An Inkling of Sympathy Ch. 19

AN: Hello everyone! Sorry it took me so long to update this story. At any rate, we're coming towards the end. I do intend to finish the story I assure you. I know I've not much right to ask, but I've recently come into something of a financial bind. My job is only granting me part-time now, and I'm not going to make enough for living. I've set up a Pratreon under the name Kiba Elunal. You can find it by searching, and it'd be a massive help to pledge whatever you can. Even a dollar a month can mean a lot. If you don't have any money, that's fine. You can show your support simply by following my Pratreon for free. I'm going to be starting a new blog soon for Fanfiction. I'll be reading less popular fanfictions and giving them a full critique. There are rules which you can find on my Twitter: KibaElunal. I hope you enjoy. Thank you for all of your support. -Kiba

I stood there absolutely stunned. Just as I was talking with Steph, I'd heard another voice followed by an audible slap across the transceiver. I tightened my fist as the man threatened her again. Was this her father? No, he was merely the man who conceived her. A true father wouldn't strike his child this way.

"Lusca, what's wrong?" Sheldon asked, a look of concern on his face. "You're very pale."

"I've got something to handle," I growled, moving towards the door.

"What are you going to do, Lusca? If it's something that may result in violence, you need to stay here. You cannot be trusted to control yourself. So long as you are marked…"

"Yeah, yeah. I know: possessed by an evil entity from the cosmos. Have you made any progress on the weapon?"

"Not yet, we still need a few things to complete the weapon."

"Great, get me a list and I'll fetch it while I'm out."

"Lusca…"

"What Sheldon?"

"What are you going to do?"

I paused, taking a moment to calm myself. Chaos breeds power, I reminded myself. "I'm going to get Agent 3. She's in trouble and needs my help. No violence, just a stealth mission. I'll even leave my guns here if it'll make you feel better."

Sheldon thought about it for a moment before nodding. "Yes. That would make me feel better."

"Fine," I agreed, placing them on the table before heading towards the door. "Are Callie and Marie still talking in the room?"

"Yes. I haven't heard any shouting yet, so that's a good sign. Cthylla hasn't seemed to advanced in condition either. We may still have time as long as we avoid any sort of disharmony among the team."

"The list, Sheldon," I reminded him.

"Oh right!" Quickly scribbling the components onto a piece of paper he passed it to me. "Normally, I'd be against any sort of stealing, but I imagine that this is far more important than someone's profits. If things get dicey though, just get out of there. Don't fight back, just leave."

"Got it," I grumbled, stuffing the list into my pocket and walking out the door. Soon, I was standing outside of Steph's home, staring up at her room's window. The lights were still on, but I didn't know if she was there.

Camouflaged, I scaled the drainpipe on the side of the house, silently opening her window and making my way inside. She lay on the bed, curled up into a ball. Soft sniffling sounds came from her hunched over figure as my eyes went to her bedroom door. I couldn't hear anybody coming from downstairs, so it didn't seem he'd been discovered.

He was in awe of her room. Covered from bottom to top were various posters and stickers, from Callie and Marie, to other bands like Squid Squad, Bob Dub, Chirpy Chips, and Hightide Era. Hanging from various surfaces were gold medals and she had a plethora of trophies on her shelves.

Leaning closer to one to read the inscription, I had to almost stifle a laugh. Her full name was Stephalopod? I could see why she preferred to keep it a secret now. Making my way back to her, I slowly placed my hand over her mouth, causing her to freeze as she tried to cry out. "Shh," I instructed her.

As my body regained visibility the panic in her eyes subceeded. Slowly removing my hand for her, she just stared up at me in complete shock that I was standing there beside her.

"Hey squiddo," I whispered. "I came to check on you. I heard what happened through the radio."

"Oh…" she murmured, her cheeks lighting up in embarrassment. "Sorry…"

"Sorry?"

"I...I can't fight...him."

"Your dad?"

