ATTENTION: This content contains content from Octo Expansion!
Some of Pearl, Marina, and Cap'n Cuttlefish's dialogue come from the game, while all of Tartar's (as the telephone) dialogue comes from the game.
Agent 8's PoV
The curly-haired octoling super-jumped to a checkpoint, a ride rail resting in front of her. She stopped, taking a few seconds to examine the elevator lying ahead. It was solid, with white towers shooting to the top of the building. Blue glowed all around her, the color of the midday sky.
The true promised land was so close, she could almost taste it.
"That's the central elevator," Marina informed her. "The battery is in there!"
"You can make it to the surface with this!" Pearl exclaimed.
"Cap'n Cuttlefish's and Agent 3's signals are close!" the other octoling quickly followed, her voice edged with excitement.
She activated the ride rail, and a pink trail started to grow from the bulb, running to a white platform at the very bottom of the elevator. She hopped on, admiring the sights. Turquoise pillars the same color as the sanitized ink ran down the sides. Inevitably, if she fell, she would fall to her doom.
While she traveled the ride rail, Pearl and Marina began talking among themselves.
"Maybe they already made it to the surface?" the former suggested.
"I sure hope the captain and Agent 3 are OK..." the latter muttered.
After a pause, the inkling began to speak again. "Eight!" The curly-haired octoling looked up at the ceiling at the mention of her new name. "We'll come get you in the chopper, so just wait up there with Cap, OK?"
Eight nodded. "OK," she replied in Inkling. It was one of the many words she had picked up during her time with Cap'n Cuttlefish and Pearl. When before, she couldn't speak a single lick of Inkling to her new friends. Marina had to translate.
She hopped off at a checkpoint. The ground rumbled, and she felt herself being lifted into the air, the white floor steadying her feet. The small platform met with a bigger one, with a few boxes surrounding her. She continued to stand, an Octo Shot resting in her hands.
"The heli?" Marina gasped. "You think we need it?!"
"There are only so many chances to use it. We can't let it go to waste!"
"Good point."
"Thanks!"
Suddenly, the elevator stopped, Eight's heart lurching in her chest. "W-What?" she managed to squeak out, terror building up in her body.
"Huh? The elevator..." Marina's voice trailed off.
"It stopped!" Pearl finished, alarmed. She paused, and then she asked, "Who's up there?"
Agent 8 looked up at a white pillar. A caped figure stood on top of it, their back turned. Something glowed on their head, a UFO floating in front of them. With realization, the octoling with light brown skin took a few steps back, her mouth dropping.
"That's Agent 3!" the other octoling exclaimed, taking her words out of her mouth. "But..."
"Something's wrong," Eight finished in Octarian. The UFO flew next to Agent 3, revealing a tied-up inkling. "There!" she cried out in the Inkling language. "Cap'n Cuttlefish!"
"GYAAAH!" he screamed, flailing around. "Agent 8? Help meeee!"
"Cap'n!" she cried out. "What is the happening?"
Agent 3 turned around, her long hair blowing in the artificial wind. Turquoise goop covered the right side of her head, starting from her eye, then wrapping around her headset. It was almost like a horn. Her pupils were glowing the same cyan as the sanitized Octarians, a spiral pattern marking her irises. Her expression was stoic, lips in a poker face.
"Agent 3's mind was hijacked by that crazy phone!" Cap'n proclaimed.
Agent 3 spun around, gripping her Hero Shot. "Number 10,008," she said, her voice monotone. "Your path ends here."
She launched into the air, doing a few flips before diving down towards the elevator. A marker appeared, announcing where she would land. Agent 8 jumped back as a large, turquoise circle surrounded the marker. Splashdown! A vortex covered the corner of the stage, ink falling at Agent 3's feet. She stood up, her gaze narrowed as she started firing.
"Inkoming!" Pearl announced.
Turquoise ink already covering her body, Agent 8 started to run. The inkling hid behind the box, and she popped out with a Bomb Launcher in hand. Curling bombs started to cover the stage. The octoling inked one of the boxes and climbed on top of it, riding the bombs out. Once she ran out of time, she resumed shooting with her main weapon. The force of the ink knocked Eight off of the box, her armor shattering.
"Agent 8!" Cap'n instructed. "Get her before she gets you! Take down Agent 3, and get rid of that weird glowing goo on her head!"
"That is what I want to be do," Agent 8 commented, standing up, her legs shaking. "But she is the strong!"
"Then you have to outsmart her," Marina advised. "What would Agent 3 do if she was fighting herself?"
What would Agent 3 do...? Through her hazy memories, she recalled that Agent 3 was known as the Dreaded among Octarians. A name that struck fear into the hearts of octolings everywhere. It was true for her, too. She feared for her life. One misstep, and it was all over.
