Exhaustion racked at his body as Agent 3 practically fell onto his bed. A sting of pain rushed right through his leg as he tried to stand, forcing himself to limp to the kitchen to get some kind of sustenance. "Dammit…"

"I'm in pain, but I'll be- Grah!" Even shifting his leg seemed to be a root of excruciating pain, and his sister sighed. "Osmanthus," Three began. "I'll be fine. Promise."

"You aren't going to be fine, Brother," Osmanthus huffed as she began feeling for the wound. "... Looks like there's damaged cartilage here," she assessed. "And judging by your reaction, that Octoling really did a number on you."

Three looked away in response. "... I'm not explaining what happened."

"And I'm not asking," Osmanthus teased as she began to set his injured leg into a cast. "Besides, Pascal already talked to me when I asked if there were any injuries. I'll be seeing that Octoling next," she reported, looking up at her brother's face. "... Heh, girls don't like guys who've got bruises and black eyes."

"Quit it," Three barked as he felt the paste go onto his face. He shivered.

"It's some comfrey you brought back weeks ago," Osmanthus said. "It's a potent remedy for bruises. I mixed it with some witch hazel to speed up the process."

"Nngh… Thanks, sis," Three said as the paste went to his knuckles. "Cod… I'd never imagine an Octoling to be that rough. Usually, they're pushovers for me."

"For you, yeah," Osmanthus said. "But you shouldn't exactly underestimate them. You're a-"

He glared. "Don't use that word."

"Sorry," Osmanthus said. "Anyways, they were pretty difficult to take care of when I was working with the Cap'n. Heh, I was right to trust you to take care of things." She rubbed the younger's head, and he smiled.

"C-come on, you're giving me too much credit."

Osmanthus let out another chuckle as she leaned back. "... So." She smirked a little, eyeing up her brother. "I have a little… Matter, to address with you, as well~"

"I don't like the tone of your voice," Three immediately pointed out. "What is it?"

"It's about the newcomer you brought back with you," Osmanthus hummed. "And the newbie who almost splatted you during the fight."

"... Osmanthus, NO," Three immediately barked. "I am NOT in a relationship with them!"

"Oh, come on, I wasn't even gonna ask that~!" Osmanthus laughed as she playfully punched her brother's arm, him wincing in response. "... S-sorry."

"It's fine," Three replied. "But regardless, I. Am not. Either of them's. Boyfriend."

Osmanthus puffed her cheeks. "I told you I wasn't gonna ask you that, but since you instigated the conversation…" There was a mischievous glimmer in her eyes, and she raised an eyebrow. "So. You're just "friends," then?"

"OSMANTHUS!" Three yelled as his cheeks flushed, and his older sister couldn't help but burst laughing. "It's not like that! I don't know them that personally!"

Oh, how he missed these moments. Not really.

… … …

Agent 4 continued to ponder the fight she had witnessed. How Agent 3 seemed to be handling it fine before she intervened. Marie's shocked face, the Octoling who looked way too similar to Lilikoi, that other strange Octoling that she bumped into…

A knock at the door snapped her out of her ponderings, however, and in came a stunning young Octoling with flowers in her tentacles. "Oh, Pascal," she greeted warmly. "Is something the matter?"

"A few things, actually," Pascal noted. "You have room for two more people in here, right?" Her sheepish tone didn't go unnoticed by the Inkling.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, um…" Pascal hummed. "I want to house the two newbies here. You saw one of them," she said. "His name's Taiyaki, as his sister explained."

"Taiyaki…" The name was familiar to her. "So that's our new prisoner's name…"

"Precisely," Pascal said. "As for his sister, she's a young Octoling Agent 3 brought back." It was then that she noticed the young lady behind Pascal, a pretty young thing. Her eyes were the color of amethysts. "She was christened to be Agent 8."

Agent 8. "So she met the Cap'n..." Agent 4 commented. "Well, if she's cool with me, I'm cool with her staying," she added on. "Did she eat yet?"

"食べますのばんごはんですか?"* Pascal asked the Octoling, and she nodded her head. "You don't have to cook."

"Whew, thank cod," Four sighed. "I can't waste any more precious resources. Tomorrow, I've got resource gathering duties, right?"

"Yes, you and Agent 3," Pascal replied.

Something about the thought made her body feel light and airy, but she pushed it away. Perhaps it was her incessant need to make new friends after… No, she best not think about it. Better to change the subject. "Does she know Inkling? I don't want to have to-"

"I remember learning the language," Agent 8 spoke up. "S-sorry, Pascal was insistent on speaking Octoling…"

"... Oh," Four said. "Well, that makes things leagues easier. You can share the bathroom with me, alright?"

"Sure," Agent 8 hummed, bowing. "I look forward to staying with you, Agent 4!"

"How do you know my alias…?"

"Pascal told me," Eight said with a giggle. "I'll be fine. I won't bother you too much. And I'll make sure my brother keeps his hands off you and Agent 3." Her tone was teasing, but there was another, indescribable darkness to the statement.

What does she mean by keep his hands off me…? "Well, that's good to hear," Four replied, waving to Pascal as she left. "Come on, sit down. You want anything?"

"No, I'll be fine," Eight kindly said, and as she walked towards to sit, Four caught a glimpse of an odd scar on the Octoling's back.

It must have been nothing… right?

… … …

The cell he was in was not pretty. Taiyaki knew that being captured was not enjoyable, but this? This was just ridiculous. No comforts. No food. Nothing.

And from the warmth coming from outside, morning must have come. He wondered where that damned Inkling was. Yet the noise of the cell doors opening drew his attention to see the exact face he was wondering about. "Tch, I was wondering when you'd show up, Inkling."

Agent 4 glared. "Look," she began. "You must be Taiyaki. Agent 8's brother."

"So that's what she's called now, huh? Agent 8?" Taiyaki coldly said. "She's so soft as to shack up with the Squidbeak Splatoon…? Tch, I'm disappointed."

"Cut the annoyances," Agent 4 huffed. "Tell me why you're here. You might as well cooperate, seeing as how Pascal put you under my custody alongside your sister."

Taiyaki glared, growling to himself. "... Look, I just wanted to see my little sister and tell her about our brother."

"And yet you instigated a fight with Agent 3, the one who nearly killed her?"

"From what I was seeing, he wasn't trying to fight her!" Taiyaki barked, much to Agent 4's surprise. "In fact, quite the opposite! The ass was trying to get her in his-"

Agent 4's glare cut off the Octoling as she reached for her Dualies. "Another word about my superior and you won't be walking out of this place alive, understand?"

All she got was a scoff in response, and she went back to a more relaxed position. "... That's all I had to know," Agent 4 said. "I'll let the guards know that you are to be escorted to my quarters. Your sister is already setting up both of your rooms, and you'll be fed and have somewhere to rest. I'll be taking my leave." She turned around, her boots hitting the ground as the door to the cell closed.

Taiyaki hummed, then sighed as he looked to the ceiling. He felt his injured nose, wincing. She was the only one who actually show kindness to him… No, no, she probably only wanted him gone. Or for her own personal pleasures, like all the Inkling girls he had met along his way. "Typical Inklings…"

*: Octolings speak Japanese. The phrase roughly translates to "Did you eat dinner?"