Awaiting Your Return (Azur Lane)

Offensive

HMS Prince Of Wales P.O.V

My stomach churned, threatening to disgorge this morning's breakfast. Leaning against the cold steel of Nabob's control tower, I stared blankly toward the red horizon ahead with a broken mind. It felt as if my life was nothing more than a toy for the Sirens, gaining pleasure as they tore apart my emotions.

Was there something about me that they did not appreciate more than any other ship? Was I just not destined to live a happy life?

First, the one I fell so hard for-now the best friend I had known my whole life-was gone, leaving little left. It sickened me to the core, thinking about her supposed death.

I prayed it was nothing more than a lie. A simple tale woven to throw me off my game. But without communications or any confirmation on her status from the ones we regrouped with, I was left to only hope.

I switched my gaze to watch Javelin and Ayanami play with a football on the flight deck while Laffey was asleep against a plane's tire behind them. The two passed the ball back and forth as Z23 and Vampire came up to them for a chat.

Despite the situation, they all continued to smile as if we never found ourselves in this predicament at all. Then again, they didn't suffer from the same dread as I did.

With the help of Nabob's air squadron, locating scattered allies had become far easier, and soon we had come across half our task force already. Yet still, nobody has seen or heard anything about Hood.

"Lady Wales, Are you fairing well?" A voice interrupted me from my thoughts. Next to me, I found Swiftsure staring back with a look of concern.

"Yes, Swiftsure, I'm quite alright. Just a little concerned is all," I answered her before standing up. I had done enough moping.

"About Lady Hood, yes?"

"Correct" I dusted myself off and straightened my outfit-how unladylike it must have looked.

"I'm sure it's nothing more than a fib; she is the mighty Hood after all. I doubt she'd go down so easily." She attempted to calm my thoughts, allowing a smile to break through my rough features.

"What of your sisters? Are you not worried about them?"

Swifsure simply shook her head. "What sister would I be if I weren't even a little? But I know them: Ontario has grown to become a strong leader, and Superb is still as resilient as ever. I wouldn't doubt they've already found each other as well as the rest of the fleet."

As she talked, I found her positivity on the matter to soothe my worries. The sooner we could find them, the faster I could get an answer; whether positive or negative, I needed to know.

"Very well," I said. "Then we best hurry our search, should we not?"

I watched Swiftsure's smile grow even wider as she nodded in agreement. "That we shall, Lady Wales!"

With that, she turned around and hurried off the flight deck into the water below. From there, I watched as she began to catch up to the ships ahead and travel alongside them.

For the moment, I continued to stand in place as I looked around at the ships surrounding Nabob. Their bows cut through the still water with ease while their radars scanned our surroundings.

Eerily enough, a cover of clouds had formed in the sky and blocked out the moonlight, casting our surroundings into a deep shade of purple. With its unnatural atmosphere, I was more than sick of being stuck in this realm. I wanted to be back at the base so I could release a heavy sigh of relief.