Alterna Depths
Two and a half months earlier...
It had taken several weeks of sniffing around, but Mr. Grizz's chemical engineering laboratory had finally been discovered.
Hidden deep within the heart of the rocket platform, the lab was used by Mr. Grizz for the sole purpose of formulating a virulent chemical mutagen capable of rapidly altering an organism's physiology on a genetic level, effectively mutating them into whatever he wanted them to be; in this case, mammalians. This fuzzy ooze had been the crux of the bear's mad ambitions to, in his own words, restore balance to the Earth, only to be thwarted in the end during what should've been his hour of triumph.
But even with Mr. Grizz left floating in space and the rocket destroyed, some of the fuzzy ooze still remained planetside. All traces of the foul chemical needed to be destroyed before anyone else could be harmed by it, or worse, used for another sinister purpose.
Once again, Agent 3 and Sapphire Shark had been dispatched to deal with the issue. Their goal; to find and dispose of all remaining fuzzy ooze in the laboratory. They departed from camp with the utmost haste, super jumping their way to the rocket platform the moment the mission was greenlit.
The two soared over to the island propelled by a powerful jet of blue and yellow ink before twirling acrobatically across the air and landing dramatically onto the ground, kicking up a plume of fake snow as they did. The entrance would've been awe inspiring were it not for what came after.
Shiver suddenly broke out into raucous cackling beside Tres, doubling over hysterically as her shrill laughter echoed throughout the air like nails on a chalkboard. How she could sing with such soul yet screech like a tone deaf banshee when laughing was beyond him. "PFFT! Bwah-ha-ha-ha! You-You got a little something on your face, mister relic hunter!" She howled, clutching at her belly as she pointed at the lump of fake snow covering his face.
"Augh! Pfft, pfft! Some of it got in my mouth!" Tres sputtered, frantically shaking his head as he spat the offending material out. "Gah! Gross, it tastes like dry mushy styrofoam! Pfft, blah! Why did humans even make this stuff anyway?!" He turned to face Shiver, who was still laughing her head off. A mischievous smirk curled on his lips. He leaned down and scooped up a clump of snow, rolling it into a ball as he took up a throwing stance. "Hey, Shiver," he called.
Shiver managed to come down from her hysterics enough to peer through one eye upon hearing her name. Her expression immediately morphed from amusement to surprise when she realized that Tres had a smirk on his face, a snowball in his hand and was already winding up for a fastball special.
"Tres!" she cried, stepping backwards, hands raised up in defense. "Don't you dare! Don't you da-!"
"POOF!*
The soft pelting of a snowball colliding with Shiver square on her nose rang out across the air, followed by jovial laughter from both Tres and Little Buddy.
"You got a little something on your face, miss bandit," Tres echoed as Shiver hurriedly wiped away the snow on her face.
"Pfft! Blah! It tastes like plaster! Pfft, pfft!" Shiver spat. When she could see again she leveled a piercing glare at Tres as her lips twisted into a furious scowl. She wasted no time in rolling up a snowball and chasing down Tres with it, raining down on him a barrage of fake snow as she roared, "I am the Megalodon Mistress, this offense will not go unpunished! You will pay dearly for this humiliation, Tres!"
"O-oh, I'm in for it now," Tres chuckled weakly, staggering backwards before frantically dashing away, ducking and weaving past every vengeful snowball that came his way to varying degrees of success.
The chase lasted for several minutes, quickly devolving into a childish game of cat and mouse where Shiver found herself rather enjoying it as evident by the joyful smile that had appeared on her visage. Shiver would soon gain on him, never letting up her icy barrage before closing the gap and tackling him into the powder. They laughed and giggled as they rolled around in the snow in a tangle of limbs, only ceasing when Tres came out on top, straddling her as a victorious smirk curled up on his lips.
"Ha! Gotcha!" He cheered, staring down at Shiver as he held her down with both hands on her shoulders.
His smile faded away however when he finally registered her cute expression. She laid upon the snowy ground, staring up at him with innocent eyes and blue dusted cheeks, one arm splayed upwards and the other folded against her chest as she bit down on her index finger in a sullen pout. She was no doubt peeved that he had gotten one over her but took the loss gracefully nonetheless.
It was only in their intimate position that it dawned upon him just how gorgeous Shiver truly was. She was absolutely breathtaking with her moonlight pale skin, rounded ears and cute button nose. He was taken in by how her slender molten ruby eyes seem to entrance him like a seductive vampiric gaze, or the way her rosy lips makes even her most subtle expression so vibrant and animate.
In spite of their close partnership he never really took the time to truly appreciate her beauty until now. He regretted not doing so sooner.
A static buzz suddenly snapped him out of his musing, he was being hailed by the camp through his headset. His eyes widened as he clumsily stumbled off of Shiver, offering her a hand to help her up to which she gladly accepted. Clambering up to their feet they righted themselves and hastily dusted off the snow that clung to them. Tres answered the call as Shiver stood by, averting her gaze as she desperately willed her hearts to stop beating so vigorously against her chest.
