pipe," he mumbled in confusion. After getting over the initial daze, he decided to look around for any signs of the Kimono wearing girl. After walking around for some time, it became apparent that he was alone. He then headed over to a cluster of Octarian transport kettles. "Huh.. so these are what they used to get out of their holes..." Kirin bent down to examine the nearest kettle. It was quiet. The gauge showed that it was active, but it hadn't looked like it had been used by the girl. Giving up on the idea that she had gone into Octarian territory, he decided to try the shack next."Hey... is anyone in there?" he banged on the door a few times. No response. He moved to the side of the shack and slowly peaked into the window. Luckily for him, there were no half naked females disrobing to take a shower, or he would have been in serious trouble. Unlike what had happened when a certain magenta Inkling walked in on the city's first human. The shack looked like it had been devoid of life, and he was forced to admit that the girl was not here."Did... I take a wrong turn?" He glanced at the valley one more time. The pipe split into several directions, but he had for sure thought that this is where she was headed. After all she... "Where else could she have gone?... Damn... I missed my chance." Frustrated, he had no choice but to head back to the city, and went back to the pipe. However, it was starting to get dark, and he had no place to sleep for the night, having only enough for a few days food and a much needed train ticket for home. He backed away from the pipe, and turned back to the cabin as a gust of wind blew at his backside."It doesn't look like that girl lives here... or anyone has for a while. One night won't hurt anything.. right?" Kirin tiptoed to another window to look inside. It was still as empty as before. He tried to open the window and found that it was unlocked. After opening it, he fired a few ink pellets at the wall with the splatling, changed to squid form, and swam inside. He quickly ducked down and peaked around the corners to make sure the shack was truly deserted."looks like she really isn't here." Sighing, he went over and grabbed some sheets, laying them on the ground. Despite breaking and entering, sleeping on another squid's bed was a little too much. "I'll find them... tomorrow... Two years..." He yawned once and the fatigue from the trip and consecutive turf wars caught up to him, and he was out like a light...."Lieutenant, why are we starting our shift so early today..." A short young female human around 18 with blond hair, was following the EDef second in command, Brandon. They had just departed from the APC, and were walking into a large underground facility. After coming out of the narrow concrete passage, they entered a larger chamber. The large space was well lit, and separated into several long platforms. In between the platforms, was a set of tracks that lead into a large tunnel."Have you forgotten that today is the grand opening of the trans territorial line?" Brandon responded with a sigh. They continued down to the center platform of the newly constructed subway line. For the past year and a half, the humans, Inklings and Octarians had been working together to create a train line that stretched between the borders of the three Major territories of Inkopolis, Octoburg and the E.C.S. The humans had provided the plans and engineering, while the Inklings gave funding and materials. The Octarians were in charge of equipment and labor. All three races provided their own security."I know, LT, but couldn't we have waited a few more hours?" She said with a yawn as they headed for a group of fellow EDef members."Get used to it, kid. You signed up for this after all..." Lieutenant Finn rolled his eyes."What the hell did you bring a rookie here for, anyway?" A tall robust EDef member asked. The name on his uniform read, "Sargent Black"."Hey, you were a rookie once too, Matt," a dark skinned guard said."Shut it, Reggie. At least I had some skill before hand.""Playing that competitive shooter doesn't count.""Knock it off..." Brandon put his hand to his face, adjusting his glasses. "Anyway.." he shot them a glare, which shut both of them up. "This is our newest recruit, private Trisha Becker.""Yeah yeah... the other rookie's sister," Matt scoffed, and looked to another Edef member, a young red head that was the the same age as Trisha."Do you have to be an ass all the time Matt?" Reggie asked."Someone has to do it around here. This isn't a damn day care!" He flipped Reggie off, and went over to talk to Justin, the team medic."Don't listen to him.. he always does this to the new guys." Reggie got closer to Trisha and looked her over. "So you're Kenny's little sister, huh?""Yep. Hope my brother hasn't been giving you too much trouble," she said with a casual tone."Hey, I'm not the one that got chewed out by both Matt and the Lieutenant at the same time!""Enough!" Brandon raised his hand to stop the rookie siblings from starting a brawl right in the middle of the new underground railroad station. "Don't make me regret putting you both on the same assignment.""Wouldn't dream of it LT.""Good, because the captain isn't as patient as I am...""Has anyone heard from him yet? He's been missing for a few days now," Reggie asked."Still nothing... but you know how he is..." The grouped headed to where the train was. "Anyway.. let's take our posts. The trains start running in a few hours. And where the hell is Takeshi?""He's hitting on the reds again." Kenny pointed to the far end of the platform, and sure enough, the Japanese squad member was chatting up one of the Octolings. She likely rolled her eyes from behind her new goggles that were issued alongside the new Octarian uniform, and slipped on a pair of headphones to tune him out."Right, I'll deal with him. Tricia, you come with me. Reggie, Kenny, you two go with Matt." Brandon fired out instructions, and the Edef team took positions around the train, keeping an eye out for those that would make their year and a half of work go to waste...."Agent %, you're up! Destroy their line so we can advance!""But there's too many of them, agent =.""Don't be a wuss, agent %.""But agent #-""You heard him? Don't you want to save me?""Yeah, you aren't going to leave Agent ^ behind, are you?""N-no Agent !, but..""Then get going!" The voices compelled the squid to move forward, through the deep blackness. The voices continued to command him. To goad him on. He tried to turn back, but his feet kept moving forward on their own accord, until a large multi-barreled weapon was staring him down."Ah! Agent =, help me!""Advance, Agent %!" The squid tried to turn the other way, but another large red weapon was behind him. He tried another direction, but found that he was surrounded by large read splatlings. He opened his mouth to call for help, but they all fired on him at once. His mouth, eyes, ears were all covered. They continued to hit him, over and over, until there was nothing left but a puddle...."Ah!" Kirin bolted up right. He panted heavily as his vision cleared up. Looking around, he slowly started to remember where he was when he noticed the bed that he had slept next to. "That dream again..." He slowly stood up. "How much longer must this continue?" He made is way to the kitchen table and sat down. He then pulled out one of the protein bars he had bought for the trip. "Soon... I gotta find them soon." As he slowly ate, his stupor was eventually interrupted by footsteps from outside. He quickly ducked down and pressed himself to the wall."T-that's her!" He watched in surprise, as the kimono girl from the previous day walked by the shack. As she passed by, he slowly got up and followed her through the window. Eventually, she made it back to the pipe that he had came in from, and stopped. She then slowly turned towards the shack."S-shit!" He ducked down again and stayed down. A few second passed until he heard a splash. He nervously got back up, and saw that she had disappeared, likely through the pipe. Not wanting to lose her again, he quickly grabbed his weapon and bag, leaving what was left of the protein bar in the trash. Running out of the shack, he changed into his squid form, and jumped in the pipe after her.""Did she go back to the city?" He began to wonder, but then he stopped. About half way down, he noticed that the passage to octovally had forked into another direction. Something that he had missed the previous day, as the other junctions lead to vary narrow pipes. Going with his gut feeling, he followed the other passage, instead of going back to the city. After a while, he ended up at another grate. Coming out and reverting to his bipedal form, he covered his eyes to keep from being blinded by the suns rays while they readjusted to the light."So... you finally came." Once his eyes became used to seeing light again, he saw that the girl was in front of him, and was facing forwards while holding an umbrella to shade herself. The two of them were on a large cliff side platform that was surrounded by a large canyon. The cliff sides were lined with what looked like surveillance equipment. He turned back to her again when she continued to talk. "I had a feeling when I saw you in the square yesterday.." She turned towards him. Kirin had to force himself to keep a poker face.'I knew it.. it's her.' He stared at her with a mixture of emotions."Star struck huh? Well, I need you to focus." She snapped her fingers to bring his attention back to her face. "But I should properly introduce myself. I'm Marie. From the squid sisters." She struck her signature pose.'Is she serious?' Kirin had to look down to hide his smirk. Marie, however, took that the wrong way."What...? Seriously? You don't know who I am?" She gave him a stunned look and she shook her head. "This isn't the same with out her... have we really fallen out of style that fast.?" She muttered. Kirin thought about correcting her. Of course he knew her. Especially being from the county. But he chose to keep his beak shut. This would work in its own way."Sorry... I'm kinda new around here.""I see.. I thought you would have had some experience, considering the way you handled your weapon.""Wait, you were watching me?" Kirin took a step back."Yes.." she admitted and lowered her gaze. "I still believe you're the one that can help me. You seem like the only one around here that knows how to keep his beak shut, for one." she narrowed her eyes. "I'll follow in my grandfather's example, and go with my gut on this.""You could be making a huge mistake... assuming I even agree to help you." He crossed his arms."I can't force you, but at least hear me out first." Marie waved a hand, and shifted her umbrella prop. "I'm also known as Agent 2.. of the new squidbeak group. The Octarians... those... Octo slobs.." She clenched her fist. "They stole the great zapfish AGAIN!" She shouted the last part, which made him flinch a little. From what he had heard, Marie was the cool and calm one, yet she was acting far more emotional than what had been described to him in the past. "I trusted Emperor Octurus, but the army is on the move against us!""And... you seriously expect me to go up against the Octarian army by myself?" He asked. He wasn't surprised at this. After all, she was the one that..."That's not how the new squidbeak group works." She cut him off again. "No.. I need you to do hit and run work, as well as gather information until I know for sure where the zapfish is being kept." She paused and he swore she was shaking a little. "And if they really did steal something else from us..""What do you mean?""Nevermind." She stood upright again and held the umbrella back up. "I'll tell you more if you decide to help.. and if I think I can trust you.""Well..." Kirin paused. He had no reason to help her. In fact, in his mind, he had more reason to tell her off. But she was only part of the reason he had come to this city he detested. But an idea was forming in his head, and he couldn't help but to grin a little. "Alright.. Agent 2... I'll help you.""Wait, you will?" She had obviously expected him to decline, and looked surprised."But... you will owe me a favor... unless you'd rather call the whole thing off.""Nono, I'll take you up on that." Marie nodded and relaxed her expression. "Thank you... Then from now on, you are Agent 4.""Wait... 4? Shouldn't there already be a 4 and-" He froze when he realized that he had just slipped up."How... do you know about the others?" She gave him a suspicious look and pointed the umbrella at him. He frantically racked his brain on how to answer her."I.. uh.. heard about you from.. a guy I knew... Y-you know.. from two years ago?""That... makes sense." Kirin sighed with relief as Marie lowered the umbrella. Even though it was a regular umbrella and not a splatbrella, it was still a little unnerving to have it pointed at him. "People were bound to talk about that. Well yes.. there were six of us. The original 3 and 4 sorta retired to focus on their own lives. 5 is no longer with us... and 6 is now the current 3."Kirin gave her a very doubtful look. "That seems really convoluted to me...""Tell me about it. I keep telling gramps it's time to retire the number code names... but now I can't even get through to him. But never mind that. I need you to get started right away, so head inside and get changed." Marie pointed to the small cabin that was near where he came out. It seemed really out of place with the rest of the scenery, as it looked more like something from Calamari County. "And before you ask, we call it Cuttlefish cabin... we were thinking of moving gramps up here and away from that run down shack.""And... why do I need to get changed? I like my clothes just fine, thank you.""The uniform has equipment you will need built into it. And you will find that an army weapon is a little more effective in the field. Now, go. We don't have all day," Marie said with an impatient tone, and tapped the umbrella tip against the ground, similar to how the captain would with his cane."Alright.. geez, calm your tentacles, lady." Marie glared at him as he went into the cabin."I miss Agent 3 already..." He could hear her sigh. The inside was larger than it looked outside, but it was still pretty cramped. It didn't take him long to find the uniform and odd looking type-H splattershot. He picked up the odd looking weapon, and examined it closely. It's design was nothing like the other splattershot models, including the old type-H, but it did catch his interest."This isn't what I expected, but it's kinda cool." He put the weapon on the table so he could change into uniform. "This thing is ugly... It looks like a road workers uniform or something," he grumbled. After slipping on the yellow uniform and setting the glowing headset in place over his ears, he grabbed the type-H and slung it over his shoulder. Before heading out, he caught his reflection in the mirror. "I look like a freaking Triggerfish scout..."..."T-the kids aren't too happy about the game limit still being in place." Marina was nervously looking out the studio window, as impatient crowds gathered around the tower to demand the 3 battle a day limit restrictions be lifted. Many of the Inklings had gone home, but some of the more enthusiastic ones were nagging at the staff, while others were gathering around the studio, hoping the pygmy squid and her Octoling co-idol would tell them all it was just a big joke. Sadly, neither her nor Pearl could tell them what they wanted to hear."Yeah, but what yah gonna do?" Pearl stretched out on her bean bag chair with an unconcerned look. "Yah know its our main attraction 'round here.""I- Guess." Marina waved meekly at the crowd while Pearl shot them a glare, then went back over to sit in one of the chairs. "S-so how do you think I did? On our broadcast I mean.." She gave pearl a nervous stare."Yah did fine girl!" The pink and white squid grinned with her tiny beak. "You didn't even stutter today.""Phew.. I'm glad." Marina smiled back and relaxed her expression. "I'm still glad we got to be in a band together again.""No squidding yo! I had no idea the girl they were lookin' to hire was you!""I know! I never would have guessed that the girl that Otome's- er.. the human that visits my neighbor... he was talking about you.""Grrrr... stupid fossil." Pearl growled at Marina's statement, making her jump a bit. "They should all go back in the hole they came out of.""C-come on Pearl... You can't hate them just because he got close to the squid sisters... especially since you got to hang out with them not too long ago-""It isn't that..." She slouched down in the chair, looking regretful over her outburst."Then what? When are you gonna tell me why you are like that with the elder ra-""I'll tell you when you tell me why you disappeared just when we were getting hot, girl." Pearl pointed her finger at her."I.. uh.. right." Marina looked down. "A-anyway. I got something I have to do.." She got up after glancing on her phone."Wait what?" Pearl finally got off her beanbag with a confused look. "But work ain't over-""Sorry, but its important." She turned and headed for the door. "I probably won't be back until late.. I'll see you tomorrow.""Hey, wait!" She called out but to no avail, as Marina headed out the door. "Dammit, Marina.. I just.." Pearl shook her head and sighed. "I just.. don't want anything bad to happen to you or the city. Nothing good will come from the so called elder race..."..."So let me get this straight... we're here to get the great zapfish back, but you want me to look around this abandoned city..?" Kirin said as he looked around the ruins the transport kettle had taken him to. Before him was the ruins of the coalition city."Correct, 4. I still don't know where exactly it was taken, or what the Octarians are planning," Marie responded through the communicator headset. "I want you to gather information and evidence on their movements and plans. I've already been through Ceph several times, but I want you to take one last look.""Fine, but don't blame me if I come back empty handed." Kirin went to the edge of the roof the kettle had taken him too. The city itself hadn't changed much in the last two years. Parts of the city were reduced to rubble, while other buildings still stood tall and firm. Which was good, considering the tall office building on the inkling side he had been taken to was rather high up. Now that he had finished puking from the kettle ride, Kirin was getting a feeling of vertigo, and he turned away from the edge and looked for a way down."You know, I told you not to look down... or do.. whatever. Anyway, there's a service ramp that you can use to get to the next building over. You should be able to ink your way down," Marie said, while watching his video feed from the headset."You know, we could cover more ground if you had come with me," Kirin said, as he made an ink trail and swam down to the next roof top."Maybe if gra- erm, the captain was still here I could have, but someone has to stay behind and play support. Trust me, I would rather have sent you with a partner... like we did the original 3 and 4." Marie had a hint of sadness in her tone as she said this."Yeah well... if you see the pink one, don't bother sending her my way.""Wait... how did you know the current 3 was pink?" Kirin paused as soon as she said this."Uh.. I knew a guy, remember?""So you keep saying... either way, I really wouldn't have sent you alone if I didn't have too.""Yeah, sure.." He dropped down from the roof top to reach another building that was directly under it."Wait, stop!" Marie commanded him, and he ducked behind a collapsed stairway access. Several meters away, there was a pool of purple ink. "Octarians... we finally found their trail." Kirin peaked out from the side of the access way. On the far side of the pool, was a pair of hovering gun platforms being ridden by the tried and true tentacle creature with large green fish like eyes. "Octotroopers... but.. only two of them?""Sounds like a cake walk." Kirin ran out from behind the access way, and slid behind a broken air conditioning unit, getting him in range of one of the troopers."Wait! Don't do anything rash! You're by yourself, remember?""Watch me." Kirin lobbed a splat bomb over the air conditioner, past the first trooper's head, and landing it behind them. The bomb exploded, and both Octarians turned their guns on where the bomb burst."What the hell was that!" One of them shouted, as the other nervously shivered."T-the inklings.. they're here already?""Shoot, we need to warn the others that they are here ahead of-" The trooper couldn't finish, as Kirin had raised out from behind the aircon, and shot him three times in the back, causing the talking tentacle to fall off his platform and burst into a puddle of ink."A-ahhh! Alarm!" The other one yelled as loud as he could, and fired a shot. Seeing this coming, he dodged the ink pellet with ease and dove into a trail he had made while the troopers were distracted. After several seconds, he circled around and hopped out of the ink. The trooper was unable to even fire a single shot, as Kirin sprayed him down with the type-H, killing the second trooper almost instantly."Geez.. they really are weak." Kirin lowered his weapon and eyed his handy work."Yes well... don't get too comfortable," Marie chimed in once things were quiet again. "Troopers may be one of the weakest breeds, but even they are dangerous in numbers.""Yeah, what ever you say, Mariechi.""That's agent 2 to you!" She said with a noticeable growl. "Anyway.. do you see a way down from there?" Kirin looked over the side of the roof and spotted a crane that reached from the building he was currently on, to one that was on the other side of the ruined street."I think this will work." He hopped over the side and landed on the crane below. The crane, however, was less stable than he thought it was, and creaked and shook from the impact. He grabbed hold of an iron bar to keep himself from falling off until the crane finally stabilized."Agent 4? Agent 4, are you okay?""Yeah... I think so... that scared the crap outta me.." he was forced to admit, and could feel his heart race."Good." He could hear Marie sigh with audible relief. "Please at least try to be more careful. There are no S.P.A.W.N. pads down there, you know." Kirin simply sighed in response as he vary slowly made his way down the large metal arm. He wasted no time in jumping off the crane on the other side, causing it to creak again. This time, the arm gave way, and the entire structure collapsed on to the road below and disappeared in the cloud of dust and debris it kicked up."Guess I'm not going back that way..." He turned away, and looked around the roof top. He didn't see any octarians, but there were a number of large crates that had symbols on them that pointed to being of military origin."Huh? Odd place to set up a supply dump," Marie commented from the video feed. "But we might be able to provoke a reaction out of them if we destroy it.""You want me to level the place?" Kirin asked as he raised the type-H."Yes. If they respond, it might give us a-.. huh? Agent 4, take cover!""What? There's nothing he-""NOW!" As soon as she yelled this, five of the crates burst open, and the 5 octotroopers that had been waiting inside them, quickly turned their weapons on him."Don't move! We have you covered!" The one leading them was larger and had an extra tentacle. He slowly moved closer. "Drop the weapon!""Okay! Geez, cool it, yah yapping tentacle!" Kirin slowly lowered the weapon to the ground. The twintacle nodded and two of the troopers approached. When they were close enough, Kirin's lips went into a sneer, and he pulled the bomb he was holding out from behind his back."What the- Inkling scum! Shoot him!" The twintacle yelled."Too late!" Kirin rolled the bomb between the two troopers, causing it to stop in a perfect spot between them. The bomb burst, and both octotroopers were splatted before they even fell off their assault platforms. Kirin grabbed the type-H, and rand behind a small water tank that was between him and another trooper while dodging pellets. Switching to squid form, he did a small squid jump to the top of the tank, and fired down on the trooper. It tried to turn and run, but three hits on his back and he fell dead."4, look out!" Marie tried to warn him but wasn't quite fast enough. As Kirin lept off the the tank, he took a hit on his left shoulder, causing him to yelp in pain."Yeah, that's it! Take it!" The twintacle growled. He quickly moved his assault platform to the side of the tank, and saw Kirin on all fours. He was panting heavily. Thinking he had given the boy ink paralysis, the twintacle moved closer. "You should have surrendered when you had the chance, inkstain. Thanks for the free promotion, though." He squeezed the platform's trigger, but just as the shot was fired, Kirin rolled out of the way."I'm not going down that easy, pizza face!" he squeezed the trigger on his own weapon and the twintacle let out a scream of pain. He fell off the platform and lay dead. "Alright... where's dipshit number 5?""B-back up! I need back up!" The final trooper had retreated near the edge and was looking at him with a fearful expression."Sucks to be you!" Kirin charged forward with a sadistic grin."Wait! 4, your ink tank!" Heeding Marie's warning for once, he skidded to a halt, as his tank was indeed empty and there was no pool of his own ink to recharge in. He would have to wait for it to fill naturally from his own fluids. The trooper noticed this and fired wildly at him."Crap, crap, CRAP!" He changed to his squid form to avoid a pellet that was aimed at his head."Agent 4, fall back!""I got this!" He changed back into his normal form and charged forward. The trooper, who was not expecting this, backed all the way up to the edge of the roof and fired wildly again. This earned Kirin another hit on his arm, but he managed to close the distance. He raised his type-H, and slammed it into the troopers gut. All it could do was wheeze from having the air knocked out of it, which didn't do it much good as it fell from the roof to a certain death on the road below."Agent 4... that was reckless and stupid.." Marie said as Kirin leaned against poll to rest."Yeah... but it worked, didn't it?""Maybe so... but I don't want to start losing any more agents... do I make myself clear?" Kirin's eye twitched at this."Clear... now just let me rest.""You know you can use the squee-g I gave you.. right?""No need to waste a charge on this..." He grunted in defiance. "And by the way... what's that glow over there?" Behind another water tank, he could see a yellow glow. It almost looked like the same glow the great zapfish put out during night while it was powering the tower."I... think you may have found a zapfish." Marie responded, and sure enough, there was a small zapfish being kept in a cage. "Agent 4, take that zapfish and find a way down to the streets. There should be another kettle nearby you can use.""Wait.. but I thought we were here for the big one.""We are... but those zapfish were given to them as part of the treaty we signed with them... Ca-.. Agent 1 and I were there..." Marie paused to keep her emotions in check. "Nevermind.. now that they broke the treaty, we have no reason to let the Octarians keep them.""Fine, but don't complain to me when they start whining about it." He hit the cage several times with the splattershot until it shattered, then picked up the frightened fish."I'm counting on it... now think you can make it back with out being reckless?""No promises.""I mean it 4... and.. agent?" Marie's tone changed which made Kirin pause."Yeah?""Frustrating as you are... you did good. I'm counting on you to keep it up," she said. Kirin thought about replying. Calling her 'Mariechi again, or just telling her what he's been keeping in. Why he agreed to do this in the first place. But he just silently shrugged to himself, as he carried the zapfish. Though finding a way back down to ground level ended up being a bigger pain than the Octarians...."Enigma to Guardian. Target has taken the bait. Confirmed sighting on new agent in Ceph.""Then Magenta was right. I'll let her know.""Worry about that later. You know what happens if we deviate from schedule again. I'm on my way back.""Right. I have a lead I need to check, but I'll meet you and Magenta at the zeppelin factory.""Be careful guardian. We can't afford another slip up. Enigma out."
A\N: Because of work, this chapter was written in small portions at a time, making my train of thought go all over the place, so I'm sorry if this one ends up sucking.

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Authors Notes: This is as far as I had written ahead, and things are picking up in the lab. So don't expect as frequent or consistent updates from this point onwards.
Kirin stood in front of the cabin, while eating a protein bar. He was waiting for Marie to take the zapfish to a safer location. Various thoughts circled through his head, as he nibbled on the protein bar. Thoughts about Squidbeak. Thoughts about Marie.'I Don't understand. Why did she insist on playing it safe? Was it to make sure her little soldier stays in play? Or was it something else..? After all, she..' Kirin was unable to finish his thoughts, as the green and white Inkling came back. Kirin quickly finished off the protein bar, and tossed the wrapper aside. It was sent into the canyon below, thanks to the wind picking up."By the way, I called in some backup to help. He won't be able to go with you in the field, but he can assist in other-""So, I got two voices nagging at me in battle. Sounds reeeaaalll helpful, Mariechi." Kirin made sure to make his eye roll obvious."AS I WAS SAYING!" Marie returned the eye roll with a stern glare. "He may not be able to back you up in the field, but he can provide you with additional equipment. Though, he should have been here by now-""Hello, hello! Man this is cool!" A new voice cut in over the com unit that Kirin quickly recognized. "Ahem. sorry I can't be there in person, but I'm still putting the finishing touches on my baby!""Sheldon...""Right, excuse me. And to the new guy, I'm-""I know. We met yesterday in your shop," Kirin interrupted, which was becoming a theme with the horseshoe crab."Oh, you're right. I recognize that voice. You were in my shop with the heavy splatling the other-""Yeah, yeah. Now how exactly are you going to help." The green inkling was starting to get rather impatient. Or at least that's how it looked to Marie."Cool it, Agent 4. I know Sheldon can be annoying at times, but he's here to provide you with weapons. Other Type-H weapons to be exact.""Right you are, Marie!" At that moment, he heard something that sounded like a large fan, and Kirin looked up to see a large box connected to several propellers, float down to him. "Anyway, Marie already told me everything and I'm honored to help Squidbeak! Tell me where you're headed next, and I'll pick you out one of my babies!""I've only managed to pick up activity in the workers quarters and airship factory. I was thinking of having him start in the workers quarters, as the airship factory will probably be heavily guarded since they started producing those zeppelins," Marie responded."Hmm... I have just the thing for the residential area." The crate lid popped open, and before Kirin knew it, he was holding a pair of nozzle weapons. "Type-H dualies. Fresh out of testing and should give you a good mix of firepower and mobility. Oh, and uh, I'm only lending these to you. I have a business to run, you know," Sheldon chuckled."Dualies, huh?" He looked over the twin weapons in each hand, turning them over and around for a better look. Then he pointed them at the far side of the canyon, letting loose a stream of ink at the makeshift target range Marie had set up while he was in Ceph. He popped the first two targets, then activated the rear nozzle, which propelled him forward enough to fire a stream at the third, popping it instantly."So what do yah think?" Sheldon asked over the communicator."I think I can work with this. I prefer range but.. these are pretty damn nice." Kirin whipped himself back over to Marie with the 'dodge' nozzles."Well that's good, because I need you to get started. You'll find the kettle... here." Marie pointed to a spot on his automapper."Alright. Order us some pizza while I'm gone, Mariechi." Ignoring the glare he was getting, he jumped into the kettle that had been marked, and the pressure shot him down the Octarian tunnel...."Have either of you seen that lieutenant of mine?" An Octoling elite stood in front of Brandon and Tricia. Since the Octarians had merged the defensive Guardian Corps and their mobile infantry, the Mariners, all Octolings now wore the new modernized black and silver uniform, complete with a new chest plate and boots. They were also equipped with a new version of the goggles. They were red on the outside, and looked more like shades than the older ones. While some stationed in Inkopolis, like the missing Lieutenant, still wore the old armor and goggles, this elite was no exception to the new look."Good afternoon, Kelly. And no, we haven't," Brandon said while bending a little, due to being just under a foot taller than the elite. "We're actually still trying to figure out what happened to our own 'fearless leader'. I don't suppose you've seen him?"The elite shrugged. "Nope. Not in a while. Interesting that they both go missing at the same time, though." Her mouth moved into a slight grin. "I had a feeling those two hadn't broken it off as much as they claimed to.""Wait, wait..." Tricia interrupted them. "What's this about braking it off? Was the captain.. uh... doing something.. with one of them..?" Her face went a little red."Private, I know you were still frozen in the Technodyne facility when the shit that went down two years ago happened, but are you seriously going to tell me you haven't heard the gossip about them?" He gave her a stunned look, but saw that she really didn't know. "Those two were the talk of both the facility and the Octarians, until they were pretty much forced to break up.""Yeah... a lot of it not good," Kelly sighed in agreement and shook her head. "Poor girl is still probably a virgin too.""Wait... that's.. that's what you question?" Brandon gave her a look that couldn't have been more bewildered."I'm just saying... that could be why they are missing. To remedy that." Kelly raised her arms to exaggerate the point."Your friend and subordinate is missing, and you're worried about h-her.. doing that?" Tricia looked like she was going to faint from how red faced she was."Yeah well, I know the pain of liking someone and not being able to act-" Kelly froze as she caught what she was saying."Wait, you have a guy you like? But you're the one always acting like everyone's big sis-" Brandon started."You know what? Shut up! I never said that!" She shouted in a way that was completely out of character for her. There was a reason why she was often called the Octarian version of Marie before off the hook became a thing. So those that knew her, like Brandon, would naturally be suspicious."Hey, Lieutenant! You're making a girl red! And I don't mean the tentacles!" Takeshi yelled from the other platform. Kelly immediately whipped around and flashed him the Octarian version of the bird."You know what? You fossils can all go jump in front of the train!" Kelly stomped off, leaving Brandon and Tricia still bewildered."Hey! Wanna go out with me instead?" Takeshi called after her, which just earned him another bird. "Is that a yes?""Takeshi, I swear, if I ever become captain, I'm sending you to work in the treatment plant permanently," Brandon said when he finally recovered. "All right, everyone get your asses on the train, its almost time to get this test underway!""But what about-" Tricia started to say."If the captain doesn't show up soon, we'll have to leave with out him. Because I'm done with this."..."Callie... used to watch the stars with me, when we were kids.." Marie absentmindedly commented while watching the video feed. The dome in the workers quarters was set to a nighttime theme, with stars lined all around the walls of the dome's artificial sky."Something you want to tell me?" Kirin asked, as he took cover behind one of the large rounded buildings. There were currently no Octarians visible, though that didn't mean there were none at all."Yes... I suppose I should tell you the real reason I need help," Marie said with a very audible sigh. "Look... Callie... my cousin.. also known as Agent 1. She.. she went missing and.. I think the Octarians took her along with the zapfish.""What makes you so sure?" Kirin moved down a narrow alley."Because she vanished around the same time I found that the former Mariner leader had escaped, and- Wait, stop!" Marie commanded, and Kirin took cover. Around the corner, a rather large Octarian sat perched on a fire escape. A long barrel extended in front of it, and it was scanning the alley ways with a laser sight. "Ugh.. Octosniper. Callie always hated these. Don't let it get a lock on you.""I kinda figured that." He ducked behind a dumpster. The narrow space made it hard to approach the sharpshooter, but he found something that caught his interest. A lone Octotrooper was sleeping, likely loafing on the job. "This could work." He grinned and grabbed the trooper, causing it to wake instantly. The Octarian yelped as he hurled it over the dumpster, right into the sniper's sight. Not bothering to check its target, the sniper shot the trooper, and would have killed it, if not for the matching ink."Ha! Idiot." Kirin ran out from behind his cover. Before the sniper could charge another shot, he used the dodge nozzle to propel himself forward, then he hurled a bomb on to the cat walk. The sniper tried to get off his perch, but was unable to get out of the way before it burst, and fell to the street, dead."I guess that's one way to get passed those slobs," Marie commented. Cursing, the trooper got up and slowly wobbled off, the ink obscuring its sight as it banged into a lamp post. Kirin rolled his eyes, and turned back to the path he was on. "The way ahead is clear, but I'm getting a reading at the end of the path. At least try to be stealthy this time.""I'll think about it." He slowly moved through the alley, making sure there weren't any more snipers that were positioned better than the one he took out. He eventually reached a dead end, and decided to climb another fire escape. Kirin went inside an open window on the second floor of the building that was blocking his way. The halls were rather drab. White tile floors, concrete tiles and roof. The building seemed to be an apartment complex, as all the doors were numbered and locked."Rather orderly, isn't it?" Marie commented, sensing his unease as he slowly moved forward. "Besides the capital building, I noticed most Octarian structures were like this. I guess they really don't have time or room to really make their own homes fresh.""That so?" Kirin paused when he finally found a door that was unlocked, which he hoped would lead to a window he could climb out of."4, halt!" Marie said, as he was about to open it. "I've got two readings ahead. It looks like a pair of Octolings. Be ready to fry them if they see you, as they won't be pushovers like the troopers.""You just let me do the talking.. or rather these." Kirin looked down at the yellow type-H dualies, and slowly opened the door. The inside of the room didn't look much different from the outside, say for the furnishings that the occupants would need to use for daily life. The first room looked clear, and he could see a window on the far side of the back room. Holding the duel nozzles in front of him, he was about to enter the second room, when an Octoling with thick bright red tentacles came out of the nearby bathroom. Startled, the two could only stare at each other, waiting for one to snap out of the trance. Eventually, the Octoling opened her mouth to yell."Don't!" Kirin lurched forward and grabbed her with his arm, getting her in a hold and pointed the nozzle at her. "Keep your mouth shut if you want to live passed the next few minutes.""S-sis!" Another voice said from the room with the window. He turned himself and the Octoling he was holding around, and he could see a younger looking one that had slimmer tentacles in a pony tail, and small pink rings around her eyes. Kirin quickly pointed the other nozzle at her."You stay back! I want outta here, get it? Now, get away from the window.""She's just a kid... don't you dare touch her.." the one he was holding growled. Kirin pressed the end of the nozzel that was pointed at her to her neck."I didn't ask for your input. Just do as I say, and I won't have to.""Wait, 4. We may be able to get some information out of them," Marie cut in rather loudly, making Kirin wince a little. Before Kirin could do anything, however, several pairs of boots could be heard clacking down the hallway at a rapid pace. Kirin turned the Octoling he was holding around, just in time to see two dark tentacled elites burst into the room."Halt, Inkling! You are in violation of the 2019 treaty. Drop your weapons and let her go!" Barked the older looking of the two as they fanned out. Kirin started backing towards the window, pulling his hostage along with him."Yeah, that's pretty funny, isn't it?. I mean, it's not like you didn't steal the great zapfish first.""I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about..""Agent 4, ask them if they know anything about-""Sorry, but I have no time for sharkshit." With out warning, Kirin hurled the Octoling he was holding at the elite that was standing between him and the younger one. She was knocked back, and Kirin used the dodge nozzle to hurl him self at the window, just as the other open fired. He hit the glass, and used the dodge nozzle a second time, causing the window to shatter. As he fell, he did his best to shoot ink to where he thought he was going to land. Just before hitting, he changed to squid form, and splashed into a small puddle. As he reverted, he noticed that he had narrowly avoided a large shard of glass."After him! Don't let him escape!" The leader shouted, and Kirin wasted no time in heading back into the maze of alley ways, and away from the streets."4! Right path! Now!" He made a hard right as his operator instructed, and it wasn't long before his pursuers had faded into the background. He slowed to a slow walk to catch his breath, then thanked the stars when he saw a vending machine. He didn't even bother to try his inkling money, and just bashed it a few times with the dualies."Ohhhh... that hits the spot," he said, while chugging an energy drink."I hope so... because you may have compromised us, 4.." Marie cut in with a tone that couldn't have been more annoyed. "I could have asked about my cousin..""Like they would have known, and they wouldn't have said anything if they did. You heard her tone." He took another sip before crushing the can and tossing it aside."Well lucky for you, we may get another chance.""What do you mean, Mariechi-""Shut it, 4. There's an open lot just up ahead. I'm getting two more readings. Head there and get some answers this time. I mean it, 4!""Yeah, I got it, I got it." Rolling his eyes, Kirin rounded the corner and peaked into the lot as Marie instructed. From where he was standing, he could make out two more female figures. "Wait.. something is different about them.""That's... Agent 4, get closer!" Marie commanded, and got close to the screen she was watching from. As Kirin sneaked to a small outdoor toilet, he got a better view on the pair of Octolings. One had a slightly darker tone in her tentacles, and was wearing silver goggles over her fore head, as opposed to the newer red tinted ones. Her eyes were yellowish and focused on the other Octoling. Her armor was also a simple rounded chest plate instead of the new uniform which had a larger flat plat across the chest. The other had on casual clothes, and had darker skin. She also wore a headband, and her dark tentacles had teal tips. The two seemed to be arguing, and the red one had her weapon pointed at the other."Wait.. that's.. It can't be! What are those two doing here?" Marie snapped out of it once he was close enough to listen in on the argument."I said where is he?" The red one yelled, and made the darker one back up."I-I don't know!" The darker one put her hands out in front of her. "Y-you know I'm not-""Don't lie to me! I know you were under his direct command as a combat engineer!" The red one's eyes narrowed and waved the octoshot."T-that was two years ago! Y-you know I'm no longer part of the Mariner Corps!" She continued to back up with an increasingly frightened look on her face. "C-come on.. You know me, Ot-""Marina Ida, combat engineer and lead developer of the flooders. You were commended by him on several occasions. I KNOW you know where his hide out is!""Marina...?" Kirin's ears perked up. "That girl that was with pearl? What is she doing here?" He silently crept closer to the arguing duo. By now the red one was starting to back Marina into a corner and shouting something about Magenta."I don't know... but I think I know who the other one is," Marie cut in again. "Agent 4, I need you to break it up. Neither of them are to be harmed.""What? Why? I get Marina, but why the other one? Would be easier to just shoot her.""I mean it, 4!""Fine, fine. Just cut my tentacles off, why don'tcha. So how am I supposed to do that with out even using ink paralysis?" Kirin twirled the duelies in his hand to keep himself from going in guns blazing."Agent 4, I may have a suggestion," Sheldon chimed in on his own communicator to stop them from arguing. "Perhaps a distraction would be in order? Or make them think that there's more than one of you. You have those curling bombs I gave you, right?""Hmmm..." Kirin paused to look at the ground between him and the arguing females. "I like the way you think, Sheldon." Kirin grinned, and set a curling bomb on the ground, but didn't activate it yet. After refilling his ink tank, he placed another two next to it. Once the bombs were placed, he kicked the activator on all three, and sent them speeding towards the pair."Listen to me, Otome. You know me! I'm not a spy- Ahh!" Marina was the first to notice, and used the brief moment that the one called Otome paused, to run away from her and towards him. Otome, on the other hand, did a combat roll between the other two curling bombs. They passed by and exploded behind her. As Kirin swam in the ink trail to Marina, Otome fired several shots at the other trails to cover them up, then turned to Kirin."So you're the agent he was talking about.." She looked him up and down with an unimpressed expression. "I'm only going to warn you once. Stay out of this. Neither you, the pink one, nor Marie know what's at stake, and we've come too far to let this fall apart." She dropped a bomb in front of her, then turned and ran to a nearby kettle."You, stay right there, and stay down!" He yelled at Marina, before reaching to his headset. "Marie, who the hell was that? She called you by name.""Otome Maroon... She's.. our friend. Mine and Callies... but.. why is she here? Is this where she's been all this time?""That didn't look very friendly to me. I'm going after her." Kirin ran towards the kettle that Otome had already gone through."But if she's here.. then.. Wait, stop!" Marie's warning came just in time, as a loud crack was heard from one of the nearby buildings and Kirin skidded to a halt. A puff of dirt shot up several yards from the kettle in front of him. Another loud crack, and something hit the kettle's control console, causing it to short out and shut down. Kirin quickly turned and ran back to where Marina was, and jumped behind a dumpster after grabbing on and pulling her with him."Marie, what the hell was that!" Kirin yelled into the communicator when the dust settled. Marina was curled up in the corner and shivering. It took several seconds for Marie to respond, but when she did, it was clear that she was shaken up."That... that was... a gunshot." Her voice was breaking up and filled with disbelief. Kirin, on the other hand, seemed to have no clue what she was talking about."A what? Is this some sort of new Octarian weapon?" He turned to Marina, who was still shaken up."N-no! T-that's not Octarian tech. I swear!" She put her hand up in front of her face."She's telling the truth, Agent 4. That was..." Marie sighed heavily before finishing her train of thought. "That was an elder race weapon.""Great... so Pearl was right. The humans really are-""Wait, how do you know Pearlie?" Marina interrupted him with wide eyes. Kirin could only stare as he tried to look for an excuse for his blunder. Lucky for him, Marie wasn't about to waste time."Never mind that. Agent 4, escort Marina back to Octocanyon. We need to have a talk.""But shouldn't I go after-""That's an order, 4. Besides, you aren't getting to the zeppelin factory in that kettle. I'll find another route once you two are safe back at the cabin." Marie cut the feed, as if to say that the discussion was over. Kirin looked over to the Octoling girl, and reached out a hand to help her up."You coming?" He asked. Marina nodded, and he pulled her back on her feet. "You're awfully trusting to an armed Inkling.. you know that?""A-any friend of Pearl, is a friend of mine." Marina meekly smiled."Yeah... there's no way you're in their army." Kirin turned and headed back to the first kettle that was on the automap."Haha.. r-right." Marina quickly followed him and changed to her octopus form, as the two reached the kettle. A loud whoosh later, and the two were shot back to where Marie was waiting for them...."Enigma to Guardian. Confirmed this Agent 4 has returned to the neutral zone. Magenta and I will have to take the long way to the zeppelin factory.""Understood. I've already called on a carrier zeppelin to pick you up with the rest of the squad.""Fine, but i just got another warning about losing any more zapfish." The coms went dead for several seconds."We've come too far... We have to see this through.""I know.. but I have an idea. Make sure the rest of the zeppelin squadron is ready to deploy. Enigma out."..."Final preparations be complete. Ready to leaving any times." A jelly fish that had been assigned the job of driving the subway train on its maiden voyage was addressing Captain Scylls and Lieutenant Finn. They had just finished loading up their respective squads on the train, along with the Inkling army."All my men are accounted for," Brandon responded."Same here.. well, except for my lieutenant," Kelly added."And the captain... seriously, I don't know where the hell he's wandered off too, but we'll have to leave those two behind." The two followed the jelly on the train. As he went to the engine car, Brandon met up with the Becker siblings and Matt. "Before you ask, no. The captain still isn't here.""Well that's typical." Matt rolled his eyes behind the tactical goggles."Matt, knock it off. You take Tricia, Justin and Takeshi to the front car. I'll take Reggie and Kenny to the back." The group split up, and Brandon lead the two back to the rear car with Kelly following behind them. After the last few army inklings got on board, the train finally began its trial run. The train smoothly ran down the subway tracks, clacking as it went, and the three humans took a seat. Kelly plopped down next to Brandon, and took her goggles off, revealing her Inkling eye mask. Something that was still rare for her to do."Hey.. what's her deal?" Kenny whispered to Reggie."The Octoling? What about her?" he looked over to see Kelly leaning back, clearly tired."Her eyes are different from the others.""Ah.. about that. I heard from the Captain's gi- er, ex girlfriend that she had an Inkling father.""Seriously? I didn't know cross breeding was a thing-""I can still hear you" The Octoling elite said, not bothering to look up at them."S-sorry, ma'am.""Kenny, cool it. We're just hear to help test the subway line. Nothing more." Brandon turned away from them and watched the tunnel lights flick by as the train picked up speed. "It would be nice if at least one day went by where everything went right."..."Are you sure you don't know where the leader is, Marina?" Marie asked, as she and Kirin stood next to the cabin with the dark tentacled Octoling. By now, the sun was setting and it was almost night time. Marie had been questioning Marina since Kirin had evacuated her from the workers quarters while Kirin stood silently."I- I'm sorry. I don't know. T-the old hide out used to be in the valley.. and.. he's not there any more." Marina looked down for a moment, then quickly raised her head with a look that made Kirin think she had been caught doing something wrong."Marina...? What is it?" Marie asked and shifted her parasol to her other shoulder."I.. I just had a thought." She fidgeted a little before continuing, and Kirin wondered how she was able to keep her cool on stage. "I.. I might be able to hack in.. to their communications net, I mean.""You can do that?" Marie raised an eye brow."Yes! Why didn't I think of this before?!" The Octoling quickly took a laptop out of her bag and set it on the bench next to the cabin. She started hitting keys at a pace that stunned both Marie and Kirin, as she typed in codes. After a few minutes, the screen changed, and a loading bar started to slowly fill. "Phew... I made it passed Security." Marina breathed a sigh of relief and wiped off her front tentacles."Looks like this could take a while. Agent 4, why don't you hit the airship and zeppelin factory next? I it should be right about..." Marie looked over Kirin's automap."Here." Marina leaned over and marked a point. "Though, I warn you.. that's gonna take you right to the production line.""That's fine.. just makes this go quicker." Kirin nodded to Marina, and was about to head out, when the airborne weapon's crate appeared in front of him, and the recognizable voice of the weapons dealer cut in on the communicator."Just a moment! You're gonna want some range going into that factory," Sheldon said, and the crate opened up to reveal a type-H charger. He reached in to pick it up, and looked it over. "This baby is tricky, but if you know how to use a splatling, you should get the basic idea. And you got the best charger user to teach you how to use it." Marie grinned a little at his last comment."I think I can handle myself. And Mariechi looks busy," Kirin said. This made the grin turn into an eye roll, and earned a giggle from Marina. "Well, I'm off. Don't have too much fun now.""Agent 4, wait!" Marina said, as he was about to turn away and head for the kettle. "Thank you for getting me out of that." The Octoling smiled at him, and he quickly turned away."Don't mention it.." Kirin left the chattering girls behind, and wasted no time in hopping in the transport kettle. Soon, he was flying down the tunnel at breakneck speed until he reached the other end a minute later. Feeling a little sick again, he slowly stepped out. "I don't think I'm going to ever get used to that..""Callie still hasn't.." Marie said over the com with an audible sigh. "But anyway, it looks like you made it to the factory.""Yeah.. and she wasn't kidding about being in the middle of it.." Kirin looked around the industrial dome. Several airships were picking up supplies from a nearby hanger. On his right, he could see another airship being assembled on a large dry dock looking structure. In front of him, zeppelins were being produced on a large assembly line. One took off and headed in another direction after the assembly was complete. Ignoring it, Kirin headed towards the assembly line. After a few minutes, another zeppelin appeared from where the regular airships were being serviced. It was larger than the others, and had a platform underneath to haul cargo."Wait.. hold up Agent 4." Marie said when the zeppelin was closer. "Do you.. hear something?" Kirin stopped in his tracks, and his ears twitched."I hear it too.." He looked around, until his eyes fixed on the larger zeppelin."Does that sound like... singing to you?" Marie asked. Kirin's ears perked up as the sounds of voices became more audible."I- think so..?" He watched as the zeppelin got closer, and the singing became more clear. Once it started to pass overhead, he could make out several figures on the platform. There were several Octotroopers, 3 Octolings, and an a tall unknown figure that was covered in blue armor. But after a few moments, he noticed something was off. One of the figures, the one that was singing, had two large smooth tentacles that were jet black, unlike other Octolings who were red or dark brown. She also was not wearing the uniform of the others, and her clothes looked more Inkling. "Uhhh.. Marie.. who is that?" Kirin asked, but the only voice that he could here was that of the singing girl."Marie? What's going on here?" Still no response from Marie. One of the Octolings joined in the unknown girl in the singing. The duo sounded quite beautiful to him, and he would have continued to give the two his attention, if he hadn't noticed two sets of eyes on him. The other Octoling was staring at him. She wasn't wearing her goggles, and he recognized the eyes and retro armor. It was the girl from before that had warned him to stay away. Next to her, the armor covered figure was also watching him. A helmet and gas mask prevented Kirin from making out its details, but it was larger than the others on the platform."T-that's... those are..." Marie sputtered. Kirin watched them fly by. They had clearly seen him, but didn't seem to alert the others or attack from above, which only added to the confusion. Both Marie and Kirin stood stunned and confused, until she finally broke the silence. "H-huh? Agent 4, take cover!""W-what?" He snapped out of it, only to see another pair of zeppelins fly over him. Unlike the large one, they were spraying ink all over the ground. "Ah, crap!" he turned to run, but he was suddenly grabbed from behind, and could only yelp as he was pulled under one of the assembly platforms. The zeppelin passed over, and ink covered the ground and roof around where he had been pulled in."Geez. I know she's awesome, but stay focused, dude!" An unknown female voice said. Kirin was whipped around to face his savior. She had the same uniform he did, and was armed with another type-H splattershot. Her tentacles were bright pink and in an unusual twin tail look, and she looked a year older than him. His eyes widened when he saw her last defining feature. One purple eye and one yellow eye. And if she was an agent, only one of them fit that description."Oh, no.."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The dome containing the airship factory was in full swing, producing and repairing both the circular airships and the new Octo-zeppelins. Adding to this, was the shouting of angry Octotroopers, the clacking of Octoling boots and the dripping from the ink raining down on the two agents by a zeppelin that was hovering over where the duo had taken shelter. Ink ran down the walls of the narrow crawlspace that Kirin and the pink female had ducked into. But a sound that had managed to drown out everything else, was being broadcast over their headsets."Neptune?! WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" The sudden and unexpected roar over the headset by Marie, caught both him and the girl called Neptune by surprise, and they both quickly grabbed their heads and loosened the headsets to keep their ears from bleeding. They could hear Marina making a surprised squeaking sound in the background."Geez, chill, Marie! And what happened to the code names, huh?" Neptune asked, once the wave of pain was over."Don't give me that! I've been trying to get a hold of you for days, trying to figure out if you and gramps were okay!" Marie continued with a still frustrated tone."What are you talking about? I've been stuck down here trying to regroup with the others. Did something happen to the old coot?""Neptune, he left a note saying that he was taking Agent 3 on a-" Marie paused when she came to a realization and her tone quickly returned to her normal, albeit exasperated self. "And that means it was the original Agent 3 after all... No wonder I couldn't get a hold of Levin, either." The line went quiet for a few minutes, though they could make out a muffled conversation between Marie and Marina. Kirin swore he heard several creative curses mixed in, until she finally got back on the line. "I swear, when they get back, we are going to have a serious talk about these stupid number code names.""Tell me about it. What was wrong with my old number, anyway?" Neptune rolled her eyes, and getting tired of the conversation, Kirin soon butted in."That's fine and all, but don't we have something more pressing to deal with, girls?" Kirin pointed outside, where more zeppelins were starting to gather, and a square shaped helicopter like craft was using search lights to scan the area. Kirin took aim at the pilot of the block helicopter with his charger."Fine.. I guess I know where that other suit and type-H went," she sighed. "Anyway, don't bother trying to take that down with a hand weapon. You'd need something like an inkzooka." Marie said, having calmed down some. "Just try to stay out of its vision, or you'll have the fleet on you in minutes.""Forget about the seeker. If you guys are here to shut this place down, the zapfish is up there." Neptune pointed to the top of the assembly line, and Kirin caught site of the glowing orb containing the zapfish. The ramps that lead up were all either being guarded by Octolings, or covered by ink from zeppelins."Okay, so.. how do we get up there?" Kirin asked, as he returned his gaze to the pink agent."Dude, use your head. At least pay attention to your surroundings." Neptune then pointed to the platform that was nearby. Near the platform's edge, was a glowing orb structure."Oh, a grapplink node!" Sheldon cut in. "That's perfect! Shoot it with ink, and it will pull you up to it. That should get you in range-""Yes, thank you, Sheldon. But kindly stop butting in," Marie said, cutting him off. "From what I can see, that platform will give you a better vantage point, but the seeker will see you before you're even off the grapple node.""You just leave that to me." Neptune grinned."Agent 3, you need to get back and, hey wait!" Marie yelled at her to stop, but Neptune ran from the cover they were hiding under. She ran right into the Octoseeker's spot light, getting its attention instantly. She stuck her tongue out at the pilot, then proceeded to give him the Octarian, Inkling and human versions of the bird. Not surprisingly, the pilot sounded the alarm and started chasing after her. She quickly turned, and headed away from the assembly line, to where the airship drydock was, as two zeppelins turned to follow. "Dammit, 3... Agent 4, get up there and cover her!""I get it, calm your tentacles," Kirin huffed, and shot a stream at the grapple target. As soon as the stream hit, something similar to a S.P.A.W.N. tether beam latched on, and he was dragged up to the upper platform in squid form. Once the beam dis-engaged, he quickly reverted to bipedal, raised the charger again, and fired a shot at the zeppelin. The stream hit, and simply slid off the hull. "Marie, this isn't working.""Can you get to higher ground? Marina says there should be a weak point on the top." Marie said, while closely watching his feed, leaning on the edge of her chair. Marina would occasionally glance up from her hack job to watch as well."I don't see a way to get higher. Guess she'll have to fend for herse-""Wait, there's an ink rail next to your position. It looks like it leads to the assembly line." Kirin looked to his left, and just as Marie said, a powered down line was sitting on the edge of the platform. "Shoot it to activate it. Quick, before that thing moves out of range!" Doing as he was told, he fired a partially charged shot at the orb, and a line quickly extended from the base, all the way to the upper assembly line on the other side of the walkway."This is getting ridiculous," Kirin complained, and nervously set one of his feet on the rail. Almost instantly, his body started to be pulled along the line. He yelped, and put is other foot on the rail. He felt like he was going to lose his balance as he soared down the line, but the ink in the rail kept his feet tethered to the line. Almost dropping his weapon, he turned to face the first zeppelin, just as he started to pass over it. The first thing he noticed, was a large tentacle sticking out of the top of the aircraft."What the? That looks like the sentient tentacles they used to control the great octo-weapons," Marie said as he tried to lock on with his charger."Oh, you're right. Fascinating! I've always wanted to see one of those up close!" Sheldon said loudly, with a sound that hinted of drooling."Sheldon! Enough with the nerding out!" Marie said, trying to keep her composure. "And quit butting in! Agent 4, shoot that thing already!" Kirin lined up the tentacle with the laser, but paused when the charge was full. He thought about ignoring it, and letting the pink one swallow the pill that she had taken. But he decided against it, and let the stream loose. It hit the tentacle in the center, and it split in two. The zeppelin stopped in its tracks, before spinning out of control. It soon hit the street below the assembly line, and exploded into ink and scrap."That's one." Kirin hopped off the rail and went to the side of the platform to take aim at the second zeppelin that was moving out of range."Hurry, 4! You're gonna lose it!""I got this Mariechi. Though, the pink one better appreciate this." He fired another shot, and the second zeppelin fell from the sky. The seeker was still giving chase to Neptune, but there was nothing he could really do about that. He was about to head to where the zapfish was being kept, but something caught his eye. In a large clear container, was a white circular robot. It seemed to be powered down, but gave off an odd feeling of being both cutesy and menacing."Industrial squee-g." Marie said, anticipating his question. "I'd heard about these, but I didn't know there were any around still, since their targeting was reported to be flawed.""Is it.. dangerous?" Kirin took a step back."Very dangerous. You know how a normal squee-g will clean foreign ink off of you? Well this one will literally clean your ink and other fluids right out of your body.""Uhh... yeah. I think I'll just not mess with this." Kirin backed away and slowly walked around the storage cube."That would be smart, 4. Now heads up. I'm reading two guards near where the zapfish is being kept," Marie said. Kirin peaked around the corner, and sure enough, two nervous looking Octolings were standing near the orb."This might be a good time to make use of the new save charge ability on the charger," Sheldon cut in again. "Just dive into your ink while charging, and your type-H will retain its charge for a few seconds.""That.. actually sounds pretty useful...""Oh, it is. Trust me on that," Marie cut in, and he swore she was smirking on her end. Rolling his eyes, despite no one being there to see it, Kirin charged a shot to make a trail from his corner to the other side of the platform, before lobbing a bomb to where the to Octolings were. The first quickly dove away, having been alerted to the inkling from the charger shot, but the second, a young rookie, made the mistake of backing herself into a corner. The bomb went off, and splattered ink all over her. As paralysis took over, all she could do, was slide down the wall."You'll pay for that, dogfish of squidbeak!" The other Octoling hissed, and rushed Kirin's hiding spot. Not bothering to respond, he leaned out of the corner he was in, and aimed his charger at the Octoling. However, he didn't notice the weapon she was carrying, until a blaster ball came hurtling towards him. He barely had time to dive in his ink, as the splash effect of the ball grazed his shoulder. "You'd best come out of there and give up. I know all about inkling weapons, and you're not gonna get another shot off before I plant a ball in your stupid squid eye mask!""Yeah, guess again!" Kirin emerged from the far side of the ink trail, with his charger raised. The Octoling sneered, thinking she had an easy victory, but didn't notice the fact that his weapon retained its charge until it was too late. A stream of ink hit her in the gut, just under the chest armor, and she was knocked backwards, flat on her back. She moaned from the severe pain."Fresh moves, 4. Now get that zapfish, and get back here with 3," Marie said, as Kirin freed the zapfish from the generator it was hooked up to. As soon as it was disconnected, the zeppelin production line froze up, and shut down. Kirin raised his charger to finish off the Octoling he had shot. She simply glared at him, expecting her life to be ended any second. But seconds passed, as he held the weapon with out squeezing the trigger. Instead, he moved the barrel to the Octoling's face, and used it to slowly peel the tactical goggles off of her."Huh... he was right.. they are kinda cute now that I get a good look," He mumbled, as her expression turned from a glare to pure confusion. Then the pained expression returned, and he could tell that she was hit with enough ink that she would die with out aid. "Ah, screw it." He went around behind her, and fished out the girl's squee-g from her pocket. He tossed the robot onto her stomach, and it went to work on the boy's green ink. "You can tend to your partner when you're able to get off your own ass." He turned away from her, and headed to the edge of the assembly line."Don't... expect.. the favor... returned... next time," the Octoling grunted, still in serious pain."Trust me. There won't be a next time. Later, hot stuff." He hopped from the upper platform to the lower level, where a zeppelin was nearly finished and just awaiting the sentient tentacle that was suspended from a now powered down crane. "Now where did that damn pink one get too.." Kirin looked around."Wait, I've finally got her camera feed back up. She's headed right towards you and- WHAT THE HELL!?" Marie went from calm to frenzied in a split second, which made Kirin whip around to the far side of the street he had last seen her."Marie, what are you shouting abou- What... the.. hell?" He froze up when he saw what had set Marie off. Neptune was coming towards them at a rapid pace with the Octoseeker still in hot pursuit. But it wasn't what Nuptune was doing that stunned them. It was what she was riding."I-Is that what I think it is?" They could hear Marina ask in the background."It is... an industrial squee-g... dammit 3." She let out the most exasperated sigh yet."Hey! Hey, 4! You might wanna get it in gear before you miss your ride!" Neptune shouted as the squee-g passed under the lower platform he was on."Oh you have got to be squidding me," Kirin groaned. He took a few steps back, then took a running jump off the platform, landing on the back side of the squee-g Neptune was riding. He lost his balance on landing, but Neptune grabbed him to keep him from falling off."Never fear, Neptune's here!" She grinned and flashed a peace sign."Agent 3, what the hell were you thinking? No, where did you even find this?" Marie asked, once she regained her composure."Details, details. It works doesn't it?" She tossed a splat bomb out in front of the robot, which it started to chase on sight. "Now, onward my pet! Do my bidding!" Kirin stared at her, not believing her behavior, even after what he had already been told about the pink agent."I.. think she's talking to the squee-g.. I hope." Marie face palmed at her desk, and almost planted her whole head on the keyboard of her laptop. "Anyway, you'd better get a move on, because that seeker is gaining." Kirin turned, and sure enough, the Octarian quad copter was catching up to the industrial squee-g. Neptune tossed out another bomb, as Kirin raised his charger, and he could clearly see the pilot behind reinforced glass. Seeing no other options, he aimed his sights at the cockpit."That ain't gonna work. Trust me, I tried." Neptune said, keeping the squee-g's attention on the road as it ran down an unfortunate Octotrooper."You got a better idea?" He was about to fire, when an explosion rocked the seeker. The pilot was instantly killed, and the quad copter started spinning into a free fall, until it slammed against the assembly line, taking out a few zeppelins that were still in early production."Whoa! Nice shot, dude! We got ourselves a badass here, Mariechi!" Nuptune said with a grin. She slapped Kirin's shoulder, which almost made him fall off."Don't you start that too!" Marie grumbled. "Look, just make a right up ahead." Neptune threw a bomb into the right path at an intersection, and the industrial squee-g followed, squeaking all the way."Actually, that wasn't me." Kirin said, and sat down on the robots top."What do you mean that wasn't you?" Neptune turned back to him with a questioning look."That explosion looked like it came from the other side to me. And I didn't even fire my weapon." Neptune continued to give him an odd look, until they reached a dead end. There was a kettle right under the Squee-g. Neptune tossed her last bomb casing to the street they came from, and the two hopped off of it as it chased after the bomb."That kettle will take you back to Octo canyon. Putting aside the fact that we need to have a talk, it looks like Marina found something." Marie said over the communicator when they were clear of the squee-g."Yeah, yeah. We're on our way back." Neptune changed forms and hopped into the kettle. Kirin sighed and shook his head before walking over to it. "Dude, you coming?" He could hear Neptune call from the kettle. Sighing again, he followed her inside, and the two were shot back to home base...."Enigma...""I know...""We failed...""I KNOW... He's really done it this time.""Days of planning wasted...""Yes... but we both know he would have done it anyway... All we can do is remain where we are.. Or I will. You will be in more trouble than me, if you stay.""I'm not leaving her either.""Yes... he can't be allowed to take magenta from the dome.""They're currently in the arena, still.""Then that is where we engage them."..."Hey hey! I found it!" Marina waved at Kirin, as he approached the shack with Neptune."Yeah, that's great and all, and I'm sure it's amazing. But anyone got a drink or something? I'm dying here." Neptune said, and flopped down on the porch. Marie tossed her a water bottle, and she wasted no time chugging it."Err.. who is she?" Marina asked."Meet Agent 3. The current Agent 3," Marie commented."Neptune Sireness." She said between gulps. "And I know you're Marina and all that. You're pretty good on stage.""O-oh, thank you." Marina smiled a little."Not holding a candle to the squid sisters, of course." Neptune grinned."Alright, enough of that." Marie snapped her finger to get their attention. "Marina found where the Octarian stronghold is. I'm sure Octavio has my cousin with him as well."Who?" Kirin looked up at her."A pain in the ass that still hasn't learned his lesson. I still owe him for helping take something from me two years ago," Neptune answered for Marie with a very violent sounding hiss, which startled him for a second."Tch.. you would think that, wouldn't you.. Agent 6," Kirin mumbled under his breath."As I was saying..." Marie continued. "Marina has located him at the lowest area of Octocanyon in the hazardous Cephalon sector.""Y-yes, but you will have to go through the control center for the main industrial dome," Marina said nervously. "I'll mark the kettle for you, but it's sure to be guarded by elites at the very least. You should sneak through if you can. The only other way to get down there is with air craft. Last I heard, they were gathering at the old assembly hall.""Aircraft that we don't have... yet," Marie interrupted. "And I'm gonna have to send you alone initially. Something happened at Moray towers, and I have to send Neptune to deal with it.""Oh, come on! I just got back to the surface!" Neptune groaned, but before Marie could chastise her, their communicators all activated at once, and a very static laden voice could be heard."...eave... no..w..""What? Who is this?" Marie pressed a hand to her communicator ear piece."le... thi.. lace.. ow.." The static continued to be too heavy to make anything out."I don't know who this is, but get off the line! If you get in our way, Agent 4 will mess you up! And if this is Octavio trying to screw with us again, you'll get messed up anyway." Marie angrily shut her device off. "Just ignore that. Agent 4, I need you to head out now. Remember, don't enter the assembly hall with out us. Just get through the control sector and make sure the entrance to Cephalon is clear.""Uhh sure. Whatever." He shrugged and went to the weapons crate to swap out his equipment."Interesting choice for help." Marina commented."Yeah... He reminds me of Agent 3 in some ways... not all of them good. Though, better hygiene for sure.""Excuuuusseee me! I do NOT smell!" Neptune whipped around, who was about to head to Inkopolis and Moray towers. "And If I do, its because I've been stuck underground for the last few days!""Not you.." Marie shook her head. "The other agent 3- oh forget it. We both know Levin could get... well... sweaty after a few battles.""Yeah, you'd better fix that, Marie. And I'll tell him you said that." Neptune hopped into the pipe that lead back to the city."Oh, just shut your face and get to work already.. both of you.""Ahh haha.." Marina nervously laughed. "I.. uh.. should get back and make sure Pearl and the staff aren't worried." Marie nodded to her and Marina turned to follow Neptune through the pipe, but stopped and looked back when she reached the grate."Good luck, Agent 4. Please bring back my best friend's idol." Marina smiled and changed to her octopus form, falling through the grate as Kirin watched."Well when she puts it that way..." Kirin sighed and shouldered the roller that Sheldon had suggested to him. As Marie returned to her Laptop, he hopped inside the marked kettle, and was once again, sent into the domes below. After reaching the other end, he took a good look at the large circular room he was in. There were a number of large pipes lining the walls, and below the center platform, he could make out a number of factories through the glass that covered the floor. There were also various monitors that showed different sectors, including the damaged zeppelin production line."Something is wrong... There should be at least some guards here," Marie said, noticing the fact that the platform was empty, aside from a large quantity of purple ink."You don't say... Well I can see the Cephalon kettle on the other side, so here goes nothing." He slammed the roller down, and started running forwards through the ink to clear out any Octolings or divers that were hiding in the large pool. He got about half way across the room, before Marie transmitted again."Agent! Get back! NOW!" Doing as he was told, Kirin skidded to a hald, and pulled his roller back to avoid a large shadow that had appeared above him. A split second later, a loud crash rang through the walls of the control chamber, and sitting in a place he had been only a second before, was a massive Octarian regular that was larger than even Octavio."Hmpf... so this is the one that's been giving the infantry so much trouble..." it said in a loud voice. With narrowed eyes, the large almost humanoid looking Octarian sized him up with narrow eyes. "You lack caution and awareness. You'd do well to listen to your handler." It raised a roller of its own above its head that looked like a hybrid of a brush and roller."I-I don't believe this! It's a new great Octo-weapon! I thought they shut down these projects! Did Octurus lie about this too?" Marie pulled out some notes that Marina had made while hacking the communication system. "I-It's called the Octo Samurai, and I think you've just been challenged to a duel.""Yeah, that's a bit obvious, Marie. I'm a bit more worried about that dynamo brush thing he's carrying.""Enough stalling. Raise your weapon, and fight!" Kirin did as the samurai wanted, and raised his roller. The samurai responded in kind, and slammed his to the ground, which sent a large wave of ink directly at him. Kirin barely had enough time to run to the right of the wave, which passed by and sprinkled several drops on his uniform."Now that's just unfair." Kirin groaned, which earned a smirk from the samurai. He again slammed the large roller down to send another wave at Kirin, but he lowered his own roller and maneuvered around the wave. He managed to get close enough to be able to quickly raise the roller, and slam it down on the samurai's side, coating him in ink, but not enough to topple him."It's not going to be that easy, young squid." The samurai swung the roller sideways to swat him away, giving Kirin barely enough time to do an emergency mini squid jump over the horazontal wave. As he came down on the samurai's other exposed side. He raised the roller, and slammed it down, again coating the samurai in green ink, but still not enough to cover him."Oh, come on!" Kirin backed up to avoid another side swipe, but the samurai raised his roller over his head. Sensing what was coming, he ran forward, then turned around to avoid the vertical wave. Kirin then leapt into the air, raising his roller over his head to finish the Octarian with a vertical flick. However, as he sent the wave towards the samurai, it spun a full 360 degrees, and sent another large horazontal wave at Kirin. The Samurai was splatted from the final flick, and burst into a large pool of green, but Kirin had been caught by his last attack, and was sent flying backwards, landing on his back and screaming in pain."Agent 4! Get up! It's not over yet!" Marie yelled. He managed to lift his head, just in time to see a tentacle emerge from a small pool of ink that was inside the roller's large base. "That Octarian isn't the Octo-weapon! It's the roller! Hit that tentacle before it repairs itself.""Easier said than done, Marie.." Barely able to move, he managed to pull out a splat bomb, and toss it at the tentacle. Surprisingly, the throw was on target, and the bomb burst, causing the tentacle to retreat back into the weapon. Thinking he had destroyed it, he pulled out the squee-g that Marie had given him, and let it go to work in removing the ink off of his body that was causing his paralysis. However, they could see the figure of what looked like an Octoling's alternate form be pulled into the hole, as if a tether beam was guiding it. Soon, the samurai started to reform in front of their very eyes."W-what the.. non Octolings shouldn't be able to do that!" Marie said, stunned that the operator had essentially respawned."I... don't think that matters.. Marie." Kirin coughed. He still couldn't move, as the squee-g had only removed about half the ink by the time the samurai had reformed. "I.. Might have screwed up..." He stared at the samurai, who just stared right back with his weapon back in his hand. "I am so screwed..." He panted, waiting for the samurai to finish him off with another wave of ink. But it just stood there with his weapon in hand, staring right back."Agent 4! On your feet! The squee-g is done!" Marie commanded. He looked down, and saw that the squee-g had indeed shut down. He slowly got on his feet, and the samurai grinned."Good. The fight resumes." The samurai then leapt directly at him with surprising agility. Kirin lowered the roller to the ground, and took a risk in running under the Octarian's shadow, narrowly avoiding being crushed. He then struck the creature in the back with a vertical flick, and not wanting to repeat past mistakes, he quickly put distance between them to avoid a retaliatory strike. He turned again to face the Octarian, but he was holding his weapon under him in a bizarre fashion. He didn't understand what it was up to, until he finally noticed that it had morphed into a motorcycle like vehicle, and the samurai then charged directly at him."Oh shi- What the hell kinda roller is this!" He scurried to avoid getting crushed, and barely managed to avoid getting swatted by the creatures large tentacle arm as it passed by. Once on the other side, the samurai quickly turned around and revved up the engine for another pass at Kirin. A split second later, he charged again, but this time Kirin was ready. When he was close enough, he hurled a burst bomb at the Samurai's face."Gyaaa! What mockery is this!" It boomed and thrashed wildly. Kirin came up directly behind it and landed a killing blow on its back. The samurai burst into ink once again, and the tentacle emerged from the roller. This time, Kirin hit it with the full force of his roller, causing the tentacle to erupt into purple ink as the octopus figure was pulled back into the weapon. Before it was able to fully reform however, the samurai was violently ejected. It coughed and wheezed several times, as Kirin pointed the tip of the roller at it's head. "Well... met... Inkling.. You... are the victor... now finish it.""hhmmm... nah." Kirin lowered the roller, making the disarmed and battered samurai blink at him."Finish the fight... There.. is nothing to be gained...""Don't feel like it." He leaned on the handle of the roller. "You spared my life, now I'm sparing yours. Besides, all I've heard about you regulars is how boring and weak you are. But you... you're... fun." he grinned a little. The samurai could only blink more at his statement."You're sparing your enemy...? For that?""You got ink in your ears?" Kirin rolled his eyes and turned away. "You might want to find a new team to play on, though. Octavio's side has kinda sucked so far." He moved around the Octarian and started heading for the kettle."I suppose there is some honor left in Inklings.." he muttered as he watched Kirin approach the kettle."Agent 4... I don't believe what I just saw," Marie finally chimed in."Forget about it, Marie. It's time to- ack!" he winced when a familiar static cut in on their communicators again."Leave... now... Run.. don't return here again!" The voice sounded like it was having trouble coming through, as if being spoken at a distance."Are... you holding.. the communicator upside down?" Marie asked after a brief pause."I'm totally not!" it said, coming in much clearer."Yes you were! Wait... Callie..?""Nope! I'm not Callie! Not her. So go away. I'm not gonna call again!" The communication was cut as abruptly as it started."I knew it.. I knew she was down here..." Marie sighed with a pained voice. "Listen. Sheldon is on his way, and I'll be going with you this time. Stay there and DO NOT go into the Cephalon assembly hall!""I'll think about it.""Agent 4, I mean-" he shut off the device, and hopped into the kettle...."Nothing ever really happens on the subway. At least nothing beyond your usual bum fights or idiots trying to sell drugs or something, back where I came from." Matt was explaining to Tricia, as the trans capital subway continued its test run down the long tunnel. "And its really nothing the police can't handle. I don't see why they had to pack the train with military units.""You tell me. I'm new, remember? Maybe its just a big multi racial day care?" She joked."Probably not far off.. Leave it to us to have to make sure the reds and colored heads don't start trying to kill each other again," Matt scoffed."And I thought the late Commander Bridget Mclarrin was the asshole." Takeshi said, rolling his eyes at Matt."I didn't ask to have to baby sit inferior beings." Matt glared back at him."Whoa, dude! How can you say that after the squid sisters perf-""That's different!" He yelled, causing half the train to stare at the two."No, its not. And I know you have the hots for Marie, and just pissed off that she-""Takeshi, shut it. And go sit somewhere else!" Matt ordered. Sighing, Takeshi went to the back of the train and sat with a few inkling and Octoling guys. Tricia just stared at the two, rather dumbfounded at the Sargent's outburst. Several minutes passed, until she noticed someone standing in front of her. She looked up to see a young Octoling rookie looking at her."H-hello," he said bashfully, and it looked like it was taking all of his mental capacity to not look at the floor."Well hey there." She tried to smile a little as not to hurt him, since it was obvious to her what he was there for."I... uhh..." He looked over to Takeshi, who nodded at him. "I.. uhh.. think you're really pretty, elder ra- err, human.""D'aww, that's sweet of you." She brushed her red hair, which made him blush more."And, I.. uh.." he looked back at Takeshi, who gave him a thumbs up. "Ithinkyou'rethemostbeutifulgirlIeversawIloveyoupleasegooutwithme!" He panted after blurting out his lightning fast confession before going into a bow, waiting for her answer. She had to admit that she thought he was cute, with his shy antics, his tight black uniform, and his mohawk like tentacles that were starting to catch on with his kind. Even his purple eye rings, which showed he hadn't been to the surface much."Sorry." She said, which made him look up. "That's really sweet, and you are pretty cute. But.. I'm not really looking to date right now, and I'm not ready for the inter-species thing. Especially if what I heard about the captain was true.""O-oh..." his round ears lowered. "I-I'm sorry..." Looking like he was about to cry, he turned and went back to where Takeshi was, who seemed to console him. Matt shook his head at the whole ordeal."Wise choice, private," he grunted. She wanted to respond, but Brandon entered their car from the other side."Alright, what's this I hear about a fight," he barked, and everyone turned to him. Tricia didn't hesitate to rat the two out, and pointed to Matt and Takeshi. "I should have known." He sighed heavily and started heading towards them. "You know, just because the captain isn't here, doesn't mean you two can-" Brandon was cut off, as the train shook violently after a loud explosion. The emergency brakes were thrown on, and half the passengers were sent to the floor, including Tricia."W-what happened?" She said, and looked up just in time to see an Octoshot fly out of the hands of the boy who was talking to her earlier. It went right for Brandon's head, and before he could react, the handle struck him in the forehead, right under the exposed part of his helmet. He went limp, and collapsed to the floor.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The Cephalon sector was not pleasing to the eye. The area appeared to be a dumping ground of sorts, as most of the water was a sickening dark purple. If it wasn't already dangerously polluted by the humans before the disaster, what ever the Octarians were pumping here from the other domes insured that nothing would last long in it, regardless of swimming capabilities. There were a number of steel structures that formed bridges over the toxic purple lake. In the center of these structures was a large circular elevator, which Kirin assumed lead to the old assembly hall that Marina had spoken of."Marie, are you seeing this dump?" Kirin asked after he turned the headset receiver back on. As he waited for a response, he exchanged the type-H roller for a chrome covered heavy splatling from the mobile weapons crate the Sheldon had follow him."Yes... I am. I don't think I have to say this, but I strongly suggest not falling into that," she responded a few seconds later."You don't say.." Kirin started to cross the metal bridges, and headed to the center. "So what's the deal with that armored guy? I know you know who I'm talking about. That's.. an elder race, isn't it?" Marie paused a few moments, before letting out a heavy sigh in response."You're right, 4. He is a human. And If I'm right..." Another long pause. "Drake Von Kaufmann. He.. Like Otome, he is one of Callie's best friends... and mine as well," she finished. Kirin paused on hearing another name he had recognized."How can you be sure it's him?""Because he's the only one who would follow Callie and Otome down here, by himself and likely against what ever the Eden Colonial State's wishes are. Trust me, it's him." Marie leaned back in her chair, holding back tears. Kirin on the other hand, was listening with interest. Apart from the original Agents 3 and 4, and the deceased 5, all the major players from 2 years ago were now on the stage. He reached the center platform a few moments later, and gave the large circular elevator a look over."Guess this is the entrance to the assembly hall.""I can see that, now hold up. I already told you to stay put, and- Yes, Sheldon, we're taking that too. Don't ask why, just load it up!" She said to the horseshoe crab, before returning her attention to the screen. "You did your job, so wait for me to get there." She cut the transmission, not waiting for an answer, as she took the laptop to the large truck that Sheldon had brought to the canyon. It wasn't until she sat down in the passenger seat and opened the laptop back up, did she notice that Kirin had already boarded the elevator. "Agent 4... what the hell are you doing? I told you to wait for me!" She growled in frustration, and signaled for Sheldon to get the truck moving."Getting this done. I'm tired of the game," he growled back, and the elevator finished its descent. The old assembly hall looked like one big gravitational anomaly. The large circular stage was flanked by a number of bleachers and stands, all hovering by themselves over the purple death lake. Many Octarians occupied the stands, and had their eyes fixed on Kirin. In the center of the stage, was a large half dome like structure, with its hollow side facing Kirin. And in the center of that half dome, was a black and magenta tentacled Inkling."T-that's Callie! We found her! Step on the gas, Sheldon!" Marie jumped out of her seat, only to be knocked back into it by the seat belt."Yeah, but... what is she wearing..?" Kirin looked at the girl, who had her back turned to him. Before, when they had seen her on the carrier zeppelin, she was wearing a pink outfit, and was giving off an aura of sadness in her singing. Now she had on what looked like a bastardized and skimpy version of her stage clothes, and her aura was now menacing and dark. Kirin slowly approached her, until she seemed to finally notice him, and raised an arm."I thought I told you to stay away." She turned around to face him. The outfit looked just as tacky from the front as it did from the back, and they both noticed the Octopus tattoo on her hip. Worst of all, was the pair of overly large shades that lit up as soon as she started talking. "You leave me no choice, but to rock you!" She raised both her arms up, and the stage rose up, revealing itself as a large robotic craft. From the main chamber, the pilot revealed itself to be the large octopus form of the escaped D.J. Octavio."I knew it! I knew it was him! And he rebuilt that damn Octobot, too," Marie hissed."Gyahaya, yo! Check it! I Remixed Callie's brain!" He started working the controls, just as he did 2 years ago, and a sickening version of a familiar song started playing. Marie's jaw dropped, and Sheldon had to force himself to not take his eyes of the path as he drove."Th-that.. Slob, piece of trash!" She roared."Let's get this started with Bomb Rush Blush!" Callie yelled, and started to dance along with the music, using her hands to direct the barrage of splat bombs that Octavio just fired at Kirin. He quickly swam back to avoid the ink explosions from the surprise attack. The monitors all around the assembly hall all switched on to broadcast the battle and Callie's dances. The crowd in the floating stands all began to cheer and hop around in their seats."Dammit, this is why I told you to wait form me!" Marie slammed her fist down on the arm rest out of frustration that he had disobeyed again, as well as the fact that she was forced to watch her younger cousin fight along side their sworn enemy of both the great turf war and the insurrection from 2 years ago. "Look, just try to hold on. Sheldon and I are almost there.""Well, make it quick!" Kirin grunted, and rushed past a cluster of semi sentient tentacles that had been deployed by the octobot, all trying to grab him as he passed. "Time to do what should have been done years ago!" He ran as close as he could to the floating weapons platform, and eagerly unloaded half of his ink tank onto the craft. However, all of his shots simply bounced off and dissolved, thanks to the cockpit shield that Octavio hadn't forgotten to carry over from the previous version of the ship. Octavio just laughed at his efforts."Two battles in two years, and you hipsters still rely on dumb luck." The front of his craft shook, and one of the two giant fists that occupied the left and right sides of the Octobot came flying at him."Fist! SHOOT! NOW!" Marie commanded. The fleeing Kirin spun around and raised his type-H splatling, and unloaded about half a charge into the fist, coating it in green. As he watched the fist get redirected and fly back towards the Octobot, he found himself glad that he had brought the high yield, rapid firing weapon over the other type-H models, even if his mobility was reduced. But his boost of confidence was shattered in place of the shield, which protected the cockpit from the impact at the cost of having a drop in power and getting knocked back, causing Callie to stumble."Hey! Get it together D.J.! Spicy beets, now!" She pointed at Kirin, and Octavio scoffed."Guess you did learn something after all. But can yah dodge this, ink stain?" He saw the fist on the other side prepare to launch, but this time it began to spin rapidly, before flying out at him."You can't shoot that back. Dodge!" Sheldon shouted at the communicator, a bit too late since the pellets Kirin fired were sent flying in random directions. Octavio sat back and laughed. He fired the other spinning fist while pulling the first back, causing the green agent to have to weave in and out of the ink he had laid down before hand, watching it get covered little by little from the fists slamming into the ground. As Kirin was occupied, Callie raised her hand to point again, and Octavio hit another switch to cause a shower of ink to spray down from the bottom of the craft."Ink Shower! Get out of its path!" The craft lunged forward, and he was forced back into his ink, and weaved to the right to avoid the shower. As soon as he came out, he charged up the splatling to regain some of the ground he lost, since the rain had covered over half of his territory."One-two punch!" Callie pointed at him. As Octavio prepared the fists, his eyes went wide when a red light lit up. The right fist fired and spun, which Kirin dodged, but the left fist had jammed. The fist sputtered for a moment, before shooting out without the spin. Seeing his chance, Kirin revved up the splatling and charged forward."Got you now!" He unloaded a full charge on the fist, and grinned as it was once again sent back, causing the shield to turn red at critical levels. "Now who's the ink st- ack!" Kirin was suddenly thrown to the ground after feeling an impact at his back."What..? You?" Marie shouted."Gyahah. Yah took your time, bone boy and race traitor. Now get to work if yah don't want me to fry her brain for good!" He could here Octavio yell. He was flipped on his back, and saw two figures he recognized standing over him. One was the Octoling, Otome, wearing her outdated armor and goggles. The other was the armored gas mask wearing figure from the carrier zeppelin, which Marie claimed was the human known as Drake."We told you to stay out of this... if you hadn't interfered, we wouldn't have to do this," Otome said with a low tone."What are yah waiting for, ink stain? Splat him, or I'll really turn up the heat on the magenta one," Octavio boomed from the cockpit."We're not deaf!" Drake shot back, making Kirin's eyes widen a little."Wait... the humans really can speak oceanic.. he... wasn't lying?""Sorry to disappoint, but its just a machine doing that," The armored figure responded. "I'd show you.. but.. you forced our hand." They slowly raised their weapons at his head."Y-yeah.. no one is coming to save you now..." Otome's voice stuttered."It's not like anyone can come down here NOW. Or NOW would be a very last minute save, wouldn't it?" Drake said, as he fumbled with the trigger. At that moment, they could hear a loud roaring sound, that Drake assumed to be an engine, and everyone turned towards the source. "Took your damn time, Ma..rie..?" Behind the gas mask, his expression was about as stunned as when he saw his red partner for the first time."T-the hell is that?" Otome pointed. "Is that... a flying... truck..?""Looks like it.. so that's what Sheldon was working on at the motor pool last year... how the hell did he make a truck fly?" Drake and Otome both lowered their weapons, and Kirin slowly slid into his ink."Agent 4, I'm here!" Marie called out, and climbed from the passenger side of the cab, and onto the roof. The older squid cousin was now wearing her stage outfit. Once on the roof, she pulled out her outdated Type-H charger. It lacked the save charge function of Kirin's model, but had been modded for extra range that she intended to make full use of."Great, now hipster number 2 is here. Screw it, I'll fry ya'll myself." Octavio fired another fist where Kirin was. Drake and Otome dove out of the way, and Kirin, who had already changed to squid form, swam backwards in the trail he managed to make while the two were distracted by the flying truck Marie had rode in with. The fist slammed into the ground where he had just been a second ago, and the other fist was starting to spin for a shot at the spot Kirin had retreated to."I don't think so, king slob." Marie fired a fully charge shot at the spinning fist. It hit dead center, and several sparks shot out, causing an electrical short. The fist stopped spinning, and Octavio slammed one of his large tentacles on the panel to clear the jam. When it finally cooperated with him, it shot out as a normal fist."Oh shi- You little!" Octavio was practically steaming at seeing the fist slowly fly towards Kirin, who was already back in his normal form, splatling at the ready. When the fist was in range, he unloaded a charge of pellets, and easily sent it flying back, causing it to hit the shield again. The Octobot was knocked back, as the shield was now flashing red at breaking point. Callie was waving her arms wildly, trying not to fall off the top."Callie! It's me! Your cousin!" Marie called out to her over the trucks bullhorn."W-what the heck, D.J.? Get it together!" She yelped, and swept her hand across her field of vision, signalling the former Octarian general to fire a volley of suction bombs across the field, making Kirin run across the center stage as Drake and Otome took cover."Callie... don't you recognize me? Snap out of it already!" Marie pleaded. Callie just ignored her, and continued her command dance that was being blown up on the large screens for the rest of the crowd to view. "Callie..." Marie bit her lip, and tightened her grip on the charger. "Sheldon, get me closer.""You got it! Hang on up there!" He called, as Marie slipped something into the charger's firing chamber that was similar to a Guardian Corps tampering capsule."I didn't want to have to do this.. but I'm getting my cousin back." She raised the charger and took aim, the laser moving towards Callie's head...."Lieutenant! Lieutenant, wake up!" Brandon could hear a voice shouting at him, and he slowly regained his consciousness. His vision was still a little blurry when he opened his eyes, and he could see Takeshi standing over him. "Guys, he's awake.!""Uhhhh.. what happened," Brandon groaned."Dude, we thought you were dead." He reached his hand out, and Brandon took it. Takeshi slowly pulled him into a sitting position."We're still picking up the pieces, but it looks like the tunnel collapsed. Crushed the engine car, and killed the driver instantly," Reggie said, who was rubbing his bruised ankle. "And.. uh.. Brandon?" He looked at him with a very serious expression, which quickly unnerved the young Lieutenant. "Justin didn't make it.""W-what!?" Brandon quickly looked behind him, and sure enough, the team medic was lying motionless on the floor. A steel bar was sticking out of his neck, and a pool of blood had formed under him. The bar had broken from a part of the roof that had caved in, due to being smashed with a large chunk of debris from the tunnel collapse. "Oh.. son of a Bitch!" Brandon put a hand to his already throbbing head."Tell me about it," Reggie sighed. This would be a severe blow to the team. While they had gained a fair amount of medical personell from the Technodyne facility two years ago, Justin was still the only one with combat experience, from not only the raider wars of 2018 A.D. but also the battle of 2019 O.S.C. Not to mention a friend to all members of 1st squad."It's not right.." Matt grumbled while looking out the window."I know, Matt.." Brandon got to his feet with Reggie's help, and moved over to one of the benches, then activated his radio. "This is... Lieutenant Finn. All squad leaders sound off." Several seconds went by, and replies started coming in by the other team leaders."Second squad, all here," said seconds team leader."Third squad reporting. Decker is down, and Garrison is badly wounded. We need evac, sir!""Fourth squad, half the team is injured, but no casualties. Where is the damn medic?""Fifth squad, We lost Vasquez, but every one else is standing.""Take defensive positions while I report and get our orders. Out." Brandon ended the radio call when he confirmed the status with the force. Three men were dead and a dozen or so were injured."By the way, I already called the station we left from. They're sending the maintenance trolley," Reggie said."That's good, let's-" He paused, and that's when Brandon noticed that something was missing. "Wait.. where are the twins?" As if waiting for the question, Kenny came running in through the back door of the car they were in."My sister! Where is my sister!" He came to a halt in front of Brandon with a panicked look on his face."Easy, kid. She's right over... there...?" Matt turned to where the other rookie had been a few minutes ago, but both her and all of her equipment had vanished. "She... was right there.""Alright, how did none of you not notice Tricia leaving the car?" Brandon demanded to know. They all looked away, until Reggie called from the part of the car that had been torn up by the debris."Uhh, Lieutenant? You'd better look at this." Reggie said, and pointed to a large hole in the side of the car. It was big enough to fit through, and a piece of blue cloth had been caught on one of the edges that looked like part of an Edef uniform. "It.. might be possible she went through here... or was taken.""W-what? Who took my sister?" Kenny demanded, and with out waiting for an answer, went through the whole that only he, Tricia, or one of the Oceanics would be able to fit through with out getting cut."Private, get back here!" Brandon yelled, but got no response as Kenny headed towards the backside of the train. He quickly turned, and with Reggie and Takeshi, started running through the train. As they passed through the cars, they saw the Oceanic forces in disarray. Some of them were throwing accusations of sabotage at each other, while others were trying to take defensive positions, trying to figure out if they were under attack or not. When they got to the front car, they noticed that Kelly had gathered a squad of Octolings and several Inklings at the rear door, and they quickly went to her."Oh, thank goodness. You're okay. I heard you took a bad hit," The elite Octoling captain said when she noticed them."A-ah, yeah. I'm fine now though," he nodded. "But no time for that. Two of my men are in the tunnel, and I need to get them back, now!""Well, you're timing is perfect. I was about to take a squad out to scout the tunnels. One of the regulars reported seeing something in the shadows, and we can search for your boys at the same time. You with us, Bran- er Lieutenant Finn?""Brandon is fine. And sure. I don't know what your men think they saw, but safety in numbers," Brandon responded, and Kelly smiled a little."Alright, then move it out, you lot!" Kelly shouted to the Octolings and Inklings after opening the back door. They all piled out, with Brandon's team following in the rear."And now to figure out what the hell is going on with the Becker siblings."...Time seemed to stand still in the underground assembly hall. The squid boy, human male and Octoling girl stood frozen, as they watched a green stream of ink exit the barrel of Marie's charger. Even D.J. Octavio was shocked to see the older cousin fire the stream that was now headed towards Callie's head at breakneck speed. A mere second later, the shot hit Callie's face, who let out a shriek of surprise and pain."D-did.. Marie.. just.." The first one to come out of the trance was the human. The shot should have killed or at least incapacitated her, but he watched as Callie was simply knocked back some, hitting her head on the back of the Octobot's half dome."No- look!" Otome pointed, and everyone followed her gaze to see that the Large shades had been sent flying. They bounced several times, then slid off the back of the center stage, falling into the corrupted purple water below."Callie! Stop this! You are not Octarian!" Marie shouted over the loud speaker. However, Callie was not responding. She merely groaned, and stood in place."Gyaaah! Damn you, Agent 2! Too bad for you, it won't be that easy." Octavio turned up a dial on his control console, causing the hypnotic music to go full blast in an attempt to prevent her from regaining her senses. Callie once again resumed the corrupt dance, but her movements were sluggish and was no longer sending out hand signals. Marie signaled Sheldon to switch the truck's loud speaker output to the music player that she prepared before hand. A new version of her own single, Tide Goes Out, was being played as loudly as the corrupted bomb rush blush that Octavio was playing from the craft."Tch! Annoying fly! Boneboy, shoot that truck down, or you know what happens!" Octavio commanded, while adjusting to the fact that he was having to compensate for the fact that Callie was no longer giving him logistical support and had to assume full control of the robot again."As if you would let us forget," Drake grumbled. He turned away from the Octobot and raised the Marksman M14k, and pointed at it Marie. He breathed in deep, and squeezed the trigger. A bullet went straight towards the green and white squid standing on top of the flying truck. The round shot right over her left shoulder, a place she had already been shot once in the past."Ugh.. I do not have time for this." Marie brought her charger to bare again, and lined up the laser with the human she called friend. Before he could get off another shot, she let the stream fly, and hit him in the left arm. Drake yelped from impact, and could feel his arm go numb. He accidentally discharged another shot, which struck the door where Sheldon was sitting, almost causing him to lose control. Seeing the human stunned, Kirin raised and charged up his splatling."Guess that's my cue." He quickly started approaching the human, intending to knock him out of the fight for good."I would guess again, boy." A voice snarled as a burst of purple crossed his path, causing him to skid to a halt. Kirin cursed himself for forgetting about the Octoling, who now had her weapon pointed at him again. "You've done enough damage as it is. I don't know whow you are or why Marie got you involved, but I won't have you endangering people I care about more than you already have!" Otome gritted her teeth and pulled the trigger, this time aiming at him. Kirin was barely able to avoid the next wave of ink pellets by changing into his squid form."Coming through, fossil lover!" Rather than swim back, Kirin swam between her legs in the small trail that hadn't been covered by Octavio's previous attack. An action that angered the Octoling, as she had to jump away, or risk the agent reverting in a place that would be very disadvantageous for her. Once he was clear, he reformed to bipedal, and ran between a volley of suction bombs that Octavio launched wildly around the stage, which cut Otome off from chasing him."Alright, that's it. Ya'll ready to for a pounding?" Octavio locked on to Kirin with the fist, and it started to spin in the launcher.On the other side of the stage platform, Drake had rolled to the side to avoid a second shot from Marie, who was showing signs of desperation, since her cousin was still partially under Octavio's control. He didn't want to shoot at her, but as long as Octavio was holding Callie, he had no choice. He started to line up another shot, but he noticed that a fist was getting ready to fire out of the corner of his eye. "I hope the kid is as good as you trust him to be." Drake lowered his weapon, and used it to point at the fist, trying to send a signal to Marie."I see. So that's how it is." Most people would have ignored the signal, and took the shot, putting down the traitor and enemy that was standing between family members. But in the two years she had known him, she had formed a trusting bond with the human that was once thought to be long dead. She simply nodded, and with out hesitating, fired a charged stream at the spinning fist, just as it was being launched. The spinning mechanism jammed, and the fist was deployed in its normal state."Oh, come on! Y'all freaking getting lucky- shit!" Octavio didn't have time to react, as the already waiting Kirin had unloaded on the fist. He sent it back to its owner, just as Otome tackled him from behind. He looked up from under the female that was holding him down, and saw the fist slam into the cock pit. The shield finally collapsed from the strain, and caused the Octobot to shut down entirely, including the warped music that was keeping Callie under his mental conditioning. She stopped her frenzied movements, and stood there looking confused."H-huh... what... where..." She slowly put a hand on her head, as now all eyes were on her."Callie... it's your cousin! Remember!" Marie shouted."I... I.." she looked around after regaining her balance. "M-Marie..? Drake... Otome..? Why... am I.. what's going on?" She looked down at the outfit she was wearing, and her eyes went wide. "O-oh no... I remember now... it.. it wasn't a nightmare.""That doesn't matter anymore. Callie.. come to me." Marie smiled at her cousin. Callie let out the first smile she had in a while, and nodded."I will!" She changed forms into a squid, and started to build pressure."Gyaa? You get your squid butt back here, you little-" Octavio reached out a large tentacle to grab her, but she managed to squid jump away, landing on the top of the truck next to Marie."Glad you're back, Cal." Marie wasted no time in pulling her into a hug, once Callie had reformed. She then handed her a bundle, which contained Callie's half of their stage outfits."Thank you, Marie. Me too." Callie hugged her cousin back, and would have continued doing so for quite some time, if not for the situation she was in. She took the bundle, and turned away from the battle taking place. Marie yelled at Sheldon to switch to the last track that was on the music player, and another new version of their songs started to play. This time it was Calamari incantation, the same song that had distracted Octavio two years prior, and lead to his defeat at the hands of Levin and Shara."Curse you, squid sisters! I was so damn close, yo!" Octavio hit the restart switch on the control panel, and the Octobot started regaining power. Seeing this, the human locked eyes with his Octoling companion, who was still restraining Kirin. The two nodded at each other, and Drake turned to raise his rifle, pointing it at the large male Octopus, while Otome climbed off of Kirin."Was wondering when you were gonna get off me, big red. Not that I mind a little roughhousing.""Trust me, you are going to pay for that comment later," Otome barked back. "But now we got work to do." She turned her attention to Octavio. "This is for what you did to my best friend!" She growled, and charged towards the Octobot, unloading her ink with her octoshot while Drake started putting rounds into the cockpit. Unfortunately, the restart had managed to bring the shield back up, and both the bullets and ink pellets simply bounced off."Gyayah. Later suckers! I'mma be back, and ya'll gonna wish you let me win here!" The octobot started to raise into the air."Ah, hell. He's getting away!" Drake complained, as he swapped out a magazine for the one he had just emptied."Not on my watch! Not after what he put us through!" Otome took an orb like object out of one of her pockets, and tossed it at the Octobot. It hit the craft's front side, latching on. "Agent! Shoot that orb!""What ever you say, big red." Kirin quickly charged up the splatling before the craft could go out of range. As soon as the charge was full, he unloaded at the front of the craft, but due to the size of the target, most of the shots missed."He's still getting away! If you're gonna do something, do it now!" Drake yelled, still firing shots at Octavio."I would have thought you lot would have learned to not rush people by now," Kirin yelled back, and used the last of his charge to strike the orb. It came to life, and revealed itself to be an ink rail. The now green rail extended, and moved downward to where Kirin and Otome were standing."There's your ride up. If you wanna kick his ass, now's your chance. Just give him some payback for us," Otome said, giving him a stern look after raising her goggles. Kirin stepped towards the line, but before he could get on, he saw the mobile weapons crate fly overhead. He instantly gained some respect for Sheldon's ability to fly both it and the truck at the same time."Wait, you're gonna need more firepower than that!" The crab said over the communicator. The crate popped over to reveal a large fish shaped weapon. One that was larger than any other field weapon carried by inklings. Kirin fished it out of the container and approached the rail."Been wanting to try out a rainmaker." He turned towards the Octoling, who was now standing with the human. "It won't be for you, but you can be sure I'll kick his ass. Trust me, he's at the top of the list." With out waiting for a response, he hopped on the rail, and was propelled towards the octobot that was circling above, using the rainmaker as a balance."Well, there he goes. Think he can pull it off?" Drake asked."I'd hope so, after all the trouble he gave us," Otome sighed in response. "I guess all we can do now is-""Hey! Hey! Over here!" The duo turned around to see Callie waving at them, who had somehow managed to change her outfit when no one was looking, including what was left of the Octarian audience."Get on, and we'll give you a lift," Marie called over the loudspeaker, while Sheldon lowered the truck to be level with the edge of the stage platform. The two glanced at each other and nodded. They took off running to where the truck was hovering, and took a flying leap over the pitfall of polluted water, landing on the roof of the truck where the squid sisters were. Sheldon quickly put the truck in gear, and rose it up, being careful not to knock the others off the roof. Drake opened his mouth to say something to Marie, but was blindsided by Callie, who pulled him into a tight hug."Drake... Thank you." She leaned against the human, which almost caused him to lose his balance, and he put his arms around her in return. "Thank you for not abandoning me.. And you too, Otome." She glanced up at the Octoling, who for the first time since the whole ordeal started, smiled."Of course, Callie.""I think I get the gist of what happened, but I expect the full version of the story when we get back. Though I thank you two as well." Marie bowed to them."We kind of expected that. Now, shall we go make sure the new guy doesn't screw up?" Drake asked, and the group all nodded in agreement."You heard him, sheldon. Step on the gas, and get after Octavio!" Marie commanded."You got it, Marie! Hang on to your lunch!" Sheldon sped the flying truck off, to catch up with the green agent, who was tailing the circling Octobot on the inkrail, rainmaker at the ready. As they caught up, Callie and Marie restarted their updated version of Calamari Inkantation, and danced a long with it, partially to distract Octavio, and partially to help keep Callie from relapsing into being influenced by any effects of the hypno-shades still in her system. While the makeshift performance had just started, Agent 4 and Octavio both exchanged the first blows of his last stand.
Authors Notes:
Surprised no one caught the fact that a piece of Marie's Dialogue had been hijacked by Neptune in the last chapter. Anyway, this one was a real pain to write, so sorry if it sucks. Also, with the way things are going, either the next chapter or the one after may be delayed for a month or so. Which is annoying, since arc 1 is nearing completion. Either way, Story's delayed.

