Chapter 3

(1 day ago)

Location: off the coast of San Diego

The ocean crashed against the shoreline in shallow waves. The darkened sky twinkled with tiny dots of bright stars overhead, and the moon shone brightly against the crystalline water, reflecting its calm white light.

Within three seconds, the passive scenery was disturbed by shots of cannons which echoed across the ocean, and the cool night air was suffocated by flames and piteous smoke. The city of San Diego and its subsidiary naval port and factories which manufactured the vibration warhead lay burning in a catastrophic blaze. The whole coastline glowed in embers, and screams of people hardly could be heard over the roar of flames.

Another loud series of booms echoed from the dark ocean, signifying another barrage of cannonry as a barrage littered many of the lingering buildings, prioritizing the residential zones. The horrific fire sprawled over the city even more, and three ships where floating quietly on the surface, surveying the damage.

All were glowing in beautiful colors that shone brightly upon the surface of the water, identifying them as Fog ships, but these Fog ships weren't ordinary replicas of World War II battleships or heavy cruisers. Instead, they were copies of 20th century ocean liners.

The middle ship, illuminated in white and green colors, blew its foghorn as if in mellow triumph. Shining off the bow was its title as the RMS Titanic. Its four funnels spewed forth black smoke.

"How bothersome…the side mission is over…" its mental model said mechanically, scanning the city with unsympathetic eyes as he patted down his short black hair. Clothed in a white coat and pants with a green cape and necktie, he perfectly matched his vessel. "Assessment."

The RMS OLYMPIC pulled a little closer, glowing in white and red hues. Its pilot stood out less on deck in a tucked-in polo, crimson necktie, and black cargoless pants and shoulder-length hair swayed in the hot breeze.

"Estimation of damage…100 percent…casualties: 10 million, all military factories and facilities harboring data for and storage of the Vibration Warhead," spoke its pilot in equal calm. "Opposition obliterated."

"Very good, Bigby," said the first.

"Much welcome, Comrade Mark," the second said dully.

"Hey…Mark…Bigby…" The two looked further out to the HMHS Britannic, gleaming in white and blue colors, where a white-haired boy clad in a blue hoodie and brown, distressed pants stood casually on the railings at the foremost of the ship. He maintained composure of utter boredom.

"I can still hear people screaming and shouting." He pointed a shepherd's staff at the blazing city. "Can I kill them now? They're not screaming in fun…"

"Patience, Comrade Jack…" Bigby sternly said, but Mark chuckled.

"No need for that, Bigby…" He glanced out to the white haired boy. "Go for it, Jack. Let them know the power of the Fairytale Squadron of the Templar Fleet."

The kid pointed his staff upwards and let loose a laugh of utter abandon. Machinery whirred to life around him as he readied the missile pods and cried, "Snow day! It's a snow day, everyone!"

Location: Off the Coast of New York, New York

(Same Time)

New York City, currently the world's largest existing city, was protected by a large, long wall that encapsulated the entire city with a wide radius. The city was bathed in life, and lights decorated it in a myriad of colors. The Statue of Liberty, standing proudly in the cold air, shone on with its right hand piercing the sky with its world-renowned torch.

Much like San Diego, the loud thunderclap of cannons glossed the sky with smoke and star-like embers. Buildings collapsed, traffic was thrown into disarray, and whatever passersby there were screamed before being enveloped in wreckage and dust tsunamis.

Another boom reverberated from the bay, followed shortly by a widespread purple beam. The laser swept past two tall buildings to strike the Empire State Building square in the middle.

Beside the surrounding bay wall lay an 18th century brig. The ship glowed in a purple hue colors like a ghost ship, its sails neatly folded up to show its skeletal masts, and its cannons humming as it fired on an aggressive warship that was attempting to sink it. Its name, AQUILLA, on the stern, gleamed to the black waters below.

"So this is New York," said a man in centuries-old clothes, looking on from within the crow's nest. His blue robe fluttered in the wind as his matching eyes stared at the burning city. Several circles hovered around him together with holographic windows showing him radars or infrared images. A window cascaded in the corner of his eye showing an old, mustached man with black hair.

"Young Master Kenway…is your task finish?" the elder asked.

"Not yet." A new window revealing a radar screen appeared in the young man's field of view. "Ten of my Apaches are still flying…giving chase to a fleeing bus."

"Young Master, you're specifically ordered to deploy half of your aircraft unit and leave the rest to protect your 'George Washington.' "Looked over his shoulder, the younger man saw the enormous aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, floating behind his little ship.

It too was bathed in Kenway's mental model's livery. Its sleek, ferocious design gleamed together with the majestic control tower on deck.

