Trigger alert! This chapter features gore and graphic violence.

If this unsettles you, feel free to skip this chapter.

After briefly stopping at the human settlement, Axel had left. Edge was equipped with the ARC, because Axel needed the Reaper and the Sput Shot, and he couldn't play the Riptide. However he was holding it so he could enter squid form and hide in Axel's side compartment to save space. Axel had commandeered a motorcycle, but fell off right away because he couldn't drive. So the pair went on foot, or rather, Axel went on foot.

His cloak and shoes were vital because they made it hard to detect him so long as he stayed in shadows. It took longer than it would have, but he finally got to Octo Canyon and it became far easier. Several times he saw units in power armor suits, he assumed, heading to where he assumed the agents were making their diversion. Soon he tracked down a base of operations.

On a flamboyant stage in the center of the room, Marina and Pearl were seen. Neither was sanitized, to Axel's great relief. Then he looked harder. They were seated, and a clear divide between stage and ground was seen. He entered the light, and told Edge to come out. Once out, Edge returned the Riptide, which Axel put under his cloak. Then he readied the Reaper, and took the last step into view of Pearl. She turned to look at him, and Marina followed suit. Both had shades on.

"Yo! What's going on!" Axel yelled.

Edge looked at him like he was crazy.

"You should never have come..." Pearl said.

"Now we can't let you leave..." Marina said, an unusual angry look in her eyebrows.

"Ayo! DJ! Let's light this hole up!" Pearl shouted.

"As I thought... Hold up... What?" Axel was taken aback. The doors slammed shut all around the room. There was no way out.

Octavio had been sanitized, and his new toy was a bit more than Axel has thought.

"I see piston hammers, circular saw blade throwers, rainmakers, torpedos, and his fists, but weighed down." Axel said. "The former 2 weapons are clearly meant for me, or a human. The latter 3 are more for Inklings and octolings coming to fight. Those fists are gonna be ruthless. They are weighted."

Edge readied the ARC. "What can I do with this?"

"I'll need the riptide until I can get close. Use that on saw blades to get them stuck. I'll worry about the other weapons. Avoid the Pistons and rainmakers." Axel said. He readied the Riptide.

"Here comes the power show!"

Party lights lit up the room, and Octavio started in swinging. He sent a quick shot with the left piston, which Axel and Edge avoided narrowly. Then he followed with several torpedos that Axel shot down.

"Grr. Y'all ain't ready for this!" Octavio yelled.

Pearl and Marina were singing, and their dance moves started attracting sanitized octarians from the stands high above the doors. Several jumped down.

"Congrats Edge you have 2 targets to shoot at now." Axel said. "Keep those minions off me."

Octavio fired his rainmakers. Axel stared them down while Edge hid behind him to avoid the blast. He hit a few close octarians with the ARC, stopping them in their tracks.

"Now it's my turn!" Axel broke into a run, and rolled under an incoming fist strike. He jumped and used a gravity node to grab the bottom of the machine. Then he began tearing at it with his bare hands. It was a distraction for Edge to charge the ARCs special.

Octavio shook his off soon, and fired his left piston. Axel didn't roll far enough and was launched through the air. However, he landed on his feet by using the Reaper to change his angle.

"You can't beat ma spicy beats!" Octavio yelled.

He sent out a fist strike that Axel reflected with the Riptide. Then another set of torpedos that were shot down.

Then he did something Axel could never have expected. He tried to bodyslam Axel with his robot. Edge saw his opportunity to strike and took it. He used the ARC on the robot. It harmlessly bounced of the shield, but the sound the shield made stunned Octavio, and the incoming Octarian fighters.

Axel jumped and used the Reaper to reposition himself. Then he started spinning like a helicopter, sending out ink in a wide area like a weak ink storm, trying to charge his special. He landed on the far side of the room and ran back to edge, as Octavio got back up.

"You maggots! I'll kill you!"

"Hmm. No." Axel ran again. Octavio sent out several saw blades, but Edge stopped them with the ARC. He couldn't do more than one attack at once because of his gear. Thus, he had to move often. Axel shot many overlapping lines of ink with the Riptide for his to move around.

Edge popped up behind Axel. "We got an issue." He pointed. Octavio sent both fists, and both Pistons, while shooting both rainmakers. He was grinning madly.

"This'll hurt..." Axel said. He took the full force of the splash impact from the Pistons to keep Edge behind him, and fired as he flew back to knock back the fists. He got both, luckily. They hit Octavio at the same time, and Pearl lost her balance.

Marina was singing on her own now, as Pearl was knocked out due to how hard and lumpy the stage was. Thus, less soldiers were running in. But Octavio wasn't done yet.

Axel slowly stood up and coughed up blood.

"Come again Octavio! That was weak." He blatantly lied.

"Dude, you don't look good." Edge said.

Axel wiped the blood of his face. "I'll be fine. Keep it up!" He smirked madly.

He charged again. Now his special for the Sput shot and the Riptide were both ready.

"Have at thee!" He shouted, using his killer wail.

Octavio swerved to dodge it, but his bot was hit by a glancing blow.

Axel meanwhile did his helicopter move again. Several incoming soldiers were damaged by the falling ink. Axel managed to charge his special. He landed and ran back again. Octavio fired his left fist and piston, and Axel rolled and shot the fist back. Then Octavio spun around and attempted to fire his rainmakers at Edge. But Axel used the Reapers special to stop him by splatting him once. The bot shook, and the Rainmakers misfired, missing Edge by a small margin.

Then Axel ran up again and stuck at the right fist and piston with the Reaper, damaging them.

Octavio spun around, causing Axel to fall off. But he landed well again.

