Quite the turn of events it's been. Constantine has seen his fair share of unusual situations, but this one takes the cake.
If he were to be perfectly truthful with himself, Constantine did not know what to make of this. Yes, this was an opportunity to bring aid to someone in need, and any situation in which he could put his intellect to use along with expanding his knowledge would certainly help him make an impression on the scientific community. Yet out of all the possible queries for him to tackle, all the life forms and phenomena to study, his first subject of research was that girl, Jade. That… thing…
She was an anomaly. A ridiculous, unfounded accident of life, really. Such union between inkling and salmonid should not exist under any circumstance.
Yet.. the current inhabitants of the world were a result of similar accidents, were they not?
Stranger still, Salem expected him of all people to fix it. Somehow. Entirely on his own. When he knew hardly anything as to what exactly happened to the girl's body.
"I know I said this to them last night, but what do they expect me to do?" the anchovy grumbled in his mind. This felt more and more like a disaster in the making. Perhaps he should just abandon ship and leave Salem and his friends to their own devices.
Although.. would it be right to abandon them? Surely if he dedicated enough time and energy to researching the process behind the girl's metamorphosis, he'd be able to create a concoction that would undo and reverse its effects from there.
"But with the tools at my disposal, I doubt that could be achieved in the time I estimated for the girl's mutation to become permanent. Months might as well be the same as weeks in this case."
Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea at all…
The anchovy shook his head. "Stop meandering and stay focused, Constantine, you have a task to do. Oh, and you should also stop talking to yourself too."
Constantine currently lay seated in the small office of his apartment, observing the sample of altered ink the girl so kindly gave to him in order to study its properties. He has been slow on that front, but a job couldn't be rushed if he wanted it done well.
With every glance at the swirling ink, the anchovy's curiosity grew. Hundreds of disparate cells and microbes mingling and clashing together in ways he'd never imagined to create bizarre chemical reactions in the ink. Altering it into something unrecognizable. He could only imagine something similar must've been occurring all over her bloodstream.
He used his microscope to zoom in on the liquid and get a closer look inside. There, he found differently colored blood cells belonging to an inkling, along with some other bacteria that he could only assume belonged to a salmonid.
His eyes squinted. "I've seen this interaction before. The bacteria moves to attack the white blood cells first in order to weaken the immune system, an attempt to leave the host vulnerable so to speak. If they succeed, the red cells remain helpless, allowing the bacteria to consume them for sustenance, which in turn infects the contents inside a cephalopod's ink sac before spreading and joining with the rest of the host's bloodstream. It's how those brutes at Grizzco so often fall ill when exposed to salmonid ink for long enough."
A compromised system must've played a part in how the girl was so deeply affected by the salmonid ink, but that hardly explained the change itself.
It was then he witnessed something unusual in the vial. The bacteria closed in on one of the red cells and came in contact with it.. only for the cell to begin absorbing the bacteria instead.
"Wait, what?!" The anchovy cried out in disbelief. He had to rub his eyes, wipe his glasses and check the microscope before taking another look. Sure enough, the inkling blood cells seemed to be consuming the foreign bacteria, absorbing them into their forms and promptly expanding and undergoing some sort of physical change as a result.
The altered particles appeared larger and thicker than either of its original components, freely floating about inside the liquid. They were even ignored by the antibodies, and they too have undergone notable change after absorbing some more of the bacteria.
But.. no. He could still pick out elements and traces of the bacteria within the altered cell, even a vague outline of it within the cell's shape.
"The microbes.. merged? Just what am I looking at?"
He took the time to write down this finding on the nearest sheet of paper he could find before peering through the microscope once more. For the next 30 minutes, the anchovy simply sat there, observing anything and everything that stood out in that vial and writing down quick notes about them. They included additional details on the interaction between microbes:
The bacteria were not completely assimilated as he initially assumed. From what he could tell, they still lived inside the blood cells, providing enough nutrients and energy to fuel them. To strengthen them beyond their usual functions. In turn, the cells have mutated to act as shields of sorts, defending their 'benefactors' from any would-be threats. The interaction almost appeared to be symbiotic in a sense…
No. That was too hasty a conclusion. He needed to learn more if he hoped to make any accurate statements.
The anchovy quickly filled up more pages' worth of information, but it did little to ease the confusion that beset him then and there.
None of this made any sense to him. Blood cells joining with bacteria and growing because of them, instead of the other way around. Them cooperating at that, in a process that somehow served to fuel the girl and grant her the unusual strength she displayed. Nevermind the question of how such a simple interaction served as the catalyst for such a severe mutation. Surely there was more at play that affected her DNA, no?
Constantine groaned as he faceplanted on his desk. "I'll split my head apart just by overthinking it all!"
