แขษจแตญ๐ษจ๐ัแฒ
Chapter 1: Nightly Traverse
๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐...
Inkopolis, blanketed by the murky clouds and streaks of lightning, remained energetic through the night. Another Splatfest had concluded without a hitch. The streets are smeared with Inklings, bright neon signs, flashing lights all around and overhead, pairing with a roaring cheer across the city. Crowds full of participants and spectators alike, stores vitalized by its patrons, and high energy swirling all around.
Replays of the official Splatfest broadcast, along with match highlights and advertisments, popped in every-so-often. The well-known participants are celebrated and rewarded with their best moments onscreen and prize earnings. Decorations hanging from the smallest huts to the tallest skyscrapers could even blind the birds overhead. From the heart of Inkopolis outward, to the young and old, shy and rowdy, creative and athletic, Splatfest had linked the citizens together once again.
Adjacent to the main bulk of the festivities, in a shophome far above a takeout restaurant, pictures of previous targets with a mixture of crossed-out and unaltered mugshots were pinned to a makeshift postboard. Peering out one window with a Custom E-Liter 3K with a specially magnified scope, Marie surveyed down below. She swayed from left to right, relaxing her aim after a few minutes.
"Don't wanna jinx anything here, but so far so good here, Callie. Shaping out to be a typical Splatfest." Marie called out behind her.
Callie, crossing out one of the photographs, responded, "Let's hope it stays that way till midnight. Till then we can't really say for sure, un-fucking-fortunately.."
"I know you'd rather be enjoying these past few Splatfests and all, but we've got a job to do, Cal. No one's been able to really pin the next attack against Inkopolis. Intel's drying up, and each splatfest we Inklings aren't dealt civilian lives and millions in city damages is a blessing. Honestly wish some of these terroristic tentacle-suckers were a lot less crafty."
"How hard could it be to find these dickheads?! They've literally always been the Octarians. We just need to trail one and we'd be golden!"
"For one, 'How COULD it be THIS HARD to find these dickheads.' Don't undermine my three-and-a-half hours of staring out this window. Two, the problem at this point is finding ANY Octarian around. Say what ya want about these fools, they're sadly learning."
Callie walked over to another group of photos, taking a few down and eyeing Marie's back with a stoic frown.
"True enough, I guess, but you'd think you'd find at least a few bodies around the outskirts by now. Someone might just be getting rusty." She said.
"You can head down near the beach and be target practice if you want. I'd be one for one." Marie joked.
"Pfft. One for one with the sand, maybe. And even then you'd probably clip the ocean."
"I could do that, but only if its a through-and-through. Probably would be easy if I'm aiming at your flat ass."
"Oh ho ho, keep it up. I can nab an Octarian costume for you in a heartbeat."
"Yeah, yeah. And leave me with all the work? Not like it'd be a first."
"Hey, how many times do I gotta to apologize for that? How could I have known the Octarians would be sneaking around while I'm on a date? It's not like we were on high-alert anyways."
"The fact that you consider 'Threat Level: Wary' less important than a date with some Inkling you don't even remember is concerning enough."
Marie took a gulp of her coffee and chewed on a buffalo chicken wrap. Callie spun all the way around, her hands gripping her hips firmly.
"I remember him!" She defended.
"Middle name?"
"Uhh... Well, middle names are focused on anyways, so-"
"Last name."
Silence filled the room, expanding until Callie could burst through it.
"Hey, we weren't that close just yet." She explained.
"Or at all, apparently." Marie scoffed.
"Our first set of dates, so what? Give me a break."
"If I ask for a first name, and you can't even tell me that, Callie.."
"I wouldn't tell ya regardless if I knew or not. Your nosy self? All-motherly Marie, lording over all her little 'children.' Need to focus on your own lovelife too, ya know?"
"Not interested, really. Unlike some people, my work and safety come before relations. And you're lucky to have someone nosy around, because if I wasn't, you'd probably tear down half of Inkopolis with your shenanigans."
"Okay, but still. Life's more than staring down a scope, Mother Marie."
"Squiddy Christ, not that nickname." Marie groaned.
"Once this Octarian mess is finally sorted out, we need to get you a suitor or something."
"I don't need a hookup with anyone you have on dial, Cal. I need to be keeping an eye out for anyone or anything suspicious."
Marie checked another set of darkened buildings through her scope for activity. Seemingly dead, same as the last few. Callie quietly came up beside her, looking where Marie was looking.
"I bet you look through the bathroom windows of the hot ones." She whispered.
Marie blushed slightly and lowered her scope.
"W-What?!" She asked, shocked.
"Ha ha ha, you totally do, don't you?!"
"Hell no, I don't do that sort of stuff."
"Ah, and thats why you're redder than a steamed lobster?"
"I-I..It's not...I've never even...You know what, that's very offensive to lobsters, Callie. Shame on you." Marie aimed back down towards the centermost building, a little over a quarter-mile away.
"Big 'tails,' though, right?~"
"I swear if this is all we're talking about tonight.."
Suddenly, a window from the towering building opened, accompanied by a pair of hands gripping the windowsill.
"Contact, Cal. There's someone by that window in the Inkfeld Productions building. Third level from the top." Marie alerted Callie.
"Finally, some action around here. Got a clear shot?" Callie, with newfound enthusiasm, replied.
