Splatoon Afterworld

by drz1990

Explained in the intro

15. Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

This is perhaps the longest chapter I've done so far and expected them to get longer as the story progresses. I'm wanting chapter 20 to be the last one, ending off the first book so I'll start the second one which will be a sequel to this one. A lot of drama in this chapter, as well as surprises. Hope you all enjoy it.

The trip to the octo rebels' safehouse seemed longer than anticipated, even in the CH-47 which they used to leave the dome where the cryo facility was stationed. Seth disabled the tea kettle to prevent the octarian army from entering the dome as well as Kelly and her team blowing the large access tunnel on their way out with ink charges. The dome would be inaccessible, which made Seth distraught, knowing the humans that never woke up out of their pods would die off. It was where he discovered Flow the sea hare was his wife and where he met Rebecca, Donovan's girlfriend, only to find that she had committed suicide after she looked through the X-25 experimental trials and the true intentions of Kamabo's use for the pod occupants.

The human remained quiet on their way to the safehouse, as Mirage rubbed his back, trying to console him from leaving behind the other humans. Vee at times would observe Mirage and Seth, she could tell Seth felt disconnected from everything after what he had been through. She wanted nothing more to go over across the fuselage hold and try to comfort or talk to him, but she kept to herself, sitting beside Luna who decided to fall asleep and tolerate her snoring. Star was dozing off herself and the inklings talked amongst each other.

"We're here!" shouted the engineer piloting the helicopter.

"Alright everyone! You heard her, get ready to dismount once we touch down," Kelly told the passengers. They could feel the chopper descend. Vee turned and looked out the porthole window to see what looked like a large campsite surrounded by a makeshift wall around it, made from metal, wood, tires, and other materials. Once the ramp opened the octolings and inklings along with flow came out and were gathered up in a small open area. Mirage and Seth were the last ones out. He looked around and noticed they were in a small fortification, with a few small structures scattered around and a wall surrounding the encampment.

"Welcome to the octo-rebel safehouse. I know it's not much, but hey..." Kelly started to tell them.

"So what was this place?" asked Luna, who had just woken up with a yawn.

"It used to be a trooper outpost, surprised it's still intact. We came across it when we left Cephalon base, seeing equipment and supplies got left behind, I felt it was a suitable area to set up shop," she answered.

"So does that mean food?" asked Luna anxiously.

"Stockpiles of rations you could build a fort with," replied Kelly.

"Ugh... I'm already missing those human food packs. Better than nothing, I suppose," Luna said disappointingly.

"I'll inform the others we made it back and that we're gonna have to find a place for you to sleep. Not sure if we'll have the room though, some of you may have to share bunks," said Kelly.

"That's not a problem," said Lily as she latched to Dexter, causing him to blush.

"Jazz, I... hope you don't mind," said Bill as he rubbed the back of his head.

"No, um, not at all," Jazz told him with a slight smile.

"Hey! No shenanigans squids... and that goes for you two," said Kelly, driecting her attention to the inklings and then focusing on Seth and Mirage.

"I wouldn't think of it. I'm grateful you're letting us stay here and wouldn't mean any disrespect," Seth told the octoling sergeant.

"I'm glad we're on the same page then. Now that's out of the way, I'm heading inside to inform the rest of the unit about your arrival. Not sure how things are gonna go about the mention of inklings and a human," Kelly told the group before she left inside the main structure of the rebel base.

"Yeah, you two, no shenanigans, what a spoiled sport," said Luna.

"Keep your beak shut Luna," snapped Mirage. She then turned to Seth, who had been more reserved than usual. "Seth, you gonna be ok. I know you're distressed about the other humans, but I'm not sure what else we could've done," she told him.

"I know, it's not only that... meeting Rebecca, only for her to take her life because she couldn't cope with the new reality. Interacting with another human, made me feel hopeful about the fate of my people. I know we're friends... or maybe more than friends but being the only human alive is just... depressing," he said to her, having a hard time looking at the elite.

"Maybe there's more humans out there somewhere. Who's to say they weren't all killed off," Mirage told him, trying to give him some hope.

"I know you're trying to make me feel better Mirage. but for now, I just want some time to be alone," said Seth as he walked away.

"What's eating him?" asked Luna.

"What do you think lieutenant. How would you feel if you were the last octoling on the planet. I'll give him some space," she said as she watched Seth leave and out of sight of the group.

"Poor Seth... I hope he comes around," said Star with concern for him.

"You know what'll make him come around," Luna smirked, before she held her arms in front of her and did a humping motion with a smug grin. Star blushed, but Mirage got annoyed and smacked Luna in the back of the head. "Oww..."

"Knock that crap off! Start acting like an octoling!" Mirage scolded her.

"Geez, how about you lighten up for once in your life... after all, you and Seth did..." started in Luna as she watched Mirage bend her arm back and ball her hand into a fist as she glared at the octoling, ready to deal another blow to Luna before she would finish. "Shutting my beak," said Luna.

Mirage relaxed and gave a smirk back at Luna who just crossed her arms and turned away with defeat. Star chuckled a little which earned a dirty look from Luna. "Alright enough, we need to discuss things with Kelly on what we plan on doing next," said Mirage.

"Wasn't the plan to head for the surface," said Luna.

"Things have gotten complicated Luna. Now with the inklings, Maxine, Kelly and her unit..."

"Don't forget Seth,"

"I didn't,"

Vee had stood off to the side with Emma beside her, gripping her hand. "Hey, Vee, I saw Seth leave. What's going on?" the little octoling asked her.

"Emma, it's hard for you to understand. Seth's just going through some turmoil right now. With us having to leave the other humans behind, he's having a hard time coping with it," the private told Emma.

"Oh... I guess that makes sense,"

"Think about the time you lost your parents. How it made you feel Emma. Seth's going through the same thing, kind of," Vee tried to explain.

"Poor Seth... but, I got over it though,"

"Emma, I don't think you got over losing your parents, if you did you wouldn't keep inquiring me and Seth to be your replacement parents,"

"I... (sniffle) miss them," said Emma as she started to pout. Burying her face into Vee as she patted the little octoling's back.

The inklings mingled amongst each other, talking about whether they would even make it back to Inkopolis or not. Both Dexter and Bill were getting aggravated about their dilemma. Flow watched them, sitting on the ground as Craymond swam around her head. Maxine, leaned against the fuselage of the CH-47, depressed about Sigma turning on her and rest of the team. Just when she thought that maybe he and her could get something started. He had been a loyal teammate the entire time, from when they left octo base with the inklings all the way to the battle with the octarian army back at the human neighborhood. She felt more betrayed, clinching her fist in front of her, holding her resentment back before she relaxed and gave a deep breath. As she got off the helicopter, she heard Kelly and her team come out of the safehouse, informing them to come inside so they could get acquainted with the rest of the defectors.

Luna, Star, Vee and Emma, followed behind Kelly and the other two, bringing up the rear was the inklings, Flow and the half-wit tentacles. Behind them was Maxine, but Mirage was hesitant, Seth left and wandered off to be to himself. "You, coming in?" Maxine asked Mirage.

"I will, it's just... I don't wanna leave Seth out here by himself," she told Maxine as she rubbed her arms.

"That's understandable. You gonna go look for him?"

"I'm thinking about it, but he wanted solitude,"

"Hey, it's up to you. Do what you feel you gotta do," Maxine said as she stepped in as the door closed behind her. Mirage was deciding whether or not to go search for Seth but at the same time, didn't wanna bother him.

Meanwhile, Seth found a crate to sit on. He was at the far side of the outpost, trying to gather some closure. As he was perched on the wooden box, he was being watched from behind the corner of a nearby cabin. Sensing something, he looked behind him, but the figure hid away before they were seen. "I could've sworn I heard something," said Seth.

Turning back around, he gave a deep breath and went back to contemplating about what he would do. He thought about his son, Virgil, losing his wife Sarah but now Mirage had strong feelings for him. He wouldn't feel right leaving her and the squad, as much as they got attached to him and even saw him as a valued teammate.

All of a sudden, a large bulbous shape bounced in the air from behind the structure they were hiding away from Seth and plopped down, the flabby noise catching Seth's attention as he cautiously reached for his pistol, but before he could react, he was grabbed and pressed against the bloated creature's gut. Seth dropped the pistol as he was restrained, looking above him as he gritted his teeth but was stupefied by what had a hold of him. It was a large octobomber and a very friendly one at that, not at all bashful at seeing Seth as it gave him a goofy fat-lipped smile.

"Huuuug," it said in a gargled dialect. Seth tried to break free from it but had a firm grip on him, making it seem futile to try and get away. As Seth gave it another attempt to try and get out of the octobomber's embrace, the creature finally let go, with Seth falling forward and hitting the ground. Coughing up dirt, he looked back up at the fat octarian and retrieved his pistol. He saw the octarian meant no harm and was pretty affectionate, surprisingly. "You scared me there, lucky I didn't put a bullet in that gut of yours," Seth told it as he holstered the Glock 19.

The octobomber just gave a bounce and smile at Seth. He could tell something was off about the creature. Was it just carefree or was it just a facade. Staying on guard, even if it posed no threat, Seth slowly walked up to it. The octobomber kept staring at Seth, making him feel awkward until the octarian lunged forward and latched onto Seth pulling him into another hug as it laughed.

"Seth! Hang on!" shouted a voice, he turned and spotted Mirage running toward them. Astonished and a bit confused by the sight. Seth tried prying himself out of the octobomber's hug before he was sucked into the tentacle's stomach. "Let go of him you bloated bag of ink!" Mirage demanded as she got into a fighting stance. The creature let go and backed off, startled by the elite's pose.

"Thanks Mirage... but, I don't think it's all that dangerous," said Seth as he brushed himself off.

"Not dangerous, if I hadn't come you would've been suffocated in that thing's fat gut,"

The octobomber's feelings were hurt as its lip quivered, and it started pouting. "I think you hurt it's feelings," said Seth.

"It's lucky I didn't hurt its face," replied Mirage, which caused the octobomber to throw a fit and turn away as it cried. "What a big baby... don't know why the defectors would let it hang around,"

"At least it's somewhat friendly... like getting hugged by a big marshmallow,"

"Would fit in well with those other dopey tentacles. I know you wanted some alone time, but everyone went inside the safehouse. I'm sure Kelly is requesting that you make an appearance, so the rebels know a living human is around. I'm sure they'll be anxious to meet you,"

"Well, my alone time was kind of ruined anyway. I lost my train of thought when I got smothered," said Seth as he looked at the octobomber who was slowly getting over Mirage's insults, wiping its eyes before looking back at the two.

"C'mon Seth, let's go," she waved for him to follow.

"Sure, right behind you," he said, adjusting his tactical gear from the octobomber hugging him.

The octobomber followed behind the two but kept a distance, afraid of the octoling but still curious of Seth. As the two stepped inside, the octobomber couldn't fit through the doorway and became disgruntled when it realized it couldn't follow the two. So, it stayed outside, waiting for Seth to come back out. Inside, Mirage led Seth into a large room. It was filled with crates and supplies. Anti-octarian posters and graffiti was on the walls. One large poster had Octavio on it, but someone drew on it with a sharpie to make Octavio look stupid. Even righting the words stupid over his head.

"Ah, you must be the human sergeant Kelly was talking about. The name's sergeant major Carmen, I'm the current leader of the octo rebels here and it's a huge pleasure to meet a real living human. A race that has been admired by the octarians and your technology," the octoling greeted the two as she was accompanied by four other octolings. She had a scar running down her left eye which was covered by an eye patch. She was bit taller than the other octoling regulars, her tentacles uncurled behind her head and were darker than usual. Her outfit consisted of the standard neo-octarian uniform but with a cape on her back. The other octoling regulars beside her wore a red sash on their upper arm or around their forehead. Symbolic of fighters for the octo rebels.

"Yeah, admired isn't quite the word I would use," Seth told her.

"Please don't resent us, the octarians would love nothing than to have a human in their possession. Unlike us, their intentions are despicable and would do nothing than to jeopardize any attempts of peace between us and the inklings. We explained this to the inklings that were brought here, but I think they are still untrusting of us. I can't blame them, so we set them up some rooms to sleep in even if they are a little small and having to resort to sharing beds," said Carmen.

"Well, we're in gratitude that you'd let us stay here," said Seth.

"Don't mention it, seeing a living human is a reward in itself. I love to hear your story, how you've managed to survive this whole time as you're quite aware, humans have been..."

"I know, extinct... I get that a lot,"

"Sup yaw!" shouted a voice from on top of the crates. Mirage and Seth looked and spotted another octoling. She stood above the group, brushing her front tentacle aside and giving a promiscuous gaze at Seth as she jumped down. "Hmm, so this the human Kelly mentioned. I have to say, I like what I see," she said as she glanced at him.

"Who the ink are you!" growled Mirage.

"Name's Vixen... what's yours?" she asked him as she leaned over. Seth felt a little awkward and Mirage was losing her patience. Watching the seductive octoling try to advance on Seth. The two noticed she was wearing an octoling uniform but an octo-T under her breastplate. The shirt had been cut, exposing her stomach. Also, designer headphones were resting around her neck and her tentacles were pink instead of red, which was odd for the octoling. Seth also noticed an octopus tattoo on her side as well. "His name's Seth octo floozy, get any closer and I'll knock that grin off your pretty face," Mirage threatened as she moved between the two, raising her fist at the flirty octoling.

"Oooh, so violent. Is that how a guest should treat their host. I was just being friendly," backing up a bit with a tenacious grin.

"Yeah, a little too friendly if you ask me," Mirage replied.

"Corporal! I suggest you refrain yourself and show some common courtesy. Let me make it a reminder, that you might not be a soldier in the octarian army anymore, but I maintain a strict conduct and code of ethics," Carmen told her.

"But I just..."

"Am I clear, corporal," Carmen gave her a stern look with her one exposed eye as she crossed her arms.

"Crystal,"

"Go see if Kelly and her team need help getting everyone situated,"

"Hmpf," Vixen protested as she puffed out her cheeks, but as she studied Seth, she noticed he had fang marks on his neck. "That's too bad... seems he's already taken," she said with disappointment as she walked away.

"Great another Luna, just what I need," Mirage said with exasperation.

"You'll have to excuse corporal Vixen. She can be a bit of a..." Carmen started to tell her.

"Tramp!" snapped Mirage.

"Yes, though she's willing to fight for our cause. She was a bit of a delinquent in the military. Discharged a couple of times until she left and wanted to head up to the surface. She's one of the many that was affected by the calamari inkantation. She's a huge fan of the squid sisters, which explains the tattoo on her stomach," Carmen explained.

"Better keep a leash on her. I can't guarantee I won't get physical next time," Mirage warned.

"She'll be kept on notice. I only ask for things to stay civil, if there's an issue, please bring it to me. Now that's out of the way, I'll give a tour of the outpost. Kelly is getting your team and the inklings settled in. We're assigning everyone their own place to sleep, though we're limited on space and beds, meaning everyone may have to share a bunk," informed Carmen.

"Well, I don't mind sharing a bed with Seth,"

"Oh no, lieutenant. We keep the males and females separated like the army. Seth will be sleeping with Zeke and Flak, two other members of my unit which were supposed to have been back from scouting around, informing me of any octarian activity. So far, we've been lucky, but I don't expect that to last," said Carmen.

"Fine... I'll stay with my team if that's what you insist sergeant major,"

"It is, that's the rules lieutenant and before he heads off, I wanna talk to you in private when we get the chance," said Carmen as she pulled her by the shoulder. Mirage was uncertain what Carmen wanted to talk about but gave a slight nod before they there were guided around the main structure.

Kelly and her crew were done getting everyone settled in. They took a break, resting in a room to themselves, laying their weapons and ink tanks down. "Well, Mirage's bunch has got a cabin to their selves as well as the inklings and those dopey tentacles," said Kelly as she laid back against the wall, sitting on a crate.

"I don't think Maxine has gotten over that specialist betraying us," said her medic.

"I'm sure she'll get over it eventually," said the engineer.

"Nice going bringing in these freeloaders, Kelly," blurted Vixen, who walked in on the trio.

"Don't start Vixen, I just got comfortable," said Kelly.

"They're not freeloaders, they're defectors like us," said the medic.

"Whatever, we're not a charity. Our supplies are limited, and we don't exactly have the room to house all these scrubs," complained the pink-headed octoling.

"Enough! Corporal... if you keep running that beak of yours, that's not the problem you're gonna have to worry about," snapped Kelly, who was getting agitated with the imposing octoling.

"That human I would make an exception with,"

"I wouldn't tangle with him if I were you," Kelly told her.

"You think I'm scared of that elite, please..." Vixen waving her hand, letting her ego get the best of her before she left out of the room.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Kelly said as she closed her eyes and tried to get comfortable.

"Glad she's gone, now to get some shut eye," said the engineer, as she slid her goggles back over her face as she started to lay down.

After Carmen gave Mirage and Seth a tour of the outpost. Seth was shown where he would be staying. There were two bunk beds inside a small cabin. Both of them belonged to the octoling Zeke and his cohort Flak, the octosniper that he hung around with. Mirage was still crossed that she wouldn't be able to stay with Seth. Feeling insecure about it, though respecting Carmen's ethics. "Being a human, I'm sure you can't produce ink as I also noticed that weapon you were carrying," said Carmen, referring Seth's SIG Virtus rifle as they walked the inner grounds.

"I know ammo is substantial, I carried what I could with me from what was available, back at the cryo facility where we setup base," he told Carmen.

"We'll need a way around that. I'll come up with something... for the time being I won't worry about it. If you're hungry, we have rations,"

"Um, I'll pass. I brought some MREs with me," Laying down his backpack on the bed.

"I need to talk to your lieutenant. If you don't mind, just make your yourself at home," Carmen told him as he gave a nod and left out the door. Outside she looked at Mirage with seriousness and the elite knew what she wanted.

"So, what did you want to discuss," Mirage asked as the two of them walked away from the bunk house to discuss their matters.

"Multiple things, but primarily the human,"

"What about Seth?"

"First things first. I know you and that other elite, the one in your squad out rank us, but I'm in charge of this command post. I expect you four to pull your weight around and follow orders. Second, if there's any problems as I mentioned prior between you and someone in my outfit, come to me directly. I don't need any quarrels, we're all on the same team and third, as for the human goes... it seems you and him have something going on. I find that a bit... troublesome,"

"I know he's a human, but... to me he's more than that. He's not only a member of my squad but a friend until just recently,"

"I spotted the bite mark on his neck, and I find it somewhat... disturbing. Not just because you two are soldiers but... you're not even the same species. Please don't tell me you and him have mated,"

"We have... and I don't care about your opinion Carmen,"

"You should... we're incompatible and have no clue what humans are vulnerable to or how his body could react... you know where I'm getting at. I don't want any harm coming to him,"

"You think I do. Me and Kelly already had this discussion. I've always been protective of Seth, and I look forward to giving birth to our child... if that ever happens that is,"

"I find your disposition dubious... I hope that changes lieutenant,"

"We've already made plans to go to the surface and start a new life. I grow tired of soldiering, and I intend to leave octarian territory for good, whether Scarlet is dealt with or not,"

"We're in the middle of a war, whether you see that or not. I need octopi willing to fight, Scarlet and octarian forces are closing in. We have a mission to unite our race against her regime and put an end to this. She plans on waging war against the inklings, what good will it do to head for the surface when you got our own occupying it and splatting anyone that doesn't submit under her whim,"

"I would rather talk to my team about this and see what they have to say. We're not officially a part of your outfit and I couldn't bring myself to put Seth in harm's way, knowing Scarlet would do nothing than to get her slimy tentacles on Seth and use him,"

"I'm disappointed in you lieutenant... but by all means, do what you feel you have to do. I expected better from an elite," said Carmen as she walked away, distraught by Mirage's attitude.

Seth was sitting on a bed inside the bunk house he would sleep at. He pulled off his Kevlar and started sorting through his gear. Getting hungry, he took an MRE out of his pack but before he could open it. The bunk house door opened, "What the shell! Who are you and what are doing in my bunk!" shouted a masculine voice which caught Seth's attention.

He saw a male octoling with a yellow mohawk styled tentacle staring at him in shock. Before Seth could introduce himself, the octoling rushed him and pinned him to the floor, aiming his blaster in the human's face. The octosniper came in to see what had happened and was stunned that their bunk house was occupied and not by an octoling by what the two could tell. "Start talking! What are you doing here!? You don't look like an octoling, what's with the fur on your head!?" pressing the blaster into Seth's face.

"If you don't get off me! I'm gonna stick that gun of yours somewhere it doesn't belong," Seth told him angrily.

"Tough talk, I like to see you try. I don't know how you got here, but I know you're going out,"

"Zeke! Get off of him you inkhead!" shouted a female voice. The octoling turned and spotted Vixen leaning against the doorway. "You weren't present at out little meet and greet with those scrubs Kelly brought in. I decided to sneak out here to check up on the human, but it seems you beat me to the punch. That's not how you should be treating our guest Zeke, show some common courtesy as Carmen puts it," said Vixen as she waltzed in.

"Wait, Kelly brought in some more people, who?" asked Zeke.

"More defectors, I'm not impressed, oh and some squids too," Vixen answered him.

"You said this was a human?" Zeke looking at her, then staring back the human he still had pinned down.

"Duh, does he look an octoling to you,"

As if taking a double take, he noticed Seth had strange features. No tentacles, eye marks or fangs. Finally, Zeke decided to get off of him. "I don't know what he was. I just know I return, and this thing is sitting in my bed," gesturing toward the human as Seth sat up, giving Zeke an unamused expression.

"His name's Seth and I find him cute. You might wanna go tell Carmen you finally made it back, what took you so long?"

"Zeke here was chasing some octo chick back at..." Flak started in on the conversation.

"Shut up Flak!" Zeke snapped at the octosniper.

"Like any girl would go out with some octopus like you,"

"Enough of the school yard squabbling, I would like to eat in peace without the drama," Seth broke the chatter as he got off the floor.

"Ooh, what's that?" asked Zeke as he snatched the MRE out of Seth's hand. "Hey!" Seth shouted at him angrily.

"What the fish is this?" said Zeke as he held it up.

"Gimme that. Don't just swipe shit out of people's hands. I'll share with you if you wanna try some," Seth scolded him before taking his knife and cutting the top of the packet open. He pulled out a separate smaller packet and opened it. Using a spoon to scoop the contents inside of it, he handed it to Zeke. The octoling sniffed it, as he grabbed the spoon before putting it into his mouth.

Once he tasted and swallowed it, his eyes widened before a smile appeared on his face. "Dude, that's the best stuff I've even eaten. Can I have some more, pretty please," he begged Seth.

"You really think that stuff is good," said Seth, bewildered on how the octoling enjoyed the MRE.

"A lot better than those crappy rations we got,"

"So that's human food? Can I try?" asked Vixen.

"Sure, knock yourself out. I gotta another MRE," he told Vixen but as he handed it to her, Zeke quickly took it. "Hey you ink bag! He gave it to me!"

"Come and take it then," Zeke teased before Vixen pounced on him to hand over the MRE.

"Ay! Oww, oww...not the face," taking swipes to the face until he surrendered the ration. Seth wasn't sure what to make of the situation, as if it was two kids fighting over a piece of candy. He shook his head and looked at the octosniper with an exhausted expression.

"Please tell me we're not roommates," he asked Flak as the octarian removed the ink blaster off its mouth.

"Hate to tell you but he is... name's Flak by the way human," said Flak as he lowered his tentacle, allowing Seth to shake it.

"It's Seth... so I assume you're a part of this group,"

"Yep, I guess you can say I'm Zeke's wingman and chaperone at times when he's got his head up his butt or I'm having to get him out of a bind,"

"Looks like you got your work cut out for you,"

"Tell me about it," said the octosniper as he rolled his eye.

