The Reluctant Hero (Splatoon)

Chapter 7

"Before the Great War, there were amicable relations between the Inklings and the Octarians. They couldn't have dreamed that rising sea levels would force them to battle fiercely over the remaining territory."
—Sunken Scrolls 1:16 (2.3)

Two months ago
Deep within Octarian territory

Octo Valley was a marvel of nature and a treacherous deathtrap. Its craggy peaks, alpine lakes, and vast forests commanded respect from even the most experienced of hikers. Anyone who survived the mountainous journey to center of the Valley would find a high plateau drained by several rivers. Waterfalls cascaded over hidden tunnels, ancient structures, and decaying remnants of a long-lost civilization.

It was a nice place for the NSS headquarters, all things considered. Situated within the plateau, the headquarters appropriated whatever was left of the ruins and turned them into a serviceable facility. The New Squidbeak Splatoon watched over the highlands, remaining hidden while having a decent view over the whole area.

The HQ was also a top-secret prison. Today was Callie's turn to deliver meals to the only prisoner. Her job was to put the food down and leave, but nobody was going to stop her if she stayed a little longer. There were no pressing issues at hand, and chances were, Gramps was asleep at his desk anyway.

"Hello again, Octavio," she shouted down the hall, opening the prison door with one hand while balancing a tray of food in the other. The short hallway to Octavio's cell was brightly lit, with blue-grey walls and several empty holding cells. Callie flashed her key card into the cell door, and it unlocked with an affirmative buzz. Inside was a small, white room with a table, chair, and bed. Octavio got up from the chair as Callie entered, keeping his two front arms crossed all the while. She placed his dinner on the table. Then, leaning against the wall, she pulled out a pistol, just in case. Callie honestly doubted that he would or even could try anything on her, but it never hurt to be cautious.

Octavio acknowledged neither the food nor the gun. "Have you given my words any thought?" he asked her, his voice as gravelly and hoarse as ever.

"Yes, and I have questions," Callie answered, keeping her eyes on the ground. "Why did you spend so many resources on weaponry if you despise war so much?"

"I wanted to win," said Octavio, not moving from his spot. "Does that not make sense?"

Callie crossed her arms and turned to look at him. "Why didn't you look for diplomatic solutions? You could have beseeched the city of Inkopolis for help. Bring up your power shortages, the famine, overcrowding, and infrastructure collapse. Tell them how you were on the brink of a civil war, and how people starved to death in the—"

"That was the first thing I tried. Your city did not care. They continued to waste time on frivolous matters while my people grew impatient and frustrated."

"That still doesn't justify stealing the Zapfish to build weapons of mass destruction."

"Again, I wanted to win. I knew Inkopolis was not prepared for war. Shock and awe make for quick victories."

"Come on, you were beaten back by three people," Callie reminded him, shooting him an incredulous look. "You can't seriously believe that an entire city would ever surrender to you."

Octavio let out a sigh. "You stopped me in my tracks before we were ready," he said. "With the help of Octarian technology, a decisive victory could have unified the Octarians and put an end to the dissension that plagued our ranks. It was worth the risk of failure."

"So you wanted a common enemy, huh? Make us the target? Kill all the Inklings so that you Octarians can all get along and play nice?"

"Problematic thinking, certainly, but I'm sure you would have done the same for your people had you been in my place."

Callie shook her head, chuckling. "No, violence begets violence."

"Sayeth the one to whom an untold number of my kinsmen have fallen."

"Oh yeah?"

"Spare me your hypocrisy. What is your line of work again? Your job is to kill people, and my people, specifically. You hold music festivals in the city while our world falls apart. You throw energy away like garbage while we hunt for scraps and watch. The Octarians are more than justified in taking extreme measures when our very lives are on the line."

Callie could not think of a good comeback to that.

"You can try to take the moral high ground. You can try to pin the blame on me to make this easier for yourself. But I know you're smarter than that. You know who started this, and you know who has the power to stop this."

Callie furrowed her brow at the octopus. "Hey, this isn't my fault," she said, somewhat indignant. "I'm just following orders."

"No, it's not just your fault, but the fault of the city from which you take your orders. Everything up until now has been a result of your people's choices, actions, and lack thereof."

Callie closed her eyes and uncrossed her arms, letting them fall to her sides. "So you think we have a responsibility to take care of you, then," she said, shoving her empty hand into her pocket.

"And do you not? Do the strong not have a responsibility to look after the weak?"

"That's where I find myself thinking you might have a point."

"It's an uncomfortable realization, isn't it?" Octavio also uncrossed his arms and opened them as if to embrace the air. "I'm glad we can agree on something, here."

Callie sighed. "I guess we Inklings are the bad guys."

"I never said that all Inklings are bad," Octavio replied, sitting down very slowly in front of his dinner. "Most of you are ordinary citizens, I'm sure. But the powers that be enforce unfair, inequitable systems. People are getting hurt. That is bad, and that's what needs to change."

Octavio began eating, while Callie got off the wall and stretched. She paced back and forth for a minute as Octavio gave his full attention to the tray of food. After a minute or so, he looked back up at Callie.

"Two years ago," he started, "I made the mistake of thinking that I, a crusty old Great War veteran, had the power to fix things." He carefully took another bite, then continued. "My people were hungry for justice, and I thought that I could give them that. I tried to do the right thing, but I went about it in the wrong way. So, here I am now, rotting in a cell."

Callie holstered her gun back on her belt and turned to face him. "The world is so unfair," she said.

"It's been two years since then, Agent 1. I think about my home every day. And I worry. We deserve peace, but I fear we may never find it."

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