Octo Valley was not ready for a small-scale invasion. The two agents stormed the Octarian territory rapidly and unobserved, making their advance in portions. Agent One would charge ahead with her roller while Agent Two hung back and sniped anything that tried to approach her magenta cousin. As soon as Agent One secured an area Agent Two would quickly ink a path to her and they would begin the process anew. With Cap'n Cuttlefish giving advice from his shack they were basically unstoppable. It wasn't long until they infiltrated the Octarians' facility, found the right cabinet, and made off with the stolen blueprints. Little did they know they were already too late, and even though the blueprints were quickly ripped to shreds once the Agents reunited with their grandfather, the modifications were already made to the Octoweapons and all they still needed were the Zapfish.
"I'd say celebrations are in order." Cap'n Cuttlefish said when his two Granddaughters made it back to his shack
"I know a great place in Arowana Mall!" Agent One said as they made their way back to Inkopolis. "They make the best-"
The group fell silent as their eyes met the familiar sight of Inkopolis, but something familiar was notably missing. Something important.
"What are we thinking?" Agent two asked the three-unit Splatoon.
"We're thinking this should be in the news." Cap'n Cuttlefish answered.
"So now what?" Asked Judd as he sat on Akkoro's desk.
"It looks like the effort to steal back the plans were too late," Akkoro said. "Someone will need to steal back the Great Zapfish, and the smaller ones, too. And it's more than likely the Great Octoweapons will be ready for them when they get there."
"So who did you have in mind?" Judd asked. "The agents?"
"No," Akkoro answered. "I think we need a change of plan to keep the Octarians guessing. The agents should remain in Inkopolis and keep an eye on the electricity supply. As the smaller Zapfish are recovered they'll know where to apply them most effectively. As for the mission itself, we need someone new. I trust Cuttlefish's judgement will help them find the right person."
"And what about me?" Judd was eager to lend a paw.
"Our agent will need a little extra firepower. You know where Ammo Knights is, right?"
Bessie the Inkling was finally old enough for Turf Wars. She eagerly made her way to Inkopolis, wondering what city life would be like. With her brand new Splattershot Jr she inked her path ahead, getting the hang of both the humanoid and squid forms she recently gained control over. Swimming through ink was fast and exciting and she could even swim up walls and through gratings.
"This doesn't look right…" she said to herself when she came across what appeared to be a crashed flying saucer lying in the middle of the path. She looked it up and down but it didn't seem to be anything she'd learn a great deal about just by poking it with her shoe, and so she decided to press on.
When she finally arrived in Inkopolis Plaza she gazed in wonder at the biggest screen she had ever seen. It flashed some advertisements for the stores she would certainly frequent in the future.
Just then the advertisements were interrupted by a news report by Inkopolis' own newscasters and pop stars, the Squid Sisters Callie and Marie – who were actually not sisters at all, but cousins – it told of how something called the great Zapfish was stolen from Inkopolis Tower and how a crashed UFO might be connected to the theft.
I saw that UFO, Bessie thought maybe I can help?
Judd stormed into Ammo Knights carrying a large bag.
"Sheldon! I need as many special weapons as this bag can hold!"
"Oh, hello, Mr. Judd," Sheldon was polite first and everything else second. "It's been a while. But unfortunately I can't sell special weapons separately. The rules of Turf War clearly state-"
"This isn't for Turf Wars," Judd interrupted. "Do you remember your old grandpappy's war stories?"
"Oh, yes," a look of Nostalgia spread across Sheldon's face. "Dear Grandpappy. I could listen to his stories for hours. How could I forget? The way they battled the Octarian armies with their superior weaponry and their giant machines…"
"Well unless someone does something soon those giant machines could make a live appearance right here in Inkopolis!" Judd brought Sheldon back to Earth. "An agent of ours will be venturing into Octo Valley soon, and they're gonna need all the help they can get."
"Octo Valley?" Sheldon repeated. "Octarian ink is extremely dangerous to an Inkling. I hope you have the Hero Suit."
"We do," Judd affirmed.
"Well in that case I'm afraid Krakens, Inkstrikes and Killer Wails are out of the question." The Horseshoe Crab said. "You see, my Grandpappy invented the Hero Suit to repel everything Octarian, that's what makes it so effective at protecting its wearer from Octarian ink. And since the Killer Wail, Inkstrike and Kraken are primarily Octarian inventions they unfortunately aren't compatible with the hero suit. Although I am working on a new Kraken formula especially for Octo Valley missions."
"I'm sure the remaining special weapons will do fine."
