Work Text:
A young Inkling, lying unconscious, is woken up by their Salmonid buddy.
They are lying on what looks like snow, but despite that, it's actually not cold at all, suggesting it is in fact, fake snow. This makes VeronIKA wonder if she's going to get something in her lungs that will slowly kill her, but there are more pressing issues at the moment.
Earlier that day, VeronIKA was made a member of some top-secret organization or whatever... she honestly wasn't paying too close attention, having been too fixated by the bizarre old man's beard. But hey, VeronIKA wasn't one to question things too heavily. She liked to go along with whatever was happening in front of them. It was frankly the only way to survive living in a place like Splatsville, the City of Chaos - if you stand around trying to comprehend what's happening most of the time, you will inevitably be squashed. You need to throw yourself at the mayhem and embrace it.
...although, that old man did look familiar to her... no, no, don't question it, remember?
After being thrown into a fight with what could best be described as a big red ball piloting a mech (hmmm, they seemed familiar tooooooooooo NO no questioning!), the ground underneath them collapsed as they fell a great distance, leading to their current situation.
All of the gear they had been given was gone, with only scraps of clothing clinging to their body. They did still have their weapon, which was nice. And there were a series of large structures clearly visible, which gave them a clear direction as to where they should go next.
"...Hellooo!"
Suddenly, VeronIKA could hear a faint voice coming from somewhere.
They decided to walk in the direction the voice had come from. Before long, they could see some figures coming into view, waving at them to come over. She-
...
...
...Oh my cod.
"HEY!"
...OH MY COD.
"Agent 3! Over here!"
It was them!!!! It was really them!!!
"Whew! I'm so glad you're alright. You...are Agent 3, right? Gramps fully enlisted you and your Smallfry?"
"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh AAAAAAAAAAAAA I can't believe it! I'm your biggest faaaaaaaaan!"
As VeronIKA excitedly ran forward, Callie, Marie and Kaori, the former Agent 3 (now Captain of the New Squidbeak Splatoon) looked on and smiled. It was a nostalgic moment for all of them.
Back when Kaori was enlisted, she were just a teenager, one who competed in Turf War matches and listened to the Squid Sisters like everyone else. And with the Squid Sisters at the height of their popularity at the time, it had been decided that they would be in disguise when working as Agents. They were simply too public figures to be seen as part of the Splatoon. That also meant that Kaori was not allowed to know their identities at first. It wasn't until the climatic battle with DJ Octavio, where the Squid Sisters broke out their iconic Calamari Inkantation out of desperation that they were able to connect the dots. Callie and Marie can remember her running up to them, declaring themselves to be the biggest Squid Sisters fans in the world, asking for autographs and looking like they were about to faint from the revelation that they were now friends with probably the biggest celebrities in Inkopolis at that time.
Later on, when Marie recruited Agent 4 to help find Callie, she made a decision to not wear a disguise and reveal herself, desperate to find anyone to help her... only to find out from the new Agent 4 that the Squid Sister's short time away from the limelight resulted in their popularity having dropped considerably.
Since then, the Squid Sisters have dispersed with the disguises. But with Splatsville residents being able to visit Inkopolis whenever they want to now, their popularity seemed to be on the rise again, hence the fangirling squid in front of them. So Callie and Marie decided to reach out for a hug...
...only to be passed over in favour of Kaori?
"It's the real Captain! Wow! You look even cooler in person! And if you're here, then this must be the New Squidbeak Splatoon!"
The three agents peered at their new recruit in shock. Of course, Gramps should have explained the Splatoon to them back at the crater, but it seems VeronIKA not only knew about the Splatoon before, but only made the connection upon seeing the Captain, whom VeronIKA also seemed to recognize. But how? Their organization is supposed to be a secret!
"Here, can you sign my card?"
...card? What c-
...
...
...oh no.
No no no no no no no no no NO NO NO NO NO NO NO
"I'm a huge Tableturf collector! I thought this was just a character they made up, but you're actually real!"
Kaori turned over the card to read the description.
"The current Captain of the New Squidbeak Splatoon. Originally enlisted as Agent 3, Kaori defeated the evil DJ Octavio and saved the Great Zapfish. They were also instrumental in liberating thousands of Octolings from the underground domes."
*GASP* "That's why I recognized that old guy in the crater! He must be Craig Cuttlefish! And that red guy was DJ Octavio!"
VeronIKA pulled out two more Tableturf cards.
"The former Captain of the New Squidbeak Splatoon, Craig "Cap'n" Cuttlefish also fought as part of the original Squidbeak Splatoon during the Last Great Turf War. Despite his eccentricities, he's actually a rather nice guy, even overcoming his prejudice against Octolings in recent years.
FUN FACT: His granddaughters are Callie and Marie Cuttlefish, better known as the Squid Sisters! Did you know they're agents too?"
"DJ Octavio rules the Octarian Army with an iron first - literally! He fights from inside a giant, metal mech that can fly. Though many have defected from his rule, his army has, at its peak, included thousands of supporters, including Marina of Off the Hook fame, who helped to design many devastating weapons."
Callie, Marie and Kaori paled in the face.
Tableturf Battle has only been around for a few months now, but with how competitive Inklings and Octolings tend to be, it has quickly become a juggernaut, with millions, if not billions, of cards already in circulation, as well as a community of players all over the world.
A sense of dread overcomes the veteran agents as they come to a harrowing realization.
The New Squidbeak Splatoon has been compromised.