"Number 10,008..." Agent 3 called again. "Where are you?" She appeared at the box, just as Agent 8's armor repaired. "There you are." She fired her Hero Shot again, but this time, the octoling was prepared. She threw a bomb at Agent 3's feet and created a path with her remaining ink. She swam to another corner of the arena, with the inkling running up to her. Pink ink dripped off of her cape and the tips of her hair.
"Eiiiight!" Pearl called. "Attack!"
As she was cornered, Eight fired her Octo Shot at her attacker. Pink ink running off of Agent 3's body, she dodge-rolled, throwing the octoling's aim off. Turquoise ink covering Eight's body again, her armor shattered once more. She cursed under her breath and tried swimming away.
"You were supposed to be the perfect specimen," Agent 3 continued in a taunt. "Yet now, you stand down."
Growing still in the ink, Agent 8 trembled at the inkling's words. If she didn't think the phone was controlling Agent 3 before, she knew for sure now. No one else would use such words, despite the funky dialect it spoke with back down in the metro. But, she wasn't weak. She persevered through eighty tests thrown at her, gaining the mem cake from each and every one.
She was sure she wasn't going to back down now.
Once her armor recovered, she emerged from the ink and launched herself at Agent 3. She fired at the inkling, who had pulled out a Bomb Launcher once again. Before she could send out any bombs, however, she gasped, falling to her knees as enemy ink covered her body. The launcher fell off of her, and she super-jumped back to the UFO. For a moment, Agent 8 thought she was defeated. But, the inkling stood right back up, the turquoise goop still remaining.
She wiped some ink off of her cheek. "There you go," she applauded, her voice laced with aggression. "What a pest you are."
Agent 3 super-jumped back down to the arena, entering a Baller on contact with the ground. She ran towards Agent 8, causing her to flee. They ran around the arena until the inkling's special exploded near a box. Eight pressed up against the other side, turquoise ink flying past her. She looked over her shoulder to see that the long-haired girl had resumed inking the area around her.
"Are you serious?" Pearl groaned. "This is way too many specials!"
"Agree..." Eight breathed.
"It looks like Agent 3 removed the limiter..." Marina deduced.
"Best be careful, Eight," the inkling over the radio suggested. "There's no way you're splatting today!"
The octoling nodded and turned around to face Agent 3 again. She hurled a splat bomb at her, which she swiftly dodged. She fired her Octo Shot again, covering some of her opponent's jacket in pink ink. She dodge-rolled back into her own ink and began inking the arena again. They exchanged fire, ink of both colors flying past each person. Eventually, Agent 3's Baller regenerated, and once again, she was running towards Eight.
"Try shooting it," the other octoling suggested. "You can push her back!"
Agent 8 pointed her weapon at the Baller and began firing, stopping Agent 3 in her tracks. Yet, she continued to run, causing her to trip and fall. With another few shots, she was pushed against the wall, the Baller exploding around her. The inkling shook her head after the brief shock and charged towards Eight again, now fully healed. The curly-haired octoling stepped to the side and fired once more, covering Agent 3 in ink. She dodge-rolled into some pink ink, allowing her to finish her off. Her armor broke once more, and she super-jumped back to the UFO.
However, the goop remained. "Number 10,008, why must you be a hindrance?" Agent 3 asked with a straight face. "All this 'Agent 3' wants to do is see her friends again." She pulled out a Sting Ray. "Had things gone according to plan, she would be back in the promised land. This mess would not have happened." She shook her head. "Give up. I see now you do not deserve anything with how you associate with these failures."
"No," she muttered. "No, I will not." She spoke in Octarian—she knew the telephone understood her native tongue. "I will make it to the promised land! I've fought for so long to get here! I won't stand down now!"
Agent 3's face fell. "Unfortunate. Though not unexpected."
She fired the Sting Ray, a turquoise beam piercing through her. It burned, so badly. So, so badly. Eight rolled out of the way, ink dripping off of her body. Out of everything, it was her back that hurt the most. Who knows how many times she blew up in each and every station? When she assembled the thangs, she thought she would be done. But she wasn't. And now, she was fighting for her life. Agent 8 rose to her feet, pulling out a splat bomb.
"Agent 8!" Cap'n called, grabbing her attention. "Don't mind me—just take out Agent 3!"
As the Sting Ray faded, the octoling tossed a bomb up at the UFO, covering Agent 3's feet in ink. She proceeded to throw out a splat bomb in return and started firing her Hero Shot down at Agent 8. She danced around each and every shot, her footwork getting sloppier and sloppier as more and more turquoise ink surrounded her. Most of the pink ink on Agent 3 had faded by now. Eventually, she pulled out another Sting Ray.
"Dodge!" Pearl shouted.
The beam returned, and per Pearl's warning, Eight jumped out of the way, using the opportunity to throw another splat bomb at Agent 3. This bomb covered more of the inkling's body in ink, but it still wasn't enough.
"You've got this, Agent 8!" Marina encouraged. "Just a little more!"
Eight dived in the ink to refill her ink tank, and once the Sting Ray disappeared once again, she threw another bomb. Agent 3 let out a cry, stumbling.
