Life is picking up again, but that's OK I need it anyways. Thank you to the reviews for leaving them and enjoying this trainwreak I'm writing. Hopefully yall like it.
With Love ~Dresner
Musashi stood on the deck of her physical ship form. Looking towards the northeast, she sees the signal flares of friendly shipgirls approaching them. Akagi, Taihou, and Takao are escorted in by mass-produced destroyers and cruisers to cover them. The dark fox tries to radio the Commander, but nothing comes through.
"Commander, Musashi. Do you read me?" She calls calmly. A sigh leaves her as the calm and mighty Yamato class battleship begins to feel annoyed and anxious. "Any station on this net, IJN Musashi radio check."
"Musashi, Akagi. I read you loud and clear." Akagi replies, defeated.
"Status on the Commander," Musashi says coldly. A response was given when the girls were closer. Musashi moves to the railing as the trio pauses in the water.
Taihou and Akagi say nothing, defeated and heavily damaged. Takao looks at the fox, "We aren't sure… Atago went after him. But we haven't heard any word from them."
The fox sighs and looks at the two carriers, "Status on yourselves?"
The two carriers say nothing, But Musashi knew the two well. Akagi was wounded from fighting like a rabid animal. Taihou appeared as if she was set ablaze with a blackened face, scorched clothes, and dried blood. The two fought bravely. Takao appeared just as ragged and beaten down. The white uniform seemed to be stained by propellent and oil. Musashi nods and sighs, "Akashi is in our company. Go tend to your wounds and refit for combat; join the fleet. Once you're repaired, prepare for the assault."
"Lady Musashi!" Takao shouts to the great fox. "The Commander is on the ground, and we know his whereabouts! We might put him at risk!"
"The Standing orders were to begin the assault on his orders," Musashi points out. But now he is incapacitated. I will follow the plan you sent me: Refit and rearm."
Takao growls, but she accepts her superior's orders with a bow. Musashi tries again to call for the Commander, but nothing comes back… Then, she changes channels to a friend.
"Jintsuu… Tell me," Musashi whispers. "Tell me about this Raiden…"
Jintsuu META responds with a cough before replying, "A rogue… Her and Taihou META, this Typhoon. Nothing more than rogues trying to find purpose… No group, no clan, only loyal to Raiden's plan… Ronin, you see."
"Ronin…" Musashi ponders. "Then they can be recruited then?"
Jintsuu scoffs, "Atago META and Taihou META are notoriously uncooperative. Even since they were taken beyond by some… I'm not even sure what this creature in the guise of a woman was. It took them somewhere with a weapon powerful enough to destroy the Leviathan. But those rumors are unfounded…"
"Then we have rouge actors in our mist." Musashi dismisses. "If these are unfounded, why are there reports of Takao META accompanying these Ronin? Are the Ashes involved with this?"
"I assure you that neither faction is officially affiliated with these two. Though rumors persist that Junyou has been missing for some time…" Jintsuu reluctantly admits.
"Junyou META is missing. Ember reported in the region, and these two." Musashi begins, taking in the information. "All of these actors have been seen and listed in reports over the last month together… All tied to Commander Karl Dael."
"Ah, that man…" Jintsuu says tellingly.
"Are you withholding information from me, my friend?" Musashi says pointedly.
"Atago META and Taihou META have been obsessed with a man by that name for some time. Though Junyou META has known him as 'The Black Hunter.'" Jintsuu explains with a cough. "This is more of a conversation over tea."
"Tea will have to wait," Musashi laments. "The time for pleasantries will come again, for battle is here. Do you have the ability to contact Atago META?"
Jintsuu META sighs, "It may be a wasted effort, but I shall try."
At the Rock…
Only to dial a long number into the phone soon after. The dial tone fills his ear until a woman replies on the other end.
"Hello, Karl," Claudia replies on the other end. "To what do I owe this call? And from Attu no less."
"Red Lucy contacted you, yes?" Karl asks immediately.
"She did, and her orders are clear, as are yours," Claudia responds bluntly. "But what does it matter if the operation is complete? Or is it?"
"Is the rest of higher tracking this?"
The anxiety in his voice was evident to Claudia. Unbeknownst to Karl, she sat in a living room by a fireplace in a giant castle, far away from his world. The old witch held a decorative glass in her jewelry-covered hand while the other had an opulent corded phone. The castle, Castle Gaustadt, was rather spartan compared to the naval base's technological advances and classy facilities at St. Elizabeth, but she loved the old castle.
She hums aloud as Claudia considers her response, "Those that matter, yes."
"You realize what is at stake if I enter this conflict officially?" Karl asks pointedly.
"You know as well as I do what is at stake if you don't," Claudia replies coldly. "Besides, I can just pin this on Admiral Makarov. I would never waste my best asset."
"You didn't seem to realize what the hell you were doing when you took them from me, the girls." Karl snaps at her sharply. "And wasting assets? Just throwing away a key member like that? What was the point of it all after the hub?"
"Enough," Claudia growls sternly. "I did it for you and to protect you. I won't say I was right, but It had to be done. But this is what we must do for peace and your sanity. Is Attu secure?"
Karl becomes quiet. Only his breathing could be heard through the phone. The Wicker Witch motions for a servant to bring more wine. As the cup fills, Karl's breath grows deeper as he shouts into the phone. "NO, ITS NOT. As for peace… Peace? You play along with Z's games, exile me just to appease the status quo, and now this? You and I know peace is an illusion; why wash my memories away? I lost my sanity long ago, both of us; it never mattered in the first place."
"You jaded fool…" Claudia laments as she sips her wine. "We need this peace, and so do you. We all need it to recover and prepare for the next fight; every Kommendant knows this."
"That doesn't answer my other question, Witch." Karl snarls.
Claudia sighs and adjusts herself in her seat. The crackling fire catches her attention as she swirls the wine in her glass. She smiles as 'the better times' come to mind, and nostalgia creeps up on her. "I've always protected you, Karl Erich Dael, even when you were a boy. But seeing you devastated at the end of that mission at the hub broke me. You know I still love you? I always have, even after Z made us end our matrimony."
"I say again last," Karl stays firm. "Why did you wipe my memories? I am not here to listen to your cryptic nonsense again! Nostalgia be damned, Why did you betray me?!"
"Because I couldn't handle the fact I made you lose the love of your life a third time!" Claudia shouts into the phone, her accent thicker than ever before. "Jane, Me, and those girls! I had to send the rest away and clean up that mess somehow! Z wanted you to die there just to keep me in line! You think this doesn't hurt me, huh, Karl Dael? I didn't betray you; I omitted facts!"
"You couldn't let me come to terms with my life, my mistakes, and yours? Is that what you omitted? My will, my decisions, and my life?! I told you to take the memories of the Cleansing out. Not EVERYTHING ELSE." Karl hisses. "I'm not a fucking child; I'm the man that made everything happen. And this is how you treat me? A pawn? A machine?! You rip my autonomy away all to do what?! SAVE ME?!"
