The Rainbow Squids

by Branchwing

(HIATUS) The Rainbow Squids are like any other inkling youth, doing turf wars and what not. With accumulating fall-outs and a looming threat fast approaching, the next few months may their biggest test of friendship yet.

119. Bonus Story 7: The Diary

Anonymous reviews:

Agent 4: Takko and Yaki... I do like punny names like that. I wonder what pun they'll use for the Splatoon 3 idols. Anyways, you're welcome for the shoe names. I suppose they are quite easy to forget. (And in case you're wondering, I did have a good Christmas!)

Now... There's yet another Calamari Inkantation section in this chapter, though it's quite different from the last two times it was depicted here. Of course, most of Callie, Marie, and DJ Octavio's dialogue in that section are from Splatoon 1.

Now, here's another 20k word chapter. Enjoy!

---

Brayden's PoV

The tower locked into place, and a whistle blew, signifying the end of the match.

Brayden stood on the tower, smirking as his arm wrapped around the pillar in the middle of it. He lifted his Rapid Blaster Pro and blew on the barrel of it, satisfied with his performance. He was certain that he would be the MVP of the match. With how many squids he splatted, no one came close.

An inkling boy with honey-colored skin that stood a few feet away from the tower threw his Splattershot on the ground, crying out in rage as he stomped on his weapon, shattering the tank. His teammate ran over to him, trying to calm him down, but he simply ran back to the spawn point, sitting down in the center of it. At this display, Brayden merely rolled his eyes. It was just a league match. Why would anyone get that upset over losing?

"Wow," he heard Yvonne snicker. He turned around to see the dark-skinned girl run up to him, donning a smile like always. "I don't think I've ever seen someone get that mad!"

"Look at all that money, wasted," he agreed, narrowing his blue eyes. "There's no fixing that." And I'm sure Sheldon would be furious if he saw that, too.

She giggled. "Think he's gonna get banned?"

He smiled. "Definitely." Just to make sure, he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the angry inkling. He wouldn't submit it now, but he would later. Even if Splattershots were relatively cheap, they were high-quality. And if he worked at the company that produced them, he wouldn't be happy to learn that someone had broken them.

A few seconds later, Judd and Li'l Judd arrived, standing on a box near the finish mark. The former's yellow eyes glared over at the boy who had broken his Splattershot, and immediately, he snapped his head up, hands shaking. Whatever silent message he sent him, he let out a groan and lowered his head, accepting the punishment he had been given.

"Only had himself to blame," a new voice remarked. Brayden looked over his shoulder to see Peyton, walking up to the box the two cats had positioned themselves on. They quickly scanned Skipper Pavilion and proceeded to give the results of the match, with Judd striking out a turquoise flag. Afterwards, she reached down and patted the elder cat on the head. He blinked, looking up into her purple eyes. Purring, he began to rub himself against her body. Smiling, she sat down and let him plop into her lap as she continued to pet the cat. Li'l Judd then jumped onto Judd, startling both of them. He leaped out of Peyton's lap and stood back up, looking over at the younger cat. Li'l Judd hopped off rejoined Judd, and together, the two cats jumped away, disappearing into the distance.

After a few moments, Peyton commented, "...His fur is soft."

"I know, right?" added a fourth voice. Elyse, who they had asked to join them today, had appeared next to Peyton. Brayden's eyes widened at her sudden appearance, but Peyton didn't seem surprised at all. Instead, she dipped her head in agreement.

"Can we go back now?" Yvonne requested. "I wanna take a break."

"Me too," Elyse agreed, twisting her braid around her arm.

Brayden hopped off of the tower and nodded, a smirk donning his features. "Well, let's get back. I'm sure to get there before you." Before any of them could respond, he turned into an octopus and super-jumped into the brilliant blue sky, speeding towards the Deca Tower. Soon enough, he was back in the lobby, the results screen displayed on a TV in front of him. The other octolings soon appeared as well, though Elyse didn't seem very amused.

"That wasn't fair," she pouted, crossing her arms.

"That's just how he rolls," Yvonne said.

"Still doesn't make it any better," she grumbled.

Brayden walked over to the exit and gestured for the group to follow him. Quickly, they followed, traveling out to the open area inside the Deca Tower. Several elevators lined the walls of the lobby, inklings steadily flowing in and out of them. A bright light shined up ahead, leading outside to Inkopolis Square. They reverted their ink colors back to their typical colors and started to stroll over to the exit, and in the meantime, they began to talk among themselves.

"Thanks for playing with us, Elyse," Yvonne remarked. "You were pretty good!"

"Indeed," Peyton agreed. "...You were a scout, correct?"

"Yeah," Elyse confirmed. "Why do you say that?"

The girl with the ponytail shrugged. "Scouts aren't usually known for their combat skills."

"Well, it's thanks to Inkopolis that I've gotten better." She grinned. "You think I could beat Agent 3 in a fight now?"

"Maybe," Yvonne replied. "She's pretty strong. There's no way I can beat her!"

Elyse sighed. "It's true my stealth skills are better than my combat skills." She walked over to the wall, green arrow patterns flashing on the black canvas. She lifted her head, directing everyone's attention to the TV screen above them, which currently displayed an advertisement for New Albacore Hotel. They proceeded to join her, staring at the ad.

"We should go there some time," Yvonne suggested. "All of Octa Prisma. No inklings at all! It'd be super relaxing!"

The younger girl crossed her arms and whipped around to face the group again. "Hey! I just got distracted, that's all!"

"Distractions won't benefit you at all if you're trying to be stealthy," Brayden remarked. "You'll just be more likely to get into trouble."

"OK, OK, I get it. Back to my point," she continued. "You guys should know that my family name shot up to fame recently."

Peyton raised an eyebrow. "How recently?"

"Oh, about four years ago. That's when the elites started eyeing me back in Octo Canyon, anyways."

She smiled. "You're right, that is recent. In history terms, that is. But why bring it up?"

"Because I just remembered something," Elyse revealed. "Takko had a book he read to all the young octolings training to become scouts, written by none other than my older brother."

At the mention of the official's name, Brayden stiffened. Why was he suddenly relevant to this conversation? He didn't want to know the answer, but Elyse kept on talking, and no matter how badly he wanted to cover his ears and drown out the noise, he kept listening.

"A book?" Peyton puzzled. "What kind?"

"A diary! It detailed his adventures as he snuck through the domes, trying to keep an eye on his best friend. Once Takko found him and recognized his skills, he took it for himself, using it as an example to this very day."

"Well, I suppose that's a good book to show them, then," the pale-skinned octoling concluded. "Propaganda aside, it almost seems like a fairytale. But it really happened."

Worry began to etch Brayden's features as they finished their conversation. The diary Elyse described...it sounded ominously similar to the diary he wrote as a kid. And Takko took that, too. In the back of his mind, he began to wonder, could he really have a sister? It wasn't unusual for octolings to never meet their siblings—Oscar and Angel knowing each other was a rare occurrence. It wasn't unusual for the oldest sibling to not even know of any siblings, either.

But if anyone knew about any siblings he had, it would be government officials like Takko. Despite the promise of learning something new, though, he wouldn't risk going back into a place where he could easily be captured. Not unless he was especially careful.

The last time he saw Takko was the day before Agent 4's fight with DJ Octavio. The disturbing offer he made only solidified his decision to live with the inklings in Inkopolis, no longer associating with the Octarian army.

"Brayden Pallidus."

The octoling boy stopped in his tracks, the only sounds in the hallway being footsteps pounding on the metal floor and the soft music performed by DJ Octavio himself. He turned around to face the newcomer, his face not covered with hypnoshades like nearly every other octoling he knew.

Takko stood at roughly the same height as him, if not a little taller. Black tentacles curled around his chin, and his expression was stern, not unlike the elite octolings that commanded their own squadrons. In his hand was a vial with a dark liquid inside, Brayden catching hints of brown in it as light reflected off of it.

"Yes, Lord Takko?" he asked, keeping up the illusion that he was a loyal member of the Octarian army. Oh, how he hated the word 'lord'...

"I have an offer for you." He took a few steps closer to him, to the point where he now stared directly into his azure eyes. Takko's pupils were shaped like Marina's—he supposed it was rather common among elite octolings. But, like most other Octarians, they were black, not like the salmon pink of the idol's. Uncomfortable, Brayden's eyes drifted over to the vial. Takko then held the container in front of his face, forcing him to look at him once more.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked. Brayden shook his head. "This is what we use to convert regular Octarians into elite ones. An artificial elite, if you will."

He gulped. "You want me to take this," he guessed.

"Very good," he applauded. He stepped back, giving the younger octoling some breathing room. "I recommend the injection. With the Dauntless fast approaching, it is much quicker, and despite the side effects, you will be much more valuable overall."

Brayden felt as if his heart was about to burst out of his chest from anxiety. "W-What are the side effects?"

"Oh, nothing severe. You'll just be more prone to aggressive outbursts. That's all."

"And the other option?"

"The other option?" Takko's eyes widened with surprise, though he didn't make any comments on it. "The other option would be to bathe in it for two weeks straight. Unfortunately, this also means you would be incapacitated the entire time. You could take breaks, but that slows the conversion. So, for all intents and purposes, rendering you unconscious as you bathe would be the fastest." He smiled. "On the bright side, side effects are not nearly as common through this method. So...which method do you prefer?"

"I..." Brayden took a step back, staring at Takko in horror. Both options didn't sound great, and he was sure Octa Prisma and Iris—especially Iris—would worry about him if he didn't come back after this latest visit. He couldn't risk any downtime, not when Agent 4 was so close to fighting DJ Octavio. He wanted to be there to witness the fight. And besides, something about the thought of a foreign substance flowing through his veins made him squirm.

He had to decline, no matter how suspicious that would make him. He couldn't risk it.

"...I refuse," he declared, clenching his fists.

"You refuse?" Brayden's response was enough to unnerve Takko, nearly causing him to lose his grip on the vial. He brought it close to his chest, taking a deep breath before speaking again. "You know, you're the first Octarian to refuse this offer ever since we introduced the hypnoshades." Frowning, he put the vial away and turned around. He walked a few steps away from the tan-skinned boy before looking over his shoulder. "I'll be watching you," he remarked.

Yeah, right, Brayden thought as Takko proceeded to disappear into the dark hallway.

If he wasn't sure on leaving Octarian society forever before, he was certain now.

His companions seemed to notice his unusual expression. "Brayden...?" Elyse puzzled. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," he assured her. "I just thought of something. That's all."

"Don't ask what it is," Yvonne whispered to the younger girl. "He likes keeping secrets."

"Do you know any of them?" Peyton asked her.

Yvonne shook her head. "No." She shrugged. "But that's whatever. It's not like I need to know them or anything."

Frustrated, he let out a sigh, grabbing the girls' attention. "Let's just go," he demanded.

"R-Right!" Elyse stuttered.

They proceeded to exit the Deca Tower, but they didn't get to walk for very long, as something else caught Brayden's attention. The girls seemed to notice it too, turning their heads towards the group of inklings standing next to Ammo Knights, right where the entrance to Octo Canyon would be. Immediately, he recognized the group to be none other than the Rainbow Squids. All of them were present, with the sole exception of Alexis. He raised an eyebrow. What were they doing? He stood on the tip of his toes, trying to figure out why they were just standing there. Alongside them was a red-haired octoling he didn't recognize, holding a sketchbook in her hands. After a few brief moments, they began to disappear into the manhole one-by-one, until they were all gone. The octoling happened to follow them, too, though she seemed to have gone willingly with them.

Yvonne was the first to speak. "That's weird," she commented. "They don't usually all go to Octo Canyon."

