Chapter Text
When that boss kettle in Cephalon HQ appeared, Agent 4 knew it was a big deal. It might very well lead them to the great zapfish and Callie.
They spent some time training with Marie, and then just relaxed before going to sleep. They had to be ready for whatever would be thrown at them.
Before Agent 4 could head off after breakfast to do their last preparations, Marie stopped them.
Agent 4 blinked in confusion when Marie asked them to sit down for a moment, but did as they were told.
"This is the last battle." Marie explained, getting out a small box. "It's only fitting for you to have some warpaint."
Agent 4 stared when they recognised the colours. Black, grey, white, and a pale green. "Are those..?"
Marie smiled. "You put a lot of stickers of the agender flag all over the underground."
"Can I have it on my face?!" Agent 4 asked excitedly, a bright smile on their face.
"Sure." Marie chuckled.
Agent 4 glanced back at Marie, who gave them a thumbs up for encouragement.
"Heading in." They announced quietly, and jumped into the transportation kettle.
They had a small water bottle, a cereal bar, and some stickers with them. Because damn if they didn't want to slap some stickers onto the ringleader. Hypnotising octolings to do their bidding, absolutely disgusting.
They landed, noting that there was an arena. There were octarians all around them.
And a lone figure was standing in the middle of the arena.
Agent 4 took a deep breath, looking down at the hero shot they had finally gotten upgraded. They could do this. Inkopolis was counting on them. Marie was counting on them.
They jumped into the launchpad and landed down in the arena.
"Let's go, Agent 4!" Marie cheered them on. They smiled a little. They could do this.
The crowd cheered around them, but they paid no mind to it, heading towards the figure that had their back turned to them. Another brainwashed octoling?
"Wait is that... CALLIE?!" Marie called out.
Agent 4 took a step back. "Callie?" Could it be that she'd been brainwashed? But the ringleader only brainwashed octolings! What use could they have for inklings?!
The figure turned around, quite obviously an inkling. And those hypnotising glasses..
Agent 4 gritted their teeth. How were they supposed to get those off? They couldn't possibly harm Marie's cousin!
"I told you to leave..." Callie said.
Agent 4 watched with bated breath. Were they supposed to fight Callie? But she was being brainwashed. They couldn't harm her. They didn't even know if she had a respawn.
"Callie... Why?" Marie asked, sounding distraught.
"She's brainwashed, she has to be." Agent 4 mumbled. There was no way that the Callie from Marie's stories would ever work with the octarians. Not willingly.
"Now you leave me no choice..." Callie said before Marie could reply. "Prepare to be rocked!"
Agent 4 felt a chill go down their back.
"Hey, DJ!"
They quickly hopped back a couple paces, just in time to watch the platform with Callie rise up. A giant octopus was in the contraption right below her, sitting in a DJ booth.
"I'm so fucked." Agent 4 mumbled. Marie didn't even chastise them for swearing.
And there was the great zapfish. Being sucked into the giant floating stage DJ booth thing.
"GYAH HA HA! I REMIXED CALLIE'S BRAIN!"
Agent 4's hands tightened on the trigger. They would not stand for this. "I'm getting Callie back."
They jumped back when a giant fist shot at them and experimentally opened fire on it.
It got launched back right at 'DJ Octavio'. Good. They would make that bastard fear their name.
They got thrown back by another giant fist and groaned quietly, quickly getting up.
They managed to launch it back the next time and quickly circled their opponent, inking the floor as they went.
"MARIE, WHY THE FUCK IS CALLIE THROWING GIANT BOMBS?!!" They shouted when they almost got thrown off the stage when trying to dodge the fourth giant bomb. That was not the nice Callie Marie always talked about, why bombs, holy mackerel.
They didn't have time to complain further, having to send some giant fists back to sender.
They had not expected their day to go like that. Not at all.
"I demand sweets. Lots of them!" They yelled as they dodged a giant spinning fist. "And stickers!"
"CALLIE, SNAP OUT OF IT!!" Marie shouted, only managing to almost knock out Agent 4's hearing. They were too slow to dodge the next barrage of bombs that nearly cost them a respawn.
They took a deep breath, squared their shoulders, and focused on their opponent.
"He's gonna hit you with his shower attack! Dodge to the side!" Marie called out.
Agent 4 jumped out of the way at the last second, mumbling a thanks.
A couple hits later, they finally managed to get a decent hit on DJ Octavio.
They could do this. Just a bit longer.
Callie wasn't reacting to anything. That mind control had to be pretty damn strong.
They jumped out of the way of giant suction bombs, wondering how the hell Callie was managing to make those. The power of music?? Holy mackerel that had been close.
They were barely holding on when Marie said something absolutely wonderful.
"Agent 4! I'll be there soon. Hold out just a little longer!"
They could do that. They knew how proficient Marie was with her sniper. They actually stood a chance.
And then they downed Octavio a second time.
They couldn't contain their excitement when they saw Sheldon fly a mobile stage into the arena, Marie on top of it with her sniper in hand. They cheered loudly as the octarians booed.
She nailed the shot perfectly, knocking off the hypno shades.
"Now Agent 4, while Callie is stunned! Make DJ Octavio pay!"
"Got it!" They shouted, readying their weapon. They would send Octavio to hell.
Seeing Marie and Callie singing together was amazing.
The rest of the fight was a blur of dodging and shooting. They barely noticed anything else, too focused on not falling off the ride rails, dodging, shooting.
When they finally shot Octavio out of the sky and slammed that rainmaker on top of him, they were knocked out by the resorting explosion.
~~~
"They're waking up!" A voice they didn't recognise said excitedly.
"Hush, don't disturb them." A voice they definitely recognised chastised.
"Marie.." Agent 4 mumbled, opening their eyes and looking in the direction the voices had come from.
Marie was wearing her kimono again, and the other person was Callie.
"I still need to slap a sticker onto DJ Octavio's face.." They carefully tried to sit up while Marie was busy trying to contain her laughter. Callie just looked confused.
Thankfully, nothing seemed to be hurt too much. They were glad they didn't have bones; else something might have been broken. Like this, they just had a couple bruises.
"I believe standing up will get me less chocolate." They mumbled to themselves and refrained from doing so.
"Clam right." Marie agreed. "You can have all the chocolate and stickers you want as long as you're careful. And you can put stickers on Octavio's snow globe prison once you feel better."
Agent 4 cheered quietly. That did make them feel a little better already.
"You did well. The great zapfish has been returned to Inkopolis. But I must ask that you don't tell anyone what really happened."
Agent 4 nodded. "I know. The octolings on the surface would get unneeded smack for it. They already have a hard time. And I'm fine with not getting recognition from the general public. I know I'm already your hero." They smiled.
Marie beamed. "Yes, you're my hero. You brought Callie and the great zapfish back, far exceeding my expectations for you."
Agent 4 fluffed up their cushion a little and shuffled around to lean against the headboard. "I wouldn't have gotten so far without your tips and encouragement. And that sniper practise. It really came in handy when I had to aim for those giant fists with the rainmaker."
"I'm glad." Marie hummed.