Agent 38: In The Making

Chapter 37: Splatoween

*Side note: Yes, I did actually draw this in preparation for this chapter.*
     When Eight told Aaron about which costume she'd chosen, he'd been very pleased. She had picked out a "Lil' Devil" costume. It contained a headband with red horns, a no-sleeve black bodysuit, fishnets for the legs, a long red tail that connected to the bodysuit by velcro, and a pair of crimson red heels with a little less than an inch of elevation. They'd arrived at the apartment around an hour after she'd trained in the Girl Power Station with Three. He'd seemed a bit odd while they were fighting, as if he had been having a conversation with someone in his mind during the battle.
     Once at the apartment, it had been dark and gloomy outside, suggesting the hour had been late. They'd gone to their apartment with Four, and he'd almost instantly dumped himself on the couch and fell asleep. Three had done the same, quickly retiring to the bedroom and going to bed. She'd stayed up a bit longer, trying on the costume, making sure it would fit, and then finally went to bed.
     Eight woke up the next morning with a headache that really made her want to stay in bed a while longer, but Aaron was too excited to let either her nor Three sleep in. After they'd gone to have breakfast, Aaron talked her through the entire idea of Splatoween in an excited ramble, occasionally drifting off to what he'd done his first Splatoween, what he'd worn, and all the festivities that came with the holiday.
     After he'd taken more than an hour explaining, they went to do a few League Battles, then they watched a horror movie called "Squidsaw", before the sun slowly drifted down to the horizon and the first flickering heartbeats of stars began to dot the darkening sky. So, they retreated back to Four's house to get changed, costumes in hand. Aaron went first, changing into a rather realistic impression of a creepy clown. Eight went second, quickly grabbing her costume and hiding it from Three's line of sight so it would be a surprise.
     Eight slipped on the bodysuit, pulled up the fishnets, fitted the Devil Horns around her head, strapped on the tail, and slipped on the heels. She adjusted her hair a little bit, making sure it looked like the horns were literally growing out of her head, before opening the door.
     Eight smiled coyly, hunched her shoulders as she put her hands behind her back, and watched as Three glanced at her, looked away, and then did a double-take as his jaw dropped. Aaron instantly laughed at his reaction.
     "Holy squit," Three breathed, examining her. "So this is why you wouldn't show it to me."
     "Yup!" Eight said happily. "So, how do you like it?"
     He smiled back at her. "You look great."
     Aaron playfully punched his shoulder. "I literally never thought I'd see the day where the mighty Alexander was sappy towards someone."
     "Luckily, it's not you," Three shot back. He grabbed his costume and blew out a somewhat forced sigh. "Guess it's my turn. Be right back."
     She sat down next to Aaron, who had taken of his mask and was now examining it, as if looking for flaws. A few minutes later, the door creaked open a bit, and she saw one of Three's eyes peeking through.
     "Come on out," Eight said. "I want to see what you look like."
     "But it's embarrassing!" He cried. "I look ridiculous."
     "We don't care!" Aaron laughed. "We're your best friends. Now come out before make Eight go and drag you out."
     A loud sigh echoed from the room before the door opened. Three was slouched handsomely against the doorframe with his arms crossed. The costume was a mostly black suit with a long cape with the outer part of it black and the inner part of it ox blood red. Three's eyes were now blood red as well (the costume came with contacts) and his two Inkling fangs were now a centimeter longer.
     Now it was her jaw's turn to drop.
     Eight grinned at him. "Who knew you could look even more handsome? And devilishly handsome, at that."
     "At least now I can compete." Three said. Aaron laughed again.
     "Quit flirting, you two!" He said. "We've got fun stuff to do!" Aaron paused, then added with a giggle, "Unintentional rhyme, sorry."
     "So... where are we going, anyway?" Eight asked.
     "Somewhere," He responded with a sly smile. Aaron hesitated for half a nanosecond before blurting, "We're doing a Splatoween-themed escape room!" As if he couldn't contain himself.
     "Escape room?" Eight asked, confused, just as Three blew out a long sigh.
     "It's like a puzzle that you have to get out of before time runs out," Three explained in a very matter-of-factly way.
     "What happens if time runs out?"
     "Nothing. Someone just comes to find you and get you out. It's sort of fun, only if you like puzzles and stuff." He finished.
     "So are we ready are we ready are we ready?" Aaron asked excitedly. "Come on come on let's goooooooooooo!"
     "ALRIGHT," Three cried. "Let me grab my phone and we'll get going. Aaron, you can lead the way."
     They were out the door a few seconds later with Aaron skipping and bouncing around, towards a shop that seemed to have nothing in it but a register, panflips, and posters on a wall that featured a few of the escape room photos. Aaron quickly checked them in, and one of the attendants (dressed quite sloppily as a ghost) ushered them into a small room. It had several doors on all the walls, cameras set up in each corner, chairs, couches, cabinets, lamps, a fireplace, and a few locked chests. The entire room had an old-style, elegant feel to it, and the chandelier hanging from the ceiling only helped the aura.