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Author's Note: Somehow managed to get this chapter and a good chunk of the next one done before the swamping starts. If my luck still holds, I might just be able to finish arc 1.
Kirin was circling around the Octobot on the inkrail that was being dragged behind Octavio's craft in a spiral pattern. He tried taking aim at the cockpit directly, but the rebooted shield was strong enough to deflect the large ink mortars the rainmaker fired. Octavio locked on to the boy, as they both continued to strafe in a circle. The truck continued to follow behind, while the squid sisters continued their spur of the moment performance to counteract the hypnotic effects from the music the octobot's controller device was emitting."I'm getting sick of yah, kid. I'mma be ending this now," Octavio started the firing sequence for the fist, but the spinner jammed again, and it shot out as normal."Well, sucks to be you then, huh?" Already having the rainmaker charged, Kirin fired an ink mortar at the fist, which shot it back to its owner at speeds that outmatched when any hand weapon deflected the fist. Even while strafing, Octavio had no chance of avoiding the returned fist strike. It slammed into the shield, and it quickly sent out warnings from the strain."Gyaa! Confounded spinners! Who built this piece of crap!" He slammed a tentacle down on the control console, and by complete luck, managed to get the spinner to reboot and work properly, causing both fists to spin in the launchers. "Haa! That's more like it. Let's see yah dodge this!" He fired both fists at Kirin."Agent 4, the rainmaker won't work on spinning fists either!" Sheldon shouted over the communicator, a little too late. The ink mortar Kirin had fired was deflected like any other direct attack, and was sent flying a little too close to the airborne truck. Kirin barely had time to jump over the first fist, then hop from the middle rail to the back one to avoid the second."He's gonna get knocked off at this rate. We can't let the bastard Octavio win," Otome observed from the truck, as Kirin jumped back to the center rail to avoid another strike."Yeah, and I think that's our cue." Drake raised his rifle. "Sheldon, get us an angle on that launcher.""You got it, buddy!" The crab raised the truck's altitude and moved closer, giving the human a better shot. Drake took aim and squeezed the trigger, sending out several shots, until one hit its mark, causing one of the launchers to stop spinning."That's strike two." Kirin grinned as he sent the fist back a second time, causing the energy shield to buckle and collapse completely. Octavio's eyes went wide when he realized the cockpit was now completely exposed. Drake fired another burst of gunfire at the other launcher to keep him from being able to send any more spinning fists out. With both his main weapons down, Octavio put all power to the engines to avoid the ink mortars that Kirin was sending at the cockpit. The two were now locked in a stalemate, as the octobot was moving too fast for the ink mortars, yet Octavio couldn't return fire."This is getting stupid. Just how rigid is that old man?" Drake complained as he tried and failed to put a bullet in Octavio's head."You don't want to know..." Otome shook her head. "But we gotta do something. Any ideas, Drake?" She looked at her human companion with a hopeful expression."Well... it's dangerous and stupid.. but how about we get close and personal?""That.. is dangerous and stupid.. but I like it," She grinned. "Sheldon, get us in close!" She yelled at the truck cab."Geez, everyone is barking orders at me!" The crab complained, but complied, and the truck passed over the top of the strafing octobot. When it was close enough, the two both jumped off the truck and landed on each side of the massive Octoling."And now I'm gonna do what we should have done years ago!" They both raised their weapons in sync."Yah don't scare me. There's still plenty of fight in this Octopus!" Octavio boomed. Drake was the first to fire, sending a bullet at his head, but Octavio had managed to already raise a tentacle to shield himself, and managed to stop the bullet by letting it get lodged inside. He used his second tentacle to knock the rifle out of Drake's hands, sending it into the polluted water below the assembly hall stage. Otome fired next, but his third tentacle flicked away the ink, while the fourth grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up. He threw her off the stage, and she just managed to change into her Octopus form to lessen the damage from falling at that height."Otome!" Drake quickly pulled out his hunting knife, and charged him down. Octavio sent out his fifth tentacle to grab him as well, but he plunged his knife in it, causing it to retract with Octavio howling in pain."Yer gonna pay for that, bonehead!" Drake tried to take another swing, but Octavio used his sixth and seventh tentacles to grab his arms, and his eighth to lift him up. "Enjoy the ride, fossil. I know you ain't gonna survive this, no matter if you hit the stage or the water.""D-Drake!" Callie and Marie stopped their performance after Callie shrieked from seeing what Octavio was about to do."Heh. Maybe you should pay more attention to you're driving." Drake smirked at the large Octopus."What are you- oh.. fu..." Octavio had no time to react, and he turned just in time to see a fresh ink mortar come flying at him. Kirin's shot hit the cockpit dead center, frying every piece of electronics inside. "Not aggaaiiiiinn" Octavio screamed and the Octobot went careening back down to the stage below, taking part of the inkrail with it.""Whoa! You got it, buddy!" Sheldon leaned his head to the window to get a better look at the fallen craft. "There's a switch on the side of the rainmaker that will overload it. Once the others are clear, use it to finish that robot off." Kirin flipped the switch on the rainmaker, and looked down as he continued to circle on the outer rail."Uhhhh... what the..?" Holding her head, Otome looked over just in time to see the craft slam into the ground, with the Octopus and human still inside. "D-drake!" Otome ran over and jumped into the cockpit. Inside, Octavio was trying to strangle the human, who was trying to free his knife hand."Oh no. nonono!" Callie, who had been watching from above, turned into her squid form, and built up pressure."Callie, wait!" Marie called out, but she squid jumped to the fallen octobot, landing near her friends in humanoid form. "Sheldon get us down th-" Marie froze when she saw Agent four hopping the rails towards the center with the overcharging rainmaker."No time like the present, right Mariechi?""Wait, four! They aren't clear yet!" Her eyes widened when Kirin hopped closer to the inner rail that lead to where the fallen octobot fell. "4, hold your position. Dammit, 4, what the hell are you doing?""What I came here to do." Kirin hopped to the inner most rail, which stopped right over the damaged robot. Below the end of the rail, Octavio was still trying to throttle the human. Callie was trying to pull his tentacle off Drake, While Otome was trying to cut it with her own knife. He was right at the end of the line when the rainmaker started to shake in his hands, indicating that the overcharge was complete."Agent 4, I'm ordering you to stop this! You're going to kill them!" Marie pleaded."Well you should have thought of that before your orders got someone I cared about killed!" Reaching the end of the line, Kirin jumped off and pointed the barrel of the rainmaker directly at the octobot. "This is for Agent 5!" As soon as his feet touched the outer hull of the craft, he slammed the rainmaker barrel down on it, as if it was the end of an over done rainmaker match, then squid jumped away. The rainmaker self destructed, and the octobot soon followed suit in creating a massive burst of ink and fire, violently ejecting all four of the occupants."Cross fade... again.." Was all Octavio got out before he hit the ground in the center of the stage and passed out. Luckily for Drake, the massive Octo had cushioned Drake's fall, since he had landed on top of him. However, this provided little comfort. He raised his head, just in time to see the figures of Otome and Callie land on the far side of the platform and roll off of the edge."Callie! Otome!" Drake finally freed himself from the tentacle that had him in a choke hold a moment ago, and shoved it too the side. His legs wobbled when he got up, thanks to being covered in ink. Nevertheless, he forced himself forward. When he finally reached the edge after almost falling a few times, he saw that both girls were holding onto the sides for dear life. He ran to help them, and slid on his side to the edge."Sheldon, get us down there, now!" Marie barked, and the horseshoe crab driver did his best to get the flying truck to a position where they could help them."I'm trying... but.. we aren't going to make it, Marie.." Sheldon responded when he noticed that both girls were losing their hold and now only had one hand each on the platform."Yes we are!" Marie, not wanting to wait, squid jumped to the center platform."Drake.. help.." Callie looked at him with pleading eyes."Callie, give me your other arm!" Drake was reaching out to her from a position that she couldn't reach to, since he was trying to get both her and Otome at the same time. "Callie, you have to reach-""She can't!" Otome barked. "Drake, just get Callie. I'll be fine.""But-""Just do it!" Otome continued to yell, despite losing her grip even more."Fine, but you'd better hold on! I'm not losing either of you!" Drake finally got up and moved closer to Callie. There's an old human saying about how chasing two rabbits will wind up with none, and had Drake taken that to heart, he might not have missed Callie's hand when she finally lost her hold. "Callie!""Ahhhhhhhh!" Both Drake and Marie could only watch as the younger cousin fell downward into the purple water below. Sheldon tried to move the truck under her, but was not fast enough. The splash of water confirmed what they didn't want to believe, and the magenta squid sister was gone."C-callie- noo.. NOOO!" Marie collapsed onto the ground as tears started to flow. Drake wanted to go to her. To comfort his friend, and tell themselves that it would be alright. However, the Octoling that was his girlfriend was still in danger. He whipped around to face her. Still hanging off the ledge, she was looking down with a horrified expression. As Drake rolled over to her and bent down, she glanced up at him."Otome, give me your hand." He reached out, but she made no effort to take his hand."Drake.. I'm sorry. I love you.""Otome, what are- NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" He tried to grab her hand, but she simply let go of the ledge. She went into a free fall, and didn't bother to try and reach for Sheldon's truck. Another splash a few seconds later, and the Octoling had also been lost to the tainted purple lake. "Why..." Drake slammed a fist down on the asphalt platform. "Dammit, why... Why would she do that.." Drake felt like throwing up. Both he and the sobbing Marie had just lost two of the people they cared about the most."Callie... Callie... it isn't real. Why.. why did this happen," Marie managed to get out between sobs."I don't know.." Drake took a deep breath to try to stay strong for her. "But I know who does." He helped Marie on her feet, and they turned to the one who had planted the overcharged rainmaker on the craft, despite orders to hold. They expected to see an expression of insanity, or perhaps one of hate or blood lust, but all they got from the boy was a blank look as he stood watching them."Agent 4... what have you done...?" Marie managed to get out. Kirin's blank stare continued, as if he had lost all purpose now that these events had transpired."Answer her, murderer!" Drake growled in a way that was barely human. Marie jumped, and looked over at him. His normally calm composure was now replaced with one that looked almost insane or beastly. Marie had only seen this look in her close friend once, and she knew what it meant. The last time it happened, he almost took his own life. Before she could stop him, he dashed towards the green agent. His speed was surprising, especially since he still had a fair amount of ink on him. With one move, he grabbed the boy, and slammed him into the platform's pavement."Drake, stop!" Marie said when she came to her sense. She dashed over to where he was holding the green boy down."I'm no stranger to killing, Marie. You and I both know this. But he... He killed them for no good reason!""Calm down." She put her arm on his. "And 4.. I told you to wait. Tell us why.." Kirin blinked a few times, but his eyes remained unfocused."Because... You Squidbeak agents... and that Octarian D.J. You took something from me.""What do you mean? Squidbeak exists to protect others. We don't steal." Marie looked a little shocked at his accusations."That's the worst part. You don't even realize that it's your fault.. That Kirk is dead. Even if Octavio was the one who caused all this.. you let him die!" Kirin's eyes finally focused on Marie."Who.. who are you?""You should have asked that from the beginning. No, you should have known. We met once before. My name is Kirin. Kirin Kelpie."..."Alright, fan out! And keep an eye for that maintenance trolley," the Octoling captain barked at the group that had formed behind her. The group spread out as far as they could through the subway tunnel, with the humans bringing up the rear. They nervously moved down the tunnel, until they reached a fork in the track. The direction they came from lead to the E.C.S. station, and the direction the train had been going lead to the Octarian capital of Octoburg. The other path was a straight shot to Inkopolis."Where the hell did those two twins get off too.." Brandon muttered. It was hard to tell if either of them had gone back to the human station, or headed toward the inkling capital, and there were no footprints on the concrete track bed. Though, that question was quickly answered when a figure came running from the human side."Isn't that her brother?" A male octoling asked, and pointed."Yeah, it is. Kenny, what the hell are you-" Brandon had called out to his teammate, but stopped when the group saw that he wasn't alone. Several more Octolings were pursuing him, but something was wrong. The Octolings in question looked rather sickly, and their tentacles were blue instead of the standard red or dark brown."Hostiles!" Kelly raised her octoshot, and Kenny dove behind a support beam. "Take cover.""W-wait, aren't those your kind?" Takeshi asked as the rest of the group raised their weapons and took what little cover was provided in the tunnel."Take a look at those tentacles. Last time I checked, Otome and her former squad mates were still under oath to not share with the army how to color change. Those aren't ours.""Yeah, and what's up with their skin, Captain?" The Octoling boy asked while waiting for the hostiles to get in range. "They look-" he froze when he saw one of them stop and take aim. "Captain! Sniper- Ahh!" The boy didn't have time to finish when he was hit square in the head from an e-liter shot, leaving a large blotch of odd colored blue green ink. The boy was knocked back, and Takeshi caught him, only to see that it was the boy who had confessed to Tricia. His eyes were rolled up, and he was already dead."Reggie!" Brandon yelled, as an Inkling girl that was trying to line up a counter snipe shot of her own went down next."Right, sir." Reggie took aim with his marksman rifle, and squeezed the trigger. He hit the blue green Octoling sniper in the head, killing it instantly. The group all gave a confused look, as instead of falling to the ground, the Octoling appeared to just vaporize."They're in range. Fire!" Kellly yelled, and the remaining members of the scout party returned fire, dropping several of the sickly looking Octarians instantly, but they still kept coming. One Inkling girl was about to get crushed by a roller user, when a blast from Takeshi's shot gun sent it flying. The girl gave him a quick thanks before rejoining the ranks."I need a path to get to my man." Brandon said between taking shots at the hostiles."I hear you!" Kelly responded after dropping a sickly looking Octocopter. "You lot! Concentrate on the group trying to get to the human!" She barked. A few splatbombs and grenades later, and there was a hole big enough for them to move up. Brandon and Kelly took advantage of it, and moved up while Reggie covered them with his marksman rifle."L-lieutenant.. I.." Kenny started when they reached him."Save it. What happened, Kenny?""T-they took my sister.." He panted heavily for a few seconds. "D-down there!" He pointed towards the tunnel that lead to the human station. Brandon raised his rifle, and picked off a blaster wielding hostile Octoling, while Kelly fired a burst at a diver that was hiding in some equally sickly looking ink."We'll get her back. Can you make it back to the train?" Brandon asked. Kelly took down another roller wielding Octoling with a well placed burst to her lower chest. Kenny nodded, and got up. "Covering fire!" He yelled at the team that was defending the tunnel. Both Reggie and Takeshi stood up, and fired at any Octarian that was in Kenny's way, as he ran back down to where they were taking cover."Alright, he's clear. Our turn." Kelly said."No, I need to get Tricia. You head back, and I'll catch up.""You're not going alone. There's still too many of them.""Kelly-""I still technically outrank you, and I said no. I'm going with you, so move it!" Kelly gave him a shove, and the two managed to break away from the main battle. After splatting a few lingering hostile's on the way, they reached a large steel door on the side of the concrete wall. It was very large and heavy, and it looked like a vault door for a bank."This... this shouldn't be here." Brandon stood stunned along with Kelly. "T-there was nothing about this in the plans... I think.""Yeah.. and where could it lead to? We aren't close enough to any settlement or city." Kelly pressed against the door, but it didn't budge a single inch. "And it's locked, of course.""What ever took Tricia... it must have taken her through here.""But how do we get it open? Can we use any of your fun bomb things?" Kelly asked, and Brandon shook his head."It's way too thick. The amount it would take to blast it open would cave in the entire tunnel. I don't think we can drill, either." The two stared at the door for several minutes, noticing an usual symbol on it. It depicted a thick angled line that were hooked on the ends, with a smaller version of that line right above it. below the lines was some strange writing. "That's not Octarian, is it?" Kelly shook her head, but then yanked him closer to the door. A few seconds later, and the maintenance tram passed by."I think that's our ride... come on. I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do right now." Kelly patted his shoulder, and Brandon nodded."Thanks, Kelly." Brandon sighed heavily, and the two headed back, hoping that the hostiles had been mopped up. "But our leaders are not going to like this."..."You! You killed them for petty revenge? OVER AN ACCIDENT?" Drake roared. His eyes contained a fury that Marie had never seen before. It was clear to her that he had completely snapped, but even the time he had become suicidal after learning about his former best friend's death looked like a minor tantrum compared to this, and she didn't know if she could calm him this time. Especially not with out Callie and Otome's help. "THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH KIRK'S DEATH!""H-he's right." Marie said in a panicked tone. "T-the responsibility was on me. I was the one who had him on point. Y-you should have come to me instead of hurting them. T-they didn't-""That's the thing, isn't it?" Kirin responded flatly and unemotional. A direct contrast to Drake, who was all but consumed with rage. "I was.. but then I got to thinking.. when you recruited me... I thought.. I'd be satisfied... just taking something you cared about... like you took my cousin.""Y-your cousin..?" Marie had to force her self to hold back tears at the mere mention of the word. "I thought you were his-""His brother? Please don't compare me to that deadbeat abusive bastard." Kirin's expression turned sour for a split second, before becoming emotionless again. "I cared more about my cousin than that loser brother of his ever did. You off all people should know you don't have to be real siblings to be family." Kirin paused for a moment. "And my sister... my sister has been a complete recluse ever since her fiancee was taken from her.""Did he just say fiancee?" Sheldon asked, who was now standing behind them after parking the truck on the stage."Y-yes... I-it's uncommon but... sometimes in Calamari county.. cousins will be.. arranged to wed each other to.. keep the bloodlines from branching too far out. Some of the oldest families are... prideful," Marie responded, looking shocked. "I completely forgot the Kelpie family hailed from there.""And you know the worst part? I don't even get to punch Kirk for breaking her heart. Always talking about that Neptune girl in his letters.""So that's why... that's why you knew about us... and played me like a fool." Marie clenched her fists."It doesn't matter now-""The hell it doesn't!" Drake reached down and grabbed Kirin by the neck, lifting up the Inkling boy off of his feet. "You're insane if you think that day doesn't haunt everyone involved!""D-Drake, what are you doing?" Marie went wide eyed at seeing Kirin choke while being held in the air."He has to pay for this!""Drake, stop! You're killing him!""So? He killed two innocent girls just to get back at us! You should want him dead even more than I do!""Drake, put him down! You know this isn't what they would have wanted!" Marie pleaded. For a brief moment, Drake paused. "I agree that he needs to atone, but not like this. Callie wouldn't want you to kill in cold blood. And Neither would Otome." Drake slowly lowered his arm, as the fire in his eyes started to subside and he regained control of himself."Fine." He let go of Kirin. "You're right... they wouldn't." He let out a heavy sigh before turning away to where Sheldon was. "He's you're problem now, Marie. Sheldon, help me get this load of purple waste on the truck," he said, referring to the still unconscious form of Octavio."E-eh? Right away, buddy." The stunned horseshoe crab came out of his trance, and helped drag the Octoling by his tentacles to the truck, While Marie stood there, trying to figure out what to do with the agent that showed no signs of emotion anymore."Alright, get in," she said after a long sigh. "I'll figure out what to do with you when we get back." The boy got up with out a word and headed to the truck, getting in the back with D.J. Octavio. Since the cab had only two seats and Sheldon was needed up front to fly the truck back, Marie and Drake ended up sharing the other seat, due to neither wanting to leave the other in the back with Kirin and Octavio."Thanks for stopping me..." Drake said after several minutes of silence. Marie, who had been sitting on his lap and leaning against him, turned around so she could look at his face. "I would have done it... perhaps I've gotten too used to killing.""No one reacts well to losing a loved one, be it a friend.. a lover.. or a family member." She paused for several seconds. "I... appreciate that Callie has someone that cares about her that much besides me. And helping each other out.. well.. that's our job as friends, right?""I guess so. And I told you before, that you two are both important to me. I'd be just as hurt to lose you.""I know, and I'm thankful to have you in our lives. But we both know Callie is your preferred squid sister.""Marie...""Just a joke." She tried to give her signature smirk, failing to pull it off correctly. Then she laid her head on his chest. "But for now.. let me stay like this.""Yeah.. of course." He patted the top of her head Like Callie used to like. "Sorry if this comes out wrong, but I'm surprised you kept your calm.. considering..""I'd like to think its my intuition as her cousin.. that she's not really gone.. but.. I think my mind is still trying to process it... and accept it," she sighed, trying to keep the tears from flowing again. "Please.. just.. let me stay like this.. for a little while.""Sure. Of course, Marie." They went the rest of the way in silence, apart from the sobs Marie tried to contain. Marie was also fiddling with her phone, sending out a number of text messages, while Drake just tried to clear his head. After the truck reached Octocanyon, they hauled D.J. Octavio into the spherical transport prison that Marina had repaired for them after her hack job was complete. Needless to say, he was not happy when he woke up a few minutes later."AGGG! NOT THIS SHARKSHIT AGAIN! LET ME OUTTA HERE, YO! I'M STARVING!" He boomed while pounding on the sides."Forget it, Octavio. You're going to be back in your cell tomorrow," Marie growled at him before turning away. Agent 4 was leaning against the cabin, while Drake kept an eye on him. "And as for you." She pointed at Kirin with her umbrella prop, now that she was back in her kimono."Oh, this should be good." Kirin rolled his eyes, still looking emotionless."For starters, you can stand here and watch Octavio ALL NIGHT!""And why should I do that, huh? Mariech-""You don't get to call me that." She glared at him. "And as for why, I'm sure you don't want Pearl to know about oe she won't be seeing her favorite idol anymore because of you!" She said that last part with a nasty grin that sent shivers down his back. His eyes finally showed hints of emotion again, and that emotion was fear."W-what do I care what some other idol thi-""Nice try, but I had a very interesting chat with her on the ride back. I know all about how little Kiri here was all buddy buddy with Pearl. Or should I say, Houzuki?""Wait, what? He knew that little gremlin?" Now it was Drake's turn to be surprised."Oh, yes. The Kelpie family is quite wealthy in Calamari County. Pearl's family used to send her over to play with him, his sister and Kirk when they were little. He even went to her performance in the same folk singing contest that Callie and I were in. I'm sure she'd absolutely loooove to know her childhood friend is a killer.""Y-you wouldn't!" Kirin's eyes couldn't have been more wide."Then I guess you'd better make sure you do a good job tonight, huh? If you and Octavio aren't here when I get back tomorrow, then I'll make sure your little story here gets put all over her news program." Marie turned to leave, and Kirin slumped down with a defeated look."A-are you sure this is okay?" Drake moved over, and walked with her to the pipe that lead to Inkopolis. "Seems kind of a light punishment to me.""Trust me, I'll be making him work for his debt.""Who's debt?" They heard a voice come from the pipe in front of them, and a pink squid reformed above the grate. "Alright, what did I miss?" Neptune asked. Marie and Drake exchanged glances. "And where's Callie and the red one?""Neptune..." Marie sighed. "They're gone. They fell into the polluted water.""G-gone?" Her eyes went wide, a rare expression for the team trickster. "How did-""You can talk to Kirin over there." Drake pointed to Agent 4, who was leaning against the globe. "Who, by the way, is Kirk's cousin- Hey!" He didn't have time to finish, as Neptune was already dashing towards Kirin. The two shrugged before heading into the pipe. Though even down there, it wasn't hard to hear the loud slap Neptune gave him a few minutes later....Hours later, Drake was back in the Eden facility meeting hall, deep under the rest of the expanded territory the E.C.S. had built on. Brandon was reading the report of the tunnel incident, including the casualties, injuries, and missing team members. The maintenance trolley had managed to rescue the remaining survivors with out any further incident, but the whole ordeal had turned out to be a very serious occurrence for all three races. Which is why this was a hearing for treason. All of the higher ups, including Drake's own father, Manfred Von Kaufmann, were listening to the second in command's report."I hope it's clear to you just how serious this is." Manfred said when all the reports were finished. "You know how important the trans-border line was. You should have been there to insure security was at its best, and to lead your team in the event that exactly what happened, happens. Not only has your absence allowed the deaths of three Edef members and the disappearance of a fourth, the whole incident has the potential to escalate tension between all three races when it was supposed to calm them.""And not only that!" Foreman Salazar stood up from his chair. "He just admitted to working with an enemy of all three states! That alone warrants charges of treason!""I only did it to save someone-""THAT'S NO EXCUSE FOR GETTING US INVOLVED IN AN INTERNATIONAL IN-""Salazar, shut up!" Manfred barked. "I'm well aware of your thoughts. I would love to brush your bias aside but-" The middle aged scientist took a deep breath. "But this time, he is right. Drake, we've tolerated your insubordination in the past, since your judgement has usually been correct. However, your command is no longer just a small security force, and you cannot behave like a maverick in front of them. On that charge, you're found guilty, and your command has hereby been revoked.""Manfred, you can't keep letting him get away with just a slap on the wrist," Salazar started again."I'm getting to that, be silent." Manfred waved his hand. "And Salazar is correct. You've gone too far this time. At best, tensions will rise again, if we are lucky and a war doesn't start over this. On the charge of treason, we find you guilty. The punishment is exile. You have one hour to gather what ever belongings and equipment you need. After that, you are no longer allowed within our territory. That is all." Manfred finished and stood up. While Drake had been mostly silent, the Edef members who were part of the original security team stood up to defend him, with the exception of Matt and the fallen Medic, Justin. Manfred simply ignored their protests and left with out saying a word to them or his son."Well, that could have been better. Could have been worse, but could have been better." Drake muttered to himself an hour later, after saying his goodbyes to everyone. Though the team had to hold Kenny back after he punched Drake for not being there to help his sister when she was his responsibility. The grace period was just about up, and he had just finished collecting all the gear he needed. In addition to full combat gear, he had gathered a full pack of survival gear, and as much ammo for the marksman rifle as he could carry, and some grenades that he knew he wasn't allowed to take. He also had a large pack of food that Fong had insisted he take."Yeah.. but everyone is worried that there might be a war now," Brandon said, who had been watching over him."I don't think this alone will do it.. but.. something stinks about all this," Drake replied."I'm kinda surprised your dad just up and left, and hasn't come to see you off, either.""Honestly, I can't tell if it's because he's that ashamed of me, or it's his way of silently supporting what I was trying to do.""You got me. Still can't believe Salazar is still after you over Commander Mclarrin, either.""I've heard death and love can shake a person to the core, more than anything else," Drake sighed."After what you been through, I believe it." They ended up at the motor pool a minute later."You mind giving me a minute? I should say bye to Marco and Hiragi," Drake requested. Brandon nodded, and he went inside. After saying his farewell to the maintenance crew, he headed over to where the two prototype assault walkers were being stored."War, huh?" Drake climbed up to the cockpit of the anti infantry and air variant of the walking Tiger tank. He reached the cockpit, and stuck a device under the main console that he had requested Marco to build him in secret. "Then you stay here in case something goes horribly wrong." He climbed down and called for Brandon. His friend had been nice enough to Drive him to the Inkling city. Once they arrived, he climbed out of the APC, and said good bye to Brandon. When the vehicle was gone, his phone suddenly vibrated."Huh? An emote code?" He looked surprised at the text he had received. Since the new MK2 autotran now worked over electronics, they didn't use text messages much, but when they did, they had to stuck with their old codes, due to the fact that the autotran couldn't give the user the ability to read Inkling text. But it wasn't the massage itself that shocked him, it was the sender. Drake gathered his gear, and took off as fast as he could to Octovalley.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Night had fallen over the city of Inkopolis, and the neighboring neutral zone of Octovalley. While there was a fair amount of light pollution in the city, the valley was rather dark in comparison, since the only lights were the stars and the few lamp posts that illuminated the more important kettles. Which is why Drake was cursing himself for not grabbing a pair of night vision goggles on his way out. The beam of light from the flashlight that was attached to his weapon was the only source he had while looking around the valley for the person who had sent him the emote code."It said to meet at the shack..." He went over to the old squid's shack, which was completely dark and the generator was offline. There were no signs of either the owner of the shack, or the one who had sent out the text. "Was it actually the canyon cabin after all? No.. it must have been a prank. There's no way that she-""Drake-""Gah!" A sudden voice from behind made the human jump. He whipped around, and went wide eyed when he saw the one who sent him the text. The black and magenta tentacled inkling was standing behind him in her pink field outfit, looking at Drake with relief that he had shown up alone. "C-Callie?""Y-yeah. I'm b-back," she said with a nervous tone. She opened her mouth to say more, but the human quickly pulled her into an embrace. Something she didn't protest, and happily surrendered to. The two shed tears of joy at seeing each other, both believing they would never see each other again when the magenta Inkling fell into the purple river. Callie leaned into him, enjoying the feeling of being in the chest of the man she still loved as more than a close friend, his warm touch being the nice contrast to the cool and smooth feel of her Inkling kin."Callie. I'm so glad. I thought you were gone for good," Drake said between sniffles, not caring how weak he sounded."I did too. I.. All I could think of when I fell.. was how afraid I was of not being able to see you and Marie again after everything we've been through.""I'm really happy you're back." He petted the back of her head, along the tentacle bow. An action that got him a content sigh from her. "But now... how did you survive? And where's Otome?" She fell in after you did." Callie looked up at him, and her expression went dark and her voice pained."Drake... there's.. something I have to tell you..."...Things felt like they were going in slow motion as she fell from the stage platform in the old assembly hall. Screaming, she looked up at the horrified expressions of the human she loved, and her beloved cousin that was next to him. The flying truck they once used as a makeshift stage flew towards her and she reached out a hand to grab it, but all she was able to get her hands around was the antenna, which snapped off rather easily. She could sense the water getting closer and closer with each second of the fall, until she hit the polluted river with a loud splash."It burns..." Her vision went completely purple, and she could feel the chemicals in the water start to react to her skin. She wanted to struggle, but knew it was pointless. Being able to swim in water was extremely rare in evolved cephalopods. "Am.. am I going to die.. here..?" The burning sensations were slowly getting worse, but from what little vision she still had, another figure was rapidly approaching her. "W-what?" her body moved on its own. She reached out to it, and the figure reached out as well. A hand soon gripped her own, and she went wide eyed when she finally made out the other figure."Otome..?" The Octoling turned back upward, and started pulling her towards the surface. She could see the lights from the stage, as they got closer and closer. Her mind was still trying to process how the Octoling was swimming, when the two broke the surface. Callie took in a deep breath, taking in the air that she had been deprived off."Hold on to me! I got you, Callie." The Octoling started swimming them to the edge of the river, the chemical burn starting to progress, which would soon start to dissolve her."Otome.. how? How can you swim?""Drake taught me. Now hold on. We're almost there, and I'm not losing you." She continued to pull Callie along, until they reached the edge of the river. Otome got a foot hold in the boggy riverbed, and pulled Callie close enough to where she could get a foot hold as well. "I'll be right behind you. Try to walk yourself out." Callie nodded, Otome pushed her far enough for her to be able to walk."I- I think I'm okay. Thank you so much, Otome!" Callie smiled, and stuck her hand out to help pull Octoling in."What are friends for?" Otome smiled back, and went to grab Callie's hand. But as soon as their finger tips touched, the Octoling was knocked away. Callie watched in horror, as she was pushed back out into the river, thanks to a large chunk of the metal fist that had been blown in with them. It was dragging her along to a waterfall."Otome! Look out!" Callie desperately looked around for something that might help her. She settled for a long coil that had been washed to shore, and chased the struggling girl to the edge of the water fall. "Otome, grab on!" She put out as much of the coil as she could out in the river. Otome caught it, and used it to pull away from the fist, just as it went over the edge. The Octoling tried to swim to shore, but wasn't fast enough, and she too went over the edge. Callie had to dig her feet into a rock pile to avoid getting pulled back into the water."Callie? Callie, you have to let go.""I'm.. not.. gonna.." She grunted, as she tried to pull her up."You have to, or we both go over!""Not.. gonna.. happen... We're... going.. back.. together.." She continued to grip the coil. Otome just sighed, and started to climb up, sensing that she wasn't going to let go. About half way up, however, the coil suddenly snapped in half. Otome fell down the waterfall, and the lack of pull caused Callie to flip over on her backside, and her half of the coil went flying past her."Nononono!" Callie got up as quick as she could, and ran to the water falls edge, but saw no signs of her Octoling friend. Fearing the worst, she quickly found a path to the lake that the fall spilled into. Getting as close as she could to the water, she desperately looked around for any signs of her. "Otome?" She called out. There was no response, and she started pacing. "Otome! Please.. don't do this to me. You can't be gone.." After several minutes of this, she collapsed on her knees, and started crying loudly. The sound of falling water, and the Inkling girl's cries were all that were heard over the large lake...."A-are you telling me... she..""I'm sorry.. I'm sorry. I looked for her as long as I could.. but... All I found was this.." The teary eyed Callie pulled out a small equipment belt, and held it up to the human that looked to be on the verge of breaking again. He slowly took it and looked it over. A holster was attached to it, with a handgun inside. Attached to it, was a spare magazine and a box of bullets occupied the pouch on the other side."It.. it's the handgun I gave her for her birthday, two years ago." He held the weapon up. It was an old but effective relic from the second world war."I'm sorry.." Callie was on the verge of breaking out in tears again. Drake just went back to rubbing her tentacles."It's not you're fault, Callie.""It is! If I hadn't run off after Octavio-""You were just doing what you thought was right. If anything.. it's my fault.""H-huh?""I should have been quicker, and not hesitated." Drake put his head in his palm. "And I should have trusted her words.""T-that's not-""And I should have taught you how to swim with Otome.""You.. were going to teach me?" She looked up at him, a little surprised. The thought that he would help her overcome a natural fear made her both happy and nervous at the same time."Yes. I was going to teach you and Marie a few months ago when it started getting hot, but you were still down from all the work stress. We were supposed to do it at the Calamari trip, but that never happened..." Drake paused for a few seconds. "So don't blame yourself. Besides, Octavio was the one who caused everything. And Looking back on it, I highly doubt Kirin could have anticipated all that happening, despite his words. Maybe he was right. We should have killed the old man when we had the chance.""I.. uh.. I suppose... But needless killing is still wrong." Callie wiped her wet face. "I miss her already though...""I do too, Callie. I do too." They both stood in silence for some time with only the sound of crickets to cover Callie's occasional sniffle. Drake had a lot he wanted to let out to, but he decided he needed to be strong for her, and forced it to stay inside."S-so.. listen, Drake. I.. uh.. need a favor." She stopped sobbing and looked up at him."Sure. What ever you need." He forced a smile in return."C-can you... uh. Let me move in with you?""Wait, what? You mean back at the settlement?" He gave her a shocked look, wondering what brought the sudden request on. "Shouldn't you be back with Marie?""I...I.." She paused for a moment to avoid letting another torrent of tears flow over the bombshell she was about to drop. "I can't go back. I've been banned from Inkopolis, and all Inkling settlements." Drake stared at her in silence, not fully able to process what she just said. That the sweet girl, the big celebrity and one of the protectors of Inkopolis had been thrown out for something that wasn't even her fault."What.. what did you just say?""They called me a traitor and said I could never go back." She looked down with an ashamed expression. "The chancellor was there and everything and-" Callie stopped and froze when they heard the sound of something drop. Drake turned and quickly drew his handgun, aiming it at the interloper, only to find Marie standing there in shock."C-callie? You're alive?""M-marie?" Callie turned toward her with a horrified expression."Why didn't you tell me? And.. Is it true?""Marie, I.. I I didn't want to worry you. I'm sorry, I.. I.. We can't be together anymore and I didn't want to worry you-" Callie couldn't finish before Marie embraced her cousin."Callie.. how could you think that for even a second? I'm your cousin, and I love you. Do you know how hurt I was thinking I had lost you for good?""I... I.." Callie was struggling to get her words out, as tears of regret beaded down her cheek."I don't care who says you aren't allowed here anymore. You being alive is more than I could ever ask for after what happened!""Marie... Marie... whhhaaa.." Unable to hold back her emotions, she buried her face in her cousin's chest. Marie hugged her tightly, her own tears dripping on top of Callie's pink cap. Drake wanted to turn back and leave the two alone, but he had to see this through, and simply leaned against the shack to give the two time to themselves. It seemed like hours before the duo regained control over their emotions, and Drake looked up to see that they were both standing in front of him again."Drake.. I have a favor to ask of you as well. Please... look after my cousin.""Marie.. I've told you before that you don't have to ask that of me. But, there is a problem. I can't take her back to the E.C.S.""W-what? Why not? I'll be good, and -""It's not that. I would do that for you in a heartbeat if I could, but.." he sighed heavily. "But I've been exiled from my home as well.""What?!" The two said in unison."Yeah.. They think I'm a traitor for aiding a known criminal and not being there to assist the Edef team with the trans-border train incident. I was actually planning on asking you two if I could stay at your place for a while." Both cousins looked at each other."We would love to have you.. and I trust you, Drake, but with her banned in Inkopolis and you banned from Eden-""Neither of us can house each other," Drake sighed. "Well, I can pull some favors and have Brandon get you in-""No!" Callie said strongly and clung to his shoulder."But it will be safe and they all know you-""No.. I don't want to be alone.. please!" Callie begged. Drake looked up at Marie, who shrugged."I'd rather her be with someone I trust as well," she said. "We need to come up with a plan." They all sat down on a nearby log. "And I know this isn't the best time but, while we think, can you tell me everything that happened while I was away at Calamari County?"...Several days ago..."Just one more day." Callie sighed as she walked away from the train station and back towards the square. "Just one more day and I can put all this behind me and be with my family and best friends." Callie, who was in her Squidbeak disguise, mulled around the square a bit, wondering how to kill the time. "Maybe I should check up on Gramps." The magenta squid soon found herself hopping through the pipe grate, and in Octovalley some time later."Graaaammps! You awake?" Callie shouted at the empty shack. D.J. Octavio, who had been temporarily moved back to the valley after a break-in threat at the prison, just gave her an annoyed look over the noise she was making. Callie ignored him, and peaked inside. There were no signs of the old squid. "Gramps? Where did you get off too?" She made his way over to where the bed was, and noticed that both his squid phone and the telegram he had sent were both sitting on the counter. After reading the note about being on a research trip, she picked up his phone and sighed after seeing all the missed call notifications. "So that's why you weren't picking up. Just as forgetful as ever, silly old man." She giggled to herself, but a loud explosion was heard from the front of the shack."W-what the heck?" Having a very bad feeling, Callie grabbed her roller and ran back outside. The first thing she noticed was the sphere prison had a large gaping whole at the top. "Ah, crud! He's getting away again!" She whipped around, and saw him making a break for one of the kettles with several Octolings that were wearing a different uniform than when she had last done battle with them. "Oh, no you don't! You get your big purple butt back here!" She slammed the roller down and charged forward. The group turned around, just in time to see her ram the roller into the hips of one of the Octolings, knocking her out instantly as ink paralysis set in."Don't just stand there, morons!" Octavio yelled. One of his escorts raised an Octoshot to shoot her, but Callie swung the roller around, blocking the shots and spraying the Octoling boy with ink, causing him to lose the use of his limbs, and he fell backwards. She was about to charge at the third escort, but was suddenly grabbed by one of Octavio's tentacles. It lifted her up, and another grabbed and squeezed her arm, forcing her to drop the roller she was about to hit him with."Let go of me and get back in your cell, yah jerk!" Callie yelped. "Nobody likes you anymore!""Ha! That's rich. You've got a big debt to pay off, and you'll be liking me plenty when this is done." Octavio grinned, and lowered her enough so that the third escort could wack her in the head with a reverse engineered blaster, knocking her out instantly. Octavio and what was left of the escorts hopped into one of the Ceph kettles to head back to the industrial section of Octocanyon....The next day, the figures of a pink squid in yellow gear, a red tentacled Octoling in the old Guardian Corps uniform,and an armor wearing human were slowly making their way through Ceph. Their steady but cautious movements hinted that they were searching for something. Any doubt of this by those that were observing them, was soon removed when the Octoling spoke."Could she really have come through here? We haven't seen a single sign of Callie since she didn't show up at the station for our trip.""Yeah, but you two saw that busted up cell with no Octavio in it. You know she would never let him get away again," Neptune said with a tired yawn."And she's not back in the city. That much we know," Drake added"Y-yeah.. I'm just worried about her. She's been gone for a day.." Otome looked down and slowed her pace."I am too, Otome. Something is not right about this.""Geez, you make me sound like I'm just going through the motions." The current Agent 3 said with another yawn. "And I've been at this all day. Ceph is the only place I haven't ruled out.""We know. You did good, Neptune." Drake patted her head, and Neptune sighed with a hint of comfort."It's not the same if it isn't big brother.. but that's not bad once in a while.""You know Levin is still with Shara, and those two have been together for almost two years," Otome commented."Man, that's not what I mean." Neptune rolled her eyes and grinned a little. "Not that you two have much room to talk about relationships, Ms. I haven't done anything more than kiss with my pretend I'm not in a relationship forbidden ship boyfriend." Neptune grinned wider as Otome froze."How- How did you know?""Pa-lease. You can't fool the love detective.""Love detective? Seriously Neptune?" Otome quickly facepalmed while Neptune continued to giggle. "This from the girl who couldn't even get her feelings across to-""Wait, stop!" Drake raised his hand to quiet the bickering pair. He then raised his weapon. "We're not alone.""W-what?" Otome and Neptune quickly raised their weapons as well, but froze when a trio of sniper sights were on them. Several Octosnipers that were hidden in the ruined buildings revealed themselves and an number of Octolings came out of the nearby bushes and rubble piles. The three all backed up to one another, as the Octolings all encircled them."Alright, drop your weapons. The rightful king wants to have a word with you," the lead elite said, and pointed a reverse engineered blaster at Drake. The others quickly followed her lead."Best do what she says," Otome grumbled while scanning the area. She and Drake both lowered their weapons to the ground."Ha! Not a chance. No way am I going to be that sucker's 'guest' again," Neptune said, while aiming the Type-h at the Octolings that were near her."Neptune, you're going to get your self killed!" Otome hissed back."D'aw, you worried about me? Well it's better dead than red-""Quiet!" Drake said to shut them both up. He then leaned closer and whispered. "Hey. If I tank their shots for you, think you can squid jump away from here?""It's risky with out a beacon or proper coordinates... but I like the way you think," Neptune nodded in response."Even if we get away, they'll just capture you! We can't do that!" Otome protested."Yes you can, because-""Hey! What are you whispering about? Nevermind, hands up! Now!" The elite ordered, and waved her blaster at them. "Let me see those hands!""Then you'll see this!" Drake raised his arms in a defensive stance, then charged the elite down. She was too surprised to get out of the way in time, and he shoved her back, causing her to knock over several of her underlings. "Do it! Now!" He yelled, as the other Octolings all raised their octoshots, and started painting him with ink. Rapidly losing his strength from the ink's effect, he knocked another on to the ground who had pointed her weapon at Neptune."Don't have to tell me twice!" Neptune who had already changed forms, quickly squid jumped away."Otome, go!" Drake ordered, who was now on his knees."No!" Drake looked up, and saw that Otome was standing in front of him with her arms spread out. "We give up, so stop hurting him!""W-what? I told you to-""Enough!" The elite snapped as she got back on her feet. "We could have done this the easy way, but you just had to be a tough guy." One of her underlings bashed Otome on the head with the butt end of an octoshot, knocking her out. The elite then shoved drake to the ground, and stomped on his head with her boot. "Right. Take these idiots to the interrogation room. We'll deal with the squid later."Hours later, Otome was the first one to wake up with an audible groan. The first thing she noticed was that she was tied to a chair with the special cord that prevents form changing. They appeared to be in what looked like a hospital room. To her left, Drake was also tied to a chair. She went wide eyed when she saw the footprint shaped bruise on his head. "Drake! Drake, wake up." She struggled to try and free herself from the binding."Don't even try it," a voice to her right said. Standing next to a window that lead to another room that was completely dark, the Octoling elite stood in front of them with her arms crossed. She could hear Drake groan as he started to wake up."Ughh.. My head.""Drake.. thank goodness," she sighed, then turned to glare at the elite. "You! What did you do to him!""Not as much as I would have if he hadn't ordered you kept alive. Speaking of which, he wants to talk to you, now that you're both awake." The elite hit a button and a monitor screen in front of them flicked on."Gyahaha. Well well. Look who it is. Payback's a pain in the tentacle, ain't it?" The Octobot king grinned with a smug look. "But hey, since you're here, I'm thinking yah can return your debt by doing me a solid." The massive octo signaled the elite, who undid their restraints."And what makes you think we aren't going to just take her weapon and leave?" Drake said, glaring at the elite while rubbing his bruise."Keheh. Yah didn't think I wouldn't have some insurance, did you?" He flicked a switch, and the lights in the next room came on."W-what? Callie!" Otome shrieked, and they both ran to the window. Inside, was indeed their friend. But she was laying on the bed, almost motionless, a moan escaping her. She had on her agent outfit, but had on a pair of the new Octoling goggles over her eyes. "What did you do to her!""Oh, just a little something that you should appreciate. Raise, Callie!" Octavio commanded, and the goggles flashed red. Callie's face went expressionless, and she rose off the bed. Next to her, a weapons case rose out of the ground. "Get yah a weapon." Callie then took a reverse engineered roller, then strapped an ink tank to her back. Another Octoling wheeled in what looked like a dummy in the shape of an Inkling. "Now splat that inksquirt.""Yes, sir." She mercilessly swung the roller, covering the target with ink. She swung again, and it broke in two. The door opened, and Callie walked out of the room to where the two were watching the demonstration."Bastard! How dare you use the controller on her!" Otome spat. She was fully aware how it felt to be under his influence, and the thought disgusted her."Gyaha. Now that I got ya's attention, Yer gonna help me steal back the great zapfish. And if yah don't obey my commands, I'll remix her brain permanently. I gotta stronger version that will really mess her up." He hit a button, and the goggles turned from red, back into their normal hue. Callie collapsed on her knees, panting heavily. "I'll see yah soon. And don't be forgetting now." The monitor switched off, and the two helped Callie back on her feet."Callie, talk to me. Are you okay?" Drake asked."Uwuhh.. that was awful. I never want to go through that again," she answered, holding her head."It's okay. We're here," Otome said in a comforting tone, and hugged the black and magenta tentacled squid sister."T-thank you... I'm so sorry I dragged you into my screw up," she whimpered."Yeah, yeah. Enough with the pity party. And from now on, you will go by your new code names of Magenta, Guardian and Enigma. We got a job to do now, so get moving!" The elite motioned them to follow her. Otome let go of Callie, and Drake had to hold her back from punching her. After having their weapons returned to them, the elite lead them to an airship that was docked outside the building, where two other squads of Octolings had gathered. The elite went to the front of the group, and turned to address them."Alright, you pack of bottom feeders! Today is our lucky day. Our supreme leader and true emperor, has decided its time to take back what's rightfully ours for good! Those Inkling loving cowards from the army will regret the day they threw in with the weakling Octurus. Lord Octavio has ordered the recovery of the great zapfish, and our squad will be the diversion. We will attack a place called muscle forge fitness, and buy time for 2nd squadron to steal the zapfish. Now let's take back what is ours!" She yelled, and the rest of the squad cheered. They boarded the airship, and soon were on their way to Inkopolis."There has to be a way to stop this." Otome muttered, as the airship neared its location some time later. The journey had been rather quiet, and even though it was night, the city completely had its guard down. Nothing tried to intercept them once they were in Inkling airspace."There isn't. Not as long as he has Callie as a trump card," Drake shook his head. "I hate it too, but we have to grin and bear it until we get an opening.""Right... but.. he didn't say we had to.. you know. Try hard.""As I've said many times, I like the way you think, Otome." The two exited the airship along with Callie, and infiltrated the fitness center. They didn't have trouble breaching through the skylight in the roof. The group of 8 Octolings and 1 Inkling jumped down, while Drake used his grappling hook to descend into the building. The group hit the ground on a ramp that lead to a S.P.A.W.N. and fanned out, raising their weapons to the surprised Inklings. Since it was off hours, the gym was being used as a turf war arena, and they had landed right in the middle of one."W-what's going on? W-why is the Octarian army here?" A nervous boy on the yellow team asked. His eyes looked like they were about to pop out."Stay back, Marik." A female from the cyan team put her hand in front of him, then stepped forward. "You reds know you're not supposed to be here, right? You should know better than to violate the treaty that gave you reds a better deal than you deserve." She gave the elite the dirtiest look she could imagine. The elite in turn, just grinned and raised her hand up."Well, then. What's say we up the stakes, Inkling scum?""Pointless. The S.P.A.W.N. system will protect them while turf wars are active. It's not like this is new information." Otome shook her head at what she thought was the leader's bravado getting the better of her."Don't you worry. Our inside girl should be taking care of that.. right about.. now." The grin on the elites face grew wider, as both pads simultaneously sparked. The Inklings all turned to their respective S.P.A.W.N. points to see them both burst into flames. An alarm sounded, and the sprinkler system kicked in, showering the pads with safe freshwater, putting the fires out. Unfortunately, the damage already had been done and an automated voice came through the turf player's automaps that the turf war was canceled due to malfunction, and to vacate the area."T-the base pads!" Marik slowly backed away, as the cyan female turned to him with dread filled eyes."Marik! Run!""Too late." The elite swung her hand down, and the other Octolings all moved in at once. The cyan Inkling threw herself in front of Marik, taking several octoshot hits to the back. With the last of her strength, she pushed him backwards before falling on her stomach as ink paralysis took hold. She laid there with labored breathing."J-Juno!" The Inkling boy backed away with his weapon raised. His knees were shaking, and he looked torn between running and helping Juno. His eyes widened when one of the Octolings that was wielding a modified blaster, hit one of his teammates in the legs. Loosing all control, he fell forward into the trench that separated the base pad from the center section. His agonized wails echoed through the narrow passage, as he could be seen holding his injured legs. The Octoling then turned on him, ready to send an explosive ink ball his way."A-ah! No!" He raised his arms to cover his face, only to see a yellow stream fly past him and hit her in the neck. The Octoling fell into the trench, landing next to the injured boy, and was barely able to breath between her pained coughs."Get back dude! We'll cover you!" A charger user perched himself on the raised platform next to a catwalk that connected the yellow base with the center."Yeah! Eat this, you sea cows!" A splatling gunner hopped up on the small box that was on the very center of the contested zone. He unloaded a charge at the nearest Octoling. His pellets hit her armor and bounced off at first, but the continued burst soon broke through, and knocked her flat on her back. The remaining Inklings and Octolings all took cover and went prone, all taking potshots at each other."Enigma! Guardian! What the hell are you doing! Deal with that sniper and gunner!" The elite yelled in frustration."Hey, you never said we had to engage-" Drake started."NOW! BEFORE I HAVE LORD-""Alright, alright." Drake raised his rifle, taking his sweet time aiming for the boy's shoulder. Squeezing the trigger, he put a short burst into the Inkling. The sniper stumbled backwards, looking shocked and confused at the sudden and unexpected pain the unfamiliar weapon caused him. He fired another shot at the other shoulder, and he fell back and off the platform. "That should keep him unable to use his weapon for a while... even with their fast healing." He looked over to see Otome do the same thing to the splatling gunner's legs with a well placed burst bomb, causing them to give out from under him."All units, advance!" The elite yelled, and joined the remaining soldiers to push back against the Inklings they now outnumbered again. Marik was watching in horror as his teammates and former opponents were splatted, one by one. He ducked down, as two Octolings ran past his hiding spot to chase down a retreating sploosh user. But that was not his concern, and he rose back up to run towards the fallen cyan girl."Juno! Juno, are you okay?""Uhhg.. Marik.. I told you to run, stupid," the cyan girl groaned."N-no.. You always have to call me a coward, but I'm not running again." He reached towards her."Dammit, go already!""I-need to get you to a -ah!" He froze when another figure stepped in front of him. But then started to feel relieved when he saw the Inkling tentacles and clothing. "O-oh, your not Octarian." He sighed with relief. "Please, help me get her to the hospital before they come back." The girl stood there with out saying anything. "P-please, help me-" He froze when the girl raised the roller and pointed it at his chest. "W-what are you doing?""I'm.. sorry..." Callie winced and pushed the roller into his chest. She only used minimal force, but it was enough to knock him down and splat him enough to cause ink paralysis."You.. you traitor.." Juno said with a pained growl."I'm so sorry..." Callie whimpered. Several tears flowed from her face. The fact that she hurt an innocent and a child at that, made her heart wrench. She didn't have time to say anything else, as the elite soon came back with the others."That's all of them. Give me a casualty report," the elite barked."Ma'am, all eight Inklings have been incapacitated and two of our own were downed. No deaths on either side," an Octoling male reported."What do you mean no deaths? Who told you to take prisoners!" She glared at the male, then turned to the two Inklings that Callie was standing next to. "Whatever, just kill them all. And we'll start with these two." The elite pointed her blaster at Juno and Marik."W-wait. You can't!" Callie's eyes widened from behind the goggles."What was that, Magenta?" The elite glared at Callie."I said you can't!" She stepped between the Inklings and the elite. "I won't let you!""Get out of my way. Did you forget I can have him fry your mind at anytime?" She held up her communicator."I don't care. You. Can't. Hurt. Them!" Callie said with a decisive tone that surprised everyone, including the human and Octoling that had been close with her for the past 2 years."She's right you know. You really shouldn't," Otome said, who grabbed the leaders hand, while trying to conceal her boiling anger."You got something to say? I'm this close to having him activate the device and both of you executed.""I think what she means to say, is that they are worth more to you alive," Drake stepped in to try and defuse the situation. "You all want to start a war, right? Well, that might be a bit easier if the Inklings have witnesses that say they saw the army attack." The elite stared at him for a good few seconds."I guess you fossils are smarter than your puny heads make you look. Fine," she turned to the others. "Alright, fan out and use your squee-g to de-splat them just enough to keep them alive. Then break their weapons and tanks.""Yes, ma'am!" The others responded, and spread out. The elite took several steps forward, before pausing."Guardian, Enigma, you two help unload the decoy mini zapfish. Magenta... just.. stand there and pretend to look pretty, I guess." The elite shook her head before moving to another area. Drake and Otome both gave Callie a quick pat on the shoulder to try to reassure her, before carrying out the Elite's orders. Callie slumped down, while watching Juno and Marik get treated. She wanted to cry, but over the last few hours, she had shed enough tears, and could only let out a sad sigh. She decided on the next best thing."It's the only thing I'm good at, after all." Callie wiped her face, and started to sing. She sang low and slow, to avoid drawing attention to herself as the others worked. While it didn't make her feel better about the situation, it did calm her a little. Eventually, she noticed an Octoling standing behind her. She paused and looked back, hoping it was Otome. The face of an unfamiliar Octoling with bright red tentacles that looked about Otome's age when they first met, was standing behind her with an expression of pity. Callie turned away, and went back to her singing.After some time, she noticed another voice was singing with her. The other Octoling had joined in her singing, following along as best she could. Her voice was beautiful, yet familiar, and contained no trace of malice. Callie looked back again, and the girl had her eyes closed. Wondering how the girl was able to keep up so well, Callie continued to sing with the girl, until the group had bought the main force enough time, and Octavio ordered them to pull out, once he had claimed his prize....
A\N. And change of plans. Last chapter went longer than I thought, so I had to break it into two. Also this splatfest is giving me ideas for another horror one shot, thanks to them shoehorning more human holidays as canon, so there's that to deal with. but we'll see how time goes.

