Words. So much Words.
Thank you for all the reviews. For christ sakes, there is nothing 40K in here.
Previously during Karl and Roon's discussion in the bar….
Atago and Takao sat in the former's room, sharing green tea. Green tea usually calmed Atago's nerves, but Takao also brought strong soju from one of the provinces. The more stoic Takao loved her sister deeply, regardless of her rather laid-back lifestyle, and hated to see her as shaken up as she was.
"It was haunting, sister!" Atago recounted, "The exact… Every! But she seemed more than me… Her eyes, her movements, and how she looked at him…"
Takao sat quietly, holding her sister tightly as Atago began to sob. It scared her dreadfully; there was no questioning that. It reminded Takao of when she fought Ember, her own META. The initial shock of seeing her alternative self had shaken her. Ember's nearly lifeless expression, only broken by the fire of absolute hate in her eyes, made Takao shutter. Maybe Atago's META had the same feelings toward the Commander? To this particular Commander?
"How did she look at him?" Takao asks, pouring herself some green tea.
Atago closes her eyes to recall the events, tears racing down her face. "She looked at him…. Concerned… Hurt almost… Like she was heartbroken."
"What?" Takao replies, the response catching her off guard.
"I… I felt it…." Atago continues, her voice stuttering. "I felt her sadness for a moment, but I also felt something else… I felt her smile at him."
"Felt? How could you feel a smile?" Takao questions her.
"I could feel her smile like it was my own," Atago replies innocently.
"I never felt that with Ember," Takao remarks, returning to her duel with her own META. "There was only hate between us, or at least between my blade and her. I didn't feel any hatred towards her, just determined not to be beaten by some alternate me. But Commander Helena was our Commander then."
Atago feels goosebumps race across her body, and a jolt races up her side. "I'm scared for him, my Darling."
"You gave him a pet name?" Takao laments with a sigh.
"He gave me one first," Atago interjects. "I'm his baby girl."
Takao blushes in embarrassment but regains her composure, recalling her distrust for the Commander sleeping with Akagi. Though deep down, Takao did feel happy that her lewd sister felt some form of acceptance by a Commander. The uptight Takao recalled her observation of the Commander as he reluctantly let Atago go.
"I'm so worried for him, Takao," Atago says sadly. "Belfast agrees with me too…."
"I have my issues with him, dear sister." Takao interjects, "But I do agree with you. He is a… warrior, though."
Atago caught the hesitation and looked at her harshly, "He IS a warrior!" She protests.
"Atago, I don't want to argue with you about this," Takao replies reluctantly. "You've been through a lot tonight, and I don't want to fight with you."
Atago throws her sister's arms off her, "I won't let you insult him anymore in front of me!"
Atago storms off and leaves their home, slamming the sliding door behind her. Takao sighs and opens one of the Soju bottles. To much dismay, Takao couldn't honestly say how she felt about the Commander to her sister. It was evident to her that Atago was infatuated with the Commander to a fault. His affair with Akagi offended Takao greatly, not just because of her scandalous nature and her actions with the Sirens, but because, in Takao's opinion, Atago is a better choice for him. There were other considerations as well; he didn't seem like a warrior in the traditional sense. The warrior in the Sakura Empire is a respected figure, one of the virtues of being fair and robust.
She takes a drink from the green bottle of strong booze. Its odorless and colorless appearance was deceiving as it hit Takao like a train with its high alcohol content and grapefruit taste.
As the initial punch of the drink wore off, she continued her thoughts. Unlike the samurai culture of the Sakura Empire, The Commander was the opposite. Combined with his odd choice of camouflage uniform over a dress uniform, he seemed worn down and jaded. Takao, reluctantly, admitted he did appear seasoned. How the Commander carried himself vs. how Commander Helena was a night and day difference.
Fighting in the night was what made him this way. The darkness followed the Commander, but how could Atago be so head over heels in love for this man? More so for a man who didn't fight formally! How can someone be a warrior but not a formal fighter? Even the name 'Commando' seemed rather loathsome to Takao. But she knew nothing of this ' Commando' and didn't care to know about men who 'Fought in the dark.'
Takao took another drink and tried to stand up, but between her fatigue and the soju, it wouldn't happen. The mighty Takao then takes herself over on hands and knees to her room to sleep.
While her sister slept comfortably, Atago walked to the main port and initially headed to the Commander's residence to stay with him. But she recalled that he would likely spend much time speaking to Roon and could use backup if she went crazy. Though Atago did remember something, she was supposed to do…
"Taihou." Atago exclaimed, "I forgot to speak to her!"
She then went to Taihou's apartment and moved swiftly to see her. Maybe she can help her get past what she saw…
Atago knocked on the door, and Taihou soon answered with a yawn. To Atago's surprise, Taihou wore a simple outfit of a tank top and short shorts. She noticed that the carrier had pins and needles in her hair and a sheet of fabric hanging around her neck.
"Hi, Atago!" Taihou said joyfully. "Everything OK? I thought you would be with… The Commander."
"Sorry to bother you, Taihou," Atago began. "I just wanted to talk with you for a bit. The Commander is speaking with Roon about some things."
"Something to do with the META attack?" Taihou asks, inviting her in. "Sorry if my room is a mess. I'm putting together a dress for Prinz Eugen."
"A little," Atago admits. "Oh wow, that is a pretty dress! Wait, is that a maid outfit?"
"Thank you!" Taihou replies, "I call it 'Kindred Evening Spirits'; she wants it for an Iron Blood maid café."
"Maid café? Iron Blood?" Atago questions the image of any Iron Blood girls doing anything cute, making her giggle internally. She giggled out loud, "I'm sorry, thinking of any of the Iron Blood girls as a maid makes me laugh."
Taihou joins her in the laughter as she tries to imagine Roon, Agir, Bismarck, or even Hipper as a maid.
"Would you like something to drink? Tea, water, what would you like?" Taihou offers, putting away her materials.
"Tea, please," Atago replies, "My nerves are awful right now, and Takao isn't helping."
"Why? What happened?" Taihou asks, going to her small kitchen to start the kettle.
"Well…" Atago begins, taking a seat on the floor to rest. "The Commander was attacked by a META again."
Taihou froze where she stood and turned to Atago with a dark expression, "Is my Commander OK?"
"Yes, Yes! He is fine!" Atago reassured her. "He's with Roon speaking about the last META attack."
Taihou breathed a sigh of relief and placed her hand on her chest, "You scared me for a second!" Taihou replies. "Roon isn't a threat to me, more or less, a threat to anyone that angers her. He'll be safe. But what happened with that?"
"Well, I took him to an onsen to relax." Atago begins. Taihou maintained her composure and prepared the tea for them. On the outside, she was calm, but on the inside, Taihou felt her depression and anxiety rising. Atago, on the other hand, knew of Taihou's deep love for the Commander and didn't want to mention that she had relations with him. "It was nice to see him relaxed. But Takao was calling, and I had to answer the call. Then the META's showed up."
Taihou brought her some small snacks and returned to the tea. The Phoenix noted a shiver and how Atago's ears flattened as she mentioned the META girls.
"One of them looked like Junyou," Atago begins, devouring one of the snacks. "But the other looked like me!"
Taihou pours the tea and brings it over to Atago. "You have a META?" Taihou asks, handing the tea to Atago.
"Just like me! Just older and more weathered." Atago explains, "She did something to the Commander, Something to his head. He kept grabbing his temples and looked afraid. I never saw him like that…"
"Afraid, The Commander?" Taihou says, surprised. "I mean… I've seen him sad… I've seen him loving. But afraid?"
"I've seen a lot of him… But he appeared afraid after she kissed him." Atago replied.
"She… Kissed my Commander?" Taihou replied with a dark expression. The armored carrier took a moment to pause to enjoy her tea. Atago felt the mood of the room change dramatically.
"He took me home right after." Atago continues. "After tonight, I know I can't watch over him alone. Taihou, my dear friend, I need your help. I know you feel deeply about him, as I do, maybe more. Belfast and I decided to work together to protect him. We want you to help us."