"*BZZT!* This is Agent 6 calling Agent 3, come in Agent 3. Please respond," Marina replied on the other end.
"T-this is Agent 4, er, I mean, Agent 3," Tres stammered, fumbling with his headset. "I hear you 6. What's up?"
"3, you didn't check in with us after landing on the rocket platform. We assumed something went wrong with your arrival. Are the two of you alright?" She asked.
Tres looked over to Shiver, who was still a bit flustered by the aftermath of their little game. Fortunately, she had managed to regain enough of her composure to flash him an assuring smile. He smiled back, glad to know she wasn't too bent out of shape over losing. Which was a rarity for her, all things considered.
"Ahem. There's nothing wrong, Agent 6. We're right as rain. Sapphire Shark and I just, um, got caught up in the environment. It's hard to walk around with all this fake snow," he replied, sighing inwardly. "Anyway, we'll be continuing with our mission. We're heading over to Mr. Grizz's hideout as we speak."
"Acknowledged, Agent 3. Make sure to neutralize all the fuzzy ooze you can find out there. We can't let even a single drop of the stuff remain. Let us know when you've completed the mission or if there are any unforeseen complications. We'll continue to monitor your progress as best we can. Agent 6, out," Marina concluded as the comms went silent.
"Phew," Tres relaxed his tense shoulders, bringing a hand up to his face. "That was Marina. She wanted to know why I didn't check in after landing."
"Hmm, and what did you tell her?" Shiver raised an inquisitive brow.
"That we got caught up in the snow," Tres shrugged. "Technically the truth."
"It's enough of a truth," Shiver nodded. "She doesn't need to know anything more than is necessary."
"That you lost to me?" Tres grinned cheekily, folding his arms.
"I didn't lose," Shiver huffed, flicking her tentacle. "It was an unofficial engagement, therefore it doesn't count."
"Fine, fine. I'll let you have that one," Tres conceded, rolling his eyes as he reached for his Riot Stamper. He unholstered it off his belt and briefly checked the engine, making sure the fresh coat of bright red paint he added on earlier in the day had dried completely. "Only because we've got more pressing matters to attend to. Are you ready to storm Mr. Grizz's hideout?"
"Hmph. What kind of question is that?" Shiver smirked as she brandished her Octobrush Jaws in a dramatic flourish. "As a member of the Carcharodon Clan, I am always prepared."
"That's what I like to hear," Tres nodded. "Stick close, we don't know what we're gonna find in there."
"I'll be in your care," She nodded back as the two entered the rocket platform together.
Mr. Grizz's chemical engineering lab was like any other in the depths of Alterna; messy, unorganized and labyrinthine. Unlike the rest however there was a distinct lived in feel to it that made it somehow even more unsettling than if it were truly abandoned.
The atmosphere was dark and brooding, punctuated by dim lamps of red and orange hues giving the walls an eerie heated look as ebon shadows danced at the edge of each and every corner. Noisy pipes dripping with water and rumbling machinery that have been running unceasingly for several millennia rattled unsettlingly overhead, emulating the roars and growls of some savage beast that had laid claim to the depths as its home, which wasn't too far from the reality of things.
Overall, there was a very sinister air about the place, as if Tres and Shiver were descending deep into smokey depths of the dark inferno itself.
"Sheesh, can I get some cobwebs and glowing green mist while we're at it?" Tres quipped as he kept a tight grip on his stamper. He cautiously observed his surroundings, taking in the dreariness of it all. Mr. Grizz had been busy up until their final confrontation. Between running a powerful multinational conglomerate, experimenting with his fuzzy ooze and powering the rocket, it was a wonder he was able to keep it all under wraps for so long.
"It is quite, how do you say? Portentous," Shiver remarked, subconsciously moving closer to Tres.
"I don't know what that word means but if it's coming from someone like you I'm gonna go ahead and assume it describes exactly what I'm thinking," replied Tres.
"You can look it up in the dictionary later. In the meantime, I strongly suggest you keep your eyes and ears open. Mr. Grizz was always known to be a consummate businessman, shrewd and ruthless. We don't know what kind of traps he has in store for intruders," she advised.
"I should be the one telling you that," Tres chuckled. "But I guess you are my boss lady."
"Someone has to make sure you keep your bad ideas in check," Shiver playfully retorted, smiling wryly before her expression slowly morphed to concern. "...How's your arm?" She asked, feeling a pang of guilt well up from within.
Tres flexed his right arm, hefting the weighty stamper up and down with relative ease. It wasn't the first time he's had to regenerate a limb, but most Inklings and Octolings tend to find the experience remarkably uncomfortable. Thankfully, he wasn't most Inklings. As far as he knew his right arm had regenerated without issue. Sure, it stung like the dickens for the first few hours but after that it was simply a matter of getting reacquainted with his motor skills.
