Splatoon Afterworld

by drz1990

Explained in the intro

6. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Note: Sorry for the long wait. Nearly had to redo this whole entire chapter. As I mentioned before the time between chapter releases may get prolonged plus I've been tied up with other things. I'll try to do better next time you guys but here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy. I haven't given just having writers block here and there.

Luna and Star hopped inside the tea kettle and shot to the dome where the town was located. Mirage alongside Vee were waiting on Seth. Who was debating whether or not to go with the octoling squad or help Sam. He walked over to his two squad mates as Sam was disappointed, crossing her arms and looking down at the little salmonid at her feet.

"Lieutenant... I'd like to request that I stay back with Sam," he told the elite.

What came out of Seth's mouth shocked the two octolings and made Sam perk up.

"You what!" shouted the irate Mirage, flabbergasted that Seth would break from formation and stay back with the inkling she detested. "Request denied sergeant! You are to attached to my team and if you think I'm going to let you..." she started to rant before she felt a hand on her shoulder.

She turned and saw the private looking at her. "Lieutenant... don't get angry with him. He must have a good reason to want to go with Sam," said Vee. The private looked back toward Seth and asked, "Are you sure you wanna do this,"

Seth gave a slow nod, he knew Mirage was unhappy as well as Vee that he would even consider staying back with Sam.

"You're seriously going to go along with this private. We have a mission to carry out. It's bad enough the risks we're taking bringing Seth along and now you're thinking I should entrust that negligent little squid to protect him all by herself,"

"Look you guys I'm sorry. I know I'm a part of this team but you have a mission and well, I have my own. I can't find my wife and child if I'm with you...not to mention I would draw negative attention. I might have a better chance in finding them If I helped Sam," he told them.

Mirage thought about his reason and was stuck in a conundrum, she felt somewhat disheartened but at the same time she did promise to help Seth find his family. She decided to go ahead and allow Seth to stay back but her passion for him caused a bitter scorn for him not sticking by her side and as a part of the squad an act of insubordination in her eyes.

"Very well... but know this sergeant... consider yourself decommissioned from the squad. I know you need to find them but I need to put my priorities first and that's looking for those other octolings. If you wanna go with the squid then fine, be my guest. You're no longer a part of my unit and once we get back we'll depart for the surface and you can stay behind. You're on your own from this moment on," said Mirage bitterly as she left for the kettle.

"M...Mirage, it doesn't have to be like this why don't..." Vee said to her.

"Fall in line private! You wanna join the sergeant?" she snapped at the octoling.

"No, ma'am" Vee clinched.

"Good...then let's continue on,"

Vee was hurt, Seth was no longer a part of her squad. She looked back at him seeing the utter shame on his face. Regretful from what he heard from the elite that had a crush on him. Mirage hopped inside the kettle and didn't dare look back at Seth before shooting away in her octopus form. Vee followed her and shot behind her, saddened by what had just happened between her two squad mates.

"Don't worry about them, she'll get over it," said Sam as she patted Seth's shoulder.

"I'm not so sure," he muttered.

"Look what's done is done. They're gone and I need to get my gear before we leave but one more thing... " she said as she raised her arm and smelt her own body odor. "I need to wash first, hadn't had a shower since I left Inkopolis," she said as she left and headed back to the shop.

Seth stared at the kettle. He was ate up with remorse by the guilt trip Mirage laid on him. He slowly headed over to the shop and sat on a metal barrel, propping his rifle on the wall. He laid his hands under his jaw and moped over his debacle. Lil' Buddy scurried over to where he was and looked at him.

"What is it?" Seth asked the little fish.

Lil' Buddy picked up a twig and brought it to Seth's feet. "Huh? You wanna play fetch?"

The small fry gave a "bark" and spun before looking up at Seth with its fin wagging. "I can't believe I'm playing fetch with a fish," he said. He grabbed the stick and stood up. The salmonid was waiting for him to toss it and when he finally did the small fry scooted to go catch it. It scurried back with the twig in its mouth and dropped it in front of Seth, happy that the human was playing with it. "Wow, you're pretty quick...I was going to get a dog for my wife before we got frozen in time. Guess you're just trying to lift my spirits up," Seth told lil' buddy.

After a few more throws, Seth got tired and gave a stretch. When lil' buddy came back he let the fish know he didn't wanna play anymore. The little salmonid was sad and spit the stick out, disappointed its new human friend didn't wanna play anymore. Seth decide to go inside the shop and look around. He spotted a work table in the garage and a bunch of tools laying around. It made him think how he always wanted his own work shop back when he and his wife were living in the neighborhood years ago before the nukes fell.

As he messed with the work bench, Sam stepped in the doorway with his back against her. He turned around and saw that she was undressed and wiping her head with a towel from taking a shower. "Like what ya see?" she asked him leaning against the doorway.

"Gah...what kind of question is that!" he shouted shielding his eyes from the nude inkling.

"Huh, oh squid. Sorry used to being by myself and I meant the shop, not me...you'll have to take me on a date first," she told him before rushing away, and getting some clothes on.

"What's with you cephalopod girls... no dignity once so ever," Seth popped off.

After a moment Sam got dressed and came back into the garage, this time she was wearing a ripped black top, exposing her stomach and sweat pants. A white ringed cloth formed a collar around her neck and on her back was her pack and a giant soda bottle containing her ink.

"What's with the mad max look?" Seth asked.

"Huh...what do you mean, this how we dress in the splatlands. It's pretty hot and it's the only clean clothes I had," she told him.

"Looks like you've been around. What's the splatlands?" he asked.

"The splatlands is a desert and a bunch of canyons, but more precisely I'm from a town called splatsville. It's just outside the splatlands. Place is full of turfers just trying to make a name for themselves. I came here looking for my sister Izzy. I went to Inkopolis where she stayed and checked her apartment. She wasn't there or at the square. That friend of hers, agent 3 was no help at all. I couldn't track down agent 8 her other friend so I got word she was spotted in octo valley...or was it octo canyon? I couldn't remember and so that's why I'm down here," she explained.

If this is the octarian territory then why was the underground complex I woke up from doing down here? As well as that neighborhood I got tied up in by those octolings when we first encountered each other?" asked Seth.

"I think these domes were constructed by humans long ago. I'm not sure, I'm not an octarian so I really couldn't tell you," said Sam.

"Domes? What do you mean?" Seth was confused.

"You haven't realized we're underground. I thought humans were supposed to be really smart but then again you did go extinct," said Sam which earned her a dirty look.

"Underground domes?" said Seth as he stared at the sky. As he glanced he noticed something was definitely wrong. Why hadn't he noticed it before? He spotted the seams of the screens that were simulating the outside weather and looked up and saw the sun wasn't the sun at all but a giant light that produced heat for the domes, being they were deep underground. Without them, the octarians would freeze to death and why they required the zapfish to power the domes.

"Why on earth would humans build underground domes. Had it something to do with the ocean tides rising and the nuclear war from before? I thought we were on the surface when we came out of that facility," Seth wondered as we went back inside the garage. "Told you so," said Sam as she stretched her back.

"I remember my squad, I mean the octolings telling me about their people being banished underground by the inklings a hundred years ago, something about a war over the land,"

"That's correct but it wasn't always like that you see. We used to live together in peace until the seawaters started rising. The octarians fired the first shot. They attacked our villages and drove us out of our territory until one inkling lead a counterattack and pushed the octarians back with an army he banded together known as the squidbeak...so the legend goes,"

"That's quite a tale...so the two races warred over the land. That's how the resource wars started minus the nukes destroying everything and causing the ocean tides to rise and flood the land. At least no one went extinct,"

"Yep, sorry your race did... but anyway as I said before, my sister was a squidbeak agent. Came to Inkopolis to start a new life and join in on the turf wars but she got recruited by this inkling in a kimono, I think she was one of the squid sisters I heard about but anyway she took on the octarians and beat their leader, getting the great zapfish back for Inkopolis,"

"Sounds like the typical hero story to me, good guy wins and bad guy gets his butt handed to him. So how did she go missing?"

"She was a hero and she stayed with the squidbeak for a while. Every now and then I'll talk to her but then I quit hearing from her. So I came to Inkopolis to find her and had no luck. Both of us grew up in Calamari county. She moved to the city and me. Well I'm the adventuring type so I left for Splatsville,"

"You think she's down here?" Seth asked.

"Don't know where else she could be," replied Sam.

"Well we're not gonna find her hanging around talking all day. Where should we start?"

"I say west. I never went in that direction,"

"West it is then,"

Seth headed out of the door and grabbed his rifle and headed for the kettle. Sam caught up with him waving for his attention. "Hey wait up, I'm not sure how you're gonna get propelled out of the kettle," she told him.

"I saw the octolings turn into their other forms which I still can't get over and hop inside here. Being I'm a human. I can't do that?...and why a giant tea kettle of all things, makes no sense," he said examining the giant kettle.

"The octarians used them to move around the domes. I learned that when I first hopped in one. I don't know if you could use it though,"

"So how am I supposed to leave then?"

"I think the grate can be opened. Just hop in and ball up, that could work,"

"I really doubt that Sam. I think Luna was right. This isn't gonna work. Are you sure there isn't another way out of the dome. I mean my people built them, surely there's got to be another access point,"

"We don't have time to hunt for another way to get you to the next dome. Let me think of something," she told him. Thinking for a moment how to get Seth to the other dome she suddenly came up with an idea. "I got it! Lubrication!" she exclaimed.

"Lubrication?" Seth questioned with confusion on his face.

"Yeah, I could coat you with ink and then maybe you'll fit through the tube. It's worth a shot,"

"Uh, no thank you. The octolings' ink had weird effects on me. I was paralyzed for a while not to mention it made me sick. Plus I really don't want your color staining my uniform. Ink is not easy to come out,"

"Got any better ideas?"

"(deep sigh) No,"

"Then let's get inked," she said.

She aimed her ink bow at Seth who was rethinking this plan as he backed away waving his hands. "W...w...wait! I changed my..." he stammered but too late. SPLAT! Seth fell back and was coated with yellow ink. Even with the gear and armor, Seth could still feel the adverse effects of Sam's ink. "...mind, Bleck!" he coughed out. "Man this stuff is nasty...I'm already having a hard time trying to move," he told Sam.

"You'll be fine, let's get you into the kettle," she told him as she helped the ink covered human up. "You gonna be able to make it over there?" she asked him as he wiped the ink off his face.

"I...think so," he said trying to get his words out. As he took a couple of steps he fell down, the ink was effecting his motor skills. "Or maybe not, dammit," he jeered, hurting from the fall.

"I better help you over there. I didn't think the ink would effect you this much,"

"I told you what the ink did to me...well it's too late now,"

"Quit your complaining, I'll get you in the kettle,"

Sam let go of Seth and propped him against the kettle. "I'll help you in," she told him trying to boost him up into the giant kettle. He fell inside it and looked up at Sam with a disapproving look. "Sorry, OK," she told him. The little salmonid came up and barked at Sam who was leaning into the kettle. "Sorry lil' buddy you gotta stay here," she told it.

With a saddened look on it's face Sam told it, "It's too dangerous, just stay here and guard the shop for me," The little salmonid left and headed back as Sam turned her attention back to Seth who was laying at the bottom of the giant kettle.

"I hope this plan of yours works," he said with a disgruntled tone.

"I'm sure it will, so... hold onto your butt," she said as she squidformed and clung to Seth. "Hang on, I'm going to shoot us through the pipe," she warned him.

"Do what," he got out.

The kettle shook and filled with yellow ink as Seth panicked, fearing he was about to drown in it. Once he was submerged the kettle boiled over and he and Sam were shot into a pipe that lead to the next kettle. "Shhhhiiiitttt!" was all he yelled as his body was shot out like a bullet with Sam in her squid form propelling them both to the next area.

15 minutes earlier... when the octolings reached the next dome. The kettle was perched on a cliff overlooking the town off in the near distance. Floating debris with trees growing out of the hovering landmasses it was a mystery how anything would float freely in the air, even the path and the town itself was floating above the bottom of the dome. Luna and Star watched their commander along with Vee hoping out of the giant kettle and changing forms.

"Hey, where's Seth?" asked Luna.

"...Seth's not coming," Mirage said bluntly.

"What do ya mean he's not coming?"

The elite shoved Luna aside and started walking ahead, toward the town. Luna was thinking what was Mirage's problem and turned to see Vee walk up. "What's got her tentacle in wad?" Luna asked the private.

"Seth stayed behind with Sam,"

"Why? I thought he was a part of the team,"

"He... thought if he helped Sam then maybe he would find his family. I don't hold anything against him, I'm just unhappy he would stay behind. Mirage took it hard and I tried to reason with her about it, She said Seth wasn't on the team anymore,"

"I can clearly see that,"

"Enough jaw jacking and more moving. We got a lot of ground to cover," sneered Mirage as she walked over to Vee and Luna breaking up their conversation. Star just remained quiet, afraid to even say anything to her commander.

Luna, Vee, and Star looked at each other and followed behind Mirage into the town. The path from the kettle sloped down below the cliff. A gap separated them from the street as they crossed it in their octo forms. The ink left from Sam and the Octomaw was already dissipating with only puddles left instead of a whole street coated with ink. They trekked past the town hall and headed eastward to the other tea kettle.

They noticed on the way there the sky had changed it's setting to that of a evening sunset. It was getting later and the octolings needed to reach the octoweapons factory before it got dark. Once they reached the kettle they hopped in one by one. Luna, Star and more so Vee, were dwelling on the absence of their human squad mate and friend.

