Disclaimer: Slightly Preoccupied ATM, enjoy this filler!
Hooo. It's getting rather chilly here. Poor Indy has to deal with this for a year or so in Alaska, so I guess I can't really be complaining much...
Reviews:
Severak: The more I think about it, I realize that every single one of my waifus are also simps. Welp.
The One: Yeah, what the heck? Are the Sirens also going to pull a Midway on the Eagle Union?
John: I'll try to give Washington a cameo when... You know, Let's just say what happens next week. Cuz there's gonna (Probably) be a lot of plot.
Portland's POV:
"How are the sirens our allies?!" I shouted at Essex.
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"We worked with the sirens, right Cleveland?" Essex asked.
"I don't remember." She shrugged. "You're gonna have to be more clear 'bout it."
"Like how that one Siren came to our base with info and stuff." Essex elebroated. "She said something about holding the keys to end the Sakura Empire."
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"Curiosity?" Cleveland guessed her name.
"I think so." Essex took out her bag and snatched a paper from a folder. "You see, that's her."
I leaned forward in my bed to look at her. Without a doubt, she was a siren. Glaring yellow eyes with a devious complexion. The tentacles were missing and replaced with fake gun mounts and a hull. So the Sirens can detach their limbs then...
"Isn't she a Royal Navy ship?" Cleveland asked, peering into the paper. "Cuz of the name and stuff?"
"The only Royal Navy ship here is Victorious." (1) Essex handed Cleveland the image. "She's supposed to be here to provide air cover as Enterprise returns back to good health. She's also going to help prepare the Royal Navy integrate into open waters to join the Sakura Campaign once Operation Torch is done."
"Shouldn't that be classified?" I narrowed my eyes.
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Essex bit her lip.
"You didn't hear anything." She pointed to both of us.
"Got it." I nodded my head before connecting some dots. "Wait, Enterprise was hurt like four months ago. Shouldn't she be better now?"
"She got injured while valiantly defending naval ships at Rennell Island." Essex informed me, fangirling. "Isn't Enterprise amazing?"
"Why are you even so attracted to Enterprise in the first place?" I asked.
"Because she's so cool!" Essex's eyes shone like firecrackers as she bounced up and down her chair like a first grader. "She's like that selfless big sister that gives you her umbrella and then you go like 'not it's fine', but she still keeps you warm anyways with deep captivating sweet-nothings while thinking about preparing you the best food for dinner that's both exciting and interesting!"
Essex grabbed her shoulders and shivered in delight. "It's just so cool!"
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Wait a minute.
"No, It's all yours." Enterprise put a finger to Saratoga's mouth as she handed her jacket in the thunderstorm.
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"Are you a stalker?" I pointed, recalling a sortie in the rain a few days before Eastern Solomons.
"No." Essex crossed her arms. "I only use information found in Union records."
"So yes then." I concluded.
"You don't get to lecture somebody about stalking." Cleveland interrupted.
"Indy is different!" I turned to her. "It is completely natural to praise the lord and savior herself; to ignore such grace emanating from her presence is a sin!"
"Forget I said anything." Cleveland backed off from attacking the one and only Indy.
That's right. You better sit down. Indy prevails!
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I strolled around the base. Vestal said that I had to continue to exercise in order to get accustomed to the new mechanical leg.
"I swear I'll never get used to this." I muttered as I shook my leg. It sent a jolt back in defiance. I winced.
Ignoring my rebellious limb, I glanced at the buildings around me. Everything was refurbished now. I didn't really have enough time to appreciate the new decor when we were whisked here and back for Midway. The cattery's domed roof had been replaced by a glass bracing, a large telescope peering out the top. Covering all the buildings were long shafts of radar sticks, pinging routinely. But scariest of all, every structure had shed its once colorful exteriors for sheer practicality. Every single brick layered with uninspiring concreate.
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I let my body wander before following the route I used to take each day. The memories of hours upon hours of film washing rushed back into my mind, and I began to smile. Well, it might be a good time to catch up.
"Yo Gridley!" I opened the door, absorbing the Saratoga merchandise plastered across the walls. "How have ya been?"
"Gridley?" The greeter muttered. "I don't think we have that here."
"But isn't this the Camer-" I stopped mid sentence as the aisles lined with multicolor film and ivory picture frames faded into brightly colored rows of tables and chairs.
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"Sir, this is a Wendy's." The destroyer pulled a broom behind her. "Would you like something to eat?"
