Anonymous reviews:

Agent 4: Yeah, it is a sad chapter. Peyton's main goal since her introduction was to find her sister, and now, she finds out her sister was dead all along. It's like a case of dramatic irony: assuming the reader knows the plot of Octo Expansion, they know the fate of countless test subjects, but no one in the story does (except probably the New Squidbeak Splatoon). Given the information Peyton has given about her sister, it's easy to assume what actually happened to her sister. To see Peyton realize the truth is cathartic, but also very sad, since the reader is supposed to root for her. But, even with her grief, she knows she has to move on. And she will.

And it's sad in general that this story is ending soon. I've been writing about the Rainbow Squids for so long, I'm going to miss it. I am going to write about Splatoon 3's Hero Mode (and the life surrounding New Agent 3) eventually, though there's still things I'm waiting for like developer interviews, art books, the DLC, etc. to come out so I can write it to the best of my ability. I still have a lot of time to think about it, though.

Well, anyways, onto the story!

Roy's PoV

Now that Octa Prisma had returned, things could finally go back to normal.

And they did. Roy could focus on baskfishball once again and make up for his lackluster skills in the earlier part of the current season, something that cost him the opportunity to be the star player of the team this year. The position had instead gone to Wyatt, something his cousin made sure to let him know every time they met up with one another. After all, Wyatt knew it frustrated Roy to no end. To pile it on top of everything that had been happening these past few months? It was unbearable.

The Rainbow Squids could focus on ink battles again, too. They signed up for another tournament, set to occur on April 13th. Whenever everyone had free time, they practiced for the tournament, trying to keep their skills in tip-top shape. Alexis still wasn't completely sure if she would rejoin the Rainbow Squids, but nonetheless, she joined the tournament with the others too, being placed on the Warm Rainbow Squids like in the Deca Tournament.

A few days after they signed up for the tournament was Perry's birthday. Roy expected him to hold a grand celebration, especially since he was turning 18, but the opposite occurred. He merely acted like it was any other day, happily taking the gifts that were bought for him and making no further mention of it.

However, he did bring a few special guests to their training session later that day.

Standing next to him in the lobby were three young inklings, none of them old enough to participate in turf wars. They appeared awestruck as they studied the lobby, their eyes huge with wonder. When they noticed the rest of the Rainbow Squids approaching, they huddled up next to Perry, hesitant.

"Who are they?" asked the youngest of the group. He couldn't be any older than 8.

"We should be asking you that," Octavia rebutted.

"Ah, how do I put this..." Perry rubbed the back of his head, giving a nervous chuckle. "You squids remember how I was looking for my mom?"

"Yeah, you never did give us an update on that," Geneva remarked.

"Except me," Yuri added.

"I mean, you are his best friend," Roy followed. "I'm not surprised."

"Let me guess," Inigo began, "those are your secret siblings that you never knew about until now."

"Wow, you're right on the money," Perry confirmed, impressed. "So yeah. They're my half-siblings."

"Aw..." Bonnie patted the youngest's head, much to his disdain. "What're their names?"

"I can answer myself!" the middle child of the group proclaimed. "My name is Charlie. And I'm a girl, thank you very much!"

"...Did anyone think otherwise?" Inigo asked, scratching his head.

"Yeah," Charlie replied, crossing her arms. "People at school do! They always think Charlie is a boy's name, but it can be a girl's name, too. Like me!"

"So unisex," Geneva concluded. "It's a unisex name."

"Uh, I guess." She shook her head and turned to face her siblings. "Now say your names!"

The oldest of the group nodded. "I'm Maddie," she said. The necklace that came with Perry's hoodie was hanging around her neck, though it proved to be quite big for her.

"And I'm Leo," the youngest followed. He held out a hand. "Nice to meet you."

"Wow," Bonnie remarked as she shook his hand. "I didn't think eight-year-olds could be so polite."

"I'm seven!" he corrected, puffing up his chest. "I'm a big boy, y'know!"

Octavia giggled. "You sure are."

"We're here to watch you squids practice," Maddie explained. "Perry said we could!"

"Mom said we can't battle, but at least we can watch it!" Charlie added.

"Well... Maybe you three could be the referee," Inigo suggested.

