10084: Who let Phoenix go to Indonesia?

Phoenix grinned to herself. At last she was free! Having given her Admiral the slip, she'd taken the first flight out of LA for Jakarta. Edward, unable to stop her and unable to call for help (radio jammers were a beautiful thing) had come with her. If anything he hoped to manage the chaos she would cause or at least break it down into manageable chunks that people could swallow without too much difficulty.

It was no surprise to him that as soon as they stepped outside the airport Phoenix made a beeline for the coast. Most shipgirls hated to fly. Usually because it made them sick. But Phoenix, clever girl that she was, brought several bottles with her that she filled with salt water once past security. Essentially taking the ocean up with her. It seemed to have worked as there wasn't a sign of the usual air sickness that accompanied shipgirls on long flights. Not even a stagger. Phoenix charged to the beach, carry on in hand. Edward having to jog to keep up although he could easily outrun her, he wasn't used to all the twists and turns of the city.

At last, open ground. Phoenix stopped on the shore and unzipped her bag, pulling out a weird tangle of parts that looked as though they would fit together to form some contraption.

"What is that?" Edward asked, feeling a bit of dread.

"Makeshift summoning chamber." Phoenix replied with an easy grin that made Edward's dread worse. "Loowit made it for me."

"A makeshift summoning chamb..." Edward sounded confused until it clicked. "Phoenix are you insane?!"

"Sanity is over rated." She replied, as she picked up her contraption and ran into the surf.

"I'm serious!" He hissed. "Phoenix get back here! PHOENIX!"

Edward had never once regretted being what he was. He liked being a train. Until he met the science!girls he was supposed to watch. Being unable to steam across water had its drawbacks and he was helpless to stop Phoenix from doing something so incredibaly stupid it put all her precious stupid to shame!

It was a quick steam across the channel. Anak Krakatoa lay in the middle of the Sunda Straits, halfway between Sumatra and Java. The majestic peak that formed the latest incarnation was silent, as though there was no massive seething caldron of magma just beneath its surface.

Phoenix made landfall and began the long trek up the steep slopes, making numerous obligatory curses along the way. She didn't trust Edward not to call the authorities on her. By the Locker, she'd call the authorities on her if she were him. That's how stupid this plan was. Even she thought it was stupid.

50 faceplants, 70 stumbles and over 100 ankle twists later, she was at the summit. It's taken her 30 minutes, and drenched in sweat she took a mere moment to catch her breath before she began to set up her makeshift summoning chamber. When she'd originally summoned the three spirits she had been hoping for Krakatoa. She had been in love and inspired by the volcano since the early days of her service. It was for Krakatoa that she caused so much flame filled insanity. Like Sammy B and Khan, Phoenix must worship her master. And now she was going to summon her.

She sprinkled some fresh pummace into the chamber as an offering as well as an enticement. Then she hit a button and the chamber lit up. It started to hum as it was activated and the hum got louder and louder and louder. Beneath it came a growling noise that was most definitely not from the chamber. It got so intense that Phoenix was shaken off her feet. It was like the ground beneath her had turned to jelly. The sounds and heat were almost unbearable and she felt part of her superstructure begin to melt.

Then an angry voice said "GET OFF ME!" And the next thing Phoenix knew she was soaring high into the air, riding the very top of a dark cloud. She flew higher and higher as it rose. 10,000 feet, 20,000 feet. At 45,000 feet it began to collapse. Phoenix was dragged down towards the sea where she could see the entire western flank of Anak sliding into the sea.

She splashed down, having mere seconds before the wave caught her. She was dragged to its top as it created. She'd never been frightened of water before but now, she was terrified of it. Even though she was a shipgirl and was able to take a beating that would pound a human into a meat pile, she could still drown. The wave carried her on a ride that made her wonder if this is what clothes felt like in a washing machine. It carried her through buildings, cars, anything that was in its path she smashed through.

Desperate for air she tried to regain her bearings and struck out for the surface. Her depth finder told her she was going the wrong way. Cursing, she flipped around but struggling against the current she made little progress. She feared she would die!

Then, something grabbed her and she was lifted. Shot almost like a rocket to the surface. As soon as she was finished coughing her lungs clear of water she became aware. Someone had a hold of her and was dragging her to higher ground by the back of her shirt. As soon as she began trying to find her feet, the pressure stopped.

"Maybe now you'll know better about sticking your bow in where it isn't wanted." Said a voice, still angry but a good deal cooler than what it was earlier.

Having expected Edward, Phoenix leaped to her feet. Bright orange eyes met her own, flaming red hair with a halo of steam around it as it rejected water and dark tanned skin typical of Indonesia.

"It worked!" Phoenix couldn't help but leap with cheer. She didn't know that one of her screws were bent and when she came back down she collapsed in the sand. "Ow..." she muttered.