I forgot to save this chapter.
And I had to rewrite the entire thing.
Kill me now.
Reviews:
John: Well I mean, only one of them ever met in person. Vestal/Enty all the way. Unfortunately, If Portland had built a shrine to Indy, I would already be there. But no, I'm stuck here eating instant noodles for breakfast every day.
The One: Yup. It's a hard knock life for them,
Severak: Mysterious Siren Bullshittery is just my way of Dues Ex Machina. (And it's much easier to explain as well)
Enterprise's POV:
"ARRRRGHH!" Hornet slammed the book against the wall.
"What is it?" I tapped a pencil against my chin as I flipped the page of appeals.
"I can't study like this, Enty." Hornet groaned. "It's so boooring."
"This is a really helpful guide that complies over 20 years of Eagle Union experience" I noted. "Langley worked really hard on that manual."
"Langley should have worked harder to make it readable" Hornet took off her jacket and fanned herself down. "This is 300 pages of pure boredom, that only somebody with no personality could ever ingest."
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"...I thought it was pretty interesting." I muttered to myself.
"So, can't we do some exercises or something?" Hornet petitioned.
"How would that make you learn?" I denied the stadium request. "It seems to me that you just want to fight rather than properly grow."
"Like, I could watch some other carriers fight and take notes or something, ya know." Hornet began to juggle three of her torpedoes.
"We don't have any Operational carriers that will work with you." I responded. "Saratoga's back in Pearl harbor and if I get out of this bed Vestal will detach my engine."
"What about Long Island?" Hornet asked. (1)
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"That was a stupid question."
"It most certainly was." I returned back to paper, where I started over for the third time. "If you're that desperate, How about you work with Northampton and Salt lake? They know a thing or two about Carriers."
"But they're equally boooring." Hornet whined. "Come on, Enty. There's gotta be somebody fun that also knows about carriers, right?"
Well... No, I'm not sending her.
Never in a million years.
"Enty, Why are you looking away?" Hornet stuck her face in front of mine. "You know something, don't you?"
I kept my mouth shut.
"San Juan?" Hornet pried. "Atlanta? San Francisco? San Diego? Minneapolis? Portland?"
I kept as still as possible.
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"Portland!" Hornet gleefully jumped before making her way to the exit. "For the leader of the Eagle Union, you're so easy to read. Ya gotta work on that Poker face!"
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Crap.
Atlanta's POV:
"Hey Atlanta?" Portland layed down on the sleeping bag, rolling around. "We need merchandise!"
"Yes we do!" I put down the dishes I were cleaning. "Perhaps we could both join as Idols an-"
"No No, not for you." Portland denied. "I'm talking about Indy! Products about you would just flop."
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Yeoch.
"Yeah, That's what I get for setting my expectations high." I bit my lip. "Uh, Portland? It would take too much money to create Indy Merchandise. We have enough trouble selling ours, and we're a Union renowned idol group. In my opinion, this is kinda unrealistic."
"Your opinion is wrong!" Portland gleefully showed me a diagram. "Let me explain why!"
"So, Indy is up here." Portland pointed to the top of the chalkboard, where she sketched, surprisingly well I might add, a picture of Indianapolis in a two piece. "She is our Goddess and such belongs at the top!"
"Then," Portland drew two circles under Indy. "We are these two circles here! As the Primary Prophets, It will be our duty to distribute and sell the Holy Indiabible (2) to our followers."
Portland then created several branches beneath the circles. "These will be the second level of Disciples! After training with us, they shall be sent across the world to spread the world of the one true Goddess!"
Portland then began to draw further branches down. "And those followers and zealots will further convert those heathens to the One True faith! We will then circulate our Indy Merchandise throughout the network of converts, and we can have feasts and parties galore over the beauty that is Indy! How Humanitarian is that?"
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Hold up.
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"Just checking," I looked at the chart. "You just plan to sell the Indiabible to your followers?"
"Panty shots and ASMR for all!" Portland folded her hands as she began to drool.
"Portland." I blinked again before drawing on the chart. "This is a Pyramid scheme."
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"Nonsense." Portland laughed as she waved it off. "This is called a 'Triangle of co-prosperity!' My friends in scientology told me to say this when I sold alcohol disguised as candy for some destroyers a few days ago."
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"You- In- Scient- Can- Desto- What?"
"Why are you acting so scared?" Portland smiled.
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"This conversation did not happen and I do not know about anything you said." I whispered to her.
"Ummm. Is Portland here?" A practically naked carrier entered the tent.
"Oh, that's me!" Portland turned around. "Would you like to hea-"
"Put your hands up!" I pointed my barrels at her. "I don't know what you did to corrupt my Portland, but I'm going to make you manipulative scientologist pay!"
The Carrier turned to me. "What?"
Hornet's POV:
"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry." Atlanta groveled on the ground. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry..."
"Nah, It's okay." I waved it off. "You're totally forgiven."
"No No, I'm still very very sorry." Atlanta apologized again.
"It's fine." I laughed. "I've been called a lot worse things than Scientologist."
"I know." Portland patted my back. "You are often called stuff like a degenerate stripper, a careless carrier, and a disappointment."
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"Now that's just rude." I commented.
Portland shrugged.
"So, what business do you have here?" Atlanta put a coat over me.