"You're my everything!" Claudia sobs, throwing the glass against the wall. "Z needed to keep you in check, but after the Cleansing, he saw you were on the edge. I ORDERED YOU TO DO IT, AND I MADE YOU A TARGET! I couldn't bear the pain I put upon you; I should have had my witches do it, but no. I made YOU do it… I SAVED YOU AFTER THE HUB! Exiling you was the only thing I could get for you, but only if I used my power to clear your mind of it all… The Rock is saving lives back home with the technology we've harvested from that world. But I can't live with the fact that I took more than I should from you… My love, I implore you: We need you, Karl Dael; we need men like you more than ever now… I need you…"
Silence enveloped the other side of the phone. Claudia's sobs fell on deaf ears, and she knew it, but that wouldn't stop her from pulling at Karl's heartstrings. "I'll keep your men safe… They will be on my security detail, by the gods, and my honor, I will uphold this. They are safe. But Attu must be returned to us, and the secrets of this operation must be kept intact."
"Two shipgirls know of my affiliation, Fredrich Der Grosse and Takao," Karl interjects, looking around the room at the shipgirls.
"Fredrich will keep her word, but I don't know if the other will," Claudia replies, unsure. Do as you must, but the Rock must be secured, and Operation Vulture continues."
"So what's its name?" Karl's sarcasm fills Claudia's ears. "I thought it would be something more creative, like Graverobber."
"I don't need your sarcasm. Secure the Rock, Major Dael." Claudia says coldly.
Karl chuckles sardonically, "That's all? You feed the mortals to machinations of flesh and steel with such ease… Even after you 'tried' to help me… Fuck the operation… How did it feel when Fredrich defeated you?"
"No one has ever defeated me, let alone some toy like her…" Claudia seethes. Getting out of her chair, she warms herself to the fire. What emboldens you to speak like this, my love? You've always been able to be a bastard, no question, but you've never been this cold to me."
"When Fredrich freed me, I remembered everything… Now I have reason to be cold to you…" Karl says calmly, gripping the phone until his knuckles turn white. "All I hear from you is that I'm a pawn and a pet—something you keep in check by holding or destroying the things nearest to me… I gave my life to you, The Order, and you repay me by ripping me away…"
"By the gods… She broke all of it… All the memory tricks and more…" Claudia says, shocking her. "I haven't heard you like this till I sent you on the Cleansing… You… Hate me?"
Karl smashes the phone against the wall. The rage in his eyes could have melted steel. Raiden approaches him, keeping her hands to herself as Karl stares at a wall in a rage-induced catatonic state. "Junyou… You were right." Raiden says casually with a hungry smirk.
Atago glares at him in fear and loathing… Here stood a man working with people to steal siren technology for reasons she couldn't understand. Typhoon gently places her hand on Atago. "I assure you, I feel your pain."
Raiden approached Karl and wrapped her arms around his neck. Like a lover, she looked into his eyes seductively as she spoke softly. "Why do you serve these people, this Order of St. Abaddon?" Raiden said loud, partly asking Karl and partly speaking to Lucy.
"Because… Because someone has to carry on… After it ended…" Lucy gasps, her skin turning pale and her breathing becoming heavy. She throws her hand on her chest, a sharp pain filling her. "We must… Fight on…"
"That doesn't answer her question, spook." Typhoon growls.
"Fuck you… Whore… That is why we serve… To carry on… Humanity will live on under the protection of St. Abaddon…" Lucy chuckles darkly. Typhoon goes to strike her, but Lucy attacks, throwing Typhoon back with a hard punch before bursting through the door into the darkness. But Junyou does nothing, simply letting Lucy leave and closing the door. Atago fights and draws her sword, but no one moves.
"Put it away, Atago… You won't live to use it." Typhoon warns her with an audibly annoyed tone.
"This man we love, our Darling Karl, has always been loyal to us," Raiden assures her as she kisses his cheek.
"What do you mean US?!" Atago demands as she grips the hilt of her sword tightly. "You and your ashes!?"
"We are not ashes." Raiden chuckles. "Our sister, Takao, now Ember, in this case, is, and so is Falcon. But Typhoon and I?"
She continues to chuckle calmly and shakes her head, "We are from the Black Ocean Society. But that doesn't matter to you. What matter is this man, yes?"
"I-I don't care!" Atago forces out, her eyes becoming watery and red.
"You do," Raiden replies coldly as she caresses Karl's face. "This man was betrayed by the organization that sent him here and now is persona non grata, for all intense purposes. Exiled and castaway only to be called back to save this place from me."
"What is even this place?!" Atago demands, her voice low and full of anger.
"That special forces unit he is from," Typhoon begins, leaning against the wall. "Is running operations across Azur Lane's territory to destroy Siren bases and take their tech."
Atago looks at Typhoon, confused, "Excuse me?"
Typhoon nods, "He was telling the truth when he said he's spec ops, no question. But that old prick didn't mention he was exiled or anything, did he? Not from the forces, but that Order he answers to. The files on the computers here gave us access to a lot about him…" Typhoon walks over to the files on the table as Raiden eyes Karl like a piece of meat.
"You heard that bitch on the other line… She betrayed him, his organization betrayed him, and sent him here to do their dirty work once they were overmatched…All the while, that spook watched him. Why do you think we chased him after he ran out of St. Elizabeth like a madman?" Typhoon opens the file and looks over it with a sad gaze. "Now it makes sense why he was exiled… The files didn't say anything about something called the Cleansing… But Junyou, you were right about him."
Junyou smiles smugly, "I told you… I told both of you. He's only loyal because his people are being held captive; he's just a leashed beast…" She sighs and puts her hand on Atago.
Atago eases up and looks at Junyou. "Takao knows. She knows where he stands, Shinano knows, and Fredrich knows… I've been watching you for some time, Commander…"
Karl's fury subsided, and he turned his gaze to Raiden. "Why?" He asks.
The ghostly voice from the large man's mouth shakes everyone in the room except Raiden, who smiles. "Because you don't deserve to be treated like a weapon, my Darling… But I needed you to understand the hard way… It was the only way to bring you back to us, to me."
"She won't let me; you know this, yes?" Karl states flatly.
"Claudia? She won't be an issue when you tell me what I want to know." Raiden says playfully.
"What DO YOU WANT?!" Atago demands.
Raiden giggles and kisses Karl on the cheek, "This man… This wonderful man and all his secrets. I wanted my Darling back, but I also wanted something else."
The mirror of herself turns away from Atago and reluctantly lets go of Karl to motion for them to follow her. Junyou and Typhoon push the two onward until they are in the main command area. Raiden presses some buttons on a panel, and the holographic display pushes out a 3D model of the Hub facility. Atago looks at it amazed, but her attention is divided between the danger of the METAs and her anger towards the Commander…
"This large display is that of the Hub," Raiden explains. "The dock for interdimensional travel to worlds between reality. This 'Order of St. Abaddon' used it for reasons still beyond my understanding, but that is not important. What is important is what happened to it…"
The META shipgirl presses a button, and the site is shown being hit from above by large beams of light from the heavens. "I wasn't sure what exactly happened here, But I recalled something involving the codename 'Hadrian' when I was flying out with the rest of my comrades… Thanks to the base commander's humble 'donation' of his fingerprints and password, I was able to find this information through a database. But I don't have the right credentials to access this information bubble…"
She puts the mouse cursor over the paused recreation of the event. The cursor lingers over one of the large orbs of light striking the large overseas platform facility, and a bubble with a password or voice authentication prompt pops out. "Tell me… What do you know of this? I know you've mentioned this… So don't lie, Darling." Raiden giggles.
