#Zapfish Protector | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

salmonidparty · 5 years ago

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To this point, Agent 3′s missions had all gone surprisingly well. Better than he had originally anticipated, at any rate. He had successfully rescued 4 Zapfish from military domes, including one from what was called an “Octoweapon.” It nearly scared every ounce of ink right out of his body, but he managed to take it down with each tentacle still in tact.

The teen was starting to gain some confidence in his work. It was starting to feel good, too. He was keeping the precious little Zapfish safe, and he was preventing another war from breaking out by dismantling the weaponry that the Octarians were building. He hardly had a reason to think twice about his missions... Until the fifth.

From the second he jumped in, 3 could tell there was something a bit different about this particular dome. It wasn’t like the factories or armories that he had de-powered before. Beneath the floating platforms and rocks, he could easily make out the shape of buildings that looked like homes, their windows gently illuminated amidst the underground’s darkness.

Scratching the side of his head, 3 pulled out his radio and inquired, “Hey, Cap’n?” he didn’t wait for a confirmation, “Do you know what this dome is for?”

“Hm?” came the captain’s reply, “Well, I can’t say I do! But there’s a Zapfish there, so you’d best procure it!”

3 continued to stare at the buildings below, his arm slowly lowering to his side. He wondered... Was this a residential dome? Would it be right to just take a Zapfish from a place like this? Even if it was stolen from Inkopolis? He chewed on his cheek, now contemplating going to a different dome. This place was dark enough as is, they wouldn’t be able to function without light down there...

“You alright, 3?” Cuttlefish’s voice came through again, “The Zapfish ain’t gonna rescue itself, you know!”

Grunting in reply, 3 eventually pocketed the radio and stepped deeper inside. The security here was just about as tight as a weaponized dome, however as he dodged bullets and Octarians, he couldn’t help but think that maybe neutralizing these guys, instead of outright splatting them, was better. Where this line of thought came from, he wasn’t sure. Maybe it was the uneasy feeling he got when he entered.

Of course, getting caught up in his own thoughts and trying a new strategy only got himself splatted a good few times. This netted him a few comments from the other agents; concern from 1 and the captain, and dry wit from 2.

Eventually, he did reach the end, and the battery that held the Zapfish. Without skipping a beat he broke the barrier and cradled the fish in his arms, smiling at it sweetly. This was always his favorite part of a mission: being able to hold the rescued Zapfish. They always seemed so delighted to have a bit of attention! However, he couldn’t really enjoy the moment.

Eyes drifting to the area below, 3′s hearts sank when he saw the lights from the windows dim in succession, with a number even outright turning dark. He had seen this happen in the military domes, and always left with a spring in his step knowing that he had slowed the progress of the Octarian’s eventual assault. But this time... He couldn’t help but feel like what he was doing was wrong. There was a sudden pit in his stomach that he hadn’t felt with his previous missions.

The Zapfish squeaked in confusion and looked up to him with its round, watery eyes. 3 returned the gaze with one of pity, a frown etching itself into his features. It was one thing to take the power away from weaponry. It was another thing to take power away from potentially innocent people. Did they deserve this? He didn’t know. Right now, he didn’t really think so. The uncertainty made his ink feel chill.

Reaching into his safety vest, 3 pulled out a hand-made treat, to which the Zapfish began to wiggle eagerly at the sight of. With a gentle smile he fed it to the little creature, and carefully placed it back inside of the battery. There was a confused look on the Zapfish’s face, but after a few seconds, it had settled back in and remade its barrier.

“Huh?!” Cuttlefish’s voice came bursting through the radio, “3, what are you doing? Tha--”

Agent 3 turned off his radio.

-----

There had to be an answer to his dilemma. The Octarians weren’t entirely innocent, through their thievery and all that weapon crafting... But all the same, they were still people. Until now, the agent had thought that the Octarians were stealing Zapfish just to power their weaponry. They didn’t want to tap into what they had to power their residential areas... But now he had reason to believe they were also stealing Zapfish to power their homes.

The pit in 3′s stomach hadn’t gone away. It had only gotten worse as he carefully made his way into the base of the dome, sliding over screens, rocks, and muddy earth. After removing his safety vest, he had found a large strip of grey fabric and crudely wrapped it around his head and shoulders, hiding his tentacles and face from scrutinizing eyes.

Taking in a deep breath, he stepped into what appeared to be a town nearly in shambles.

Cracked mortar, hazy windows, dim lighting... 3′s shoulders tensed up at the thought of having to live in a place like this. Dirt roads, broken pavement, water damage... Succulents were growing out of window sills and the roofs of many homes, trying to catch what light they could. But no sunlight would touch their leaves.

He stuck his hands into his pockets and pressed on, passing by confused Octarians and Octolings who had been affected by the sudden brownout. He didn’t know a lick of Octarian, but he could pick out a few words here and there... “Light,” “Scared,” “Worry...” So-on and so-forth. It reminded him of Inkopolis, whenever there was a power outage. People would leave their homes and chat with the others on their block. He felt a connection with these people in that moment, but it felt wrong of him to think that he could relate to the plight these poor octopuses had to endure.

Stomach now doing backflips and tying itself into knots, 3 could only look at the dirt path before him. Maybe what he was doing wasn’t so righteous after all. Head hanging low, he bumped right into a large Octobomber and stumbled backwards. The Octarian turned with a concerned look and started speaking in a concerned way, however 3 could only make out, “sorry,” and “okay?”

Grunting in reply, 3 threw his hands up in a submissive way and nodded briskly, wanting to shrug it off as quickly as possible. It was his fault, after all. Hearts thumping in his ears, he sputtered out a quick apology and ran off, vanishing into a narrow alleyway.

3 had seen enough. It was time to get out of this dome. Maybe figure out what on earth he was going to do from here...

-----

After losing contact with 3, Cuttlefish was in a bit of a tizzy. What exactly happened in that dome? Where had he gone? Was he safe? Did the Octarians capture him?! He wasted no time in calling Agents 1 and 2 to help find the teen, and then sprung into action himself.

He scoured the base from top to bottom while the other two searched around the kettles. Finally, after an hour, Agent 3 was located.

“Oh, 3! There you are!” Cuttlefish called, slightly out of breath, “I’ve been scrambling all over the Valley looking for you! Girls, I found him!” he puffed into his radio. He hobbled over and was about to give the Inkling an earful until he noticed the rather somber aura the lad was giving off.

Oliver was sitting at the end of a platform, with his legs dangling over the ledge. His uniform was folded neatly and sitting on his lap. His hands were propping him up as he stared into the distance. He heaved a sigh that made his head droop even further than it had already sunk.

“Cap’n...” he whispered, “What are we even doing here?”

Taken aback, Cuttlefish didn’t reply at first. He leaned against his Bamboozler and furrowed his brow in confusion. Didn’t 3 know by now? He certainly should have!

He tapped his cane against the ground, “Stopping the Octarian menace, of course!” he spoke with vigor, shaking his fist in the air. However he too seemed to deflate when Oliver looked over his shoulder.

What a somber look it was.

“The dome I went to today,” Oliver started, turning away, “Was a residential dome.” there was a brief pause of deafening silence, broken by the agent’s shaky breath, “If I took that Zapfish... Hundreds, maybe thousands of people would be left in the dark.”

Cuttlefish didn’t seem to know what to say.

“I might just be a custodian,” Oliver continued, “But I know we don’t need every single Zapfish to power Inkopolis. We could just have the Great and a hundred or so little ones, and we’d be fine.” he bit his lower lip, “I wanted to help because I thought the Zapfish were in danger,” he drew in a breath, “Because they were being used for evil.”

“Well,” Cap’n’s voice was low, “They... They are.”

Oliver turned so quickly that his tentacles slapped the side of his face, “But not all of them!” he cried, “I don’t care what you think about the Octarians, they’re people, too! And they need light just like the rest of us!”

Cuttlefish stepped back in shock.

“Haven’t you seen the places they live in?” Oliver demanded, “They’re in shambles, worse off than the shack you call home!” he threw his arm in the direction of the Squidbeak Splatoon base.

“Well, no... I haven’t...” Cuttlefish shrank back a bit, “But they can’t all be like that, the Octarians are smarter than you think! They’re cunning, and--”

“Oh, come off it!” Bunching up his safety vest in his fist, Oliver rose to his feet and drew his arm back, readying himself to throw the uniform into the pit below, “I’m not going to be a part of this if it means I’m hurting innocent people!”

A firm hand grabbed his wrist, crashing Oliver’s mind back to reality. He turned back to Cuttlefish, whose face had turned quite stern. The two stared long and hard at each other, before Oliver’s arm finally relaxed, his shoulder and head falling. When it was released, his arm fell to his side with a flop.

“Now, then...” Cuttlefish sighed, “Let’s talk this out.” he attempted a smile, which creased his cheeks, “How about we grab some crabby cakes and tea?”

Weary look in his eye, Oliver slowly turned his head back to Cuttlefish and soon gave in with a nod.

“Good, good!” Cuttlefish hummed. He tapped Oliver’s legs with the end of his Bamboozler, “We’ll get this sorted out, young’n, don’t you worry.”

Having shuffled back to the shack, Oliver’s mind was starting to feel a bit clearer. He ducked his head as he stepped inside the makeshift home, and plopped rather roughly into the stool set up beside a low table. Cuttlefish scurried around, gathering the cakes and the supplies to make tea. Once the kettle was on the stove, he took a seat as well.

“So...” he started, “What exactly did you find out there?” the elder listened carefully as Oliver retold his experience. Cuttlefish’s expression turned all the more grim with each word, his hand slowly picking at his beard, “I see...”

Oliver was hunched over the table, feeling sick to his stomach. Too sick to eat the crabby cakes that had been set in front of him. He wasn’t even sure that Cap’n would even listen, much less take those words to heart. He understood why the old cuttlefish had such a vendetta against the Octarians, but wasn’t it about time for something to... Change? It had been 100 years since the Great Turf War, after all.

By the time Oliver’s story was finished, the kettle had started to whistle. Scurrying about again, Cuttlefish filled two mugs, one of which had a very broken handle, with hot tea and served them. Oliver wrapped his hands around the mug and stared blankly into the liquid, finding the silence more agonizing than anything Cap’n Cuttlefish could have possibly said. His eyes drifted up when the old Inkfish sat back down.

“I don’t think it’s right,” Oliver stated firmly, before Cuttlefish could speak, “Taking the Zapfish from places Octarians live in.” his eyes fell, and his grip around the mug tightened, “They’re probably just trying to survive.”

“Making and powering weapons isn’t survival,” Cuttlefish interjected, “Defense at best, but...” he trailed off when Oliver’s expression darkened.

There was a long pause. Cuttlefish closed his eyes thoughtfully, “You feel very strongly about this, don’t you, young’n?”

“Yeah,” Oliver affirmed, “When I went deeper into that dome, I saw... Us. But in a different form.” his brow creased, his head hung low, and he was now staring at a knot in the table, “Why would they so willingly live in a place like that? As smart as they are, I don’t think they’d consider trying to trick us by thinking their situation is bad...” he removed one hand from his mug and pressed it against his face, the warmth flowing over his right eye.

Cuttlefish scratched at his chin in a pensive manner. He picked up a crabby cake and nibbled at it, clearly trying to think his words through. Oliver was surprised. He honestly expected the old man to come up with one dozen arguments for why they should take any and all Zapfish out of the domes, but he really seemed to be taking this seriously. Did he value Oliver’s opinion that much?

Having finished off the snack, Cuttlefish took a drink of his tea, and finally spoke up again, “I would like to remind you that the Octarians are planning an attack.” he set his mug back onto the table rather loudly, “That UFO was no fluke! It may not have been an all-out attack, but mark my words, it is a start!” he shook a finger in Oliver’s direction.