"The referee?!" Maddie whined. "But that's boring!"

"Yeah, I'm not counting all that ink," her sister agreed.

"Isn't Judd the referee?" Leo pointed out. "Why can't you get him?"

"We're doing a private battle," Geneva explained. "He usually doesn't show up for those."

"Ohh, OK," he said. "We're still not doing it."

"Can't you get a friend?" Maddie suggested.

"A friend," Roy repeated. With a growl, he muttered, "Why didn't we think of that before?!"

"Maybe someone from Octa Prisma?" Bonnie suggested.

"Eight's busy doing...things," Geneva pointed out. "So we can't bring her here. Can't bring the Cap'n or his grandsquids, either. They're also busy."

"I was talking to Yvonne and Gio before I got here," Yuri added. "They're busy doing league matches."

Roy crossed his arms. "And the others?"

"E-Enough about Octa Prisma!" Alexis interjected, waving her arms around in the air. "I have a different idea! I can ask my friend Audrey to see if she can come over! She's super into ranked battles, so aside from refereeing, she can give us advice, too!"

"Oh, I think I remember you talking about her," Octavia remarked. "What rank is she now?"

"X!" she declared, earning oohs and ahs from Perry's half-siblings. "She got it a few months ago. She's been training so hard to get there, and now she has! And ever since getting there, she hasn't fallen out of there, not even once!"

"Surprised I haven't heard of her earlier," Roy remarked. "I'm sure she'd give me a good challenge."

"I don't think she's entered any tournaments, though," Via pointed out. "Will she really give us any good advice?"

"Sure she will," Alexis insisted. "Even if it won't be team-related, she can still give us tips on how to play better. Like, in general."

"Well, if we want to win, we might as well take it," Inigo declared. "So, get callin', Alexis."

"Alright, alright." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and pressed a few buttons. A ring sounded from the device, and she held it up to her ear. A few moments later, she said, "Hey, Audrey. Can you help me with something? ...Yep, it's about my sister's team. Haha, well, anyways, can you referee for this match? No one else is available."

A wheat-skinned inkling crept up on Alexis, also holding a phone up to her ear. Smirking, she placed her free hand on Alexis's shoulder. "Boo!" At the sound, Alexis jumped, causing her to drop her phone as she whipped around to face the newcomer.

"Audrey!" she gasped. "Were you really that close?"

"Yeah," she confirmed, fanning herself. "I just got out of a match when you called."

Maddie walked up to Audrey, curling her stubby hands into fists. "Is it true?" she asked. "Are you really in X Rank?"

Audrey smiled, bending her knees slightly to meet the young inkling's eyes. "Yep! And if you train hard enough, maybe you can reach X Rank someday, too." She snickered. "Maybe not as high as me, though."

"No, I'll totally beat you!" Maddie declared. "Just you wait and see!"

"And I'll beat you, too!" Charlie added, pushing past her sister and throwing out a hand. "Maddie and Charlie, the ultra-fresh tag team!"

"Lemme join, too," Leo interjected, hopping up to the other two. "We can be a trio!"

"I don't think a trio will work," the oldest of the siblings pointed out. "But if we have Perry..." She grinned. "We can be a full team!" Then, they all turned their heads to look at Perry, whose mouth was gaping open with surprise.

"Well..." Looking off to the side, he gave an uneasy smile. "Let's hope I'll still be able to play by the time Leo's fourteen."

"Why can't we be a team now?" Charlie whined. "We're all here, aren't we?"

"It's like your mom said," Perry started, crossing his arms. "You're too young to battle."

"Yeah, you could splat forever if we send you out there," Yuri piped in.

"Splat forever?!" Leo ran behind Charlie, whimpering. "I don't want to splat forever!"

Audrey cleared her throat. "Look, kids are cute, but I also don't want to waste any time. So, if you wanna keep talking, let's get into a lobby first."

Roy nodded. "Right."

They headed towards one of the elevators and stepped inside, the door closing behind them not long after. Perry's half-siblings marveled at the technology, their eyes wide with wonder. Perry kept them away from the buttons while Octavia and Inigo entered the map and mode combo. Per Audrey's advice, they settled on Clam Blitz in MakoMart—it was their weakest mode with the most balanced stage. Plus, she claimed that because Clam Blitz was more focused on cooperation than the other modes, it could improve their teamwork, too. Sounded like a solid plan!

