Zelkova48 - the story mode is vital to tie everything together. I couldn't figure out any other way otherwise. Glad you're liking it though.
Agent 4 - fight scenes have never been my strong suit, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Wait until next chapter then.
Captain Clora was highly satisfied with her new agents' progress. She saw why Cuttlefish spouted so much praise. The passion in their eyes was one thing, but their teamwork and dedication were leagues beyond any duo she had ever witnessed. She estimated it would take them a couple of days to clear the kettles and rid the site of the fuzzy ooze, but thanks to their combined efforts, they managed to clear both assignments in just several hours, putting them way ahead of schedule.
It made her jealous somewhat. She wished she had a partner to help her through Octo Valley for the first time. Agent 1 and Agent 2 were more into reconnaissance than actual combat, and Cuttlefish could only do so much. Not to say they wouldn't aid Captain Clora with their lives, but she wished she had brought a friend to help her through the ordeal. It would've saved them a lot of time.
The dynamic between Agent 3 and Agent 7 reminded the captain of herself and Agent 4. 7 was an aggressive front liner much like 4 while 3 was a confident back liner much like Clora. Even with ever-changing weapons, their dynamic never changed, but their strategies always adapted to the situation.
She liked them. They had guts, determination, and drive. She breathed easy knowing she didn't have to babysit amateurs. She could focus her efforts on locating the old sea dog and the Octarian leader.
It didn't make sense how three sites were giving off the same frequency. At least it was safe to assume that DJ Octavio was with Cuttlefish. If they found Cuttlefish, they would find Octavio, hopefully. That was another mystery that needed solving.
How did Octavio escape again? He was getting too adept at that, and Clora wanted to put a stop to it.
Then, there was the matter of the looming rocket ship. Clora believed with every fiber of her being that it served a greater purpose. It would explain why the arrangement of the fuzzy ooze was so much different than the other piles. The spiky vortex that swirled around the ship was bothering her. It was more imposing. One touch wouldn't reduce the victim to a fuzzball state. It would completely tear them apart it seemed.
"Everything alright, Captain?" Agent 2 inquired.
Clora nodded and gestured to the rocket.
"The way the fuzzy ooze sticks out like that. It's like a shield."
"Yeah, I noticed that too. Agent 7 thinks it originated from space. He might be right."
"Hmm," Clora crossed her arms.
She had to think about it further.
"Did you manage to get in contact with Agent 4?" she asked instead.
"Damn it!" an aggravated shout grabbed their attention. "I almost had it!"
"… The lungs on that boy," Clora commented.
"Agent 7, are you okay?" Agent 2 asked, startled by his sudden outburst.
"That's the fifth time I failed that kettle! I keep choking!"
"Where's Agent 3?"
Zane wiped the sweat from his forehead and huffed.
"He had to check up on his sister, so he's on the phone. I'm amazed we can get good reception down here."
"Hold on, Agent 7. Uh-huh… okay. Captain says when the going gets tough, it's okay to take a break. Cod knows I've been on one for a while."
"I'll get Agent 3 to do it. He can dance better than I can."
"That's it?" Agent 1 chimed in, handing the poor Inkling a towel. "Aww man, if it was that kind of mission, I'd clear it for you. Unfortunately, I'm not a registered citizen."
"You didn't ask O.R.C.A.?"
"We tried, but she only responds to you and Agent 3," Agent 2 explained. "I guess registration hours are over with."
"I'm here," Agent 3 returned, having heard Zane's angry shout. "What's going on?"
"I got my tentacles handed to me by this kettle. You take over."
"Hm, I'll give it a whirl."
"How's Maya? She alright?"
"She's fine, but she's getting a little too big for her tentacles. She thinks her squad can take us on."
"Oh really?" Zane frowned, genuinely appalled by the audacity. "When do we pull up?"
"She'll get back to me on that. Let me see what this mission's all about before I head back."
Agent 3 hopped in while Agent 1 and Agent 7 headed back to the campsite.
"Is something wrong?" Agent 1 inquired.
"Nah, it's almost time for his shift at Grizzco. He works the night shift, so he needs to make it back by five to get ready."
"Grizzco always made me feel paranoid. What about you?"
"I'm a temp. worker. I mainly make my coins at Turf War, but if Syrus or our pal, Luke, needs help, I'll lend a hand."
"Luke?"
"Syrus' clone. I mean that in the literal sense too. If you put them side by side, they look exactly the same, eyes and movement. The only difference is Luke has yellow hair and smiles bigger."
"And what about Maya? What's she like? Sorry, I just want to know more about my new teammates."
"It's all good," Zane beamed. "Maya's a precious girl, but she does have a smart mouth. I blame Syrus. He's rubbed off on her too much."
