(Author's warning: This chapter contains massive gore and violence throughout the story, but it'll not occur in the future chapter. Read at your own risk!!)

3:00am.. In Marina's dream...

Marina: ...Ugh.. No..

???: Join me.. If you wanna mend your mistakes...

Marina: ..Who are you?

???: Join... Me... Marina!!

At the Off The Hook's Apartment...

Marina: *Gasp!!*

She bounces up awake as she just woke up from her dream..

Marina: What was that...? So bizarre...

Then, she lays back to her bed..

Timeskip... At 8:00am..

As the sun shines down, she could feel someone is shaking her violently..

Pearl: Hey! Wake up, Reena! It's 8:00am in the morning! We're gonne be late for the work!

Marina: Wha-? Stop doing that!

She stops shaking like as the Octo told.. Marina wakes up with a yawn while stretching up herself. Pearl asks with concern.

Pearl: Geez.. You usually woke up early in the morning. You're having problem in your sleep?

Marina: Yeah.. I guess.. I had a nightmare during my sleep.

Pearl: What kind of?

Marina: It was..

Pearl: Ah never mind! Let's go to the Square already! You'll forget about the nightmare eventually!

Marina: But..

While she was about to explain it.. Pearl rushes out from her room, preparing as fast as she can while Marina tries to recall the nightmare she was talking about.

Marina: It's him... Who was he...?

Timeskip... 9:00am, Inkopolis Square... With Marie and Lai having breakfast at the Cafe Cardamari while Vadelma chatting with both of them.

Lai: *Yawn!* I'm tired..

Vadelma: You didn't get enough sleep last night?

Marie: Seriously, when will you stop thinking about Cal?

Lai: I just can't! I'm so worried about her safety, okay!?

Vadelma: You mean...

Marie: Yeah, Callie.. She received an one-person vacation offered by her boss. She couldn't waste it so she have to go all by herself..

Lai: Marie! Don't you worried at all!?

Marie: No! Because you might jinx it!

Both of their eyes are transfering electricity to each other.

Vadelma: Uhm... Settle down, guys. ^^"

Marie and Lai: No! We're not!

Both of them sit down with their head turning away from facing each other. Marie calms herself down before she speaks rationally.. Lai sighs as he can't really helps it with her absent again..

Marie: I thought you're okay with that when we're seeing her off at the train station.. It seems you're still haven't got over that..

Lai: *sigh* I wish I had already.. Sorry..

Marie: It's fine.. I know how you feel..

Vadelma: That recovers really fast.. So what should I get for you two to make you feel better?

Marie: Milk Tea.

Lai: Lemon Tea.

Marie and Lai: !?

Vadelma: Okay! Coming right up!

The waitress leaves to the kitchen to prepare their orders.

Marie: You still remember the Splatfest, do you?

Lai: Yeah.. It was the third Splatfest theme in Inkopolis Plaza.. How could I forget that?

Marie: So do you remember who's the winner?

Lai: And is that important to you?

Marie: No.. Just tell me.

Lai: ..It's you.. Duh..

Marie: Yeah, that's right. But the winners always command their opponents to do all kinds of stuff for them..

Lai: Oh now you mention it. What kind of surprise joke is that even mean?

Marie: That means I command you to stop thinking about my cousin and focus on us. Especially about me..

Lai: Huh? What are you saying?

Marie: You always focusing on Callie over me mostly. You know girls like me hated to be ignored by someone who's close to them?

Lai: Marie..

After just finishing her sentence, the waitress arrives with their drinks they ordered. She asks them if there's any they want..

Vadelma: Is anything you want?

Marie: Not really, thanks Vadelma.

Vadelma: You're welcome, hope you two are okay!

Then, she leaves them again.. Marie is still with her serious look while taking a sip of her drink as Lai still goes silent with confuse and surprise mixed up altogether. But as well as he fears that he might hurt her emotionally if he's not careful enough through their serious conversation. So he asks again..

Lai: Uhm... Am I being like this before..? All this time..?

