Survivors of Alterna: Best for Last

Chapter 14: The Right Call

They completed the mission. Akikta finally caught the criminal like he was supposed to. But it didn't sit right with him. Not one bit. He thought he'd be satisfied and put at ease once the favor was done, but instead, his spirit bubbled with immense shame.

All those inklings and octolings Akikta got killed weighed on his conscience. Thinking about it only made the boy curse himself to hell and back. The operation wasn't supposed to go the way it did. No one was supposed to die! Then there was the heartbreaking look on Callie's face. It tugged at his heartstrings.

What would Chaska think? Would he be proud or disgusted at his younger brother? The thought alone made Akikta want to cry, but alas, he had no tears left to shed.

As they sailed into the night, Akikta helped Nakji and Inka remove any electronics on Marie so she couldn't be tracked. Before he tossed Marie's squid-shaped phone away, it buzzed in his hand.

A call came through. He couldn't read the caller's name, not that he needed to; the picture told him everything. It was Callie, who, evidently, had been calling a lot. Akikta hesitated, but ultimately tossed the phone into the ocean.

After all essentials were taken from Marie, the trio looked for something to restrain her with. The ship was huge, so it took a while, especially since Akikta wanted to use something other than rope and chains. He still didn't know if inklings had something equivalent to an octoling's octopus form, but in case they did, he didn't want any chance of her escaping.

They ended up finding a large jar in the storage room of the Manta Maria. It was surprisingly big enough to fit two people. If Akikta weren't so tired, he would've questioned why a jar that big was made in the first place. The jar had a single micro-hole on its top. Too small for Marie to fit through, let alone notice, but big enough to provide her with oxygen.

After removing the immobilizer from her chest, they placed her inside the jar, then waited for her to wake up.

She didn't.

Fear took hold of Akikta. There was no way she died. She couldn't have! The device worked perfectly fine the last time he used it!

His panicked expression ceased after he noticed Marie's chest softly rising and falling. She was only unconscious, not dead. Akikta sighed in relief, only to wonder why she didn't wake up.

The effects wore off on Captain Claw immediately when Akikta removed the device from him. Though Claw was much bigger than and had a hard shell, opposite to Marie's shorter stature and soft-skinned body. Maybe it affected the squid much worse than it did the crab.

Regardless, Akikta kept an eye on her and informed Sal of their success. The man was overjoyed at the confirmation of Marie's capture, so much so, he didn't seem to care when Akikta shared the news that he brought another cephalopod along.

Either way, Sal's enthusiasm did not improve Akikta's mood, nor did the new coordinates. He didn't even question the marked location, which was in the middle of the ocean. He just had Inka direct the ship toward their new destination.

The voyage took two days. During those two days, Akikta felt miserable.

Inka used her squid phone to show him and Nakji the events that transpired during the Squid Sisters' performance went viral.

He couldn't read the headlines or articles, but according to Inka, everyone was talking about his brother, who they dubbed 'The Ink Demon.'

Akikta was adamant that Inka not refer to Chaska as a demon. When she was confused about why he cared, Nakji had to explain that Subject 7 was his brother. Inka was shocked, to say the least.