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Chapter Two

Hood's eyes snapped open.

Everything was blurry, cold, and dark. Her whole body was shaking and she was gasping for breath.

Her head snapped back and forth. There were balls of light in both directions and she could hear sounds, but could not make any sense of them. Her heart was beating very rapidly and she was on the verge of panicking. She opened her mouth to speak, but only whimpers came out.

Then a figure to her left came to her side.

"Shh, shh. Calm down, Miss. You're okay now."

It was a girl's voice and she spoke with an Irish accent. She placed a hand on Hood's chest and she immediately felt her breathing slow down.

"Dad," the girl looked over her shoulder, "She's awake now."

Another figure approached, this one much taller.

"Easy now, lass," he spoke with a similar accent, "You've had a really rough going this past week."

Hood felt her heart go back to a steady place. Her vision was starting to clear. Then her body shivered violently and she realized that her skin was cold and clammy.

"C-C-C-C-Cold," she gasped.

The girl stood, "Hang on. I'll get you some warm broth."

She disappeared as Hood pulled the thick blanket covering her body tighter. The girl came back with a mug and she smelled a warm aroma. Her head gently lifted and she tasted chicken broth pouring through her lips. She drank greedily, despite the girl telling her to drink slowly, relishing the delicious taste of the broth. After a few gulps her body became warm and the shivering began to ease.

"Th-Thank you."

The girl smiled, "Don't mention it. Drink as much as you want. There's plenty more."

Hood took another mug after the first. By the time she finished it her visioned had cleared enough for her to see properly. She handed the mug back to girl and for the first time she was able to get a good look at her. She was an incredibly beautiful girl long silver hair and sharp azure blue eyes. The man besides her, her father as she called, was a tall middle-aged man with a beard and wearing thick glasses. He was dressed in suit that was dirty and stained.

When the girl went over to put the mug in the sink she tried to sit up... and almost couldn't when she discovered how incredibly stiff her body. The man leaned over to help and she was able to swing her legs out and sit on the edge of the bed.

Her bare feet touched a stone cold rug. The man went to fetch her some warm slippers while she looked down at herself and saw that she dressed in two of thick pajamas. When he came back she slipped her cold feet in before she looked around and took in her surroundings.

It appeared they were in a cave that was only lit by a pair of florescent lamps. The walls were all of jagged solid rock and damp. A pair of heaters kept the cave warm but she could still feel a cold draft coming in from somewhere. There were tables that were littered with scraps of metal, wires, and wood. At the center of the cave was a furnace that also acted as oven. Right now the girl was stirring something in a pot that was hung over the flames. Hood then noticed there was an anvil near the furnace and there were tools scattered about.

If she didn't know any better this looked like a makeshift workshop. Then she saw the heavy steel down that had been built into the rock wall, along with the camera nearby that had been nailed into the rock wall.

"That's right," the man had followed her gaze, "Smile."

"Where am I?" she finally asked.

The man looked up and sighed, "In a cave somewhere deep in the Scottish mountains."

Her jaw dropped, "I'm in Scotland?" suddenly it all came back to her, "Wait... the weapons demo. The convoy! We were attack and-"

"Yes," the man nodded solemnly, "It was the IRA who attack and kidnapped you."

"The IRA..." he voice faded.

It now made sense. She was the owner of a weapons manufacturing company that provided weapons for the military to be used against terrorist threats. Since she took over she had received numerous death threats from both the Middle-East and even from the IRA. She had taken the necessary security measures but had still treated the whole thing in a carefree manner. It seemed that carelessness had finally caught up with her.

Just then she remembered seeing that rocket with the Hood Industries logo on it. How did the IRA get a hold of that? Hold on.

She looked at herself and touched her body.

"What is it?" the man frowned.

"When I brought in, did I have any wounds?"

His frown deepened, "No. Why?"

She was about to respond before she remembered something the man had said earlier.

"I'm sorry, but did you say that I've been here for a week?"

"Eight days, to be specific," he explained, "When they brought you in here you were unconscious and had a very high fever. For a time I thought you wouldn't make it. Their leader was really adamant that you live."

Hood slowly digested that, "Apparently I'm must be very valuable to them, but it still doesn't make any sense. Why would the IRA set up a headquarters here in Scotland? I thought they're ultimate goal was to free Northern Ireland from British Rule."

