Agent 4 - Thank you for the kind words, really means a lot
A/N: I suck at fight scenes
It pains me to leave my Amada alone for the first time after our modus vivendi, but fate had other plans for me. Although, I expect you will be occupied with other affairs considering your status. Non res, I do not mind waiting, and I hope my Amada will not miss me too much. The separation will make our next bailar more exquisite. I just hate that I can't see more of the light that shines in you. Although I can't see you tonight, I am still with you in spirit, and I cannot wait until our elements of fire and water come together again to form a beautiful steam that showers our foes in delighted envy. Until then, I will be holding on to the memories of us until our hearts can become one again.
See you next time, Amada.
Frye heaved a sigh as she finished reading the letter.
"Can't ask for a simple, 'Had other plans tonight,' can I?"
The idol tucked the letter in her shirt and leaned on the rail as she watched over her city. She wasn't upset over her rival's change in plans. Part of her was slightly embarrassed by the beautiful words that touched her three hearts. She just couldn't wrap her brain around Bolero's motives.
Are they playing with her, or are they telling the whole truth? Did they catch feelings for her, or was this part of their character? It was impossible to tell when she knew so little about them.
The letter was like a silent embrace, and it was throwing the idol off her game. She anticipated the bold approach. Splatlandians were kings and queens of offensive tactics, but this cephalopod stayed at a distance, chipping away at her armor until they could fire the real shot. It was clever of them.
Although, she had to laugh at the irony of the situation. She didn't want to keep them waiting, so she insisted she head back first. It wasn't necessary at all. Another part of her was glad. It meant she could focus her efforts on the duo that trespassed into the Crater.
Their progress on clearing the Crater of the mysterious fuzzy ooze was incredible. In several hours, they managed to complete the remaining three kettles and isolate the ooze to the bottommost section.
Frye was impressed by their skills. She recognized the Inkling as Zane, the same green-haired Inkling boy who claimed to be best friends with Syrus. When she knew it was him, she could not believe her luck. The lucky rose was a massive boost to her fortune after all. She just had to stay the course.
'I need to see him.'
She couldn't see their adventures inside the kettle directly, but judging by how fast they cleared the obstacles and took care of the ooze, she and Deep Cut knew they were dealing with pros.
'They're Splatlandians, of course they're skilled.'
It made no difference to them though. If they crossed paths and had to fight, they'd take care of the interlopers, Splatsville style.
"Oh well, I'll just practice by myself tonight," she stretched and stepped away from the rail. The roof of the studio served as a good place to practice her dance moves. It was quiet and spacious and provided the perfect ambiance to keep her dancing spell going for hours without interruptions.
Frye wanted to diverge from her normal style and focus on the steps her body picked up from her duets with Bolero. She had little knowledge of Salsa and Tango but knew of their existence and an iota of their styles. They had similar moves but were still fundamentally different, and somehow, Bolero managed to combine Salsa's swift movements with Tango's gliding patterns. Tango was now faster, and Salsa became more intimate. However, that still begged the question of how they were able to learn and master two ancient dances.
She closed her eyes and reimagined her time with the enigmatic dancer. Her body remembered the feeling and latched onto the flow that glided her across the dance floor. Frye loved the fast pace. Slow and steady wasn't in her ink, and Bolero's style of dance was the perfect fit for her.
As the evening progressed into night, her movements grew more graceful and intricate. Before she knew it, she had the steps down pat and couldn't wait to surprise Bolero the next time she saw them. Before, it would be them leading the charge, but this time, Frye had bigger things in mind.
"You never cease to amaze me," said a familiar voice.
"What can I say? I love dancing," Frye replied. "I'm by myself tonight. No secret meet-ups."
"Aww, that's a shame, and here I was hoping to catch you two in the act," Shiver watched her friend go through her routine.
"Stop spreading rumors," Frye demanded.
"They're not rumors if one side already admitted they love you," Shiver countered. "Did you get another letter?"
"Yep, but I'm not letting you read it."
Shiver pouted. "Please? I need to see how this installment ends."
"We're not part of some TV drama."
When Shiver chose not to answer, Frye opened an eye and saw the cold-blooded bandit covering part of her face with her fan. The sparkling glint in her ruby-red orbs told the dancing gangster everything.
"… No," Frye stated, her eyes growing wide.
Shiver nodded.
"You're lying!"
"Production was announced earlier today while we were in the Crater and will start after Bolero's identity is revealed."
Frye stopped dancing and stared at her friend in disbelief.
