February 14th, 2020 -

Ready...

GO!

Mako's mart's aisles are adorned with pink hearts and pounds of chocolate. Everywhere you veered, it was a festive blend of sweet sustenance and roses. The evening shoppers were still in a rush to get their partner a present, making the battlefields even more of a hectic environment.

You fling your body off of the landing platform and join your teammates in a competition of Clam Blitz. Your first order of business was to gather up clams as quickly as possible. You circle the ramp of cereal, gathering five clams in one fell swoop. The other team's octo-brush wielder already has a football and comes soaring into your zone from the other side.

Agent 3 attempts to take the artistic inkling out but misses her mark with a few of her shots, ultimately breaking your team's barrier. Callie and Marie scurry back to the center to hold off the wave of clams. You splat a few players using the side route to chuck clams and even block another football from getting into the net. You were down seventy-five to one hundred, but the match had just started, and you did a solid job of holding off the fort for the time being.

Marie grabs the football spawning in at the base and rushes through a side route into the opponent's territory. She's able to lob the football at the other team's goal but is immediately killed afterward.

Callie sneaks up from the side, swiftly rolling in and tossing a burst of clams at the barrier. You follow suit with a Splashdown accompanying your arrival into the enemy team's base. You're able to get the number down to fifty before your opponents finally pick up the pace.

Agent 3 starts to lay down ink mines at multiple choke points for the opposition to activate. She also dispenses ink armor to her and the rest of her allies to give them the upper hand. It's a brief spurt of protection, but it helps Marie and Callie get to both of the positions they want to be in.

"Get in there, you little rascal," The shark orders pushing Marie into her cell. "And tell your annoying friends to do the same."

"No, no, no, don't put them in here with me, argghhh," Marie groans.

"At least we're all together," Marina says, trying to lighten the mood.

"Not mentally, though," Pearl realizes.

"Uggghhhh, why do I have to be stuck with this chick, she's probably gonna try to stab me in my sleep."

"Can it will ya, I'm trying to get some shut-eye," A mysterious girl hollers from the back of the cage.

"Who just said that and why does that voice sound so familiar."

"The name's Agent 3, you've probably heard of me. I'm kinda a big deal around these parts."

"Agent 3! It's me, Marie."

"Marie! What are you doing here?" Agent 3 asks, raising her eyepatch.

"Hey, That's my line."

"Ah, thank you, at least one of the people I'm with is actually sane. And you're surprisingly more talkative than I remember."

"What's that supposed to mean, and yeah, I used to be shy, but shy doesn't cut it in the apocalypse."

"It means that these two bozos are okay with stabbing people when they least expect it."

"If I recall correctly, you guys used to be at least friends with each other. Why don't ya start from the top, tell me what's really going on between you two."

Marie hurls a torpedo at another player flushing him out from his camping spot. Callie grabs a shopping cart from one of the customers. "Get in, babe. I have an idea."

She pushes you in the metallic kart towards the other team's headquarters. She let's go of the carrier, and you roll into their station with Suction Bombs and Splat Bombs attached to the metal kart. Marie tosses you a charged football, and you use the brief moment of your adversaries being stunned to sneak a football shot.

The goal breaks open, and the clam net is displayed in all its golden glory.

You, Callie, and Marie decimate the competition, continuously slinging clams into the hanging basket and knocking out foes. The team tries to recover, but they struggle to find their footing and make a collaborative effort to kick you out.

The score is now twenty to seventy-five. You were in the lead and one minute remaining on the clock. The battle wasn't over just yet, and the other team was quick to ensure that.

The player using an octo-brush speeds into your camp with a set of nine clams behind him. Agent 3 attempts to snipe him again, this time from a better position. However, the boy evades her ink assault and seizes a tenth clam. The kid circles around the frozen food section, trying to reach your goal.

Agent 3 peers through the scope and lines up her charger line with her rival. She releases a brief inhale and exhale, before gripping the trigger.

"Wow, that's quite the tale."

"I know! And somehow Agent 4 is crazy enough not to care about it anymore."

"No, he's learned to trust me over time. You don't have many friends in the apocalypse, and he also knows I've channeled my violent tendencies into other avenues. My ability in martial arts is quite impressive."

"I kind of have to agree with Miss Psycho. It's hard to make new connections in this barren wasteland."

"But what she did was unforgivable, how could you just let that slide."

"Agent 4 is just that type of guy."

Agent 3 is too nervous and misses her shot. Her shaky posture makes it impossible for her to recover from her mistake.

She throws down her weapon in a fit of frustration.

"There's something that he said to me that really stuck with me," Agent 3 details to the group.

"I can't do it. I can't ever do it. I'm always destined for failure," Agent 3 complains.

Arthur approaches Agent 3

"He said to me."

"Even when you're down and you've been down for your entire life... You don't have to get up, and you can keep staying on the ground. Because if you're still alive, if you're still breathing, any day where you're not below the ground is a blessing."

You extract the VR equipment from your pupils.

I really said that... damn, I'm cool.

Yeah, and that's why Callie fell for you.

Callie... Callie, Callie!

I remember! I know why I'm here! And I think I know what the password is too!