Zelkova48 - I'm with Frye on this; Shiver and her species are very down bad. Look at Marina; she's definitely into some stuff. Female Octolings in general, especially in Splatoon 2 just have very seductive postures in my opinion
Location - Alterna Space Center Lift
The group entered a dim chamber with a large door in front of them. Another wave of eerie silence befell them, some coming to terms that the big bad evil guy was the CEO of Grizzco. It was a bitter pill to swallow, especially for Neo Agent 3 and Agent 9.
To Neo 3, working at Grizzco helped cure his longing for a purpose. After leaving the army due to reasons, he had nothing, and the lure of the surface already swayed his decision. The high pressure of collecting the golden eggs from the hazardous Salmonids was exactly what he needed. In a sense, he continued doing what he did before: scout the premises, provide support, and use his training to complete his ultimate mission.
A similar reason could be used for Agent 9. Grizzco helped provide the funds to pursue his voyages into the desert. Gear wasn't cheap, Splatlandians didn't have the luxury of simply purchasing brand-new equipment, and provisions were a staple. Before every big expedition, he saved up his coins to stock up on rations and fix up extra ink tanks. Out of his fellow Chasers, he prided himself on being the strictest about safety and survival. The coins he received from his part-time job helped him immensely, but now, he didn't know what to think.
Zane was less affected by the revelation. While it did come as a shock to him, he wasn't as active in Salmon Run as his brothers.
It wasn't just the NSS boys taken aback by the revelation. Deep Cut, too, were proud part-timers of Grizzco and were completely unaware of the inner workings of the company. They saw Salmon Run as a great way to blow off steam and have a little extra fun. Most of their Splatcasts had them talking animatedly about taking down Salmonids and racking up high kill counts.
They didn't know what to think now.
Back to the matter at hand, the dim light only provided small glimpses into the darkness that beckoned one of their soldiers forward.
"Can… can we turn on a light or something?" Callie inquired.
"No, this is perfect."
The door opened and then closed too fast for the group to process.
"What the?" Luke approached the door, but it refused to open.
"Where's Hotshot?" Frye asked.
Agent 3 had vanished. It was astounding how he somehow moved without anyone noticing. His footsteps were incredibly light.
"You have chosen Agent 3 as your next champion," answered the omniscient artificial intelligence. She lowered a monitor for the group to observe.
The screen displayed what was beyond the door. The ground saw a large platform with a small pillar in the middle. Agent 3 walked around this pillar, but his movements were strange. He walked slowly, but then he appeared elsewhere, shifting in and out of viewpoint. His teammates had seen it happen multiple times before, but there was something hypnotic about it. He was present one moment, gone the next, and somewhere else right after.
"Can you see me?" He asked his group.
"If you'd stop teleporting," Frye answered. "Stand still! How are you doing that?"
"Training. Phantoms are meant to be invisible, their footsteps unheard. Do you mind if I recite something?"
"Really?" Frye countered. "You wanna recite poetry at a time like this?"
"I'm not the most prolific poet, but I think I can surprise you."
"You're all weird," Agent 2 commented. "Agent 9 can punch through bricks and bench press a small car. Agent 7 has the gift of speed and can break the sound barrier. And Agent 3 can turn himself invisible. Do physics not apply to you guys?"
"Hold on, I wanna hear Neo's poem," Agent 1 shushed them. "The mic's all yours, Agent 3."
Syrus let his body relax and allowed the magic to work its spell. He started to fade from sight. O.R.C.A recalibrated, and the agent appeared on screen.
Calmly, Syrus spoke.
In shadows cast by veils unseen,
A dance of whispers, presence keen.
Masked in mystery, unseen grace,
Concealing self, a hidden space.
Silent steps in cloak of night,
A phantom's waltz, a ghostly flight.
Veiled in secrets, truth denied,
A mystic charade, where shadows hide.
Ephemeral echoes, elusive guise,
A specter's art, veiling the eyes.
Cloaked in riddles, a subtle dance,
Masking presence, a spectral trance.
Yet beneath the shroud, a soul untold,
Yearning whispers, stories unfold.
In the masquerade of life's grand ball,
We wear our masks, but hearts recall.
His voice was a whisper in the wind. First, there was silence. Everyone processed the words that flowed from his lips. Then, he was met with rousing snapping, and waves, from the squad.
"Beautiful," and also met with crying.
"Are you crying?" Agent 2 couldn't believe it. At times, she forgot how emotional her cousin could get.
"Yes, I'm crying! That resonated with my soul! Hold on, I need a minute."
"I agree with Agent 1," the captain complimented him. "That was beautiful, Agent 3. Agent 6 and Agent 8 would love you."
"That was pre-written," Marie stated. "You had to have written that down. Did you seriously come up with that on the spot?"
Syrus activated the platform.
