Stomping away from Erika's room, and past a trio of chatting sailors, Kay was still fuming. Of course, Maho would take her companion's side. Why should she get to secure any justice for herself?

However angry she was, part of her began second-guessing herself. Maybe Maho was right? How could it be Erika's fault? She wasn't even flying the damn helicopter.

That part was quickly silenced when she rounded a corner and found Dahlia, Naomi, Helmet-chan, and Alisa all standing around a Navy doctor and talking to him. She quickened her pace and came to a stop between Dahlia and the doorway.

"Is Darjeeling in there?" She demanded.

"Yes, but like I was saying to your friends, she is very-"

"I need to see her."

"Woah, woah, Kay. Tap the brakes a little." Dahlia stopped her with one arm, her right one bound tightly in a sling. Kay glared at her. "Darjeeling is in really bad shape. She's not even awake. Only finished surgery about… half an hour ago. You shouldn't go in there. It's for the best."

"Oh, and you suddenly know what's best for me?" Kay growled.

"I don't claim to know anything about you better than you do. All I'm saying is that-"

"Enough." Kay grabbed hold of Dahlia's plate carrier and pushed her into the wall. "I have had it with you, Dahlia!" The carpenter was stunned. Speechless. The other three Saunders girls stepped back in surprise. "I haven't seen you in over a year. Or even heard from you in months! Then you swoop in out of nowhere, and are trying to slow me down or get in the way at every turn. It was nice of you to stick up for me at the hospital, albeit at the last minute, but I am done listening to you. One more word, and the wave goodbye when we get to Ooarai will be the last one you see from me."

Kay let go of her friend and shoved past the doctor, closing the door behind her. What she found was a grizzly sight.

Darjeeling, the love of her life, appeared to be hooked to every type of life support machine under the sun. Wires were attached to her head and the fingers on one hand. Her whole torso was in a shell, one leg was in a cast and elevated, needles were poking into her arms, with one slowly feeding blood into her. A mask was hooked to her face, with the other end leading to a machine that assisted with her breathing cycle. The only sounds were the whirring of the machines, and a rhythmic beeping from the heart monitor. Darjeeling looked peaceful, but at the same time hopeless.

Kay cautiously stepped to Darjeeling's side, a crestfallen expression on her scarred face. This was the moment she had been waiting for. The moment she had fought all this way for. And this is the result. Her girlfriend, lying in a hospital bed, barely clinging to life.

Kay shakily reached out and gingerly picked up Darjeeling's free hand, lightly squeezing her fingers.

"Hey, babe." She whispered, her voice quivering. "It's me. I… don't know if you can hear me in there, but… you made it. It's… it's all over. Er… the war, I mean. We won." Kay brushed her thumb against the back of her beloved's hand. "Big surprise, right? Heh…" She tried her best to smile, but all that came of it was a pained grin. "You're in Sick Bay aboard the America. Things are a bit… hectic outside. We took some casualties. But now… we're heading home." The commander reached out and flicked some stray hairs out of Darjeeling's face. She found herself mesmerized by the condensation, forming and then vanishing again, inside the mask every time the girl breathed. She was alive. She was fighting.

"You have some resting up to do, honey. You're strong. You'll get through this. I'm sure of it." She said confidently, mostly to herself. "Just hold on tight. We'll be home soon… I… I love you."

Kay kissed the back of her girlfriend's cold, motionless hand, before reluctantly letting go of it. She stood up, suddenly on the verge of tears, overwhelmed by the sight, and quickly left the room.

"...be fine, I'm sure o- Oh, hey Kay." Naomi said, turning away from Dahlia, who still appeared to be recovering from the verbal lashing. Kay herself didn't meet her friends' eyes, instead looking intently at the floor.

"Kay…" Eileen said gently. "I… Darj-"

"It's fine, guys. It's… fine." Kay put up her hand, stepping away from her friends. "You… you don't have to say anything." She slowly and sadly padded to the end of the hallway and up a flight of stairs, the movement between decks muffling a shout and a loud bang from somewhere in the other direction.

HMS Ark Royal

Yokohama City

Standing at the rail in calm and sunny Yokohama harbor, Chloe gazed across the dock at her home ship, the IJN Zuikaku. The normally gigantic vessel looked like a rowboat when parked next to nearly any other school ship in the fleet, and St. Gloriana was no exception.

