A/N: Another chapter I had to really think about. It's only going up from here.
Zelkova48 - Yeah, he's not making it out of this in good health
Frye's jubilation seemed boundless. Before the morning Splatcast started, a dancing spell trapped her in ecstasy. The crew knew the dancing gangster had finally found her mojo again. When she stepped into the newsroom, everyone shielded their eyes from her radiance. She was beaming with happiness, her face flushed with pride and relief, and her eyes were sparkling with excitement.
The audience, too, was slapped in the face by how ethereal Deep Cut's eel deal appeared. There were no changes to her attire or overall appearance, but the light she was emanating shot arrows through her admirers. Unable to look away from their ebony queen, many clenched their chests and looked to the heavens to have their eyes mended.
When she spoke, her voice dripped with honey, and her excitement during the Hibachi recap was infectious. Her opinion of Syrus, everyone noticed, was pure positive with a little criticism here and there.
To her, she felt on top of the universe. Her mind was a vast meadow of flowers and sunshine. She was incredibly happy with life and felt nothing could bring her down.
"She's so pretty, isn't she, Syrus?" Maya asked her brother, who was busy cleaning up the kitchen after having breakfast.
"Beautiful," he peeked around the corner and laid eyes on the ebony beauty. His chest was pierced by the light arrows, but he had long felt the sting of her celestial aura. She never failed to make his three hearts race. "She's one of a kind."
Maya laughed. Her smile turned into a knowing smirk.
"Does she make you weak in the knees?"
"She does," he admitted without shame, "and the universe blessed me with the opportunity to lay eyes on her. I am truly a lucky guy."
"Can I just say," the news continued with Shiver offering her own opinion. "You have a knack for finding good competition."
"Right," Frye giggled, "what can I say? I bring out the best in people. Did you see the look on Syrus' face when I cut through his shots though?"
Shiver and Frye chuckled, and Maya giggled at the highlight.
"Ay ay. Aaay. (Syrus, I'm one of your fans. If you're watching, I loved the match.)"
"What?" the girls turned to their manta friend in shock.
"Yes!" Syrus cheered in the background. "I'm Big Man approved. Take that, Maya!"
"Ay ay ay. (Everything he does looks cool. I want an autograph.)"
Frye narrowed her eyes. "Did you root for Hotshot instead of me?"
But Big Man averted his gaze. "… Ay. (A little bit.)"
Shiver covered her mouth.
"Big Man," Frye gasped, "you cheered for the enemy more than your friend?"
"Ay ay. Ay ay ay. (He was the underdog going in, and I love underdog stories. He almost won too.)"
Frye turned to the news crew, ignoring the prompt given to her.
"Did anyone else pick Syrus over me?"
Slowly, several employees raised their hands and refused to look the three in the eye.
"Traitors all around," Shiver shook her head. "Let this be a lesson to you. What do you do when Frye goes up against a foe?"
"Ay. (Cheer harder.)"
"You're on thin ice, Big Man!" Deep Cut's femme fatales yelled at him.
"Anyway," Frye took a deep breath. "I'll forgive you this time, Big Man. Syrus ain't no pushover. If you're hearing this, Hotshot, we're even now," she winked at the camera. "See ya soon."
Xxx Bolero xxX
After the Splatcast, no one knew where the golden-haired idol disappeared. Frye had to isolate herself for a moment. As the news progressed, she struggled with a conflicting battle in her mind. She suffered from happiness overload. The level of joy flooding her body was immense, but through sheer will and determination, she kept it down long enough to finish the segment and hide somewhere fast.
She sat on the rooftop, hoping no one would find her in a vulnerable state, and cursed herself for falling apart.
'Why am I crying?" She pondered the stream of tears steadily falling down her face. She sat up against the stone wall. Tears rolled silently down her face, but they were not those of sadness. The emotions made no sense, and she found herself bewildered. Why would any kind of joy make her cry? Of course, she oozed happiness, but this was the first time it made her cry.
She had never been more confused in her life, and yet, this confusion was also part of this strange feeling of joy. It was overwhelming.
'Why am I like this? What's happening to me?'
