"Sister? Sister is that you?" Fusou froze as she heard the voice on the radio.
"Yamashiro?" Fusou asked.
"Fusou?!" Yamashiro cried.
"Yamashiro!" Fusou cried over the radio as she listened in.
"We are within thirty minutes of the port. Please hold on until then." Yamashiro said.
"We are doing our best. The Shikikan has given us quite a scare." Fusou said.
"What happened?" Yamashiro asked.
"Sniper ambush almost took his head. Thankfully Norfolk made him a helmet capable of protecting him." Fusou said.
"How?! I've seen men die from a bullet going through a steel helmet. How did he survive?" Yamashiro asked.
"He makes use of the Siren's drone ships. The material is impact resistant." Fusou said.
"Well, pull him back, the General wishes to speak with him." Yamashiro said.
"I will do so. But it looks like we're being rushed again, so it might be a bit." Fusou said
"We have a column of Shermans on the way, if you can spare ammunition, we can set them up to defend." Yamashiro said.
"We have a type 91 and crates of STG-44s So please come and take what you need." Fusou said.
"We can't use that ammunition for the Shermans, sister. We have to get it from base further to the north east." Yamashiro spoke.
"Shikikan has sent Pennsylvania and Arizona with Taka and our transport ship to relocate your supplies and men." Fusou said.
"HE WHAT?!" MacArthur could be heard yelling.
"He sent a transport ship to get your men and supplies down here." Fusou repeated.
"Ooo I'll have words with that man." MacArthur growled.
"Sir. It is probably for the best. We were losing that outpost even before we broke out. It would have fallen in time. That last surge of enemy combatants crippled that base." The Corporal said.
"Fine... I'll save my reservations. Our troops should be safer at the port now anyway since this Commander has a full fleet defending it." MacArthur said.
"I can hear rigging and machine gun fire, they're under attack." Baltimore said.
"You girls run ahead. Give that man our support until we arrive." MacArthur said.
"Understood!" Baltimore said as she, Bremerton and Yamashiro ran ahead.
"Atago? Are you not going ahead?" MacArthur asked.
"My rigging is comparable to your tanks. And I don't run out of ammunition. I will stay to ensure the safety of the Armored Force." Atago said as her ears twitched.
"Always mission oriented, huh? I appreciate it, Atago. As promised, I will tell the Commander of your sister. When he makes a move for the British Isles, I have no doubt that he will reunite her with you." MacArthur said.
"Thank you, General." Atago said with a soft smile, keeping her palm on the hilt of her sword.
"Akashi is sorry. She did not know." Akashi said as she sat on the stern of her ship, crying alone.
"Little one?" Azuma asked as she boarded Akashi's ship.
"Akashi is sorry. She did not know." Akashi repeated softly, bawling into her knees.
"Little one... Are you okay?" Azuma asked as she got closer to Akashi.
"Akashi is sorry. Akashi is sorry. Akashi is sorry." Akashi cried harder, remembering the burnt corpses of the victims of her experiment.
"Little one." Azuma spoke softly as she kneeled down next to Akashi. She looked to the sky and saw that the clouds had not returned, but the sky was still grey.
"Akashi didn't know. Akashi is so so so so sorry." Akashi cried as she allowed herself to be taken into Azuma's embrace.
"Thats right. You didn't know. Now we do, and we vowed to ensure that their lives were not lost in vain." Azuma said.
"Akashi killed them!" Akashi cried out, feeling the same pain as if she had been stabbed in the heart.
"Shhh. Little one. Don't cry. They do not blame you. Nobody knew what this would do." Azuma said, stroking Akashi's ears gently in an attempt to calm the green cat down.
"Akashi is a killer kitty. Akashi does not want to be a killer kitty." Akashi said softly.
"Little one, listen to Azumama. Howard does not see it that way. The incident was tragic, but do not feel like you are the only one at fault. You did not know what would happen when I shot that jar. So if anyone is to blame, it's me." Azuma said.
"Akashi is sorry. Akashi will carry this burden with Azuma-san." Akashi said softly as they steamed ahead.
"Roon. You're falling behind. Do not lag behind, we must retrieve Bismarck." Eugen said as they steamed full speed ahaed through the waves of the Atlantic.
"Eugen... do you think there will be Royals there?" Roon asked.
"I would assume so, Roon. The Kaiser did say that the Royal Navy took Bismarck to Bermuda, so it would stand to reason that they would be keeping her prisoner." Eugen said.
"Can I smash them?" Roon asked.
"Our mission is to retrieve Bismarck. But if they get in the way, I'm sure we have the freedom to eliminate our adversaries." Eugen said.
"Ever since Lord Bismarck abandoned me... I have wanted to smash everything. To destroy everyone. I will kill the Royals... not because they are in the way, but because I want to. And if you try to stop me... I'll kill you too." Roon said as she looked at Eugen with a bloodthirsty smile.
