Blake, Marie, and Alexis all fell to their knees, struggling to catch their breath.
"Seriously?" asked James, turning around to see them "all we did was a ten-mile run around the base."
"You say that like it's a normal thing," said Alexis, trying to point a finger at him, but was too tired.
"Technically, it is," said Blake, lying on his back "we did this a lot back in basic training. Its to build your endurance and stamina."
"Question," said Marie, who managed to raise her hand "how is running for this long going to help us use our powers?"
"It's not," he replied, flatly "the first thing you need to do is train your body. When we do that, we can move onto complex things like using your powers and summoning your weapons."
"Why can't we just skip that and go right to the power training?" asked Alexis "the whole point of being here was to learn how to use our powers so that we don't set it off by accident."
"The reason I'm training you this way is the same reason police officers and soldiers go through training before they get to use weapons," he replied "today, you reached your limit and managed to push past it a little. Tomorrow, you'll do it again and again till you can outrun me."
"But, you're not even out of breath," said Blake, pointing out that while James was sweating heavily, he was not as tired as the rest.
"Which means you have an uphill battle ahead of you," he said, giving them a sly smile.
The group finished training for the day. This was marked by Sheffield coming to greet James. He excused himself from the group and headed into the woods to begin his actual training.
"I-I can't believe someone has that much energy in them," said Marie.
"I can't believe this was nothing but a warm up to him. I mean seriously, what does his actual training regime cover?"
The trio lay on the grass for a little longer till Alex came and helped them back to their rooms. All the while, they talked about their first day of training. Though they were tired and exasperated, Alec could tell they enjoyed their time.
After an hour of struggling against his opponent, Sheffield called it quits and returned to the base with her master. After depositing him in the cafeteria, she went off to continue her other duties. James spent about half an hour recovering his stamina then left to work on his daily duties.
Night came and after a heavy dinner, Akagi and James retreated to their room. There, the couple engaged in their usual routine of talking about their day while one massaged the other's foot. This time it was Akagi's turn to do the massaging.
"Sounds like you had a pretty tiring day," said Akagi.
"Tell me about it, I swear Sheffield put a little extra effort in today's beating," he said.
"It must be soo difficult being you huh," she commented.
"Do I detect a hint of sarcasm in your voice?"
"Not a hint, a whole helping of it," she replied.
"May I ask, why?"
"Oh, its just, I thought that you enjoyed doing all that work."
"Don't get me wrong, I do, but there are some days where it gets really difficult."
"My poor, poor hubbie," said Akagi, smiling smugly at him "it must be rough working on a base with so many people who respect and look up to you."
"You know, its pretty easy to criticize from the outside looking in. But trust me, doing the work of a Commander is no picnic."
"Which part is difficult exactly? Having a fleet of maids at your call or having two dozen little kids call you their 'big-bro.'"
"You seem to be talking a big game," said James slowly moving his foot away from her and moving his face close "care to back up your claims?"
"What are you suggesting?" she asked, smirking.
"Tomorrow we switch roles. You be the Commander and I'll be the head of the Sakura Empire. If you can last two, no, one day being me then you win."
"And what do I win?" she asked, trying to hide her interest.
"Free foot rubs for three weeks."
"Hmm. Make it a month."
"Deal," he said and the pair shook hands to seal the agreement.
"Wow, look at us," said Akagi "went through our first argument like it was nothing."
"Was that an argument? Didn't seem like that to me."
"It was."
"I don't think so."
"It totally was," objected Akagi.
"Hold on, are we literally arguing about arguing?"
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Akagi made it a habit of waking up early. She didn't do it because she liked waking up early, she did it because it gave her the chance to stare at James while he slept.
'hold on a second,' she thought, looking ahead of her, 'why am I looking at myself sleeping? There's no mirror here.'
'Hmm, what's this thing I feel between my legs?' she wondered 'that wasn't there before.'
"Ugh Akagi," said 'Akagi' groaning "I told you to stop staring at me."
