Part 1: Rysoma, Ken
Kenneth Rysoma:
Brush-wielding Inkling hero;
Fearless Agent 4.
In the depths of Cephalon HQ, a lone Inkling, panting with exhaustion, wiped the sweat from his brow. Here he was, suspended on a grind rail, hovering high above a pool of foul purple liquid. Modified Rainmaker? Check. Heavenly Squid Sisters music blasting in his ears? Check. DJ Octavio, commander of the Octarian Army, trying to knock him off the rail with his Octobot? Checkeridoo.
This was a recipe for disaster.
As the Octobot reared back for another attack, Ken Rysoma, Agent 4 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, tightened his grip on the Rainmaker.
"Graaaaah! You…you slimy little hipster!" The oversized octopus raged, slamming his tentacles down on the Octobot's control panel. "I'mma dubstomp you into oblivion!"
"Huh? Come on, my dude, who says things like that?" Ken mused, charging up the fish-shaped superweapon in his hands.
With a metallic groan, the Octobot launched a giant metal fist, emanating an ominous purple glow. But Ken was ready. Preparing to jump onto an adjacent rail, he released the trigger on the Rainmaker, launching a blob of green ink. Just as the fist approached, it collided with the ink blob. For a moment, the fist slowed, hovering in midair…before turning back towards Octavio. Just as it began to barrel towards the Octobot, another metal hand, spinning furiously, rocketed towards the Inkling.
"Whoa!" Ken yelped, almost losing his grip on the Rainmaker. He jumped over the spinning fist, and landed on the outer grind rail, just in time to see the first fist strike the DJ in the face. Octavio roared in pain and fury, as the Octobot shuddered. The commander barely managed to regain control of his enormous craft, a muscle twitching near his eyebrows.
"Argh, splat you, you little punk!" he yelled, launching both of the Octobot's fists in desperation. Once again, Ken dodged the approaching projectiles, firing off another ink shot in midair. The green blob collided with both fists, returning them to their sender. Two loud crashes resounded through the stage, signalling the end of the battle.
The Octarian commander, Octobot and all, began to tumble, falling out of the air to the round stage below. As the Squid Sisters—Callie and Marie, Agents 1 and 2—cheered him on, Ken slid across the now-descending grind rail. He adjusted his grip on the golden superweapon…and jumped!
"And…" he yelled, slamming the Rainmaker down onto Octavio's head. "That's game!"
Octavio let out a gurgling scream, as the Octobot began to fizzle and spark.
"No…no! Not againnnnnnn!"he yelled, desperately clutching at the control panel. The Octobot, now emitting a high-pitched whistle, began to rise back into the air, only to crash down again.
"So…sad…" the Octarian moaned. "Crossfade…to black…"
Shifting into squid form, Ken dove into a puddle of his ink, and not a moment too soon, as—
Boom!
Without warning, the malfunctioning Octobot exploded, unleashing a deluge of purple and green ink that covered the entire stage. Once the force of the inksplosion had subsided, Ken emerged from his puddle, surveying his handiwork. There, in the middle of the mechanical wreckage, was DJ Octavio, out like a light.
The fight was over.
"A-Agent 4! Ken! You did it!" Marie's voice called, blasting in Ken's headset. "The Great Zapfish is safe, and Inkopolis too!"
"Just hang tight; we're coming to get you!" Callie's voice interjected, with a relieved giggle.
"Oh, yeah! Will do!" said Ken, looking up to the ceiling of the vast underground facility. "But, uh, y'know you don't have to talk so loud. This headset's pretty sensitive!"
"Uh-huh, right…" said Marie, with the vocal equivalent of an eyeroll. "Anyway, we're landing near your position. Watch yourself, Ken!"
As Marie's voice cut out, a large truck-like craft came into view above Ken's head. He could hear the instrumentals of the Calamari Inkantation booming through its speakers as it descended. Setting down the Rainmaker, he turned to Octavio's unconscious form, still lying in the remains of his machine.
"I, uh, might need some help getting Octavio in there, you know?" he pointed towards the large Octoling, grinning.
"Oh, him? Ah, don't worry!" said Marie, jumping from the craft. "We've got just the place for him…"
On cue, the back of the hovering truck opened, revealing Callie, wearing a rather skimpy black outfit, and resting against a giant, cracked snow globe. She hopped down to give Ken a high-five, then turned to Octavio.
"Ha! He'll be real comfortable in here!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. "That's what he gets for brainwashing me!"
