The Opening Act (A Splatoon Script)

Part 3 - Ugly Truths

Marie: The constant battles, having to repeatedly risk our lives for this city, everything. The two of us have been doing this gig for years now, even before Agent 3 showed up! (They talk.)

Marie: We've kept the Octarians from taking over Inkopolis, sure, but we're in a loop by doing so. The Octarians try to take over, we get up to go fight, we defeat the Octarians, they go back into hiding, and the cycle starts again! Aren't you sick of that? (She's frustrated.)

Callie: Well, not really, since it's our job... but what does that have to do with anything? (She's confused.)

Marie: Look, we're going to be stuck in that loop for the rest of our lives unless we either let the Octarians take over- bad idea- or we make sure that the Octarians never even attempt to take over again- better idea. If the Octarians started to just mind their own business, we wouldn't have to worry about being attacked, we could live our lives the way we wanted! Without always having to watch our backs!

Marie: Look, the way I see things is that if we start to fight harder against the Octarians, destroy a few key parts of their uprisings, and show them that we're not push-overs who always follow a perfect moral code, we'd send them the message that it's useless to even try to attack us. If we start upping our game, we'll get to live peacefully!

Callie: But that doesn't explain why you've been treating all of US harsher.

Marie: Yeah, I'm sorry about that. (They talk.)

Marie: But the only way the agents can become tough enough to keep the Octarians down for good is if someone toughens them up. And you're sure not going to be the one to do that. (She looks off in the distance.)

(Callie pauses.)

Callie: Look, I may not want to spend the rest of my life in a constant loop, either. That would stink. But I don't think that becoming tougher is the solution to dealing with the Octarians. (She glances up.)

Callie: We know the Octarians, they're not the type who would just give up because they're scared. If we started to go harder on them, they'd use that as a reason to have an all-out war with us.

Marie: Mm. (Conversation. Marie doesn't look convinced.)

(They both pause.)

Callie: You know, one thing that I love about all of us agents is that we all have very different fighting skills that we use together, but I also like how we don't let our battles reshape who we are. (She speaks.)

Callie: It's easy to just let all of our fights harden us and cut loose to cause some serious destruction, but we can choose not to. That's something that separates us from the Octarians. We make it our goal not to defeat the Octarians, but to protect our city and liberate the octolings under mind control. And we can't do that properly if we try to act like the broody antiheroes from every single action movie ever! We'll lose sight of why we're even here, protecting what we love! (She slightly smiles.)

Callie: Look, we just recruited a few more agents. And I have a good feeling that they won't be the only newbie agents we meet.

Marie: Alright, but why does that matter?

Callie: This is the perfect opportunity to show a new generation of agents how to properly defend Inkopolis. Not by tearing down the Octarians, but by protecting what they all call home. If they think that the only way we solve our problems is through cold-hearted violence, they'll get the whole "hero" thing wrong. You know? (She motions to Echo and Brooke. Echo's helping Marina with her cut.)

Marie: Alright, I guess I'll try it that way for a while longer, see how things go. (She shrugs.)

Callie: Ooh, that's good to hear! So, no more trying to toughen us up?