"The [Octarian] Department of Energy has announced that further declines in the availability of electric power are likely to occur in the near future... ...the future does not look bright."
—Sunken Scrolls 1:6 (2.1)

Saturday, 12:14 p.m.

Inkopolis outskirts

"We're almost there."

The woman had taken Cole far, far away from the city, through several tunnels, dark alleys, and back roads. As they walked, the scenery gradually shifted away from the busy roads and cityscapes of the greater Inkopolis area to flatter, tree-lined horizons. Neon-colored skyscrapers gave way to subdued browns and yellows, and the cacophony of noises—moaning buses, chattering pedestrians, and incessant music above it all—quieted down to occasional birdsong. When he had first stepped foot in Inkopolis, Cole had to tune out the overwhelming stimuli that assaulted him. But after being immersed in them for a couple of days, he found their absence rather noticeable. His footsteps seemed louder now that they had no other distractions to compete with.

"So, uh," started Cole. "Lemme get this straight. Your name is Marie, and you're both a pop star celebrity and a secret agent?"

"Have you seriously never heard of me before? For real?" Marie asked for the second time, without slowing her pace. That woman sure could walk. Cole was surprised that she could go on for so long in sandals—they'd been traveling on foot for at least a couple of hours. He was no stranger to long periods of physical activity himself, but urban pop culture was beyond his ken.

"Never," Cole answered. Well, not a total lie. He had heard of the Squid Sisters before, but other than the songs and music videos that Natalie had sent him in their messages, Cole didn't know anything about them.

"It's hard to believe that somebody doesn't know who the Squid Sisters are," Marie said with a laugh. "We really have gone out of style. But yes, I am also an investigator and field operative for the New Squidbeak Splatoon, or NSS for short. We're an organization that monitors potential security threats and intervenes whenever necessary."

"...Where do I come in?"

"I'm getting there," Marie said. "Do you remember when the Great Zapfish disappeared? Around two years ago?"

"Yeah."

That was something Cole did hear about. The Great Zapfish of Inkopolis was a gigantic, flying creature that powered the entire city with electricity. It was known to wander away from its usual haunts around Inkopolis, flying away for days at a time to feed or do whatever else it wanted to. One time, however, it left for almost four months. It had seemingly disappeared without a trace with many of its children, sending authorities and businesses into a panic. The city's long-term energy demands could not be met without the Great Zapfish. Talks about shutting down public transportation, canceling the Splatfest, and rationing power were underway when the Great Zapfish finally came back, with every little baby Zapfish also accounted for.

That was around the time Nat had moved to Inkopolis, actually.

"It didn't just disappear on its own, you know. It was stolen by Octarians. And the NSS brought it back."

"Really, now?"

"Our friend Natalie helped discover the perpetrators," Marie said, narrowing her eyes. "She also spearheaded the operation to apprehend the Octarians and safely recover the Zapfish. She's an excellent shot, too, if I might add. Almost as good as me."

"This is getting ridiculous..." Cole trailed off for a moment, trying to rationalize Marie's claims. This lady was serious, apparently. "Natalie is just a kid. She ain't no secret agent. If she saved the Zapfish, then why don't I know about this? Wouldn't this kind of thing go on the news?"

"We are a secret society," Marie replied. "Revealing ourselves to the public would compromise our ability to do anything. Besides, how do you think civilians would have reacted if they learned that Octarian terrorists were making moves against Inkopolis? They would have lost it! Imagine the panic that would have caused! People can barely keep it together when their bus runs late."

"Hm."

They entered a tunnel that ran deep into a cliff. The inside was well lit and wide enough for two cars to pass each other, but almost no traffic came through the area. In fact, the route seemed to have never been used at all.

"And the Octarians aren't done yet, either. I've gotten reports of suspicious activity at the borders of Octo Canyon. I wouldn't be surprised if they were mobilizing soldiers and weapons again," Marie huffed, adjusting her grip on her parasol. "That happens to be where Natalie and the captain went to investigate."

She stopped, turning to face Cole. "Natalie is Agent 3, the best we've got in the NSS. She and our captain have been captured, maybe worse. The Great Zapfish is also missing again; it's been away for almost a month."

"Yeah, heard of something like that."

"Furthermore, the responsible parties from last time have conveniently escaped prison sometime between then and now," Marie continued, furrowing her brow. "See how stacked the odds are? I am the last active agent, and I can't do this all by myself."

"This is a lot to take in," replied Cole, avoiding her gaze. He wanted time to put the story together in his head. On the surface, no part of it seemed false or otherwise contradictory, but the thought of Natalie working for this secret society was humorous at best. If she really was the unsung hero that Marie made her out to be, then Natalie had been putting her life in danger for years. And she did it all without telling anyone back home to boot. Natalie had lied to her friends and family about being a Turf War player for quite some time, and Cole didn't buy it. Or at least he didn't want to.

"And I ain't totally convinced yet."

"Well, it's a good thing we're here, then. Maybe this will do the trick."

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