"Oh, come on, Vestal. Now you're making me blush," Raven sarcastically joked.

"I also did hear you won against a high-ranking Siren. How did you do it?"

"I bear-hugged her, wrapping my right arm around her and grabbing onto my left stump. Then, I basically dunked her at over mach 2."

"Was it worth losing your arm?" she asked.

"If you know me, you'll already know the answer."

Vestal bandaged Raven's arm and placed it in a sling. She also repaired his wing and tended to his other injuries.

"Okay, transform now. I'll give you a nice scrub. All that Siren blood, left untreated, can cause rust and corrosion." Vestal brought a sponge and soapy water. Raven turned into his plane form and with the help of several manjuu, she cleaned and washed him.

"Okay. Done. Until we solve that arm problem of yours, I declare you unfit for combat."

Turning back into a human, Raven groaned.

"You heard me. My mistake with Enterprise was being too lenient. I won't let it happen again."

Raven made a fist and slammed the wall in frustration.

"C'mon, please?" he begged. "I don't need two arms to destroy Sirens."

Vestal shook her head. "When it comes to the wellbeing of everyone, Akashi, myself and the other repair ships outrank everyone. I'm ordering you to get some rest. Meanwhile, I'll take these diagnostics and see if I can come up with a prosthetic replacement."

Realizing he wasn't going to win this argument, Raven left and returned to his quarters.

He turned on the radio, hoping to hear some relaxing music.

"Good morning, ladies of Azur Lane! This is 102.4, your top radio channel for everything going with the battle against the Sirens. Time for some news. Well, remember that dashing gentleman that fell from the heavens, Raven? It seems that he not only possesses killer looks, but a killer attitude, as well. Reports state that he took down a top Siren lieutenant yesterday, with one arm no less! Nice going, tiger! With you on our side, this war will surely be won in no time. We'll be back with more after the break."

The radio began to play a calming guitar melody. Raven looked out the window, over to the calm sea and the multitude of ships docked. If he could just get on one, he could go back to taking the fight back to the Sirens.

Raven smirked. He had an idea, but it would have to wait until nightfall. For now, he left for some lunch. But not at the mess hall. Deciding to pass some time, he left and headed for a pond inland.

He threw food into the water. Suddenly, a catfish came to investigate. Raven waited until it got close enough and snatched it. He then took a bite and began eating. The blood. The squirming. It all made Raven excited.

"Yummy. Catfish sashimi."

He took another bite as he heard, "Hi Raven!"

It was Queen Elizabeth, along with Edinburgh and Sheffield.

Tossing his meal aside, Raven wiped his mouth and greeted her with, "Your highness, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Oh, nothing in particular. I decided to go for a stroll today."

"An excellent choice, your majesty," Sheffield added.

"What about you, Raven?" Queen Elizabeth asked, looking at the catfish carcass. "You realize that we have a mess hall, right?"

Raven nodded. "It's just…"

"Just what?" Edinburgh asked.

"I have… this urge. An instinct. I need to kill. Not just Sirens, but anything. The thrill of the kill runs through my veins. And my hunger for death grows with each passing day."

The three looked on.

For the first time, Raven felt fear. No, he wasn't just scared. He was terrified. Tears began streaming down his face.

"I'm afraid. Afraid that I'm going to hurt all of you. Afraid that I am going to turn into a mindless monster. Is this… who I truly am?"

Raven collapsed to his knees. He was trembling. Queen Elizabeth walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Come on. Let's go home." Her face had a wide smile.

Wiping his eyes, Raven nodded and walked with the queen and maids back to the barracks.

When Raven returned to his room he slumped against his door. This homicidal struggle was getting harder to battle. The more Sirens he slaughtered, the more fuel he added to the fire. He hated the Sirens and wished death upon them, but this was different. This wasn't due to anger, but lust. A crave. An addiction.

Raven didn't come out of his room all day. When it was night, that was about to change.

Knowing he was ordered to stay, Raven prepped for battle. He didn't care. He just needed to satisfy his thirst. It was driving him nearly mad at this point.

Silently, he opened his window. His plan was to sneak out, attack Sirens, then returned before anyone noticed. But he wasn't quiet enough, because Enterprise entered and caught him red-handed.

"Going somewhere?" she asked.

Raven froze, expecting to be in trouble.

"Come, follow me," Enterprise ordered. Not knowing what to expect, Raven obeyed.

The two entered the HQ. Enterprise pulled out something from within her desk.

"I wasn't supposed to give this to you until tomorrow, but here."

She handed Raven what looked like a poster. Taking a closer look, Raven realized it was a collage. On it was the signatures of every ship in Azur Lane, from every faction, including the ones that weren't present. Each girl wrote a note of encouragement, thanks and well wishes.

Gripping the collage tightly and staring intensely, Raven finally knew. This is what true love was like. He now understood that they genuinely cared for and loved him. And deep down, past his anger and bloodthirst, he loved them all, too. In this short time, he became a special member of this special family.

"Thank you. All of you. From the bottom of my heart." Raven turned to the carrier. "This means everything to me."

Enterprise smiled.

"And I'm sorry about yesterday."

"Remember what Akagi said? You don't have to apologize."

She walked over to the window and glanced up at the moon.

"Well, since you won't be taking the fight to the Sirens any time soon, why don't you take some time to take a look at our airplanes? Get them ready for combat. After all, don't forget, you're our Wing Commander now."

The next morning, Raven woke up and stretched. His killer instinct was still present, although it seemed to have died a bit. He turned to see the collage on top of his dresser, smiling softly.

Dressed, he left and headed for the carriers. The order for inspection were Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Sakura Empire, then Iron Blood.

Throughout the day, Raven checked each and every plane without a single hitch. He gave each faction's planes a different nickname. Eagle Union's Hellcats and Dauntlesses were called "Sky Reapers." Royal Navy's Albacores and Seafires were the "Royal Angels." Iron Blood's BF-109s and Stukas were branded "Lufttigers," or "Air Tigers," and the Zeros and Vals were the "Ryukaze," or "Dragon Wind."

By lunchtime, Raven finished. He grabbed a tray. Today was hamburgers and French fries.

Raven closed his eyes, enjoying the juicy burger. When he opened them, he found himself in a cage. He couldn't move. He was chained to the bars.

The head Siren from his dream apparated in front of him.

"Ah, hi there, my little Raven," she taunted. "How is it with clipped wings?"

Grunting and straining, Raven tried to free himself, but it was no use.

"Don't struggle. The harder you resist, the quicker you'll succumb."

She reached a tentacle through the bars and stroked Raven's face. In response, Raven bit hard on it.

"Ow! Naughty, naughty, naughty." She pressed a button, and Raven felt a shocking pain coursing through his body.

"AGHHHHHH!"

"You're gonna have to be disciplined and learn to serve your new master. Me, Observer."

She giggled.

"Don't worry, you'll be mine soon enough." Winking, she vanished, and Raven was back in the mess hall. He was lying on the floor, with a bunch of the girls crowding around him?

"Raven!" Javelin exclaimed. "Are you alright? You started shouting and spasming on the ground."

Sitting up, Raven held his head. "Yeah, I'm fine now." Before anyone could say anything, he quickly left.