Her breathing intensified. Her chest felt tight, her throat tightening in turn, and she fought against the urge to make a sound. But as the tears continued to flow, the girl found herself shaking with silent sobs, her gasps of breath betraying her position. The tears only flowed more, streaming down her cheeks, and dripping onto the floor, soaking into her clothes. The feeling of joy mixed with confusion and frustration was all a jumbled mess that the girl did not know how to handle.
'I thought I got over this.'
She had an idea why her emotions were running rampant.
'He planned this.' she pounded the hard floor. 'That sneaky cephalopod! How does he do it?'
Frye thought about her rival, the enigmatic dancer, Bolero, and the secret agent, Syrus. At long last, she knew the truth. The boys were not separate individuals like she initially believed. They were one and the same. There were no direct confirmations, but their wordless exchange told Frye everything.
Thus, bringing her to her situation. The overwhelming happiness she felt at discovering the secret was too much for her. She was the most adamant about figuring out Bolero's identity. The anger and satisfaction brought about emotions Frye didn't know how to soothe, and yet, despite the tumultuous hurricane in her subconscious, she was happy. She wanted the city to know, but she held back. In her mind, she thought of him and of the hard work he was putting into some grand project to win her over.
Frye took several deep breaths. Her emotions were beginning to calm.
'I've already accepted this. I already said I liked him back.' She told Bolero in slight confidence that she liked him more than she should, but it was still complicated. 'I just have to wait. I have to accept the future consequences.'
She felt stupid now, getting so worked up over something so trivial.
"You're being ridiculous," she chastised herself. "You're Frye, the dancing gangster. The eel deal. Hotshot should be grateful I gave him the time of day."
She had plenty of guys, and girls, ask her to be their girl, but Frye wasn't about that life. At least, that's how it used to be. Ever since Bolero, and Syrus, danced into her life, Frye started to sway in their direction. Maybe it was the thrill of their duet or the intensity of their matches, but Frye was drawn to the Octoling more than she expected and she didn't understand why.
Frye smirked, 'He's really cute actually.' and touched her forehead. Her face grew hotter as she recalled the loving gesture he placed on her skin, the gentle kiss that proved he was hers.
"This is a bad time," she shook her head, but couldn't escape the euphoria that engulfed her. "We're enemies right now. We have to get the treasure back from him. He is my enemy."
But it didn't stop the images from flashing through her mind. His calm smiles, the captivating gazes into her soul, and the rare, wide grins made her three hearts melt.
"My clever, fun, handsome enemy," she sighed and then patted her cheeks. "Keep your head in the game. They're ahead by two, but we can still turn it around. Deep Cut can take the gold."
Then, on the dancer's side, she missed their late-night conversations, and overall, his presence and the comfort she felt when around him. She missed his Bolero side and the duets they performed. They were the highlights of the rendezvous, a time when she could escape the world and focus solely on her passion for dancing.
Frye dried her face and smelled the zesty air of Splatsville. "Remember the mission. Splatsville needs our help."
Xxx Bolero xxX
Agent 3 was the last to arrive at Alterna as usual. He was foolish to think activity around his home would decrease after the Hibachi. The heated match served to bring more attention to his abode, but people knew of his threats and the insatiable appetite of his pet Smallfry.
When he saw his fellow agents, they greeted him with a friendly wave and doted on him about his match with the sizzling gangster.
"Agent 3, you were incredible out there," Callie clapped her hands together.
"You're amassing quite the fan base," Marie showed the agent recent comments from Inkopolis. "It's a shame you lost."
"You did great though, man," Agent 7 shot him a thumbs up. He still had bandages over his bite marks and walked slower to not agitate them. "You can be happy I got the second treasure from Shiver at least."
"I heard from Agent 1," he responded with a small smile. "Had to break out the Hyper Flux, huh?"
Zane chuckled back. "Should've seen the look on her face. I had no choice. Her sea beast was gonna turn me into sashimi."
"If I may interject," Captain Clora spoke up, "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself, but we're on borrowed time. I need you here in Alterna."
"Everything is fine now, Captain," he assured her. "I apologize for my inattentiveness."
It was hard to refuse such formality.
"You are forgiven. Do you have the notes I asked for?"
Neo 3 nodded and handed the captain his documents on the fuzzy ooze. "As I said yesterday, nothing is concrete."