"I don't think I can do that," Taihou replies, dumbfounding Atago.
"Why not?!" Atago asks, pressing on. "You couldn't stop talking with him about your date to St. Marie. Why not join us?"
Taihou attempts to hold back, but her own misgivings give in. "I don't want to share. He's my Commander, my love. I know Akagi and he shared their bodies together. Maybe you did too? But I don't want to share my beloved Commander with anyone."
"Taihou," Atago begins, "The Commander loves us; I know he does. From the bottom of his heart, he loves us and wants to be with us, including you. It isn't about sharing; it's about protecting him."
Atago's remarks were pure, and Taihou could feel it, but the insecurities and loneliness in Taihou's heart said otherwise.
"Are you sure about that?" Taihou asks her pointily, "Are you sure you aren't just trying to rub your position in my face? That he's picked you first, and you just want to show him off in front of me, hm?"
"I'm sure!" Atago replies, remaining optimistic. "If he went out with you and showed himself that way to you, it means he trusts and cares for you! Why would I want to rub anything on your face? I want to protect him as much as you want to."
"I don't know exactly," Taihou continues. "I just know that I don't like the idea."
Atago felt hurt by Taihou's response, and as much as she wanted to snap at her, the Onee-San side needed to tend to Taihou's despair. "Taihou," Atago begins, her voice light and honest. "I didn't mean to offend you. I didn't come here to do that; I just wanted to ask you if we could take care of him together."
"I don't want to share him." Taihou replies flatly, "I know he'll need me, but I want him all to me. He only needs me."
Atago sighed and sipped tea, "Please think about it, though."
"Who else have you asked?" Taihou inquires. "Belfast, yes, but who else? Akagi? I may not be as experienced as her, but I will outshine her."
"Just you so far," Atago replied hesitantly. "There is a tea time tomorrow with Amagi between her and the Commander. I was thinking of speaking to her about convincing Akagi to attempt to join as well."
"That's stupid," Taihou says bluntly, taking a sip of tea. "That dusty old fox won't play nice with anyone besides her sister and Kaga; You know this!"
"Akagi approved of me, sort of," Atago admits, "In her own way, she approved, and the Commander kept her in check. If she's willing to do that, she should work with you too."
"We fight every time we see each other!" Taihou interjects.
Atago recalled some of the interactions between the two over the years. Mainly the fights were either due to Akagi being aggressive or Taihou being disrespectful. Both sides were strong personalities, and the two were both at fault, in her opinion. Maybe the two needed to talk things out? If the Commander keeps Akagi from going overboard on her, he could keep Taihou and Akagi in line.
"Maybe there is some misunderstanding?" Atago asks her.
Taihou folds her arms and gives her a nasty glare, "That old Fox misunderstands that I'm better than her, both the crane sisters and me. So she holds us back just so she can take all the glory! Even the bunny twins agree!"
"True." Atago agrees; she had, after all, seen Akagi shun Junyou and Hiyou to the northern Pacific to assist Eagle Union and Northern Parliament in arctic operations. The two carriers were put on a mobile force, but many girls viewed that as essential exile since they were taken off the port roster and reported to fleet HQ. According to rumors, it took the intervention of Musashi to keep Akagi from exiling Taihou.
"I'm better than her. I just wish I could do it! I'm glad I could go on a commission for the first time in a while! My Commander needs me, but I also want to prove myself…." Taihou says, her tone shifting from boasting to sad.
It hit Atago like lightning, a memory from the Commander's interaction with Commander Helena!
"The Commander did mention you by name for something called a 'Staff Section' when he spoke to Commander Helena…." Atago begins, taking another sip of tea.
Taihou's attention was captured instantly and sparked her curiosity, "Staff section? What did he mean?"
"He is having tea with Amagi tomorrow morning; we should ask him," Atago says slyly. "Akagi will also be there, so maybe we can make your case to him. He did mention having another secretary and a bodyguard that could be your chance to prove to Akagi you are worthy."
The Phoenix looked at Atago skeptically and studied the heavy cruiser's body language. Atago could feel her gaze, a trait that Taihou was slowly becoming known for around the port. The carrier's lips curled and moved side to side. She took a sip of tea and took her eyes off Atago momentarily. She was deep in thought, Atago noted.
Taihou mulled the idea in her mind. The Phoenix was more intelligent than some peers would give her credit for. She was desperate to prove her worth to the Sakura Empire, her unremarkable service history as a ship driving Taihou to prove herself as a Shipgirl dominating her thought process. This could be her chance to indeed prove herself to her seniors!
"If I do this," Taihou begins, "Will I get to spend time with My Commander?"
Her voice was shy and unsure, which was odd for Taihou as she always radiated confidence. Atago smiles, "Of course. But we will be working together, I'm sure of it. Are you OK with that? I know how you are about the Commander. But please don't let this get in the way of our friendship."
"I'm just… Nervous is all." Taihou relents.
"I know," Atago says, smiling gently. "You have your issues like I do. But please, think about it. We can truly help him, and we both know the Commander needs us more than ever!"
Taihou smiles and sets her tea down. "We'll talk more about it in the morning," Taihou says, extending her arms for a hug. "Deal?"
"Deal." Atago smiles, hugging Taihou.
"I'm pretty far from home. Do you mind if I stay with you and get the Commander together in the morning?" Atago asks.
"Sure," Taihou replies happily, "We can talk with him on the way to Amagi's. Imagine Akagi's face when she sees me walking with My Commander's hand in hand!"
The two giggle loudly like schoolgirls with glee. Atago felt her mood rise, and so does Taihou's. The two chatted for hours until they finally passed out.
Atago's phone alarm awoke the two bright and early. Unsurprisingly, there were plenty of text messages from Takao asking where she was, along with some scathing voicemails from her. But Atago called her back just to get an ear full from her beloved sister. Taihou began getting dressed, and the two girls soon walked to check on the Commander.
They entered the main building to see Belfast working with Sheffield and other maids to accomplish their daily duties. Atago waved to the head maid, who then waved them to go back outside with her. As soon as the front door shut behind her, Belfast dropped her mask of a prime and proper maid.
"Ladies," She begins, the stress heavy in her voice. "The Commander left for town to speak to some kind of agency during the night. I tried giving him a sleeping tea from Amagi, but I think it wore off."
Belfast knew this was a lie, but she had to keep the peace with Taihou. The fact that the carrier walked with Atago to the Commander's home gave her a clue that the heavy cruiser might have convinced her to join them, or at least she hoped that.
"Have you tried to call him?" Taihou asked.
"His phone is off!" Belfast replies, "The car is gone still, and I think he might have gotten into trouble."
"I can send a recon plan!" Taihou suggests. "I know the car well!"
"Great idea!" Atago exclaims. Taihou summons a recon plane and sends it into the air.
Within moments, she cheers, "I found him! He's driving this way! Wait, he just stopped! He's getting out! What?!"
But the cheers were short-lived as a black jet fighter rips her plane. Taihou's face turns to confusion and anger, "A jet?! Who has jets here?! They shot down my plane!"
"Where was he last?!" Belfast asks frantically. "What side of port?!"
"Towards the Sakura Empire side!" Taihou replies quickly.
"It might be the META girls!" Atago says troublingly. "We have to get back up!"
MEANWHILE, WITH THE COMMANDER….
Karl speeds down the main run until reaching a stopping point near the end of the port near the border of the Sakura Empire side of the facility. Based on the topography, he figured he could follow the river up to the lake by Amagi's. Nothing else was on his mind besides getting away from everything and getting to safety.
Abandoning the car, Karl once again traveled into the woods. Deploying the submachine gun's stock, he could feel the memories of the thick forests and high mountains of the Waldreich's flash in his mind. Above him, Raiden and Typhoon watched him intensely as the Commander navigated through the woods.
"Looks like he's trying to lose the Spookhouse agents." Raiden remarks. "It seems the other agent must have triggered the fight or flight response in his mind. Or…"
Raiden pauses and thinks about what she sees as Karl exits the building. Her eyesight is impeccable, and Raiden recalled blood covering his face and shirt. "Did you hear anything from the conversation? Was your recorder on?" She asks Typhoon.