"Did we do it?!" Pearl asked excitedly. She turned out to be wrong when the enemy inkling once again super-jumped off of the UFO.
"It's not over yet!" Cap'n proclaimed.
A turquoise ring appeared near Agent 8, and she swam away before Agent 3 could land. Turquoise ink brushed her side, and she began inking another path. The inkling eyed Eight and super-jumped over to her position once more, preparing another Splashdown. The octoling screamed as more ink fell on her, and she scrambled away. Agent 3 jumped up again for a final Splashdown, which broke the octoling's armor.
"Shoot!" she swore, clinging to the wall of the box. Please don't splat me, please don't splat meee!
The inkling patrolled the area, firing ink at her every step. After a few seconds, she approached the box and pointed at Eight. She emerged and fell to the ground, still vulnerable.
"It's over," Agent 3 said. "A shame it had to come to this."
At that moment, Agent 8 closed her eyes, expecting her splatting to be swift. This was it. It was over. She would die today, not without seeing the promised land—no, the surface, once.
"Agent 8!" Cap'n Cuttlefish suddenly called. "Give it everything you've got!"
At that moment, Eight's armor repaired, and she opened her eyes. The inkling's finger was pressing down on the trigger, turquoise ink now squirting out of the barrel of the shooter. As ink hit her chest, she stood up and fired as much ink as she could from her Octo Shot. Agent 3 dodge-rolled back, shocked.
"What?!" she hissed, eyes wide.
"Agent 3!" Eight exclaimed, running towards her. "I save you!"
Targeting the goop, she fired at her with pink ink. Agent 3 took a few steps back, and before she could react, she was sent flying through the air, the turquoise goop peeling off her face.
"Aaagghhh!" She spun around and fell to the floor, bumping off of the wall and landing on her side. Her Hero Shot landed a few feet in front of her, and she was now on the ground again, unconscious. Her hair shifted from turquoise to green, while the goop retreated elsewhere.
"Well done, Agent 8!" Cap'n applauded. Eight felt the ground shift under her feet, and they were sent towards the sky once more. She walked over to Agent 3 and kneeled over her. A turquoise mark remained on her head. She pulled out a fresh band-aid she picked up from the train and placed it over the spot.
"It looks like Agent 3 is out cold...again," Pearl remarked. "Will she attack you if she wakes up?"
"The goo is gone, so it's probably fine..." Marina answered.
"Yeah..." Eight poked her cheek. No response. She's kind of pretty when she's like this, she found herself thinking.
"Untie me at once!" the old inkling demanded.
"Oh!" She ran over to Cap'n Cuttlefish and helped him down. Once the ropes were free, he placed his cane down on the ground again. The elevator floor connected to another platform, which led to a ladder. Picking up Agent 3, Eight looked up at the sky, a faint light shining through. She wasn't even out yet, but it felt nice.
Finally, she was free. There was only one thing left to do—climb.
Alexis's PoV
"Isn't the ocean beautiful at sunset?" Octavia asked, turning to her sister.
"Yeah," she agreed, leaning against the railing. "I wish we'd go here more often."
"The people that live by the beach are lucky," Roy remarked. "They can battle in Inkopolis and go to the beach every day."
"Jealous?" Perry teased, his lips turning upward in a cheeky smile.
"You know what? I am," the red-haired inkling admitted, crossing his arms. "Why can't I live by the beach? I can go sit in the sun every day."
"Yeah, but you'll dry up," Bonnie pointed out. "And then you can't play with us!"
"Carp, you're right," he realized. "The beach's still fresh though."
"Yeah..." she agreed. Everyone turned their heads towards the orange sky, watching the gentle ocean waves. The purple-and-orange skies were dotted with grey clouds, and soon, it would rain. City of Color played in the background, presumably from a speaker. Despite the cheerful song, the scenery felt...off. As if something was going to happen.
"May I join you?" a masculine voice asked from behind them. Alexis looked over her shoulder to see Giovanni, the end of a tentacle poking out of the short beanie he wore. It flapped in the salty breeze, though it was not very noticeable. She scanned him. He seems friendly enough, but I can't let my guard down.
"Sure," Inigo replied. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised, if Iris and Brayden were here, too."
"Me being here and those two have nothing to do with each other," he growled. "So, you should be surprised."
Perry laughed. "Still moody as ever, Gio," he remarked. He patted the empty space next to him. "You can stand here."
"Thank you." He walked next to Perry, disappearing from Alexis's sight.
She turned back to the ocean. Still, the waves were gentle. For the first time, she noticed something else in the ocean. An artificial platform. Metal beams and towers shot out of it, protecting a few green tubes. It was strange, but nothing out of the ordinary. A golden light was casted on the water, illuminating Inkopolis gently.
Alexis then heard whirring from up ahead. She looked up to see a glowing helicopter, flying over them. A platform was hanging off of it. Other helicopters surrounding the glowing one, following it to the platform. It stood out greatly in the sky, to the point where she could even see it from far away.