Aboard the smaller and mostly abandoned carrier, cleaning operations from the gas attack were still underway. There was no solid death toll yet, but the construction site alone was at seventy so far. A sizable portion of the BCC workforce.

In the distance, on the other side of the Yokohama Bay Bridge, the Tokyo skyline could be made out on the horizon. From here, Tokyo, Kawasaki, and even Yokohama looked idyllic. Peaceful. Without a worry in the world. The whole country appeared as if it was largely unmoved by the happenings of the last week. A full scale war that spanned from Nagasaki to Abashiri, and a few places in between.

Sighing, Chloe looked up at the clear blue sky, watching a pair of seagulls flying in a lazy orbit around her. They swooped and glided through the air, shrieking at each other and the dozen more seated on the street lamps overhead.

"There you are, kiddo." Said a voice. Chloe turned her head to see Freya approaching the railing next to her. The shorter upperclassman fixed her glasses and placed one foot on the bottom rail. "You hear the news?" She asked, her teeth dancing around a mouthful of sunflower seeds.

As they hardly even wore their Ooarai uniforms, Chloe couldn't get over how odd she and her friends looked in the loaned St. Gloriana clothing. The one thing that made them stand out was wearing work boots or having some parts of the uniform missing. The blue-haired girl had her sleeves rolled up and a loosened tie. Freya's tie was missing altogether, the collar popped, and the sweater was tied around her waist. Neither of them had the black leggings, either.

"Something happen at Ooarai?"

"No. About that thing in Abashiri." Freya spit out a shell, holding out the rest of the bag for the apprentice.

"No. Why? Did something happen?" Chloe poured a small handful of seeds into her mouth, packing them into her cheek.

"Katyusha was captured. Few hours ago."

"No shit… So… what? War's over?"

"I guess." Freya shrugged.

"That's gotta be one of the shortest wars ever. Both in time span and the participants' average height." Chloe grinned.

"You're one to talk."

"And you're one to say that."

The shorter girl nodded. "Alright, I walked right into that one. You know, Dahlia's really rubbing off on you, Chlo. I remember when you first got in. Working with me? You'd raise your hand just to ask for more nails."

The apprentice held up a finger, swallowing a few seeds.

"Speaking of, any word on our intrepid leader?"

"No. I tried calling her, but her phone's out of service. No idea where she is."

"So weird of her to just drop off the face of the earth like that."

The two gazed at the Zuikaku in silence for a time. A clean up crew could be seen walking out of a building and removing some of their gear. Another team began pulling the 'Chemical Hazard' tarps off of the windows. Progress was being made, albeit at an agonizing pace.

"You think someone here might know where she went?" Chloe asked.

"Mmmm… maybe. Orange Pekoe would be my guess, then maybe Sodoko, but… shit's still pretty hectic around here. I doubt they'd have time to be bothered with us."

"Even the Leopon girls are gone now… I hope she's okay."

Freya shook her head. "Me too, kid. I just hope to God she didn't go to Saunders…"

Chloe eyed the tower crane standing over the Campus. "You think she knows? About… what happened here?"

The bespectacled carpenter thought for a moment. "Part of me hopes so, because that would mean she's still around somewhere. But at the same time, I hope she doesn't. She loves that site. It's her site. It'd have to be fucking devastating to hear that kinda news."

"What news would that be?" Someone asked. Chloe turned around and saw one of Orange Pekoe's close friends Chamomile approaching.

"Hey, Cam." Freya said. "We're just… talking about Dahlia. Pondering where she might be."

Chamomile tilted her head. "You mean, nobody told you?"

Chloe turned all the way around. "Told us what?"

"Dahlia-sama went with Nishizumi-sama and a few others to Saunders."

Freya nearly spit out her mouthful of sunflower seeds, choking on the shell pieces that she had swallowed. Chloe slapped her on the back a few times. "She went where?!" The Third Year demanded.

"Well, actually, first they went to Abashiri. And, by 'they' I mean Dahlia, Nishizumi, Akiyama, Rukuriri and Rosehip. They went to get Kay, because she had been… wait. Seriously? Nobody told you the story?"

Chloe slowly shook her head. "...No."

