CHOSEN ANSWER: Follow GG and Vian

"We should follow them," I whispered back to Agent 3. Even though there was a chance of danger, something was ailing me to trust the two splatubers. In fact, I'd say it was a few voices in my head that were telling me to do so.

Thankfully, she understood. "Got it. Let's keep our eyes open for an opportunity to move," She said, nodding once.

Minutes turned to hours as the hooded figures in the intersection continued their chatter. They were too far away from us to understand what they were saying, but as I had said before, they were anything but good news.

Agent 3 and I were desperate to find a way out of this situation, but as time trailed away, we grew more and more worried. The strangers refused to move, and I was concerned if they were planning to enter the same tunnel that we were in right now. If they did, we were in DEEP trouble.

Behind us, I could feel the tension between all the splatubers rise, their faces all showing different expressions and yet the same emotion; fear. The air was stone cold as we waited impatiently for a sign, for any sign that these strangers were going to leave.

After what seemed to be millions of hours, our prayers were finally answered. The murmurs between the figures disappeared into thin air as their circle broke away. One by one, they began to walk into another tunnel far away from us, the spectacle of them looking away from us practically screaming for us to GET GOING.

I heaved a heavy sigh of relief. "I think we're safe now," I began, turning back to Viantastic and Gabriel Gaming. "Guys, how do we head back to the Picture Room from here?"

"We need to head to the tunnel where we came from," Viantastic explained, turning to everyone else as well. "I think it's right next to us,"

"Good," Agent 3 smiled slightly. "We're gonna have to rush for it one by one so that we're not seen, so everyone, be careful," She instructed sternly.

We all quietly lined up and ran over to the other tunnel one at a time, miraculously avoiding the eyes of the strangers who were all leaving the intersection. Though some of us were brave, I could still spot signs of uneasiness between them. I could not blame them. After all, my heart was pounding too.

Luck seemed to be on our side, as everyone was able to make it across the gap safely, leaving only Etcesona and I in our last hiding spot. At this point, all of the hooded strangers have left, with only two of them standing by the doorway of the tunnel before them.

"I don't like this, Agent 8," The afro-haired octoling whispered to me from behind. "What if the Vian and Gab that we're following aren't the real ones?" He asked as we both tiptoed to the tunnel. "I mean, I hate to suspect my friends like this, but after everything that's happened tonight, I..."

Through the sound of his voice trailing off, I could tell that he was worried. "I'm concerned about the danger too, Etcesona," I replied, trying my best to console him. "But right now, we just have to trust that they're the ones that we know. If they really aren't our friends, then I'll-"

"You'll what, Agent 8?"

What?!

As soon as I could register the unfamiliar voice, a hand reached out and gripped tightly to Etcesona, yanking his arm with the clear intention of capturing him. A quick turn and glance at the owner of the hand revealed it to be one of the hooded figures in the room earlier, although there was a certain aspect about him that appeared very familiar.

"Get your hands off of me, you freak!!" Etcesona screamed angrily, swatting at the stranger only to have his other hand caught. The thought of another splatuber getting caught and killed tonight irked me to my core; I had to do something-!

Without a second thought, I aimed my elbow at the stranger, hitting him hard in the gut and forcing him to hold his side tightly, letting go of Etcesona. As he staggered, I noticed that his hood had fallen off of him due to the force I had exerted on him.

That face that I saw... Those green eyes... That orange hair...

Is that... SkulShurtugal?!

"Are you going to fail again, Agent 8?" The inkling before me spoke in a malicious tone, his voice full of hatred and disappointment. "Are you going to fail just like how you failed to save me?"

He continued, his body rising and slouching slightly, appearing like a hunched ghost. He... He shouldn't be here... He's not here... but he looks just like-

"You killed me, Agent 8."

"You killed me and left me behind."

I didn't... I DIDN'T! I'm not the one who killed you!! I did not kill you!! I can't move. I refuse to move. My body will not move. My eyes cannot move.

He approaches me and I cannot move.

"I'm DEAD because of you, Agent 8."

He approaches me and I cannot move.

"I'm DEAD because you failed."

"SHUT UP, YOU CODDAMN DOPPELGANGER!!"

