Another heads up: There is a little bit of nudity described later in this chapter. It's nothing extreme or explicit, but might as well make sure that nobody is surprised and accidentally spills coffee on their crotch lol.

Chapter 29: Seeing Double

With the classic Squidbeak Splatoon emblem hanging above everyone's heads, Bridgett and her friends remained at a near-complete loss of words as Pearl finally led them out of the garage, through a door, and into the hallway. The walls here were made of gray metal, not unlike a lot of the domes that their own Octo Valley had, but was even more run-down and depressing than anything they had known before, with a few hallways having straight-up collapsed. It made Bridgett and Jessica's own apartment feel nice in comparison.

There were a few Inklings that they passed in these halls, and most of them were eyeing the group as they simply followed Pearl down wherever they were being taken.

"So-" Marie finally broke the silence. "How did the population here get reduced to as little as a few thousand? Are there more settlements out there?"

"Nope, this Valley is all we have." Pearl told them. "They started off with a lot more after the war was lost. But after they were forced underground, they struggled to survive. Famine, crumbling domes, other lacking resources, and of course the Octarian forces on the surface got mostly everyone. Slowly, bit-by-bit. We're what remains."

"That's… awful…" Bridgett looked down, again thinking back to Gideon's promises. "This isn't the world that Gideon described to me at all, I-… there had to have been something that went wrong."

"Gideon Tecca is dead."

Her eyes widened as she heard that, but she didn't stop walking with them. "Our… Gideon Tecca? He's dead?"

"Yes. He died when the Octarians made the jump through time. Never re-emerged after that. If he had, I would've known."

She looked down. In that case… she never was going to get any kind of closure with him… Plus, this made her curious: How did that make Lydia feel? What was her reaction?

"Ok, so how did you get here?" Jessica asked.

"I already explained to you how I fell into the Great Turf War era, 100 years ago." Pearl continued. "I joined up with the Inklings here and I did what I could to help them survive. I made it back to you with this." She held her arm to again show them the white shrinking suit.

"What, does it have some kind of time travel capabilities?" Marie asked.

"No. I didn't say that. It's not the same as the technology we had on the Ray."

"Then… what is it, exactly?"

"...I don't know how else to explain." Pearl finished as she led them into another dome.

"Why did you come back at all?" Bridgett asked. "Are you hunting down Marina? Have you found her yet?"

"No, this isn't about Marina." She said as they walked down even more hallways that looked the exact same as the prior ones. "Marina is simply not the woman we thought she was. I realized quite some time ago that it's best to forget her and move on."

"You…" She stared at her. "…You can't believe that."

She didn't respond, as finally, she soon led them into a storage room. "I'm sure that you four must be tired. We'll get you clothes here and you can get settled in."

Marie, Jessica, and Daniel all looked around the room, while Bridgett was still staring at Pearl, feeling quite heartbroken.

Pearl turned and helped the others search through some bags to find what matched for each of them. As she found a bag for Bridgett, she turned to her. "This set will fit you."

"Pearl…" Bridgett simply stepped forward and looked her in the eye, trying her best to fight back tears. "I don't want to sound pushy, but… what all happened to you? I mean, you're not acting at all like you used to, and I just- How long ago as it been for you since Marina…" She trailed off.

She stared back, more blankly. "…It's been some time." She shoved the bag into her arms and walked out.

Bridgett turned to watch her, sighed as she sadly stared at nothing, and then finally looked inside her bag. Inside was a greyish-brown worn-out pajama set, with a long-sleeved shirt, sweats, women's boxer briefs, and a quite uncomfortable-looking bra that was too small for her.

She looked over at Jessica and Marie, wondering if hers was a mistake and theirs were larger, but as it happened, they were both looking at their own bras of the same size in disbelief. Sighing, she just stashed the clothes back in the bag and held it at her side for now.

Octavio Tower

The doors to a smaller dining room than the one they had previously met Octavio in opened up as Lydia, allowed in by some Eightfolds, stepped inside and looked around. Similarly to the previous meal, the table was topped by several fancy plates filled with different types of food.

Eva followed her in from behind. "Thank you." She nodded at the other Eightfolds as they closed the door. She put her arms behind her back. "Will this be a satisfying enough meal for you?"

Lydia turned to her. "What makes you think it somehow won't be?"

"I just want to make sure you're content."

