Chapter 12

The small trio of inklings were talking animatedly to each other as they began their return to the hideout. Amber grins and says "That chain maneuver was so cool Ika! How did you think of doing that?"

Ika rubs the back of his head, smiling in embarrassment. "Well, it wasn't too hard to know we needed to hit it from above. The Shower would just block our attacks from below."

Callie perks up and says "Oh! And we couldn't hit it from the rails either because we were too slow! So, we needed something that was fast and could hit from above!"

Ika nods, grinning in pride at his sister's conclusion. "Right! And, as we all know, a normal splashdown won't work on an Octoweapon. So, we needed to gain more speed and hit from above. That's how the plan was formed."

Amber nods fervently. "It was so cool sounding too! I'm glad it worked though. I was at a loss of what to do until you said something Ika."

Ika smiles and puts his hand on Amber's shoulder. "And you did your part amazingly Amber! Great job!"

Amber nods, then says "Don't forget Callie! She had the toughest part." Callie beams, a slight blush on her cheeks. Amber just smiles right back, her joy evident in her expressions.

Ika nods in agreement. "Yes, distracting a large machine on your own is tough. Good job Callie." Somehow, Callie seemed to glow with the praise, drinking it like a sponge.

Then, Callie giggles and says "Oh! I have to say, I loved Amber's battlecry 'Here comes the pain'!" Amber blushes in embarrassment as the two siblings laugh loudly.

Amber crosses her arms over her chest and huffs. "I thought it sounded cool!" Ika chuckles and ruffles Amber's hair, making the young inkling squeak in surprise. "Of course it was! It was just unexpected."

Amber looks at him with a suspicious look before she dissolves into helpless giggles. Soon, all three of them were laughing loudly at their completed mission. As soon as they pass the arc leading to the cabin, Ika smiles widely and says "Gramps! Did you see what happened?"

They all pause, waiting for a response. Ika's smile falters and, in a more concerned voice, says "Gramps?"

The trio's chatter begins to die down as a feeling of dread settles around them, thick like a dense mist. They walk around slowly, searching for any sign of Cap'n. He wouldn't just leave, right? Where is he?

Ika frowns, his face settling into that of a commander. He looks at Callie and says "Callie, search the training grounds. He could be setting up some new equipment. Wouldn't be the first time."

He turns to Amber and says "Look around the cabin and the immediate area. I'll look around Inkopolis a bit. He shouldn't have gone far." The two females nod, and the group quickly disperses. Despite their hopes that Cap'n simply wandered off, the same feeling was held tight in their minds. Something isn't right here.

Amber holds her gun tight, her eyes searching every shadow, every possible place that something may be waiting, ready to pounce. Her heart was pounding, her blood sounding like thunder in her ears. The situation was tense, but soon, her target was in sight. The cabin.

She quickly runs over and looks around the cabin, searching for any sort of clue to where their lost commander could've gone. Amber turns around the corner to look at their command center, and she frowns in fear. Cap'n wasn't here, and his headset was thrown to the side.

Amber walks over to the small table serving as their command center and she looks around, particularly at the computer. She slowly brings her hand across the keyboard, as if hoping to feel for an unseen clue. Her eyes scan the scream carefully. It was on their radar screen, the one used to determine the location of themselves and enemies. Nothing abnormal there.

Her eyes wander from the computer to the fallen headset. She walks over and she picks it up, looking for something to help her. Nothing really stands out, and she frowns in anger. Nothing so far to help them figure out where Cap'n went.

She was just about to turn around, when something caught her eye. Her gaze goes towards the strange object, and she begins analyzing it. It was green, with only a small portion visible. It was located in the shrub next to the cabin. It looked vaguely bamboo-like.

Her eyes widened in realization. She quickly runs over and grabs the object, pulling it free. Now seeing it in full, she had no doubts as to what this was. It was Cap'n's cane.

She looks around, slightly panicked, before looking at the computer. She quickly goes over and replaces her headset with the computer's. She navigates to the communication screen and presses the button to connect with Callie and Ika.

"Hey! Can you two hear me?" Some static is heard in her ears, and then a voice connects from the other end.

"Loud and clear Amber. What's going on? Why are you using the communicator?" Amber recognized Ika's voice through the headset. She frowns and then says "Hurry back to the cabin! I think I know what happened to Cap'n."

There was some silence, and then Callie says, in a bit of a timid voice, "Happened?" Amber sighs, then says "Just hurry back. I'll explain when you both get here!"

She gets sounds of confirmation, and Amber disconnects from the headset. She frowns and paces, gripping Cap'n's cane tightly. She was anxious, waiting for Ika and Callie's arrival.

Amber walks around the cabin and she looks out across the valley. Despite all the dangers, and the frequent unsettling atmospheres, she found the sight of the valley to be calming. Such a broad array of natural wonders, along with the beautiful greenery at the very bottom. Not to mention the many waterfalls leading to the bottom, giving the whole valley a very mystical feeling.

