Colin couldn't really think what to say. Suddenly, after being in his own town, walking down the pathway he did every day, some... people had attacked him, and Devan...
"Devan?" Colin called, trying to make sense of his disorientation. He could barely see, but he was at least glad that something blue and tan was above him. That was a good sign.
How do you feel, Colin? Devan's mental frame sent over. I didn't expect so much disorientation from your first traversal. Welcome to the future, by the way.
Colin snapped himself awake.
"Future? Devan, tell me honestly now, what the heck are you hiding?"
I'm a time traveller. Duh. She shook out her fur. Well, actually, more like dimensional hopper, but that's pretty much the same thing.
"Okay, just explain where we went, and what we did." Colin rolled himself until he found a good enough grip to push himself up off the ground.
Well, Devan explained, I took us out of our dimension. Y'know, other-worlds theory and all that, but a bit different. I basically fast-forwarded us in a speed-lane dimension entirely for the purpose of time-travel, and then I dropped us back in our own dimension so that we didn't die via whatever doesn't exist in other dimensions that you need to survive.
Colin blinked. "I understood about one word in four, but If I've got this straight, we're in the future."
Correct. Devan swished a tail. Now, if we don't find out who we landed on, she'll probably be hostile when she wakes up, so I suggest either help her or run for your life.
Colin sighed and got up, rubbing his eyes, and took a long look at what was in front of him. It looked... like an anthropomorphic squid. Like someone had taken a human and replaced their hair with tentacles, and used a sharpie to draw markings around their eyes.
"Devan, did anything about this whole time-travel thing make you think we'd run into a human-squid hybrid?" Colin asked, as he picked up the squid-human thing with relative ease.
Don't pick it up, you don't know where it's been. And no, time-travel does not involve telling you where you end up after it.
"That's a bit ironic, you being a dog and all."
Shut up and put her down.
Colin put the squid-human down, but decided to at least put her out of the way.
Never know when time-travelers will fall on your head, after all.
"So, what happens now?" Colin asked, stretching as they walked through a barren wasteland. "And do you have a backup plan if we become desperate for food or water?"
Well, actually... Devan said sheepishly, Time travel has some... side-effects. Like permanent youth and dependant immortality.
"Say what?"
As long as you don't want to die, you won't, Devan said seriously. Excluding if someone tries to kill you, of course, or any of the usual methods of death that are not natural. You're immune to poison, though!
She shrugged. And anyway, since our bodies are permanently in the state they were when we time travelled, you shouldn't get hungry or thirsty.
Colin stared. "I don't know if I should think that's a blessing or a curse."
Assume the former, it pleases spirits, Devan replied promptly.
"Oh, and by the way, who's that guy over there?"
Who?
They both looked at the rather peculiar being who was resting idly on a rock. He had a vague bipedal form, and he was obviously similar to humans, but he looked black and empty, like he was made of space.
"You nearly screwed it all up, you know," He said.
"Screwed up what?" Colin asked.
"We're trying to save this timeline, and you just had to go and break the leg of one of our agents." Colin assumed he would have had a frown if he could see the man's expression. "So we'll just have to have you two do it."
Say what? Devan asked, and out of all things, the space form jumped, though he floated back down to his rock with relative ease.
"Well, that was a surprise," He admitted, "But that just makes it better. You're hired, no buts, no refusals. You're rescuing this timeline, and a bunch of others too." He decided.
Colin and Devan glanced at each other.
"What were we planning on doing here again?" He asked her.
Let's just... help this guy, Devan said, dodging a bullet.
The Space-form looked satisfied, if space could look satisfied. "Good. I'm Adam, by the way. See the skyscraper over there? That's Inkopolis Tower, in Inkopolis. I need you to go there. We'll have an agent brief you on your mission when you get there." Suddenly, a case popped into existence, and he dropped it on Colin's head. "Go over there, and use this stuff to disguise yourself among the residents. They're all squid-human morphs." And, with a loud pop, he was gone.
Colin blinked, holding the case, and turned to Devan.
What did I get us into? She pre-empted him.
The case, conveniently, was designed to hold what he needed, and even had a mugshot of the kind of future-being he needed to imitate. After a few strokes of a sharpie and a well-disguised wig-like contraption which changed his head to match that of the inklings, and a pair of elf-ears, he looked just like the squid-morph, save his height.
What did that guy say these things were again? Devan asked as they set off for Inkopolis.
"Inklings," Colin supplied. "Apparently they had a war with the other human-cephalopod morph, Octolings-"
Guess who they're descended from, Devan commented, deadpan.
Colin shot her a friendly glare, "-and they shut them out underground. We have to find the modern inkling who was involved with the war, take her back in time, and make sure the war goes as planned, so that A) the Octolings don't win because for some reason Inklings are super lazy, and B) the Octolings don't revolt for another hundred years."
Just one hundred? Devan said, worried. So you mean... what is this all for?
Colin checked a booklet he found inside the case. "Uh, let's see... Octavio tries to take over Inkopolis... Inkling named Charron is recruited by our target... he goes and fixes stuff and locks Octavio into a Snow Globe permanently..."
Devan snickered. At least they're imaginative about their prisons.
"Let's see... okay, first thing we need to do is find some girl-inkling who is part of this whole affair." He decided, closing the booklet. "Apparently she has something to do with this whole other thing, and it has to do with Charron being in the right place at the right time." He pointed at the tower in the distance, which was now much closer than it had been. "That's Inkopolis Tower." Devan nodded.
Hey, Devan said, "he didn't say anything about skipping a bit of travel, did he?
"Uh, no," Colin said. "Wait. What is this all-"
SCHEEE-CHAKACHAK!
"What in the Universe?" Colin said, just to be different. They were standing in a small park outside the City, barely a five minute walk from the tower, to boot. "What was that sound supposed to be?"