"While Maya and Zane put me on house arrest after too much work, I wrote a few poems to help calm me down. Whenever I got too anxious, I tried writing poetry."
His descent into the bowels of Alterna began. Syrus covered his turf.
"Get ready, Ken. We're doing this by the book, okay?"
His partner responded with an affirmative chirp.
The first wave of Octarians came into view. Their weapons were locked on the platform, where they thought the enemy was occupying, but they didn't see anyone. Their blatant confusion warranted snickering from the NSS as one suddenly exploded, and the other was attacked by a mysterious Smallfry and beaten to a pulp.
Syrus and his little buddy surfaced and destroyed the sprinklers trying to destroy their art. They hid in the ink and waited. Two troopers flew from dash panels onto the platform and scanned the vicinity. They knew the enemy was present. Like a serpent, Syrus slithered close to the troopers. He moved slowly to avoid immediate detection.
Ken the Smallfry emerged first and proceeded to wail on the targeted Octarian. Meanwhile, the phantom circled around and popped out of the ink. With a quick draw from his bow, he landed a direct hit on the distracted Octarian before helping his little buddy finish off the second.
"You're doing great, Ken. Let's keep it up," he petted him.
Their reprieve didn't last long. Three more troopers descended upon them, but another wave of confusion hit them as Syrus and Ken vanished one more time.
"I need to learn how to do that," Shiver commented. "Imagine how strong I would be if I masked my presence like that."
"I wish the thing moved faster," Agent 2 complained. "I've seen sea slugs move faster."
The duo rested after taking care of the troopers. But, Syrus noticed something about his little buddy that was beginning to worry him.
"Ken, are you alright?" he asked his partner, holding him in the palm of his hand.
The Smallfry looked at his caretaker confusedly. Everything was fine. His appetite was as insatiable as ever, and his aggression might have increased since ingesting the fuzzy ooze, but Ken was his normal adorable self.
"Maybe my imagination."
"Something wrong with Ken?" Agent 7 inquired.
"Hmm, I don't think so. Lately, he's been a little more… aggressive? I can't put my finger on it, but I noticed a little change after the second site. I'm hoping the fuzzy ooze isn't affecting him after digestion."
"I didn't notice anything."
"It came full circle when he was able to fit Master Mega in his mouth."
Shiver hissed unintentionally. "Don't remind me."
"Oh yeah, that was amazing," Zane laughed, quickly shutting up after Shiver placed him under her righteous glare. "Didn't think he had it in him."
The platform came to a halt, stopping before a giant iron door.
"Aaay? (Oh! Is this the end?)"
"We're not that lucky," Shiver answered for the champion.
The door opened to the next platform, but a ready-to-fire Octocommander was waiting behind it. Its Splatling Gun forced Syrus to hide behind the pillar until it was time to strike. He lobbed Ken to the side, seeing the Octarian shift its attention to the Smallfry, and then pelted it with ink arrows.
"Smooth, Hotshot," Frye commented.
The next ride taunted Agent 3 with protected switches blinking behind glass. His chariot passed underneath multiple containers, and with them, more troopers rained from above to ambush him.
Syrus danced around their shots and deployed the Splatbombs.
One survived the onslaught and thought it could get away with a sneak attack, but Syrus hit it above the eye without looking and forced the next wave to drop down. They couldn't touch him. He was a ghost unable to be hit.
He was a phantom haunting the Space Center for their crimes.
"Incoming reinforcements!" Agent 9 warned his friend.
Two Octocommanders dropped down. One unloaded its barrel while the other waited for Syrus to move. By alternating fire, they kept the agent pinned down. One attacked, and the other recharged. Then, as soon as the inactive one got ready, the latter could recharge, rinse, and repeat.
Unfortunately, they didn't consider Ken the Smallfry a threat until it latched on one and proceeded to beat it within an inch of its life. Its teammate tried to help, but Syrus was faster. Several arrows stuck themselves in its fuzzy flesh and bathed the platform in Syrus' ink.
He whistled Ken back and dealt the finishing blow on the last commander. Things were coming up Smallfry.
"Is… is the elevator getting bigger?" Agent 2 asked.
"Maybe that's a sign we're close to the end?" Agent 1 hypothesized.
"It's not that simple," Syrus answered.
As if on cue, four Octolings and a sniper dropped down and prepared to fire. However, once again, Agent 3 was nowhere to be seen.
Slow and steady, he moved around the platform, calculating, planning, and executing.
The Octosniper was the first to fall by Syrus' marksmanship. It happened so fast. The Octolings, in a panic, scattered to find the agent. It shouldn't be difficult with such little room to hide, but their opponent was too evasive.
He got into their head. He caused random noises to distract them and pushed them further away from each other. The Octoling with Dualies was the second target. She stepped too far away from her sisters, and Syrus chose that opportunity to strike.
He grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her into the ink before her screams were heard.
"Whoa! That's hardcore!" Frye clapped her hands.
"That's terrifying!" Callie countered.
The Octoling sisters threw everything they had at the spot where their sister disappeared, but Syrus had already moved further away. He resurfaced with the squidnapped Octoling bound by rope and her weapons confiscated. He was the owner of the Dualies now.
"That's my boy!" Zane cheered.
Syrus gave up his cover, whistling to get the possessed soldiers' attention.
"Let's salta."
The game continued with a storm of ink flying from both sides. Syrus danced around his possessed sisters. It was a dangerous game to get up close. Female Octolings were monsters at CQC - close-quarters combat. He managed to hold his own though, punches and kicks flying with dangerous intentions. His natural flexibility came in handy, allowing him to slither out of way more effectively, but his sisters were relentless.
Frye was the most engrossed in the fight. "Yeah, that's it, hit 'em with the hook... C'mon, left jab, left jab. No, don't go right! Ugh, who taught you how to fight? Yeah, yeah, that's more like it!"
A three versus one, and Agent 3 did not disappoint. He was in the middle of a hurricane, but he rode the wind and stayed ahead of the enemies. He was a breakdancing typhoon.
"That's it, Hotshot! Show 'em how we do it here in the Splatlands!"
Syrus didn't eliminate the Octolings. He knocked them out and then tied them up with more rope he magically produced from his backpack.
"Okay, who carries that much rope?" Shiver inquired.
"A true Chaser," Luke spoke up proudly. "Remnant Chaser rule number three - always carry extra rope."
His beloved scoffed. "Who came up with that rule?"
He beamed. "Yours truly. I came up with the whole survival guide for dummies. Rule one - travel light and cautiously."
Inside the lift, Syrus carried the unconscious soldiers to the side and sat them against the wall, leaving their weapons stashed beside them. His expression was solemn. He long stomached the notion of fighting his brethren. There was no other way around it. He hated it. Cod knows he hated it, but he kept pushing forward. War was nothing new to him, but throwing himself into battle against his fellow Octarians left a sour taste in his mouth.
"Agent 3, are you okay?" Agent 2 asked.
He nodded and pressed his back against the wall as O.R.C.A sent the elevator back to ferry the others.
"I'm fine, just a lot on my mind right now."
He tried to break the fuzzy ooze's influence. The Octolings were easier to work with, but the troopers and other subdivisions were a lost cause. Syrus had to accept that. He couldn't get through to them no matter how arduous he tried, and every kill was a Splatana to the chest. It didn't have to be this way, but through some cruel twist of fate, it had to be. He tried to keep Maya out of his affairs, but through some cruel twist of fate, she was dragged into it by Mr. Grizz.
He asked the girls, "What time is it?"
"It is currently… six o'clock?!"
"Time flies," Clora said.
"It did take us a while to assemble the treasure," Agent 1 pointed out.
"Can I ask a favor? Can one of you check up on Maya for me? I can give you her number."
"Sure thing," Callie agreed. "You're such a good brother."
"Thank you."
The elevator finally returned with Frye and company.
"Great job out there, Hotshot," the ebony idol patted him on the back. "We're three for three on cool performances."
"Are you proud of me?" Syrus smirked, to which Frye giggled back.
"Don't get cheeky," she playfully shoved him. "I know how good your aim is. Wait until you see me in action. I'll knock your socks off."
"Guys, I hate to rain on your parade, but I'm afraid I have some bad news," Agent 2 said.
The team didn't like the tone in Marie's voice.
"How bad?" asked Shiver.
"Very. I was reading the recent news and… the ooze has infested Splatsville."
The sextet gasped. "WHAT?!"
"Yeah, it already consumed Grizzco. No one appears hurt, but some have been in contact with the ooze, and everyone is forced to stay away from it."
Luke and Zane looked at Syrus.
"What about Maya and the twins?"
"I asked Agent 1 to check up on her. I'll know in a minute."
"Did the news mention anyone specific?" Shiver inquired.
"Not really," Agent 2 replied. "Is there someone I should look out for?"
"The Parental Four," the shark mistress stated. "What's today?"
"Friday," the captain said.
The Splatlandians realized what Shiver was getting at, and their faces could not grow any paler.
"Carp," Luke and Zane hissed.
"Why? What's up? Please explain to the non-Splatlandians," Callie begged.
"Aaay. (Fridays are normally when Father and Auntie work at Grizzco.)"
"They're Octolings," Agent 9 pointed out. "The two strongest Octolings in the entire city. So if the fuzzy ooze consumed Grizzco while they're working…"
"Look for Chase, Olivia, Sabrina, or Tobias."
Marie read the articles thoroughly. "Oh, wait, I do see Tobias and Sabrina mentioned."
