Maize and ECO had changed out of their pajamas and had made their way a good distance from the yellow squid's home. He had the odd, glowing water creature in his arms, which so far seemed uncaring about being moved or carried.
"And you're sure this is where she lives?" ECO asked, sounding afraid, her cortex light glowing blue in fear. They were in a rough area, as the darkness of the night made it out to be. The homes looked like they weren't well kept, and there were a few squids hanging around outside, giving them some odd looks, but Agent 3 brushed it off as the water squid they were carrying was the very thing drawing attention.
"Yeah, I think so," Maize nodded, patting the head of the watery creature. It did nothing but blink, those three ruby spheres still floating in the same spot. They were approaching one small home, which looked like the best home in the entire neighborhood.
"Come on. I'm sure she won't mind us bugging her," Maize reassured. However the mechanical octoling doubted that. It was nearing four in the morning. The two of them approached the door. She tried to push the doorbell, but there was no noise. She pressed it again five times before they saw the door sling open.
"What?!" Fulvous was standing there, angry. She was wearing a face mask that was not a sight that they expected to see at all. They guessed that this doorbell was louder inside than it was outside.
"I-it's us, Fulvous. Sorry," Maize apologized in fear. The two afraid agents heard Agent 7 sigh, as she knew they were here for one good reason. She just stepped inside, letting those two follow. She had no idea what it was going to be like, but she just knew it was going to take up the rest of the night. They closed the door behind them after coming inside.
"Ohh… this place is so nice," ECO claimed. The living room had a smooth wooden style. The furniture and the entire floor had all been made by hand. Fulvous grabbed a towel, cleaning off her face with it.
"So what's with the… uh… whatever that is?" she quirked, seeing the glowing aqua creature. Maize rested it down on the coffee table of the room, hoping she would not mind.
"We don't know what it is. We were hoping you would," Maize adjusted his splatterscope on his back. Fulvous approached the water squid, touching it with one of her tentacles, seeing it topple over without care onto the coffee table and lean onto it. The water creature was oddly so content that barely moved on its own.
"What makes you think I'd know? It looks like some genetic accident made from a squishie," Fulvous stated. She could not get her tentacle through the water at all, neither did her hands. They could see through the clear entity, but they weren't able to put anything through it. The only thing it allowed into its liquid body was those ruby crystals, but it seemed inactive, like it was waiting for more.
"I don't think genetics make your entire body composed of hydrogen oxide," ECO retorted, trying her best not to go into long detail about how unscientific that possibility was. Maize was more curious about it as well. This one little watery squid was very strange, that much was clear, but they had no idea why the cultists wanted it. It didn't even look like a weapon.
"Your sister sure would have a field day examining it though," Maize chuckled with his usual big smile while brushing his one yellow tentacle aside. ECO could not disagree with that, and in hindsight, her sister seemed like the best option to contact with this matter. They hoped Fulvous would have some clue, but it seemed like a lot of squids had little idea what it was.
"I'll call her up and tell her we're coming," Agent 5 smiled as she pulled out her cellphone, beginning to dial her older sister's phone. She waited for an answer patiently through each ring, while Maize and Fulvous attempted to make the water creature move.
"I wonder if there are more eggs like this," Maize quirked. If there was one, there was bound to be more. He thought the only time this water creature moved was when it first stole the ruby spheres which it had absorbed into its chest and arms.
"Then how come this is the only one to survive?" Fulvous replied. This creature was supposedly thousands of years old, and had survived in that egg the entire time. It was disturbing that this water entity existed during the great catastrophe that wiped out the human race, and the cultists were desperate to have it. They doubted this little thing could have done any harm, considering how much it was lacking in movement.
"No answer… that's weird," ECO muttered. She had called Octoronia three times, and still nothing. Normally one phone call would wake her sibling up. Just then, they saw something odd. They watched the watery squid start glowing slightly brighter before it stood back up, looking to the right where one of the windows was.
