A/N: Good morning, afternoon, evening! Ladies and gentlemen, I've decided to return back to writing after a long year and a half hiatus. The passion came back to me over the past few months. I know it's sudden and I really don't want to go into detail with what I've been doing, I'd rather just get into the new story I've been writing!

Not a whole lot I want to talk to you guys about except I absolutely love Azur Lane! I love the whole concept and how (In some peoples eyes) it seemed to improve on Kantai Collection. So I finally decided to write a fanfiction bringing the two together slightly!

Now this is kind of a remake of "Angel's of our Future." But this will feature more factions and more characters. But as always I love to write my romance, so I haven't decided on that part yet. I do know there's about 15 different girls I can pick from for our main female character. So I hope you all can help me out there!

Anyways that's about all I have to talk about so I hope you all enjoy my first fanfiction in a few years. Remember to review, (It really helps me out!) and on with the show!

Disclaimer: I don't own Azur Lane or the Kantai Collection franchise. This is purely fan made. Please don't sue me. I have no money. Well I have a little bit of money.

Prologue

August 1st, 2002

Coronado, California

Clay Halsey

A young boy. Probably no more then the age of five, found himself for the first time in his life lost for words, as he trembled slowly down the narrow hallway of his home. Sirens and screams could be heard from outside the walls of the dwelling. But he wasn't worried about that at that moment. He was too preoccupied on the massive hooded figure standing in font of him at the end of the narrow hallway, in what looked to be the kitchen.

Who seemed to be holding up his struggling mother no less.

"H-How are you even still alive?" His mother croaked out as she grasped the white arm holding her in the air, "Richard made sure that you wouldn't survive the Zero Event. You should be dead!"

The figures grip only seemed to tighten as a surprisingly feminine voice echoed from the under the hood, "Well it seems like you don't even know your own husband. But nevertheless I'm not here for him. This whole attack was simply a-"

"D-Diversion right?" Clay's Mother interjected, as she huffed for air, "You could only be here for one thing right? But you should know it's to far out of your grasp now, and you'll be dead the moment my security teams punch through th-at door. The age of Abyssals is long over!" His mother suddenly yelled out, causing the small boy and even the hooded figure to pause for a moment.

But it wasn't long before a low growl came from the figures mouth as they slammed the smaller woman into one of the walls with so much worse she cracked the drywall, "Silence! I did not travel this far and struggle this long to have you simply rip him from my grasp again! Not like all those years ago Amelia! NOW WHERE IS HE!" The figure demanded, pulling the woman away from the wall and directly into their kitchen table. Smashing it to pieces.

"A-Ahngh!" The woman now known as Amelia yelped in pain as she stared angrily up at the figure. She balled her fist and was just about to take a swing at them but the sudden outcry of her boy stopped her.

Unable too hid his balled up emotions anymore, the young Clay ran towards his mother and the figure. "Both his hands balled into a fist ready to strike, Don't hurt my Mommy!"

His mother's eyes widened as she tried to push away from the other woman to reach her son, "CLAY! You shouldn't be here! You need to run!" She screamed, as the woman forced her back to the floor, the wood beginning to crack underneath her.

Said woman's eyes were wide though, hardly paying attention to Amelia. Her focus now on the young boy who had stopped a few feet away. You could see the fear in his eyes but none the less, he had his fists raised, "C-Clay?" She asked, her hand slowly reaching out to him, she seemed to be in shock, "I-Is that really you?"

Suddenly before anything else could happen Amelia elbowed the woman in her stomach, causing her to flinch slightly, as she scrambled towards her boy, "GET OUT OF HERE NOW! Go find your sister and get the police! They'll pro- Aghnnn!" Her worlds were cut short as the hooded female grabbed her, putting her in a viscous choke hold.

"Not this time Amelia! Not again!" The woman shouted, tears beginning to run down her face, as Clay's mother began to struggle for air beneath her, her face turning red, "I trusted both of you! And this is how you repay me?!"

Clay in the meantime was frozen in place, unable to move as he was watching the life force being choked out from his mother, "P-Please let my mommy go! Please stop!" He cried, as his mother began to reach out to him. Already knowing there was no escape from this.

"R-RUN!" She gurgled out, just before the woman twisted her arm up high, snapping his mother's neck in an instant. The life left her eyes as she fell flat on the wooden floor. Clay didn't say a word, as his young mind couldn't process what had just happened. He stood like a statue, his body going into shock.