"That's the Uncle and Mom," Frye sighed in relief. "Then maybe Auntie and Dad were deployed."
"Wait a minute," Marie stated. "Are they actually referred to as parental names?"
"Yep," Frye grinned. "It's confusing, I know, but they do a lot for the city, more than what Shiv, Big Man, and I can do."
"Aay. Ay aay ay. (It was a popularity poll. They were the four most popular people, and they taught us all a lot of things.)"
"Mom and Uncle taught most Octarians how to speak Inklish," Shiver smiled fondly. "Uncle is a fun teacher."
"But it was mainly because some people joked around saying they were everyone's parents," Zane chuckled. "It stuck."
"… Splatlandians are weird."
"Let's keep moving," Syrus advised. "We'll know more soon enough."
The others concurred and ventured forth. Exiting the lift, the team was back outside but at a lower altitude like when they first started. They saw the intricacies of the scaffolding keep the rocket steady and the fuzzy ooze latched on the metal.
"Well," Callie spoke up, "we climbed, we un-climbed, and now we're here. I hope Gramps really is at the launchpad!"
"I'm still not sure how to get there," Marie lamented. "What do you guys see? Any ideas?"
Frye, with her keener vision, was the first to spot something useful.
"Hey, Hotshot! I can see a pipe that's connected to the ship!"
She held her nose up, proud of herself and her heightened senses.
"You have great eyesight," Syrus complimented her. "That should be big enough for us to squeeze through."
Zane scrunched his face.
"What is that?"
Something was playing over the speaker, but it was incoherent to the team. It sounded like ancient chants to an old deity. Its verses reverberated, shrouding the team in an eerie atmosphere.
"We hear it too. What is that?" Clora asked.
"English," replied the voice of Mr. Grizz.
"English?" Luke repeated. "Like Inklish?"
"Close. It's a long-forgotten language. Considered the universal language until humanity's downfall. Marine life forms like yourself may not understand it, but despite its intricacies, English is a beautiful language, and it's but one of seven thousand. What you refer to as Inklish is highly similar, whereas Octarian is reminiscent of Latin and Spanish."
"Is it safe to assume you can speak these ancient languages?" Clora asked.
"To some extent. It's been too long, but my English is still fluent."
"All that knowledge and you plan to eradicate all marine life," she scoffed, her voice laced with immense disappointment and disgust.
"Not eradicate, just reset," the CEO corrected her, "and the time for that is swiftly approaching. I estimate you have about an hour left until the rocket launches. It's going to be a wonderful night."
The team reached a dead end. A wall of fuzzy ooze stood in their path, but there was an inactive ink rail to use that extended into the pipe Frye pointed out earlier.
"Select your champion," O.R.C.A demanded.
"Since I found the pipe, I'll take a crack at it," Frye volunteered herself. "Time to strut my stuff."
The ebony idol smirked as she swiped Syrus' ink tank and tossed Ken back at him. His little buddy was not happy about being thrust from his compartment and let out a wail of disapproval.
"Thanks for the ammo, Syrus. You're a sweetheart."
Before Syrus could complain, Frye gave him a wink and jumped into the pipe without activating the rail. Her enthusiastic voice of excitement echoed back as the rest looked onward with mixed expressions.
"I better get that back," Agent 3 broke the silence, placing Ken on his head. The Smallfry agreed adamantly. His snacks were in that compartment.
Location - The Spirit Lifter: Steerage
With Frye, the eel deal found herself at the base of a massive spiral ramp with fuzzy ooze scattered about. She could barely see the top even with her impressive eyesight.
"Yo, can you guys hear me? I'm in!"
"Ay! (Loud and clear!)"
Frye adjusted the bag on her back. "Geez, Syrus. Whatchu got in here?"
"Ken's snacks, extra bombs, power eggs, etc. I'll come back for the rope."
"You lug this thing everywhere? No wonder you're so agile. Don't worry, I'll take good care of it."
"WAAAAAHH!" it was Ken who yelled at her instead.
"Aahh! I'm sorry, 'k?" she winced at the loud screech blaring in her ear.
"Looks like we've got more climbing to do. Get a move on, Frye," Marie commanded. "Mr. Grizz said we have about an hour until launch."
"You got it, Boss," she saluted and drew her Splatana.
Deep Cut's eel tamer charged into battle. Her blade cut through wave after wave of Octarians as she ascended the spiral ramp. She was extra careful in avoiding the oncoming fuzzy ooze. Her battleground was narrow. One miscalculation could spell her defeat, but with her squad behind her, she had to show off a bit. With Syrus judging her performance, she felt the need to impress. Her Splatana sliced apart enemy fire, reminding Syrus of their last battle.
"Incredible," he whispered with a small smirk. "She continues to improve."
