Chapter Twenty-six: Agents of Promises
As the setting sun sent its last few rays of light, scattering into the vibrancy of red and orange, a particularly special group of friends walk to the train station, passing others who's attention they've caught. The trip to the train station had many stops and pauses. Callie had joined the group, rushing out of the Off the Hook studio as soon as she was told that the group was to go to Marina's house. It was an oddity, as the group walked and all of a sudden, Callie joined in on the variable conversations. Agent Four, Three, and Eight had already learned to break off the group in case a fan with something to be signed approached the Squid Sisters and Off the Hook. Marie, in particular, would always enter a moment of nostalgia, as she remembers fans who would come every second to come and see her, back when she was still making music and announcing news with Callie. However, the torch had already been passed to Marina and Pearl, who had already learned the tips and tricks into not losing their minds when rabid fans surround them with no point of exit.
"You think they ever get annoyed of this," Agent Eight asked, leaning a little to the left to bring herself closer to Agent Three.
Agent Three nodded with no hesitation, "Yeah, just imagine a bunch of inklings and octolings surrounding you, asking for you to sign your signature. All of that, and repeat for the next hour."
"Well I mean, at least you know they're approaching you with good intent," Agent Four added, knowing that the two pop-star groups never have to fear about harassment.
Given that the one of the Squid Sisters or one of the Off the Hook members get hurt purposefully by some random, an entire city would hunt and splat that random. This is no surprise to anyone, there is no one who dislike the Squid Sisters or Off the Hook. Both groups share a special ability to never be disliked, since both have made music that the general population liked, and had not been touched by controversy. Moreover, both have run the updates for Turf War, the two groups have literally become the face of inkling culture.
"Agent Eight, how long had you've been listening to the Squid Sisters," Agent Three asks as the crowd finally begins to thin out.
Agent Eight opened her mouth to answer confidently, however, she does not remember, "I guess I started listening to the Squid Sisters after I hit my head on the floor and Cap'n Cuttlefish woke me up and- I honestly do not remember."
"So you do not know..." Agent Three echoed, "how long have you've been listening to Off the Hook?"
Agent Eight, again, opened her mouth, but had no answer to go with the voice, "I uh. Since I-uh, I don't know, since Marie and Pearl radioed me through?"
Agent Three crossed her arms and shook her head while smiling at Agent Eight's quite interesting answers.
"They are our security guards," Callie's voice rang in the agent's ears, which caused all of their heads to spring up, pulling them out of their almost sleepy state.
"I keep forgetting that Callie is with us," Agent Four quietly speaks out as all the heads suddenly turn towards the three agents.
"Yeah we do too," Agent Three and Agent Eight said in sync, "ha, nice."
"Why don't you guys talk to them about it," Callie's voice reverberated again.
The crowd began creating a garble and a mix of pitches and words, ranging from "yeah tell us about it" to "you guys look really fresh" and Agent Four even heard, "I saw you during League! Nice dualie play." All the voices and the shouting created a chaos, that no answer was made available.
"Anyways, though, we'll go finish up these autographs," Callie shouted before the crowd turned their backs on the agents again.
Callie moved her head back, creating a line of sight with the agents, who were obviously annoyed and aggravated. She proceeded to smile innocently and winked at the agents. All three agents crossed their arms and sighed. After a quarter of an hour, the herd finally thinned out and the agents were able to join the pop-stars.
The light poles on the side of the brick walkway lit a calm and soothing orange and white lights, which the group used to grab a few photos after missing their intended train. It will be the next hour since the next train that takes the group to Marina's neighborhood.
While they wait for the train, Agent Three begins to let out her lingering thoughts, "So why did you guys let Callie say we were your security?"
"Because we thought it would be funny," Pearl answered before the pop-stars chuckled.
Callie smiled, collected herself, before adding to the answer, "I am so sorry you guys. It was funny to us though, so cut us some slack."
Agent Four chuckled before accepting an apology with a joke of his own, "I mean, I'm already Marie's security so I mean..."
Marie laughed while walking over to Agent Four, placing the two face-to-face, "I know, I was going to say the same thing."
