Chapter 10 – Memories in Ink

Loud bangs and curses filled the air, splashes of purple and green ink could be seen as they arched high into the air and landed to cover the ground in a strange uneven pattern.

Tela gripped her arms tightly as she watched the figures in the distant, knowing full well who they were… the Agents of the new Squidbeak Platoon.

"Do you think they'll save us this time?" saved Tela as she turned her attention towards Scuttlefish who seem to be deep in thought, his eyes closed as one hand stroked at his beard.

"I'm not sure lass, but they do seem ta be closer than before… Arrr… we can only hope."

Tela frowned as she turned to watch the battle raging on, they do seem to be getting closer. She could now make out the outline of Sora's figure in his familiar gear and his particular fighting style, the other two who she knew must be the granddaughters Scuttlefish spoke about fought with a similar style, their speed and velocity amazed the Octoling.

Yet something didn't seem right… she could see wave after wave of Octarians and Octolings surging towards the Agents but she had yet to see any Commanders join the fight. DJ Octavio himself hadn't turned up yet, surly he would be here considering the situation.

Then a sudden realization hit Tela like a train. What if… there was a trap?

"I think it's a trap!" she yelled loudly as she banged her fists against the glass walls of her prison. "Octo dammit!"

"A trap?" asked Scuttlefish slowly, then his eyes went wide as he realised the same thing Tela had.

"Well shiver me timbers lass. This isn't good…"

"There has to be something we can do!" yelled Tela mainly to herself as she patted along the glass, looking for anything that can be used to their advantage.

"Calm yerself lass, if there was a way outa these blasted cages we've done it by now."

Tela stopped her pounding and slumped onto her rear, crossing her arms as she growled in frustration. She was going to lose it; this whole ordeal was tipping her dangerously close to the edge.

An explosion made the cages rattle and swing, Tela was flung onto her back and flinched at the horrible thud as her cage collided into Scuttlefish's cage. The old Inkling also having been flung onto his back as he waves his walking stick in indignation, he mumbled something angry as he tried to get back up.

Tela felt her breath catch in her throat as her eyes zoned in on something that hadn't been there before, a small crack where the cages had slammed into each other.

"Capt. Scuttlefish look!"

Scuttlefish looked towards where Tela pointed, his eyes popping as he gasped.

"Well I'll be! Maybe there's a way out of this after all me hearty!"

"Only one way to find out." Said Tela as she gritted her teeth and then proceeded to slam her body towards the wall, backwards and forwards repeatedly. Her glass cage began to swing, wider and wider until…

Clink!

Her cage tapped into the other before swinging away, Tela gave a grunt and continue to throw herself backwards and forwards, sweat beginning to form as Scuttlefish cheered and shouted words of encouragement.

"Come on you stupid thing!" hissed Tela in pain as her body hit the glass wall again, the cage slammed into the other cage causing that one to swing as well. The crack was now the size of a hand.

Both cages swung away from each other and Tela realised this could be it, she threw all her strength into the next slam and fell onto her back as her cage went soaring forwards. Both cages collided with a loud CRACK!

Scuttlefish yelped as his cage shattered and he tumbled to the ground in a heap, he hissed in pain as some of the glass shards sliced his skin. Tela was too tired to cry out as she fell to the ground, her own cage raining down shards of glass upon her.

"I can't believe we never thought of doing that…" Tela murmured as Scuttlefish stumbled over and helped the Octoling to her feet, both of them were dripping ink from their various cuts caused by the shards of glass.

"Sometimes even the simplest of solutions evade us lass." Responded Capt. Scuttlefish as he pulled out a particular large shard of glass that had embedded itself in Tela's midriff, causing the girl to flinch with pain. A puddle of purple and orange ink swirled around their feet as it dripped down their bodies.

"Too bad we ended up as sushi… I was hoping to join the fight but…"

Scuttlefish grasped the girls shoulder, a twinkle in his eye.

