An Inkling of Sympathy Ch. 1
Author's Note: Hey everyone, this is the start of a new series. Splatoon is an interesting game in that there isn't much in the way of lore to work with. However, my friends and I are starting a group of media projects to try to increase our viewer base. I'll keep more on that on my profile, so be sure to check that regularly. At any rate, I hope you enjoy this story. Be sure to check out my other stories, I'll work to update a little quicker from now on. My new novel is almost complete, and the school play I'm writing is almost done as well. As always, I wish you the best of luck in life and literature. -Kiba
My eyes opened slightly, the active camouflage of my Octoling flesh melding perfectly into the ink as my prey continued onward spraying her own liquid hue along the ground. This was the enemy; this Inkling represented the destruction of our very lifestyle.
Closer...Closer...I began to slowly creep behind her, ready to coat her in the specially designed toxin that would dissolve her flesh into goo. She was here to steal our zapfish, without a care in the world that it was the only thing that allowed us to thrive after we'd lost the war with the Inklings long ago.
"Marrie!" A voice called behind her, causing me to immediately dive back into the ink. She quickly turned and put a finger to her lips to shush the approaching companion.
"Shh. It's Agent 2 remember? Do you want to give away our secret identities? You know what Gramps said. If the Octoroids caught wind of our identities it could be the end of us as we know it." She lectured, the new one frowning.
"Sorry Agent 2, I just didn't see anybody around, so I figured it was safe. What are you doing anyway? You know this ink will just disappear in a little bit anyway. No need to coat everything." The dark haired squid placed her hand on her cheek, watching as her partner continued to spray.
"You're too laid back Cal- Agent 1. You never know when an enemy may be lurking nearby. Let's just get the stupid zapfish back to Inkopolis before the station realizes both it and we are gone."
"You're not laid back enough." She muttered in reply as I tightened on my grip on my weapon. It was time to finish off the two while they remained in blissful ignorance.
"You'll never get that fish!" I roared, leveling my blaster towards one just as they both turned towards me with a grin before they began to giggle. I didn't like this reaction, they shouldn't be laughing. "What's so funny?!" I demanded. "I've got my gun in your faces and I'm not going to hesitate just because you're innocent-looking!'
'Agent 1' began to laugh even harder, the other secret agent supporting her as she tried not to fall over. I growled angrily. How dare they make a mockery out of me. My finger squeezed on the trigger and with a click the container indicated that the ink tank was deplenished. But that was impossible! It'd just been filled.
Both agents leveled their own weapons, wiping away the tears of laughter. "Sorry," the pink one responded, "you Octolings fall for just about everything."
"We knew you were there the whole time. While you were focused on me, Agent 1 here snuck up behind you and severed your ink line." Agent 2 taunted, smirking as I tossed away the now useless gun.
"Why didn't you just splat me? That's what you monsters do isn't it?" I demanded, holding up my arms in surrender. "Just kill anything that is an inconvenience to you."
"Because," the first one explained, sticking her nose close to mine. "We know that the zapfish is well hidden, but you're going to find it for us." Just as she pulled back the one dressed in green held up a small tablet that displayed a simple map of the terrain.
"Just touch the spot where the zapfish is and we'll be on our way. We'll even let you go free." She insisted. I did not enjoy the situation I was being put in, but I knew I had to make the most of it. If it were just these two, which I was sure it was, the settlement's militia would easily be able to overpower them. It'd be safer if I sent them there instead.
"I suppose I don't have much choice in this, do I?" I asked with a huff, concealing a grin from my brilliant plan. Reaching out I placed my finger over my home. Now these two would walk right through the front door and it'd be the end of them both. My foolishness would be redeemed and our way of life preserved for a little longer.
However, no sooner had I pressed the screen that a high pitch whistle rang out in the air and a large missile soared through the sky, straight towards the village.
