Splatoon: The Brothers and the Others

Gone Camping

The dank, dark caverns of the kettle rested still, hollow, and nearly silent. The sound of footsteps, and tentacle-steps, against metal kept a continuous rhythm. Upon the ceiling of the cave there laid a large metal tube straightened out. It protruded out from a hole in the cave ceiling out into the rocky caverns.

"Okay, if I remember correctly, when we hit the first turn we're going to want to make a right." Chi's voice echoed out suddenly through the caverns.

"This turn?" Jerry inquired with another reverberation.

They bounced off of one end of the large pipe. The duo let out startled screams as they plummeted, down in a lengthy fall, and landed somewhere ten seconds after their surprise turn. Chi landed down face first with a yelp as Jerry landed next to her with a minor grunt. Chi and Jerry hopped and climbed down through the labyrinth of tubes with the light from the kettle barely illuminating the way. Even with the light they had, needless to say, it was not a pleasant journey downwards.

"Yeah." Chi groaned and rubbed her poor nose sympathetically. A pain flared in her nostrils. She turned to Jerry behind her. "Does anything look broken?"

Jerry squinted through the poor lighting. "Uh…"

"...Actually, never mind, I think I'll be fine." Chi wriggled through the pipe further with her arms.

Jerry blinked in confusion and squirmed forwards. "Wait a minute."

"What is it?" Chi inquired as she crawled forward.

"Why don't you just become an octopus?" Jerry asked in earnest.

"..." Chi bit her lip and gazed up at the ceiling of the pipe as if for an answer out of sheer irritation. It had nothing to reply to her with. Nosy. "...Right."

Bashfully, she slowly morphed into a round octopus, and began to crawl through on her tentacles with Jerry behind her. The sound of suction cups as they crawled through filled the otherwise eerie silence within the vent-like passageway.

"...Chi?" Jerry piped up, paused, and removed his back from the top of the vent. "Really wish my suction cups weren't there." He gazed back ahead. "Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"...Go ahead." She remarked as she glanced down through another stretch downwards.

"Okay, well, what's Ms. Inaba like?" Jerry inquired.

Chi's head rose up sharply and slammed into the ceiling. A ringing noise began hammering about in her ears and for a moment Chi was not sure if it was resounding or if her head was repeating the sound over and over. Eventually it faded away and left her with a slight ache in her head.

"Thhhh..." She inhaled sharply through her octopus teeth. Chi whirled around back to Jerry. "Huh?"

"Sorry…" Jerry shook his head in embarrassment. "You don't have to answer if you…"

"No, it's fine…" Chi sighed and ribbed the top of her head. "Miss Inaba...she was something..."

She glanced around the tube-like structure. Chi squinted her eyes ahead. Moss and weeds sprouted from within cracks within the walls. Chi hopped ahead vigilantly while Jerry followed behind.

"...Oh." Jerry sheepishly admitted as he crawled through. "...Is that it?"

"No, no, it's just that...The day when her leg-" The octopus gulped nervously. "When she was injured she was sort of...scary. I can't remember the exact details…" She shivered and wriggled about. "I just never want to relive it again."

"Sounds rough." Jerry frowned from behind. "Um...so, is it true that...Ms. Inaba's a Great Turf War veteran?"

"That's what they say." Chi sighed and glanced ahead. "I don't know if that much is true."

Jerry frowned and gazed up at the ceiling. "But wouldn't that make her like...a hundred years old?"

"...I guess?" She frowned and continued ahead.

"...So wait…" Jerry sighed and shook his head. "How old is Tai again?"

"Seventeen?" Chi sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "It's only a myth though."

All of a sudden a fragment of the pipe broke off from the ceiling. It fell and smacked Jerry on the head, caused him to recoil, and reach up and rub his head in irritation. At least, that was the plan, until he realized that his dome was protected by a layer of metal. He continued to crawl ahead.

"...I don't think we should question it." Chi frowned and continued to make her way through the pipes.

They crawled forward through the unused, desolate remnants of the paths ahead, the quiet noise of liquid dripping in a rhythmic pattern filling the otherwise silent passage.