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"I just can't believe it." Marie had her fist balled up while listening to Callie and Drake tell their story. The green and white tentacled squid had been on an emotional roller coaster ever since this whole ordeal had started, but hearing first hand how Octavio had used her cousin as a hostage and gone so far as to tamper with her mind, had caused the older cousin's blood to boil. Far more so than anything Kirin had done. "You know, I'm tempted to agree with Kirin. Maybe push him into the water, you know?""Marie, you can't.." Callie looked shocked that Marie would even suggest that."I know, I know. We don't kill unless we have to. But can you blame me, Cal? He's responsible for taking two of our friends from us, and.. and he tried to turn us against each other..." Marie looked down in shame."Marie, please.. I miss them too, but-""But, I know you'd never forgive me if I stooped down to his level. And I'd be the biggest hypocrite ever if I made you sad.""T-that's not- I mean I'd always-" Callie put up her hands in protest."And I would never forgive myself either, if I tore us apart. That period where we grew apart last year was one of the most painful times of my life. It's like you said, Cal. We're the squid sisters." Marie gave her cousin a genuine smile and tried to strike their pose, but failed miserably do to their emotional state. But that didn't stop Callie from beaming a wide smile at her. She pounced on her cousin, knocking the two to the ground and kicking up a dust cloud. "There's my cousin that I know and love," Marie said, while rubbing the back of her head."I'd never hate you, Marie." Callie hugged her cousin tight enough to cause her to wince a little."Nor I you. This banishment crap doesn't change a thing. Your bright smile has always kept me going over the years, and even if you joined Octavio willingly, I would never hate or give up on you.""M-marie, I'd never-" Callie's eyes went a bid wide at what her cousin suggested."I know. Geez, Cal, let me have my moment." Marie couldn't help but to giggle at her cousin. Laughing a little, Drake went over and offered his hand to the two laying on the ground. He pulled them both up, and they cleaned off their field uniforms."Sometimes I forget how close you two are.""Mhm! I would still be just a little girl with stage fright, if not for Marie," Callie said in a happy tone. It warmed Marie's heart to know that Callie never stopped needing her in her life as much as she needed Callie."So don't act like you're not important to us anymore, okay?" Drake gave Marie a light tap on the back. Marie turned around and put on her signature smirk for the first time in a while."I suppose you're right, but I do recall warning you about saying embarrassing crap like that to me." She went over and linked arms with Drake, which made Callie noticeably flustered."M-marie, what are you-""Come on, Cal. We both reaffirmed that we'd do anything for each other... bbuuuutttt, we are gonna have to put ourselves first from time to time." She glanced up at the human, who had a puzzled and slightly embarrassed expression. "And miss early bird over there should know all about being first to get the worm. Especially now that a certain somebody is single ag-" Marie froze, and her expression turned to horror as she realized what she was saying. "Oh, Drake! I am so sorry! I didn't mean to-""It's okay." He waved his hand to dismiss it, but was unable to cover the fact that his expression had darkened a little after being reminded of his loss. "Marie, I would be lying if I said that didn't sting, but I get what you were trying to do and I appreciate it. But.. give it a little more time before we talk about.. my relationship status.. okay?""O-of course." She quickly let go of his arm, and searched her mind for a way to change the topic before ruining the mood for good. "S-so I have a question," she announced, and the two gave her curious looks. "What.. exactly happened at the zeppelin factory? I know for a fact that Kirin didn't destroy that seeker, and we shouldn't have done as much damage as we did.""Well..." Drake and Callie looked at each other. "Otome and I were kinda on our last... well, chance. We were still working on a plan to rescue Callie, but Octavio had ordered us to eliminate the new agent. Obviously, we couldn't flat out do that, but with him breathing down our neck... well, we came up with a little plan that was supposed to buy us some more time."...Earlier in the day..."Man, we really pissed him off this time," the gas mask wearing human commented. He was sitting next to Otome, as they rode on the carrier zeppelin to their next objective."Tell me about it," the Octoling sighed and brushed her tentacles that were swaying in the wind. "I'm just glad I was able to talk him out of activating the device again.""I guess you always did have a way with words.""Yeah, very funny." Otome sighed, and turned around to look at the girl in question. Callie was standing behind them, and was singing along with the same Octoling from their offensive at muscle forge. "I just wish I could have done more for her. Their singing is about the only thing that's kept her spirits up.""You jealous?""Enough with the jokes!" Otome gave him a slight wack on the head under his helmet. "What are you, Neptune?""I can be, if that's what it takes to keep us sane.""Smart ass," Otome sighed and shook her head again. "But maybe I am a little bit... I can't sing that well..""She is the new lead singer for Turquoise October, after all. And I agree, those two go together pretty well. Buuuttt...""I'm afraid to ask what." Otome rolled her eyes at Drake."I think Callie still loves your dancing the most. Splatfest dancing specifically." Drake smirked from behind the mask, despite that it was completely hidden."Oh, come on. Are you really gonna bring that up!?" She felt like smacking her partner again, especially since an Octotrooper was laughing at them, but held back since they had a bigger issue to deal with. "But enough jokes. This Agent 4 is supposed to be coming through here, and if we screw up again...""I got it covered, Otome." Drake gave her a thumbs up."What do you mean?""I planted a few surprises here and there. Should buy us more time and we can say that it happened while we were at Moray Towers as ordered.""Nice, thinking." Otome grinned, but stopped when she looked down. "Hey, don't look now, but our new friend is here." Drake looked down as well, and saw Agent 4 staring up at them as they passed by. After a few moments, another figure in the agent uniform yanked him under the platform."Uhhh, Otome?" He looked back up at his companion. "Was that..?""Yeah. It's Neptune. She's alive." Otome gave a relieved smile."Ahah, so you do care-""What? Did you say Neptune?" The two turned to see Callie standing behind them. "Neptune is okay? That's great! I was so worried when you two told me you got separated from her.""Well, you know her," Drake chuckled, and the other two did as well. The zeppelin soon started flying out of range of the factory. "Anyway, I think it's time for some fireworks, don't you?" He pushed the button on a detonator, and they could see an Octoseeker erupt in flames. Several more explosions went off after the seeker crashed into the assembly line."Whoa! That was cool! Can I blow something up!?" Callie's eyes lit up."S-sorry, that's all I had. But maybe next time." Drake quickly said when he saw her dejected look."Careful, Drake. We don't need to ad pyro maniac in addition to a driving hazard." Otome grinned at the two."H-hey! I'll pass the test next time!" The three continued to bicker, as the zeppelin continued on away from the battle taking place at the factory...."I knew it. There's no way Kirin could have gotten that lucky. Especially since the explosions came from the backside," Marie commented when they finished their story. The wind had been picking up in Octovally, kicking up a thin layer of dust in the night breeze."Yeah, a bit of an oversight on my part." Drake was forced to admit. "Octavio figured out what we were doing, and ordered Callie... well, forced Callie back to Cephalon. The next time we saw her, she was wearing that gaudy outfit, along with those hypnoshades and stupid tattoo. And trust me, he wasn't lying when he said the optical hypnoshades are stronger than the older controller, which was more auditory based.""Tch. That purple bastard always gets off too easy," Marie said with a hiss as she recalled Callie's condition during the fight."U-uh... About that tattoo.." Callie fidgeted a little when the topic was brought up, which caught both of their attention."What is it, Cal?""W-well... promise... not to.. freak out.. or anything..." Callie sheepishly started to raise her top up, just enough to expose where the tattoo was originally located on the lower right side of her stomach. Marie gasped, and Drake went wide eyed at what they saw. The tattoo had been removed, but a burn mark had been left behind from the chemicals."Callie, are you alright? We need to get you to a doctor right now!" Marie took her hand."B-but I'm banned, and-""Forget this stupid banning! You could have gotten sick from that water-""Marie, I'm okay!" Callie took her hand back, which made her Cousin jump a little from her sudden move. "Really, I'm fine. I'm happy that you are worried over me, but I was already looked at by a doctor before my hearing. They said I wasn't sick or injured, but the mark would probably be permanent.""That's a relief..." Marie sighed. "You scared me there, Cal.""What's the deal with that hearing, anyway? There's no way you could have a proper trial in such a small amount of time... unless they already made their minds up, like with what happened to me," Drake said with a bit of a snarl."After I was done at the doctor, some goons from the chancellors place ganged up on me. At first I thought it was some weird fans trying to mob me, but then the showed me their badges and the official seal of his office. They said I had to come with them... and..""Of course that's when they decide to actually get in gear. Totally not when they were needed, like say... BACK WHEN THIS MESS FIRST STARTED TWO YEARS AGO!" Marie spat the last part out, and neither the magenta cousin or the human could really blame her."Or when the E.C.S. was trying to set up formal relations with the Inklings when the Octarians were already showing interest," Drake added, and Callie nodded at his words."Yeah, no kidding. It's a wonder Inkopolis is still standing," Marie shook her head in irritation. "Sorry... keep going, Cal.""They told me... that I was a traitor... And- and I asked why, and they told me.. they told me that I let Octavio escape and helped him steal the zapfish." Callie started to tear up again, but Drake gave her a gentile pat, which kept her from going over the edge."What? Say what?" Marie's expression filled with both anger and shock at her words. "How... how could they know what happened already? And for that matter, how could they have possibly known your involvement? And if they did, they should know that it wasn't your fault.""I told them that I didn't know what they were talking about, but they knew everything. From Octavio breaking out, to Kirin blowing up the Octobot. I.. I.." Callie looked directly into Marie's eyes. "I had no choice, Marie.""W-what do you mean? Why didn't you protest, or call us to defend you?""They.. they said that if I didn't sign a confession.. they.. they would bring in every single person I had any contact with. You, Drake, gramps, Levin, Shara, Neptune... Even Pearl and Marina. They.. they said that they would interrogate everyone and arrest anyone who they thought was involved and charge them too. But if I.. if I confessed, they would keep everything quiet and just announce that I was on an extended leave.""Why that low down, sniviling, scheming, blackmailing little SHARKSHIT!" Marie roared, which echoed through the valley and kicked up more dust. "HOW? HOW DARE THEY DO THAT TO MY COUSIN!" Marie whipped around to head back to the city, when Callie grabbed her arm. "Let go, Callie! I'm going up there, and-""Marie, don't" Callie shook her head rapidly. "Don't. I know you would give up everything for me, but.. I don't want to ruin your life. And its not just us. I don't want them to ruin our friend's lives, either. And the deal's already been done. They're even having a splatfest to celebrate the return of the zapfish and.. well.. me." Callie pointed to the city that had been lit up more than normal. Faint notes of music could be heard that matched Off the Hook's on going performance."I was wondering why they were having a sudden splatfest. I guess they really got us in a vice this time," Marie sighed. "Aright, you can't go back, and he can't go to the E.C.S. What's our next move?""Well... there is one place we can still go that doesn't require us to fly to one of the outer islands," Drake started after a few minutes of thinking."And where is that? Because I'm drawing a blank-" Marie paused. "Wait, you're not suggesting-""I am," Drake nodded, guessing at what Marie was thinking. "If we avoid the domes that were hijacked by Octavio and went straight for the capital of Octoburg, we should be able to find something to do underground.""Wait wait, that is way too dangerous," Marie said as she nervously twirled the umbrella prop. "I mean, I know the capital likes us and all, but Octarian territory is Octarian territory. And we all know what Octavio's slobs are capable of.""If you have a better idea, I'd love to hear it.""W-well I uh..." Marie frantically paced back and forth a few times as she tried to come up with an answer. "Fine, but I'm going with you-""You can't." Callie rapidly shook her head."What do you mean, I can't? Whats gotten into you, Cal?" Marie stopped and eyed her cousin. Callie wanted to look away, but kept her eyes locked on Marie."Because who will make sure Octavio doesn't escape again?""She's got a point. Much as I'd like to stick together on this, who know's what he will do if he gets out a third time," Drake nodded in agreement with Callie, but Marie wasn't convinced yet. Something she let show on her face, while trying to keep herself from raising her voice."What do you think my new whipping boy is for, huh? Kirin isn't getting off with just a day of night duty-""It's not just that!" Callie interrupted her, which made Marie wince a little. "Who's gonna look after Gramps? And besides, he left you in charge when he was away, despite me being Agent 1!" Callie paused to calm herself, when she realized that she was starting to raise her voice at Marie. Something she was already regretting. "Marie, we both know Gramps has been getting a little... off lately.""Yeah... yeah, you're right, Callie," Marie sighed, irritated that Callie was right about that painful truth. Like Octavio, the old squid had long passed the regular life expectancy for Inklings, even setting new records each year. While his physical state wasn't too bad for an elder of over 100, his mental state had shown signs of deteriorating. "I've noticed it too, Callie. I know we've been so busy lately, but even I can see it.""Wait, hold on. What's been going on with the old man?" Drake raised an eye brow. He himself hadn't seen cuttlefish at all since the squid sisters, Otome and himself planned the trip to Calamari County."He's... been getting forgetful lately." Callie looked down with a sad expression."And more... eccentric." Marie nodded with a sigh. "Like sometimes he forgets we signed that treaty with the Octarian emperor, and rants about the zapfish being stolen. Then there's that sudden obsession with rap.""Wait, rap?" Drake looked at Marie with pure disbelief."Yeah, and I don't know where that came from, either. I can't even blame it on Pearl, since that started before their official debut.""If he was human, I'd call it senility or something. Poor bastard." Drake shook his head. "Well, what ever it is... I kinda agree with Callie. One of us does need to hold down the fort.""And I guess that means me." Marie buried her face in her glove. "Alright, fine." She turned to look Drake square in the eye. "Drake-""I will, Marie. I'm well aware of the promises I made. I'm not gonna let anything else happen to her.""I know you will, Drake." Marie nodded, then walked back over to her cousin, then pulled her into an embrace that Callie was happy to return. "And you. You take care of yourself, you hear? I can't lose my cousin again.""I will, Marie. And I won't be alone. We will see each other again soon... right?""I know we will, Cal. You know I love you.""I love you too.. my cousin." Callie closed her eyes in an attempt to not let herself cry during their last moments together for the time being. Drake stood in silence, to allow the cousins the time they needed. After a few minutes, Marie turned away. The silent good bye during their embrace being enough for her. As she started to head back to the city, she stopped just after passing Drake, and turned to him with a serious expression."And as for you... I'm holding you to what you said. If I don't get my cousin back in the condition I left her.. well you know." Marie grinned a little and stuck her hand out. Drake went to grab it, but she yanked him towards her, which was impressive given the size and physical difference. She wrapped her arms around him, and leaned into his chest. "Just kidding. I know you'll take care of her, but... make sure you come back as well. You're my first elder race friend, and one of the few true friends we have. I want... I need you both back.""Count on it. I consider you my family, after all. Especially after all we've been through in the last two years.""That really makes me happy.. more than you know." Marie separated herself from the human, and turned back towards the city, thought not before Drake slipped something into her pocket. She gave them both a wave and a smile before disappearing into the connection pipe. Drake stood there for a few minutes, taking in the sight of the city, when he noticed Callie standing next to him."You don't have to do this, you know," he said while still facing the city. "I'm sure we can figure something out, or keep you hidden-""No." Callie shook her head, before looking up at him. "I don't want to ruin her or anyone's life over this. I.. need to grow up.. like she always says." Drake raised an eye brow at this. He reached down and took her hand, noticing that it was trembling a little, despite her words."Callie, I told you before that it's okay to cry in front of me. You don't have to be Callie the squid sister all the time." Drake reached out with his other hand to give her top tentacles a small pat. Callie smiled a little at this, while wiping her moist eyes."Thank you, Drake. But.. I owe it to them. To Marie, and our friends. I still have you, after all. So no more crying." Callie leaned up on her tiptoes and gave the human a peck on the cheek before he had a chance to react, then turned away and jogged towards the valley with a giggle."H-hey, wait up!" Drake took off after her in a hurry. Even to this day, it felt a little odd to have formed such a strong bond between human and evolved cephalopod in the future, even going so far as to fall in love. But things like Callie's smile, Otome's devotion or Marie's playful way of expressing affection, always reminded him why he never regretted his decisions, no matter how weird it made him look to his own race. He didn't even think twice to once again chase the magenta Inkling down to the domes of the Octarian race....Kirin was pacing back and forth between cuttlefish cabin and Octavio's spherical prison. An action that would always be accompanied by a deep sigh. This had been going on for a while, and he lost count of the amount of times it happened. At least he had, until he saw the long number of tallies that Octavio had scraped onto the side of the prison, and the one he just finished adding brought it up to 31."Were you seriously keeping count of that, old man?" Kirin gave him a confused look."Not like yah hipsters gave me much else to do in here. And I'm STILL STARVING""Well ain't that a shame." Octavio added another number to the tally as Kirin sighed again. The green inkling rolled his eyes at him, and not wanting to be a source of entertainment to his cousin's killer, plopped down next to the prison. As much as he wanted to splat the Octarian leader and be done with it, he didn't want to piss off Marie more than she already was. The two sat in silence for some time, while waiting for the green and white tentacled agent to return."You know, you look dead. Like more dead than a dead ink squirt," Octavio said after a while."What would you know?" Kirin spat, not wanting to listen to Octavio's ramblings."Because I know that look.""WHAT COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW ABOUT ME OR WHAT I WAS PUT THROUGH!" Kirin quickly turned back to Octavio, his brooding expression turned to one of rage. But as quickly as the fire in his soul started, it was snuffed out when he saw the massive Octarian. He looked much older. He looked tired, and as if all his years had suddenly caught up with him. He looked as if he had given up. His angry and smug expressions were no where to be seen."Kid, you haven't payed much attention to what the fossils left behind, have you? And I don't mean the technology.""What are you talking about? What do the elder race have to do with this?""Back when I still followed the coward hipster emperor, I had to listen to all his ramblings about the documents he translated. Maybe if I'd actually payed attention to it, I wouldn't be in this stupid thing." He weakly tapped the side of the glass with the tentacle that bore the X shaped scar. "Maybe those boneheads weren't as stupid as we thought. Even with those small heads.""Okay, if you're going to waste my time, at least try to make sense, you-""Have yah ever heard the fossil saying of, "He who sets out on the path of revenge should dig two graves?"" Octavio paused to observe Kirin's reaction. The green boy didn't respond, but his facial expression told Octavio all he needed to know. "Guess it doesn't matter if yah did or not, I can tell you know what I'm getting at. I let myself be blinded by getting back at cuttlefish for costing me the great turf war. I lost sight of our real goal, and most of the Mariner corps eventually deserted me. Small wonder how squidbeak managed to beat me three, no, four times now.""Your losses are no concern of mine." Kirin turned away from the prison."You can at least humor a bored old man, can't you ink boy? Or did I strike a nerve?""Shut up. Shut the hell up!" Kirin slammed his fist down on the bench he was sitting on."And there yah go again. Why don't yah just lay it on me, huh? Not like I can write a bunch of nasty articles on you while I'm stuck in here, eh killer?""You...!" Kirin clenched his fist, causing some blood to be drawn. Seeing this seemed to calm him however, and he realized while Octavio was his hated enemy, he was right about something."You regret it, don'tcha?""I..." Kirin took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "Two years ago, I lost my cousin. Two years ago at your stupid little rebellion with The Chaos.""Oh, I remember that. Don't remember killin any green Inklings, though.""Of course you wouldn't!" Kirin snapped at him to get Octavio to shut up. "You didn't kill him directly, but because you conspired with that damn crazy chairmen Azula Torrent, he died defending Inkopolis from your dumbass conspiracy!""Well then why the long face? Yah got me, didn't yah?""No, you old idiot! Geez, no wonder I was able to take you down." That last phrase earned him a glare. "Its because..." he paused to try to sort out the mixed emotions that were flowing through him. "It's because I blamed Neptune for getting herself captured that he decided to grow a pair and rush in to rescue her. I blamed the other agents and that Octoling for not protecting him. And most of all, I blamed Marie for not being a good enough leader to keep him alive.""Mhm, mhm. So this old man knows what he's talking about, huh? Yah do regret it. Better take it all in, or you'll become like me." Octavio nodded to himself."What the hell is that supposed to mean? If you're going to annoy me with your ramblings, at least make sense!" Kirin hit the side of the prison with the Type-H."I'm tired." The old Octopus sighed, and Kirin could see his eyes drop some. "The desire for payback is the only thing that kept me going, boy. I wasted so much of my life on it, and what do I have to show for it? Even I can't deny that I'm old, and I'm left with no wife, a run down home, my army deserted me and I don't even have my freedom anymore. Yes... you'll be just like me if you let your rage define you. There will be two graves, and yours will be right next to mine." Kirin stared at Octavio for several minutes, unable to say anything. The Octarian tyrant's words had struck him to the core, and he was right."It doesn't matter..." he mumbled after finally being able to work up a response. "It's far too late. I've already hurt-""Bah!" Octavio opened his eyes again, and swung his tentacle in a dismissive pattern. "That little hipster squid sister is fine, ain't she? She'll get over it. And as for the other..." he paused, looking rather pensive. "As for the other, that ink squirt has been a pain in my tentacles for longer than you know. If I had even just a few squads of elites with her resilience and stubbornness, I would have won the first great turf war. I doubt you could do her in so easy.""But I-""NO BUTS! GROW UP ALREADY!" Octavio boomed in his old voice. Something that made Kirin grab his ears. "AND WHY AM I EVEN LECTURING A WORTHLESS SQUID! I OUTTA-" He paused when he saw something out of the corner of his eye, and turned to glare. "AND WHO THE HELL ARE- Oh great. It's the pink one.""Great indeed." Kirin sighed once again, and turned to face his fellow agent. "Neptune I'm not in the-""So this is where y'all been hidin`!" Kirin froze, when he heard the familiar Calamari County accent. In front of Neptune, who was looking at him as if she was about to witness a land shark fight with a giant amoeba, the Inkling in front of her, was a yellow female. One that he recognized. "I been bustin my chops looking for yahs ever since yah vanished on me in the square. I hope y'all got a doozy of an explanation, Kirin.""U-uh.. hey, Selka."...The water in the Cephalon sector, if it can even be called that, was just as putrid as Callie remembered from earlier in the day. Drake had asked her to show him where she had last seen Otome, but apart from some debris from the metal fist that had dragged her over the fall, there were no signs the Octoling had even been here."Nothing... there's no signs.. no clues.." Drake hung his head low, as Callie came back to him from another part of the lake."I'm so sorry... I didn't find anything either... just these stupid... shades..." Callie held up the hypnoshades that had caused her to be a willing servant of D.J. Octavio."I... I.. refuse to believe it." Drake looked up at Callie, which surprised her a little. "Even if her body was dissolved, there should be some signs left over. Clothes, weapons, blood on the rocks." He looked over at the water fall, and the jagged rocks were spotless, say for some of the Octobot's rubble."Yeah.. yeah, you're right. She's Otome, after all. I believe my friend is alive." Callie smiled a little, before returning her attention to the glasses."We should get moving again. It's way too late, and- stop playing with those things." He went over to her when he noticed that she was still holding the hypnoshades."B-but these are actually kinda cool!" She moved the shades to her face."No, they're dangerous!" He snatched the shades from her hands, which made her frown. "And I'm not taking anymore chances." He threw the shades into the lake, then took out his rifle. He aimed it the shades that were still floating and pulled the trigger. A loud crack echoed through the sector, and the shades broke in two before sinking."Aww, but I need new shades and those were fresh." Callie pouted, and Drake put his arm on her shoulder."It's better safe than sorry with those things... especially since that's three times I've seen my friends be mind controlled.""O-oh.. right." She brushed off his arm and started to walk to the other side of the lake."We'll get you some new shades after we figure out what exactly happened to Otome another day.""Well then let's get going. Last one to Octoburg is a sea snail!" She forced a smile and jogged towards the nearby kettle with Drake in tow, not wanting to be left behind by a magenta Inkling that more than likely forgot that humans can't use kettles with out help....The two idols were nearing the end of the song Ebb and Flow, as Pearl hopped around the stage, while Marina sung along with her. The great zapfish had returned, and the celebratory splatfest was in full swing. Those not engaged in turf war combat, where enjoying the performance. "Yo, Inkopolis! Hope Y'all like the show so far. We're gonna take a quick break, but then we'll be back to slay y'all with Acid Hues!" Pearl gave the crowd a thumbs up before going to the back of the stage with Marina."Phew, I had No idea that splatfest is this grueling. I don't know how the squid sisters did it," Marina said, as she wiped some sweat off her head."You ain't seen nothing yet, girl. We got a long ways to go!" Pearl grinned at Marina's expression of dread. "And speaking of the squid sisters, guess who showed up." Marina leaned over to look where Pearl was pointing. Marie was standing above the Octocanyon junction with her parasol prop."Is that Marie?""You guessed it. Ain't it strange that she's by herself in the corner with Callie no where to be seen? And that neither of them showed up to the interview we set up about Callie's return?""B-but maybe they're just tired, or the police wanted to make sure-""Ah, sharkspit! The cops don't know jack, yo! Something is going on behind our backs, and I don't like it! Once splatfest is over, you and I are gonna form an investigation team!""W-what?" Marina looked at her friend with shock. "B-b-but we can't! We don't even know how or where to investigate!""Oh I know just the place to start!" Pearl grinned and pointed to a figure at the back of the square that was wearing a hood to hide its face. "You see that shady looking guy over there?""Y-yeah?""Trust, me he's up to something. I'll bet you anything its an Octarian or a fossil." Before Marina could argue, Fran showed up to inform them it was time to continue the performance. Pearl quickly dragged her Octoling co-worker to the center of the stage before she could argue."Well, those two get along well," Marie commented while watching the two perform acid hues. "But we were still the best, right Cal?" Memories of past splatfests slowly came back to Marie. Some were big and heated, others were fun and friendly. But all of them had a special meaning to Marie. Each and everyone of them she would be up on stage with Callie. The two would sing and dance with smiles and laughter. But even among those precious memories, two stood out more than the rest."Those were some of our happiest times." Marie then recalled her favorite memories of past performances. The first was just after the first defeat of Octavio. Callie was dancing with Kirk and Neptune, the soon to be agents 5 and 6, while Marie danced with the original 3 and 4, Levin and Shara. Next came her other favorite Memory of when she went up against Callie directly, who had their two best friends on her team. First they took Otome up on stage with them to dance to several songs. The Octoling did her best to keep up with the two, and they had a lot of fun together. Later that same night, they took Drake on stage and introduced their first human contact with the city."Callie..." Marie shut her eyes as the last memory finished. She had shed so many tears in the last few days, but despite that, allowed one last drop to fall from her cheek and drip to the ground below. "I won't cry anymore. I will get you back. I will have my cousin and my best friends back. We.. are family. I will bring you back, and all of us will be back on the stage." Marie let her form deteriorate, and dropped through the grate to head back to the cabin with a new determination in her soul.
A\N: And with that, Arc 1 is done. I will be taking a break before arc 2, though the October 1 shot is still a maybe. It will be added to the book of one shots if I do. Also considering writing alt endings for the other 2 stories, but its probably too late for that. Anyway, Let me know what you thought of arc 1 so far.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Author's note: This took a bit longer than I meant to get out, but enjoy the first chapter of arc 2. Let me know if anything seems off after the long break.
In the center of the large Octarian capital dome of Octoburg, lies the tallest building in the very center of the city. This building that stands out from the rest, as it's the government building that houses the Octarian imperial family. Emperor Octurus, the current emperor, usually spends his working hours in the executive floor of the building, overlooking the city below from his office. The same office that two Inkling idols and the city's first human visited to sign the peace treaty of 2019 O.S.C.In the center of this office, lies a large desk that overlooks a meeting table. Normally, this is where the emperor would be issuing decrees and filing through documents, but today he appeared to be taking it easy. Or at least that's how it looked from a distance. Which is why the attendant that walked into the room was confused when he didn't answer her calls."Emperor Octurus? Excuse me, but your son is calling from guardian HQ." She waited a moment, but got no response from the massive Octoling. "My emperor?" Nervous, she stepped forward to see why he hadn't answered her, while silently praying she wouldn't get chewed out for violating protocol. Usually, the outspoken Octarian was quick to issue an answer to a question, or respond to something that needed his attention, but it was unnerving to the attendant to see his pensive like state.She was about to call to him, when she froze. The light had made it hard to see what Octurus was leaning over, but after closing the distance, it was soon obvious. Emperor Octurus, one of the strongest and largest Octolings in the entirety of Octarian territory, was bleeding from his chest. The source of the blood, came from a large silver dagger. A dagger that was burried in his chest. A large pool of ink and vital fluids had formed under what was now a lifeless body. The entire executive floor was soon filled with the scream of the terrified attendant girl."A-alarm! The emperor has been assassinated!"...In the early hours of the morning, a male figure was stumbling around a two room dwelling. On each side of the larger room, was a set of bunk beds that allowed for up to four sleepers. Currently, three female Octolings and a single male occupied them, despite the fact that there should have been an additional girl sleeping in the single bunk in the corner that was brought in earlier. Their weapons and equipment were being stored in a small set of lockers. On the far side of the room, was a small table and set of cabinets for dry food and other needs. It was cramped, but such were the standards for the army.In the back side of the room, was a bathroom that only contained a toilet and a sink. The last room, the room the figure came out of, was a smaller bedroom that was issued to squad commanders. It was only big enough for a single bed, a small desk and a closet. But being separate from the rest of the sleeping area had more than one benefit. Yawning, he walked into the bathroom. He looked into the mirror, only to see the figure of a human with a black eye staring back."This really makes me look like one of them." Drake turned around and glanced at the Octolings that were sleeping in the bunks, before returning his attention to the mirror. "I guess I deserved it, but she might as well have blacked both if she was trying to give me an Inkling eye mask like hers..." He sighed and thought about how he ended up in this situation....The previous night...Drake had been chasing Callie through the Cephalon sector for the last several minutes. The area seemed dead, thanks to the sickly looking lake that couldn't have been more unhealthy. That made it all the more surprising when Callie came to a screeching halt, just short of an emergency access kettle. Drake had to slide to the right to avoid hitting her, and both of them kicked up a lot of loose soil."Callie, I'm glad you stopped, but what the hell?" He said as he regained both his breath and his balance."S-someone is coming," she said and backed up into him. A second later, several Octolings came down from long jumps. Reverting to their humanoid form, they all formed a circle around the duo, and raised their weapons."Alright, Inklings." The kelp wearing elite stepped forwards in front of the rest of the group. "Treaty or not, this is a restricted area. Don't even try to tell me you're here by mistake.""Please, just leave us alone! Octavio already took everything from us. What more do you want? We-" Callie started to beg, but then they noticed that the Octolings were wearing standard issue army uniforms that had the combined Guardian and Mariner symbols on them, as opposed to the octopus symbol that Octavio's insurgency wore."Wait- wait. There's been a misunderstanding." Drake moved up to cover for Callie. "I can explain and-""Hold on." The elite looked them up from behind the goggles. "What are you two doing here? You were reported missing days ago.""T-there's a reason for that." Drake looked over to Callie, who meekly nodded. "You she was-" Drake was about to come up with an excuse, when he saw the Octoling elite remove her goggles. Her exposed markings were not that of a purple or black eye ring, but a full blown black mask. Drake quickly stopped talking when he found himself in front of the one person he really did not want to face."I think you'd better start from the beginning," Kelly said while staring right at him. "And don't leave out why Otome is still no where to be found." Drake looked down, ashamed that he was about to lie to someone who was one of Otome's best friends."Kelly..." He made a deep sigh before he continued. "I think you'd better take us somewhere else, because this is a long story. And you aren't going to like it.""I think I worked that part out myself, so get on with it before I take you in for trespassing, Drake. I'm not in the mood for games after getting chewed out over the subway line that you were supposed to help protect.""I'm aware of what happened at the subway... and I do have a reason for that." He took another deep breath and started to explain to Kelly about how Callie had disappeared. Then he moved on to how he and Otome were captured, how Kirin had gotten involved, how Octavio was defeated. Then finally about how he had failed to save Otome and Callie from falling in the water. Once the story was done, Kelly tried to keep her calm, but her fists were starting to clench."So, she's really gone... the only one I could call my family.. is gone." Her fists were now balled up, and she had to force the forming tears back inside her."It's my fault! I should have-" Drake was unable to finish before Kelly slammed her right fist into the side of his face. The sounds of crackling bones could be heard, as he fell backwards from the recoil. He had forgotten that these creatures were stronger than they looked, since they were all muscle."I know.. that you would have done everything you could to save her.." Kelly shook her fist out, while Drake sat up."T-then why did you hit him!" Callie yelled at the hybrid elite that was still staring down the human."Because it's not something I can just accept!" Kelly snapped back, causing Callie to flinch. "I'm alone now... and I would have cut you open if you had left her to die." Kelly turned away, after taking a deep breath. "Now, I'm guessing you didn't come here to bring me the news...""No.. we didn't." Drake got back on his feet with Callie's help. "You see, I've been thrown out of the E.C.S. and she is no longer allowed in Inkopolis, so-""So you came here to find shelter?" Kelly finished for him. The two just nodded in response. "I suppose there might be a place for you.." Kelly made a gesture to the other Octolings that were with her. They all lowered their weapons, and started following the elite to the kettle that they were originally headed to. Callie started to follow, but Drake took her arm to stop her."Hold on a second." He fished something out of his gear pack, then handed her the 9mm handgun and ammo. "I think Otome would have wanted you to have this.""I.. I.." She slowly reached out, and took them and strapped the holster to her side. "I.. think she would have." She slowly nodded, then looked up at him. "But I'm.. just borrowing this.""Yeah. Just a rental." He nodded with her, then Kelly yelled at them from the kettle."You two coming, or what?""Best to not keep her waiting." Drake lead the way to the kettle, and Kellie's unit wasted no time in returning to the capital city with the tag along.The Underground capital city hadn't changed much, since the human and squid sister had last visited. There was still a number of screens that were displaying a fake skybox along the walls. There was still a high number of foot traffic moving around the streets, and there was still the same duo of the Octarian version of the squid sisters doing the local news. "It feels more weird seeing them now, than it did back then.. back when we were still their competition," Callie said, while heading to Guardian Corps HQ."I bet... It never sat well with me, how they pushed you two away from what you did best," Drake responded."Y-yeah.. I thought it would be fun.. but...""Don't worry.. I'm sure we can fix this." Doing his best to comfort her, the human took her hand, as the Octolings escorted them away from the main plaza, and into the military defense building. Looking around, Drake saw that the HQ building was a lot busier than the last time they were here. Back then, Otome had been taking prisoner by the traitor Ophelia, who had most of the ground floor cleared out to avoid having witnesses. Though with the help of Callie and Marie, they were able to rescue her before harm could be done. Kelly wasted no time in taking them past the front desk, despite the protest of the front guard."A-are we being taken prisoner?" Callie asked, as they headed down another hallway."No.. Otome would haunt me if I did that." She stopped in her tracks. "But no one gets a free ride down here. Not even you two." She turned to face them. "And strange as this may sound, the best thing for you to do, would be join the Army.""W-w-what?" Callie's eyes went wide when she heard the elite speak those words. Drake adjusted his autotranslator to make sure he heard right. "You want us to join the Octarian Army?""The Guardian Corps to be exact. I won't ask you to join the Mariners and have you participate in an offensive against your races." She nodded her head. "Unless you can convince the Octo sisters to let you into their gig, its the fastest way to get you work and a place to sleep. Besides, Otome would want me to keep an eye on you." She then lead them into one of the commander's offices, and retrieved some files. "Now, unit forty three has been out of commission for over a year, due to one being reassigned, one discharged and the other two put on project security. And now the squad leader is missing." Kelly took a deep breath before looking Drake in the eye. "I want you to take over Otome's duties as squad leader."Drake looked over, and exchanged glances with Callie. "You want a human to lead a squad of Octoling soldiers? Kelly, I think you may need a vacation.""I'm quite sober right now, I can assure you." She gave him a look that was dead serious. "And you can keep your current rank as Captain, though I will still be above you.""What makes you think they will even listen to me?""They will if I tell them. Trust me on that." She then turned to Callie. "And she can be your Sargent.""Okay, even if they listen to me, there's no way they will follow an Inkling-""The first thing you're gonna have to do, is stop questioning my decisions." Kelly waved her hand to cut him off. "I don't know how you humans did it, but that's not the way it works around here. Besides, she's agent one. I assume the one was for squad leader.""N-no," Callie rapidly shook her head, causing one of her tentacles to almost hit Drake. "That was gra- er, the capn's thing. And Marie took over when he wasn't around.""You'll learn." She finished writing down her notes, then handed both the original files and the hand written notes to Callie. "I've copied the personal files into Inkling for you, and you can read it to your captain when you get back to your room. Which, by the way, is room 242. I suggest you go there once we are done, to meet your new squad and get some rest. But first, we need to visit the quarter master." Kelly lead the way out of the office, and down to a room that was walled off with reinforced glass. Two elites sat at a desk that was surrounded with numerous weapon cases and lockers."Huh? An elder race?" The first elite looked up from the magazine she was reading with surprise. "What are-" She paused when she got a good look at Drake. "Wait... you...?""Err... Hi?" Drake was a little confused on how this elite recognized him. The only elite he was acquainted with besides Kelly, was Karumi from the Mariners. "Do I know you from somewhere?""You.. You jerk!" She sat up. "Don't act like you don't remember this gorgeous girl from the bar!""What? Bar? But I don't even drink! Unless... that outdoor bar from two years ago?""Ha! I knew you couldn't forget me that easy!""You're the one that tried to get me drunk while hitting on me!" Drake took a step back on reflex."And I would have scored if it wasn't for that brat! Speaking of which, I don't see her today. Hey, my shift is almost over. Let's go hit the bar again! I'll show you some stuff that will blow your mind, and you won't find another elite as fine as me in the corps." She got up and leaned in, as if to illustrate the point. He had to admit that she was well built and had a more curved chest than any other oceanic he had seen so far. Her aggression, however, was more amusing than anything else."Yeah, my answer on that is still no." Drake shook his head."Oh, come on! Don't give me that-""Sargent Oriana. Do I have to remind you that you are still on punishment duty?" Kelly cut in to shut her up before an incident happened."Well never mind the fossil," the other elite said, who until now, had been leaning back with her boots resting on the desk. "What are you doing bringing a squid here?""H-hey!" Callie started to say, but Kelly raised a hand."These two are now part of the corps, and you will treat them as such. Now, I need a set of uniforms. One female, and one male of the largest size." Grumbling, the two elites got up, and fished the gear from a set of lockers. They handed them through the opening on the front window, and Kelly passed them out to the two. With a gloomy expression, Callie took hers into the changing room, while Drake simply held his up."Uh, yeah. Not happening." He put his back down on the table in front of the window."Captain, just because you were my best friend's lover, doesn't mean that you will be getting-""No, I mean, this isn't happening. Even if this fits, which I doubt, it will lower my mobility, not to mention my concentration because of how tight it will be. And it offers less protection than my Kevlar. Trust me, I'm better off in my Edef armor. It's not like anyone is going to have trouble knowing what side I'm on, since I highly doubt you have another human in you're ranks." Kelly stared at Drake when he finished, before sighing."I guess you have a point. Fine, never mind the male uniform." She slid it back through the glass, as Callie came back out wearing the Octoling armor, pants, neo goggles and boots. Her golden eyes seemed to glow behind the tint."H-how do I look?" She nervously asked. Drake looked her over, sizing up how the black and magenta tentacled inkling looked in Octarian uniform."Well.. uh.." he paused, trying to find the correct words to not offend her. "It's certainly better than the cloths Octavio made you wear.""I..." Callie looked down. "I look weird.. don't I?""No, no. I mean, it doesn't compare to your old outfits, but it has a certain appeal to it.""R-really?" She looked back up to his blue eyes."Yeah.. It goes with your tentacles, at least. You look fine.""T-thank you." She gave him a slight smile, and he internally sighed with relief."Okay, okay. Enough of that," Kelly said to get their attention. "Now you just need weapons." She held out a pair of Octoshots to them. Both Drake and Callie took them, then shot each other a nervous glance."Uhh... I can't use this-" Drake started to say, but Kelly cut him off."I'm aware. I also know that you don't exactly have unlimited ammo with that thing you're carrying.""I took as much as I could carry-""And you can't exactly get more, can you?" She shook her head. "Just keep that with you as a back up, and I'll have someone bring some pre filled tanks for it." She then turned to Callie. "As for you-""I would.. prefer to keep my roller." She held out her Type-H. "I'm not very good with ink shooters.""I know. But army regulations state you have to be certified to wield anything else." She took the roller from Callie. "I'll try to get you enlisted in weapons training as soon as I can, so that you can have this back. But until then, that Octoshot is your new lifeline.""I.. Okay.. but please hurry." She looked at her precious roller, that was gifted to her by someone important."That's all for now. I suggest you rest up, as you will likely be given an assignment in the morning. Your room is on the second floor." Kelly turned away to head back to the main hall, but stopped. "And Drake... there's someone in your squad that you will need to break the news about Otome too.. I think you know who I mean." She headed down the hall, and was soon out of site. The two started to head to the stairs, but not before Oriana in the weapons room called out to them."My shift ends in an hour! Come and go out with me!""You leave him alone!" Callie yelled back, and pulled him up the stairs."Desperate much?" Drake sighed as they walked, but then remembered what Kelly said. "Oh hell.. I think I know exactly who Kelly was talking about." Drake said with a sigh. Callie went pale, and raised a hand to her face."Poor Yako..." Callie looked down at the team roster, and in fact, saw that a Corporal Yako Maroon was first on the list. "How are we ever going to tell the sweetheart? It will break her... Drake, we can't-""I know.. but keeping her in the dark isn't gonna help either. She's bound to hear things. Hell, she probably already has." They headed up the stairs, as they racked their brains for an answer. It ended up being no use, and they soon found themselves at room 242. "Well.. I'm fresh out of ideas... too bad I don't have a plush or something." They were about to approach and open the door, when it was opened from the inside and a female Octoling stepped out. She stopped when she saw the two in front of the door."Drake...? Callie? What are you two doing here?" She looked surprised to see them, but the human and Octoling in question were confused."I-I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Drake and Callie glanced at the dossiers to figure out who was addressing them, as there was no way this Octoling that was an inch or two taller than Otome could be Yako."W-wha? You guys don't recognize me?" She made a face that looked as if she was about to cry. "After all the playing we did with sis?""Y-yako! No way!" Callie looked like her head was going to explode. The Octoling in question, also had thick bright red tentacles, as opposed to the more juvenile ones she had before. Her chest had also grown to almost the size of Oriana's.""Talk about a growth spur. Forget the plush, a bra would be more appropriate," the equally shocked Drake said."H-huh?" Yako looked at him with a confused expression."N-nothing. It's nice to see you again, kid." He started to raise his hand up, but paused. 'I hope this isn't inappropriate, now,' he thought to himself, and lowered his hand to her head. He started to give her a head rub, along the top of her tentacles. To his relief, she cracked a smile. Then she leaned into him, and he rubbed her more. If she was a cat, she would have been purring loudly."Eheh... I missed that," she said with a content sigh. Callie smiled at the two. After several minutes of this, she pulled away from the head rub, and her face went serious. "But... Drake.. I've been hearing rumors lately. Please tell me. Where is my sister?" Drake and Callie both exchanged glances. "Please.. you're her boyfriend!""Listen.. Yako.. I.." Drake was internally panicking on how to find the right works for the younger Octoling sister. "About Otome.. you see, we-""We got separated from her," Callie quickly cut in, when she saw him struggling. "We got into some trouble with Octavio, and she saved my life! We lost track of her after that, but I'm sure she'll turn up soon!""What? Octavio again?!" She narrowed her eyes, and bared her teeth with obvious disdain for that name."Y-yeah! But we punished him for you!" She quickly continued, trying not to show any negative emotion towards Yako."Good. He already hurt sis once," she responded with a hiss. Realizing what she was doing, she took a step back. "Sorry! I'm just worried about her.""Nono, it's okay Yako," Drake waved his hand in dismissal. "I should be apologizing to you for losing track of her.""I'm sure we'll find her, or some clues soon," Callie added."Thanks, you two." Having calmed down a bit, Yako returned to her normal self in no time. "So what are yah doing here? Did you really come to see me?""Ahah, sorry Yako, but.. no." Drake took a deep breath and was about to continue, when Yako finally noticed that Callie was wearing the same armor and uniform that she was wearing. Her eyes went wide in surprise."Wait, holy crap! Callie, what are you doing in our uniform?""I.. uh, hehe.. I'm joining up with Drake," she responded and forced a smile."Woah! Really?" Her eyes went even wider, which seemed to stretch her purple eye rings. "This is gonna be awesome!" She jumped up, which caused her recent growths to shake in their faces. "Oh! Oh! Are you guys on my team?""Ah, yeah. I'm the new squad leader, and she's my second.""What? I'm supposed to be the second." Yako pouted with a brief frown, but it quickly went away. "Ah, who cares! You gotta come in and meet my squadmate!" She grabbed Callie's hand, and pulled her inside the room, who was followed by Drake after she latched on to him. Yako lead the way into the main room."Yako, what is all the noise?" Another female that sounded older than Yako, rose up from one of the bunks on the far side. She had dark red tentacles, light brown skin and purple eye rings that were almost as thick as an Inkling's eye mask, which circled around green eyes. "Oh, did you make new friends? Well big sis is proud of you-""You ain't my big sis, Octomarin." Yako stuck her tongue out the other female."Oh, but I'm everyone's big sis," she said with a wide grin. "So, who are the fresh meat?" Octomarin looked the two over, and wore an impressed look. "Well well, how did you find an elder race man, and one of our favorite Inkling celebrities? And wearing the uniform too.""That's Drake and Callie. They're my friends, and they are taking over as leader and second. So lay off em, will yah?" Yako responded."Now now." Octomarin leaned forward to shake their hands. "I'm sure we'll get along just fine. I'm private Octomarin Sachi, and I use the Octobrush.""Nice to meet you." Callie returned the handshake. "But is it just you two? The file thingy said there were supposed to be four.""Nope. Just me and little sis Yako." She pulled Yako over, which made her roll her eyes."Not cool when you do it, Octomarin." She wasted no time in prying herself off."But it says there should be a private Shen Cornell.." Callie glanced down at the page again, and red the names for Octomarin and Drake. "Shen, the heavy weapons expert and pilot, and a sniper named.. Kora Nereid.""Are you sure they didn't step out, or something?" Drake asked, but before either of them could answer, there was a knock from the front door. Since they were the closest, Drake went to answer it, followed by Callie. Outside, two more uniformed Octolings stood at the door. One male, and one female."What the- a fossil and an Inkling? This can't be the right damn room." The male looked at the door to double check the number, then looked back at them. He was tall, and his four tentacles were tied behind his head and straightened out into a long spike like style. The rings that surrounded his orange eyes were black, which told them he had spend some time on the surface before passing the age where the eyes became less sensitive. He was carrying a reverse engineered Octoblaster. "This is... unit 43's room.. right?""Calm down, Shen. We're in the right place." The female put a hand on his shoulder. The girl was a bit shorter, but looked to be about Yako's age. She had blue eyes with normal purple rings, and was well formed. The girl was armed with a reverse engineered Octoling charger. She wore a gentile expression on her face, and felt familiar to the Inkling and human. Something that was confirmed when she spoke her next words. "It is nice to see you again, Magenta and Enigma.""Wait, WAAAIIT!" Callie rose her hands in surprise, then pointed. "I know you! You were that Octoling that stuck with us when we were being forced to do Octavio's dirty work! The lead singer of Turquoise October!'""Hold, on. Octavio? You never said you were apart of his crew." Shen said to the female with a growl, and Callie stepped in front of him."Hey, that's my friend you're talking too! We weren't there by choice!""Alright, that's enough." Drake stepped in and pulled them apart. "That mess is in the past, and I'd better not see any fighting over that jack ass Octavio, you understand me?""O-oops. Sorry." Callie quickly apologized, while Shen just grunted an acknowledgement."Now, I assume you two are Shen Cornell and Kora Nereid?" Drake asked to change the subject."Yeah, that's us.." Shen answered."Well, suppose we all start over here. I'm Drake Von Kaufmann, your new Captain, and that's Callie, my second.""Nice to meet you again. And to know your real names." Kora bowed to them."Yeah! I'm happy you're okay after all that," Callie said with a pleased tone."And those two are Corporal Yako Maroon, and-""Big sis Octomarin," the older Octoling finished for him. Yako just gave them a goofy looking peace sign. Kora gave her a smile, while Shen let out an audible sigh."Yeah, that's nice and all, but we're kinda beet. You mind letting us crash, Captain?" Shen asked. As if on cue, Callie also let out a big yawn."He's right. We should all hit the sack. We'll be getting our new orders in the morning," Drake nodded in agreement."Joy..." Shen went over to the nearest bunk and plopped down, not bothering to change out of his uniform. Having been dismissed, the other girls started taking turns changing into nightwear in the bathroom. Drake wasted no time in moving into the nearby commander's loft that Octomarin pointed out. After setting his stuff down on top of the desk, he was suddenly overwhelmed with fatigue. He was about to do the same thing as Shen, and just collapse on the bed, but a voice from behind stopped him right before he could plop down."D-drake?" He turned to the voice, and saw Callie back in her casuals."Yeah, Callie?" She walked up to him, and put her arms around the human. He somehow was able to rally enough energy to put his around the magenta Inkling, and return the hug."Good night, Drake." She separated from the human."Good night, Callie." She gave him a soft smile, and headed out of the small room. Drake turned, and barely got his armor off, before collapsing on the bed....Current day...After cleaning himself up in the bathroom, Drake headed back to his personal room. He covered as much of his face as he could with the helmet and tactical goggles to hide the black eye, before grabbing the rest of his gear, and heading back to the main room. The rest of the Octolings were now awake, and taking turns changing into their uniforms. He looked around, but saw that his second was still missing."Shu neg menhi navali? Seg, lan vough kamin." Drake could here one of them say. He remembered the autotran was off, and quickly flicked it on."Has anyone seen Callie?" Drake asked."Morning to you too, Captain." Octomarin said with a yawn. "She got up just before you did, and looked hungry, so I sent her to the mess hall. Oh, and by the way, we all eat on the first floor. It's right next to the male showers. And before you get any ideas, the female baths are next to the armory.""Cute, but I think it's a little too early for those kind of jokes. I just want something to eat.""Then, you'd better get going. We'll be down to join you, once everyone is finished making themselves look pretty." Rolling his eyes, Drake headed down stairs. After asking for directions from a grouchy looking Octostriker, Drake eventually found the cafeteria, which looked a lot like the one at Eden. After making his way through the line, he ignored the gibberish menu, and went right for the server."So, I can't read this menu. What do you recommend for a new comer?" The human asked, as the Older looking Octoling looked up at him."Elder race, huh? I guess the rumor was true. Well, if you aren't used to our food, we just got some fresh salmon.""My last choice of fish, but that will do. Give me an extra helping, if that isn't too much trouble." After serving up his order, Drake looked around for where Callie had set up, ignoring Oriana, who was waving at him to get him to come sit with her. However, it was Callie that found him, and came running up. He almost lost his breakfast, as Callie pulled him to the other side of the room, where a T.V. was set up."Drake, have you heard?" She asked when she finally let go of him."Heard what? I just got up, Callie. I was about to eat.." Despite his words, he was shoveling fish in, while Callie talked to him."It's Emperor, Octurus. H-he-""It has been confirmed that the emperor was indeed assassinated," a stern voice said from the T.V. Drake looked over, and saw the Octo sisters had grave expressions on their face, in place of their usual playful attitudes. "The emperors aids, along with his son, Octarias, confirmed the news this morning.""Yeah, and Octarias made an official statement minutes ago," the other Octo sister said. "See for yourselves." The screen changed to a recording of Octarias addressing a news crew."My father's strong will and desire for a world of co existence will be missed," Octarias started. "However, I am not my father, and the world he dreamed of will have to wait. I vow to do everything in my power to bring his killers to justice. And right now, all evidence points to Inkling marauders. We don't know yet if these terrorist are connected to the government or not, but the chancellor has yet to show any signs of cooperation with us. Until they are willing to give up my father's killers, I have no choice but to recent the treaty of 2019 O.S.C. and if my inquiries continue to be ignored, I will declare a state of war on our neighbors topside.""Oh my goodness.." Callie looked like she was about to faint. "H-he can't be serious." Drake put her hand on his shoulder."I don't know.. The Inklings wouldn't betray us so easily." The first Octosister said, after the recording ended."You're just saying that because you think they're cute.""Says the one who fancies the elder race. I just don't want anyone to get hurt.""Well, maybe war is a bit extreme, but I agree with Octarias. Our great emperors killers must pay," the second said with a sigh. "But in happier news, our soon to be emperor has finally announced his engagement.""Wait, what? You mean he actually moved on after bothering her for so long? Why now?" Drake said, while he looked at the T.V. with a shocked look, glad he didn't have to make the shivering Callie translate electronics for him anymore."Oh, that's right. He hasn't made his choice of bride public yet, but we were able to get a picture of him with his bride to be. Let's see who the lucky girl is." The screen changed to a blown up photograph. Both Callie and Drake went stiff and wide eyed when they saw who was standing next to Octarias, holding his hand."WHAAAAAAT? SIIIIIIIIS?" A screaming voice from behind said, that got the attention of the entire mess hall. Yako and the rest of the squad were standing behind them, with said corporal looking like she was going to faint. Drake took another look at the photo."Drake..." Callie started to say when she was the first to recover. "It.. it can't be? can it? Why? Why didn't she tell us? Why would she marry him?" Drake was too busy staring to even hear her."O.. to.. me..?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The Guardian Corps cafeteria had gone completely silent. Many were just trying to figure out the source behind the screaming Yako, but for those that had known Lieutenant Otome Maroon, they were shocked to see her holding the hand of the soon to be emperor, despite it being known she harbored no feelings for him, and throwing away a potential life of Luxury. Especially since she was the first Octarian, or any oceanic to date a member from the mysterious elder race. Something that many envied."Captain! Sargent! My Office! Now!" The crowd parted ways to reveal an enraged Kelly, that managed to even drown out Yako. Not wanting to test her, Callie and Drake followed Kelly out of the cafeteria, after returning their trays. After passing the armory, she took them right to her office, and slammed the door behind her, not noticing Yako following through in her octo form. The livid Octoling turned to them, and slammed her fist down on her desk, causing a few artifacts to rattle in place. "I'm only going to ask this once. DID YOU TWO KNOW ABOUT THIS?!" She pointed to her own monitor, which was paused at the image of Otome with Octarias."Kelly, I swear that this is just as news to me as it is to you. I didn't even know she was still alive, let alone with Octarias," Drake responded while trying to keep a calm face. Kelly then looked over to Callie."I-I saw her go over the water fall and everything. I'm really happy to see that she survived, but I didn't know either! She's one of my best friends! I thought she'd tell us!""Looks like you really didn't know," Kelly sighed, and her anger seemed to vent out of her. She took a seat, then took a drink from a canteen that Drake assumed contained something besides water. "But why is she with Octarias? She always hated his advances and the fact that her parents promised her to him the moment he showed interest in her." She paused, and gave Drake a suspicious look. "Unless you did something that hurt her enough to leave you for the likes of him.""Are you kidding me? We've had a few differences of opinion here and there, but I'd remember if I did something bad enough to cause her to leave me. Especially since the last time I saw her... her last words to me were..""Hey! Sis was totally happy with him!" Yako interrupted after coming out of her hiding spot."Corporal Maroon, I don't recall inviting you to my-""This is my sister we're talking about!" Yako shouted back, making Kelly wince. "She was totally giddy after he accepted her feelings. And she spent less time with me, because she was always saying that they had to take all the time they could get to be together, thanks to Octarias' influence!""I can confirm that... it's why we had to pretend that we had broken up.." Drake added with a sigh."Are you absolutely sure?" Kelly interrupted, then glanced between Drake and Callie. "For example, you two have been pretty close-""How dare you!" Callie yelled in a way that was unlike her. Though, Drake was surprised at the fact that she was the first to figure out what Kelly was suggesting. "I'd never do anything to hurt Otome! Even if I love-""And besides, we're both virgins," Drake cut in to keep Callie from saying anything that might make it worse. Kelly sighed in resignation at that statement."Not many males will willingly admit to that..." She walked over to the desk and slumped down in the chair. "I'm... sorry.. you two." She then leaned over and buried her face in her hands. "This.. this isn't like me.""I- I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have yelled..." Callie said, looking regretful over her behavior."Yeah, let's all make up. We all want to get sis back," Yako said, in a rare sign of maturity from her."look... Just.. I'll do what I can to find out why she's doing this. Octarias must have said or done something.. and I'm sure she will talk to me." She leaned back up, looking between the human, Inkling and Octoling. "Just.. if you can think of anything that might help, please tell me." They all nodded in agreement, and Kelly got up to retrieve a small file. "But in the meantime, I have your new assignments for you.""Yeah, you mentioned something about that yesterday," Drake responded."Well, this is a last minute change." She handed her notes to Callie. "Since Octarias sounds serious about declaring war... I'm reassigning you to the salmonid division." Callie and Yako looked unnerved at what she said, but the human looked even more confused, especially after gauging their reactions."So... you're having us fish?""I said salmonid, not salmon." Kelly shook her head. "And no, I don't mean the stuff you had for breakfast. The salmonids are partially evolved, but are savage and have limited intelligence.""So... pest control then?" Drake still hadn't grasped the severity of what Kelly was assigning them too."If that's how you want to look at it. But don't take this lightly. You'll have some regulars attached to your unit. Trust me, make sure you're head is in the game."...Several miles off the coast of Inkopolis' Port mackerel, lies a fairly sized island. On this island, stood a small fishing community, known as Gale front. It was a small and quiet town, and not where one would usually find someone wearing a replica army uniform. But even for someone wearing combat gear, here they could find time to enjoy an outdoor meal. Sitting under a tree, sat an orange tentacled girl, who having just finished her meal, was knitting a large black cloth."I still can't believe we found our target here, of all places," she said. Then she looked down at the blue tentacled boy, who was laying his head in her lap while she knitted. He wore the same uniform as her, both outdated versions that were used two years prior."It's turning out to be a good vacation spot, though. Since she didn't want to fight and all," the boy responded and opened his once closed eyes."Gale front really is a nice little town, but I don't think I would want to live here. That Octoling showing up was probably the only thing that's happened here in years.""I'm just surprised you didn't try to splat her anyway-" the male started to say, but the female put a finger down on his forehead, then gave it a hard flick. "Ow!" he jerked his head up off of the female's lap. "What was that for?!""Two years, Levin, and you still find it funny to be a wise guy.""Hey, you know you love it, Shara! You'd totally miss me if I went away," Levin responded, giving her a teasing look."Oh, you want to test that, tough guy?" Shara rolled her eyes at him."Yeah, I do. I know my girl." Levin reached out to touch her face, but she grabbed a hold of his arm. She then quickly flipped him over into a roll. He yelped loudly, as the two tumbled out from under the tree. When he was on his back, she straddled his stomach, and brought her face close to his."You're a lucky boy, Levin. Because you're right." She brought her hands to the side of his face, then lowered hers to his. The two locked lips, as Shara kissed him deeply. When the two separated moments later, Levin gazed into her yellow eyes, as the sun illuminated her orange tentacles."Maybe so, but I think I proved myself.""Yeah, you did." The two locked lips again for several seconds, then Levin reached up to touch her ears. He gently caressed the area around the tips, and she slowly leaned up. "S-stop... d-dork.. th-that-""And I know what my girl likes." He continued to gently rub her, until a coughing sound behind them caused both of them to freeze up."I hope I'm not interrupting something, buckos." They looked over, and saw Cap'n Cuttlefish standing under the tree that they had just rolled out from under. Yelping, Shara quickly jumped off Levin, almost kneeing him somewhere that would have caused him to stay on the ground. Levin quickly pushed himself out from under her, and stood up alongside Shara."It's nothing, Cap'n. We were just having a picnic," Shara responded, brushing some dirt off of her uniform. The two stood at attention in front of the old Squidbeak leader. Having finally been convinced by his grand daughters to ditch what was left of his tattered old uniform, he now wore a white cap with glasses, a green sweater with his old medals pinned on, and some new gray shoes."Aye, I hope so, lad. Yah be too young to be playing whoopie already," Cuttlefish responded."Give us a break, Cap'n! We're both adults and we've only-" Levin started to say, but Shara slammed her hand over his mouth."Shut up, dork! He doesn't need to know details of what we have or haven't done!" Levin started to protest with muffled words, but a glare from Shara shut him up. "Anyway, did you need something, captain?""Aye, I finished talking to the locals, and I think it would be a waste of time trying to pry her away from here. She's been one heck of a fisherman, and 'er husband ain't gonna let her go with out a fight. Especially having a little one of there own.""Yeah, that was crazy to see that a Mariner officer would have a kid with an Inkling," Levin said when Shara finally removed her hand from his face. "Wouldn't have even guessed that was possible, if we hadn't met Kelly already.""Who..?" Cuttlefish gave the blue boy a blank look."Uh, Kelly? You know, Otome's friend?" Cuttlefish continued to give him a confused look."Never mind," Shara said, shaking her head. "You're memory is really starting to slip captain. Maybe you'd better actually retire completely-""Not until the Octo-jerk threat from Octavio is gone for good." The old squid gave her a glare from behind the glasses. "But in any case, I'm giving the lass a full pardon.""So we came all this way for nothing.. again," Levin sighed. "Maybe we should have stayed retired..""Quit your bellyaching, bucko. We're almost done. See?" Captain Cuttlefish held up his notebook for them to see.List of known top officers loyal to Octavio:Colonel Shino Kumi - Octavio's second in command, and most loyal officer. Orchestrated numerous war crimes against all races, including other Octarians. - Status: K.I.A. Colonel Kumi was killed during the chaos rebellion, by guardian corps officer Lieutenant Kelly Scylls.Major Vassili Krukov - Lead defense officer, and has caused numerous deaths from the use of nefarious traps, and responsible for the death of Agent 5. - Status: K.I.A. Was tracked down to a remote outpost by agents 3 and 4, but refused to surrender. Agents had no choice but to eliminate him.Admiral Cera Tama - Leader of the airship fleet, and commander of the Leviathan flagship. Major player in the theft of the great zapfish. Status: K.I.A. Confirmed to have died in the Leviathan's crash during the battle of Octovally.Captain Richter Braun - Head Octostriker and commander of the regulars. Directly responsible for the deaths of numerous Inklings and loyalist Octarians during the Chaos rebellion. Status - K.I.A Tracked down and eliminated by agents 3 and 4 after seen trying to start a syndicate.Captain Tami Osaka - Head of the Mariner engineering corps, and creator of some of the more modern robotic weapons. - Status: Apprehended. Subject was tracked down to the outskirts of Calamari County, and arrested by agents 3 and 4 after admitting to creating new great octo-weapons.Captain Kirino Octomack (now Kirino Tilapia) - Head of the supply unit. No known war crimes, besides aiding Octavio. - Status - Immune. Subject no longer deemed a threat.Lieutenant Karumi Cinnabar - Head of the elites. Was responsible for the attack on Kelp Dome and injuring Agent 3, 2 years ago. Status - Immune. Karumi is now working for Emperor Octurus.Lieutenant Axel Siber - Head of Octavio's body guards. Directly responsible for injuring Agent 3 two years ago. Status - Missing. Was confirmed to be aboard the Leviathan, but reported to have escaped before the crash. The youngest officer in Octavio's employ.Sargent Octoria Carmine - Leader of the intelligence unit. Reported to have severely mistreated prisoners. Status - K.I.A. Killed by the human, Drake Von Kaufmann, who was defending Corporal Otome Maroon and Agent 5 (K.I.A.) from her.Corporal Marina Ida. - Formerly part of the supply unit, before being moved to the engineering corps. While not an officer, Corporal Ida is a person of interest, due to having developed the flooders and other robots. Reported by Kirino Octomack as a child prodigy. Status - Missing. Confirmed to have escaped the Leviathan crash 2 years ago."So we're down to just Siber and that Ida chick?" Levin said, as he looked up from the notebook. That's awesome. This "research trip" has been taking way longer than it was supposed to.""Aye, and we'd best head back to me shack. I get the feeling the last two will be closer to home, anyway," Cuttlefish nodded in agreement."I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again," Shara added."And I can't wait to see who these new Off the Hook idols are. I missed their debut because of the trip, and Frost said they're pretty good. Not as good as the squid sisters, of course.""Those two are something special," Cuttlefish said, with a nostalgic face. "Reckon there will never be a pair like my grand squids again. Speaking of which, I bet they missed me. Hope they didn't worry too much about dinner while I was gone.." Cuttlefish started to head back to the pier, where the next boat to Inkopolis was scheduled to leave soon. Levin was about to follow him, when Shara grabbed his sleeve."What's up? I thought you were looking forward to your bed?""I am, and before you make any perverted jokes.." She held up the cloth that she had been knitting. "It's finished. I-I hope you like it." She nervously handed it to him, and Levin held it up, revealing it to be a cape with a large 3 knitted into it."Oh, this is pretty cool!" Levin wrapped the top around his neck, and let the rest hang down his back."Why a 3 though? I thought that was Neptune's job now.""You were the original three, and she can have her old number back. Especially now that we're dragged back in," Shara responded."So.. How does it look on me?""It looks like it fits.. thankfully," Shara sighed with relief, seeing that the blue squid was happy with his gift. "That's the first time I've knitted something that big.""Well it's awesome. Thanks Shara." Levin took her hand. "I love you.""I love you too, Levin. I just wanted to show you that.. even if you piss me off sometimes." The two were about to lean in for another kiss, when a voice yelled from the docks."What's the hold up, Bucko's? I'm hungry for crabby cakes!" Blushing, the two headed back to Inkopolis, hand in hand. It would have been a pleasant trip home, if not for Cuttlefish testing his new rap hobby....In the airships storage bay, Drake was crammed between the attached regular unit Octarians. Lining the storage room with the human, were 6 Octotroopers with assault platforms, and two twintacles that were equipped with the newer high speed models that were fresh out of the science division. Along side them, were two octobombers, an Octosniper and a pair of Octocopters. They all looked around nervously, as the airship descended towards their objective."One minute till we're in position over the spawning grounds, fearless leader," Shen said over the communicator. The aircraft jolted several times, knocking everyone around a little."Get all the Octolings into jumping positions. That includes you, Shen. Have one of the crewmen take over, then lower the ramp once we're low enough." Several seconds later, the sounds of the Octolings and Inkling doing long jumps off the side of the ship could be heard. Then, the craft came to a halt, and the ramp was lowered. The Octotroopers were first out, followed by Drake. The bombers followed out in the rear, doing slow strides, until they were out far enough to get airborne."What is this place?" Callie asked, once everyone was clear of the airship, which was now moving to a safe distance."Salmonids use this place as a breeding ground," Octomarin replied. The group of Octolings took a moment to look around the tiny island. It consisted of a small dock, and an old loading and unloading area that was surrounded by metal cat walks. "They usually stay under water for their.. spawning, but the little turds are territorial as all hell.""Then why bother coming here? This tiny ass island is of no use to the army," Shen complained."I'm guessing we were sent here to keep their numbers down, if this is just a spawning area," Kora chimed in. "They're dangerous if left unchecked. Octavio found that out the hard way.""You'll have to give me that story when we get back." Drake turned to face the others. "Alright, Callie, you take Shen and Kora, and cover the loading area. Yako and Octomarin will come with me to watch the docks. Each group take 3 troopers, a twintacle, and a bomber. The sniper will stay in the center, and the copters will fly recon for us. Everyone got that?""Lucky us," Shen grumbled. Kora helped Callie gather her team, and they headed for the catwalks. Drake took his team to watch over the docks. They set up just under a large rectangular platform that the Octosniper had perched on. The Octocopters took flight, and began patrolling the shores for any signs of intruders. So far, the waters looked calm."What is it with that guy?" Drake mumbled."Just because someone is in the Guardian Corps, doesn't mean they accept Inklings," Octomarin said, and stood next to him. "Some of us feel going to war and dying or watching our families die, is worse than making nice with an enemy we were drilled to hate since childhood. An enemy that caused us to have to live in an underground stink hole. Same goes for the Mariners. Not all of them are eager to lay waste to the surface dwellers.""Oh?" Drake turned to look at her. "I know where Yako and Kora stand, but what about you? Where do you stand, Octomarin?""Who, little old me?" She grinned at him. "I can't say I like them, but I don't harbor any Ill will. I'll follow you and the sarge, if that's what you're worried about." She clapped him on the back. Drake was about to respond, when the Octocopter that was patrolling the docks, came racing back to them."Captain! Movement by the docks!""That's our cue!" Drake yelled. Octomarin and Yako got behind Drake, as they slowly approached to get a better view. At the edge of the pier, they could see large ripples forming in the water. A few seconds later, a large fish like creature emerged. It was brown, had large bulging yellow-green eyes, and orange fins. Its underside was a dark green, and it seemed to be propelling itself with its tail, leaving a trail of green goo."Now these things, I'm all too happy to splat," Octomarin said, as she raised her brush."That's a salmonid?" Drake looked a little perplexed, while watching it through his rifle sights. "That's not what I was expecting.""Looks like a fishy to me," Yako chimed in. Suddenly, the salmonid stopped, and gazed up at them. It then raised its fin, and made sounds that sounded like someone gargling."What the hell kinda sound was that?" Drake smacked his auto translator a few times, as for him it was also static filled."Their language is something we've never been able to get a hold of... Get ready, because we're about to get real busy!" More ripples were seen, and a wave of salmonid chum came flooding out."Whawha?" The wide eyed Yako took a step back in surprise at the number of salmonids coming out of the water, all of them carrying a variety of blunt weapons and knives that were coated in the same green gel."Salmonids at the loading bay!" The other Octocopter yelled."Great... Callie, make sure your team keeps them away from the center." Drake said over the communicator. "Time to go to work, you two. Troopers, cover us!" Drake moved to the left to get a better angle on the hoard, then raised his rifle. A loud crack later, and the salmonid that had summoned the others, fell to the side with green gel leaking out of its head."Stay behind me, Yako." Octomarin lowered her brush to the ground, and charged forward, creating an ink line that Yako followed in her squid form. She drew a line past the front part of the chum wave, then swung her brush like mad. The front two salmonids were splatted on the spot from all the ink being flung, while several others backed up to avoid their fate. Yako took the opportunity to hurl a bomb into the center of the group of inked salmonids, killing 5 more with ease."Troopers, move in!" Drake yelled, who then took a shot at the rear most chum to cause confusion in their lines. The three troopers and twintacle moved in to support Octomarin and Yako on their assault platforms. A large stream of ink balls were sent flying towards the remaining line of salmonids, splatting several, and coating the rest in ink. The Octobomber made a pass at the line, splatting several more with a pair of dropped splat bombs, causing the rest to scatter."Ha! They ain't so tough!" Yako and Octomarin moved in to finish off the stragglers."More salmonids coming in from the left dock!" One of the copters yelled. After shooting another salmonid, Drake turned to see several more fish coming up the far dock. This time, they had a couple of larger salmonids with them."Ah, crap. Cohocks," Octomarin said, once the first line was clear. "These guys pack a wallop, and are harder to kill.""Oh really? Let's see how they do against a bullet." Drake lined up his sights with the lead cohock's head, and pulled the trigger. The shot hit the fish in the head, but after recovering from the recoil, continued to make it's way towards the group. "What the.. no friggin' way." Drake continued to put out rounds, but it took another four shots to the head to bring the beast down. He dropped the empty magazine, to swap in a fresh one. "You weren't kidding.""Told you. How do you want to handle this?" Octomarin said, while she and Yako refilled their ink tanks."Hmmm..." Drake took a look at his surroundings. "Let them come.""Say what?""Let them come," He repeated. A second later, it became apparent why. A laser sight from the octosniper locked on to one of the cohocks, and a stream of ink followed, completely coating the salmonid. Drake raised his rifle again, and this time a single shot was all it took to finished the creature off. "Yeah, much easier." He repeated the process on another cohock, after the sniper fired again."Ha! You're not having all the fun!" Yako said, who started lobbing bombs at the few remaining cohocks. After Octomarin joined the fray, the last of the salmonids were finished off in a matter of seconds."Huh.. that wasn't too bad." Drake said, cleaning a bit of gel from his boots."Yeah, that was a pretty light attack for them... I guess those were just the early birds," Octomarin shrugged. Drake started heading over to where the two Octolings were."Well it went quiet from Callie's side, so lets go see how they did- ack!" Drake suddenly stumbled, having got his foot caught up on some debris. He managed to catch his balance, and avoided doing a face plant into the left over salmonid gel. "Damn piece of, wait what the hell?" He bent over to see what he tripped on. Below his feet, was an orange cylindrical canister. The container was broken, and the contents had spilled out some time ago, but a blue green liquid had appeared to have dried on where the nozzle used to be."Looks like this was a dumping ground for toxic material," Octomarin said. "You okay Captain?""I'm fine, but.. I don't know. This stuff doesn't look like your average waste.""Well, I think I know where it came from. Take a look over there." Octomarin pointed to another small island, near the spawning ground. Another airship appeared to have crashed, and was on its side. Drake took out his binoculars to have a better look, along with Octomarin and Yako."Looks like it's been there for a while.. the cargo is all over the place.. and I see more of those canisters. No signs of the crew, though.""Some dope probably got careless. Something our last pilot would have done. Remind me to tell you about how he almost wrecked a human underwater boat while we were still inside, Octomarin," Yako commented."I see some blue stuff leaking out of one of the canisters.. it must have rusted open.""Good eye, Octomarin." Drake lowered the binoculars, then turned back to the canister by his feet. "Now that I think of it.. I've seen this light blue crap before... could it.. no.. how could the mutagen get all the way out here in an Octarian transport? Unless..." Before Drake could gather his thoughts, his communicator lit up from a call from Callie."Drake! Come quick! Something big is coming out of the water!""We're on our way! Troopers, stay here and keep an eye on the area. Yako, Octomarin! On me!" Drake took the too Octolings to the catwalks that overlooked the shoreline under the loading bay. Callie, Shen and Kora were backing away from what looked like a large Metallic salmonid that was coming from the water, and it was slowly moving in on her squad."What the hell is that? Some kinda Megazord?" Drake raised his rifle, and saw Kora get off a shot from her charger, which seemed to simply bounce off the hull. He squeezed the trigger, and the discharged round ricocheted off the armor and into the sand."I don't know.. I've never seen this before.. That thing is a machine.. they shouldn't have this kind of technology.." Octomarin stood stunned. It continued to slowly move forward, but then suddenly let out a roar, and a large bomb formed over its head that was rapidly filling with ink. It launched it to the group a second later."Clear out! Get away from there!" Drake yelled. Kora grabbed Callie and dove away, while Shen swam back in his octo form. One of the troopers wasn't so lucky, and wasn't able to get away from the bomb before it burst, splatting him completely. Even the assault platform had been vaporized when the ink cleared. "Sonovabitch! How do we kill this thing?""I wish I had my roller!" Callie yelled, and ran until she was point blank range from its side. She sprayed it down with the octoshot, not even bothering to aim, as the shots went wild. Only until her weapon clicked from the lack of ink did she stop. But not even that barrage seemed to have an effect on the armored beast."Callie, get back!" Drake yelled, as another bomb started to form on its head. Callie started to run back, but tripped and fell over. Horrified, Drake was about to leap off the catwalk, when a hailstorm of ink flew from behind where Drake was standing, and over his shoulder. The stream of ink hit the salmonid tank's bomb, causing it to rupture, just before it was able to throw. The premature detonation rocked the creature, causing its armor to fracture. It let out a final roar, before exploding into a pile of gel and scrap."I-is it dead?" Callie asked, as she slowly pulled herself back up with Shen and Kora's help."I think so." Drake turned to the person who had dealt the killing blow. "That was some good thinking Yako-" Drake froze when he saw that the person who had been standing behind him was not the younger Maroon sister...."Pearl, are you sure you know where we're going?" Marina was following her co-star through an alley, not too far from the square. The had lost sight of the hooded figure that Pearl had deemed a "target" the previous night, but she caught sight of it passing by the studio. Making up an excuse and dragging Marina along, the pygmy squid quickly ditched work to tail it through the alley. However, they lost sight a minute ago, and were now wondering aimlessly."It had to have gone this way! No where else for the dude to go," Pearl responded. She continued to follow the path, until it came to a dead end."Uhh.. Pearly?""Yeah, yeah." Pearl sighed. "Must have jumped the wall or some-" Pearl's monologue was cut short, when a figure jumped from the side of a dumpster, and went straight for Marina. She yelped as it grabbed her shoulders."Why are you following me!" The figure demanded."Ahh! I-I'm sorry-" Marina started to say, but Pearl shifted to her squid form, and did a partially charged long jump right into the figures gut, knocking him over. As it groaned in pain, Pearl jumped on top, changed forms, and sat on its chest."Didn't think I'd know how to fight, did ya? Sorry, bruh, but I know my way around the gym, yo." She turned to look at her partner. "You okay, Marina?""Y-yeah, it didn't hurt me.""Good. Then let's see who's our new friend." Grinning, she lowered the hood of the figure. Expecting an Octarian, she was surprised to see a red haired human boy staring back at her. Her expression soon became sour. "Oh, great. The so called elder race. Why don't you go back from where you came from?""You followed me, then rammed me in the gut, and now you're telling me to leave?" The boy glared back at her."C-come on, Pearly. You can't just be rude because he's a human-""You're too soft, Marina. These guys are just trouble waiting to happen. Aren't you fossil?""I just came here to find my sister!" He yelled at her."Suuuure you did. Bet yah yer the one behind all the weird stuff happening-""Pearl! Get off of him!" Marina yelled, which made Pearl freeze up. Seeing that she was serious and on the verge of getting mad, she did what she was told, though not looking too happy. "I'm sorry, about her. She's not normally like this." Marina offered her hand, and helped him up. The boy appeared to be the same size as Marina."Don't mention it.. though your attack dog doesn't look sorry.""Be glad I didn't bite you, fossil. I've done it before-""Pearl!""Grrr.. fine.." she looked away from the human."S-so, I'm Marina, and that's Pearl. Can you tell us your name?" Marina continued to ask."Kenny.. Kenny Becker." Kenny turned his attention to the dark skinned Octoling. "And aren't you the two who were performing earlier?""Yeah, that's us..." Pearl sighed and did a half hearted pose."Y-yeah." Marina nodded. "S-so Kenny, can you come with us to the studio? We'd like to ask you a few questions. Pleeease?" Marina tried to offer her sweetest smile, in an expression like she was begging. Something she likely learned from Callie."I.. I guess I can do that.. it's not like I have any other leads.." Kenny nodded, and Marina took his hand."We'll treat you to lunch as an apology, won't we Pearl?""Yeah, fine," Pearl sighed as she followed them. "But I'm taking yah to the history museum when we're done." The three headed out of the alley, and back to the studio.
A\N Wish I knew salmon run was this much of a pain to write before hand.

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Time seemed to stand still for Drake and the others, thanks to the sudden appearance that defeated the metal monstrosity for them. While not unhappy or unappreciative of the help, it was rather jarring to have this encounter already. He eventually broke out of the stupor, and stepped forward. "Otome...?" The Octoling in question didn't answer, and simply stared back. "Otome? Why didn't you tell us you were okay? Why did we see on the news that you were marrying-" Drake's speech got cut off, due to a distinct clicking sound. In a flash, Otome had raised her octoshot, and pointed it at him, with her yellow eyes staring coldly over the top of the loading tank."Whhhhaaaa? Sis!?" Yako ran up to where Drake was standing. She wanted to run up to her sister. To hug her and be embraced, but the older sister simply raised her hand."Stay back," she said with a cool tone, looking the group over. "I did what I was sent to do, and that doesn't include interacting with any of you." Yako simply stared at her in disbelief that she was being treated this way."Otome, what the hell? Why are you acting like this?" Drake took another step forward, but Otome fired a shot at his feet. "I said stay back. You may be able to resist ink, but I have more than enough in my tank to knock you down and keep you down." She lowered the octoshot, and turned away. "I'm done here. I suggest you tell Kelly to remove you from front line duty..." She started to head to the edge of the loading area, but was grabbed on the shoulder. Upon seeing who grabbed her, Otome's face went from cold to angry in an instant."Otome, please tell us why you are upset," Callie said, with an expression that looked like she was fighting the urge to run away."I don't have time for this.. Get out of my face!" Otome said with a hiss, and pushed her hand away. Otome started to walk forward, but having forced her fears down, Callie stepped in front of her. "Get out of my way, Inkling...""No!" Callie put her arms out to make it clear she was blocking her. "Not until you tell us what's going on!""I mean it, Inkling..""Do you know how worried we were about you? How long I tried to find you? How upsetting it was to see that you were being wed to that jerk?""This is your last warning!" Otome bared her teeth."Can't you tell us? We're your friend- AHHHH!" At the same time as Callie's shriek, a loud slapping sound echoed across the island. Callie fell backwards, and landed on her side. She then looked up at her friend of two years in horror."Friend? You dare say that to me!" Otome roared at the fallen Inkling. "You?! This is your fault!" Everyone on the beech could only stare in shock at the outburst. "Even since before, you've been plotting against me!""What...? The hell told you that?" Drake said, coming out of the shock. "We never... she didn't-""I said, stay away, betrayer!" she pointed her octoshot at Drake again, before turning back to Callie. "I trusted you! I trusted both of you, and you.. you.." Otome's tantrum suddenly stopped. For a split second, her expression was one of sorrow and regret. But just as suddenly, the cold expression returned to her face. "You just watch me be wed to Octarias and have everything... you two took from me." With out another word, she changed to her basic form, and long jumped into the air, landing on a passing zeppelin. They could only watch as it headed back to Octarian territory."Sis... siiiss.." Yako collapsed to her knees, and tears flowed down her cheeks. "Why.. whhyy?" While Otome's behavior had hurt both Drake and Callie, to Yako, being completely ignored by her older sister was far worse. Shen, Kora and even Octomarin were unable to find words. Finally, Drake stood up to break up the silence."Shen.. call the airship. We're leaving.""H-huh?" He quickly came out of his trace. "But aren't we supposed to like, guard the area or something?""We were supposed to thin out their numbers, and that's exactly what we did. Now call the airship.""Y-yeah, right away." He quickly got on his communicator and requested and extraction. Kora looked at them in surprise, since to her, they seemed to forget about the canisters and crashed airship."Wait, wait. Shouldn't we investigate that crashed airship first? Maybe get a sample of the junk its leaking?""Not our job. Besides..." Drake turned away after helping Callie up. "I'm pretty sure I already know what it is..." They started to head towards the beach, except for Shen who stayed behind. The whole incident had rattled him more than it should have. He looked over to where they last saw the Octoling, and something caught his eye. There was a small puddle of the same blue green liquid on some scrap metal that was directly under where she had jumped from. Curious, he emptied out his canteen, and gathered up as much as he could in the container."Shen! You coming?" Octomarin called out, as the airship landed."Yeah I'm coming, keep your damn pants on!" He put the container away and headed back to where the airship had landed. After loading up the rest of the regulars, the craft headed back to the capital at top speed....The atmosphere around the table sitting in the middle of the studio building was tense to say the least. Onlookers watched through the window in confusion and curiosity, as Kenny described how he lost his sister in the subway tunnels. Pearl was leaning on the edge of her seat, while Marina nervously munched on the lunch they ordered. When he was finished, he went back to chowing down on the pizza that had so thoughtfully been ordered by the duo, as Marina promised."I gotta admit, fossil, that was a pretty entertaining story. But yah really expect us to buy a story about green skinned and blue tentacled Octarians?" Pearl said, as she downed the rest of the slice that she had been surprisingly neglecting due to the story."It's the truth," Kenny responded with a shrug. "You can ask the others that were with me.""Come on, bro. I can believe that she was kidnapped by those terrorist that attacked the subway, but alien Octarians?" Pearl leaned back in her chair, giving him a grin that told him she thought he was either an idiot or on something."I-it might be possible, you know," Marina cut in. "Those survivors we interviewed said they didn't look like normal Octrarians, either...""Just means they were the Octarian army in disguise," Pearl said to her partner."You know, for a species that used think we were underdeveloped because of our head size, that big shiny forehead seems to have forgotten that the army fought with us. Not to mention several people saw similar Inklings with them," Kenny said, interrupting Pearl before she could argue."Watch your tone, Fossil," Pearl said with a growl. "My daddy is-""Don't care, Forehead-chan.""Yo! What did you call me!?" Pearl started to get up, but Marina slammed her palms down on the table."Will you two knock it off!" She yelled, which caused them to both jump. "Don't make fun of Pearl, Kenny." Marina then turned her attention to Pearl. "And what is your problem? He was nice enough to come down here to answer our questions, and you keep trying to pick a fight!""You heard what he called me! And-""Pearl!""Okay, okay.." She sighed. "I'm sorry..""I'm sorry, too." Marina bowed a little. "We shouldn't be yelling at each other. Especially after we asked for your help." Marina then stuck her hand out. "L-let's start over and be friends, okay?" Since Marina was in her stage outfit and leaning close, Kenny couldn't help but to blush a little."Y-yeah, sure." He shook her hand. He was surprised at how cool and smooth it felt, since was the first time he had actually touched any of the evolved cephalopods, despite being thawed from the Technodyne facility for two years now."Hehe.. you're warm. Just like Drake was.""Yeah.. I suppose that's the one thing nice about the fossils," Pearl said in a surprising agreement."Alright, you're turn Pearlie.""Fine, fine.." She stuck her hand out. "Nice to meet yah, and all that junk.""Good. See? You can be friends with humans too. And you didn't bite this time, either.""Wait, bite?" Kenny quickly took his hand back, which made Pearl grin."Yeah, bite. I nailed frigging Drake on the hand.""You bit... the captain?" Kenny blinked a few times in surprise."Damn right I did. And Marie still laughs every time she tells the story.""That.. does sound funny as hell," Kenny said, and they both shared a chuckle. Before Marina could say something, however, the door opened and the crew came flooding in."H-huh? The next broadcast isn't for another hour, right?" Marina said in confusion, as they started setting up. More inklings and several resident Octolings from outside gathered to peer in and observe the confusion."It's an emergency broadcast." Fran said, who came in last. "We need to set up in five minutes.""What about? Can't be that big a deal, yo. Unless-" Pearl stopped, and went wide eyed when he saw what Fran had written on his notepad. The two quickly went to take their positions at the front, near the large screen. Then she looked back to where Kenny was still sitting. "And don't let him leave. We ain't done yet."..."Saaayyy WHHAAT!?" Marie jumped out of her chair, as Pearl and Marina made their shocking announcement. Her sudden movement almost caused the laptop to go flying off the small desk, especially since her leg had gotten tangled on the power cord. She grabbed hold of the chair to keep both her and the computer from tumbling to the floor. Hoping nobody saw the sudden outburst, she sat back down to watch the rest of the broadcast."I-I'm afraid its been confirmed," Marina continued after Pearl's colorful introduction of the announcement. "The new Emperor, Octarias, has declared the treaty completely null and void. In his words, the chancellor refusing to cooperate in investigating the train incident is reason enough to declare Inkopolis in violation of the treaty." Marina paused and looked down. "Even though they aren't taking action yet... We're at war again, Pearlie..""Yo, don't be sad, Marina. I won't let them do anything stupid.""Y-yes.. Well, we still haven't gotten a response from the Chancellor's office. We'll keep you posted as soon as we get more information." The two quickly signed off, forgoing their usual ending to the broadcast, but rather than cut out, the camera man followed their movements off stage to where Kenny was sitting. Marie leaned closer to see if she could recognize the human."Man, Drake wasn't kidding when he said the Pizza was almost as good as our own. But I gotta ask. Where do you get the milk to make the cheese?""You don't need to know that!" Pearl yelled, then noticed the camera was still on. "And turn the camera off, dammit!" The screen promptly went black."Huh.. who was that? I didn't think they let any humans besides Drake into the studio.. and he hasn't been there since- wait, no. Who cares about that now?" Marie quickly grabbed and unplugged the laptop, before racing to the front door. Outside, Kirin was sitting next to Octavio's prison. He was slowly opening and closing his eyes, trying to stay awake after another full night of standing guard. Neptune was staring at him intently, with a marker in her hand. Just before he was about to nod off, he and Neptune were both startled by the sound of the door slamming, as Marie stormed out."Dah, I wasn't asleep! No need to bother Pearl," Kirin said, as he stood back up. Marie ignored him, and went right to Octavio."You!" She snarled at him. "You set this up, didn't you!?""The hell are you talking about, woman?" Octavio said, as he was woken from his nap. "And if you got time to whine, yah got time to feed me somethin'!""Shut up!" She yelled with fury filled eyes. "You knew about this, didn't you! The attack on the train? The assassination of Octurus? All this happening after you take Callie from me? It's you, isn't it?""I don't know what crazy fantasy you cooked up, ink stain, but you mind if I take notes? Maybe I should have taken you, instead of her." Marie practically slammed the laptop down in front of the spherical prison hard enough that the Agents thought it was going to break in half."Geez, Marie. You're becoming as crazy as the old man at this rate. What's the deal?" Neptune asked. Marie shot her a glare."Be quiet and pay attention, since I assume you haven't seen the announcement just now." Marie hit the playback button. Both Neptune and Kirin went from confused to shocked at the broadcast. They expected Octavio to be smug, once the footage was over, but he seemed to have a blank look, as if it didn't concern him."That brat's really grown a pair. Kinda wish I tried bringing him over to the correct side," the Octobot king said, once the screen went blank again."Cut the crap. I know you're behind this.""If I did, I wouldn't be in here, squirt." Octavio rolled his eyes. "And I really don't care. Y'all can destroy each other." Marie threw up her hands in resignation."You know what? Forget it." She turned away from Octavio, and back to Kirin and Neptune. "You two, get your gear. We're gonna investigate this ourselves.""Wait, now? But Marie, I'm tired and we don't even know where to start," Kirin protested, as bags formed under his eyes."The lad's right," a voice said that came from the direction of the pipe. The group turned, and saw Cuttlefish coming towards them, with Levin and Shara in tow."Gramps! Where have you been!" Marie said, and ran towards him. "I was worried sick about you!""We've been hunting down the last of his officers," Shara answered, while pointing to Octavio. She then approached Octavio's sphere. "You here that, has been? Soon as we hunt down the last two, there will be nobody left coming to save you.""So you got a few useless hipsters. Am I supposed to care?" The old Octarian leader didn't seem concerned with her statement and barely noticed that she was there. Her eyes narrowed in irritation."You don't care? Almost all of your loyal officers from two years ago are gone, and you don't-" Shara was cut off when Octavio raised two tentacles parallel to each other, and moved the tips up and down like a talking mouth in an obvious attempt to mock her. Shara looked like she was about to burst a vain, when Marie pulled her away from the prison."Look, thanks to gramps leaving his phone behind AGAIN," she gave the old squid a quick look, before returning her attention to the agents. "And you two not answering your phones-""Hey, we couldn't help it!" Levin cut in to defend them. "We were all over the place and a lot of those areas didn't have mobile service, and were out of range of the communicator.""Alright, fine. But as I was saying-""Hey, were be my other gran- I mean, Agent 1?" Cuttlefish asked. "And who's that there with Agent 6-""Alright that's it!" Marie pointed her umbrella prop at the cap'n. "First off, let me talk, and second, we're dealing with this stupid number code system right now!""B-but-" Cuttlefish started to say, but Marie swung the umbrella around like an inkbrush."No butts! Me and Callie will keep our numbers.. and I guess Levin can keep his since he's got the cape-""Awesome!" He grinned."But Everyone else can just stick to their names. I'm sick of all this confusion because someone keeps changing the numbers around," Marie finished, looking a little better to finally get that out of her system."But the code names are tradi-" Cuttlefish started to protest again, but Marie didn't give him a chance to prevent her from ridding herself of this headache."Grraaaaaammmps?" She said with an obviously fake smile. "I don't think you get a say in this, since you left Octavio unguarded when you knew there was a potential threat of a break out attempt.""W-well I left you a note, didn't I? And besides, the Octojerk is still in there, isn't he?" Cuttlefish's eyes were getting wide over Marie talking back to him like this. Something that hadn't really happened since her and Callie were kids."He is now. And to answer your earlier question, a group of Octolings broke him out a few days ago, when the only one here was Callie. They overwhelmed her and took her hostage.""Whhhhaaat?" Cuttlefish raised the bamboozler he used as a cane and started waving it wildly. The others ducked for cover to avoid his geriatric rampage. He then started banging it against the prison. "What did you do with my grandsquid!""Yah know, that whole ordeal in Octocanyon was worth it, just to see that look on your face. Scritchy-scratch, Cuttlefish. Now I can at least rest knowing that I payed yah back." Octavio gave him a rude gesture, and he would have been grinning if he was in his bipedal form. Cursing, Cuttlefish turned away from the orb."Arrgh! Agent 3, Agent 4-""Gramps!""Er, Agent 3, Shara! I know yer tired, Buckos, but I need you to get my Grandsquid back!""Gramps.." Marie walked over, and put her hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him down. "Relax. It's taken care of. Kirin, over there, helped me get her back, as well as stop Octavio.""Hey! I was here too, and I saved his cute butt along the way!" Neptune cut in, though everyone chose to ignore her."Eh, he did?" Cuttlefish finally remembered that there was an unfamiliar green squid in uniform, next to Neptune. He slowly walked over to him, and looked him over, making Kirin feel uncomfortable. "Then I owe you my thanks, Agent...?""Kirin... And uhh.. yeah.. I guess I did." Kirin looked down while under the old squid's gaze."Kirin... Kirin..." Shara walked up as well with a pensive look. "I've heard that name before... and I'm sure I've seen you somewhere.""That's Kirk's.. cousin," Marie interrupted and answered the question she was brooding over. "We met him at Kirk's services, remember? I didn't recognize him at first, either.""Wait, really? Oh, dude! I'm sorry about what happened back then. Kirk was a cool guy," Levin said, as he rubbed his back tentacle to hide his sad expression."Yes.. and a good member of the squad," Shara nodded. "We all still wish we could have handled things differently, back then.""Least we made the chairman pay for it," Neptune growled behind them to get the point across. "But even his life wasn't enough, if you ask me.""U-uhh, it's still a touchy subject for her," Levin cut in to keep her going on a tangent. "Look, if your one of us now, then don't hesitate to ask us anything. It's the least we can do for Kirk, man.""O-oh.. right." Kirin winced, partially due to the conversation focus shifting to Kirk, and partially because he knew where it would end up. "B-but I'm fine.. t-thanks for.. being his friend and all that...""You okay man? I bet someone is being a jerk over Kirk, right? If so, I'll be happy to feed them a blaster smoothy.""Levin, he's fine," Marie interrupted. "It's just.." She sighed, knowing that she would have to explain about Callie. "He- we made a mistake that almost got Callie killed.. and when she finally came back.." Marie stopped and grit her teeth. "She had been banned from Inkopolis, and all outlying towns. Octavio brainwashed her with his controller devices, but they said she helped him because of losing splatfest, which is SHARKSHIT!" Kirin looked up at her. He was stunned that she didn't expose what he did."U-unacceptable!" Cuttlefish yelled. "We gotta get her back, pronto, buckos! I'm not leaving her down there for his minions to brainwash again!""I-I know, Gramps. I want to get her back too, more than anything else. But now is not the time. Especially since we are so close to having that second great turf war again.. but.. I know she'll be okay. They should be safe in the capital, and Drake is with her.""I don't like the sound of her being alone in Octarian territory with a boy, but... If anyone can protect her, it's him." Cuttlefish finally calmed down, knowing that Callie wasn't in any immediate danger."Yeah, we all know he'd neeeever let something happen to her. After all, that sibling thing was kinda gross." Neptune stuck out her tongue to illustrate the point. "They should just hookup already.""That's funny coming from you!" Levin shot back. "Besides, he's got Otome!""You know what!" Marie interrupted before the conversation could go down the road of talking about the Octoling. "You two are probably tired. In fact, why don't you all get changed and head home? The police should be here any minute to finally pickup Octavio, anyway.""Aye, and I need to get back to me shack in Octovalley to start looking for a lead on Lieutenant Siber," Cuttlefish nodded. "You agents are dismissed." They eagerly nodded and flooded into the cabin to get changed. On his way, Kirin looked back at Marie, who simply nodded at him. Any remaining animosity towards her vanished, as he realized he wasn't about to be torn apart by the other agents, since only she and Neptune knew what really happened. At the cabin, the boys were promptly kicked out by the girls, who changed first. After the boys took their turns getting the uniforms off, they headed back to where Marie and Cuttlefish were."Levin, Shara, you two can take tomorrow off, and then help gramps find the last two officers. Neptune, Kirin, you two will go with me to start investigating Octarian territory again," Marie said."U-uhhh, haven't I already done what you said by guarding him?" Kirin asked. "I don't think I belong here.""Sorry, Kirin, but you aren't getting off that easy. You're here until I get my cousin back. Now, all of you go get some rest." The four agents started heading back to the pipe, but it wasn't a quiet trip. Neptune quickly jumped between Levin and Shara."Sooooo? What have you and big brother been doing, huh? No way all you two love birds did was hunt Octarians, especially since someone made someone a cape. Come on! I want allll the juicy details." The two groaned, as Neptune continued to press for details. Though Kirin was the last to voice his displeasure, as she reminded him that he had an appointment with Selka."Well I hope that boy learned something about forgiveness," Marie muttered to herself. She then took a small package out of her kimono, that Drake had slipped into it the last time he saw her. It contained a set of decorated pins and clips for her tentacles that Callie had gotten Marie for her birthday, and a handcrafted bracelet set that Drake had commissioned from a human craft dealer. "But who am I to talk... Taking her away, is the one thing I can't forgive."..."So why are we being redirected to another potential salmonid location with out a break?" Octomarin asked, with an annoyed expression. The airship that had been heading back towards Octovalley had received a call from Guardian headquarters, and Drake was forced to order Shen to redirect it back into salmonid infested waters."Captain Scylls received a call from an old outpost that some regulars had garrisoned in to keep an eye on salmonid activity. They're getting overrun, so we're being sent to contain the situation," Drake responded. As soon as he said this, the navigator looked up from her terminal."Sir, we're above our landing zone, and it looks like the salmonids are already attacking again.""Right, same drill as before. Shen, get us close to the ground. The rest of you, be prepared to hit the island fighting." Drake got up and headed to the storage bay, where the Octarian regulars were awaiting deployment. They appeared to be much more nervous than last time, likely due to the sudden appearance of the metal salmonid. Drake tried to think of a way to get them to calm down, but the ship shook, indicating that it came to a stop, and the ramp lowered. "Everyone out! Go!" The troopers put the assault platforms in gear, and Drake hoofed it down the ramp behind them."Captain! Look out!" Kora yelled, when she hit the ground from a long jump. A line of chum were charging out from the inside of the old rotting fort ruins. Before the troopers could fire on the line, however, a stream of rapid firing pellets hit the line from the rear. The rate of the shots being fired went faster and faster, splatting each chum in the line, until the last one fell dead in front of the Twintacle."What the hell was that?" Shen said, as he lowered his weapon. "Was that one of our own?""That.. that was almost like one of the Inkling weapons. A splatling to be exact... but I've never heard about us reverse engineering them," Kora said as they slowly made their way into the fort, now that the salmonids were backing off for the time being, likely due to the unexpected arrival of reinforcements. In the center of the fort, were the last few Octotroopers, who were circled around an Octosniper's platform. Perched on the platform, was a tall regular that looked similar to the snipers, but wore a cap and sunglasses. Instead of the charger barrel, its weapon had been replaced by a large multi barrel weapon that looked like a splatling."A-an Octocommander?" Callie said, who backed up a little."Been in the corps for several years now, and I've never seen this," Octomarin commented."I-it's new. I saw a few when I was under Octavio's control. It can give the hydra a run for it's money.. They freak me out more than the snipers do," Callie nervously clung to Drake's arm, while staring at the creature. It used its tentacle to lift its sunglasses to give the group a look over."So.. are you the relief force or what?" The Octocommander asked. "Why is your airship leaving?""We aren't here to pick you up. We're here to hold the area, regular." Shen said in an annoyed tone. "And we were supposed to be done for the day, until we were ordered to clean up your mess.""Watch it, runt!" The Octocommander barked back, which made Shen growl. "These aren't normal Salmonids, and we're down to five! We need evac, not more hold orders!""Oh, Please. We beat back our wave and only lost one measly trooper," Shen shot back, which earned him a glare from every regular in the group."Shen, knock it off." Octomarin clapped him in the back of the head. One of the Octobombers laughed at him, which added to his irritation. "So, was it one of those big metal guys with the bombs?""Metal, yes. Big and with bombs? No," the commander responded, still looking irritated at the fact that they had to stay for another potential wave. "It was these metal vehicles that looked like scrap heaps. They're fast, and the armor in the front can take some serious punishment. They've been killing the troopers by ramming them, and knocking them off their assault platforms. Never seen anything like it, either.""So metal tanks, and now battering rams. That's great," Drake sighed. "What the hell is up with these fish things?""They were never this... advanced when Octavio was trying to get them on his side.." Kora said."I might know what happened, but I really hope I'm wrong," Drake responded, as he looked around the ruins. "All right, Yako, take Shen and Octomarin, and watch over the docks. I'll take Callie and Kora, and secure the ruins to the right. The regulars are in charge of the center metal walkway. Bombers and copters, run support like before.""Right, Captain... and I want an explanation on why there's an Inkling here, and.. I'm not even going to try and guess what you are," The Octocommander responded, as the unit took positions. No sooner did Drake's team reach the right ruins, did they see ripples form in the water. A single chum emerged, and looked over the group. He then opened his mouth, and made the same indescribable gurgling sounds that they heard at the spawning grounds."That noise is driving my autotran crazy.. is that even a language?" Drake asked. As if to answer the question, another, much larger ripple formed in the water."Ah, crap! Looks like we got a big one coming!" Kora raised her charger in preparation for what they assumed would be one of the metal tanks. But what came out was neither the metal tanks, nor the scrap cars the Octocommander described. It propelled itself into the air, using a stream of gel to keep it airborne. It was a small craft being piloted by an even smaller salmonid, and it was carrying two large containers on its sides."The heck is that?" Callie asked, as they watched the craft in confusion. "Are those trash bins its carrying?" The salmonid on the ground made the gurgling sound again, and more ground forces started to flood out on all sides. The airborne craft opened the lids on the containers it was carrying at the same time, then fired ink missiles from them. "Eeek! Trash bins nothing, that's a trashmaster!""Tenta-missiles Incoming!" Drake took Callie's hand, and the two followed Kora to shelter, barely avoiding the barrage, as more Salmonids started pushing their way towards the fort. All of hell broke loose.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"What did you call that thing? A Trash-master? That's so perfect." Drake leaned out from the side of the fort, and fired a short burst at the airborne salmonid craft. Following the gunfire, the loud dinging sound of a bullet bouncing off metal told them that small arms was not going to work. Drake, Callie and Kora, were forced back into the open after another volley of tenta-missiles hit the ground behind them, almost taking out one of the surviving Octotroopers. More of the smaller salmonids were coming from the beaches. Luckily, a long spray of ink from the Octocommander stopped a line of chum that had gotten around the Octolings that were watching the docks."This isn't right! Where are they getting all these machines!" Octomarin yelled from the other side. Taking a note from Otome, her and Shen managed to blast the bomb on the large tank like salmonid's head as it was filling, causing it to rupture and explode."Sheeeen! Behind you!" Yako yelled, who was having to refill her tank from throwing too many bombs at once. The warning was enough, and the male was able to turn and hit a chum directly in the face with an ink ball. It flopped backwards, and burst into dark green gel."Nice one, little man." Octomarin gave a thumbs up, before turning her attention back to an approaching cohock."Well that's great, but how are we supposed to deal with this thing?" Kora peaked around the backside of the fort, and glanced at the flyer, that looked like it was trying to lock onto a target."A rocket launcher would sure be nice.. but I'll have to settle for this and pray it works." Drake yanked a grenade off the belt, then pulled the pin. He held it in his hand for another two seconds, then hurled it at the flyer. He had intended to count down the grenade's timer, so it would detonate as soon as it reached the flying machine. But the grenade merely bounced off the cockpit with a clang, due to him miscalculating the timer. As luck would have it, however, the explosive landed in the right missile bin, just as it was closing. A moment later, an explosion rocked the craft. The missile bin detached from the central unit, and fell into the water."Whoa! You got it!" Callie said, excitedly."Not yet! Look out!" Kora yelled, as the flyer turned towards Drake. He tried to retrieve another grenade from his belt, only to notice that it had gotten stuck, just as the second missile bin opened. After finally getting it off, he went to pull the pin. Just before he did, he saw a pair of splat bombs thrown into the other launcher. The bombs burst, and the second launcher detached, causing the entire airborne vehicle to spin out of control and crash into the shore line."That was closer than I would have liked," Drake said with a sigh, now that the adrenaline rush was over. "Nice save, you two.""Thankies!" Cally responded with a piece sign, while Kora nodded."Kora, get on the communicator and let them know how to take those things down. Callie, help me mop up.""Right, captain." Kora raised a finger to her earpiece, as Callie started spraying down on the smaller salmonids with her Octoshot, while Drake covered her with the rifle. One by one, they fell, not stopping until the rubble part of the old fort was clean. "Hey, Octomarin? We found out how to kill the flying things.""That's great, but we got more of those.. what did Drake call it? The megazord? Could use a tentacle here!" Octomarin replied. Kora looked at Drake, who nodded at her."We'll be right there!" The three headed back to the docks that Yako, Octomarin and Shen were supposed to be keeping watch over. On the far end, another steel tank type was sitting on the docks, lobbing bombs periodically. Despite knowing its weak point, it was proving to be a challenge to get close enough to destroy the bomb before it could be launched. Chum and Cohocks were protecting its flanks. Shen tried to get around it with his brush, but a freshly emerged Cohock took a swing at him, which he barely managed to duck under."Shen, get your ass back here!" Drake yelled, as he shot the Cohock in the head several times to keep it from finishing the Octoling boy off. The steel salmonid turned to him, and started filling another bomb. "Kora!""On it, captain!" Kora raised her reverse engineered scoped charger and took aim. A second later, and a stream of ink flew towards the bomb, causing it to rupture almost instantly. Shen moved to the far side of the docks, and swung his octobrush violently, sending waves of ink at the retreating Chum. Yako and Octomarin moved in behind them to cut them off. All that remained of the skirmish, was the dark green gel that now covered the wooden pier. They didn't have anytime to relax, as the Octocommander quickly started yelling from the inner part of the old fort."We need backup, front center! Those damn scrap cars are back!""Give me a break.." Shen grumbled as all six of them headed towards the central metal walkways. The Octarian regulars were being pushed back towards the fort. A large box shaped hunk of metal was pushing its way into the line of Octotroopers, ignoring the hits it was taking to its front plate. A stream of gel was fired from its rear exhaust, and it shot towards the unfortunate Octotrooper that was in its path. The vehicle slammed into the trooper's assault platform, causing it to fall off. This left it easy prey, and it screamed when the scrap car rolled it over, crushing it instantly."Great, and now they got Moto-bugs," Drake sighed. "Spread out! These things are probably built like tanks, and like any tank, are weak in the back!" The group split into two, just as a stream of purple came flying from where the Octocommander was perched. The stream hit the front armor relentlessly, and while it wasn't able to break through, it did cause the machine to stagger. Yako and Octomarin jumped over the second armored car, and landed behind the one that had been stunned."Hah! Drake was totally right! Look! It's butt is sticking out! Let's kick it," Yako said with a grin. Not only was the armor weak in the back, but it had no armor at all. The two eagerly rolled a pair of bombs into the vehicle, which promptly burst. The driver inside was instantly neutralized, rendering the armored car harmless. The second car turned around to face the two that had destroyed its team mate, only to unknowingly expose itself to the Octocommander, who unloaded another stream to its exposed backside."Man, where the hell are the salmonids getting these things?" Octomarin said with a sigh, now that they had some breathing room, despite the additional chum that were flowing in."Looks to me like a mesh between Inkling and Octarian tech. Are you sure they are as savage as you claim?" Drake asked, after gunning down a Chum."Positive, at least not until recently. They're even more coordinated than they used to be," Octomarin answered. Then something caught her eye, and she looked up. "Ah, sharkshit! Everyone, scatter!""What?" Drake looked up, expecting to see more tenta-missles, but instead saw green gel raining down from an unnatural looking miniature cloud. Octomarin grabbed him, and yanked him back to the fort, as the others all scrambled to get out of its path. Another trooper wasn't so lucky, and the gel rain caused him to painfully melt into a puddle of his own ink. "Where the hell did that come from?" Drake asked, when everyone was back inside the fort."Look! Over there!" Octomarin pointed to a figure that was slowly descending to where they had been standing earlier. The figure was difficult to make out, but it looked like a salmonid attached to a large metal umbrella. The creature landed, and they saw it fire off a strange pod, which burst open and formed another rain cloud."Great. Now they got umbrella dipshits. What's next?""More armored salmonids coming from the docks!" One of the octocopter scouts yelled."Enemies coming in from the right ruins!" The other yelled."Does that answer your question, captain?" Shen said with a gaze that said 'this is your fault for speaking.'"Dammit! Everyone take positions near the exits, but stay inside the fort!" The group of six and the surviving regulars all took positions near the exits and windows. Drake went over to a window that overlooked the docks and peered out, as Callie stood up on her toes next to him to peak out as well. Chum were coming out by the truckload, backed up by the more advanced mechanized salmonids."O-oh my gosh.. C-can we handle this?" She glanced to him with a nervous expression."No, we can't." He turned towards Kora, who was watching the door with Shen. "Kora, call HQ and tell them we need back up, like right now.""I-I already did. They're sending a Mariner Octostriker group, but they won't be here for another five minutes." She tried to hide the fear in her voice with her response, but her legs were shaking. Even Shen looked like he was going to soil himself any minute. Octomarin and Yako weren't fairing much better. Looking at his team, Drake knew it was time to go."Then call the airship, and tell them we need a pickup, and fast.""B-but aren't our orders to hold?" She asked to make sure that he was certain about violating their assignment."He's right, Kora," Octomarin chimed in. "There's too many. Hell, this has got to be some kind of a record." Kora nodded, and made the call. Soon, they could see the approaching airship, but the salmonids were already on top of them. The Octolings were taking as many shots from behind cover as they could, while the regulars desperately threw everything they had to keep the salmonids from getting inside. While this was working for the initial wave, it was clear that they were about to be overrun when the large steel tanks lumbered ever closer, ignoring the ink and lead that were bouncing off the armor."Everyone get your heads down!" Drake yelled, as the first of the large bombs was thrown by the steel salmonids. Everyone backed away from the windows and doors to avoid the blast, forcing the group to all huddle at the center. But just as the armor came through the door, the airship finally was able to land at the back of the fort."That's our ride! I'm outta here!" Shen climbed out the back window, followed by Kora and Octomarin. Drake kicked open the back door for the Octotroopers to use as an exit, before running towards the craft with Callie and Yako behind him, taking their hands to make sure they didn't fall behind. Shen changed forms, and long jumped himself to the upper hatch, so he could join the bridge crew, while the others ran up the cargo ramp. They all fell over each other into a pile, once they were safely inside."You two okay?" He asked, as he helped Callie stand back up."Y-yeah.. I-I'm fine." She panted heavily. "Thank.. you.""Whhaaa! That was too freaky!" Yako yelled, while clinging to him."There there. You're okay." Octomarin said, as she and Drake rubbed her head. Drake looked over to see the last few regulars speeding towards the ship with more salmonids on their tail."Pilot, hold up. There's still regulars out there.""No time," Shen responded, which told them that he had relieved the other pilot. "We're getting outta here while we still can.""Shen you keep this thing on the ground until everyone is on board!" Drake shot back."They're just regulars. Expendable. We don't leave now, then we all die. And I'm not dying for them.""THAT'S AN ORDER!""Fine, but if we get shot down, it's on you!" Shen snapped. The airship remained at ground level, as the remaining troopers started to load up the ramp."Shit, we need a few more seconds. Callie, help me cover them!""You got it!" The two went to the edge of the ramp and took aim at their fish enemies. Since they were too far away for the octoshot, Callie took out the handgun she was 'borrowing' and took down a Chum that was about to nip the Twintacle in the back. She fired another seven shots, until a clicking sound was heard. "Ah! I need to reload, how do I reload?!""I thought I showed you already?" Drake dropped a Cohock at the back, just as the Twintacle got on board. "Never-mind, they're clear- wait! Where is the Octocommander?""Look!" Kora pointed to the back of the fort. From inside the back door, they could see the commander firing away at the salmonids that had him completely surrounded. "What is he doing?""My job," The Octarian responded over the communicator. "Get my guys outta here.""B-but we can't just leave him?" Callie looked over at Drake with pleading eyes."Right." Drake was about to jump off the ramp to go grab him, but all of a sudden, a green beam was fired from the docks. The beam enveloped the Octocommander, and they saw him completely vaporize. There was nothing left of the Octocommander, once the beam ceased its fire.""W-w-what the hell was that?" One of the surviving troopers asked. "I-it got him.. and.""It.. looked like one of our stingrays," Callie said, who was still in a state of shock at the sudden attack. "A-and it came from..." They all turned their attention to the docks. A large tower that had not been there before, was sitting on the edge, over the water. On top of the tower, a salmonid holding a large nozzle was perched. It then moved the nozzle, to point it at the airship."Shen! Get us in the air! Now!" Drake slammed a button to raise the ramp."Told you! Hang on!" Shen made the craft take a hard right, just as the tower fired another beam. The airship shook, as it grazed the side of the craft. After taking evasive maneuvers to avoid any more blasts from the tower, the ship headed away from the overrun fort at top speed. The rest of the team all rested against the wall, as Drake took a look around. They had lost a twintacle, the Octosniper, and three more troopers, including two from the Octocommander's group. But despite that, they all seemed to meet their captain's gaze, while others were staring at Callie. It was clear that for the regulars, a new found respect had been gained....The desk of Manfred Von Kaufmann had become a mess in recent days. While already in disarray from all the research papers, the added security reports had piled up. Drake had been putting off some of the paper work, and Brandon was inexperienced as acting Captain. The two new papers that Manfred had tossed on to the top of the pile, certainly didn't help. "Two years.." The middle aged acting director let out a long sigh. "Two died, many others were injured and now my son is gone. All for just two years." Manfred took a deep breath, and read the first letter. One that was hand written by what was left of the Octarian Royal family.
To the leader of the esteemed Elde r Race:

As you are no doubt aware, the treaty between the Octarian and Inkling territories has been violated, and has such been declared void. Do to the actions and, consequently, inaction, we have no choice but to resume hostilities against our neighbors. We have no qualms against the Elder Race, and would rather request your support. While we are quite aware that you have no stakes in this conflict, we are prepared to offer incentives in exchange for your alliance.

1 - Land. We assume that you need more territory to expand as you grow. We offer a portion of any land seized to be ceded to you.

2 - Exclusive Trade agreements. Any deals we had with the Inklings or other races for materials or information will be offered to you, including deals that would only be offered to our most trusted partners.

3 - Military relief. Should you be attacked during the course of this conflict, or any ensuing conflict, we offer our military might in the defense of your homes, in the same way we hope that you will offer yours.

We hope that you will see our side of things, and know that after the subway incident, this is the only course of action to us, and that our cause is justified so long as the Inkling government refuses to admit their wrong doings.