"No." I gasped. "Please you have to stop it!" I demanded reaching for the tablet before the green one stuck her gun in my face. "Please, I beg of you abort the inkstrike!" The pink one looked to her cousin who just stood with a cold expression. "I'll lead you to the zapfish, anything you want, just abort the missile!"
I sank to my knees as the thoughts of all the innocent lives lost because of my hubris ran though my mind. They'd outsmarted me again, I was a horrible soldier. Without a word the pink one reached over snatching the tablet and pressing a series of buttons. "Callie what are you doing?!" Agent 2 asked in disbelief as my eyes went to her in shock.
With a beep there was an explosion in the distance, a large vortex of ink rising to the sky. My home however was in a different direction. "There." She insisted, showing me the map again. "I redirected the missile. Now you're going to keep your word and lead us there aren't you?"
"Excuse us for a moment." The green one growled, tugging Agent 1 by the arm. "Callie, what the hell was that? We had them right where we wanted them." She hissed.
"We've got the way to the zapfish now, it'll be much easier to get there." Agent 1, or Callie, insisted.
The other agent placed her hand over her face. "Are you kidding me? That was the way to the zapfish! Now there's another opportunity to stab us in the back."
The one called Callie looked over her friend's shoulder as I tapped my elbow patiently, unable to move from the small dot of ink that I was trapped in. "I think we can trust this one." She replied. "Besides, did you see that expression? I got the feeling that something really bad would have happened if we let the inkstrike go."
"Bad for them, is good for us." Agent 2 lectured. "You are always acting like a kid."
"And you're always being mean so I guess we make a good pair."
"Ugh!" Agent 2 straightened throwing her hands up in exasperation. Pointing her weapon towards me she set her sights. "You! You're going to lead us directly to the zapfish. No funny business or else I'll splat you myself, understand?"
"Yes." I muttered under my breath. I looked over towards Agent 1 who smiled politely at me. Who'd have known that Inklings were capable of such compassion. I quickly shook the thought from my head. There could be none of that. She still was inclined to take the Zapfish, and for that I had to stop them. Without a weapon, however, there was nothing I could do. I'd find a way to evade them, and when I had the opportunity, I'd simply disappear. They could consider that my repayment for their kindness.
After having walked for some time, I could feel the eyes of both Inklings burning through the back of my skull. "Can I ask you a question?" A cheerful voice called from behind me. I hadn't expected the words, but I turned to look back at her with a harsh gaze.
"Agent 1! Don't speak to the enemy!" The green one lectured, but she ignored her.
"Just one. I promise."
I pondered it for a moment. There surely couldn't be any harm in her questions. "I suppose." I finally surrendered. "What would you like to know?"
"Really?" Agent 2 asked in surprise. "You'd just give up information, just like that?"
"That," I huffed, "depends entirely on the question."
The pink one put a finger to her cheek in thought before her eyes lit up. "Oh! I know. Do you prefer cats or dogs?"
I blinked, unable to comprehend the purpose of her inquiry. "Do I what?" Even her partner seemed taken aback by the odd question.
"That? That's your question?" She asked.
Agent 1's expression visibly sank. "I was just trying to make conversation."
"I don't have a preference, one way or the other." I admitted. "Neither of them are very comfortable living underground, so I don't have much experience with either as pets. Anything else?"
"Ummm…" She paused to look at her partner questioningly. She seemed to silently signal her towards something, and when she spoke again I realized why. "Why do you keep stealing our zapfish?"
"Stealing your…" I replied, almost dumbfounded. "They are not your zapfish! We did not steal anything! If any are the thieves, it is you for taking away the only thing that allows us to sustain our livelihood. You already have the Great Zapfish to power your surface city, do you really intend to take away all zapfish to keep us buried as well?"
She began to sniffle before hugging her friend. "Marie, why is she being so mean to me?!" She wailed.
"She?!" I roared, taking off my goggles and slinging them to the ground. "I am not a she! I am a male! My name is Lusca, a man's name!" The two were stunned into silence. "What now?"