In the next dome, the monitors projecting the outside sky was still set to a late evening appearance. They collected around the platform where the kettle was perched on and noticed the dome wasn't very big. It was smaller than the last one and the air was hazy. Littered with debris and other junk scattered about and hovering in the middle of the dome.

Mirage saw a path of floating platforms and octo formed down to one of the lower platforms below, inking a path for her team. They changed back and decided to split up to cover more area and not make themselves easier targets just in case any octarians were there.

Between octoforming and shooting ink in their pathway the octolings seemed as if the way was clear and easy. So far they hadn't seen any hostiles and spotted a large structure in the center of the dome. Then a couple of octotroopers appeared. One on top of the structure had a shield attached to their machine as well as legs. It was immobile but the trooper was protected. Below were two more troopers scurring below and a twintacle was inside taking a nap.

Mirage hid behind a block and radioed to her team through the headset built into her googles. "Squad come in," she said before her team called out.

"Star here,"

"Luna loud and clear,"

"Vee's here too,"

"Looks like these stupid tentacles have set up an outpost. I think we can get the jump on them if we hit them from all sides. Get into positions and wait for my mark," commanded Mirage.

"You got lieutenant," said Luna over the radio.

The three other octolings octoformed and swam into different direction in hopes to ambush the unsuspecting octarians but as they did Mirage decide to get closer unaware that an octocopter hovered from below and spotted the elite once it flew up. "Intruder! Intruder!" it shouted as it's alarm blared.

Mirage quickly expelled the little flying tentacle, splattering it. The troopers were now alert and scanned their surroundings. "Shrimp! We can't get the jump on them now. Squad! Just charge at the bastards! they know we're here!" Mirage shouted over her headset.

Mirage octoformed and hopped over a gap and got across on the large platform where the troopers were and opened a barrage of ink on the closest one. It gargled and fell off the vehicle before splatting while the other fired back. The elite rolled out of it's line of fire and octo formed to cover. She shot back, distracting it as Luna and Star moved in splatting the second trooper. This left the shield trooper above and the twintacle which surprisingly was still asleep.

"Guys! Above you!" shouted Vee, spotting the last trooper on top of the building. It gargled and shot ink at the octolings. "Find cover!" shouted Mirage. As the octarian shot at the squad. The three hunted for the nearest cover and fired back but nothing was penetrating the trooper's shield.

"Damn! We got a flank it somehow!" jeered the frustrated Mirage.

"Already ahead of ya lieutenant!" shouted Luna. As the squad took cover, Luna inked the wall up the structure and swam in it before leaping up and throwing a splat bomb behind the distracted trooper. Not having time to react the trooper burst into ink from the bomb leaving only the napping twintacle inside the building.

"Way to go Luna!" cheered Star as she gave a thumbs up. Luna hoped down with a smug smile and they turned their attention to the twintacle. They huddled up at the entrance of the building and aimed their nozzles at the snoozing twintacle before his nostril bubble popped and was jarred awake.

Seeing the octolings pointing their octoshots at it the twintacle jumped up with it's eyes about to pop out of its head. Before it could go for it's platform. Mirage tackled it and pinned it against the wall. "Start talking you tentacle! Or me and my team will splatter you all over this wall!" she growled at it.

"Don't splat me! Don't splat me!" the twintacle cried out.

"Then talk!" demanded Mirage.

"OK! OK! Me and my team were assigned to guard the kettle into the octoweapons factory dome and keep any defectors away. That's it! Please don't hurt me!" It pleaded.

"What else do you know tentacle,"

"Scarlet's got the factory back up and running. She's building more octoweapons before she and the octarian army takes to the surface and invades the inkling territory," it admitted.

"Not if we do something about it," she told the twintacle as she threw him down and aimed her octo shot at it. "I told you all I knew, have mercy," it pleaded.

"Mirage don't! Remember what Seth said," said Vee.

"...and Seth isn't here is he," she said coldly, pulling the trigger and splatting the twintacle. "What did you expect me to do? If I let it go then it would've alerted Scarlet's forces if not splat us from it's pod once we walked away. Survival private, remember that," Mirage told her before walking out of the structure.

"I wish Seth were here," said Vee. "And I think you do too,"

"I couldn't care less if that human were here or not. I'm only focused on the mission and won't have anything else cloud my thoughts. Just drop it and let's make our way to the factory," Mirage said without turning around to look at the private.

"Lieutenant! You just can't keep this bottled up...you like him...and so do I," Vee replied.

Mirage paused for the moment. Luna and Star wasn't sure how to react as they watched the two. They could see the tension in the air and didn't dare intervene. "Answer me," said Vee with Mirage's back still turned.

"You want an answer," said the elite. She pulled her goggles up and stared back at the private. She aimed the octo shot at Vee causing her to flinch with a stunned expression. Luna and Star were shocked themselves to see their leader aim her weapon at their own squad mate.

A stream of ink struck the private and she fell to the ground, dropping her own weapon. The ink impact hurt her but being the same ink type it wasn't lethal. "There's your answer," Mirage snapped as she walked over to the private who was laying on the ground unarmed.

"I do like him...and you had to keep bringing him up after what you did behind my back," she told her, glare down at the private who was holding her chest from the hit.

"I said I was sorry...please Mirage," Vee muttered.

"Mirage don't do this. You need to..." started Star but as approached her commander, she gave a glare and aimed her octo shot at her too. This caused Star to stop and back away as she watched Mirage's anguish unfold in front of them.

"Are you willing to hurt me for him...even kill me," cried out Vee as tears ran down her cheek. Mirage saw what she was doing and felt a ton of remorse pile on her. Her eyes opened wide and she dropped her octo shot before falling to her knees. She fought back her tears but couldn't. They ran down her cheek and Mirage balled her fists going through the emotions between her and Seth.

Vee sat up, still coated and scooched over to hug the elite. Mirage jerked not expecting the act of kindness from squad mate she just shot. "Lieutenant, I forgive you," Vee told her as her tears hit the elite's shoulders. Mirage's lip quivered and she grasped Vee's body and hugged her. "Vee...I don't know what came over me...I couldn't control myself, I wanted to...oh my god," she said crying into Vee's shoulder.

After a minute of holding onto each other they resolved their differences and got composed. Vee and Mirage helped each other up as the elite wiped her eyes. She gave a deep breath and looked at the private seeing she held nothing against her. She was consumed in her fallacy that Vee was a threat, being an obstacle between her and Seth once her passion got the best of her for the human. Seeing Seth stay back took a toll on her.

Luna and Star were glad to see that nothing escalated and that things were settled among them. They all looked at each other before Mirage felt guilty for what she did and turned her head away as she held her arm. "Lieutenant, It's ok, I'm not angry at you," consoled the private.

"I'm angry with myself...I went off the deep end because...my feelings got the best of me," Mirage admitted. Vee seeing her shake.

"Why don't you just talk about, let it out instead of keeping it to yourself,"

"(deep breath) Because that's not who I am Vee. You ought to know that,"

"I know you wouldn't want to hurt me...you love Seth,"

"I...do, I wanted him by my side. I wanted to show him how much I cared and how I would go out of my way to help him...then he just...leaves me," Mirage bit her lip and pressed her hand against her face, holding back her tears.

"Seth didn't leave you...he's still part of this squad and you know that. How do you think he felt when you told him he was know longer a part of the team. I'd say you left him," Vee said as she approached her commander. Mirage turned around, her eyes were watery.

"I never met anyone like him...he's honorable, courageous, determined,"

"None of us have met anyone like him because he's a human,"

"That too... (chuckle) You're my little sister and I wouldn't trade you for the most experience elite out of the army," said Mirage as she walked up to Vee and smiled.

"Ah, thanks big sis. I love you," said Vee.

"I love you too Vee...but right now, we got to finish the mission. We got to get to the octoweapons plant and hinder their plans to build more of those octoweapons before their invasion," said Mirage, her tone turning more serious as she placed the goggles back over eyes.

"What about finding Maxine's unit,"

"She said they got separated in the workers' village outside the factory. With any luck maybe we'll run across them. The they can help us with stopping Scarlet's forces inside the plant,"

They gathered around after things had gotten back to normal. The four of them made their way to the other end of the dome and spotted the next tea kettle that would get them to the octoweapons factory. They hopped in like the last kettle with Luna and Star going first but Mirage stopped and looked at Vee before she got in it. "Private, I want you to know what I did was unacceptable...turning my weapon on you like that. I let my emotions take control and I shouldn't have. I'm the leader of this squad and I should act like one...I thought of considering stepping down and letting Luna take charge of the team after this mission...as scary as that sounds,"

"Mirage you're a great leader and we all have our faults. You don't need to step down," Vee told her with a smile. Mirage nodded and the two grabbed each other hands as a sign of trust. Mirage jumped in the kettle before Vee did and followed their two squad mates to the next area.

Back at the facility, Sigma was assigned to watch the inklings. He sat on a crate in the storage bay with his arms crossed, displeased with his sergeant and brooded over having to keep an eye on the persistent inklings. Bill and the others were rummaging through the supplies, curious about the human stuff that was left behind.

Dexter came across a crate of human weapons and was very curious to how they worked, thank goodness they were properly stored and unloaded. He picked one of them and examined one of the rifles. "So I guess this is a weapon, it's kind a heavy, reminds me of a splattershot sort of," the inkling said before he aimed the weapon at a wall and then at Lily who was going through stuff too.

"Hey! Don't aim that thing at me!" she panicked.

"What are you afraid of," he said, lowering the rifle.

"Uh, you of course," she scoffed, hands on her hips.

"Pfff... preppy squid. Lighten up for once and get over yourself. I don't think it's even loaded. I don't see an ink tank for it,"

"Humans don't produce ink you moron, geez...so put that thing away,"

"Oh c'mon, don't tell me you wanna hold my big gun," he teased.

"I'm not even gonna comment on that dirty remark you miscreant,"

"What? You think I was referring to my...oh please, I think you're the one that's got their mind in the gutter...and admit it, you like being around me," he said with a grin as he leaned against the crate Lily was looking through.

"I certainly do not! I'll take my chances of hanging around a pack of salmonids then I would you,"

"You strike me as the type likes the bad boy...I can tell,"

"Why don't you squid outta out of here! If you think for one second that I would go out with an inkling like then you got ink for brains," she told as she turned away with her arms crossed and her head up.

"Alright, I'll back off you pampas squid...I wouldn't date a squid chick like you anyway. The lavish lifestyle and the fancy clothes and food, not my thing. A trash can sitting in an alley has a better personality than you do," he told as he started to walk away.

"You wouldn't know a good personality if it bit you in the butt!" she shouted, turning back to him.

"Enough you two! I'm getting sick of you two constantly bickering with each other! You guys need to apologize to each other and walk away," scolded Bill as he approached the two, watching them fight.

"Hmpf...I'm not saying sorry to that ink head," protested Lily.

"And I'm not saying sorry to some uppity squid whose got her head so far up her butt that's even a wonder she knows where she's walking," growled Dexter.

Lily stormed away after what Dexter had said. Bill pinched his nose seeing he was making no progress getting the two to settle their feuding. "And who made you leader of this team anyway?" Dexter asked him bluntly.

"I'm not a leader, I'm just watching out for all of us. We're in this together and we all want one thing and that's getting back to Inkopolis," he told Dexter.

"Well don't! I can handle myself so go hang out with your girlfriend,"

"Jazz is not my girlfriend! She's rational and listens too me unlike you and Lily,"

"Whatever, like I said I can do fine on my own," he told Bill as he stormed off.

"Geez, what's with that dude,"

"Bill is everything alright?" asked Jazz who walked over to him.

"Those two are at it again. They're working my nerves and I can't get them to see eye to eye. We all need to stick together like a turf team,"

"Bill you gave it your best shot. Just let them be and then maybe they'll start getting along over time," said Jazz as she held Bill's hands.

"I hope so...there's bigger problems then those two arguing with one another,"

"C'mon Bill, they'll get over it besides I...wanted to talk to you about something," she told as she let go and crossed her arms behind her back.

"What did you wanna say?" he asked her.

"I wanna say that... how much I appreciate you looking out for all of us. I don't we would be here if you weren't for you," she expressed with a smile and a slight blush.

"I can't take the credit Jazz, the octolings were the ones that brought us here,"

"But it was you that kept a cool head and kept us together. You've been a leader since we left that awful place. Those poor squids and what they were doing to them. Just imagine if that happened to us," she fretted.

"Those octopi are gonna pay for brain washing our friends. I wouldn't let them do that to any of you or anyone else. I'll see myself getting splatted before they harmed you Jazz,"

"Oh, Bill... I would do the same for you," she said as she gave him a hug.

"Alright enough with the soap opera. We've been here long enough and we need to get back to the atrium immediately before my sergeant wakes up and chews my tentacles out...and where are the other two?" questioned Sigma whose patience had worn thin with the inklings.

Bill and Jazz shrugged as Sigma gave a groan and face palmed. "Big help," he popped off. He left to go hunt for Lily and Dexter as Bill and Jazz looked at each other. "Guess we better go," said Jazz. "Yeah, I guess," Bill followed.

"Do you...like me?" asked Jazz.

"Of course I do, your my friend aren't you,"

"Friend...um, yeah friend heh heh," she said with a fake laugh as she rubbed the back of her head.

"Huh, what's the matter?" Bill asked seeing her act like that.

"Oh...nothing,"

"What were you expecting me to say?"

"Do you...have a girlfriend back in Inkopolis?"

"No I don't, why are you asking?"

