CrownGamer's Splatoon OC Lore: The Agent Archives

Chapter 18: Project Neo Part 2 - Stomping on History

1 YEAR AGO

It was a quiet evening in New Octopolis City. But it wasn't about to be for long. Three shadows with illuminated headsets raced across the rooftops of apartment complexes. The trio super-jumped suddenly, flying through the air to a lower part of the city that looked like it had been its own dome at one point before being merged into the city's dome. They landed, and slipped into a shady-looking lab area. One of the infiltrators pushed open a massive door. Maya poked her head in, examining the arena-like room, before entering through the door. She motioned for her two accomplices/protégées, Jewel and Derek, to follow her. The three Inklings snuck in, tip-toeing about. Derek pointed at the center of the room.

"There!" he whispered loudly. Maya and Jewel both looked at the imprisoned Zapfish positioned on a pedestal in the center of the room.

"Good eye, Agent 5," said Maya. Jewel prepared to super-jump over to it, but Maya stopped her, holding her back. "Wait." The lavender Inkling pointed to a stationary artificial Octoling, holding up the Zapfish's prison pedestal in its hands.

"What do we do?" Jewel asked in a low voice. Maya signaled for Jewel and Derek to stay where they were. Cautiously, she approached the artificial, her Hero Shot prepared to fire. Maya crouched down and looked up at its face. She waved a hand in front of its eyes. No reaction. Maya stood back up, motioning for Jewel and Derek to approach.

"It's acting as a touch-activated alarm," she explained. "This is going to make getting the Zapfish a bit harder since it's holding the pedestal."

"What can we do?" Jewel asked.

"Stay back, and don't touch anything," replied Maya. "Especially that artificial." She looked around for a way to get the Zapfish without alerting the artificial. Jewel and Derek watched her, not daring to move from their spots. Maya ran around the artificial, spotting a possible way to retrieve the Zapfish safely. She poked the Zapfish's shield cautiously with her Hero Shot. Nothing happened. Behind her, Jewel fiddled with her Hero Shot out of boredom.

"Agent 3, be careful with that," Derek warned her.

"Come on, what's going to happen?" Jewel asked with a carefree shrug, unaware that her thumb had just clicked on Kill Mode as she twirled at around one finger like a Dualie. She threw it up in the air and caught it. Her finger touched the sensitive trigger as the shooter weapon turned from light blue to red. Maya whipped her head around with a gasp.

BANG!

An ink bullet struck the artificial in the knee. It collapsed, allowing the Zapfish pedestal to crash down to the floor. Jewel quickly pressed the kill switch on her Hero Shot as Maya practically flew towards her.

"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" she screamed.

"In my defense," began Jewel, "I wasn't."

"Well, let's just hope that it-" Suddenly, an ear-piercing alarm-like scream burst from the artificial's mouth. The agents covered their ears and groaned in pain. The artificial screamed for about ten seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Finally, it stopped and collapsed, its purpose complete.

"...Doesn't do that," Maya finished as she, Jewel, and Derek uncovered their ears cautiously. She glared at Jewel. "Do not touch that switch again." Jewel nodded timidly.

"I tried to warn you," Derek said, crossing his arms.

"Well, the Zapfish's shield has been broken," Maya said with a sigh. "Let's get it and get out of here before-" Something massive slammed down right behind the agents.