"Hey, it's Off the Hook's chopper!" Perry exclaimed. "Wonder what they're usin' it for."
"To go over there," Octavia answered, pointing at the platform. "You're not blind, Perry, are you?"
"No," he defended himself. "I was just focused on the chopper."
"Strange that they're using it, though," Inigo noted, putting a hand on his chin. "I don't see anyone."
"Let's use this, then," Yuri suggested, pointing at the binoculars. He pulled out a coin and inserted into the slot, and the lens cover popped up, allowing it to be used. He brought it to his height and looked through it. "Oh! There's a girl!"
"A girl? Lemme see." Inigo walked up to the binoculars and look through them. "Wait! I've seen her before!"
"Huh?! Where?!" Alexis cried out, surprised.
"That's Eight!" he deduced. "Peyton's walkie-talkie buddy!"
"Really?!" Octavia gasped. "I didn't expect her to be done so soon!"
"Let me see," Gio demanded, pushing Inigo and Yuri out of the way. He looked through the binoculars and gasped. When he lifted his head, he had a smile on his face. "Agent 3! She is there, too!"
"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder!" Yuri remarked. "Lemme see it." He took them from Giovanni and looked through them again. "...There's two inklings."
"Two?" Bonnie asked.
"A girl with long hair and...an old man? Why is an old man with them?"
An old man... Alexis searched her memory. Oh, right! Agent 3 was with Cap'n Cuttlefish! And she was looking for them! Excited, she pulled out her phone and opened her contacts, looking for Marie. They can come home at last!
She dialed the grey-haired inkling for a video call, and she quickly responded. Callie and Marie were crowded around the latter's phone, smiles on their faces. They appeared to be in front of the Cuttlefish Cabin in Octo Canyon, on the bench where they usually sat.
"Hey, Alexis," Marie greeted. "What's up?"
"...Who are you talking to?" Via asked, looking over at her sister.
"My friend," Alexis replied before returning her attention to the Squid Sisters. "A lot of things, actually. I'm in Inkopolis Bay, and-"
"Inkopolis Bay!" Callie exclaimed. "That's where the beach is! Remember the plan we made with Three? We were gonna go there with her when she came back."
"Were we gonna bring Gramps, too?" Marie asked her cousin.
"Yeppers! We can't leave him out!"
"Guys," Alexis sighed, smiling. "Could you..." Her words faltered when she noticed something else going on in the background. Something was rising out of the ocean. She lifted her head.
"Alexis?" the grey-haired inkling called. "What is it?"
"Uh..." A marble statue was facing Inkopolis, though it was not a statue of just anyone. It was a statue of something she had only seen in history books. Curly hair tightly packed around its scalp, a long head, and thin eyes. None of these traits belonged to an inkling, nor an octoling.
"That's..." Roy faltered.
"A human," Bonnie finished. "That's a human."
"I thought humans were extinct," Perry remarked, mouth gaping. "Why is there a giant one starin' right at us?"
"Idiots," Giovanni snapped, shaking his head. "That is just a statue! Not a real human!"
"I didn't know human statues still existed," Inigo said. "And what's with that hat? It's like the one my sister bought for New Year's."
"Alexis, what's going on?" Marie asked again.
"Yeah, I kinda wanna know about-"
Alexis turned her phone towards the statue.
"HOLY CARP!" Callie shrieked mid-sentence. "That really is a human!"
The mouth started to unhinge, smoke hissing out of it as a cannon slipped out of the hole. Tubes of turquoise ink were connecting to it, casting a sickly green glow on the statue. And it only seemed to glow brighter as it slowly spun, making the sky seem much darker in comparison.
"I..." Even Marie was at a loss for words.
Suddenly, a robotic voice began to speak. It was distant, but it was not far enough that Alexis couldn't make out the words. She and the other inklings leaned towards it, curious.
"TARTAR IN DA HOUSE!" it greeted. It beeped before continuing in a different dialect. "I am TARTAR, an AI construct created 12,000 years ago by a brilliant professor."
"12,000 years ago?" Octavia mumbled. "That's...before the Mollusc Era, right?"
"Geez, that's old," Bonnie whispered.
"My prime directive is to pass humanity's vast knowledge on to the next worthy lifeform," it continued. "When your kind became self-aware, I hoped that my long wait was finally over. But as I observed your evolution, I was disgusted!"
"Disgusted?!" Roy cried. "What for?!"
"You wage war over minor genetic deviations," Tartar continued.
"We needed land!" Giovanni defended. "We had no choice!"
"Neither did we!" Yuri agreed.
"You obsess over trivial fashion choices," it accused, its voice speeding up.
"Hey! They're not trivial, they're fresh!" Octavia cried, stomping a foot on the ground.
"I don't think it can hear us," Alexis whispered to her sister.