Signed, Emperor Octarias.
"And now things have gotten this far." Manfred took the other letter. It was written by someone in the chancellors office. It was uncertain who, exactly, since it was unknown who in his employ was capable of writing in human languages, unlike the Octarian royal family that studied their race. The contents of the letter was about the same as the one from the Octarians. Almost word for word. Manfred tossed them back onto the desk. "Maybe Bridget Mclarrin was right all along...""Are you still trying to decide how to answer them?" Manfred looked up to see first squad standing in the door way. Brandon was in front with another report in his hand."Yes, and it doesn't get any easier by thinking it over..." The middle aged man got up from his desk, and slowly paced. "And times like this, I wonder what Drake would have done. Or Mclarrin for that matter.""Mclarrin was a coward bitch, and you'd know what Drake would have done if you hadn't thrown him under the bus," a voice from behind Brandon said in a blunt tone."Shut it, Takeshi-" Brandon started, but Manfred shrugged it off."I can't say he's entirely wrong... and he knows more about them and their problems than we do.""If you can't decide, we still can go it alone. We can take care of ourselves," Matt chimed in."I wish it were that simple. If we isolate ourselves, it may leave us open to being attacked by one of the two sides," Manfred continued, but Matt wasn't convinced."Then let them. We can take em. Two years ago should have proved that.""Don't be stupid. We can't take an army, let alone two at once," Brandon shot back."Well..." Reggie cut in to keep another argument from breaking out, or a possible fist fight from Matt's attitude. "If you really want to know what Drake would have done, just think about it." The group turned to him to see if he would explain further. "Both sides are right and wrong at the same time, and we don't know who was really responsible. So how can you make a judgement on who is the right side to join with out more evidence, yes?""So are you saying he'd just play detective again? Little late for that, man," Takeshi said."Perhaps, but I think it would be a little more simple than that. We all know he'd sooner take a bullet before he let down the squid sisters or Otome again. Especially after all they've been through. But being on different sides of the war, what does that tell you?""Get to the point already!" Matt barked, which made Reggie sigh."You know, your temper is getting worse. Anyway, given that the Octarians were the first to open hostilities, I think Drake would want to side with the Inklings, but he wouldn't want to let his own girlfriend down. He'd likely tell us to side with them, but then sneak off to personally help Otome.""Well, if you say it like that, it sounds like.." Brandon was cut off from the sounds of crinkling paper. Manfred tossed one of the two notes into the trash."Brandon, get on the Inkling frequency. We're going to accept the Chancellors offer, but I will be clear on one thing. We are only going to enter a mutual defense pact. We won't fight their battles for them, incentives be damned. Especially after the hospitality Octurus showed us in the past.""Is that your final answer, professor?""Final answer. I want to know as much as we can before we make any real moves."...A charger stream flew by Kirin's head, and he barely managed to duck his head down enough to avoid a certain splat. His first instinct was to fall back before the sniper could line up another shot on him. But he gritted his beak, and charged his heavy splatling up for a long burst. he aimed up at the top of the large rotating platform that the sniper was perched on, and unleashed the stream of pellets. The sniper instantly backed off to relocate, and Kirin turned his attention back to the center platform that arched into a small bridge."30 seconds left! Y'all don't let them retake the zone!" The voice of Selka said over the communicator. A Splash-o-matic user had pushed themselves onto the central bridge of sturgeon shipyard, and had their special morph from a bomb launcher. Before the girl could cover the zone in suction bombs, however, Kirin moved to the other side of the catwalk while recharging the splatling, and sprayed her down before she could even launch a single bomb."Of course they have to be a pain at the end. I am not getting a reset penalty and going into overtime at the last second!" Another enemy that was wielding a splattershot was trying to push in where the splash failed, but before Kirin could give him the same treatment, the charger had finished shifting positions, and Kirin had taken a stream to the face. He yelped loudly, as the tether beam pulled him back to their base. As soon as the process was finished, he let out an annoyed growl, as overtime had kicked in. The other team had covered the zone, giving them a penalty and were rapidly closing the point gap."Kirin, get yer green butt up here!" Selka said, who was dancing around the splattershot that Kirin had failed to eliminate."I'm coming! Just get the damn zone!" He changed forms, and launched himself to a beacon that had placed by one of their other teammates. It was poorly placed, but it was the only location that wasn't being contested. Or so he thought. As soon as he landed, destroying the beacon in the process, that same charger blasted him in the chest."Ah, crap. Welp, that's game." Selka said, who had reformed next to him on the S.P.A.W.N. pad. The other team's point count passed theirs during overtime, and the game ended with a loss. Both teams were sent back to the lobby by the transport system. It didn't take long for the other twin squad to storm by, giving Selka and Kirin glares."And of course they are gonna act like it's our fault. Totally not going to admit the fact that they ignored the zone most of the game." Kirin rolled his eyes at the two, as they left the central lobby."Ah, don't let a couple of cocky jerks get to yah. We did fine fer our first league match." Selka clapped him on the back. "Now why don'tcha buy me a soda er somethin'?""Buy your own damn Soda! This is why I didn't want to introduce you to Neptune!" The two headed out of the lobby, and Kirin glanced over to the broadcast studio that Off the Hook used to see if the duo were at their posts. But the studio looked empty. That made him worried. They, or rather Pearl, wouldn't notice him from the studio, but if they were outside of the studio, then he was at risk of being seen. "Well, its not like she'll actually find me in this crowd.""Say, what?" The yellow Inkling turned around to find out what he was mumbling about, but her eyes widened. Something he didn't pick up."It's nothing. Fine, I'll buy you a stupid soda. Let's just uaaghha!" Kirin was suddenly grabbed from behind, and put into a head lock. Dread soon filled his face, as he was turned around to come face to face with a pink and white girl."Weeeelll weeeell! If it isn't little Kirin!" Pearl gave him a big toothy grin from seeing her long lost acquaintance. "Haven't seen yah in a dogfish's age! What finally brought yah from the county, yo?" With out waiting for an answer Pearl Whacked him on the top of the head with her fist."Dah! What the hell was that for, Pearl!" Kirin squirmed in her grasp, but she didn't let up."For leavin yer old pal in the dark for so long! I been worried about yah, yo!" Pearl finally let Kirin go, and he took a step back to avoid another head smack."Oh my fish! WHAT THE FRICK, KIRIN! YOU KNEW PEARL ALL THIS TIME AND DIDN'T TELL ME?!" Selka covered for Pearl's missed smack, and whacked Kirin on the back of the head. "AND MARINA'S HERE TOO?""A-ah, yes. Hello." Marina gave a small bow. "Pearl, was this the boy you were talking about that took you on a- d-date?""Him? Ah, heck no. I dumped him a long time ago." Pearl pulled Kirin back into a head lock. "Nah, this is Kirin. We go way back. He was one of the few I was allowed to be friends with before we moved here, because he comes from a wealthy family. But him and his sister were cool. As was his cousin, bless his departed soul.""C-come on. We weren't t-that close." Kirin said, who was getting worried about how much Pearl was going to reveal about him."Yah squiddin', Yo? You were always sayin how you were going to marry me." As soon as the words left her beak, Kirin froze up and looked like he was going to die on the spot. Selka burst out laughing, while Marina looked like she was trying to hide her wide smile."C-come on Pearly. I-its not nice to tease people like that.""It ain't teasin', if it's true." Pearl Finally let Kirin go, who made sure to not get too close to any of the females this time. She then turned to Selka, who stopped laughing the instant she locked eyes with the idol. "So, who's this?""Selka. Selka Cuda. Stoked to meet yah!" She responded excitedly. Pearl than leaned in and sniffed at her, which startled everyone. Especially the human that was standing behind them."Yah smell like the county, Yo," Pearl said when she was done."Y-yah can tell?" Selka leaned in and sniffed at Pearl the same way. "Yer from my hometown too? Wow, that's awesome. I never would have guessed.""Yep, just like the squid sisters." Pearl grinned. "Always pleased to meet another countryman.""Though, speaking of smells, who is he?" Selka finally noticed the figure standing behind them."I- I'm Kenny.. Just Kenny." He said rather nervously. Selka leaned in to sniff him as well, which earned a confused look from the boy."You smell... different. Wait.. Is he..""Elder race, unfortunately." Pearl said with a dismissive tone. "Don't y'all worry about him, he's just following us for now.""Pearl..." Marina started."Yeah, yeah. No need to nag, Reena." Pearl turned her attention back to Selka and Kirin, only to find that the green boy had disappeared when she was talking with Selka. "And where the heck did Kirin go?""H-huh?" Selka whipped around to see that he was in fact gone. "He was right here?""Oh, heck no, yo!" Pearl crossed her arms. "I didn't finally meet my long lost buddy, just for him to run off on me! After him girls! And.. boy.""Oh, don't you worry about that. I know his hiding spot." Selka gave a grin."You do?" Marina asked with a curious tone."Then what are we waiting for, y'all! After the green boy!" Pearl and Selka charged ahead towards the grate that lead to Octocanyon. Marina and Kenny exchanged a nervous glance, before running after them."Dammit, why did I have to run into her now!" Kirin said aloud. The large underground pipe was becoming a blur, as he raced towards Octocanyon. He started getting shorter and shorter on breath, until he finally reached the final grate with sunlight peaking through. Not caring about getting instantly blinded, he leapt through, and changed forms on the other side."Oh, good timing Agent f- I mean Kirin. I was just about to call you." Marie turned to him, and put the phone away that she had been typing on. She was now wearing her old disguise, and holding the old type H charger. "Go get changed, we're going on a night op- Whoa!" She jumped back to avoid Kirin, who ran passed her, and into the cabin."What crawled up his butt?" The equally surprised Neptune asked, in a rare loss of cool for her. She was leaning against where Octavio was once being held prisoner, who had just been moved back to a proper holding facility."I don't know, but he looks like he saw a pack of land sharks, or something," Marie commented."That's not far from the truth.." Kirin came barreling back out of the shack. Now in uniform, he tossed his weapon next to the special crate that Sheldon provided. He then retrieved the type-H splatling a split second later. "Okay, let's go. Like, right now.""What? But you don't even know what I was going to call you for." Marie gave him a confused and exasperated look."You wanted me for something so, I assume its away from here. Like, far away.""Okay, you." Neptune walked up to the them with her arms crossed. "What's the story? Did your date go bad? Run into your big crush, Pearl?" She said with a grin. The look Kirin gave her back though, quickly wiped that expression off. "Wait, seriously?""Okay, okay. The kettle is that way." Marie pointed to a far corner of the Canyon. Kirin started to run in that direction, but Marie grabbed onto his collar and yanked back. "Walk, don't run. I still need to brief you, after all.""Ugh, fine. LET GO ALREADY!" Kirin walked ahead of them at a brisk pace, which made Marie sigh and roll her eyes when the two girls followed him."Anyway, as I just explained to Neptune," Marie started. "We're going on... a job that's a little more tricky than what we normally do.""Sure. like going solo to do battle with a fat Octoweapon operator isn't tricky enough.""You don't know the half of it," Neptune groaned, before Marie told them both to shush."As I was saying, we're going to infiltrate Octoberg. And by that I mean, not getting caught this time." Kirin stopped to give her a shocked look, just as they reached the Kettle. "You heard me right. There are too many things happening too fast. I want to know what the heck is going on down there. We're going to sneak inside the capital building, and possibly Guardian Corpse headquarters since I don't know where the Mariners are set up. This kettle will take us to Octovalley. I'd sent someone to the Inkling capital building if we had more man power. Levin and Shara have the day off, before Gramps goes after Siber.""You sure we aren't just doing this for... you know who. Because I'd understand if it was," Neptune said, with surprising sincerity."I'd be lying if I said that wasn't part of it," Marie responded with a sad sigh. "If we get the chance, I'd like to find her, but.. we can't prioritize her." She clenched her fists, which betrayed her real feelings. "I got a bad feeling there's a lot more going on than just anger over the trans-border line.""Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hang on a minute! That's like the most heavily guarded place they have, right? If we even get seen, we're screwed!" Kirin quickly protested."That's why we're going to change our colors to dark brown to match the elites, then steal some uniforms. And you said you wanted to get away from here, right?" As if on cue, they could hear voices from the other side of the canyon where the cabin was."Hey! Hey! I think they all went this-a-way!" They could hear Selka yell."Oh, hell! Here goes nothing!" Kirin said, and they all hopped in the kettle at once. The kettle came to life, and shot them to the world below, forgetting the fact that the kettle makes a lot of noise when used.
A\N: Well that was fun \sarcasm. Everytime I had time to write, I had bock. Everytime I started to actually write something came up. Life sucks.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The mess hall had literally become a mess, thanks to the incident at the old outpost that had been lost to the salmonids. Many of the Octarian regulars that had survived the battle had indulged themselves in Octarian ale, which was similar to what humans called beer. Some were celebrating that they survived, while others were trying to forget what they saw on that island. Though, once the Octarians from the other units saw the heavy drinking, they were quick to join in, making the scene quite rowdy.Like any major drinking event, it was inevitable that things would get out of control. This happened when an Octobomber that was hyped up on liquid courage, called out Shen for wanting to leave them behind. A shouting match ensued, and once the bomber took a swing at Shen, the gloves were off. Shen had an easy time getting in punches, due to the bomber forgetting that with out his flight gear, all he had to fight with was his top tentacles. But Shen's beat down on the bomber was halted, when the troopers grabbed hold of him, and held him back while the twintacle roughed up his face.Not wanting to let another Octoling be pummeled by regulars, the rest of the Octolings were quick to jump in and turn the tides on the regulars, causing the whole scene to erupt into a giant melee, though both Yako and Kora hid behind a table, and Callie had already returned to their room. Octomarin, on the other hand, looked like she was having the time of her life. Once Kelly arrived at the scene after a long debriefing with Drake, she was seen standing over a knocked out trooper, sipping ale. The bomber and Shen had been sent to the infirmary, and Octomarin was sent back to sober up with a reprimand. Now, Drake was sitting in a mostly deserted room."Talk about a first day..." Drake sighed, as he picked at the remnants of his dinner. While the fresh bass was enjoyable, the drink that had accompanied his meal looked questionable at best. Drake had just asked for a water bottle, but the cook saw that he had a rough day and insisted that he take something from the more expensive stock. He tilted the cup a little, causing the light brown liquid to swirl around. "This has to be something stronger than the cheap stuff Octomarin was getting loaded on. And what are you doing, Oriana?""Hehe. How'd you know it was me?" A feminine voice answered. Drake looked down at the arms that were wrapped around his chest. If it wasn't for the custom designed gloves that Oriana usually wore, the soft mounds pressed to his back would be another giveaway. The large dark brown tentacle tips that were resting on his shoulders, were another of the elite's traits. "Soooo... are you gonna have your drink or what? Come on, I'll drink with yah." The elite sat her own cup next to his, and sat down."I told you before, that I don't drink," Drake responded, sitting the liquid filled cup back down."Aww, come on. Live a little." Oriana leaned in, taking hold of his arm. "Just enjoy yourself.""Well, I have been seriously thinking about it.. considering how today went," he had to admit"Tough fight?" Oriana asked, raising an eyebrow."You don't know the half of it. I can only think of one fight that was worse than what we went through today. Why do you think almost everyone else was getting shit faced?" Drake picked up the glass again."All the more reason to loosen up. Come on, I'll help yah." Oriana put her hand on the bottom of the glass and raised it to his face. Giving in to her tempting, he let her bring the glass to his lips, and he took a swig of the Octarian booze. His eyes went wide when the liquid filled his mouth. The burning sensation from the alcohol instantly brought him back to his senses. He couldn't swallow, as his brain told him that if he did, he'd be throwing it back up along with that fish dinner. He went for the next best thing, and sprayed the contents of his mouth into a nearby trash can. Oriana was chuckling loudly."Haha, pretty strong, huh? Don't worry, you'll get used to it. Try again.""T-the hell, w-woman?" Drake coughed and spit out the remaining liquid. He then went to the counter and swiped a water bottle with out asking, and rinsed out what was left into a sink. "Never again." He then downed the rest of the bottle to try to get the taste and burning sensation out of his mouth."Well, maybe that was a little too much for a light weight. Guess the server thought you were more.. experienced." Oriana shrugged, than snuggled up to him. "Come on, lets try something a little easier for a first timer.""Yeah, no." Drake pulled out of her reach, which caused her to put on an expression of surprise. "I shouldn't have even had that one. I'm gonna end up doing something stupid again, at this rate." He turned and headed to the door. "I'm going to bed, so I guess you'll have to head to the surface if you want to mess with a human that much." Oriana watched him go, and she leaned against the wall with a feeling of disappointment."Ah, drat," She let out a long sigh as she mentally deflated. "But I would have made you forget all about the bad stuff... And I see what the brat liked.."...Marie was tinkering with the controls of an Octarian kettle. Neptune was pacing and Kirin had been keeping watch for the past 20 minutes, while the squid sister worked. Finally, Neptune stopped and turned her attention to Marie."Are you done yet? I'm tired." Neptune said. Marie didn't bother to look at her, but Kirin could tell that Marie wasn't too keen on being interrupted needlessly."No, now stop asking.""Are you done yet?""No...""Are you done yet?""NO!""Are you-""YES I'M DONE, SO SHUT UP ALREADY!" Marie let out a growl, and slammed the panel case shut. The airflow to the kettle ceased, and the power was disconnected, rendering the tunnel unusable."So... I thought we were going on a night op to the capital dome?" Kirin looked around at their surroundings. Unlike the Octarian capital that they were supposed to be heading too, this dome was a deserted mining town that had long been abandoned and was now overgrown with plant life. "So why are we in this run down place, and why did you just shut down our only way out of this kettle, besides the one we came in on?""We are. But I want to wait until really late. That way we won't instantly have the whole city trying to roll us over if something happens," Marie responded and stood up. "And I disabled the kettle to make sure no one stumbles on us while we are resting. I'll turn it back on when it's time to go. Now, I suggest you start getting camp set up. we're only going to get a few hours of sleep.""With what gear? You never said anything about camping, and all we have are our weapons." With out responding, Marie simply removed her hat and waved it. The two other agents simply stared at her, like she was going to pull a sleeping bag out of her hat. A few seconds later, however, a low humming sound could be heard. Kirin looked over, and saw the weapons crate hovering over the side of the cliff. It then landed behind Marie."Crab man must be bored again," Neptune commented, and opened the crate. Inside was a number of sleeping bags and some camping gear. "Even brought some instant Ramen. Too bad Shara isn't here. Not that we have a microwave..""That's Sheldon for you. You'd think he'd know better, since he was a trigger fish camper, and... and.." Marie paused."And... what? What dirty little secret of the crab man were you gonna reveal, huh?" Neptune said with a grin."Do you guys.. feel that?""Feel what?" As soon as he asked that, Kirin felt the ground begin to shake. Each tremor was accompanied by an audible thump. Kirin got close to the edge of the cliff, and looked over. What he saw, made him gasp loudly. The other two agents ran to his side to see what had caused the distress. Just below the cliff, what looked like a giant cube was walking towards an area where a bridge had collapsed some time ago. The machine passed by with out noticing, or was too focused on its destination to pay them mind."Whoa, that's a big boy, ain't it?" Neptune asked."I-I don't.. but.. how?" Marie's mouth hung open in shock. "But.. but Callie and I.. we destroyed the Octostomp two years ago."The what now?" Neptune raised an eye brow."The oldest of the original Octoweapons," Marie said when she finally regained her self control. "They must have rebuilt it. But what is it doing here?""Maybe it has something to do with them?" Neptune casually pointed to the other side of the lower cliff side. Marie reached into her gear bag and pulled out some binoculars. They landed on a group of four."What the..?" Marie instantly looked up, rubbed the lenses on her outfit, then placed them over her eyes again. She could see a group of four. Two of witch were easy to recognize. A small pygmy wearing a pink outfit and a crown that was using the other Type-H splatter shot. The other was a tall Octoling with a white headband that was holding the prototype splatbrella. "What the hell are Pearl and Marina doing here?""Looks to me like the Octarians found them." Kirin said, and Marie adjusted her field of vision."You're right. A couple of Octolings have them pinned.. probably to buy time for the Octostomp to catch up. I don't know who that Yellow Inkling with the Type-H dualies is, though.""That would probably be Selka.. she's been running into me since day one," Kirin responded with a sigh. Marie shifted her focus to the last unknown."And that last one.. looks like a human." Marie's guess was affirmed by a loud bang from the hand gun the figure discharged, which caused one of the Octolings to drop dead."That must be Kenny," Kirin sighed again. "They probably followed us.""I can see that." Marie put the binoculars away and raised her charger. "We need to get down there and get them out of that corner, before the Octostomp catches up." She quickly headed to other side of the the cliff. By luck, it was a steep incline, rather than a long drop. Marie jumped off the side, and rode the incline down on her back, until she hit the bottom."Would have been a good distraction," Neptune said, as her and Kirin both jumped off and rode the Incline own, going into a roll once they hit the bottom. Neptune wasted no time in raising her splattershot, and spraying ink on an Octoling that was trying to pin down Marie."What the! More Inklings behind us!" Another one shrieked. Two more that had their attention on Selka, whipped around and raised their weapons. But Kirin already had his splatling raised and unloaded on one armed with an RE blaster. Her armor shattered after being riddle with so many pellets, and she fell dead where she stood."Yah need to pay attention, yo!" Pearl used the distraction to jump behind the fallen Octoling's partner, and bashed her on the head with the butt end of the splattershot, knocking her out before she could even groan. The last one tried to take Selka with her, but she used the dodge nozzle to roll out of the way of a blaster shot, and fired at the Octolings legs. She let out a loud groan, and fell backwards, leaving her too paralyzed from ink to even speak."So that's where y'all got off to." Selka said when the ink cleared. She stomped over to where Kirin nervously stood, moving the splatling to an upward position. "We been worried sick that Yah got yerself into a doozy of trouble! And yah even left yer friend, WHO I'M STILL ANNOYED THAT YOU DIDN'T TELL ME WAS PEARL, hanging!""Yeah, what's with the dis, Kiri? I thought we were like that?" Pearl crossed her arms with an annoyed look that caused the green Inkling to gulp."Ladies, ladies!" Marie snapped her fingers to get their attention. "I'm sure you got a lot to complain at Kirin about, but we need to get out of here before something really big gets here." The ground had started shaking when Marie made that last statement, which removed any reason for the others to doubt her words. "We need to go! Now!" Marie took the lead back to the cliff side so they could long jump back to the top, but the massive walking cube had already rounded the corner, and locked on to the group."That is one big ass robot. That is a robot, right? Not just a big ass Rubix cube?" Kenny looked up Octoweapon, as the eyes focused on their group."Kenny, I'm glad you appreciate Octarian tech, but that thing is dangerous!" Marina took his hand and pulled to the side. "Run! Get out of its path!" Kenny followed the Octopus girl to the side, just as the machine charged forward with a speed that surprised Everyone but Marina and Marie. The Octostomp leaped into the air, causing the group to scatter. It slammed down, barely missing Kirin."T-that thing is crazy, yo!" Pearl was shooting wildly at the hull, dealing no damage what so ever. Luckily, Marie knew exactly what to do."Pearl, Marina! Stay back, and protect the human and the yellow girl!" Marie shouted. When ever the Octostomp uses the excessive amount of force need to leap, it exposes its control sentient tentacle. Marie aimed her charger, and shot a stream across the way, hitting the tentacle and covering it with ink. She wasted no time in charging up a second shot, this time causing the tentacle to retreat into its hole. The machine roared, and managed to get itself up right again, turning its face towards Marie. She backed up, expecting another attack, but something rose out from the hole the tentacle came from."What the-! They have splatlings too?" The surprised Kirin raised his own splatling to try to counter the sudden appearance of an octocommander."Kirin, back off! Octocommanders out range you!" Marie yelled, pushing him back behind a rock. She turned and raised her charger to try and snipe the Octarian, but he had already readied a volley, and was spinning the barrel in preparation to fire. She didn't have enough time to complete the charge, and the octocommander started to fire on her. Suddenly, something flashed before her eyes, causing Marie to think it was the old life flashing before your eyes saying taking form. But instead, a splatbrella was opened in front of her, blocking the splatling shots."A-are you okay? Marie?" Marina stood guard in front of her, desperately trying to keep the brella shield steady while it was getting pounded with ink."Thanks Marina. That was too close," the squid sister responded. Marina would have smiled with relief, if not for the fact that the shield was at its breaking point. Right before it happened, however, the octocommander ran out of charge. Marina moved the brella aside, giving Marie a clear line of sight. She released the trigger, and hit the Octarian gunner dead center, killing it on the spot. As Marina shook the shield out to remove the ink, the angry octoweapon got itself ready for another charge. Only this time, it decided to go for an easy target, and turned back towards the lower cliff side."P-pearly! It's targeting you! Get out of there!" Marina shrieked."H-huh?" Pearl looked up at the metal monster that was now facing her. While Pearl had been in plenty of turf wars, being in a life or death situation was new to her, especially against an enemy like this. She only could stare with her weapon raised, looking and feeling terrified. The Octostomp charged forwards, intending to leap at her. Selka ran towards the white and pink squid, using her dodge nozzles to give her extra speed, but it was clear she wasn't going to reach her in time."Run, dammit!" Kenny yelled at her, which finally broke her out of her stance. Pearl changed forms, and swam backwards towards the edge of the cliff, witch was still in the robot's path. "Not that way! Left, Pearl! LEFT!" The octostomp leaped at her, and the panicking Pearl managed to change course and veer to the side, just barely avoiding the stomp that came crashing down."Yer cuttin' it a little close, there." Selka said, who helped Pearl back on her feet. Pearl was staring at the ground, which confused Selka at first. Then she looked down, and saw what Pearl was staring at. A large crack had formed on the ground, and was spreading passed them. At that moment, the Octostomp tried getting back on it's feet, causing the cracks to spread faster. Selka looked back up. "Uh, Pearl?""Yeah... Run!" Just as Pearl yelled that, the ground gave way from under where the Octostomp was now standing. The cliff collapsed into a massive land slide, and the great Octoweapon fell to the rocky cliff base below. It smashed into a section of jagged rocks, causing a system overload. The cube lit up, and was rocked by a large explosion, sending scrap and ink everywhere. More of the cliff started collapsing, and the girls sprinted to where the ground was more stable. Just before they reached safety, the ground collapsed under them."P-pearl? Se-selka?" A familiar scene flashed before Kirin's eyes. Once again, two girls were hanging by a thread for their lives. One who was a childhood friend, and one that was always trying to lend a helping hand. Now both of them were in the same situation as the two girls he had mistakenly taken two years worth of anger and resentment out on. "No... I can't let it happen again." Even though he had nothing to do with it this time, he didn't want to make the same mistakes twice, and rushed forwards."K-kirin! I'm losing my grip!" Selka yelled. Not caring that he was about to scuff up his uniform and possibly cut himself up, he dove forwards, and slid across the ground. He reached over the side of the cliff, then grabbed her hand, just as she lost her grip."I.. I got you Selka!" He started to pull her up, but she slid a little. "Argh! Selka, I need your other hand! You're slipping!" She swung her arm up, trying to grab his hand, but missed, causing her to slip a little more. "S-selka!" He reached for her with his other hand again, as she reached out, but another hand grabbed in his stead."I got her, Kirin. Now pull!" With Marie's help, the two managed to pull Selka back to stable ground."T-thank you.." Her legs gave out from under her, and she leaned against Kirin for support. While startled, he held her up while she leaned into his chest. He then looked at the female that helped him save the yellow girl."Marie... you..""I hope it's clear to you that I take our work seriously, especially when lives are at stake." Marie, not giving him a chance to respond, then turned around. "Now, where did-""Maaaarrrrinnnaaa!" The pygmy squid had been hanging from a sign that was still sticking out of the ground, but while it held long enough for them to rescue Selka, it ended up snapping off, and she was now barely grabbing on to an old drain pipe. Kirin quickly tried to run to his old friend before her hand slipped and she ended up like Callie and Otome, but someone beat her to it. "Y-you?" Pearl looked shocked at who had grabbed her hand, and was now pulling her to safety."I got you, kid." Kenny pulled her enough to wrap his other arm around her back for leverage, and managed to get her back above the hole. He then carried her away from the edge. Pearl stared in shock for several moments at the humans actions, then came back to her senses."W-wh-wha!" She quickly started to struggle. "Let me go! And I ain't a kid, dammit!" She quickly freed herself from him and wasted no time in shooting a glare. "And where the hell did Reena go!""Uh, isn't that her over there?" Marie pointed to the other direction. They looked over to see Marina running towards the ruins. "What the! The heck Marina!""I'm more curious why she's running backwards.. and looking up?" Marina was in fact running backwards with her attention to the sky. The group followed her gaze upward. A small object was in the air and plummeting back down to the ground at high speed."What's that deal up there yonder?" Selka pointed to the object. "Its movin' pretty gosh darn fast.""Is.. is that a zapfish?" The stunned Marie said, as the object came closer to the earth, right where Marina was running too."I got it, I got it!" Marina dove forwards with her arms stretched out. "I GOT IT!" Marina twisted around and caught the falling object, then they both hit the ground, and skidded to a halt. Quite a large dust cloud had been kicked up by Marina's wild dive, once the team reached her. Coughing and sputtering, Marina was slowly brought to a sitting position by Marie and Kirin. In her arms, was indeed a juvenile zapfish."Holy crap, Reena!" Pearl leaned in to inspect her dance partner. "How did you do that?""I- I, uh.." Marina looked nervous for a brief moment, before forming an answer in her head. "I-I guess all the dancing we do gave me good stamina." She wryly smiled at the group that was staring her down."That looked like more than just stamina to me," Kenny commented. "So what is that thing, anyway?""Its a young zapfish," Marie replied. "It was probably powering the Octostomp, and was ejected when it was destroyed. It's quite lucky, all things considered.""Yeah, yah were great Marina! Just as awesome off stage!" Selka had a big grin on her face."I-its nothing really." Marina slowly got up with Kirin and Marie's help, and slowly petted the zapfish that had finally calmed down, and it stopped sending small jolts to Marina, that was causing her tentacles to stretch out in random directions."Yo! Is that why you didn't help me!" Pearl said, with a sassy tone."I-I just saw the zapfish, a-and Kenny was closer.. I-I trusted him to help you.." Marina responded. Pearl looked at Kenny, who glanced back. Her face went red for a split second, before she turned away."Hmpf! I could have gotten out of that myself!""Yeah, your welcome, forehead-chan.""Pearlie...""Alright, get a room or something," Marie sighed and shook her head with the exasperated expression she was known for. "And has anyone seen Neptune?""I-Isn't that her over there?" Marina pointed to the bottom of the cliff side that they originally came from. A pink squid in a yellow uniform was lying on her back. The group rushed over to check on the fallen agent. Neptune was completely out, and a large welt had formed on the side of her head. Next to her, they saw a small screw. Marie bent over, and picked it up."This must have been blown off the Octostomp..""Looks like it clocked 'er good," Selka added. "She gonna be okay?""She should be," Marie bent down and lifted her up. "She might be out for an hour or two.. we should get her back to camp, so we can all rest until then." The group followed her up the steep trail that lead back up to where the kettle was."By the way, what are y'all doin' up here, anyway?" Selka asked, while looking at Kirin in an accusing manor."Well..." Kirin looked at Marie, who just shrugged. "We're going to sneak into the Octarian capital.""Whhat!" Everyone but Kenny shouted."Kirin, you off your rocker, yo?" Pearl asked. "Or what? You two join the army or something?""Something like that," Marie cut in. "We actually could use your help with something.. or rather Marina's help." She turned her attention back to Neptune. "But for now, just rest and watch over the zapfish until the sleeping princess wakes up." The last comment made Kirin roll his eyes."That's not the word I would use for her."...Drake was no stranger to nightmares. In the past, he was forced to relive the death of his sister, Alice Von Kaufmann, who was struck by a car a few years before the world ending floods. But every now and then, the dream would be different. Rather than seeing his kid sister dead before his eyes, he would be confronted by a more mature version of her, which is what he assumed she would have looked like if it wasn't for the accident. This was one such night, once he managed to fall asleep, hours later."I really wish things could have gone differently, brother," Alice said, while slowly circling his unresponsive body. "First your sister, then your best friend, and now your lover." She stopped and faced him. "And there's still nothing I can do to convince you it wasn't your fault.""I made bad choices, and I hesitated." Drake still had enough control of his body to respond to her. "All of them are on me... and you three aren't the only ones.""Oh don't start again," Alice deeply sighted. "Look, I would never tell you to forget about us, but you have to let it go. You've punished yourself enough, and you will only hurt even more around you if you continue... like the magenta and green ones, two years ago.""Now, that's not fair. And how do you even know that?""You learn a lot when you are in my position." She turned away. "And I know the red one is still alive.""Yes.. But if you know that, then you know what she did.. she pointed a weapon at me, and hit Callie. I don't understand why, but-""Yes.. she has a lot of anger.. but also.. her emotions are more unstable than anything I've ever seen." She turned back to her brother, pausing to decide how to continue. "All I can say, is you are in a unique and difficult situation. If you don't pull yourself together, it won't be another close call next time.""Then what am I supposed to do?""The red one won't listen to you as things stand.. but the magenta one still cares deeply for you. One door is closed, but not sealed enough to be opened again, while another door has re-opened. But I think you owe it to the red one as a partner to sooth her pain, no matter what path you take. I know you'd do the same for magenta, or even green." Alice turned away and started walking off. "Till we meet again, brother." Drake's vision faded, and he could feel himself waking up."Ugh.. that dream again.. its been a while.." He turned over, only to see something in the bed next to him, that was blocking his vision to the door. "And it always seems to happen when I'm in this situation.""huuuuuu..." The sleeping figure let out a soft sigh in her sleep that he couldn't help but smile at. Callie, who was in her night garb, was laying on her side with her arms wrapped around him, while he slept on his back. Drake was reminded at how she had come to him as he was getting ready for bed. The battles had been a real strain on her, and she had asked if they could sleep together. He glanced at the clock, and saw that it was only an hour until they needed to get up, and had been sleeping more peacefully than when they were alone."I'd say this was the right choice. Especially since I think I needed the company too." Drake's muttering caused the Inkling girl to stir. She yawned, and opened her golden eyes. Once she saw that the human was next to her and awake, she smiled at him. "Oh, sorry. Did I wake you?""Mmmmm... Fweh nah hien nei. Shi la hemi veh." Callie stretched out a little, then returned her attention to him, as he set the autotran that was on the desk back in his ear. "Good morning, Drake.""Morning, Cal. It's still a little early, so you can sleep more if you want.""Sounds niiice.. but strange dreams," she yawned a little in a way he always found adorable."You too, huh?" Callie's expression went a little serious when he spoke those words."You saw her again, didn't you?""Yeah.. I did," Drake sighed. "She said something about opening doors, then said that even if Otome resents me, I should help her." Callie blinked a few times, then nodded repeatedly."Yep Yep! I totally agree with little sis!""Y-you do? After what she did to you?" Drake looked surprised at her instant agreement."Mhm. She's one of my best friends, after all. I want to know why too and say sorry if I did something wrong.""Callie..." Drake smiled, and rubbed the top of her tentacles. Something she relished in, which caused her to giggle. "I'm glad you can still stay positive, unlike me.""But its all thanks to you!" She gave him a wide toothy grin that he never got tired of seeing. "Its thanks to you, Marie and the others that I can still be Callie.""You give me a little too much credit, but I'm glad you're happy.""But it's true! Do you remember how we first met?" Callie looked into his eyes with a hopeful expression, and Drake nodded."I remember you freaking out.""I don't mean that, silly." She chuckled at the memory of how she walked in on him half naked while trying to apologize to him for almost killing their first human. "You forgave what happened between you, me and Marie, and have been my caring friend ever since. All the way back then... well.." She leaned in closer. "Well.. I just want to say that.. no matter which of little sis' doors you take.. No matter how things turn out with Otome.." She moved closer until she was right at his face."Callie-" She shook her head to cut Drake off."As a treasured true friend and the first guy that I've truly had feelings for.. I'll always love you." She pressed her lips to Drake's. Despite his previous relationship and the sibling bond that they had, he didn't resist the gesture. Even returning it as the kiss went on. Thoughts were racing in his mind, and when they parted, he tried to make sense of it all. Was it do to him losing Otome? Was it this way all along? Was it just a heat of the moment and seeking comfort? One thing for sure, was that she was always true to her feelings, and this was no different. "Hehe, you had my first kiss too, human.""Callie.." He now understood what the doors in the dream meant. He opened his mouth again to form his thoughts into words, but suddenly the entire room shook with a loud boom. Both of them were stunned at first, but the shaking continued. Callie leapt into his arms, and he held the Inkling to his chest protectively. After several more moments, the shaking stopped. But just when they thought it was over, the cover to the roof vent fell to the ground. Both of them jumped, but what came next was an even bigger shock. Both of them got to their feet, once they saw the figure that dropped into the room with the vent cover."Is.. that Neptune?"

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

2.6 - Tip of the IcebergTime seemed to stop for the human and squid sister. It was already jarring enough to deal with such a massive quake, but seeing there friend suddenly fall out of a vent was enough to put them in a situation that humans would often refer to as a deer caught in the headlights. Callie quickly scrambled off of Drake, and the human followed her to where the pink squid was wriggling on the ground."W-what is she doing here... She didn't see us.. did she?" Callie whispered to the human."I pray she didn't.." He knelt down, and pulled the large vent cover off of her tentacle that was keeping her pinned. "Neptune, how did you get here? And why?""N-nice to see you too." She instantly changed back to her bipedal form, once she was freed. "No, 'Oh hi Neptune, or "Gee, I'm glad you didn't get captured.'" Both Callie and Drake rolled their eyes."Neptune, of course I'm happy to see you. B-but Drake is right. It's dangerous for you to be here.""You don't say, Callie.." The pink squid went over to the bed and plopped down. "And as for why I'm here.. well maybe I'll tell, if you tell me what you two were doing making out on the bed." Neptune gave them the devilish grin she was known for. Callie nervously gripped her nightshirt collar, which was a dead giveaway, but Drake quickly shut her down."That's our business, and I know for a fact that you didn't come here for a joke," he said in a flat tone."Geez, you're such a killjoy sometimes," Neptune sighed. "Oh well. Callie's expression already told me what I already need to know.""N-no I didn't!" She quickly protested."Did so. Now, you wanna know the info or not?" Neptune crossed her arms, while lightly swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Both of them nodded in affirmation. "Right, so Marie sent me here to see what's been going on.""Whhhhaaat!" Callie looked taken aback. "M-marie is here?""Yeah... and I'm sure she'll loooooove to hear about this.""Neptune! Don't you dare!" Callie puffed her cheeks out, which made the pink girl burst out in laughter. Drake just shook his head again"Yeah.. She and Kirin went to check out... another place.." She looked around. "I can't say where, in case someone is listening..""That's probably a good idea.. Octomarin has a habit of being nosy... and Yako for that matter," Drake sighed in agreement."But I haven't found out a single thing! Nobody seems to know what's going on. Although..." Neptune's grin returned. "I did find out something about your little hybrid friend.""Huh? You mean Kelly?" Callie cocked her head a little, and Neptune nodded."Yep. She's been talking to one of the humans. Shes toootally got a crush.""That doesn't exactly count as useful info, Neptune... though I am curious who it was she's talking to," Drake responded."Well, Marie tried to call me earlier, but-" Before Neptune could finish, the door burst open, and Octomarin flew into the room. Drake and Callie both moved to block her vision of Neptune at the last second."Captain, the-" Octomarin froze, when she saw Drake and Callie next to each other in the small room and in only their night garments. A big grin then formed on her face. "Oh ho ho. Did the Captain have a little rendezvous with the Sargent?""Octomarin, not you too!" Callie pinched the roof of her nose in irritation. "Why do I never get any privacy?""So you did do some-""Knock it off, Octomarin," Drake snapped to cut her off, then pulled rank to get her to change the topic. "I assume you have a reason to barge in here, private.""Huh? Oh, right!" She quickly wiped the grin off her face once she remembered her reason for going into the commander's loft in the first place. "Captain Scylls told me to send you to her office right away.""What? Why? It's not even time to get up yet.""Dunno, but I bet its something big." Octomarin shrugged and turned to leave. "By the way.. was there someone else in here?""Why would there be another person in here, since you're so convinced that we were having.. relations." Drake shot Callie a look that screamed to keep quiet, which she returned with a completely red face."I never said THAT!" The grin on her face returned. "But thanks for clarifying." The Octoling quickly left the room, and Drake slammed the door behind her."Great. Of course we're needed for something when she drops in on us." Drake and Callie both turned to look at the pink Inkling who was now on her feet."What? You'd totally miss me if I didn't show up. And I got to see something juicy," she simply grinned at the two, which made Callie turn even more red."Yeah, well you can't exactly stay here. In case you didn't notice, things are going downhill real fast." He pulled up his back pack and placed it on the bed. "Which means you're going with us. Squid form, now.""You can't be serious... I am not getting carried around like a plush." Neptune crossed her arms in irritation."You got a better idea?""Neptune, please.." Callie tried to smile again. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you, because you got caught." Neptune looked between them, before sighing."Fiiiiinnnee... but only because she asked." Neptune changed forms and hopped inside the backpack. Drake zipped it up, and put it on along with the rest of his gear, while Callie put the rest of her uniform on."Come on, let's go see what she wants." The two headed into the main room where the other Octolings were pacing. All of them quickly gathered around the two. Shen looked like he wanted to say something, but Drake raised his hand. "Alright, before you ask, no. I don't know what the hell just happened either. The Captain wants us for something, but if I was you guys, I'd get ready to move."Yako, who looked like she couldn't decide if she wanted to be scared of what happened or question why Callie was in his room, started to speak. "B-but what-""Later, Yako. Just be ready for anything." Drake signaled Callie to follow him, and she trotted behind when they left the room. Leaving the other Octolings in the dark. The two silently headed downstairs to where Kelly's office was, and entered. They stood at attention in front of her desk, and she looked up. "You look tired," he commented."You try being awake for most of the damn night, then getting woken up by a loud ass explosion," Kelly sighed, and rubbed her forehead. This only made her bloodshot eyes look worse."Explosion? Not earthquake?" Callie rubbed her chin."Doesn't look like it." Kelly reached down and took a sip from a steaming cup of dark liquid. "The scouts report a huge increase in Inkling activity, as well as movements from the salmonids. We're still trying to figure out what exactly happened, but what ever it is.. it got their attention.""And let me guess. You want us to go take a look," Drake asked."Most likely, unit 43 will be sent to investigate, once we figure out what the hell is going on up there," Kelly nodded with a sigh. She took another sip of her drink. "But I asked you, or rather her here for a different purpose.""M-me?" Callie looked surprised, and Kelly nodded again."I'm sending you to the training center to get you certified.""Wait! That means I get my roller back!" Callie leaned in with a hopeful expression that Kelly couldn't help to not smile to."You'll have to take the entire certification course, but yes. Normally you'd have to be evaluated by the medical staff, but I can have that bypassed. But you will still need to run the physical course, take a CQC evaluation, and test with the octoshot, octobrush, bombs, heavy weapons, and reverse engineered inkling weapons. Then finally the piloting course.""Piloting?!" Callie's ears twitched at that last word, and Drake facepalmed."Oh, hell. Kelly, I think that may be a liiitttlle too advanced for her.""Oh, come on! Not you too!" Callie pouted. "And I said I'd pass the test next time!""That's what you said the last time. I didn't think Marie was serious when she said what she did about you on the road.""And you said you were gonna teach me!" She puffed her face up, which made Kelly snicker."I was, once Marco repaired the damage you did on the Humvee from that dry run we did. I still don't know how you manage to blow the transmission and knock both axles out of alignment.""Save the lover's quarrel." Callie went red, which caused her to give her a questioning look for a second. "She has to be evaluated, regardless if she passes or not. And nobody can be as bad as Yako. Speaking of which, I'll be sending the rest of the squad to take their re-evaluations after you are done. You'll find the training center out back. The drill Sargent is expecting you." The two nodded, and left the office. They passed by the mess hall, noticing that Oriana was passed out drunk from the previous night."I'm finally getting my roller back!" Callie said with an excited tone. "Isn't that awesome?!""Yeah, It's about time." Drake nodded in agreement. They passed by the target range, which was deserted at this time of day, and headed to a large field that was riddled with various structures that made up a rather tedious looking obstacle course. An Octoling elite was sitting at the entrance, and looked up when she noticed Them."Geez, the Captain mentioned a special case, but the Inkling and elder race man that's been the talk of the base?" The female looked them up and down, before sighing. "Well, what ever. I'm Master Sargent Maki Lavender. Which one of you two am I supposed to be working on?""Oh! Mememe! I'm getting my roller back.!" Callie jumped up with her fist in the air. Maki just sighed in annoyance."You are really lucky that you aren't one of my recruits," the elite shook her head. "So undisciplined... You really sure you're up for this?""I want my roller back!" Callie insisted."Alright, fine. Head to the start of the obstacle course by those flags. I'll meet you at the end, and assuming you can make par time, we'll do CQC right after. After that, will be the firing range, then the piloting course. Normally. the last two would be handled by the Octostrikers, but most of them are getting equipment overhauls... Must be my lucky day...""Really? You seem like the type that would love this job," Drake commented in a sarcastic tone."Oh, you wanna join her?""I'll pass. You kids have fun," Drake shrugged, and went to an observation deck. Callie went to the starting platform, while Maki went to the CQC ring at the end of the course."Ready? Go!" The elite blew a whistle, and Callie rushed forward. "Move- Move- Move!" Maki yelled. The first station was running through a series of old tires, which Callie had no trouble navigating."Must be the instincts of a dancer," Drake said aloud, as Callie jumped over a set of hurdles."Faster! Get moving!" Maki Continued to yell. The squid sister then climbed over a rope wall, and rode a cable slide down to a small trench filled with water that had a balance beam over it. "Now get over that beam!" Callie crossed over the narrow beam with grace, then ran down a hill to cross over another trench using a set of monkey bars. "Get your squid butt moving!" She ducked down to crawl under a set of low wiring. She almost hit her head in surprise, when a pair of Octosnipers fired over the wiring."Not cool!" She pulled her self up from the other side, and headed down the path to a small building. When she got inside, a number of sprinklers fired up, spraying an orange liquid everywhere. "W-what is this?" she froze up just as she was going to enter."Clock is ticking, Sargent! Get through that building! And don't even think of changing your colors!""But that's a little-""Now!" Callie gulped and rushed forwards. The liquid started to sprinkle onto her uniform. "Not good, not good!" Being pelted by a liquid of not matching color was making her panic, and she rushed forwards. She banged against a support beam, and rolled on her side. "Gotta get out! gotta get out!" She got to her hands and knees, and managed to crawl out of the sprinkler infested building."Running out of time! Now jump to my position!" She yelled. Panting, Callie shifted to her squid form, and Drake watched the magenta form streak over the wall that surrounded the CQC ring. "Time!" Maki yelled, after stepping out of the way of the incoming squid. "Huh. You managed to get under par on your first try. Not bad for an Inkling, I guess..""W-what the heck was that! That sprinkler trap could kill someone!" Callie said with an irritated expression and crossed her arms."Relax, Sargent. It's just fresh water that's been dyed orange. You'll live.""O-oh... oh.. no wonder it didn't hurt." Callie blushed and was quite embarrassed, now that the rush had passed. Maki then raised her hands into a defensive stance."Now.. come at me.""W-what?" Callie blinked a few times, then backed away slowly, as if Sargent Lavender was an extinct bear."I told you that it's CQC right after the course. If you won't strike first, then I will!" Maki leapt at Callie, delivering a fierce jab that would have done a lot of damage, had Callie not inched to the right, just in time. Maki then tried to kick Callie's legs from under her, but Callie changed to her squid form and hopped over her leg. Maki followed up with an uppercut, but again Callie dodged by jumping back. Then Callie turned, and sprinted away. Lavender wasted no time in giving chase. "NOT THIS SHIT AGAIN! GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE, INKLING!""No way! Not until you stop being a meanie!""THAT'S AN ORDER, SARGENT! FIGHT ME!" No matter how hard Maki tried to catch her, Callie managed to keep herself inches from her grip. They ended up running laps around the CQC ring for over 5 minutes, while Drake just stood watching, trying not to laugh too hard. Finally, both of them came to a halt, wheezing and coughing while trying to catch they're breath. "T-this is.. why.. unit... forty three.. is the.. misfit squad." Maki panted."Y-you were... being... mean.. I don't... want to.. to fight.." Callie responded between coughs."Normally... you wouldn't.. have a choice but.. I've got real recruits to train.. and don't have time to waste.. on this.." Maki stood up, and wiped away some sweat. "Now.. to the target range, so we can get this over with." The elite lead the Inkling over to a long range filled with holes and barriers, while Drake caught up and walked behind. Maki pointed to a table with several weapons and ink tanks, and told her to pick up a tank and octoshot. Then she took her place at the first station."Sooo.. what do I shoot at?" Callie asked, while waiting for a target. Maki pressed a button, and several stationary targets popped up from holes. Most were silhouettes of Inklings, but there were some Octolings in the mix. Callie took aim at the Octoling target and sprayed it with her octoshot. Maki hit the button again to stop the test."You fool! This is the Octarian army! Your target is the Inklings!""But that's unfresh! They said I wouldn't have to fight them." Callie puffed her cheeks out in irritation. Sargent Lavender sighed, and put a finger to her forehead."And I thought private Maroon was ridiculous. No wonder the Captain arranged this before the rest of the squad was scheduled to run the course. Hit the Inkling targets, or you fail." She hit the button to restart the test. After engaging the mid line targets, she was given an octobrush. Then was sent out to destroy moving targets at close range, seeing more success than with the shooter. After the brush, Callie repeated the test with bombs, an inkzooka and several reverse engineered inkling weapons. Maki stood by and wrote down her observations."Do I get my roller back now?" Callie complained when she finished with the last test."Not yet.. you still have the test I've been dreading." The elite lead her to the driving course. "I'm glad that you didn't hit your instructor with an Inkzooka like Maroon did, but I expect you will be just like her with an assault platform." After showing Callie the controls, she sent her down range. Unfortunately, Callie pressed too hard on the control lever, and sped past the targets she was supposed to shoot. She tried to turn so she could get a lock, but sent the platform flying over a hill. Screaming, she jumped off the platform before it hit the ground, and rolled over."Callie!" Drake ran to her side, passed the flaming wreck that she created. "Callie, you okay?" The squid girl only blinked in response. Drake reached down and grabbed her hand. "Come on.. up!" He pulled her into a standing position, and Maki handed her a paper."Take this and get off my range," Was all Lavender said, before heading back to the starting course to meet the other members of unit 43. Callie held the paper up, and Drake leaned in to look.'Evaluation of the Inkling Sargent.Instructor: Master Sargent Maki Lavender. Note: Medical evaluation waved.Obsticle Course: Course was completed in par time, though barely. Subject almost failed the sprinkler house.CQC: Subject only ran from the instructor, and was unwilling or unable to counter attack. She is clearly a poor fist fighter, but her reflexes are top notch.Weapons: Octoshot - Mediocre. Octobrush - Above average. Bombs - Passable. Heavy weapons - Literally laughable. RE Inkling weapons - Mixed. Close range was impressive, long range were poor. Piloting - Banned. We've lost yet another training vehicle. Octobrush or short range RE weapons are recommended.'"Well.. I guess that means she cleared you for your roller. That's kinda surprising," Drake said as he looked away from the sheet."Yeeeees!" Callie jumped up and pumped her fist in the air with excitement. "I get my baby back! Come on! let's go right now!" Callie took his hand and sped them away from the training area, where Yako was being chased by a pissed off elite....Deep within Octarian imperial palace, was a network of ventilation systems. Normally, most external access points are watched by security cameras, but thanks to the efforts of a certain member of Off the Hook, two Inklings were passing through the bowels of the capital building. Kirin was watching Marie's backside, as she led the way to the current emperors office with Marina guiding them through on the communicator."You know, you can stop staring at my rear. You may have gotten to see more of the green squid sister than most fans, but don't be getting any ideas forming in your head." Marie whispered, as they trudged along."I-I wasn't-" Kirin quickly looked down, only to smack his chin on the floor of the vent. Marie quickly covered her mouth to avoid laughing out loud."I really didn't think you were looking, but I guess even after what happened, you can't help yourself. Now keep yourself in check. We're almost to Octarias' room.""R-right." Kirin made an effort to keep his eyes down, else he might earn a kick in the head. After several minutes, they moved into a larger tunnel, and Marie stopped. She then signaled him to crawl next to her."We made it. Come take a look." The two peered down to the room through the vent cover. They were over what looked like a normal, albeit large office. "This doesn't look like the room Octurus used when he invited us here two years ago.""The schematics show that's the right room," Marina said over the com unit. "That room you're probably thinking about is the meeting hall. This is Octarias' personal office, and he hasn't moved out since his father's assassination.""You sure? This looks like a normal-" Marie quickly covered her mouth with her hand."M-Marie? What's going on?" Marina asked in an alarmed tone."He's here..." Kirin said in a whisper, as Marie relaxed her hand. Below them, a familiar male Octoling in plated armor walked to the center of the room and cross his arms. Kirin looked up, and locked eyes with Marie."It's him. Current emperor Octarias," she whispered. They returned their attention to him, when they heard the door open. When they saw who walked over to Octarias, both Marie and Kirin had to cover each others mouths to keep from shouting out the new comer's name."Marie? Kirin? What's going on?" Marina asked. Marie pried off Kirin's hand to whisper the name of the person she'd never thought she would see again."Otome... she's alive.""What! Oh, my goodness! She's alive!" Marina said with a happy tone. "I thought my old neighbor was gone for good after what happened at Cephalon. What's she doing here, though?""Not now, Marina," Marie whispered again. They returned their attention to the pair, to see Octarias whisper something into her ear. She merely nodded half-heartedly. He then leaned in to kiss her. Marie went wide eyed at this, but Kirin was watching her reactions closely. Something about it bothered him. She didn't reject him, but didn't seem to put much into returning it. Octarias moved his head back, once he was done."Still not convinced, huh? Well that will change soon. After all, you know what I say is right." Otome narrowed her eyes a little, but it seemed to be more at what he said, than Octarias himself. He then put his arm around her. "Come. I have a new assignment for you.""What's my mission?" She said, as he lead her out. The two in the vent breathed sighs of relief, over the fact that they weren't caught. Both of them changed forms, and slid out into the room. Reverting to their bipedal forms, Marie went over to Octarias' computer."Kirin, watch the door. I'm gonna see what I can get from this thing," she said, as she began typing. Kirin moved to the door, and pressed his ear to it. The hallway outside seemed quiet, since Octarias and Otome had moved elsewhere. Kirin turned to tell Marie that it was clear, but stopped when he noticed several small spots on the carpet, that were made of a strange light blue-green liquid, that were just under where the two had been standing. Kirin was about to take a closer look, when Marie let out an annoyed sigh."It's no use. A little help here, Marina.""Ah, just give me one sec." The two could here Marina's aggressive typing on the other side of the headset. "And, got it! I expected more from him, though." The screen on Octarias' computer instantly bypassed the password screen. Marie started going through the files, but soon her eyes widened and her face went pale."M-marie? What did you find?" Kirin asked, as he rarely saw that expression on her. Marie flipped the monitor around to show him."L-look at this.." On the screen was security camera footage of the meeting hall. In the center, were two figures. Former emperor Octurus was sitting in his chair, while his son was standing in front of him. The two seemed to be talking about something for several minutes, but then out of nowhere, Octarias had a knife in his hands. Octurus had a confused look on his face, and was unable to resist when Octarias leapt at his father. He effortlessly plunged the knife into several vital points on the emperor's chest, then on the final strike, left it buried in his chest. Octurus' head dropped, as blood dripped down to the floor. Octarias crossed his arms and shook his head, and the footage stopped."W-was that? Did.. did he-" Kirin looked as sickened as Marie."Octarias... killed his own father.. and blamed it on us.." Marie swallowed with an audible gulp to try to keep from throwing up. "A-and there's more. I just found his diary." She scrolled up to the one of the more recent entrees and began to read aloud."Things seems to be going smoothly, now that I have taken father's place. I sometimes find my self wondering why I still have the security footage on my computer, even after making sure all official records were removed from the server. Every time I try to delete it, something always compels me to stop. It doesn't feel like guilt, pride of my accomplishment or fear. My body simply won't listen to me when I try to make that last click. But no matter. If it ends up getting out and I end up being remembered as a monster, rather than as a redeemer, then so be it. It was a terrible, but needed step in our progress.Now that both the Guardian Corps and the Mariners are under my command, I have no use for that weakling Octavio. His desire for revenge clouds his judgement, and both he and the deceased chairman had their chance to be a part of my plans. The Chaos served their purpose in keeping both armies occupied, but were insufficient for our needs. Thanks to my real partner, I now have Otome back at my side, and the means to bring Inkopolis and the entire surface to its knees. Unlike Octavio and Azula Torrent, he has kept his promises.Soon we will march on Inkopolis, and the surface will be brought under our control, and the fool that we have been using from even before the Tentatek militia was brought into our fold, will be removed from his rotten perch. I will bring every one from the darkness to the promised land.""Wow, and I thought Octavio was a nutter," Kirin commented."I.. I can't believe that he was the founder of The Chaos all along. M-marina. You'd better copy as much from this folder as you can. We can stop the war with this kind of evidence!" Marie said, once she finished reading."I-I.. Yes. Sorry." Marina started typing again, and a meter showed on the screen. "It's going to take a few minutes. Make sure no one touches that terminal, otherwise they can stop the download and I'll lose everything." Marie was starting to wonder if her luck was really that bad, because at that moment, Kirin was knocked to the ground when the door was forced open."Well, I didn't expect a squid sister would be paying me a visit personally." Octarias was standing there with his arms crossed. Kirin quickly rolled over and got to his feet. "But then again, you also double as Agent 2." As he said this, two more Octolings appeared on his sides. One was female, and wielded an Octobrush, while the other was a boy armed with an Octoshot. Both of them wore custom armor that bore twin cyclone symbols. "Vortex. Typhoon." Octarias nodded to them. The boy, Vortex, stepped forward."Agent 2, we may have been allies in the past, but you are trespassing and in possession of Illegal data. Surrender, or we will be forced to harm you.""Or don't," Typhoon cut in. "Will be some great stress relief now that a certain someone got in the way again." Marie hopped over the desk and raised her weapon along with Kirin. Since their weapons were insufficient to be used in this environment, they left them back at camp and brought splattershot Jr's. This only made Octarias laugh."Please. You're outnumbered and outgunned. Return the data you stole from me, and I will spare your lives." He extended his hand. "Give me the flash drive you copied that data too." Marie raised an eyebrow. At first she was confused, since they had no such drive, and Marina was copying the data directly. Then she remembered that Marina needed more time and an idea formed in her head. She pretended to hand something over to Kirin. Seeing this, the body guards turned their weapons to Kirin."Hey! Hand it over, runt! I got no problem wasting you, just for daring to set foot in his majesties office!" Typhoon barked."You forget," Marie said with a smirk. "We have the elder race on our side!" She pulled a cylindrical device that Drake had given her years ago, from her pack and held it up. Then she pulled the pin, then tossed it between them. The flashbang exploded, and filled the room with a bright light."DAAAAA! DAMN YOU SQUIDS!" Typhoon was wildly swinging her brush desperately to hit something."I can't see! Where did they go!" Vortex yelled."Clever... I should have tried harder to get the humans on my side." Octarias said, when his vision returned a few seconds later. The room was now empty. "You two, go after them. I want that data back." The two body guards nodded, and scurried out of the room. Octarias then activated his communicator. "Otome? Change of plans. I got a new target for you, before you carry out your current mission."..."And that's what the professor and the senior staff decided." It was still early morning, and Brandon was sitting in the drivers side of one of the utility truck, just outside of the recently constructed freight elevator. Since the cargo ramp outside the motor pool was no longer safe for use, and hadn't been for some time, A large lift system was constructed to connect the Eden motor pool with the above ground service center. Brandon had just finished moving a container of ordinance to the surface, when he had received a call from a certain Octoling, and had been talking for some time."It's not your fault," The Octoling elite on the other side of the screen removed her goggles, revealing a black Inkling eye mask. "After what Octarias said, I probably would have done the same thing.""Yeah... and I can't really blame Manfred either. Pretty sure that Drake would have told us to side with the Inklings, then sneaked off to join the Octarians to watch over Otome. Especially now that Callie is with him," Brandon responded."You're worried about them, aren't you?""Of course I am." Brandon looked a little surprised that she would even ask. "Drake may be a bit of an dipshit at times, as well as a pain to deal with as squad leader, but he's still a friend I've known for years. And Callie is.. well.. Callie.""So even you got a favorite squid sister, huh?" The elite gave him a grin, and Brandon couldn't help but to sigh again."You could say that..." He put his head to his forehead. "It doesn't help that we still have two members of our squad that are missing.""Right.." The elite looked down at her files. "I've been looking into it like you asked. There have been no reports of other humans in our territory. It's possible that one or both managed to sneak in, but as far as the army is concerned, Drake is the only one down here.""Right.. thanks, Kelly." Brandon looked around to make sure no one was near the truck, but returned his attention to the screen at the wrong time and didn't notice the passenger door open. "And with things about to hit the fan again.. I'm really worried about you." Kelly immediately had a wide grin."Awww, you're so sweet Mr. elder race guy.""Yeah, he's quite the charmer when he finally gets a girlfriend," Another voice said. Brandon whipped around to see Takeshi sitting in the passenger seat."Takeshi, I've told you before, she's not my girlfriend.""I'm not?" Kelly pretended to put on a hurt expression. "Not after all the private time we had?" Brandon went red in the face, and Takeshi burst out laughing."T-that's not funny, Kelly.""But he's right. We aren't dating." Kelly leaned in closer, and put on a seductive pose. "Yet.""L-look I gotta go. Just tell me if you see anything, okay?""Heh.. sure thing." A knock was heard in her office, and Kelly glanced back. "Drake is here anyway, so I gotta cut this off. Bye, sexy." She grinned one more time, and cut the camera feed. Brandon put his datapad down on the dashboard, and turned the truck's engine back on."Dude, she's totally into you. Why don't you just tell her that you like her?" Takeshi asked."I don't need advice from someone who tries and fails to woo everything with a pulse," Brandon responded with an eye roll. The grin instantly disappeared from Takeshi's face."Dude... not cool.""Besides, it's not the time or place.. Especially considering the current political situation.""Well you could always pull a Drake." Takeshi shrugged."Yeah.. that will go over real well." Brandon rolled his eyes, and the garage doors for the cargo elevator opened. The first Tiger Mk3 slowly walked out. "And we've got work to do.""No kidding. I've been looking forward to this, now that these things are finally being put in their last trial." Tekeshi rolled down the window and stuck his head out to get a better look. "Though they are a hell of a lot slower than I thought they would be.""You watch too much anime. This isn't that flying giant robot bullshit that you used to watch. Welcome to real life.""Dude, that's my culture." Takeshi pretended to be offended."Yeah, right. We both know that show was trash." The doors opened again, and the anti armor variant lined up behind the first Tiger mk3. "I know they're testing out the remote piloting, but who's on the controls?""Well Drake and Matt were originally supposed to do it, but Drake's gone and Matt is stuck taking lessons from Harkov to replace Justin as medic.""That's a scary thought," Brandon scoffed. "I still question what made him want to do that.""Hell if I know," Takeshi shrugged in response. "But anyway, Reggie has control of the second one. I think someone from third squad has the first.""Well, they're heading to the range. Let's see what they can do." Brandon put the truck in gear and followed the two walking tanks to the range they set up near the forest.
Authors note: Finally done with all the certification crap I had to do for my job. Uggghh... but not that it changes anything since asphalt season is starting up again. Anyway, Vortex and Typhoon belong to gamenation.

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The two agents had gotten away from the capital area, and had managed to elude the Guardian Corps patrols by sticking to the shadows in the more run down alleys. While they had managed to get out of the more populated areas, Marie and Kirin still had to use all of their experience to keep from being sighted. Especially when they caught sight of the commando unit trying to get a hold of their trail. Currently, the two were hiding behind a garbage dump, waiting for a small squad to pass by."I think they're on to us..." Kirin whispered, while watching a male elite crouch down to examine his surroundings. He scanned the dirty concrete, likely looking for signs of foot prints. His thoroughness was making the green boy nervous."I know, but there's nothing we can do but wait till they move on," Marie whispered as quietly as she could. Kirin wasn't convinced, since the Octoling commandos were slowly inching closer to there hiding spot. Kirin knew he had to do something, and spotting a small glass bottle, he decided to see if an old trick he picked up the last time he was in Octocanyon would still work. When the male turned this attention away, he hurled the bottle over his head, and into the path that they originally came from. The bottle shattered, and all four commandos raised their weapons to the source."Disturbance sighted. Targets must have bypassed us and returned from whence they came," the male said in an emotionless tone."Orders... Lieutenant Kess..?" The other male asked, equally emotionless. The leader, an elite, surveyed the alley way, which was a branching T-intersection."It might be a trick. Major Oc- Emperor Octarias said these were squidbeak agents on the loose. Kraus, Octran, you two search the path that sound came from," the elite named Kess, said."Understood.. moving out." The two males responded in perfect sync. They turned, and with their weapons raised, started moving down the path they originally came, leaving the elite with another female."What is it with those two?" The fourth commando asked."I don't know, private," the elite sighed. "Almost everyone in the commando unit, besides the elites and most recent transfers like you, have started acting weird since Octarias became emperor.""That's dangerous talk ma'am," the other Octoling sighed. "But I'm starting to miss Octavio..""We'd better drop this conversation before the wrong person hears it," Kess raised her hand to cut the younger one off. "For now, let's keep searching. You take the left path and link up with 3rd squad. I'll go right." The other female nodded, and raised her weapon, heading back in the direction of the central hub. The elite sighed, and scanned her surroundings. The two Inklings froze when her gaze landed on the trash pile. But the elite took no notice of them, and continued down the right path. The one the Inklings intended to take."Great.. what now?" Kirin asked, irritated that the elite blocked off their path of escape. "Should we take her down?""No, we can't risk alerting the others." Marie tried to find a way out of their predicament, when she spotted a narrow passage between two rounded buildings. "Kirin, come here." The green boy joined the senior agent at the tiny passage."Marie, you can't be serious. No way we can get through there, even if we suck it in." He shook his head and looked for another way, but Marie wouldn't budge."An agent needs to consider all angles, Kirin," was all she said before her form deteriorated, and became that of a green squid. She leaned straight up against the wall, and started to squeeze between the two buildings. About half way through, she beckoned Kirin to follow her with one of her tentacles."This is crazy.." Despite his reservations, Kirin changed forms and followed Marie through the narrow opening. After several minutes of shifting through, they made it to the other side, and after changing forms, they found themselves at the edge of a small park that was able to grow underground, thanks to the artificial lighting. On the far side, they could see a kettle that as far as they were concerned, lead somewhere better than where they currently were."Stay close to me, Kirin. We're gonna make a break for it. You ready?" Marie asked. Kirin nodded in response, and Marie took a sprinting position. After scanning the tree line, she darted forward into the park with Kirin in tow. The two darted from tree to tree across the deserted park, and the commandos hadn't caught on yet. About half way there, Kirin heard a third pair of footsteps thundering behind them. Kirin glanced over his shoulder to see an Octoling keeping pace with them, and closing the distance. His eyes widened."Agent 2, It's her!""What?!" His warnings came too late, as the Octoling changed forms and partially pressurized ink for a jump, then released it early. She shot forward in octo form, and slammed into the back of Marie's head, knocking her out cold. Once Marie was down, the Octoling returned to her normal form, and took a fighting stance. Seeing that he couldn't out run her, Kirin raised his weapon. She ran forwards, knocking it out of his hand before he could pull the trigger, and kicked him in the chest."Ack! Damn you, Otome!" He rolled to his side, and managed to get back on his feet, ignoring the fact that his legs were scraped up. He put his fists up to match her fighting stance. "Are you really going to go this far to get back at me!? You haven't even lost anyone! Both you and Callie are still alive!""You know nothing, Inkling. You're always in the wrong place at the wrong time, and so was your brother." She charged forward and landed a blow to Kirin's side. He recoiled, but she threw another punch. This one he managed to block, and followed it up with a jab to her gut. She wince, and he tried to throw a second, but she twisted herself to cause him to punch her armored plate. He jumped back, grasping his hand in pain. Otome wasted no time in kicking his legs out, causing him to fall on his back. He tried to get back up but she kicked him in the side of the head, causing him to flop down and go limp."Well executed, my fiance," the voice of Octarias said over the communicator. "Now be a dear, and carry on with your original assignment. I'll have Vortex and Typhoon collect those two.""Understood..." Otome turned from the two unconscious agents, and headed to the airship docks...."The Inkling listening post is in sight, Captain. This is the source of that massive quake we had this morning." After Shen's announcement, Drake looked out the window to see an old man-made structure sticking out of the water, some distance from Inkopolis."Looks like the scouts were right. The Salmonids are already trying to take control of the area from the Inklings." He turned to face the rest of the squad. "Remember that this is a combat air drop, so the airship won't be stopping. I'll be parachuting in with the other regulars, while the Octolings and Callie, long jump while it passes over the structure. Our objective this time is to fight off the Salmonids, and see if we can find the source of that disturbance.""What about the Inklings?" Kora asked."Yeah, I'm pretty sure this counts as violating their territory," Octomarin added."We're technically already at war, but let's try to keep a fight from breaking out. Callie will jump in first and try to convince them to work with us against the Salmonids," Drake responded."Yep! No splatting anything that isn't a fish," Callie chimed in. She kept a tight grip on her type-h roller, and was clearly still ecstatic to have it back. Kora noticed this and leaned in to look."You seem like you're in better spirits," the Octoling singer said with a small smile. Callie nodded with a grin still plastered on her face."Yep-yep! This was a gift to me, and no mean elite is going to keep me away from my baby!""Oh, yeah. Sargent Lavender is pretty hard to please. Good job hanging in there," Kora responded with a nod."I don't think she's that bad," Drake said with a shrug, and the two gave him bewildered expressions. "It's her job to be a hard ass. But she was nice enough to make a copy of the report in Inkling writing so Callie could read it, and in turn, read it to me. And she didn't fail you for CQC.""I... oh.. I hadn't thought of that," Callie said with a slight blush, which made Kora and Yako giggle a little. Their conversation was interrupted by Shen, who was swapping the pilot's seat and giving it to the backup crewman."We're ready to begin our run. You know, our job?" He said with crossed arms. Octomarin rolled his eyes at him."Alright, everyone get in position, so the pilot can drop us off," Drake said. The Octoling members of the squad went to the upper deck to reach the jump ports, while Drake strapped a parachute to his back, and joined the other regulars that were already equipped for the drop.Below the craft, a group of four Inklings dressed in orange uniforms were desperately trying to hold back another wave of fish from taking the structure. "Levin, look out! Scrapper coming your way!" A female voice shouted. The normally blue, now orange boy, turned to the source of the shout, to see the only girl on the squad, pointing to a scrap car that was headed right for him."I got this, Citra!" Levin Fired a shot from the charger that he was currently equipped with, and hit the scrapper on its wind shield, causing the vehicle to overload and stall out. A second shot was fired, and he swam in the newly formed trail to get behind the scrapper. He reformed to bipedal, and effortlessly landed a third stream directly onto the pilots backside, splatting it instantly. Levin went to the wreckage, and collected several large golden eggs. "I think I got enough to meet the quota Grizz gave us," he said into the communicator."Well you'd better get back up here quick!" A male voice responded. "Something is coming!""I'll be right up!" He yelled back. Citra jumped down, and picked up another egg. Then she shot the base sphere of an ink rail several times to power it up."Come on, Levin. He sounds serious." She hopped in the ink rail and rode it up, with Levin right behind her. When they reached the top deck, they quickly deposited the golden goodies into the basket so thoughtfully provided by their employer, then went over to see what their teammate had been making a fuss over."Hey, Bass? What's all the noise?" Levin asked the nearest one."Take a look, dude! Isn't that an Octarian ship?" He looked to where the dark skinned Inkling was pointing, and a large round craft was speeding towards them."H-huh? Oh shoot! We got jumpers, guys!" Citra said in a panicked voice, while looking at her automap. Several ink streaks could be seen flying from the top of the craft, just before it passed over the Island."And that's not all they got! Troopers dropping in!" Bass pointed to a number of parachutes that opened up."Forget them! Deal with the jumpers first!" The fourth boy turned and raised a roller into the air."Huh? Wait, Frost! Don't!" Citra yelled. Heading the voice of Citra, Frost didn't slam the roller down on the jumper, but he did keep the roller raised. The first figure to jump down, was a magenta Inkling that everyone recognized instantly, despite the Octoling uniform."C-Callie? Is that Callie?" Levin said, who was the first to snap out of the surprise."Oh! Oh! It's Levin!" She beamed a smile at seeing her friend for the first time in a long while. Behind her, the four Octolings came down from their jumps, and the regulars started making their landings. Drake was the last to come down, and he cut himself from the chute to free fall for the last several feet, going into a roll when he landed."What the- and the elder race too?" Frost said, while still keeping the roller raised, not caring about the ink that was dripping on his hat."Wait, wait! They're all with me!" Callie put her hands in front of the group. "You know me, Levin. We're here to help.""Of course." Levin lowered his charger, and the other three slowly lowered their weapons as well. "War or not, Callie is Callie. And Drake is cool too.""Yeah, nice to see you again, bud. But this ain't the time or place," Drake said. They could here the sounds of chattering Salmonids coming up the ramps."Here they come! You mind giving us a hand with these damn fish then?" Bass asked."She did say we're here to help. And it looks like you need it." Drake responded, and the Octarians spread out to blockade the ramps. Salmonids starting swarming them, but their combined numbers were enough to keep the smaller ones at bay, and corpses of dead fish started falling from the ramps, as their peers started pushing them off the side to make room for the ones still coming up. That is until a large metal head poked its way up the ramp that Drake was guarding. He fired a shot, and it bounced off the armor, as if it was another of the large tank types. "Oh, what the hell are you supposed to be? Damn Seaman snake!""It's a steel eel, dude! Hit the pilot at the back, when it clears the ramp!" Levin said. Drake backed up to avoid getting crushed by its jaws, and sure enough, at the very back of the snake, was a fish that was guiding its movements."Oh! Oh! New fish! Let me!" Yako ran from the other side, and hurled a splat bomb over the top of the eel, landing right in the cockpit. The bomb exploded, and the dead pilot was ejected off the side of the structure, causing the rest of the eel to rupture and fall apart."That voice.. and bomb skill.. holy crap, is that Yako?" Levin's jaw dropped when he saw the now matured younger Maroon sister."Levin! Stare at her later! And don't forget you have a girlfriend!" Frost yelled, who was busy holding back several cohocks with a pair of Octotroopers."Oh, blue boy's a perv!" Yako yelled."I wasn't-" Levin started to argue, but then saw tenta-missles coming towards him. He swam back just before they hit, and grabbed one of the two stingrays that were stored under the basket. He turned it to the flying salmonid that was hovering over the edge, and powered it on. The stingray cut through the flying salmonid craft like a knife through butter, and it crashed into the side of the structure."Hey! The perv got the trashmaster!" Yako yelled."Trashmaster.. what?""Don't mind her. Looks like the rest of them are retreating," Octomarin pointed out. With the loss of their vehicles, the rest of the Salmonids turned tail, and headed towards the water, as fast as they could."Yeah, you better run!" Shen yelled, making Octomarin clap him on the back of the head."What did I tell you about getting cocky?""I think that's the last of them," Kora said, coming from the other side with Drake and Callie. The four inklings and the regulars all headed towards the middle of the upper platform of the tower. Once they regrouped, Shen looked at the structure they were occupying."So what is this place anyway?""It's owned by Grizzco Industries," Frost responded, flatly. "And don't ask me what they use it for. All I know is we have to clear the Salmonids out once in a while.""Hmmm.. but this doesn't look like an Inkling structure to me.. not by your normal standards," Shen continued. Frost narrowed his eyes."That's none of your business, Octarian.""Frost!" Citra said with an annoyed tone, but Drake raised his hand."Enough. But Shen is right. This isn't an Inkling structure." The others look with curious expressions after he made that statement. The human slowly went to the side of the top deck, and observed the rest of the tower that was still above the water line. The water itself had become calm, a stark contrast to the intensity of the salmon wave. The rest of the structure had seemed familiar to him while in the air, and now that he had time to get a better look, he now knew why. "This tower... was where the old Eden security captain died.""Oh, that sucks dude. Wait, didn't you say something about that to Kirk before..." Levin started to say, but trailed off. Drake nodded in response."Yeah.. I think this tower was once a weather station or something, but it was taken over by raiders once society collapsed from flooding. The enemy leader caught Tran off guard, and took him hostage, right over there." Drake pointed to a rooftop access staircase. "I hesitated in taking the shot, so he ended up slicing his throat. Then he tried to kill Hannah, and only then did I finally wake the hell up and shoot him... lot of people died that day.""T-that sounds awful," Callie said in a sympathetic tone."But it explains all the human language signs around here," Bass said, listening to the story."One thing I don't get though," Drake continued. "What's with all the bear signs. I'm pretty sure those weren't here before.""That would be our wonderful employer," Frost interrupted. "He found a bunch of those old signs, and based the company logo on it. He likes to put them up in areas that we are.. well.. busy in.""Yeah, Grizzco has been pretty active this year, dude." Levin said. "They even let me work part time while I wait for Cuttlefish to call.""W-well can you tell us what that is?" Citra pointed to a a large tower like object that was sticking out of the water at a dangerous angle in the distance. "I- it just appeared there today after a terrible noise, early in the morning.""Wait, appeared after a noise you say?" Octomarin went over to where the girl was pointing. "What time did this noise happen, girl?""I-I don't remember but it was really early... long before I would normally wake up.""Captain.." Kora said from behind. "That sounds like our objective... but what is it?""I don't know.. Octomarin, your binoculars please?" Drake asked, and she handed them over. He peered through at the slanted object. Only to take them down, and rub the lenses. Then press them to his face with a rather distressed look. The others noticed immediately."D-Drake?" Callie put her hand on his shoulder. "D-do you know what that is?""I can't believe it... after all this time..." He lowered the binoculars again, and the entire group had their eyes glued on him for an explanation. "That isn't a tower. You see those reverse cones on the tail end, next to the fins?" He pointed at the back side of the object that was sticking out of the water."Yeah, what about- wait.. your not saying.." Shen's eyes went wide when he started to catch on to what Drake was saying."Those are engines," Drake nodded, but Shen was still having a hard time taking it in."But an aircraft even larger than the Leviathan? Is this what the elder race was capable of...""Close, but no. That's a spacecraft. And not just any spacecraft either." The group was shocked at this revelation, but Levin and Callie were starting to catch on. For they knew the Eden symbol, as well as the original purpose of the Eden Facility. He nodded, when he saw the gears turning in their mind. "The Ark Polaris... launched from Eden over twelve thousand years ago.""Dude, doesn't that mean all your friends are back?" Levin asked with a hopeful expression, but Drake shook his head."I don't know about that... twelve thousand years with out a sign apart from that damn black box, and now the ship is sitting in the middle of the bay in ruins...""Then our trip here was a waste of time... this is of no value to the army," Shen said, earning a glare from both Callie and Levin, but before the could respond, a new voice was heard from behind."The mission parameters have changed." They all jumped, and turned to see the new comer. Callie's eyes went wide with a mix of fear and surprise, while Drake stepped in front of her in a protective stance. The Inklings looked at her with suspicion, say for one boy who quickly approached the new arrival. Levin beamed a smile."Otome! Holy crap, I haven't seen you in months! Where have you been?" He happily stuck his hand out, but the Octoling simply stared at him, as if he was nothing but an oversized prop. Levin eventually returned his hand to his side with a disappointed expression, and Frost put a hand on his shoulder, slowly pulling him back to where he and Citra were standing."I think you'd better stay out of her way, Levin.""But it's just Otome, man. You know her too," Levin said, turning his attention to his teammates. Frost shook his head."I don't know what her deal is, but she's clearly not thrilled to see us." The rest of the groups were all watching the Octoling closely, who simply stood there with an emotionless expression, which was very unlike her earlier outburst. Apart from Shen, who was staring at the backside of her head, the other Octolings were all keeping firm grips on their weapons. The standoff continued, until Otome started to speak again."The emperor has just ordered me to assist you in getting inside.""He... has?" Drake raised an eyebrow. "This is an E.C.S. problem. What does he want with the craft...""He has ordered it.." Otome flatly said. Then slowly approached the side of the platform that faced the Arc Polaris, where Drake and Callie were. She turned to them, and for a split second, an bit of emotion crossed her face, displaying ambivalence. However, it was lost just as quickly, and the expressionless stare returned. "We need to get over there..""Otome..." Drake had a lot he wanted to unload to her about the inexplicable behavior she had demonstrated since Octocanyon. But it was clear that he wasn't going to get anything out of her while in this state. His best course of action, was to observe her, and see if he could get a better understanding. "Fine, but... actually, how did you four get here?" He asked to the other inklings that were wearing Grizzco uniforms."O-oh, our employer provides us with a boat to use as a mobile base," Citra responded with a raised hand."Do you think we can borrow it? Getting inside the airlock will be impossible with out it," Drake asked, but Frost shook his head."Yeah, no. No way the company will let us just use their boats, especially to aid the enemy.""Not cool, Frost." Levin shot him a disapproving look, earning him a glare in return. "It doesn't hurt to ask.""It does when we can get our pay dock- HEY!" Despite Frost's shouting, Levin switched forms, and long jumped back to the boat that was waiting at a safe distance from the structure. The group stood in awkward silence, and Otome remained still and emotionless. A minute later, the squid came hurling down, landing in front of Drake, and the boat starting moving towards the platform."Mr. Grizz said we can use the boat, but you have to let the four of us go inside with you.""What!" Frost's face reddened, as he was instantly pissed. "What the hell, Levin! Why'd you go and volunteer us?""Yeah, we're not payed for this," Bass nodded in agreement. "Honestly, I don't know how Shara puts up with you.""I... I kinda want to go," Citra said, and Frost whipped around with a shocked expression. "The inside of a spacecraft. That sounds exciting.""Citra..." Frost sighed. "Alright, let's go then." Citra beamed him a smile, which caused him to loosen up, and he went to her side. He took her hand in his, and climbed on the boat together with her. Callie and Drake exchanged glances."They started going out last year," Levin said, who had walked up behind them. "Those two are almost always together, and Citra smiles a lot more." Callie turned to watch the two sit down together, and a smile crept on her face."Heh.. that's cute.""I... Donno. Isn't he the jerky one?" Yako said, who had joined the three while the others climbed aboard the boat. "He's probably just perving on her.""Nah, look how happy she is," Callie responded, who climbed aboard with Drake. Yako turned to see Otome standing at the back with her arms crossed, and sighed to herself."Sis.. where is the love you used to show... you owe me so many hugs and head pats." Yako then hopped aboard with Kora. Octomarin and Shen were about to join them, when Drake raised his hand."I need you two to stay here with the regulars in case the Salmonids return. You're in charge until we get back." With that, the boat sped off. Octomarin sighed, and went back to get the regulars in line. Shen, however, bent down where Otome had been standing. There were a few drops of a blue green liquid on the ground."There was a little of this on her head... I wonder.." Shen unscrewed the spare canteen that he had stored the previous sample that he collected, and poured out a few drops next to what was already on the ground. "Its the same stuff... what does this mean?"At the ruins of the Ark Polaris, it had taken some time for Drake to force the airlock open with the help of everyone on the boat. The four Inklings removed the life preservers and antenna from their backs, and placed them into a charging unit."Hey Levin? What are those thingies you been wearing for?" Callie asked, with a curious look."Oh, this thing? It's our best friend on a salmon shift. Pretty cool, despite its dorky look," he responded, once he finished hooking his up to the charger."Grizzco's new invention, though still in a prototype form," Bass said. "But the dude's right. This baby has saved our butts multiple times.""Yeah, keep giving the Octarians info," Frost cut in rolling his eyes. "But yes, it's a mini S.P.A.W.N. pad. Might as well tell you now that they blurted it out.""Oh! That sounds cool! We totally could have used that in Octovally!" Callie looked at the items with envy."Yeah well, they have a short life span, and you need someone with the same color ink shoot you to finish the process. Plus we have to stay in range of the boat's tether beam. Like I said, they're still prototypes.""Awwww man. That sounds cool. I want some for the army!" Yako said, also getting interested in the preservers."Hell no!""Knock it off. I'm almost done here," Drake said. Once the airlock was finally open, he climbed aboard the ruined space craft, and scanned the corridors with his light. Half the craft was under water, while the rest was in bad shape. There were loose panels, wiring and other debris."So, this is a human ship.." Citra said with clear interest."Yeah, but its not normally this messy," Drake responded. He had to move slowly, as the slope made it difficult to traverse with out sliding into the flooded section. Otome was right behind him, and the others were moving at a slower pace. He went over to inspect the Cryogen bay, to see if any of the crew were still alive and frozen."Looks like the backup systems are still barely working... the pods still have power," he noted, seeing that some of the pods were still active. Some of them had gone dark and only contained skeletons. Drake fought the urge to throw up, when he saw the body of one of the kids. A few pods were also under the water, their occupants likely lost."Survivors?" Otome asked while they continued to probe the capsules. Going from pod to pod, he checked each one to see if the occupant was a corpse or not. Otome continued to follow closely, waiting for an answer to her query. He continued to hurriedly search the pods, spending more time looking at the name displayed on each pod. Finally, he came to a stop at a pod labeled, 'Hannah Ramsey.' Drake let out a deep sigh, once he looked inside."She's not here.. dammit." Otome gave him a puzzled expression, and Drake simply shook his head. "Hannah... I told you about her. An old friend.. and someone I had feelings for until...""Hannah.. Hannah.. Hannah..." Another short lived sign of emotion flashed across her face, but just as quickly, returned to her stoic expressionless look. Then she turned to face him again. "Survivors?" She repeated her last question."About 40 crew men are still alive. But... none of the children are here, apart from a few that looked like they died in their sleep." Drake slowly made his way to one of the smaller airlocks that lined the walls. "But it looks like all the escape pods were launched... not just the one that sent the black box...""Could that mean there are more of them out there, Captain?" Kora asked, once the others started to catch up. At once point, Callie lost her footing and started to slide down towards the water, but Drake caught her, and pulled her to where he was. She clung to him gratefully, and Otome flashed another sour look that went unnoticed."It's possible.. but that means there's kids out there on their own..." He looked over to where the nearest computer terminal was, and it was powered down, just like most of the other systems. "If I could get a terminal working, then I might be able to track them.""They look pretty busted, Dude." Levin commented, as they climbed back to the upper deck."Yeah, and these working conditions are gonna make it take even longer. Levin, Kora, can you-" Drake was cut off when a shout from the airlock caught everyone's attention. Octomarin had long jumped to the boat, and climbed up to the outer edge of the entrance."Captain, we got a problem! Something big just came out of the water, and its dropping Salmonids like crazy!""Ah, hell. Of course they would time this now. How big are we talking?""Like bigger than any of those other flying things they have. And more of them are coming from the water.""Alright, I'm sending the others back. Make sure the Octotroopes don't displace, Octomarin.""Roger that! I'll-" Octomarin was unable to finish, as a bright green glow formed behind her. The others were unable to even warn her, and a beam of highly compressed Gel pierced her torso. Her eyes widened, and a mix of blood and ink flew out of her mouth. A split second later, and her body burst into a purple and green mess, coating the entree way with her ink and blood."Octomarin? OCTOMARIN!?" Yako screamed, and tried to climb up to where her body had burst. The others had to grab her, to keep her away from the beam that was trying to find another target. A few seconds later, it died out, and Yako started to sob. "Octomarin...""I'm so sorry." Kora, who had been keeping her away from the beam did her best to comfort her, while the others started scrambling for the exit. Drake turned to Callie, who was still standing next to him."Callie, I need you to take charge of the battle.""H-huh?" She gave him a wide eyed look. "B-b-but I can't- You-""You're Agent 1, remember? You can do this. I need you to keep them back while I stay back to get the terminal working. It's the only way we can save everyone still alive.""I.. I'll try." Callie nodded, though still looking scared."Good. Yako stays with me. Everyone else, get back to the tower!" The four Inklings jumped to the boat, and re-equiped the charged mini S.P.A.W.N. preservers, then jumped to the tower, followed by Callie and Kora. Otome was the last one to jump, but before she did, she glanced up at the large craft that was attacking the tower."Target confirmed. Salmonid mother-ship approaching. Eliminate and protect the humans... Protect... protect.." She winced in pain and put a hand to her head. "I... I won't let anymore die... wait for me... Drake.." She changed forms and jumped into battle.
A\N: Asphalt season is looking pretty bad this year, so once a month is likely going to be the pace for a while. I'll try my best to keep this from being cancelled out right, but time isnt the only thing making this hard.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"What's goin' on, Marina? Y'all look more freaked out then a Jelly in'a zapfish tank," Selka said, while twirling her duelies. The Octoling simply stared at the screen of her laptop for a few minutes, double checking the recent report that had been posted during her hack. Then she turned to face the two squids and human that were watching her with confused faces."M-marie and Kirin were caught and captured!" Marina said while practically hyperventilating, which made her tentacles quiver. Selka went wide eyed, while Pearl and Kenny exchanged a glance. Though, they quickly turned away from each other."W-what yah mean they were caught, yo?" Pearl asked in an awkward tone. "Surely yah don't mean-""I'm afraid so, Pearly. Marie and Kirin were captured in the capital dome. They took them to some holding cells at Guardian Corps HQ," Marina answered, turning back to the laptop screen.""Then what about the pink one?" Kenny asked, but the Octoling shook her head. "I- I lost contact with her a while ago...""What are we waitin' for, y'all?" Selka straightened up and turned to the Kettle that the agents had used. "Let's go bust em out! We can't leave 'em hangin'""Wait, we can't just-" Marina was about to protest her rash decision, but then stopped mid sentence. She raised an eyebrow, and her tentacles curled a little as she turned back to the screen. "Or maybe.. maybe we can.""Huh? You got a plan, Reena?" Pearl asked, and Marina nodded."Y- you remember how Marie told us that Callie and the human, Drake, left for the Octarians, right? Well, I was thinking that with Drake down there, we-""That dummy fossil ain't gonna help us, yo!" Pearl said with crossed arms."Pearlie!" Marie shouted in annoyance, and Pearl rolled her eyes. She sneaked another glance at Kenny, before relaxing and dropping her gaze."I'm just playing. Lighten up, will ya?""Pearlie, you-" Marina paused for a moment when a thought entered her head, and the young mechanical prodigy's mind turned. Her irritation melted away, and a smile formed on her face. Even Pearl was confused by the sudden turn, despite being close friends."Actually, I was thinking of asking for Drake's help, but he's probably not in a position to do so. however, we have another human here." She turned to Kenny, who looked just as confused."I-I don't understand, Marina.""If Drake is allowed to roam freely, Then-" Marina leaned in close which made him blush a little. "Then we need him to pretend to be Drake for a little while.""Wait, what? Reena, that ain't gonna work, yo." Pearl gave a disappointed sigh. "The fossil is, like, a foot taller then Kenny. And they have different faces.""I'm more curious how y'all call the other guy a fossil still, but yah call Kenny by name-" Selka started to quip."Nobody asked you!""B-but if he keeps his hoodie down, than his face won't be as obvious.. and maybe they don't know him well enough to notice the height." Marina turned back to Kenny. "I can use the hacked security system to guide you, soo... can you please try to find them?" Marina put her hands together with a pleading look."W-well I guess-" Kenny started to say, but Pearl jumped in."Now, hold on a minute, yo!" She glanced back at the human, before crossing her arms again. "This dope is gonna need someone to back him up. Otherwise he'll just end up making a mess of things like the other fossil!" She said rather strongly."P-pearly?" Marina looked shocked by this."D-don't get me wrong, Reena. I just don't wanna have this dope's death on my conscious when I still owe em a favor," she turned her head to glance at Kenny. "You got that? So don't get any funny ideas." With out waiting for either of them to respond, she changed forms, then climbed up onto Kenny's shoulder before taking cover in his back collar, squeezing between him and the hoodie."What ever you say, forhead-chan."...Ink was already flying when Otome launched herself towards the old observation post. When she reached the peak of the long jump, she reverted back to her humanoid form, and twisted herself in the air, so she was falling with her head pointed at the ground. As she came down, she fired a few shots from her octoshot at the ground below her, then, just before landing in the puddle, she lobbed a splat bomb into the mouth of one of the largest non mechanical based salmonid they had seen yet. The large fish burst into a puddle of gel, and Otome reformed from the ink puddle she had made."They're coming from everywhere! Screw grizzco, we need to get the hell outta here!" Bass yelled, who was the target of the large salmonid that had tried to snack on him, before the bomb had taken his place. Looking around, Otome saw that numerous pods were coming down from the sky, being flown in by smaller salmonids with propeller backpacks, that were deployed from the mothership. Once they landed, the flying salmonids returned to the mothership to collect another pod, while salmonid reinforcements came from the ones that were on the ground."Stay put, Bass! We gotta job to do," Frost yelled back. "I did not come all this way to get my pay docked. Frost slammed his roller down on several chum to illustrate the point."Guys, we need to stay together!" Callie shouted, as several Octotroopers retreated from an advancing scrapper. Citra zipped around with her duelies, to get around behind it, and splat the driver. Just as Callie was about to get the lines reorganized, another green beam split the group in two, catching one of the troopers in its beam, and melting it into green gel."Yeah, well someone is gonna have to deal with that sniper, and it ain't gonna be me," Shen responded with irritation."O-oh well..." Callie looked around to see who was free, but every member of the group was caught up in an engagement. "I guess I'll-""I'll do it," Otome said, and swam up to her in the ink they had layed before hand."H-huh? Otome, you-""I'll do it, Callie. Just keep the lines from breaking," Otome raised her Octoshot, and Callie nodded."Okay, okay. Thank you! Just be careful.""Do not concern yourself with me." Otome turned and sprinted off the side of the platform, to the lower deck below. On the far corner, she could see the stingray sitting on the top of a mobile tower, getting read to unload another charge. She sprinted forwards, but another scrapper got in the way. Cursing, she jumped on to the top of it, and leapt off the back side, paying no attention to weather or not the vehicle was giving chase. After shooting several smaller salmonids that tried to get in the way. When she was finally in range, she unloaded ink onto the tower. One by one, each layer burst apart, until only the gunner was exposed."This is for that girl.." Otome coldly said, and pulled the trigger one more time. That salmonid gunner screamed in its strange language, as the last of the sniper tower was just a puddle of ink. The sniper had been eliminated, but more salmonid carriers were dropping in from the mother ship. Several of them tried to drop off containers near where Otome was, but she raised her weapon, and fired several bursts into the air. The nearest was killed instantly, and dropped the crate it was carrying into the water. The second flying salmonid managed to get close enough to drop the crate on land, but flew off before she could hit it. The octoling quickly tossed a bomb into the crate to keep the sardined troops from escaping, and instead, turned them into a large gel pool."T-the big on is coming in! W-what do we do guys?" Hearing the shrieking voice of Citra, Otome looked up to see that the mother ship was advancing on the tower. While the combined efforts of the inklings and the Octarian troops had kept the reinforcements at bay, she knew they were stretched too thin to keep the craft back. After shooting the base of the inactive ink rail, she rode the rail back up the the top platform. When she got off, the mothership was already right on top of them, and was attaching itself to the grizzco holding facility."Get it off the basket! It's stealing the eggs!" Frost yelled, wildly spraying the connection tube. Ink was slowly covering the base, but it wasn't enough to deter the craft."Who cares about your stupid eggs! The damn fish are gonna overwhelm us!" Shen yelled. Despite killing several chum, he was slowly being pushed back by the advancing mob, that ganged up another Octotrooper, and forced it off its platform. The octarian screamed as it was beaten into a puddle of ink."He's right, we aren't gonna live long enough to worry about your money," Kora cut in, who was also being pushed back. "What do we do, Sargent?""Uh-uh.. crud what would Drake do?" Callie was internally panicking on how to turn the situation around, but then remembered that Levin had used a stingray once, and looked over to see if there were any more reserve weapons. Instantly, a grin spread on her face."Uhhh, Sargent?" With out answering, Callie dove in the ink, and swam towards the egg container. When she emerged, she grabbed one of the spare weapons, and took to the air in an Inkjet."Yyeeeess! I love this part!" She squealed in delight. Forgetting that this wasn't a turf war, Callie blasted the group of salminids that were closing in on Shen, then turned her attention to backing up Kora."No, the mothership! Shoot the- oh forget it!" Frost swam over, and strapped himself to the second jet. "I'm not losing my damn paycheck over this!" A moment later, and he was also in the air. The inkling boy fired several large volatile ink balls at the mothership, coating the hull in orange, faster then when they were using their hand weapons. When Callie noticed the second jet, she shifted the control lever, and faced the jet towards the mothership. Together, the two continued to ink up the underside of the craft, until it finally seemed to have enough, and detached itself from the container."Nice one, Frost!" Callie cheered as the mothership retreated out of range. Both Inklings came flying back down to the inked up ground, once the jets expired and shut off."I don't think that's quite what Drake would have done. That was purely a Callie move," Levin said with a grin."Y-you weren't supposed to hear that! And it worked, didn't it?" The magenta Inkling responded with a pout."Yeah, but we're not done yet! Heads up, guys!" Bass yelled, and pointed to the mothership that was starting to make another run on them, while sending out more drop pods.Back in the Ark Polaris, Drake was trying to repair a damaged circuit board, while Yako was curled up in the fetal position and wasn't saying a word. While muffled, the sounds of the battle outside could be heard through the cracks in the hull that formed from the impact. Tenta missiles would occasionally hit the side, causing the wreckage to shake. Drake set the tool he was using down, after a few minutes. "Yako, I need the torch." Yako wordlessly handed drake the welder, and he slowly started making the final repairs on the board, despite not being as skilled or knowledgeable as Reggie. For the next few minutes, the sounds of the welder were the only thing heard, until Yako finally stopped sobbing, and spoke up."Why... why am I always left..." She muttered. Drake turned off the torch and turned to her. "First sis leaves me for the army, then our parents are killed in an accident..""Yes... Otome did mention that when I Jokingly asked when I was gonna meet the parents last year.." The human let out a sigh."Everyone leaves me... Even when I got to be with sis again.. our old squad mates left... sis hates me now.. and now Octomarin.. Octomarin..""Yako!" Drake said with a firmness that made her flinch and clam up a little. "I don't know what happened with Otome in the last few days, but none of those things are your fault.""You just saying that. Everyone always-" Yako's eyes started to go vacant, and seeing what was about to happen, Drake gave her a light smack on the head."Don't start that. Look, Otome never told me what happened to your parents, apart from that it was an accident, but you aren't responsible for the world deciding to give someone the finger and take them from their kids. Same with Octomarin. There are always casualties in battle. Otherwise it wouldn't be war.. and sometimes you don't even get a chance. As for Otome... I don't know what's going on with her, but I do know it's not because of you.""I.. don't know.. but I-" Yako started to say, but he shook his head."If anything... it's probably related to me or Callie... but I can't for the life of me figure out what." Drake sighed. "But what ever it is, we'll figure it out when we get back.. alright.""I.. I..." Yako went silent as Drake resumed the repairs. Her eyes slowly focused in again, and she started to inch towards him, while he worked. Eventually, he felt her chest press into his back, and two arms wrap around his sides. He paused briefly, to see the younger but filled out Maroon sister, hugging him while she cried into his back. This went on for another minute, as Drake finished the repairs on the console, before shutting the hatch closed. Yako finally looked up from his back, and locked eyes. "Thank you...""Of course." Drake rubbed her tentacles, which she eagerly leaned into, then powered up the console to check the repairs. The emergency backup managed to regulate enough power to activate the cryogen control unit. After moving through several settings, the pods that still had power and life signs, started to cycle through the reanimation process. "Come on, lets wake these guys up.. and here." Drake passed her his spare autotran. "You'll need this so they don't completely freak out."Outside on the old tower, more and more salmonids were making a massive push on the egg storage facility. More transport crates were being deployed by the mothership to cover it's second advance towards the collection basket. The squids and Octos were slowly getting boxed in from the advancing heavy classes. It didn't help that yet another new machine jumped out of the water."Rain..." Otome said, while glancing up."Rain? What do you mean rain, red? There's no- oh shit! Rain!" Frost slammed his roller down, and sped away from the ramp that he was guarding, due to an advancing ink storm cloud, which gave a steel eel the opportunity to pass through and head right for the center of the group. Lucky for them, Otome had calculated this, and was already in a position to spray the pilot with ink, stopping the craft in its tracks."it's firing again! Heads up!" Bass yelled, as the mechanical umbrella launched another rain pod. Shen moved to engage it, but by the time he got there, the operator had hidden himself back under the heavy canopy, and his shots didn't even make a dent."Damn umbrella shitheal. How do you kill this thing?" As soon as he asked, the umbrella leaped into the air. Hearing the commotion, Levin noticed this, and raised the charger that Grizzco issued him."Like this, dude!" He fired a shot, and coated the soft belly of the operator from the exposed underside of the umbrella, which caused it to spin and drop faster. A second later, and he got off a second shot, causing the fish to let go, and fall to it's death. "Easy!""Yeah, that's great and all but the damn mother ship is almost here!" As Shen pointed out, the mother-ship was almost on them."What do we do here, Sargent? We already used the jetpack things," Kora asked. Callie rapidly looked around for an answer."I-I uh... Oh, man where is an Inkzooka when you need it... wait.. the stingray!" Callie turned around to face the basket, where the other heavy weapons were stored, but someone had already beaten her to it. "Otome? How do you- Oh crud!" Everyone that was on the front side of the platform dove out of the way to avoid the Octoling, as she powered up the stingray. Once the beam was ready, she directed the beam upward, causing it to pierce the mothership's hull. The craft began to shake and swell from the consistent damage it was now taking."Hey! Hey, it's working!" Bass yelled. Just before the mothership reached the collection tank, Otome managed to land a critical hit on the craft, and it started spinning out of control. The squids all cheered as the mothership fell out of the sky and away from the tower, before finally giving in to a spectacular explosion, with metal shards falling into the water."Nice one Otome!" Levin ran over to high five her, but stopped about half way . "Oh.. yeah, she doesn't like me anymore." Otome just sighed and tossed the depleted stingray away."Uhh, before you start moping.." Frost started to say, and Levin turned back towards the front of the deck. The pilot of the craft had bailed out, and a large golden salmonid was staring them down. "We got pay dirt.""A golden salmonid? I've heard about those.." Shen mumbled, while the large fish looked between each of the surviving members, before finally resting its eyes on Citra. It raised its weapon high, and with a loud shriek that made everyone cover their ears, charged forward at her with surprising speed."Not in your life, fish!" Frost leaped up, and delivered a kick to the side of the golden fish, knocking it over. "Say goodnight!" Before the salmonid could even shriek again, Frost slammed the roller down, turning the golden fish into a pile of green gel. On it's remains, however, was a small pile of golden eggs."Awsooomme! Big bonus, here we come!" Bass yelled, after playfully punching Frost in the shoulder much to his irritation. The Octarians just stared at their Inkling counterparts, who all excitedly collected the golden eggs, and delivered them to the storage basket. Once they were done, the basket lowered itself to the containment facility that Grizzco installed before hand."If you're done playing around..." Otome said, looking more like her older self for once, walked towards the edge of the platform. "Then we should get back to the human ship..." With out waiting for a response, the Octoling changed forms, and long jumped back to the boat."Man... what's her deal?" Levin said with a hint of annoyance."I don't know, Levin," Callie sighed in response. "I don't know... all I want is to have my friend back."After Shen called in the airship to pick up the remaining Octarian regulars, they all jumped back towards the boat. Once Drake and Yako had gotten the surviving humans out of the sleeper pods and downloaded as much data as he could from the mainframe, the boat was now packed with humans. Confused and weak, it had taken over an hour to calm everyone down and explain the situation. But once they were forced to accept reality, they found some comfort in the fact that the Eden facility had survived all these years, and even grown some. Though they were still not used to the sudden appearance of a new intelligent species, they were all looking forward to going home."Thanks for convincing your boss to let us use the boat to take them back," Drake said, once everyone was loaded, and the boat was ready to leave."No problem, dude. What are friends for?" Levin grinned while rubbing his back tentacles."Oh, and speaking of friends, you mine taking back- what the hell!" Drake's face changed to a look of shock when he peaked into his pack."W-what is it?" Callie asked nervously."Neptune.. she's gone! Ah, that's great, I guess we gotta look for her when we get back.""Wait, Neptune was with you?" Levin asked."Long story. Look, just get the humans back as quick as you can, alright?""O-oh sure, dude. Just make sure you come hang out later.. and ask Otome why she hates me now.." With that, Levin hopped on the boat, and started heading back to Inkopolis."Tell Shara we said hi!" Callie yelled while waving goodbye. Once they were gone, the rest of the Octolings loaded up on the airship, until only Drake, Callie and Otome were left."Now..." Drake walked up to Otome, while trying to keep his emotions in check. "Tell me... tell me why.. tell me why you didn't tell us you were still alive... why you're with Octarias with out even talking to me first... and why you-""Why do you hate me now!" Callie interrupted, who was fighting hard to keep tears back. "If this is about the river, then I'm so sorry! I tried to help you up, I really did- I-" Otome raised a hand to cut her off."Meet me at the park in three hours... and we'll talk.. ngn.." Otome held her head with a pained expression. Callie nervously got closer to check on her, but the Octoling changed forms, and jumped to the commando airship. The two simply watched her go, before returning to their own craft."The park in three hours... this is gonna be awkward.." The two silently boarded the airship that had just finished loading the octotroopers, and made a hasty retreat from the platform...."So this is Marina's homeland?" Pearl, asked while staring at the capital city from the back of Kenny's hoodie. Both of them were shocked to see the state of the capital sector, as opposed to the connecting domes. So far, this was the only one that really seemed livable, and while it wasn't as large as Inkopolis, it's size was impressive to them. The capital building could be seen in the center, and they were being slowly drawn to it. However, a fence with guard posts along the line blocked their entrance to the city itself."That's great.. how do we get around this Marina?""Those fences are monitored and covered by Octosnipers. You'll need to trick one of the check points in to letting you pass. Let's see..." Marina went quiet for a few seconds, though he could hear her typing away. "Okay, so head to your right, down two check points. I know the guard there, and its the closest one two Guardian headquarters, anyway." Doing as they were told, they headed down the fence line. The perimeter guards glanced at Kenny with suspicion, but didn't move from their posts. Eventually, they reached the checkpoint Marina had mentioned, and could see the large HQ building in the distance, where many Octolings seemed to be marching as part of a drill. Kenny went to the desk officer, and she looked up with a curious expression."What are you doing outside the fence? I'm sure you didn't come here for a social call. Or did you? I don't see little miss princess with you... then again, I haven't seen much of her at all since that announcement.""Well I, uh..""So why are you here?" the Octoling leaned in a little, which threatened to give Kenny away."Her name is Kiri," Marina said over the headset, and Kenny had to fight the urge to reply. "Just keep her talking.""You see, Kiri-""Oh, so you do remember my name," Kiri said with a half smirk. "Figured you all were too busy to visit this lowly gate guard and all.""Ahah.. yeah." Kenny rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. Just then, something on the Octoling's monitor beeped, and she looked down at it, causing her to frown."Special assignment my butt," Kiri sighed, then hit a button that caused the gate. "You're free to go in.""R-right. Thank you. Maybe next time." Kenny headed past the guard post."I won't hold my breath," they heard her say, and Pearl snickered."You suck at this, yo.""You shut up, backseat driver!" After making it past the guard post, the two were now inside the city. Kenny caught himself staring at the various buildings again, and the numerous Octarians roaming the streets. Both of them were being drawn to the capital building, when Marina quickly spoke up on the communicator again."Nono! That's the capital building. You don't want to arouse suspicion, do you?""R-right." Kenny turned to his right, to a large military structure."That's Guardian HQ. Head inside and try not to make eye contact. There's no telling who actually knows Drake well enough to blow your cover.""Okay.. thanks Marina.""r-right. Just be careful, okay? I'll try my best to guide you, once you're inside." Making his way past the patrolling Octotroopers and doing his best to keep his gaze down, Kenny headed through the courtyard. He could hear a number of Octolings doing drills from the nearby training field. Once inside, he appeared to be in the main lobby, and a single elite was sitting at a desk. She glanced up, but payed no mind, as the cover seemed to be working still."Marina, what do we do here?" Kenny whispered, so the desk Sargent wouldn't hear him."The door behind her leads to the interrogation area, and the one in the far back corner leads to the prison. I doubt they are in interrogation right now, but both sectors need a key card. She has one, but you need to figure out a way to get it off her.""Right.." Kenny stepped up to the front desk. "Excuse me.""Yes?" She looked up. "Oh, you. What is it? You already know where you're supposed to be...""A-about that." Kenny took a deep breath to calm himself. "I need to get into the prison area.""What for?.. I wasn't notified of this." The elite narrowed her eyes a little."The prisoners. I need to talk to them.""You would..." She sighed. "I knew it was a mistake bringing those two here two years ago was a mistake. And now they got some kid involved.""Two years ago? What are you talking about?" Kenny asked with a confused look."Wait.." Her annoyance turned to an equally confused look. "You mean you don't know?""Know what?""Seriously, you don't know?""What are you talking about? I just wanna see who they brought in." Kenny said with annoyance, not noticing that his hoodie suddenly felt lighter."Well if you don't know, I'm not gonna say anything. The prisoner's identity is on a need to know basis. And you apparently don't need to know.. especially since you'd blab to the other one.""The other one? Look just let me in." As the two argued, Pearl had slipped out on her squid form, and moved behind the desk, then used her tentacles to grab something. She slid back around, and hopped back into Kenny's shirt, then made her way to the hood."Just leave before I call the commander! And that's final!" The elite yelled. Kenny angrily turned away, then leaned against the wall with an large sigh."Great. Now what are we supposed to do.." As he tried to think, he saw something being held in front of his face. His eyes adjusted and saw the keycard that he had been trying to get was being held in front of his face by a tentacle. "How did you-""Like I said, yah suck at this." Pearl said in a haughty tone. Kenny snatched it from her, before anyone could see the squid tentacle."Well at least you did something useful fore-head, gah!" He felt the tentacle smack him in the back of the head, and he wobbled over to the door that lead to the prison. Checking to see if anyone was watching, he slid the card into the reader, and unlocked the door."Drake doesn't have access to that area," Marina said, over the com when they stepped inside. "I'll try to keep an eye out for you, but don't get spotted or they will interrogate you.""That sounds great.." Kenny said with a sigh. "Well, here goes nothing."
A\N: Still slow

