Underground Escape

The Hardware Store

They left the restaurant and went to look for some sort of exit. Well, they were supposed to. Instead, the agents (except for 8) wanted to check out some shops on the way.

"This place is so colorful! 8, you're so lucky you got to live here when you were younger!" 4 exclaimed.

8 chuckled softly to herself, saying, "It wasn't always like this, it used to be-" the others had already gathered into a hardware store, looking at all the Octarian architecture and technology. At that point, 8 had had it with her attitude. Seeing the others so overjoyed-she was done with moping about how much her hometown had changed. She decided, right then and there, that she would make the most of her visit. I'll enjoy it, just like the others!

She hurried over towards the three and checked out what they were looking at. Nothing interesting, just the same mechanics they used to build their weaponry and building materials. She had seen all these before many times.

The other agents, however, did not think the same. They kept gushing over every little thing, even over a box of bolts, just because they looked and were shaped differently than those used back in Splatsville and Inkopolis.

8 decided to rest over at a nearby chair. After an hour of playing video games on her phone, 8 looked up to see that, at last, the agents had finished looking around the wonderous shop. But they had only been to the hardware store. 8 slouched thinking they would be shopping all day. It was very lively here, there were still so many stores to explore.

"One shop finished, on to the next!" 4 exclaimed, skipping towards 8. She merely groaned in exasperation.

"Hold up guys - hey 8, how is your phone working? Ours have been powered off automatically by.. something," Captain said, confused.

8 suddenly realized one of the only things that hadn't changed about all the technology she owned, since she'd reached the surface, was her phone. 

She was originally supposed to go get a new one with 4, one of those new sea cucumber phones (the latest style), but back then 4 was still adapting to the new increase in population of friendly octolings, that not all of them were enemy.

For a long time, she didn't like 8 either. She would always just mumble "Hey," whenever they met and then go talk with some friends or the other agents. It always made 8 feel uncomfortable - she wanted to get along with everyone. She didn't understand 4's trust issue.

It wasn't until they were both assigned the same task during patrol that 4 realized she was going to have to get along with 8 unless she wanted things to become awkward forever. Even to this day, she still had issues starting a conversation with an octoling.

Coming back from her thoughts, 8 replied, "I never got a new phone. This is my old one from way back when I used to live here."

"Oh." Captain looked over at 4.

The day Captain had assigned 4 to go with 8 and help her get a new phone, 4 had stayed home and internally refused to go with 8 to get her a new phone; she simply did not trust her and still thought of her as enemy. Poor 8 had waited in the Square all day until she at last gave up waiting at around 7 PM and went home. She had told herself it was fine, that maybe 4 was sick or busy and couldn't make it. That she liked her old phone better, the octopus shaped phone with the many stickers decorated on the black phone cover from her old friends back underground. But deep down, she knew how much it hurt, how much she had been looking forward to it, that she could finally fit in with a trendy phone everyone had nowadays. Unfortunately, Captain did not know of this dilemma, and had assumed the task had been completed that day. Nothing was ever mentioned of the matter again, until now.

"4? Weren't you supposed to ta-" He was quickly interrupted.

"I know I know." 4 looked down in remorse. "I was supposed to take her to get a new phone. "Instead, I...."

Captain gave 4 a look. "Instead..?" He waits impatiently for an answer.

4 squirms under his killer stare. "Well..... I.... stayed home...?" She responds nervously.

Captain looks furious now. "You what???" 

4 looks down in regret and starts shaking out of fear. She mumbles rapidly, "I...s-still didn't trust 8 at the time...thought m-maybe she wasn't n-nice like everyone was saying-"

Captain looks devastated and yells at 4 angrily, "Are you seriously saying you let her wait for you ALL DAY while you selfishly confined yourself at home? Why would you do that, huh?"

4 struggles with a response and stammers while fearing for her life.

8 looked frightened, she'd never heard Captain this angry before. Or seen 4 this scared. "G-guys, it's alright-"

Captain keeps yelling, "Not it's not!! I can't believe you right now 4! How could you do such a thing?? What do you have to say for yourself??" Then he simmers down a little and mutters, "Well, at least we have a working phone. I guess..." he doesn't continue.

8 knew what he was going to say. "Y-yeah! Exactly! We can use my phone and manage to find a way out of here!" Then a thought hit her head, like a bullet. Wait, maybe I could see my old friends again. Save them! Bring them to Splatsville and show them around! They could be safe!

Now, all I have to do is find them....

Meanwhile, 4 mumbles an apology while looking towards the floor, her head bowed down towards 8. "I'm really sorry 8..."

8 smiles sweetly at 4 and accepts her apology. "It's ok, just don't do it again, ok?"

Captain's head snaps up upon hearing her apology. "Oh yeah, you better not do it again, or else you will be punished! Not that you won't this time though."

8 sighs.