The Story of the Squidbeak Splatoon (My Splatoon AU Fanfic)

Chapter 11: Surface-level Tension

From the shore, Inklings could see a large statue emerge from the seas. They didn't know what it could be. Unagi and Maki ran to the shoreline and saw as the helicopters circled it. They had no idea of what was happening, but they were terrified.

"TARTAR IN DA HOUSE!" [DISABLING CONTEMPORARY SPEECH MODE]" TarTar announced as the statue activated. "And now, with the sludge I have already collected from all the others that have been puréed to perfection for the future of this world. Order of the natural ecosystem will be restored, and this inferior worthless race will be... erased!" The statue's mouth opened to reveal a giant laser of death aimed straight at Inkopolis.

"This is bad! 'Rina!" Pearl panicked.

"My system is detecting that the statue is solar paneled, and it will reach full charge in three minutes. So, from that knowledge we have to somehow stop the charging." 

"Even with Purah and Eight combined, there's no way both of them could cover that whole thing in time." Pearl replied.

Then Marina had an idea. "Wait! my Hyperbombs. I know they're still a prototype, but it's worth a short. I need time to calibrate all of the bombs, but I'll be able to deploy them in groups. Then, Pearl, I'll need you to disarm the statue with your Killer Whale."

"Yo! I'm not sure I'll be able to do that... I gotta warm up first, for the city!" Pearl began to jump back and forth on the helicopter while vocalizing. Eight nodded at the duo before super jumping to the statue base.

3 minutes until the end of the world...

Marina deployed the first group at the right arm of the statue, Agent 8 hopped on an ink rail as she shot at the bombs, setting them off.

Group two was located on the back, Agent 8 rushed over to set them off, she was making record time.

After the cooldown, the third set covered the left arm as Agent 8 located them and shot them, they were almost done.

The last set was on the face. 

Agent 8 hopped on the rails that hugged around the statue's face. "Your efforts are futile, Agent 8! Submit and join your kind in failure!" TarTar taunted. Agent 8 was about to approach the final bomb on the nose of the statue. But TarTar flicked some sludge in her face, knocking her off balance and falling. 

"Agent 8!!" Marina screamed. Just then, Agent 8 felt herself get yanked back onto the ink rail. She looked over, a mysterious Octoling had joined her on the rail. They both rode back up on the rail and together shot the last Hyperbomb, setting it off. The statue was completely covered now with ink, stopping the sun from charging the super weapon. The two of them retreated back to the Helicopter.

"It's you." Purah said in surprise. 

"I'm not detecting a full charge, but it looks like it's going to fire anyway!" Marina informed them. 

Pearl hopped down to the platform below where Agent 8 and the others were. "Good job Team Eight, now it's my turn!" Pearl charged up. "Mic Check! AYO STATUE!" Pearl activated her Killer Whale, the Pearl Cannon. The Statue blasted right at them. "BOO-YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!" Pearl shouted, unleashing the power of her cannon from her deafening scream that even Unagi and Maki could hear clear as day from the shoreline. The statue was no match for the blast, getting completely demolished by Pearl's special attack.

"So this is how it ends... Curse you, curse you all!" TarTar said before the entire statue collapsed into the sea with him inside. 

Marina embraced an out of breath Pearl, knocking her to the ground. Just then, Agent 3 opened his eyes. He stared at Agent 8.

"Have we... met?" He asked as he got up.

"I think we have, two years ago." Agent 8 replied.

"Of course, how could I forget someone as short as you are." Agent 3 joked; Agent 8 punched him in the arm. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. What's your name by the way?"

"My name?" Agent 8 asked. "I'm Angelica Chikara." She turned towards the other Octoling from the statue. "And who are you?"

"Me?" She pointed to herself. "I'm Taiko Namari."

"It's nice to meet you, Taiko." Angel replied. "But... how did-"

"How did I know to come help you? Well, the whole thing was a team effort by the Association." Taiko explained.

"The Association? As in the Octo Excavation Association?"

"Yup, our leader evacuated as many people as he could and sent me to the surface to investigate the earthquake." Angel and the others saw rafts of different Octolings, both normal and not normal. "See, there he is!" Taiko pointed, Angel looked down at an Octoling, he looked up at her and gave her the same salute the mysterious Octoling from before gave her. Her eyes lit up.

"Taiko." Purah said quietly.

"Purah, I'm so sorry cousin." Taiko joined her.

"What happened to her?" Asked Agent 3.

"She's been Sanitized. That's what they called it. When Octolings have their memories stolen, so they become lost, then in that weakness they hook them up to an IV. Originally, they were supposed to just become a part of the primordial ooze TarTar was going to use to kill everyone, but after Captain Cephal-0 Override the system and escaped, the sanitized Octolings were sent to test chambers to challenge test subjects a different way."

"Like they did with me?" Asked Angel.

"Unfortunately, yes." Taiko replied.

"At least now with Kamabo up in flames, all the Octolings are free to return to the surface." Marina smiled, but her smile quickly faded as she frantically studied all the rafts.

"Don't worry 'bout them 'Rina. Right now, let's focus on getting them outta the water."

"Right, yeah." Marina replied. "This can't be all the Octolings..." She whispered.

To be continued...