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"That was a close call with that Inkling sentry," Oriana said, as she and three other elites emerged from the kettle that faced the front gates. Passing by Kiri, the group moved through the gates, and entered the city. The crowded plaza gave way, opening up a path towards guardian headquarters, as was custom for elites. Several lower ranking troops stood at attention as they passed."Yeah, but you nailed him before he could report in," one of her teammates said. "We completed the objective without discovery, thanks to that.""I guess so. Still, shouldn't have had that slip up at all, Mizuchi." The four entered the back end of the building, heading towards the main hall. Two of them broke off to hit the showers."Maybe so, but I'm getting tired of all this sneaking around," the smaller elite responded, and Oriana shrugged."I'll admit this is a waste of the elite's skill, but it sounds like you would be better off in the Mariners if you're that thirsty.""You of all people are going to accuse me of being thirsty?" Mizuchi rolled her eyes from behind her goggles. "And speaking of which, isn't it about time for your usual pick me up? I'll go report our findings to the commander, so you do you. And don't forget we have drills with Sargent Lavender." With out waiting for a response, she left her alone."And you need to learn to lay off a little," Oriana sighed, heading towards the cafeteria. On the way, however, she passed the human, who for reasons unknown to her, was covering his head with a hoodie. Though, this didn't stop her from getting flirtatious. "Well hey there, hot stuff. Where's your- hey!" The human picked up the pace and rounded the corner, which was followed by the sound of a door opening and closing. "Wha- rude!" She scoffed. Sighing, she turned back towards the mess hall, and headed towards the counter. Since it was late, there wasn't a line and the room wasn't populated."Oh, its you. You want the usual?" The server asked, looking up from her magazine."Yes, love. Gimme a double of the booze please. Recon op almost went bad.""Fine, but try to keep it under control this time." The server handed her a fish platter, along with two glasses of alcohol. Taking the trey, she turned around to find Drake sitting alone at the table in the corner of the room. A grin crept across her face."Now that's what I need, right now." She took a few steps forward. "Hey, dra- wait a minute." She paused, remembering that she had passed the human in the hallway only moments ago. There's no way he could have returned to the cafeteria that fast and with out her noticing. "If Drake is there... who was..." She glanced to the hallway, only seeing other Octolings and regulars passing by. "Maybe I should report this.. that was the restricted area he went to..." She paused for several seconds. "Ah, screw it. It was probably just one of the commando spooks."Drake, on the other hand was nibbling on his dinner platter, clearly not having an appetite. His brooding was interrupted by two familiar mounds being pressed to his backside, as a pair of arms wrapped around him. Something a hormonal teenager would be excited over, but he had long since been immune to such things. "I'm really not in the mood, Oriana.""Oh, that bad today, huh?" She let him go and sat down next to him, sliding one of the glasses over in his view. He gave her a look, silently reminding her that he doesn't drink, especially after the last offering. "Come on, tell me what's wrong. It can't be that serious, can it?""I needlessly lost one of the Octolings in my charge... so yes, it is," he said with clear irritation. He pushed the booze aside and sipped the non alcoholic brew that was a niche item on the menu, but still had a strong taste."Ah, that's too bad, but such is the nature of battle..." She paused, and didn't get a response. "So.. who bit it? It wasn't Kora from Turquoise October, was it?""It was Octomarin..." he said with a deep sigh, taking another sip."Octomarin... shit." She took a sip of her own drink as well. "Well, there goes another drinking buddy.""You don't sound to phased by that." Drake finally looked."What do you think the booze is for?" She took another drink. "But... that's not all that's bothering you, is it?" Drake raised an eyebrow, surprised at her intuition. He paused for several minutes, before going back to being stone faced."No, not really... and why do you care about my problems? I already told you, I'm not interested in one night stands." He turned away, and Oriana internally cursed."H-hey, I can be worried about people, too." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, you can tell me." The elite then leaned in closer. "Girl trouble, ain't it?""Oriana, you-" He started to say, but then planted his face into his palms, making a sound that was between a growl and sigh. "Fine... yes, girl problems.." he continued to rub his face, not making eye contact with the elite that was glued to him. "There's two girls I care deeply about...""Oh, love triangle, huh? I see where this is going.""Yeah, I bet you do... Well, this isn't a damn anime. There is no harem ending." He raised up to meet her gaze. "One of them was like a little sister to me, until recently. I've been doing my best to take care of her, and she's been there for me ever since... ever since I lost someone that I.. I was serious about. But... but then we ended up kissing and.. and it felt.. right.. like I had gotten something back that I had lost..." His lips quivered and one of his hands was trembling. She reached out and held his arm. "I know she's loved me for a long time.. and I..." He paused again, and Oriana managed to piece together his rant."It's the squid sister, ain't it?" She said with an understanding look. "Man... I can't beat her out.. her and Marie are just..." she sighed along with him. "Then what are you waiting for? Go get her.""It's not that simple.." He shook his head. "First off, I'm not good enough for her. I've already made her cry several times.. and it's not just that. I can't just set aside what I had with Otome. Especially now that... that I can finally hear from her what happened, and why she's with Octarias.""Ah, the brat that got in my way two years ago.." she took another drink of her booze. "Look, man. I don't know how she ended up with Octarias, but even the mysterious first elder race man can't beat that out. Octarias, to girls, is what the squid sisters are to guys. He's got looks, money, power, you name it. She'd be crazy to not be with him. Sounds like you're choice is made for you.. though.. maybe if she's going to talk to you, maybe you can win her back. Or go with the squid sister, because that's not happening.""I don't deserve either of them," Drake responded as he gulped down the rest. "An indecisive idiot like me is just going to hurt them more, and I've done enough already. Besides, war could break out any-""Ah, who care's about the political junk." Oriana cut in, which earned her a bit of a glare. Several other regulars that were eating a post patrol meal, turned to glance, but quickly went back after noticing that it was Oriana causing the disturbance. "And seriously, if you keep acting like that, your not gonna get anyone. But you know what? If you're gonna mope and say you don't deserve them, then..." She ran her hand further up his arm. "Then how about you let me help you forget about all of-" With out letting her finish, Drake quickly got up, which made her give a girly squeak and pull her arm back."I told you before, I'm not that kind of guy who does one night stands, especially for reasons like that." Drake started to leave, but she grabbed his sleeve."Why do you always blow me off? It can be more than just one night! Am I really that unattractive? Is it because I'm an elite and bigger than most Octolings?""No..." Drake sighed and glanced back. "I'll admit you're good looking... but like I said, I'm not interested in friends with benefits." He started to leave again and Oriana slumped down."Ah, dammit.." She grabbed her drink and downed the rest of it in one swig, not noticing that Drake had stopped again, and everyone in the cafeteria had turned their attention to them."But... thanks for hearing me out.." With that he left the room and headed to the Octoling dorms. Oriana grabbed the drink that she had offered him, and started to chug it."Is it really so bad.. to go for what I want?""You know, you might have a better chance if you weren't known for this kinda thing," a familiar voice said, that accompanied the sound of Octoling boots entering the mess hall."Oh, shut up, Mizuchi. This one was different.""That's what you said last time. You're lucky he even used the word friend," Mizuchi scoffed as she grabbed her dinner."You-" Oriana paused, and took in what she said. A grin formed on her face. "He did say that, didn't he?""And you never learn. You're just like that guy from science that hit on Sargent Lavender.""Wait, what? Someone dared to hit on her? Spill it woman!-" Oriana leaned in as Mizuchi sighed from how Oriana was acting....When Marie finally awoke, she felt like the world was spinning around her. She slowly leaned up, and pressed a finger to her throbbing head, then closed her eyes to avoid throwing up. Once the pain started to ease up, she slowly opened her eyes again, and noticed that she was in a confinement cell. It was drab, even for prison standards. "So... we were captured..." The green clothed Inkling muttered as she recalled the events leading up to getting knocked out by her former friend."Glad you finally decided the nap was over," a voice that was outside her peripheral vision said. Turning her head slowly to avoid a fresh wave of nausea, she saw that Kirin was sitting on a small cot on the opposite side of the cell. He had his arms crossed and his feet up."Do I look like I'm in a mood for smart-ass comments," she said, fighting off the irritation building within her."Hey, at least you didn't get kicked in the head." he grunted in response. "Still, that chick's fighting was unreal... I've never seen anyone move that fast.""You.. you have a point," Marie conceeded with a nod. "She's tough, but I've never seen her move like that either.. She's never been one for hand to hand combat.""You say that, yet you didn't see the beating I was put through," Kirin scoffed, making Marie roll her eyes."That may be true but something is out of place about this. Something I can't quite put my finger on...""Yeah, but not like it matters now. We're stuck in here, and completely screwed. Even if Marina got the data you sent her.""All the more reason to find a way out, Kirin." Marie looked around the cell to try to find some sort of weakness, which made Kirin sigh in annoyance."Don't you think I tried that already? We screwed up again, and there's no way out. This isn't the movies where someone conveniently comes along, and-" Kirin's rant was cut off by a thumping sound from outside the door. The two exchanged glances, then bolted up to rush the door. Outside the small reinforced window in the metal hallway, the could see a lone Octoling on the ground, unconscious. Outside the door, they could hear the sound of a heated argument."What.. what the heck is going on?" Marie said out loud. Before Kirin could answer, the arguing stopped, and they could hear the sound of the lock being disengaged. The door swung open, and two Inklings burst into the room, with a familiar human standing behind them with an expression of disbelief."Neptune? Pearl? Kenny?" Marie said with an equally dumbfounded tone."Hey, yo! Here to rescue a squid sister and my buddy Kirin!" Pearl exclaimed proudly. She tried to make a victory pose, but was shoved aside by the pink agent."Don't you be stealing the spotlight! It's me that's rescuing Marie and the green one," Neptune cut in."Girls? Uh, Girls-" Marie started to say, but Pearl shoved Neptune back."I don't think so, Pink-o. We got the key, so we saved em," Pearl said, while sticking her finger out. Neptune made a rude gesture in response."Who do you think knocked the guard out?" Neptune shot back. Marie glanced at Kenny, who sighed and walked up to Pearl."You disappeared and conveniently showed up again when we had things under control you- whaa!" With out warning, Kenny lifted Pearl off the ground. Her limbs flailed in circled for several second, while she tried to process this sneak attack. Once she noticed that her head was resting against Kenny's chest, her arms went limp and she looked down. Her face was deep red from embarrassment."Haa! Now this is a picture moment!" Neptune grinned and pulled out her phone, snapping a photo."Wha- you delete that!" Pearl started squirming in Kenny's arms again, but before Neptune could make another wise crack, Marie chopped the pink squid on the head."Dah! What the hell, Marie!" Neptune turned back to Marie with a peeved expression."Honestly, AGENT. You should know better than that. Especially while... you know, standing in a cell in hostile territory? Maybe we should, oh I don't know, try escaping?""Fine, geez." Neptune huffed and turned away. "Maybe I should have gone team Callie-""What was that?""Nothing, fearless leader. By the way, we found your equipment.""Y-yeah! So let me down so I can show yah, yo!" Pearl snapped and Kenny finally put her down. Still red, she turned around with a "hmpf" and stomped out. Eager to not be beet out, Neptune quickly changed behind her, while the rest of the group exchanged glances, bringing up the rear. At the far end of the dank hallway that made up the prison block, the came across a guard post. Leaning against the wall, Marie peaked in through the glass, and saw three Octolings standing around the Type-H charger and splatling, along with their communication gear."Two against three, since only Neptune and Pearl have their weapons," Marie commented."I've got mine." Kenny said, brandishing a handgun."Yeah, I know how loud those things are. You fire that down here, and we'll have the hole base coming down on us. Trust me, I've been there," Marie said while shaking her head. Inside, the three guards had their backs to the door. "But I got an idea... toss me a splat bomb." Neptune quickly filled an empty casing, and handed the liquid pyramid shaped bomb to the agent. "I'm gonna borrow one of Drake's plays. Kenny, you kick the door open, and I'll toss the bomb in. Pearl, Neptune, you two go in and mop up once the bomb blows.""What should I do?" Kirin asked from behind."Hmm..." Marie suddenly grinned from behind her face mask. "Just stand there and look pretty?" Neptune and Pearl had to cover their mouths to keep from laughing out loud, and Kirin stifled a groan. "Anyway, Kenny. On my mark?" The human nodded, and Marie counted down with her fingers. When she reached one, he kicked as hard as he could, breaking the flimsy looking lock. The three Octolings all whipped around and raised their weapons, only to see Kenny dive for cover, and Marie toss the bomb in. The one in front yelped as the bomb detonated under her, splatting her on the spot and knocking the younger male out cold. Pearl and Marina rushed in, and unloaded on the third, causing instant ink paralysis. All she could do was moan, before Neptune kicked her unconscious."Clear! Get your weapons, y'all!" Pearl said with excitement. Marie and Kirin wasted no time retrieving their weapons, and placing their communicator head sets back into place."Guys, I lost sight of you! What happened? Did you find them yet?" Marina said over the com system as soon as Marie set hers into place."I'm here, Marina.""Oh, thank goodness!" They could hear the Octoling idol sigh with relief. "It's so good to hear your voice, Marie. I was worried sick.""Kirin and the others are hear with me. Did you get the data?""I did... b-but..." The Octoling trailed off, and Marie's stomach turned at the sound of impending bad news. She should have known."What went wrong...""I.. I've been locked out of the studio network...""Say what, yo?!" Pearl shouted, much to the others irritation."Y-you've been locked out too, Pearlie. Both our credentials are blocked... and I don't have the knowledge of Inkling systems to hack in," Marina said with a dismayed tone. "I-I'm sorry.. after all that trouble to get it-""It's fine, Marina..." The green and gray tentacled agent sighed. "That's awfully convenient timing... what could they be thinking?" Marie paused for a moment, weighing their options. "We'll have to do this the old fashioned away.. and that means walking the data out of here ourselves.""But how are we supposed to do that? We can't just waltz out of here," Kirin, said. Marie looked around, and her gaze landed on the downed Octolings. "This will have to do. Pearl, Neptune, you mind?""What are.. ooooohhhh." Pearl gave an understanding grin. Gotcha, Marie. I won't let em perv on yah." With that, she hopped onto Kenny's back, and wrapped her arms around his face, blocking all view."What the- get offa me, shorty!" Kenny squirmed under her grip and fought the urge to grab her, and throw her off."This coming from the guy who's short for a fossil, yo. Just sit still, wouldya?! Not everyone gets the honor of bein' this close to me, yah know." On the other side of the room they could hear muffled sounds, and Pearl looked over to see that Neptune had Kirin in a choke hold, forcing him to stare at the window. Eventually, Pearl moved her arms and Neptune let go, and Marie could be seen wearing the Octoling armor, and was fitting the goggles over her eyes."I get the idea, but you could have just said something!" Kirin said, gasping for air."Consider that payback for your little stunt in Octocanyon," Neptune shot back. "Anyway, are you sure that's a good idea? You remember what happened to me when I wore those.""Octavio is back in prison, and the Guardian Corps should have had that... feature removed," Marie responded, setting the goggles in position."You'd better be right. And did you forget we can't match their ink color?" Kirin asked, when he also figured out Marie's plan."Don't be so sure," Marie smirked, before entering a state of concentration that only young Inklings that were still learning to control their ink displayed. Slowly, her tentacles turned Octarian red, and purple ink started filling the ink tank."How... how did you..""Secret of Squidbeak!" Neptune said with a smirk that mirrored Marie's. She was also red, and wearing the armor that she slipped on while he was distracted."It's really not that hard," Marie cut in. "You just need to... well, take in the essence, just like when you first learn how to shift. It just takes a little practice, since it's a little more complicated than other colors." She pointed to the injured female. "Try it on that one there.""Y-you mean-" Marie nodded, and Kirin gulped. He approached the downed Octoling and pressed a hand to her tentacle. He closed his eyes and concentrated, dpomg his best to ignore the new feeling, as Kirin was fully aware of the consequences of breaking concentration. A few seconds later, it stopped, and he opened his eyes."Congrats Kirin, you are now an Octoling." Neptune slapped him on the back."Yo, hold on a minute," Pearl interrupted. "The shape of yah tentacles are wrong.""That's true..." Marie was forced to admit. "But we'll just have to make do and hope they aren't paying too close attention. Kirin, you might want to put on that last uniform now.""Hey, wait! What about me! There's only enough uniforms for three!" Pearl complained. Marie looked around the room for an extra set, but Marina chimed in on the com system when they found none in the nearby locker."If- if I may, why don't you stick with Kenny for a little while longer? He hasn't been exposed as an imposter for Drake yet."After Marina offered her suggestion, pearl, who was still hanging off of Kenny's back, sighed, then changed forms. She took her place in the back of his hoodie, and pulled it over them with her tentacles."Now let's get out of here before we are seen." Marie took lead, and they climbed the stairs the lead back into the main hall, since the guard post was the only occupied section between them and the cell block. Marie cracked the door open to peak out. Apart from the flickering of the lights and a few bits of litter, the hall was deserted. "It's clear but, we'd better split up. It will draw attention to us, if they see Drake with an unfamiliar group. We'll meet up at the kettle we used to get here.""Be careful, everyone!" Marina said, and the three wearing uniforms exited into the hall. Kenny and Pearl waited a few moments, before stepping out as well. Being thankful that the hallway was clear, he tried to speed past the cafeteria and towards the back exit, but was stopped when a hand grabbed him from behind. He was turned around and saw a well endowed elite leaning over at him."You know, didn't you just head upstairs?""I-I uh, Kenny started to say, trying his best to sound like the captain. "I just had to use the bathroom.""You coulda' just used the bathroom upstairs, you know." She leaned in more, which made him gulp. "It's okay if you don't want to admit it, but I know what you're up to." Kenny could feel himself internally panic, as he immediately thought he had been unmasked."Y-you do? But I was just-""Hush." The elite cut him off, and he could feel her arm slowly go around the back of his neck, making him feel even more uncomfortable. "You don't have to keep playing these games. I know you came back to reconsider my of- AAAAGGH!" The elite suddenly jumped back and grabbed her hand. On the backside of her lower arm, a fresh bite mark could be seen. Kenny could also hear growling coming from the back of his hoodie."W-what the hell?!" She stared at it in shock."B-boy we must have some big spiders in here. T-thanks for getting that off me before it bit me!" He said in an awkward tone."S-spiders..?" She stood stunned, staring at the mark on her hand with a mix of pain and confusion."Y-yeah. You might want to have that looked at. Oh, and I think it's time I get back. See you!" The fake Drake, turned and quickly headed down the hall. The elite stood there, trying to grasp the situation, but her mind simply drew a blank."What.. just happened?""What did you do that for? You almost gave us away?" Kenny asked, as he headed for the exit."I- I don't know! I didn't like it, okay?" He could here her grumble. "besides, yah woulda' just stood there like a moron.""What do you mean YOU didn't like it?""J-just shut up and walk before I bite you too, yo!" The two almost reached the exit, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar figure come down the stairs. Cursing, he pressed himself to a door frame to stay out of sight, then slowly peaked out."Ah, shit. It's the captain. The real one.""What? Lemme see." Pearl leaned out to get a better look. "Blech. It's jerkwad alright. Wait, is that-" Pearl stopped when another figure followed behind him. "Wait, is that, Callie? It is Callie! Oh my gosh! Yo! Look at that! She's awesome enough to make the boring uniform look good!" Kenny swore he could feel the stars on in her eyes over seeing her idol."That's nice and all, but we're screwed if they see us. And we were almost out, too.""Who cares, let's follow them!""Wait, what? Why?" Kenny glanced back at her, while the two headed out the back door, and they could feel the wind from the outside rush in."I wanna know what she's been up to, yo! And he'd better not be doing what I think he's doing. Stupid fossil!""Okay, forhead-chan, you know we don't have time-" Kenny was interrupted by a tentacle slap to the back of the head."Just do it, man!""Alright, fine. But don't blame me if we get in trouble." The two headed out the back door, trailing the pair that was headed toward the artificial park. Callie and Drake kept a steady pace, until they reached the center, and found a lone Octoling leaning against a tree. Drake breathed in, and slowly approached the Octoling."Alright... Otome." The female, who reached up to Drake's upper chest in height, looked up and met his eyes. Her emotionless expression was gone, and was full of the same animosity that she showed during their first encounter with the salmonids. "Tell me.. tell us, what this is all about? Why didn't you tell us you were alive? Why did you hit Callie? Why.. why did you leave for... for Octarias?" With out a word, Otome reached into her side pockets and pulled out a small object. She then angrily thrust it into his chest. He caught the object, and it was revealed to be a photograph. On it, were the figures of a male and female kissing on the lips. Both of their eyes went wide."Wha- WHHAA!" Callie shrieked. "Who took this!?""So, you won't even try to deny it," The Octoling snarled. "You.. and you.. You both.. YOU BETRAYED ME!""No I.. we.. this can't be right-" Drake stumbled, but the enraged Octoling cut him off again."Then how do you explain that photo?!""I- I don'-" Drake stopped and took a closer look at the damning photograph. Now that he was getting a good look at it, he quickly noticed something that was off. "Wait... these... If that's me, then these are my Inkling clothes that Marie gave me. I left these back home.""And I'm in my day clothes... I also left those at home. And.. and that's the square? We never kissed like that in Inkopolis-" Callie started to say, but was also cut off."BUT YOU HAVE DONE THE DEED! YOU DON'T DENY IT!" Otome roared, and Callie realized her mistake."I.. I- but we-""Yes.. Otome. Yes we have kissed," Drake looked up and saw the Octoling's fury was now directed at him."You... You tr-aaaahhh!" In the middle of her statement, Otome grabbed her head, and shook violently, yelling out in pain. Otome and Drake, were too stunned at the sudden change to move. But just when Drake came back to his senses, the seizure seemed to have stooped, and she fell to one knee. The human quickly ran up to her, and knelt down to help her up. Once she was back on her feet, she pulled away, and took several steps back. Her glare had become even more filled with distrust and animosity."Otome please.. just listen," Drake stepped forwards again. "Yes, we kissed. But we both thought you hated us, and had moved on to Octarias. We're trying to get on with our lives. It just.. happened.""Why do you keep lying to me! The camera doesn't lie, and it shows you to have been doing this behind my back for over half a year!""Wait... half a year?" Confused, Drake turned back to the photo to find out why she had suspected them of having relations for that long. Initially, nothing in the photo pointed to a specific time period, but then he noticed some writing on the corner. "Hey... Callie? What does this say?" The black and magenta tentacled Inkling leaned in for a better look"It's a good thing Gramps taught us Octarian writing," she said, looking it over. It's a date... and.. it's from last fall? Wait, that's the day I went to New Sardine!" Callie's eyes widened, as she recalled the day that her life started to take a downward spiral. "Otome, please! You've got to believe me! I swear I never did anything before we came here! I only kissed him on the cheek that day! I swear on grandma's grave that I would never do anything to hurt you! You're my friend! I supported you!" Callie's eyes were tearing up, causing the Octoling to soften a little."She's right. I remember that day as well. After she left, I came to your apartment after going to the studio with Marie and getting lunch. You know I'm not that kind of guy, and she's not that kind of girl. Besides..." He held out the photo to her. "Take a closer look. The position our faces are in aren't lining up right. Who ever took this photo, caught us when she kissed me on the cheek, and you know she does that all the time. This was photoshopped or what ever your equivalent of editing is. It's a fake, Otome.""A.. fake..?" Otome took the photo, and glanced at it again. "I.. it is a little strange, but you already admitted to kissing her... why did you come here if you went to her?""Because I.. we wanted to make this right Otome," Drake said, who was locked into a staring contest with the Octoling that was once his girlfriend and battle partner. "There's no reason to keep being Octarias' pet, just to get back at me.""But... I can't just.. you... I..""Are unbelievably stupid," a female voice said from the far right. Startled, they to turned and saw Marie approaching them, with Neptune standing behind with her arms crossed."Man, why did you have to interrupt. It was just getting good," The pink agent scoffed."Marie? Marie, is that really you? Marie!" Recognizing her through the disguise, Callie dashed forward, and leaped into her cousin's arms. They would have both tumbled to the ground, had Marie not expected this, and dug her heels in. She caught her slightly younger cousin, and the two embraced. "Marie, I missed you so much! I thought I'd never see you again!""T-there there, Cal. I'm glad to see you too." She lovingly rubbed the back of Callie's tentacles. But then she looked over Callie's shoulder at Otome, and her expression was anything but warm. "but you... I thought you were stronger than this.""W- How dare you act like you know about what I've been through the last few-""Oh, spare me the pity party," Marie interrupted, as the two glared at each other. "I heard the whole thing. Even if he had a stupid photo, you didn't even try to confirm the facts with either of them. You just blindly accepted what that jerk told you with out even talking to them? He's you're boyfriend, dammit! And Callie adores you! Both of us accepted you when we were still enemies, Drake saved and protected you, and all of us were like a family! And this is how you repay our trust? I'm offended, Otome." Marie bared her teeth at Otome, which made the dark red tentacled Octoling cower. Even a veteran soldier was no match for an angry squid sister."That's enough, Marie," Drake raised his hand to get her to stop, which earned a glare, but she went silent to let him take over, while comforting Callie. "It isn't to late to talk. I know you don't really want to be with Octarias, both as a soldier and as a female.""I... I can't just.. he's the emperor now, and-""He's using you," Marie interrupted again. "He's lied to you and to everyone. I can prove it. Drake, do you still have your data pad, and is it on the network?""Huh? Yeah, but why?" Drake looked confused and Marie put a hand to her communicator."Marina, can you upload the video to his pad?""Wait, Marina is here? Like from off the hook?" Callie raised her head up."Not now, Cal," Marie said, as Marina's transmission was established. After giving Marie the pad and its credentials, Marina was able to hack in, and a video was brought to the screen. "You three might want to pay close attention to this. That goes for you two as well." She glanced behind Drake to where Pearl and Kenny were hiding. Embarrassed, the two came out of their hiding spot."Wait.. Becker? Kenny Becker from first?" Drake looked stunned to see another human in Octarian territory now that hostilities had resumed. "What are you doing here?""Captain..." Kenny said with a look that told him he still had animosity over the disappearance of Tricia. "Looking for my sister, no thanks to you-""Enough!" Marie interrupted with clear irritation in her voice. "Pay attention, this is important! More important than any of us!""Haha, Marie told ya'll off!" Pearl said, sticking her tongue out at Drake, who was too busy watching the screen to care. At first they weren't sure what to expect, watching the former emperor Octurus in his office, but everyone who hadn't already seen the video, including Otome, was shocked to see his own son bury his knife in the massive Octoling's chest. Otome went completely pale."We also found notes and plans detailing his whole operation. And he's been working on this for years. You remember how we couldn't find the last leader of TheChaos and Tentatek rebellion? It was him all along. That's why he shot Chairmen torrent and took his computer.""Oh my lord..." Drake looked up from the screen. "Otome, you can't keep working for him, much less merry him. Come with us and.. Otome?" The Octoling was on her knees again, and looked like she had suffered another seizure. However, when she stood back up, her face had returned to that expressionless look, and her eyes were blank. "Otome, what-""Run... please..." As her eyes slowly came back into focus she reached over her shoulder, and with lightning speed, pointed her Octoshot at Marie. The weapon shook in her hand for several more seconds, before her grip steadied. "You.. are... traitors.. and. spies.""Otome, no!" Callie wailed, but before they could try to reason with her, they heard several more foot steps approaching from behind. When the newcomers reached them, Drake heard a familiar voice."S-sis?" Yako said, and skidded to a halt."Captain..? What is going on?" Kora asked next. "Wait.. you aren't the traitors... are you?""Indeed, they are," said a final voice. Accompanying his squad were two elites from the commando unit. "And they have stolen critical data. These spies and traitors will be executed for their crimes." The elite turned back to Otome. "That is unless they give us the data they stole. I think terminating them one at a time, should do the trick. Now... who's first?""L-lieutenant, you can't just-""Silence, private!" She snarled at Kora, who immediately backed off. "These two conspired with spies to steal data that could harm the entire war effort. That's a capital offense. Executing them is the sanest order I've ever issued. Now... the data. Hand it over, and I'll let you live long enough to answer to the emperor.""Lieutenant, if I may." Shen stepped forward, then raised his hand and pointed to Drake. "It was him. He's the one responsible. And I know where the data is."
Author's note: For those that haven't seen, Fall of Humanity has an audiobook. check the last chapter for link, and I've updated it with a few fixes.

Still slow as hell, but at least I have the will to continue again. We managed to work somethings out and make some changes to our group. I was able to bring one of the members that left back, one that I considered a close friend. The other came back to us some time later, and thankfully they had a good explanation for what happened. We've mostly settled everything, and the squad is back on its feet. Next Chapter will probably be the last for arc 2, but I probably won't be taking a "break" since I'm already taking at least a month per chapter now. Also updated the Previous one

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

The engine of the armored personnel carrier hummed, as Brandon steered it through the maze of trees that occupied the forested area. Takeshi was staring at his data pad in the next seat over, while Matt was occupied the gunner position, occasionally being jolted around when ever the vehicle hit a rough spot. The other members of first squad occupied the back. Though, when Brandon hit a small pit in the ground, a series of gibberish could be heard along with the grumbling of the others."Squeen shi vas netti nal hani janal""Hey! At least put the damn autotran on," Matt barked from the gunner's nest."Somehow I know Matt was gonna bitch non stop about adding him to the squad," Takeshi said with an eye roll. He then leaned over and looked in the back, making a motion toward his mouth and ear."Rani novu sani- Oh, that's how you work this thing." Just as the voice pattern changed, a head popped up between the two front seats. One that had Cyan tentacles for hair, and black marks around its eyes. "Not my fault you didn't show me how to work it right.""I did show you. You were just too busy staring at Nurse Rotama," Reggie said from behind them."Hey, I know what I like. And that demands my attention first and for-most," the Cyan boy said."Locke, sit down." Brandon reached over, and pushed the head back. "We're almost there, so sit still for once- wait what?" Brandon slammed on the brakes, causing Locke to go flying between the two front seats, almost hitting his head on the console."What happened?" Reggie asked. "Why did we stop.""Because we got company," Takeshi responded, pointing."Octarians. Looks like they found the pod first," Brandon said, and hit a button on the front panel, then grabbed a microphone and his own autotran. "Attention Octarian patrol. That is E.C.S. property you are tampering with. Back away from the pod." Immediately, the group of Octolings all turned around and raised their weapons. "Matt, fire a warning shot.""You read my mind," he responded, taking aim with the heavy machine gun."Warning shot!""Yeah, yeah." Before he was even finished with his response, a hail of bullets left the barrel of the mounted machine gun, hitting the ground in front of the octolings and kicking up a storm of dust and dirt. Yelping, the troupe of Octolings all scattered in different directions. "You'd better run!" Matt yelled, as he let go of the trigger, once the dust had settled."Matt, stay there and don't do anything stupid," Brandon barked. "The rest of you, file out." The team climbed out of the back ramp of the APC, once it was lowered. Locke was the last to step off, and brushed his new small Edef uniform, which he added a few personal additions too. Hoisting the M441 pulse gun, he followed the rest of them to where the crashed pod was lodged in the earth."This is the last one, right?" Takeshi asked. They all stopped in front of the front panel, which was was deep in the dirt."Yeah..." Reggie nodded in response. "But... could she really be alive? Then again, I'm still shocked that we found Director Henderson in the last one.""I hope so..." Brandon sighed. "I really hope so.. for both her sake, and the Captain's.""So, who is this chick we're supposed to be looking for?" Locke cut in from behind, causing the group to turn to him. "The Captain's squeeze or something? Or she just that hot?""Locke... you wouldn't know, but she was my old friend.. and former Captain Von Kaufmann's as well. We all thought she was dead... and she may still be...""So shut your beak and mind your own business!" Matt yelled from the gunner's post."Is he ever not an ass?" Locke asked, turning his back on Matt. All the humans nodded simultaneously."Don't ask. Now... let's see what we have here."Inside the pod, two girls were huddled together. The first, a blonde with a worn out pony tail sat in the seat. On her lap, and strapped to her, was another little girl that was around ten years old. They were both tired and hungry, having been locked in the pod for hours. The older girl had given up on both the emergency switch and forcing the door itself."We're just too deep..." She said while patting the young child's head, who was trying not to cry."But I'm hungry.. we're gonna die.. aren't we," she said between hiccups."N-no, of course not. Someone is bound to find us." The older one tried to smile a little, but was starting to feel hopeless as well. Her own stomach rumbling was quick to remind her just how long they had been stuck in the pod. She started to close her eyes, but she heard a strange sound coming from in front of the pod. Curious, she opened them again, and could see dirt flying from the small view port. "What the...""W-what's going on?" The child asked. Not believing what she was seeing, the older one undid the straps and stood up a little, but banged her head on the top of the pod. Cursing, she sat back down, but then a banging sound came from the front panel. "I-is someone trying to get us?""I don't know, hun." Rubbing her head, she gasped when the panel was pulled open. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, she grabbed the child and pulled her self from the metal chamber that she had been sure would be her coffin, and was blinded from the sunlight."Hannah?" A familiar voice said. Once her eyes adjusted, she could see the glasses wearing figure of a friend she once knew. Her weariness drifted away in an instant, and a smile crept up her face."Brandon? Brandon, you're alive?" She jumped at him, and wrapped her arms around him, almost sending both to the ground. "My lord, man! I missed you." Looking over his shoulder, she could see the figures of Takeshi and Reggie, both of which had grins of their own. "And Takeshi and Reggie too? Is everyone here? Wait, where are Justin and Matt? And... Dra-""It's good to see you too, Hannah. And, Matt's up there." He pointed his hand to the machine gun, we're Matt made a half-baked response. "And.. uh.. Justin died a few days ago in a tunnel collapse.""Oh..." Hannah looked down, but then jerked her head back up. "But what about Drake... he didn't.. did he?""No.." Brandon shook his head with a sigh. "Drake.. is no longer with the Eden Colonial State.""Wait, what? What do you mean? And what's the Eden-""It's a long story... A lot has happened in the last two years, Hannah," Brandon said, cutting her off. "But why don't we get you and your friend fed first." He glanced at the girl that was hiding behind Hannah, then glanced at Takeshi, who nodded."Come with me, milady. We got food in the car." She meekly stepped out to take his hand, but stopped and froze. Confused, Hannah turned to see what had scared her, but also froze up when she saw the figure that was standing behind them. His hair was malformed and bright orange, and he had what looked like a raccoon mask around his eyes. His eyes were large, and two pointed ears stuck out of his head sideways from his large head. Noticing her, he tried smiling, only to reveal three pointed teeth."Uhh... yeah like I said, a lot has happened." Brandon started to say. "You see, Locke is-" The only thing Hannah heard before blacking out, was the sound of her own scream...."Data... return..." Otome said with her expressionless stare. Her eyes were fixated on both Drake and the data pad he held. The elites were also focused on him, thanks to the words Shen had spoken. The other agents had all lowered their weapons, and Drake couldn't make a move for his rifle. The octoshot was quickly snatched from Callie's inktank holster by the other elite, after she had made sure Callie had dropped the roller. The air was tense in the artificial park, as the standoff continued."You heard her, traitor. Hand over that little toy," the Lieutenant barked and held her hand out. Drake shook his head and returned the glare, while keeping the datapad out of their view."Not until you tell me what you did to Otome.""That is the future bride of our glorious Emperor Octarias. Be thankful you are even allowed in her presence, traitor scum! I'm not going to ask again." She readied her octoshot and pointed it at Pearl. "The information you stole. Now, or I will start executing Inklings. There's four here, and I can terminate the other fossil as well.""Lieutenant... there's no need for that." Shen stepped between her and the Captain. "Just do what she says, and hand it over." Shen held his hand out towards Drake, but he didn't budge."Are you crazy? They'll kill us weather we do or not! You have no idea what we found!" Drake shot back, but Shen shook his head. The two elites were getting impatient and fidgeting with their weapons."Listen, human. I am trying to prevent a massacre here. Give me the data." When Drake still refused, Shen leaned in closer, and lowered his voice so the two elites wouldn't overhear him. "Captain... trust me." Drake hesitated a moment, but seeing the serious look in his eyes, he finally relinquished the data pad to the Octoling boy."Return it," Otome repeated, her expression still blank."Yeah, sure. Catch!" In a move that surprised everyone, he tossed the datapad straight upwards. Otome's eyes jerked up, as did every other human and oceanic in the area. Using the distraction, Shen moved around to the back of Otome, and put her into a headlock. The elites were too focused on the pad to notice, and one of them ran to try and catch it, as it started to descend from the throw."Get it! I'll deal with these trash!" The lieutenant yelled. She raised her octoshot, and aimed it at Pearl, who was standing between her and Callie. The officer started to squeeze the trigger, intending to splat both Inklings at once, but was jumped on from behind, sending her to the ground. The octoshot was knocked away from her, and her assailant screamed into her ear."No! You leave them alone, bully!" Yako, who was now straddling the elite, began to hammer her with punches to the face. While they were rather weak and random, they were keeping her down. She looked over to try to call her comrade, but the other elite had been pounced on by Kora, just as the datapad came down. The device bounced once, and turned over, causing the screen to shatter all over the grass. Kora then used the back of her weapon, to bash the elite, and she went limp. By now, the rest of the group had recovered, and were reclaiming their weapons, while Drake readied the rifle. Yako was about to land another punch, but the Lieutenant managed to block it, and kicked Yako off of her."Foolish runt! I'll deal with you later." The elite dove towards her octoshot, to avoid the bullet Drake fired at her. She then grabbed it while finishing the roll, then aimed at the nearest Inkling, which was Pearl, who just finished connecting her weapon to her ink tank again. "Death to Inkop-" The Lieutenant was unable to finish her sentence, as another shot was fired. The elite jerked as blood and ink were forced out of the hole that now occupied the side of her head, causing her to go limp and drop to the ground. At first, Drake thought the shot came from Callie, as she had Otome's handgun raised, but she had a surprised look on her face. Then, they all turned to see Kenny standing with his handgun raised, and breathing heavily."Nice shot, Becker.." Drake said, as he lowered the weapon. "Glad to see you were paying attention during training." Kenny, who was panting heavily over his first kill at such close range, lowered the handgun, and looked over at Pearl. She was frantically trying to wipe the Octoling's blood off her face. Putting the weapon back in its holster, he ran to where Pearl was."Sorry.. here, you missed a spot." He took the cloth from her, and wiped the last of the blood from her forehead and her front left tentacle. This caused her to go beat red, and she quickly turned around away from him, yanking the handkerchief back."S-stupid! But t-thanks for-" Pearl was unable to finish as a blood curdling scream was heard from the back of the group. They had all forgotten that there was one more opposing octoling still up, and they all whipped around to see that Shen still had her in a headlock, and had his free hand under Otome's back right tentacle. From their perspective, it looked like he was trying to rip it right off of her head. She let out another scream as Shen pulled on something, and her eyes came back into focus."Ahhh! Ahhh! It hurts! Make it stop!" She pleaded, her voice starting to sound normal once again."Shen, what the hell?!" Drake shouted, and took a step forward, but Shen backed up with Otome still in his grasp."Stay back, Captain!" He said between pulls. "Nothing... Will change.. unless... I- get-this-off-her!" With one final yank, his hand broke free, and with it came a large glob of blue green gel. A stream that contained a mix of Otome's blood and ink followed the glob, and Otome let out one final scream before her eyes shut. She fell to her knees, and Drake had to grab her to keep her head from hitting the ground. Shen tossed the orb aside, causing it to splatter across the grass as it lost its form."Otome! Shen, what the hell did you do?" Drake asked, as the other started to gather around the Octoling that was laying in the grass."Saving little miss empress, that's what I was doing." He rolled his eyes, irritated at being shouted at."But you killed her!" Callie said in a panicked voice, as she knelt down next to Drake. Marie pushed through the circle of agents, and looked over the Octoling's head wound."Hold on, let me see." After confirming that Otome was still breathing, she lifted up the large back tentacle to get a better look at Otome's head. There were several holes punctured into her skin where the glob was, and they were leaking ink and blood with no signs of healing. "Oh... this looks bad... her wounds aren't closing and she's losing blood.""Kenny, turn around," Drake commanded, while helping Marie with Otome's head."What? I can handle blood, cap-""Just do it!" Grumbling, Kenny turned around, and before he knew it, Drake used his knife to cut the hood off of his hoodie, leaving his head permanently exposed. He then pressed it to the holes to stop the bleeding."Keep that pressed against her, while I look for something to work as a bandage," Marie said. As she started to look around, a piece of clothing was tossed to her. Picking it up, she saw that it was a pair of Octoling shorts. Looking up, she saw the blushing Callie trying to cover her undergarments. Sighing, Marie tossed them back to her cousin. "Callie, that's not gonna work, so put your pants back on!" She quickly did so, thankful that the boys were too focused on Otome to notice. Marie then took Otome's knife, and sliced off both the arm sleeves from Marie's field outfit. She then tied them together to make a bandage to keep the compress in place."Good thinking, Marie.. I just hope we weren't too late." Drake sighed."Me too," Marie said while putting the finishing touches in place, then stood up. "Because she has a lot to answer for." Then she turned around to face Shen, who braced himself for what was coming next. "And so do you. Just who are you, and what the hell happened?""Shen Cornell.. we WERE Guardian Corps unit forty-three, but somehow I doubt we will be getting just a slap on the wrist for this.""The other one is Kora Neried," Drake cut in. "You already know, Yako. There were six of us but-""Octomarin was killed by a salmonid sniper," Kora said, sadly. "But Shen... she has a point. What was that stuff?""Well, you remember that blue green crap that was leaking out of those containers at the spawning grounds?" Shen answered. Drake silently narrowed his eyes, as Kora nodded in response. Shen took out his canteen, and let a few drops pour out. The liquid was of the same blue green tint as the glob that he had pulled off of Otome. "I took some with me from that island and gave some of it to a friend of mine in the science division.""This friend..." Drake interrupted. "Wouldn't happen to be a former member of this squad, would it?""Huh? How did you know?" Shen looked confused, as everyone but him and Kora, sighed heavily."That butthead, Tanner." Yako said with a tone of irritation, which surprised even Shen with how she normally acts."Nevermind that," Marie cut in. "Just tell us what he found out.""That stuff... it uses the same auditory frequencies as Octavio's old mind control tricks.""Wait whhhhat!" Callie shrieked, making Drake, who was right next to her, wince from an autotran overload. "That thing was controlling her? Like it did me before he switched to the shades?""Or me two years ago," Neptune growled."Yes.." Shen nodded in response. "It's seems to latch in and take over the host's brain, rather than just influence them with audio, like Octavio did, but the frequencies are the same. Tanner suspects it's connected to some sort of hive mind, but who or what is controlling it, he doesn't have the slightest idea, and we can't track the signal. I've got a copy of his notes if you want the details." He passed it to Marie, who glossed over the paper."So is this where Octavio got the Technology? But that means he's been pulling the strings the whole time." Marie put her palm to her chin, as she tried to put all the pieces together."But how could he do that from inside his cell?" Drake asked. "And why would he make Otome do the things she did? Especially go to Octarias.""That's true... Octarias could have given Octavio this gunk.. for his mind control experiments from the very beginning," Marie was forced to admit. Callie looked down, and balled her shaking hands into a fist."That jerk.. how could he..? How could he turn our friend against us.. just so he could steal her for himself." Alarmed by her shaking and dark expression, Marie took her hand, then Drake did the same to the other. She quickly snapped out of it, glancing between the two. Seeing the two do their best to silently comfort her, Callie instantly regretted letting anger take over, and she smiled a little to give a silent apology."I think Otome would appreciate the sentiment," Drake said. "But for now, we need to get her out of here. We may have stopped the bleeding, but sticking around in hostile territory isn't doing her any good." He stood up slowly, and lifted her up bridal style, keeping her head leaned into his chest, so the wound was at a side angle, rather than angled to the ground."Agreed," Marie nodded. "Kiren, Neptune, you two scout ahead. Make sure nothing is between us and the Kettle. The rest of you, fan out and make sure nothing even looks at us funny." As the two agents rushed ahead to the Kettle, the rest of the group walked through the park at a steady pace. Callie slowly made her way to where Drake was, until the two were walking side by side. The human and Inkling exchanged glances."Hey... you.. need help?" She meekly asked."Thanks, but I got her," Drake responded, and she looked down a little."She... she's gonna be okay.. right?""I hope so, Callie," Drake sighed in response. "But she lost a lot of blood and who knows what kind of damage that thing did to her head. I.. want to believe she will be fine but... All we can do is pray.""She'd better..." Marie said from Drake's other side, while scanning for targets with her type-H charger. "She has so much to answer for... she'd better be okay.." her voice trailed off. Despite her words, both Drake and Callie could sense the genuine concern and longing in her voice. Callie moved closer and lowered her voice to make sure the others couldn't over hear what she was about to say next."So... so does this mean. that... that you two are... are.. going to be.. back.. together? Since she was... being... controlled?" Her voice was nervous and on the point of breaking. Drake hesitated in answering. There were a lot of things circling in his head. But he knew he had to answer. Making her wait after all the support she had given him and the way she had opened her heart would be unfair, but at the same time he had to know for sure. He had to know what Otome had gone through, and weather or not she had gone to Octarias out of spite, or if she had been under the effect of the strange liquid for that long. Or even if their basic friendship and trust could be rebuilt at all."Callie... I understand your feelings. But can you give me a little time? I won't pretend that what went on between us while we were down here didn't happen... and I can't just brush aside what Otome did, mind control or not. But.. I also can't just throw away the last two years, either. Especially not with out hearing her side with out that thing influencing her. At the very least, can we wait until we know she's safe and awake to talk about this?""I.. okay... that's fair and.. I want to hear her side too... if she really hates me.""She.. I don't think she hates you. Until we hear it straight from her mouth, we should trust that she didn't truly mean it." He glanced over at her, careful not to shift Otome's head. "You're just as important to her, as you are to me and Marie.""Y-yeah.." she smiled again, which Drake was glad to see. "I'll get my friend back." Once they exited the artificial park, they found the backdoor kettle that lead to the old dome that Marina and Selka had left behind in."Area is clear, Mariechi," Neptune said, which earned a glare. "Which is weird. They must have known their attack failed.""I agree, but right now, I don't care," Marie responded. "Kirin, Neptune, you two go first. Then Callie and Drake can take Otome. Pearl, Kenny and I will go last." Taking turns, they all let the kettle shoot them to the older dome. Drake had to take extra care to make sure Otome wasn't injured further from the trip, as he slid down the tunnel behind Callie. Once they were all on the other side, Marie tried to call Marina, but all she got was static. But they soon heard the sounds of battle from the far side of the plateau."Wh-what's going on? Who else is here?" Callie asked with a nervous tone."Something must have happened. Marina and Selka might be in trouble," Marie answered."What?! Reena's in trouble! We gotta help her, yo!" With out waiting for a response, Pearl charged forwards."Hey, wait! Get back here, Pearl!" Kenny yelled, and ran after her at speeds that still made Drake think he could have been a great track competitor, had the world not ended. The others picked up the pace, and they could see Marina and Selka fending off a squad of Octolings that had ambushed them. Marina was holding her splatbrella up with the shield open, while Selka fired at them from behind her. The Octolings clearly had no idea how to handle this newer weapon, and tried to brute force past her shield. Marina quickly closed the shield, and fired a blast at the nearest one in a manner that made Drake think of a shotgun, and quickly opened it back up. The splatted Octoling rolled off the side of the cliff, but the others were about to break the shield with their combined ink."Reeeenaaaa!" Pearl yelled, which got everyone's attention."Huh? Pearly?! Look out!" One of the Octolings turned to fire at her, but Kenny quickly aimed his handgun, and shot the male in the head. He fell dead. The remaining three tried to back off, but Selka jumped in front of Marina, and sprayed one of them down until ink paralysis set in. The last two went after Pearl, but another shot from Kenny, allowed Pearl to splat the last one with her type-H splatter shot."Fools! How dare you attack Reena." Pearl lowered her weapon, and crossed her arms."Idiot." Kenny said, as he came behind her. "How many times have I saved your forehead now? Pay attention.""Wha!? I didn't ask you for your help, dammit! Marina was in trouble!" She shot back."No, Pearly. I'm happy you came to help me, but he's right. You almost got splatted too." Marina gave her a look that made Pearl cool down."But... I.. Ugh.." She sighed. "Fine... I'm sorry, Reena... and.. thanks again.. fos.. Kenny.""See, its not so hard to get along." Marina said with a smile."Oh, be quiet!" She huffed, making the Octoling giggle."By the way, what happened to the camp?" Marie asked. "And how did they find you?""About the time we lost contact, A large group of commandos raided the camp," Marina said, and her smile vanished. "Selka and I hid, but they trashed the place and took the weapons you swapped out for the splattershots. B-but I was able to save the laptop and the zapfish, though." She called to Sheldon on the communicator, and the weapons container came down, and opened to reveal her computer and the juvenile zapfish. "But then another group showed up, and...""Tried to turn us inta sushi," Selka finished for her. "Almost got us too, till y'all showed up and gave em a doozy of a beat down.""You two did good," Marie said with a nod. "And it looks like the prototype typh-H splatbrella held up well.""Y-yeah." Marina nodded, her smile returning as she gazed down at the weapon. "Sheldon said it was almost ready to add as a turf war weapon. I'm really looking forward to it, because I like this thing." She then looked towards Drake. "But how is Otome do-" She stopped when she saw the bandage wrapped around her head."Not good," Drake responded. "But she's alive. We need to get her out of here, now.""Yes of course!" Marina nodded rapidly in a way that reminded him of Annie. "And I think I know just the way." She turned back to the weapons crate, and started tossing out all the camping gear and other items besides the laptop, zapfish and the other 3 type-H weapons."Whoa! Reena, what the heck?" Pearl said, as she dodged a container of instant ramen that flew passed her head."Bring her over here," Marina said, once she was finished tossing the items. Drake went over to the container, and they gently set her inside. Marina closed the lid, and called for Sheldon on the communicator."Geez, I'm supposed to be a weapons dealer, not a delivery boy. But I'll get her back safe and sound," the horseshoe crab said. The mobile crate was lifted, and ascended, before flying to a dome exit."Now it's our turn," Marie said to the group. "Let's get out of here before they find us again." Not needing to be told twice, they all hopped off the side of the cliff that was a steep incline, and rode down on their backs to the lower part of the dome. Once everyone was down, Marie got them back in formation, with Drake, Marina, Callie and Kirin in the front, and Kenny in the back with herself and Pearl. Neptune and the Octolings were in the center. They expected ambushes while moving through the old mining area, but it seemed the Octarians had either lost track of them or given up. Eventually, they reached the kettle that lead back to Octovalley."Finally!" Selka said with a yawn. "Been a dogfish's age since ah last saw my bed." She didn't bother waiting for Marie to say anything before jumping in, and was shot back to the valley. One by one, the others used the kettle, except for Drake who had to pair up with Callie, and Kenny who went with Pearl and Marina. Just before Marie went in, who was the last to evacuate, she looked up and could see zeppelins coming in through the roof tunnels."Still after us, huh? We'd better keep our guard up tonight. I'm not losing anyone else." Marie quickly changed forms to join the others...."That be him alright." Captain Cuttlefish said, as he and Levin watched a bright red tentacled Octoling with a larger version of the popular mohawk style. His gray eyes and the small scar on his front tentacle gave him rather unique features. He was sitting in the middle of a small camp, and was munching on a fish he had recently caught from the nearby river, while humming a familiar squid sisters tune. "Lieutenant Axel Siber. Lad let his guard down.""I don't know, cap. Looks like a normal guy to me. Dude does look a little familiar, though.""Nonsense! That's just what them Octo-jerks want yah to think, lad. He's definitely Octavio's body guard. Once we get him, all that's left, is to look into that Corporal Ida lass. Now, time to get to work.""Wait, wait!" Shara said over the communicator. She had been investigating another part of the canyon herself, but overheard their conversation. "I'm almost there. Don't take him on alone!""Worry not, lass. I have faith in 3. Now, sic em, agent!" Cuttlefish commanded. With a sigh, Levin changed forms, and long jumped to where Axel was camping. He came down, just as Siber finished eating, and changed forms. He readied his blaster, but kept it pointed down."Hey, uh.. dude. I know this is kinda sudden, but you need to come with me." The male Octoling just stared at him, making Levin feel more uncomfortable. "Look, uh its nothing personal, but you being Octavio's body guard means- whoa!" Levin jerked in surprise as Axel grabbed his Octoshot and ink tank in one quick motion, and he raised his own blaster to the Octoling."So... Agent 3. You've come for me." The boy had a calm but firm voice, and showed no signs of hesitating. It was different then when he was humming the squid sister's song. "Once wasn't enough, huh?""You know about me, huh?" Levin said with a slight smirk. "Then come quietly. I don't wanna have to shoot you if I don't have to.""I'm not going to jail for that idiot," Siber said with a bit of a growl. "I got nothing left. Nothing to live for, so just leave me alone. I'm warning you, it won't be like last time.""Aww, come on, dude. It can't be all that bad. And what do you mean, last time?""Just go away!" The Octoling got ready to fire, but then stopped. At first Levin was confused, but then the ground around them started to shake. "What the?! What did you do?" Behind them, a massive spike came out of the ground, making a very large hole around it. Following the spike, a large number of green and blue figures emerged from the hole the spike created. Levin and Axel both glanced at each other, and turned their weapons on the figures that were emerging. Little did they know that a second hole had opened up behind them. Levin got off a single blaster shot, before both him and Axel were grabbed from behind, and placed in choke holds. Cuttlefish raised his cane and started running to them as fast as his old legs would move."Let me agent go, you blue fre-" The old squid was unable to finish, as he was also grabbed. The creature that grabbed him forced him forward, and he could see Levin being dragged down the far hole, and Axel was being taken to the second one. Cuttlefish tried to struggle, unable to even answer Shara, who was yelling at them to talk to her over the com, and he was forced into the same hole that Axel was taken in. The spikes then retreated, and the area was silent."What... happened here?" Shara was standing in disbelief at the state of the camp. She had heard Levin say something about shaking over the communicator, but the two large holes in the ground were making her all the more worried that she couldn't reach either of them. She slowly went over to one of the holes and looked im, only to be met with blackness. "Idiot... I didn't give two years to the first boy to truly love me, just to lose him. Hold on, Levin." With out a second thought, she jumped in....The Agents, humans and Octarians, were all standing around Cuttlefish's bed, in the old cabin. Otome had been placed on it, and her wound had been better treated. She was still unconscious, but her breathing was more stable."Sis.. she's gonna make it, right?" Yako said with a hopeful expression."She's better off now than she was before," Marie tried to say in a reassuring tone. "I'd take her to the hospital, but I don't know if she's safe in Inkopolis with everything going on. Especially after how Pearl and Marina were locked out of the network.""Y-yeah, and we also need to get the data to someone," Marina added."We'll figure something out in the morning. For now, you should all stay here and get some sleep while Otome recovers. We'll need to do it in shifts, since the Octarians will still likely be looking for us.""I'll take the first shift." Drake said, and turned to leave. "Tell me if she wakes up." He then went outside, thankful to have some time alone to clear his head. Hours passed, as he sat on the old couch, just enjoying the breeze that picked up. The valley managed to stay quiet and tranquil during his watch.After checking the time, he eventually went back inside. Most of the Oceanics had sprawled out on the floor, or were sleeping in their basic form, say for Marina who was typing on the laptop. He went to the bedroom to check on Otome, first. She was still sleeping, and he saw that Callie and Marie were sleeping next to her in their squid forms, holding each-other tight. He smiled at being reminded at how close the two were. Yako looked like she was sleeping at the foot of the bed, in her octo form. He then headed back to the kitchen. Kirin was laying by the bathroom in his bipedal form, and Neptune was on the counter in a similar pose. Shen and Kora were near the front door in their Octo forms. Kenny was laying in the middle of the hall way. And the process of elimination made it easy to tell who was sleeping on Kenny's chest in her squid form. Drake had to hold a hand to his mouth to keep from laughing at the two."I didn't have the heart to move her," Marina said, looking up. "And it's kinda cute.""Maybe so." Drake sat down. "But you need to get some sleep.""Huh? But its my shift next.""Look at the time. I took yours for you. Go rest.""Huh?" She looked down and saw that her shift should have just ended. "Oh.. oh.. I'm sorry," she said with a yawn. "But thank you. I'll go wake Neptune, then call it quits." She got up and went to where Neptune was sleeping, while Drake sat in the chair, and put his feet up in the other one, already feeling his fatigue take over. But just before he passed out, he felt something in his lap. He woke up, and saw an Octopus in his lap."I... I couldn't sleep." said the voice of Yako. She stared at him for several moments. "I'm... worried.. about her.""I know.. we all are," Drake replied."Y-yeah... Hey.. can you.. do the thing?" She asked, and changed forms back to humanoid. Her side was facing him, and she leaned her head into his chest."Sure... of course." He put his hand on her head, and started to rub her thick tentacles. She closed her eyes, and leaned into his patting. He swore she was purring, until he noticed that she had fallen asleep."Thanks... big.. brother.." She managed to say between her rhythmic breathing. Seeing that he couldn't move, he accepted his fate."What are you, Neptune?" He managed to pass out easily, despite the weight on his lap.
A\N: Arc 2 Is now done. I probably won't take the usual break, since my writing time is already all over the place. But we'll see. Let me know how things are going. I personally got the most out of writing the life in the octarian army parts of arc 2 over the rest of the story so far.

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Authors notes: Octo expansion spoiler warning from this point on.
When one is in a deep sleep, they usually don't take kindly to being forcefully awoken. Especially when this sleep was a result of unconsciousness from unnatural means. Heinous headaches tend to accompany such awakenings, as one Octoling was about to find out. Pain was coursing through the Octoling's head, as its vision slowly came back into focus. That pain was magnified tenfold when the first thing the creature saw, was an old Inkling with wide eyes, staring right into his face at the point of near contact."Oi! Octoling! Up and at em- Lazy whipper snapper. I hope you're ready for a whooppin'. I'm gonna give you the spanking that your parents never rightfully gave you, bucko!" Wide awake, the male Octoling felt a wave of nausea hit him. As the old Inkling raised his cane, the Octoling turned over and emptied the contents of his stomach onto the concrete floor that he had been laying on moments ago. As the Octoling vomited, the old Inkling slowly lowered his cane. "But then again, there's no honor in splatting someone with out a weapon. Especially while we are stuck down here..." The old man finally backed up a little and looked around."W-what...?" Fighting the pain in his head and the nausea, the boy raised his head. Following the Inkling's gaze, it was apparent that something was wrong. They were in what looked like an underground passage. One that was not naturally formed. Concrete surrounded them, and electrical lighting illuminated the passage. There were also a few storage containers spread around the tunnel. "Where...?"Last thing I remember-" The old Inkling interrupted, anticipating his question. "Is you and Agent 3 fighting. Then... someone grabbed us. And now we seem to be Marooned down here. Although... you.. look a little different then the last time I saw you up on the surface. Do Octarian tentacles grow and change style on their own?" The older squid let out a sigh of frustration. "Well it don't matter. How's about you and I call a temporary truce?""What... are you.. talking about?" The confused Octoling was rubbing the back of his head that was resting on the ground. The old Inkling blinked a few times and gave him a look that would have made the boy suspicious if he hadn't suffered a concussion, but continued to talk as if he intentionally ignored him."I suppose I should mind my manners. I'm Cap'n Cuttlefish. Leader of the New Squidbeak Splatoon." The old squid stopped and moved a little closer to the boy's face, while trying to keep his expression neutral. An action that made the boy feel uncomfortable. "And... you are...?""I... I am... I am...?" The throbbing in the boy's head intensified, and he pressed both his hands on the base of his largest tentacle to try to cope with the pain. Cuttlefish put a hand under his chin, while observing the boy. "I.. My head...""Could.. you have actually lost your memory and hit your head that hard? By Kraken..." The old Inkling finally backed off and seemed to have come to a conclusion about the Octoling. "Most interesting.""You.. do you know something, Captain?" The Octoling slowly pulled himself to his feet. Cuttlefish stared at him with the intense gaze he had shown before, but shook his head."Nay. And by the way, I noticed you were humming the Calamari Inkantation before this whole mess started. Then again right before you fully came to, though in a higher pitched voice the second time. I wonder... I wonder. Have my dear grandsquids reached even your soul, lad?" The boy's head throbbed even more from the Inkling's statement, and he was unable to respond. "I'll take that as a yes." Cuttlefish nodded to himself while resting his chin on his cane. "You're not the first Octarian to hear their fantastic melodies, but the last time the Octarian army got an earful of those, was when Agent 3 defeated Octavio.""Octavio.. Octavio... Octavio.." The throbbing in the Octoling's head was becoming almost unbearable."Never you mind about that, lad." Cuttlefish interrupted with a swing of his cane. "Still, it feels a little too coincidental. But in any case, one who understands the grace of the squidsisters is okay by me. Now, on your feet, soldier! We need to find a way outta here!" The old squid raised his cane, and pointed to a small ramp that lead to another section of the concrete tunnel. Feeling his nausea finally pass, the boy managed to get to his feet. His legs wobbled for a few seconds, but the feeling soon passed."I.. I think I'm okay now." The boy took several steps, and was able to keep his balance. The throbbing in his head was starting to go away as well, but would flare up again when ever he tried to recall even his name."Aye, that's good, lad. Now, let's see what we can find." Moving at a surprising pace for his age, Cuttlefish took the lead. The duo passed through several more intertwining passages. There were several storage containers lying about, but most of the areas they passed through all seemed to be rather uniform in design, and it proved difficult to keep their bearings straight in such an environment."I wonder what this place is?" The boy asked to break the silence as they walked."I wish I could say, lad. This isn't Octarian design. But.. it almost feels like.." his voice trailed off as they entered a much larger chamber."Like what, Captain?" He asked as the two took in the new environment. It consisted of several large platforms, with tunnels at each end. Between the platforms, a line of rails ran through the tunnels."A train station. I knew it. Looks like found our way out." The two climbed up a small set of stairs that lead to the central platform. The clacking of their boots echoed through the seemingly lifeless station. "But... this doesn't look like any part of the trans-border line..." The two stopped in the middle of the platform, and Cuttlefish focused his gaze of a fixture on the side of the platform. "And I definitely don't remember one of those.""What... is it? It looks like a phone or something," the Octoling commented."Aye, it be the phones we had during the war. Back in the good ol' days, before them fancy not so smart phones that my grandsquids are always playing with." Rolling his eyes at the ranting squid, the Octoling walked closer to the old looking phone. Curious, he reached out to it, but then, in a sudden motion that startled them both, the phone came to life and the sound of a synthetic voice came through the receiver."Scanning target for ID," the voice said, which made the Octoling back up a little. "Target ID confirmed. ID Number 10,008. Checking logs." The mechanical voice stopped for a moment, and a whirring noise could be heard from in the phone, as it seemed to process the information. The squid and Octoling exchanged a glance, but the voice started speaking again before they could share their thoughts. "Greetings number 10,008. Your current location is Deepsea Metro, Central station. I will be your guide, as my function is to assist you in reaching the promised land.""You... what are you talking about? And who is 10,008? My name is.. my name is..""And what do you mean, deepsea Metro?" Cuttlefish interrupted. "Isn't this the transborder line? Who the hecking heck are you, anyway?" The phone went silent for several moments."Communication inefficient. Attempting to load contemporary speech database." The phone made another whirring sound before continuing with a different tone that made the Octoling's headache return. "What's Crackalakin home- Slang not found. Im'ma help you bounce to the promised land for sho. So let's-""Arg! Shut up, already!" The boy yelled, which made the Captains eyes widen. "We don't have time for this! We need out of this place, so can you help us or not!""Contemporary speech mode failed." The phone whirred once more. "Species, Octoling. Species, Inkling. One that spent their life in the dark, one that was blinded to the dark. Your eyes must be opened before you can reach the utopia of which I speak. I cannot just bring you to the promised land. For that, you are required to prove your worth. The other 10,007 applicants have failed to reach the promise land... but you, 10,008." The phone paused, and a hatched opened. What looked like an ID card and a remote were dropped at the Octoling's feet. "Take this ID and your CQ-80. The conductor will explain more. Good luck, 10,008 and do not disappoint us." The phone went silent, and did not come back to life this time. The Octoling picked up the card and remote, with a scowl on his face."10,008, huh?" The Captain said, interrupting his thoughts. "I think I'll just call you Agent 8 until you get your memories back.""Agent... 8?" The Octoling turned around and gave him a sour look. "My name... is not 8... is it? And why Agent?""Its what I call all me agents. Don't fuss over it." The Inkling turned away to look at the tunnel. "Still.. this promise land. I wonder if he was talking about Inkopolis. Or maybe even Octoburg, depending on how far underground we are. Perhaps they even know about the humans and are referring to them.""Humans...?" The boy's look shifted to one of confusion. "What's a human? And what are Octoburg and Inkopolis?""You know.. the elder race? The land walkers...? Just how badly did you hit your head?" Cuttlefish gave him a blank look in response. "Well never mind. There's no time to waste. We still need to find a way out-" At that moment, a subway train came barreling down the far side of the tunnel, and screeched to a halt in front of them. The doors then opened, as if the train was there, just for them. "Well, times-a-wastin', bucko." The inkling wasted no time in getting on the train."Old man..." The Octoling sighed. "Even with out my memories, I know that this isn't right... but... something tells me that just sitting here will be worse." The Octoling reluctantly got on board as well, and the doors closed behind him. The train quickly departed and picked up speed towards the opposite tunnel...."Yes, yes. Many things have been happening." The girl that was floating in front of Drake nodded to herself, causing her hair to sway in the wind. She turned around and walked to the side, as if pacing. Then stopped to face the man in front of her again. "More than either of us could have anticipated. I'm getting really worried about you, my brother.""What do you mean, Alice?" Drake rubbed the back of his head. He had gotten used to seeing this manifestation of his late sister. Even with the body of a young adult. "I've been doing my best to watch over them, but..." he sighed. "But now, so much is hitting me at once.""Yeah... I had a feeling there was more to what the red headed one was doing." She turned and started pacing again. "I'm glad your taking care of those friends of yours, instead of trying to off yourself this time, but... but I.. I'm worried this may be too much for you.""Hasn't stopped me before," Drake responded. "And you can stop bringing up the suicide thing. If you really are watching me, you should know I have no intention of making that mistake again.""You make me sound like a stalker." This caused Alice to grin for a brief moment, but it disappeared just as instantly. "But, you did almost kill someone in cold blood.""I... that's.." Drake went pale faced, and Alice shook her head."That's why I told you to protect those three. But now.. It seems you have more in your charge. And your little escapade with the reds might pay off, brother. You're going to need all the help you can get.""What do you mean? Do you know what's going on?""I can say no more..." She turned away. "Oh and.. if you ever go back to Eden... to father.. don't be surprised at what you find. Just tell her that I said hi." Alice turned away, and Drake reached out."Alice wait! What do you-" At that moment he woke up with a start. He panted heavily for several seconds, as his vision and other senses returned to him. "I... I must be losing my mind. Alice is dead..." He reached up, and rubbed his head that was currently throbbing. As he sat there in pain, he noticed that Yako was no longer sleeping on his lap. He slowly pushed himself off the chair, intending to look for her, but then he saw that the bathroom door was closed, and the light was creeping through the crack underneath."Well, I'm not going back to sleep.. might as well check on the others." Looking around, he saw that both Neptune and Kirin were still passed out on the floor and counter. Kenny was still sleeping in the hall, with Pearl using him as a pillow in squid form. Marina was laying with her head on the laptop, and some drool was leaking from her mouth, which made it hard for Drake to not laugh out loud. He then glanced over to the front door and saw that both Shen and Kora were gone. "Wait.. Shen should be on watch right now, but why are both he and Kora gone?" He stared at the spot for several moments, before shaking his head. "Ah, I'll look for them later. I need to check on Otome."Quietly as he could, Drake tiptoed passed the sleeping Marina, who was lightly snoring. Slowly opening the door to not disturb the occupants sleep, he peaked his head in. The squid cousins were still sleeping on the side of the bed in their squid form, but the human was instantly alarmed by the lack of a figure in the middle of the small bed. His eyes widened at the absence of the wounded Octoling. Only a few spots of dried blood and ink that likely leaked from the bandages remained. Alarmed, he backed into a small shelf, almost knocking over an old family photo. Silently cursing, he backed out of the room, as not to wake the sleeping cousins, and headed to the front door."Otome, you better have not done something stupid." The rickety door creaked as the young adult pushed it open, letting in a gust of cool air. The night breeze was rather pleasant. A nice contrast to the hot summer days. Drake looked around, trying to find a sign of Otome, but there were not tracks, marks or drops of blood on the ground. "Shen isn't keeping watch either, and Kora is also gone.. what the he-" He was about to curse out loud, when he heard something that sounded like a sigh come from where the old couch was being kept. Keeping a hand on his handgun holster, he slowly walked towards it. At first, all he saw was a set of red tentacles, but which Octoling was occupying it became clear, when he saw a white bandage once he got closer."Why..." He paused from the sound of her voice, finally free of any corruption the strange liquid had left on her. She didn't bother to look up, instinctively knowing it was him. "Why did you... help me..?" Despite knowing the answer, Drake clammed up. He had run a number of scenarios through his head, from the two instantly making up, to Otome declaring that it was not the gel that had made her do what she had done, but this was not one of them. Otome had gone silent again, and still had her back to him. Sighing, he lightly pinched his cheek, and went to the other side of the couch. Otome was staring up at the night sky, and he plopped down beside her."Why would you even ask me that?" Drake asked. She didn't respond, and continued to stargaze. Drake waited several moments to see if she would respond, before speaking again. He tried his best to keep his voice calm, and not let his conflicting emotions get the best of him again. "After everything we've been through the last two years... hell, I wouldn't be alive if not for you. Do you really think I would just leave you for dead? What kind of companion would I be, just because of a misunderstanding?" Otome continued to remain silent, staring upwards on the uncomfortable decrepit old couch. "I know that wasn't really you... during the salmonid battles... or our talk in the park.""Was it..?" Otome finally spoke up, and turned to meet Drake's gaze. The Octoling's yellow eyes were filled with red to match her tentacles , likely a mixture of crying and sleep deprivation. Drake assumed it was the former, and despite that both of them had been a victim of what ever had been controlling her, he couldn't help but to be filled with guilt. Otome gazed into his own eyes, before speaking up again. "Was it really not me?""Of course not.!" Drake insisted. "I know that wasn't you! You'd never-" Drake was cut off, when Otome shook her bandaged head. An action that made her wince a little."You don't understand... You don't know what I've been through... what it was like." Otome looked down to cover her darkened face, as she could tell that the human was getting more and more worried. "It wasn't something one could just blow off like when I was briefly under Octavio's control, or when he used those shades on Callie... There was no warped music, no goggles.. no-""Then tell me!" He said, interrupting her before she could go on a tangent. "Tell me, so I can understand... I need to know." He paused. "Putting what's happened to our relationship aside.. I don't want this.. awkwardness between us, and I know you don't either.""I..." Otome paused, and slowly nodded her head, as not to trigger more pain. "You're right.." She sighed deeply, before starting her explanation. "I assume Callie already told you about the waterfall?" Drake also nodded, and motioned for her to continue. "Don't misunderstand, I don't blame her for what happened. I know she tried her best to help me." She sighed again. "After the coil snapped and she tumbled backwards, I thought my life was over. All I could think of was never seeing you.. her.. Marie.. our friends ever again. I knew I was dead, but I somehow missed all those rocks that I'm sure you saw. But even though I can swim now, the water was too shallow. Despite it breaking my fall, I still hit my head on the river bed, and blacked out.""Come to think of it... it was awfully strange that Callie found no sign of you. No blood, no body, no gear.. well except for the gun I gave you. But.. if you were captured, it seems really convenient that someone was there, waiting for you.""That was my first thought, as well..." Otome paused and looked him in the eye. "It was all planned out from the start.. but.. I wasn't the original target."...My head was throbbing. I knew I must have been out for some time, since my vision was instantly blurred the moment I tried to open my eyes. I wanted to let a groan slip, but I didn't know where I was and who was watching. I decided to keep my eyes closed for the time being, until the pain goes away some, but another wave of pain hit, and I couldn't help but to moan."Look, she's coming too," a voice said from my right. It sounded like an Octarian regular. Hoping that I had been brought to the hospital, I slowly opened my eyes. A large regular that I recognized from the science division was standing before me. I could also make out another male Octoling wearing a lab coat, and he was holding a needle. With out hesitating, he stuck the needle in my arm, and a sharp pain accompanied it that made me hiss."Quit being a baby. You're supposed to be a soldier after all." I could hear the Octoling say. Slowly the pain started to go away, and my vision cleared up. My memory of the previous encounter returned, as well. I remembered the coil snapping, after Callie stopped my fall, and tumbling into the water below, hitting my head on the bottom of the river. Even with the water breaking some of the fall, I.. I would have probably died from that kind of head trauma, had she not stopped me from falling the full length.. I must thank her when I return."I hope she made it out okay.." I couldn't help but to say out loud. The Regular gave me a confused look, and I took the opportunity to look around. Tools, laboratory equipment.. heavy machinery that I could tell were not for treatment. I was not in the hospital. I was in the bio lab of dome 26. I know this place, because I had to escort that Lech Tanner here once. .. I wonder how he's doing.. no, this isn't the time for that. "Why have I been brought to the bio lab..." I gave the regular the most harsh look I could think of, which made him cower. The Octoling was not so easily intimidated."Orders from the top," he said, and I gave him an inquisitive look. What could he mean? "Name, rank and unit, soldier.""Corporal- no, Lieutenant Otome Maroon, Guardian corps unit 43.""Good. Now that you have recovered, the emperor wants a word with you." The Octoling started typing away on a computer, and sent out a text message to what I guessed was the capital building."Huh?" I couldn't help but to break the tough girl act I was trying to put on. Why would Octurus send me here? Was this because I failed? No.. he wouldn't.. "What does Emperor Octurus want with me. If this is a debriefing, I should have been sent to the military hospital, not the bio lab." The Octoling turned and gave me a look that made me feel like I was being judged as an idiot."Octurus ain't in charge anymore. Guess you've been out longer than I thought. I'll be back in a bit. Gotta make sure everything is ready for our guest." The boy checked his tentacles, and straightened up his coat, before heading to the door with the Regular. Once they were gone, my first thought was to get out of there, as something was clearly wrong. But to my dismay, I was strapped to the bed with eel binders. I could tell I wasn't going anywhere. I sighed, and let my mind wonder. Drake and Callie must be worried sick.. I need to get back to them. I need to find out if Octavio was dealt with, and if that brat Marie hired knows what he did. I wonder if Kelly knows what happened. "Wait, Kelly. Surely she can get me out of here!" As a sliver of hope reached me, the door opened. Looking up, I had hoped that it was in fact my friend that had come to get me and tell me it was a mistake. But the one coming in wasn't Kelly, nor was it Octurus."Well, there you are. I was beginning to get worried, you know." My heart sank as Octarias gave me an obviously false smile. I should have known he wouldn't give up. Alarm bells were going off in my head but I could do nothing."What's going on Octarias? And where is Octurus?" I gave him a look that I had hoped would send a message that I wasn't interested in him. He just chuckled in response."Now that my father has passed away-" My eyes widened at this. Octurus was old, but he was both unbelievably strong and healthy for his age. I was instantly suspicious, as he was way too calm for losing his father so suddenly. "Now that my father has passed away, I'm going to be taking over for him as emperor." he walked over to the bed, and I leaned back as far as I could."Good for you, Octarias. Now, you mind undoing these? I need to get back to my post.""Ah, yes about that." Octarias grinned even wider, which made me shiver a little. "You see, I can't trust that human to take care of you anymore. I mean a big guy like that letting you almost die. Unacceptable.""That's non of your business, Octarias." I snarled at him, to try to get the point across. "In fact, both of us would have been happier if it wasn't for you constantly trying to stick your nose in our business. We could have already-""Oh, but it is my business." What could he mean by that? Wait, he's not- "You see, I need an empress by my side.""How many times must I say I'm not interested for you to leave me alone?""Except I think you are. In fact, I will show you that you are." He nodded to the other Octoling, who retrieved a tank filled with some green liquid. He reached in and pulled out some with his hand. What was especially strange, is the liquid held its form as he brought it out of the container, instead of spilling from his hands. Octurus took the glob from him and held it up. "I had intended to use this on that human, but this works out fine. Its time you see things my way, my dear.""Wait, what are you-" Before I could finish, he grabbed the back of my tentacles and pulled, which made me yelp from the sudden pain. He then pressed the glob to the back of my head. Instantly, I was hit by a sharp pain that made me scream loud enough for the other male to cover his ears."Just relax. The pain will go away in a moment." Octarias nodded to the male, and he undid my straps. I wanted to jump up. Punch him, and make my escape, but a sharp shock was sent to my head from that thing. It told... it told me no. I must stay.. .what is this? "Now, come to my side." Octarias backed up and held out his hand. I slowly got off the bed. The door is over there... now to run... run.. I started to walk towards him. No, not that way. The door..."I am here.." I said. Why did I say that? I took Octarias's hand. I should throw him. Another zap from the blob robbed me of that thought."Good. Good, see I know you'd come around." Octarias said. He leaned in. No- he's not gonna.. I don't want to... "You're mine now." He pressed his lips to mine. Disgusting. I don't want this. Bite him... no accept.. kiss him. No, get away.. accept. I had to force myself to keep from actively kissing back, but I still stood there and let him do it. He pulled away with a grin. "I see you're still hesitant, but that will go away eventually. I always did appreciate your strong will. Oh, and forget about that human." He passed me a small photograph. Confused, I turned it over and looked at it. What was on it, filled me with one emotion, and one only. The blob robbing me of any other thoughts. Anger....By now, Drake's face was red, and not from embarrassment, as he looked at the Octoling who was forcing herself to keep her watered eyes from shedding tears. Otome had paused, now that she had finished her story. Drake's fists were shaking, as his darkest fears over what had happened were brought to light. Otome swallowed before speaking once more. "You... you were his original target. Octavio was supposed to throw you in the river, so it looked like you died, then use you to get to me, and get the humans on his side in one swift movement.""That... man.. is a real piece of work." Drake said, barely able to keep his rage in check. "He kills his own father, tries to play us against each other... and is willing to use.. that to do it.""It's so much worse than the hypnotics." Otome said. "I never wanted to hit Callie... I wanted to believe in you.. that you two.. wouldn't betray me.. I wanted to come back to you... but.. but I.." She stopped again, closing her eyes to keep from sobbing. "That thing filled me with rage.. brought out my darkest thoughts.. it was like.. I was still me.. but not me.. It controlled me, but didn't at the same time... I..""Otome.." Drake reached over and took her shivering hand. "Otome, it's not your fault." She looked into his eyes again, intent on denying it, but he shook his head. "He used you. What ever you did, it was the fault of that thing he stuck on you. If it was truly you, he wouldn't have had to use it at all.""I.. I..""And we forgive you," a voice from behind said. Otome looked up, and her eyes went wide when she saw the black and magenta tentacled Inkling leaning over the top of the couch. Otome jumped up and took a step back, her eyes wide."C-Callie! I.. I- I mean-" Otome took a step back, but Callie jumped over the couch and closed the distance. Otome closed her eyes, expecting to be hit by an angry squid sister, but the blow never came. Instead, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Surprised, she opened her eyes again, and saw that the inkling was embracing her."I forgive you.. You're one of my best friends.. I missed you, Otome. All I wanted was you back, and for you, me, Marie and Drake to get along again.""Callie..." Otome could no longer keep her emotions in check, and the tears she held back were now flowing, dripping down the side of her armor. Callie's own golden eyes were watering as well, as the two hugged. "Callie, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything I did.""I'm sorry too. I should have never let those stupid jerks take you!" The two tightly embraced. Drake stood in silence for several moments, before talking to himself."Two racial enemies that have grown that close. Maybe there really can be a permanent piece.. once the liar has been exposed." He continued to watch, but another pair of footsteps could be heard coming from behind. He turned around to see Kora, panting heavily."Captain, I-" She paused when she saw the two girls crying behind him. "Am I interrupting something?""No, its fine." he took several steps away from them, so the two could talk. "Also, I'm not your Captain anymore- ah, nevermind. What is it?""Shen has disappeared. I went after him, but all I found was this." She held up a canteen. Drake opened it, and saw that it was the same one that he was carrying that had the blue green liquid in it. "Do you think he was captured? He was supposed to be keeping watch, after all.""It's possible," Drake sighed. "As if we don't have enough to worry about. Why don't you go inside and wake the others? It's about time we figure out where to go from here.""O-oh, sure." She glanced over at the two again. "And I'm glad your friend is okay.""Thanks, Kora," Drake responded as the girl went back into the cabin. He turned back to the two girls to see them separate."Welcome back, Otome," Callie said with a smile."Thanks, Callie," Otome responded, and finally cracked a slight smile. "But... I.. I have to ask. Did you two... kiss?" Callie's smile vanished, and she looked down in shame."I swear to you that we never did anything while you two were dating, and I always supported you.""R-right. I believe you, Callie.. I'm sorry I let that stupid fake photo let me doubt one of my best friends." Callie looked up and smiled again."Yep, yep! I'm glad you trust me again!""But I was talking about after that since you said..." Otome looked anxious and Callie went serious."Otome.. I'm sorry, but we did." She glanced at Drake, who was trying to figure out if he should butt in or not, but she steeled her resolve and continued. "We both thought you hated us so.. no, I can't just use that." She took a deep breath. "I love him... I had given up and accepted that he'd be my brother instead, but.. after what happened, I.. let my feelings get the better of me. I know I should have waited until we were sure but.." Callie stopped and rubbed the back of her head. "I don't know what's wrong with me... this isn't me! I'm Callie of the squid sisters.. I'm not supposed to do things like this or act like a-" She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw that Drake was standing behind her."I think we should continue this another time. Once the war is dealt with." He took a deep breath. "Because I am not blameless either. As I told Orianna, this ain't an anime, and there's no Harem ending.""What's a harem?" Callie asked in an innocent tone."Callie, no!" Otome said strongly. "You don't need to know. And he's right. We have bigger issues. I will make Octairas pay for trying to ruin us.""Too right," Drake nodded. "He's hurt pretty much every single person I care about, and-" At that moment, a scream was heard inside the shack, and all three of them whipped around."Who was that?" Callie asked."Was it Shen? Did he come back?" Otome followed up."No.. that was too girly. I think a certain someone, on being woken up, found out she was using a certain someone else as a pillow. We'd better go make sure a brawl doesn't start." The three headed to the shack, hoping it wasn't being torn apart.
A/N: So much for being half the length as LOH

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

In the living quarters of the project Eden complex that was directly underneath the newly constructed residences above ground, Brandon found his consciousness slowly returning to him. With a quiet groan, he turned to the night stand that was next to the bed he currently occupied. His vision blurred, he reached over and grabbed his glasses. After fitting them on his face, he glanced at his alarm clock and saw that he had awoken a few minutes early. Fighting the urge to go back to sleep and risk being rudely awoken by the clocks annoying beep, he slowly looked around the room. Unlike before, where he had a bunk in the barracks, how know was assigned to Drake's former room, due to being acting captain. Which was good, since he was not the only occupant of the bed."So, it was real..." Brandon stared at the back of the sleeping nude figure in front of him. Her back was nearly flawless, despite her time in the army. Her shoulders and arms did a good job at hiding the muscle that was built under them. Her dark tentacles rested across the pillow, looking as relaxed as the Octoling elite that they were attached too. She turned over in her sleep, as if to show off her front side. Since Brandon had already gotten his fill of her chest, his eyes were drawn to her own. He began thinking of the night before....The previous evening, Brandon had been filling out the scouting report, after dropping off Hannah at the medical lab. To his relief, Doctor Harkov had diagnosed her with a combination of stress, shock, sleep deprivation and dehydration. All of those issues were being tended to, as she was now sleeping off an IV bag in the medical bay, and was expected to make a full recovery. After Dragging Locke out of the room, he had returned to the captains room to file the paper work. The rest of the team had either returned to the barracks or gone to the lounge to fool around. After spending some time doing paper work, he leaned back and let out a sigh. "I don't know how the captain put up with this. It's not like anyone reads these. But man, he was really behind on them...""You know, you make an easy target for assassination when you are that focused." While his first instinct was to draw his weapon and face the Oceanic intruder that was behind him, he silently put down his work and turned his chair around. A fully uniformed elite stood before him, with a smirk on her face."You know, Kelly... you could tell me you're coming. I could have shot you, if I didn't have an autotran in." Brandon responded with an eye roll that caused the elite to chuckle."Now where is the fun in that?" She removed her goggles, revealing the black Inkling eye mask that set the Octoling apart from her kin. "Besides, you can't tell me it's not a pleasant surprise.""It would be, if I didn't suspect that this isn't a social call.""You got me there." Kelly shrugged and the grin on her face faltered. "But I thought you might want to know that your guy is wanted for treason.""Wait... what?" Brandon gave her a blank stare. "What has Drake done this time.""Funny how you know exactly who I'm talking about," Kelly continued with another chuckle. "Officially, he stole some sensitive information, killing several elites in the process.""And based off your tone, you don't believe that," Brandon guessed and Kelly nodded."There's been a lot of spooky shit coming down from the top. Even more so, that Otome has gone missing as well, as have the entirety of unit 43, including the Inkling. Something is not right.. especially with how my friend has been... acting lately." The elite put on a troubled face, and Brandon nodded."Say what you want about the Captain, but he usually has a reason for what he does. But.. why are you telling me this? You know he's not officially with us anymore, right?" Brandon asked and Kelly nodded in response."That's the thing... we expect them to come to you next." This statement made Brandon raise an eyebrow at her. "I'm supposed to organize an interception team... but...""But you don't want to," Brandon guessed and Kelly nodded again."Like I said, there's too much going on that I don't know about, and I don't like it. Especially now that my friend is back in play." She let out a deep sigh before continuing. "So I want you to keep me in the loop if you learn anything.. and keep her away from Octarias.""I.." Brandon gulped, knowing he could get in a lot of trouble for considering this. "Sure... I can do that.""Thanks, hon." Kelly gave him a light smile, before turning back to the door. "And until then, this may be the last time I can contact you for a while... so take care of yourself, hotstuff." She started to head towards the door, but Brandon quickly moved behind her, and put a hand on the shoulder strap of her armor."Wait, what do you mean its the last time?""You know that war could break out at anytime... and with the recent theft, they could crack down on communications as well. We're soldiers for different armies, and I know you know what I mean.""But, Kelly.. I-" Kelly waved her hand to cut him off."I was of course, speaking about our calls... Unless you're saying you want me to stay." She turned her head slightly to look behind her, which made Brandon gulp again. This was one situation he never expected to be in, but his gut was telling him that he needed to make a choice, and she was done waiting on him."I... would like you too," he managed to get around. Kelly turned around and looked up right into his eye."Then no more playing games. Prove it to me... if you can, human." A slight smirk went across the elite's face. Knowing it was now all or nothing, he bent forward while putting a hand under her face and tilted her head to meet his. He placed his lips to hers, and since the elite offered no resistance, the two locked lips. The room seemed to go silent for them, as they expressed themselves through their kissing. After several minutes of this passionate exchange, the two pulled away."Is that enough to convince you that I don't care about your mixed blood.. and that I do care about you?" Brandon said after catching his breath."Hmmm... almost." Kelly's smirk turned into a full fledged grin, and she suddenly pushed him back, causing him to fall on the bed. Confused, he started to lean up, but a clanking sound directed his attention to the floor. He saw the chest plate laying on its side. Then a shirt, pants and boots soon joined the pile. looking up, Brandon went wide eyed from looking at the now exposed figure in front of him. He didn't have time to gawk, as the elite pounced on him, like an animal going after prey...."Of course it was real." Brandon snapped back to reality, and saw that the elite Octoling was awake and staring into his eyes. She had a warm smile on her face, which made him relax. He returned the smile, putting an arm around her and pulling her close."Sorry, its just... I never thought that.. well you know.""What? That I wasn't just teasing? I play to win big boy," Kelly said with a giggle. "And be glad. Your the first human to make it this far.""Pretty sure the captain did that already," Brandon said while rubbing the top of her dark tentacles."Oh nonono. They were the first couple, yes. But they never... what's that saying you humans love so much.. made it past first place? You know how all eyes were on them.""It's first base, not place - and, no who cares." Brandon leaned in and made contact with his lover's lips. "I'm just glad you felt the same way I did. You're beautiful, Kelly.""That really means a lot to me... that you saw passed my mixed race." Kelly returned the human's kiss with one of her own. "And now I have something to look forward to." She pulled away from him and scooted to the other side of the bed, where her clothing lay. She quickly started to dress herself. Brandon wanted to stop her and pull her back to bed, but he knew she still had to return."This isn't... a one time thing, is it?" He asked, and the Octoling paused."I'd love to stay longer, Brandon, but I have to return." She finished dressing, then turned back to him. "Whatever is coming... make it through to the end. Give me something to return to.""Shouldn't I be the one saying that? Fine, but you look after yourself as well." Kelly nodded in response."Stay alive. That's an order." With a grin, Kelly turned away and left the room, ignoring the confused looks from the few humans roaming the halls. Brandon flopped back down with a sigh."Pulling rank when we're not even in the same army. That girl is something special... and I love it." Brandon closed his eyes and tried to get an extra hour or two of sleep, but his body wouldn't allow it. Eventually, he gave up and forced himself out of bed. After putting on his uniform, he headed out the door, and ran into the grinning cyan Inkling."Teach me your ways.""Locke, what are you on about?" Brandon responded with irritation, as he knew what Locke was thinking."Come on. An elite comes out of your room this early in the morning? It doesn't take an idiot to know what's up. Teach me your ways, so I can get a human girl." Brandon rolled his eyes and headed down the hall. Locke quickly followed. "Hey were are you going?""I'm going to see if Hannah has woken up yet. If you're gonna come, keep quiet this time. She's not used to your kind like everyone else is.""Hey, hey. I can be plenty smooth. Just you watch," the Inkling responded as the two entered the medical bay....As Drake headed back to the cabin with Callie, Otome and Kora, they could still hear the loud shouting coming from within. When they opened the door and went inside, what Drake had suspected, was now confirmed. Pearl and Kenny were facing each other, and the red face Pearl was going off on him. Marina was desperately trying to calm the two down."You were trying to pull something! I know you were!" Pearl shouted, and pointed her finger accusingly at Kenny. Kenny just rolled his eyes back at her. The rest of them had their eyes glued on the two, unsure of whether or not to intervene."Yeah, right. You don't get to say that when you were sleeping on me," Kenny responded, looking rather tired and irritated."Y-you coulda' just said something!" Pearl shot back."And you could have just looked at where you were sleeping. You didn't seem to worried about it," Kenny scoffed, which made Pearl go beat red."I-I thought you were Marina!""You-" Kenny trailed off when he realized what she said. "Wait, you two sleep on each other?" All eyes went to Marina, who quickly shook her head in defense."N-no, of course not... well... maybe a few times after a scary movie." They could hear Marie laughing in the back, with Callie trying to keep her quiet. All eyes were back on Pearl, and Kenny was the first to speak up again."Wait... you were scared?""Hell, no, yo!" Pearl was now completely red faced, and she stomped her foot down several times to try to cover herself. "You... you stupid fossil!" Pearl whipped around and ran out of the room. Marina instantly ran after her, and followed out the front door. She saw the pygmy squid run towards the old couch, where she stopped. Letting out a frustrated growl, the short girl kicked the side of it in frustration. Marina sighed, and walked over to her friend and co-worker."Pearly.. what's going on? Why do you keep acting like that?" Marina walked over and put her hand on Pearl's shoulder."I can't help it, Reena..." Pearl's anger quickly dissipated, and she let out a sigh. "These fossils are dangerous.""Why? Why do you keep saying that? Kenny has helped you several times now, and you never gave Drake a chance. Do you.. hate Kenny that much?""No.. I don't hate him.." She looked down. "But every time I try to get along... every time I try to repay the favor.. somethin' happens.. and I'm reminded of.. the rest of the fossiles" Having dropped her stage persona, Marina could tell that she was serious. But about what, she couldn't quite tell yet."Pearlie... why do you hate the humans?""I'll tell you when you tell me why you disappeared-" Pearl started to repeat the line that she gave Marina the last time she asked, but this time Marina interrupted her before she could finish."Because I was afraid," Marina said, and Pearl whipped around to face her."Marina, what-""I was scared," Marina repeated. "Everything about my life was changing so fast... and.. once we started playing music together.. I... worried that.. I would loose it all.. that I would be taken back down to the domes, and lose everything that was finally giving me a place I felt I belonged... lose you..." Marina shook her head. "Or worse, drag you down with me.." Marina looked Pearl in the eye. "Pearl, there's something about me I never told you about... the Marina Ida that I was before you met me... well... I-""Wait!" Pearl raised a hand to stop her. "Not here... someone might hear us. Promise to tell me later, okay?" Marina nodded rapidly which made Pearl smile a little. "Good. Now... " Pearl took a deep breath to calm herself. "Have you ever been to the history museum in Calamari County or Shellendorf Institute in Inkopolis?""No, we never got around to going," Marina shook her head in response."That's what I thought. My mistake, yo." Pearl continued. " You see... both places have exhibits about the so called elder race. Their ideas ain't in sync, but they both agree that the humans were creatures of war.""Yes, the Octarians studied their weapons too." Marina nodded in agreement. "But what about that has to do with Kenny?""Think about it like this, Reena. All the scientists say that the water levels rose around the time they died out. Heck, the fossils themselves confirmed that." Pearl crossed her arms and her face became filled with negative vibes. "They musta done it to themselves, yo. I know they wrecked the planet once, and I know they'll do it again if we let em.""Oh... so that's it.." Marina looked down with a sad expression. "Then I guess you must hate me, too.""Say what, yo?!" Pearl was taken aback and her eyes went wide. "I-I never said that! Y'er my best friend!""But you hate the humans for what they did in the past... so you must hate me for being Octarian.""Dammit, Reena! That's not what I'm saying!" Pearl buried her face in her palm. "But I guess you have a point... Not like Kenny could even figure out howta ruin the planet even if he wanted to.""See, that wasn't so hard." Marina's sad expression vanished in an instant and a smile crept on her face. Pearl stared at her with a blank expression, until she finally figured out what Marina had done."You're scary sometimes, Reena. Where did you even learn how to do that, yo?""Marie," Marina said with out missing a beat."Oh that little..." Pearl sighed in frustration. "I told her not to go teaching you things. Why can't she be more like Callie?""Don't forget, that you wanted to model our show after them, and I had to play it like Marie," Marina said with a smirk. "Well, anyway.. w-what are you going to do about Kenny and Drake? You can't just keep blowing up on them.""I know, I know!" Pearl waved a hand dismissively and turned away. "I don't care what the other fossil does, but.. I know I haven't been fair to Kenny... What even am I supposed to do?""Well, saying sorry might be a good start," a sudden voice from behind said. Pearl let out a loud squeak, and jumped around while turning. Kenny was leaning on top of the old couch, which startled Pearl even more. She jumped back, and lost her balance, causing her to flail her arms in large circles to keep from falling over, until Marina helped her regain her balance."W-what are you doing here?!" Pearl pointed at him "Were you spying on us? W-what did you hear!""Would you believe me if I said I just got here?" Pearl narrowed her eyes and Kenny put up his hands. "Fine, fine. I heard most of it. I do have to correct you on one thing, though. We did wreck the planet, but not intentionally. I'm pretty sure someone must have told you about the pollution from dirty fuels. It's not like we were stupid enough to drop a nuke on the ice caps, or something.""What difference does it make, yo?" Pearl retorted. "Yah still did the deed.""Pearlie, its not like he himself did it. Or are you saying I should be blamed for what Octavio did?" Marina put on her pouting face again, and Pearl let out a deep sigh, having to admit she was right."I know... I know, Reena." Pearl turned back to Kenny. "I.. I know I haven't been fair to you...so.. I..""Wait, you hear something?" Kenny interrupted, when a low whirring sounds could be heard from the cliff side."I hear it too," Marina nodded. "It.. it sounds like-" At that moment a circular object rose from the side of the cliff, and dangerously close to cuttlefish's shack. "An Octarian airship!" At that moment, the door burst open and all remaining members of squid beak and unit 43 came piling out the door, several of which tripped over each other and resulted in a small pile up."Marina? What's going on out here?" Marie asked, as she pulled herself free."Octarian airship!" Marina yelled back. "A scout ship. Probably still looking for us. And I'm willing to bet-" The Octoling was cut off, as missiles were seen being launched from the top of the craft."What the- Tenta missiles!" Marie yelled, and the group scattered as small ink missiles hit the area around them, causing purple ink to splatter everywhere around the shack."They must have an Octostriker with them," Kora commented, while taking cover under a tree."B-but I thought Octostrikers had.. ink strikes?" The confused Callie said, who was still in her night shirt."I heard the Strikers were getting retrofitted, but I didn't know what with!""Doesn't matter now!" Marie interrupted. "Everyone, grab a weapon! We need to bring it down before it calls for support!" The Octolings quickly retrieved their weapons from the shack, and the agents all dashed towards the weapon crate, but came to a skidding halt when they saw a familiar yellow inkling, twirling the type-H duelies."Y'all havin' fun out here with me again?" The girl grinned."Dammit, Selka! This isn't a game." Kirin yelled at her. By now, a flight of Octobombers had been launched from the craft, and a group of troopers were trying to parachute down to the group. While the other agents all fumbled around the crate to retrieve their weapons, Selka activated the dodge nozzle and propelled herself to the nearest trooper. She came out of the roll, and aimed up, letting a stream of ink fly from one of the nozzles. The trooper was easily splatted in the air, and burst into a puddle of ink. She then used the other nozzle to do a pair of back flips, getting behind a second trooper and sprayed it with both nozzles, just as it landed. It was dead before it hit the ground."See! Y'all can-""Selka, behind you!" Kirin yelled. Selka used the nozzle to whip herself around, but before she or the trooper that had landed behind her could attack, several loud cracks were heard, which left the trooper with several large holes in its head. She turned back around to see that both Drake and Kenny had pulled their weapons at the same time."Ha! That's pretty cool.""Selka, quit fooling around and get over here!" Kirin said, and she propelled herself to where the rest of the group was taking cover, just as another barrage of ink missiles hit where she had been previously standing."We need to take out that striker, now. Neptune, you know how to deal with those. Take Kirin and Selka with you, and take that damn thing out. The rest of us will go for the bombers.""Yeah, sure Mariechi. Kirin, get your green butt in gear!" Neptune said, as the two changed colors to yellow to match Selka. "Launch on three. Ready? Three!" She yelled, changing forms and building pressure. In a split second, three squids propelled themselves to the top of the airship, and changing forms again upon landing. They were now face to face with the largest breed of Octarian regulars. The Octostriker had a pair of launchers strapped to its back, and it grinned on seeing them."Oh, thank you for coming gals and gents. But I'm afraid all your doing is making my promotion easier. If you wanna rush to your demise, I won't complain. Now, suck it down!" The striker backed up, launching a third barrage at the group. Selka and Kirin went to the left, while Neptune veered to the right to avoid the strikes."Okay, green butt. You help me get the bombers. Since your girlfriend has the duelies, she can go after the striker." Kirin opened his mouth to protest, but Neptune was already zipping to the right, going after a bomber with the type-H splattershot."Fine, but you're on your own, trouble maker." Raising his splatling, he followed behind where Selka was firing off her dodge nozzles to avoid another missile barrage from the striker. While her automap alerted her of missile lock-on it didn't notify her of the shadow that was creeping up from behind. Having already revved up the barrels, Kirin aimed towards the sky, and let loose a torrent of ink pellets. Selka dodged again, to avoid the bomber that fell from the air, and burst into a puddle where she had been standing. Selka then fired a burst at the hovering striker, but it lurched backwards and out of her range."Do hold still. This will be a lot less painful if you just accept it." The striker seemed amused, but was eager to put an end to their resistance. He fired another barrage, and Kirin's automap blared a warning that told him the striker had locked on to him, and only him. He tried to move out of the way, but quickly realized that he had over extended himself. Out of ink and surrounded by puddles from splatbombs thrown by the last few Octobombers. Kirin braced for impact, but his body suddenly felt warm. He looked down to see that he was glowing. The missiles hit, and instead of being splatted, the glowing hue that was surrounding hardened, then shattered from the impact, causing the ink from the missiles to deflect away. The Octobomber looked stunned, and was instantly enraged when he realized that his kill was lost. "What the hell did you blighters do?""Guess you didn't steal all our new toys, did yah pizza face?" The Octobomber whipped around to see a glowing Neptune grinning. She tossed a single use ink armor deployment module off the side of the craft. "Ink armor is great for dealing with idiots." Just as she said this, a bomb landed next to her, and burst. Her armor shattered, and she raised her type-H into the air, firing a long burst. The last Octobomber fell from the sky and into a tree."Tch. I'll be sure to give that to the emperor as a- you little!" The striker was unable to finish his threat, as Selka used the distraction to roll in, right under the large Octarian. He tried to swat her away with his massive tentacles, but Selka unloaded both nozzles at the strikers underbelly. It roared in anger, as it fell from the sky and sprayed yellow ink from his mouth, then burst into a puddle."What's that human saying? The bigger they are?" Neptune said, as she turned to the exit hatch, just in time to see the pilot Octoling scramble out and change forms. She didn't bother trying to stop it, as it jumped away. Puffing her chest out a bit, Neptune headed to where the Octoling jumped from."What yah doin' over there?" Selka asked as she returned to where Kirk was to help him out of the ink puddle."These ships usually have a zapfish powering them. I figured Kirin's Marichi would want it." She reached down and sure enough, pulled out a small zapfish. "And now that I cut the power, this thing is gonna drop outta the sky. You two might wanna bail. "Neptune hopped off the side of the craft, and onto the roof of the shack, then jumped back down to where the others had finished mopping up the ground troops. Kirin nodded to Selka, and the two followed her path, just as the craft started to lose altitude."That wasn't so hard. I'da thought big and ugly would be a-" Selka started to say but Marie was staring at them with a horrified expression."Kirin! Get out of there now!""What's the big-" Kirin started to reply but saw a shadow looming over him. He looked up, and saw that instead of falling downward, the ship had tilted and was sliding downwards towards the shack."Ooppsie.. better jump to someone." Neptune quickly changed forms, and jumped with the zapfish."Selka, we need to jump too." Kirin changed forms and built up pressure, but had forgotten one thing."W-wait, I'm not-" She was unable to finish, as Kirin had launched himself to where Neptune and Marie were. He landed back in his bipedal, only to see that Selka hadn't jumped yet."Selka, get over here!" he yelled."She's not linked to our automaps..." Marie said, staring at the craft that was getting closer to the cabin. "And we don't have any beacons.""Oh no..." Kirin's eyes went wide. While she had initially thought Selka to be annoying, she had proven herself to be a loyal friend. And as if he was cursed from that night in Octocanyon, he once again saw that he had put someone innocent in mortal peril. "Selka! Do a blind jump! Now!""B-but thats dangerous! She could go off course and into the valley!" Callie started to say, but Marie interrupted."No, he's right. Selka, just jump! Anywhere is better than there!" She nodded, and changed forms to start the pressure build."Oh no, it's too late!" Kora said, and they all watched with horrified expressions"Selka!" Kirin's shout was muffled by the sound of the craft slamming into the shack. Everyone froze, but as dust and shrapnel was propelled from the wreckage, they saw the figure of a yellow squid flying into the air. Everyone sighed with relief, except for Kirin. He could see something was wrong. There was far too much ink coming from the squid, and once her descent toward the Inkopolis pipe started, she didn't change forms back to bipedal for the landing. Alarm bells went off in the Inkling boy's head, and he dashed forwards, causing the rest of the group to come out of their trance. As Selka was about to hit the ground, Kirin dove and managed to catch her, while twisting his body to land on his back. The two hit the ground with a violent crash. The other squids, Octolings and humans all sprinted to them."S-selka? S-she's hurt!" They could here Callie yell. Kirin leaned up so he could look down. The first thing he noticed was that his shirt was stained with a mix of ink and blood. Looking the squid over, his eyes went wide when he saw that the two large tentacles that acted as an Inkling's legs in bipedal form, had been cut in half."C-cloth. I need a cloth!" Marie said, who was the first to recover."Here, use mine." Otome removed the bandage that was used to stop the bleeding from her head the previous day. Seeing that her wounds had closed, Marie took the bandage and tied it around the ends of one of the two severed tentacles, cutting off the blood flow."I- I need another one, or she'll loose too much blood and vital ink before we can get her to a hospital," Marie said. "Anyone have-""Marie, use this." Marie looked back to Kirin, to see that he had removed his blood staind shirt. With out hesitating, she wrapped it tightly around the other tentacle. While the bleeding had been drastically reduced, they couldn't feel relieved, as she was still in a lot of pain, and her breathing was erratic. Kirin stood up, holding the injured squid to his bear chest. "I'm gonna get her to a hospital.""There's one not too far from the square. Neptune, go with him," Marie said."Was gonna anyway. Come on, green butt." Neptune and Kirin wasted no time in hopping down into the pipe."And we need to get out of here as well. That airship probably wasn't alone.""B-but what about gramps?" Callie protested. "He never came back home last night." Marie cursed herself for forgetting about her grandfather. She quickly reached for her phone and dialed his new number, but got no response. "Of course... this is exactly why I got you that flip phone instead of another squid phone." She tried Leven and Shara's phones, but got no response from them."I agree we need to beat feet," Drake cut in. "But she's banned, and we have Octarians with us. Plus, it sounds like those two are on someone's radar." Drake pointed over at Pearl and Marina. "But we could go back to the E.C.S. I'm sure they won't be able to ignore me, once they know what we have.""That's... not a bad idea." Marie nodded. "Drake, can you take them? I need to make sure that girl is okay.. and look into why the studio cut off Pearl and Marina.""But gramps-" Callie started to say again."I'm worried about him too, Cal." Marie looked over the group. "I don't suppose someone wants to volunteer to look for him for me." The group was silent for several moments, but a dark skinned hand with teal finger tips raised up."We'll do it," Marina said."Alright, thanks you two, but be careful.""You three, yah mean." Pearl said, quickly reaching out and Grabbing Kenny."But I didn't vol-" Pearl gave the younger human a dirty look and he just sighed."That's fine with me. Kenny, make sure you keep in touch," Drake said."Yeah, fine. what ever.""Gramps was looking for Octavio's former officers... I'm gonna bet he's somewhere in the valley, or around MT. Nantai. Send him to the canyon cabin if you find him." Marie stood up and grabbed her equipment. "We'll all meetup at the human territory once we're done. Stay safe everyone. I don't want to loose anyone else." Marie turned and disappeared into the pipe. Pearl dragged Kenny to the valley, with Marina in tow."Keep an eye out for Shen!" Drake shouted after them. As he got the rest ready to march back towards E.C.S. territory, he pulled out a photograph he had grabbed on the way out. In it, was the entirety of unit 43, along with Kelly, its commanding officer. in the back, Otome had somehow photo bombed the group and was standing behind Drake. He sighed, then he turned towards the Octoling he once shared a relationship with. "I'm still surprised that you showed up for this.""I felt I needed too," Otome responded. "One of the few clear thoughts I had when I was under its control... but I'm glad I made it.. even if I look awful.""That you did," he grinned a little."Jerk! aren't you supposed to say you look fine?" The two shared a short laugh, but then Drake went serious again."You.. uh... well. you don't have to-""I'm coming with you," Otome quickly interrupted him. "Nothing you say will change my mind""Alright, but don't push yourself," Drake said. Otome nodded and smiled reassuringly. "But there's one thing I still don't understand. "Why were you sent to help the humans at Arc Polaris?" Otome looked down and sighed."Octarias wanted to use them as a good will offering to try to get the humans on his side.""Wait, what?" Drake's face changed to one of confusion. "How could he even have known about that? Kelly didn't even know about it when she sent us on the recon op.""I don't know. There were a lot of things he didn't tell me while I was under his control." Otome's hands went into a fist. "I wish I could have stopped him.""He has a lot of blood on his hands." Drake nodded. "But I'm sure we can figure something out.""I hope so. Because this time, its personal." Otome stayed close to Drake as the group headed into Inkopolis forest, that they had to pass through before finding the road to the humans.
A\N: I hated this chapter. Writers block is such a joy.

