HMS Prince Of Wales P.O.V
The stench of metal hung thick in the air, while plumes of dark smoke covered up what little cracks there were in the heavy clouds above. Cannon fire banged at my head like a drum as the spray of saltwater dampened my uniform after each projectile that slammed into the ocean's surface around me.
Fires raged on as the fuel seeping into the ocean from the damaged and destroyed Sirens would catch fire with a single spark.
Considering my role as a battleship didn't require as much energy expulsion as most smaller ships, I was still finding myself easily exhausted, more than I had ever felt before during battle.
As I moved along the battlefield, firing salvos into the pitch-black hulls each Siren ship toted, I came to realize how much I preferred the desk job despite the boredom it created.
A considerable amount of time had passed since I was last deployed on a combat mission; perhaps that was the answer to my issues. Even still, I found myself unable to conjure the spirit I once held in the past.
Where there was once pride in the missions I carried out, now felt empty. Perhaps not meaningless, but there was no sense of drive to be found. Maybe I had just become so burned out as of late, leaving me unable to do most of what could have been easily accomplished were I in tip-top shape.
While my thoughts ran wild, I watched as our planes went head-to-head with theirs in the sky above, twisting and diving in sync, trying to keep on each other's tails. Together, it looked like a dance as they followed their partner's rhythm, never letting go of each other until one was to slip up and draw a conclusion. The dance itself would play out elegantly as each plane chased its partner until one came out on top.
Or perhaps it was just the beauty of the Spitfires that captivated me. As the more I watched the impression of a dance, I came to see glimpses of a terrifying game of cat and mouse shine through the fighter's elegance.
Suddenly, a beam of high energy blasted past the tip of my nose, coming within a few inches and making me flinch. The culprit, I had quickly found out, was the ship I had just struck, now sunk further into the water at an angle with its main gun trained on me. Not wishing to go down without a fight, its barrels began to light up while its hull only slipped further beneath the waves.
Not wishing for it to get a second chance, I swung my turret up and let two of my four barrels sing. Just as the light from its guns reached a blinding shine, one of the rounds struck the turret right between its barrels, and it, along with the power its gun was building, exploded in a grand fireball as the second round struck its hull just below the rising waterline to end its threat once and for all.
There had yet to be any sight of an executor class, but I knew it wouldn't be for very long; those things always tended to show up out of the blue whenever the chaos reached a point of their choosing.
It was annoying—never knowing when your enemy would show their face. They could show up now, or they could wait until we cleared most of their ships. It's not like we could leave without taking care of them, though; after all, they were a primary factor in the shipping lanes closure.
"Wales!" A voice called out to me from behind. Turning around, I watched as Gloucester came to a halt only a few feet away with two destroyers in tow. "Those planes are becoming more of an issue than an irritation now. We must deal with them," she said, just as a corsair came crashing into the sea a ways behind her.
I gave her a nod before speaking. "The two queens are stationary several kilometers west just out of range and are heavily guarded from the air and sea. Take yourself, Sheffield and a squadron of destroyers to occupy their forces and buy us some breathing room. I'll attempt to gather a team to bombard them once you've crippled their capabilities," I ordered. "If we are unable to get to you, then do what damage you can; however, don't stick around if it gets too dangerous."
Gloucester then nodded herself before she and the two destroyers sped off to rally the force I listed, leaving me to search for those who could back them up.
Easier said than done, I knew the areas where some of them may be; however, peeling them away from any fight they were engaged in could prove troublesome.
I took one last glance at the wretched Siren ship before it slipped beneath the waves and hurried off in the general direction where I had last spotted my sister.
Conflict surrounded me as I weaved around other ships engaging the Executor-class Sirens, dodging torpedoes and cannon fire alike. Each time I heard a Siren jet screech by, I'd duck as the destroyers lit up their AAs in an attempt to down the irritating birds.
The destroyed and sinking Sirens that littered the ocean proved to create a miniature maze as I navigated around their hulls while trying to keep my sense of direction accurate.