Then Axel used the spot shot Special and started running. Octavio fired his pistons at the turrets, destroying them. But while the Pistons were stuck, Axel locked them back with the Sput shot, and the resulting impact knocked Octavio out of the robot. Edge hit him directly with the Arc, knocking him back into the robot at a very high velocity. Marina fell and was knocked out by the recoil.

"That's it. No more messin around, y'all!" Octavio roared.

He sent a barrage of torpedos and saw blades, while moving to the side. He fired a spinning punch as he went. Axel shot down the torpedos and Edge blocked the saw blades. Edge saw the fist and tossed the ARCs special. Axel was hit head on, and Edge was splatted by the fists ink splash.

He respawned on the still airborne spawn pad. Axel was in terrible shape, but still got back to his feet. His hand was jammed, so he couldn't shoot it. Several plated from his side were seen on the ground where he had been lying down. He was bleeding heavily from his left arm, and mouth. He spit a wad of blood and spit onto the ground and shouted.

"You'll have to try harder than that to take me out!"

He began firing the Riptide faster than before, in a frantic melody. Despite his efforts Octavio was getting into the tune.

However, he was still going strong. He sent a one-two combo of Pistons, which Axel jumped over. Then he sent his fists at Axel, both of which were shot back. But while Axel focused on his fists, he sent a saw blade at Edge. Edge blocked it, but was then struck by a second saw blade. It was a glancing blow, but Edges leg was sliced deeply. He collapsed. Axel saw him and shifted in midair with the Reaper to get to him.

"Oh no no nononono." He said. He grabbed Edge. "Dude. Squid form. I'll protect you."

Edge slowly shifted. It hurt like hell but he finished and his in Axel's side. The damage made it far less comfy but he hid.

"Now, you've done it!" Axel shouted. He picked up the ARC. "Now I'm not playing nice anymore."

Octavio fired a fist at him. Instead of reflecting it, Axel used the Reaper to grab it. Then he jumped, pulling the robot behind him. He hit the fist back down from high above Octavio with the ARC. It struck the robot over 10 times as hard as the previous strikes. Octavio fell out again. And the shield broke down. Flames erupted from the robot. Axel fell hard on his knees, but he ripped the shades from Pearl and Marinas eyes, and woke them up. He shook them until they went into Squid and Octo forms, respectively. Then he put them into his side, and stood. He jumped down and roared.

"I die when I bloody well feel like it!"

He hit Octavio back into the robot at high force. Octavio turned to him.

"Have it your way worm!"

He sent out another fist strike. Axel reflected it, but Octavio dashed out of the way.

"Gonna get creative? Fine." Axel put on his visor. "Let's see how you like my A game!"

He vanished, and jumped into Octavios face. The impact knocked both of them back.

"Your shield is gone..." Axel said cryptically. "Nothing can save you."

Edge, still barely awake, thought to call someone in for retrieval.

When Axel jumped back to prepare a sneak attack, Edge slipped out from his damaged side. He changed back, another painful ordeal, and gasped into the radio.

"Someone! Anyone! We need out now! I'm down, Marina and Pearl are retrieved, and Axel is in bad shape. He can't go on much more!"

Marie picked up right away.

"I'm on the way. I'm tracing your radio. Keep the line open." She said.

A resounding bang was heard as Axel and Octavio struck each other again. Axel was staggered. Octavio tool advantage of this and struck him with another spinning fist strike. Axel shot that fist back with his falling ARC. It was damaged. All of his weapons were, except the Reaper.

He hit the ground badly. His ankle went down. He clawed his way to his feet. Most of his side plates and several face plates had been knocked off. Marina and Pearl fell out, so Axel tossed them to the side of the room, as gently as could be managed. His left arm was nearly unusable, drenched in blood. His nose and mouth were bleeding as well. He coughed. Smoke was rising from his side. 2 of his right fingers were crushed, and couldn't move anymore.

Octavio had both eyes blacked. His robot was flaming around him. Both saw blade tossers were jammed. His ink was out, so no more torpedos or Rainmakers. His fists were chipped, and his pistons were already destroyed.

"If I go down I'm taking you with me!" Axel screamed. "Nobody stops me! Get over here!" He lunged weakly.

"Bring it worm! I'll bust your bony head open right here, right now!" Octavio accepted the challenge.

High above, TarTar saw the conflict from his UFO.

"Red? That's not possible... They died... No... It's a cyborg! It's 'THEM!' I've made a terrible mistake..."

Axel and Octavio traded blows. A lucky strike knocked Axel's right eye clean out. Axel returned with a devastating uppercut, shoving Octavio away. He moved around him, into a better angle. He swung the Reaper and Octavio blocked with a pair of brushes.

"I told you. I'm taking you with me!" Axel yelled.

Marie finally arrived. She saw Axel and Octavio grappling in the robot. She also saw Edge bleeding as he tried to make a tourniquet with his shirt.

"Let me down here Shelldon!" She said.

Shelldon landed the flying stage. Marie ran out and drug Edge into the van. Inside, she asked him "Where is Pearl and Marina?"

Edge pointed to where they were tossed. Marie found them sleeping in a corner. She carried them back as well.

Axel landed an overhead chop to Octavio. He was stunned. Axel followed with the Reaper, splatting him and throwing him out of the robot. He hit the ground hard.

Axel jumped out. His legs buckled below him as he landed.

"I'm not letting anyone get to those around me!" He coughed weakly. He landed a final, cutting punch with his crushed fingers.

Marie ran towards him. "I'll need help!" She shouted over her shoulder.

Axel landed another weak punch. "I... I told you. I'd take you down... With me..." He grew faint. The blood loss was starting to effect him. His thoughts blurred.

"At least... I saved... Somebody..."

He blacked out. The last thing he saw was a black clad arm and milky tentacles rolling him over. And the last thing he heard was "Hang on just a little longer..."