Joey - Yes, she has, and they haven't even had their magnum opus dance yet.

Zelkova48 - I like to think that the further you progress in the story, the stronger Little Buddy becomes, and the final fight is the last bit they needed before evolving, so him eating Master Mega is showing his progression. I'm glad you like the ship dynamics too.

Former Captain Cuttlefish cursed his old age. His movements were more sluggish. If he was just a couple of years younger, he'd give his mysterious captor what for! If he and Octavio, who figured out how to escape confinement, put their heads together, they were sure to win against their foe. They may be getting up there in the years, but their minds were still sharp, still focused, still a working complication of…

"Yep, I'm lost," he scratched his head. Cuttlefish had no idea where to go. His sense of direction had always been an issue, especially in his old age. He was thankful for his granddaughters and agents. The old seadog wished they were here with him now.

"C'mon you hunk of junk, work already," he shook his communicator. It was his only means of communicating and it stayed on the fritz. Every second that passed made Cuttlefish miss Octavio's handiness more and more. The Octarian had a magic touch when it came to machinery.

"I hope you're okay, Octavio," he sighed. During their escape, the fuzzy ooze ambushed them and destroyed part of the facility. He and Octavio were separated in the process.

"You better make it out, Craig!" were his last words before disappearing. Cuttlefish had been by himself since.

He didn't know where he was or how to get out, and every second, he felt the fuzzy ooze creeping closer to him. Above all else, he never figured out why he and Octavio were captured in the first place. The ooze touched him, but he never turned into a hairy abomination. They needed him for something. For what, though, he didn't know.

"Mr. Grizz," he contemplated the name. "I heard that from somewhere. If I can get in contact with my agents, I bet they can shed some light on it."

Cuttlefish fiddled with the communicator, grumbling words that would make any veteran sailor glow with embarrassment.

"Do you read me? Come in! Do you copy?"

He heard static on the other end, but with a well-placed smash against the wall, he managed to get through.

"…Gramps? Gramps, is that you?" Agent 2 answered, but she sounded exhausted.

"Hah! Finally got this dadblasted thing workin' again," he danced a little jig. "OK, so…here's my report."

"Wait a minute, Gramps," Marie yawned. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"I've lost all sense of time, Marie."

"It's three in the morning!"

Cuttlefish scratched the side of his face. "Is it? No wonder it's so blasted dark in here. Anyway, I have crucial news. Get the squad together."

Marie sighed. "Captain, Callie, wake up, it's Gramps."

There was some noise on the other end followed by some heated bickering. No one liked being disturbed from a sound sleep so early in the morning.

"Gramps!" it was Agent 1. "Gramps, what's up?"

"I'm still kickin', but I don't know where I am."

"How's your knee?"

"Hmm, now that you mention it," he rubbed his left knee tenderly, "my left knee is achin' somethin' fierce, which means I'm at altitude. Somewhere high up!"

"That pretty much seals it," Agent 2 said. "We know where you are now."

"Gramps! Stay strong! We're coming for you, just as soon as we figure out how to build our weapon," Agent 1 reassured him.

"Please hurry. Octavio and I got separated, and our captor is relentless. I don't know how much longer I can hold out."

"We have the best boys on the job, Gramps. Once we're able to reach your position, they'll rescue you before the chorus kicks in."

"I wouldn't be so sure," another voice chimed in. If the girls weren't awake yet, they were now. "I'm afraid no more overtime can be allotted, and don't expect any workers' comp for the injured knee."

"Who are you?" Captain Clora snatched the communicator away. "What's your motive?"

"Current Captain Clora," the voice replied, "pleasure to hear from you."

Clora narrowed her eyes.

"You know about me?"

"I have approximate knowledge of many things, the benefits of having loyal connections. I also know some of my best employees are working alongside you."

"Employees?"

"It's a shame. They would've made fine soldiers, but their work must be terminated. Exceptional workers are hard to replace."

Clora's eyes went wide, and the desperation in her voice terrified the other girls. She did not like the voice's tone.

"Agent 1, call the boys, NOW!"

Callie immediately started dialing numbers.

