Squid Party

Chapter 31: Paint It, Black


Orange's walk had turned into a swim as she continued her way down the tunnel. The journey could be made in human form, but squid form was much faster. The tunnel was built with a slight slope, so a quick paint job on the floor with her Splattershot let the ink dribble downwards, and her along with it. Even with the occasional reforming to reapply more ink once the original trail ran dry, it was a pretty quick trip.

Swimming also gave her a nice respite from the evening's disastrous events. There was nothing quite like a dip in her own ink, becoming one with herself and letting gravity do most of the work as she sailed on. This also gave her more time to think and reflect on what just happened.

...What even did happen? And how could it've happened? Tartar was supposed to be dead. She saw him die; Pearl's Princess Cannon blast made sure of that. ...Yet there he was, wearing Green's skin and commanding a sanitized fleet of thousands.

But how? Tartar was crafty, but even if he'd somehow survived, he shouldn't have been able to do all... this. How did he get to Octavian? How did Marie become sanitized? How didn't Pearl see the attack coming? How did Tartar take on Green's form? And Blue...

This wasn't supposed to be happening. It shouldn't be happening. And of all times, now? On her birthday? While the Smashers were here? It'd almost be funny if it wasn't so serious.

Despite Tartar exacting his impossible revenge, maybe it was a blessing in disguise for it to happen now. Sure, her birthday had been ruined, but this was a threat unlike any other. Tartar was a plague on the cephalopod race; she couldn't even kill him the first time they met.

She remembered the day well, the day she thought her skills could finally be put to the test. After a tense confrontation with a pair of wily Octoling twins went awry, she, Blue, and the Cap'n ended up separated. The two scoured the maze-like depths of the Deepsea Metro to find him, but were suddenly sidetracked when Orange received a distress call through her headset. As luck would have it, the signal was coming from the Central Station, and the pair were right on top of it on another level.

Blue wanted to break through the foundation to reach the signal faster, but before Orange could warn him there was no telling what was on the other side, he'd already done it. And, of course, the dumbass ended up knocking himself out after crashing into cod-knows-what. He did save Cap'n and the twins—who they didn't even know were there—from being blended, so she couldn't be too mad at him.

Unfortunately, his efforts were a double-edged sword as Tartar, taking advantage of the confusion, mended with the unconscious Blue's mind. In hindsight, Orange should've been paying more attention, but it all happened so fast... She never would've fathomed this mangled, broken... thing to suddenly turn sentient and attack Blue with a wrathful surge of sanitized sludge.

The next thing she knew, Blue had leapt up from the ground, growling in Tartar's, garbled and distorted voice, whipped her across the face with his Splattershot, grabbed the stunned Cap'n, and jumped off into the previously-broken ceiling, all in one fell swoop. Thinking back on it, if she knew then what she knew now, she easily would've been been able to smash Tartar's telephone casing and splat the AI.

Fortunately, the Octoling twins who'd once been their enemies were able to save both him and the Cap'n shortly afterwards. Considering his lack of skill, Blue was no match for Octavia as Octavian handled rescuing the Cap'n. Her prowess and skill was admirable, but Blue's lack of expertise definitely played a part. It was pure dumb luck Tartar had attacked him instead of her. If he'd gotten Orange under his control, she just knew she would've thoroughly crushed the hapless agents.

The rest of the ordeal was history; Octavia and Octavian pursued Tartar to the surface, he tried to blast Inkopolis with a laser, but Pearl blasted him with a laser first, and everyone lived happily ever after. The End.

...Expect now they were experiencing the unexpected sequel that no one wanted to see. She could only hope it would have the same happy ending and stay as a duology.

As Orange grew closer to the sewer's end, she sighed, hoping there wouldn't be too much of a commotion once she surfaced. It wasn't that she couldn't handle it, but fighting off and escaping a ravenous horde of zombified cephalopods was enough adventure for today...

Finally reaching the end, the submerged Orange looked up through the grate and sighed loudly, causing her ink to bubble as she did. May as well get this over with...

Positioning herself beneath it, she Squid Jumped through and landed in a battle-ready stance. Her Splattershot was quickly aimed with deadly precision, finger already on the trigger.

Orange's entrance went unnoticed as she assessed the situation with shocked realization. Before her were not only the X-Rankers, still standing strong in an effort to protect the Smashers and idols, but a small army of Octarians led by none other than DJ Octavio. The opposing troop stood just as strong across from them, both sides having all weapons drawn and at the ready. Aside from her, everyone was simultaneously aiming and being aimed at.