Akagi watched in bewilderment and confusion as her body rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom. Then, as the light turned on, the two members reached the same conclusion.
This realization was of course followed by the obligatory scream of horror.
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"Hold on a second here," said Alec, rubbing his head, trying to come to terms with what he just heard. The pair called a meeting with all the leaders and once assembled, Akagi told them what happened.
"You switched bodies?" he asked to the two
"Yep," said Akagi
"So Akagi's mind is in James' body and James' mind is in Akagi's body?" asked Rossiya and the two nodded.
"Was it the cat?" asked Queen Elizabeth "typically when Akashi is working on something, James always gets caught up in the ensuing chaos.
"I don't think it was her," said James "the first thing we did was go to the lab and check if anything happened."
"Turns out," continued Akagi "the whole research team is so focused on our studying our new allies they've shelved any research into the wisdom cubes."
"So the ones you had a while back are all what, lying in a warehouse?" asked Tirpitz to James and Akagi nodded.
"This is not what I expected to hear when I woke up this morning," said Alec.
"You and me both," added Akagi.
"What do we do here?" asked Friedrich "is it a good idea to leave them be?"
"We should at least try to figure out what caused this," suggested Yat Sen "if we did that, then perhaps we could reverse the effects."
"That sounds like a good idea," said Akagi "alright, until we return to normal, I'm calling off the bet."
"Oh you'd like that wouldn't you," said James "no way am I backing down now that the gauntlet's been thrown."
"What bet are you talking about?" asked Alec.
"I bet Akagi that she couldn't do my jobs for a whole day and she said otherwise," replied Akagi.
"We're not cancelling the bet," said James "if anything, this is the perfect chance to show you that I can do anything you can do."
"Please don't burst into song," muttered Alec.
"What?"
"Never mind."
"I think that we should divide ourselves up for the day and help James and Akagi a little," suggested Yorktown "after all, James has no understanding of how we work and I'm sure that Akagi's discovered new 'additions' that must have her confused."
"I definitely need some help," said Akagi looking at her figure "damn it, this skirt is so short, not to mention these two damn things are really hurting my back."
"What two things?" asked James and Akagi pointed to her chest.
"Honestly," continued Akagi "walking around with these things must be hell for most of you."
"Truth be told Akagi," said Enterprise "we're used to them."
"'Most of you?'" repeated Queen Elizabeth "what exactly did you mean by that?"
"Oh, I just mean its hard for certain girls like Friedrich, Roon, Chapayev, Black Prince, Sirius, Dido…" said Akagi but did not complete the sentence thanks to the powerful shot to the head she received from an aggravated Queen Elizabeth.
"Let's just ask Nimi, Ayanami, Javelin and Laffey help out Akagi," suggested Rossiya "as for James, perhaps the maids can provide assistance there."
"Of course," said Belfast, bowing a little "I shall be more than happy to help my Master in his hour of need."
"Don't worry about me Belfast," said James cracking his knuckles. "I'm sure I can overcome whatever problems this body throws at me."
Seeming a little pumped up at the situation James headed out the room, ready to win the bet. Meanwhile the remaining members in the room exchanged worried looks.
"Please keep an eye on her, me, that…" said Akagi to Belfast who nodded.
One by one the girls left the room till only Alec and Akagi were left. Once it was the two of them, Alec turned to his friend and asked "how's it like being a girl?"
"Worrying," he replied "the skirts too short, my legs are shaved and the breasts are getting in the way of everything."
"Why didn't you put on a bra then?"
"I have no idea how to put on one of those things," was the reply "taking them off, no problem though."
"Still though," added Akagi "it'll be interesting to learn what my wife does during the day."
"Ah, sister, I mean commander, no wait, James," said Kaga, popping back in "I've come to retrieve you."
"Hmm, what for?" asked Akagi.
"Akagi is meant to oversee today's training exercise between the Sakura Empire and the Iron blood," said Kaga "the research division is testing out their new oxygen torpedo and we'll need to view the results."
