*An explosion rocks Slimeskin Garrison sending everything crashing to the ground and from the smoke emerges an endless flood of Sanitized Octolings spreading out faster than their gaunt frames allow. A firefight breaks out between the two opposing forces, but the sheer number of the enemy overwhelms the small company of soldiers who quickly call for backup and soon an alarm is rung and all within Octo Canyon are on high alert. *
Surrounded on all sides against a group of these things I ready my carbon roller for the incoming attack "assimilation through destruction, we will all be made whole" the group's crackly monotonous voice sounds in unison before two of the them begin their assault. Dodging the first claw swipe, I counter with a swing my roller which easily decapitates the first only to duck under the lunge of another I bring the roller up to bisect it causing the remainder of the Sanitized Octolings to circle around me once again "what're they doing?" scanning the group for any signs of movement
Four of the attackers suddenly launch themselves at me "so they were strategizing" Raising my roller in a defensive position for the oncoming onslaught a single shot kills the entire row of enemies before me "you okay Bowie?" a voice calls out to me "yeah I'm fine how're the others?" my savior Sina, the sniper on our team, her gleaming red eyes cutting through the dim light "they've been kidnapping and dragging away those caught in the cross fire"
we make our way towards former King Octavio's palace where another one of our teammates, a mountain of an Octoling, Walter is shielding the front gates from the hoard of Sanitized Octolings from attacking the escaping populace behind him "let's give the big guy a hand" I say to Sina and we split off Sina towards high ground and me charging into the hoard to thin the numbers
"Oh! *grunt* hey Bowie thanks *grunt* dammit! for saving my ass I'm pinned down here these guys are relentless" Walter says between grunts the constant pounding on his shields taking a toll on his stamina "Yeah Sina filled me in on the situation how's the evacuation going?" cleaving through Sanitized Octolings while Sina snipes those trying to climb over him into the windows giving Walter time to breathe
"*huff* where are the escape pods being sent too?" taking a second to catch my breath "they're being launched to Tentakeel Outpost awaiting further instructions Lt. Kokoro and his Splatoon are protecting them" explaining all the information on hand Walter rests the weighty shields on the holsters on his back "first King Octavio steps down after losing Callie and now this? This is madness… I'll go check for survivors' you guys should get out of here too before more of those things show up"
Picking up my roller from the ground I begin to walk off before Sina stops me" hold on now what about you? We don't know the full extent the Sanitized Octolings capabilities AND Xavier's MIA going out alone is far too risky" voicing her concerns "if more of those things come back go without me you don't need to risk your life for me not when you can do more for those stuck at the Outpost. I'll meet you at the Outpost ok" before Sina gives another word Walter places a large hand on her shoulder "be careful out there and keep an eye out for Xavier" leading Sina back to coax more scared Octolings into the pods and I make my way through the Octopark towards the smoldering remains of Communications Research Center.
…
Reaching the collapsed front doors of the Communications Center I begin to carefully remove the heavy debris clearing a path to the inside "hopefully there are survivors in here… please let there be" stepping inside the dimly lit building sparks flitting all around me the once bustling halls scientists running amok with the latest breakthroughs and their excited fast talking about how they came to the conclusions filled the halls at all hours of the day… now its all quiet and the silence is unnerving.
Turning down numerous halls finding no trace of survivors anywhere I'm all but ready to turn back when the sound of footsteps patter behind me "show yourself!" getting into a defensive stance with the roller tight to my body in case of a sudden attack. Anticipating an attack in an enclosed space has me on high alert now knowing I'm no longer alone in the building I slowly creep my way out of the open cross section into one of the hallways when a small autobomb sprints out of the darkness towards me!
Backing away from the running bomb only to step in enemy ink "…oh this is an ambush" turning around to see a splat bomb flying towards me in a pincer attack, thinking quickly I bat the splat bomb back towards the unseen attacker using the momentum of the swing to ink a trail towards them I swim towards the attacker using the flash of the explosion to pin the assailant down with the edge of my roller "don't move!" I shout at the squirming mass beneath me
"ARGH! GET OFF ME!" the youthful voice shouts back "you're not one of them?" I question keeping the pressure on the roller "wha-NO! I thought YOU were one of them that's why we attacked you" that word we echo in my mind turning behind me only to be met staring down the barrel of a blaster "put your weapon away. Final warning" a deep feminine voice commands "alright, alright I put mines away releasing your friend and you lower yours, deal?" raising my free hand above my head in a surrender gesture the blaster is slowly lowered and I collapse my roller
"Damn about time Camille this psycho woulda killed me 3 times already before you even pulled up!" "that's your fault for leaving yourself open for counterattack after throwing the bomb Persephonie luckily the attacker wasn't one of those things coming to finish the job" Camille responds while Persephonie fumes "alright we seem to be at an understanding, I'm Bowie by the way I came looking for any survivors to lead to the escape domes heading toward Tentakeel Outpost" interjecting their argument to get my mission back on track
"there's only the 3 of us left in the entire building everyone either ran when the bombings started or were taken by those things, our sister is unconscious and we couldn't leave until she recovered" Camille explains "I see take me to her I'm getting you guys out of here and to safety I don't think our little spat attracted more of the Sanitized Octolings but I'd rather not stay and find out" Persephonie walks ahead and beckons me with a 'follow' me gesture as we start towards the fallen sister.
Making our way deeper and deeper into the recesses of the Communications Building I talk with the 2 sisters learning that they are the rather famous 'Warrior Sisters' a clone of General Octavia* each sister taking a different aspect of the warrior, 1 soul split into 3 different people. "How far were you guys in, I don't think I've ever been to this wing of the building before" I sigh after rounding another corner and heading through yet another lab "this part of the Lab is called the Examination Chamber where Ophelia usually is, she's a researcher and we came to rescue her when the attack started" Camille explains idly picking up a checkboard as we walk by
"we're here hopefully Ophelia's awake" Persephonie quietly says opening a side door to a ruined backroom. Walking inside the once stable shelves now lay strewn across the floor boxes filled with various papers and books now emptied in heaps and in the corner on a makeshift bed barely lit by the flickering fluorescent light lies an Octoling slowly breathing but motionless bandages wrapped around her head resting under different circumstances one might even find the scene peaceful.
"When the bombs struck, we found her buried under all the debris shaken from the shelves, she's been like that for hours now we can't leave her not even when everyone else begged us or when those, what did you call them? Sanitized Octolings? We fought them off, but until she comes to, we're stuck here" Camille states placing a hand on Ophelia's shoulder eliciting a small reaction out of the unconscious girl
"if it's alright with you two I can carry your sister and you can watch my back we have orders to get any survivors to the outpost safely for further instructions" offering my aid to the 2 sisters who mull it over "we don't have any other option it's a miracle someone even came back for us" Persephonie sighs "I agree, be very careful with her we don't know how injured she is I did all I could with what I know" Camille warns "I will" taking care not to disturb the comatose Octoling while I gingerly lift the girl supporting her head with my shoulders "I'm ready when you are, please lead the way" I say to which the two sisters nod.
*General Octavia(no relation)- A lone warrior during the time of the great turf war known for being a one woman squad, she was unstoppable force of nature with a habit taking enemy medals and bamboozlers as trophies of conquest until one day she vanished, some say she died in combat while others believe she's still alive.