Chapter 8: The Great Maw
"The place where hunger is always peaking."
"Watch your step." Eight warned, hastily grabbing Nakji's arm to prevent her from walking off into the abyss below.
The group was traveling on a narrow platform that creaked with every step. It reminded Akikta of a rickety and unstable bridge. Said bridge took a sudden sharp turn, which wouldn't have been so bad if there were walls or railings to run into.
Thank the Great Spirit for Eight, since Akikta was certain the drop below would've killed his sister. He didn't know how far the ground was, but it looked steep enough. Then again, it could've just been the lighting, the area was incredibly dark. He wouldn't have been able to see more than a few feet in front of him were it not for the soft glows coming from the cephalopods. Surprisingly, they were somewhat bioluminescent.
"So, are we really not gonna talk about what we saw?" Frye said, inciting conversation.
"Question what? The swarm that attacked us?" Metta replied.
"No! Those two humanoid salmonids! Akikta, tell them!" Frye lightly nudged him with her elbow.
"She's talking about the Steel Twins," Akikta answered. "I don't know much about salmonids, but I assume humanoid ones are like, rare?"
"They're not just rare. They're downright mythical!" Pearl stated, walking behind Akikta with her hands tucked behind her head.
"I thought so. When I called Eosalmo a Salmonling, he said those don't exist."
"A salmonling? Heh, that sounds like something Marina would make up in her fanfiction."
Marina gasped. "Pearlie!" She squeaked with embarrassment, causing Pearl to giggle.
Pearl put her arms down; then her expression changed from laid-back to serious. "For real though, those things shouldn't exist. But...I'd be lyin' if I said I've never seen one."
Before Akikta could question what she meant, Frye spoke. "Uh, who's Eosalmo?"
Talk about a late reaction. Akikta thought before answering. "I didn't tell you? He's the one that wants my DNA... The salmonids call him Lord Sake."
Frye perked up. "Lord? You mean he's the boss around here?"
"Well, yeah." Frye suddenly cheered, jumping and punching the air.
"Uh oh." Big Man shuddered.
Shiver chuckled. "I don't think you should've told her that."
"Huh, why?" Akikta asked, confused.
"Our little Eel Tamer here has a track record for ignoring the smallfry. Why, she's probably itching to fight their lord right now."
"Heck yeah, I am!" Frye announced, her voice echoing through the darkness.
Akikta was perplexed by her reaction. He assumed Frye and the rest of Deep Cut already knew about Sal. Though, he does recall being told they—along with Metta—were extremely new to the whole Splatoon biz.
"We shouldn't fight him. Not until we're ready." Eight commented.
Akikta was reminded of the whooping Sal had given him earlier. "I agree. That guy is extremely dangerous, and we don't know what he's capable of."
"Ah, don't be so scared. With all of us here, especially you, we can defeat anything!" Frye encouraged.
Callie cleared her throat. "In case you haven't noticed, Frye, Akikta has been nothing but deadweight so far. I don't think he'll be any help." Akikta frowned but didn't say anything. She wasn't exactly wrong, but she didn't have to be so mean about it...
Akikta chose to remain silent for the rest of the journey, at least until they came across a new area, where he let out an audible "whoa" of amazement.
They stepped into what he could only describe as a colosseum. Of course, it was in terrible condition. The ground was cracked, chunks of buildings destroyed various parts of the stands, and the place was littered with all sorts of junk. At least this part of the bowels had a wide open ceiling, allowing the red sky to brighten the area.
"Wow, this place is so spacious!" Frye said, only for the group to split off from each other to get a better look at different areas. Akikta and Nakji stayed with the salmonids.
By now, Rick had recovered from his comatose state. Biggie was also awake, but he never fully clocked out to begin with.
When they realized where they were, their expressions turned to anguish. "Oh, we're here..." Rick said, sounding somber.
"Whoa, what's wrong? You sound real down." Akikta turned to Rick, concerned.
"This is the 'ring.' Er, the old one, anyway."
"The... ring?"
"It was once a holy arena where we clan members were pitted against each other to determine who was worthy of becoming a war chieftain. A rite the usurper never went through." Rick growled that last part, clearly annoyed with Sal's ascension to lordship. "It is here where the octarian and her crew took lives. Some of which were our war chieftains."