"Who cares if all of them are going there," Peyton groaned. "It's the reason that's important."

"So...follow them?" Elyse suggested.

"Exactly what I was thinking," Brayden agreed. No matter how mundane the reason might be, he had to get to the bottom of this.

"Why can't we ask someone else what happened?" Yvonne pointed out. "Like someone else in Octa Prisma."

"You can do that," he started, "but I'm going after them."

"So will I," Peyton added.

"I'll, um, stick with Yvonne," Elyse decided, hugging the older girl's arm.

"But I can go by myself," she argued. Elyse stared at her with wide eyes in response, and quickly, she started to giggle. "OK, OK. You can come."

"Yay."

Together, they started to depart towards the Crust Bucket. "Bye Brayden, Peyton!" Yvonne called. "See you later! I'll text you if I find out anything."

I don't think you'll need to, he said silently. He turned towards the manhole leading to Octo Canyon. "C'mon," he told Peyton. "We gotta find out as much as we can."

"Coming, coming," she sighed.

The two octolings quickly stepped over to the grate and examined their surroundings, making sure no one was watching them before turning into octopi and slipping through it, barreling towards the barren canyon. They soon arrived, but they didn't transform into their kid forms immediately. Instead, as quietly as he could, Brayden began to crawl towards a nearby tree to hide out in, looking over his shoulder every now and then to ensure Peyton was following him. They reached the top of the tree in no time, concealed among the green leaves.

Immediately, he turned his attention back to the Rainbow Squids. Octavia was holding a piece of paper in her hands, and she began to read it out loud.

"'Dear Via, I'm leaving the Rainbow Squids. Don't come looking for me. Signed, Alexis,'" she read. As soon as she finished, she lowered the piece of paper, though Brayden couldn't catch her expression from this angle. "So that's how it is..."

So that explains why Alexis wasn't with them, he thought. She decided to leave them.

He continued to listen to the rest of the conversation, making mental notes as they spoke. A heavy silence hung between the group, anguished looks on their faces. Only the Squid Sisters seemed calm, continuing to monitor the laptop situated on the bench in front of them. That old man was nowhere in sight, too... Soon enough, Callie spoke up, confirming Brayden's suspicions—the Dauntless Agent 4 had decided to live in Octo Canyon for the rest of her days.

What a stupid decision, he grumbled silently. Octo Canyon was no place to live—hostile Octarians lurked at every corner, and the territory was designed to hamper strangers to the area, too. Someone exploring the place would have to be especially careful, or else they would end up getting themselves killed because of their own foolishness. Glancing over at Peyton, he couldn't tell what she was thinking based on her expression. But, from the day he met her, she had always been incredibly stoic. It was rare to see her upset.

Soon enough, the Rainbow Squids left, the red-haired octoling leaving with them. Callie and Marie turned their attention back to the laptop. DJ Octavio, on the other hand... When he looked over at him, he noticed that his blue-and-green eyes were focused on the tree. Brayden's eyes widened, his heart feeling as if it would jump out of his mouth. Had he known they were here the entire time? He shook his head. He couldn't focus on that. He had to find Alexis and get her out of Octo Canyon as soon as possible.

"How about a contest?" Peyton whispered in his ear. "Let's see who can find Alexis first."

Well, he couldn't say no to that. "You're on," he accepted. Besides, perhaps it could give him the opportunity to find the diary Elyse was talking about. Despite the risks, he was curious, admittedly.

"I'll go ask that Skylar girl," she declared, beginning to slide down the tree.

"You're not gonna look around here?"

"Well, sometimes it's better to gather information first. So...aren't you gonna start doing that, too?"

"I will, I will. Just go."

She snorted. "How difficult." In an instant, she crawled away, slipping through the grate leading back to Inkopolis Square. Brayden reached the ground soon after, and once his body was on the ground, he transformed back, taking a moment to stretch before walking over to the Squid Sisters. He glanced over at DJ Octavio momentarily, whose eyes followed his movements. Ignoring him, he then cleared his throat, grabbing the two inklings' attention.

"It's you!" Marie gasped, eyes wide as the umbrella nearly slipped out of her hands.

"What are you doing here?" Callie asked him, puzzled.

"I heard Alexis was missing," he replied. That, at least, was a question he expected. "So, I wanted to help."

The grey-haired inkling merely let out a sigh. "I'm guessing you overheard the whole conversation. She's not missing," she insisted. "She's just patrolling Octo Canyon."

"Well, yes, you are correct. But, is it really good for her?" he challenged, crossing his arms. "You know Octo Canyon is dangerous. Who knows what could happen if she messes up?"

"Oh, don't say that," Callie said with a frown. She proceeded to perk up immediately afterwards. "She's very capable! We wouldn't let her go otherwise. And if something happens to her, we'll go get her."

Brayden scowled at her response, disgusted. While it may be true that Alexis was a very strong member of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, she was also the least experienced of all of them. Despite her animosity towards the blue-haired octoling, he couldn't help but worry for her. That couldn't be healthy. And the fact that the Squid Sisters were enabling it? That just made matters even worse.

He was about to rebut her statement when he heard someone slip out of the grate behind him. He turned around to see Peyton arrive in Octo Canyon once more, followed by a red blob popping out of the manhole, reforming into Skylar. As soon as he met her brown eyes, he fell his mouth fall open. Something about her seemed strangely familiar, yet he never recalled knowing someone with the same name as her in the past.

"Surprised?" Peyton inquired in the Octarian language, smirking. "I thought it would be more useful if both of us were present to listen to what she has to say."

He paused to think of an answer. He wasn't quite sure what to make of it. The fact that Peyton brought her here did bother him—aside from looking familiar, they were supposed to be competing against each other. Therefore, they should conduct their work separately. At the same time, however, any information he could get was valuable, no matter who it was from.

Skylar seemed to notice his expression, her voice catching him off-guard. "Do you not like me?" she perplexed, frowning.

"I-It's not that," he stuttered out a response. "Just let me think."

"You're thinking over this?" Peyton scolded. "We need to hurry."

"Fine, fine," Brayden conceded, raising his hands. His blue eyes focused on the red-haired octoling. "Start talking."

"About Alexis, right?" she asked. He nodded. "Well... The last time I saw her was the Splatfest." A smile tugged at her lips. "It was my first one since coming to the surface. If it weren't for that octoling that's with the New Squidbeak Splatoon, I wouldn't have met her. Or even be in Inkopolis at all."

So Eight led her up here, he concluded. As much as he would like to ask her about Skylar, he would have to do so at another time. For now, he had to focus on his mission. "Anything else?"

Skylar shook her head. "Not really, no. But she did seem a little skittish when I fought alongside her. I don't know why. Maybe it has something to do with her leaving 'Rainbow Squids?'"

"I can probably guess why," Brayden grumbled at her remark. Alexis didn't like octolings. She never has. He and the rest of Octa Prisma just wished she could change her mind some time. It didn't look like that moment would happen any time soon, though.

"What?" Skylar tilted her head, confused.

"Nothing," he told her. "Just that if you have nothing else to say, we're done here."

"Oh." She looked down at her feet, shuffling them.

With a smile, Peyton patted her on the shoulder. "We can start looking through Octo Canyon. I don't know my way around here, so I bet you can help me with that."

"What about your friend? Does he know his way around here?"

"Brayden's...a unique case. Just leave him be."

"If you say so."

Purple eyes focused on Brayden once more. "Bye," she announced. "I'll see you later." She proceeded to turn into an octopus and prepared to super-jump, with Skylar quickly copying her actions. They leaped into the sky, purple and red ink trailing behind the duo. Soon enough, they were gone, prompting the tan-skinned boy to once again face the Squid Sisters.

"I'm surprised they didn't acknowledge us as all!" Callie marveled.

"I don't think they even noticed we were here," Marie exasperated.

The former looked back at the laptop that tracked Agent 4's movements. Before she could speak, an alarm started to play, the marker flashing red. In a panic, Marie scrambled to the controls, bringing up a camera. Her hero suit had broken, Octotroopers now surrounding her. Her eyes were closed, trembling as magenta ink dripped off of her body.

"Four!" Callie gasped. She grabbed a walkie talkie off of the bench and turned it on. "C'mon..."

"We look away for one moment and this happens," Marie groaned, kneading her forehead with two fingers. She said no more after that, except for a curse muttered under her breath.

"Told you," Brayden sneered. His eyes focused on the laptop screen. The Octarians prepared another shot, but before they could fire, a dark blur covered the screen, orange striking the Octotroopers and splatting them. Orange ink splattered on the platform, their vehicles clanking against the ground before disappearing or falling into the abyss. He tapped the shoulders of the Squid Sisters, directing their attention to the laptop. Standing in front of Agent 4 was a pale-skinned octoling with dark hair tied into a bun. As she turned around, fear struck into the boy's heart as he met her eyes.

Yaki.

"That's weird," Callie puzzled. "If that's who I think it is, she was a loyalist last time I checked."

"That's definitely Yaki," Marie remarked. "But what is she doing there?"

"It's a trick," Brayden deduced. He didn't know Yaki as well as he knew Takko, but if one thing was certain, it was that she would never abandon the Octarian army under any circumstances. "She definitely has something planned, whatever it may be."

The two proceeded to super-jump out of the Octarian dome, the camera following them. Their mouths moved, but no sound came out of the laptop. Callie placed the walkie talkie she had next to the computer, static crackling out of it. Soon enough, it cleared up, and two voices proceeded to speak out of the device.

"So, you have a name?" Alexis's voice asked, hints of hostility present.

Yaki turned around to face her and said her name, confirming to the group watching them that this was indeed the person they were thinking of. The elite octoling's voice sounded nice...too nice. It was a tone he had only heard once or twice, when Yaki was trying to coerce someone into doing something. But, Agent 4 seemed unaware of her true nature. On the computer screen, though she hesitated, she ended up shaking her hand.

"Thanks for saving me back there," Alexis said.

"It was nothing," the lady commented. It was here Brayden noticed that she was speaking in Inkling, not Octarian. "They are just Octotroopers, after all."

"Yeah... You're better at Inkling than I thought you would be."

At Agent 4's remark, Yaki laughed. "Well, we are all full of surprises, are we not?"

Brayden's eyes narrowed. "I'll make sure to give her a surprise she won't forget," he muttered.

Marie blinked. "You're going to go after her?"

"Of course," he declared, switching back over to the Inkling language. He forgot Marie could understand Octarian. He pulled out a Splat Charger, surprising the two idols. "Where is that special ink of yours?"

"You mean the low tide ink?" she corrected. "I only have one tank of it left, but I could make more."

"One tank will be plenty," he assured her.

"I recommend hanging out for a little longer," Callie suggested. "We still need to figure out where they're going."

"Fine," Brayden sighed. He continued to observe the scene between Agent 4 and Yaki. The latter started to point at a structure a little lower than some other platforms. Judging by the shape of it, he figured it was a warehouse of some sort. After some debate, they proceeded to super-jump to it, landing a few feet from the kettle in the middle of the structure.

"Well, there's your next destination," Marie announced. She hurried inside the Cuttlefish Cabin and quickly returned with a tank of lime green ink. Brayden changed his ink color to match it and took the tank, slinging it over his shoulder. As soon as he faced her again, the idol nodded. "Good luck. And don't you dare think about hurting Agent 4."

"I will not," he assured her. "Now, I must be going."

Before the Squid Sisters could say anything else, he turned into an octopus, super-jumping through the orange skies of Octo Canyon. It didn't take him long to reach the warehouse Agent 4 and Yaki descended into, turning into a kid and landing on his feet at arrival. Hoping nothing bad happened to the former yet, he slinked into the kettle, leading into whatever darkness may await him.

