--July 6, 2012 - 10:30 AM--
Richard, Helena, and their shipgirl companions; Enterprise, Laffey, and Javelin, have finally reached the city of Boston and they are approaching closer to the Fort Point Channel Tunnel ahead. To Enterprise and Javelin, they have mixed feelings with relief and excitement, but also anxiety. For one, they do not know what they will find of Belfast and Sheffield. The last time the two have ever seen or heard was during their training with Richard Ambrose by late June 2012, and they had wanted to find the two maids in Boston since seeing the two for the first time in the Boston Globe's newspaper clipping.
Richard insisted that they had to meet up with Nate, Sebastian and Elise at the South Station first as he had promised to meet them there when he last time spoke on the phone while escaping from New York City. The idea in his mind is that with more people, along with his sister that he's planning to move to her home for a while, would be enough to help Enterprise and her fellow shipgirls get to know more about his universe.
"So, this is Boston, right?" asked Javelin as she looked around while on the Interstate.
"That's right. The city itself may not look big, nor beautiful unlike New York... but it's one of the oldest municipalities in America, founded by Puritan settlers from the town in England that bears its same name in the mid-1600's. Today, it is the largest, and the capital city of the state of Massachusetts, and it is a center of culture and education, owing to a lot of college schools and universities situated here, " Richard replied. "I had known it much on the internet, but I also read the travel guide and a history book of this city when I visited my sister's once during New Year's Eve..."
"It was a site of significant key events of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States..." added Helena.
"Founding of the United States? Umm...what was that city known for?" asked Javelin.
"Boston massacre, Boston Tea Party, Battle of Bunker Hill, and the siege of Boston... a lot of stuff," Richard spoke. "Back then, America started out as the Thirteen Colonies, ruled by the British for a century and a half or so, until they declared independence in the year 1776. Though the revolutionary war between United States and Great Britain officially ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1783, the year 1776 is the year commonly loved and known to every American, and it's how we celebrated the 4th of July," he explained.
"Come to think of it, when I sparred with Richard for the final time, I have heard and noticed so many fireworks exploding out in the air and lot of people cooking outdoors in the middle of the night..." thought Enterprise to herself. But hearing what Richard said earlier, she gasped, and exclaimed:
"Don't tell me, does that mean?"
"That's right... Us the people of the United States and the people of Great Britain, we were enemies against each other in our time..." sighed Richard.
"We were enemies?" Javelin didn't believe what she had heard.
"It's like Japan, we were once enemies before we became allies, but the Revolutionary War that led to the establishment of the United States, that was a very, very long time ago," Richard continued. "The reason Americans were at war with Britain was because of colonial opposition, tensions gone sour after the Seven Years' War that left the colonizer broke and they were just desperate, they needed money, and it's all about taxes, and that's what made our people angry..." he then sighed.
"Come to think about it, our nation's now 236 years old... We have had a happy time, for many people celebrating the 4th of July..." said Helena. "But now..."
Helena felt slightly sad, at the fact that the 4th of July celebration would become their last of their good times before tragedy already struck in a form of a Siren attack on the Eastern Seaboard. Richard could see her anxious and saddened face and places his palm on her left hand to try and comfort her.
"Don't worry, everything's going to be fine," he said reassuringly. "Maybe if we see Enterprise's friends soon, then they could have something on how to deal with the Sirens, since they do have a lot of knowledge about that kind of enemy..."
"What do you mean?" asked Enterprise.
"Well, Belfast and Sheffield... they have been staying in Boston for over a month or so..." said Richard. "So, it is likely they must have had an idea on what to do next, especially given the recent events... Namely... I have a theory..."
"A theory?" asked Javelin.
"You three, plus Belfast and Sheffield if I can assume, ya'll mysteriously appear in our world, by what you described as some sort of a portal, right?"
"That's what I remember," said Enterprise.
"All I see was flaming water and a negative version of myself before I ended up here..." Javelin added.
"Thats the same experience I am having, right before I ended up on Brooklyn, on the sandy shores..." Enterprise said to Javelin, and she further commented: "Before I ended up in New York, I fell into these black whirlpools, right after I was injured back in Midway, like as if I went through a dimensional rift or something..."
"Me and Laffey also had that same shit too..." Javelin spoke.
"So... Now that you three ended up through a dimension rift and then here... And the Sirens show up in the Bermuda Triangle..." said Richard and began to think for something until he had an idea.