There was a brief pause, where the two Inkfish locked eyes. Oliver’s were full of worry, and Cuttlefish’s were full of determination. However his old, wide eyes softened a touch when he stamped his cane on the ground.

“However!” he proclaimed loudly, “I think you’re right.”

Oliver sat up slightly, “You think so...?”

The Cap’n nodded, “Yes. It may be wrong for them to steal the Zapfish, but it’d be wrong to deprive their homes of power.” his gaze turned stern again, his brow heavy, “But. That doesn’t mean we can just leave the Zapfish powering weapons and armories. And we certainly can’t leave the Zapfish in the tentas of Octavio!”

The teen nodded slowly, “R-right.”

“3, you have my word; as long as I’m the captain of the Squidbeak Splatoon,” he stood and held up a peace sign as if it were a salute, “We will not take Zapfish from residential domes.” he looked to the Inkling expectantly, “Do I have your word that you’ll stick with us?”

Hesitating briefly, Oliver’s hand fell back onto the table, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He considered it carefully, and weighed the options in his head.

Rising to his feet, the agent smiled weakly and returned the peace sign. “Y-yeah. You have my word, Cap’n.”

With a skip of delight, Cuttlefish shuffled to 3′s side and clamped a hand onto his shoulder, giving him a light shake, “Good to hear, 3. Good to hear.” he was grinning enough that the corners of his mouth were visible under his mustache, “Frankly, you’re the best thing that’s happened to the Splatoon in 100 years, and I’d hate to see you go, young’n.”

3 chuckled softly, his eyes darting away, “Uh... Thanks, Cap’n... I’ll keep doing my best.” meeting the captain’s eyes again he added, “And... Thanks for listening to me. It means a lot.”

Satisfied, Cap’n Cuttlefish patted the Inkling’s shoulder firmly, and hobbled back to his seat to eat another crabby cake and finish off his tea. By now, Agents 1 and 2 had returned to the base, and were ready to hear what exactly happened to 3.

While he was willing to stay on board, there was still a seed of uncertainty that had planted itself between his hearts. While the uncertainty didn’t germinate, it did slowly grow into a strong desire to help the Octarians. To at least ease their plight slightly. How he was going to do that, he wasn’t so sure yet... But the desire only grew with each mission he completed.

#Zapfish Protector #drabble #Agent Stories #(( guess I'll be posting stories out of order ANYWAY.... Inspiration hit ))

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salmonidparty · 5 years ago

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A bit of 3 and 8 being cute

#sheep art #NILS Destroyer #Zapfish Protector

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salmonidparty · 5 years ago

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The Spicy Calamari Inkantation was still ringing in Carice’s ears, even as she dashed to her quarters in the barracks. The surrounding sounds were drowned out by her breathing, the pounding of her hearts, and her boots hitting the damp pavement. She had never been averse to crowds, however as the impromptu concert came to an end she found herself pushing her way through dazed and confused Octarians.

She needed space, she needed time, and she needed quiet. All to think, to go over what was tumbling about in her brain. Although her head felt clearer than it had for years, a storm of confusion and indecision was brewing deep within her mind. Her body felt light as a feather, and yet her mind felt as heavy as a ton of bricks.

In what felt like no time at all, she had made it to the barracks and fled to her room. The building was surprisingly empty--usually someone would be around to keep an eye on things, or resting after performing their duties... It was likely due to the streets being so full from the grand battle that DJ Octavio had called everyone to see. However, now it was clear that the outcome was one that the emperor never saw coming.

He was defeated in battle. Agent 4, the perky little Octoling that had sided with the enemy had knocked his crown off, got her allies into the dome, reclaimed Callie’s voice, nabbed the Great Zapfish, and took the Octo Emperor into custody.

Everything was in place for the Octolings to want to stage revenge, and yet...

Carice looked to her hands. While she would have normally felt the urge to rally up some troops and dive head-first into the Squidbeak’s base, for the first time in her life she didn’t feel as though she needed to spring into action. She frowned and pressed her back against the door, heaving a sigh.

It was as if she could breathe easy for the first time in her life, but that felt so wrong to her. She knew she should do something about the problematic Inklings and their antics to take the precious Zapfish away, however she felt such a lack of need to go and free their emperor. The conflict stewing in her mind made her stomach feel like an unsteady tempest. Until now, she had an undying loyalty to Octavio. A compulsion to serve him, and do whatever it took to help her homeland and people.

What made the difference, now?

Shuffling over to her bunk bed, she flopped unceremoniously onto the stiff lower mattress. She found herself humming the same song she had heard in that stadium just minutes before, breaking the dead quiet of the quarters. It was a good song, and it had wormed its way into her ears like no tune before it.

Carice slipped her shades off of the bridge of her nose, and held them at arm’s length above her head. As she stared into the dark frames, she wondered why she and the others had been wearing these and those bulky goggles for so long. Fashion? A sense of unity? Practicality? She felt like there was a significant reason, but whatever it was had completely lost its edge. Her hands fell to her sides, the frame of the shades still held between her right finger and thumb.

She continued wondering, her mind getting dangerously close to thoughts she never could have imagined before. Could the Octarians manage without Octavio to push progress? They did survive without him for two years, but it wasn’t as if the domes were getting any better in his absence. But with Octavio’s focus on making Octo Weapons and Bosses, were the domes improving much with him around, anyway?

His aggression and frustration with the Inklings were both pushing himself and his people towards war... When most simply wanted peace. Even still, the Inklings weren’t making things any easier, and even when Octavio was out of commission, Carice had to aggressively protect the people that lived in the crumbling domes.

Carice grunted. She pressed her left palm against her forehead and screwed her eyes shut, her nose wrinkling with mild frustration. She wanted to help the Octarians that lived here. She wanted them to live in comfort, to have the sun grace their faces. But what of Octavio? He wanted to take the surface by force. Surely, that could get them what they wanted. But maybe Octavio’s desire for war was... Wrong.

And maybe her loyalty wasn’t to Octavio, but to the Octarians themselves.

If he were to return again, wouldn’t they just keep doing the same thing? Continue to make weapons and steal Zapfish to power them? It hadn’t worked for the past 100 years, what would make the difference now?

But.. All the same, could they really reach the surface without a fight? Carice couldn’t hope to know. Her knowledge of the surface was limited at best, only able to steal glances of it now and again. She knew it was beautiful. She knew it was something to fight for, if need-be... But...

If one cephalopod from the surface could stand to face groups of Octarians alone, she dreaded to think of what it could be like to face an entire army of them.

Shifting slightly, she opened her eyes and stared at the bunk above her. There simply wasn’t an easy answer to this. Her ink felt cold, and now her body was feeling as heavy as her mind. She looked back to the shades held in her hand.

With her thumb she rubbed at a smudge at the edge of the lenses, her brow creasing slightly. What was she to do? Was there anyone else that had felt the same way that she had? She slipped the shades back over her face and rested both hands over her stomach. She considered calling one of her teammates, someone she knew she could trust.

But, she hesitated. Perhaps she should keep this to herself. She was at such a high rank, and held so much respect that she couldn’t stand to have her peers and subordinates see her in a weakened state--especially not after the events of today. There was no room for doubt right now. So why was it that she couldn’t shake her own?

Suddenly, a message came through her shade’s radio, causing her to jump upright in an instant, “Carice!” a voice came through, “Squidbeak Agents 3 and Craig Cuttlefish have been found near the egg processing plant! Backup needed!”

“Copy,” she replied flatly, “I’ll be there in a snap.” Carice sprung to her feet and flew out the door, grabbing an Octoshot and a few Burst Bombs on the way out of the barracks. She had rarely been to the egg processing plant, but she knew how important Power Eggs were to the Octarians.

There was no time to dwell on confused thoughts. One thing was certain: she wasn’t going to let yet another Agent take their other supply of power. If they lost those Power Eggs, it’d spell a disaster for her people! As she rushed to the plant, she tried to shove her own thoughts out of her mind.

Until now, that was always such an easy task...

-----

Thousands of eggs, hundreds of fish. Agent 3 wasn’t at all prepared for what he had seen within the deepest part of the Octarian’s egg processing plant.

At first, it was what he had expected; Power and Golden Eggs being counted, sorted, and processed to be used for energy, and even food for Zapfish. 3 had found this to be more than enough information to relay back to Orabella, the Salmonid who had hired him to collect this information... However, that was until he had found something much more.

Secret entry ways, hidden paths. Skeletons hidden within the belly of the beast, just barely out of reach for the average Inkling. But Agent 3 was no longer your average, every-day squid.

Leaving Cuttlefish to keep watch above, Agent 3 followed after some workers, doing his best to keep hidden. He tried to say close enough to slip between pipes and security that only got more intense the further in they went. He had to weave through machinery, scramble behind walls, and stay in his squid form more than half the time. His hearts were pounding so loudly that he was sure that the Octarians would have been able to hear him...

Finally, when the Octarians reached their destination, 3 hung back for a few minutes, hiding within some pipes to ensure that the coast was clear before he decided to take a look around. The room was spacious and round, and had a walkway that wrapped all the way around the outer wall. A series of doors lined the metal walkway, and at the other end of the room was a set of stairs that led down to the open center. The fluorescent lights above buzzed, leaving the walkway just bright enough to navigate.

Slinking out of his hiding place, 3 looked this way and that before eventually peering over the walkway’s edge, and into the deepest part of the room. There were a series of tubes, all of which were filled with a golden liquid and glowed warmly in the dim lighting.

His ink turned cold when he managed to make out the shape of a handful of them. Were those... Salmonids? The agent hesitated, his brow creasing and his tentacles tensing. They didn’t look quite... Right.

Double-checking his surroundings again, his hearts nearly jumped out of his throat when he heard someone exiting a room nearby. Without thinking twice he slipped through the railing in his squid form, and landed on a crate below with a mighty plop! He hastily hid himself behind the crate, straining his ears for any sign that he had been seen or heard... He could hear the confusion of the Octoling above, however it seemed that, for now, he had avoided detection.

Still, he waited a few minutes before peering over the crate. Eyes widening, he was shocked at what he found within the tubes. It... Was a Salmonid, that much was true. But it looked as though it were growing arms and legs in place of its pectoral and pelvic fins. The others were much the same but at different stages. Some had hands. Some had differently shaped faces. Some lacked tails completely. A few shifted and twitched within their tubes.

3′s mouth had gone dry. He remembered Cuttlefish hearing rumors that the Octarians were working with someone on biological experiments... An external help to make Octotroopers into Octolings. But he thought that it was just on their own people, not another species entirely...!

Dumbfounded and unable to believe what he was seeing, the Inkling found himself reaching for his phone as his beak dropped. He opened the camera, and with trembling hands, he started to take a series of pictures of these odd-looking Salmonid experiments. Without a doubt, this was something Orabella had to see.

After the third or fourth picture, 3 nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the cry of a nearby Octarian. He looked over and saw a group of them, each with an Octoshot wrapped up in their tentas. He nearly dropped his phone as he scrambled to get out of their firing range.

Ripping his radio out of his jacket, 3 cried into the speaker, “Code red, I’ve been spotted! Get moving!” the radio spat out static and 3 swore, however he had no time to confirm if Cuttlefish could have heard him this deep below.

Now grabbing his Hero Shot, 3 had to defend himself as he scrambled past Octarians, gathering Octolings, and security measures. Inking himself a path, he swam through to the other end of the room, trying to focus more on his escape instead of the oddities within the tubes that surrounded him.

