The early sun rises upon the violet sky over the city of Inkopolis, its inhabitants still resting, except for those who do not wait for it. Callie Cuttlefish, despite being an early bird was awoken by a string of text messages blaring on her phone. She groggily rolls over in her bed and reaches toward her nightstand to look at her phone, looking at it with blurry vision before yawning and rubbing her eyes to adjust her eyesight.

Callie: Urggg... I know I wake up early but what is ittt...

Callie looks over the texts and quietly mutters them to herself, knowing it's importance due to the contact "Captain Eliza"

Callie: "Hey, Agent 1, I know you would be awake first, it's urgent. Assemble the rest of the Splatoon, immediately." Ohh... alright, I'm up, I'm up! Scallops, I gotta move quick!

She quickly scrambles herself out of bed in a rush out of her room, halfway out the door realising she was still in her sleepwear, hurrying back to her room to quickly throw on clothes. She retrieves her phone and quickly responds "Yes Captain!"

The sleep of the other half of the legendary Squid Sisters was interrupted by the bouncy sounds of Bomb Rush Blush filling her room. She doesn't even open her eyes to look at who's calling as she knows who it is. Marie smacks her hand over to her nightstand, trying to find her phone before eventually finding it, and holding it up to her ear.

Marie: Callie... it's so early... what is it...

Callie: ¡Ԁ∩ ┴Ǝפ ¡ƎIɹ∀W

Callie screams over the phone as she's running through the streets of Inkopolis, huffing while holding her phone to her ear.

Marie: Ack...

Marie quickly recoils from how loud her phone is, holding her phone away from her ear for a few moments, opening up her eyes but still struggles to keep them open.

Marie: Callie...! You're holding the phone upside down... and don't shout, we've talked about this... what's going on?

She stops running for a moment to catch her breath so she can speak in a comprehensible manner, and also flip her phone right-side up.

Callie: Captain.. hah... wants the whole Splatoon assembled, right now... so, Mar Mar, you need to get up, and bring Maize as well, I'm on my way to grab Reina.

Marie: Oh.. alright alright, I'm getting up, I'll see you soon...

Marie hangs up the phone before putting it back on her nightstand, stretching out and getting comfy in her bed again. She is almost half tempted to just go back to sleep despite the urgency, but the scratching itch that she has duties and responsibilities to attend to takes over her mind. Plus, she can't forget she's second in command of the Splatoon.

Marie: Ughhh, fine... sometimes it's a pain being in the Splatoon, but something has to be done, they need me.

She gets out of bed, taking a quick stretch to wake herself up a bit before leaving her bedroom and going down the hallway to knock on the first door.

Marie: Maize, sweetie, you need to get up..

Maize rolls away from the door, groaning sleepily still wanting to sleep before Marie enters her room.

Marie: Come on, you gotta get up now.

Maize: Mrrmmm... but mummm... it's the weekend, I don't have school...

She turns over to look at Marie with half-lidded eyes after being shaken lightly, wondering why she's being woken up so early on a weekend of all things, knowing nothing was planned.

Marie: It's not about school, sweetheart... The captain has requested all hands on deck, and that includes us, come on Maize. Get changed so we can eat something and get in the car.

There was only one person who was awake at this time without being interrupted by a phone, Reina Katari. Having had a rough sleep, she arose from the dreamscape early and started working out in her apartment to get the tension out of her body. She was a couple sets into it before being interrupted by loud banging at her apartment door

Reina: I'll be there in a minute!

Reina quickly finishes her sit-ups early and wanders over to the front door, thinking to herself about what exactly could have something at her apartment this early in the morning. Peeping through the eye hole, she recognises the black-haired inkling outside as Callie, except she looks absolutely puffed out. Knowing who it is, it somewhat explains why someone is here, but not fully, opening the door to converse.

Reina: What's up Cal? Jeez.. you look exhausted, did you run here?

Callie: Oh thank cod... Reina... whew... sorry.. give me a moment...

She stoops forward gasping for air before holding her hand over her mouth feeling like she was going to throw up. The only thought in her head right now being "I definitely should've eaten something on the way here..."

Callie: The, hah... Captain has requested everyone... to Alterna... I don't know what's going on, but you're one of us, so let's go Four...!

Reina: Woah, way to spring a situation on me, okay, okay. Come inside and get something to drink, and eat something too cause you looked like you were about to hurl... I'll get ready, just make yourself at home.

Reina ushers Callie inside, which, despite the urgency of them needing to go, accepts her invitation while Reina moves into her room to get changed into something more appropriate for travelling.

The two groups set out of their homes on their way to travel out of Inkopolis and take a long venture to the Splatlands to reach Alterna, Maize having been taken by Marie via car, and Reina riding her motorcycle with Callie as her passenger. Fortunately thanks to the completion of Hammerhead Bridge a while back, it vastly shortens what the journey could have been going through Octarian territories.

Meanwhile, amidst the Splatland deserts.

The sandy haired inkling spoke up amidst his small team, taking up charge of this operation.

Gizmo: Alright, guys, gather around. I've located a place that may potentially be filled with scrap and other miscellaneous stuff we can salva- HYSTERA, HOW MANY TIMES DO WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS?!

His annoyance was immediately visible as he watched the mint haired goggled inkling dangling upside down the light above them, her broken chains and shackles of her attire rattling. She giggled and cackled maniacally, befitting of her psychotic and feral nature.

Hystera: Hehehehehehehe, weeeeeeeeee!

Vandal: Ugh... I know, let me handle it.

The cerulean haired octoling rose from his seat, to get up onto the meeting table to stop the light spinning and pull Hystera off of it, her attempts to claw back onto it as she growls being futile. Vandal places her onto the floor, making sure to hold her so she doesn't get back up there.

Vandal: What have you been told about doing this? Down, on the floor.

Gizmo: Anyway... as I was saying.

He shoots a glare toward Hystera to make sure she knew he interrupted him, as he just sees her gnawing her teeth on the end of the table. He sighs and gets on with the topic at hand.

Gizmo: This place could have a lot of useful salvage to us, whether for selling, equipment, repairing or building. It's a crater that just opened up nearby, and it's best for us to get there before anyone else does. So the plan is the usual, Vandal, you and Hystera are with me and we're going down to check the place out, we'll split up if we need to. Specter, you're our eyes, you have good vantage points given the terrain.

He looks toward the maroon haired octoling who he knows as Specter, seeing her hollow white eyes meeting his as she exhales through her respirator mask. Specter nods and emotes with a thumbs up to let him know that she understands.

Vandal: You got it, we've got your back.

Hystera: Bark bark! Do I get to fight anyone down there?

Gizmo: I'm hoping not to engage, but if we have to... yes, you will. That's the briefing, everyone, gear up, we head out in ten.