"You cannot stop what I have planned. Soon, the entire world will go back to the way it was. The countdown has begun."

"Wait…!"

The transmission ended abruptly.

Clora and Marie looked at Callie for an update on the boys' whereabouts, but the black-haired girl shook her head.

"They're not picking up," she said softly. "Even Agent 3 won't answer."

Clora kept calm. "Carp, we don't know where they live either."

"Captain?"

"…we need to assemble the treasure," she stated. "We're out of time. We need that thing built now."

She was still exhausted, having tried working on the treasure the longest, but her former captain needed her, and her boys needed her. She knew drowsiness would kick back in soon, but the captain didn't care.

She got dressed, saying, "Keep calling the boys, Callie," and headed out.

Callie and Marie got dressed as well and followed Clora.

"Come on, guys, pick up," Callie pleaded.

Nighttime fell over Alterna. The blue sky turned into midnight black, complemented with bright stars and a full moon. It was beautiful. However, things were not peaceful.

The NSS's three fuzzy Octolings were positioned around the three treasures, but there was something wrong. Their heads hurt tremendously as if a kraken repeatedly bashed them on the ground over and over again without mercy. The possessed soldiers crumbled to the ground, and a sinister voice echoed in their heads.

"Terminate. Terminate. Terminate."

Terminate the opposition and bring the general's plans to fruition.

Their eyes glowed a sinister crimson.

Clora ran to the treasure pieces, only to be tackled by one of the possessed Octolings and thrown off her feet. The two rolled away, but Clora gained the upper hand and flipped the soldier on her back.

The possessed girl screamed. Her pupils trembled as she fought back, snarling like a wild animal.

"Captain!" Agents 1 and 2 cried out. The latter busted out her trusty charger and fired her special low-tide ink at the Octoling. She managed to fire one shot before she, too, was tackled out of the way by one of the other captives.

"I got her!" Agent 1 raised her roller like a hammer and bashed the Octoling's head in, effectively getting her off her cousin.

The last captive tried to attack, but Clora was quicker and kicked her in the chest.

"They've gone rouge," she stated. "Agent 2, knock them out. I'll give you a shot."

Marie got into position. The one Callie handled was quickly rendered unconscious. Then, she immediately dealt with the last attacker and hurried to the Captain's side.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"They lost the fight," Clora cupped her chin. "Mentally, they gave out, and the fuzzy ooze repossessed them," she growled, hating the circumstances, "we need the boys here. Still no word?"

The cousins shook their heads.

Clora wanted to scream. Things were quickly falling apart. They couldn't assemble the treasure, the ex-captain was in grave danger, and their other agents were probably assassinated in their sleep.

"No," Clora patted her cheeks, "don't think like that. Our boys are tough. They're warriors."

They had complete faith in the guys. It would be harder to get the drop on them in their home territory, especially when one of the boys was a trained soldier like Agent 3. He was practically an assassin. Luke was hardened by the battles in the desert, and Zane had incredible instincts. His speed was always better than the other two. Luke was strong and had strength in waves. Syrus was otherworldly dexterous. Combined, they were the dream team.

While strategizing, the ladies saw someone emerge from the drain, but their physical features were masked under the blanket of night.

"Freeze!" Clora demanded, pointing her Hero Shot at them. "State your business!"

But there was no response. The figure approached the camp despite the captain's threats, and there was a wobble to their rhythm. They reached out, and a strained cry vibrated in the air, but nothing happened. They were suddenly forced into the fake snow by another mysterious figure and passed out.

"Nulla effugium (There is no escape.)"

The artificial moon bathed the two in its sheen and shed some light on their identities.

Callie gasped, "Agent 3!" and ran up to him. "You're okay!"

She froze in place, feeling an invisible force keeping her from giving the agent a much-needed hug. Syrus rose, but the look on his face was a far cry from the expression the girls were used to seeing. Syrus's face contorted with a terrifying expression of rage as he stood. His normally calm and composed features twisted into a mask of fury. His eyes, once serene and calculating, now blazed with an intense fire. Veins stood out on his forehead and temples, pulsating with the rush of anger coursing through him.

His jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles in his cheeks and neck bulged, and his teeth were gritted with a force that seemed capable of shattering steel. His nostrils flared, drawing in quick, shallow breaths, as his chest heaved with each angry inhalation. Syrus's hands trembled with the intensity of his emotions, and his fists clenched and unclenched as though he were ready to strike out at any moment. A deep, guttural growl rumbled in his throat, a sound that hinted at the primal depths of his fury.

The combination of his twisted facial features, blazing eyes, and tense body language made it clear to the girls that Syrus was a force to be reckoned with in this moment of unbridled rage. Agent 1 wisely took a step back, realizing the danger that Syrus represented in his current state.

"Are you okay?" Marie asked, wisely choosing to keep some distance.

"This one broke into my apartment," he growled back. "Unfortunately for her, Ken and I have good danger senses, but even worse, she went for my sister."

The female agents inspected the Octoling and saw the number of bruises and lumps Syrus left behind. He didn't just try to disarm her, he tried to take her life.

"How is everything here?" the male agent inquired.

"Awful," Clora brought Agent 3 up to speed.

Syrus tied up the robber and the three bodyguards. He came to the same conclusion as Captain Clora and thought it best to keep them all restrained until further notice.

"I have to go back for my little sister. Our home is no longer safe. I'll grab Zane and Luke while I'm out."

"I don't have to tell you this, but be careful," Clora advised. "There may be more waiting for you."

"They're the ones who need to be careful," he countered. "I also believe you three should head up to the surface as well. If the enemy can get up there, the ones down here may congregate closer to base. On the surface, you have the higher ground."

It was a valid point to consider. If the forces were moving, it was best to relocate.

"What about the treasure?" Agent 1 asked. "We need it to rescue Gramps."

"We have to stay and get it assembled," Clora stated. "Agent 3, hurry and get the boys. Take care of your sister, bring her here if you have to, just hurry."

The Phantom nodded and vanished in a blur. When he arrived back at Splatsville, he immediately rushed back to his apartment. He didn't care about who attacked or for what reason. Maya's safety was his primary concern. Super jumping would be the most efficient method, but he was too tired to execute one. His shift at Grizzco was another hard one, and he didn't end up returning home until a little after midnight. At best, he received an hour of sleep if not any before his senses went off, and the adrenaline of what happened was the factor keeping him going.

Things were quiet as he traversed the streets. There were Splatlandians here and there, hanging out, and enjoying the nightly ambiance, but when Syrus sped by, they thought it was just the wind and ignored him. He climbed the stairs leading to his apartment, keeping his ears and eyes peeled for any changes as he blended into the darkness. He was but a specter gliding through the shadows, and everyone was under his suspicion.

Back at the secret agent's home, his younger Inkling sister was sitting patiently in the living room with Ken the Smallfry keeping a vigilant eye on her and a newly obtained Mini-Splatling sitting beside her. She was still shaken up by the confrontation and grew more restless by the second.

A random assailant snuck into her room, grabbed her by the neck, and put a shooter to her head. She looked death in the face, unable to breathe or speak. She tried to call out for her brother, but the words never came out. She was scared.

To her relief, Maya's brother burst into the room just in time and disarmed the assailant. There was a struggle, and Syrus was easily dominating, but the marauder threw an object at Maya to distract him and escaped his clutches. Ken saved her, but Syrus had the look of a murderer on his face. With an authoritative command, he told Maya to pack a bag and grab her new Mini-Splatling to take with her. The implications were clear.

The complex wasn't safe at the moment. She had to be taken somewhere else until the heat died down.

Ken perked up and let out a gentle mewl. He smelt his caretaker returning.

"Syrus," Maya called out.

"I'm here," the secret agent crossed the room and brought his baby sister into a tight hug. "Are you two okay?"

"We're good."

"Waaah."

Syrus nodded. "Alright, you have enough with you?"

"Yeah, but, bro, where are we going at this time of night? I'm not walking to Isabella and Sophia's place."

"Don't worry, you're not," Syrus left to grab his gear. "I can't take you to Zane or Luke's either!"