"Another time lass. The most important thing is that we join up with the rest of our crew before that blasted Octavio can do whatever he has cooked up for them."

Tela nodded as the pair began to make their way along a route that should take them along the sides of the cavern. It wasn't the best idea to head straight towards the battle, not in their condition.

If they had judged it right, the series of floating platform should take them straight behind Sora and the others. It was a slow journey though, Tela insisted on Scuttlefish to lean on her for support despite her own injuries. A trail of their ink followed behind them, purple and orange side by side.

A gunshot cracked through the air and the floor before them was splattered purple, narrowly missing Scuttlefish who yelped in alarm.

"Where do you think you're going traitor!"

Commander Lucia landed in front of them at what Tela recognise as a super jump. The Octoling commander straightened up and aimed her Octo-Sniper at Scuttlefish, the light red dot of light trained on his forehead.

"Did you really think no one would noticed you had escaped? You weren't exactly quiet about it you know."

Tela knew the sniper couldn't harm her due the same coloured ink, but the same couldn't be said about Scuttlefish who simply stared at the offending Octoling with a stern look.

"Get out of our way Lucia." Snarled Tela, her eyes filled with sudden determination and fury as she stepped in front of Scuttlefish, shielding him from the sniper. Lucia's eyes went wide for a second before a smirk grew on her face.

"Why don't you make me?" Lucia's smirk went lop-sided as she threw her weapon to the side and then raised her fists as her body fell into a fighting stance most common with fisticuffs.

"Lass?"

Tela looked at Scuttlefish before turning towards Lucia with a smirk of her own as her raised her fists as well, she tried to hide the feeling of fear under a mask of confidence.

"You go on ahead Capt. Scuttlefish, I have a little something to settle with my dear old commander."

"Oh really? And what's that? My disappointment in you?"

"Something like that… I'm going to prove to you I'm not as worthless as you think Lucia."

While ignoring the pain that seem to radiate off her torso, Tela ran forwards and swung a fist towards Lucia who blocked the attack by raising her arm and then countered by slamming a fist into the Octoling's stomach.

Tela reeled back from the blow and only managed to block another punch to the stomach, she slammed her fist in a viscous uppercut and followed that by grabbing hold of one of Lucia's tentacles and pulling with all her strength, causing the commander to yelp in pain.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Scuttlefish slip past them to continue hobbling on his way. She only hoped she could hold Lucia back to allow the old Inkling to reunite with the others.

"Now this is more like it!" roared Lucia with a maniacal look of glee on her face as she twisted her body around and grabbed a startled Tela around the back of her neck. With unbelievable strength, she threw Tela over her shoulder and slammed her back hard onto the floor. Tela wheezed and gasped as the wind was knocked out of her.

"Fight me Tela! Don't hold anything back!"

"I don't plan to! You crazy octopus!" hissed Tela as she dodged a punch by rolling her body to the side and pushing herself quickly to her feet, ignoring the burning pain in her side. She pulled back a fist and managed to hook Lucia in the cheek, then she grabbed the commanders shoulder and brutally head-butted her.

Tela couldn't ever remember fighting a fight so brutal as this one, nothing was being held back. Her body felt wrecked with pain but she managed to tune it out due to the sheer determination and concentration in the battle.

Lucia on the other hand seem to be thoroughly enjoying the fight, her laughter punched in between fist blows and harsh kicks. She swung out a leg and sweep Tela off her feet, causing her to slam back down on her back. Lucia slammed a boot on the Octoling's chest to prevent her from getting back up.

"This is what I wanted!" yelled Lucia as she threw herself forwards and pinned Tela's arms to her side, the commander swung her leg over and sat astride Tela as she struggled to break free.

"This is the potential I was telling everyone about! Why Tela!? Why couldn't you show this against that damn Inkling!? What's so special about him that you would betray me and everyone else!?"

Tela stopped struggling and stared at Lucia in bewilderment, she couldn't believe or understand why the Octoling commander was taking this so personal.