A stiff turn of his head allowed him to glance at the clock on the wall. He had been at this for close to an hour now. Perhaps it was time for a break…
A cup of coffee and sitting by the TV was Constantine's usual method of relaxing. That, or staring out at the world outside. Once he got comfortable on his couch, he began flipping channels looking for something to keep him interested. Nothing but the usual things came up, until he landed on a news channel showing an image of Jade in all her monstrous glory.
"Speak of the devil…"
More footage from last night's events continued to play, showing off the salmonling in action all while an anchorwoman recounted the incident. Her words, little more than supplemental fluff, quickly dissolved into static noise. Another useless addition to the garbage bin of Constantine's mind. It was the visuals displayed that ensnared Constantine in a bizarre trance.
Her strength, enough to rip apart flesh and concrete like tissue paper. Her agility, enough to dart through the streets like it was child's play. The cunning of a predator guiding her every action. Grace and ferocity alike exuding from her movements.
To think this beast and the scared girl that Salem brought to him bore the same face. Constantine expected to be frightened, disgusted at such a display from a wild animal. But this creature, so alike to both inkling and salmonid yet behaving in a manner that never fully resembled either of them, only boosted his fascination.
He tore his gaze away from the TV and pondered for a moment. If all of these alterations were the result of salmonid ink entering her body, why was this not a widespread affliction? What was it about Jade that differed from so many others who were harmed by salmonid ink before? Could he hope to find the key to this process?
And if so.. could he replicate it?
He stood from his seat and hurriedly marched on over to his desk. Taking another glance into the microscope, the anchovy was puzzled to find tiny yellowish orbs roaming about alongside the other microbes in the ink. Another side effect..?
With a groan and a shake of his head, he quickly scooted over to where his computer lay, turned it on and eventually did a quick search on the inkternet. After browsing several articles, he at last came upon one that seemed to answer his question: 'The life cycle of the salmonid'.
This would suffice for now. He began to read until coming across a particular passage.
'The salmonid starts life as a tiny embryo formed inside the womb of its parent. Usually, the embryo begins as a single cell surrounded by an orb-like outer layer of yolk that provides both protection and nutrients for the fragile thing underneath. It is a fluid and flexible substance at this early stage, but as the embryo grows more layers form in the yolk, until it hardens into a compact round shell to house the embryo, by this point having now developed into an infant salmonid.'
A single cell surrounded by an orb-like yolk…
The anchovy hobbled over to the microscope once again and observed the orb more carefully. It was faint at first, but with a closer look he could make out the shape of a tiny cell or two floating about inside the orb. Inside two yellow orbs, at that.
His eyes widened. "But if these things can form within her ink just the same as they do in salmonids, then… she'd be capable of housing golden eggs."
…
"SHE'D BE ABLE TO SPAWN SALMONIDS?!" Constantine screeched,grabbing his head with both of his webbed hands.
This girl only brought more surprises with her. What else could she do?!
Forget a cure, these discoveries along with whatever else was lurking in that girl's ink were too pressing to ignore! He needed answers, he needed her blood— nay, her entire body.
He. needed. her.
"... Clearly, I've made a mistake," Constantine huffed, taking a few breaths to calm himself. "One that cannot be allowed to go unchecked…"
His eyes wandered over to the vial itself. Gingerly, he grasped it in his fingers and turned it over.
"But she's away now, Salem made sure of that. Even if I knew where she truly was, I lack the means to drag her back here."
His gaze wandered, and something else caught his attention then and there. From the corner of his eye, the anchovy could spot a random newspaper lying about on the floor. And in that page he could make out the iconic symbol for one company in particular.
Grizzco Industries.
"But perhaps you might be able to help with that, old bear."
With haste, he grabbed the nearest phone he could find and quickly dialed the number for Grizzco Industries. The phone rang one, two, three times until someone picked up on the other end. Judging from the sound of their voice and the way their sentences were phrased, it appeared to be a female jellyfish.
"Hallo! Grizzco service to the customer, how may I be helping of you?" The jellyfish asked in a sweet tone.
"I'd like to speak to Mr. Grizz. I have obtained valuable data regarding the creature and its attack from a few nights ago, and I believe it might interest him."
"What else have you discovered of our little visitor?" A deep, raspy voice inquired, the words bouncing off the dark walls of the office as its owner observed the subordinate that stood before him.
The subordinate in question— An inkling woman with purple tentacles wearing a dark brown longcoat— glanced up at the figure behind the large desk before her attention returned to the papers in her hands. "It's humanoid alright. And apparently, they've got a penchant for staying out of sight. No one's seen it since it attacked four nights ago."
"And I s'ppose you've already inspected the docks for any evidence of its escape."
The woman nodded. "No signs of it there either, I'm afraid. Mr. Grizz, I don't want to make it sound like that thing vanished into thin air, but…"
The figure scoffed, crossing its arms. "No one can hide forever. 'specially not one of those bug-eyed tiddlers."