"Um just curious I guess...c'mon let's go Bill," she replied, as she rushed out of the warehouse, trying to evade Bill's suspicion.

As the two left. Sigma found Dexter sitting in one of the tactical UTVs with his hands behind his head and leaning back in the seat. "Hey you, we need to report back to the atrium," he told Dexter.

"Stick it, octopus. I like where I'm at. Away from everybody especially that pampas squid chick," he told Sigma snidely.

"I'm not asking again to get out of that thing and report back to the atrium," Sigma demanded as he smacked his hand on the hood of the vehicle.

"I guess you didn't understand me octopus. I ain't going anyway and I certainly ain't listening to some inkhead octoling telling me what I can and can't do. Go bother the uppity squid chick and leave me the shell alone,"

"(growl) I'm ordering you to get your butt out of that machine and get back to the atrium with the others!" Sigma demanded, showing Dexter his authority.

"You gonna make me octopus," Dexter told him as he sat up from the seat of the UTV.

"Yeah, I am," said Sigma as he dropped his octoshot and jumped on the hood of the UTV and grabbed Dexter. Not expecting the octoling to fall through with the bluff, he jerked him out through the cab frame and threw the mouthy inkling on the floor.

"Alright, you asked for it octoling," jeered Dexter as he sat up and got ready to attack the octoling. He rushed up at him as Sigma stood on the hood of the vehicle and jumped up before Dexter could land a punch and the inkling smacked into the front of the UTV.

The inkling turned around as Sigma landed behind him. Dexter threw a punch but missed as the octoling just moved out of the way. Dexter tried again and again but wasn't making contact with his octoling adversary. "Hold still, octoling!" Dexter growled at him.

"Very well," Sigma replied before launching a roundhouse kick to Dexter and knocking him into the UTV. Dexter was sitting down holding his stomach as Sigma walked up to him. "You had enough?" Sigma asked.

"I ain't getting my butt whooped by no octopus," Dexter winced. He tried to stand back up as he launched another fist at Sigma only for his arm to get grabbed and the inkling was flung across the floor, landing on his back. Before he decided to get up. Sigma placed his boot on Dexter's chest to pin him. "I think you've had enough inkling, don't make this harder than it already is. I'm a soldier and I don't go down so easily," said Sigma as he gave Dexter a serious and determined look.

Dexter knew he was beat and continuing would just result in more pain and humiliation. Seeing that Dexter had given up, Sigma helped him on his feet but Dexter just jerked away, holding his stomach, unable to bare the defeat.

"You got lucky octopus...it won't be like that next time," he said, limping away.

"Wonder where that yellow-headed inkling is?" Sigma asked himself. He looked around and spotted her holding up a human military uniform.

"What in the squid is this? Whoever designed this thing has no fashion sense not to mention the dull colors...I wouldn't be caught splatted wearing this thing," said Lily before she dropped the uniform.

"There you are! You're inkling friends have left back to the atrium and I would suggest you do too for your safety," said Sigma.

"What, who made you the boss. You and that gotty outfit...you octarians certainly don't have style and you're no where near fresh,"

"I'm a proud octarian soldier and I could less about my uniform or your fashion senses. I won't tell you again to vacate this area and return to the atrium,"

"Or what? Should I ask,"

"I've already had to persuade that spiky headed squid to leave and I don't wanna have to do the same to you, girl or not,"

"You best keep your tentacles to yourself if know what's good for you octoling,"

"Then do as I ask and return to the atrium. This place is full of human weaponry and I don't want to see anyone getting hurt,"

"Fine...I was getting sick of being in this dump anyway. There's nothing in here that peaks my interest. Just know I'm leaving not because you told me to,"

"My patience is wearing then with these inklings. I can't believe we lost the great turf war to these squids. They lack discipline and only care about their stupid turf wars and fashion hype. Fresh...give me a break," said Sigma but then he looked at the uniform that Lily was holding up. He grabbed it and was interested in it.

"Odd...what a strange pattern? Is this what human soldiers wore?" He asked. Compared to his octarian uniform which was a solid tight black top matching his pants along with the armor made from sardinium. The camouflage pattern baffled the octoling unsure what purpose it served. Ironically octopi are masters of camouflage or at least their ancestors were and as smart and combative octarians were they never came to the conclusion that blending in with your surroundings could help them fight their enemies but then again this wasn't typical warfare between octarians and inklings if war were to break out.

"I remember that human wearing pants in this color scheme. If he were here I would ask him why human soldiers wore this. I wonder...if there's any in my size?" Sigma said. He dropped the large uniform shirt to the ground and dug through the crate to hunt for a small one for himself.

Back in the lab, Velma took it upon herself to study the unconscious human that was laying on the examination bed. Prior to this she had scoured through documents and diagrams over the human body, different diseases and medical data from previous patients. All useless to the octoling scientists because she couldn't read the human language except seeing the pictures of human anatomy in a biology book she looked through.

She was astounded by the human body and blushed seeing one male naked on one the pages. Not satisfied by just looking at pictures she had decided to take upon herself to study the human personally that was laying on the bed. Velma slipped on some latex gloves and opened the humans mouth, looking at his teeth.

"Hmm...his beak is unlike ours. Flat and segmented but it appears he does have small fangs. Four to be exact," she said looking inside his mouth. Turning her attention to his eye, she opened it and examined it. "His eyes are quite small...I can conclude his vision is impaired compared to ours," she said.

"I'm a bit more curious now...humans have organs and muscles just like our races but unlike us they have a skeletal system to support their frame work. This must be why they are unable to change forms," she said. She decided to leave his bed side and walked over toward the desk and sat down.

"If only I were back at my lab right now, then I could properly study this human, I remember the labs from when me, Seth and that elite walked through to get to the room full of those pods but I can't leave the human unattended," she said as she sat at the desk.

Unbeknownst to the octoling researcher, the human was slowly coming back around. He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes, blinking to get them adjusted to the lighting in the room. He moved his head around and spotted a figure sitting at the desk and sat up still disoriented from coming out of the cryopod.

"Uh...what happened?" he muttered. The human's voice startled Velma before she turned around and saw the human was now awake. The human shook his head and looked at Velma, eyes readjusted and cleared, now seeing the octoling. She appeared human, assuming she must've been a part of the facility staff wearing a lab coat but her features weren't that of a human, was he still delieous from cryostasis he wondered. Her head was abnormally large as well as her eyes. They were discolored, green with blue irises and instead of hair on her head was what he thought might have been a wig but they looked like tentacles off an octopus.

"Oh, you're finally awake I see," she told him. The human didn't understand her, only gargling.

He shook is head with an expression of utter confusion. Was he really awake or was this some kind of dream?

"Huh, what's going on?...What are you? Why do you sound like that?" he started to panic.

"Don't be alarmed. You just woke up, my name's Velma," she tried to greet him. He noticed her fangs and knew she was definitely not human.

As she got closer and scooted back and shouted at her to stay back before he fell off the bed and knocking down a reading lamp. He grabbed it and tossed it at the octoling as she dodged and octo formed, hiding under the bed. He saw she disappeared but stayed alert, quickly getting up and looking around. "W...What was that thing?" he said to himself.

He cautiously looked around holding a scalpel he grabbed off a counter. He turned and looked toward a mirror, which scared him at first. His panicking caused a headache to come on and leaned over the sink that was just in front of the mirror. "My freakin' head," he moaned as he held it.

He dropped the scalpel into the sink and threw up more of the inky substance when he first came out of the pod. Nauseated...he saw the inky goo he upchucked and began panicking more when he saw that his teeth fell out as well. He looked back at the mirror and saw the pupils in his eyes had flattened as he looked closer at his reflection. "What's...happening to me?" he said weakly, getting dizzy and holding his stomach. Velma watched from under the bed, looking at the soldier's behavior.

He stumbled around and spotted the door. "I gotta get out of here," he said. He shambled toward it but before he could walk out. Velma came out from under the bed. She had to stop him as irrational and hostile he acted toward her. She couldn't allow him to hurt the other octolings and inklings if he ran across them. She changed forms and grabbed a sedative out of her coat pocket that she took from her old lab before she fled octo base and grabbed the human. She had a hold of his neck and stuck him with the syringe. She octo formed and lept back as he pulled the needle out of his neck.

He turned around and saw Velma starring at him before he lost his energy and collapsed on the floor. She walked over and studied him. "I couldn't let him leave not with how he acted...he didn't seem like he could understand me and his language...I could understand Seth, why couldn't I him?" she wondered.

Being he was sedated and probably wouldn't wake up for a couple of hours she contemplated on how to bring him to the labs. Opening the door she decided to drag him out of the exam room and head for the labs being they weren't too far down the corridor. With her octoling strength she managed to get him there without getting caught and placed him on gurney in the middle of the closest lab and strap him down so he was secured.

"Now I can properly run tests on this human using the equipment in this lab starting with retrieving a vital fluid sample from this human since they cannot produce ink" said Velma as she walked over to lab station and grabbed an empty syringe. She drew blood from the sedated soldier and placed a drop into a petri dish under the microscope.

"Interesting," she commented as took notes. She swiveled the chair around and watched the human male, seeing he was still knocked. She turned her focus back on the microscope and jerked back from what she saw. "Huh, am I seeing things?" she said. The octoling saw that the blood was changing colors in the dish from red to brown. "Is it supposed to do that?" she said.

The blood was coagulating, meaning it was thickening but not because it was outside the body but turning into something else. Octarians as well as inklings do not carry blood like humans but instead ink, the thickness of the ink aids there structure and movement that requires help from their highly developed muscular system and three hearts that circulate the ink-based "blood" in their bodies.

Human was much thinner and water based unlike theirs , so why was the soldier's blood thickening all of a sudden? Velma continued to write down notes on what the blood was doing. As minutes passed the human on the bed was going through some sort of change. Patches of his hair were falling out and skin was turning clammy. When Velma got done she was about to head out the door but then looked back at the human soldier. He jerked a bit and shook is head.

Then he started talking in his sleep though Velma couldn't understand what he was saying. Apparently, the soldier was having a nightmare about past events before he was placed n cryostasis. He was abducted my some men just like Seth. He saw as he was being dragged into the underground complex the nuclear detonation near the city and watching the tsunamis as well as the shockwave from the blast consume the city is family lived at, unsure whether they evacuated in time or not. He was placed under sedation just like recently and monitored by scientist after he was injected with the X25. The last memory that played in his mind was the beginning of his cryostasis, watching others like him forced into pods like he was.

He started sweating and convulsing, Velma was getting concerned. No one but her, Mirage and Seth knew about his exsistence. He then stopped moving. Velma checked his heartbeat and didn't feel one. She hurried to locate a defibulator to revive him. Placing the paddles on his chest she tried jolting him twice and had no luck. She tried the third time and still no reaction. "C'mon, stay with me," she said trying a fourth time. Stopping and looking to see if there was any signs of life left in the human.

She saw him move and give a deep breath before slipping back to sleep. Velma gave a deep sigh of relief seeing he was alive and putting the defibulator up. "I thought I had lost him...what was causing him to convulse like that? Sure it wasn't the sedative...was it related to that red fluid I drew from him changing colors. I wish Seth were hear. I have no knowledge of the human biology besides studying their fossilized remains but not a living one. I may and try to run more tests but I'm not sure how much more progress I can make," she said.

The octoling spotted a computer on the other side of the gurney, she had operated computers before back at octo base but then again like the problems with the documents she came across, all lettering was in human. Frustrated that she wasn't sure how to work the computer terminal with everything in human language and unsure what the icons meant on the screen. Agitated she accidently bumped the desk and the drawer opened revealing a small drive inside. A label on it read: Classified X25 Project, though she couldn't read it.

Like computers, the researchers back at octo base used flash drives and in an instant she knew what it was and spotted a port that would accept it. A window popped then a video opened. On was the close up of a lab coat like hers, the user was apparently adjusting the camera mounted on their computer. The backed away, Velma seeing it was a human scientist, a young male unlike Engils from the video she saw back in the cryochamber's computer.

"Who's this...he's not same human in the lab coat from before," said Velma, watching the terrified scientist.

"Hello, my name is associate O'Brien. I working with the X25 project for the facility. I wanted to record this for future generations before the occupants of the cryopods were released. We thought we made a breakthrough with the serum but we were wrong, it appears the subjects have become hostile and have shown physical anomalies as well as increased intelligence. I suggest to all staff to formulate a contingency plan immediately to prevent the X25 subjects from escaping into the rest of the facility and abort the project all together," said the scarred researcher.

"I don't understand what he's saying. I wish Seth were here to translate this,"

The sound of banging and stuff being knocked down could be heard echoing the background as well as yelling. "Inform the security staff he have a breach! We failed to contain the subjects!" shouted a man's voice.

"Oh god, please if any watches this recording know that we may have failed to win the war and reestablish civilization once the seawaters receded. All of our history and knowledge as been placed in the archives and will be shared to any survivors that will form the next generation of mankind. The AI Tartar as it was codenamed by the company that built it and it's designer will collect all data that's been placed for such a scenario. The password to unlock the archives to use for humanity's reestablishment of the earth will be: Promised Land. I've been informed problems that have immerged about this AI that are being worked out, hopefully this isn't the work of some computer virus," said O'Brien.

Then louder banging could be heard followed by gunfire. "They've made it in the labs! Fall back! Fall back!" one guard shouted off camera.

Running footsteps followed by one of the guards grabbing O'Brien by the arm frantically. "We gotta go now! The facility has been placed under red alert!" the shouted trying to pull the young researcher away.

"Let me save my recording!" O'Brien shouted back.

