Wiper closed the door behind him when he entered the small office of Section Zero's director, at the twentieth story of a glass skyscraper not far away from Inkopolis Square : just like the rest of the division's properties, this one was only temporary, explaining its total emptiness and blandness : there was a desk, three chairs (the office chair included), some cheap pseudo-modern paintings on the walls and a potted plant on a display facing a small bookshelf full of untouched, purely decorative books.

The middle aged, almost bald boss stood up from his office chair to shake Thomas' hand.

-"Alpha-1. First, let me express my sincere condolences for Ace. His act of bravery will be awarded and his portrait will be put on display next to the ones of our fellow heroes", he said, sitting back on his uncomfortable chair.

-"Thanks. But I requested a meeting to discuss another topic", Thomas replied.

-"Which is ?"

-"I'm resigning from Section Zero".

If Eric Sepio was surprised, he did not show it, save for a blinking of his heterochromatic eyes :

-"You're the most skilled soldier the Section ever got. I don't understand your request".

-"Enough dead people, enough injuries. I'm not gonna last in the long term, both you and I know it. I wanna retire before it's my turn. I gave almost half of my life to this unit, and my body's already all scar tissue. My mind too. That's enough".

-"And I guess no raise, whatever its amount, can change your mind ?"

-"No. Got enough money already to buy something acceptable".

-"I recall you joining Section Zero to enact justice on criminals, whatever the means, to keep the citizens safe. You said "I'm ready to embrace the darkness so people can stay in the light", if I remember correctly".

-"Yes, that's right. What's your point ?"

-"Don't you want to protect the citizens anymore ?"

-"I can still find a job in law enforcement. I just wanna live in the light".

-"Ace's death must have impacted you very hard then. Are you sure you don't want to take a few days off to clear your mind ? I'm sorry to insist, but I'm obligated to do so. Besides… Operative Omega, Ace, and now you…"

-"My decision is irrevocable".

-"Well then… I can't say I'm happy about it, but I respect your choice. Your resignation is effective immediately. However, you know the drill : ask for the paperwork to the administrative division and file your last report. Your legend will be forever remembered, Thomas".

-"Thank you".

The director stood up and got around his desk to shake Thomas' hand. Before suddenly slapping Hypno-Shades on his face.


Shella closed the double door of the city hall behind her, saluting the security guards and the janitors along the way ; totally hidden by her trench coat and fedora, she took out her ink-based pipe, put it in her mouth and walked away ; the officer stationed next to the door called her out :

-"Are you still sure about going back home alone, Mayor ?" The woman asked, already knowing the answer.

Shella smiled, temporary erasing her scowl :

-"Call me Shella. Just like I told your predecessor, nobody would think of me as anything but a cop. Well, a former cop. Or a private detective. Doesn't matter. Would you recognize me in the dark, if you'd only seen my face on TV ?"

-"I guess I wouldn't. You're lucky it's cold… and that this fashion's still more or less fresh though, if I may say".

-"When it'll be outdated, I'll just change colors. Good night, Inka".

-"Good night, Shella".

Inka looked at the silhouette of Mayor Ink quickly fading away under the streetlights, slightly confused as always when encountering her : Shella seemed displaced in time despite looking no older than forty, just like she was coming straight from her grandfather's young time period. Inka was recalling her – briefly before her arrival and transfer – as her superior as Inkopolis' Superintendent from ten years ago, not having changed in the slightest ; she was already the same grumpy-looking woman swallowed by her ample clothes most of the time ; strangely, Inka had never seen or heard of Shella wearing the typical navy blue uniform. She wondered what she was doing before joining law enforcement ; she remembered asking the oldest member of the police force at the time – an old bi-gender squid – where the Superintendent was coming from : their answer had been laconic and evasive : "I heard she comes from… hmm… let's say… another… kind of law enforcement".

Inka was perfectly aware that some private or public agencies existed around the world ; most of them were secret, and the mere knowledge of their existence by any non-authorized citizen was representing a worldwide threat. She knew of at least one, as she was there when Shella had arrested Tobias Inkwell for corruption and illegal weapons dealing : in her mind, she pictured only two members : an unconscious young man with an atrocious fresh scar on his face and a cold red-eyed young girl that Shella seemed to know very well, as she had talked about saying hello to her parents ; the Superintendent had stated they were part of an intelligence agency. "Maybe she was part of it too ? Ugh ! I couldn't find anything on this organization in eight years, shit ! And what about the other one that Pearl Hōzuki and Marina Iida are part of ? Is it the same ? Shit, shit, shit ! No leads, just rumors, the Great Zapfish missing twice and that Salmonid attack ! You may be elusive, but I swear I'll find you. Investigation's my specialty after all…"

