Here we go.
Chapter Four
Abandoned Settlement
(Jessica's Apartment)
Skul and Sagaci sat at the table, waiting for Jessica to finish dinner. The two were talking about Sagaci's day. The Inktoling was very excited. "IT WAS SO COOL!" Skul smiled, happy that her sister had fun. "Oh, by the way, I'm able to watch live games, since I'm a team leader, and you treated Off the Hook to quite a show." Sagaci faced her. "Really?" Skul nodded. "I was surprised when Marina came to the surface from Octo Valley, but I can tell that she's a good person."
Jessica walked in just then. "I hope you two don't mind spaghetti and meatballs." She smiled. Skul grinned. "Oh, man, that's one of the few things Fishy knows how to cook. Jessica laughed. "He's faithful, though." Skul nodded. "Yeah, but he needs cooking lessons. Kyle's on chef duty now during tournaments." Jessica nodded, and set the pot on the table, with hot pads under it, and sat down. "How is he, by the way?" Skul giggled. "He's doing well. For my birthday, he got me a pair of Splat Dualies."
Jessica was confused. "Splat Dualies?" Skul nodded. "They're a new weapon class. The idea is that they allow you to dodge-roll while using them, which is normally illegal in Ink Battles." Jessica mouthed "o" in understanding, and dished out the food. Skul's phone went off. She sighed, and muttered, "Not now, Norman..." She faced her mother, who nodded. "It might be important." Skul answered it. "Hello?" Mayor Norman's voice came on the line. "Can you meet in my office in the morning? Khan's found something."
Skul silently sighed in relief. "I can meet up." His gratitude came on the line. "Thank you. I'll be here at 9." Skul nodded. "I'll be there. Should I bring Choco or Fishy?" Norman replied, "If they're willing." Skul nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow." After she hung up, she faced her mother. "Khan found something. I don't know what yet." Jessica nodded. "Be careful, Susan." Skul nodded. "I will." They began to eat, and Sagaci started talking about some Inkling boy who went by Failboat. Skul made a mental note to keep an eye on him.
(The next morning)
Skul and Choco walked into the mayor's office. Khan and Norman were waiting for them. Norman nodded to Choco, then faced Skul. "No Fishy?" Skul shook her head. "He said he had a bird-sighting competition..."
(Meanwhile, at a "bird-sighting competition")
Fishy and his four followers span in circles and repeatedly said, "PORT MACKEREL!", without a care in the world.
(Meanwhile, mayor's office)
Norman nodded. Facing Khan, he said, "Go ahead." Khan held up a rolled-up piece of paper, and unrolled it on Norman's desk. "This is a map of Octo Canyon." Skul faced him. "I thought Octo Canyon was abandoned?" He faced her. "I thought so, too. But evidently, twelve years ago, the main reactor in the central dome went active. Octavio initially dismissed it as Salmonid scavengers. This is where it gets interesting." Skul and Choco faced him.
Khan said, "The reactor went active the same day as the attack on Aika Village, a few hours later. I've sent scouts to check the integrity of the dome. It appears to be intact, but they weren't able to get in. The kettle entrance is sealed from the inside." Skul shrugged. "So we go in from another dome." Khan nodded. "My thought exactly. Here's what I had in mind. As a Sector Commander, I can reactivate the reactor of one of the adjacent domes, but only for a short time. Otherwise, we would be detected."
Skul nodded. Norman's phone went off. He answered it. "Yes?" He listened. "Who?" He continued to listen. "When?" Listening some more, he said, "Thank you for calling me right away, Warden." He said goodbye, then hung up the phone. "Secrecy is even more important now. Octavio has just escaped from prison." Choco piped up at that. "How?" Norman replied, "His prison cell was in Ravencroft. A squad of Octolings broke him out. He's probably in Octo Valley." Skul and Choco both groaned.