She nodded. Steph knew that it was stupid. She could fight off entire battalions of enemy Octarian troops, but when it came to one Inkling: a stupid, slow, drunk Inkling, she froze up every time. Her hands shook, her body went rigid, and every attempt to move her limbs was completely ignored by her brain.

Despite Sheldon's warning, I had half a mind to go drag him out of whatever hole he was hiding in, but I managed to reign that impulse in. Instead, I smiled at Steph. "Hey, you want to get out of here?" I asked, nodding to the window.

"Wh-what?" she stammered in surprise, blushing even more.

"I've got a mission for us. Nothing too strenuous. Probably won't even see any action, but if I'm being perfectly honest with you, I'm a little scared of the dark. I'd be a lot better off with another agent at my side."

She knew I was lying. I could see it in her eyes the moment the words left my lips, but even still, she sheepishly agreed. Standing up from her bed, she quickly pulled out her trunk that she kept hidden beneath her bed. Putting on her gear, she went to the window before craning her head as if to listen for her parents.

When there was no sound, she slipped out the window and slid down the pipe before waiting for me in her lawn. Following after her, I pulled Sheldon's list from my pocket before offering it to her. "Now, I know you're normally a pretty good kid. Think you're up for a little mischief?"

She nodded, taking my hand with hers. I squeezed it reassuringly, heading down the street to begin our search for the components.


Sitting beside her cousin, Callie and Marie stayed huddled close together, their arms wrapped around one another in a loving embrace. "I was so worried about you," Callie whined as she nuzzled against her.

"I know, Callie," Marie replied patting her reassuringly on the back. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you." Smiling, she pulled away from her cousin. "So...don't think I didn't notice."

"Notice what?"

"The hickey Lusca gave you," she giggled. "Getting pretty serious, are we?"

"Maybe," Callie blushed. "You're not mad, are you?"

"Mad? No, no. I've already given Lusca my blessing. I think you two make a good couple," she assured her. "Seriously."

"Thanks, Marie...that means a lot."

"You don't sound too thrilled by the news. Is something wrong?"

"Yes," she sighed. "I don't know if Lusca feels the same way. What if he doesn't want to...you know…"

"Stick around once all this is over?" Marie finished for her. The older popstar nodded somberly. "Well, as his best friend…"

"You're his best friend?"

"Shush. As his best friend, I can promise you, he is wondering the same thing. He's concerned about whether or not it will work too."

"But...if that's the case, then how can it possibly work out?"

Scratching her tentacles, Mari pondered the issue for a moment. "Well, you could always fake being pregnant," she suggested, causing Callie to shoot her a glare. "Kidding! I was kidding! Look, you really want to know how to make Lusca stick around?"

"Yes!"

"Tell him you want him to stick around. It's really not that complicated."

Callie gave a huff as she sank back on to the bed. "But what about…"

"Does it matter?" Marie asked. Callie quickly fell silent again. "See? Anytime you start to psych yourself out, just ask if it's more important to you than he is."

"But what if it's more important to him than I am?" she murmured.

"Callie, we've known him for a week. In that week, he has betrayed his people, killed his fellow soldiers, and even took on the entire police force! Do you know why?"

She shook her head, her long black tentacles swirling around her.

"You're so oblivious," Marie groaned. "He did it for you, Callie. He's always been crazy about you, even if you don't believe it, even if he won't admit it, it's obvious! You redirected that Ink Strike and you showed him sympathy and you were the one who stuck up for him every time something happened. You have jumped to protect him at every turn, even from me! He loves you, Callie. And I think you love him, too."

Callie's hearts pounded in her chest at her cousin's words. Did she really? In her chest, she could feel her very soul saying that she did. But in addition to that certainty there was the fear. There was the worry that he, while having done all of the things Marie said, also would slowly lose interest in her.

"Yes," she finally breathed. "I do love him. I wish that none of this stuff had ever happened, but if we fail…"

"Don't talk like that, Callie."

"No Marie. Seriously. If we fail...I'd die knowing that I was glad to get to spend at least a week with him. I just hope that I don't lose the Lusca that I love to this stupid mark."

