Chapter 2: Sticky situation
A/N: You might be asking "What sorcery is this!? Two chapters in one day?" It is mostly because Fridays-Sundays are the only time I can really work on it. Izzy is also a derivative of a famous scientist (if that is what you consider him to be) and if you guessed it I could give your OC a cameo if you want. I guess that already offering incentive like that is kind of a jerk move considering I am not truly confident in my own writing, and this is only the second chapter. Am I setting it up to much, or no? Oh well, enjoy the chapter (hopefully)!
(POST UPDATE A/N:) You may be wondering "But Panda-senpai, why all the changes?" Well my dear 12 readers, my writing is subpar at best. When I first write a chapter, I am USUALLY satisfied with it. Recently, based on self-evaluation and traffic graph trends, I need to REALLY step up my game. And so it begins (technically it began last chapter but, whatevs.)
What felt like an eternity was in reality only a minute or two. Izzy found himself in a subterranean dugout. Slightly annoyed by the predicament, Izzy took a deep breath, and regretted it instantly. The smell of earth was overwhelming, and Izzy pinched his nose. Trying to stand, he muffled a cry of pain before falling back over. He went pale when he saw a piece of wood the size of his hand sticking out of his leg. He glanced near the entrance, and sure enough, now broken wooden spike sat there, almost mocking him. Fresh blood was not pouring, but flowing viciously onto the dirt, soaking it with a rich cyan blue.
The color was the most disturbing part, Izzy was pretty sure he wasn't a scientist, but he definitely knew that blood once oxidized became red. The hissing noise it made as it hit the ground wasn't doing his ears or sanity any favors, either. Forcing down a bit of bile from the grotesque nature of the wound, he pulled his body along farther into the alcove. Realizing the wood would splinter even more, he closed his eyes and gritted in teeth in preparation. The pain as he pulled out the oversized splinter was excruciating. Panting and whimpering softly, he let the wound pour out a bit of more blood before attempting to patch it.
He tore out a buckle and strap from his satchel, and tied his jumpsuit to pseudo-seal the wound. As soon as the deed was done, he was assaulted by a wave of intense pain in his head. By the time he had opened his eyes after the pain faded, he was in the middle of nowhere, a bright light illuminating the entire landscape and making all but two figures impossible to make out.
"You'll never secure a spot on the team if you can't patch a tiny cut" the kneeling figure said. "I wouldn't exactly call this tiny, you nearly amputated my leg!" the other retorted. Izzy attempted to call out to them, but he found his mouth was sealed shut and his legs refused to move. "I swear, Izzy, I don't know why I keep helping you. Here, i'll patch it up, but this is the last time!"
As soon as the vision came it was gone, resulting in Izzy snapping his head up and hyperventilating. He was still in the dugout, a fresh layer of sweat coating the inside of his suit. How much time has passed? Judging by the light filtering in from the opening, only an hour or so had passed. But still, an hour for what felt like a minute vision? Who were they, and why did Izzy sound familiar? Propping himself up to a sitting position, he pulled out a sealed can of corn, still slightly cold from the cryo chamber.
Realizing he had no can opener, he resorted to tearing the lid off with his teeth. Izzy sighed to himself, it was clear this would be his stop for the day. Izzy had woken up a few times during the night, mostly to expunge increasing amounts of the ASL fluid that still wreaked havoc with his body. As a result, by the time the first light of dawn rolled around, Izzy woke up, still tired and quite unhappy. He checked his wound to see if it was festering. What he saw made him do a double take, there was still a cut, but the skin appeared to be already clotting and creating a small scar.
He assumed it to be the work of the fluid; after all, the people who sent him here did mention it "enhanced him" so he assumed some genetic modification was in order. He actually did find alcohol in his supplies, and he ASSUMED it was for medical reasons. After all the drinking limit was 21 and… wait. How old was he? Izzy groaned, he didn't even know how old he was or what he looked like! He was assuming he was at least in his teen years based on his height and muscles, no way was he twenty or older.
One out of the dugout hole, he noticed a small metal plaque next to it. On it scribbles that can only be described as a cross between bad internet fan drawings and weeaboo japanese. The symbols and flow of the writing was completely incoherent to Izzy. Either he was in Japan and a madman lived here, or this was the work of a new sentient lifeform. Frowning, he trudged on his way through the underbrush.
o0(In Octo Valley)0o
"Gramps, we're home!" came the voice of a young inkling, sporting a pinkish-black motif. Accompanying her was a similar looking one, but with a greenish-black themed outfit and grayer hair. The green girl dumped a container with a catfish looking creature spouting sparks out of its' whiskers onto the table.
A shriveled, elderly looking inkling came out of the only other room in the shack he called home. There were pictures of octopus looking creatures plastered on the sides of the walls, and a certain gleam in the elder's eyes that were a testament to his experience. "Aye, great work buckos! You never fail to warm my old three hearts. Anyhow, I know ye just got back from a mission but there is something that demands our attention."
The duo gave him a quizzical look before sitting at down at a small table. "Marie and I have a special for the weapon update later today, but I think we have a few hours." the green one explained. "But I am sure we can make time for grandpa, right Callie?" Marie said innocently. Callie rolled her eyes at Marie before turning back to the elderly squid. "Anyway, what would you have us do, anyway grandpa?" The squid in question puffed up before pulling out a set of photos and laying them on the table. "These are photos of seagull beach at around 6:00pm yesterday." Depicted in the photos, there were explosions and smoke rising from the sea accompanied by shadow pictures of a figure retreating into the jungle. "The Octarians may have sent an agent to infiltrate Inkopolis!"
"Grandpa, I know this is a serious mission, but why do you have surveillance on a random beach?" Callie questioned. "Research purposes?" the squid offered. Both Callie and Marie gave him a death stare. "Eh heh heh." he said, clearing his throat. "Anywho, I want you two to investigate the area without drawing too much attention to yourselves. Just do a scouting report and come back."
"Aye aye cap'n!" the girls responded jubilantly.
o0(Jungle near Seagull Beach)0o
Izzy was having a really bad day, his leg wound itched like crazy, he probably attracted several predators with the scent of his blood, and his ASL fluid didn't want to give him a break. Every few steps he had to stop to spit out a blob, withering the plant life beneath him. And to top it off, the veins in his right arm out had burst out into a glowing spiderweb of bluish light, and pulsated frequently. It was like some sort of mutant rash, and it hurt like hell.
Stopping for the thousandth time, he spat out a large wad of cyan gloop. Before he could get moving again, he tensed up, and hearing something coming in his direction from the fauna, he leaped up and grabbed onto a thick tree trunk. Dragging his body up, he willed himself not to cry out in pain as his leg protested every movement. Atop his nature post, he saw two creatures emerge from the thicket of leaves in the direction he was walking.
They appeared humanoid enough, with distinct features such as fangs protruding from the upper jaw, and hair that at closer inspection was… tentacles? They were also blabbing to each other in some sort of gurgling language. Either they were also midgets, or they were adolescents, by human standards at least. They stopped suddenly below the tree he was perched on. He caught his own breath, the wound on his leg had reopened and a small stream of blue blood fell off, dripping rhythmically onto the ground in front of the two creatures.
Uttering a short "FUCK", he lept off the trunk onto the next closer one, before dropping to the ground and breaking into a sprint. He heard a startled cry from the creatures, and it was obvious they were giving chase. Heart hammering in his chest, and sped through the forest, uncaring to where he ended up.