"So then…" Jerry frowned and gazed elsewhere. "...What about what Tai said? About you and Ms. Inaba's-"

"I don't wanna talk about it." Chi snapped back. She paused in the middle of the pipes. "Sorry…"

"No, no, it's fine, my fault." Jerry apologized back. "Let's just...keep moving?"

"Yeah…" Chi nodded as she crawled forward and fell through the floor. "Wait, WHAT?!"

Before the two could even blink the pipes they crawled through gave way. With an intense groan and the sound of the decayed pipes splintering the pipes below them split in half and dropped them into the darkness. The both of them began to scream out in surprise but were rudely interrupted by the floor.

"Oof!" They both grunted as they fell onto the ground.

"Ouch…" Jerry muttered with his face in the floor. He lifted his dazed head up. "How many times was that now…?" Wobbly he attempted to stand again. "Chi! Are you okay?."

He glanced ahead of them. Through the dim light they had Jerry could notice the outlines of stalactites as they drooped down from the ceiling. The fangs of rock protruded out throughout the tunnels ahead. Jerry attempted to stand back up on his feet, struggled, and fell back-first onto the stony floors.

"...I wish I had real legs." Jerry muttered in exasperation and lifted his face up from the floor.

"I wish I had brought my goggles." Chi muttered from up ahead.

And I wish I could write better jokes but you don't see me complaining.

At the sound of an alien voice the two octopuses stood, or in Jerry's case sat, and surveyed the cave for the source. It was empty. So they thought.

Jerry shivered and shrunk in towards the earth. "And now I'm starting to hear things."

"No, no, I heard it too." Chi reached back and pat him reassuringly.

"I think that means we're both crazy." Jerry pursed his lips fearfully.

"Well...maybe." She raised her free hand up to her mouth and cried out. "Hey!"

Her shout echoed forward through the caverns and bounced about the walls. She lowered her arm and waited for a response.

But really she was just wasting time.

"There it is again!" Chi's ears pricked up underneath her tentacles. "Who's there?!"

Your friendly neighborhood voice telling you to hush and keep going on.

Chi and Jerry turned to each other with all the hesitation in the world. The Octoling stood up and ambled over towards the other octopus and lifted him up off the ground and gazed forward through the dim caves.

"You're going to trust...that?" Jerry's voice spoke in a quivering tone, as his pupils bounced back and forth in an honest, terrified survey of the cave. "What if it's a trap?"

"...If there were any other Octolings down here I think they wouldn't have taken too kindly to us falling in without an explanation." Chi paused and instinctively shivered at the thought. "We were going that way anyways."

"...Alright." Jerry stared up at the ceiling of the cave worriedly. "You're going to have to help me there though."

"Right." Chi nodded in a sympathetic agreement as she held him in her arms. She took another pause and experimentally called up to the ceiling. "Um...so is there anyone else ahead?"

How should I know? You figure it out.

Chi frowned and pushed ahead through the cave. "That's really helpful."

Through the dim cracks above them streamed thin rays of light. As she trudged, Chi kept cautious, stepping over foreboding dark pebbles and constantly surveying the ground and the tunnels ahead. She followed the pipe on the ceiling throughout the tunnels, scurrying underneath, all while keeping to herself.

Herself and Jerry, to be precise, a thought that popped back into her head when the Octocopter in her arms piped up. "So what was being a rebel like?"

Chi shot a grim look down and outwards. "...Fine."

"Really?" Jerry glanced upwards. "Even if you didn't have insurance? ...Did you?"

"We had a few extra tents." Chi sighed and sidestepped around the rock wall to the right as the pipe above curved through the cave. "Besides that it wasn't so bad...everyone…" She paused. "A lot of them were understanding."

Chi glanced ahead into the cave. A particularly large hole in the ceiling glinted, a stream of sunlight piercing through the emptiness of the cave, granting the weary travelers a surplus of extra light. She and Jerry continued on, stepped into the light, and basked in the warmth.

"They came from places all beaten up and alone." Chi stated morosely. "They knew what it was like. It was like one disorganized family."

"Hmm." Jerry hummed as he stuck one head upwards. He took a peek at Chi and managed a smile. "Hey, did you know we used to be sensitive to light?"

"Did we?" Chi inquired distractedly with a shake of her head.