"And so I created a new prime directive: destroy this world and start anew! From the best and brightest test subjects, I created a sludge of supreme DNA. A primordial ooze from which the ultimate lifeform will emerge. Today is the day my vision becomes reality, as I destroy Inkopolis and everyone in it!"
The cannon still spun, though it hadn't fired yet. However, it appeared that Agent 4 would once again have to put on her hero suit and save Inkopolis.
"Holy. Carp," Marie said. Alexis turned the phone back to her. Callie ran into the cabin and grabbed three suitcases. She activated one, and instantly she was armed in the original hero suit.
"We're coming!" the black-haired inkling declared, giving another suitcase to Marie.
"Meet us at the Starfish Drinks there," the grey-haired inkling instructed. "Take a right from the lobby building and go straight down the street."
"Quickly! We don't have much time!" Callie fretted. The call ended, and Alexis put her phone away.
"I have to go!" the short-haired inkling announced, running off. "I'll be back!"
"Wait, Alexis!" Octavia cried, reaching out for her. But her words fell on deaf ears, as Alexis had only one thought—get to Starfish Drinks and get her hero suit, and then save the world. She had no time to waste.
She continued running, passing confused citizens. Per Marie's instructions, she ran past the central building, off to the side, where the Starfish Drinks in the bay was located. The green logo of the business came into view, and she stopped outside the entrance, hopping impatiently as she awaited the Squid Sisters' arrival. They arrived not long after, landing clumsily on their feet. Both of them wore a hero suit and hats to conceal their identities. Marie tossed a spare suitcase at Alexis, arming her in Agent 4's signature outfit. The Hero Dualies appeared in her hands, and she spun them, excited to feel them in her grip once more.
"Let's get back," Agent 2 instructed. "We have no time to lose!"
The three agents turned around and started running back towards the perch Alexis was at previously. Again, they were met with even more confused looks. An upbeat song she had never heard before was playing through the speakers, though she recognized the singers instantly—Pearl and Marina. Off the Hook's new song might just give her the energy to complete her mission.
They stopped a few feet from the Rainbow Squids and Giovanni. Alexis eyed the statue. It was still charging, though she wasn't surprised—she would be dead had it fired.
"Geez, it's even bigger in-person!" Agent 1 remarked. "How are we gonna get up there?"
"I don't know, but we'll find a way," Agent 2 replied.
The Rainbow Squids turned around, confused. "Who are you?" Yuri asked.
Inigo studied them for a few moments, and then he gasped. "They're...!"
"The New Squidbeak Splatoon," Giovanni revealed. "I think you are too late."
"Huh? How so?" Agent 4 asked, raising an eyebrow.
"We're not gonna let an octoslob stop us," the grey-haired inkling scoffed.
Gio winced. "No, let me explain."
"We don't have time to listen to you!" the short-haired inkling snapped.
"No, you should listen to him," Octavia defended, stepping up. "Just look at the statue! Can't you see it's being inked already?!"
"It's being what?" Agent 1 perplexed. The three inklings looked at the statue. Via was right—it was being inked. Pink covered its chest and neck. Ride rails circled it, and most notably, Off the Hook's helicopter was circling it, too. It dropped some glowing bombs, yellow lights now waving around from behind it.
"What do you know?" Agent 2 remarked, blinking. "You're right. But who's blowing up all those bombs?"
Agent 4 walked up to the binoculars. "Can I use this?" she asked Yuri.
He gave her a coin. "Go ahead."
The young girl pushed it down to her height and looked into it, scanning the statue. She couldn't see anyone. She then turned it towards the glowing helicopter. An old inkling was waving his cane around, while a green-haired inkling lied unconscious next to him.
"Agent 1? Agent 2?" Alexis looked over her shoulder to look at the cousins. "I think you wanna see this."
The black-haired inkling bounded over to her and looked through the binoculars. "Wha! That's Gramps!"
"Gramps?!" The grey-haired inkling pushed her out of the way and looked through the binoculars herself. "Holy carp, that really is Gramps!"
"Agent 3's there, too," Agent 4 told them. "But..."
"Looks like she's out cold," Agent 2 remarked.
"Agent 3, too?! They found each other after all!" Agent 1 exclaimed. "But what happened?" She took the binoculars back. "Why is she like that?"
"Might as well ask her when she gets back," she responded. "That's the only thing we can do."
"So we're just gonna sit here?" Alexis groaned, slumping against the metal railing. "We can't just do nothing! We don't even know if the squid inking that's friendly or not."
More glowing bombs dropped from the helicopter, these ones glowing magenta as they stuck to the statue's arm. The black-haired inkling turned the binoculars towards the statue, and her jaw dropped.
"That's an octoling inking the statue!" she declared, throwing her head up.
"An octoling?!" her cousin gasped. "Never thought I'd see the day where they do something good!"
"Hey!" Gio protested.
"Should we help them?" Agent 1 suggested.
"I think they got this covered," Agent 2 rejected. "But, if they try something when they get over here, then we'll stop them."