He came back quickly with his Tri-Stringer and agent outfit, minus the shades. Maya never saw him with such gear and complimented him on how cool he looked.

"That Octoling was after me, which means Luke and Zane may be in danger too. Once I drop you off, I'm going to check on them. Are you ready? Our destination isn't too far."

"I guess, but what's going on? Why would someone be after you guys?"

The elder brother sighed and ushered the girl out the door. He triple-checked everything. Windows were locked, and the front door was secured before he rejoined her in the nightly air.

"Zane, Luke, and I have been dealing with some shady stuff ever since we found that old man in the sewer," he told her. "We stumbled across something big. Seems someone doesn't like us getting too close and wants to take us out of the picture. We don't know who, but I'm going to figure it out."

"Serious enough to wanna kill us?" Maya asked.

"You'd be surprised, which is why I'm getting you out of here," he took her by the hand and dragged her away from the complex. "It was clear they were willing to eliminate you too. I cannot let you stay here knowing your life is in jeopardy."

"You never said where we're going though. It's the middle of the night. Everyone we know is asleep."

"I know someone who lives in Shoal Heights," he answered. "If I explain, I know she'll accommodate."

"She?"

Shoal Heights was located in the upper-middle part of Splatsville. The complexes were shorter than the apartments in Syrus' neighborhood, but the people were more well-off compared to average Splatlandians. It was about a fifteen-minute walk from their apartment. Granted, Syrus was hurrying the girl along. The entire time, Ken kept his nose working. No threats followed them, but the whole situation left the Salmonid feeling anxious.

Maya whistled at the cleanliness of the neighborhood.

"Our apartment is so cluttered," she commented. "You think anyone heard the noise?"

"I don't doubt it. There will be a segment on the Splatcast; I know it. Also, isn't lugging that Mini-Splatling better for you than the Hydra?"

Maya puffed her cheeks out. "Don't disrespect the Hydra. That baby has gotten me through a lot."

"Maya, that thing is bigger than you are."

"And I carry it like a boss."

"Still makes you an easy target. I don't see the appeal."

"Destruction, carnage, power, and satisfaction. It's like Luke when his Splatana revs up. You become the terror."

"I'll stick with my Tri-Stringer."

The siblings searched the grounds for a building labeled F.

"You can't stick with one class, bro. You gotta branch out."

"I'm proficient with a Splatana as well, and for simplicity's sake, I use a Splattershot too."

They found the complex building and climbed the stairs until they found room number 333.

"Are you going to tell me who you're dumping me on?"

"First, don't even think like that," Syrus warned her. "You know how I am. I'm not leaving you at home where you can be targeted. Second, you're only staying here until the trains are running, in which I will escort you to Isabella and Sophia's house. You will stay there."

As he said this, he continuously knocked on the door, not caring if he was disturbing the entire building. He wanted his sister safe.

"I'm going to owe her so many favors."

"Who is she?"

After a few seconds of repetitive knocking, the occupant thrust open the door with a scary scowl on their face, but Syrus remained steadfast while Maya shrunk back a little and offered the familiar female Inkling an apologetic smile. It made sense now.

"Do you have any idea what time it is, Hotshot? I have a morning Splatcast to do in a few ho-."

"Our apartment was broken into, and Maya almost died," Syrus interrupted her.

This proved to be effective. Frye, who left much to the imagination with her attire, stopped scowling and raised a brow. She was clothed, to Syrus' relief, but it was only a tank top and underwear. Had the situation been a lot more casual, Syrus would have been flabbergasted.

"…Huh?" Frye squeaked.

"I'm sorry for waking you up. I know, I'm pushing my luck, but this is an emergency. Someone snuck into our apartment trying to take me out and went for Maya. Luke and Zane might be targeted, and I refuse to let Maya stay there right now. All I ask is that you let her stay here until the trains are running, and I'll take her to her friend's house when it's daytime. Please, Frye."

The ebony girl of Syrus' dreams leaned against the door frame. This was the last thing she expected to wake up to. To hear the desperation in Syrus' voice worried the idol to her core. She had never seen the dark-skinned Octoling so angry. As a fellow elder sibling, she could relate. If any of her siblings were in danger, she would go off the deep end too. The unbearable desire to protect one's younger siblings was strong in both. She couldn't shy them away in their hour of need.