"S'alright. It's like it never got dissolved in the first place. Though, for a moment I was worried I might grow a sixth finger. Now, that'd be freaky. Heh heh," he said in jest, but soon regretted it when he noticed Shiver's crestfallen expression. He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck as he spoke, "Shiver, I told you already. I forgive you for what happened. All that chaos and danger, it just comes with our line of work. I've accepted that reality long before I became an agent. And as a bandit, I'm sure you have as well."
Shiver sighed before admitting, "It doesn't make it any easier."
"No, it doesn't," Tres nodded. "But that's exactly why we have each other. Whether it's watching each other's backs or leaning on one another for support, that trust is what holds us together... And I trust you with every fiber of my squiddy being."
Shiver was taken aback by the sincerity of his words, blushing profusely. His earnestness was showing through again and it was enough to alleviate her somber mood.
"...How do you do that?" Shiver queried.
"...Do what?" Tres tilted his head in bemusement.
"T-those poetic speeches! It was flawless, beautiful even!" she huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "Where did a dumpster diving bumpkin like you learn to speak with such eloquence?!"
"H-heh... Eh, well, you see," Tres's cheek flushed yellow, "I used to love watching those spaghetti westerns when I was a little Inkling. Especially Flynt Driftwood's 'Shrimp with No Name' movie franchise. His character would say lots of cool things and I guess I found myself peppering my language with some of his own."
"That is... a very Tres-like answer, actually," Shiver blinked. She didn't know why she was expecting something more profound out of him.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Tres raised a brow.
"It means that you're a wonderful person to be around, Tres," she answered with her own form of sincerity.
"I... Huh?" it was Tres's turn to be taken aback now. He was left speechless, so much so that he hadn't realized he would've walked headline into a wall hadn't Shiver pulled him back by the collar of his hero suit at the last second.
"I know I'm so enthralling that you can't help but be entranced by my alluring beauty, but please keep your eyes forward, mister relic hunter," Shiver teased, running a ruby finger along his chin before sauntering on by with swaying hips as Tres watched on in stunned silence. She smiled coyly behind her hand.
This was only fair, after all.
Some time afterwards, the pair would eventually come across the labs proper after wandering throughout the labyrinthine corridors for what felt like an eternity. To their shock, the labs were far larger than they had originally anticipated.
It was a massive subterranean complex where only a small corner of the room consisted of actual scientific equipment and alien apparatuses. The rest of the room consisted of massive chemical tanks the size of eighteen-wheelers that were filled to the brim with fuzzy ooze.
They stared down from atop the metal grates high above the lab's catwalk, grimacing at the open topped tanks that bubbled disconcertingly with the fuzzy ooze. The foul psychedelic brown and pink colored substance seemed to move on its own accord, churning like the waves of the sea, cloying and grasping for whatever it can reach. Even now it looked to be bringing up a ghastly hand at the two, wanting to drag them down into the muck.
"Sweet mother of mercy..." Tres breathed.
"There must be hundreds of these tanks down here," Shiver muttered as she stared in wide-eyed horror.
"Mr. Grizz needed enough of the fuzzy ooze to saturate the Earth. I guess he wanted to be thorough about it."
"How are we supposed to get rid of all this?" Shiver thought aloud. "Even if we got everyone to pitch in this could take weeks, months even."
"Maybe we don't need to do this on our own. Hey, O.R.C.A." Tres called out. Shortly after, a disembodied voice spoke out to him and Shiver in perfect Inklish.
"Greetings. How may I be of assistance?" The AI replied, its voice omnipresent and ethereal. In spite of the mechanical response it spoke with a very refined vernacular, almost as if it were a respectful butler or a wizened grandfather.
"Do you have access to the rocket platform?" He asked.
"I am linked to all of Alterna and its many facilities. In a way, I am Alterna itself." O.R.C.A. replied.
"Not exactly something you want to hear from a sentient supercomputer," Shiver whispered to Tres.
"Shh," Tres shushed. "Be nice, Shiver. O.R.C.A. is on our side. I think. Anywho, is there a way for us to dispose of the fuzzy ooze lickety split?" he asked. "Maybe Mr. Grizz left something behind we can use."
"Inquiry accepted. Gathering data. Data collected. Determining the best course of action..." O.R.C.A. droned, responding a few moments later. "Suggested action; subject Bear #03 had developed a retromutagen as a means to counteract the effects of the fuzzy ooze should it become too volatile for him to control, rendering it completely benign. A sample of it is being stored in a freezer unit on the opposite end of the complex. Retrieve the sample, install it into the main intake of the chemical tanks and I can have it administered efficiently throughout all of them"
"Sounds like a plan. Thank you, O.R.C.A." said Tres as he turned to face Shiver. "Well, there you have it. We find that retromutagen and the mission is as good as done. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy."
"Since when is it ever that easy?" replied Shiver, folding her arms.
Tres shrugged. "We haven't run into a single trap yet, dealt with any of Alterna's exhilarating security protocols or even tussled with the wayward fuzzy Octarian. Maybe this is one of those rare occasions where, for once, it is that easy. Now, I know better to assume this will be a walk in the park but I'm not against it being a tofu run."
