Chapter 23
Two days had passed since the Siren attack. Every ship in the convoy had sustained damage in one form or another, with two deemed past the point of salvaging, which had their crews evacuated before leaving them to sink, adding to the three we had lost during the attack.
Of the forty-four ships we had left port with, now only thirty-nine remained.
My ships had taken the brunt of the Siren's attacks and the damage across all of their decks showed it. Turrets and superstructures had been blown apart in some areas, exposing the interior to the outside world.
For the first day most of my ships listed in the water as their pumps worked overtime to get the water out. There wasn't going to be any long-lasting damage but we would struggle if Sirens were to attack the fleet again. Those that didn't take heavy damage had tried all they could to assist in the repair of the convoy ships.
Strangely, there wasn't even a scratch on the Warspite despite the fact the ship had taken heavy hits during the battle. From what Hood had told me, an incredibly bright light had shone out from the ship, almost blinding those who saw it. The light had also knocked out the remaining Siren aircraft and left the ship glowing slightly as it repaired itself far quicker than usual.
The source of whatever power Warspite had unleashed was just another mystery to add to the constantly growing list.
"Kommandant. Are you even paying attention?" Z23's stern tone brought me back to the present.
My eyes refocused on the wall I had been staring at and I looked at the annoyed destroyer sitting opposite to me. "Ah, sorry I was just thinking about something."
Z23 gave a long sigh and moved a few of the papers that littered the table we were sitting at. She had spent the past two days compiling an after action report on the Siren attack, and had been incredibly diligent with it, even going and compiling the individual reports from all the convoy ships captains. "We have been at this for quite a few hours now. If you wish, we can take a short break to stretch our legs."
I rubbed my eyes and nodded. We had been at this all morning; Javelin had joined us but I had sent her away when she started to fall asleep. "A break sounds good; it should be around lunchtime now anyway. Let's just finish what we were on and call it for now."
Z23 nodded and took a sip of water, then picked up her pen again. "In terms of relative tonnage, Javelin was the most effective at shooting down Siren aircraft, this is probably due to her dual-purpose turrets. However…" her pen taped against the paper as she pondered. "There is still the whole incident around what happened to Warspite. Some of the convoy ships are still having problems with their equipment. Are you able to remember anything at all?"
"No, sorry." I shrugged. "All I can recall is the ship shaking and hitting my head against something. From what I gathered whatever Warspite did happened after that."
"Right." She responded in a dejected tone. Whatever Warspite did had caused havoc on both the convoys and the girl's electrical systems as well. "Warspite can't seem to remember anything either. I was dozens of kilometres away and still ended up with a splitting headache, being at the epicentre she probably passed out due to a sensory overload."
"Sounds like the most reasonable explanation." I agreed. It felt like a punch in the gut lying to them, but Warspite was right, the girls already had enough to worry about.
"It will have to do for now." Z23 gathered the papers up. "Putting that aside, for a small formation of Battleships and Destroyers to come out on top against two Carriers is nothing short of a miracle. Had it been daytime I worry things would have turned out far worse."
"We'll have to stay vigilant until we arrive in New York." I rubbed the side of my head that had been hit. Despite what Warspite had said it had been a rather minor wound. "To think this is our first proper outing and we already came close to being destroyed. I'm starting to think this whole thing was a bad idea." I voiced my concerns to Z23, seeing the state of my ships after the attack and knowing a fraction of what was out there had allowed doubt to grow inside me.
Z23 stopped and looked at me with a smile. "We're alive, that's all that matters." She gestured towards the door. "Go get some fresh air, I can sort all this out and then go find where Javelin has wandered off to."
I gave my thanks to Z23 and left her to work. I had always found paperwork to be a tedious task but she seemed to enjoy it.
I started making my way towards the weather deck, but found myself idly wandering around the internals of the ship, thinking over all the damage the girl's ships had taken. I was well aware that they were connected to the ships and damage seemed to transfer over to their bodies, but shortly after waking up I had gone to see the girls only to find Hood with a rather nasty black eye and Elizabeth limping slightly. My mind just wouldn't let me ignore the creeping thought of what would happen to them if their ships sank. Even with the short amount of time I had spent with them, I now found it impossible to imagine trying to go on without any of them.
The sound of someone breathing heavily pulled me away from my thoughts. I noticed I had wandered all the way over to the ship's stores. If the ship had a full crew the rooms would have been filled to the brim with foodstuffs, but right now they were mostly empty.