"Yeah." Jerry nodded somewhat proudly. "I think? Something about a scroll we studied before…"

Chi heaved out a sigh. "Really? I'll have to read it sometimes."

"Then again, I barely see Tai-." Jerry cracked a small smile which began to shrink almost instantaneously.

"..." Chi's shoulders drooped.

"Er..." Jerry began to fret in her arms. "Sorry. I'll just...save it."

"...Let's keep moving." Chi sighed as she stepped out from the natural spotlight.

They continued on through the cave. Chi and the tentacles on her head shivered as she continued on through the caverns. Eventually, after another turn to the left, the pipe above them stopped. Rather, the remains of the end of the pipe drooped sadly off of the ceiling, stuck pointed towards the ground. Chi halted underneath the rusted, ruined pipe, and gulped.

"We're here." Chi commented nervously as she glared ahead.

Jerry blinked forwards and squinted. "...I don't see anything."

"...Look a little closer." Chi nudged him lightly.

Jerry peered forward slightly more. Through the darkness, from the slight slope they stood upon, there laid several discarded tents, capsized and deflated flat on the floor. Sticks and stones of various shapes and sizes cluttered the way ahead. Jerry blinked in surprise and looked up to Chi.

Jerry followed her gaze to the side and recoiled slightly. A worn, ragged flag laid tired and slack across a wooden pole, a crudely drawn Octavio enclosed in a circle with a line dragged across him painted on the front. Chi gazed at the sign and scowled.

"...Why would they put a flag here…?" She asked aloud in a whisper.

"Welcome to the underground!" Tai exclaimed from behind Chi.

She jumped up, away from the flagpole, her arms flailing around in a circle rampantly. Before she could roll off of the slope, Aussie stepped forward, wrapped her arms around her waist, and tugged her away from the edge. Both Octolings sighed in relief and glared at Tai almost simultaneously.

"Sorry, rookie." Tai shrugged her shoulders and nonchalantly ambled on towards the sign. She leaned her right arm underneath the anti-Octavio sign with a grin. "Cool isn't it?"

"It's an absurd insubordination to Octavio. That's what it is." Aussie muttered as she gazed ahead.

Several tents arranged in a disharmonious order littered the wide open cavern. It was not unlike a large room at the Octarian headquarters, but much more boisterous, roomy, and less hollow and metal than the intimidating HQ. One detail synonymous with their HQ and this mosh pit of rebel forces was the noise. Similar to Octavio's rave music Chi recalled, a sort of melody was present in the air, but this was more a chaotic chant between the Octarians present rather than an unorthodox beat with a trance-like sound. Chi felt oddly safe among the crowd of rebels.

"Down with Octavio!" Happened to ring out from the crowd and suddenly Chi did not feel too homely.

"It's a sea of them." Aussie growled, narrowed her eyes, and crossed her arms in a sort of irritated mix between admiration and disgust. "They've evaded our attention for so long and yet there's at least a hundred in one spot."

"I know right?" Tai laughed, reached up to her neck, and took her Octoling Goggles. She wriggled them about her fingerless glove onto her index finger and twirled it about aimlessly. "This is probably the most I've seen. Usually there are only a few dozen. Crazy right?"

"Wait, what?" Aussie's tentacles pricked up as she glared at Tai. "What the shell?! Tai, how long have you known they were here?!"

"Not until this morning." She admitted much to Aussie's confusion. "There's a bunch of these guys all around the valley. Some sit in kettles, others in the valley-"

Aussie's tentacles twitched. "...How long have you been going to these 'gatherings'?"

"Well, usually when I've got nothing to do." Tai shrugged and laughed in her commander's face at the fuming expression Aussie was making. "Pretty cool. They've got a lotta good food- You'd be surprised, the stew they make man…"

Aussie tore off her own Octoling Goggles, slammed them into the ground, and scowled as intense as her lips could frown and as intimidating as her red irises could be. "And YOU didn't say ANYTHING ABOUT IT?!"

Tai shrugged in response. Aussie's grip on her shoulders started to close harder, and just by observing the way her knuckles were vibrating, Chi made mental notes on not disturbing her superior officer.