Clora began skimming.
"Neo, we might have another problem," Agent 9 stated. "It's about Shiver. Did you see her yesterday?"
Syrus nodded. "She had a few choice words about me and Zane but that's about it."
"She didn't mention me?" Luke said with a hopeful smile.
"No, I don't think she knows you're working with us."
Agent 9 breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He gripped his chest and leaned on Syrus for support.
"Thank Cod. I got so scared, man. I never told Shiver I was an agent, but once she finds out, she's going to kill me."
Syrus understood. "Frye hasn't said anything, so I suppose you're safe for now."
"Good, I have time to make up an excuse. Come look at our catches from yesterday."
"Bad idea," Agent 7 commented.
"Why?" Neo 3 soon got his answer. The three fuzzy Octolings, whom Agent 9 and Clora captured, became feral after seeing Agent 9 and started screaming and kicking, causing the NSS to sigh.
"Oh Cod, there they go again," Agent 2 walked away to protect her hearing.
"Hold on a second," Agent 3 approached the hostages calmly, and their agitation only increased with each closing step. He took a deep breath and placed both hands behind his back. His intimidating aura surged as he put on his strictest face.
"OFFICIUM! (ATTENTION!)" he roared.
In an instant, the possessed soldiers stopped screaming and everything fell silent. Their Octarian background forced them to try and stand, which they haphazardly succeeded but stood awkwardly at attention, still bound by the rope that Agent 9 wrapped them up with.
Syrus whistled at his discovery and removed his shades. "That answers that," he paced around the trio and stopped in front of the one with duct tape on her mouth. He quirked a brow.
"She's the angriest," the yellow-haired Octoling answered. "I threw Levi at them, thinking he could eat the fuzz, but now I'm public enemy number one."
Syrus reached for the taped Octoling. She started fidgeting but maintained her position. Carefully, Syrus pulled off the tape and then reached for her face.
She growled, but even still, she held her position. Her Octarian training refused to let her disobey a call to attention.
Syrus touched her goggles and pulled them off. Her eyes were the same as the other fuzzy Octarians, with yellow irises and black pupils.
"Potestis intelligere me? (Can you understand me?)"
No immediate response, the Octoling opened and closed her mouth, mewls humming in her throat. Her eyes were shifting to and fro between the NSS. Enemies, they were all enemies to the general, but this one behaved as her superior. His posture, aura, and authority were unmatched. She wanted to get rid of them, but something held her back. She opened her mouth, but only more snarls came out instead.
"Hmmm, no coherent speech, but they can understand me to some degree," Syrus noted. "Their soul is still intact."
He walked to the next captive. She behaved more calmly, not fidgeting under Syrus' inquisitive yet stern stare, but she was primed to attack. He complimented her dedication. A soldier must always be ready for an attack.
He removed her goggles and asked her the same question, but like the previous Octoling, she couldn't say anything coherent.
But then the third captive mumbled something. "D…"
Syrus moved in front of her. He let the triplets match and showed the team her eyes. The pupils were trembling, appearing scared. She was shaking like a leaf. Frightened? Struggling? Syrus didn't know.
"Va a estar bien. (It's going to be okay.)" he reassured her in a gentle tone. "Háblame. (Talk to me.)"
The Octoling started hyperventilating, fingers going crazy, trying to break free of her binds. Her head twitched, and her face contorted with pain. It was a disturbing sight. She wanted to attack Syrus, but at the same time, something was interfering with her judgment.
She was an Octarian soldier!
No, she was something else now.
Impossible! She was trained to be a soldier.
But she served a different commander now, and there was no escaping that new fact. The contradictions made her twitch.
"…let," she whispered. "Do…let."
Syrus' countenance hardened. He nodded and turned to Agent 9, who nodded back, face just as steely.
"Socorro," the captive added.
"Effrenate. (At ease.)" Agent 3 said, giving the three a gentle pat on the shoulder.
Allowed to relax, the three Octolings returned to their sitting position and awaited further orders. They were noticeably shaken, and they watched Syrus carefully as he walked back to the NSS.
"Wow," Agent 1 commented about the spectacle. "That was heavy. What did they say, Agent 9?"
