Chapter 27: The Crane and The Shadow
Alt opened her eyes to gaze at the white ceiling. It had been hours since she had returned to her room at the Sakura Inn after the panic on the Sakura's harbor. The seemingly endless and morbid wave of wounded had hit something personal within her. This wasn't the first time she'd seen a mass of wounded Sakura ships, yet she wished to have never seen it again.
It was rather odd that life seemed to grow back into a slower rhythm after a harrowing and turbulent event. Within these walls, she found herself as if the troubles of the world could not reach her. In all sense of the word, this room had become her bastion.
Aside from providing a tranquil place to grant her peace of mind, this room that she had been using for the past month had been the epitome of comfort, too. Even despite her restless nights that haunted her with nightmares, every now and then she would fall into a deep sleep that kept her body from fully breaking down. She had to thank the ingenuity of the Sakura Empire that made such comfortable mattresses. No matter how much she tossed and turned, her mattress greatly exceeded her expectations as it adjusted to the tormented-riddled positions that eased her into every morning that followed.
It was leaps and bounds better than any old bed in a prison cell that she wouldn't mind if she never experienced again. In fact, with the arduous tests they were doing on her body and mind, she believed, without a shadow of a doubt, her body wouldn't even be able to gather its energy if chained to those old prison beds. Remembering her jail time, her hands went up to her chest to feel the clothes she had on and not the limiter rig that she had been forced to wear.
Her eyes vacantly stared at the ceiling and then she angled her head to the alarm clock to her side.
That was when the alarm eerily activated. Out came the cheerful voice of a ditzy girl. "Waky Waky! Come on, pal! It's time to greet the day!"
She jolted from the bed and looked around for anyone that might have been there. The word "Siren" came to mind but knew better as they wouldn't be able to set an alarm if they were merely a projection.
"Huh…? Was I the one that set the alarm?" She held it close, seeing the cheerful purple-haired heroine that wore an odd dress that also acted like a hoodie in which the clock was themed. "Huh... it's six in the afternoon already?!" Her stomach growled and her body shot up from the bed. "I'm supposed to meet Akagi for dinner!"
She caught herself blushing, hating that ever since that forceful kiss, that fatal Iron Blood woman had flipped something inside her. Because of that, she was able to pick up on romantic-esque tones in her words. "Grr... why am I blushing? It's just Udon." She slammed the alarm clock back to its original position.
She was late, she knew that, but her friend would understand. The sweater that she wore had been drenched by her sweat in her sleep, signifying that maybe not all of her had been relaxed during that nap.
Since she was going to be late, she decided to double down on it by taking a quick shower. She preferred to be clean and late than dirty and late. After it was said and done, and the warm water had relaxed her muscles, skin, and wounded right arm, which now looked nearly restored, minus some offset discoloration, she stepped out and gazed at the mirror in the bathroom.
A staring contest ensued with her reflection while looking her face over. To be truthful, she looked better than she had been when she arrived at the Sakura Empire. However, more alright just made her look like Enterprise. At least when she had been eating less, she had some semblance of distinction from the other carrier.
Now, she looked just like her not considering the sharp gaze and unscrupulous-like hair. Her hair was a deeply self-conscious trait that she held close to her heart. The thought of cutting it all and reshaping it into something else enticed her, especially now that she wanted to be her own person. However, she didn't know that much about herself. If she were to cut it off, would it grow back? Her existence was fixed to always look a certain way and that's one of her curses that came with this life.
She pulled at her hair and noticed that no weak strands came out. Despite the worn look, her hair was very durable and only the sharpness of a blade would get her anywhere. But that went back to if her hair would grow back to a certain point.
She had a… fabricated memory of her transition into this war-torn image. It felt fabricated because memories around that time had more holes than cheese. All her other memories surfaced into her consciousness sharply like a knife, yet those memories were smokey and hard to see.
It was unclear whether she molded herself to look like this within her dark sea or if she slowly became this version of herself through no effort of her own. If this was how Enterprise saw herself in a world of endless conflict, then more reason to hate her. Regardless of the blurry process through the versions of herself until she got to three, like how Tester had explained it, what mattered was herself now. This was the state she was forced to live in, in this state that she needed to live with. It could always be worse, she told herself.
Her eyes closed and she could faintly pick up on the smells of the ocean. Lowering in defeat, she moved away from the mirror before she ended up smashing it to pieces.
Moving to her closet with a towel perfectly wrapped around her, she felt less energetic as she opened it, revealing more of the same style of clothing that she had been wearing lately. She thought back to a few weeks when Kaga had tried to persuade her into a kimono or Yukata. The fox carrier had been adamant about how a woman should carry herself and not wear old workout clothing.
It was then that Takao chimed in by saying that she should wear whatever feels comfortable to her, and the outfit she had on allowed her to freely move around. Long story short, that event ended with Kaga temporarily storming off but not before calling Alt and Takao inept from a lack of fashion.