Both Zeke and Vixen thrashed on the floor. Losing the fight to the octoling female, she got up and quickly swiped the pack out of Zeke's grasp and started digging through the contents of the MRE. "You're lucky I don't hit girls," snapped Zeke as he rubbed his cheek from getting hit as he sat up off of the floor.

"Sure, tough guy, I'd knock the ink right out of you if you did," she told him as she finished off the MRE and threw the wrapper on the floor. She then turned to Seth who grabbed another MRE out of his backpack. "You can forget it, I'm not handing this one over," Seth told Vixen.

"Oh, that's not it. If you don't mind me asking. What's with you and that elite chick, how'd you two hook up?" Vixen questioned him, putting her hand on her hip.

"That's a personal matter,"

"Personal huh... you two do it yet?"

Seth just ignored her. She then got beside him and, in his view, to garner his attention. "Just admit it," she said, putting her finger in his face with a toothy grin. She could tell with Seth avoiding the questioning, he and the elite must've had intimacy.

"Vixen, don't bother the guy, hold on, did you say elite chick... as in a human and octoling going out?" Zeke said, shocked that he and another octoling would be in a serious relation.

"Yeah, some elite that came in with Kelly. She got really testy when I moved in on him and Carmen had to intervene," she told Zeke.

"That's just... weird," replied Zeke as he looked at Seth. "So, what's your story and how the shell did a human like you end up with some octoling gal,"

"My story's a long one and let's just say I'm not in the mood to tell it,"

"Oh, c'mon big guy. You're the only living human around. Scarlet would ink herself if she knew about you, she's fixated with humans, she even believes we came from them, what a nut job," said Vixen.

A knock was heard at the door. "Seth you here?" asked a voice from behind it. Soon the knob turned and in stepped Carmen. The sergeant major saw that Zeke and Flak had returned and then she saw Vixen was present as well. "Huh, so this where you snuck off to corporal. I should've known... you best get out of here and I better not catch you in here with that human again,"

"Fine, I'm going, just wanted to check on him. Thought he might need some company," Vixen raised her hands with a fake innocent demeanor.

"He doesn't need your kind of company, I swear Vixen, if you weren't so handy with an octoshot, I would've booted your ass off this outpost," she got on to Vixen as the sergeant major ran her off. Shaking her head, she turned to see Zeke and Flak looking at her. "Oh, good, you're back and you've met Seth,"

"Guess we're bunk buddies," said Zeke with little enthusiasm.

"Well, he is a male, I expect you to get along... Vixen has already been a handful and I expect you to be civil with our new guest. Do you have anything to report before I head back to the command building?"

"Negative," Zeke replied.

"What about that black head you had to chase after," Flak spilled.

"You saw someone," said Carmen.

"An elite, by herself. She wasn't a threat by what I could tell," Zeke admitted.

"An elite on her own? That is unordinary... you sure she was alone,"

"Positive, she wasn't even armed,"

"That's not the strangest part, that octoling was talking to herself. She displayed strange behavior... kind of erratic," said Flak.

"Where was she at?" asked Carmen.

"Inside dome 15, I tried to talk to her but... she was a little stand offish, I felt bad for her and then she shoots away. After that, I don't know where she took off to,"

"Was that before or after you hit on her," taunted the octosniper.

"Zip it Flak!"

"She couldn't have been a scout, not an elite and you mentioned she was weaponless. She could've been a deserter. You couldn't convince her to come back with you?" asked Carmen.

"If Zeke wouldn't have tried woo her as he puts it, with that irresistible charm then maybe she would've considered it," said Flak sarcastically.

"He's full of crap, that chick was set on hunting someone, some octoling named Mirage. Talked about sticking a knife in her for what she did to her... it scared me a little,"

"Wait, Mirage... Mirage is the lieutenant that Kelly brought in along with her team and some inklings and other defectors. Did you at least get her name?"

"If I remember right, her name was... Nova, yeah that's it,"

"Nova... I've heard that name, can't think of where though. I'll bring this up to the lieutenant. If that's all you can tell me then get your gear settled. I want everyone to report to the command building at 1600 hours and no later," Carmen told the three as she left out and closed the door behind her.

"Oh great, another meeting, wonder what we'll go over this time?" said Zeke with disdain.

As a couple of hours passed, Mirage was informed about Nova from the sergeant major. "She's still determined to get revenge and I won't forget what she tried to do to Seth," said Mirage with bitterness.

"Why is she hunting you down?" asked Carmen.

Mirage propped herself against the wall and leaned her head back as she pulled her goggles off. "Shadows of my past. I was a royal guard, assigned to protect Octavio at all costs. She was under my command and after I left, she along with the others were apprehended and questioned about why we failed to protect the DJ and my disappearance. They were labeled traitors and placed in prison until Scarlet pardoned them. Since then, Nova has held a grudge over me for not only turning away from the octarians but her, seeing me as the reason she was stripped of her honor and faced punishment," she explained to Carmen. The sergeant major could see in the elite's yellow eyes that she had a confliction of emotions over her ordeal with Nova.

"She's not willing to make an amends for what happened to her," asked the sergeant major.

Crossing her arms and standing off the wall as she looked back at Carmen. "Nope... guess being in that cell left her pretty soured towards me. She even went as far to try and have Seth killed to get at me,"

"Sounds like she's went off the deep end, we'll be on the lookout,"

"It won't matter. When me and her meet again, we'll finally settle this... I'll make sure she doesn't get away next time," Mirage told her, narrowing her eyes before covering them back with her goggles.

"It's important you and your team stick around. There's a lot of ground we have to cover and we're gonna need your help. I know your heart-felt on getting to the surface," said Carmen as she approached Mirage. "Look I already told you I want no part of this. Me and the team have done enough, we barely made it through the last fight we had with those ink bags. We lost some good octopi and I have a promise to fulfill," Mirage turned away from Carmen, steadily giving her the cold shoulder on her offer to aid their cause in their time of need.

"And more octopi will perish if nothing is done. Not only for us but the inklings as well once Scarlet declares war. I can't force you to help us but I urge it,"

Mirage turned her head and stared at Carmen. "And what do you expect to do with a handful of rebels. You think you can just bring the fight to the octarians or just storm the capital. You're in over your head Carmen if you think you can beat Scarlet,"

"At least I'm not giving up," said Carmen, putting guilt on the elite. "Is this about that human, Is he more important to you that you'd turn your back on a chance of ending this generations-long strife,"

"I told Seth I would help him find his offspring,"

"You mean as in a child? I though he was the only human in existence,"

"Not necessarily, the pod he was found in wasn't the only one. There's many more... he told me what happened to him before he was stuffed in one of those things. His family was put in the same situation. His mate and offspring were also there but they managed to get out sometime before Seth's release,"

"So, there's two more humans, is that where you're getting at?"

"Well... one, the child,"

"He has my sympathies; hope you find the child. Right now, it's not my concern. My priority is dealing with Scarlet's regime,"

Carmen as well as Mirage then started hearing movement and mumbling behind a collection of crates in the corner of the room. The two of them turned toward the pile of wooden boxes. "Alright, who ever that is come out," Carmen told them. Then three heads peeked out, revealing it to be Mirage's team members.

"We overheard what you were saying," said Luna as she, Star, and Vee stepped out.

"I don't approve of you eavesdropping, that's the second time you've done that to me," Mirage told her team.

"It's only because we care about you lieutenant," said Star.

"Well, this was supposed to be a private conversation. Good intentions or not,"

"Like Mirage, we're trying to reach the surface, not go back deeper in octo valley," Luna directed toward the sergeant major.

"I agree with Luna, even if your cause is noble, we're exhausted from fighting Scarlet's forces," replied Star.

"I tried persuading you to help us, but it seems you're determined to get into inkling territory, wonder what I'll happen when you start seeing octozeppelins moving over the inkling capital. The squids will see you as threat and splat you, assuming your part of the invading force. Think about that lieutenant," Carmen implied.

"Point taken... what do you expect of us then," Mirage said.

"Devotion and perseverance, nothing more and nothing less. I wanna head top side like you, but first, Scarlet needs to be de-throned and the octarians convinced we can establish peace with the inklings. Our survival is at stake and starting another great turf war would be the end of our world as we know it,"

"Ok, so we stick around and help you octopi. How many of us is there, I mean seriously, we faced a battalion of those ink bags before we got here and made it by the tip of our tentacles," said Luna.

"There's other cells scattered around the canyon, even spies inside Cephalon HQ back in octo valley. We have the element of suprise on our side and the octarians are having a hard time tracking our activities though we haven't made much progress,"

"So, how do you expect to stop Scarlet?" asked Star.

"We're studying their movements, weaknesses, anything that could give us the upper hand. Lately we've had to stay under the radar and maintain radio silence, but somethings been interfering with the network, and we've also caught chatter, it's not octarian that's for sure. I'm gonna brief everyone at the meeting what we're gonna have to do. Sending people to go scouting isn't doing much good and neither is hunkering down and doing nothing,"

"The only advice I can give you Carmen is having faith at a time like this," said Mirage.

"Faith?... I think I've been faithful enough,"

"No, I mean entrusting your faith in a higher power. I learned that being around Seth and it's gotten us out of some bad situations like facing that octarian battalion back at the dome where we found Seth... speaking of which, I need to talk to him... I got a lot on my mind and something I need to get off my chest. So, if you're excuse me,"

"Just to let you know he's at the back bunk house with those other two inkheads. Zeke and Flak, the two I mentioned before that were supposed to have reported back here hours ago," Carmen told Mirage.

The elite left the main building and headed for the barrack that Seth was residing in. She could hear Seth's voice inside the building, giving a deep breath before knocking on the door. "Um, Seth, Can I come in?" she asked.

Turning the knob before she could a reply. As she stepped in, she spotted Seth sitting on the bed, sharing his story with a yellow-headed octoling male and octosniper perched on his scooter. "Hmm, well hello there," said Zeke as she approached the elite. "Name's Zeke, and who might by you be..." he started in before he was grabbed in the face.

"I'm just here to talk to Seth, don't even think you can make a move on me octopus," she told him sternly as she shoved him away. "Seth, I need to talk to you alone,"

"Um, sure..." he said as got off the bed.

"You part of that group that came that Vixen mentioned?" asked Flak.

"Yes, name's Mirage, I'm the leader. I'm grateful Kelly brought us here. I assume you two defected out of the army," Mirage said to the octarian.

"Sure did, me and Zeke left. We got fed up with that crap. We were assigned at some outpost and left. I got tired of that octocommader telling me what to do. I saw Zeke sneak away, so I followed him. Became friends ever since," Flak explained.

"Hold up, you're Mirage,"

"Yeah, what's it to you numb nuts,"

"That crazy elite me and Flak met back at dome 15. She mentioned your name and said she had unsettled business with you, involving a knife,"

"By any chance was her name Nova?"

"Yeah, that's her! You know each other?"

"You can say that,"

"I think she wants to kill you,"

"No shit,"

"Mirage, you wanted to discuss something with me?" asked Seth.

"Oh right... can we go take a walk?"

"Sure, after you," he said as he waved toward the doorway.

"Ah man, I wanted to hear more about you giving those octarians a good splatting and the romantic part," whined Zeke.

"Romantic part?" Mirage raised an eyebrow.

"Don't listen to that guy," he said as the two of them left for the outside.

"Hmpf, wonder what she sees in that human. She ain't bad looking neither,"

"Best you leave her alone. Did you not learn anything last time,"

"Hey, if I like what I see I'm going for it," said Zeke as Flak just rolled his eyes.

Outside, Mirage lead Seth away from the building and somewhere more recluse. They headed into a wooded outside the camp so no one would see them. Seth brushed away branches away from trees as the two of them stepped through shrubbery until Mirage knew they are far enough she could talk to him alone.

"What's this about," Seth asked her as he grabbed the elite's arm. She pried it off of her and gave a deep breath before turning toward the human. "Did I do something?"

"No... Seth, I agreed to help Carmen and the rest of the rebels. Besides laying the guilt trip on me, she made a valid point about the octarians. If they do invade, what will the point be going back up to the surface,"

"OK, so... what's the big deal. It's good we're helping Carmen and the rebels,"

"That's precisely what I'm getting at. I don't want anything to happen to you. This means we're going deeper in octarian territory and fighting more of Scarlet's forces along the way. I don't wanna see you getting captured or worse, killed... knowing you can't respawn," she told him, raising her goggles over her face.

"Mirage I'm part of your squad, you said so yourself and now you're having a change of heart. What about the rest of the team, did you console it with them?"

"You have a son to find... you can't do that if you're with me,"

"I don't care... It can wait. I'll find Virgil in due time...but for now, my mission is to help you guys. You helped me... and I'm part of this squad. Your words, not mine lieutenant,"

"What did I say about addressing me by my rank," she said sternly.

"You gonna make me do push-ups? That's what squad mates do... but you wanna kick me out, after all we've been through,"

"Seth, I... don't wanna do this, but I don't wanna see harm come to you either," said Mirage as she started to cry. Her military demeanor vanishing and giving way to her emotions.

Seth hugged her, trying to comfort the elite as she gripped him. "If that's what you think needs to be done, then I'll respect it," he uttered to her. Mirage felt pure culpability upon hearing that, she didn't say anything as Seth let go of her and started to walk away. She wanted to call him out, but she bit her lip, she'd rather let him go than see anything happen to the human she loved. Seth looked back one last time as Mirage stared briefly before downing her head. He was saddened and saw she meant what she said and preferred him to go as he vanished in the forest and out of sight.

"SEEEEETH!" she hollered but got no answer. She started to cry and fell to her knees as she punched the ground. Her goggles fell off her head. Sniffling and wiping her eyes to hold her tears back, she hugged herself and thought about what she had done and knew the hurt Seth could've felt. A couple of minutes would pass until she would decide to head back to rebels' outpost, but not before she was being stalked. Hearing a twig snap, she first assumed that Seth had come back.

"S...Seth? You there?" she asked as picked her goggles off the ground.

She sighed and continued on the path, but not before getting jumped by another octoling, the crazed elite, Nova. "Well, isn't this a surprise," she sneered at Mirage as she had her pinned to the ground.

"Nova!" shouted Mirage, never suspecting the octoling to find her so soon.

"We have some catching up to do lieutenant, don't tell me you forget. Let me refresh your memories," said the crazed elite as she pulled out a knife.

Mirage squirmed to get out of Nova's grip but couldn't. "There's no use in delaying the inevitable Mirage, you brought this upon yourself," Nova was ready to plunge the blade into Mirage until...

"If you were a real octopus, then you'd kill me with honor, but what honor is left in you?"

"You wanna fight me, one on one... fair enough. I'll just take back my honor when I see you laying in your own ink," said Nova as she grabbed Mirage up and slung her across the trail. The elite then tossed the knife at a tree between her and Mirage, sticking it into the bark.

"First one to retrieve the knife, you wanna fair fight, then here it is,"

"I'm gonna make you eat that knife, Nova,"

"We'll just see about that,"

Mirage got ready to make a run for the knife as well as Nova. The two of them darted for the blade, just as Mirage grabbed it. Nova landed a kick to her and launched her back. Recovering, Nova charged again and tackled Mirage only to be kicked in the stomach by her and thrown to the side. Mirage made another effort to pull the knife out of the tree but was grabbed by her tentacles and punched in the jaw.

"You're hardly putting up a fight lieutenant, I'm disappointed," gloated the elite.

"I've just gotten started octowinch," said Mirage as she got up and roundhouse kicked Nova. The crazed elite managed to recuperate quickly and got into a defensive posture as she watched Mirage launch another attack. A failed haymaker, which allowed Nova to grab her arm and throw Mirage against a nearby tree. "Gah!" jeered Mirage as she rubbed her back.

"C'mon lieutenant! Let's see what you really got!" taunted Nova.

Mirage growled and lunged at Nova, only to get grabbed yet again, though this time she broke free and shoved Nova into the tree where the knife was stuck in. Nova's face smacked the tree, as ink dripped out of her nose and mouth. Spitting and wiping her nose, she grabbed the knife and pulled it out, grinning manically, ready to turn the tables and end the match between her and Mirage.

"Enough of this, honor or not. You're going down for what you did to me!" the octoling ranted.

She leapt in the air and drove the knife toward Mirage. Losing strength, the point of the blade was getting closer to her face. "It ends here lieutenant," sneered Nova as she continued to drive down the knife at Mirage. Gaining what vigor she had, she bent her arm which twisted Nova's, causing her to falter and allow Mirage to kick Nova back. Dropping the knife, Mirage picked it up and bent down, ready to thrust it into her adversary. Nova was pinned, much like she had Mirage when she attacked her.

"You're right, it does end here... you nearly had Seth killed and would have. You won't stop until you see me dead," said Mirage as she gripped the knife tight.

"You've stripped me off everything! My duty! Honor! Our friendship... you were like a sister to me until you turned your back on us. I paid the price and sat in a prison cell twice because of you! Go ahead! Finish it!" she screamed as tears ran down her face.

"I'm not like you..." Mirage said as she chunked the knife away. "And I'm not sorry for what you've been through either," Mirage got off of Nova and looked at her with apathy.

"You would rather let me live with the pain and suffering you've done to me,"

"No... I'm sparing you, something you don't deserve," she told Nova as she got up and started to leave.

"Don't walk away from me!" Nova yelled at her hysterically. Mirage just ignored her and kept going. Gritting her fangs, Nova reached for the knife and stood up. She held it out and got ready to throw it into Mirage's back. "DIE TRAITOR!" shouted Nova, which garnered Mirage's attention. As she turned around, she could see the knife headed straight for her, but then a stream of ink struck the blade and deflected it from sticking Mirage.

The elite turned to see the shooter was the octosniper she met when she went to go talk to Seth in the bunk house. Nova was stunned, not expecting the octarian to come out of nowhere and save her enemy, until she heard a noise from beside and was knocked in the head by Zeke's blaster. "Hey, it's that crazy black head from before. What's she doing here?" asked Flak.

"She must've followed us," replied Zeke.

"Followed us? But I though she shot away... unless..." Flak.

"I knew she liked me... oh crap and I just hit her. Oh man, just when I think I scored. She's not gonna be happy when she wakes up,"

"(clearing throat) Thanks for that," said Mirage.

"It was a good thing we snuck out. I thought we heard something going on, but then I saw that human was gone," said the octosniper.

"Yeah, where's your boyfriend?" asked Zeke.

"Seth isn't my boyfriend... not anymore,"

"You guys break up... does that mean your available beautiful,"

"Don't push your luck... saving me or not. I told Seth that he needed to go,"

"Why?"

"Because he's a human that's why. The octarians can't get a hold of him and if anything happens, he can't respawn. I'd rather see him safe and hunting for his child," Mirage told them, they could tell by her tone that she was regretful of making the human leave her squad.

"Awww, looking out for that human, how romantic," said a feminine voice. The three of the looked around and spotted Vixen, sitting on a high branch in a tree overlooking the group. "Ugh, Vixen! What are doing here! You should back at the outpost!" Zeke scolded her as she jumped down and walked over to where they were at.

"Like you two. I watched you and fish lips walk into the woods, so I got curious," she said to Zeke. Then turning toward the elite. "So... you and the human couldn't work things out? Catch and release. So, is he up for grabs?"

"Mind your own business octo tramp! What's with people wanting to spy on me. Can't anyone take a hint when I wanna be left alone! Cod!" she snapped off.

"How was it? getting pounded by the human? If you don't mind me asking?" Vixen asked inconsiderately. Mirage just bared her fangs and pressed her fist against the bottom of the lewd octoling's jaw. Vixen raised her hands up and gave an awkward grin. The elite stormed away, seeing Vixen not worth the trouble.

"Geez, she's got issues," said Vixen. "So... what are we gonna do with miss psycho?" asked Vixen to Zeke, gesturing toward the unconscious Nova.

"I'll carry her back to camp. Go ahead and inform Carmen about what happened," Zeke told her,

"Yeah, yeah," she replied.

Mirage headed back as Vixen trailed behind, along with Zeke packing Nova's body and Flak right beside him. Once Carmen heard what happened in the woods, she was displeased about Mirage telling Seth to leave and the fact they left the camp. Nova was restrained and tied to chair before she would wake up. Not caring how the sergeant major was disgruntled with her, Mirage slipped away to the room she would sleep in and laid down. Her team caught wind of what happened and were saddened, they didn't dare question her and felt it was best to leave their leader alone.

Vee out of everyone was heartbroken. Seth was out there alone and probably hurt himself with Mirage telling him to leave the squad. Hearing this, Emma grabbed a hold of Vee and pulled her into a hug. The human she saw as a father figure was no longer with them. She pouted against the octoling private as Vee patted her on the back. "I'm sorry Emma, Mirage felt she done what was best for Seth. I'm gonna miss him too," said Vee as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"It's not fair... why was Seth told to go?" Emma said as she looked up the private.

"Emma, you wouldn't understand..."

"No! I understand perfectly! Seth deserves better! Seth deserved you! You wouldn't have abandoned him like that!" she shouted as she let go of Vee.

"Emma, you don't know what you're saying, calm down,"

"I don't wanna calm down! I want Seth back and that's exactly what I'm going to do..." Emma ran for the exit, which alarmed Vee as irrational as the little octoling had gotten.

"Emma, stop!" she shouted after her.

"Woah, where's the fire brat?" asked Luna, nearly getting pushed out of the way by Emma in the front area of the command center.

"Emma!" Vee cried out again, but Emma scrambled out the door.

"What's with her?" asked Luna.

"She's pretty sore about Seth leaving. I'm worried about her..." Vee replied before she continued after Emma.

"Oh, Luna. We gotta do something," said Star.

"What do you expect us to do about it? Mirage was the one that told Seth to hit the road," Luna told her.

"Mirage I'm sure felt she had no choice in the matter. She really cared about Seth. She didn't want anything to happen to him if it meant aiding Carmen and the rebels,"

"Maybe so... but Seth was a part of this squad even if he was human. I personally think it was wrong to do that to him,"

"Let's go catch up with Vee and Emma,"

"You want me to chase down that squirt, Urgh... fine,"

Emma octo formed and shot out the door and outside. Using, Seth's scent or should I say pheromones, she attempted to track him down as she headed into the woods around the outpost. Vee, Star, and Luna lost sight of her. They then saw an ink trail heading into the forest. "Look, I'll go track Emma down, you guys stay here..." Vee told her teammates.

"No way, we're not letting you after Emma by yourself," said Star.

"Yeah, Vee. How I see it, this might be our chance talking Seth into coming back. I don't care what the lieutenant told him," commented Luna.

"Mirage would lose it if she knew we went AWOL,"

"I say we find Seth and we deal with Mirage later,"

Vee nodded and three of them followed the ink trail that Emma left behind.

Seth was nearly out of the forest, up ahead he could see it was clearing off. Stumbling across a road that went over a bridge. He saw a disabled octostamp DX tank parked on the metal bridge, halfway obstructing the path. Seth spotted a sign with some razor wire on it. A symbol of an octotrooper was on as well as some octarian gibberish he couldn't read. He assumed that it was the direction back toward the rebel outpost, so he decided to cross the bridge instead.

The fake sky above displayed a late day setting, it was slowly getting darker, and Seth was growing tired of being underground and more than eager to reach the surface to find his son Virgil. He made it halfway across the bridge, holding his arm and keeping his head down, deep in thought and saddened by Mirage letting him go. Not paying any mind, Seth didn't realize he wasn't alone, only for his attention to get grabbed by a strange source of light, emitting off a figure that was coated with a bright aura and dressed in a white gown. Shielding his eyes, then he looked, but was startled by the sight as he stepped back, to see the figure was a spirit, a spirit of his wife.

"S... Sarah," he called out, in disbelief. "W... what are doing here?" he asked.