Four kilometers were nothing for Shella, and she – by far – preferred to walk than get stuck into traffic just like she often found herself in when she was still Superintendent. In her hearts and mind, she was still a cop however, and a dangerously good one on top of that. She was really atypical compared to all the former mayors of Inkopolis, and maybe to the others all around the world : her pragmatic, shrewd and iron-fisted – bordering brutal – approach to crime had left the various mafias, cartels and other illegal or troublemaking organizations in tatters that she had conscientiously burned down to be sure nothing was remaining : Inkopolis was now in a far better state than eight or ten years prior thanks to her. The only big, most disgusting bug left on the windshield was Eric Sepio, director of Section Zero. There was still more or less smaller fry, of course : at least one Inkling deputy indulging in orgies with Elite Octolings turned prostitutes because of integration difficulties ; a peak of vandalism caused by a small group of teenagers ; a female attorney accused of having an affair with her female client suspected of larceny ; a man prosecuting his male companion for the custody of the children ; too much cases of reckless or illegal driving ; drugs still present in corners of the city, and countless more mundane issues. What made the case of Eric Sepio more interesting – or more sickening – was that he had a highly-probable connection with two of these problems, plus other minor or major crimes, including suspected collusion with hostile Octarians. But there was no proof. Yet. Instead of clenching her teeth, Shella deepened her frown. "You sick bastard… letting drugs spread through the city and partaking in a prostitution ring, no less. And killing. And stealing. So you want cash, dope and whores… You hypocrite asshole… "Let's be wary of Octarians, particularly Octoling ex-soldiers, at least for now. I fear a panic amongst the elderly and more importantly, remains of hypnotization"… Panic and hypnotization my ass. Where are your concerns when it comes to sell and fuck them, you pathetic dickhead ? Shame Mona couldn't get back to me, or else you'd be rotting in jail, or rotting altogether. You disgust me, Eric Sepio, and I will definitely wipe you out sooner or later".

She took a small alley, her stalker waiting before following her and cautiously peeking at the corner of a wall : the alley was empty ; fearing their prey might lose them, they ran into the corridor-like street. They had not reached the middle that something violently hit them from behind ; a voice addressed them as they fell on the ground, lapsing into unconsciousness :

-"Never tail a former cop".


The Octoling girl woke up brutally as a wave of cold water hit her face, making her gasp in shock.

-"You're awake. Good", a female voice was heard.

She opened her eyes which she was not able to rub : she was tied to a chair covered in a white luminous ink, facing an Inkling woman – sporting tentacles of the same unusual color – which was putting the empty glass back where it belonged.

-"Wh-Who are y-you !?" The Octoling panicked, vainly forcing on her restrains and trying to morph into an octopus.

-"This variant of my ink prevents full transformation of Inklings and Octolings. Stop struggling", the woman ordered. "Now, now… I ask questions. I was your victim after all", she said, showing two pairs of shattered modern, well-disguised Hypno-Shades.

-"They're… !"

-"Shhhh. First question : Name ?"

-"I… I-I I am A-Aegina".

-"Age ?"

-"T-Twenty-five".

-"Rank and occupation in the Octarian army ?"

-"I-I-I'm not part of them anymore. I-I deserted more than a year ago. I was an elite soldier tasked with the Great Octoweapons' protection".

-"Fairly high rank then. Why were you following me ? I guess to use those glasses on me, but for what purpose ?"

-"I-I… I… don't know ! I-I-I was under their influence ! A-All I remember is that I was ordered to put them on you, that's all, I swear !"

-"Hmm… Let's see if you tell the truth".

-"Pl-please… D-Don't hurt me".

-"You were an elite soldier : you've been through worse".

Shella went on to fetch something behind Aegina's back, opening a drawer. After an eerily long time, music was unexpectedly heard in the room.

-"Th-this music ! It's… !" Aegina spluttered.

-"No Octarian scientist could tweak your DNA to the point where it'd resist Calamari Inkantation's effects".

-"This song freed me almost two years ago. I'll never forget it".

-"I checked you with a detector for any hidden devices in your body that could interfere with the song. You seem clean, but you can still lie". Shella let a minute pass with only the song resonating in each fiber of their body before turning it off.

-"I'm… I'm sorry for following you", Aegina apologized, pausing before slowly tearing up :

-"I… I-I-I d-don't kn-know w-w-what's ha-happening ! I-I j-just came h-here for a b-better life, you understand ? I… I thought th-that Inkopolis was p-perfect ! Pure ! A… A-An untarnished promised land ! B-But… but I… I-I was so naïve. My life as a soldier was s-so much better ! Some of you… Th-they're so w-worse than all of us to-together ! E-Even Octavio w-wasn't s-so c-c-cruel ! I-I… Th-they… T-they value l-life less than m-my people ! T-t-they d-do t-things…" She then burst into tears.

Shella sensed a ball of disgust and rage welling up inside her, but she still asked :

-"You're an escort ? A prostitute ?"

The Octoling girl tried to control her sobs in vain, weakly nodding :

-"W-w-we're n-not m-many. We-we-we're w-well t-treated a-and p-paid s-so we can't revolt… s-some g-go back to Octarian society and s-some get enough m-money to leave. W-We're… f-free".

-"No, you aren't", Shella replied through gritted teeth, her body pulsating with a destructive rage. "You're sex slaves. Meat. Merchandise. Objects. Look at what they did to you, an ex-soldier. Who are your pimp and clients ?"

-"G-General Octaria's in charge. S-She helps us to not give up, she s-says there's a bright f-future just ahead. The clients… I-I-I don't know th-their n-names. B-But… I-I…"

-"Don't push yourself".

