Agent 38: I Never Forgot You

Chapter 1: It's Been A While

*The first book started in Eight's P.O.V, so now this book will start on Three's P.O.V. Oh, one more thing. This is about 3 years after the events of the first book.*
     The world was prospering.
     The Captain of the Squidbeak Splatoon, however, was not.
     The group had made a unanimous decision to tell the world about what had actually happened to Three when he was considered a "hacker," what had really happened to the Great Zapfish the two times it was stolen, the Octarian menace, what happened to Callie when she went missing, and the latest news on the Sanitized Empire. They'd done this about a month after Eight died.
     The Square, unsurprisingly, was overdramatic and terrified. The group assured the public that there was nothing to worry about, that they'd taken care of it already, but now they were so scared that a lot of the population of the Square left and set off to create a new utopia. Given that Pearl was the winner of the Chaos vs. Order Splatfest, she led them to their new world.
     "The Splatlands, we'll call it." Pearl had said a year ago, waving her hands in the air as if she could see it already. "We'll all be safer there. Better than here, anyway."
     "Where will this civilization be?" Marina had muttered, poking Pearl's shoulder.
     "I have a good idea for it," The short Inkling had explained. "Theres this place that a train station runs straight through. It's huge and looks pretty great for building on. The only bad side to it is that it's in the middle of the desert, but we'll make it work." She turned to her crowd, pumping her fist in the air with a grin. "Yeah, we'll make it work, won't we!?"
     The audience yelled back, "Yes we will!"
     Three hadn't really been listening, though. Her monologue didn't concern him. His ears were stuffed with ringing, scenes playing behind his eyes like malevolent reminders that he'd failed to keep the one thing he loved safe.
     Now, as he lay on the couch in the apartment, bags under his eyes, he couldn't help but feel the tears roll down his face.
     "Three... I love you."
     His hearts raced.
     "NO!"
     He felt his breaths quicken.
     The horde grabs her.
     His eyes went wide.
     He sees the fear in her eyes.
     Three broke out in a cold sweat.
     He watches as one of them stabs something into her leg.
     His lungs tighten, his chest heaving.
     Her head lolls back to look at him, and Three watches as she drifts into unconsciousness.
     Aaron pulls him back, screaming.
     She's gone.
     She's dead.
     She died.
     She
     Is
     Dead.
     "NO!" Three yelled, surging up from the couch. Ice-cold sweat soaked into his skin, his lungs constricting and deflating, tears pricking at his eyes. Three dropped to his knees, pressing the heel of his hands into his eyes in a worthless effort to stop crying.
     "No... please..." He prayed, his tears wetting the carpet. "I'm not ready... I'm not ready to go on without you... please... come back..."
     Three wasn't prepared for this.
     This wasn't how the plan was supposed to go.
     Not like this.
     He missed her dearly. Almost 3 years had come and gone, each day a reminder, no, a punishment for Three to tell him that he failed. That he failed to keep her safe. That he failed to keep her alive. He missed her beautiful eyes staring into his, her hugs, her voice, the way she knew how to break his barriers with a single touch, the way she pressed her lips against his with no intention of pulling back. He missed her loving, caring personality, and the way she could read the room without anyone saying a word. The way she read him like a book and knew how he was feeling, and knew how to make him feel better and comfortable.
     He loved her like the waves loved the shore; sometimes energetic and playful, other times calm and quiet. But it never ceased, never held back for a moment. So when she died, it left a hole in his hearts that had yet to be filled again. Over the time she'd been gone, Three felt himself reverting to the stone-cold boy he once was; ruthless and rude, mean and murderous, with a temper like no other and a mouth made for arguing. He'd distanced himself from the Splatoon, and he rarely saw them anymore. Three's phone buzzed constantly, his friends asking if he was doing good or if he wanted anything.
     I want her back.
     I need her back.
     Knock knock!
     Three heard the door creak open and scowled at the ground. His back was facing the entry, so he didn't know who it was, but either way, he was already pissed, so maybe they should piss off.
     "Hey, Cap." Aaron's voice said, meek and timid, as if he was walking on eggshells. "How are you doing?"
     "Get out." Three hissed, voice rough.
     "Jeez, good to see you, too." He scoffed. The rustling of chip bags hit the counter. "I brought you some snacks."
     "Get. Out." He snarled.
     "No. I'm not leaving. You aren't the boss of me." Aaron objected.
     "Get out!" Three yelled, his back still facing the Inkling.
     "Three, I get you're still sad, but it's been two years!" He articulated. "We've all moved on, and you know Eight would have wanted us to, so how about you do the same!"
     Three whipped around and shoved Aaron away, blowing the Inkling backwards onto the ground.
     "If you think it's that easy," He said through gritted teeth, trying to keep the tears back. "For me to lose the one person I love and then just, just- move on, then you're awfully mistaken." He felt warm tears spill down his face.
     "Get. Out."
     Aaron stood up, glaring.
     "Alright, that is IT! I've put up with your bullcrap for YEARS! I know you take my friendship for granted, so let me tell you one thing, bud." Aaron gripped Three's chin, dighing his nails into his skin. "You just lost me."
     He threw Three's face to the side and slammed the door.
     A long moment of silence passed, Three frozen in place as he processed what just happened.
     "What the hell is wrong with me!?"