One of the room's lights was on and the sound seemed to be coming from inside. Knowing that nobody could be on the ship without Warspite knowing I wasn't overly worried about stowaways so I casually walked over to the door to see what was going on.
The sight I was greeted with was a rather amusing one. Warspite counted to herself as she did push ups, with several beads of sweat dripping from her brow. From the sheer amount of strain it took her to rise and the long breaths she took, she was obviously at a high number.
She noticed my presence, and gave a slight nod before continuing.
I took a quick glance around the room. Her scarf, gloves and jacket had been neatly placed on a chair by the door, along with a towel and some water. Warspite had even gone and removed the metal clasp around her hair, just tying her bright blond hair back into a singular ponytail to stop it falling forward.
It was strange to see her without the jacket, she had lost her more regal look and now had the look of just an average woman albeit a little on the shorter side. Well, apart from the fact she didn't wear much to cover her legs.
Eventually her movements slowed as her arms began trembling, the muscles unable to take her weight anymore. She stopped and rolled over onto her back, panting heavily. Her hand slowly rose and pointed towards the towel beside me.
"So, what's this about? Planning on throwing your shells at the Sirens next time we fight them?" I joked as I threw the towel over.
Warspite wiped the sweat away from her face. "Something like that."
I picked up the water bottle and took a few steps towards her. "I'm curious though. Can you girls even physically change?"
"I think so." She slowly stood up and took the offered drink before moving close and whispering. "Don't tell a soul, but I've noticed the effects of her Majesty having one to many sweets and pastries." Warspite made a slight pinching motion at her waistline.
"Seriously?" I chuckled, both amused and surprised at the knowledge.
She drank a mouthful of water and hummed in conformation. "It's barely noticeable, I only found out last night when she rolled over in bed."
"That is an interesting development." I mused while Warspite went and retrieved her clothes. "Still." I continued. "Why were you exercising that hard anyway? I can't see a reason for doing it to that level of intensity."
She gave me a confused look. "What's wrong with exercise? I know for a fact you do it every day." Her foot tapped against the deck. "My ship and everything."
I folded my arms. "I don't have cannons. If I get into a fight, my strength is all I have."
"And me, I swore to be your sword after all." She winked.
When I didn't reply she sighed and finally relented. "Well, you know how we ended up at that port full of other ships. And how my body there had changed." She looked over to see me nod before continuing. "You said that my body felt far stronger than normal, and that Union girl mentioned something about a retrofit. I thought about it all and realised when we were fighting those aircraft, I could feel myself getting worn out, despite the fact my human body wasn't doing much, so maybe by becoming stronger with this body my ship will follow suit."
I opened my mouth to point out the flaws in her logic, but held my tongue as I remembered that trying to find reason when it came to these girls was a nigh impossible task.
Warspite noticed my confused look. "I know it doesn't make much sense. But it's worth a shot. And if it ends up not working then oh well, at least I got a little stronger."
"True." I replied. "Anyway, it's about midday. Want to go grab something to eat? Javelin's probably made us all lunch by now."
"Aye, can do. All this work has built up an appetite." Warspite looked up towards the ceiling, fixing her hair. "I think they're setting up a table out on the deck. Let's not keep them waiting." She gestured for me to lead the way.
"So, how did you find me anyway? I had thought the stores would be out of the way." Warspite asked as we made our way through the ship.
"I was just wandering around, then spotted the light and was curious. Why are you trying to keep it a secret?" I replied. I was still surprised I had stumbled upon her.
"Nay, it's nothing like that." She waved a hand dismissively. "I did think about asking the other girls if they would be interested, but I realised it probably wouldn't be their thing. That and I didn't overly like the idea of others seeing me get all sweaty."
"You seemed fine with me seeing you like that."
Warspite cleared her throat with a cough. "T-true, but considering what we went through a few days ago and how you had to bandage me after the fight with that Siren I don't think there's anything left I can feel embarrassed about when it comes to you."
I noticed a slight blush had formed on her cheeks despite her speaking in a rather casual tone. My face also started to feel warm as her words brought back certain memories.
We were saved from any further embarrassment as the door leading to the outside came into view. I opened it and let Warspite walk through first.