"There's no time! Let's go!"

"This is too important!"

"Screw it! You're on your own!"

The guard left and O'Brien ran back in front of the computer camera. "Please anyone who gets this message you may be our last hope for mankind's reemergence. This is not how the project should've ended and if this is not stopped a new race make take our place," O'Brien said as he turned the camera off, signifying he was done and placed the video on a drive and hid it in the desk drawer before he fled.

Velma wasn't sure what to make of the video, she only concluded that something happened and by the scientist's behavior it was tragic but one word that stuck out of the video that caught her attention was the word: Tartar. An event that happened two years ago involved a rogue human-created AI called commander Tartar that abducted and cloned many octarians and infected them with some kind of green goo causing them to be submissive to his will. After he was destroyed as well as the NILS statue, what octarians were left as well as the ones that respawned from getting splatted by agent 8 returned to normal with short term amnesia, never recalling they were under Tartar's influence.

With Octavio recaptured by the squidbeak, the octarians were leaderless and fanned out to discover the AI Tartar who promised them paradise if they were follow his commands in creating this "promised land" he ensured would emerge on the surface. The octarians were tricked and brainwashed into following Tartar's orders and influence, thus the sanitized were created and it was up to one escaped octoling girl to foil their plans and this octoling became agent 8.

After Tartar was defeated and his plans to sanitize the surface was dwarted. The octarians rescued their comrades from the statue wreckage and recovered what technology they could salvage from it, including the remains of Tartar, nothing more than the damaged phone box and his motherboard, aka the key to the archives that held all collected human history and knowledge and brought back to the octo base for study.

This peaked Velma's attention why the human would bring up Tartar, if this was the same Tartar that was beaten by the octoling agent from years ago. What was the connect besides that the AI was created by humans to pass down their knowledge for future generations if mankind were to have survived this whole time. She wish she knew more.

She pulled the drive out and placed it in her coat pocket for safe keeping. Velma turned her attention back toward the human and got up to go check up on him. "If the octarian scientists knew you existed or for that matter Seth too, they would have a field day. Being able to study a live human. Scarlet would have more than enough resources to create her unsplattable human army," she said looking at the human.

"Scarlet believed there was connection between us and humans. She contradicted what the sunken scrolls said about our origins and the inklings, guess that's why she and her grandfather Octavio didn't see eye to eye. She felt he was guiding the octarians in the wrong direction so she swooped in to take his place after he was captured by the squidbeak agent 4, speaking of which I thought I saw an inkling at octo base that matched her description," Velma continued.

2 Days ago...

Before Velma escaped octo base she was one of the head researches over the labs. She was in charge of studying the fossilized remains of humans they recovered throughout the octarian territory. Once they were dug up they were shipped back to octo base for analysis. Velma and her team studied the bones and were intrigued by the human race and the technology they left behind. Humans were once the dominant species of the planet but they went extinct and the octarians weren't sure why.

One octoling was determined to bring them back but for her own nefarious purposes and that was the new leader of the octarians, General Scarlet. At the research facility of the octo base. An octoseeker transporting the general along with her armed escort and a pair of octostrikers arrived at the facility and landed down. She was greeted by some the research team as she stepped out of the back hatch of the octoseeker.

General Scarlet donned a red captain's hat with a gold octopus on it. A red inky rider jacket with gold studs and a gold octopus badge covered her her torso. Instead of shorts she wore tight black pants and on her feet were black moto boots. The octoling leader definetly stood out among the rest of them that dismounted off the octoseeker. Her eyes were green with red colored irises that made her look intimidating.

She was accompanied by the octoling commando leader and her unit, Major Tako. She was an elite octoling with large black tentacles that laid over behind her. She wore a scanner piece over her right eye with a mic attached to it instead of standard issued goggles. Her eyes were green with blue irises. She wore an opened dark bomber jacket with a red octopus patch on the left shoulder along with her unit. Which the rest of them donned a black beret around their heads with a small gold octopus pinned to them.

The commandos were a highly trained octoling unit comprised of the best elites and the best equipment. They were usually tasked with hunting HVTs (Highly valuable targets) and spying on the inklings. Their commander was a highly disciplined elite, the best of the best and ruthless if not devoted to the octarian rule and Scarlet.

They were approached by a male octoling in a lab coat along with two other scientists by his side. "General! We're pleased to have you here and would I like say that we're..." said the male octoling before he was interrupted.

"You better show respect to the general octopus, do you need a reminder of who your leader is or do I..." threatened the major as she approached the octoling researcher but Scarlet waved her off to leave him be.

"Enough... How has your progress came along," asked Scarlet starkly.

"My apologies general," he told her as he gave a bow. "I was getting to that part. As of now we really haven't been making an headway with the humans but the inkling prisoners have successfully been placed in control using the goggles issued to our troops," he informed them.

"I don't care about those inkstains...as feeble as their minds are, that should take no time to put them under the influence of the hypnowaves used by my grandfather Octavio. I wanna hear that you've managed to reconstruct the human remains. I more concerned about them than anything else if our plans to take the surface are to succeed,"

"We've ran into a problem with the human DNA and our cloning machines. We'll explain once we've made our way to the labs,"

Scarlet and her entourage of officers and their security we're lead to the labs by the male octoling scientist. He informed them that they were still trying to reform the humans using the cloning machines for the non-octoling based octarians like the troopers but with the complexity of human biology the machines were unable to regenerate a complete human.

The entered the labs and Velma and her team approached the group that just entered. She gave a bow to the general to show her respect and guided her to the lab stations. "I'm sure my mentor Silas has already told you about the situation with the humans. We can't restore them with the cloning machines. It's not possible as much as I hate to say it,"

"That's not what I wanted to here. You scientists are smart you'll figure something out. I expected results and If I don't get them, then you can always be replaced. Do I make myself clear,"

"Y...Y...yes general. We'll do what we must with what resources we have but we're talking about bring back an extinct race we have no knowledge about let alone their biology beside their bone structure,"

"Then I would suggest getting creative...I'll be back to check on this project in another week. Remember what I told you,"

Scarlet and her group left out, she was displeased that the octarian scientists couldn't formulate a plan to bring any of the humans back and her patience was wearing thin on them. "Did you hear her? Another week? What does she expect us to do within one week. We can't keep this up Velma. What are our options, not to sound desperate but our tentacles are on the line," said Silas.

"The cloning machines cannot reconstruct humans as many times as we've tried,"

"What else can we do? What can we do to fill in the gap?"

"Fill in the gap...Silas you may be on to something that may have just given me an idea if it'll even work,"

"What are you going to do?"

"The cloning machines are registered to clone octarian DNA, so human DNA is unrecognizable to it so how about we find a way to graft octarian DNA to the human and see if the machine is willing to replicate a human,"

"Velma I don't think that would work. How are you going to be able to do that,"

The octoling researched walked over toward one of the lab stations and pulled out a scalpel out of the drawer and was about to cut her arm but she was stopped. "Velma don't do this," pleaded Silas.

"What other choice do I have. She want's a human and I have to give her one even if it means harming myself,"

"This isn't the way to go about this...you're being irrational to think for a second,"

"I'm not sure how else I'm gonna get this to work,"

"And cutting yourself certainly isn't a solution," said Silas as he grabbed the scalpel from Velma.

The two of them decided to see if Velma's plan would work. The octoling researcher tried wrapping a piece of tentacle around a human bone, that didn't work. So they took another bone and coated it with ink, like the last test that failed too. As the day went they made no progress to regenerate a human using the machine.

"Nothing's working! We tried everything Silas and have gotten no where," fretted Velma.

"I'm afraid nothing will work, these machines weren't designed for humans and I seriously doubt we'll succeed at this rate,"

"I don't know what else to do,"

"Don't panic Velma, surely we'll make a breakthrough before the dateline,"

"No, there's only one option left and that's leaving octo base and I suggest you do the same," she told Silas who was stunned by what she just said.

"Velma are you mad. If you do leave that would be considered dereliction of duty and you know what the penalty of that is. Do you want to get splatted,"

"How I see it I'm going to get splatted either way, staying or leaving. I'll take my chances vacating this base than trying to bring a human back,"

"You're not thinking clearly, that would be suicide. Velma I urge you to reconsider. I don't anything to happen to you,"

"And I didn't ask to lead this project neither. My decision is final. You can come with me or stay, it's your choice but I can't stay here,"

"If only Marina were here. She was the most advance octoling in the ranks. She was an engineer before she went missing. She always fascinated with humans and their culture. If she was here, she would be willing to help us, no doubt,"

"Marina Ida was one of the most intelligent octopi I knew, she exceeded all expectations and made elite not after she joined the octarian army by Octavio himself. She did help design the octobot king and the other octoweapons at our disposal but humans was something that really peaked her interest. To bad we don't know where she's at. She probably left the valley after the agent 3 incident. No one has seen her since,"

"I can't stop you...so, I wish the best of luck,"

"Thank you Silas, I wish you would come with me,"

"I can't...someone's gotta stay here and cover for you,"

"I don't know what else to tell you,"

"You've done as much as you can...just, make you're way out of the base tonight.

As it got later, the two along with rest of their research staff made multiple attempts to try and recreate a human but constantly failed. The research team decided to leave the lab and head for their bunks and try again tomorrow. As the team left, Velma stayed behind and stared at the cloning machines. Silas saw she was beside herself and decide to walk over and talk to her.

"Velma...maybe you should get some sleep,"

"I can't Silas...you know what I have to do,"

"Are you still insisting you should leave. I was hoping you would change your mind,"

"No...I'm going to stay here a little longer and then I'll look for a way off the base,"

"So I guess you're gonna leave us then,"

"I'll come back...I may and try to find Marina or something that could help us,"

"I think your place his here Velma. I hate to see that you think this the only way solve our problem,"

"I haven't given up hope. I do want to meet a human but we can't, not with what we have. As crazy as this might sound. What if for some reason the humans may have not went extinct as we believe. Maybe there's survivors out there some where as intelligent as they were, maybe they figured out a way to escape their demise,"

"Velma you're being a bit naive. I highly doubt any humans have survived for thousands of years. I think you're tired and stressed out. Just get some sleep before you decide to leave,"

"I know you want me to stay Silas...but I can't. If you wanna stay back then I won't force your hand so don't force mine. I'm gonna take a few things with me before I go though. Guess this is goodbye but that doesn't mean I won't come back. I won't forget any of you and that's a promise,"

"Good luck Velma," said Silas before he left the lab to retire.

Velma headed for her lab station to grab her credentials before she left. She thought about leaving her friend and associate Silas behind along with everyone else on her team. She didn't want to leave but felt staying around would accomplish nothing. She had to find a way to bring the humans back or some solution for their dilemma whether it being locating Marina, leaving for the surface and find that 1 and millionth chance that a human or at least a preserved one had survived this whole time and she wouldn't realize it that her chance would happen 2 days later at a facility that her people once tried to excavate but failed.

Meanwhile...

Seth and his new companion Sam were now in the next dome. Seth was hunched over, his hands on his knees, breathing heavily from the being shot out of the kettle. "T...That (panting)...was the worst (panting) roller coaster ride ever," he said in complete exhaustion. He fell back on the ground no longer having the strength to stand.

Much of the ink came off while he was getting shot through a tube from one kettle to the next. Sam couldn't help but laugh though Seth didn't find it funny at all, if not felt he was going to die. "OK, ok I bet is was pretty scary for a human like you. I admit it took all the effort I had to keep a hold of you. I thought I was going to lose you for a moment but it seemed the ink worked," she told Seth as she stood over him.

"I never wanna do that again," he got out, still breathing heavily.

"You made it didn't you and I hate to break it to you but that's the only way to get from one dome to the other," she told him.

"Oh great...I'm gonna need a doggie bag when this is all over, I'm feeling sick as it is right now,"

"Quit whining and let's get to the next the kettle. It's just west of the town,"

"Another kettle, awesome," he said with deep sarcasm.

Seth was helped up by Sam, her strength surprised him, showing little effort if any when she pulled him up with his gear on and weighing nearly 200 lbs just by himself. He remembered how stout the octolings were, inklings must have been the same way. The two headed into town on their way to the opposite side from where Mirage and her squad left. As they entered the main thoroughfare, Seth spotted a large hole in the ground. It was where the octomaw busted through the street but he didn't see the bottom and he wasn't sure where it went but something was clearly getting his interest about it.

"What is it dude?" Sam asked, seeing him stand over the hole and looking in.

"I don't know...call it intuition but...I'm having the same feeling as I did back at the campsite, before you splatted that octoling girl and almost splatted me in the woods," he told her as continued to stare in the hole.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about Seth," she said scratching her head.

"(deep sigh) It's problem nothing...let's just SHIT!" he said but the ground caved in around the hole and fell in.

"Seth!" shouted Sam before squid forming and hoping in after him followed by a loud thud.

The human was laying on the ground, his eyes closed. The tunnel created by the octomaw was extremely dark, except for a light source emitting above a door that read sewers in human language. He groaned a little and sat up. "That was a hard landing...didn't think the ground was that unstable, wonder where I'm at?" he asked. He turned his head and his face met Sam's. Startled and jerking back, not expecting the inkling beside him like that.

"Oh good you're not dead," she said awkwardly with a grin.

I'm...glad I'm not either," he said awkwardly himself. He looked toward the source of light and saw a door reading sewers in his language. "Sewers?"

He got up and approached the steel door. "Wonder where this goes?" asked Sam.

"It reads sewers but...it's in english," he told her.

"English?"