She hesitated as she looked back at the food. "…In a way, I'd be more likely to say that it's overwhelming. I don't imagine how two people would be able to sit down and eat so much."

"The idea isn't about eating all of it, it's about selecting and eating whatever you want." She went over and slid a chair out for her. "Please, have a seat." She said with a welcoming smile.

Lydia slowly walked forward and sat down, as Eva got seated across from her.

"We're not waiting for anyone else, so please, dig in." Eva told her.

Lydia pulled a plate forward, grabbed her utensils, and started eating, almost just as hungrily as last time.

Eva watched her for a bit before she started eating more calmly. From there, they ate silently for a few moments, as Eva also held her goblet and steadily drank her wine. She looked at her. "How is it so far?"

She looked back at her. "Why?"

"Because I specifically ordered the kitchens to prep this meal. Just for us. Again, I want you to feel content."

She hesitated, wondering if she was secretly buttering her up. "…It's delicious."

Eva smiled and held up her goblet as if for a toast, before taking another sip. "I understand if finding out about my heritage was… overwhelming. I didn't know how to tell you."

Lydia just looked down somewhat.

"If there's anything you want to know about my heritage… do not hesitate to ask."

"Perhaps our heritages don't matter."

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Because my family line is dead. I am the last one who remains, ever since my father threw his life away as a naive, last-ditch effort to make me happy."

She stared at her, hurt. "Are you… saying that you wouldn't accept me as family?"

"How you acquired the Tecca name, I don't know. But it's likely a different lineage from my own, with how far back I travelled to change history."

"I wouldn't be so sure." She set her goblet down. "We are closely connected in ways that will surprise you. Perhaps our two realities are much more alike than you realize."

"In what ways?"

"I studied your DNA scan results and compared them to my own. We're an almost 15% match, which would be about the same as shared DNA between cousins."

Lydia scoffed slightly and looked to the side.

"If you don't believe me-" She raised her arm and waved her hand over her wrist, before navigating the menus on the watch. She eventually brought up an entire hologram on the table to show her their different DNA scan results, confirming to her what she was saying.

Lydia stared blankly ahead at the visual, before she looked back up at Eva.

Eva withdrew the hologram and lowered her arm. "When you and Marina Ida showed up here, it caught the attention of a lot of people. But your name… caught my eye more than any other. If that makes you uncomfortable, then… I'm sorry. We don't have to further pursue a friendship."

Lydia looked down as she thought about that, and from there, they fell into silence for a few moments. Eva, looking down as well, opted to continue eating in the meantime.

Eventually, Lydia did raise her head again to face her. "My father… he dreamed about this world for ages. He studied, he worked, and he spent all of his time… away from me to create perfection. I was only a child at the time… left to my mother and later the military. I spent so much of that time resenting him. Now… he and my mother are no longer here to be resented. They simply couldn't make it this far." She looked her in the eye. "Convince me that this world we've created is worth it. That I haven't wasted my time."

Eva sat up straight. "…I won't lie to you and tell you that this world is perfect. You can try to knock out one problem but there will always be many more. It's… just how the world works, whether mine or yours."

Lydia sighed and kept eating as well.

Eva did as well. "…But that doesn't mean the world is hopeless. There is beauty, around every corner. Because life on this planet is… a beautiful thing, no matter how you look at it. Look past the cracks and you will always see."

She stared at her food as she listened to her.

After a moment, Eva rose her arm again. "Can I show you something else?"

"I figure there's no reason not to."

She smiled and, again navigating her watch, she displayed a holographic video on the table, of Eva's two Octoling children.

Lydia stared at it as the video of the innocent children happily played around with their toys, excitedly exchanging banter born from whatever imaginary world they were currently playing in. They were so youthful, energetic, and… so happy. A somber but calm feeling fell over her as she watched.

Eva smiled as she looped the video. "These two are my own. My everything in this world."

Lydia didn't respond, staring deeply into the 3D image, with a longing look in her eyes.

"Have you never had any?"

She shook her head. "I would need a romantic partner for that."

"And no one ever came along?"

She silently shook her head no. "…I've never so much as felt a man's lips." She admitted, somewhat quietly.

"Hm… I'm sorry. I'm sure that here, in time, you'll find a family beyond me. Have you at least sought it?"

Again, her head said no, but her eyes said different.

"Hm…" Finally, Eva deactivated the video and lowered her wrist. "Well, it's never too late to change that." She grabbed her wine. "I, myself, wish I could see my children more often. But it seems, a little too often, that… work has me summoned."

