CHAPTER THREE
GLOOP

An entire month went by, during which Clanker finally settled into a routine he could live with, and maybe even come to like. It wasn't much – just eating, sleeping, and the occasional repairs – but now that his toothaches were gone, sleep was all the shark wanted. He hadn't known what he'd been missing that first week because his dreams were more exciting than they had any right to be, full of places he'd never been to and people he'd never met. Faint glimpses of the outside world, he'd decided right away.

…How was that even possible?

He tried over and over to draw some kind of explanation out of Klungo, but his creator was infuriatingly vague. One month had already passed and his questions still went unanswered. Would it take years for Klungo to open up?

Impatience aside, Clanker couldn't begrudge the scientist too much because the replacement teeth and other repair work he'd gotten had him feeling better than ever, with him at his best on an empty stomach. For as brilliant as Klungo's handiwork was, it couldn't keep the shark from getting sick after every meal – and they came often, at least twice a day. The sound of the hatch creaking open was therefore something to dread, and Clanker did dread it, as he'd recover from one stomach ache just in time for another.

At least today's first batch wouldn't be arriving for another few hours (give or take), which gave him plenty of time to rest, eyes closed, fins twitching contentedly…

As usual, he hoped to find answers in his dreams, and he had a pretty good feeling about this one, the sunniest dream he'd had yet. But sleep would have to wait. Something had just splashed down, right in front of his face, sounding like it had fallen from a great height.

Garbage already? Clanker groaned inwardly. He cracked open an eye and froze.

No, not garbage. Definitely not garbage.

Quivering at the end of his snout was a fish he'd never seen before, bright and colorful against the Cavern's grime. He was a small, wide-eyed thing with light blue scales, darker blue fins, and a perfectly round body, just like the bubbles that poured out of his mouth. The resemblance was so uncanny that Clanker hoped he wouldn't pop like one; he was shaking a lot as he stared, transfixed, up at the shark.

Clanker stared, too. Then he blinked a few times, just to make sure he wasn't seeing things…and he wasn't. This fish was real. He was really real, from the outside world, no doubt, and Clanker's heart leapt at that because having company was much better than dreaming about it.

At the same time, somewhere, in the back of his mind, the shark decided that blue was his favorite color.

"…Hello!" he said finally, a huge grin on his face. "I'm Clanker, witch's garbage grinder."

"Aah!" The fish backed away instantly, slamming into the wall that was just behind him.

"Is…fish okay?" Clanker asked, swimming forward to see if he could help.

"S-stay back! Or I'll…I'll fight you!" Pressed against the wall, the fish raised his trembling fins in self-defense.

Oh. Right. The shark briefly saw himself in his mind's eye, a mouthful of big, pointy teeth looming over this poor stranger.

He tried smiling again, less toothily this time: "Not worry, Clanker not hurt small fish. Clanker only grind garbage." For extra reassurance, he added, "Not much appetite for anything, really."

"R-rreally?" The fish's gaze went from Clanker's eyes to his mouth and back again. Finding the shark to be completely sincere, he dropped his fins and wheezed, "I…I…thought I was a goner! You really scared me – and I don't scare easy. I know it doesn't look like it, but trust me on this."

Clanker shrank back to give him some space. "Sorry," he grimaced, waiting for his guest to finish coughing up air.

"It's okay, I just…wasn't expecting it is all." Although his fins were still shaking, a small smile appeared on the fish's face. "A-actually, I've never met one of Grunty's minions before. You're a lot nicer than I thought they'd be." He peeled himself off the wall and ventured a bit closer. "I'd uh…introduce myself too, but I need you to do me a really big favor first."

"Clanker can try," the shark said, clasping his fins.

"Don't worry, it's doable. Can you promise me you won't tell anyone you saw me today? I'm not supposed to be in the witch's lair, no one is. I don't wanna get other people in trouble…"

"Of course," Clanker nodded. He didn't want that, either. "Promise."

The fish breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, I really owe you one. I'm Gloop, by the way. Sorry for kinda…busting into your home unannounced," he said, looking around the Cavern. "I was going through the pipes like always, but I must've taken a wrong turn somewhere…" He paused. "Um, wait. Don't tell anyone about that, either. I don't know anything about the lair's very extensive plumbing – honest!"

"Honest?"

"Exactly," Gloop winked. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know the way back to Treasure Trove Cove, would you? That's where I live. If I'm gone for much longer, someone's bound to notice."

Clanker shook his head. "Clanker heard of it, but not know how to get there. Sorry."

"Well, it can't be too far away. Can't go back the way that I came," Gloop said, looking up at a pipe that was far overhead, "but I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually…Hm." Bringing a fin to his mouth, the fish turned his attention to the many submerged pipes scattered throughout the Cavern.

The shark was similarly lost in thought. This brief mention of Treasure Trove Cove brought to mind the conversation he'd had with Klungo a month ago. He'd meant to ask his creator about it earlier, but perhaps Gloop would give him a more straightforward answer. He could only hope.

"So…Gloop. Clanker not looking forward to the new factory…at all," he admitted sheepishly, "but what kind of factory will it be?"

Gloop stared blankly up at him. "H-huh? What do you mean?"

"Treasure Trove Cove? New seaside factory. Klungo mentioned it once."

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. You mean Klungo as in…the witch's henchman, Klungo?"

Now it was Clanker's turn to be confused. "…Is there more than one Klungo?"

"What else'd he say?" Gloop swam right up to the shark's face. He might've grabbed Clanker and shaken him if he could. "Do you remember?"

"Not say much else…'Witch is alwaysss scheming', something like that." The shark almost laughed at his terrible impersonation, but decided against it when he saw how worried Gloop was. "Gloop didn't know…?"

"No! I didn't know! I had no idea!" Gloop swam back and forth, getting himself all worked up. "This is bad…this is bad…this is really, really bad! If Grunty wants the Cove all to herself, she's probably gonna do something crazy to get it. I gotta warn everyone before all that happens."

Clanker began to feel sick to his stomach – and it wasn't because of yesterday's trash. He'd had some inkling that the factory would swallow up the Cove, but he'd assumed anyone living there would be given fair warning. To hear that wasn't the case…he shuddered.

"Can Clanker do anything to help?"

Gloop thought it over. "I don't think so, unless you could come with me. But you've already been a big help! Maybe...hmm, just act natural. You didn't see me, remember?" The fish darted over to a pipe he'd chosen at random. He looked back at the shark. "If all goes well, then I'll be back. I'm really glad we met."

"Me too," Clanker smiled, though he still felt uneasy. He wished he could do more for this unexpected visitor. "Good luck, Gloop."