"Right," Agent 4 agreed with a nod. "They won't be doing anything funny when I'm around."
Giovanni looked over at the short-haired inkling, a perplexed look on his face. "I never see you before," he pointed out. "Who are you?"
"Me?" She blinked. "I'm Agent 4."
"Agent 4..." He scanned her, and his eyes widened. Suddenly, Giovanni started laughing. "Oh my cod. Ha ha!" He gripped his stomach with one hand and caught himself on the railing with the other.
Perry looked at him, confused. "What's so funny?"
"Ha ha ha!" he continued to laugh, looking at Alexis with tears in his eyes. "I- Ha! Wow-! So that is why! Ha ha! You hate me all this time! You were an agent! Recruit after Agent 3 left with the old man! Ha ha ha ha!"
The purple-haired boy frowned. "I don't get it."
Agent 4, however, was horrified. Gio figured it out that easily, she thought. How easily can Octavia figure it out? Or any of the other Rainbow Squids, for that matter?
She turned back to the statue. More glowing bombs dropped from the helicopter. Blue lights now shot from the head, more than ever before. The cannon lights were glowing duller now, giving her a dash of hope. In the background, a different song began to play, this one a rendition of Ebb & Flow.
"B-B-ZURT!" Tartar's voice beeped. "The time is nigh, NILS! This world must be pulverized!" As it spoke, the statue's head slowly became covered in pink ink. However, it was at a slower rate than the other bombs Four had witnessed. Eight was struggling.
"C'mon!" Agent 1 cheered. "You can do it!" Giovanni pulled a megaphone out and handed it to the black-haired inkling. "I believe in you!" she shouted into it.
Roy raised an eyebrow. "When did you get that?" he asked him.
Gio shrugged. "I buy it before I came here."
Agent 2 took the megaphone next. "Don't fail us now! Save Inkopolis when we can't!"
"I'm taking that," Roy announced, swiping it out of the grey-haired inkling's hand. Facing the statue, he said, "If we die, I'm beating you up in heaven!"
"Roy!" Octavia gasped. She took it from him and began her speech. "Please, save us! Save everyone! I know I wouldn't forgive myself if I was in your position!"
Yuri took it next. "Go, go, go! I know you'll win!"
Bonnie proceeded to take the megaphone. "Win. That's all I ask."
It was now Inigo's turn to speak. "Don't mess this up. I'm counting on you."
Perry grabbed the megaphone. "If I die, then the world can't be blessed by my splat-tastic raps! So make sure I don't die!"
"So selfish..." Giovanni muttered. He took the speaker from Perry and held it up to his mouth. "I love being able to battle inklings and enjoy the sun. If there is no Inkopolis to live in, then it is a fate worse than death. Do not condemn the world to darkness, never again!"
The statue had become covered in more pink ink, but there were still a few spots clear of ink, revealing the marble underneath. Only two blue lights shone from the statue now. Just how much time did that octoling have left? Unfortunately, there was no way to find out.
The green-haired octoling presented the megaphone to Agent 4, bowing. "It is all you now."
Hesitantly, she picked up the megaphone from his hands and raised it. Then, she began to speak.
"Octoling, I don't even know if you can hear me, but whatever you do, do not give up. I know the future seems bleak right now, but you're the only one that can save it. If Agent 3 and I were both able to save the world on two separate occasions, then let this be the third occasion. But this time, you're saving it. It seems impossible in my mind, but deep down in my heart, I guess it's true not all octolings are bad."
She sighed, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"You might be the person to help me realize that. And if you want to prove me wrong, you better save Inkopolis. For me. For the New Squidbeak Splatoon. For my friends. For my family. For all of Inkopolis—no, the entire world. You're the kid that determines the fate of the world. Don't screw it up. So, live on to prove me wrong, and win!"
As soon as she finished, the last bomb blew up, covering the last spot with pink ink. The ride rails surrounding it disappeared, and she saw a tiny figure fall off of them. The glowing helicopter was flying towards it, and a few moments later, a pink trail soared through the sky, landing on the platform below. However, a robotic voice began to speak once more. Tartar.
"Number 10,008..." it started, the voice trailing off. "No test subject has ever worked so hard to spoil my plans... But now you will blend into...the perfect world the professor envisioned."
"What...?" Alexis lowered the megaphone. "But..."
"It should've stopped," Agent 2 muttered in disbelief.
"What's going on?!" Agent 1 cried.
"Farewell, 10,008," Tartar finished. "Farewell to you and that worthless cesspool of a city..."
Energy gathered around the cannon, a turquoise light glowing brighter and brighter, to the point where it was blinding. Agent 4 glanced behind her. Some citizens watching the ordeal were huddling together, fear shining in their eyes. She glanced at the Rainbow Squids. They were looking away from the light as well.
"No...!" Via sobbed, looking behind her. "We're all gonna..." Agent 4 looked over at her sister, meeting her orange eyes, wet with tears. She gave a small smile. "Heh, you kinda look like..." Her voice trailed off as she looked towards the ground, sniffling.