Now and again, a round belonging to either friend or foe would zip past overhead and on instinct, I'd have to duck again to avoid the misfortune of my head being taken off.
Eventually, the maze came to an end and I found myself in an open area with a sky full of flak as jets swooped down at each ship like eagles hunting their prey.
Hoping that she had not fallen back to escape the Sirens yet, I kept my head down as I searched through the battlefield, despite the aerial barrage and muddled bodies making it difficult to recognize anyone.
Next to me, a Siren jet came crashing into the water as I frantically scanned through the ships. With each jet that screamed past, I found myself getting further impatient; I hadn't all the time in the world and the planes never seemed to thin in numbers while they continued to bombard the ships. The Queens had to be taken care of, and quick.
Another plane fell out of the sky ahead of me with its tail ablaze, and doubt began to creep in. What if I were to find her? I still hadn't a clue of any area to search next for a powerful gun; could she and I handle it alone?
All of a sudden, something grabbed me by the shoulder making me jolt in surprise as I turned around to meet my assailant. However, to my relief, I was greeted by the soot-covered smile of the very person I searched for.
"What be the pleasure of thy presence, dear sister?" York asked.
A sigh of relief escaped my lips as I skipped any greetings and went straight to the point. "I need your help with fire support; the queens are becoming too much of a nuisance."
I swore I spotted two stars light up in her eyes as her smile grew only wider. "Oh, a gift from the heavens above to bestow a sister such as thou upon me. We shall bring unto them calamity in its finest form!" York then stated with a sinister smirk. "Let us begin!"
"Woah woah hang on, you know what they're like!" I had to hold her back as her confidence wanted results as soon as could be. "Do you know where any of the heavier girls could be? We'll need their guns as well"
York stared at me with a look of confusion while she continued to push against me. "I have not spotted any such power in some time. But not to worry dear sister; Thou's self and I are more than a match for the wretched invaders!"
Her wicked smile resumed, and the stars in her eyes lit up once more as she looked to beg for me to let her free and agree to her plans.
"York I don't—" My sentence had hardly begun before it was cut short by a ferocious bang that rang out from the sky. To our horror, we watched as a tear grew ever larger just below the clouds while a blinding light intensified from within.
Together York and I were forced to cover our gazes while the conflict surrounding us fell silent as each ship found themselves doing the same.
"Perhaps I may have stumbled into the connotation known as a jinx!" I heard York shout over the heavy rumble omitted from above.
"They're opening a mirror sea!" I explained to her. "They're trying to break apart our forces!"
The light began to consume all colours and shades around it as its brightness continued to grow. While grabbing hold of York's arm, the light soon enveloped the two of us as its intensity shone through my arm with an orange hue.
As fast as it engulfed us, however, it vanished, leaving nothing but a deafening silence within the atmosphere.
I could still feel York's arm in my hand as I slowly uncovered my gaze so I could bear witness to the artificial environment we now found ourselves in.
From above the sky held a deep shade of red as the overcast we were previously subjected to ceased to exist, allowing full view of the dotted stars that covered the near burgundy canvas, only being outshone by the full moon lighting up the sea beneath our feet. Surrounding the two of us were numerous cliffs that jutted out from the ocean only to tower above us casting down shadows that gave the water a pitch-black tone in the absence of moonlight.
A sigh fueled by aggravation escaped my lips while York could only hum as she evaluated our surroundings the same as I.
"On a positive note, they have allowed us access to their hiding space; but what use is that knowledge when we lack the numbers to rid them of their occupation?" I spoke aloud only for York to huff in response.
"These realms trigger nothing but irritation within. Worlds in which they so easily manipulate. How vulnerable we are in the hearts of their territory, like mice in an ever-evolving maze. Pah—how devilish such beings take pleasure in."
"Indeed," I agreed while checking over my rigging. "Time is of the essence; the longer we dwaddle here, the higher the risk becomes. We must link up with the rest of the force as soon as possible."
"Protocol indicates their north star as a rallying point, correct?" York asked as she looked towards the sky in search of our destination.
"Correct," I answered. "Lead the way"
York nodded as her gaze fixated on one star in particular before waving her hand for me to follow.