"Hmm… well, anyway, Kay had been kidnapped from Saunders by some undercover Pravda people. That was Saturday."

"That must be why Nishizumi, Rukuriri and Rosehip came to the site." Freya realized, thumping her chest a few times. "They talked to Dahl after the morning meeting. They must have told her."

Chamomile nodded. "Darjeeling-sama went to Saunders immediately, with Assam. They figured out where Kay was after she escaped and called them. Which was on… Monday."

"The last time we saw Dahlia." Chloe said.

"The group I mentioned went to get her, they came back here, then left again for Saunders. Most of Ooarai's Sensha-do team went as well. I believe it was… Duck, Hippo, Rabbit, and… what's the other one? The newest team in the Chi-Nu?"

"Anteater." Chloe said. "Wait, they went, too? I play War Thunder with them all the time."

"Yes. Anteater." Chamomile continued. "They left… about half an hour before the attack. They participated in the Battle for Saunders. Actually, hold on…"

The golden-auburn-haired girl reached into her pocket and produced a phone. Tapping a few buttons, she turned it around to show her Ooarai friends.

"This was posted a few days ago. It even made the news."

"Holy shit…" Freya mumbled, adjusting her glasses. "That's Takebe! And Reizei… and Erwin…"

"Caesar…" Chloe continued. "Kondou, Oryou, Saemonz- oh fuck!"

Chamomile nodded sadly, taking her phone away and looking at it. "I'm not completely sure what happened to those girls after that. Some of them went to- oh yeah! The story. Shortly after this happened, the military showed up. The battle ended the next morning, and a counter-offensive was formed. Anybody who could leave… did, and they went to Abashiri… which was a few days ago. Then, the invasion started, and promptly ended… today."

Chloe and Freya eyed each other for a long moment. They understandably had questions, but it was doubtful that Chamomile could answer all of them.

"Is there anyone up there that you can contact?" Freya asked. "To get in touch with Dahlia? Or Nishizumi? Or… anybody?"

The St. Gloriana girl shook her head. "Sadly no. From my understanding, Rukuriri, Rosehip and Assam are either still at Saunders, or on their way back here. Darjeeling-sama went with the invasion force, and hasn't responded to anyone's communication attempts all day. It's possible that Orange Pekoe could get in touch with the fleet in Abashiri, but that would take some time."

"If it's at all possible," Chloe said. "We're not going anywhere any time soon."

Chamomile glanced between the two shorter girls and nodded.

"I'll see what I can do."

USS America

En Route to Yokohama City

["Helluva day, eh Tommy?"]

["Yeah. I mean… fuck…"]

["That was some Call of Duty shit, seriously."]

Two US Navy sailors, Mary and Liam, walked towards the exit of the medical area with Thomas after he had been discharged. Something he had insisted on, given how minor his injuries were.

["So, how is it surviving a helicopter crash?"] Liam asked. ["Just like] the movies?"

["If I'm being honest, I don't really remember much of it."] Tommy confessed, picking at a bandage on his hand. ["I got up to close the door, we started to spin, next thing I know, I'm standing over Darjeeling trying to keep her from spilling all over the place."]

["How is she?"] Mary asked sympathetically.

["Alive. As far as I know."]

["What about the other one? Your lady friend. What's her name?"]

["Dude."] Quincy shoved his friend. ["Her name is Erika, and she's not my 'lady friend'."'

["Some of these girls are almost half our age."] Linetti said with a pointed look. Liam raised his hands.

["What? So, she's your friend, who happens to be a lady. I didn't mean anything by it. You guys are the ones with your heads in the gutter."] Mary shook her head.

["If you must know."] Tommy began. ["Erika is okay. Pretty shaken up, but hurt no worse than me."] He rubbed the back of his neck. ["I tell ya, that kid is something else. We're crashed, everyone's wasted, and you know what she does? Steps out of the bird and tells the girls outside, 'They're wounded. Spare them, and do whatever you want with me.'."] Tommy stepped to the side as a blonde girl with bandages on her face stormed past. She appeared to hesitate when she heard the sailor talking, but kept walking.

["Those Black Forest girls are just built differently."] Mary commented. ["I talked to a few yesterday. That Itsumi girl killed half a dozen Pravda fighters all by herself. With a pistol, and a shovel."]

