Chapter 17: Motivated
The calm horizon continued to linger as if a horrible dark reflective sky hadn't drained its beautiful blues with a sinister omen.
Three Sakura Empire ships continued to stare at the horizon as if expecting it to deliver the blonde carrier back like a cruel joke that had gone on for longer than needed.
It was Takao that was the one to speak first. "Azur Lane needs to be contacted about this ASAP," she said.
Atago looked worried, yet agreed with her sister.
Akagi had been lost in her mind, looking at Hornet's hat. But once she heard that, her eyes widened. "No!"
"N-no?!" Recited Takao with a raised eyebrow of disbelief.
Akagi back peddled and looked away, searching for a viable excuse. "Sorry… What I meant was that yes… they do need to be contacted, but first Nagato must be told about this, and we must organize a plan of strategy. Enterprise is in bad shape, and dropping this news on her without any organized effort on our part won't help to ease her burden."
"I don't think that us telling her that we're heading to the Siren location to rescue her is going to make her lay back down on the bed. If Takao was kidnapped, nothing would calm me down. I'd be looking for blood to those who refused to not tell me right away," said Atago.
"Fine, you have a point, but at this point, there isn't a perfect outcome to her finding this out. At least, for the sake of the Sakura Empire's pride, we organize a fleet after telling Nagato to show how committed we are to getting her back. This is the pride of the Sakura Empire that's on the line. Or what? Don't think for a second that they won't shout at us asking why we haven't mobilized yet."
The perky heavy cruiser puffed her cheeks, but the one that this speech had reached was her sister. "She's right. She was taken from our protection—disgracing us all in the process. We've failed as allies and if it were them, they would have an organized fleet already mobilized long before they told us," said Takao.
"Thank you, Takao," said Akagi with a sigh of relief.
Takao remained fixed toward the red fox woman. "However, Zuikaku and Shoukaku must be told about this. They share a friendship with both Hornet and Enterprise… and if Zuikaku would rather tell Enterprise right away, then my hands are tied—honor or no honor."
Akagi made a displeased face at how lawful the white-dressed swordswoman was. "Very well, I will inform Nagato about this then, and you two can go and do what you think is right," she said almost with a mocking tone.
All three of them noticed that other residents of the Sakura Empire were soon gathering near the shore with some of them venturing cautiously toward them.
Takao and Atago retreated leaving Akagi by herself so that they could quell the curiosity and concern from their allies.
Agitation and stress filled her head as she chewed on her thumb for answers. "Those fools, chaos is sure to come with everyone scrambling like chickens without their heads. In the end, it's too much ground to cover, and this is what that Siren wants; to hide her true intentions. She recollected events that had happened not too long ago. The Siren had taken the sister of Enterprise, yet her intuition told her it wasn't to torment the Eagle Union carrier. If she wanted to torment her, she would have killed Hornet on the spot. It was most likely that she wanted something from Enterprise.
She gazed back at the Sakura Empire, and then at the warehouse dock where the prisoner was held. Her thoughts grew more pensively. Could she be after the injured prisoner? The thought was confusing and strange, however, was there something to gain from the doppelganger by taking Hornet? "She does not wish to mock and insult Enterprise, which means… her true target is…" Her eyes widened, with her knowing what she had to do. She would be lying that there wasn't a selfish gain from her conclusion. A selfish reason had just been born once she pieced it all together along with a plan that led back to the doppelganger. This was a gambit for her, one that had a high degree of burn along with the loss of trust from everyone else. However, she was ready to bet high.
(E-2)
When the loud urgent alarm beyond the walls of her prison sounded, E-2 was doing her daily workout. With not much to do within her glass world, she used her time to strengthen her weak body back to what she desired it for. She had been doing situps, her injured arm comfortably nestled over her abdomen. Her bandaged arm had begun to tingle, yet it wasn't from a source of pain. It kind of felt like her nerves were on fire with activity.
Focusing on her rig, it was during these moments, that the rig that was locked around her chest was the most annoying, restrictive, and cumbersome. Regardless, it only motivated her to continue to hold onto this anger to use when the time was needed.