"I think I have an idea on how on getting you all back home..."
"Really?" gasped Javelin "Tell us, what is your plan, do you think we can go home now?"
But before Richard could answer, he could see that he is approaching the exit ramps and the Fort Point Channel Tunnel on the South Bay interchange up ahead...
--Google Street View snapshot of the South Bay interchange facing east, in Boston, MA, taken in September 2022.--
"I'll explain you all once we find my colleagues and Elise, they're waiting for us at South Station for a while now..." he said. "While there, we can find Belfast and Sheffield, and then I will lay out my plan on how to get you all shipgirls back to your universe once we find these two maids, unless if these two have their own plans,"
"Yes Richard, I understand," Enterprise nodded before she began looking at the interchange as Richard slows his vehicle down and stayed on its second most-left lane, intent on exiting the interstate towards South Station.
"I have never seen this interchange so big up close to me..." said Enterprise.
"Me neither," added Javelin. "And those exit signs, here there is that one big spooky tunnel straight ahead and there are so many ways to go,"
"And there's another tunnel on the left," Laffey pointed out at the left as Richard Ambrose took Exit 134A, the ramp that leads towards Atlantic Avenue in Boston, and South Station. As they travelled on, Enterprise, Javelin, and Laffey could see on their right side that there is a massive lateral web of catenary wires that feed power on trains, which they slowly roll by coming and going along with the massive network of rail lines that appeared to converge into one area. They also saw the bus terminal parking signage as his car drove past.
Soon, they landed themselves on Atlantic Avenue, passing through the traffic signal, and some distance later...
"We made it... We're here..."
The three shipgirls looked to the right and for the first time, they saw the front facade of Boston's South Station.
Richard parked his car on the side parking lot right beside South Station and shuts off his engine as he unlocks and opens his door. Helena, Enterprise, Laffey, and Javelin followed suit and all except Richard stretched their arms and legs.
"After all that long journey, we are here!" said Javelin excitedly.
"These past few days spent on the run, away from New York and now we're here," sighed Enterprise in relief. "And no Sirens have been following us after all,"
"Alright, now I have to call them first, let Sebastian and the others know we're here," said Richard as he dialed on his cellphone to call Sebastian Jones. Richard nervously waited and waited, having his gut feeling that something must be wrong while he was on his way to Boston given the 80-mile-long trip from Chicopee. Luckily, he didn't have to wait long...
"Hey! Richard!" came a voice.
He, Enterprise and Helena looked to the right where the voice came from, and to their shock and relief, they found Sebastian Jones, and Nate Fernandez who they just went outside the station to check if Richard had arrived. Richard and Helena ran up to these two boys and hugged each other in joy.
"Ah thank goodness. I'm so glad you two are safe," said Sebastian as he pats their backs with his palms while hugging them, and then he looks over to Enterprise. "And you Ms. Winters, good shit you did out there... I just heard the news,"
"Yeah, you... you grabbed an... assault rifle... and murdered the shit out of these pricks who tried to rob you, and you showed no mercy to the one that shot one of your guys," Nate added. "I'd say you did a great job,"
"T-thanks anyways..." Enterprise replied who she slowly looks away, as her emotions is still mixed with cold, shyness, and trauma.
"What happened back there?" Nate asked as he pulls himself away. Richard replied:
"Look, I'll explain everything about what happened back in New York..." said Richard and he asked: "Where's Elise? Is she with you?", and Nate replied as he and the rest of the group heads inside the station:
"Yeah, she's at the sitting area near the bakery cafe with her kids, she's okay,"
--10:44 AM--
After reuniting with his neighbor Elise Braun, he went on to explain the three, as her kids are still eating their food, none the wiser, about what had happened as Richard and his group escaped from New York and about how they found their way to Boston.
"So, the Sirens, the one you told us after when you were caught up in a hostage situation... They showed up in our world?" Nate asked and Enterprise said with a nod:
"That is correct,"
"Look, about that, I'm sorry about Hale Specter... We at first suspected him to be shady back there in our store, thinking he was involved in the hostage situation, but he was a good guy, he saved you but he died in the end..." said Sebastian sympathetically.
"If only if I could have been there, I..." said Elise feeling bad but Richard said holding her shoulders with his palms, spoke:
"It doesn't matter. What's done is done, and I am glad you and your kids are safe... When Javelin here told me you were out right before the earthquake hit and the shelling began, I feared you would be..."
