Boy from Nowhere

Seaside Sentinel

Quietly adjusting his gear and checking his Splattershot, Three lifted himself from the bench to trudge over to the Captain and Sheldon. The collapsible table upon which they'd often eaten had been transformed into a makeshift war table, on top of which sat several documents that he could not read in the slightest. The agent received a round of nods as he joined them at the table, the shopkeeper handing him a paper with a grim expression on his face. Awkwardly taking and unfurling the article, he stared down at it blankly, half-expecting it to be a joke.

"C'mon, Sheldon, you know I can't-" He blanched at the sight of the image on the cover, a grainy picture of an armed Inkling hurling a bomb around a corner. Though the image was shrouded in darkness and most of his face was hidden by the gun in his other hand, the hateful snarl upon his face was still clearly evident. He handed the newspaper back to Sheldon, his brow furrowing into a scowl as his mind began running through the list of lectures that were about to fly his way.

"Shadow of Inkopolis. Sounds catchy, doesn't it?"

"I- what?"

"They got another picture of you. Looks like everybody still thinks you're an urban legend of some sort, though. They're callin' you the Shadow of Inkopolis, not quite sure what kind of stories have started sprouting up about you yet. My money's on something about eating children that go out at night, though."

"What, so they think I'm some sort of... brinewater scorpion?" A faint smirk crept onto Cuttlefish's face as he attempted to stifle a snort, while Sheldon's expression twisted in befuddlement.

"A what?"

"Countryside folk monster that eats children, no need to worry about it. But lad, as far as bad news goes, that's good news. Inkopolis won't be interfering with us for now, which gives us more valuable time to work."

The old Inkling got to his feet shakily, hobbling over to the agent and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Alright, Three. You know how this works. Once you're in, there's no coming out until this job is done one way or another, y'hear?" Three snapped a stiff salute, wincing as his muscles twinged in complaint. The captain nodded silently, returning his gaze to the documents laid out on the table. Sheldon scuttled up to him, holding up a small plastic component.

"Burst bombs. It's not much, but it should help you out a little. Hold still." The horseshoe crab  reached out, jostling the ink tank on his back as he slotted the device into place. "Cuttlefish and I will keep tabs on things up here and try to figure out these blueprints while you're down there. I'm not sure how much we can do to help you out if you get stuck, though."

"We'll do our best." The captain stated firmly, his eyes remaining fixed to the table. Sheldon looked away sheepishly, clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Of course, that's what I meant. I wouldn't want anybody to die under my watch-"

"Good luck, Three. Move out!"

"Sir." The boy nodded quietly, hefting his rifle and beginning the trek over to the second sector. He could hear Sheldon ask something worriedly in the distance, but the threat ahead was the only thing rattling about in his head. The thoughts quickly clouded his head, forcing him to rub his temples for a moment and break into a jog.

— — —

Three grunted as he shot sideways out of the pipe in his aquatic form, awkwardly stumbling forward a few steps as momentum tried to keep dragging him forward. Light from a tunnel off to the side beamed light into his eyes as the agent straightened up, forcing him to turn away and shield his eyes. A cry rang out from somewhere below him a moment later, several pairs of boots clomping about in an evident rush.