Musashi guided Ben, Michael, and Kashino to her vessel as Ben carried Yamato in his arms, being sure to keep pressure off her stomach.
"What're her injuries?" Musashi asked as they ran along the deck, Musashi's rigging turning and engaging any moving target they came across as she was running.
"I can't tell much aside from the original triage. But she has countless bruises and cuts on her skin, which wouldn't be so bad if she also didn't have bite marks on her arms, legs and shoulders. She also has firmness in her stomach, which indicates that there is internal bleeding, the cause of which is unknown." Ben said.
"That bastard. I'll kill him!" Musashi growled.
"Too late for that I'm afraid. There's more holes in him than Swiss cheese and his head is the consistency of year old motor oil. So you'll have to save your hatred for the enemy." Ben said as they reached the port side of the Yamato.
"Where's the ramp?" Ben asked.
"I'll prepare it, please wait." Musashi said as she jumped to her vessel.
"We don't have time to wait. There are several people who will not be very happy if this one makes it." Ben said as Musashi attached the ramp to the Yamato.
"Let's go!" Ben yelled as the three of them ran to the Musashi before disconnecting the ramp.
The Musashi lurched forward as they headed towards the islands.
"Do we know how many are left?" Isaac asked.
"No clue. But we must be getting down to the last of them." Shinano said as a breath escaped her lips.
Isaac sighed as he scoured the body at his feet, finding another magazine for the weapon in his hands.
"The quicker we can get this done, the faster we can return to the battle at hand and put Tester in the dirt." Isaac said as he moved around Shinano and kept his weapon leveled in front of him.
"Aunt Yamato?" Yume asked softly, snapping the battleship back to reality.
"Huh?" Yamato asked.
"Is Aunt Yamato okay? Aunt Yamato has been really quiet." Yume said softly.
Yamato managed a small smile.
"Aunt Yamato is just a bit tired." Yamato spoke softly as she put a hand on her stomach.
Yume looked at Yamato with tears forming in her eyes.
"Aunt Yamato is gonna be okay." Yume said as she hugged Yamato's waist.
Yamato grimaced slightly but smiled after, petting Yume's back.
"Little one? Could you allow me to wake up please?" Yamato asked softly.
Yume nodded.
"I'll see you soon, Aunt Yamato." Yume said as she gave Yamato one last hug before fading away.
Yamato looked up to the sky, her dreamscape beginning to fade to white as she woke up.
"She still isn't awake. Is she going to be okay?" A voice asked as Yamato stirred slightly.
"She moved. She's waking up now." Another voice spoke as Yamato opened her eyes.
"If you're not… the one known as Apollyon… please… kill me." Yamato spoke softly, her voice pained and hoarse.
"Sister!" Musashi's voice was heard as Yamato turned her head to see a man in a bloodstained imperial japanese uniform blocking Musashi's path.
"Musashi, she needs space. She is injured and Ben needs the room to try and stabilize her." The man said.
"Michael, move it. She's my sister, damn it!" Musashi spat.
"Musashi, I cannot allow that. If you get in the way, Ben won't be able to work effectively. You can see her from here, she's gonna be alright." Michael said as he turned to see Yamato looking at him.
"Yamato. I am sorry that we had to meet like this… but please. Fight to stay alive. We follow Admiral Garner, or Apollyon as you know him. You have been rescued. Admiral Garner and several others have stayed behind on your vessel to clear out the remaining Wolfpack members that decided to hide in the lower decks." Michael explained.
"I'm… safe?" Yamato asked as a tear fell from her eye.
"You are. You are onboard the Musashi and we are moving towards the main fleet that is currently stationed within the island nation of the Philippines." Michael said.
Yamato turned her head to face the ceiling.
"I'm safe…" Yamato whispered as she felt a hand on her stomach.
She looked down to see a big burly man looking over her body. She focused on her body and saw that he had undone the ties holding her kimono together, revealing her form.
"Hey…" Yamato tried to sound angry but her voice was too hoarse to convey her annoyance.
"Before you get mad at me, Miss Yamato, I am a Union Medic. I am trying to ascertain your condition before we reach our main fleet so we can begin your treatment upon arrival. That said… I have to ask a very personal question. Do you want me to get those two out of the room?" Ben asked.
Yamato breathed, her exhale followed by a slew of coughs accompanied by a spray of blood. Yamato shook her head.
"My sister… will not… allow you… to push her out." Yamato spoke.
"Alright… I figured I'd ask…" Ben said as he tugged at his collar.
"Miss Yamato… can you recall anything from your time in confinement? Anything that we don't know from this exam?" Ben asked.