"Hmph, I'm blaming you if anything goes wrong," Shiver scoffed as she began to make her descent to the ground.
"Heh, that's fine with me," Tres grinned, following along.
To their surprise, the rest of the mission, as Tres had previously stated, a tofu run. There were barely any obstacles stopping them from achieving their goal and what little there was was easily circumvented through Tres and Shiver's combined skill set, with help from Little Buddy of course. Before long they had reached the freezer unit, found the retromutagen and had it installed in the chemical tanks main intake without so much as a tentacle out of place.
"Alright, the retromutagen is all set up, O.R.C.A. Let 'er rip," said Tres, flashing a thumbs up to no one in particular.
"New chemical compound detected. Administering retromutagen. Please wait," replied O.R.C.A.
The pipes around the chemical tanks thrummed to life as the retromutagen was pumped into each tank in rapid succession where it began neutralizing the harmful effects of the fuzzy ooze almost immediately. The reaction was quick and violent. It bubbled and toiled, growing hot as it began to smoke as if it caught fire. Soon after it lost its purplish brown color and fuzzy texture, almost magically reverting back into the glistening liquid crystal it derived from.
In a mere matter of minutes, one of the greatest threat to the Earth was rendered no more.
"Fuzzy ooze neutralization process complete. Hazard levels: 0%. Thank you for your patience," O.R.C.A. announced.
"No, thank you, O.R.C.A." Tres nodded. He turned over to face Shiver, a smug grin plastered on his face. "Well, I guess it was a tofu run."
"I honestly can't believe it, it really was that easy," Shiver blinked. "How come we don't rely on O.R.C.A. more often?"
"Because he can be quite persnickety when he wants to be and hates it when we ask him for help with stupid stuff," Tres replied a matter o'factly. "Which is why I treated him with respect and only called upon him when we needed his help the most. Nobody likes having their time wasted, especially a self aware AI. Also, the others don't seem to trust him for some reason. Kuki, in particular. Said something about 'no good talking computers.'"
"I am a highly advanced learning supercomputer built by your forerunners for the sole purpose of recording and researching all of humanity's collected knowledge and more, capable of calculating extremely complex mathematical equations and hypothetical formulae down to the last decimal with near perfect accuracy at the speed of thought. I would prefer not to be used as a simple calculator to determine how many cans of soda it would take to reach the surface of the Moon from Earth," O.R.C.A. replied monotonously, yet there was somehow a noticeable tinge of annoyance laces in its droning voice.
"How many cans of... Wait a minute, did Frye ask you that?" Shiver raised a brow.
"...The one you refer to as Frye was very adamant about knowing the answer. For the record, it would take approximately: 3,340,000,000 cans of soda to reach the surface of the Moon from the planet Earth, give or take one or two cans."
"That-that cheating little minx!" Shiver fumed, her lips twisted into a scowl. "So that's how she was able to win the bet! I should've known she couldn't have calculated that all on her own!"
"Ha ha! Sounds like someone's got some 'splainin to do," Tres guffawed.
"Oh, believe me. We will have words. Pointed ones at that," Shiver smiled deviously, her ruby eyes were practically glowing with ill intent. "Dishonesty should be punished."
"O-ooh, scary," Tres chuckled sheepishly, taking a cautious step backwards. "I'm gonna go ahead and give you some time to yourself, Shiver. Me? I gotta report back to camp."
"Yes, you go do that, Tres" Shiver replied, a near palpable aura of vengeance radiating off her being.
Tres then turned around and placed a finger on his headset, contacting the camp. "Camp. Come in, camp. This is Agent 3 and Sapphire Shark reporting in. The mission is a success. All the fuzzy ooze in Mr. Grizz's hideout has been neutralized. There's more to it but I'll explain in detail when I hand in my report once we get back from the rocket platform."
"*BZZT!* Ayooooo! This is Agent 5 coming at you live from the camp!" Pearl's bombastic voice blared through the comms, causing Tres to wince at the sound. "What up, Neo-3! You finished the mission already? Dang, son! Who says yellow is the color of cowardice? You're yellow like lightning! Zippy! Hold on, the Cap's tryna tell me something... Uh-huh... Mmhmm... So, Cap just told me that since you completed your mission early maybe you can snoop around the big bear's lair. You know, dig deep and find anything useful to bring back to us. Do you copy my squid?"
"I hear you, Agent 5. I'll let Sapphire Shark know," Tres nodded.
"Rocking! See you guys in a few hours then. Agent 5, out!" With that, Pearl's voice died out and the comms went silent.
Tres sighed, it looks like he and Shiver can't clock out early today. "Hey, Shiver!" he called, earning her attention. "Better put that revenge plot on hold. Cap just issued us new orders. We're gonna be digging through Mr. Grizz's private office to see what he's been holding out on us. Whatever information we can scrounge up rummaging through his office could aid in the investigation."
"If nothing else I'm sure Kuki would appreciate us bringing back some paper clips and a 'World's Greatest Boss' novelty mug for her," Shiver quipped, giggling behind her hand.
