Captain: Everyone! Scatter into your groups!
The twelve of them had all split up and ran in different directions in order to keep Cadavere's attention so they could find a way to dispatch him, he ended up going after the raiders initially due to his extreme resentment toward cephalopods, targeting the largest group of them. Hystera was hyperventilating as she ran in front of her group trying to keep her distance from the salmonid, the rest of them keeping composed to an extent with a rush of worry due to being on ground level with such a threat.
Gizmo: How do you propose we take it down?!
Vandal: From what we know, he looks nearly invulnerable! Specter, any ideas?!
Specter: "Clueless!"
Gizmo: Great, just our luck...!
Team Fresh ran off to the other side of the crater and eventually met up with Deep Cut unintentionally, the two groups hiding away from their enemy and the sandstorm to come up with some kind of plan.
Agent 1: How the shell are we meant to get rid of that thing...?!
Agent 2: Deep Cut, you three all do Salmon Run together as you say on the news, you must have some idea?!
Shiver: Ehehe... about that-
Frye: Funny story Boss Marie...
Agent 2 looked down at her employees preparing herself to hear the worst, Agent 3 giving her a pat on the back, so she doesn't lose it at them.
Big Man: Ay... (We have never actually seen a King Salmonid...)
Frye: Let alone know how to fight one.
The trio sheepishly smile towards their boss after admitting the truth behind their broadcasts, to which they watch her face palm. This moment of safety only lasted so long before their cover was torn out from above them, seeing the giant shadow above them after a flash of lightning showed the figure in the midst of dust.
Agent 2: QUICK! GO GO GO NOW!
The six of them quickly got up and bolted away from where they were, Agent 2 making sure she grabbed Agent 3 and got her out of harm's way immediately before Cadavere slammed his weight down on their prior hiding spot, shaking the debris from his tusks before pursuing them despite the vision impairment from the sandstorm.
Cadavere: YOU CAN'T HIDE FROM ME! I CAN SMELL YOU!
Agent 1: We need to find Captain! She knows battle tactics!
Agent 2 quickly thought up a plan to divert Cadavere's attention away from them, before she looked toward Deep Cut who all looked at her confused while running.
Agent 2: Deep Cut, as your boss, I order you to create a diversion!
Shiver: Boss Marie- Are you insane?! Look at that thing!
Agent 3: Frye, your instrument!
Frye lost track of her thought for a moment before looking down at her waist strap and saw her pungi flute, having completely forgot about it being with her.
Frye: Oh.. right, right! On it boss! Let's go Deep Cut!
Cadavere felt the scent of three of them veer off away from the group he was chasing but knew it would take too much time to turn and rampage toward them, instead sticking with the group he was already after. Deep Cut climbed up onto a pile of ruins, Shiver and Big Man behind Frye who stood at the top before she assumed her ready stance, calling out to the salmonid hardly visible to them.
Frye: HEY BIG UGLY! OVER HEREEEE!
Frye watched Cadavere hardly pay attention before she took a deep breath and blew into her pungi flute, fortunately facing away from the winds so sand didn't blow into her mouth. The flute played for a few moments before an eruption of yellow eels started soaring through the air and toward their foe. Cadavere felt nibbles on his scales and fins before more and more started swarming him, stopping his pursuit on Team Fresh and flailing around to get the eels off of him, stomping, rolling around and reaching his maw over to snatch them off. Frye watched this in success, but also horror seeing her eels get thrown about, knowing this would only stop him for so long.
Cadavere: GET OFF OF ME YOU WRETCHED THINGS!
Team Fresh looked back at the roaring salmonid getting assaulted by an army of Frye's eels before rendezvousing with Captain and Agent 4 amidst the storm.
Agent 1: CAPTAIN! We're here! Any ideas?
Agent 2: I had to have Deep Cut work as a distraction.
Agent 2 got a clear view of Cadavere before pulling out her Hero Charger, taking fire at the salmonid in an attempt to harm him which only served to rage him further.
Agent 4: Yeah Cap, you haven't discussed any of that with me!
Captain: Well it's hard to think when you have a sandstorm and a giant salmonid rampaging around! They have to have a weakness; I just haven't found it yet!
Agent 3: Captain, I know I'm not one to fight but let me try something...!
Captain was about to grant her subordinate permission to do as she needs before hearing a voice chime in immediately after
Agent 2: Maize! Don't you even think about it young lady! I don't want you risking your life!
The group was completely taken aback at Agent 2's vehement side on that suggestion, knowing that personal feelings were taken first in her mind rather than a possibility of actually harming their foe.
Agent 1: Marie!