"I bet you two make great big brothers," Agent 1 gave Zane a smile that made him weak in the knees.
"We try our best."
They reached the camp and watched the video feed.
"Has he started yet?"
"No, he's just looking around," Agent 2 replied.
"You're all gonna love this," the lone male said. "Agent 3, we're here. What do you think?"
"What am I looking at exactly?"
"This mission will test your stress-management skills. Please try to survive for sixty seconds," O.R.C.A. explained.
"I see. Alright then," Agent 3 flew onto the dance floor from the launchpad.
"Give the ladies a good show, bud," 7 stated.
Agent 3 rolled his shoulders and hopped on his feet.
"If this is what I think is, don't worry."
The timer started counting down, and the first of many shockwaves emitted from an Amped Octostamp spread across the floor. It was easy to dodge.
"Oh, now I understand," 3 smiled. "I might enjoy this."
Six seconds passed, and another enemy joined the mix.
"You know, this music is really good."
He felt something try to control him. The beat of the music was taking over.
The Octoling performed a backflip over the next set of shockwaves that transitioned into a split and then jumped to his feet and added a twirl.
"Okay, okay," Agent 1 clapped. "Show us that Splatlandian fire, Agent 3."
3 obliged and let the music control him. He glided across the dance floor like an Octoling possessed. He timed his moves perfectly with the oncoming vibrations and danced the seconds away. His moves were infectious as Agent 1 and Agent 7 cheered him on. Captain Clora smirked as Agent 2 swayed from side to side, enjoying the show.
"He's very good," the white-haired Inkling commented. "I've never seen dance moves like that."
Around fourteen seconds left, the final Amped Octostamp appeared, and all eight proceeded to lay down the beat. Their foe was too evasive though. His footwork was insane, effortlessly somersaulting over the shockwaves. He was one with the music, one with the dance floor, and one with the fire that burned intensely in his three hearts. After having to deal with his fellow Splatlandians putting him through interrogation after interrogation, it was solacing to have a dance break, and as the final second ticked down and signaled his victory, Syrus threw a fist in the air and dropped his head.
He completed the mission.
"Woohoo!" Agent 1 and Agent 2 clapped for him.
"That's what I'm talking about, bro!" Agent 7 exclaimed.
Agent 3 collected the Zapfish and exited the kettle with Ken.
"That was fun," he said. "I needed a dance break."
"You killed it, man," Agent 7 stated as he and the three ladies met up with the dancer.
"That was incredible. Ten out of ten," Agent 1 applauded.
"I have a lot of practice, especially when your best friend and baby sister constantly nag you to take up a hobby that isn't related to work."
"You call it nagging. We call it looking out for a brother," Zane countered. "Too much work and no play makes for a dull day. And guess what? You found your calling."
Syrus couldn't deny his friend's claim. It was an exhilarating experience.
"I'll give you that one. I'm going to remember this kettle. I can use it again in the future."
After feeding Ken some power eggs, the Smallfry consumed the last fuzzball and rid the first site of all the fuzzy ooze. It was sparkly clean, and the hatch leading to the next site was now accessible.
"You've done a great job, boys," Agent 1 complimented the two.
"Agreed, thanks to you two, we've made wonderful progress," Agent 2 stated. "One of Gramps' signals is coming from the next island. Let's check it out for a bit, and then you can leave, Agent 3."
There were no arguments as the group approached the hatch.
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
Everyone stopped and looked around.
"Up there," Clora pointed out, surprising Agent 7 with her genuine voice.
Atop a snowy hill, three masked figures stood over them.
Syrus and Zane recognized them immediately. The large manta ray in the middle was a dead giveaway, but there was no mistaking those heads of yellow and blue.
"Who are you supposed to be?" Agent 1 asked.
The yellow head chuckled behind her moray eel mask.
"We're not SUPPOSED to be anything," she said. "But I'll tell you who we ARE."
She peeked around the mask and revealed one of her yellow eyes with crossed pupils.
"Say it with sizzle," she tossed the mask away to show her ebony face. "I'm Frye!"
"You think you're cool? Sharks call ME cold-blooded," the blue-haired Octoling flipped her fan over. "But you can call me Shiver!"
"Ay! (Make money! Get fish quick!)" the big manta ray revealed his adorable face. "Ay! (Big Man in the house!)"
"The Splatlands are OUR turf," Frye declared.
"Only WE may loot here," Shiver stated.
"Ay! (Yeah!)"
The three did their signature pose.
"We are… Deep Cut!" Frye announced with pride.
The quintet was silent. A few seconds passed before Agent 7 applauded the trio.
"I… I love them," Agent 1 clasped her hands together and sighed dreamily as she secretly wished her friends were that gung-ho when posing.