"You and Bolero inspired more than just aspiring dancers."
"I'm not doing some trashy romance drama!" Frye declared. "That's crazy!"
"Big Man liked it."
"Not even for Big Man," Frye crossed her arms and turned on her heel. "I dance for the thrill and satisfaction, not for a soap opera, and I'm positive Bolero feels the same."
Shiver chuckled.
"Name's still pending, but they're going with Desert Rose. I'm sure it'll be a big hit, but I agree, it's not your cup of tea."
Frye felt insulted but didn't let it get to her. She had better things to focus on. Her dance moves were evolving, and her influence was spreading. Her mission was drawing closer to completion. She just needed a little bit more time. No doubt someone was close to figuring out the mystery, but she would figure it out first.
"Let's get something to eat. We can talk about your rival tomorrow," Shiver suggested.
Frye couldn't say no to good food. She went with Shiver to find Big Man, and all three spent the rest of the day chatting and having fun… until Frye's letter fell out of her shirt, and Shiver snatched it up before the eel tamer could hide it.
The Next Morning
The city continued the search, patrolling the streets for any Octoling with the right descriptions. Red-eyes, they had to be Octolings with red-eyes.
This was the only time Syrus cursed having eyes of red. He knew it was only a matter of time until a hunt for red-eyed cephalopods became a reality. How could someone resist such a lustrous sheen? Ranging from scarlet, crimson, ruby, and to a deep maroon, Syrus knew his time would come someday.
He didn't expect it to be the instant he set foot outside the complex building.
'Vamos, iterum?! (Come on, again?!)'
He had Splatsville's layout memorized like the back of his hand. With this knowledge, he weaved through the alleyways and darted past civilians. He was but a gust of wind, imperceptible to the unknown masses. Whenever someone felt his presence, there was no one around. He was a ghost, a phantom.
Syrus rolled over the hood of an AC unit and kept his stride.
His interrogators were close behind. They thought he was being led to a dead end, but the opposite was the truth. Syrus was the one leading them. He just needed a little more time to give them the slip.
He made a sharp right into the Square, his destination in sight, but he knew he wouldn't make it with the curious on his tail. The Octoling bolted up the stairs, ran past a befuddled Murch, and slipped into a crevice between Murch's hangout spot and the battle lobby.
Murch turned to look, but he saw no one. He knew someone just ran past him, but he didn't see anyone out of the ordinary. The sea urchin was confused.
Two Inklings, one male and one female, ran up to him and asked for any information on the target they were pursuing, but the sea urchin didn't have a clue.
Aggravated, the Inklings continued their search elsewhere.
Without skipping a beat, Syrus came out from his hiding spot and hurried to the grate leading to the Crater. He didn't care if anyone saw him and dove, in octopus form, right into it.
Some of the Splatlandians were confused as they heard a loud plop, but when they looked around, the only thing happening was the hunt.
Bolero
Syrus entered the Crater and fell to his knees, his breathing haggard.
"Syrus? What happened?" Zane hurried over. "You okay?"
"Ambush," he grumbled. "Happened right after I left my apartment."
"That's rough, man. What about your visor?"
"I was wearing them, but people still remember my face. My teammates at Grizzco said everyone has been looking into our profiles."
"What's happenin' youngsters?" Cuttlefish spoke up. "Somethin' about a hunt."
"The city is on the lookout for a mysterious dancer calling themselves Bolero," Zane began to explain.
"You kids come up with the darndest things," Cuttlefish chuckled.
"I'm not fond of being hunted," Syrus commented, getting his bearings straight, and making sure Ken was doing fine. "I made it though. Let's take care of that last fuzzball."
"Be careful, boys. I received a weird transmission not too long ago."
"Weird how?" Zane took point while Syrus watched their six and Cuttlefish walked in between them. "It wasn't a scammer calling about your weapon's extended warranty, was it?"
"Some kind of interference. I considered callin' some backup. I got in touch with Agents 1 and 2, but they hung up on me. I swear. Agents these days, am I right? So impatient…"
"The signal could probably be weak due to our location," Syrus suggested. "I've still yet to determine where we are in relation to Splatsville. Considering how fast the trip is, I suspect we're not too far away. Who knows?"
"I'm still trying to figure out how there's a sky," Zane mumbled.
The boys and Cuttlefish arrived at the final fuzzball. The mass under its control was the biggest the guys have seen thus far. It resided in the base of the crater and climbed up to the scaffolding. It was of monstrous size with a pulsating rate too fast for the boys' comfort. At any moment, it looked like it could come to life and fling its tendril at them.