Marie: Yeah.. Of course you are.. But I'm not really planning for that at all. I just want you to be more focus on me sometimes. To keep me company. You know..

Lai: Like the time when we're together before we went to save her?

She chuckled serenely but happy as she knows..

Marie: I guess you really know how I feel.

Lai: Yeah.. Of course I do.. You know you're like partner in life for me. Of course you're my best friend.

Marie: Do you really feel that way?

Lai: Then, how did you chose me in the very start if you're not sure about me?

Marie: ...

Lai: Come on, Marie! You're just being overthinking just like your cousin! So snap out of it!

She smiles..

Marie: Well, you really got me there.. But you're right. I'm just being paranoid.. I'm sorry about that..

Lai: It's okay. Just make sure you don't forget that. This isn't really you when you had thoughts like that..

Marie: Of course I won't do that again.. That was pretty lame of me.

Both of them take a sip of their beverage as they can release a sigh of relief as they both made up.

Marie: I guess we're pretty fine.

Lai: For now.. I know girls like you can be paranoid sometimes.

Marie: Yep, that can be inevitable for me.. Wish I could be positive like Cal..

Lai: Me too.. So what should we do today?

Marie: Hm... Let's take a stroll around the Square?

Lai: Like usual?

She nods..

Marie: Yup!

Timeskip... 9:00am in Off The Hook's Studio..

Pearl: And that's all the time we've got. Until next time...

Marina: Don't get cooked and..!

Pearl and Marina: Stay Off The Hook!

After the morning news, both of them could finally take a rest from their broadcast.

Pearl: Whew.. Finally..

Marina: Thank cod.. *yawn*

Pearl: You should take a nap or something to keep you awake, Marina.

Marina: Yeah, I'm planning to do that.. Maybe I should take a walk around the Square. Are you coming with me?

Pearl: Sorry Marina, I can't. Our producer will be going nuts on us. I'll take charge here for you.

Marina: Thanks..

In the Inkopolis Square...

She goes outside for a walk to take some fresh air, but she's aware that her fans will swarm her anytime so she takes the alleyway to avoid as she got no choice. As well as she tries to recall the person that appeared in the nightmare she had. Her steps become slower as her mind drifts by her thoughts. In the middle of her walk..

Marina: Who was he..?

She stops her walking and leans against the wall.. Then..

???: Hey..

Marina: !?

Timeskip... Meanwhile...

Pearl: Man, what took her so long? It's half an hour right now..

The studio becomes quiet without Marina around..

Pearl: Ugh! I can't wait!

She exits out from the studio to search for her. Avoiding the crowd in the Square and access to the alleyway where Marina could possibly be at.. As she sees Marina was resisting from being pulled by someone else, she also notices that there's another Octoling who is standing in front of her with the same height as Marina's. Pulling her without any mercy until he sees another one interfering them.

Pearl: Hey! Who the heck are you!?

???: !?

He releases her hand and tries to run away from them. But an Herobrush was thrown out from afar, passing through the two idols and is about to hit the kidnapper. But it misses him and Lai hops out from the ink on the brush part in his Squid Form. He transforms back and pins him down with his Hero Roller.

Lai: Got you!

Pearl: Nice!

Marie: That was a good one..

Marie catches up with them and four of them interrogating him with Lai still pinning down his body.

Pearl: Alright! Who sent you here!? Or else I'll get nasty!!

The black tentacle Octoling notices his weapon and recognizes him.

???: You.. You're the one who wiped out my team!

Lai: Huh?

???: I won't forgive you!

As he shakes him off, Lai quickly recovers himself from falling and the Octoling is about to grab something to hit him. Lai throws an uppercut onto his stomach. Stunning him with pain.

Lai: No mercy on brainwashed.

Then, he bashes the Octoling's head with a full moon vertical swing. Then, instead of using the Roller, he grabs a long iron pipe to keep bashing him but to prevent him from getting splatted as well. Torturing him in front of the girls while the Octo shields himself with both arms.