I mindlessly walked past the counter and into the storage room. The mile high skyscrapers of brown boxes and photos had been torn down into an run of the mill unsanitized bathroom, the single swinging light bulb replaced with a blazing set of fluorescent lights. Imprints of Gridley's Saratoga posters were carelessly plastered over with white paint.
"Sir, you either have to order something or leave." A cruiser tapped my shoulder.
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"...I'll have a cup of coffee with 10 packs of sugar." I chose the Indy special.
Am I really that old now? My distress compounded as every building I passed was unrecognizable. The Lecture hall encircled by chains of grey modular boxes brimmed up with countless destroyers. (2)The old anchor monument was stowed away, replaced by a large Pom Pom flak cannon. Even the cafeteria was repainted beige, reinforced with layers of concrete.
I closed my eyes from the monochromatic eyesore of the base center. I took the warm drink in my hand and gargled the whole cup.
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Please let me wake up from this.
"Opp." Somebody collided with me. "My bad."
"Nah, It's mine." I opened my eyes and saw the girl, "I wa-"
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I took my fist and aimed it at the Siren's face. She looked confused at my attack. I connected the punch into her head; the momentum of my first threw the girl backwards in the air. The white hair midget slammed into a building, sticking to the wall for a few seconds before dropping to the ground. A group of ships began to surround us.
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Was that not a Siren?
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Ohhhhhh crap. I quickly ran to the girl, still lying face down on the floor.
"Are you okay?" I quickly took out some bandages and applied them to her face.
"Uehhhh." She murmured, her head spinning around. "Yeah, I'll be fine. That was a nice hit."
"I'll get you to the hospital." I tucked one of my arms behind her back and the other beneath her legs before lifting her off the ground.
"I'm fine." She dropped back to the ground before standing up.
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What? I looked at the crater formed in the brick wall. That was concrete, right? Everything is reinforced! She's getting back up?
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"Who are you?" She approached.
"I'm Portland." I responded, examining for any bruises. "How did you just get back up? Shouldn't you be at least somewhat hurt after hitting a building?"
"I'm a Siren." She nodded her head. "Though I'm surprised the failure of Guadalcanal managed to touch me."
I numbly accepted her presence. Is a Siren really infiltrating our base? What in the world is happening?
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Wait, Failure of Guadalcanal?
"What do you mean by-" I started before a carrier dropped in front of me, a fighter notched backwards within the catapult of her bow.
"CA-33!" She flashed her badge. "You are under arrest for assault!"
I just stood dumbfounded as the Carrier slowly advanced at me. But the Sirens are our enemies...
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"Let her go Independence." The Siren waved just as the carrier took out handcuffs.
"Ma'am." Independence turned around. "You are a valu-"
"It's fine." The Siren disappeared in the crowd.
Independence shot one last glare at me. "I'm watching you." She mouthed before fading away.
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A hand quickly grabbed the scuff of my shoulder and pulled me into the mass of ships surrounding the standoff.
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"What were you thinking Portland?" Cleveland whispered angrily. "Curiosity is under the personal protection of Enterprise!"
"But the Sirens are our enemies!" I snapped back to reality as Cleveland led us into a back alley. "They sank Yorktown and Hamman!"
"That might be true," Cleveland muttered, "but Saratoga's propaganda says that they were sunk by the Sakura Empire."
"What?" Cleveland and I emerged from the back alley straight across from the hospital.
"Yeah." Cleveland grinned coyly to a pair of light cruisers as they passed us before turning back to serious mode. "History is a fair bit different here that what actually happened. You'll get used to it."
"And what did they mean about 'the failure of Guadalcanal'?" I commented as Cleveland pushed the elevator button repeatedly.
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"You don't know about that?" Cleveland stopped.
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"No?" I tilted my head.
"Allright." Cleveland bit her lip before turning around. "Come with me. I'll reteach you our 'history'."
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"The elevator's here."
"Screw elevators."
Footnotes:
(1): That was actually true! Victorious did go straight back to Britain when the Essex Class and all those carriers came into service, but at least Victorious' Secret is getting a restock.
(2): Yeah, The Eagle Union started producing lots of destroyers. Lucky Shikikan.
Hoo. What has Saratoga been feeding to the Eagle Union?
Enty Doujins, perhaps?
If anybody knows some good numbers.
Obviously for Saratoga! Not for me, totally...
Anyways, See you next week!