For the alarm, she didn't think that it was a practice drill of any kind. In general, there was a sense of heaviness in the air, as if it was filled with a lot of static. Her eyes landed on the few windows that the warehouse had, but couldn't get any info from her angle.
The doors then opened, yet the outside light wasn't as oppressive as sunlight from the Sakura Empire.
The crane sisters were the ones that opened it, and they both looked out of breath.
"She's still here!" Said Shoukaku.
"T—then the alarm isn't because of her..." Zuikaku exchanged angered looks with E-2 but quickly moved past that as the doors closed. Before they could fully close, an intense commotion had resonated from the far ocean water.
And as quickly as if it didn't happen, the injured carrier was left by herself again. Her eyes narrowed curiously at the events outside her small world that was the warehouse.
The unnerving time that proceeded was like a maddening cacophony inside her mind, like overbearing silence that eventually had its own sound. No one had come by since those two earlier. The heavy static in the air had long since vanished, and she no longer had any reason to be on guard. Her head dropped onto the pillow on the bed with a heavy sigh. "Was there an intruder?" She said to herself, thinking pensively about such a bold move that would get her attention.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Spoke an amused voice from the corner of her eyesight.
E-2 shot out of the bed and took a stance toward the source of the voice. Familiarity made her lessen her nerves as the siren girl from before was standing inside the walls of her cell. Knowing that this siren wasn't actually in the room made her more annoyed than alert now. "I guess privacy isn't your strong suit," insulted the injured woman.
The Siren shrugged casually. "Privacy leads to secrecy, and secrecy was what got Purifier killed... or denied entry to this world as another way to look at it." She glanced around the room where she noticed a book that looked as if its pages had been read. "Hmph... bored, are we?" She mocked happily. "I don't know why you haven't escaped this glorified fish tank you call a prison. Someone with your skill could make an escape of this predicament very doable."
E-2 turned her head away from the Siren. "I'm in no rush. An archer can wait for days just waiting for the perfect time to strike their shot." Those words had left her mouth like vomit, and a sense of disgust left her with an aftertaste.
The siren smiled. "Wow, for a second there, I thought I was having a conversation with Enterprise."
E-2 gritted her teeth and stared back at the Siren with a lively fire in her eyes. "Shut up! As if she's the only archer in this world. Those words hold true to anyone that uses one."
The Siren made a face, showing how uninterested she was with that defense. "Yes, very true. Here's some food for thought though. If you hate her then why use her method of weaponry to kill her? You tend to come out as more of a crazed fanatic," she said while inspecting her nails casually.
The injured woman's throat then swelled up briefly. "Because... because... that's all that I'm allowed..." Her head started to hurt from the level of intrigue that question had carved through her mind. Why did she say that? She was going to say because it was the weapon she felt most comfortable with, yet it angered her for accepting that. It disgusted her for thinking that, that's why she said the other.
The Siren sighed, her eyes showing a low humming glow. "You poor thing. Maybe stop biding your time and unleash the destruction this place so richly deserves. Then you can meet with me in person, and we can finally make sense of all this... together." She extended her hand out, as a gesture of friendship toward E-2.
"Buzz off. I don't need anything from you or anyone else. All I want is for this nightmare to end," she said with a frown.
The Siren's eyes then ignited back to their intense yellow glow with her hand now into a fist. "How short-sighted.. how selfish. To burn out like a candle and never know purpose. Remember when I said that you lacked motivation? Well, I think I do have something that you desire. Frustratingly, it's a blonde with such an annoying big mouth on her cute face. It's almost endearing how tough she tries to sound."
It was a brief second, but E-2's eyes widened with something resembling shock. Her gaze grew murderous and ill-tempered. "You're lying."
"Me? Why... I'm being quite genuine. Didn't you hear the commotion that happened earlier?"
The injured carrier clenched her hand into a fist. The Siren knew the Sakura Empire alarm going off, which meant she had a hand in it. Just as quickly that her fist grew strained, she relaxed it with closed eyes. "I highly doubt that you actually have her. I admit, the alarm was definitely you then, but I doubt you could have gotten far into their territory to do anything."