"Sadly the Echolocator won't work either." Sheldon continued. "I designed it especially for turf wars, and its normal operating conditions are suited for up to four targets at a time. Its safety factor makes it able to handle even the twelve practice dummies in my shooting range, but the Octarian Army is so vast that the Echolocator's sensors will overload and it will be useless. You're more than welcome to everything else, though" He added.
"Thank you." Judd conceded.
"There is some good news, however." Sheldon said. The Hero Suit is not only an excellent piece of armour, but it also has the potential to become even better. There's a special defense upgrade specifically for the hero suit which is super easy to use. I'll let you have as many of them as you can carry.
"Great! Thanks a lot, Sheldon!" Judd said gratefully, lifting the bag which Sheldon had stuffed full. "I'll see you later."
"Best of luck!" Sheldon called after the cat as he left.
There was a strange box in the plaza Bessie didn't quite understand. It seemed she had to decide if she was planning to get fit or rich in the year that followed. But it gave her a free T-shirt so she just picked a side for the sake of free clothing.
Bessie had tried her hand at some turf wars. She wasn't terrible at it and earned some good money. Still she couldn't help but think back at the report about the stolen Zapfish she heard that morning, and she decided to poke around the plaza for some clues. She noticed a strange elderly-looking Inkling poke his head in and out of what she thought was a manhole cover and decided to investigate. She gathered her courage, held her nose and jumped in.
The next moment Bessie found herself not in the sewers but in an unfamiliar valley filled with dark grey walkways and strange looking devices. This was how she met Cap'n Cuttlefish, and how her adventure began.
Octo Valley was littered with crates. They were mostly used to hold supplies like food or weapons, and once their contents were removed they were just left to stand where they stood. None of the Octarians gave them a second look and that made them excellent hiding places for both valuables and people. Judd was tasked with hiding useful supplies for Cap'n Cuttlefish's latest recruit and he quietly slipped from crate to crate without anyone noticing him, leaving canned special weapons as far as he went. Now and then Judd would find a rolled up piece of paper in one of the crates, thinking whatever Octarian hid it there would soon be back for it, he left it in place and moved on to the next one.
Eventually he squeezed into an empty crate that wasn't empty at all, but rather held an Octoling hiding in ambush. Judd jumped the way startled cats do, hitting his head on the ceiling of the crate with a thump. The Octoling boy started and quickly turned to face the intruder.
"What are you doing here?" the Octoling boy asked almost involuntarily. At a second look he seemed not to be hiding in ambush, but hiding in something like fear or exasperation.
"I'm… here for a friend. What are you doing here?" Judd asked in return.
"I'm… hiding in ambush. Yeah. I heard there was an Inkling coming." The boy answered unconvincingly.
"You don't look it," Judd quipped. "Where's your weapon?"
The young Octoling sighed. "I'm hiding so I don't have to fight. I hate it here. I wasn't cut out to be a soldier."
"What's your name, kid?" Judd asked kindly.
"Callum Akkoro Junior." The inkling answered militaristically and automatically. "Callum." He said again.
Callum! Judd's mind quietly blew in the back of his head. "Well Callum, I think you and I both know you don't have to be a soldier."
"Of course I do." Callum said miserably. "We're Octolings. It's why we're born and it's what we're raised for. 'Us or them'" he added with unhidden annoyance in his voice.
"Are you sure about that?" Judd asked. "I know your father. I know he's dead and yet he's…" Judd leaned closer and whispered: "…not dead…"
The boy's expression changed slightly and he moved a bit closer to Judd so he could lower his voice. "My dad's one of the lucky ones. He works for people who can help him. He got away because he's smart."
"And you can get away, too. What if I told you I've seen a glimpse of a future where you're free to live in peace with inklings and you even had an Inkling girlfriend?" Judd persisted.
Callum looked at the ground. "I'd say you were just as crazy as DJ Octavio," he answered. "Was she pretty..?"
"Have you seen Inkling girls?" Judd asked rhetorically. "They're all pretty! And this girl likes you so much that she'd risk her life in Octarian territory for you. Tell you what, if this lone Inkling soldier in Octo Valley can take on and beat the entire Octoling army and recover the stolen Zapfish, would you then feel safe living as an Inkling? Knowing that if the Octarians ever came looking for you you'd be surrounded by super soldiers who could protect you from anything?"
"If he can do all that, sure." Callum said, not sounding particularly convinced.
"Great!" Judd said with a smile. "Then we're in agreement. Now you might want to find another hiding place. It won't be long until this Octarian crate is soaked with Inkling ink, and that tends to make them blow apart. Now I'd appreciate if you can keep this little chat between the two of us, Okay?"
The two started to go their separate ways when Judd called back at Callum.
"By the way," he said. "'If she can do all that…'"