Captain: STOP IT! Agent 3, do what you can! Agent 1 and 2, cover her! Don't get reckless, any of you!
Agent 1 and 3 nodded understanding their orders while Agent 2 reluctantly agreed before scoffing and doing as ordered, making sure Agent 3 has cover fire. Agent 1 kept her roller slammed against the floor, inking a path for Agent 3 to follow and have quick mobility while Agent 2 aimed carefully for any parts that could be vital marks to hit.
Agent 4: Captain! What about us, what's the plan?
Captain: I have a feeling there's something about those raiders they have that can help, we have to find them.
The raiders kept themselves away from the salmonid so they could focus against such an opponent, but more importantly trying to glean information from their psycho friend who now is behaving like nothing more than a cowering animal.
Gizmo: Vandal, will you please get something from her?!
Vandal: I'm trying! It's not easy, Hystera, talk to me, what do you know?
Vandal tried his best to console her while Specter frantically signed toward Gizmo, despite her slanting her eyes to not have sand blow into them, one can see the seriousness behind them.
Specter: "You have something for this, I know you do! We should help them!"
Gizmo: Help them?! They aren't my problem! If they weren't in the way, we could've got something from this!
Specter: "Stop acting so selfish! I might act cold all the time, but I know they can't do it alone!"
Hystera: I-I... recognise... voice...
Vandal: Okay, okay, go on.
Hystera: Za- Cada... no... get along... cage... lonely... scared...
Vandal tried consoling Hystera the best he could, but whenever she attempted to talk about it, it was more about the memories of what happened to her rather than something that could help and then devolving into incoherent words. Vandal rose from where he was reconvening with the other two in the middle of their argument
Vandal: We aren't getting anything from Hystera, I can hardly understand her.
Specter turned toward Vandal and started signing toward him in hopes that he would listen.
Specter: "He has been working on something that can help, but he won't use it!"
Vandal: What? Then why aren't we using it?!
Gizmo: It's a prototype! I haven't even tested it! Besides, they seem to have it under control!
Captain: There you lot are!
Captain and Agent 4 ran into their view, flashes of lightning becoming more and more frequent as the sandstorm rages on, with the roars of both Cadavere and the thunder filling the crater.
Agent 4: Captain says you guys might be able to help us somehow.
The two of them watched Specter go up to them and start signing at them to which they both looked confusedly at her not knowing sign language. She appeared disgruntled before getting onto rubble and taking aim with her Sting Ray, clicking her ears in a sense of echolocation, but with all the thunder sand blocking her sight, it's near impossible for her to know where her target is.
Captain: What was she saying?
Vandal: She says Gizmo over here has something he's been working on that can help-
Gizmo: IT'S A PROTOTYPE! It won't do anything!
Captain walked over to him before grabbing his jacket's collar lifting him from the ground surprisingly and shaking him.
Captain: What do you mean it won't work?! My friends are in danger, and you don't have the guts to help them?!
Agent 4 was completely taken aback by her leader's sudden shift in tone toward their alliance's leader as she and Vandal just watched them.
Gizmo: It. Has. Nothing. To. Pierce. Scales!
Captain: Grmmm... Four! Get Agent 3, we need her safe and sound!
Agent 4: Roger! On it Cap!
Agent 1: Come on Maize, I only have so much ink-!
Agent 1 looked back at Agent 3 who threw her glove off, showing her malformed hand, it's glow making it easy to see amidst the sandstorm. She had it brought up and aimed her palm at Cadavere and tried focusing on having her feelings surge through her body to awaken the power.
Agent 3: I'm trying...!
She tried and tried as she listened to Cadavere wailing around throwing all of the eels off of him, trying to channel her fear, anger, sadness... nothing it wasn't coming out, the most she could do was blast a weak void beam that hit Cadavere's cheek which only burnt his scales slightly.
Agent 1: Well, you have to keep trying! Don't worry, auntie has got you covered!
Agent 1 submerged herself in the ink she had rolled around the floor to recover some of her ink before getting in front of Maize and wielding her Hero Roller at the ready. Despite being scared herself, she was going to fight until she couldn't anymore. Agent 2 was watching Cadavere through her scope, her shots did nearly nothing to him as she watched the eels get thrown off one after the other. She felt sickingly worried when she saw no eels on him anymore to keep him distracted, seeing his gaze fall upon her cousin and daughter before her turned away to where he realised the eels came from and charged toward where he smelt Deep Cut's presence.
Cadavere: YOUR EELS ARE NOTHING BUT PESTS!
Agent 1: Oh... Oh carp that's Deep Cut its heading towards!
Agent 3: They won't last...
Agent 2: Come on you two, we need to get moving!
