"New Jersey?" Nimitz asked again.
"Sorry Admiral. Just had a massive wave of pain. I don't know what came over me." New Jersey said.
"Are you okay to continue the mission? We're nearing the blockade as we speak. By my count, we're less than fifty miles away now." Nimitz spoke, looking out over his escort fleet consisting of San Diego, Wichita, Gneisenau and Elbe.
"I'll be alright sir. Just had a real bad feeling." New Jersey said.
"Care to elaborate?" Nimitz asked curiously.
"I feel like something bad has happened to one of my sisters." New Jersey spoke.
"Oh? What makes you think such a thing?" Nimitz asked.
"That wave of pain was accompanied by the word Wisconsin. As you no doubt know, that is the name of the fourth and final Iowa class boat that finished construction. That headache I got gave me a real bad feeling." New Jersey explained.
Nimitz thought for a moment.
"Right. She was still stationed in the waters around Kure Naval Arsenals. Isaac is there right now, so I'm sure he wouldn't let anything happen to her if he can prevent it." Nimitz explained.
"I think it's too late. The intuition of a woman is stronger than one would expect, Admiral." New Jersey said sadly.
"Well… if that is how you feel about it, I'm sorry. But for right now, we have to trust that Isaac will be doing everything he can to make sure that the Wisconsin is cared for." Nimitz spoke sternly.
New Jersey nodded silently.
"You're right, sir. I just hope she isn't lost forever." New Jersey lamented as they steamed closer to Sicily.
Washington, Ranger, Minnie and Max had been making great time, blowing through coastal towns before the invading Sirens had managed to land a hit. But it was clear, by now, that the entire island knew to be on the lookout for a speeding yellow Fiat 1100. Every city they sped through had to be navigated like one was steering through a minefield as traps laid on the road were becoming more common, as were the occasional potshots of plasma fire coming from the Sirens that had decided to cast off their disguise.
"Son of a bitch." Washington muttered as they managed to clear the city of Cartubuleo after taking a plasma bolt through the passenger side window. Minnie had used her shields to keep the bolt from doing any damage to the interior, but the shots were getting too close for comfort.
"This is I-25. Where are you guys?" The submarine asked over Washington's radio.
"A bit busy right now, Sakura!" Washington growled as she wrestled the steering wheel to avoid a blown-out car that had been left burning in the middle of the road.
"Are you close? I can try and move in closer." I-25 tried.
"Sorry, Sub. We're still about 10 miles out. How bad is it?" Minnie asked.
"There are elites swarming the beaches and dispatching any humans that try to resist. The local police force is doing their best, but they are being slaughtered handily." I-25 informed.
"We're going to have to fight just to get Max to the boat." Minneapolis said.
"So be it. That kid means more to me than anything right now. If I have to face down the entirety of Hermit's army alone, I will do so until my hull is nil but scrap metal and fried circuits." Washington spat as Ranger looked on cautiously. She had managed to keep Max asleep through the whole ordeal by gently rubbing his head and covering his ears when things got loud.
"He'll need an escort; we can't send him running across the beach alone." Ranger said.
"I'll do it. Us New Orleans class girls ain't no slouch when it comes to guard duty." Minnie said.
"You're also quicker. See to it he gets there safely, or there will be hell to pay." Washington growled while giving Minnie a generous helping of side eye that could very well collapse a building with its intensity.
"R-right. You got it." Minnie said with a gulp as the signage on the road began to point to their destination.
"We've reached city limits, I-25. Be ready, I'm going to bring him to you." Minnie said right before a plasma bolt punched clean through the engine bay of the fiat, cutting all power to the wheels and sending the car careening into a cement wall.
"Brace!" Washington spoke as she managed to manifest her shields, covering everyone inside the vehicle as the car slammed into the wall at nearly 40 miles an hour.
"Minnie!" Washington roared.
"On it!" Minnie yelled as she used her rigging to blow open the passenger door before hopping out and getting the other doors open.
Washington and Ranger had barely managed to clear the vehicle with Max before a torrent of poorly aimed plasma fire was hurled their way.
"They can hit an engine block moving at 40 miles an hour, but they can't hit standing targets? What kind of training do these idiots have?" Washington muttered as the group began moving quickly towards the beach.
It wasn't long before the sight of three girls with rigging drew the attention of the more mean-spirited Sirens, namely the Peace Breakers.
"There they are! Hermit's orders are to kill them and take the kid! After them!" One of the Peace Breakers yelled as massive blasts of plasma exploded around the group. Ranger's shields kept Max safe as she carried him towards the beach. The crash and now the sounds of war had roused him from his slumber and was now looking at Ranger with tears in his eyes.
"Where's mama?" Max asked as Ranger put him on the ground.
"She's up ahead clearing the way for us. We need to get you to safety, you hear? Come, we need to run." Ranger said as Max nodded and wiped his eyes, banishing what little sleep remained.