An infectious smile grew on her face as she grabbed a sweater that looked like the one, she had on earlier, but instead of a black sweater, it was blue. A critical detail was that all her sweaters had the Sakura symbols scratched off. Seeing that, brought her back to reality, and she reminded herself why she refused to wear the Kimono and Yukata.
Her arm started to burn, signaling her that she had spent too long with it exposed to the air. Without wasting another minute, she slipped the black glove that didn't end until it reached her shoulder. She sighed blissfully, feeling a cold gel-like sensation start to soothe her crying arm. She remembered when Akagi had presented the glove to her, and her eyes did not hide her displeasure since it looked like the arm warmer she had when she was born into this reality. Still, she couldn't argue how much it helped speed her healing and how it gave back her independence.
She was all set to head out. As she was about to open the door, that was when she noticed a piece of paper attached to the door. It was signed with Akagi's signature and Alt urgently snatched it to read over it.
"Alt, forgive me for intruding into your room while you were asleep. I would have woken you up, but you looked peaceful, and I know this past month has been difficult with the probing we have been doing. I'm not absent-minded enough and I understand that your sleep has been suffering because of our experiments. I'll get to the point of the message, Kaga and I were just told that we will be deployed to support the Iron Blood. The situation seems bad for them with most of their territories sticking out like a sore thumb with their numbers weakened. If nothing else, I might get some essential info and see what they might know about this scourge. Please, get some rest and we will talk soon.
P.S I left your daily allowance on the dresser. Get something to eat. Your friend, Akagi."
The doppelganger finished reading and closed her eyes, sighing grimly. At least she now knew who set her alarm up. "Well, that's a punch to the gut. Still, can Iron Blood really help against these odd attacks?" Her stomach growled and she folded the message into her pocket. The only thing left now was to turn the knob. It seemed easy to think it, but she knew that if she did head out, trouble was guaranteed. Discarding all her troubled thoughts, she ultimately decided on going where her stomach wanted.
(A short time later)
Inside an open-door noodle shop, a lone carrier hanged her head. Frustration and sadness swirled inside her eyes with every glance at the phone in her hands. "Enty... why... why... are you still ignoring me? I thought you were better than this. I thought you weren't a coward..." She smashed her hand upon the table, causing the lady behind the counter to tense.
Zuikaku's hand began to tremble, feeling unbalanced, internally, for the way this whole month had flown by. It was bad enough that so many things had changed and with many of her shipgirl allies wounded, it didn't help her mood.
Tears started to fall from her face, hating herself, hating the Sirens, hating Enterprise, and especially... hating that doppelganger that had attached herself even more to her daily life. "Lady Nagato... don't you see what you're doing will only sink us in the end?"
The lady behind the counter suddenly gasped when the beads that dangled over the entrance parted, insinuating the arrival of someone new.
"Hey, one... Mimi Udon." The new person uttered those words with uncertainty and her pronunciation was rough at best. Zuikaku didn't need to see her, already knowing it was the woman of her fears and the woman she hated.
The tension inside her flared, and she rigidly turned her head at the familiar yet existence-insulting voice. "Pfft... Mimi Udon? How ironic. A New Year's dish composed of ear-like noodles as your meal." She said it quietly with a tone of disdain.
The sudden random comment directed toward the wild-haired carrier made her train her eyes on the only other customer residing. "It's the only thing I can pronounce without biting my tongue. You got a problem with that?" She fired her words out before even seeing who she was insulting.
This was to be expected, the Sakura shipgirls wanted nothing to do with her and some even stepped up to insult her that had become part of her daily life here. The only reason that they stayed in somewhat of a check, was because Nagato, Kaga, Akagi, and Takao were backing her up. She didn't ask them to do it, and she understood how much it hurt them to argue with allies from their land.
Her purple eyes then grew violent once she realized who the woman was. "Oh, it's you." She took a stance, ready to defend herself.
Zuikaku stood up and her harsh eyes were like daggers to the doppelganger. "Yeah, it's me. And do I have a problem? Well of course considering you're off your leash and the first division is nowhere in sight, but aside from that, I do find it stupidly hilarious because when ear noodles are eaten, it's said that they don't have to hear all the bad things that accumulate year around. It's like a manner of good luck and fortune but considering that you're the one eating them, that's a mercy to the noodles as they won't have to hear a fake using someone else's voice!"
The doppelganger flinched, her eye twitching. At that moment, she remembered she had nightmares about this carrier. In them, she was drowning this loudmouth until the bubbles stopped. It was a pathetic way for a mighty carrier ship to go out. Still, it made her feel dirty for even finding comfort in such a delusion. "You're not worth my time. Either shut up or get lost."
It was the crane's turn to flinch, and her heart tightened due to how psychologically torturing it was to hear those words from Enterprise's voice. "Not worth... your time?" Zuikaku clenched her fists and her eyes reflected a wounded sight that infuriated her to have shown such a weak sight to the other carrier. With shut eyes, she pushed past the carrier and made her exit, but not before Alt could hear cursing under her breath.
"Wait, your food!" Cried the lady behind the counter who had her bowl ready to serve it.