The three Inklings laughed, as they began to haul Octavio into the hovering truck. As it lifted off, rising up and out of Cephalon HQ, Ken marvelled at how far he'd come. Hadn't it only been a month ago that he'd spoken to Marie, and found himself wrapped up with the Squidbeak Splatoon? It was incredible to think that he'd be here now, saving Inkopolis from the Octarian menace.
But here he was. Maybe the city would never know that he'd saved it, but Inkopolis was safe, thanks to the efforts of Squidbeak. That was all that mattered.
Wasn't it?
Part 2: Mito, Aiden
Here's Aiden Mito
Octoling test subject, freed
From the gloomy depths.
He was falling, falling, falling. The sound of ocean waves and the whirling of a fleet's worth of helicopter blades filled the air, drowning out the howl of the wind around him.
The nameless Octoling soon felt himself landing on a large metal platform, hanging down from a helicopter. In an instant, he shifted to octopus form, super-jumping to the largest chopper of the fleet.
"Eight! You got it!" the voice of Marina, DJ of Off the Hook, shouted from above, as the Octoling stood up. Before him stood a titanic, human-shaped statue, covered in magenta ink. Loud static emanated from a set of speakers somewhere on the statue, carrying with it a crackly, furious voice.
"Applicant 10008…No other test subject has gone so far to spoil my plans," it boomed. The source of the voice, a derelict, rusty telephone, shook wildly inside the statue's eye, conveying its anger in a way that words alone could not.
"But now…yes, now! You shall be blended up into the perfect world the professor envisioned!" the telephone, Commander Tartar of the Kamabo Corporation, roared. "Farewell, 10008! Farewell to you…and that worthless cesspool of a city!"
With that, the cannon protruding from the statue's mouth began to glow, as an oily turquoise substance began to flow through its machinery.
"Hey, Eight! Don't worry; I got this!" another voice yelled from above. Its source, Pearl—the other half of Off the Hook—leapt from the helicopter to the platform below. She shot the Octoling a confident smile, before turning her attention to Tartar.
"Ayo, statue! Got something for ya!" she shouted, raising her arms. In a flash, she readied a massive speaker—a Killer Wail. As the statue's cannon charged, the short Inkling cleared her throat.
With a thunderous rumble, the cannon fired, sending a blast of slime towards the helicopter. In the same instant, Pearl took a deep, deep breath.
"Boo…YAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Pearl screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice amplified by the massive Killer Wail. Soundwaves, accompanied by a torrent of ink, rippled through the air, meeting the beam of turquoise slime in midair. For a moment, the two beams clashed, like a high-stakes game of tug-of-war. Then…slowly, but surely…the Killer Wail's soundwaves overpowered the statue's cannon, which began to collapse, along with the statue itself, under the burst of sound and ink.
A final screech of static relayed Tartar's mechanical scream.
"P-professor…our r-r-r-reunion awaits…kkkkkkrrrrrrrrssssshhhh…"
With one last crackle of static, Tartar's voice faded into nothing, until all that could be heard over the statue's speakers was a muted hiss. Finally, the statue began to topple, unable to support itself. The clear seawater rippled wildly as the statue fell, sending waves in all directions.
The nameless Octoling, Agent 8, plopped down atop the gently swaying platform, pumping his fist quietly in his own method of celebration.
"Pearlie! Eight! We did it!" Marina shouted gleefully, as she hopped down.
"Y-yeah! I'm—I'm still trying to process it, you know?" Agent 8 replied, pushing his hair tentacle out of his eyes.
"You did well, bucko! Great work!" The voice of Cap'n Cuttlefish, the old Inkling captain of the Squidbeak Splatoon, came from above. "That was some o' the best shootin' I've seen in a long time!"
"Ah, but we couldn't have done it without our great hype man!" Marina chimed in, gesturing towards the Cap'n.
"Oh ho ho! My pleasure!" Cap'n Cuttlefish chortled, his beard shaking this way and that.
As the Cap'n and Off the Hook shared a laugh, Agent 8 cleared his throat, a small smile forming on his face.
"Um, if you've got the time…I'd like to discuss something."
"Hmm? What's up, Eight?" said Pearl, scooting over slightly.
"Well, uh…" The Octoling shifted slightly, pointing to himself. "You know how I can't remember my name? It's strange…I recovered most of my memories, but for some reason, my name just isn't coming back. So, I was thinking…why not just make a new one?"
"A…a new name? You mean, like…you'd be making a whole new identity!" said Marina. "You sure you don't want to keep thinking on it? This is a pretty big deal, you know?"