"If it weren't for the Kaiser, you would have been scrapped after Lord Bismarck left you behind. I would just be thankful that the Kaiser saw you fit to be entered back into service despite your gross disregard for command." Eugen said seriously.
"Lord Bismarck left me behind for no reason!" Roon roared angrily.
"You were too busy destroying that Royal port to see that you had been out gunned and outnumbered 4 to 1. Once Wales got you in her sights, your fate was sealed. Lord Bismarck made the logical choice to leave an insubordinate cruiser, rather than endanger Peter Strasser and Graf Zeppelin." Eugen said.
"Eugen... keep running your mouth and you won't have teeth left to chew your bratwurst with." Roon threatened, earning her a painful shock from her corrupted cube.
"Roon, you need help." Eugen said as they sailed on.
"I'll tear out your..." Roon managed to say before a much more painful shock passed through her from her cube.
"Enjoy your beer, Eugen. Soon you won't have the facilities to drink it." Roon growled as she returned her focus to the choppy water of the Atlantic.
"Warspite." Elizabeth spoke.
"Your majesty?" Warspite responded.
"We are no longer at war with the Ironblood. And despite your general disregard towards cruisers and destroyers, I expect you to not purposefully antagonize Prinz Heinrich or Graf Spee. They paid the price already for being on the losing side. We do not need to put them down any further. We need all the guns we can get." Elizabeth spoke.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Warspite spoke.
"If I see it again... You will be the one cleaning up the base for the foreseeable future. I will not tolerate you demeaning our allies." Elizabeth spoke.
"I understand. Please excuse my deplorable behavior." Warspite said as she kneeled.
"You are forgiven. Did Zara get the Matrix device working?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yes. We can use it now." Warspite said.
"How many can we build at a time?" Elizabeth asked.
"Three." Warspite said.
"Then revive Bismarck and Tirpitz." Elizabeth said as she produced another pair of cubes from her dress.
"And Illustrious. Her Fulmars and Wyverns will be able to protect this base until the Commoner arrives." Elizabeth said.
"You sure have placed a lot of stock in that Commander. May I ask why?" Warspite asked.
"Back during the war, I went to the Union for repairs. I spent nearly a year in Norfolk, a city in the colonies. The Commoner found me wandering the docks, as I had gotten lost looking for a place to drink some tea that I brought from home. He not only led me away from what was a dangerous part of the port, but he took me to his workshop and made me my tea." Queen Elizabeth said.
"HE made you tea?!" Warspite asked.
"It was utterly awful. But yet I felt compelled to drink it. By the end of the cup, I found myself wanting more. He graciously made more, and through his constant apologies, we managed to hammer out a conversation. We talked on and on about the war, and of how things were across the pond. Somehow, he managed to coax my intel of the Sirens out during our conversation. And he said that he would ensure my ship was in tip top shape, just in case the sirens got too feisty." Elizabeth spoke fondly, remembering days before the end of the world.
"What happened next?" Warspite asked, sitting in a chair next to Elizabeth.
"We got so deep into conversing, I found myself pouring my own cups of tea, even declining his offers to do so for me. It felt... nice to be in the presence of someone whom life has not been fair. The looks he got from the other workers made my skin crawl. When I asked him why they did it, he just said 'this is just how it is.'. He amuses me, Warspite. I find myself wondering even now if he is okay. Wondering how his conquest of the east is going. And upon hearing that he is sending part of his fleet here, it makes me happy to finally return his kindness by looking after and protecting his compatriots. And I know that when he has cleared the Pacific, he will come here. And I will stand up here like I do, and he will stand down there, but we will see each other as equals. And on that day... I believe it will finally be the day I take on a human commander." Elizabeth said, much to the shock of Warspite.
"Your Majesty!" Warspite said as she jumped from her chair.
"This is my wish, Warspite. You are free to make your own choices. But I believe that he will be just as good for you as he will be for me. In an efficiency standpoint, at least." Elizabeth said as she twirled her staff in her hand.
"As you decree." Warspite said as she bowed respectfully.
"Backup has arrived." Baltimore said as she and Bremerton joined Isaac on the front lines, immediately turning the guns of their rigging to fire on the incoming wave of enemy cultists.
"What the?" Isaac asked as he turned to see two well built union girls on either side of him, providing an ungodly amount of covering fire between barrages from the battleships.
"Who are you two?" Isaac asked as the click of his rifle caused him to duck to reload.
"Baltimore class sisters. Baltimore and Bremerton." The girls spoke in unison.
"Well... welcome aboard." Isaac said as he saw Yamashiro running past the gun line.
"Hey! Who are you?" Isaac asked.
"Ah... there you are, Shikikan. I'm Yamashiro, sister of Fusou." Yamashiro said.
"Help the other battleships repel this wave then you can go see your sister. We can't afford to lose a single inch, so every gun helps." Isaac said.
"Understood, Shikikan. The General is just down the road too. He has tanks and Atago-san with him. So you have lots of Firepower on the way, Shikikan." Yamashiro said as she beamed happily.