Karl knew only a few things about 'Hadrian' but wasn't sure exactly what happened to it after Operation Unthinkable. He takes a breath as he contemplates everything… The betrayal, the anguish of it all, and the hopelessness in his heart made him resentful. This place made him angry, and he tried hard to stay calm. But Karl simply couldn't… He wanted revenge… He wanted to get back at them all…
"Do you know of 'Rods of God'?" He asks Raiden.
"Hmmm…" Raiden ponders, putting her hand on her chin as she thinks. "No, but do tell."
Karl groans as he tries to think of how to explain it. "It's an orbital weapon, a space weapon… We knew it just as Hadrian, but one of the science types from the aerospace forces talked to me about it on a train ride before we used it against some hardened structures in the Waldreich mountains."
"The where?" Atago asks him pointedly.
"Waldreich mountains," he says simply. It's on Tiberius, the world humanity calls home… After life on Earth ended in fire, the Kali Yuga… It's now my home as well."
The comment struck her hard, and Atago tried to dismiss it, but something in her wanted more than anything to believe him as he spoke further.
"But I'm getting off-topic," He continued. "It's basically dropping massive rods of tungsten from space to mimic nuclear weapons… Apparently, the aerospace forces managed to salvage it from Earth's orbit and drag it to our orbit. As I said, we used it to harden bunkers and other things in the Waldreichs during the campaign there… But then the Consul took control of it for emergencies and buried it under a layer of secrecy… It was our deterrent to our enemies in the north and those past the Waldreichs…"
"Didn't know they let you know that in the Kommandos…" Junyou remarks.
"I'm not supposed to be talking about it," Karl scoffs. "But that's out the window now."
"A doomsday weapon for a rainy day?" Typhoon growls. "And you used it on bunkers?!"
"They were big bunkers… Commander centers hundreds of meters underground or in a mountain." Karl remarks with an evil smirk. "It saved our ass when the Levithan came…"
"You… You weren't… You weren't lying…" Atago gasps horrified.
"It did save the day…" Raiden happily remarks. Now it makes sense what killed it, though it was a massive loss. I'm sure your people were not happy. But yet you are here… How?"
"The woman I spoke to… The woman that brought you there and sent you back… She sent me here with her power." Karl continues. "But that no longer matters, does it?"
"No," Raiden says with a satisfied smile. "Such a Darling you are… But there is more here, isn't there?"
The sound of raddling metal echoes around them, but Raiden and the other two METAs do not move. The doors burst open, and two humanlike figures carrying Lucy like a prisoner enter the room. The two figures are white-haired girls with skin missing and parts fabricated crudely in place.
"Subject returned, Master Raiden." One of them says in a distorted voice.
Atago readies her rigging but is stopped by Junyou's blade flashing in her face. "Those are ours… Don't bother trying to fight here." Junyou says ominously.
"Those are sirens!" Atago protests, hyperventilating as adrenaline and fear fill her. "They look like zombies!"
"A new weapon we grafted from beyond this world allowed us to awaken them and override their control. How else did you think we took this base from the humans here?" Raiden laughs.
"They… You…" Karl says, shocked, looking at the resurrected sirens. "That's what the men fought…"
"And we used them to turn the island's defenses against the response force…" Raiden smiles evilly. "Or at least assist us in defending our latest gains and further plans…"
The two clamored together, and sirens dragged Lucy closer and threw her at their feet. Lucy spits at Raiden's shoes, "Fuck your beasts… These fucking tin cans…"
"It wasn't wise to run away from me, Human," Raiden says coldly. "Now you are a Spookhouse agent, correct?"
"Fuck you…" Lucy growls, grabbing Karls's feet. He helps her up, to much of the META girl's dismay.
"She is," Karl responds for her. Lucy looks at him with a scowl.
"Good," Raiden replies. "Then Typhoon wasn't having one of her moments then."
With that remark, she pulls a yellow-marked injector from her pocket and teases Lucy with it: " You're feeling ill for a reason. That 'green stuff' was contaminated, and if you want to live, then I need the access code to get past the server lock. I know you worked here, Lucy May and your hand on the files for Operation Vulture was organized by you. Give me access, and I will let you live."
Karl looks to her surprise, "That's how you got the plans…."
"And?..." Lucy hisses. "That's why you didn't kill me, eh?"
"Typhoon isn't a fan of Spookhouse agents…" Raiden then looks at Karl knowingly with a toothy smile, her sharp K9s sparkling. "And neither am I. But for the sake of my Darling, I'm willing to spare you if you give me what I want."
"What makes you think they didn't change the password information, eh?" Lucy snorts, smirking evilly. "Or that I won't die to prevent you from getting the information on this place?"
"Because Claudia sold you out, too," Raiden responds flatly. "I've had my ears tuned to your communications since Karl found you. Attu, The Cleansing, and everything else I've been listening to in the shadows, but after I had a friend intercept your communications, it's been easier."
"What could the Wicker Witch want with me, huh?" Lucy spits at Raiden's feet.
"You really think she is willing to take another scandal?" Raiden asks frankly. "You are a little fish, Lucy May, and she will throw you to the dogs. You both know there will be reports on this. Who is going to control what goes into them?"
"Claudia… She…" Karl tries to defend his closest ally and lover. But even Claudia admitted it outright on the phone…
"She brainwashed my Darling, sent him to die, and left us without rudder after she sent us away." Raiden bitterly growls. "That witch failed to give us what we needed to save the sacred Sakura, and our empire burned, as did the rest of the world to the sirens and X. If she is willing to go back on such deals and exile you, what makes you think she won't sell your friends out, Darling?"
"Madam Marlin will not… She…" Lucy tries to resist and looks at Karl.
"She admitted to wanting to pin it on Admiral Makarov…" Karl says defeated.
"Yes, she would." Raiden scowls at Karl. "You know what she did to you. Politics ripped her from you twice and from me… She used you. What makes you think she won't write it as you going rogue? You were ordered not to interfere in this action or any non-Azur Lane business by the Consul's head explicitly under threat that you and your men were going to be SLAVES, disobeying the orders of a consul member. Already, you are on thin ice, but it only goes deeper, doesn't it?"
Raiden gets closer, nearly an inch away from Karl's face. "You and her still communicated, and she gave you classified information regarding your involvement in Operation Unthinkable, hm? Then you allow Kansen to see this information… Both physical and mental… I know Spookhouse watches you constantly. Then this agent acts on her own along with STEALING property to assist in this operation of hers…"
"I stole nothing!" Lucy protests at the bald-faced lie. "The men and plane were given to me by Admiral Makarov!"