He descended the pipe slowly, hugging the wall to avoid detection. Soon enough, he hung from the ceiling, beady eyes looking down on an inkling and an octoling. They were destroying crates, wood splinters flying across the room. Soon enough, magenta blobs of ink appeared around the room, spawning some Twintacle Octotroopers. Though for a moment he thought Yaki would betray Alexis, they instead worked together to splat them, allowing them to continue breaking empty boxes. Afterwards, they started progressing deeper into the facility.

Brayden stuck to the wall and crawled along, following them. She's good, he thought. Too good.

But, for now, all he could do was follow them. He couldn't risk revealing himself yet. That would lead to disastrous results.

---

When Brayden was first assigned to his new unit, he was escorted by the one-and-only Takko, creating quite the spectacle at his arrival.

"Woah..."

"Is that...?"

"He's so young!"

Takko then cleared his throat, the crowd of octolings inside the barracks settling down. "This here is Brayden Pallidus. You must've heard of him, correct? He has become more well-known as of late, thanks to my recognition of his prodigious skills."

One of the older octolings in the unit, head shaved on one side much like Brayden's, walked up to the two boys, examining the younger of the duo. "Interesting..." She put two beige-skinned fingers on his cheeks, squeezing them, much to his discomfort. Quickly noticing it, she let go. "If he really is what you say, then I suppose he'll be a valuable asset."

"I'm sure he won't let you down," the young man assured her. He then returned his attention to Brayden. "Why don't you take this time to get to know the others? Cooperation is essential for success."

Brayden looked into his deep blue eyes, and with a stern nod, he promised, "I will." He turned his attention to his new comrades, sweating. Meeting new people wasn't exactly something he excelled in. He wished Takko would stay just a little longer, but alas, he was a very busy octoling. So, Brayden would have to brave the adventure of meeting these new people, alone.

"Will you be staying longer, Lord Takko?" asked the beige-skinned octoling.

"I will not," he confirmed. "I have other things I must attend to." He turned around, standing in the doorway they had previously arrived in. "Goodbye for now. ...And remember your duty."

Immediately, the other octolings in the room saluted. Brayden was quick to mimic them, bringing a hand up to his forehead. "Yes, Lord Takko!"

He looked over his shoulder with a smile, and then he disappeared, slamming the door shut enough to startle Brayden. He turned around to face the group, the beady lilac lights of everyone's goggles staring into him, expectant.

"Um... Hello," he greeted, waving a hand awkwardly. "As Lord Takko said, I'm Brayden Pallidus. It's pretty obvious why I'm here."

"Well..." The older lady placed a hand on his shoulder, and a smile came across her face, much sweeter than he expected. "My name is Renee Muu. I'm the oldest member of this unit right now. So, don't be scared to ask me for advice, alright?"

"Alright," he repeated, nodding his head.

"Yeah, Renee's super smart," agreed an octoling girl who appeared to be at least Takko's age. She stepped up, placing a hand on her chest. She looked like the average octoling, with red poufy hair and fair skin. A beauty mark was located under her lip. "I'm Kaya Eledone, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Hey, I should have a say in this, too!" a third girl chimed in, jumping up to Brayden. She clenched her fists tightly in front of her, a wide grin on her face. "Finally, I'm not the youngest anymore! Brayden, right?"

With wide eyes, he took a step back, taken off-guard by her energy. "And who might you be?"

"Sienna Bimac." She extended a hand, asking for him to shake it. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you too," he simply said. "...How old are you?"

"15," she replied. "You're 14, I think, so we're only a year apart."

"Yeah, we are," he confirmed. It was nice to have someone his age in his unit, at least.

Renee patted his shoulder again, directing his attention towards her again. "We still gotta introduce you to the others. I'm sure they're all eager to meet you."

"Yeah!" the other octolings in the room agreed.

Brayden chuckled. Though he still missed the Octarians he grew up with and the Octarians at his school, his new unit seemed like a lively bunch. Even if they were as skilled as Takko claimed they were, surely they were no match for his hiding skills. Whenever he felt like it, he could just crawl into the vents and hide away, spending some time by himself.

But, like Takko said, cooperation was essential to success.

---

Slowly, Brayden crawled on a metal beam in the form of an octopus, looking down at his peers. In the long hallway, Kaya and Sienna talked with each other, and while some things they talked about he had no interest in, it was at the mention of his name that he started to eavesdrop on them. He started to crawl faster in order to keep up with their pace, straining to hear them over the music that rang through the halls.

"I wonder where Brayden is," Kaya commented, putting her hands in her pockets. "Renee said she'll give me all the power eggs she got yesterday to me if I find him."

"What?!" Sienna gasped. "She said that to me, too!"

Knowing Renee, he wasn't surprised. The members of his unit often played a game to see who can find him first, often with a reward from Renee herself. The rewards varied from power eggs to food to useless trinkets. Sienna held the record for the most times she's won the game, her locker filled with bobble heads, pinwheels, and other toys from inkling society. She had even given Brayden a few, and while he cared little for them, it would be rude to turn them down. So, he kept them in his own locker, messing around with them when he was bored sometimes.

"She says that to everyone, duh," Kaya continued. "She has to give some incentive to finding Brayden. You included."

"Hey, I'm always up to find him." Sienna put her gloved hands behind her head, a smile forming on her tanned face. "He's such a cool person, you know. Very easy to talk to, plus the fact that we're pretty close in age helps." At the compliment, Brayden could feel himself smile. Despite the initial shock, his presence quickly became normal. Now, compliments were rare. To hear it from one of his comrades only incited a warm fuzziness within him.

"Ooh, is that a crush I hear?"

"N-No!" Sienna lowered her hands, her face red. "Can't we just be friends?"

Kaya sighed. "Well, if you say it's not a crush, then I guess it's not a crush."

Sienna? Having a crush on him? He supposed it would make sense with all the gifts she had given him, her face tinged red every time. The fact that she denied it only made him more suspicious. But, he wasn't interested. Only one person had his heart, but he didn't even know where she was at. Oh, how he yearned to see her again...

"What if he's here?" she suddenly fretted. "Oh, I hope he didn't hear that. Or worse, Lord Takko! What would he think?"

"He's also a teenager, Sienna," Kaya pointed out. "He probably has the hots for some elite octoling right now, even with all the work he has."

"You sure? All he seems to care about is work and his sister. I can't see love for anyone else in him."

"C'mon, he's not heartless. No Octarian is. He'd understand."

"Yeah, probably, but I still can't help but worry."

The two girls suddenly stopped in the hall, looking around. Brayden inched closer to the edge of the beam, curious. Suddenly, he heard footsteps ringing through the halls, the sound of them much different to be coming from someone wearing leather boots. Who could it be...?

Then, he spotted black hair. Looking down at the hallway, Takko had appeared, his arms behind his back. He was wearing his kimono as always, its formality contrasting greatly with the skin-tight outfits Kaya and Sienna both wore.

He brought a hand up to his mouth, clearing his throat. "It's nice to see you two."

"L-Lord Takko!" Sienna stuttered out, clasping her hands together.

"For what reason have you graced us with your presence?" Kaya quickly followed.

"I wanted to brief the unit on a new mission," the young man explained. "Please, if you see anyone, tell them to gather in the barracks. It's very important."

"A new mission..." the fair-skinned octoling murmured. "I wonder what it'll be on."

"Before you go, Lord Takko, I have a question."

He looked over at Sienna, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?" As she began to speak, Kaya grimaced.

"Do you have a crush?"

Takko nearly seemed to lose his composure at the question, his breath hitching briefly as his blue eyes widened. "W-Well!" He straightened once more, closing his eyes as he took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he continued. "Excuse me. I don't see why you need to know that."

"Hey, I was just curious," she defended. "I'm sorry. That was a stupid question to ask."

"Yes, you're correct. Some officials would not take very kindly to that question. You should be glad I'm not one of them. You apologized, and that is the important part."

"Anyways, Lord Takko," Kaya interjected, "it might take a while before you can begin. We still need to find Brayden."

"Brayden Pallidus..." Smiling, the young man looked up at the beam where Brayden currently rested. As soon as their eyes met, he shrank back in an attempt to hide himself further. But, knowing Takko, it would be no use. "I believe he's up there."

"Really?" She lifted her head, scanning the metal structure hanging above them. With a gasp, she super-jumped up to the metal beam, trembling with her weight upon landing. In a panic, Brayden shifted back to his kid form, sitting on his butt as he scrambled backwards, away from Kaya.

"I found him!" she called out to the two octolings below.

"Aw, does that mean you'll get the reward?" Sienna whined.

"We can say...we found him together. Since, you know, we're together right now."

"But Lord Takko is the reason we were able to find him in the first place!"

"Renee doesn't have to know that, does she?"

"Well, if you want to be honest..."

Brayden glared at Kaya, his patience growing thin. "Can you guys stop arguing?"

"Oh." The fair-skinned girl looked back at him, frowning. "Sorry." Together, they jumped down to the hallway, joining the others.

At their arrival, Takko dipped his head. "I'm guess you heard everything?" Brayden nodded. "Then, it'd be best if you get to the barracks as soon as possible."

"We will," Kaya promised, "don't you worry."

"Good. I'll see you later, then." Takko walked off, deeper into the hallway as the other octolings waved goodbye.

As soon as he was gone, Sienna grabbed Brayden and Kaya's hands and ran off, deeper into the building, smiles on their faces. No matter what life threw at them, their unit would stick together, always.

---

"Pallidus."

Brayden blinked, surprised, as Takko handed him a folder filled with papers. "Deliver these to DJ Octavio. It's imperative you get them to him as soon as possible."

"Why can't you deliver them yourself?" he questioned in return.

"You know I'm busy, Pallidus," he reminded him. "I have other matters to attend to. Which means this errand falls to you."

"Alright." He clutched the folder in his hands, nodding. "I'll see you later, then."

Takko nodded. "Let me know when you return."

"I will."

He stepped out of the office, only to be met with the sight of Sienna. She stood with her hands clasped, leaning against the wall. Even though her eyes were hidden by her goggles at the moment, he could feel her gaze rest against him. Brayden walked a few feet and stopped, looking over at her.

"Did you need something?" he asked.

"Well, I was gonna talk to you now, but I think you should deliver those first," Sienna replied. "I don't think either of us want to keep Lord Takko waiting. And DJ Octavio probably wants them as soon as possible, too."

"Meet me on the surface, then," he suggested. "His lair isn't too far from here."

"OK," she agreed. "I'll see you later, then."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Brayden exited the barracks, stepping out into the streets. He started walking down them, towards the entrance. Octarians passed them as he moved along, paying little to no attention to him. What a shame...perhaps they had yet to recognize his talent. He arrived at the entrance in no time, where he transformed into an octopus and super-jumped out of the dome, the bright orange light hitting his tanned skin. He stood there a few moments, outstretching his arms and letting himself absorb the sunlight. Moments where he got to leave the dome were rare, so he had to take any chance he could get to bask in the sun.

He could not stay for long, though. He super-jumped once more to the floating metal blocks, climbing up them until he reached the apex of Area 5. From here, he could see Octo Valley in all of its glory. In the distance, the towers of Inkopolis stood tall—a grim reminder of what could've been if the Octarians won the Great Turf War.

Brayden tapped his foot, summoning a UFO to his location. A boss kettle rested on top of it, leading into DJ Octavio's lair. It lowered so that he could get on to it, and turning into an octopus, he slipped inside.