Yamato turned her head.
"He… he did unspeakable things to me… I… I fear that nothing was sacred to that monster." Yamato said, recalling the events that had occurred before she had been dragged to the bridge of her own vessel.
"I won't make you describe those events any further. I get the gist after being the one to do your exam." Ben said as he continued checking over her.
"Ben, what does she mean?" Michael asked.
Ben walked over to Michael and cupped a hand around his ear.
"She was taken advantage of by that man. Every avenue was violated in one way or another. On top of the tears and fluid, there are burns that are consistent with cigarette butts and cuts that looked like they came from the knife he had been holding to her neck. She was tortured, not only physically… but sexually as well. And with the amount of damage done… I would be hard pressed to say she'll ever be the same again without use of cubes." Ben explained, the news twisting Michael's face into one of rage.
"What does that mean?!" Michael yelled.
"There's a chance that with all the internal damage… she might be sterile. Not that it matters to anyone besides her future husband… if she can recover enough to want one." Ben said as Michael threw a punch, barely missing Ben's head and smashing into the steel bulkhead.
"Death was too good for that bastard. I should have subdued him and tortured him the same way he did her. I should have torn him apart bit by bit. GOD DAMN IT! Why did we kill him so easily!" Michael yelled.
"You… the man in the officer's uniform… come here." Yamato said softly, drawing Michael's attention.
Michael walked over and knelt down to see Yamato's face at eye level.
"You are angry… on my behalf… thank you." Yamato said softly as she brought her hand up and gently touched his face.
"Nobody will harm you again, Yamato. Not only will you be protected by the Admiral's fleet… but I will not allow any to hurt you any further. This I swear." Michael said as Ben turned to look at Musashi.
"I'm sorry, Musashi. I wish there was more I could do right now, but without the Norfolk or the Vestal, I do not have the supplies to begin treating her injuries." Ben said.
"But she will live, right?" Musashi asked.
Ben looked back at Michael and Yamato.
"She seems to be holding on for the moment. The will to live is something I have seen firsthand. It is a very powerful force. Just make sure we get there quickly. I do not want this to get any worse than it already is." Ben said as he removed his bloodied gloves.
"Then we will not stop. Full steam ahead." Musashi said as they all felt her hull lurch again as the poured all her focus into maintaining full speed.
"Max! Where are you!?" Washington's voice echoed through her hull's hallways. A while ago, she took a nap along with Max, but when she awoke, there was only an empty room. The little one she was supposed to take care of had run off somewhere.
"Tch, where would you go..." She muttered before taking a deep breath and touched the nearby wall. The air silence slowly turned into a muffle as if her ears were underwater. Every nook and cranny within her ship, she tried to feel, but only nothingness and numbing silence greeted her. There was no other noise elsewhere, except her top deck, where she could hear muffled voices and active footsteps.
"Ranger..." Upon finding this detail, she began her walk topside, heels quickly clacking with each step.
As she made her way through the stairs, faint laughs and giggles slowly became more audible. The moment she surfaced out, a small red ball came barreling towards her. She immediately raised her arm and caught it, her enhanced senses working to her favor, though her palm felt a tad numb from the catch.
"Nice catch, Washington." Ranger called out. Then, all of a sudden she felt like she was tackled, and upon looking down, it was Max giving her a hug.
"You're awake, Mama!" Max said. Washington then ruffled the little boy's hair, who replied with a giggle.
"How'd you catch the ball, Mama? It was so fast!" They boy asked with glittering eyes.
"Uhhh, with Intuition and quick thinking I guess..." Washington tried.
"Intuition?" Max asked as he tilted his head.
"It's something you shouldn't worry about. Here's your ball," Washington passed the ball to her adopted child.
Meanwhile, Ranger crossed her arms and giggled at the sight. It is so cute seeing them both interact.
Washington smiled as she watched Max run up and down her deck chasing his ball. Where he had gotten it, she didn't have a clue, but she was happy that he was having fun.
"I can see you smiling from here Wash," Ranger said.
Her smile falling somewhat in irritation.
"Shut it, Ranger. He's a cute kid, it's hard not to smile." Washington snapped.
Ranger giggled.
"I know you. Whenever you're around that little boy you're always smiling." Ranger said.
Knowing she was right all Washington could do was grit her teeth.
"Whatever, you smile just as much," Washington retorted.
They both disembarked Washington's vessel as the Washington and the Ranger pulled into the small port in Sicily. Across the port, were several vessels that both union ships recognized.
Max pointed down to the docks, seeing several girls heading towards the ships on the other side of the port.
"Mama! Look! More girls! Are they kansen too?" Max cried happily.
