Sorry for the delay this time guys. Live has been a bit busier between college, and admittedly playing other games/hobbies of mine. I hope you still can enjoy this.

Prince of Wales

The room was very cold. Freezing cold. And the humidity in the air didn't help one bit. This rugged, battered fur coat that the woman had given me. She was standing there, next to me and impervious to the temperature while I was here shivering even with covering on me. Though I didn't have it particularly bad. Not comparatively at least.

"Getting second thoughts about it?"

I wasn't certain about how Observer was able to speak. She had been stabbed into the metal walls of this underwater room with Odin's strange spear. And she hadn't moved an inch ever since, nor complained. And it had been an entire week. Anyone else… I would have died on the spot. The idea made my skin crawl. And that was after trying to not lay my eyes on what lied next to her.

But I didn't answer. The last thing I wanted was that… that thing messing up what little recollection of past events I still had. Everything was complicated enough as it was already. And even more with these freakish columns full of… people. And some of those names… Cheshire, Drake, Neptune… Monarch… they gave me a feeling I was all but certain I didn't like.

"Let her be, Observer."

"Since when do you tell me what to do?"

"Since the Peace Treaty of 1946 specifically."

This had gone on for the entire week. Their short talks about things that had yet to happen left me with a headache and alone to deal with my own problems.

"Focus on thinking what to tell that woman, Odin, when she comes, Wales."

"Why would you care about what happens to me?"

"I have my own reasons not to explain things as they are right now."

The door opened with a screeching sound. The first person other than Scherzo and Observer I saw in a week… and it was the person I probably wanted to see the least in the entire world.

Bismarck.

"Here." She threw something my way "Take a look."

I picked it up. It was a picture. That coastline, that lighthouse…

"You said Eugen had blown up some lighthouse. There it is."

She was right. That was the lighthouse I was at merely a week and a half ago. It was unmistakable.

"When was this taken?"

"This morning. You could ask Graf for confirmation, but first, I have to let you out of here."

That voice. It was like a screech to my ears. I couldn't stand the sound of it. My eyes wandered to the ground again.

"Get out of my sight."

"I have questions before I decide what to do with you."

"What makes you think I have any intention of answering them?"

The grunt that followed was almost music to my ears.

"Don't make this more complicated."

"More complicated?" I stood up and looked her in the eyes. I noticed a band-aid on her cheek. "More? You are alive. So is Spee. And Hood. I saw her die. More people that were supposed to be missing or dead just showed up out of nowhere. And you think this can get more complicated?"

"Look at you two, fighting like children. How little has your naivety changed, Bismarck?"

"I do not want to hear you so much as breath." said Bismarck with revulsion on her face. "I need an explanation, Wales. Why did you attack this facility?"

I didn't answer for what felt like minutes.

"I… I'll allow it. I'll allow you to leave this place and go see Hood."

I felt a knot in my throat. That very same sensation you could feel before you would break into tears. I made sure my eyes showed every single drop of hatred I had for her.

"I told you already. What I saw and what I felt."

Bismarck scratched her head as she took a look through a complicated-looking book. After a few glances she shook her head.

"That doesn't align with any chemical weapon the Ironblood has knowledge about."

"Of course it doesn't. Don't flatter yourself."

Observer tried to pull the spear from her chest, but quickly gave up when it became clear it wouldn't budge.

"Mighty fine weapon you have here. It must be a creation of the Black Cube, humans and their flimsy craftsmanship could never hope to make something like this."

"Do you know something?" said Scherzo

"Barely. Why would I lie? Being insufferable is… was Omitter's thing, not mine."

Bismarck pushed Wales aside and crouched to Observer's level "You don't seriously mean that. After treating me the way you did. Your insults definitely make you qualify as insufferable."

"Come on, did being called an insignificant being hurt the pride of the Ironblood this much? No wonder you are all in this sorry state."

I could see, I could feel Bismarck make a conscious effort not to drive her leather boot through Observer's skull.

"I hope you realize that even if my… even if Scherzo doesn't finish you off, I will. Even if it takes using that accursed power again."

"Don't let rage cloud your judgement."

"I will take your advice into account when you are so kind as to tell me what in the world you are."

"Do you really think either Observer or me are here because we are unable to leave?" Scherzo said, pointing at the impaled Siren. "If I wanted to, I could shoot through this metal roofing and turn everything above it into dust. The only reason I don't do so is because I would probably die, and because once again, neither the Ironblood, Wales or Hood are enemies of mine. Enemies is probably the polar opposite of what we are."

"What your intentions were is of no meaning to me!" Bismarck snapped "You still lead three elite siren units our way! And because of that, now Eugen is…!"

She tried to stop herself, but it was too late. We all had heard her. A disgusting hint of guilt pooled on my stomach.