"The woman might have grabbed a device to trigger him." Typhoon agrees. "The phrase was said multiple times after it, but it appears it did something unpredictable."
"Looks like he's having an episode," Raiden remarked remorsefully. "Poor thing."
"He abandons us," Typhoon says callously. "He's getting what he deserves."
"You loved him once." Raiden remarks, making Typhoon angry. "I still recall us fretting over him together before Akagi passed. Amazing how Amagi is here in this timeline to keep her together."
"He never loved us. He would have stayed with us, even after everything, if he did." Typhoon laments.
"How fatalistic," Raiden interjects. "I'm sure you saw his surveillance with this timeline version of you. The Commander still loves us, I'm sure of it."
"Why does that matter to you?" Typhoon growls. "He's just a key to the weapon we need to defeat the darkness of the leviathan! A means to an end!"
"I'm sure you'll keep these convictions once we see him again," Raiden says dismissively. "Now, let's get closer."
Before she can move on, Typhoon stops her. The burning red eyes of Taihou META glowed in the night like miniature suns. "I HATE HIM. DO NOT FORGET THAT."
Raiden smiles and waves Typhoon on, "Come. Let us prove that idea."
The Commander ran through the woods like a madman until reaching the river. Judging by the water flow, Karl surmised that going upriver would take him to Amagi's. From what he could tell by the minimal light, the sun hadn't broken over the horizon yet, so it must have been about 0500-0600 in the morning.
"Fuck… My head… What the hell happened to me?" Karl asks himself, the iron smell of blood filling his nose. He touches his nose to feel the fresh blood still dripping. "The water? What did she mean?..."
The image of a nightmarish world of iron, fire, and blood flashed before his eyes before it was destroyed by a bright light. But this time, it felt real as the smell of blood changed into the sweet smell of machine coolant, salt water spoiled with oil, rotten eggs of burnt propellent and gunpowder, and an overwhelming feeling of looming dread. A horrible sound that could only be described as a maelstrom of metal scraping together filled his ears until he threw his hands over his ears. In the river, to his horror, he saw the burned corpse of a fox girl lying on her back, staring toward the sky. But it was one of many as more bodies floated down the river. Karl wanted to charge into the water to save the fox girl and the other bodies, but he felt he was welded to the ground.
Karl cries havoc and fires the machine gun into the corpses until it finally goes empty. "WHY?! WHY?!" He shouts, throwing the machine gun into the water, followed by the chest rig. "I DON'T RECOGNIZE THE BODIES! I DON'T KNOW YOU!"
He began frantically throwing rocks and cursing violently at the corpses. Tears streamed down Karl's face as he tried hitting the bodies clad in the same camouflage uniforms he wore. Others were in regular civilian clothes that you would see in modern America, others in makeshift clothes of peasants, and four of them were dressed in beautiful formal attire. Of the four, two were men, and the remaining were women. One in a wedding dress and another in a black dress. The men's age were drastically different, with one a young man and another dramatically older.
"I don't… I don't…. I don't…" Karl gasps, throwing himself to his knees. "I can't… I can't forget… I see them… I see them…"
Typhoon and Raiden watched him from behind as the once dominating figure of Karl Dael lay broken on his knees towards the empty river.
"Is he crazy?" Typhoon asks, trying to keep her cold persona up. Fighting every urge within her to tend to the Commander.
But Raiden says nothing and walks towards him with sword sheathed. The rocks cracked under her heels as Raiden closed on him. But Karl did not move a muscle as she approached.
"Sweetie," Raiden whispers. "Do you remember me?"
"Atago…" Karl responds, still gazing at the empty river. "I did this…"
Karl extended his arms and opened his palms as if he was showing her something.
"What did you do?" Raiden asks him, worried.
"The bodies in the water," Karl replies hauntedly. "I failed them all. The men, the women, my brother, my sister, my former wife, my father, Akagi, and all you girls. I failed… Then it took me. But all it did was put me right back here… I still see them… In my dreams, I see them in the water…
He pauses, takes to his feet, and backs up to the water. Raiden and Typhoon note the pistol in his shoulder holster. "Gun!" Typhoon shouts, readying her rigging.
"That coat… The Black Hunter… I thought I had left that life behind… I thought I burned that coat…." Karl mumbles.
"You gave it to me." Typhoon snarls. "Before you left us!"
"Impossible." Karl scoffs. "None of you are here. I burned that coat a long time ago! Which means… You're not fucking here. You're just a bad dream… A mirage!"
"Want to test that theory?" Typhoon challenges.
Karl laughs and snatches the pistol from his holster, But Raiden acts quickly and, with one motion, cuts the weapon into pieces. The surprise, Typhoon grabs him and throws him to the ground.
"Enough of this!" Typhoon shouts and knocks him out cold with a swift kick to the jaw.
"What did they do to you?" Raiden asks aloud in horror.
"They fucked him up," Typhoon said bluntly as the sun rose behind the tree. "Now, let's get out of here before someone shows up."
A flight of Zero fighters buzzed overhead, and atop a rock formation on the opposite side of the river stood the figures of Akagi, Kaga, and Taihou.
"I knew I smelled a pest in my territory," Akagi says contemptuously. "But I'm surprised that it wasn't just the bird, but her META? I'm shocked."
"Speak for yourself, you old fox." Taihou spits back. "I told you I saw something strange in the sky."
"Enough, you two," Kaga replies tiresomely. "We have more important things to worry about than your petty squabble."
Raiden and Typhoon look at each other concerned as they realize their numerical disadvantage. "We might not have a choice but to fight." Typhoon laments.
"Sadly, I agree," Raiden replies.
"Who are you, and what do you want with my Commander!?" Taihou shouts, only for Akagi to respond with a burning fire from her tail.
"Stay out of this Azur Lane!" Raiden shouts. "I have no quarrel with you!"
"Shut your mouth, pest!" Akagi growls, "You come to my port and harm my Commander! YOU SIGNED YOUR OWN DEATH WARRANTS!"
"Still the crazy bitch I remember," Typhoon replies, a sly smile overtaking her face. "She hasn't changed a bit! But I have!"
With the flick of Typhoon's wrist, a flight of Kikka jet bombers flew out from under the sleeves. The fiery trio dodged the attack as the black jets returned with their 30mm cannons for another pass. Taihou and Akagi launched their own fighters while Kaga centers on Raiden.
The white Fox prepares her throwing stars while Raiden has her sword ready with the Commander at her feet. "Atago has a META form? Interesting." Kaga remarks.
"I wish I could say the same, Kaga," Raiden replies respectfully. "You and Akagi were formidable in my timeline before the end of days. Sadly you two didn't make it that far."
"Is that a threat?" Kaga growls.
"No," Raiden says confidently. "I witnessed both of your ends. We mourned you, but we fought on."
"As expected of the Sakura Empire," Kaga says confidently, launching her attack.
Raiden dodges her attack and fires her main battery at Kaga, "Death before dishonor!"
"The only way!" Kaga shouts, throwing another flight of bombers to cover her retreat to the rocks. Raiden grabs the Commander and moves out of the assault just in time.
"KAGA!" Akagi shouts, "WATCH OUT FOR THE COMMANDER!"
"Keep your eyes on that other META!" Kaga replies, throwing another flight of Val bombers.
Typhoon reacts quickly, deploying three flights of Shinden fighters to intercept the bombers. Taihou launches her own planes, A7M Sam fighters, to stop the odd aircraft. As the fur ball began, Raiden opened up with her AA armament and went to retrieve the Commander under heavy fire.
Typhoon planes proved to be the dominant force as Akagi and Taihou's combined strength proved nearly useless against the jets and hidden fighters. But they did not waver and attempted to close simultaneously with the black-clad META ship. Akagi launches her attack, throwing fire directly at Typhoon. The META shields herself by whipping the coattails to absorb the blast. The Fox and Phoenix smiled at the sight of the explosion, but soon it faded as more Kikka jets appeared from the smoke.