"Cruisers. I have needed cruisers to balance the fleet. Hopefully my plan works out." Isaac thought to himself.
"Alright! I want this wave repelled now! Aim for the Explorer class sirens!" Isaac yelled as he started to use controlled bursts to put rounds into the bodies of several Explorers, only for the mob to absorb them into their ranks.
"Bombard them! Friedrich, get in there!" Isaac yelled as Friedrich beamed happily, leaving the gun line with her two bulins in tow.
"Bulins?" Baltimore asked as Friedrich and the bulins jumped over the barricade and into the line of fire.
"Give them hell!" Isaac yelled as he jumped over the barricade, much to the fear of Odin.
"Mainz! He's trying to be the hero again! Get up there and cover him!" Odin yelled as Isaac used Friedrich's rigging as cover to pick off people at the head of the horde.
"Herr Isaac? What happened to staying behind the barricade?" Friedrich asked.
"The bulins won't listen. So I have to keep an eye on them." Isaac said.
"Is that all?" Friedrich asked as bullets whizzed by around them.
"I want more than an hour of rest between waves. Showing them that we aren't afraid to chase them down... might make that work in our favor." Isaac said as Mainz caught up to them.
"How about you grab a shield next time you want to go rushing in like some sort of berserker, Kommandant." Mainz said as the five of them were shielded by Mainz.
"Get us in close, and Friedrich will do the damage. You and I will pick off stragglers." Isaac said. Mainz nodded.
"And you two..." Isaac said as he turned to the bulins, who looked at the horde with fire in their eyes.
"Stick with Friedrich." Isaac said as the bulins lifted their wrenches like maces in the hands of medieval knights.
"Kommandant, the shield is waning. It's taking too much damage." Mainz said as each bullet impact placed a crack on her shields.
"Friedrich, you ready?" Isaac asked as he reloaded his rifle.
"Any time." Friedrich said as the shield broke.
"Charge!" Isaac yelled as Mainz drew her saber and went on the attack as Isaac kneeled down and fired his rifle as Friedrich's serpents tore into the crowd of cultists, sending them scattering down the road further into town. Those who were braver than most continued to try and take aim at Friedrich, only for their legs to be swept from under them by the Bulins, who in turn brought their heavy wrenches down on their chests, dispatching them with ease. The sight of his repair workers dealing such devastating blows sent chills down his spine.
"Such ruthless little things, aren't they?" Mainz asked as she sheathed her sword, the last resistances of the mob dealt with by Friedrich and her helpers.
"I would have to agree, Mainz. I would have to agree." Isaac said as she turned to him.
"You're pretty insane yourself... You not only jumped the barrier, but you practically got in their face with us until they fled. Do you have a death wish?" Mainz asked.
"No. But I want this to give us the time we need to set up a proper base of operations. And since the retreating mob looked thin as is, I would say we could have up to 12 hours before they get more reinforcements." Isaac said.
"Well, no matter the methods... it got results. Although I don't think Friedrich will be able to wear that dress again, Kommandant." Mainz said as he looked at Friedrich, whose dress had been torn to shreds by multiple near misses from the enemies' rifles.
Radio the others. I want a barricade at this position yesterday." Isaac said as he slung the rifle over his shoulder, turning around only to be met by a slap from Odin.
"If you ever do something so reckless again, I swear on my name that I will beat you within an inch of your life." Odin said. Isaac looked at her with an unchanging expression.
"You could have been killed!" Odin yelled.
"I could have been killed at any stage of this revolution. I could have been killed before I reached Niue. I could have been killed on the way to Fiji, twice. I could have been killed by Mikasa. The point is, I can't always play it safe. Especially since I am the only one with any armor to speak of among the humans in the fleet." Isaac said.
"Don't make me repeat myself." Odin spoke as her eyes drifted to the side.
"Odin?" Isaac asked as his lips were taken by hers, taking him, Mainz, Friedrich and even the bulins by surprise as Hashirama's men cheered from the windows.
"Fine. Then if you won't listen to reason... do it for me." Odin whispered as she released his lips before turning and running back to the gun line.
"Well. Well. Well. Looks like I'll be inviting the VizeKommandant for our next dinner, Kommandant." Friedrich said as she looked at him with an devilish look in her eyes.
"Let's just make it through the night first, Friedrich." Isaac said as the other girls began bringing rubble and barriers forward to construct the forward barricade.
"Commander. It looks like I'm late to the party." A voice came through Isaac's helmet.
"General... nice of you to join us. Welcome to the Capital." Isaac said as he watched a massive column of tanks make their way into the port, which had begun being rebuilt by the efforts of the Iowa's crew.
"Why don't you come back to the port? My men will take up watching the barricade for you. It appears that we have much to discuss." MacArthur said as Isaac smiled beneath his helmet.
"It would be my pleasure." Isaac said as he, Friedrich, Mainz, and the bulins made their way back towards the port.