Chapter 6
The trip back to their base was a very strenuous endeavor for Fubuki and the Iron Fleet. After they turned to head after Graf Zeppelin launched her "suicide squadron" to aid Fubuki's friends from the Naval District in their losing battle against the abyssals, they were more antsy on the return trip while before they were brimming with pride and determination. There were a few times when one of them would suddenly jolt and aim in a certain direction thinking that enemies were there only to find nothing and some of the others would try to calm them down. Things really took a turn when the abyssal they captured started to stir minutes away from the storm that for lack of a better term hid their base, by the time they started to enter it had already regained consciousness and was thrashing around and trying to shoot at them with its guns. They were about to try and use the electric wire on it again until they dragged it into the storm and the cold seemed to almost drain it of whatever energy it still had. It went form violently thrashing like a wild animal to worm-like wriggling till it just stood still shivering in the icy wind and snow. Relief washed over as it seemed like electricity wasn't the only thing the infected were vulnerable to.
All seemed to be going well, but when Fubuki glanced at Zeppelin, she could see that she was still upset over essentially losing two whole bomber squadrons, while they did report their attack run was a success, they also said that they were gonna try and return. That last part still stung to Zeppelin's core, since it sort of felt like she was abandoning them for no good reason. Suddenly, Zeppelin seemed to tilt her head up slightly as if she were hearing something strange. Soon Fubuki heard it too, the sound of planes approaching them. As they both turned to the direction they thought the sound was coming from, neither of them could believe their eyes, somehow the bombers that Zeppelin had launched were braving through the storm for the slightest chance to make it back to their carrier; both Fubuki and Zeppelin were left awestruck. Zeppelin turned to look at Fubuki expectantly, Fubuki knew what she wanted and relented, "everyone, let's stop for a few minutes."
"Huh, why do you wanna do that kommandant?" Z-4 asked confused, she got her answer when Fubuki pointed up to the planes that were gonna try to land on Zeppelin's flight deck.
After a few minutes it was over and all planes were recovered: all in all, out of the dozen bombers that were initially sent out two lost destroyed by enemy fire while the rest made it back in the storm, of the ten, all but two had landed back safely while the two that crashed in the sea were quickly recovered.
After they finally arrived at the entrance, "can you all wait a bit longer out there while Bismarck and I check to see Dr. Eva's progress on her end?"
"Ok," Z-4 acknowledged, "but could you please hurry, there's only so much of this cold weather that even we can handle." She later requested.
"We try to move things along as fast as we can." Fubuki reassured as both of them headed inside.
They promptly ran over to the harbor where Dr. Eva was currently installing her "device" that would enable them to use the harbor to convert the abyssals back into fleetgirls again. Upon entering they saw just how much the place was renovated, various wires were strung about all along the walls, four ringed towers with a sphere on top of each of them that nearly reached all the way up to the ceiling. As she turned to face them, "ahh, right on time. Everything is ready." She reported.
"Good work," Fubuki praised. "Also the device you gave us was very helpful, we actually might need you to make maybe two more for us." She went on to request, to both Dr. Eva's and Bismarck's surprise.
"Wait you say my invention was to your liking yet you want me to make more as if the one I made is broken or something." Dr. Eva wondered, surprised that Fubuki would want her to make more than the single one.
"I'm surprised too," Bismarck joined in. "What do you have in mind, Fubuki?"
"Well I think we might be able to raise the stakes a bit," Fubuki began. "After we captured our target and brought here it regained consciousness before we entered the storm area, but when we brought it into the storm it seemed to calm down and even now it's still not resisting outside so I think once we stun them and bring them into the storm, we'd have a much easier time than we originally thought."
"So instead of just bringing them here one at a time you're thinking about bringing them in three at a time." Bismarck summarized.