"How is Eugen?"

Bismarck averted her gaze from us.

"I don't know."

"Excuse me?"

"I said I don't know. I am not allowed in her room."

"The leader of the Ironblood is not allowed in Eugen's room?" I said, with a tone less mocking and more… curious. "Does noone even respect hierarchy in this god forsaken faction anymore?"

Bismarck clenched her first. I was pretty sure she was holding herself from punching me right there and then.

"It's not me that is not allowed. Noone is. She barely let's Akashi in, let alone me, Hood, Jean Bart or any of the other people that went to show their concern."

Scherzo's skin went white. Even whiter than it usually was.

"Surely you don't mean… was it Hipper?"

Bismarck hugged her own shoulders and laid against one of the many tubes spread through the room.

"Those eyes… She had just come back from the Baltic, and brought Lützow and Gangut with her. She was surprised to see Spee and Hood, and her eyes lit up a bit when she showed us Blücher's cube but…"

"...but what?" I could feel my throat clenching for some reason.

"Odin showed her to the infirmary. She thought Eugen was pulling a prank at first. 'Hey, Eugen, this isn't funny.' she said. Then came the broken voice. The screams and the tears." She laid her hand on her bandaged cheek "Hipper slapped me hard enough to send me to the ground and insulted Odin. That would normally have her court martialed but… none of us were able to say a word."

I was left speechless as Bismarck slid down the wall to a crouch position. Was that what had happened in the last week?

Jean Bart

Working as a nurse was a pain in the ass. Not because I think I shouldn't be doing it, in fact, I had zero right to refuse doing it. But there were a lot of things to take into account, even more than when I fired my guns. Was I tightening the bandages too much? Was that IV line placed properly? And were the girls fine with me taking care of them when it was all my fault in the first time?

At the very least, I enjoyed the dialogue.

"Nah, I don't believe ya."

"It's true!"

"Ya want me to believe that you went over 42 knots in trials? No way."

The young girl pouted heavily "But it's true! My older sister even did 45!"

"Now you're taking me for a fool. Like I'm gonna believe you and your sisters can go near torpedo speed."

"Give L'Indomptable a break, Jeanie." Dunkerque giggled behind me, laying a tray next to me, with a few hair combs and hairpins. I picked one up and worked on the destroyer's hair.

"Are you listening to her? 45 knots. Even Deutschland wouldn't claim that, cocky as she is."

"We have pretty fast girls in both Vichy and Iris Libre." Dunkerque fidgeted a bit with the ends of her hair. "We may have lost a bit of that edge, but I don't think it's something we will have to worry about too much."

I looked around me. L'Indomptable had recovered very fast, since her injuries were rather light. In fact, everyone's injuries weren't as bad as I had thought. Odin confessed that Deustchland had wrapped everyone in bandages and purposely showed me what had happened to Dunkerque first. There were still broken bones and missing fingers in most of them, but not the barely alive disaster I had first believed. That woman… one day I was going to hit her over the head with my flagpole.

Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in." I said, going back to L'Indomptable's hair. "I don't know how you girls do it. I just tie it up into a ponytail."

"You are no fun, Jeanie. You should learn how to do braids. I'm sure the Cardinal would enjoy it if you did her hair from time to time."

I laughed out loud "Me doing Richelieu's hair? Ain't that optimistic…"

"You don't give her enough credit."

"Maybe I…" Someone knocked on the door again. "I said come in!"

"Lady Cardinal did what she could, I'm sure." L'Indomptable fidgeted with a hair comb "It must have been difficult for her as well."

"I… am sure it was…"

The door knocked again. My eyelid twitched.

"For god's sake." I stormed to the door, opening it "For the third time, I said…"

Hood greeted me with the same beaming smile I had seen her with since the day of her revival. A lot of complicated feelings tangled in my throat pushing to come out.

"Good morning to you, Lady Jean Bart. May I come in?"

Admittedly, it took me a few seconds to answer.

"If you drop the Lady thing, I'll consider it."

"I'll keep it in mind."

I made my way back to L'Indomptable, keenly aware of everyone's tense gazes directed at Hood. If she noticed herself, she didn't let it affect her. I laid my hands on L'Indomptable's hair once again.

"What do you want?"

"There's three places in this fortress that I have yet to visit. One of them was the Research Laboratory where Wales is, the second one is Admiral Hipper's room, and the third is, well, this room. Seeing how I am banned from one of those, and unwelcome at the other, I had hoped to come see the state of the Vichiya fleet."

The rest of the girls glanced from their beds. Even those that had been complaining nonstop about their backs or those that were still on medication that would have knocked a cow unconscious. I sighed. They weren't going to be particularly welcoming towards Hood.

"I am sure a woman like you can read the room."