Throwing a bomb up over the metal stairs, he skillfully skipped over a number of the steps, eyeing the scattering Octarians as the bomb exploded. Rather than trying to run past them, he grabbed hold of the railing and jumped to the other side, where it was clearer for him to make a break for it.

However that didn’t last very long, as the number of guards and attacking scientists only grew. They spilled out of the doors, attempting to impede his path or threaten him with whatever supplies and weapons they had grabbed in their haste. Skidding to a halt, 3′s gaze darted between these simple workers, and the guards gaining on him from behind. An idea sprung to mind all of the sudden as he spotted an ID tag wrapped around one of the Octarians--the same tag that the others had used to open the doors that led here.

He knew he was going to hate himself for this later...

Rushing forward, the unsuspecting Octarians shouted in surprise and started to back away, their cries only growing louder when the Inkling wrapped both arms firmly around one of the smaller lab workers. The rather scrawny Octotrooper cursed at him, squirming, kicking, and thwacking him with the blunt end of a stapler as the Agent attempted to get them locked into one arm.

The whole room seemed to freeze when the barrel of Agent 3′s Hero Shot was pressed against the side of the Octarian’s head. Sweat dripping down his brow, 3 stared at the group with a cold, hard stare. They returned his stare with equally hard, but far more worried glares. Hearts pounding away in his ears, the agent hoped that they weren’t going to call his bluff...

Backing away, he approached the door. The tension in the air was so terribly thick, that what took mere seconds felt like hours to everyone involved. The moment 3′s heel hit the door, he used the dangling ID card to open it, popped the lanyard off the Octotrooper, dropped them, and ran as fast as he could through the twisting corridors.

Through the last door, 3 was almost home free. However as he looked about to see if there were any soldiers about, he ran into someone and was sent tumbling onto the ground, a familiar voice shouting out in pain.

“Oh! My cuttlebone...!”

3 grunted and shook his head. Once it dawned on him who he had tripped over, he jumped up onto all four legs, “G-gramps?!” he cried. The old cuttlefish was sprawled on the ground, looking a bit dazed, “Oh shoot, I’m sorry!” he scrambled over to help the Captain get back up onto his legs.

Cap’n Cuttlefish wobbled a bit, pressing a hand against his back and shaking the daze out of his eyes, “Hooh! You right near gave me a heart attack, young’n!”

“S-sorry!” 3 puffed, looking around, “I thought you had already escaped...!”

“Ah, yes!!” Cuttlefish went on to say, “I found a fire escape, that should take us right outside!” with the end of his Bamboozler, he pointed the way.

“G-got it! Let’s go, now!”

-----

There were fewer Octolings ready to battle than normal. It was as if half of the soldiers hadn’t received a call to action, leaving their numbers quite thin. A number of Octarians came in their stead, but...

Carice didn’t know what to think of this. Where could everyone have gone? Did they miss the call? Were they hunting after Agent 4 and Octavio? Could they have possibly been facing the same doubts as she had?

Her boots sank into the muddy earth as she charged past her fellow soldiers, a notable sense of dread looming over their heads like a brewing storm. It was clear that they too were worried about their current numbers. Every soldier knew well that when an Agent was threatening their livelihoods, they needed to be on the defensive. Especially after what happened with Octavio earlier that afternoon.

“Ah, Carice!” a Twintacle darted up to her, flagging her down by waving a tenta in the air, “We were trying to take down the Squidbeak Soldiers when we had completely lost track of them once they got outside!” he bowed his head, tightly closing his eyes with regret, “I’m very sorry!”

“Okay.” came the Octoling’s reply, “Do you have any idea what he was doing in the processing plant?”

The Octarian hesitated, shrinking back a bit, “Um.”

An Octocommander in a lab coat spoke up quickly, “He was sticking his nose where it didn’t belong, perhaps planning to steal another source of our power.” his face grew intense, “He escaped before he managed to get his filthy tentacles on anything.”

Carice nodded, “Got it...” she mused briefly, placing a hand to her chin. She always wondered what all was in the plant, but she rarely ever looked. Power Eggs, surely, but other than to feed a Zapfish, what business did the Squidbeaks have there? She shrugged off her own questions and returned to the matter at hand, “You fought your hardest and called for backup. That’s the best thing you can do when it comes to the Agents.”

The Twintacle seemed relieved that he didn’t get chewed out for this failure. He looked up to her with a tiny smile on his purple lips. The Octocommander on the other hand, returned to the plant.

Diving straight into things, Carice squared her shoulders and took charge of the group by calling them to order. Once she had their attention she said, “We need to find those Squidbeak soldiers.” the others nodded in agreement. She pointed to a pair of Octarians, “You two patrol the surrounding area. Call us if you see anything suspicious.”

When the pair nodded in reply, she started to divide the Octolings and Octarians into groups of two to four, “Group A, you head north, group B, I’d like for you to head south.” she clapped her hands together, “Group D, head east, and group C will come with me to the west. Fan out, but keep close to each other if anything happens. ”

Carice had decided that no other Squidbeak Agent was going to get away with effective murder today. Either they were going to be driven out permanently, or they were going to be taken as prisoners. It was only fair, after all. Perhaps they could work out a deal with the remaining Squidbeak Soldiers to get their emperor back on the throne.

That was what was needed for her people, right? A strong leader that would help them get to the surface? Even now, Carice still had a cloud of doubt clogging up her thoughts. Why was she struggling with this so much?

Now, to convey this idea to her soldiers, “Try to not splat them,” she instructed, “Capture both of them, and bring them back here.” she thrust her right fist into her left palm, “If they’re going to take our leader into custody, then we’ll take theirs.” she threw a hand into the air, “Dismissed!”

The soldiers saluted and called, “Roger!” before executing their orders. With a satisfied nod, she motioned for her group to follow after her.

Carice ushered her group to fan out, and started to hunt for the Squidbeak Soldiers. Nowhere to be seen, the Inklings were always a slippery sort, squeezing between your fingers and getting away at a moment’s notice. However, it wasn’t until now that she had thought about how strange it was for Cuttlefish to be here as well. Wasn’t he always just out of reach, feeding instructions and input to his little agents? Of what she had seen of him, he was hardly in any shape to go into battle.

Inking a path she swam past her teammates, her keen, brown eyes shrewdly tracking down the bright yellow ink that Agent 3 typically had. Traces of his ink could be seen--a few signs of fights here and there from when she had initially gotten the call, but for the most part, the evidence pointed to him trying to high-tail it out of the area.

In a strange turn of events, the Octarians couldn’t help but notice that Agent 3 had started to take paths that would make it so he could avoid splatting anyone. He’d run, swim and dodge his way out of trouble nearly every time, and it made him difficult to pin down. He was quite good at subduing his opponent, but he rarely ever took the option to splat. Carice could never understand this--she knew from experience that he was a horrifically skilled fighter once he applied himself. So why was it that, even now, he took the path of the coward?

That hardly mattered. He was causing a problem, and it needed to be taken care of.

Jumping out of her ink, Carice realized she had lost the trail. Blast, where did those stinking cephalopods go?! She surveyed her surroundings, looking for any signs of oddly colored ink or out-of-place footprints. Perhaps she had gone the wrong way, and 3 had managed to give her the slip. Just her luck today... Things really were going from bad to worse. Was this planned? She almost couldn’t put it past them.

It was about time she went back to regroup. Turning back the way she came, her ears caught the sound of some voices whispering nearby. Narrowing her eyes and straining her ears, Carice tried to determine if she was just hearing things, or if the Squidbeaks were nearby. It could have also been a group of allies, however she wanted to be certain before moving on.

With careful footsteps and her gun at the ready, she crept closer to the source of the sound. Her body was tightly wound like a spring, however it seemed as though the case were the same for her targets.

Out of a nearby bush, Craig Cuttlefish sprung into view shouting, “Y-yo-you’ll not be taking me today, Octarian!” and the moment he had enough footing, he fired his Bamboozler.

Covered in rust-colored ink but no worse for wear, Carice took a few steps back and fired herself, “I found the Squidbeaks!” she barked into her radio, spurting off the coordinates with each shot she took at the old captain.

While she had nailed the older cephalopod with a few bullets, his cohort, Agent 3, appeared from the woodwork and used a tattered old cape to shield the captain from fire. He quickly ordered Cuttlefish to stay low, then threw his cape behind him, flinging red ink everywhere. Hero Shot in hand, he shot Carice a serious look before taking aim.

Diving into her ink, Carice dodged the first barrage of bullets. She sped off in the opposite direction when she heard a bomb flying towards her, flecks of ink from the explosion scattering all about. Jumping out of cover, she surveyed the area for the agent, however he was out of sight, likely hiding in ink himself.

Throwing two Burst Bombs in succession, she managed to weed him out from behind a rock, and in no time at all the two were firing at each other. Breaking herself out of the heat of the battle, she realized: she didn’t want to splat him, not just yet. Taking a few hits, she dove into her ink and hid behind a crumbled wall, ready to throw a bomb the second that 3 came near. If she could at least break his shield, he’d be easier to subdue...

A few seconds had flown by, and just as she had determined, 3 had made his way towards her. Leaping into the air she threw one Burst Bomb, which nailed him directly in the face. The Inkling shouted as his shield broke, reeling backwards as he wiped the ink and off his face and rubbed the stars out of his eyes. Now was her chance!

Gripping his armed hand with a firm grip, Carice grinned beakily when she heard the footsteps of soldiers drawing near, “Alright, Agent 3!” in his surprise of hearing Inklish, she took the opportunity to drop her own weapon and grab his free hand, “You’ve got nowhere to run!” without looking to see who had approached, she barked, “Okay soldiers! Help me bring 3 into custody! Someone go grab Captain Cuttlefish,” she used her head to motion to where the captain was hiding, “He’s in that bush, there!

It was then that she noticed the stupor on 3′s ink-stained face. He was staring wide-eyed at the soldiers behind the Octoling, a look of worry and confusion slowly creeping across his face. Blinking, Carice was tempted to demand why no one had listened to her order, but held her tongue as she glanced over her shoulder.

Those... Weren’t her subordinates.

Pale green skin, deep blue tentas tipped in a bright, acidic green, and a striking smell of cleaner that accosted Carice’s nose. A small army had suddenly surfaced out of nowhere, and they were nothing like Carice had ever seen. They certainly dressed like Octavio’s army, however it was glaringly obvious that these were not under the Octo Emperor’s ruling.

One lifted her weapon, a Splat Charger, and aimed it between 3′s eyes, “Target found.” she said with a robotic tone. The Inkling tensed.

Hearts leaping out of her chest, Carice let go of 3, throwing their arms apart in the process. She stumbled back as a bolt of fluorescent ink shot between them. Unknown soldiers and unknown ink. She had seen similar colors, but this stuff almost looked alive as it plummeted to the ground.

Meanwhile, 3 hardly hesitated to dive back into his ink. He called out to Cuttlefish to get moving, worry striking his face as he quickly realized the elder may have some trouble keeping up. His shield recovered as he swam, however he had a strange feeling that this wasn’t going to help him very much...

Confused as to what was going on, Carice wasn’t sure if she should deal with these strange soldiers, or continue after 3--

Her question was soon answered, as the Splat Charger was now targeting her. Inhaling sharply she dove into her octopus form, the strange ink dangerously close as it sailed over her head.

“Seek and destroy,” the first Octoling stated. With a nearly mechanical shout, the rest of the Octolings charged forward, splitting off into two groups; one to go after Agent 3, and one to go after Carice.

Scrambling to get her Octoshot, Carice managed to fire down a soldier that had gotten a little too close for her liking, and instead of splatting as she had expected, their body evaporated into a mess of pixels, almost like a digital glitch.

Carice’s ink turned cold. What were these?

