"You didn't have to see me off," Four said, trying not to blush.

She stood on the platform with her luggage, waiting for the train. She was going home for the weekend, her first time back to the country town of Little Reef in over three months and her first time back since moving to Inkopolis.

"I didn't have anything better to do and I couldn't sleep anyway. Besides, I remember what it was like for me going back home to the country for the first time since coming to inkopolis. There's always a little trepidation."

"Yeah but… aren't you afraid someone here will recognize you?"

Marie was wearing the dark kimono and carrying the parasol she had when Four had first met her. Seeing her go from such a modest and reserved outfit to her idol attire for the first time had been a bigger shock to her than anything Octavio had managed. The more conservative garment did nothing, however, to diminish Marie's exquisite beauty.

Marie smiled and caressed Four's cheek. "I used to hang out looking like this in Inkopolis Square, of all places. Nobody recognized me then and I doubt anyone will now. Even if they do, I have backup." She gestured over her shoulder with her head and Four peered around her to a dark corner of the platform where Three waited.

She wore a black and white jacket, evoking the white and black warning stripes of many deadly sea creatures of past and present. She wasn't looking in their direction, but instead watched everyone else on the platform, as if daring one of them to approach her charge.

'So cool,' Four thought. "She looks like a bodyguard."

Marie grinned. "She is. She's mine and Callie's bodyguard, unofficially."

Four stared at her disbelievingly. "Since when did you need a bodyguard?"

"Since we became stupid famous and rich and decided we needed someone else around to watch our backs. If Octarians attack, I can shoot them, but it's a little more complicated when you're dealing with certain members of the public. Plus, it gives her the excuse to be seen around us. That said, it's still not something we're spreading around and it's not a regular thing; just when we need her. She's legally old enough now."

"And scary enough that people won't dare ask if she's good enough for you," Four grinned.

"Someone will be dumb enough," Marie assured her. "But enough about that, I'm here about you, remember? You have your dress?" Four pursed her lips and nodded to the suitcase on the floor by her feet.

"I know the dance is kind of a big deal back home but not so much that you had to buy me such a nice and expensive dress."

Marie giggled. "I know, but that whole thing with Eight and about appearances got me thinking and I decided I wanted you to be the prettiest thing at that hokey dance." She played with the bulb of one of Four's short tentacles, bouncing on the tips of her fingers. "I know you weren't exactly on the top of the social ladder back home so I want you to show up all those other girls. See if you can nab yourself a boyfriend or two."

Four blushed. "Two? I dunno, Pa always said he couldn't understand why any guys would want the trouble of two girlfriends. Two boyfriends have to be even worse."

Marie laughed. "Boy, has Callie got some stories to tell you."

They looked to the other end of the platform where the train was just pulling in. Four wished, for once, that it could have been late. The train stopped and passengers began to pour out.

"Well, I guess it's time for you to go."

Four nodded and looked up at the inkyora who had become the big sister she never had. "I'll miss you."

Marie smiled and cupped her face in her hands. "Don't get all sappy now. You'll be back soon, right? You promised to come to one of our concerts."

"And you promised me a backstage pass."

"A promise I'll keep if you keep yours." Marie kissed Four on the top of the head and the younger inkling's mantle turned a yellow so bright and vibrant it would shame the sun. "We'll see you soon. Be good to your mother."

"I will." Four kept her head down to try and hide her blushing face from the unsuspecting public around them and boarded her train.

Marie watched the train depart. She stayed on the platform until it vanished around the bend.

Agent Three walked up to her, looking smug. Her mantle turned completely pink except for her spots, which turned white, prompting Marie to roll her eyes.

"Even wearing this, I look too young to be anyone's mother." Three lightly patted Marie's hip with the back of her hand and Marie huffed, opening her parasol. "Sometimes, Three, you talk too much." Three just kept grinning and followed her charge out of the station.

It was a bit strange for Eight, seeing the reflection she cast in the mirror. It felt like another life when she had last worn her synthleather uniform. It was a tad more snug than Eight remembered, but it still fit comfortably, and the familiarity of the outfit was like that of an old friend. Still, it seemed like something odd for Three to recommend wearing to an inkling event.