Lucia lowered her head and licked her lips. Tela gulped as she saw the motion and began to grow nervous, the whole situation putting her on edge.

Lucia smirked before suddenly slamming her head down, head butting Tela hard and caused her to cry out pain and her vision going hazy with black spots. Through the pain she felt hands wrap around her throat, fingers squeezing with amazing strength as her airways were forced closed.

"I wonder how long it would take before you splatter beneath me? Guess I'm going to find out huh?"

Tela spluttered and choked as her face began to grow purple, ink that had dribbled from her cuts now gushed torrents of the stuff. Her body began to shiver violently, with growing panic the Octoling knew she was dangerously close to dying.

Doing the only thing that came to mind, Tela threw her hands out and dug her thumbs deep into Lucia's eye-sockets. The commander instantly released her throat as she grabbed her face in howls of pain.

Tela pushed forwards and slammed a fist into the commander's stomach then twisted her body around to round-house kick her around the side of Lucia's head. The commander gave a screech as she staggered to the side, one of her feet slipped of the edge of the platform.

Time itself seem to slow down as Lucia toppled off the platform, but not before grabbing hold of one of Tela's tentacles and pulling her along, both their eyes filling with fear in the sudden realization of their situation as the platform they had been standing on disappeared beneath their feet.

Lucia howled a screamed that seem to be filled with the agonizing accepting of death as Tela's mouth remained shut tight, her eyes staring up at the fast-shrinking platform above their heads as if struggling to comprehend what was happening. She didn't even acknowledge the hand that was almost ripping her tentacle apart in its tight grip. The darkness swallowed them whole, rendering their vision completely useless…

I'm going to die?

Tears began to form and was quickly whipped off her face due to the force of the wind as both Octolings continue to fall with increasing speed. She was never going to see Levi again, or Janjan and the rest of the amazing friends she had made in Inkopolis… she was never going to see Sora again… this was it…

It was the end…

Lucia's fearful scream suddenly ended as they both hit the ground… yet they didn't splatter into a thousand drops of ink. Tela's mind struggled to process what was happening as she sank into the ground, a coldness submerging her body as she sank down. Lucia's grip loosens which allowed Tela's tentacle to slip away battered and bruised.

Then it finally registered what had happened, instead of the bottom of the cavern being a rocky solid floor that she had expected, it was actually submerged in a large lake of purple ink.

With a faint thud, Tela reached the bottom of the ink lake. With no strength left she wasn't able to swim or transform, her body too damaged and weak.

The darkness continued to press in from all sides as Tela opened her mouth, bubbles issued out as her eyes closed unwillingly. A new type of darkness rolled in as her conscious slipped away, unaware of something glinting in the ink in front of her as it moved closer and closer.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What's it like daddy?"

The large Octarian who had been busy concentrating on ripping off the damaged wooden panels of his home, stopped in the process of trying to pull off one particular stubborn panel to stare down at his daughter.

The little girl had only just recently reached the third stage of her growth, her shiny amber eyes wide with curiosity as she raised her tentacle-like hands towards him.

"What's it like daddy?" the girl repeated as the Octarian swiftly scooped up his daughter. "The real sky."

"The real sky?" asked the Octarian surprised, then he quickly looked around to see if his wife was around knowing full well how she felt towards any subject involving the land above.

"Magical…" smiled the Octarian warmly as his daughters large eyes grew even more impossibly large.

"It can change into many different colours depending on the time, but the best one is the colour blue. A blue so pale and beautiful that it makes a sapphire look dull in comparison, and the air… the very air itself is so fresh it's like breathing life itself."

The little Octoling girl cooed in amazement as she wrapped her tentacle arms around her father's neck.

"Will you take me to see it Daddy? I really want to go now! Please!"

The Octarian chuckled as he lifted his daughter high and plopped her gently on his head, the little Octoling giggled and wriggled her tentacles, causing them to hit her fathers head with a gentle 'fwap' sound.

