Splatoon: The Brothers and the Others
Slackers!
"While the relations between Octarians and Inklings are stable, we still can't count out the fact that we have very little land left to live on." DJ Octavio spoke up.
A congregation of Octolings, Octotroopers, and one spritely Octocopter sat at a large, ovular table in the middle of their briefing room. The Octarians murmured among themselves in agreement, Aussie with her Octoling Goggles attached staring at everyone intently, looking from each concentrated face in the room. Octavio cleared his throat.
"Obviously, with tensions still way high, we won't be able to get anywhere. Ironically, the one thing keeping us from possible further conflict are the rocks surrounding us right now, blocking us from the whole rest of the world." Octavio explained, staring from each face sitting at the table.
Murmurs of solemn agreements went on between the Octarians. Aussie on the other hand tapped her finger impatiently on the table, staring to and fro. The shard embedded in the middle of the table from an earlier accident was still there, and at this point, considered somewhat of a decorative scar in the meeting place. But that was not what Aussie was worked up about. Eventually, her tapping became erratic, and it attracted the attention of everyone in the room.
As she did so, an elderly Octosniper sitting across from her cleared his throat, grabbing her attention. "Excuse me, Aussie."
"Yes General M-45-4?" Aussie spoke up, ceasing her tapping.
The Octosniper cleared his throat again, looking away absentmindedly. "We've uh...decided to do away with codenames."
Aussie scowled, turning to DJ Octavio. He gave a sheepish shrug and smirk. She sighed, General Masa continuing.
"You appear to be rather fond of tapping your finger, there." Masa pointed out, sighing somewhat, "Makes an old octopus wish he had fingers."
Aussie blinked, staring down at the floor in shame. "Apologies General. I've just been waiting for a few others to join us-"
Aussie's voice grew in volume. "AND THEY BETTER JOIN US SOON."
The others murmured among themselves at the Octoling commander's outburst. They looked to one another, Octavio sighing in response. A few seconds later, a pair of Octoling troops came waltzing in.
"Hey Auss." Tai yawned, walking over to the table.
"T-41, C-H1, why are you two late? The meeting has already taken place. You're two minutes late!" Aussie shouted, the other octopuses cringing at her voice.
"Eh, we had stuff to do." Tai said, laying on the side of the walls.
"Yeah." Chi spoke up, mirroring Tai's action with a grin.
Aussie frowned, closing her eyes. "Fine. Take a seat."
"Ooh… Yeah. About that. We have to do something else actually. Busy day." Tai explained, gesturing out the door.
"Really? Well then, before you go, care to explain what you were doing earlier?" Aussie asked, hands on her hips.
Tai sighed. "You know that rebel force Chi used to be a part of?"
"Vaguely, yes." Aussie nodded.
"Well, your's truly-" Tai began.
"And I." Chi added.
"Plus this dynamic chick went in and recruited them all." Tai snickered, the two Octolings giving each other five, "Wasn't easy, but we got it done."
Aussie hummed in acknowledgement. "Sounds satisfactory."
"Welp," Tai stretched her arms, "I think it's about high time me and Chi hit the road, we have something else we need to get done."
"No. Sit down." Aussie demanded.
Chi blinked. "Uh, Auss, we actually really do have to-"
"SIT DOWN." Aussie demanded again.
Without hesitation, Chi swiftly took up a seat, nodding in confirmation. Tai on the other hand, yawned, making her way to the ovular table, sitting right next to Chi, planting her boots on the table. Aussie squinted at her boots irritably, then sighed, pinching her temples.
"I've told you two time and time again. Aside from a few exceptional instances, you constantly shirk your duties and responsibilities for other, trivial things." Aussie scowled.
"It's called 'having a life outside of work'." Tai yawned, "Besides, we already told you we got something done."
At the sound of her umpteetnth yawn, Aussie snapped, standing up, pushing her chair to the side where it clattered on the metal floor. She grew somewhat red as she glared at Tai, who sat contently with her feet still planted on the table, Chi backing away a bit in worry for the sake of her own health.
"Are you implying that I DON'T HAVE A LIFE?" Aussie yelled.
"Well, I mean, you're a year older than me, you have a stable commanding officer job, and yet I still managed to bag a dude before you did." Tai pointed out, "Chill out."
"What does that have to do with anything?! I'm just saying that you need to start taking charge and start getting things done!" Aussie slammed her fist on the table as emphasis.