Gracefully moving across the dance floor, the female dancer's every step harmonized with the subtle swish of her colorful sword cutting through the air. Her body, an elegant expression of strength and fluidity, traced mesmerizing patterns as she seamlessly blended dance with martial artistry. The glint of the polished blade caught the light, creating a hypnotic play of reflections that mirrored the precision of her every motion. Each twirl, dip, and extension of her limbs told a story of skill, grace, and the captivating allure of a dance that wove together the beauty of movement and the artistry of the blade.
Syrus found it impossible to tear his eyes away. It was one story to fight against such artistry. It was a novel to see it happen before his very eyes.
Shielded enemies, once confident behind their armor, met a sad realization when Frye's blade sliced through their defenses. They stood no chance against the Onaga whirlwind.
Marie sang her praises. "Niiicely dooone!"
"Woo! Flex those vocals, Boss Lady!" Frye continued forward. "C'mon, Hotshot, I haven't heard one thing from you. Aren't you impressed? I'm showing off for you."
"…he's mesmerized," Shiver giggled.
"I'm thinking," he replied a little too quickly to save his hide.
"Yes, Neo, please tell us how you feel," Agent 1 egged him on.
Syrus hated how all attention shifted towards him.
"She's incredible," he complimented her. "What more can I say?"
"How about why you've been lying to us about your relationship?" Callie countered.
She didn't intend to sound harsh, but the way she questioned him was like a Stringer to the chest. Even Frye felt the sting of Callie's question. The heat was already circulating to her face.
"Agent 1, I understand you're a maiden at heart, but now isn't the time."
"You're not doing anything," was her retort, "and I want to hear it from the seahorse's mouth. What's your relationship with Frye? Your real relationship?"
Syrus couldn't believe what he was hearing. They had less than an hour to stop Mr. Grizz, and Callie felt the need to discuss matters of the heart now of all times.
"She's right there, Agent 1," he reminded her. "You couldn't have asked this when Deep Cut isn't around?"
It wasn't that he was embarrassed, but the girl he liked was able to hear their entire conversation. He couldn't empty his soul with her around. Cod knows he did that multiple times already in front of hundreds of marine folk.
"No better time than in the face of possible imminent demise," Agent 1 remained steadfast in her decision. "Leave no regrets, Neo. If you think I was just going to stay quiet while you two made goo-goo eyes at each other, you have another thing coming. You can't act like the cutest couple and not raise eyebrows."
Syrus sucked in a breath.
"We're not a couple though."
"… that's a lie," Callie challenged his claim. "Syrus, that is a bald-faced lie. What happened to only telling the truth?"
"And that is the truth. Frye and I aren't dating. We're more like friendly rivals."
"Mhm, sure, and I would love to believe that, Neo, but you have proven that there is more to you and Frye's relationship than meets the eye. I have the evidence to back it up too."
Syrus avoided contemplating the potential secrets Callie might hold. Despite her happy-go-lucky demeanor, she possessed exceptional observational skills.
While the agent of stealth endured Agent 1's persistent grilling, Frye continued her climb to the top. She ignored the questions, pondering if Syrus would give more insight into his thinking. While she knew more about Syrus' plans, a lot of it was still under lock and key. Frye knew as much as Syrus was willing to divulge and that was simply a morsel.
"Do I want to know what this evidence is?" Syrus queried, receiving a shrug from his male agents and the last two members of Deep Cut.
"Yes, let's start at the beginning. Remember when Deep Cut first appeared, and you and Frye proceeded to flirt with each other right before our eyes?"
They remembered their first encounter, but it was under the stars and bathed in moonlight. Their first real encounter so to speak.
"Playful bantering," Syrus corrected. "That was mere bickering."
"No, Syrus. Me and Agent 2 bicker," she said. "You and Frye, however, drive me up the wall so badly that I want to take my Roller and beat both of you over the head."
"Okay, we don't have to get violent now," the red-eyed agent replied with a little sweat dripping down the side of his face. "I'll admit, we like to go back and forth a lot, but it's only playful bickering."
"What about the hug you gave her after Deep Cut showed up earlier?" Callie countered.
"… heat of the moment?" was Syrus' answer.
"Heat of the moment? So, you're saying you were excited to see her? Excited to be in her arms? Dying to have her body pressed tightly against yours?"
Neo 3 was getting increasingly bluer.
'Cur hoc dixi? (Why did I say that?)'
He tried to keep his mind off such images.
"It was not like that," he stated. "After I left her apartment, I thought another assailant might attack. We didn't know how many fuzzy assassins there were, so when she arrived, I was happy knowing my misfortune didn't extend to her."
It was quiet for about three seconds.
"You're sweet."
"Thank you."
"Yes, very sweet. But what about the kiss you almost shared?"
And the metaphorical record scratch blared in Syrus' head.