Agent 2, on the other hand, was not so impressed.
"Whatever. What do you want, anyway?" She queried then raised a brow. "Wait... Did you say Deep Cut? The Deep Cut from that Anarchy Splatcast thing?"
"Yeah, it's called a day job. You should look into it," Frye squatted, glaring at her competitors. "Banditing is our REAL passion. Nothing can stop us!"
"Hate to interrupt, Frye," Shiver spoke up. "But I have a bone to pick with them."
Shiver jabbed her fan in the boys' direction.
"You two! How can you let these chumps invade our turf? You're Splatlandians! You should've sent them packing long ago."
Zane chuckled a little while Syrus looked on stoically.
"Well, we're on a mission," the Inkling declared. "It's not often you're offered a secret agent position."
"Excuses," Shiver scoffed. "No matter, we'll be taking this goldmine off your hands as compensation."
"Ay! (Good call, Shiver!)"
"So... are you gonna try and stop us or what?" Frye taunted them. "Because you totally can't! We're taking it all for ourselves!"
The girls laughed manically as Big Man danced. The Squidbeak traded looks. Even Clora was unsure what to think.
"Wow, it's like they rehearsed this whole thing. They are total pros," Agent 1 was immensely impressed.
"This is normal," Zane claimed. "They're able to feed off each other extremely well."
Syrus, expecting a fight, grabbed his bow and prepared to fire. When he did, Deep Cut got into defensive stances.
"Oh, want to play rough, do you?" Shiver fanned herself. "You got guts. I'll gladly take you on."
"Cool your jets, Shiv," Frye interrupted. "That one's mine. I already called dibs."
Shiver collapsed her fan.
"Fine, but don't take too long."
Without another word, Big Man and Shiver disappeared in a puff of smoke, but Frye stayed behind. She leaped off the ledge and landed in front of the ex-soldier.
"About time we had a chat. You are Syrus, right? Do I need to explain why I've been looking for ya?"
The Octoling pulled off his visor and let the idol gaze upon his face. His face matched the picture perfectly.
"You're after the same thing as everyone else," he claimed and then gave a short bow. "Nice to meet you face to face."
At least he was respectful.
"Likewise," Frye studied his face, noting the x-shaped scar between his eyes. "You're a lot cuter in person."
The Octoling smirked.
"And you're even more beautiful up close," he replied.
Frye chortled. It was strange, but the swiftness of his response felt familiar to her.
"I like you already. You're straight to the point. Go ahead and give me your story."
"I wasn't present at the dance competition," Syrus told her. "I wanted to participate, but I couldn't get the days off. I'm a fairly decent dancer; however, nothing on the scale you and Bolero were capable of."
"We'll see," Frye studied Syrus scrupulously, eying him up and down. "You give off mysterious vibes too. I bet you're the quiet type."
"Depends."
Frye suddenly grabbed his right hand and compared it to Bolero's.
"Hmm, hand size is about the same, but Bolero is a little taller, and their reflexes are faster. They would've dodged that."
"You're not a threat," he told her matter-of-factly, which elicited another guffaw.
"That's what you think? You know what they call me, right?"
Syrus showed his teeth. He leaned closer, challenging her assertion.
"Would you like to know what they used to call me?"
Frye loved the banter. She half expected her target to be silent and awkward, but the witty remarks fueled her investigation. She wanted to know more about him.
"Excuse me. What's going on here?" Agent 2 had to ask. "You openly threaten us and now you're harassing our agent?"
Frye shot the girl a death stare and released Syrus' hand.
"Stay out of this! This is between me and him."
"What did you say?" Agent 2 growled.
Captain Clora put herself in front of Agent 2 and fixed the Deep Cut member with a harsh glower.
"Explain," she commanded.
Frye put her hands on her hips, wanting to rebel, but the captain's glare was too menacing, and in the end, the ebony idol obeyed.
"Tch, get with the times. There's a bounty on a dancer calling themselves Bolero. They showed up during the dance tournament I hosted for our Splatfest, and now I'm having the whole city look for 'em. The only thing I have to go off of is an Octoling with red eyes. Get the picture?"
"And you think Agent 3 is this Bolero?" Agent 1 inquired.
"He's one of the suspects. I've been wanting to interrogate him after I learned who he was."
Frye gazed deeply into Syrus' eyes. The intensity within those orbs was fierce, and yet, they lacked the vehement inferno she felt within Bolero's eyes. Her rival had eyes that beget a foreign feeling in her. When under their passionate stare, Frye couldn't help but feel strange.
It made her excited, made her writhe in euphoric glee.
The feeling escaped her now, but she adored the strong look in Syrus' eyes. They were immovable and unyielding, and Frye respected that.