It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the brightness of the sun after spending so long inside the ship. I spotted Elizabeth further down the deck, organising a few plates and other items onto a table. Warspite's face brightened just at the sight of her sister. Elizabeth noticed us as we walked over and waved. Once we were within earshot she spoke once we were within earshot.
"Good day James. One was just about to send someone to find you." She gestured towards the table. "With how wonderful today is, one thought it best to have lunch outside today. The girls should be bringing it over shortly." She pulled out a chair for herself but her face twitched in pain as a small injury she received on her arm from the battle reminded her of its existence.
Warspite immediately went over to her sister's side and pulled out the chair for her. "Your Majesty, you mustn't strain yourself. Your ship is still badly damaged."
"As is everyone else's. One can deal with a small inconvenience, one is a Dreadnought after all." Elizabeth sat down and motioned for us to do the same. "And one's ship is nearly repaired, a day or two and it will be as good as new again."
"That's good to hear." I commented as I took my seat. "With your ship back in action that only leaves the Z23 in need of repair."
"The poor little thing." Elizabeth sighed. "One nearly lost composure upon seeing the damage wrought upon the small destroyer."
The conversation ended as the sound of a door opening pulled our attention to Hood, Javelin and Z23 walking out onto deck, each of them carrying a tray of food.
I gave my thanks and helped serve the food out to everyone. It wasn't anything overly fancy, as this time so long out at sea had made most of the fresher foods, being most dairy products and fruits had perished, leaving us with the basics, but it still looked filling and far better than anything I had eaten back on the Endurance; I didn't know if this was due to it being prepared by caring hands or if it was due to me eating it with close friends instead of just eating alone back in my cabin.
At one point Elizabeth had stood and leaned forward to grab some bread. Warspite's words about her sister's weight came back to me;I took a quick glance downward in shame. I wasn't overly able to see much difference from when we had first met but when she sat down I noticed Warspite looking at me with a raised eyebrow while she drank some tea, her lips curled into a sly smile at either end of the mug.
"Anyone know where U-556 is?" I asked after drinking some tea and realising the small submarine wasn't present.
"She is onboard one of the convoy ships." Hood answered. "She's assisting in the repair of one of the freighters that got damaged below the waterline. She radioed in a few hours back and said she'd probably end up spending all day there."
"That's good, any repairs done to the convoy can speed us up." Z23 added after finishing a sandwich.
I nodded in agreement but I couldn't help but feel worried. There shouldn't be any danger, these girls are strong enough to break a man in to with ease. I told myself.
As if being summoned by the mention of her name, I heard a loud splash come from the ocean beside the ship followed by U-556 landing rather clumsily on the deck.
Panting heavily, she shook the water from her hair and noticed us. "Ah, Kommandant!" She called, still out of breath.
"What's wrong?" I was already out of my chair and running over, panic beginning to spread its way through my body.
"Ah, well. I have some amazing news to tell you!" Her hands were on her knees. She slowed her breathing before looking at me with her usual smile.
U-556 cleared her throat… and began speaking in rapid fire. "So, I was working on freeing up one of the cargo ship's rudders and while taking a short break I was talking to one of the sailors, I had noticed from how he spoke that he was from Germany and I was curious about my homeland. Pretty cool guy! He's pretty handy with the welder and has this thick accent that is just lovely. Anyway! He asked if I wanted to have lunch back in his cabin. All the work had made me hungry so I accepted."
"Right." I said plainly, suspicious at what the sailor had intended.
"So, I was talking to him in his cabin and something caught my eye. Apparently during the battle, he had to abandon his old ship and he spotted them while on a lifeboat."
Warspite walked into view, her arms folded. "What did he spot?"
It took U-556 a few seconds to realise she hadn't shown what she was talking about. "Ah, right! He found these!" She dug her hands into her coat and pulled out two small cubes. Their soft blue glow immediately gave away what they were. "I remembered you showed me the ones you had. He was more than happy to let me have them.
"He just found the cubes floating out in the middle of the ocean?" I asked, surprised at their sudden appearance. U-556 just nodded and offered them to me. My hands grabbed them quickly. I could feel the same draw as before.
"Seems rather convenient." Warspite voiced her concern.
"Yeah, but you know what they say about gift horses and whatnot."
I looked at them intensely. Despite the pulling feeling I had there was nothing overly special about them.
U-556 tilted her head. "I thought if you touched them a ship would pop out. All the time I had them I just had an overwhelming feeling to get them to you.
