The submarine tender Otus ran around the building's rooftop like a cat, avoiding the stream of people coming out of the single exit and into a tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter perching at the edge of the building. The only part of the helicopter that actually touched the ground was the tail, with the rest hanging past the edge in mid-air, held up by just a single engine.
"Close your ears, people!" Otus screamed, and somewhere else the repair ship Akashi was repeating said instruction in Japanese as dozens of high caliber naval guns repeatedly went off one after another, ripping the humans' vulnerable ear drums with their shockwaves and covering everyone with smog, so much that Otus' face was almost as black as her hair and coverall.
The battleships were positioned in two lines, guarding the route between the door and the helicopter. Meanwhile, the cruisers and destroyers alongside a handful of auxiliary ships and submarines were protecting the civilians inside the building itself as they ascended the stairs. It was a very efficient system, but with the flank secured the Abyssal were encouraged to try another route, and try they did.
Together with the single exit door, the building's defense system was also disabled for the five uppermost floors, allowing the Abyssal to break the windows there and started climbing up to the rooftop like zombies from a cheap horror movie. Without even waiting for their friends, those who came first immediately charged as soon as their disfigured feet touched the ground, only to be repelled by the battleships.
BLAM!
Yet another explosion in a series of many could be heard, but this one was different. It's too close. It was the scream of the battleship Yamashiro that erased any doubt that things were starting to go south.
Fortunately, when the smoke cleared around Yamashiro, it was certain that the battleship was still combat ready, if only a little shaken. Her traditional Miko robe was almost untouched, and her expression was filled with rage instead of pain.
"Akashi!" Yamashiro shouted harshly. "Four gun mounts down! one-five-two!"
Akashi reacted quickly to the call. Her rigging started to move, metal arms lashing out ready to repair Yamashiro's 152mm guns.
"Red Oak!" Akashi called to the American supply ship somewhere among the crowd. "Get me the EAS-4!"
Out of nowhere, the dark-skinned ship jumped out, carrying a large sack on her back. "Aye-aye! ma'am!"
As the battle raged on, Otus herself was busy tending to the wounded, both humans and ships, readying them for the next helicopter ride. She was particularly worried about the submarine she was currently taking care of.
"Uh...hum?"
Albacore regained consciousness like she had done many times before, but just like before her eyes merely moved a little, looking around confusedly before immediately closing again.
"Dammit."
Otus cursed. She was sent to Japan especially to act as a submarine tender for Albacore. If Albacore died then it'd look bad on her record. There's also the prospect of losing a good friend, which was suck.
"HA!" Suddenly Otus heard a hearty laugh, its tone very unbefitting the warzone situation. "You'll have more glorious work to do, friend!"
Otus looked to the side to see what she recognized as the figure of the Japanese battleship Nagato, carrying what seemed like a mountain of men on each shoulder, both conscious and unconscious, all wounded. Carefully she put the men beside Otus, piling them up like sacks of rice in a warehouse.
"You gotta be kidding me." Otus groaned.
"No, I am not partaking in any comedic action right now. How is Hatsuzuki?"
Otus looked to the side to a spot near the edge of the roof where a large destroyer was currently asleep.
"She'll be fine." said Otus simply.
"Good." Nagato sighed, relieved. "I promised that I'd take care of her."
"Then I will make sure to not make you an oathbreaker, then."
Suddenly, Otus felt a vibration in the airwave. She was too distracted by her duty to actually adjust her antenna to it, though.
"WHAT?!" Admiral Goto screamed from somewhere near the door. She then turned and moved to the middle of the battleship formation, talking to her personal radio all the while.
"Alright, people!" the admiral clapped. "We're having a VIP coming! Tighten the formation!"
And the battleships did so, standing shoulder by shoulder. Otus could see the battleship Yamashiro lighting up as her skin touched that of her sister's, even through the early morning darkness.
After ten minutes or so, a very distinctive voice could be heard joining with the clamor on the rooftop.
"VIP's here!" shouted the cruiser Sendai, with a black haired lady limping by her side. The lady was carrying what looked like a very large laptop.
"Miss Nagato, could you see to my station for a bit? I need to check on them..."
"Sure, but only for a bit." answered Nagato, her repair fairies already congregating on her shoulders.
Otus immediately went to the door, just in time to see Sendai collapsing.
"Are you alright?!" shouted Otus.
Sendai immediately tried to stand up again, with little success.
"Ugh...out of steam."
"I need some water please! and oil!"
Responding to Otus' screaming, Liberty ship John W. Brown quickly arrived to Sendai's side.
"A bit famished, aren't we?" said the plain, black haired girl.
"Just fill me up, please."
"Good, take off your shirt."
"What?"
"Just kidding~"
As Sendai tried failingly to stop being flustered, the hotel owner was opening a hidden panel in the wall near the doorframe.
