Marina. She hadn't been called that in a long time. The commander took her glasses off, and leaned back in her chair. They had found Three. And they had lost her again. And now, she was more of a threat than she had been before. A full splatoon was out keeping watch over Inkopolis and Octo Valley, but she didn't feel like it was enough. She had to be more aggressive. Three wasn't going to sit around and wait to be contained. She would be aiming straight for the head of The Order, whether she was alone or with the rumored rebellion that still haunted the edges of the city. She wouldn't stop moving until she was satisfied. So the commander had to take that as a challenge.

She could use the Great Octoweapons, but they were designed more for brute force rather than location and extraction. Octotroopers weren't the most adept lookouts, and she had to be conservative with standard military. She couldn't leave the city or the headquarters unprotected, because if Three got out of Octo Valley, there was no telling what she could do to Inkopolis. The commander took her small black microphone in her hand, and held it to her lips.

"D1, report to my office within the hour." She ordered cooly once she'd routed her call to the correct office, "I'd like to speak with you regarding further development on the Hunter project."

————

Ado could feel the sense of being watched nipping at the back of her mind, telling her to turn around. There was no better option. She was in the open, and if there was really someone there, stealth wasn't a luxury she could afford anymore. She turned her head slightly, trying to look behind her out the corner of her eye, but didn't catch anything. She twisted around fully, and there was the pair of twin chrome eyes staring back at her, burning blue through the rainfall. Ado rushed to her feet, baring her teeth and assuming a defensive stance. Cod, couldn't they just leave her alone?

The eyes advanced on, and a dart came whistling from their direction. Ado ducked to the side, and it went flying by her head. She felt it clip her ear, but it didn't stick. The next missile went wider, missing her completely. If the soldiers were agitated at all, they didn't show it. They both raised their pistols, and opened fire. Ado panicked, and started running. There was nowhere to hide. She dashed back out into the open, her hearts pounding violent and fast. She could feel their volley grazing her, some of their shots nicking her arms and torso as she ran. She scanned for cover, somewhere where she could get a fighting advantage, and spotted a cliff to the right that overhung far enough to create a dry spot. Chancing a quick look over her shoulder, she found that the soldiers were just as far behind, neither gaining on her nor falling back.

Ado looked around for any type of advantage she could get. A weapon, a position, anything. Her mind flew to the ground under her feet. She scooped up a rock, and turned around. She locked onto one of her pursuers, and hurled the rough stone with all her strength. It went sailing through the air, and she heard it strike one of the faceless soldiers square in the chest, sending a high clang echoing through the valley. Ado picked up another stone, and pivoted again, launching it a little higher this time. This time there was a sound of shattering glass, and when Ado looked back she saw only one eye glaring back at her. The attacks from behind stopped.

She snatched up another rock, and kept running. The ground was slippery, a hardly solid coat of gravel and mud. Soon, she reached the cover she'd been seeking, and braced herself against the rock wall, allowing herself a moment to catch her breath. The remaining soldier was still in pursuit, and it looked like she was running. Ado weighed the rock in her hand, and looked back at her predator. She threw the projectile, again aiming for the glass weak spot. The guard didn't stop running, but put her arm up to block the attack. It put a respectable dent in her armor, but didn't do any damage as far as Ado could tell. She was close enough to where Ado could read the number emblazoned on her chest. Eight. She grabbed another rock, a heavier one, and with one last push, launched it again at her opponent. Despite her attempt to block it, the improvised weapon crashed through Eight's visor, and she collapsed into a kneel, clutching her head. The stone fell to the ground, bringing a small rain of shattered glass with it. Three's hearts were pounding as she stood over her adversary, wondering if she'd finally, maybe, won herself a moment of peace.

There was a period of tension where neither one moved, and Eight sat doubled over, picking glass out of her helmet.

"Are you in there, Eight?" Ado asked cautiously, shifting her weight back a little. Silence.

"Eight?"

"I think I am." Eight's quavering voice replied quietly, "I think this is me."

"Is this real?" Three asked, demanding but hopeful, not standing down but feeling her defense fall, "Is this really you?"

"Three." Eight looked up, "It's me."

It was her. The pure innocence and light in Eight's brilliant orange eyes was all Three needed to see.

"Oh my cod." Three tore the helmet off of Eight's head, and pulled her old friend into a tight hug. Eight seemed lost at first, but soon returned the embrace with equal force.

"It's been a long time."

"Too long." Three agreed quietly, not wanting to ever let go. It felt right here, in each others' arms. Like the last twenty years didn't matter. Like they could put all this behind them. Three knew she had work to do. As much as she knew she had to go after The Order, this was what mattered right now.

"I knew you'd save us." Eight blurted, "I knew you would come back. Everyone did. Everyone who was left knew."

Eight pulled away, her wide eyes brimmed with tears, and asked, "Is everyone else okay?"

"Only Callie and Four." Ado responded gravely, "Everyone else is with The Order. But wasn't that Pearl you were with?"

"It's all a blur." Eight looked off behind Ado, out to the pouring rain around them, "It feels like I've just woken up from a dream. And... what the shell happened to you?"

"I'll explain later." Ado turned her face away as Eight looked her down, taking in her green stained skin and neon scar under her eye.

"I suppose." Eight frowned, "Do you want to go back to the others? Why are you out here, anyway?"

"I was looking for someone." Ado growled, "I think we just wait out the storm due now"

Eight's enthusiasm dropped down a notch. "Oh... okay. Sure."

Eight nestled down onto Three's chest, her cold, wet armor pressed against Three's side. Despite everything, the warmth was still there. Three reluctantly put her arm around Eight, and pulled her in a little closer.

"They'll probably be after me soon, because my helmet broke." Eight stated with a small frown, "Do you think they can track that?"

"Probably." Three returned, "They've go eyes on everything. Marina's become a control freak since it started, she's not gonna stop until she knows every loose end is tied up."

"Marina? Is she..."

"She's in charge of it all."

Three grimaced when she saw the light in Eight's eyes die down again.

"Hey, we're gonna get em back." Three said in what she hoped was assuring tone, "All of them."

"Yeah. Just like you got me back." Eight repeated back hopefully. Three couldn't help but smile.