"…It hurts. Please, help me," he translated. "I was right. They want help."
"Are you magic or something?" Agent 2 asked the captain's successor. "Things just happen when you're around."
Clora smirked, looking up from the notes. "We Agent 3's know how to get stuff done."
There were only a couple of pages to Syrus' notes, but the information was insightful and easy to understand.
Of course, Salmonids were unaffected by the fuzzy ooze, and the Octarians were living proof that organic masses are the prime targets. Any form of contact with living organisms might very well be fatal, especially without a quick way of getting rid of the ooze before it settles in the victim's system. Possibly, the unaffected Salmonids could free a victim in time. Similar to a common sickness, it was easier to cure the cold in the early stages than in the later stages. Time is the most important factor.
The ooze had three hypothesized phases. First phase, the Primordial Phase, started with the fuzzy ooze devouring the target and eating away at their sense of self. It was unsure how long the first phase lasted, but it was certain to be lengthy. Otherwise, it would already be game over, and the fuzzy ooze would take over the world.
Once it finished feasting, it entered the second phase, the Revise Phase, during which the fuzzy ooze slowly rewrote the victim's mind while left in a state of comatose. Their sense of self is erased, leaving room for less resistance in the future when giving out new directives. However, their emotions remain somewhat constant, as seen by the fear the troopers emit when Levi or Ken the Smallfrys are thrown at them. Additionally seen by the three fuzzy Octolings. While their programming was scrambled, their Octarian training was still embedded in their mind, body, and soul.
Finally, the third phase, the Execution Phase, had the zombified minions following the new orders of the general. Thus far, the main goal was to protect Alterna and the Zapfishes. The only place the fuzzified Octarians existed was Alterna itself. Why was it taking the fuzzy ooze so long to spread? It just passed the final phase and awaited further development, but that meant something else was approaching. This was the tip of the iceberg.
'I have the greatest boys.' Captain Clora couldn't believe her luck with the recruits.
"Nicely done, Agent 3. We'll get to work on expanding your ideas. Agent 2, call Sheldon."
Marie looked offended and shook her head. "No can do, Captain. You do it, Agent 1."
"What? Why me?"
"You have a higher tolerance than I do."
"Why not Captain Clora?"
But the leader wasn't too keen on doing it either. "I have notes and hypotheses to analyze."
"What's the problem?" Agent 3 tilted his head. "It's just Sheldon. His knowledge will be incredibly useful."
"Yes, and you're right, but…" Agent 2 looked to the side.
"He talks too much," Clora stated.
Agent 7 held his tongue, not wanting to agree with the girls, especially when two avid fans, Agent 3 and Agent 9, were standing right beside him.
"I don't see a problem," Luke replied. "And why didn't you mention Sheldon was part of the NSS? We could've been chatting it up."
"He's assisted us greatly in the past. Have you ever talked to Sheldon for a long period?" Callie inquired.
"All the time," the two Octolings responded in unison.
"Some days, Luke and I will get together with some friends and talk with Sheldon about random topics," Syrus continued. "He's practically family. Remind me to visit him soon, Luke."
"For sure. Want me to call him? I got him on speed dial."
"No," Clora replied, "you and the boys start cleaning up Site 5. We have to go through there to reach the last island further out. Clear a path to Site 6 and then focus on the fuzzy ooze. Only enter the kettles if you need more power eggs to power your little buddies. When me and the girls get there, we'll split up into two teams. Agent 3, you'll be with me and Agent 2 as we finish Site 5. Agent 1, you stick with Agent 7 and Agent 9 and focus on clearing Site 6. I want both teams with a little buddy. Once we're done cleaning up the ooze, swap with Agent 1, Neo, and bring it all home. Get that last piece."
"What about them?" Agent 3 gestured to the captured Octolings.
Clora looked unsure. After yesterday's display of aggression, she didn't want them anywhere near the treasure or the base, and setting them free was not for debate.
"You made them docile for now," she pointed out. "We tried feeding them, but they refused everything we gave them. If you can get them to work with us, have at it, but I'm against undoing the rope."
He humored the idea. "That's going to be a long shot."
The fuzzy Octolings surprised the NSS when they stood upon Syrus' arrival. Without a command, they stood at attention and awaited their orders.