"What the hell!?" Akagi shouts, dodging the jets.
"Armored trench coat!" Typhoon replied with a laugh, "Courtesy of the Commander!"
"I WILL RIP THAT COAT FROM YOUR BURNING HULL BITCH!" Taihou screams, launching her own flaming attack only for the same result.
"Bullets, bombs, or fire, It doesn't matter!" Typhoon cackles, throwing more Kikka jets at them.
"How the hell is a Taihou class able to stop me!?" Akagi shouts, launching another attack at Typhoon.
"I am your successor! Your replacement! I am the evolution of Shoukaku class carriers!" Typhoon shouts triumphantly. "I'm what the Taihou class should have been!"
On the ground, the Commander blinked his eyes and looked around from his position on the basis. The smell of gunfire and bombs filled his nose. "Did I fall asleep, During a gunfight?" Karl asks himself aloud at the sight of fighters and shipgirls fighting in the sky above. Shells from anti-aircraft guns littered the rocky riverbank, drawing his attention to the imposing figure of Raiden firing her main battery at Kaga.
Picking himself up to his hands and knees, Karl tries to get his bearings, but the pain in his head proved to make that difficult. The faint odor of blood tainted his smell. Then he noticed the blood on his shirt and the iron taste of it on his lips. "Fucking hell…." Karl gasps. "It happened again… But…"
The sight of the bodies in the water…. He remembered it…
"Akagi… My wife… My men… My family… I remember… But why? Why was Akagi there? I don't recall her…" Karl looks over to Raiden, only for her to turn towards him with her hands reached out. Rolling away and hoping to his feet, Karl takes a fighting stance.
"Nothing you can do, Darling!" Raiden shouts to her, "You're just a man!"
"Come at me then!" Karl shouts, provoking Raiden to lurch forward.
She didn't have time for this and took her chance, but the screaming of aircraft engines took their attention away from each other. Akagi had launched several Val dive bombers in reprisal for hearing the pet name given by Raiden. The Red Castle turned her attention directly to Raiden and stormed in behind the aircraft laughing maniacally!
"INCOMING!" Karl shouts, tackling Raiden narrowly, avoiding the bombs and fireballs from Akagi.
Landing with a solid thud on the ground, followed by the bombs impacting. The heat of the flames from the vengeful Red Castle hit the ground, during what sand was on the river bank to glass. But, to Karl's relief, the bombs didn't detonate. Turning, he saw massive craters where the bombs buried deep into the ground. Breathing a sigh of relief, he laid his head down to count how many lives he had left. Expecting sand and rock, he was shocked to find that he was laying face first into Raiden's bosom.
The META ship raised her head, and the two locked eyes. She shoots him a sly smile, "Missed me, Darling?"
Karl smirks, "You're the one who keeps coming around like a bad habit. Maybe you miss me?"
Raiden chuckles, noticing the smoke cleared, revealing an extremely pissed-off Akagi holding fireballs in her hands.
"AND YOU DARE TO STEAL MY COMMANDER FROM ME?!" Akagi shouts, fire dancing over her eyes as she laughs menacingly.
"HEADS UP!" Typhoon shouts over the communicator as a flight of Kikka jets drops ordinance on Akagi, throwing up more just and rubble over the battle space. The META Kansen snatches Karl by the belt and jumps off into the treeline. To his surprise, Karl notices that they are heading upriver.
"Typhoon! I've got him! We need to go!" Raiden calls over a small ear-mounted communicator.
Typhoon groans heavily and complies, "FINE! Breaking contact!"
Raiden rushes through the woods carrying the Commander, but Karl has other ideas and waits for his moment as soon the river opens up and reveals the lake near Amagi's. Once they were close enough, he undid his belt and fell from Raiden's grasp. Tucking and rolling, Karl hit the ground and landed in the lake's cold water.
"Damn it!" Raiden shouts, power sliding and rushing to the water to capture Karl.
With every ounce of strength he could muster, Karl swam. Thrashing forward like an animal escaping a cataclysm, he forced forward towards Amagi's. But he wasn't so lucky, and someone pulled him from the water and threw him into a small boat. Karl threw himself up, ready for a fight, but to his surprise, there stood Amagi and Atago with rigging at the ready for combat.
"Do not worry, Commander," Amagi reassures him.
"Reinforcements are here!" Atago shouts, to his surprise.
Raiden approached them but stopped in her tracks. "Amagi!" Raiden says, surprised. "You are as beautiful as legend described!"
"Thank you," Amagi says respectfully. "Now, what is it that you want with our Commander?"
"Bold and to the point," Raiden replies, admiring Amagi's firm response. "I wish I could tell you everything, honorable Amagi, but I'm afraid I can not. What I can say is this: I need him."
"I must decline," Amagi replies, her large guns pointed at Raiden. "I may be ill, but I'm willing to defend my Commander with my life."
"As expected of Lady Amagi and a warrior of the Sakura Empire," Raiden replies, visibly moved by Amagi's wiliness to fight. Her younger self, Atago, was ready with cannons and swords ready to strike.
"Raiden, I'm heading to you," Typhoon calls over the net. "Have you made it to the sea?"
"Negative," Raiden replies. "Commander has been captured by Atago and Amagi. I'm on the lake."
"I'll back you up! Those carriers won't strike us if we close on the old Fox!" Typhoon said, cutting the call short.
"I'm willing to let you go peacefully." Amagi offers. "But only if you promise to leave him alone, for good."
"If I am to be so bold," Raiden begins, mulling over the proposition. Typhoon soon appeared under heavy fire from Kaga, Akagi, and Taihou. "I don't think you are in the position to dictate what I have to do."
"Keep your eyes on Raiden!" Karl shouts, taking to his feet. "Let those three handle the other girl!"
"Hold your fire and regroup on me," Raiden orders Typhoon over the communicator. "I say again, Hold fire and regroup."
"What?! Fine!" Typhoon reluctantly agrees. Karl spots her coming in hot and looks back at Raiden. She smiles lovingly at him, "Don't worry about Typhoon. She is only regrouping with me."
"That better be the case," Karl shouts as Typhoon regroups, going back to back with Raiden.
"What's the plan?" Typhoon asks as the three carriers complete the encirclement.
"We are going to see…" Raiden replies, eyeing the Commander.
Karl looks over the black coat worn by the other META ship. He instantly recognized it as his own coat he wore during the initial years as a foot soldier in the Order. The Order's symbol, The leviathan cross, in a diamond on the right shoulder, represented clear as day gave this away. It was long and black, double-breasted, and had silver buttons and piping showing his status as an officer.
The coat was worn by itself or with an exoskeleton combat system warning on operations in heavily anomalous areas. But Karl stopped wearing it due to its lack of practicality in conventional fighting, and the Order had developed better combat systems for fighting Eldritch terrors. How did this girl get that old relic?
"Raiden!" Karl calls Atago META. "Who's your friend?"
She looks over to Typhoon. Typhoon grits her teeth and turns to face Karl, "Taihou class armored aircraft carrier. Code name Typhoon!"
"Taihou META?" The carriers, including Taihou, gasped.
Taihou META was just as beautiful as her standard counterpart. Her long black hair was tied in a single ponytail with the bird hairdressing centered above the start of it. Instead of a loose-fitting dress showing off all of Taihou's great features, Her META wore a more conservative high-neck black top, tight dark blue jeans, and knee-high heel boots.
"Where did you get that coat, Typhoon?" Karl asks her directly.
"From you!" Typhoon states bluntly. "You gave it to me! Just before you left us on that helicopter, you gave this to me!"
"Excuse me?" Karl asks, noticing the shock on Akagi and Taihou's faces.
"Dumbass! You don't remember anything because those freaks fried your brain!" Typhoon shouts, her face turning red and fire appearing from her hair. "You told me you loved us! You loved Me, Atago, and Akagi! THEN YOU LEFT US!"