Intrigued by that, Lydia looked at her. "Your work here. Your Eightfold Order. It's…?"

"A secret service. The top elites in Octo City, designated for the service and protection of our King. It was founded shortly after the city's founding, and has been the center of a good deal of my life."

"He couldn't get those Tartar-Bots to do the job for him?"

"This society may be more automated than it was, but that doesn't mean the King wants to surround himself with robots. Each and every Octarian in this world are still brought up so that they can serve the Empire, in whatever way possible. It's how we keep things together."

Again, Lydia's eyes went downward. "My father's songs of freedom…" She muttered.

"It's more complicated than just 'freedom'. It's order. It's function. So that we, all of us, have purpose. In a way, we each play our own parts in a larger machine."

"So that's the true reason why Octavio is keeping us here. Feeding us all of this food, this wealth, fattening us up so that we will be at his knees. Is that it?"

Eva paused, then awkwardly chuckled. "Do you… not agree with his methods?"

She paused as well as she stared at her. "I guess, in time, we'll see."

"I can… assure you that the system we have here… it works. It works as well as it can. Clearly, I can tell, Ms. Ida sees it the same way. She's already gotten to work in our labs, and is already working to lead us into an even brighter future. Just as the King wanted."

"Clearly, Ms. Ida has found a home here. I'm still trying to find mine."

"Ms. Ida herself doesn't have all the answers yet, I assure you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"As I said. Our two realities may be more alike then you realize, in ways that… may complicate some things, as she will soon discover. Regardless, I'm sure you'll both find your home here in time."

Lydia stared downward at her food, thinking about that. "Your children… are they pleasant?"

"Of course. Would you like to meet them?"

"I'm just curious."

She smiled. "If you want, I would be happy to organize a meeting." She sipped her wine.

As they ate together for another while, they fell back into silence as they eventually finished, and they wiped their mouths.

Eva sat up straight and checked her watch to see the latest report that came in while they were eating. "Alright, let's not waste any more time, we should swing by the lab."

"We?" Lydia asked.

"The head of the labs just returned while we were eating, and I do believe she'll want to meet you."

She sighed, clearly disappointed.

Eva stared at her, giving her a reassuring smile. "I enjoyed this moment with you, Lydia. And we'll have plenty of chances for more."

She stared back. Although hesitantly, she gave her a nod in response. They stood up together.

The Labs

By this point, Marina had already grabbed everything she had and gotten settled into Octavio's labs just as requested. Still very much feeling like a kid in a candy store, Marina didn't even know where to start; She had so many project ideas built up over the years, and only so much time to do it all, but now that she had created this new world, with more resources directly at her fingerprints, the possibilities of what she could do now felt endless.

A simple but infinite black void with invisible yet solid ground was loaded up around her after Marina set up and then finally re-entered the Subgrid. While her real body was now 'asleep' and leaned back in a chair by where she had set the Subgrid back up, her mind was now free to the Subgrid's infinite world, as she took a step forward.

"Welcome back, Ms. Ida." The automated voice of her digital self, the image of her with sleeked-back hair and sunglasses that was currently floating in the void before her, spoke to her.

"Good to be back." Marina nodded as she leaned down. "Pull up all of my private files." Motioning her hands up from the ground, she stood up straight once again as, from the floor, a 3D interface came up and surrounded her. She used hand gestures to sort through the models of her different files, where she opened up her project folder and started sorting through.

There were lots of projects she had never been able to fully realize before, like a real-life food generator, a quantum tunnel, and even simpler yet effective projects like the Hologrid. The Hologrid in particular caught in her eye, as she figured that with the technology she had already seen here, it would probably be a good and easy place to start. She reached her hand up to grab it and pull it forward.

"Simulate work station." Marina commanded, and slowly, the black void around her began to recolor and then reshape itself into her familiar underground lab from the original timeline. Sitting down at a desk, she immediately motioned for all of the folder's contents to appear on her desk in a physical form, for which she immediately got to tinkering and playing around with new designs. Doing projects like this right here in the Subgrid was particularly useful for her, as it gave her opportunity to build whatever she wanted here to perfect her designs and eventually be able to recreate them in the real world.

She simply sat here and worked for quite a while, occasionally conjuring simulated snacks and desserts for herself (which were pretty much entirely recreational as they obviously did nothing to fill her actual stomach), but eventually, her work was interrupted as the image of her digital assistant again came up from behind her.

