Chapter 3 – The Squidbeak Splatoon (Intro to Octo Valley)
A shiver went down Toda's spine. Paci took a deep breath. The creepy old dude stare was so unnerving. Especially with those big, big eyes. Is that what'll happen to my eyes when I get old?! Toda thought. The old inkling was stuttering.
"The, Oc- Oc- the Octarians . . ." he began, only ending up in some cry ("NOOOOOOOO!") in which both Paci and Toda had to both cover their ears.
The inkling then shook his head. "Sorry, I believe I lost my cool for a moment." Paci and Toda exchanged glances. "I'm Cap'n Cuttlefish! Leader of the legendary Squidbeak Splatoon!" the inkling said, while making a peace sign with his hand.
Paci and Toda stared at him. Paci raised an eyebrow. "That look in your eye…" the inkling continued. "It's the look I've been lookin' for!" Toda then paid more attention. This was getting interesting.
"The Great Zapfish that powers Inkopolis has been squidnapped! No one believes me, but it's the work of the Octarians! I just know it! They want revenge for the Great Turf War of 100 years ago!"
Paci looked at the pictures on the wall of the strange structure behind Cuttlefish. Apparently, those creepy severed tentacle lookin' thingies were Octarians.
But what is the 'Great Turf War'? he wondered.
"I've been keepin' an eye on them the whole time of course. But they stole the Zapfish right out from under my nose!" Cuttlefish said, stamping his foot on the ground. His eyes turned to the two inklings in front of him.
"Please! You gotta help me rescue the Great Zapfish!"
Toda thought hard about it. She looked at the area around her, and noticed a huge octopus-shaped rock formation in the distance. Maybe the old squid was right. Toda knew that the inklings these wouldn't really care. She might be the first. After Cuttlefish of course.
The Cap'n stood there silent for quite a long time. Paci fidgeted with his fingers.
"So…" Cuttlefish began, "I'm gonna take your silence as a 'yes'."
Paci looked as if he were about to object, but then Cap'n Cuttlefish said, "Starting today, you," he pointed at Toda, "Are Agent 3 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon! As for you," he pointed towards Paci, "You are now Agent 4!"
Paci seemed to mirror Cuttlefish, and realized he was pointing at himself. He turned to the girl next to him, who was holding a small bag she received from Cuttlefish. Cuttlefish handed Paci a bag as well.
"This is your new Hero Suit! It'll help you fight the Octarians." He then waved at hand at Toda, apparently giving permission to use the interior of the structure behind him (which Paci assumed was his house) for her to change. Paci had to look for his spot of privacy.
After they changed, the two stepped out in front of Cuttlefish, marveling at their new gear. The head gear, covering their ears was also equipped with radio, although they could only hear some faint static for now. They seemed to be wearing what looked like a safety vest, with a glow-in-the-dark squid-shaped tag in the back. The shoes were black, but still pretty cool. Toda liked the glowing lights on the ear coverings.
Cap'n Cuttlefish looked at them for a moment, before saying, "What a great fit!" Then mumbled to himself. "For a hand-me-down from Agents 1 and 2."
He then picked up his cane, pointing it upwards, saying "Now let's get those Octojerks! I'm counting on you buckos!"
Toda seemed happy with her new assignment. She even let out a "Yea-hah!" which brought a small smile to Cuttlefish. Paci however, didn't intend on getting mixed up in such an assignment. He was still eyeing his hero shot like it was going to splat him by itself.
Cuttlefish then cleared his throat. "I believe you two know each other, right?"
Toda and Paci glanced at each other.
Nope.
Toda held out a hand. Paci, glancing at her then her hand, reluctantly shook it. Toda gave Paci a firm look. She then turned around looking everywhere, a bit confused. "Shoot your ink to reveal the entrances to the Octarian lair! Once you're in, I'll speak to you through the radio!" Cuttlefish said. Paci turned his head but Toda was already at the first entrance, revealing a kettle-like grate tunnel. Paci felt like he was with a stranger. They hadn't had a proper introduction. He then heard her voice. "Come on, um, uh," she made a gesture with her hands and Paci said, "Paci."
"Yeah, Paci, go into the grate now!" she said, then squidded into the kettle herself. Paci followed her, and heard a sharp whistle noise as they entered the Octarian lair.
They appeared in what seemed to be a whole other place, strange dark pink (red) ink everywhere. Toda bumped Paci's shoulder. "I guess you know who I am if you read my ID, but, f.y.i., my name's Toda."
Paci nodded. "Eheh, um, pleasure to meet you Toda."
She shrugged. "Well, this is unintended."
Paci nodded again. "Yep, eh, I guess we're supposed to be fighting the, 'Octarians'."
Toda looked around. "Okay, question is, where the heck are they?"
"Maybe you'd find 'em if you actually start movin'!" said a voice from the radio.
Toda furrowed her brow. "Uh, which direction?"
"Forward!" Cuttlefish replied.
She gestured to Paci. "Well, let's go then." She started trotting forward, but carried her Hero Shot lazily like it was dead weight. She was having some doubts about this. Well, she's going to change her mind soon because - zip! – a blob of the fuchsia colored ink had floated past her. Her eyes widened as they followed the slow projectile, and ended up on Paci, who gestured for her to come behind a wall he'd found. Toda searched for the cephalopod who tried to splat her, and found what appeared to be a red severed octopus tentacle with bulging yellow eyes, with green irises and outlined purple. She slammed her back against the wall and spoke into the radio. "This is what an Octarian looks like?! They're like freakin' severed tentacles!"
"Well, what'd you expect bucko?" Cap'n Cuttlefish asked.
"Hmm, I-dunno, inklings that are octopi instead of squid?"