"It seems their goal has changed. Or rather, it's expanded. This group is officially run by the IRA but it's mostly made of young Scots. Apparently there's a lot of people who are still upset at how the referendum went."

The 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum. Hood recalled the event. She was still in college when it happened. It was an election based on the simple question on whether or not Scotland should be an independent country. The result came with the majority saying "NO" and many Scots were not happy about it.

"I can understand how they feel," she admitted, "but that's not an excuse to turn to terrorism."

"I know that, but these kids don't. They don't seem to realize that they're being used. They'll end up learning the hard way."

Hood looked at him, "How do I know you're not with them? You're Irish after all."

At that moment the girl came over holding a tray that carried a bowl and a sandwich.

"Porridge and grilled cheese?" she smiled, "I'm sure you're hungry."

As if on cue her stomach growled loudly, "Definitely."

She immediately began munching down. As she ate, she noticed the hoodie the girl was wearing.

"You're going to school at the Imperial College of London?" she pointed.

The girl looked down, "Oh," she chuckled, "Yeah. I've been going there for the last three years."

"What are you studying?"

"Engineering."

Hood's eyes widened, "You want to become an engineer?"

"An inventor actually. I'm... actually a big fan of yours. I always dreamed of meeting you. I never thought it would be like this."

Hood looked at her curiously, "What is your name?"

"Belle."

"Belle?" she smiled, "That's a beautiful name. It suits you."

"Thank you. I'm actually named after my hometown of Belfast," she pointed to the man beside her, "This is my Dad..."

He held out a hand, "Corey MacAleese

She blinked, "Professor Corey MacAleese? I know of you. You teach both electronics and robotics at Queen's College in Belfast. I've read your books too."

"That's me," he smiled, "You may not remember but we actually met once at a New Year's Party down in Paris."

Hood thought back to that event, "Actually... I do remember you. You wanted to talk to me about... integrated circuits, but I was-"

"Too busy partying with your friends to really pay attention," he finished.

"Heh," Hood felt squeamish, "I guess I should apologize. If I had know it was you I would have paid better attention."

"No, you wouldn't," he laughed, "It was New Years. No one really wanted to talk about their science projects."

She finished the rest of her meal and handed the tray back to Belle, "Thank you. That was very delicious."

"You're welcome," the girl suddenly grinned, "We should probably give you a bath next. You certainly look like you could use it."

She handed Hood a mirror. When she saw her image she almost screamed in horror.

"Good God!"

Her face was dirty, her eyes were sunken, and her blonde hair was a complete mess. She literally looked like a cave woman!

"If you're friends saw you now they definitely wouldn't recognize you," Belle joked.

Suddenly there was a banging on the steel door followed by shouts.

"Crap! They've noticed you're awake!"

Belle and her father pulled Hood to her feet.

"Do as we do," MacAleese firmly told her, "Put your hands on your head and keep them there!"

Her body was still stiff but she did as she was told. The doors opened and several armed men walk in. Just as MacAlesse said, they were all young and they were Scots. Then she saw the automatic rifles they were carrying.

"Those are my guns!" she gasped, "How did they get my guns?"

"Shh!" MacAleese sharply hissed.

An older man, a fat man, emerged from the group and held his hands up in the air. He grinned at her, like a school boy who's Christmas present had come early. Hood had seen that same grin on creepy old men who fantasized about women like her.

"Welcome, Lady Hood, to Scotland!" he proudly greeted, his accent painting him as a typical loud Irishman, "The greatest mass murderer in history and the most beautiful flower in England. What an honor it is to-"

Hood lost her patience and said, "Enough with the flattery."

The man blinked at her retort and from the corner of her eyes she saw Belle and her father cringe but she ignored them. She kept her gaze on the leader.

"What do you want? Money? I have plenty of it. Too much of it, in fact. Name your price and I'll have it wired to you."

The man stared at her before he burst out laughing.

"Straight to the point. I like that. Money would be nice, but you're far more valuable than that. What we want... is for you... to build this."

He held a up picture to her face. She recognized it as the Jericho.

"What is that?"

The man laughed again, "Don't play coy. You know what it is. You built it, and you just demonstrated it in front of the British Army. Really effective and devastating. I'm honestly impressed."

Her eyes narrowed, "So you were watching. You must have been planning to kidnap me for a some time."

The man grin deepened, "Very observant of you, Lady Hood."

