Better Eight Than Never

Chapter 47: The Apocalypse

"... That went about as bad as it could have gone." Toda admitted, brushing off his legs. The ground was still shaking as the Octomaton... as Orion... started tearing apart the city, the one place in the world he'd really ever known.

"It's still not over." Simon said. "There... there's got to be some way to take that thing down, or stall it until someone who can shows up."

"I think we're the only ones who can take it down." Bato said as he rubbed his tentacles.

"Go!" Sheldon said. "I'll get your mother to safety!"

Tanya cringed, then sighed. "He's right, I can't come with you... Please come home..."

Bato wavered, then grabbed his stepmother's good hand. "I... I will, I promise."

Toda put his hands into his pockets, wishing he could say goodbye to his mother as well... Or his father...

"Oh Judd, Callie and Marie were down in the plaza!" Jill yelped, then slid down the rubble toward the ground floor.

"Jill!" Simon yelped, then scrambled after her.

Toda blinked and looked down from the roof, spotting Callie a ways off on the ground, with Marie sitting next to her, cradling her in her arms... wait, that wasn't Callie and Marie, they were still in danger. "Wait!" He exclaimed, then jumped off the roof after them, stumbling and almost falling on his face, but somehow he managed to keep both his balance and his momentum as he ran after the twins, hearing Bato and Hachi right on his heels.

As they drew near, Marie hovered her hand over Callie, and then a watery beam shot out of her palm and into Callie's mouth, grabbing onto, and then pulling out Orvokki and tossing her to the side, where she then reverted to her humanoid form. "ONELLA!" She shouted. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?"

Toda trained his gun on her, preparing to fire, but then a ball of water sprang from Marie, and left her collapsed and coughing on the ground, while a second octoling took form. "I was just completing my mission." She said, tossing her tentacles over her shoulder, in a way which was rather un-octoling.

"Completed the mission!?" Orvokki demanded. "The mission isn't complete until Inkopolis is destroyed!!!"

"Yours maybe." She scoffed. "Mine was complete as soon as the queen was pulled from power."

"WHAT!?" Orvokki snapped. "I TRUSTED YOU!!! WHAT... WHAT IS THIS!?"

"Ah, that's a very good question." Onella said, placing a hand on her chin. "A betrayal perhaps? Overthrowing a corrupt power? You're welcome."

"Onella, I swear!! You.. You... FUCK YOU!!!"

Onella's tentacles twitched. "I'm so terrified." She replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"They're sisters." Bato hissed as he stepped alongside Toda with his brush drawn.

"Ahh." He replied out of the side of his mouth.

Orvokki rippled, and began to steam from fury. "I'm not going to put up with this! I'm going to go up to that fucking monster, and I'm going to get the MC out, just to spite you! And I'll do it with..." She made a move toward them, and Toda raised his splattershot jr again and fired, but missed as she transformed and sprang right at Simon, causing them to stagger backward toward the giant pit that used to be the plaza.

Toda went white and grabbed their wrist before they could fall, one of their heels suspended over an empty abyss. "SIMON!!" He exclaimed, struggling to holster his weapon so he could hold on with both hands.

Simon looked him straight in the eyes, then smiled. "You can't hurt me now~"

"Let them go!" Jill shouted, grabbing Simon's other arm.