"Master, are you alright?" Belfast asked softly as Isaac watched the men of the Missouri take away the caskets of the sailors that had died.
"No. I'm far from alright, Belfast. No matter what good we did here... we lost too much for celebration to be in order. And I have lost the first real friend that I ever had." Isaac said as Warspite and Eagle took it upon themselves to tend to the casket draped in the Union Jack. They folded the flag quickly and with full honors to the dead before tucking in the loose edge and presenting the flag to Isaac.
"This... is supposed to go to next of kin, no?" Isaac asked as he tried to choke back more tears that had been fighting for freedom since his speech.
"As her only living sister, I do not have the right to bear this flag considering the circumstances of her death. As such, I dictate, as the leader of the Royal Navy... that you are to receive this as we send her off." Warspite said as Isaac's hands trembled before taking the flag and holding it to his chest.
"Thank you, Warspite." Isaac said as he allowed a few tears to fall.
Belfast looked at Isaac and moved closer. She took his hand and led him towards the gangway, only for their path to be impeded by Arizona and Bremerton.
"Girls?" Isaac asked as he quickly wiped his reddened eyes.
"Omaha and Eldridge are within radio range. Akagi has departed Australian waters on a departure towards Niue. Other than that, nothing to report, Commander." Arizona said.
"Thank you Arizona. You girls do what you must to get your vessels ready for departure. Once we get troops from the Australian Army, we will make our final approach towards the Philippines." Isaac said as he clutched the flag tightly.
Penny and Shinano walked up behind Belfast and Isaac, looking at him with sadness on their faces.
"I understand, Commander. Take the time you need. Odin has assumed command to allow you some time." Arizona said as Isaac nodded.
"I can't greet the girls like this." Isaac said softly.
"I shall welcome them to the port, Isaac. You need not worry." Shinano said as she walked past Isaac, using one of her tails to gently wipe the tears from his face before descending the ramp to the docks.
"I am going to head to the Norfolk... If something happens, radio for me." Isaac said as Penny looked to Arizona.
"Understood, Commander." Arizona said as Isaac and Penny walked past her and Bremerton.
Isaac stopped beside Bremerton and put his good hand on her shoulder.
"I'm glad that you're still with us, Bremerton. Even better that you're up and about." Isaac said softly.
"Commander, would you like to discuss this?" Bremerton asked.
"Yes... I... I think I should." Isaac whispered.
"Alright, Commander. I'll allow whoever you want to join you, if it helps." Bremerton said as Isaac looked over the port.
"Belfast and Nimi." Isaac said softly.
"And do you have orders for me, Commander?" Penny asked.
"You're going to help me too. I would like time to grieve and to talk about this with Bremerton. See to it that we are not disturbed." Isaac requested.
"I will see it done." Penny said as Isaac and company descended the gangway to pick up Nimi before heading to the Norfolk.
"Michael. This is ridiculous. Can you please make sure to clean up after yourself?" Amagi asked as they creeped slowly around the outskirts of the Philippine Islands, sticking to the fog to keep the Sirens within from catching their scent.
"Really? Your entire vessel looks like a war torn island due to the camouflage we did to it." Michael defended himself.
"Well, it's not like we're engaging any more drones right now, so stop being so lazy and clean up these rations. I am already dealing with the clutter on my deck and turrets, I would at least like for our living space to be decent." Amagi said sternly.
"Alright. No need to get all bent out of shape. I'll get right on it, dear." Michael said as he set about cleaning the bridge.
Amagi wordlessly walked over and sat on the desk. She watched as Michael quickly made the bridge tidy to her standards. Her eyes wandered over a tall man of German lineage. His uniform was consistent of a Japanese Commander who had been placed in command of a powerful battleship. His ice blue eyes cut through the soft light of the bridge. His dirty blonde hair waved gently from the wind seeping in through the open door.
"You know, if we left the fog and headed south, I have heard some of the Explorers talking about something or someone called Apollyon. Apparently this Apollyon has declared a full on war with the Sirens and has even captured Observer Zero." Amagi said as she rested her head on her hand.
"Oh?" A voice came from the door.
"Ben. You're finally awake, huh?" Michael asked.
"Shut it, Kraut. I was talking to Amagi." Ben said.
"Look here, American. I don't care what happened during the war, but all of us hated the fact that it happened. We all have the same enemy now." Michael said.
"Your people killed hundreds of my brothers in arms, and my actual brother. You haven't earned shit from me yet." Ben spat.
"Ben, please calm yourself. We can't be too loud or we will risk detection." Amagi said.
"Of course. I apologize, Amagi." Ben said as he sat at one of the other desks.
"Remind me why you're here?" Michael asked.
"You picked me up during my escape from Germany." Ben spoke coldly.
"Exactly. And why were you still in Germany? Had the war there not ended in May?" Michael asked.
"I wasn't there for fucking sight seeing, you damn Kraut! I was a prisoner! Your super secret science assholes experimented on me after I was captured during Operation Overlord. And then when the Sirens took hold of the world, they took over my torture and experimentation. They made me like... this." Ben said as he stood and ripped off his shirt, showing rock hard features covered in scars, stitches and healed burns.
"Oh my... are you alright?" Amagi asked.
"The pain is gone. And the strength they gave me remained. These scars are nothing more than stories to tell." Ben said proudly, making a show of hitting his chest with his fist.
"Fucking patriot..." Michael muttered as Ben glared at him.
"Oh yeah? And what does that make you, Nazi scum?" Ben sneered.