"And I'm sorry." Eight butted in, standing behind the four. Akikta hadn't noticed her saddened face until now. It looked like she also remembered whatever had transpired here.
"Don't be." Rick waved his fin. "The past is the past. Besides, you fought for your own survival. I can't fault you for that..."
Nakji, who had no idea what Eight and Rick were conversing about, spotted something in the distance. She tapped Akikta's arm to grab his attention. When he looked at what Nakji pointed to, he was taken aback.
"No way." He couldn't believe what he was seeing. In the center of the ruined arena was a single golden ball. But it wasn't just any ball; it was an egg.
Akikta approached the egg to get a better look. His suspicions were confirmed. This was the same type of egg that littered the halls of the Alterna Space Center. But what was one doing all the way out here?
"Never seen a golden egg before?" Pearl asked, coming up from his side.
"I have. I just don't know what this is doing all the way out here." Akikta blinked, only for him to perk up. "Wait, you know what this is?"
"It's only the most precious thing in all of salmonid society," Metta answered, appearing on Akikta's other side.
"Wait, these are salmonid eggs?"
"Well, yeah. What'd you think they were?"
Akikta shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I've only ever seen these in Alterna, so..."
Metta jolted. "Alterna? What were you doing there?"
"I'm sorry...? I thought I told you guys. That's my home."
"Huh?!" Metta sounded and looked flabbergasted. "You mean you were from Alterna this whole time?! I mean, I guess that explains why you were in the Splatlands... But how did I miss you? I searched every nook and cranny of that place!"
Akikta chuckled, kneeling next to the golden egg. "Well, it's no mystery why you never found me. Alterna has many sealed-off rooms, most of which are hidden. I was locked in one of them until recently."
He focused on the golden egg, noticing a few oddities with it. For one, the skeletal fish inside wasn't moving, and the shine he remembered was duller on this egg...or was it the lighting? "Hey, does this egg seem weird to y'all?" Akikta asked, looking at Metta and Pearl, who moved closer to see what he was talking about.
"Now that you mention it, it looks kinda weird..." Metta commented as Akikta grabbed it.
"And fake," Pearl added, then he pulled.
The egg made a small rattling noise. Actually, no. It wasn't the egg. The noise came from the chain attached to the bottom of the egg, preventing Akikta from pulling it a certain distance. "Oh. Shit."
Sharp pointed pillars jutted out from the cracked ground, surrounding all three of them.
Metta suddenly grabbed Akikta's arm with a death grip. "Hey, what are you–" He cut himself off with a scream as Metta hurled him into the air with strength he didn't know she had.
As he flew, he noticed the sharp pillars weren't actually pillars, but instead a circular row of teeth, accompanied by an outer row.
Akikta landed safely in the fins of Biggie. "Whoa, thanks, big guy." He said gratefully. Biggie responded with an open smile, revealing his ragged teeth.
While being let down, Akikta stammered. "Crap! Pearl and Metta are still—" Just as his worries rose, Pearl and Metta landed near him and Biggie in their squid forms, quickly morphing back to their humanoid forms.
"Oh." He had already forgotten that these people weren't helpless like him.
Akikta looked around to see everyone was now in the colosseum's stands. When did they get out of the ring? Never mind that—what just attacked them?
He got his answer when the rows of teeth closed and the beast jumped up, leaving behind a large pool of greenish ink. This creature had big lips, tiny eyes, and appeared to be made of metal. It vaguely reminded him of that yellow plushie he saw back at that abandoned camp in Alterna.
"What..." Callie said, at a loss for words. "What is that thing doing here? How is it here?!" Akikta saw the shock in Callie's eyes.
"What is it?" Nakji asked, beating Akikta to it.
"It's... The Octomaw!" Callie exclaimed, causing Metta to look over at them.
"You mean that great octoweapon you guys used to talk about? I thought the Captain destroyed it though?"
"She did..." Callie confirmed. Akikta looked over to Coral and watched her expression change to one of mild disgust as she stared at the Octomaw.
The supposedly destroyed octoweapon stared blankly at the group with blacked-out eyes. It started bopping up and down, emitting a mechanical grating sound as its gears chattered. The beast stopped abruptly, only to let out a monstrous roar that did not sound mechanical whatsoever. Akikta saw why.