Bringing up the rear, the overgrown octopus cast a sharp glare over his enemies, making them tense up and reaffirm their positions. He narrowed his eyes at the X-Ranker Octolings, many of them unable to meet their former commander's gaze.

Orange's eyes darted back and forth between the two groups as she tried to think of the best plan of action. The scene was so tense, she nearly shot a stray ink glob when a familiar voice shattered the silence.

"Well, isn't this nice? Despite everything that's happened, you lot are already wanting to be sparring partners in a Turf War!"

Orange's nerves were eased immediately as the voice chortled, Cap'n Cuttlefish hobbling out from Cuttlefish Cabin on his trusty Bamboozler cane. He spotted Orange and smiled at her through his bushy beard.

"Agent 3, you finally made it! I was starting to wonder when you'd get here. Come on over and join us. We were just about to have a lovely discussion over crabby cakes!"

Octavio scowled. "Everything's always got to be a joke with you, doesn't it, Cuttlefish?"

Cuttlefish cut his eyes at him. "I assure you this is no laughing matter if I have to enlist your help, Octavio."

"Then I suppose there'll be no issues if I were to eliminate you and this ragtag group of scoundrels right now!" Octavio thrust a stick of wasabi at the X-Rankers. "You clearly don't know what you're up against, so thank you for allowing my forces the opportunity to splat them as a warm-up before we storm Inkopolis and handle things ourselves!"

"Uh, excuse me?"

Octavio's rage turned to shock as Ness emerged from the group of X-Rankers. "...W-what?!"

"Hey listen," coolly began the psychic, "not exactly sure what's going on here, but these guys have done more than enough fighting for tonight. All they're looking for is a little safety, and if you're not willing to help, then me and Lucas are gonna be your opponents, not them."

Scrambling out from the group, Lucas tensed up as he began to list off their rules and regulations. "Uh...! S-Section 121, Article 1999 clearly states that we, the first party of Smashers, many exercise our right to—"

"Lucas." Ness smiled as he put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. We don't gotta read off the whole rulebook to them."

Octavio's shock became rage again as he snapped at Cuttlefish. "You old codger! Why didn't you tell me the Smashers were here already?!"

The captain looked him over blankly before answering. "...The Smashers are here."

"CUTTLEFISH!" roared Octavio as he shook his balled-up tentacles. "YOU—!"

"Save all that energy for Tartar, Octavio. If it makes you feel any better, you would've been properly introduced tomorrow. They were going to have a scavenger hunt down here, but, well, there's been a change of plans..." Now it was the old Inkling's turn to narrow his eyes. "Besides, you and I both know if we told you they were here, you would've sabotaged everything just to make us look bad."

Octavio's face crinkled, as if the assumption were correct. "...Normally, I would consider this trespassing and have my army splat you where you stand, but if what you've told me is true, then we have bigger fish to fry..."

At this, his Octarians relented and sternly lowered their weapons. In response, the Inkopolians heaved a collective sigh of relief as they relaxed their defensive stance.

"That artificial idiot stole some of my best soldiers and turned them into his own little playthings..." Octavio suddenly slammed a coiled tentacle into the ground, startling the Inkopolians as rage flashed across his eyes. "And he won't be taking anymore!"

"That's the spirit, Octavio!" chortled Cuttlefish, walking over to slap his former adversary on the back. "Once a go-getter, always a go-getter, eh?"

Octavio slapped his arm away with a scowl. "Don't get it twisted, Cuttlefish! This truce is merely a means to an end! I'm only doing this to protect my soldiers and to honor those who've fallen, not to make buddy-buddy with your slimy, little hipsters!"

Cuttlefish casually waved him off as he hobbled away. "Sure, sure. The enemy of my enemy, and all that. Besides, a little forced teamwork never hurt anybody, right? Right. Now, then!" The old Inkling approached the Smashers. "Who do we have here? A pair of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed helpers, no doubt?"

"Heh, guess you could say that. Name's Ness," greeted the capped psychic.

"And I'm Lucas," added the blonde with a sad smile. "Sorry we had to meet under these circumstances..."

Cuttlefish chuckled softly. "Ohoho. Trust me, this isn't our first rodeo. What matters now is that we've got some powerful allies on our side and a unified goal. With you on our side, that old phone-y baloney won't know what hit him!"

"...B-but, Gramps..." The X-Rankers slowly parted to let Callie through, face wrenched in sorrow as tears streamed down her cheeks. "M-Marie, she... S-she...!"

