May 5th, 2030 -

"Where is he? Where's Agent 4?" Callie calls.

"I don't know I haven't seen him," Marie responds.

Callie works her way through a mob of people, questioning for the titular hero, "Does anyone know, come on, please this is urgent. I need to see if he's okay," Callie enforces.

"He's probably fine."

"I'm not sure. I can't help you."

"Sorry, I was focusing on the battle," The crowd of victorious squids informs.

Callie becomes increasingly antsier as she rifles through the masses. Agent 4 wasn't anywhere in sight, almost as if he completely vanished from the scene. Callie starts blaming herself for not watching and keeping track of Arthur. She felt as if she had taken his presence for granted.

"Come on; he has to be here somewhere. I won't rest till I find him," Callie shouts.

Three days later...

"We're gathered here today to honor and pay tribute to the deceased Agent 4. We also desire to express our love and admiration for the fallen soldier. Today is a tragic day for many, living with the pain of Agent 4 not being present within this world. However, we shall not let that deter us from our regularly scheduled lives. We must concentrate our efforts on rebuilding society for the glory of mankind. If we are swayed from those duties by Agent 4's untimely demise, then we are failing his wishes."

"In the eyes of many, Arthur Todd was a hero who put the lives of his friends before his own, displaying selfless acts of heroism. In prayer, we can connect with Arthur, and thank him for all the good he's done for the community. All the friends and allies Agent 4 has made along his journey are all here today to give a few words..."

Pearl takes to the podium, and peers over at the closed casket.

"Ahem, Agent 4, was born in 1999 and died... in 2030. He was dashing, bold, in truth, everything I wanted. I'm sorry to admit this here, but... I had a gigantic crush on him. But alas, he didn't reciprocate my feelings. Instead, he had fallen for another spunky pop idol, someone who I tried so hard to beat."

"You can't win them all, can you? Sometimes, people just don't feel the same way. And you have to learn how to accept that. But even today..."

"I still love him, but...

"I want what's best for him. Whatever makes him smile."

Pearl looks at Callie directly in her eyes.

"And if that means for him to be with you. Then so be it. I know you'll take care of him."

"But he's dead," Callie mutters quietly.

"Agent 4 is not dead," Pearl reprises.

"I know he's okay. I know he's still safe. There's no discernible proof that he's truly gone from this world."

The rowdy pack of inklings discusses the validity of Pearl's testimony. They turn to each other, whispering ideas and possible theories.

"Come on, think about it. Aren't we jumping the gun here? Why would we hold a funeral ceremony for him if we can't even find his body? Look, I know we've been looking for days, and he would've come back by now. But it's Agent 4. He's always so mysterious."

"I thought we lost him for good after that last subway encounter. But he returned entirely unscathed and ready for action. This is no different. He's just doing what he always does."

The group retains a perplexed reaction, seemingly undecided about the issue.

"That gross weirdo, Fang, is missing too. If he were here, he'd probably say something about us being twats with his fake British accent. But that's beside the point. They're both likely duking it out in a game of endurance. Who can play hide and seek the longest? Those two are both crazy enough to engage in a pointless competition like that."

"Even though he went up that colossally high tower, and met up with that evildoer Fang, and dueled him on the roof with swords, and hasn't returned, but..."

"Wow, uh, now that I say that, ...maybe he is actually dead."

Agent 3 switches out with Pearl, taking up the role of delivering the eulogy.

"Dammit, dammit all. If I had only paid more attention to the... the battlefield, then maybe I could've saved him. I could've stopped those dastardly sharks from taking away one of my greatest companions."

"I hate it; I hate myself; I blame myself. If only I were more vigilant, this would have never happened."

"And those goddamn bastards they... they hurt him. I despise those hoodlums with a burning passion. They deserve nothing more than the same pain I'm experiencing."

"I need him here. I need him to tell me that everything is going to be okay. I need him to calm me down like he always does. He fucking valued me. He showed me kindness like no other, goddamit. He made me realize that I'm important in this world, that my life is... is worth living."

"I'm sorry, I got a little heated there. I just get a little upset whenever I talk about Agent 4."

Agent 3 passes the speaking torch to Marina. Marina unveils a stack of index cards from her jacket pocket.

"I know what I did wrong. I understand what my greatest mistake in life is. And that was talking to Agent 4.

