Chapter 11: Love and Loss
"Cuttlefish!?" I yelled at the top of my lungs as I climbed up from the kettle and rushed over to the shack. The Zapfish clinging tightly to me as I barged through the door.
Immediately I started looking around the place but I didn't see the old Captain. The place though didn't looked much more than what it had before I ran out.
"Captain?" confused I set the Zapfish down, which curled itself around the arm of a chair before I looked around farther.
poking around the corner to his office the only sign I saw of his presence was a headset similar to my own tossed onto the desk and a plate of crab cakes that had turned cold. The papers from my father's file were even still laying across the floor as I walked over to the desk.
"Where did he go...?" I glanced down at the cold plate of crab cakes next to the headset he used to communicate with me. Clearly it was hastily thrown next to the plate like he was in a rush but normally he would have said something if it was the case.
"Maybe he did try but I couldn't hear...?" I turned to look at the Zapfish slither over before climbing up to munch on the cold food, "not that you care...you're just happy with the free food."
The Zapfish stared at me as I watched it eat before I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. Pulling it out I flicked it on to see a new message.
Is there anyway we can meet up later at the café? There is something I want to talk about.
Noi
I stared at the screen for several minutes. Various thoughts going through my mind as I debated the possible reasons behind this message from her. Did she want to apologize for the call earlier or tell me off more about how whatever I was doing was not fair to her or the rest of the team...
...Or maybe she was giving me a chance to explain?
I took a deep breath after about a minute as I started writing back.
Yeah, there is something I want to tell you about too...does later tonight work?
Another minute passed before my phone buzzed with her response.
Alright then...I'll be there.
Seeing her response I sat into the chair with heavy sigh before burying my face in my hands, "cod I hope I do the right thing...I love her too much to keep this a secret anymore..."
I glance over to see the Zapfish now snoozing on top of the now empty plate happily.
"Why did I even expect a response from you...?" sighing for the umpteenth time I leaned back in the chair farther as I waited for my potential doom.
"Hey Marlin."
"Hey," sliding into the chair in front of Noi I forced a smile onto my face, "glad to see you again."
"Yeah...sorry about this morning..." she said with a sigh, "I had a pretty stressful morning..."
"You did?"
"Yeah but that's not important," she waved Leef over who promptly got her a glass of water, "I just wanted to say...I'm sorry about snapping at you this morning. It wasn't appropriate and it's not really my business what you are doing in your spare time."
"Oh..." a sound caught my attention causing me to look out the window, when I looked however there wasn't anything out there to see making me turn back to her with a frown.
"Yeah...anyways...you mentioned you wanted to tell me something...?"
"Right yes I did," I took a quick glance around the café. Other than a few adult patrons on the far side and Leef there was no one around in the café this late in the afternoon. Most kids headed home before the sun started to dip below the skyline and already it was half behind it with the sky a bright orange going on red hue.
Now seemed as good as any to tell her.
I leaned closer, "but you got to promise me you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you..."
"Ugh...Marlin..." she started to groan before I cut her off with the grab of her hand with mine, causing her to stare at me confused.
"Noi I mean it...it has to be kept between us and only us."
Her head jerked back a little in shock at my comment, "Why?"
"Because if you don't...people might get hurt. Maybe even killed..."
"Wait...killed?"
"Yes killed."
Her eyes widened a little, this time confusion was crossing her face mixed with the beginning of fear, "Marlin...?"
"Don't you trust me?"
"Yes...?" She hesitated.
"Then please...you have to trust me on this..."
"Y-you must have been training too hard today," she made a move to get up, "you need rest."
"I don't need rest..." I reached over and grabbed her wrist so that she was forced to sit back down, "...and I'm not delirious."
"Marlin...you're hurting me," she tried yanking her hand free.
"Noi you asked what I've been doing and I'm going to tell you," her eyes widened more as it became more apparent how scared she was but I didn't let that stop me, "you see the thing is I know who took the great Zapfish...it was the Octarians."
She stopped trying to escape, "But...I thought they were-"
"Scary stories to get squishies to behave for their parents? Yeah me too until I met the Captain who told me everything and how if we don't stop them we will lose all of our power."
"Marlin..."
"I've fought dozens of them...I've killed dozens of them. But I've found a lot of baby zapfish."
"Marlin."
"And the Octarians have created large machines that are called great Octoweapons and-"
"Marlin!"
I stopped and froze, just like most of the patrons in the café at the sound of her shouting my name. I then simply stared as she finally yanked her hand free before scrambling out of her seat as she stared back with frightened eyes, "you...can't just go making up stories like that...there is something seriously wrong with you."
