Did you know you're my hero?

Bonus: The King's Question

DJ Octavio liked to think he was putting up with a lot. It was hard enough when he got beaten the first time, after all the work he put in to bring power to his people. Getting put in a diminutive snow-globe of all things was humiliating enough, and to be stuck there for as long as he was took a great amount of willpower. Craig let him complain to him, luckily enough. One of the other man's few redeeming qualities, in Octavio's opinion.

Then when he managed to bust out, he returned to find countless of his Octolings gone! Vanished, like they'd up and left, or worse, been kidnapped! And many were Octolings he knew personally by name! Marina Ida, Ahato Mizuta, Yukino Sato! Jenkix, Oleander, Taji! All of them gone off the face of the earth!

And he made an attempt to ask around, to try and solve the mystery, but he only got the ridiculous reports that Octolings were defecting. Bah! He couldn't imagine what gave everyone that idea. Considering the loyalty he inspired in all that remained, he couldn't fathom why any would desert. He never managed to get to the bottom of it.

And then he got beaten up again. The Squid Sisters rubbed it in with that stupid song again, and he got stuck in that stupid, stupid, stupid snow-globe again.

He was beginning to have his patience run thin. And this time Craig wouldn't even let him complain to him, not after what he'd done to his precious granddaughter. Ugh. It was all so stupid and unfortunate.

And then those stupid agents, Three and Four, started talking about some Octoling Three was friends with. And DJ Octavio, no matter how many times he tried to get context, was ignored. All he was able to glean was that they were calling her 'Eight' and it infuriated him. Why would Three, the veritable patron saint of violence against Octarians, be friends with an Octoling? What did she have to gain?! Were they making it up to spite him?! Why would there even be an Octoling up here for her to be friends with in the first place?! And what in the world was this 'she's got amnesia' nonsense?!

It only confused him more when Three admitted to Four that she had a crush on this 'Eight.' What!! In the world!! Octavio was convinced the whole situation was fabricated to irritate him. He couldn't think of any possible alternative.

And then the fabled Octoling arrived, and Octavio was stunned silent. He recognized her. He knew her well. And the pieces fell into place.

He kept his mouth shut as she went about telling Three that she was in love with her. He didn't say a word when Three quietly and awkwardly reciprocated. He observed silently as 'Eight' flopped flusteredly on the ground in response to a short kiss. He was quiet. He observed. He had only a single question all of a sudden, and it could most certainly wait.

If she could keep up a charade this long, then he could afford to wait just a bit longer for sweet release. All he had to do was wait for her to decide when it was safe. He'd hate to blow her cover when she wasn't ready.

But when she did? Oh, those Inklings would have shell to pay.