Chapter Text
The burning desire to emerge from that wretched place has finally been fulfilled. The adrenaline finally began to wear off, and all Eight could do was stare in the direction of the sun. The surface was much more than what she could have ever imagined, and every movement of the wind made her sway with exhaustion, reminding her that this was real. She had escaped. This wasn’t a dream.
Eight sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. She couldn’t believe the events that had just transpired. Hours ago, she was still hopelessly trapped in the Deepsea Metro. Minutes ago, she was fighting something she couldn’t even begin to understand. And now, she’s basking in the sun’s warm, vibrant light. Marina, the only other Octoling besides Eight, as well as the others, have been non-stop cheering and celebrating. They tell Eight that she just saved the world. Eight can’t help but smile at the thought.
Eight opened her eyes again, squinting from the sunlight, and peered around at the group settled beside her. On her left, Marina and Pearl, the duo who had motivated her to press on and to never give up, despite what the Metro had put Eight through. And to the right, Cap’n Cuttlefish and Agent 3, the former acting as a mentor who endured being isolated down in the Metro as much as she did, and the latter saving her from a brutal death.
Sure, Eight might have just saved the world, but these people helped, too!
“So!” Pearl’s strained voice was barely audible, worsened by the sounds of the aircraft currently hovering above the platform they rested on. “Are we gonna get back home now or what?! I’m seriously getting a migraine from hearing that stupid thing!”
Eight perked up a bit hearing Pearl speak, glancing over to see the shorter Inkling get back up on her feet, her face scrunched into an irritated frown. The volume of the vehicle didn’t particularly bother Eight too much. She was far too tired to care, admittedly.
“I guess we should start heading back, huh?!” Marina chimed in, looking up at the helicopter currently carrying them.
“YO! CHUMBRAINS! OPEN THE DOORS, WE’RE JUMPIN’ IN!” Pearl’s voice gave the last it had to announce her arrival, immediately superjumping straight into the aircraft’s cabin as the metal doors slid open.
Agent 3 nodded to Cap’n Cuttlefish, signaling to him that he should go first. The elderly Cap’n stretched for a moment, then superjumped straight into the cabin without hassle. Agent 3 quickly followed without a word.
Eight hesitated, scrambling to get up from where she sat, only for a hand to place itself onto her shoulder.
“Come on, Agent 8, we’ll go together!”
Eight looked up to see Marina leaning over her, gesturing her free hand for Eight to grab onto. Eight blinked and stared for a moment, processing. Well, her legs were pretty achy, afterall. Eight smiled and took Marina’s hand, feeling herself being lifted. Now, she was back on her feet.
Marina grinned, and then dropped into a stance, peering up at the helicopter above. Eight instantly mirrored her movement, ready to pounce into the noisy aircraft above.
“GO!”
Marina shouted, and the two Octolings shot outward into the sky, hurling straight into the helicopter’s cabin.
Eight practically threw herself into the aircraft, laughing. She almost completely toppled over onto Pearl, but was quick enough to stop her momentum. Marina, on the other hand, gripped the handles placed within the cabin and nonchalantly sat down in the seat across from Pearl, giggling at Eight’s clumsiness.
“HEY HEY, WATCH IT!” Pearl tried to yell, but her voice became nothing but a rasp. There was a hint of annoyance in her tone, but she shrugged it off as Marina’s giggling became louder.
“Watch it there, Agent 8! Don’t wanna get hurt off the clock!” Cap’n Cuttlefish snickered.
Eight couldn’t help but just keep laughing. This was almost too much. The excitement was beginning to hit. They were going to Inkopolis. She was going to see so much. She was going to be able to rest. And the best part about all of it? She had people with her. Friends.
And so, Eight joined them, sitting back down in the much more comfortable seating of the helicopter’s cabin. She watched as Pearl clutched the door to her right and promptly slammed it shut.
“Okay, so, ‘Rina, are we gettin’ takeout tonight again?” Pearl let out a grunt after she spoke, leaning back in her seat.
“Pearl, I think our hero here deserves something more elegant, don’t you think?” Marina replied with a hum, waving a hand in Eight’s direction.
“Oh, YEAH! Of course!” Pearl smirked, gently slapping her own hand against her forehead. She whipped her head around and met eyes with Eight, “Yo, Eight, wanna get some grub with me and Marina? The old man is invited, too.”
Eight’s posture straightened, already imagining the kinds of delicious food Inkopolis offered. Her stomach rumbled just thinking about it.
“I is… erm… am… very hungry!” Eight struggled to form a cohesive sentence. Translating what she remembered from Octoling to Inkling was already proving to be a bit of a hassle.
Everyone in the cabin, besides Agent 3, just stared at her. For a moment, Eight panicked, fearing that she had said something wrong.
“HOLD UP! YOU SPEAK INKLISH?!” Pearl seemed genuinely shocked.
“Wow! You already have a grasp on the Inkling language? That’s incredible!” Marina exclaimed, seemingly proud of Eight, “You’ll settle in Inkopolis in no time!”
Considering Eight had been silent in the Metro, she figured she was safe enough now to finally talk. Even if it was broken and incoherent, it still felt good to have reassurance. The Cap’n looked pleased, nodding at Eight with a grin.
“Agent 8 is full of surprises! Proving herself as being one of our best, wouldn’t you agree, Agent 3?”
The Cap’n nudged Agent 3 who was sitting next to him. The other agent solemnly nodded in response.
Eight didn’t have a response to that. All she could do was break into an uneven smile, turning her head and peering out the window situated to her left. The compliment meant… a lot, actually, especially coming from someone like the Cap’n. And the reassurance from Agent 3 was nice, too.
The cabin fell quiet shortly afterward, leaving Eight to her thoughts again. She could do nothing but stare at the familiar world beckoning her from outside the window. At this height, she could see clouds that stretched out for miles. Some looked fluffier than the last. Others were more round and abstract, forcing Eight to use her imagination and do her best to make sense as to what she was looking at.
However, before long, Eight’s eyelids became increasingly heavy as she stared at an odd looking cloud farthest to the right. She slumped further back into her seat and let out a yawn. Huh, was she really that tired? The comfortable hum of the helicopter’s rotors caused her to close her eyes, and eventually, Eight had fallen into a deep sleep.