"Oh... Callie..." Cuttlefish's confident expression hardened into a solemn one as he pieced together what must've happened. Despite this, he warmly extended the arm not holding his cane towards her. "...Come here, sweetie."

"Gramps, i-it was... awful!" Callie wailed, throwing herself into his waiting embrace. "There was all this coughing, a-and...! She was so sick! And then! ...She attacked me and it was like... She didn't even know who I was...! A-and they...! W-we couldn't...!"

"And Pearlie, she..." Marina had been able to hold herself together, but seeing Callie consoled by her grandfather finally caused her to crack. She grimaced and hiccupped softly before turning away and sobbing into her hands. Octavia was at her side in an instant, consoling the DJ with her own shoulder to cry on.

"Cap'n..." Cuttlefish turned to see Orange approach. A relieved, but tired smile creased her lips. "Thanks for saving our asses back there... Glad to see you got things under control down here, too."

Cuttlefish nodded, flashing her a reassuring smile. "Aye, what kind of captain would I be if I didn't have a few tricks up my sleeve?"

"But how did you know what happened and about Tartar?"

Cuttlefish's face fell slightly. "...We received a bit of a heads-up."

"A heads-up? From who...?"

As if on cue, another figure shambled out from the New Squidbeak Splatoon's post. This one's lopsided gait wasn't due to age, but from battle. Through the group of X-Rankers, Magenta was the first to react.

"...Green?" she murmured in disbelief.

Green smiled weakly at the sound of her voice. His skin was pale, gaze distant, and stance unsteady. His ears and tentacled hair drooped as if sickened, clutching his side in pain as he leaned against the cabin in exhaustion.

"...Magenta..." he wheezed, voice soft and waning like a breathless whisper.

"Poor lad came scrambling in through the grate all sorts of hurt," explained Cuttlefish, rubbing the still-crying Callie's back. "Was barely able to speak, but told me to prepare and prepare well."

"I must admit, it was thanks to him I was able to get my troops in order," Octavio begrudgingly admitted. "He may be a slimy, little hipster, but he's a tough slimy, little hipster."

"Greeeeen!" squealed Magenta, running over to her lover. Green's joy at seeing her quickly turned to agony as she slammed into him, squeezing his midsection with all her strength. "Where'veyoubeenIwassoworriedaboutyouwhathappeneeeeeeeed?!"

Green winced in pain, clinging to Magenta with shaky hands as he struggled to answer. "...Sweetie... Glad you got away... I was worried, too..."

Seeing this suddenly alarmed the X-Rankers. Green and Magenta's reunion made them realize not all of their loved ones were present, causing a frantic search amongst themselves. While a few were able to locate a friend or family member, many more were horrified to discover they were alone with a bunch of strangers. Orange could see their panic rising, so she stepped up to address them.

"Guys, guys!" she shouted, waving her arms. Desperate for answers, the X-Rankers went silent. "Look, I know things're bad, but freaking out's not gonna help anyone! Those slimeballs aren't smart enough to get through the tunnel, so we need to take this time to come up with a plan!"

"But how? We don't even know what we're up against!" shouted an Inkling.

"And what about the others?!" added an Octoling. "My little brother's still in the city!"

"That's why we gotta make a plan!" insisted Orange. "We got some reinforcements, but that doesn't mean anything if we don't know what we're doing!"

Orange expected this reasoning to calm everyone down, but it only seemed to make things worse. The general unrest kept brewing until it escalated into a small riot. Angry clamoring for something to be done mixed with the hopeless wailing of those unsure of what to do soon coalesced into a cacophony of distress. Even with her being a self-proclaimed loudmouth, Orange found she couldn't get a word in edgewise over the sheer volume of the agitated escapees.

As the chaos continued, she spotted three X-Rankers break off from the others. She didn't think much of this until she noticed they were headed towards the grate leading back to Inkopolis. Still holding Callie, Cuttlefish fruitlessly tried quelling the others again as she ran to stop them.

"Wait!" she called. "Where're you going?!"

A furious Octoling snapped his head back, one of the hecklers from earlier. "To find my brother. I'll be damned if I'm gonna sit here twiddling my thumbs while he gets killed!"

"My boyfriend and I live on the outskirts of the city, so maybe those freaks haven't gotten to him yet..." mused an Inkling. While not as confident as the Octoling, she was no less brave. "I have to at least try and get to him!"

"I'm actually from the Splatlands, but just 'cuz I don't have family here doesn't mean I don't have a heart," said a second Inkling as he looked over the two despondent cephalopods. "I'll help you guys out the best I can."