The Siren folded her arms at how stubborn the other woman was being. "She was actually at sea as a matter of fact. I didn't have to venture too deep," she said with a smirk.
The injured woman's expression looked unreadable, yet there was a strain going on at the very bottom of that iron fortitude. She did not want to believe, she did not want that to be a reality. "Hmph... well good for you, you managed to do something impressive. There's always a first for everything after all. You should go and let that sister of hers know. Wouldn't that give you more of a rush from their horrified expressions?" Said E-2 with an uninterested tone behind her words.
The Siren smiled sweetly at the other that made the white-haired carrier rather uneasy. "I won't be the one telling them. I'll leave that up to the Sakura Empire to explain how useless they actually are. Or what? Are you asking for me to help? Would you like me to tell them? Maybe it can be a nice distraction to help you get your plans off the ground—but only if you say please," she said with a tease.
Irritation flowed into E-2's face. This Siren didn't want bragging rights or to plant despair at all. She was indifferent and cavalier to the matter. "But..."
"—I wanted you to know, my dear Enty. I wanted to motivate you to come and see me. I know that I gave you a time frame, but why do I get the feeling I was going to get stood up? You can't blame me for trying to motivate you, right? Actually, do you still remember where?" Her eyes grew hauntedly radiant.
E-2 felt a scratch on her head. It wasn't a throbbing pain like usual but an impulsive urge. "Khh! T—The Drifting Mist... 84 north 32 east." She forcibly uttered the coordinates softly under her breath as if saying them out loud would lessen the pressure.
"Wonderful. I'm so proud you remembered!" She declared loudly.
"What... even makes you think I'll go? I don't have time for you or that girl you think I care about," she angrily shouted.
"Good, I desire that to be true, sadly, you've embraced the soul of your reflection, along with what makes it weak. But not to worry, I'm here for you, my dear Enty." She leaves a confused E-2 with a stinging in her heart. E-2's knees give out as she drops to the ground holding her head. "She.. means nothing to me." She stated to an empty room.
Her pain plagued her like a fog that made her lose sense of time. She did not know how long it had been, whether it was minutes, an hour, or maybe two but soon enough, the doors opened up. Akagi stood there silently miserable with Hornet's hat in her hands.
And just like that, it all came crashing down on E-2 as it all became a reality.
"Hornet's been taken by the Siren named, Tester," said Akagi with a serious and despondent look to her face.
The Pseudo-eagle union turned away from the other woman; her eyes visibly disturbed. "Is that so? Are you all that pathetic to allow one Siren to breach your shores?" She said roughly.
Akagi refused to drop her gaze as she remained steadfast. "It happened so fast. The kids under her care told me that Tester took Hornet by surprise. Instead of defending herself, she used the few seconds to protect the younger ones from the Siren. I was unable to do anything as Tester cowardly used her as a shield."
The emotionally assaulted archer remained steadfast as well, yet the emotional barrier of indifference was starting to shatter. Her body language now looked agitated and unable to stand still. She masked this flaw with a pace but could not hide the strain from her neck because of the worry that festered in her indifferent heart. "I failed to understand how that's my problem. It's her sister that you should be telling this to."
"She... will find out. But first, I must know if you know anything about where she might be. You're a Siren, so you must know."
A fist from the Pseudo-eagle union came down on the glass of her cell. "I'm not a Siren! I've already made that clear with you!" A few seconds of silence went by, with Akagi looking undiminished from the violent display. E-2 removed her arm from the glass, now looking calmer. "I don't know anything, so just leave me alone."
Akagi allowed herself a passing chuckle, maybe it was her way of easing her stress and worries. But after that, she gazed at E-2 with more determination. "I'm not so easily fooled. She kidnapped Hornet for some kind of gain. The fact that she didn't want to kill her on the spot means that she wants something, so I can only imagine that the one she is trying to get from all this is you."