"Note to self; never use a proprietary code that only you know how it works to control your defense system." the lady mumbled to herself as she connected her big laptop to the control panel. "Also make sure that your backup console has better port than a one GBps USB."
"How is it?" asked Admiral Goto, running to the owner's side.
"Give me a second...there, I should have full control now."
"Alright, connect me to the basement."
xxx
Meanwhile, a few hundred meters below...
xxx
When examining World War Two, it's rather easy to consider that suicidal tendency was exclusively the nature of the Japanese, but doing that would ignore the universal concept of desperation and self-sacrifice.
The USS Iowa was most definitely not a Japanese, but even then she was considering to simply break away from the group, to provide a distraction so that the others could have a better chance to go home safely. She'd be such a juicy target for the enemy, a single battleship, alone and unguarded...
"Something the matter?" asked Kongou.
"Uhn...nothing."
Yes, Iowa couldn't simply go and die. Kongou would definitely stop her, or worse, follow her to her death. No, she must stand strong.
"You've never died before, battleship?" asked Kaga.
"Can't say I do, ma'am." answered Iowa.
Kaga smiled. "It's not so bad, really. I don't think our enemy is one for prolonged torture. Our death would be quick."
"You'd be the worst motivational speaker ever." mocked Enterprise.
Iowa looked at the mountain of enemies in front of them, piling up near the broken vault door. Then she looked at herself and her team, scarred and tired. She hated to feel like she began to sympathize with Kaga's point of view.
"Anything, Crane?" Enterprise asked Zuikaku, who was hunching over the console.
"Huh?" Zuikaku looked at Enterprise's face, and her tongue suddenly became tied. "W-wha-what?"
"The console, doofus."
"Wha-"
Zuikaku could not get past her own confusion before the little computer in front of her suddenly rang. Enterprise, exasperated by the Japanese carrier's unusual slowness, managed to get her own fingers on the keyboard and answered the call before Zuikaku could even move a hand.
"How is it?" Enterprise asked, and answering her, the voice of Admiral Goto began to reverberate in the air.
'We're good on our side. You all can start running, we'll hold the door open for you.'
Everyone in the room except for Zuikaku gave a relieved smile.
"You hear that, people?!" shouted Enterprise excitedly, pulling her micro-shotgun from its holster under her skirt.
"Let's show these spawnlings of questionable parentage the cost of disturbing my glorious evening." said Kongou calmly, cracking her knuckles. "Iowa, dear, could you please lead the way?"
"Gladly." Iowa said happily as she started to lead the group to began their long journey upwards, followed closely by Kongou.
Enterprise was about to follow them, but she felt a hand tugging on her sleeve. She turned around to see Zuikaku's hesitant face.
"Uhh...miss Enterprise? If you have a moment..."
"'Miss Enterprise'?" Enterprise raised her eyebrow. Zuikaku had looked so gallant and confident when she rushed in with the reinforcement, but now she looked as meek as an abandoned kitten. And what's with the sudden polite name?
"Uh...well, I know you've told me to not talk to you for a while...but could I ask only for a minute? after all of this is over, of course."
"I told you what?" Enterprise's mind took a while to go back to a moment earlier in the evening. "That? you're still thinking about that?"
Now it's Zuikaku's turn to look confused.
"You...don't?"
"In a situation like this? of course not!" Enterprise shouted. "Are you kidding me? we're surrounded by the enemy and you...you know what? forget what I said. When this is over I'll reserve for you all the time you'll ever want to talk to me. Now get your planes up."
"Oi, what's the holdup!? Hurry up or we'll leave you!" Iowa shouted from the door.
"Give us a minute, please!"
Enterprise turned around and started walking, expecting Zuikaku to follow her. But Zuikaku didn't move.
"Uh...um..."
Enterprise turned around, somewhat irritated. "What is it now?"
Zuikaku twirled her hands, playing with her own fingers. "Does this mean that we're still together? You and I?"
Enterprise clasped a hand over her face. "Oh for fuck's sake."
"I..."
Zuikaku was not given the time to sound her apology, for in the moment it took her to open her mouth, Enterprise had lurched forward, grabbed Zuikaku by her twin tails, and pulled.
"Mmph?!"
Zuikaku's mouth was still half open when their lips met, allowing Enterprise's tongue a free reign to explore. The surprised Zuikaku instinctively tried to step back, but Enterprise quickly moved her hands around Zuikaku, hugging her tightly as she pushed deeper.
After a moment that felt too brief for Zuikaku, Enterprise broke off, wiping her mouth.
"Sheesh, I feel like I'm dating a virgin."
Zuikaku was not in any condition to give out any clever reply.
"But I am a...oh." It took a while until Zuikaku remembered that, no, she was not without experience.
"You really don't remember?" Enterprise asked, looking disappointed.
"Sorry, but..."
"Well..." Enterprise began to turn again, but her eyes were still fixed to Zuikaku as she licked her lips playfully. "I guess I'll just have to remind you later, then."
