How many years have it been? Last he recalled it was well over 12,000 years. Astounding, right? Hard to believe he's been around for twelve millennia. A regular mammal would've long met their permanent fate, but he was far from regular.

He was a well of knowledge. The things he knew would make the most prominent historian quake in fear of the truths of the world.

Alas, even with his wealth of wisdom, he couldn't cure the vast emptiness in his soul. The millennia he persisted in this strange world did take its toll on him. He was from a long-forgotten age, where mammals ruled the world. Where animals like himself thrived on nature and its bountiful feasts.

That was eons ago. Humanity had gone extinct, and marine life controlled the planet. Minus the Judd siblings, he was the sole survivor of the mammalian species.

He loathed it.

He loathed being the only mammalian. If more of his species survived, maybe he wouldn't have an empty soul, but as things looked, he only had one choice. To restore the balance lost, he strove for a world once again ruled by mammals. He couldn't turn back the hands of time. The only choice was to keep going forward.

However, there was always a competitor trying to ruin his sales. He had to give credit where it was due. His employees continued to impress. He thought it would be simple to send the pink slips in while they were sleeping and terminate their contracts, but he underestimated his subordinates.

'I should've targeted the three at the Utopia site, but their muscle took precedence. Without their muscle, I'd be uncontested.'

He had everything he needed, but his patience was growing thin. As he contemplated his next move and monitored the opposition, his beautiful Spirit Lifter, the rocket ship, was being filled with his precious fuzzy ooze. Preparations for space flight were about to begin, but he desperately needed to take care of the pests.

'It won't be long now. Try as hard as you can. I won't promote you. You'll be demoted to permanent ghosts.'

Xxx Bolero xxX

Location - Alterna Space Center: Entrance

The minute Syrus and his squad passed through the entrance, a large tube shot up and trapped the group inside. Everything happened so fast, but the only issue was O.R.C.A.'s confiscation of their weapons and Agent 7's hero fit.

"My threads!" he cried out. "C'mon, that's not cool, O.R.C.A.!"

"All weaponry is strictly prohibited beyond this point. Pets and/or sidekicks are allowed," the omniscient AI announced.

Ken and Levi, the two little buddies, stayed with their caretakers.

"At least give me my kicks back," 7 whined.

"Dude," 9 shook his head.

"I loved that outfit, man. That was handmade!"

"Should you make it to the next section, your belongings will be returned," explained the artificial intelligence.

"So we can only use Ken and Levi," Syrus surmised. "Although, Master Mega and the eels would be a better choice if they could fit."

"Yeah, too cramped," Frye concurred while putting her hands behind her head. "Gotta leave it to the small ones."

It didn't bother Syrus. He had a feeling of what to expect. The entrance was unsettlingly quiet, and only two pads lay before them. No ounce of resistance opposed them.

"Please choose your champion," the assistant requested.

"Huh?" The collective voice replied, not prepared for that order.

"Select one member to take the test."

"I get it," the blue-haired, presently, eel tamer said. "They don't want us all storming in and making it too easy."

"Ay. (It's a trap)." Big Man shared his thoughts, which was exactly what Agent 3 thought.

"Agreed," Syrus concurred, "but we don't have much room to work with."

"We didn't exactly surprise them," Shiver stated. "We just charged right in."

"We have our little buddies," Luke added. "We got this.

"You wanna take charge?" Syrus gestured.

"Yeah, fresh out of ink and at the enemy's mercy," his twin smirked. "Another day in the Splatlands."

Agents 3 and 7 stepped on the pad to activate the door, allowing the agent of strength to enter the next room, where he was immediately assaulted by a group of Octotroopers.

The agent hid behind cover.

"At least they sent a welcoming committee, Amado," Shiver said sarcastically. "Hey! I'm the only one who gets to wail on him!"

"No sweat!" Luke ran out from cover and into enemy fire. He dodged oncoming bullets and reared his arm back. "I'm so sorry about this!"

The Octotroopers almost laughed. A punch. That was their enemy's way of defeating them. He was going to punch them.

Luke's fist connected with the Octotrooper, but instead of bouncing it off as expected, it was smashed with the force of a freight train and launched into the wall with significant speed. The seismic impact made the foe explode and left the other two frozen in shock.

"Woo! That's what I'm talking 'bout!" Frye cheered.

Luke imitated cracking his knuckles.

"It's showtime."

He continued the offensive, driving an uppercut to the next trooper's stomach, and sending it skyward to the ceiling. It burst upon impact, and the final trooper did not fare any better. It suffered the wrath of Levi the Smallfry and exploded in a burst of blue ink.

"Nicely done," Syrus complimented the duo. "I guess we don't need fancy weapons."

"Whoa now, Hotshot," Frye wagged her finger, "let's not get crazier than we already are. As cool as that was, I like fancy weapons. That Splatana means a lot."