"I urge you to turn back Seth," she said to him.

"I'm not going back, Mirage made it clear she wanted me gone,"

"She loves you, that's why she did it,"

"I love her too... should I be ashamed of that, you were my wife Sarah, and I still haven't come across our son,"

"I trust you two will be reunited. I'm sorry that I won't get the chance to do the same,"

"Sarah...I never wanted this. I want us to be a family again. I wanna die and be with you,"

"Seth, please don't wish that. You have to find Virgil... you can't if you're not around. Seth, I beg you to return to that girl. I may have left you, but don't do the same to her. I know she loves you and would do at nothing than to ensure your safety, not to mention, being there for your new child,"

"New child... all we have is our son, wait... you can't mean, that's not possible, we're..."

"...Different, I believe she bears another for you. You'll have a new family in a new world,"

"Sarah you can't say that. I won't believe it,"

"Seth I'm not angry at you. In fact, I'm glad you've moved on... but remember our son Virgil, please find him and tell him his mother lives him. I hope we will be together soon," the spirit started to drift upward and lose its form.

"Sarah, please don't leave me..." he pleaded, running under the ball of light which quickly vanished, leaving Seth alone on the bridge.

Seth's face darkened, yet again Sarah came and gone. A reminder of losing his wife and still not reconnected with his child. To hear it come out of Sarah's mouth about a new baby by the octoling was more than incredible. Seth wasn't convinced even from Sarah that Mirage would be pregnant by him. It wasn't possible he thought to himself.

Looking in front of him, he saw Sarah was gone. All he could do was keep going, wherever the road led him. Seth finally made at the end, where a makeshift checkpoint was set up with a broken-down trooper scooter, tipped over near the gate. Stopping and propping himself against the crossing bar. "Sarah... I will find our son. No one can replace you and Virgil," he said to himself before giving a deep breath and carrying on down the road.

Back at the outpost, Vixen was busy spray-painting artwork if you could call it that on the fuselage of the CH-47 helicopter. Taking it upon herself to use her artistic skills to make the large chopper look fresh and fight her boredom.

"Ha! Now that's what I call a masterpiece," said Vixen as she tossed the paint can and admired the decals and graffiti, she put all over the side of the helicopter. A giant flaming octopus could be seen on the body of the chopper as well as octarian print.

"Vixen! What did you do!?" cried out Zeke, watching Vixen go to town with the paint cans she had.

"What! It looks a lot better than it did. What is it the inklings say, oh, it's fresh," said Vixen. Zeke swiped a paint can out of her hand and tossed it.

"This thing or whatever it is, isn't yours! Carmen's gonna be pissed at what you did,"

"It was drab, I say it needed a makeover if we're gonna be using it. Kelly and them said they used it getting here. Some kind of human machine, like the octoseekers we rode in,"

"That doesn't matter Vixen. Carmen's already harped on to you for spray painting the inside of the command center,"

"She ain't the boss of me,"

"Uh, technically, she is our commander,"

"I'm not in the inking army anymore! She needs to get that through her head and so do you,"

"You're a piece of work, you know that,"

"And you're an inkhead,"

"I'm outta here. I don't have time for this," said Zeke as he waved his hand and did an about face.

"Hey! If I wanna sunbathe on this thing naked I will. You think I care," Vixen ranted. Having no disregard of what Carmen thought of her antics.

"Just keep walking Zeke," the octoling boy told himself as got away from the scene.

"Hmpf... jerk," she said as crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks. "I like to see the look on Carmen's face if she did catch me naked on this flying thing. Nah, I better not do it," she told herself. Pleased with her "artwork", she left to go back inside and pester Kelly and her crew.

Sergeant Kelly along with her team were assembled into the meeting room, as per orders from Carmen. Once Vixen stepped inside, she was greeted sternly by the sergeant major. "Vixen!" she called out. "I didn't do it!" Vixen replied, startled and waving her arms.

"Didn't do what? Never mind that, just go retrieve Zeke and Flak, our meeting starts in ten minutes and no dilly dallying,"

"Roger," Vixen headed out for the back bunk house. There, she would yet again get in another squabble with Zeke in which Flak would play referee. "Enough you two, need I remind you guys we're on the same team," said the octosniper.

"Well, she started it!" Zeke rambled with Vixen sticking her tongue out at him.

"I swear, you two are constantly up each other's throats," Zeke told the two octolings.

"Well, Carmen wants your butts back at the command center. We got that meeting to attend, remember. It's just gonna be the same old crap. More scouting, gather intel, blah, blah, blah. Vixen start acting like a soldier for once in your miserable life," flaunted the octoling girl. She soon stepped out the door.

"Hey, lieutenant," said a female voice. Mirage felt someone nudging her, she groaned and opened her eyes to see Maxine looking down at her as she stood beside the bed. "Sergeant, what is it? Why'd you wake me up?" the elite asked as she turned over in her bunk.

"We got that meeting, Carmen's requesting everyone's prescence. Um, where's the rest of your squad?" Maxine asked. Mirage sat up and looked, seeing Vee, Star, and Luna weren't present. "That's a good question... I walked past them when I laid down," she told Maxine.

"You might wanna go find them before the meeting," said Maxine as Mirage stretched and got off the mattress. "And don't forget that human, Carmen's gonna want him there too," Mirage clinched a little with a groan when the sergeant brought up Seth. Maxine knew something was up and she could tell by how Mirage was acting.

Mirage stepped out and ran right into Zeke and Flak. "Oh, hey there," greeted Flak. Mirage just looked at the octosniper as if she wasn't in the mood for any pleasantries. "You see my team around?" she asked the two.

"Um, no," Zeke said plainly.

Mirage gave a sigh of annoyance. "I'm sure they're around somewhere," said Flak.

"What's it matter," Mirage muttered to herself. Zeke and Flak could tell something was wrong with the elite, compared to when they first met in the bunk house. "Um, we're gonna go now, hope you find them," said Zeke as Flak followed him into the command post.

Speaking of which, Vee, Star, and Luna lost track of Emma, the ink trail she made vanished, meaning she changed back and was now on foot. "Emma!" cried out Vee. The three of them were stuck in the woods. "Hey you brat! Where'd you run off to!" shouted Luna.

"Luna," scolded Star. "This isn't good, Seth now Emma," said Vee depressingly.

"Vee, we'll find them,"

"Yeah, the little inker couldn't have gotten far,"

"Let's just keep looking," said Vee as she and the other two octo formed and separated to cover more ground to find Emma.

The little octoling managed to make to the edge of the forest and near the road where Seth headed across the bridge. She sniffed the air for Seth's scent and picked it up. She followed the trail across the bridge but before she reach the other end, a piece of the platform collapsed under her. Emma screamed as she fell but managed to grab part of the bridge frame. She tried pulling herself up but slipped when she got to the top. "Umm... Seth! Vee! Help me!" she cried out.

The railing she was holding on to was breaking at the mounts. It bounced, causing Emma to nearly lose her grip and fall though she held on. "Help me! Anybody!" she cried out again with tears in her eyes. She feared no one would pull her up in time and once her hand started slipping, she was grabbed before she fell and was pulled up. Her savior was none other than Seth. "Seth!" she shouted, latching onto him with tears of joy.

He hugged her and rubbed her head as she giggled. "Emma, what are you doing way out here, I thought you supposed to be with Vee. You could've gotten killed," Seth told her. She sniffled and down her head from Seth's parental tone, but he was glad to see she was OK.

"I heard about you leaving (sniffle), so I came to try and find you," she said as she rubbed her eyes. Seth pulled her up and gave her another hug.

"Emma, you still shouldn't have left the camp. What if I wasn't around to save you?"

"That's why I want you to come back..."

"Is that why you left... to find me?... Emma, I'm sorry to tell you that... I'm not going back. Mirage discharged me out of the squad. I'm gonna go look for my son,"

"But... what about me, what about Vee?"

"I can't... being around you guys has done nothing but distract me from my real goal. I'm a human... and I shouldn't even be here. I should be extinct with the rest of my kind,"

"You shouldn't say stuff like that!" shouted Emma as her lip quivered, hurt by Seth's talk.

"Emma, let's get things straight. I wish I never woke up! I wish Mirage and her squad never found me! I wish I would've died in that place!"

Emma broke out crying, she was so crushed by Seth's hateful rhetoric she ran away from him and back toward the direction of the outpost. Then she nearly ran into Vee and her teammates, who stood there and listened on everything that Seth said. The human just looked at them indifferently, but in a sense, he felt remorse before reminding himself who he was and why he needed to find Virgil.

Vee had a tear roll down her eye, hurt much like Emma. She turned away and tried to catch back up with Emma to calm her down. Star shook her head and Luna crossing her arms, swung her head and turned away as well. The three of them, walked off and octo formed until Seth didn't see them anymore. "It's for the best," Seth muttered as he downed his head and continued on past the checkpoint until he was out of sight.

Carmen had gathered up as much of the crew as she could, though Mirage and her team were missing. Kelly, as well as her medic and engineer were present. The defectors under Carmen were there including Vixen, Zeke, and Flak. The tentacle posse led by the twintacle showed up. The room wasn't big, as the octolings and octarians stood around a table where they held briefings. "I was hoping the lieutenant and her squad would've made it back," said the sergeant major.

"Guess we'll have to begin without them, shame I'm not like them and not attending this stupid meeting," complained Vixen.

"You better start taking this in consideration. With an attitude like that, be fortunate I'm keeping you under my wing. That mentality is gonna get you splatted. I don't want to see anyone getting killed once the ink starts flying because no one took these briefings seriously," said Carmen which earned her an eye roll from Vixen. "Now for the matters at hand, the good news is we have more personnel, the bad news is that the comms network is down. Something is interfering with it, possibly being jammed, meaning we can't get a hold of the other rebel cells in the canyon and valley," Carmen continued on.

"Is there any other means of getting in touch with them. How about sending out a team or something. We do have that human flying machine," mentioned Zeke.

"I'm afraid it would just draw attention and I don't need our only means of transportation getting shot down. Even sending a team out on foot would be tricky but sufficient and less detectable. I'd prefer to address the issue on why the comms network has been knocked out," said Carmen.

"Guess that means were up shits creek without a paddle," commented Kelly.

"This is hopeless, admit it, we're at a standstill unless by some miracle, the network comes back on which I doubt will happen," said Vixen.

"Stow it Vixen! I've tolerated that mouth of yours for far too long. If you don't have anything worth saying then I suggest you zip your beak,"

"How about we just leave this shit hole before someone stabs us in the back, but what am I saying. It's not like I've been through something like that. I agree with the girl, it's hopeless. The octarians are just gonna barge in and splat the living crap out of us anyway!" ranted Maxine, who had stayed quiet, leaning against the wall as she watched everyone talking.

"What kind of talk is that, I would've thought of you better sergeant," said Carmen, unhappy with the sergeant's disposition.

"Guess you were wrong. I done a lot of thinking lately and frankly, I've come up with a conclusion,"

"And that's?"

"Surrendering and enjoying what life you have left in this miserable world," she scoffed at Carmen. The sergeant major was not impressed and landed Maxine a slap to the face. The octoling fell over on her knees as a flask fell out from her shorts. Picking it up and shaking to feel that the flask was less than half full. By Maxine's eyes and her behavior, she had been drinking.

"I don't take kindly to quitters or deserters and definitely not drunkards. I suggest you get your ass up and pull yourself together. Octarians never give up and to hear that come out of your mouth makes you a disgrace," she said, looking down at the sergeant as she threw the flask on the floor, watching her slowly get up.

"My sister got killed because of me and I watched my specialist turn against us. I'm already living with disgrace. Why don't you just pick up your octoshot and put me out of my misery," Maxine told her.

"Not happening... you think I'm gonna cave in to such a deplorable request. You made it this far, why are you backing out now,"

"I can't do this anymore... just waiting to see if anyone else I fight alongside with will get splatted or maybe turn their back on you," Maxine got up and faced Carmen, to two of them glaring at one another.

"I can't undo what you've been through, and neither can you. Why not move on instead of dwelling on all this. Kelly spoke highly of you, and I'd love for you to be a part of team. It was wrong what that specialist of yours done, and I would've splatted him if I ever got the chance... but now... I need you and want to appoint you to my team to be their leader,"

"Should I feel honored?"

"I can't say... that's up to you," Maxine thought about what Carmen just said, giving her a choice... looking down at the flask on the floor, she knew she couldn't make amends on what had happened in the past.

"(deep breath) I can't look back... only moving forward. An octoling never quits... Carmen, I'll lead your squad and I'll follow what orders you can give me, just say the word,"

"Now that sounds like the spirit of a soldier," said Carmen, who was proud of Maxine.

"Glad you came to your senses sergeant," said Kelly.

"Yeah, real inspiring," popped of Vixen.

"Let's get one thing straight, if you're gonna be under me then I advise adjusting that attitude of yours because I'm not gonna put up with it. You think I'm a hard ass right now, just you wait. Get on my bad side and you're gonna wish you never hatched, am I understood," said Maxine sharply as she stood in front Vixen.

"Yeah... crystal,"

"Now that the sergeant has gotten things lined out. We can get to work on our next big operation once we find a way of getting in touch with the other defector units. The last report we got from our sources in the caphalon HQ is that Scarlet has got her forces building and prepping for the invasion. We're not exactly sure when it'll begin but I know we're gotta put it to an end. They plan on using their fleet of octozeppelins to deliver troops to inkling territory which will be commanded by Scarlet's second-in-command colonel Spectra which will be stationing inside the aerodrome, the command octozeppelin. A giant octozeppelin, much bigger than the rest that's able to refuel and deploy her squadron of octoseekers at a given notice," she informed them.

"How do you expect us to stop the invasion? Even if we had enough personnel, they have an aerial advantage. Those octozepplins could pound us with their ink cannons, we wouldn't stand a chance," said Kelly.

"That's why we have to assault the zeppelin hangars, so we don't have to worry about dealing with those airships in the first place. Knocking out their transportations would hinder all operations and invasion would be all impossible,"

"Attacking the octozeppelin station? Carmen, we don't even have a platoon of octopi. It would be suicide to even commit such a thing. I'm sure those hangars are heavily guarded,"

"I'm well aware of that Kelly. We'll have to devise a plan around that... a team that could infiltrate those hangars and sneak aboard the octozeppelins without alerting the base,"

Vee, Star, and Luna had made it outside the gate of the rebel outpost where they spotted Mirage, unhappy about their disappearance as she crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "I want an explanation of why you just left the camp like you did," she sternly demanded.

"We went to go try and find Emma. She was heart-broken when she heard about you making Seth leave," answered Vee.

"I did what had to be done, making sure no harm came to him,"

"By kicking him out!" harped Vee.

"That was my decision to make,"

"You loved him and now you just... discarded him!" exclaimed Vee, upset with her commander who showed no emotion.

"Vee, let it go," advised Star who grabbed a hold of her shoulder. The private pushed it off and stepped up to Mirage. "I loved him too... and I wouldn't have just dumped him like that. I know Seth had to have been hurt that you would just throw him out of the squad. What do you have to say for yourself. Are you gonna let me go too? Or how about Luna or Star?"

Mirage raised her goggles, revealing her teary eyes as she dropped them. "You think I don't regret what I did. I know he was a part of the squad. I didn't want him to leave but I certainly didn't want him getting killed. This isn't his fight, it's ours," she told Vee as she was having a hard time keeping herself from crying. "I... loved him..." Mirage fell on her knees and covered her face as she balled.

Vee kneeled down to comfort her. As several seconds passed, the young private pulled away and the elite looked up at her, grief-stricken by letting Seth go. "I... let my emotions get the best of me by getting attached to Seth," she told her team.

"No... you loved Seth and there's nothing wrong with that," Vee told her. She helped Mirage on her feet and gave her a hug as the elite sniffled. Looking up at Vee compassionately before turning to Star and Luna who also smiled back at their commander. Then she felt a sharp pain and nearly stumbled as Vee held onto her.

"Mirage, what's wrong?" Vee asked with concern as Luna and Star came over to check.

"I... don't know, mmm..." the elite said as winced and placed her hand on her groin.

"We better take you to Kelly's medic," said Luna.

"I'm alright," she told them but then Star noticed ink dripping down her leg. "Um, Mirage..." Star pointed out. Vee and Luna saw it too and then Mirage started to panic a little. "Huh?" she replied before feeling wetness inside her shorts and sticking her hand down between her legs. Her fingers were covered in purple ink. "W... what's going on?" seeing her ink-covered mitts.

"Lieutenant... I think you're... pregnant," Vee told her, seeing that Mirage had discharged on herself. The elite was feeling a little faint and out of breath when she heard what the private had said. Vee had a hold of her, seeing how her commander handled the news. "Then... that means..." Mirage started to say as she held her head.

"Aw, you're gonna be a mother," said Star.

"Congrats lieutenant," said Luna with a smirk.

"Urgh..." Mirage was about to collapse but Vee did her best to hold her up. Quickly Luna and Star helped Vee out and guided her back to the command post to get treated. They weren't sure if it was because of the realization that Mirage took from being pregnant or the fact that something else was wrong, possibly complications being Seth was human.

It had been hours since Sigma got away from the defectors after he tried to apprehend Seth, only for his plan to be foiled by Mirage and the rest of the defectors. Fleeing through the kettle, before he was captured himself, the octoling made a harrowing trip back toward octo base as he tried to make his way to the border between octo canyon and octo valley. He approached the outskirts of the shantytown, the same town that got overrun by the salmonids prior and where Sam met the squidbeak agents.

Ahead, through the entrance going into the town's square. A barrier had been broken to keep the salmonids out. He octo formed and jumped through it, only to be met by a unit of octarians. Surrounded by both troopers, twintacles and some octolings. They all drew their weapons on him as he stood there with his hands up.

"Don't make any sudden moves octopus!" shouted on octolings.

"Don't splat me! I'm unarmed!" he shouted back. The octoling approached him and knocked him to the ground with her octoshot and held it against him as he laid on the pavement. "Who are you and state your business or I will pull the trigger," she demanded as she pressed her boot against his back.

"My name's Sigma... I'm on my way to octo base. I'm an octobeak agent, assigned to infiltrate the defectors," he told her as he had a hard time getting his words out.

"Octobeak? Never heard of it! Who's to say you're not a defector yourself,"

"I'm telling you the truth, get a hold of octo command,"

"Unfortunately, comms are down, so I guess we'll have to bring you in then," she told Sigma as she yanked him up. Sigma was patted down and then cuffed before he was escorted away. He noticed the shantytown looked ransacked as if fighting had taken place there. What appeared to a company sized unit of octarians were now occupying the town. To his left he spotted a crashed V-22 that was being stripped away for studying and brought back to cephalon HQ. The V-22 was piloted by the sanitized humans that tried to catch Levi and agents when they escaped the shantytown. What kind of contraption was that it reminded him of the octoseekers but much bigger? What happened to it and where did it come from, he thought.

He was brought to the square's center, a collection of markets and newspaper kiosk in the middle of the large open plaza. "Sergeant, we've recovered salmonid weapons and discovered trace amounts of salmonid oil. By the look of things, I would say the salmonids attacked the town," said an octoling that approached her as she held what looked like a frying pan.

"Then our worst fears have become a reality. Those damn fish think they can take our territory and attack us at any given chance. Those ugly guppies are gonna get what's coming to them for this but that doesn't explain the flying wreck jammed into that building or those strange weapons we recovered from inside it either. It's far beyond our octarian tech,"

"Then what could it be?"

"We'll have to keep investigating. Keep scanning the town for any survivors and if you come across any salmonids, splat em' " the sergeant ordered her.

"Yes, ma'am," The octoling shot away.

"Thought there was a deal between the salmonids and Scarlet. Power eggs for our tech," said Sigma.

"Did I ask for an input," she snapped at Sigma.

"You know as well as I do where that big hunk of metal your troops are salvaging came from. I've seen something similar to it,"

"Hmpf, where?" not taking him seriously.

"A facility, holding humans in these pods. They were in frozen in a hibernating state... except one,"

"Humans? An extinct race? You're as optimistic as Scarlet... don't play mind games with me,"

"He's not," said a voice, the octolings turned and looked, spotting a female octoling, young with long but thinner and spotted tentacles with some tied in a ponytail behind her head. Her attire was different, a spandex black top with a zipper running up it and a skirt to match with what looked like go-go boots on her feet. "Who are you supposed to be? And what's with the get up?" asked the sergeant brashly.

"Agent Tau of the octobeak, I see you have agent Sigma in custody. May I ask why?"

"Who are you asking questions and coming out of nowhere like this," the sergeant getting brash with the agent.

"I'm sure you and the rest of these underlings aren't aware of the existence of the octobeak, created by Octavio himself to counter those pesky squidbeak agents. I assure you I'm taking orders from Scarlet to ensure the defectors don't disrupt our plans for the invasion," agent tau explained.

"How can I be sure you're not making this crap up,"

"You wanna answer the general for impeding the octobeak operations and taking one of her agents captive. I can't imagine what the consequences would be for doing such a thing,"

"You may be bluffing... then again... maybe you're not. You better be who you say you are. So, what's an octobeak agent doing out here anyway if you're supposed to be such a secretive unit,"

"That's classified sergeant,"

"Classified huh, how about you take the other agent and just ink off. I have more important things to attend to,"

"This isn't only a salmonid problem we're dealing with sergeant... the proof is right over there," said Tau, as she pointed toward the crashed V-22.

"You think it's a human craft. Humans are long dead, nothing but piles of bones in the ground," scoffed the sergeant.

"I'm not so sure so about that. As you insisted, me and agent Sigma will depart and let you back to cleaning up this mess," scoffed back Tau as she and Sigma octo formed and shot away. The sergeant squeezed the grip of weapon as her eye twitched with annoyance by Tau's demeanor.

Out of sight, Tau and Sigma stood on the roof of the police station and overlooked the octarians operations. "It's been a while Tau," he told her. "Like wise," she answered.

"How was your mission?" she asked him.

"A failure,"

"Failure isn't an option, care to tell me why?"

"I managed to infiltrate the defectors at a location. A facility built by humans and even housing them in these..."

"Pods, I heard. Cut to the details,"

"A human, alive, that was aiding the defectors. They managed to defeat an octarian battalion that was sent to the outer dome. They utilized human weaponry to beat them back, though they suffered causalities. I tried to apprehend the human but was stopped in the process. The commandos I helped get free from the defector's custody swiped the other human, the one turning into an octoling,"

"A human turning into an octoling. How so?"

"I have no clue... you think we did derive from humans as Scarlet believes,"

"Don't make me laugh... anyway, did you at least gather any intel. What about the facility full of the humans?"

"Those defectors blew up any access to that dome. It would be nearly impossible to even collect all that data and technology that was left behind. Not to mention the weaponry and those humans which would serve a great service for Scarlet,"

"What a shame... what about agent Kappa?"

"Agent who?"

"A sleeper agent... she was one of the first few that was selected for the octobeak trials. Meaning she doesn't realize she's an agent until she's "activated". When I checked the octobeak files I saw her records, she had a sad upbringing. Parents dying, put in a nursery until she was of age to go to boot camp. She was already traumatized as it is before the agent selection, but Octavio and the heads running the program saw no potential in her and placed her back in standard service,"

"So, this agent Kappa, who exactly is she and why would I know about her?"

"I think she was one of the deserters who left cephalon HQ right after that agent defeated Octavio. What was her name... oh, yeah... private Vee,"

"Private Vee! That timid girl... she's supposed to an agent,"

Agent Tau gave a slow nod, in which Sigma couldn't believe that Vee, the shy octoling among Mirage's team was an octarian agent. "OK, what else should I know. Why wasn't I informed about this,"

"You have your own assignment. It was seen as irrelevant at the time, and I guess you can say it never crossed anyone's mind. That's like agent Theta who was assigned to investigate the disappearance of the octarian expeditionary force, the ones that got sanitized at the deep-sea metro. Theta managed to defeat Tartar and destroy that weapon of his but vanished herself, we can assume she defected and headed for Inkopolis.