Zuikaku staggered and her face expressed a bitter and sad look. Her stomach then growled in protest, yet her pride got one over it. "I'll come back later. It reeks of the ocean in here! Who could possibly eat in conditions like this?" She angrily stated.
"Huh? What's that all about?" Said the lady behind the counter.
A red blush of insecurity and distaste expressed on the archer's face. "Damn that woman..." There was no longer a point to stay mad, and she focused her attention on the woman behind the counter. "I know that Akagi isn't with me… am I allowed to eat here, or should I take my business somewhere else?"
The lady, who was a blonde, gave it some thought. Her eyes closed, expressing how serious she was taking it. She then flashed a friendly small smile. "N-No, as long as you don't make trouble, your patronage is as good as any other."
Alt looked ready to verbally assault her yet once she heard the woman's fairness, she relaxed. She gave her a nod of her head, feeling internally elated that she had been accepted. When she finished, she gave her twice the amount that her food cost.
The woman behind the counter staggered and tried to retort but the doppelganger had already left.
(The Next Day-Sakura Empire)
It was the day after the wounded were sent to the medical wing. Around mid-day to be precise. A somber dreary air permeated the land of the Sakura Empire, and all ships relating to the Sakura Empire had been ordered to dock as soon as possible.
After the incidents yesterday that involved multiple wounded, Nagato wanted everyone to return and figure out the next course of action. It was then, that marked a disturbing day, the day the sea was voided of the presence of the Shipgirls.
At the Sakura Inn, Alt rested outside on the balcony of her room, reading from the light novels that Kaga had brought her a week ago. The large side illustrations that complemented the walls of text were a delightful and engaging style. Since she liked them, she didn't know what that could mean.
She searched her memory, and they weren't ever anything that Enterprise had engaged with. She asked herself if it was okay to enjoy things, as most likely Enterprise would enjoy them, too.
There seemed no way to win this endless loop of likes and dislikes, and she would only fear her sanity slipping away. For now, she enjoyed them, accepting that this was something for her alone. Kaga was the one that gave these to her after all.
Pausing from her novel, she glanced around the balcony, spotting her eagle sleeping on a wooden perch stand. The memory of Hornet and Takao surprising her with it made her heart warm. They had hoped to impress her stubborn and rude eagle, yet her bird had refused to use it until they had left.
A knock from the front door brought her back. Finding it odd, she quietly moved toward the door. The carrier sisters were away, Hornet had departed for the time being, so the only one she expected would be Takao. "Who is it?" She asked sternly, not giving the unknown person the idea that she was worried.
"Nagato. I need to discuss something with you." Her voice sounded urgent and weary on the other end of the door.
The doppelganger sighed and removed the lock. She suddenly recoiled in abject confusion when the door opened.
In front of her was Nagato with the loudmouth brown-haired crane behind her. The younger crane had her face in a pissed-off mood, probably because her being there was a blow to her pride yet… something else resided. Her orange eyeliner appeared smeared around her yellow eyes, indicating she had cried recently.
Alt was only able to deduce that for a second before the woman grumbled under her breath and darted her head the other way, not wanting to be seen looking weak. The Sakura carrier was distraught and disgruntled, that much was known with the infused sadness plastered on her furrowed face. Her white coat appeared dirty with oil stains and grime, adding to a mysterious backstory that the other carrier wasn't all that interested in.
The door suddenly slammed shut and Alt pushed her body against it.
"Alt, wait!" Frantically cried Nagato on the other end.
Despite the obvious implications of trouble, she didn't care. Her anger and dislike for the woman made her unable to sympathize. "This is the first time you wish to grace me with your presence in my room, and you bring that loudmouth of a woman?!"
"L-Loudmouth?! Lady Nagato!" Whined the carrier on the other end.
"Zuikaku, please let me handle this! Alt, please open the door, I have urgent matters to discuss!"
Alt cursed under her breath. "Tell her to leave and then we can talk as much as you want. I rather keep my head for the benefit of more than one person!" She was referring to Hornet mainly as that would devastate her. She didn't even give Enterprise the effort of thought, yet herself dying too would be an... inconvenience.
A pause of silence lingered until the small girl spoke. "Zuikaku, what trouble did you stir now with her?!"
"What?! She's one to talk! When we first met, she wanted to sink me! She also head-butted me— repeatedly! That hurts, you know!"
Since she was born into this world, she and the crane had been at odds with each other, but it was that day a few weeks ago that propelled their dislike to newer heights. It was when she was discharged from the medical wing.
(Flashback)
The younger crane sister stood motionless outside her favorite ramen shop. The commotion from the whispering and curious shipgirls had succeeded in drawing her attention away from her noodles.
The main source of all that commotion originated from the eye-grabber group of Kaga, Akagi, Takao, and Hornet, as they walked casually with the blinded doppelganger.
Zuikaku's face remained unreadable, perhaps from all her recent frustrations seemingly piling up into a massive unapproachable fortress.
The love of her life running away, her home getting attacked by Alt, her hidden fears about the imitation carrier, and her disappointment in her senior Takao.