"There are male Octolings." Marie muttered. "I feel like my whole life is a lie. I thought they were all women."
"Everything is so confusing." Callie agreed, circling me curiously. "You still look like a woman."
"It's the stupid armor." I muttered, wishing I could take it off. "Our 'glorious leader' decided it'd be better to have armor that resembled a more feminine shape. Says that it'd 'distract our enemies more'. And while you're right in that most of them are female, yes there are males. It wouldn't make much sense to not have any males."
The one named Marie nudged Callie before whispering in her ear. The two of them shared a giggle that made me uneasy, but Callie just grinned. "At any rate, let's go get the Zapfish. We've got a show tonight, and if we come back empty handed Gramps will have a fit."
"Show?" I asked. The realization began to dawn on me as posters and magazine covers raced through my mind. "Holy cephalopods, you're them!" He hissed, taking a quick step back. "What in the world are you two doing down here?!"
Marie frowned, putting her hands on her hips. "Hey! Don't be so rude. It's not like we're the sort of celebrities that think we're better than everyone else."
Stepping forward, Callie took my arm with a grin. "It's true. We're The Squid Sisters." Then she paused for a moment, looking around before whispering. "But we're actually just cousins, not sisters."
"I'm so confused." I muttered, using my free hand to massage my temples. "Why are you fighting in a war if you're celebrities?"
"Well, someone has to." Callie replied, the same cheerful smile never leaving her face. "Besides, Gramps is getting on in his years. He's far too old to continue the fight, so when he asked us for help, we decided to take over. We've had far less time to fight lately though. The only reason we're taking this zapfish is we need it for the concert."
The other one chided in as well. "Which is why the faster you get us there, the sooner we can leave you to go back to whatever hovel you crawled out from." Callie frowned at her cousin's tone, but nodded in agreement, tugging on my arm to lead the way.
"Funny, I thought you'd probably kill me, now that I know your identities." I muttered, causing Marie to freeze. Callie's grip tightened on my arm, to the point I thought she was going to rip it off of me.
"Please Mr. Octoling," she whispered quickly, "you must keep this to yourself. The Inklings topside...they don't know about the war with the Octarians. We don't want to see more casualties like in the first war. If they were to find out what we do, they'd send all sorts of soldiers down here." Her words were less intimidating and more desperate.
I tried to tell myself that the world should know the truth. The war needed to happen, if not for the sake of defeating the Inklings, then for the sake of showing the way his people currently lived. But when he looked into her golden eyes, his mouth opened against his will. "I promise. I won't breathe a word of it."
"We can't trust him." Marie growled, leveling the nozzle of her gun towards my face. "We have to splat him, right here, right now. It may be tough finding the zapfish, but it's less risky than letting him live."
I shut my eyes tightly, waiting for the bitter end, but Callie's arm released mine and she stood between the two of us. "Marie, no! He promised he wouldn't, just like you promised we'd let him go."
As the two of them began to argue with one another about what to do, I realized the opportunity I had. Shifting into my octopus form, I immediately activated my camouflage and quickly slipped away. Without my equipment, I wouldn't be able to call in for a super jump back to base or warn them of the intruders. "Wait, where did he go?" Marie demanded, shoving her cousin out of the way.
Callie looked all around herself with a frown. "Great going Marie, you scared him off." She grumbled, causing the green-clothed girl to turn on her seething.
"If you hadn't interrupted, I'd have splatted him and it'd all be over. Instead, you decided to, once again, do something dumb and let him escape! We need to get the Zapfish quickly, before he can summon backup."
"He wouldn't do that." Callie argued. Her blind faith in my loyalty to them was frighteningly naive. Even I knew that I'd have splatted them if I'd had the chance to.