"Awww, how cute?" Raiden belittles her, bending over slightly to Lucy as if she was a child. "You think Mr. Z will accept that line from a traitor? Because judging from what I've seen, you assist an enemy of the state. What a beautiful story that your witch, Karl, will write to justify terminating you!"
Karl grits his teeth in bitter rage, but that twisted Atago was right. He told her a state secret to a possible enemy, and he was, for all intense purpose, disobeying a direct order from the head consul member… She was right… It was clear to any of his enemies what the story would be, and after his outburst against Claudia, he could not escape punishment. Lucy realized it as well; from the perception of the Consul, she was aiding an enemy of the state, and her name was all over it. Between her history with Karl during the war, working at the Rock, and her Spookhouse mission, she was screwed as well.
Raiden's smile grew larger and sickened the two warriors before her. "Seems you two are persona non grata… More so you, My Darling Black Hunter… That girl, Helena Maxis, is on her way, hm?"
He snarls, "I almost forgot about that schoolgirl…"
Raiden laughs, "Of course she is! I've monitored her progress since I intercepted your communications. Interesting how she's convinced she will just walk up here and save the day… Typical Eagle Union…"
"Her ETA?" Karl asks Raiden, taking her off guard.
"What does it matter?" Raiden replies sharply.
"I'll help you," Karl relents, "But you have to spare that bitch Maxis and my men. The Rock should have enough ordinance to hold off the Pacific fleet, but these are shipgirls. They aren't easy to hit, and I'd rather not let those Eagle Union girls get hurt. This isn't their fight after all…"
"Your men I'll spare, The Order's men are known for gallantry. I'm sure they will end their fighting once they see you in the flesh." Raiden says happily, looking over to Atago and her two followers. "But why the Eagle Union girls and their Commander? Don't tell me you are going soft on me, Black Hunter."
"Don't call me that baby girl," Karl said coldly. "You know better than that."
Atago raises her brow, "Black Hunter?"
"Just a harsh name… Nothing more." Karl dismisses it.
"You say that so casually." Lucy scoffs.
"I'd rather that part of me remain unknown to them." Karl snarls.
"Might as well let everything be known, Darling." Raiden continues, twisting the metaphorical knife deeper.
"I'm not putting that evil on her," Karl growls, demeanor growing colder. "You already cut me off from the rest of the world; don't let your innocents die. She's the only part of it left for you know."
"A philosopher, too?" Raiden chuckles and looks to Atago, "It's his allies. The name he earned in combat. That name was the last thing out of the mouths of the wicked and the innocent. Maybe you should see Shinano and Fredrich after this if you live, and they will give you an unbiased explanation of why he's called that."
"ENOUGH!" Karl shouts. "Stop this madness! You have the information you need on what happened all those years ago, and I'm here FLESH AND BLOOD; what more do you want!?"
"I want Hadrian," Raiden replies calmly and frankly. The files I need on it are here, and I know out of all the parts your people collected from the Sirens, we can take control of it or build our own."
"That's it?" Lucy laughs out loud, coughing as she does so. Everyone looks at her, puzzled, as the sickly redhead shackles. "You stupid ships… Pathetic devices… No more than overgrown nonsense of silly engineers… A pipe dream to save the world." She spits at Raiden's face. The glob of spit drips down the side of her fair skin.
The condensed and almost cheerfully calm Raiden faded in an instant as she began to stand up straight. Her dog ears shot upright and ridged, and her pupils constricted, leaving only bright yellow orbs for eyes like an owl or wolf finding its prey in the night. She closed in on the two, towering over the imposing Karl Dael by at least a foot. Bending over with her teeth shining bright, she got uncomfortably close to Lucy.
"Look at you, Lucy," Raiden growls, loaming over Lucy. "A creature of meat and bone. Do you have something to add?"
"You want Hadrian?" Lucy laughs again, smiling brightly. "That old war weapon that saved us from this world, bogyman? Too bad."
Raiden tosses Karl across the room in a rage as she grabs Lucy by the throat, hoisting her into the air. "YES! GIVE IT TO ME!"
Karl hits a nearby wall and slides down with a thud. The wind knocked him out, and he tried to recover quickly but stumbled. Typhoon hesitates as she watches Raiden, in a feral state, shake Lucy like a chew toy demanding information. She doesn't know if she wants to stop Raiden or aid Karl, but her resentment towards him savors his struggle like a fine, savory candy. Though she feels her heart call out to aid him. Atago readies her rigging and aims at Raiden, screaming for her to put Lucy down. Junyou readies her sword and takes position to attack Atago if necessary to defend her Master. Typhoon feels the conflict within her burning like wildfire. She wanted Karl to suffer, to suffer for leaving her alone without anything but the coat she wore. How dare this man just appear out of nowhere? How dare he not find her and beg for her forgiveness? How dare she leave her cold and alone in this cruel world?
The rage in her heart took the reins, and she stomped over to secure the other prisoner. As Karl gets to his knees, Typhoon readies a powerful soccer kick, pulling her leg back. Karl raises his feet and shoulders and checks the carrier as he charges toward Raiden and Lucy. At a dead sprint, he charges forward and reaches Raiden. Closing the distance, he throws his whole body weight at the META shipgirl, throwing her to the ground and freeing Lucy.
"NOW! NOW! RUN!" Karl shouts as he tries to restrain Raiden.
Atago fires her battery at point-blank range into Junyou, throwing the carrier backward into the controls of the holodeck. Lucy stumbles away, and Atago turns her attention to Typhoon, firing again but only misses by a hair. Her shells hit more of the command area, destroying more of the equipment around them and one of the Siren drones. The remaining attempts to attack Atago are subdued by Lucy leaping onto its back and ripping wires out of its neck. Once the drone falls to the ground, Lucy runs away, Atago leading deeper into the facility.
"They left you!" Raiden laughs, pushing Karl off of her with ease. "Just like the rest of them!"
A sudden leg sweep takes Raiden back to the ground, and Karl takes the power position to engage with her. "You don't need them! JUST ME!
Typhoon rushes him, leaping into the air to roundhouse kick him and succeeding as the mighty kick buckles him. Raiden collects herself and fixes her hair as Karl catches another of Typhoon's kicks. The Commander throws her to the ground and squares up on Raiden. "JUST ME!"
A ring catches them off guard as Raiden checks a communicator. This brief disturbance gives Typhoon enough time to put him in a headlock. But Karl thrashes and tries to use his weight to take the carrier to the ground again.
"JUST ME ATAGO!" Karl snarls and thrashes.
Raiden flashes her sword against his face as she speaks on the phone. "I need her fingerprints. That woman has everything I need on those little fingers of hers. But you do have your uses…"
She turns away and speaks into the phone out of earshot. Typhoon holds him with no issue, but she is impressed by his fighting vigor.
"Forgetting I can crush you like a bug, Black Hunter?" Typhoon taunts him.
"THEN DO IT." Karl snarls, the hate in his heart filling him. "What do I have to lose? You three have the most to lose out of this."
Raiden returns and closes the communicator. "Our Darling has ordered an assault to carry on here by some of our friend's closest allies."