She locked eyes with all of them, especially Hornet after hearing how sisterly she recently had been with the blinded carrier. "What's going on here!? Why isn't she in her null rigging or even handcuffed!?" She shouted what the other shipgirls had been mostly thinking.
All the other women stopped with Hornet and Kaga having their arms linked with the doppelganger, a way to help guide where she was going.
"Zuikaku?" Takao stepped forward to explain yet she did not expect the unyielding rage from the crane.
"Takao, Kaga, Akagi, and... you too Hornet?" Hurt eyes pierced the blonde who felt small and unsure from the harsh gaze.
Zuikaku gritted her teeth and gave them angry animated pointed fingers as if they were all criminals. "Have you all forgotten that she's the enemy!?" A bold and provocative finger stretched out toward the injured carrier.
It took Alt a few seconds to remember that annoying and unyielding mouth. "That's not what Nagato thinks now." Her voice hardly sounded interested or concerned.
"Alt, please don't make this situation more complicated," urged the blonde carrier.
"She what?! No... no—you're lying!"
Takao tried to approach the brown-haired carrier, but the younger crane backed away and drew her sword.
Everyone tensed minus Alt. Her composed reaction wasn't from a lack of understanding of the situation. No, she heard metal unsheathing and didn't care.
Takao swallowed and did not reciprocate the hostile aura from the carrier. "Zuikaku, let's calm down and I can explain all this."
"Shut up! All of you... you're all traitors! She's a Siren who is playing you all like fools!" Her blade pointed toward Hornet who quickly tensed. "You... have you no respect for your sister? Why else would you be here and not with her?" A wave of hypocrisy washed over Zuikaku as recently, she found her respect and love for Enterprise being tested. However, she wanted to hold on to the belief that Enterprise just needed time. For now, she would save face and stand by her pride and honor.
The white fox carrier looked appalled. "Enough! I've never been surprised to see the fifth carrier division so explosive and rude. Do us all a favor, quit blowing all that hot air, and step aside."
Confusion and rage invaded the face of Zuikaku. This was the first time that she heard the voice of the first carrier division member after she awoke from her prolonged slumber.
"Kaga... grr, can it with the fifth carrier insults! This has nothing to do with our rivalry or our rank. This woman is one of them—the ones that put you in that eternal sleep!"
"She's right, you now?" The sound of a third party from the forming crowd caused them to look toward Hyuuga who was with her sister.
Ise nodded in agreement. "She said it herself that she's a Siren and who knows what kind of sinister plans she's cooking up. I bet this is all a ploy, so our guard would be down!"
Their words had caused more shipgirls to be vocal about what they felt.
Nagara, a girl with pigtails and small horns on top of her head stepped forward. "I don't want my little sister to get hurt by her!" She shouted, fueled by fear and uninformed of the overall situation.
Shigure, a girl with long silky black hair, fluffy pointed ears, and red eyes stepped forward. "Stupid shadow, go away and leave us alone!"
Another couple of girls stepped forward. However, one of them looked unsure about her stance while the other exuded iron confidence. The one with confidence, named Wakaba, crossed her arms to her companion when she noticed how unsure she looked. "Hatsuharu! You need to be more confident against this stranger. You hear that, ghost? Next time you aim your arrows and planes at our home, expect the full force of the Sakura Empire!" Her inciting words caused others to cheer behind her.
A woman that had an elegant form and a self-proclaimed sense of fashion also stepped forward. She had long glossy black hair and held a folding fan close to her face. The kimono she wore hung dangerously low as if on purpose. "I make it a habit of never siding with Zuikaku, but I'll make an exception. A lady who doesn't carry herself as such is as villainous as those Siren sisters of hers. Just look at how evil that hairstyle looks. It spells out, 'I'll murder you in your sleep!'"
Her comment had earned her laughs of agreement from a few who found it funny.
Hornet never truly got angry, only irritated. However, her blood boiled as a result of the fan-wielding woman. "Stop making baseless assumptions and insults!" Shouted Hornet, growing angry in place of her sister.
Alt chose to ignore them all, even the one who insulted her hair—she didn't need reminding of how deranged her battle-worn hair was. The one in the forefront of her mind was Zuikaku, whose comment had hit closer to home in her heart. She made a grunt of disapproval, sounding more self-deprecating than outward aggression toward the crane.
The white fox remained steadfast and focused her aggression from all the sources around her toward the crane, knowing she was the catalyst to all this. She walked forward, joining Takao. "Even if that's true, our friend here risked her life to save me. My so-called slumber would still be ongoing if it weren't for her."
Ise and Hyuuga, along with all the bystander shipgirls that had been watching the commotion between the crane and the others suddenly gasped, murmurs and disbelief flowing around them like water. Those rumors that had been circulating had indeed been true.
"That's right, everyone! Without her, I would never have awakened from my deep sleep. Alt!" She moved a bold finger toward the blinded carrier, who looked tense from being in the spotlight. "... that's her name and she risked her life to save me. And if you all have anything else to venomously say to her then say it to me!"
The shipgirls remained quiet and unsure now from the information thrown at them, except for Zuikaku.
