Cold air transforms the surrounding area of the warehouse into a makeshift freezer. Scharnhorst META and Gneisenau META can withstand the current temperature where normal kansens would be trembling badly. The source being the certain battleship who's intensely staring at Bismarck META.
"You seem upset" Bismarck META speaks out
It should have been a normal afternoon coffee but everything is covered in ice and rime, even the coffee - except for Bismarck META's coffee which is still steaming hot.
"Akagi can sense something is wrong with me. Back then, she made me feel cornered" Tirpitz looks at her frozen coffee
"Not only are you in their territory, you're worried about Victorious" Bismarck META casually sips hers
"Their Bismarck keeps asking me if there's no META influence left. At this point, she's noticing something even if I'm shutting off my ability all the time"
"Not all the time..."
Bismarck META lightly shakes her cup and lightly exhales in relief as the heat never leaves the drink even with the ice thickening around her.
"Doesn't your ice powers act like a defensive mechanism?" Scharnhorst META reminds her first
"Even when you're inactive, it will create a protective layer around you. Cold air will freeze threats may it be kansen or Siren" Gneisenau META does the same
"It's true that I passively spread cold air around me when I'm asleep, but it acts as an extension of me. It will only freeze those I perceive as a threat, so it won't work on normal kansens right now"
Tirpitz stands up, primarily annoyed that someone has to point out the nature of her ability, so she only responds to correct them.
"It's not easy considering I have to remain focus to hold it back all the time" Tirpitz grunts and mumbles under her breath
"Even I don't like holding back, but you have to bear with it in your case" Scharnhorst META sighs
"This is just part of what you need to endure in exchange for a normal life. Well, mostly normal life..." Gneisenau META shrugs
Remembering she's living as a normal kansen without all her abilities as a META, Tirpitz eases her mood enough that most of the ice around them recedes.
"That aside, I'm only here to tell you not to attract too much attention" Tirpitz sits back down and speaks to Bismarck META
"I'm not attracting attention" Bismarck META crosses her arms
"..."
Tirpitz quietly slides a blurry photo of Bismarck META's rear view taken by the only reconnaissance aircraft that survived. The rest were gunned down, burned, and shredded by Geryon.
"They're beginning to investigate you. Knowing their Bismarck, she would be curious as to why another META showed up, especially if that META has Iron Blood technology"
"I'm aware no one must learn my identity, especially the Bismarck here" Bismarck META isn't even concerned at the photo
"I don't want to think what would happen if you two meet" Tirpitz clicks her tongue
"We shouldn't even be enemies. My goal is to protect your current life while she wishes not to lose you again"
"That would be nice if you two are referring to the same person"
As Tirpitz becomes upset again, the ice returns to cover every corner and form spiky protrusions in some areas.
"You are her now even if the body and consciousness are different, so stop turning our hideout into a freezer!" Scharnhorst META stomps the icy floor and cracks it
"Scharnhorst is right. You carried on their Tirpitz's life and did everything to remain normal to spare their feelings" Gneisenau META wipes off the rime on her shoulders
"I know that, but I constantly remind myself who I really am. Knowing my attachment, I'd get lost in this life and actually believe I'm their Tirpitz"
"..." Bismarck META's expression softens
A part of Tirpitz wishes to genuinely live her current life without worrying about her real identity. Of the three, Bismarck could guess the frustration and longing Tirpitz is restraining to herself.
"At this point, shouldn't I be preparing for the possibility they'll find out? Their Bismarck is immersed in this lie when reality becomes clear to her someday...she'd be heartbroken" Tirpitz shakes her head at the thought
"Is it because she's been asking if you're free from the META?"
"Bismarck is sharp and now that she pays close attention to my well-being, she notices even a small change"
"Then I'll draw Iron Blood's attention" Bismarck META stands up
"Having you two meet is the last thing I need"
Tirpitz slams the table with both of her hands and immediately stands up.
"We might need to stand back" Gneisenau META whispers to her sister
"Agreed. I don't like being burned or frozen...or both" Scharnhorst META lightly nods
The Ugly Sisters quietly take small steps backwards as their hardened warrior instincts immediately alarms them of an escalating argument.
"Tirpitz, I vowed to protect your current life as much as I can" Bismarck META reminds her
"Are you trying this hard because your actions lead to this situation?"
"Yes" Bismarck META answers without hesitation
"You're not the type to seek forgiveness" Tirpitz grunts
"I'm not seeking your forgiveness. My simple wish is to prevent the same mistake and to ensure nothing threatens your new life"
"..."