"Here we go, Ken. You ready?" the Octoling hoisted the Smallfry above his head.
Zane fed the devourer his due of power eggs and watched the power flow around him. It always amazed him how influential the eggs were.
"With the buckets of power eggs you get from Grizzco, Ken should have a personal refrigerator dedicated to him."
"I thought about it, but then I'd have to bolt it down and put an electronic lock on it to make sure he doesn't eat the whole thing," Syrus replied and lobbed the Smallfry at the fuzzball.
Ken opened his mouth wide and swallowed the fuzzball whole. The separation of the brain from its body caused the giant mass of mysterious ooze to swell and squirm, dissolving into nothingness, and clearing the path to the end.
"Woo! Nice eating, Ken!" Zane petted the Salmonid. "That should be the last of the ooze."
"Stay on your guard," Syrus advised. "Let's check out the inside."
The guys descended the rest of the crater and stood in the center of a massive arena.
"How big is this place?" The inkling asked. "Do we have to go beyond the steel beams? Even further beyond?"
"It's huge, Agent 7," Cuttlefish said. "I couldn't explore further because of that darn fuzzy ooze, but the area we were in was only a fraction of the entire crater."
They marveled at the sheer size of the arena and the materials lurking outside the ring. How such a place eluded the Splatlandians for so long would forever be unknown.
"Might be valuable stuff down here," Syrus suggested. "I'll take a good look around when I have free time."
"You'll have to put that on hold for now, Agent 3," Cuttlefish stated. "Something's coming! It's headed this way, FAST!"
The boys grabbed their weapons.
"In the bag, Ken," Syrus ordered.
They heard the roaring sound of engines soaring through the air. They looked up and saw a large object in the sky. It descended upon them, sliding down the rocky cliffs, and stomping into the arena. It was a massive robot with two hulking arms and powerful legs hiding a quartet of thrusters that explained its flight capabilities.
"GYAH HA HA! I finally found you, Cuttlefish! My Octarian troops have gone missing... and I know you're behind it!" a gruff voice boomed from the speakers.
Syrus felt his three hearts grow heavy. He knew that voice all too well. It had been years since he last heard it.
The robot's cockpit was occupied by a very familiar face. There was no mistaking that red-violet sheen and stalks of wasabi that worked the turntables. Although, the new hat was a nice little touch, and his battle scars told a volume of stories.
It was the Octo King.
"Thar he blows! It's DJ Octavio!" stated Cuttlefish. He waved his cane threateningly. "Up to your old tricks, eh? Give the Great Zapfish back! Agent 3 and 7! This dirty DJ is the headliner of the entire Octarian army! Take him out!"
"Non audes ei insultare! (Don't you dare insult him!) Syrus suddenly screamed in his Octarian tongue, startling both Cuttlefish and Zane. He covered his mouth. He did not mean to explode like that.
"What's the matter, son?" Cuttlefish almost stammered. "I know he's your old boss, but he's in need of a royal whooping. Don't forget, we have to get the Great Zapfish back."
"Quit spewin' nonsense and listen up! I'm about to drop my latest hit... right on your smug little FACE!" Octavio powered up and flew on top of the faraway platforms.
Octavio wasted no time and launched the right hand of his mech.
"Incoming punch! Shoot it back towards him!" advised the retired Cuttlefish.
Zane was the first to act and unleashed a turret of ink upon the fist.
"Think my beats suck, eh? Then you'll love THIS!"
Octavio launched his mech's left fist while Zane dealt with the first.
Just in time, Syrus snapped out of his stupor and sniped the metallic limb with a well-timed charged shot from his Tri-Stringer.
It slowed down enough for Zane to finish the coating and send both fists back to sender, punching the giant mech in the face twice.
"GAH!" the DJ screamed. "Think you can wreck my flow? Get a load of THIS!"
Octavio flew around the arena and landed on another platform. His fists ejected as the front nozzle of his mech came to life and emitted a powerful vortex that robbed the boys of their ink and threatened to draw them in.
"That Ink Vac is a real pain in the port bow. Can you throw something in there to jam it up?" Cuttlefish suggested.
Syrus held his ground and whistled for his pet Smallfry.
"Sorry, Ken, daddy needs you to take flight!"
He threw his companion into the vortex and watched him get lodged in the machine. The vortex stopped, and the boys could fire upon the mech once again.
"That did it," Zane breathed a sigh of relief. "We got you, Ken! Don't worry!"