Syrus' Octarian pride swelled. Even though they were forced into an experiment against their will and had to endure Cod knows what, their training was still a cornerstone of their soul. They were fighting it, and Syrus wanted to help take back that control.
"Nuo, (Nod)," he requested.
It was a struggle, but they obeyed the request. Syrus studied them and saw their hands twitching. Part of them still wanted to kill him, but they fought back against that desire.
"I think it's unsafe to take them along. Some rehabilitation is in order, but…" he had to take a risk and ushered his male agents to surround the Octolings.
Zane and Luke brandished their weapons while forming a triangle around the captives.
Syrus tussled with the rope. "I have the perfect job for them."
The minute they were free of their bindings, the Octolings froze. They were programmed to attack any enemy who set foot in Alterna. Protect its secrets and help usher in a new age. That was the directive.
But, something was wrong. Something was wrong. The enemies weren't attacking. They released them. This was the opportune moment to strike. To not act was a violation of the code of conduct. Something in their brains slithered through the cores and reminded them who called the shots, who was in charge, and what was possibly waiting for them if they failed to provide results.
Suddenly, images of a towering figure flashed through their heads. Great, big, soulless white eyes monitored their every move. They couldn't move. They couldn't speak, but they could hear. They could hear the horrifying screams echoing in the chamber as the parasitic mass latched onto its victims.
The girls started hyperventilating. Agent 3 was unsure what to do. He tried speaking to them, but they couldn't hear him. They were trapped in a never-ending nightmare.
One grabbed him by the shirt and clung to him like a lifeline. She fought the directives, her hands shaking as they neared the soldier's unguarded neck.
"Look out!" Luke snatched the Octoling off Syrus.
"Hold her steady, Agent 9," Agent 2 stated, carrying her favorite charger. "We'll have to knock them out. Some of my low-tide ink should do the trick."
Before the captain's successor could inquire about the plan, the white-haired agent fired three shots and hit each Octoling with ink that made them drowsy and succumb to inevitable sleep.
Agent 2 wiped her brow. "Never a dull moment."
Agent 9 gathered the captives and placed them near the treasure. However, he didn't tie them back up, a notion he wasn't confident about.
"You wanted them to guard the treasure, right?" He confirmed.
"Right," Syrus nodded. "I don't know what happened," he scratched his head. "Interference from the fuzzy ooze, maybe?"
"We'll worry about it later," Clora spoke up. "I'm trusting your judgment on this, Agent 3. Don't make me regret it."
The boys saluted and went about their mission.
The fifth island was more organized than the others thus far. Windmills spun in the background of the site, and a large antenna sat on top of one of the buildings. Said buildings appeared to be planters in the middle of growing produce, or worse, more fuzzy ooze.
"Look at how far you've all come," Agent 1 said. "It's been fun working with you, boys. I'm glad you're part of the team."
"Don't get all sentimental just yet, Agent 1," Agent 2 chimed in. "There's still a lot of work to do. Clear a path to the next island, guys. We'll meet up with you all soon."
"Yes ma'am."
Xxx Bolero xxX
"This will not do."
Some of his employees were stolen from their positions, and foreign affairs have been interfering with his work.
This would not do.
He worked too hard to see his plans go under. Just a little longer, and he would have everything he needed to push his plans to phase three. Losing a few members wasn't a heavy loss. He'd soon have a net gain.
He monitored the progress of foreign affairs and estimated how long it would take them to reach his base of operations. To make matters worse, he knew the one directly responsible for their swift progress.
'Such a shame.' He lamented his choice to administer a write-up, but such overtime couldn't be allowed to continue.
It was one of his favorite employees too. A truly hardworking, dedicated, and loyal individual determined to help. Such a shame indeed that a wonderful employee needed a devastating break. He would've loved bringing him along for the restoration of the mammalian species. It would be even better to use his creation to turn the agent into a mammal and enlist his services.
But, the time for all to return to their origins will soon be upon them.
Although, foreign affairs weren't the only group that needed a write-up. His new guests needed a serious reevaluation of their behavior, thinking they could escape his watchful eye. How they managed to escape their room, he didn't know, but he would hunt them down. They were critical for his plan to work.