"Same," Luke continued onward. He entered the next room, only to jump back and narrowly avoid being run over by a runaway Flooder. "Who taught you how to drive?!"

As if understanding his words, the Flooder screeched to a halt and turned around, aiming to ram him again.

"Get back!" Syrus commanded.

"I got this!"

Agent 9 lobbed his Smallfry, Levi the Muncher, atop the mechanical menace's head.

"Hang tight, Levi!" Luke ran under the flood rode the platform up, and stood atop the Flooder's head. "So far so good."

His next test was to find two keys to unlock two sealed vaults.

"Aww," Frye groaned, "if I was there, I could sniff those keys out for ya."

"Can you really?" Syrus inquired.

"My nose is sharp, Hotshot. It ain't as strong as a Salmonid's sniffer, but it comes pretty close."

"Hmm, is that how you knew we were down here?"

The dancer scoffed. "You're not as stealthy as you want us to believe. I saw you in the Square lurking around and followed you."

Now it made sense.

"Ah, so that was you I felt watching me. I knew someone was spying on me."

The two bickered for a bit but it was lighthearted.

Shiver's curiosity got too strong to leave unsatisfied and she yanked her best friend away for a private chat.

"What's going on here?" she interrogated.

Frye laughed awkwardly at the question.

"I told you I was worried 'bout him. I'm just bringing things back to the norm."

"Mhm, and that kiss you two almost got away with?"

Frye's head started to smoke. "That's not what was happening! I was just… making sure his head was on straight, yeah."

She refused to tell Shiver how close they were yesterday. Twice now, the unofficial couple nearly shared their first kiss.

Shiver looked far from convinced. Her brain was working fast.

"Frye, don't lie to me."

The eel deal flinched at the blunt statement.

"That looked way more than just a worried embrace."

Frye tried to think of a counter; however, Shiver's penetrating stare whittled down her defenses.

"Hotshot and I just have a good rivalry going on. Rivals can be friends too, right? I mean, look at the Splatfests," her expression soured, "that you keep winning."

Any other time, Shiver would've glowed, but she chose to ignore the festival results.

"Frye, let me remind you that I've been in a relationship for almost a year. My Amado is right over there, going up against our possessed people."

Frye shifted a glance to the agent of stealth. He was focused on his twin's progress, but he also noticed Frye staring and briefly looked her way. He smiled at her and then turned back around.

"Soon," she copied his words, "you'll see for yourself. I have no clue what I'm walking into either, but I need this. This is what my life has been leading up to."

Shiver wanted to press the issue, but the fire in Frye's eyes made her reconsider. The introduction of Bolero had greatly lifted her spirit. Shiver didn't think it was possible, but Frye was even more energetic than normal. She smiled with a brightness that even left her bedazzled. No treasure could produce the same euphoria.

She sighed. "Fine, but if this bombs, he dies."

Frye hugged her tight.

"Thanks, Shiv, you're the best."

Shiver grunted from the powerful hug.

"Yeah, I know."

Frye let her go.

"Just be careful. Octolings can be very seductive. We have a strong charm."

Frye laughed. "No, you're just horny…" her eyes widened as the realization kicked in. "No way."

"Did you just call me horny?" Shiver seethed. "I am not horny. I'm a little amorous but that's it."

Frye covered her mouth. "That's exactly what Syrus says. Oh my Cod, it all makes sense. That's why Hotshot gets so flirty. Octarians are just horny people."

The shark mistress couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Shiv, before the curves came in, you always acted flirtatious. From the time we were students to now, you walk and behave like a diva. Day one, Syrus becomes a different person when we go back and forth. And do I need to remind you of the times I caught you and Luke sucking each other's faces? You once said that Octolings mature faster than Inklings. You mature faster because you're ready to smash sooner."

At this point, steam could be seen coming from Shiver's flushed face. To have her kind be demoted from proud fighters to lustful fiends irked her to no end.

"We mature faster so we're able to fight sooner. We are not nymphomaniacs and satyriasis!"

Frye loved these turns of events.

"Didn't you also say it's fun seeing guys fight over you? When you already have a boyfriend?"

Shiver sputtered but could not ultimately come up with a viable argument.

"I can be a little wicked," she relented. "I'll give you that. I may be a diva too, but no one will love you harder than an Octoling. I may put on a show. I may try to sway the hearts of many, but I'm not letting Luke go for anything. That ass is mine."

The two laughed. Then, a whistle from the background garnered their attention.

"Luke made it to the end," Syrus announced. "We can proceed."

Shiver and Frye rejoined the group, and the quintet rendezvous with Agent 9, who swung his returned Splatana Stamper like a master.

He was congratulated on a successful performance and then let out a startled yelp as his beloved suddenly slapped on the buttocks.