"GRAHH! Keep your fishy junk outta my mech!" Octavio snarled.
The Octarian leader deployed another fist that uncurled itself and slammed its palm on the ground. Several shockwaves traveled along the arena and forced the agents to jump and dodge.
"Feel the beat!"
The palm retreated, and a drilling punch careened into Syrus' blind spot.
"On your six!" Zane yelled, and Syrus dove to the side in time to evade it. At the same time he moved, Ken was dislodged from Octavio's ink vac, and Syrus charged up his bow all the way and attacked the fist stuck in the ground.
"Lookin' fresh, dude!" Zane sprayed the finishing ink and pushed the fist back to Octavio.
Another clean hit to the face, and DJ Octavio was spicy mad.
"GRAAARGH! NOW you've made me MAD!"
His mech slammed the ground in anger.
"Crank it up to 11!"
Both hands slammed the arena floor and sent out several shockwaves, but thanks to the vacuum, the agents couldn't drench the limbs in ink.
Syrus was about to throw Ken again, but Octavio was quicker on the retreat and withdrew the ink vac and called back his hands.
"No more messing around. Feel my wasabi beat, fools!"
A pattern of shockwaves and punches annihilated the arena floor. The agents were separated, and neither could stop the vortex from taking their ink. They were forced to dance around the ring until an opportunity presented itself.
Luckily, they didn't have to wait long, as the mech suddenly puffed out black smoke and stopped vacuuming.
"Carp! I overloaded the system!" Octavio cursed.
"Zane!" Syrus fired a shot and lined up some ink for the Inkling to travel.
"I'm on it!" Zane swam through the trail and hopped on the back of the hand. He rode to the mech and surprised the Octarian leader with a cheeky smile, his Dualies aimed directly at him.
"Eat ink!"
DJ Octavio was bombarded by a torrent of yellow ink. He screamed in pain as the paint covered his body and damaged his turntable system.
Zane super jumped back to Syrus' side and celebrated their victory with a high-five.
Octavio's mech short-circuited and fell off the platform with a loud clanking noise. It rolled inside the crater and came to a stop near the boys with the big octopus' world spiraling upside down.
"Every time… So sad," he groaned as his vision started coming back to him. The two agents stood over him, and he glared at them.
"Guh... No fair! Your gear is way too strong!"
Cuttlefish walked over, congratulating Agent 3 and 7 on a job performed exceptionally.
"You put on a weak show, Octavio! Your set list is gettin' old...or maybe it's just you! Seriously, that was too easy. It's like you weren't even usin' the Great Zapfish's power..."
"Mute it, fool! I didn't steal the Zapfish this time!" Octavio claimed.
"Bwuh? You didn't?!" Cuttlefish gasped. "Then why attack us?"
"Why? Because you messed with my troops!" the octopus snarled. "My soldiers are gone!"
"Well, it wasn't us!"
Syrus approached the mech, and to Octavio's surprise, he helped him out and onto his tentacles.
"Uhh, thanks," he said, shocked by Agent 3's actions. His appearance was different from the other agents he fought in the past, and the way he moved was incredible. The Octarian leader took a closer look and noticed the Octoling's hair and rounded ears. His eyes went wide when he realized the truth.
"Wait a sec… you're…"
Syrus gave a small bow.
"Bonum est te iterum videre, Imperator. (It's good to see you again, Commander.)
Octavio couldn't believe his eyes.
"Notum essem. (I should've known.)"
Syrus removed his visor to reveal his face.
"You moved like an Octarian soldier. I don't recognize your face though."
"That's because I wasn't involved with the main attack force," Syrus answered. "I was tasked with reconnaissance and espionage. My number was 09-22. Codename – Phantom."
Octavio closed his eyes. Cuttlefish wasn't surprised Syrus used to be in the Octarian military, but this was the first time Zane ever heard this. He knew Syrus came to the surface a few years ago, but there was no mentioning of his status.
"The Ghost Fish division," the red octopus remembered. "Your branch aided us greatly when it came to snatching the Great Zapfish and where to station our troops."
"Thank you, sir. I don't know what became of my squad, but I ended up here in the end. There are Octolings everywhere in Splatsville. You'll like it," Syrus smiled.
The Octarian leader didn't know how to respond. He didn't think he'd see a day his brethren could thrive above the surface. It was almost too good to be true. He had recently learned about Splatsville. When he heard, he had to see it for himself, but problems arose, and the Octobot King had to divert his attention elsewhere.