Xxx Bolero xxX
All three parties were present in Alterna, the NSS, Cuttlefish and Octavio, and finally, Deep Cut entered the underground utopia. The trio surveyed the camp and smiled with glee at the lack of interlopers.
"Hurry to where you found the treasure, Big Man," Shiver stated. "We're going to snatch the ones they got and then come assist you."
"Ay. (On it.)"
The big manta ray covered himself in ink and cast a large silhouette of himself. He swam over the land with incredible speed and raced to the furthest out island where he found the location of the last treasure.
Meanwhile, Frye and Shiver searched for their prize.
"I can smell them," Frye used her keen nose to sniff out the two pieces they lost to the NSS. "They're close, and none of the interlopers are around."
Shiver laughed like a villainess. "Leaving their precious goods unguarded? Amateurs. This will be easy pickings."
Frye led them to the main camp, where they found the two treasures sitting unattended by sleeping fuzzy Octolings.
"Uhh, that's weird," Frye commented. "How many new players do they have?"
"Too many," Shiver eyed them curiously. "My heart goes out to them. This fuzzy mess is certainly a problem, but that's what the cleanup crew is for. Let's claim our bounty they worked hard to steal."
Frye rubbed her hands together. "With pleasure."
But the two were unaware of the rising forms of the fuzzy enemies, and when a shrill war cry broke out, the femme fatales of Deep Cut jumped and let out startled shrieks.
The unarmed fuzzy captives attacked the girls, charging and throwing punches at them.
"What the shell?!" Frye evaded the Octolings. "I thought they were sleeping!"
"They're protecting the treasure," Shiver hissed and let her beast come forth. "Get rid of them, Master Mega!"
The sea beast roared and jetted through the terrain. However, the girls proved to be more adept in combat than Deep Cut thought.
"Shiv," Frye's eyes sparked after seeing how well they maneuvered around their assault, "I just got a brilliant idea. Backup dancers! They can be my new backup dancers!"
"Not the time for one of your spells, Frye," Shiver reminded her. "We have to treasure to steal back."
"I know, I know. But think about it. The fire, the technique, and those hip movements; we have something great here."
"Why are they even here?" Shiver inquired. "They should be inside the kettles somewhere."
"Leave it to Hotshot," Frye commented, dancing with one of the Octolings. There was a noticeable chip in her voice when she talked about the blue-haired ex-soldier. "I betcha he did this."
"A thorn in our side in every way," the shark mistress scoffed. "We need to teach him another lesson for slighting us."
"You know me. I'm always up for a dance battle to the death."
Frye took out her instrument and summoned her faithful eels. She was confident three eels were enough to turn the tides.
"Let's wrap this up."
Simultaneously, all three parties found themselves locked in combat.
The NSS, now split into two groups, fought against the remaining fuzzy ooze residing on Islands 5 and 6.
Octavio and Cuttlefish, having finally escaped their prison, tried to navigate through unfamiliar territory with their captor on the hunt to bring them back.
Finally, the lovely ladies of Deep Cut tried to take back what was theirs while Big Man hurried to the final treasure, hoping to add it to their collection.
Despite his size, Big Man was stealthy in his approach. He dodged the fuzzy ooze and was extra careful to avoid the NSS members. He saw a yellow-haired Zane and Syrus assisting their female colleague with the fuzzy monstrosity. Although, Big Man was confused.
"Aay. Ay. (I didn't know Syrus used a Splatana Stamper too. That's cool. He and Luke are twins.)"
The island was the biggest out of the others and mostly submerged underwater. Big Man had to ride the series of rails to traverse the site, but he also had to be careful not to draw attention to himself. He would rather not fight the group if he didn't have to.
'How big is this island?'
Ten large skyscrapers made up the land of the island, and the only way to reach the rooftops was the ink rails.
'I see it!'
It was a lengthy ride to the central building, but it was another battle to get to the kettle. Big Man tried using his original strategy of splitting himself off to sneak through, but the fuzzy monstrosity had evolved over the weeks and learned to defend itself better. The large manta ray was effectively pushed back.
'Oh man, I can't get through.'