"To be frank sir, whatever scraps of data we've gathered told us nothing. That a salmonid even managed to infiltrate this city is.. unusual."
"Ah, but you're not dealing with 'a salmonid', are you?"
The two whirled around to find Constantine standing near the door, dressed in a simple shirt and tie with long pants. The vial containing the girl's ink was held in one of his fins as he walked toward Mr Grizz' desk.
"Visitors aren't allowed at this time," Nephrys informed, a hint of rudeness in her tone.
"Apologies, the door was left a smidge open and I couldn't help but overhear—"
"Regardless, a civilian has no business being in this room."
"On the contrary, Nephrys," Mr. Grizz raised a hand as if to signal her to stop. "Mr. Mullver informed me of the 'valuable data' he's come across before arriving here."
"But I wasn't…" Nephrys tried to speak, but another wave of Mr Grizz' forelimb silenced whatever objections she had.
"Details, details. Y'all wanna talk business? Let's talk business. Give it to me."
Constantine could only nod earnestly. "Based on my findings, I can say that—"
The businessman pressed a button under his desk, and a metal claw suddenly emerged from its base. It zipped forward and snatched the vial off the startled anchovy's hand before he had a chance to react. The claw retreated to its original position, with Mr. Grizz grabbing the vial just before the claw sunk into the desk completely.
Constantine almost felt indignated at such a stunt. How rude of him!
"Four days searchin' for that thing," The businessman began as he looked over the vial in his hand. "And you met it in a matter of hours. Even got a little somethin' out of it."
"I.. have my ways…" Constantine muttered. Now that he thought about it, his story probably sounded bogus to any outside viewer. Not a good first impression..
Nephrys raised a brow at his statement. Mr Grizz turned his attention back toward Constantine; even if he could not make out his face, the anchovy could almost feel the businessman's gaze pierce right through him.
"Would ya like to share with the rest of the class? Or are ya too shy?" Grizz drawled.
Constantine could only stammer in confusion as he glanced to the side. What was with the attitude?
"Or maybe he's scared we'll expose his bluff if he says the wrong thing," Nephrys taunted as she circled behind the anchovy.
The nerve of this woman. Him, bluffing? Constantine would have to be a fool to try that in this situation. If they wanted more proof of his meeting with the girl, he'd give it to them. Although, it's not as if he needed to be completely truthful; Surely some details could be switched around as he spun his tale…
"Well for one thing, I didn't immediately start shooting it on sight. And for another.. I let the beast come to me."
"That's impossible," Nephrys balked at the explanation. "Anyone who came in contact with that monster was met with violence and aggression."
"That much was true at first. But after that, it was merely a matter of lulling it, of convincing it to trust me enough that they were willing to share details with me. Including the sample of ink laid out before you."
"Wait.. Are you saying it understood you?" Nephrys asked.
Constantine had to stop a smile from forming. Now he's got her attention.
"Indeed. When those accursed glowflies weren't clouding its mind, the salmonling displayed a low level of intelligence and even speech, closer to a youngster's to be more precise. I hoped to take this as a chance to learn about it more closely."
"That's all fine and dandy, but evidently it didn't work out for ya. Why?" Mr. Grizz inquired as he clasped his hands together on the desk.
Constantine gulped. If he wasn't careful with the words he would pick, whatever credibility he had in Grizz' eyes would vanish in an instant. Saying he let her run off into the night out of concern sounded like a surefire way to get kicked off the building. Instead, he would tell them that…
"The beast took advantage of my hospitality, attacked me once I let my guard down. I was.. powerless to stop its escape," Constantine 'explained' with the most somber tone he could muster.
A beat of silence followed, before he was met with a groan and wheezing, mocking laughter. The anchovy could only stand there stupefied. What was it that humored him so?
"Mr Grizz, y-you must understand that—"
Suddenly, the metal claw from earlier re-emerged and reached out to grab him forcefully by the collar before pulling him down onto the table. "What I understand is that your half-wit incompetence put the safety of this city into jeopardy," Grizz snarled.
"Millions of people at risk of being maimed, a two-legged tiddler free to roam where it pleases all because you couldn't stuff it in a cage in time," He ranted as Constantine squirmed uselessly in his hold. No matter how much he moved or tried to pry the limb off, Grizz simply didn't budge. It was as if he had an iron claw for a limb. It was only when Nephrys sent him a look and grasped the claw as well that Grizz finally deemed it acceptable to let go.
"Good job on getting me this vial at least, but I'm afraid that won't be enough to hire you, or whatever it is you want me to do. The R&D crew can take a look at it for any alterations in its properties. You are dismissed."
The phrase hit him like a splash of cold water, and any energy left in his body was drained away in an instant. Was that it?'