-"I-I-I j-ju-just… I-I hate d-doing i-i-it with m-males ! I… I n-never li-liked males th-this w-way ! I-I told it t-to General Octaria, b-but she s-said it was a-almost do-done. That… th-that's the l-last thing I-I re… re-remember", she cried.

Shella almost punched the wall behind her ; she was never prone to angry outbursts, but this time, it was far too much : she had fought against a wide variety of illegal businesses or dangerous criminals, but organized prostitution was always triggering something inside her ; the thought of her parents briefly crossed her mind. She had eradicated the plague eight years ago, and now it was growing back, just like a tumor ; she took a deep breath to calm down and asked :

-"Where's the place ?"

-"I-I-I d-d-don't go outside t-that much. W-w-we often ch-change p-places a-and w-with the glasses I-I-I can't remember a-anything, j-just following you ri-right a-after the c-city hall. I-I-I'm s-s-sorry".

-"You don't remember anything else at all ?"

-"I-I saw a m-man the other day… talking w-with General Octaria. I-I surprised them… General Octaria said he w-was a new client. He d-didn't say a-anything b-but I remember something o-odd".

-"Odd ? About him ?"

-"Y-yes. His eyes. One was blue, one was orange".

Shella briefly looked like she had been punched in the stomach, but she recovered quickly ; she immediately washed the ink off the chair and cut Aegina's restrains.

-"I…" The latter stammered, slowly getting up. "I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE !" She shouted in tears, finally breaking under the pressure, before immediately falling into Shella's arms, crying uncontrollably on her shoulder.

Shella pulled her into a tight hug, gently rubbing her tentacles and back.

-"Shhh. You won't go back. Ever. I promise".

The women sat down on a sofa and Aegina continued to cry for long minutes, bringing Shella to tears too.

-"You'll stay here as long as you want… no, I order you to stay here 'til everything's solved. You don't move from the house, not even in the backyard, you close the curtains and you open to nobody ; I'm gonna lock you in anyways. Make yourself at home. Eat whatever you want. Do whatever you want. But please, stay here", Shella implored.

-"B-But y-you barely know me !"

-"I've spent enough time as a cop to see when someone's a victim and seen enough spies to know when one's in front of me. And as a former cop, current mayor, but also as a citizen of Inkopolis, it's my duty to help you. I'll pay you a therapist too, I know a good one".

-"Y-you're Sh-Shella Dux ?"

-"Yes, it's me".

-"I-I c-can't accept ! I-I-I…"

Shella pulled Aegina into a hug.

-"It's all right", Shella whispered gently. "It's going to be all right".

Aegina again burst into tears.

"Eric. Octaria. I'm going to kill you. And I'm going to do it slowly. I'm going to make you suffer".


-"I'm sorry Wiper. You let me no choice", Eric Sepio told Wiper, the latter standing up after briefly struggling to fight off the effects of the Hypno-Shades.

-"The effects are near instantaneous as you can see. Adapting Octarian technology is hard, you know… But look, those glasses are perfect on you. Not suspicious in the slightest".

Thomas stood immobile and silent under the effects of the device.

-"I could order you to do anything, and you wouldn't be able to resist… but I'm not this kind of guy. I won't humiliate you, Thomas. What I want, however, is to keep you a little longer ; don't worry, I'll free you once you'll be of no longer use, and with a favor : you'll forget everything about Section Zero, but I'll let your childhood intact. I know you hear me inside, but sorry, I won't let you out".

Someone knocked at the door of the office.

-"Wiper, go open the door to my friend", Eric ordered Thomas who immediately complied.

General Octaria entered the room, looking suspiciously at Wiper before approaching Eric. Octaria was a tall, powerful Octoling, almost a head taller than Eric and Thomas, wearing a long grey mantle and a matching hat with an oversized brim.

-"Hello Eric. It seems to be working", she saluted the director of Section Zero, eyeing Alpha-1.

-"Hello Doflei. Just as I was telling our friend Thomas here, with some little tweaks here and there, you get a perfect mind-control device in the most perfect form possible".

-"Were you Inklings not obsessed with these kind of things, it wouldn't have been possible. I always thought your fascination with trivialities would be your downfall".

-"Of course. But the same could be said about your society. One thought of freedom and the whole thing blows up".

-"I can't argue with that".

-"By the way, how are your cities doing ?"

-"Still in one piece thanks to Power Eggs. But I couldn't care less if they were destroyed. They're basically empty save for walking tentacles and a few others still wearing shades. Salmonids are in shit, so it's over for their eggs. Good riddance. They were disgusting".

-"You're not fond of a lot of folks, are you ?"

-"No. Both of our societies are garbage. But we're not here to talk about that, are we ? Did you get the info ?"

-"It was difficult, but yes. I have his location. I wonder why you'd want to free him, however…"

Eric took out a small squid-shaped USB key from his suit's pocket and gave her to the Octoling general.

-"Thanks. Who said I wanted to free him ?"

-"Oh. I see. You better be well-prepared then. Just one of their soldiers trampled over your army three years ago or so, and another two years later", Eric warned Doflei.