"Open your eyes Callie!" Marie shouted at her. "He is the enemy! He would do anything if it meant keeping us from getting that Zapfish. It's time for you to grow up and realize that this isn't a game! This is war! It's kill or be killed, and if you don't stop treating others like some sort of cute pet, you'll get us both killed."
While I agreed with her, the look in Callie's eyes hurt greatly. It took all of my willpower to prevent calling out to them in an attempt to comfort her. Luckily, Marie took her silence to mean the conversation was over and continued on the pathway to the Zapfish. "Mr. Octoling, if you're still here, I'm sorry if she hurt your feelings. I know you wouldn't betray us. Please, don't be upset with her." A shudder ran through my spine. Even after everything her cousin said, Callie was still concerned about my feelings? It was unbearable to watch as she rubbed her tears away with the back of her hand. "We're going to get the zapfish now. I know you're probably still upset about it, but I'll try to bring it back once we're done with it." She promised. Then, she hurried off after her cousin, leaving me standing there, still stunned by it all.
"That stupid girl." I muttered, watching them both leave. They were going a longer way, it'd be easy to intercept their path. I'd find them at the zapfish and stop them from getting away. It was the only choice I had. Immediately, I rushed to repair my weapon and swam to where I'd ambush them.
I could hear the frustrated grunts of the zapfish in the containment unit behind me. I watched over the battlefield from high above, the color of the sister's ink blasting a clear path in a beeline towards me. Perfect. The fish behind me let out another frightened chitter.
"Shut up. You know they're just going to do the exact same thing to you."
I watched as the whistle of another inkstrike struck the earth below me, causing a massive pillar to erupt just in front of my face. Still, I sat calmly. There would be no camouflage this time. No tricks, no stealth, just face-to-face discussion and if necessary, combat. With a light whoosh, the two girls landed before him with a thud.
In an instant, both had their weapons pointed at the other party. "Told you Callie. He's here to kill us." Marie growled. "You should have let me splat him earlier."
"Hardly. If I wanted you dead, I'd have been camouflaged. You can't very well cut my ink line from down there." He replied, gesturing with his head towards the edge. "I heard what you said Callie."
Marie's eyes narrowed on her cousin. "Callie, what is he talking about?"
The timid Inkling gently tapped her fingers together. "I...may have told him our plan…" She whispered shamefully.
"You did what?!" Her cousin snapped.
"Enough." I barked. "I'm not here to fight either of you, not unless I have to."
The green Inkling marched towards me. "Good, then get out of the way. We're going to take the zapfish. Callie, you and I will discuss this back in Inkopolis." With a slosh of ink, my toxin sprayed in warning at Marie's feet, causing her to leap back.
"You're not taking it." My voice was flat and stoic.
"But you said…"
"I said, 'I wouldn't fight you, unless I have to.' That doesn't mean I'll let you take the Zapfish. There are Octarian hospitals that would be shut down from the removal of this fish, and I can't let you take so many lives for something as ridiculous as a concert."
"It's not ridiculous." Callie protested, stepping forward as well. This time, I did not fire. "This concert may seem silly to you, but for Marie and I, it's everything. Our lives are based on our performances, you can't just sweep it under the rug because you don't think it's as important."
"As important as hundreds, if not thousands, of innocent lives?" I huffed, causing Callie to fall silent once more.
"Innocent? That's a laugh." Marie scoffed.
I took a deep breath. "Those people are not involved in this war. They've made their livelihoods in this crappy hole, and done so without complaint. Their way of life is one of blissful ignorance to the cruelties of this war, and I can't let you hurt them when they've nothing to do with it."
Agent 2 continued to glare at me before once more leveling her weapon. "Well, unfortunately for you, we still outnumber you. I don't mind fixing my cousin's mistakes, so I'll just splat you here and take it anyway."
Callie looked to her cousin, then back to me, before raising her gun as well. Her grip was shaky, and I began to doubt she could do it if she wanted to. "I'm sorry, Mr. Octoling, but we can't go back empty-handed. You don't understand how important this is."