On the other side of the radio Cuttlefish smiled. "Oh, you'll meet them soon enough, for now, you just gotta deal with 'em Octotroopers."
Toda heard Paci speak on the radio too. "So basically do we just shoot 'em? Or, like how dangerous are they?"
Cuttlefish cleared his throat. "Octotroopers are your standard nearly-harmless Octarian trooper. They can shoot small slow blobs of ink that, well, you can basically outrun. They're easy to splat. Don't you worry."
"Okay then!" Toda said delightfully as she walked in front of the wall and splatted the Octotrooper in a few short splats. She flicked one of her tentacles backward. "Easy."
Cuttlefish spoke again. "It's best to ink paths for yourself. You're faster, plus, the Octarians won't be able to see you, despite how large the ripples are."
Paci chuckled. "Heh, guess they don't have pretty good eyesight," he said, and began inking the area. Toda was holding a triangular shaped container, a splat bomb.
"So these are our subs huh?" she said, and threw the bomb a reasonable distance, in which it then exploded in a blast of lime green ink.
"Yep," replied Cap'n Cuttlefish. "Silly, those Octojerks would follow the bomb with their eyes if you threw it. What a distraction."
"Hmm," Toda said as she thought of such a scene. "It's like they're making it convenient for us." She then squidded through the ink path Paci had made, who was waiting for her after splatting the next group of Octotroopers.
"Hey, uh, Cap'n, what are these orange ball thingies?" Paci asked into the radio.
"Those, are called, 'power eggs'," Cuttlefish replied.
"Ugh, they're not real eggs are they?" Paci asked nervously.
Cuttlefish chuckled. "Nope, at least I don't think so. They can be used to upgrade weapons. I think they're a type of fruit. Don't try eating it though."
"Mmm, okay then," Paci said and dropped the power egg.
Toda yelled at him. "What do you think you're doing?! He said that those can upgrade weapons! I don't think a whole army would have these sluggish Octotroopers in it. Things are sure to get tougher! Am I right Cap'n?"
"Yep. The girl's right uh, whats-yer-name-be?" Cuttlefish said.
"My name is Paci," Paci replied.
"Uh, yeah, they're a lot tougher Octarians out there. Best collect those power eggs so you can upgrade your weapons bucko!"
Paci shrugged. "Fine." He turned around, and saw Toda struggling with an Octarian positioned on a balcony. It wore a metal shield around it front, but because of its position it was hard to get the vulnerable back side.
Cuttlefish spoke into the radio. "Distract him with a bomb. Make sure to get it on the platform. He'll turn around and then- splat!"
Toda reluctantly obeyed the Cap'n. She threw a splat bomb onto the platform, and, the Octarian actually followed it! It showed its back side, from which Toda splatted. She turned back towards Paci with a grin on her face that said, I'm totally pro.
It was just too easy.
"Hey, look over there," Paci says, pointing to a strange rippling green pad.
"Jump pad," Toda replied, panting.
The two inklings squidded over and each launched off.
In the air, Paci noticed that Toda had revealed two huge squid fins on the sides of her mantle. He blinked. The fins folded in. Were there even fins at all?
They landed on a metal platform. In front of them, was a small, bright yellow, carp, a Zapfish. It was trapped inside what seemed to be a huge light bulb.
"Hey," Toda said to Paci. She began shooting at the zapfish's light bulb container, and it exploded, leaving the fish exposed. She reached up and grabbed it.
"Heh heh, kinda cute isn't he?" she said, while holding the Zapfish.
"Hey, lemme hold him too," Paci said, and Toda handed him the Zapfish.
The fish however, did not seem to enjoy inkling contact despite how happy it was not to be inside a light bulb, and kept squirming, its slimy surface causing Toda and Paci to keep dropping it.
"If he falls one more time I'm pretty sure you would've killed him," Toda said as Paci picked up the fish from the ground. A static sound went through the radio, as Cap'n got in contact with them again.
"There should be a grate tunnel above you leading to the surface. Not many inklings are good when it comes to jumping upward through a grate, but I'm sure you'll manage."
"Heh, might as well fill our mantles until they burst!" Toda remarked.
"Um, let's not do that," Paci said with a slight smile. He looked up, using his hand to shield his eyes, and pinpointed that the grate was directly above them.
They leapt through the grate, ending up in the same grate tunnel that got them there. Cap'n Cuttlefish provided directions of course. When they reached Octo Valley, Toda pulled out an old piece of paper. "Ah, so you've found a sunken scroll?" Cuttlefish remarked.
Toda looked at the scroll with confusion. Paci peered over her shoulder. Cuttlefish chuckled. "No wonder you look confused. All you young'un inklings care about today is the latest weapons and gear, your 'freshness', the Squid Sisters' latest hits. I bet more than half of you don't know how most of the world works."
Toda read from the paper. "So Zapfish are rare? Then how come we have so many of them?"
Cuttlefish shrugged. "Breeding programs, I guess."
"Weird," Paci said after reading the paper.
"Here," Cuttlefish began. "I'll keep these for ya'. Have a little collection. These can be hard to find, and are normally in some secret-hard-to-reach places."
"Sounds cool," says Toda. "We can learn a lil' bit of some history here."
"That's the spirit!" Cap'n Cuttlefish says. "Anyway, you young'uns can take a break if ya' want, come back tomorrow maybe, or you can continue. Only two more Zapfish to save before the Boss Kettle!"
Paci looked at Toda. "The 'Boss Kettle'?"
Toda shrugged. "Let's come back later and we'll find out."
They both changed back to their original gear and squidded through the grate leading back to Inkopolis.
Cap'n Cuttlefish chuckled. "Welcome to Octo Valley buckos."