"George is fine; New York is large. Besides…wasn't the order to destroy everything and everyone involved in the production of the vibration warhead?" He made a thin smile and continued. "This conversation ends here." With a swift gesture, he flung the window aside, cutting all communication, mused before muttering the order: "All aircraft return…"

The sky above him soon roared and opened up, twenty F-18's swept by above him and circled around the twin aircraft carriers, then a batch of F-14's followed by a flock of Apache Helicopters. All glowed in his colors as they prepared for landing.

"He cut me off, Sir Haytham," the mental model of the carrier HMS Prince of Wales said begrudgingly. Brown coat and blue undercoat swayed in the breeze as he stood on the tower bridge roof.

Beside him was the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, and standing on the edge of the bow-facing runway was her mental model Haytham Kenway.

Haytham sighed and closed his eyes after a holographic window disappeared. Feeds happening on the shore were still opening and closing around him.

"He's always like that…that Connor, according to both our databanks and our past relationship status," the elderly man added as he removed his nautical hat to brush back his hair.

"Charles Lee, I'm retiring for the day. Make sure our voyage to the rendezvous point is…peaceful."

Charles Lee made a short bow as the man walked away, and when Haytham disappeared beneath deck Lee struck the roof using the heel of his boot. The engines of both ships roared to life as they began to move away from the hellish city.

Location: Off the Coast of Mirny, Antarctica

(Same Time)

"Don't let it get away!" a captain shouted inside the bridge of a leading destroyer of ten, pointing at the ship they were chasing. "That Fog ship destroyed half our blockade! We can't let it get away with that!"

Their spirits rallied, those in charge of the armaments launched 16-inch shells and a salvo of missiles toward the fleeing Fog ship.

The vessel was an 18th century sloop-of-war. Its sails, with a head of wolf embedded on the metallic fabric, fluttered as it pulled the ship away from its pursuers, its hull entirely black except for the reddish glow. Blackened panels shielded the ship from the oncoming projectiles.

Standing in the crow's nest with a predatory gaze was its captain, a man with a black cape with red trim. The man's black hair moved as a missile swept past his head.

"Klein Field saturated, recharging…" the man uttered as he glanced over his shoulder. Several circles floated around him. He scanned the pursuers quickly before a window dropped in front of him, showing a thermal image.

"10 Polaris-class destroyers, speed 25 knots, armaments level-medium lethal…sending SOS."as if on cue another Fog ship bursts out of the water and floated beside his ship. The new ship was bigger and much more modern that his and its bow was pointed toward the pursuers.

"What is that?!" a soldier said on the deck of the leading destroyer.

"Oh no…It's another Fog Ship, a Russian Kirov-Class battle cruiser, the Pyotr Velikiy!" Another one shouted in panic.

Back at the sail ship, the man in black looked at the mental model of the battle cruiser. He was a man clothed in a winter, black-indigo colored robe with feather boas around the hood covering his head. The man was standing on the roof of the bridge. The ship emitted a black and indigo color and its size seems to mock the smaller sloop-of-war.

"Sorry I'm late…comrade Shay Patrick Cormac," the man with the Russian accent said as he bowed to Shay.

"Nikolai Orelov, start firing now, my Klien Field was saturated,"

"Yes comrade. Though I'm pretty sure that your little Morrigan can take them all," Shay rose his right black eyebrow, half offended and irritated, he return fire," and you're slow despite your title 'The Fastest Battle Cruiser' of the new fleet of fog," Orelov smiled after a barrage of missiles coming from the pursuers launched and flew towards them.

"Well then shall we finish them?" the man then raised both of his arms in the air and commanded, "Activating all missile launchers," The flooring of the battle cruiser suddenly opened, revealing missile modules, and each one launched a long corrosive missile that flew out to the sky and rained down on their pursuers.

"I'll launch all of my sixty-five Corrosive missiles. Try charging your Graviton Cannon," Orelov requested as the smaller ship began moving and faced the broken batch of destroyers.

"It's already charged," Shay said after a window closed, "I'll snipe them from here," he then raised both of his arm and uttered a command.

"Engage,"

LOCATION: INDIAN OCEAN, ARABIAN SEA

(Same Time)

Off the coast of Mumbai, India, the sky was glowing in an orange and red color. The coastal city was burning at disastrous rate. Large buildings start to fall to the ground as the area is filled with the screams of terrified people.

Floating on the ocean are fifty modern Indian Navy destroyers and frigates that were activating and launching missiles from their modules. Their projectile weapons travel towards a group of five Fog Ships that came out of nowhere and fired its super Graviton Cannon at the city.