Much to her surprise, Aussie let go and shut her eyes, and exhaled tiredly. "...Goggles please." Chi perked up and reached down, picked up Aussie's headgear, and offered it to her innocently. Aussie took it gratefully and wrapped it around her face yet again. "Nevermind that. We need to clear this place out."

Aussie suddenly reached down at her belt and grabbed an Octoshot out of its holster. Suddenly Tai popped by her side, reached over, and smacked the gun back away. It slid back behind them into the caves and clattered with the wall at the end, creating a resounding echo.

Aussie's tentacles pricked up like a cactus. "What the SHELL Tai?!"

"Auss, use your head for once, and quit the temper act." Tai chided her and pat her on the head calmly. Small plumes of smoke popped off of Aussie's head as Tai glanced back towards the camp. "There's three of us and-" Tai slowly began to point at each and everyone ahead of them. "...Two, three, at least four. You see what I'm saying?"

"..." Aussie scowled down at the camp. "Octavio gave us a mission."

"A suicide mission. Love 'em." Tai stretched and leaned on the side of the flag pole, reached up, and scrutinized her own fingernails with a strange dedication. "You think they'll bury us together Auss? Ooh."

Aussie shivered slightly. "As disturbing as that is I get your point." She frowned and planted a fist underneath her chin. "...I don't want to leave the rookie with her."

"Ouch. Standing right here Auss." Tai gripped her chest, fell to her knees, and pouted. "You mean you don't trust little ol' me?"

"No." Aussie answered as she peered across the crowd.

"Jerk." Tai huffed back.

After she surveyed the area, Aussie's eyes narrowed, and turned back around. "...Alright Tai." Aussie reaffirmed herself in a tall and strict stance. "It shames me to come to this but I'm going to have to trust you."

"Alright!" Tai clapped her hands together.

"But!" Aussie cried out quickly much to Tai's irritation. "If this ends up anything like the 'prisoner' scandal-"

Chi cleared her throat suddenly. The other Octolings glanced at her curiously as she sat on the ground patiently. For a split-second Chi glanced up from the ground as she sat cross-legged, took note of their gazes, and blushed somewhat. She forced herself to stare back out towards the encampment ahead.

"...It was just getting a little stuffy." Chi answered quietly.

Aussie whirled back on the other Octoling quickly. "If not for me do it for the rookie's sake. Do I make myself clear?"

"Fine, fine, you got my word." Tai spoke up. Before Chi knew it, she found one arm draped over her shoulder, Tai crouching behind her with a grin. "We'll be perfect little angels. Isn't that right Chi?"

"R-Right." Chi spoke and lightly brushed her arm off her shoulder.

"...Alright." Aussie sighed and shook her head. She turned around and started into the cave, but not before she spun once more, an intimately serious expression dead on her face. "Stay here. I'll notify the HQ of how...huge this threat really is."

Tai stuck her tongue out at her much to Aussie's exasperation. With a tired sigh the commander stalked off through the caverns and vanished into the dark quickly. Her footsteps died into the noise of the crowd in the encampment behind the two other Octolings. The Octolings glanced at each other, Tai's impish grin growing ever more mischievous by the second, Chi's unease growing as well.

"...What?" Chi asked as the other Octoling flashed her teeth.

"You ever strip in front of a girl before?" She asked with a snigger in her voice.

Chi's eyes could have burst out through her goggles. "What?!"

"Lemme show you." She spoke in a calm, yet extremely discomforting voice, as she started for her chest-plate straps.

Instantly Chi pivoted around and clamped her hands on her eyes. "No! No thank you!"

"Shh." Chi heard Tai's voice. As well as her chest-plate as it hit the ground. "They'll hear you."

"No! Stop that," She cried out at her, but in a quieter fashion, "Why do you keep teasing me?"

"Teasing you?" Tai was silent among the crowd in the back. She laughed all of a sudden. "No, no, it ain't like that. Although-"

Chi squirmed away from Tai's location and shifted into a small octopus as if to shield herself from her. "Then what are you doing?"

"Turn around and open your eyes, ya nerd." Tai reassured her. "I promise you won't see anything bad. Probably"

Reluctantly Chi swiveled around with her stubby octopus tentacles. She flinched, then sighed in relief, as she noticed Tai with her vest, shorts, and black shots still clothing her. Her Octoling Boots, Armor, and Goggles sat in a disorganized pile at her side behind a rock. Chi blinked in confusion.