-"Don't worry about that. I no doubt have the most powerful asset in my pocket by now. Her disappearance will also make the city… explode, that's perfect : I'll kill two fishes with one hook. And with her under my control, I will have access to everything".

Eric's face suddenly crumbled, which General Octaria noticed :

-"What's wrong ?" She asked.

-"You're talking about Shella Dux, the mayor ?"

-"Yes. Why ?"

-"You shouldn't have done that. Oh no you shouldn't have… You should've asked me, and I'd have told you it was a very bad idea. The worst idea possible, in fact. We need to move. Now".

-"Hey, what are you talking about ? I sent the best of my girls after her. All she has to do is make her wear some Hypno-Shades. You remember the girl who surprised us and I told you it'd be no trouble ? It's her. She's the best at her job ; maybe a little less with the Shades however, I give you that".

-"No no no no no. You don't know who Shella Dux is. I'm sorry for your agent. Well, you can't help it. You can't know about each one of us. Let's move".

-"Wait. Shella Dux is the mayor of Inkopolis, that's all. A politician who cuts ribbons on TV".

-"Shella, a politician ? That's ridiculous", Eric laughed nervously as he put on his coat.

-"What the hell are you talking about !?"

Doflei was losing patience, and she almost grabbed Eric by the collar before he explained himself as he closed the door of his pseudo-office.

-"Shella Dux is a cop. No, she's the cop. Before becoming mayor, she was the Superintendent of Inkopolis' law enforcement. And before that…"

Doflei followed Eric and Wiper through the building.

-"…she was the Squid Intelligence Service's director, the SIS. Officially, it went bankrupt. Unofficially, Shella shut it down after a disagreement with Tobias Inkwell, the former mayor : Tobias was trying to keep her away from certain matters, but she didn't buy any of it, so she became part of official law enforcement. Even Tobias was powerless, but I didn't lobbied against her election at the time : Tobias was doing business with people I was targeting. I heard he sent some guys to kill her, and none of them came back. Listen, even I wouldn't send Thomas after her, and he's the best agent I got since the Section's existence. The only one who would've succeed in carrying her assassination is her friend. And to think I let that girl enter Section Zero… Well, I got rid of her as soon as I got the info : she could've been a spy for Shella after all. She ended up with Squidbeak Splatoon. Between those girls, I'd rather choose death or hell. And now Shella's on to us. Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit ! Thomas, drive us outside the city".

-"But she can't know about you ! About me, I don't care".

-"You think she can't make your girl talk ? But she doesn't even have to : once she removes the shades, it's over. And that girl's not really loyal without the Shades, am I right ?"

Doflei stayed silent as they reached the parking lot and jumped in the car, Thomas behind the wheel.

-"She still can't track us", she finally objected as the car entered the avenue.

-"The mayor's one of the very few people who knows about Section Zero's temporary bases of operation, including the one we just left. And why ? 'cause they're the one who delivers authorizations and prevents civilian interference. And the piss cherry on the shit cake : she has access to any camera whenever she wants, and she's on my case since some years".

-"I have trouble to picture her as a cop".

-"Not counting low criminals, she crushed Tobias Inkwell and a dozen of mafias. The jails would be full if not for the ones who vanished. And trust me, there's a lot. I'm the last alive and free in her visor".

-"I wasn't expecting this. At all. But there's still a chance my plan have succeeded".

-"There'd be cops everywhere already, and I'd be one of the first notified if something had happened to her, so your girl failed. Thomas, drive normally : the last thing I want is to be caught on speed camera or worse, by cops. We're going to the suburbs, we'll part ways there : I'm not sadistic enough to let you get caught by her, disregarding what you could reveal".

-"Well, thank you. But I still doubt she's that dangerous".

-"You shouldn't. That old hag's like a hook : once it's into you, you either rip yourself apart to get it off or you let it catch you".

-"Old hag ?"

-"She's older than she looks, but I don't know her age. I just know she's well past her fifties".

-"And she still have this appearance and still got ink left ?"

-"Theoretically possible ; look at Octavio. But even as the director of the best intelligence agency, I don't have any relevant files on that girl. And I searched a damn lot. Tobias and some others did some research too ; nothing turned up on her, and with the dissolution of the SIS, everything was lost. Maybe it's correlated, maybe it's not…"

-"Curious. Since we're talking about this… I know that kind of info's not part of the deal but… can you tell me more about the group who sent Octavio to jail ? It'd help me for what I have to do".

-"The division's called Squidbeak Splatoon. It's supervised by a hero of the Great Turf War, Captain Craig Cuttlefish ; that guy was friends with your former boss before the war until things turned to utter shit between our species. The two girls who took down Octavio twice were common citizens before being enrolled, but Squidbeak Splatoon's got a better flair for talent than everybody else I guess. But these girls are mostly soldiers : Squidbeak Splatoon's missions rarely overlap with ours. They're a very small group, but they're powerful and damn well-equipped".

-"They aren't spies at all ?"

-"Some of their agents are, but less skilled than us. Since I'm thinking of this, I must warn you that their best agent… no, the best agent, Mona Dosidi, is back. You better be paranoid. At least".

-"Never heard of her".