The ships however are not battleships or cruisers; they are replicas of German Ocean Liners. These ocean liners remained unscathed as their impenetrable Klien Field protects them against the human attacks.

SS Bremen, the grandest among the five ships, glowing in green and violet, blocked a barrage of missiles; its Klien Field erupted, signalling its saturation.

"Times up I guess," the mental model, clothed in a dark green robe with a hood to cover its head, of the ship stood firmly on the roof of the bridge. He was surrounded by green and violet circles and several windows that popped out showing him images or radar screens.

"Command to vessel's Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse and Kronprinz Wilhelm. Move forward and protect me, activate your Photon Cannons, Artillery type: Ballistic Projectile," the two four Funnelled Liners beside him began to move, their colors pulsating from the received commands.

Five bow turrets quickly emerge from below after the metallic flooring of bow deck opens. The turrets then moved and aimed at the Indian Navy fleet, firing a green orb, and hitting one of the Indian Navy ships with absolute precision.

The Mental Model of the SS Bremen, sandwiched between the two large Kaiser-Class Ocean Liners, and scanned the ships in front.

"This will take a while," a window appeared and the mental model ordered again, "SS's Kaiser Wilhelm II and Kronprinzessin Cecilie move beside your' Brethren'. Activate: Photon Graviton Cannon,"

The two four stacker behind him pulsated his livery colors and slowly moved towards the two fighting ships. The Mental Model lightly tapped the right heel of his foot to the roof to command his ship to move.

The Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse and Kronprinz Wilhelm stopped firing its cannons after the two ships floated and stopped beside them. Then all four of them, in synchronization, started pulsating their colors.

After a loud thud the four ships began to open and split apart horizontally. From bow to stern the upper part of the ships floated and separated from the lower part in mid-air while five terrifying spheres hovered in between which produced blinding green and violet sparks.

"Input charge…fifty per cent, sixty…seventy…eighty…" the mental model began to count as the spheres of the four ships began to charge its power. The Indian fleet, seeing what was happening, attempted to move away.

However.

"Too late. Anomaly Trajectory path activate," the space in the waters in front of them, distorted, and sagged. The fleet was caught and met its doom as they floated inside the sagging ocean, the trajectory path of the cannons. The mental model, after he made one last look, uttered a sentence.

"Happy Easter," the four ships released a large burst of laser beams and hit all of the fifty ships and the city of Mumbai behind them, both vanished without a trace.

The mental model of the SS Bremen was staring at a window; scanning of what remains of the great city of Mumbai. He was still covered, from head to toe, with his dark green robe, fluttering with the wind.

"Mission complete. Sending report to Pearce Fleet," the window disappeared after he moved his green eyes away and stared at the blue ocean which was lit by the moon light. He looked up and saw the moon shining above him and he then slowly pulled his hoodie away as a pair of tall rabbit ears sprouted.

The mental model them completely removed his robe and expose his furry body to the air and felt the coldness of metallic roof with his furry paws. He quickly folded his robe on his left arm and sighed. The mental model of the SS Bremen is a six foot living, breathing, Easter rabbit.

"Let this be a message to the humans, that we, The Templar Fleet, was created by the 'Father of All Understanding', to re-create this world, " he raised both of his furry arms in delight and continued, "I, E. Aster Bunnymund, the leader of Fast Assault Ocean Liners will turn the day into night, pleasure to pain, delight to sorrow…" he whiskers twitched, "…and hope to despair,"

The rabbit's ship blasted its horn, its twin low stream-lined profile funnels, gleamed his livery colors. The sigil on its metal frame is an upside down V with a swastika within it.

"Good game tonight boys," he glanced over at the Kaiser-Class Ocean liners who answered him with a loud horn from their funnels.

"Let's go now. We've to meet Haytham and Charles," he commanded as they all sailed away leaving the blast zone.

LOCATION: PORT OF YOKOSUKA, UNDERGOUND DOCK

(Present time)

The submarine I-401, after it was granted to enter by the authorities, slowly descended to the underground dock via submarine load lifter.

Inside the submarine, Iona was staring blankly at the large screen hanging above the control centre. Then her still eyes blinked after she felt something.

"Gunzo, the force from earlier…it's getting stronger." She said in a plain and worried tone. Gunzo, who changed his clothes earlier, was now wearing a black coat with a red shirt underneath and black tie to match it, asked.

"Can you run a scan on it?" he asked.

"I did…but it's unknown." Iona replied.

"Captain… bringing live feed from inside the dock," Sou said as another window came into life in front of them.