     The attendant closed the door behind herself, since she was the last to enter, and had them all sit down so she could explain the story.
     "The year is 10235. The time is exactly 10:34 in the morning," The Inkling started in a deep female voice. "When suddenly, you all hear a blood-curdling shriek reverbrate through the halls of your mansion. You all run towards the sound of the noise to see a woman, lying dead on the floor of the kitchen in a bright orange pool of ink. This woman is your mother.
     "All three of you know the killer is still in the house, for they could not have fled the scene so quickly. All you have to do now is find them and stop them before your other colleagues are... exterminated." Eight could hear the smile in her voice as the trio turned to look around the room. She turned back to ask a question, but the attendant had vanished. An excited thrill shivered through her body as she heard the soft click of the door locking.
     The trio instantly dispersed to look around the room for clues into the next one. Eight brushed her fingers over the inside of the lamp, than turned it off to peer inside the bulb, but there was nothing in it. She grabbed the chest next to the lamp and tried to open it by inserting her claw-like finger into the keyhole and rattling it around. When it wouldn't budge, she shook it and heard the faint rattling sound of paper inside.
     "Guys, I found something," Eight said, turning to the others. "See if you can find a key, because this chest needs one to open it."
     They both nodded. Aaron turned to the nearest couch, checked behind the pillows, and then slid his hand around and underneath the cushions. He fished out a small golden key and smiled in triumph, tossing it to Eight. She caught it and gently pushed it into the keyhole, twisted, and then watched as the chest opened to reveal a few scraps of paper inside. The first scrap had the letter F scrawled on it in cursive, the second had the letter C, and the third had the letter D.
     She felt Aaron and Three at her side, reading the scraps as well. "Well?" Three asked. "What do you think it means?"
     Eight glanced around the room. "F is for fireplace... C is for chandelier... and D is for door. I'll check the doors, Three, you can check the chandelier since your the tallest, and Aaron can check the fireplace."
     She trotted to the nearest door and twisted the knob. It creaked open, showing off a few puppets hanging from strings attached to the top of the door. Eight shuddered. She checked the one on the other side of the room, but it simply led to a closet full of ink-stained clothing. Eight opened the last door and a pair of hands almost instantly surged out, one wrapping around her mouth and the other around her shoulder. She shrieked, or tried to, as the thing pulled her in.
     Eight remembered that this was probably just an actor, someone put here to randomly jumpscare whoever came close, and relaxed. She looked up to see her kidnapper, and realized it was no actor. It was a Sanitized Octarian. Eight reached up with shaking hands to see if it was real, and tried to pull off its face, which turned out to NOT be a mask.
     It looked down to stare at her. "Greetings, 10,008."
     Eight instantly snapped her teeth around its fingers and kicked at the door, screaming. She punched it in the face and scrabbled around for the doorknob, trying to see with only the Octoling Shades' dim light as a guide. Her hands closed around a cold metal object and she twisted it, and the light poured in. Eight stumbled out of the closet the Sanitized Octarian had kept her in and saw the dawning look of terror on Three and Aaron as it stepped out of the closet behind Eight.
     They stood silent for a moment, waiting for it to attack or say something or move or breathe, but it just stayed there.
     "Oh, 10,008." Said the Octarian after a while. "Or should I call you 'Eight'? Or... 'Sarai'?"
     Chills were instantly sent throughout her body. "How do you know my name?" Eight demanded.
     It turned it's gaze on Three, a wicked smile crossing its face. "Ask your beloved."
     What? She thought, confused. He hasn't been working with them, has he? Eight turned her head to look at him. Three looked as though a thousand-piece puzzle was suddenly deconstructing itself after he'd just finished it. No... he wouldn't do that.
     Right?
     Wait... Eight felt the fear bubble up inside her stomach and crush the air out of her chest. The glow- the possessive feeling- it's all Tartar! That's how it knew my name! That's how it knows! As long as Three even hears it, because he has Tartar inside him, it'll know our every move!
     "Aaron, get the Octoling, please," Eight turned her gaze on Three and shoved him into the wall, pinning him by the shoulders. "I know you're in there, Tartar! Come on out and face me!"
     Almost instantly, his eyes flicked to teal green. "Eight, no! Its stronger than before! I can barely control it as is!" He wrestled beneath her grip, his eyes going normal and than back to teal green in rapid succession. But when the anger really seeped into his face, then the glow stayed. "Let me GO!"
     He punched her hard right in the face.
     Eight staggered back, stunned.
     Aaron turned to stare at the commotion after he'd dealt with the Octarian and gasped. She rubbed her nose, which had almost instantly started gushing ink, and glared at Three.
     He looked as though his worst nightmare was about to come true, and somehow, deep inside, she could feel it, too.

So I'm planning for things to get really crazy after this chapter, and I'm very very very very sorry for releasing this one late. Hope you enjoyed!
Word count: 2030