No time to dwell on the oddity--where one had been splatted, two more were in their place. Hearts pounding, she attempted to call for backup again, dreading to think that these strange Octolings had taken out her group...

3 wasn’t fairing much better. While the captain could fight for the most part, the Bamboozler wasn’t exactly the strongest of weapons out there. In trying to take down these weird Octolings, protect Cuttlefish, and maintain his own ink levels, the Inkling found himself quickly overwhelmed by these numbers. Where were they coming from?!

In a panic, he executed a Splashdown, splatting a good number of the soldiers, and knocking back a few others. A quick reprieve, if nothing else.

“Huh?” Cuttlefish cried out of nowhere, “Look there, that girl is fighting them, too!” he pointed through the parted sea of soldiers.

Looking about, 3′s eyes eventually landed on the Octoling that had nearly trapped him. She had at least five soldiers surrounding her, and it appeared as though she had started to resort to melee moves as her ink tank depleted.

3′s brow creased, “Wait,” he huffed, slightly out of breath, “Why is she fighting them?” he continued to puff, “Aren’t they Octolings, too?”

As more soldiers approached, 3 was met with a dilemma. He had to get Cuttlefish out to safety, but, if he was being honest with himself, he couldn’t leave this girl high and dry either... Even if she was an enemy. He swore under his breath, shooting down a few more soldiers. He hadn’t any space to think, and he was almost out of ink!

“Captain!” he called, “What do we do?!”

“We run away!” the elder cried, firing his Bamboozler rapidly. He was getting much too old for this.

“But what about her?”

Cap’n Cuttlefish knew Agent 3 well. He knew that there wasn’t much point in trying to argue with him when he got an idea in his head. The boy valued the lives of the Octarians as much as he valued the lives of the Inklings--so to tell him to just abandon this struggling girl in the heat of battle was likely not something that would sit well with the young agent.

“Uh...!”

SPLAT! The sound of a direct hit of a Splat Charger rang through the area, accompanied by the sound of 3′s armor breaking. Flecks of the strange-colored ink scattered over the elder inkfish. With a look of horror in his wide eyes, he called out in shock when he saw Agent 3 toppling over. Before he could even reach out, he was swarmed by pale green hands.

Despite her efforts and best fighting, Carice stood no chance against these numbers. She was out of ink, out of bombs, out of breath, and out of time. The splotches of ink that were splattered across her skin stung, and finally, she gave in to the swarm. Her consciousness slipped away, the Calamari Inkantation ringing in her ears one last time as numerous hands and faces made her vision fade to black.

#NILS Destroyer #Zapfish Protector #Agent Stories

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salmonidparty · 5 years ago

Photo

This could never happen but...

Super self-indulgent drawing of 8 and 3 seeing each other be reverted back to their pre-Octo Expansion selves.

#Twisted Agent 3 #Zapfish Protector #Transformed Agent 8 #NILS Destroyer #Sheep Art

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salmonidparty · 5 years ago

Text

Closing shifts were always dreadfully boring, even in a power plant that housed dozens of Zapfish. But Oliver supposed that he couldn’t really complain all that much. The plant was quiet, few people bothered him, and the Zapfish were always delightfully adorable, squeaking whenever he passed them by. Besides, it wasn’t as if the job was all that difficult...

Clean the offices, take out the trash, check on the power levels, and record any needed maintenance that he couldn’t do himself... It took energy, but it was pretty easy to manage. But there was a certain bitterness that came with this job; he wanted to be a technician. Someone who actually worked hands-on with the electricity... And the Zapfish that lived there. At the very least, as a custodian he could pay them a visit and give them a snack now and again. The way they squawked and wiggled their fins and barbels were always so cute to him.

Pushing his cart into the back room, Oliver couldn’t help but heave a sigh. He dumped his dirty mop water, put away his cleaning supplies, and washed his hands. He kept telling himself that this custodial position was temporary, and he’d be able to work as an employee proper in the power plant eventually, but there were times where that felt like naught but a pipe dream. His job felt stagnant, and he didn’t yet have enough experience for the position he wanted. If only he could get his foot in the door!

However, he was still young. Young enough for his peers to poke fun at him for having a job, instead of earning money off of ink sports. He wasn’t much of a fighter, and he didn’t particularly care for any of the sports available! And... He got sick of the jabs his friends would make, such as, “No aim, no brain, must be a bucket main!”

The Inkling brushed back his front two tentas, which bounced back over his forehead with a light slap. He then undid his topknot to adjust his yellow tentacles, as they had managed to wiggle themselves out of place while he worked. As he did so, his blue eyes lazily glanced at the large, digital clock overhead. Just about time to wrap up and lock the building. There were so many things to lock that he always worried that he’d miss at least one door, or would forget one of the Zapfish cages. Arming the building was one thing, but the heavy key ring he had to tote around was no joke!

Most of the doors he had already locked as he made his rounds, however there were still a number that he had to take care of. As he casually made his way through the long hallways and sealed the doors behind him, he mulled a few things over in his head; had he emptied his bertha? Yes. Did he clean out the back bathroom? Definitely. Did he lock up all the doors in the Zapfish house...?

By the time that thought came to mind, he had already finished locking the rest of the doors, and was ready to punch in the code to arm it. Well... They had added extra security in the Zapfish house quite recently, so as long as the external doors were locked, it was fine, right? Not to mention, the rest of the building was secure, so it probably didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if the Zapfish could get out on their own, and as far as he knew, aside from the security officer, the building was empty. If he got yelled at, that was something he’d deal with tomorrow.

Building armed, Oliver stepped out into the night air, and listened to the muffled beeping of the alarm system arming itself behind the large glass doors. Tucking his hands into his pants pockets, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of night air. The sky was dark, but the night was still young...

Not as if Oliver was really going to take advantage of that. He was more than ready to laze around at home.

However, there was a strange sound that caught his pointed ears. They twitched slightly, and his brow creased. It sounded like... Some girls talking? He couldn’t quite make it out, and could just hear them speaking over the chorus of crickets around him. The Inkling puffed--who on earth was still around this late? Or did somebody break in?

... Security should have been able to handle that. However Oliver couldn’t resist the urge to go and check it out. Striding along the sidewalk, he perked his ears, following the sound in hopes to locate whoever was still around. With every step, his brow creased further as he realized he... Couldn’t understand what these girls were saying. Were they from out of country, or something? He was soon creeping along, clinging to the wall of the main building as his suspicions rose quickly.

Just as he peeked around the corner, he saw the intruders standing atop the Zapfish house, their shapes illuminated by the moon above. Two girls with large, bright crimson tentacles atop their heads. They wore goggles that glinted red in the night air, and held themselves with brash confidence. The pair appeared to be pulling something from the roof of the Zapfish house. That’s when Oliver’s hearts nearly leaped out of his chest.

From the opening they produced a battery--a canister in which a working Zapfish was kept--and inside of it was one of the precious little fish! Clenching his beak, Oliver’s brain scrambled to figure out what to do. Should he call the police? Should he inform security? Should he go after them himself?! Not thinking clearly in his sudden panic, the Inkling found his feet suddenly moving on their own, feeling a strong conviction to reclaim the Zapfish himself. His sneakers struck the pavement audibly as he charged towards the Zapfish house.

The intruders had taken notice of this. They shot him a quick glance, then without hesitation, both of them took either end of the battery and made a break for it.

Oliver was hardly the fastest Inkling around--he was far from the athletic type--but he had endurance to spare. As he charged across the parking lot he couldn’t help but dread that they had already vanished into the night, the Zapfish in tow. Upon rounding the bend however, he was relieved to see the glow of the battery vanish into a nearby storm drain. A trail!

Against his better judgement, he followed the pair into the depths, squeezing between the grating in his squid form. He plopped unceremoniously at the bottom of the well--thank goodness it hadn’t rained much recently--and looked around the conjoining tunnels in hopes that he could catch the glow once again.

The tail end of the battery’s light could be seen vanishing down a tunnel to his right. He wasted little time chasing after it, but with every step so it seemed, the battery’s glow kept getting further and further away, until finally he could see it no more.

After what felt like an hour of running, Oliver finally gave up. He was short of breath, his hearts were pounding, and he was plum exhausted. These tunnels twisted on forever, and the stench of sewage and limescale were starting to give him a headache. He had hoped to figure out where the pair had taken the Zapfish so he could tell the authorities, but.. No such luck.

Of course, by now he had completely lost track of where he had been and which direction he came from. His tentacles sank, wondering if he’d gone too far out to get back to Inkopolis before the sun rose. He really should have just left chasing those girls up to the authorities! He’d be kicking himself for this tomorrow one way or another.

After catching his breath and a bit more walking, he found another grate that led to the surface. He didn’t know where that went, but if he went up he’d at least be able to size up his surroundings and go from there. Maybe he could catch a cab or a bus, or something. He couldn’t have been that far from Inkopolis, right?

Emerging from the grate, Oliver had to shove some foliage out of the way, and clamber out from between some shrubbery and rocks. Didn’t seem like this drain was used very often. Shrugging it off, he took in a deep breath to shove the stench that had been assailing his senses out of his nose. He dusted off his pants, placed his hands on his hips, and tried to take a look around.

Nothing about this place seemed remotely familiar. As a matter of fact the locale itself seemed pretty remote! Not to mention a bit... Alien, for lack of a better term. Floating platforms, floating rocks... Everything appeared to be rather hap-hazard here. Oliver couldn’t think of a place that had “architecture” like this back in Inkopolis. The only thing that was “normal” was a shabby-looking shack some distance away.

Grunting, Oliver began to grumble under his breath. He supposed the shack would have to do for now. If no one was living there it’d be good shelter until daybreak, if nothing else. He shuffled his way over, his feet dragging over the dirt. As he made his way over, he passed by another, larger grate... He grunted again, his nose scrunching up. Right now? He didn’t want to deal with more pipes or sewage.

Getting closer to the hut, he could hear something shuffling about inside. He froze in place, staring wide-eyed at what he thought was the entrance. All of the sudden, there was a loud shout, followed by a man charging past the fabric that draped over the door. With the Bamboozler he held, the man fired off a warning shot, splattering Oliver with rust-colored ink.

“TH-THE OCTARIANS ARE UPON US!!” the stranger cried, “You’ll not be taking me tonight!”

Oliver’s ink bristled in shock. He jumped backwards on his toes, loosing a delayed scream as he stared down the barrel of the discolored Bamboozler.

It was then that the stranger seemed to realize that the intruder was not in fact an Octarian, but an Inkling who had strayed far from home. He blinked his wide eyes and scratched at his chin as his beard quivered, now using the Bamboozler to help prop himself up.

“Oh, sorry!” he chuckled in an all-too-casual way, “I lost my cool, there. You can never be too careful ‘round these parts!”

Oliver could merely stare at the old man before him with his beak hanging open. Just seconds ago he thought that he was going to meet his maker at the hands of some well-trained and agile hunter...

But looking at him now, the Inkling felt a little embarrassed for getting so surprised. This guy looked to be well into his hundred’s, and wore such shabby clothing that it made the shack look like a posh hotel. The patchwork poncho he wore was adorned with what appeared to be war medals, and his tentacles stuck out of a hole at the top of his dusty cap. Did he... Live out here? Oliver let go of the breath he didn’t realize he was holding.

Still tense--he wasn’t about to let his guard down with a guy whose eyes were as wild as that--Oliver allowed himself to take a slightly more casual pose. His brow creased and he opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.

The old man didn’t seem to have any such trouble as he continued to talk, “I’m Cap’n Cuttlefish,” he chimed while holding up a peace sign, “Leader of the legendary Squidbeak Splatoon!” Oliver had no idea what this guy was on about, “And I’ve been waiting for a young’un like you!”