-"Of course ; she's only known in the underworld. I just told you about her : the girl I fired years ago. Squidbeak Splatoon getting her had every agency and the government lose their shit. She's never been involved directly with Octavio, but I'm sure you heard about a mass murder of Octarians and Salmonids four years ago. It didn't leak to the public, but everybody in the underworld heard of it".

-"I remember, yes. Our first and last alliance with Salmonids against your people. It was still a training session until that helicopter appeared out of the blue. I don't know who authorized the operation, but he or she surely didn't expect such retribution… It strained our relationships with our only egg-supplier, and we almost died in the dark back then until the misunderstanding was cleared. What does it have to do with the girl you told me about ?"

-"She did it of course. Singlehandedly, when she was ten years old. And that giant fish dead on the beach from two days ago ? That was her too".

-"I hate your sense of humor".

-"If only I was joking. I wish I were, really. But facts are facts. She came into your base and razed it, maybe with some kind of weapon. I saw pictures… that wasn't pretty. I only met her in person twice, and I can tell you that girl's really special. She's totally useless as an undercover spy on the long term though : she has basically no social skills. You can pair her with another agent to get the job done, but she's far more efficient as a killing machine".

The armored car came to a halt, surprising Eric ; however, it was just a red traffic light.

-"Stop being so paranoid. It's gonna get me too", Doflei grumbled.

-"It can't be helped : Super Cop's after us".

Thomas following the rules of traffic was making Eric sweat in stress ; when the car stopped for the umpteenth time, he lashed out at his agent :

-"Get us the hell out of here !"

But Wiper did nothing ; mechanically, Eric looked outside. He froze in terror : in the middle of the road and from under the fedora, Shella Dux's eyes pierced his soul.

-"GET US OUT !" He bellowed in distress, grapping Thomas.

But it was too late : Shella had already thrown something under the car : the ink detonation flipped the vehicle over the sidewalk just as the engines roared.

The mayor slowly approached the car, a hand inside one of her pockets just as Thomas, Eric and Octaria hastily exited it ; Alpha-1 immediately placed himself in front of his controller.

-"Don't move", Shella warned as they were getting up.

Wiper nonetheless pointed his modified N-Zap at her.

-"It's dangerous to play with this, kid", she shrugged, unimpressed, letting a puff of blue smoke out of her pipe.

Suddenly, Thomas turned around and violently smacked Eric in the face with his weapon, leaving him bleeding on the ground with a wounded mouth, under Octaria's surprised eyes.

-"Wiper !" He exclaimed painfully, trying to stay conscious.

-"You are a dumbass, sir", Thomas told him sarcastically as he removed his glasses and crushed them under his foot, his unaffected artificial eye looking at Eric.

-"Half a device's not gonna work or half-work : it doesn't work at all. And didn't you think I had modifications to be made to my eye just in cases like this ? You're an idiot, Eric. You rant about the Section being the best at spying when you can't shut your mouth about any little thing and don't pay attention to your surroundings. For example, you didn't notice I was taking the city hall's direction in hopes of seeing some cops or the mayor".

-"He's right, Eric. Not only you're an idiot, but you're a piece of shit too, just like this girl. You can't know how I despise prostitution, but I won't give you the mercy of ignorance. I'm going to torture you, you two, and then I'll kill you. Very slowly", Shella threatened, approaching and staring him down.

-"You told me you rather choose death than her, right, Eric ? So here's my last gift for you," Doflei, in her octopus form, suddenly addressed the director of Section Zero before jumping above the skyscrapers and letting a small, brightly glowing purple stick behind her.

Shella and Thomas jumped inside the overturned car and closed the doors just in time ; Eric simply smiled, powerless to escape :

-"Thank you".

The brief explosion of ink violently pushed the heavy car aside, upturning it in the process ; Thomas and Shella immediately rushed out towards the gigantic purple splash covering the walls, the sidewalk and the road : Eric Sepio, director of Section Zero, had just been vaporized.


-"Bitch", Shella grumbled, touching the purple ink with her foot. "I was hoping to interrogate him…"

-"Mayor Ink. Sorry for the trouble", Wiper apologized.

-"Call me Shella. Not your fault. Well-played, Thomas", Shella congratulated him.

-"Thanks. Well, I guess it's officially the end of Section Zero. Not that I mind though, I resigned today".

-"Oh, you left ? Hmmm… Maybe I have a solution. We'll see that later. Before I call the cops, do you have any info ?"

-"Some petty things on you, to be honest, but not that much at all. And Doflei Octaria plans an attack on Octavio's jail".

-"Good. Very good. About the latter, I mean. You decapitated a prostitution ring too, and for that, I'm really grateful : finding the girls' only a matter of time once I'll issue an ATL for Octaria".

-"Mayor !?" A voice exclaimed behind them.

-"Oh. Inka. Good timing", Shella welcomed her to the crime scene. "I think you already know Thomas, former operative of a disbanded organization. It just ended seconds ago with its director's death ; don't worry, he was an asshole".

Inka easily remembered the man with the scar ; she quickly looked around for any other witness, noticing lights turning on through some of the buildings' windows.

