Lt. Cmdr. Jonathan Miller: Yea, you're right. I personally think that James is gonna have to apologize to Ikutagawa and try to gain her respect. Also, thanks for sticking around.

Anyways, after taking a break for three damn years, it's about time to get back to work and, most importantly, to our modern-day situation.

Chapter 18: Severed

Present-Day:

Commander James Kouichi was on his knees, staring at the ground of his now-ruined naval base. He couldn't believe the news he had just heard over the intercom from his battleship kanmusu, Yamashiro.

She had just delivered the news that the base's bathhouse, which was supposed to be the only remaining water source left after the explosion, was found to be destroyed, and it wasn't what James wanted to hear.

Everything had gone wrong: a great number of his own shipgirls were dead, his carriers were trapped in a burning building, the ammo warehouse was now a crater, and the island looked like a warzone.

Yamashiro was still on the mic with James. "Sir…are you okay?"

He screamed back. "NO, I'M NOT O-FUCKIN'-KAY!"

"Sir?" The battleship girl asked, innocently.

"My base…it's in ruins…and I needed the WATER FROM THE BATHHOUSE TO SAVE THE CARRIERS FROM A BURNING BUILDING!"

Yamashiro, surrounded by Kagerou, Shiranui and Kuma, were all suddenly shocked by their commander's outburst. It was the first time in a long while their commander had been so angered over something.

Kagerou herself got concerned. Prior to the explosion, she had tried to talk with James over his temper, after he chewed Akigumo out for drawing a VERY lewd photo of him and Yukikaze. In the end, Kagerou successfully managed to convince James into keeping his temper level down. "Um sir," she began, "you remember what we…"

Before she could finish, she got cut off again. However, instead of James, it was destroyer Kamikaze, who had survived the explosion, being at the launching ramp. "Hello…hello…Yamashiro, is that you and admiral Kouichi on the comm link?"

"Yamashiro here, are you okay Kamikaze-chan?"

At her location…

"Yes, I'm okay." Kamikaze replied to the battleship. At the time of the explosion, she was at her dorm with her sisters Asakaze and Harukaze, waiting on Matsukaze and Hatakaze when it occurred. After the explosion, the girls were confused on what they should do, when the call from Yamashiro came into their intercom's frequency.

Worriedly, Kagerou broke in, demanding to know where her friend was. "Kamikaze, Where are you five at? We need ya'll to help us!"

"Oi! SHUT UP!" the latter girl screamed. "I'm trying to see if I can get any assistance here at my dorm. Asakaze got hurt bad, and we need…"

As she listened, Kagerou rolled her eyes. Shiranui noticed.

"Kagerou-onee, that's rude. Stop," she said, almost emotionlessly.

'Onee-chan' turned around, staring at Shiranui. "Oh really, Nui-chan…Like you'd do the same during admiral-san's big fleet gatherings."

Shiranui dropped to her knees, blushing with embarrassment. She was ashamed of having to be reminded of a certain incident at one of the gatherings. "Please Kagerou-onee! Don't bring that up, I beg of you!" Immediately, Kagerou drove her foot onto her sister's head. "Ohhhhh…. So you're asking for forgiveness?" she asked as she raised her hand up.

"Uggghhhhh…will you stop, kumaaaa!" Kuma shouted.

Matsukaze burst in as well. "Oh, for goodness sake! Will you please help us!?"

Kagerou eyed her. "And why should I?"

With those words, Matsukaze reached inside her kimono, pulling out a photo.

"If you don't… I'll leak this embarrassing photo of you at last-year's Christmas party later to admiral-dono!"

Kagerou immediately lifted her foot off her sister's head, going red with embarrassment in the face. "Fine..."

"Anyway…listen up." Yamashiro began to explain to the group. "Kuma, you take Shiranui to go find more survivors, and see if there's any other water supply. I'll take Kagerou with me, and both of us will head for the Kamikaze-class' dorm. Understood?"

"Got it, Kuma!" And with that, the group split up, with Kuma and Shiranui first taking care of the Kinesaki sisters and Ikutagawa Maru, while Yamashiro and Kagerou headed off to where the Kamikaze class was.