Chi gulped, stretching out her shirt's collar underneath her armor, her goggle lights on her face blinking. "Hey, you know, I think I'll just sit this out over… Outside."
"You aren't clean either!" Aussie called out. "All you do is follow her around all day!"
"Leave Chi out of this. At least she knows how to have fun." Tai said, sticking her tongue out at Aussie.
The two Octolings (Chi standing nearby silently) continued their bickering. The other Octarians frowned, staring at each other.
"Psst! Octavio, you gonna do something?" An Octotrooper sitting nearby asked.
"Yeah." Octavio cleared his throat.
Robot fists erupted from a kettle in Octo Valley, shaking the platform it smashed out of. Cap'n Cuttlefish, who had a pair of noise-cancelling headphones on, bounced up into the air a short distance, falling back on his raggedy blue couch, sighing.
The entire base shook, silencing the Octolings. Octavio grunted, retrieving the large fists, retracting them into his DJ vehicle.
"Clearly our land shortage isn't the only problem." DJ Octavio frowned, glaring at the three Octolings.
"Hey man, it's not my fault Aussie constantly twists her own panties into knots before putting them on in the morning." Tai sneered.
"The nerve! Octavio, can you believe her? Insulting her commander so shamelessly!" Aussie frowned, hands on her hips.
"Both of you shut up and sit down." Octavio ordered irritably.
The pair of humanoid octopuses blinked. Octavio's gaze never wavered, his brow furrowed tightly. Reluctantly, the two of them took up their seats, sitting down, staring back up at him. Octavio shook his head, the regal golden crown on his head swiveling.
"Now listen. I can't have you two going around, throwing the army into disarray just because you two can't synchronize-"
"Hey!" Tai shouted, "If I can't mess with people with my limited Inkanese, you're not allowed to make DJ references!"
"I was just making a statement!" DJ Octavio shouted in exasperation, "That's besides the point, lately you two haven't been working well. I don't know what it is, I don't know why, and frankly, it's becoming a problem."
The two Octolings grunted. Octavio continued.
"So, for the time being, Aussie, you are going to supervise Tai and Chi for the day." Octavio ordered.
Gritting her teeth, Aussie stared down at the floor, nodding in defeat. Tai on the other hand was still fuming.
"Oh come ON!" Tai shouted, "Dude, we'll never get anything done with Aussie breathing down our necks twenty-four seven!"
Octavio frowned. "You don't get to make orders, Tai. Aussie, make sure she and Chi don't slack off."
That happened to be the final straw for Tai. Growling, Tai lifted her chair, tossing it at Octavio. He narrowly dodged it by ducking, but the painful noise of metal denting behind him had him sweat. Rising, he stared back incredulously, Tai already stomping out of the room. Aussie, still somewhat red in the face from irritation, shuffled out, nothing but business etched on her face. That left the only other Octoling, Chi, alone in the room. She stared up at Octavio, blinking.
"Chi… You've been a bit of a troublemaker in the past too." Octavio sighed, raising a tentacle to his face, "But can you please, for the sake of everyone, keep the two of them in check?"
Chi blinked, lowering her Octoling Goggles from her face. Her eyes were glistening with a hint of wetness, but she nodded regardless. Octavio nodded at her, and with a wave of his metal robot hands, dismissed her. Chi left, sighing in discomfort as she walked behind the metal doorway.
Octavio breathed in, then huffed. "Like I didn't need more trouble."
As Octavio turned his metallic craft, a beeping noise and a flickering light caught his eye. He and the hovering mech began sinking, a bewildered expression on his face as he sank. Smashing into the ground, he groaned, smoke fuming off of the back of his craft, the chair that Tai had thrown tumbling down after him.
"Hey, Auss." Tai spoke up.
"Yes?" Aussie asked.
"When I said that you might be breathing down our necks…" Tai stared away, "I didn't mean literally."
Quite true to Tai's word, Aussie was walking behind Tai, staring her down from the back of her neck. Chi followed behind, occasionally glancing at the two angry Octolings. She followed them as they entered the recreational room of the Octarian HQ, taking up a seat, Aussie still glaring holes in Tai.
"...Mind giving me some space? Geez." Tai scoffed.
"Being rude to your commanding officer is one thing. I can let that slide." Aussie told her through grit teeth. "However, I cannot give you space."