Stepping back, Oliver’s expression grew all the more confused, “N-now hold on a minute, old man--”

“Cap’n Cuttlefish! Open your ears, young man!”

“A-alright, Cap’n... I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Oliver took in a deep breath, “But I’m not about to be recruited for some... Platoon, or whatever.”

Cuttlefish tilted his head to one side, “Eh? Then what are you doing all the way out in Octo Valley for?” he put his free hand on his hip, “Not for sight-seeing, surely!”

Shaking his head, Oliver grunted, “Wh--no, of course not! I came out here because...” he stuck his hands in his pockets, “Some girls came to the power plant I work at and stole a Zapfish.” he puffed. He was really regretting that decision now, “Just wanted to see if I could trail ‘em for a bit to give a lead to the authorities....” Octo Valley? He hadn’t a single clue where on earth that was. No wonder he couldn’t understand a word those girls were saying.

Those seemed to be the magic words, however, because Cuttlefish’s eyes lit up with delight, and were nearly sparkling. He propped himself upright and stepped over to Oliver, his eyes darting up and down the Inkling’s body, “Oho! Then you are the type of young’un I’m looking for!”

“Wait, what?”

Circling around like a vulture, Cuttlefish tapped Oliver’s calf with the side of his Bamboozer, “Young and spry,” he ignored the Inkling’s indignant cries, “Got a lot of fight in you?” he asked, poking Oliver’s arm with the end of the stick. Before he got a response, Cuttlefish circled back around front, “Gotta get a bit of exercise in, too...” he thwapped Oliver’s stomach twice with the side of his cane.

Defensively covering his stomach with both arms, Oliver’s face got a little hot as he cried out, “Hey!” his voice cracked with embarrassment, “Yeesh, what are you a car’s salesman or something?” his tentacles curled.

Laughing, Cuttlefish shook his head, “You pegged me wrong there, but you’re the perfect candidate to help me reclaim the Zapfish the Octarians stole!” he struck the ground with the end of his cane for added emphasis, “Please, you must help me!”

There was a surge of dread in the pit of Oliver’s stomach. Sure, he didn’t have a reason to not believe this guy--he saw the Zapfish being stolen in the first place... But there was an overwhelming feeling of unease that he didn’t really know how to deal with. He didn’t really trust Cap’n Cuttlefish, but even if he did, what was he supposed to do? Oliver was no fighter...

He stepped backwards, his eyes drifting to the ground as he lifted his arms in a nervous fashion, “Look, Cap’n...” he sighed, “Y-you’ve got the wrong idea, and the wrong guy.”

“Nonsense!” Cuttlefish cut in, “You had enough gumption to follow those octos all the way out here!” he struck a pose, “If that doesn’t say ‘hero,’ I don’t know what does!”

“L-listen to me!” Oliver cried, “I barely even play ink sports, I’m hardly the type to go in guns blazing!” he pressed a hand against his forehead, pushing his bangs back, “I barely know the first thing about fighting, and I’m not about to put my life on the line, especially if it’s all going to be in vain!”

The spark in Cuttlefish’s eyes slowly vanished, replacing the youthful glow with an ancient weariness. His whole body seemed to deflate too, the Bamboozler curving slightly under the added weight when his shoulders slumped. His disappointment was palpable. Oliver's shoulders tensed up as he felt a pang of guilt.

"Oh," the old man sighed deeply, "Well I suppose that's only fair," Cuttlefish placed his free hand behind his back, "Can't expect a hero to just fall into your lap."

Shuffling uncomfortably on his feet, Oliver rubbed the back of his neck. It did feel a little unfair that the Cap’n would try and pin him as a “hero” immediately after they met. The feeling of unease only grew significantly at this point, and he so desperately wanted to get home. He didn't want to prolong this longer than it needed to be.

"Uh... Can you," he let his hand fall back to his side, "Show me how to get back to Inkopolis...?" he asked nervously.

Cuttlefish gave him a long stare. Even with his wide eyes, Oliver could feel the guy judging him. The Inkling's eyes darted away.

"Sure." he finally responded. He pointed the end of his cane to the grate that Oliver had noted earlier, “Head down there, and follow the marked tunnels. It’ll take you right to the Plaza.”

There was a long and awkward pause. Oliver grabbed his arm and nodded, before shuffling towards the drain, “Uh... Thanks, Cap’n.” he added over his shoulder, “I... Hope you find a better hero to help you. I’m gonna report what I can when I get back, so...”

“Good luck having anyone believe you,” Cuttlefish remarked with a bitter twinge, “No one believes me when I say the Octarians have been stealing Zapfish.” Oliver had little chance to respond to this, as the elderly cephalopod had already vanished into his hut.

Oliver remained still for a while longer, giving a backwards glance to where Cuttlefish once stood. His mind wandered into a dark pit, wondering if he should have agreed to help... But what could he have done? He really had convinced himself that he wouldn’t be able to make a difference. What a coward he was.

Feeling a bit ashamed of himself, Oliver sank through the grate, and followed the path home. Just as Cuttlefish said, there were pipes that were marked with a red trail, which lead him all the way back to the plaza. Peeking out of the grate, Oliver checked his surroundings before climbing out and shaking the ink off of his head.

On his way home, he reported the crime he saw to the police, retelling what he saw, when he saw it, and where the girls had fled to. He did his best to avoid mentioning the Octarians, taking Cuttlefish’s warning to heart.

Apparently, a number of Zapfish had been stolen, and it wasn’t until now that they had a more proper description of the thieves. Thinking on it, it was no wonder why the power plant had upped security so much in the Zapfish house alone in recent.

However... He couldn’t help but feel a little disgruntled knowing that he didn’t find out about this until tonight... But since he was a custodian, he was so far down the totem pole that the higher ups didn’t give him much of a second thought. He was almost always the last one to find out about any news or interesting things.

Oliver begrudgingly shuffled home. It had been a long night, and he could already tell that this was going to be a long week. Not wanting to think about it for much longer, the Inkling put himself to bed, hoping that he wouldn’t get chewed out for being on the property while the Zapfish was stolen.

The next few days went by fine. He didn’t get chewed out for the stolen Zapfish, but throughout his shifts, he couldn’t help but think about Cap’n Cuttlefish and his plea for help. He tried to push it out of his mind, but his guilt was starting to get the better of him.

At least there didn’t seem to be any more robberies, especially now that they had upped security even more. They hired a few strong-looking fellows to keep watch over night and throughout the day. The Zapfish seemed a little intimidated by them, and Oliver could feel their eyes digging into him every time he went in to clean around their enclosures... He didn’t even have room to give them treats! But it was all for the better he supposed, because at least they were safe.

Or... So he thought. Early Saturday morning, Oliver woke with a start to an alert blaring away on his phone. Grunting loudly the Inkling reached blindly for it, his hand slapping against the table until it finally found the phone. He squinted into the phone’s light, his bleary eyes trying to make out the text. Once it came into focus, his ink turned cold.

The... The Great Zapfish had been stolen?! Oliver bolted upright, tossing his sheets to one side. He silenced the alert and started to read the accompanying message.

“At approximately 2:30am, the Great Zapfish has reportedly gone missing after the crash of an unidentified flying object. Connections between these events are currently unconfirmed, however they are both going under investigation. Few eyewitness reports claim to have seen strange individuals interacting with the Zapfish before it went missing.

“Until the Great Zapfish is recovered, power shortages, brown outs, and even outages are a possibility in the near future. We urge everyone to conserve power as much as they can until this situation is resolved.”

Oliver’s blue eyes kept running back over the message over and over. He didn’t think it was possible. He didn’t think it would happen! This just had to be the work of those Octarians... But he didn’t expect them to be able to steal something as large and powerful as the fish that powered their entire city!

He flopped back in disbelief, hands falling to his sides. His phone slipped from his fingers, and the screen eventually dimmed, shrouding his room in darkness once more. Oliver remained still for some time, long enough for morning light to start creeping through his blinds.

...

He had to do something.

Oliver knew where the Zapfish had been taken to, and... The guilt of declining that Cap’n Cuttlefish was still hanging over him like a dark storm cloud. He wasn’t a good fighter, and he didn’t know the first thing about being a hero, but... Maybe he could make a difference. His friends were always telling him to apply himself, after all...

Rolling out of bed, Oliver got dressed, grabbed a trail bar, and slipped out of his apartment into Inkopolis Plaza.

Being so early, few Inklings were out and about--even the Squid Sisters weren’t present, the early morning news being handled by a prawn who was going over the known details of the Zapfish theft. It was unlikely that most teens would want to be awake before the sun was fully awake itself, and Oliver had to admit, this was all for the better... There wasn’t nearly as much of a chance of him being spotted as he squeezed himself through the grate.

Standing at the base of the drain’s well in Octo Valley, Oliver stared up at the dappled light peeking through the bars. Was he ready for this? Absolutely not. Was he going to do it...?

Above, he could hear Cuttlefish apparently talking to himself, “Bah, I keep an eye on those Octarians all the time,” he huffed, “And yet they still stole the Great Zapfish out from under my nose!”

Oliver was glad he hadn’t eaten much before coming out here, because his stomach was doing back-flips on him as he prepared himself to emerge. He took in a deep breath, screwed his eyes shut, and made way to pop out of the grate...

... Only to backpedal immediately when he saw not only Cap’n Cuttlefish, but two girls with him. Oliver’s hearts nearly jumped out of his chest when he landed heavily on his rump. Dread washed over him. If only he knew that there were other people out here...!

“Aw, don’t be so hard on yourself, gramps!” one of the girls cried, “They’ve been extra sneaky as of late!”

The other girl sighed, “If you call flying around in a UFO ‘sneaky...’“

“Well... Yeah, other than that, I mean!”

While the Cap’n seemed pretty invested in the conversation, his wide eyes caught a glimpse of a yellow flash. Curious, he hobbled over to the storm drain, much to the confusion of the girls.

“Something up, Gramps?” the first girl asked.

“Eh?” he leaned over the grate, scratching at his beard, “Oh, I saw someone over here... They’re at the bottom of the well, in fact.” he tapped the bars with his Bamboozler, “Hey there, young’n! Why don’t you come up here and meet the crew!”

“Hm, you seem in a better mood all of the sudden.” the second remarked. The girls stepped over to take a peek themselves.

“Heheh!” Cuttlefish nodded with glee, “I know this boy,” he explained, “He stopped by a few days ago.” his cheeks creased as he grinned from ear to ear, “Looks like you just couldn’t stay away, huh! Good timing, too!”

The first girl keeled over and rested her palms against her knees, trying to make out Oliver’s face in the shadows, “Oh, Gramps told me about you!” she chirped, “Hey, we don’t bite, you know! Though Agent 2 might threaten to do so if she hasn’t had her coffee, yet!” she couldn’t help but giggle.

The three chatted with each other briefly while Oliver stared slack-jaw up at them. He really didn’t expect there to be more than one person out here, and for there to be agents no less. He could only make out their silhouettes from where he sat, but... The voices of the girls sounded strikingly familiar. Exactly like the Squid Sisters, as a matter of fact! But... That couldn’t be possible, right? They were pop stars, what would they be doing out in the middle of nowhere, getting their hands dirty?

“Are you going to come up or not?” Agent 2 asked, “Or are you one of those sewer-dwellers Agent 1 tries to scare me with?”

Hesitating briefly, Oliver finally shuffled up onto his feet. The others backed away to give him some space when he emerged, two of the three giving him bright smiles. Oliver stood rather rigid, clinging to his left arm with his right.

Cuttlefish stood tall, holding his cane with both hands in front of him, “Ohoho!” he chuckled merrily, “So, did you take saving the Zapfish into consideration?”