"Well, looks like I got things to do," said Akagi.
"I should also head out," said Alec "oh by the way, who's going to train Alexis, Blake and Marie today?"
"I will of course," replied Akagi "right after I change into something with a longer skirt."
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The first thing that James did was spar with a member of the maid squad. This practice was to ensure his skills did not dull. However, in light of the current circumstances, Belfast deemed it best to postpone today's training session.
However, however, James was not one to go with a free pass.
"We're doing this Belfast," said James
"Is that wise?" asked Belfast "this is a new body and as such, it works significantly different from your regular body."
"All the more reason I get started right away," said James. Belfast could only sigh at the fox's stubbornness, while signalling to Curlew to start the training session.
Curlew bowed while James drew the bamboo sword and bowed. The two raised their heads and in a flash, Curlew vanished. James looked left and right, scanning the area but the maid's movements were too fast for him to track. Acting on instinct, he moved back just in time to see Curlew swipe the area he was just in with a sweep kick.
Seeing this opportunity, James came forward and swung his sword down only to have Curlew block it with her bare hands. James did not react in time, resulting in Curlew landing a blow on his stomach and sending him staggering back.
James staggered a little, the wind knocked out of him and his vision failing him.
'Holy crap,' thought Akagi 'is this what it's like when one of us hits him? I, I never knew it could hurt so much."
"Master are you okay?" asked Curlew, looking worried.
"We should stop this Akagi," said Belfast.
"Tell me," said James "did he stop after getting hit once?" and their silence was his answer.
"Thought so," said James and rose to his feet. He assumed a ready stance and wordlessly communicated to Curlew to continue.
The maid turned to Belfast with a troubled expression. Belfast however, shook her head dismissively and told her to continue.
Curlew resumed her attack and disappeared in a flash. She moved across the area at speeds that only a high-ranking maid/ninja was capable of. Typically, Akagi would have no problem tracking her opponent's movements, but the body she inhabited was significantly weaker than what she was used to.
'Come on, come on, there has to be something,' thought Akagi, struggling to keep track once again 'how did James do it? How did he manage to track their movements when his eyes couldn't catch them?'
That's when the idea hit her, use her other senses. Takao and the weapon users of the fleet often stated that the key to being a well-rounded fighter was to hone your senses. She realized that James had to face these situations every time he went into a fight, yet time and again he always managed to survive or at least mount a defence.
The reason for that was he relied on more than one sense. Taking a moment, Akagi closed her eyes and forced her body to rely on the other senses. She may be unfamiliar to this technique, but the body she used knew it well.
In that moment, she could hear her opponent's foot cracking against the ground, breaking dead leaves and crunching the grass. She could feel the wind the maid kicked up every time she darted from one direction to another. Her senses began feeding her bits and pieces of information, enough that a picture started to form in her mind.
Curlew, sensing an opportunity stopped her movement and rushed forward. She wanted to end things quickly and aimed to attack her master with a kick to the stomach. She neared and raised her right foot, only to have James move aside and avoid the attack.
James did not waste this chance and took advantage of the confusion by moving in close to Curlew, grabbing her by the shoulder and tossing her over his head. The maid let out a sudden gasp, not from the attack itself, but from how quickly her opponent adapted to her attack pattern and created a counter.
Curlew did not let her opponent enjoy this momentary victory as she quickly slipped out of her opponent's grasp and returned to her feet.
"I think we've had enough dancing around Curlew," said James "how about you face me with the same strength you use when duelling James."
This time, Curlew did not look to Belfast for confirmation, instead making the decision on her own. It amazed her how quickly Akagi came to learn about her new body's capabilities and even more amazing for her to find out her opponent was holding back.
Underestimating Akagi, even for a brief moment was a risky move, not one she intended on ever repeating.
With that in mind, Curlew assumed a fighting stance let out a few quick breaths and disappeared. Her opponent once again scanned the area, trying to get a bead on her, but this time she would not make it easy.