Facing Khan, Skul said, "Let me know when you're ready. We'll head to Octo Canyon as soon as I let the rest of the team know." Khan nodded. Skul and Choco left the office, and Skul could see the anger in Choco's eyes. She gently touched his shoulder, and he faced her. "We'll get him for good this time." He nodded. "And this time, I won't even give him a warning." Skul nodded. "Let's go tell the others." They bumped into Sagaci, who was sitting in a bench by the tower.
She faced Skul. "Heading somewhere?" Skul faced her. "Sagaci, no." Fishy happened to walk over. "Haven't you learned by now how stubborn Octolings can be?" Skul sighed. "Fine..." Facing Sagaci, she said, "But I want you next to me at all times." Sagaci nodded. Choco thought that over. "I should've said that to Kayla..." Skul faced him. "You did. She didn't listen." Choco remembered. "Oh, yeah, that's right." They went to meet up with Crystal and the others, and left for Octo Canyon.
(Octo Canyon, a few moments later)
Crystal shivered. "This place gives me the creeps..." Skul nodded. "It was abandoned twenty years ago, because of a really bad-smelling liquid. That's how Octo Gorge and Octo Ravine were founded." Fishy asked, "Wait, where's Octo Gorge?" Skul faced him. "You know where Inkopolis Park is, right?" Fishy nodded. "Yeah." Skul continued. "There's a sewer grate that leads to it. I don't know for sure how good the security is there, so we'll not go there if we don't have to."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Skul gestured for everyone to follow her. They reached the dome that had been specified for entry, and Skul raised her comm. "We're ready." Khan's voice came over it. "Reactivating the dome's power. Go ahead." They climbed in, and they drew their weapons, Skul holding the B-Rush, Choco holding Squiffy, Fishy holding the Clash Blaster, Crystal holding the Gold Dynamo Roller, GG holding the Spattershot, Vian holding the Dark Tetra Dualies, and Sagaci holding her Splattershot Jr.
Vian took note of the walls, and asked, "Do all domes look like this?" Skul sighed. "Most do. A few domes are almost completely open wide, to serve as stages for Great Octoweapons. Those things are very powerful. I'm surprised Octavio didn't use any during the battle two years ago." Sagaci took note of something. "Hey, look. Octo Canyon Octoleet Armor." Skul looked it over. "It's not the same as my armor. But, I guess souvenirs couldn't hurt." They each took a set, and moved on.
They reached the entrance into the central dome, and Sagaci said, "Hey, I think the door's locked." Skul thought it over, then faced GG. "GG?" He faced her. "Yeah?" She said, "Could you shift into your squid form for a minute? I've got an idea." He nodded. "Okay." He shifted into his squid form, and Skul picked him up, and said, "Nothing personal, GG." She walked up to the door, and slammed GG into it, causing the door to open. He shifted back into his Inkling form, rubbing his head.
Sagaci couldn't help but giggle. GG groaned, and held his head. "My ears are bleeding right now..." He got up, and they walked in. Skul thumbed her comm. "We're in." Khan replied, "Good. You should know where the reactor room is, but be careful. We don't know who's down here." Skul nodded. "We'll keep our eyes open." Facing the others after ending the call, she said, "Sagaci, in the middle. Vian, Kyle, on the left and right. Everybody else, behind them, except me, I've got point."
They walked into the reactor room with no incident, and found an Inkling man sleeping on a cot near the reactor. Skul dropped B-Rush in her shock, and Sagaci covered her mouth. Skul gently approached him, and knelt beside him. "D-Dad?" Shurtugal Kulina remained asleep, oblivious to the fact that he had guests. Khan's voice came over the comm. "Team B-Rush, did you find the cause of the reactor?" Skul raised it. "It's my father. He's here, alive." Khan's surprised gasp was heard by everyone, except Shurtugal.
"Then you need to get him out. He probably returned to Aika Village, and found it in ruins, and came here out of shame. See if you can trigger his nerve impulse." Skul sighed. "I can't. It's in his left heel, unlike most Inklings, and he's wearing boots. If I tried to, it would probably wake him up." He started to stir. Skul grimaced. "Carp... Sorry, gotta go." She shut off the comm, and faced the others. "No time to hide." They nodded, and waited. Shurtugal opened his eyes, and saw Skul's face.