"Perry..." Maddie started as the elevator descended. "Can adults not play turf war?"

He blinked. "What makes you say that?"

"You said you might be too old to play when Leo turns fourteen."

"I mean..." He tugged at the collar of his hoodie. "I turned eighteen today! I'm an adult now!"

"Legally," Roy quipped. "We're not even twenty."

"Well...Mom and Dad don't do turf wars." Charlie slumped down on the ground, pouting. "Does that mean every adult can't do turf wars?"

"No, no!" Yuri interjected. "There's a lot of adults who do turf wars! It's just that most of the time, they're busy. Unless you're a professional ink battler, that is."

Bonnie snapped her head up, eyes wide. "Those exist?"

"Yeah." The yellow-haired boy scratched his head. "Did no one ever tell you?"

"I never really thought about it," she admitted. "All my parents keep talking about to me is what college I should go to. That turf war is just something only kids do."

"Doesn't your mom work at a weapons company?" Geneva puzzled. "That feels kind of hypocritical."

Bonnie merely shrugged. "I don't know, my parents are weird."

Octavia patted her back. "Don't worry Bon-Bon. You can move in with me once you graduate."

"Y-Yeah." She smiled. "We got accepted into the same college, right."

The elevator stopped, and as always, the floor opened up to reveal a grate beneath them. It was only then when a problem arose—Perry's half-siblings couldn't change forms. They all stared at Perry, expectant.

Inigo tapped the ground. "Is there any way we could open this?"

"If there was, we would've figured it out a long time ago," Via argued.

"Have you ever tried?" Alexis pondered.

"...No."

"It doesn't look like you can take that off, though," Roy added.

"I think after some time, the elevator will return to the main lobby," Bonnie mused. "So if Audrey waits it out with them...she could take them to MakoMart."

Audrey groaned. "That's such an inconvenience!"

"We'll wait for you before we start!" Yuri offered.

Audrey paused, looking between Yuri and the rest of the group. Then, she sighed. "Fine. I don't know which MakoMart you'll end up in, so send me a text when you arrive." The last part of her sentence was directed towards Alexis, and now she faced her. "Alright?"

Alexis nodded. "Will do!" She saluted goodbye and transformed into a squid, slipping through the grate while the rest of the Rainbow Squids followed suit.

It wasn't long before they found themselves in MakoMart, though of course, they didn't start the match immediately. While they had already changed into the colors they were using for the match—pink and green—they merely hung around their spawn point until Audrey and the kids arrived. As they usually did with tournaments where they were forced into two teams, the teams in the practice match were separated into the Warm Rainbow Squids and the Cool Rainbow Squids. Roy was in the former, and while he initially just planned to scroll through Squidsagram, Yuri instead suggested for everyone to gather and play truth or dare while they awaited everyone's arrival. So, they gathered at the center of the stage, next to the middlemost box.

"I'll go first," Yuri proclaimed, his eyes falling on Roy. "Truth or dare, Roy?"

He smirked. "Dare."

"Alright! Then my dare is to do a split."

Octavia looked at him, unimpressed. "That's it?"

"Hey, it can be hard!" he defended.

"A dare's a dare." Roy stood up, and a few moments later, he tried his best to do a split, spreading his legs out as wide as he could. The deeper he went, the more it started to hurt—how could some people do them so easily? Eventually, Yuri's praise gave him the signal that he succeeded, and he immediately transformed into a squid in response, hopping up into the air and landing on his back. Even his tentacles were aching...

"Impressive," Bonnie mumbled.

Geneva cleared her throat. "I guess it's my turn to ask now. So...Octavia."

She snapped her head towards her. "What?"

"Truth or dare."

"Oh! Truth."

"What're your thoughts on Eden's team?"

Roy grimaced as the memory of Octa Prisma's kidnapping came back to him. When Oscar had gone missing, he was both furious at the Octarians and terrified that he would never see his boyfriend again. And as the rest of Octa Prisma slowly disappeared, it only reaffirmed his fears. If he didn't know about the New Squidbeak Splatoon, he would've been inconsolable. Or perhaps he would've gone off on a suicide mission to Octo Canyon just to save Oscar. He really was fortunate to have help from the Splatoon.