The sound of running hits her ears and she turns around. Ika and Callie were right next to each other, running towards her. They looked ready to ask what happened, when their eyes fell on to the cane in her hands. Amber tightens her grip, her knuckles turning white, as Ika and Callie gasp in shock.

Ika looks up at her with wide eyes, fear written in them. Amber sighs, then says "I found this in the shrubs by the command center. Cap'n wasn't there, and his headset was thrown to the side. I think… Cap'n may've been kidnapped."

Callie puts a hand over her mouth, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, while Ika grimaces and looks down. Amber shuffles, then says "I don't know where he could've gone…"

There was silence for a bit, and then suddenly. "No." Amber looks up and sees Ika staring into the valley, his eyes filled with determination. "There is one place I can think of, and the only place that would've gained from kidnapping Cap'n."

Callie looks out over the valley, her eyes falling upon what Ika was looking at, and she gasps. "You don't really mean that, do you?!"

Amber looks between them, wondering what was going on. "What? Where is he?!"

Ika gently makes her turn towards the valley, and he points to a secluded corner of the area. "Deep within the valley, hidden in the shadows, is the entrance to Cephalon HQ, one of two headquarters for the Octarians. If my hunch is correct, then the Octarians took Cap'n and brought him there."

Amber looks at the shadows some more, but despite her best efforts, she couldn't see into the dark mass. She looks back at Ika and says "So, are we going to investigate then?"

Ika nods, his expression grim. "Of course we are. But, this is going to be our toughest mission yet. We'll need to prepare."

The agents nod, ready to go. They go to turn, when a voice says "And you'll need a captain to navigate you."

The trio turns around in surprise, left in shock at the speaker. Marie smiles at them, her agent suit already on. She looks between them, then smirks and says "What, no hugs?"

The three other inklings blink in confusion, and then they smile widely and run at her. Marie laughs as they plow into her, instantly giving her a group hug. The four of them stay that way for a bit, then slowly part.

Ika smiles at Marie, then frowns. He reaches down and rubs a tear from Marie's eyes. "Your eyes, they're red. How long have you been crying?"

Marie looks down in embarrassment, shrugging in response. "I don't really know… It all blurred past."

Ika looks ready to argue, but Marie raises a finger. He closes his mouth as Marie begins to speak. "I've been thinking long and hard about this last month. How I've acted, how you've all acted, and I think I've finally decided. I need to put the past behind me, and get ready to help you all fight the Octarians. No more disappearing, no more grief."

Marie turns to Amber with a smile and says "And I couldn't have figured this out if you hadn't brought me Daniel's cape. Thank you so much Amber."

Amber blushes at the praise, but then she questions "Why did the cape help though? You seemed so sad."

Marie frowns at that, obviously thinking it over. It takes a few moments, but then she says "I believe that, finally having something of his in my hands, it helped clear my head. I began thinking of how he'd want me to act, and I know, deep in my heart, that he'd want me to be happy. He wouldn't want me grieving over him and jeopardizing you all because of my own actions."

Marie smiles widely and says "It's because of this that I'd like you to have something Amber." Marie reaches behind herself, then pulls out a black cloth. Amber gasps as Marie holds it up by one end and lets it fall. It was Agent 3's cape, except with some changes. The cape was much cleaner now, and the gunshot hole was patched up so expertly it almost looked like it was never there. The tattered ends were still there, but Amber thought it gave the cape a little flare.

Marie giggles at Amber's awestruck expression and says "Here, turn around." Amber does so slowly, still processing these events. Marie grasps some clasps on the top of Amber's armor and clips the cape on. Amber looks at her back, seeing the cape. She spins a bit, then looks at Marie with an ecstatic expression.

Amber grins widely and says "Is this really for me?!" Marie nods, smiling warmly at Amber's happiness. "It should belong to the next Agent 3. With it, we can continue his legacy." Marie kneels down, looking at Amber right in her eyes. "Wear it with pride, ok?"

The young inkling nods slowly, the seriousness of this gift settling in. Marie stands up and turns to Ika and Callie, both of whom are smiling widely. Marie smiles and says "Shall we get started?"

Ika nods sharply, grinning the whole while. "Yes. Let's get started Marie." She gives a terse nod and moves over to the cabin. The agents waited, but it wasn't long for Marie to get to the command area.

Static is heard in their headsets, and then Marie's voice. "Alright. I have you on screen, along with your individual cameras. Can you all hear me clearly?"

Ika gives a small nod, more to himself than anyone else, and says "Loud and clear Two." Amber takes note of Ika calling Marie 'Two'. Codenames now, no more playing.

Fierce clicking is heard within the headset, and then Marie says "It's just as you thought. Cap'n is being held deep within Cephalon HQ. Have extreme caution though. I can see multiple enemies within the area."

Ika just smirks slightly. "How fun. A real challenge to test my stealth." He turns to Amber and Callie and says "You two ready?"

Callie and Amber each give short nods of confirmation. Ika's smile diminishes until he is set into his team leader persona. "Alright. Let's get moving." And with that order, the team launches over the valley, right into the heart of enemy territory.