Kamikaze-Class Dorm, a Few Minutes later…

Matsukaze and Hatakaze were busy tending to Asakaze's wound: a cut on her elbow, especially where a blood vessel was. Despite the bleeding, Asakaze herself kept fading in and out of consciousness, trying to at least speak to her oldest sister.

"Oh come on! Where are they?" Kamikaze yelled. "We have a sister on the verge of death, and…"

Just as she was about to finish, both Yamashiro and Kagerou arrived.

Yamashiro spoke first. "We got here as soon as we could. Show us where Asakaze-chan is bleeding. Kamikaze, could you also bring her over to Kagerou, so she could tend to her?"

Without hesitating, the little destroyer did as she was told, bringing her sister to Kagerou, who had a small first aid kit with her. As soon as she did, the work to stop the bleeding began. The still-bleeding cut was first cleaned, following a good swab of medical cream and band-aids. It was finally wrapped with almost half of an entire roll of gauze, stopping the bleeding.

Yamashiro sighed. *phew* "Good. Now let's get you girls out of here and with the others.

After picking up Asakaze, and having Kagerou shoulder both Matsukaze and Hatakaze, the group headed out to find Kuma and Shiranui.

Outside, near the docks:

While Yamashiro and Kagerou were returning to the surviving group, Kuma and Shiranui were inspecting areas including the running track and the outdoor theatre, both located near the docks.

As they were looking in the area, both the light cruiser and destroyer couldn't believe how many more of their dead friends there were, like the ones James and Inazuma had seen while looking for anyone left earlier. While walking, Kuma swore she had heard the moans of someone familiar.

"Hey Kuma, do you hear that?" the destroyer asked Kuma. "It sounds like Saratoga-san."

Kuma listened, and all she could hear was a weak "Helpp…"

"It is Saratoga-san, Kuma! Let's go, kumaa!" the cruiser yelled, as both ran. Heading toward the American carrier's direction, the two girls witnessed more death, as they entered the allied kanmusu sector of the naval base. The lifeless bodies of familiar friends, like Missouri, Independence, Belfast, Richelieu, Hood, De Haven, and even ol' Athakbaskan, were strewn about the area.

As the duo reached a corner where a bar stood, Ohio, one of the Montana-class battleships, walked near them. The tall brunette's hair was singed, and had cuts and bruises in places all over her body.

The battered battleship spoke first, relieved her two friends were okay. "Kuma…Shiranui? Oh thank the lord you two are alright!" the shy giant cried, holding her left arm.

"Ohio, kuma! You're…" was all Kuma could say before Ohio whimpered.

And without haste, Ohio ran off to look for her sisters, yelling "I'm…sorryyy….!"

For five seconds, both destroyer and light cruiser stared at her, then at each other, then back at the running battleship again.

"Did…that just…happen?" Shiranui asked, confused.

"Sadly, yes kuma," the light cruiser said, burying her face in her hand.

As she buried her face, Ohio's sister, Louisiana, came behind them for help.

"Ay! Ya'll aight' deah?" the worried battleship asked. "I've been looking fo' help."

The two ships were surprised, happily. "Louisiana!"

The Cajun-accented battleship smiled, as she wrapped her arms around both girls. "Ah, Kuma and Shiranui! Thank God ya'll two ah okay!" Both destroyer and cruiser began to suffocate in the Cajun's lethal hug. "We're...*gahhh*…glad you're alright. Plea…*ack*…se let go!"

Louisiana realized what she was doing, and let go, with the smaller two gasping for air. *Gahhhhh* "Are you done!?" both snapped, looking up at Louisiana.

The Cajun girl rubbed the back of her head, feeling sorry. "C'est tout, my friends."

Kuma stood up, confused. "C'est tout? What does that mean, kumaa?"

"It's a Cajun saying for 'that's all', ya know!"

"Rrrrighttt….kuma."

Shiranui, who had been silent for the minute, finally spoke up to the Montana-class battleship. "Louisiana, how bad is it at your area? I think Ohio was looking for others to help. Where's Montana and Maine?"

"Well," the Cajun began, "Montana and Maine are over at the US battleship dorm, and we could use a lot of hands right now. Meanwhile, New Hampshire, bless her hart, she's been tendin' to the cruisers and destroyers the best she can right nah, despite being paralyzed after the battle off Okinawa."