"Say no more," she agreed, "she's more than welcome to crash here."

A massive weight fell off Syrus' shoulders in that instance.

"Thank you, Frye. You have no idea how grateful I am."

"Thanks, Frye," Maya beamed.

"Sure thing, little firecracker. Come on in and relax. I gotta talk to your brother right quick."

Syrus hugged his sister. "I'll be back by nine. Try and get some rest," he kissed the top of her head.

"Be careful, Syrus. Don't do anything stupid, please."

Syrus snorted at the comment. Even Ken chuckled.

"Stupid? Everything I do is calculated. You know that."

Maya wasn't convinced. She knew there was a lot more to her brother's story, but she kept her thoughts to herself and headed inside Frye's home.

"I love you," she told her brother.

"I love you too. Behave. Don't be bragging."

Maya stuck her tongue out. "No promises."

The idol giggled at the two and closed the door after Maya disappeared inside. She stood outside with Syrus.

"Thank you," he stated. "I mean it."

Frye swallowed the lump in her throat and hugged him back with a surprising amount of affection.

"I know how you feel," she replied. "I'd be ballistic too. How many robbers?"

They separated, already missing the warmth of each other's heat.

"Just one, and Luke and Zane might be in a similar situation. I have to go help them."

"Did you sleep?" she asked, looking closely at Syrus' face. It was hard to tell with the lack of lighting, and Syrus' fury concealed it extremely well.

"I didn't. I got home a little bit after midnight," he answered, "but that's not important. I have to get going. Where does Shiver live? Luke is probably with her."

She knew there was no use in trying to calm him down.

"…High-Rise Tide, twenty-minute walk at best."

Syrus turned to leave, but his hand was grabbed and pulled back. The dim lighting made it difficult to discern the details of their expressions, but a sense of urgency and concern filled the air.

"I'm not going to stop you. Just be careful, please."

Frye hugged him with a surprising amount of affection and headed back inside her apartment, but as the door closed slowly behind her, she and Syrus exchanged one last look before the door obstructed their view.

"Right," Syrus vanished from his spot. "Zane is closer. I'll get him first. Sit tight, Ken. There's going to be a lot of movement."

He crossed Eeltail Alley, where he heard commotion already brewing. The sound of gunfire and the heavy thud of ink painting the ground rang out. He quickly picked up his pace, his senses on high alert as he made his way through the alley with his Tri-Stringer in hand.

"Seems to be only one."

He followed the loud sounds and eventually found the green-haired Inkling boy taking heavy fire from his assailant. The boy hid behind one of the walls, trying to stay out of sight, but his attacker didn't let up. Zane was unarmed and unable to move from his position.

Syrus charged forward, jumped on one of the elevated platforms, and leaped into the air.

He shouted, "Zane!" and fired a few shots to distract the assailant.

Agent 7, glad to see his friend alive, nodded and powered up into Hyper Flux. He was a bolt of green light appearing before the attacker, tackling them to the ground, and knocking their weapon out of their hand. From above, Syrus hit the headshot for an instant knockout and tied them up.

Now safe, Zane powered down and clasped his best friend on the shoulder.

"Dude, I am so happy to see you," he yanked him into a brief hug. "I knew you'd be okay, but I still got nervous."

He saw the livid expression and shuddered from its intensity.

"I'm glad to see you too," Syrus returned the hug. "It's bad. I had to leave Maya with Frye. She was attacked too. Luke may be with Shiver; I'm not sure, but she lives at High-Rise Tide. Captain Clora and the girls are fine, but I told them to move elsewhere just in case."

Zane's world was spinning.

"That's nuts. I'm glad the princess is okay. I was asleep when I was attacked. I woke up being strangled and hit the robber with my lamp. I didn't have time to gear up and ran out the door. Hold on, I'll be right back."

He powered up again and sprinted back home. Half a minute passed, and Zane reappeared in front of Syrus in his hero gear.

"Yeah, I see all the missed calls from Callie. I'll deal with that later. What's the game plan?"