"I was part of the construction crew for the Splatfest and spent the first day helping with the cleanup," Syrus continued explaining. "That night, I went to my usual shift at Grizzco and did so every night for the duration of the Splatfest. On the second day, I spent the morning and afternoon with Maya and our friends, and on the final day, I was with Zane playing ranked."
"I can vouch for that," Zane spoke up. "We reached S+ finally."
Frye nodded, but she wasn't satisfied.
"I have another question," she said. "Do you remember the flower I wore in my hair the other day?"
"I remember," Syrus replied. "You looked great by the way."
"Everyone else said the same thing," she wiggled her hips. "The cashier at the flower shop said your sister bought some of them recently. What do you know about that?"
"I gave her the money to buy some. Maya loves flowers. Always had. She likes taking care of them. Zane offered to take her shopping because I was busy with the cleanup. I don't know much about them, but I could tell the ones she bought were expensive."
Frye mulled over the information.
"They're a symbol of good fortune and wealth."
Syrus smiled. "Is that right? She wanted to wish me good luck."
"So far, everything matches up with what Zane told me," Frye felt there was something else she could do. "He wasn't kidding about you being a workaholic. How much do you work?"
"The workers at the shipyard consider me one of their best visitors, I take long salvage trips to the desert, the longest lasting three days, and it took all the EVPs at Grizzco pointing their weapons at me to go home after nine straight shifts."
The nonchalant way he listed his endeavors had Frye staring as if he had grown a second head. Not just her, Agent 1 and Agent 2 mirrored the idol's expression.
"Nine?" All three said at the same time.
"Nine," he confirmed with a curt nod. "Maya's birthday was coming up, and I needed the extra money for a surprise. I was able to get Off the Hook to wish her a happy birthday. They even sent her a present."
"That was awesome," Zane recalled. "You earned the best brother award, but you nearly killed yourself in the process."
"I've gotten better at taking breaks."
"Thank Cod."
Frye contemplated the wave of information. Everything was adding up. She had no reason to distrust the Octoling.
"If you want further proof, ask Uncle Tobias. I'm one of his lieutenants," Syrus advised, sensing Frye's skepticism.
"It's not that I don't believe you," she replied. "It's just the vibes. They're too similar."
The subtle mannerisms were similar too, but then again, Frye saw many Splatlandians behave the same way.
"If I knew more about Bolero then maybe… wait! I got it! Let me see you dance."
"Now?" Syrus cocked his head to the side.
"Yeah, you said you're decent. Let me see you get down."
"No," Captain Clora stepped forward. "We don't have time to entertain you."
"What?" Frye was annoyed. "You can't do this to me now. I need to," but the intense glare from the Squidbeak's captain made Frye retract her statement.
"Finish your interrogation when he's off the clock. If you're not here for a fight, get out of our way."
Frye didn't argue.
"Fine," she sneered. "We'll continue this conversation next time. Get in our way, and there will be trouble."
Frye jumped back, gave the group a taunting smile, and threw down a smoke bomb. After the dust dissipated, the idol was nowhere to be seen.
"Well, that was something," Agent 2 commented. "How long has this been a thing?"
"About three days now," Zane pointed out.
Syrus grumbled something about a lack of peace and approached the hatch.
"Can I ask you something too, Agent 3?" Agent 1 spoke up.
"Sure."
"Well, I have multiple questions. First, where did you learn those moves?"
"I would also like to know," Agent 2 said.
"I studied them from a… couple of books," he grunted as he and Zane worked together to loosen the valve. It was practically stuck in place, but with enough elbow grease, the boys managed to twist the spigot and open the hatch.
"During one of my scavenging missions, I found some old books that looked interesting. I could tell they'd been buried for some time, but I still tried to restore them. Most of the writing was illegible, but some of the pictures were still decipherable. I studied what I could and learned to dance from them."
"You taught yourself how to dance?"
"Whenever I had free time. I quickly learned, though, that the steps were meant for two people, so I just combined the two, added a little breakdancing, and that's what you all saw me do in the kettle."
"It is a shame you couldn't perform in the competition," Agent 2 gave her condolences. "I bet you would've won."
"I'm glad you think so, but if you saw what Frye and Bolero did, you'd think it was something straight out of a fairy tale. Zane and I will show you the videos later."
"Okay, next question," Agent 1 shuffled closer. "Were you purposely flirting back there?"
Syrus paused in his step.
"Excuse me?"
"That's what it looked like. The way you and Frye went back and forth. You guys were basically flirting with each other."
3 shook his head, but the group was already sold on the idea.
"While I did enjoy our conversation," he said, "I do not think that could be considered flirting, just playful banter."
"Yeah, because the first thing anyone says after being called cute is to come back with a comment on how beautiful the other is," Agent 2 pointed out. "Your responses were too quick, and that's the most emotion I've seen you exhibit since we've met."