-"Call your colleagues of the scientific team, Inka. We got some work to do. You're gonna love this : we're gonna declassify the files of an intelligence agency, investigate and arrest a lot of people. As for you, Thomas, we'll meet tomorrow morning with the general overseer where you and your organization were attacked some days ago : we'll discuss of what to do with the assets", Shella declared.

Thomas nodded and walked away.

-"Good night then", he wished.

-"Mayor, you're really letting him go !?" Inka exclaimed.

-"Let him be. Thanks to him, Inkopolis just got a little cleaner and safer. Now, now, Inka… I know you're doing an excellent detective job. I'll task you with something in particular when the paperwork for this incident will be filed ; don't worry, we're gonna make it short".

-"B-but the government…"

-"…will lick its wounds and shut up, that's what it always does. Government means next to nothing, each city's got its own jurisdiction. They're just a good and wealthy sponsor. I thought you were aware of that…"

-"N-not to this extent, Mayor".

-"The only ones with social power are corporations, but since they just want consumers and money… But we digress. Here's the deal : there were only two people in the car : the director of Section Zero and Doflei Octaria, a rogue Octoling general : both were heads of a prostitution ring involving former Octoling soldiers. I surprised Eric Sepio on camera with Doflei Octaria, as I already had doubts about him regarding embezzlement. When I had to stop their car from running me over, they both argued about the girls and Octavio, Doflei's target for assassination ; Eric was wounded by the car flipping over, and Doflei betrayed him by killing him with a high-tech bomb to cover her escape. You stick to this version, I'll sort out details later : I have something urgent waiting for me at home, something I really can't afford to delay, even with all this shit. I'll be back in two hours or so at my office. Meet me there, okay ?"

-"Got it", Inka replied before calling her colleagues.


When Shella came back to her house, she found it silent and dark ; she shook her head in disappointment before she turned the lights on : Aegina was asleep on her sofa, having removed her clothes save for her bra and panties ; there was a cold meal on the table for her host. The sudden light made the former elite Octoling groan, but she stayed asleep ; Shella sighed in relief.

-"You didn't have to…" She whispered to herself, removing her coat, suit and hat and covering her guest with a plaid before sitting at the table and eating what was a fish cold salad.

"Excellent", she thought, finding herself literally devouring the meal.

She cleared the table and approached the sleeping form of Aegina ; she gently caressed her face with her hand, only to be surprised when the Octoling took it in hers.

-"Stay…" Aegina pleaded before shifting from her position, sitting to let Shella come next to her ; as soon as the mayor of Inkopolis sat down, Aegina leaned against her ; she then put her head on her lap, Shella gently caressing her tentacles.

-"Is it all right ?" Shella asked cautiously.

-"Yes, it is. Please go on. I… I need it. Something… warm… Something… true", Aegina replied in a whisper.

Shella planted a small kiss on her tentacles, speaking softly :

-"Nobody will hurt you anymore. Octaria's on the run, but her associate's dead".

Aegina stayed silent for a moment.

-"Does… Does that mean I must leave soon ?"

-"No. Barring your boss' still alive, I want you to stay. Please, stay. Don't leave me".

-"Shella, I-I… D-Don't f-feel… obligated… p-please…"

Shella immediately hugged her tightly, kissing her on the cheek and whispering in her ear :

-"I don't feel obligated… But I do… Honestly, I… I do feel something for you…"

-"S-Sh-Shella…"

-"I want you to stay… Even if you don't feel anything for me…"

-"I-I-I-I d-d-don't k-k-kn-know…"

-"Take your time. I will never force you".

Aegina caressed Shella's face, shivering at the contact.

-"You're so warm… Warmer than anybody I know…" She whispered, letting her fingers wander on the smooth skin.

Shella kissed her green fingertips, holding her hand.

-"It's been so long since I felt like this…" the mayor said pensively.

-"And I… I don't know what it is… I just feel… something new. Truth. Warmth. Light. Something burning… but not painful… I-I-I w-wasn't m-made to f-feel t-this way… It-it's… it's scary…"

-"I'm here for you".

-"M-Maybe we're not so different after all… Octolings and Inklings… If… if we can experience the same things…"

-"I'm sure we're not indeed".

Shella's left hand rubbed Aegina's arm, then her back ; the Octoling suddenly tensed.

-"P-p-please. N-N-not l-l-lower. N-n-not t-t-there. N-not y-y-yet. P-please", she implored.

-"It's all right. I understand. I'm sorry', Shella apologized, her hand going back to where it was ; she playfully twirled the tip of Aegina's tentacles around her fingers, all the while caressing her face with her other hand.

-"Can I shed some things ?" Shella asked Aegina, who let her stand up.

-"It's your home…"

Shella removed her pants, socks and shirt before sitting again, Aegina putting her head back on her bare thighs.

-"Are you warm… because of me ? I… I mean… The… the others… they were warm too but… but not like you. Y-Your skin… it's different too", Aegina said.

-"How so ?"

-"Smoother. Dryer. Thicker. Smells better too. Can I… stay l-like this… for just a moment ?"

-"I must go in two hours. Take your time. But… my bed's more comfortable".

-"I-I-I c-c-can't sha…"

Shella put her index on Aegina's lips :

-"Come on".

The girls got up and went into Shella's bedroom ; Shella lay down on her unusual immense, richly decorated box-bed, removed her clothes and opened her arms and legs :

-"Come", she whispered to Aegina.

