Azur Lane: Dead Men Never Lie

Cracked Mask

Zed was discharged a few hours later sporting bandages on her knee, and she quickly met up with the other shipgirls before heading out into the water to discuss.

"So what did you see?" Yorktown asks.

"Well, I noticed while I was being carried to the repair station that they were in fact doing something with the wisdom cubes." Zed replies. "I think they were trying to shatter them for something, and then there was this big computer where everyone's data was being stored."

"Data huh?" Enterprise mumbles. "Could that mean they've been tracking Jack ever since he first joined?"

"They also had information on us." Zed says. "But on a much lesser scale. They only had information on the battles that we fought in. The number of files they had on us was listed next to our name, and Jack had no less than a hundred!"

"A hundred?! This must be going all the way back to when he was a seaman recruit!" Zuikaku says. "But what would they be doing with all of this information?!"

"The heck if I know?" Zed replies. "Well, that's what I found out." And with that the girls head back to the docks. That's when the princes notice something off, and when they realize what it is their eyes go wide.

"Hey! Someone defaced Jack's plaque!" Wales shouts as the other shipgirls rush over to see. Much to their shock Jack's plaque has been broken, as if someone had driven a pickax straight into the middle. "Who would do such a thing?!"

"We have to find the perpetrator!" Bismarck says before noticing Jack hasn't left yet. "Jack! Did you see who did this?" But Jack is completely unresponsive. "I wasn't expecting him to talk."

"What if we were to check the cameras?" Eugen asks. "Do you have the authority Bismarck?"

"I'll try and see if I can get access, but I can't guarantee I'll be successful." Bismarck replies. "Someone's gotta spread the word."

"We'll head back and say something." Shoukaku, Zed and Yorktown quickly reply before heading back to their homelands to let everyone know what happened. Fortunately it doesn't take them long to return, having spread the news, but when Zed returns, Tirpitz is following close behind.

"Tirpitz?" Eugen asks.

"I can't possibly leave my sister's side, not in a time like this." Tirpitz replies. "I sense something wrong, but I can't pinpoint the source."

"I couldn't get access." Bismarck says as she returns. "Did you tell ever-Tirpitz? What are you doing here?"

"As soon as Zed told me what happened, I just had this bad feeling welling up inside me. I know we haven't spent a lot of time together as sisters, but there is no way I'm leaving your side until this is settled." Tirpitz explains. "I already have someone taking over while I'm gone."

"Alright." Bismarck replies.

"But what were you doing?" Tirpitz asks.

"I was trying to get access to the cameras so I could find out who destroyed Jack's plaque. They wouldn't budge though." Bismarck replies.

"With someone so widely known and important, people are going to DEMAND that they know what happened. I'll come with you and we can try again." Tirpitz says.

"But aren't you afraid they're going to-" Bismarck gets cut off.

"To hell with what they say." Tirpitz says. "We are finding out who is responsible, whether they like it or not." And with that the sisters head off, leaving Enterprise and company standing on shells.

"Do you think this is going to work?" Yorktown asks.

"I hope it does." Shoukaku replies. "Otherwise this is all going to be for nothing." She adds, looking at Jack, who has not moved a single inch. "I just hope those superstitions of ours don't play out with him..."