"That was suspicious, man, just saying," Zane shrugged. "I've seen you talk to girls but never like that. Suspicious."
"No, it's not. I'm just good at conversation… when I want to."
Agent 1 still wasn't convinced.
"Mhm, maybe, or maybe she's caught your eye," she stated, grinning from ear to ear.
"Oh?" Zane perked up. "Is this true, Syrus? Does the workaholic have a crush?"
Syrus only smirked.
'Si modo scires. (If only you knew.)'
"I'll admit that I do find Frye very attractive, but we live in two separate worlds," he said.
"Nonsense! You two just found common ground. All you need to do is expand on it," Agent 1 suggested. "This could be your chance."
The girls heard the Octoling laugh for the first time.
"I appreciate the advice, Agent 1, but I think I'll be fine. If you want, Zane has a crush on someone. I'm sure he'd like your words of wisdom."
"Really?" the female Inkling turned to the other male agent with sparkling eyes. "Are you in love, Agent 7?"
"Uhh, well, I mean," he began stuttering. He saw Syrus give him a thumbs up and made a note to thank the Octoling in the future. "Yeah, I do have someone on my mind."
Agent 2 and Captain Clora exchanged knowing looks.
"You can talk about this later," the latter spoke up. "We still need to investigate the signal."
The newest agents geared up to travel through the tunnel with Agent 1 volunteering to join them.
The trio slipped through the grate and swam past the giant rocket.
Syrus was the first to eject from the tunnel. Next was Zane, and Agent 1 eventually followed suit.
"That was fun," she stretched.
The site appeared more compact than the first one, but it had more of a factory setting to it. Huge satellite dishes lurked in the water far from the site, and the connectedness of the island left much to be answered. Something was being stored it seemed, and it was tucked away from harm.
In the center of the island was a tall tower with a giant kettle at the top.
The boys knew what their goal was.
"This site has a lot going on," Agent 2 commented through their earpieces. "I don't know if you can see it from your position, but there's a huge kettle on top of that tower in the middle. I'm getting a strong reading from it. That could be Gramps. It's all you, boys. The captain said you may leave if you want, Agent 3."
"Leave Ken with me," Agent 7 advised. "I'll get started with the cleanup. That way we can focus on the kettles next time."
Agent 3 concurred and placed the Salmonid in 7's care.
"Daddy will see you soon, okay? Be good."
"Waah!"
Syrus tousled his smallfry's hair.
"Look after my boy," he told 7.
"I always do."
Agent 3 said his farewells and took the grate at the campsite back to Splatsville.
A lot of time has passed. Where the sun used to be barely in the sky, it had descended and hung slightly above the horizon. The afternoon glow entered the City of Chaos.
Syrus had to quickly duck and dodge through the hustle and bustle of the crowd to make it home. Everywhere he went, someone was studying him.
He evaded the curious Inklings and Octolings who thought they could apprehend him. When trapped, his red-eyed brethren assisted him in escaping, and in return, he created a diversion to ensure their exit. They shared an unspoken bond, and they would not betray the pact.
The spirit of Bolero ran through one of them. They silently vowed to preserve the secret at any cost.
When Syrus arrived home, he was greeted by silence.
"Maya!" he called out.
No answer.
"Maya, are you home?" he called out again.
Still no answer.
He checked the time, and a small smile crept on his face as he closed the door and opened the curtains, letting the afternoon light illuminate his abode.
'Perfectus, antea debuit et littera tradi. (Perfect, and the letter should have been delivered earlier.)'
The Octoling pulled out his phone and got down to business. As he set out a new arrangement of clothes, he quickly dialed a number, gazed out the window, and lookedupon his city with a small smile.
"Heus, est me. Esne occupatus? (Hey, it's me. Are you busy?)"
Xxx Later that evening xxX
"How?" she asked her teammates. "That's all I wanna know. You mean to tell me no one saw them?"
"Ay. (That's scary.)"
"To avoid the cameras too, that takes skill."
Frye wanted to scream. She was impressed and ashamed simultaneously. Her rival proved to be the greatest adversary. However, the idol was disappointed by the Splatlandians. First, they failed to apprehend Bolero after his debut. Then, the mysterious dancer managed to avoid detection on two more separate occasions, and now, they managed to leave two more notes without being detected.
"They're making fun of us!" Frye seethed.
This was driving her insane.
This morning, after they left the studio, the letters were dropped off, and no one saw the culprit who did it, but, of course, it was obvious who did it.
The cameras didn't catch anyone, and security had no records of anyone sneaking in. But someone managed to slip in when the interns were dropping off the fan mail, and neither of them noticed.
"Let's get this over with," Frye unfolded the letters.
