On a rooftop in a snowy weather, Agent 3.4 is dashing as fast as he could while ploughing through the sanitised octarians and fires his Hero Charger at the sanitised Octochoppers and Missile Octocopters.

Agent 3.4 locks his target while running forward and slides at the end of a single building and point and charges his Hero Charger at a car where Agent 4 is hanging on.

"Four… Target lock, increasing chance of success at 71%, aiming… Now!"

BANG!

With the ink heading straight towards a car, a single ink darted through the window and then SPLAT! Blue ink is spreading inside a car.

"AYYYYYY!?" The oni masked manta ray exclaims as he's pulling the car up.

The octoling is now splatted into yellow ink, causing the car to slide and stop and Agent 4 to lie down on the snowy ground.

"Thanks, 3.4!" Agent 4 calls while pulling up her thumb.

[You're welcome. Now take the manta ray down.] Agent 3.4 replied.

[Agent 3.4, Agent 4, Hotaru is heading towards the Deepsea Metro. Maybe we should follow once we clear the sanitised problem.] Sheldon called.

"Yeah… But when are we gonna rest?" Agent 4 asked as she picked herself up and walked towards the car door.

[Unfortunately when the situations are being solved.] Sheldon answers as he feels the same as Agent 4.

[Tch! I knew you'd say that.] Agent 3.4 sighs.

"Ugh! How did you manage to work there, Agent 3.4!?" Agent 4 groans.

[Hey, at least it's less tiring than the part-time job I had at Grizzco Industries. And I need to get paid too.] Agent 3.4 explains his side of the problem.

"Really?"

[Yeah… Trust me, I've come across a few scumbags and my boss is sometimes sociopathic.] Agent 3.4 answered.

Before opening the door, a Splatana Wiper almost jabs Agent 4 which causes her to jump backwards in shock.

"Haah… I never thought I'd die the first time. Lucky little squits!" The shark masked octoling giggles as she's going mad.

"Oh carp!" Agent 4 backs away by raising her Hero Dualies.

"Oh carp indeed. DIE!"

Hopping from the car roof, the masked octoling dashes towards Agent 4 and swings her Splatana Wiper which causes Agent 4 to duck and dodge as well as shooting straight towards the octoling.

As Agent 4 luckily grabs the asked octoling, she kicks the side of her torso while trying to fire her Hero Dualies.

"Pathetic." The masked octoling giggles, boots Agent 4 twice and then cross cut by tearing Agent 4's coat apart as Agent 4 screams.

The masked octoling then sends out her shark to push the inkling as high as she can hit a pole, causing her to land on the higher bridge.

Then, she steps on Agent 4's bandaged right arm as Agent 4 struggles to be free from a maniacal octoling.

"How weak. I guess Marie failed you." The masked octoling sighs.

"Marie?"

"You didn't know how she called Callie 'Aori?' The truth is this: Hotaru is Marie." The masked octoling answers as it surprises Agent 4.

Then Agent 4 smiles.

"I see… Looks like Hotaru's been hiding the truth about her and Callie. I'm working for an idol." Agent 4 chuckled.

Afterwards Agent 4 is being picked up by the masked octoling and then hugs her to soothe the pain she gave Agent 4.

"Join us. You're welcome to join the Deep Cut. We're much more laxed than the New Squidbeak Splatoon and instead of paying you, we can pay ourselves some treasure."

Agent 4 gasps as she can tell what they convince her for.

The New Squidbeak Splatoon managed to give her a hard time on her first day by taking her to the final boss, preventing her from resting and putting her on a suicide mission.

But those are what Hotaru, or Marie, described, in other words…

Squelch…

Bang…

Gasping, the masked octoling can feel her stomach being shot through as if it's something weak yet fatal.

"Heh… I would love to have a squid mask, but I'm only here to see my brother…" Agent 4 laughs bitterly as blue ink is coming out of her mouth.

"Kh! You clever little squit…" Amber ink is coming out of the octoling's shark mask as she coughs.

Then both girls fall off the bridge as they're being pulled down by gravity and then…

Thud. It comes along with a quiet splat as well as a crack.

Landing headfirst on the snowy ground, that should've killed her, but it did knock her out as her body stopped moving.

All she could do is watch a masked octoling picking herself up as her mask is slowly shattering, only to show one of her slanted red eyes.