"But you can't!" argued Orange. "Did you see what Tartar had at his disposal?! You'll never make it!"

The female Inkling pointed accusingly at her. "Well, I don't see you doing anything about it, Ms. Mascot!"

Orange heaved a hard sigh, trying not to let that get under her skin. She was just as tired, worried, and upset as everyone else. She could already tell the conversation was going south, and while doggedness always swayed things back in her favor, Orange was just so... drained. She couldn't muster up the strength to fight back right now, verbally or otherwise.

"...I may not have any ideas at the moment," she flatly said, "but going back there won't help me come up with any."

"Then we'll be taking matters into our own hands." The lone Octoling sneered. "Y'know, I thought you were supposed to be the best turfer in the city, but you just turned tail and ran with the rest of us..."

"I ran to keep you guys safe!" snapped Orange, surprised to feel a fresh burst of anger in her chest. "I'd rather save some of you than lose all of you!"

"If you'd been left back there, wouldn't you want someone to come back for you?" asked the Splatlandian Inkling.

"Not at their cost of their own life!"

"That's easy for you to say!" spat the female Inkling. "No one would waste their time trying to save a coward!"

"...!" Orange gawked, taken aback by the outburst.

So many feelings started swirling around inside her, each one just itching to bubble up and be released onto the unsuspecting Inkling. She wanted to get mad again, but the rage wouldn't come. Instead, she felt something different.

...Hurt. She felt hurt by that.

The words hurt, the tone hurt, and the implication hurt. Her chest, which usually pumped with vitriol at anyone who dared cross her, now ached with sorrow at the scathing statement.

"All right, that's enough!" someone shouted.

The three X-Rankers snapped to attention as a cross-looking Ness stormed over, brow knitted as he studied the group sharply. Orange said nothing, still trying to process what just happened.

"No one is going anywhere, okay? The last thing we need is people trying to be heroes and going AWOL on us. It's too dangerous, and we're gonna need all the help we can get. Understand?" Ness' voice was sharp and firm, like an older brother scolding his impetuous siblings.

The cephalopods shuffled awkwardly, casting uncertain glances at each other not only from being called out, but also being reasoned with. Eventually, their ears pinned back in defeat as they unanimously decided they all felt some sort of shame.

Ness' face relaxed, voice softening into that of a confident, caring leader. "Please. Don't make this more difficult than it already is. Stay with us and stay safe. If not for yourselves, then for the hope that we'll save the city and everyone in it. Together."

As if by magic, the psychic's words seemed to soothe the would-be deserters. Their fearful expressions slowly eased into looks of hope, the three gradually gathering around Ness like a flock of sheep to a shepherd.

He warmly regarded them as such. "Now, c'mon. Let's get back with the others. We'll come up with something, but we can't do it without you."

A charismatic smile was the final selling point as he motioned them back towards the group, exuding nothing but sheer confidence. Almost as if they hadn't been ready to abandon the others, the trio obediently went to rejoin the group. Orange looked on as they did, noticing Lucas speaking to the remaining X-Rankers.

She couldn't hear what he was saying, but his mannerisms were similar to Ness'; a confident, caring leader instilling confidence into his frightened troops. While various looks of uncertainty still marred some faces, it was nowhere near the calamity Orange had been struggling with moments before. Even Callie and Marina had come around, the two finding solace in each other's company along with Lucas' words.

"Hey."

Orange flinched at the voice, realizing it was Ness just as she turned to face him. His tone carried a quiet evenness she'd never heard before. Just like with the ex-deserters, it oozed charm, allowing her to experience it first-hand.

Not hearing a response, Ness looked her over in what she could only assume was concern. "You good?"

"...No." Her voice was hollow and dry, looking away as she huddled herself together in humiliation.

"Well, you will be." Orange felt a reliable hand firmly pat her shoulder. "We'll make sure of that."

And then he left. And Orange huddled together more, as if protecting a wound. In a sense, she was. Deep down, way down—so far down, a part of her almost refused to acknowledge it—Orange appreciated Ness' gesture. Despite not really liking him up until this point, it was clear he had good intentions. She knew she could be pretty obnoxious at times, so for him to look past all that, and still treat her with respect... kinda pissed her off.

She smirked wryly. But it pissed her off in a good way.

Whether or not people liked her methods, there was no doubt Orange was a natural-born leader, but the whole fallout with Tartar was like nothing she'd ever seen before. Ever since the attack at the hotel, Orange had been feeling her leadership skills slowly slipping through her fingers, and this had finally been the breaking point.