"Wait a minute," Cuttlefish interjected. "Octavio, if it wasn't you who squidnapped the Great Zapfish… who was it?"
"Don't ask me. I just want my troops back."
"Leave this place."
A strong chill ran down everyone's back.
Suddenly, the ground began shaking.
"Wha-wha-what the what?" Cuttlefish stammered.
From below the arena, a wall of fuzzy ooze erupted and encircled the quartet.
"Gwah! Fuzzy Ooze!"
The ground splintered, eaten by the monstrous ooze, and the quartet was left falling a great length. As they plummeted, a tendril of the ooze coiled up and wrapped itself around Cuttlefish.
"Agent 3! Agent 7! Help meee!"
"Gramps!" Zane cried out as the ooze took Cuttlefish away.
"Craig!" Octavio yelled out. More tendrils came up and seized the Octarian leader. He tried to break free but to no avail.
"Let go of me!" he ordered.
Syrus prepared to fire, but it was too late.
"Commander!"
DJ Octavio was pulled down as well, leaving Agents 3 and 7 to plummet.
They couldn't see the bottom. All that waited for them was a deep, dark, hazardous abyss.
"Grab on, Zane!" Syrus extended his Tri-Stringer for the Inkling to grab. The retired captain and his ex-commander were taken. He wouldn't let his best friend go next.
Zane reached for the bow and held on.
"I ain't going anywhere yet, bud," he smiled through the unknown.
The boys braced themselves for whatever horrors awaited them. Syrus held on to Ken for dear life and closed his eyes as the abyss swallowed them. They were mere dots in a sea of darkness, imperceptible to anyone.
Standing at the top of the arena, three masked faces watched in both horror and amazement as a new door opened.
Bolero
It was cold.
He didn't know why it was suddenly so cold. Moments ago, he was fighting in the hot wasteland of the Crater. Alongside the temperature, the ground was somewhat softer and just as cold, but being so used to the scorching heat of the Splatlands, it didn't bother him.
The icy breeze helped push the darkness away as he opened his eyes. Everything was blurry, but he could barely make out the energetic form of his pet Smallfry bouncing in front of him.
"K-Ken?" Syrus whispered.
He pushed his body onto its knees as multiple questions swarmed around in his head.
What was that massive glob of fuzzy ooze?
Why did it take Cuttlefish and DJ Octavio?
Where was he?
And most importantly, how is he not dead?
Syrus managed to get to his feet and gave his little buddy a much-needed petting.
"Are you okay, Ken?"
"Waaah!"
"Yeah, that was some fall. It's a good thing we don't have bones, huh?"
The Octoling took a deep breath. His body was a little sore, but considering his lifestyle, that was a normal occurrence.
'Estne haec nix? (Is this snow?)' Syrus pondered, touching the white fluff. It was cold like snow, white not snow, but he wasn't going to taste it to see if it was snow.
"I better find Zane. Help me out, Ken."
The Smallfry was already on the case, immediately waddling to a large lump in the white ground. His keen sense of smell always came through.
He crouched and placed two fingers on Zane's neck. A breath of relief left his lips. Like him, Zane was doing fine for the most part. He was still breathing, thankfully, but his hero suit was badly damaged, leaving the Inkling in a tattered shirt with the bottom half torn off. His arms were covered in a cloth wrap, acting as gloves, and around his neck was a cloth to help keep him cool. His feet were wrapped with cloths in a similar style to the wraps on his arms.
Syrus silently wondered how the outfit got damaged during a fall. The world was a mysterious place.
"Zane, can you hear me?" He shook him gently. "Zane!"
The Inkling stirred.
"S-Syrus?" he forced his eyes open and pushed himself to a sitting position.
"Ugh, what happened?"
"We landed in new territory. I don't know where we are or how we're still alive, but Cuttlefish and the commander were taken away."
"Right… that thing took Gramps and Octavio," he then noticed his outfit and felt a burst of energy. "Aww man, my threads! I loved that jacket!"
Syrus couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's reaction.
"Yeah, you're fine."
"I mean I still look fresh as shell, but that jacket was comfortable. Even my kicks, man," Zane sighed dejectedly and stood up. "Okay, let's get… down to… business."
He finally realized the scale of the new location. Instead of the desert and rocky terrain of the Crater, the boys landed inside a humongous winter wonderland surrounded by what they believed was water. He also noticed the drop in temperature, but like his companion, the cold didn't bother him. He found it refreshing.