"Well, you know what they say: one bear's trash is another squid's treasure. Anywho, keep your weapon at the ready. Our luck could change at any minute," Tres cautioned.
For the second time that day the adventurous trio encountered no danger in their mission. Even as they burst through the front doors of Mr. Grizz's private office with their weapons drawn they were greeted with nothing but the sound of deafening silence and an overall sense of disappointment.
The office itself, though ominous, was devoid of any nefarious traps nor security measures that would impede their progress. Rather, everything was laid out in the open and neatly organized. Consequently, between Tres single handedly decimating the remaining fuzzy Octarians that guarded the rocket platform during the raid months prior and the hidden nature of Alterna it made sense that the security here was so lax. No one was ever expected to find it.
Well, no one except for the NSS.
At a glance, the office was little more than a security room that had been converted into a combination of both a living quarter and a workspace. There was a massive wall of computer monitors displaying camera feeds of multiple locations overlooking a normal sized desk on the far end of the room, which, when taking Mr. Grizz's prodigious size into consideration, was actually comically small by comparison.
There were several white boards nearby with crude drawings of his plans to saturate the Earth with the fuzzy ooze drawn with colorful dry erase markers and finance reports for Grizzco typed out on long spreadsheets.
"Well... It's certainly an office," Shiver mumbled as she rummaged through the desk. She casually flipped through various folders, rattled a normal sized 'World's Greatest Boss' novelty mug full of pens and ransacked drawers but found nothing of importance to their mission. "What do you know? Paperclips, pens, sticky notes and manila envelopes. Yup, this is the desk of a businessman alright, and it's every little bit as humdrum as I expected it to be."
"If there's nothing there then let's try the tables by the wall of monitors," Tres pointed. "That looks interesting."
Shiver grimaced at the sight of it. The monitors displayed everything from earning reports and conference memos to real time video surveillance of all of the Salmonid infested zones and even various areas of Splatsville and Inkopolis. It was unsettling how far Mr. Grizz's influence reached, or if what they were seeing had been the true extent of it all. "It would seem that Mr. Grizz was keeping a close eye on everything... and everyone."
"From Inkopolis all the way to Splatsville," Tres shook his head in disbelief. "Talk about micromanagement."
They made their way over to the wall of monitors. There were more tables set up there, on it was a series of control panels that had all manner of keyboards, buttons, dials, switches, levers, knobs and joysticks. There was also an old camcorder hooked up to one of the panels but it didn't look important enough to investigate.
Tres's turquoise eyes twinkled at the sight of it all, he was tempted to mess with them all but refrain himself from doing so. He needed to be professional about it, though that didn't stop Shiver from noticing his reaction and getting in a dig at his expense.
"Tsk, tsk," Shiver tutted as she smirked, waving around her fan like a disapproving mother. "You really are such a boy."
"Guilty as charged, heh heh," Tres grinned sheepishly, rubbing at his neck. "A-anywho, let's start digging around."
"Yes, let's do that before your boyish impulses get the better of you," Shiver winked, causing him to blush.
Their search didn't take that long. After a bit of scrounging they came across an unusually large old fashion steamer trunk with a broken lock. Upon opening they found all manner of mysterious curios and memorabilia of a bygone era, likely Mr. Grizz's personal keepsakes.
Among such objects of interest was; a partially deflated red rubber ball that had been fixed with some duct tape, a large set of colorful metal rings, a trio of worn bowling pins, a whimsical looking conical hat, a large animal collar and a worn poster with Mr. Grizz on it written in the human language.
"Hmm? What's this?" Tres noticed a bright silver glint reflecting off the bottom of the trunk. He leapt in, his legs dangling behind him as he brushed away the rest of the mementos and snatched up the curious looking bauble, which turned out to be another engraved metal slip. He hopped back down, landing next to Shiver as he presented the object to her. "Another Alterna log? That's great, but how did it end up in here?"
"It must've accidentally gotten mixed in with the rest of this stuff," Shiver surmised. "Regardless of the what and the why, maybe we can use that to decrypt the last one we found."
"Hmm, I'm not too confident about that. The one we found at the Happiness Research Lab was pretty corrupted. Even O.R.C.A. had trouble cracking it open. This one will help, but we'll need a few more to put it back together."
"A challenge for another day then," Shiver smiled. "We got what we came for. That's two successful missions in one day. I say it's high time we deliver this troublesome little thing to the others and get ourselves something to eat. We've earned it."
"Heh, now you're speaking my language," Tres smiled back, pocketing the strip. "I am feeling mighty peckish, and I think Little Buddy is too."
"Waaah!" Little Buddy chirped, his little belly growling.
"He can join us for a late lunch," Shiver playfully patted at the grinning goober. "But he's not getting any of mine. I've seen how much he can eat."
"Oh, I'll keep a close eye on him, don't you worry," Tres chuckled.
"Waaah?" Little Buddy feigned innocence, his bulbous eyes staring everywhere independently of one another.