Hood thought that over. The weapon's demonstration had been kept a military secret. Either they had managed to discover where she would be or someone on her side had sold her out.

"And if I refuse?" she said.

The man stepped closer and looked directly in her eyes, "Imagine how England would feel if they saw their greatest flower ruined. Completely ruined."

She kept herself still but she felt the chill go down her spine and she felt the implication of his words.

The man smiled evilly before he spun around, "Bring her outside!"

Two men stepped forward and grabbed her. Hood gasped as a sack was placed over her head.

"Don't worry, they won't hurt you!" MacAleese yelled as they dragged her away.

She was pulled down a dimly lit corridor that seemed to go forever. Then she felt the warmth of the sun coming from above the sack was flung off. Hood blinked several times before the brightness cleared away. When it did, what she saw horrified her.

They were outside the cave and she could see stockpiles of weapons everywhere. The man ordered her to follow him. As she did, she looked very closely at the arsenal and her worst fears were confirmed. Nearly everything was marked with Hood Industries. Ammunition boxes, rocket launchers, grenade launches, missiles, mortars, machine guns, and every box carrying firearms. All had come from her company.

It was like she had walked right into nightmare. Never, in her entire life, did she imagine that her weapons would be the hands of terrorists.

"Well," the man turned and gestured as if his was giving a tour, "What do you think?"

Hood looked around again before she gave a look of disgust.

"You certainly have of my weapons. How did you get them? What warehouse did you steal them from?"

The man laughed and walked around her, "I recall you saying something. Something like, 'You can control who you sell the weapons to but you can't control who's hands they end up in'. You might want to rethink that."

Hood froze. She remembered those words. It was always the answer she gave whenever a journalist accused her of being a war monger, such as Sylvester Trench. She looked around again and realized there was no way these terrorists could have stolen all of these weapons by themselves without someone in her company noticing. Either someone was selling her weapons to them after obtaining them... or someone in her company was giving them away. Another chill went down her spine when she realized just how naive she had been this whole time.

"So..." the man interrupted her thoughts, "Now that you've seen that we're totally committed to our cause, we would like you to build the Jericho missile for us. We have everything you need to build it. All you have to do is deliver. After that, we will let you go."

He smiled at her when he said that last sentence, and she smiled back. She knew he was lying. She may have been naive this time but she wasn't stupid. Once she was finished they would kill her along with MacAleese and his daughter. She knew well enough to never leave any loose ends lying around.

She shook his offered hand and said, "You said you have everything I need? You wouldn't happen to have a bathtub and some soap, would you?"

To her surprise they did. At her request the bathtub was brought inside the cave hot water was pour in. With Belle's help she was able to take a nice bath and make herself look decent again.

She felt much better afterwards. Belle gave her a set of her clothes before she laid down to take a nap and she was now sat staring at the furnace fire, a cup of coffee keeping her hands warm as she went over the situation.

They were somewhere in Scottish highlands deep inside a cave with only one way out. Trying to seduce the men into letting her and her friends was out of the question. She was too well known among these people and she was hated for it. Stealing the guards weapons and fighting their way out was also out of the question. There were simply too many of them. At the same time though fighting their way was perhaps the only option they had. The only to do it was for her to simply figure out a way to outgun them. How she would accomplish that was another question.

There only other hope was the British Army finding them. And speaking of which...

"Have you heard any news?" she asked MacAleese, "Is the army looking for me?"

"I'm sure they are," he said, "But they won't find you here. They think you're being help captive somewhere in the Middle East."

She thought she misheard him, "What?"

"A couple days after they brought you in, you're fever went down a little. They took you out and placed you in a chair. Their leader happens to speak excellent Arabic. They dressed themselves up as Middle Eastern terrorists, armed themselves with AKs, and shot a video of you being held by them. Then they sent to the British Government. So right now they're looking for you in the wrong place. Scotland will be the last place they'll expect you to be."

Hood sat there in cold silence before she groaned and her face fell into her palm. They really had thought everything out. She was all alone.

MacAleese pulled up a chair and sat down next to her, "Look... what you just saw, that is your legacy, Lady Hood. Your weapons in the hands of children and murderers! Is that how you want to be remembered? Will there be no final act of defiance from the great Samantha Hood?! Or are you going to do something about it?"

