Agent 38: In The Making

Chapter 47: Welcoming

*Agent 3 POV in case anyone got thrown off my Four. Also, question for you guys. In most of my chapters, I tend to skip over the unimportant stuff like random daily activites the Agents do, like having breakfast and things like that. However, if you would like to see more neutral, relaxed interactions between the Splatoon, I can definitely add more. Vote in the comments!*
     It was only a day after Three had been released when he and Eight recieved a text from the group chat asking if they could come to Octo Valley to celebrate him being back. They'd both happily agreed, and went to go get ready.
     Three rummaged through the closet next to Eight, looking for something respectable he could wear. He found his Hero Suit hanging in the closet, pressed and steamed, without a wrinkle in sight, and smiled.
     "Hm." Three gently took his Suit and inspected it. "This'll do."
     Eight, on the other hand, decided to wear the Sneaky Beanie (just without the mask), Neo Octoling Armour, and the Non-Slip Senseis. They had a light breakfast of fruit and bread, and then they were off.
     Three made sure to bring a hat and sunglasses. He was pretty dang sure that his "hacker" title was enough, but his sudden disappearance probably just added more fuel to the fire. Three new how the news worked, and if they caught any slight breeze of the incident, it would be ALL OVER. Attention was something Three could NOT stomach at all. If you just slipped into the shadows and stayed there, you'd be a minor footnote in somebody's personal life. In this case, however, Three was the main point of a lot of lives when the Great Zapfish was stolen.
     "Hey, Eight?" Three asked as they walked, shivering in the cold breeze. "Did anyone... hear about what happened? I mean, besides the team?"
     A sudden look of realization dawned on her face, as if she had just thought about what would happen if someone did hear about it. "I... really don't know. I didn't go out much while you were there."
     Three raised a brow and gave her a skeptical look. "Why not?"
     Eight's eyes stayed glued to the floor and she gave no response.
     Three grinned and took hold of her hand. "Hey, I'm here now, alright? No need to be sad." She looked up and smiled back at him, but he could have sworn she'd flinched away from his touch.
     Is she... afraid of me? His thoughts whispered. That wouldn't make any sense.
     Yes it would, dimwit. You've tried to kill her three times, one of which she no longer remembers, but still. And the last time you tried to kill her, you were acting like a friggin' psychopath and stabbed her leg.
     Three bit his lip. Fair point.
     Soon, they were at the manhole. Oddly enough, it was slightly opened, warm breeze whipping out. Three opened it a bit more and bowed as a signal for Eight to go in. She giggled and slipped into the manhole, Three close behind her. He heard the grate clatter as he closed it, then surfaced from the ink to see if anyone saw. As far as he could tell, no one really noticed, thankfully. Three turned back to Eight and jumped back into squid form.
     They swam side by side through the sewer, nothing but their little splashes echoing through the hall. Three burst out of the ink and latched onto the ladder, holding his hand out for her. Eight lunged out of the ink a second later and grabbed onto the ladder herself, ignoring his hand. He shrugged it off and climbed up, pushing aside the grate with a quiet grunt. She went out first, grabbed his forearms, and hauled him up as well.
     Three shook the ink off and looked around. The Cabin looked deserted, but-
     Crack
     Three's mind flashed back to that moment when the Toxic Mist bottle rolled towards him. The moment when he made the mistake. When he didn't fight back. When he gave up and made his friends pay the price.
     Never again.
     He spun on his heels, ready for a fight-
     "Welcome back, Three!" The Agents screamed. Callie, Marie, Aaron, and Cuttlefish swarmed around him, smiling.
     "Oh- oh, wow," He breathed. His hearts swelled with joy. Three didn't really think they'd want him back this much, much less welcome him.
     Aaron locked him in a hearty chokehold, driving a knuckle into the back of Three's head. "Don't do that, man! You had us worried as shell!" Three noticed Aaron's floppy tentacle thing was on the opposite side that it usually was, and saw that the eye it covered was black.
     "Aaron, what's-"
     "Glad you're doin' alright, boyo!" Cuttlefish smiled. "Had us nervous for a second there."