["Jesus."] Hendricks mumbled. ["One kid from Saunders said that one of their snipers tagged forty in one day."]

["These girls just got put through the fuckin' wringer."] Quincy took a deep breath. ["God help 'em."]

The trio continued walking. They nearly reached the stairs to the Galley when they heard someone behind them shout. The voice was followed by a loud bang.

One that sounded an awful lot like a gunshot.

["The hell was that?"] Linetti asked. A number of heads in the hall turned towards the sound.

Liam was about to respond when he was cut off by another bang.

Then another.

["The fuck is going on?"]

["Come on!"] Tommy shouted, running towards the gunshots.

(Detroit: Become Human OST: Little One)

BANG!

BANG! BANG!

"ERIKA, STOP! LET… GO OF IT!"

Itsumi wailed in anguish and gripped her gun tightly as Nishizumi tried to pull it from her grasp. Maho's ears were ringing from the second and third shots, but she was too focused on Erika to notice.

Finally getting a secure grip, Maho pried her friend's fingers off of the pistol and ripped it out of her hand. A quick backhand followed, slapping Erika across the face and making her fall to the floor. Maho pulled the magazine out of the gun and cleared it, tossing both objects towards opposite sides of the room. When she looked up again, she found Erika in a heap under the exam table, in a mess of tears. The Commander kneeled in front of her and grabbed her shoulders, shaking her a few times.

"Erika! What the hell is the matter with you?!" She all but shouted. "What were you thinking?! Do you know what you almost did?!"

Itsumi opened her eyes, red and watery, and looked at Maho with a puppyish expression.

"I'm… I-I-I'm so sorry, Maho!" She cried out between sniffles and hitching breaths. "I… I-I just wanted… I… I…" Erika couldn't finish her sentence once Maho pulled her closer, burying her devastated companion's sobbing face into her shoulder.

"It's okay, Itsumi-chan." She cooed. "It's okay. I've-"

Maho was interrupted by the door to the room being thrust open.

["The hell is going on in here?!"] Someone demanded. ["We heard gun… gunshots…"] Nishizumi turned her head and saw three people in the doorway, and recognized one of them as one of the men who had been in the helicopter with Erika, but couldn't recall his name. He saw the commander holding the sobbing girl tightly, and slowly looked around the room.

A pistol magazine on the floor near the cabinets. Three brass casings surrounding the girls. The gun itself on the far side of the room. Glancing up at the ceiling, he saw three small holes in the metal panels overhead. The look in Maho's eyes told the story.

["Stand down, guys."] The man said to the growing gathering of people. ["Stand down. Everything's under control."] He shot a sympathetic glance at Maho before closing the door.

["'She's okay' huh?"]

["Hey! This ain't a show! Move along!"]

Maho silently thanked the understanding sailor as Erika continued to cry.

"It's okay, Erika. I've got you. Shhhh…"

"I'm sorry…" Itsumi whimpered, clutching her beloved tightly. "I… I'm so… stupid!…I… I mean… Wha… "

"It's okay, Eririn…" Maho shushed her, slowly rocking them back and forth. "It's okay. It's over."

Down the hall, Alisa, Naomi, Dahlia and Eileen slowly moved in the direction of the sudden commotion. By the time they got close enough, whatever had happened was clearly over, so Dahlia tried flagging down one of the American sailors.

["Hey… what happened down there?"]

The man shrugged. ["One of the Black Forest girls had a gun. Almost offed herself."] He started to continue, but she stopped him again.

["Who?"]

["Dunno. Didn't get a good look. White-ish hair… a little banged up. The other one apparently stopped her."]

The sailor moved on and the girls absorbed his words.

"Ho-ly shit." Eileen mumbled. "Itsumi…"

(End: Little One)

A/N: Alas, as hard as I tried, I couldn't bring myself to kill Erika

Safe to say that tensions between the Black Forest and Saunders leadership are now at a boiling point. How will Kay react when she finds out? And will the Commanders be able to smooth things out?

Stay with us for Chapter 46: Picking Up The Pieces (Wow, this thing is getting long)

Thanks to everybody who's still keeping up with updates. I never really thought this series would get any attention at all, or get to the length it has reached. So, seriously. Thank you

See you next week!