"They're spoiling you tonight," Shiver teased. "Two of them? How will your heart survive?"
"Hush," Frye hissed, turning a little yellow in the cheeks. "I'll read the short one first."
She cleared her throat.
Hello, my hermosa Amada. I hope you're not too upset with me for skipping out on our nightly dance date. The truth is, I have something planned for us. The city knows who we are, but I want the world to know as well. We must eternalize our adunatio the right way. As I'm writing this, I'm preparing a special gift for you. It will take some time, but I promise the results will be worth it. I know your game, Amada. You want to overtake me. I see it in your beautiful eyes. You want to be in control, but I'm afraid I cannot allow that. I love your flustered face. With every dance, we grow closer. With every meeting, our hearts resonate more in sync. You cannot escape my serenade of water. Our finale is swiftly approaching, and when it's time, we'll dance a bolero so intense, the Cods and Coddesses will make ballads of us.
Until next time, Amada.
P.S. – the second letter is for you to read during tomorrow's Splatcast. Don't focus on that now. I want you to think about what I have in store for you, not what the envious will endure.
Shiver fanned herself, failing to stop giggling at the dumbstruck countenance on her friend's luminescent face.
"Must be nice," she said. "I know plenty of girls who would love to be in your place right now."
Frye remained silent as she folded the paper and put it away. She tried to hide her flushed face, but Shiver and Big Man could practically see steam rising from her head.
"Ay? (Frye?)"
"I'm not in love!" she blurted out.
"Whoa there," Shiver put her hands up, "We didn't say that."
"You're thinking it. I'm not falling for them. I'm just trying to figure out the Octarian bits."
"Hermosa means beautiful," Shiver said. "And adunatio means unification. They want the world to know of your synergy."
"Ay, ay. (It's not a bad thing, Frye. Don't be so defensive.)" Big Man flapped his flippers. "Ay, ay. (I think it's nice they want to go the extra mile for you.)"
Frye breathed and eased her mind.
"I mean, yeah, it's nice and all, but I'm not looking for love. I'm looking for a rival. You guys know me; I'm a headstrong, full-throttle assault kind of squid. All this lovey-dovey poetic stuff isn't for me and it's throwing me off my game."
"Subvert your expectations by choosing the road less traveled," Shiver stated. "Whoever they are, their methods are effective. They're living rent-free in your head."
Frye looked at the next letter and scoffed at the idea of waiting.
"Tch, who do they think they are?"
But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Her body wouldn't let her. Her mind refused to abandon her rival's request. In the end, she shoved the paper into Shiver's possession.
"I don't wanna know," she stated. "I… I can wait."
"Are you sure?"
"Yep," Frye found her bearings. "I got this. Don't even worry about it. I can be patient too."
"If you say so. Let's talk about someone else then. This Syrus character, I know he was the main suspect you wished to consult."
Frye giggled, and Shiver and Big Man stared at her in confusion as the ebony idol slapped a hand over her mouth.
"Shut up!"
Shiver began smiling again, and Frye glared at her.
"Don't start. You've said enough."
The cold-blooded bandit masked her grin behind her fan.
"Ay? (Did something good happen?)"
"He has attitude," she stated. "I'm meeting a lot of witty people lately, it's awesome. His story is sound, but I don't know. Something feels off. It was too perfect."
"Ay, ay. (Imagine how many times he had to defend himself.)"
"He's a bigger workaholic than Daddy Chase, and I didn't even think that was possible, but he gives me Bolero vibes."
Frye took a deep breath.
"I'm going to fact-check with Uncle Tobias, but I'm sure he's not the one."
"I do have a question, a serious one," Shiver eyed the ebony idol sternly. "What will you do if you realize you want the same thing as they do? A lover."
Frye bit her lip, thinking about the matter carefully.
"I… I don't know," she admitted. "I know I want a rival. That won't change."
"Answer me truthfully," Shiver requested. "How often do you fantasize about them?"
Frye looked away, her face returning to its incandescent state.
"More than I should," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I can't help it. You guys don't understand how much fun I had that night."
Frye remembered the thrill of the competition, the excitement, the adrenaline rush. She wanted to experience that feeling again and again.
"I can't get them out of my head, and it's driving me insane. I'm usually so focused on treasure, but ever since that night, I started feeling strange."
Her three hearts were beating a million miles a second and she couldn't understand why.
She loved the mystery and the challenge that came with trying to solve it. Thousands of eyes looking for the target, and no one has uncovered the truth. How could one person conceal their presence this flawlessly? She wanted to find out.
"I can't wait around anymore," she stood up. "I need to see Uncle Tobias."
"While you do that, Big Man and I will look over our notes again," Shiver said.