     "Heh, sorry, Cap." Three said sheepishly as Aaron released him.
     "Yeah, you better be!" Callie yelled. "You gave me a hearts attack! I found you on the floor! I thought you were dead, for cod's sake!"
     "Wait, that was actually yo-"
     "Scared the shell outta us, Three," Marie added, grinning. "Couldn't lose our best Agent and best friend, now, could we?" She put a hand on her hip. "Thanks for holding on, bud."
     "No problem?"
     Callie grabbed his sleeve in excitement and pulled him into the Cuttlefish Cabin, smiling wider by the second. The little group followed her as she pushed open the door.
     Callie turned and grinned at him. "Stay here, I'll be right back."
     Three nodded as Eight appeared at his side. Aaron bustled through the door and sat down on one of the mats.
     "So," He started. "What was it like? Did you see anything while you were in the coma?"
     "Heh, you're not gonna believe this." Three said. He sat down on one of the mats as well and explained what happened and how- in his point of view.
     Aaron was pretty dramatic about it. The cheerful Inkling acted like it was a fairytale storybook, with his legs crossed and his eyes wide, asking "What happened next?" If Three left a sentence on a cliffhanger. It was funny, to be honest. When he was done, Aaron settled back onto the cushions, puffing out a breath he'd been holding.
     "Wow. That's... kinda cool and kinda scary at the same time." Aaron breathed.
     They stayed silent for a second. "Aaron, what happened to your eye?" Eight asked.
     The Inkling reached up and rubbed it with two fingers. "Eh, it's nothing, really."
     "Its obviously something. Your eye is darker than the night sky!" She said.
     "It is?" Aaron asked, alarmed. "It wasn't anywhere near that dark yesterday..."
     Callie came back with two hangers in her hands, both covered. "I made these with Sheldon. One for Three, and one for Eight." Callie grinned widely, handing one to him and one to Eight.
     Marie came into the Cabin alongside Cuttlefish. Three stood up and uncovered the clothing on the hanger.
     The gasp that resounded along the walls made Marie laugh.
     It was a completely new Hero Suit! The headphones were now two earpieces, both with the same color deisgn of his previous headphones. The black sleeves had 3 thin strips of reflectors, while the base of the shirt had belt buckles draped with more visibility strips. The shoes looked the same, but the bottoms seemed to have more padding. The entire thing pulsed every few seconds with a dim blue light, similar to what the earpieces looked like.
     "I- wow, I-" Three stuttered, awestruck. He turned his gaze to the Squid Sisters. "Thank you."
     "Heh, that's not the best part!" Callie giggled.
     "Turn it around." Marie suggested.
     Three flipped it to the other side obediently, and this time the gasp was even louder.
     NEW.
     FRIGGIN.
     CAPE.
     YES.
     The cape had the same 3 in Inklish on it, the cloth itself having a few little tears and cuts that made it look even cooler. The belt buckles on the shirt connected to the cape, in case he ever needed to take it off, and the hood had drawstrings now. The cape was now completely black instead of the brown-gray the other one was, and the cloth felt a lot softer and smoother.
     "Do you like it?" The Squid Sisters asked.
     "Liking it would be a severe understatement," Three cried. "I LOVE it!" He turned to them with a grateful smile. "THANK YOU."
     "Hey, I'm not done explaining!" Callie objected. "The Suit has a lot more abilities than the one you're wearing."
     "Oooh, do tell." Three said.
     "Kay, first off," Callie started. "The earpieces are completely invulnerable to being tracked by a radio system, and they set up a digital wall for anyone trying to listen in except anyone who is connected to them. The shirt not only is high visibility, but it is also full MPU. The shoes are completely soundproof, and are also full Run Speed Up." Callie giggled a little. "You're gonna love this one- the cape is completely invulnerable to not only ink, but water as well, and the buckles on the shirt are there so you can take the cape off and use it as a shield."
     Three stared at her, mouth agape. "Holy mother of squids. Sheldon really outdid himself, huh?"
     Callie laughed. "We sure did."