Tirpitz could never forget the incident that started everything and Bismarck META's horrified and confused expression when she starts attacking. Right now, Tirpitz couldn't bring out the same resentment as before just by staring at Bismarck META's determined and sincere expression. Even she couldn't set aside how Bismarck is willingly carrying her regret as a reminder to not repeat the mistake.
"Their Bismarck believes she's protecting her sister not knowing the one she loved is long gone. All the remain is the body being occupied by the sister I want to protect" Bismarck META sits back down
"I know their Bismarck will feel deceived and furious because I replaced her sister and pretended to be her" Tirpitz does the same
"..." Scharnhorst META and Gneisenau META sighs in relief
The two METAs standing on the side relax their tensed body, quietly relieved that they know a physical confrontation is unnecessary.
"Then there's Victorious who'd break down and cry if she learns her friend is long dead"
Tirpitz clenches both of her fists resting on the table. Just the reminder of a recent memory where Victorious is spending time with her makes the side of her lips twitch. A part of her wishes to regain her normal life before becoming a META, but the occasional aches in her body reminds her of the current situation.
"Old habits in this body still lingered. It's as if a part of the old Tirpitz is still here" Tirpitz sees her left hand shaking
"Has it been bothering you?" Bismarck META looks at her Tirpitz's shaking hand
"I don't care about it"
"..."
Although Tirpitz responds with a straight expression, Bismarck META turns her gaze on Tirpitz's thumb rubbing her index and middle finger.
"Lying doesn't suit you, little sister" Bismarck META lightly tilts her hand
"...!" Tirpitz jolts for a moment
"You tend to be honest, so when you do the opposite...your body reacts in response"
"Huh?"
"Bismarck means you don't like lying" Gneisenau META explains it simply
"Yeah. You suck at lying that even we can see it from here!" Scharnhorst META smirks
"..." Tirpitz frowns at them and at Bismarck
"Your hands can't stay still when you're lying" Bismarck META crosses her arms
"Yeah, yeah, I get it..."
Tirpitz isn't fully accustomed to Bismarck META's melancholic and occasionally solemn demeanor. The sister she had always known is someone proud and headstrong, so she's both annoyed that it's only now Bismarck META started becoming more of a sister and losing the stubborn fierceness she once had.
"Don't push yourself, Tirpitz. I can't protect you while you're in the heart of Iron Blood" Bismarck META sees Tirpitz's tensed expression
"I can take care of myself there" Tirpitz sighs
The ice around them dissipates again, so the pure white scenery slowly retreats and thins out, reflecting the mood of the ability user.
"Tirpitz, you're weaker than you used to. Not only you lost your original body, your rigging was blasted when you died" Scharnhorst META reminds her
"Blasted but key components managed to be intact. Well, I designed it to sustain heavy hits - modeled after your history in the fjords" Bismarck META nods in confirmation
"I don't want it back right now. This body might not be able to endure being connected with a META's rigging" Tirpitz firmly refuses
"All this time you collected the pieces you can find and no one told me about this?" Tirpitz is on the brink of raising her voice
"I had retrieved it some time after you sunk here" Bismarck replies with a stoic expression
"How can you possibly retrieve..." Tirpitz stops herself
"I won't destroy it because it would resist and certainly find its way back to its owner"
"That equipment is not a dog who would come running the moment it sees me"
Tirpitz shakes her head since there are certain ships in Iron Blood who treats their animated rigging as pets to the point they give it nicknames.
"Either way, I don't think there would be a time where I would need whatever strength remained right now. Unless you do something reckless"
Tirpitz is aware that her current strength is a burden, so she couldn't remove the possibility of needing the strength she had in her prime. Still, she worries to herself that even if she regains her strength as a META, it wouldn't be the same one that fought against Bismarck META to a standstill.
Three days later...
Tirpitz is requested to have a meeting with Bismarck alongside the latter's most trusted subordinates Graf Zeppelin and Prinz Eugen. The atmosphere inside is rather serious and awkward for Tirpitz since she rarely attends important meetings or anything that needs a discussion.
"Not everyone is aware of this, but the Wolfpack lead by U-556 spotted the new unknown META, a battleship with a rigging similar to what Iron Blood uses"
Bismarck slips nearly compiled photos in the middle of the table and carefully scatters the photos. Every shot is either blurry or makes it impossible to identify the META herself mainly due to the enormous steel beast protecting her.
"..." Tirpitz swallows her breath
At first glance, she already realizes Iron Blood is actively searching for the META's whereabouts and determining her exact identity.