"I'm sorry to hear that." He whispered. Callie shut her eyes tightly, her finger starting to apply pressure to the trigger. "Then I surrender."
Her eyes snapped open in confusion. "What?"
"Don't listen to him Callie, it's some sort of trick." Marie warned.
I shook my head, letting my gun slip through my finger to point at the ground. "You can't leave empty-handed, but I can't let you take the Zapfish. So let's compromise. I'll show you how to get enough energy to power your concert, and at the same time I'll offer myself as a prisoner. Then we both get what we want, understand?"
"No way. You can't create energy without a Zapfish!" She protested, but Callie just stood there in awe.
"Are you being truthful, Mr. Octoling? Can you really do that?"
"I cannot believe you are buying into this Callie!" Marie argued, aiming her gun at me. "I won't let this happen." She snarled, and pulled the trigger. With a click, her gun let out a weak spurt before registering as empty. After I held up the trigger for the disruptor I'd planted beneath her feet, she let out a curse before tossing her gun away. "Fine...I guess I don't have much choice at this point. Prove that you can do it."
I slowly let my fingers reach towards the orb and upon touching it, I felt the familiar tingle being drained into my body. The lights in the complex around us dimmed slightly, and once I felt fully charged I took my fingers off the zapfish and the power returned to normal. "There, see? Fully charged." I explained. "Take me, use me to power the concert. Then I'll return afterward and we'll forget this entire thing ever happened. Fair?"
"Fair." Callie squealed happily, running over and throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. "Thank you so much Mr. Octoling, you've no idea what this means to me."
Marie grumbled, walking towards me and retrieving a pair of handcuffs. "I don't want you running away again." She explained, stripping me of the ink pack and manacling my arms behind my back.
This would be my sacrifice, I decided. I'd saved my world, and this was a small price to pay for doing so. I'd no doubt that they wouldn't hold up their end. The thought of letting me go to blurt their secrets was one that would never cross their mind. I imagined even, acts of torture to make me spill secrets of our own. But my will was resolute. I'd protect my home, no matter the cost to myself.
"Gramps, this is Agent 1 reporting in. We need a teleport originating on our coordinates for three." Callie called into her radio as she began setting up a transmitter.
"Right-O." The buzz came back in response. "I've got fresh crabby cakes awaiting your arrival Agents 1 and 2." I was stunned when a beam of light shone down on us, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself pulled away from where I stood and now standing in a small shack. "Now...girls, I may not be hip to your groovy, new-fangled, tech. But, uh...that's not a Zapfish."
"We didn't get the Zapfish, Gramps. Callie can explain to you why our mission didn't go well." She sighed, hanging her equipment up on the wall and walking into a side room, before slamming the door.
"Callie?" The older man asked suspiciously. "Something you'd like to tell me?"
"Well...we were heading towards the Zapfish as planned, when we found this Octoling waiting to ambush us. So Marie and I, we snuck up on him and cut his inkline before making him send an inkstrike towards the Zapfish, so we could find it easier. But then he begged us to abort it, so I did." With every word, her head seemed to turn further towards her feet as she placed her hands behind her.
"Long story short, sir. I offered myself in exchange for the Zapfish. I'll power the concert, and this way we both get what we want. Please don't blame her, I'm the one who put them in a vulnerable situation."
"I'll talk to you when I'm good and ready." The older man snapped, before his features softened and he turned back to the Agent. "Go ahead, Callie. I want to hear what you have to say."
"Well, he managed to escape from us. So I kind of let it slip where we were going, so he set a trap for us." She continued to explain. "When we got there, he managed to trigger a disruptor so our guns stopped working. He could have splatted us, but he suggested instead that we take him prisoner. He says he knows how to power our concert without a Zapfish, and that way they can keep using the Zapfish to keep their city running. It sounded like a good deal...I'm really sorry Gramps." She finally surrendered, her words now no louder than a whisper.
