Washington opened the door to Ranger's Captain's quarters. Ranger followed closely behind.
"Ranger, this place is a mess." Washington spoke, noting the clothes lying on the floor and MRE rations strewn about.
"Well... I wasn't exactly expecting to adopt a child. So I didn't bother to tidy up. After all, I did offer him this room on a whim." Ranger said, looking at the sleeping child in Washington's arms.
"You're a warship, Ranger. Cleanliness should be a non-issue." Washington retorted.
Ranger rolled her eyes before quickly picking up her clothes off the floor and ridding the room of errant trash.
"There." Ranger said, presenting a freshly cleaned room along with a pristinely made bed.
Washington looked at Max's sleeping face before looking at Ranger.
"Good." Washington spoke as she laid Max into the freshly made bed.
"Here ya go, Max. I don't know how comfortable a military bed will be for you, but at least it's a safe place to be." Washington said as she covered him up. She turned to walk away but a small force pulled her back. She turned to see Max's sleeping hand clutching her uniform.
"I... I really think he likes you, Washington." Ranger said with a slight hint of surprise.
Washington's face reddened at the thought.
"Why would he? He barely knows me." Washington spoke, her tone a bit louder than anticipated, waking Max behind her.
"Don't go..." Max said softly. Washington turned quickly and looked at Max.
Washington was lost for words. Every nerve in her body was screaming at her to tell the kid off and go about her business, but a small, and extremely potent feeling stopped her and forced a reply.
"I'm not going anywhere, Max." Washington spoke, much to her own and Ranger's surprise.
Ranger was about to say something when she sensed a call on her radio.
"I have a call coming in. I'll be back." Ranger said as she left the room, leaving Washington and Max alone. Max smiled softly and nestled into the bed.
"Hey... Max. What's your fascination with me, anyway?" Washington asked.
Max looked at her with a look of confusion.
Washington immediately knew and decided to explain.
"You were getting along with Ranger before I came along, but the moment you saw me, you've been attached to me. I was wondering why." Washington explained.
Max's face reddened before he spoke.
"You remind me of my Mama." Max said softly.
Washington was taken aback.
"Do I look like her?" Washington asked.
Max nodded slowly.
"You act like her too." Max spoke as he turned away, thinking he had done something wrong.
Washington felt her chest get tight at the sight before her.
She stood up and sat on the edge of the bed. That same small feeling began to grow, ever so slowly. Washington resolved herself. She was going to make up for the mistakes of her past, for the bad attitudes and harsh demeanor.
"Well... if you feel that way... I guess I don't mind filling that role for you." Washington said as she lightly scratched her cheek with her finger.
Max turned back over and nestled himself up to Washington.
Washington laid her hand on his head and rubbed his head softly until she felt his breathing slow and become rhythmic.
"Goodnight... Max." Washington said softly as she continued to rub his head.
"Washington, we have a situation." Ranger called.
"What is it, Ranger?" Washington replied quickly in a hushed tone.
"There's been an uprising on the Benson. Something about a Cult of the Sirens." Ranger said.
"Is Benson okay?" Washington asked.
"I don't know. She said that the moment the uprising began, she went into hiding somewhere on her vessel. She said she's injured but she doesn't know to what extent. She's using her rigging to contact me." Ranger spoke.
"Hmm. Is it the entire group of refugees?" Washington asked.
"No. Out of the 300 or so people onboard, it's only about fifty people. But these fifty people have become increasingly violent towards Benson and the majority that attempted to defend her. There is fighting on the deck." Ranger reported.
"What should we do?" Washington asked.
"We've lost Bermuda as a relay to contact the Commander. We're on our own." Ranger said.
"Then I say we deal with this insurrection the only way we know how." Washington said as she stood up, checking on Max briefly to ensure he remained asleep.
"Just... Mind any children." Ranger spoke with hesitance.
"If these Cultist's want to take our destroyer hostage, the damage I inflict is up to them." Washington said as she shed her white coat from her shoulders, draping it over Max before stretching her arms while revealing her black undershirt.
Ranger's sigh was heard over the radio before Washington ran from the room.
Washington jumped to the deck of the Benson to see a massive brawl. Several civilians laid slain on the deck, a product of the Cultist's handiwork. Washington looked around, taking in the gruesome sight, only stopping once her eyes rested upon the body of a child who's neck was stuck in an impossible angle.
"They... killed children?" Washington asked herself, becoming fully enveloped in a bubbling rage. A rage that boiled just beneath the surface.
A cultist finished off a woman defending her children right in front of Washington, causing the rage to boil over and rupture, spreading a visible anger over Washington's face.
Washington stepped forward and delivered a bone shattering kick to the back of the Cultist's leg, breaking the femur and forcing the Cultist to his knee. He turned just in time to find his face covered by Washington's hand. She hoisted him into the air and threw him overboard, leaving him to drown at the whim of the ocean.
"You would kill women and children at the behest of our invaders. What other atrocities would you commit?!" Washington roared angrily as the children of the dying woman gathered around their mother.
"Akashi, get here quickly. I have wounded." Washington spoke angrily as she advanced into the mob, grabbing cultists by their necks and tossing them overboard, leaving them to the calm rage of the ocean.
"H-Hai, Washington-san." Akashi replied as she rushed from her vessel with two Bulins, all three wearing white bands on their arms with red crosses.
"Don't think you get to have all the fun, you salty battlewagon." Wichita spoke as she jumped onto the deck of the Benson along with Atlanta and San Diego.