"Whoa! It moved!" Maize smirked, astonished, thinking that maybe the little water creature was getting the ability to move on its own. They suddenly saw the window shatter, watching a blast of oil break through and send shards of glass onto the floor as the black goo splattered onto the floor, having only been fired like thrown bricks to break the window.
"Hey! My window!" Fulvous stomped angrily. Maize and ECO watched her run down the hall. It only took a moment before they saw her come back, carrying a bigger splatling gun in her arms and an ink tank filled with orange ink on her back. The yellow squid could safely presume that this was one of her prized weapons, Natascha. Agent 7 appeared completely furious.
"Seriously?!" Maize pulled his splatterscope off his back, adjusting his glasses and getting ready for whatever was going on. More windows began breaking as the oil was splattering onto the floor. ECO backed away from the door, seeing it take a strong bash. She had her slather blaster ready.
"Wh-what's the plan?!" the mechanical octoling requested some form of leadership here from the squid she had a crush on. The watery creature was staying stationary on the coffee table, the ruby spheres within it glowing slightly.
"Splat as many as you can, as quick as you can!" Maize ordered. He watched a set of hands grab onto one of the window sills, trying to pull themselves up. He squeezed the trigger, charging the weapon. He then saw the black and white robed figure pop up, and he immediately let go, firing a fully charged blast of yellow ink which hit the cultist in the chest, sending them flying away from the window, and splattering them instantly when they hit the ground.
"That's the best plan you got?! I like it!" Fulvous laughed as her splatling gun began spinning, just when the front door broke down into pieces. Five armed worshipers stood on the porch, all stunned to see the huge weapon aimed straight for them. Fulvous opened fire, sending rapid shots of orange ink to coat all five of the cultists, all of who had tried various tactics of either running down the steps or returning fire, yet neither of the options gave them enough time to react. All of them were splattered fast, leaving nothing but a giant mess of orange ink covering the front porch.
"I've never gotten this much action outside of a turf war before," ECO stated as they heard the sounds of more windows shattering. Maize was preoccupied, trying to keep the living room secure along with Fulvous. The robotic octoling saw three more of the cultists exiting rooms at the end of the hall. They had this house completely surrounded. She took cover behind a couch before opening fire with her slather blaster, beginning to hit the robed figures with her purple ink, splattering a few. They were attempting to return fire, as bursts of the oil flew through the air and splattered everywhere that the agents' ink was not.
"I don't mean to alarm you guys, but… we're kind of losing ground!" Fulvous stated while taking a step back, firing more with her splatling gun and splattering three more of the robed assailants. At this point, every opening to the house was now broke open. The back door, the windows, and the front door. As the more cultists poured in, they were able to shoot out even more oil and cover the floor or walls. The agents were not able to refill their ink tanks in oil if they turned into squids and tried to swim through it. They would be dead in seconds, instead of just simply unconscious.
"Alright. That's enough of this nonsense," they suddenly heard. Fulvous gasped, realizing that she had not watched the door for barely half a second, when suddenly, she got blasted by a huge burst of oil, dropping her splatling gun before being sent flying back and crashing into her television, breaking it. She slumped onto the ground, unconscious. In the doorway stood Taupe, who holding an inkzooka on his shoulder with a smirk on his face.
"Fulvous!" Maize aimed his splatterscope and quickly fired a fully charged burst of yellow ink. However, the cultist leader just blocked the attack with the inkzooka. ECO realized that they were getting outnumbered. Before she could attempt to help Agent 3, she got blasted by a shot of the inkzooka. She got covered in the black goo that dragged her body into falling to the couch and toppling it over. Here she went onto the floor, shutting her down instantly. The yellow squid was furious.
"Knock it off!" Maize tried to fire again. However, his splatterscope just clicked. He looked behind him. His ink tank was completely dry and empty, and now the huge number of the insane worshipers had begun to make their way in to back up their leader.
"Allow me to introduce myself…" Taupe coughed as the inkzooka reverted back to a Luna blaster. He put it on his side with a smirk, approaching the yellow inkling. The water entity on the table seemed to be gazing intensely at the leader of the worshipers.