Pausing, Oliver eventually gave him a nervous nod in reply, “Uh... Y-yeah... When I heard that the Great Zapfish went missing...” he cleared his throat, “I thought... I had to do something, since I had a good idea of what happened to it.”

Cuttlefish whooped with glee and bounced on his feet as if his youth had been returned, “Great!” he sang, “Then let me get you acquainted with the rest of the Squidbeak Splatoon!” he pointed to the one clad in pink, who gave a bright smile and waved, “That’s Agent 1,” then he pointed to the one who wore mostly gray, “And that’s Agent 2.” she gave Oliver a sleepy stare and held up the peace sign.

Oliver simply grunted, smiling awkwardly as he gave a tiny wave. Agent 1 wore a beanie and sunglasses, while Agent 2 wore a face mask... The two were clearly trying to hide their identities, but going by their tentacle styles and their voices... There was no doubt about it, they were the Squid Sisters! But would it be rude to ask? They were clearly at least trying to keep it a secret. Oliver refrained for now, and quickly averted his gaze to not make it obvious he was staring.

“So!” 1 barely wasted any time, “You’re gonna help us reclaim the Zapfish the Octarians stole, right?”

Oliver nodded again, “Y-yeah, I’m gonna... Try.” his voice lowered a bit, “I’m really... Not a good fighter, but...”

“You’re probably better than Agent 1,” 2 remarked. Her cheeks creased as if she was smirking under her mask.

1 placed her hands on her hips, “Or Agent 2 when she gets over-confident!”

“Anyway, we’ll show you the ropes, squid kid,” 2 continued, “We’re not going to immediately throw you in the ring with an Octoweapon.”

The yellow Inkling let out a strained laugh, still clearly uncertain about his decision to essentially join an army, if this rag-tag team of cuttlefish could be considered such. But there was a great relief knowing that he wasn’t going to be alone for this.

Stepping over to him, 1 placed her hand on Olilver’s shoulder in a hearty way, “Don’t be so nervous, you’ll do just fine, I’m sure!”

“You’ll just respawn if you get splatted, anyway.” added 2.

Cuttlefish stamped his Bamboozler against the dirt, “Still! We need to get this boy some armor, and I have just the thing!” he proclaimed before waddling into his shack. Moments later, he returned with some neatly-folded gear that wouldn’t have been entirely out of place on a construction site. Oliver eyed it curiously.

“Go on,” urged 1, “Try it on!” she motioned towards the shack, implying he could change in there.

Nodding quickly, Oliver followed her instructions. He didn’t really take the time to look around the shabby, makeshift home while he changed, but he could hear 1 and 2 whispering.

“You think he recognized us, or something?” 2 asked.

“Well, he did seem a bit star-struck,” 1 replied pensively, “You saw how wide his eyes were, right?”

“Maybe he was just surprised to have a couple pretty girls talking to him, heheh!” Cuttlefish quipped.

“Oh, shut it, Gramps!”

Moments later, Oliver emerged with the new gear equipped, tugging on the ends of the safety vest to adjust it properly over his jacket. Overall, the fit was surprisingly comfortable--even the headphones and shoes were perfectly snug.

“H-how do I look?” he asked with a nervous smile.

Agent 1 clapped her hands together, “You look great!”

“What a great fit!” Cuttlefish hummed, “Your brand-new Hero Suit will serve you well. Keep it clean, and all that!”

Agent 2′s brow creased, “New? Aren’t those hand-me-downs?” she whispered to 1. The other shrugged.

Cuttlefish clearly didn’t hear the remark as he continued, “It’s all settled then, you’re officially a member of the Squidbeak Splatoon!” he hummed with delight, “We’ll get you a weapon and an ink tank... And a name to go with your new position.”

“That’s easy,” Agent 1 chirped, “From here on--in Octo Valley--you’re gonna be known as... Agent 3!” she threw her arms up in delight.

“Nice pause for effect.” 2 chuckled dryly, “Though we never did ask for your actual name, huh...”

A genuine smile finally made its way onto Oliver’s lips. He whispered, “Agent 3...” under his breath, allowing it to sink in. For some reason, he liked the sound of that. Perhaps it was just nice to finally be included in something important, or the warm reception he was given. Given a gun, 3 started to feel as though he could take on whatever the Octarians threw at him.

#Zapfish Protector #Drabble #(( Context is 3 starting his work as an agent ))#Agent Stories

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salmonidparty · 6 years ago

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(( @fishyrp ))

“Are you sure about this? I somehow doubt we’d be able to find any help down here...”

“I can’t think of anywhere else to go...”

Agent 8 and Agent 3 made their way into the Deepsea Metro. 8 Couldn’t help but scrunch up her nose when they were met with the stifled air of the underground. She quietly reminded herself that this was for her friend’s benefit, not her own... 3 was right, the best place they could check first was what was left of Kamabo.

How else was 3 supposed to explain the odd phenomena of his skin turning a pasty green, and his ink permanently shifting to a green-tipped blue to a doctor? Not to mention the horrible headaches, and the hallucinations. The agent adjusted the bandages that were presently wrapped around the right side of his head, covering his eye and the nasty looking chemical burn that surrounded it. Just from under the edges of the bandages, one could see green-tinted skin poking out.

“Ah...” 3 took in a sharp breath through his beak, “S-sorry... I’ve gotta...” hand pressed against his eye, he hobbled to a nearby wall, and slid down to take a seat on the floor. Hands covering his face, he couldn’t help but wiper. A headache must have been coming on. He curled up, gritting his beak.

8 nodded. She walked beside the other, leaning her back against the wall and folding her arms over her chest, “Take the time you need.” she replied. Glancing at her friend, her brow creased with concern. These headaches were getting worse and worse.

With an alert and watchful eye, she turned to watch the tracks, hoping that the train would arrive soon. She couldn’t help but wonder, however... Were any of those strange Octolings around? Would they be around the metro? She certainly hoped not. Pushing a curled tentacle out of her face, she suddenly wished she had brought a weapon along with her, just to be safe.

#FishyRP #One Fourth Perfect #Zapfish Protector #NILS Destroyer

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salmonidparty · 5 years ago

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In his time working as an agent for the Squidbeak Splatoon, Oliver had taken to it quite well, much to his own surprise. It was difficult work, and early on he nearly quit on multiple occasions. The fights could get frightening, he hardly felt fit for the job, and he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt whenever he had to splat the Octarians. He didn’t know much about them, but he didn’t know for sure if they deserved it, or not. They were thieves, but all the same... Many of them were just defending their homes.

However through his worries, with the encouragement from Agent 1 and despite the dry snark of Agent 2, he managed to stick with it. Of course, rescuing the Zapfish was a reward in and of itself, but being able to hold and pet them made the deal all the sweeter. If they weren’t his favorite animal before, they certainly were now!

Doing his best to stick with this mission, Oliver found that he was actually improving. With each rescue, his aim got better. He learned how to dodge skillfully, and he quickly started picking up strategies that helped him get through each mission without having to harm too many Octarians, or take too much damage himself. Even Agent 2 was surprised by his improvement!

He learned how to keep his cool, even when facing terrifying Octo Weapons, or when Cuttlefish was squidnapped. By the time Oliver had to face Octavio head-on, he felt prepared enough to face just about anything. Even stuffing Octavio into a snow globe for safe-keeping.

He had fully embraced being an agent. Frankly, he even felt a touch proud of himself for sticking to something like this for so long!

It had even made a positive impact on his life outside of his agent work. He started enjoying ink sports, he found himself becoming more outgoing... And it even got to the point where he received a promotion in his work. No longer was he a lowly custodian, he could now work hands-on with being an electrical technician--and more importantly, handling Zapfish!

Unfortunately for him however, his boss at the Power Plant let it slip who rescued the Zapfish... And now 3′s face was plastered all over Inkopolis. He had to put on a show whenever he went out into public. While he had started becoming more outgoing, social interaction was something that still tuckered him out greatly.

It had been about two years since he had rescued the Great Zapfish, and nine months since the last Splatfest. Being stuck in that snow globe for so long, it was no wonder that Octavio was getting testier by the day. While they did allow him out daily (under strict supervision) to stretch out his legs, it was hardly ideal for anyone involved.

To be frank, 3 didn’t really want to keep him there, however every time he tried to talk things out with the octopus king, Octavio refused to be cooperative. If he were to be released now, it’d just be the same situation all over again. The agent didn’t particularly want to have to go about rescuing all of the Zapfish yet again. Agent 1 seemed to have a positive effect on him, and she could speak with the emperor for hours, it seemed... However, now she was out and about, furthering her career.

So, it was down to the others to try and make amends with Octavio.

It was late on a weekday night that Agent 3 made his way to the base, stretching out his arms and legs when he arrived. The moon was peeking through the clouds, shrouding the area in a soft blue light. He adjusted his topknot, pushing his tentacles this way and that until they were comfortably tight. He rolled his shoulders, and turned to Octavio, who shot him a death glare from within his snow globe.

“Howdy there, Octavio.” 3 greeted coolly.

“Hmph!” the large octopus grunted, continuing to give the stink eye, “What do you want now, inksquirt?”

“Well...” 3 started to speak, but paused. No matter how much he hyped himself up for it, now matter how many times he tried, talking was hardly his strong suit. Knowing that Octavio would shoot him down again only made him want to try even less. He squared his shoulders, sucked in a breath, and tucked his hands into his pockets, “I want to see if you’d like to discuss a few things with me, tonight.”

“Hah!” Octavio turned his back to the agent and folded his arms, “I ain’t got nothin’ to talk to you about!” he replied brashly.

Well that was expected. 3 grunted. rubbed at his face and sighed, attempting to sort his thoughts as his head filled quickly. He pinched the bridge of his nose when he finally managed to get things straightened out a bit.

“Maybe we could talk over a game of chess?”

“Not interested.”

“I was hoping we could go over the Zapfish situation and--”

“Like shell I’d talk about that with you!”

3 grit his beak, “I want to try and get more Zapfish to you, find out what places need power, and--”

Octavio spun back around so suddenly that the glitter within the globe was scattered about, "Do you really think I have any reason whatsoever to trust a little ink stain like you?!” he hissed, “How do I know you wouldn’t use that information against us? How can I trust you to not take the Zapfish that power civilian domes when we have our guards down?”

3 opened his mouth to speak, but all he could manage was a light cough. Octavio did at least have a point, there--over nearly two years, the octopus king really didn’t have a reason to trust any of the agents, besides Agent 1. That seemed to make 3 deflate a bit, with his shoulders and ears dropping. Octavio’s glare only grew with intensity, and he ignored the glitter that was now falling over top of his head and arms.

The Inkling held out his hands, “Please listen,” he continued softly, “I just want to help.” Octavio laughed bitterly, “I’ve seen the civilian domes, and I would never dream of putting them into a worst state. I’ve been talking with the owner of the power plant that your soldiers have been stealing from, and I’ve been trying to convince him that we simply don’t need every single Zapfish we raise. We can spare a few to share.” he took in a shaky breath, “If you’d just be willing to work with a few Inklings...”

“Fat chance,” Octavio huffed, “No way am I gonna prattle on with some squidlings to get what should be rightfully ours,” he turned away once again, closing his eyes, “Only to get the short end of the stick yet again.”

3 stared at the octopus’ back for a few moments before tucking his hands back into his pockets, “Right.”

Well, that was a bust yet again. But hopefully, someday, he’d be able to reach past Octavio’s learned stubbornness and get what’s best for the Octarians. Maybe he’d give it a little more time and try again... Or perhaps one of the other Agents could talk to him, as well. If only Agent 1 were here.