Obviously, Via didn't share his animosity. "I know Eden kidnapped our friends, but the rest of them were just unwilling victims. I wonder what happened to them."

"Yeah..." Bonnie agreed.

"Roy?" Inigo leaned over to look at him. "Are you OK?"

He transformed back, sitting cross-legged. "Can we move on?"

Via frowned. "Did that bring back bad memories?"

"I said, can we move on?"

"Right, right!" Octavia glanced towards her sister. "It's your turn next, Alexis."

"Ooh, now I get to ask Yuri truth or dare," she enthused, glancing towards the inkling in question. "So, truth or dare?"

He paused, thinking, but he soon said, "Truth."

"Alright! Um... What's the last movie you watched?"

"Oh, that's easy; I just watched one last night. It was Mahi-Mahi. My sister wanted to watch it, so the whole family gathered to watch it."

"Is that really the best you have?" Via teased her sister.

"Hey! I couldn't think of anything else!" Alexis defended. Before she could continue, her phone buzzed, and she took it out of her pocket to read the text she had gotten. "Oh! Audrey's here!"

"Already?!" Perry gasped. "That was fast!"

"The lobby just took us to the nearest one it seems," she remarked. "Lucky us!"

"Hurry!" Yuri rose to his feet and started running back to his team's spawn point. "We don't want to keep her waiting!"

"Right," Inigo agreed.

Roy soon caught up with the other members of the Warm Rainbow Squids, nearly beating Yuri to the pink spawn point. He arrived just in time for Audrey to pick up a megaphone and project her voice across the stage. Though he couldn't see them, he figured she and the kids must be somewhere. If he listened closely, he thought he could hear them cheering, but perhaps it was just his imagination.

Nonetheless, everyone got out their weapons, and now the match could officially start. Roy and Octavia immediately charged ahead, with Alexis and Yuri not too far behind. They gathered up some clams, and Roy gave what he had to Via so she could form a power clam. Before she could charge ahead to the opposing team's basket, a single shot splatted her, and Roy looked up to see Bonnie, perched next to the basket. He quickly grabbed the power clam and started to flee, only to be crushed by Inigo's Carbon Roller a second later.

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings," Audrey barked as Roy respawned. "Then you won't get splatted immediately."

Roy huffed. "Clam Blitz just sucks, OK?" he yelled.

"You just have to get better at it," she replied. "Now, go! Those clams won't collect themselves."

Grumbling, Roy dove into the ink and swam back to the center of the stage. Thanks to Yuri, it had yet to be overtaken by the Cool Rainbow Squids, though the battle had only just begun. Roy collected some clams someone had dropped and emerged from the ink, firing his Luna Blaster. He spotted some ripples in the ink approaching him, so he risked a few steps forward and splatted the incoming inkling. Unfortunately, that was soon followed with another shot from Bonnie, splatting him again.

Yuri happened to respawn the same time as him. "We need a better plan," he whispered to Roy.

"Yeah, but we'll get nothing done if we keep standing here," he countered. "Maybe you can snipe 'em with your splatling like Bonnie does."

He smirked. "Going on the defense? I can work with that." With that, he swam off towards the basket, climbing the wall and popping out on top. Roy followed him, though he charged ahead instead of staying next to the basket. Geneva had collected a power clam already, inking the area up ahead with her Hero Shot. Roy tried going for her, but Yuri got to her first, mowing her down with the barrage of bullets from his Heavy Splatling Deco. With that, his hair began to glow, and he hopped down from the platform, pulling out a Bubble Blower and swinging it around to create three giant bubbles, all filled with pink ink.

"Yes!" Audrey approved. "Do that!"

"Go Perry!" Charlie's voice exclaimed. Her siblings cheered in agreement.

Yuri super-jumped back to the spawn point, leaving Roy to defend the basket. The bubbles of ink hovered in the air, growing smaller as Perry swung his Sloshing Machine at them. Without a clear path to him, Roy only saw one solution—pop the bubbles. He tossed a splat bomb at one of them, setting off a chain reaction. They exploded, splattering pink ink everywhere and cleanly splatting Perry. As his gear disappeared, Roy pushed forward, collecting the clams he had dropped. By gathering a few more clams scattered around the stage, he formed a power clam. Though, instead of pushing towards the other team's basket immediately, he hid in the ink to scout out his surroundings.