The short-haired inkling looked at the other Rainbow Squids. Bonnie walked over to Via and hugged her, also crying. Roy gripped the railing, pounding on it and cursing before breaking down and covering his eyes, crying. Yuri was by Perry's side, both of them horrified as they looked at the cannon. Inigo looked away from the group, covering his eyes. Giovanni was also horrified, though he stood away from the group.
Looking behind her, the Squid Sisters were hugging each other, hysterical as they blurted out apologies to one another.
"I'm sorry for calling you a grandma, Marieeee," Agent 1 cried. "And running awaayyyy!"
"And I'm sorry for being a terrible cousin," Agent 2 sobbed. "I should've noticed something was wrong earlier..."
Agent 4 took one final look at the statue. At last, it fired, a swirling beam of turquoise ink flying towards them. She closed her eyes, expecting the pain that came with being splatted shortly thereafter.
I'm sorry...
It appeared the Mollusc Era was about to meet an unfortunate end.
"Boo-YAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Alexis opened her eyes. A loud guitar rift sounded as a beam of rippling, bright pink ink shot from below the glowing helicopter, towards the beam of turquoise ink. They collided with one another, fighting to overtake one another. At first, it seemed like the statue's beam would win, but just as it seemed like it was going to tear through the helicopter, the high-pitched voice that sounded the 'Booyah' reverberated throughout the city, the pink beam shooting straight through the mouth of the statue. Various items spilled from it as it fell apart, a light shining from within. One final gargle sounded from Tartar as the statue's eye exploded, sinking the statue into the ocean. It still stuck out from an angle, with turquoise ink staining the water, but it was ultimately harmless.
Eight had done it. She saved Inkopolis after all.
"...Huh?" asked Callie. Agent 4 turned around to look at her. "We're not splatted?"
Giovanni looked back towards the group, smiling. "We are alive."
"Thank cod we're alive!" Yuri exclaimed, wiping a tear from his eye.
Roy turned around to face them and chuckled. "The mad lad did it. She saved Inkopolis."
"You think our encouragement helped?" the yellow-haired inkling asked, leaning against the railing.
"Of course it did," Via said, standing up straight. "Even if she didn't hear us, we were with her in spirit."
Bonnie looked back towards the ocean. "I wonder what they're doing," she spoke up.
Perry turned in her direction. "Oh yeah! They're still there! Even Off the Hook!"
"Ya hear that booyah?" the wavy-haired inkling asked, excited. "It sounded like Pearl!"
"Dead serious, that's Pearl," he agreed. "She and Eight both saved Inkopolis, then!"
Callie and Marie looked at them in confusion. "...Who's 'Eight?'" the latter asked.
"Apparently, that's what Pearl and Marina call that octoling," Inigo explained. "She was talking into a friend's walkie talkie, you see."
"Mhm, just last week," Giovanni confirmed, crossing his arms.
"Hmm..." Agent 2 put her hand on her chin, setting her Hero Charger down by her side. "I'll have to ask this 'Eight' a lot of questions, then."
The group continued to talk among themselves when suddenly, they heard whirring from overhead. Alexis looked up to see the glowing helicopter, hovering a few yards above them.
"Huh?" she muttered.
"Yo, Cap," Pearl's voice started, "ya want us to drop you off here?"
"I mean, this is Inkopolis Bay..." Marina trailed off. "I don't know if it's a good idea."
"It's fine by me," replied a new, elderly voice. "Some scallywags won't stop me."
Agent 1 gasped. "Gramps?"
"Huh?" An old man with a thick beard looked over the platform, looking down on them with large, bulging eyes. "Why, Agent 1 and Agent 2! Fancy seeing you here! And a bunch of other buckos, too!"
"GRAMPS!" The black-haired inkling turned into a squid and super-jumped up to the platform, hugging him. "I missed you so much!"
"Nice to see you again, Gramps," Agent 2 greeted, bringing a hand up to her face. "Haven't seen you in like, a year."
"I know!" the old inkling agreed. "We just got caught up in this. It's so nice to finally see my grandsquids."
"C'mon, Gramps," the grey-haired inkling said, "we should get you down."
"Well..." Marina started. "We'll need to land. I don't think we have a rope or ladder."
"Then that's that. Stand back, squidkids!" Pearl announced. "We're bringing the heli down!"
The Rainbow Squids, Agents 2 and 4, and Giovanni ran closer to the lobby building, watching at the helicopter flew closer to the ground, the platform hanging from it contacting the concrete. Agent 1 helped her Gramps off the platform, and he rebalanced himself with a cane that suspiciously looked like a Bamboozler. A pink-haired octoling hopped off next, and she walked in front of a green-haired inkling, who was clutching her head. She helped her off, and now, only Off the Hook remained on the platform.
"Thank you for everything, Pearl and Marina," the octoling told the duo.
