warning, if you are uncomfortable with written death, I advise to skip anywhere near the end of this chapter
Marina stood hesitantly outside of agent 8's locked room, hand raised and hovering over the electronic pad that would unlock her room.
Marina had given pearl a key card and told her the way out, the inkling promising they'd wait for her to get 8, despite Mizuta and Octavio's protesting.
Sucking in a breath slightly, marina shakily unlocked the door, slowly swinging open the door. Eight was sitting on the edge of her bed, head down staring at the ground. She either didn't notice marina was in her room or didn't care.
"..hey 8."
Eight ignored her, turning with her back facing marina. The octoling bit back a sigh, taking a few steps forwards. 8 deserved to hate her, and she could all she wants. But right now they needed to hurry and head to the metro for more antidote materials, and she wasn't going to leave her daughter behind. She took a seat on the opposite end of the bed, silence filling the room for a few seconds.
"You can hate me all you want, because I know I deserve it. But I just want you to know I regret my actions, and abusing the faith you had in me."
"..."
"..pearl isn't sanitized anymore. She didn't hurt anyone either, so your friends are fine. We're on our way to the metro to get the materials for more antidotes so I can fix what I've done. I thought you might want to come. I love you 8. I'm sorry."
Marina stood up, going towards the doorway. She froze when arms wrapped around her, and she turned her head to see eight was hugging her. The smaller octoling let go, a faint small smile on her face. "I knew you'd come around eventually. I forgive you mommy."
Marina blinked for a few seconds, slightly fighting back tears at hearing those words, seeing 8 smile at her, when she hadn't in so long. "I.. 8 you don't have to forgive me yet. I've done a lot of horrible things to you and everyone-"
"I know." The agent cut her off, wrapping her arms around her again. "..I know. But I always knew deep down this wasn't you. And I was never ready to give up on you. And knowing the others, I think you at least need one person on your side still right now."
Marina sniffled, hugging 8 back for a few seconds.
"I'm so so sorry for everything."
"I know. But you're gonna fix it. I know you will."
The two let go of each other, marina nodding. "Yeah, yeah I will." She took a hold of her daughter's hand, heading out the doorway.
"Now let's go help the others."
* * *
Pearl flashed a relieved smile at the two when eight and marina exited the tall tower. Marina smiled as pearl immediately went for 8, the agent running into her arms.
"C-Cod I've been wanting to hug you back for so long now"
Marina walked away from the two, giving them a moment as she approached callie. Mizuta shot her a protective glare she chose to ignore for now, Marie just silently moving aside a bit. "So, Whats the plan when we get to the metro..? It'll be a bit dangerous for me, 8, and Marie to be in there since that's where your rebellion is." Callie sighed and nodded, crossing her arms. "Let's not forget about that octoling you kinda sent after the rebellion, cus according to three he probably wiped out everyone by now and will do the same to us."
Marina froze and sighed, averting her gaze. "I Uh, kinda forgot about him. Sorry.." she immediately shot her head up though when she realized something. "Wait, if he did get to your rebellion he would of sent me the location of where you guys were hiding out by now. He never sent it. So either he forgot, which I doubt, cus he was-"
"Sanitized?"
Marina bit her lip slightly and nodded. "Y-Yeah.. that.. or your rebellion took care of him."
Callie gave a relieved sigh. "That's good. Then I believe we're all set to go!"
Marina nodded, turning around when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Comet nervously cleared his throat, his tail swishing side to side behind him on the pavement.
"Um, miss marina.. I-I was just kinda wondering.. what do you think is gonna happen to the salmonid and salmonlings once inkopolis turns back to normal..?"
Marina gave a confused glance. "What do you mean? Comet sighed, scratching his head and looking away slightly. "Well we weren't exactly welcome in the city before, so.."
"Marina's still the winner."
The two turned around to see pearl. Eight was holding onto her hand. "Splatfest laws state she can still make any c-changes she wants to the city. If she wants salmonid and salmonlings to be legal here then that can be done."
Marina instantly span around and nodded. "In that case I'll 100% make sure you guys can stay here and get all settled in immediately! I promise." She wanted to very quickly start trying to make a turnaround from her previous actions, and she felt like this was a good start. Comet gave her a relieved smile. "Thank you.."
Marina smiled and nodded. "No problem." Pearl stepped forwards, crossing her arms. "Now I think we should go ahead and-"
[Ah! Greetings cephalopods!]
Everyone span around immediately at the all too familiar voice. It was tartar, the telephone was in a giant canon connected to the tower. It had a see through huge container on the side of it, which was filled to the brim with sanitization liquid.