He swam away before he was seized by the tendrils. Fear crept in for the large manta ray. His nerves about the fuzzy ooze turned into fear. It was already scary dealing with it, Big Man wanted nothing to do with it.
'But I have to get the treasure.' He lamented his thoughts. 'If I come back empty-handed, Frye and Shiver will yell at me.'
Retreating to the start of the island, Big Man considered his next move.
'No way through.'
He opted to see how the NSS was handling the situation. He loved seeing the magic of teamwork, and even though they were his enemies, he was impressed by how well they worked together. They were a well-oiled machine.
'Why can't we be more like that?'
Xxx Bolero xxX
Agent 7 leaned against the ledge as he caught his breath. Agent 1 helped steady him.
"You okay?" she asked gently.
"I'm sore but I'm good," he laughed it off. "I didn't think I'd hurt this bad."
"Dude, trust me, I know how you feel," Agent 9 stated. "Master Mega does not hold back."
"You got that right," Zane hissed as he stretched.
"Also, you and Shiver? How did that happen?" Callie decided to ask.
Luke put his hands behind his head and smiled fondly at the wave of memories entering his head.
"We found love through treasure hunting. Shiver and I sometimes competed to see who could bag the more valuable items. We'd talk for hours about different adventures. I really liked being around her. Eventually, I asked her out, and shockingly, she said yes. It sorta just happened."
Callie clapped for her fellow agent. "Congratulations."
"Yeah, but what are you gonna do when she finds out about this?" Agent 7 inquired.
Luke's whimsical face turned into nervousness. "Pray to every Cod and hope our relationship grows stronger after the skirmish. I can't escape her wrath, but maybe I can ease her down. If the one waiting for us at the end is Big Man like I think, I'm in luck. I'll be luckier if Syrus works his charm and gets Frye to join us."
The group knew that was a long shot though.
"Alright," Zane rubbed his shoulders, "I'm ready to roll. How are we on power eggs?"
Agent 9 checked their supplies. "Almost out. Time to get some more."
From a distance, Big Man watched the three agents descend into the nearest kettle. He waited a few moments before proceeding.
'Thank you for opening the way.' He bowed and rushed back to the big kettle. It was safe for him to enter.
"Yo! Big Man!"
Frye and Shiver appeared behind the manta ray.
"You're still lurking out here? What happened with the treasure?"
"Ay ay. (I had to wait. They cleared the fuzzy ooze for me.)"
"Were you detected?" Shiver asked.
"Ay. (No, we're good to go. The treasure's in here.)"
"Spicy, let's get to it!" Frye cheered.
The hunt continued as the three eagerly descended into the boss kettle.
"Aay. (This place is nice. Relaxing colors. Reminds me of a sunset.)"
"Meh, my kettle was way better," Frye retorted. "Had a killer sound system. If O.R.C.A wasn't a stickler, we could've thrown the greatest dance party in history."
"No unauthorized personnel!"
"Frye, don't anger the omniscient artificial intelligence," Shiver advised. "Her wickedness knows no bounds."
"I'm just saying. If you saw what I did, you'd say the same thing."
"Ay? (Also, she?)"
"You hear how she sounds," Shiver pointed out. "That's a woman's voice. Who else but a woman can be that sassy?"
"I do not identify as either male or female," the intelligence program stated. Deep Cut noted how more emotional she sounded since they first arrived. "I use this voice module because studies have shown individuals listen more to those with mature tones."
Frye was about to retort, but Shiver and even Big Man touched her shoulder to stop her.
"Don't even try," the blue-haired Octoling stated.
"Okay, I'll give it to Auntie Olivia, but she commands respect without speaking."
"Ay. (Syrus.)"
Frye blushed. "That's not fair!"
"Father Chase."
"That's even more unfair!"
"It was thanks to Agent 3 for providing such information," said O.R.C.A. "Interactions and data progression have increased significantly."
Frye rolled her eyes and threw her hands on her hips. "Of course, Hotshot had a hand in this."
"O.R.C.A., can you do us a favor and contact the agents?" Shiver requested. "Tell them to face us in combat for the treasure. Winner takes all."
A moment of silence befell the trio. They listened to the artificial intelligence's rhythmic speech pattern. She was having another conversation.
When she was done, silence fell on the trio again.