"Richard, I was scared, I didn't know what to do at first," Elise spoke before Richard can speak further. "But we were able to survive because the exhibition center didn't collapse in on itself and we took cover. After that, we were able to evacuate through the Interstate, and that's how we ended up here... just before your friends showed up,"
"So, you meant to say I-95, from there to Massachusetts, it was never bombarded?"
"The highway there is mostly intact, we were able to easily escape from the city, and throughout the whole journey, I keep seeing military convoys going on and on heading South for a long time," Elise replied.
"Damn I didn't know.." thought Richard. "The Sirens hadn't bombed that stretch of the I-95 yet,"
"Anyway, now that we're all here, you all know why I picked this city to lay low for the night,"
"Yeah, Sebastian told me everything. He said that your sister lives here, right?" Elise asked.
"That's as far as I can remember, and assuming if she is here," said Richard. "But there's another matter we have to face, and it's for Enterprise,"
"Belfast and Sheffield, she must have missed them so much," said Elise.
"While I am here, I was able to gather the address of the Bourbon Barrel Class Restaurant, its located further downtown in the Government Center neighborhood on Union Street just North from here," Richard explained as he showed them on Google Maps from his phone. "So we'll go there, and we'll see Belfast and Sheffield, and once we're going to my sister's place, that's when I'll explain the plan on how to get you shipgirls back home,"
"You do know I don't like secrets," sighed Enterprise.
"Not right now, this is not the right place at the moment," said Richard.
"Very well," Enterprise then walked off and Richard and the rest of the group also set out. When they're about to tell Elise's kids that it is time for them to leave, they heard the screams of the child:
"Help! Help!" the muffled voice yelled.
Enterprise's sharpened senses kicks into gear, and immediately, she spotted two men carrying suspiciously big objects above their chests. She quickly runs after them, armed with the Smith & Wesson Model 10 Revolver, fearing that a child abduction might be taking place. Her fears were quickly proven correct as she saw Elise's kids; Mack and Sophie, were being forcibly carried by two gruff men with masks on and wearing black and grey sweaters. Angered by the men's mistreatment of the kids, she pulled out her Smith & Wesson Model 10 revolver and yelled:
"STOP! Let the children go right now!"
The men first man carrying Sophie, in response trained his Glock pistol with a bayonet attached underneath, and shouted:
"So come and get them!"
Right after, the other man shone a flashlight attached under another Glock pistol, temporarily blinding her before he proceeds to shoot her, but his gun jammed. Desperate, he dropped Sophie onto the ground and tries to tackle her. But Enterprise, though knowing that she is at a disadvantage when facing against two abductors, learned from Richard's sparring match in Central Park, and as a result, she does not back down easily and she lowered her head right as the man was about to strike his fist forward, before quickly raising herself up, using her legs to lift herself up and performing the judo throw, throwing the man up into the air, causing him to land on his back and letting go of the gun.
She turned on to the other man who was about to fire his pistol as well, however, she actually dodged forward, and remembering the time back in her universe when she dodged waves of barrages and torpedoes as she once fought against several shipgirls from the Sakura Empire and Sardegna Empire, she summons her strength and began charging forward. All the while, she concentrated her sights on the barrel of the guns and would attempt to swerve herself out of the predicted bullet path as he fired more shots which somehow missed, much to his surprise. When he was able to get close enough, she forcefully grabbed on his wrists that is holding the gun, twisted the gun until it is now the grip facing towards his trachea area. Enterprise plunged the back of the pistol onto his neck with great force, choking him and losing his hold on the gun. With him incapacitated, Enterprise jumped up high and knocked him out cold with a spinning jump kick on his face.
"That was close," said Enterprise, feeling exhausted.
"Mom!" Mack and Sophie cried as the two ran up to Elise, crying and scared, but are relieved as the three hugged each other warmly.
" Ms. Winters... Th-thank you for saving my kids," she tearfully smiled.
"It's no problem at all, Ms. Braun," said Enterprise, who she sighed in relief.
But then, as they all tried to relax themselves and to process what was going on, suddenly a voice yelled out saying:
"Behind you!"
