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// Out of the Microwave and into the Octo-Oven 
// Story: Spike the Squid Kid 
// by Darth Severus 
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Spike walked through the square. It had been almost two months since the change, but something was off. He hadn't heard any news about the Great Zapfish, or Callie's disappearance. Suddenly, Off the Hook came on the video board on top of Deca Tower and gave the news. Spike chuckled and said, "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear." He saw a girl standing over a sewer grate, and when she noticed him, she went down it in squid form. Spike followed her down the grate, and said to himself, "Octo Canyon... so this is what it looks like in real life."

The girl who he saw had her back facing him and said, "The Octarians... they're back..." she turned around to face Spike and said, "I've seen you around town lately. You seem... different... than the other Inklings I've seen. There's something about you that's so mysterious. That's just what I'm looking for. I'm Marie. Yes, THAT Marie, from the Squid Sisters. I know you're probably starstruck, but try to contain yourself."

Spike smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you, name's Spike."

Marie smiled back and said, "It's great to meet you- wait... you said your name was Spike, right? Why does that name sound so familiar...? Oh! Sorry, that's not important right now. Listen, two years ago, Agent 3 of the New Squidbeak Splatoon defeated the Octarian  army. We thought things would be peaceful, and they were for a while, but they're back... Can I ask for you to help us?"

Spike nodded and said, "If it's for the safety of Inkopolis, I'll help in any way I can."

Marie smiled brightly and said, "Perfect! Thank you! I've got something for you." she handed him a suit of armor, and a shooter weapon. She told him, "That's your Hero Suit and Hero Shot, the gear you'll be using to fight the Octarians. Just don't wear it outside of Octo Canyon. If people know that the Octarians have returned, there'll be mass panic." As Spike slipped his Hero Suit over his normal clothes, she said, "A perfect fit!" and quietly said to herself, "Not bad for a hand-me-down..."

Spike smiled and said, "Well, why don't we get this show on the road?"

Marie smiled and said, "I like your spunk Agent 4. The Octarians hide in kettles, but they're invisible to the naked eye. That's where the Hero Shot comes in. Ink anything that looks strange, and you're bound to find a kettle. Once you find a kettle, go into squid form, and enter the fray. Good luck."

Spike walked through the area, it was just like he remembered it from the game. He shot ink around something he could feel in front of him, but couldn't see. When the kettle revealed itself, he said, "Well, here goes." He entered his squid form and went through the grate of the kettle.

As Spike arrived in the kettle, Marie contacted him via his headphones saying, "Testing, testing, 1, 2, 1, 2. Agent 4, do you read me?"

Spike clicked the communicator and said, "I read you loud and clear Marie. I'm ready to splat some Octarians."

Marie giggled over the communicator and said, "You seem confident. Based on how often I've seen you going to Deca Tower, I think you're safe without my two cents."

Spike smirked and said, "If you've ever got some good advice, I'm more than willing to take it." He made his way through the stage and saw some Octarians guarding a vault. He thought to himself, "There weren't any vaults on this level... It must be different from the game. Think Spike, think." He pulled out a Splat Bomb and tossed it towards the Octarians. While they were in a panic to get away from the bomb, Spike jumped out from the wall he was hiding behind and shot ink at them.

As the Octarians got splatted, Marie congratulated him saying, "Good job Agent 4! The Zapfish is close!"

When Spike got to the bubble holding the Zapfish, he shot at it and grabbed the Zapfish. As he got out of the Kettle, he said, "One down, two to go. So Marie, how'd I do?"

Marie smiled and said, "You did great Agent 4. I knew you had talent, and I was right, you do. Let's keep going until we find the Great Zapfish!"

A Few Hours Later

Spike finally got the other two Zapfish, and was taking a break by the little cabin near the sewer grate back to Inkopolis Square. He took a sip of his Tenta Cola and asked, "So Marie... why me? I'm just an ordinary kid. I mean, yeah, I'm good at ink battles, but I'm nothing special."

Marie smiled at him and said, "That's not true Spike, everyone is special in their own way. As for why I chose you, it's not easy to explain. When I saw you heading towards Deca Tower for the first time, something... clicked. I don't know why, but I felt like I knew you were the one I needed to help me."

Spike smiled and said, "I guess fate has a funny way of choosing the person you least expect for the job." He got up and said, "Well, I better get to the boss kettle."

Marie smiled and said, "Good luck, but before you go." she kissed him on the cheek and said, "For luck."

Spike blushed and said, "T-Thanks Marie." and he headed off to the boss kettle and went down it. He got on the launch pad and headed into the boss's arena. As the boss appeared he said to himself, "The game makes this thing look a lot smaller..."

Marie contacted him and said, "I'd recommend not getting hit by the end of those loaves of bread... that... have faces... totally weird..."

Spike dodged the attacks from the loaves of bread until all the loaves popped out. He shot ink up the side of a loaf and then from the top of the loaf to the ceiling of the oven. He saw the tentacle, the boss's weak point, and started firing non-stop at it until it burst.

As Spike super jumped off the top of the oven, Marie said, "Donut stop! You kneed to keep it up!"

Spike said to himself, "And I thought those puns were cheesy in the game..." As the boss recovered itself, and then shot out the pillars of ink that were standard of the second stage of the boss battle. After that, panels fell off from the oven, leaving less places for him to climb up.

Marie said, "Ooh! Churros! No... those are just ink columns... And it looks like there's less places to climb up."

Spike sighed and kept up the pressure. When the bread loaves came out of the oven again, he started covering them in ink, and jumped from one of the lower loaves to a higher loaf and then climbed up to the top. He shot the tentacle until it popped again. He smirked and said, "Is that the best you got!?"

Marie chuckled and said, "Don't get cocky, it's not over yet."

Spike chuckled back and replied, "Yeah, I know, but still, this it too damn easy." as the loaves covered parts of them in armor, he said to himself, "Dumbest idea ever."

Marie warned him, "That glazing machine will be a real problem if it's not taken out fast enough. I suggest taking care of that."

Spike thought to himself, "I didn't think you could take out the glazing machine. Hopefully this harebrained scheme works." he took out a Splat Bomb and set the charge. A few seconds before it went off, he threw it at the glazing machine, and the explosion caused it to fall off.

Marie seemed surprised and said, "I was just trying to boost your confidence, I didn't think you could get rid of the glazing machine that easily!"

Spike responded and said, "Trust me, I wasn't sure either." Without the glazing machine on his tail, he could easily get on top of the oven and destroy the tentacle for the third and final time.

When he super jumped off the exploding oven, he and Marie said in union, "This guy's toast!"

The loaves of bread started popping out of the oven, burnt to a crisp until the whole oven exploded, leaving the Zapfish in its place. Spike grabbed the Zapfish and headed back out to meet Marie. When he got out, he saw that the plug on the Boss Kettle short circuited and caused the device keeping him from going to the next area to blow a fuse and blow up.

Marie said to Spike, "Good job Agent 4. I think you should be getting home, your parents will be worried if you're out too long."

Spike nodded, taking off his Hero Suit and going back to Inkopolis Square. When he got home, Twilight asked, "Where've you been all day? I didn't see you at Deca Tower all day."

Spike thought up a response quickly and said, "Mr. Grizz called me and told me to come over, I thought he found out something about that giant robot, but the others weren't there, so I just hung around the Square."

Twilight shrugged and said, "Whatever. Mom's almost got dinner ready, so let's get ready to eat."

Spike sighed in relief when Twilight left and said to himself, "Great, between Grizzco and Marie, I've got two non-existent skeletons in the closet. Well, I guess I'll play the cards I've been dealt." and went up to prepare for dinner.