The Opening Act (A Splatoon Script)

Part 3 - Ugly Truths

Juliuz: We were noticed on the way out. My dad tried to tell them that we weren't there to hurt anybody. But, they didn't listen. (Juliuz is slightly behind his dad as they face an octoling gang.)

Juliuz: A fight broke out, and... they ended up killing my dad. I wanted to fight back, but I ran off. (Young Juliuz, clinging to the bit of medicine they have, runs off.)

Juliuz: I keep telling myself that I should've done something, but if I did, I probably wouldn't have made it back. And it was a good thing I made it back. Emerald was really needing the medicine. (Juliuz arrives home alone.)

Juliuz: The medicine helped my little sister, and everyone told me that things were going to be okay, but I couldn't help but be angry with everything. Angry with my dad for making a stupid decision, angry at myself for not fighting, and angry at everyone for trying to tell me that things were fine. But most of all, with the octolings, for killing my dad. (Young Juliuz is upset and stays in his room alone.)

Juliuz: I didn't even want to SEE the octolings. Once I was old enough, my little sister and I left Coconut County to move to Inkopolis. My mom- stubborn as ever- decided to stay, but she was fine with us leaving. At that time, there were no octolings in the city, and we all felt like I had made the right choice for me and Emerald. My mom and I wanted to shelter Emerald from the octoling situation. She never knew about our dad, and she was pretty clueless about the fights, and we wanted to keep things that way. (Teen Juliuz leaves home with Emerald.)

Juliuz: But then when octolings started showing up in the city, I wasn't sure what to do! I felt all that anger again, and I was so scared Emerald would know the truth about everything, so I wanted all of them to leave. (Teen Juliuz notices an octoling in the square.)

Juliuz: I guess I had put all that anger towards hurting octolings, innocent or not. (In present-day time, Juliuz looks off in the distance as he finishes.)

Juliuz: Echo, I'm so sorry, I should've never-

Echo: No. (They talk.)

Echo: You don't need to apologize again. I already told you, I forgive you! (Echo smiles at Juliuz.)

Juliuz: Thanks, Echo.

Echo: Of course. (Juliuz slips off his hood.)

Juliuz: So, uh- I guess I'm trying to move out of a depressing conversation here- do you have any family? (He finally looks at her again.)

Echo: Yeah. I have a little sister named Rosie. It's just the two of us.

Juliuz: Oh. I- I'm sorry. (He's surprised.)

Echo: Don't be. I never even knew my parents. I was forced to start training for the military at a young age and was taken from my home. Some people came up to me one day and were all like, "Here, this is your baby sister. Your mom died right after childbirth."

Juliuz: Oh, wow. That's rough.

Echo: Yep. In Octo Valley, it's rare for someone to naturally be born. Most of the time, we're just clones from other Octarians. And it's even rarer for someone to give birth twice in the valley. Most octolings die after they have one baby because of the conditions of the valley. (She surprisingly isn't too fazed by this.)

Juliuz: Well, that's- uh,

Echo: Bad? Yeah. But you're fine, I know you were just trying to lighten the mood. (Juliuz is awkward, but Echo laughs.)

Echo: I just consider myself to be lucky to be alive, and very lucky to have quite a sweet little sister. I'm happy where I am. (She smiles.)

Echo:!

Juliuz: What? (Echo's smile is replaced with a look of alarm. Juliuz appears confused.)

Echo: Quick, get down! (Echo shoves Juliuz in the grass as she also goes down.)

Juliuz: What? What's going on?

Echo: [whispered] Shhhh! (They hide in the grass.)

Echo: [whispered] Some octolings are starting to come up here. A lot, actually. They didn't see us, thankfully. But where are they going? (They spy on the octolings coming up the cliff.)

Juliuz: Dunno. Wait, I see Doctor Nariko. What's she got with her?

Echo: No telling. (Nariko comes up, followed by an octoling wheeling some sort of giant device surrounded by a casing.)

Nariko: I feel so stupid. We let that inkling girl get away again, and I still don't have my outfit. We need to show this big project to the world, but I feel so underdressed presenting it in my lab coat. (She walks.)

Octoling: You still look great, ma'am! And Inkopolis will still cower before you!

Nariko: Oh, I know they will. (The only unmasked octoling talks to Nariko, and Nariko smiles.)

Nariko: We've just got to get to that mansion to show the world what we're here for. (They walk away.)

Echo: Mansion? Wait, they're going towards Pearl's mansion!

Juliuz: You mean the giant piano? I wouldn't worry TOO much, it's-

Echo: Rosie's in there! (Echo raises up a bit.)

Echo: We gotta stop 'em! But how? We don't have any weapons. Pearl's got some at her mansion, but we'll never make it there on time or-

Juliuz: Echo, slow down a second. We'll get them.

Echo: How? (Echo starts to run and fight them, but Juliuz stops her.)

Juliuz: I may know of a shortcut to Pearl's mansion.

Echo: What? How? (Juliuz grins.)

Juliuz: Oh, my teammates in turf wars told me about it.

Echo: Oh? And why do they know?

Juliuz: Uh! (Juliuz's face turns red as he awkwardly faces Echo as she grins.)

Juliuz: Rumor has it that she keeps some possibly illegally obtained Super Sea Snails in there, so if you ever needed some for Spyke or Murch, uh-

Echo: You weren't a part of all that, were you? (Juliuz blushes even more.)

Juliuz: N-no! Of course not! And it's just a rumor, remember! (He looks frantic.)

Echo: I'm just messin' with ya. Now, come on. Let's see this shortcut of yours.

Juliuz: Together this time?

Echo: Totally. (Juliuz helps Echo up.)

(They run in a different direction than the octolings.)