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"Isn't that one of yer own kind? Can't yah just talk your way past or something?" The voice of the old squid interrupted the thoughts of the Octoling boy. Inside what looked like a small artificial park, not too de-similar to the ones that occupied the Octarian domes, he stood trying to make sense of the sight before him. An Octoling soldier stood on top of a small tower, and seemed to be scanning the area in an almost robotic way. Despite being of the same race as the older looking female, every instinct within the boy was warning him of danger. This Octoling was a sickly looking green with blue tentacles, which was very unnatural for any Cephalopod."Cap'n, I may have lost my memory... but.. even with out it, something is telling me that's not gonna work," the Octoling responded over the communicator. He had done his best to keep his voice low, but still audible for the geriatric squid, but froze when he saw that the Octoling had stopped pivoting her gaze, and her goggles were facing directly at him. She then opened her mouth and spoke with a synthetic sounding voice that chilled the boy's very core."Target acquired. Commencing elimination procedure." The boy expected the sickly looking soldier to move in a way that matched her looks and voice, shaky and robotic, but to his surprise, she leapt off the tower, doing a somersault in the air, and gracefully landing on her feet with one swift movement. With insane speed, the opposing female raised her octoshot, and fired a burst of blue-green ink pellets at the boy, which he only barely managed to avoid by pulling his head back behind the tree. His hearts were racing, as he watched the shots whiz by his head. Once the stream passed, he stuck his inkling splatter shot that had been so thoughtfully provided by his "employer", in an effort to shoot back, but saw that the female was gone."So fast... something is definitely wrong here," he said while panting heavily. Suddenly, he heard a sound from above him, and he rolled out from under the tree, just as another stream came from above. As he ran for the next tree, he saw that the Octoling had jumped onto a low branch and attempted to hit him from above. He tossed a splatbomb behind him, and took cover under a tree near the wall."Steady, lad. you can beat her," Cuttlefish said in an effort to calm him down."That's easy for you to say, she's like a machine- oh shit!" He glanced down and saw that a bomb had landed near him. He had just enough time to shift his position so that the synthetic tree trunk would block the ink once it burst, and saw that the other Octoling was moving up on him again. Irritated, he fired several pellets at her to slow her down, and kept moving from tree to tree to avoid her fire, as he tried to find a way out of the enclosure that made up the testing facility he had been dropped off at."You said the lass was like a machine. Machines can be out smarted. Me agents found plenty of ways to trick your Octarian robots, so use your noodle, lad." Skidding to a halt, he took cover behind a tree, just as the exit came into view."Trick.. trick.. crap he's right. Maybe she won't expect this." He fired a shot under his feet to make a puddle, then changed into his basic form, sinking into the ink in the process. He could hear the footsteps of his pursuer getting closer, until she passed by the tree. His gamble had payed off, as the female failed to noticed the puddle. Her back was now exposed, and he rose out of the ink, weapon in hand. "Eat this, freak!" He fired a burst of three at her back, in an effort to paralyze her, as he had many questions that he had hoped she would answer. However, while she was clearly hurt, she did not go down. She slowly turned around, and her goggles fell off. His eyes widened as he looked directly into the black eyes of the green Octoling. Only her green irises could be seen in the empty black gaze of the female."Eliminate..." The boy came back to his senses and sprayed down his opponent, intending on finishing her off before she could surprise him again, but even in death, the female had one last shock in store for him. Instead of falling down into a puddle, or bursting like a regular, she simply exploded into what looked like a cloud of static."I don't know what that thing was, but you got her, lad.""Yeah... yeah, right!" He looked around rapidly for any signs of more, since Octarian soldiers usually don't fight alone, but he looked to be in the clear for the moment."Look's like you're near the exit too. Better finish the test, and get back here pronto!" Looking over, he could see another station near the chamber exit, and the train had returned to pick him up. He was about to exit the chamber, but stopped when something caught his eye. "What are you waiting for?""Someone else is here.." The boy paused, and getting closer, he made out the figure of another male Octoling. He looked to be the same age as the boy that was examining him, and it appeared that he had only recently perished. The fallen boy wore an older Mariner uniform, and his lower half looked like a normal Octoling. His head, however, was another story. The left half of his tentacles were red, but the other half was the same blue as the female, and a glob of blue-green gel was attached to it. His eyes were open wide, and one had turned the same dead black as the female."Friend of yours?" The captain asked."He... he looks familiar but... Ugh..." The boy moaned and put a finger to his forehead. "But I just can't remember... I feel I know him but... why can't I...""Easy, lad. Don't force it," the older squid interrupted him, bringing the boy back to his sense. "Perhaps he as something on him to identify him?" He looked over the boy's body, but could not see any sort of I.D. but he did see another CQ180. On the side, it said 10,107. "Look's like your predecessor... why don't you get a close up of his face?""Y-yeah good idea.. maybe we can come back for him once we find a way out. Seems wrong to leave him here... especially if.. he might have been my friend." The boy snapped a picture with his own device provided by the phone."There's nothing you can do for the lad, so you'd better get back here before the train leaves again." The boy gave the fallen male test subject another look over, before turning back to the platform. After registering the test as complete, and much to his dismay, relinquishing the splattershot, he boarded the train, which immediately departed again. The old squid was sitting on a bench, tapping away on his phone."Now, where is the conductor? I have questions..." The boy said with an irritated tone, and the old squid glanced up."Hate to burst your bubble blower lad, but our host said he had business for Kamabo to attend to, and that you should proceed with the next test." The boy looked around, and the train was indeed empty, apart from him and Cuttlefish."That's just great..." he let out a sigh. "And he said there's more tests? Seriously? I almost died!" Irritated, he turned his attention back to the photo of 10,007, trying to see if it would recall a memory."A whole lot more from the looks of your map," Cuttlefish nodded. "And I... huh?" he returned his attention to the phone. "What the heck? Who's messing with me new phone!" A static sound was coming from the flip phone's speaker, until a new voice echoed across the empty train could be heard....Drake caught himself taking another glance at the photograph that displayed the entirety of unit 43, before Octomarin fell to the salmonids, and Shen mysteriously disappeared. Callie, who did her best to cope, looked happy at finally getting her roller back. And to his other side, Yako was still full of hope that her sister would return to her old self. He glanced up to see that just like in the photo, Callie was walking on one side of him, while Yako took the other, as the trudged through the forest. The younger sibling hadn't had a chance to speak to her older sister yet, but she was doing her best to not let her anxiety show. Just like how Callie was doing her best to let the current circumstances get to her, just like she had adapted to life in the Octarian army.'They're stronger than they think..' the human thought to himself. He then looked at the figure of Otome, in the back right of the photo. 'All that time, she was fighting against herself.. and the will of Octarias...' Drake sighed, looking up to see the backside of Otome, who had volunteered to take point. 'I really messed up.. I should have known. and Callie-' Before Drake could finish his thoughts, Otome stopped, causing Yako to almost run into her."What is it?" Kora asked, who was bringing up the rear."We aren't alone." Otome raised her octoshot, and pointed it at a bush. "Alright, I know you're there, so come on out before we start tossing bombs." As she said this, an Octoling wearing a pitch black Mariner uniform slowly rose out. Then several more came out on their sides, and a squad of Twintacles moved from behind the trees."I should have expected this from the traitor that killed the sarge," the female said."The Mariner intelligence unit... which means-" Otome aimed down and fired several shots at the spot she was about to walk into. A second later, an ink mine detonated, covering the ground in tainted purple. "And I see you have the tampering capsules.""Didn't think you Inkling loving sissies would be.. useful. That was a nice piece of tech," The female chuckled. "I was never one for knife fights, like the sarge.""Sarge.. intelligence squad... wait.. is this about Carmine?" Drake asked."You're damn right, it is. I couldn't care less about the interception order, we just want to make you suffer." Drake could see the same sadistic grin on her that he had seen two years ago on Carmine. This Octoling wasn't worth a response to him, and he raised his rifle to make the first move, but on stepping back, he set off another ink mine. The ink splattered backwards in hit Callie, who let out a yelp. Drake turned around to catch her, before she fell into the puddle."T-thanks, Drake," Callie said with an embarrassed blush. He nodded and helped her regain her balance. A stream of ink passed by his side, headed towards the enemy leader, but she changed forms, causing the ink to pass by overhead, and long jumped to a squad mate. Kora adjusted her aim, and shot down one of the Twintacles that was now moving on the group. Kora attempted to take another shot, but then set off another mine. She yelped and fell backwards, as her knees gave out from paralysis."These mines are killing us. Yako, get some bombs out!" Otome said, as she rolled one of her own towards the Twintacles, killing one and setting off another mine."R-right, sis!" Coming to her senses, the younger Octoling lobbed a bomb of her own between the two remaining Twintacles, killing both and setting off two more mines."How did you do that..." The leader said dumbfounded. "Nevermind, you won't get through all of us- ack!" The leader shrieked when a bullet from Drake's rifle passed through her hand. "You- You fossil scum! You'll pay for that! Get them!" She yelled at the other Octolings while gripping her hand in pain. The other members of her unit all moved out to the sides. Callie, thinking that they left the leader open, rushed forwards with her roller raised, but tripped a mine. She fell forwards, and had to use the handle of the roller to keep her above the ink."Ah, hell. They're trying to encircle us!" Drake turned to see Yako fling a bomb at an Octoling male that was going for Callie. While the bomb detonated on target, causing the Octoling to fly backwards and hit a tree, Yako tripped another mine. The splatter went to each side, hitting both Otome and Drake. Otome knelt down and Drake could feel his leg go numb. He stood up, despite losing strength and lined up the leader in his sights again, but it was too late. The intelligence unit Octolings had them surrounded and weak from paralysis."Tch... you fell for it. It must have been dumb luck for you to have won against the sarge." The leader walked up to them, not noticing that several more bushes were starting to sway."U-uh, Corporal-" One of the other soldiers started to say, but the leader ignored them."Now... what shall we do with our prisoners..""Corporal- ah! Landshark!""Oh, good idea. Lets feed them to pack hunters-""No, Corporal! Landshark!" Irritated, she turned around to see land sharks coming out at them from all directions. Stunned, the leader and the other Octolings raised their weapons, but were too slow. One was already right in front of the leader. She let out a scream, but instead of getting pounced on, the pack hunter jumped over her, and charged passed the group. The rest of the pack followed suit, and went over or around the group. Several were killed from setting off the rest of the mines, but most of the pack passed by with little interest in what should have been their prey."What... just happened?" Drake said, watching the animals flee."There's only one reason pack hunters do that.." Otome responded, and looked towards where they had come from. Now that the clearing had gone quiet, a thumping sound could be heard from where the hunters came from. The Corporal decided to ignore it. She raised her Octoshot and pointed it again at Otome."I'll bet you expect that little interruption to save you, huh?" The thumping was getting louder and joined by another set. The increased sounds were making the rest of the squad clearly nervous and the lights from their goggles were going all over. "Well, you aren't getting lucky this time. I'm gonna give you back everything you gave-" The corporal was cut off by the sound of a tree falling over behind them. "Arg, what now?""Oh hell. Everyone, get down!" Drake said to his team, but Otome cocked her head back to give him a puzzled look. "Get down now!" He reached out and grabbed the nearest part of her that he could reach, which happened to be her tentacles, causing her to yelp loudly. The point was made, so she went down with out resisting. Drake then reached for Callie, but she was already on the ground with the rest of the team."You think prostrating yourselves in front of me will save you?" The lead Octoling scoffed. "Nice try, but I'm-" The female was unable to finish, as a series of cracks sounded behind her, which sounded more like an electric saw, were heard and a torrent of bullets followed. The stream of lead passed over the deserters, but the Octoling, who had been so confident in her victory, was hit so hard and rapidly, that her body looked like it had been through a cheese grater, before a hit to her head, caused her to fly forward. Her figure suffered so much damage, that she lost her form and was reduced to a puddle of ink and octopus that looked as if it had been made to serve as sushi."W-what is that?" The remaining Octolings turned to face the forest, but before they could even register the attacker, a tree fell into the middle of the group, splitting the intelligence unit into two, as they scrambled to get out of the way. The male who had spoken up, tried to raise his weapon, but a rocket was fired. It hit him directly, and there was no trace of the Octoling when the explosion cleared."The tiger anti-infantry variant... what are they doing out here?" Drake managed to get out, as the bipedal tank waltzed into the clearing. It revved up the twin chain-guns on its arms to prepare for another attack. It first turned towards Drake. His eyes widened, as he hadn't fully recovered yet, expecting to be perforated. Once the pilot saw who it was aiming it, the torso turned to lock on to the nearest Oceanic it could find. "Scatter! Now! Get outta sight!" Another bullet storm was unleashed, missing most of the fleeing Oceanics. However, a stray shot managed to hit the leg of someone who hadn't made it to the foliage yet."Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh it hurts!" Callie shrieked as she fell to the ground, causing another shot to pass over her head. Otome and Kora both leapt out from behind a fallen log, and pulled Callie out of the metal monsters sight. "OwwOwwOww! It stings!" She gripped her leg, which had a hole from the bullet passing through."Callie, I know it hurts, but you will be fine." Otome said, once they were out of sight. "It will heal... you saw what happened to me and Marie.""I.. I know but.. its so bad..." she whimpered. As the two Octolings took cover once Callie was safe, Drake reached for his radio control unit and started moving through frequencies."This is former Captain Von Kaufmann! You are targeting friendlies!" He yelled into the receiver. As he tried to get the tanks to stand down, the remaining army Octolings tried to charge down the tiger, spraying ink on to its legs. They soon realized their mistake, as the armor kept the liquid from harming the electronic components within. The tiger activated one of the hydra splatlings that was located next to the twin miniguns, and unloaded on the nearest target. Another Octoling was made quick work of, falling into a puddle of ink that had been prefilled into the weapon. The remaining two attempted to scatter, but an explosion, this time from canon fire, hit between them. One Octoling was blown to pieces, while the other was launched into a tree, knocking her out cold."T-there's another one? Drake, what is this?" Kora said, as the anti-armor Tiger made its appearance besides the first. Even with the elimination of the intelligence unit, they were still looking for targets."I repeat, this is Drake, you are shooting at friendlies, dammit! Stand down!" He continued to yell, then adjusted the frequencies again. "Drake to control. I don't know which one of you shit-heals is calling the shots, but you'd better quit dicking around fast! Call off the damn walkers, now!" He got no response, and the nearest tiger locked on to Yako, and fired another rocket. She managed to long jump out of the way before the missile could hit her, landing next to Kora."Fine, don't say I didn't warn you... time to make use of my insurance policy." Drake took out the remote that he had been hiding since he left. After making sure it was on, he pointed it at the tiger, and hit several buttons. Suddenly, the machine stopped in its tracks. He sighed in relief as he heard the shutdown sequence start. The machine bent forwards, and a small ladder dropped from under the cockpit."W-what happened, Captain?" Kora asked, peaking up from behind cover."Stay down until I say otherwise!" Making sure the other tiger was looking the other way, he sprinted towards the ladder, and promptly climbed to the cockpit. With his handgun out, he pressed the emergency release switch, opening it up. "Huh.. so it was being piloted by remote." After checking the empty cock pit, he holstered the weapon, and climbed in. "Let's see if I remember how to do this.." After pressing several buttons to restart the walker, he strapped himself in. The machine retracted the ladder and raised itself to ready position, and he leaned over to the side. "Kora, Otome! Keep the other one busy, but don't let it get a lock on you!""R-right!" The two jumped out from behind the log, and the second tiger immediately started tracking them. Once it turned its side on Drake, he turned the unit that he was controlling on it, aiming for the cockpit."I don't know who's in there, but you sure as hell aren't a friend." He squeezed the trigger, letting lose a storm of bullets at the second tank's cockpit, hoping he could either kill the pilot, or damage the circuits if it was being controlled like remote as well. After enough rounds hit the reinforced glass, the canopy top popped off, and he could see that the second tank was also being controlled by remote, and it was still moving. Cursing, he flipped another switch. With the rockets armed, he pulled the trigger again, and hitting the other tank's torso with an explosive warhead. He had clearly gotten it's attention, as it turned on him."D-drake look out!" He could hear Callie yell. Not wasting time, he shoved the accelerator forwards, and moved out of its line of sight, just as it fired the howitzer cannon at him. He pushed through several trees to try to get around it, since he knew he was out gunned by the canon armed battle walker. As he came out of the other side of the clearing, he was surprised to see that the walker had lost sight of him, but could make out the figures of the Octolings harassing the tank, despite the danger they were in."Hey fossil! What are you compensating for in that thing?!""Otome... I appreciate the vigor, but no one is listening." Locking on to the torso, he fired another rocket, hitting dead center. "There, that should- oh, you gotta be shittin' me!" The other tank turned on him once more. He didn't have time to move, as the tiger fired all three of it's main weapons at him. By luck, the howitzer shell missed, obliterating a tree behind him, but both blasts from the Ink canons hit their mark. Despite the armor, some ink had gotten through, and caused a machine gun to go offline."Captain, it's after you!""I can see that, Kora!" Not wanting to put his trusted team at risk again, he prepared to go head to head with the other tank, hoping it had taken enough damage, and he squeezed the trigger. Two more rockets found their mark on the cockpit, and he finally managed to cause a system overload. The torso ruptured, and broke in two with a large explosive fireball, causing the legs to fall backwards. With a loud crash, the remains of the anti-armor variant fell to the ground. Drake put the machine he had been piloting in idle and opened the cockpit top again, leaning over so he could check on the group."Woah, that was amazing, captain!" Kora said, as she came out of her hiding spot."Yeah, that thing is so cool! I wanna drive, next!" Yako said, following Kora out."Oh, me too- Ow!" Callie yelped, who limped out of cover with Otome, who was supporting her."Callie, the wound is already starting to close..""Aright, I'm glad everyone is okay," Drake shouted from above. "But we still got a ways to go. Everyone find a spot, and mount up.""Mount.. up?" Yako cocked her head at him."Find a place you can hang on to. I'm gonna carry us the rest of the way," he responded and Yako quickly gained a wide grin."We're going for a ride! Goodie!" She quickly changed forms and managed to do a blind long jump to the top of the tiger, landing on the left arm."Never change, Yako," Drake said to himself with a chuckle as the others mounted up. After helping Callie climb the ladder, Otome took position on the other arm, while Kora stood at the back, near the rocket launcher with her charger ready. The blushing Callie found herself on the human's lap, as he let her ride in the cockpit, due to her leg still hurting. After firing up the systems again, he checked the status of the walker. Most systems were still optimal, but one chaingun and one hydra had been disabled, along with the arm they were mounted on. The rocket launcher was low on ammo, but both ink strike missiles were still mounted on the back. "Alright, hang on to something." Drake pushed the throttle, and the walker started moving forwards, out of the forest."This is fun!" He could hear Yako yell in a childish tone that didn't fit her matured form. Kora was trying to balance herself while keeping the charger ready, and Otome looked like she was getting nauseous. As the walker cleared the forest, and headed towards E.C.S. territory, the horizon looked clear of any potential threats, and it seemed they were out of danger for the time being. The journey was mostly silent, as the riders kept lookout for threats, the only sounds being the thumping from the legs. When they reached the half way point, Drake looked down to check on his passenger."How's the leg?" He asked."O-oh, it's okay now, thanks." The magenta squid sister looked up at him. "B-but can I stay here the rest of the way? I know I'm being a selfish little child and unfair to Otome, but.. I need your warmth right now." She leaned her head against him, initially poking him with her pointed ears. Drake used his free hand to rub the black tentacles, which she clearly appreciated."You're not being a child. You've been really strong the last few days.. and we've been through hell... A lot of people would have been broken by now.. and I'd never forgive myself if I let that happen.""Thank you..." She smiled a little before closing her eyes for the rest of the trip. When they finally reached the farm area on the edge of the Eden Colonial State edge, Drake could see the Humvee turn around from its patrol route and drive towards the tiger. Drake reached for the radio, hoping that he could get through this time."Don't even think about it," he said, and the vehicle came to a halt. "I really don't give a damn that I've been banished. I'm heading for the freight elevator, so have Brandon and my father meet me in the motor pool." With out waiting for a response, he turned the radio off, and piloted around the farm area, as not to harm their food production. Once he made it to the center of the base, he position the tank over the elevator, which to his relief, lowered them to the motor pool. Once the elevator descended, he activated the shutdown sequence for the walker, lowering the ladder and opening the cockpit. He and Callie promptly climbed out, while the Octolings hopped off. He saw a number of Edef troopers raise for cover, with their weapons ready, but one of them quickly raised his hand."Stand down, stand down! That's Drake, alright." On command the humans all lowered their weapons. Both he and Drake's father, Manfred, walked towards the tiger to meet him."So.." Drake said, while clenching his fists. "You gonna tell me why we were almost killed in Inkling territory, or am I gonna have to start throwing punches?""Drake, I know you're upset-" Manfred stepped forwards."Upset doesn't describe it, dad.""I'm aware, son. But there's something you need to see. A lot has happened since you were gone. Come." Manfred turned to leave. Drake looked over at Brandon, who nodded, and the two followed him with the Oceanics in tow. The defense force stayed with them as escort, working their way to the control room. "Just... try to keep your cool." He opened the door, and the first thing Drake saw was a large number of Edef soldiers pointing their weapons at several individuals, all who were human and had their hands up."Wait... that's Tony Henderson... the project director.. I thought he was dead," he said, looking bewildered at the man who stood near the drone control station. He then turned to the figure next to him and his eyes went wide, and he could feel his heart stop. "Hannah..?"..."What do you mean I've been locked out too!" Marie slammed a palm down on the table that Fran used as a desk in the Inkopolis news station. Luckily, it was after hours and the other crewmen had gone home for the day. The Inkling, who was their top camera man and a technician for the control room was used to seeing Marie when she lost her temper, but today seemed to be especially volatile to him."It's not just you, Marie. Everyone has been locked out of the network. There's some sort of media black out going on," he responded as cool as he could. "I can't even get into the network. Only the boss still has access.""Wait, a full fledged blackout?" Marie's anger slowly turned to shock. "Who ordered this?""It came directly from the chancellor's office," Fran responded. "We don't know why, but the boss says orders are orders. You don't fight the man.""The chancellor again..." Marie clenched her fists a little. "Don't fight the man, huh? We'll see about that." Marie let out a sigh to calm herself, and walked right up to her coworker. "Listen Fran... I need a favor... I need you to get me access to the network somehow... even if you have to steal the boss's password.""W-wait what?" Fran took a step back and went wide eyed. "Marie, that could get us both fired! What's so important-""Evidence, Fran.. evidence that could stop a war. You know me, Fran. I would never ask something like this unless It was serious.""I..." he took a moment to think. "Yes... I know I can trust you.. Alright, I'll see what I can do.""Thank you, Fran." Marie's anger vented, she gave him a small smile. "You've been a good friend and helper. It's been good working with you.""D-don't say that like its gonna end," he responded with a blush, and he expected Marie to do her signature smirk to, but she simply nodded."You're right.. Now, I need to go check up on someone, then get the evidence from either Drake or Marina. Be ready for me when I get back.""Will do." Fran nodded, and Marie headed out of the studio, using the back door to avoid attention. Even with her uniform covering her facial features, she didn't want to take the risk of being recognized, as she didn't have time for autographs. Using the many alley ways, she made her way to the hospital. Upon checking in, and making her way to ICU where Selka was being treated, the first thing she could see was Kirin pacing back and forth in the white hallway, and Neptune watching with a brooding expression. Neptune noticed Marie first and silently got up to talk to her, while Kirin kept himself busy."How is she?" Marie asked, turning away from the pacing Kirin."She's alive," Neptune responded with seriousness and sincerity that was unusual for her, and only showed when something really bad happened, or she was in an intensive turf war match. "But beyond that, we don't know..." She looked over to where Kirin had stopped and was staring intently ad the ICU door. "I kinda understand how he feels...""Me too, Neptune," Marie said with a sigh. "And I feel the same... how could I have let another civilian and a kid get hurt like that?""Technically we all are civi's, since Squidbeak ain't a part of the army anymore," Neptune reminded her. "And kids, except for you and Callie..." She sighed. "And that includes Kirk.""Right..." Marie winced a little at the name being dropped. "Neptune.. I-""I know," she raised a hand to cut her off. "Kirk ain't your fault, Marie. It's mine." She sighed again. "I guess I'm just destined to be alone.""Alone?" Marie gave her a confused look. "Neptune, did you-" They were cut off when the ICU door opened. Kirin whipped around, and went wide eyed when he saw Selka being pushed out in a wheel chair. Her cut legs were heavily bandaged. He quickly dashed to her side."H-hey, Kirin." She tried to force a smile. "I really screwed up there, huh?""S-selka, I... are you..""I-I'm alive see- ah!" She jerked a little when Kirin leaned in to hug her. "C-come on, buddy, yer overreactin' yeah?""Selka, I'm so sorry. I thought you were a goner..." He backed up a little when he saw that he was hurting her a little. "B-but how are your legs? I saw your tentacles get cut.." he looked up at the doctor. "Is she...""She's not in any danger, kid." The older Inkling looked down at him. "You did a good job stopping the bleeding, but the trauma was too great for her nerves. It's not like getting a tentacle trim, where they are numbed and circulation cut off. We've stimulated them to regrow to their normal size but.." his face looked dark. "The nerves aren't working.. I don't know if she will ever walk again.""Oh.. no.." Kirin's head dropped and they could see a tear fall from his eyes. Selka reached out and put a hand on the top of his head."That's sweet of yah, to cry for little ole- me, but yah actin' like I'm a dead gal walkin'.""Selka I.. I'll make this up to you." He looked up, then turned towards Marie. "Marie... I know I haven't payed my debt, but-""Kirin, your next orders are to stay here and tend to that girl's needs," Marie said with an understanding nod, and Kirin gave her a thankful smile, ever so slight. She then turned back to Neptune."I need to regroup with the others, but I want you to stay here. You can give Kirin a hand if you want to, but I need you both to be my eyes and ears in Inkopolis while I'm away.""Yeah, sure. I figure green butt will be lost with out me anyway," the pink girl nodded. Marie then turned back to Selka."I must go, but I am glad you are okay, Selka. Again, I'm sorry for dragging you into this.""Ah, shucks. Yah don't gotta feel sorry for me. I got to meet you and off the hook after all. Oh! When y'all are done, can me and Kirin hang out with you, Callie, and off the hook?" Marie paused for a moment, then nodded."Sure. I can arrange that. You'll get extra special VIP treatment." Marie made her famous squid sister pose, which Selka happily clapped too. "You two just stay out of trouble till then." Marie turned away, and quickly left the hospital to let the doctors finish Selka's treatment. She then headed back to the studio."Now I just need to get a ride..." Heading to the garage, she stopped in front of the studio van. "No.. that would draw attention to Fran.. and no way I can get someone to fly the helicopter..." Her eyes then fell on a motorcycle that Marina had been building, and only recently put the finishing touches on. "That will work... Sorry Marina, but it's better that you and Pearl stay out of this. I've dragged too many people into Squidbeak's problems." Noticing that the keys were on the vehicle, thanks to an oversight by Marina, Marie hopped on and started the engine. The motorcycle started up with out a hitch. With no time to marvel at Marina's engineering skills, Marie put the motorcycle in gear, and sped towards the city gates and the direction of the humans to plan her next move.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Can we go home already?" Pearl whined while watching Marina type away on her laptop. Sighing, the Octoling lifted her head to give her stage partner a scowl that was reserved for times she had her deep concentration broken. Pearl Crossed her arms, kicking some pebbles down the cliff-side that they were occupying. The human sat on a bolder, keeping watch for any signs of Cuttlefish or Octarian air patrols."Pearlie, Marie asked us to find Cuttlefish and that's what we're gonna do," she replied with irritation"Reena, we've been all over Ceph and Octovalley, and he ain't on MT. Nantai, either.""I know that," she snapped back. "But she said Cuttlefish was looking for a Lieutenant Siber... and he's not gonna be found that easy. I think I can find them, though.""Wait ,really? How?" Pearl looked at her with the surprised expression she usually gave the Octoling when she forgot about her technical skills."Some of Octavio's soldiers that went into hiding still use the old Mariner lines. If I tap into them, I might get some information on his whereabouts, and maybe find where Cuttlefish and Agent 3 went in the process." Marina turned back to the screen, and Pearl leaned in to take a peak."You know, that might be easier if you didn't have so many tabs open.""Leave my tabs outta this!" Marina slapped her hand on the nearest rock out of frustration, but instantly got a hold of herself. "S-sorry Pearlie, but it's hard to concentrate when you do that.""Yeah, yeah." Pearl rolled her eyes. "I know what happens when you go into geek mode, yo. Speaking of which, how do yah know about that Siber dude?""I-I-uh..." Marina looked down to cover her face. "Later, okay? Let me concentrate.""Fiiiineee" Pearl turned away, and went over to where Kenny was, who simply stared at the two. She plopped down next to him with a sigh and leaned back with her hands behind her head, staring upwards."Trouble in paradise?" Kenny let slip, and Pearl turned her head towards him."Funny..." Pearl rolled her eyes again. "But... kinda. It feels like she's still keeping a few secrets from me. We're supposed to be best buds, yo.." The white and pink Inkling sighed before leaning back up and turning towards him."Everyone has a few skeletons in their closet," the human said and shrugged. "It just depends on how long it takes for it to come out.""Oh yeah, what's yer's, yo?" The pink squid looked directly into his eyes. Kenny just sighed and shook his head."I guess my sister," he said with a melancholy tone, and Pearl looked surprised. She hadn't expected him to just blurt it out and felt a little guilty. "I threw the blame on the Captain, and while yes, he should have been down there with us, but.. it was really me. I was the one who convinced her to join the defense force. It was me that wasn't keeping an eye on her during her first day outta basic.""C-come on, yo. I-it's not all yer fault. Yah said those blue Octolings did it.""Yes, but like I said, she was only there because of me. I convinced her to join so I could keep an eye on her.. since neither of our parents survived the cryo sleep." Pearl went wide eyed, and guilt wrapped her core, but Kenny continued. "And now I don't even know if she's alive or dead..." Kenny paused, leaving Pearl with time to take a deep breath. She grabbed his Chin and turned his head towards her."Well that settles it, yo! I, Pearl of off the hook, have decreed that we will find your sister.""WhoaWhoaWhoa, hang on a minute now," Kenny sputtered with a perplexed expression, but Pearl put a finger to his mouth."If the squid sisters can make that Octoling an unofficial third squid sister and let Drake worm his way into their hearts, then I can make you part of off the hook. And off the hook watches out for each other." Pearl leaned in close, making Kenny noticeably red. "Consider it your reward for saving my awesome butt." Pearl then leaned in and pecked Kenny on the cheek, causing her to turn red as well. "D-dont think too much about it, dummy!""Pearl- I... Thank-" Kenny started to say, but at that moment Marina looked up from her laptop and called over to them."Guys! I think I got something!" She said. Pearl quickly turned to hide her red face and ran back to where Marina was. Kenny watched while touching the wet spot on his cheek."Why does that gremlin have to be so adorable..." Kenny pulled himself up with a nearby tree branch, and walked over to join the duo. A garbled voice could be heard coming through the laptop that was tapped into both the communicator lines and cell services."Agent 3... come... Agent... do you... me?" The voice sounded like it was coming from an older man. Pearl immediately got right up to the microphone."Check one two! Who the heck are you!" she yelled. It took several seconds for a voice to respond."Excuse me...?""Pearl!" Marina yelled to cut her off. "Didn't anyone teach you to respect your Elders! That's-""Who am I speaking to?" The voice cut back in. "State your names! and where is Agent 3?""Hey, I asked first, dude!" Pearl snapped, getting back in front of Marina. Kenny just stood behind them with a blank expression at Pearl's sudden change in behavior. "But fine. I'm Pearl, the MC princess! My deets? I'm short and sweet! I spit fire that make the posers perspire-" Kenny and Marina exchanged glances, at Pearl's attempt to do a impromptu rap attempt. What was worse is the old man seemed to take it as a challenge, calling himself MC Craig and rapped back, creating a performance that Kenny was cringing to. Another voice could be heard in the background that sounded very exasperated. But the old voice quickly let the name Cap'n Cuttlefish slip, which brought Kenny and Marina back to attention."Okay, you two.. that's quite enough," Marina said to stop what Kenny later called the ultimate cringe fest. She then put a hand over the mic. "Guys, I think that's him.""Wait, you serious, yo? That's Callie's grandpa?""I think so.. though it sounds like Levin and Shara got separated from him. Let me ask to make sure.." She turned her attention back to the microphone. "Mister Cuttlefish, was it? My laptop picked up your signal. We're currently on Mt. Nantai. Where are you calling from?""Mt. Nantai, you say?" The voice responded. "That's near Octovalley. Me agents and I- oh and Agent 8 as well, we're near there when something took us underground. Only I haven't found 3 and 4 yet." Marina looked up and pressed her hand to the mic again."That's him alright, but that signal isn't coming from the domes. And I wonder what happened to Levin and Shara...""And he's underground.." Kenny said with a sigh. "How are we gonna get them out? Wait, ask him if he's seen my sister!""In a sec, Kenny." Marina returned to the mic again. "So you and this 8, don't know where you are? I'm sorry, but that part I can't help with, since I can't track the signal clearly. B-but don't Worry, I, Marina- aka DJ Hyperfresh will help you guys get home." Behind them, they could hear Kenny face palm while Pearl grinned at her partner. "I'll get to work analyzing your surroundings, and hopefully I can help you.""Yeah, we got yah, yo!" Pearl cut in."Well anyone who loves music and is a fellow rapper is a friend of mine. Many thanks," Cuttlefish replied. "Anyway, we were told that if we pass some tests, that Kamabo's transit will take us to the promise land. Agent 8 has been working on that. Poor guy lost his memory...""That's too bad- yes Kenny, I know." they could hear Marina sigh. "By the way, have you seen any humans? Young female, specifically?""Hmmm.. can't say that I have. What about you, Agent 8?" They could hear a muffled voice again, then the Captain returned to the line. "He says no, as well. But worry not, we'll keep a look out for this lass, if she's down here!""Thanks Cap'n. We need to relocate, but I'll leave a transmitter here that will forward your signal to me where ever I go, so we'll be in touch.""Yeah, and I'll set up a text chat room for us!" Pearl cut in. "So look forward to it, old dude!""Many thanks, lass. MC Craig, out!" Marina cut the transmission and packed up her laptop. Then she placed a small antenna on a nearby rock. "There, that should help us keep in touch." She then looked up towards a distressed Kenny. "I'm sorry we couldn't find any clues about your sister, but I'm sure Craig and this Agent 8 can help if she really is down there.""Y-yeah.. thanks- ah! What the-" Startled, Kenny saw that Pearl grabbed his hand, and was grinning at him to cover up a blush."Yeah! So stick with us, yo! MC princess never lies!""Sheesh Pearl. Why the red face? This isn't the first guy you dated.""S-shut up, Reena! Why you bringing that up? And we aren't dating, yo!" Pearl said, tightening her grip on Kenny's hand. "So don't get any funny ideas, human! Now, let's go." Kenny didn't have time to respond, as she yanked him forwards. The trio started their long descent back to Octovalley. It would have been faster if all 3 could jump to the permanent beacon network that the Octarians set up, but Kenny found himself thankful for their consideration of not just leaving him while they took the easy way out. Even if he was attached to Pearl the whole way down. After a good hour, they soon found themselves back in Inkopolis."Right.." Kenny said as Pearl finally let go of him. "So where to now?""We should see if Marie is in the studio still," Marina replied. "Then head to human territory as planned.""That's gonna be fun.." Pearl sighed. "But at least yah get to see home again, right?" Pearl said, looking up at Kenny. Who had a pensive face."Huh, oh yeah. Its just.. I kinda left with out asking. Plus my sister is still out there.""W-well if any fossil says anything, they gotta answer to me, yo!" Pearl puffed her chest out, which made the human chuckle a little."If you say so, shorty. But hey, I guess I can give yah a tour or something.""Ya'd better, yo.""Okay, boys and girls," Marina said to get their attention. "Let's check in at the studio real quick.""Yeah! And find out which jerk locked us out!" Pearl said with crossed arms. The trio quickly pushed through the crowded square, not bothering to swarm them with Pearl giving anyone who got close a dirty look. Once inside, they were given the run around by the studio boss after being told the same thing Marie was by Fran. After the angry Pearl was dragged out of his office by Marina, the two headed towards the Garage."Sounds like we just missed her too," Marina said with a sigh. "But oh well. We can take my baby that I just finished repairing to- AH!" Marina froze up when she saw the empty space that her motorcycle once occupied. "What? How? Wh- WHO STOLE MY BABY!" Marina said with rage that made both Kenny and Pearl freeze at the sight that was very unlike her."C-come on Reena," Pearl said to try and calm her down. "M-maybe you just parked it somewhere else and just forgot.""I most certainly did not!" She started pacing. "I know it was here! Everyone knows not to touch it... unless.." Marina calmed down as suddenly as her temper flared up. "Unless Marie took it... she wouldn't just do that with out a good reason.""S-see? I'm sure she'll give it back.""But then how do we get back to the colony?" Kenny asked. "Unless you two want that long walk.""Heck no!" Pearl said. "We are not walking! We're taking the helicopter!""Pearlie, we can't just take that," Marina said in disbelief."Yes we can! They owe us for that triple splatfest we did! You can fly, right Reena?""Well, yes I can, but-""Then it's settled!" Pearl shouted, which finally made Marina give up. "They don't like it, they can talk to daddy!""Pearlie, you can't just use your dad as a free pass.." The Octoling sighed and followed her to the helipad on the studio roof....Marie was bouncing along on top of the motorcycle that she had "borrowed" from Marina. After some time speeding down the road that had been paved to link Inkopolis with the Eden Colony, she could see the outer part of the above ground settlement. "Finally..." She sighed, and increased the throttle. "You do great work Marina, but next time put in more shock absorbents." Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud whirring sound. Looking up, she could see a helicopter fly over her, towards the settlement. "Oh for... I knew I shoulda just taken the helicopter and gotten someone to fly me..."Putting the motorcycle in gear, she sped past the checkpoint, ignoring the shouting of the guards. Seeing the helicopter land on the freight elevator, she headed towards the old ramp that lead to the motor pool. She parked the motorcycle and pressed the button on the intercom, hoping that someone inside had an autotran, she started to speak. "Hey, it's me, Marie. Can someone let me in?"" #$#$ #%*(# (#$%* ! ##%* ! ""Oh, great.." She sighed. She then looked up and saw that the camera was pointed at her. Waving, she then made the classic squid sister pose. The door quickly opened for her. "Yeah, that always works," she said with a chuckle. Heading inside, the first thing she saw, was an autotran being tossed to her by technician Hiragi. Behind him, she could see Marina putting on an autotran, and Kenny trying to show Pearl how it worked. Marco looked over and waved, a gesture that she returned. "So.." she said, turning back to the head technician. "Drake was heading this way. Did he make it back already?""Err, yeah." Hiragi nodded. "He's in the control room, but there's something serious going on- hey wait!" He called out to Marie, who was already heading towards the exit."Sorry but its important!" She said back. On her way out, she noticed that Pearl was nagging Kenny for a tour, and Marina was staring at the battle walker that Sheldon had designed with Manfred, and was drooling a little. Smirking a little, she headed into the hallway, passing by a number of humans that thankfully were too busy to ask for autographs. On reaching the control room, she saw a large group of humans standing in a circle. She quickly spotted Drake, and headed over. "Hey, Drake, did you-""Shhh!" A hand suddenly gripped hers and she saw Callie pulling her where she and the Octoling fugitives were. "Don't interrupt." She pointed to the far side of the room where Marie saw that several humans had guns pointed at them and their hands were up."What's going on, Cal?" Marie asked with a confused tone."You remember that photo Drake showed us? The one that Hannah girl was in?""Are you talking about that girl that was in the black box from two years ago? The one he...""Yeah." Callie nodded rapidly. "That's her." She pointed towards a young blond with her hands up."Wait.. what?" Marie's eyes went wide. "But I thought she-""I know, right? It's crazy, but she's back. That ship thingy from Eden, the Arc Polari-something returned with her on it.. or yeah?""But.. wait.. then why is she having shooters pointed at her? I thought she and Drake were-""I don't know, but that's why I said don't interrupt." Callie's face went serious, and Marie turned her attention towards Drake, who was facing the blond girl."Hannah... what happened?" Drake finally said."She and Former director Tony Henderson tried to stage a coup," Manfred explained before Hannah could respond. "They believed that we should go it alone, reclaim earth for ourselves. They stormed the control room and tried to use the Tiger assault walkers to gain control of Eden.""Wait, what? But then why-" Drake started to ask."It gets worse," Manfred continued. "They used the newer models to keep the defense force from doing anything, while they sent the Tiger prototypes to..." his face darkened. "To eliminate the Oceanics that were with you and bring you back by force.""W-what!" Drake yelled at the top of his lungs, which made the Oceanics cover their ears. "Hannah!""Drake, that wasn't-!." Hannah cut in. "I would never-""Oh, please," Henderson cut her off. "You willingly participated in this. You agreed with me, that these things do not own this planet.""Hannah.. is this true? Did you... help try to kill them? My friends?" Drake was clearly enraged, but did his best to keep from exploding."Don't listen to him, Drake. I would never betray you.. you know me. I'm your friend. Let me talk." The room went silent for several moments, before Drake broke it again."I want to hear what she has to say.""Very well," Manfred nodded. "I too am interested in what she has to say. Everyone else will remain silent!" He said strongly, as Hannah started to talk...."I expect her to make a full recovery," Doctor Harkov said to Brandon. The two of them were talking while Hannah was staring at the figure behind them. "I suspect the lengthy time in space affected cryostasis differently than it did us. I've given her an IV and some food, so she should be back to normal as soon as she feels she can walk again, though.""That's good to know," Brandon said and nodded, then turned to Hannah. "So just how are you feeling today?""Well I don't feel like death on legs today, so that's a start..." She responded with out taking her eyes off of the figure. "So can we cut the bull, and tell me what the hell that thing is? And why it's wearing an Esec... wait.. that's not a security uniform.""Yeah, like I tried to say yesterday, a lot changed. Thanks to Drake, we rescued several hundred humans from another facility two years ago. We sorta expanded to the surface and formed into an official state called the Eden Colonial State, hence the uniform change to Edef. We don't have an actual government setup yet and his dad is mostly in charge, since Mclarrin died.""Brandon.." Hannah interrupted him. "I'm glad to see you haven't changed, but I was asking about the uniform. I was asking about IT!""Hey, I have a name you know!" The creature said."Yes, I know, Locke." Brandon sighed. "Alright, you might as well come over here." The figure moved to Brandon's side, and Hannah instinctively scooted back, while keeping her eyes locked on it out of fear."Hey, yah don't gotta do that. I don't bite.. mostly.""It-.. it speaks English?" Hannah managed to get out."No, he doesn't," Brandon replied, then lifted the autotran from Locke's head, causing his words to turn to gibberish. "Manfred's autotran, and I'm not gonna explain how that works." He set the device back onto his head. "Anyway... uh... while you were away... how do I explain this..""Some of the sea creatures evolved," Harkov cut in. "The one you see before you is called an Inkling. They came from squids. Them and the Octo's seem to be the ones that became most like us.""Yes yes, and my name is Locke!" The Inkling cut in and leaned forward a little. "Nice to meetcha, beautiful.""LOCKE!" Brandon snapped, but Hannah was too busy staring at the top of his head."W-what's wrong with his hair?""Actually those are tentacles," Harkov cut in. "Very fascinating if I say so myself.""Well.." A grin moved across Lock's face. "You wanna feel?" He lowered his head and leaned in. "Go on. Just be gentle, yeah? Kinda sensitive." Hannah hesitated for several seconds before gulping. She then lowered her hand to the top of the boy's head, taking in the smooth cool and almost slimy feel of the tentacle, that twitched under her touch."So, Hannah. You-" Brandon stopped when he saw a smile slowly move upward."Cute...""Hey, I prefer handsome." Locke looked up, giving her a grin. "But from a pretty human like you, I'll accept that." Hannah couldn't help to chuckle. "Oh, and want to see something else cool?""Don't you dare, Locke," Brandon interrupted. "What he was gonna do is surprise you with his second form.""Second.. form?" Hannah looked confused."Yeah, they're shape-shifters. His second form is.. well.. a squid.""Yeeaaaahhh but this form is the handsome one." Locke said. "I'll show yah later, kay?""O-oh.. okay.." She went back to petting his tentacles."Well that went... well.." Brandon said, surprised that Hannah was able to adjust so easy just because she found the Inklings to be cute."Hey, you don't mind if I... you know. Ask her-""LOCKE!" Brandon had to stop himself from shouting too harshly and scaring Hannah. "Just when I think you've figured out how to behave. You're worse than Tanner was.""What? You got a girl already, so she's free, right?""Wait.." Hannah interrupted. "You finally got a girl? YOU? MR. always serious?""I'll choose to ignore the last part of that.." he sighed. "But yes.""Yeah, a real babe too. Octoling Elite," Locke said, and Hannah turned her attention to Brandon."Wait... you.. with one of them? Isn't that.. you know, illegal?""First off, she's not an animal. Second, can we not talk about that?!" Brandon snapped. "Look, how bout I show you some of Drake's notes to help you catch up on what you missed." Hannah nodded and Brandon pulled out a datapad. He started flipping through images, while Locke took the opportunity to hop up on the bed. He continued to show and explain to her the new races that had claimed the planet while the last of humanity slept. Eventually he came to a certain photo, but then quickly flipped passed it. Hannah caught on, however."Hey! Go back. Was that Drake?""Err... yeah.." Brandon flipped back to the photo he hopped she hadn't seen. In was Drake and Otome's annaversery of when they had become a couple. However, Callie thought it would be funny to photo bomb it, and could be seen kissing him on the cheek. Otome was facepalming and Drake was trying to keep from looking embarrassed. "The one on the right is his or at least was, Otome, his girlfriend. The other one is Callie, one of the two Inkling celebs that sorta saved us. She's uh kind of a sister to him and is close to Otome.""Wait... even Drake..?" She stared at the photo."They took a proper photo later, but we decided to keep this one. Anyway, him and Otome never got passed.. first base as they say. Lot of political pressure on their relationship because of the whole species thing.""Yeah, but the Lieutenant here got all the way to home space!""Dammit, Locke. Shut up!" Brandon said, losing his temper, but saw Hannah had a intense look on her face. Brandon was going to say more, but Harkov interrupted them."You know, if Hannah is up for it, why don't you go on a tour of the new additions to the base. You feel up for that Hannah?""Huh? Well.. I am feeling a lot better." She slowly got off the bed, and seemed to be okay on her feet, but around that time, the door opened up and another man walked in, while fixing his suit."I'll take care of that," said former director Tony Henderson."Mr. Henderson, with all due respect, you have no say anymore. And as her Doctor, I must insist that she stay with someone familiar to keep the stress down.""Which is why I'll be taking her off your hands for a bit," the older man responded. "We've been on the same ship just trying to survive while you all had an easy time down here. I think we know eachother well enough. Besides, I'm trying to check in with the other Arc Polaris Survivors, and that includes her." He looked over to Hannah, as did Harkov."It's up to you. I can send him away, if you want.""No, it's fine," Hannah said with a sigh."You sure? I'd be a much better guide." Locke said, trying to look big, which made Hannah chuckle."So away with you. Shoo!" Henderson said, as he escorted Hanna out of the med lab. Locke growled at him, which made Henderson roll his eyes. "Foul creature..." he muttered once they were in the hallway."I don't know, Tony. He's kinda cute," Hannah said while following him."A lot of things can be cute or attractive on the surface, but dangerous underneath that layer. Those creatures are no different," he responded as they headed towards an unused supply room."What makes you so sure? He looks harmless to me.""I read all of former Chief Von Kaufmann's notes," Tony replied. "They've gone to war several times. They can be rather violent when they don't get their way. We can't allow them to rule the surface.""B-but aren't things okay the way they are?""For now, but only because their weapons aren't very effective on us," Tony replied. "But who knows how long it will take for them to get the advantage on us, or develop something made to harm humans." He opened the door. Inside Hannah made out the figures of over a dozen people. Over half of which, she recognized from the Arc Polaris, but there were some mixed in that she didn't recognize, one of which had an Edef uniform on. "These people feel the same way I do. We all see the threat this species represents if we let them control the planet. For the future of the human race, we must take back our world, as we all know there is no other." He then turned to look her in the eye. "I saw that disgusted look. So tell me, Hannah. Are you for taking our home back from these squatters?"Several hours later, Hannah was standing in front of the control room. She gripped the phone in her hand, before looking up at the door again. "I guess I can't turn back now.." she slowly opened the door and went inside. Several workers were sitting at various computer terminals, while an Edef guard stood at each entrance. As planned, Manfred was discussing something with another staff member. As she approached, he turned around to face her."Hannah?" He gave her a surprised look. "I'm sorry I haven't had time to come see you, but what are you doing out of bed. Harkov said you were still recovering.""I'm fine, professor," Hannah replied. "He cleared me a few hours ago.""I see.. then what brings you here?""Well I wanted to ask you about the creatures.." She took a deep breath. "What are your plans for them?""You mean the Oceanics?" He raised an eye brow. "I guess they already explained to you the state of the world. Well, right now we are officially allied with the Inklings, but we are trying to stay out of it, for now. War hasn't actually broken out yet, but I want to see if we can find a peaceful resolution.""That's not what I'm asking. I want to know if we are going to bring them under the Eden flag.""Hannah, what are you saying? We are guests in their world now. Humanity is recovering because of them. We can't just go in and repeat the mistakes of old.""And that is why I must take over for you," a voice from behind said. Director Henderson walked in with the other dozen humans, all armed with weapons raided from the armory. The two guards tried to raise their own, but one was knocked unconscious, while the other had his weapon taken from him. They fanned out, some restraining the technicians, and the others securing the doors."What is this, Tony..." Manfred narrowed his eyes at his former colleague."Change in leadership, Manfred. I can't have you jeopardize what's left of the project. Eden failed, but earth can be reclaimed.""Tony..." Manfred sighed. "I expected more from you-""Oh, save the evil tyrant speech," Tony cut him off with a wave of the hand. "This isn't about power. I couldn't care less about it. This as about the future of the human race.""Tony, we had our chance and we did this to ourselves. It was through them that we were given a second chance. Be reasonable.""That's your problem, Manfred. You're looking at this from a fascinated scientists perspective. I'm looking at the bigger picture!" Henderson shouted."And you're only looking at it from limited information, Tony!" Manfred yelled back. "You! Weren't! Here! How dare you act like you have any idea about the world!""Oh, I have all the ideas I need, thanks to your son. And unlike you, I don't have those rose tinted goggles that you idiots all seem to be blinded by. Sorry, old colleague of mine, but this isn't up for discussion. Call me a comic book villain all you want, but I'll do what has to be done." He then turned around "Places people! We don't have a lot of time here. Hannah! Get me a location on Drake!""Wait, why Drake?" She looked confused."What, didn't they tell you? You're old friend was banished for placing those creatures ahead of his race. Disgusting, but he was named head of security after Tran for a reason. We need him on our team. If anything, he can quell that rabble outside." Tony pointed to the monitors that showed the Edef members that were inside the base waiting for an opportunity to storm the control room, while the soldiers on the surface were being held back by the three mass production model Tiger walkers, and none dared make a move, due to the fact that the walkers were being controlled remotely, and the hostages being held in the control room."What makes you think Drake would help you?" Manfred asked."He will once he's been shown the error of his ways. Worst case scenario, he'd come help his deer old dad. But first, those distractions must be eliminated. Once Hannah locates him, those lovely prototypes you provided us with will do the rest.""I'm warning you. If you harm even one of them, you'll lose any chance of getting him to get Edef to stand down. And not only that, but he won't stop until one of you is dead.""What makes you so sure he won't see the need to put humanity first?" Tony asked with faux curiosity."You'd know if you'd actually read what he was trying to say in his logs. Or even payed attention to the raider battles.""Yeah, yeah. Ooh-rah and all that other bullshit." Tony rolled his eyes. "I'm sure Hannah here can convince him. Soon as she finds him." He glanced over and Hannah turned back to the monitor to avoid the disappointed look from what she considered to be a second father. Another hour passed, and Tony was clearly getting impatient. Ignoring the dark thoughts that were circling her mind, Hannah continued to use the scouting drones to try and find signs of her old friend. When one of them detected movement from the forest, however, her eyes widened. A group of the Octopus creatures were slowly moving through the trees, and the unmistakable figure of a human male that she grew up with came into view."Tony.. I found him.""You did?" he rushed over to look at the monitor, leaning in enough to make her even more uncomfortable. "Excellent.. and the walkers aren't too far from that sector. Pilots! Move into those coordinates. I need the boy alive, but the rest of that rabble feel free to exterminate." Hannah could feel her blood run cold as she watched the walkers move into position."Drake.. I'm so sorry." Hannah could only watch as the walkers moved into position, until they were within striking distance. Finally, the first volley was fired and her gut wrenched as one of what looked to be a female was torn to shreds. A rocket was then fired, blowing another to bits. She turned away from the screen, not wanting to watch as gunfire and screaming could be heard from the drone's recorder. However, something caused her to tern her attention back to the screen."D-director Henderson! I've lost control of walker one!" Hannah snapped her head up to look at the action. Tony rushed over to check the monitors as well. One of the mechs had shut down, and Drake was climbing aboard to take control of it."I don't believe this. He's gotten more clever since the raider wars." He let out a deep sigh. "I guess Manfred was right. Pilot, destroy that walker.""Wait! That wasn't the plan!" Hannah yelled."Shut it, Ramsey. This is bigger than any one man and I won't have even him ruining the plan." Hannah was about to argue back, but then she realized something. All eyes were on the screen. This is what she was waiting for."Drake, please be okay." She began furiously typing something on her phone. As soon as she hit the enter key to send, she was grabbed from behind by the Edef member that sided with Tony.""Director, we got us a traitor!""Really? Well I'll deal with you later-""Wait, Director! Edef is moving in!" Tony jerked up to look at the monitor, and saw soldiers getting ready to breach the control room. "So that's your angle, huh? Fine, then you can explain to your friend why his father is dead. Execute the-" Tony was cut off when both doors were kicked in. As soon as they were opened a number of stun grenades were tossed in. Hannah watched as the insurrection was brought to an end by a blinding light....An inkjet was skimming through an underground testing chamber that was connected to the deepsea metro. Several sickly Octarians fell one by one to the large explosive balls propelled from the nozzle that sat at the top of the jet. A green Octocopter tried to get in front of him, but he dodged to the right, then fired another ball, hitting the copter and exploding it in the air, causing the flight gear to fall. "Not having a time limit on the jet is great! I could get used to this!"The boy moved the jet to the side to avoid a stream from an Octosniper. Normally this would be cause for alarm, but the boy simply grinned. As he expected, a baller climbed up the wall that the sniper was perched over, and stopped right next to it, filling itself with ink for a detonation. The sickly sniper could do nothing as the baller exploded, causing the sniper to disintegrate into a cloud of static. While grinning at the fact that his trust in the baller user was not misplaced, he was now saddened by the fact that his inkjet time had come to an end, as the test was now over. He landed the jet, and confirmed test completion. He dusted off his cape, as he turned to the baller user. "Well, that was a lot of fun, for a test.""Yeah, speak for yourself. You got to have fun while I covered your blue butt," the girl sighed. The boy leaned over and put an arm around her."But you love this blue butt. Besides, we were great together.""I hate the fact that your right.. I do." She leaned into him."I'll let you have the fun special the next time we have to do one of these tests.""You'd better..." She said, trying to hide the fact that she was genuinely jealous of him being able to fly with out restriction. The boy leaned in closer to whisper into her pointed ear."Well, Shara. Wanna do the test again?" Giving him a dirty look, she flicked her large tentacle, smacking him in the face."Can't you take anything seriously Levin?""I do. I take you seriously." Taking her by surprise, he lifted his short girlfriend into his arms, causing her to squeak. Ignoring the second tentacle slap, he carried her back to the train, which immediately departed to the next station. Setting the blushing Shara down, he then pulled up the map from the CQ remote. "Looks like the other train is still making progress.. more tests cleared.""Wonder if that's the captain," Shara said, looking at the projection."Maybe, but even if he's still walking good for an old guy, I don't think he'd be able to do these by himself.""True.. maybe someone else got caught up in this... I just hope he's okay.""I'm sure he's fine. Oh, hey. This next station is supposed to have one of those thingies we're supposed to get." Shara got up from the bench as the train came to a stop."Then let's pick it up and drop it off at the main station." The doors opened and the two slowly walked out into what appeared to be a large chamber. The two headed up the large ramp with their Type-Hs ready. "Looks like a train depot.""Yeah but.. no one is here.""Don't complain.. look, I think that's the object we need," Shara said, pointing to what looked like a large black cubical platform. "And there's a trolley to move it with. Help me load it up." Having seen no enemy forces, the two wasted no time in loading the object onto the cart, which was heavier than it looked. After pushing it back to the train, they loaded it up, and the train headed back towards the central station. The two flopped down on the bench and Levin pulled her close, Shara resting her head in his chest."You know its gonna be a long ride back to the station.""Yeah.. it is." She looked back up at him. "I'm gonna regret this but what are you thinking?" With out answering he leaned down, and locking lips with her, a gesture which she eagerly returned. After sharing a lengthy kiss, the two parted. "There are times... where I like the way you think.." Grinning, Levin leaned down and pressed his lips to her once again, and the two enjoyed each other's company as much as they could.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Sir? Sir!? Are you okay?" The shouting of the female in front of him, caused the Octoling to come back to his senses. He pressed several fingers to his forehead, which briefly throbbed with severe pain. He glanced upward to see that his bodyguards had entered his office. One of them was leaning forward, looking at where he was pressing his hand to. "Your nose is bleeding.. shall I call for a medic?""No, Typhoon... I'm fine.." He wiped the vital fluids that had dripped from his nose, flicking the excess to the corner of the room. "Status report.""As per your orders, the fleet will finish preparations within a matter of hours. All airships are on standby, and we've refitted as many zeppelins as we could, since the factory is still under repairs." Typhoon paused for a moment to give her commander time to process the information. She straightened out her uniform, before continuing. "All Mariner and Guardian Corps units are battle ready, and we have added the soldier's that you had hand picked to the commando unit.""Against our better judgement," Vortex mumbled. His sister threw a glare his way, but the commander had over heard the stray comment."Something you'd like to say, Vortex?" He asked, raising his eye brows. Vortex took a deep breath, and stepped forward."Sir, the commando unit is the proud elite force of the guardian corps, yet most of the soldiers you picked are unfit to even be elite Octolings, let alone serve in our unit.""Well, Vortex, let me ask you. Has unit 43 been intercepted?" The commander looked straight at his body guard, which made him flinch."N-no, sir. The Mariner intelligence unit was-""I'm very well aware of what has transpired." The commander leaned back in his chair, fighting back another headache. "While the information is safe from Inkopolis, for now, the humans are now an... unknown variant. With that information, they become dangerous. And now my hand has been forced to accelerate our schedule. Do you understand?" He looked both of his body guards directly in the eye again, making them both uncomfortable. "Loyalty. I need to no exactly where the troops I can count on will be, regardless of skill. You'd both best keep that in mind.""O-of course, my emperor!" Typhoon said loudly after shooting her brother another glare."Good. Now, what's the status with the elite Mariner Raider unit?""Well.. uh.." The two guards exchanged a glance. "Sir, they refused the new additions to their ranks.""What did you say?" The emperor sat back up with a surprised expression. "They refused my orders?""The raiders made it quite clear that... the original immunity deal was made with Octurus.. not you." Typhoon said, looking away. "I can't even guarantee that they will deploy once the order is given.""So they still harbor some loyalty to Octavio, even after surrendering to father..." Or maybe they think they know what the winning side will be..." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts, then nodded to himself. "Perhaps we can use this. Send what's left of the intelligence unit to the prison.""Yes sir!" The two body guards eagerly took their leave, and he sat back down, finally having time to tend to the oncoming headache....The air in the command center was tense enough that it could be cut with a hunting knife. There were some murmurs among the defense force members that had stormed the room, but most were keeping the dozen or so conspirators from making a move. Several glanced to Manfred, who they were clearly waiting on for instructions on how to deal with the would be rebels. A few moments passed before Manfred straightened out his suit and took a deep breath."Well... regardless of what your intentions were, what you all did was treasonous and could have put us all at risk." Manfred then turned his attention to the defense force member that had sided with Henderson."Specialist Harris... 4th squad," Drake said for his father. The older man's scowl only grew darker."Yes.. one of the first groups we pulled from the pods two years ago. You should have known better," Manfred said, who's tone was giving away that he was trying to keep his emotions in check."You weren't there in the tunnels," Harris responded emotionless, which made Drake think that he had most likely accepted that they were about to be on the wrong side of E.C.S. history. He then turned his attention to Drake. "And neither were you. Three died that day, "Captain." How many more will be lost to the whims of another species?""And how many more would have died had you succeeded," an angry voice said from the other side of the room. While Drake was stunned to see him on his side for once, foreman Salazar looked even more angry then both his treason trials put together. "I don't think you realize just how... out numbered we are. Even if their weapons aren't very effective on us, they could still wipe us out if they really wanted to.""Even with the Tiger prototypes, which your actions have cost us by the way.." Manfred said, addressing the group as a hole again."Which is why I don't understand why you scientist can't seem to look at the bigger picture," Henderson interrupted. "How long until they figure out how to make ballistics of their own? Or better yet, make their so called ink corrosive or poisonous to us?""Wha-wha?!" Callie shouted in surprise which caught the attention of the other humans. "We would never!""How can you even say that after we performed for you. After we helped those people in the underwater pods," Marie added. Harris looked down shamefully, but the rest of the group looked confused."And as Harris was so kind to point out about me, they weren't there, Marie," Drake cut in, putting a hand on his friend's shoulder. She calmed down a little, and gave him an understanding nod."Ah, yes. I suppose the left behind do owe you two a debt," Henderson wasted no time in jumping back in. "But even if YOU think that, it doesn't mean your leaders do. Don't think I didn't do my research as soon as I was able bodied again. I also know that its only a matter of time before your little war reaches our doorstep. If not your kind," Harrison looked directly at Otome. "Then hers.""You leave her alone!" Callie said with hostility. Otome gave her a quick glance. While happy that the magenta squid continued to show that the events that had transpired did not shake her desire to rekindle their friendship, this was neither the time or place. The Octoling took a step forward, in front of Callie, and stared down that human that was over a foot taller than her."Don't worry about it, Callie. If I've learned anything in the last two years, it's that there are idiots no matter where you go. He talks big but this human is just a scared little man on the inside.""Cute. Real cute. Is that how you charmed our former chief of security?" Henderson rolled his eyes."Charm had nothing to do with it," Drake responded. "We adapted and survived while you just floated around in space, making a mess of project Eden.""You know nothing, Von Kaufmann! How many planets do you think we tried to settle on! The few planets that were even hospitable we had to abandon because of pathogens or hostile ecosystems. Earth is our home and our only home!""Enough!" Manfred yelled to get the arguing group's attention. "Henderson, what ever your reason may be, this was not your decision to make. You may be right about Earth being our only home, but you have neither the experience, nor right to pass judgement on another species. Not to mention bypassing me and the other senior staff.""Because I knew you would react exactly like this. Short sighted and naive about our survival as a species! What's next? You gonna tell me that those land shark things are just misunderstood?""You really should listen to yourself, Tony. Since you seem to think reading notes makes you an expert on the state of our planet, you will have plenty if time to do that, because as of right now, you are all under arrest on charges of treason. Take everyone but Harris and Ramsey." The defense force members started cuffing everyone but Hannah and the Edef member."Professor, I understand Harris being.. a special case but you can't let your son's relationship with Ramsey give her special treatment," Foreman Salazar protested."It's not that," Manfred shook his head. "I'm not ready to pass judgement on her yet. But as for Harris." He turned to the Edef member. "His actions aren't based out of fearful ignorance. He had willful intent, and Henderson could not have gained control of the Tigers with out help from the Eden Defense Force.""Yeah, yeah. I did it," Harris admitted. "I gave them access to the operations manual and helped them plan the assault." He then looked away. "It's not like I want to just kill them all... but Henderson is right. We have to secure our dominance.""Words that started the great turf war," Otome said with crossed arms."Words that will get us all killed," Foreman Salazar said, and Otome didn't look to pleased at having him agree with her on anything. "And since Harris is a member of Edef and handed over military level assets to enemies of the Eden Colonial State, I recommend execution.""I second that," Brandon added. "As acting captain, I have no choice but to agree that Harris committed high treason. Honestly, his knowledge of our defenses and that of the Oceanics makes him more dangerous than Henderson.""I understand your points, but.." Manfred paused, placing a hand to his chin. "But if we start executing people for anything less than premeditated murder.. then we go down a slippery slope, and risk repeating the past." He then turned to Drake. "Tell me... what do you think?""Surely you aren't going to be so biased as to let him make your decision, just because he's your son. Don't forget that he's banished," Salazar protested again."It's not that. You can't deny that Drake still has the most.. unusual experiences under his belt, and was one of the founding members of Edef. I want to know if those experiences can weigh in.""As much as I hate to admit when Foreman brown-nose is right-" Drake started, which earned a glare from Salazar. "What he did almost got people I care about killed. Anything I will say is going to be biased," he continued while trying not to glance at Callie's once injured leg. "And if you really want me to go with my past experiences, then-""Drake..." Callie said in a soft voice. He glanced over and saw that two pairs of golden eyes, and many others from his squad were all fixed on him, waiting to see how the human would pass judgement on one of his own. The ones that he was closest too, even the Octoling he had seen get violent and vengeful, all seemed as if they were trying to convey the same message. A slight smile crossed his lips to convey his own reassurance."That he not be executed. Morale will tank, and others will start to question the both of you," Drake said to both Manfred and Salazar. "And besides. By great irony, his actions ended up saving us.""He.. has a point," Brandon had to concede. "I still think Harris is dangerous if even given the possibility of escape , but its true that no one died from this.""For now, but what if he tries again!" Salazar shouted."Oh, don't you worry." Drake's slight smile turned into what could only be described as evil. "I got a special punishment in mind, once the situation with the Octarians is over. Now, get him out of here, Matt.""With pleasure." Making sure his restraints were tight, Matt shoved Harris forward, who gave Drake a look that said 'don't expect me to thank you.'"This is a mistake.." Salazar said, still irritated. Then he pointed towards Hannah. "And I suppose you're going to just let her go too.""That depends," Manfred responded. "I want to talk to her and Drake... Alone." It took several minutes for the staff and defense force to clear out, while taking Henderson and the other conspirators to the holding cells. While Salazar remained in the control room after demanding to be allowed to stay, as did Brandon after Hannah requested him to remain. After having Hannah repeat the testimony that she gave earlier, Manfred looked her directly in the eye. "And I now speak to you as the commander of the colonial state, not as Drake's father. Why did you assist Henderson, but then assist the defense force at the last minute.""I originally only went to the meeting because... I was scared," Hannah looked down. "I mean, after all this time, I come back to... well... them." She paused for a moment before continuing. "And when I finally thought we'd actually get to see each other again, I find out you're banished, and... and I saw that photo..""Wait..." Drake's expression went blank for a moment, before going wide eyed. "What photo are you talking about, Hannah?""You making out with them.." Drake's expression did another 180, and his temper instantly went to boiling, and glared at Brandon."That picture... of all the things to show Hannah, you idiots showed her THAT picture? How many damn times have I told you to delete the fucking thing?!""Hey, that was an accident!" Brandon put his hands in defense. "Besides, everyone loves that photo but you.""Bullshit!" Drake shouted back."Enough..." Manfred said to stop the arguing. "Hannah, you still haven't answered my question.""Oh, uh.." She looked back up, trying to avoid eye contact with Drake. "I.. swear it was just a moment of weakness. I regretted it before the first meeting was even over.""Okay, and what changed your mind?""I remembered who my real friends were. Those people might have been my crew-mates.. but not my friends. And as for the creatures... it's a crime..." she muttered the last part and Manfred asked her to repeat herself. "Hurting something cute, is a crime.""Oh for.. well at least I know this is the real Hannah," Drake said after face palming. "Still, cute? I thought you said you were scared.""I was, but-""But I showed her the light." Hannah was instantly interrupted by a figure popping out from behind the group. After flinching from the surprise, Drake looked over and saw a uniform meant for human troopers being worn by something that was clearly not human. The Inkling boy gave an awkward grin. Drake then gazed back up towards Brandon, who had an embarrassed expression, due to forgetting that Drake was unaware of the new Edef member."Right... I forgot to tell you about Locke," Brandon said with a sigh. "Meet the new member of first squad. And yes, that is an Inkling.""Been hearing a lot about yah," Locke said, raising his arms and holding the back of his head. "Nice to meet the mysterious human that made the news two years ago. Name's Locke. I like weapons, good food and pretty girls.""Oh for the love of.." Drake couldn't help but to face palm. "Did you seriously recruit the Inkling version of Tanner and Takeshi to complete the circle or something?""He may be a pervert and a dork," Brandon said with a sigh. "But unlike those two, he knows when to stop being horny. He's also smarter than he looks. He's been learning how to repair electronic parts with Reggie. We've also re-chambered one of the pulse guns to a smaller cartridge so he can manage recoil, and he's a decent shot.""Awe, you do care Lieutenant!" Locke cut in."I'm merely stating facts. Don't let it get to your head, Locke.""He might be exaggerating but... he really did help me get over the initial scare," Hannah added. "We've only talked a few times, but he's been an absolute gentleman... or would that be gentle-squid?""Drake, I'd never let him near Hannah if I thought he was like Tanner," Brandon chimed in before Locke could make a witty comment."Let's hope so. Because I've dealt with worse boyfriends of hers.""D-does it really look like we are-ack!" Before lock could finish, Hannah grabbed Locke's tentacle and gave it a slight yank, then slapped Drake in the back of the head."Idiot boys.""Alright, enough." Manfred waved his hand to get their attention again. "Geez, its like we went back in time twelve thousand and two years." Manfred sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Now, I have one more question. Why did you follow through with Henderson's plan, instead of alerting security?""I thought you wouldn't believe me. Would you really think that the guy who was running the project that was supposed to save humanity really turn traitor?""I suppose that would be hard to believe, had I not seen it with my own eyes..." Manfred was forced to admit and Hannah turned her attention back to Drake."Drake, I... I never meant to use you as bait, but.. but that was the first opportunity for the entire group to be distracted.." She lowered her head in shame. "I never meant to hurt your friends. I'm so sorry..""Hannah.." he took a step towards her. "Hannah, its okay. What you did was pretty damn brave.""No, it's not! I got your friends killed!" She said strongly, but Drake shook his head."Actually, you didn't. Sure one of them took a hit in the leg, and while yes, I'm not happy about the fact that she was hurt, these creatures heal minor wounds quickly. And yes, a gunshot is a minor wound to them when its not a vital area.""But I saw one of them get ripped to shreds..." She whimpered as she recalled the gory detail."About that.." Drake awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "The Octolings that died were trying to kill us. I wasn't kidding when I said that the walkers showing up when they did might have saved us.""I... I.." As Hannah whimpered, Drake pulled his old friend into his arms. "I'm sorry..." she got out before crying into his chest. The rest of the room went silent for a few moments, until Salazar approached Manfred from behind."Touching, I'm sure. But you aren't really going to let her off the hook that easy, are you?""She was a capable Esec member. You know this, Salazar. And while I don't like the way she handled this, she isn't wrong to say that we wouldn't have believed her. I never expected that out of Tony.""Nor did I..." He sighed. "But what are we gonna do with her?""About that..." Hannah said, when she separated from Drake. "I'd like to rejoin first squad.""Hannah you aren't.. even if I agreed to that, you aren't ready. I don't know what Locke's been telling you, but you aren't ready for combat with Oceanics," Drake protested."Well, from what I understand, it's Brandon's call right now," she shot back."She's right, man. Sorry but I'm gonna take that offer. If this is how she wants to make it up to us, I say let her," Brandon said."You got to be kidding me. Does anything I say matter?" Salazar sighed in resignation. "And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't your son still in exile?""I'm aware of that fact, Salazar," Manfred responded. "And I assume he returned for a reason.""Yes, I totally thought you just like watching me get shot at," Drake responded with an eye roll. "But first, I know you've been listening in, so you might as well come back inside." Drake said to the ajar door on the far side. The door opened and the squid sisters and three Octolings walked in with embarrassed faces at being caught."N-no way!" Locke's eyes went wide. "That's the squid sisters! I actually get to meet them!" Locke shouted in excitement."Can it, private." Brandon said, covering his mouth."Hannah, meet Callie and Marie. The Inklings that saved our morale two years ago," Drake said, then pointed to the Octolings. "That's Otome, who I'm sure you heard about from that damn photo, her younger sister Yako, and Kora from the Octarian army.""Ohhhhh they're sooo cuuutteee!" Hannah cooed, doing another 180 on her emotional roller coaster, which made all of them immediately back up. Then she turned her attention back to Drake. "So which one is the lucky girl to save you from your streak of being single?"..."No no no!" The boy Octoling dove forward, and Squeezed off a shot from his bamboozler. The stream flew forwards, and hit the large black ball that was about to roll off the edge of the platform. The ball changed course in the nick of time, and moved back on the narrow course that had been laid out in the test chamber. A large 8 rolled from the bottom to the top, over and over, as if to taunt him. While the ball was back on track, he had little time to relax. He pulled himself back to his feet, just as a shot from a blue-green Octosniper passed between his legs."Don't let em distract you, bucko. Get after that ball before it goes off course again!" Not needing to be told twice, he darted forward, taking a shot at a nearby Octocopter, causing it to fall out of bounds of the testing area and disintegrate. The sniper took another shot, and he ducked under it. The ball was getting close to another edge, and he fired another shot to change course again, falling into a long track that was designed to move it to another platform."I... reaaaallly hate this test!" He grumbled as more Octarians were dropped into the combat zone to block his progress. He tossed a splat bomb to distract a group of shielded Octotroopers. Splatting the one on his left by shooting it in the rear, he used the new trail of ink to swim past the rest of the group after the bomb burst. the two remaining troopers attempted to splat him from behind, but he kept his speed up, desperately trying to catch up with the '8 ball'. Making it to the nearby launch pad, he long jumped to another elevated platform, and sighed with relief when he saw that he was just in time to redirect the ball with another shot to keep it from going off the edge."Easy, lad. You're almost done." Cuttlefish said continued to say, ignorant of the fact that he was just being distracting. As the boy gave it another tap to correct its course, the C.Q. device alerted him to an incoming long jump."Ugh, I don't have time for this!" He raised the bamboozler, and fired a shot at the estimated landing point the device painted for him. However, his timing had been a little off, and he hit the sickly Octoling in the chest plate. The stream bounced off, but shattered the armor. Before he could line up another shot, the offending soldier rolled right, and tossed a bomb at him. While the boy was distracted, she grabbed an Inkjet that had been left for him as part of the test, and went airborne. He jumped backward to avoid the jet's first shot, then sprinted to avoid the second. He then dove behind a bumper barrier to avoid several more shots. "Come on come on! Run out already!" a couple more shots flew over his head before the jet finally shut down and launched her back to the take off point. Kirin quickly leaned from cover and aimed at the drop point. He fired again, hitting her in the chest once more, causing the Octoling to lose her form."The ball! The ball, bucko!" Cuttlefish yelled over the communicator. The boy barely had time to whip around and dive forwards to get himself just in range of the ball. He fired another stream, diverting to a path that lead to a set of launchers that he guessed would take it to the test's goal."That was too close..." Panting, he pulled himself up and started to give chase, only to feel an impact on his back. Growling, he turned around to see that a pair of divers had been hiding in a nearby puddle. "Give me a friggin' break!" Agitated, he turned around and raised the bamboozler, and made short work of the trooper that had shot him in the back. The other diver fired several more pellets at him, but the boy used his form changing ability that the regulars lacked, and swam to the trooper's side. Two more ink streams were fired, and the second diver exploded into nothing. "Pain in the ass..." the boy grumbled. "Now all I have to do is-" suddenly, a buzzer went off. "Wait, what? But I-" The boy turned around, just as the loud speaker came to life."You let the ball fall. Test failed!" A familiar voice echoed across the chamber."What!" The boy ran to where the ball should have fallen into the launcher, only to see that the ball had missed, and shattered on the ground. "Oh come on!" He roared, temper flaring from having all that work wasted. "You seriously going to make me do that all over?!""L-lad! Look out!" Cuttlefish cried over the com. "You're back!""Huh?" The boy turned around, and to his horror, discovered that the strange bag that had been attached to his ink tank was filling with ink. Only it wasn't his color. It was the sickly blue-green gel like substance. "Shit! Shit! Dammit, turn this thing off, conductor!" He yelled. Seeing that the device was not stopping, he attempted to remove it, but could find no straps or release switches. Everything he tried had no effect, and the bag was almost to bursting point. Seeing no way out, he curled up into a ball, in an attempt to protect his head, hoping the blast would go outwards. He flinched when he heard a loud bang, assuming the ink bag had burst. However, he felt no pain. Confused, the boy slowly looked up. With an expression of disbelief he saw that the ink was draining from a pair of holes on each side of the bag."Y-you okay bucko? That was a close one," Cuttlefish said, having calmed down some."I'm.. alive? Did I just get lucky?" He didn't have time to ponder his good fortune, when a figure jumped down from an upper platform, landing in front of him. He looked up to see a fairly tall figure wearing heavy armor with a gas mask on its head. It was holding a menacing looking weapon that was smoking from the barrel. "Did.. did you save me?" The boy finally asked. The figure didn't respond. "Uhh.. you not much of a talker, or something?" The boy cocked his head a little. The figure then pointed to the far side of the platform, where the goal was. "Uhhh yeah. Problem. I already failed," he said while shaking his head. The figure shook its own, and started heading to the platform."I think he wants you to follow him," Cuttlefish said."You don't say.." With a sigh, the Octoling followed the figure to the goal station. "Yeah, like I said, I failed." Ignoring him, the figure bent down and pulled a panel off the side of the device. It moved several cables aside, until a circuit board was exposed. Nodding to itself, the figure then raised the weapon, and pulled the trigger. The gun discharged, emitting a loud bang that caused the Octoling to jump and cover his ears, only to see the circuit board shatter. The failed symbol then changed to a logo that said he passed. "Wait... you.. can do that? I don't have to restart? Man, thank you!" He said, feeling overwhelmingly grateful to the stranger that had just saved him from another session of misery. "Really, sir, you saved my-" He froze when the figure then removed its gas mask, letting its what was clearly not just long tentacles fall free, and exposing mark-less eyes. It then pulled a device from its pack, and attached it too its throat."I'm gonna assume that was what ever your version of thanks was," it said in a feminine voice, or as feminine as the autotran allowed."W-wait, you.. you're a girl?""Rude!" The girl scowled some. "Did you seriously think I was a guy with this figure?" She brushed her long hair aside. "And the name is Tricia."...Marie was moving through the corridors of the underground Eden facility, heading towards the motor pool. While unsure where Pearl had gotten off to, after seeing Marina eye the figure of the Tiger, she had a pretty good idea where the Octoling pop star was. Her assumption proved to be spot on, as she was bent over a portion of the tiger's leg parts. She, and the assistant mechanic, were throwing technical jargon to and from each other at a pace that rivaled that of Sheldon covering weapons. While she wasn't as mechanically illiterate as her cousin, the amount of high level terminology that was being passed around made her head spin. Hiragi was standing over them, looking extremely uncomfortable."Marina!" Marie yelled to try to get her attention with no success, she moved closer and shouted even louder. "Hey, Marina!""Eep! Marina flinched, almost dropping a wrench on Marco's foot. "M-marie? sorry, I didn't notice you.""Oh, hello again, miss Marie." Marco said with a smile. "You're friend has been helping with the repairs. She's really gifted to be able to work on our tech so easily, and has been a lot of help.""Mhm! I'm having a lot of fun, and this technology is really amazing! And it's so nice to find another lover of machines." Marina grinned from ear to ear, as if she found her soul mate, before turning her attention back to the battle walker."Well its nice to see you having fun, but don't stay up too late. We're heading back to the city tomorrow.""Kay.." Marina responded, halfheartedly."Do you know where Pearl is?""Nope..." Marina clearly wasn't paying attention anymore."And remember to at least let him buy you dinner first. And use protection," Marie said with a sarcastic tone."Kay..." Marina responded again, clearly not registering what Marie was saying."Yeah, that's what I thought. Wetev's, don't blame me if you're barely awake from lack of sleep tomorrow." Marie turned and headed out of the garage, just as Marina fired up a blow torch with Marco's help. "Now I just need to find Pearl, and I can go to bed.." She headed from area to area, trying to find the Pygmy. Finally, when she reached the lounge, she heard the higher pitched voice of an Oceanic. Turning the corner, she froze when she saw Pearl and Kenny sitting on a couch, with the Inkling leaning in real close. Letting her curiosity get the better of her, the squid sister slowly approached, so she could listen in on the two."Alright... human.. Kenny." Pearl said in a tone that was unlike her normal self. "No more sending mixed signals. I want the legit deets, yo. Did you.. mean what you said?""Huh? W-what part?" Kenny responded, unsure of how to react to her advances."You know what I'm talking about. I heard what you said. Do you really think I-I'm cute?" Pearl's face went beet red, and Kenny couldn't help but to grin a little at her embarrassment."You kidding? You really think I just say things like that randomly?""Oh, really? And I suppose "Forhead-Chan" thing wasn't random at all," she narrowed her eyes."Nope. Just proves my case." Pearl let out a growl, but Kenny wasn't phased. "And you know what? That just ads to your charm. We might have gotten off on a bad start, and you did piss me off back then, but I never once lied to you. You're cute." Seeing that he was serious, her eyes widened a little, but she wasn't convinced yet."I don't get you, yo... I've been awful to you... How can you even think that? Every other boy I've been around runs away. The fans don't even- they just care about my fame and money... and who my dad is-""First off, I've never seen your show, so I'm not a fan of anyone," Kenny said, shutting Pearl up again. "Well except the squid sisters, but that's a given. And I would have ran already if I thought you really did hate me that much. Don't think I didn't notice that it was you that volunteered to stay with me in the red head's base. Or that you pledged you would help me find my sister.""Something that I couldn't even do right.." Pearl muttered."But you tried, and I appreciate that. Really. I'm not that shallow to not notice things, unlike say, the captain." Pearl stared directly into his eyes for several moments. She then climbed onto the human's lap, straddling him, and staring into his iris's. "And you do have really pretty eyes.""Why... why do you have to be a fossil?" She said, before taking a deep breath. "You know what? I don't care anymore. Take some responsibility, yo!" She pressed her lips to his with no hesitation. Kenny had expected this, and wrapped his arms around the pink and white Inkling's back while pressing his lips to hers in return. Marie stared in pure surprise as the pair continued the motions for several minutes. She hadn't really picked up any signs between them, and given Pearl's history, it took her several moments to register the display in front of her, before she came back to attention, but then she remembered she still needed to tell Pearl about tomorrow. At first she wanted to leave them be, but then a smirk crossed her face. She wouldn't be Marie, if she didn't do what she was about to. She crept close to the couch, then peaked her head above the side, directly behind Kenny."Am I interrupting this scandal in the making?" The two instantly separated, and Pearl fell off of Kenny, Landing on her butt. Marie instantly burst out into laughter, as Pearl's expression was instantly pissed, While Kenny sank into the couch. "Oh my... Pearl.. you should... see the look on your face," Marie grabbed the side of the sofa to keep from falling over."Dammit, Marie! We had something going, yo!" Pearl shouted, not even trying to deny what had transpired."S-sorry, couldn't resist.. oh this is gonna be a great story.""Oh, shut up! This is why Callie is the better squid sister!" Pearl crossed her arms. "Now what's so damn important, huh?" Marie wiped the tears from her eyes, as she regained control of herself."We're heading back to Inkopolis first thing in the morning. The humans have been made aware about what's going on, so we need to try to get airtime in Inkopolis and broadcast the footage. So, yeah. Get some sleep.""Is that all? Seriously?" Pearl sounded even more annoyed."Oh, don't let our last chance to stop the war burden you two love birds." Marie rolled her eyes, then turned to Kenny. "And I'd keep in mind that Marina is scarier than I am when mad.""W-what's that supposed to mean?" He managed to get out."Just something to keep in mind, like I said. Now, seriously. Get some sleep. I got a feeling things are gonna get worse before they get better. Tends to happen when romantic tensions flare." Saying her peace, Marie turned and left the two alone on the couch, before making her way back to the room that Manfred had loaned to the squid sisters. Opening the door, she saw that Callie had already changed into her night gown. She noticed her cousin enter, and forced a smile."O-oh, you're back." She then noticed that Marie still had a grin on her face. "Ummm did I say something funny?" Callie cocked her head a little."Just saw something amusing," Marie chuckled as she let her outfit fall so she could change into her own night garb. "I'll tell you later, but I think you'd better tell me what's bothering you first.""Is it that obvious?" Callie looked down. "It's just that.. Drake is.. well.. having the talk with Otome, since I already had my turn.""Oh..." Marie paused. "And you're worried that he...""Yeah..." Callie sighed. "Does.. does that make me a bad person? She was with him first, after all. And it was my fault that their relationship.. Maybe I should go over there and be like, just kidding or something.""Cal, I'm not gonna pretend I know what it's like to be in your situation." Marie finished changing and sat down next to her magenta cousin. "But I do know that it doesn't make you a bad person.""R-really? But-""A bad person wouldn't care about that and just take advantage of them. A bad person wouldn't even Consider Otome's feelings or her situation. A bad person wouldn't wait for Mr. indecisive over there.""I... I guess but.. but it hurts, Marie.""I know it does, Cal," her cousin sighed. "But if anything its, and I say this considering he's a close friend of mine as well, mostly on Drake for not making up his damn mind. Yes, I understand that this situation got really crazy, but come on! If he loves you, he should just chose you. Otome would understand in time. And if he still loves Otome, he must know you'd still love him as family," Marie paused for a moment before continuing. "Humans are so irrational.. Look, I just wanna say that no matter what happens, I'm on your side. And I think once he pulls his head out of his butt, that we'll still all be friends in the end. Even if some of you need time.""I..." Callie gave her a wide smile. "Thanks, Marie. You're the best cousin I could ask for.""Well I would hope so, because you aren't getting another.""Oh, come on, Marie!" Callie puffed out her cheeks. "I'm serious!""So am I." Marie got in the bed and pulled the covers over the two, turning out the lights. "Been a while since we slept together like this. Try to get some sleep, okay?""Yeah.. good night, Marie." It didn't take long for Marie to pass out, and despite some lingering worries, her cousin soon joined her.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"I wouldn't go back there if I were you," Tricia said to the peeved Octoling boy. While the human was eager to take a break, the boy was fuming at how the conductor had tried to terminate him with the ink bag during the failed test involving the giant black ball. He headed to the front side of the train car they had been using as a base, intending to go to the front car where the conductor was usually stationed."She's right, bucko. The conductor is-" Cuttlefish started to say, but the boy had already opened the door. He only took one step into the next car, before he froze. The car that had been previously empty, say for the conductor, was now packed with an assortment of deformed aquatic descendants. The first thing he saw was what looked like a familiar jelly, but it looked like a row of heads were all attached to its singular body. Others looked like they had been stretched out. A number of suit wearing figures that looked like regular fish with arms attached to them, were busy typing on old flip phones like the captain had. But what really unnerved the boy, was the figure next to him. It was wearing what looked like a sporting uniform, but its body was massive and transparent. Its head, looked like a giant internal organ, with its brain throbbing every second. It turned to look at the new comer, and the Octoling boy fell backwards."Aahhhh! AAHHHH!" His scream echoed through the car, as he rolled over and crawled away from the front car. The automatic doors shut behind him, giving him a sense of relief that the large creature didn't pursue him. He was thankful he had gone to the bathroom before the last test, as he felt like he would have urinated in his pants, had he not."Tried to warn yah," Tricia said, trying not to laugh. I don't know what those things are, but I've been seeing a lot more freaky stuff than those green Octarians during the time I've been stuck down here.""Aye, I ain't never seen anything like it either," Cuttlefish nodded. "Even them pesky salmonids got nothing on the denizens of this deepsea metro.""I... I need to sit down.." The boy used a handle bar to pull himself on the seat next to Tricia."And if you had let us finish," Cuttlefish continued, ignoring the boys distress. "I woulda' told you that the conductor had some official Kamabo business, and he said that you should keep gathering the items the phone mentioned by yourself.""Of.. course he did.." The boy responded after finally catching his breath. "That blue bastard.." The Octoling then felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked over, and saw that Tricia was giving him a concerned look and telling him to calm down. The warmth of the human's hand had a soothing effect on the boy, and he felt some of his anger subside. "Sorry.. I just.. he almost killed me.""Yeah, they terminate any subject they deem a failure. Tried to do it to me, but I guess someone didn't realize that humans don't go down that easy.""Actually, how have you survived down here, lass? I doubt this place was built for humans in mind," Cuttlefish asked."The same way you have," Tricia responded with a shrug. "The machines are all stocked with usable supplies. And I think you may be wrong about them not expecting any human contact, because the test machines have ammo for this thing." She held up the pulse gun, and Cuttlefish stroked his face."Another mystery for another day, I suppose. Speaking of which, I've been talking with our helping hands. MC princess says that DJ Hyperfresh hacked the next couple of tests, so it's a straight shot to the thing we need. And the lass even said she'll send some photos on the group chat so we can get to know each other better.""Finally something going right... I need a break after that last test," the boy said, as the train rolled on through the next couple of stations. Tricia was fiddling with her weapon, while Cuttlefish stared at the phone, hoping there would be some response to the group chat. The Octoling did his best to rest in what little comfort the subway chairs provided. Eventually, the train came to a halt at one of the main train depots. After loading up what looked a clear square shaped cylinder, the train took them back to the main platform. When they got there, they were surprised to see two other large objects already at the station, near where the phone was."What the... where did these come from?" The boy asked with a perplexed look."Well, I got that round metal disc," Tricia said, pointing to where the smaller of the three objects was. "But I have no idea where that black platform came from.""Hmmm... must have been me Agents." Cuttlefish said, tapping his cane on the concrete platform. "Now that I think of it, three got pulled down here with us. Wonder why we haven't seen the lad yet.""Three, three..." The Octoling muttered. "Where have I heard that name before?""Jostled yer memory a bit, did it Bucko?" Cuttlefish took out a note book and began scribbling something down, but then stopped after a few minutes. "No, no. That's agent four." The old man tossed aside a page that depicted a female Inkling. He then started frantically scribbling again. Tricia and the boy exchanged glances, while they waited for the old squid. He then held up the notebook that contained a drawing of a male teen-aged Inkling with a cape and Type-H splattershot."I... Ngggg.." The boy winced in pain as he felt his head throb. He knelt down a bit while pressing a hand to his forehead."Hmm.. so yah do remember em. Well don't force the memory, Bucko. I'm sure it will come to you when the time is right." He then stuck the drawing to the pole that the telephone rested on with the words 'Have you seen this agent' written on it. "For now, I reckon we need to help get that last part so we can all go home."I... yes.. of course." The boy rose back to his feet with Tricia's help. The pain in his head subsided, and the three boarded the train once more. Once it left the station, he pulled out the C.Q. device to check the line map."The next test is... girl power station," Tricia said, then gave the boy a smirk. "I bet your looking forward to that, so try not to have too much fun."...It was a fairly pleasant morning the next day. For the summer time, the weather was temperate, rather than sweat inducing heat. It always amazed Drake how the Oceanics were so at home in high temperature. Even on a 90 degree day, they could dress warm and still not break a sweat. Though, they certainly payed for it in the winter. A day like this, most would be taking advantage of the mild weather. Young Inklings would be out playing turf war games, while others went about their business in a laid back manor. Some might even just go out for a drive. Which is exactly what a certain human and Inkling were doing. Only this was no joy ride."You doing okay back there?" Drake said in a raised voice so that his passenger could here him over the sound of wind and the engine of Marina's motorcycle that they had borrowed. The Inkling that was clinging to his back peaked her head around to where Drake could see her in the side mirror. The tentacles that she had stuffed into the back of her field outfit were trying to free themselves in the wind."IIIIII'MMMM Okkkkaayyy!" she shouted back. "BUUUUT AAAARREEE WEEEE THEEEREEE YEEEET!?""We're almost to the city! Hang tight, Callie." Drake increased the throttle, as the road widened some to allow traffic through the main land entrance. They shot passed several pedestrians that had ventured outside the city, likely for recreational purposes. Callie leaned into Drake's back, her thoughts drifting to the events that took place earlier in the morning....She had long grown accustom to waking earlier than the average Inkling, but days like this, Callie just wanted to laze a few hours away in bed. Unlike the brief life she had in the Octarian army, she had finally gotten a much needed peaceful slumber. Even more relaxing, was seeing her cousin's rhythmic breathing in the bed with her. It had been a long time since the two cousins had been that close to one another, and it brought a smile to her face. But a glance to the clock on the bed-stand next to them, brought her back to her senses. She reached over, and gently rubbed the side of Marie's shoulder."Mmmmm... can't you give me five more minutes? Or better yet, five more hours?" Marie turned over to face Callie, brushing aside the milky tentacles that she had let down. Her golden eyes slowly cracked open, despite their owners wishes."Good morning, Marie," Callie said , still beaming a smile at her. "I'd like to sleep in too, but-""I know, I know." She sat up, and tied her tentacles back into a bow and off to the side, as she usually wore them. She then grabbed their field outfits, tossing Callie the pink one, before dressing herself. "I'd never hear the end of it if I really did sleep until noon, today. Especially since Pearl and Kenny will probably be the ones that show up late.""Huh?" Callie gave her a confused look after getting her top on. "Why Pearl and Kenny? Those two team night owl too?" Marie, who had just finished dressing and was about to put on the tentacle accessories that she had received for her birthday, paused. A wide smirk slowly spread across her face."Oh yeah... I never actually told you about last night.""Wha?" Callie cocked her head, still having trouble grasping what her cousin was hinting at. "You said you saw something goo- NO WAY!" Her eyes went wide when she finally got the hint."Ho-ho. Yes way, dear cousin," Marie chuckled a bit with her hand pressed to her face. "Our little rapper was going all in.""Seriously? Pearl was kissing him? But I thought she hated humans," Callie responded."You know how she is. Always saying what's on her mind, and we both know her mind is always changing." Marie then put both her hands under her mouth in an attempt to mimic a beard and changed her voice to sound more geriatric, like the old inkling she was about to impersonate. "Squids these days got no morals." Callie then burst out laughing."That's totally what gramps would say!""I know, right?" Marie put her hands down, and started speaking like normal again. "But to her credit, she doesn't show that kind of affection if she doesn't mean it.""Yeah.. I'm happy for her." Callie nodded in agreement. "Its actually pretty adorable. They're both short for their races, and total opposites. Why didn't I see it before?""Probably because of the species thing," Marie shrugged. "And they were too busy taking shots at each-other. Kenny's got a rough ride ahead of him if he's gonna court the rapper demon, but the way he was kissing her? I think he might finally be the one that stays by her side.""Mhm!" Callie's grin slowly darkened. "It's great that she found someone that sees her as a girl, not as an idol." Callie then looked down. "Do you.. do you think.. I still have a chance?""I don't know, Cal," Marie sighed as well, the good mood from before turning sour. "Drake and Otome share a special bond that can't be broken, just as you and I do. Just as we do with the two of them. But that kind of love..." Marie struggled to find the words that would sooth her cousin's aching hearts, but couldn't wrack her brain for a way to explain the most complicated emotion an intelligent species could feel. Instead, she decided to go with her own gut feelings. "Cal, if there's one thing I know about Drake, is that he holds you dear. If he does decide to accept your feelings, it will be because he loves you, not because he couldn't work things out with Otome.""And.. if he doesn't?" Callie asked nervously. Marie paused again to find the right words for her."I think he'd try his best to stay your friend, even if its awkward for a while." She placed a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I don't know if you two were meant for that kind of relationship, but I know that both me and him want you to be happy. So just keep smiling for us, okay?" Callie sniffled a bit before putting on the smile that her cousin requested. "There, just like that, and you'll be sure to have a boy that can see past our careers.""Thanks Marie.. you always no how to make me feel better." The two cousins shared a short hug before Callie backed up so she could finish dressing. Marie started heading for the door to wait for her. "Now let's go meet up with the others. We still have time to get some food.""Sure, Marie! Just a sec." Callie finished fixing her tentacles, and headed to where her cousin was, but then paused."Huh? Forget something again, Cal?" Marie asked."N-no! I was just wondering... how come you don't have a boyfriend?" Marie gave her a blank look at the seemingly random question, which made Callie fluster a little. "I-I mean you always seem so much better at this love stuff than me. I thought you'd have someone you like already.""Who says I don't?" Marie's smirk returned. "I may not have a boyfriend, but that doesn't mean there isn't someone I'm interested in."Wait reeeeaaally?" Callie's eyes lit up, as if sparkling. "Wait, don't tell me you like Drake too.""Pffff. Don't be silly Cal," Marie giggled loudly at her cousin's reaction. "He's like family to me, and even if he wasn't, he's not my type. I've said this before, remember?""Oh, uh right. Silly me." Callie grinned to cover her embarrassment. "Then is it Levin? I saw him make your hearts race at Octovalley.""That was one time!" Marie put her hands out in front of her to protest. "Besides, he has Shara. Do I look like a homewrecker to you?""T-then what about Kirin?""Ohoho.. no way. Even if I've forgiven him for what he did... yeah, that's not happening. Besides, I'm not dating a subordinate.""Is it-""Callie..." Marie gave a classic exasperated sigh. "If I give you a hint, will you stop asking and throwing names out?""Oh! Yes, please!" Callie looked at her cousin excitedly. She was clearly eager to solve the puzzle that was Marie's crush."It's someone that's always been supporting us for the last several years. Especially when we dropped that warehouse job and got our gig started.""Whhhaaaaat? That's too vague, Marie. Only person I can think of is Gramps. Who is iiiit?""Then I guess we know which one of us noticed our helper more," Marie chuckled. "Besides, you said you would stop guessing. Let's go and get something to eat. I'm hungry enough I could out eat you.""Not cool, Marie! And tell me arleaaaddyyyy!" Callie whined, as she followed Marie through the hallways. While most of the humans had migrated to the surface, those that remained in the main facility as staff had gotten used to their visits. While some would occasionally offer brief pleasantries, most would let the squid sisters go about their visits, instead of bombarding them with questions and autograph requests. When they entered the cafeteria, they saw Drake and Otome sitting next to each-other while eating their breakfast. They both looked tired, and were concentrating on their food, but the air between them had changed. Eager to see what happened between them, the two girls picked up a meal set from the counter, and sat down across from them."You two look like you had a busy night," Marie commented. Both of them immediately stopped eating their food. Otome's spoon quivered a bit, causing the oatmeal that she was eating to slide back into the bowl."You could say that," the Octoling finally said after a few moments."So? What happened?" Marie continued to press."Do we have to do this now?" Drake asked, putting the fork he was using down. Marie glanced over to her cousin, then nodded with a firm expression."Yes, I think we do. Now please tell us what happened. Or at least tell Callie. I can walk out of the room if-""It's fine," Otome responded with a sigh, then leaned back in the chair with her arms behind her head. "Its not like we have something to hide... for once."...Early to bed, early to rise was a common routine for an Octarian. Especially for those in the army, but far past midnight was beyond what was normal for a soldier like Otome. There were a few dark lines under her purple eye rings, that showed clear signs of fatigue. Having a heated discussion at 3 in the morning didn't help her either. She turned away and faced towards the wall, as Drake took a step closer to her."Otome, I was just as at fault as you. There were so many things I could have done differently. Why do you keep blaming yourself?""I told you..." She responded in a pained voice that sounded like she was holding back tears. "That thing may have been controlling me but... it used the darkest parts of me. Feelings that shouldn't have existed... memories that never happened that I refused to question... voices in my head that I couldn't turn away... all because I was weak.." She put a hand to her forehead. "I tried to resist. I tried so hard to resist..""I know you did.. we both do." He took another step forward."You never asked to have that thing put on your head by Octarias to use you like that. Why can't you accept that we forgive you?""Because I screwed everything up!" She shouted back. "I ruined things between us and hurt both of you. You have Callie, now. I don't deserve you or her friendship.""Otome.. do you regret it?" He asked, taking another step to her"W-what?" The sudden question caught her off guard and he put a hand on her shoulder."Do you regret saving her?""N-no of course not!" Otome insisted."Then would you do it again?""I..." Otome paused for a split second before she shamefully realized that she was hesitating on what should have been an obvious answer to her. "I would. And I know she would do the same for me with out even thinking...""I thought as much.." Drake wrapped his arms around her slowly. A move that she didn't resist. "And she knows it too, I'm sure. What happened to you was a power tripping entitled sociopath taking advantage of you. Callie wants to be your friend again, And I... I'd like to think you can at least understand that I'll always care about you." Tears welled up in her eyes before flowing down the sides of her cheek, splattering on the hard floor."I'm so sorry..." She turned around and leaned into his chest, letting out all her pent up emotions. He stood there, holding her head with his arms to silently comfort her. After a few minutes, the tears finally stopped, and he slowly lowered her to his bed."Why don't we stop here? I think you need to sleep.""Y-yes..." She said, trying to keep her voice from breaking again. "Drake... why don't we call it off?""Wait, what?" He gave her a surprised look."Just for now... until Octarias pays for his crimes." Her voice slowly went back to normal at the mention of a man she now hated. "I.. want to start over. With you... but I don't want to tempt fate by making any life plans for after the war. Nor do I want tensions between our races to keep us apart again... and you need to decide if you have feelings for Callie or not." That last sentence made him look down. "Then.. if we make it through this... lets.. talk..""Otome...""I have no intention of dying, if that's what you're thinking.." she smiled wryly. "So just promise me.. we will talk. Even if we go back to just being friends for good.""Okay.. I promise." Otome smiled and slowly drifted off to sleep with that reassurance. Drake went and sat in a nearby chair, intending to process his thoughts, but his own fatigue overtook him, and he drifted off instantly...."So after all that... you.." Marie gave them a puzzled expression and Drake just nodded."Yeah... we broke up for real this time... since I need to clear my head.""And I need to fulfill my duty to my people... even if that's going against the entire army to take Octarias' head," Otome cut in with a sour look. "Besides, he'll make sure no one else but him can... be with me.""I feel there is more to this than just his desire for you, but.. you're probably right that he will try to pit you against each other again." Marie nodded in agreement."But things between Drake and me are.. well we've put the past behind us. We trust each-other again." The Octoling then looked over to the magenta Inkling that had been quiet for the whole conversation. "And..." she took a deep breath. "I understand everything that happened... that you two had only tried to move on. So.. I.. want to be friends again.""I want that too.." Callie gave the Octoling a sincere smile. "You're one of my best friends and you saved my life." Callie stuck her hand out. "Gal pals?""Don't know about the gal pals part, but-" Otome reached out and took it. "Friends." She then looked over to the green and milky white cousin. "And Marie, I-""We're cool," Marie gave her a nod. "I've wanted things to go back to the way they were, too.""T-then... do you think we could... do that Calamari trip? Like we planned?" Otome blushed a little, and the squid sisters exchanged glances. They nodded to her, and smiled warmly."I think that's a good idea." Marie nodded in agreement Otome's wish."Heck yeah!" Callie said with her arm raised. "Soon as this mess is over, let's go!""And as soon as your not banned from Inkling territory, which includes the county," Marie reminded her, which made Callie drop her pose."Oh- I.. uh-""Who's going to the county, yo?" They heard a voice from the other side of the cafeteria. Looking over, they saw Pearl and Kenny walking in. They were holding hands, and both had pink hues on their faces. Pearl had spoken up in an attempt to enter the conversation, but had only drawn attention to themselves. Marie couldn't help but to smirk at them."Oh, nothing. The four of us were planning on visiting our hometown. Why? You two lovebirds thinking about hitting the hot-spring together?""Well- I- wait, be quiet, Marie!" Pearl shot at Marie, as her face went redder, which made Marie break out into laughter. Drake gave the two a perplexed look, before his eyes went back to his former subordinate."Wait... Kenny, you're dating the gremlin now?""Yes, Captain." He gripped the girls hand more firmly, but not enough to make her uncomfortable. "And I'd prefer you not insult my girlfriend.""Yeah, you be quiet too, Fossil!" Pearl snapped."Well I'm not opposing it, since.. well you know my history. But... why the gremlin? She hates humans.""You wanna get another bite, yo?! I freaking will!" She bared her teeth. "Besides, this here is MY human, you dig?!""Who is who's now?" Kenny reached down and pulled the girl into his arms, lifting her up into a bridal style position. Pearl's face went completely flushed."D-dummy! Everyone is lookin' at us!""Let em." Kenny walked towards the meal pickup area, while Pearl buried her red face into his chest. Having been reminded by Drake that they needed to get back to Inkopolis before the Octarians made their move, the pair quickly ate bowls of oatmeal. Once everyone was done, they headed towards the motor pool, where they suspected Marina had spent the night."You think.. you're friend will be okay with.. well us?" Kenny asked, as him and Pearl trailed behind the rest of the group."Who, Reena? Yeah, man. She likes yah." Pearl nodded in response, then her face went serious. "It's my dad I'm worried about. He's a big shot, and doesn't like humans, either.""Oh, lucky me.." Kenny groaned."Ah, don't sweat it, yo. With just the way yah kissed me last night, I know you ain't like those other stupid boys. Even if daddy says no, I love yah." The Inkling that despite being older than Marina, was short for her race and age, and leaned up for a kiss. Kenny, who was short for a human, still bent down to meet her. They locked lips with each-other."I love you too cutie. Even if we met on bad terms, it's been fun.""Geez, at least call me hottie or something," Pearl said to cover her embarrassment."Cute is more important than hot. That's something I will fully agree with the captain on. Now let's go before we get made fun of again." Jogging forward hand in hand, they caught up with the others, just as they entered the motor pool. As expected, Marina was sleeping near a pile of tools, while leaning on the leg of the now repaired tiger. After waking her up and being joined by Brandon and several defense force members, they all gathered around the walking tank to try to formulate a plan."I think it would be best if only two of us went in first," Drake said, after they failed to come up with a foolproof way of getting their message out to the Inklings and Octarians. "If Fran can be trusted, then we should head straight for the studio.""He'll come through for us," Marie insisted."And we can just take the helicopter," Marina added. "That thing needs to be returned to the studio.""Actually, I was thinking of borrowing your motorcycle, Marina. The helicopter might be too obvious, and I'd rather save the helicopters for quickly moving our own troops in, if things go tits up. Plus, the studio chopper looks sturdy enough to transport the tiger.""O-okay. I- uh, should I go with you then?" Marina asked, looking uneasy about lending out her pride and joy."No, if you and Pearl were locked out of the system, then you probably have a target on you. So does Marie. Bringing Otome, Yako or Kora would be a bad idea with the current political situation, so... " he turned to the pink Inkling. "Callie, do you want to come?""H-huh? Me?" She looked at him with surprise, and Marie sighed."Drake, she's banned from the city. She's gonna have the biggest target of all of us.""That was my first thought too, but... what if we have her present the evidence?" Drake responded, a slight grin on his face as a plan came together in his head, though Marie looked even more confused. She rubbed the back of her tentacles, as she tried to comprehend what he was plotting."But you'll only be exposing her to the gover-wait... are you-""I see your getting what I'm thinking," Drake nodded."Well I don't. Somebody teelll meee!" Callie whined."If we make them think you got the evidence to stop the war, then they will have no choice to acknowledge that you aren't a traitor, and it won't expose Squidbeak.""And she will be unbanned..." Marie nodded. "Even the chancellor will have no choice if the people think their idol is a hero... that.. that just might work." Marie's expression turned hopeful."So.. what do you think, Callie? You ready to make a comeback?" The pink Inkling nodded to Drake's question with out hesitation, causing her large tentacles to swing rapidly."Yes! Please! I want to see Inkopolis again. I want to see mom and dad again, and take that trip with you!""Then it's settled." He then turned to the defense force members. "I can't order you to do it, but it would be appreciated if you had as much as Edef ready to move out.""Of course, Drake. I have my own reasons for wanting to stop the war as well," Brandon responded"Yeah, I bet you do!" Matt yelled from the back, earning a glare. After settling out the remaining details, the two prepped the bike for the trip, while the rest of the crew in the motor pool prepped the Inkopolis news helicopter, the two blackhawks and the ground APCs for deployment. As Callie climbed on, Marie approached the pair."Drake... take care of my cousin one more time for me. You got me looking forward to the trip.""Don't worry Marie. I won't lose her again," Drake responded as he fired up the engine."And while I know its for a good cause, please take care of my baby!" Marina shouted, as the two took off. After the dust settled, Marina headed back to the tiger, and she caught sight of Pearl, tapping away on her phone, and giggling. "What are you looking at, Pearlie?""Oh, just the new additions to my Reena collection." Marina leaned in and saw several photos of her, passed out on the floor, along with other photos of her sleeping in odd positions. "Oh, that reminds me. I gotta send the old guy our pics, yo." Marina went wide eyed."PEEEAAAARRLLLL!"...Callie came back to reality, as they hit a bump in the road. Jolted, she tightened her grip on the human. She sighed with relief, as the two passed through the main gates. She was home. She didn't have long to bask in the feeling, as a police car siren was heard. Turning around, she saw a cop car on their tail. "Draaaakkeee!""I see, em. And more coming," Drake said. Two Inkling army vehicles joined the pursuit behind the police car."Whhaaat? I get the cops wanting to write us a ticket, but why the heck is the army after us?" She yelled, as Drake went full throttle to try and lose them."I don't know, but something is definitely up. Callie, there's a handgun on the side holster." She looked down, and saw one attached to his hips. "You might have to fend them off.""W-wait, but I thought-""We can't stop now. Just shoot out the tires." She nervously reached for the holster, but before she had to draw the firearm the two military vehicles braked hard, then the police car shortly after. Callie stared for a few seconds in confusion as to why they had seemed to let them go."D-did I scare them?""Uhhh, I think they figured out they have bigger problems." Drake pointed to the sky with his left hand, keeping the bike steady with the other. "Look." Callie followed where he was pointing and went wide eyed. Drake then pulled off the road and into an alley. He stopped the bike, and the too looked upward to confirm what they feared."We... we're too late."..."They're too late," The pink Inkling named Neptune said, while staring up at the sky. Numerous round blotches in the sky that made up of round Octarian airships. A large number of Zeppelins were flying alongside the fleet as support. "Looks like Emperor butthurt is serious. They must have sent everything they have.""Gee, that's quite a posse they got there," Salka said from the wheelchair. "I really messed up by slowin' y'all down with this injury." She smiled wryly, but the green boy standing behind him shook his head."It's not your fault, Selka." He put a hand to her shoulder. "We all tried our best, but sometimes your best just won't cut it. Just like what happened to my cousin.""Can we not bring that up right now?" Neptune cut in. "But, yeah. we really shoulda just rushed the news station and beat everyone up," Neptune said, stretching her arms out. "It'd be nice to be the villain for once, especially since its for a good cause.""Neptune, you're always a villain," Kirin rolled his eyes."So what are y'all gonna do?" Selka asked."I'm not missing out on the action this time," Neptune said, raising her type-H. "Kirin will just protect his lady like a good little knight, so you two be good.""Neptune, you-" Before he could respond, she leapt over the handrail, and headed towards the square. "That girl..." Kirin sighed deeply. "But she's not completely wrong." He planted the splatling down on its back end, and took his hand with her free one. "Selka, you've shown me kindness since I got here, even though I was horrible to you the day we met. I couldn't save your legs but... I will return the- don't laugh at me!""Sorry sorry," Selka had a wide grin on his face, her yellow tentacles swaying in the breeze which seemed to make her grin look wider. "It's just.. Ah, knew yah were a good county boy. Yer cousin would be proud.""Somehow I doubt that." He let go of her hand. "Now let's get you inside." He rolled the wheel chair back into the hospital. After asking a nurse to take her back to her room, he grabbed his splatling and activated his ink tank."Yer goin' back out there, aren't yah?" Selka asked."I have to. Kirk would haunt me if I left Neptune out there alone.""Yeah, I had a feelin', yeh would. Just.. be careful, okay? Don't go dyin' on me after sayin' all that.""I won't.." he gave her a rare smile, before turning back to the door. "Too many people want me alive for some reason." He headed out the door, and spotted Neptune near the tower. He hopped off the front deck of the hospital, just as the first wave of Octotrooper deployment pods were launched from the airships.
A\N: I. Hate. Writers. Block. But I'm gonna have to force passed it if i wanna get this done, otherwise it will be months between chapters, not a month.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Between old Octoburg and New Inkopolis, was a wide valley that served as a boarder between two races that had strained, but still amicable relations. The Inklings were busy redesigning the city that would become the new capital, while the Octarians were busy evacuating the lower districts of their own capital city, due to the recent flooding. A figure stood on a rock overlooking the valley. His red tentacles were mostly covered by the royal samurai helmet he wore, though the curls rested against the traditional Kimono. He raised a hand over his face to block out some of the sunlight. The rings around his eyes glowed a purple hue, that despite being exposed to the sun, remained his birth color, even though continued exposure that usually turned them black."Can't say I blame them for moving the capital... even if Calamari County is still a place of beauty," the Octoling sighed, as he gazed at the construction going on in the distance. "Still, did they really need that much land?" The thought of the Inklings taking more space, as old Octoburg continued to slowly loose ground to the water level suddenly raising again, irritated him. But there was still something that gave him hope. Looking down at the valley, he could see the city of Ceph. An experiment of coexistence. The experiment had been going well so far, and he had hopes that Ceph would be the future. Staring intently, he didn't notice the sound of approaching footsteps coming from behind."Taking a break, eh Octavio?" Narrowly avoiding flinching and showing weakness to another species, Octavio slowly turned towards the Inkling that hailed him. The yellow Inkling wore a military uniform, and had a grin plastered on his face."You know I take every chance I get to avoid the family, Craig," the Octoling sighed. "Speaking of which, I'm surprised you're back already. Didn't you take a leave of absence since your wife was giving birth soon?""Aye, she did," the Inkling grinned widely. "Two baby girls!""Wait, twins?" Octavio's eyes went wide."Yes sir, indeed." He pulled out a fresh black and white photograph that depicted a young Inkling woman holding two tiny squids, as Cuttlefish stood behind her. "The one on the left is magenta, and we named her Ayako. The one on the right is Haruka, and she's green.""They're adorable, Craig." The Octoling boy finally let a smile slip. "Ayako and Haruka... very traditional. I like it.""We'll always be countyman," the Inkling nodded. "Not like these hipsters moving to the city, tryin' to be all modern like.""You're only twenty and you already sound like an old man. And hipster is my word. Get your own." Octavio rolled his eyes. "Still, no son, which means the cuttlefish name might vanish some day.""Aye, but that doesn't mean we can't try for one." Cuttlefish's proud grin then turned into a smirk. Octavio face palmed, almost causing the helmet to slip off."Why do you always have to be a dog fish? I'm still surprised you didn't go with that Octoling you were dating.""Kiko? I thought about it, but she got busy with the army... so we grew apart. A shame really, but then I wouldn't have met my lovely girl.""Ah, right. Speaking of her, she was recently promoted to lieutenant, while serving under my cousin." He then glanced over Cuttlefish's uniform. "And I see you're a second lieutenant now."'That I am, pal. And duty calls... which is why I didn't get to spend as much time with the family as I wanted. But speaking of that, how are things on your end? Get a girl of your own yet?""Craig, you know I have no time for that. And besides, between the flooding and family tensions turning into another succession war, things are gonna be busy for a long time.""Ah, yes..." Craig's expression went dark. "The royal family is at it again, when we should be concentrating on Ceph.""Tell me about it..." Octavio let out a deep sigh. "Four succession wars in the last one hundred years, two of which I've been alive for. That's not good, Craig.""I feel you, bud. I really do. So your family is really going through with it, huh?""Yes.. the branch family thinks Octanis is not fit to take over for the current emperor.. who they are accusing of abandoning the needs of our people.""But Octanis is a good lad. He's like us, yah know? Wants Ceph to succeed so we can get your people out of danger.""Yeah he is.." Octavio said with another sigh. "And I'd love to have him on my team as an advisor. But that's one thing I have to agree on.. he's too weak to rule...""So you're going to go through with what your family wants?" Cuttlefish raised an eyebrow, giving him a worried look."No, I'm not." He shook his head. "I didn't join the army and work my ass off all the way to the rank of Colonel, just for them to give me power on a silver platter and work me like a puppet." Octavio took off his helmet, giving it a good look before placing it back over his tentacles. "I'd rather seize it with my own two hands. Once I make my way to General, they will have to listen to me.""Dangerous line of thinking, old friend." Cuttlefish placed a hand to his chin with a brooding look on his face."It is, but I can end the succession wars before another one starts. Then, we can put everything into making Ceph work." He turned away from the valley, looking back towards where the Octarian city state was. "If my cousin takes the throne, then the branch families will circle him like landsharks until his health gives in, and the 5th succession war will start. More Octarians will die. If I can show them.. if I can show everyone what I can do with out my families influence... they have to listen to me. All of them." He then turned back to the skeptical Cuttlefish. "You got my back on this, right? It's the only way to save everyone, since the Inklings are hogging land.""I suppose you have a point..." Craig paused a moment to think. "If you have the Octarian army behind you, then the ruling families will have to stop their petty squabbling.""Exactly." Octavio grinned. "I knew you'd understand.""I'll keep my ears open. But I should probably head back. Duty calls, and I've been given a new squad. They're called squidbeak and supposed to be top tier. Heck, maybe one of em will have some ideas on how to get the Octarians outta the jam they are in now.""I'm open to suggestion.." Octavio sighed and turned away. "Well I'll see you later then. I was gonna invite you to check out some new elder race music we found. Called a... mix tape, or something, but I need to get back to my desk as well.""Aye, till next time, old friend." Cuttlefish said, and started heading back to the valley. "And try to get a girl! That orange lass that was eyein' yah at the folk singing contest might still be available!""Shut up, Craig!" Octavio yelled back, but with a smile on his face. After rejoining his body guards, he headed through the main gates of the Octarian capital. The streets were getting more crowded, as the Octarians that used to live in the lower district that was being flooded had been relocated to the upper areas. Tensions were getting high, as space was running out. After making it back to headquarters, Octavio quickly retreated to his office to continue drafting plans for both Ceph and military deployments for the forces under his command, along with the rest of the Mariner Corps once he attained his next rank. Things were going smoothly, but after several hours of paper work, his door was thrown open. A female lieutenant was panting heavily, looking distressed."Sir! Our forces have been engaged by Inklings!" Octavio froze at her words. He blinked several times before he could find his own words to answer, and his head was trying to deny that he heard her right."Say again? That can't be right, lieutenant.""Its true, sir! A single armed squad was seen trying to infiltrate our boarders. 67th engaged, but were annihilated.""A single squad? Surely this was some group of extremists-""Negative, sir. The intelligence unit believes this to be the rumored special forces group.""A specialist group? That sounds like what cuttlefish was-" Octavio froze mid sentence. His eyes went wide and he started blankly at the soldier for several moments, as his mind refused to believe the dots he had just connected. Then his face went dark, which made the soldier back up. "Deploy all combat units on standby. I want that unit contained. And send word to have all Mariner forces under my command to be combat ready by tomorrow morning.""All of them? But that's-""My orders. Carry them out, soldier.""A-as you wish, Colonel Octavio!" The officer saluted, before running out the door. Octavio turned back to the plans he had spent days drafting. He eventually picked up the top sheet and held it up for several seconds. Anger soon took over, and he crumpled up his work, tossing the wadded up ball into the trash. Once every single bit of his work had been disposed of, he lit a match and dropped it into the trash can."Old friend huh?" Octavio clenched his fists. "I trusted you, but you Inklings are no different than our weak emperor, or the branch families. No,you're worse. Fine, inkstain. If it's a war you want, it's a war you'll get! Once the army is fully under my control, I'll take Ceph and Inkopolis for the Octarians, then you and your family can live in the sinking city!" He got up and stomped towards the door, picking up several pieces of development documents that had stalled that were titled 'Great Octoweapon prototypes.' "Nobody backstabs me. Nobody!"...Inside a small hollow concrete block that made up a prison cell, a large octopus was woken from his slumber. Panting heavily, he slowly pulled himself into a sitting position on a bed that was not meant for his size. Octavio rubbed the top of his with one of his tentacles. "Damn, Cuttlefish. Even in my sleep you have to gloat." Octavio lowered the tentacle, and the X shaped scar was another reminder of history. Just like the fact that he could no longer take humanoid form. "Tch.. not like it matters now."The old Octoling was about to lie back down, when he started to hear shouting from the other side of the block. Curious, and at the same time wondering where his meal was, he got off the bed and went to the cell door. "Hey! Keep id down out there, yah damn hipsters!" As if to answer, a guard backed up into his cell door. He was about to give the guard a piece of his mind for being late with his breakfast, but the Inkling was hit with several purple pellets, and fell backwards. An Octoling elite soon came into his vision, raising her Octoshot. She fired two more shots to finish off the guard, then turned to the cell."Lord, Octavio." She gave a small bow. "The 'founder' has arranged for your release. I'm here to take you back." Octavio looked her over, along with the small squad that had infiltrated the prison. The soldier nearest her was armed with an Octobrush, while the other two were carrying standard issue Octoshots. He then turned his attention to the elite."Is that so? It's a little late for that, squirt.""Sir, Octarias insists on you returning," the elite responded, and Octavio gave her an inquisitive look."Really now? Then I guess we'd better get this show on the road.""Yes... this way." Octavio moved passed her, towards where the brush wielding soldier was. "It's time.""Yeah, time for your asses to be glassed!" In one swift move, Octavio grabbed the brush with one tentacle, and spun around, hitting the soldier with two that he had outstretched, and sent her flying backwards. He then rammed the handle into the head of the second soldier, knocking him unconscious."W-what the-" The shock of his surprise attack had left the fourth member defenseless, as he barely had time to raise his weapon, once he finally came to his senses. Octavio used this to slam the front end of the brush down on him, splatting the male Octoling instantly by pure force. Hearing the sound of a weapon click behind him, he raised a tentacle and flicked away several ink pellets that the elite had fired at him. He swung the brush sideways, hitting her in the side and knocking the weapon out of her hand. As he approached the fallen elite, he swung the brush one more time, hitting the female that had tried to get up and stick a knife in his back. Once she was down for the count, he slid up to the elite, and swiped the octoshot from out of her reach."How... how did you know... false king.." The elite groaned."Did you really think I wouldn't notice that tampered ink, yah inkstain?" Octavio scoffed. "Besides, the founder never revealed himself to us, but thanks for making it clear that hipster junior was screwing with me from the beginning." He then raised the brush."You'll never be as great as the true emperor, false ki-" She screamed as the brush was slammed down on her."I go away for a few days and look at the mess he makes.." The large Octoling dropped the brush with a heavy sigh. He glanced back at the cell. His first thoughts were to go back in, as three meals and a bed wasn't the worst retirement ever. "Nah, not my style. And these lazy squirts can't even get meals made on time." He slowly made his way out of the prison cell, recalling the dream he had. "And Cuttlefish needs to get his..." he paused. "Maybe I've been going about this the wrong way. No more Octarian army or squidbeak agents to get in the way."Octavio closed his eyes. Concentrating harder then ever, he let out a loud groan. His body changed shape. His major tentacles became limbs, as he rose out of his primitive form that he had been stuck in since the war. After several seconds, a massive Octoling figure that hadn't been seen in a hundred years, stood at the door to the prison block. "Hah... and I've still got it." he then turned towards the security camera. "Hear that Craig? Once I return the favor to prince hipster, it's just me and you! There's still some fight in this old man! I'll-" Octavio took as step forward, then roared in pain. In his haste, he pulled a muscle that hadn't been used in years. "Oh, my back- owowowow!" He leaned forward, turning back into the octopus form, and the pain started to slowly subside. "Ohh that's gonna leave a mark... well screw it, I'll just take it easy till I get my power back. Let those ink squirts fight. I'mma be coming for yah again, old friend." Octavio's laugh echoed through the empty block....The boy that was still going by the nickname, Agent 8, was standing over a large section of catwalks that overlooked an even larger looking square arena. The human known as Tricia, was standing behind him with her pulse smg at the ready. After selecting a bomb type at the test registration machine, the Octoling boy was trying to pick from the many weapons that had been left at the top of the catwalk."The test calls to defend that ball thing from attackers," Tricia said, noticing the boy's indecision. "Might wanna keep that in mind... so hurry up and choose something.""Yeah, yeah.. I know." Agent 8 walked over to a pair of duelies. "These... I've seen these before. Maybe I can use them." He fired a few shots to test the weapon, then activated the dodge nozzle. He yelped loudly, as he was sent spiraling forwards. After rolling several times towards the edge of the catwalk, he dug his heals in to stop his roll, but lost his grip on the weapons. They flew off the side of the catwalk and fell to the arena. The boy pulled himself up with an irritated groan while Tricia tried to keep herself from laughing too hard. "That's not funny... I've never used one before. How was I supposed to know it was that fast?""Maybe so, but the look on your face was still priceless," she responded with a smirk. "But why don't you pick something you know how to use this time?" The boy rolled his eyes and went for a standard splattershot."Might as well go with the basics." The boy changed forms and jumped down to the arena below. Tricia took a side path that kept her on another series of smaller catwalks, so she could watch over him from elevation. As the boy changed forms, it didn't take long for the test to start, and a blue green Octoling quickly jumped in. Ignoring the boy, she ran towards the sphere that he was charged with protecting. Firing several pellets at the ground to block her patch, the boy swam up, then hopped out of his ink, spraying her down with several well placed shots, causing the enemy combatant to deteriorate and vanish into a cloud of static."Two more jumping in!" Tricia yelled, while taking aim."So that's how it is.." Seeing two more figures jump in from opposite sides, he headed towards the one that was closest to him, hoping the human would get the other. He lobbed the bomb of choice, a standard splat bomb, between her and the orb. Acting machine like, she didn't notice the deadly pyramid shaped bomb at her feet, and erupted into static once the bomb burst. Hearing sever loud cracks in rapid succession, he saw Tricia take several shots at another Octoling, that soon fell dead."Another wave coming, ah crap! Three of em!" A third wave of Octolings jumped in from opposite sides. Tricia aimed her weapon up and hit one of them while they came down after shifting. The other two landed near where the boy was, and charged towards the orb that needed to be protected. Hurling a bomb to block their path, he turned his weapon on the female nearest him, splatting her with several well placed pellets. When he turned to the third sickly Octoling, he went wide eyed. She was no longer where she had been running, but instead, had taken to the skies in an ink jet. He fired several pellets, but she strafed to the side, and fired a ball at the orb, causing heavy damage. Backing away form him, she fired a second shot, causing the orb to swell. Irritated, he turned to where Tricia was. "A little help here?""Calm your man tits, I got this!" She yelled back. She aimed at the strafing ink jet pilot, and squeezed off a burst. The shots missed, and the Octoling fired another shot at the orb, causing it to swell even more."Tricia!" The boy yelled, trying to chase down the pilot on the ground. Irritated, she gave up on careful aiming and held the trigger down, unleashing a torrent of lead. Due to the recoil of the weapon, many of the shots missed their mark. The last few shots before the empty weapon clicked managed to hit the pilot in the gut. With a scream, she disintegrated, and the jet flew off to the side, only to explode against the arena wall. For a split second he felt relief, but then saw four more figures jump in from each corner. "Uhh... Tricia..""I see them," she responded. "Ugh, this test is really starting to-ack!" The human yelped as a charger stream struck her left shoulder. She fell back, then scooted behind a small barrier on the catwalk, as another stream flew overhead. Peaking around the corner, she saw another test soldier aiming an Inkling E-litre down range. Ducking back down, she did her best to reload the weapon with one hand, as her other was numb and not responsive. Once the new magazine was inserted and setting the weapon to semi-auto, she raised back up. Using the edge of the wall as a support for the weapon, she aimed at the charger user. Seeing an aiming laser go across her vision, she fired two shots at the Octoling before another stream could be fired. Both bullets found there mark and the Octoling fell backwards before losing its form."Ah, crap! Need a hand down here!" She heard the boy yell. Looking over the edge, she saw the boy splat the second Octoling at point blank range, but it was immediately obvious why he had called for help. The third had pulled out a large beam weapon, and was hitting the orb with super compressed ink. "Stingray! Get the stingray!" He yelled, as the orb swelled to near bursting point."How do you know what that- never mind!" She adjusted her aim and dropped the third Octoling with several more well placed rounds. The Octoling disintegrated, and the beam weapon fell, almost hitting where she was taking cover before it shut down. She looked over and saw that the orb was at the point that any more damage would destroy it. And looking at the test register, she wouldn't be able to overload their way out of a failure. "Right, now where is dipshit number four?" She muttered while nervously scanning for the last fighter."Ahhh! You!" He heard the boy yell. Her attention snapped to where he was standing. The last Octoling was directly in front of him. He had his weapon aimed at her, but seemed to be hesitating."What are you waiting for? Take her down before she screws the test up!" Tricia yelled, but Agent 8 continued to hesitate."I... I..." He stammered and suddenly his head throbbed. The vision of a returning memory flashed before his eyes and held him in place...."They got the General! Abandon ship!" A voice from a senior Elite echoed through the halls of the leviathan air cruiser that D.J. Octavio had constructed in secret. Octarians scrambled to get out of the main hall that had just been used as a stage for a fight between the Octarian usurper and the agents of Squidbeak. The massive Octoling lay motionless, as the two agents that had defeated him were joined by the squid sisters after rescuing Cuttlefish. Far behind them, two male Octolings were lying on the main deck, splatted by the blue Inkling known as 3, but were still breathing.A third Octoling was glancing between the two, having to make a quick decision. She finally went over to the younger of the two boys and lifted him up. "Welp, guess you're the lucky one..." She glanced over at the other that was still face down. "You're shit out of it, though. But you clearly believed in that idiot's sharkshit, so sucks to be you." As the squidbeak agents were busy freeing the great zapfish, the Octoling made her way to the upper catwalks. Most of the Octarians were busy clearing out of the airship before it lost power, but a single dark skinned Octoling remained at the top, her eyes glued to the agents. "Didn't you hear the admiral, Ida? It's time to jump ship.""H-huh?" The tall Octoling looked over. "O-oh. It's just you, Octomarin." She sighed. "I was just... I know I shouldn't be saying this but... that was so amazing. And the music... it was just like the squid sister concerts we sometimes get to see when our transmitters pick up their broadcasts.""Yeah. Gotta admit that was pretty cool." Octomarin shrugged. "But play time's over. This place is gonna come crashing down anytime now, since they freed the zapfish. I just hope Admiral Tama isn't stupid enough to go down with the ship. Anyway, I'm gonna defect to the Guardian Corps when I get outta here, and you should to.""I... I uhh..." Ida looked down. "I just.. I want to see the surface... with my own two eyes." She paused and looked back up at Octomarin. "I want to learn more about... music.""They got your attention that much, huh?" Octomarin chuckled lightly. "Well since we're both officially abandoning our posts, I'm not gonna tell you no. Guess I'll bring this dork with me as a peace offering to the corps.""Is that... one of Octavio's body guards? He looks so young," Ida commented while looking at the unconscious boy with concern."Yeah, him and the other one were both bumped to the top of the advanced training list and put in the field way too early. Guess their training results caught Octavio's eye. This guy was apparently an ace with captured Inkling weapons.""Wait-" Ida looked over to the main platform, where the other boy was still down. "What about-""Siber is on his own. He actually believed in the geezer and strung this guy and the rest of his team along." The airship started to shake around them, now that squidbeak had evacuated, along with the ships living power source. "I think that's our cue, Ida. Let's get out of here.""R-right. I know a short cut." Ida glanced back one more time. She noticed the other boy had pulled himself to his feet. Nodding, she jogged in the direction of the nearest escape hatch. Octomarin lifted the boy up and followed at a brisk pace."I'm gonna need a drink after this."..."I can't- !" The boy yelled, taking a step back once he came back to reality. The blue green Octoling stared at him for a moment, before turning her attention back to the orb that was at the point of being destroyed."You have too!" My weapon's jammed!" Tricia yelled from above."But-""The lass is right!" Cuttlefish said over the CQ's communicator. "Even if that thing is someone yah knew, that Marina lass said they have no life signs. If anything, putting it down would be doing 'er a favor.""But... I-" The female raised her weapon, intending to strike the orb. "Daaaammmiiiittt" Agent 8 gritted his teeth and sprayed the Octolings back with his ink. She fell forwards, dropping the Octoshot as she fell on her hands and knees."You gotta finish her, bucko. The test ain't gonna be finished if yah don't. That thing may look like yer friend but its a monster created by Kamabo.""I know! Dammit, I know!" He closed his eyes and pulled the trigger of his splattershot. A few more shots in the females back, and she disintegrated with a scream that seemed less robotic than the other units he had been facing. A buzzer sounded, marking the tests completion. Having fixed her weapon, Tricia jumped down from the catwalk and slowly started walking to him."Eight...? You okay, buddy?" The boy opened his eyes, seeing that there was nothing left of the female. However, upon glancing down, he saw a strange object where she had been standing. He picked it up, and on closer inspection, it was a small 3d cut out of an Octoling soldier. Guilt overcame him, and he had to fight back tears."I'm sorry... Octomarin."..."Pearl, I'm sorry!" Said the shivering Marina. She was currently hiding in her secondary form under a work bench in the Eden motor pool. All eyes were on them, as Pearl was trying to coax her from her spot. "I thought you'd hate me if you knew!""Reena, would you just come out already?" Pearl reached farther in. "I'm not mad at yah, kay?""But I lied to you all this time!" She whimpered, trying to make herself disappear."Come on, Reena. I had a feelin' you were different from most of the Octolings that were coming to the surface. Yeah I'm surprised that you invented those annoying flooders and worked directly for Octavio... but that doesn't mean I hate yah.""Y-you're lying.." She continued to whimper."Come on, Reena. How long have we known each other? You think I'm gonna say sorry yer not my best friend anymore cus you worked for a dumb old Octopus man?""R-really?" Marina let her guard down just long enough for Pearl to grab hold of her, and pull her out. Marina let out a loud yelp and flailed her tentacles . She then wrapped her arms around the Octopus form and rubbed the top of her head with a knuckle. "Whhaaaa! Pearl that- but you said-""Of course I forgive yah, dummy." Pearl sighed and lifted her hand off her. "That's just for even thinkin' I wouldn't.. and worrying me.""Pearlie..." Marina sobbed."I-is she gonna be okay?" Marco asked, looking at the Octopus with concern. Pearl turned around to glare at him."She's fine, so keep back from her, fossil!" She shot, which made Marco back up. Kenny wanted to say something but Reggie ran in, practically sliding in to Brandon while trying to get his attention."L-L-Lieutenant.." He panted heavily trying to catch his breath."You do laps across the entire base or something, Reggie? Spit it out already." Matt grumbled."It's... it's Henderson. Him and the other insurrectionists have escaped.""You have got to be Shitting me. Did Harris get loose or something?" Brandon said in a very annoyed tone. Reggie shook his head violently."Negative. He's still in his cell, so it wasn't him. When the guards went to change shifts, they found the two Edef members unconscious. We grilled Harris, and he said the lights went out for about a minute, then they were gone. I tried checking the security cameras but...""Let me guess. They conveniently went out during the escape.""You guessed it," Reggie nodded. "I checked the logs and there was an outside breach.""That's impossible." Manfred said, who had appeared behind them. We've confirmed that Oceanic operating systems are too different from ours.""Are we really sure about that? Remember the infiltration last year?" Reggie said and Manfred was forced to acknowledge that."Still, who on the outside would want to help those morons?" Takeshi asked."I don't know... great another loose end." Brandon muttered."Oh, yeah and uhh... you're not gonna like this, but Hannah went after them.""She did WHAT?" Brandon yelled which made Reggie back up a bit."Yeah.. she left a note saying she had to take responsibility.. I think she feels guilty about the whole bait thing. Locke went after her to stop her, but I wouldn't be surprised if she convinced him to help.""Yeah, I'll bet he is," Matt scoffed."Shit... I'd better let Drake know," Brandon said as he reached for his radio."One more thing!" Reggie said, which made Brandon pause. "We found traces of some strange blue green liquid on the cell bay floor.""What does-" Brandon started to say but Manfred cut in front of him."Did you just say blue green?" He gave Reggie a stern look, who quickly nodded."Y-yeah. Don't know what the hell it is, either.""Show me. Lieutenant Finn, do what ever you have to do," Manfred said as he quickly followed Reggie out of the motor pool. Despite being confused at the sudden development, Brandon turned on the radio to signal Drake and Callie...."You seriously telling me those clowns escaped and that Hannah's out there with.. what's that Inklings name.. Locke?" Drake asked, after hearing Brandon's report."Afraid so.." he heard an audible sigh. "And that's what's going on here. Did you manage to make it to the news station?" Brandon asked. Drake glanced at Callie, who returned it with a nervous look of her own, then looked at the news station on the outside of the alley the two were parked in. Several members of the Inkling army lay dead around the perimeter of the station. A patrol of Octolings blocked the entrance. Through the window, he could see Fran and the other news crew members were being held by several more Octolings inside."Yeah but we got a problem. Somebody beat us to it. It looks like the Inklings were waiting for us but... Octarians took the place over. Seems like they got the jump on the squids too, because it looks like they were all shot in the back.""Is there any way to get in? If the Octarians are already there, we need that footage to be seen.""Well we could grab a few turfers that managed to make it out of the square or find Neptune, but if we storm the place, that will put the hostages at risk-""Give me that!" He heard a female say and Brandon yelped as the radio was taken from him. "Drake, it's Marie. What ever you do, don't do that! I'll bet the reason those soldiers were there, is because Fran made us an opening. He risked himself to help us, you can't just leave him for dead!""S-she's right," Drake heard Callie say. "He's our friend, and the other crewmen have been good to us.""Hmmm...""Marie, let me see that." Drake could hear several muffled sounds as the Radio was passed again. "Drake, it's Otome. How are the Octarians attacking?""The square is being hit by Octotrooper pods. It looks like a scout force, but its throwing the turfers into Chaos. The only Octolings I've seen though, are the ones at the studio.""It's a probing attack." Otome sighed. "Octarias let some of his plans slip while he was controlling me. They're trying to punch a hole in the square so they can give jumps to the Octolings. However, Octarias mentioned two Infiltration forces. That's probably one of them. The other was sent to disable the S.P.A.W.N. pads.""But they only cover areas meant for turf because of the power they drain," Callie said, having heard her."I know that, but Octarias doesn't," Otome continued. "Let's keep it that way. Besides, if your turfers are getting dragged in, you're gonna want a safety net. Anyway, if that is an infiltrator team, they probably expect you to try something. Rescuing those hostages isn't going to be easy." Drake took another glance at the studio."If we had some more guns, we could try shooting through the glass and take down the hostage holders at once, but I can't do that on my own. I'm not THAT good.""Risking the hostages is the only way to get the message out before civilians start dying , but.." Otome let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I know, Marie. Just wait for us to get there, alright? I mean it, Drake. If we're gonna do this the hard way, we're doing this together.""Of course, Otome. We'll get to a better position and wait for you there." Drake and Callie got back on Marina's motorcycle while Brandon took back the radio."We're getting the black-hawks in the air now, and loading up as many as we can on the ground transports. You realize that we're officially entering a war that isn't ours, right?""A little late for that, Brandon.""Yeah, I know. Not like I have much room to talk." He paused for a moment as someone else could be heard talking to him. "The Inkling pilot says they're having some trouble attaching the Tiger to the studio chopper, so the armor support is going to be delayed.""So we just lost more leverage. What else is new?" He said with an obvious sarcastic tone."Pearl and Marina are gonna stay behind as well. Marina got a fix on the old squid and mystery Octoling's location and Marie asked them to help get him back.""Fair enough. This isn't their fight, anyway.""I don't need your charity!" He heard Pearl yell as he kicked the motorcycle in gear."Just get the old man back, okay forehead chan?""YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT" They heard her over the roar of the motorcycle, while they sped away from the studio, as more Octarians were being dropped into the square.
A\N In a bit of Irony, the Caronavirus scare might give me a little extra time to get more chapters out before this drops to a several month at a time pace.