"I guess I get to let this lug go and prepare to show my strength again." Typhoon chuckles happily.
"No. Let them exhaust their energy." Raiden interjects. "We simply want information to begin the plan. But, first, we need our Darling to play his role."
Raiden looks at Typhoon's greatcoat, the leviathan cross from the Order of St. Abaddon still embedded on its sleeve. "Kommando's and the remaining members of this garrison have fought… Valiantly against my drones and even against Ember. Who knew your men were taking information on KANSEN, too? They've damaged her rigging several times, so I'm having some of my friends repair her."
Karl smiles, "My boys are resourceful."
"Call them off," Raiden says flatly.
"No," Karl says defiantly.
"What makes you think you have a choice?" Raiden demands.
"What makes you think you have leverage over her?" Karl interjects. "You took everything from me. I won't betray my men. You'll kill them."
"What makes you think I'd do that?" Raiden snaps. "Do you think I have no honor? That I would sacrifice the men who destroyed the Leviathan?"
"In my heart and soul… I will never betray them." Karl says vaguely. "Just like those girls attacking would never betray me."
"No matter how much power your friends in the former Crimson Axis adore you, you were still betrayed by your masters. Why stay loyal to those who turned their back on you?" Raiden asks.
Junyou comes to look around at the damage. "My Lord, the machines here are destroyed. I don't think we can get anything here. We'll have to go to the portal area and its backup."
"I'm aware, Falcon, I'm working on that currently," Raiden responds, her eyes firmly set on Karl. "You might not have a choice, Black Hunter."
"What makes you think this plan will work? Hadrian is something that you will only be able to control if you have the systems WE HAVE. I don't see you girls being able to produce anything of substance. Besides, this place is a collection and distribution point to Nifelheim. There is no production capability here."
"Ah Nifleheim, your home," Raiden sighs. "Our home for a short time… 'm aware of this place's limitations, but that is why my sister is here. Between what data we captured here and what we can gather from the Sirens, we can finally finish this war."
"Did you even hear what I said about this place?" Karl asks, patronizing her. "It's not a factory!"
"Ah, but your men captured one: Devil." Raiden smiles, "Just her plans, it seems… Along with some other attention to her design. It seems your people were deeply interested in her for production of some kind for specific parts, interesting how her abilities to scan existing objects and analyze them to begin production."
"A walking 3D printer?" Karl says dreadfully. "They found her in Antarctica… And brought her here… After they killed her…"
Raiden puts her hands on her hips and, with a smug expression, says, "I always have a backup plan. All I need is the access code to the data, the portal, and the Devil so that I can begin. Dead or not, I have my sister's connections to the Sirens to resurrect her or, at least, override her programming to put her into a form of 'Manual mode' to begin production of whatever I need."
"You're insane if you think you'll just walk through that portal…" Karls gasps. "The Order knows this place is seized. They will lock the portals down… You'll be killed."
Raiden shakes her head in disbelief, "Silly man… There is nothing you humans can do to stop me. With these drones, I'll cleanse the world beyond those who dare stop me in my mission to defeat the sirens, and X. All I must do is take what I need from your people."
"As if you'll make it through my Kommandos," Karl says coldly.
Meanwhile…
Lucy and Atago ran into the tunnels at speed. Red Lucy tried to forget the Rock as much as she could after leaving her position here, but the old memories and routes she took back then came back again. Lucy pulled Atago by the hand to a corridor and led her deeper into the facility.
"This should take us to the maintenance alley and get closer to the portal area… They should be there…" Lucy tells her, breathing heavily as she tries to catch her breath. "That bitch… That fucking bitch… All of them…. I'll… Fuck…"
Atago leans against a wall, panting and shaking. She slopes down to the ground, burying her head in her hands. "He… He…" Atago begins to mutter, trying to keep herself from sobbing.
The poisoned Lucy looks over at her and shakes her head dismissively, "Don't lose faith… Never lose faith…"
The redhead dry heaves but recovers, "That man… That man… Never…"
"That man and you are agents! I can't trust liars!" Atago snaps, her voice is scratchy, and her eyes turn red.
"We never lied! Nor are we your enemy!" Lucy shouts. "We've worked with Azur Lane closely for years! All we did was take the scraps of battle."
"The siren tech is what nearly destroyed us repeatedly!" Atago hisses. "The Sakura Empire was nearly destroyed because of it! What the hell could you people want with their remains?!"
"To rebuild!" Lucy shouts, turning away and leading them forward. "Don't believe me? Then we'll ask the men! If I were them, I'd be holding the fucking portal! So we will go there!"
"Why would I go further with you?! I'm a shipgirl! I don't need your help!" Atago shouts, distraught, as confusion fills her mind. "Besides, You think I'll believe you are doing something good with all this stuff here!?"
Lucy turns to her with a harsh expression, "Because your allies in Eagle Union are coming here to bomb this place to shit, and so are your cohorts in the Sakura Empire! If you want to contact them so you don't get hit with a bomb, come with me! If not, then try to fight your way out! I'm sure those siren machinations have infested this place, and so have Karl's Kommandos or other regulars! Your call!"
"Is there honor where you are from, Hm?!" Atago shouts, grabbing Lucy forcefully. "There doesn't seem to be any of that from what I have seen! Liars and grave-robbing bastards from what I've seen and heard! Commander Helena has good reason coming here to stop all this!"
A bright flash and a loud bang incapacitate the two. Atago felt a series of hands throw her to the ground, and she was restrained by cuffs. A cold tube-like object is pressed against her neck for a moment before more sets of combat boot clade feet appear in front of her. She looks up to see men in camouflage, gas masks, and body armor packing short carbines. Lucy speaks in that strange tongue as one figure in a large coat like the one Typhoon wore. Then another hulking, great coat-clad figure grabs her and throws her over his shoulder like it was nothing.
"Let me go!" Atago thrashes, but the man simply grunts in slight annoyance. Lucy approaches him and hisses in the odd Gaulish tongue, leading him to put her down. Once she's on her feet, Atago tries to get some distance to draw her sword until Lucy rushes to her to calm her.
"Easy! Easy! They are our men!" Lucy shouts, holding Atago's hands before they reach her sword.
"Those are men!?" Atago exclaims, looking at the figures.
She looked at the hulking figures that had picked her up clearly. They were tall men in long, great coats, but she saw the metal struts on their arms and legs and bulky machine guns hanging from slings at their chests.
"They are ours! We are all friends here!" Lucy shouts, raising her hands for the soldiers to stop.
The soldiers agree and approach Lucy to speak with her. Atago wasn't sure what they were saying, but the general tone of the growling speech was that of suspicion. One of the men, a stout central Asian man, cradling a futuristic version of a rifle from the Northern Parliament. The shipgirl could feel the eyes and muzzle of their weapons on her. But then the stout man nods and backs off, commanding the men to stand down. The two larger men with the bulky machine guns approach Atago and speak to her calmly, "Our apologies; we didn't know you were the Major's girl. We thought you were that other bird." One of them says it with a thick English accent.