"So what now?"

"We'll head for Octopolis back in octo valley," said Tau as the two of them octo formed and shot away toward the edge of town and then to the border between the canyon and the valley itself.

Octopolis was pretty big but not as big as the inkling capital, Inkopolis. The city was taking up much of the large dome it sat in. Large skyscrapers reached the ceiling of the dome. Below were streets and businesses, where vendors and bystanders walked around to their destination, getting by every day and remembering to idolize their leader general Scarlet. Octarian propaganda and Scarlet posters were nearly on every street corner. Buses in the shape of big metal submarines carried people around or should I say the octarian citizens, mostly tentacle based, or you would see octarians move around on their scooters if they had one. If octarians weren't serving in the army then they were performing civil duties, whether menial or important.

Approaching one of the busy intersections and what appeared to be a square in the middle of downtown Octopolis was a big van with loudspeakers on top f it, being driven by a trooper. The speakers were shouting more octarian propaganda, promoting patriotism and warning the denizens about the defector traitors that posed a threat to their way of life, much like the inklings and to be on the lookout.

Above the street, in an apartment block, a little octoling hatchling, not retaining bipedal form yet was waving out of a window on one of the upper floors before being grabbed by her octoling mother as she closed the window. Next door, a male octoling could be sitting in a chair reading the newspaper. "Anything new?" asked a female to the male.

"Nothing at all," he replied.

"I'm heading out, need anything?" she asked him as she made her way to the door.

"A new life," he muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, be careful and remember to keep your eyes open for anything strange, the army is still dealing with those traitors,"

"I'll be back soon,"

As she left the condo and walked down the hall. She spotted a hooded figure approaching her, at first, she thought nothing of it but then the figure bumped into her. Nearly getting pushed to the floor, the octoling turned toward the cloaked person. "Hey, watch it!" she told her.

"Fight for freedom," the mysterious figure muttered to her. The octoling girl looked down and noticed a leaflet laying on the floor, advertising to join the octarian army with Scarlet on it. Her face was vandalized with her eyes crossed out and a tongue drawn out of her mouth. The word tyrant written over her body but on the back, the words fight for freedom were written down. The same thing the hooded character told her. She turned but saw the suspicious figure had disappeared. "Who was that, maybe I need to report this," the octoling girl said to herself.

There were many instances of odd sightings and suspicious instances that occurred around. Some reported, some not... most of the time, the suspects were never caught and security around the capital would have to ramp up and police would have to stay vigilant. Hoodlums, troublemakers or strange characters were often chased down, but efforts always failed with them getting away spmetimes. The prescence of defectors or sympathizers was feared and anyone that was suspected of the sort was often detained and taken away.

These sympathizers or supporters would often use clandestine means to try and sway the public into thinking that Scarlet and her regime doesn't look out for the best interest in the octarians and steadily push a counter propaganda against the octarian paradigm, a means of psychological warfare to garner more support for the defectors and reveal how oppressive the octarian government was.

As Agent Tau explained before Octavio's second defeat by the squidbeak agents. A new unit, dubbed the octobeak was assigned to counter the squidbeaks' goal to take back the zapfish from the octarians when regular octarian units could not, but it was too little too late. The octobeak project was scrapped but later reactivated by Scarlet, the new ruler of the octarians. Agents were given codenames, initially the Greek alphabet. Agent tau for example, agent sigma and agents theta and kappa as mentioned. Some agents were assigned specific roles, being agent theta, aka agent 8 when she was appointed into the squidbeak by Cuttlefish and lost her memory of who she was. Initially assigned to track down the octarian expeditionary force, only to find out they were sanitized by commander Tartar, the rogue and genocidal AI at the deep-sea metro stations. After Tartar's demise by agent Theta, now agent 8 or Bridgett, had gotten adjusted to Inkopolis life thanks to the pop duo, Off the Hook.

Agents Tau and Sigma made it to the octobeak HQ, located in Octopolis, the octarian capital. A wall surrounded the complex grounds with a well-guarded gate where only authorized personnel were allowed in; not even standard troops were allowed in unless they had clearance. Tau approached the gate with Sigma behind who was in regular army uniform. "Halt! Authorized octopi only!" the guard told them.

"I am authorized, let me through already, you don't see what I'm wearing," said Tau.

"I was not referring to you agent, I was referring to the octoling behind you," said the male octoling guard, wearing black armor and a black one piece.

"He's cleared, don't let the uniform fool you. This is agent Sigma, I brought him here to get briefed on his next assignment," she explained.

"Very well, I'll take your word for it. Let them in!" the guard said.

"Took you long enough," said Tau. "C'mon, let's head inside and back into your agent gear," she directed Sigma as they went through the gate.

The two of them stepped inside the main building. A metal-lined complex with large satellite dishes and antennas perched on top of it and the octobeak agent seal mounted above the front of the building. Tau and Sigma, walked into a large foyer, full of octolings in business suits. Tau approached the reception desk to explain their reason for the visit. Sigma was cleared and two of them continued deeper in the building.

They entered an elevator as the occupants were let out. They got a few strange looks, but before the elevator doors slid closed, they were impeded by a hand. "Hang on, got room for one more?" asked a male in a business suit as he stepped in.

"I thought you looked familiar," said Tau to the male in the suit.

"It's been some time, how's work been?"

"Boring,"

"Huh, boring for me too. Who's this chap?" he told as he gmipsed at Sigma.

"Sigma, he's a agent like me,"

"Oh, I assumed he was a freshly-picked grunt you pulled out of training,"

"Grunt! I take that as an insult pal,"

"Relax, the uniform threw me off, name's Xavier by the way. I'm one of the administrators, assigning missions to agents and collecting intelligence to weed out the defectors," hold his hand out as Sigma indifferently shook it.

"How's that coming along?" asked Tau.

"We're doing what we can. Catching miscreants and sympathizers isn't enough to hinder the rebels' efforts in deceiving the octarian citizenry. It seems more and more octarians could be swaying to the rebel's cause which is very unsettling. We have to stop this from festering or eventually the rebels will gain a strong foothold in the valley if not worse, the capital itself. Speaking of which, I believe that's your next mission Elise, we've been told by an informant thet they have located a defector safehouse in the outer district of the city. With Sigma with you now, I may pair you up, that's if he's up for the task,"

"I'm up for anything, wise ass," he replied starkly.

"Alright then, once you're geared up, you and Elise head for administration room for the details of your next assignment. I'll be waiting... this is my stop," he told them as he noticed the floor number were they on. He stepped out and gave a wave out the two but as he turned to head for his office and as the doors closed. Sigma gave a shove it gesture, bending his arm and pulling the oter up into a fist.

"Guess that means we'll be hunting for this defector safehouse, so your name is Elise,"

"Looks like it... and yes, that's my real name,"

"You and him have something going on?"

"We used to date and then broke it off... mostly because it was work related, both of us working for octobeak. He applied to be an agent but failed so he worked his way up the ladder and became an administrator instead. I nice desk job instead of sneaking around out in the field,"

"Maybe you just weren't his type,"

"Well what's your type?" she asked, leaning over and giving him a cocky smirk.

"I... prefer not to talk about it. Let's just say I had two choices, my mission or her. I chose the mission," he said as he leaned in the corner and rubbed his head as he stared at the floor.

"Was she worth losing if you don't mind me asking,"

"Now that I think about... no and I don't think there's any way I could make it up to her. She'd probably ink me into a puddle if we ever met up again,"

"That bad huh, bummer. Someone else may come along, you never know,"

"Yeah, sure,"

The two of them got out of the elevator and made their way to the quarters where agents would gear up and train for missions. "I'm sure we got an agent uniform around here somewhere you can change into," she said as they stepped into the room. Digging around, she spotted Sigma's locker. Inside was his uniform as she walked back over and handed it to him.

"There's a dressing room around the corner, go ahead and get changed. Oh, and one more thing, you might wanna rinse off. I was trying not to hold my nose in the elevator, surprised Xavier didn't say anything unless he was trying to be humble about it," she told him as she walked off.

Sigma placed his new uniform down and smelled himself as he clinched a little. "I shower wouldn't hurt," he said as he started pulling the uniform he was wearing off. As five minutes passed, he sat on a bench and finished putting his new agent gear on. A spandex top that matched Tau's and black spandex pants. "Been I while since I've worn these, I forget how tight they were," he said.

As he stood up, he could hear water running for a moment and then turning off. Curious he walked around the locker area and toward the showers and spotted Tau covering herself with a towel and stepping out and toward the female dressing area. Sigma hugged the corner and blushed for a moment, swallowing hard before he was seen. He closed his eyes for a moment and gave a deep breath before he shook his head. He stopped himself before any lewd thoughts came into his mind, but before he could turn away and head back to the bench. He heard a voice say, "Like what you saw,"

Sigma gave a shiver as he froze and slowly rotated his head to see Tau staring right at him with her arms crossed, with the towel still covering her body. "I...I...uh..." he stammered as sweat dripped down his face.

"You better keep your eyes on the mission, especially if we're gonna be partnered up. I don't wanna be the reason for you to lose your concentration,"

"I wasn't looking, I swear,"

"I beg to differ, why are so nervous then,"

"I... I'm not,"

Tau stepped away and opened her locker, dropping the towel as Sigma was resisting the urge to catch a glimpse but the locker door was blocking the view thankfully. He turned away as he leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Tau had just gotten finished getting in another uniform as he got her boots on. "You'll have to prove to me... Xavier did," said Tau as Sigma looked over.

"What do mean by that?"

"You're worth,"

"Worth huh, I don't think I have to prove anything,"

"Really (chuckle), you at the bottom of the fish barrel in my book. You really haven't shown me anything and you call yourself an agent," she told him as she stood up off the bench. "Consider yourself lucky that I'd even consider even thinking about going out with some chum like you. If you're done trying to swoon me then I suggest we go meet up with Xavier,"

It was somewhat of an awkward trip to the administration room. Sigma had a hard time looking at Tau and often kept his eye off of her until they reached Xavier's office. Inside was the male octoling they met in the elevator as well as a female, an elite also in suit like him.

"So these were the two agents you were telling me about, they don't look much," said the elite.

"Don't underestimate agent Tau, but as for Sigma. I don't know much about him,"

"Hey, cut me some slack. I managed to infiltrate the defectors and got inside their base, well technically it wasn't there base, but..." He started telling them before he was cut off.

"I've read the report Tau gave me. We're already tracking that it was some facility built by humans, we're well aware of that and the humans themselves. I also been informed you failed to bring one of the human's back but thankfully the commandos done that already and a rather unusual specimen at that," said Xavier.

"Nevertheless, you were compromised agent. Meaning you failed your mission," said the elite.

"I wouldn't call it failure ma'am," Sigma replied.

"Then what would you call it. You failed to bring back any vital intel, the kettle and the access tunnels were disabled or destroyed by the defectors which means they have relocated... meaning they still pose a problem and that's besides losing our opportunity to obtain those humans... I call it failure,"

"If I may interject, yes he managed to botch things up a little, but for his defense at least the defectors can't use the humans and they did vacate the site which was impenetrable. Yes, it may be a loss for us but a loss for them as well. He did get the commandos out and that human they brought back with them... isn't that right Sigma," Tau coming to Sigma's defense.

"Umm, right," he quickly said.

"You barely made it by the skin of your beak. If it were me, you'd be terminated from your agent duties and stuck in some cod-forsaken outpost dealing with the dumb tentacles," the elite told him angrily.

"If you don't mind Moira, I'd like to discuss the agents next mission. You're free to leave," The elite nodded but shot Sigma a quick unhappy expression as she left out of Xavier's office.

"She was nice, what's got her tentacles in a twist?" asked Sigma.

"She is overseeing agent operations and is the liaison for the general. She's got enough on her plate and any unsatisfactory news she obtains... let's say gets her fuming. Be fortunate she didn't throw something at you agent," said Xavier as he straightened out the paperwork across his desk.

"Just go ahead and give us the briefing already Xavier," said Tau.

"To the point then... as I told you, you and Sigma are being tasked with locating a defector safehouse in the outer district of the city. We believe it's a warehouse, our informant has told us that some sympathizers and possibly a defector advisor is smuggling weapons in the city to conduct small scale attacks to deduct morale and do damage, sending a signal to the army. I want you to spy on them and once you have eyes on the advisor and weapons, call it in and a raiding team will be on standby to assault the safehouse,"

"How credible is this intel, what if it's a ploy?"

"That's why I'd advise caution, but we trust the informant, they've already been paid. I see no reason why they would give us false intel,"

"Very well then, we'll grab our weapons and head that way,"

"Here's the coordinates of the safehouse, and Sigma... don't you dare mess this up," Xavier told him as he handed the coordinates to Tau. Sigma just rolled his eyes.

Thirty minutes later, a couple of blocks from the safehouse location. Tau and Sigma in their octo forms swam toward the warehouse yard, sneaking around the grounds to a ladder that would give them access the roof. As they climbed up, they heard a vehicle pull in, a box truck, going inside the warehouse, presumebly loaded down with more weapons and who knows what else.

The bay door opened and an octoling could be seen flagging the truck to back in. "This is it, the informant was right all along," said tau as they made it up to the balcony. "I wouldn't count your eggs just yet. We haven't seen any weapons," said Sigma.

"Don't know what else they could be doing. Let's just get inside and see for ourselves then," said tau as she took the grate off of the vent and crawled inside the duct. Sigma followed and then two of them slipped inside the rafters of the warehouse and overlooked what was going on below. They spotted multiple octolings gathering around the box truck as it opened up. Crates upon crates were unloaded as well as cases. "That's everything but the care package," said one of the octolings.

"Care package? Wonder what that is?" whispered Sigma watching them from above.

"Probably some secret weapon," answered Tau.

"Adjascent from where the truck was parked. Appeared to a staging area, complete with tables, white boards, battle plans, shop lights where they would plan their next moves. "Alright listen up, this is the last shipment. I'm not taking any chances, their might be eyes on this place so you better remember the escape plan if the place does get raided," said the leader.

"So what about the weapons and the other thing we brought, we can't let them get their hands on it," said another octoling.

"The weapons I'm less concerned about, it's what got left on the truck, speaking of which, we might as well take it off. It's gonna take all of us to unload it, so someone go grab the carrier to place it on,"

Sigma and Tau watched as the octolings unloaded what looked like a large metallic coffin. "What is that?" asked Sigma. "I'm not sure," she replied as they gawked.

The coffin was placed on a carrier and rolled toward the staging area. "If this is what we think it is, we could turn the tables on Scarlet and her forces," said the leader before they opened up the giant case with a glass window on top of it. "Hold on, I know what that is and what's inside it," said Sigma.

"You do? What is it then?" asked Tau but before she could get an answer, the octolings revealed it to be a human once the fog had settled and Tau's eyes widened. "That can be what I think it is," said Tau. "It is," followed up Sigma.

The human was a male, naked without any clothes on his body. At the same time two octolings opened one of the crates, revealing they weren't ink-based weapons but firearms. A mixture ranging from AKs to SMGs to handguns that had been somewhat restored after being found in pitiful and inoperable condition since the sympathizers couldn't get a hold of any octo shots or any other ink-based weaponry. Octarians would think nothing of the weapons they had, only seeing it as human relics or junk instead of guns.

"What are those supposed to be?" asked Tau as she steadily observed.

"Human weapons... I've seen some like it but in much better shape," Sigma implied.

"What haven't you seen?"

"A lot more than you know... but my question is what are going to do with the human?"

The two agents listened in on the group. "We'll place the reprogrammed goggles over his eyes before he wakes up. Once the hypnowaves does its job, he'll be an ace in the hole. It'll be us instead of Scarlet having an unsplattable soldier," said the leader.

"I've seen enough, we need to call this in," suggested Tau.

"Hold on, I say we need to listen in some more before we do anything,"

The all of a sudden, a small figure jumped out from the back of the truck. "Daddy!" they shouted as they got beside the giant case the human was in, leaning over to try and wake them up. The octoling leader pushed them away as they cried out. It was small human child, shorter than the octolings. "Another human? But they're small... a hatchling perhaps," said Tau.

"No! Don't hurt my dad!" the child cried out. He was pulled off to the side by another octoling who had a hold of his arm and kneeled down to look at him as he started pouting over his father. "I know this must be hard and you're scared," she told the boy, but all he could recount was gargling and grunting from the octopus-headed creature.

"Why was it brought along?" asked the leader.

"It came with the other human by the handler and I felt sorry for it," the octoling caretaker replied.

"You keeping it as a pet?"

"No, as my child,"

"A child! You out of your inking mind!?" snapped the leader as she got everyone's attention. As the boy cried, she turned towards him and knelt down again, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'm your mother now, everything's gonna be ok," she told him. Looking up, the boy could only rub his eyes as he saw the octoling smile at him. Shaking his head, he pulled away and ran away as she octo formed after him.

"Forget about her, let's just put some pants on the human and get him geared up,"

"Alright, enough waiting. We're calling this in before they do anything else," said Tau as she pressed the button on her headset.

"What about the small human. I prefer no harm to come to it,"

"Who cares... it'll just get captured too,"

"I'm not liking this,"

"You're growing a conscious now? How inconvenient... it doesn't matter, we got a job to do and that's stopping these octopi in their tracks before they wake that human up,"

"Do it then,"

As the octoling caught up with the human boy, she himmed in up in a corner, not intent on harming the boy like the child thought. As she tried coaxing with him, he slipped by her and ran off again, seeing an exit near the bay door. Once he got near it, thinking he would make his escape from the creature that was pursuing him, the door blew open from an octopod sending the boy flying back, getting struck with debris and ink. The raiding team stormed in consisting of shielded troopers and octolings behind them. The blast and sudden appearance of the octarians didn't give the sympathizers time to react and were instantly held at gun point before they could do anything to retaliate.

"Don't move! On the ground now!" one elite shouted at them. Not having any other options, they complied, having no means of fighting back, but one octoling rushed over to the badly injured child. "Noooo," she yelled as she pulled him up. He wasn't breathing but was covered in gashes and ink as she wiped it off his face. The octoling clutched him before getting yanked by another octoling and pushed to the floor as she wept over the boy and cuffed.

"Hey, we got another human over here," shouted an octoling from the raiding team.

"Don't touch him," said the sympathizer who was pulled up after she had got restrained.

"It's badly hurt, probably from the octopod blast,"

"Is it alive?" asked the elite, leading the raiding team.

"Barely, we need to bring in a stretcher right away,"

Just as the raiding team had secured everything and detained the sympathizers. Both Sigma and Tau jumped down into the bay. "Nice work you two, octo command will be proud. Not only stopping these terrorists but obtaining some humans. They'll be questioned how they came across these two and where they got those human guns from," said the elite.

Sigma walked away and watched the human child get carried off on a stretcher. "That human going to be alright?" he asked them.

"Why would you care?" replied Tau.

"That little human was frightened out of their mind... I can't blame them,"

"A soft spot for that little human, how touching... remember who you are agent,"

"You're right... what was I thinking, they're not even our kind,"

"You seem unnerved, do I need to be concerned,"

"No... I'll be fine,"

"Good, I job well done,"

Sigma caught a glimpse of someone peeking around a stack of crates. "Hmm..."

"What is it?" Tau asked.

"Don't know...I'll be right back," said Sigma as he rushed off, seeing someone flee from behind the crates.

"Hey! Where are you..." tau shouted at him.

The figure panicked and octo formed away toward the backrooms of the warehouse. Sigma went after them and down a hallway, the octoling agent shot right in front of the fleeing octopus as they changed shape and hopped over the puddle, but another shot of ink struck them in the back.

Sigma approached them as they laid on the floor, he flipped them over and saw that it was one of the sympathizers. "I thought I saw someone," he told them, holding his octoshot on them.

"Please don't shoot, I'm not even armed,"

"I won't, but I do got a question for you... where did you get the humans and those guns?"

"Why should I tell you anything,"

"Because I can just take you in... now answer my question. I recogized the machine they were in but where did it come from,"

"I don't know... and I'm being honest. Some handler, someone else among my team would know,"

"You don't have the slightest idea?"

"Maybe... somewhere outside our territory,"

"Inkling territory?"

"All I heard was Ark Polaris... I don't know where that's at?"

"Sigma! Where are you!" shouted Tau the direction of the bay.

"Shit..." he muttered under his breath. "Just get out of here," he told the octoling on the ground.

"You're letting me go,"

"I said go before I change my mind!" he demanded as she looked at him strangely before getting up and rushing off.

"Sigma! There are you are! Why did you run off like that... did you see someone?"

"Negative... must've been seeing things,"

"The raiding team is finishing up, we're not needed here so we might as well return to octobeak HQ,"

"What do you know about Ark Polaris?" Sigma asked the other agent.

"Ark Polaris? Name sounds familiar but I'm not sure. Ask Xavier, but why do you need to know?"

"Crossed my mind I guess,"

"OK, somethings up. You sure you didn't see anyone,"

"I'm sure!"

"Do we need to evaluate you when we get back to HQ. You're starting to worry me,"

"It's nothing," he said as he walked away.

Sigma walked back toward the bay with Tau following him, questioning his behavior. Once everything was wrapped up. The humans were taken to cephalon base for study and the sympathizers would be placed in detention for their crimes. It was obvious Sigma was bothered by something, he wasn't sure if was because of the human child or how the octoling had grown attached, even though the boy wasn't an octoling but saw a motherly bond she wanted with the young human, especially seeing him nearly get killed by the raiding team breaching the warehouse. Sigma tried getting his mind off of it but overtime it would gnaw at him more and more as the day progressed.

Below the canyon, being overlooked by tentakeel outpost was the remains of the V-22 osprey, smoldering from the wreck caused by the undeliberate attack from the drone's hellfire missile above. In an attempt to abduct Levi, the squidbeak agents 1,2, and 3, managed to stop the sanitized soldiers of Kamabo from taking Levi but at the cost of losing Levi... or so they thought. With the VTOL crashing and tentakeel outpost taking damage from the drone strike. The squidbeak agents feared that Levi perished as they watched him fall along with the damaged aircraft to the bottom of the canyon.

Half an hour had past, Levi, who had miraculously survived was laying on the bank of the river running through the canyon. He had just woken up, sore and battered up, clutching his abdomen as he groaned in pain. Blood dripping off his head, clutching it as he looked around to see the V-22 had crashed down near the river.

He tried getting up, stumbling as fell down in attempt to get his bearings. He stood again but slowly. He approached the wrecked VTOL and spotted a soldier laying on the ground. They were face down as Levi turned them over, seeing the soldier was unresponsive. With his pistol missing, Levi grabbed the soldier's and what magazines he had on him before sliding it into his holster.

Levi walked away thinking the sanitized human was dead, but he was wrong. Suddenly, Levi was grabbed from behind and shoved into the water. As the sanitized human tried downing him, Levi pulled out the pistol and fired it at him. Striking him three times, as the soldier fell back and Levi could sit up, giving a big gasp of air as he coughed. This time, the sanitized human was dead for sure. Exhausted from the struggle, Levi plopped down on the bank and looked around for a way out of the canyon.

He looked at the device around his arm to check and see if it was still functioning. Browsing through the menu, he ran a diagnostic on it as the screen when in and out. Once he was done, he went to the GPS screen. The GPS was unfamiliar with the region so it couldn't direct Levi to a location but did see what direction North was at least. Giving a sigh, "At least the armlink still works, too bad he can't tell me where I'm at. Better start exploring. Hope I get back to those agents," he said. The human stood up and decided to just follow the river and hope it came out somewhere, from there he would see if could find anything that would point him back to tentakeel outpost. As he left the crash site, a figure dressed in tactical gear stumbled out of the wrecked V-22 and fell out of the back ramp. Injured, the watched Levi leave the site and head down the river. The figure was the sanitized commander that looked like Seth. He was determined to take the drive from Levi whether he had to kill him or not, giving himself time to recovery from the wreck, determined to track Levi down to complete his mission for Kamabo.