"That's about it, yeah. So uh…" Agent 8 mused. "I gave it some thought, and I've actually already decided on my name. It'll be Aiden Mito."
"Aiden? Mito? How'd you come up with that?" asked Pearl.
Agent 8 straightened up, placing a hand on his chin.
"You know, like…eight? Eight-en? Aiden?" he explained. "As for Mito…that's a bit trickier. It's just…something—a name— that I remember, but I can't quite place what it's from."
Pearl, Marina, and Cap'n Cuttlefish glanced at each other, and at Agent 8—Aiden. After a moment, they nodded, smiling at the Octoling.
"Well…if that name works for you, then…why not?" said the captain. "It's a fine name!"
"All right, then. It's settled!" said Marina, clasping her hands together. "That name suits you!"
Clearing his throat, the Octoling took a deep breath, and was about to speak when something stirred in the helicopter above. Looking up, he saw a caped female Inkling, clutching her head and looking down at the group below.
"Agent 3! You chose a heck of a time to wake up!" the Octoling joked, grinning. "You missed all the action!"
The Inkling, Agent 3, gazed at the remains of Tartar's statue for a moment, then back to the Octoling, before wordlessly shrugging her shoulders. The Octoling chuckled, standing up to look out to the sea.
"Ah, well…anyway, I'm Agent—" he paused, placing a hand on his chin. "No, wait…I have a name now."
He stood up, looking around at the smiling faces around him. The ones who had guided him all this way, and helped him conquer the Kamabo Corporation's cruel tests. A surge of gratitude swelled up inside him, which he displayed with a smile of his own.
"My name…is Aiden. Aiden Mito."
With a new name and new friends, the Octoling formerly known as Agent 8 would step into this new life, full of wonder and excitement.
He couldn't wait.
Part 3: Nukléa, Inez
Inez Nukléa
Ventured upwards; came to fight;
Turf War's in her blood.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another great Turf War!" the announcer bellowed, his voice carrying over the sound of pre-recorded cheering that echoed through the air. "Today's venue is…the Reef! Let's cheer these fine folks on!"
On either side of the symmetrical arena, a spawn point flickered to life, oozing out different colors of ink: purple on one, and teal on the other. From each round spawn point emerged four figures: the Turf War players of the day.
"Yee-haw! Time to get this here show on the road!" one particular player, an Octoling girl, cheered, waving her Dualie Squelchers.
"Well, someone's excited!" said an Inkling teammate. "What was your name again? Ee-nez?"
"Ah, m'name's Inez! Inez Nukléa!" the Octoling replied, grinning broadly. "Howdy, partner!"
Just then, there came a loud popping noise, signalling the start of the Turf War match. The Octoling—Inez—sprang into action, covering the ground with purple ink. Her teammates did the same, as did the Inklings on the other team. Out of the corner of her eye, Inez saw a crowd of jellyfish, their faces pressed against the glass of the Reef's shop windows.
Three minutes wasn't a lot of time, but to the eight competing Inklings (and Octoling), it felt like hours. The teams duked it out, neither side taking an advantage for long. Colorful ink splattered everywhere, covering the concrete floors, the patches of grass under the overpass, and the metal chassis of the two cars on display. The spectating jellyfish cheered on the competitors from behind the windows, their warbling voices strangely muffled by the glass.
"Purple team's taken the lead, but Teal team's not backing down—Oh! That's gotta hurt!" the announcer yelled, as one of Purple Team's members vanished in a splash of teal ink. From that ink emerged another Inkling, wearing a grey hoodie and a malicious smile on his face. Inez paused, turning her attention to this new enemy.
"Oh, y'all ain't gonna like this!" she yelled, triggering the ink nozzles on her Dualies. She rolled sideways, beneath the overpass, pointing both Squelchers at the opposing Inkling. But just then…!
"Ha ha! Gotcha!" sneered another Inkling, emerging from the teal puddle in the shadow of the underpass. He and the hoodie-wearing Inkling pointed their weapons at Inez, smirking.
"Is that right?" she growled, her grin widening. "This ain't my first rodeo, ya varmints!"
In a flash, she spun, her Squelchers pointing in opposite directions. Squeezing both triggers, she opened fire, splatting both of her adversaries in a chaotic dance.
"Look at that technique! Inez Nukléa from Purple team has pulled off a double splat in three seconds flat!" said the announcer. "But it looks like Teal team's still closing the gap!"
Sure enough, no sooner had the announcer spoken than another pair of opponents appeared. Inez dove into the purple ink, looking to regroup with her team.