She only shook her head, "Why should I do anything? They're going to kill me, you, Belle, either way. Regardless if I do what they ask or not, we're dead. We'll be lucky if they kill of all at once. They'll most likely kill you first and then have their way with me and Belle before they kill us too."

MacAleese's gaze hardened, "Well, I'll ask again. What are you going to do about it?"

Hood sighed and leaned back in her chair, "I don't know. I really don't know," a long moment of silence passed before she asked, "How did you and Belle end up here?"

The older man scoffed at himself, "Purely by accident. Belle had come back from college to visit me and we decided to come to Scotland for some deep sea fishing. I own a boat over here. It's probably been destroyed now. Anyway, we had a little a beach to ourselves that we always go to after the first to have a campfire. Well, these blokes happened to be there when we arrived, running smuggling operation. Needless to say, they captured us and brought us here. My reputation as a scientist was the only thing that saved us. Interesting thing is, when we were brought here I discovered I wasn't the first scientist to live in this drafty cave. According to them he got sick and died, but I think they killed him because he was doing his own little project. That."

He pointed to Hood's left and she turned to one of the tables. On it's surface was rectangular box shaped metal object that had two oval shaped holes cut on one of the narrow sides. Then she noticed something hanging on the rock wall that caught her interest. Setting down her cup she went over to take a closer look, picking up a work light. Casting the light on it, she froze.

It looked like a metal spider but with four legs instead of eight. The body looked like it was meant to be placed on someone's back and held by a belt, but judging by the sheer weight of the object that looked to to impossible. Even the strongest man in the world would have not be carrying this for long periods of time.

"This is what he was working on?"

"I think so," MacAleese came to her side, "I don't know what he was trying to do, but it doesn't look like a weapon."

Weapon...

Something caused Hood to glance back at the metal object on the table before looking and noticing that one of the arms had what looked like a rotor attached to its end. A thought struck her.

"Professor," she pointed, "Can you lift that?"

MacAleese went over to the metal box and picked it up, "Not that heavy, apparently."

Hood stepped back and pointed again, "Place it on top of that, with the holes pointing down."

The Professor did what she asked. When she looked at the whole thing put together, she gasped.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I don't know. I feel like... I've seen this before. In my..."

Dream. Suddenly she remembered. That strange dream. The one where she had been flying over the ocean, battled that one woman... and was then killed. She even remembered those black monstrous creatures she saw when she sank into the ocean.

What was that dream? It had felt so real. The blast of the wind, the smell of sea, the clash of weapons, the explosions. All of it felt real. Too real. And those people...

She realized with a start that... Wendy had been there. She was the one flying besides her. And she was also wearing those... gun turrets.

Hood looked back at the device. Yes. In that dream she was carrying gun turrets too. She had checked them before going into battle. This device resembled those that. Had the dead scientist been trying to build something like that?

Then she remembered all those names she heard in that dream. Suffolk. Norfolk. Prinz Eugen. Bismarck. Wales... Wales? That's right. She had called Wendy Wales. Wales... as in... Prince of Wales? Hang on... Hood... Hood! Wait a minute...

All at once it struck her.

Had she been dreaming about The Battle of the Denmark Strait? The famous battle in which the HMS Hood was sunk by the German battleship Bismarck after an enemy shell blew it up? The same battle that had led to one of the greatest manhunts in history? But that battle was fought with actual warships. Not... Ship... Girls.

Ship-Girls?

She almost burst out laughing. Ship-Girls. That sounded like something straight out of one of those silly Japanese cartoons Henry liked to watch.

"There's also something else," MacAleese interrupted her thoughts as he put the device back on the table, "When they brought you and we had strip off your clothes, which were completely ruined by the way, this fell out of your coat pocket."

He turned back to her and lifted what Hood recognized as the mysterious cube she found on the beach. Then the professor lifted his other hand.

"The last scientist had one just like it."

Hood stepped closer, stunned. The two cubes were exactly alike. Same shape. Same size. Same color.

She took one in her hand and just like before it started to glow.

MacAleese gasped, "It never did that before. I held that thing a dozen times and it never glowed like that."

Hood took the other cube from his hands and turned to where her back was facing the camera. Like the other it also started to glow.

The professor stared in amazement, "They seem to be reacting to you. Why?"

She shook her head, "I have no idea," suddenly she remembered something, "Professor, You said I wasn't wounded when I brought it, correct?"

