Hello, and welcome to Salmon Slayer! Yep, I'm back! This story is based on the Salmon Run mode in Splatoon 2.

Quotes that are in italics are thoughts being said within the character's mind, and not out loud.

(A/N 9-6-17: The first few chapters have been updated a bit.)

I hope you all enjoy the story!

"Man...what a day," said an Inkling girl, holding her earnings from a recent chain of Turf Wars. "Aww...I thought for sure I'd make it least 15,000 today...and here I am just 2,300 short. Damn. Maybe I'll play some more Turf Wars later for some extra dough."

The purple-haired girl walked out of the Battle Lobby at Deca Tower into Inkopolis Square, the Great Zapfish watching over from the top of the building. She had her hair in a bun style, though the Jellyvader Cap on her head covered it up. She had fair skin and dark green eyes, and was wearing a White Deca Logo Tee alongside Orange Arrows and standard shorts. Inklings were walking around talking with one another, some were hanging around the lobby, others by the café tables, and some were simply hanging out wherever they could.

"...Huh, not that many people out here today," the girl thought to herself, "Wonder where everyone-"

"Yo, Hilda!" yelled a voice.

"Huh?" she turned her head to see a green-haired Inkling girl running towards her. "Oh, hey Jayde!" Jayde was a little bit taller than Hilda, and had pale skin. She had orange eyes and wore her hair in the standard "long" style. She wore a Black V-neck Tee with skirt legwear and Arrow Pull-Ons. She had Tinted Shades resting on top her head, but was not wearing them over her eyes.

"So how were your Turf War matches today?" Jayde asked.

"Lackluster, but good," Hilda responded, "Didn't make that much today. These new Orange Arrows didn't work as well as I'd hoped they would. I think I'll stick with the Moto Boots. So, how about you? Did'cha you have any luck getting to S rank?"

"Nope. I was so close, though! My rank meter is on the verge of breaking at this point. We would've won that last match if that one dude wasn't squiddin' around like an idiot."

"I guess we both had a lackluster day then, huh?"

"Eh, yeah. Hey, you wanna get a drink at the Crust Bucket or something?"

"Nah. How about a bite? I'm starving!"

"Sure! I could use an experience boost." The two Inklings made their way to Crusty Sean's Crust Bucket, Inkopolis Square's number one spot for food and drink. Hilda ordered a Deep-Fried Shwaffle, and Jayde ordered a Super Seanwich and a cup of Tentacola. The two sat down at a nearby table and talked for a while.

"Have you noticed there aren't that many people in the square, today?" Hilda asked.

"Now that you mention it, yeah," Jayde responded, "They're probably at the Wet Floor Concert that's supposed to happen in a little bit."

"Oh right! I forgot about that! Have you heard their latest album?"

"Oh, you mean-" The two were interrupted by the Inkopolis News as it began on the largest screen on Deca Tower, with Off the Hook delivering the local news and stage updates. The two Inklings mostly ignored it.

"And now a word from our sponsor!" Hilda heard Pearl say, catching her attention. She turned her head to see the screen. "Grizzco is hiring! Apply now!" With that, the news broadcast ended.

"Grizzco...?" Hilda said to herself, "What's that?"

"You haven't heard of 'em?!" Jayde said in surprise, "Haven't you been following the Inkopolis News?"

"Not really. I use SplatNet to check the stages these days."

Jayde pointed to the Grizzco building next to the lobby, to left of the tower. "See that orange building over there? That's the entrance to Grizzco Industries."

"That one? Huh. What kind of job is it?"

"Urm...I'm not sure how to put it, exactly. You'll have to go see for yourself in order to understand. They have some good rewards though, including some extra bucks if you need it."

"Really?!"

"Yeah! But I do have to warn you, though. It's...pretty dangerous, and a little shady. But oh boy, it's quite an amazing thrill! I honestly think you'd like it."

"Huh. Sounds interesting. Are they open right now?"

"Yeah, they're always hiring! If you wanna apply, talk to the guy named Mr. Grizz."

"Mr. Grizz. Got it." Hilda and Jayde finished their meals, talking a bit more and then saying their goodbyes. Jayde headed for the lobby to participate in more battles, while Hilda walked towards Grizzco. She stopped just outside the entrance.

"So...this is Grizzco?" Hilda examined the place. It looked to be in relatively good condition, yet at the same time it wasn't. She looked inside; it seemed dimly lit and had a creepy feel to it. There were cans and coolers everywhere, some of the cans where lazily spilled across the ground and empty. Various large fishing hooks where scattered across the ceiling and pictures of strange and creepy-looking fish creatures were placed everywhere.

"Ugh...this place is already giving me the creeps." Hilda slowly walked in and looked around more. It looked much brighter once she was actually inside, and it felt a bit chilly, as if someone left an air conditioner on when it didn't need to be. There were nets holding lots of strange glowing orange spheres. Several static screens covered one of the walls, along with a small control panel alongside them. A lot graphs, plans, and machinery decorated the rest of the walls. Jayde was right. This was pretty shady.

Hilda looked at the various depictions of the strange-looking fish creatures. She had a sudden feeling of dread and déjà vu. "Wh-Why do I feel like I've seen these things before...? They look oddly fa-"

"Hey, kid!" said a loud raspy voice that sounded as if it were coming from a walkie talkie.

"Huh?! M-Mr. Grizz?"

"Oh, you know my name already. Nice. Anywa-"

"Where are you? I don't see you anywhere!"

"Ugh. Over here, kid." Hilda looked around until she spotted where the voice was coming from: a small, wooden statue of an animal Hilda had never seen before with a fish in its mouth. A long radio antenna was attached to the top of its head. It was sitting atop one of the coolers.

"M-Mr. Grizz?" Hilda was stunned. "You're a...statue?"

"Well...not really. But that ain't important. Moving on, how would you like to help shape the future of Inkopolis? Welcome to Grizzco Industries. As you already seem to know, my name is Mr. Grizz. How'd you know that, anyway?"

"A friend told me."

"Hm. Well, here at Grizzco, we're tryin' to make the world a better place, and we need fresh young talent like you to help. It's just your run-of-the-mill, manual-labor type of work, but it's for a good cause, and we pay well."

"Manual labor? What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Well, ya see kid, there are these vicious, unfeeling creatures that live in the water called Salmonids. Your job is t-"

"Hold on. Stop right there."

"Wha...?"

"What did you say these creatures were called again?"

"Salmonids. They're vicious creatures that lurk in the seas of a restricted area outside the coast." Hilda's eyes widened for a moment, as if some sort of revelation had just occurred. "Uh...kid? You okay?

Hilda suddenly approached closer towards the wooden statue, her expression changed. She said slowly, "I'm listening."