"Go to High-Rise Tide and look for Luke," Syrus covered his face and sighed. "Frye didn't give me specifics."

"No prob, I'll go check it out. With my speed, I should be able to find them."

"I'll see if he's at his place then," Syrus hefted the assassin over his shoulder. "We'll regroup at Alterna."

Zane saluted and let his tentacles glow.

"Ten-four. Be careful."

The two bumped fists.

"You too."

Zane took off, his hyper state allowing him to run at incredible speed. Syrus watched him disappear into the distance as a green blur before turning to head in the opposite direction.

As the agent of speed reached the High-Rise Tide apartments, the towering skyscrapers loomed over him, and the bustling city came alive with its neon lights and constant activity. The Square wasn't nearly as busy this time of night. Zane knew that finding Luke in this labyrinthine metropolis wouldn't be easy, but he was determined to track down his friend.

"I don't even know where to start."

He went around the neighborhood, asking anyone crazy to be out this late if they knew where the shark mistress lived. However, no one was keen on giving a random stranger Shiver's whereabouts. They respected her too much to let some crazed-looking fanboy intrude on her privacy and slumber.

Of course, Zane couldn't tell them she may be assassinated, so he stuck to his speed. Seeing him run did take everyone by surprise as they never saw an Inkling run that fast. However, he was gradually approaching his limit. No one gave him the info he needed, and his body was starting to give out.

"Come on, is it too hard to throw a squid a bone?"

He paused to catch his breath and powered down. He couldn't risk passing out at a critical time. His body reached the threshold to stay standing.

"Okay, what now?"

"Looking for someone?"

Zane snapped his head up. He thought it might have been Luke but it wasn't. He was half right though and smiled at his friend's other half.

"Shiver, thank Cod. Where's Luke? Is he with you? And why are you coming back from MakoMart?"

The blue-haired female Octoling was dressed in shark PJs with a bag in her hand and sipping on orange juice.

"He's sleeping," she smirked. "We kissed and made up. Also, you don't ever decide that you need nachos and orange juice at 3 AM?"

"Orange juice, definitely, but paired with a crab burger instead. A crab burger at 3 AM hits differently," he chuckled and then got back to business. "Shoot, my bad. We have a problem. Assassins broke into our apartments."

Shiver quirked a brow.

"Assassins?"

"Syrus' little sister almost died."

She nearly spat out her juice. She remembered the energetic little girl and her friends from the other day. They were a good bunch.

"What?" her anger surfaced.

"Syrus took her to Frye's place, but we have to get Luke and head to Alterna. Take me to him. He might be in trouble."

Shiver nodded, her expression now deadly serious.

"You go ahead. I'll make sure he gets there."

"Okay."

She watched him leave and hurried back to her room. The gravity of the situation settled over her. Shiver, normally composed and confident, now wore a determined frown, her usual playfulness and charm replaced by a steely resolve. Her apartment, normally a haven of peace and comfort, was now the site of a tense confrontation.

The enemy was going on the offensive.

When she arrived, she heard a muffled but familiar voice inside. She unlocked the door and slowly pushed it open. The lights were turned on and a figure paced back and forth. Shiver's heart raced as she realized that their concerns about assassins had hit home. Luke, her Amado, was sound asleep when she stepped out. For him to be awake and moving urgently, the situation was exactly as Zane described.

"Amado," she opened the door fully and saw Luke getting ready for battle. "Assassins."

"Detrás de mí (Behind me)." His voice was steady as he spoke, his tone mirroring the urgency of the situation.

Shiver carefully approached to get a better look. The Octoling, though fuzzy, disoriented and unconscious, seemed relatively unharmed. Luke's Splatana Stamper held them in check, ensuring they couldn't escape or pose a threat if they woke up earlier than intended. It was a testament to his combat prowess, and Shiver silently appreciated his quick thinking.

"What did you do?"

As she examined the room, Shiver noted the absence of any signs of struggle or disruption. It was as if the intruder had infiltrated her apartment with stealth and precision, leaving no trace behind. The tidiness of the space stood in stark contrast to the chaos that the situation represented.