"Surroundings report, Ms. Ida." She announced. "The King of the Octarians wants to speak with you."

She sighed. "What does he want?"

"According to Eva, the head of these labs is here and ready to meet with you."

Marina paused as she slowly set her things back down and turned to her. "Disengage Subgrid."

In real life, her eyes opened once again to see that, indeed, Octavio, Eva, Lydia, and some other Eightfolds were in the room. Glancing around somewhat, she lifted the helmet off from her head and stood up, walking over.

Octavio turned his throne toward her, chuckling slightly. "Playing around in imaginary worlds, huh?"

Unsure of if he was joking or pestering, she stuttered slightly. "S-Sorry, my King, it just creates a silent space to work by myself-"

"Don't be sorry. The lab head is almost here, so make yourself presentable. Quickly. And get ready to have your world rocked. Because you're about to meet your other half." He chuckled as he steered his throne away.

Although confused by that as she nervously watched him, she nodded a bit. "Yes, my King."

It didn't take her too long to retreat to the bathroom, pretty herself up somewhat, and join back up with Lydia as they stood on the other end of two lines of Eightfolds, who created a pathway from the door before them. Marina nervously stood as still as she could, putting her hands behind her back as, after a moment, the doors finally opened. The figure that was walking in was, herself, covered by a couple of Eightfolds that protected her from behind.

Every scientist in the room watched with a salute as finally, this figure walked out of the hall's shadows and into the room's lights. She wore a long, light-blue robe, with a hole in its chest to reveal a bit of her cleavage, with her long black tentacles that fell past her soldiers and large Octarian goggles that covered half her face.

Marina didn't blink as she watched this figure come in, almost frozen in time. Her dark, smooth skin and her somewhat sexy shape seemed all too familiar. Her mouth opened slightly. Could it be…?

Indeed, as she walked up, the woman pressed a button on her goggles, causing them to disassemble and hide behind her ear. What was left was the full face and eyes of Marina Ida, even if the look in her eyes wasvery different, and wasn't nearly as comforting. Beneath the goggles was a slew of black make-up, including eye-liner that created somewhat fancy patterns on her face. Outside of that, Marina was indeed looking into a mirror of herself.

The second Marina walked up to her, giving her a threatening gaze directly in the eye. Too shocked to speak, Marina backed up slightly.

"Are the stories I've been hearing about you true, then?" The second Marina asked.

Eyes wide, Marina backed up more and more until she accidentally collided with the table. "This… this isn't possible…"

She completely ignored her shock as she looked at Lydia as well, studying her very posture. "I've read the entire report of your emergence here. But the report lacked context, and intentions." She looked back at Marina. "There's still much to evaluate about you."

"We… we changed history…" Marina continued. "T-The butterfly effect… How were you even born…?"

"Naturally." The second Marina, too, put her hands together behind her back. "Before you get any funny ideas about me being born from something like Gideon Tecca's apparent cloning projects."

Even hearing her voice, Marina still had a hard time believing. "That… the simulations didn't-"

"What did your simulations show you?"

When Marina didn't respond, Lydia answered for her. "A utopia."

"And does the world you've come to resemble this simulation?"

"...It seems in some ways, but in others, not quite." She admitted.

The second Marina nodded, looking around the room. "You're right, I'd hardly consider this a utopia. There is always much more that can be improved." She shot another glare at the prime Marina. "Anomaly. Stand straight."

Gulping a bit, Marina hesitated before she did so.

Immediately, the second Marina pulled a scanner from under her robes and started walking around the prime Marina, scanning her up and down all the while. "I've dedicated my life to improving technology for society's usage. But in all my time here, I've never seen anything like what you have brought to the table. A doppleganger straight from another timeline… and a completed 'Axcian' crystal." After a few moments, she pulled her arm back and, using a watch similar to what the Eightfolds used, pulled up a hologram file of her scan results. "There will be much to study. And much to work on."

"You're going to turn us into labrats?" Lydia asked.

The second Marina went over and started scanning her as well. "If you want to use such a word, yes."

The prime Marina simply stood where she was like a statue as she watched her every movement, down to the details about how she moved her arms and fingers. Her hearts were racing all the while, as her mind raced about her previous theories about time travel, the butterfly effect, and this very reality they stood in.