The captain quickly saw the Heavy Cruiser Takao, the two great battleships Haruna and Kirishima docked side by side, and right between them, its metallic skeletal mast shining, was a peculiar ship.

"What is that?" Kyouhei asked as he stood from his seat.

"That looks like…"

"An 18th century ship…" Iona and Gunzo said and looked at each other.

Ryuujirou stood and stared at the large stern of an 18th century Brig-class sail ship. The port was filled with soldiers, navy workers, and some important personnel. Both welcoming the arrival of the blue fleet's flagship and inspecting the captured Fog ship.

"Mr Ryuujirou," he fixed his glasses on his face and faced the young captain of the submarine.

"Gunzo, sorry but the government didn't prepare a welcome party for you and your crew," he stopped as Gunzo smiled and looked at the stern of the ship. He carefully read the name mentally, before uttering it.

"Jackdaw…? This is an 18th century-"

"A brig ship during the age of sails," the man then paused and took out his phone from his black coat and lightly snorted.

"I'll be leaving. The rest is up to you and your Mental model 'friends'," Gunzo's eyes glared after the man, who walked away, emphasizes the word 'friends'.

"Wah…" Kyouhei gain control of his balance after he stepped on a closed missile module on the metallic wooden flooring of the brig ship. The crew of Gunzo's sub were standing in the deck of the brig-class, Jackdaw, doing thorough inspection.

"Woah…this is an ancient cannon," Shizuha said as she touched the small swivel cannon, attached to hard railing. "It's little,"

"That's because it's a swivel cannon. It is used to snipe crewmembers of whatever-sail ships that this ship took fancy of," Sou explained, his hand typed faster on the small laptop that he was carrying.

"Hmm…" Iori Watanuki, looked around inside a what to be a captain's cabin of the small ship. "Why's it smells like wine here?" she paused after she picked up a large half-filled liquor bottle and smell it, "This is rum," she said and looked around and moved the tip closer to her lips.

"Iori, save your drinking spree later," The girl yelped in surprise as Sou appeared behind her. The man took the bottle from her hand, examining it and putting it on the sturdy desk.

Iona stared above from the bow of the ship where a large metallic object was protruding on the hull and she stared with curiosity.

"Iona, what're looking at?" Gunzo said and looked up.

"Gunzo this is a…?"

"According to Sou, this is a rammer. It was used during the age of sails by pirate ships. They ram their target ship with it so they can climb and board the ship," The young man explained to the mental model whose eyes are unmoved.

"The Fleet of Fog is getting stronger," she looked down and murmured.

"Gunzo! Iona-nee-san Welcome home!" the two people immediately looked up after they heard a child's voice and saw their friend, design child Makie, running towards them.

"Makie," Iona smiled after the child embraces her and welcoming them completely.

"Yo! Glad you're all here!" Gunzo smiled at the little pink teddy bear Kirishima and her companion Haruna.

"Welcome home," Haruna said with a smile.

"Wahh, my goddess-o-war, Iona!" Hyuuga suddenly appeared and lunged herself towards the little mental model. She then began rubbing her cheeks to Iona who was squirming under her own weight.

"W-w-welcome home Chihaya Gunzo," Takao said with as her face suddenly turns red.

"Nice to see you Takao," Gunzo greeted to the heavy cruiser girl whose face was so red that it might burst at any moment.

"Gunzo," Kirishima approached the captain. "We're ready to interrogate the mental model of this ship," she said firmly. "We should go now to cell-block 13." She added as she and Haruna walked away.

Iona, after she kick Hyuuga away from her, stood beside him. They both looked at each other before following them.

Inside the detention room the captured mental model was secured on an inclined bed and took in its surroundings.

"Temperature...twenty-two degrees," the man continued to scan then stopped after he saw his own reflection.

"This…is me?" he observed himself closely. He looked at his blonde hair, then to his face which has multiple scars. He observed his clothes which consist of white, with blue, colored robes, a bracer covering both of his forearms, a vest on his upper torso and black pants and boots on his lower.

"Design clothing synchronized, Accessing and Downloading PRS databank," the man closed his eyes for a second. The calm sound of the room enveloped him then suddenly he opened his eyes and his face slowly formed a menacing thin smile.

"PRS Download Complete. Maritime Order Received." He looked to the mirror then slowly he uttered a sentence with pride. "My name is Edward Kenway. Captain and Mental Model of Jackdaw. The flagship of the 4th squadron Templar Fleet,"

Woo-hoo! Finally updated! special thanks to LifeUnending72 for beta-reading, So as usual here's a term that you might find scientific :)

Corrosive Warhead Torpedo - is the main torpedo used by the fleet of fog vessels for offensive purposes.