"Ay, ay. (Good luck. Tell them I said hi.)"
Frye nodded and hurried out the door.
"Ay? (Do you think she'll be alright?)"
"Only time will tell," Shiver replied as she spread out the notes. "I just hope this bounty doesn't disappoint her."
Bolero
Four names stood out amongst the denizens of Splatsville: Chase, Olivia, Tobias, and Sabrina. Like the idols of Inkopolis, these four individuals were hailed in high regard and garnered respect from every corner of the Splatlands. When it came to teamwork, there was no team better than theirs.
As a group, they were acknowledged as the strongest, and because of their high level of skill, they were rewarded with Grizzco's harshest hazards, its highest level of rank, and the most payout. Regular EVPs were incredibly competent, but only four members have reached the elusive 999, and with their massive payout, they provide much of Splatsville and its denizens with the tools they need to thrive.
Even with their contributions, however, there was only so much they could do. Many were still unfortunate, but the influence of the group earned them many monikers. The city affectionately refers to them as the Parental Four: Daddy Chase, Uncle Tobias, Mommy Sabrina, and Auntie Olivia.
Frye knew that if anyone could help point her in the right direction, it would be one of them. So, after entering the facility's dim building, she searched for the influencers in question.
"Yo, Frye," a voice called out to her. "What the business is?"
The idol spotted the caller and smiled as she approached a tall male Inkling with orange hair done in a topknot and purple eyes. He wore the advanced uniform, a white slopsuit, that signified his high ranking.
"Uncle Tobias, glad I caught ya. Listen, we need to talk. Got time for a quick chat?"
The Inkling checked his watch.
"Eh, I have about twenty minutes. Talk to me."
"Awesome. Does the name Syrus ring any bells?"
He nodded happily at the name.
"Yeah, he's one of my best squad members. He's working tonight if you want to talk to him, but we're about to head out to another site."
Frye politely declined.
"No, that's fine. I met him today actually. I came by to confirm some things he told me."
"Oh, you asked him about the Bolero person, right?"
"Yeah, he said he wasn't at the competition, but I don't trust that. Can you confirm?"
"I can," Tobias stated. "He showed up on time every night."
Frye cursed under her breath.
"He said that too."
"I know he was a little upset that he couldn't participate in the tournament."
"Have you ever seen him dance?"
Frye was hoping this would lead her in the right direction.
"Yeah, and he's amazing too. I hate he couldn't get them days off because some of us really wanted to see him compete."
"Is he that good?"
"More than he gives himself credit for. We have to keep a close eye on him because he doesn't know when to rest. It took the four of us ganging up on him to send home after he stayed for like nine shifts."
"Wait, that was real? I thought he was joking."
"No, he told the truth," Tobias sighed and shook his head. "I had to escort him home because he was running on fumes. The lightest breeze could knock him over, but he wanted to keep working."
Frye was in awe.
"I thought Daddy Chase was bad."
"Right," Tobias chuckled. "And he was the most adamant. You know when Chase of all Octolings puts his foot down, you've done too much."
He checked his watch again.
"I have to get going. But come see me again if you need help. I have my own theory of who Bolero is."
"I will. Thanks, Uncle Tobias."
The idol watched as Tobias waved and disappeared into the darkness. Once again, she was alone with her thoughts.
There was no more doubt in her mind now.
'It can't be him then. He couldn't be there.'
Honestly, Frye was disappointed. She thought she was on the cusp of something great, but it led to a dead end after all.
'Everything matches up, so Syrus can't be Bolero.'
She wanted to speak with the Octoling one more time.
'One minute. If I just had one minute with him, I bet I'd figure it out.'
Frye headed back to the studio and informed her co-stars of what she learned. The disappointment on her face hurt them. It was so rare to see the most energetic squid look so somber. They were left unsure of what to do.
When the dancing gangster announced the tournament, Shiver and Big Man understood she was looking for a familiar soul to share her passion with. However, neither anticipated the rollercoaster of emotions that followed.
Frye was stuck on the ride until her subconscious caught up to her. She had no idea how much time had passed. She didn't even remember saying good night to her friends, the trip home, and the ritual to prepare for slumber. The last couple of hours were a blur, one thing on her mind. Bolero, the enigmatic dancer.
'Shiv's right. They are living rent-free in my head.'
She laid in bed with the mysterious Octoling on her mind, pondering the kind of spell they placed on her. Something had to be wrong with her. Why else would she be thinking about someone so intensely? It wasn't like her side passion of hunting for treasure. She was actively struggling to get a grip on her senses.
'Stop it!' she told her three hearts. 'You tryin' to kill me?'
Her body was reacting strongly to the new soul. Frye tossed and turned, trying to get them out of her mind, but it was impossible.
She was obsessed.