"Yes. Aside from maybe a few bumps, you were completely fine."

She looked at him in disbelief, "Are you sure? No bullet holes? Or shrapnel?"

"No. Nothing."

She couldn't believe it, "That can't be right."

MacAleese was now curious, "What is it?"

"The reason why I ended up in the lake was because a rocket, one of my rockets, landed no more than three feet away from me. It blew up before I could take cover. At that close range... I should have died. The shrapnel would've cut my body to ribbons. Yet I survived. I'm alive and in one piece. How? Why?" she looked at the cube, "I found this on the beach when I was taking a break from the weapons demo. It was in my pocket when the convoy was attacked. Now that I think about, I did see a flash of blue light the moment the rocket blew. The blast knocked me into the lake, but I was uninjured. Did this cube protect me somehow?"

She was met with silence. As she looked at the glowing cubes her gaze drifted up to the device hanging on the wall. On its belt buckle she saw a square opening. Large enough to... she looked at the cube again. Was is it possible that...

She placed one cube on the table and approached the device. The light from the cube left behind faded away, but neither of them noticed.

"What is it?" he asked.

She didn't answer. Instead she knelt down and placed the cube in the opening.

It fit. Perfectly. In fact, the moment it did it slid halfway inside by itself. She heard a sharp click and the device started to power up. She saw bits of blue light shining from open spaces. Then the arms started to move.

"Oh, my God!" MacAleese gasped again, "It's a power source!"

Before he could say anything else Hood yank the cube from the belt buckle and the device immediately powered down, it's arm falling back into place.

"Why did you do that?"

She gestured behind them, "I don't want them to see."

Hood slowly stood, her body shaking as an idea started to form in her head.

"This is it. This is our way out."

MacAleese stared at her, "What? You have an idea how to get out of here?"

"The start of one, and I think it might just work."

"What is it then?"

"I'll tell you later. Right now..."

She put the other cube back on the table and made her to the camera. Standing in front of it she waved her hand, indicating that she wanted to speak to the leader. A couple minutes later the doors opened. Belle woke up as the fat Irishman walked in, followed by his guards.

"So?" he approached Hood, "You'll build the missile for us?"

Hood ignored the question and gestured to the entire room, "If this is going to be my work station I want it well lit. It's too dark in here."

With that she began to list down all the things she wanted.

Just the man said they had everything she needed. Within the hour the primitive cave was turned into a fully lit old fashioned work station. At one end was a welding station. At another was a soldering station. She had helmets, goggles, a smelting cup, precision tools, power tools, and even pieces of scrap metal. Everything she needed they were able to provide. They were even able to provide her with a couple of old laptops. There was no internet out here, but it would still be helpful.

Hood had to admit that despite the fact they were terrorists, they were thorough. Something she intended to take full advantage of. Now that she had all her tools it was time to get to work.

At her request they also brought some the missiles after she stated that she would need to use their computers to help build the Jericho missile. The most difficult part was convincing them to also bring it boxes of ammunition, especially grenade launcher ammunition. She argued that the warheads normally used were only built at her factory and since she had none available she would have to substitute the warheads with something, otherwise the missile would be useless. She wasn't asking for the actual guns, just the ammunition. It took some convincing but eventually they agreed.

After the doors were shut she had both MacAleese and his daughter to sort everything out while she sat at a table with the pencil and paper the Professor had provided and began to sketch. Ten minutes later she gathered them around, keeping their back turned towards the camera.

"This is our way out," she flattened the pages out on the table and pointed to the device hanging off the wall, "We're going to turn that into this."

Belle and her father looked closer at what she had just drew. It looked like a spider with gun turrets on its arms.

"What is it?"

"A robotic gun platform. A... Rig-Unit, as a I like to call it. You strap it on like a hiker's backpack. Think of it as one of those mini guns but with a lot more firepower."

Belle didn't look convinced, "That's going to be extremely heavy. Even Dad wouldn't be able to carry it."

"Maybe he won't have to."

The girl stared at her in confusion, "Okay... but what are you going to use to power it? A car battery?"

Hood pointed to the table where the cubes were, "See those cubes over there? While you were asleep your Dad and I discovered that they're power sources."

Belle blinked and turned to her father, who quickly explained the event.

"I think the scientist was trying to build something like this but didn't get the chance to finish it," Hood went on, "We're going to finish for him."