Something told her the Smashers were in control of the situation now, leaving her as just another survivor in a world gone mad.

Her ear swiveled slightly as she sensed Octavia at her side. She expected her to say something, but when no words came, she faced her. The Octoling looked despondent, but all things considered, that was to be expected.

"Orange... Could I possibly trouble you for a moment?"

Orange didn't like that tone. It sounded... resigned.

Octavia didn't wait for an answer, briskly turning on her heels and back towards their post. Orange watched her disappear inside with an indignant swipe of the door cloth. This also bothered her, as Octavia was never one to be so abrasive...

At least it seemed like the Smashers had everything under control now. A glance back at the crowd showed Ness and Lucas' combined efforts had even wrangled in Octavio's soldiers, the two groups now mixed together as one unit. Octavio looked on as his troops mingled with their adversaries, almost as if silently giving his blessing for the Smashers to use his forces as they saw fit. He actually seemed impressed by their efforts.

Seeing there was nothing out here for her anymore, Orange reluctantly followed Octavia into the post. Once inside, she was met with a sad sight. Laid out on a cot was Green, clearly in more pain than he let on while outside. His eyes were wrenched shut in agony, hands grasping the cot's sides in an effort to ride it out. Hoarse wheezes struggled to escape a tired chest, no doubt sore as he suddenly went into a violent coughing fit.

He didn't look too good before, but seeing him up close made Orange realize just how bad off he was. Green's skin was clammy and pallid, his lime cowlick dulled to a sickening shade of teal. Most unsettling of all was a series of strange, neon wounds crisscrossing his midsection and bleeding through his agent armor, making it look as if he'd been scalded by something.

"Boy's been hurt. Bad."

Cuttlefish's hollow remark snapped Orange out of her horrified assessment of Green, causing her to look at the captain. The elderly Inkling sat off in a corner, looking out a window. Much like Octavia, his words seemed resigned. It was concerning with her, but seeing their beloved leader exude hopelessness set Orange on edge.

The young Inkling looked Cuttlefish over, silently pleading for an answer to all their troubles. He must've felt her gaze, as he blew a quiet sigh.

"Green came to me like this several hours ago. He was barely able to walk, let alone talk, but he was able to tell me what happened. Blue went missing last night after he and Octavian escaped a sanitized ambush."

"Yeah," confirmed Orange, "Tartar said that back at the hotel. He let some of his sickos loose above ground..."

"Affirmative. Green and Octavian went searching for Blue, but it appears he's back to being used as Tartar's personal subject..." A tinge of hurt flickered in his eyes before he continued. "Octavian was lost in the fight with Blue, with Green barely able to escape in one piece. Deepsea Metro isn't far from the entrance to here, so he knew it'd be faster to warn me instead of trying to find help elsewhere." He smiled grimly. "Boy's always thinking ahead of the game."

"So..." Orange stalled before begrudgingly finishing her question. "What can we do for him?"

"..." Cuttlefish stared at her long and hard with the face of a worn-out solider. Seeing her meet his gaze with fear, he returned to looking out the window. "...That stuff gets in your system and coagulates your ink, it does."

Orange sighed wearily, partially in frustration and partially in confusion. "What... What does that mean?"

"It means it's toxic," answered Octavia. "Sanitized sludge is an unnatural, corrosive mixture of..." She grimaced. "Fallen brethren."

"Oh, shit..." Orange's face soured into a grim understanding of the matter at hand.

"The chemicals of their ink have been blended together innumerous times, in all colors and every hue a cephalopod can produce, making it deadly to the touch to all ink-based creatures." Octavia seemed to be in a trance while explaining this, almost as if witnessing the whole, horrifying process in real time.

"No..." Orange slowly shook her head. "No, no, wait... Blue got sanitized before. And you and Octavian came into contact with the stuff sometimes while trying to escape the Metro. That means all this mind control shit is reversible... Right?"

Octavia took in a long, sharp breath until her chest hurt. Her next words came out thick and forlorn. "It appears Tartar has made for vast improvements in his strides for complete control..."

"...What kind of improvements?" Orange couldn't stop from asking, in spite of herself.

"Sanitization is only supposed to affect deceased victims. Our natural ink reserves would protect us from what is essentially a disease. Trying to infuse it with a living subject would certainly cause harm, but our ink supply would be able to filter out any foreign ink, given enough time. Blue was once controlled by Tartar, yes, but he wasn't sanitized; the affliction was contained solely in Tartar's mass."