"Human language, This maybe our only way back to surface...sewers are often accessible by a manhole and a manhole leads back to the street,"

Seth opened it and the two continued on through the sewer access tunnel. On the other side was a small room. A desk sat in the center and shelves sat against the walls. "This place reeks," commented Sam.

"Means we must be close to the tunnels, C'mon let's keep going," he told her. Another door was on the other side of the room but Seth tried to open it, the knob was stuck. It had to have ben locked from the other side. "Shit, it's locked," he said.

"Hey boost me up," said Sam before squid forming. Seth wasn't sure what she had in mind but he picked her and she jumped through a vent grate and dropped on the other side of the door. She unlocked it and opened the door for him. "Good idea...guess changing forms comes in handy," he said to her.

"Oh it does, it's a shame humans can't do the same thing,"

"That might not be a bad thing...the smell is getting stronger. The sewers must be this way,"

As the traversed down another access tunnel. Seth spotted something in a side room. He saw a human skeleton laying on the floor with only tattered camouflage pants, a soldier presumably. He spotted a sidearm in their hands and a bullet hole in the skull. It was self inflicted.

"What's going on?" Sam asked him.

"Look's like this guy committed suicide but why?" he replied.

"Suicide? What's that?"

"Ending your own life...it's sad to think someone would have a reason to kill themselves, maybe they thought they were the only human around. He must've escaped the complex some time ago and he hid out down here," said Seth examining the skeleton.

"Killing yourself? I've never heard of such a thing... Why would someone do that?"

"People have reasons unfortunately...we'll never know though, let's just keep going. There's nothing we can do here," he said, standing up and heading back to the corridor.

"Seth...do humans respawn...I mean if get hurt then you'll just come back to that place you came from won't you," she asked him.

"As I told Mirage and them. Humans don't respawn like you guys do. I wish I could,"

"Huh, you mean to tell me that...oh my cod. I couldn't imagine anyone especially my sister if they got in a turf war match knowing that if that got splatted they couldn't respawn,"

"Being a human. We have to face death some day. That's part of life,"

"So if something happens to you then that's it,"

"If I get killed... it's game over,"

Sam's spritely demeanor made a 180. Now longer energetic but disconsolate, fearful of anything happening to her new human friend. Seth continued down the corridor with Sam in tow. She decide to jump ahead of him and lead instead. The doorway brought them to the sewers. "I'll scout ahead," said Sam.

"I think it would be best of we stick together. There's only two of us,"

"But you're a human. I hate for you to..."

"Sam I'll be fine just look at me,"

She nodded at him as he held the SIG Virtus up, using the weaponlight attached to it to illuminate their path. "That human weapon is so cool. Be nice of Sheldon could make a turf weapon like that," she said staring at the rifle.

"I heard you mention something about turf wars. What exactly is that anyway?" he asked they slowly and cautiously walked down the canal's walkway.

"There's two teams. 4 players on each. We ink the turf with our weapons until the team with most turf covered with their ink wins. We can also splat our opponents too. You'd have to watch to understand. I could go in all the details that's involved in it. It would be nice if you could play but being you're a human and unsplattable the rules wouldn't allow it. Plus I'm sure everyone would panic seeing a human but you would scare the ink out of the opposing team," she said.

"Sounds kind of like paintball back in my time. I've never played it but in the military we had would you would call war games and it's setup like your turf war games...kind of. Instead of ink we used blanks or sometimes sim rounds. We used it for training purposes not for entertainment,"

"That sound's cool. You never told me about your past life...you know before you woke up,"

"My memories haven't came back to me yet. The only thing I could remember was just before I was placed in that pod. I remembered this older man in a military uniform, scientists and...my family. Sarah and my son Virgil,"

"Family? So whose this Sarah?"

"My wife...or should I say mate for your understanding,"

"Mate huh? I was never really into relationships. I've had dudes ask me out but I'd blow them off. Always stuck to my own and watched out for sis after we left the county,"

"You've never thought about hooking up with a guy?"

"I never gave it any thought...never found the right type I guess,"

"The right one will come along,"

"You think so,"

"I know so...Sarah did for me and we got married and then I joined the military. That might have been a mistake but at least I got to go home,"

"Home...makes me think of the folks and Izzy. I get homesick sometimes,"

"I guess you can say I'm homesick. At least you do have a home to go back to. Mine's gone and I won't get it back,"

The two of them came upon a catwalk going across one of the sewer canals. Sam went first as the rusty walkway creaked but managed to hold her. Then Seth cautiously walked across after her. The walkway started to shake and creak and before he could reach the other side the bridge gave way and fell into the canal.

Sam rushed down a set of steps going down toward the canal to see if he was alright. Inklings couldn't swim and she panicked seeing him hit the water, not realizing that humans didn't burst if they came contact with deep water. She spotted Seth coming up and spitting the nasty water. Coughing and throwing his weapon on the bank of the canal before the inkling helped him get out.

"I guess I should've expected that before taking a dip, thanks for the help," he told her as his uniform was drenched.

"Guess humans could swim, us inklings can't," she told him.

"Yeah, Mirage and them told me they couldn't. It's strange you guys are based from cephalopods and can't swim. After all squids and octopi live in the ocean. Anyway let's just keep going. The sooner we get out of this damn sewer the better,"

The stairwell ahead was good indicator that they were heading closer to the surface but their path intersected and they weren't sure which direction go now. "Where to now?" asked Sam.

"I say let's go left," he replied.

"Well what about right?" she asked.

"Tell you what, let's just split up and see where which way goes. One of them has got to go up," said Seth.

"OK, I guess just be careful," she told him as she walked down the tunnel.

Seth walked on top of a large pipe that lead onto a ledge. Around the corner was an opening, it was a small area that overlooked the sewer canal below. Old crates and junk were scattered about and then he spotted a skeleton sitting against the wall with a duffle bag beside it as well as a sleeping bag in the corner. He spotted a journal resting on the sleeping bag covered in mildew and opened it. Inside was a written recording of a survivor aiding a women underneath the town. It read:

I've been down here for days and I'm running out of food. I had no choice but to hide out down here to escape those octopus creatures, I thought they were human but I was wrong. I was trying to ask for help but they talked in some kind of language that sounds like nothing but screeching and gargling. They aimed these funny looking guns at me and soon I was surrounded. They through a net to subdue me but when I managed to break free they shot those guns. I was struck in the leg by this purple goo that had caused my leg to go limp. I managed to get away from them and came down here. Maybe they won't find me. What were those things and where did they come from?"

The rest of the message was coated with grime so Seth turned the page and saw another message.

I think it's been over a week and I often go up to hunt for food in that town when those creatures aren't around. My resources are dwindling and I'm starting to dehydrate. The water down here is unsanitary and I'm losing hope if anyone else made it out of the underground complex.

One night though, I may have been seeing things but I saw a figure skulking around town. I saw them rush across the main street and into an alleyway. Then followed by a commotion. The sound was familiar, it was those creatures. They seemed to be on alert as they rushed down the street to where the figure ran. I stayed out of sight and watched them change into these little octopuses? Am I really going mad or did I just see what I thought I saw.

After a moment I heard nothing until the sounds of trash cans being knocked down coming from the alley. Streams of ink shot out and a figure with part of their body coated with that purple ink ran out with all the strength they had to get away from those octopus girls. Once he was close enough, I could tell...he was another human. Wearing camo pants and a tank top. He rushed out of sight with a pistol in his hand and shot back at the creatures. I saw a few of them shapeshift into those little red octopuses evading the gunfire and shooting back at the human. Them and the human vanished out of sight. I never knew what happened to that young man.

The message ended and Seth flipped through more pages. Many of them unreadable due to moisture damaged paper and mold but he came across one page and the last of the writing of the unknown survivor.

I'm not sure how much more I'll be around. I'm down to a few cans and what water I could collect from the old pipes. It's just a matter of time and I'll soon be dead. After a few minutes, I had nearly dozed off but then all of a sudden I heard a voice echo down the tunnels. "Help! Help! Is anyone down here!" shouted a woman's voice.

Was I hearing things due to my isolation or was someone else down here. They shouted again even louder. It was apparent they were getting closer. I soon heard footsteps running down the sewer walkway and I looked and saw a woman holding something in her hand. When she got closer I saw that it was an infant.

"Virgil don't worry, mommy's here," she told the baby. She quickly looked from the direction she came and I also heard those creatures from up top come down here. They must have chased her down here and followed. This isn't good. Should I help and risk getting caught myself or do nothing? I couldn't choose the latter and allow those things to take or hurt the helpless woman. I crawled up to the ledge overlooking the sewer and shouted at her to come toward me. Shocked at first, she was very frightened and untrusting but seeing me as a human her eyes widened with both surprise and great relief. She rushed over crossing the shallow canal and looked up at me.

"Sir please help me or at least take my child," she told me frantically.

I saw a crate and some tires down below. I directed her to climb so I could hoist her up to where I was at before those octopus creatures saw us. I finally pulled her up with what vigor I had left and we managed to stay out of sight seeing the little octopi slither down the path. They changed forms and scanned around with their weapons. They grumbled amongst each other and continued on, eager to try and hunt for the woman and child I rescued. As they walked on another creature flew over the canal and was in view of where I was at. It looked like a tentacle with big bulgy eyes and legs hooked to a metal propeller on it's head. We hid as it looked and then took off in the same direction as the octopus girls.

I gave a deep breath of relief and saw the woman holding her infant against the wall. "Ma'am you OK?" I asked.

"Y...Yes and thank you so much. If you hadn't gotten me then I don't know what those things would've done to us," she told him, very grateful for his help as she clutched her infant.

As the man looked at her, he saw her head was covered up, hiding her face but why? He didn't worry about, just thinking of how fortunate they were to evade the creatures. "Are you...hungry?" I asked her.

She hesitated at first and meekly said she was famished but more importantly wanted to feed her child. I did what I could to ground up anything that was safe for the child to eat. I was willing to share what little I had to help anyone in need, especially a baby and their mother. As she fed him I sat across from her watching the two, remembering my own wife and children who were gone.

"What's your name if you don't mind?" I asked her.

"Sarah,"

"Sarah...is it just you and your infant? Have you seen any other humans?"

"No...I haven't...ever since I left that place... my husband was left behind and we've been all alone," she said trying not to cry.

"Ma'am things will be fine... I'm sure there's more people out there somewhere,"

"I don't know... I don't care anymore,"

"Don't say that. We can't give up hope...not now,"

"I just want things to go back to the way they were. I want my husband, I want my home, I want my life back,"

She finished feeding her child and laid the can down before she held the baby against her shoulder and rocked him. "Please...I don't want to ask this question but,"

"But, what? What do you wanna ask me?"

"Could you...care for my child, my little Virgil...I don't wanna let him go...but I want someone to care for him,"

"Ma'am why are you asking me of this. Your his mother and it's something that would be hard for me to answer,"

"Please sir...I'm not sure if I'll be able to take care of him much longer,"

"Why is that?"

"Something's happening to me...something strange since I've left that place,"

"Did you come from the underground base where all those people were put in sleep?"

She nodded and I downed my head with conflict. I wasn't sure what was going on with this woman but it must've been something unsettling enough that she would hand the care of her child to me. I remembered it being a place where they experimented on humans as well, I could vaguely remember anything from when I woke out of those damn pods.

I looked back over to her which she now laid the child down in her lap as the baby tried to reach their hand out to the woman's face. I couldn't separate the infant from their mother. I didn't have the heart to and besides I wouldn't be able to care for an infant myself. "Ma'am I can't take your child. I think he should stay with you," I told her.

"Mister...I can't care for him much longer, I know he's all I got but I can't see him suffering. He needs someone stronger than me who can tend to him. This is the hardest decision I've ever made to know how heartbroken this will leave me (coughing)...Please take him, take my infant," she pleaded.

"Please ma'am don't make me do this,"

She went into a coughing fit so much that she nearly knocked her child over. I came over and grabbed her as she gasped for breath. "Sarah...Sarah are you ok?" I asked her and got no response. I decided to uncover her head and what I saw horrified me. I jumped back and gazed at her. The mother's head had two growths protruding from her forehead and her eyes were larger than normal. She looked up at me, staring at me with her big green eyes. Was she...even human anymore.

I panicked and backed away. "W...what's going on?" I frantically asked. She discovered I uncovered her head and saw the growths. A look of deep remorse and fear appeared on her face before she grabbed up the child. "Please... I mean you no harm," she told me.

I pulled out my knife and pointed it at her. "Stay back," I demanded. She hugged her infant and winched her eyes. Then I heard those octopus girls coming back. The mother or whatever she was now looked toward the direction of the creatures and then back at me. She then looked at her infant and covered her head back up. She slipped off and out of sight before those creatures returned seeing I was no longer willing to aid her seeing what she had kept a secret from me. That was the last time I ever saw them. Looking back... I wish I could've done more but now I'm out of food, out of water and now...out of hope. I will die here in this place alone. I wish now that I would've helped that mother and her child. I don't know whatever become of them and I hope they never got caught by those things. I feel this my last hour and I will be reunited with my family and out of this damn place for good.

The message ended, revealing the skeleton was the survivor and that his wife and child were here and hopefully still alive. He decided to take the journal and put it up in his pocket. Looking at the skeleton he thanked the survivor for saving his wife and son. "Seth! I found the way up!" shouted Sam from across the canal.

Seth got back across the canal to meet back up with Sam. "Seth, I think this way goes back up," she told him pointing at a hatch above the floor. "Find anything?" she asked him.