E-2 scoffed fakely, knowing that the statement was true. "Oh really, did it occur that maybe she is trying to sow discord between Eagle Union and Sakura Empire?"
"Yes, it has. Although, kidnapping her will only unite us together into coming after her. I don't doubt that chaos and discord are part of her Siren nature. However, I believe that she is indifferent to Enterprise knowing. It's been an hour, and no messages have come from Azur Lane. Of course, No one has said anything yet from our end. You would think that she would be eager in telling them."
"Then she's a fool like you and all the others. I have no reason to care about that Eagle Union."
A sour look grew on Akagi's face. She loaded her first argument that would chip away at the angry archer. "You say that after she cared for your wellbeing after the first session diving into your mind? That look of sisterly concern for you was a passionate expression of love. Your eyes also told a story. It told of a sister afraid to allow herself to care in return." Akagi's eyes lowered. Her words, meant to cut through the injured woman, also carved through her like a double edge sword. A memory of Kaga, trying her best to make the Omni-tailed woman smile after a failed mission plagued her mind. If it was her true sister, Amagi, then she would have been able to make her smile. A failed mission, while devastating, would not sour her to such an extend to push others away. She was able to hide it, though from the other woman in the room.
E-2 sighed heavily and stared back at Akagi with a calm glance. "Even if I wanted to, I'm not in the best position to go anywhere. And I'm not about to tell you all where she is keeping her," sternly declared the injured carrier.
A spark of hope ignited with what she uncovered from the injured carrier. "I understand. Most likely she would end up killing Hornet if anyone other than you went after her."
E-2 looked away as she had been read like a book. This woman in front of her was dangerously intuitive. "Then we reached an impasse. Now, go away," she venomously said.
Akagi stepped closer to the glass wall. "Before you begin plotting a way to rescue her, I have something to say."
The injured carrier snapped her attention toward the other. "Plotting... to rescue her? You're so delusional. Last time I checked, I'm a prisoner."
Akagi made a second small chuckle. "Last time I checked, you weren't a defenseless little girl. Are you telling me that with all the downtime as a prisoner, someone as battled hardened as you don't have a master plan waiting to be executed?"
"No." She flatly stated that didn't fool anyone. Akagi, gave her a look that said a lot about E-2's poor poker face.
The Sakura Empire carrier sighed. "I don't know your plan, but I do know that these walls won't keep you contain forever. All I can do is watch you closely until you make your move, but allow me to help you make that move," she said with a dramatic tone in her voice.
E-2 sized Akagi with a hardened stare of bewilderment and distrust. "Are you saying that you're going to help me break out? To betray your allies and sisters in arms?"
"I don't know how much knowledge the black mental cube had given you, but I'm somewhat of a black sheep around here. So much that I'm eternally grateful that Nagato hasn't locked me up for my past sins, Let's just say, It wouldn't be the first time, but just like the first time, I did it all for love. Now, would you listen to my deal?"
"You trust me in upholding a deal? I'm a little poor on honor at the moment," she mocked.
"I have faith that you will uphold it," she said. Of course, she knew deep down that the possibility of getting burned was too high, however, this was the only way in getting Hornet back. And mercifully enough, the way to her selfish goal that she wanted when first laying eyes on the doppelganger. As much of the others would want to believe that a unified search for Hornet would be the answer, if Tester refused to be seen, then she will stay unseen. This was the way, the only way. If nothing else, she could repay Enterprise for saving her sister back during the Orochi event.
"Faith in me? I don't know whether you're smart or plain stupid," said the white-haired carrier with a final insult.
"Then that will make us both stupid for you to be wasting your escape plan on Hornet. After all, we have that one thing in common... that our sisters need us." Her gambit was set in motion, now all she needed was for E-2 to fold.
E-2 gnashed at her teeth feeling like she had just been checkmated. A silence descended over them, all the while, E-2 had been in deep thought. Her eyes then landed back on the other woman. "Tell me about this deal." She declared.