"Pretty much, yeah." Fubuki agreed. "We should probably get a move in before the others freeze outside." She recommended, realizing that they had more time talking than they really should've at that moment. She and Bismarck ran out to get the abyssal and bring it into the harbor while Dr. Eva sheared over to the control switch ready to turn on the machinery. After opening the door and carrying the still frozen stiff abyssal as fast as possible before the heat could rouse it up again. Upon arriving and placing it into the center pool. The others left leaving only Fubuki, Bismarck, Dr. Eva and the captured abyssal alone. Without any prompting, Dr. Eva immediately flipped the switch and the tower surged to life, glowing with electrical energy that shot out from the spherical tops and towards the center. As it made contact, the water began to boil and parts of the abyssal began to smoke and disintegrate, the abyssal once more roared or rather actually screamed in pain. The combination of the boiled water and vaporized fungal material caused a fog to envelop the room and the abyssal seemed to start sinking. "Well this is it." Fubuki began.
"Yes, the moment of truth." Bismarck concurred.
"Oh god, it smells like rotting and burning." Fubuki said, putting her hands over her mouth and nose in a vain attempt to block out the new stench; Bismarck started coughing from the odor as well, also covering her mouth with her hand.
A few minutes after the machine had shut itself off, the pool began to stir with movement as something seemed to shoot out of it, a loud gasp could be heard startling everyone present, followed by panting and coughing. As the fog slowly began to dissipate, a voice spoke, "wo... wo bin ich (where…where am I)?" It seemed to ask meekly. Through the fog Fubuki and Bismarck could see what looks like a person standing on top of the pool, looking around in what could be guessed in a state of confusion and fear.
As the fog was almost completely gone, they could see just who the original girl was before being transformed into an abyssal, the first thing that came to mind for Fubuki was, "is that Mutsu;" she thought. The girl at first glance looked just like Mutsu, especially her face and hair; but, her equipment looked almost identical to Bismarck.
But while Fubuki didn't seem to know who she saw in front of them, Bismarck surely did. She stepped forward, her face heavy with emotion. When they both could clearly see one another, the other girl almost froze, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Bismarck could only quietly utter, "Tir…pitz?"
The other girl in turn also quietly uttered, "Bis…marck?"
The two immediately embrace one another, both of them bawling their eyes out into each other's shoulders, "es...das bist wirklich du (it…it really is you)," Tirpitz cries.
"Ich dachte, ich würde dich nie wieder sehen (I thought I'd never see you again)," Bismarck cries in return. This tearful reunion between the two sisters even had Fubuki and Dr. Eva shedding a few tears themselves.
After minutes of crying tears of joy and relief, the two battleship sisters release their embrace. "What is this place?" Tirpitz asks, looking around until she spots Fubuki. "Und who is she?"
"Hallo," Fubuki greets, slightly waving her hand.
"Sister, I don't understand…" Tirpitz goes on to say before Bismarck cuts her off.
"I'll try to explain as best I can." Bismarck says.
Bismarck retold everything that happened after they escaped from the Freedom Fighters: how they lived in this cave system and isolated themselves from the rest of the world until recently; this was also when Bismarck probably introduced both Fubuki and Dr. Eva to Tirpitz and explained how they found them and contributed to everything that's happening now. After the long story session, Tirpitz looked at Fubuki again, "I guess we have you to thank for all of this."
"Indeed we do," Bismarck agreed, "if it weren't for Fubuki, then we'd never have gathered the will to leave this place, let alone be able to bring you back to us again."
Tirpitz stepped toward Fubuki, kneeled before her with her left knee out in front, her right hand over her heart, and spoke,
"In gratitude, my savior, hear this vow so true,
I pledge my life to you, for all that you've been through.
In shadows deep or skies so blue,
Your service, honor, my heart anew.
Through peril's grasp and darkness near,
I stand by you without fear.
In every joy, in every tear,
Our bond, unbroken, year by year.
With loyalty as steadfast as the dawn,
In fields of battle or moments drawn,
Our spirits entwined, forever spawned,
To you, my hero, I am eternally drawn.
So let this pledge forever bind,
A solemn oath, heart and mind.
In service, honor, we shall find,
Our destinies as one, intertwined."
After Tirpitz finished, she promptly stood back up again. Fubuki was still in shock, trying to process what she had just heard. "Whoa, whoa," she said, "I understand that you're thankful and I appreciate that, but you don't have to go that far and essentially swear your life to me." She tried to say clearly but occasionally tripped over her words.
"Of course I do," Tirpitz simply replied, smiling. "You've already given so much to us already, not to mention that you literally saved my life, and in honor of that, my life belongs to you." She elaborated.