He was immediately met with darkness, a starry sky surrounding him. Tentacle-shaped speakers dotted the area, decorated with green lights. Off to the side rested the Great Zapfish, electricity crackling off of its whiskers. Metal pathways sprawled out across the entire area, many leading towards DJ Octavio himself. The Octobot King floated in the middle of the dome, a metal platform surrounding it. However, it wasn't like he necessarily needed to give the folder directly to DJ Octavio. He could just give them to someone else that worked for him, and they could give it to him from there.

An elite octoling with pale skin stood at the entrance of the dome, hands behind her back. After talking to a few Octarians in front of Brayden, she then turned her attention to him.

"What is your purpose here?" she inquired.

"I'm here to deliver this folder for Lord Takko," he answered. He held it out, and the elite leaned forward to examine it. "He said it was important."

"I see." She took the folder and looked inside it. With a nod, she closed it with one hand. "I'll make sure it gets to DJ Octavio. Is that all?"

"Yes."

"Then-" Her voice cut off as the floor began to rumble, nearly knocking both she and Brayden off-balance. She strolled over to the railing, and Brayden followed. They leaned against it as they watched one of the spawn points down below change color from magenta to orange.

Brayden's eyes widened with realization. "The Dreaded!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking. "She's here!"

A blob emerged from the spawn point, soon forming into an inkling with long hair and a suit. She shook her arms, ink falling off of them before readying her weapon, stepping off of the platform. In the distance, he could hear a voice echo throughout the lair, but he couldn't quite make out what it said. In response, the Octobot King floated away from its position, over to the Great Zapfish. It sucked it up and let out a blaring noise, the speakers shifting as its lights turned red. It lowered to meet the intruder, mechanical fists readied. A fanfare began to blare as DJ Octavio readied his wasabi sticks, and then, he let out a laugh, his voice booming throughout the entire dome.

"I'ma remix your face, Dreaded!" he declared.

DJ Octavio's music began to play through the speakers, serving as a backdrop for his battle against the Dreaded. Magenta and orange ink clashed, grabbing Brayden's attention. To see the menace that had plagued Octarian society months finally clash with their almighty leader like this? It was a fight he couldn't ignore.

In the midst of the battle, he heard the elite octoling's voice. "I suppose you will leave when this is over?"

"Gah!" He turned around, startled. He'd forgotten she was still nearby. "Yes, I will!" he promised. "I just want to stay for this. It's rare that I get to see DJ Octavio, much less hear his music in person."

"Understandable," she noted, closing her eyes and smiling. "To get a chance to attend a live concert, no matter the circumstances? For ordinary Octarians, it is the chance of a lifetime."

Brayden returned his attention to the ongoing battle. The Octobot King was spinning around, indicated that the Dreaded had likely breached its defenses. However, much to his relief, it quickly recovered, and DJ Octavio piloted it away, his blue eyes following it. But the Dreaded's pursuit was relentless. She super-jumped to another set of catwalks, following their leader to a new location. Once again, they clashed, with the inkling reflecting the machine's fists back at him, damaging the Octobot King, all while dodging missiles and Killer Wails.

"Do you think DJ Octavio will win?" Brayden asked the elite.

"Of course he will," she replied. "Why would you ask that?"

"Well, my unit's been collecting information on the Dreaded," he elaborated. "To think a single inkling could defeat all of the Great Octoweapons, alongside the entire army? It's terrifying."

"Tsk, tsk, you must be young. It just goes to show you can't underestimate them."

"Have you fought one before?"

"No, but my friend fought two of them once. They had enough strength to overpower her entire unit."

Brayden went silent, frowning. He returned his attention to the battle, where the Dreaded had managed to breach the Octobot King's defenses once again. But, just as last time, it recovered, and DJ Octavio flew away once again, only for the inkling to follow him. Hope started to flicker within him. Everyone had their limits—even inklings. But machines did not. Eventually, she would tire, and DJ Octavio would be able to deal the final blow, splatting her once and for all. It was only a matter time before that would happen.

But instead, after the fourth time the Octobot King malfunctioned, DJ Octavio's music stopped. Brayden's mouth fell open, shocked. What was happening? Why would he stop his music, all of a sudden? Surely he wouldn't do it for no reason!

Then, radio static began to play, clearing up into a different song, much, much different compared to the music DJ Octavio produced.

"What's this?" his voice demanded. "Where's mah beats?!"

"Agent 3!" a distorted, high-pitched voice then called, ringing throughout the dome. "Can you hear our song?" From their words, they seemed to be speaking Inkling.

"You've got it upside down!" chided another speaker with a slightly deeper voice, their words also in Inkling.

There was a pause, and then the first voice, now clear, exclaimed, "Don't you ever worry your granddaughters like that ever again!"

"Agent 3! Take care of Gramps for us, 'kay?" the second voice then requested.

Brayden raised an eyebrow and turned his attention to the elite octoling next to him. "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

But something was off about her. Instead of her composed stance from earlier, she was shuffling her feet along to the beat of the new song, a huge smile plastered on her face. In fact, she didn't even seem to hear him. He waved a hand in front of her face, trying to get her attention. She stopped abruptly, adjusting her goggles. Now that she was listening, he repeated his question.

"Who cares?" The elite octoling shrugged. "This music is nothing like I've heard ever before. Take a moment to just listen to it, won't you?"

"Alright..."

Brayden closed his eyes, tuning out every other sound, letting the music flow through his body. A name popped into his head—Calamari Inkantation. Something about it seemed to resonate him, awakening some kind of vision. A vision of a world free from DJ Octavio's rule, where inklings and Octarians lived together in peace and harmony, without the obligations of their duties.

It felt...good. Like it was a paradise he didn't realize he would ever want. And DJ Octavio, Takko, and all those other officials had no part in it.

If he left Octarian society, he would achieve true freedom.

Brayden opened his eyes, and he lowered his goggles, revealing his blue gaze. The headgear hung around his neck now, and he stared out at DJ Octavio, watching him fight hopelessly against the Dreaded.

She would win, he realized. And from there, he would be free.

The inkling launched one of DJ Octavio's bombs at him, and upon collision, the giant octopus flew out of the Octobot King, landing in a puddle of ink, flailing his limbs along. Dealing one final blow on him, he launched into the machine, and it began to swell, swinging around before exploding into a vortex of orange ink.

As it settled, the Calamari Inkantation fading out, the Great Zapfish appeared in its place, observing the area. The top of the UFO opened, and it flew out, never to be seen again.

Brayden put his goggles back over his head, frowning. He wanted to leave Octo Valley...but what would Takko and the others think? If they found out, he would surely be splatted for good. And besides, he had promised Sienna he would meet with her after he finished his errand. He didn't want to break it.

The elite octoling walked over to the door leading outside and opened it. "Go," she demanded, not bothering to look at him. "You saw its message, didn't you? Leave, before anyone notices."

"But what about you?" he asked. "Shouldn't you be leaving, too?"

"Just go!" she snapped, pushing him out. Suddenly, he was falling through the sky, plummeting to the ground. If an official didn't kill him, then the fall would. Turning into an octopus, he tried to angle himself towards one of the floating platforms, hoping it would soften the impact. In a few moments, he splatted onto the platform, his entire body aching. He transformed back into his kid form, lying on his back, groaning.

Shakily, he stood up, his legs wobbling. Suddenly, he was thankful octolings didn't have bones. If he did, then surely he would've broken all of them. He started to jump down the platforms, towards the ground. Soon enough, he found the soles of his boots touching the dusty ground, a light mist hanging around him. The sun just barely peeked over the horizon now, the sky taking on a purple color.

"There you are!" Sienna called. Brayden turned around to see her leaning against a ramp. She proceeding to walk over to him, eyebrows furthered. "I've been waiting forever! Seriously, what took so long?"

"I'm sorry," he apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "It's just...the Dreaded showed up."

She gasped. "The Dreaded?! She really made it that far?"

"Yes, despite our best efforts to undermine her," he confirmed.

"So, did DJ Octavio splat her? He has to, right?"

"No. She defeated him."

Sienna's mouth fell open with horror, taking a few steps back. "Defeated?! How?"

"She's just that strong, Sienna. Don't underestimate an inkling."

"How can you say that so casually?! This is DJ Octavio we're talking about here! For him to lose... Why, that's unimaginable!"

"Trust me, if I wasn't there to watch it, I would be panicking too." Brayden stepped closer to Sienna, placing his hands on her shoulders. "But when I heard that song in there, the Calamari Inkantation..." He lowered his goggles, a gasp escaping from her lips. "...I realized we don't have to be here. We don't have to serve the Octarians, Sienna! We could be free, living away from Takko and all that. Don't you think that would be great?"

Sienna squirmed her way out of his grasp, pulling down her goggles to reveal brown eyes—eyes he rarely saw. "Out are you of your mind?" she snapped. "We dedicated our lives to serve the greater good, and now you're spewing nonsense like that?" She took a few more steps back. "I thought you were better than this, Brayden." She blinked, a tear falling from her eyes. "And it turns out I don't know you at all!"

"Sienna, please!" Brayden called. "You like me, don't you? I thought you, of all people, would take this well."

Terror continued to shine in her eyes as she backed up further, clasping her hands close to her chest. He reached out a hand to her, offering it for her to take. As he walked further, she continued walking backwards.

Until she tripped.

Her heel hit a rock, and she lost her balance, flailing her arms are as she fell backgrounds. But instead of solid ground, she kept falling, disappearing below the ground, tumbling towards the abyss. Her eyes wide with terror, she let out a scream.

"Sienna!"

Brayden ran up to the ledge, stopping just before it and looked down. Sienna reached out a gloved hand for him, but it was no use. She was out of reach. He watched as her figure became smaller and smaller. As her screams faded, so did she.

There was no way she could've survived the fall. Sienna was gone.

And it was his fault.

Clenching his fist, he pushed up his goggles over his eyes again, trying not to cry. Why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut? He should've just left in silence, and then maybe everyone would've forgotten about him. He could've disappeared into Inkopolis, never to be seen again.

But his promises just had him come running back to Octo Valley.

There was no use dwelling on the past. What had happened had happened. He had to report back to Takko now. The question was, how was he going to explain Sienna's disappearance to him? He would have to come up with an excuse quickly, or else Takko might suspect something was amiss with him.

Brayden walked over to the kettle leading back to his dome and turned into an octopus, slipping inside. Within moments, he found himself under the artificial sky, the panels purple much like the world outside. Head down low, he walked down the streets, back to his barracks. When he arrived, everyone's attention was turned to him.

And standing in the middle of the room was Takko, hands behind his back.

"Ta-" He paused, immediately correcting himself with his next sentence. "Lord Takko, I can explain." With his shaken loyalties, calling Takko his lord felt foreign to him now. Even so, he would have to keep up a façade until he could obtain the chance to escape the Octarian oppression forever.

"No need," he assured him. "I got the news a few minutes ago."

He let out a sigh of relief. "So DJ Octavio really was defeated. Can you believe it?"

"No, but with what information we have on the Dreaded, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." He cleared his throat. "Ahem. I presume the papers were delivered?"

"Yes, but I can't assure they've been secured," Brayden explained. "When DJ Octavio was captured, the lair felt into chaos. I was lucky to get out early. I couldn't imagine what would've happened if I stayed longer."

"Where's Sienna?" Kaya suddenly spoke up from the back of the room. "She went out to meet you, didn't she?"

"Yes, but..." He frowned. "When I went to the meeting spot, she wasn't there. I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find her."

The fair-skinned octoling lowered her head, frowning. "Oh... I hope she's OK."

"I'll send out a search party for her," Takko promised, looking over his shoulder. "It would be a shame to lose such a valuable asset."

"Y-Yeah," Brayden agreed, giving a nervous smile.

He really did need to find a way out of here, somehow.

---

Even Yaki wasn't invincible.