"Well, if you're that worried about it, why not go talk to him? He's right outside."

"Y-yeah! I should go talk to him," she grinned brightly.

"That's the spirit!"

Callie tore open the door, her golden eyes sparkling brightly only to find that the living room was empty, save Sheldon and Cthylla. "Sheldon? Where's Lusca?"

"He went out," he replied nonchalantly, tinkering with whatever device he was working on. "He said he had something important to do, and that he'd bring me back supplies once he got back. He didn't really specify where."

"And you let him?!" Callie cried in a panic, running for her gear. "I'm going to go find him! Marie can you stay here with Sheldon and Cthylla?"

"Gotcha," she replied, sinking onto a loveseat and opening a magazine.

"Wait, Callie!"

"You won't stop me, Sheldon! Who knows what could happen if he's alone! For all we know that mark may overtake him completely and he'll be gone forever. I have to make sure he's safe." Before the horseshoe crab could protest further, Callie had already bounded out the door, disguised and in her notorious tracking mode.

Noting the crab was half-tempted to run after her, Marie reminded him, "Chaos among the team makes things worse, Sheldon. Best to just let her go."


Agent 3 couldn't keep herself from smiling as we strolled along the road in the moonlight. I wanted to try to make some sort of conversation with her. "So, I saw you really like music," I noted, unsure where even I was going with the topic. "You must have been pretty thrilled to find out you were working with Callie and Marie, right?"

"Yes," she admitted quietly. "They are my favorite."

"Understandable," I mused. "Do you ever go to their concerts?"

"I've been to every single one," she beamed.

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"You know the one where their power cut out after the first song?"

"Yes?"

"That was me. I was powering their concert, but I got sick. They had to leave because they were rushing me back to Captain Cuttlefish for treatment. Pretty amazing of them considering I was their enemy."

"Why?"

I blinked. "Why what?"

"Why were you their enemy?"

I scratched my newly formed tentacles, thinking how best to explain. "Well, you know the story of the Octarians and the Inklings, right? I don't know how long you've been working for the Captain, but I assume you're sent on raids to get Zapfish."

"Yes. There was a war and the Inklings were losing. But then someone unplugged the Octarian war machine and the Inklings won and drove them underground."

"Very accurate. When we were driven underground, we struggled to survive. At first, we had plenty of zapfish, but as time went on and Inkopolis and Octo Valley grew in size, we had something of a miniature war start. Inkopolis wanted more Zapfish, Octo Valley wanted more Zapfish. I've no idea who stole the first one from the other side, but soon we were going back and forth. Only problem is, it was a rather one-sided fight. A handful of Inklings are easy to get undetected through our defenses. The same can't be said of an Octarian Battle Vehicle. Our leader became desperate, so he began drafting us. That's what happened to me."

"Lusca?"

"Hmm?"

Her eyes were angled at her feet as she fidgeted nervously with her skirt. "Do you...hate Inklings?"

I was completely shocked by the question, more so because it accurately captured the entire struggle I'd experienced over the week. "To be honest, squiddo...if you'd asked me that a week ago, the answer would probably have been, 'yes'."

"But…?" she led hopefully.

I smiled at her. "But, then I fell in love. In Octo Valley, there is a lot of propaganda about Inklings. Most of it is nonsense, and we know it. Like that you don't have brains or that you eat our babies and what not. Some of it though...some of it makes sense, or at least it did. We were always taught that the Inklings were enemies and that everyone on the surface was plotting to destroy us. They stole our zapfish not because they needed them, but because they wanted us to suffer more."

"You fell in love?" she asked, her eyes wide and sparkling. Funny, I wouldn't have pegged her for a romantic. "With who?"

"With Callie," I grinned. "I met them when they came to take a zapfish to power their concert. I tried to stop them, but they'd tricked me and cut my inkline. They asked me to point out the zapfish's location in return for my release. I thought I was being clever, by sending them into the city."

"What happened?"

"Turns out, their map was the guidance system for an Inkstrike. They were going to use the explosion to pinpoint the direction to go. When I realized it, I begged them to abort the strike. Thousands of innocent Octarians would have died."