The mouth of the octomaw parted as it roared. Behind its teeth was the large head of a heavily scarred version of the Maws salmonid. So, that's why there were two rows of teeth...
"The usurper is pulling out the big guns now, huh," Rick commented, crossing his fins.
Akikta leaned to the salmonid. "Tell me this is the part where you explain what the hell that thing is." He whispered, referring to the salmonid who was now swimming in circles and spreading more greenish ink around the ring.
"You're looking at The Great Maw, Mahy."
"Mahy?" Akikta repeated, thinking he had misheard the salmonid, but Rick nodded.
"When the usurper grew desperate for stronger warriors, he resorted to modifying some of our clan on a... molecular level." Rick shook his head. "Toying with the essence of life resulted in The Great Maw. An artificial King Salmonid, if you will. I've no doubt this is another attempt at getting you."
After Rick finished explaining, Mahy slammed into the wall of the stands, shaking the ground like an earthquake. Akikta nearly lost his balance, but Nakji caught him.
"Alright, how do we beat it?" Eight asked, having been listening to their whole conversation.
Rick looked at her. "The same way you colorful cephalopods beat any king. Shoot it."
"But... it's covered in armor." She pointed out.
Akikta got to thinking. "What did y'all call those large pink salmonids again? Oh right, Maws. That king looks like one of them, so why not just throw those ink bombs in its mouth?"
"Those bombs wouldn't work on a salmonid that big, even if we threw a whole bunch of them. The bomb would have to be as big as a..." Eight's eyes widened as if an idea struck her.
"Marina!" she yelled, catching the other octarian's attention. "Do you remember those bombs we used against that statue?"
"The hyperbombs?"
"Yes, those! Do you think you could build one right now?"
Marina lowered her brows and looked around the arena. She looked doubtful at first, only for her face to morph into happiness. "Actually, yes! All the materials I need are right here! Though, they are scattered..." she said with a nervous chuckle.
"Never mind that. Just tell us what you need, and we'll—" Mahy slammed against the stands again, causing another violent rumble.
"Question, what is a hyperbomb?" Akikta asked.
"They're special suction-type explosives designed by Marina." Eight answered while regaining her balance. Akikta raised an eyebrow in confusion, causing Eight to shake her head. "Right... Just think of those splat bombs I used earlier, then imagine them bigger."
"If these hyperbombs are as big as I think they are, how do you plan to get one in Mahy's mouth?"
Rick stepped up. "Simple. We build a device similar to Biggie's- I mean, Shooter's, cannon and launch the hyperbomb from there. Don't worry, I can do the calibrations needed for the hyperbomb."
Akikta blinked. "You know what a hyperbomb is?"
Rick nodded. "I've studied some of Marina's contraptions in my years. I must say, I'm a fan."
"I thought you were against the cephalopods?"
"That doesn't mean I'm against their inventions, human. Come on, we salmonids are capable of having open minds too." Rick grumbled, sounding offended.
"Sorry, I ain't mean it like that." Akikta raised his hands defensively, only to be thrown off balance by Mahy, once again, smashing into the stands. This time, the floor cracked.
"Yo, I don't think these stands are gonna last another attack. We gotta get down there and distract that thing!" Pearl called out, pulling out what looked like an inkling's version of dual-wield pistols. "Luckily for us, I'm good at distractin' salmonids." Before anyone could protest against Pearl going down there, she transformed into a squid and blasted off toward the arena.
"Misaki, please make sure Pearl doesn't get eaten alive." Eight said politely. Agent 4 gave a thumbs up and smiled before blasting off after Pearl.
Frye gently pushed Big Man. "You're perfect for this type of stuff! Go get 'em!"
"You really think so?" Big Man said uncertainly.
Shiver nodded in agreement. "For once, our impulsive friend is actually onto something. You should go help them."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" Shiver simply snickered in response to Frye.
"Wait, shouldn't Shiver be going out there? She's the one with the shark." Akikta questioned.
"Master Mega isn't anywhere near us right now. Otherwise, I would've volunteered myself."
"And why would you leave the big ass shark behind?"
"The entrance we used to board was too small for him to fit through. We had no choice." Shiver opened her fan, hiding her mouth. "Besides, Big Man's ability is exactly what we need in a situation like this."
That was all Big Man needed to hear to convince himself to go in. "Alrighty, Big Man is droppin' in for support!" He cheered, but unlike the inklings, he shuffled down to the arena.