A bomb blew up behind her, splattering magenta ink onto her back. She stumbled, but her moment of vulnerability was brief. Moments later, she leaped up into the air, striking out her Octobrush. With lightning speed, she swiped at the attacking Octarians, splatting each and every one, covering the room with orange ink. After she finished, she put the brush away, limping as Agent 4 followed her.

And Brayden had watched the whole thing.

He continued sneaking along the metal beams, keeping a close eye on them. Honestly, he was baffled as to why Yaki hadn't tried to turn on Alexis yet. She had always been more cruel compared to her brother, her blue eyes lighting up with amusement with every punishment she dealt. And not all of them were pretty.

They proceeded to enter a large empty room, finally giving some room for Brayden to stand. He did a few stretches, his legs tired from sneaking along. Perhaps he really was getting rusty, but in his mind, as long as he was in Inkopolis, it was worth losing his skills. Never again would he work for the Octarian army.

It was then he spotted another octoling on the beam opposite of his. With dark, chin-length hair and a black-and-gold kimono, there was only one person it could possibly be—Takko. In his hands was a charger, fingers resting on the trigger as his blue eyes followed Yaki.

So this was Yaki's plan. Lure Agent 4 to somewhere she would feel safe, convince Takko to assassinate her, and together they would leave with proof of her demise.

In an instant, a light began to glow on Takko's charger, steadily growing brighter and brighter. Eyes wide with alarm, Brayden immediately took out his charger and started charging his up, pointing it towards Yaki. He fired, and lime green ink shot into the lady's head. With a cry, she fell, landing face-first on the floor. On the other side, her brother lowered his charger, mouth agape. Alexis had a similar expression, but her surprise quickly dissipated once she made eyes with the tan-skinned boy.

"Oh."

He dropped down to the ground, unimpressed with her reaction. He had no time to comment on it now, though. They still had to deal with Takko.

"Why are you here?" Agent 4 immediately demanded, eyebrows furrowed.

Harsh as always. "Two reasons," Brayden started, speaking in Inkling. Before he could elaborate, he heard a noise from above. Looking at the metal beam above, Takko had resumed charging his weapon, preparing to fire at any second now. As soon as they made eye contact, he fired, and just before the piercing ink could hit them, he grabbed Alexis and moved out of the way, magenta ink landing where they once stood. "That is one of them," he noted.

"What do you mean, 'that is one of them?'" she chastised. "It wouldn't splat you to explain!"

"I will explain," Brayden started, "when we get out of here." He glanced over at Takko. The young man had prepared another shot. "Surviving is our priority." The next shot fired, and just like before, they jumped out of the way. Afterwards, he directed his attention back to the black-haired octoling. His stoic expression unwavering, he jumped down to the floor, still holding his charger tightly.

"I recognize you," Takko remarked, much to Brayden's dismay. "Pallidus, was it?"

He merely laughed it off in an attempt to hide his true thoughts. "How smart," he jeered. "I'm surprised you still remember me." I was hoping you would forget.

"Remember that it was I who recognized your talent," he scoffed, disgusted. "I see that you're a traitor now, after you went missing for several months."

"Is it really that bad to be a traitor, though? After all, you're free. Unlike life down there, I can do whatever I want."

"Then I'll have to teach you a lesson on loyalty." His lips curled in a snarl, Takko aimed his charger at the two of them, the light on top of it starting to glow once more. Brayden felt Agent 4 drag him out of the way, rolling over to the side of the room. The young man had fired another shot, and then another, which Brayden and Alexis dodged as well. The fight continued on, with no end in sight. Before long, they would both fall to Takko if they didn't do something.

Eventually, Four whispered to him in Inkling, "Can't we just get out of here?"

"He would just follow us," he argued. "He is persistent in his target."

They then hid behind a pillar, granting them a chance to catch their breath. The agent peeked over at Takko before asking him, "Who is that?"

"Takko," Brayden replied in a hushed voice. He felt silly that he even had to answer that question—surely the agents of the New Squidbeak Splatoon would know important Octarian figures, wouldn't they? Nonetheless, he continued on with his explanation. "He is an official for the Octarian government. Yaki, another official, is his sister." His gaze sharpened. "Seriously, did your team not tell you who to watch out for?"

Before Alexis could answer, she dragged him along again, out of the way of another charged shot. Now, they rested behind boxes, the magenta puddle only growing larger and larger.

"Your skills have weakened," Takko commented. "Inkopolis must've made you lazy."

This was his chance. While Takko was distracted, he would strike.

"On the contrary, they have not," Brayden sneered, poking out from behind the boxes. In the meantime, his fingers pressed down on the trigger, charging his weapon. "How else would I get here without anyone knowing?"

Takko's eyes widened, his mouth falling open as his fingers slipped from his weapon's trigger. Moments later, he shook his head, and with a smirk, he lifted his charger, the laser beam aimed right at his head. Even in the face of death, though, he had to remain calm. One slip-up could cost his—and Alexis's—life. Heart pounding in his chest, he readied his charger.

Confident his victory was assured, the young man laughed. "Say goodbye, traitor."

Now.

Brayden snapped his charger up at Takko, releasing the trigger. Lime green ink flew out of the barrel, colliding with the dark-haired octoling's forehead. With a startled cry, his charger clattered to the ground, magenta ink shooting up into the air before falling to the ground.

"You..." he groaned, stumbling around. "...Dang it."

Takko fell backwards, collapsing to the ground with a thud. Now that they were safe, Brayden emerged from behind the boxes and walked over to him, kneeling down. All he had to do now was lead Alexis back to Tentakeel Outpost. However, Takko's defeat also gave him an idea—he could take the young man's card and slip into his office, undetected. It was much easier than the alternative, after all.

As he undid his kimono, he paused as he heard the inkling girl's voice. "What are you doing?"

"That is not important," Brayden answered. Who knows how she would react if he told her the truth? If his past encounters with her told him anything, she would just accuse him of being a spy again. "I just need something, and he happens to have it."

He resumed undoing Takko's kimono, and soon enough, the cloth fell to reveal shorts and his undershirt. Strapped to his right leg was a pouch with several pockets. Spotting one that could carry cards, he opened it, and thankfully, it was the correct pouch. He pulled out a card and examined it. It was primarily white in color, a magenta octopus design prominent on it. In the corner was an Octarian insignia, likely to denotate it as one belonging to a high-ranked Octarian.

Yes, this was the correct card. He stood up, putting the card in his pocket before returning his attention to Alexis. "Got it. We should head back to Tentakeel Outpost."

Unfortunately, it appeared she had other plans. "Head back? No, I'm not going back there. It would be better for me to keep patrolling." Her eyebrows began to knit with worry, yet she still kept a smile on her face, nervously laughing as she continued on her rambles. "After all, the Rainbow Squids don't want me. But here? Here, I can actually make a difference without everyone ignoring me! The New Squidbeak Splatoon cares about me. Why stay in Inkopolis when-"

Brayden placed his hands on her shoulder, causing her to freeze in place, her voice stopping abruptly. "Alexis, stop."

She lifted her head, orange eyes watery. If she was trying not to cry, she would at any moment now. But he couldn't just leave her here. He came with a purpose, and he intended to fulfill it.

"The other reason I came for you is to bring you back to Inkopolis," he revealed. "Everyone is worried about you. Callie, Marie, Cuttlefish, the Rainbow Squids, and your sister." He paused for a few moments, speaking again to emphasize, "Especially your sister."

Alexis turned away, and weakly, she snapped, "How do you know? You're part of Octa Prisma. You barely know them." Clenching a trembling fist, she looked down at the cold, metal ground. "You'd rather goof off in Octo Canyon than even be in Inkopolis."

Ouch. "First of all, you make too many assumptions," he scolded her. "Second of all, you do not need to know how. Either way...look at yourself!" He took one hand off her shoulder, gesturing towards her. Whatever shine was once there, it was not anymore. "You look terrible. Your clothes are dirty, and your hair is dull. You do not really believe the Rainbow Squids do not want you, do you?"

The inkling girl didn't answer, eyes drifting away from his gaze. "Look at me." She did as he instructed, her eyes still watery with tears. Her jaw fell slightly, her face flushed. Even he had to admit, he felt bad for her. When an Octarian loses their purpose, they felt...lost. Any other person would rather give up than continue on living, despite their hardship.

But Octarians, on the other hand, never gave up. Eventually, they would find a new one, no matter what it may be. Their lives were far from over. Perhaps inklings could use a push to make them feel the same way.

Sighing, he closed his eyes. "If you only want to be Agent 4 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, fine, but at least take care of yourself. This is not the way to go." He let go of her at last, opening his eyes and staring into her orange ones again. "Now, do you understand why you must go back to Inkopolis?"

The room fell into silence, and Brayden watched as she started to tremble, looking at her hands. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed her reflection to her. At that moment, she let out a sob, tears falling from her eyes, dripping down her cheeks as they fell to the floor. She then sat down, rubbing her eyes as she continued to cry, while Brayden stood over her the entire time.

"I'm so dumb," she hiccupped. "I get tricked, and now this? Why can't Marie just tell me Three's better than me?" As she rambled on, he frowned. Why was she comparing herself to Agent 3? Regardless of her skill, she was still one of the strongest inklings he knew, and in such a short time, she, too, had made her name feared among the Octarians.

"...I wanna go home," she said at last.

That was the answer Brayden was looking for. "Then let us leave." He reached out a hand, beckoning for Alexis to take it. "We have no reason to be here any longer."

She nodded, and he helped her to her feet. It was then she turned into a squid, gripping his arm and climbing up to the top of his head. He patted her head and started walking towards the exit of the warehouse. Now that everything had settled, it was eerily silent, save for his breathing. His footsteps echoed throughout the halls, yet no one jumped out in front of him. As he walked, he turned the lights off, blanketing the warehouse in darkness. Soon enough, they reached the exit, and he super-jumped outside with Alexis.

When he emerged from the kettle, he stood there for a few moments to catch his breath. He turned towards the direction of Tentakeel Outpost and super-jumped once more, letting the wind hit his skin. For once, he felt relief. Everything was fine now, but in the back of his mind, he reminded himself what else he had to do.

Get the diary Elyse described, and bring it back to her. That should be easy enough.

They landed just outside Cuttlefish Cabin, skidding along the ground. Callie, Marie, and Cuttlefish stared at him with wide eyes at their arrival. He tore her off his head and set her down on the ground, where she reformed into a kid.

"I found her," he announced, putting a hand on his hip.

Oddly enough, no one made a comment at his return. Marie set her umbrella down on the bench, and she walked up to Agent 4, holding her arms out in an embrace. Alexis stumbled into her arms, sobbing into her kimono. In the meantime, Brayden took off the low tide ink tank and set it on the bench before returning to his previous spot, his ink color shifting back to his usual blue. All he could do now was watch awkwardly as she reunited with the New Squidbeak Splatoon, crossing his arms. He had no other reason to be here, but he couldn't just leave them hanging.

Eventually, he cleared his throat, directing everyone's attention to him. "Do I get some recognition?"

"Well, you got Four out of there," Marie remarked.

"Yep," agreed Cuttlefish. "I thank ye for that."

At those comments, Brayden smiled. "At least I got that." He looked towards the sky, the stars twinkling dimly in the distance. Now, it was time for the second part in his plan. "I will go now. I will see you another time, then." He turned into an octopus once more and leaped into the sky, blue ink trailing behind him.