"To be honest I have no idea how these things work. They just tend to sud- ah!" A sudden painful shock ran down my arm, making me involuntarily let go of them.
They hovered in the air a few feet off the deck. The cubes began to spin and a blinding glow started to radiate out from them. The brightness quickly grew to an intensity that forced me to turn my head away.
The light died down after a few seconds, I risked a quick look, and the sight I was greeted with was astonishing.
A tall girl now stood on the deck. She had fair pale skin and long brown hair that was tied in a ponytail to a side, held by a red feathered bun. She wore a short red dress that showed off her long legs and large chest. Her body and height were more akin to Hood's than Javelin's or Elizabeth's, but was far more athletic than the former. On her legs, she wore black socks with a red lining, as well as black leather bands on her thighs, and curious red high-heeled sandals on her feet with metallic wrappings around her soles and ankles. Another blue glow followed, and a long white jacket with intricate golden patterns materialised on her back. The long coattail and sleeves slowly fluttered in the wind. Looking closer, the ends resembled feathers.
Her eyelids fluttered before opening and revealing bright yellow eyes with a deep orange eyeshadow that seemed to instantly focus on me.
I raised a hand to wave in greeting, finally remembering that I existed. "Uh, hi. Things might be a little confusing for you right now but I can promise we can explain everything to y-"
She moved like lightning. Her hands dropped to her hip as a scabbard appeared. With a shout in a language I didn't recognise, she leapt towards me unsheathing her thin sword in one fluid motion.
Even if I wasn't frozen in shock there wouldn't have been any chance for me to move. With her sword glinting in the sunlight, she swung towards me.
With a flash of sparks, her attack was stopped mere inches from my head as another sword blocked its path. Warspite quickly pushed the sword away from me and forced the girl to step back. "James get back! There's something wrong with her!" She yelled, getting ready for her next attack.
"But-"
Warspite didn't even wait for my response and kicked her leg back to push me away. Even without the strength granted to her by her rigging there was enough force to push me several feet away, I was saved from hitting the deck as Z23's small hands wrapped around me and put me back on my feet.
The girl in red attacked again. She pushed off her back foot and plunged directly towards Warspite. Even with the sheer weight and size of her sword Warspite easily stepped to the side and deflected the attack. There had been an opportunity for Warspite to follow up with an attack of her own but she used the opening to create distance between them instead.
"Kommandant, stay behind us!" Z23 sternly spoke as she moved to stand in front of me, her rigging out and ready.
I watched in shock as the new girl moved towards Warspite once again, this time with a constant flurry of blows. Each one was blocked with ease but I could see that Warspite was losing ground due to her not wishing to injure her. I caught a glimpse of the girl's face; it was now twisted into a look of pure anger. "What's wrong with her?"
"I believe she may be suffering from the same affliction that had gripped me." Z23 coldly said. "She probably suffered a horrible sinking and believes she is still there."
Elizabeth's rigging appeared at my side, one of the turrets was positioned to protect me while the other was trained at the girl. "What can we do to help her?"
"I don't know. It was the Kommandant who was able to pull me out from the abyss, but I don't think that will work on her." Z23 replied.
The girl in red was able to get past Warspite's guard, slashing across her right arm, leaving a long cut that soon bled onto the deck. Warspite gritted her teeth to endure the pain and continued to step back.
Elizabeth looked panicked. "W-well, we have to do something! Waspite can't last too long fighting her!" She took a step forward, only for Hood to place her hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, your Majesty." Hood spoke in a calming voice. "Miss Warspite has already formed a plan." Hood pointed towards one of the ship's turrets. One of the barrels had started tilting down. I realised Warspite was backing up to put both her and the girl right at the end of the barrel. "Even without a shell the cordite should create a loud enough bang to startle her."
Realising her plan, Elizabeth quickly turned and jumped towards me, her outstretched hands quickly cupping my ears as we fell to the deck.
There was a muffled bang followed by a shockwave that felt like my body had been hit by a train. The deck was quickly covered in smoke.
"Thanks." I told Elizabeth as we stood back up. We both looked towards where the two had been as the smoke started to clear.