*Tush!* *Tush!* *Crush!!*

???: Ugh!!

Lai stabs both of his legs, the Octoling screams more loudly and both of his arms move away from shielding. He continues to smack him even more violent. Marie tries to stop him from torturing.

Marie: Lai! Stop! We all need him alive! You know the process!

He keeps on until the pipe breaks apart. Then, he drops the weapon and turns him to face me.

Lai: Why don't you just freaking quit, do you!?

He smacks his face one more time before Off The Hook pull him away to stop the torture. The Octo coughs out ink along with some teeth from his mouth.

???: *Cough!* *Cough!*

Lai: Get off from me!!

Pearl: Dude, stop it! I know this is cool!

Marina: But this isn't gonna solve anything!

After he's completely beaten up, Lai calms down eventually.. Marie sighs..

Marie: This isn't good tho..

Timeskip... 10:00am in a Warehouse somewhere...

???: Let me go! I swear I'll make you all pay!

Pearl: Shut up, ya punk!

Marina: *sigh* This is suppose to be a normal day. Hm?

Meanwhile... With Lai and Marie.. At the rooftop of the warehouse..

Marie: Seriously, you just can't handle it, right? But I won't blame or mad at you..

Lai: Yeah.. I'm sorry.. The moment I noticed him been loyalty and tried to seek revenge on us. I lost my mind. I'm so sick and tired of brainwashing!

Marie: Yeah I get that feel.. Glad Callie wasn't with us today.

Lai: Point taken.. Cod.. I feel so bad right now..

Marie: Maybe you need some counselling?

He grins..

Lai: What? From you? Sign me up then! ^^

Marie: *chuckle* But I doubted my abilities tho.

Lai: It's fine. Anyway, I'm so sorry about back then..

Marie: It's really okay.. This isn't my first time seeing that side of yours. That's why you need me. We both really are partners in life.

Lai: Yeah.. That's right. Should we start the interrogating?

She looks on her watch..

Marie: *nod* Yes.. It's about time tho.. But before I go, I remembered something else. About what our mission really is..

Lai: What is it?

Marie: "We get dirty, and the world stays clean." That's our lifetime mission. I know you probably knew about that but.. Do you agree with that?

Lai: No second thoughts.. Yes.. But not for her..

Marie: Indeed.. That's why I need you.. I can't do this alone.

Timeskip...

Both of them meet up with Off The Hook and all of them are now wearing with their own disguises. Marina had found a clue.

Marina: Hey! We just searched through his body. His name is Exo. The top Fighter among all the Elite Octolings.

Marie: The right hand man of Octavio?

Marina: Almost but yeah.. What is he doing in Inkopolis?

Marie: There's one way to find out.. Lai?

Lai: On it.

He grabs a bucket of water and splashes onto the captured Octoling to wake him up..

Exo: Wha-!? You!!

Lai: Feeling insulted?

He notices his surrounding and it takes him a second to realize what they want.

Exo: If you want information, do your worst! I'm not gonna let you bastard invade our land after you captured our boss!

He smacks through his face and punches his stomach. Making him scream with each blows.

Lai: Look.. I'm not gonna say it again..! What is your motive!?

Exo: *smirk* Like I would say after you took out my entire team like it was nothing to you!

Marie: Dude, just say it already.

Exo: I bet you all didn't learn about what he did to us back in the days..

Pearl: Yeah.. Yeah.. We all know about that. He was really mad at you for capturing our friend!

Exo: It's not only just that..

Three months ago... In a village in Sector 4.. Where most of the Octoling units are there, capturing people.

Exo: Let's put those shades on these people and send them back to our camp. Including the women and the children. We need more manpower.

Octoling Soldier: Yes sir.

*Doom!!*

Exo: What was that!?

He picks up the walkie-talkie to contact the unit.

Exo: This is Exo! Do you read me?

Octoling Soldier: We got an intruder! He's..! He's krilling us out!!

