Deepsea Metro

Earlier at midnight, a bike is moving inside a tunnel and then slides to a halt, leading an octoling biker to remove her helmet, revealing herself to be Marina.

Marina then parks her bike at a station and then witnesses a train that's completely wrecked and a few pieces of ink are all over the vehicle.

Marina then turns on her advanced speaker, modified by Sheldon and Sora, only to scan some casualties and check to see if there's some survivors inside.

90% survivors, 78% injured and 20% casualties.

"This is DJ Hyperfresh, where are you, senpai?" Marina calls through the Hero headset speaker.

[I'm okay. We might have gotten into a situation where we're having no sleep and are searching our way out.] Pearl called back as her audio remained okay.

"I see. I was near a train that's destroyed. Do I need to find a way out to get you and your group?"

[Don't. There were other people that needed help. I suggest finding the ones who're capable of going through this hellhole.]

Marina grunts as she knows what Pearl is getting herself into.

"If that's alright, will I catch up to you?"

[Unless we get this shit over and done with, then maybe there's a chance that one of us is still living.] Said Pearl. [Although, we got a newbie working with us. I'm with Agent 8, Hachi, and we're helping her escape to freedom that is called the… 'Promised land?' Who came up with that name?]

"Okay. Let me call her."

[Alright. Hey, Hachi, someone wants to speak to you.]

[Hm?] Hachi's voice called out of confusion.

"Hachi. If anythin' happens, let me help. Okay?"

[Mm.] Hachi responds.

[Yeah, Hachi couldn't speak. She has different ways for communication.] Said Pearl.

"Oh! I know sign language. I have a friend who's mute and deaf." Marina points out in a positive tone.

[Well lucky you. Because old man Cuttlefish doesn't even know any shit about it and claimed that they're magic hands which is utter bullshit.] Pearl growled.

[Hey! I know them! I forgot about them, that's all!] Cap'n Cuttlefish snaps.

[BULLSHIT!] Pearl yelled.

[Language!]

[Fuck off, old fart! Let's go, Hachi!] Pearl shouted.

Beep.

Marina sighs, knowing that her senpai never changed much, always a foul-mouthed inkling who also had a heart.

Then she turns on the speaker again.

"Sora, are there more agents in there?"

[Hm… As far as I could tell, there's more like Agent 1 and Agent 3.4. Agent 3.4 is the nearest out of the two, so there's a chance that you could catch up to him.] Sora pinpointed both individuals as number 1 is roaming around and 3.4 is at a certain station.

"Thank you." Marina then puts her helmet back on and goes back on her motorbike while starting her engine and moving to the opposite direction.

With the bike leaving, a dark skinned inkling girl hides while calling on the phone.

"Shiver, it's me. What should I do?" Frye asks as she-m's attempting to keep her voice down.

[Leave her. I already got a plan right after I hunted the survivor down.] Shiver giggles behind the phone. [You go after the boy and his octoling friend. Also, keep finding the thangs.]

"Yes, ma'am!" Frye salutes and then morphs herself into a squid by hiding inside the yellow ink.

In the end, Frye is on the search for some important 'treasure' for her team to sell.

Inkopolis

06:45.

At a house full of inklings and octolings, the fog is still around as it's still snowing, but it's less foggier than before.

Inside the garage, Sora and Elsa are standing by a cloth as Sora is playing on her phone.

Appearing, Rei and Neku are in their hero uniforms as Rei wears a cloak with a number 3 on her cloak's back.

"Yo! Sorry we're late." Neku chuckles as he appears to have topknot hair along with 4 tentacle bangs, 3 slides to the right and 1 to the left.

"Huh. That hairdo looks unusual for an inkling like you. Just like Elsa and Sora." Rei scratches her head as she's confused about their tentacle hairs.

"You'll have to excuse us, I just keep mine like that because I've been fighting a long time ago. I told you I couldn't fight because I'm retired, but just an employee at Grizzco." Elsa explained.

"Me? I just felt like it." Sora explained.

"So yeah, our hairstyles aren't that popular for young squids like you." Neku sighs.

"People usually say that I'm the least freshest in terms of fashion. But I don't care, I wanna experience more from Inkopolis. Pop culture and battles." Said Rei.

"Seems like you're the type that wanted some escapism. I too wish for escapism." Elsa sighs as she can relate to Rei. "Anyway. Sora."

"Sure. Here. These are modified until I send you two completed ones." Sora hands over both modified hero headsets, leading Rei and Neku to accept them.

"Thanks." Rei bows before getting pulled up by Neku.

"Thanks, Sora! Hehe!" Neku chuckled.

"Ufufu. You two are interesting. Mirroring each other. Rei being less confident, more determined and has more friends, whereas Neku… You're the opposite." Sora giggles.