The second Marina, after finishing her scans and looking through their files, again put her hands behind her back as she faced her other self. "So, where should we start?"

Marina was still staring at her. She needed more confirmation of what exactly she was staring at. "Your parents… who were they?"

"Talbot and Sedna Ida, of course."

She looked down, with awful memories of her own parents flooding in.

She took a small step forward. "Does that bother you?"

"N-…" She awkwardly shook her head, forcing herself to again look her in the eye. "No. No, I'm not bothered."

"Well if you're not going to talk work, then I may consider instead finding your use on the dissection table." With another step forward, she glared at her, right in the eye. "Your brain could be of much use."

She gulped. This second Marina talked all too much like her parents too… "What would you like to focus on first?"

She stepped past her. "Follow me."

Marina and Lydia gave each other looks, before Marina looked back at Octavio, who was simply staring at her, silently demanding that she obey. Lydia, meanwhile, gave another look at Eva, who gave her a nod. Together, Marina and Lydia, followed by Eva and her Eightfolds, followed.

"Perhaps, first, we'll focus on these crystals that you've brought with you." The second Marina, who the prime Marina was now starting to internally refer to as Marina-2, led them into the restricted section of the labs that had been reserved for crystal study. She turned to a table, waving her hand over it. Another series of holographic menus came up, which she began sorting through. "Many new project opportunities will open up. I know that we are all to a degree eager to jump to whatever catches our eye, but I want you to keep one thing in mind. I have priorities."

"What priorities?" Marina asked.

"The ability to better our very own biology."

"Our… biology?"

She briefly glanced back at her. "I'm disappointed we're not already like-minded on the subject. Our Octarian forms, as you must know, are severely limiting. But the race you call the Axcians-" She pulled up a 3D scan of the deceased Axcian bodies that were onboard Lydia's Octarian station from the original timeline. "They are of completely different biology, unlike anything on Earth." She turned to Lydia. "I understand that you've interacted with multiple of them."

Lydia stared at the hologram, taking a step forward. "They were feeble and weak-minded, but yes, they demonstrated extreme intelligence and… supernatural psionic abilities. Unlike anything I had ever seen."

"We don't use words like 'supernatural' here. There is no such thing as magic or disbelief. Every phenomenon, every rule, every molecule and atom in every dimension falls under the same umbrella we call science. And as such, they can be studied and understood." She put on gloves, before she went over to another section of the labs, uncovering the Ray's crystal from behind its protective glass and pulling it out, directly observing it. "What others may call magic, we here in these labs can physically touch. To the benefit of all Octarians."

Marina was still a bit in shock over this entire situation, but she managed to clear her throat. "You… want to enhance everyone."

Still holding the crystal, she turned to her. "Yes. The crystals and this Axcian DNA give us the next pieces to that puzzle. But before we get to that part… this extra-powerful crystal will need to be replicated. We will need to maximize its effects. Will you be with me?"

It took her a moment to respond, but she slowly nodded. "…Yes."

Marina-2 looked at Lydia, who nodded a bit as well. "Good. I want you to convene with Eva to make preparations right away." She told her, before she turned back to Marina. "The King promised me a lot out of you. We have a clear opportunity here to work together. But don't get it twisted. These are my labs, and I am passionate about what happens here. Whatever projects you work on, will be done under my permission and supervision." Again, she stepped closer toward her, glaring at her. "And if you let me down… we'll have a different conversation."

Again, it took Marina a moment to respond, as she fearfully stared into her eyes. These eyes were so… menacing. Not soulless, but extremely calculating. Did she herself look like this? She audibly gulped. "…It won't come to that."

"Good. Then we'll get started right away." Carrying the crystal, she again walked past them toward another table. "Glory to the Octarians."

Some Eightfolds in the room suddenly struck their boots against the ground. "Glory to the Octarians!"

"...Glory to the Octarians." Marina replied, blankly staring ahead.

Lydia turned to leave, but before she did, she stood next to Marina and side-eyed her. "Is this still everything you ever wanted? Do you know now what it's like to be in your own shadow?"

She glared back at her. "This doesn't change my mission. Don't think that it does."

"As long as you understand, then. Don't mess this up for me." She finally left to walk out. Eva watched her before she turned to follow.

Marina turned to watch as well, before she looked back at Marina-2. She had to push aside the shock she felt; She still had a job to do. Standing as straight and professionally as she could, she walked over to join her once again.