     He hugged her. "Thanks, Cal."
     She smiled sheepishly, blush dusting her face. "Ha, no problem."
     "Eight's turn!" Marie said.
     Eight stood up as well, smiling, and took the cover off her hanger.
     "Woah," She gasped.
     It was very similar to what she currently wore, but a lot more enhanced. The Suit had a earpiece as well, but in the shape of an Octopod instead of an ear clip like his. The shirt was a yellow (similar to what you would see on a crossing guard vest) no-sleeve crop top with a hood in the back, along with a black strap beneath the left arm that widened out to a baggy black sleeve on her right arm. The yellow top also had an "08" on the chest area. It came with a pair of high-rise (very short) black shorts that almost looked like a skirt, along with a garter belt. The shoes were a solid black with yellow stripes and a blue bottom.
     Eight instantly went over and pulled the Squid Sisters into a hug. "Thank you so, so, so much!" She squealed.
     "The abilities are pretty fresh, too." Marie commented. "The earpiece has the same ability as Three's, the crop top is fully ink resistant and also fully powered up. The garter belt has a metal ring inside that can be used as a weapon, and the shoes are also completely ink repellant. Oh, and the sleeve is woven with very refined bits of metal in it as well, which can also be used as a shield. Pretty cool, right?"
     Eight stared in awe at her new suit. "That's... amazing! How did you guys do this?"
     "Eh, we pulled a few strings." Marie said with a nonchalant shrug.
     "And by that, she probably means they threatened Sheldon a little." Three joked. They laughed.
     "I hate to get right down to business," Cuttlefish butted in. "But I wanted to see if we could run Agent 3 over here through a couple of tests, just to see if he needs a bit of refinin'."
     "Great idea, Gramps!" Callie said. She glanced at Three and Eight expectantly.
     "Um, I'm not sure if that's-" Eight tried.
     "Let's do it." Three said, cutting her off. Eight gave him a look, an "I know you know you're not ready yet" look. "What? I've got a lotta pent up energy. And I need to know my current limits."
     She sighed, two fingers on the bridge of her nose. "Fine."
     "Alright." Marie said, leading the group outside the Cabin and towards the area where Eight had triumphed over him in a training battle. "Since Aaron cleared the kettles and we can't go back to them, you'll be fighting each of us- except Gramps- in order from easiest to hardest."
     "Eight'll be the hardest, given that she won against you in that traning battle a while ago." Marie explained. "Callie, no offense, will be the easiest. So in order, Callie first, after her, me, Aaron after me, and Eight as your final obstacle. Sound good?"
     "Let's get started." Three said. "Wait. Where's Gabriel?"
     "Oh..." Aaron mumbled. "Um, he's not here."
     "Before we start," Callie added. "Get your new gear on! Break it in a little!"
     Eight and Three exchanged a glance.
     He smiled and rushed back to the Cabin, eager to try on the Suit, Eight hot on his heels. Three grabbed his suit off the hanger and went to the room Callie had come from to put it on.
     Three slipped on the shirt with ease, the cloth smooth and warm. It was a tad big on him, but with a brief glimmer of blue, it fitted around him perfectly. He stood still, unsettled for a moment, but kept fastening the buckles. He buttoned the collar of the cape, put on the shoes, and clipped the earpieces on. Three looked in the mirror and smiled, walking out.
     Eight saw him and grinned back. "Why, hello, handsome."
     He laughed. "Nah, you'll look better."
     "We'll see." She went into the room, hanger in hand. He waited in silence for a few minutes, toying with the edge of the cape. It felt smooth and flowy and rock-hard and firm at the same time.
     "Ha, I wonder which criminals Sheldon stole from to make these." Three muttered to himself, pulling on the sleeve. It, too, had the same feel as the cape. It felt like a suit of armor, in a way. A few moments later, Eight came out of the room, fastening the black sleeve.
     Three did a double take at the sight of her.
     The suit hugged her in all the right places, her brown skin tone complemented by the yellow of the crop top and the color of her eyes. Her ink color was currently blue, so it looked even better. She looked up at him and blushed at his face.