"Implying I have no friends? Really, Sora?" Neku sighs out of disappointment.

"Now's not the time to bicker, you need to go to Deepsea Metropolis and save your loved ones." Elsa called out.

"Mama Hotaru…" Rei grunts.

"Mirai…" Neku grunts.

"Before you two wallow, here's a present for you, Agent 3." Elsa is telling Rei about a cloth that's been removed.

It's revealed to be a motorbike.

"Eh!? A bike!?" Rei exclaims.

"Yeah. Sora and Sheldon created it as a project, but lost the competition, so we decided to tweak it and make it something that's working for you. I call it 'Hero Bike 3.' Keep it."

"Cool!~" Rei's eyes are sparkling with glee as she realises how great it would be for her to ride a bike she now owns.

"So what about me?" Neku asked.

"You're going on Rei's bike and go there with her." Said Elsa.

"Figured you're not giving me anything…" Neku groans in dejection.

Rei then takes a seat as her modified headphones are creating holographic technologies in front of her, showing the HUD of riding a bike.

"Hmph! This'll be a piece of crabby cake! Man, I wish there's more crabby cakes for me to eat." Rei can only dream for some.

"So that's your favourite food, huh." Neku sits behind Rei as he braces himself.

As the garage opens the door, Rei is revving the engine which leads her to pull a confident grin and prepare herself for takeoff.

"You ready!?" Rei asked.

"Y- Yeah!" Neku is starting to feel uncomfortable about this scenario.

Then the Hero Bike 3 moves off as fast as a pantherfish, leading Neku to scream and Rei to cheer and laugh.

Then they're gone.

"Hmph. Rei. I hope you take care." Elsa sighs.

What stops Elsa and Sora from going back inside to navigate is a blue ink dripping in front of them.

Then 2 more.

"Fuuka!?" Sora gasped.

Squatting on the wall of the building, Shiver is holding a squid who is turning into a humanoid inkling as her neck is being held by 3 of Shiver's knife-like teeth.

Then a neck was ripped open as the inkling girl, who was nearly decapitated, was melting into blue ink, leading her to perish in front of 2 adult inklings.

"Delicious. But that's not enough. Had to get rid of witnesses." Shiver sighs while spinning her Splatana Wiper with a sinister smile and tilting her head by looking back.

"Why are you here?" Elsa growled.

"I don't know. Maybe it's the little brat I want. She's been constantly chasing us down like animals, and we do not take that too kindly." Shiver answered.

"Sora. Go to your room."

"Yeah." Sora nods and goes inside her house hastily, leaving Elsa and Shiver to face each other.

"So, how's Fuuka?" Elsa asked as she can smell a demon inside of an octoling.

"She's fine. I should ask the same about you, Milady."

Elsa closes her eyes as Shiver is speaking the truth.

"So you don't want the survivor hunting you down, but you wanted to kill her? How hypocritical are you, Shiver?" Elsa pierces a glare towards an octoling who she knows for a long time.

"Ufufu. As hypocritical as I am, you're no better. I say you look even prettier with that scar on your face." Shiver laughs.

"Tch! Why you!" Elsa picks out her Inkbrush Nouveau, preparing to take Shiver's life with it.

"When I'm done with you, Milady, Zero will be mine!"

"Zero? You mean the one that never came back two years ago?" Elsa is off guard after hearing that name from a long time ago.

"Exactly. Now PERISH!" Shiver raises her arm and blasts blue ink to the sky by releasing her shark towards Elsa like a warp portal.

As Elsa prepares herself, Shiver cackles while watching her shark eating an inkling as a meal.

Finally… SPLAT!

Hammerhead Bridge

Outside at the newly made motorway above the sea, Rei, Survivor 3, is focusing on the road while going past different vehicles as she and Neku, Agent 3.5, are eyeing a detour.

Survivor 3 can tell why this fog is slowly getting lesser and lesser each day, meaning the snow will end by the time of August.

"Sora, this is Survivor 3."

[S-3! You need to move! It's Fuuka! She's coming!] Sora warned.

"Huh?" Survivor 3 stops while still moving forward.

"You mean one of the killers?" Agent 3.5 asked.

[Yeah. Hurry! Elsa's been injured and Fuuka's on the run!]

"Thanks." Survivor 3 nods and then holds out her Hero Shot 0 while changing her ink to magenta. "3.5, let's do it!"

"Sure! Hey! Shark octopus girl! Come over here and fight!" Agent 3.5 yelled while also holding his Hero Shot.

Then…

SPLASH!

"I found you, little girl." Shiver laughs, leading Survivor 3 and Agent 3.5 to hastily fire their Hero Shots at a shark that causes a massive puddle of blue ink on the ground.