Feeling a bit defeated, 3 shuffled towards the valley, ready to start his patrol. Keep an eye out for intruders, those that seek to free Octavio, and any escape attempts from the head honcho himself.

Octavio turned ever so slightly when he heard footsteps, “Hey!” he shouted suddenly, “I’m hungry!”

3′s stride slowed, and he gave a lazy glance over his shoulder, “Didn’t Cuttlefish feed you dinner a few hours ago?”

“Haven’t you ever heard of a midnight snack?!”

"Well, I don’t have any food. Guess you’ll just have to wait until breakfast.” Octavio merely grunted at that reply. 3 would just ignore that for now.

As he stepped past the low walls, a faint orange glow caught the corner of 3′s eye. Lying on the ground was a Power Egg resting on top of a piece of parchment. Crouching down, the agent gently lifted the egg off the note, unfolded the paper, and glanced over it.

The handwriting was flowery, and written in what appeared to be golden ink that glittered under the pale moon’s light. While it was pleasing to the eye, it was incredibly difficult to read under darker lighting. 3 couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow as he looked over the front and back of the paper. How peculiar... And what an odd spot to leave it in! If it weren’t for that egg, he wouldn’t have seen the note at all! IF the sender wanted it to be seen, they would have been better off leaving it beside the shack... Unless they didn’t want to be seen.

Rolling the egg about in his right hand, 3 returned to the shack to get some proper reading light. Octavio watched him, but did his best to appear uninterested in whatever it was the kid had... To some success.

The note read:

“To the agents of Squidbeak Splatoon,

We write this letter to request your assistance in an investigation within the Octarian territory. We wish to quell some suspicions that we have, however we are incapable of doing this investigation on our own. Your assistance will not go unpaid; should you aid us you will be rewarded handsomely.

While we do not wish to disclose our identity to you within this letter, you may be able to deduce who we are through the egg provided with it.

If you are interested in this job, please come find us by the beach on the southwest edge of Inkling territory. We will meet you beneath the bluff that hides the shore from the sight of Inkopolis. There we will be able to discuss the situation in full, without prying ears or eyes.

We must request secrecy, as our identity may get you into some trouble. If it makes you feel secure, you may come with another member in your ranks.

Thank you for your consideration,

A Golden Stranger.”

What a curious note... 3 grunted in fascination as he looked it over once again. He couldn’t quite put a tentacle on who this could have been from, however his curiosity was getting the better of him. Perhaps he should check this out. He wondered if he should wake any of the other agents up... Perhaps it’d be fine if he took a look on his own.

Thankfully, a date was provided at the bottom of the parchment--it was today’s date, and with any luck, it wasn’t too late to meet this “Golden Stranger.” His eyes drifted to the egg that he held in his hand. That’s when the idea hit him: a Power Egg, golden ink, and the need for secrecy... Could this note have been from a Salmonid...? Interaction with them was illegal in Inkopolis, after all.

3 folded the note into a tight little square and slid it into a pocket on the inside of his jacket. Shooting a glance over his shoulder he called, “G’night, Octavio.” and vanished into the storm drain before the emperor could respond.

-----

Back in Inkopolis, 3 wasted little time walking to the beach mentioned in the note. As he kicked sand about, he took the note out of his pocket to check and make sure he was at the right beach... If this was written by a Salmonid, he couldn’t imagine that they would have known what the beach’s name was, but this one certainly fit the description. As he approached, he stared at the large bluff that covered a huge portion of the beach in dark shadows.

Climbing over the rocks, the agent looked this way and that in search for the “Golden Stranger,” however he quickly found that the area was completely empty. He leaned against the large rocks beneath the bluff, and folded his arms. Perhaps it was too late to meet them... Ah, well. It couldn’t really be helped.

3 decided to wait. While there were other things he could be doing, he did at least want to try and hear this “Golden Stranger” out, instead of completely ignoring the plea. While he waited, he decided to check his phone, which had taken quite the beating over the past couple years from his missions. The screen was cracked, and it was now held in a protective case, but the phone itself still worked quite well.

Loud splashing pulled his attention away from the dimly lit screen to the lapping waves of the ocean beside him. He quickly pocketed the device and instinctively took on a defensive stance as he watched the waves.

Emerging from the water were two tall orange mohawks--a distinct detail shared by most Salmonids. It didn’t take long for their faces to follow suit, poking above the waves with stern expressions and sharp eyes that cut through the night air. It was becoming clear that these Salmonids were a pair of tough-looking Cohocks who prided themselves with their intimidating air.

They stopped some feet away from the edge of the water, holding their over-sized frying pans as if they were swords. They stared Agent 3 down with cold eyes before they spoke, as if trying to strike fear into the Inkling’s hearts.It worked quite well, for 3 felt a surge of intimidation wash over his body like the water that surrounded them.

“Are you the one called ‘Agent 3?’“ the one on the left demanded. He seemed to struggle with the words, and bore a thick accent.

“Uh... Yeah.” 3 cleared his throat. He jumped back when the pair hit their frying pans together. The sound rang about the area.

The Cohock on the right talked this time, “Bow in reverence to Orabella Vanna!” while he spoke with power, there was a distinct sound to his voice that made it seem he had rehearsed this specific phrase in Inklish. Perhaps they both had to learn these lines before coming out here?

The two large fish rose their frying pans to the sky, which appeared to signal a golden light to appear underneath the waves. As if to put on a show, a gusher erupted from the water--3 hadn’t a singular clue that these were set up this far into Inkling territory--cascading green ink, water and sand everywhere. Atop this pillar was a bright golden figure, who held her fins high into the air.

Good thing they had the bluff to hide them, because that display could have probably been seen from a mile away! It was bright and dazzling like a lighthouse on the shore. Despite the precautions to stay hidden, it would be any wonder that no one would see the golden light reflecting off of her brilliant scales, especially in the middle of the night! So much for secrecy, 3 thought.

3 quickly followed the Cohock’s instructions and bowed, his eyes drifting back up to the Salmonid before him. She was now being lowered by the gusher, and making way towards him. In the few times he had participated in Salmon Run, he had seen a small handful of Goldies, but he could never get a proper look at one. These glittering fish certainly stood head and shoulders above other Salmonids, and this one in particular was no exception.

The Goldie stood before him and said, “At ease, young soldier.” she spoke with a silky voice, which also had a thick accent like the Cohocks. However she had much more ease speaking Inklish than either of them. When 3 stood straight, she gave him a sweet smile and tilted her head slightly to one side.

Orabella was covered not only in golden scales from head to fin, but also jewelry--gemstones, rings, necklaces... She even had rings hooked through the scales that framed her face. The white silk that wrapped around her body shimmered in the light, and pinned to it she had a broach made of a number of golden scales that fashioned a spiral. In her left fin she held a golden egg, and in her right she held a rather average-looking frying pan... Compared to the rest of her, it seemed completely out of place.

3 had to pull himself out of his stupor, blinking rapidly and shaking his head lightly. He lifted the Power Egg he had been carrying, “Uh, are you the one that sent that note?”

“Yes, indeed we are,” Orabella replied, “We wrote that note using ink made from our own scales.” it was then that the Inkling realized that this Salmonid was using the royal “we,” rather than speaking for her species as a whole. He wondered if she actually was royalty, or if she simply thought highly of herself.

“Right,” 3 shifted on his feet, trying to think of how to word himself. He felt so drab and under-dressed to be in front of someone so... Fancy. Then again, he never expected a Salmonid to be so well-dressed!

“Please do not be so tense around us, young soldier!” she cooed, “We may have a guard, however we do not care if you speak in a casual way with us.”

Nodding briskly the Inkling tried to smile, “G-got it, thanks.” he cleared his throat, “Uh, I’m definitely willing to listen to what you need to say, so... Go right ahead, Ms. Orabella.”

“Thank you,” the Salmonid smiled, “First, please know that this task will not require you to fight anyone. Second, a touch of context: for many years our people and the Octarians have had a trade deal. We provide them with highly valuable Power Eggs, and in return, they give us blueprints, scrap metal, and low-grade ‘tenta cuts,’ as they call them. This has been fine for the both of us for decades, however the Octarians wish to get something far more precious from us: our Golden Eggs.” Orabella tightened the grip on the egg she held.

While he listened intently, 3 had folded his left arm over his chest and placed his right hand to his chin in thought, “I see...” he muttered in reply, “Has this caused any fights in the past?”

“A few spats here and there,” Orabella sighed, “These are often resolved quickly, as keeping our business ties is far more important... However, we have reason to believe that the Octarians have been accumulating Golden Eggs through...” she sneered, “Other means.”

“Like... Trading under the table with Grizzco?”

“Yes,” she hissed and flashed her teeth, “While a few delivery fish were going to trade some eggs, they noticed a Grizzco ship leaving the coast that borders the territory... We do not have any nests or homes within the Octarian territory, and we cannot think of any other reason for a Grizzco ship to be there.”

“Did your delivery fish see any eggs being traded?”

Once again, Orabella sighed, “No... We’re afraid not. However, they did catch the distinct smell of Golden Eggs while they went about the transaction.”

3 blinked, “I... Didn’t know they had a different smell from a Power Egg.” he quickly tried to get a whiff of the Power Egg he held and noticed it did have a faint aroma to it, but he doubted that he’d be able to tell it apart from a Golden one.

Orabella’s smiled in an amused way, “Of course! It makes locating our redds much, much easier.” she explained. She held the egg she held out for 3 to give it a smell, “Inkling noses aren’t nearly as strong as ours, however you may be able to notice the difference.”

Hesitating at first, 3 stepped closer and leaned in to smell the egg. He couldn’t help but notice that the Cohocks had tensed up a bit, their eyes narrowing the moment he got within arm’s reach of Orabella. Despite this added pressure he got a good smell of the egg, and much to his surprise...

“Wow, I can actually smell a difference!” he remarked. He stood straight and rubbed at his nose while Orabella laughed with delight.

“Right, then!~” she sang, “Are you satisfied?” when 3 nodded she continued without skipping a beat, “Good.” she held the egg against her chest once again, “Of course... We cannot simply go with a hunch. We must have evidence before we make any incriminating accusations. This is where you come in, Agent 3.”

The Inkling folded his arms over his chest, and adjusted the position of his feet, “I’m guessing you want me to sneak into Octarian territory and see if they’ve got any Golden Eggs lying around?”

“More or less, yes.”

“Pardon my asking, but why send me? Why not one of your fishy soldiers?”

“The same reason we cannot simply throw accusations around,” she replied, “We cannot make them believe that we do not trust them, nor can we give them a reason to not trust us.” her smile grew, “Just as well, we have heard of your exploits, and were quite impressed with your skills.”

3 couldn’t help but crack a smile in return, “Right... Makes sense. Where exactly do you suspect they will be?”

“Near the coast,” Orabella replied, “Further inland, just out of sight and smell of where we could find them.” she tilted her head slightly, “Mind that we do not know the exact location...”

“Got it,” 3 replied. He closed his eyes and pondered this proposition, drumming his fingers against his arm. He ran some strategies through his mind; how he would sneak in undetected, how he would record any evidence he found, so-on and so-forth.

Before Orabella could become worried about his long silence, 3 opened his eyes and spoke up again, “Okay, I think I can do this.” he unfolded his arms and tilted his head to one side, “Are you... Sure you don’t want me to go in and rescue any eggs or fish if I do find them?”

The Goldie shook her head, “We are absolutely certain. Should our suspicions be true, we would much prefer to handle the situation ourselves. It is a matter between us Salmonids, and the Octarians.”

With a simple nod, 3 understood. Frankly he preferred this over having to go in guns blazing himself, especially if he wanted to try and win over the trust of the Octarians! A stealth mission was different from what he was used to, however the Inkling figured he could handle it. No problem.