(Sometime later- Azur Lane)
The dark-winged creature stood perched over another ship in the docking bay. Its eyes peered toward its owner's ship that had been restrained with giant metal clamps coming from each side of the docking platforms where it was held. They perfectly wrapped themselves around the body of the carrier from the platform deck to the engine room at the bottom. The clamps had a generator unit on each side to apply more force if it sensed push back from the aircraft carrier ship.
The eagle's focus changed to the control room that operated the various releases and locks throughout the shipyard. A sense of calm washed over it, like the hand of its owner rubbing the top part of its head. The bird could feel her here with him and soon, his eyes became hers.
"The time has arrived, execute the plan now," said the stern voice of the wild-haired woman.
The eagle gave off a high pitch whistling to express its joy but then shifted to a concerned piping sound. To most, they would not understand, but the carrier could perfectly tell what her eagle was referring to. "I know, my arm and ship are not fully repaired, and escaping is going to be difficult. However... none of that matters right now," she said softly when she remembered Hornet and wondered if she was doing alright. A sense of acceptance over the fact that this escape had Hornet in mind had started to gain more space in her mind. "No luxury for us, my friend. Now go! Bring me what's mine."
The eagle screamed wildly in compliance; this drew the eyes of another nearby bird. The connection was lost and the presence of his owner vanished.
(Prinz Eugen- Azur Lane)
Prinz Eugen sat on the edge of her ship, looking board yet serious of the plan that Akagi had shared with her some time ago back. She thought back on the plan and allowed herself to laughed softly despite the tense storm brewing. It was afternoon daylight and she was in Azur Lane getting fuel, at least… that was her alibi. "She wishes nothing more than to bring back her dear sister from slumber... if this is truly the dance you wish to take, then so be it. I only hope that your dance partner isn't holding a knife to their back. No casualties... just like you promised," she said sternly at the memory of what Akagi said when she recollected the deal she made with E-2. The Iron Blood happened to be close to Azur Lane when she received the call, making her essential for this plan. She wondered how far the Omni-tailed carrier had planned.
"Prinz Eugen?!"
The Iron blood froze up slightly and peered over her ship. There at the edge of the dock platform stood the four friends composed of Ayanami, Laffey, Javelin, and Z23.
Z23 had been the one to draw everyone else's attention when they were merely exploring aimlessly. Probably deciding on what activity they would do next.
"Oh, hello Z23," said Eugen with a charismatic smile that could fool anyone. Internally, a sweatdrop appeared on her forehead for having attention drawn on her.
"What are you doing here?" Said Z23 curiously as Eugen tended to hang around with Sakura Empire fleets when she had downtime.
The white-haired Iron Blood innocently raised her hands into a clueless emote. "What does it look like, my dear? I'm refueling. We all can't lounge around on shore leave like you, Z23." She said with a smile.
The Iron Blood destroyer's face turned red with embarrassment. "That's not what this is!" Shouted Z23, a bit flabbergasted by the statement.
Prinz Eugen chuckled discretely. "I'm kidding now. But my schedule is pretty busy. It just feels nice to take a breather and enjoy the view." Her eyes gazed at the secluded shipyard section that housed the doppelganger's ship. She would be lying if her heart didn't tighten in her chest.
"I see. Let me know if you need any help," said Z23, who had bought the other Iron Blood's story. This was true, as Eugen was among the most active.
"Noted, dear," smiled the heavy cruiser with a bit of relief.
"Ugh, I can't seem to get a signal around here!" Shouted Javelin while looking at her phone.
Eugen made a sound of discomfort and looked sideways to a device that was hidden underneath the closest barrel cannon near her deck. Luckily for her, they were unable to see much of her ship deck from their angle. "I know what you mean. I tried calling an Iron Blood friend of mine but the reception out here is trash," she said hoping to throw them off with a relatable comment.
Laffey opened her mouth slightly to defend Azur Lane's reception but decided on letting it go. "Javelin, were you trying to call Unicorn?"
The purple-haired girl put her phone away. "Yeah, I think I remember where she might be though, so let's go."
"See ya, Eugen," said Z23 along with the others.