The place was a mystery. In the depths were large, submerged objects resembling ships, rock formations, and other structures. In the air, triangular panels lined the sky, projecting a beautiful blue void.
"Okay, there's no way that's a real sky," Zane muttered.
"We're in a dome of sorts," Syrus hypothesized, surveying the area. "And like the Crater, it's infested with more fuzzy ooze."
"Maybe this is the source. Like, look at that rocket."
In the distance, a massive structure holding a rocket sat with a wall of fuzzy ooze spiraling around it.
"Maybe it all came from space. That definitely screams final level."
"And there are our NPCs," Syrus pointed to a small camp, where three people resided. One was hopping while waving them over.
"Hello! Hey!"
Three girls were waiting for them.
"Agent 3! Agent 7, over here!"
The greeter met them halfway. She was an Inkling with rare black hair and fair skin. She wore a sleeveless black tube dress with three horizontal yellow stripes, white tights, and black ankle-high boots with silver wedge heels. Atop her head was a hat with black and yellow spots that rested on a yellow shiso leaf, and for accessories, she wore chunky iridescent earrings, black gloves, a large silver choker, and a matching silver bandolier crossed over her left shoulder.
'Cod damn, she's hot!' Zane's first thoughts were.
Syrus, on the other hand, was more focused on the situation at hand.
"Whew, I'm glad you two are alright," the girl breathed a sigh of relief. "That looked like a bad fall."
She clapped her hands.
"Okay, so you two are the new agents, right? Gramps fully enlisted you and your pet Smallfry?
"He's Agent 3, and I'm Agent 7," Zane clarified while Syrus nodded.
She eyed Zane up and down. "But you're wearing the hero suit, or what's left of it anyway."
"I was satisfied with the gear I already had," Syrus explained. "I gave the suit to him."
"And the fall tore it to shreds," Zane cried.
"Aww, that's too bad. Well, we can help fix it. It'll take some time, but Agent 2 is amazing at sewing. Oh, I'm Agent 1 by the way. Follow me. I'll introduce you to the Captain and Agent 2."
They followed her back to the settlement.
"So you're Gramps' granddaughter," Zane commented. "He told us about you."
"That's right. He really loves his stories, doesn't he?" she laughed as they reached the camp.
Syrus and Zane saw the other members. On the far right stood another Inkling with white hair and a beautiful complexion. She modeled an asymmetrical white coat that closes with a small squid clasp near her right shoulder. The coat was decorated with three horizontal yellow stripes down the front. She also wore dark grey leggings and ankle-high black shoes with yellow soles.
Noticeably, Agent 2 had a white parasol with her for whatever reason and donned the same accessories as Agent 1.
Finally, the Captain sat on a crate to the left of Agent 1. She had a sharp look in her eyes as she sized the boys up. Her gaze was so powerful, Syrus was prompted to remove his visor and challenge the captain's strength with his own ruby eyes. They realized he was an Octoling but didn't comment. His piercing red gaze met the captain's dynamic orange ones, and in their staring contest, the girls and Zane felt an aura ignite around them.
The captain wore a dark fabric cap with a lighter patch sewn onto the top and a dark-colored visor, which, along with the band, is lined with dull gold, a form-fitting headset, a cool-looking cape, and sandals.
She surprised Agents 1 and 2 when she stood up and approached the new Agent 3. She only came up to his chin, but her presence was commanding.
Syrus spoke first.
"This is the first time we're meeting face to face, but I remember hearing about you in my time in the Octarian military."
He expected a reaction from her, but the captain was completely calm. On the other hand, Agent 1 and Agent 2 were stunned to silence, and Zane was even more interested in the topic. He had to grill his best friend for answers.
"I knew that sketch the old man drew of you looked familiar. You were the agent making crab cakes out of my comrades," Syrus stated.
The other female agents looked at Zane for clarification, but he simply shrugged his shoulders.
"I learned this before the fall."
They watched the conversation unfold.
"He definitely has the look in his eye grandpa is always looking for," Agent 2 commented.
There didn't seem to be any bad ink between Syrus and the captain. Their auras were calm. The Octoling was even able to make a smirk appear on the captain's face as they shook hands, confirming something.
After the conversation, the captain took up her spot on the crate.
"It's nice to meet you, boys!" Agent 1 beamed. "Let us properly introduce ourselves. I'm Agent 1 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon."
"Hey, I'm Agent 2," Agent 2 waved in a lackluster manner.
"C'mon, Agent 2. Get PUMPED!" Agent 1 advised. "Anyway, one last member to introduce. This is our captain! Captain Clora!"
