Agent 38: In The Making

Chapter 21: AARON!

Three lay there on the cold metal platform, dazed and frozen.
     His- their lips were touching- her breath on his neck- opal eyes staring into his soul- curvy body in his arms- can't want this- forbidden-
     Three desperately tried to convince himself that he wasn't in love with the Octoling that sat on top of him.
     Eight scrambled off of him, face tomato red. "S-sorry- You slipped- I lost my balance- I-I didn't mean to-"
     Four cut her off. "Don't worry. He liked it." He giggled.
     The red on his face turned purple as he whirled to Aaron. He'd felt Aaron's leg slide under Three's feet when he fell. That's what made him fall.
     "Aaron, I swear on my life," Three whispered, fire in his eyes. "I'M GOING TO MURDER YOU!"
     He lunged for the Inkling, who darted away in surprise. "Three, calm down! It was just a small kiss! I didn't mean to! You tripped over my leg!"
     "No, I didn't!" Three yelled. "You tripped me! What the heck!"
     He stopped chasing him. "Well... I figured, y'know... since you like her..."
     Eight stepped in front of him, shaky hands pressed to his chest as she stared into his soul with concerned opal eyes. Three saw the reflection of his own in hers and inhaled sharply. He yanked his phone out of his pockets and stared at the menacing reflection that glared back at him in the dark screen.
     His eyes.
     They were a teal green.
     The same green he remembered seeing.
     When he was sanitized.
     Three touched his scar with trembling hands. "E-Eight?"
     "What?" Four said. "What's going on?"
     He peered at his eyes and gasped.
     "The Cap'n told me about that glow!" Aaron said, astonished. "Isn't that the same thing that happened when he- Ow!"
     Eight elbowed Four in the ribs and turned back to Three. "We need to get that looked at. It's not normal."
     He nodded, too scared to speak. Eight cupped his face in her hands.
     "You're going to be fine." She whispered, voice soft. He nodded numbly, and turned to sit down on the edge. She plunked down next to him.
     He looked up at the now star streaked sky, small clouds whisking high above the atmosphere. He heard a small gasp from Eight and turned to her.
     "The glow- It's gone." She said, pointing at his eyes. He pulled out his phone and peered at the dark screen, but no glow stared back to greet him.
     "Hm."
     "It must only happen when you're angry," Eight pondered. "Or when you feel a really strong emotion."
     "Haha!" Aaron yelled. "It's true! The mighty Agent 3 can have feelings!"
     He turned to glare at him.
     "Oh!" Eight realized. "Is that how you were dodge-rolling?"
     He threw his hands in the air, annoyed. "I don't know! It's not like I can control these- I dunno, these powers!? These curses!? They just started out of nowhere!"
     "Well," She said. "Doesn't seem like you can get rid of it, so you might just have to learn how to control them."
     You cannot control me, Whispered a distorted, somewhat robotic voice that sounded way too familiar. For I control you.
     Chills rippled through his veins as he subtly looked around to see who had said that. Marie was silently tending to the Inkling, Gabriel sitting with Aaron, and Agent 4 on his phone. None of them were talking.
     What the hail-? Three thought, unnerved. First, sanitization symptoms. Now, voices in his head that sounded extremely familiar. What next?
     I'll tell you, Said the voice. How about we start with... possession? Then, killing that nefarious Octoling... Hm, shall I go on?
     Three stood up and clambered up the ladder, making sure no one would hear him if he blurted something aloud.
     "Who the heck are you?" He whispered.
     Oh, don't you remember me? It said smoothly. Hm. We never did test sanitization on the Inkling race, so I suppose it COULD cause memory loss. How positively interesting, indeed.
     He felt a smile stretch across his face. One he couldn't control.
     Well, let me remind you. It said menacingly. I, old friend, am Commander Tartar.
     A million things blistered through his mind at once, and he clutched his head in pain.
     Teal ink- pink ink- armor breaking- cold control- tentacles- helplessness- forced to kill- Eight running- trying to fight back- no use- need help- can't run- so sorry- fight it, Three- help her- can't control- useless again- get out of my mind- what did I do- green tentacles- oozing slime- no control- knowing too much- horrid thoughts- teal everywhere- burning slime- wildfire on his face-
     It all flashed through his mind with such ferocity that he had to sit down once it was over, letting out a small groan.
     You see, Said Tartar. I've planted my seed. You are my vessel. You are mine to control.
     The same old panic and fear whiplashed through his veins.
     "No, no, not again," Three whispered. "I won't be forced to kill, not again."
     "Three?" Eight's concerned voice called. "You ok up there?" He heard her staggering up the ladder and quickly stood up, pretending like he'd been staring out of the helicopter the entire time. When she finally got to the top, she saw him gazing out at the stars and smiled.
     "It's a beautiful view, isn't it?" He asked. She nodded.
     "It definitely is. It just feels wrong to have seen a sunrise and nightfall but not a sunset." She said. He swiveled his head to see if she was serious or not.
     "How have you not seen a sunset yet?" Three asked incredulously.
     "I went from the Metro, to sharing an apartment with strong man over here, to going on patrol and getting captured and tortured by my ex bff, and you're asking why I haven't seen a sunset?" Eight said, staring at him. He shrugged.
     "I know a good place where you can see one, if you want me to take you there tomorrow." Three said, fidgeting with the corner of his cape.
     WHAT was up with THAT!? He NEVER fidgeted! Never! Nor was he EVER nervous about asking something!
     She patted his shoulder. "I would love to."
     He grinned. Tartar whispered something in his head, but he didn't pay attention to it.
     "By the way," Three started. "How are the whipcracks? Any deep cuts?"
     Eight nodded. "Miku got me where I have a scar." She turned and sat down, hunched over so he could see the scar on her back in the moonlight. There it was: a deep gash that zig-zagged through the scar he'd seen earlier.
     "That doesn't look too good," Three said. "I think you need stitches on that."
     Eight tensed up. He chuckled.
     "If you were able to withstand two hours worth of whips, stitches will be nothing." He said. Eight laughed.
     He took his inkpack off and twisted the cap, searching for the compartment where he held his first aid kit. He popped the lid open and grabbed the first aid kit inside. Three undid the lock and opened it up, taking the string and needle and a few cotton swabs.
     He held the needle and string in his mouth so he could close it and store it back into its original placement, and turned to Eight. She was watching with wide-eyed fascination. He took the needle and string out of his mouth and gave her a questioning look.
     "You never told me you were a medic," She said. "You sorted through that so, so... I don't know, gracefully? Like you knew exactly what you were doing."
     "I'm not a medic." He said with a laugh. "I've just taken care of people before."
     "Might I ask who?"
     "I'm not too comfortable sharing it aloud."
     "Oh... Sorry."
     "It's fine."
     He slid the string through the needle.
     "You might want to brace yourself, cuz it's still going to hurt." Three warned.
     He gently dug the needle into her skin and started sewing the wound back together. Eight let out a grunt.
     "Forward... around.... down... forward... around... and down...." Three repeated softly, reminding himself the pattern. Once finished, he tightened it a little by pulling the needle, and bit off the remaining string, tying a knot around the end of it.
     Eight turned and gave him a fierce hug, which actually forced him to lay down.
     "Thanks, Three!" She said.
     He laughed. "No problem."
     She realized she was mounted on top of him and quickly got off, but the blush didn't come this time. For neither of them. And in all honesty, he had to admit...
      Three was starting to fall for this gorgeous Octoling.

YES, THREE! FALL FOR HER! IT'S WHAT THIS STORY IS ALL ABOUT!
Word count: 1466