"Uhhh…"
"Very sweet of you indeed, Neo. Had Agent 2 not… deliberately ruined the moment."
"It was necessary," retorted the white-haired idol in disguise.
"You two would've made me squeal loud enough to break glass. Yeah, you were so sweet, Syrus, that Frye wanted to say she missed you too. But, if I recall, she claimed to be in love with Bolero. Now, I'm not saying Frye is a two-timer by any stretch, but I'm certainly positive she wouldn't kiss anyone unless she loved them romantically."
Syrus was left speechless and stammering in a futile attempt to talk his way out of the conversation.
"Got nothing to say, hmm? Got nothing to say about the sparks flying between you two? Hmm? I'm waiting, Syrus."
The entire group was taken aback by Callie's cross-examination. Even Marie and Clora didn't know what to say, and they were trying to encourage the rest to hurry along before time ran out.
Syrus had to buckle down. He covered his face with his hand and avoided eye contact. His three hearts were pounding.
"I'm not trying to be mean," Callie assured him. "I'm not trying to make you feel cornered or uncomfortable, but you're not exactly the most open type of octopus, and if something does happen, at least you said what needed to be heard."
Another moment of silence befell the group. In its serenity, Luke reached over and held Shiver's hand. He minded his strength and squeezed it reassuringly. In turn, Shiver squeezed back in acceptance, unspoken words of love said between them.
"Alright, look," Syrus relented, "we're still working that out. I don't have an answer for you yet, You will have to keep waiting, Agent 1. The day hasn't arrived yet. Everything is ready. We just have to live long enough to see it."
Was it enough to curb Callie's immense curiosity.
"I better get the tissues ready then," she sighed. "I know I'll be needing them. Fine, I'll give you time."
"No amount of time is gonna satisfy his horniness when he sees my moves," Frye finally opened her mouth, knowing the explosive effects it would have.
"I am NOT…" Syrus breathed and clapped his hands together, a heavy exhale evacuating through his nostrils. "Every time."
"Relax, Hotshot, I'm just teasing," Frye responded softly. "You're not worse than Shiv and Luke. Those two are shameless to an unfathomable degree."
"Lies!" Shiver screeched, her smug expression turning a complete one-eighty. "I am not shameless! I am graceful!"
"And I am a disciplined warrior!" Luke said with equal intensity.
"You can't change my mind," Frye laughed at them. "Octarians are a down bad species."
"No, we're not!" The three Octolings yelled.
"Think about it, guys. Who's more affectionate? I mean, who's the one going out of his way to throw me a surprise?"
She had the trio unable to respond because they all knew she had a point.
"Wow," Agent 2 said, "it all makes sense now."
"So you're saying I was right," Zane stepped away while giving the three Octarians a smirk. "When I call Syrus a horn-ling, I'm not lying."
Frye snickered at the classification, and Syrus covered his face to hide his embarrassment.
"Horn-ling, I like that. I'm gonna start calling them that."
"No, you will not," Shiver hissed. "And you," she looked at Zane, "don't give her ideas."
While the three continued to suffer, Frye made it to the last checkpoint. The fuzzy ooze had grown and covered more of her path. Every action needed the utmost precision, or else she risked coming into contact with the fuzzy monstrosity.
"In all honesty," a grin spread across her pretty face, "I think Hotshot is a cool guy. He's fun to tease, and I haven't had this much fun in a long time. I think he's too uptight, but he has a certain charm to him that I like," she twirled her hair around her finger. "…I like him."
The frequency of Callie's squeal rang through everyone's ear.
"See, Syrus? Just be more open with your feelings, both of you."
"I'm pretty sure the news has already covered my feelings in great detail," replied Syrus. "I'm not exactly well-liked by a lot of squids now."
"As long as we can keep having fun epic battles, Syrus, I don't mind a little boldness. I know how much you like my attention."
"If I recall correctly," Syrus spoke up, having regained his bearings, "you're the one craving more of my attention. Remember when you stormed into Grizzco looking for me? Not only did you wait hours for me, but when I initially declined your request, you had to use your feminine wiles to get your way. If anything, you're the amorous one."
"Okay," Frye's head was steaming, "you can't deny that I was right when I said we have killer dance moves. And guess what, our match was legendary. People are still talking 'bout it!"
She would forever curse Shiver's name for suggesting the direct route. Posing for the camera was child's play. Pressing herself against someone was another matter altogether.
Frye swam along a wall to avoid the pit of fuzzy ooze and jumped to the other side. An avalanche of Octoballers descended the spiral ramp to flatten her out, but the Onaga heiress was fully charged and ready to dance.
"If you're all done making everyone flustered, here comes the last wave," Clora stated. "The launchpad is waiting at the end. Tread carefully. Those signals I warned you about have started moving."