"No, nothing," he replied before climbing up the ladder. He stopped and slid the hatch over, seeing that no one was around as the two came up. "So where's that tea kettle at, I hate to ask," Seth asked.

"It's this way I think," said Sam as he headed toward the west end of the town. The two of them spotted the kettle on a separate floating platform. The space between them and where the kettle was sitting was too far of a jump for Seth though Sam could squid jump over there on a launch pad she spotted near them.

"Being you can't squid form you'd better hold on and don't let go," she told before walking up to pad and looking back at him.

"Hold on, I don't like to hear where this going. How the hell am I supposed to get over there?" he asked.

"Oh, you're about to catch a ride," she told him with a mischievous smirk. She held out her hand signaling him to grab it. As soon as he did she changed forms and launched herself along with Seth clinging to her tentacle as they shot across the gap and on the platform with the kettle on it.

Before they landed Seth slipped and nearly didn't make it as he tumbled on the ground and hit his head on a crate. He got up and recovered, giving Sam an irritated look. "I better learn to stop asking such stupid questions because I'm always gonna get a answer," he said as brushed himself off and picked his rifle up.

"Hey, I'm sorry you're a human but if you expect to travel through these domes then you better get used to it," she said. When she turned around she spotted the journal that Seth took from the survivor laying on the ground. She picked it and opened it. "What's this?" she asked but then Seth took it from her. "Give me that," he said swiping the little book.

"Is that yours's?"

"Yeah it's mine...well I found it,"

"What is it?"

"A journal, that's it,"

"What's it say?"

"It's nothing to be concerned. Something that I stumbled across back in the sewers is all,"

"If you say so...you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be...and as in not at all. I'm not looking forward to this,"

"You'll get the hang of it. It could be worse,"

"How's that?"

"Don't know. Just trying to make you better...I was supposed to keep that to myself wasn't I,"

Seth gave a deep sigh and opened the grate on top of the kettle before he jumped in. Sam hopped in squid form and grabbed a hold of Seth who was not at all ready for another ride through the pipe as he closed his eyes and tensed up, ready for the kettle to fill with ink and get propelled through a tube like the last kettle.

The two of them reached the other kettle and as soon as they did. The grate swung open and Seth hurried to stumble out and threw up from the nauseating ride. "I don't know how much more I'm going to be able to take this," he said to himself. Sam hopped out and changed forms. Seth finally stood up still weak in the knees. "Maybe this was a bad idea," he told Sam.

"You've already come this far, don't you wanna find your...mate or whatever she was,"

"I never thought venturing out would be this troublesome. I'm starting to wish I never woke up out of that pod," he told the inkling.

Sam ignored him and looked ahead, seeing what appeared to be some kind of giant canyon with a hole in the middle of it. "So where are we at now?" asked Seth, slightly agitated.

"I don't know I've never been here. There's a sign right there," she told him.

The two of them approached a fence with gate. A large sign in octarian read: Octorock Quarry, caution: please wear protective equipment at all times. A small sign showed an octotrooper ico wearing a hard hat. Something that was reminiscent of a construction site but this was a pit mine for the octarians where they collected sardinium for their weapons and armor. It was also a site for excavating human fossils and ancient technology.

"Octorock quarry? As in a mine?" asked Seth.

"I guess so,"

"What are they mining for?"

"Why are you asking me? I'm not an octarian," she said before approaching the gate. It appeared to be locked but that was no problem for the inkling because as soon as she turned into a squid she just passed through it as if her body was pure liquid. "What the..." Seth uttered seeing what the squid had done. She changed back and looked at Seth.

"Um, human as in I can't do that," he told her. He looked up and saw the fence was too high for him to try and climb so he told Sam he would hunt for a hole or break in the fence somewhere. He left and after a minute of walking down the fence he finally came across a portion of the fence that fell over.

He snuck through a rock yard to go and rendezvous with the inkling girl. So far he didn't see any hostiles and pressed through the yard until he found himself on the other side of the gate where Sam was waiting but she was gone.

He looked around and called out her name. "Sam...Sam, where'd that squid girl go off to now?" he said with irritation. He saw the path lead closer toward the large mine and followed. He held the rifle up and cautiously walked down to see if he could spot Sam.

"Sam!" he called out again but got no answer but then he heard something approaching. "Sam?" he said before he was quickly grabbed and pulled into a nearby little office trailer. He was held against the wall and his mouth covered by a hand. He saw that it was Sam, she placed her finger over her mouth to gesture him to keep quiet. The humming got louder and outside was a octotrooper that was patrolling the area. It heard Seth but looked around and didn't see anyone. It gargled and scurried off back toward the mine, seeing no one else was around.

As it left, Sam let go of Seth. "That was close," she said.

"Where were you?"

"I had to hide,"

Seth peeked out of the door of the little office and saw the trooper was gone. "It's clear, I say we make our way to that quarry before it comes back," he told her.

"Seth?"

"Yeah, what is it now?"

"Listen, I know I've been a pain in the butt and all but... I wanted to tell you I'm glad you decided to come along with me and help me find Izzy,"

"You're welcome Sam and no you haven't been a pain. It's just...I'm not accustomed to this world. I lost my family and now I have to worry about getting captured by those octarians because they're trying to bring back my race and weaponize them against your people. I wanna find Sarah and my son but I know the octarians have to be stopped too. I hope we find your sister and I hope I'll come across my wife and little boy too,"

Sam gave a smile and held out her hand for him to shake it. The two of them shook and cautiously came out of the little office trailer and saw that the way was clear. "So what's our next move other than getting trying to avoid those goofy looking tentacles?" Seth asked her.

"I'm sure their's another kettle here and I bet it's at the bottom of that mine," she told him. She rushed away and Seth followed her to a large generator near the ledge of the mind. The two looked down and saw how deep the chasm was. They saw multiple octarians patrolling and guarding the paths below and up above was clusters of debris and rocks littering the sky over the quarry and then Sam saw what appeared to be a flying saucer with a fat octarian sitting on top of it.

"Oh carp, hide before it see's us," she said pulling Seth behind the generator. It was an octostriker. A bloated octarian with googles covering it's eyes and a propeller on top of it's head. It was sitting in a pool of purple ink, relaxing and watching over the quarry.

"Ah, this is the life. I don't have to do nothing but sit here and keep an eye on things," it said as it laid back in the pool of ink.

BEEP BEEP, it's radio on the headset went off. "Yes, what is it," said the octostriker talking to the transmitter.

"How is everything at the quarry,"

"Nothing to report. The sardinium is being minded and gathered for transport,"

"Good, we require as much sardinium as we can collect from the mines for the octoweapons factory. Make sure nothing interferes with our progress. We've gotten reports about a rogue inkling in our territory and octoling defectors. Ensure they're splatted if you come across them,"

"No problem, nothing gets past me,"

"Good, ensure the mines stay operational and report back if you have any issues, over and out,"

"Whatever...all I gotta do is sit here and over see the quarry. I doubt any inkstain or traitor would even come here anyway. Now to get back to some R&R,"

Sam and Seth that the octarian was to busy laying off and not paying attention to what was going on below it. They saw a path descending further down the mine. They could see octotroopers towing what looked like mine carts full of ore behind them and gathering it up into piles for transportation.

"Not sure if we get past those tentacles. I don't wanna alarm the whole damn quarry and deal with them and sleeping beauty above us," said Seth.

"I don't know how else you expect us to get down there,"

"I got it, you can squid form and be stealthy. You can get close enough to those tentacles without getting spotted but I'll stay here, up high and provide overwatch with my rifle,"

"Overwatch?"

"It means as you head down take down the tentacles but I'll provide fire for you if they try and overwhelm you,"

"That sound's like a charger user's strategy. I like it, OK I'll head down and sneak up on those dumb troopers while you shoot them from a distance,"

"Yep...just to let you know don't venture down too far. My optic is 3 power so the further you get away the harder it'll be for me to hit my targets,"

"Got it," she said before squid forming and swimming down the path toward a group of troopers. Sam quickly got behind a pile of rubble and waited to jump out and surprise them while Seth laid down on the ledge and lined a shot up on the tentacles. Sam waited for the troopers to turn away and once they did she lept out of her cover and splatted one of them with her ink bow.

The other flailed and aimed it's blaster nozzle at her but she didn't a chance to reload her bow. Seth saw she was in trouble but was hesitant to pull the trigger. "C'mon Matthison pull the damn trigger!" he scolded himself.

When he shot he pulled off a little and instead struck the trooper's vehicle. It disabled the trooper's platform as it jerked the lever to move but had no luck. Sam took advantage of this and knocked the trooper off the vehicle. Both of them down as she looked toward Seth on the far ledge and gave him a displeased look as she shook her head for an explanation on how he missed.

She kept going and made her way toward a ramp leading down and spotted a octotrooper coming up. She squid formed and slid down until she confronted the trooper splatting it before she continued. Down below were three more troopers, one of them with a shield on it's platform and a twintacle standing beside a shack.

Seth saw she was moving further down the path and decided to get up and take up another vantage point. He made his way where he missed the first trooper and kneeled down to aim his weapon at the group of troopers around the shack.

Sam squid formed again but as she made it down the ramp the troopers were alerted and saw her as they began shooting ink on the ground to slow the inkling girl down. She changed forms and splatted one trooper with her ink bolt. The two other troopers continued to shoot ink at her but evaded their fire. She tried to shoot the other trooper but missed, not having the chance to reload another bolt she squid formed and swam behind cover.

Seth saw Sam was in trouble and aimed at the octotrooper but missed. "Dammit, c'mon Matthison," he jeered. He shot again and finally struck the trooper but only stunned it. Sam aimed her ink bw at it and finished it off but the shielded trooper was still posing a threat. Sam loaded another bolt but the hit didn't effect the trooper due to it's protective shield.

Seth decided to move down and slid on the ink, stumbling to get to Sam's location but then the trooper spotted him and started to shoot at the human. Seth took cover and attempted to shoot the trooper but not even the bullets were penetrating it's shield.

"Sam, flank it while I make my self a distraction," he told the inkling. She nodded and went around the shack so she could behind it. Seth popped back and shot another burst at the trooper but wasn't quick enough to get back down and was struck in the shoulder.

He was knocked back and dropped his rifle, clutching his shoulder. The shielded trooper moved up to finish Seth off but as it did Sam jumped behind it and clubbed it with her ink bow, incapacitating it. "Seth!" she shouted seeing he was down. She dropped the bow and rushed to his aid but the twintacle hopped out of it's hiding place with a splat bomb in one it's tentacles.

"Sam, behind you!" he warned her.

Not having the ink bow in her hand, she was unarmed. Before the twintacle lobbed the bomb Seth unholstered his Glock 19 and shot the twintacle causing it to fumble the splat bomb. It exploded and threw the twintacle against the cliff wall, splatting on impact.

"Holy shrimp," Sam commented.

Seth put the pistol away and was helped up by the inkling. "You ok Seth?" she asked him, seeing him clutching his shoulder.

"My arm's a little limp but other then that I'm fine," said Seth as he moved his arm around.

"That was quick thinking back there, I could've been splatted if it weren't for you. I owe you one," she told him.

"You don't owe me anything. That's what partners are for,"

"Partners,"

"Is everything ok,"

"Yeah, sure...let's keep going noob,"

"Noob? Is that supposed to offend me or something,"

"You missed that first octotrooper,"

"I hit it's machine didn't I. What do you expect, I haven't shot a weapon in like over 2,000 years. I'm rusty, give me a break,"

"I just squiddin' yeah dude. You made up for it shooting that twintacle with the splat bomb,"

Sam skipped toward the catwalk that headed toward the other side of the chasm, mounted along the cliff face. Seth shook his head at her antics and the two pressed on to make it down to the bottom. The braced walkway was making Seth uneasy seeing how far down the chasm was. "Stop! We got more of those dumb tentacles up ahead," said Sam quietly.

There were three octotroopers and a twintacle mingling in the cavern opening ahead. The two of them got behind some crates and watched them. "So what now?" Seth asked.

"I say we just rush em' this time,"

"That seems a little wreck less, I say we stick with the strategy we already have. It's been effective so far,"

"If you don't miss that is,"

"Give me a break, I saved your squid butt back there didn't I,"

"Fine...I'll move up and see if I can get closer,"

Sam changed forms and swam off as Seth stood by and waited for the inkling to make her move. The inkling got behind a pile a rubble and waited for the right moment. Sam stood up and aimed her ink bow at one. Striking it but the other trooper saw her and fired back with it's blaster attached to the vehicle. She ducked down to evade the ink and Seth aimed his rifle toward the troopers. He shot multiple burst, keeping them back from converging on Sam from the catwalk.

Up above the commotion had gotten the attention of an octarian perched in a tower looing over the mining pit. This octarian was taller than the troopers and had a nozzle covering it's mouth. It guided a laser from it's eye on Seth who wasn't paying attention until he finally spotted the laser. "Huh, what the..."

Then a stream of ink barely hit him as he ducked behind the crate. "Shit! Where did that shot come from!?" he shouted.

He looked up and saw the shooter, it was an octosniper. It shot again, striking th crate Seth was behind and now the troopers were moving towards Sam as Seth was pinned down. She raised up and shot another trooper with her ink bow splatting it as the octarian got closer.

"Gotcha you dumb tentacle!" she gloated.

Seth quickly aimed the gun on the sniper but missed. The octarian returned fire and struck the crate again, damaging it. Seth knew he had to find new cover soon and ran from behind down the catwalk toward Sam's position. The sniper shot again and Seth got behind a pile of cinder blocks and attempted to shoot the octosniper again and missed.

