OctoSquids (Splatoon story)

Chapter 12 - The Dictator versus The Usurper

After some time, the semi finals of the Splatocalypse Tournament was repeated with a larger amount of security. Thankfully, there were no interruptions this time and the Inkling Brigade won that round, taking them to the Grand Finals. They were all overjoyed and The OctoSquids decided to celebrate with them. Ridley told them he was going to be busy, but he hoped that they would all have fun anyway. However, Ridley was not entirely busy. He actually needed some information about something that might give them the winning edge against the Kamabo Corporation. So he made his way to the only place he knew he could get that information: The Jardine science labs.

Most of the employees inside were Octarians, though there were a few Inklings sprinkled around the building helping out. Everything inside that they were all working on looked so complicated for the majority of Inkopolis to understand.
"Ridley?", a voice called to him. Behind Ridley, a male Octoling looked at him with a serious look. His skin was just as tan as Ridley's and his hair was a pretty dark magenta, consisting of a single long tentacle tied to the back of his head. Ridley smiled nervously.
"Hey, dad.", he greeted him.
"You're not supposed to here, Ridley. Shouldn't you be out with your friends?", asked Adrien.
"I came because I know you didn't take your meds.", Ridley pointed out as he took out a small bottle filled with pills. Adrien looked slightly disgusted.
"Those pills never worked for me, anyway.", Adrien replied.
"But, dad, the doctors--", Ridley tried to explain, but Adrien frowned.
"The doctors know nothing!", he retorted, accidentally raising his voice, turning a few number of heads.

Silence engulfed the conversation as the employees decided that it might be best to mind their own business. Ridley looked down at the pill bottle, then held them out to his dad for him to take.
"Your mental health will deteriorate if you don't take them, dad...", Ridley remarked as he gave him a small concerned smile. Adrien looked down at the pills and sighed, now with a more depressed expression.
"I'll make sure to take them once I'm done.", he mumbled as he took the bottle off of Ridley's hands.
"How about mom? Did she take them too?", Ridley asked right after as Adrien scoffed.
"One of us needs to be responsible about that.", he said as a joke, but neither laughed.

Adrien put away the pills in his lab coat and walked past Ridley, but he began to follow him.
"I-I actually came here because I wanted to know something.", Ridley pointed out as they both walked across the building.
"Ridley, you know I'm too busy with other things.", Adrien reminded him.
"I need to know about the Kamabo Corporation.", Ridley asked him right away. Adrien turned towards Ridley in a hurry.
"The Kamabo Corporation!? Why would you need to know about that? That company fell a long time ago!", Adrien asked with a panicked and confused tone.
"I know, but...there may be a possibility someone brought it back.", Ridley tried to say, hoping to not give Adrien the entire story. His mind would probably snap if he was given all the information at once.

Adrien looked at his son, but sighed and continued to walk around the building, with Ridley following behind.
"The Kamabo Corporation was a company that ran multiple tests in hopes of finding the perfect lifeform. Thousands of applicants went through those tests but only one managed to leave the Corporation, destroying it in the process.", Adrien began to explain. "The company also had possession of a viscous substance the CEO dubbed "Primordial Ooze" that helped him run these tests. In fact, we had a portion of it in these very labs.", he added, catching Ridley's attention.
"Primordial Ooze?", he repeated.
"A very dangerous substance. A single touch from that can reconstruct your entire body in seconds.", Adrien pointed out.

"What's it even made of?", Ridley asked, curious to know what made it so dangerous. Adrien seemed to be hesitating, but began to speak anyway.
"It's complicated...", he began. "When we began to...run tests on it...we found out it is actually made of the DNA of the applicants that took the tests that the Corporation ran.", he finished his explanation, disturbing Ridley slightly.
"That is...disgusting... B-But where is it now?", he asked as they both arrived to what seemed to be an empty work station, housed in a clear plastic material.
"That's the issue. When the murders took place here, what we had of that Primordial Ooze simply disappeared. We checked our cameras to see what happened, but we found nothing.", Adrien continued, leaving Ridley in pondering silence.