Inker Valley

As the day continued to inch toward its close for more and more Inklings that lived underneath the domes, Marie was walking down the hallways as she slowly familiarized herself with the layout and the residents here. One thing that she noticed is that, while further confirming to herself that pretty much all of the adults appeared to be soldiers, most of the people appeared to have children nearby, or at the very least partners, and there were staggeringly few people that appeared to be lonely. She figured this was probably a natural effect of the reduced population, with people desperate to maintain it by reproducing to keep new people in the ring, but she wasn't sure if this made her happy or sad… In either case, it was good to see that the people didn't appear to be completely miserable, and were still finding love and hope.

As she finally found and wandered into the cafeteria, it appeared that most people had already eaten for the day, but there were still people who remained and were finishing their meals. Amid these people was Daniel, who was apparently being pestered by two Inklings near the corner. Curious, she walked over.

"Is all of this really necessary?" Daniel asked in frustration.

"You tell me." One of the Inklings, who Marie recognized as Jaxon, was talking to him as he wrote down some notes.

Upon noticing her arrival, Daniel turned to Marie. "Can you get these people off of me?"

"I'm sorry, am I your mom?" Marie replied.

"Please, I was just trying to get some foo-!" He snapped, getting cut off.

"Pearl told us about Agent 3's brother and how he may not be the friendliest Inkling ever, so we're just asking him some questions." The female Inkling, who looked a lot like a female version of Jaxon, with similar messy gray hair and pale skin, told her.

"Well, try not to antagonize him, he's a bit of a firecracker." Marie replied. "And that's putting it lightly."

"You can cut it with the snide remarks. We've heard the stories about you and we know what we're doing."

She squinted slightly. "And you are…?"

"This is my sister." Jaxon told her. "Lucy. Sorry, she's also a bit of a firecracker."

"Pleasure." Marie sighed bitterly. "Have you seen Pearl?"

"She already came by for food, and she doesn't like to be interrupted this late." Lucy replied.

"Well, would she put time aside for an old close friend?"

"Do you think you're closer to her than we are?"

She sighed. "…Admittedly, I kind of just don't know anymore."

Ignoring her, Lucy just turned back to Jaxon and wrapped up their assessment on Daniel. "I think for now, just let him have some food, take him to one of the available men's barracks, get him settled in, and have someone keep an eye on him."

Jaxon nodded and briefly tugged on Daniel's arm to lead him away. "You've got it."

Daniel looked back at Marie with one last pleading look before he was led out. Marie ignored him.

Lucy turned back to Marie and started walking with her. "Do you need something from Pearl, or-"

They walked out into the hall. "I know it's late, but I know she's aware, my cousin and half of our team is still out there, somewhere in this god foresaken new reality-"

"You think this is a new reality?" She cut her off, a bit insulted.

"I mean… in a manner of looking at it."

Lucy sighed. "Look, for me, and everyone else here, this is the reality. I've lived my entire life here and so has everyone else. So be careful about your wording, no one here is gonna want to hear it spoken about that way, like we're not even real. Got that?"

"...Ok. I'm sorry. I understand this is all real, but me and my team are real too, and half of them are out there somewhere. We need to find them as soon as possible."

"I understand that too, but Pearl already put a pause on that mission."

"Pause? What do you mean?"

As they got closer to Pearl's location, she motioned forward. "Ask her yourself."

Marie looked ahead down the hall to see that Pearl was approaching them. She sighed, briefly holding her arms out. "Am I finally gonna get some explanations around here?"

"What do you wanna know?" Pearl replied as she continued on her way.

Marie and Lucy both turned around to follow her. "What the hell do you mean you paused the mission of finding the rest of my team?" Marie continued.

"I'm sorry, finding them is on my to-do list, but we have no way of finding them right now."

"That's why we need to search for them!" She suddenly erupted.

"Sending a search party out there is too dangerous, we only have so many resources here. Look, if the Octarians find them, we'll know about it, and then we'll send some people out to retrieve them. Possibly myself, as I did for you."

"W-… When the Octarians find them? You can't be serious."

"I'm sorry. It's just how things work around here. We stay low and under the Octarians' radar, it's how we survive."

"Then you really aren't the Pearl I know, because she would never abandon Callie like that."

She stopped and suddenly turned to her, looking her in the eye. "You know… I once thought the same about Marina. But that trust I had for her almost got me killed. You can't pretend to just know people. Not anymore. This world isn't built for that."

