Albert snapped awake, he cried, "Terry! Cara!"

He looked around, finding himself in his old apartment, as if nothing in the last three months had happened.

He felt so hungry. His whole body ached, things he had repressed during his time ruling over the Downpour Defenders. He got up despite the aching in his legs and saw a pile of mail at the door. He looked through it, the first was an invitation to appear on Off The Hook next week, which he assumed was a show of no ill feelings from Pearl.

The next letter was from Mr. Grizz, offering a temp position at Grizzco, with a note from Mr. Grizz. "You're a good man, but a terrible leader. You won't be the head of your squadron but I value our business partnership. Should you wish to engage in further business, stop by."

Another letter was about a Rainmaker invitational tournament later that month.

Albert noticed his phone sitting by the door, and checked his messages. He found he had some from Dedf1sh which he almost read, only to be paralyzed by anxiety.

What if she didn't wanna be saved?

He ignored the messages and noticed another text from Agent 4 inviting him to breakfast one hour from then.

Albert went to his restroom to wash up, and realized how much weight he had truly lost. How far past his limits he had pushed himself. That sudden wave of exhaustion during his battle with Agent 4 was his body finally giving out after three months of intense strain.

However he was curious about this invitation, hungry, and he had to find Terry and Cara. They were his brother and sister, his family, and he loved them as such.

And now they were nowhere to be found.

Even if his conquest was over there was much work to be done.

He exited the house to find the city calm. Much as it was before the chaos. He did notice there was more noise than before but it was not so chaotic that the city was non functional as it had been.

Cara replied, to Terry, "And that's why you NEVER make omelets with Power Eggs. I was sick for three days!"

"Did it taste good?" Terry inquired.

Cara sighed, "I mean I guess but it wasn't worth it you know? You ever try it 4?"

Agent 4 nodded, "Once. And I think you're just allergic Cara. I didn't get sick at all."

"Wait that's not normal?" Cara demanded, "Crap."

"You work for Grizzco how did you not know you were allergic to power eggs!?!" Terry laughed.

"I'm not exactly eating them on the job Terry!" Cara retorted embarrassed.

Albert tensed up as he approached, he wasn't sure what to say. How was he supposed to greet them after everything? Would they see him as their brother as they did before? Did they hate him? Did-

"Finally awake sleeping beauty?" Terry laughed rushing up to hug Albert. Albert hugged him back.

Cara hugged the both of them, "We missed you bro! You were in a coma for like a week!"

"Wait I was out for a week?" Albert demanded, "And you guys don't hate me with every fiber of your being?"

"Well no but we do need one favor," Terry requested, "Get. Actual. Mental help. You can't stay as you are now. You're not OK."

"That's fair," Albert conceded.

He joined Agent 4 at the table, who greeted him with a smile. He slid over a plate of food that Albert didn't even look at before scarfing down. He only seemed to get hungrier as he ate. As if his body was adjusting to actually adequate food intake and realizing how deprived of food it was.

"So Albert," Agent 4 explained, "First, we're cool. Let's get that out of the way. Second, if you haven't noticed, with the Downpour Defenders fallen, we were able to build on the foundation they and you to return the city to a functional state. We would have done so eventually but, you three really accelerated the process and the city is grateful for your service. You did good, and truly helped people, despite you kinds going off at the end there. However there's one matter we have to discuss."

Agent 4 took a serious tone, "Albert. I noticed she texted you when transferring you and your stuff back home. Does Dedf1sh want to be saved?"

Albert took out his phone, his hands shaking, "I... haven't read it."

Cara assured him, "Then let's read it together. We're here for you."

Albert opened the text to find a recorded message. He played it, his hands shaking as he did. He heard her voice, it was her.

She sounded like she had been crying. Her voice was desperate and afraid, trembling. She sounded like she was forcing her words out, as if some part of her was fighting the effects of being sanitized to claw the words out, "Albert... please... I'm not happy... help... me... help... me... Albert... please... it hurts... I feel like... my heart is being... ripped apart... help me..."

There was another audio file. An unreleased song from Dedf1sh.

#9 help.

"WE HAVE TO GO NOW!" Albert screamed leaping from his seat. Tears welled in his eyes, to know Dedf1sh was in such anguish, to hear the pain in her voice, he couldn't bare it. "WE HAVE TO FIND HER NOW!"

"Easy easy," Cara pleaded, "Agent 4 you know the way to the Deepsea Metro right?"

"Wait you guys are coming?" Albert demanded. "It's dangerous down there. You get splatted down there you're dead!"

Terry nodded, "Family helps each other dude. Besides that's why you can't go alone."

Agent 4 took out their Heroshot, "Let's go. One last ride on the Metro..."

The four got off the helicopter, Marina requested to them, "Bring her home safe."

We will, "Agent 4 assured."

Marina turned around from the driver seat, after the other three had left, "Albert."

"Yes?" Albert inquired.

