Azur Heroes
Chapter 20
So some shit has clearly hit the fan for the crew. And it'll take a big of luck to get them out. Especially with three currently disabled after the fight with Temperance. I'll also peek in on the others out on sea. Just because one fight is happening, doesn't mean the rest are safe. On with the show.
(No POV)
"Crap" was all Kotov could say upon seeing the various Sirens before the group. 'My leg is messed up. Izuku is nursing a few broken bones after that fight with that crazy strong Siren. Kawakaze and Yorktown are the only full shipgirls here. And that girl we pulled out of the tube is barely conscious. Yeah, definitely boned.'
The oldest commander was being supported by his first summon as the Sirens, while the youngest was being held by one of his earliest summons. Kawakaze gripped her katana before putting herself between Izuku and Melissa. "Kawakaze?" Izuku asked while adjusting his hold on the former captive.
"I won't let you be hurt again. Not while I'm close enough to make a difference." Kawakaze said with a look back at Izuku. A light blush on her alabaster skin as she brought her blade forward. Izuku was surprised too and blushed before trying to make his arm into a cannon.
His struggling while holding Melissa shook the girl back to the world slightly. 'What is….. happening? Is this real? Or just something else they're pumping into my head?' Melissa thought before looking up at Izuku. It took her a few seconds and then hearing him and Kotov talking about a plan before realizing she was really being rescued.
Melissa adjusted her weight and opened her cybernetic eye to better survey the situation. 'Okay. Three Sirens at the door to this room, two shipgirls, a hero, myself, and…. a male semi-shipgirl? Weird. If only I had…. Wait. Those ships.' Melissa's mind returns to when she was slightly aided by either a traitor or infiltrator.
And the same letters and words play in her head. 'PR. Priority Ships. They had something. Something that made the Sirens nervous. Wait. That's it!' she thinks before a new voice resounds in her head.
"Do you crave power? Do you wish to take revenge? To destroy those who hurt you?" it says while she sees things happening in slow motion. Observer, Omitter, and Tester's cannons were firing their guns, and the heroes were putting up whatever barriers they could to protect her and themselves.
Melissa can feel the presence and calls out to it. Thinking, "I'm not looking to get revenge. I don't want this power for myself alone. I want to save them and others. Even if it costs me."
She could feel the presence smiling before telling her that her resolve was noted. And all she needed to do was offer up something in return. Melissa said she could take her arm or her other eye. "Just so long as we get out of here and stop them!"
Izuku looked down and was shocked to see Melissa's right arm disappearing. And she apparently felt pain as it was disintegrating. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared before the group. Intercepting the shots fired by the Sirens and guarding the group from danger. Once the light dissipated, a new figure stood between the two teams.
She had battleship guns in pairs around her body, with various other guns pointed out from the hull like sections of her rigging. One of her battleship guns was moved in front of her to act as a shield, as well as her barrier.
The ship had black hair with an unusual blue triangle section over her forehead. The uniform she was wearing had a very short skirt and cupped her breasts to where they were very much on display. While also having jacket like sleeves over her arms. She had one blue eye and one yellow eye and they were both glaring at the Sirens.
"I am the Eagle Union Battleship Georgia. My main guns are bigger than those of my distant cousins. Yes indeedy, these guns of mine take all the bad guys in front of me... and blast 'em all to hell!"
And to prove that point, Georgia took aim with her guns and quickly fired off a barrage from her rig. The Sirens panicked slightly and put-up barriers. But they weren't enough as Georgia's first shell impacted and broke the shields. And the second from her guns landed true on the Sirens.
Cutting Omitter in half (though she was still alive), destroying Observer's left arm and much of her side, and decapitating Tester. The Siren's body dropping to the ground limp while her comrades backed away to lick their wounds. Georgia had a proud smirk on her face before turning back to talk to her commander.
Only to be shocked by the state Melissa was in. "What's going on?!" she asked while running back to the other ships. Izuku shook out of his shock and just noted that they weren't sure how to explain it. "And we don't exactly have the time! Take her!"
Izuku passed the barely conscious Melissa to Georgia and took aim with his cannon arm. Blasting a few of the clones that were now arriving. While Kawakaze engaged with blade and gun. And Yorktown covered both with her planes.
"I don't get it, but I can at least follow that you're her allies!" Georgia said before taking aim with her guns and blasting as well. Melissa grunted while looking over the battlefield. "The…. Little one needs more help. I don't care…. If it costs me more. Just help her!" she said before feeling her leg disappear.