A combination of her fleet-footed training as a maid and her training as a ninja enabled Curlew to nimbly move without letting out even the faintest sounds. It was a move that even her master struggled to devise a counter against.
Seeing James struggle and ultimately fail to notice her, Curlew slipped into his blind spot and positioned herself for a strike. Wasting little time and breath, she bolted forward like a bullet aiming at her target's back. When she was near, she leapt up and over James' head, catching the latter off guard. Curlew used this to grab him by the shoulders and when she landed, she flung him over her shoulder and hit him right into the ground.
That was it.
Belfast thought it was best to conclude the sparring session then and there. She was also pleased to see that James agreed with her, given that he slowly came to his feet rather than trying to pounce back up.
"That was… something else," said James, turning to Curlew. "I really thought I had you back there."
"Indeed you did Akagi," said Curlew, bowing politely "you've adapted to this new body's capabilities quite quickly."
"Yep," said James rising up and puffing his chest out proudly "Amagi always said I was a quick learner."
"By the way Belfast," he said, turning to the head maid "how long did I last in that fight?"
"Ten minutes," she replied.
"That's pretty good," said James pursing his lips in surprise "how long does James last in these sparring matches?"
"Twenty-five minutes."
"EEHHHHHHHH!"
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Akagi meanwhile wasn't doing as well as she hoped. Earlier assumptions of wiling away the day sleeping on the Japanese-style rooms with Yuudachi, Yukikaze, and Shigure were dashed after seeing all the work piled up.
"How is there so much paperwork?" cried Akagi out loud, looking at the stacks and stacks of paper "don't I normally take care of all this?"
"If by I you mean James then there's more to work than agreeing to commissions, overseeing inventory and approving research projects," said Kaga, clearing her throat.
"Akagi and the other faction leaders have to oversee equipment maintenance and testing almost every day," added Nimi,
"Why didn't anyone ever tell me about that?" asked Akagi.
"Because understanding the way our rigging works and maintaining them is something only the natives can understand Commander," said Javelin.
"Our rigging works in ways we can't exactly explain in words," added Ayanami "it's something that we feel inside of us. Which is why we didn't want you to feel bad about it."
"Commander forget the work," said Laffey, falling on Akagi's lap "let's go sleep instead."
"Hmmm," mused Akagi.
"Oy don't just fall asleep on her lap like that," cried Nimi, who motioned to pry Laffey but was stopped by Akagi.
"You never wake up a sleeping rabbit," said Akagi "I remember this time when I stayed at my friend's place and he had a pet rabbit. I made the mistake of waking her up and she threw such a tantrum. Kept bounding around the place and banging her foot into the ground."
"The girls do have a point," said Kaga, sighing "it's better to leave it unfinished than to try, fail and create double the work later on."
"By the way James," asked Javelin, taking a few steps to him "how is it like in Akagi's body?"
"In a word, difficult," she replied "the chest throws off my balance, the long hair makes my head itchy and the tails are almost impossible to handle. I mean one tail is enough work, but nine?"
"It is indeed a trying task," said Kaga.
"Let's just relax all day," said Akagi leaning back in her chair "I don't feel like doing much work."
"Rather than relaxing," suggested Nimi while tapping a finger against her cheek "why not check on how your other half is doing? Its almost time for the daily picnic."
"I'm sure that Akagi will be enjoying herself playing and frolicking with the kids."
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"Come back here and let me hug you," screamed James while chasing after the kids.
"What's wrong with big bro today?" asked Kisaragi, clambering up a tree.
"He's never usually this intense," added Unicorn.
"Big bro, different," said Eldridge, floating up to the branch they were hanging on.
"Come down here now," said James, while violently shaking the tree "come on, I brought snacks."
"It looks like big bro, but it sounds like someone else," suggested Mutsuki.
"Wh-what if someone's impersonating him?" asked Fletcher, worriedly.