The two shared a moment of laughing and smiling, which the rest of the group took advantage of and took an obscene amount of photos. Marie and Agent Four laughed their faces off, not noticing Agent Three's accidental use of her flash.
"These two are really cute," Pearl commented while finally placing her phone in her pocket.
"Mind I remind you that these two have been together for months now," Marina added.
Pearl turned to the right and looked up at Marina, "How long again, specifically?"
Marina took a breath and answered almost bluntly, "I really don't remember."
Agent Four and Marie finally took a breather and turned towards the group. Behind the group was the train station, which was almost empty, which was their goalpost.
"Oh, guys the train station is just over there!" Agent Four announced, just noticing the placement of the group.
"If we ever need a second Captain, we could put you on the spot," Callie responded, reciprocating a few confused faces before delivering her punch line, "you can spot out the obvious."
The line caught some laughs and giggles, even from Agent Four. In an act of respect, Agent Four clapped Callie's hand, which was held out as a friendly reminder that they were still friends.
"Speaking of which, since we have nothing to do, I guess we hang around till somebody sees the incoming train," Marina added, turning her head and looking at the station over her shoulder.
The station was particularly practical, as the sides of the station was open, and had no trees blocking the line of sight to the tracks. On the side of the track was just a slopped ground, which dipped to the bottom, only rising when there was a path near by. Most of the grass was used for young inklings and their parents, who would most likely be picnicking under the warm sun. The group seperated and spread through out the fields, walkways, benches, and other sorts of small attractions. Marie and Agent Four ended up sitting together on a stone grey bench, facing the station at a forty-five degree angle, seeing the sides of the station.
As the group dissipated Agent Four took the opportunity to ask Marie questions privately, which were jumbled and were moving around his head, "Hey Marie, I have some things to ask."
"Go ahead," Marie responded, interested at the questions he is about to ask.
"Did you expect to date a random inkling you picked out of a crowd," Agent Four calmly asked, fiddling with his fingers a little.
"Well no," Marie answered, "however, I am glad I did. Besides, that same inkling kind of saved Inkopolis from having a permanently missing its giant zapfish."
"True," Agent Four responded, before moving on to his next question, "was there ever a time you regretted picking me."
"Well, bluntly yeah," Marie answered, quickly explaining before Agent Four took the response the wrong way, "but I think that was just me not appreciating your quirks. When you continued to talk to me, I still had a mind set that you were an annoying pestering fan, even though you didn't even recognize me. However, you just liked talking to me, which is the way I finally saw it, and I began to like our long and never ending talks."
Agent Four nodded and smiled before asking his final question, "How serious do you want this relationship?"
Marie swiftly turned her head to the right and saw Agent Four's curious but truthful face, "What do you mean?"
"Well...like how far and how serious is this relationship," Agent Four explained, "like is this just one you'll replace in a year, or are you planning to keep me?"
"Obviously I'm planning to stay with you," Marie answered.
"How long though," Agent Four asked, finally close to reaching the answer.
Marie with no hesitation, answered, "I don't think I'll be ending this relationship. Nor will I ever have the desire to leave it. If we work out far and long, start a family, have kids, then I'm all in. I'm not leaving."
Agent Four grew curious, but happy at the same time, "Why?"
"Well," Marie started, blushing pure ruby and pulling her shoulders together, "guys who are willing to do anything, even save the world, are rare. Even more rare are those who date you expecting nothing, especially when you're a famed pop-star. I don't think I can ever find anyone else other than you Four..."
Agent Four smiled before responding, expressing that the answers were more than pleasant, "I think I got the best answers Marie. I'm not leaving you, nor will I ever have the plan to. Yes, I fell in love with you, not because you were the one of the Squid Sisters, no, I love you because you're Marie."
To that, the sun disappeared but some of the sky was still yellow and orange. Then, the two kissed, under the last rays of sun that the sky had to offer. The moon gave the two a perfect amount of light, which the two didn't need, as their eyes were closed, being that their bodies were enclosed in a bath of bliss. Ink was mixed and shared, the kiss was long and passionate, and the two finally promised each other the promise of a dynasty. Both promised to never leave each other, both will stay, as long as the other would stay.