Tears appeared in her eye, and she lurched forward, only to be grabbed by Raiden. Raiden whispers something in Typhoon's ear before letting her go. The distraught Taihou META turns around and activates a portal leaving the scene instantly, leaving Raiden alone with the other shipgirls.
"Something you want to share, Raiden?" Amagi asks the META girl.
"Nothing that I can say aloud," Raiden said dignifiedly. "Only to the man in the boat, if possible."
Karl looks over to Atago and Amagi, who stand ready to attack. Then to Taihou, Akagi, and Kaga, who appeared to be chomping to rip Raiden to pieces. All on his word, they could possibly, turn Raiden into a wreck. Before him stood the woman who attacked him, physically and mentally, whose soldiers presumably tried to kill him.
How easy could it be to just end it all here?
"What could you possibly tell me, Raiden?" Karl challenges her.
"A bit of information that only you can understand," Raiden says innocently. "That's if you let me close to you."
"Not a chance!" Atago shouts.
"Move another meter. I'll personally turn you and this lake to ash." Akagi warns.
"For a moment, I agree with you, Akagi!" Taihou adds.
Karl raises his hand, signaling the girls to wait on his command.
"Information regarding your men on Attu." Raiden continues.
"What about my men?" Karl asks, closing his fist, imminently signaling them to hold fire. "You've spoken a lot about that place. I assume you followed me to Spookhouse, yes?"
"I'm always within reach, My Commander." Raiden unabashedly admits. "But like I said, I'd rather we discuss this within reach."
Raiden knew precisely how to get to him… Karl puts his arm down.
"I promise to behave, my Commander," Raiden promises.
"I'll hold you to your word," Karl warns her. "I'd rather not harm you, But I can't speak for my Phoenix, my Fox, or… You."
Raiden smirks, "I'm aware. I would expect nothing less from the Red Castle or the Phoenix. If it were any other way, I would be concerned."
Karl chuckles, recalling the stories of Akagi being overbearing and overprotective. "They both have soft sides, I assure you. Just not at this moment."
"I know that as well." Raiden continues, her smile still radiating beautifully. "May I come closer?"
Karl pauses and looks at Amagi and Atago. Atago looks at him, unsure, but Amagi and the Commander share a long gaze. Amagi nods, "She won't hurt you, I assure you."
"I trust you," Karl says without hesitation to Amagi. Turning his head back to Raiden, he takes a deep breath and releases it slowly.
"You may come closer," Karl calls to Raiden. "Slowly."
Raiden slowly makes her way over to him, and with every meter, she closes on the Commander's location, the tension grows higher. Atago's grip on her sword was white knuckle tight, and the flames on the three-carrier radiated so much heat that the lake began to steam beneath them. But Amagi stood solid and upright, like her namesake. As did the Commander, who straightened his appearance as much as he could.
Within moments they were only an arm's length from each other. Karl looked at Raiden and studied her closely. Raiden took her hands off her swords and let them hang gracefully from her belt.
"Well?" Raiden asks him. "Do I look better in the light? Or did I look better on the ground?"
"I sure as hell don't," Karl remarks, referring to the blood on his shirt and face. "I didn't mean to… Uh, land there."
The awkwardness in his voice made Raiden sigh lovingly. "So cute… As I remember." She says aloud, much to the annoyance of Akagi, Taihou, and Atago. Laying her head in her hand dreamily, Raiden smiles at Karl.
"Just throw the shirt away," Raiden giggles. "But I can clean your face if you wish me to."
"If I wanted to be doted on," Karl begins, strengthening his voice. "I'd go to my personal fleet, girls."
He waves his hand toward Akagi, Taihou, and Atago. Raiden smirks, "Where is the maid?" She asks.
"Bringing in reinforcements!" Belfast shouts, followed by Royal Navy and Iron Blood battleships and Sakura Empires 2nd and 5th Carrier division girls.
Raiden looked around, noting her advisories. Duke of York, Prince of Wales, Bismarck, Souryuu, Hiryuu, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Belfast, Akagi, Kaga, Taihou, Amagi, and Atago. Fourteen on one odds and totally not in her favor.
"It seems you have a lot of friends, Darling," Raiden replies.
"Well," Karl smiles wide, "I think some of them would counter that assumption. But right now, you've got enough firepower pointed at you to make you reconsider your life choices."
Raiden laughs heartily with no fear, "The gunboat diplomate you are! So cute, my darling Commander."
"Get to the point," Karl says flatly. "I don't think anyone else here can longer handle this standoff. I already feel Akagi wanting to pounce."
"Excuse me for wanting to gaze upon you in person once again," Raiden replies, her tone divided between a loving muse and a belittling sister. "I want to relish this. But, I will have a chance again."
"Bold," Karl remarks contemptuously.
"Don't give me that tone, Darling," Raiden replies sharply. "I don't deserve that; we both know this. If anything, I should give you the business just like Taihou or Junyou."
"Why haven't you then?" Karl asks sharply. "The only thing you've done is fuck with my head."
"I haven't done anything to you besides try to remind you what you have forgotten." Raiden protests. "I only wish for you to remember us."
"I have no idea who you exactly are," Karl says sadly. "I know you are Atago, but not the Atago I know here and now. The same goes for Taihou and the Akagi in the river…."
"Because they don't want you to remember what you gave us," Raiden replies, Amagi noting the gratefulness in the META girl's voice. "What you did for us. What you did for me."
"We are one and the same," Karl continues, "We are more travelers, yes?"
"That may be the case, yes," Raiden says vaguely. "But we are not just nameless and faceless passersby. For you are my darling, my hunter, my lover."
Karl gives her a sardonic smirk, "I don't believe you would want someone like me in that way, regardless of the paths we walk."
Raiden returns the expression and shakes her head, "Still as hardheaded and jaded as I remember. Maybe this will remind you." Reaching into her pocket, she hands him a photograph.
"It's one of many," Raiden tells him as he slowly takes the picture from her. "Typhoon has one. Regardless of how hostile and bratty she can be, she still loves you more than heaven and earth. As did Akagi…."
Gazing at the worn picture for a moment, Karl found himself consumed by it. He reluctantly hands it back to Raiden and begins hyperventilating as butterflies fill his stomach. The META noted this and, against her better judgment, embraced the Commander in a hug. Karl is frozen in shock, but the warmth of Raiden's body puts him at complete ease, allowing him to return the embrace to her. Resting his head on Raiden's shoulder, he relaxes into her.
Raiden rubs his back lovingly and nuzzles her face into Karl's neck, kissing it gently, "I know I'm getting through to you. I wish I didn't have to cause you so much harm."
The Commander returns the back rub and says nothing. But the silence said everything that Raiden needed to know. She reluctantly broke off from the Commander, "I'd spend the rest of eternity with you if I could. But you understand why, don't you?"
Karl nods, "Of course."
With a heavy sigh Raiden back away from the Commander and clicks a device on her belt, activating a portal out of the area. "You'll receive a message from your comrades soon abroad and here. Till we meet again, my darling."
Once Raiden disappears, the Commander takes a deep breath to calm down. The girls rushed around him to check on him, at least until Taihou and Akagi's bum rushed him, wrapping him in a world of soft breasts and fluffy tails. Belfast, Amagi, and Atago had to pull the two carriers off him to check on their Commander. The other girls laughed and sighed, relieved their Commander was alright.
But Amagi and Atago shared an expression of worry, knowing that deep down, this truly scared him. Akagi and Taihou took the lead in caring for the Commander, their possessive nature over him in full force as they towed the boat to shore and took him into Akagi's home. The two bickered and argued over one another as Karl removed his boots and the bloody shirt. He cracks his toes, fingers, and neck to release some tension. Walking across the wooden floors until finding himself on the other side of the home, the backyard towards the mountainside. Karl sits down on the wooden deck stairs and takes a deep breath, but it's tainted by the iron taste of blood and magnesium from the aircraft bombs. It was moments like this that truly scared him.