"Any time, Eight." Pearl did a gesture, smiling. "Any time."
"We should get back to the square now, Pearlie," Marina told her fellow idol. "We don't want to miss the next newscast."
"Oh, yeah, that's coming up," the pale-skinned idol grumbled. She pointed up to the helicopter. "All you, Rina."
The dark-skinned idol nodded. "We'll see you later, Eight! You're welcome anytime at the studio."
"Goodbye." Eight raised a hand and waved.
The idols super-jumped up to the actual helicopter, now lifting up again. They waved goodbye as they flew away, soon becoming mere specks in the distance. After they and the other helicopters were gone, Alexis returned to attention to the people surrounding her.
"So..." Agent 2 started. "Mind explaining who this is?" She pointed at Eight.
"Her?" The old man looked over at the curly-haired octoling. "Oh, that's Agent 8. She's an honorary member of the New Squidbeak Splatoon!"
"Honorary?" Agent 8 gasped and bowed. "T-thank you."
Callie turned to face Agent 3, who was groaning. "What happened to Three?"
"...I don't know," the green-haired inkling spoke up. Agent 4 jumped at the sound of her voice. "Something about... Ngh!" She gripped the side of her head again, nearly collapsing.
"Agent 3!" The curly-haired octoling ran over to her and helped her up.
"S-Sorry," she apologized through gritted teeth. "Just a bad headache. Don't worry 'bout me."
"Why shouldn't we worry?" Agent 2 asked, putting a hand up. "This is the worst you've been in a while."
"Anyways, could we get an explanation?" Agent 1 clasped her hands together. "Please...?"
"Agent 3's mind," the old man revealed, "was hijacked."
"By...some ooze," the green-haired girl commented. "I don't remember anything else."
"That's..." The black-haired inkling went unusually silent, her lips tightly sealed.
"Anyways, who's that?" The old inkling pointed his cane at Agent 4.
"That's Agent 4," Marie explained. "Our newest recruit. Well, I guess until Agent 8 came along."
"Ahoy, Agent 4!" he exclaimed. "I guess you heard the spiel from Agents 1 and 2, aye? If you don't know who I am, I'm Cap'n Cuttlefish!"
"It's so nice to meet you at last!" the short-haired girl exclaimed, shaking at last. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Heh," Agent 3 laughed weakly. "Guess I was right..." Her hand moved momentarily from her right eye, revealing it to be cloudy. She covered it as quickly as she had uncovered it. Her exposed eye focused on Agent 4. "I'm Agent 3," she introduced herself. "I was with Cap'n until the whole metro mess happened."
"Agent 3!" Alexis bounded up her, a huge smile on her face. "I finally get to properly meet you at last!"
She blinked. "'Properly?'"
"...Never mind. Anyways, we gotta catch you up on a lotta things!"
"Do not stress her," Agent 8 scolded her with a frown. "She just wake up."
"Ah... Maybe later, then?"
"You're too nice, Eight," Three muttered. "I'm fine. You can tell me when we get back to Octo Valley."
"...About that..." Four tapped her foot on the ground nervously.
"What? Did something happen to it?"
"No! Just... Well..." How am I gonna word this? Before she could speak, Giovanni walked up to the three agents, keeping a straight face. The bronze-skinned agent let out a sigh of relief. Thank cod I don't have to explain it now.
"You're an octoling," the green-haired inkling noted. Her eyes widened upon noticing another detail. "Are those my clothes?!"
"Yes, and yes," Giovanni confessed. "Not the shirt and shoes, but this hat is yours." He took off the short beanie and held it out. "I wanted to give it back to you."
Agent 3 eyed the beanie, though she did nothing.
"Oh! And..." He reached into his pocket and took out a green, squid-shaped cellphone. "This belongs to you, too."
"My phone!" she gasped. She took it from his hand and turned it on. "It's even charged, too! I thought I would have to buy a new one!" She looked back up at Giovanni. "Thanks."
"What about your hat?" he asked, shaking it.
"...Keep it," she replied. "I need to buy a new one anyways."
"Really?" He blinked. "Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome." Three gave a weak smile. She groaned again, the grip on her head getting tighter. "This dang headache..."
Alexis frowned. Just how bad is this headache...? I hope she gets better soon.
A/N: IT'S DONE! Thank you all for reading this far, and thank you everyone who has ever commented on this fanfiction on either site I post it on. It makes my day seeing your comments, and sometimes, it's the push needed to continue this fanfiction. On FFN, "The Rainbow Squids" has about 2,500 views as of writing, and on AO3, it has about 1,000 views! Once again, thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been waiting so long to write this chapter - Agent 8's fight with hijacked Agent 3, the Rainbow Squids witnessing Agent 8's fight with the NILS Statue, Gramps and the Squid Sisters' reunion, Gio returning Agent 3's phone to her, all of it! Stay tuned for part 2 of this little arc tomorrow, where we will see the aftermath of everything. See you tomorrow, and Branchwing, out!