Inigo must've noticed the power clam Roy collected, as he pushed his Carbon Roller towards him, running as fast as he could. He threw out an auto bomb, too, and the moment it sensed Roy, it started to waddle towards him. Roy was forced to emerge from the ink and flee, though Inigo chased after him. As it turned out, Alexis had managed to splat him before he could catch up with Roy and splat him instead. They exchanged glances, and Roy tossed the power clam over to Alexis, who then proceeded to toss it into the basket.

Once again, Bonnie sniped Alexis out of the arena, though while she was recharging, Octavia swooped in and threw some clams into the basket. After she splatted, Roy jumped in, using this opportunity to throw in a few more clams before activating his special weapon. Another shot from Bonnie's Classic Squiffer bounced off the protective barrier of the Baller, knocking him back a few feet. Once it settled, he ran back towards the basket and detonated it, forcing his opponents to flee. Unfortunately, he was too late to throw any more clams in, as the basket closed and lifted into the air, dropping a power clam in its place.

"Flee, Roy!" Audrey suggested. "Don't risk yourself getting splatted again!"

"Why are you helping them?" Leo wondered. "You should help Perry's team too."

"Because their team needs it more," she explained. "In my opinion, they have a worse team composition."

"A what?"

"A team composition. It's what weapons they each have."

"Uh...okay."

"Hey! Have you ever watched the Deca Tournament?" Roy fired back. "We managed to get to the finals just fine!"

"You should focus on the match." He could just imagine Audrey rolling her eyes. "Perry's about to fire a Sting Ray."

"Seriously?" He looked behind him, and just as Audrey had said, a Sting Ray's laser pierced through boxes and platforms, narrowly missing Roy himself. Of course, it didn't take long for Perry to adjust his aim, nicking Roy in the shoulder as he tried to get out of the way. He could hear Yuri scream in the distance, and it became clear to him what the Cool Rainbow Squids were trying to do—push to the other side. He had to stop them before they could score a single power clam in the basket.

Once the Sting Ray was gone, he climbed up the central aisle closer to his team's base and scanned the area around him. Geneva was inking a path for her team, though given Roy was exposed, she quickly noticed him and instead shifted her attention towards him. She quickly realized her mistake as Roy charged towards her, leaping into the air and firing a shot from his Luna Blaster. To his dismay, however, it wasn't a direct hit, allowing the long-haired girl to flee. Perry came in her place, though without the high ground, Roy had the disadvantage. As globs of ink brushed by him, he weaved his way up to Perry and fired his weapon, finally splatting him.

Returning to his perch, he figured that the other team's advance had been put to an end. Triumphant, he pumped a fist, uttering a "booyah." He resumed collecting clams, though he couldn't find enough to make a power clam. He started to return to his base in hopes of finding one of his teammates and getting some clams off them, only to discover that his team's basket had broken.

"What the carp!" he cursed. "How?!"

"You forgot about Inigo and Bonnie," Audrey supplemented. "They took a different route to the basket."

Roy groaned. "Don't tell me you told them where to go!"

"If I did, you would've heard me."

"And what if you're lying?"

"Hey! Focus on the match, remember?"

"Fine, fine."

Roy returned his attention back to the still-open basket. Yuri had returned, though he was not firing at the space down below the basket, instead focusing his attention elsewhere. As some charged shots failed to hit him, he backed up, only to trip and fall into the open space behind the basket. Bonnie then emerged from her hiding place to check to see if Yuri was alright. He confirmed he was, and using their brief moments of vulnerability, they fired at each other, splatting them both.

Yet, another clam was tossed into the basket, and it was then Roy finally spotted Inigo. He jumped down, firing his Luna Blaster, but Inigo merely dodged the shot, swinging his roller in retaliation. A cascade of ink sped by Roy as he rolled out of the way, firing another shot at his opponent. Inigo dodged it once again, and at the same time, Geneva super-jumped to him, immediately tossing a burst bomb at him. He hissed in pain, blinking the green ink out of his eyes and charging forwards. But of course, Geneva splatted him.