"You sure you'll bring her back?" Marina inquired, "Pearl mentioned it I think, but... She was a dear friend. More like a sister to me."

Albert nodded, "I promise."

The four got off the plane and entered the ruins of the Metro, finding a station manned by two sanitized Octolings. Albert, instinctively from his past trauma, Raised his Stormbringer.

"Wait," Terry ordered, "They're not attacking."

"Dedf1sh is expecting you," they both declared, saluting the four.

The doors to the train opened, timidly, the four got on the train, and the train doors closed.

"OK this is wrong," Cara inquired, "Right?"

Agent 4 nodded, "Agent 8 killed Tartar months ago. There's no reason the Metro should still be operational."

Albert gripped his brush, he inquired, "Could... could he still be alive?"

Terry shook his head, "No way he was blasted to kingdom come! That thing was blown to bits!"

The four sat in tense silence, their anxieties and questions building as they began to wonder more and more about how long Dedf1sh had been here. Someone had to be maintaining the place, running it, and that someone was still sanitizing poor souls.

Albert then heard something and leapt to his feet, "It's her!"

He could hear her singing, #14 crush, the song written about him. It was as if she was calling out to him. Trying to find some way to communicate that she still cared.

The train stopped at a massive concert full of sanitized Octarians, all looking at Dedf1sh on the turntables.

The world seemed to freeze at that moment. The Octarians stepped aside as he walked forward, tears welled up in his eyes. Terry reached out to Albert but Cara stopped him. This wasn't something they should interfere with.

Albert had to do this.

"Dedf1sh..." he croaked out.

The music stopped when he was about halfway through the crowd. Dedf1sh looked up, the sanitized Octoling froze. She raised one hand away from the turntable. The other stayed in place, as if something invisible held it there. Dedf1sh struggled against this unseen force, pulling her other arm away.

She looked at Albert, her eyes, for so long emotionless, held a spark in them. She walked forward slowly.

And eventually they stood two paces from the other.

Three years, they had waited for this day. The day when they would reunite with the other. The person who was by their side during the hardest time in their life.

For Albert, it was his anchor. While his family was equally important to him, he loved them in a different way, but even that aside, when Albert was alone and in despair, lost in Metro for over a decade, she was the first person he had, and he loved her. A love that never faded despite all this time. A love that kept him alive and guided him to the surface and Rainmaker. Eventually to his family. All the things that brought him joy in life. His partner and savior.

For Dedf1sh, he was the one who never gave up on her. Who's only concern for three years was that she may be dead. Who always cared about her even if she seemed too far gone. Who had tried and failed, but returned to succeed, in saving her from a mistake driven by fear, just as Albert's attempt to become a tyrant was driven by fear. He would return her to Her friends, and hold her once again, make her feel whole again. Her partner and savior.

This was it...

And then that voice came, mechanical and raspy, "Welcome back... Test Subject 8888."

The floor swallowed the duo whole. Albert heard Terry and Cara yell in panic, "Brother"

"Buddy look out!" Agent 4 added.

And then he fell into the darkness, seeing the Octarians turn to fire at his allies before everything went black.

Albert and Dedf1sh landed hard in a metal arena beneath the concert hall. The sounds of battle echoed above, ink from enemy weapons splattering down from above.

That mechanical voice spoke, "I must confess I'm surprised you of all tests subjects were one of the few to end testing prematurely, or, escape as you call it. Dedf1sh was careful in her arrangements to assure that."

A being forged of metal and mismatched chunks of Octoling flesh emerged from the darkness, a Herobrush in hand. It appeared to be a cybernetic Agent 8, stitched together from the poor souls Tartar had killed. It spoke, "You remember me, Albert?"

"You... can't be," Albert declared, "Commander Tartar? Agent 8 destroyed you! That's impossible!"

"I'm an ai," Tartar laughed, "Did you really think I didn't have a back up? Granted this was my only one."

"Are you still up to your old tricks then?" Albert demanded.

Tartar nodded, "If that's what you call exterminating pests like yourself sure. You are not worthy of the Earth, you never were."

"You're just a fool who doesn't value in life," Albert growled, "I'm here for my..."

Albert turned to Dedf1sh, uncertain of what term to use, "Girlfriennnnd?"

Dedf1sh nodded.

"Yeah girlfriend!" Albert declared.

Tartar spoke emotionless, hollow laughter echoed throughout the arena, "Ha. Ha. Ha. A fool. This body was formed, misled after my greatest test subject and the bodies of only the strongest Octolings who passed my tests. A prototype of a perfect being known as Agent 88. It is that which I now inhabit, and after I slaughter you and your allies I'll create an even better body and cleanse this world for the next species. Dedf1sh."

"No," Dedf1sh begged crying, "No. No he's right there. Don't take him from me. No. No! No no no! N-"

And she froze, she silently stepped aside, sobbing. Commander Tartar, Agent 88 as he now called himself, stepped forward.