Eight grabbed her boots, modified by her own hands to be high-heeled and more stylish. She was actually quite proud of them and happy to have an opportunity to wear them here on the surface. She carried them to the door where she found Marina waiting, fidgeting with barely contained excitement.

Marina wore a black leather jacket over a maroon vest with a gap on the front crisscrossed by thick black chords. Her ensemble was completed by a pair of black leather pants and high black boots. Unlike Eight's they were flat.

"Ready to go?" Marina asked excitedly. "I've already got my baby all ready to go: oiled, checked and polished." Eight barely got her boots on before Marina grabbed her hand and hauled her out the door.

"It's been so long since I had a chance to go out and do something fun," Marina said as they rode the elevator down. "Pearl and I have gotten so well known recently that we sometimes can't go anywhere without getting swarmed by fans. We do have a few hangout spots but it does kind of make it hard to see the city or enjoy events when you're busy signing autographs."

Eight nodded slowly. "So, how do you plan to avoid that this time?"

"Well, usually, I'm with Pearl, so that usually spoils my camouflage right away." Marina grinned mischievously. "But, there's something we octolings can do that most inklings can't." At once, Marina's very skin lightened tremendously in tone, almost as pale as Pearl's. To add to it, she changed her tentacles to a dark yellow colour. In less than a second and with very little effort, Marina looked like a whole different person.

"Won't the guard see you and wonder who you are?"

"The guards are focused on who's coming in, not as much who's going out. It'll be fine."

The elevator reached level B2 and then the doors parted. Unlike the rest of the building, there was nothing elaborate or fancy about the underground parking garage except the automatic doors. Every suite had one parking space and one container next to it that could act as a little garage, repair or storage shed. Eight had only been down here once before but she had yet to see Marina's pride and joy. That was about to change.

It had been in the container last time Eight had come down. Now, it sat in the parking space next to it, polished and gleaming the in yellow lights. Metallic black and chrome it was an awesome thing to behold and it was known to everyone how much Marina cherished it. Even after only two-weeks, Eight knew it was Marina's prized possession.

Eight stood to the side as Marina straddled her steed and pushed a small silver button on the handle bars. The bike wheezed and then began to rumble in a way that filled the parking garage. It was much deeper and throatier than any engine she had heard before, even the trucks Eight had seen on the roads hadn't had the deep bass this little vehicle had. Marina gave it a quick once-over and then invited Eight over.

Eight had never ridden on anything like this before. She had heard that some officers had bicycles and some were able to commandeer the increasingly rare saucers. Octarians had few vehicles made for octolings. Most were mobility multipliers for the lesser classes like octocopters and such. There were the small hover platforms but they were painfully slow things and made more as mobile guns than anything else. Outside of the military were slow moving construction and transport vehicles. Eight hadn't seen or ridden a motorbike before but she knew it was none of those things.

Eight awkwardly lifted one leg over and sat on the back half of the seat. She found the pegs for her feet to rest and then gently wrapped her arms around Marina's waist. The way the bike throbbed between her legs with each revolution of its burbling engine really set it apart from riding in a car. "What do I do?"

"Just lean as I lean and try not to move too much. I have a license but I'm a bit out of practice. Do you have our coordinates?"

Eight pulled out her phone and checked map displayed on screen. "Yes. Three's already there and has confirmed the event is taking place."

"Well, I don't want to miss anything, so let's get going." Marina grabbed a pair of goggles dangling from the handlebars and slipped them on. "You're navigating."

"Yes ma'am."

Marina grabbed the handlebars and twisted the right handle, reving the engine a few times before her foot hit something on the other side of the motorcycle and then Eight's stomach tightened as they began to move, relying entirely on their own balance to keep upright. Marina had explained the principal to her earlier but Eight's mind still struggled to accept that two wheels were enough to keep the vehicle stable.

Marina roared up the slope leading out of the parking garage and turned onto the street. "Turn right," Eight instructed. Marina did so, and Eight squeaked and shut her eyes tight as the entire vehicle leaned over but somehow did not fall. Then, miraculously, it went back upright, as if by some unseen force.

Eight managed to open her eyes, watching as they roared past fast moving fence posts towards the ring road that surrounded Inkopolis Square. She felt one of Marina's back tentacles rub her head gently.

"Stay with me, little sister. We've got a long way to go yet."