"You really think this will work?" MacAleese asked the obvious question.

Hood nodded without hesitation, "It better. Otherwise we're all buggered."

What they didn't know was that earlier, when Hood had held the two cubes, she had another vision. It was brief but she'd been able to get a clear picture of it. She had been standing in front of a large mirror, wearing this very device and with men in white coats doing checking it over. She had based her sketch on the image she'd seen She still couldn't understand what exactly her dream or that vision was, but this wasn't the time to think about it. Right now their survival was top priority.

"If either of you have a better plan in mind now's the time to share it," when neither answered she continued, "Listen, since we're being watched we have to make it look like we're constantly working with only short times of rest in between. We do, however, have two advantages. The first is that they don't know a single thing about science or engineering. We'll disguise what we're doing by making it look like we're really are building an actual missile. They won't know any better. The second is that since we now know this cave isn't bugged they can't listen in on our conversations. That said, we'll have to work quickly and diligently, because sooner or later they're going to notice that something's off. If they figure out what we're doing that's it. This may be our only chance to survive. Are you with me?"

She looked at MacAleese first, who quietly nodded. She looked at Belle, who gave her a cheerful smile.

"We're with you, Lady Hood."

She smiled back, "Good. Let's get to work then."

For the first few days everything went as planned.

MacAleese worked on the wiring for the device while Hood and Belle began building the parts needed. Under Hood's guidance Belle took apart the missiles. The plan was to convert the tubes into cannons while still making them look like missiles. Hood in the meantime started designing the gun turrets. In they were going to escape, this was the most essential part of the plan.

They were able to make significant progress with very limited interruptions, usually whenever food and water was delivered. The terrorists did check in on them from time, but only through a slit in the door. Despite being on the wrong side they were at least kind enough not to interrupt them while they were working.

Hood was very grateful. The less suspicious they were the better. However, she couldn't shake the growing uneasy feeling that it was becoming too easy.

One thing she did though was that Belle was extremely helpful. Despite being a college student she was very knowledgeable when it came to engineering and the mechanics. Obviously she had learned a great deal from her father. Hood was beginning to really admire Belle, for she reminded her a great deal of herself.

"What made you want to become an engineer?" she asked one day while they taking a break and playing a game of cards, "Aside from me."

Belle gave a little shrug, "I've always like building things. When I was little Dad would often build little robot toys for me. I often would sit in his little workshop to watch. We've even build a model or two together. That's really where it all started for me."

"What about your Mom?"

She shook her head, "I never knew her. She died when I was very little."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It doesn't bother me," she dealt the cards this time and asked, "What about you? What got you into engineering?"

Hood shrugged, "Tradition. My family has always played a big role in the Empire throughout the centuries, going all the way back to Medieval days. If fact, my ancestors came with The Conqueror. But like you, I've always liked designing things, be it machinery-"

"Or clothes?" Belle grinned.

"That too," Hood laughed before she looked the girl over, "You know, you would look fantastic in one of my gowns.

Belle blushed, "Oh, no. Those kind of outfits don't suit me."

"Rubbish. That's what they always say and that's what motivated me more. You're beautiful already. Any dress I made would only enhance it. Surely you've been asked out by a lot of guys?"

"I've had a boyfriend or two, but I want to concentrate on my studies," the girl quickly changed the subject, "What about you? Surely you've had your fair share of men since you're so famous. Have you thought of marrying? Starting a family?"

At this Hood paused. Since she'd graduated from college and took over the company she had lived a carefree life. Not once had she given any thought to the idea of marriage or even children.

"My relationships have never lasted any more than a week," she answered.

To her surprise Belle looked at her sadly and shook her head.

"A waste," she whispered.

Hood blinked, "Pardon?"

"My Dad has always told to never your life on trivial things, otherwise you will find yourself old, alone, and depressed one day. Living with nothing but regrets. In your case, Lady Hood, you're a woman who has everything... and nothing. As someone who admires you I would hate to see you all alone one day."

Hood couldn't answer. Belle's words, her father's words, had a real impact on her.

That night she had another dream. This one was very different.

Hood floated a dozen feet over the ocean. Beside her was fellow battlecruiser Renown. Together they were attending a Jubilee Fleet Review at Spithead.

A hundred feet from another ship-girl, dressed in black and red, who went under the name Admiral Graf Spee.

