Chapter Nine:

The Oozy Meteor From The Sky


Around a quarter to six, Bruckner dressed in his most fancy clothes with a fresh jacket, a white shirt, and well-polished black pants with shiny shoes. And then, the charismatic Inkling headed down to the street corner on 8th Drive that he passed while heading to the Bugle.

Bruckner brushed his tentacles, and looked at his reflection in a small mirror while a few Octolings and Inklings passed by. The blonde squid tapped his foot, and took a couple of calm deep breaths. Natalie's shift was already over, and she'd texted Buckner around four o' clock, leading to them making arrangements to meet up at 8th Drive.

He picked up his phone and dialed Natalie's number; 515717. The Inkling listened to the buzz of the ringtone, then he heard the Octoling's bubbly voice on the other line, "Is that you, Bruck?"

"What's up, Nat?" Bruckner said, "Just callin' to let you know I'm at 8th Drive, where we said we would meet up after your shift. So, where are you now?"

"Closer than you think, Inkling boy."

His heart thumped, and skipped a beat by a few seconds. The line disconnected, and Bruckner put his phone away, then he heard footsteps and turned to see Natalie approaching him, wearing high heels, a tan vest, and a form-fitting light-orange dress. Bruckner's heart tap-danced wildly as he drank in the astonishing Octo-beauty he was gifted with.

"So?" Natalie put a hand on her hip, "Where to, Bruck? I'm yours tonight."

Bruckner had picked. The hilltops outside the main city were ideal for a drink and an early evening picnic, and the photographer already had the glasses and bourbon bottles ready, along with a couple bread loves. And it was all in the back of his car, which was a yellow Inkling Kart.

They drove up to the lush green hills, and Bruckner set up the blanket for him and Natalie, selecting a spot that was just underneath an oak tree. Up above them, the first of the evening stars were emerging, glinting gorgeously, even with a few clouds rolling in to block them out for a time.

Natalie sat down on the blanket, sitting comfortably on her side, and let the smooth Inkling pour their drinks of Calamari Bourbon into their clear glasses. Natalie took her glass, and raised it as Bruckner shared a little toast with her.

"Is this your ideal drink for your special Octo-dates?" He heard the attractive octo-secretary ask.

"Let's just say I have my tastes." Bruckner said casually to Natalie, he opened the picnic basket and brought out a wide stick of bread before handing it to the Octoling, "Would you like some bread?"

Natalie's eyes sparkled, and she began to chow down on the loaf. Bruckner brought out the other loaf, and started eating it while drinking up some Bourbon to wash his meal down. A warm evening air floated through the area, ruffling the leaves, and making Natalie's tentacles sway a little.

Bruckner sat back, munching on his bread, and Natalie enjoyed hers. They made sure to get the napkins, not wanting to make a complete mess of themselves during their evening picnic.

An owl hooted somewhere in the mountains, and an ink cricket chirped for a moment in the blades of grass on another hillside over. The sky darkened, and a half moon began to ascend across the evening horizon. Brucker noticed Natalie stroking half of her bread while shooting a sly smirk at him, and his heart raced. He knew what she was trying to do.

His charm had her reeled in, and so far, he'd given this Octoling a night to remember. And a picnic with Calamari Bourbon and bread really did the trick.

They ate the rest of the bread, and sipped away their wine, enjoying every ounce of it. After their meal, Bruckner and Natalie lay back to gaze at the stars, and the Octoling looped her hand around the Inkling photographer's arm. He locked eyes with her, feeling the connection grow.

One star seemed to twinkle brightly than the other. Coincidence or no, it seemed like the universe had given Bruckner a sign that Natalie and him were meant to be. The squid recalled his last special Octoling encounter, it had only been one night, but he remembered every moment.

"Tell me how you feel." He heard her ask.

He locked eyes with his... date, and he saw the pretty little smile. Natalie held his hand, and he held hers. Bruckner's face drained a little, but he knew this was the right girl. Ever since he first lay eyes on her at the Bugle, Bruckner couldn't ignore her.

"You're... a very, very beautiful woman..." Bruckner said, "And I feel a flame in my heart as I look into your eyes."

"What is that flame?" Natalie whispered, gently stroking his chin.

"I..." Bruckner leaned a little closer, "I really... I really love you, Natalie Octon."

Natalie smiled, and that sweet recognizable Octo-giggle left her vocal cords, fluttering into Bruckner's ears. The gears connected, and they took it another step further, even though Bruckner nearly had the impression that Natalie was seducing him. Hands clasped, and eyes drooped, and hearts shot off fireworks as the cephalopods kissed beneath the stars.

And then, an explosion shook the mountains, bringing Bruckner and Natalie out of their bubble. Bruckner stood up, and took his flame's hand, helping her stand upon her feet. They looked around, and saw a hint of smoke close by, on the left side of the hill.

The photographer and the secretary locked eyes with one another, all sharing their confused curiosity. Bruckner pulled out a camera, and opted to investigate. He headed down the hill with Natalie behind him, and the Inkling kept his camera prepared. They found a crater from which the smoke rose, and noticed a hint of flames in the grass.

Safety was important. Bruckner instructed Natalie to stay back, even as she held his arm with concern in her eyes. The Inkling repeated his instruction, "Stay. I won't be far."

Cautiously, he moved closer towards the crater, and saw a burnt black rock in the ground. Bruckner held the camera steadily, and began to click some pictures. He couldn't believe his luck, a meteor had crashed nearby while he was having a special night. Bruckner took another photo, and then, he saw something moving in the crater.

'What?'

A black ooze-looking substance emerged from the spot where the meteor had crashed, and hopped across the grass towards Bruckner. The ooze stopped, and Bruckner took another photo, then he put down the camera and knelt down to examine the oddity.

Not even a moment later, the ooze leaped onto Bruckner, and he stumbled back with wide eyes. He gasped and grunted, trying to fight the alien element that was touching him. Natalie shrieked with worry, and Bruckner stomped his foot. The ooze was becoming larger, spreading around the Inkling's body, like nanites coming together to form... a suit.

His fighting stopped, and the ooze slowly covered every inch of Bruckner, from his neckline all the way to his feet. The substance spread a little more, and a white symbol appeared on the torso, depicting a squid with spider legs.

Finally, a mask formed over Bruckner's face, with white blank eyes taking full form. Bruckner looked at himself. He looked at his hands, then he looked at his new outfit, and he turned to face Natalie. As if on command, the mask lifted, revealing Bruckner's healthy, handsome visage.

"I don't know what this is..." He said, "But this looks so wicked!"

Natalie studied him with surprise for a moment, and her Inkling boyfriend approached the Octoling while the mask formed upon his face again. After a second, Natalie's shock was replaced with a smile.

"You... You look so good in black." The Octoling told Bruckner, "I... I... I think that is a pretty smooth style. And that symbol, does it mean that... you have spider powers now?"

"Let's find out, babe." Bruckner whispered, his tone nearly ominous.

He walked back up the hill, faced the tree where he and his new flame had their picnic, and the Inkling flicked his wrist. A dark glob shot out, and plastered itself onto the bark, taking the form of a black web.

Bruckner looked at his hands, and clenched his fists with astonishment. "No... way." He breathed, "This... this may be the greatest thing to have ever happened to me. This suit, whatever that substance is, just imagine what we could do. What I could do. Spider-Squid's about to have an equal." He looked at Natalie, "You wanna go for a ride, babe?"

Natalie folded her arms around Bruckner's neck, and pecked him on the cheek as the mask lifted again before flashing the Inkling a very eager look. Little did they know that another piece of ooze had left the crater, and was heading towards Inkopolis...