She had never been obsessed over a person. There was a small flame dancing in the pit of her chest, bursting into a raging inferno as she fought against her thoughts.
She kept telling herself, 'I'm not in love. I'm not in love.'
Thoughts of them lingered, filling her with a warmth she could not shake.
'I'm not in love and I don't have a crush.'
Frye sighed and rolled on her side. She stared at the wall in frustration.
'I just like dancing with them. As my rival, they have to keep me on my toes.'
Was that the truth though?
Frye asked herself that question as drowsiness finally took over and let the struggling idol drift off to a sound sleep, embracing the vision she tried to resist.
Xxx Next Morning xxX
Deep Cut wasn't the only one anxiously waiting for the next update. More viewers tuned into the morning Splatcast. One denizen of Splatsville watched the screen with bated breath, hiding their smile behind laced fingers.
"Listen up! It's going down. Repping the Splatlands, we are Deep Cut!" Shiver bowed to her adoring audience.
"Anarchy Splatcast! We are live!" Frye cheered with a familiar rose tucked into her hair. The masses were happy to see it return.
"Ay! (Here we go!)"
"You lip-synch, we drip ink."
"Ay, ay, ay! (Shiver, Frye, and Big Man!)"
"Before we kick things off, I have an announcement to make!" Frye stated and pulled out the unread letter. "We have a message from our prey. They have something important to say and left me a letter."
"Two letters," Shiver corrected.
"Not now," Frye growled, to which Shiver giggled.
"Well, technically three if we're counting the one they left you the other night."
"Not now, Shiver!"
The ebony idol cleared her throat, her face glowing.
"Listen well, everyone. This is a long one."
She stared at the letter and its wall of content.
'Time to see what's on your mind.'
I know it must be surprising to hear from me, my fellow Splatlandians. I can see you're all set on unmasking me, but as I told my Amada, I'm afraid I cannot allow that. I love seeing you all run around like headless crabs, trapped in my nocturne of shadow.
Surely, you're all mocking me if you honestly believe you have what it takes to detain me. If you couldn't do it when I was battle weary, you most certainly can't do it when I'm at my peak. I understand though. It's hard to say no when a niña bonita like Frye gives a command. So, what do you say we add a little sizzle to our arrangement?
"You're rubbing off on them," Shiver commented.
Frye grinned. "What can I say? I have that effect on people."
"Niña bonita means pretty girl by the way."
Frye continued reading.
Some of you are craftier than you let on; however, my red-eyed brethren have my back. They don't know my true identity, but they know I am on their side. To the hunters who had me cornered, I applaud your efforts. Unfortunately, I will not be so accommodating from now on. I have innocent siblings to look after.
That being said, I would like to apologize to my scarlet-eyed brothers and sisters in arms. Because of me, you have to endure all this unnecessary stress. I planned on slowly dropping hints to Frye, but she had to get ahead of herself and issue a bounty. Now, I have to dance on a thinner thread, but no worries. I promise to make it up to you soon. I can't give out specific details, but I do have big plans in the works. However, to make it a reality, I need your help, my crimson-eyed siblings. Ladies, your mission is to stand by your brothers. Help them in this fight because I am one of them. Gentlemen, stay strong and don't let the water evaporate. We stand in a vast sea of camaraderie. I just need a bit more time before everything is complete. We're looking at something grand here. We can't afford to let this opportunity pass us by.
Many of you are highly interested in the spark between my Amada and me. The comments and discussion boards have made that abundantly clear. Wait until I reveal my grand plan. The dance we will partake in will be turned into epic ballads sung by the Cods themselves. After that, the whole world will know of our passion, and the moonlight will shine down upon the masses in delighted envy.
"You see what I'm talking about?" Frye paused. "This is a book. Look at this. Nice handwriting though. Anyway…"
One month, that's how long you have to unearth the truth. During that time, I'll be seeing how much more fun I can have. Time is ticking folks. Don't disappoint me.
And Amada, I'll be seeing you again soon to make up for lost time.
Te amo. Adios.
Frye caught her breath. That was the longest script she ever read and tried to keep the flow as steady as possible.
She gauged everyone's reactions and saw half the studio frozen in place, looking at her with bulging eyes.
"Well, there you have it, folks," she said, breaking everyone's trance. "Bolero's throwing down the gauntlet. Are you just gonna take that sitting down? Are you just gonna let him get away with calling you guys inferior?"
Frye let the words sink in. From outside the window, she could see the denizens rallying together. Some were livid, others were amused, but all were excited to prove their worth.
All the while, the dancer himself watched the news with a rejuvenated smile. The fire in his Amada's voice was like a bolt of lightning that made his skin tingle. He couldn't wait for the days to come.
'Soon, Amada. Soon.'