The brown-haired carrier trembled angrily with her hair hiding her eyes. "Her life... it's not one for her to risk. Not if she cowardly brings down someone else's life! Were you aware that she's the clone of Enterprise? I mean, I wouldn't blame you for how thin, mean, and unscrupulous she looks."
The injured carrier gritted her teeth and moved forward only to be held back by Akagi.
The vibrant blues in Kaga's eyes wavered briefly before returning to normal. A tone of ire infused her words with them forming in her throat. Of course, she had her suspicions yet that didn't change anything in how she felt. "I see your heated mouth running rampant, and all I can say is that you better watch it because you're standing on some very thin ice." She held the hilt of her blade much against the frustrations of Takao.
Zuikaku remained steadfast and sent lightning signals toward the white-haired Sakura carrier.
Takao gazed at Zuikaku, finding it hard to read what was eating away at the crane after ignoring that Alt saved Kaga. "Zuikaku, are you feeling alright? Maybe you should see Akashi, your face looks tired."
There were clearly bags under her eyes, that had been ignored by the rage-induced eyes of Kaga.
She faltered slightly, remembering the restless couple of nights she endured trying to reach out to Enterprise and getting no response. It was agonizing for her, wondering if she made the right decision in confessing her feelings. Giving her space or going to Azur Lane's main base to confront her were her only two options. She already listened to her heart once and got burned in the end. Space it was.
The crane laughed hysterically and defensively which was a version of Zuikaku that no one had ever seen. "Not until she gets put in a cell where she belongs. Then I'll take whatever advice you so graciously think it's good for me!" She sarcastically joked, her blade still in her hands as she moved forward in an intimidating manner.
Alt grew tired of staying quiet. "Funny, you're one to talk about others belonging in a cell while you're screaming like some insane mental patient."
The white coat crane puffed her cheeks and her face flared. "Shut up, you bitch. I'm done fearing you! You're nothing but a cheap copy of a woman who you insult just by breathing."
Akagi made her emotions known by the hateful grunt in her throat. In honesty, she commended her sister for not blindly attacking the fifth carrier member just now. Internally, she viewed the crane as nothing but burning ash in front of her, yet she forcibly held her composure. "Zuikaku! You will be put on suspension if you don't move aside. You're disturbing the peace, and while you might not like this turn of events, Lady Nagato has given her permission to move her out of her prison."
Doubtful and annoyed anger fueled the crane who changed up her sword stance. "That doesn't make any sense... she's brainwashed all of you!"
"Zuikaku..." said both, Takao and Hornet, exchanging silent looks of concern for the well-being of the crane.
Kaga had a different mindset and hardly looked sympathetic. "You would love that, wouldn't you? So, you can feel like the hero of this story and make yourself feel better."
Zuikaku's blade faltered, and she shoved it back into her sheath. "Tsk, this isn't over." Her hateful look was enough to sink countless Sirens by itself.
"Zuikaku!" Takao reached out toward her, yet Zuikaku had run away, leaving her noodles untouched.
"Leave her. She's already made her mind up about us and refuses to listen to what we have to say," said Akagi.
"Still..." The heavy cruiser slumped her posture in the end, feeling like a failure of a senior.
(End)
Nagato's continuous pleads restlessly rang past the wooden door. "Alt, she relates to this matter and it's about the Siren scourge and the Sirens."
Alt gritted her teeth and banged the back of her head on the door in anger. "Fine, I'll let you in but only open the door until I say so."
Nagato tilted her head curiously yet agreed to the wishes of the carrier. She peered toward Zuikaku, who continued to stare off into a nonexistence distance as she had been silently looking down with arms crossed.
"Zuikaku, please make this work. The situation is delicate, and our options are heavily limited."
"Grr... if only I was stronger," she muttered to herself, great misery expressed on her face.
Nagato remained quiet, knowing that strength alone wasn't the answer the crane needed.
"Okay... go ahead!" Yelled the carrier behind the door. Alt stood outside the balcony with her back facing toward them and a white veil of curtain that separated them.
"Why is she being dramatic?" Stated the crane with an exasperated look.
"I desire to not be near that woman and besides... the smell of my hair might make her puke as she elegantly stated the last time we met."
Nagato shot a mean look at Zuikaku who didn't look all that distraught about it. She merely folded her arms, having more important issues to worry about.
"Sorry, for not dropping by more. I know things haven't been going well with you and the others. I figured this is your sanctuary where you could be alone."
Alt scoffed and shook her head. "Thanks, but if it's YOU... I don't mind if you drop by. Just give me a heads up and don't invite unwanted company." Her words had connotations expressing her dislike toward Zuikaku.
Nagato made a sweat drop and glanced at Zuikaku who silently fumed. She also now had her back turned against Alt, refusing to even look at her, and using the reflection on a mirror in her general direction to see where the doppelganger was.
Regardless of the tension, Nagato beamed at her friend's kindness toward her. "Sorry about taking Kaga and Akagi to the Iron Blood."