Then, the connection got cut off and he quickly grabs out his binocular to check the status by himself. The moment his eyes had a sight on the explosion, he got shocked by the rampage Inkling who is splatting every soldiers who is standing in his way with the Octo brella, witnessing him tanking every damage while charging straight towards his soldiers, slashing their head off with Octobrush and the worst part is, he's biting out Exo's unit to fend out his anger.

Exo: What the..

Then, a series of explosions bursts throughout the village. He could hear the endless brella gunshots, horror of screaming coming from his soldiers. He commands his units and other mercenaries to prepare themselves for the attack.

Exo: All units! Take out the enemy at all cost!

On the other side.... As the Inkling sees the soldiers had captured the villagers and they are resisting themselves from getting put on the shades by force from the soldiers.

Octoling woman: Please let us go! We've done nothing wrong!

Octoling Soldier: Just put this on! You damned wretch!

Lai: Aaaargh!!!!!

A Dynamo Roller had been thrown out and struck one of the soldiers and destroys the explosive barrels. The rest of them had their attention on the Inkling and the sudden commotion gives the villagers a chance to escape from them. He constantly rushing, slaughtering their cephalopod head, ink splattered on him while screaming in rage.

Lai: You filth!! Souless!! SCUMBAG!!

As he continues his way on rampaging, he storms through the storage room where the flooders, huge Squee-Gs and Octoseekers are stored. His sudden presence alerts them and enables them to attack automatically.. He rushes through the building, slicing, scrapping, battering the machines apart and sees several soldiers who is about to force himself on a young girl.

Octoling girl: No!!!

Lai: Aaaargh!! Die for your sins!!

Their whole bodies were cut in half in an instant as he went passed through him. Additionally saving the girl in his rampage. Despite of getting shot for thousand times by the soldiers. He keeps on splatting until he reaches where Exo is.

Flashback pauses...

Exo: And he tortures the rest of us. One by one in front of me!

Marina: He was saving the village! How can you say that!?

Marie: Calm down, he's just desperately try to brainwash us as well.

Lai: Just cut to the point already..

Exo: It's not over yet..

Flashback resume...

Flames spread across the village. Soldiers were sacrificed and splatted by just a blue Inkling. As he finally storms to the last unit, he shotgunned every last of them with the Octo brella and leaving them alive after incapacitating the last Fighter, Exo. Then, he blasted his men's limbs and tearing their tentacles apart, in addition of eating them raw. Ink splattered everywhere around him as he continues to watch him torturing his unit while hearing their agony scream until his vision fading away..

Flashback ends..

Exo: In the end, he left us rotting in an abandoned house!

Pearl: Damn.. Hard to believe that..

Lai: Alright, enough with this carp! Tell us who's with you!?

Exo: It's..

Before he could say it, several Octolings just storm the building. The Agents were shocked and surrounded by his soldier. All four of them draw out their weapons and forming up.

Exo: So mind if you untie me? Or things will get messy..

Marie: On the bright side, that just saves us some time from the interrogation.

Lai: Yeah.. Shall we?

Marie: Without her around? Of course!!

Pearl: Let's do it!!!

Marie and Lai: For her!!!

The Agents unleash their battle cry as they prepare to take out the enemies..

Meanwhile... At Mahi-Mahi Resort, Spa Room: Woman.

Callie: Ah~~ This is heavenly nice for me..

Inkling girl 1: Yeah~

Inkling girl 2: So.. Woomy~?

Callie: Woomy! ❤

They all laughed as they enjoy the spa to the fullest.

Callie: (I wonder how they're doing right now?)

Meanwhile... Back to the Agents..

*Pow!* *Splat!* *Tatata!!* *Splash!!!*

Pearl: Take that!!

As Off The Hook are fending off the soldier, Marie just had an idea for their newest team limit while she's battling with the Octolings when wall-running with her acrobatic skills. She calls out for her partner.

Marie: Lai! Megastrike!

Lai: *nod* Okay!!