"Gut punch. She had no idea I could break bricks. Woke up and used our secret message, but when they didn't respond, I figured something was wrong."

Shiver smirked. "Nicely done."

She and Luke exchanged a meaningful glance, a silent acknowledgment of the mounting dangers that encircled them. The bigger enemy was indeed going on the offensive, and they needed to stand united and vigilant to face the threats that loomed in the shadows.

"I met Zane," she told him everything she knew. "He wants you to meet them in the Crater."

A dangerous glint glossed over Luke's eyes at the mention of Maya's condition. It was nowhere near the level of rage Syrus had, but as her brother in all but ink, Luke wouldn't take the news lightly.

"Right. I just saw the missed calls from your new big sis."

Luke lifted his heavy Stamper off the captive and threw her over his shoulder.

"Do you want to go to Frye's place?"

Shiver sighed. "Might as well," and went to get dressed. "Those nachos will have to wait I guess."

Xxx Bolero xxX

Agents 1, 2, and Captain Clora were glad to see the boys alive and well. The leader of the NSS stood before her squad and made sure everyone was on the same page.

Former Captain Cuttlefish was last reported active, but his exact whereabouts on the launch site remained unknown. He got separated from DJ Octavio during their escape, and the big bad has their sights on him.

The fuzzy bodyguards lost the mental struggle and succumbed to the ooze's influence once again. In addition, more of the possessed Octolings have breached the surface. Splatsville was no longer safe for the boys. With fuzzy Octarians hiding in plain sight, their lives would be at constant risk. Granted, their city was always in chaos, but the dangers were heightened.

Thirdly, the magnum opus of the enemy was about to begin, and the NSS had yet to assemble the treasures to bypass the ooze wall. All they knew of the grand plan was the vague speech the enemy gave over the communicator.

"The world will go back to the way it was."

No one had an idea what that meant, but regardless, the scheme needed to be stopped.

Lastly, the group was concerned about Agent 3. The aura he generated was so powerful that the pressure around him was suffocating. It was natural for a brother to worry about his sibling, and the situation worsened with fuzzy Octolings mingling in the streets. The ooze was spreading. Their one goal was to prevent the fuzzy ooze from getting into the city. They failed.

"Agent 3," Callie spoke up. "If you don't mind me asking. How did you and your sister meet? You said she was your adopted sister, so…"

She thought a little reminiscing would do wonders for the agent. He was being overloaded.

Syrus caught on to her plan. He sighed.

"I mentioned how I used to live in Inkopolis for a brief period, right?"

She nodded in response. "I remember. Why did you decide to move?"

"I didn't hate the place. I did have a couple of acquaintances I liked talking to. The people were nice, and the amenities were great, but I missed the harshness of the Octarian military."

Clora focused on that last part. "Really?"

"Strange, I know, but combat is what I know best. The hustle and bustle of the city didn't appeal to me. I needed something more, and when I heard about Splatsville from some passersby, I wanted to check it out. I saved up enough money and made the journey here. However, the last bus wasn't operational at the time, so I had to rough it the rest of the way."

Luke sucked in some air. The scorching heat of the Splatlands was no laughing matter. He had the unfortunate fate of seeing some fellow Chasers meet their end in the desert. It wasn't just the harshness of the sun and the brazen wasteland. Ferocious creatures prowled the land for unsuspecting prey. Normal cephalopods would not survive the trip. Back then at least. Now, the new Hammerhead Bridge, buses, and trains extended to Inkopolis for safer travel.

"Great job on surviving," he commented.

Syrus let his teeth show. "Thanks, I had a few close calls. Although, when I first set foot in town, a lot of people were giving me the stink eye," he looked at Zane specifically, much to the girls' shock.

"Hey, an Inkadian trespassing on our turf? Ain't no way we're just gonna let you waltz in without teaching you how things operated around here, and it's not like I was the one who targeted you. I had some respect."

Syrus chuckled. Callie's plan was working. It was nice to hear him laugh.

"Oh, believe me, I learned, and in return for the hospitality, I demonstrated why a soldier never forgets his training."