Above the canyon though, at tentakeel outpost. The squid sisters looked over what was left of the collapsed training area that was hit from the drone's missile. They only thing they could see below was smoke bellowing from above the crashed VTOL. Marie fell to her knees as tears ran down her cheek. Callie got beside her, hugging her sister as she started to cry with her. "Uh no...L...Levi, He can't be gone," Callie muttered sadly.

Cassie and Cuttlefish came up behind the two. The squid sisters turning and looking at the captain and their grandfather with tears in their eyes. "We'll find the lad, don't chu worry your tentacles," he said to them as tapped his cane.

"You think he survived gramps?" asked Marie as she wiped her eye.

"Don't know, but that doesn't mean we can't go lookin' for him. C'mon grandsquids,"

"Um, gramps... how are we supposed to get down there?" asked Callie.

"Howdy girls! Did I miss anything!?" asked a voice which surprised the four inklings. They looked and saw Sheldon's drone hovering just over them. "My word! What happened here!?" exclaimed Sheldon, noticing part of the agent's training area had destroyed from the drone strike.

"Sheldon, this might be hard to explain, but right now we gotta locate Levi," said Marie.

"Whose Levi? I thought I was supposed to be overseeing Sam and the other agents," said Sheldon.

"Remember when you mentioned to us about the humans from before. The one's that stole your drone before you ran into Sam and Flash... well they tried taking Levi. We stopped them but..." Marie started to tell him before getting interrupted.

"This thing shot out of the sky! Like an inkstrike missile and crashed into the training grounds!" exclaimed Callie as she jumped and shook her arms in excitement.

"Cal! Don't interrupt me!" she scolded her cousin. "Anyway, that flying thing they came in was hit and Levi fell down the canyon. I tried reaching him but... I couldn't," Marie finished as she downed her head.

"Gadzooks! Those humans came here!? To tentakeel outpost!... but you still didn't tell me who Levi is and why those humans were after him,"

"Levi's a human too. He became friends with Sam and meeting him, he seemed pretty sensible, though we've never met a living human before. He told us it was his fault that those humans came here, because they were tracking him down. He mentioned something about being part of some resistance and more humans back where he came from," Marie told Sheldon.

"Intriguing... I'd like to know more about this human. To think of what we could learn from him. I getting giddy just thinking about it,"

"Focus Sheldon. There's no studying anyone until we find him. Is there any way you can use that drone of yours to find Levi?"

"I'm not sure. I know I managed to locate Sam or any of the other agents, but a human may be a different matter... I'll try,"

"I'm counting on you Sheldon,"

"I'll do my best agent 2. Speaking of agents have you heard anything from them?"

"We spoke with Sam and Jet hours ago. They seemed to be managing but Flash and Ash weren't present. Sam said they left out of one of the kettles when those humans showed up,"

"Hopefully I'll run into them again. I'll be on the lookout, anything else before I go look for this human?"

"That's all for now. Just keep that thing out of trouble,"

"Will do, agent 2. I don't know if I can afford to replace another drone. I'm busy enough as it is with my other projects. You know I'm disembarking for Splatsville sense hammerhead bridge has finally opened,"

"Yeah, seems like that's the new turf war hot spot. I'm even hearing about a new pop trio there. Don't know much about them or Splatsville for that matter. We'll have to check it out some time,"

"Oooh, sounds like another adventure Marie. I can't wait to go to Splatsville. I can't wait to meet this new pop trio. I wonder if they give the news or spectate the turf war matches like we do?" said Callie excitedly as she had a hold of her cousin.

"Splatsville? Never heard of the place," commented Cuttlefish.

"Yeah, I'm a little curious myself. That's where Sam came from, come to think of it," said Cassie.

"It's settled, road trip!" shouted Callie gleefully.

"Callie... did you forget the mission? Agents, Levi, stopping the octarians,"

"Them dern octarians. Can't enjoy me vacation without having to worry bout' them blasted octopi," said Cuttlefish as he waved his cane.

"Gramps, watch your ink pressure. You just made it back and well... you're pretty old," commented Marie.

"Old! Let me tell you something grandsquid. I might be old, but I can handle ole' Octavio. Why if he were right now, I'd give him a good beating, right back to octo valley where he and his kind belong... I said if Octavio were here, I'd give him a good beating!" Cuttlefish got louder the second time he repeated himself as the agents gave him a strange look.

"Gramps what are doing?" asked Callie.

"Waiting for Octavio to show up. It seems like he appears when you're dissing him, as you youngins put it... hmm, odd," said Cuttlefish as tapped the side of his mouth.

"Um, gramps... why in the squid would you want Octavio to show up, besides, the new octarian leader took him into custody or so I've heard, not sure whether to believe that or not," said Marie.

"Hey! what's that!" pointed out Callie. She was directing the other three inklings toward the sky. A large object was closing in and once it was recognizable, the inklings went wide-eyed in disbelief. It was Octavio riding on... a giant fist? Octavio was yelling and cursing as he was zooming and heading straight for... "My shack!" shouted Marie. Octavio and the robot fist from his octobot king crashed right into the ornate shack, destroying it in an explosion with Octavio surviving and humorously, his head partially dug into the ground as he was standing upside down. Once he moaned and opened his eyes, he spotted the squidbeak agents and Cuttlefish staring at him. Marie's expression of disbelief turned to anger as she bared her fangs at Octavio.

"I can't believe of all cephalopods, you'd show up and out of the sky at that," she told Octavio as she aimed her umbrella at his head.

"Wow, gramps was right. Octavio did show up like he said he would," said Callie which left everone dumbfounded.

"Cal, you're not helping," Marie said as she tried to restrain her anger before focusing back on the big octopus. "Give me a reason I shouldn't beat the ink out of you and toss you off the cliff,"

"I didn't come here to fight you hipsters!" Octavio yelled as he flailed his tentacles to get himself unstuck.

"Huh... then why else would you just come crashing down you did,"

"Urgh, because I... need your help, as much as it pains for me to admit it,"

"I don't believe that you overgrown sea slug,"

"Cuttlefish! I know we've had our differences in the past and all but hear me out. I'm not the enemy here, it's that granddaughter of mine. Even my own peeps tried to have me splatted! That's why I got away and had to flee octo valley to get here!" Ocatvio explained himself as he finally fell over and planted his face into the dirt.

"Way to make an entrance. Where's that big robot of yours and why should we believe you anyway? You stole the great zapfish...twice! And squidnapped and brainwashed my cousin. I don't feel sorry for you at all Octavio! You deserve to get splatted!" Marie ranted.

"Marie...maybe we should listen to him at least," suggested Callie as she gripped her cousin's shoulder.

"Of all the squids, I would've never thought you'd side up with this worthless bag of ink after what he did to you,"

"We may need to take his warning in consideration," said Cassie.

"Not you too, Cass?"

"He's right. He's not our enemy. For now, but his granddaughter is. She's the one whose duped the inklings into thinking they wanted peace while they're making plans to invade Inkopolis,"

"Granddaughter huh, sounds like the apple didn't fall far from the tree,"

"Don't compare that squirt to me! Are you gonna help me or not!" grumbled Octavio as stood up and brushed himself off as he adjusted his helmet.

"With that kind of tone. I would say not and why should we?"

"Grrr... this was a waste of my time! I should've never come here and tried talking to you inkstains!"

"You're right. You shouldn't have... you're either dumb or desperate to think we'd even consider helping you,"

"Why you impotent little... if I had my octobot king right now! I'd wiped the floor with all you hipsters and then I wouldn't need your help!"

"I think Octavio is turning redder," said Callie.

"We'll help you," said Cassie plainly.

"We will!" shouted both Callie and Marie in shock. "You sure that's a good idea?" asked Callie. "Uh, no offense, but after all we've been through because of him and the octarians," said Marie who was a little crossed.

"Uh, you appointed me captain, remember... though, that doesn't mean he won't be kept on a tight leash. Without that big robot of his, I don't think he poses much of a danger,"

"What! I don't need my... uh, I mean, yeah... what could I do?" said Octavio, as he switched over to more innocent demeanor.

"I don't believe this... you better know what you're getting into Cassie,"

"I know and as I said... It's that octoling general we should be concerned about... and finding Levi,"

Leaving the crash site below the canyon. Levi decided to traverse down the river and locate a way out of the gorge. He managed to reach a rock wall and climb up it. Nearly losing his grip twenty feet up and fall but he held on and continued upward. Once he had reached the ravine, he hoisted himself up and spotted a cave in front of him. Having no light, he stepped inside but had to feel his way around. "I can't see where I'm going and I have no idea where this cave goes," he said to himself.

After five minutes of walking in the dark he saw a light source up ahead and made his way out of the exit. He found himself in yet another canyon, unsure if he was making any progress to get back to the inkling agents. Then he spotted what looked like a crashed disc-shaped craft dug into the ground in the near distance. He ran over to investigate, and it looked like a UFO of some kind. It was heavily damaged and covered in rust. Deciding to climb on it and study the cockpit, as he leaned over to look at the controls, an object slipped out of his pocket and landed in the seat.

He looked and grabbed the arrow shaped device. Remembering that it was the squid beacon that Marie handed him. Levi remembered when she told him if he had gotten lost to activate it. He hopped off the UFO and pressed the button on it, before dropping it. The device instantly transformed into what looked like a small rotating array. "So, that's a squid beacon... looks like a little radar dish. Marie said they'd be able to track me if I activated it. I hope she's right," he said.

He waited there and looked around. As five minutes passed, he piddled with the pistol he took from that sanitized soldier, waiting for anything to happen, not knowing he was being monitored. An object flew in closer, the humming caught Levi's attention as he heard something hovering behind him. He quickly reacted and clutched the handgun. Turning and aiming the weapon toward the source of the noise only to see nothing was there. "That was strange, I could've sworn I..."

Then a drone appeared over the derelict craft and Levi turned again toward the source of the humming and shot at it. "Woah!" shouted the drone.

"Huh?" Levi replied. Her heard the drone respond when he nearly shot it down. The drone shimmied and then moved in as Levi kept the pistol on it. "Wow! A real human... or at least that's what the agents told me," said Sheldon as he got the drone to hover right in front of Levi.

"Agents? Wait, you know the squidbeak? Who are you?" asked Levi.

"The name's Sheldon and it's more than a pleasure to meet you. I have so many questions! Sorry, I can't contain the joy I'm having right now!" said Sheldon.

"Um, calm down will ya, guessing you never met a human before? Your dialect is different? Are you an inkling?"

"Huh, no... I'm a horseshoe crab. It's astonishing that you're not only alive but understand me,"

"Horseshoe crab? So now there's talking crabs,"

"Oceanic-based lifeforms during your time must not have been as developed as we are today. Our ancestors were primitive before the mollusk era when all sea creatures came on land. We don't know much about humans, other than what we could learn from your fossilized remains and the technology you left behind, technology that has been vital to our survival,"

"Squids didn't turn into kids and crabs didn't talk and operate drones, by what've learned from our history books. Not sure how marine life could just evolve and dwell on land,"

"Fascinating, I wanna learn so much about your species and your world, but enough about that. I'm here to help, Cassie and Marie have asked that I find you and get you back to tentakeel outpost. That squid beacon brought me to you, and I noticed your wearing agent 3's yellow vest. Did she give that to you?"

"If you're referring to the inkling with the cap and patchy poncho, then yes. She gave it to me as a gift and recruit me as a squidbeak agent even though I told her I was technically already an agent. She insisted anyway," said Levi before he changed the subject. "I don't know my way around this place, so yeah, you can say I'm a bit lost, call me a tourist without a guide,"

"Never fear human. I'll get you back to the agents, or my name isn't Sheldon,"

"Then what should I call you if you don't,"

"You got a sense of humor human, I like that,"

"Please, it's Levi... funny you're a horseshoe crab and your name is Shell-don, what is that a word pun?"

"I don't know what you mean, that's my name,"

"Um, just, never mind. If you can get me back to that outpost then please lead the way. I got my own mission to complete,"

Back at tentakeel outpost, the agents were debating what their next move would be. "With Sheldon tracking down Levi, that leaves us with the DJ. I still can't believe we're helping him," said Marie as she shook her head.

"Maybe he'll have a change of hearts after we're done. Who knows Marie. Octavio might decide to make peace with us and the inklings,"

"Sure Cal, I'll believe that when sea pigs fly, though we've already seen one fat-headed octopus fly and crash into my shack!"

"Get over it hipster! It's not like that thing had a steering wheel!"

"Enough of yalls' bickerin' already! Octavio! What can you tell us about that granddaughter of yours,"

"Scarlet, was once the leader of my proud army and now she's taken full control. She plans on invading the surface and settling things once and for all with you squids even if that means splatting every last inkstain that stands against her,"

"So, pretty much what you wanted to do," said Marie.

"Well, um... sure I took the zapfishs and yeah, maybe I wanted to ink every squid for payback after you banished us underground to depend on those zapfishs to stay alive. You wouldn't do the same? It was you inkstains that started all this in the first place,"

"Don't give me that! It was you that stole the great zapfish out of Inkopolis plaza years ago!"

"Quit you're fuedin' you two. I'm about ready to give you both a good whack on the head. Is there anything else you can tell us Octavio. I got a feeling that this Scarlet has got more in store for us than just an invasion,"

"She's out of her mind and not just because she wants to take the surface. It's because she wants to revive the humans, using our cloning machines to make a unsplattable army for her own use. Not only that, but she's also crazy enough to believe we came from humans, enough she wants to establish a new world where we'll all be "converted" back over to those extinct apes!"

"What!" shouted both Callie and Marie.

"She is crazy. We have to stop her if that's her intentions," said Marie.

"Is there anything we do?" asked Callie.

"I'm... not sure at this point. I'm relying on the agents to stop the octarians. We're gonna have to warn the Inkopolis government, whether they want to believe us or not. If the octarians do try to invade, then the Inkopolis defense force has to get prepared to fight and defend the city,"

"So, we're heading back to Inkopolis," asked Callie.

"We got no choice,"

"What about our cousin Pearl and Marina?"

"With them given the Inkopolis news, they maybe our back up plan if we can't convince the city officials that the octarians are gonna attack,"

The two of them hurried to the storm grate that would lead them back to Inkopolis square, hopefully without as many turf war players congesting the square itself. Cassie and Cuttlefish looked at each and then turned their focus on Octavio. "Well... I'm up for any ideas," said Cassie.

"Why you lookin' at me hipster? Without my octobot king and wasabi stalks, I ain't much of a DJ aren't I. I came to you squids for help, remember," grumbled Octavio who scowled at Cassie and Cuttlefish.

"If ya don't me asking, how'd you get here without that big robot of yours anyway?" asked Cuttlefish.

"Urgh... I thought I could trust someone back in Octopolis. I found my octobot king, what was left of it anyway. Those degenerates where chopping it up for scrap! I tried sneaking in that shop and getting it powered on, but as I was, those hipsters tried to stop me. I tried to fire one of the fists at them, but something went wrong. I hopped out of it, only to get launched out of Octopolis and that's how I ended up here. It wasn't the escape I had in mind, but I got away," revealed Octavio.

"So now, you're on the run... and were desperate enough to come here, asking for our assistance," gloated Cassie.

"Don't rub it in! I've already had one bad headache when I crashed and now, I'm getting another, being reminded how dumb I am to come here and ask for you hipsters' help... unfortunately, there was no one else I could turn to... except Craig,"

"Craig?" replied Cassie as she looked at Cuttlefish curiously.

"Ay, that'd be me... you ain't called me Craig since we were friends Octavio," said Cuttlefish.

"Don't think we'll be catching up on the good ole' days Cuttlefish. Once that granddaughter of mine is put in her place, bank on me swiping your precious zapfish again,"

"Again, honestly, don't you tired of getting your octopus butt kicked and stuffed in a snow globe,"

"Third times a charm as they always say,"

"You're hopeless," said Cassie with exasperation.

Callie and Marie had managed to make it back to Inkopolis without any trouble. As they had hoped, the square wasn't as busy as it always was. They wondered why though? "Wow, this place is as empty as after the splatfest concerts. Wonder where all the turfers are at?" asked Callie.

"I'm like you, but on the other hand. I'm glad there's no one around," said Marie as the two of them headed over toward the square's studio. They saw the window was covered and a notice was placed on the door. "Hmm, what's this?" asked Marie as she pulled the paper off.

"What's wrong Marie?" she asked as Marie read the notice.

"Pearl and Marina aren't covering the news or the turf war matches anymore,"

"What? Why?"

"I don't know? Maybe I should try to get a hold of them. If they can't give the Inkopolis news, plan b is out the window and no will be able to warn the city when the octarians invade," Marie pulled her squidphone out, calling Pearl, but only got her voice mail. The same went with Marina when Marie tried calling the octoling DJ. "No luck?" asked Callie.

"No... this is strange. If they're not giving the news then who is? This all started with the final splatfest, Order vs Chaos. Did they have a fallen out?"

"But they're best friends. Maybe the studio is getting renovated or something,"

"I don't think so Cal. Let's not worry about it. We gotta reach the Inkopolis municipality and talk some sense into those inkheads before the octarians do show up,"

As the two of them started to make their way out of the square, they spotted a familiar character near Sean's food truck. "Huh, is that agent 8?" asked Marie.

"It is, oh, maybe she knows something about Pearl and Marina. Hey agent 8! Over here!" Callie waved at the octoling but got back an unexpected response.

The octoling jumped a little and turned toward the squid sisters. Her eyes widened but instead of going over to greet them, she fretted and started to run away. "Why is she leaving?" asked Callie.

"I don't know, but let's catch up to her," said Marie. They squid formed and went after the octoling girl. Seeing the two inklings change, the octoling agent octo formed herself and tried losing them down an alley, knocking trash cans and boxes in their path. She then passed through a hurricane fence and managed to get out of their sight. Callie and Maire stopped and changed back as they reached the tall fence. "OK, what's going on?... why did she act so threatened seeing us?" asked Marie.

"I know she's always been kind of shy, but what was that all about?" asked Callie.

"The square is nearly empty, Pearl and Marina are missing, and now agent 8... which adds to the strangeness of Octavio asking for our help. Has everything gone backwards,"

"It looks like it, I'm afraid to ask what'll happen next?"

"I knew nothing good would come out of that last splatfest Off the hook was hosting,"

"It was just a splatfest,"

"Callie, you don't recall what happened when we hosted the last splatfest back when the plaza was open. Team Callie vs Team Marie,"

"Y...yeah, your team won and then we..."

"Split up... and then you got captured by the octarians. I nearly lost you Cal, if it weren't for Sheldon and Izzy's help. With how bad and topsy turvy everything has been. I can bet, that talking to the city officials is gonna be pointless, like kicking a dead sea horse,"

"I miss the times we had back at the plaza... before you know, Octavio taking the great zapfish and recruiting Cassie in the squidbeak. We didn't have to worry about those octojerks back then,"

"Gramps wouldn't want us to give up, not now... (sigh) I hate to return to tentakeel outpost, knowing we haven't accomplished anything. I'm at a loss... let's just head back to the square and go from there," advised Marie as the two of the squid formed away.

Levi was following Sheldon's drone below the canyon. As the human tailed the drone, he was suddenly feeling sick, his head was throbbing, followed by dizziness, causing him to stagger, walking or even standing up was a challenge for him until he fell over. "Hey, is something the matter? You don't look good?" said Sheldon's drone.

"I'm... f...fine, Not sure what's come over me," said Levi as he tried getting up.

"You sure,"

"Positive... I haven't eaten in days, maybe it's just hunger pangs or something,"

"Holy mackerel... you're eye,"

"Huh, what are talking about?" Levi asked, he then turned toward a nearby puddle to see his reflection. At the mere sight, Levi was frightened and fell back, as he scurried from the water puddle. "O...oh shit, this isn't happening... I was supposed to have been cured," he stammered nervously. Levi saw what Sheldon was talking about. His right eye had turned a bioluminescent green as well as his sclera was black, reminiscent of the sanitized humans that were after him. He held his head and closed his eyes, not wanting to believe what he saw.

"Levi, is there something you're not telling me?"

"Don't worry about it," he told Sheldon nervously.

"Why did your eye change color like that? Is that not normal for your race?"

"No... it isn't... Sheldon, I don't know how to tell you this,"

"You can tell me,"

"I shouldn't... seems my condition is worsening, could I be reverting back...No! Those scientists said this wouldn't happen. I should've known not to believe them. I'm glad Piper isn't here to see me right now," he said getting up as he punched the ground.

"What are you going on about?... um, your eyes back to normal, so it seems," said Sheldon.

"What? Back to normal?" said Levi before he rushed over to the little puddle. As Sheldon had verified, his eye was back to normal, but Levi knew it would be a matter of time until he would become sanitized again, assuming if he couldn't find a way to counter it. "Please, just get me back. I have to complete my mission ASAP,"

"Relax Hum... Levi. I'll get you back as quick as I can, but like you. I'm not familiar with this area myself,"

Suddenly a gunshot rang out and Levi was struck in the arm. He yelled and fell on the ground, grasping his arm. The sanitized team commander shot Levi from behind a rock wall. The drone looked around but saw nothing. "Sheldon, just... get out of here!" Levi jeered as he held his arm from getting hit by the bullet.

"What! And leave you!"

"Just do it!"

Soon another gunshot rang out. Levi dove out of the way before he caught another bullet. Sheldon spotted the sanitized human and dodged the bullets as much as he could as the commander approached them as he shot his pistol at the flying drone. Finally, the drone was hit and fell to the rocky ground. "Oh no, oh no, not again! Levi! Can you hear me!?" Sheldon shouted over the mic that relayed his voice to the drone.

Levi got up but was pistol whipped in the head. "You're not getting away this time and your cephalopod allies won't be here to save you. Hand over the hard drive and I'll make your death quick," the commander demanded as he aimed the pistol in Levi's face.

"F YOU! I ain't given you shit!" Levi growled at him. He glared at Levi and stepped on his arm where the bullet hit him. "Gaaaaah!" Levi jeered in pain.

"Give...Me...the drive!" the commander demanded again. He shook his head, staying uncompliant with the sanitized human. "So be it, then... I'll just dig around your body for it,"

Sheldon watched helplessly through the drone feed, seeing there was nothing he could do. He attempted to get the drone up and try to pose a distraction. "C'mon c'mon... " fighting with the controls to get the drone up.

The drone finally ascended and was steered right into the commander's head. He growled when the drone struck him, which gave Levi the opportunity to pull his knife out and stab the soldier in the leg. Levi kicked the commander off of him and quickly got back on his feet. He grabbed the sanitized human's head and punched and then again. As Levi tried to launch a third hit he was struck himself and knocked away.

The commander got up, but Levi pulled his pistol out only for his arm to be grabbed and twisted, making Levi drop the pistol and then elbowed in the face. He was picked up and tossed on the ground. Beaten up, Levi saw the commander approach him, ready to do in Levi and swipe the flash drive. "Give it up Vagrant, we know I'm walking away here with that drive," he told Levi.

"The name's... Levi, asshole," he winced, sliding the knife under his body he saw laying near him. "You're not getting this drive, not over my dead body,"

"So be it then," the sanitized commander said as stepped on Levi's stomach. He pulled the pistol out and loaded another mag before pulling the slide back. "It ends here," as he began aiming the gun on Levi.