She gave a piece sign but remained silent.
"We're… the NEW new Squidbeak Splatoon!" The girls posed in a fashion the boys found very familiar.
A moment of silence befell the group until Zane applauded their efforts.
"How long did that take to get down?" he inquired.
"I'd rather not say," Agent 1 pouted at her two female teammates. "These two can be hard to pose with. There's no oomph!"
"Preaching to the choir on that one," Zane eyed Syrus suspiciously.
"I'll synchronize dance with you, but I'm not posing," the Octoling countered.
"Dancing is just rapid poses," he retorted. "If you like to dance, you should like to pose."
"… I'm built differently then."
"Ahem," Agent 2 called for everyone's attention. "…Anyway, it looks like you and Gramps got separated in that fall. This place is huge, and it's filled with that horrible fuzzy ooze stuff. And now we have to find Gramps before he, like, tastes it or something."
"Already ahead of you on that," Syrus claimed. "I had to stop him about ten times since we met him, said he wanted hair like the good ol' days."
"That sounds like Gramps. Can you help us find him?"
"No sweat," Zane saluted.
"Did you see DJ Octavio?" Syrus inquired.
This was new information to the girls.
"Octavio's here as well?" Agent 1 replied.
"He was. The fuzzy ooze took him after it took Cuttlefish."
"How did Octavio even get here?" Agent 2 whispered to herself. "Did something happen with Agent 4?"
"Maybe we'll find clues about his whereabouts as we look for Gramps," Agent 1 suggested. "They may be stuck together."
Syrus re-equipped his visor.
"Leave it to us," he said.
Agent 2 smiled.
"So Gramps reeled in another Agent 3 and a new Agent 7… Glad to have you!"
The three posed again, pointing their fingers to the sky.
"Anyway, to be frank, we've never been here before either, but here's the tour," Agent 2 continued, explaining what they knew about the land.
Alterna, Agent 2 believed it was called, was confirmed to be directly below the Crater. Six different islands made up its entirety, and it was safe to assume that each one was contaminated with the fuzzy ooze.
"I'm worried about that rocket," Syrus stated.
"Captain said the same thing," Agent 1 said. "We don't know what it's doing here, but hey, that's why we're here to explore."
"Any idea how we can find Gramps?" Zane asked.
"His tracking chip," Agent 2 smiled, almost maliciously.
"… You put a tracking chip on your own grandpa?"
She looked quite proud while giggling. "As one does. But now we're getting a strong signal from three different areas."
"You put three chips on him?!" Zane took a precautionary step back, his face looking pale.
"No, just one. We're not that harsh, Agent 7."
Agent 1 patted the new agents on the shoulder. "That being said. Your mission, boys, is to check all three of those places out! We'll explore more of the land and see if we can't uncover something ourselves."
"And work on my hero suit, please?" Zane practically begged.
"And work on your hero suit," she reassured him with a lovely smile. Maybe we can make something Agent 3 can use too. Some protection is better than nothing, right? We'll even throw in some new shades."
Syrus was going to politely decline, but he figured he shouldn't say no this time. Better defenses would help in the long run, and his partner already had good protection. It was hard to say no to new eyewear.
"… If you insist."
"Great! You won't be disappointed, but it'll be a while."
"In the meantime, we'll have to clear this island first before going to the next site. That's where the first strong signal is. Think you boys can handle it?" Agent 2 inquired.
Syrus removed his bow as Zane took his Dualies in hand. They stood shoulder to shoulder as Ken skidded around them.
"You placed your faith in the right guys," the Inkling gave the ladies a curt nod. "Let's roll."
They walked off.
"Hey," Zane whispered once they were far enough.
"I know," but Syrus already knew what he was about to say. "I'll tell you about it later."
"Cool, but hear me out on this. Agent 1 is SMOKING."
They made sure the girls couldn't hear them, even removing their earpiece for double assurance.
"Really, man?" Syrus raised a brow.
"Absolutely. I was shot through the heart."
Syrus shook his head as a sigh left his lips.
"Come on, you have to admit she's pretty hot."
"I don't disagree with you. They're all beautiful, and oddly familiar. I think I've seen Agent 1 and 2 somewhere."
"Same, but I'm drawing a blank. Listen though, you think she's single?"
Syrus resisted the powerful temptation to roll his eyes.
"We have a mission to focus on, Zane."
"I know, but that doesn't mean we can't look for love along the way. I'm going for it."