"Say no more, Big Sis Captain," Frye activated her special. "I'm turning up the heat! Esoteric dance! Onaga Hurricane!"
She summoned her Ultra Stamp and began rampaging up the spiral staircase, demolishing everything in her wake. The ballers were crushed and the Octosniper at the end was blindsided by the launched projectile.
The path was clear, and Frye was victorious.
"WOO! That's what happens when you mess with the eel deal! Don't underestimate the Splatlandians!"
Frye twirled on her feet and looked inside the large tube.
"Hey, look who I found!"
A familiar whiskered friend looked at Frye for help. It couldn't escape the tube, and its energy was constantly being siphoned from it.
"AHH!" Agent 1 gasped. "The Great Zapfish is in that huge container!"
"So this is where it's been," said Agent 2. "How are we going to bring it back? Meh… we'll figure it out later."
"We're gonna get you outta here," Frye reassured the Great Zapfish. "Just hang tight, okay? We're gonna beat up the guy who did this."
"Bold words, Miss Onaga," Mr. Grizz laughed at her audacious claim.
"You wanna see bold? You're lucky I'm not taking a sledgehammer to this place," she growled back. "It's one thing to snatch the GZ up from under our noses, but when you mess with Splatsville, you awaken our inner kraken."
"Then please, by all means, show me you have that kraken inside you. I have someone you can test your mettle against."
"Ha! Bring it on!"
"Frye," Syrus started to warn her, but his voice fell on deaf ears.
Upon Mr. Grizz's orders, the NSS's next opponent dropped down in front of Frye.
"I'm sure introductions are unnecessary."
The sizzling gangster was silent.
"What's the problem, Miss Onaga? What happened to your confidence?"
The signals from Clora's end were going off the charts. Whoever else was in Alterna made a beeline for Syrus and the team's positions.
"For once, I wished I was wrong," Frye sneered. An iota of fear blossomed in her chest.
"We're coming to help!" Shiver shrieked. "Move your tentacles, Zane! You're the fastest!"
"I need to charge up!" The agent of speed stated.
"Ugh, excuses!"
"Stop complaining and swim!" Syrus ordered. "Stay in my jacket, Ken!"
He was already in the steerage, swimming through the ink Frye left in her wake. Luke and Shiver were close behind, and Zane's superior speed on land and in ink propelled him ahead of the group.
Frye glared her opponent down. Her fear turned into anger.
"When did she turn to the dark side?"
She had to know.
"Allow me to express my gratitude. Your little contest with Mr. Syrus garnered a lot of attention, but I regret to inform you that Miss Olivia was already infected."
Frye's frown deepened.
"I already made plans to use her and Mr. Chase in my plans. Such strength could not be ignored. However, their power of will was unlike anything I've encountered. It took a lot of time, but as you can see, it was worth the wait."
"But how? I saw her a few days ago and didn't see anything strange."
"As I said, power of will. She fought back as long as she could, but if there's one thing I've learned about the Octarians, they are a stubborn bunch. I doubt Mr. Tobias even knew about it."
Frye smiled through her anger. She was happy to see her Auntie. It didn't matter if she was under the influence of a fuzzy monstrosity. She was still a member of the Parental Four.
"Hey, Auntie," she greeted her. "I don't know if you can hear me, but we're gonna bring you back and send a message to corporate. Deep Cut and the NSS are on the case."
Auntie Olivia glared back at Frye, not moved by the promise of freedom. Her once magenta hair matched the other possessed Octolings and took on a reddish-brown color. Her eyes lacked the hardened tenderness of her usual flare, replaced with the mindless steel of colors under the fuzzy ooze's influence. The only aspect of her that remained untouched was her commanding presence.
"So that's the Auntie of that Parental group," Marie studied her carefully. "She looks like a strong customer."
Frye took up a stance, knowing she couldn't escape this inevitability.
"The strongest woman," she clarified. "She packs a harder punch than Luke can."
"Whoa, she is beautiful," Callie gushed. "Are they all good-looking?"
"Every single one of them. She's a happily married woman too," Frye told them. "Uncle Tobias claimed her first."
"It's gonna take us some time, but we're on our way," Clora stated. "We'll make contact with our third party and see what's going on. If we're lucky, it's the remaining two parental figures."
"Fire them," Mr. Grizz said to Olivia.
Frye prepared for an attack, but she upped her eyebrow a little as the possessed Olivia raised her left leg and then stomped on the ground with more force than Frye was ready for.
The spiral ramp quaked and threw Frye and the approaching NSS off balance. Then, the strongest woman leaped at Frye as she struggled to stay steady and kicked her square in the face with enough power to send her flying back down the way she came.
Deep Cut's ebony idol grunted through the pain and tumbled down the ramp. She stopped on her back and opened her eyes in time to see Olivia coming down with the megaton fist.