Orange was staring to get frustrated. "Then what's different between him being controlled now compared to before?!"

Octavia cast Green a solemn gaze. "This is the fruit of Tartar's labor; his ultimate weapon that has been refined like a putrid wine. He has basically built upon his concoction enough to where any amount of sanitization is now caustic to the touch..."

"And what does that mean?!" roared Orange, more out of fear than anger. "In English, please!"

"As far as we can tell, it infects the victim's system and overwhelms their ink supply with its strengthened toxicity. This essentially rots them from the inside out..." Octavia shuddered, imagination running wild with the sickening details as she reluctantly continued. "Once the vitals have been suppressed, the sanitized victim is bent to Tartar's will and searches for others of its kind to form a hivemind. ...Anything it encounters that's not already sanitized will be attacked and made into a new host."

The silence was almost deafening as it fell upon the small, cluttered cabin like a shroud, only occasionally broken by Green's labored breathing.

"..." Cuttlefish grimaced slightly as he continued looking out the window.

"...Well, that's not too big a deal, right?" cautiously tried Orange. "We just find Tartar, give 'em the old one-two, and free those infected from the hivemind, right?"

"That is..." Octavia's chest puffed again, looking away before loosing a shaky breath, "No longer an option..."

"Why? We just need to come up with a plan."

Octavia traipsed away. "There is no plan we can make..."

"Look, Tavia, I know we're outnumbered, but we're we're not alone." Orange counted off on her fingers. "We got you, me, Callie, Magenta, Marina, the X-Rankers... Even Octavio's old ass and his troops are helping." A smirk that'd slowly been brewing on her face grew smug. "And, need I remind you, we also got the Smashers on our side? Y'know, the famous warriors of an elite force from a different universe? And they—"

Octavia whirled around, sudden as a gust swinging open a door. Fury and sadness coalesced on her face as her amber eyes pierced Orange with a look she'd never seen before. It was defeat; tired, exasperated defeat.

"Tartar is not the issue!" she snapped. "No amount of planning or help can bring back the dead!"

"..." Orange just stared, the finality of her statement sinking in.

Octavia held her gaze until the tears started, choking on her next words as they clouded her vision. "...They are dead, Orange. When Tartar falls, so will they. They will not come back as Blue did before. They will not return to normal. They will not come to their senses. They will simply no longer be puppets..."

Knowing this information was bad enough, but having to say it—to hear it from her own mouth as she tried drilling it into the mind of another, as well as herself—proved too much for the Octoling. She hiccupped a few soft sobs before whirling back around and swiftly excusing herself.

"Cap'n!" Orange turned to him in desperation, mannerisms like that of a panicked child calling for her parent. "Cap'n! Tell her! S-she's just upset, you know how she gets! If she'll listen to anyone, it's you! She—"

"Get some rest, Agent 3," curtly advised the captain, choosing to watch the troops rally outside instead of his distraught agent. "You'll need it for the battle ahead. You are dismissed."

"B-but, Cap'n!"

"I said. You are dismissed."

His words were absolute and final, leaving Orange no say in the matter. Her breath started coming in panicked spurts as she was finally hit with the horrible truth. Cuttlefish chose to keep watching the troops rally outside instead of his distraught agent, but that didn't stop a single tear from sliding down his weathered cheek before disappearing into his overgrown beard.

Orange staggered back, startled by another coughing fit from Green. Her entire body suddenly felt numb, legs threatening to give out as she backed up further. Orange felt like the walls were closing in on her as the room began to spin, her mind overrun with everything and nothing at the same time. Green's coughing became deafening as Orange began to hyperventilate, her hearts adding to the auditory chaos by pounding like drums in her ears.

Completely overwhelmed, the panicked Inkling turned to frantically scramble out the entrance, but not before tripping and crashing into some stacked boxes of various weaponry on her way out.

Cuttlefish sighed again before finally looking away from the window and at the mess she'd left in her wake. Even after all these years, the causalities of war were never any easier to deal with.

Green's coughing fit died down with a pitiful groan as he returned to desperately wheezing. The old Inkling hefted himself from his seat at the window and approached as Green weakly opened his eyes.

"...Sorry... it had to come to this..." he rasped. "...Never was... as good an agent as the others..."

"You don't need experience to be brave," soothed Cuttlefish. "And I thank you for your service."

Green forced a tired smile. "It was an honor serving you... Sir..."

Cuttlefish closed his eyes before inhaling deeply and handling his Bamboozler. "Rest well, young soldier."