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Since I only recently got access to a work computer again, I decided to do something random as a de rusting exercise. Stats on these sheets are based on fallout. And no it will still be a while before I start working on the next chapter as we just hit the busiest part of the year.

(lunarowel, splatkraken, creepingsouls, octi)

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3.8 The Second Great Turf War Part 1The Square had erupted in chaos, as more and more red balls were being launched from the airships that were casting shadows over the popular gathering point. As the pods hit the pavement, they shattered into small debris, freeing the Octotroopers and other regulars that were inside. They quickly turned their weapons on the stunned crowd of Inklings that had not expected the sudden attack. Ink flew from the assault platforms, causing the inklings to scatter but several turf players had not been so lucky. Two males and a female of various colors had been caught by the crossfire and lay motionless in the center of the square."W-why? What's going on?" The fourth member of their team asked after diving behind the mailbox. "Why isn't the square safety pad not helping them?" While the S.P.A.W.N. pads were mainly only used for turf war, due to the large amount of power they drained from the city grid, several safety pads had been installed in the square to prevent accidental deaths from ink fights over match grudges. As if to answer his question, the emergency PA system clicked on."This is an emergency broadcast. The Octarian Army has invaded. Clear out of the square and all other places of gathering and lock yourselves in your homes, or find the nearest shelter. Do not engage the Octarians. The S.P.A.W.N. System is down, and the army is on their way." This announcement caused the Inklings that were considering to stand and fight to scatter, including the boy that was hiding. Abandoning his team, he used his automap to jump to the permanent beacon for emergency jump outs. Most of the Troopers followed the scattering crowd to try and take a few down, but several turned on the 3 Inklings that were on the ground."Oy, I think these are still alive." The nearest one called to one of the lead Twintacles. He turned his platform around to check the bodies."You know the orders. The square is to be clear before the Octolings land. And it ain't clear as long as Inklings are breathing." He aimed the platforms nozzle at the nearest one. "this is for the emperor- AHH" Unable to finish his sentence, he was knocked off the pod from a burst bomb that landed right between the eyes, causing both blindness and paralysis. The rest of the group quickly abandoned the downed inklings, and turned on the figure that had thrown the bomb."More Inklings! It's not clear, it's not-""Oh shut it, pizza face." Neptune raised her Type-H and let herself drop down into a slide to avoid the incoming ink balls. As she slid, she fired a triple burst at the nearest trooper, killing it before it hit the asphalt. She rolled into the new puddle of pink the trooper left behind."You'll pay for that!" Another trooper said, clearly angered at the death of its teammate. They all fired at once to cover the puddle Neptune hid in, but were too focused to see another stream of pellets come at them from their right flank. Kirin had charged up his heavy , and was slowly approaching the group. The barrels were spinning at a high rate, as the ink was fired at the group. Another two troopers were taken down with ease."Neptune, now!" He yelled. While he restarted the splatling's charge cycle, Neptune popped out of the Ink, firing wildly while in the air, causing the last two to scatter. She came down and delivered a kick to the back of the nearest one. It yelped from being dislodged from its mobile weapons platform, and Neptune Shot it several more times to finish it off. The pink agent then turned on the final trooper, just as Kirin unloaded another barrage on it."Hey! Quit stealin' my kills, green butt!" She said with irritation at having the last trooper lined up. Kirin just rolled his eyes at her, while disengaging the splatling."I'd ask how many times you've been told that this isn't a game now, but I get the feeling that would be pointless." He knelt down besides one of the fallen boys. "And we need to get them to the hospital before the rest of the troopers come back… but there's only two of us-""Two is enough," Neptune interrupted in a serious tone, who was kneeling by the female. "This one didn't make it.""Dammit to hell…" Kirin balled his left hand into a fist, and punched the ground. An action he instantly regretted, as pain wracked his entire arm. He shook it out, and grabbed hold of the male, while Neptune did the same for the other boy. "Bastards will pay for this, but let's at least get these two out." They lifted up the shoulders of the unconscious boys, and started making their way to the side of the square where the hospital was. However, several shadows were approaching from overhead."Ah, hey green butt. I don't wanna be that girl, but you might wanna pick up the pace." Kirin looked up to see several angry Octobombers approaching at high speed."More Inklings in the square!" one yelled. This got the attention of the Octotroopers that had finished mopping up the stragglers that were foolish enough to stand and fight. Assault platforms started converging on their location and the bombers were nearly in range. Neptune, going as fast as she could, turned pale."Kirin… we gotta leave them behind.""But we can't just leave them!" Kirin shook his head. Above, a bomber was readying an autobomb."Man I wish I had a joke for this.. but this is suicidal, even for me. And if I'm saying that you know we're- ack! Too late!" the bomber dropped the autobomb near enough for it to detect them. The little robotic explosive locked on, and started following at a pace that exceeded the two Inklings. It headed for Neptune, and in a panic, Kirin dropped the boy and jumped in front of it."Dummy! Don't you-" Just as the bomb was about to be in range to self-destruct, a number of loud cracks were heard. The bomb exploded prematurely, and only trace amounts of purple ink splattered onto Kirin's uniform."Wait, what the.." Kirin was stunned for a few seconds, before another series of rapid fire bangs brought down the bomber that had thrown the explosive. It fell to the ground and its guts splattered across the pavement from the fall."Humans?! I don't know where they came from, but I don't care. Get a move on, Kirin!" Neptune barked. Coming out of the shock, he quickly lifted the boy back up. More gunfire was heard at a much more rapid pace than Kirin and Neptune were used to from Drake's rifle, and two more bombers dropped out of the sky. Both the remaining bombers and troopers all scattered, leaving the Two inklings to pull the fallen boys to safety. As the Octarians frantically searched for the source of the gunshots, the agents managed to escape to the hospital.…"How many points for the big flying ones?" The human female asked while lowering the pulse smg that was smoking from its barrel."Oh, I'd say maybe five. The dumb troopers are a dime a dozen, or so I hear. Those are only worth one," her Inkling companion answered. Hannah and Locke were taking cover in an alleyway at the back of the square, near the train station. Both had their weapons ready to engage more of the regulars, in the event that they decided to pursue the two Inkling agents again, but they appeared to be too busy searching for Locke and Hannah. "But as dumb as they are, we shouldn't press our luck. Even a girl as skilled as you, can't take on the entire army.""Even with such a gentleman watching my back?" Hannah responded in a teasing tone. "But you're right. Looks like they are just getting started." Another wave of deployment pods was launched from the airship circling above, and the other ships were launching pods to other parts of the city. More troopers and airborne regulars moved out to reinforce the regulars that had survived the surprise attack, which to both Hannah and Locke made further engagements pointless and dangerous."Man, just how many did they bring?" Locke said, his tone becoming serious. "They're really making this hard.""That's what she said, right?" Hannah said with a grin, and Locke had to cover his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing and giving their position away. He raised his hand up and the two high-fived each other. Luckily for them, none of the troopers had noticed their carelessness. Several of them had moved to the area near Deca Tower, and were placing beacons. Locke noticed this, and his expression grew serious."Okay, good one Hannah, but we need to beat feat. Won't be long before the Octolings start showing up," he said, and a second air ship joined formation over the square alongside the first."Yeah but we got a perfect opportunity to spy on them, don'tcha think? They haven't figured out where we are yet.""You have a point," Lock responded and looked around. His eyes landed on the next building over, that was being slowly renovated in the past few days. "Well if you seriously want to keep pushing it." He went over to the window and bent down with his arms out and his hands locked together. "You first, m'lady." He said with a grin. Hannah rolled her eyes at him."Don't you think I should be doing that? I'm bigger than you, you know.""In some areas, sure," he said with a sly grin. Hannah put a hand to her mouth to stifle a chuckle."Alright, you win, tough guy." She walked over to him, and put one foot on his hands. With a grunt he lifted her up to reach of the window. While he was surprised at her weight from both bone mass and the equipment she was carrying, she was equally surprised at him being stronger than he looked. She put the other foot down, and reached for the window. She bashed part of it in with her elbow, sending many fine shards of glass inwards, then unlocked the latch that was holding it down. "Got it! Lift me up a little more.""As you wish, beautiful." With another grunt he lifted her up enough to where she was able to brush aside the glass and pull herself up to the ledge."I hope with all that grunting, you aren't thinking I'm heavy." She pulled herself up far enough to slip inward, and force the rest of her body through the window. Once she was all the way in, she stood up and leaned back over the window with her arm out."Hah, wouldn't dream of it. Don't underestimate this squid." He jumped up and grabbed on, and Hannah managed to pull him inside, just as an Octotrooper squad passed by where they had been hiding only seconds ago. Hannah then sat down at a desk that was covered in sheets to keep dust and debris from the renovations off of it. She then took out her radio and binoculars, and tossed the pair of glass lenses at the Inkling."I'm gonna see if I can reach Drake or Brandon. Take those, and keep an eye on them. Also, watch for any signs of Henderson and the other convicts. I don't like how they managed to slip away so easy," Hannah said, as she started to fiddle with the radio's settings."Yes, ma'am." He raised the looking glasses. "I see why the Captain had a thing for you. Smart, and pretty.""You're going to have to do better than that if you think flattery is gonna work on me, though I'll take the compliment," Hannah responded with a chuckle. "Now impress me by getting some juicy info.""Oh, I'll get you juicy." Locke leaned to the nearest window and started scanning the square. Multiple Octolings were now jumping in to the areas designated by the troopers as safe drop zones. They came out of their native forms, and moved to secure the areas surrounding both the tower and the shops first. Some bore the Guardian corps insignia, and the ones jumping from the other airship wore Mariner uniforms. Once the rank and file had spread out, A single elite jumped to the front of the tower."So this is the infamous capital of the decadent ones.. huh?" The elite took off her goggles for a brief moment, exposing her purple eye rings and bright pink eyes. Seeing that there was no immediate threat, she glanced at her surroundings, taking in the look of the modern buildings, each with its own style at a contrast to the orderly look of Octarian dwellings. The elite allowed herself to take a quick glance at the sky, before returning the goggles when she caught sight of a male Mariner member approaching her."Sargent Lavender, no Inkling contacts to report. It looks like the troopers and bombers managed to scare them off. Bunch of cowards, the lot of em.""Don't get cocky, Corporal!" The elite snapped, breaking the young Octoling's pre-combat high. "We might have scared off the civies, but the army won't be keeping their pants down forever. These drop zones are our lifeline, so you be damn sure they stay secure! Got it, boy?!""y-yes mam!" the male Octoling saluted, and the elite turned to another pair of sub officers that had jumped in with her. They stood at attention, ready for her upcoming orders."Alright, I want the 32nd to set up an aid station by the tower. Unit 27 is to set up zapwalls along the alley ways. I don't want any army units sneaking in. And while you're at it, set up a stockade area." She then turned to the Mariner sub officer. "Take your squad and take a look around that building to the left of the tower. Our intel is sketchy about Grizzco, and I don't like sketchy intel. You get me?""Yes, Sargent Lavender!" The second Octoling responded."Good. The rest of the Mariner squads will secure the shops and other surrounding buildings." The two sub officers moved out to issue orders to individual squads."Ma'am! What about the hospital?" The male corporal asked. Maki looked over, and eyed the large structure."Leave it alone. I see no reason to invade a civilian hospital. For now, post guards around the entrance. Make sure no one gets in or out, especially the Inkling army." The corporal nodded, and gathered his squad to secure the hospital that, unknown to them, was occupied by the squidbeak agents. Looking around the square, most of the Octolings were securing their objectives with no resistance. Something was beginning to make her uneasy. "This is going way too smoothly.""Why Sargent Lavender. Are you losing your edge?" Sighing, Maki turned to the second elite, who had jumped in late."First off, Oriana, you were supposed to jump in with me. So don't be saying sharkshit like that!" Maki hissed at the large elite. "And second, you can't tell me you don't feel uneasy about how well this is going. We just dropped in the middle of Inkling territory.""Not saying I don't agree with you, Lavender," Oriana responded with a shrug. She ran a hand through her large black tentacles. "But no need to be a downer when we just get started, yeah?""Oh, please. I don't need to hear that from someone that never takes her duty seriously." Maki rolled her eyes from behind her goggles, a gesture that Oriana picked up on from her head movements. "Anyway, the captains should be jumping in any second, now that the area is secure. At least try to look like you're a damn elite.""So uptight," Oriana sighed. "This is why you don't have a boyfriend-""Not another word, Oriana!" Lavender snapped back. Their bickering had gotten the attention of the nearby Octolings that were setting up medical station. They also failed to notice that two more dark Octolings had jumped from the airships. "I do not need that from you of all people!""Am I interrupting something, Sargents?" Both elite's whipped around and stood at the attention for the new arrivals. One of the new elites wore the insignia of the Guardian Corps, the other that of the Mariners."Negative, ma'am!" Sargent Lavender responded. "The area secured and the defenses are being placed as you instructed, Captain Scylls," Maki responded. Kelly looked around to take in her surroundings. She sighed deeply with feelings of ambivalence."What about the Infiltration force?" the other Captain asked. "Have they completed their objective?""Affirmative, Captain Golyn," Lavender said, turning to the second Elite. Why Kelly was tall for an Octoling, Captain Golyn had a lot of extra muscle built up and could easily take most males in a fist fight. Her no nonsense tone also made most soldiers afraid to even second guess her, Including Lavender. "Both squads have reported in. The S.P.A.W.N. system has been taken down, and the major news station has been secured.""Excellent," Captain Golyn nodded. However, a scowl started to curl on her face, which unnerved both Sargent Lavender and Kelly. "But where is Captain Yakuma? The raider unit was supposed to use this as a staging area." Lavender just shook her head. "I see… disappointing," Golyn said with a sigh. "Very well. If Captain Yakuma reports in, tell her that she is to report to me, immediately.""Yes, ma'am!" Lavender saluted."Carry on then-" Golyn started to say, which gave Lavender a sign that she was about to be dismissed to her relief, however it was short lived when the corporal came running back with an alarmed expression. "Belay that. Corporal, what is it?" The younger male skidded to a halt upon seeing the muscular elite lock eyes with him."I-uh, ma'am! Several units from the army have been spotted in the hospital!""Wait, what?" Golyn raised her neo-goggles, and directed her gaze at Lavender. The expression elicited more fear than had she left the goggles on. "Why has the hospital not been secured, Sargent Lavender?" It was taking every bit of strength to not buckle under the elite's stern gaze. While Maki had a reputation for being hard on the rank and file during training, Golyn was known for handing out corporal punishment to anyone ranked below her, regardless of position or what branch of the army they belonged to."I deemed it a non-military target, ma'am," Maki responded in a harsh voice. "We are proud guardian corps members, not murderers. Attacking a hospital is a dishonorable act.""She's right," Kelly said, stepping forward and putting a hand on the other elite's shoulder to spare Lavender from the brunt of Golyn's anger. "We've got more important things to do than worry about a few injured soldiers. It's not worth your time-""Too soft." Golyn forced Kelly's hand off her shoulder and turned towards the hospital, giving it a look over. "What happens if the Inklings decide to use it as an insertion point? Or to spy on us? If they are going to use the wounded as a shield, than any casualties are on them. I do not care about your honor, only results. The Guardian Corps can do what they were trained to do and hold the staging area, but leave the fighting to real soldiers." She waved her hand, and several troops of Mariner Octolings joined in formation with her. She then lowered her hand, pointing towards the hospital, and the troops started marching forwards with battle ready expressions. "Just sit back and watch. I could use a warm up before the real fighting begins, anyway.""You're making a mistake. Scorched earth tactics never end well in the long run," Kelly said with a deep sigh, as Golyn marched her troops towards the hospital. She then turned towards her staff officer, while doing her best to ignore a glint from the window on the far side of the square. "Well you heard her. Make sure the defenses are in place before we move on to our next objective. And find out why the Mariner squad that was sent to Grizzco hasn't reported in yet! Or Karumi, for that matter." Sargent Lavender acknowledged her orders and went to redouble their progress on the staging area. Kelly then turned towards the back side of the square, just as another glint flashed from the same window."Geez, that's a lot of them," Locke said with noticeable fear in his voice. "Hannah, I think we need to beat it. Did yah get through to the captain yet?""Barely," Hannah responded, and set the radio down. "There was a shit ton of static and I could barely hear him, but he knows to stay away from the square.""Then let's get out of here before we get spotted. I don't want to have to explain to the Captain or the Lieutenant how I let their pretty friend get captured," he responded nervously, his tentacles twitching rapidly."But this is such a good opportunity to spot targets. You know, the officer-""I wouldn't advise that," a voice said from her side. Hannah whipped around and saw that the radio was gone from the table. A thud was theard from her left and upon turning, she saw the elite from the square in front of Locke. In one swift movement, she pinned him to the wall and snatched his pulse SMG."Wha- LOCKE!" Hannah tried to raise her own weapon, but the elite was faster. She raised the human weapon and pointed it at Hannah."Don't even think about it, human. Put it down, and kick it over here." Grunting in annoyance, Hannah complied and slowly lowered her own pulse SMG to the ground before kicking it towards the elite. She shoved Locke away, then picked up the gun. She stood between them, with a gun in each hand pointed outwards to the pair."Wait.. wait, I know you," Locke said, breaking the silence. "You're the Lieutenant's squeeze.""Squeeze.. hold on, are you telling me that's Brandon's new girlfriend? Her?" Hannah gave a surprised look, briefly forgetting the situation she was in."Yeah, I saw her come out of his room with my own two eyes!""Are you finished?" the elite barked in an impatient tone, clearly doing her best to not show emotion. "I have a name you know. Kelly Scylls, but that's Captain Scylls to you. I won't hide it. Yes we are a thing, and I don't really care what you or anyone else thinks," she said in a defensive tone that gave her feelings away. "But that's not what matter's now. I know why you two were stupid enough to stick around in the middle of an invasion.""W-wait, you do?" This time it was Locke's turn to look surprised."Let's just say I got lonely and broke radio silence before the drop," the elite smirked a little. "You're after that group of human traitors, are you not?""Y-yeah, we were." Hannah rubbed her head awkwardly, realizing that it was not the time to be dropping lies. Kelly nodded in response."Look, what you are doing is beyond reckless, but I won't stop you." Kelly lowered the pulse SMGs from pointing at their chests. "Frankly, I don't like the idea of more loose cannons running around, but at least I know where you two stand unlike those convicts he mentioned. You're free to go after them, but I can't have you spying on our movements. Do I make myself clear?""Hey, no sweat hot stuff-" Locke was cut off when he saw his own weapon being pointed at him again."That isn't gonna work on me. Besides, I'm taken, remember?" Despite her tough girl tone, a small red hue spread across her face as she said that last line. A detail that wasn't lost on Hannah. The elite then moved towards the door. "You've got five minutes to clear out, before I send a patrol over. I don't wanna see you again until this war is over. And you-" she turned to Locke. "You I'd just assume not see at all." With that, she tossed the radio to Hannah, and put the two weapons on the ground. The elite turned into her native form, and Long jumped to one of the beacons that had been left in the square. Hannah quickly retrieved their weapons, passing one of the guns to Locke."Damn, Brandon. How in the hell did you pull that off.""What do you mean, love?" Locke asked, checking his weapon for damage."She's tough, good looking and totally infatuated with him. With Brandon. Mr. freaking straight man," Hanna responded with a deadpanned look before sighing. "My boys are growing up so fast. First Drake, and now him.""You say that like he's one of your kids." Locke tilted his head in confusion."You'd know if you had seen how we grew up. They practically were a couple of helpless boys," she said with a melancholy tone. "And neither of them knew how to talk to girls. Then again, I had the exact opposite problems with relations.""Wait, you guys were siblings?" Locke was getting even more confused."Not literally, dummy! Never mind. Let's just get out of here. We only got like 2 minutes left if that elite was serious.""Ah.. good point." The two exited the building from the back, and moved away from the square in the narrow alleys to avoid the Mariner units that were slowly expanding their territory in the Inkling city.…The train shook as it moved from a protective transparent underwater tube and back into the depths of the deepsea metro. The Octoling boy that was still only identified as agent 8 was crouching down and holding his head. Tricia was leaning down beside him for support, while cuttlefish looked the boy over. He leaned on his cane, while stroking under his chin."Lad, who is this Octomarin you were rambling about?" He finally asked. The boy looked up in confusion, his head throbbing with every heart pulse."Where… where did you hear that name?" The boy managed to grunt."You were moaning when you blacked out after killing that last freaky Octoling," Tricia responded. "Both me and the old guy heard you. Sounded like it was a pretty lucid memory.""Yeah.. you could say that.." he managed to rally enough strength to pull himself back on the bench. Tricia sat down next to him to make sure he didn't faint again."So… what did you see?" She asked with a curious and concerned look. The boy rubbed under his top tentacle, hoping to get the pain to stop."I… was on an air ship…" the boy started with a pensive tone. "There was also a lot of music being played. I didn't get a lot of details but… someone yelled about a general being taken down. Then someone carried me away… they said the ship was about to be destroyed… and I think she saved me. Her name was Octomarin… and I just killed her...""Lad, our mutual friend already said they don't give off life signs. I hate to remind you of this, but that Octoling was already a goner, Bucko." Cuttlefish shook his head and sighed."Geez, Captain. A little finesse here," Tricia said while giving him a glare. Cuttlefish immediately backed off, being reminded of the same look Marie would sometimes give her."My apologies, but it's the truth." He paused, looking for a way to change the subject. He then came to a realization. "Wait a minute. General.. music? Lad, do you remember anything else?""Just two other names. One was Ida.. who seemed to know Octomarin. The other was Siber- ack!" His head twitched as it throbbed once more."Ida, and Siber…" The captain took out his list of names that he had been hunting for with Levin and Shara for the past several months. "It's still hard to believe that Marina lass that has been helping us was Corporal Ida all along. But a friend of me grandsquids is a friend of mine." He crossed Marina's name off the list. "But that leaves only one left." He then raised his cane and pointed it at the boy. "You.""Quit joking around Captain," the boy responded with irritation. The train shook again as it traveled down the dark underground tunnel. "I told you that my memory hasn't returned.""That flash back is the missing clue," Cuttlefish said with certainty. "That last name you said and the last one on me list, Siber. Lieutenant Axel Siber. If you heard that name, than the only one left is you.""B-but that doesn't feel right." The boy looked away. "There was another guy there too. And.. he looked like that male soldier in the park. The one marked as 10,007""I don't know who that was, but you must be Siber. I saw you fighting with Agent 3, after all-""Okay, that's enough," Tricia said in defense of the boy. "You're pushing him too hard. He hasn't gotten all of his memories back.""Y-yeah, it's true. That's all I've been able to remember!" he insisted. Cuttlefish stared for a few seconds, before leaning back against his chair."Aye, I can tell you're not lying to me. Very well, let's save this for when we get out of here. Speaking of which, I think we just arrived at the main platform." As cuttlefish said this, the train entered the large well lit chamber and slowed down. A few moments later, it came to a halt, and the doors opened. "Let's get this show on the road. Axel, Tricia, you two unload that last thingy we found. I'll go see if that crazy phone guy has anything to say," Cuttlefish said while exiting the train."Don't call me that… It feels wrong." He grabbed a hold of the trolley that the object was setting on, and Tricia took hold of the other side. The two started pushing it out the door and on to the platform."I'm sure you'll figure it out soon. Hell, just getting back to the surface might jog your memory some," the human commented."I hope so.. and thanks for backing me up hu- Tricia.""No sweat, man." Tricia gave him a smile. "And- hey.. wait." Her smile dropped as she looked over his shoulder. "Is it just me, or did someone put that thing together while we were gone?" The boy looked over at the object they had collected. The base and large cylinder had been set up as a tower, with the large metal ring setting against it."Something doesn't feel right about this," Marina chimed in over the communicator that had been silent for some time. "Maybe that phone thing has some answers?" The two walked over to where cuttlefish was staring at the phone. He shouted at it a few more times, but to no avail. It wasn't until he whacked it a few times with his cane, did it finally come to life."Ah, number 10,008, you have returned with all 4 parts. And I see number 10,006 is with you. I will keep contemporary mode off, but still offer my congratulations on passing your tests. As promised, I will open the door to the promised land for you. As contemporary mode would say, let's bounce!" As soon as it said this, it started vibrated violently. A purple light glowed from its backside, sending sparks and electrical currents everywhere. The three backed away, as the phone suddenly detached from its base and lifted into the air."Holy… fish!" Marina uttered at the display on her monitor from the stations camera feed. "This is way more advanced than our hover tech. That's full on anti-gravity!""This is no time for a Sheldon level nerd out, Reena! Look, its putting the rest of the thing together for them!" Pearl said in excitement. The phone was using its energy to move the last two objects into place, sliding the cylinder just under the lid. The tower then lit up with show lights, and the base opened itself up to reveal a passage for them to enter in."Climb aboard, the promised land awaits," the phone said. It was clearly wanting them to get inside, and the Captain eagerly went inside followed by the Octoling boy."Aye, I can't wait to get some sun," Cuttlefish said. "And me grandsquids must be worried sick.""I just want out of this freak show," the boy uttered, following the captain inside."Something doesn't seem right here," Marina said, eyeing the device from the camera system. "That looks awfully like a giant blender or something you'd see and a fishery.""Yeah, Reena's right, yo. Even Kenny thinks that thing looks like bad news," Pearl added."Nonsense. We held up our end of the bargain, and now that thing's gonna take us home. It's probably just some fancy new techno gizmo, that's all." He then turned back to see that Tricia was still outside the device. "Aren't you coming lass? Don't you wanna see that brother you mentioned?" Tricia shook her hand and stepped back."I.. uh… think you should listen to those two, actually. I'll catch the next car if this thing is telling the truth.""Suit yourself. Come on, bucko. Let's go home." Cuttlefish turned away, but the boy seemed hesitant to leave her behind. After several moments of delay, he sighed and moved to step off the device. However, the door quickly shut, and he was forced back into the cylinder with cuttlefish. An alarm sounded, and the blender shook to life."Activating DNA breakdown procedure. Preparing to collect genetic sample for engineering. Biomass to be sent to sanitation labs. All stations stand ready to receive new test samples.""I knew it, I knew it! You shoulda listened to Hyperfresh over there!" Tricia raised her weapon , aiming it at the phone that was controlling the blender. "Hang on, guys! All get you out!" She put her hand on the trigger, but before she could squeeze, something grabbed her from behind. Out of reflex she yanked the trigger, but the shots went wild and hit the walls of the station, ricocheting down the tunnels. The weapon was ripped out of her hand and she was lifted into the air. Looking down, she saw that a large metal cable had wrapped itself around her, as a snake would its pray. Having lost both her weapon and her freedom, all she could do is stare."Holy heck, Marina! Gettem outta there!" Pearl yelled, causing the boy to wince from the loud yelling coming from the communicator."I'm trying, Pearl! But something is wrong. I've been locked out! Some sort of new firewall just kicked in!" Marina typed on her Laptop furiously. "Wait, I've regained access to low security. I'm sending out a distress call but.. that's all I can do… I'm sorry guys, but hope that this agent of yours is out there, or some other test subjects are still alive and can reach you in time." The phone, deciding that the low security breach was a non issue, used the cord to raise Tricia further off the ground."Ah… one of the creators. I am overjoyed to see that some of you have survived to see me carry out the professors legacy, but I can no longer tolerate your interference, 10,006. It was a joy to see your progress through testing, as was number 10,008. Please observe as I continue to perfect your successors and the other surviving creators.""Creators? Professor? What are you talking about, you metal prick!" She yelled. She tried to free herself, but the cords did not give. A whirring sound was heard, and the two males looked up to see the metal ring spin and start to descend. Seeing this on her screen, Marina went back to work on the hack job."Ah, I think I got something!" Having regained access to another low security system, she redirected her efforts after noticing that another life sign had come in range of the signal. "Ah, crud crud crud! They're on the wrong floor!""Reena what's going on? They're about to get smoothied!" Pearl said, confused as to what her dance partner was up to."They don't have time to reach the stairs.. I have an idea, but it's a long shot." Marina entered several commands before hitting the enter key. "That's it… let's just hope that they are as good as he says."…The city that had been a place of life and color, was now slowly becoming ground zero for the flood of ink. While the Octarians that had captured the square and using it as a staging ground were slowly spreading out, other forces that had hot dropped into choke points designed to keep the Inkling army separated and disorganized, were busy improvising and using whatever they could to keep the Inklings from over running them with numbers. In one of the roads that separated the Square from the old Plaza, The Octarians were using a pile up of cars as a road block, while an Octosniper picked off targets from a shop balcony. A fresh recruit that was seeing Octarian regulars for the first time, was hit in the head by a fresh purple stream. He fell dead behind the car pile-up that he had been trying to climb over."Keep your head down, unless you want to lose it!" Barked an older orange Inkling that appeared to be the leader. More pellets rained down on them from the Octolings pearched on the top of the barricade. One of the females lobbed a bomb over it, but the Octoling squad leader just kicked it off before it burst."We can't just sit here all day, Captain Taiga," Another male soldier responded. He rose from cover to take pot shots, but quickly ducked down after landing a single shot on the armor of a nearby Octoling, doing little damage."Opportunity, corporal. Wait for opportunity. They're playing defense, and know they have the upper-hand- DOWN!" The Inkling captain yanked the blue soldier down, just as a shot flew overhead. The Captain tossed a bomb over head, but it was again knocked away before it reached the top of the barricade."Thanks, Cap. But how are we supposed to get up there?" The blue soldier peaked up over the overturned car they were hiding behind. "Wait... Cap'n, vehicle incoming! I think it's one of ours!""What?" The Captain raised his head to look, and the Octolings had shifted their attention to a small motorcycle that was rapidly approaching. They could hear one of the occupants yell in a high pitched and familiar voice."Weeee'rree not gonna maaakkkee iiiit!""Probably not, but we're trying anyway!" The figure in front shouted back. The vehicle sped towards a tow truck that had its ramp lowered. "Screw it, shit works in the movies. Hold on Callie, and be ready to jump out if I screw up!" The Octoling that had been standing on the truck fired a few times at them, but then dove away to avoid being struck. The Motorcycle cleared the truck and barely managed to land on the top of the barricade. The tires bounced once, before it fell to the street below. By pure luck it landed right side up, and pulled away from the barricade. The confused Octarians still had their attention on the motorcycle, which allowed the Captain to get close enough to lob a bomb to the balcony the Octosniper was perched on. It didn't notice before too late, and screamed when the bomb detonated under it."There! That's our chance! Move it boys and girls!" The army Inklings all rose up at once and climbed on the barricade. The Octolings, finally coming out of their shock, all pointed their weapons at the advancing army. One female Inkling in front was hit with multiple pellets, and her corpse rolled down to the street. "We're in range! Take them down!" Raising their older model Type-H weapons, the remaining Inkling force was able to shoot down several of the Octolings, forcing the rest to abandon the barricade. Reaching the top, they rained ink down on the Octarian army units that were trying to retreat to another choke point. Two more females from the Guardian core were killed, and a boy from the Mariners that had tried to surrender was hit enough times to be put in an Ink paralysis coma."I think that's the last of them," the blue corporal said with relief."Good... foul creatures. Should have known they would break the treaty after what happened two years ago." The orange male looked at the downed Octarians in disgust. The blue one rolled his eyes."Yeah, those were someone's daughters and sons too, you know.""Daughters and sons that put my daughter in danger by invading our city," The orange one growled. The rest of the unit was staring at the exchange."She's still missing, I take it?""That's non of your business corporal," The captain waved his hand in a dismissive way."Fine, whatever," the blue one sighed. "But what about that motorcycle? I'm pretty sure those were the ones we were ordered to stop outside the city.""leave them. We've got bigger problems to deal with. And I know you want to regroup with your wive's unit." The Inkling nodded repeatedly. "Then let's move out!" The army unit started heading towards the next point of contest between the Octarian jumpers and the Inkling army...."That was awesome!" Callie squealed excitedly. "Can we do it again? Can we?""Hell, no!" Drake responded. While Callie had clearly found the jump to be amusing, Drake was doing his best to keep his hands from shaking and causing the motor cycle to lose its balance. He was sweating profusely, and not from the heat. "I don't think you realize how lucky we got. If I ever do something that stupid again, just shoot me.""But it was fuuuuunnn!" Callie responded. "Teach me how to do that!""Sometimes I don't know if I have the worst luck, or the best luck." Drake sighed. "And learn how to drive before you start thinking about stunts." He turned the motorcycle sharply, and headed through the street that was used for the trading post and inter-species dorms that were just outside the old Plaza. "I really hope we were right about the Plaza not being one of their targets, or we're hosed." Turning from the main street, he entered the plaza that was once the hub of young Inkling activity and the source of many memories for both Drake and his squid sister passenger. However, it was now under control from a force of Octolings. Drake slammed on the brakes, and almost cause the motorcycle to flip."D-Drake! Behind us!" He quickly turned around. Behind them, a large hover craft had appeared from the street they came from and was blocking their exit. It was armored, and had several gun pods on top that Octotroopers were occupying. On the far side, another one of these craft had blocked the other street. Octolings were coming in from multiple sides, intending on surrounding them."Sorry Cal... I really messed up this time." He kept one hand on his rifle that had been holstered on the motorcycle's side. "We played right into Octarias' hand. He really had all angles covered... knew every move we were gonna make.""B-but there's a way out of this, right? We always come through in the end, right?" Callie said in a distressed tone as she clung to him."I think our luck finally ran out. It's over."
A/N This was a pain in the ass. 3 months of hiatus suuuuuucks when trying to start again. And since the lab is now behind on 4 projects, it may be another while before I can write again. And no the beer bug hasn't gotten me yet.