He immediately swam back to the basket upon respawning, only to find that Inigo and Geneva were gone once again. The basket lifted into the air, dropping a pink power clam in its place. Though his team had managed to avoid a knockout, it would take a lot of work to regain the lead. He wasn't confident they could win this match, but it didn't mean he wouldn't try. Inking a few more patches of green, his hair glowed, and he charged forward once more, activating the Baller the moment he touched enemy ink. Octavia chased after him, holding the power clam their team's basket dropped seconds before. Upon reaching the basket, Roy detonated the Baller, while Octavia tossed the power clam into the basket, breaking it. Unfortunately, they were immediately sniped by Bonnie moments later, sending them back to the spawn point yet again.

The basket went back up again before any points could even be scored. Roy's blood started to boil—what were they doing wrong? They were doing everything right, yet they were losing. Was it simply a difference in skill? Did having Geneva on the other team make it unfair? But they had Alexis on their team, so it should've been evenly matched, right? Well, it didn't matter—they had to win, no matter what!

With renewed ferocity, Roy charged ahead, seeing red as he fired his Luna Blaster whenever. Someone splatted, and then another, and then another. Someone grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him back, but he merely elbowed them away, turned into a squid, and swam as far as he could. He soon reached the basket, albeit with only a couple clams. But he didn't care about that. As long as his teammates had a clear path to the basket, they would be able to score and beat the other team. That was a sure-fire way to winning!

But alas, he splatted. He tried again, only to splat not far from the basket, again. And again, and again. He could hear Audrey yelling over the megaphone, but he didn't care what she had to say. He only wanted to win. At the very least, the other team hadn't managed to score again. As long as they could keep them away from the basket, they still had a chance of winning.

It was only when no ink came out of his Luna Blaster that he realized that the match had finally ended. He slumped down on the ground, taking deep breaths as the adrenaline faded. They had lost, hadn't they? And he had gotten so caught up in the match... If only he could've kept his cool and worked together. Now, he stared at his Luna Blaster, turning it around in his hand as the rest of his team talked to Audrey.

"Perry, you're so fresh!" Charlie exclaimed. "You destroyed that other team!"

"No, it was close," Maddie countered. "He was still really good though."

"Yes, yes, I know the Cool Rainbow Squids did excellent," Audrey remarked, "but you may want to back off a little bit when the actual tournament comes."

"It wasn't their fault," Alexis argued. "It was ours. We played poorly, so we need more practice."

"Roy especially," Octavia agreed.

"Hey, he didn't play that bad," Yuri defended. "He just got too caught up in the moment, that's all."

"Yeah, that's his problem," she added.

Roy lifted his head, firing a glare over towards them. "I can hear you, you know."

"But they're right," Audrey pointed out.

"I know, I know." He clutched the Luna Blaster close to him, sighing. "I thought it wouldn't be one, but it was."

"Well, keep reminding yourself that. If you let your temper get the best of you, everything comes crashing down. The best players keep a cool head in any situation, no matter how badly the odds may be skewed against them."

Roy stood up. "And the best way to remind myself that is to keep practicing." Putting his Luna Blaster away, he turned towards the opposing team's basket, in hopes that someone would be watching. "You hear that? Next time we will win!"

"That's the spirit!" Yuri cheered.

"If you're that set on winning..." Geneva emerged from behind a wall, smiling. "I'm looking forward to our next battle."

"Well, since we're here now, we can battle again," he suggested.

"Hey, I have to go soon," Audrey snapped.

"But can't we watch one more battle?" Leo begged. "Please?"

She sighed. "Fine. I can stay for one more battle. Might as well do the same stage since we're here."

"Yay!" Maddie exclaimed. "Thank you, thank you!"

"Well, then." Roy climbed up on the central box, proclaiming the Rainbow Squids' next course of action. "Everyone, to your places! The Warm Rainbow Squids will win this time, I'm sure of it!"

That was a week ago, now. Roy wasn't sure how much Audrey's advice actually helped, but anything that could help them win the tournament would be useful. The Rainbow Squids already had good teamwork, and with how much they've practiced since signing up for the tournament, they've only gotten better. They would be winning this tournament for sure!