"Good to hear. Now, come on. Let's head ba- aaAAH!" Shiver suddenly exclaimed, having tripped on a loose marker by her feet. She lost her footing and staggered into Tres, who caught her before she could trip over completely.
"Whoa, there! I got you!" he cried, stumbling backwards to give Shiver some room to stand. But as he did, his elbow slid alongside the control panel for the cameras and he accidentally hit a switch, causing one of the monitors to flash wildly in rapid succession before playing some kind of old recording off of the nearby camcorder.
The video in question showed a small wounded bear cub curled up in a ball in the snow. There was an older looking human female dressed in thick winter clothing with long blonde hair, as in actual strands of hair, hunched over him, tending to his wounds as she spoke in a language they couldn't understand.
"Whuah?" Tres raised a brow at the footage, unaware that he was gently hugging Shiver who had her cheek pressed up against his chest. She blushed at their position, swallowing thickly as she listened to his hearts beat against his chest, mirroring her own heart's rhythm.
"Uh, Tres... You can let go of me now," she murmured quietly.
"What? O-oh!" He finally registered their position and let go of her. "My mistake, heh heh..." They both stood by, feeling awkward about the brief moment of contact but were thankfully distracted by the video that was still playing on the monitors. It took a bit of brainpower on his part but Tres was able to recognize the bear cub as none other than Mr. Grizz. "Shiver, look. Is that... Mr. Grizz?"
"I... I think it is," Shiver blinked, gawking at the cub on screen. "But, what is all this?"
"O.R.C.A." Tres called.
"Greetings, I am available. How may I be of assistance?" O.R.C.A. inquired.
"Can you translate what they're saying for us?" he asked.
"Of course. Translating now..."
The footage continued to play out on screen. The woman is crouched beside the bear cub, a medical bag by her side.
"You poor thing. It's okay, you're safe now," the woman cooed in an unusually thick accent as she bandaged up the bear's wounds. The bear growled weakly, snuggling up against her chest. "He's hurt and all alone out in the wilderness. No mama or papa bear in sight. What do you think happened to him, Yuri?" She looked up, referring to the human male holding the camera.
"Probably got separated from them," said Yuri, his accent equally as thick. "I heard there were poachers out here. I didn't think much about it, but..."
"We have to do something," the woman replied, sorrow in her eyes. "We can't just leave him like this, he'll die."
"We can bring him back to the tent, Svetlana. You can continue treating his wounds there," Yuri suggested. "Then, I'll contact the animal conservation society. Maybe they'll take him in..."
The scene shifts, swapping to the inside of what looks like a circus tent. The woman, Svetlana, is seen playing with the cub, who not only made a full recovery but is shown to be very energetic and excitable. The cub could be seen running around wildly, jumping up and down and rolling along a large red rubber ball in his grasp.
"The animal conservation society said that they had no room for the bear," said Svetlana, looking over the cub as a warm smile graced her features. "So, we decided to adopt him. He took a liking to everyone almost immediately and as you can see he's very friendly. He loves playing with his ball and can't seem to stay still no matter what. Yuri and I had decided to name him Misha. It is a beautiful name for a beautiful bear... Welcome to your new home, Misha Grizzkovich. Welcome to our family."
The scene shifts again, this time showing both Svetlana and Yuri, now revealed to be a jolly bearded man dressed in bright sequined performer clothes. Misha was in the middle of them, caught between a warm hug as he growled happily on camera. An indeterminate amount of time had passed since the last recording as they all appeared to be older.
They were celebrating something if the streamers and cake in the background were any indication.
"He's a hit!" Yuri cheered, holding up the same poster that they had found in the steamer trunk. The subtitles on screen helped to make sense of the words on it, which read:
'Come See Misha, The Talented Dancing Circus Bear Of The Grizzkovich Family Circus!'
"It was his very first show and everyone loved him!" Svetlana gushed. "The crowds couldn't get enough of his performance. He's a superstar! You're a superstar, aren't you, Misha!" Misha growled, snuggling against the couple with a smile on his muzzle. "Whoa! That tickles, Misha! Ha ha!"
"What can we say, he's a Grizzkovich," Yuri lauded, drawing in his family for a great big bear hug. "You're destined for greatness, Misha! We're so proud of you!"
The next few scenes were all of Misha performing his act in the circus.
He was a bear of many talents, a regular virtuoso capable of balancing on a large ball while juggling several bowling pins or riding on a tiny bicycle along a tightrope through a ring of fire. Each act was more thrilling and memorable than the last. He could do it all; dance, sing and juggle, usually at the same time and with an impressive level of finesse.
The audience couldn't get enough of him and the circus treasured him dearly. They were his family, and he was their adopted son.
Misha was happy.
"What is he doing?" Svetlana asked, pointing over Misha as he played around with spreadsheets and a calculator. Well, playing was being generous. He clearly had no clue what he was doing but none could fault him for trying.
"Boris tried teaching him how to do accounting," Yuri snickered. "He'd thought it'd be funny."