"… message sent. They shall be here at their earliest convenience. And Frye, Agent 3 says he's eager to see you again."
The girl giggled, ignoring the smug countenance on Shiver's face.
"I'm dying to see him too. We have to settle the tiebreaker."
Shiver fanned her glowing face.
"I know that look," Frye pointed in her direction. "Don't get any bright ideas."
"Between him and Bolero, it's hard to tell who you're more interested in."
No one but her knew. Shiver was present, but she was so busy winding down from her humiliating defeat that she didn't see the rest of the interrogation.
Frye was the only one who knew the truth now.
"I already said my peace and that hasn't changed," she replied. "Hot shot's cool and all, but I made my decision clear.
"Mhm, and yesterday's events didn't spark something?"
"We were both exhausted and needed some rest. We've been fighting to the death all the time, so I figured I'd let him hang out. I ain't that heartless."
Big Man, however, had a different battle going on in his head.
"Aay ay? (Do we have to fight them though?)"
"Are you getting cold feet, Big Man?" Shiver questioned. There was a little venom in her tone.
"Ay! Ay ay aay. (No, it's not that! I just think there's another way.)"
"If we don't get the treasure back then everything we worked for goes down the drain."
"Ay. (But we can just talk to them.)"
"I don't feel like talking. We have been humiliated for the last time. We're not going to let a couple of interlopers take what is ours. Splatsville needs us."
"Ay ayy. Aaay? (I know that. However, if you think about it, are they truly our enemies?)"
Shiver couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"What are you saying, Big Man?"
"Ay. Aayy ayy. (They're only stopping that fuzzy stuff, and they only oppose us when the treasure is involved. They pretty much leave us be otherwise.)"
"Ya know," Frye spoke up, "he does make a good point."
"Are you serious?" Shiver hissed, gripping her fan so hard it threatened to snap in two. "Are both of you reconsidering our goal?"
"Of course not, Shiv," Frye stated. "I'm in it for the good of the city, but Big Man ain't wrong. We've been down here just as long as they have, and they never bothered us until we got to the treasure. Think about it. When do we see them?"
Shiver hated it, but she could not deny her friends' statements. Regardless, she had her eye on the prize, and nothing would distract her from it.
"I suppose I can't argue with that," she said. "But we can't lose focus. It's already humiliating we couldn't steal the treasures from those fuzzy Octolings. My heart can't take another loss."
"You're going to be very disappointed then."
Shiver growled and kept her back turned.
"Hey, Hotshot," Frye sang, "miss me?"
"I always do," he replied. "I received your message, but I'm hoping we could talk."
"No," Shiver answered before anyone else could respond, "we won't fall for your sweet talk."
She turned her head and gave the opposing agent a side glare. "Save it for your recovery."
Syrus laughed softly. "I don't know what my teammate did to you, but there is no need for the hostility, Shiver. We can talk this out. Give me ten minutes."
She narrowed her eyes and gave Syrus her full attention. In her eyes, he was the most dangerous. "Ten minutes."
Agent 3 pressed on his earpiece. "Come on down, guys. They agreed to talk. Let them through, please, O.R.C.A."
Two more agents soon joined the calm and collected Syrus. Zane was immediately recognized and should have sparked annoyance in the blue-haired shark mistress from Deep Cut. However, she was more stunned by the third agent. She expected one of the girls, maybe the Captain of the group, to stand beside the boys, but instead, she was greeted by a scared and nervous yellow-haired Octoling, one she knew all too well.
Her heart rate quickened as she unconsciously clenched the fan in her grasp. The pupils of her eyes shook in disbelief and her breathing started to become sporadic. Shiver lifted the hand holding the fan and revealed both rows of sharp teeth grinding against each other. Before she could even get the word out, her strength reached the threshold, and her fan snapped in half, much to everyone's surprise.
"Luke," Shiver growled.
Agent 9 responded with a quaky smile. "A-Ave, B-Belleza. (H-Hello, Beautiful.)"
Shiver took one step forward, and Luke took one step back. She walked slowly until the bile in her throat exploded from her lips in a shrill, ear-shattering, banshee-like shriek, and both her and Luke's screams of pure, unadulterated fear filled the chamber.