"Well we're officially up shit creek." mused Lilly Ryan, a native of Los Angeles and until just now, a volunteer on the USS Iowa. She risked a look behind her. The battleship was still belching smoke but her stubborn hull refused to sink.

The Abyssals had decided to do a drive by of the city for god knows why. Forcing Ryan and her compatriots to take cover in the parking lot beside Iowa. The lot had now become a trap. Lilly couldn't see the demons, but shellfire was coming in hard. Fire consumed the buildings on the far side of the fence and the shipping terminal across the canal was no more than a smoldering wreck.

More shellfire came in and from over the hills, in the direction of neighboring Long Beach a massive mushroom cloud rose up. Obviously the Abyssals had hit something over there. Ryan didn't dare hazard a guess. That paled in comparison to what came next.

She and everyone else were blown off their feet as one last salvo came in, decimating what remained of Iowa's hull. The battleship rolled over, refusing to go quietly as several explosions rocked her. Smoke and haze shrouded everything, making it impossible to see. Ryan had to hold her shirt to her mouth just to breathe. The smoke stung her eyes and she felt her way across the ground, wincing at the heat as the fires burned the pavement. Until her fingers struck a shoe. A hand reached down and picked her up by the back of her neck. Unsteady, Ryan staggered and was prevented from falling by a pair of strong arms that wrapped around her. Their owner's chest was like a massive pillow and if Ryan had been more self aware in that moment she would've felt a surge of jealousy.

"Hello there." purred a voice that while gentle, carried an undercurrent of harshness to it. Like a hunter, whispering before he shot his prey.

Ryan pulled back a little, craning her head back to look at her savior. At 5'10", Ryan considered herself to be reasonably tall for her gender but her rescuer towered over her at well over 6 foot. Perhaps even 6 and a half. Dirty blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail with strands coming down around her ears. She had on the same volunteer outfit that Ryan did. A pair of bright blue eyes completed the picture.

"There you go kid. Stand on your own keel. I can't have you capsizing on me." Ryan did a double take, pretty sure she was hallucinating but also strangely hopeful.

"Iowa?" She mumbled.

The woman, no Iowa, winked. "You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Consider my appearance thanks for taking care of me all these years."

"It was a pleasure." Ryan replied.

Iowa pushed her back behind a parked car with little effort as another round of shells came in. The battleship glared in the direction they came from and this time so did Ryan. "First things first, take care of the party crashers."

"A party and I forgot to bring the champagne." Ryan pouted.

"Ah she has a sense of humor too." Iowa grinned. "A welcome bonus. No worries love, drinks are on me."

"Some host I am. Forcing the guests to take care of the refreshments." Ryan muttered.

"All is forgiven. As long as you give me free reign to play bouncer." Iowa replied.

"These bastards came in, killed scores of people and sank my ship. You can do whatever you like to them." Ryan growled, surprised at the vehemence in her voice.

"Such a sweet talker. My sisters will like you." Iowa grinned, before being forced to duck once more. "You all need to get out of here, but I can't shield you and take the bastards out." She said.

Risking a look around, the battleship straightened, a look of confusion over her face then she grinned. "I won't have to do both. I can just call in the neighbors."

Now it was Ryan's turn to look confused. "What are you talking about? There's no one..."

Iowa pressed a hand to her ear, the other still holding Ryan close to her. "Mary." She growled. "Damn it Mary pick up! PICK UP YOU USELESS, SUN WORSHIPPING, TEA LOVING CUNT!"

There was an answer, a verbal one. "I'M COMING IOWA, HOLD YOUR HORSEPOWER!" Through the haze, Ryan just barely made out a figure walking, across the canal towards them. She was a redhead with green eyes, wearing a traditional stewards outfit and was easily several inches taller than Iowa. Good god she was even more muscular than the battleship was.

Iowa grinned when she saw her and letting go of Ryan, embraced the other who could only be Queen Mary. "What took you so long?" She asked.

"Traffic." Mary deadpanned. "Abyssals have the harbor locked down tighter than the freeways at rush hour. I had to pick my way through while Scorpion provided some helpful distractions."

"Those distractions wouldn't have anything to do with the mushroom cloud I saw earlier would it?" Ryan asked, speaking for the first time.

Mary turned to her. "You're very observant. No actually, that would be me. Or what used to be me. Abyssals sent at least four hits right into me another five into the cruise terminal. Struck poor Pride right in the tanks as well as the fuel dock next to 206. Explosion took us both out and blew out the rock wall too."

Iowa winced. And she thought her death was painful. "As soon as Scorpion and I popped up, I ordered her to cause a ruckess. Those demons are in the harbor now, making their way towards the main shipping terminal." Mary explained.

The battleship cursed. "I've got to stop the fuckers before they get there. Mary, can you get this lady to safety?" She asked.

"Can an ocean liner swim?" Mary retorted, a trace of her Scottish brogue coming through.

Iowa fist bumped her shoulder. "See you in a bit."

"Bring back something good." Mary returned and the battleship was gone, leaping into the water and summoning her rigging before striking out after the Abyssals that had so cruelly attacked her home.

As Mary rounded up Ryan and the other survivors, striking out for higher ground, Iowa wasted no time getting to work. She still couldn't see the Abyssals from her position but she knew she had a would be spotter who could.

Putting a hand to her ear, Iowa radioed in. "Scorpion, you with the main force?"

"That's affirmative, Iowa." Scorpion sounded exactly how Iowa remembered, a bit shy and with a trace of Russian accent but her tone was as cold as steel. She was a submarine and she was ready to do her job.

"They just passed through the jetty by the lighthouse and are making their way over towards White Point."

Iowa hissed. That was too close for comfort. If they spotted Mary leading the refugees over the hill then they'd annihilate the liner. "Bastards. They're trying to flee before we can mount any kind of response. Don't let them get past the golf course. I'm coming out of the canal now."

"Understood Iowa. I can put a salvo into them. That'll slow them down."

Scorpion was as good as her word and when Iowa rounded the point near Cabrillo Beach she saw one battleship on fire and listing and a second slowed greatly. Looking hard, Iowa could just make out Scorpion's periscope as she hovered nearby in the protection of the cove nearest the jetty. Iowa nodded to her as she sailed past. "You do good work Ruskie. Now it's my turn."

All guns loaded, Iowa didn't bother to turn for a broadside. At this range she simply couldn't miss. The Abyssals, stunned by her appearance as she'd been keeping close to the coastline to hide in its radar shadow, now felt the full fury of one of their own tactics used against them. Now with a clear line of sight and a clear radar return, Iowa wasted no time shoving their own medicine down their throats. "Did anyone ever tell you not to fuck with America today?" She asked to their smoking, sinking ruins.

Her radio crackled. "Nice shooting. Now how bout bringing a souvenir back for me." Mary asked.

Iowa huffed, spotting the liner with the civilians crowding the shore near White Point. They'd made good time through the streets. "If you want to go fishing through that, be my guest." She gestured to the burning remains.

"My daughter will never believe me now." Mary moaned dramatically.

"Oh I'm sure you can come up with a suitable story for her." Iowa grinned.