The water lay still as we hurried along past the rock formations. With no waves to swim into the rock, the world around us continued to hold that silence we were initially greeted with, leaving an unsettling feeling within.
York was right. These realms the Sirens created were nothing but a nuisance to deal with, and if ever caught in one, would give off a constant feeling of dread. Like you were alone in the world, and every move you made was observed—a similar feeling to that of prey fever.
One thing was certain: it could be a while before we come across any of our allies. We're stuck here till then.
I found myself staring up at the formations as we passed them by, wondering if the enemy was lying in wait from above. One could call me paranoid if they please, it's not like I haven't watched it happen before.
"Sister?" My attention was torn from the rocks as I heard York speak.
"Yes?"
"What does it feel like? To be so madly in love?"
Her question caught me off guard, and I visibly flinched. "Y-York now's hardly the time to ask such things!" I exclaimed. York simply shrugged in response, though she seemed rather sheepish.
"I am aware, though to sail in silence will only make one's mind wander too deep, and I'm curious." York seemed to shy away at the end of her sentence, making me wonder. Her actions were quite unlike her usual bold self.
"Why is that?" I decided to question her.
For a moment, she didn't respond as I watched her visibly shrink. A pink hue soon tinged her cheeks before she eventually spoke up.
"I—I just, I wish to experience such an emotion, like the romance portrayed in the pictures. I wish to know what it's like to fall for another"
"You're still watching those?" I couldn't help but tease her in her vulnerable state.
"I—never mind that!" She became flustered, making me giggle. "Sure, I have found an occasional crush in one's self, But not once have I felt my entire being beg for one's affection. I wish to experience it."
York looked at me as if she were praying for me to respond, however, I was still taken aback by the sudden question.
"I don't even understand much of it myself, York" I began. "It's all fairly new to me"
"Put deep thought into it dear sister" She persisted.
How does he make me feel? How exactly can I— Oh, It's just staring me in the face.
"Well—" I began. "Each time I laid eyes on him I could feel my heart spike. Every time he spent time with me my body temperature rose to a comforting warmth. When he smiled I wanted to melt into his arms, and each time I was touched by him a shock ran down my spine. Does that answer your question?"
When I looked back at York I was surprised to see her watching me with a face that looked as if she were star-struck.
Her gaze made me slightly uncomfortable as she held her cheeks clad in a rose hue and began to giggle as if she were some teenager.
"What?" I asked out of curiosity.
It took a second until she had finished whatever fit she fell into before my question was answered.
"It's as similar to that of the pictures! Oh! How thou brew such jealousy within. To feel such a way truly is a grand desire! Dear sister! Please! Indulge me further!" York began to squirm as she clung to my arm with a pleading look.
"I— York we really mustn't distract ourselves so" I tried to remind her of our predicament. Thankfully, it worked.
"Very well," She gave in and let go of my arm. "But this topic will continue upon our return"
I could only nod in agreement so she wouldn't continue to pester me any further, which seemed to work as her features returned to a more serious nature.
Together, we carried on in silence toward our rendezvous point with our heads on a swivel. Each rock we passed was watched for any sight of an ambush while I tried to keep my head clear.
Ahead of us, to my displeasure, the rocks began to increase in size making them look like elevated islands the closer we got. A shiver ran up and down my back as I suddenly found myself feeling claustrophobic. My eyes darted back and forth the further in we sailed while I felt my nails dig into the palm of my hand as the grip on my sword was clamped tight.
To my surprise, I noticed even York hesitate for a moment as her shoulders tightened and she readjusted the grip on her own sword. This only made me worry even more as the deafening silence that surrounded us made it quite easy to hear our hearts beat at an accelerated pace.
Suddenly, I felt a shock run up my spine, making me stiffen as I stopped in my tracks. Horrifyingly, I saw York have the same reaction before she turned to look at me. It felt as though we were being threatened; perhaps it felt like a pair of eyes were laid upon us.
"Sister—" York's voice had a slight tremor in it. "Does thou fee—"
BOOOOOM
I flinched as the face of the rock above us exploded, showering us with stones.