Tai rolled her purple eyes. "Listen, if they see us wearing the legion's stuff on us they'll know something's up. This is the best I can manage without looking like a stuffy official."

"But you're still wearing your black vest." Chi pointed out and frowned.

Tai's eyebrows arched downwards. "Is there something you'd rather-"

"No, no, no." Chi cringed and fanned away with her hands. She readjusted her Octoling Goggles flustered. "The vest is fine."

Tai laughed and slapped her on the shoulders. "Your reactions are the best. Might even beat Aussie's." She shrugged and stood up. "Well, suit yourself, if you get found out I ain't gonna run back and get you."

Chi watched Tai stand up and stretch in surprise. "You're not actually going down there?"

Tai turned around with a puzzled pout on her lips. "Yeah?"

"But didn't Au-" Chi paused and bit her tongue. "4U55-13 say not to?"

"Yeah." Tai affirmed and continued down towards the camp pleasantly.

"...oh." Chi sighed and crossed her legs together uneasily. "Okay."

Tai smiled and waved at her happily as she walked up the rocks off further into the cave. "If you want you can come along."

Chi gazed hopelessly at Tai as she descended off into the cave with a cheer. She ran up behind the rock where her gear sat and peered over carefully at the site ahead. Tai whooped and hollered as she ran and was immediately met with a resounding echo from the crowd. The Octoling, for a brief moment, stared down at her equipment then back out at Tai as she frolicked among the pit of other rambunctious Octarians. Chi nervously reached up at her face and removed her Octoling Goggles slowly.

"...Just where do you think you're going, Octavio drone?" She heard a voice boom from behind her.

Chi spun back around towards the cliff gasping for air. Her eyes scanned the rocky mound behind them. She gazed, paranoid, at the tattered flag still up on the pole and still not flying. She sighed in relief as Jerry continued to choke in her grip.

"Oh!" She loosened her grip almost instantly.

Jerry glared up at her and wheezed. "Chi!"

"I'm sorry!" She panicked and shivered frantically. "I just-"

"Never mind me, I don't have a neck to choke! But look!" He pointed his nozzle ahead of them. "Treasure!"

Chi blinked in confusion. "What?"

The Octoling glanced ahead of the both of them. Past piles and stacks of discarded sheets and shattered crates, as disbanded camps standardly have, and noticed a glint among the ashes. A brilliant color peeked out between the dull red folds of a shattered camp tent.

Chi tensed up. "Ah."

"I didn't know you guys had treas-" Jerry froze for a second and glanced up at Chi who continued to glare at the glint. "Uh."

Chi walked across the waste of debris strewn about the ground, lightly kicking away at the sticks and treading around puddles of ink laid to waste on the floor, until the two of them found themselves staring directly down at the object of interest. She bent down and placed Jerry on the floor who inspected the Octoling curiously. A look of weariness had settled across her features.

"What is it?" Jerry asked as he gawked at Chi.

She brushed the tattered and dirty fabric of the tent away and reached in. Chi narrowed her eyes at the dirty cover. The book she held glinted from a small and damaged spine with remnants of metal gripped to the spine. There were faded markings on the cover. With a sigh of resignation she glanced at Jerry who continued to gaze at her without a clue.

"It's nothing." She nodded to him.

"Oh." Jerry shrunk somewhat. "Okay."

"Let's keep going." Chi shook her head.

The journal twirled through the air and slid through the cave grounds. Eventually it came to a stop by the splintered remains of a wooden crate. It landed and collided with a board, bringing it down upon the journal, a plume of sawdust puffed into the air as the wooden board fell straight down on the book.

Jerry frowned and glared at Chi again. "Why?"

"...There are some things that probably should stay down here." She grunted darkly.

The Octocopter shook his head in bewilderment. "But don't you-"

"NO." Chi finished with a sudden glare.

"..." Jerry sat uneasily under her intimidating gaze.

Chi sighed apprehensively and walked over towards him. "Sorry."

"Nah I understand." Jerry muttered as his eyes continued to track the stationary book.