Washington looked at the girls before looking down at Max.
"Yep. Those are all kansen. Most of them are Union girls too." Washington said as New Jersey turned, stopping her group by pointing over to the Washington.
"Looks like they finally saw us." Washington said as the girls in port all ran over to where Ranger, Washington and Max all entered the port.
"Washington!" New Jersey said as she jumped at Washington, who backed off, holding Max behind her.
"Hello again, New Jersey." Washington said, her tone being one of someone uncomfortable with the situation.
"Aww… no hug… fine. Who's the kid?" New Jersey asked. At the mention of a child, the other kansen present all directed their gaze at Max, who hid behind Washington.
"Would you all stop staring at him!?" Washington snapped.
New Jersey, Massachusetts,and Minnie's eyebrows rose into their hairlines and their jaws went slack in reaction to seeing the surly and foul tempered Battleship defending a human let alone a child.
Minnie couldn't help herself as she busted up laughing.
"OH FUCK! No, no don't tell me! Since when did you develop maternal instincts and become a mom?" Minneapolis spoke through laughs, stoking Washington's anger.
To everyone's surprise it was Ranger who came to Washington's defense and slapped Minnie.
"You shut your mouth, Minnie! People change and find things worth changing for. You could learn from Washington's example." Ranger spoke angrily, further increasing the surprise within the girls gathered.
After seeing the usually kind and soft tempered Aircraft Carrier lash out like that even the 3 Battleships were hesitant to intervene. But Max reached up and took Ranger's hand and her temper disappeared.
"Aunt Ranger, please don't yell and fight." Max requested timidly.
Ranger knelt down and kissed the top of Max's head and ruffled his hair.
"It's ok. Sometimes adults fight and argue but it doesn't mean we hate each other." Ranger spoke softly.
Jean Bart leaned over to NJ and whispered, "I would pay money to know who wears the pants in this relationship pairing."
This whispering stoked Washington's anger further.
"Shut it, Frenchie!" Washington yelled.
NJ couldn't help but snort in good humor at the thought of Washington being a mother and her partner being Ranger but replied, "I don't think it's like that with them."
NJ stepped forward to make introductions and to try and smooth things over.
"Well, it's clear that some of us don't know who each other are… so let me make introductions. I'm the Battleship New Jersey, the bronze beauty in white is the Battleship Massachusetts, the woman she is quite literally attached to is the Battleship Jean Bart, this little laughing hyena is the Heavy Cruiser Minneapolis and you already know Akashi I assume. And what about the 3 of you?"
"I'm the Battleship Washington, this is the Aircraft Carrier Ranger and this little one is Max. He is not my son by blood… but since his family has been lost, I have taken the role, along with Ranger, of being his caretaker." Washington said, her anger slowly boiling away as Max held her leg.
Upon hearing Washington's attachment to Max, Minnie felt even more chastened but still thought it a little bit funny while Jean Bart leaned her head on Massachusetts shoulder "that's so sweet."
"Well… I'm glad we got to catch up, Washington… Ranger. But we have received orders to join the Admiral in the Pacific along with Akashi. So we must take our leave." New Jersey said.
"We'll hold the line in your place. Anything we should know?" Ranger asked.
"Yes." Jean spoke.
"What do you have for us?" Washington asked.
"We have intelligence stating that the Arbiter known as Hermit has taken refuge within Italy. True to her name, she doesn't project her power as one would expect an Arbiter to do. That said… any attempts to enter Italy at any point have been knocked down with brutal efficiency. We believe she is more focused on containing Italy in its entirety as opposed to spreading out throughout the Mediterranean, especially considering that Minnie here has discovered that both of her enforcers are guarding the Indian ocean. So as long as you don't push Italy without proper resources, it is unlikely that Hermit will take the time of day to attack Sicily." Jean Bart said, her words coaxing a nod from Massachusetts.
"As Jean here said, Hermit hasn't caused problems. But our information network states that Compiler has left the UK under Alpha's expanding rule. So you might have some company soon." Massachusetts said.
Washington held Max tight.
"I'll protect him, with my life if I must. She will not get him." Washington ground out.
"Is everything okay, Mama?" Max asked, earning coo's from the girls present.
"Yeah, kiddo. We're gonna have fun while we're here, okay?" Washington asked as New Jersey ushered the others away.
"Good luck, Jersey." Ranger yelled.
"You too." New Jersey replied as the exiting girls made their way to their vessels. Minnie turned towards Gibraltar while New Jersey and the others made their way for the Suez Canal.
"Godspeed." Washington whispered as she, Ranger and Max entered the city located just outside of the Sicilian port.