It was a whole different affair to be fighting for your life. Wither it was patrolling through the mountains on foot, riding across fields in armored vehicles, crossing rivers and oceans on boats, or dropping feet first into hell from a parachute or out the back of a helicopter. Those moments you have no other thoughts but the mission itself. A one-track mind of the task at hand. You always had something to do, even at a FOB, base, or awaiting departure. Checking weapons and ammo, preserving the men's morale, and fixing your vehicles for movement. But once the dust has settled, your guns loaded, your belly full, and vehicles ready, you always have those brief, fleeting moments of clarity that haunt you.
Sometimes these moments of clarity would scare Karl as he ran them through his mind to attempt to understand it all. Like twilight, the lulls between the battles reflected moments of fear, anxiety, and disbelief between preparations for action and intense combat. The spirited conversation about the atrocities with Lucy, the bodies of his comrades and Akagi in the river, saving Raiden from incoming fire, and seeing a picture of a time he couldn't remember but felt in his soul.
A pair of white-gloved hands wrap around him, followed by a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey, handsome," Atago begins warmly, "Whatcha doing here all alone?"
The concern in her voice betrayed Atago, and Karl picked up on it instantly, "I needed a moment to myself. My carriers are fighting over who gets to tend to me first." He says, tapping the floor next to him. "There is so much on my mind but so little simultaneously."
"I figured as much," Atago replies, sitting beside him. "Where did you go last night? Belfast said you were seeing agents?"
He runs his hand through his hair, "Yeah… I just talked about everything with an old friend. The war did a number on her, worse than I imagined."
"Oh god…" Atago gasps, horrified. "Are they OK?"
Karl recalls the haunted white face of Lucy as she recalled the devastation they caused to infected villages, "No. They're not, but they are trying to. But I got the info I needed, to a point about what Raiden said. Something is going to happen soon."
"Then we'll be ready for it," Atago says firmly.
"We shall," Karl replies confidently.
"But darling," Atago says warmly, "You can't keep going off on your own like that."
"There are some things that I have to handle on my own," Karl tells her respectfully as he can. "You shipgirls are hard to hide, even without your rigging."
Atago smirks, "Maybe… But I still want to be with you, especially with last night and today's attack. I'm your baby girl and bodyguard. I want to be with you!"
"How are you holding up?" Karl asks her. "Between this morning and yesterday, I'm surprised your smiling."
"I'm still shaken up," Atago says bluntly, lying to him. "I went to see Taihou to speak to her about joining your staff. You know, the one you told Commander Helena about?"
"I remember," Karl replies, wrapping his arm around her waist and laying his head on her. "What did she say?"
"She said that If she gets to spend time with you, she will do it," Atago tells him. "But she wants to prove to Akagi that she's better than her."
"If that's the case," Karl begins, recalling the woods of Typhoon. "Then that was indeed her META. Fucking hell."
"I'm concerned, Commander," Atago tells him gently, watching her words, knowing that pushing too hard could trigger another episode. "She knew you; she said you loved all three of us."
"I know she did," Karl replies, trying to gather his thoughts. "But I don't remember anything. Nothing before or during all this… But the picture…."
"What was on the picture?" Atago asks him.
"The others would want to know too," Karl interjects. "I can't say it just yet. I don't remember when the picture was taken, but I feel like I knew something… I feel as if I know, but I don't. Speaking with… I don't know…"
He simply couldn't explain it just yet. Karl had a feeling what it was, but trying to bring it to words would only make him sound crazy. But before he could speak up, Atago sat upright.
"I love you," Atago says innocently. "I know the META's are a different breed, and seeing my META again still scares me. But seeing you hug her… I felt it… I felt you and your love."
Karl says nothing and holds her tightly against him. The golden eyes of Atago gazed full on him, and the two kissed passionately. But they broke off the kiss and held her for a moment in silence. A memory passed through his mind of a different time far away from the port… A cold chill ran down his spine briefly as the bitter cold of a Niflheim winter touched him like the kiss of death.
"May I play with your hair? Maybe massage your ears?" Karl asks her, surprising her. "It calms me."
Atago gives him an innocent and embarrassed expression but quickly falls into his lap dramatically. Without another word said, Karl begins running his hands through her long hair. Atago sighs happily, "You don't have to do this. Big Sister should be pampering you!"
As she tries to get up, Karl pushes her back down gently. "Not this time. Let me do this, please." Karl tells her sweetly. "Between what we did together and Raiden, I'd rather do this for you."
Moving his hands to Atago's ears, he massaged them gently, to Atago's pure delight. It made her slightly uncomfortable, but the feeling of Karl's fingers tenderly massaging her ears' pockets, sides, and body made her melt. "If you keep doing this, I won't be able to hold back anymore!" Atago whispers, her face turning red. Karl stops holding her hand until the footsteps behind him alert the two.
Thankfully, it was Amagi giving a smile. "Tea is about to be ready, Commander."
"Perfect." He replies. "How are my carriers? I don't think I heard them in a bit. Please tell me they aren't trying to kill each other?"
"Not at all," Amagi replies cutely. "Akagi and Taihou agreed with me, if you understand what I mean." She winks at him, and Karl gives a smirk. Maybe big sister laid down the law then?"
"Of course." Karl says, "As long as they behave around Atago. I'm fine with that. But I will need some help with Akagi."
"She'll behave," Amagi assures him. "I promise."
"Not that; I know she will be on her best behavior," Karl tells her. "I want her to join my staff. I'd like her with me, Taihou, Belfast, and Atago."
"I don't think she would initially work well with Taihou," Amagi admits. "But I'm sure they could agree to disagree at first between the three of you."
"We'll have to speak in depth about her later on," Karl replies, helping Atago up as he stands. "We'll also be in shortly if you don't mind."
"Just don't take too long whispering sweet nothings to each other, Commander." Amagi teases. "Kaga and I can only keep those two in line for so long."
Atago's face turned red, and Karl couldn't keep a stone face at Amagi's remark, "I promise." Karl admits, leaving Atago to bury herself in his chest.
Amagi smirks and turns away respectfully. "Oh no… I hope I didn't embarrass you!" Atago frets, only for Karl to pull her from his chest.
"I love you too," Karl says honestly. "Thank you… For everything…"
Atago puts her finger over his mouth, "Don't say any more, or else I will lose it!"
He takes her hand gently, "You know those two will be all over me."
Atago gives him a concerned expression, "I know… But, if that other Taihou is right, you love us. I guess that means if the other me is fine with it, I should be too. I'm still going to fret over you, though."
"That might be the case…." Karl admits, nervous and visibly embarrassed.
"What's that face for?" Atago questions him.
"It's just that…" Karl begins, clamming up and looking away. "I haven't said that in a long time… Maybe years… I just feel so… Uncomfortable…"
"Said what?" Atago asks him, "I love you?"
Karl's face turns red, and a confused expression appears, "Uhh…."
"The big, bad, and tough commando is embarrassed to say I love you." Atago teases, "You are so cute! But we have to go inside."
Atago leads them into the home and into the tearoom, where the sight of Taihou and Akagi angrily stare at each other. The heavy cruiser took the lead and sat beside the stoic Kaga, preparing the tea. The carrier and cruiser gave themselves a knowing look and began watching Karl and the two carriers. Amagi then joined the two by the teapot, giggling as the Commander looked over to the two and then back to the pot.
As he waltzed over to the pot, Karl spoke to the pair, "I know you, too, have some bad blood, But I encourage you too to be civil."
Sitting on a cushion, he invites the two to sit on his flanks, "Sit, girls." Karl says politely as he can. Within a moment, the two were at his sides, with Taihou on the right and Akagi on his left closest to Amagi. Wrapping their arms around his, Taihou and Akagi looked at him with dreamy eyes.
Karl smiles as he removes his arms from theirs. A moment of scorn and sadness filled their faces until the Commander wrapped his arms around them instead. The tension between the two carriers could be felt in the air, and the other shipgirls were worried about what would happen if the two powerful ships got into a fight with the Commander so close to them. But the three noticed a look of absolute peace on Karl's face, which put everyone at ease and Kaga in disbelief.