Even at a distance she could see the lone red strand that contrasted with her short silver hair. The ship-girl herself may have been short, but she still gave a frightening appearance. Her rig unit was of typical Iron Blood design, sporting two gun turrets with three cannons each sitting on top of bow sections that were shaped like jaws, torpedo bays over her shoulders, and a mechanical shark tail that had a razor sharp fin. But perhaps the most menacing weapon Graf Spee carried were two giant sharp claws that looked like they easily tear someone apart.

Hood, however, wasn't impressed, and she said with smirk, "That's the best they can come with?"

She heard Renown gulp and turned to her, "What's the matter? Don't tell you're intimated."

The little ship-girl, who could have passed as Hood's younger sister, stared at her with wide eyes.

"Aren't the least bit scared?"

"Of her?" Hood chuckled, "Not at the very least. And besides, it's not like we're fighting each other for real. This is just a friendly spare."

Renown looked away and muttered, "I still feel bad about running into you earlier."

Hood smiled, reached over, and patted the little battlecruiser on the head. A few months ago Renown had rammed into her by accident while they were on a training cruise down in Gibraltar, damaging one of her gun turrets.

"No harm was done. All was repaired."

"But what if you lose because of that?" Renown looked close to crying.

"If I lose, it will be because of a mistake I made."

"I wouldn't want to fight her."

"Then you shouldn't have volunteered to be a ship-girl then."

Renown bit her lips before looking up at her, "Is it true that you really are invincible?"

Hood chuckled again, "You're about to find out, Little Renown. Watch and learn."

She lowered to the ocean's surface, signaling that she ready to begin the match. Graf Spee bobbed her and followed suit, flexing her claws.

Hood's feet touched the water, her jet skis activated and keeping her afloat. She took a deep breath before to move. Her legs moved back and forth like a skater as she glided over the ocean, picking up speed as she went. Arming her cannons she charged forward.

Meanwhile, Graf Spee stood her ground, extended her claws as her opponent approached. She was surprised that Hood was charging straight at her, making her wonder if the leader of the Royal Navy was trying to kill herself.

Hood came closer and closer with no indication of stopping. Now convinced that she had an easy win Graf Spee cocked her right arm, ready to strike. When her opponent came close enough she struck-only to meet thin air as Hood activated her jet pack in a single burst and flipped over the heavy cruiser. Graf Spee was completely taken by surprise. She looked to see Hood wink at her before the famous battlecruiser fired her cannons.

She had no chance to dodge and she knocked into the ocean. Coming up spluttering she saw Hood land perfectly on her feet with a gentle splash. She looked at her rigging and found that it was destroyed. None or her weapons were operational. Grimacing she looked up to Hood patiently waiting with her arms, one eyebrow cocked as is to say, "Well?"

With a sigh she held up a hand in a salute, acknowledging her defeat. Hood returned the gesture with a bow.

The Royal Navy fleet cheered while the Iron Blood fleet gave half-hearted applause.

Hood, however, was hardly in the mood for celebrating.

"Honestly, this was a waste of time," she muttered to herself before looking at across the ocean, "Is there no one out there who can actually challenge me?"

When Hood awoke she was even more confused than before. What on Earth were these dreams?

The next day they received an unpleasant visit.

They were continuing their work when door slit opened and there was the sound of angry voices letting them know that they were coming in.

Hood immediately turned her welding torch and stopped what she was doing, as did the other two. She tried to keep herself calm as the door unlocked. She knew from the beginning that it was only a matter before they noticed something was off. Thankfully she had a plan that hopefully buy them more time.

The prisoners put their hands on their heads before the doors flew. The fat Irishman and his men stormed in. For a moment Hood thought they had already figured it out and were now going to take them outside and shoot them. Instead the Irishman glared at her for a moment before he stepped. From the group emerged a man they hadn't seen before.

He was a tall muscular man who was as bald at a bottle, nose shaped like a hawk, and a cruel gaze. Hood knew right away that this was the real leader. The Irishman was just a lackey who liked bullying people. This one looked like he had been in the armed force at some point.

She also knew who he was. Joseph Grieg, known to the media as Joseph The Bloody. She had heard all about him through the news. It was rumored that he had served in the British Army when the War of Terror broke out and had been captured by the enemy in Afghanistan and tortured to the point that he went mad. As a result, he became both a Scottish nationalist and terrorist himself, bent on getting revenge against the country he had served.