"So I did," a voice said behind us, causing us to wheel about in surprise. Standing there in her disguise was Callie, a big grin on her face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your story," she giggled.

"Callie, what are you doing here?" I asked. When she frowned, I quickly added, "Not that I'm not happy to see you."

That seemed to cheer her up as she came to my other side to nudge me with her hips. "I wanted to come and make sure you didn't get into any more trouble. What are you two up to? Telling the story of how we first met?"

"Lusca's in love," Steph explained, causing Callie's eyes to sparkle as she looked at me.

"Oh, is he?"

Realizing her snafu, Agent 3 immediately fell quiet again. "Well...that cat's out of the bag, now," I said nervously.

"Say it."

"What?"

"I want to hear you say it," she repeated, poking my cheek. "Please?"

Now I was really blushing. Clearing my throat, I couldn't believe how nervous I felt all of a sudden. "I...love you," I muttered under my breath.

"Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you," Callie giggled.

I took a deep breath before staring directly into her bright golden eyes. "Callie Cuttlefish...I love you. I love you very much."

Her grin grew even bigger as Steph looked from one of us to the other curious to see what would happen next. Callie, draped her arms around my neck, resting her forehead against mine. "Lusca Who's-Last-Name-I-Can't-Remember, I love you, too. I also love you very much." With that, she leaned closer, pressing her lips against mine.

As we parted, I saw the wide-eyed Steph staring in awe at the two of us. "What's up with you?" I scoffed, embarrassed.

"So cute!" she whined sending Callie into another giggling fit.

"That's what Lusca first said about you too, Agent 3."

Almost immediately, Steph became incredibly flustered. "N-no! I'm not…"

"You totally are," I teased, thankful to have the spotlight thrown on someone else. "Seriously though, doesn't your boyfriend think you're cute?"

"I...don't have a boyfriend…"

"Oh?" Callie asked, catching on to my teasing. "That's odd? I could have sworn you had a crush on whats-his-name. The one you're always hanging around at the tournaments?"

"T-tako?! N-n-no, we're just friends!" she stammered her cheeks now bright blue in embarrassment.

"Riiiight," I teased, until I noticed that she was starting to tear up. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"We...we are just friends," she sniffled. "I wouldn't...I don't…"

"Woah, woah, it's okay Steph," I assured her. "We were just teasing you. If you say you don't have a crush on him, we believe you. Okay?"

She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "Sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong. If you don't mind, why were you so upset?"

"Feel free not to answer that," I added.

Nudging the ground with her foot, she meekly replied, "I'm not allowed to talk to boys."

Another pang of anger flushed through me. What was up with her parents? Noticing my expression, Callie quickly squeezed my hand to calm me down. She was worried about the mark, understandably.

"Well, I can honestly say Steph, that if I were Tako, I'd probably have a crush on you." She blushed again before clearing her throat and offering me the list as a reminder of our mission. "Oh, right. Thanks. Hey Callie, want to help us pull off a robbery? We're going to go steal some stuff for Sheldon."

"Sure, sounds like fun," she beamed, following us as we made our preparations.

When we reached the electronic store, the three of us were in our disguises and ready for our first major crime. Well, their first major crime. Moving around to the side of the building, I opened up the panel and cut the power, deactivating the security cameras and alarms. Flashing the two girls a thumbs up, Steph sprayed a trail of ink up the wall, allowing her and Callie to swim up it. I stayed on the ground, cloaked and keeping watch out for any signs of trouble.

On the rooftops, the two stood around the entry point: an A/C duct wide enough for them to fit through in squid form. With the security measures disabled, the typical anti-burglary measures wouldn't even slow them down.

As they slipped through the vents, Callie's tentacle again got caught, causing her to squirm before finally falling with a thud on to the ground. "Are you okay?" Steph asked, helping her to her feet.

"Y-yeah, I'm just a ditz," Callie answered. Picking up her radio, she pushed the button. "Hey Lusca, we're in. Any sign of life out there? Over."