"I need some help with Carrier training." I responded.
Portland sprang up. "Only if you join the cu-"
"So, why are you asking us?" Atlanta interjected. "Perhaps somebody like Northampton would be better?"
"Keep your fighters up!" Northampton ordered.
"But it hurts!" I shouted through the pouring rain. "Do we really have to do it today?"
"You can't become a competent carrier without working for it!" Salt lake yelled back. "Keep running!"
"I just want to drink some hot chocolate..." My tears disguised by the showers.
"Keep up!" Northampton pushed me from behind.
"I don't feel like this is helping my stamina." I sniffed in the cold.
"Then we'll run twice as far!" Northampton grabbed my hand and dragged me along.
"I felt that you guys were going to be a lot more fun than everybody else." I lied. "Everybody else just has no personality…"
"Well that might create a better learning environment for you." Atlanta turned me down. "I don't really think we're qualified to teach a carrier…"
"I have a feeling that you would be good though." I pushed back.
"We're just screen ships, we can't really help you…" Portland scratched the back of her head. "Perhaps you should stick to the textbooks.
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"Anything but that, Please!" I got on my knees. "If you teach me, I'll give you anything you want!"
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"Portland, don't you dare." Atlanta looked at the cruiser.
"I might have one request…" Portland rubbed her chin.
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I sighed in relief that I won't have to deal with any more textbooks and the crazy officer corps.
Thank you Portland! Now, I just have to hope it's nothing too hard. I mean, It's a cruiser. What's the worst that could happen?
"Oh god." Atlanta plugged her ears.
Portland swayed side to side, lost in her thoughts.
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I don't think it's supposed to take this long.
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"When I said anything, I meant anything within reason." I added as insurance.
Portland paid no heed.
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This can't be good.
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"Could you transfer a ship called Indianapolis here?" Portland asked. (3)
"Oh." My fears evaporated. "Sure Sure! I can make that happen."
"Great!" Portland lit up before turning on her engine. "Let's get started!"
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"That was surprisingly wholesome." Atlanta muttered.
Atlanta's POV:
"SISSSSSSS!" San Diego whined. "Get me some ice cream!"
"Get it yourself!" I yelled back.
"I don't WANNNNAA." San Diego threw a fit, rolling back and forth on the couch.
"Fine." I put down the watering can and opened the fridge door. Scanning through the MREs, I looked halfheartedly for the little tin red can.
"SIS!" San Diego called out.
"I got it!" I winded up before launching the can at this cheeky brat's pulverisable head.
San Diego yelped in pain as I returned to water the plants.
"Thank you, but Aim better." San Diego muttered.
"Learn to walk." I retorted as the door creaked open. "Oh, Portland, You're back!"
"Oh Hi Hon{hic}ey." Portland swayed to me. "How are ya?"
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Really?
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"I thought you were training." I sighed. "When did you get alcohol?"
"Alcohol is a constant, like time and space." Portland loudly burped.
"No it's not." I filled a cup with water and began to pour it down her mouth. "How much did you drink?"
"Hornet got like, {hic} some gallons of wine or so." Portland fell into my arms. "I mean, why limit happy for just an hour?"
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"Portland!" I pulled her back up. "You know that's bad for you."
"Anything can be bad in enough quantity." Portland yawned. "Except you of course."
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Huh? Wait wait wait...
"W-W-What?" I stammered.
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you were." Portland streamed in her drunken vigor. "Like, I'm just so grateful for you, ya know?"
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"Uhhhhh... Portland?" My head began to burn up.
"Perhaps I should dedicate all my life to you." She began to caress my face. "You're just so irresistible."
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Did Portland just confess? Oh no no, she's messing with my mind again, right?
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"We can't do it right now!" I whispered halfheartedly in her ear. "San Diego's watching!"
"Let them watch." Portland stood up and pinned me against the wall.
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"Portland…" I shivered. "Please be gentle…."
"As you wish, Indy." Portland leaned in for a kiss.
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Indy?
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Of course.
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I took out one of my torpedoes and knocked out Portland.
"Please be gentle, UwU." San Diego mocked before bursting into a fit of giggles.
"Shut up!" I threw the torpedo at her.
Hornet's POV:
"Ah, that hits the spot." I sighed as I opened the door. "Yo Enty, guess what happened?"
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"Hornet." Enterprise glared at me. "Brooklyn called me. Did you take my credit card and buy 700 gems worth of wine?" (4)
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I stepped back out of the room.
Footnotes:
(1): Long Island was actually at Guadalcanal, but uh... Long Island
(2): Buy the Holy Indiabible today for four easy installments of 49.99! If you order now we'll also throw in a set of Steak Knives!
(3): Unfortunately, Indy didn't come to the South Pacific until 1943. Unless...
(4): "Yikes" - Hornet, probably.
Drunk Portland best Portland?
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That was a rhetorical question, obviously yes.
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Time for real talk though.
Now, It's not easy to say this, but uh, I have finals next week. Now, I hope you can forgive me, but I would like to be a bit selfish and take a short one week break.
Yeah, I know. I probably should have wrote a chapter in advance. That's my fault.
I'll try make sure next week's chapter is super good though. (No promises, because I have a terrible track record lol.)
Thanks so much.
Anyways, see you two weeks from now!