Eight waved her hand to get everyone else's attention. "Alright, while they're distracting that King Salmonid, the rest of us need to help Marina and Rick!" She turned to the unlikely duo. "So, tell us what we need to get."
And just like that, everyone moved with some pep in their step. Except Akikta, hindered by the pain he felt bubbling in his stomach. Despite that, luckily, he wasn't completely useless this time. He served as the translator between the group and the salmonids, along with Eight.
Everyone scattered around the ring, collecting pieces of junk and debris. Surprisingly, most of the stuff they brought to Marina and Rick was discarded octarian technology, mixed with a little bit of salmonid machinery.
Biggie and Coral were the ones who did most of the heavy lifting, seeing as their bodies allowed them to do so without much help. Metta proved to be good at scavenging, so she, along with Frye and Shiver, worked swiftly to find the necessary materials.
Everyone else helped Marina and Rick build the hyperbomb and cannon.
Meanwhile, Pearl, Misaki, and Big Man did their duty of distracting The Great Maw. Big Man was the most effective, as he created multiple moving decoys made of ink. Mahy couldn't tell which was fake and which was actually Big Man.
Then there was Pearl... her tactic involved screaming at the top of her lungs and taunting the king salmonid. In all fairness, it worked, but if Akikta had to guess why, he'd say it was because of her annoyingly high-pitched voice. After listening to her shouts for a minute, he couldn't and wouldn't blame anyone for trying to shut her up. At one point, he even took out the translators in his ears, which made things worse as the screaming turned into violent gurgles.
Fortunately, Pearl stopped screaming whenever Mahy drew too close to her, so it never lasted for more than a few seconds at a time.
Misaki would shoot Mahy with her ink-based sniper rifle to draw attention to herself whenever he grew dangerously close to Pearl.
This would go on for ten minutes before the group finished the hyperbomb and cannon. Both were crudely constructed and unstable, but for what they needed, it'd do.
"And done! The calibrations are complete." Rick exhaled in satisfaction as he wiped his head.
"Great! Now all we have to do is fire the bomb, right?" Akikta said hastily, only for Rick to hold a fin out.
"Slow down. We don't have the materials to build another. This is our one shot. We must make it count!" Rick pointed to Biggie and Coral, who were holding the handcrafted hyperbomb above the makeshift cannon.
"One shot, huh?" Akikta smirked, already having an idea of how to guarantee it. "Guys, when I say now, launch the bomb. Trust me."
He rushed over to the edge of the stands with a hobble. Big Man, Misaki, and Pearl looked like they were getting tired.
While Mahy was focused on one of Big Man's decoys, Akikta waved his hands. "Pearl!" He shouted, grabbing her attention.
Pearl hurried over. "What is it, yo?"
"Question, do those big jumps you squids do have some kind of cool down or...?"
Pearl raised a brow. "Nah, why?"
"Perfect! I need you to do one of your annoying screams."
"Annoying?!"
"I mean- Professional screams. Yeah... that's what I meant..." Pearl looked at him, displeased. "Look, I just need you to scream to grab Mahy's attention! When I say now, you jump up to the stands, alright?"
After giving the request some thought, Pearl nodded and turned.
In preparation, Akikta took out the translators and plugged his ears with his fingers. Soon after, Pearl hollered as if someone were committing bloody murder.
Mahy did exactly what Akikta expected: ignoring Big Man's decoys and racing towards Pearl.
Pearl looked ready to jump. "Don't move until I say so!" Akikta yelled, putting the spherical translators back in his ears.
"I don't wanna be salmonid food!"
"You won't! Trust me!" It didn't seem like Pearl trusted him, since she continued inching away from Mahy. This plan hinged on her cooperation, so Akikta, knowing it was dirty, did the only thing that made sense. "Pearl! We only have one shot at this! Do you really want all of Marina's hard work to be for nothing?"
This made her halt in her tracks. Now Pearl was frozen like a statue. She clearly wanted to run, but it was like something in her body refused.
"Good! Now, don't move until I say now!" Akikta instructed, and Mahy grew closer. The top of the Octomaw's head was the only visible thing above the green ink as it sped towards Pearl like a shark to blood.
"Any time now, yo!" Pearl shouted, visibly nervous.