Chi crouched down and wrapped her arms around Jerry. She lifted him up and began to trek through the campgrounds again. Walking around the crate, she took care to keep her eyes ahead of her, and away from the journal.

She paused and studied the dim cave system around them. Chi brushed her tentacles out of her face. "...Hmm."

"Hey, what's that?" Jerry asked all of a sudden when he whipped his head to the side.

"What?" Chi swiveled her head about.

Abruptly Chi felt her grip loosen into nothing. Without warning Jerry floundered onto the ground and skittered his legs uselessly on the terrain. Chi gasped in surprise, and at the sound of her, Jerry immediately began to pick up the pace. He continued to flop towards the journal clumsily, although effectively clearing space and leaping over obstacles, all while he closed in on the book.

"Jerry!" Chi shouted in irritation and began to flop after him in her spherical octopus shape.

With a heavy metal clank, Jerry landed face-first near the crate, and quickly lifted up his face. He smacked the wooden plank out of the way with the top of his weapon. The journal glinted again, and Jerry, being the arm-less octopus that he was, writhed about nervously. With a sigh, he opened his mouth over the journal and brushed against the journal pages with his bottom lip, and was promptly tackled before he had a chance.

"Blegh," He squeaked as Chi switched back into Octoling form on top of him, "Ow!"

"Jerry!" Chi repeated in a clear annoyance. "What the heck?"

"I'm sorry!" Jerry yelped and wriggled fruitlessly. "I'm just curious!"

"You could have just asked!" She scolded him and reached for the journal.

She gripped the spine and tugged it away in protest, which in turn caused the book to crack open, the pages sent into a flurry of flaps. Chi reached ahead and attempted to close the journal shut only for it to be wrenched away from her.

"Hey!" Chi cried out in protest.

"Oh, my, eager aren't we?" A voice cut in semi-mockingly. "I like that about you. Haven't I told you that?"

Chi froze in her place with her arms outstretched. Slowly, she lifted her head up, blinking just as deliberately as she rose. She gazed into a set of milky white eyes peering into her own. With an audible squeak she slammed her hands at her side and forced herself up straight as the other Octoling stroked the cover of the small novel.

"In due time my dear Chi." The other Octoling cooed and shut the journal closed. She strut in a dress of red rags underneath the canopy of the tent around her. "You'll get it back. I'm so glad you've decided to join us. Have I told you?"

"Y-Yes." Chi nodded and straightened up uncomfortably.

The Octoling in front of her blinked peculiarly, "Are you uncomfortable," She tilted her head, "Do you want a place to sit?"

Chi glanced down at the solid rock floor underneath her. She crossed her legs diffidently. "...No thank you."

"Well I won't simply take NO for an answer." The other Octoling smiled sickeningly and turned to the entrance of the tent. "Barro dear?"

The ground beneath them trembled. Chi could spy a pebble at the side shake and shiver. At the entrance of the tent rolled in a ginormous violet tentacle. Someone grunted from the outside.

"Thank you." She nodded at the tentacle, bent down, and patted it lightly all while smiling at Chi. "Care for a seat?"

"..." Chi stared uncomfortably at both the Octoling and the tentacle as it laid flat on the floor and wagged strangely excitedly.

"Still no?" The Octoling blinked and shook her head with an adamant sigh. "Nevermind Barro. We'll stand."

There came another grunt as the tentacle slithered back outside of the tent. Chi watched it go, up until the point where it left the flaps of the tent, and turned back reluctantly to the other Octoling.

Chi cleared her throat quietly. "So about the plan…"

"Hm?" The other Octoling hummed.

"Winst...why me?" Chi inquired with a hollow yet concerned tone.

Winst perked up. She turned around, paused, brushed her gray tentacles out of her face, and smiled sweetly at her. "Dear Chi, have some faith in yourself. You're a shooting star among asteroids."

"Um…" Chi blinked and smoothed down her vest. "I…"

"They won't expect a sweet face like yours-" Winst cooed and waltzed up to her, cupped her cheeks in her hands, and shook her face. "And we'll use that to our advantage."

"But I don't-" She watched the hands on her cheeks slink away. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to do!"