"Good luck."
The first kettle was a short walk away from the camp. Zane popped the lid open, and he and Syrus ventured inside.
The girls waited at the camp.
"Gramps can pick 'em," Agent 1 commented. "I say we have some promising agents."
"I didn't expect there to be two," Agent 2 responded. "This will help move things along faster. Agent 3 has a sterner stare than you, Captain. I didn't think it was possible. Agent 7 reminds me a little of Agent 4."
"Right?" Agent 1 giggled. "I think you've met your match."
"What else did Agent 3 tell you, Captain?"
Clora simply put a finger to her lips and smirked. They weren't getting any information out of her.
Bolero
Syrus and Zane dropped down into a large chamber. The windowed walls revealed a much bigger facility just outside its confines. It was broad daylight, and the facility seemed to stretch for miles without end.
"I'm not even going to question it this time," the Inkling said with a frown. "Do physics even exists?"
"Considering you and I are made of ink and water is lethal to us, how can we shower when practice proper hygiene?" Agent 3 countered.
"My head hurts now."
"Hey," a voice came over their comms. "Agent 3? Agent 7, can you hear me? It's Agent 1."
"Read you loud and clear, Agent 1," 7 replied. "3 and I appear to have landed in some kind of chamber."
Syrus approached the left wall and peered into the world waiting for them. "Whatever this place is, it seems to be well-maintained."
"Wait. Do you guys hear that?" Agent 1 brought this to their attention.
It was a whirring sound of sorts. Then, a green light appeared above the boys as another voice spoke out.
"… Activated! System check… Ok!
"Where's that voice coming from?"
"Authentication… All systems nominal. Commencing biometric scan."
The green beam turned into a light blue.
"Scan complete… No matches found. Commencing registration sequence."
A few melodious beeps and boops later.
"Good day, my name is O.R.C.A. I am what you might call a... navigation system... for Alterna citizens."
"O.R.C.A.?" the Inkling repeated. "Does that stand for something?"
"Yes, the Omniscient Recording Computer of Alterna," it answered dutifully. "Welcome to Alterna, citizens. Please enter your identification to proceed."
"Ugh, it's like setting up a phone for the first time. I guess just follow the instructions, Agent 3 and 7," Agent 2 advised.
"Processing… Processing… I'm sorry, but please identify who is Agent 3 and who is Agent 7," O.R.C.A requested.
"Agent 3," Syrus spoke up. "You can also address me as Syrus if you wish."
"Agent 7 is fine with me," Zane commented.
"Processing… Processing… Processing…"
A confirmation jingle played.
"Your names have been accepted. Thank you for registering, Agent 3 and Agent 7."
"Cool, looks like it's official, boys. Welcome aboard."
"My circuits are designed to measure your intellectual and physical prowess as demonstrated by your ability to complete missions throughout Alterna. In each mission, you must reach a goal mechanism or complete an objective. Extraordinary citizens will complete many missions and receive many power eggs! You can expect a substantial power egg payday in particular for this first mission. May your enthusiasm result in success, citizens!"
"We're going to need a bigger bag then," Syrus commented. "Maybe two."
"One last thing. As you complete missions and become an ever-more-exceptional citizen, you will naturally gain increased access to the Alterna Log. Do not attempt to share the Alterna Log without permission. Please handle the information with care. And please consider this a threat. Have a nice day!"
The boys were left stunned.
"Did… did we just get threatened by an AI?" Agent 7 chuckled.
"We did. Considering they control the entire facility and have the means to kill us in cold ink, we don't have a choice but to comply."
"Thank you for understanding. Now, please select a weapon for this mission."
The panel in the middle of the room opened its hatch, and a cylindrical chamber rose with two Hero Shots ready to go.
"Wait, we can't use our weapons?" Zane asked the computer.
"To harvest the necessary data, you must use the load out selected for you."
"Carp," the Inkling muttered under his breath.
"Let's hope I never have to use a Splatling," Syrus stated as he grabbed his weapon. "Am I allowed to use my Smallfry, O.R.C.A.?"
"You may, but only for missions that will allow it, and I will return your belongings to you at the end of each mission."
Zane sighed as he accepted the weapon and placed his in the cylinder for safekeeping.
"Alright then, let's dance."
The boys approached the gate.
"Commencing data harvest and analysis. Best of luck, Agent 3 and Agent 7."
"Alright, Alterna," Syrus loosened up his arm as he passed through the gate, being cleansed with a refreshing mist as he did so, "Let's see what you got."