"It is!" Boris, an older bald and rotund man with an impressive mustache bellowed jovially. "But for real though. I think he could totally do it."
"Oh, you're only teaching him this because you're a lazy old fart who can't be bothered to balance our books!" Yuri accused as Boris broke out into raucous laughter.
The scene after was much more somber in mood.
Svetlana is alone somewhere with the camera held up to her face as she speaks her mind. She is deeply morose, cheeks stained with dried tears. It looked as if every last bit of hope had been drained away from her, leaving her a hollow and dispirited shell of a woman.
"...They won't accept them in the arcologies," her voice cracked and it looked like she could break at any moment. "But the Ark Polaris is accepting animals. Yuri and I, after a very, very long bout of deliberation h-had come to the hard decision to... to offer up our animals to them as a part of their crew. They-they aren't just animals... Kobray... Lukas... Misha... They are our children, our family... I-I don't..." she choked on her words and began to quietly sob to herself.
"Svetlana! Svetlana?!" Yuri's panicked voice echoed in the background. "We have to go! They're going to seal off the arcology soon! We have to leave now!"
"I'm coming!" Svetlana cried, snapping out of her despair. She turned back to face the camera and began to speak her final words. "I've packed everything I could think of for you, Misha. Anything that would make your trip a comfortable one... Though you and your brothers and sisters will be far, far away, we will never stop thinking about you, never stop loving you. Misha, I hope that wherever your new home is that you will be happy with everyone...
Goodby- No... No, I won't say goodbye... I-I can't..." Her head fell into her hands and she began to weep. Frantic pounding thundered from behind, followed by Yuri's fearful shouting.
"Svetlana! Svetlana!?-"
The screen fades to black.
The Grizzco industries logo shows up after, bathing the room in a luminous orange light.
Mr. Grizz begins to speak,
"...The Earth is wrong.
It is under new management.
Restructuring is required.
Balance and synergy between employees and their respective departments is key to ensuring a healthy workplace environment.
It is only natural to take long term success into consideration when making tough decisions.
A bold leader with an even bolder vision must step up and take control.
Misha Grizzkovich is no more.
Call me, Mr. Grizz..."
The footage came to an abrupt end.
Shiver and Tres were left absolutely speechless, finding it difficult to process the rollercoaster of emotions brought on by what they had just witnessed. It was the tragic story of a young cub losing, finding then losing their family all over again. To make matters worse, he had woken up in the old world, an ursine anomaly among familiar lands. The shock of it all must've sent Mr. Grizz over the edge, forcing a crazed and lonely bear into desperate action.
Even though Mr. Grizz was their enemy and had tried to change everything, his truth, his greatest secret, was now known to them, all by accident. Some sympathy was warranted at the very least. But whether or not that absolves him of all he had done was still up in the air. It likely didn't, but knowing that he wasn't always a psychotic CEO, that he had a life worth living before disaster struck and ripped him away from all that he knew and loved, was a sobering thought.
Had things been different, and he chose another way, would he be welcomed and beloved as Judd was?
Perhaps they may never know.
"Huh..." Shiver turned over to Tres, who had made the sound. To her surprise she could see that he was crying. Though his expression remained stoic, his lips were quivering and a steady line of tears trickled down his cheeks like raindrops. He stood still as a statue wrestling with his own emotions churning from within. The story of Misha Grizzkovich had affected him more than it had her.
She bit at her lips, seeing Tres so vulnerable was something unexpected. Yet, the sight of him all sad and teary-eyed pulled at her heartstrings as much as Misha's story did. Sighing heavily, she walked up to him, grabbed him firmly by his shoulders and pulled him into a warm embrace.
"W-what? Shiv-" Tres began but was cut off as she shushed him.
"Shh... Don't cry. Boys don't cry," she soothed in a gentle voice, tenderly wiping away a tear from the corner of his eyes with a ruby finger. She spoke with total sincerity. Her words were never meant to belittle or emasculate him, nor reinforce the idea that crying was a sign of weakness, in males especially. He needed support, and after all he had done and was willing to do for her it was only right that she be there when he needed it.
"You're a strong squid," she said as she pulled away from him. Tres raised his arm and quickly wiped away the rest of his tears with the sleeve of his jacket as he struggled to compose himself. She didn't judge him for his lapse in control and he respected her for that.
"Thank you, Shiver," Tres sighed as he holstered his weapon.
"You're welcome," Shiver smiled warmly. "I just didn't expect you to, you know..." she trailed off, gesturing to the blank screen.
"I-I guess I can say I relate to him in a way," Tres admitted, looking away. "...I know what it's like to be lonely."
"Waaah..." Little Buddy hummed sadly, nuzzling up against the back of Tres's neck. Tres chuckled at the ticklish sensation, and he patted the small fry on the head.
"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to, Tres," Shiver assured. "I'm not here to pry out your deepest darkest secrets. They're yours and yours alone to keep or give away at your leisure. That's one treasure I won't touch."
"I appreciate that," Tres nodded as he began walking. "Come on, let's head on back. The others are probably worried sick about us."