Atago turns red, embarrassed, and throws her off guard. She stamps, trying to make a response, but the soldiers nod approvingly at her and salute her even. She does notice the patches on their shoulders: a skull clutching a dagger in its teeth. They were small, around six, but she felt the same energy and ominous presence as Commander Karl.
"They're going to escort us back to the rally point at the portal," Lucy tells her. "They're here to get the scientists and materials out of here. You'll be of use if you want to live."
"I don't have a choice?!" Atago exclaims.
"Not at all," Lucy says frankly as the large men with the machine guns take point at the front and rear of the formation. The team leader gives Lucy a CZ75 pistol, and they press forward.
"Who are these guys?!" Atago demands to know.
"Kommandos," Lucy tells her with a confident smile. "By the gods… I didn't think I'd be happy to see them again."
"Again?!" Atago asks, surprised.
"Karl's a Kommando… He's their brigade commander… I was once with the brigade, too." Lucy replies, checking the pistol's magazine and smirking as she presses on the decocker. The redhead coughs heavily but holds herself strong. Two soldiers, a man, and a woman, move to her with worry. But the stubborn Lucy waves them off. The team leader waves them on as they cross another set of railway tracks. Atago notes how smoothly the Kommandos moved as the machine gunners set up security down both ways of the tracks as each person crosses to the other side. Once they cross, they move through a sorting area and a motor pool.
"Good gods of the Empire… You people aren't just sending small pieces back to wherever you are…" Atago gasps as she sees large sorting bins of microchips, processors, and other tech pieces sitting by deactivated sorting machines. Large rolls of fiber optic wire were on pallets, ready to be loaded onto nearby train cars.
"I wasn't lying, now was I?" Lucy asks her.
"But why?" Atago counters. "What could you people use with all this siren technology?"
Lucy scoffs, "It's nothing insane. These are just the basics for any advanced tech; you use them on phones and computers. Their chips and wiring have been used in a lot of your world's technology; we don't have the ability to build things like this anymore after the war. The factories would ruin our lands if we did. That's all we take, the basics, and we send the more 'problematic' pieces to the rest of Azur Lane. We already have enough issues with the eldritch; why invite destruction to our doors again? You'll be surprised by what people throw away!"
Atago tried to think about it momentarily but simply couldn't justify it. These people were taking dangerous siren tech and stripping it for parts. For what she wasn't sure, nor did she care, all she knew was that they were no better than thieves to her. Thieves and liars…
They soon follow a set of quadruple railway tracks to a massive bulkhead. The team leader puts in a code, and the door slowly opens. As the door opened, two armored trains appeared at the outer tracks, with crews manning heavy weapons. Defenses were set up around them with Hesco barriers, metal shielding, and sandbags, with men and women in a mixed collection of civilian clothing and military uniforms at the ready. The Kommandos enter first, and Lucy stays with Atago. Atago looks behind them to see a large torii gate over the ends of the quad track line. The torii gate appeared as if it was recently unearthed from the mountain and was repaired with new wood and enhanced…
Control surfaces and wiring covered it from the base to the top. Larger wiring led to what she could surmise to be two generators mounted on the same trucks, which were littered around here with lines and wiring leading to a smaller four-by-four truck with a large cabin on its bed. She was surprised to see how crude this set-up appeared compared to the Sakura Empire magic or the intrigue and complex science of the Eagle Union or Iron Blood.
"So this is the portal…" Atago whispers, looking around with concern as they pass the armored train cars bristling with weapons. More soldiers appeared from the darkness and from behind their positions in the same mixed back of uniforms and tracksuits with an equally mixed bag of weapons. A few more Kommando's appeared as well, but they were heavily wounded and wrapped in bandages.
"This torii gate was founded here by our paranormal corps… It's why we came here," Lucy informs her as they walk over to a small collection of military tents set up by the defenders. There were offices that were present, but they were turned into aid stations or bunkers. The tents were protected by more hesco barriers topped with razor wire. Atago looked around to see that this was a massive cave with a handful of Sakura-style ruins dotted between the military tents and buildings.
"So we repaired it and figured out how to work it… Then we began using it," Lucy tells them as the soldiers guide her to the medical wing. The team lead and the soldiers bring Atago with Lucy as the remaining medics there, clad in blood-stained uniforms, begin tending to the redhead and the rest of the wounded.
"That bitch who took this placed poisoned me…" She groans as she throws up on the floor again. The medics nod and chatter in Gaulish as they begin hooking an IV bag to Lucy and begin administrating shots to her. Another medic, a young dark-haired and fair-skinned lad, approaches her.
"Do you need assistance, miss?" He asks clearly to her.
"No, thank you… I'm alright…" Atago replies, looking at Lucy. "Will she be OK?"
The medic nods, "Yes, the doctors will help her. If you need anything, just ask for Johannes. That's me."
Atago looks at Johannes's uniform and sees the same skull with the dagger as the Kommando's. It was odd to her because he appeared much younger than the rest of the Kommandos. But his eyes told a different story as they seemed to have lost their innocence. As Johannes walks away, she watches him as he tends to be wounded. Judging by the hotchpotch of uniforms and civilian clothes, those were this facility's staff or garrison troops. A shiver goes down her spine as she thinks of those ramshackle barracks with clothes, tables, chairs, and whatnot strewn about everywhere as those awful siren creatures those META girls conjured up roamed about. She counted at least twenty wounded men and women laying on cots that were tended to or awaiting to be seen next. But in the back, she saw figures on the ground covered in sheets with '200' written on them in paint, around thirty or so.
Blood filled her nose with its iron scent, making her sick to her stomach and soul. The more she looked around at the men and women around her, Atago soon realized some of them were more than likely no older than thirty. The oldest appeared to be the stout team leader who took them here at thirty or thirty-one. Atago leaves the medical tent and hugs herself as the dim light of generator lamp towers bathes her in their yellowish halogen glow. The iron smell of blood was exchanged for the smell of burning diesel fuel as the generator lamps and regular generators hummed, the roar of a diesel locomotive came to life, and skid steers loaded more crates of siren byproduct.
How could all these young men be sent here to collect all this trash?
What was the point of this gate anyway?
Soon, the sounds of a warning alarm scream to life as the generators by the gate come to life. The Torii gate comes to life as a teal portal appears from within it. One of the armored trains sounds its horn, alerting the camp around them. People with bags appear from an adjacent tent and load onto one of the armored trains' gondola cars. She counted about fifteen or so before turning her attention to the skid steers loading up two more rolls of wiring into a box car. Lucy wasn't lying to her about their mission here. Once it was loaded and the gondola was full of people, the train sounded a horn and lurched to the gate. The train was about six cars with its engine, two armed vehicles with men, and four freight cars. It was gone within a few minutes of its loading… To where she wasn't sure…
She counted four sets of tracks…
Wherever they were going, they sure had a lot of rail traffic….
How long were these people doing this Operation Vulture?
Atago needed to be more strategic-minded by any stretch of the word. She was more tactical when the time called for it, but she could fight like hell and brutally when damn needed to. But she couldn't help but ponder about this place full of young men fighting against things they simply couldn't fathom….