"If I had never met Agent 4, I would've never driven that knife through him. I would've never felt so much anguish for what I had done. This massive weight that's been put on my shoulders, a mass of pain, could finally be lifted."

"But I must live with this immense regret. There's no way to trade it or exchange it for something else. I'm stuck with this shitty feeling forever. This feeling that I hurt someone close to me. A feeling of distress.

"That's what the old Marina would've said. That's what past Marina would've wanted. But the more time passed, the more my opinion changed."

"Maybe I can try harder. I can be a better person, and make up for my past mistakes. I wouldn't want to forget my earlier blunders. In fact, I would want them to push me harder. Drive me to help those who needed it. That's why I became a nurse, not because C told me so. But because I wanted to take care of people."

"Agent 4 saw this. He saw me trying to change as a human being. And he helped me, he put the past behind him and showed me genuine kindness. Heck, he was the one who got me into martial arts, a place where I could channel my aggression."

"I would give my life for him. I would give anything to see him again."

"Thank you for listening."

Marie wanders to the stand, all the while trying to maintain her composure.

"I sniff sniff* don't know what to say. Agent 4 was like a family member to me. He was the person who kept me going every day. He was the one who kept me getting out of bed, and now... I just can't."

"I don't want to leave the covers anymore. I don't want to face the world with the current state I'm in. I cry almost every day. I cry nearly every night. My pillow is covered in so many wet spots that I don't know what to cry into anymore."

"Sigh* I feel hopeless. Like this is all a bad dream, and I can't escape."

Marie wipes her misty eyes with her handkerchief, ruining her current set of mascara. The crowd grows silent, captivated by Marie's state of woe.

"He was so stubborn, too," Marie laughs.

"We were always at each other's throats. And he never listened to a lick of my advice. But honestly, I didn't want him to. I wanted him to forge his own path, be his own person. And I think he died admirably, fighting for the squid cause. He risked his life for his friends and his compatriots. And if that isn't noble, I don't know what is."

"I sniff sniff* just wish I could've said goodbye."

Callie swaps positions with the defeated Marie. Callie tries to control Marie's grief but is ineffective in stopping tears from leaking out of her eyes.

Callie faces the intimidating casket and releases a short breath through her nostrils.

"I'm sorry, Arthur, but I've accepted your death. You combated my jinx tendencies and helped me get over my jealousy of Marie. You showered me in love and support every day for the past ten months. But even with all that being said... I can live without you being in my life. It was difficult, but I'm finally at a point where I can move on.

She looks to Pearl, "I've experienced denial."

She notices Agent 3, "I've felt anger."

She glares at Marina, "I've tried bargaining."

She glances at Marie, "And I've undergone depression.

She finally stares at the wooden coffin, "Now, I can accept it—him not being here. Him never being here again. I can... live... like this." Callie yanks the heart-shaped pendant off her chest and drops the fragmented pieces into the empty sarcophagus.

The casket is carried to a dig site. Much to the dismay of Callie and her friends, the container is loaded into the ground. A surge of raindrops covers the vicinity, adding to the devastation of the scene. The group intertwines umbrellas as they gaze into the massive pit. The only emotion people could experience from looking into the hole was an intense feeling of dread.

Callie waits for the gathering of silent squids to disperse. She then hides behind a gravestone and proceeds to pop open up her bag. Callie excavates the real heart-shaped jewelry and quickly fastens the item around her neck, "Arthur, I lied, I need you in my life more than anything." Callie also unearths the VR headset from the back pocket. She straps on the virtual headset and sets the date for December 24, 2019.

Her cold fingers grip the locket as a single tear rolls down her cheek.

The End

——————————————————

Chaos Queen Callie

Created By - Zachary Rozell

Based on - Splatoon, Splatoon 2

Special Thanks -

Creator of Splatoon = Shintaro Sato

Directors = Yusuke Amano, Tsubasa Sakaguchi

Producer = Hisashi Nogami

Thank you for reading

All rights reserved, 2020 Nintendo.

——————————————————

• You ask Callie to take off the device.

"Why, I want to keep it on," Callie refuses.

• You tell her to take off the device.

"But If I do, you'll disappear. You'll leave me again."

Come on, take it off, Callie.

"Stop! You're not real. You're just a voice in my head."

Can a voice kiss you on the lips?

"No wh-