A hard push from someone managed to knock 'Skul' down to the ground, kicking me out of my trance. From behind, I could feel Etcesona's arms helping me off the ground, supporting me as I struggled to stand. "Leave us alone, or I'll bash your face in!" He threatened with a defensive stare. "You're not the real Skul, so BUZZ OFF!"

The doppelganger growled menacingly, his eyes having the intention of attacking a second time. But knowing that he was outnumbered, he stood up quickly and ran off into the tunnels again, leaving the intersection to be quiet once more. Meanwhile, Agent 3 and the others had heard the commotion and were now huddled around Etcesona and I.

"8!!" Gabriel Gaming called out worriedly. "What the hell happened?!"

"Are you two okay?" Agent 3 asked, checking us for any injuries.

Etcesona answered before me, and thankfully I was grateful for it; my mouth was too dry for me to speak. "We're fine. Someone looking like Skul tried to capture me, but Agent 8 elbowed him out of the way,"

"A doppelganger of Skul?? Is this what you guys were talking about?" VicVillon asked Viantastic, who nodded in response. After the experience, and the fact that 'Skul' did not approach Viantastic or Gabriel Gaming, it was clear to me that those two were not fakes of any kind.

"Also," The afro-octoling turned to me. "Thanks, 8, for saving me back there," He thanked me with a genuine smile that lightened the stress I was feeling. Despite the harrowing scenario that had just occurred, I was feeling a little better about myself.

*Etce will remember this.

After we had calmed down, our journey to discover the truth continued. Gabriel Gaming and Viantastic lead us through the tunnels back to the Picture Room, upon which they showed us the hidden door behind Agent 4's picture. Despite our concern of danger, we ventured into the tunnels once more and emerged in a small room where Agent 4 supposedly... died.

"That pit over there..." Gabriel Gaming muttered in shame. "That's where we heard Agent 4 screaming to death... There was nothing we could do..."

Sagaci immediately placed a hand on his back. "It's not your fault, Gab. You and Vian aren't to blame!"

"Sagaci's right," VicVillon agreed. "Right now, let's just stick together and stay alive, okay?" She said with a warm smile, which lightened the guilty look on the boater-wearing squid's face.

At the same time, Viantastic grimaced. "By the way," He began as he turned to me and Agent 3. "There was something that Agent 4 had to do before she was...killed,"

"What is it, Viantastic?" Both Agent 3 and I stood at attention, waiting for the purple inkling's words.

It was a while before Viantastic spoke again, his face expressing pain at his words. "At some point, there was this door in front of us with a touchpad screen. Agent 4 really wanted us to find everything important that could help you, so she decided to talk with the person who was speaking with us on the screen,"

"It basically told her to choose between two people to... 'eliminate' from this 'game'," Gabriel Gaming continued, seemingly afraid of his own words. "And the worst part was, she had to choose between you Agents,"

Us? She had to choose between us? "Are you kidding me?" CallieMacN's pink eyes grew as wide as saucers. "That's... that's too cruel...!"

"Wh-who did she choose then?" Agent 3 hurriedly asked. "Who did she choose to 'eliminate'?"

Silence enveloped the room like a blanket before Viantastic could speak again, his green eyes facing the floor, too ashamed to look at us. "In the end, she chose to eliminate you, Agent 3,"

"No..." I uttered in horror, realising the magnitude of what Agent 4 had done. Eliminating Agent 3... that can't possibly mean that she was going to be killed next... can it? It seemed that I was not the only one thinking that way, because everyone else was also visibly shaken and flabbergasted at the mentioning of Agent 4's crucial choice.

Our leader... Our mentor... next to be killed?

"After that, she was so distraught by her choice that she just ran off. Even though she managed to find this room, it was where those freaks caught her and... a-and... " At this point, Viantastic was clenching his fists so hard that they turned white.

"Guys, you gotta understand," Gabriel Gaming added quickly, wanting to vouch for her actions. "She had no choice in the matter, there was nothing she could do! I mean, what would you say to doing something like that?"

~~~~

~ A DECISION TO MAKE ~

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(Underlined and bold indicates the final answer determined by my Twitter poll)

Why would she do that?!

That's INSANE!!

Poor Agent 4...

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