Kaga pours the group tea and takes her seat next to Atago. The heavy cruiser was nervous, and her feelings for the Commander were begging her to mark her territory in front of both carriers. But Atago held confidence in the Commander's words.
"My Commander," Taihou begins, her soft breast engulfing his arm. "It's wonderful to see you in person again. I wish it was under different circumstances, but being here with you makes up for it."
Akagi looks over at her with a scornful eye and wraps her own breasts around his other arm. "Seeing you fight that woman was magnificent as we sortied together. Unlike my 'Counterpart,' only I, your personal fleet carrier, fully know your abilities."
"There is more to life than combat, Akagi-Sempai." Taihou asserts. "My Commander is just as wonderful when not in a fight. Spending a relaxing day together made me see another side to him that I am only privy to. Only his personal secretary and true fleet carrier know this!"
"No fighting in the tearoom," Amagi said firmly as she sipped tea.
"Yes, Amagi-san…" The two replies. Amagi hands the Commander his tea, and he sips it slowly.
The green tea brought back fond memories of his time in Asia following his stay in the gulag. But his focus was dead set on the latest events. Typhoon with his coat, the picture, and the feeling of being with Raiden. It was obvious to him that something wasn't right. He recalled what Ruby said before leaving, "You were there."
Akagi and Taihou cuddled closer to him, and their combined love seemed to remove all negative thoughts from him. He only wished this power of theirs would remove all the negativity from his mind. Looking over at Atago, Kaga, and Amagi, Karl could feel the same love radiating off of them too.
"You seem tense, my Commander," Taihou says, taking advantage of Akagi's proximity to Amagi's reach. "After this wonderful tea, we should go to my apartment so I can ease you. After all, you took Taihou for a great date to town."
"Oh, please!" Akagi scoffs, pulling the Commander into her and wrapping her tail around him. "Stay with Akagi so you can indulge in me once more! I can relieve you of stress better than that bird!"
Taihou pulls him out of Akagi's grasp, "I'm more cultured than you, Fox! I don't see my Commander as a chew toy!"
Atago minds her own business and quietly recalls her moment of love at the Onsen. Kaga looks at Atago questionably as she notices the scent of the Commander all over her. Not to mention the sly smirk on her face as Akagi and Taihou pull him over from side to side.
"Thank you, girls." Karl replies cooly, "I was relieved to see you all. I honestly lost my mind out there after… Well…"
The girls see a noticeable change as his grasp around the two carriers grows stronger as Karl pulls them closer to him. They embraced him, too much of each other annoyance.
"I promise to spend time with each of you," Karl begins, "But I need to calm down and process everything. The back-to-back META encounters aren't helping me with my nerves."
"We were lucky to have had the other three warn us in time," Kaga replies.
"Lucky is putting it lightly," Karl remarks. "I'm not sure what happened to me. They keep doing something to my head. Raiden showed me something… A dream… Or something…"
"Do you dream of Akagi?" Akagi asks, met with a scolding glare from Amagi.
"Of course not," Taihou interjects, "He dreams of Taihou!"
"Not the time for that, either of you," Kaga remarks.
"What kind of dreams, Commander?" Atago asks him.
"It's a lot…" Karl recalls. "A blood red sea, hellish building ripping the sky, and then a blinding light. It doesn't make any sense to me."
"Maybe a nightmare?" Kaga asks.
"The problem is I wasn't sleeping when I had it." Karl counters. "I only had this nightmare after that META girl kissed me."
"Excuse me?" Taihou and Akagi ask in unison.
"I should have turned her into a burning hulk when I had the chance," Akagi replies.
"I agree with Akagi," Taihou adds, both looking at him with psychotic glares. Only for them to be pulled back by Amagi and Atago respectfully.
"It sounds like you are recalling past events," Amagi surmises, "Triggered by her."
"I'm not sure how, though," Karl replies, taking a sip of tea. Amagi personally replenishes his tea from a different source. "I don't forget much, maybe things like if I ate or not, but a war? I don't forget things like that!"
"Maybe you're suppressing it," Kaga interjects.
"I can't," Karl replies, shooting her a glair that could cut through steel. "Not in my profession could I forget or suppress anything of the matter."
"While your memory is sharp," Amagi begins, "Even us shipgirls have human tendencies such as suppressing bad memories or forgetting things."
"While that may be the case," Karl replies skeptically. "I never ran into a shipgirl until I came here months ago. I had never worked with one before coming here. The fact that one of them was shouting at me with my coat on makes me wonder if there is more at foot here. But I still don't understand some things, though…"
"The picture?" Amagi interjects. "Like the picture, she showed you?"
Karl gives a bitter look, "Yeah…. Yeah… I wasn't expecting something like that…."
"What was it off?" Atago asks, recalling the ghostly look on his face.
Karl pulls Akagi and Taihou closer to him, "Us." Karl says shortly with heavy amounts of anxiety and dread.
"You, Akagi, and Taihou." Karl forces out of himself, shaking. "With me. I don't recall it, and it… It just…"
The fear was evident, and he did a quick swipe of his nose, checking for blood. "It felt so real. It felt like I was hit by a train! Like It was overwhelming, and I embraced her. She said that Typhoon, the other Taihou, loved me still, and so did Akagi. I felt that love, for Atago, for Akagi, for Taihou, For all of you, and I just fell into Raiden. You all three, them, they loved me. But how? The picture is old, ancient. I don't… I don't know anymore."
"You love Akagi?" Akagi asks him innocently.
"You love Taihou?" Taihou replies.
The two carriers nearly put him on the ground as they hugged him, kissing his face and hissing at each other as they did so until Atago and Kaga intervened again, pulling them off of the Commander.
Once he regained his train of thought, he continued.
"I keep seeing a place none of you know," Karl says cryptically. "They kept asking me about this place, the Agarthen Sea. I don't remember anything about it, really. But for some reason, I keep seeing… terrible things…"
"I don't recall an Agarthen sea…." Kaga says, intrigued.
"It's somewhere far from here…" Karl tells them, watching his words to ensure he doesn't blow his cover. "Through the portals, the META girls go through, there are other places. One of them must be the Agarthen Sea. It's a rough place."
Amagi paused and put her tea down gently. The girls noted the expression on Amagi's face as she swallowed hard, and her eyes began to widen. A heavy cough escaped Fox's body, shaking Amagi violently until being aided by Atago and Akagi. His Fox, Akagi, moved quickly to another part of the home to retrieve Amagi's medicine.
Akagi returned with hast and gave Amagi a pill that she took quickly. After swallowing it, Amagi regained her composure and tapped her chest. "Mentioned that place gave me a coughing fit." Amagi remarks.
Karl raised his brow, "Do you know of it?" Karl inquires.
"I only know of it from Musashi and Shinano," Amagi informs him. "They spoke of it briefly when they brought me back. But they are both in the home islands dealing with domestic affairs for Yamato."
Those names were familiar to him. Musashi, for sure, IJN Musashi took more damage than any battleship in naval history, in his opinion. Even the old guard of the Order debated naming a new ship after her, a Kirov class battlecruiser. But Shinano? Karl never recalled a battleship Shinano.
"Shinano?" Karl asks her. "I didn't know there was a third Yamato battleship."
"Lady Shinano is an aircraft carrier, the dream weaver," Amagi informs him. "She is an ancient and powerful shipgirl. She is the chief spiritual advisor to Yamato because of this."
Chief spiritual advisor? Karl wonders if this meant she was magical in a way. But, like a lightning bolt, he recalled a conversation with Atago!
"Amagi returned to us after Fredrich did… Did something… Lady Shinano, Musashi, and Fredrich Der Grosse returned her."
Fredrich… Her meddling in Karl's mind made him wonder more about the devilish shipgirl. There was more to her, and Karl knew it. There was no doubt in his mind as he looked at Amagi with determination in his eyes. Here in front of him sat the evidence of Fredrich's power: The Great Amagi.
"She's magic…" Karl whispers, "Just like Fredrich then…."
He takes a long drink of the tea, "Then that means… If Fredrich knows of the Agarthen Sea… She knows more. But that means we can figure out…."