Richard quickly looked back, and he is horrified by what he sees. A young woman, with black braided hair and a skull mask covering her face and brandishing with a knife, is charging towards Enterprise, and he realized that it is too late for Enterprise to counter the attack on time as she was being pre-occupied by Mack and Sophie. Using his quick reflexes, he rushes up to the female assailant, grabbed her arm that is holding the knife and attempted to disarm her, but only finding himself in the knife hold as she somehow has far more superior combat skills matching that of a military, and he could see the pointed blade facing right towards his eyes as he found himself pinned down.
It was only then that he was assisted by Enterprise and Nate Fernandez, owing that he used to be an Air Force fighter pilot, that they forcefully pulled the female assassin out from him, and they also began exchanging fistfights, with Nate only managing to break one of her arms by twisting it in brute force, and Enterprise doing the high sweep on her leg, which struck the assailant despite attempting to dodge her attack.
When the assailant is finally weakened enough, Enterprise and Nate held her down for a brief moment, and Richard, enraged for her attempt to murder Enterprise, went on a double crane kick, breaking her nose, her teeth, and heavily bruising her right eye in the full force of the impact and is then kicked backwards, her back and head hitting the columns of the station, knocking her out, right at the moment as police officers, with their MBTA badges and uniforms, show up to see what the commotion was.
"Damn, that is one brutal way to take them down," said Sebastian.
As the police officers began taking the two men and a female attacker into custody and treat their injuries, Richard rushes up to Enterprise to check up on her own injuries.
"Enterprise, are you okay?" he said holding her palms. "I'm fine, Richard... What about you?" Enterprise spoke and Richard also said that he is fine, apart from his very minor injuries he sustained in the scuffle. He later hugged Enterprise, much to her surprise, as he felt bad that he had once again put her in danger, in the process Helena could see what is going on and she is starting to feel doubtful about their relationship. While doing so, he whispered:
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you; I won't let anyone get you ever again..."
With his words, Enterprise reluctantly hugs him back, and after a while, Enterprise asked:
"I just can't believe this... I do understand violent crimes like this would happen, but why would they want to kill me?"
Richard sighed. "I don't know,"
"Maybe this has something to do with what Enterprise had done back in New York.." Elise said, theorizing the assailant's motive. "I mean you killing these robbers who tried to rob you guys, it was all over the news, and it is possible that the assailant must be hired or something by either these robbers or the people who knew them..."
"That's a likely possibility, but we'll find out more when the police interrogate her," he said looking back as all three criminals are dragged away in handcuffs, before he returns to focus on what's at hand.
"Right now, that's not important. What we are focusing right now is getting you girls back home in your universe as soon as possible before something like this might happen again, but I require to meet with Belfast and Sheffield, unless if they also had the same idea on how to get back home, and to lay low at my sister's place, then we could wait it out for a few days as we plan on what to do next,"
"You're right," Enterprise sighed.
After a quick interrogation by the police, Richard's group set out on his car towards the address of the Bourbon Barrel Class Restaurant, which is a 13-minute walk away. During this time, they took it upon themselves to explore the city of Boston for a little while as they traverse through the downtown area full of skyscrapers and several high-rises, whilst discovering little more about the city's history as they read on the magazines that Nate and Sebastian had picked up when they first arrived in Boston per Richard's request.
--10:57 AM--
Richard's group finally arrived at the Bourbon Barrel Class Restaurant and he parked his SUV beside it. As they all went in, the atmosphere is lively. They could see waiters serving food and lots of winery to customers, which Nate counted as over 13 people. However, given the ongoing shelling at the Eastern Seaboard by the Sirens, there was more activity than usual and as the further they went inside, the situation became tense, as more and more people lined up, ordering more take outs instead of dine-in, seemingly to stock up their food before they leave, but Richard being a cop before, overhearing their concerns and their intention to leave the city, knew that the city had not ordered an evacuation yet, and he hadn't seen any military officers or trucks around when he first arrived.
"I think they're in a bit of a panic, they couldn't take their chances given what they see in the news," he said quietly to Nate.
"I don't know if you ask me" Nate shrugged. "Even in my military career I don't even know what these things are until we found Enterprise and up until that point, I think of that as some sort of science fiction of some shit," Nate shrugged.
"Seems they still do not know as much as Azur Lane shipgirls or whoever they are," Richard thought to himself. "Information is still limited and to them, they have never seen anything like this before,"
As some people began leaving the establishment after dining at their tables or had received their takeout orders, Richard and his group took it upon themselves to explore the restaurant while also looking for the two maid girls, Belfast and Sheffield.