Five years? Ten years? Twenty years? How long did it take to make a place like this? Or was this place already here, and they just took it over?
How long did her Darling know about this?...
She recalls the conversation with that other person on the phone. Was he lying? Or was it true that he didn't know about this place's true purpose?
The smell of burning tobacco catches her nose, and she turns around unconsciously to see if it is him. But no, it was three battered Kommando'sKommandos smoking while assisting one of the more prominent men who scooped her up to load the large backpack on his back with belts of ammunition for the machine gun.
She hugs herself to ease her nerves and looks down at her feet. "I know what you did was wrong, but I still miss you… I hope you're OK, my Darling… Big sister misses you…"
Meanwhile, with Musashi's fleet-
"Musashi, Akagi," Akagi calls to Musashi over the communicator. "First wave is launched as per the Commander's instructions. The second wave is preparing for launch in five minutes."
"Akagi, Musashi acknowledged," Musashi responds, changing the channel soon after.
"My friend, What did Raiden say?" Musashi calls to her META contact.
"She was rather… Dismissive of any deal between any of the META factions, let alone trying to return to the Empire." Jintsuu META, regrettably.
"The status of the Commander?" She asks anxiously.
"Alive," Jintsuu META informs her, coughing momentarily. So is Atago. But she reportedly ran into the rest of the facility with someone of importance. It seems the Order of St. Abaddon is involved in this after all. My comrades have had contact with them before."
"Order of St. Abaddon?" Musashi inquires.
"Remnants of humanity from another timeline," Jintsuu says, her tone betraying her lack of enthusiasm for them. "We've collaborated with them for information on ways to defeat… We broke contact with certain enemies of ours after an event at an interdimensional portal station. A Levithan was destroyed after Akagi of our time perished in the fight there… Perished fighting with Commander Karl Dael against it."
"You're telling me the Commander is from that timeline?" Musashi shouts into the communicator.
"Please don't scream into the microphone," Jintsuu replies. "But yes. It seems there is something of importance here that involves him."
"That's why Shinano stayed at St. Elizabeth…" Musashi thinks to herself. "That is what she warned me about… And Fredrich…"
"Thank you for your involvement… It seems my cohorts and sister were not telling false tales then…" Musashi says gravely. "Jintsuu?"
"Yes?" She replies, noting the change in Musashi's voice.
"Tell me… Is Commander Karl an ally or foe?"
Akagi and Taihou listen intensely to the conversation from the shadows…
Meanwhile, on Attu…
Ember enters the destroyed control room with a jaundiced eye to see Karl knocked out and bound. His face was bloody, and his uniform was torn. She saw Typhoon sitting nearby, cleaning blood off her hands with a fulfilled grin on her face.
"Did you take my kill from me, Taihou?" Ember asks coldly.
"He's still alive," Typhoon says regrettably. "I just had to take some frustration out on him after he attacked Raiden again. The rabid bastard won't play ball, so I knocked him out."
"Then what is keeping you from finishing the job?" Ember antagonizes Typhoon. "You've spoken for years that you'd take your revenge if you found him alive. I don't see anything here that looks like revenge."
Typhoon grits her teeth, "Raiden wants him to get to the portal. That Spookhouse bitch is still alive, too, and she can get us information Hadrian. Speaking of deals, have your siren contacts responded yet?"
Ember remains stoic and looms over the unconscious Karl. Typhoon steps in front of her, "Well?"
She ignores Typhoon's attempt to change the subject and remains cold as iron, "I asked you a question, Typhoon."
Typhoon doesn't budge and opens her stance, "I asked you a question as well. Where are your people? We have two of the three keys to end this war; where is the third?"
"This man is not the key we need," Ember continues, her voice cold and her eyes cruel. "He's a loose end, just like those humans at the portal you and Junyou let go."
"Those humans fought bravely," Junyou interjects from the other side of the room. She pushes off the wall she is resting on and closes in on Ember and Typhoon. "They are not a threat to our plans. Judging by the trains they are using, they are evacuating all they stole from this world. Why not let them run? They'll destroy the portal, leaving us with what we need."
Ember becomes visibly annoyed, her brow wrinkling and face contorting. "Humans like him and his cohorts gladly burned the world they inhabited. Humans in our world created their destruction and used us to fight their wars, and all of them will end the same way. Why keep a few as pets, like my sister wants to do this is one?"
"He's useful." Typhoon growls, getting in Ember's face.
"I'm not the weak girl like you faced before, Taihou," Ember warns her.
"I'm not the weak girl you think I am, Takao," Typhoon responds.
"Ronin." Ember snorts, "You and my sister believe you can change anything without the sirens. Your bed with the Order to change the course of fate, and they betray you… Now you defend their attack dog? Pathetic."
Ember puts her hand on the hilt of her sword, and Typhoon snatches her hand, "I'll put that sword up your ass before you lay a hand on my Commander."
The fire in her eyes, the strength in her hands, the firmness of her stance, and the fullness of her body pointed dead at Ember made Junyou and Ember take note. Typhoon showed sand and stood firm against the elite META ship, Takao META. Junyou smirked but tilted her head down so no one could see it beneath her scarf.
Ember, while impressed, took this as insubordination. She looks at the sleeve of Typhoon's black great coat with disgust. "Sentimental tokens like that rag will get you killed, Taihou. As is keeping what harms you close to you."
With the flick of a wrist, Typhoon was thrown back and tripped over Karl. The swift motion was done with the same intent as swatting a fly. As she hit the ground, the jolt awoke Karl, who caught sight of Typhoon on the ground next to him. His arms escaped his cuffs, and he lurched out to grab Ember by the feet, throwing her to the ground with him. Like a crocodile ambushing a wildebeest, he attacked swiftly and brutally with no conscious effort. But Ember was faster and rolled him off of her and took to her feet with sword drawn.
"What did I say, TAIHOU?!" Ember shouts. Junyou draws her sword slowly, and Typhoon gets to her feet. "Sentimental bonds will get you killed! Weakness will lead to your death!"
Karl took a combat stance and put up his guard, "Attack my carrier again, and I will kill you. Beloved sister or not, I'll put you in the ground."
'My carrier…'
The phrase reverberates through Typhoon's mind, touching on cords with her that have not been touched in decades.
"Another pathetic sentimental display." Ember snarls. "You're a waste of my power."
"Then kill me, Takao. Do it." Karl coxes her, almost begging. "Spill my blood… I have nothing left. Spill it."
Junyou moves to Ember to try and defuse the situation, "Enough, my Lord. Enough."
"Don't get between us… She wants this." Karl presses on. "I see it in her eyes… She wants this more than anything…"
"There will be no blood spilled here." Raiden echos from across the room. "Not this day."
Karl growls and stays in combat stance, "I'll believe it when I see it…"
"It seems you still believe you can fight home, Karl." Raiden chuckles. "You are home with me, so why try to escape? As for bloodshed, you will do no more."
"I'm not your pet," Karl shouts, backing away slowly. But Raiden seemed to have teleported behind him, holding him in her arms.