Kuma knew Louisiana needed help, so she ran back to the main group of surviving kanmusu. "Wait here….I'm going for help, kumaa-!" she yelled back to the two, as she ran for the others.

At James' location:

"Hey! Yamashiro? Yamashiroo….? Dammit!"

After Yamashiro had gone off to help survivors instead of finding a water source, James was left with Haguro, who had followed him and Inazuma to provide some assistance.

"S…Sir? Are you okay?" the heavy cruiser asked him.

James looked up at her, finally getting his bearings. "I'm fine Haguro. I just lost thought of what I was doing."

"Hawawa, nanodesu!" Inazuma wailed, throwing her arms in the air, like the wacky inflatable tube-man James saw at a car dealership in nearby Kure. "This is no time for losing thought! We need to save the carriers now!"

"Inazuma, I know!" James yelped, standing up. "Let's go!"

And with that, the trio began to move towards what was left of the pump station, when Haguro stopped as she was turning, and began to point towards Kure Harbor. "Sirr…."

As James stopped and turned to face Haguro, he saw it too. "Haguro, now wh—". His eyes widened in horror. "No…NNNOOOOOO! NOT THE FUCKIN' BRIDGE!"

The rail bridge was in ruins. The very same bridge that was Sabo Island's only connection to the mainland had been severed. From what he could see, the middle span had been completely been obliterated, with twisted steel beams poking out of the water. The connecting beams of both the island and mainland spans were bent downward, with rivets popped out in places. The rails on both spans were twisted, missing plates and bolts.

"Jesus…"

At the Carrier's Dorm:

The fire was getting very close to those trapped inside, and their pounding was harder and the screaming got even louder.

"Dang! Where is the Coast Guard at when you need it?" Ouka yelled. By now, she and the other injured railyard workers had decided to join the kanmusu and would help co-ordinate the rescue. "Alright ladies, we can't put the fire out yet, right?" she asked both Furutaka and Onami.

Both girls looked at each other, then stared at her weirdly.

"Umm…" Onami murmured, awkwardly. "…yeah. About that."

Ouka eyed the duo. "What? About what?"

"Well…Admiral Kouichi is already looking for a water source to douse the flames…."

"…And you idiots haven't realized that this base is surrounded by water!?"

Both girls then stared at Ouka, dumbfounded. Then they turned around and saw the waters of Kure bay. "Ohhh….Right…...Yeahhh. We forgot."

"Wait… really?"

"Uh, duh, really!" Ouka yelled, beginning to point towards the bay. "And to think they were once ships? For God's sake!" She then looked back towards the two, as if to ask them a question. "Now, will you two please take the damn hose and start pumping water from the bay!?"

Both girls stared at the screaming demon for a second, shrugged, and turned to start walking towards the bay. "What a bitch…" was all Furutaka murmured to herself.

2023… James' Room, 8:00 AM

After drinking himself to a passed-out state at Mamiya's, and Isuzu having carried him back to his bedroom, James finally woke up. He had slept like a log, albeit with a massive hangover.

"Ohhhh…..shhiiittttt…." he immediately thought to himself as he could see the sunlight poking through his window blinds. "My damn head is killing meeee…."

He then looked at his iPhone 15, which the home screen displayed 8:00 AM on it.

That was not important. What was important was the little notification on the screen:

'A Day with My Kanmusu Ushio'

Reading this, James' jaw dropped. "Surely I didn't make this, did I…?"

And there we go…..

I'm so, so sorry this chapter has been delayed for the last three years. Three months after posting the previous chapter, my grandfather passed away, and I've upgraded to a food factory job not long after the new year.

When my grandfather passed in October of 2017, I almost lost all motivation to continue this story. However, as a Qualls, I cannot let things go unfinished, so with the uploading of this chapter, I have decided to resume this fanfic. I hope you guys and gals will forgive me.

Anyways, I want your feedback and reviews, and especially your foreigner submissions from the USA, UK, Kriegsmarine, USSR, France and Italy.

Like Randy Quaid says in Independence Day….

"HELLO BOYS, I'M BAAACCKKKKK!"

-Aaron