"Huh, I thought I would be the first to get here," Z23 remarked as she reached the pier to see Javelin doing stretches under the dusk sky.

"Well, Niimi, I've always been faster than you, innit?" Javelin giggled.

"Maybe; it doesn't stop you from getting late for class too many times, though," Z23 countered, but she was laughing too. Their small circle of friends had done this kind of banter many times before to lighten up.

And right now, they would need it more than ever.

"No fair; Laffey got late more often than I do," Javelin flailed her arms as she whined—only playfully, that much was certain.

"Yes…but Laffey…is Laffey. Speaking of which, she's not here yet," Z23 searched the area for the said shipgirl and sighed when it was clear she was, unsurprisingly, nowhere in sight.

"Hmm, Ayanami isn't here either. Guess she's picking Laffey up?" Javelin suggested, lips pursed.

"Well, I hope so. We are short on time…" Z23 began shifting her weight as the graveness of the situation once again dawned on her, and that feeling of unease began creeping back. When she glanced at Javelin, she noticed that her friend had pulled her hood over her bowed head. She was sure that girl was trembling, too.

It was sad but reassuring to see someone you hold dear sharing the same worry.

While Z23 mulled on what comforting words she could use—preferably something that would not sound like a hollow platitude given she was clearly ill at ease herself—Ayanami arrived with a half-asleep Laffey leaning on her shoulder.

"Sorry for being late, yes. Had to take care of sleeping Laffey," she apologized, adjusting her posture to keep Laffey from flopping to the ground. Said girl opened her eyes upon hearing her name and removed herself from Ayanami, wobbling as she did.

"Laffey…is not sleepy right now. Not at all," she mumbled, looking at the group with an unfocused gaze.

"Well… It's fine," Z23 replied. "After all, we're together now."

All eyes were on her as she said that. They were smiling—it was pretty hard to tell with Laffey and Ayanami, but they undoubtedly did—and she gladly responded in kind.

"Yeah, we're in this together, aren't we?" Javelin put her hood down in one sure motion and noticed Laffey with a hand outstretched.

"Your hand," she said. "Not that I want to hold hands, but…"

Before Laffey could finish, Javelin already took hold of her hand.

"Of course; since we're together, we hold hands. Isn't that right, Niimi?"

Z23 let out an amused snort and took the hand Javelin extended to her. She turned to Ayanami, silently beckoning her to join.

"This is it," Z23 whispered as they held hands in a circle, solemn yet unafraid.

"No matter what happens, we'll make it back here," she continued—as much a promise as it was a reassurance.

"Of course! I love you guys! I'll make us all a bento when we get back!" Javelin was in tears, but she was beaming.

"Laffey wants a slumber party with you all again…" Laffey chimed in, followed by a rather long yawn.

"And games are more fun with people, yes," Ayanami finished, and Z23 nodded in approval.

"Just what I needed to hear. Let's go."

They let go of each other and headed to the ends of the pier, facing the roaring waters and the foreboding night. Once there, Z23 drew a breath before speaking.

"Alright, we'll do this as usual…Laffey and I will provide firepower, and Ayanami will be in charge of torpedoes and Javelin…"

"…will be live bait because she's fast," Laffey quipped, and despite the tension, everyone laughed.

"Oh, come on!"

"…And Javelin will be in charge of flanking," Z23 finished after a cough.

"Yep, leave it to me!"

"Okay…"

"Roger that, yes."

"Okay, we're all ready to go, then."

Exchanging high-fives and fist bumps, the four leaped to the sea.