Zane put his hands behind his head. "That was awesome. I had to approach ya after that display. Deep Cut wasn't deep in the game yet either. When you first got here, they were still interns, and we barely got Turf Wars up and running. Maintenance problems after problems I tell ya."

"I remember," Luke smiled fondly. "The Battle Lobby was a war zone for a long time."

"That's where I met my little firecracker of a sister," Agent 3 continued. "I volunteered to be part of the weapon test group for the Stringer class. Subsequently, that's where I met Luke."

The agent of strength slung an arm over his shoulder.

"Yep, and we took to each other like a Smallfry to food. I was in the Splatana test group and my excitement was unrivaled."

"After one of my evaluations, I noticed a little girl being harassed by a boy around her age. She was yelling at him to stop pulling on her hair, but he wasn't listening. I was about to intervene when the girl's hair flared red and she decked the boy square in the face."

They all shared a laugh.

"She ran away, but it wasn't the last time I saw her."

"Her hair," Marie interjected, "you said it flared red? Like, it changed colors?"

"Crazy, right?" Syrus confirmed with a curt nod. "Maya's hair is special. It changes colors depending on her mood. When she's mad, it turns dark red."

"That's cool," the cousins commented.

"Unfortunately," Syrus' glare returned, "a lot of the kids thought so too." His tone became more somber.

The female agents already had a good idea of what happened.

"She was bullied, wasn't she?" Clora pointed it out.

Syrus confirmed with another curt nod, replying, "I've never seen kids that eager to pick on someone."

"They can be nasty little cretins," Marie spat out, making Agent 3 laugh harder. He had never heard such disdain from Agent 2 before. "I'm sorry, but a lot of kids are just awful."

"As someone who took care of a little cretin, I agree. Maya's a good girl, but I swear she gets her stubbornness from someone else."

He shrugged his shoulders, but everyone was looking at him with an expectant gaze.

"I know what you're all thinking, and my response is a scoff. I'm not stubborn. I'm focused."

"Sure, Neo," Callie grinned.

"Anyway," the Octoling cleared his throat. "The bullies wanted to see how many colors Maya's hair could change. Bright tints for positivity and dark shades for negativity. Yellow for cheerfulness or stress, blue for tranquility or sadness, and red for excitement or anger just to name a few. She's a natural turquoise."

"Awful," Clora shook her head in disappointment. "Kids, man."

"Yeah, I didn't like the bullies either and decided to assert my dominance. I fired a warning shot."

"Ooh, what did you say? I know you had a cool one-liner," Callie's eyes sparkled with childlike glee.

Syrus scratched the back of his head. Thinking about it now, it was a horrible introduction.

"I don't know. It wasn't that good."

"That makes it all the better," Marie urged him on. "I want to hear peak Syrus."

The agent calmed his nerves and steeled his gaze.

"It's a beautiful day outside," he said and aimed his Tri-Stringer at the three femme fatales. "In fact, days like this are a great opportunity for slaughter."

More snickering filled the camp. Callie was about to lose it.

"Also note, Maya was no more than six when I found her, barely scraping by until I offered her a home. Her bullies were bigger than her, but she could punch like a champ. It took some convincing. She can be annoyingly stubborn like I said, but I got through to her eventually. Now she is full of life, has great friends, loves flowers, and has a crazy obsession with Deep Cut and their soulmates."

The group applauded the captain's successor.

"You're a good brother," Callie complimented. "Maya is a maiden of love. I bet she's worried her workaholic brother isn't putting himself out there. She wants to find a girl who can take care of him."

Syrus regretted comparing them.

"And make lots of cute babies."

Syrus definitely regretted comparing them.

"You two would get along swimmingly."

After he bared his soul and let the weight of his story out, a gentle lethargy crept over him. His eyelids, once alert and wide, began to droop as if weighted down by the emotional release. He tried to fight it, but his body shut down, unable to muster the strength to continue working. As if a soothing tide of exhaustion washed over his body, Syrus fell to the ground, and his comrades and pet Smallfry gathered around him in a panic. Releasing the accumulated emotions, he was gently ushered into the comforting embrace of tranquil slumber.