"Oh! Such a joker." Winst giggled and curled away. "Surely you jest. We've been discussing it all these many meetings. We've posted our plans around the camp in neat little flyers-"

"..." Chi felt a drop of sweat slip down her forehead.

Winst's tentacles curled up tightly. "...Still no…?" She frowned down at the smaller Octoling. "I'm disappointed Chi."

"I haven't been here during the meetings." She retorted, her voice having faltered, her face peering down hard at the ground.

"Chi, listen to me, I'm your friend. Not a commander." Winst whirled to her side and rubbed her shoulder against Chi. Chi backed away quickly much to the other's irritation. "That being said you SHOULD know one thing. As long as you are with us…"

Winst clenched Chi by the front of her vest and pulled her up to her face all while she flashed a menacing leer. "You're ours. Do you understand? You live here and you work here. You belong to us."

"...Yes ma'am." Chi nodded solemnly.

"Good!" Winst smiled brightly and removed her grip. With her free left hand she reached back and retrieved the journal. "I hope you don't mind but I've taken the liberty of scanning through your notes as well."

"W-What?" Chi fret in place.

"Don't worry, I only read the juicy bits, not any of the private pieces." Winst "reassured" Chi with a smile as she promptly placed it in the other Octoling's hands. "Feeling lonely I understand?"

"I- Well-" Chi shook about flustered until a few moments later when she finally managed to stop.

"If ever the need comes for comfort," Winst interrupted as she walked past Chi, "You can always come to me. But until then you are to stay here. We'll get you equipped for your first mission."

Chi paused her shake and stood still in the tent. Her face devoid of any emotion aside from a subdued horror stared at the ground as her superior marched out of the tent triumphantly. For a moment she continued to stare down at the journal in her hands. Chi clutched the journal and held it to her chest slowly.

"So...then…" Jerry stammered in disbelief as he gazed up at Chi and the journal. "The rumors were true?"

"..." Chi lowered the journal as well as her head.

The Octocopter gazed up at her. "...You really did hurt her?"

"...Rumors." Chi choked and shut her eyes. "Is that really it Jerry? Is that all you can think of with me?"

"No, no..." Jerry protested as he watched the Octoling begin to walk. "Chi-"

"...Well they're true." Chi muttered and turned away from him.

Jerry blinked and watched helplessly as she began to jog away. "Chi! W-Wait, I'm sorry, come back!"

Her jog broke off into a sprint as she began to blindly dash off into recesses of the cave. She dodged and skimmed through the remnants of the camp as Jerry could not help but stare as she vanished into the darkness.

"Come back!" Jerry cried out. "Please come back! Seriously! I can't walk to you!"

He watched as she disappeared into the darkness further into the back of the cave. Eyes now wide and open he began to rapidly scoot towards her as he sat on his tail. He dragged his tail for about two seconds before he snagged himself on a wooden splinter.

Jerry fell over on his face with a thunk and a resounding, "WHY DON'T I HAVE ARMS," as he pushed up as best as he could.

As she ran Chi hugged the book tightly. Her gaze stuck to the floor she continued forward blindly through rock and debris. Occasionally she scraped past the walls of the rocky cave and carelessly grazed her arms. Despite her slight injuries she forced herself forward through the cave with a hard weight that pulled down in her chest.

This continued for quite some time until she ran into another wall. Cursing, Chi kicked at the wall, and fell to the floor in exasperation. "Clam it!"

"Now Chi…?" A voice permeated the caverns.

Chi's eyes shrunk. She gazed up towards the wall she had slammed her boot into slowly. The face of a ginormous Octostriker glared down at her. Its tentacles slithered around her as the huge Octarian grunted at her.

"Is that any way to treat your friends?" Winst asked down at her with a grim smile.

Chi gazed up in horror at the pair of Octarians. She shivered and stepped back as the both of them loomed over her with all the intent of looking as menacing as possible. They were right there and she felt it.

"...Well then!" Winst smiled back at her. "Ready to play?" She inquired as she reached behind her and withdrew a small, suspicious, metallic device. "You never finished what you started."

"..." Chi stared back in a silent horror as they closed in.

"Don't worry." She grinned and tossed the device up and down dangerously. "We'll make sure she's gone for good."

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