She bounces off from the wall and Lai got her by grabbing her arm. Then, he tosses her up in the air after a full spin and her body makes a full moon loop with a backflip before the fun part begins.

Marie: Witness this!!

She activates her Tenta Missiles Special. Shooting out hundreds of Tenta Missiles in mid-air and all of them target at the enemies with direct hit, supporting all the Agents in the battleground in her attack radius.

Pearl: Booyah!! That rules hard!

After the missiles part, both of them draw out their Inkstrikes and launch at the same time, nuking every last of them as their limit finale.

*Doom!!!*

Timeskip...

After the course is clear, all Agents just got out from the warehouse. Pearl notices Exo is escaping..

Pearl: He's getting away!

Marie: Don't bother him.

Lai: He's Off The Hook now..

Marina: What do you-?

*Pow!* *Splat!*

Exo: Aargh!!!

A charged shot just penetrate Exo, leaving a huge hole on his body. Splatting him out in the end. Since there's no spawnpoint around. The Agents had confirmed that he's a goner now. Then, they all turn back and notice that someone is at the rooftop. As Marie and Lai both expected, it was Octavia who made the call.

Marina: Octavia!

Octavia: Hey! How's it going?

Lai: Pretty well! How did you know we were here?

Octavia: Uhm.. Wait me for a sec!

She super jumps to the Agents from the rooftop to get a better conversation.

Octavia: Much better.. Anyway, he's a wanted Octoling and the mastermind of the protestors who caused so much trouble in my city. As I knew he wasn't showed up anymore, I came back to the surface to hunt him down by myself.

Marie: But you missed the big show tho.

Octavia: Yeah, and I never thought I would meet you all here. Sorry to trouble you again.

Marina: It's fine.

Pearl: Well, let's head back home.

Marina: It's 11:30 right now.. Oh cod.. The news! We have to catch up!

Pearl: Oh yeah! See you all later, homie!

Two of the Idols super jump away..

Octavia: Well, I guess mission accomplished tho. Thank you for helping me out! And..

Marie and Lai: ?

Octavia: Where's Callie? She's not with you guys today?

Marie: She's just having a vacation..

Octavia: Oh.. Okay then! Tell her and say hi for me!

Lai: Will do.

Then, the Empress super jumps away. Leaving only two of them alone.

Marie: So...

Lai: Let's go back home after lunch?

Marie: Sounds great. We had enough for today.

Lai: Yeah.. That's what I thought..

They both head back to Inkopolis together..

End Of Chapter...

Bonus,

Timeskip... In Cafe Cardamari..

Vadelma: Welcome back! How's your day?

Marie: Pretty well.

Lai: Me too!

Vadelma: It seems you two are pretty fine, what should I get for you this time? Onigiri?

Marie: Yep, with Red Salmon.

Lai: Same with Tuna Mayonnaise!

Vadelma: Okay! Coming right up!

As she leaves to the kitchen, Marie smiles..

Marie: Tuna Mayonnaise vs Red Salmon theme this time?

Lai: Yup! Callie and I took the win in that Splatfest.

Marie: So to be fair and square, what's your command this time?

Lai: Well, simple. I just wanna say "Thank you." For still accepting me even though I've done that before.

She chuckles innocently..

Marie: Come on, you're still hanging on that? You saved a village and that's what it matters for all of us. Although that biting part wasn't necessarily at all.

Lai: Yeah. Just worrying.. ^^"

Marie: But there's one thing I wouldn't agree at all..

Lai: ..Huh? What do you mean?

Marie: You should have spared the Squee-G alive. You know I seriously liked that cutie, right?

Lai: That!? You know Sheldon can build that one anytime, right?

Marie: Point taken, that's why I wouldn't blame you on that.

Lai: So.. It's a fine?

Marie: Yep. I'm not that petty enough to argue with you.

Lai: Cool, because you almost gave me a scare tho.

Marie: Why's that? Had a crush on me?

Lai: And hope I hadn't, "Partner."

Marie: Hehe.. Yeah. "Partner."