"Right, take care, darlings." She sighed with relief and walked away from the edge of her ship. Her steps sounded on the wooden flooring of her ship until she was squatting underneath the large cannon where the device was at. It was a small box-shaped device with a rotating antenna around it. "How long will it take until the fire starts spreading?" She said to herself with worry in her voice.
(Sakura Empire- Around the same time)
"Ugh! Why can't I reach Enty or anyone else over there!" Zuikaku stormed through the streets with her sister in tow.
Takao and Atago were also with them. They all had just left a central district meeting where Nagato had relayed the reason for the alarm earlier, and that an Eagle Union visitor had been taken by a Siren. This had left the random Sakura Empire shipgirls to discuss and rumor amongst themselves. Shortly after that, a fleet had been assembled.
"This is strange, the call goes through but no one is answering. Even a message goes through but is marked as pending," said Takao.
"This has to be the Sirens doing, messing up our communications like this is so them. Ugh! Why didn't you both tell us sooner?" said Zuikaku with anger in her tone.
Takao's downcasted eyes closed in shame. "Others were swarming us with questions and we had to run damage control. I'm sorry."
"What should we be doing?" Said Shoukaku.
Atago had moved close to her sister to give her a calm shoulder rub; one that the other sister did not move away from for all the stress had warranted some relief. "Well... a fleet has been dispatched to search nearby landmarks, and Nagato told everyone that Azur Lane is going to be contacted about this too."
"Pfft, how are they going to contact them if no amount of calls or messages are reaching them. And blindly searching won't get us anywhere. I don't like this one bit. I'm going to Azur Lane at full speed to tell them myself." Said Zuikaku with a tightened fist smacking into her flat hand.
"That won't be necessary," said the red fox woman who had been following them silently after the meeting. She had a long day that included talking to Nagato, but not before talking to Eugen and telling her her part in this plan. They were effectively blinding their allies, for a minor time, and she was eternally grateful to have a friend like Eugen who understood the gravity of her endgame to help her. "Prinz Eugen has already been sent to notify them since she's the closest to Azur Lane when this all happened."
A collective sigh from Atago, Takao, and Shoukaku could be heard but Zuikaku still looked annoyed. "I'm still going, she needs me."
Akagi nodded, begrudgingly. Her part had been done, and even if Zuikaku were to go, it would take her some time to reach them. By then, the matter would be resolved. "It's your choice in the end," she said. She walked away, with a couple more things to resort.
(E-2)
The injured woman looked troubled while she waited for her bird to get in position after she gave out the order. The book from before had been opened up in her good hand while she tried to read. This distraction didn't help as her mind lingered to her unique ability to channel the eyes of her eagle as her own. It confused her and scared her equally. However, it felt right, like breathing or eating. She sighed feeling exhaustion cloud her. She didn't want to succumb to this exhaustion. Any rest was pointless as her closed eyes would show Hornet and what could be happening to her. E-2 stood up from the bed and discarded the book on the table. "Where is she?" She pondered whether that intuitive fox woman had gotten cold feet. That would have been anti-climatic after spouting about how she'll do anything for her sister. "Pfft… some deal this is."
Outside of the warehouse, Akagi had returned after fulfilling one of the last two things that were left. She managed to get the critical tool that would solidify everything. Before this point, it was all empty words and harmless communication errors but now, she was afraid to say that she was loading the gun that could turn against her.
"Hey, Akagi!"
The carrier paused before opening the door and gazed at the source of the voice.
"Takao, what are you doing here?" She said defensively and uneasy. She was so close and the last thing she needed was this by the books shipgirl to be observing her.
Takao looked troubled. "It's been a crazy day, and I'm sure no one else had told her that Hornet's been taken."
"What makes you so sure that she cares?" Said Akagi with a raised eyebrow.
The white ribbon heavy cruiser folded her arms. "I just do. Still... she deserves to know just as much as anyone else. She glanced down at what Akagi was holding and smiled. "Thank you. I actually forgot to bring her meal early on. Hmm... a turkey sandwich?"