The girl in red was standing there, grasping her head with her free hand while she recovered from the shock. Her gaze cleared up somewhat, as she seemed to finally gather herself, as her eyes fell upon her own hand, and stared at it in confusion. Waspite then darted out from the smoke with a hand raised in a fist poised towards the confused girl, who only managed an ungainly "Eh?" Before Warspite's punch made contact with her stomach and sent her flyingWarspite snatched her sword, and rushed forward, stopping above the downed girl, and holding both blades a few inches above her head. Warspite couldn't help but examine the curious single edged blade, and gave a slight of approval before returning her attention to the rattled shipgirl. "You know English?" Warspite asked.
"I… do?" She replied, confused at the sudden knowledge making itself known in her head.
Warspite smiled, and retired herself from her, examining the sword one last time before sheathing her own, and proceeded to offer the now free hand. "Sorry about all that. It was all I could think to do without injuring you."
The girl blinked a few more times as she gathered herself, eventually taking Warspite's hand and standing back up. She looked all over herself in amazement. "I'm… human? How is this possible?"
"We're something far more than just a human." Warspite reversed the grip on the blade and offered it back. "It's rather confusing at first but you'll get the hang of it."
She noticed the cut on Warspite's arm when she took her sword back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to injure you."
"Don't worry about it, I needed the practice anyway." She casually replied.
The girl noticed the rest of us watching the exchange, her face started to turn red in embarrassment. Warspite put a reassuring hand on her back. "Come, let's go meet everyone."
When she was close enough to me she suddenly bowed her head down. "I sincerely apologise for attacking you!"
I was slightly taken aback by the gesture, but I eventually smiled and waved a hand. "As Warspite said, there's nothing to apologise about. It's all water under the bridge now."
"Warspite?" The girl spoke in a curious tone. She looked back at the ship we were standing on. "If this is the Warspite then you must be the Royal Navy."
"Eh, kind of. It's a rather long story." I shrugged. "Allow me to introduce everyone. "To my left is Javelin, Hood and Queen Elizabeth of the Royal Navy. And to my right is Z23 and U-556 of Iron Blood" I pointed to the girls as I named them, they each gave a nod or a small wave in greeting.
"And my name is James." I offered my hand to her.
She looked at my hand in confusion for a moment before grabbing it with both of her hands and shaking. "I am Zuikaku, the second ship of the Sakura empire's Shokaku class aircraft carriers. I will be in your care."
"A Sakura aircraft carrier?" I looked at her head, surprised at the absence of any fox ears, nor did she seem to have a tail. A quick look showed that Warspite was probably thinking the same thing.
"Is something wrong?" Zuikaku asked.
"Oh no it's nothing, just a little curious as to why a Sakura ship is all the way out here in the Atlantic." I quickly replied.
"That is a good question." Zuikaku folded her arms and thought. "Last thing I can recall was being sent to the Philippine Sea to investigate the disappearance of an entire battle group. I was suddenly attacked by a swarm of siren torpedo and dive bombers and sunk shortly after."
"Well, we still have no idea where the cubes come from, and there doesn't seem to be any real correlation between where you sink and where your cubes are found."
Zuikaku gave me a puzzled look. "Cubes?"
I sighed and looked over to the table. The chairs had been knocked over in the chaos and any food that was left would be inedible after being covered in the smoke from Warspite's cannon.
"It may be best for you to take a set." I spoke as I walked over to the table. "You're in for a rather long story."
It took nearly three hours to explain to her nearly everything that had happened over the past few weeks. To my surprise she remained attentive and would occasionally ask a few questions about certain events.
Hood had gone and made tea for us, but even that hadn't stopped my throat from feeling sore by the end.
"And that's about everything." I finished. "If I have to do this with every ship I meet it may be best for me to write all this down and just give it to them from now on."
"Yes, that may be a good idea." Zuikaku replied with a plain tone while she idly ran her finger around the rim or her teacup.
I had seen that look before. It was the look of someone realising everything their crew had fought and died for had been destroyed and forgotten. It was a sight I knew I would be seeing more often, but one I could never get used to.
Warspite offered some comfort. "I know it's a lot to take in. Trust me I'm still getting to grips with everything myself. But know that you are far stronger than you once were and you will avenge your crew."
Zuikaku nodded, with a bit more life in her motions. "You're right, The gods have granted me a new body and the strength to strike down my foes. I will need some time to reflect upon what you have said, do you have a spare cabin that I could use?"
Warspite looked to me for approval, I just shrugged, it was her ship after all. She finished her tea and stood up. Come, I can give you a quick tour and find an empty cabin for you."