Quik-Travl, Devan replied smugly. I can never decide what Time Travel should sound like, so that happens.
"Wait, so it just makes whatever sound you think it makes?" Colin said in disbelief.
Yes.
Colin decided he shouldn't ask any more questions about time travel. He got up, shook himself (making his new tentacle-like appendages shake wildly) and led the charge into town to find this girl.
"So... remind me what currency this town uses." He said, deadpan, as he looked around at the whole line of stores, which all seemed to have their own purpose. There were three stores all in a line for clothing, and a small two-story green building which had ivy growing up the walls. He stared in disbelief at the number of inklings in the plaza. He watched as periodic adverts and news reels showed on the huge television in front of the tower. Most of all, he stared at the commotion in the plaza.
"Who is he?"
"What's that animal he's got with him?"
"He's so tall..."
"He looks taller than Spyke."
"He gives me the heebie-jeebies..."
"Devan, what is this place?" he asked his canine companion.
She shrugged. Inkopolis. You're not very good at being subtle. She walked primly past a few gawkers, and Colin followed her closely, deciding that she might identify as convenient in this situation. A rather... well, a large cat was sitting on a pillow next to the tower. He quirked one eye open, then looked down at Devan. For a moment he lay stock-still, but it didn't last long.
Purr...(Are you, by any chance, a dog?) he asked.
Yes, Devan replied, clearly pleased. My name is Devan, and this is my travelling companion, Colin. She nodded respectfully to Colin, who did a short bow to show he was equally as polite.
Mrow, Meow?(Mine's Judd. Can I help you two?) He seemed mesmerized by the sight of a new four-legged.
Colin, the photo?
Colin snapped out of his haze, grabbed the picture hastily from the suitcase, and showed the picture of the young inkling girl to Judd.
We are looking for this girl. She is in no trouble, I assure you, but we need to borrow her for something.
Judd considered.
Mrowmow. Meow.(Marissa? She is probably in Octo Valley, like most days. Either that or she's playing turf wars.)
"Turf wars?" Colin repeated. "Wait, don't answer that, I can probably figure it out." He flipped through the booklet and landed on an entire set of pages dedicated to the sport.
Thank you, Judd. Devan said respectfully. Where is this 'Octo Valley'?
Mew. (Over there.) He pointed to a small sewer grate. Meow. (just hop in, it'll take you straight there.)
Devan dipped into a short bow, then motioned for Colin to follow. He walked along dubiously and at her suggestion hopped down the sewer grate. Surprisingly, by that point most Inklings had dissipated, and he went unnoticed.
Then, of course, he was too busy screaming as he went down an elaborate sewer slide.
The end of the slide, predictably, ended in a sewer grate which Colin hit and opened with his skull. He was dizzy for a few minutes, and between Devan's snickering and trying not to fall into the abyss below, he didn't even notice when a guy walked in on them, and a perfectly normal human at that.
"You the new guys?" the guy asked after a short period of time. Colin shook himself and reoriented.
I'm a girl, thank you very much, Devan retorted.
He looked surprised for a second, but seemed to dismiss the talking dog for a bit and went back to his notes. "So, let's see... briefly said, I'm just here to help you sort yourselves out. There's a girl near here named Marissa you need to talk to. I'll warn you, this assignment is a big one. One of you can time travel, right?"
Devan nodded primly, trying not to appear boastful.
"Great. Nice and inconspicuous." He smiled. "Also, do you two have any weapons?"
"Uh, no," Colin replied. "Why would we?"
"Just asking." He put two quick strokes onto his board. "There's an elderly man near here - Cap'n Cuttlefish - who ought to be able to sort that out. Oh, and by the way, you'll have to make them all believe you're an Inkling, so I suggest using that helmet in the suitcase." Colin immediately checked it was there, nodded seriously, and returned to attentiveness.
"That's it for now." The guy smiled. "Now for pleasantries. I'm Tim, and I take care of keeping timelines in check. Sort of a scout for the different teams we have around." He put away his notes. "Who are you two?"
"I'm Colin," Colin said after a bit of shock. He tried his best to dismiss the ridiculous situation.
My name is Devan, Devan 'pathed, looking perfectly and utterly bored.
"Nice to meet you both," He replied pleasantly. "I suggest you get acquainted with how things work here. Don't worry, it isn't much different from how most things work." He got a mischievous look. "Why don't I show you around? A lot of us travellers stop by here to have fun."
"If it isn't a bother," Colin decided.
"That super-tall building there is Inkopolis Tower," Tim said, pointing to a large iconic tower that reminded Colin strongly of Paris. "That large Eel-like thing is the Great Zapfish. She powers the entirety of Inkopolis through the tower."
"Is that humane?" Colin asked in concern as he stared at her blank expression. The Zapfish answered him, surprisingly, with a light chuckle that was more felt than heard. Colin gaped for a few seconds, then was pulled out of his shock by Devan, who he followed blindly through the plaza.
"That group of stores is known as Booyah Base," Tim continued, shooting Colin a sympathetic smile. "Clothes, mostly. And weapons, but only turf war fighters can buy those." He stopped, and Colin had to make a conscious effort not to run into him.
"Are you confused?" Tim said calmly. "It's no surprise. It happens to most people. Often you just have to wait a bit to understand." He grinned. "Don't worry if you don't know what people mean. Just say you're a country boy." He gave Colin a friendly punch on the shoulder, only enough to be felt. "As far as anyone knows, it's true, anyway." Colin smiled and took a moment to sort out his brain.
"Here," Tim said after a few minutes, handing Colin a Splat Charger. "You should at least play the sport that people play here."
"And what's that?" Colin asked, as he let his hand get a comfortable grip on the sniping-type gun.
"Ink Battles."