The former Elite Octoling had barely touched the strange bed that Shella gently pulled her into a hug ; head on her breast, Aegina looked at Shella, eyes filled with emotion.

-"Aaaw, ain't you cute, you're blushing ! You're gonna melt me…" Shella purred, caressing the slightly green cheeks and playfully teasing a tentacle tip with her fingers, before kissing it.

-"Can I ?" She asked. "I can't do this with Inklings. But if it's taboo or too soon for you…"

-"It-it's n-not t-that sensible b-but… p-please be gentle".

-"Don't worry".

Shella let her tongue caress the small green appendage before putting it into her mouth, refraining to do so too avidly.

-"It… kind of… tickles", Aegina chuckled. "But… don't… don't stop".

Shella suckled a bit harder, intoxicated by the taste and the sensations ; she finally let the drenched tip of the tentacle go, panting from pleasure.

Aegina let go of her bra and panties before planting a kiss just above Shella's breasts ; she snuggled closer as they embraced each other.

-"My hearts… they're beating so fast… It's… because you're not just warm anymore… You… you're b-burning. B-but please, I-I know you… you r-really want to b-but… don't t-touch me there yet… I-I'm not ready. B-but what I-I'm feeling with you now… it's new. It's… it's really different than before. There's… there's something more than just bodies touching. If… if you want to… kiss, I-I don't mind. Really. I don't know what it feels like w-when… when it means something".

-"You sure ?"

-"Yes".

Shella pushed in her last reserves of restrain to not appear bestial ; Aegina crawled up to her level ; sensing the sweet body sliding on her own drove the mayor crazy, but she managed to offer the most gentle kiss possible to Aegina ; it lasted a minute, none of them wanting to break it, before Aegina parted ways, shaking from head to toe.

-"S-s-so th-th-that's wh-wh-what it d-does", she spluttered, putting her head back on Shella's breast, trembling.

Shella stayed silent, shocked by the effect ; even her first kiss with a girl, then a boy, a long time ago, was nothing compared to what she had just experienced ; she was not even sure if it could qualify as an orgasm ; it was on a whole other level ; she suddenly felt like a little girl discovering sexuality.

-"I… I need to rest…" Aegina whispered.

-"Can I… can I play with this ?" Shella asked, twirling the tentacle around her fingers.

-"I… I just… discovered… something new thanks to you… So… of course you can", Aegina giggled.

-"Aegina ?"

-"Yes ?"

-"I love you".

-"I… I think I love you too".


Two hours later, Shella almost gave up on meeting Inka ; she reluctantly left Aegina's arms, kissing her on the cheek.

-"Leaving already… ?" Aegina asked, voice filled with regret.

-"I'll be back in the morning".

-"Just one last kiss… please".

Shella obeyed immediately, pulling Aegina into a long kiss ; she then got dressed and quickly left her house, her brain and body feeling like the bed and the whole building were trying to dissuade her to do so.

When she reached her office, she found it empty, much to her dismay. "What are you doing, Inka ?" she thought as she sat down and opened her laptop, just as someone knocked at the door.

"Inka would enter immediately…" Shella discreetly reached for the Splattershot hidden under her desk.

-"Come in".

An Inkling of indeterminate gender, followed by two girls, entered the room ; Shella immediately noticed their overly careful moves and strange walk – their steps covering far more distance than they possibly could – as one of the armor-clad girls closed the door behind them.

-"Mayor Shella Dux", the genderless Inkling spoke, their voice uncharacteristically low pitched. "I am Zessina. We offer our deepest apologies for disturbing your work ; under any other circumstances, a video-message would suffice. However, the current situation does not allow such commodities. We are here to discuss the protection of your city, of the Earth and of your people. Please, watch this".

The visitor slowly pulled out a small grey pyramid from the pocket of their mantle which they put on the desk. The device immediately displayed a TV-sized screen hovering in front of Shella : the entirety of the meeting between Squidbeak Splatoon, Cor, Jack and the Council was played before her surprised eyes. Once the hologram disappeared, Shella let out a long sigh, rubbing her temple and closing her eyes, her scowl transformed in a grimace : she was a strange mix of shock, annoyance, worry and sudden fatigue coupled with a hint of fear.

-"A moment, please", she told the guests.

She rubbed her eyes and pulled out a glass and a flask from a drawer ; she poured a small amount of a translucent liquid into the glass that she swallowed in one gulp, regaining her composure almost immediately :

-"Want some before you explain me what the hell is going on ?"

-"No. Thank you", Zessina replied.

Shella put the glass and flask back in the drawer.

-"So…" she said. "Humans… And Squidbeak Splatoon's with them. Where are they ?"

-"On our principal colony, New Constantinople. It is not located in this galaxy", the visitor answered.

Shella stayed silent for a moment, before narrowing her eyes and speaking :

-"Prove me you're not a fraud. Drop your disguise, all of you".

-"As you wish", Zessina complied ; they immediately changed into their more imposing human form, just like the two soldiers behind them ; the vampire look of the human, half of their bald face concealed by a large collar, did not impress Shella at all.