Then a shark is swimming through as some cars crash and stop.

"Woah! Is she for eel!?" Agent 3.5 exclaims while firing behind.

"It's me she's after! Deep Cut knew I won't stop going after them!" Survivor 3 answers while revving her bike and speeds up a lot faster than her running speed.

"Then what are you going to do!?"

"Splat her." Survivor 3's tone turns bitter as she's still hellbent on trying to hunt the trio down. "Take over the bike. I'll handle her."

Leaping off as Agent 3.5 took the handles, he can tell that Survivor 3 is still trying to avenge her friends and his brother for over 2 years.

"Come at me, Shiver!" Survivor 3 shouted.

Before the shark bites Survivor 3, Survivor 3 leaps backwards, releases and repeatedly fires her inkstained Hero Dualies, one of her secondary weapons, at the shark.

This led a shark to slow down as it roared in pain which caused Shiver to struggle moving her shark.

"What's the matter, Shiver? Put the pedal to the megalodon." Survivor 3 mockingly sneered.

"Don't think you won, inkling. The treasure will be as good as ours and you cannot stop us." Shiver hisses out of malice.

Then…

From magenta to orange, Survivor 3's tentacle hair is starting to bubble, leading her to open her lifeless cyan eyes that flashes into glowing orange eyes with her pupils slit by similar orange ink diagonally, marking her eyes as the number zero.

"That form… Zero, you finally arrived." Shiver pulls a wider smile as her red eyes are flashing and her blue tentacle hair bubbles.

Then in a split second, booting Shiver's stomach at an unusual mach speed, Survivor 3 points her Hero Dualies at Shiver's face while smirking.

"This is for Dai." Survivor 3 hissed before she fired her Hero Dualies.

SPLAT!

"Enjoy it while you last. I will come back to haunt you. Until we meet again, Zero." Shiver's ghost calls while heading down to Deepsea Metro where her spawn point is at.

Afterwards, Survivor 3's tentacle hair fades back to silver as her tinktures (ink textures) slowly fade to orange, even her orange eyes fade back to dull cyan eyes.

"I guess you're the one they're after, huh, Zero." Survivor 3 sighs as she knows why Zero has been hiding for 2 years.

Then Survivor 3 turns on the speaker while walking through the motorway bridge.

"This is S-3, I managed to splat Shiver, but she got away."

[Ngh… Figured you say that. Do you know how to get there from a distance?] Sora's voice asked.

"I dunno. Maybe I can super jump there. Also how's Elsa?"

[She's okay. Just resting for now.]

Survivor 3 halts after hearing vehicles horns honking as inklings are yelling about a shark destroying the motorway, leading Survivor 3 to morph herself into a squid and super jump afar towards Deepsea Metro.

"I found out why the spawn points are destroyed. They don't want any of us near their prize." Said a squid form of Survivor 3.

[So what's the plan?] Sora asked.

"I'm destroying the octobosses. Even if it kills me, I can't let them go." Survivor 3 answered.

[What about Neku?]

"Don't worry. I'll keep him in check, just like how my mamas did for me."

[Then good luck, Survivor.]

Deepsea Metro

Inside the underground, Survivor 3, Rei, stops as she witnesses a destroyed train along with shards of glass everywhere and inkstains.

"None of it seems touched. What's going on?" Rei whispers while approaching the train after scanning what's happening earlier. "No sign of activity, no sanitised either."

As she found the station, the station she used to be in before encountering Frye, Rei marched forward and scanned her CQ card and was accepted to go back to the surface again.

Drop the Bass Station

Or outside the station…

The very same church, except it's damaged and was shown to be wider than where she used to be, leading her to return to the building.

The bike was parked outside and standing there was Neku who was waiting.

"Yo, S-3."

"Let's call our real names for now. Something's not right about Deepsea Metro. It's like we're being watched and my anonymity is about to go bye bye." Rei grunts as she has a feeling that outside of Deepsea Metro is just like inside which creeps her out.

"From what I can tell, you're kinda right. It's creepy that someone is stalking us." Neku lowers his head as he can tell what Rei is coming from.

Before they continue, they hear a song that is coming from a church like someone is singing.

"What is that?" Neku asked.

"Let's find out." Rei holds out her Hero Shot 0 and walks alongside Neku inside the church, as both Hero Shots are preparing.

Then a door opens as they come across a figure sitting on a cross singing a song, leading Rei to gasp with surprise.

"Huh? Who's that?" Neku asked, knowing he has bad memories remembering faces from many years ago.

But Rei knew who she was, an inkling that looked different as if her attire was revealing and sported an octopus tattoo, causing Rei to lower her Hero Shot 0.

"M- Mama Aori?"