The fox woman looked down to see a decently large sandwich on a tray, with a fruit salad, and pasta. A drink bottle of water stood beside the meal. "Yes, there was some leftover turkey from dinner last night."
Takao smiled happily. "It wouldn't hurt for her to try it out. I'm still deciding if she's a picky eater or not. She'll probably leave it untouched if you were the one to give it to her, I'll take it from here," she said proudly as she had established a sense of respect from the wild-haired carrier.
Akagi panicked and moved the tray away from Takao's hand. "Khh… that won't be necessary! I've made it and it's only right that I give it to her."
Shock had painted the white-dressed cruiser. "Ah, I see. Is this your peace offering for her? I don't think that a delicious-looking sandwich is going to get her to help your sister."
Akagi narrowed her eyes angrily. "All I can do is hope, and it is a delicious sandwich." She said to a clueless Takao.
The doors opened and the afternoon light entered. The white-haired carrier was ready to speak her mind when she noticed Takao with Akagi.
Judging by the side glances from the carrier, E-2 could tell that she wasn't in on the grand plan of the Omni-tailed carrier.
"Sorry for the delay. There have been... incidents today." She sounded fake, pretending that this was the first time they were having this conversation.
"Incidents? Hmm... that must be what that alarm was about." Pretended E-2 with a dispassionate voice.
Akagi glanced at Takao to take the lead while she stepped closer to the door of the glass cell.
A sad look was painted on Takao who walked forward a few steps. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell this to you but... Hornet's been taken by the Sirens."
A long pause drifted for what seemed like forever, then E-2 sighed annoyingly. "Oh... well, that's too bad. Can I eat now, because I'm really starting to get hungry?" Her eyes were sharp without a hint of wavering from the words she heard.
A shocked expression filled Takao's face as if she had been punched in the stomach.
The red fox woman was pushed aside by the diligent swordswoman. She advanced murderously until she landed a fist into the glass. "Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me?!" Her voice vibrated throughout the old warehouse.
The injured woman stood her furrowed expression unchanged.
"How can you sit there and say that? Does she mean nothing to you? She... she cares for you like a sister... I've seen it, and you spit on her efforts?!"
"Nobody asked her to see me as such. I'm no one... I'm nothing in the shape of her sister."
Unknowing tears from Takao started to stream from her angered face. "She has always seen you as someone. Someone worth the effort to save them from themselves. But I guess a Siren would never care about anyone else except themselves—pfft, but you're lower than a Siren. At least they understand self-preservation." She stormed off before she could see the crestfallen face of E-2 who had felt the sting of those words.
The fox woman stood still with a grim expression. "Where was that poker face before? Here's your food. Try not to eat it too fast," she said. The tray slid through the opening in the door.
The Sakura Empire woman said nothing else as she walked away. As she walked away, a heavy weight of morals slowed her steps. The last time she had felt this dark alliance was when Observer had manipulated her with sweet words of reunion.
"Hey… I hope you are in position for when the point of no return gets here," said the stern look from the white-haired carrier.
Akagi turned her head sideways. "Of course. And I hope that when that time comes, you still your hand with those arrows."
The door closed, leaving the injured woman alone. Her gaze observed the food with interest. While that happened, her stomach rumbled in demand of nourishment. "Damn, this body…" she said with a curse under her breath. The food looked incredibly inviting that her mouth started to salivate. Once she grabbed the sandwich, she could feel something hard tucked beneath the bread and layers of sliced turkey. She placed the sandwich on her lap and pulled the top layer. Her eyes widened to a small remote thin enough to not been seen.
"Hornet…" she said strained while holding onto the remote as if it was the only light in her world.
So I had to cut this chapter into parts. As much as big chapters are amazing, this has a lot of moving parts with many people doing things and it's tricky to keep track of them all within the story. Plus, it's going to ramp up with the next few chapters that will… I think officially end the second act of this story. As a reminder, Act one ended when E-2 was shipped off to the Sakura Empire in Chapter 8: Observe. I'm working casually and diligently to provide the next few chapters with exciting and emotional outcomes. Thank you for reading.