The seconds ticked away, and before they knew it, it came down to the last minute. As the famous tune, "Now or Never", began to blare from the Reef's speakers, all eight Turf War players sprang into action once again. Where Purple team splattered the ground, Teal team responded in kind with their own ink. The two spawn points hissed, again and again, as the combatants kept returning, itching to jump back into the fray.
With thirty seconds left on the clock, and both teams on even footing, Inez dashed towards the central overpass, laying down a suppressing barrage of ink. Suddenly, there came a blast of teal ink, as the gray hoodie-wearing Inkling reappeared on the other side of the bridge. He smirked nastily, pointing his Blaster at the Octoling.
"Well, ain't this just like one of them standoffs in the movies?" said Inez, readying her Squelchers. "What's it they say? 'It's high n— '"
"Yeah, just shut up, would you?" the Inkling barked, his smirk widening ever so slightly. "I don't have time for octo-scum."
Everything froze. Inez's smile faded, as the Inkling's words hit home.
"…What was that?!" she growled, gritting her teeth. "You lookin' to tick me off?"
"And it looks like I've done just that!" the Inkling spat back. "Better go back underground, like the rest of the eight-leggers!"
A scowl formed across Inez's face, as she pointed her Squelchers at the Inkling. For a moment, splotches of purple and teal ink flew through the air, as the two of them opened fire. Inez ducked behind a platform on the bridge, but it wasn't enough to avoid the splash of teal ink, as the Blaster's ink blob exploded. On the other side of the bridge, the hooded Inkling wiped off a spot of purple ink from his face, wearing an expression somewhere between cold amusement and utmost contempt. The two pointed their weapons at each other once again, and were just about to shoot when—
"Aha! Just in time!"
Suddenly, there came a loud burst of sound, as another teal Inkling appeared from under the bridge. Inez had just enough time to register the source of the sound—an Inkjet special weapon—before the ink jetpack's mounted cannon fired. In a flash, she was engulfed in teal ink.
"Yow! Nukléa goes down, courtesy of a well-timed Inkjet!" yelled the announcer. "And with that…time's up! Let's go to Judd and Lil' Judd!"
On a set of large TV screens, lighting up behind the Reef's many windows, two cats appeared. With their colorful flags, Judd and his tiny companion, Lil' Judd, would declare one team the winner. As the audience and the competitors watched, they waved their flags whimsically, and then…a flash of teal, as the cats raised their respective flags.
"Teal team wins! 52% to 48%!" The announcer boomed, as the numbers and statistics flashed on screen. "What a comeback! And what a fierce standoff between Bobbi Deena and Inez Nukléa!"
As Inez emerged from the spawn point, her teammates patted her on the back, shaking their heads in defeat. Across the battleground, she caught a glimpse of Bobbi, the hooded Inkling, celebrating with his team. He locked eyes with her, and flashed a toothy, hostile grin.
"…Dang it! You dirty little—" Inez cursed internally, turning away from the teal team. As the spawn points deactivated, she stepped out of the designated Turf War zone, Bobbi's words still ringing in her mind hauntingly.
'I don't have time for octo-scum…'
'Better go back underground, like the rest of the eight-leggers!'
Inez frowned. Is that what all Inklings were like?
No…surely not. She'd met plenty of nice ones in the months she had spent in Inkopolis, after all.
She shook her head, trying to stop thinking about Bobbi, but the mental image of his nasty smirk remained. That strengthened her resolve.
Next time, she would shut him up. Next time, she would win.
And she wouldn't be alone next time.
Part 4: Rysoma, Mina
Mina, Ken's sister.
Collected eggs for Grizzco
But does so no more.
The horn blew loudly, cutting through the chilly air and fog, as the four Inklings touched down on the rickety platform. The small boat from which they had just super-jumped began turning around, moving a safe distance away from the soon-to-be battleground.
"Those Salmonids'll be coming in any second now! Get moving! Get me those eggs!" That was Mr. Grizz, the mysterious CEO of Grizzco. "And don't even think about slacking off!"
With a shrug and a roll of her eyes, Mina Rysoma prepared to move. Just another standard Salmon Run shift, right?
"Come on, Rysoma! Let's get this bread!" said one of her teammates, patting her shoulder.
"Uh, right! Let's go!" Mina replied, picking up her assigned weapon: a Classic Squiffer. Good; now this was a weapon she could work with. Years and years of Charger practice had left her a masterful sniper, after all.