All the trouble he went through to get here, to stay on Grizz' good side, and he's just going to brush him aside?
A tangible, physical sample of the salmonling's ink delivered to that bear free of charge.. and all he gets in return is a pat on the back?!
The moment he felt his body be led away by the woman, Constantine protested and struggled against her grip with all the vigor and spirit of an unruly child. "No, wait! There's still more I can offer!"
"I told ya already, didn't I? Scram!"
His squirming was of no use while being dragged out. But right as he came near the doors, one last shout, one last gasp for attention broke through his lips.
"I KNOW WHERE IT WENT!"
It was enough for Nephrys to stop. Mr Grizz' posture stiffened as well, and after sparing each of them a glance, Constantine straightened his posture and told them what he learned from Salem before his brief departure.
"But the lands beyond the Smokeyard are deep in Salmonid territory," Nephrys recounted. "We'd have to be very well-equipped if we hope to capture it there."
"Trying to cover such a large area would siphon time and many of our resources away," Grizz mused. "No, it'd be easier to lure it toward us instead."
"Might I suggest the most efficient bait for that?"
Both Nephrys and Mr Grizz shot the anchovy a glare. He was wise to back away slightly.
"Eh, It's only a matter of time before it rears its snout again. Once that happens, my men can just drown it in ink until the thing pops, like with every other salmonid."
Something Constantine definitely didn't want. If that oaf of a 'bear' thought he could just solve this by killing the girl as if it were a common fish, then he certainly needed another wake-up call.
"While I am certain that idea sounds wonderful… Would you truly want to let all the golden eggs within her go to waste?"
If he didn't have the businessman's attention before, he certainly did now. He turned toward the anchovy for clarification and Constantine pulled out the final bargaining chip at his disposal: a medium-sized rolled up blueprint, which he promptly laid out on Grizz' desk.
Mr. Grizz and soon after Nephrys got to reading its contents, taking in every detail drawn out on the paper. The anchovy hoped it didn't appear too confusing to them: He came up with it rather hastily, so some details probably needed revisions if his little idea hoped to work. He didn't know whether to be satisfied or concerned that Mr Grizz hadn't looked up from it after a few minutes, but at least it got his attention.
"This machine.. would it really be capable of doing what's shown here?" Nephrys wondered aloud as she spared another glance at the anchovy.
Constantine nodded. "All it needs is a few adjustments. Run some tests afterward, and once you're both satisfied, you could drain as many golden eggs as you want, until there's nothing but a husk left of that creature."
The shrouded male made no moves or sounds at first, his focus still on the blueprint on his desk. It was then he looked up and met the anchovy's gaze once more. Slowly, stiffly, he folded up the blueprint and rose from his seat. With just a few strides, he closed the distance with Constantine and stood over him.
"How much for the design?" Mr Grizz's voice rumbled.
"A sold patent isn't what I'm here for," Constantine shook his head as he looked up. "What I want is a new lifeform to study. You, a new source of golden eggs. If both our goals involve the capture of the salmonling, why shouldn't we work together?"
A low chuckle came from Mr. Grizz. "You drive a hard bargain, Mullver. But I'm feelin' generous tonight, so.. whaddya say we call it a deal?"
He offered his hand out, and Constantine promptly shook it with his own. The anchovy couldn't help but cheer in his mind; With this pact formed, now he truly held the means to capture Jade at his fingertips. He could finally correct Salem's mistake and
"Hold on, you're seriously gonna let him join the case right away, just like that?" Nephrys asked incredulously, already approaching the pair with hurried steps.
"Mr. Mullver's already provided more useful data and cooperation than anyone else in this city. So long as he continues to be reliable, I have no reason to exclude him from our efforts," Mr Grizz responded as he walked back towards his desk.
"What proof do we have that his info is even true?!"
"That can be verified. If any of the data is found to be incorrect, he will be removed."
For a moment, a shiver went down Constantine's spine at that declaration. That was one way to tell him to tread carefully from now on.
"Do anything you can to find the exact location of the salmonling; lure it out, place a tracker on it if need be. As soon as we know for certain where that tiddler is, we'll prep the troops for an assault," Mr Grizz commanded swiftly, his heavy steps leading him back to the seat of his desk.
Both anchovy and inkling gave a nod at his words, though the former displayed more eagerness in his tone. She glanced at Constantine with a raised brow and a frown, and he merely smirked in return. What was so wrong about a little enthusiasm?
"I will not accept any failures on your end, got it?"
"Oh don't you worry, Mr. Grizz… you will have a salmonling at your doorstep."
Re: Author's Notes
Decided to redo this chapter as warm-up because I wasn't satisfied with how it turned out anymore after reading it over once again. I am unsure if I should post it anywhere else for those curious about it. Apologies for the slow updates. Reviews and feedback would be appreciated.