Shiver: Uhhh... Frye?
Frye: Relax, my eels should have this covered...
Frye continued playing her pungi, focusing on playing and making sure the eels maintained their assault on Cadavere
Big Man: Ay, ay...! (Frye, it's getting closer...!)
Frye: Wha- AHHHHHHH!
Frye opened her eyes before looking up and seeing Cadavere rampaging towards the three of them, neither her fight nor flight response had triggered as she shielded her body in fear, ready to accept the impact coming towards her. The impact never came as it was instead replaced with rumbling of the ground, she opened her eyes to see Cadavere sliding along the ground after having tripped, seeing ink in his eye before trying to find her saviour.
Shiver: Boss Marie! You saved us!
Team Fresh had caught up with Deep Cut after Agent 2 shot her low-tide ink into Cadavere's eye in an attempt to at least slow him down.
Agent 2: That will only keep him down for so long, go, go!
Big Man: Ay!
The six of them started running as Cadavere slowly got up and reorient himself, feeling his entire body boil with malice towards them, huffing as rage fuelled his energy to keep going relentlessly.
Cadavere: YOUR EFFORTS ARE FUTILE! I WILL GORE ALL OF YOU!
The two merged groups felt the rumblings beneath them as the salmonid had started rampaging again to go after them, not intent on letting them get away from him. The six tried going as fast as they could, but this newfound anger seemed to have made him faster, making it impossible to not have him start gaining on them as he threw ruins and rubble aside with his tusks.
Agent 4 was running around in an effort to try and find Agent 3, knowing she would be with Agents 1 and 2, before coming to see Cadavere running towards her position, looking down to see everyone else running for their lives, quickly joining her as they all hurried together.
Agent 4: Guys! Cap needs Agent 3; she has a plan! Where is she?!
Agent 3: Right here!
Agent 1: What about the rest of us?!
Shiver: Buy time! Deep Cut, you know the drill! Boss Marie and Assistant Callie, you help us!
Agent 4: Agent 3, come with me, let's go!
Frye and Big Man nodded to Shiver before they all grabbed out smoke bombs, tossing them behind the group up towards Cadavere's face, which served well as it slowed him down and they turned direction to keep the aggro away from an escaping Agent 4 and Agent 3.
Vandal: Use it!
Gizmo: No!
Specter: "Just use it!"
Gizmo: NOOOO!
Captain was sitting there having to listen to their unnecessary arguing in a life-or-death situation for many people, losing her sanity waiting for Agent 4 to arrive with Agent 3 in tow.
Captain: Will you swallow up your cod damn pride, everyone's lives are in danger!
Agent 4: Captain! Agent 3 is here!
The lot of them watch the new arrival, wondering what exactly she could be useful for in terms of this, Gizmo himself wondered this before his eyes met with her glowing hand. Despite that this will be the loss of his invention, he reluctantly agreed.
Gizmo: Okay! Fine...!
Gizmo put his backpack down before opening up a special compartment and took out a rod of copper encased around hardened fulgurite, a makeshift lightning rod. Captain pulled Agent 3 closer to her before apologising which earned her a look of confusion before Agent 3 felt a sharp pain as she watched Captain chip a sharp plume from her hand.
Agent 3: OW-! What was that for...?!
Captain handled the plume with care before handing it to Gizmo, to which he gazed upon with great interest, seeing the glow in his eyes before he pulled out a durable tape to stick the plume to the end of the copper rod. He is completely unaware of the properties of the plume which he was given but is more than happy to use it.
Gizmo: If in all hopes this is good enough, this should pierce it, we just need something to fire it.
Agent 4: Doesn't Agent 2's charger have another firepower to do something like that?
Captain: It does, but we need to get high enough to hit the back.
Agent 3: I have an idea... I umm, did it earlier...
Vandal: Guys we need to get moving, we don't have all day, Agent 3 or whatever your name was, I have faith in you!
Captain: It's settled, let's go, we need to reach the others, can you four create a distraction?
Gizmo: Here, you'll need this, we only have one shot, I can't make another on the fly. But we got you covered.
Gizmo hands the contraption to Captain as they split off from each other and make their way out from the safe tunnel they were at, even managing to get Hystera closer to Cadavere. The sandstorm made it hard to locate where everyone was, but they only need to find where the big shadow was in between the flashes of lightning. As soon as Specter could get a view of her target, she wasted no time in grabbing her Sting Ray from her back to start firing and getting his attention, which with something that has the firepower of a Sting Ray, definitely is cause for alarm.
Cadavere: YOU PUNY CREATURE, I WILL CRUSH YOU!
Vandal: Quick, he's onto us, let's go!