"I know when I am unwelcome, Jean Bart. I still think this was a necessity."

I looked at her. It was a bizarre sight, to see the ship that had once been known as the glory of the Royal Navy, sporting an Ironblood uniform. If anyone back in England were to see her like this they would probably have a stroke. For some reason, the idea was weirdly amusing.

"So it's as I thought, these clothes don't quite fit me, do they?"

Dunkerque managed a weak smile "It's a bit strange seeing you in those clothes."

Hood looked down at herself "I must admit, these clothes are rather comfortable for life at sea. I can't understand Lady Bismarck's decision to wear short trousers along with these though."

"They are easier to move in, that's for sure."

"Maybe I should give them a try. I don't know how Wales, or the rest back home would react though."

The silence that followed was rather awkward. With all the girls looking at us, L'Indomptable nervously looking at Dunkerque and Hood.

"I have a question for ya.?"

"It would be my pleasure to answer that for you."

"What did it feel like?" I said, being careful not to look at her "When you died."

L'Indomptable almost jumped in her seat.

"Jeanie, I don't think…"

"I believe the question has its merit, Dunkerque." Hood's smile waned a bit "You'll excuse me for answering with another question, but how did it feel for you, at Casablanca?"

I didn't like the question. I answered nonetheless.

"The water was cold. I felt powerless against that Eagle Union girl. That's about as much as I remember."

"That can't be all you felt, now can it?"

"Excuse me?"

"I felt regret." Hood said "Pain, unbearable pain. My legs suddenly weren't there. Lightheadedness, dizziness, the confusion of seeing half of my body floating away from me. And yet the worst part was the regret. Not knowing what would happen to Wales, it scared me. She probably was too much in shock to remember it now, but even after being split in half, I fired one last shot with the last turret I had above the water." She caressed her stomach "Even then, I sank with the regret of not being able to do more. I thought that was going to be the end, like you probably did. That is why I don't think the water being cold was all you felt at that moment."

My hands wandered for a second, as if my fingers had tripped over themselves. This entire speech was hard to listen to. It came way too close, personally, to my liking.

"Must be nice, to have no regrets left."

"You see, Jean Bart, when you are as old as I am…" she stood up, walking down the aisle between the hospital cots "When you have had the taste of peace, the taste of freedom and of how wide our world is, you can't help but regret what it all has come to."

"What are you on about?"

"Wales is fine. I couldn't have more joy in my heart to know that. However…"

She knelt down. The expression on her face showed that her wounds didn't take it too well. The girls sat down on their beds in shock, trying to see what they could not while laying down. Dunkerque and I jumped off our chairs.

"Lady Hood, please..!"

She raised her hand, signaling us to stop.

"But…"

"Given your role in the Iris Orthodoxy, surely you wouldn't deny a Knight, hostile as she may have been, the time to speak her mind."

Dunkerque looked at me with a complicated face. L'Indomptable grabbed the end of my coat from behind. I simply nodded at Hood, who answered with a weak smile.

"Esteemed Templar Knights from the Vichiya Dominion, you have heard what I have to say. Of my regrets, my fears and my pain. And I am aware of your regrets, your fears and your pain. For that, from the bottom of this old heart of mine, I offer my deepest, most heartfelt apology."

"Hey." I said "Drop the act, their current state is not your…"

"Your consideration is more than I deserve, Jean Bart. But no, I hold my own part of guilt." She extended her arm, and part of her rigging manifested. A 380 millimeter twin mount. "The German government has their part to blame. Without them, you would have never been forced to take drastic measures. You, Jean Bart, hold guilt. It was under your orders that they scuttled themselves. And I too, Valiant, Ark Royal and my fellow Royal Navy compatriots, share guilt as well. It was I, with this very same gun that you see before your eyes, who finished off Bretagne when she was trying to flee. Perhaps we hold the most guilt of all in this matter."

"Bretagne didn't truly sink… She was transferred here, but since her state was far worse than us, I imagine Odin put her in the same place as she did with you…"

"My shells were still aimed to sink, Lady Dunkerque." Hood brought her hand to her chest. "Following those orders, that morning of the third of July was, without a shadow of doubt, the most hateful decision, the most unnatural and painful in which I have ever been concerned. We single handedly decided to break the bonds of trust that had been laid down between our factions. Distrust is understandable."

Hood finally stood up. Her wound started acting up again, so Dunkerque lent her her shoulder. Those things on her cheeks… those were tears.