"I-I didn't make it up."
"You're lying Marlin..." she was shaking where she stood, whether from fear or anger I couldn't tell, "...and if you are gonna try to cover up your absence with...fairy tales then perhaps Whark should kick you off the team."
"Noi you have to believe me..." I could feel my heart and mind racing as I sat there but my body refused to listen to me as I looked up at her, pleading with her to listen to me as I stood rooted to my seat.
She only maintained our gaze for another few seconds before looking away, "I'm sorry Marlin...I don't think I can do that anymore."
"Noi..."
"Bye Marlin," she turned and headed out the door.
"Noi!" my body finally allowed me to move as I scrambled after the now retreating lavender colored inkling before getting stopped by Leef.
"Let her go...it never works out if you chase them."
I pushed past her and run to the door. By the time I get through it she is already around the corner and out of sight as the sun started dipping behind the buildings.
Without a second thought I ran after her but by the time I get to the corner she is long since gone. In the half light I slide by back against a wall as I buried my face in my hands, "cod dang it Marlin...why did you have to tell her?! Now she's never gonna trust you again...assuming you ever see her again," I pulled my knees close as I fought the urge to sob out loud.
A noise caused me to look up as someone in the half light started to come towards me. The shadow being cast from the building making it impossible to see who it was as I stood up, "N-Noi...?"
A giggled pierced the air which caused a shiver to run down my spine as the person stepped into view. It was a girl but instead of two long tentacles on the side of her face she had two somewhat shorter ones that curled around her face with another bigger pair in the back that curled as well. Her actual face though was covered with a mask, causing only her mouth and nose to be visible as she pointed her ink weapon at me.
"Sorry to disappoint you Inkling, or do you prefer...Agent 3?"
I only stand there for a second before darting right past her, her gasp being the only indication I had actually taken her off guard as I ran down the alley.
I only made it about 100 feet though before I was sent to the ground and then yanked backwards from my left leg. Turning myself so my face was upwards I could see a snare like object wrapped around it as the girl pulled the other end.
"You...are not...getting rid of...me that easily...Agent 3..." she panted as she fought to pull the rope like a fisherman reeling in a large fish.
As I was pulled closer I struggled to find anything to use against her but aside from a few random rocks my hand slipped past in my effort to grip anything to slow myself down nothing was presenting itself as a good weapon as she pulled me the last few feet with a final heave.
"Told...you..." even though she was once again aiming her weapon at me it was hard to take her seriously as she panted heavily in front of me. Her grip weak on the gun as she fought to get air inside herself, "told you...you aren't getting away..."
"I didn't know I had a fangirls amongst the Octarians," I said with a half laugh.
She immediately stiffened as her panting stopped and her voice started to drip with intense irritation as she spoke again, "what did you just call me...inkling?"
What smile I had managed to conjure up immediately disappeared, "u-uh..."
"Let's get one thing straight..." she raised her foot and stomped on my chest hard.
The sound of snapping cartilage and support tissue soon reached my ears as pain flooded my body, causing me to let out a half scream before I could clamp my mouth shut.
She grounded her boot into my chest harder as she leaned in, "...If you think I have even the slightest interest in you or your kind you are greatly mistaken inkling...your kind has forced us to stay buried in the ground for too long while you have had your fun in the sun...that time is over."
The intense flare of pain I was feeling was almost too much to bare as I tried to push her foot off me, my ability to breathe already becoming increasingly difficult to maintain as more cartilage in my chest snapped from within. The chilly cold air seemingly turning into burning liquid in my lungs while the rest of my body felt like it was catching on fire.
"Any last words inkling?" She snickered as I writhed underneath her like a bug being pinned like with a tack, "guess not...I'm sure big brother will be pleased to find out I defeated the "infamous" Agent 3," she let out a peal of laughter that echoed through the alley.
Her enjoyment of my suffering was cut short when she suddenly stiffened before falling over as she fell unconscious next to me. A very noticeable bruise on the back of her head.
"What the...?"
"Seems like you certainly know how to piss people off eh hotshot?"
Struggling to sit up I looked away from the passed out Octarian to my supposed rescuer. My body froze however as I saw the glint of a dynamo roller over the shoulder of the person who had saved me.
"May I also be the first to tell you that outfit looks so stupid on you," Soral added as she gave me a mischievous grin, "which I'm sure you're gonna explain to me in full detail as well as what you've been doing the last month...right?"