"Not yet. Over."

"Good. Over and out." Tucking the radio back on her belt, she began gathering the items on the list as Steph trailed in her wake.

"Can you tell me the rest of the story?" she finally asked.

"Hmm? What story?"

"The one of how you and Lusca, met."

"Oh! Yeah, I guess so. So, after I aborted the inkstrike, we captured Lusca to make him lead us to the zapfish. I was trying to be nice and talk to him, but Marie and I had an argument about it. Because of that, he managed to sneak away. He prepared an ambush for us when we got to the zapfish, and he managed to shut down our weapons. It was just us three, and we thought he was going to kill us, but instead he offered a trade: he'd power our concert if we promised not to take the zapfish. Lusca has the ability to store electricity in his body, kind of like a battery, so he absorbed some from the zapfish and came with us as our prisoner."

"He told me about the concert. Was he the guard who let you go when you were captured by Octarians?"

Callie giggled. 'We were never captured by Octarians," she confessed. "While he was helping us with the concert, he lost one of his tentacles and Judd found it. He thought Octarians had disguised themselves and swapped places with us, so we were arrested for treason. They were going to just lock us up in Octanamo Bay, but Lusca mounted a rescue and got us out." Her smile then faded as she recalled some of the events. "It didn't go as planned. One of the guards there was cruel and told Lusca on the radio that if Lusca didn't stand down, he'd kill Marie and I. So, when they fought, Lusca killed him. It was something that really bothered him...and me."

Steph could feel the hurt coming from Callie, so she quickly tried to move her along. "Then what happened? You had the free concert, right? With the water?"

The popstar beamed. "That was Lusca, too. A squad of Octolings found out he was still here, so they wanted to assassinate us by mixing toxic ink powder into the water. It was supposed to be confetti, by the way."

"But he stopped them, right?" Steph asked excitedly.

"Sort of. Originally, he was going to help them but at the last second, he changed his mind. He had to fight off his entire team, until he actually killed all of them, but one. We caught him red-handed with the ink pack, so we couldn't trust him. We locked him up at Gramps' house. To make a long story short, things were a little rocky, then things got weird, and now...well, things are still weird, but at least I still have Lusca."

"Wow," Agent 3 whispered. "Does Marie still hate Lusca?"

"In her own way, Marie probably loves Lusca more than I do," she admitted. "She was always suspicious of him, but at the same time, the two of them really connected. He even saved her life once. She ended up having a huge crush on him, but he wasn't interested in her. Though he did steal her first kiss."

"Really?" Steph squealed. "But...I thought he liked you."

"At first, he had a hard time choosing," Callie admitted. "But then I was injured, and he came to talk to me. When I found out they kissed, it really made me sad, because I had a crush on him, too. He told me that it didn't mean anything though, and it didn't, but that was when he kissed me for the first time." Remembering the moment, she blushed brightly. "It was the most wonderful kiss I'd ever gotten."

The younger agent just smiled softly as she gathered the last of the parts. Making their way back out of the store, they rejoined me on the street. "Great work guys, now let's head back and…" I paused suddenly going rigid.

"Lusca?" Callie asked. "What's wrong?"

I said nothing, but one look into my eyes told Cally that we had trouble coming. The bright yellow of my irises were practically glowing in the darkness. "Take Steph and get back to Sheldon, now," I commanded.

"What is it? What's coming?"

"Trouble. Just get out of here. If I come with you it'll follow us."

"Well, at least take my gun," she argued, starting to take off her pack, but I quickly pushed it back towards her.

"No, that's what it wants. If I'm violent, then I'll lose more control. This thing works for the crest. I can feel it. Don't worry, I'll figure something out."

"Okay," she agreed in a hushed tone. Reluctantly, she took Agent 3 by the hand and ran with her back towards the cottage.

Now that they were to safety, I disguised myself, slipping through the alleyways in order to try to locate the thing that had popped up on my strange radar sense. I wanted to ensure that we bumped into each other on my terms, rather than its.