“Oh yes!” Orabella chimed, “We promised you payment, did we not?” 3 couldn’t help but smile upon her mentioning that. He wasn’t sure if he should mention it himself, or not...

She held her frying pan out to one of the guards behind her, who took it into his free fin with extreme care. She then stretched her fin to the sky, and with a smooth movement, she reached for her head and plucked a glittering scale from her scalp.

With a sweeping motion, Orabella held the scale out for 3 to take, “The first of our gifts: a golden scale.” came her explanation, “You will receive more for the finished job. However, allow this to be a taste of what is to come.”

“Oh... Oh wow...” the Inkling breathed.

Gingerly, 3 took the scale from her fin. His eyes were wide with fascination as he stared at the glittering object. He allowed it to rest in the center of his right palm, a satisfied feeling washing over him as it felt as though it fit there perfectly. After a few seconds of gawking, he finally pinched it between his finger and thumb, and made way to tuck it into his jacket pocket for safe keeping.

“Thanks.”

“This one,” Orabella explained, “You eat.”

In that moment, confusion washed over the Inkling’s face and he froze in his tracks. He gave Orabella an incredulous look, “Ah, yes...” 3 dryly remarked under his breath, “The most famous Salmonid food... Golden scales...” his eyes drifted back to the scale, and he stared long and hard at it.

Amused once again by his expression, Orabella covered her snout with her free fin and laughed, “To you, perhaps it does seem a bit odd!” she giggled, “However, to us Salmonids, it is a great honor to eat a Goldie’s scale.” she smiled, “They benefit your health; eating one will instantly restore your strength. It’s a common component in our medicine.”

Agent 3 continued to stare at the scale. He had to admit, he’d much rather give it to Callie or Marie as a gift, especially if he wasn’t allowed to keep it. Try as he might, this was simply something he could not wrap his mind around. Eating something that could easily be considered jewelry to any other Inkling was so bizarre!

“You may eat it before you go on your mission if you prefer,” Orabella spoke up, “Then you will have all the strength you need.”

Clearing his throat, 3 eventually nodded and slid the scale into his jacket pocket, “R-right, yeah.” he croaked awkwardly, “I think I’d rather do that!”

“Worry not,” the Goldie continued, “You will receive more scales for your hard work, just as we have stated,” she hummed, “With those, you may do whatever you like. However we must ask for you to honor our traditions here, no matter how odd they may be.” when 3 nodded in reply, her smile grew once again, “Thank you.”

The glittering Salmonid bowed her head, signaling 3 to do the same. “If that is all, we shall take our leave.” she cooed in a smooth way.

“Sure,” 3 started, however he stood upright, “Oh, wait a sec, when I’m done with the recon, how should I get in contact with you again?”

Orabella straightened her own back and pondered his question, “Do you own any frying pans?” 3 nodded, “Very good. When you have completed, return to this beach, and hit two pans together four times. That should be enough to catch the attention of a Salmonid nearby.”

While he was dubious, and his cocked eyebrow showed this, 3 eventually nodded in agreement to this plan, “Sure, I can do that.”

“Very good!” sang Orabella, “We shall see you upon your return!”

The agent watched the group of fish turn and leave, vanishing into the churning waves without a trace.

-----

Hero Shot, ink resistant cape, a few crabby cakes and Zapfish snacks... As the morning sun was peeking over the horizon, Agent 3 was going over his needed supplies, yawning on the odd occasion. He didn’t think he would need that much. After all, he couldn’t be out for terribly long, could he? Well, it was pretty common for missions to take longer than he’d typically anticipate...

Checking his pockets, his fingertips brushed against the golden scale that Orabella had given him. Pulling it out, he gave the scale a quizzical look, wondering how exactly he was going to eat this thing. Was it soft enough for him to bite through? Was it going to have some sort of taste?

He placed it gently into his beak, sitting it between his fangs. He pondered this, his tongue brushing up against the smooth surface. Tensing his jaw a little, he could feel it give a touch. Pulling it back out, he looked at the scale carefully, and was surprised to see no marks on it. Resilient, but soft enough to eat or crush... If they had medical properties too, it was no wonder these scales were worth so much.

Well, he had to get it over with sooner or later. Popping the whole scale into his mouth, 3 screwed his eyes shut and started to chew. It took a bit to start and was definitely crunchy, but when it had finally broken under his beak, it was surprisingly easy to get through. He finished the scale, his brow creasing heavily. It didn’t have much of a taste, and maybe that was a blessing in and of itself. He topped it off with a sip of water.

While he was feeling groggy prior to this, his sleepiness started to fade away. Feeling surprised, 3 wondered if this was a placebo effect from what Orabella had told him, or if it was true that the scales were this powerful. He grunted in an impressed way--he supposed it didn’t really matter if it made him feel awake and energetic for the start of his mission! Sure did beat the jitters of drinking an energy drink!

It was time to get back to it, then. While he pondered if he should get more snacks and slung his bag over his shoulder, a certain cuttlefish had taken notice that one of his agents was gearing up for some sort of mission. Unable to ignore his curiosity, the old captain hobbled into view.

“G’morning, young’n!” he called. 3 yelped loudly and jumped a good foot into the air, dropping his Hero Shot in the process. Cap’n merely scratched at his cheek.

3 scrambled to grab his weapon and whipped around, his heart pounding in his ears. When he realized who it was, his shoulders fell and he let out a loud, relieved sigh.

“Yikes, Gramps!” he croaked, clearing his throat, “You nearly made all three of my hearts jump out my throat!” without any real danger nearby, 3 pocketed his gun. His right hand clutched at his vest.

“Sorry ‘bout that!” Cuttlefish chortled in a jovial way, “I just couldn’t help but try and find out what you were up to! It’s rare to see you up this early!” he stepped closer to 3, tamping his Bamboozler cane against the ground, “Got something planned? And what’s with that cape?”

3 heaved a sigh. He took his time responding, adjusting the cape that he had hooked to his uniform. His face turned a little hot, but he managed to shrug his embarrassment off like a bit of ink, “I’m going out for a while,” he explained carefully, “Going to do a full recon of the Octarian territory, see what needs to be fixed, and if there are any Zapfish powering weaponry.”

The Cap’n stared at the agent intently, taking notice of how his blue eyes drifted away from the elder’s face. He scratched at his chin and made a light, “hmm,” sound before finally saying, “Oh really? I’m surprised you didn’t bring it up with Agent 2 or me!”

“Well...” the agent turned away a little more, wishing that he had planned out his excuse a little better, “I decided to do it pretty suddenly... And neither of you were awake. Besides, I wasn’t planning on leaving just yet...” he turned back to Cuttlefish with a smile, “Anyway, Gramps! It’s just a bit of recon, it’s nothing major. I wasn’t even planning on snagging any Zapfish this time around.”

Closing his eyes and nodding in a knowing way, Cuttlefish hummed in reply, “I see, I see,” his wide eyes snapped open, “But this is a group effort, 3! You know we love talking you through missions!” his wrinkled cheeks creased further as he smiled.

“Yeah, I know that,” the agent huffed a bit, “It’s nothing against you two, I just...” he hoisted his pack, “Figured I could do a few things on my own.” while he appreciated the company, a stealth mission wasn’t exactly “stealthy” anymore if it had two people making comments on his every move.

Stepping closer the old cephalopod’s eyes grew all the more intent, “You’re acting a bit strange, young’n,” he said in a rather dark way, “You have a special mission to do, don’t you?”

Taken aback, 3 blinked and tensed his shoulders. Yeesh, even as old as he was, it was hard keeping secrets from Cap’n Cuttlefish! Rolling his eyes he let his shoulders relax, “Man, nothing gets past you, huh?” the Cap’n seemed to perk up a little at this, “Yeah... I’ve got a mission,” 3 sighed, “It’s one I need to be sneaky about, so I didn’t want you guys talking up a storm, you know? I was thinking it’d be short, and it really is just recon. So I figured I’d just...” he made a sweeping motion with his arms, “Jump on through, take a look around, and report what I saw.”

Cuttlefish placed a fist on his hip and humphed, “Well!” he exclaimed, “You could have at least told us! Then you’d have backup if something were to happen!”

3 scratched his ear, which had gone a little hot, “Yeah, I suppose you’re right...” he turned back to the old cephalopod, “Sorry, Gramps.”

“You’re forgiven. But! As punishment, I’m going to tag along!” Cap’n proclaimed boldly. Before 3 could object, he was waddling back to his shack.

“Huh?!” 3 cried in shock, his eyes widening, “Wait, G-gramps, you can’t come!” he chased after the other.

“And just why not?” Cuttlefish grunted. He pushed his way into the shack and started to gather some items. Clattering could be heard inside, “I may be no spring chicken, but I can still move with the best of them!” through the cracked doorway, 3 could see the old man flexing his arms. The Inkling sighed.

“Yeah, but can you do it stealthily?” 3 asked, “Gramps, the more people on this mission, the more likely we’re going to get caught!”

“I’ve been doing recon in Octarian territory for years before you came along, 3!” the racket he was making inside of the shack didn’t give 3 any sort of vote of confidence, “Once I’m back in the saddle,” he popped out of the shack, fully geared up in fresh new clothes and a backpack of his own, “I’m sure I’ll have no problems keeping up with you!” he was grinning from ear to ear.

“Okay, what about Octavio?” 3 asked, desperately trying to find another excuse to keep the captain at home, “Someone needs to keep an eye on him, keep him fed, and let him stretch his legs. Don’t you normally do that?”

“Don’t worry!” Cap’n hummed in a dismissive way, “I left a note for Agent 2, and she should be able to handle it!”

3 heaved a sigh, his eyes looking weary and his shoulders hanging low. He stared at the captain for a few moments before sighing again, “I’m not going to be able to convince you otherwise, am I?”

“Nope!”

There was a long pause, “Alright. Let’s get going then.” turning on his heel, 3 started for the valley, “Just let me make this clear: we’re only doing recon. We’re not reclaiming Zapfish, and we need to avoid any and all conflict if we can help it. Got it?”

Cap’n Cuttlefish appeared to skip a little, “Of course! What are we doing recon for, anyhow?”

3 stopped at a launch pad, checking over his items once again, “A Salmonid asked me to snoop around and see if the Octarians have managed to get their tentas around some Golden Eggs.”

“A Salmonid!” Cuttlefish exclaimed in shock.

“I know, I was surprised, too. But...” he shrugged, throwing a grin over his shoulder, “I feel like we should help them, you know? They’re people, too.” Cuttlefish returned his gaze with an intent, but slightly confused one.

Closing his eyes once again, Cap’n Cuttlefish nodded, “Ah, youth. So willing to help out.” he hit the ground with the end of his Bamboozler, “I don’t quite get wanting to help some beastly Salmonids, but I’m willing to lend my tentacles!”

3 had to admit that he was hesitant to help Salmonids himself, but Orabella just seemed so nice, that it made him briefly forget that so many people thought that the fish were planning an all-out attack on Inkopolis. He didn’t know if it were true or not, but Salmonids couldn’t be all bad, right? The Golden Eggs were precious to them, and for good reason, he thought. It was possible that they, too, were misunderstood like the Octarians.

“R-right. Anyway, we just need to find out if they have Golden Eggs or not. The Salmonids will handle the rest.” satisfied with his gear, 3 turned back to Cap’n Cuttlefish with his hands on his hips, “Alright. You ready to start, Gramps?”

The elder threw up a peace sign, “You betcha!” he chirped in response.

With a nod, 3 turned into a squid and jumped onto the launchpad, diving deep into the heart of Octarian territory.

#Zapfish Protector #drabble #Agent Stories

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