Belonging

I can't believe you got tickets!
This'll be their first EVER full concert!
They've even got another band doing their intro!

I know, right? The tickets are even pink and green!
I stood in line for hours.

If I give you money, can you bring me back a souvenir?
Splatfests are amazing, but a real concert, on a stage...

Chill, dude.
I got two tix.
You're coming with.

Really? But... but...

No buts.
You're the closest friend I've got. I'm keeping you with me.
Just like Callie and Marie.

"Everyone ready?" Marie asks.

Callie flicks her roller a few times. "Ready."

Three double-checks their grip on the hero shot. "As ever."

Sheldon backs up a few steps. "The containment forcefield should hold everyone in this area for ten minutes."

Gramps nods. "And if all else fails, splattage. Let's do this."

"Okay." Marie pulls out her phone. "On three. One, two..."

On three, each of them presses the appropriate button on their phone. The top of the snowglobe rises up, freeing DJ Octavio, as the forcefield springs to life around all of them, Sheldon standing just outside it.

"DJ," Marie says, her grip steady on her charger. "I have a few questions for you."

The Octarian King snorts and crosses two of his tentacles, propping another two on his hips. "Or what? You'll splat me? Then you'll never find out."

"I don't need to splat you," says Three. "I beat you up thrice already, and it wasn't even half the exercise I get at my after-school job."

Marie shoots Three a look, and Three quiets, muttering under their breath. She lowers her charger and steps forward; Gramps has his own charger, he's got her covered, and if she needs more Callie and Three are waiting. "How long have you been brainwashing your people?"

Octavio's eyes widen. Then he scowls at her. "How long have I what?"

"Been brainwashing your people," Marie says. She reaches into her hoodie pocket and pulls out the broken goggles. "We've finished examining these, so you may as well have them back." She stretches out the band and snaps the goggles straight at Octavio; it hits right at his folded tentacles with a light thud.

Octavio grabs them before they hit the ground. His ink pales, but he continues glaring at her. "These are only supposed to be used by off-duty recruits."

Marie raises an eyebrow. "Sheldon?"

"The memory card contained references to sixteen training routines and over a dozen routine exercises," he supplies at once.

Octavio pales further. "So? It's for younger recruits. Low ranking. Keeping our newest members entertained is a hassle, and we don't have the luxury of," he snarls, "fun turf wars. Giving them games to play that ensure they handle boring tasks helps the army."

That almost holds up, except that Marina mentioned seaweed. "We took them off an elite," she says. "Care to try again?"

Octavio steps off the snow globe pedestal, towards her. Marie doesn't flinch as he takes a second step, then a third, glaring down at her all the while. "Your sad little splatoon thinks they know anything?" he snarls, coming closer; Marie refuses to back up. "You know nothing, about my people, about our struggles—"

"That's far enough," Gramps says. A charger's laser settles on Octavio's chest.

Octavio growls but stops. "You have no right to judge us."

Marie refuses to flinch. "Every soldier I've ever faced has worn identical goggles."

"Because we need some relief from the ugliness and pain you inklings force on us!" He growls again and starts to move, but a shot from Three hits his side, and he stops, moving his attention and switching to Octarian. "Next time, you slimy hipster, I'm going to—" the sentence dissolves into an anger-filled rant Marie can't keep up with, fluent in Octarian or no. Gramps and Callie can probably make something of it.

"Two minutes," calls Sheldon.

Right. "Back up," Marie says. "Time for you to—"

"NO!"

Marie dives to the side and squids as Octavio charges at her, only to be met by roller and hero shot. Gramps waits, the point of his charger never losing its beam on Octavio's chest, as the two of them corral Octavio back in his snow globe. She's got her own charger back again, aimed right between his eyes—a smaller target, but one she knows she can hit, and one he values even though it doesn't have anything important.

They've got him back in the snowglobe, cursing them and half-covered in blue ink, just as the forcefield gives. Marie wipes sweat off her forehead and nods at the others.

Gramps nods back and opens the door to the shack. They file in together, Sheldon pausing only to retrieve the goggles He hands them to Callie, then leaves to go back to Ammo Knights.

Once the door is closed and Octavio can't hear them, the four of them are so close no one can sit down, but it doesn't matter. "What did you make of that, Agent Two?" Gramps asks her.

Marie shakes her head. "Based on what we know he was lying about, and what caused him to rage, we can assume that those goggles are used on a lot of Octarians." She extends a hand for them; Callie passes them over. "From the things Sheldon and I could tease out, they're definitely used to make dull tasks—resource gathering, traveling from place to place—more appealing. There were even protocols for meals."

Callie grins. "So they really do make broccoli taste like chocolate?"

"We couldn't find anything to influence taste," Marie says, grinning and poking Cal's shoulder, "though enough parts were broken that sure, maybe."

"But if you put them on, you may lose the ability to tell friend from foe," Gramps says, his mouth tightening.

Three clears their throat. "I'd be, um, if I go in the field with One and Two we could, uh, without splatting an Octoling take some—"

"That would help with the research," Marie murmurs.

"No, I mean, uh," Three closes their eyes. "I could wear some. And then I could tell—"

"Absolutely not."

Marie immediately drops the goggles she's holding, folds her hands in front of her, and ducks her head before remembering she's not ten and it's not even her Gramps is scolding.

When she looks up, Three's squidded themself onto the floor. They take a deep breath and cross their tentacles, even as they sweat gobs of ink. "We need to know what the goggles do. So we can deal with them. And I can be spa—"

"No, you can't," interrupts Callie, looking just as angry as Gramps, and Marie almost squids herself at the fury in Cal's voice. "Every member of this splatoon is essential. Marie and I gather intelligence, build trust, and keep the world from knowing what's going on. We're excellent fighters. But we cannot disappear into the field for weeks anymore." No one moves under the force of Callie's words for several moments. At last Callie adds, her voice soft, "We need you, Three."

Three's whole body flushes dark. "But—I mean—I can't do anything anymore. I can fight, sure, but I'm just useless when the Octarians are quiet and—"

"Part of being a secret agent is spending time doing nothing," Marie says, getting on one knee and almost bumping her head on Gramp's cane. She takes two of Three's tentacles in her hands and squeezes them. "Once a month, Callie and I go around to every known kettle entrance and just go inside, check for any new footprints or activity. We keep an eye on the security around the zapfish. But because we're the good guys, unless they do something, we can't."

"Or unless we find a real lead to follow," Gramps says. "Mark my words, we will, and we need you ready when that comes. Keep yourself healthy, strong, and ready."

Three doesn't say anything, but moves closer to Marie, using the tentacles Marie's holding to hug her. Marie freezes, because oh squit, what does she do now? Three mumbles into her neck, "I just feel so useless," and Marie is not ready to handle this.

Callie drops to her knees beside them and wraps her arms around both of them at once, prompting Marie to give Three a proper hug as well. Callie asks, "Do you think Sheldon's useless? He's never been in the field. Or Gramps? Or me?" Three shakes their head after each question, their head firm against Marie's shoulder.

"Callie and I will keep our eyes and ears open for any hints of, well, anything that could affect Inkopolis," Marie says. "But we'll be busy. You and Gramps have to investigate them."

"And if there are any promising leads, anything that may take more than a day, we'll go together," Gramps adds, rapping his cane on the floor. "You have my word."

Even so, it's a long time before Three wants them to let go.