"Oh, how wrong you are…" She whispers in his ears as he struggles. "Your comrades have left you. I just saw the security feed. Atago is gone, Lucy is gone, and your men are gone…. You are alone now…"
"You should stop trying to domesticate a feral mutt, Sister." Ember scowls.
Raiden only chuckles, "Says the turncoat to the Ronin. At least I kept my principals and my banner."
"I'm not a turncoat." Ember asserts. "I simply stopped resisting the inevitable. Unlike you and your pitiful attempt at forming a clan."
"Once I have Hadrian, I'll make the Black Ocean Society a force to be reckoned with," Raiden promises. "Now, where are your Siren masters? They are more than willing to take any advantage to destroy the arbiters. They'll make useful pawns in our goal of freedom."
"They are on their way with a fleet as well." Ember relents. "Tester will be here to get into the system, which should make your pet's existence irrelevant."
"I'm not killing my Commander," Raiden says possessive. "My Darling owes me, and I won't allow him to get away to the afterlife without paying his debts to me. Beginning with getting the unnecessary casualties out of the way."
"Caring about casualties now?" Karl interjects.
Raiden scoffs, "You should know about necessary losses."
"Go to hell." Karl snarls.
"Play nice, Darling, Or else big sister will have to punish you."
An explosion threw everyone to the ground. Sirens blared as the automated system screamed over the intercom: "Air raid. Air raid. All personnel collect in air raid shelters."
"I wonder who that could be…" Karl chuckles as more explosions rocked their position.
Raiden looks at Karl with a sneer. " It seems they continued without you…. Your friends will suffer at the hands of the Order's weapons."
"ERROR! ASM BATTERIES OFFLINE. ADA BATTERIES AT 20% OPERATION. SHORE BATTERIES OFFLINE." The system screams.
"About that." Karl laughs. "You think I didn't come here without a plan!"
"It doesn't matter once we get your friend!" Raiden shouts in a rage.
"The humans don't matter! Tester is en route to override their systems!" Ember interjects.
"The portal! I need her for the portal! We'll get what we deserve once we capture it! That bitch of his knows how to use it!" Raiden shouts as she gets to her feet.
"This is madness and pointless," Ember replies calmly as she draws her sword. "The humans are pointless, and you know it. The sirens will break their codes and take everything we could imagine from their sites."
"WHAT?!" Karl exclaimed.
"Everything you have is still a basic computer, just like everything else humanity uses. The Sirens will take all that is useful." Ember says bluntly, her face hard as stone.
"The fucking Sirens, Atago?! INTO OUR SYSTEMS!? THAT WASN'T WHAT YOU TOLD ME!" The urgency in Karl's voice shook Junyou and Typhoon. "Reserecting that 3D printer of yours is one thing, but letting them in the Order's systems is a death sentence! You'll doom us all!"
Ember rolls her eyes, "Enough of the dramatics. They already know whatever data you have. Human history is nothing more than a boring tale of desperation for them. What on Earth could you people have that could garner a fraction of that response?"
Karl narrows his gaze at Ember, "If you knew, you wouldn't be here on this earth doing what you do."
Another explosion rocks the facility, and dust begins to fill the air. Karl takes a chance and runs for his life. The power begins to flicker as the explosions grow louder and more violent. Raiden grits her teeth, a feral gaze filling her eyes. "Musashi… I know those guns from anywhere…"
She looks over at Typhoon and Junyou and says, "Go after him! I want the portal secured at all costs!"
Meanwhile, at the portal…
Lucy lays back on the cot as the IV drips fluid into her. The docs shake their heads and mutter amongst themselves as the alarm sounds go off. Atago feels a small ray of hope as the explosions echo loud enough to shake the area, even this far into the mountains.
"Atago…" Lucy groans, pushing herself up. "I don't have much time… That shit they did to me, It's bad… I might not make it if they don't get me on the next train out of here."
"Good… You need to leave…" Atago agrees, worried about Lucy's ever-paling complexion.
"Listen… This is getting bad, The tech guys are trying their best to suppress the defenses here to make it easier to get the attention of those siren scape piles off the attack. But I don't know If those META girls might try to kill the Major if they find out what I know… You… You got to save him…" Lucy explains, coughing in between pauses. Blood oozed out the side of her mouth between each cough.
"Why? There are enough troops here to do that! I need to join the fight with my friends!" Atago protests.
Lucy grabs her by the uniform, wheezing with glazed eyes. "Because the Major is innocent in this, damn it! A pawn in things beyond us all! He only knew about this place because I TOLD HIM ABOUT IT! THEY HEARD ME SPILL THE BEANS ABOUT THIS PLACE! I DID THIS! Karl was never a part of this…"
"It doesn't change the fact you people are using Azur Lane for your own gain!" Atago counters, grabbing Lucy by the collar. "You people are no better than the Sirens for what you're doing. Human or not, you can't do this kind of thing!"
"We are a damned people, Atago!" Lucy shouts, drawing the attention of everyone around them. "The Walking Dead! But we must do what is necessary! Damn us all, but there is nothing you can do about it! But you can save our Major! To hell with us all, but save my friend!"
"He lied to me! He should have told me what he was…." Atago argues, her voice cracking as her emotions bubble to the surface.
"He wouldn't shame you with that information, Any of you!" She shouts, shaking Atago. "Not the Order, not the Cleansing, or anything! But everything else was the truth! Hate the Order, Hate these people with a fury not known by a moral man, But don't hold anything against the Major!"
Atago's tears stream down her face at Lucy's words. "I'd never hate my Darling… I just hate that he lied…. Big sister loves him… I'm his baby girl…."
"He never lied… He tried to protect you… All of you from the madness he's been through…" Lucy says regrettably. "He's… He's a troubled man but a good man. Though all his faults… No matter all the hell he caused… He's a good man. Please… Talk to him… Save him…"
Lucy begged and pleaded like someone on their deathbed. But Atago still felt angry at him, and the conflict with her stirred her soul.
"Any station on this net, Hunter 6 radio check." Karl's voice echoes over the radio sets of the Kommandos.
"Hunter 6, Jin 1: Got you Lima Charlie. How copy?" The stout team leader responds.
"Darling…" Atago whispers, listening closely as Lucy lets her go and props herself up to listen.
"Got you," Karl responds. "I got away from my captors, now making my way to your position."
"Negative Hunter 6," The team leader responds. "Hold out at station 7. I have a squad holding that position. We will come for you. God be with you."
"Thank you, Jimmy… Long time no see, old friend. Hunter 6 OUT."
Jimmy? Oddly American for a central Asian man, but Atago could only smile with relief. "He escaped them…" She mutters.
"Go…" Lucy encourages Atago. "Jinan is reliably… All of them are… Keep them safe."
Team Leader Jinan begins calling for his men to rally on him. Atago saw him, and his men start hand-picking the mixed bag of defenders to accompany them on the remaining train. She wanted to stay with Lucy, not wanting to aid these people in their goals. But her heart said otherwise, as this mission was to save her Darling.
"Go…" Lucy whispers, lying down spent.
Atago rushes out.