"Why not?! I'm telling you, Chi and I NEED to get out there!" Tai roared.
Aussie sighed, shaking her head. She stood up, sliding her chair underneath the table, and walked over to the counter of a nearby bar, picking up a delicate glass from the counter, walking back over towards Tai and Chi, both eyeing it carefully.
"...What's the glass for?" Chi asked.
"Tai, this is our species." Aussie explained, holding the bottom of the glass, "If you continually put off your work, distract our army with your shenanigans, anything of the sort, well…"
Aussie dropped the glass on the ground, where it shattered easily. Aussie crossed her arms, smirking at Tai. Tai scowled, hopping off her chair, also making her way to the bar. She jumped over the counters in octopus form, shifting back into a humanoid Octoling, searching through glasses, until she finally found a plain, cylindrical glass. Standing up, she searched through the selection of drinks, then turned to the sink. Walking near the sink, she turned on the faucet, water dripping down, and filled the cup. Then she retreated back over the counter and towards the table with the cup.
Aussie arched an eyebrow, Tai smirking. "You see this water? This is you."
Aussie rolled her eyes underneath her goggles. "Oh, please."
"Yep, you're just as boring as water." Tai stated, knocking over the glass, where it fell on the floor, spilling and shattering into pieces.
Aussie sarcastically clapped in the most monotone, slowest fashion possible, Tai sticking her tongue out again. Chi frowned at the two still at it, placing one hand on her cheek. Suddenly, she noticed something peculiar in the glass shards. They were shaking somewhat.
"Uh… Tai? Remember that 'thing' we had to get done?" Chi gulped, still gawking at the glass.
With a sigh, Tai turned to Chi, somewhat confused by her stare directed at the floor. Tai blinked, following her gaze, her eyes growing wide. The glass shards and water continually hopped up and down.
"...Ship. Chi, you get the Octoshots. Aussie, do me a favor and grab some Ink Tanks, will ya?" Tai said, running off.
"Hey! Hold on!" Aussie yelled, following after her.
Chi watched as the two ran out, Aussie practically nipping at her heels each time she ran, attempting to slow her companion down by stepping on the back of her boots. Chi shook her head, then sighed, walking off to get the equipment herself.
Tai poked her head out of the kettle, then promptly leaped out, looking around, alert for any danger, priming her eyes and ears for any suspicious sights and sounds. Then she heard it. It sounded a bit like a thruster.
"Come back here! I'm not finished-" Aussie began as she climbed out of the kettle, then froze.
Tai blinked, then turned around. A floating mech, standing tall over them, flashed a saber made of ink, ink dripping off like sparks off of a fire.
"RETREAT INCONCEIVABLE. PREPARING FOR BATTLE. Goodbye! :3" The Skell said, flashing the triumphant emoticon on its visor.
"...There's your answer for what you asked earlier." Tai grimaced.
The Skell sliced at them, the saber of ink phasing straight through the floating platform, without a scratch. Tai leaped clear, landing safely on her feet, staring up at the Skell. With its one glowing eye, it glared at the two Octolings.
"Holy Mary Mother of Joseph." Aussie muttered, staring up at the Skell.
The Skell made a noise akin to an electronic chuckle, slashing at Aussie, who also jumped away from danger, landing by Tai, the two Octolings adopting battle postures.
"Why is the Skell free again?!" Aussie asked angrily.
"That's what we were trying to tell you! We were trying to recapture the Skell, but YOU didn't want any of it!" Tai shouted in response.
The two Octolings split up, leaping away in different directions as the Skell slashed at them with its glowing saber, still not leaving a single cut in the terrain to their surprise. The Skell continually sliced and diced, hitting nothing but air and ground.
"It keeps missing us!" Aussie yelled. "Why?!"
"How should I know? I never worked on it!" Tai told her.
Aussie frowned. "Well, maybe if you had attended the demonstration-"
"Oh, bleh!" Tai shouted in retaliation, ducking under a swipe.
As the Skell caught nothing but air with its strike, the manhole leading out of the kettle the pair had just left could be heard scraping by the ground. Everyone turned to the noise, Chi climbing out steadily, holding three Octoshot guns and two Ink Tanks using her bare hands, wearing one Ink Tank on her back.
"Hey, I got the equipment! Did you find the Skell ye-" Chi started.
The Skell responded for them, slicing Chi in half. The two other Octolings' mouths gaped open when they saw the blade of light enter Chi from the head-up down to her legs, each staring in terror. Chi blinked.
