Inkopolis Down
Chapter 13
The New Danger
"We will meet Tint again, right?" Arnie said as he and Cepha rode on the latter's motorbike,
"Yes." Cepha said as the wind hit her face, "I wish to see how he is after last night."
"Are you sure it's nothing more?" Arnie asked her, "I know you two are in a relationship."
"Oh shut up." Cepha giggled and playfully punched his back, "I wish I was older..." she sighed, "Then maybe I could partner with him."
"I think you are going over." Arnie told her, "Please keep your mind out of mating season... Remember, there is still danger afoot."
"What's mating?" Cepha asked him,
"Uh..." Arnie mumbled, "I am not a priority character for you to ask that question, ask your parents- Plus, I don't even know how it works with inklings, I am a starfish."
"Whatever." Cepha rolled her eyes and held on, since Arnie was slowing down to park.
"There we go." Arnie stepped off the tiny bike, and Cepha jumped off his back,
"You can stay here, Arnie." Cepha smiled, "I'll be out in a bit!"
"Hmph." Arnie grunted, "Very well, it is only because I trust Tint with your safety." he said and stood watch, "Go ahead."
"Thank you!" Cepha grinned and walked off to the apartments.
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"Is this it?" Britten asked as she and the scientist looked at a towering naked male figure, "Ooh... I like it." she giggled, "What's its name?"
"It's a he." the scientist growled, "And he is the pinnacle of my research, and the reason that we are going to take down that... what was his name?"
"Arnie." Britten responded,
"Yes, that Crown-of-Thorns... Arnie." the scientist smiled, "You see, as I said before, it's all about the base that you use... But while we're on the subject of names... This specimen's name is Triton." he pointed at the figure, "You are Triton."
"I am Triton." the figure said with a very deep voice, deeper than Arnie's.
Overall, this figure was a Goliath, he towered over all those in his room, and seemed to be taller than Arnie himself. He had blonde hair with a few reddish copper colored strands, and had no ponytail, just a buzz cut. His skin was light but had little light brown spots running throughout it, and around his eyes, just like an Inkling, had an alternating yellow and black eyeband, albeit a lot smaller.
"I, Professor Squidada..." the scientist turned to Britten, "Created the greatest humanoid seakind evolution since the Inkling! If he succeeds his tests, I will show him to the Army... and if he passes the Army exam, I'll get the funding to mass produce him... The Triton Series." he chuckled, "They'll be the pinnacle of Inkopolis's Civil Defense, no other seakind force will be able to beat us!"
"Excellent!" Britten grinned, "I hope he passes, master!"
"He will." Professor Squidada grabbed a folder, "And the tests are simple... He just has to get rid of this list of undesirables."
"Let me see." Britten grabbed it and opened it, "Wow, there's like 10 people in here..." she started to read it, "Squiata the Inkboss... Geffrey Clammer the Splatter... Bleau C. Fesh, the leader of the Inkling's Liberation Party... The CEO of Vybe Laboratories?" she asked in confusion,
"We gotta get rid of the competition." Professor Squidada muttered and took back the folder, "The Squidada Corporation must reign supreme in the scientific category."
"Ah, I see." Britten nodded.
"Yes..." Professor Squidada said, "You are my creation." he pointed at the figure, "And you will follow everything I say."
"I will fo-" the figure paused,
"What was that?" Professor Squidada said in confusion, "You will follow my orders without question." he repeated,
"Why?" The figure muttered, shocking both the scientist and Britten,
"What do you mean, why?" Professor Squidada grumbled, "Because you were made to combat the Crown-of-Thorns humanoid known as Arnie!" he yelled and showed him a picture,
"Why?" the figure repeated,
"Because he is a threat to our plans!" Professor Squidada yelled, "Come on, why are you doing this!?"
"Because..." the figure paused, "I don't take orders from lesser beings." he stepped down from his platform,
"Hey!" Britten interceded, "Watch it, hunk!" she held him back,
"Do not touch me." Triton told her,
"Or what?" Britten hissed,
"Hmph." Triton grunted, the punched Britten with a hardened fist,
"AH!" Britten screamed as she hit a brick wall,
"What are you doing!?" Professor Squidada yelled, "Oh! I should have trusted my field notes!" he growled,
"I make my own orders." Triton loomed over him, "You puny inkling." he picked him up,
"Gah!" Professor Squidada gagged, since Triton had grabbed him by the neck, "Why..." he said hoarsely, but then changed into his squid form and escaped,
"Not today..." Triton said and chased the squid down, catching it with his foot.
SQUI! SQUI! The squid form of the scientist tried to squirm free,
"Weakling.." Triton growled and converted his foot into soft white tissue, which engulfed the squid.
"What in the... world?" Britten groaned as she saw the sight, holding her head since she was still stunned from the previous blow.
"Hehehehe." Triton chuckled as his foot returned to normal, revealing the squid scientist was gone,
"What... did you do!?" Britten gasped in horror,
"I had lunch." Triton laughed, then turned to her, "Your clothes... Where did you get them from?"
"He.. He... made them... for us." Britten said, "I... I could show you where they are!"
"No need..." Triton said and whiffed the air, "I smell them from here... The stench of an Inkling is as repulsive as it is strong."
"What.. What are you going to do now?" Britten stepped back, since Triton was advancing,
"Tell me more about that... Arnie character." Triton told her,
"If I do, will you let me live?" Britten muttered as she was cornered up against a wall,
"That depends..." Triton towered over her, "I do find you pleasing to the eye..." he stroked her hair,
"Arnie is a crown-of-thorns starfish." Britten told him as an act of survival, "He has dangerous poison and is extremely hardy! Only strong weapons will faze him! Stronger ones will dismember him!" she informed, "The only way you could finish him off is breaking him into parts so small that he cannot regenerate!"
"How small is so small?" Triton asked,
"Uh... A hand?" Britten said, "He can probably regenerate from something as small as his head."
"I see..." Triton muttered, "And a crown-of-thorns too... Delicious.." he grinned,
"Can.. Can I go now?" Britten muttered,
"I did say you were pleasing..." Triton chuckled, "Pleasing to the eye of my stomach." he grinned, and then started to convert his entire body into the brownish tissue.
"AH!" Britten screamed as she was engulfed.
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"You said a little bit." Arnie grumbled as Cepha came back out, "It's been 20 minutes."
"I have to get up there, you know?" Cepha said, "Sheesh, lighten up."
"I'm afraid I don't have bio-luminescence." Arnie said as he mounted the motorbike, and the two were off.
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"Ah, you're back." Splat said as Arnie and Cepha returned,
"Hi, dad." Cepha smiled and hugged him,
"Hello, Splat." Arnie nodded, "Your daughter had no problems, I saw to it."
"Thank you, Arnie." Splat told him,
"Dad, do you know where mom is?" Cepha asked, "I need to ask her something."
"She's in her room, go ahead." Splat responded and turned to Arnie, "So, how are we going with the search?"
"No sign of Britten." Arnie muttered, "However, I think it won't take long before she attacks again." he said, and the two conversed.