Making my way through the shadows, I could hear footsteps coming my direction. Changing my course, I began to lure it towards Inkopolis Plaza. The more open area I got, the more mobility I'd have over the thing.

Considering the time, the streets were absolutely empty. I couldn't sense a single soul save the creature following me. Blending in with my surroundings I waited patiently for my pursuer to arrive. Alright Lusca, strategies? Can't fight with it. Can't hide from it, most likely. Running will just bring danger to the others. So, plans? My eyes flowed up the large tower beside the Inkopolis News Station.

Maybe I could lure it up there and just...shove it off? Somehow I doubted it would be so simple, not to mention if this thing was anything like Inklings or Octolings, it'd just land with a plop and be perfectly fine.

It was approaching now. It would be here any second. My current wasn't much. I probably couldn't fry it if I wanted to, and I really didn't want to. Even if I managed to survive, Callie and Marie would be absolutely furious for doing something so risky. Maybe Cthylla...no. I wasn't involving anyone else in this.

It was coming around the corner now. I braced myself for my enemy. I didn't want to fight, but surely defending myself couldn't hurt? I just had to find a way to keep my head. Easier said than done.

My hearts pounded in my chest as the figure rounded the corner to reveal Major Miranda and she was unarmed. Walking forward into the plaza, I removed my camouflage. "Miranda," I growled. "What do you want with me?"

Her head turned towards me very slowly, her eyes glowing a piercing yellow. "Lusca…" she murmured, almost like a whisper. "I've found you."

Something was very wrong here. She looked like Miranda, but something about her seemed incredibly off. "What do you want?" I repeated.

She walked towards me, keeping absolutely silent as her arm raised out towards me in a beckoning motion. "Come to me," she requested. "Fulfill your purpose."

"You're working for him aren't you?!" I demanded. "For Hastur? When we fought last, you got a piece of the mark. That's why I've become more lucid."

"He is our master," she explained softly. "I know what you fear...but he is not your enemy," she swore, coming ever closer. Her fingers trailed delicately on the handrail as she circled me. She didn't seem to be advancing. "He hates the Destroyer, just as you do, Lusca. He too does not wish to see this realm ended."

"Then what does he want?" I demanded.

"To protect this place. He wishes to keep it safe from all outside invaders, and he has selected you, by divine mercy and glory to craft you into his vessel, but still you resist. You could have the whole world, just by giving in to the mark's power."

"It wouldn't be me."

"A small sacrifice for the greater good," she breathed. "That's what you're about, right? Sacrificing yourself for those you care about. That's why you sent the other two away, isn't it?"

"I swear, if you go after Callie, I'll…"

"Peace, Lusca. Comply and I swear to you, she will not be harmed. You will be able to bring her to your side as the leader of this new world. You would be their King, and her their Queen. Is that not what you want?"

"Meow, meow, hiss." (Do not listen to this foul creature's lies, Lusca! She is 'That-Which-Hunts-From-Afar'. A slave to Hastur and leader of the Byakshee. She seeks to twist your mind and force you under her Master's whim.)

"Judd?" I snapped in shock. I hadn't even sensed his arrival. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, poor thing...it seems he is hungry," Miranda cooed. Realizing that Lusca could not understand him was something she intended to capitalize on. "Come, Lusca. Let us get something to eat for this beast."

With a flick of Judd's tail, Miranda's arm hurtled through the air to land with a sickening thud on the ground, much to Lusca's horror. "Meow, meow, hiss, meow." (I swear to you Lusca, I am on your side. Focus on me clearly that you may hear my words. I cannot protect you from her for long. If you care for the Sisters, you must fight.)

How was I going to protect Judd and myself from Miranda without fighting? Something had sliced off her arm, too. Did that mean Cthulu's forces were nearby also. Lusca began to feel very afraid. Right now, his best option seemed to be running, but if he ran, he knew it would only be a matter of time before the the thing that was once Miranda would catch up with him. His first priority would be getting Judd to safety. After that...well, he didn't know what he would do.

To be continued...