Soon enough, he entered the dark cavern home to Cephalon HQ, colorful lights shining throughout the area. He landed not on the main platform, but on a platform off towards the side. Taking one look around the area, he retreated into a crack in the wall, taking the time to change out of his normal outfit to the Octarian uniform, complete with shades that had their hypnosis functions removed. Returning to the kettle, he took a deep breath and turned into an octopus, slipping inside the dome. A few moments later, he found himself on a floating platform slick with magenta ink. He lifted himself off the ground, groaning as Octarian ink dripped off of him. Examining his surroundings, his heart skipped a beat as he realized what else was on this platform with him.

Flooders. Machines that could not be destroyed.

However, he could slip past them. Changing his ink color to match the color of the ink surrounding him, he submerged into the ink, creeping towards the end of the platform. His eyes focused on the ground below him. Various Octarians patrolled the courtyard, primarily consisting of Twintacle Octotroopers. The skies were invested with Octocopters as well, possibly to look for any intruders trying to slip through their defenses. And judging by how spread out they were, it was very possible that they had taken notice of him, but they had not determined where exactly he had gone.

His heart feeling as if it would burst out of his chest, he retreated to the center of the platform and emerged from the ink. All he had to do now was slip past their defenses, into the headquarters. Yet, he found himself trembling. Why was he nervous? He's broken into Octarian buildings before; this should be no different. Was the fact that he was breaking into Takko's office?

Calm down, he told himself. I can't afford to be compromised here. Examining his surroundings once more, he studied the Octocopters and flooders, looking for an opening. If one found him, he would be as good as dead. Pushing the false hypnoshades up the bridge of his nose, he submerged into the ink and swam to the edge of the platform, looking down at the courtyard. Taking a deep breath, he proceeded to super-jump down.

The headquarters was not a very tall building, only being roughly three floors. However, that was not to say it wasn't a small building—it was quite the opposite, actually. The headquarters seemed to sprawl out over the entire dome, resembling more of a maze than a building. The guarding Twintacle Octotroopers turned their attention to him briefly before resuming whatever they were doing beforehand. Taking Takko's card out of his pocket, the glass doors slid open, and he entered the building.

Sitting at the counter was an Octobomber, though they lacked the helmet of every other Octarian of their type, instead having a badge shaped like an octopus stuck on their chest. They were about to pick up the phone on their desk, stopping once they noticed Brayden's arrival. They blinked, surprised.

"Hello," they greeted. "What is your reason for coming here?"

"I came to pick up something for Lord Takko," the tan-skinned boy replied, holding out the card. "He let me borrow his card to get it."

"Odd that he didn't come himself to get it," the Octobomber mused. They scanned the card, confirming that it was in fact, real. "But, that is his card. In case you didn't know, his office is on the third floor, in Sector 44. You can take the elevator to get up there, and then the railway to the appropriate sector. When you arrive, his office is the second door on the right."

Just how many people work here? Brayden wondered. With a nod, he thanked the secretary and walked over to the elevators, pressing a button that indicated he wanted to go up some floors. The doors opened without any issue, and he entered, designating the floor he wished to enter. They shut close, and Brayden leaned against the wall of the elevator as it rose, clenching the card he had stolen from Takko tightly. He had to get that diary, no matter what. It would be a shame to disappoint young Elyse, after all.

The elevator stopped, and with a ding, the doors opened. The lobby of the third floor resembled the first, having pale blue walls with white molding—looking significantly nicer than most other Octarian buildings. Even the floor looked nice, consisting of white tile. While they were commonplace in Inkopolis, for Octarians, an interior of this quality was a sight to behold. Grey couches were pressed up against the wall, and the corner tables were decorated with metal vases containing wires bent in the shape of flowers. Fortunately, no one else was in the room with him. He was alone.

Directly across from him was the entrance to the railway. A few Octotroopers were manning it, and as soon as they spotted Brayden, they began waving their singular tentacle as a greeting. When the tan-skinned boy approached them, they immediately began to speak.

"Greetings octoling," started one standing next to the platform to enter the actual train. "Where would you like to go?"

"Sector 44," he requested.

"Visiting Lord Takko, eh?" they remarked. "Strange; I thought he was out right now."

"He is. I'm just here to pick something up for him."

"Ah, now that makes more sense." With a nod, the Octotrooper pointed to the train. The doors slid open, allowing him to enter. "Welcome aboard."

"Thank you." With a bow, Brayden entered the train, grabbing a metal pole. He watched as the doors closed shut, feeling his body move as the vehicle started, speeding along the railway. After only a few minutes, the train slowed to the stop, and the doors opened. He released his hand from the pole and stepped outside, moving out of the way to let a few Octotroopers enter the train. He walked away from the train and turned around, watching it leave. The Octarians managing the railway waved him goodbye, and now, he could continue on his mission.

Second door on the right, he reminded himself. He stood in the middle of the hallway just outside the railray entrance, eyes scanning the area. Some Octotroopers patrolled the area, strolling around on their machines with bored expressions. Taking a deep breath, Brayden started to walk down it, eyes focused on the right side.

"Hey!" someone called. The octoling boy turned around to see two Twintacle Octotroopers approaching him. Shoot. "I don't recognize you," the same voice declared. The other Octarian nodded in agreement.

"I don't come here often," he defended himself. That was technically true, at least. "I came to pick up something for Lord Takko. Said thing happens to be in his office."

"What does he need?" asked the second Octarian.

"That is classified," Brayden replied. "I'll be quick; I promise."

"Makes sense," the first one remarked. The other one nodded, and they turned their attention back to the boy. "You may proceed!" they declared.

"Thank you," he said. He walked past them, and soon enough, he arrived at the door the secretary has designated. He swiped the card through the card reader, and with a beep, he heard the door unlatch. He opened it and entered the room, closing the door behind him and turning on the lights. Now, he could investigate the room undisturbed.

Unsurprisingly, Takko's office was neat and orderly, not a single mess obvious to him. Directly in front of him was his desk, consisting of stacks of papers, a landline, and a desktop computer. He could spot some wires around the base of the desk. Lined up against the back wall were several grey cabinets, their contents unknown. A few pictures hung on them, primarily featuring Takko and Yaki, though others had the former posed with his family, other important Octarians, and even DJ Octavio himself. Some weapons were mounted on the right wall, primarily chargers. They were all encased in glass, only being opened by a key. One mount had its weapon missing, presumably the weapon Takko had taken to the warehouse. Underneath the weapons were a pile of chairs, stacked on top of each other. The left side of the room had a bookshelf, with several more books piled on top of each other next to it—just what he was looking for.

He scanned the spines of the books of the shelf, looking for anything that would resemble a diary. They primarily seemed to be fiction novels. Though most were written by Octarians, there were a few written by inklings and other creatures living in Inkopolis. How he got them was a mystery, but nonetheless, he supposed there was nothing valuable here. He stood up and studied the top of the bookshelf. In the middle of it was a CD player, some cases stacked up next to it. A book with a bookmark sticking out of the top of it rested towards the end of the shelf, among other trinkets. Seeing there was nothing of interest here, he moved on to the pile of books.

He started rummaging through them, reading the titles of each one before tossing them aside. Soon, he came across one book of interest—one that was all too familiar to him.

His diary.

It wasn't a very big diary, the cover of it brown, though he could've sworn it used to be red. A white space in the middle had 'My Diary' and his name written in it, the marker used a little smeared. He opened the pages and flipped through them, reading through each and every entry.

'11 Oct 2013

'Iris got me this yesterday. I don't know how much I'll use it, but my teacher says it's a good idea. She said it could help me with my writing skills. I don't like her, but I guess I should listen to her. I don't want her to be mad at me. She's super scary when she's mad.

'What else do I write in here? You write about your life in your diary, but that's all the important things that happened today. Until next time!'

Reading the words of his younger self, Brayden couldn't help but feel sad. He was so innocent back then. Melancholy hanging in the room, he flipped to the next page.

'31 Oct 2013

'Today is Hallow's Eve! My teacher brought us a lot of candy today. Oh, and she asked me if I've been writing in this. I haven't, so she made me do it right now. We're going to the parade later. We get to dance and dress up in costumes. We've been practicing the routine all last week. I'm so glad this is the last time we have to do it this year.

'I'll go visit Iris later. She likes some of this candy more than me. We could share it! And then maybe she could show me some of her fighting moves. She's been practicing real hard. When we graduate, we could hang out together, and she'll protect me all the time.'

How naïve, he thought. Little did young Brayden know, they would be separated before that day ever came. But then the Calamari Inkantation happened, and they were reunited once more. His heart still heavy, he continued reading.

'7 Nov 2013

'My teacher says to at least write in my diary at least once a week. It's been a week since the last entry, so it's time for a new one! Today was pretty boring, though. The entire week was boring. Me and Iris hung out, though. We played hide and seek. And I won every time! Iris said it was cheating since I'm training to be a scout, but... If we played tug-of-war, would she win? She's stronger than me, after all. She could lift me easily!

'Well, that's all. I'll make sure to write again next week.'

He supposed the next few entries weren't very interesting, so he started flipping through the pages, only skimming their contents. He stopped on the Octivus entry, proceeding to read it.

'23 Dec 2013

'Yay! It's Octivus! We have the next few days off. Iris got me some power eggs. She said her mentor gave them to her, but she didn't want them, so she gave them to me. I don't know what to do with them, so I gave them to my group's caretaker. I don't know what she did with them, but power eggs are used to power everything. I guess she took them to a furnace or something.

'I bought some armor for Iris. It was too big for her, but she likes it. I barely see her smile nowadays, so it was nice to see that. I invited her over to our Octivus feast. The food was the best I've ever had! I'm stuffed. If I wasn't writing in this diary, I would be sleeping right now. So much happened today. Too bad we have to go back to normal life in a few days. It would be nice if we could just relax forever, but we can't do that. We have our duty to serve, and for me, that's becoming a scout someday. I'm going to be the best scout there is, just you wait!'

If there was anything he missed about Octarian society, it was Octivus. Things just didn't feel the same when celebrating it in Inkopolis, especially when so few people celebrated it. Maybe he just needed to meet more octolings, but at the same time, who could he trust? He trusted Octa Prisma, but that was about it. Even the most innocuous of people could turn on you.

Brayden continued flipping through the pages, next stopping on the entry written on his birthday.

'19 Jan 2014

'It's my group's birthday. Most of us, anyways. But it is my birthday, at least. I'm 13 now. Only one more year before I can officially become a scout! I'm so excited! I hope I get into a good unit. I'm the best in my class, after all. But then I'll have to say goodbye to everyone and meet all these new people... But as long as I can hang out with Iris, I'll be happy.

'Speaking of Iris, she let me practice with her Octo Shot today. We practice with them at school, but it's nice to get some extra practice in. That's it, I guess.'

Brayden gulped, bracing himself for the next few pages. What happened the following month, he knew all too well. He flipped through them, his hands trembling. And then, he came across the dreaded page.

'21 Feb 2014

'She's gone.'

---

Brayden knelt over the pages of his diary, tears pricking his eyes. Why...? Why would they take Iris away?

He slammed it shut, taking a deep breath. He had to find her. But first, he had to get out of the barracks.

He rose from his bed, walking over to his locker and shoving the diary inside. As quietly as he could, he crept through the halls, making sure to wake up not a single octoling. He reached the entrance of the building and put his boots on, and then, he tried to make himself seem as small as possible, pressing against the wall. The door unlocked, and an elite octoling walked inside, kelp trailing behind her. One of his caretaker's friends. Why was she here?

But it didn't matter. Before she turned around, he scurried outside, running into the alleyway.

"Hm?" the octoling called. "Who was that?"

Heart pounding in his chest, Brayden pressed his back against the brick wall. Please don't find me, please don't find me.

"Must've been nothing," she deduced, and then the door slammed shut.

Well, that was one thing taken care of. Now, he would have to get out of this dome, somehow.