"When you are older and can take care of yourself, but you must not mention this to your mummy ok? It'll be our little secret…"

The little girl covered her mouth with her two tentacle like hands and giggled, her eyes full of joy and mischief.

"Will I see the Inklings too?"

The Octarian gave a start as his eyes widen slightly, then his expression turned to that of curious thinking.

"I don't know… Inklings are known to be rather lazy creatures by nature, and they often don't like to stray far from home."

The little girl gave another cute little giggle and leaned her face over her father's head so that her amber eyes stared into the Octarian own purple ones.

"Do you think I can become friends with them?"

Now the Octarian really seemed surprised in his daughter's curiosity in the Inklings and yet… he thought about his wife, or rather… he thought about his wife's father.

"You know what… I think you can."

The Octarian wrapped one of his tentacles around his daughter and gently pulled her off his head to hover her in front of his face where he leaned in to lovely nuzzle the girl with affection.

The little girl squeal with delight and nuzzled her father back.

"I think you can become friends with them. You can do anything that you set your heart on Tela."

"Even touch the sky?"

"Yes… even touch the sky."

Tela's eyes flew open and she gasped out a choked breath as her back arched off the floor, something went tight around both her arms that prevented her from completely lifting off the ground.

Where was she!? Was she strapped down? Why can't she move!?

Tela forced her frantic breathing to calm down as the blurriness in her eyes began to fade, her amber eyes rapidly scanning what seem to be some kind of medical room. The thing she was strapped down to turned out to be a metal table, think black belts were fastened around her wrist and ankles that tied her to the table.

She tried to turn into Octopus form but just as her body began to shrink, the belts cackled to life as electricity flowed into her body, making her scream out at the unexpected pain as her body ached off the table in desperation.

The pain went as fast as it had come as Tela panted heavily, inky sweat forming on her forehead. Just what was going on?

A growing wetness caught her attention and she moved her head to look down, fear sinking in as she saw that the shock from the belts had caused some of her deeper cuts to re-open, her ink dribbling down and dripping off the table.

"Subject has caused further harm to herself through attempts in escaping her constricts."

Tela flinched, her head banging back on the table as an Octarian clad in medical white garbs walked forwards, flip board in one tentacle and some kind of recording device in the other.

"It may be wise to sedate the patient to prevent further harm."

Sedate her? Was she in a hospital back in Octopolis? Didn't she end up in the lake at Octavio's cavern when she fell off the platforms with Lucia…? How in the Octo hell did she end up in here?

"What's going on!? Who are you and where's Lucia!?" Tela demanded with a hiss as she pulled at her restricts which only result in them cutting into her limbs with a horrible sharp pain.

The doctor Octarian gave her a bored look.

" , personal researcher and practitioner for DJ Octavio. You were bought to me for care after being recovered, I've managed to stable your body which were extremely close to collapsing. You're lucky to still be alive. This Commander Lucia on the other hand…"

Dr. Tenta walked over to his desk and withdrew a syringe from his draw, Tela watched with fearful eyes as the Octarian filled it with clear liquid from a bottle. Dr. Tenta gently tapped the end of the needle a few times and then slightly pushed the plunger, a drop of liquid squirted out.

"DJ Octavio deemed her unworthy to save… so they simply left her. She should have died by now."

They left Lucia to die… but saved her? This didn't make any sense at all! What did she, a traitorous Octoling have that a loyal and strong Commander didn't? What was DJ Octavio thinking, or was he thinking at all?

"Why me?" whimpered Tela, all the feeling of bravery and stubborn-ness she used to bore now simply fell away, the trauma of being held prisoner for days and the fall off the platform to what she was certain would be her death simply left her both physically and emotionally drained.

"I have no idea." Said Dr. Tenta simply as he approached the now squirming Octoling, the syringe held high in his tentacle like hand.