"My name is Taupe Lackey. I can safely presume you're Agent 3?" Taupe introduced himself, getting close to Maize like he was just taunting him. Fulvous and ECO were beginning to get restrained. The cultists had plans to transfer them to the facility to hold them captive as well.
"You're last names Lackey? Why not Lunatic? That suits you more," Maize growled, throwing the first insult he had off the top of his head. The grey inkling pulled out something from his pocket. They were two ruby spheres, which Maize then took notice of and stared at. Taupe walked around the yellow squid in circles, juggling them carelessly.
"Yes, yes I understand your frustration, but don't worry. When everything is finished, you and your friends will be born anew… as humans, of course," Taupe chuckled, his words only portraying further his insanity. He tossed one of the ruby spheres to the tiny water creature, which then caught it within its body. The crystal moved to one of its legs, and it seemed to make it grow slightly in size.
"You see, I must thank you for hatching our savior here," the grey inkling continued, keeping the one ruby sphere to himself like it was too important to give up at this time to the water creature.
"Wait… that squishie is the thing you worshipped?!" Maize gawked. The cult leader rubbed his eyes sorely. He was getting a headache from this conversation.
"This is not a squishie. It is the key to our new, brighter future… Abraliopsis Morisii," Taupe claimed. This tiny creature was the one they were worshipping all along, and of course, some of the other robed cultists were confused. They had been informed of tales of this creature being able to change the world, but they were expecting a lot more from it.
"How an idiot like you managed to find out how to hatch it is beyond my understanding… but I will give you credit. You and your cohorts have caused me nothing but irritation ever since we started getting everything in motion," Taupe had a big smile while explaining everything, as he pocketed the last ruby sphere. The Abraliopsis Morisii looked irritated to not have it.
"You know, I'm not going to let you get away with this," Maize reminded. No matter what, he was going to put up a fight, even if he was surrounded and outnumbered. If he wasn't out of ink already, he would have made several more attempts on splatting Taupe.
"Yes I am quite aware, which is why I'm taking you all to a facility to keep you captive there. Don't worry, as a favor to your admirable spirit, I'll make sure that when the new world begins, you and your friends are the first to be killed," Taupe cackled, acting like he was rewarding a dog for learning how to sit on command.
"…I promise you won't get that far," Maize had a big grin, his sharp teeth showing. Taupe seemed to grow bored of this banter now as one of the cultists grabbed the water entity. The grey inkling grabbed the splatterscope and pulled it from Agent 3's hands, so fast that he had no time to react Maize watched as his favorite weapon got taken away, and then he got bashed across the face with it, being knocked to the floor.
"Be quiet, you corrupt monster," Taupe ordered, demanding complete obedience, before his feet abruptly got yanked out from under him, tripping him into the yellow ink they stood in. Maize had made him fall with his tentacle, chuckling while he laid on the floor.
"At least I didn't cut off my limbs. And you were calling me an idiot," Maize taunted. Taupe got sent over the edge. The grey inkling stood up, and he kicked Maize in the face as hard as a rock slide, watching his head bounce off the floor before he stomped on his face.
"I… shall not… be made… a mockery… in front… of our… savior!" Taupe screamed between stomps, one after another. His furious rampage kept continuing, as Maize was beginning to black out from the violent beating. The cult leader detested to be toyed with. He had given the Special Squid Services too much of his tolerance, and wasn't going to take any scat from them. After one more strong kick to the face, the now bruised and battered Maize laid unconscious on the floor. A few of the cultists came over to get him ready to transport to the facility.
"Mhm… I guess with that, we have every agent in our custody," Taupe took in a breath and exhaled, feeling a lot calmer after the violent beating he had given the yellow inkling. Although that sought to capture five agents, and they wound up capturing six. Taupe presumed that this was all of them. However, unbeknown to the cultists, there still was one more agent left. Taupe knew nothing about Maize's sister, Fallow. Agent 6 was the only one to have not been captured, but she had made a mysterious disappearance through the week, so no one knew about her condition. Taupe began moving toward the broken down door, heading down the steps of the porch with his goons following suit.
"This world shall enjoy tonight… for it will be its last…"