Eight swallowed a wave of embarrassment and stared at her phone screen again. "Take the ring road West, and then take exit 5B."

"Ring road, West, exit 5B, understood."

Eight took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She had done scarier things, hadn't she? Riding what was basically a two-wheeled missile through heavy traffic was nothing compared to fighting an ancient AI bent on destruction.

'Three is scarier.' She decided, and she intended to become friends with Three. So maybe, just like with Three, she'd be less afraid of this if she got to know it better. Well, she had twenty to thirty minutes as navigator to do just that.

Three was relieved when Eight texted that she and Marina were just getting ready to leave. Eight had been in the middle of changing when Three had texted her. She put her phone away and returned her attention to the goings on in front of her.

Hani and her group of octolings had been there when Three had arrived, as had about a dozen others with their vehicles, but now there was an almost constant stream of newcomers and the parking lot was rapidly filling up.

Three suddenly whirled around and grabbed something, bringing her right fist up ready to strike- and she stopped. It was Katrina, but she looked only mildly surprised by Three's reaction.

"Remind me not to sneak up on you," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. Three released her and flashed apology but Katrina waved her off. "Do you always have to apologize for such little things or just since that match the other day."

Three flinched but she shouldn't have been surprised. Why wouldn't have Katrina used the power of the web to look her up as she had her father? She released Katrina and settled back down.

"I said before, I have no right to judge your father."

Katrina raised an eyebrow. "You didn't look him up?"

"I did."

Katrina eyed her with suspicion but any further words were stopped by the arrival of Silvia behind her.

"Well, I see you came back. Of your own free will this time, hm?"

Three bowed her head. "Yes, I've come back, Auntie Silvia." Silvia looked surprised.

"So, they actually told you about me."

"No, Iya just said I should call you that. She's the only one who knows about… this," she gestured to the gathering around them. "I never actually mentioned you, but she told me that anyway."

Silvia chuckled. "Well, Purdie's always had good intuition. She might not have been a racer herself but she was a good girl to have around. I was there when she and your mother first met, and she was the one who found your father."

"You must have been close to them to at one point for Iya to ask me to call you 'auntie.'"

"At one point," Silvie admitted. "I was there for Fulvia and Purdie's bonding ceremony, I was there when they married your father, I was there for your reveal." She sighed. "But after she… well, Purdie and I were only associated through Fulvia, and Dekin didn't want anything to do with our crowd. Things were… pretty rough on the streets before you were hatched."

"And Dad's the reason they aren't as bad as they used to be," Katrina bit.

"You've already put yourself on thin ice by now today, Katrina. Don't push yourself through it." She looked back at Three. "We sorta just, drifted apart, but your mom and I were close; not soul mates or anything, but close enough." She grinned and rubbed Katrina on the head. "You and her used to play together when you were little."

"But Dad and Iya didn't want you influencing me into joining the world Mama tried to leave." Three scratched her head. "But Iya still didn't try to stop me when I found out."

Silvia laughed. "At your age, what's the point; especially if you're Fulvia's daughter. You're at your most rebellious around now." She pressed down harder on Katrina, forcing her to bend at the knees. "Trust me, I know."

"Well, who do you think I get it from?" Katrina hissed.

"If you were rebellious to everyone I'd say it was me, but you're only rebellious with me and people outside the family. The second your father shows up you hide your horns under a halo, so that you get from him."

"Oh, is this yet another lead-in to a rant about how he somehow deceived you into making that little bet in the first place?"

"Katrina, I swear-."

"Stop."

Three's voice was not raised above normal speaking levels, but her tone was uncompromisingly direct and commanding. It cut right through the background noise and the other two inklings looked at her as she glared into each of their eyes, and then spoke again.

"My friends will be here soon; I'm going to go greet them. We'll talk again later." She bowed her head to Silvia. "Matron." Then she left, leaving the mother daughter pair mildly stunned and staring at her back, suddenly forgetting what they had been arguing about in the first place.

Author's Notes

I loved writing the scene between Four and Marie. I really do think they would have developed a strong fondness for each other.

The title is actually a Top Gear reference I couldn't resist putting in, but I thought it appropriate, heh heh. I realize this chapter's a bit short so I'll try to upload the next chapter sooner.