"Though I suppose it has something to do with those Agent friends of yours, they were not happy when Octavio bragged about your death and showed them the clip of you and Lucia tumbling off that platform into the chasm below. Indeed, one of the Agents went mad with rage and had to be subdue by his comrades… Pity I wasn't there to witness it…"

Tela went still as her amber eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, the doctor took advance of her frozen state and began to swab an area on her arm with a cotton-bud.

Sora… Octavio told them she was dead!? Sora must have been the one who went ballistic… indeed, the inkling didn't even know she was here imprisoned with Scuttlefish in the first place! This… this is awful… everything was falling apart… how is she supposed to recover from this, how can everything go so wrong?

Tela came back to her senses slightly when she felt a stinging pain, she looked down to see Dr. Tenta firmly press the plunger to the syringe and the clear liquid injected into her arm.

A sudden tiredness overcame Tela as the needle was withdrawn and the Doctor moved to return back to his desk. Her eyes began to droop on their own accord and a warm sensation spread from her arm to the rest of her body, then she was semi-aware of turning into Octopus form without intending it to happen, the straps didn't shock her as her limbs slipped out and shorten into tentacles.

Tela simply lay there as her mind began to become dull and dazed, every part of her being relaxed. She didn't take any notice of Dr. Tenta as he returned to her side, she simply wanted to sleep.

So she did… every fear, worry and anxiety slipping away to be replaced by sweet blissful darkness.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Tela! I hope you're paying attention!"

Tela broke out of her daydream and gave a little start, her small tentacle like hand that had propped up her chin slipped away as she turned her wide amber eyes towards her teacher. The rest of the 10-year-old Octarians turned around in their desk to look at her and sniggered.

"Yes miss! I am!"

The teacher, a stern looking Octoling tapped her foot with the air of inpatient's as her arms crossed, a frown on her face.

"Oh really… then please tell the class what I was just discussing about."

Tela flushed as the sniggers grew louder, just what was her history teacher discussing? She had completely zoned out while daydreaming about the upcoming trip to the surface with her father. Her mother didn't know about it of course, she believed her father was taking her on a trip to another cavern that housed a fun-fair.

"Um… you were talking about… old stuff?"

The class burst into laughter as the teacher slapped a hand against her face.

"By 'old stuff' you mean the ancient relics of the old ones then yes Tela. I was… now please pay better attention ok?"

Tela flushed red with embarrassment and nodded her head.

"As I was saying… our way of life is heavily influence by the relics and knowledge left behind from the old ones, such as the language we use, all the way to how we create our vehicles and transportation! Truly… the old ones were at their peak of civilization! Yet like all mighty giants, they eventually fell due to their own doing. Can anyone tell me the cause of the great flooding that caused their extinction?"

Everyone stopped paying attention to Tela now, their eyes looking towards their teacher as frowns and curiosity graced their features. Tela looked around before slowly raising her hand.

The teacher noticed and looked surprised.

"Tela?"

The Octoling took a big intake of breath as she regained everyone's attention once more.

"The cause of the Great Flood was due to one of their many power sources called nuclear energy. The old ones were at war with each other and had accidently sent a Nuclear Bomb to the land of north ice, which caused the ice to melt and raise the sea levels."

Everyone looked amazed as the teacher started to clap her hands, looking delighted.

"Excellent Tela! Maybe you do pay attention after all!"

Tela grinned happily as a warm glow filled her insides, making her feel giddy and proud.

"My Mom told me, she learned all about the old ones from her parents."

"Your grandparents?" asked the teacher as Tela blinked, the feeling of happiness fading away as thoughts of her grandparents filled her mind.

"I… never met my grandparents… Mom told my they disappeared before I was born."

Whispers filled the air as the students turned towards each other, their eyes flittering back to Tela every now and then. The Teacher looked sadly at her and shook her head slightly.

"That's a shame… I'm sure a lot of us here have lost loved ones due to the condition of our civilization…"

"You mean because of the stupid Inklings right?" yelled a student, a male octarian as he slammed his tentacles on his desk. Everyone turned to stare at him, some nodded their heads in agreement.

