So, check it. Things got real busy, but at the same time not busy at all. A lot of folks were busy getting supplies so that we could fix up Deca Tower. I was also part of a lot of folks. Marina stayed back with Sheldon to work out the technical aspects of the job. Good for them. I have no idea what they're talking about, nor do I actually care. No, wait, that's mean. I mean I do care but I don't understand at all what they're talking about. All I know is that if anybody can pull it off, it's those two.

Meanwhile, we've been going out in groups of four, of course, to salvage anything we can from the wrecks. For all the trouble it is to travel now, I'm actually surprised we found so much that was still usable! But that also means there's so much that needs to be transported. The other day I just had gotten back from a trip, and I must had been so tired, I was babbling stuff. I must have said something because the next day Marina told me she and Sheldon were working on getting a vehicle back up and running or making one from scratch.

Marina left one day. She took three others with her, all Octolings. I asked if I could come. She looked to the side for a brief moment, then looked back at me. She shook her head. "I'll be back late today, Pearlie," she told me. "We've mapped things out, so we shouldn't take too long." She smiled at me. I knew it was genuine. I've known her for a long time, after all. It made me confident in her. "Aight," I shot her back. "But if you take too long, I'm bringing the Baller in after you!" She laughed. "See ya later!" I got to look at her and her crew one more time. Now I know why she hesitated.

They were in their Octarian armor.

The sun was starting to set when we heard them returning. What a load of show-offs! Marina was in the driver's seat of some sort of armored truck with tank treads while the other three crew members were riding smaller, two-seated carts! But what really shocked me was that she had brought back some guests. I only knew who two of them were. I mean, who DOESN'T know the Squid Sisters? But I didn't know who the old Inkling and Octoling guys and the Inkling girl were. The geezers were laughing about something, and the girl was looking around with a periscope. As soon as they stopped in front of the tower, the girl jumped out of the cargo bed. She looked around, gave a short nod, then started to unload the truck. I guess they picked up some supplies on the way back. "Yo, Ange!" one of the Octolings, a girl, called out. The Inkling girl, I guess her name is Ange, turned in acknowledgement. "You need help with that?" Ange looked back at the stuff, then at the Octoling, and then back at the stuff. "Nah, I'm good, Ina. Thanks, though." The Octoling girl, Ina, nodded. "Alright." She looked at her co-pilot, an Octoling boy. "You ready, Nari?" The boy, Nari, looked like a fire got lit behind his eyes. "Let's rock it!" They both hopped out of the cart thing and started unloading, too.

Callie and Marie exited the passenger side of the truck, and the old guys did so, too. The girls were on either side, probably to catch them if they started to fall. They didn't, thank goodness. We currently don't have everything we need to treat injured people. Marina got out of the truck, too, and seemed a little at a loss for words for what she wanted to say. She was doing that thing people do when they grab their upper arm.

"Oh!" I fucking jumped. I just realized Sheldon was next to me the whole time! I was about to have a heart attack! And everyone chuckled. Sure, laugh it up. Marina helped me off the ground. The butt pain started setting in. I landed pretty hard. "You okay, Pearl?" she asked, still stifling a laugh. "I am. My ass isn't." I brushed myself off. The Squid Sisters, the old guys, me, Marina, and that girl Ange were now in a circle. The old Octoling laughed. "Been there, done that. Had to get stitches it was so bad." The old Inkling laughed, too. "We just can't take 'em like we used to, huh buddy?" The only person to laugh at that was Callie. Marie looked like she'd rather be anywhere else. Same. Marina started to speak. "So, uh, Pearl… This is Octavius." She pointed to the Octo-pops. "He's… my old boss." Wait.

Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait WHAT!?

"You're that asshat DJ Octavio!?" I screamed. He seemed taken aback, as he should. But he put his hand across his heart and bowed. "Former asshat DJ Octavio. I'm outta the biz and outta sinking my breathren with the ship." Marina went to comfort him. "It's fine. We know you were trying to do right by us. But now's not the time for sulking."

She looked back at me. "You already know about the Squid Sisters." They waved at me in response. "And this guy…" She went to him. "Is their grandfather, Craig." Craig shot me a peace sign. Sheldon decided to explain further. "Captain Craig Cuttlefish, leader of both the first and second Squidbeak Splatoons. I read a lot about you in my grandpappy's journal." Craig squinted at Sheldon and a light turn on in his head. "I knew something about you looked familiar. You're Ammoses Shellendorf's grandson! I haven't seen ya in ages!" Octavius nodded, too. He remembers Ammoses and his weapons. Sheldon continued. "I knew you guys buried the metaphorical hatchet years ago, but I never thought I see the day my grandpappy's best friends finally…" He started to cry. I could only imagine what he was going through. Marina was always the more empathic of the two of us. She started to cry, too. And then the Squid Sisters. I felt left out. Whatever emotional catharsis they were having, I couldn't understand any of it. Neither could Ina, Nari, or the other Octo. Ange looked to at least understand on a surface level. It was getting dark, so we started to funnel inside.

Everyone was exhausted in one way or another. That night was for resting. Ange and Ina were taking turns talking about their experiences in Turf War and the subsequent overhaul that happened prior to moving to Inkopolis Square. Craig and Octavius retold memories of their childhoods and how The Great Turf War drove them to opposing sides trying to kill one another, but never following through. Marina told about her experience in the Octarian army with Ina, Nari, and the other Octo I know now as Rioka chiming in to give their takes. Sheldon talked about never really being able to recreate Ammoses' weaponry and how Marina was helping him to do so. That created a stir because Craig and Octavius started rummaging through their belongings before handing Sheldon some very, VERY old folders depicting fabled Inkling and Octoling weapons that neither future generations could recreate. This hyped up everyone, including me. I could be using legendary gear? Sign me up! There was more stuff, but I can't remember it all. What I do remember was the kinship that spawned in all of us. And for the moment, I felt at home. This is my new normal.

Bright early the next day, Marina and Sheldon told us that the main center was complete. They couldn't sleep, Sheldon said, and with the renewed vigor, they poured it into getting stuff done. All that was left was to plug it into a power supply. So that's why I was there. Actually, everyone that was here last night was there. Marina was smiling again. Sheldon was, too. As he plugged it in, the connector bit snapped shut. He put a wall panel back up and shot Marina an O-K. She nodded and flipped the wall switch. Suddenly, a big monitor came on. The was a light surrounding the bottom and top of the room. Then, what looked like metal blinds retracted from the windows, showing the entirety of what was once Inkopolis, the permanently delayed Hammerhead Bridge construction, and that statue. There was something written on the window in semi-permanent ink. It was written in both Inklish and Octolish:

Remember What We Lost
Remember What We're Fighting For

In that moment, I felt confident that we can do this. We can reclaim what was ours. Me and my new family.

Flounder Heights Ruins -: That Night :-

The place was barren. There was no longer a soul in sight. In the oily goop, a bubble starts to form.

Author's Note

Just in case you're wondering:

Ange - Delta AU Agent 3
Ange is short for Angel and comes from Angelfish.

Ina, Nari, and Rioka - Delta AU Agent 8 (Yes, ALL of them)
Ina, Nari, and Rioka are short for Inari Okami and are loosely based on the Octo Trio Amiibo set. Of course, since Octo Expansion did not occur in my Delta AU, can you really call them Agent 8?

Don't worry. I have plans for Agent 4...