Zuikaku stood and followed. About halfway across the deck she stopped and looked out to sea for a moment before turning back to me. "You said something about us having something called rigging. With your permission, I would like to try mine out."
"By all means have a go, I'm curious as to how carrier rigging works myself." I gestured to the open sea.
Turning back, Zuikaku closed her eyes and focused. Her hands returned to the sword on her hip. A large runway appeared next to her scabbard, which attached itself to her hip. Her red sandals glowed and grew long metal fins from the back of the heels.
Zuikaku drew her sword, now engulfed in flame. When she slashed, the flames grew and several balls of flame leapt out from the sword's edge. They shot out at a blinding speed, each one growing and forming into the shape of an aeroplane before the flames evaporated and revealed a bright green fuselage.
Four aircraft flew out and away from the Warspite with roaring engines before turning and circling a few times. Zuikaku then sent them climbing up into their sky, the red spot on their wings glinting against the wide-open sky.
"Well, that was an interesting sight to behold." I said in amazement.
Zuikaku opened her eyes and looked towards where they had gone. "It's a bit tricky to control, but I should be able to leave them up on a reconnaissance path for a while." She sheathed her sword. "Well, until they run out of fuel that is. But it should help prevent another Siren fleet sneaking up on you."
"Feel free to launch them whenever you want. If it stops the Sirens getting the drop on us then I'm more than happy."
She turned and bowed, then made ways towards a now impatient looking Warspite.
Hood stood up with a giggle, and started making her way over to the bridge, looking at the disappearing planes. "The aircraft is probably causing all manner of panic across the convoy. I will go and reassure them that they are friendly."
I waved Hood off and sat back in my chair and relaxed at the feeling of the warm sun. Unfortunately, it was short lived as a small hand was placed upon my shoulder.
"Come on, Kommandant. The sooner we get back to work, the sooner we will be done." Z23 spoke encouragingly.
I sighed, feeling my shoulders sag. "Yeah, back to work we go."
I walked back into the dark interior of the Warspite once again, to spend countless hours going over paperwork with Z23 and trying my hardest not to fall asleep.
Z23 let the hot shower water fall over her body with a relaxing sigh. She closed her eyes, and for a moment her entire world was filled with naught but the sound and feeling of the warm falling water.
Javelin's chipper voice came from the next shower stall over. "So what do you think of the new girl? She seems nice."
Z23 thought for a moment before replying. "Can't really make a proper judgement of her yet. Haven't really spent much time with her."
"Ah, fair enough. Being able to launch planes is really cool though! If she was with us a few days ago then those Siren aircraft would have been no problem at all."
"J-ja." Z23 quietly replied, a hand subconsciously moving to her back as Javelin's comment brought back memories of the battle. She had checked beforehand that the bruising had disappeared before coming, but there was still an occasional twinge of pain whenever she moved.
Z23 had downplayed the damage her ship received. She remembered watching the bomb skipping across the water and slamming into her torpedo launcher. The shockwave had buckled her keel almost to the point of snapping it, and her spine had erupted in pain numbing her legs. Z23 had fallen to the cold metal of her bridge's floor, and needed every ounce of willpower she had to stay conscious and keep her remaining guns firing.
She had fought against the temptation to use the radio. She knew that all it would take was a simple call for help and James would have come for her. She had even pictured it: The door to her bridge slamming open and James running through, he would pick her up in his arms and carry her to safety, somehow taking all the pain away.
Z23 grabbed the shampoo and started to wash her hair with a frustrated sigh, dismissing those fantasies. Just as she had decided back then, she knew those thoughts were irrational. The Kommandant had to remain focused on the battle at large, the last thing he needed was a weak Destroyer calling out for help.
Z23 had decided to keep her injury to herself, and had instead focused on getting the fires and flooding under control once feeling returned to her legs. She wouldn't let the others worry and see her as nothing more than a weakling.
Z23 turned and let the hot water run down her back. The heat brought a temporary relief to her sore muscles.
She wondered if the Kommandant knew how to give massages. He had said his back felt sore after sitting all day, and she could just make up a story about how her back was also feeling sore. Knowing him he would be more than happy to offer a back massage.