Sam hopped out cover as the trooper starting shooting at her. Using the ink left from the slain troopers, she dove in it to ambush the octarian. Once it lost her it looked around and the inkling peeked out of the ink and then jumped up and aimed her bow at it. The trooper turned around with a look of pure fear before it was splatted off the scooter.

The twintacle watched it's troopers get defeated and scrambled to get on it's platform and flee. As it rushed toward the stairwell going down the cavern the vehicle fell over, nearly crushing the twintacle before it got up and ran down to the bottom of the mine to alert the other octarians.

The octosniper was still keeping Seth pinned down. He closed his eyes and concentrated on where the sniper was. He raised right before a stream of ink fly over his head and aimed at the octarian before it shot again. He took a deep breath and careful aimed down the optic as he pulled the trigger and struck the sniper bwtween the eyes as they rolled back and it fell off it's perch, splatting into a puddle below.

The octosniper was finally dealt with, allowing him to run over to Sam. "What took you?" Sam asked.

"I had a sniper to deal, sorry I couldn't help you," said Seth.

"It's fine but that twintacle got away. I expect it's gonna alert the whole inking quarry,"

"Maybe if we catch up with it, we can stop that tentacle,"

Just as the two were about to try and catch up with the twintacle, a shadow all of a sudden covered them. They turned and looked, seeing the bulbous octarian hover of the ledge and facing them. It had woken up, hearing the battle between the octotroopers moments ago and watched the two defeat the octarians below. It decided to take and confront the two enemies that killed it's underlings.

Now, Seth and Sam were facing a very displeased octostriker, who was not only awakened from it's nap but was angered and distraught by the killing of the troopers. "You got a lot of nerve coming here inkstain," he told Sam. "Ruining my nap and splatting my troopers. It doesn't matter, soon I'll splatter you're little squid butt into an ink puddle," It continued before turning toward Seth.

"What in the shell are you supposed to be? You don't look like an inkstain or any octoling I've ever seen. Whatever, I'll splat you too," it sneered.

"I like to see you try you fat bloated ink sac," taunted Seth.

"I'll make you wish you never said that!" The octostriker shouted angrily.

The octostriker raised up and flailed before shooting a missile at the two. "Seth, get out of the way!" shouted Sam who tackled him aside. They inkstrike struck and caused the two to fly back. "Shit," Seth jeered from the shock of the ink strike. Sam was laying on her stomach unresponsive. "Sam," he called.

He bared his teeth at the octostriker. "Hmm...still there I see, not for long," the octarian sneered. It launched an ink strike and Seth rushed out of the impact area and tumbled away from the blast. "You won't evade the next one!" The striker shouted.

Seth aimed his rifle at the octostriker and shot, hitting it. The octarian started to fall but it retained altitude and flew back out of range from the rifle. "What was that?...that wasn't ink," it jeered before staring at Seth.

"I don't know what you are, but I'm gonna make sure you go down along with that pathetic squid. Eat my ink missiles!" The octostriker roared. It launched multiple missiles at Seth simultaneously as they came down of Seth's position. He ran from the strike zone and then ran again trying to dodge and then another and eventually he was only within inches from the last one which threw him and covered him completely with ink. launching him near the edge of the ravine. His eyesight was blurry, he couldn't move or hardly hear except the ringing from the ink explosion.

A dark shape loomed over him and dropped down beside his body, covering him with it's shadow. It was the octostriker. The gunshot wounds on it's stomach had healed up and the octarian stared at Seth's ink covered body.

"I would say you're finished, any last words?" said the fat octarian.

Seth just gritted his teeth and flipped off the hulking fat octarian. "I'm not sure what that means but I'm assuming that's it's some kind of insult. No matter, you won't be around more much once I throw you off this cliff," it sneered.

Sam had finally awaken and sat up, holding her head. She spotted the octostriker standing over Seth's body and picking him up. "Oh no, Seth!" she screamed.

The octostriker had Seth held up and was about to chunk him into the chasm. Seth was unable to break free. He was too weak and couldn't move because of the ink that had covered his body. He attempted to pull out his knife and feared the octostriker would chunk him off the cliff before he could do anything.

Suddenly the octarian jerked and yelped. He was struck from behind by Sam's ink bow which she grabbed and aimed it at the octostriker. Still having a hold of Seth, though. This gave time for him to reach his knife and with any strength he had, stuck the octarian in one it's tentacle's forcing it to let go of him.

The octostriker dropped Seth, but he managed to grab the ledge before he fell and clung on for dear life. The octarian jeered and turned around, staring at the inkling as she aimed the ink bow at the fat octostriker. "What!...you should've been..." it tried to get out as it stared at Sam.

"Dead...well I'm not but you're about to be," she told it. She shot the octarian in it's eyes, now blinded by Sam's ink as it stumbled back and fell off the ravine to splatter on the bottom. Sam saw the octarian's demise and then turned to help Seth up before he lost his grip and his hand was caught by the inkling. She boosted him up as he fell over on her.

"You alright?" she asked him.

"That was a close call, I thought that was it for me. Thanks for saving my ass," Seth said. He got up and dusted himself off. The two helped each other and smiled.

"We make a pretty good team," she said.

"Hey, you're the one with the most kills,"

"With your help,"

"No, you're just being modest. You can take al the credit, I could care less. I'm more focused on finding my wife and child and helping you locate your sister,"

Sam rubbed her arm and turned her face away to hide her blush. "Is there...any way you could...come back with me to the splatlands," she asked him meekly.

"Why?" Seth responded.

"You could stay with me...I know you don't have a real home, not anymore. You wouldn't wanna hang out with those octopi. Splatsville is outta sight and I think you'd fit in,"

"Fit in? Sam I'm a human and you're talking about me mingling with your race. I'd stick out like a sore thumb and cause a panic I'm sure,"

"We'd get used to you. The inklings would get over it...and you can watch the turf war matches and see me play,"

"I'm sorry Sam but I'll have to decline the offer,"

"At least think about it,"

"I'll...give it some thought but no promises alright,"

"Good enough and also something else I want you to think about..." she said with a red face as she twiddled her fingers behind her back.

"What's that?"

Sam moved in and grabbed Seth's hand, directed it under her half torn shirt. As soon as he forced his hand to squeeze her chest, he quickly jerked and pulled his hand away. "W...what was that!?" he said after he flinched and backed away from the inkling. A blush and expression of pure shock appearing on his face.

"I thought you might like that," she told him with a smile.

"N..no! What's your deal? You tell me your looking for your sister. We get into the subject of relationships in which you tell me you don't do. Save me, ask me to come with you back home...and now...this!"

"Maybe I like you ok! There I said it!" she exclaimed with her arms crossed.

"Another cephalopod chick that has a thing for me...are all you clingy like this...animal magnetism or something. I'm sorry but that's where I draw the line! What part of me being a human don't you guys understand. First that lieutenant, then Vee and now you... do I have to tape I sign on my back or something to let you guys take a hint. I'm not interested in some cephalopod romance,"

"Wait a minute, is this real reason why you wanted me to go with you? To get me away from the octolings and make your move on me," he said raising an eyebrow with a look of suspicion.

"Of course not! I wanted your help to find Izzy!" Seth could clearly tell that wasn't the only reason.

"Admit it...this about the octolings and getting me away from them. You had no problem before coming down here to find your sister by yourself,"

"I thought I might've needed your help. We both have loved ones we're trying to find. We have so much in common, we're away from our homes and to tell you the truth...you're not the only human I've come across...I'm sorry for lying before," she said turning her head away.

"You...lied? Why? Why are you now telling me?" he desperately asked, hearing what she kept hidden from him.

Sam couldn't look at Seth in the face. He came up behind her turned around as he grabbed her shoulders. "Sam tell me! Tell me who else you ran into, please," he begged her.

"If I tell you will you some back with me?"

"I can't do that Sam, you've broken my trust by not telling me the truth and now I find out about this, why hide it?" he asked, not happy with the inkling.

"They're my friend...only a few people know about their existence and I acted as if I've never seen a human before when we first met. I wanted to be sure of something and get to hang around you long enough to see if I was right or not," she explained.

"You're not making sense? Right about what?"

"I can't tell you...not yet anyway,"

"Sam I'm getting tired of the secrecy just tell me what this about. Whose this other you've met...just tell me!" he was demanding her.

"All I can say is they live in Splatsville...maybe that'll give a reason enough to come back with me,"

"(deep sigh) Why are you doing this...why lead me on like this and not just give me the answers,"

"I don't trust the octarians even if they did defect. I just need you to come back to Splatsville with me and you'll know why,"

"Very well, you've got my attention but I don't like this one bit,"

"I wanna earn your trust back and stay friends...I have my reasons,"

"Alright... but know you're on a tight leash...don't hide stuff from me anymore,"

"You got it," she nodded with a slight smile.

The two of them shook hands and pressed on toward the tunnel leading down. Not knowing that the twintacle that escaped dispatched reinforcements at the bottom of the mine. Multiple troopers and other octarians were pushing there way up to stop the two from reaching the bottom of the chasm.

Further down the winding tunnel, the two walked beside each other and heard something up ahead. "Hey, listen," said Sam. "We got company,"

The two heard the troopers humming platforms coming toward the other direction. They rushed down the steps and huddled up against some cover and waited for the troopers to show themselves on a small ravine overlooking a small cavern below. After a moment octotroopers being lead by a twintacle popped out from down the stairwell and looked around. Sam lobbed a splat bomb and splattered three of them, including the twintacle.

The troopers panicked seeing they were outmatched and hit when they retreated back down. "While they're fleeing let's tail them and get down there. The two of them went down the small cavern where the troopers stopped and made there way toward the stairwell but then two octopods ran up and Sam shot one as it exploded and Seth hit the other only causing it to rear back and roll down the step and explode when it hit the wall.

"Defend the zapfish!" commanded another twintacle. The troopers got into positions and a gang of octostamps formed a wall at the stairway entrance to hinder Seth and Sam. "I think we're nearing the bottom," said Seth but just then a splat bomb was lobbed at them from an opening by an octocopter.

The two dove out of the way to evade the bomb and Seth pulled out his sidearm and shot the octotrooper in it's rotor cap, knocking it back as it flailed about until it dropped. They got up and continued to venture downward until they reached the bottom.

"Is the octostomp powered up yet!?" shouted the twintacle.

"Almost," said an octopod.

"Good, have it ready for the two inkstains," it said.

Seth and Sam spotted the exit but saw the octostamps blocking their way. "What are those supposed to be? They look like angry building blocks," said Seth.

"Guess they're trying to stop us, whatever," she said as she rushed at them and launched a flying kick, knocking the little block-shaped octarians down. A few of them hopped right back up and tried to lunge at the inkling but she used her bow to swat them away. One octostamp came up from behind only to be kicked and knocked back to the ground. Seth was impressed by her fighting skills. Who was this inkling? She couldn't have been a normal turfer.

The troopers moved up and surrounded the two as four octoballs rolled toward them inking a path of ink as they went. Sam shot one with her ink bow and Seth another. The inkling saw they were getting overwhelmed and shot the ground, creating a big puddle and dove into it. Seth was busy trying to keep the troopers back incapacitating a few, shooting them off their platforms before he had to change mags.

He racked his weapon and loaded another round. One trooper came behind him and Seth through quick reflexes moved out of it's path before it ran him over and butt stroked it off the vehicle with the back of the rifle. "Not sure if we're winning this fight Sam!" he said aiming at another trooper.

Sam jumped out of the ink and into the air in her bipedal form and splatted a trooper. She landed down and shot another before it could get close. "Don't start talking like that!" she scolded.

"You sound like the lieutenant!" he said, shooting another trooper.

"You're comparing me to that uptight octo chick," she reacted, kicking an octoball that rolled at her only for her to kick it away and splat once it hit the ground.

"Well you do," said Seth.

"Then I'll start acting like her then, how about 50 pull ups when this over, private," she said with a grin.

"Oh please, that all...give me a real challenge," he gloated.

The troopers were finally defeated leaving only the remaining twintacle and it's octopod associate. "What are doing just standing there, attack those two you walking bomb!" demanded the twintacle. The octopod looked at the twintacle and then stared back at Seth and Sam before taking a few steps only to get shot between the eyes and fall over before exploding and knocking the twintacle back and laying on the ground.

"Guess that's over with," Seth said but then the ground shook and a hatch in the middle of the mine opened up, revealing a large giant octoweapon called an Octostomp that was being raised up on an elevator in the hatch. The two froze in place seeing the massive octoweapon power up and open it's big glowing eyes. It turned and spotted the duo staring back at it. It gave a loud gargled howl that echoed throughout the chasm.

"You had to open your big mouth," said Sam who had covered her ears.

"I did didn't I...I guess I got my real challenge after all," said Seth as the octostomp took one big step toward the two.

Meanwhile...

The octoling unit lead by Mirage had just entered the dome housing the workers' village and the octoweapons factory. They stood by the kettle and saw the village in front of them, separated by a pathway of more debris and floating platforms. "Alright...let's move out," commanded Mirage. She octoformed and lead the way as the rest of her team followed suit.

As soon as they crossed over to the far side of the giant floating island where the workers' village sat. They scanned their surroundings and pushed up further to where the street divided. "Which way now, fearless leader?" asked Luna snidely.

"Don't know," she replied.

"How about we split up," suggested Star.

"Negative, we stick together," Mirage told her.

"It would make better since if we broke into pairs. We're more prone to attracting attention if the four of are together," Luna inputted.

"She makes a valid point," said Star.