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3.9 The Second Great Turf War Part 2"Good lord, they're really going at it," Reggie said to himself. The defense force member was scanning the buildings that the Blackhawk helicopter he was riding in was passing over, through his scoped long rifle. Next to him, Marie was doing the same thing with her charger. Her scope was darting around street level, desperately trying to find signs of her cousin, now that they had lost radio contact."I never had good feelings about Octarias, but this…" Marie let out a deep sigh. "I never expected him to make a move that Octavio could never pull off." Her scanning stopped, and her aiming laser locked onto an Octoling that had an Inkling soldier pinned under his knife and let a pressurized stream fly. She didn't bother to confirm the splat, and just went back to scanning the streets. "Come on, Cal.. where are you?""I'm sure she's out there," Reggie responded, dropping an Octarian target of his own. "Drake's still with her, after all.""I know," she let out another sigh. "I know, but I'd feel better seeing for myself. We haven't even gotten started yet and things are already going bad..." The helicopter jerked from changing course towards the old plaza. After confirming their destination with the pilot, Brandon stood at the front of the craft to get the attention of the passengers."Alright, we're about to be over our insertion point!" Brandon said in a raised voice to not be drowned out by the engine. All the occupants turned their attention to him, aside from Marie and Takeshi, who was manning the mounted machine gun to her right. On the left side, several defense force members that had volunteered to join the spear head, stood with Matt. In the Back, Otome and her remaining two team mates were waiting on him. "First squad will rope in first, followed by second. If the area is hot, we'll circle around and pick off as many as we can.""Well it's a good thing you had to say that," Reggie said, still aiming down his scope. " The plaza is definitely hot!" Brandon looked through one of the windows to see several squads of Octolings in a circle at the center of the plaza, with Octarian regulars perched on two armored hovercraft. An elite was holding a single figure by the throat, while another was being held by two more at gunpoint."Is that Drake?" As soon as he asked this, the figure being held was hit in the face, likely being interrogated. "Ah, shit. That's Drake all right," he sighed. "Of course he'd pick a hot spot. Then the other must be-""Callie!" Marie shrieked. She immediately lowered her charger and changed to squid form."No, wait! It's not safe to-" Brandon was unable to finish as Marie had already started her long jump. She quickly built ink pressure, and launched herself sideways to avoid being sliced by the helicopter's rotors. She quickly changed back before landing, and hit the roof of the old weapon shop. The same spot that Drake had spied on them two years ago."Those two are such a pain sometimes," Otome sighed and moved to the open door that Marie had jumped out of. "That's our cue. You humans better back us up!" She changed forms and followed the green squid's sideways jump to the shopping rooftop. Two more purple streaks quickly followed from the side of the helicopter. Otome, Yako and Kora all landed on different shops, just as Marie had readied her Charger. She was quickly moving her scope between the elite that was holding Drake and the pair that were pointing their weapons at Callie."Dammit dammit DAMMIT!" Marie cursed as she changed targets once again. "Drake needs help, but Callie will be-""Calm down, Marie." Otome said after crossing over to the weapon shop room. Marie glanced upward from the scope to meet her gaze. "The Marie I know doesn't panic like this. You need to make a choice. I think we can save both but.." She glanced over at the gathering in the street."I know.." Marie muttered. "I save Drake, they might execute Callie. I shoot one of the two guarding Callie, the other might splat her, and who knows what the elite will do.""I want to save them both too, Marie. But you have to decide on what's the best chance to do so. Kora will back you up, but it's your call and I'll understand if you decide to save Callie first. We'll move in on your shot." Otome's squad mates all changed their colors to green, since both her and Yako had been taught the method two years ago, and passed it on to Kora the night before. Seeing this, and noticing that Otome had no signs of the corruption in her eyes, Marie nodded and took a deep breath."You're right." Marie raised her charger and started lining up a shot. "A sniper can't let their emotions go out of control. Thanks, Otome… and I'm sorry I doubted you." Her sight moved from the two Octolings holding Callie, and back to the elite. "And Drake.. come through for me just one more time." Having fully charged the shot, she let it loose on the elite's head the she had locked on. Within a split second, the elite jerked forward and collapsed in front of Drake. He quickly noticed the green splotch on the back of her head, and knew what it meant. He quickly rolled himself to the left, where the motorcycle was and retrieved his holstered rifle."S-stop or we'll kill her!" One of the Octolings yelled when they finally realized what had happened."Do it and you're both dead. Drop the weapons before I drop you," he said in a tone that was as intimating as possible for him. From behind, he could hear the sounds of two pairs of boots hit the street. Otome quickly raised her weapon and put three green pellets into the back of a male that was trying to sneak up behind Drake and Yako tossed a bomb at his squad-mates, causing them to scatter."I mean it, fossil! One more move and she's a stain on the street!" Another green laser sighte lined up on one of the heads of the pair that was holding Callie."Have it your way." He snapped his sights to the Octoling on the right and squeezed the trigger, letting a 3 round burst penetrate her head. A green stream flew passed his head, and struck the other Octoling right above the goggles. Both went limp, and Callie quickly rushed over to Drake. He took her hand and rapidly looked around for an escape route in the chaos that was unfolding."Don't let them get away! Splat them both!" A sub officer yelled. A squad that had been blocking their route to the old studio the squid sisters used to work at, moved forward with their weapons raised, but by now, the helicopter was circling overhead, and Takeshi had a clear line of sight on the plaza. A hail of bullets rained down on the troop. Several were hit in the head, but most were sent flying backwards from the sheer force, and were riddled with enough holes to keep their wounds from being able to heal any time soon. Drake took Callie and ran towards the studio, but one of the assault craft moved to block their path."Ah, shit. Octarian armor is getting in the way," Takeshi grumbled. "We're gonna need something a little bigger, or Drake's as good as screwed.""You leave that to me," Reggie said as he put the sniper rifle to the side. He then pulled a rocket propelled grenade launcher from the weapons rack. "I've been waiting for this moment for years.""What! No fair, I called dibs on the rocket launcher!" Takeshi yelled in response."To damn bad. You had your fun, now it's my turn.""Just be careful with that," Brandon said, eyeing the weapon cautiously. "That thing's been out of use for 12,000 years.""Hey, if the old grenades worked this should be fine. Let me have my moment, dammit!" Reggie aimed the sight to the middle of the large hovercraft and pulled the trigger. To everyone's relieve, the rocket fired and sped towards the hovercraft. It hit dead center, causing the assault craft to detonate, sending the few troopers that weren't incinerated to the pavement."That's our chance!" Keeping a grip on Callie's hand, the two managed to make it to the studio entrance.Ducking behind what little cover the stairway handrails offered, they looked over to where Otome and Yako were trying to fend off two squads of Octolings that were pressing them during the pause between charger shots from the roof. Seeing that they were about to be overrun, Drake raised his weapon and shot one of the soldiers that was about to lob a bomb."Otomeeee! Over here!" Callie yelled while waving her arms. Otome nodded, and after pulling Yako back, the two changed forms and long jumped to Callie's position. Angered that they had lost the pray that they were about to encircle, the troop of Octolings turned to give chase. By now, the Helicopter was in position for the humans to rope in. After letting loose another volley of machine gun fire, the four members of first squad dropped the rope through the open doors, and repelled down to the street."First squad ready! Let's give them some cover, people!" Brandon yelled. All four members moved away from the landing to give the next group room to follow them in while taking shots at the now retreating Octolings that had not expected the humans to make such a move. "Clear! Next group-" Brandon started to say but was interrupted by the sound of missiles being fired. They looked up to see a number of tenta-missles rapidly approaching the Blackhawk. The pilot attempted to evade, causing most of the missiles to hit the top of the studio building, but one hit the tail. The Chopper started to spin, but the pilot managed to level it out."Get the next group down now!" Brandon yelled, as he tried to spot where the attack had come from."Look! One of the big guys!" Yako pointed to the alley where the second heavy assault craft had retreated to. An Octostriker was hovering between the buildings, and readying another volley."Take that thing out before it shoots again! You know how deadly those guys are." Drake ordered. All five humans raised their rifles. Using its new refitted flight gear, it fired its strafe jets to dodge the first few shots. After re adjusting their aim and syncing up, the next round of gunfire filled the large Octarian with holes, but with its dying breath, locked another volley onto the Blackhawk. Once it fired its missiles, it fell dead."Another wave incoming. Forget the drop and get out of there!" Brandon tried to warn the pilot over the radio, but it was too late. While half the missiles had missed, several hit the center side of the helicopter, jamming the rotors up with ink. The craft started to spin and descend uncontrollably. One member of second squad that had tried to rope out was knocked off the side. He free fell down to the street, and fresh blood splattered the pavement."Engine failure! I don't think I can hold it! Be ready to bail out!" The pilot said to the remaining occupants. As the craft came closer and closer to the ground, the rotors finally started to cooperate again, and he managed to stop it from hard spinning, just as it came in contact with the ground. It bounced hard, causing severe damage to the landing gear but the helicopter had managed to survive the fall. He immediately shut off the engine to prevent further damage."Sonovabitch, that was close." Takeshi said, once they were certain that they were out of danger. "Nice landing, Brad. Thought you were toast.""Just doing my job," he responded, as he hopped out to check the damage."How bad is it?" Drake asked after coming out of cover with the oceanics. "Tell me it isn't down for the count.""Negative, Captain," Brad responded. "It looks like the engine was gunked up pretty bad but I think it can be fixed. As long as the parts are intact it shouldn't take more than an hour. Landing gear is another story, though.""You don't need landing gear to fly," Drake responded. "We need as much air availability as we can get. Speaking of which, any signs of Inkling army air units?""We saw two helicopters try to engage the airships, but got shot down by.. what did you call it.. Killer wail beams?" Brandon responded."Yes.. that would be it." Otome cut in with a nod. "Our airships use those for air defense.""So stay away from them. We'll figure out how to deal with their air power later," Drake said. He raised his hand to get everyone's attention. Once they had made sure the remaining Octolings had abandon the plaza, the two charger units went over to join the group."Marriiiieee!" Callie waved towards her cousin, who in turn responded with a thumbs up."First off, Nice shooting you two," Drake said, praising the two snipers."Thank you, captain," Kora smiled and bowed her head."Hey, what about me!" Yako whined from behind. Drake sighed, and turned around to rub her tentacles."Yeah, you did good covering us like that. You too, Otome." The older sister cracked a slight smile at him while Yako giggled. "Anyway, here is where we are at. We need to upload this data into the media servers, so we can broadcast what's really going on through the city, but we have several long roads between us and the square studio.""Yes, and we've seen the Octarians set up heavy roadblocks. And I mean blocks in the literal sense. I just got word that the airships dropped in heavy steel to block the city entrance, and that's what is delaying our ground transports," Brandon added."Right, and first things first." Drake turned to Marie. "Any chance your old studio still can be used instead?""Sorry, but no." Marie shook her head. "It's been completely decommissioned and last I heard, they sold the building to Ancho-V labs. Besides, we need Fran to get us into the system.""I haven't forgotten about your request Marie. We'll have a better chance getting to him, now that we've regrouped.""R-right. Thank you Drake," Marie sighed with a semi relieved tone that Callie quickly picked up on. She had a mischievous smile. Seeing this, Marie quickly redirected the conversation before her cousin could make any unnecessary commentary. "But I assume you have some sort of plan that doesn't involve the helicopter?""Well, Callie and I managed to avoid both the Inkling army and early drops by sticking to the alleys. If we split up into two teams, we might be able to get a sniper team to the studio while the other team makes them think we are moving through the streets.""But we could also use the Tiger," Brandon interrupted. "I just heard from Marina. They finally got the damn thing attached to the studio helicopter. If we had them drop it here, we could push our way through whatever roadblocks they have set up.""I'd rather save our trump card for when we really need it," Drake shook his head. "I get the feeling we'll need it for whatever contingencies Octarias has planned. And after almost stopping us here, you know he's gonna have one. Tell them to hold outside the city, but be ready to head right to the square.""Will do. How do you want to split us up?" Brandon asked. Drake took a moment to size up the group, and take in the fact that he had just been unofficially given back command of the defense force. He then glanced over and the body laying in a pool of blood."I don't suppose we can do anything for Decker?""Drake, even your dad can't bring back the dead," Matt responded. "Now quit stalling and answer his question before more of us end up like that!""He's right, Drake. No time to worry about the dead right now." Reggie added."I know. I know." Drake pressed a finger to his forehead. "Alright, we'll leave one person here to help Brad get the chopper back in the air. I need the snipers to come with me, so that's Marie, Kora and Reggie.""I'd like to go with you as well," Otome said, looking at him hopefully. "Let me prove myself.""I was planning on it," Drake nodded which made her smile."I'm going with Marie!" Callie said, and pulled her cousin to her, which made her yelp and almost drop her charger."Right, so Reggie and the Oceanics are coming with me. The rest of you move through the streets and help the Inkling army clear as many barricades as you can.""What happens if we reach the square before you?" Brandon asked."Then do what you can to keep the army from moving in, until we are in position. If we get there first, we'll try and take the studio with shock tactics and hope we can get the message out before the Guardian Corps comes crashing down on us from the outside.""And…" Brandon took a deep breath. "If you don't, or the message doesn't stop the war?""Then we are screwed, plain and simple." Drake said. "If that happens, move in with the army, and use the Tiger. Don't try to save us.""We'll be fine," Marie said to brush off his concerns. "I trust Fran to come through for us, and I doubt many will take kindly to the news that Octarias killed their emperor.""That's what we are banking on," Drake nodded. "And keep an eye out for Hannah and dipshit number two. Tell her to regroup with you if she calls over the radio again.""Will do," Brandon nodded. "And be careful. You're not exactly the subtle type.""You just leave wonder boy to me," Marie said with a smirk. "Certain people have stakes to claim.""That's very freaking funny, Marie," Drake rolled his eyes. "But we need to get moving.""Ah, before you go!" Takeshi cut in. "We brought you something." He jogged over to the downed helicopter, much to the pilot's irritation. They saw him reach over to grab something from the weapons rack, and came back holding a large pole weapon. "I think you left this behind, Callie.""My roller!" Callie jumped up and snatched it from him, holding it close to her. "Thank you so much!""Don't say I don't do anything for pretty girls," Takeshi said with a smug look. Matt wasted no time in smacking him in the space under his helmet."Shut it, Takeshi. It wasn't even your idea in the first place.""Alright, are we ready now?" Drake asked in an impatient tone. Seeing that they were all properly armed and uninjured, he took their silence as an affirmation. "Alright, then let's go. And try not to get dead." With that, he turned away and the group sprinted towards the alley way, disappearing from sight."And there they go," Matt said with a sigh. "So, Lieutenant. What's the plan?""You heard him. Let's go pick a fight so they don't start human hunting in the shadows. Should be easy to find one of their blockades. Garrison, stay here with Brad. The rest of you, follow me." Making sure their gear was in order, the squad of seven headed down the street that lead in the direction of the square.…"Man, that beeping is getting louder. I think we are getting closer to the source." The blue cape wearing Inkling held up his blue CQ device for the orange one to see. The holographic map showed that they were right next to a flashing red blip."Yeah, I can see that Levin. But how do we know that we aren't walking into another trap? Or a stupid test, for that matter," Shara responded with agitation. Levin just shrugged, as his cape fluttered from a draft seeping through a small air vent. The area they were in was darker and more orderly, suggesting it was not a testing chamber."But this is different then all those test sites. It's flashing red so, it's gotta be important! Come on, it might be the Cap'n!""Or Siber," she sighed. "Alright, fine. I guess we can't ignore it." She went over and stood next to him. They were in the corner of a larger room that had several platforms above them, along with several passages in the other direction. "But this says we are right on top of it. I don't see anything here or above, so it must be coming from the next floor down. How are we supposed to get down there?""Good question… And I doubt even you can squeeze into that tiny vent.""Levin, you're just baiting me for a tentacle slap aren't you?" Before the boy could answer, a mechanical claw lowered from the ceiling, carrying a large black ball that they had seen in another test. It released the ball on the catwalk above them, before retracting to the ceiling. "There, you see? I knew it was another stupid test.""Yeah, but.. what are we supposed to do with it?" Curious, he used a nearby ladder to climb to the cat walk. "I don't see any goals up here.""Maybe it's further along the catwalk?" She said while looking down the other corridor. Levin raised his Type-H, and fired at the ball several times on the left side to get it to go right. As the ball moved, it bounced off a support beam, and changed direction to the edge of the catwalk."Oh, shit not that way!" He rushed towards it."Levin, what are you doing up there?""Shara, get outta the way! It's coming down!" He rushed forward to make one last attempt to change the orb's direction, but tripped just as the ball went over the edge. He tumbled over, and went over the edge as well. As Shara darted out of the way, the ball slammed down hard on the floor, causing it to shatter and a large hole to form. Levin spun over and fell through head first."Levin, look out!" Shara yelled. She tried to reach for him, but her hand missed his leg. As he looked downward, he saw that he was about to collide with a large black object that was shaking and lit up."OH Shiii-" He tried to brace himself, but slammed down against the lid, knocking the phone off the cylinder and toppling the top half of the device over. He bounced off the side and hit his head on the floor, knocking him out in an instant. The Spinning blade was dislodged and flew over the heads of the Octoling and elderly Inkling before rolling down the tunnel. The phone fell to the ground and bounced several times. When it finally stopped, it deactivated and went dark. Shara jumped down the hole in the roof to check on the fallen boy."That was a close one," Cuttlefish and the boy hopped off the platform. "Many thanks-" His eyes went wide when he finally noticed who the two Inklings were. "By Kraken, Agents three and four! Where have you been?""Looking for you," Shara said with a sigh while looking over Levin. She took out a small aid kit from her gear pouch and bandaged up a large bruise on his head. "I'm relieved to see you're okay, Cuttlefish but we've been up and down this fun-house looking for you, and-" She paused when she noticed the Octoling standing behind Cuttlefish. She quickly raised her Type-H and pointed it at him with her spare hand. "Wait, Who are you!""Easy, lass," Cuttlefish said with a calm tone. "Agent 8 has been a big help.""Agent 8? Don't tell me you recruited some random Octoling." Shara narrowed her eyes."Nay, it was just easier than saying his ID number. Lad lost his memory.""That's awfully convenient.""I trust the lad," Cuttlefish continued and tapped his cane on the concrete floor. "Besides, now that the stupid phone thingy is dead, I think it's time to get out of here." Cuttlefish looked up to the damaged ceiling that Levin fell through. "I think that might be our way out. One of us should scout ahead.""Well it's not gonna be me," Shara responded and turned her attention back to her injured teammate and boyfriend. "I'm not leaving him alone.""Yes, yes of course," Cuttlefish said while clearing his throat. He then turned to the Ocotling boy that had been quietly watching the exchange. "Agent 8, if ye would be so kind.""Don't have to tell me twice," He changed forms and built up pressure. "Kamabo can stick it up their-" his pressure maximized and he launched himself through the hole. Just as he left, their communicators came to life."Finally, the jamming has cleared up!" Marina yelled, which made Shara wince now that she was in sync with Cuttlefish again. "I'm very happy to see that my plan worked.""Wait? Plan? And why is Marina in on this?""There's no time for that." Marina said, cutting her off as her tone became serious. "That path 8 took should lead to the surface, but...""But what? I think the lad can handle himself," Cuttlefish said impatiently."He... doesn't have a weapon." The old Inkling's face went blank for a split second, before he realized the gravity of what Marina just said."Y-you're right! Dang it, I forgot about that!""That's not all you forgot," A female voice said from the other side of the platform. They all looked over and saw that Tricia was still wrapped up in the heavy cords. "I'm not really into the whole bondage thing, okay. So a little help?""O-oh, excuse me." Cuttlefish's face went red with embarrassment. "I was so overjoyed at seein' me agents, I forgot you were there.""Yeah, I can tell." Tricia rolled her eyes, as the rest of her body was completely constricted despite the phone no longer controlling them. "So a little help?""I'll do it." Shara retrieved a knife that she kept in her gear pack ever since the incident with her late ex. She walked over, sizing the human up. Shara then raised the knife, and with one quick stroke, severed the cord from its base under the floor. The remaining cord loosened its grip on Tricia, and she easily freed herself."Thanks, shorty. Damn thing probably left marks.""Okay, first off I'm not that short," Shara snapped with clear irritation. "And second, what is a human doing down here? Are you one of Drake's team?""You know the Captain?" Tricia looked surprised. "Well, I haven't actually had contact with him since I joined. I got stuck down here during that incident with the transborder line, and he had been missing even before hand.""Oh... that makes sense... I heard about that mess." she sighed."E-xcuse me." Marina cut in. "I'm very sorry to have forgotten about your predicament-""Reena, quit bowing to the laptop, already!" They could hear Pearl snap."E-er right. Um, but eight is still out there on his own with out a weapon.""And I guess its up to me to save his red ass again." Tricia went over to the whole that eight had jumped to and Levin had fallen from. She retrieved her hook shot, and fired it at the pipe hanging from the ceiling. After making sure the line was secure, she took a quick glance at Shara. "You just take care of your cute boyfriend." With a smirk, she let the device retract and pull her into the hole."H-how did you know!" Shara yelled in embarrassment, once Tricia was on the upper level. Looking around, she saw that the most likely path to the surface was the catwalk above. She climbed the ladder, and followed it to another room. There, she came to a metallic chamber that was mostly empty, say for a large map table in the middle. She walked over to it, and saw that it depicted a winding path way through several large sectors, all of which were labeled in what she assumed was Oceanic."Damn, I can't read this. And no sign of eight or Siber or what ever his actual name is." With a sigh, she leaned in for a closer look, placing her hand on the upper part of the screen. The device reacted to her thumb, and the screen changed all the wording to a language that she could read. "What? English? But how? What is this place?" She quickly double checked all the marked areas. "Security, sanitation labs, Power core, Main Elevator... what is this? Dr. Wily's castle?" She sighed, shaking her head. "Well, guess I'll start with security." Turning away from the map table, the human made sure her weapon was loaded before heading down the corridor....Captain Golyn was sizing up the Inkling hospital, as her forces secured each entry and exit point. Some of the windows had been blocked by various furniture, including several hospital beds. The front doors, which were usually automatic, also had several shelves lodged in front of it. As her forces finished securing the front, a pair of male Octolings came from around the back."Ma'am! The back entrance is locked and barricaded as well! Shall we attempt to force entry?""Negative, soldier." Golyn shook her head, still eyeing the various windows to spot any army units. "I do not fear a few injured Inkling troops. Grab an Octosniper and have your squad watch the back, just in case any army units try to run.""What about the staff?" the other male asked."Anyone who does not surrender immediately is a target, uniform or not," the elite responded coldly. "And that goes for the rest of you. Stack up and prepare to enter. Vira! Mining explosives, now!""Roger, Captain!" An older female quickly moved up and started placing a bomb on the door. As she worked Golyn moved up to one of the windows."This is your last chance, Inklings! Give up the army units now, and I will spare the rest of the wounded!""Ma'am, charge ready!" Vira said, looking up for confirmation."Very well. Set the timer." The older female nodded and hit a switch to start the countdown.Inside the hospital, the staff were frantically trying to evacuate the lobby, moving as many as they could to upper floors. A few turf players that could still move were taking position around the entrance, along with several nurses that had decided to arm themselves. Kirin was pleading with Selka to leave with them, but she shook her head and refused to budge."Look, Kirin. I'm happy your worried 'bout little ole' me, but yah got more important things to do. Besides, I'll just slow yah down like this.""Selka, they'll kill you. Especially if they find out you've been helping us!" Kirin protested."I'm not goin' down that easy. Us county girls are rough, remember? Besides, yah need a decoy and these people need my help.""Kirin, she's right." Neptune grabbed his shoulder. "The whole city is in danger unless Marie gets that evidence out.""But-""Listen to 'er," Selka stuck her hand out. "Now, the deulies please?""Selka I-..." Kirin sighed and saw that neither girls were going to relent. "Fine, but if they make it inside.. just hide." He reluctantly handed over the two Type-H hand weapons."Don't worry so much. It don't suit you." Selka tried to force a smile. "Now get. Y'all got work to do." Kirin opened his mouth to say something, but Neptune pulled him away."Don't make this harder for her than it is. Now come on. We can get out from the roof." Neptune pulled on his sleeve, and he allowed himself to be taken away by the pink agent, as Selka waved them off. Once they were out of sight, she turned her wheelchair around to face the door.The injured turfers had finished inking and placing mines around the entrance, and were slowly backing away from the door. Several seconds passed as the timer continued to countdown until a loud beep was heard. While it was a low yield charge, the detonation was powerful enough to completely shatter both the door and the barricades that had been placed in front of it. Before the dust and debris even had time to settle, the Octolings rushed in, but stopped just short of the field of multi colored ink. Since both the Octolings and turfers were all armed with close and medium range weapons, neither side was able to take shots yet. Golyn was the last one to enter, and simply stared at the field in front of her. Then, she casually tossed a bomb and detonated one of the mines."Ah, yes. The bottleneck minefield. Reminds me of two years ago when I was on the other side of this. I should have known back then that squids were deceptive. I will not make that mistake again.""This is a place of healing," One of the nurses stood up to protest their presence. "Attacking a hospital is a deplorable act. Are you Octarians incapable of compassion?""Like the compassion you showed our emperor?" Vira hissed at the nurse. "Our great leader is dead because of you Inkling scum!""Enough," Golyn said, causing her Sapper to stand at attention. "Hand over anyone affiliated with the army, or I will consider you all viable targets.""Ya'll too late," Selka said, causing Golyn to focus her attention on the yellow Inkling in the wheelchair. "They ain't here anymore. If yah know what's best fer yah, then head back to the homestead.""Using the crippled as a shield to stall for time," Golyn shook her head before raising her hand. "Then let us end this ruse." She lowered her hand, and her platoon quickly lobbed a series of bombs into the mine field, detonating the majority of them. After quick filling their tanks, they tossed in a second wave of bombs to leave large purple patches, rather than use their weapons to create a clear path. Golyn and her soldiers changed forms and hopped to and from the various splotches."Here they come, y'all!" Selka yelled. A male Octoling was first to cross the field, but a turfer attempted to stop his progress by covering the last puddle with her own colors. The male got stuck, and the turf player wasted no time in firing several shots to splat the stuck Octoling. However, the turf player hadn't counted on his angry partner jumping out of the puddle to his side, and he fired several shots at point blank range, splatting the girl instantly. The few staffers that had remained behind were getting pushed back as well, and an Octoling pounced on the nurse that had stood up to Golyn. A knife was drawn, but before she could pierce the nurses neck, Selka used the dodge nozzle to quickly turn the chair around and fire a volley at the Octoling. Pushing the paralyzed Octoling off her, she tried to make a run for it, but was shot in the back by another trooper that had crossed the ink barrier."Shooting nurses in the back now? Y'all need to learn some good ole fashioned cephalopod decency." She fired the dodge nozzle again to propel the wheel chair backwards, and took aim at another soldier that was chasing down a retreating turf player. She reached over the side, and fired several shots at the female, causing her to fall backwards into hostile ink. The boy gave a thumbs up before running off with the rest of the surviving staff. Selka fired off the dodge nozzle again, but this caught the attention of Golyn. She hopped out of the ink field to intercept Selka. The yellow Inkling reached over to fire at her, but the elite ducked under the shot, then dropped to her side and kicked the moving wheel chair. Selka was sent to the ground, as the wheelchair was knocked on its side. The elite then kicked the duelies away before the Inkling could reach for them."Impressive, I must admit. Making the most of what you have and being able to improvise makes a quality soldier, maybe even an elite. I'd promote you, if you had two less tentacles.""Heh... you got.. nothing on us county folk," Selka managed to grunt. Golyn shook her head and raised her foot."But, alas I have no place for undisciplined and deceptive squids," was the last thing Selka heard and saw before her boot came crashing down on her head.
A\N Screw indicisiveness. And screw work while we are at it.

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3.10 The Second Great Turf War part 3It didn't take long for Brandon's team to get themselves into trouble. While they were moving through the streets, the area around the plaza hadn't seen many roadblocks. As it were, it looked to them like the forces in the plaza were only there to ambush Drake and Callie. When they arrived to the main highway, things took a turn for the worse. Cars were overturned, citizens were panicking and fleeing for cover, and ink was all over the streets from the Octarian and Inkling armies engaging each other. After verifying this was the most direct rout to the Square, they soon came upon a blockade. Large Metal blocks had been placed on the road, which the Octarians were using for cover, and an airship was hovering nearby, raining ink canon rounds on scattered Inklings."Well, Lieutenant? That enough of a shit show for you?" Matt scoffed while Brandon ordered them to take cover behind some abandoned cars."What do you think, smart ass? Let's find out who's in charge. Even if we have resistance to it, I'd rather not get shot in the back." Spotting an older large Inkling that was shouting at the rest of his squad, the group of 7 humans moved up from their cover. When they reached the barricade, a volley of ink cannon rounds was fired from the airship and rained down behind them. Confused as to why the cannon rounds had over shot their position, the older male turned around while ducking behind an inked up truck. His first thought was to raise his weapon, but he held his cool when he saw that they were human."You fossils got here just in time!" He barked at Brandon. "I don't know what your objective is and I don't care. We got Octosnipers perched on the barricade, and a spotter marking targets for that airship. We need cover if we are going to bring that thing down!""Nothing like a please, is there?" Brandon said with a sigh at being drafted at first sight. "Alright, but how are you planning to take it out?""We got tenta-missile launchers ready," The captain pointed to two Inklings that were hefting larger versions of the turf war weapons. "And yes, they are as heavy as they look. The boys carrying them can't move fast, so if they try to get in range... well easy meat for any snipers.""We could really use some ink panzers. Where the hell is our armor, anyway?" A charger armed Inkling asked."Dealing with the city gates. We're on our own now, and that thing still has to come down either way.""So, what do you want us to do?" Brandon said while keeping his head down."We only have one charger left, and they out range her. We'll push up and distract them and you take out the snipers." The Captain raised up to look over the truck he was behind. "We'll go after the next cannon barrage, which should be any second now." He glanced back towards the barricade, and spotted an Octoling peaking over the top. She tapped on her goggles several times to activate a laser, which sent a signal to the airship. Several booming sounds echoed across the street and heavy rounds quickly descended on them. Inkling and human alike took cover behind what they could, but one Edef member was hit in the shoulder by one of the Octosnipers."Stay down, you'll be fine!" Brandon barked. The soldier quickly crawled behind a bus, holding his injured shoulder and groaning in pain. After the cannon volley stopped, Brandon looked back over the top of his cover. "I think that's the last of the barrage.""That's our cue! Move up to cover, ladies! Come on, Akkoro!" In unison, the Inklings hopped out to charge the barricade, inking the ground as they went while avoiding the Octosniper lasers."Open fire! I want those snipers dead!" Brandon raised his rifle and put three rounds into the Octosniper that was about to splat the Inkling Captain. More loud cracks were heard as one by one, the Octosnipers were dropped from the combined gunfire. During the confusion, the Inkling charger user managed to get close enough to finish off the last of the large tentacle creatures, coating the barricade in purple."Good enough. Get those launchers into position, now!" The Captain shouted, as he took cover directly under the steel barricade. The two large males hoisted their launchers up and slowly made their way forward. When they got into range, they pulled out out their automaps to confirm the lock-on."Captain, we got the target in our sights.""Then what are you waiting for! Launch and take that damn thing out!" Both launchers fired simultaneously, sending 16 ink missiles towards the Octarian airship's underside. They streaked through the air, and crashed hard on the hull. The craft shook and jolted, as it was visibly damaged. "Ah shit it's still flying!. Load another set!""Hang on, sir!" The two set the launchers down and quickly started filling the tubes with as much ink as they could reclaim. However, one of the Inklings noticed that the Octoling spotter had poked her head up."Dammit, we need to nail that spotter! Akkoro, you're the best blind jumper here. Get up there, and place a beacon!""Right, Captain!" The blue Inkling changed forms, and built pressure to the half way point. He launched himself to the far side of the barricade to avoid being instantly splatted by the remaining Octolings. He took a base-plate out from his back pack and placed it on the steel block. It quickly unfolded into a small antenna. He flashed a thumbs up, as the data was sent to the automaps of the squad."Now let's get up this damn roadblock!" All the remaining Inklings changed forms and simultaneously jumped to the beacon. As Taiga came down, he rolled forward and kicked an Octoling off the side that was waiting for them to come down for what she thought was an easy splat. He quickly turned and saw that the spotter was trying to laser target the missile launchers. The blue Inkling was the first to react and dove forward while spraying ink wildly. Enough shots managed to connect, and the Octoling fell off the wall. The targeting was interrupted just in time, sending bad info to the airship. Then next volley of cannon fire went wild, missing the missile launchers but instead rained down on the humans. One member of second squad wasn't able to take cover in time and was hit in the chest. When the ink cloud cleared, he lay lifeless on the street from ink overdose."Dammit to hell. Are those things ready yet?" Brandon yelled at the missile crew."Locking on target now. Launcher's ready!" The two tapped on their data pads a few times to confirm targeting. "Get ready for a show because that thing is coming down this time!" The missile tubes flared, and another 16 ink rockets hurled towards the airship. Each missile found their target, and the circular craft was rocked. Once the final missile hit, the craft started spiraling out of control."Ha! They got it cap- oh shit! Get off the barricade!" The Inklings quickly scrambled off just before the airship bounced off the top, causing the steel stack to topple."It's heading for the- NO The apartment complex!" Human and Inkling alike watched in horror, as the Octarian craft slammed into the side of a large residential building. Dust and debris was scattered across the street, and the building slowly toppled over on what was left of the airship."This is bad..." Taiga turned and waved at the humans and Inklings to follow him. "Move in and check for survivors. I really hope no one was in there." They slowly made their way forward in a cautious formation to avoid any further fallout. "Akkoro. Take a team and make sure there are no survivors in that airship." The blue Inkling nodded and climbed aboard with three other soldiers. The rest of the group fanned out to see if they could spot any squids or other Oceanics that survived the building collapse. However, no body's or vital fluids could be seen. The building itself was torn in half, and the part that was still standing appeared to be empty."Looks like it had been evacuated. Good." Just as the Captain sighed with relief, their heard a pained scream coming from the other side of the pile of rubble. Throwing caution to the wind, he sprinted across over the pile of debris. On the other side, a green female was kneeling in front of a young boy, who looked like he had only recently gained his full form and outer layer of skin. "What happened, miss?" The Captain asked, as he bent down to check on the boy. A metal rebar was sticking out of his lower torso."It's my son," The female looked up with tear filled eyes. "We tried to hide when the Octarians showed up, but.. but.. the building.. it..""This looks bad.." The Captain bit his lip, averting his gaze. "I'm sorry, ma'am. We lost our medic and I'm not trained-""Get out of the way." Matt barged through the crowd and pushed the Orange Inkling aside, earning him a deep growl. He rolled his eyes and knelt down beside the boy."Am... I gonna be okay? Mr... elder race?" The boy said while coughing up a mix of blood and blue ink."Stay awake, and you'll live." Matt took out a syringe and injected it into his arm."W-what are you doing?" The female asked, looking at the syringe with skepticism."It's a pain killer. Rather potent. It's meant for adults, so I only gave him half an injection." He turned his attention towards the rebar. "Soon as I pull that out, he's gonna bleed." He readied a set of bandages and compresses. "Okay, Harkov. Let's see if your lessons were worth a damn." Placing one hand on his chest for leverage, he slowly pulled the metal bar out of the boy's side. While the painkiller hand numbed his senses, he could still feel the pressure of something moving through his body, making the boy's eyes widen. After a few more tugs, the rebar came free and fluid started pouring out of the gaping wound that was obviously far too serious for his metabolic healing capacity to kick in."A-ah.. he's-" The female started to panic, but Matt shook his head."Pass me the tourniquet," he said to the Captain. With a grunt, the Inkling commander passed him the supplies he needed, and Matt quickly bandaged the wound with a compress. After wrapping it around the full length of his torso several times, the bleeding seemed to stop once he tightened and tied it off. "There.. he needs a doctor but that should keep him from bleeding out." The boy's eyes came back into focus."Mr... am.. am I gonna be okay?""You'll be fine, son." Matt moved his hand over the boy's head and tentacles to check his temperature and pulse. An action the boy found comforting."Thank.. you..""None needed, son. Just doing my job." After making sure the boy was stable, Matt packed up his gear and stood back up. The still teary eyed female looked back up with him."My son.. is all I have left. How can I ever repay you?""Like I said, just doing my job." Matt turned away and headed down the street. The female looked liked she wanted to follow and say more, but chose to stay at the young boy's side."Speaking of which, we got ours to do as well." Captain Taiga glanced to the airship to see if it had been cleared yet, just as the other squad jumped down from the wreckage."No survivors, Captain. It's brutal in there. Maiming like you wouldn't believe." The blue Inkling looked shaken by what he had seen in the airship."I wasn't in the mood for prisoners, anyway." The captain regrouped his remaining squad members and the humans at the far end of the street where Matt had wandered too. "Alright, that was probably the heaviest road block between us and the square. If we keep up the momentum and gather up more squads, we might be able to make a push into the square.""Whoa, hold on a minute," Brandon interrupted."Hold for what? The longer we sit here, the more time they have to regroup and reinforce their staging area. Don't forget that this is our home, human," Taiga shot back with clear irritation at being challenged by another race."I know that, but we could end the war in an hour or two if we don't act too hastily," Brandon responded. The Captain crossed his arms in anticipation for what the human was getting at."Alright, explain. And this had better be good, fossil.""Look, my Captain has evidence that the old Octarian emperor's death was internal assassination. He's headed to the square to assault the studio, and if he can get the message out.. well how would you feel if your chancellor sold you all out for his own gains?""Pretty damn pissed," Taiga was forced to admit. He sighed in irritation and rubbed his back tentacles. "I assume you have a reason as to why not attack now to cover them?""The staff was taken hostage and they are needed to get into the system... or so Marie said.""Alright fine. But only until the ink panzers arrive. If they haven't taken the studio by then, we attack regardless of the situation." He turned his attention back to the blue male. "Akkoro! Get on the communicator and tell as many squads as you can to consolidate at 12th avenue. And get the damn turf war players to go home already! We don't need more incidents with Civilians. The rest of you, move out!" The inklings started marching towards the new rally point the Captain set up, with the humans following behind. Takeshi slowly started veering towards Matt, who was at the very back of the group."You know, you just threw away one hell of an opportunity.""Not interested," Matt responded with out hesitation."Why? You were totally in her favor, man! She's not bad looking. Having a kid just means she'll appreciate a big guy like yourself looking out for her and the boy. Get over the Marie rejection already. You can't blame em all because your still mad.""Yeah, like I need advice from you of all people." Matt rolled his eyes."Ouch, dude. And just because I aim high, doesn't mean I can't be a realist. Marie hates me, Callie has her eyes on the Captain, Pearl is taken and not my type anyway, Marina probably likes smart guys like Reggie or Marco, and Otome has too many claims on her.""Wait a minute," Matt stopped. "Someone isn't your type? That's a first.""Give me a little credit. She's kind of a annoying and a little too short. She looks younger than Otome's sister before she had that growth spurt.""I thought you Japanese were all about touch the child look.""Oh, screw you!" Takeshi yelled, which made several edef members glance backwards. "Not all of us are into the loli thing, okay? Look just pull your head out of your ass and take what you can!""Says the one with the tentacle fetish." The two continued to banter, much to the annoyance of both the Inkling Captain and Human Lieutenant. To them, the push into the square could not come soon enough"..."Doesn't look like they harmed any of the hostages, but they are pretty well guarded. Though I'm surprised they aren't keeping them in the broadcast room where they would be in sight of the square," Otome commented. The Octoling, Drake and Marie were watching from an alley that was behind the arcade. The rest of the infiltration team was busy watching their rear so they could concentrate on ascertaining the situation. "I would say you made the right call in not attacking, even if there was a chance to stop Octarias sooner.""Well Marie did ask, after all," Drake shrugged."You shut up," Marie used her field outfit's hat and mask to cover her red face. "But how are we going to get in there with out putting Fran and the others at risk?""Well, you remember how we rescued Otome from interrogation two years ago?""Oh, geez. Don't remind me of that," Otome said with a wince. "Getting shot and blinded was not a good memory.""But it did work, if you recall. It will be a lot trickier, but I think we can pull it off again.""That might be a problem," Marie said, having not taken her eyes off the window. "I'm sure the back door is locked, and we can't go through the front for obvious reasons.""The window. That's our entry point.""Huuhhh? But won't they see us?" Callie asked and put a finger under her chin."That's why I brought the snipers with us. If Reggie and I break the window with gunfire, Marie and Kora can take down a pair of targets and give the rest of you time to toss a flash inside. With any luck, we can all get in before the effect wears off and rescue the hostages. We'll have to move fast, though. It won't take long for the Octarians in the square to react.""I-I don't know, Drake. This is really risky." Marie looked back at him with uncertainty."Well, if anyone has a better idea on how to take down a room full of elite's and rescue the hostages-""He's right, Marie. If we try to sneak in, we might get spotted, and the more time the elites have to react, the more likely they are to execute someone," Otome added. Marie let out a deep sigh and raised her charger."Alright.. I'm ready.""Then let's get into position. Reggie, give one of your flashes to Cal- wait no. Bad idea.""HEY!""Toss one to Otome." He turned to the Octoling, just as she caught the stun grenade. "You remember how to use that?""Pull the pin, and toss it in." She pointed to the arming pin and Drake nodded."Good enough. Reggie, you got first pick. I'll follow up to make sure the glass fully shatters. Marie, Kora, be ready to cover them.""Breath in, breath out," Kora took a deep breath and raised her charger alongside the green squid sister. "I'm ready, Captain."How many times? I'm not your, ah never mind. Your shot, Reggie.""Yeah, no pressure." Reggie moved his sights between the elites to decide which would be a prime target for his opening shot. His sights landed on a older looking female that was harassing one of the hostages. "Ah, you'll do fine." He squeezed the trigger and the rifle discharged with a loud crack. The bullet pierced the window, and went straight into the elite's head. Drake followed up by firing another five shots into the window, causing it to shatter. The remaining elite's quickly ducked down behind the nearest object they could find, purely out of instinct and temporarily forgetting about the hostages, but not before two green charger streams flew inside, taking down another two."Otome, now!" Drake yelled. Having already pulled the pin, Otome tossed the flashbang inside. After several seconds, it detonated and blinded the entire room."Ahhhhh! What the hell? my eyes are burning!" one screamed. She stood up, only to be knocked back by a wave of ink from Callie's roller. Otome and Yako quickly followed her inside, followed by Drake. Ink flew in several directions, as one by one the elite's fell to either charger shots, bullets or ink from the girls that had jumped through the window."Callie, take Yako and go lock the front door while we finish clearing the room!" Drake barked as he shot an elite that had recovered from the stun effects."Okay but don't do anything until I get back!" She quickly left for the front lobby, but a scream was heard from the back room. Two of the elites had hidden behind a desk and grabbed two of the nearest hostages they could reach."Fran!" Marie yelled, who had hopped through the window as well. The elite that was holding the technician pressed the Octoshot to Fran's head."Hey, we locked the-" Callie came back into the room and immediately froze."Nice try, stain," The elite that was holding Fran, jeered."If you don't want two dead squids on your hands, drop your weapons. And while your at it, go unlock the front door for us," the other added. Neither the Inklings or elites lowered their weapons, turning the situation into a stand off. One that the Inklings could not afford to let play out. The girl tried to chang forms to escape, but the elite hit her with the barrel of her weapon and tightened her grip."Don't listen to them Marie! They're just stalling for time!" Fran yelled."But Fran, we can't just-""The systems already unlocked. You don't need me anymore! Just stop them!" Fran yelped as he felt the Octoshot press hard into his neck. Marie narrowed her eyes and tried to seal her emotions. Her weapons sites moved towards the elite."If I see that laser cross my goggles, I'll kill him. I mean it!" The elite's finger was pressed on the trigger's side, ready to yank it and end the male's life. Marie stopped for a brief moment, and slowly moved the sight away. "That's right. Inkling weakness always wins out in the end.""I- I can't-" before Marie could lower her weapon, the vent cover from above fell down behind the two elites. Surprised, the one holding the female looked up to the now open vent, only to see a pink squid drop on her. In a move that shocked both sides, Neptune changed forms and brought her fist down on the elite, knocking her to the ground. Before the other elite could react, a green squid followed the pink one, and kicked the elite that was holding Fran."Wha? It's Neptune and Kirin!" Callie shouted. "Gettem, guys!" The female hostage managed to scurry out of the elites grip, and Neptune quickly splatted the elite with her type-H before she could reach her Octoshot. Kirin tried to reach for the other elite's weapon, but wasn't fast enough. She grabbed the barrel and used the butt end of the weapon to bash his head, before kicking him off."You may have won the fight, but you'll lose this war!" She turned around, intent on finishing off Fran. Drake and Reggie both raised their rifles, but Marie was faster. A shot flew past Drake's head close enough that he could feel the pressure, and hit the elite dead center just as she pulled the trigger. She jerked once, and her shots went wild, covering the far wall in purple ink."Nice shot, Marie, but that was a little too close," Drake commented, lowering his weapon."I would have thought you trusted me by now." She ran in front of him to check on her coworker, removing her head gear. "And never mind that. Fran, are you okay?" She leaned in for a closer look."I'm fine, Marie. And thank you. I thought we were as good as splatted.""And as usual, I save your butts and get no credit," Neptune shook her head, putting her hands behind her tentacles. Kirin just sat on the floor, rubbing his bruised head."Yes, yes you both did good," Marie sighed. "Fran, you said you got access to the network?""Oh, uh yes." he nodded rapidly, making his tentacles bounce. "I managed to get a hold of the bosses password, just before they hit us.""And you'd better pray this gamble you mentioned works, or getting fired will be the least of your concerns," an older looking urchin grumbled from the back."Ignoring him," Marie said to contain her anger. "Can we get the message out now?""Yeah! Let's get the big show on the road!" Callie chirped while holding her fist up in her classic pose."That... might be a problem," Drake said. Already anticipating the bad news, the group slowly turned to look at the broken flash drive that he was holding."Oh, come on!" Marie screamed. "After everything we worked for!""Told you I should have been the one holding it," Reggie said under his breath."I-It can be fixed, right?" Callie said to try to defuse the situation."I doubt it, but we still have a chance. Marina has the back up, remember?""But how are they supposed to get it to us? The Corps will crash this party any minute now," Kora reminded them."One of you get on the communicator and tell them to follow our route in and then drop the Tiger right in the middle of the square. That should create enough confusion to allow them to land or jump on the roof.""Right, Captain," Kora relayed the message, while Drake and Reggie moved a heavy shelf in front of the broken window."That should hold them for a while. I'm gonna take a look and make sure they haven't broken through the front of the studio.""Alright, then I'll take Kirin and Neptune to watch the roof. Fran, you stay down and keep a terminal ready for us, okay?""I'll be ready. You be careful, Marie." Marie smiled in response, and took the two agents to the second floor while Drake moved into the main hallway. As he approached an Intersection that lead to the break room, he crossed by with out giving it a second thought. In a brief moment, he forgot one simple rule about checking corners. He took one more step, and heard a clicking sound behind him."Why couldn't you have just stayed with us," he heard a familiar feminine voice say."What the- you!" Callie yelled and took a battle stance with her roller. Having already gotten a bad feeling, Drake slowly turned his head to see who had ambushed him. A well endowed elite was staring back at him, and was clearly doing her best to hide her emotions."Sargent Oriana.." Drake said with a sigh. "Is being late to the fight how you got punishment duty?""Very funny. Using the bathroom is a thing, as much as girls like to pretend that they don't. Seriously, couldn't you have waited just a few more minutes? All I was supposed to do was deliver a message from the Captain.""Wait, you don't mean Kelly, do you?" Otome asked with a worried look."Ah, yes. I forgot you two were buds. Yeah, she's here and if you want to see her again, drop your weapons.""Oriana, that's not gonna happen. There's more at stake here than you realize," Drake responded."Drake, please. I don't want to hurt you. Just come back with me and I'm sure the Captain will forgive you. I know you're supposed to be resistant to our ink and all, but I can still put you down.""No, you can't. Not because I can take it, but because I know you won't do it." Drake crossed his arms and turned towards her."Drake, what are you doing?" Otome raised her weapon, but he motioned at her to lower it, before getting closer to the elite."Since you haven't shot me already, you clearly aren't going to now." Oriana stared at him for a few moments before sighing."You're right." She lowered her weapon before walking to the middle of the hallway to the point where she could be seen from the back room. She then pointed her weapon at Otome. "But I can shoot her.""Wha! You sea cow!""Oriana, I've called your bluff. Even after what you tried to do, I don't really want to hurt you either. Make this easy, and put it down." The elite looked down before finally lowering her weapon in shame. Everyone breathed a sigh of relieve, but a loud crack was heard from the back room. Oriana jerked and fell backward as a bullet passed through her shoulder. Drake glanced at the back room to see Reggie lower his long rifle, before turning his attention back to Oriana. He grabbed her torso, and pulled her to the wall to sit her up."Owww... oooww! Is... is this what... it feels like? Am I dying... now?" Oriana groaned, putting a hand on her wound."Oh, quit whining. If I can take a bullet, you'll be fine." Otome said, rolling her eyes."But I'm gonna die.." Oriana looked up at Drake, closing her eyes a little. "Can... can you give me a goodbye kiss? Before I..""She's right. That wasn't a fatal hit. Look, its already healing," Drake added and her eyes came back into focus. She looked down, and the wound was already starting to show signs of recovery."Ohhhh but it still hurts! A kiss to make it better?""You never change." Drake sighed and stood up. "Look, just go to the back room when you are feeling better and wait for us. You'll understand when you see the broadcast. " He turned away from her and headed towards the main studio room at the front of the building."Serves you right." Otome gave her the Octarian bird and Callie stuck her tongue out, before they followed him out and leaving Oriana alone to contemplate her life decisions."The studio hasn't been touched. That's good, but..." Drake trailed off when they entered the room that Off the hook used for their broadcasts. While the room itself was untouched, outside the large window, they could see that a small battalion of Octarian regulars and Octolings all had their attention on the studio. Many wore Guardian Corps insignia, but there were a number of Mariners mixed in. Most were watching the front, waiting for orders to move in, while others were making their way towards the back. Once they saw that the studio room was Occupied they moved into combat formation. After a few moments, a single elite stepped forward and moved right up to the glass."I should have known I'd find you here." The elite glanced at Drake, before locking eyes with Otome."K-kelly, I-""Save it," the elite raised her hand and shook her head. "Look, I'm coming in. The troops have orders to stand down until I give the order, so unlock this door." Drake turned to Otome."You think we can trust her?""I do... Let her in. I.. need to talk to her." Otome responded, and Drake turned back to the glass."Alright, but put your weapon away.""You're not in a position to give orders... but fine." The elite attached her weapon to the back of her ink tank. Drake moved to the door and unlocked it for her, before locking it again as soon as Kelly was inside. "Now..." She removed her goggles and exposed her Inkling eyes. A gesture that showed that she still had some trust in them. "It's about time you tell me what's going on. Why you suddenly reappeared with out telling me." she then glanced at Drake. "And why you and your squad betrayed my trust and have death warrants on you.""Well, I-" Drake started to say but Otome cut him off."No, Let me." Otome also removed her goggles and looked the elite in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Kelly." She lowered her head to her friend. "I wanted to talk to you, but... but I couldn't. Octarias was using me, Kelly.""Whoa, whoa. Hold on. I know Octarias isn't exactly clean but, what do you mean?" Kelly raised an eyebrow at her accusations."Mind control, Kelly. And not the kind Octavio used. This.. this is something much worse. It... made me want things that I would never.. hate things I shouldn't-""And we had to flee the capital once we broke her out of it," Drake cut in for her. "Because he wasn't just using her. He's using all of us. You, the army, The E.C.S. Octavio, Azula torrent... He was the founder of the Chaos.""And killed his own father," Otome finished. "He killed Octurus and blamed it on the Inklings.""Those... are vary serious charges..." Kelly put a hand to her forehead. "And I know you well enough to know you're serious. But you can't make accusations like that with out evidence. I assume that you have some?""We did but..." Drake looked down. "The flash drive I brought was destroyed when Callie and I were ambushed."B-but we have a backup on the way! Marina is coming!" Callie quickly said while flailing her arms."This.. puts me in a difficult spot." Kelly shook her head and turned away."You're my friend and I wouldn't lie.." Otome started to say but the elite raised a hand to stop her."Ten minutes. You have ten minutes to convince me that I'm not committing treason. If the evidence you claim to have isn't here by then, I will have no choice but to order the attack. I suggest either clear out or surrender if you can't prove it by then. And I can't even guarantee that if Golyn returns." The elite quickly left the studio before Otome could respond, and Drake locked the door behind her. Kelly returned to the front of the line of Octolings set to spearhead the assault on the studio should she order it."Kelly.. I'm so sorry." Otome bit her lip"Hey hey, it's okay. I'm sure she'll forgive you," Callie said, putting a hand on her shoulder."Yeah.. that's probably the only reason she is giving us time," Drake nodded in agreement. "But the question is.. Can they even get here in time?...On The helicopter, Marina had been typing away on her laptop furiously, while watching the camera feed on her screen. Pearl and Kenny were watching over her shoulder. The studio helicopter jerked once, causing her to accidentally change to another camera. Cursing under her breath, she switched back to the proper camera settings to monitor Tricia and Agent 8's progress."I still can't believe they got separated. Bro, I thought your sister was smarter than that," Pearl said, while glancing back at Kenny."Hey, it's not my fault this 8 guy went charging ahead with out a weapon.""It doesn't matter anyway," Marina said, and closed the Laptop. "They just entered a high security area. It's shielded against unauthorized communication and I don't have access to the cameras. I told them that they are own their own for a while... hopefully we can get the message out and end the war before they reach the sanitation labs.""Well, your sis can play night in shining armor for 8, like you can. Right, yo?" Pearl playfully nudged Kenny in the side."I just hope she can take care of herself," he sighed."Ah, she'll be fine. I told yah, you'd see her again, right?" She gave him a reassuring smile."Yeah, I know." he sighed and put an arm around her. "But I suppose first things first and that's getting Marina's flash drive to the Captain. And shouldn't we have been there yet? They contacted us almost 10 minutes ago.""Carrying that awesome walker is slowing us down. Oh, how I wish I could drive it just once," Marina said with starry eyes."We're over the studio!" The pilot yelled from the front. Marina shook herself back to reality and looked out the window."Oh, no. We may be too late." Looking down, they saw the battalion getting ready to move in on the studio."It's a bit close, but.. what if we drop the tiger right in front of the studio. You know, to scare them?""Oh! that's not a bad Idea, Kenny," Marina nodded."Well, you heard her, yo! Drop that sucker so we can land!" The helicopter lowered itself to the square, just over the studio. The pilot then ejected the cargo, causing the Tiger to crash down. The Octolings below barely got out of the way, and the ground shook when it landed. "Haha! Look at em run!""Alright, now please land," Marina said. "We're running out of time!" After dropping the cargo, the helicopter made a hard landing on the studio roof. Pearl, Marina and Kenny all jumped out and ran to the roof entrance, hoping to get inside before the Octarian army could react. "Marie! Drake! Otome! Someone open up!" Marina yelled, as she banged on the door. After a few seconds, the door opened and she was met with the barrel of a charger, causing her to gasp. Marie quickly lowered her weapon, once she saw who it was."Get in, quick!" Marie pulled the Octoling inside with Pearl and Kenny in tow, and quickly locked the door behind them. "Please tell me you have it.""Yeah, safe and sound." Marina pulled out the flash drive."Good... good." She sighed. "Then we still have a chance. Let's get this to the server room. You two stay here and make sure they don't try to break the door down.""Always gotta be a buzz kill and leave the boring stuff to us!" Neptune shouted after them. Once they were in the back room, Marina quickly dashed to the nearest computer and plugged the drive in. A screen popped up, and she started the upload."It will take a few minutes to finish the upload, but everything looks good.""A few minutes we don't have," Marie said. "That little stunt with the walker isn't gonna keep them back for long.""I have an idea," Fran said, getting everyone's attention. "What if we start the broadcast now?""But they won't listen to us with out the hard deets, yo!" Pearl quickly retorted."I know, but if we put both you and the squid sisters on stage, it should get some attention. Build things up to the big reveal.""This isn't a movie, Fran," Marie started, but a smile crept across her face. "But that's some good thinking. At the very least it might buy us that few minutes we need.""Oh, uh you think so?" He blushed a little, having expected his idea to be shot down. "Well we've got extra stage outfits in the back for everyone.""No time. We need to start now. Fran, you come with us. Ciel, you make sure the upload finishes and send it to the camera feed as soon as it's ready," She said to the other girl that was being held with Fran." After issuing instructions, Marie took Pearl, Marina and Kenny to the front room where Drake, Otome and Callie were watching the Octolings recompose themselves outside. He glanced over when he heard them come in."Tell me it's in the system.""Not yet," Marie shook her head. "It's uploading, but we are gonna need to start now. No offense, but you and Otome need to clear the stage. Callie, come over here with me.""Whawha?" The other squid sister looked confused. "We're doing a show?""Something like that Cal." Marie lead her into position behind Pearl and Marina. "You two start, and we'll back you up.""T-that's a heavy responsibility," Marina said with a nervous tone."I hate to say it, but you two are the hot thing right now. Fran, are you ready?""The camera's ready and hooked up to the network.""Then you'd better get started. They aren't going to wait," Drake said. Outside the reinforced glass, the Octarians were getting ready to breach the front door, only waiting for the signal from their Captain. Marina calmed herself and steeled her nerves, before taking position on the opposite side of Pearl."I'm ready. Let's.. let's do this for everyone's sake."
A\N First off, to anyone who got the obscure reference i put in there, it was sooo hard to not put ASSHUME instead of assume.

Also, yeah so much for only being half the length of legacy. This is now even longer- sigh.

And to address a few things, while I admit this story has strayed somewhat from my previous works, there really is so much i can do with this type of setting and you can't really do a first contact twice in the same world or same characters. I'm not usually one to take the bait, but this is not how DEUS EX works. A deus ex plot device is something that solves itself and while i can't say that hasn't happened due to improper set up, I always try to leave signs in there of how such situations will be turned around instead of pulling a certain something-X out of my ass.

anyway before i go off the rails on that, I should also outline that the first story was supposed to be a first contact in a believable sense, not the usual self insert imma write a harem anime type thing with this sub genre. And for anyone that didn't see it, certain otherworks that involve certain other pairings made me change how the original story was going to end in the first place. Fall was supposed to be the reverse first contact and romance focused as well as a personal challenge to write romance with canon chars. Sins was well.. here are the humans where do we go from here story and about how war can leave permanent effects on people, besides just the loss of life. Otherwise this would have been legacy with off the hook and s2 campaign. though i admit the expansion threw off my plans a little.

ANN get back to work Lonnie. Its not gonna write itself.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

3.11 - The Second Great Turf War part 4The scene of Grizzco's branch office had become a bath of blood and ink since the invasion had started. Many dead Octolings and regulars lined the walls of the lobby. Having not expect the self containing prototype S.P.A.W.N. rings, the Octarians fell to the crewman that were able to constantly de-splat their fallen teammates. However, this could only serve the Inklings for so long. Once the survivors from the first wave had retreated and spread the news, A second team was sent in to follow up. Using the Octotroopers as a wall, the Octolings would spray down the rings of splatted Inklings, to prevent respawn. As broken rings began to litter the halls, the crewman were forced to give control of the lobby to the army, as they fell back towards the docks.Outside, only a single squad remained on the dock. There plan had been to keep the Octolings in a bottle neck, and give time for the remaining crews to depart on the hunting boats. The Octolings were starting to push them back towards the dock's edge, where the final boat was parked. The squad of four had intended to use the final boat for their own escape, giving up the Grizzco branch office to the Octarians. However, their plan ended up having a fatal flaw."Who the hell forgot to grab the damn keys!" Frost yelled from the pilot's seat. Not seeing any sort of key set around the control console, he grabbed his tentatek and ran back out onto the deck, just as Citra picked off an Octoling that was using a shielded Octotrooper as moving cover."I thought you had it!" Bass responded, flicking his roller overhead wildly to keep the dock inked in their favor. Their new recruit, a young Octoling that had managed to avoid the governmental purge, was cowering behind a group of fuel barrels. Lacking in basic training, her fear of fighting her own kind had taken over."Dammit, Bass! That's the kind of thing I would expect from Levin!""Stop fighting..." Citra squeezed off a shot, but it bounced off the Octotrooper's shield. "And your scaring Yuriko." She glanced back at the shivering Octoling before returning her attention to her scope."Would be a lot easier if she was helping." Frost grumbled. He fired a few ink pellets at an Octoling that stepped in front of a shielded trooper, but missed when he jumped back into formation."Frost, lay off her," Bass grumbled. "She hasn't even been on a training shift yet.""Yeah, yeah I know. But we're about to get over run here. Is this really the time to be nice to the rookie?""Because being a dick worked with Levin- Oh shit. They're making a push!" More shielded Octotroopers formed a wide line across the dock, blocking any potential escape rout, and a pair of perched snipers were blocking any possible jump out. Octolings were filing in behind the troopers, waiting to get in close enough. Citra fired off a shot, knocking the armor off one of the troopers, but another simply took its place before she could finish it off. An Octoling got over zealous and jumped in front of the trooper line, quickly closing the distance to Frost while he was trying to refill his ink tank."Not happening, bud." He swung his roller sideways, catching the Octoling with the pole. The boy was sent into the water, where he struggled to stay afloat. Eventually, his lack of swimming ability took over, and the Octoling sank below the waves. The Troopers continued their advance, inking the dock as they went, forcing Bass and Frost back towards the boat and where Yuriko was taking cover."They got our retreat blocked, dude. Get back on the boat, I'll hold em here," Bass said after quickly refilling a portion of his ink tank."Are you crazy? You'll get slaughtered!""You got a girl to protect. I'll be right behind you, once I figure out a way to snap Yuriko out of it.""Bass, I swear you'd better not be trying to show off. Just grab the red and jump out." Frost changed forms and jumped to where Citra was. Bass glanced back, and saw that Yuriko was staring at the loading area with a puzzled expression. Confused, he turned back and saw that several monitors that were used to show departure and arrival schedules for hunting boats had changed to Off the Hook's studio."What the heck?""Check it, yo! Off the hook back on the air with some killer news!" Pearl said while flailing her arms."Y-yes. Sorry for our absence but this is important.""Yeah! We even used special access to make this an emergency broadcast! So pay attention, will ya?""That's not gonna work." Bass rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the trooper line. They had advanced far enough that he could no longer retreat. He raised it up and flung a wave at the shielded units, knocking several of them off. Instead of moving more shields up, the Octolings finally made their move. Citra's shot missed, and the female fired several pellets at Bass, who used the front of the weapon to block some of the ink."This ain't workin'! They ain't listenin' to us, Reena!""I-I know but we're not ready!""Come on, girl! What do you think will get their attention?" Pearl and Marina continued to argue while Bass raised his roller in the air. He was about to bring the roller down as the same time as the Octoling pulled the trigger, when the broadcast volume was raised and Marina spoke up again."This is Corporal Marina Ida of the Combat Engineer unit 15. On behalf of the true emperor, Octurus Morga, I order the Octarian army to suspend all combat operations immediately on the grounds of Octarias Morga being illegitimate." The city that had erupted into chaos, went almost silent. As if the invasion had never happened. All across the city, in the streets, on the rooftops, in the various shops and homes, Inklings and Octarians that were fighting for control had mostly gone still, say for a few looking to take advantage of the lapse. On the docks, Bass and the female Octoling still held their weapons at striking point, ready for the kill."Ya'll better listen, yo. She's got the reel deets.""Thank you, Pearl," Marina took a deep breath, not bothering to keep the idol persona like her co-star. "Honorable defenders of the Guardian Corps. Brave soldiers of the Mariners. Esteemed Elder Race of the Eden Colonial State. Friends of the city of Color. We have all been deceived.""Marina Ida... Octavio's missing combat engineer.." Kelly crossed her arms while watching the screen. The rest of the battalion had their eye's on the monitor or the studio itself. "Very well. Let's see where this goes.""Our buds in the new sq- I mean our friends in the army risked their butts, along with yours truly, to get this exclusive footage for y'all!" Pearl added, doing her best to stay up beat despite Marina's serious tone."All of which was pulled directly from Octarias' computer. Our own Marie along with Callie also put themselves at risk to bring the data here.""U-uh- Stay fresh?" Callie did a half baked pose, and Marie just sighed."Time and place Callie.""Marie, the data is ready!" They heard Ciel report from the back."And perfect timing." She looked back to the camera. "I'm warning you, that this isn't pretty... But watch. Watch and learn who started this war." Marie gave the signal to Fran, who changed the feed to the footage that was stolen from the capital building. Octarian, Inkling and human eyes were all locked on the recording of the final exchange of Octurus and his son that lead to his assassination."Did... did he just kill his own father?" Doctor Harkov asked as he watched the footage in the main Eden control room. The remaining staff that had gathered around to watch the sudden broadcast. Even though most of them did not have autotrans, a picture was worth a thousand words in such a situation."I saw this footage last night, and it still unnerves me," Manfred responded while resting a hand on his chin. "Killed by his own flesh and blood. I can't imagine what must have been going through either of their minds.""Not the first time this has happened in our history. I guess insane ambition isn't just a human trait after all.""Indeed... but how will this play out...""And this isn't all." Inside the hospital, the entire shock trooper squad had frozen. Even Golyn was staring at the monitor intently. "We have recovered extensive documentation Of Octarias' plans. Many of you remember the battle that took place two years ago involving the Chaos Militia." The screen changed and slowly scrolled down a wall of text. "I know our Inkling and human viewers can't read this, so I will give it to you simple. Octarias was the original founder. Octarias used Octavio, and when that failed, he killed his own father to take the throne and start this war by claiming it justified.""So... that's the game Octarias was playing... But what would drive him so far..." Golyn said to herself, but stopped when she heard the sound of weapons fire beside her. She whipped around and saw her Sapper laying on the ground in a pool of ink that was not her own. The inkling weapon she was holding suggested that Vira had taken her own life. Glancing around, she saw that most of the squad had gone into a state of lethargy and disbelief."Everything... we fought for.. was a lie.." Another female grabbed a weapon from a fallen Inkling and turned it on her head. She pulled the trigger, instantly splatting herself. Only two soldiers were still standing at attention and alert."Weak..." She took a step forward, but paused. "I see... was that it?" She headed over to where the two standing troopers were. "We're leaving... Now!""M-ma'am?" They snapped to attention."Octarias must be headed to the final objective. And that is where we are going.""But what about-""Leave them!" Golyn said coldly. "They are of no use." Not wanting to question the elite, the two quickly followed her out of the hospital."We admit we do not know his true agenda, but many have died for his ambitions." Marina went to the front of the camera. "Octarias is murderer and a Traitor. I ask my countrymen and Inkling friends alike to please help us and put a stop to this war." The Octoling then bowed her head so far down that Callie was now in the center of the screen."Uhh- uh.." She quickly grabbed Otome and pulled Drake over to her with an arm around each of them. "Let's all be friends, okay?" She smiled as brightly as she could, much to the protesting of the human and Octoling.Outside of the studio, the message was slowly starting to sink in. Many were outraged while others turned to despair. On a roof top, a group of three Inkling turfers had been holding back a squad that had cornered them. A sole Hydra user had been keeping them back until the broadcasts started. Now, both groups had been silent and still, slowly absorbing all that had been said over what would be the most powerful broadcasts the pop studio had ever made."Hey, Croy. They aren't moving. Bet you could splat them if you charge up now," A blaster user on his left said."I don't know, man. This doesn't feel right," he slowly lowered the large weapon."Ain't right? Dude, they attacked us and killed how many of our friends?""But they were lied to!""Fine, more for me." The boy raised his blaster and charged at the Octolings. They quickly dispersed and fled, rather than stay and fight with the exception of a single elite that had only recently been promoted. The boy readied another shot, but his blaster was snatched out of his hand by Croy."Knock it off," he growled before turning towards the frozen elite. He slowly approached the lone female. "H-hey, we don't have to fight anymore. Can you put down-" he stopped once he got a good look at her face. Tears were streaming out from under the elite's goggles. She then looked down at her hands. Croy slowly tried to grab her weapon, but she quickly turned and backed away until she reached the edge. "Hey, what are you-" Before he could finished, she pulled out her knife and plunged it into her neck. Vitals flowing from the wound, her body slumped backwards and fell from the rooftop."Did... did that elite just do herself in?" the other boy asked in shock. Croy ran over to the edge, and looked down. Below, the elite was not the only corpse on the ground. Several troopers had moved over to a pool of Inkling ink and simply let themselves fall from their platforms. Their bodies went lifeless from the overdose. A few Inkling soldiers took advantage of this to splat several stunned Octolings. Croy looked away in disgust, just in time to see an Octocopter shut off its flight gear and free fall from the sky. "Well serves them right.""This is disgusting." Croy turned away from the roof edge. "Let's just... get out of here... I.. need to get home.""P-putting that aside," Marina continued. "Octarias Morga has no claim on the throne. Any and all orders he has given are by Octarian law, null and void. All squad commanders are reminded that he had no right to null the treaty, and either assist the Inkling army or pull out of the city. End this nightmare while there is still time.""We'll set this message to repeat every five minutes until we get more news," Marie said. At the dockside that Grizzco owned, Bass and the Octoling still held their weapons at the ready, not trusting the other to lower it first. Neither one noticed that the water was changing color. A dark green began to replace the deep blue waves that normally ran under the docks. "Until then, this is Inkopolis news with our breaking story," Marie signed off for the four and stepped towards the side of the room where the rest had been watching."So uh... you gonna put it down?" Frost asked."Y-you first, Inkling!" Despite trying to keep up the appearance of being strong, her hand was shaking."W-we should d-do w-what he s-says. T-t-the emperor is-" another started to ask."There's no time! All of you, shut the hell up and look at the water!" Frost yelled. Both Bass and the opposing Octoling let their gaze drift to the sea, which was now a sick dark green."Oh hell... they're coming. The-""Salmonids!" The Octoling finished for Bass. As soon as the words left her, a pair of Cohoks leaped from the water and on to the docks. One landed in front of Bass, the other behind the Octoling. It raised its blunt weapon and swiped a pair of shielded troopers off the dock and into the sea before they could react. Silently coming to terms, Bass and the Octoling soldier turned their backs on each other. He swung his roller down on the fish, knocking it back into the sea, while the Octarians made short work of the second. This was to no avail, as more salmonids leapt on to the dock, and others were hopping out behind the group."They're trying to surround us!" A twintacle yelled from the back. More and more chum were emerging from the water. For every fish that Citra splatted with her charger, two more took its place."Citra, we can't stay here. They're gonna overwhelm us," Frost said after he lobbed a splat bomb."But we can't leave Bass and Yuriko!""Fine, I'll grab Yuriko and- Wha- Yuriko, what the hell?" Frost was cut off when he saw that the young Octoling had gotten into a pack full of bomb casings and loaded them onto one of the spare bomb launchers. Bomb after bomb flew off the back mounted launcher, landing in the groups of chum. Some were splatted on the spot and others were pushed back into the water. The Octarians scattered to avoid the splatter while the flurry of bombs continued."Fall back! Fall back!" One of the Mariner soldiers yelled once they noticed that enough of the fish had been scattered to open a path to the loading area."Move it or lose it, squid." The Octoling that had her back to Frost grabbed him and pulled him with the group. Seeing this, Citra and Frost jumped off the non functioning boat. Grabbing Citra with one hand and pulling Yuriko with the other, Frost lead the team through the gap of fish that was starting to close from the lack of bombs being thrown, and more were climbing on the docks. Dodging swings front their blunt weapons, Frost managed to pull the girls through the gauntlet of fish, reaching the loading area just before the dock was overrun. Using ink to cover their retreat, the mixed group of Inklings and Octarians moved back into the branch office, sealing the door behind them.While the docks were slowly being overrun, the rest of the city was still in a trance, despite scattered fights. Above, most of the airship fleet had ceased movements, and had observed the broadcast over their communication screens. Receptions of the impactful message had been as mixed as it was on the ground. The Mariner fleet commander had been weeping in her chair for the past several minutes, while her bridge crew did their best to avoid showing their shame. The captain of the Guardian Corps ship that had dropped off the initial attack on the square was livid with rage. But on the Octarias' flag ship, the Makara, the young emperor was, for the first time anyone could remember, in a visual panic. Many of his forces were no longer responding to commands and he only had a few airships that were manned by the commando unit."Fools... those fools. Do they not realize how close we are to that which was promised..." Octarias gripped the front of his head, and his female body guard glanced over with a worried expression."Promised...?" She took several steps towards the command chair. "Was our goal to not retake the lands stolen from us? Surely you can say something to remind them that our-""Be silent!" He slammed his other hand on the arm of the chair, causing her to jump. "None of you understand. None of you..""Emperor Octarias.." Typhoon wanted to back off, but this time she stood her ground. "Is there something you aren't telling us? We've been following the plan to the letter.""Sis is right," his other body guard said. "If you got some sort of secret plan, now is the time to tell us.""The water..." Octarias mumbled."The water... sir?" Typhoon asked, and suddenly Octarias looked up with focused eyes."What? What was I- Shit!" Octarias started typing away at the command console and issuing orders at a rapid pace. "I want all commando airships in a circle formation around the Makara. We need to get to the capital building now!" Almost immediately, several ships surrounded the larger command craft, as it put distance from the rest of the fleet. "Put out a general order for all loyal ground forces to converge on the capital grounds, and disengage from the Inkling army. We need to gain control of the city center before-" Octarias was unable to finish before a killer wail beam hit the front of the ship that was not being protected by one of the escorts."Sir! We've been flanked! Incoming interceptor class!" One of the crew members yelled."It's.. it's the raider unit!" Typhoon said, staring at her own console. "And it looks like the rest of the fleet is on the move.""So that's why Yakuma wasn't responding to my commands. Karumi was always a sharp one, and I see why my father made her one of his lap dogs. Evasive action. Now!" Another wail beam was fired from the offending airship, but Octarias had taken a different approach with his command ship, as opposed to the Leviathan commanded by Octavio. While the Makara was larger than most other airships, he had used the extra size to mount larger engines instead of armor and weapons. The ship was able to evade the incoming beam, resulting in no damage."Our escorts report the rest of the fleet is on the move. Several of our allies have stalled them, but they won't last long. It will only be a matter of minutes before they engage our escorts," the tactical officer reported."Have the rear guard keep a defensive formation, in case they use long range missiles. I want the two on our flanks to engage Yakuma. We can't let her delay us any longer. Target that ship with all weapons." Octarias sat back down in his chair, having calmed down some. "I didn't anticipate this move, but recklessness is not how you win wars. Once that ship goes down, the chancellor is as good as ours."On the ground, more and more Octarians were starting to come out of the trance, once they saw the airship fleet turn on one another. This was especially true in the square once the Inkling armor had caught up and moved in with the captain and E.C.S. support. Once the Octarians caught sight of the ink panzers, many of them scattered to get out of the way, but one elite ran forward waving her arms in the air."Wait, that's- Captain! Tell those tanks to hold their fire!" Brandon yelled at the Inkling officer."What are-""Just do it! You owe me one for saving your ass at the barricade!""Alright, fine." he pressed a finger to use communicator headset. "All armored units, do not engage until I give the order." The gunners had their sights on the Octoling elite, but did not fire on her. "Fossil, you better have a good reason for this.""Just trust me on this," he ran up to meet Kelly in front of one of the Inkling tanks. "Kelly, I'm so glad you're safe.""I told you I'd be fine if I had something to look forward to," she said with a slight smirk before her serious expression returned. "But this is not the time for the teary reunion. Have you seen the broadcast?""Trust me, we did. I was there when we first saw the footage back home. Kelly, what do you think about it? You surely can't keep fighting for him." He looked at her with pleading eyes."As much as I'd love to tease you over that look you have on your face, this is too serious..." She shook her head. "I knew something was up with this invasion but this... this was disgusting and I'm embarrassed to be a part of his army.""So then-""No, Brandon I'm gonna fight for Octarias... yes of course I'm not gonna side with him. The men under my command can be counted on.. but I have no idea who will or won't side with Octarias.""I'm glad to hear that.." Brandon sighed with relief. "Then I want you to stay with me for the rest of the bat-""Oh, just get a room already!" Takeshi yelled from the back. "Geez, I freaking called it!""Shut up, Tak!""That's cute.." Kelly said with a slight giggle. "I'll take you up on that, but first I need a word with Ida. Any chance you can get your boy to let me in the studio?""I can try." Brandon reached for his radio. "Drake, it's me. Yeah, I know your attack worked. Kelly needs in the studio, so let us in, alright? Yeah, fine. I'll have Matt and Takeshi make sure they don't start fighting again." he put the radio down and motioned her to follow. The door to the studio was opened by Drake, and shut just as quickly."I can see what you mean now, Drake. You're welcome for keeping them from attacking, by the way," Kelly said as she walked in."As much as I would love to say something sarcastic right now, you really did make a huge difference... so uh.. thanks Kelly," Drake said with sincerity that she wasn't expecting from her own jesting. "Anyway, Marina is in the back. She's been putting out calls to all the squad leaders to convince them to stop backing Octarias.""That's good, because that is exactly what I wanted to go over with her." Kelly headed to the back of the studio with Drake and Brandon where the rest of the group had assembled. Marina had a digital map pulled up on the screens with a bunch of different pins on it. Noticing it, Kelly walked right up to her. "CORPORAL IDA!" She yelled, making Marina jump and drop her head set. She stood straight up and saluted out of pure reflex."M-ma'am!" Marina said, before realizing what she was doing, causing Kelly to smirk widely."Nah, I'm just kidding with you. I know you're not in the army anymore.""Hey! The only person who is allowed to prank Marina is me, yo!" Pearl said in protest. Kenny covered her mouth to keep her from interfering more."Ida, I need you to tap into the comm system. I can't organize the imperial loyalists if I don't know which officers are staying with Octarias despite his illegitimate orders.""Oh, Uh.. I'm already on it, ma'am." Marina pointed at the digital map. "Each of those pins represents a unit I've gotten in contact with. Outside of the commando's, all but four of the Guardian corps officers have responded to my calls and stand against Octarias.""And I bet I know which officers they were," Kelly sighed and shook her head. "What about the Mariners?""About 70 percent have agreed to put aside the fight with the Inklings. The rest must have either fled or stand with Octarias.""That's better numbers than I expected..." Kelly paused for a moment. "Wait, have you heard from Captain Golyn? She is one of the top commanders on the ground, and has a lot of pull.""One sec." Marina glossed over all the pins she had placed. "No.. I haven't gotten a response from her. But.. wait what?" She leaned in close, while pressing her earpiece with her other hand. "Oh my gosh! You guys gotta hear this! Most of the air fleet has turned on him. He's on the run with the few ships that are still loyal. He made a break for parliament, but was intercepted.""Ohh! Awsome! Time for the butt kicking he deserves!" Callie said excitedly."I don't know.. I don't think he's finished yet," Otome said with concern."You too, huh?" Kelly nodded in agreement. "He's still making a play for the capital, but he's only got about four escort ships, and now has the Majority of the army, the Inklings and the humans against him. Anyone else would cut and run with those odds.""But what other force could he possibly have to commit? Most of Octavio's troops have either fled or surrendered," Kora said, while leaning on chair."That's what I'm afraid of, private," Kelly paused for a minute. "Even if Golyn was stupid enough to stay on his side, that's still a huge disadvantage." Marina, who was still making changes to the map, stopped and narrowed her eyes."I've lost contact with the team at Grizzco's docks. I heard something about salmonids before they were cut off." Drake, Callie, Otome and Kora all exchanged glances."You don't think..." Kora started to say."No. No way. There's no way those dumb fish are involved in this," Pearl said, after getting out of Kenny's grasp. "Reena, we got the message out, isn't it about time we check in with eight?""Ah, yes we sorta left them hanging.. maybe they are out of the high security area n-" Marina stopped and her eyes went wide. "Octarias' flag ship just broke formation! He's headed to the square!""You act like that's a bad thing, yo. He'll get cornered and shot down or something' right?""No, Pearly. He's trying to out run the rest of the fleet. If he gets around them, he'll have a straight shot at the capital building.!" Pearls eyes went wide and she rushed the map to look."No! He can't! someone's gotta do something, dammit!" With most of the group focused on the map Marina had been editing with the known locations of Octarian forces, nobody had noticed Drake heading to the door. He headed through the hall, passed where Oriana was resting, and out the front door. In the right side of the square, the Tiger Mk3 still stood unmolested, as if it had been forgotten due to all the chaos ensuing. Most of the Octarians had consolidated near the tower, while the Inkling army was at the back side of the square, near the train station. Both sides were too busy watching each other to pay the human any mind. He climbed up the small ladder, and entered the cock pit, quickly engaging the start up sequence. While waiting for the machine to warm up, he noticed a figure land on one of the arms, coming out of a long jump."You should know by now that the arm isn't the best place for a ride.""Well, you don't give me much choice after running off on your own again," Otome replied while taking hold of the side of the cockpit. "What are you planning to do, anyway""If I can get this damn thing to cooperate.. I may be able to do what the gremlin wants." Now that the walking tank was ready, he turned the upper torso to face where the airship battle was taking place. The larger craft had broken formation from its escorts, but was being chased by another smaller ship. The two were exchanging wail blasts, but even with out knowledge of Octarian tech, it was clear that Octaria's ship had the upper hand and the ship engaging it was on its last leg. He continued moving the torso to get the digital sights on the Makara."If you're gonna do something, do it quick. Karumi is about to get shot down!" Otome said with her eyes glued on the battle taking place above the city."Hold on. Dammit, this is what happens when I miss the trial runs." He continued to fumble with the controls until a loud tone echoed through the cockpit. "There, I think that's a lock on... I hope." He flipped a switch to activate the two Ink strike missiles, and pulled the trigger twice. Both missiles flew from the walkers back and headed for the Makara, just as the two ships exchanged one last round of fire. He cursed to himself, as he wasn't fast enough to prevent the other ship from being shot down, and it drifted away from the battle. Multiple Octolings could be seen jumping away before the ship crashed into the street below. However, Octarias had not anticipated an attack below. Karumi had managed to keep him busy just long enough for the missiles to get too close for the ship to be evaded. Both heavy missiles slammed in to the underside of the ship, causing it to shake and almost immediately start losing altitude."Whoa, this thing is amazing." Otome said, turning his attention back to Drake. "I think you got him!""Yeah, but he's not going down as fast as I'd like." Drake pointed and she again turned back to the Makara."You're right... he's still heading for the capital.. I think he's gonna get as close as he can before- no wait... he's gonna ram it!""N-no! you stupid fossil, what did you do!" Noticing that Drake and Otome had vanished on them, Pearl and Marina had come out of the studio. The smaller squid was staring in shock as the Makara drifted lower and lower, despite keeping its speed up. As it got closer to parliament, it's engines finally cut out, and it dropped altitude rapidly, but not enough to fall short of the building. The makara slammed into the roof of the building, and became wedged in the upper floors."Oh, come on. You gotta be shitting me. How lucky is this asshole?" Drake said with clear annoyance. "We just gave him free access to the building." He glanced over to see pearl take two steps back, and lose her balance. Kenny quickly grabbed her shoulders before she fell."No... Daddy!"...The Octoling boy was slowly creeping through the shadows of the high security area. His progress was severely slowed, thanks to the fact that he was unarmed, and many hostile Octotroopers and twintacles were roaming the halls. Once they had their backs to his position, he quickly darted behind a stack of crates, breathing rapidly. "I'm getting really tired of this," he grumbled to himself as he waited for an opportunity to advance. A trooper had turned around and was staring directly at his position, making him unnerved. With their blank lifeless stares, he couldn't tell if he had been detected or not.Several minutes passed, before the trooper turned, giving him another opportunity to move. He slowly crept away from the crate stack, towards a narrow catwalk, but suddenly a spot light fell on him, as an Octocopter had noticed his movement. An alarm went off, causing all the troopers that were behind him to immediately turn and rush his position. "Oh come on! Dammmiiittt." With the troopers closing in, he had no choice but to charge across the catwalk.His flight was short lived, as a laser sight crossed directly in front of him, followed by a stream of Ink that narrowly missed. An Octosniper that had been alerted to his presence, was trying to get a lock on him. He ducked down and rushed forward, intent on getting off the catwalk as quickly as he could. Another stream flew over where his head had been a second later. Running as fast as he could, he got out of range of the sniper before it got off a third shot. Getting off the catwalk, he reached a launch pad. Not caring where it went, he changed forms and was sent to the next floor and away from the pursuing troopers. However, instead of relief, his hearts skipped a beat when he landed. A group of Twintacles were waiting for him, already having their assault platforms ready. He took a step back, expecting to be splatted, but instead a series of loud cracks echoed through the room. The three troopers all fell dead, their bodies riddled with holes."So much for being subtle. If you're gonna get caught, bring a weapon next time." He turned and saw that Tricia was on the other side of a large chasm that separated the agent and the human. "And how did we get separated? I thought I was following you.""I the lower path. I thought the choice was obvious.""Well I went over the upper catwalk. I found a map room by the way. We should be headed towards the sanitization labs... what ever that is. Maybe we can meet up there.""Yeah, good idea. Thanks for the save, Tricia." A slight smile crept over the boys face."You can thank me for this too. Heads up!" Tricia raised her hands up, and lobbed a black object towards him. He reached out and caught it before it could fall into the chasm. Looking down at what she threw, a sense of relief crept over him when he saw that he was holding an Octoshot. "I picked it up off one of the dead head girls. Try not to be careless this time, alright?""T-thanks Tricia.. I'll see you in the labs." She gave a slight wave, and headed down a hall that blocked her from his view. Sighing, he quickly hooked the weapon up to his ink tank, filling the weapon with his own colors. He continued along his own rout, until it was blocked by a large metal door. He looked around, but could see no obvious method of opening it. "I don't see any ink switches... great. Now how am I supposed to open this." He could feel himself getting frustrated, as he knew it was only a matter of time before a patrol caught up to him.After a few minutes, he could hear the sounds of a computer being operated. Confused, he turned to his left. A large reinforced window separated him from a small room. On the other side of the glass, he could see a lone blue green Octoling operating a terminal. Expecting an alarm to go off any minute, he was surprised when the door slowly opened. "Wait... what the..." he turned back to see the Octoling staring at him. After observing her, he noticed that her features were different from the others he had seen. In addition, she was wearing a pair of headphones and a grey cap. She slowly raised her hand and pointed to the now open door. He turned his head and saw that a case had been raised from the ground, and was loaded with bomb casings."Did... you help me..?" Confused, he turned back to the room, but the strange Octoling was gone. "Huh.. weird.." he stood with a confused expression, but quickly snapped out of it by the sounds of approaching Octarians. He grabbed as many cases as he could before heading through the door, which closed behind him. Forced to continue on, the boy headed to the sanitation labs where he hoped to meet up with Tricia.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Indefinite suspension notice and Outline of the remaining story.Alright, so I've been putting off doing this as much as I can because I don't like leaving stuff unfinished. But the reality is I am not longer enjoying traditional writing as a creative median. I stated in the original story that I originally had intended to create a game, rather than a fanfic. I had a spark of creativity that turned into LOH and remained long enough to crank out FOH. Perhaps if i had not delayed this story as long as it did, I would have been able to see this though, or if I had kept it something closer to FOH in lenght rather than having mutiple plot lines and character arcs. I also hate how arc 3 has come together. its been less character driven and I just can't go full on concept and plot line driven with out having a means of showing, rather then telling. I've been barely managing to write for the past month with out constant blocks and its telling that it took far less time to think this out.Rant aside, I won't outright cancel it since I may yet still find another creative median such as said game, a comic colab or even a VN to give the series a rewrite and an actual finish or come back at a later time if motivation ever comes back. BUT that doesn't mean it will happen, and it is highly unlikely. I don't want to leave those that were engaged in the timeline hanging, so I have included an outline of how it was going to end as well as a rough of what I had managed to get out for the next chapter. this is SPOILER territory obviously, so if you want to take the chance at waiting for me to finish this properly, do not continue. As a final not, I do apologize for not delivering.Outline:* The bulk of the Octarians split off with the humans to fight off the salmonid invasion, meeting up with Karumi. They halt the fish long enough for the surviving GC airships to provide covering fire and halt the advance on the square. Off the hook takes the studio helicopter to meet wtih 8. 8 reaches the sanitation chamber, meeting up with tricia. It is discovered that replications using DNA of fallen soldiers are being produced, while living and recently deceased Octolings are being slowly taken over by the blue liquid.* Drake heads to the capital building in the walker, with the squid sisters and remains of Otome's unit. Before leaving, Marie confesses to Fran. Despite heavy opposition, they push through the commando's defense. The walker sustains heavy damage, and uses its last rocked to punch open the main entrance before it shuts down. Kirin stays behind to accept a rematch challenge from the Octo samurai, while Neptune duels with Golyn who sites Octarias vision of weeding out the weak to make the Octarians stronger. Both win their fight, but Neptune sustains serious injuries. He takes her to the hospital to find Selka still alive and the trauma to her head jolted her nervous system to self repair, allowing her to walk again.* 8 fights with Tricia to the main elevator, and can hear the music off the hook is blaring from their helicopter. Drake's team fight to the top of the capital building and rescue the chancellor from Octarias, who confesses to conspiring with him. The squid sisters evacuate the canceler while Drake and Otome follow Octarias to the crashed captial ship. Octarias launches a surprise attack on Drake, stabbing his torso. Otome and Octarias duel, while Drake tries to recover his strength. Just as Octarias tries to stab Otome, Drake throws a knife, hitting him in the back. Otome uses her own knife to end Octarias. after the fight, the see that Octarias was being controlled by the same blue substance Otome was.* At the top of the elivator, 8 and Tricial duel with a mind controlled Levin and Shara. * bests Levin who improperly uses a stingray. While Tricia fights off Shara, number 10007 joins the fight. After a short flashback, 8 realizes that he and siber had fought levin 2 years ago while trying to protect Octavio and 8 realizes that he is not Siber, but Shen. Shen ends Siber's controlled form, and helps free Levin and Shara from mind control. they then reach the surface. Off the hook picks them up, along with several other helicopters and airships, including the now repaired blackhawk that is Carrying Drake's team.* Tarter makes his appearances with teh Nills statue, who announces his desire to carry on the professors will. Hearing this from Drake Manfred realizes that the professor is himself from his previous employment at Technodyne, and the theft of the mutagen was orchestrated by tarter. Tarter admits to forming the Chaos to put the Ocianics to one final test and declaring them unfit to inherit the earth. Shen follows off the hooks plan to detonate ink bombs on the statue, while the humans and Octarians provide covering fire. After the human helicopter clears the way, the statues main canon is destroyed.* Not being convinced that Tarter was defeated, the still injured Drake leads Otome, the squid sisters, Shen and Kora into the wreckage of the statue. Tricia is reunited with Kenny, who is shocked but giddy at his dating of Pearl. Inside the statue, Tarter takes control of a robotic spider, Killing Kora in a surprise attack. An enraged Yako damages tarters frame with bombs. Drake losses his Rifle, and Marie is captured by the spider, dropping her charger. Drake picks up the charger and hits the damaged from, stunning it and dropping Marie. Drake and Callie move to the server room to destroy tarters mainframe while the others keep the spider busy. Callie managed to break the mainframe case, while Drake drops a grenade inside. Before being destroyed, Tarter warns them about dooming the world to darkness.*After returning to his shack, Cuttlfefish is confronted by Octavio, who attempts to drag the old Inkling into a fist fight. Octavio's back gives out again, and he is easily recaptured.* Kelly and Brandon become the first recognized interracial pair, taking the heat of Drake. Not caring, Kelly leaves the army and the two move to the upper ECS settlement. Kirin proposes to Selka, and the two move back to the county. Pearl makes Kenny her personal assistant, and they keep their relationship a secret. After a short comeback tour, Marie and Fran return to the county to take over the Inn, along with Callie. Shen transfers to EDEF to stay with Tricia. Locke manages to woo Hannah, much to Drake and Brandon's dismay. Levin and Shara move on to start a family.* I had two versions of the ending planned and I still don't know which one I wanted to go with.*Scenario 1: Otome dies protecting Drake and Callie from tarter, her last words thanking the two for their loyalty to her as friends. After a short comeback tour, Callie returns to take over the family Inn with Marie. Drake finally accepts Callie's feelings and the two start a family, creating the first hybrid years later.*Scenario 2: Drake and Callie sort out their feelings and agree to return to being one as family. Otome is made a temporary empress and Drake returns to Calamari county with the squid sister to help take over the Inn. Years pass until Otome is finally able to escape her duties. She reunites with Drake, and the two re enter their old relationship, creating a hybrid years later.I had also planned a short teaser chapter of a third story that was never going to actually happen, dealing with the Von Kaufmann grandchildren that had human Octarian and Inklikng DNA, discovering a new intelligent land shark species. below is a rough of what i had for the next chapter.3.12 - Trump Card (VERY rough draft)The ambiance of the once chaotic square had gone still, despite the outburst of a certain Inkling idol. The Inkling forces and Octarian army watched with shock at how Octaria's flagship had managed to crash into the roof of the capital building. Even seeing a Guardian Corps airship get shot down by the remnants of his escort, didn't detuer the attention of the masses. But after a few moments, a single voice dared to disturb the trance that the besieged hub had fallen under."Hey... uh... what did she mean, daddy?" The darker skinned Octoling turned her attention away from the smoking hole that had been cratered into the large roof in the distance, looking towards the younger human that had spoke.""Kenny, you didn't know? I thought Pearl would have told you." The human shook his head in response. "Well, you see... her dad-""The chancellor," Pearl interrupted, her anger growing by second and was amplified by worry and unease. "My dad is the chancellor... and he was at work! You killed my dad, you stupid-!""Pearl, we don't know that." Marina put a hand on her head to try and calm her. "He might have taken shelter.""But what if they find him! What if killing daddy was his plan all along- what if-!" As Pearl continued her freak out despite Kenny's best effort to calm her down, Marina's comm unit suddenly lit up. Looking around, all the other Octoling squad leaders were also reacieving simultanious transmissions and even the army seemed to be picking up on the sudden bursts of com chatter. Tuning out her idol partner's shouting, she tried to make sense of the cross com noise. At first, she picked up a garbled transmission from cuttlefish, only to be overwritten by incoming from panicking Octolings."Salmon? Son, if you got salmon in your pants then call Grizzco, we got bigger fish to fry." Marina turned to see that the Inkling Captain was receiving more or less the same info that the Octarians were clogging the communication waves with. "What? How big? That many?""Move all units in that area to set up a choke point," Kelly was approaching the studio with Brandon, both of which had their hands over their communication devices. "Corps, Mariner, Inkling or human, I don't care. Just scramble what you can and keep those salmonids from the square!""C-captain, I'm hearing that they are making a push for the capital building as well," Marina said, still doing her best to sort through the chatter."Forgive the awful pun, but I knew something was fishy about those... fish," Drake commented, while dismounting the walker."Smooth, Drake. Real smooth," Marie smirked at him while Callie giggled with a thumbs up."Well excuse me for not having a day job that requires being witty." Drake shot back. "And you know I'm right. I saw some really strange shit when I was with the Octarians."He's right, Marie," Callie cut in. "They had these big hukly dudes and crazy flying machines. Thats not like the dumb fish.""I remember Octarias mumbling something about the Salmonid one more the one Ocassion," Otome cut it, as the group turned to meet her gaze. "It was cryptic, but...""It could be his trump card," Drake finished for her. ""If that's the case, then we need to do something now!" Kelly insisted. "If the salmonids really are organized, they could be making a play for the entire surface.""Who care's about the damn fish!" Pearl barked. "What about my daddy!""Cuttlefish and eight are still out there as well, Pearlie. I know you're worried about your dad, but we can't just put everything in dan-""That's my dad, Reena!" The pygmy shot back, making Marina instantly silence herself."Ma'am! Second line has broken and the fish are headed for barricade 3! If they break though, then nothing will stop them from reaching the plaza!" One of the sub officers reported to Kelly."Another wave moving through the south. They're trying to pincer us!" One of the Inklings reported to the Captain."Dammit!" The captain cursed before turning his attention to the Octoling officer. He took a deep breath, swallowing his pride. "Alright... we lose the square, we lose the battle. Can I count on you reds from keeping them from breaking through your barricades to the west?""Affirmative. You just take those tin cans and watch our backs. I'll have what's left of the airship fleet provide cover and we can stall them from bottle next. That's if you squids can keep up the pressure," Kelly said with a smirk."Alright, children," Brandon said to break them up before another fight broke out. "Squids go south, Octarians go west. Agreed? Good.""And you're coming with me," Kelly said, linking her arm with his.""Was planning on it. But we- wait... is that.. Locke and Hannah?" Brandon saw two figures running from one of the alley ways, while waving their arms frantically to get their attention. "Hannah, what the hell have you been doing?""Get down!" She yelled, but nobody moved. The thought of the square being secure for the moment gave members of all three species a sense of ease, but that was about to be shattered when a gunshot range through the square. The sound of a body hitting the pavement followed, causing Drake to turn to his left. His sniper, Reggie, was lying on the pavement and was bleeding out through a hole in his head."Shit, where the hell did that come from?" He quickly snapped out of it and grabbed Otome and Callie, and ran inside the studio, with Marie and the others right behind him. He saw several humans emerge from the alley, firing wildly into the crowed and hitting several Inklings and an Octoling elite. "Hannah, over here! Get over here!" He leaned out from behind the reinforced glass and took several shots and the advancing humans. They didn't seem to be phased by the incoming fire, and still blindly fired at the nearest targets they could see. The missing human and Inkling quickly ran into the studio, just as several bullets passed over their heads."D-drake.. it's awful," Hannah panted. "Henderson and the others.. they've gone mad!""So I can tell" Taking cover from the rifle fire, it didn't take long for them to notice that something was off about the small group of humans. After several more Inklings and Octolings were hit, it became clear that they were shooting at the first thing they locked eyes on. One of them turned his weapon on the ink panzer. Several bullets ricochet of the armor, and the Inkling captain barked an order. The turret of the heavy armor slowly pivoted, maching a loud scraping sound until is was pointed at the first human in it's path. Even with the large ink cannon pointed at them, they still did not break their near mindless attack."Take them down!" The captain shouted into the communicator. A loud bomb ensued, as a large ink canister rocketed towards the human who had strayed furthest from the alley they emerged from. The shell hit dead center, causing the human to fly backwards and hit the ground hard. Even from a distance, Drake could see that the impact and Ink overdose kept him from ever getting up again."These guys really went off the deep end," Matt murdered when another human went down from a second shot from the ink panzer. One by one the humans dropped, until the sound of weapons fire finally died off from the lack of targets for the inkling machines to fire upon. Coming out of the studio, Drake slowly made his way towards the alley, keeping his weapon raised in case there were any stragglers, or the rest of the traitorous group decided to show themselves."What could have possessed these screwballs," Takeshi said, who was standing behind him."I think I have an idea.." Drake rolled one of the bodies on to its backside, and brushed its hair out of the way. "I knew it!""What the hell is that, man?" The Japenese squad member leaned in to look at a blue orb that was attached to the back of the human's head. Drake reached out and yanked the orb from the back of the man's head. As expected, blood started to flow, but the man had already given up the ghost."It was what Octarias used to control me.." Otome responded for Drake, who crushed the orb in his palm, causing it to deteriorate into pure liquid. "I couldn't tell you what it is or where it came from.. but its a nightmare turned real.""this also means there's another set of pieces in play," Drake said as he stood up. "First the fish show up, and now he has a group of humans under his control.""And speaking of the damned fish, another wave is making a move for the square... we need hold them off," Kelly said while trying to process the information that was flowing over the communicator network."Then we'd better split our forces. I'll take a small group with the tiger and pushed toward the capital. Brandon, you take the squad and help the Octarians hold the line," Drake said, turning back towards where the large walker was on standby.