His first reaction was to crawl as far away from her as possible, before hitting his head on the wall, and gripped his head. He then looked up, and recognized the Inkbrush. He faced her, out of shock. "S-Susan?" She nodded. "Hi, Dad..." He then noticed Sagaci, and correctly guessed who she was. "You're my daughter, too, aren't you?" Sagaci nodded. "I'm Sagaciā¦" Shurtugal smiled lightly. "That's a beautiful name. You're because of that Octoling woman, aren't you?"
Sagaci nodded. Shurtugal took note of the others. Facing Skul, he asked, "Who are all of these?" Skul said, "The one with the Squiffer is Kyle Milk." Shurtugal looked at him. "Are you related to Caramel Milk?" Choco nodded. "He's my father. Strawberry is my mother." Shurtugal nodded. "It's very nice to meet you, young man." Skul sighed in relief. Shurtugal, from the sigh of relief, put two and two together. "You two are courting, I take it?" Skul nodded. "Going on two years."
Shurtugal faced Choco, and said, "That takes commitment. I'll have to give you the traditional questionnaire, but that can wait until later." Fishy walked forward. Shurtugal faced him. "And who might you be?" Fishy replied, "I'm Fishy Fisher." Upon Shurtugal's confused expression, he said, "I'm from Seabass City." Shurtugal said, "Ah, I understand now. Thank you." He looked over the rest. "And the others?" Vian stepped forward. "I go by Viantastic, but my friends call me Vian."
Shurtugal nodded. "I'll remember that." GG stepped forward. "Hello. I'm Gabriel Gaming, but my friends call me GG." Crystal walked forward a bit. "I'm Crystal Bayonetta, but I'm known in Ink Battles as The Goddess." Shurtugal nodded, and faced Skul. "So I suspect that the seven of you are a team?" Skul nodded. "Everybody except Sagaci, because she just started playing Turf Wars." Shurtugal nodded, and asked, "Is your mother all right?" Skul nodded. "We live in the same building. I'm on the fifth floor, she's on the first. Sagaci's staying with me for now."
Shurtugal nodded. Choco looked at the door. "We've got company. Four squads, all with Octo Shots." Skul grinned. "We've taken on more than that. Octavio needs to up his game." Khan's voice came on the comm. "Bad news, Octavio knows you're there. He sent four squads to eliminate you." Skul answered, "They're close. We're heading back to Inkopolis. See if you can slow them down." Khan's voice replied, "I'll do my best." Shurtugal faced Skul, confused. "Who is that?"
Skul replied, "That's Commander Julius Khan. He's the man who raised me as his own daughter." Shurtugal looked ashamed, but Skul said, "Come on, Mom misses you." They made their way to the kettle, and met the squads about halfway there. Shurtugal had no weapon, and Skul raised the B-Rush. "Ready when you are, scrubs." The four squads flinched, but made no other reaction. Choco had Squiffy ready. "Come on. We've got plans for this evening."
The four squads attacked, and were quickly Splatted from the right. The eight faced the shooter, an Octoling with black hair tentacles, and eyes like Octavio. Sagaci glared at her. "You." Skul quickly guessed who it was. "Octavia, I presume?" Octavia faced them. "Shurtugal's firstborn." Sagaci looked ready to attack, but Skul held her back. Facing Octavia, she said, "You're the worst mother I've ever heard of." Octavia nodded. "Yes, I am, and it took me years to realize that."
They faced her. Octavia continued. "I left Sagaci in the eastern hills, knowing she would be found, and brought to Inkopolis. There, she could build her own life." Skul kept her gaze on her. "We don't have time for this. The dome's reactor is offline. It's gonna collapse." Octavia nodded. Looking Skul in the eyes, she said, "Look after her." With that, she set off a Splat Bomb on herself, and her ghost flew away. Skul led the others out, and they reached Inkopolis safely.
A/N
It took me almost two hours to write this. Here you go.