"Wait for it..." As Mahy got closer, the Octomaw's mouth opened, revealing his actual head. His yellow eyes seemed to glow as his horizontal red pupils honed in on the small, jittering squid.
"Wait for it..." Mahy gradually sunk back into the ink as he neared Pearl.
"Come on, man!" Pearl shouted, which caused Mahy to leap out of the ink, mouth wide open and ready to devour her.
"NOW!" Akikta yelled with every fiber of his being. In one instance, Pearl launched away from the jaws of Mahy, and the hyperbomb was launched with a loud 'boom.'
Akikta ducked to avoid any chance of the hyperbomb hitting him on its way into Mahy's gullet. Like he hoped for, Mahy ate the entire bomb whole before crashing into the wall of the stands. The ground cracked further, signaling it would collapse if Mahy hit it again. But they wouldn't have to worry about that happening.
After shaking off the crash, Mahy swam back toward the center of the arena where Big Man and Misaki were. However, it slowed, letting out guttural and primal howls.
"I guess what you ate doesn't agree with your stomach, does it!" Akikta hollered, only for Mahy to let out one final roar before exploding into a massive puddle of yellow ink, which covered every inch of the ring and part of the stands. Mahy's armor shattered into many pieces, with only the Octomaw's head staying intact.
The shockwave from the explosion knocked Akikta down, but he recovered quickly with Nakji's help.
"I didn't think that idea would work." Rick blurted, being blunt about his lack of faith in Akikta.
Before Akikta could show his disdain for Rick's lack of trust, Pearl came over and playfully hit him in the arm. "Jeez, one more second, and I would've been that thing's meal!" She laughed.
"Sorry, but I had to guarantee the shot." He lightly patted her head. "Besides, I'm trying to earn your trust, not get you killed. I'd die before I let any harm come to you, Pearlie."
They both laughed. "Well, I'll admit. This is a start!" She said with a grin, only to suddenly jump and grab Akikta by the collar of his jacket, yanking him down to her level. "But call me Pearlie again, and I will kill you." Her tone abruptly shifted, sounding deathly serious.
Akikta raised his hands. "Whoa- ok. Exclusive nickname, noted. My bad." He apologized, to which she smirked and released him.
The rest of the group clamored around Akikta, giving him props for his straightforward but effective plan. Even Coral gave him a nod of approval. The only ones who didn't say anything were Callie and the salmonids.
While Akikta enjoyed finally being recognized, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen, causing him to collapse. Nakji hastily picked him back up, allowing him to lean on his shoulder. "I don't mean to cut our celebrations short, but we should really get moving... How far are we from that other site, Eight?"
"Not far at all. With that salmonid dealt with, they shouldn't be able to follow us now. Let's move before any more show up." The rest of the group agreed and proceeded to leave the area.
Akikta, and by proxy, Nakji, stayed after realizing the salmonids did not follow. He watched as Biggie and Rick put their fins together and closed their eyes, facing the massive heap of ink that was once The Great Maw.
"Safe travels, brother. May we meet again beyond the seven rings..." This was the first time Akikta had heard Rick in such a broken voice.
When the salmonids finished, they turned and went to join the group. Rick merely gave Akikta and Nakji a glare as he passed them. It wasn't one of hostility or resentment. But of sorrow.
"Oh..." Something clicked in Akikta's mind. Now he understood that not every victory they had against the salmonids was an all-around victory. The cephalopods got to see another day and avoid capture, sure. But for Rick and Biggie, they were putting down people they considered comrades, maybe even family.
Akikta furrowed his brows, breathing irregularly. He was furious, but not at the Splatoon—At Sal. All of this was happening because of that monster. Akikta wanted to kill him from the beginning, but now his reasonings were different.
Revenge was something the teen craved, yes. But compared to everything Rick, Biggie, and even Eight went through, Sal's crimes against Akikta were minor.
All this pain caused wouldn't end. Not until Sal was put down for good.
"You ok?" Nakji asked, snapping Akikta out of his 'seeing red' state.
"Y-yeah. I'm alright. Let's just keep moving..." And with that, Nakji and Akikta rejoined the group.
Little did anyone know, two figures overhead had been watching the whole scene unfold from start to finish. When everything was said and done, they looked at each other. Only one spoke. "Father will not be happy about this."