"Right behind you," replied Shiver as they both began to depart from the subterranean labs.
The trip back was, again, largely uneventful and before long they finally reached the surface of the rocket platform. Artificial sunlight caressed their skin as fake snow crunches beneath their feet. It was good to be back on the surface again, even they were technically still underground.
"Hey, Tres," Shiver addressed as she tugged on his jacket. "I've been thinking, should we tell the others about what we saw down there?"
"You mean Mr. Grizz's past?" replied Tres, his expression unreadable. "I... hadn't planned on it."
"And why not?" she raised a brow in curiosity.
Tres sighed, "I don't know. It's just... It doesn't feel right to just spring his whole life story on everyone like that. We all held this belief that he was doing what he did because of some insane logic about restoring balance to the Earth. Yes, we knew he was the last of his kind. Yes, we understood that revelation might've caused him to snap, forcing him to go to the lengths he did. But we know there's more to it now, and that it doesn't paint a pretty picture. I don't think we should tell the others. Not yet at least."
"So what will you tell them?"
"What we already know, and that the rocket platform might be worth checking out again in the near future," said Tres. "I don't like lying to the others but omitting some facts shouldn't be too bad, I hope. It's not important, or at least, I don't think it's important enough that the rest of the NSS would want to scrutinize it under a lens."
"Are you sure about this?"
"...I don't know," Tres coughed. "I'm doing what I think is right, even if it lands me in hot water later on."
"You could always feign ignorance," Shiver chuckled airily. "Big-sis Callie and Boss Marie seem to be fond of that method, much to the captain's chagrin."
"Eh, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. But until then, this will be our little secret."
"Oh, my. How naughty," Shiver teased. "I guess you're not such a straight laced square after all."
"...Not going to dignify that," Tres grumbled, frowning.
"Oh, you know I'm just teasing you," Shiver booped him playfully on the nose, causing him to blink. "I love those faces you make," she cackled jovially before her expression softened. "Hey, did you mean it back there when you said you trusted me?"
"I certainly wouldn't lie about it," Tres shrugged. "I meant what I said."
"Then, can I trust you?" Shiver sounded nervous as she hid her face behind her fan. "...If I call, will you come?"
"If you need me, I'll be there. Just say the word and I'll drop everything and come a-running. I won't turn my back on anyone, least of all you," Tres spoke resolutely. The serious look in his eyes was something that made Shiver swoon and her hearts pound wildly in her chest. His convictions were admirable, his faith in others even more so. And if it were possible, he looked even more handsome than usual.
"I-I see," Shiver stammered, feeling lightheaded all of a sudden. Her cheeks flushed deep blue and her body had suddenly become far too hot for her liking. "That's very noble of you, T-Tres. You have a chivalrous quality not found in many of today's menfolk... Tres, is the world supposed to be spinning like thaaaaaaaat?" She suddenly fainted, collapsing beside Tres as he frantically caught her before she could hit the snow.
"Shiver?! Shiver!? What's wrong, speak to me!?" Tres pressed his ear against her chest, she was still breathing and her pulse was steady but she was unconscious. He began to panic, slamming his hand against his ear and activating his headset. "Camp! Come on, pick up! Someone, anyone!? Shiver's down, I need an emergency medical dispatch, now!" He wasted no time in picking her up bridal style and began to trek across the snow with desperate haste, hoping to reach the pick up zone as fast as he could.
"Hang in there, Shiver. You're gonna be okay," he muttered to himself. His eyes were kept forward the entire time, completely fixated on his goal of getting Shiver to safety. All the while he was oblivious to the dopey lovestruck grin plastered on her face.
"Tres... Tres... Tres!" Quattro shouted in Tres's ear, causing him to jolt awake from his nap and jump up in shock.
"Ah! What happened?!" Tres shouted, scrambling to his feet as he got his seat. "Are we under attack?!"
"The train's about to stop at Splatsville central station. Now quit your daydreaming and get ready, rookie. We got a mission to complete," Quattro admonished. "What were you even dreaming about?"
"Uh, n-nothing important," Tres yawned, rolling his shoulders. "Just... reminiscing about the past."
"Well, you can do that when we're out on the streets. Now, come on. We gotta check in with the others soon," replied Quattro.
The two agents prepared themselves to depart as the train began slowing down. Once it came to a complete stop the doors slid open with a pop and a hiss as every transit goer clambered out at once. Quattro had to fight the crowds to keep his footing while Tres rode the wave of people like a surfer, as he had done so time and time again. When they were finally out onto the streets proper Quattro looked like he had passed through a wind tunnel, yet Tres was left relatively unscathed.
"Grr... I hate this city," Quattro grumbled as he smoothed out his wrinkled shirt.
"Heh, welcome to Splatsville, gyuppie," Tres quipped as the two descended into the very heart of the city of chaos...
A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. The holiday season is in full swing and I will be very busy in the coming weeks. Expect a bit of a slowdown on chapter releases. Until then, happy holidays everyone.