Marie didn't respond, staring back until Pearl kept walking.

"If we get an update on the whereabouts of Callie and the others, you'll be one of the first to know." Pearl assured her as she walked away. "Until then, let us do things the way we've always done them."

Lucy looked at Marie one last time before she followed Pearl.

Marie remained frozen where she stood, slowly becoming teary-eyed. Uncaring that she was currently in public, she slowly backed up against the wall and then slumped down to the floor. Covering her face, she allowed herself to break down crying, and eventually sobbing, as the deep fear she had for Callie, Dylan, and the others practically filled her whole body, deeply overwhelming her.

As more Inklings settled down for the night, the only Octoling out of all of them, Bridgett, was walking through the halls as she navigated toward the woman's barracks for the night. She would stare at some Inklings just living their lives in these halls, while a lot of them stared back, as if silently judging her. Whether they were judging her for being an Octarian or if they were just staring at their supposed hero, she didn't know… but her own observations told her a lot about how miserable these Inklings really were down here. They had struck lower standards than what she knew about Octo Valley, and she was filled with lots of sorrow as she carried her bag of pajamas toward the barracks.

She walked into her designated barracks room, where some women and girls were already getting settled in for the night, in their beds that were placed inside bunks in the wall. She made her way past them and into the next-room showers station. Even these two rooms felt minimalist and depressing, only containing essential items for sleeping and staying clean, but there were at least a few shower stalls for her to choose from, although as she looked around, she only found one that was available.

As she walked in, her hearts nearly skipped a bit as, while selecting her stall, she nearly ran into Jessica, who was in the process of changing, with her bare back and legs of her fit figure fully visible to her. Although she tried her hardest not to look, she couldn't help but subconsciously take in the visual until Jessica, now dressed in at least her sweats and bra, turned to her and jumped. She blushed. "U-Uh…"

"Um, I-I'm sorry… I was just-" Bridgett awkwardly pointed at the shower, her blush clearly visible on her face as well.

"R-Right, go ahead." She stepped aside and moved to dry her hair, albeit while feeling extremely self-sensitive. Bridgett tried waiting another second to see if she would leave, so Jessica gave her one more glance. "I won't be staring, you know."

Bridgett just awkwardly retreated into the stall and closed the curtain, where she undressed herself. She sucked in a breath to keep herself composed. As she started the shower and Jessica stood just outside, drying her hair, their thoughts both went back to how they were just… blushing at each other? What was that about, exactly? Oh god. Shaking her head as if to get rid of the memory, Bridgett desperately quickened her shower to get out as soon as possible.

In the aftermath, she got dry and finally moved to get her new pajamas set on, which was of course just as uncomfortable and scratchy against her skin as it looked. The bra, however, she instead deemed it to be too small for her and ended up discarding it entirely. Otherwise, she joined back up with Jessica in the actual barracks, who was sitting on her bed, kicking her legs a bit as she stared at nothing.

Bridgett cleared her throat. "So, uh… where's Marie?"

"Dunno." She shook her head.

"A-And Daniel?"

"Should be in the men's station, I don't know. I asked Pearl if some people could keep an eye on him."

She sighed and silently sat at the bed next to her. Every time she bothered to glance upward, she could see some Inkling in the room staring at her, so instead, she looked down and starting nervously rubbing her knees. They definitely seemed to be staring at her more than Jessica, so she knew it was probably because she was Octarian.

After a moment, Jessica slowly turned to her, hesitating. She wanted to comfort her earlier, didn't get much of a chance, but now… her opportunity was here. "…Are you ok?"

Bridgett just slowly shook her head. Her mind was filled with too many dark thoughts for her to even bother lying.

Again, Jessica hesitated quite a bit, but choosing to make her next move after a bit, she slowly stood up and then sat back down next to her. Bridgett didn't respond, but didn't shoo her away, either. Jessica slowly placed her hand on her shoulder, but then for some reason… just feeling her touch… Bridgett suddenly leaned forward and started crying, finally letting her emotions loose once more.

"Uh…" Jessica lifted her hand. "I-I'm sorry."

She sniffed. "No, it's not that. I-I'm sorry."

"For what?"

She hunched over more and covered her face. "This is all my fucking fault."

She sighed. "Bridge… this is Marina's fault. And I'm going to deck her in her smug popstar face if we see her again."