"Please, I'm not that destitute without them. She told me about the situation with the Iron Blood. She thinks she can find something relating to this scourge from them. I wasn't sure how they could help but I have faith in Akagi. Looks like I might be right considering what you said earlier. Have they reported something?"
Zuikaku gritted her teeth, hating how saintly and friendly this devil imposter was sounding.
"Yes, Akagi did relay valuable information that she got from... an Iron Blood."
"I see." Alt raised an eyebrow, wondering why she had sounded evasive.
The small girl shifted in place, a nervousness on her face. "Are you familiar with a woman named Bismarck?"
"No, but if I see her face, I might get a few PTSD flashes," she dryly joked, and uncaring to who that woman meant overall.
Zuikaku raised an eyebrow curiously and turned her head before quickly being stubborn and turning back to her original position.
Nagato held silent for a second, then she dispelled whatever she had thought up. "I'm sure your thought process will be different if you had the chance to see her. I'll get to the point, Akagi and Kaga have already contacted Iron Blood and Lady Bismarck has relayed a message to me via Akagi's planes with the help of Iron Blood refueling stations that helped them make the journey back."
"Hmm, interesting, but yes… you mentioned that already. Please... don't keep me in suspense," she said irritable and stern.
"Are you really going to let her talk like that to you?" Whispered Zuikaku with her head tilted toward Nagato.
"Umm... that's just the way she expresses herself." She refocused on Alt, completely ignoring the dumbfounded and dizzy look Zuikaku had. "Anyway, there's a plant material that grows on an island that will counteract the scourge. However, that island also houses a Siren stronghold controlled by the Siren Purifier."
A look of pale dread and shock pierced the heart of the carrier. Her memory flashed to that day in the ocean when she humiliated Purifier and used her as a shield. "What are you talking about?! She's dead." She instantly pulled the curtain away and entered, seeing Nagato and a turned-back Zuikaku.
"Looks like you got bored with your little mysterious woman game."
"... Shut up," was all the doppelganger said as if it was the most casual thing in the world, causing the swordswoman to stiffen up.
Zuikaku pivoted sharply in the direction of the woman she hated. She was about to let loose a torrent of verbal fire in the form of heavy insults when Nagato shot her a stern look.
The flagship looked dejected and doubtful, probably wishing that Alt's words about Purifier's death held truth. "Iron Blood's recon planes have spotted her alive and fully operational without any damages."
"She survived... grr... so much for trying to die with no regrets that day," she dryly stated again, finding the cosmic humor that out of the three that danced with death, none of them had died.
A look, one that could only be described as crazed silent anger painted the crane's face. If her situation wasn't grave, she wouldn't stand there and hear this copy insult Enterprise's efforts to stay alive.
Nagato did not comment as she wasn't there personally to see how things went down. "Regardless, she's alive and what will you do now?"
Alt was taken aback, a look of seriousness shown on the small girl.
Her look said it all and Alt made a fist with the black-gloved hand of hers. "I'll finish what I started."
Nagato matched her resolve with her next set of words. "Then I ask you, will you be the flagship of the fleet that will invade the stronghold and bring forth victory?"
"F-Flag ship?! Pfft, I can do it myself. My arm is nearly healed, and others will only get in the way." She shot a look toward Zuikaku.
Zuikaku turned her head sharply and her eyes enlarged with a strained look to them. Her next action would have been an obvious shout and challenging look, yet she grew docile and turned her head back.
Alt couldn't make heads or tells of the crane's actions. One second, she looked burdened with something, the next, she had a heated rage toward the other carrier. She had the expressions of a woman who had lost everything and was being pushed more to the point of insanity.
Nagato brought them back with a hand to the air, helping her against her small height compared to the two taller ones. "No. A large number of reasons but the main one is that the stronghold is too fortified. It will take two carriers in the fleet to break through it, along with additional support."
"I'm not like any other carriers, you said it yourself back then," remarked Alt.
"Yes, but... Alt, I would never send a friend into a suicide mission even if they were overly confident."
"Friend..." The swordswoman uttered softly those words with a mocking tone, and her arms folded underneath her breast with a pouty look.
Alt's face frowned, knowing how whimsical the girl sounded. "Nagato... hmm... even if I did, there's none that will sortie with me."
"I wonder why..." venomously spat Zuikaku. However, she grew shy and nervous after she let slip those words.
The flagship of the Sakura Empire sighed. "That's not true. I have a team of volunteers with a partner carrier for you."
Zuikaku suddenly grew rigid, looking like she was forced to swallow very bitter medicine.
"Carrier...?" Alt's words were uttered slowly, and the crane suddenly felt holes being stared into her.
The tension grew murderous, yet Nagato stated what the carrier already knew. "You and Lady Zuikaku need no introduction, I take it?" She said with a heavy sigh.
"Zuikaku..."
The way she said her name, boiled the fifth carrier division's blood. Yet, she couldn't comprehend if it was because of her existence as a person or if it was because she sounded like Enterprise.
Alt's face relaxed and she mockingly chuckled. "Are you seriously joking?"
"I know you met under heated circumstances, and I hope you can put that behind you both."