The hooded woman looked down at her and then back over to Clay, she wiped away the tears, as she slowly began to stand up, "N-Nmgh! I'm sorry, b-but listen very carefully…..we have to go, you aren't safe here. The-"

But she was cut short by the sound of vehicles pulling up outside. Followed by multiple voices slowly beginning to encircle the home. She was out of time. The hooded woman move away from the body of Amelia and towards Clay.

"M-MOMMY!" Clay finally snapped as he tried to run towards her, but was stopped at the woman brought him into a tight hug, tears soon running down her face once more, "I-I'm so sorry little one, but I promise you this. I will come back for you, and you will never be left alone like this again." She sobbed, as Clay began to try and thrash himself out of the embrace. He punched and kicked. But her grip was too strong.

"I-I HATE YOU!"

The woman visibly flinched at those words as she pulled away from him and gripped his shoulders. Her beautiful crimson red eyes and long flowing white hair coming into full view of Clay's tear filled eyes, "I'm sorry Clay…" She paused just as a loud explosion rocked the house. Looking towards the kitchen window, she quickly turned back and planted a kiss on the young child's forehead before pulling away and making her exit through the window.

Glass shattered across the kitchen and the sound of gunfire and screaming was heard. Clay couldn't do anything but stand there. Still in a form of shock, at what he was left with. His mother dead on the floor in front of him, his house in ruins and the one responsible….having just escaped. He didn't know what to do, besides…..cry. That was all he could do.

He dropped to his knees as the tears fell, hugging his mother's body as the sound of boots and yelling echoed through the house. But he didn't care, he knew exactly who they were. The men who were supposed to make sure something like this had never happened, but they were too late…

Too late to safe his mother and too late to safe his home.

But through those tearful eyes one could see….that the innocence was now gone. Replaced….with a firey anger. A vengeance for that woman, and if he ever saw her again…she better hope she was prepared for what was to come…

On February 2nd, 1981 first contact was made with a race known as the Abyssals. Scientists who were researching the ancient, and large trenches in the south pacific, uncovered something. An ancient and almost alien like vault sealed off from the outside world. Surrounding it was an ancient city of some sorts. Carved from the rock and metals of the earth.

After weeks of analyzing the surrounding structures cities were able to make out some of the ancient texts. Some of which they couldn't believe. Words such as Atlantis, Hel, Tartarus, Alfheim grabbed their attention, but they continued to dig deeper and deeper until one phrase caught all of their attention. A phrase written in a language dating back more than 200,000 years. The rough translations reads as followed.

"To whoever opens this tomb, be aware of the grave mistake you are about to make. For the Abyss seeks to destroy us all. For we are it's opposite. It's light to dark, It's sun to moon."

"Astra Inclinant sed non obligant"

Their faces paled and their spines shivered upon this discovery, as part of the text was almost identical to latin. How could this be possible? The earliest known examples of writing let alone Latin didn't show up until much later. What the hell was going on?

Feeling compelled now. The group of researchers decided to ignore the cryptic warnings and open the Vault…

The poor fools weren't ready for what they were about to uncover. Upon touching the ancient vault doors they unleashed an ancient, and powerful evil power known as the Abyss. A strange underground world, that seemed to span completely under the Earth's crust. A mysterious and unknown place. But before the researchers could even explore it extensively, something came up. Something otherworldly crawled up from that vault. Horrifying them.

The Abyssals

Strange almost demonic like female creatures arose. Millions of their soldiers, with other grotesque creatures accompanying them emerged. Ready to wage war. They quickly killed the research team just as they tried to get the word out. Then before anyone knew it the Abyssals made their presence known by wiping out the entire Philippines in under a day. Causing the archipelago to sink beneath the earth's crust into the Abyss below. The estimated casualties were around 105 million.

The world froze in shock. For the Abyssals had arrived.

A day later they had already made their way to the central Pacific, destroying Midway in under an hour, before anyone knew they had already showed at Hawaii. But they weren't prepared for what was to meet them there. A combined force of dozens and dozens of countries, that had settled there for the first annual Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC).

The resulting 10 day battle that took place over the chain of the island would be forever known as the Deep Blue Incident. But it would also mark the first time in history that mankind would come together to drive off an even greater force. With the United States & the newly formed Kingdom of Russia taking the charge assault during the battle they were able to successfully drive the enemy away from the historic island and into the deep Pacific, but at a heavy price. Every able nations navy had been battered and bruised. Even America's once proud fleets had been reduced to nothing more than a handful.