There are lots of winery barrels on one side of the wall, and there is also a wine bottle rack full of beer and wine, most dating back decades or centuries. Enterprise was a bit impressed about these bottles as she inspected it, especially when she sees one of the bottle brands that was dated back in 1776.
"That is one very old wine I got here... it said it was made from the year, 1776..." she thought to herself. Richard picks up the wine Enterprise had been holding and he also looked at the label as well.
"1776... That is the year of the American Independence on July 4th, which our nation is currently 234 years old now... It's also the same number as the height of the One World Trade Center as I have known," he said.
"Ah, so that's what it means to be a symbolism of freedom... That makes sense..." thought Enterprise.
She asked one of the waitresses nearby who she was heading towards the kitchen, and curious as she sounds, she asked:
"I love to ask but when was this establishment opened?"
The waitress was becoming jittery herself filled with excitement, as she is eager to explain to the people about the restaurant.
She replied: "Oh, it was opened back in 1903, and it is one of the first and the oldest restaurant chains in the city! W-well, only Union Oyster House is the oldest..."
"Oh, I see," she nodded. "I wonder how they got their hands on this wine that lasted more than a century and a half before this establishment opened?"
"The grandfathers of the Irish immigrants have secured a batch of cherry and red grape wines they had bought during the American Independence in an auction, at least one of my senior colleagues told me." she said chuckling.
"Does this place serve wine and whiskey apart from what I see in the menu?" Enterprise asked and the waitress said:
"Yeah, we do serve wine and whiskey,"
However, before she could explain any further, a voice called out behind her:
"What are you doing, Ms. Klaudia? We have two risottos done and the rest of the staff are all occupied. Get back to work!"
"I'm sorry, I'll get to work straight away, Ms. Belfast," she said before running off in a hurry into the kitchen. Immediately, Enterprise turns over and, in her eyes, she finally found Belfast, holding the paper ticket, and wearing a different uniform unlike she had last seen her at Midway. When the two made eye contact, Belfast dropped her paper check, and the two emotionally called out each other's names making sure they recognize one another, before the two ran up and hugged each other, much to the surprise of some customers around them.
Richard also noticed as well, and Javelin and Laffey also ran up to Belfast and embraced, finally relieved to see her again after having been lost in a different world and being worried.
"Thank god, I am so worried about you three," said Belfast as she continued embracing Enterprise, Laffey, and Javelin.
"Me too," said Javelin who she cried with tears of joy.
"I was so worried. I saw you and Sheffield on the newspaper, that's how I know you two are still alive,"
Belfast turned to Richard Ambrose and said:
"And it appears you must be Mr. Richard Ambrose, am I right? It's a pleasure to meet you, and I would like to thank you for taking care of my friends,"
"Likewise," said Richard as he and Belfast shook hands.
Just then, two fox-eared figures walk out from the staff area and onto the dining area. Richard stopped shaking hands when he sees the two and the faces of Enterprise, Laffey and Javelin full of discern and disbelief. He felt something doesn't feel right,"
"Akagi... Kaga... What are they doing here?" Enterprise said quietly.
Hearing these names, he remembered about the aircraft carriers who they are the ones affiliated with the Imperial Japanese Navy, and he realized Akagi and Kaga are from the Sakura Empire.
"So these two are your enemies, right?"
"That's right... We fought against each other as they're part of the Crimson Axis," Enterprise replied. "It begs me to wonder, what are they doing here?"
His fears proven correct about their identity and allegiance, he slowly reaches for the Berreta 92 pistol concealed in his pocket. However, Enterprise sees this, and feared what he is about to do to Akagi and Kaga given his fierce and angered look on the two in response. All of a sudden...
...he raised the pistol, fully intending to shoot them dead. Belfast, Javelin, Laffey, and his friends Helena, Sebastian, and Nate, especially Akagi and Kaga, saw what was going on but had no time to react or think.
However, Enterprise, not wanting them to die, ran up in front of the barrel of his gun with her arms reaching out to him...
...
..just as the gun went off..
...
..
.
To be continued.
Completed: December 30, 2022 - 1:11 AM PhST
Updated: January 3, 2023 - 1:44 AM PhST
Extra note: The name of this chapter is based on the 2019 Showtime crime drama series of the same name that takes place in Boston, and it ran for three seasons before it was canceled in September 2022.
Anyways, I wish you all a "belated" Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
❄🎄-🎄❄