Up ahead, Minnie and Washington had locked horns with an Oceana and a Peace breaker respectively and were actively pushing them back to clear a path.
"Get him to the sub, Flat top! Minnie's busy!" Washington growled as she was being fought to a standstill by the Peace Breaker who was forcing her to remain on the defensive.
In the distance, Ranger could see the bow of the Sakura submarine breaching the water behind one of the larger rocks in the bay. Thankfully for them, I-25 seemed to be undetected for the moment.
"Alright Max. I'm gonna get you to the beach, then another pretty girl is going to get you to safety, okay?" Ranger asked. Max looked out to see a woman with pink hair standing on the bow of the submarine waving to them.
"Are you and Mommy going to be okay?" Max asked.
"We'll be just fine, kiddo. But right now, our priority is making sure that you get out of here safely." Ranger said as she grabbed Max's hand.
"Mommy and I will be right behind you, okay?" Ranger asked, relaxing slightly when Max seemed to accept her reasoning.
"Okay." Max said as he swallowed hard.
"Ready? We have to run across the beach so that I-25 can get you, okay?" Ranger said as she summoned several F2A Buffalos found a home on her rigging's flight deck.
"When I say go, we run, okay?" Ranger asked as she saw the beach being swarmed with Explorers and Oceana's that were seemingly distracted with slaughtering the local residents.
Max nodded.
"Ready? Go!" Ranger said as her fighters took off from her rigging as she and Max booked it across the sand towards the water. I-25 had manifested her rigging and was waiting behind a big rock right at the waterfront, hidden from the Sirens. She was ready to receive Max.
Ranger was keeping up with him until she found her path blocked by several Oceana's.
"Keep running! I'm right behind you!" Ranger yelled as she watched Max put all his speed into running towards I-25.
The Oceana's laughed as one turned around and aimed its guns at Max. Before Ranger could send her fighters down to dispatch the Siren, the monster fired, sending a single bolt of plasma screaming through the air, only to find its mark in the back of Max's right leg. Max was thrown to the sand and a blood curdling scream filled the beach as Max cried out in pain.
Washington, who at this point had been locked in combat with a Peace Breaker, witnessed the entire thing. And the moment that Max's scream filled the air, time for the battleship seemed to grind to a sudden halt.
The sound of the Peace breaker laughing was enough for Washington's rage to be ignited from the depths of her short-lived grief. In one short movement, Washington's hand shot out and she grabbed the Peace Breaker by the neck, cutting off the laughter, and began closing her fist tighter and tighter until she felt bone turn to dust in her grip, sending the Siren's head rolling across the pavement, forever mortified at the final sight she had witnessed… an extremely pissed off North Carolina class battleship with a single new and dangerous motive, Obliteration.
"MAX! YOU GODDAMN MOTHERFUCKERS!" Washington roared as the sound of distant cannons drew the attention of everyone present, giving Minneapolis just enough time to get to the injured Max, who had passed out cold from the shock of having his leg ripped clean off. She arrived just in time to throw up her shields as a literal hellfire of 16-inch high explosive decimated the port city. Minnie heard more explosions in the distance.
"She's going to level the city at this point!" Minnie cried as she picked up Max and made a break for where I-25 was hidden.
Minnie looked back to see more shells inbound, but at the same time, her eyes were drawn to a shock of burning red hair. The sounds of F2A engines soon became deafening as tens of aircraft joined in on the razing of Marsala. Ranger stood atop the bodies of the three Oceana's she had been cornered by their bodies nearly unrecognizable from the sheer number of bullet holes that had been punched through their heavy cruiser level armor.
"Oh god… now they're both pissed." Minnie muttered as she finally reached I-25.
"Get him out of here now! He needs medical attention immediately!" Minneapolis barked as the submarine gently placed Max on her rigging before beating a hasty retreat to her vessel. Once she had gotten Max onboard, the submarine made a turn for the open sea and once she was far enough out, performed a crash dive to avoid further detection as she raced back towards Gibraltar.
Minnie looked back to see nothing but fire and death as 16-inch shells rained down like a hellish typhoon. Bombs fell generously on every square inch of land that was occupied by a Siren. Classes didn't matter as nobody was withstanding the brunt of two 100-pound bombs landing squarely on their head.
"They're going to burn out soon enough… Hopefully the cavalry will arrive soon." Minnie muttered as a voice came over the radio.
"Don't worry Minnie. We have visual on Sicily. We're almost there… why is there a cloud of smoke over Sicily, has the battle truly been going that long?" New Jersey's voice was heard.
"No. We just started fighting back. But one of the Sirens managed to hit the kid and tore off his leg. I-25 is speeding him back to Gibraltar as we speak." Minnie replied.
"So what's with the smoke?" New Jersey asked.
"Washington." Minnie replied simply.
"Oh…" Was all New Jersey could muster in response as she watched shells arc into the already burning town.
"Get here quickly. I don't know how much these two can be fueled by anger. They're bound to burn out." Minnie ordered as she cut the line and returned to the fight.