The older Squid stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her. "It's okay, Callie. You made a decision, and I'm proud of you for using your head. Assuming your prisoner here is telling the truth, you made the right call. Besides, I'd rather you take any option that prevents you or your cousin from being hurt. My old hearts wouldn't be able to take it if I lost my only granddaughters." So they were related to him. "Now then, let's take a look-see."
The older man came closer to me, his eyes meeting mine as he just stood there. My expression remained blank; Inklings could smell fear. Over the old man's shoulder, I could see Callie sling her pack off her shoulder before placing it on the hook and also entering the side room. Now I was all alone with a man whom I wasn't certain wouldn't kill me. "I'm sorry for eariler…" I began.
"Shh." He interrupted, hushing my statement. His beady eyes continued to pierce my gaze, and for a moment I felt the urge to simply run for it. "You seem like an alright fellow." He finally declared.
"I'm sorry?" I asked puzzled.
"Callie's a sweet girl, but she's a bit naive. Her judgment is getting better, I have deemed you trustworthy." He turned away from me, walking over towards the oven. "Would you care for some crabby cakes?"
"That's it?" What was wrong with these people? Didn't they realize that I was an enemy.
"We also have some orange juice, I think."
"No, I mean, you trust me? All you did was look in my eyes." He pulled the tray out from the oven and set it on the small table off to the side before unlocking my handcuffs.
"Son, when you've been in the military as long as I have, you learn how to read an opponent by the look in their eye. I can tell you don't want to be here, just like you wouldn't want to have the shoe on the other foot." He gave a grin, concealed by his facial tentacles. "Anyway, Cap'n Cuttlefish is the name. What's your name soldier?"
"Octoling First Sergeant Lusca...sir." I added, the words still feeling alien in my mouth. He was right though, the thought of taking prisoners made me sick to my stomach, but not for the reason one would assume. In truth, I was an awful soldier. I hated war, always have. But I couldn't deny that I was good at it.
"Well, 'Octoling First Sergeant Lusca," he began, sitting at the table and munching on a crabby cake, "tell me your plan for the concert. It's very important."
"So I've been told." I muttered, cautiously sitting on the opposite side of him. "Well, Octoroids have the ability to store electricity in our neural system. It's how we power our machines." I wasn't sure if it was alright to tell him these things, but he wouldn't be able to do anything to stop it anyway. "So I absorbed some of the zapfish's electricity. I'll hook myself up to the generator and use that electricity to power it. Then I'll go home and out of your tentacles."
"We'll see." He mused, eating another crabby cake.
"We're ready." Callie sang cheerfully, coming out of the side room with Marie trailing behind. The two girls were now in graceful clothing, keeping their pink and green color schemes. Their appearance was breath-taking, but I kept such thoughts to myself.
Her cousin's glare still pierced through me, much like her grandfather's did. "You girls look fantastic." Cap'n Cuttlefish complimented. "Good luck at the concert."
"Thanks Gramps." Marie replied, scarfing down a crabby cake on her way past. "Are you coming to the concert this time?"
He shook his head. "No, I fear I'm getting too old for your hip-hoppin' rock concerts. Too loud on the old ears. I'll listen to it on the radio though. I'm proud of you girls, I'll be rootin' for ya from the home base." As the two began to leave, he cleared his throat causing them to stop. "You're forgetting two things, girls."
Both of them ran to their grandfather and embraced him tightly. "What's the other thing?" Callie asked.
He jerked his thumb towards me. "You'll be needing this guy to power the concert, remember?"
"Oh...right." Marie grumbled before walking towards me and slapping the handcuffs back on. As she dragged me towards the waiting limo, I realized that this was going to be an odd experience. I could feel the tension that was in me changing; transforming into something else...excitement. I was excited to see the surface world, to experience more of the Inkling society, and more importantly, to find some sort of weakness that I may be able to exploit in the future.
To be continued...