"She's known to be hostile to both Sirens and kansens alike. Although I said she was hostile, that META mostly fled the scene and only engaged in combat when provoked" Bismarck frowns
"A coward or someone who doesn't like wasting time. Either way, it's difficult to catch a witty rabbit"
Prinz Eugen shakes her head, visibly dismayed at the META's clear cautious and mysterious behavior.
"Why do we need to track down the META? She's not posing any threat to Iron Blood so far" Tirpitz speaks out
"Bismarck here thinks it's another Bismarck" Prinz Eugen rests her head on her arms
"What?"
"The steel beast protecting her is similar to Geryon, so I want to find out myself if this person is indeed a version of me from another timeline" Bismarck gathers the photos
"Still..."
"There was a Tirpitz META, remember? If I vaguely recall, she absolutely hated her Bismarck for the suffering she caused. Someone who would revive her dead sister to throw her into battle-" Prinz Eugen suddenly stops
"Why are we assuming it's indeed Bismarck when we haven't even seen her?"
At that point, Tirpitz's hands are lightly shaking, anxious at the idea of the two Bismarcks encountering each other. It's unlikely she would be able to intervene due to the risk of exposing herself.
"It's only my assumption due to the similarity of our rigging. In order to confirm whether it's the truth or lie, I'm doing what I can to discover the identity of this META"
Bismarck raises her hand after seeing Tirpitz's uneasiness and sudden impatience. She takes it as Tirpitz being extra cautious against another META due to her unpleasant experience.
"We are researching about a piece of a rigging's core found in one of the hideouts presumedly used by a META in the past"
Bismarck unfolds a map in the middle and sweeps it flat and displays the full view of it to the other two ships.
"A core?" Tirpitz eases herself
"From the information left there, it was codenamed [Orthros] - a specialized rigging used by an unknown META in the past. There was an early blueprint of it, showing a two headed beast"
This time, Bismarck places a photo of the tattered and nearly burned prototype blueprint regarding the piece of the rigging left. It only shows the two heads bearing slight resemblance to Geryon, except of course the number of heads.
"..."
Tirpitz doesn't need another minute to recognize it, but her expression remains stoic even while staring at it. In her thoughts are disbelief and uneasiness at the reminder that she once believed to have been lost alongside her original self.
"What does this have to do with the suspected Bismarck META?" Tirpitz focuses on the photo
"One of the first encounters with the unknown META is when she tried to hinder us from salvaging that old hideout. Although she destroyed the hideout and everything else, the information we gathered is enough"
"..."
Tirpitz clenches both of her fists, realizing the recklessness and risk Bismarck META subjected herself in order to prevent anyone else from learning about the rigging.
"Is Iron Blood still researching about [Orthros]?" Tirpitz loosens her fists
"Yes. Before the META went and bombarded everything to dust, there were implications Victorious META may have been involved" Bismarck remains unaware
"Something, something putting back the rigging. Maybe the META we're looking for is using the cheap copy of Geryon. Orthros may have been a prototype" Prinz Eugen chuckles
"The piece Iron Blood found, what was it exactly?"
"I believe it's a piece of its power source. Iron Blood safely stored it in one of our facilities up north"
Bismarck points at the map, exactly at an island crossed out between Denmark and Norway. It's rather distant from the mainland, but it's still within Iron Blood jurisdiction with the Wolfpack patrolling from time to time.
"If this suspected Bismarck META blew up the base until nothing remained, it must have been really important information, so I'm certain she'd be drawn to it once she realized we have a lead to the rest of its core"
"I won't stay idle after knowing all of this. If she's indeed Bismarck META, then I have a lot to ask about what happened with Tirpitz META" Tirpitz furrows her eyebrows
"Tirpitz..." Bismarck is mildly surprised
Tirpitz may not be a skilled actor or liar, but she does what she can to make her tone sound deep and concerned. Since Bismarck still suspects very little about Tirpitz, she's somewhat glad Tirpitz is taking the initiative and joining with the mission herself.
"Victorious META may be gone, but traces of her deeds remain after all. Then there's the possibility of a Bismarck META showing some time after she died" Tirpitz sighs
"Wow. You really want to bury everything about her even after death" Prinz Eugen shakes her head in genuine surprise
"I'll make sure nothing remains. Dragging me still left a bitter taste"
"You nearly died...twice and had to live with an angry dead version of Tirpitz META. At least we managed to get rid of that annoying ghost, so we don't have to worry about you getting possessed again" Prinz Eugen relaxes her back on the wooden chair
"..."
Bismarck doesn't say anything, but she sneaks a glance on Tirpitz briefly directing a grim gaze to Prinz Eugen. She isn't sure why Tirpitz is displeased with Prinz Eugen jokingly commenting, but Bismarck is certain Tirpitz nearly physically reacts.