"Hey," Albert asked, "How did I end up here as a child?"

"I'll tell you before you die," 88 replied, "A test of what an Octoling raised in these conditions would become. I suspected they would become a strong warrior who I could best into submission. I was only right on the first part. So, you, are a failure."

"I'm a success," Albert retorted, "I earned the love of the best Octoling in the world." Dedf1sh blushed as he continued, "I befriended Agent 4 and... sorta Pearl, but not really. I would like to be friends with her though. I forged a family bond with Terry and Cara, I took most of the city and helped it fix itself, and I became one of the top Rainmaker players. You're the failure, and your last mistake was hurting her. This is for Dedf1sh, Agent 8 who you tormented, my friends, my family, Marina who misses Dedf1sh, and everyone else you've killed!"

Albert charged forward with his Splattershot. 88 took out a Heroroller and lunged at Albert. Albert avoided the forward sling of ink by tossing a burst bomb to side and swimming through it. 88 slung ink in a wide overhead motion, but Albert emerged to ink the ground quickly before diving under, he stuffed a Burst Bomb into 88's mouth which damaged the abomination, exposing wires on the left side of its face as the tissue was blasted away.

"Interesting," 88 commented, "Your data will be most useful for my next prototype test subject 8888."

88 changed weapons to a Herobrella. It became clear to Albert now that the abomination was using the same high caliber weapons of other agents, basing himself off Agent 8 in every regard.

Albert knew his Splattershot was not the tool for the job and took out a new pair of Dark Tetra Dualies. The Brella in hand, forming a shield, Tartar rose above the battlefield with an Inkjet. Albert rolled out of the way of his high power shots, inking a path to strafe and swimming through it, slowly closing in before Tartar smirked, and aimed for Albert's head. Albert rolled out of the way and tossed at Autobomb up the tailpipe, which explodes on 88, destroying what skin remained, leaving behind only an exoskeleton with a pair of piercing crimson eyes that seemed to star into Albert's soul, as if it had none its own.

Tartar screamed in desperation, "I will not allow filth like you to inherit this world!"

88 lunged with his Herobrush, which Albert countered with his Stormbringer. It at this point became a matter of brush to brush combat. Albert aimed a swing for the head which 88 ducked under and tried to sweep Albert's legs. Albert leapt over the attack and attacked with an overhead swing. However this left his chest open, allowing for Tartar to deal a crushing blow to Albert's ribs.

Albert was sent sliding across the ink. He felt his innards collapse as he vomited from the pain. He struggled to stand, "No... no... Dedf1sh... Terry... Cara... Agent 4... Marina... Pearl... I'm sorry... I failed all of you... Dedf1sh... please run... if you can muster the will... save yourself..."

"Oh that gives me an idea," Tartar declared sadistically grabbing Stormbringer off the ground. The abomination handed it to Dedf1sh, "You do the honors. Kill him."

Dedf1sh sobbed uncontrollably as she trudged forward. Between sobs she tried to gasp out a plea for mercy, but the words wouldn't come out. Her arms shook as she raised Stormbringer against her will. She looked the bruised and broken Octoling in the eyes.

He gasped out, "It's not your fault... tell my family and friends I love them..."

He forced one last smile, he didn't want Dedf1sh's last memory of him to be him frowning, he hoped it would lessen the trauma of what she was about to do, "I love you..."

Dedf1sh let out a banshee-like screech and snapped around, decapitating Agent 88 with Stormbringer. She dropped the weapon and fell to her knees. The head flickered on and off, speaking in a mechanical voice, "Error, connection to host server lost. Uploading backup. Error. No signal. Loading past back up. Error no backup found. So this is how the legacy of mankind dies. Curse you. All of you. I hope you drown in the sea. All of you..."

And with that, Tartar was dead, for good. Albert limped over to Dedf1sh, and sat down next to her. He placed an arm around her in an attempt to comfort her. She latched onto him and pleaded, "Hold me... just... hold me... please... it's been so long... it's been so cold..."

Albert embraced her, "It's OK. It's OK... You saved me again. It's the least I can do..."

Albert began to feel himself losing consciousness. His injuries proved severe, worsened by his malnourished and overworked state. His ears began to ring as his vision became consumed by white light.

He wondered if he was dying.

He saw Agent 4 and co enter the pit as the ringing grew louder. He could no longer see. He felt like he was floating upward.

"We need to get him help now!" Someone exclaimed.

"Albert stay with us!" Another begged.

"We're losing him!" Another voice yelled, "Bro! Don't go into the light! It's not your time!"

And then he heard her, Dedf1sh, "Albert don't leave me! Not now! I just got you back!"

"No..." he begged, hoping that if he was dying he could plead with whatever was taking him to the next world, "Please... let me stay with them... let me stay with her... not yet... please..."

He felt himself sinking back down to Earth.

And then everything went black...