"It sure does," muttered Levi as he pulled the sanitized soldier's arm down and thrusted the knife he had hidden into the commander's jaw. Instantly the sanitized human was slain, as Levi pushed him off as he laid on the ground. Levi got up and walked over to the dead commander's body. It was apparent the fight was over. "Levi! Levi! You there!" shouted Sheldon's voice as it went in and out through the static. He looked around and spotted the damaged drone on the ground.

"I'm here Sheldon, thanks for the save," he told the drone.

"Oh, I'm so glad you're ok," Sheldon said, though the video feed was going in and out from the damage it took.

"Is your drone still operable? Can it fly?"

"No, it took too much damage, especially when I flew it into that other human that attacked you. I'm afraid to say you're on your own,"

"Getting used to it,"

"Levi! Behind you!" shouted Sheldon, but before Levi would turn, he was punched and fell to the ground. The sanitized human stomped on the drone and then turned his attention to Levi, pointing the handgun at him as he pulled the knife out of jaw. "I'm gonna enjoy killing you," he said as blood dripped out of his mouth. Levi's eyes widened, he wouldn't have time to react, but before the trigger was pulled. Levi heard a splat noise as the soldier's arms went flail, dropping the pistol as he fell to his knees. The sanitized commanded collapsed on the ground with a splatter of ink behind his head before he finally dissolved into a green goo puddle.

Levi spotted the shooter, an octoling holding up an ink charger as she gave a smile. More octolings approached from behind her and the octoling lowered the weapon and walked over to where Levi was. Unsure whether to feel grateful for his saviors, not knowing if they were friend or foe. Not taking any chances, he slowly got up and raised his hands. The elite with the charger stopped and studied Levi as the octolings behind stayed on guard.

"This is the second I saved you human," said the elite as she raised her goggles with a smirk.

"Excuse me?" he said, lifting a brow from confusion.

"What, you don't recognize the pretty chick that came to your rescue last time, back in the metro?" she flaunted.

"You're that octo-ling that took me in back in that subway station?" he replied, lowering his hands.

"Can I get a thank you please?"

"Thank you... and I do mean that, what are you doing out here?"

"We came out as soon as the coast was clear. We've been catching odd radio traffic recently. Not only from the octarian army, but from some strange language we can't understand. I sent a team up to investigate and saw what looked like a battle took place back in the town. We spotted a crashed machine we weren't familiar with and puddles of some green gunk. We set up a recon around the area and then our scouts caught a signal, after a while we caught more chatter, this time... when I heard the name Levi, I remembered you and we homed in one the source of the radio transmission and saw you with that sanitized human who was about to kill you,"

"Well, if you don't mind me asking, can I hitch a ride," he said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"It'll cost ya,"

"Put it on my tab,"

"By the way... that vest you're wearing. I've seen it before and know where it came from? The question is how did you obtain it?" she asked as she pointed at the yellow safety vest he was wearing.

"It was given to me from a friend," he said, tugging on the vest.

"That friend wouldn't happen to be agent 3 would it,"

"She's a squidbeak agent, yes... I made friends with them back at their outpost before I fell down into the canyon,"

"Nothing against the inklings, but in the past, I fought that agent trying to defend my people and my territory. I hold nothing against her or the rest of those squids, but I prefer them to stay out of our business. I'm glad that we got to run into each other again because our leader wishes to speak to you," she told him as she placed the goggles back over her eyes.

"Why?"

"She's just as fixated on humans as Scarlet is. She defected years ago and escaped to the surface. She's risked her life to come back to octarian territory to lead the octo-rebels and put an end to Scarlet's reign if it means to stop the octarians from conquering the surface and starting another great turf war. Her name is Marina,"

"Look, don't take this wrong way, I appreciate you saving me and the fact that I got my own fan club, but I got my own problems to tackle,"

"You need medical assistance. You might as well come with us and please it's vital that Marina gets to see you," she told Levi, seeing the blood run down his arm from the gunshot.

"Why am I so important?"

"With these sanitized humans showing up, Marina wants to more about them and how we can address this new threat. She's dealt with the sanitized before, in the deep-sea metro. The mention and sighting so these sanitized humans is more than a concern for us and want to know exactly why they are here,"

"I already told you why before, now if you don't mind, I have to..." he said as he tried to walk past her, but she blocked his path with the ink charger.

"I tried asking nicely, and I let you go last time... don't force my hand human, I'd rather not," her tone getting more serious with him.

"What are you going to do? Shoot me?"

The elite lowered her charger and growled to herself. "As I told those agents. I have my own objective to save my people and bring down Kamabo. If I could go with you, I would... I'm sorry I can't help you,"

As Levi walked away, he was bashed in the back of the head by one of the regulars. Levi collapsed on the ground and was about to black out as he watched the octolings approach his body. "I'm sorry too," the elite told him as she kneeled down, only catching a glimpse of her goggles before he went unconscious.

Hours had past, Levi slowly came around as he awoke to seeing a metal ceiling above his head and laying in what appeared to be a bed, covered by a sheet... and a good thing to, because he was disrobed. He sat up and groaned, rubbing the back of his head where he was hit by the sergeant's ink weapon. "Why do I get myself in these predicaments... and where the heck are my clothes!?" he shouted, lifting up the sheets to see he was naked.

He looked over, hearing snoring as an octoling regular with short tentacles was passed out, hunched over her chair. She was supposed to keep watch on Levi and inform the others whenever he woke up. Levi knew this was his chance to leave, but first he had to locate his gear and clothing. Scanning the room, he spotted his stuff on a table, even his pistol was resting on top of his belongings.

Pushing the covers over, Levi quietly snuck over to his things as to not wake the octoling guard who was dozing in the chair. Halfway across the room, the octoling dropped the ale bottle she was holding. It hit the floor and Levi hesitated, fearing the noise woke her up, but instead she stirred and gave a stretch before going back to sleep. He gave a deep breath and continued on, reaching his stuff to make sure everything was there. "Now to get dressed and out of this place," he said to himself.

Putting his gear down, he started putting on his underwear and then his pants. Unaware, the noise he was making, had caught the sleeping octoling's attention. She lifted her head and saw Levi was up and getting dressed. "Hmm..." she smiled, still buzzed from the ale she smuggled in the room. Instead of alerting the others, she had something else in mind. As Levi was too busy to notice, the octoling crept over and soon the human felt a hand on his back side which caused him to freeze and look toward the guard who was grinning at him.

"Where do you think you're going big boy," she said, followed by a giggle.

"Um, out,"

"Nuh uh uh, you're not going anywhere..."

"I'd like to see your drunk ass stop me,"

The guard tried to grab him, Levi got out of her reach and the octoling crashed into the table his stuff was sitting on. As comical as the scene was, the human continued getting dressed before anybody heard the commotion. As he finished, he could hear footsteps approaching, leaving was no longer an option and feared that he would apprehended again. He looked over to the passed-out girl and came up with a desperate idea, the idea that could ensure he left the rebels hideout.

There was a knock at the door. "Hey, what's going on there!? We heard something fall!" an octoling shouted outside the door. After several seconds with no response, the octolings kicked the door open and saw Levi holding his pistol against the guard's head. "Don't move!" Levi shouted at them.

The octolings were agape before aiming their weapons back at Levi. "Just me let go! I don't wanna hurt anyone!"

"At ease!" the sergeant told the octolings behind her at the doorway. She turned and looked at Levi, displeased with one of hers getting held at gun point. "Lower your weapon human, you don't need to do this,"

"You didn't give me an option back at the canyon. You club me and then drag my ass back here. How am I supposed to react?"

"I'm asking again that you lower that weapon. I wanna end this peacefully. I'll take you to the lieutenant if you relinquish that gun and let go of my private,"

"No, you're taking me to the exit and nowhere else, got it,"

"I can't do that,"

"The I won't guarantee the safety of this girl,"

"You're given me no choice but to use force. I won't ask again to her,"

"Move back! What's going on!?" shouted the lieutenant as she shoved through the octolings congesting the doorway into the room, Levi was sleeping in.

"Lieutenant, we have a situation. As you can see the human is awake and has my private at gunpoint," said the sergeant.

She looked over and saw what was going on. "Levi, don't do this," she tried reasoning with him.

"Then let me leave,"

"(deep sigh) I will... but first, someone would like to see you. We know what's going on with you and you may need her help. She's dealt with your condition before and maybe we can work out a compromise. Just let my soldier go,"

Levi was deep in thought. Should he cave in and what was she referring to when she mentioned condition. Did she know? He faltered, not wanting to escalate the situation. What good would it do at this point if the elite was willing to give him an opportunity to leave if it meant speaking to who ever this person was and knew about his predicament. He decided to let go of the guard and stood up, holstering his pistol and putting his arms up to let them know he had surrendered.

The octolings stepped in, not taking chances, they restrained him. "I should give you a good beating for hurting the private," said the sergeant as she clutched her octoshot.

"Well, that was her fault. She's a little tipsy, especially when she broke that table," Levi told her.

"Still, I don't appreciate what you put us through,"

"Put you through? This wouldn't have happened if didn't kidnap me... and why was I disrobed?"

"Her orders," replied the lieutenant. "Marina wanted to know about your biology. How much commonality we have with each other. She was supposed to come into the room, once we got word you were awake, not mention you were injured... funny thing though, all your injuries had healed before the medic could treat you,"

"My injuries healed. That's not possible. I was shot... humans don't just heal that quickly," he told them as he felt his arm, realizing the gunshot wound had closed up.

"You did," replied the elite.

"It's because of my sanitization... I used to be sanitized, but I was cured... or so I thought,"

"That's something Marina wishes to bring up. We might be able to do something with it. No promises though, but she's experienced in treating it from the sanitized octolings from the octo expansion incident,"

"If you think she can help then take me to her... I'll talk and I'm sorry about the hostage situation. I didn't wanna hurt that girl or anyone else for that matter. I was just desperate, and I wanted a way out,"

"Understandable... but there's more rational ways to deal with things. You might not think your important, but you are to us,"

"Don't see how,"

"Bring him to Marina... and get that private sobered up," ordered the sergeant.

Back in Inkopolis, the squid siters returned to the square. They decided to check up on Sheldon and see if he had made any efforts in finding Levi. "Sheldon!" Marie shouted as she knocked on the door to ammo knights. After half a minute, the door was opened, and they were greeted by the little crab. "Girls... I wasn't expecting you to show up," he told them.

"Have you heard anything from Off the Hook?" asked Marie.

"Why no, I haven't... I don't think anyone has since the last splatfest,"

"Why's the square so... empty?" asked Callie.

"Splatsville is where it's at... the turfers have slowly been leaving for the new city. I really have no business which has been giving me time to tinker and build new turf weapons. I'm seriously thinking of leaving myself if I can't get any customers," he said as they walked back inside the shop.

"Well, we need you here Sheldon," said Marie.

"Have you had any luck finding Levi?" asked Callie.

"Why yes but..."

"But what?" replied Marie.

"You're...not wanna hear what I have to tell you,"

"No, don't tell me he's dead,"

"On the contrary he's alive, but he got attacked, by one of the same humans that swiped my drone back at that place I found agents Sam and Flash,"

"There's nothing you can do!?"

"My drone was destroyed; I have no way of knowing if Levi managed to get away or not... I'm sorry girls,"

"Where was he last sighted?"

"He activated his squid beacon an hour ago, somewhere in the outer region of the canyon, five miles northeast of tentakeel outpost,"

"There's no time to waste. Sheldon, do you got that truck fixed?"

"I think so, but there's still some kinks I'm trying to work out. I upgraded the boosters but I'm not sure if..."

"We just have to make do. Get it fired up, so we head to octo canyon before it's too late,"

Sheldon scurried away and headed for the back where the truck was parked. Before Marie could follow, Callie grabbed her hand. "Marie, you think we'll make it in time?" she asked her cousin.

"I hope so Callie, for Levi's sake,"

Before they would head to the back of the store where Sheldon went, the two of them heard the door open and saw someone they wouldn't have expected to see again. "Agent 8," said Marie.

"Umm, hey..." she meekly waved.

"You got explaining to do, why did you run away from us and make us chase down that alley?" scolded Marie which cause the octoling girl to flinch a little as she twiddled her fingers. She downed her head in shame before looking up at Marie and Callie.

"I'm... really sorry, but I can't be seen with you two?"

"Huh, why not? And do you know anything about Off the Hook going missing?"

She gave a slow nod and was hesitant about telling the two inklings what she knew. "Please... I came here on my behalf to tell you something. I saw you two come into Sheldon's store. Pearl and Marina, well... went their separate ways. No one knows," agent 8 told the two.

"Pearl and Marina broke up? They were best of friends... has that got something to do with the last splatfest,"

"Marina wasn't happy at all about the outcome. It had nothing to do with the turfers picking Pearl or her team winning the match. She was afraid of what would happen when Inkoplis picked chaos over order," the octoling explained to them.

"I was much afraid too... just like Marina. Where did they go Bridgett? Do they even still give the Inkoplis news anymore?" asked Marie.

The octoling shook her head and turned away. "Then where's Pearl? Where's Marina?" Marie asked the octoling.

"I don't know where Pearl went. She stayed cooped up at her mansion for the longest," she answered, rubbing her arm.

"What about Marina, you're closer to her, especially after what happened back at the deep-sea metro,"

"I don't wanna bring that up!" she exclaimed, traumatized by events from before Tartar was beat and the NILS statue destroyed.

"Then tell us where Marina is!" Marie demanded.

"I can't tell you... she told me not to tell,"

"Why?, why Bridgett? Marina's our friend too and we have a right to know... you saved gramps and Cassie from Tartar. You helped save Inkopolis... you're a friend and ally and I need to know what happened to Marina,"

"She's..."

"She's what?"

"(deep breath) She headed back to octarian territory..."

"She went back. I though she left so she could start a new life in Inkopolis. Why would she do that?"

"It's not what you think... she's leading the octo rebels against Octavio's granddaughter. She wanted me to keep an eye on things in Inkopolis, but she didn't want the squidbeak involved,"

"How come?" asked Callie.

"She doesn't want to see any of you guys getting splatted, especially if it involves any of the inklings, that could cause a war among our races and start another great turf war. Please she did out of her best interests,"

"I don't appreciate this secrecy. Marina's gonna get a good tentacle chewing when this is all over,"

"Please, she'll know I told you after I promised her I wouldn't," pleaded Bridgett.

"I'm sorry agent 8, but I was hoping Marina was here when I needed her,"

"I knew I shouldn't have come to you," she muttered to herself.

"No, you did the right thing. I shouldn't be mad... it's just the idea of taking matters in her own hands. I wish she could've informed me,"

"That's the whole idea, she didn't want anyone knowing. She didn't even tell Pearl,"

"Marie, don't be so hard on Marina. Maybe she wanted to liberate the rest of her people. This whole time I think she felt guilty, knowing that the octolings were still being brain-washed to think inklings were so bad. She did come up to the surface and see for herself how wrong they were, and she made friends with Pearl. We accepted her as well as everyone else, knowing she was an octoling," Callie consoled her cousin.

"Yeah, I remembered when more of those octolings showed up the city. Everyone thought they were just inklings with strange tentacle styles, but I think everyone eventually figured it out and well, got accustomed to it. I honestly believe that inklings and octolings can be mutual and get along with each other. Thinking about it, I can't stay made at Marina,"

"So does that mean you're not upset with me or Marina anymore,"

"Of course not. Marina is just doing what she knows is best for the octolings much like the squidbeak watching out for the safety of the inklings. Agent 8, we're heading back to octo canyon to rescue a friend. Did you wanna tag along or were you gonna stick around,"

"I'll hang around in the city. That's Marina told me to do,"

"Alright then, we better go. Sheldon's probably wondering what happened to us,"

"Goodbye and good luck, tell Cassie I said hi," waved Bridgett, as she exited out of the store.

Callie and Marie, headed for the truck and got in as they were questioned by Sheldon as to why they so long. They explained to him what agent 8 had told them and was utterly shocked by the revelation. It didn't matter now, Marina was leading the octo rebels to stop the octarians and now they were on their own mission to find Levi and save him, not realizing that he had already been saved by the octolings and was now being brought to Marina for questioning. Meantime, the captain and new captain (Cassie) along with Octavio were waiting back at tentakeel outpost or what was left of it. "Come in, Cassie!" shouted Marie over the radio which was laying on the ground.

Cassie walked over to grab the mic. "This is Cassie, over," she replied.

"Cass, we're in route back to octo canyon. Sheldon found Levi, but he's in trouble right now, one of those sanitized humans caught up with him. They must've survived the crash like Levi did. We gotta go save him, we'll come back once we're done...and another thing, we ran into agent 8,"

"Bridgett? I hadn't seen in her in a while. What's she been up to,"

"She spilled on Marina. Both of them are working with the octo rebels, or I should say marina is leading them,"

"Marina's leading the octo rebels? That's hard to believe, I thought she was with Pearl doing the news,"

"Bridgett said they broke up. Marina decided to go back to the valley and see if she could do something to stop the octarians from attacking the inklings,"

"That's good to know,"

"Marina... I haven't heard that name in a while. So, one of my little prodigies has chosen to take up arms against Scarlet, figured as much... she couldn't handle being away from home, knowing her friends were left behind," said Octavio who was lietening on their conversation.

"What are you acting all smug for? I would think this would be a good thing for you, and don't you dare talk about Marina in that kind of tone you miserable octopus," Cassie told him.

"I wish her luck, I really mean that but does she serious believe a bunch of rag tag defectors are going to stop my granddaughter and her army. Let's be real... they're as good as inked..." he scoffed.

"You listen here you swollen sea slug. Don't think I'll stick my tentacle out for you. Consider this a warning. If I find out this is nothing more than a facade for you to lead us into a trap. I'll make sure you were wishing you were stuffed in that snow globe if you even considered hurting my friends,"

Octavio didn't dare comment on the threat. He could see on Cassie's face she meant every word. Tempting the agent or even getting snarky with the inkling wouldn't be wise. There was no reason for them to help him, even though they said they would. "You have my word, I would never do such a thing," Octavio calmly told Cassie.

"Words are cheap, know I'm keeping both eyes on you," she told him as she gestured her eyes at him, before walking away toward the Cuttlefish.

"Leader of the octarians or not, I'm keeping my guard up," she told Cuttlefish.

"Aye lass, I would too. I trust you made the right decision as crafty as that octopus can be," he told her, rubbing his beard.

"You two used to be friends,"

"War changes people... I had wished me, and Octavio could've still been friends,"

"Well... you once said an octopus never changes its spots too," Cassie told him as she walked away to get some alone time. Cuttlefish could do nothing but to leave the veteran agent be, she somewhat reminded him of his youth before and during the great turf war. Just as the old cuttlefish thought that Octavio crawled up and looked at him. "Reminds you of someone doesn't it," he told Cuttlefish.

"Yeah... coming from the one that ruined our friendship... and started the great turf war in the first place," he told Octavio as he tapped his cane.

"Don't give me that! It was you inklings that drove us underground! You old inkstain!" pointing his tentacle at the old inkling.

"You're not exactly a spritely young mollusk yourself ya bag of hot air! I got half a mind to..."

"Half a mind is right, you shriveled up calamari, mic drop," imitating as if he dropped a microphone and waving his tentacles before crossing them to insult Cuttlefish as if they were in a rap battle.

Cassie was getting annoyed by their persistent feuding, like listening to an old couple. She hoped off the wooden crate and slipped away somewhere quiet to enjoy her peace. She'd hope agents 1 and 2 would locate the new human agent and stop the octarians, now with Marina leading the octo rebels. Things could prove to be difficult, especially if she didn't want the squidbeak involved as agent 8 had told the squid sisters.

Deep in octo canyon... Flash, along with Elsa and Mimi, left the octarian training grounds to investigate the array station to see what was going on with the octarian communication network. They would soon realize why.

"What now," whispered Flash. He, along with sergeant Elsa and Private Mimi were hiding behind a ruined truck, just outside of suction-cup station. A satellite array station that broadcasted the communication network throughout octarian territory and now it was being occupied by salmonids.

"Son of a sea slug, I really didn't want to deal with those big ugly guppies again," said Elsa.

"What do we do now?" asked Mimi.

"Got no choice, there's only three of us and like fifty of them. It's not like the odds are stacked against us,"

"Salmonids aren't that smart. I say we can sneak past them," said Flash.

"They can smell a squid a mile away, I say we rush them before they realize what's going on," preferred Elsa.

"Yeah, that's a real good plan, alert the whole station and then we'll be up to our butts fighting those fish. That's not gonna work, we'll get splatted before we even reach those satellite towers," said the squidbeak agent.

"OK, inkling... we'll try your plan, but you go first. I don't wanna see you ink your squid ass when those fish close in on you,"

"I got this,"

"Be careful," said Mimi.

"Careful is my middle name,"

Flash finally made it near the front gate going into the station grounds. He stayed out of sight by squid forming and waiting for the salmonids to move out of the area. He swam behind a small structure and continued until he reached the other end. Peeking around the corner he didn't see any salmonids around. As he started to take off for one of the towers, a cohock stepped from behind the structure as Flash panicked and fled back behind the little building before, he was seen.

"Freakin' squid was almost fish food," Elsa said, using the binoculars to watch Flash's movements.

"(gulp) That was too close," Flash whispered to himself, nearly getting seen by the large salmon. Flash waited for the cocock to leave and once it did, he ventured on to the nearest tower. He could spot multiple chum milling around a yard between the first satellite tower and another one. When he looked again, he spotted a figure on the ground, around the salmonids. They were motionless, as a rifle laid beside them and with spent bullet casings around them. The figure was a human soldier, Flash recognized their uniform and the gear they were wearing. Then the inkling watched a steelhead approach the group of chums, grunting at them, directing them to follow the hulking salmonid.

As soon as they left, Flash made a break for it. He spotted a blood trail going up a scaffold, cautious about following it, though he decided to sense it wound give him the high ground and avoid detection from the salmonids on the ground. The scaffold was comprised of ramps that went upward to the top of the satellite tower to an upper deck and a small, enclosed booth where the controls to the tower were located. As soon as he got to the very top and made it inside. He saw another dead soldier, sitting against the wall that looked like he had gotten mangled. A pistol was clutched in his hand. Flash examined the body and then turned toward a small console, where he spotted something else that was familiar. A transmitter with the Grizzco logo on it. He unplugged it, which had an effect on the salmonids below. They looked around their surroundings and seemed puzzled.

"Hey, sergeant, somethings going on with the salmonid," pointed out Mimi. Elsa pulled her binoculars back up and saw the salmonids were congregating.

"Wonder what those fish are up to. I lost sight of that inkling," said the sergeant.

"Bzzzttt... come in, sarge you there...bzzzttt" the two octolings heard come over the radio. The voice belonged to their teammate Miranda who stayed back at the training grounds.

"Huh, the network isn't jammed anymore. That inkling must've done something," said Elsa. "This is sergeant Elsa, come in corporal,"

"I thought I heard the radio pick up a signal. I'm guessing you solved the problem at the array station," said Miranda over the comms.

"The inkling was the only one that managed to get on site. It's infested with salmonids like back at the town. Those agents said something about a device that was drawing the salmonids down here. Whatever it was, it must've affected the comms network," Elsa reported over her radio.

"As long as the network is unjammed, that's all that matters. You returning?"

"Once that squid gets back to me and the private's position we'll head back to the training grounds,"

"Understood," said the corporal. She looked at Ash, who was standing beside in front of the radio console. "Looks like your partner, fixed the problem but unfortunately it seems the salmonid problem has resurfaced. As long as they don't follow the sarge and them back here, they shouldn't pose a problem... for now,"

"I heard," replied Ash.

"Let's get one thing straight, we're in this together. Doesn't mean we're friends though. I'm anxious to leave the canyon as quickly as possible and start a new life," said the octoling.

