Chapter 11

Guyver's POV

Alright, we've got a decent way to the castle, but now we're pinned and need to use these old-fashioned guard towers for defense.

I peered around the corner, only got nearly get my head taken off by an Octosniper shot.

Great…what now?

Gotta think…

Gotta think…

Tim's POV

"Wow, it got loud outside…" Valerie noticed.

I walked towards the wall and put my ear against it.

"Hey, Julia?" I called out. "What's all that noise?"

"Oh, Splatoon's trying to storm the castle." Julia told me. "They've been halted though. Those Valley Central Elites are the real deal!"

"My friends are in the Splatoon!" I told her. "C-can you tell them to hold their fire?!"

"No can do." She shook her head. "Protocol dictates that we fire upon any Inklings that get close. They have two options: Leave or Die."

"…Please?!" I begged. "If my friends are here, then they must be here for me!"

"All the more reason to beat them back." She shrugged.

"W-well, let me go with them!" I requested. "If they're here for me, then letting me go with them will make them leave!"

"Tim…?" Val was surprised by my suggestion.

"I can't do that!" She crossed her arms. "Not only would I never hand over a Royal to the Inklings, but your grandfather would have my head if I did!"

"Let me out!" I shouted.

"Tim…" Val looked concerned now.

"You cannot order me!" Julia had her hands on her hips now. "You may be a royal, but so am I. I'm a Commander even. The only person who can order me is the king."

I quickly grabbed my goggles.

"…Hello?" I called into them. "Hello?"

There was no answer; just static.

"What's going on?!" I didn't understand.

"Splatoon's probably jamming communications to the other domes." Julia guessed. "Our only contacts are in this dome. I hear they have Ida on their side, so that's probably what's going on."

Carp!

…Wait…

"Who…did you say could give you orders?" I asked.

Val caught that and looked at me.

"The King." She said again.

"What if someone he chose to be King was here?" I asked.

"Huh?" She tilted her head.

I swallowed.

I hope this doesn't backfire…

I pulled my left sleeve up.

"Commander Julia." I looked her in the eye and held my arm out, revealing my green X. "As future king of the Octarians, I order you to call off your troops and let me leave!"

Her eyes widened as she saw my mark.

"Y…you're the heir…?" She said in an empty voice. "He…made you…the heir…?"

Her expression then turned sour.

"After all I've done for him, he makes YOU the heir?!" She yelled.

"Yes!" I replied. "He taught me how to be a DJ, taught me about Octarian stuff, and…he said this was my birthright, as Octavio Takosawa the Third."

Her sour expression turned to a look of utter shock. I noticed Valerie also had a surprised look on her face.

Oh right…I hadn't told her my real name yet…

"A…as in the son of the murdered prince?" Valerie asked.

"Yeah…" I nodded my head. "My mom survived and I grew up in Cirrina countryside. It wasn't until the other day that I found out I was a prince."

"…I never had a chance…" Julia said as she collapsed to her knees. "All my hard work…all that kissing up…for nothing…"

She was then curled in a fetal position on the ground.

"Uh…Julia?" I was concerned now. "Are you okay?"

"No…" She answered, not even looking at me. "Don't mind me; I'm just…lamenting my crushed dreams…"

"It's okay, Miss Julia…" Val knelt down and put a hand on Julia's shoulder. "I can see you're depressed, but I'll help you through it…"

"…Octo, I don't know what I did to deserve her…" Julia said to herself. "But thank you…"

"Miss…Julia?" Val tilted her head.

Julia stood up.

"I'm going to look at what I'm supposed to do in this scenario…" She said, blankly. "I'll be back…"

She then left the room.

"Wow…" Val was still recovering from that news. "So-um…Octavio, huh?"

"Y-you can still call me Tim…" I told her. "I'm…not used to that name yet…"

"Okay, Tim." She nodded her head. "…So what now?"

"Honestly?" I turned my head to the noise outside. "I'm wondering that too…"

Cuttlefish Cabin…

"Any ideas for how to get them in?" Marie asked Marina.

"I'm trying…" Marina was looking through the schematics. "Ah! There's actually an elevator that goes down into an abandoned mining shaft. It's most likely an escape route in case an enemy force manages to breach the castle."

"And we didn't know about this earlier because…?" Marie wanted an answer.

"Because some of these schematics are buried under layers of code and spam." Marina answered. "It's basically to slow down progress in the event that someone hacks into the Octarian mainframe."

"Well, I guess I'll make my way down there." Marie put on her mask and picked up her Charger.

"Ooh!" Denise got excited. "And I get to go with you?"

"You skilled?" Agent 2 asked.

"Ohoho, yeah!" Denise assured her.

"Wait, didn't you lose your first match in the Tournament?" Marina remembered.

"Uuuuuuhhh…" Denise felt awkward now.

"Well, you're clearly a bit green, but you'll do." Agent 2 shrugged. "Unless someone more skilled shows up.

As if in response, figures came from the manhole to Inkopolis.

"Hello there…" The masked figure greeted the three. "Sssssorry to drop in unexpected…"

"Aaaaaaaahhh!" Denise was freaking out.

"Wait…" Marina recognized them. "Aren't you…?"

"Toxic Misssssst…" He introduced his team. "I…am One…"

The others then stepped forward.

"Ssssix…" He listed. Ssssseven…Nine…"

"Psst…" An Urchin with a bandanna over his face leaned forward. "What's my cool name?"

"Uh-um…" One was thinking. "…Point!"

"Yes!" The Urchin now named point readily accepted the code name.

"What are you creeps doing here?" Agent 2 asked.

"We have been ssssummoned by a mother'ssss love for her child…" One Answered.

"Amphia…" The imprisoned Octavio knew.

"I fell asleep during the Tournament." Agent 2 admitted. "They skilled?"

"They won the Tournament." Marina informed her.

"Wait…" Denise was realizing what this meant. "Aaaaaw! Darn it…"

"Hey, just stay with Marina." Agent 2 told her.

Denise looked at the Octoling celebrity.

"Okay…" She agreed. "Heh…Honestly, this is probably better anyway!"

"Uuuuuuh…" Agent 2 wasn't sure whether or not to feel insulted by that. "Whatever…You guys are creepy, but if you're here to help, then come on!"

"Right." One nodded. "Point, ssstay with thesse two. In cassse sssomething happensss."

"Yes sir!" Point saluted.

Arnold's POV

What is all that noise?

What's going on?

Oh Cod…is it the Splatoon?!

Agh! And I'm sitting here, doing nothing!

Wait…Cass said she'd be leaving the door open just in case…

…

Well, now's as good a time as any…

Don't worry, Cass…

I'll be back…