"Didn't you hear what DJ Octavio said!? They forced us to live underground and stole our zapfishes! That's why everything's falling apart and Octarians dying!"

"Yeah!" yelled another student as she stood up. "They live on the surface living the life of luxury and we're left down here to rot!"

Tela watched as her fellow students grew besides themselves with anger and rage, their fury being directed at the Inklings. She couldn't help but feel shocked… was what they were saying true? Were the Inklings truly to blame for theie desolate state? Maybe… after school she'll go see what this DJ Octavio has been saying…

Tela groggily opened her eyes and hiss at the pain that struck her head, her body felt sluggish and unresponsive. Something hard and cold around her neck made a faint kind of fear cut through the murky haze as she raised a shaking hand to her neck, her finger tips felt some type of metal band.

"Do you like it?"

Tela's half-lidded amber eyes moved to look towards the source of the voice, then they widened slightly at the sight of DJ Octavio casually relaxing in a chair.

"I totally dig that fight you had with Lucia, you like, totally laid the smack-down on her. It's a shame really… she used to be one of the best. Till you beat her down of course."

"Wha… oning… nnn…?" slurred Tela, struggling to make the muscles in her mouth and tongue work properly. DJ Octavio seem to get the gist of what she was trying to say and smirked, the wasabi sticks in his tentacle-like hands twirl like batons.

"Seems the good 'ole doctor's sedatives are still in ya system. That metal band around your neck that you noticed earlier is… wait for it… full of seawater!"

The dull fog in Tela's mind lifted a little more as the word 'seawater' cut though it like a knife through butter.

"With one touch of this button…" Octavio held up a small metal device with one single red button and gave it a little wave.

"The metal band will inject the water straight into your neck and… well, you know what will happen then don't ya? Game over!"

Octavio laughed cruelly as Tela stared in horror.

"Why…?" asked Tela, honestly wanted to know why he was doing this. What could drive a person to go such lengths that Octavio has stride to go? What was his story…

"Call it… motivation. A little something to make sure you do exactly what I say…" all joking-ness was now gone from Octavio's voice as he leaned in his chair, his eyes narrow and serious.

"I want you to do whatever you did to mingle with those foul Inklings… and bring me back those zapfishes that was taken, I need them all for my grand plan of re-taking Inkopolis. According to my scouts, they've returned to the powerplant in the western part of Inkopolis. I'm sure it won't be too hard for you to find."

Octavio looked to the side and smirked, his eyes staring towards the only door in the room.

"If you fail to bring me back the zapfishes, or tell your little friends about this… then not only do you die… so does your sister."

The door opened as a tall Octoling wearing a nurse outfit walked in, in her hands was a glass ball that housed a trapped Stage 2 Octoling.

"LEVI!" yelled Tela, her eyes wide as the shock in seeing her sister after all this time completely wiped away the rest of her grogginess from the sedative. Apart from the fact the little Octoling held captive, it was wonderful to see her and visually know she's ok.

"T-Tela!" cried Levi as she pressed her little tentacle limbs against the glass, tears began to streak down her cheeks.

"My Octo-scouts found her wandering around crying for you like, so annoying."

Seeing her sister cry and looking terrified bought an unusual calmness in Tela, the kind of calm you can only get if you knew something horrible was going to happen to you, but you accept it. The calm you get when you stop fighting and know there's nothing you can do, and you just stand there and wait for your fate.

It was a kind of calm that nobody wanted to feel… As much as she loves Sora and Inkopolis… her sister comes first… always.

"I'll… I'll do it. I'll steal back the zapfishes. Just… just don't hurt my sister ok? Please, she's the only thing I have left." Begged Tela as her own tears threaten to fall. Octavio shuffled on his chair and for one split-second, looked extremely unconformable and guilty.

Then it faded and his old face slipped back on. He nodded towards the Octoling Nurse who then left the room, little Levi began to scream and bang the glass for Tela.