-"I saw you on that video. What kind of authority are you representing ?" She asked.

-"The United Council, highest authority regarding human affairs".

-"That's why you were at that meeting. When did it take place ?"

-"A few hours ago".

-"You understand that all of this is very sudden, right ?"

-"Absolutely. But we cannot protect you while remaining in the shadows".

-"As much as I grasp the urgency of the situation, I can't do anything. I am dealing with far too much problems at the moment".

-"No help on your part is mandatory. All we ask is non-interference. You have the choice to reveal our existence to your citizens, just like other leaders. As you witnessed in the recording of the meeting, however, we are worried about the violent aspects of your culture".

-"Mona is right. And it's not just culture : most of us are aggressive by nature. We were aquatic predators before you left".

-"Yes".

-"And so you fear confrontation. Which would end badly. For us".

-"Yes".

-"What did the government say ?"

-"Cooperation. You can align or not".

-"Hmm… Something's probably being planned by them in the backstage as we speak".

-"Yes".

-"How will you anticipate their moves ?"

-"We were once like you".

-"That meaning ?"

-"Letting personal interests alter our reasoning and trust. This is not a value judgement".

-"You're telling me you're basically robots".

-"Emotions make us what we are : we still feel them, otherwise we would cease to call ourselves human. Emotions cannot be detrimental in the long term, however, basing decisions on immediate feelings is indeed often an error. We are all different, so we cannot have exactly the same desires : some will inevitably clash. Our previous economic and social systems did not collapsed peacefully, and reaching potential limitless energy production did not appeased the tensions in an instant. At first, bursts of heavy capitalistic mindsets threatened to send us back in total war, but freely distributing the technology amongst civilians quenched them. This was the first step towards what we are now. But do not think everything went peacefully afterwards. We had other crisis, each costly. We strived to reach our current level, but today, even some of our colonies experience crime. That is why we do not judge you as inferior, as you may think. Our species are not very different".

-"So you're indeed expecting betrayal. How would you deal with it ?"

-"Cutting off access to our technology. This is what we plan to do if our societies cannot cohabit peacefully in the future".

-"Don't dump everyone in the same basket".

-"We do not. We can see most of you are welcoming of socio-economic mutations, but we are not letting our guard down, and we will not impose you anything. All a society needs to collapse is an idea, good or bad. It is a very fragile construct".

-"Indeed. I've seen it myself, a couple of times. I must say… you convinced me, in part thanks to this video. If Squidbeak Splatoon trusts you, I have no reason to doubt. I still can't help you directly, however. What are your demands, precisely ?"

-"As I said, non-interference at least. Our ships will land in isolated areas, in the ocean or in the atmosphere and concealed from view to the best of our capability. Cooperation with your military would improve future relationships between our species".

-"Obviously".

Zessina briefly paused.

-"Excuse me. I have received a message from our diplomats. After deliberation, your government will officially announce our arrival, along with the current situation, in ten hours. Talks are underway between your government and the United Council : I must join the discussion soon. Expect civil unrest from the announcement. We are truly sorry for the disturbance, and if we can help you canalize eventual riots, we will".

-"It's not really your fault. All right. I'll do what I can to lend you soldiers after the announcement. There's a leaderless organization which could be put to use. Actually, you spare me paperwork : you can't imagine how grateful I am. On the other hand however, a problem could get away in the confusion".

-"We are willing to offer any help possible".

-"Tracking a criminal is in your immediate capability ?"

-"Absolutely".

-"Let's make a deal then. You help me to deal with the criminal, and I'll access to any plausible request on your part".

-"It is perfectly reasonable".

Shella and Zessina shook hands to seal the bargain, just as a soldier addressed Zessina :

-"Someone is approaching".

-"It's a friend", Shella explained as she looked at the camera feed displayed on her laptop. "Keep your appearance. She'll be the one in charge of the case. If you're going to help me with this, the sooner she knows, the better it is".

When Inka opened the door, Shella welcomed her warmly despite the presence of three humans in the room :

-"Inka. Perfect timing again. Let me present you some people…"


Author's notes :

(Some light erotic fluff again :D )

Names mean something this time :

-Sepio : Sepiolidae = family of bobtail squid

-Dosidi : Dosidicus gigas = Humboldt squid (guess what color it can flash...)

-Aegina : Amphioctopus aegina

-Doflei : Enteroctopus dofleini = Giant Pacific octopus

-Dux : Architeuthis dux, giant squid.

I "like" the idea of realistic integration difficulties for Octolings, mostly the elite ones, not among kids and teens, but among the adult world, where finding a job and making money is necessary to survive. I think that their more mature, sexier appearance would inevitably lead some despicable people (Inklings or Octarians) to try to take advantage of them, or the Octoling themselves selling their body, all for money (because I don't imagine them, having just betrayed their people, coming to Inkopolis their pockets full of cash).

What was the deal between Doflei and Eric ? :

As hinted with the mention of an Octarian-modified Inkjet in chapter 9, it was information in exchange for technology. Eric also helped Doflei to hide her business, hence his emblezzement activities.

When this story will be over, I may try to write a spin-off/prequel with Shella Dux as the protagonist : there's a lot to say about her, she's an interesting character.