"Ugh… Guess I need a new mask." The octoling sighs.

"Are you okay!?" The masked inkling arrives as the masked octoling sighs.

"Yeah. This brat is the reason why we failed."

"Ay." The masked manta ray agreed.

As the trio stands they can tell that this inkling boy is watching while targeting them, causing Agent 3.4 to grunt in shock and charge his Hero Charger.

"Say it with a sizzle… I'm Frye!" The masked inkling, Frye, introduces by moving the eel mask and revealing her face.

"You think you're cool? Sharks call ME cold-blooded. But you can call me Shiver!" A broken mask is being taken off as the octoling, Shiver, reveals herself with a smugly smile.

"Ay! (Make money! Get fish quick!) Ay! (Big Man in the house!)" The manta ray takes off his oni mask as he introduces himself as Big Man.

Hopping from the building and standing in front of the trio, Agent 3.4 is approaching the trio as he sees Agent 4 being picked up and being put in a car.

"What's going on? Why are you doing this?" Adent 3.4 asked.

"Simple, boy. Treasure." Shiver chuckles.

"Oh! I remember you!" Frye points at Agent 3.4 which stops him from going forward.

"So you're that inkling who not only took away my allies, but the enemies as well. Y'know, there's not just one head that'll be put in the box, but three." Agent 3.4 charges his Hero Charger as he glares.

"Ooh!~ How threatening. I like you." Shiver giggles as she waves a fan on herself, even in snowy weather.

"Ay. (Excuse me, sir.) Ay. (But this girl is coming with us.)" Said Big Man.

"You mean like kidnapping? It's a good thing we understood your speech even without a translator, manta ray." Agent 3.4 turns his head.

Afterwards, Big Man went in a car and drove away with Agent 4 taken.

"Four… I'm coming." Agent 3.4 mutters.

"You want to go to Deepsea Metro?" Shiver asks.

"Who wants to know?"

"I bet you wanted to see her again." Frye calls out Agent 3.4's determination.

"Her? Wait… She's still alive?" Agent 3.4 gasps.

"Exactly. The little octoling is going to be the next subject to sanitisation if you don't hurry." Shiver giggles.

"And why go this far to kill us?" Agent 3.4 asked.

"Sacrifices had to be made, boy. Why else did Frye's tentacles play judgement?" Shiver answers.

"That's no judgement, that's massacre." Agent 3.4 growls.

"You win some and you lose some, beanie boy. For now, we don't have time for you." Frye chuckles.

Then both Shiver and Frye are leaping off the ledge as they're leaving Agent 3.4 behind.

"Well then, it's nice knowing you!" Shiver laughs.

"Catch ya later!" Frye calls while waving.

Little did they know they lack any equipment as they're above the sea.

"Frye, are you retarded?" Shiver flatly asks.

"No, why?" Frye asks in a dissatisfied tone.

"You forgot the equipment!" Shiver growled.

Frye halted as she forgot that she left the equipment back at Deepsea Metro.

"Carp… Stay fresh…" Frye laughs nervously, making things worse by making Shiver growl while enraged.

"That's the Squid Sisters' line you-"

Then they fall as Shiver screams "FRYEEEEEEE!" Coming along with Frye's scream.

Then splash, both Shiver and Frye are diluted as their bodies couldn't handle the sea.

That leaves Agent 3.4 watching the duo vanish as their spawn point is still moving which means they're still alive.

The Agent 3.4 morphs into a squid and super jumps all the way to the building and super jumps again to get to Inkopolis and towards a place that's forbidden.

The Deepsea Metro.

14017 July 22nd

Unknown

[I swear to Cod, Frye! Not only are we being tracked down by an inkling and an octoling, but you forgot to prepare us to survive!] Shiver's voice shouted.

[It's not my fault! I thought that inkling is just a braindead that never understood the world!] Frye's voice exclaimed.

[She's LEARNING! Haven't you seen her constantly studying like she's in a fishing school!?]

[Oh squit, you're right. Come on, Fuuka! I said I was sorry!]

[Ay! (Girls! Don't fight.) Ay. (I know we make mistakes.) Ay! (But that won't stop us from getting to our goal!)] Said Big Man.

[You're right. Utsuho, Mantaro, let's find the four thangs and make it our treasure! If there is a promised land, we need to know what the commotion like that is about.] Shiver chuckles.