And another new ship appears and stabs some of the clones with a trident. Before firing away with her cruiser guns. "Unlike the other girls, this is my "maiden voyage" onto the battlefield. Royal Navy's large light cruiser, Neptune. I shall see to it that you will never forget my name~."
Izuku and Kotov were shocked by what they had seen. Not just Melissa apparently dismembering herself to summon ships. "But I don't think there have been any others who've been able to summon ships from other nations." John said before advising where to shoot next.
"I don't know, but I hope we get another Deus Ex before long! I'm running out of steam!" Izuku said while unloading rapid fire destroyer rounds. Before his arm wouldn't fire anymore and he went down to a knee.
Kawakaze slashed through a few of the clones before kicking them to Neptune. Who speared and then blasted a few more. And when the clones got past the frontline ships, Yorktown and Georgia would intercept however they could.
Georgia would blast away with her guns while covering Melissa. Though that ended up with the girl in a bit of a Marshmallow Hell. As Georgia was pushing the girl into her cleavage to protect her ears and cover her.
"I'm fine Yorkie! Just give 'em Hell!" John said before limping a bit back to give the ship space to work. And work she did. Between launching ships, Yorktown used her legs to kick and block the attacks from a few of the clones. "Such sad mindless things. I'll make this quick," she said before breaking a few necks with both kick and her hands. All the while her planes were dropping bombs, rockets, and bullets to cut through the aliens.
After five minutes of fighting, all of the combatants were exhausted. But they had stemmed the tide of attacks and there were no more clones coming. "Please tell me you have an escape route." Neptune said while wincing from the few explosions she had been caught in.
Izuku grunted while acknowledging that they did. "But the trick will be getting there. They obviously know we're here and won't be letting us go easily." To prove his point, a new group of attackers were heading towards the testing room.
But it seemed like Deus was looking out for them. As a cluster of arrows were shot down from the sky and created a barrier between the two forces. "It seems you have more to offer than I or any of the Sirens would believe. Let alone the fact of how willing you were to stand with them. Sister."
Floating above the group was who Yorktown could only describe as a darker version of her sister, Enterprise. Izuku eased forward to look at the woman in question. While Kotov limped up to see her. "Who are you? Why are you helping us?" he asked as Yorktown helped him again.
She smiled before saying she was Code G. "Let's just say I was curious on how well you would handle this matter. And I wanted to see how far the girl would go. Modified or not, you still felt pain in those limbs as they were consumed to make your ships. And these two put everything on the line to save you."
Code G then raised her hand, with John and Izuku putting themselves between their ships in worry. And that seemed to help her relax. "I am not going to harm you. Instead, I bear a gift. Use it well later." From her hands, Code G created a pair of oddly colored Mental Cubes. And sent them towards Izuku and Kotov.
She then fired an arrow at the wall and advised them to run. "I'm curious to see what you can do next." Code G said before fading from existence. The commanders all shook their heads before the eldest agreed that they should run. "We'll worry about these things later. We've gotta move!"
Yorktown had to put Kotov on her back so she could run at greater speed, it did look a little funny with him having to be thrown over her shoulders. "Not a word Izuku!" John said while trying to hide his blush.
The other ships had a chuckle or two at his expense but moved past to get down to the underwater access hatches of I Island. "What kept you!? And what was that major shaking we heard and felt earlier?" Albacore asked. Kotov told her to never mind that.
"Get us out of here! We've got everyone we could!" The submarine girl pouted but did as instructed. Thus, the Albacore and Dace subs dove down with their holds full of former prisoners. And the dead that could be buried later.
Kotov is set next to a few of the injured and asks for a status report. "Not much we can tell you. I think the battle above is going okay, but we aren't sure." Clair said before checking the scopes on the ship. Only for the ship to be rocked by a few explosions and the buzzing of torpedoes nearby.
The American commander grunts before saying he was going out to intercept. "Your leg is broken. You can't swim like that!" Yorktown said to stop him. John too her hand before saying, "I have a job and duty to do. These people have been through enough and I won't let them suffer anymore. So, I'm going."
"Wait! Let us at least patch you up," a scientist says. He was gaunt faced but his mind seemed to still be focused and his hands steady. He and a few other engineers did a quick patch job on Kotov's prosthetic. "I designed it to work in extreme conditions, but this wasn't quite what I had in mind," the scientist said.
John thanked the man before collecting his oxygen tank and aqua pack. That's when Izuku steps forward and says, "you're not going alone. I've got your back Master." He shifts his arm into a torpedo launcher before picking up an oxygen tank and pack of his own.