Shiver whispered in his ear. "This ass is mine." Her narrowed gaze and lascivious smile sent chills down Luke's back.

The others ignored the couple and suited up. Well, Big Man cheered for them as the others suited up.

"Lock and loaded," Zane spun his Dualies around his fingers. "Time to spread some chaos."

"It will be order that dominates the world."

A spike in pressure enveloped the area, keeping the sextet locked in place.

"Welcome, Squidbeak Splatoon, to my humble little workspace. I hope the amenities are to your liking. I would ask you to step into my office, but I can't have you sabotaging my good business."

A sinister growl echoed in their head as if the perpetrator was whispering in their ear.

"I have waited eons for this moment. Millennia of painstaking research and planning, and I will not let some ignorant union get in my way."

There was no mistaking it. The voice was familiar, but none of them could place a tentacle, or fin, on it.

"I will let you have your fun, but there is no escape for you. The same goes for your coworkers at the base. Enjoy the tour."

A moment of silence swept through the gang.

"Ominous," Frye commented. "Tch, do they think we're just gonna keel over? They got another thing comin'."

"Wait," Syrus spoke up, his face contorted in deep contemplation. "I… I know that voice from somewhere."

It was on the tip of his tongue.

"Ay. (Figure it out as we ascend,)" Big Man told him. "Ay ay. (Let's get going.)"

An open vent ushered them inside its confines.

Zane painted a path up the wall, and all six swam through the passageway. It was a giant maze, but Frye believed in her nose. The rest believed in her, trusting her to lead the way as the mastermind continued their speech.

"Words cannot describe the hatred I feel towards the way of the world. As it exists now, the world is out of balance. One cannot run a world - or a business - in this manner."

"And turning it into a hairy pandemic is better?" Zane questioned.

Thankfully, the voice was still listening. Listening and laughing.

"That's what you ignorant cephalopods fail to understand. Back when the world was run by mammals, nature was beautiful. Now, mammals and marine creatures have traded places. And not for the better."

"Ay! Ayy! (But the world is still beautiful! Nature is still beautiful!)" Big Man stated.

"Maybe in your eyes. Tell me, what's so beautiful about being expunged from your home? The sea and its waters once provided you shelter, but a mere drop can tear you apart. What's so wonderful about that?"

Big Man was rendered silent.

"And what was so wonderful about living in a time where people hunted you down for sport and skinned you alive?"

It was Syrus who spoke his mind, the monologue of the perpetrator annoying him something fierce.

"I have little knowledge of the era way back then, but I'm aware of some of the sports humanity took part in. At least Turf War isn't life threatening."

"Ahh, I would expect nothing less from you, Agent 3. Or, should I call you, Syrus?"

His frown deepened.

"I'll see your viewpoint of inhumane sports and bring horrific experimentation to your attention."

Syrus didn't flinch.

"I've been around much longer than any of you."

"You have info on all of us," the Octoling said. "Makes sense considering you tried to kill us last night."

"A necessary evil," the monster stated. "I aimed to terminate your contract, but I see persuasion must be applied personally. As long as you continue to exist, there is a chance you can stop my plans. As CEO, I must be the one to restore balance to nature."

"We've already achieved balance," Shiver added her two cents. "None of us would be here today if not for the events of the past, including you. Do you plan to rewrite history?"

"If I could go back in time, I wouldn't need to be doing this. With my knowledge, I could've made the world even better, but the path to building a promising business does not lie in fiddling with the past. It lies in one's ability to keep moving forward. Never fear, you will be free soon. And together, we shall bristle forth… into a fuzzy and profitable era!"

"Not if we have anything to say 'bout it!" Frye screeched. "We ain't gonna let you disrupt our way of life because you're feelin' homesick."

The monster laughed.

Frye stopped at the entrance of another vent and ushered the gang through the grate. When they came back out, they arrived at the hangar.

Location - Alterna Space Center Hangar

"Homesick might be the correct term, but it's not that simple. It's more so… a longing to go back to the way things were."

O.R.C.A. interrupted the conversation.

"Please select your next champion."

Agent 7 stepped forward. "Should be done in two minutes," he said confidently.

"When you're ready, you may proceed."

"I'd hurry along if I was you," the mastermind warned. "The rocket is almost ready. I'll begin the launch sequence soon. Ah, but with your… Hyper Flux if I recall, it shouldn't be a problem, Zane."

Agent 7 removed his skull bandanna from his forehead and tied it around his mouth. He wasted no more time and rushed into battle. A long climb waited ahead of him, and Hyper Flux wasn't ready yet. However, it would come sooner than he expected.

"Something's strange here," he stated. "I don't know if it's the air or just the circumstances, but I'm feeling more hyper focused."

His first task was to fend off the horde of Octarians, but like he said, there was something about the hangar that filled him with hyper energy.