A strident tone resonated strongly from the doppelganger. "Tell that to her! She's insufferable and talks too much! Besides, she's Enterprise's friend which automatically puts me on her hate list. Who knows, she might sink me while my back is turned."
Zuikaku marched forward until she was deathly close to the other carrier. Of course, Alt made no effort to move back. "How dare you? You, delusional bitch—as if I would ever lower myself to cowardly tactics!" She fumed coupled with sorrowful tears. Those tears were perfectly observed by the carrier who suddenly felt shaky from seeing someone cry.
Zuikaku continued to what festered in her heart. "Enterprise... I'm going to make this clear, she's irrelevant to my hatred for you. You're nothing but a Siren just like them. That's all I need to hate you."
Despite the white-haired carrier's sympathetic moments, she pushed this one back into her heart and coldly folded her arms. If anything, she looked about ready to push past them and end this conversation.
"Please, Alt! There's no other way. With Kaga and Akagi deployed with the Iron Blood, and Souryuu and her sister wounded, and... " She glanced at Zuikaku who suddenly felt feeble and small in front of the carrier.
"... Shoukaku… being taken hostage, our carriers are spread thin and only you and Zuikaku are available as carriers," she sadly finished.
"Shoukaku...?!" A grunt of alarm sounded from her throat and her eyes landed on the sad crane. It all made sense now. The stained eyeliner, the dirty crane coat, and the pride-shattering action of having to ask the woman she hated for support were evident on her face.
"We're being attacked on all fronts by the Sirens and our allies have been hit hard. We need to come together and push aside grudges for the benefit of all the ones who have been marked by this scourge. It's just not us. Azur Lane, Iron Blood, and even the other factions have been hit on a multi-assault level."
Alt moved away from Zuikaku and chewed on her finger, a habit that she learned from Akagi. "Grr... You don't need to remind me. Those shipgirls..." How ironic that the ones who had been giving her a hard time were now depending on her for support.
"Alt, I can feel the anger and hate you have, but I can also feel the sympathy you have for the wounded. Your heart seems to be in an eternal tug of war."
For a brief second, Nagato's words connected with her and pulled a deeply guarded woe from her heart. She tilted her head toward them, her face showing dejection. "My anger is justified. They won't accept me. Whatever..."
Zuikaku stepped back, as the genuinely sad face of the woman she hated resembled Enterprise's expression. She tightened her eyes and shook her head to dispel her feelings.
"I've tried to spread the good that you did for Hornet and Kaga, but I don't know why they still fear you," said Nagato.
"You shouldn't have bothered. Not even Kaga yelling it made them see me differently. They see me as nothing but a monster, a ghost, a shadow… a Siren. They know that I'm a walking imitation of the Eagle Union's strongest and one that was created by the Sirens."
"Have you tried to prove to them yourself? That you're not what they think you are," retorted the flagship.
"Isn't that what I've been doing?! Saving Kaga and Hornet. I haven't even caused trouble in this place, and I no longer have that stupid rigging! What are they expecting me to do, drop a rainstorm of payloads on their precious petal-riddled home?!"
Zuikaku sounded off a distaste to the insult and Nagato stayed despondent. "Your efforts have only reached a few. Hornet, Kaga, Akagi, Takao, and I have seen the true you behind all those walls, but your actions haven't touched the many." She sighed, truly thinking that Kaga's awakening would have been the decisive strike.
An amused laugh came from the doppelganger, one that sounded tired and broken. "What am I doing? I sound pathetic... trying to be... accepted by all of them." She touched her sweater, with the scratched-off symbol of the Sakura Empire. "All this excessive whining on my end. I'm not one of them nor do I wish to be if they all act like you!" She fired that comment to Zuikaku who stood silently bitter.
"Alt..." Nagato had no words to say. Her allies and friends had failed to meet her expectations that the Sakura Empire had a benevolent heart. At that moment, it seemed that was only true to a small handful.
For Alt, she thought back to that blonde heavy cruiser with the wound on her arm. She desired no praise from her, and she doubted she would even receive it. However, she wanted to help her. She wanted to write the wrongs of guilt from her dark sea days.
The battle-worn woman sighed and looked at her only friend in that room. "I'll do it. Those that are precious and close to me, it would suck if they were affected by this scourge. Even you, Nagato," her courageous words touched the girl who smiled happily.
"Alt... the Sakura Empire truly doesn't deserve you." She spoke humbly, with her hand touching her heart to express her gratitude.
Alt grimaced, and if Zuikaku weren't here, she would have said something kinder and more personal in response to that. "Hmph, whatever."
Zuikaku looked baffled, completely unable to get a read on this woman in front of her. Just now, she saw a glimpse of what the small girl perhaps saw in the carrier. Still, she rejected it. This imitation could feel and sympathize, yet she was hell-bent on killing Enterprise. Even if she was some saint in the eyes of the others, her road of light was nothing but a sinister ploy to reach the dark destination she wanted. At least, that's what was real in Zuikaku's mind.
"Aside from Zuikaku. You will be going with Lady Prince of Wales, Admiral Hipper, Takao, and Atago."