An hour later...
While Friedrich der Grosse is handling some of the matters regarding their next objective, Bismarck remains in her office as usual. Instead of the usual paperwork needing her approval or review, she compiles the information Iron Blood has during the past month.
"Come in" Bismarck immediately replies after hearing three knocks
"So you're back to finalizing the next mission. Your focus is unbelievable" Neumark enters with a sigh
"Neumark..."
"You summoned me here because you wished to talk about something"
Neumark gently closes the door behind her and stands nearby while she patiently waits for Bismarck to segregate and compile what she deems as key information.
"I can't tell if I'm overthinking or observant...about Tirpitz" Bismarck reaches for her chair
"What happened this time? Don't tell you two are arguing again..." Neumark places her hands on her hips
"No, it's just that she has this tendency to touch her face when she's lying"
"That's her habit. She tends to do that whenever she tells me she's alright even though she's bloody beaten. It just shows she's not a natural liar like you..."
"Then was she lying when she told me she was free of the META's influence?" Bismarck removes her cap
"During the festival, I couldn't stop thinking about the META's influence in her. My instincts as her sister made me feel she lied to me other than her gestures..."
Bismarck is always thinking about the possibility of the incident with Tirpitz META repeating, so the slightest display of the META's ability has her suspect of that possibility.
"Knowing Tirpitz, she's keeping trouble to herself again. It's not because she doesn't trust you, but for the reason she doesn't like involving others" Neumark takes a deep breath
"Tirpitz trusts you enough to confide her troubles. I need your help in confirming whether META's influence remains on her" Bismarck directly looks at her in the eyes
"I'm worried too because I could tell she's lying, but I know she's scared of having another META-related incident" Neumark approaches Bismarck's desk
"Perhaps this is the situation where I would need Victorious to intervene for Tirpitz's sake"
"Intervene?" Neumark is slightly worried
"Tirpitz loses her guard when it comes to her, so Victorious is the person she would trust enough to confess"
"Wouldn't it be the opposite? She would never admit anything to Victorious, since she doesn't want to involve her dearest friend"
"That's true..."
Bismarck drops her shoulders knowing Tirpitz would be unlikely to confess the more she cares about someone out of fear she would worry and involve them with her problems again.
"Besides, if she finds out we're going to use Victorious to make her talk, there would be another argument. I don't want your relationship to be strained just when you two are mending it"
"I know...but Tirpitz has little self-preservation sometimes" Bismarck groans under her breath
"If you're worried about her, then why let her take part in the next mission?"
"The information is only visible to me, so I never told this even to Friedrich der Grosse"
"..." Neumark swallows her breath
"Orthros was the placeholder name of the rigging core fragment and partial blueprint we found. Despite most of the evidence being destroyed, even I could tell the schematics mirrored Tirpitz's specialized rigging I prepared much like Geryon"
"Wait, are you saying Victorious META had the plans for the Zwei retrofit"
"To be precise, I have this dreadful theory that Victorious META kept salvaged pieces of Tirpitz META's rigging after killing her in this timeline. It's specialized to be extra resilient despite sacrificing destructive firepower"
Bismarck pulls out the left drawer of her desk. She slides her fingers on the wooden bottom only to reveal a small compartment that could only fit several something as thin as paper. However, the only object hidden there is a copy of the Zwei remodel planned for Tirpitz since it proved to be a success for Bismarck.
"The design is unknown to anyone else in Iron Blood, so I was the only one able to tell it matched with the Zwei model rigging" Bismarck places the photo of the partially burned blueprint beside the laid out blueprint
"Even if Victorious META did plan to reconstruct the rigging, her accomplice blew everything up. Unless, they gathered everything they need and simply erased the leftovers" Neumark leans closer at the blueprints
"This rigging is my contingency measure at the very case the META's influence lingers and infects Tirpitz's wisdom cube again"
"You learned your lesson. Both from you and your sister..."
As a repair ship, Neumark can agree the technology has potential for further empowering kansens and resist corrosion in their wisdom cubes, so she couldn't protest with Bismarck's idea.
"I will be taking part in the mission too at the possibility it turns out be Bismarck META" Bismarck assures her"
Then what? You're going to fight a META head-on? Even with your new strength, a META is no normal kansen"
"As much as possible, I want to believe my possible alternate version is reasonable. If Tirpitz META's sheer hatred towards her was justified...then it's clear there's no room for discussion"
The fact Bismarck has no fear facing a META even if it turns out to be a more experienced and stronger version of her has Neumark blink and drop her jaw. She's in disbelief Bismarck will take risks due to the rare opportunity of facing an elusive META.