"Shiver complained about this Hyper Flex or whatever. Said it was annoying,"

"It is," hissed the shark mistress. "That was plot armor of the highest caliber. Master Mega should've torn you to shreds."

"Ooh, I wanna see it," Frye clapped excitedly. "Do you just run fast?"

"Watch and see, and it's called Hyper Flux."

As Zane made his way up, his performance improved. He still couldn't tell if it was the circumstances of the battle or the area. Him and his team were so close, and time was not on their side. One slip up could cost them everything. Their progression now rested on his shoulders. Pressure was high, and the stakes were higher.

"I figured it out," he said.

In a beautiful display of agility and athleticism, Agent 7 twirled in the air, his guns pointed downward, and spraying ink like a storm that demolished the opposition.

"My Splatlandian spirit is on fire!"

His hair started to flicker and flap in the wind. His energy was rising, and his speed gradually increased. He was surrounded on all sides, red dots lighting him up like a Splatmas tree.

"Let's kick it into overdrive!"

Hyper Flux was now ready.

The Octarians fired upon the lone agent, resulting in a mass of purple ink being splattered over the platform. Their target was nowhere to be seen, seemingly annihilated by the combined assault.

"WOOOHOOOO!"

A blur sped past the snipers, and in its wake, a typhoon of blue ink picked them apart. The speed demon ceased fire and came into view. Zane was standing with his hair sparkling and eyes shining with a bright determination.

"Ay! (That was awesome!)"

"How are you doing that?" Frye questioned. "I wanna learn to do that."

"Unless you want your body to constantly be on fire, I don't recommend it, but I'll be happy to teach you when this is all said and done."

"Don't hesitate now, or we'll lose everything!" Captain Clora yelled over the earpieces. "Stay focused and run like the wind!"

Agent 7 grinned behind his bandanna.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Something broke as he took off running. None of the Octarians could hit him, but he was a sharp shooter even with his enhanced speed. His routes were rather crowded. If he wasn't careful, he could fly off the platform and land in the hazardous waters below. Every turn required the highest precision, and every group required a certain finesse to defeat. His focus was split between movement and attacking. The only way forward was to defeat the horde.

"You're almost there," Agent 9 said. "One more horde. Break through!

"Right!"

Another sonic boom

Agent 7 was an untouchable one squid army. Even with Splatlings chasing him down, the agent of speed and agility couldn't be touched.

The final checkpoint allowed Agent 7 to catch his breath. He rode atop the zeppelin, sidestepping the fuming Octosniper that couldn't touch him. It was light work for the agent.

"Riding to the top like the superstar you are, Agent 7," Agent 1 complimented him. "That was an amazing performance."

Zane became an afterimage to the sniper, who didn't see him coming from behind.

"Thank you kindly," he ended the test with flying colors. "Always happy to entertain."

The quintet super jumped to Zane's position.

"Your work performance has improved considerably," the monster commented. "Don't stop now. Show me how you will handle the next portion."

"…" no one said a thing.

"Creepy," Agent 2 broke the silence. "But we don't have a choice in the matter."

"How's Boss Lady?" Agent 7 inquired.

"She's fine, says she's a little sore. We were about to follow your trail, but then we got a strange signal."

"Two of them to be precise," Clora chimed in. "Thanks for the concern, boys. I'm fine, but we're gonna hang back just in case. There's another group here."

"Do you need backup?" Agent 9 suggested.

"No, no, you guys keep going. If push comes to shove, we'll jump to your location to escape."

"There's monitors everywhere," Callie pointed out. "That's how we're able to see you guys right now. I don't know if you're being broadcasted worldwide but smile anyway, especially you, Neo. Show them your handsome face."

The agent of stealth remained in deep contemplation. He had something stirring in his head. The monster's manner of speech was somewhat recognizable; however, Syrus didn't want to believe it. Then again, not once did he meet the president face to face. In fact, no one knows what the president looks like. The only thing known of the boss was his strictness and busy work ethic.

"Neo, you're scaring me," Callie's voice broke through his contemplations.

He looked up at the fake sky and relaxed his features. "…I have a question. How did you make the fuzzy ooze?"

The monster chuckled, seeing one of his employees finally put the pieces together.

"There were crystals scattered about Alterna. I combined those crystals with my fur, and every time your ravenous pets devoured them, I felt a little bit of myself die inside. For every morsel of flesh you consumed, I will make you pay tenfold. It's a shame really… good employees are so difficult to find these days."

That was the last piece of the puzzle Syrus needed. And with it, his anger from earlier resurfaced.

"I see," he said calmly and shot the inactive ink rail. "Then, consider this me putting in my two weeks' notice, Mr. Grizz."

Even all the way down, Captain Clora, Agent 1, and Agent 2, felt the air intensity after Syrus made his declaration. A sinister growl reverberated across Alterna, but there were no more words from the monster.

Both sides were done talking.