"Show no mercy. They would kill women and children for the Sirens." Washington ground out as she ground the head of another cultist beneath her boot.
"With pleasure." Wichita spoke as she cracked her knuckles and caught the knife wielding fist of a cultist that was preparing to finish off a man who was shielding several other survivors. A simple twist of her wrist and the Cultist's arm snapped like a twig, sending him reeling to the deck in pain.
"Have at him. He's all yours." Wichita spoke as she and the two light cruisers walked further into the quickly dissolving riot that had been holding the Benson hostage.
The survivors stood around the crippled cultist, staring down at the one who had sought to kill them all in the work of their Siren Overlord.
The man who had shielded the others stepped forward and grabbed the cultist by his broken arm, furthering the cultist's pain.
"You cowards. We are Americans. You would so quickly give up our values to serve some alien overlord." The man spoke.
"Don't you see? They came to us. They delivered us from the hands of an all encompassing war. A war that engulfed the world in the flames of death and destruction. They have saved us all." The Cultist spoke.
"They have enslaved us! You have been deluded into a false sense of peace!" The Man retorted as he walked to the edge of the Benson's deck.
"You'll see! You'll all see!" The Cultist yelled as the man threw him overboard, following the example of the Kansens.
Within an hour of Washington's arrival, the last remaining Cultist was dispatched. Wounded were being tended by Akashi and her Bulins, who had the bedside manner of a raging bull.
"Where is Benson?" Washington asked.
"A bit odd for you to care about others, Washington." Wichita jabbed.
"Shut it, red head. Is she alright?" Washington spoke.
"I found her!" Atlanta spoke as she helped a limping and bloody Benson onto the main deck.
"Benson!" Washington spoke as she ran over to inspect.
"Is... everyone alright?" Benson asked.
"We lost a few...maybe 20 or so. But the rest are doing fine. What happened?" Washington asked.
"One of them... caught me by surprise. It's hard to walk... and he got my side pretty good too." Benson said, showing that the back of her knee and her side were cut deep.
"Akashi!" Washington yelled.
"Hai?" Akashi replied as she finished wrapping the leg of a wounded survivor.
"Benson's injured pretty bad. Get over here!" Washington yelled as she reached to her shoulders, feeling for her jacket remembering that she had left it with Max on the Ranger.
"Hai!" Akashi cried as she instructed the Bulins on how to finish up as she scampered over to where the Kansen were huddled around Benson.
"How is she?" The man, who had helped Wichita, asked as they huddled around. Some of the taller individuals being able to get a view of how bad Benson was hurt.
"She's in a pretty bad way. If it weren't for her calling Ranger, none of us would have known about this." Wichita spoke as Washington turned to the man.
"Your shirt." Washington spoke shortly.
"Of course." The man spoke as he quickly shed it, handing it to Washington he tore it and handed the relatively clean bits to Akashi to help her apply pressure to the bleeds.
"Akashi needs to get Benson-san into the Medical bay. Benson-san will need emergency medical treatment." Akashi explained.
"Cruisers, get Benson over to the Akashi, now." Washington barked.
The three cruisers saluted and helped Akashi carry Benson across the waves to the waiting repair ship.
"Ranger. I'm going to need a tow line. Benson's vessel is dead in the water." Washington spoke, not feeling the rumble of Benson's engines anymore.
"Is she alright?" Ranger asked.
"She was ambushed by these cultist creeps. They cut her up pretty good. Akashi is taking care of her." Washington reported.
"Damn it. There goes nearly a quarter of our screening force." Ranger said.
"Yeah. Tell me about it. Anyway, that tow line?" Washington asked.
"The only one I have is the one reserved for the Missouri." Ranger said.
"Fine. I'll lash her to the side of my vessel. She'll have a few scratches, but at least she'll make it." Washington said as her vessel pulled up alongside the Benson.
"How can we help?" The shirtless man asked.
"You need to remain vigilant. The rest of the fleet has not reported anything, but that does not mean we are safe. For all we know, we are going to be entering an active battle zone in Gibraltar. Not to mention we still have to meet up with Graf Spee." Washington said.
"Got it. Should we remain here then?" The man asked.
"I'll drop a net. Get aboard my vessel. Just don't mess with anything, I have to tie this vessel down." Washington said as she jumped up to her own vessel, dropping a cargo net for the others to climb.
About an hour later, Washington walked back into the Captain's quarters of the Ranger. To her surprise, se saw Max wide awake and crying, hugging her coat.
"What's the matter, Max?" Washington asked as she walked over.
"I...I though you left." Max said softly, hugging Washington around her waist.
"Not at all, little one. I just had some business to take care of." Washington said as she ruffled Max's hair.
"You promise?" Max asked, looking up at Washington.
"I'm not going anywhere. I promise." Washington said as she dried the tears from Max's eyes.
Max smiled happily and hugged her tighter.
"Let's get you back to bed, kiddo. I'm getting tired as well." Washington said as she eyed the reclining seat in the corner.
"Okay." Max said as he crawled back under the covers and waited.
Washington went and sat in the reclining chair and set it back, allowing her to flatten out somewhat. She was about to go to sleep when a warm sensation cuddled up against her left side.
Max had come over and slipped into the space between Washington and the side of the chair, wrapping himself in a blanket to stay warm and falling asleep straight away.
Washington sighed.
"I guess you weren't at that stage yet with your parents." Washington thought to herself, deciding to allow this turn of events.
"We'll have to break you of this habit sometime. But I'll allow it. You've been through a lot." Washington said softly as she ruffled Max's hair before falling asleep herself.