They were just about to go practice again, actually, when Geneva and Alexis suddenly received calls from the New Squidbeak Splatoon, requesting that they come to Octo Canyon as soon as possible. They suggested that the rest of the Rainbow Squids and Octa Prisma come as well. Roy hadn't seen anyone from the group of octolings since school ended for the day, but he had confidence Eight would be able to gather them up. It was only a matter of time. And waiting. Roy hated the latter.

Once Octa Prisma arrived, they turned into cephalopods and slipped into the manhole leading to Octo Canyon, one at a time. When they arrived, Geneva, Alexis, and Eight took charge, all donning their agent apparel. Cap'n Cuttlefish sat on the bench outside the Cuttlefish Cabin, with the Squid Sisters nowhere to be seen. DJ Octavio was already awake, his icy glare piercing into the Rainbow Squids like daggers. The giant octopus cleared his throat, alerting the elderly inkling to the newcomers' arrival.

"Aye, you're finally here." Cap'n Cuttlefish rose to his feet, tapping his cane on the ground. He looked behind him and called out, "You can come out now!"

Callie and Marie, donning hero suits, emerged from the cabin, escorting an octoling boy with honey-colored skin and an afro. Beside him, Bonnie gasped, eyes wide with shock. Perhaps shock would be best to describe everyone else's expressions.

"Victor?" Alexis puzzled. "Why's he here?"

"Surely for a reason," Iris growled, stepping up. "He was part of Eden's team."

Marie held up a hand, silencing them. "He turned himself in," she explained. "As it turns out... Actually, I'll let Victor do the talking."

She elbowed him, and he winced. "Okay, okay..." He gulped, and then he met the group's eyes. "I will tell you the whole story."

"Go on," Geneva egged.

"About four months ago, I was an ordinary spy for the Octarian army, under the command of Takko. I was about as complacent as you could be. However, on one trip to the surface, I found a CD. Against my better judgement, I decided to listen to it, and as it turned out, it was a Squid Sisters album. It got to the Calamari Inkantation, and somehow, that heavenly melody bypassed the technology of the hypnoshades. The new power granted to me allowed me to take off my hypnoshades and flee. It was not long until I reached Inkopolis.

"A motorcycle gang took me in, and it was not long before I met Bonnie. We went on an adventure together, and everything was peaceful, until we were suddenly attacked by Octarians. Bonnie fled, and it was not until after she left that I discovered the leader behind the attack—Eden. She asked, no, coerced me into helping her, promising my life and freedom in return. After experiencing what Inkopolis was like, I could not say no. She made me join her team and tasked me to get closer to you guys. That cumulated into helping her with the kidnappings.

"Over time, though, I started to feel guilty. I saw how much you worried about your friends' safety. When I learned that only Brayden and Iris were left, I figured that I should try to put a stop to this. Of course, I was too late. I wanted to help you rescue your friends, but I was scared of what Eden would do if she found out I betrayed her. Even after she was gone, my guilt started to eat at me more and more. So, today, I decided to confess my crimes to the New Squidbeak Splatoon themselves. Now that you have heard the story, please...decide my punishment."

Victor's words settled in the air, and everyone took a moment to process them. Even the Squid Sisters and Cap'n Cuttlefish looked surprised—they must've not heard it before. Roy's initial shock faded, only replaced by anger. Eden was the reason Octa Prisma was kidnapped, and to hear he had help as well? It was despicable. He wanted to strangle him, to do what he couldn't do with Eden.

But there was no use. He couldn't change the past; the damage had already been done. The most important part was that everyone was back in Inkopolis now, safe and sound. Besides, Victor wasn't even the main person responsible—he wouldn't take Eden's place in a revenge plot. But he was still an accomplice, and therefore, he must be punished in some way.

Though, Cap'n Cuttlefish seemed to have a different idea. "Why would we?" He peered over at Victor. "We're not cruel."

He blinked, surprised. "But I betrayed you all!"

"The Octarians may not tolerate traitors, and neither does the New Squidbeak Splatoon," Agent 3 started, stepping up, "but it's not your fault you betrayed us. You were manipulated into doing so. Eden is the true culprit, and she's already been dealt with."