After the Deep Blue Incident the United States & Russia would both mobilize their military to combat the new threat. Even to go as far, as recalling all their deployed troops from around the world to provide defenses for their countries. America itself even pulled out of NATO as they refused to provide support in the Pacific campaign. This seemed to be the right move, for hours later two large Abyssal Armada's reared their heads off the coast of both China & Russia. China being caught off guard, even with their 2 million man army, was heavily crippled as Shanghai and Beijing fell within hours. Forcing them further inland. Slowly cutting down their inexperience and ill equipped military with greater numbers. Separating them from vital ports, under sea cabling & their infamous factory cities. Almost crippling the world's economy overnight. The Kingdom of Russia on the other hand fared quite a bit better. With the aid of the United States quick reaction forces & bomber fleets. The Russians were able to bog the abyssals down in the ice fields of the great north. Preventing them from even making landfall on the shores of their kingdom. But even so, the two remaining world superpowers were barely able to hold back this devastating enemy in the Pacific.

Upon capture of one of these Abyssals by U.S. & Russia Special Operations forces, the so called Abyssal Queen broadcasted a message all over the planet. "We have waited long enough Terrans. This world isn't yours anymore. Mankind will be erased."

That message left the world in shock, as the Abyssals went quiet for 2 years. No doubt building up their strength deep inside the planet.

Then in the year 1983 the Abyssals reared their heads again against humanity. Signaling the start of the Great Abyssal War. This time by-passing the superpowers and attacking South America, and The Horn Of Africa. Millions died in the attacks. Humanity was at a turning point. The world pressured the remaining European forces to go, and assist the two continents, as Russian and the United States were dealing with their own Abyssal threats they could not assist at the time. Although feeling as the war was mainly focused in on the Pacific, many European countries refused to send troops into the war torn countries, and as a result many innocents were lost. This angered some of the smaller nations in Europe and they soon began to push themselves away from their neighbors and find help elsewhere. They turned their heads to the two remaining superpowers, knowing that pointless politics wouldn't stop the two giants in protecting mankind. One by one the smaller countries joined under the two massive countries, forming close bonds with each other. Bolstering their resolve against the Abyssals.

In the year 1985 it looked to be that the war would never stop with the merciless onslaught of the Abyssals. The remaining European nations that did not join up with the United States and Russia quickly began to feel the pressure as the Abyssal encroached closer and closer to their continent. So in response they were forced to form the United European Military (UEM) headed up by France, Spain, and the reformed Austria-Hungary Empire. The only nations that declined to join were the United Kingdom, Germany, & Poland. Instead they put their faith into Russia and America. Aligning themselves with them. But even still the Abyssal onslaught continued. Country after country fell to them, and their numbers kept rising. But for every force there is an equal and opposite. On June 21st 1987 humanity received that opposite…

Girls with fighting potential to battle the Abyssal's threat. These girls were of equal strength as the Abyssal's. No one knows where they came from. Some said they were created from humanity's fighting spirit, others say they were an alien race. But to the mass public they're known as…

Ship Girls~

And so with the ship girls aid, mankind pushed back from the brink of extinction. With the help of certain Humans that had a special bond with the Ship girls. Fighting the Abyssals back seemed possible…Soon we found ourselves stepping foot in the Pacific again and then retaking our lost islands in the mighty ocean. And soon we drove them back into the Abyssal Vault where even still mankind pursued them. Into the hollow Earth that these creatures had poured out of. Brave men & Women alongside Ship girls fought inside our very planet to ensure victory against the hordes.

Then in the year 1991, ten years after the start of this terrible event in human history. The Abyssals were soon defeated. Mankind having defeated a large amount of them, they remaining began to get desperate, collapsing part of the hollow Earth on-top of themselves. Driving them further to extinction. Finally a combined force of Ship girls lead by Fleet Admiral Amelia Halsey struck deep in the heart of the Abyssal capital territory. Detonating a device that crippled the Abyssals DNA, effectively killing them all. Mankind quickly pulled out of the hollow Earth, before sealing off the vault again. Leaving them to rot inside their massive underground world. Never to be seen again.

Or so we thought…

A/N: Thank you for reading the prologue! I hope you all enjoyed it so far, still a lot of world building to do in the story but I can assure you that'll certainly be an amazing ride for all of us! Now this'll be more of a gritty take on Azur Lane so if that's not your style then I'd recommend skipping this one. To everyone else enjoy the Azur Lane story based around the human perspective, dropped into the middle of a global conflict. Every faction will be involved in some way, shape, or form. So once again, enjoy and remember to review

Author Question: Ideas for the Ship Girl protagonist? Kind of jumping between a few right now but any ideas will greatly be appreciated! Thank you very much