He looked around the cave, first at them and then at their work that laid scattered around. Finally he locked his gaze at Hood.

"Relax," he spoke with a strong and confident Scottish accent.

She lowered her hands, but Belle and her father kept theirs up. Joseph then approached her and lifted a hand to her chin. Hood didn't shy away. She wasn't about to be intimidated by this man. He seemed to have noticed and smirked before he lowered his hand and started to speak.

"In 1314, patriots of Scotland charged the fields of Bannockburn and won in a decisive victory against the English. Fourteen years later Scotland was finally given its independence. The years that followed was peaceful, prosperous, promising, until the lairds betrayed us when they decided to unite with England with Act of Union in 1707. Since then we have had to live under the English overlords, doing their bidding whenever they want. We tried to peacefully leave through the referendum, but when our politicians made it clear that they do not care about Scotland and its people, we have turned to other methods.

Rubbish, Hood thought, The last thing the Scottish people want is to be associated with terrorism.

The man was insane, but he truly believed in his cause. He stepped closer to the table and picked up her drawings. She looked over at MacAleese in a panic but he stiffly shook his head, warning her not to do or say anything. After a moment the Scotsman put the drawings down, apparently losing interest.

"In today's world," he went on, "Whoever holds the latest weapons, especially those made from Hood Industries, decides the how the land will be ruled. I will finish what William Wallace and Robert the Bruce started."

He stood in front of Hood and stared hard into her eyes for a long moment. Then he turned to MacAleese and started speaking in a strange language. Hood immediately recognized it as Gaelic, a language she knew but didn't speak.

"Why have you failed me?" he coldly asked.

"We're working," the professor coolly replied, "Diligently."

Joseph did not look convinced and he stepped towards him.

"I let you live only because you're an Irishman," he said, "This is how you repay me?"

"It's very complex. We're doing our very best."

"Perhaps I should ask your daughter?" he looked at Belle, who was shaking like a leaf.

"Please," MacAleese begged, "Keep her out of this. She's only a child."

Joseph only glared at him.

"On your knees."

He signaled to two men, who immediately came over and forced the professor down on his knees in front of the anvil. Meanwhile Joseph turned to the furnace and picked up a tong.

"You think I'm a fool? Tell me the truth."

"We're working," MacAleese insisted.

With the tong Joseph pulled out a single red hot coal from the fire. Belle gasped, realizing what he was about to do. She caught Hood's eyes, who silently warned her to keep quiet. The man blew on the coal, making it hotter, and smiled cruelly at MacAleese.

"Open your mouth," he ordered.

"What are you doing?" said Hood.

Joseph ignored her and grabbed the professor's head. He pushed it down against the anvil and lifted the tongs.

"I don't believe you're building a missile. Now, tell me what's going on. Tell me the truth."

"She's building your Jericho," MacAleese answered.

Hood had to admire his bravery, something that angered Joseph The Bloody. He kept asking the same question and was given the same answer. Each time the tongs moved a little closer. Belle was about to scream in horror when Hood finally spoke.

"What do you want? A delivery date?"

She spoke loud enough for Joseph to hear and he turned to her.

"You're right. I'm not building you a missile," when he gaze narrowed she said, "I'm building you more than one missile."

She had everyone's attention now, even Joseph was taken off guard by her answer.

"I need him," she pointed out, "I need them both. They're good assistants. The missile I'm building is basically an improvised version of the real thing. Like I said before, I don't have the actual warheads so I had to substitute them with something else, which is why it's taking us so long. It won't be as powerful or destructive as the real thing, but it's better than nothing. You'll get your missiles, but only if I have them with me. Otherwise it will take even longer. Is that what you want? I can't do it all of this by myself. I need them."

He started at her for a while and she could see that he was debating with himself. The other terrorists were whispering to each other, excited by the prospect of having more than one missile. Finally the Scotsman dropped the coal on the anvil and tossed away the tongs.

"You have till tomorrow to assemble my missile," he declared.

With that the terrorists left the room. The moment the door slammed shut Belle ran to her father.

"Are you okay?" she was close to crying.

"I'm alright, Belle," he hugged her as Hood came to his side, "That was too close."

"Yeah, it was," Hood let out the breath she'd been holding, "It's now all or nothing. From here We're on the clock."