If the wild-haired carrier's reaction was cautious and serious when she found out about partnering with the crane, this felt like that multiplied by three. "Hold it, half of those people hate me, and the others... might have good reason to hate me," she said with a side glance toward Nagato.
"They all volunteered, Alt. I sent out a sortie aid this morning throughout the Sakura Empire and was surprised to see it fill up quite rapidly. In that request, they know that you will be their flagship on this mission."
"Even Atago?" Bemused the archer.
"Her sister is going, so she will go. I'm aware that she might have a grudge against you for what you did to her sister, but I told her to be on her best behavior or else..." It was endearing how menacingly Nagato tried to act. What made it adorable, was that she was trying to be intimidating, yet fell short as she lacked that type of heart.
Zuikaku groaned, finding it underwhelming that Atago had a habit of feeling fearful when Nagato would sternly talk to her. The girl was their flagship and she never did anything to strike fear in her allies. Maybe it was a higher sense of respect that Atago had that rendered her to berate herself if she failed to please the girl.
A personal smile formed on Alt's face. To hear that Takao had signed up quickly made her all kinds of excited and happy. She could clearly see Takao focused and determined on this mission as this would be the first time they would battle together. She needed to meet the heavy cruiser's expectations of her and show her that she should fear her strength. But in reality, she knew that Takao would only grow more excited from that. "If Takao is going, I won't need a "partner" carrier." She said that casually and so assured of herself.
"Huh?!" Was the Sakura carrier supposed to be offended? If Takao were here, she would radiate like the sun from hearing such praise. Zuikaku's pride would not allow her to even have her enemy praise a friend if it meant downplaying her efforts as a response. There was no way that she was going to miss out on this mission.
Nagato frowned and shook her head. "Alt, please don't be heartless. Shoukaku is Zuikaku's older sister. I can't deny this from her."
The crane stepped forward, her face looking stoic. "I won't grovel and beg for your acceptance. I will be on that sortie, even if I have to break your arm for you to say yes."
"Zuikaku!" Nagato stood horrified and without words to the extreme declaration from the younger crane.
The other carrier observed the deadly look in her eyes, wondering how strong it was. "What would Enterprise think?" She asked casually and without fear.
Without a show of hesitation, the crane responded. "She's irrelevant, just like I mentioned earlier if you paid attention. I'll do what I must to get back my sister. My life… has no meaning if she isn't by my side."
Alt's purple eyes softened, showing that she couldn't say no to her, despite how much they hated each other. The lives of so many others rested on their efforts. "I see. That fire in your eyes, I like the way it burns. Fine, you can tag along."
Zuikaku released her breath, unaware she had been holding it in, expecting more effort on her part. "Good," she shakily stated, not caring that what the carrier told her sounded like a compliment full of dread.
"Call me when we have to assemble," she told Nagato, ignoring Alt's presence.
"Thank you, Alt," graciously said the small girl.
Once the crane was gone, Alt folded her arms and stepped back out to get some air. Fighting with that woman was going to be difficult, not even counting the others under her command. As a result, that statement struck fear in her, wondering if she would even be able to fight to her fullest.
She glanced at her eagle who looked irritated and gazing around from all the shouting. "Hmph. Her older sister... dammit. What's with the Sirens and stealing sisters?" She received no answer, and she didn't intend for one.
Nagato's footsteps sounded closer, and her eagle could feel the tension in the air, so he stood quiet.
"When will this sortie take place?" She asked the flagship.
"Tomorrow morning, everyone will be assembled. I talked to them about the plans already and all I need is to go over them with you."
"Tomorrow? Why not attack them at night under the cover of darkness?"
"Bismarck's intel tells that they are less fortified at dawn when most of the stronghold activity is minimal. If we tried to hit them in the dead of night, it would be an uphill battle. These new classes of Sirens are unpredictable and while having darkness as a cover is all good, you all won't be able to work together properly with your team."
Alt leaned on the balcony, seeming to agree on the time. "Will additional support come in or are we really the only line of attack?"
"I can't say. It will take time for Iron Blood to get their territories in order, and as for Azur Lane…" There was an uncomfortable silence after her words. Her body language expressed an evasive nature to what she needed to say versus what she wanted to say.
Her purple eyes locked on the girl, knowing full well that her going on this operation wasn't public knowledge outside the Sakura Empire. "We won't need them. You have me after all, isn't that right? Besides, it looks like my 'partner' might not also agree with Enterprise being there. Makes me wonder what happened to them." Her tone sounded flat and uninterested.
A relief and jubilant smile radiated from the girl. "Okay, Alt. My faith is placed on you and Zuikaku."
The doppelganger's heart tightened, not desiring to let down one who accepted her. "I see. I'll work with her, but don't expect me to play nice with her. And… I won't stir too much drama," she said with a fake cough.
Nagato beamed at her and what she did next surprised the carrier. With full speed, she jumped and hugged her tightly. "You have no idea what this means to me, thank you."
Alt relaxed after the sudden childish hug, and she allowed herself to pat her on the head with her gloved hand.