"Not sure how humble my kind will act toward you and the other two. I'm hoping you don't stab us in the back,"

"If I wanted to do something, I'd be up front about it. That maybe something you squids would do in those turf battles you do. You splat at each other for enjoyment, how degrading," said the corporal.

"It's not like we're killing each other. We do have spawn pads,"

"It's still indefensible. You never think about what would happen if those spawn pads fail... I would know,"

"No, I haven't. I don't think there's been an incident happen like that. I don't know why you would act so concerned. I would think you octolings would get a kick out of seeing us inklings splat ourselves. It's fun and you wouldn't know anything about fun,"

"Us octarians fight with honor. Running around inking each other for "fun" is deprived and just sickening. If we didn't put our differences aside, I wouldn't give it a second thought to splat an inkling, knowing how you treat each other," Miranda told her. The inkling agent just crossed her arms and stepped away with conflicting thoughts. Soon an alarm went off.

"What's that?" asked Miranda as she got startled.

"Someone's at the entrance. It detects motion outside, much like when you and that other agent came inside the building,"

"What do we do?"

"I guess we'll have to go see, won't we," she told Ash with a slight attitude.

In the front lobby, Sam and Jet quickly rushed inside and shut the door behind them. They had just fled a squad of octolings with an octostamp DX tank behind them. "I was hoping we could've given them the slip," said Jet.

"Me too, we're gonna have to find a hiding spot before they storm this place," said Sam.

"Where exactly are we?"

"How should I know, let's look around for something to brace the door,"

The two spotted a couch and pushed it in front of the entrance. They could hear the octolings behind it, talking amongst each other, before they tried kicking the doors down. Sam and Jet panicked, hearing the octolings bang on the doors from the other side, trying to get in. "Alright, inkstains! We know you're in there!" shouted one of the enemy octolings.

"Carp! I don't how long that'll hold," said Jet as he finished pilling furniture against the doors.

"It'll slow them down for the time being. C'mon, before they bust in," waved Sam. Just as the two headed toward a metal door to the side of the foyer, it opened, startling the two, especially seeing another octoling. Jet whipped out his hero shot and shot at her, as she quickly took cover behind the metal door. "Hold up! Don't shoot!" shouted Ash, as she jumped out.

"Wait Jet!"

"Ash!?" he shouted as he lowered the hero shot.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you again," she exclaimed in joy as she rushed Jet to hug him. Jet pulled her off, clearly giving her expression of relief to see her too.

"Look, I'm... sorry for leaving. I shouldn't have walked away like I did, but it's just... I didn't want to be an agent, that blowhard of a squid had to get us pulled into this and all because his girlfriend went missing. Where is that egomaniac at anyway?"

"He isn't here, Flash left with the two other octolings, the same ones that went with us back at that police station,"

"Why the squid did he go with those octolings, and why did you defend her?" he asked Ash, referring to Miranda as he glared at her. She gave him a look indignation as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, they decided to help us, I'll tell you more about it once we get back to the barracks," she told him. The banging of the door got everyone's attention. "Last chance inkstains! Open these damn doors or we're busting through!" the octoling shouted from the other side, losing her patience and making threats.

"Oh, nice going squids, way to lure the octarians here," said Miranda.

"How about you go out there and talk to them, they're your kin,"

"Yeah, right,"

Suddenly the octostamp DX tank smashed through the entrance, filling the front area of the lobby with smoke, as multiple little octostamps hoped off the tank that was halfway inside the building charge at the four. The agents and Miranda scrambled and began shooting the octostamps as they got close. Jet swatted one of them as it tried to pounce on him. Sam shot one in the face, blinding it before she kicked it away.

"Hey you squids! This way!" signaled Miranda as the three of them followed the octoling and locked the door behind them as enemy octolings stormed the foyer. Sam, Jet, Ash, and Miranda made it back to the barracks and barricaded the door behind them. "It'll do us no good to just hunker down here. We gotta squid out of here or splat em' " said Jet.

"The only other exit is the rear entrance, and it goes through the obstacle course. Not sure, how far we'll make since there's not much cover. There's still the matter of waiting for my sergeant and that agent of yours to make it back," pointed out Miranda.

As the octoling and three agents were holding out from the octarians. Flash made an attempt to get back to Elsa and Mimi. As he started to swim out of the gate in his squid form, something flew overhead, he looked and saw what appeared to be a V-22 Osprey, which meant one thing, the sanitized humans. They replied to a distress call from a unit that tried seizing the satellite array station but were swamped by the salmonids.

The humans rappelled down ropes and started attacking the overgrown fish. Some of the salmonids retreated while others stood their ground, instinctively defending the smaller and weaker fish. Nearly getting overwhelmed the gunner onboard the VTOL opened up on the salmonids with the belly-mounted minigun reducing the fish into oil globs. During the assault, Flash snuck away before they spotted him. Bullets ripped through part of the base of the tower, causing it to blow up and take a large portion of the salmonids out.

"Get out of there squid!" shouted Elsa, watching Flash try to get out of the gate as he pushed past the flock of frightened smallfry that were getting away. The agent finally made it back to Elsa and Mimi as they stayed hunkered down behind the old truck. "Talk about a turn of events, I thought I was a goner for sure," said Flash as panted.

"Well, we don't have to worry about the salmonids," said Mimi.

"Yeah, worrying about those humans are better. I say we get back to the training grounds before we end like those poor salmonids," said Elsa. Then all three of them changed form and quickly headed back to the small octarian base.

Back at the octarian facility, the octarian platoon had blew the metal door open, allowing access further into the building after Miranda had locked it. Nothing would stop them now, they were going deeper in the training grounds, eager to apprehend the squidbeak agents. "Push up!" shouted an octoling. Nearing the barracks, it would just be a matter of time until they caught up with their intended targets.

The doors going into the barracks were barricaded off. "Bring in another octopod, quick!" As the torpedo-shaped octarian came down the corridor, the octolings cleared the area before it blew the door off its hinges. The octolings breached the room once they got through, octo jumping over the makeshift barricade and changing back as they scanned the room with their octoshots. "Room clear!" one shouted. They saw the room was empty with nothing but furnishings and bunk beds. "Fan out and search the area. Those squids couldn't have gotten far,"

The octolings paced down the aisles and looked under beds for any sign of the inklings. "You can't hide inkstains! Come take your splating like a real cephalopod,"

Once the octolings got done, they gathered at the other end of the room. "Split up and search the rest of the facility," the leader ordered. Then they heard a noise coming from the lavatory. The octolings walked inside with their octoshots held up. Jet and Sam were stacked on one another in one stall while Miranda and Ash next to them in the other stall, trying to keep quiet but Jet grunted, with Sam perched on top of him.

As the octoling entered, they began opening the stall doors. One after another, the agents and Miranda had to do something and fast before they were caught. With no other option Sam gripped Jet's shoulders. "Sam, what the shell..." he told her before she jumped out of the stall and aimed the charger at the two octolings. Caught off guard, she splatted one with the charger, causing the other octoling to get covered in ink and thrown back.

As the octoling laid there, in attempt to sit up and grab her octoshot, Sam raised her charger again and splatted the other octoling before she could pull the trigger. Jet came out and soon, so did Miranda and Ash. "You could've gotten us splatted with that move," Jet got onto her as he helped her off the floor.

"We were gonna get splatted if I didn't do anything," she shot back.

The octolings outside the entry of the lavatory heard a commotion inside, followed by the sound of splashing. "Hey! What's going on in there!" shouted the octoling leader. The octolings waited and had their weapons at the ready. All of a sudden Sam and Jet in their squid forms dashed toward the entry and changed back, wielding their weapons, giving the octolings no time to react as two more were splatted. The leader and the remaining octolings headed for the nearest cover, tipping over tables and beds before raising up and firing back.

The inklings dove for cover behind the couch, while Ash and Miranda swam out in their other forms and hid behind a drink machine. Another octoling was splatted, before the leader lobbed a splat bomb in front of the sofa, coating with ink. "Jet cover me," said Sam as he nodded.

He got the octolings attention as Sam squid formed and shot around to where the octolings were hunkering down. She got close enough and jumped toward the leader, swinging the ink charger down on her like a bat and knocking her to the floor. As the other octoling saw her, she raised her octoshot and was about to splat Sam, only to get splatted herself by Jet when she was exposed.

Once the squad of octolings were dealt with, they could hear more approaching down the hall. As they stormed the room, they got ready to attack the agents, but before they could, a splat bomb rolled behind them, they looked and could only see their demise with an explosion of green ink as the agents watched their ghosts float away and give a sad gargle.

Sam and the others saw that Flash was the one who threw the bomb, with Elsa and Mimi running behind him. "Looks like you guys needed help, I bet you're glad I showed up," gloated Flash as he twirled his hero shot.

"Not really," shot Jet.

"Jet? I thought you'd be back in Inkopolis by now," said Flash, not expecting to see the other male agent.

"Well, I'm not... and thanks for the save, just don't let it get to your head,"

"Looks like the whole crew is here now. Along with our new additions," Flash said to the group.

"Don't label us in with you inklings, we just wanna get out of here and you squids are our only ticket to the surface," said Elsa.

"So what's our plan now? We can't stay here much longer since our hiding spot has been discovered, you know with the network back up, those octopi radioed in about the encounter with the squidbeak agents," said Miranda.

"Guess that means we're gonna have to lay low somewhere else,"

"And where exactly? Without the threat of getting seen by another octarian patrol," snapped Jet.

"I don't know ok! The training grounds was the only place I could think of that was close by," Elsa snapped back.

"Does this mean we're stuck," said Ash.

"Don't get your tentacles in a twist squid. We'll have to devise something. The only thing I can come up with is heading east, back the way we came,"

"Um, that's going deeper octarian territory and right into the border with octo valley," said Sam.

"What about that flying contraption we saw in the back," Flash pointed out.

"That octoseeker, it's a wreck, no way it's operational, just like those piles of octostamp tanks out front. I say for the time being we wait to make a final decision, we're tired and warn out. I think we're safe here. If the octarians do send a unit out here, it'll be a little while if they do,"

"Works for me, I get the top bunk!"

"Um, Flash, there's plenty of beds, there's no point in claiming the top bunk you ink for brains," commented Jet.

"Guess I was thinking about the time I was at camp triggerfish,"

"Well, I'm getting a shower," said Miranda.

"I want one too," said Mimi.

"Don't know how much water is left," the sergeant told her teammates.

"We could... share," Mimi said meekly.

"Ugh, whatever," replied Miranda, with slight irritation as she and Mimi headed for the lavatory.

Jet plopped down on a bed as Flash climbed up on the top bunk above him. "Brings back memories of the squid scouts doesn't it," he told Jet.

"In the squid scouts we didn't have to worry about getting splatted by the octarians, Flash you're such an inkhead,"

"Takes one to know one," said Flash before Jet punched the bottom of Flash's bed, catching him in the fanny.

"You boys settle down, geez, it's almost as bad as having to watch squidlets," Sam griped at the two.

"Jet started it,"

"Enough, the both of you. We're agents, start acting like it,"

"Seems you got your hands full inkling. You squids are so undisciplined," the octoling sergeant told her.

"It's Sam, octopus. Let me worry about my team and you worry about yours. I still got my eye on you,"

"Give me a break. If I wanted to splat you, I would've already done it. Not sure if I should be concerned with the octarians or you inklings. We're in this together, so i don't expect any screw ups, got it," Elsa walked away and sat on a bed to herself, resenting even aiding the squids and sharing the barracks with them.

"Sam, don't provoke her. I mean, I know they're octolings, but for now, let's just try to get along. She's letting us stay here," said Flash.

"Yeah, and that might be precisely where they want us. I hope this, wanting to go to the surface isn't a rooz to get our guard down," she told Flash as she sat on a nearby bed.

"I don't think so, I think they really wanna leave. They told us so," said Ash as sat beside Sam.

"And would've believe them,"

"Sure... Flash trusts them enough that he, that sergeant and private left to go see what was going with the satellite station and why they didn't have any radio signal,"

"It didn't cross your mind they might need that radio signal to call in to their base and let them know where we are at. They're gonna hand us over to save their own tentacles,"

"I... didn't think of it that way,"

"Hey that reminds me, when we got there, I found another one of those transmitter do-hickies hooked up to the controls of the satellite dish," Flash brought up.

"Did it have a Grizzco logo on it?"

"Sure did, I got it with me," he told her, pulling it out as the inklings studied it.

"Grizzco... that might explain the salmonids but how and why would Grizzco wanna attract the salmonids down here anyway?" pondered Jet.

"I think the only way we'll find out is asking Mr. Grizz himself when we get back to Inkopolis. I remember seeing his store in the corner of the square near deca tower," said Sam as she grabbed the device and looked at it.

"This doesn't make any sense?" said Ash.

"Nothing has," replied Sam before she laid down.

Inside the lavatory, Miranda and Mimi had done undressed out of their dirty octarian uniform and hopped into one of the shower stalls, sharing by the lack of water supply. Steam filled the stall as the two were washing themselves off of the grime. Mimi stopped and turned to her teammate. "Miranda,"

"What is it private?" asked the corporal as she was scrubbing under her arms.

"You really think we'll reach the surface. I don't know what it's like,"

"I've never been myself. It's gonna be a nice change of scenery compared to these damn domes. Fresh air and you get to look up at the real sky. I ain't gonna miss this place one bit,"

"What do you plan on doing when you do get to the surface?"

"I hadn't really thought about it... the sarge said she was gonna see if she could fit in with inkling society, even went as far as hooking up with one of those squids,"

"How about you?"

"I wouldn't even think about getting with some dumb inkling. You ever thought about what you were gonna do. Me, first thing I'm gonna do is try some of that inkling food, gotta be a lot better than those rank rations we're forced to eat,"

"I'm not sure either... hey, you don't mind getting my back do you,"

"Sure, private,"

"I wonder if the inklings will accept us,"

"I think that's why I'm considering ditching the uniform and wearing a disguise," Miranda told as she stopped scrubbing the private's back.

"I'm gonna miss you guys," Mimi said as she grabbed Miranda and pulled her into a hug.

"Gah! Get off me private!" she exclaimed, pulling Mimi off her, feeling pure awkwardness since the two were showering together. "You're acting like we're never gonna see one another again,"

"What if we don't,"

"What's it matter?"

"It matters to me, you two have been like sisters,"

"Sisters?..." remarked Miranda. She paused, thinking about Mimi thought about her and the sergeant.

"Corporal is something the matter?" asked Mimi.

"It's nothing. I'm getting out,"

"Was it...what I said?"

Miranda didn't reply. She stepped out of the stall and began toweling herself so she could get back in her uniform. Mimi turned the shower off and began drying off like Miranda. Once she and the corporal got dressed. Miranda didn't maintain eye contact and stepped out of the lavatory without saying another word.

As the octoling trio and squadbeaks settled in at the octarian training grounds until they decided what to do next. At Cephalon HQ, the main octarian base. With the lab incident involving the human, Spectra had ordered the octoling unit that brought in the human to be questioned about his origin. They were dispatched along with reinforcements to return to the location where the human was found and see if there might have been more.

The area was wooded on a large floating landmass. Platforms and other rocky debris were scattered around, suspended in the middle of the dome. Two octoseekers descended toward the hovering island and touched down on the ground, in a clearing. The ramp opened up and octolings poured out, securing their landing zone before searching the area.

"Why are we here again?" asked one young private. A male octoling who was just recently recruited.

"Didn't you hear during the mission briefing or about the lab incident?"

"N...no I didn't, what happened?"

"A human nearly got loose, that's why the base went on alert for half an hour. We're here to see if we can find anymore. The squad that brought that human to the lab said they were on patrol and encountered the fossil in this dome,"

"Human? You serious... aren't they all dead, you know wiped out,"

"Well apparently some must've survived, the domes were constructed by humans, or did you miss that too, during school," she sneered at the young male.

"You really think there's more?"

"I don't know! That's why we're here, so enough with the questions and let's move out,"

"Sergeant! There's smoke," shouted another octoling, pointing toward a plume rising over the tree line.

"Smoke... let's check it out, be on guard and watch your sectors, that goes for you too private!"

The octoling squad pressed on in two teams. They stayed on guard and walked down a trail leading deeper in woods and toward the source of the smoke until they started hearing shouting up ahead.

"Let go of me!" a female voice shouted. The octolings didn't understand them and kneeled down to signal each other to stop their movement.

"What's that?" asked the male private.

"I don't know, I don't understand what the ink they're saying, it's not octarian. Push up quietly," the sergeant ordered them. As they got closer, the octolings moved behind trees and shrubs to avoid being seen and see what the source of the ruckus was. They were stunned at what they saw. The origin of the smoke was coming from a campfire. A tent was pitched nearby, but what really got their attention was a figure in military gear, man-handling another figure, wrestling with them until they were shoved to the ground. It was a sanitized soldier, whipping on a woman. Then they saw another soldier off to the side watching, as the other soldier loomed over the woman, pinning her to the ground with a syringe in their hand.

"Get off me you asshole!" she demanded as she screamed at him. Trying to pry the soldier's arm off of hers.

"Hold still," the soldier shouted back before punching her in the face.

"We gotta do something," said the private, getting concerned over the welfare of the human female.

"You won't do shrimp unless I tell you to," the sergeant told him.

"That thing is hurting that defenseless creature,"

"I said at ease, private," the sergeant kept telling him, but he ignored her and octo formed away toward the three humans. "Private, I'm ordering you to... dammit!"

The octoling boy changed back and charged at the humans, spraying at the soldier that had the syringe. The ink quickly incapacitated the first soldier, burning him before falling dead. The second soldier, quickly grabbing his rifle and began shooting at the octoling male. He octo formed and evaded the gunfire as he swam toward the female and changed back. The soldier shot again and struck the octoling in the shoulder, but the soldier was hit too. Blinded by the ink when he was hit in the face, the octoling finished him off and the man soon dissolved in a bubbling green puddle.

"Gah, that stings," said the private as he dropped the octoshot and kneeled down, gripping his shoulder from the gunshot.

"Private!" shouted the sergeant, as she and the other octolings rushed over. Seeing he was hurt but ok, she gave him a jab to the face. "That was a stupid move to run out like that!" she ripped into him as he rubbed his cheek. The octolings then turned their attention back to the human female laying on the ground.

"What is that thing?" asked another octoling female.

"I'm not sure... it's not an octoling," said the male octoling as he stood up. He soon noticed the gunshot wound was slowly healing as he moved his shoulder around.

"That's gotta be a human, it fits the description... check and see if it's ok, private,"

"W...why me?"

"Because you were the one that wanted to save it,"

The private gave a gulp and cautiously stepped over to check her heartbeat by laying his head on her chest. "It's still alive," said the private.

"Wonder what gender it is?" asked one octoling. The octoling male proceeded to run his hand inside the girl's pants. When he discovered she was a female he turned pink and then soon the woman woke up, blinking her eyes and raising her head to feel something between her legs. When the two them saw eye to eye. Her's widened and she screamed as she slapped the octoling male in the face for groping her. She clutched her pants and sat up, seeing more strange creatures with tentacles on her heads as she panicked and attempted to crawl away only to get stopped. She tried kicking the octolings but she was pinned down on the ground.

The private rubbed his other cheek and saw the woman was apprehended. "It's a female," he said.

"Of course she is, you didn't notice her ink sacs," the sergeant replied.

"Ink sacs? Humans don't produce ink, or I don't think they do. If you knew she was a female, then why did you let me... check her?"

"Because I wanted her to slap the living ink out of you for doing it. Pay attention private, consider that a lesson,"

The private sighed and got up. Walking over with the sergeant, they both stared at the human as she fought to get out of the grasp of her captors. "W...w... what do you want with me? What the F are you things!?" she yelled at them.

They didn't understand her. The sergeant kneeled down and lifted up her goggles. Revealing her blue and green eyes, which made the woman feel even more scared. The sergeant stood up and placed her goggles back over her eyes. "Let's just get this human back to HQ," she ordered her troops.

The woman was stood up and restrained. Now being guided down the path back to the octoseeker. The private picked his goggles off the ground and wiped them off. He stayed behind and steadily watched the female, particularly her back side. "Perv," popped off one octoling female who was walking beside him.

"What! Why am I perv,"

"I know what you're looking at, all you males are the same,"

"Don't know what you're talking about,"

"Yeah, you do,"

"Leave me alone about it, the sergeant put me up to it,"

"Sure, she did, as she pointed out, you didn't notice the ink sacs you had your head between,"

"Is it normal for humans to have big ink sacs, what's the purpose?" asked another octoling female walking beside them.

"Can we just drop it, I'm embarrassed enough as it is," said the male.

"You seemed pretty concerned enough that you were willing to protect her,"

"She was in trouble. Aren't we out here to try and catch another human, isn't that our mission, I couldn't let anything happen to her," said the male as got defensive.

"Uh-huh,"

The octolings finally reached the octoseeker, getting onboard but the woman was determined to not get in. The octolings shoved her inside of it and sat her down before the ramp closed and the octoseeker started to lift off.

"What a stroke of luck to find another human, wonder what those other two creatures that dissolved from our ink?" said one octoling.

"Whatever they were, they were pretty interested in that female. Good thing the private took care of em', even if he was an ink for brains to just charge in like that and blow our cover," said the sergeant.

"What do you suppose they injected her with?" asked the male private.

"Who cares, as long as we bagged a human, we can return to HQ,"

After a few minutes, the octolings noticed something was wrong with the woman. She looked squeamish and not from the ride. "Mmm," she mumbled weakly.

"What's going on with the human?" asked the corporal, noticing the human appeared lethargic compared to when the octolings encountered her.

"Maybe flight sickness or something," said the private.

"Just keep an eye on her," the soldier told the two.

"Mmmm (cough) (cough)," This time the human had hacked up blood, some was dripping from her nose and the male private was worrying. "Something's definitely not right," he said.

"Calm down private, I don't know why you're getting worked up,"

Soon, the woman slouched down and became unresponsive. The private paused for a moment before stepping over to check for a pulse. "What is it?" asked the sergeant.

"She's... dead,"

"Dead? You sure she didn't fall asleep," said the sergeant, but the private shook his head.

"I guess those eggheads in the lab can still use her body, dissect it or whatever they're gonna do," she said, which garnered her a dirty look from the male octoling for being apathetic. Then the octoling sitting next to her body saw her hand twitch. "Um, private... I thought you said she was dead,"

"She is," he replied.

"Then why is she moving?"

The private then watched her raise her head. Her eyes quickly coming open, revealing her glowing green pupils. "Oh squid," he said, stunned. Before he moved away, she growled and bared her teeth at the octoling before grabbing him by the neck. "Private!" shouted the sergeant. She grabbed her octoshot and bashed the woman in the head to make her let go of the private.

She fell to the floor, covering her face as the octolings got out of their seats and watched her glare back at them as she started to stand up. The private, kneeling on the floor, rubbed his neck and watched the now sanitized girl lock her gaze on the octolings, with the intent to attack them. As she lunged at the sergeant, she was shot in the chest, yelling she tumbled back and into the twintacle pilot. Shoving the octarian into the octoseeker console, causing it to lose control and spin wildly.

"Oh shrimp! Hang on!" the sergeant shouted as the octolings grabbed a hold of the seats. The octoseeker plummeted down and crashed onto a landmass below. The collusion caused the octolings to fly out of the seats and smack into each other. Once they recovered, the sergeant stumbled toward the back and opened the ramp. The octoseeker was grounded and the human had dissolved as there was nothing left but a green puddle on the floor in front of the cockpit. The twintacle pilot, rubbed its head from getting its face planted into the controls before looking back to see the octolings had made it.

The sergeant stepped out and looked around. "Where are we?" asked the corporal who staggered out of the octoseeker.