The young octoling crept through the alleyway, in between the numerous buildings dotting the city. The artificial sky was dark, with only stars twinkling. He wished he could stop and admire them, but this was urgent. He had to find Iris, before it was too late! The only problem was that he had no idea where to look. For all he knew, she could be far, far away now. Perhaps she could even be in Octo Canyon! But there was no way they would've taken her that far already, right?

Eventually, he reached a parking lot filled with tractors and other cars, a tunnel leading to another dome looming over them nearby. The tunnels seemed so dark that it seemed like he would be forever lost inside them, and he didn't know how to drive, either. That was something they didn't teach young octolings until they turned 16 or 18, depending on what field they were in. Being a soon-to-be scout, he would be learning how to drive when he turned sixteen, but he still had three years before then. For a moment, he stared at a smaller car, considering going inside and driving away, but he figured he would be too conspicuous that way.

If only he could change forms. Then, he could get a bunch of seekers and create a path of ink for himself, swimming through it faster than he could by running around on foot. But, he couldn't. For at least another year, he was stuck with his stubby legs that could only take him so far.

As he hid in the shadows, another idea popped into his head. What if he hitched a ride with someone? That way, he could still travel to other domes faster, but he would be significantly harder to catch. If someone caught him sneaking out, his efforts would be all for naught. All he had to do now was wait for someone to try to leave this dome.

Blue eyes studied the parking lot, waiting for someone to arrive. Yet, no one came. Brayden clenched his teeth, hissing through them. He wasn't going to get anywhere if he was just sitting around! But, as his teacher said, all good scouts come with patience. So, for now, he forced down his frustration, continuing his observation. He stifled a yawn, rubbing his eyes to keep them open.

He didn't know how long it took, but eventually, he spotted an octoling walk over to the one of the tractors—the same one that had visited his barracks just before he left. She lifted...something, into the back seat, its shape hard to make out. Making sure she wasn't watching, he rolled behind a car, slowly drawing closer to the tractor the elite had intended to use. She climbed into the front seat, and at that moment, he jumped into the car, lying as flat as he could in the space between the front and back seats.

"Huh?" she gasped. "Who's there?" After a brief pause, she sighed. "Maybe I should go to sleep earlier."

The engine started up, and moments later, Brayden felt the ground move beneath him as the car pulled out of its parking spot, towards the tunnels. His vision became dark as they entered, fear striking his heart. What if they crashed? What if they got lost? Or worse, what if someone attacked them?

Suddenly, he wanted to go home, but he couldn't go home just yet. He had to find Iris.

The elite octoling driving turned on the radio to the sound of DJ Octavio's music. She began to hum along to it as they drove in the darkness. With their leader's music playing, Brayden felt as if time sped up, the music pounding in his ears. Suddenly, the darkness turned into light, and at last, they had arrived at another dome.

The car slowed down as it entered a parking lot, eventually coming to a stop. He heard the car door open and then slam shut again, the driver walking away. Brayden stood up, looking around. The dome he arrived in seemed to be another residential dome, stars dotting the artificial sky. The structure of the city was similar to his own dome, but at the same time, it was also very different.

Sure that the elite octoling was gone by now, Brayden crawled out of the car, slipping away to the alleyways once more. He wandered around them, trying his best to stay in the shadows. They were like a maze, stretching out for miles. If he wasn't careful, he would never get out of this dome.

For what seemed like hours, he meandered through the streets, looking for any sign that would lead him to Iris. But he couldn't find any. He ended up reaching the other side of the new dome, complete with its own parking lot. And unlike the last time, it didn't look like anyone would show up to take him away to a new dome. The chances that someone would come were even lower, considering how late at night it was now.

Brayden collapsed to the ground, bringing his knees to his chest. In the morning, Iris would be far, far away, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. At this rate, he wouldn't even find her. Sniffling, his eyes began to water as despair overcame him. He lowered his head, sobbing softly.

He didn't care if he was found or not, now. He just wanted to see Iris again.

Eventually, he had fallen asleep. In an instant, the sky was bright and blue again, and as usual, the domes were active, Octarians wandering the streets. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the scenery from his hiding spot. Somehow, they didn't notice him. But...there did seem to be more than usual.

One car with an insignia matching the one found on DJ Octavio's helmet arrived in the parking lot, some Octotroopers gathering around it to observe. A pale-skinned octoling with his hair cropped at his chin climbed out of the passenger's side, standing on the ground tall. A black kimono draped from his body, complimented with golden accents. Oddly enough, he didn't wear goggles like all the other older octolings he knew, indicating to Brayden that this one had an especially high rank. A few elite octolings then crawled out of the back seat, surrounding the newcomer and pointing their weapons at the spectators. The Octotroopers backed up before running off completely. The boy with the kimono on then pulled out a tablet, looking through it before putting it away.

"Let us go," he commanded. His guards saluted, and they followed him around the parking lot, the lilac lights of their goggles standing out against their dark uniforms.

For some reason, they stopped in the middle of their patrol, the newcomer turning towards Brayden's direction. He let out a gasp, and immediately, he realized his mistake. He shrunk away, hoping that he would dismiss it. But he continued to investigate, walking up to his hiding spot, scrutinizing him with deep blue eyes. He reached out a hand, and Brayden froze, trying to remain as still as a statue.

"What's the matter?" he asked him. "You know you shouldn't be out here."

"Lord Takko, sorry to interrupt," started one of his guards, "but there was a report of a missing child earlier today." She adjusted her goggles. "If I'm correct, the dome he lives in is close to this one."

Takko. He felt like he's heard that name before, but from where...?

"So I saw," the black-haired octoling, Takko, commented. He returned his attention to Brayden and asked, "Can you speak?"

"I..." His voice died off to a whimper, and his eyes became wet with tears once again. If Takko knew anything about Iris, now was his chance to ask it. But the words he wished to say failed to come to him.

"C'mon, don't cry," he said, frowning. "I'm not that scary."

"It's not that," Brayden whined. "It's just... Iris..."

Takko raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "Who?"

"My friend," he explained. "She was taken away...well, I guess yesterday, now. Without warning." He lowered his head. "I just really, really want to see her again. I never got to say goodbye to her."

"Such is life, though. You make friends, you lose them. Some people, you may never see again." Takko reached over to Brayden and cupped his magenta cheek, forcing him to look into his eyes. "You have to learn to accept that. Especially for when you're assigned to an actual unit. You'll probably never see the people you grew up with ever again."

"Don't say that!" he cried. "I know that, but Iris to more than that! She's my best friend! I can't lose her now!"

"Calm down," Takko directed. "Crying over it won't solve anything."

"Alright, alright," Brayden muttered. "I'll stop crying." He rubbed his eyes, sniffing.

"Good, good. Now tell me, what is your name?"

"Brayden Pallidus."

The newcomer pulled out the tablet from earlier, typing in something and nodding his head. "Yeah, that's the name of the missing child." He continued reading through the report, keeping a straight face. "Thirteen, huh?" He lifted his head. "You'll be in a unit next year."

"Yeah..." He gave a half-hearted smile. "Better sooner than later to learn your friends will leave you huh?"

"I'm glad you're taking this well." Takko put his tablet away, meeting his eyes with Brayden once more. "You know, I'm actually quite impressed. You managed to sneak out of your barracks and get all the way to another dome without anyone noticing. Not everyone can do that, you know."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. If you want to improve further, I could send some of my best scouts to act as your teachers. Who knows? Maybe you can join one of my units when you turn fourteen." Takko held a hand out, smiling. "Now, come with me. It'd be best if you'd get home as soon as possible."

"But what about Iris?"

"Iris doesn't matter. What does matter is how much you can contribute to Octarian society. You'll understand when you get older. Now come on, let's go already."

"OK..." Brayden climbed out of his hiding spot and took Takko's hand, and together, they walked back over to the extravagant car, escorted by the octoling guards. He climbed into the back with the guards, leaning back in the cushion, looking at his reflection in the mirror.

He'll see Iris again one day. No matter how long it took.

---

Brayden blinked, his eyes watery. A few tears fell down his cheek, and he wiped his eyes, trying to clear them. Even with the fact that he and Iris were now in Inkopolis together, he couldn't help but get emotional as he remembered her disappearance. But, this was no time for crying. He closed the diary, wishing to read no more of it. He set it aside and started to search the pile of books in search of another diary.

There was no other diary. His was the only one.

He picked the book back up again, examining it. Was this really the diary Elyse was talking about? If so, that would mean he had a sister he didn't even know he had. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, though. He would have to go to her to verify it himself.

After he was convinced his tears had stopped flowing, he placed the card on Takko's desk and exited his office, clutching the book in his hand. Some Octarian eyes followed him as he walked back over to the railway, but much to his relief, none of them tried to stop him again. He reached the railway and hopped on, taking it back to the elevators, where he then rode it down to the first floor. He gave his goodbyes to the secretary before walking outside, looking up at the sky. Most of the Octocopters seemed to be gone now, but a few still remained. Seeing as they did not pose a threat, he proceeded to turn into an octopus, super-jumping out of the dome, diary in hand. He popped back out in the dark cavern, the magenta lights reflecting off of his metal chest plate. He proceeded to hide and change back into his normal attire before super-jumping out of Cephalon HQ at last.

Callie and Marie didn't notice his arrival back at Tentakeel Outpost, merely talking to one another. Alexis and Cuttlefish were nowhere to be found—he assumed the former had gone back to the city already, while the other was inside the cabin. He saw no need to interrupt them, though. He just had to slip out of Octo Canyon, back to Inkopolis Square. Yet, he was aware of DJ Octavio staring at him, those bulging eyes of his watching with intent. Thinning his lips, Brayden walked over to the manhole, gave one final look at Octavio, and slipped through the grate.

The square was starting to empty out at his return, few inklings in sight. Some jellyfish still roamed the streets, but for the most part, they stayed out of the way of inklings. Brayden started to walk past the Crust Bucket, towards the table Octa Prisma normally sat at. Sitting at the table, much to his disdain, were Peyton and Skylar.

"There you are," the purple-haired girl chided. "We spent an hour looking for Alexis, and then turns you brought her back, just like that."

"Callie and Marie said you went back into Octo Canyon," added Skylar. "But why? Wouldn't it be dangerous?"

"You underestimate me," Brayden teased. "Up until Callie was rescued, I worked as a double agent. And no one suspected a thing."

"But that was a long time ago," she argued. "A lot has happened since then."

"I have my ways, Skylar," he remarked. "There's no need to get into them."

Dismayed, she looked over at Peyton, who simply shrugged. Brown eyes focusing on Brayden again, she continued, "But you still didn't answer my question."

"I just needed to get something," he replied. "That's all."

"Like that book you're holding," Peyton interjected, pointing to his hand.

He looked down at the diary. "Well, yes, that is what I got. You don't need to know why, though."

The girl with the ponytail sighed, shaking her head. "You really are an enigma sometimes..."

"I should get home, now," he said. "Iris is probably waiting for me."

"Bye!" Skylar cheered, waving a hand goodbye. "See you again!"

"See ya," Peyton followed.

Brayden waved them goodbye and started to walk out of Inkopolis Square, towards the nearby parking lot. Soon enough, he arrived, climbing into his car and driving off. He did not intend to go home, however. He had business to attend to.

Luckily, he had Elyse's address, so he had no trouble finding the apartment complex she lived at. Upon arrival, he parked on the side of the street and climbed out of the car, walking inside. Some flowers decorated the lobby, giving off a rather floral scent. Some jellyfish were sweeping the place clean, paying no mind to him. He walked over to the elevators and entered them, pressing a button to go up. Moments later, he arrived at the floor Elyse lived on and started walking down the hallway, lights gently shining down on him.