"All I have for you is an apology. I won't ask for the forgiveness I know I don't deserve. If you ask me to kneel, I'll kneel. If you ask me to retire from the Royal Navy as soon as this war is over, so be it. I, however, cannot offer you my life. I already lost it once full of regret, and that's not a mistake I'll allow myself to make twice. I have duties now. Duties to Wales, who is like a daughter to me. Duties to Bismarck and those who helped me come back to life so I could have a second chance. But most important of it all, I have a duty with you all. A duty to make sure this time I do things right. A duty to do what I feel is right. So all I have to offer is an apology. And, only if you allow me, a promise."

The infirmary went into complete silence for what felt like minutes. Even the machines some girls were strapped to, the soft shriek of the metal due to the waves, and the clinking of the medicines in the cupboard, it all seemed to just fade away. The girls looked at her from her beds. Only one of them stood up, grabbing something from her nightstand.

"Lady Foch…"

"Heh, that does have a nice ring to it." she smirked. She took out what she had grabbed. A pitch black sheath. "I placed my own scuttling charges in my guns. And opened my seacocks. I didn't have it as bad as Dunkerque or Strasbourg. But I still have no weapons to call my own right now." She unsheathed her blade, showing it's clean, polished silver edge, offering it to Hood. "A certain woman from the Sardegna Empire has the other one. Trust isn't the most brilliant strategy I have ever come up with, but my experience tells me it's the right thing. There's only one way I'll ever get both these blades back after all."

Hood hesitated for a second, but then placed her fingers on the edge of the blade.

"I'd be honored."

I myself went back to my chair, letting myself fall into it with an exhausted sigh. Cliched, I know, but I didn't want to let the feelings out. The last thing I wanted is to become a show for everyone to see..

"...it would all be so much easier if I could just hate you."

Odin

"I don't want to do this."

Gneisenau turned around. Even through her glasses and the notepad you could see she wasn't too wild about the idea either. The irritation was plain to see.

"This really isn't what we should be doing. But it's still orders." She looked around the warehouse and ticked several things off her list. "I enjoy checking inventory as little as you do."

"Ah, order this, order that. It was all more fun when Bismarck was still around. We at least could go out and sail, if anything. I still have the thrill of our battle against Glorious in my veins."

"Glorious…" Gneisenau hesitated "I sometimes pity her. A carrier, frail and light, against our guns."

"It takes Ugly Sisters to fight an ugly war. And now here we are. Scharnhorst immer voran, what a joke. If I go forward right now I'll run into a titanic pile of soon to expire military rations and an even bigger pile of boredom and scoldings."

"Heh…" I chuckled "So like you…"

"So like who?"

I jumped out of my seat and screamed, throwing my palette and paint everywhere. The floor, some of my yet clear canvases, and the person that had startled me. Deutschland didn't look amused at all as my paint dripped down her hair.

"S-Sorry…" I reached for a white cloth, but she stopped me.

"You couldn't spacing out more if we strapped you to a V2 and shot you into the sky. What are you even doing?"

"P-Painting is my past-time, that's all!"

"You, with a past-time?" Deutschland grabbed an entire bottle of solvent and threw it on her head, scraping the paint away and sitting in another free chair next to mine. "That doesn't really track."

"I needed a bit of an escape. Things have been a bit too much lately."

"Is this about Hipper and her shenanigans?"

Somehow, Deutschland of all people, had hit the nail on the head. I let myself fall back into my chair. "It's my fault, what happened to Eugen."

"If you say so. You weren't the only one around."

"I was in charge of everything around here. People in charge, at least the people in charge I would consider real leaders, take responsibility for the safety of their underlings."

"Mein gott, you are stubborn." she said, sighing with frustration. "I'm gonna need Graf to get through you…"

"I don't need anyone to get through to me." I said as I started to mix more paint.

"Alright then. Keep pretending to be a machine without feelings."

"We are warships, Deutschland. I hope you haven't forgotten that."

"We are going to have a problem with your line of thinking. Go tell Jean Bart or Wales that, see how many teeth you have left afterwards. Plus…" she pointed towards my drawing. The once white canvas was now carefully decorated with the exact same warehouse scene I had seen through mimir's eyes a few minutes before. "You told me when I first asked who the hell you were. Odin-class battlecruiser, design predecessor to the Scharnhorst class."

My brush hesitated momentarily just over Scharnhorst's Bruno turret. That had been, indeed, how I had introduced myself when I first got Deutschland out of his troubles escaping Uruguay. I had never put much thought into it, but to some extent she was right. When I felt especially anxious or preoccupied, I defaulted to watching what Scharnhirst and Gneisenau were up to. Be it hitting training targets 20 kilometers away, drinking in whatever bar they found in Kiel or, like today, doing menial tasks.

Maybe deep down I really did see a connection, but…

"I'd like to spend what little time I have for relaxation alone and in silence with my thoughts, Deutschland. What did you come here for?"

She stood up and headed to the door.

"Whatever. You need to move the elevator, Bismarck is done down there."