"Then it is our duty to stop the villain and protect our big bro's reputation," declared Charles Ausburne "think about it, if we let this imposter leave, who knows what kind of trouble he could cause for the others?"
"Agreed," said Nagatsuki "we have to stop this imposter."
"What should we do?" asked Fletcher "does anyone have ideas?"
"Hmmm," said the girls, not minding that James was still banging his foot against the tree
"Ah, I got it," said Charles "remember that move we used to steal big bro from the other girls on Valentines Day?"
The kids quickly remembered it, given how effective the move was.
"Let's do it," said Unicorn, clenching her fists while her plush toy nodded.
"Alright then team, execute the little sister snatcher," declared Charles.
On the ground, James watched as two of the kids leapt off the tree branch, fell on his arms and grabbed him. Next, he saw how two more came down from the trees and grabbed his legs. One by one, more of them came down and each time they covered some part of him. This went on till James could no longer move an inch.
"Who has the tape?" called Charles, while standing on his head.
"Dang it, I knew we forgot something," said Thatcher.
"Is this how you stole my husband on Valentines' Day?" asked James.
"He's not making any sense," said Fumizuki.
"He really is an impostor," said Z18.
"Just knock him out," said Kisaragi, who was now slipping off James' left hand.
Not saying anything else, Charles whacked James on the head with a heavy chop. Although they were kids, the inherent power difference between shipgirls and humans was enough that even kids could take out a fully-grown male.
As such, James crumpled to the ground without much of a fight.
"Now," said Fletcher "let's tie up this impostor and take him to Yorktown. She'll know what to do."
"But we don't have any rope or tape," said Mutsuki.
"Then a few of us should stay here while the rest of us head to Yorktown," suggested Charles and the kids nodded.
As the group turned around, they saw Akagi, Kaga, Javelin, Nimi, Laffey and Ayanami coming up the hill. The group quickly noticed James' unconscious body and wondered what happened.
"Hey," whispered Charles to Spence "is it just me or does Akagi seem…"
"Yeah, I noticed it too," chimed in Nagatsuki.
"Ok, what happened here and why is James out cold?" asked Kaga.
"We think that this James is an impostor and the real one must have been kidnapped," summarized Unicorn "but before that…"
The kids all turned to Akagi who grew nervous under their penetrating gazes.
"Why are… you all staring at me like that?" asked Akagi.
"Because," said Charles, stroking her chin "you're giving off the warm vibe that big bro normally gives out."
"In fact," added Fletcher, "big bro was acting more like Akagi does when she tries to play with us."
"Ummm…" said Akagi "trying to come up with an excuse."
"We'll explain it later," said Kaga, who then dashed forward and grabbed James' unconscious body. Seeing the opportunity present itself, Akagi and the rest quickly excused themselves from the group.
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Not much happened after that. James remained unconscious for the rest of the evening and after a quick dinner, Akagi went to sleep.
Come next day, the couple woke up at almost the same time. The two stared at themselves in silence, thinking the same thing. Both eyed each other up and down, before reaching a conclusion.
"We're back in our bodies," they shouted before embracing each other.
"Oh man I am so glad to being back in my normal body again," said James "no boobs, no tails and ears or weird powers."
"Oh come on, being me wasn't so bad was it?" asked Akagi.
"Well, it wasn't 'bad' but at the same time I missed my human male body."
"Ok I can sort of see where you're coming from," said Akagi, tapping her chin "being a human is tough work. You get injured so easily."
"Hey, I'm not that weak," countered James, taking offence to that comment.
"Well either way, we're back to normal and that's that," said Akagi, sighing and falling back into the bed.
"Yeah," said James, doing the same thing "How about we spend the morning just lying in bed doing nothing?"
Akagi let out a coy chuckle then motioned closer to her husband "that sounds nice, but I have an even better idea."
Catching on to what she was implying, James also motioned closer to her.
But, as their lips were only a hair's breadth away, Akagi asked "hold on, did I win yesterday's bet?"
And just like that, the mood vanished.