Karl attempts to stand, but he cannot as the softness of the two carriers combined with the tea brings him back down. Soon the Commander falls backward and fasts asleep in Taihou and Akagi's arms.
"I wasn't sure how long it would have taken for my sleeping tea to take effect," Amagi remarks, keeping a watchful eye on Akagi and Taihou as they hold the Commander in a trance.
"Likewise," Belfast replies, walking into the tea room with a certain Iron Blood battleship close behind him.
"My dear child is rather resilient." The soothing voice of Fredrich says as she steps into the room. Her presents triggered a response from both the needy carriers, who held their beloved Commander tightly between them.
"Did you get all that, Ms. Belfast?" Amagi asks; too much confusion between Atago and Kaga.
"I was wondering where you went to, Belfast," Kaga remarks, looking at Fredrich. "To what do we owe this visit from the Iron Blood's premiere blueprint shipgirl?"
Kaga respected Fredrich due to her raw power and abilities on the battlefield. The two never personally interacted together, but the solum respect of two great ships was enough for both of them. Atago, on the other hand, tried to keep her composure as Fredrich scared her terribly. Fredrich smiles, noting the aura of love between the carriers and cruisers for her dear child lying on the floor.
"I felt the META girl's presence," Fredrich says honestly. "They followed him for some time, it seems. I had to check with my contacts to properly identify them. It seems we're dealing with a handful of rogue actors."
"How can they be 'Rogue actors?'" Akagi asks, "Ember was there during the attack on Nagato and Misaka. Atago META would work with her sister."
"I don't agree with that, Akagi," Atago says. "Ember hates humanity; we've all seen that. But Raiden, or Meta me, embraced the Commander like I would. Even seeing her before, there wasn't hate in her eyes at the Onsen."
"The ashes aren't exactly 'Unified,' in a sense," Fredrich says, approaching the Commander, sleeping in the arms of the carriers. "We've seen these rogues before, but they have agendas and missions like the Ugly sisters' META counterparts. But these girls are united. It's clear from the META's of Junyou, Atago, and Taihou that they are. But why?"
"He spoke of a picture." Amagi notes, "Maybe they are from another 'Branch'?"
"A lot of the META's are from another timeline," Fredrich replies, "They might recall him? Hmmm.
Fredrich approaches slowly, her aura of power pushing Akagi away out of respect, but Taihou stays. "Don't touch him." Taihou scolds Fredrich.
"I mean him no harm, My child," Fredrich says calmly, brushing Taihou's long hair out of her eyes.
"Let me tend to my SKK," Taihou says firmly, holding the sleeping Commander tightly against her breasts. "He needs Taihou more than anything in this world. I know I can help him; I know him better than anyone here."
"As if you know anything about my SKK!" Akagi spits, only for Fredrich to stop her cold with a simple glance.
The H-Class battleship pauses as it looks into Taihou's deep red eyes. A gripping loneliness filled those ruby eyes, but the loneliness would subside when she looked down at the Commander. A small smile cracked on her peal-white face at Taihou, "Maybe you do. But I believe you could know more, all three of you."
Karl's eyes opened abruptly, and he tried throwing himself upright, but Taihou held him down, shushing him gently. "Taihou is here… I'm here for you…"
"I had to…" Karl hectically says, breathing erratically. "I couldn't let it get to you! Not to you or Atago! Like it got to Akagi! I tried so hard to…."
"Get to me?" Atago asks, rushing over to Karl and Taihou.
"What got to me?! What my Commander?!" Akagi shouts, taking another side of him.
"Levithan… But I had the last laugh!" Karl laughs hysterically before Fredrich appears over him.
Fredrich put her hand over the Commander's eyes, sending him back to sleep. Snapping her fingers, everyone besides Amagi froze in time.
"The Levithan? THE Levithan?" Amagi questions Fredrich.
"I saw things inside his mind that shook me." Fredrich reluctantly admits. "But nothing like what Shinano saw in her dreams or the worse perversions of the sirens. The Levithan wasn't there. I have questions about this 'Cognitive manipulation' Raiden was speaking of."
"She didn't mention anything like that," Amagi replies, taking a sip of tea.
"Ahh! But she did during her Onsen visit to these two," Fredrich says, gesturing to Karl and Atago.
"You were following them?" Amagi asks, "I assume it was for noble reasons, yes?"
"I'm not Ark Royal," Fredrich replies innocently. "The fact my dear child is being pursued by these particular META girls intrigues me, as does his thoughts."
"Could have fooled me by the way you look at him." Amagi snarky says. "If you were more forward, you could have said you want to protect him overall."
Fredrich smiles, "Oh, how I could protect from the world we live in. But I'm afraid he wouldn't want that, no. He would hate me for it."
"I figured you wanted to do more than dote on the Commander," Amagi remarks, pouring Fredrich some tea. "Please sit. There is much we need to discuss then."
"Gladly." Fredrich agrees, sitting beside Amagi, who handed her a cup of tea.
"Please explain what you mean by Cognitive manipulation?" Amagi asks her, "Does this have to do with his episodes? Akagi spoke of an odd change in him after saving Nagato and Misaka."
"I believe there is someone, or something, altering his memories or cognitive abilities," Fredrich says frankly. "Obviously, there are some signs of trauma that I have seen during my visits."
"Even with them frozen in time, I wouldn't say anything of the like around Akagi or Taihou," Amagi recommended to her.
"I'm not visiting him at the witching hour for anything lewd if that is what you are assuming," Fredrich says cheekily.
"I know you better than that," Amagi chuckles. "But what do you mean?"
"I've spent some time toying with his mind," Fredrich explains, sipping tea. "My own intrigue getting the best of me. Between our talks and my prodding, the Commander has darkness. But between the darkness, I find corners of the light and some missing moments."
"Hmmm," Amagi replies, thinking of the lapses of memories from Akagi and Kaga when discussing the war. "Akagi and Kaga spoke of scars on his body. Possibly he was 'returned' to the world like we were?"
"I don't see that being the case." Fredrich counters. "From his mind, I saw only select portions missing. A void seems to lay in these memories that reek of… questionable magic, for lack of a better term."
Taking a sip from her tea, Fredrich looks back to Karl, sleeping soundly. His chest rhythmically moving up and down as the Commander snoozed made Fredrich smile briefly. But as soon as the smile came, it faded as she sat down for the tea. "I believe we might have to investigate."
At Attu…
Ember wiped the yellow blood off her sword on the remains of torn ranger green field jacket worn by a dead soldier. Their new weapon had performed… adequately by her standards. What it had awoken in the facility had torn into it and turned this place into a seeping chest wound. Initially, it had put the META girls on their toes with its integrated defense and fanatical defenders. But the weapon changed the tide of battle.
"This isn't an extermination," Junyou remarks to Ember.
"Don't be sentimental," Ember says bluntly. "We aren't the ones making the killing, well, all of it, at least."
The bitterness in Ember's voice undermined her usually stoic attitude. Their attack met overwhelming resistance from the soldiers on Attu. Her comrades were mauled by accurate fire from automatic cannons and heavy artillery, but they broke through after saturation bombing by the carrier aircraft and heavy shelling. Getting into the facility was a whole other affair, though…
Junyou noted the wounds on Ember and Raiden from the breakthrough. The soldiers used heavy incendiaries and grenade launchers to keep them on their toes. That was until Ember activated the mirror sea and a new weapon…
"We should be able to push to the server room for the information on Hadrian," Raiden replies as she sheath her sword. "Typhoon will hold Massacre Bay for us while the Second Carrier division watches the rest of the area."
"Fuso and Yamashiro were hurt significantly," Junyou says worryingly. "My sister lost all her aircraft to their anti-air defenses! This base isn't going to be easy!"
The light carrier kicks over the body of another soldier, revealing a devilish insignia of a skull clutching a dagger in its teeth, "These are Kommandos…."
"It matters not," Ember shouts. "Either we find what we are looking for or kill every human here and destroy this site! Humanity will never have a facility like this, EVER!"