"Ah?" She muttered.
Suddenly, the weapons and containers she had brought with her separated into two, falling down the hatch, decorating it in shades of violet. Chi blinked, staring down at her skin.
Tai smiled in relief. "Guess it can't cut us, huh?"
Upon hearing that, the Skell tossed away its sword and cracked its metal knuckles. Tai blinked, still smiling, then was met with a brutal slam from the fist of the Skell, tumbling backwards in the dirt, spitting as she landed.
"Cod… Hey! Auss!" Tai spoke up, standing up, "Go get help!"
Aussie nodded. "Affirmative!"
Aussie started for the kettle leading towards the base. The Skell's visor flashed, and the Skell responded by reaching into the kettle. Chi flinched, allowing for an easy capture. As the Skell grabbed her with a fist made of metal, digging into the earth. Chi squeaked, before she was trapped in the Skell's large fist, the HQ kettle destroyed in seconds.
"Ngah!" Chi gasped, attempting to switch out of Octoling form into an octopus, only to be squeezed.
Her goggles popped off her face, falling on the dirt below. Her eyes were wild and frantic, bluish-violet eyes staring at Tai and Aussie in fright. The Skell then proceeded to jet away, its thrusters pushing it away into the distance on a far away floating land mass connected by a string of ink. Tai coughed, shaking her head, getting up shakily, chasing after them slowly.
"AUSS! GO!" She shouted, "Get Splin and Sharq or… Something! Just get help!"
"What?! Visit the surface world?! Are you insane?!" Aussie yelled, her voice wavering slightly.
"I'm going after Chi! If she gets injured, I will be SO MAD." Tai shouted, dashing off.
Aussie reached out for her. With no other words, Tai continued running off, picking up speed. Aussie gulped, turning towards the manhole leading towards the Inkling realm. She was already generally uneasy about Inklings in the first place. But if her comrades were in danger…
Aussie made up her mind. She started for the manhole, determination brewing in her eyes.
"You're goin' to Inkopolis, ain't you missy?"
Aussie flinched, turning to her right. Cap'n Cuttlefish, standing by his derelict, rundown shack stared at her with an old wisdom in his eyes, though the spark of energy flashed from their surfaces. Aussie gulped, swallowing her surprise, then nodded.
"Correct. ...Cuttlefish." She muttered, briefly searching through her memory.
Standing in front of her was an Inkling who helped put down Octarian armies. Of course, not without the biased assistance of Judd the cat, who she vaguely remembered taking a neutral stance early on. How he managed to get the referee on their side was odd. However, if she wanted to assist her companions, she would need to get through. Cap'n Cuttlefish closed his eyes.
"...Young'uns keep growing more daring with every day passin' by. First those squiddos. Then those pair of boys… Even an Octoling?" Cap'n murmured.
Aussie frowned, glancing at the manhole.
"I'm too old to stop ye anyways, lass." Cap'n sighed, "Feh, you darn octopuses and your war tricks…"
"...I'm leaving." Aussie said, walking towards the manhole.
"At least I can say that I've seen a few octopuses with quite a comradeship. Good luck lassie." Cap'n Cuttlefish said, walking back to his shack.
Aussie gulped. Somehow his wish for "good luck" only managed to unnerve her. She stared off into the distance, where Tai continually chased after Chi and the Skell. Tai had fire in her eyes, that much Aussie could tell from that distance. Aussie sighed, shifting into an octopus. She hopped up, into the manhole, sliding through the pipe.
AN: Back to regular plots without any pirates for now! Take a good stretch, pat yourself on the back, you've earned it for reading this far and staying with us. By the by, I'll be working on a Pokkén Tournament story in the time being, so keep your hats on.
Ahem, aside from that, the special tonight happens to be reviews. Served by: Ultrapyre, write n wrong, and CathyMirii.
Thanks Ultrapyre, I suppose having some sort of Aztec-based temple with a magic tentacle hermit living inside is bizarre, but you know, Xarius has got into some rather peculiar situations attempting to locate Pirah. write n wrong, glad you enjoyed the twist! Finally, CathyMirii, sorry, perhaps someday they might unite as family rather then strangers looking for adventure.
Thanks for reading, this is ThePizzaLovingTurtle, off to order a copy of Drawn to Life for nostalgia purposes! See ya.