[This was all fun while it lasted but I believe it is time for Plan B to be put into action! Cephalopods Marie and Applicant 10008, please get inside the building for safety purposes, while Queen Marina may join me up here!]
Everyone stood their ground, Marina waking up until she was in front of everyone. She reached on top of her head, grabbed her crown, and chucked it across from her. It landed with a thud on the ground.
"Tartar, the deal is off. You lied to me! This isn't a world I would want. This is a world you would want. This is your vision of perfect. Not mine."
The telephone stared down at her, before making a few buzzing noises that sounded like mechanical laughter.
[I did not deceive you Iida. I simply persuaded you into my thoughts and ideals. You could of went back on them anytime, but because of me, I temporarily got you to see the world through the way my professor programmed me too. And you should be thanking me! Isn't everything better this way? No insufferable sea creatures telling you what to do, or trying to go against your ways?]
"You're sick!" Octavio yelled from the ground. Tartar narrowed his eyes down at him
[Am I?] he bellowed. [Or is all this just a fancy way of how you would of had this imperfect town if you took over in my place?]
Octavio let out a low growl. "I've changed! I realize that all those ideas were dumb! Something you could never do you dumb metal box!"
[You joined the rebellion because you had to. Not because you wanted to. Quit trying to be a hero and stand aside. Marina I am giving you one more chance to come up here and go back to our perfect world.]
Marina looked back at all her friends. Some looked terrified, some looked furious. She turned to face tartar again.
"Your perfect world is something I'm never going to be a part of again."
Tartar made a noise that sounded close to a sigh, the outstretched metal tube that would of shot the sanitization liquid, and the container containing it retreating into the canon. Instead a smaller tube outstretched, a larger container with a clear liquid inside it coming out.
[The original Plan B was to sanitize you all, but if you are going to continue being a nuisance, exterminating you all will be easier.]
Marina's eyes widened. Her and tartar never agreed on adding this to the canon. She could hear Callie's voice from behind her.
"M-Marina what's in that-"
"WATER. EVERYONE RUN FOR COVER."
And with that one sentence, the whirring of the machine fired up, as everyone ran behind nearby trash cans or anything else they could find, as water bullets began firing all over the place.
"OK SO WHATS THE PLAN???"
Mizuta yelled over all the noise. Marina looked towards the direction of the shops from the area they were in. A memory flashed in her mind.
"a blue and green tentacle sprouted out. The tentacle was curled up, holding some kind of computer chip. Wires were attached to the chip, poking out from the top of tartar.
[My AI lies in here. The moment I realized I was drowning I simply used the tentacle to crawl out and find the tunnel I used to bring the statue up in the first place where I quickly reprogrammed myself into another model of the telephone]"
"IF I CAN GET A BEACON SUB AND USE IT TO SUPER JUMP UP THERE, I CAN DEACTIVATE HIM FOR GOOD. I KNOW HOW!"
"I'LL COME TOO!" Marina turned her head towards Callie's direction after she said that. She nodded, a fierce determined look in her eyes. She watched Marie say something to her she couldn't hear, before the cuttlefish looked the octoling in the eyes. Marina held up her hand.
1
2..
"3!"
The 2 got up, making a run for it. Marina paused for a split second when she saw callie slip on a puddle made from one of the water bullets, instantly running towards her to help her up. They both froze in place with the canon pointed directly at them. Marina closed her eyes, bracing herself for her death.
But she never felt anything.
Opening her eyes, marina gasped.
Comet stood in front of them. He had his arms out in a defensive position, but he was alive. "Comet!! Are you ok?!" Callie asked, her tone filled with disbelief and relief.
Comet turned his head towards them, nodding. "Salmonlings and salmonid live in water, we aren't affected by it. I-I'm fine, it still hurt but I'm fine. Now go! I'll guard you guys."
Marina nodded, helping callie up as they ran away from the scene, very quickly making their way towards ammo knights. Callie wasted no time in kicking down the metal door, marina's eyes widening. Her response was only a quiet "wow" before her and Callie rushed in, digging around for a beacon sub.
"Found it!"
Marina rushed to wherever Callie was, and she instantly handed her the can, marina opening it and grabbing the beacons. "Come on, let's hurry back. I don't know how much more water bullets comet can take." Marina nodded, the two very quickly running back. When they arrived back at the scene comet was sheltering with agent 4. His hero jacket was torn up and he was covered with bruises, blood dripping from his arm. Marina winced at the sight, before looking up at the canon.
"How am I gonna get close enough to throw it up there.."
Callie grinned at her before running out into the middle of the battle, shouting a "this way!"