It was too late to call her eels. Not that she wanted them to feel the brunt of Olivia's raw strength.
"I gotcha!"
From the ink, Zane grabbed Frye and swam back to safety.
Olivia missed her mark, hitting the ground instead, and causing the floor to shake violently once again. Her entire hand went through the floor, and when she pulled it out, she looked up to see the strongest male try to deck her in the face.
"HYAAH!" Luke shrieked and threw the punch.
Olivia, still unfazed, grabbed the fist and countered with an uppercut, but Luke mirrored her block and grabbed the fist before it connected. He felt the wind hit his chin and winced at the strain he put on himself. That wasn't an easy block to make. He used all of his strength to stop Olivia from knocking him out.
"Nunc! (Now!)" he yelled.
Syrus jumped out of the ink and used the agent of speed as a step to get airborne and gain the high ground. He loomed over the mind-controlled Auntie with his trusty Tri-Stinger pulled back.
Luke jumped back. Olivia attempted to do the same, but she found her movements restricted. She looked down, and Big Man's silhouette kept her grounded. He slid under the pair while Like held her off.
"Aaay! (Sorry Auntie!)"
She didn't say a word. Her actions spoke for her, and the punch that descended upon Big Man made him terrified. She had to free herself from the manta ray's shackles.
"AAAY! (HELP ME!)" his muffled screams erupted from the ground.
"GO NOW, MASTER MEGA!"
From the shallow ink, a massive Master Mega surfaced and slapped Olivia's hand away with his tail, but it was like hitting a brick wall. Nevertheless, the Megalodon succeeded in distracting Olivia long enough for Syrus to take the shot.
His arrows flew at Olivia's head to hopefully knock her unconscious. But, nothing was ever that easy in the Splatlands. It was only after taking the shot did Syrus' senses go wild, but his body was still in mid-shot to do anything.
Another set of arrows crashed into Syrus' projectiles and hit the ground where his teammates were. They managed to escape, but Syrus was not so lucky. He was blindsided, tackled out of the air, and slammed onto the ground by a new challenger.
The air left his body. He was at the new challenger's mercy. His attacker stomped on his chest and aimed a similar Tri-Stringer at his head. Said weapon was a modified Stringer with a staggering nine cartridges on it, and it amazed Agent 1, Agent 2, and Captain Clora how fast they charged the weapon. It took Syrus at least two seconds to fully charge his bow and that was with rapid fire.
It took the enemy less than a second to charge theirs.
"Hold it!" Luke came from the sky. Copying his Salmon Run captain, his concentrated fist crashed into the spot the new enemy occupied, but they had dodged at just the last moment. It didn't matter much as Luke was able to grab his twin and regroup with the others.
"Everyone okay?"
"Why is it always the face?" Frye whined, massaging her face.
Mr. Grizz's laughter echoed in their ears.
"So close, yet so far," he taunted them. "Let's see how you handle the best your city has to offer. It's a shame I couldn't get all four, but these two should more than suffice.
The six lined up on the narrow platform with Luke and Frye taking point. Shiver and Zane stood side by side as medium support, and Syrus stayed in the far back with Big Man to act as the long range shooter. He only had single shots available since Frye still had his ink tank.
They stood before two indomitable walls of power. One was their Auntie Olivia, who, despite having a Hydra Splatling secured to her back, didn't have to use it to assert her dominance. Her hands did most of the talking.
The other was a male Octoling who could easily pass as Syrus and Luke's relative. He had a more mature face with more prominent scars, a lighter skin tone than the twins, and the rainbow curse of the fuzzy ooze flooding into his eyes. His hair, styled as a Mohawk, was the same reddish-brown as Olivia's hair. In his grasp was the modified Tri-Stringer, a behemoth of a Stringer that the sextet recognized all too well.
Only the Parental Four were privy to such carnage. At Grizzco, there existed a series of modified weapons that boasted an explosive output unlike any other weapon class. As it stood, the Father wielded the Stringer, the Mother possessed the Splatana, and the Uncle had the Dualies. The Auntie didn't have a modified weapon because she didn't need one. Her damage output was still higher than the other three.
"You thought your schemes could unravel the tapestry I've woven, but little did you realize, each obstacle only strengthens my resolve," Mr. Grizz continued on a tirade. "Your attempts to thwart me are nothing more than feeble whispers against the roaring winds of my determination. The closer you think you are, the farther you stand from comprehending the resilience that fuels my ambitions. In the end, your efforts will be but fading echoes in the triumph of my success."
His possessed minions geared up.
"And there's one misconception I feel the need to rectify. You use the term Cod to refer to a higher presence. Being marine life forms, I can understand this notion. It's cute, but I'm afraid it's wrong. It isn't Cod."
The minions stalked closer.
"It's God."