"Halfway between where we found the human and HQ. Dammit, just when I started to think how lucky we were," said the sergeant.

"That human... she was..."

"Sanitized, I noticed..."

"What do we do now?"

"I'm calling in for an extraction, any casualties onboard?"

"No one but that human,"

"Unit 22 to octo command, come in," called out the sergeant over the radio built in her goggles. "Unit 22 to octo command, do you copy?" The sergeant got nothing but static. "I got no response, the signal is being jammed. I can't get a hold of octo command," the sergeant told the corporal.

"Jammed?... so what now sergeant?" asked corporal.

"Looks like we got no choice but to walk back to base from here," answered the sergeant, hearing the other octolings groan.

"Walk! But I don't even have a scooter!" panicked the twintacle pilot.

"Quit your whining tentacle, unless you wanna stay here,"

"Screw that," it told her.

"Then get your butts in gear, we gotta long walk ahead of us,"

Back at cephalon HQ, inside octo command, the main hub of the octarian army operations throughout their territory, the staff were at a conundrum of why the comms network was down. No one could track the movements of octarian units throughout the valley and canyon. Spectra stepped in with her guards, slamming the doors open and demanding an explanation.

"Colonel, we don't know what's going on, we've tried all we could but haven't made any head way. Something's interfering with the network," said the octo command officer.

Before Spectra could say anything, the faint sound of singing could be heard. "Hmm, what's that? Someone better not be playing music!" Spectra shouted. One octoling was tapped on the shoulder by her friend, seeing her bob her head to the tune, before looking up and seeing the octoling signal to her before she got in trouble. She slipped her headphones down and put them away. "Colonel, I would like to relinquish some intel to you. Before the network went down, we were informed about squidbeak agents spotted in octo canyon, near the training grounds,"

"Squidbeak agents, are you sure about that," replied Spectra.

"Yes, colonel. We had a patrol trying to pursue them on foot,"

"Any updates on that situation,"

"No, that was before we lost the comms network... do you need me to dispatch a unit?"

Spectra paused and came up with a solution for their squidbeak dilemma, sending more octolings might have not been the proper approach. "Negative... what's the statis on agent 4?" she asked the command officer.

"Agent 4? The squidbeak agent we abducted from Inkopolis,"

"Yes, her... see to it a pair of hypnoshades are put on her and sent out to deal with the agents. I don't think those inkstains would splat one of their own,"

"I'll see to it colonel,"

"And see to it something is done about the comms situation before Scarlet breaths down my neck about it. I have to go meet up with the commanders, it appears they've returned and with that human's body, maybe they'll have something valuable they brought back with them, like intel on those defectors," The colonel stormed out with her guards as the octo command administrator wiped her forehead.

Deep in the internment facility, inside cephalon HQ. One section was dedicated to the inkling captives that were squidnapped from Inkopolis to pose as sleeper agents for the octarian army before they were released back in inkling territory, near the start of the invasion as intended. Izzy, Cassie's sister aka agent 4 was sitting in a cell by herself, isolated from the rest of the other inklings due to her being a squidbeak agent and a special case for a more heinous purpose, which soon she was about to find out.

She had cried herself to sleep after she tried to escape her cell. Only having the company of a voice in the cell next to her's. An inkling male and captive that she had become friends who tried comforting her and reassuring that someone had to come to their rescue if they knew they had went missing in Inkopolis.

Izzy wasn't so sure. Her friend Cassie should've found out she was gone and had to have made some attempts to try and find her, but it had been days. She had been sitting in her cell getting more and more lonely and desperate, fearing what the octarians would do to her, being a squidbeak agent and defeating Octavio years ago. As she laid there and stared at the ceiling, her attention was gotten by the voice of the male inkling she befriended through a small vent in the wall, between their cells.

"Izzy, you there?" he said.

"Yeah..." she replied with hopelessness.

"C'mon Izz, I know things will get better. We can't lose hope,"

"That's easy for you to say. Who knows how long the octarians will keep us here," she told him as she rolled over, now looking at the wall her bed was attached to.

"I remember you telling me you were a squidbeak agent. How you brought back the great zapfish and beat that leader of theirs. Don't give up, I know we'll get out of this,"

"Trevor, I know you're trying to make me feel better and I appreciate it but, no one is coming. My sister must be worried about me, and I haven't heard anything from Cassie and the other agents,"

Soon the cell door opened, revealing a team of octoling guards stepping in. "Squid! You're coming with us to lthe ab, Spectra has a special assignment for you," said the elite.

"A... a... assignment, you expect me to work with you octopi after you squidnap me,"

"You're gonna be our little agent and you will follow our commands whether you want to or not," the elite said with a smile before nodding to the others to apprehend the inkling and escort her out of the cell.

"Izzy, Izzy! What's going on!? Where are they taking you!?"

"Pipe down in there inkstain!" the elite shouted at Trevor.

In the lab, Izzy was forced in chair and strapped down. She tried to break free, but it was pointless. The elite was handed a pair of hypnoshades by an octoling in a lab coat. "I'm sure you know what this is," said the elite snidely. Izzy looked at her with horror and knew exactly what they were and what they intended to do with it. "P...Please no,' Izzy pleaded as she struggled in the chair. Two octolings held her face to ensure the hypno shades were placed on her.

"Quit your struggling inkstain. Resisting is futile," said the elite, before sticking the shades over her eyes. Pressing the button, the hypnowaves were tapped into Izzy's brain, she tried to fight the influence, but she would so soon give in. The octolings let go as soon as stopped thrashing and the elite raised her octo goggles. "Well... who do you pledge your loyalty to?" she asked Izzy.

"...To the octarian empire,"

"Right answer agent, you have been tasked with hunting down the squidbeak agents. They pose an imminent threat and must be stopped. You have your orders agent, there last location will be given to you and a squad will be accompanying you to ensure your mission is complete," said the elite, before turning to the other octoling soldiers. "See to it she's issued a uniform and a weapon before she's sent out,"

General Scarlet was in her office, reading human literature since she could understand human language, something that many of the octarians didn't know about. She often daydreamed about being in the world before hers when humans were inhabiting the Earth or being a human herself. Her fascination for the human race grew over time to the point that even her own thought she was a fanatic and questioned her sanity. Marina Ida was the only other octolings that had fascination with humans like she did but unfortunately, she left octo valley for the surface after breaking Octavio's influence.

As she learned more and more about human history and culture, she was determined to setup a new civilization that was based more less on how humans had managed to build their societies and governance before they went extinct. Hopefully even getting the inklings to turn away from their hedonistic way of life after the octarians take over the surface, but if she was gonna rule this new world she wanted, she had to have a king by her side to help her. A human precisely, to be her mate and to produce offspring.

She closed the book she was currently reading, bending the page to know where she left off at and placing it in the drawer of her desk before anyone else saw it. She leaned in her cushy office chair and slowly closed her eyes. Before she dozed off, she could hear someone knocking at her door. She gave a deep breath of irritation and sat up. "Come in," she told them.

It was Spectra who walked in. "You look as if I interrupted your sleep, did I come in at a good time my general?" she asked her.

"It doesn't matter now, does it. Why do you wish to see me? Any news on the defectors or what about a human I'm hearing about in the lab?"

"Sadly, the comms network is down, but we are looking into it. We have vital intel, if not alarming, about the prescense of squidbeak agents in octo canyon. I decided to dispatch the squidbeak agent we abducted and use the hypnoshades on her to deal with her allies. I assume they're here to free the rest of the squids we took away,"

"You sure squidbeak agents have made it in our territory?"

"Affirmative, I'm also gonna request that the border guards ramp up their security with octostamp tanks and flooders to block entries into the valley and even octostrikers to patrol the border perimeter. As for the human in the lab, there was bit of an incident, I preferred it was kept under wraps. Blabber mouth grunts can't keep anything to themselves,"

"What incident?" questioned Scarlet as she stood up.

"The human is dead... but that's not the only problem, they were sanitized," Spectra revealed as she took off her beret.

"Sanitized... a human? Where did they originate from?"

"I sent a team to search the dome the human was spotted in and retrieved, but again with the network out of commission for the time being. I don't know what they're statis is. We can conclude there's an interference with the network. I don't know who or how this has happened. I don't think the defectors are behind this, they don't have the capabilities and I don't think this could have been done by the squidbeak agents neither,"

"Do what you must, whatever resources are needed to fix this. Our date of invasion is nearing, and we can't have anything jeopardizing our efforts, especially now those inkstain agents are in the canyon. Make sure this is taken care of Spectra or so help I'm find someone else that can,"

"I'm beginning to miss being under your grandfather, even if he was an arrogant blowhard,"

"What did you say about him... you questioning my leadership Spectra?" Scarlet said as she smacked the desk, giving the colonel a displeasing expression and letting her know she hit a nerve.

"I'm not saying anymore," she replied as she put the beret back on her head.

"I think it be best you leave colonel, before I just go ahead and find someone to replace you. You've been a trusted friend and ally so far. I'd hate for you to ruin that as far as you've gotten," she told the elite as she plopped back in her chair.

"You think I need your grace. I'm a decorated octarian soldier. I don't any kind of recognition from you and anyone else. I'm devoted to my duties and care about the fate of my people. If you wanna criticize or demote anyone, then I'd start looking in the mirror. Don't let your pride cause you to fall. Look what happened to Octavio and where he's at now, on the run from his own like a cowardice dogfish. I'd hate for the same thing to happen to you Scarlet,"

"You're beginning to anger me Spectra. Bringing up that... bellowing octopus. Has he been found or not,"

"Negative... we don't have the personnel to do every little thing, we're stretched thin and piled up with enough problems as it. It's just a matter of time until morale starts declining. I'm sure big and ugly will show his face again, knowing Octavio, he won't stay in hiding long... what's he gonna do, retreat for the surface. Good luck without the octobot king, his fat mug isn't going to fit in those kettles and not to mention he won't be hard to miss,"

"He's gotta score to settle Spectra, that makes him as much as threat to me as the defectors, but if he is caught. I don't want him executed, just detained and brought back. It wouldn't look good to have my own grandfather and former leader of the octarians just splatted,"

"I'll put it down on my to do list along with the rest of the crap I have to put up with,"

"I value our relationship Spectra, don't mess it up,"

"Of course, my general,"

Some of the octo command staff decided to leave, since there was nothing that could've been done during the monotony. Distracted by the staff arguing over what to do, some of the octolings left either back to their quarters or to the mess hall. The mess hall was full of octarians since it was lunch time. One pair of octolings that seemed to be hanging with each other, unknowingly to the octarian personnel that they were defector moles, working inside the base, gathering intel for the rebels.

They approached the lunch line, grabbing a tray and getting handed their food which was unpackaged rations. Finding a seat and staying at a table by themselves. "Well, it's the same damn gruel they always serve," said one octoling as she placed her goggles on the table, unsatisfied with the portion she got. "Could you image if we smuggled that squid food down here, we'd make a killing," said the other who slid her googles over her tentacles.

"Serena, you know good and well, we'd get interrogated if we got caught with contraband," said the first octoling as dipped her spoon in her meal.

"You think I'm worried about contraband Silvia, what about you and that music of yours. I know who was singing and if you would've gotten caught, Spectra would've probably had you dragged away by your tentacles and thrown in a cell. If they ever found out who we really were, I think getting shoved in a cell would be merciful," said Serena as she took a bite of her lunch, only to cough from the nasty bland taste of it.

"This food sucks... be glad when we're done in this ink hole. So, what do you think about the incident in the lab,"

"You referring to the human. It's surprising to say the least. Scarlet always had hopes of finding a real human even though we came across their fossilized remains. I found it hard to believe but how Spectra was talking, I think it was the real deal. If it is true, we may be in trouble,"

"Amassing an army of unspattable soldiers seems impossible... especially made of an extinct race,"

"If they find a way of cloning a human, then that impossibility could turn into a probability. As soon as we're done here, we need to head back to the barracks when no one's around and report... Shit, I forgot, the freakin' comms is down,"

"What now then,"

"Didn't you talk to one of those scientists back in the lab,"

"I did, not sure how they took to me being a rebel. I just hope I can trust them to not spill on me,"

"Hey! You two!" shouted a voice.

The two of them looked around. "Over here!" they shouted again. Turning to the source they saw an elite along with two other regulars walk over toward them.

"Yeah, what do you want?" asked Serena.

"As I've started noticing, You two are always together and it's making me suspicious," said the elite with her arms crossed.

"What's the big deal, what, you don't have a real friend to hang with," popped off Serena.

"You better watch who you talk to grunt, I'm a superior officer and you'll treat me like one. Your behavior as caught my attention. What unit are you with?"

"What's it any of your business. Don't you see we're eating in peace. Why not go bother someone else,"

"I don't like your tone, you're asking for a boot to get shoved up your octo ass... and why are you so endowed," said the elite as she noticed that Serena was a little bigger than average.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are so top heavy? You got ink sacs that'd make a male drool all over himself,"

"Sounds like someone's jealous, no friends and no dude magnets. I'd give you some tips, but after I get done with, what I suppose is food scraped at the bottom of the ink vats that's fed to us. I got somewhere to be," Serena told the elite as she started to get up.

"Alright, I've had enough of your disrespect. Both of you are coming with me and you will answer some questions or so help me I'm gonna wear the living ink out of... BAM!" the disgruntled elite told her before getting bashed in the face with Serena's tray. Now lying on the floor, rubbing her jaw, the elite was enraged and quickly got up to give Serena a pummeling only for her to get smacked in the back of the head by Silvia's tray and fall onto the table and then on the floor, knocked out cold. Both Silvia and Serena stared at the regulars that were accompanying the elite, they backed up, scared and impressed by how they confronted their leader.

"Do any of you got something to say?" asked Serena who picked the tray off the floor and waved it, intimidating the two regulars. They quickly put their hands up and shook their heads.

"Didn't think so... c'mon Silvia, let's leave em to pick the trash off the floor and I don't mean the spilled food," said Serena as Silvia followed her out of the mess hall.

"Yeah, I'd say it's time to make like an octopus and ink out of here," said Silvia.

"Who are those two?" asked one of the regulars as she looked down at the unconscious elite.

"I don't now... but they got moxy. We better get the lieutenant up and to the infirmary to see if she'll pull through," one of them said as she started to lift the elite off the floor.

"Wonder if she'll remember what even happened. That's two licks she got. She's gonna be fuming when she comes back to her senses. Those two are as good as ink puddles when she gets a hold of them," helping her partner as they propped up the elite over their shoulders.

They looked around and saw the whole mess hall was perplexed by what had happened. Even the kitchen staff of tentacles were utterly stunned by the octolings standing up against that elite. "Alright everyone, show's over, get back to eating," said the octoling helping carry the lieutenant away with her partner as they headed for the infirmary.

Serena and Silvia had returned to their barracks. They thought about the scene they made in the mess hall and decided that sticking around might be a good idea. "So, we leaving then?" asked Silvia.

"Looks it, I swear octarians have no fashion sense," said Serena as she was looking through an octarian magazine.

"It's the same damn crap, octarian uniforms or those black tops," said Silvia as she plopped down on the bed that Serena was laying on.

"Yeah, it's a shame they don't ever have my size," said Serena as she squeezed her breast.

"Quit playing with your tits,"

"Someone else jealous," giving a smirk as she sat up.

"Like I'd wanna lug around the extra weight. When we heading out?"

"I guess in half an hour,"

"You don't wanna go sooner, what if that octowinch of a lieutenant wakes up, that'll be our asses,"

"You think I give a ink, I'll be ready for round two,"

"You're such an instigator, you know that,"

"Hey, I love it... I'm glad I'm out of the army... All we're doing is dressing like it. I don't miss any of it,"

"Acting or not, we're taking risk and you need to ease up before our cover gets blown. That mouth of yours I think has attracted enough negative attention. I say we go while the getting is good before we're taken into custody for creaming that elite back in the mess hall,"

"Hey, gives the new meaning of mess hall, am I right, but fine. If you wanna leave that bad, we'll go," Serena told her as she got up.

The two of them gathered their things and got ready to leave cephalon HQ. Once they were done, they headed for the exit, then they could hear a group of octolings talking, fearing that it might have been over them but instead it was about the squidbeak agent Izzy, aka agent 4 who was now a special agent working with the octarians due to the effects of the hypnoshades. "You heard about our secret weapon. Spectra is sending a squidbeak agent to deal with those other inkstain agents in the canyon," said one octoling in the hall.

"Yeah, I heard the report. Seems the squids have gotten wise, but they'll wish they hadn't. Sending one of their own out to face them. I don't think those squishy squids would dare try and splat their own," scoffed another octoling as she laughed.

"I'm hearing rumors about the invasion getting pushed sooner, so much for Scarlet's unsplattable army she was wanting to create. A contingent of humans, please. Like that would ever happen as persistent as she is to send unit 22 out to go see if they find another human to try and clone," said a third.

"We'll see what happens. I think Spectra is getting sick of Scarlet's brilliant ideas, I think it's Spectra that's pushing the invasion to kick off sooner without the general's acknowledgment. After all it was Scarlet that was trying to make a deal with the inkling government. That doesn't look good on her part even if those dumb squids offered us some zapfishs for this fake peace agreement," said the first octoling as the trio walked away.

"Did you hear all that?" said Serena.

"Sure did. More the reason to leave... but first I say we take a stop by the lab and talk to those scientists before we head out," said Silvia.

"What for?"

"As crazy as it sounds. I'd like to talk to them or at least convince one of them to come back with us to share what vital information they may have. With the invasion being pushed up, we gotta do something and quick,"

The two of them made it to the lab, evading what soldiers they could and look as conspicuous as they could. Once they made it, Eve and Silas recognized Silvia from before as the rebel that exposed her identity. "Hey, it's you again, what do you want now?" asked Eve.

"Why do you gotta say like that, after all, I did hand you Marcus's letter,"

"You're a rebel and you're putting us all in danger just being here. A friend or not,"

"Well, this is important. What I understand the invasion is commencing sooner than we thought, if you have any information pertaining to that we need to know right away,"

"We had no idea. We assumed another couple of days, another week at the most. What I understand the octarian forces are still stretched. Scarlet doesn't have her human force and Octavio is out there, probably contemplating how to get back her and deal with his granddaughter, our so-called leader," said Silas.

"Seems as if their house is divided. Spectra is pulling shenanigans behind Scarlet's back. This could work to our advantage, but first we gotta head back to the safehouse and warn our commander. Is there anything important you can tell us or perhaps someone would like to volunteer to come back with us,"

"Why would we chance going with you?" said Eve.

"We intended to stay longer but plans have changed. Thanks to someone making a scene," said Silvia as she gestured to her partner.

"Bite me," said Serena as she crossed her arms.

"Communcation network is down, and we have to transfer this intel to the rebels soon. If no one else is coming, then..."

"Eve... go with them," suggested Silas.

"Silas, are you nuts... Spectra or anyone else will notice I'm gone and then what. End up like Marcus,"

"I'm not asking, I'm telling you,"

"But why? Why me?"

"So you can help stop this war... that's why. Our species cannot get involved in another great turf war. If we lost the first time, we'll be done the second,"

"Silas, I..."

"Eve... I'll be fine. Just go with them, we'll stay back and do what we need to do," he told as he rubbed her hands.

"You... sure about this,"

"I am," he told her. "Just take care of her," he told the two rebels.

"You can count on us," said Silvia. "Yep," Serena just quickly replied.

"Goodbye Silas," she said before rushing over to hug him. He pulled her off and gave her a warm smile. "We'll still be here; they need us to continue our research. Those commandos brought back that human from before. Not sure what they expect us to do and also... they've sent out the squidbeak agent that was caught," he told her.

"The inkling girl with the short yellow tentacles?"

"We done caught wind of that," said Serena.

"More the reason to leave and warn the others. There's no time to waste, we need to go now before anyone notices," said Silvia as she urged Eve to finish her farewell so they could go. Eve nodded at Silas before she left with Serena and Silvia.

"Dang that one octo chick was packing," said one young male in a lab coat.

"Just get back to your station," Silas told him with slight annoyance.

Serena, Silvia, and Eve would try to find a way to get off base without attracting the attention of the base personnel. Their best option would be heading for the depot where the octoseekers and saucers were parked. Looking for the opportunity to get around the security, octoling guards now manning the entry into the depot. Luckily for them, they were two male octolings. Serena grinned and knew she could lure the male guards away using her "dude magnets" as she referred to them. "I got this," she told Silvia and Eve.

As she approached the guards, they told her to stop, and she needed the proper clearance. "Oh, I got the proper clearance alright," she said with a giggle.

"Holy fish, she's got some ink sacs on her," said one of the males.

"Huh, oh squid," said the other as he turned pink.

"You two boys wanna pat me down before you let me in," she told them promiscuously.

"S...s...sure we can," stammered one of the males.

"You gotta catch me first," teased Serena as she octo formed and swam away. The two males pursued her, eager to get a piece while Silvia and Eve took the opportunity to get inside the depot with the guards lured away by the busty octoling. "Hook, line, and sinker. You got a good use for those things after all Serena," said Silvia as the two of them rushed in before anyone spotted them.

Silvia and Eve got behind a pallet of supplies and looked around. So far, the depot looked clear. At the far side though, Silvia spotted a twintacle pilot going inside an octoseeker. "I think we found our ride, c'mon," she told Eve.

"But what about your partner?" asked Eve as they headed toward the octoseeker.

"Oh, knowing her. She'll catch up once she's lost those two dip shits," she told Eve as they neared the craft. Silvia peeked inside and saw the twintacle piddling with the controls. "So what now?" asked Eve.

"Guess I'll have to lure out that dumb tentacle," said Silvia.

"Or I could," said Serena, who snuck behind Silvia and Eve, startling them.

"Serena, give us a warning next time,"

"Where's the fun in that,"

"(Groan) Just deal with the twintacle will ya,"

"Not a prob,"

Serena walked in and cleared her throat to get the twintacle's attention. "Excuse me," she told it as she giggled.

"Beat it redhead," snapped the twintacle. "What are you doing onboard this octoseeker anyway?"

"Hmm, a tough customer huh," Serena said to herself.

"Get out before I call the guards," the octarian threatened.

"Hmm, good luck,"

"That's it," said the twintacle as it got on the radio, but before it could call out, Serena whacked it in the head, knocking the poor twintacle out and dragging it out of its seat.

"No dice," said Silvia.

"Forgot, these tentacles don't mate so..." said Serena as she packed the octarian pilot outside and tossed its body before it woke up. Before she closed the ramp, she spotted a unit of octolings entering the depot along with an inkling dressed in octarian gear with hypnoshades covering their eyes. "Hold on, is that the inkling agent?" asked Serena. Silvia and Eve came up and watched them board into another octoseeker.

"I think it is. I think we need to get out of here before we're seen and questioned," advised Silvia.

"I agree, you drivin' Siv?" asked Serena as she pulled the lever to close the ramp.

As the octoling unit loaded up with the now brain-washed Izzy. They got ready to disembark on their mission to face the squidbeak squad by using the hypnotized agent against them. Izzy sat down inside along with the octoling contingent. "You know what to do?" asked an elite to the inkling.

"Splat our enemies, the squidbeak agents," said Izzy submissively.

"Affirmative, agent," said the elite as she sat across from the inkling as the ramp closed behind them. The rotors spun and the octoseeker started to ascend and make its way toward the training grounds where the squidbeak agents were last seen.

As they left, Silvia, Serena, and Eve took this chance to take off themselves. As their octoseeker started to depart, the two male guards from before ran toward them and waved at the aircraft. "Hey! Come back!" one of them shouted.

"Oh, squid. We're gonna be in a world of shit if anyone finds out about this,"

"Yeah, she left without giving us her number,"

"I think that's the least of our problems private. If anyone asks, we don't know anything,"

"Sounds good to me,"

To be continued...