Deep Cut and Agents 1 and 2 took a breather at last when they witnessed Cadavere's attention was diverted away from them, getting behind cover and sliding down it. The only one not just panting for breath was Shiver, who was also fanning herself.
Frye: I am never running that much ever again...
Agent 2: It's either that or our lives...
The five stayed safe from harm while waiting for some sort of miracle to happen, the thunder rumbling around them, the sandstorm didn't make it any easier for anyone. Captain, Agent 3 and Agent 4 eventually found them before sliding down to discuss their plan.
Agent 1: Oh Captain... you're back... please tell us you have an idea...
Captain: I do actually, Agent 2, we're going to need your charger, and everyone needs to be up for this!
Agent 2: What..? Why?! You're saying I can't shoot that thing in the eye? I know I can
Agent 4: Nono, not that! We need to shoot this into it's back.
Captain unveils the lightning rod she was holding to which Agent 2 looked at it before noting the barb at the end looking like Agent 3's hand.
Agent 2: What did you do to my daughter...?
Agent 3: Mum! I'm fine...! Please, trust us...
Agent 2 sighed before she got up and handed over her Hero Charger to which Captain and Agent 4 put the contraption into the barrel of the charger and made sure it needed the pressure of being fired to come out. Agent 2 then wrapped Agent 3 into a hug and whispered into her ear.
Agent 2: Stay safe for me...
Agent 3 just nodded before they all got up and moving and Agent 4 gave the charger to Agent 3 to which she kept herself away from the group but followed as the rest all went together to locate Cadavere.
Hystera: Slave... I am... fear... hungry...
Vandal: You're alright, don't worry! Gizmo, where are they?!
Vandal was carrying Hystera on his back as the quartet ran and kept Cadavere's attention, their tactical mindsets keeping them slippery to catch, especially with them having kept their stamina due to running off somewhere safe and away from the salmonid first thing.
Cadavere: GET BACK HERE! YOU INSOLENT CEPHALOPODS!
Gizmo tried to look through the sandstorm to try and spot the others in between flashes of lightning before seeing smaller shadows approaching them, watching them split up going left and right to surround Cadavere.
Gizmo: They're here! Split up, surround the salmonid! Keep it in the one area!
The other 2 of his group listened to his orders as Hystera was too drowned in fear to do anything. Cadavere noticed everyone splitting up as he tried to go for the group with the highest amount of people initially before feeling things getting thrown at his back, diverting his attention.
Big Man: Ay! (Hey!)
Shiver: Over here you big slimy fish!
He turned his attention towards the two Deep Cut members, growling at them and readying to charge before feeling a rock hit his eyelid, once more distracting him from his target.
Agent 1: It's me you want! Come get the freshest of them all!
This process repeated again and again, as all 11 of them kept Cadavere's attention away from each other while keeping him in the one area to give Agent 3 the still enough target she needed. She readied and braced herself, breathing steadily, gripping her mother's charger tightly, everyone was depending on her. Agent 2 looked back behind her to see Agent 3 standing there as she readied herself before vanishing from sight.
Agent 3 was met with the same stormy fog that she was in earlier when running from the Sting Ray, light on her feet she reached her hand up to the sky and jumped, feeling herself rapidly move upwards above Cadavere, upon reaching the height she needed to be, she reassumed her physical form as she took aim at Cadavere's back, 3, 2, 1...
She fired the contraption from the charger as the fulgurite that encased it broke away as the barb lodged itself into Cadavere's back, the copper lightning rod now attached onto him. Agent 2 came running over to try to catch her daughter as she started falling to the ground, spinning around from the recoil of firing a charger midair, jumping forward with her arms outstretched, catching in her arms before looking back at the flailing salmonid still trying to gore someone with his tusks.
It only took a few moments before one of the lightning bolts from the sandstorm came down and struck the lightning rod, the current surging through Cadavere's body as he fell to the ground from the shock. He lay motionless as everyone gathered around his presence, seeing the many Lichtenburg figures that now run alongside his back down to the left side of his face.
Frye: Is-is it dead...?
Deep Cut stood near Cadavere before he suddenly started rising, although incredibly weakly, everyone backed away instinctively getting ready to fight again if needed, but instead watched him glare at them before retreating into the tunnel he had come out from, diving into the waters below, leaving the crater. Everyone had gotten so awfully used to the foul stench down here that it felt weird when the air started to smell fresh again, albeit slightly.
Hystera: Smell...? No Salmonid...?
Hystera raised her head from Vandal's back sniffing the air, still repulsed by the smell as it hadn't fully cleared, but it was much better than before. The sandstorm passed by and gave way to light once more as safety befell them once more.