The older commander smiled and told the teen to lock and load. "Albacore. Ready the rear tubes." The sub girl salutes before telling the commanders good hunting. Kotov eats a few heavy calorie bars to bolster his quirk. And then gets into the tube to be launched at his enemies.
Izuku follows his lead and tries to relax as the tube he was in flooded. And then launched out into the ocean. While his first impulse was to get to the surface, Kotov stopped him and signaled to cover him with his launcher.
The man charging up his quirk and swimming quickly to intercept the handful of submarines. As well as watching for depth charges from the battle above. With Izuku taking aim with arm and unleashing quickly expanding torpedoes upon their foes.
"Why did you side with them?! Why would you work with the Sirens?!" Ayanami asked Fubuki as she and her cousin clashed with their weapons. The catlike destroyer's eyes narrowed before screaming about being forgotten and abandoned. "You were brought from the depths! You were given a chance to prove you could save our home! I and the others were left in the depths!"
Fubuki then pushed Ayanami's sword away before kicking her side. And then firing a few shots to defeat her foe. While they did impact, Ayanami reminded Fubuki of something important. "I'm not alone, dess."
Laffey then rushed in, and recoil blasted herself in close to lock Fubuki's staff in place. Before swinging around and throwing her foe away. Followed by a barrage of bullets and something the girl had been saving. "Annihilation Mode!" Laffey announced before bringing her hands together. And unleashing a beam of energy that seemed to boil the ocean in front of her.
The other destroyer screams as she is impacted and burned by the attack. Losing a hand in the process. But she wasn't backing down. "Just like I'm not alone. She's not alone." Ayanami announced from the side. Fubuki then realized that the horned destroyer had fired her Demon torpedo volley.
Fubuki screams as she feels herself taking on water. And starts sinking beneath the waves. Ayanami is crying as this is happening. But she felt, "there….. there wasn't a better way." Izuku's other ships feel similar resolves as they engage their sisters. Atago doing her best to put an end to Maya and her cruelty. Sendai keeping Jintsuu in place and looking for a chance to finish her. And Kirishima imagining how she would have to stop Haruna.
But it would not be the end for the scared kitten of a destroyer on this day. As she was fading beneath the waves, she could make out the wreckage of the submarines that Kotov and Izuku had fought. With the man placing charges or punching the hulls in, and Izuku sniping with his torpedoes.
Izuku happened to spot her as her rigging was breaking apart and she was bleeding out. He swam closer and could see the pain and hurt in her eyes. Even amidst the murky waves of the ocean. Izuku took a breath before swimming to save the scared destroyer. Disassembling the rest of her rigging and destroying her weapon.
Under the sea, he held her like a princess for a moment. The destroyer's eyes going wide and slightly blushing. With Kotov appearing next to him and giving a look to ask if, he was sure. Izuku nodded and they made their way back to the fleet.
Once returned, John swam as hard as he could to reach New Jersey's deck. And then leapt up to the bridge. Where he was promptly tackled and kissed by the rabbit battleship. "Not the time for this Jersey. All ships! Retreat from area! We have achieved our objectives this day!" Kotov announced with a grunt.
The orders given, a few more shots and clashes were had before each of the shipgirls fell back from the combat area around I Island. For a number of the Sakura girls, they saw this as a victory for them. As they had pushed those who tried to invade out.
But the leaders knew better. "This was never about taking the island. They wanted our slaves." Akagi said while biting down on her nail and thumb in anger. Causing it to bleed. Kaga though was impressed at how they handled the matter. "We should increase security and monitoring of the underwater sections. Now then."
As she excused herself, Suruga and Shimakaze joined her. "So, did they get the girl away?" she asked with a look to the small destroyer. Who saluted and said that they did. "It probably helped that we were able to free her a bit. But why did you help her? She is from America after all."
"Perhaps. But she had the courage to face off with an overwhelming force like an Arbiter by herself. I thought she deserved a chance to prove what she can do in the future. It could be interesting." Kaga said before telling Suruga to organize the others to repair the island and their homes. As the war had reached a new stage, and a new set of players were on the board.
I know it seems like a major Deus Ex Machina, but that was a little of what I was going for. Code G or the Ashes Enterprise is something of an enigma that aids the humans and at time puts herself in conflict with them. So I thought having her show up as a last second Hail Mary would be fitting.
As for Melissa, I'll get more into what she can all do as a commander and with her Siren parts later. And next chapter will have some cool down for those involved. At least until I bring in the next phase so to speak. Please review!