Chapter 8: How DARE They!
Jersey felt her belly start to grumble at the very thought of the mess hall. The downside to being an Iowa class battleship; her appetite never quite vanished, it merely faded enough for her to concentrate on other things.
Things like herding three of the most improbably battle-happy destroyers the US Navy had ever had the honor to deploy in the general direction of food.
It didn't help that the three girls hadn't shut up about food for one second since the Admiral dismissed them.
"You need'ta try the cherry pie," said White, her pigtails bouncing with each step as she skipped along next to the ragged flotilla. "'s so good!" she chirped.
Johnston made a show of scoffing, her hands thrust firmly into the pockets of her rolled-up pants. "Hrmpf," she grunted, scowling as best she could with her big brown eyes. "I don't want pie."
"But pie's delicious," said Heermann with a shy smile, her voice far quieter than her sister's boastful yell.
"We're destroyers!" said Hoel, gritting her teeth and flexing—or at least attempting to flex—the muscles in her bare arm. "We're badasses! We eat steaks!"
"Raw!" said Johnston, thrusting her little fist in the air with a passable wolf-growl. Hoel nodded, pounding her fist against Johnston's while Heermann smiled, letting out a little roar of her own.
"Shut up, all of you," said Jersey, rolling her eyes as she drummed her fingers against her frustratingly-empty belly. "Everyone likes pie."
"But-" Johnston scrunched up her face to argue, then completely lost her voice as she stared up at the battleship. The destroyer's mouth hung open, and even her feathers seemed to droop in resignation.
Somewhere behind them, Heermann furiously stifled a giggle.
"Okay, both of you-" said Jersey, grabbing the awestruck Johnston in a headlock before reaching for her sister.
"Hey!" Hoel let out a half-hearted screech before letting herself be dragged into the battleship's grasp.
Jersey squeezed Hoel to shut her up. "I outrank you, nuggets."
The destroyers instantly fell silent. Only the gentle lapping of water against dock pilings—and the wheezing of a CVE trying to hold in her laughter—could be heard.
"Good," said Jersey, "Now… you know why I have you two in a headlock and not Heermann?"
"Because I-" Heermann's voice died under the withering force of the battleship's Skipper Glare.
"'cause we're awesome? I dunno," mumbled Johnston. Apparently the little DD that could had figured out some kind of ass-chewing was in her future.
"Because the war's over, dipshits," said Jersey, squeezing both girls against her chest. "Heermann lived though it. But you two…" the battleship sighed, "You two went down in a blaze of glory, yeah?"
"Damn straight!" barked Hoel.
"We won," said Jersey, "Japs are friendly now." The two destroyers in her arms froze, and Jersey could feel their brains stall out and struggle to build up steam again. "They're one of our closest allies in the Pacific."
Johnston's head swiveled to face Jersey's, her face a mask of utter disbelief.
"This has to be a trick," said Hoel, her breathing shallow as she futility tried to squeeze out of Jersey's grasp.
"No trick," said Jersey, glancing to where Heermann and White were watching. "Right, Heermann?"
The destroyer nodded, "It's true… we burned their cities… broke their spirit."
Hoel stared ahead into space, "But… the Emperor-"
"Is gone," said Jersey, "The Japanese don't worship him anymore." The battleship bit her lip, giving Hoel a tiny bit more slack, "They… they worship cute things now."
Johnston gave Jersey a look that was equal parts confusion and unmitigated horror. "Worship-" she started.
"-Cute things?" finished Hoel.
"Yeah," said Jersey with a sigh. She had to make sure she was around when they met Naka, "It's… it's really weird. Actually. I'm not really sure how it works."
"Is it… a ploy?" murmured Hoel, "Are they trying to trick us?"
"For sixty years?" scoffed Jersey. "Yo, White."
"Yes?" said the little CVE, bouncing off her feet as her name was unexpectedly called.
"Who'd you run that last convoy with?"
White glanced between Jersey and the two destroyers in her arms, "Um… Miss Naka and Yuudachi."
"WHAAAAT!" screamed Johnston, her nose flaring in anger at the mere thought of a CVE, herCVE, the CVE she'd gave her life to protect, being… deflowered by those… those…. Gah, just the thought of it make her gag.
"JOHNSTON!" barked Jersey, her face as hard as the steel of her armor and twice as cold. "SECURE THAT!"
"BUT-"
Jersey glared down at the destroyer, a low growl rumbling up from deep within her.
"Aye… aye, aye ma'am," muttered Johnston, trying to shrink into nothingness.
"That goes for you too, Hoel," said Jersey. "Admiral's got a lot on his plate. You are notgoing to start anything. Understood?"
The two destroyers mumbled something.
"I said under-fucking-stood!" barked Jersey.
"Aye,Aye, ma'am!" chimed both girls in unity.
Jersey finally released the headlock, and the two girls shuffled away, suddenly fascinated by the concrete beneath their shoes.
"Hey," said Jersey, her voice suddenly soft and quiet, "turn around. Heermann, get in here too."
The three destroyers turned around, nearly-equal levels of sheepish caution on each of their faces. "Y-yes, Jersey?" said Hoel, forcing herself to lock eyes with the battleship.
"C'mere," said Jersey, dropping to her knees and spreading her arms wide. "All of you."
The destroyers shuffled in, and Jersey pulled them in tight, making sure they could all feel her body against theirs. "I'm so…" she stopped, sniffing back a tear that was threatening to escape her eye, "I'm so proud of you."
Johnston squirmed, her face going beet red.
"What you did that day…" Jersey sniffed back another tear, "You did what I should have done. You're battleships. Every damn one of you."
Now Hoel was blushing, her face almost redder than her coppery hair.
"We- we don't blame you," said Heermann, squeezing closer to plant a kiss on Jersey's cheek.
"Yeah," said Hoel, "It- it wasn't your fault."
Johnston nodded, "You… you would've just stolen the glory anyways."
Jersey laughed, squeezing the destroyers in for a tight hug. "Thanks… thanks, kiddos."
"It's okay," said Hoel, sneaking in a kiss before bouncing away. "C'mon! Last one to the pie's a mark-fourteen!"
"Hey, no fair!" snapped Johnston, skidding around in place as she struggled to get traction.
Heermann just smiled, her little hand reaching up for Jersey's as she counted off. "Three… two… one…"
"Uh… hey," Hoel skidded around on her heel, her face flustered as she jogged back. "Miss Jersey?"
"Yeah, kiddo?"
"Where, um… is the mess hall?"