Inigo nodded in agreement. "She's right. Trust me, I was in your situation once. I was worried everyone would hate me for everything I've done. But they didn't."

"I did, for a time," Three added. "I think in hindsight, I was just being petty."

"S-Still," Victor blabbered. "Surely you cannot let me off without any punishment!"

"If you are asking for opinion," Agent 8 interjected, "leave Inkopolis."

"Yeah," Giovanni agreed, crossing his arms. "It is the least you could do, given that you are adamant about not giving him a punishment."

Yvonne jumped up and added, "Or at least never show your face!"

Victor frowned, and he opened his mouth to speak, but he said nothing, directing his gaze elsewhere. Perhaps making him leave Inkopolis really was the best option, but it would be impossible to enforce. They could only take his word for it.

"We could board you a plane to another country," Callie offered. "I have the money."

"Hey, another country's a little extreme," Marie pointed out.

"Send him to the Splatlands!" Iris demanded. "It is a desert! No one lives there!"

"That's too much!" Bonnie cried. "He'll dry out!"

"No, it's fine," Victor spoke up, albeit weakly. "I deserve it."

Cap'n Cuttlefish cleared his throat, directing everyone's attention towards him. "Kid, ye may want to reconsider yer choices," he suggested, bulging eyes focused on the octoling. "Ye shouldn't be drying up for years! If we send you out to the Splatlands without any preparation, you'll be meeting an early grave. Tis a terrible fate."

"Maybe he should meet an early grave," Roy muttered under his breath, quiet enough for no one to hear.

Victor turned into an octopus, slipping out of the Squid Sisters' hands before they could catch him and transforming back moments later. "I made up my mind." His head low, he started walking towards the manhole leading back to Inkopolis. Upon reaching the Rainbow Squids and Octa Prisma, he paused, studying their expressions. "I am no longer welcome here," he concluded. "I will keep my word."

At last, he pushed past the group and transformed back into an octopus, disappearing for good. And no one did anything to stop him. Perhaps it was for the best.

Eight was the one to break the silence. "You know if Trace and Valerie were involved?"

Marie shook her head. "If we did, you'd be one of the first people to know," she replied.

"You have anything else for us?" Alexis asked.

"Nah, that's it," she said.

Cap'n Cuttlefish nodded. "You are dismissed."

The agents stayed behind as the rest of the group filed into the manhole leading back to Inkopolis Square, popping out on the other side when the coast was clear. For a few moments, they all stared at each other, expecting someone to say something. But nothing came, not even from Octavia. Ultimately, they all said goodbye to each other and went their separate ways, though Roy quickly caught up to Oscar, not long after that. Then, they began walking down the street together as the sun hung high in the sky.

Roy eventually broke the silence. "You were awfully quiet back there."

"I know," he acknowledged. "I had nothing to contribute."

"But don't you think Victor should've gotten a proper punishment?" Roy's eyes narrowed. "He's the reason you had to go back to the Octarians, even if only for a few days. I can't let that happen again."

"I don't care what happens," he replied, much to his surprise.

He snapped his head towards him, eyes wide. "What?"

"It was the fault of Eden, not him," Oscar elaborated. "He is just dramatic." He smirked. "Like you, sometimes."

"Dramatic?!"

"Calm down, it was a jest."

"OK, OK. So, uh...you wanna go somewhere?"

"Always." Oscar stopped suddenly, and so did Roy. He turned towards a candy shop across the street and pointed there. "Let us go."

As his boyfriend started to cross the street, he chuckled. "Never change, Oscar. Never change."

A/N: You'd think that because inklings have no bones, Roy would pull off a split effortlessly. But alas, inklings seem to have some structure to them that prevents them from doing such things. Anyways, sorry this is an entire week late. As the days went on, I figured that it would be better to just release it on Sunday so I can keep everything on time. I'll try to post a double chapter one week to make up for it, but we'll see. So, we're now officially in Season 6! The final one... This one is going to be a little different, probably most similar to Season 1. I mainly want to tie up loose ends and have some reappearances from minor characters this season, so expect to see a lot of answers and conclusions. But at the same time, things have changed tremendously since Season 1, and the culmination of everyone's arcs will come in the Final Splatfest, Chaos vs. Order. I hope you guys enjoy this season, and Branchwing, out!