"Former. And it wasn't my fucking choice. I didn't have a choice when I was conscripted into the German Navy." Michael spat.
"German Navy? But you and I have been together since 1942, when the Imperial Navy used Wisdom Cubes to wake me up." Amagi spoke.
"I was conscripted into the Kriegsmarine in 1939, but due to the treaty, I was transferred to the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1941 after Pearl Harbor." Michael said.
"That explains your terrible Japanese when we first met." Amagi tittered.
"Oi. I thought it was pretty good." Michael said as Ben laughed.
"Like when you confused pufferfish for depth charge?" Amagi asked in a softer tone.
"It got the point across! Don't laugh because I didn't know the word for depth charge." Michael snapped.
"I know. I know." Amagi said as she rested her other hand under her chin, the ring on her finger shining in what little light they allowed themselves during the day.
"Amagi? Come in." A voice came in on the radio.
"Ah, it's Talisman." Michael said as Ben snarled.
"Great, the other Nazi is back. How the hell did I end up on a boat with not one, but two of you Nazi fucks?" Ben asked.
"Hey, if you want to be dumped here and fend off Sirens yourself, I'll be more than happy to have Amagi deal with that." Michael said angrily.
Ben stopped talking. He knew he could fight, but against Tester and her forces, he'd be overrun without support.
"Wilhelm, what's going on?" Amagi asked.
"Can you ready the crane? I'm coming in for a landing." Wilhelm spoke.
"Of course, Wilhelm. Should I adjust course to receive you?" Amagi asked.
"Nah. I can bring her in on your stern. Just keep your heading so I don't crash into your torpedo protection." Wilhelm joked.
"So why does she call him Wilhelm and you call him Talisman?" Ben asked.
"He requested that I, as a commanding officer, do not use his real name when he is flying. If he is flying, he wishes to be referred to as Talisman." Michael explained.
"And Amagi doesn't, why?" Ben asked.
"Because she is a battleship capable of eliminating hundreds of Sirens alone with only us three to assist her. She can do as she pleases." Michael said as the familiar buzzing came to a soft halt towards the stern of the ship.
"Looks like he's made it back." Michael said as the three of them all left the bridge and headed for the stern where Wilhelm and his modified ME-155A were being hoisted from the water by Amagi's crane.
"Wilhelm? How does it look out there?" Amagi asked as the German pilot exited his aircraft. Before them stood a man in a brown flying suit, strapped under each arm was a C96 Mauser. His belt held enough ammunition to feed both weapons well into a firefight. Black boots adorned his feet, shined to a near perfect reflection. His face was concealed by a stolen British gas mask that had been affixed to conceal his identity. Several medals and the Iron Wings of the Luftwaffe sat proudly on his chest.
"Silent. As if the sea itself wishes to keep our secret." Wilhelm spoke through the mask. The round black eye ports reflected the faced of everyone looking at him, as if no light could pierce inside.
"And our cover?" Michael asked.
"Working as intended. If I wasn't tracking you via radio, I would have gotten lost looking. From the air, this vessel looks like nothing more than a small island." Wilhelm spoke.
"It's hard to hear ya, Kraut. Take off the mask." Ben demanded before having the barrel of Wilhelm's Mauser in his face.
"Nobody who has seen this face has lived to tell about it, GI. Consider that before requesting to face it." Wilhelm spoke as Ben stepped closer.
"What did you say, Gerry? It's still hard to hear ya. Maybe I should take that stupid mask off for you." Ben said as Amagi slapped both men upside their heads.
"Enough. I will not have any of this hostility on my vessel. If you two wish to fight, I ask that you leave me and my Shikikan and fight elsewhere." Amagi demanded.
Wilhelm and Ben looked at her and then back at each other.
"Not worth my time anyway, Gerry." Ben said as he turned and walked towards the bow of the ship, which was covered almost entirely with felled logs and shrubs.
"Stupid American. A waste of time just as much as a waste of breath." Wilhelm said as he turned to Amagi.
"I heard something odd while flying these past few missions, especially the one with those Explorers guarding the human sailors." Wilhelm said.
"Oh?" Amagi asked. This also seemed to interest Ben enough for him to stop moving away and listen.
"Yeah. The Sirens believe us to be the Kraken... from the old sailor's books." Wilhelm said.
"The Kraken? Like the Giant squid?" Michael asked as Amagi's mouth watered.
"Apparently that's what they're calling us." Wilhelm said with a shrug.
"Amagi? Are you okay?" Michael asked.
"Of course. But now I hunger for Takoyaki." Amagi said softly as she looked over the stern of her vessel as if searching for something.
"You're going for an octopus, aren't you..." Michael asked as Amagi looked back at him.
"Don't sound so disappointed. I'll make enough for all of us." Amagi said as they all felt the ship slow in the water.
"Amagi, we can't sit here all day waiting for an octopus to bite. This fog is still moving the last time I checked." Michael said.
"False. The fog has halted, as have the winds. We can take this time to restock our fresh fish supply and boil more water for cooking. The fog this time is massive so it will take a while to dissipate." Wilhelm said.
Amagi smirked.
"Alright fine. Everyone has the day to relax and help fish or boil water." Michael said.
"Oh, and what of Apollyon?" Amagi asked as she walked past Michael to grab a stick capable of being used for fishing.
"Well, we shall have to see where he stands. But if he fights the Sirens, then let us hope that the enemy of our enemy is our friend." Michael said as all four members on the Amagi prepared to carry out Michael's orders.