Order Up - Splatoon3 Side Order

Part 9 - "Order Up"

Agent 4 just...stared.
They knew what sanitization was, and they knew that, because Acht was...green, they were likely sanitized themself. But to hear it from them like that...
The agent shuddered.

"Oh, wow. Hah, you think you know the world you live in, and suddenly we got nightmare labs and soul-stealing virtual realities..." H4CKER awkwardly shifted in place. It was probably a lot on some random civilian.

"Yeah, so we're not taking it down! The only thing we're taking down is Order Mk.4!" Pearl snapped, "Now...what's the game plan? We wait for Eight?"

Agent 4 looked back down at Agent 8.
...What if they were seriously hurt? What if they needed help? They can't just wait around until Agent 8 wakes up if Agent 8 could be in medical distress!
And with that, their mind was made up. Agent 4 stepped forward, and with a look of determination across their face, they boldly volunteered!
"Agent 4? You're going to face Order?" Marina gasped, "But...last time you did that, it didn't end well..."
"Yeah, you lost the battle and your soul!" Pearl added.

They paused.
That...was true.

But that's why they had to do it. Marina put them in charge of defending the Memverse and they failed. Because of them, Marina got possessed by Order, dozens of souls were stolen, they were turned into a parallel canon...
And Agent 8 had to clean up after their mistakes. And now, Agent 8 was on the ground, unconscious. Defeating Order was their job in the first place, and their failure caused all of this suffering - or, that's how they saw it, anyway.

A certain friend of theirs would beg to differ.

Regardless, they had to redeem themself. They had to make things right.

They stepped forward again and gave a determined nod. They were doing this.

"...Are you sure?" Marina asked, "You don't have to just because you're an Agent!"
Agent 4 shook their head - they weren't doing this just because they're an Agent! They're doing this for Agent 8, for sanitized Octarians like Acht, and out of personal obligation due to being the one who was tasked by Marina to stop this mess a month ago!
And maybe a little bit for revenge.
...That too.

"Well, if Agent 4's going, I am too." H4CKER stated as he walked up next to them.
"What?! The shut-in?! No way!" Pearl snapped.
"Yeah...I agree. No offense, H4CKER. And not with the 'shut-in' talk," Acht added. "Agent 8 and Agent 4 are agents. They've been trained for this. Besides, Marina was a top soldier in the Octarian army, and Pearl's killer wail is like a death weapon. You and I are the least qualified to help."
"Well, I don't see either of them stepping up," the Inkling boy shrugged.

"HEY! I'm watching over Agent 8!" Pearl shouted.
"And I'm trying to do damage control with my laptop!" Marina stated as she typed away.

"Eeexactly. It's dangerous to go alone, and I'm not gonna stand there and let them go alone. Besides," H4CKER glanced towards Agent 4 and gave a smile, "we're a team."

Agent 4 smiled back. They were a team! They made it through the Spire of Order against all odds!
It didn't matter if the others didn't believe in them. As long as they work together, they could accomplish anything!
They ran up to H4CKER and pat him on the shoulder. They were doing this together, no matter what!
They shared a quick fist bump.
"See? The two of us? We'll be fine."