Hearing that, Bridgett only started crying harder. At this point, unsure of what else to do, Jessica instead pulled her close and into a hug. Luckily, that seemed to calm her crying somewhat as she fully accepted it and leaned into her, hugging her back. Her tears fell on Jessica's shoulder as Jessica rubbed her from behind, squeezing her and holding her close.

Eventually, as she was rubbed more and more, her crying only soothed, and she sighed as she closed her eyes. It may not have been Dylan, or Marina, or Pearl, who she was usually used to hugging, but… in a subtle way… maybe it was better. Jessica on the other hand, never gave a lot of hugs in the first place, but she knew she was doing it right, or well enough at least, and kept holding her to soothe her as much as she could. Feeling each other's warmth, they both held the hug for quite a while, and Bridgett's face had already dried again by the time they broke off. She gave her a slight smile before she leaned back. "…Thanks."

Jessica nodded a bit. After they broke eye contact, she continued to stare in her general direction. "…We're going to find the others."

Bridgett didn't respond, but found herself staring back.

"We're not going to give up." She finished to keep her assured.

With that, at least, she could fully agree without hesitation. She nodded. "I know."

"And if… you don't want me talking about Marina like that… I'm sor-"

"No, it's ok. I… kinda wanna deck her too."

She couldn't help but smile. "Careful, you're sounding a bit too much like me."

"You know… Dylan and the others have already said that I've become more like you. Ever since we moved in together, really."

"I guess I can't disagree."

Bridgett gazed outward. "I don't know what I'm going to do to Marina if I see her again. I don't… even know where to start."

"Maybe for now, we just… don't worry about it." She nodded outward as well. "Maybe for now, we focus on these people. They clearly need us. And looking at the whole picture, this may… be our new home."

"But can we help them? Can we even… do anything?"

"...Whether or not we can, the facts don't change… they're counting on us."

Bridgett looked back at her. "Does knowing that help you?"

She shrugged. "It makes me nervous, but believe it or not, I do my best work when people are counting on me."

Again, she couldn't help but smile a bit. "Heh… you know, you're not wrong."

She nodded a bit. "What about you?"

She hesitated. "…I guess we'll see."

As they found themselves staring each other in the eye, they awkwardly broke that air once again. Bridgett awkwardly curled up and rubbed her eye as they sat together for another while.

"Get some sleep, Bridge." Jessica eventually stood up. "That should be our first concern for now." She returned to her own bunk.

Bridgett watched her as she did, rubbing her own legs some more. Without Dylan, Marina, and even Oliver nearby, and with Pearl acting the way she was, Jessica was once again the last person she could really connect with. This time, with how scary everything around her felt, however, it felt… even stronger than it did before… like she was the absolute last light in her darkness.

With these thoughts in her mind, she slowly reached to turn her bunk light off before she laid down and curled up under her covers, facing the wall. Desperately holding onto whatever semblance of peace she could grab, she closed her eyes and began her fight for sleep.

The more that Bridgett thought about Oliver and the others, it was unbeknownst to her that at the same time, Oliver and his new faction of the team were all thinking about them as well. Even if distantly, they were all still together at heart, as Oliver and Callie navigated through the city's underground sewers to find a safe way out.

As they stumbled through the dark, Callie was occasionally poking at her face to make sure her Octarian prosthetics weren't coming off. "I still look passable as an Octo, right?"

Oliver briefly pointed his light at her face, causing her to flinch. Indeed, while the prosthetics weren't perfect, particularly with the general shape of her head and hair, they still made her look a lot like an Octoling, enough so that she could probably try to pass as one if she was careful. "Yes, you still look Octarian. Like the past three times I've assured you."

"I'm sorry, it's just that I need a mirror or something I can reassure myself with, at all times-"

"It'll be fine. Trust me." He told her as they made their way up to the exit. "Think about Marie. I'll keep thinking about Bridgett. And what we're fighting for. We'll have Samantha back and we'll be on our way before we know it."

"Right. Right. Ok." She nodded and took in a deep breath. "Just gotta enter the belly of the beast first. That's all."

Indeed, a mere moment later, Oliver led her out as they found their way up the tube that led them up from the sewers, and they emerged into the bright night air of Octo City, with all of its buildings that surrounded them.

"Woah…" Callie gasped a bit as they looked around. Even Oliver couldn't help but feel that this place was very pretty, in fact a lot prettier at night. With a heavy case of anxiety and Samantha's revival in their sights, they set out deeper into the city.