     "What?" Eight questioned, twirling a tentacle around her finger.
     "Wow." Three breathed, stepping closer. "You look..."
     "Stupid? Weird? Awful?" Eight supplied. He shook his head at each. "Ah, I got it. Devastatingly gorgeous." She said with a smile.
     "There you go." Three responded with a chuckle.
     "Let's go before they come barging in." She suggested.
     They walked back out, hand in hand, and arrived back at the group. Callie and Marie had an arrangement of weapons on a specific place on the floor, both ink and non-ink based.
     "Where's Gabriel?" He questioned again.
     Aaron sighed, pulling the tentacle away from his eye. "He... Gabriel did this to me."
     The look on Eight's face was like nothing he'd ever seen before. She looked furious, outraged, but she also looked deeply regretful and sad. Three squeezed her hand reassuringly.
     "How-" She stuttered, her voice strained as if trying to make the pieces fit in her mind. "How- why? Why would he do this? Last I saw, you two were best friends!"
     "I'll just tell you once this is over with, alright?" Aaron said. Eight let out a frustrated huff, but nodded.
     Callie was up first.
     She'd chosen her Gold Dynamo, while Three stayed with the Hero Charger. The fight started.
     Callie swung up her Dynamo- one hit, and he'd be splatted-
     However, his shot charged up quicker than hers.
     In a split second, he let the trigger go, and saw the terror in her face as it launched towards her. In an instant, Callie'd been splatted.
     Three spun to the respawn point as Callie emerged, leaning against her Roller and glaring at him.
     Marie jumped down, right in front of his face. "My turn."
     Three made quick work of Marie, too. His first few shots had missed, giving her time to get the high ground. However, when she aimed at him, all he had to do was jump out of the way of her shot and then let go of the trigger.
     He smiled up at the little group. Cuttlefish gave him a thumbs up, and Callie smacked him, saying, "Why would you applaud him beating Marie?"
     Aaron hopped down, grinning. "Alright. Now it gets a bit harder."
     Three saw as Aaron's shoulders straightened, his eyes narrowed, his ears flattened, his hands clenched to fists.
     For the first time, he actually felt a bit intimidated.
     "No weapons?" Three asked.
     Aaron simply nodded.
     "Ready... set... START!" Cuttlefish yelled.
     Three lunged for Aaron, letting out a yell. He dove out of the way, and Three scrambled back up. They stared at each other for a long moment, when suddenly Aaron sprinted towards him.
     Three charged at him as well, trying to dive for Aaron's neck so he could pin him. However, this plan backfired when Aaron ducked under him and rammed straight into Three's stomach.
     He was blown backwards, the air knocked out of him, and slammed right into a wall. Three gulped for air, panting, as Four walked towards him. Slowly. Menacingly. He stood up.
     "Do you worst!" Three snarled.
     "Believe me, I will." Four spat.
     The pair charged at each other, roaring in fury. Three got there first, delivering a swift blow to Aaron's stomach. Four dropped to his knees, pretending to be hurt, but suddenly grabbed Three's legs and tripped him. In a flash, Aaron was on top of him, striking him in the face repeatedly. Once, twice, thrice, four times, until his vision blurred red-
     "ENOUGH!" Three suddenly roared, punching him right in the nose.
     Aaron shrieked in agony, and Three had the time he needed to get on top of him and pin him by the neck. His knees restricted Four's hands, his grip strong.on Aaron's neck.
     "Yield," Three whispered, his nose gushing ink and his vision red. "Or I'll keep going."
     Aaron's face was dangerously red-
     The Inkling tapped his leg three times.
     Three surged off of him, panting. He staggered into a wall, trying to keep his composure.
     "Three?" Eight called. "Are you okay?"
     He nodded. "Don't worry about me, worry about Aaron."
     Marie had rushed to Aaron's side, helping him up.
     Three returned to his place on the field, wiping at his nose.
     He turned to look up at Eight with the same face she had on.
     "This can't possibly end well."

Holy carp, this one is long. Hope u enjoyed!
Word count: 3100