Z23 once more drifted. She would lay down on bed, close her eyes and relax, as his hands slowly moved across her back, gently kneading out all the tension. By the time he was done she would be half asleep, he would lean in putting his face close to hers. And then, and then…
She caught herself and forcefully banished such thoughts. She quickly switched the showers temperature and let the cold water cool her hot head.
"Stupid dummkopf, you're supposed to be a warship." She chastised herself.
"Huh, you say something?" Javelin asked, reminding her she wasn't alone.
"Oh uh, nothing! Just talking to myself." Z23 quickly finished up and left the shower.
Just as she was about to grab a towel a pair of damp slender hands wrapped around her from behind. "It's really not fair." Javelin whined. "I wish I was as big as you." Javelin put her body weight into Z23 and rested her head on her shoulder. A jolt of pain ran down her spine, almost making her stumble and yelp, but was able to control herself.
Javelin for her part had already been suspicious of her the last few days. At first it was asking about Z23's stiff walking and then why she had been bathing at separate times. Z23 meanwhile had almost confided in her what had happened but ultimately stopped herself. Javelin's smile had been all she needed, she had decided.
"Javelin, if you haven't already noticed, you are already taller than me." She was already used to the British Destroyer's lack of understanding regarding personal boundaries, with how callous she and Hood had been when she fitted her pyjamas. She wondered if it was a Royal Navy thing.
"I didn't mean height, I meant these!" Javelin's hands reached up and squeezed her chest, forcing a yelp in surprise from the blond destroyer. "If mine were as big as yours James would notice me more. He just seems to spend all his time with Warspite nowadays."
Z23 opened her mouth to chew out Javelin for being so immature, but remembered what she herself had just been fantasising. Instead, she turned and put a hand on Javelin's shoulder. "Javelin, believe me when I say that the Komm... James will always have time for you; you were his first ship after all. There is a special bond between you two that will never be broken. Besides." A small smirk formed on her lips. "In terms of chest size, I think you already surpass the two Dreadnoughts."
Javelin nodded with a sigh. "You're right, I need to stop worrying so much. Thanks Zee, I knew I could trust you to help me see sense. You really are like a wise old friend."
"Don't you start acting coy." Her hands went to her hips as she started to giggle. "You're only a year younger than me."
The two destroyers shared a laugh together, unaware of a third person entering the washroom.
"Um, excuse me." Zuikaku asked, slightly shocked at the two girls just standing in the open without any sort of covering. Was it some sort of western thing? She thought to herself while tightening the grip on her towel. "I was told to come here to bathe. Does the Shikikan share this space with us?" Z23 noticed the carrier's eyes drift downward. Her ears started to burn as she realised Zuikaku had probably overheard what the two had just been talking about.
"He does, but not at this time." Z23 replied while grabbing a towel for Javelin and herself. "He tends to wash up after us or first thing in the morning. And I'm sure if this place was still occupied, he would just come back later."
"That's a relief." Zuikaku relaxed. "Thank you."
The two Destroyers then proceeded to inform Zuikaku where to find everything around the washroom. The Sakura carrier was attentive all the while, though she also still seemed out of it, probably due to still coming to terms with the fact that she could even bathe in the first place. Javelin excused herself first with a cheerful bow, and just as Z23 was about to follow her out the door, Zuikaku called out to her.
"Um. About the Shikikan, what type of man is he?"
Z23 paused for a moment before answering. "The Kommandant is... As green as they come, he is completely inexperienced and has next to no idea what he's doing." Her face felt warm and she smiled softly. "But he's earnest in his shortcomings and is always open to listen. He wishes for nothing but the best for us and has put himself in mortal danger for our wellbeing several times over now. I believe all the girls in the fleet would agree in saying you would be hard pressed to find a man more worthy to command us than him. That's the type of man James is."
"Oh, I see." Zuikaku looked surprised at the heartfelt reply, eyes drifting off as she thought over the words. Even Z23 was taken off guard by her own words. "Once again, thank you. You've given me much to think about."
Bidding her a good night, the German destroyer left smiling with a slight spring in her step.
"Maybe one day a massage wouldn't be such a bad idea." She said to herself.
(A/N)
Sorry for the long time between the chapters, the last one really took it out of me and a bunch of life stuff happened that hindered me getting this one done.
I hope to get the next out before the end of year but we will have to see.
I would like to thank LowerBlack for the editing and proof reading. And everyone who enjoys reading this story, I am hugely grateful for every comment and follow I receive.