"Whose the leader here?" Mirage snapped.

"Lieutenant, we could cover more ground like that not that staying together is a bad idea neither," Vee meekly said.

"Looks like 3 votes against 1 to me," said Luna with a smirk that deserved her a glare from her commander.

"Very well then. I'll humor the decision but stay in contact through the goggle comms. Lieutenant Luna, Sergeant Star...go left. Me and the private will go right. Stay alert you two and inform me if you've come across any of Maxine's crew,"

"Yes, Lieutenant," the two saluted as they octo formed and swam around down the street going left.

"Alright private, we'll go right and mind your surroundings," said Mirage.

"Yes, Lieutenant," she said with a nod.

The two of the octolings, Mirage and Vee headed down the street on the right. As Luna and Star headed down the street on the left they spotted an ink trail leading into a struture on their left side. They changed back to their humanoid forms and studied the ink trail.

"What is it Luna?" asked Star.

"Not sure, it's definitely octarian and it's not very fresh. The ink is already starting to dry, could be a wounded octarian," replied the elite.

"Why don't we check it out. It could someone from Maxine's unit,"

"Maybe...we'll go investigate but we need to be careful," said Luna as she pulled her goggles down as well as Star. They cautiously stepped inside the abandoned struture and followed the ink trail toward a door on the far side of the area. "Looks like they headed this way, keep your weapon up," said Luna. She turned the nob and pointed her weapon down a ramp on the other side. "Looks clear," said Luna. "Let's keep moving,"

The ramp went down with a pile of debris partially blocking their way. The path took a sharp turn and the two spotted a broken ink tank laying on the floor.

"Yeah, definitely an octoling, friend or foe I'm not so sure. Maxine said they were ambushed by Scarlet's forces," said Luna who examined the broken ink tank.

"Hey...you hear something?" asked Star.

"Yeah I do, use your goggles. It's gotten dark down here," said Luna. The two tapped on a button allow them to see through the dark tunnel. They could spot crates, barricades littering the path ahead and then they saw something approaching.

"Shrimp! Octotroopers, hide!" shouted Luna quietly.

The two octoformed and got behind what cover they could reach before the squad of troopers spotted them. The troopers could somewhat see in the dark at a given range. The two octolings hid out of sight until the trooper patrol scuttled away.

"I say we get the jump on them," said Luna.

The two of them changed forms and hopped out of cover. Luna whistled getting their attention before her and Star splatted the first two troopers. The third attempted to neutralize the octolings but with quick agility and maneuvers. Luna blasted the remaining trooper off it's platform.

"Well that was fun, let's head up," said Luna. Star followed behind and the two of them entering another large area full of more debris and junk. As they walked around, Star spotted a figure laying on the floor but it wasn't an octoling. "Lieutenant come here!" Star shouted.

"What is it?" asked Luna as Star pointed to the figure. Luna pulled her googles up and flipped them over. "An inkling," she said. A female with droopy green tentacles wearing a jacket.

"Is she..."

"Dead," Luna finished.

"She must've ran down here to hide," said Star.

"Probably...there's nothing we can do for her,"

The two of them spotted an opening in the ceiling as moonlight was bleeding in through it. "Let's get out of here," said Luna. The two octolings changed forms and shot out through the opening and left the structure, finding nothing but a broken ink tank and a dead inkling.

Mirage and Vee on the other hand were traversing through the empty street. It was now night and the two of them had to use their goggles to navigate through the dark. The streetlights weren't coming on but the only source of illumination was emitting from the octoweapons factory. In the middle of town was the square. A statue of a octotrooper worker was erected in the center. Buildings and street openings outlined the vacant square but still no signs of Maxine's troops or any enemy octarians.

As they continued on toward the square, Vee accidently kicked a tin laying on the ground. The rattling of the old can echoed through the square as Mirage clinched her teeth and looked back at Vee. "Sorry..." the private replied. Mirage shook her head and looked around.

When the two took a few steps they would hear what sounded like a rotor. "I don't like the sound of that, quick get on that bus," commanded Mirage.

She and Vee octoformed and swam inside a nearby bus. Outside was an octocopter that heard the can that Vee kicked. It flew down the street to where they were at, shining a light attached to it's rotor cap. It stopped beside the bus and looked around, shining it's light through the windows of the bus the two octolings were hiding in. After a moment it flew away and continued to scan the area for intruders.

"That was close," sad Vee.

The two changed forms and walked off the bus. "Private, you better watch where you step. We may not be so lucky next time," said her commander.

"I will, sorry," said the octoling as she rubbed her head.

"C'mon let's keep going. Let's try to get over to the other side of this square without getting caught," directed Mirage.

They rushed beside the statue and then across to the other street. They stopped and noticed a spot light coming from a balcony above the street heading toward the factory. It was an octocommander, similar to the octosniper but instead fitted with a minigun-like ink weapon over it's mouth and a pair sunglasses that covered it's eyes. It was guarding one of the access points to the factory and below it was barricaded off with troopers watching the street.

As the light made it's way toward Mirage and Vee's position. They ran inside a depository beside the street before the octocommander spotted them. The depository was similar to a bank for the factory workers years ago but was now ransacked and covered in grime and dust from not being maintained. "We gotta get around that checkpoint," said Mirage.

"How?" asked Vee.

"I'm sure there's a way, follow me,"

In the back behind the desks was a safe door, apparently it had been broken into and inside, nothing was left except a big hole in the wall, leading toward an alley way that ran parallel with the street. "This way," waved Mirage.

The two of them dropped and proceeded through the alleyway. Ahead was a doorway into an apartment complex. Mirage seen this as a way to take the high ground and get a layout of the street below and the checkpoint if they were to try and ambush the octarians to reach the factory. They traversed up through the floors through the stairwell until they reached the top floor. Going from room to room, they could see the octocommando scanning the square below through an opening in the wall. Mirage turned to Vee with her finger over her mouth. They crouched down as to not make noise with their footsteps so they could get the drop on the minigun toting octarian.

They snuck into what appeared to be a kitchen. A doorway was facing the balcony where the octocommander was perched. The two got on opposite sides of the doorway as Mirage pulled out a splat bomb and readied to lob it at the unsuspecting octarian but unfortunate things wouldn't go so well.

A spider dropped down on Vee's tentacle from the ceiling and landed on it. Then it hung in her face, causing the octoling to panic, swatting and squealing at the spider, getting the octocommader's attention. It threw it's light on Vee and wound up it's mouth-mounted splatling gun. "Vee, get out of the way!" shouted Mirage as she rushed over and shoved the private out of the octarian's line of fire.

Mirage was struck by the ink. Her torso was hit causing her to flail back as well as getting struck in the left shoulder, causing it to go limp. "Lieutenant!" shouted Vee as she got up to drag Mirage out the octocommander's view. It laid another barrage of ink through the doorway, splatting the wall with ink and causing another door to bust apart from the splatling fire.

"Mirage, Mirage! Speak to me!" Vee shouted frantically.

"(cough) (cough) Private," she said weakly.

"Mirage you're alive!"

"I'm not going that easily...Ugh my shoulder,"

"Mirage you alright, can you move at all,"

"I got the ink knocked out of me but I'm still here," she told Vee as she sat up and grabbed her weapon.

"We're not gonna get past that octocommander," said the private.

"Yes we are...I'll get the near doorway and lay down cover fire while you throw my splat bomb, and ink that bastard,"

"But Mirage, you're hurt..."

"That's an order private!"

Vee nodded. Mirage got up and stumbled over toward the doorway. Only being able to use her right arm to hold the octo shot and spray ink indiscriminately outside toward the octocommander. "Vee throw the inking bomb now!"

Vee chunked it and hit the octocommander but it wasn't enough to kill it. Though it was blinded and covered in ink. Vee dropped her octo shot and ran toward it catching Mirage by surprise that she would do such a negligent move. She got behind the octocommander as it sprayed it's splatling wildly. "This is for shooting Mirage you jerk," said Vee as she punched the octocommander in the head. She broke it's shades dazing it. SThe brave octoling jumped off of it and landed a kick hard enough to knock it off the balcony as it splatted on the street below. Mirage was stunned by her brave actions and resilience. Vee was shy and often avoided confrontations but this time she proved she had some octarian fighting spirit in her, seeing Mirage nearly get killed.

Mirage was shocked as Vee walked back over to her. "Private, that was...incredible, how did you learn to fight like that?" asked Mirage.

"I don't know...seeing you nearly get killed, it was like something took control of me. All I thought about was protecting you,"

"I'll admit I was impressed with you taking down that octocommander. You weren't the same Vee I knew when you did that but I'm very grateful you did. I think you'll make a proud octarian soldier private,"

"Ahhh, Lieutenant it was nothing...you're my big sis after all," Vee told her.

Mirage tried to walk but nearly fell over before Vee caught her. "You're still injured," said Vee as she held onto the elite with her arm around her neck. "I'll be fine, we need to reach the octoweapons factory,"

"No, you need to recuperate for a while,"

"Vee we don't time to..." Mirage started to say but saw the private was giving her serious expression. "Alright...we'll hunker down somewhere but not here. Are you alright to carry me like this?" she asked the private. Vee gave a nod and the two headed down the balcony. The octotroopers below saw the two crossover the elevated catwalk and decided to head off and try and stop them.

They entered another building until they reached the far side of the room. Outside the room's exit was a set of ramps, a scaffold heading back down to the street level. Vee held on to the lieutenant as they cautiously walked down. Soon the two could hear the humming of the troopers vehicles. Down an alleyway facing the scaffold, three troopers appeared and spotted the two octolings.

They gargled and shot toward them. Mirage clutched the octoshot with her good arm and shot at the octarian enemies. Vee was watching as to not slip on the ramp, enemy ink was hitting it and she had try and maneuver through it and the ink fire. One octotrooper attempted to go up the ramp where they were at but was shot off it's platform as it came up by Mirage.

Two troopers were left on the ground level and Vee still carrying Mirage tried to get away from the octarians as they sprayed ink at them. They hurried as fast as they could down the street but at the speed they were going the troopers would eventually catch up with them.

"Quick! Into that building!" shouted Mirage. Up ahead was a clinic for the factory workers. Vee headed for the door and kicked it open as the octotroopers were scuttling down the street in pursuit. Vee sat the elite down and slammed the door close and blocked it with a shelf.

"Maybe they didn't see us," said Vee.

"I hope so...ugh," jeered Mirage clutching her shoulder.

Vee picked her back up and sat her up against the clerk counter. "We gotta do something with your shoulder," said Vee. "I'll see if I can find something,"

Vee scoured through desks and cabinets until she came across a bottle of painkillers. "This I'll have to do. Mirage take these,"

She held out her hand and swallowed a couple of pills. "Thank you...maybe I'll be back on my feet soon, darn tentacles," she said.

"Lieutenant..."

"Yeah, what is it private,"

"Being we're here, by ourselves I wanted to talk to you...about Seth,"

"Why are you bringing him up now?"

"I know how hurt you were to see him go with that inkling,"

"So what, he made his choice,"

"Please don't hold anything against Seth. He's been through so much and I hated that you kicked him out of the team. Seth's a great guy and a good friend. Please reconsider and let by gones be by gones. There's no reason to just discard him like that. You promised him that would help him find his mate and child,"

"Well he shouldn't did what he did... as far as I'm concerned...he's dead to me,"

"Don't say that!"

"Why not!"

"Because he doesn't deserve it that's why. Would you do that to Luna...Star...me?"

"Of course not...we're a team,"

"And Seth's a part of the team too,"

Mirage had conflictive thoughts running through her mind. "Maybe I was bit harsh. Maybe I let my emotions get the better of me. That still doesn't deny the fact he committed a dereliction of duty and stayed behind with that...inkling. We might not be in the army anymore but we still abide by the strict guide lines like we were. I have to be stern or this squad falls apart and then we're doomed to achieve our goal to reach the surface,"

"I understand lieutenant and you have every authority to make what decisions you have to that effects us... but, Seth is...a different case. He's a human whose on a mission to find his family and I don't want to interfere with that,"

"I promised him. I promised I help him find them but how am I supposed to do that if he makes things harder for me. Priorities come first and I'm sorry if locating those humans aren't the first on my laundry list. He needs to understand one thing. My team and the objective come first. No buts...I would think him being soldier himself would understand that but then again I don't know how the human military operates. Humans are different by what I could from Seth,"

"And I think that's why you like him," said Vee causing Mirage to brush.

"Quit it Vee,"

"Well you do,"

"And so do you, why are you so acceptive of this anyway,"

"I thought a lot about Seth and well...after what happened back at the facility. I'm going to back away and accept him as no more than a friend and teammate,"

"You are?"

"Yeah...you like him and I don't want nothing to come in between me and you big sis,"

"Vee I'm...not sure what to say,"

"Why don't you two talk it out and get to know each other better. Maybe even go on a date,"

"What! Vee don't be ridiculous!"

Vee twitched her eyebrows causing Mirage to cross her arms and look away. "A date...I don't know,"

"Give it a chance,"

"Fiiiine...I'll play you're little game private but I'll only give it some thought. This isn't a yes,"

"I knew you were up for it lieutenant," the private said as gave the elite a hug.

"Yeah, whatever...I think my arm is starting to work again," the elite said as she rotated her shoulder. She hopped off the counter and grabbed her octo shot. "You ready?" asked Vee.

"I was born ready...let's get to that inking factory and stop those octo chumps," said Mirage before she pulled the shelf blocking the exit aside and opening the door. The two were ready to venture out to the octoweapons factory and stop the octarian army.