[Yeah!] Frye agreed.

[Ay!] Big Man also agreed.

Click.

"These are the hooligans you're looking for?" The old bearded inkling man in a jersey asks.

"Deep Cut. Those clowns are the reason why the inkling population is dwindling down." The survivor answers.

Where they're at is a train where other sea creatures are interacting and minding their own business like proper adults which scares both the survivor and the old inkling.

"Oh dear… I'm so used to the youth." Said the old inkling.

"I agree." The survivor sighed. "I have to go."

"Hm? Where to?"

"The next station. There's a city I want to investigate. Also if I come across an inkling or her friends, there's never a next time for them."

"I see."

Then he holds out a holographic device as it had him deeply confused.

"Oh kids these days. When I was your age."

"Oh boy." The survivor sighs as she's about to listen to the old inkling's ramblings.

"Shell phones are the most advanced technology I have ever owned."

"You need to get in with the times, old man." The survivor giggles.

Then the duo are seeing the latest one entering the Deepsea Metro with an ID that is shown for everybody.

Privacy be damned.

[ Subject 10013: ??? (The Survivor), Age: 16 years old, Occupation: The New Squidbeak Splatoon agent and uneducated student and adopted, Activity: studying, Status: Alive]

"Tch… If anyone stalks me, I'll beat 'em up." The survivor clicks her tongue and clenches her fist in anger. "Tell me about the 'hooligan' trio?"

"No problem."

[ Subject 10009: Utsuho (Frye), Age: classified, Occupation: Deep Cut trio and treasure hunter, Activity: treasure hunting for thangs, Status: Alive]

[ Subject 10010: Fuuka (Shiver), Age: classified, Occupation: Deep Cut trio and treasure hunter, Activity: treasure hunting for thangs, Status: Alive]

[ Subject 10011: Mantaro (Big Man), Age: classified, Occupation: Deep Cut trio and treasure hunter, Activity: treasure hunting for thangs, Status: Alive]

The survivor can see their faces on their ID, considering they're forbidden to cover themselves in a photo.

To her: it's kinda eerie that there's ten thousand IDs found covered in strange green ink mixed with blue ink that is blood.

The train halts as the survivor stands in and pulls up her cloak hood.

"Well, gramps, wish me luck." The survivor pulls a positive smile while pulling up her thumb towards the old inkling.

"Will do, good luck."

Then the survivor sticks out her tongue and then runs from the train and holds out her Hero Shot 0.

With the old inkling sighing, a giant isopod turns towards him as he watches the survivor leaving in a very positive mood.

"Well now, despite being under the darkness for many years, she's still as bright as ever." The isopod speaks out as the old man laughs.

"You can thank my granddaughters for that. Hm?"

The old man halts as he witnesses a newer ID that shows the octolings and DJ Octavio which means Callie is involved.

[ Subject 10015: Callie, Age: 20s, Occupation: octarians and idol, Activity: singing, Status: Alive]

"Oh no… Aori…" The old man gasped as he witnessed that his own granddaughter had become an octarian army as well as putting her life in danger.

He then presses the speaker but no sound which means he's in a moving train until the subject comes back.

"Oh boy… Now what am I going to do?"

Then it hits his head as he's heading towards a place where he used to be.

"Excuse me, Mr. Cumber, I need to stop at the station." The old inkling reveals himself as he's 'Subject 10012: Atarime Yoshio (Captain Craig Cuttlefish)' in front of a sea cucumber with a hat.

"Sir the station stop is until a couple of hours. Please be patient." C.U. Cumber orders.

"Doh! Aight then…" Cap'n Cuttlefish sighs and then sits back down while groaning "Ooh my cuttlebones!"

In the end, the operation is a huge one and was a pain to investigate the sanitised and their purpose as well as looking for clues and answers.

In other words, the survivor and her octoling other are searching for the very thing they're searching for, Agent 4 is taken away with the Deep Cut trio as they're returning to Deepsea Metro, Agent 3.4 is heading there to see a certain girl he's been missing for years, and Hotaru and Sheldon are heading towards Callie and the octarians as they're about to bring her back.

Cap'n Cuttlefish is the only one who needed a drink at the vending machine as it's been months and also leads him to needing a bathroom break.

The octo tale has begun.