The Reluctant Hero (Splatoon)

Chapter 14

"Why are we here? For what purpose do we exist? We must not dwell on these questions. We can merely trust in the will of the universe and spend our days and nights in harmony with the world, celebrating this festival called Life."
—Sunken Scrolls 2:24 (5.3)

Tuesday, 12:07 a.m.
Cuttlefish Cabin

New messages!
Mom: Ok sweetie, have fun
Mom: Stay safe in the streets

Marie and Sheldon were gone. The two of them had driven out to the cliffs to interrogate the last surviving Octoling and dispose of their bodies. Cole had quietly refused to go with them, staying behind under the shack instead. As he paced around the central room, waiting for his partners to return, he checked his phone. He had a couple of messages from his friends and family. It seemed that they had believed his high school friend story, and Mrs. Tilus had no updates on Natalie's whereabouts.

He wandered into the back room, which he had not yet had a chance to examine. Like the other two, this room was a rectangle, made up of poured concrete walls and a stone floor. A caged industrial light hung from the ceiling. Several workbench-like desks were pushed up against the left wall. Natalie's black suitcase and chunky handgun sat on top of one desk, while ropes, cords, and backpacks hung over the rest. Cabinets and shelves lined the walls between them, crammed with various tools and equipment. On the right wall, three wooden weapon racks held the prototype SMG, a few different pistols, and several rifles. Most of the rack space was empty. A small wardrobe in the back-right corner contained an assortment of outfits.

Cole was poking at some kind of bulletproof vest when he heard the entrance unlock with a click. He stepped out into the central room just as Marie pushed the big steel door open.

"That was fast," Cole remarked. "Did the Octoling tell you anything?"

Marie pursed her lips and shook her head. "We couldn't understand each other. If only Callie was around... she learned a lot of their language, but I never did."

He stiffened a bit, then asked, "Is the Octoling dead?"

"Yep, all part of the job," Marie answered, without breaking eye contact. "Speaking of which, let's talk about your job."

For the past hour, Cole had been trying to make sense of what he was doing as a so-called agent. He and Marie had killed people. He and Marie would probably kill more people. How far would he have to go? Cole felt slightly uncomfortable when he thought of the Octoling who had blown herself up, but only slightly. He decided that he could justify that kind of work. He wasn't murdering innocents. He was protecting the city, stopping the Octarian menace, and saving an old friend. He was doing this for Nat. He could kill a few more Octarians for her. He could kill a lot more, if necessary.

Several years ago, Cole had taken a personal defense training class in Razorback Falls, mostly because his father had made him do it. While he had picked up basic combat training then, he only ever saw it as a safety measure. Knowing how to operate a gun in self-defense was basic stuff that everyone should know, he had always thought. The idea of actually attacking and killing somebody had rarely crossed his mind, however, so Cole wasn't prepared for the psychological responsibility of having someone's blood on his hands.

What surprised him most was not how heavy this responsibility was, but rather how light. Killing was so easy. He didn't really care about those dead Octarians. He didn't see their faces at night. He wasn't scarred or traumatized at all. He was just apathetic. And this apathy freaked him out. Even worse, he found shooting armed guards and taking part in a night ambush engaging and fulfilling.

Did Nat feel the same way about working for the NSS?

Cole couldn't do this forever. Being an operative was too dangerous, and he wanted some way to make sure he avoided that obvious path of self-destruction. People needed him. Nico and Noddy needed him. They deserved an older brother who was guaranteed to come home every night. They deserved an older brother who wasn't some bloodthirsty monster. Despite his willingness to continue working with Marie, Cole couldn't reconcile the risks with his family responsibilities.

"Don't pay me," he said. The sensible choice, then, was to close off opportunities for further involvement with the NSS.

"Slow down," said Marie, as she put her hands in front of her. She sidestepped over to the table and sat down, putting both palms on its surface. "What, now?"

Cole pulled out a chair and joined her, placing his elbows down. Keeping his eyes on the table, he said, "It feels wrong to take money for killing people." That was an easy to understand explanation, he hoped.

"Are you backing out on me?"

"No."

"Well, then," Marie started, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms. "Good. I still need you until we find Agent 1 and Agent 3."

"Okay," Cole said. He breathed a sigh of relief. They were still on the same page, it seemed.

"We'll focus on getting into Beaker's Depot starting tomorrow. Cece said she's got something already."

And it had only been a day, Cole thought. Cece was pretty good. Maybe she even had everything they needed to plan a proper break-in. Then they could save Nat, and Cole could go home soon.

He frowned. No, he couldn't go home yet. They still had to find Callie. Besides, this was fun, and he was just getting started.

He frowned again. No, this wasn't fun. He could not afford to think like that.

"Sounds good," he said after a moment of hesitation. Cole rose to his feet and turned to the side room. He needed some time to think. Sleep would be nice, too.

Marie remained seated, but Cole could feel her eyes boring into him.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. "Stop worrying about what happened earlier."

"I'll be fine," Cole answered, not wanting to look at her. "I just don't want money."

"You're getting reimbursed for your meals, at least. We'll pay for those and your travel expenses."

Cole stopped in the doorway, grabbing the frame with one hand. "Please, Marie," he protested, turning his head back. "I ain't short on cash or anything. And Sheldon been giving us rides. No real expenses."

"I meant your train tickets." Marie paused, then got up. She turned on the computer at sat down at the desk. "The reason you came out to Inkopolis looking for Natalie in the first place was because of the NSS. We'd be obliged to cover that even if you weren't risking your life for me."

Technically, that wasn't true at all, since the NSS had not kidnapped Nat. But Cole was in no mood to argue semantics. He relented with a sigh. "So... I get food, a place to sleep, and round-trip train tickets," he said. "And I'll help you with breaking out Nat and the captain. And finding your cousin."

"Yes," Marie said.

He supposed that was fair. "Fine. Do I gotta sign anywhere?"

"Ha, no," Marie answered, smiling. "Just keep your word, and I won't have to hunt you down."

"That ain't funny."

"I'm not joking."

"Fine."

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