The apartment Elyse lived at appeared rather plain on the outside, only having a welcome mat at its doorstep. Though, given her age, he didn't expect her to be a master of interior design by any means.

Brayden raised his hand, knocking on the door. "Hello? Elyse?" he called. "It's me, Brayden. You home?"

The door opened, revealing the blue-haired girl in the doorway. Looking at her now, her eyes seemed just as blue as his, and their skin tones were similar, too. Perhaps his theory wasn't too farfetched.

"Hey," she greeted. "I didn't expect to see you."

"Well, remember that diary you were talking about earlier?"

"Yeah... What about it?"

"Well, I went and got it." He removed his other hand from behind his back and displayed the diary to her. "Ta da! This is what you were talking about, right?"

"Let me see." He handed the diary over to Elyse, and she opened it up, flipping through the pages. "Yeah, yeah, this is it. You really went and got it for me?"

As she finished, Brayden took a deep breath, bracing himself. So it was true. Elyse really was his sister. Even if she hadn't said it herself yet, the evidence pointing towards it was too much to ignore. The probability that they were not related was less than zero.

"Brayden...?" She tilted her head. "Are you OK?"

"Can we go inside?" he asked. "I need to talk to you."

"Um... OK." She closed the diary and handed it back to him. She stepped out of the way, allowing him to enter the apartment.

It was larger than he thought it would be, though since she lived in the same complex as Geneva and her brother, he figured that it was to be expected. The walls were a pale grey and rather bare, only posters of the Squid Sisters and Off the Hook decorating it for the most part. For a fourteen-year-old, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised. There was a couch and a coffee table in the living room, a TV sitting across from them. The area to the right led to the bedrooms and bathroom, a washing machine and dryer in-between them.

Elyse sat down on the couch, throwing her braid over her shoulder and resting her feet on the armrest. "So, what is it?"

Here it goes. "First of all, Elyse, I need to know what your last name is," Brayden started.

"Pallidus," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, that is my brother's diary you just got for me. It says his name on the front." She smirked. "Or did you not notice it?"

"Well, about that." He rubbed the back of his head. "...My name is Brayden Pallidus. That's my diary."

At his words, Elyse sat up straight, blue eyes wide. "Yours...? Then that means..."

"Yes," he confirmed. "I'm your brother."

She jumped off the couch, walking up to him with a strange curiosity. Before he could say anything, he let out a gasp as her arms wrapped around him. Gingerly, he patted her back in return, and soon enough, he found himself hugging her back.

So this is what having a sibling was like. Even if it took fourteen years to learn of his sibling's existence.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "If I knew earlier, then I would've let you known sooner."

"It's not your fault," she told him. "It's thanks to Octarian society we were even separated in the first place."

They let go, and then, Elyse's eyes began to sparkle. "You know, we gotta do some sibling things! We have to make up for lost time! Like, we could play some video games! Or play a card game! Or-"

"Don't get ahead of yourself," he interrupted her. "I still gotta get home."

"Oh, yeah..." She lowered her head, blushing in embarrassment. "Sorry, I'm just excited." Before he could speak again, she said, "Do you want your diary?"

"No, you can keep it. It's old, anyways."

"Aw, thanks. You know, you're actually a pretty good big bro."

Brayden smiled. "Any time, Elyse. Any time."

---

Takko's PoV

Footsteps echoing through the halls, everyone's eyes immediately turned to Takko as he traveled back to his office, blue eyes narrowed with dissatisfaction. He clutched the emergency card in his hands, the image of Brayden's trickery still fresh in his mind. To have one of his most loyal subjects turn on him like that? It was despicable, really. Yet, with his disappearance, it was not unexpected, admittedly.

"Lord Takko!" someone called. He stopped in his tracks and turned around to see two Twintacle Octotroopers running up to him.

"Did you get what you needed?" the second Octotrooper asked him.

"What I needed...?" He trailed off as a realization clicked in his head—that traitor must've snuck in here to get something, whatever it was. With his own card! His fury towards him only grew.

But, with a smile, Takko simply nodded. "Yes, I did get what I needed." He turned around and threw an arm out, signaling startled yelps from the Twintacle Octotroopers. His voice taking a more serious tone, he commanded them, "Get back to your posts."

"Y-Yes, Lord Takko!" the two Octarians complied simultaneously. He heard them run away, and lowering his arm, the black-haired octoling continued his journey to his office.

He arrived not long later, opening the door and slipping inside before closing it once more. His back against metal, he turned the lights on and scanned the room, searching for any imperfections. Towards the left of the room, he noticed that his pile of books had been rummaged through. He stepped over the pile and cleaned them up, stacking them neatly on top of each other. But even when everything was orderly again, he noticed one book was missing.

Brayden Pallidus's diary.

So that's why he came here, Takko figured. But why take only that when he could've taken something important? Nothing else in his office seems to have been tampered with, though he did notice something shining on his desk. But upon closer inspection, it was merely his card. How odd...

Now with everything figured out, he took a seat at his desk, turning on his computer. While it started up, he opened up his planner, reading his schedule for the rest of the day. As it turned out, an octoling was supposed to meet with him in a few minutes. He leaned back in his chair, sighing in relief. At least he made it back on time.

As he expected, a ringing noise sounded from his telephone. He picked it up and said, "Hello?"

"Lord Takko," came the voice on the other end. "Your client has arrival."

"Send him up here."

"Will do."

The Octarian hung up, and he set the phone back in place. Straightening in his chair, he logged into his computer, and then the database. He clasped his hands together and set them on top of the desk, hunched over as he awaited the octoling's arrival. Soon enough, his doorbell sounded, and he pressed a button next to his computer's monitor. The door swung open, and Takko found himself staring at a bronze-skinned octoling wearing a typical uniform, his magenta hair styled in a curtain cut. He seemed to be about his age, if not a little younger, but his muscles were rather defined. The newcomer stepped inside, and the dark-haired man pressed another button, the door swinging shut at its command.

"Pull up a chair," he demanded.

"Yes, Lord Takko." The newcomer grabbed a chair from the side of the room and pushed it up to the other side of the desk before sitting down in it.

"Now, identify yourself."

"Angel Margina. Of Wasabi Supply Unit 218."

Takko typed his name into the database, and an entry in it popped up. The picture on the file matched the octoling sitting in front of him. His eyes were drawn to the icon of an octopus being cut in half next to Angel's name. A symbol that he would be executed in the future, for whatever reason. While they sat in silence, the young man began to read over his client's file.

'Angel Margina. Gen 86 – Octoling technician. Member of Wasabi Supply Unit 238. Currently located in Dome 4 of Cephalon HQ. Birthday: August 3, 1998. Parents: Dante Margina and Mikaela Margina. Oldest of two children.

'CLASSIFIED. Age 6: Enrolled in the elementary training program in Area 3, Octo Valley. Age 14: Graduated. Assigned to Wasabi Supply Unit 238 in Area 3 Dome 5. Age 17: Marked for execution following his brother's, Oscar Margina, disappearance. Same year: Relocated with the rest of his unit to Cephalon HQ following dome failure. Age 20: Was captured by the Squidbeak Splatoon, but managed to escape. Set to be executed August 4, 2048 if pardon requirements are not met.'

After Takko finished reading, he dipped his head. "Now, tell me, Mr. Margina. Why did you request to see me this evening?"

His client lifted his head, eyebrows raised in surprise. "I wanted to request something," the bronze-skinned octoling began. "Could you, by any chance, send a group out to Inkopolis to find my brother?"

He sighed. "I suppose you wish to be pardoned."

Angel gulped, nodding. "Y-Yes."

"Is there any reason you decided to ask me instead of someone else?"

"Lord Takko, your scouting units are some of the best in the entire Octarian army. My previous attempts to find him have failed, so I must resort to this method."

"I see... Well, Mr. Margina, I don't think you should be in a rush. The number of years you have left is longer than either of us have been alive. You should be making the most of your youth."

"I can't give up now. Besides, he shouldn't even be in Inkopolis in the first place."

"Well, if you're that insistent, I'll go through with your request." The dark-haired octoling opened up a blank form on his computer and began filling it out with the information Angel had given him. After he finished, his blue eyes focused on his client. "Anything else?"

"By any chance... Could you find six other octolings along with my brother? I do believe they are associated with him."

"Six?" Takko's eyes widened with surprised. "That's a tall order."

Angel clasped his hands together. "Please, Lord Takko?"

"Well...I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Who would you like us to find?"

"Well, I only know two of their names, but only their first names. One of them is Giovanni—he has lighter skin and green eyes. His ink color is usually green too, I believe. That is something I noticed with all of them—their ink colors are the same as their eye colors. You'll know it's him if he has a tear in his left ear. The other is Yvonne—she lives with my brother in Inkopolis. Her skin is dark, and she has yellow eyes. Her hair is usually in pigtails, and she wears a coat that's much too large for her."

"OK..." After he copied the description, he directed, "Continue."

"As for the others... One looks like a typical octoling soldier with light skin and indigo eyes. She is dating an octoling with tanned skin and eyes as blue as the sky. Half of his head is shaved."

Pallidus? He blinked, surprised. From Angel's description of him, he figured it was unlikely to be a different person. But who was his girlfriend? He would have to find out when he was captured, it seems.

The bronze-skinned octoling didn't catch his surprise, continuing on with his descriptions. "The next one also has lighter skin. She wears her hair in a ponytail, and she has purple eyes. The final octoling...I'm afraid she's aligned with the Squidbeak Splatoon. She's the only octoling among them—I suppose you know what she looks like."

"I see." He wrote down the descriptions, and after he finished, he turned his attention to Angel once more. "We'll make sure they arrive in a timely manner, though it will probably be a while before that happens. Do you have anything else?"

"No, that is all," he concluded.

Takko nodded. "Well, if that is the case, you are dismissed." He pressed one of the buttons near his computer monitor, causing the door leading inside the office to open back up. "Please put the chair back and leave."

"Thank you, Lord Takko," Angel muttered. He rose from his seat and pushed it back to the side of the room. He saluted goodbye and left the room, closing the door behind him. Now that he was gone, Takko resumed progress on the request form. The octoling with the Squidbeak Splatoon may prove difficult to capture, but everyone else? Yes, he supposed he could get a group to retrieve them rather easily.

They couldn't stay in Inkopolis forever, after all.

---

A/N: Happy March! I hope you are all safe right now, and I also hope you guys like this chapter. Quite a few things happened this chapter, huh? Unlike Oscar's bonus story, I consider this a mix of flashback and present day. While Oscar's bonus story was mostly flashback, this one was mostly present day, with a few flashbacks thrown in there. And, like the last chapter, there's a section of a different character's perspective, this one being Takko instead of Yaki. It was fun writing about both of them! I'm kind of tempted to write a spin-off story about them now... But, back to "The Rainbow Squids." Hopefully you guys understand Brayden more now. He's an interesting character to write, given his general demeanor and his tendency to keep secrets. I'm always glad to flesh out the members of Octa Prisma more. Anyways, the Season 5 premiere will come out on Sunday. I can't guarantee I'll post it at the normal time this weekend, since I'm going to be a little busy, but regardless, it will come out on Sunday.

Now, regarding Splatoon 3... I do wish we got an actual release date with the last trailer, but hey, at least we know it'll be in the summer now! I wasn't too sure about Salmon Run coming back at first, but the new stuff looks cool. Especially egg throw. Yet trolls could lead to some not-so-good situations. I did hope we would get more with the last direct, though. Since we're approaching release, I wonder if we'll start getting trailers shadow-dropped, or if they'll hold off on showing anything else new until E3. We'll have to see! Well, that's all from me. Branchwing, out!