"Not exactly. Too dark to tell who. Plus, I've got to be careful to injure, not kill. If this is one of the infiltrating Octarians, they'll need to be debriefed as much as possible."
"What's the plan then? Wait till they lean to close and chip their shoulder while they're still inside?"
"Close. If they show even one sucker from their damn heads, we wait till they turn to leave and take an ankle away. It's after-hours, so when they drop inside, we can recover them quickly without any public attention."
"Good deal, good deal. Do what you do best and we might make it in time for the last hour of the Splatfest."
"With any luck, you can make it while I get some shuteye. Coffee's not doing much at this point."
In a flash, the figure leaped through the glass, rappelling down the side of the office tower.
"Shit! They're fleeing!" Marie exclaimed.
"Tag them right before they reach the ground! I'll rush over there and nab 'em, just make sure it's not fatal!" Callie advised Marie, grabbing her Carbon Deco Roller and dashing out.
"I'll catch up to you, just make sure they don't run off."
Marie steadied her aim on the masked target. Whoever it was, they were well-prepared, fitted in all-black, agile, and efficient. Marie knew to concentrate everything into one shot, since thats about the most she'll get out at this angle.
"Come on, ya damned bottom-feeder. Just stay still." She muttered, patiently waiting between sways.
In a matter of seconds, the target was nearly at the bottom, yet still too high to safely injure. Marie had planned to shoot a bit further down, but the target cut the rappel line several yards early. The target plummeted to the ground, landing on both feet and gearing to dash off. Marie tensed, not wanting to let an able-bodied Octarian run off or fight Callie alone.
Marie calmed herself right before the Octarian hit the ground. She took a shot the moment the target bent down to charge away, managing to graze the target's side.
"Fuck! Not good enough." Marie whispered, taking another shot at the targets foot.
Marie geared to take another shot at the target's other foot, but by the time her aim was steadied, only a bloody trail remained. As fast as she could, she grabbed a grappling hook and shot towards a nearby factory. Once she secured the line, she attached a carabinder and made her way down to Inkfeld Productions.
Dropping down to the sidewalk, Marie rushed over to Inkfeld Productions. She caught sight of the blood trail wrapping around the corner. She ran alongside it, finding Callie blocking off the target from escaping. Marie aimed at the target, as Callie nodded her head to the side. Seeing this, the target looked towards Marie.
"That's far enough. Hands to the wall, now." She said.
"Yeahhh, motherfucker! Your time is up. Time limit reached!" Callie gloated.
"Trust me, she gets worse if you fight back and still get captured. Hands to the wall!"
The target winced and begrudgingly did as told. Marie slowly approached the masked threat, aiming at them all throughout.
"A simple op gone to shit again. So great, the Octarian Empire." The target mumbled.
"Silence!" Marie commanded.
"Don't you Inklings have a mediocre Splatfest to get to?"
"I'm not asking again, scumbag. Pipe down."
"Oh sorry, didn't mean to offend your contests of which soap smells better or which pastry is best for weight loss. I'll have to remember to contain myself around you pansies."
Callie swung her roller at the target's head while she was looking at Marie. Her head banged against the wall, and she fell with a thud.
"Those low-calorie, low-sugar, unfrosted strudels were fucking amazing." Callie hissed.
"About time. Pull that mask off of them." Marie ordered, holstering her weapon behind herself.
"Why? We already heard her, its not gonna be a cute guy."
"Yeah, cause that's why it's important."
Marie shook her head and yanked the mask from the Octarian. The reddish opal tentacles were pulled into a ponytail, revealing a squishy, tannish face. A dark bruise along with a bump formed on her head from Callie's attack. Marie checked for her pulse and breathing.
"She's seen better days, thats for sure. Maybe hold back a little next time. Ya know, brain damage and all." Marie berated Callie.
"I'll choke them out just for you next time, Mother Marie." Callie sarcastically replied.
"Anyways, job well done, us. Looks like we're done for the night."
"Yeah, but I'm little disappointed her teammate wasn't around. Octos usually attack in groups, don't they?"
"They also put up more of a fight, too. Must be another great advancement of theirs, to give up faster."
"Let's just turn in the one we've got now to the agency. Theres a lot moe of Splatfest I want to enjoy!"
"Not just yet, Callie. We've gotta do one last quick sweep around the area just in case there are any stragglers. After that, then we can return."
"Damn it all...Okay, fine. Let's get this over with. The agency better start fielding more operatives real fucking soon.."
"Don't worry about that. I've been told they had someone in mind. You might've seen his highlights from all of the other Splatfests we've had."
The duo hoisted the target over their shoulders and moved swiftly through the night. On the other side of the street, another masked Octarian hid in-between the alleyways. They retrieved a device from their side and flipped it on.
"Mission failed, sir. Those Inkling sisters got to Roux. They aren't planning to kill her, it seems. If it's more information they're looking for, Roux'll be able to stall them for a while. What's your orders?"
The device gently rattled with the other's voice. The Octarian nodded as the other went on.
"Will do. I'll contact back if I reach any snafus."
The Octarian turned the device off and snarled.
"That guy's too passive. But orders are orders. Let's see how things play out." He said, licking against his sharp canines.
He retreated into the shadows just as it began to rain.
"Patience is a virtue, Helix. You can grate your teeth against their fat later. Just stick to the plan..."