Out of the ground rose a mechanical tube-shaped egg collector. With it, more horns began to blow, signalling the appearance of a wave of Salmonids. First came the small fry and the chums, gabbling and brandishing their frying pans. They were followed closely by large, lumbering Cohocks, and then…the "big bosses": gigantic Steelheads, rumbling Scrappers, raging Maws, and more.
"Go, go, go! Take 'em out! GET THOSE EGGS!" Mr. Grizz roared, nearly blowing out Mina's ear-mounted headphones. She and her team spread out, splatting Salmonids left and right. The murky water splashed dangerously, waves almost reaching above the concrete platforms on which they fought. The normally-gray platforms soon glistened with a mixture of blue Inkling ink and dark green Salmonid slime.
"Yeah, come get some!" said Mina, relishing the ferocity of the Salmonid waves. She and her teammates surrounded the egg collector, luring more and more of the mutant salmon towards them.
As the hours went by, and more and more golden eggs began to fill the collector, the tide began to roll in. Salmonids seemed to pop out everywhere, closing in on the four workers. By nightfall, hundreds of Salmonids threatened to overwhelm them, as a multitude of bosses appeared in their midst.
"Gotcha!" Mina declared, snapping a shot at a helpless Drizzler, who burst in a blast of blue ink. Collecting one of the golden eggs thus revealed, Mina took aim in the direction of the egg collector, hoping to ink a quick route there. She squeezed the Squiffer's trigger, held her breath, and released—
Click!
She frowned, looking towards her back-mounted ink tank/lifesaver. She'd run out of ink, and there was nowhere to fill up.
"Ah—!"
Before she could call out for backup, she heard a low growl, under her feet. Too late, she spotted a Maws—or, at least, its telltale bobber. She felt the ground shake beneath her, as it seemed to give way. The hulking Salmonid emerged in a flash, its namesake maws already closing in. With an almighty snap, Mina was engulfed.
For a brief moment, she experienced a damp darkness, but then…the lifesaver built into her Grizzco uniform kicked in, rising above the murk. Mina floated in the small reservoir of ink inside, forced into squid form.
"H-hey! Help! Help me!" she called out in desperation, hoping someone would hear.
"Rysoma! I'm coming!" the teammate from earlier shouted back, swimming through the ink. Mina, stuck in squid form, flipped and flopped in his direction, unaware of the returning Maws. It let out another rumbling growl, its bobber trembling.
"Watch out! It's coming back!" said the other Inkling. But it was too late.
With a roar, the Maws reappeared, sending Mina—lifesaver and all—hurtling into the air. Its massive teeth snagged the side of the lifesaver, rupturing it. There came a spray of blue ink, which was quickly absorbed by the Salmonids' muck.
"Aaaaaaaugggghhhh!" Mina screamed in pain, alerting the rest of her team.
"Oh, carp! We got trouble!"
All thoughts of the golden eggs were abandoned, as Mina's teammates rushed to her aid, splatting any Salmonids that got too close. The Maws sank into a puddle of its green slime, looking to finish Mina off. As she struggled to move away, a barrage of ink engulfed the Maws, which vanished in the mess.
"Mina! We got you; don't worry!" her teammates reassured her, as they carried her lifesaver away from the edge of the platform. As the Salmonids threatened to swarm around them, they super-jumped to the Grizzco boat, taking care to keep Mina steady.
"Mr. Grizz! Mina's hurt! We have to take her back!" someone yelled into his headset. "Maws bit through her lifesaver!"
"Wait a minute! What's going on over there?!" came Mr. Grizz's voice, crackling over the receiver. "What about the eggs?"
"Th-the eggs?" Mina managed to choke out, panting. "Sir, I'm seriously hurt! And you're sitting there talking about—"
Mina suddenly convulsed in pain, her body twitching uncontrollably. Gritting her teeth, she sat up, looking down at her hands. What was going on? Why couldn't she stop shaking?
"All right, all right! Rysoma, you're done for the day!" Grizz replied, sounding more exasperated than concerned. "The rest of you: don't think this means you can slack off! Get back out there!"
"Sir, shouldn't someone stay here? Look her over?"
Grizz grumbled audibly, then muttered something about "sending Mina to the hospital." Then, the headset went silent, emitting a hiss of static.
"Un…believable…" Mina moaned, plopping down on the boat's deck. "Y-you've gotta be kiddin—"
It was then that her body gave out, unable to endure the pain. The world lurched violently, then faded into darkness as she fainted.
Mina would later find herself in the hospital, dazed and twitching, but well on her way to recovery.
And yet, her Salmonid troubles had only just begun.
To be continued! Watch those front pages!