"CALLIE WHAT THE SHELL ARE YOU DOING?!"
Callie glanced back at marina as she began dodging the water bullets. "DISTRACTING HIM!"
After hearing her plan, the others quickly got up from their spaces, 4 staying with comet as the others moved around, tartar having trouble aiming with all the commotion. Marina managed to sneak in the middle of it, chucking the beacon and super jumping up.
"NICE JOB MARI-"
Callie's praise was cut off, as tartar managed to aim and hit her. Time stopped for a few moments, and Marie's scream barely registered in her mind.
Stop tartar, focus on stopping tartar
Marina climbed into the hole like seat tartar was in, standing in front of him. She plunged her hand into the sanitization goo, wincing at the burning sensation spreading on her hand as she ripped out his AI chip, wires still attached to it. Tartar's eyes drifted up to her.
[Marina.. do you really want to do this? What good will come of it? Your friends hate you. Inkopolis will hate you after you unsanitize them. You'll constantly be reminded of every mistake you've made. Will this be worth it?]
Marina thought of pearl
8
The home that once welcomed her as an idol
That gave her a chance to be free
The squid sisters who supported her
She thought of everything she'd been through up until now
Marina narrowed her eyes.
"Yes, it will be."
She ripped out the chip, hearing the shrieking noises of the dying AI as the canon instantly powered off. Marina had to step back as tartar began fizzing, sanitization liquid melting all over him. It eventually settled on the ground, leaving behind nothing but a melted metal box on a pole, wires poking out of it. Marina stared at the computer chip in her hands and snapped it in half, then snapped those pieces in half, then threw them into the sanitization liquid that melted off of tartar and watched the pieces melt.
H.. He's dead.
He's really dead now.
He can't hurt anyone else anymore.
I did it.
Marina placed her hand on the side of the canon and winced, a sharp pain going through her. Her hand was stained teal, and it was flowing with pain, which marina ignored, as she used her left hand to throw another beacon to the ground, super jumping to it.
Upon landing on the ground, marina was greeted with the sight of everyone surrounding Marie, who was on the ground with tears in her eyes and holding Callie. 4 was sitting next to her, tears visibly in her eyes too. Mizuta shoved through the group, kneeling down by her girlfriend, eyes wide.
Callie's eyes fluttered open, her gold gaze traveling to her cousin. "M.. Marie.."
Marie held Callie closer to her. "D-Don't speak cal, it's gonna be ok. We're gonna get you help it's gonna be ok-"
"M-Marie.."
The pink and black cuttlefish's hand weakly moved to Marie's face, wiping away her tears the best she could.
"I love you marie, ok?" Callie shifted her head towards 4 and weakly smiled. "Y-You're really strong Maya. Ne..Never forget that for me." She then turned towards Mizuta. "You're the love of my life Mizuta.. I love you so much."
Marie seemed to hug callie tighter as 4 grabbed the injured cephlapod's hand. Mizuta placed a hand on Callie's chest. "Callie stop it, you're going to be ok, it's going to.." Marie had to cut herself off with a small sob. "I-It's going to be o-ok."
Callie smiled up at Marie, resting her head against her cousin. "It's ok to not be brave sometimes Marie." The gray and green cuttlefish sniffled, nodding. Silence filled the air, as the hand 4 was holding slowly melted into pink ink. The head laying against Marie melted into pink ink as well, the tentacles turning into puddles. Silence filled the air, until the second half of the squid sisters, Callie Cuttlefish, was nothing more then a pile of pink ink. Mizuta let out a loud sob, screaming out her girlfriend's name as she buried her face into her hands. 4 was shaking, hand laying in the pink ink. Marie blinked, as if trying to process what was happening. Trying to process if this was all even real.
"N-No.."
"No no no no no no no no no no no..."
Marina's hands were shaking. Callie was dead. One of her best friends, one of the first people who helped her on the surface, one of the people responsible for her freedom, was dead.
She silently turned her head towards the others to see their expressions. 8 had her hands over her mouth, tears streaming down her eyes. Comet had his tail coiled around himself, sniffling silently with his claws dug into his arms. Octavio had a look Of pure disbelief and grief, and Marina heard a silent "C..Callie.." come from him.
After a few seconds, Marie looked up. Her gaze burned into marina, and they were filled with grief and pure anger. The cuttlefish stood up, walked towards marina and shoved her.
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT"
"M-Marie, I-"
"IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU, AND THIS STUPID SPLATFEST, MY COUSIN WOULD BE HERE. CALLIE IS D E A D AND IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU MARINA."