"Well then! Let's get this party started, shall we?" grinned Octavio and he clasped his tentacle-like hands together.

Tela nodded slowly as she stood up on trembling legs.

Sora… I hope you can forgive me…

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Welcome to the Research Squad!" smiled an Inkling female warmly as she clasped hands with the new recruit. A shy looking Octoling who meekly smiled back as she shook hands.

"The names Hilda, Hilda Merryworth!"

"Thanks… I just hope I can be useful to the team! Janjan Blotz."

The Inkgirl blinked before laughing merrily as Octavio and Scuttlefish stepped away from the corner they had been discussing in and came closer to the two girls.

The Octoling beamed with delight and respect when she saw her leader had come closer, Octavio was the only male so far that had managed to gain control of his humanoid stage. The only male Octoling for about thirty years since the last one!

"Just as I was telling my dear friend here, Janjan will make an excellent addiction to the team. Her intuition, research and unusual way of thinking outside the box made her the best candidate for the job!" praised Octavio looking proud as if he was talking about his own daughter, not some random Octoling he had trained.

"Well lass! I look forward to seeing what you can do!" smiled Scuttlefish warmly, then he stroked his beard as his eyes began to flit around the room.

"Aye… by the way, has anyone seen that little brother of mine?"

"Missing me already big bro?"

Janjan and the others turned around to watch as an orange tentacled Inkboy entered the room, Janjan felt the air leave her lungs as her eyes took in every little detail of him.

He looked so similar to Scuttlefish, you could tell they were brothers. Yet there was something about him that his older brother didn't have, Janjan didn't know what that something was but it caught her attention and made her heart beat a little faster.

"There yeh be Inka, come meet yeh new team member. This be Janjan Blotz." Scuttlefish waved a hand towards Janjan who instantly stood up straight as the dark eyes of Inka stared straight at her.

Inka smirked and stepped forwards, his hand outstretched. "Nice to finally meet you Janjan, I overheard Octavio yesterday going about some new recruit. Ready to have your nose rubbed so hard against the grindstone?"

Janjan grinned back while ignoring how nice the Inklings hand felt clasped in her own and nodded. "I think it the grindstone that needs to be ready, I live for this stuff. Research into Oceanology and the studies of the old ones are a specialty of mine."

"Oh really? I like to study archelogy, gathering data on pre-historic artefacts and eco-facts on the island. I spend a lot of my time in excavation digs and analysing data collected to gain a better understanding of what the planet may have looked like in the past and how the old ones may have lived."

"Fascinating! Did you discover the main cause of The Great Flooding? According to data I managed to mine through the use of exploration bots that travel the ocean depths, the start of the flooding occurred when one of the old ones' weapons landed on the North Pole, causing the ice to melt!"

"Indeed… the nature of the weapon in question seems to be an energy known as Nuclear. Thanks to data gathered in my digs, the old one mass produces this nuclear energy in a type of power plant! Isn't it amazing what they did in the past, sometimes I wish I could travel back in time just to observe them!"

"That's enough!" yelled Octavio angrily as Janjan and Inka stopped in mid-speech, their eyes looking to the Octarian leader with a sheepish look.

"Aye… you kids are giving me a headache…" moaned Scuttlefish, though his dark eyes seem to glitter with mirth. Inka blinked, then looked down at his hand which still clasped Janjans hand.

"Ah!" Janjan pulled her hand back quickly and blushed. "Sorry Octavio and Scuttlefish sirs!"

Then the Octoling gave them a quick bow. "I'll er… set up my work station and start on my research straight away."

She gave Inka a quick smile and then dashed off, leaving the Inkling to stare after her with a slight almost un-noticeable blush dusting his cheeks.

"I see yeh taken a fancy to that lass eh Inka?"

Inka gave a start and glared at his older brother.

"Don't start Scuttlefish, it's not my fault she's… interesting. I'm sure we'll be good teammates and friends."

Octavio sniggered while nudging Scuttlefish. "Right… friends."