Not a second later the cliff face erupted twice more with a thunderous bang, forcing me to cover my head as York and I ran to escape the falling boulders threatening to crush us.
"Not a spec on the radar, what is the origin?" York shouted to me.
"I don't know!" was all I could reply as we rushed away from the rock. Two more explosions erupted from the water next to us, forcing me to cover my head once more as the jutted rocks began to space apart ahead of us and open up into an area void of cover.
Without the threat of stone raining down on us, York and I were given the chance to turn around and face whoever our attacker was, However, When my gaze landed on the opening we escaped from there was no one to be seen.
The water around us rippled from the sudden disturbance as York and I scanned our surroundings in search of our assailant.
"Incoming!" York suddenly shouted as I found myself being pulled backwards just before the water beneath where I stood erupted as a beam of energy slammed into it.
"Thank you, York"
"Thou mustn't let down thy guard," York said just before a chilling fit of laughter filled the air.
"Quick on their feet it seems!" A voice then spoke. "Well, at least one of you is"
York and I readied our riggings as we took a defensive stance. The voice echoed all around us making it impossible to triangulate where it originated from.
"The mighty Prince of Wales and her sister, how fortunate to come across the two of you" It continued to say. "Welcome to my world, and your final resting place"
The laughter resumed after issuing their threat and we were forced to maneuver away from direct fire once more. To my horror, once the barrage had abruptly stopped we were surrounded by a fleet of Executor-class Sirens.
My heart sank and I gulped down a ball of fear in my throat as York took a stance to my rear. Each one of the sirens was visibly eager for a fight after I'd assume having to be held back until this moment.
"This is bad" My thoughts were unintentionally spoken aloud as I watched every one of the hungry Sirens.
"Then we shall take our stand with valour! Worthy of the King's Navy!" York's eagerness for a fight brought a smile to my face while the Sirens surrounding us prepared to pounce.
"Oh? How honourable" The voice spoke up once more, this time, however, it originated from the left where we were met by the very being who controlled these waters.
I could feel my heart sink even further as I gazed upon Tester Beta hovering above her army from the rear with a wicked smile. Her presence gave off a sinister aura as she seemed to analyze our body language.
"Unfortunately, you won't survive long enough to put on a good show" The Siren teased. "A similar fate to that of the mighty Hood!"
My body went stiff and my eyes widened in shock as the Tester burst into a torrent of maniacal laughter.
"What have you done to her!!" I shouted with rage. The stiffness soon subsided as a burning temperature swelled up within and I raised one of my turrets with her as its target.
The laughter hardly stopped as she watched us with a sickening gaze. It wasn't till I fired a round past her figure that she gave a response.
"Now, now, don't be feisty. We've yet to get to that part" Tester continued to play. "As for Hood, she was found all alone with no friends to witness her final moments. She's most certainly resting on the ocean floor right about now!"
"You barbarous swine!" York cursed. "Come hither and prove your worth!"
"My worth? A tempting offer, but I have many more ships to hunt down. I'm sure you understand so I'll let you join your comrade quickly"
With that hint, the Sirens surrounding us shared a collective laughter as they prepared to attack.
York and I fortified our stances and waited for their move while my gaze never left the Tester who contributed to the humour the Sirens found in our predicament. I stared at her with fury and prepared to fire upon her the moment the assault began when a buzzing noise suddenly caught my attention.
Mine wasn't the only one, however, as the collection of laughter abruptly died off as the Sirens took notice too. The buzz began to grow in volume and I couldn't help but smile as I listened closer, recognizing its characteristics.
"We're alright sister" I comforted York as the buzzing grew into a low hum, getting louder and louder.
The Sirens began to panic once they recognized the sound as the radial engines neared our location. Together, York and I looked back to see the squadron of planes close in.
"Luck be on our side," my sister said in astonishment before we ducked down as the planes swooped down for an attack run.
A collection of yelps was drowned out by the sound of machine gun fire as the water around us was kicked up in rows. The engines roared overhead of us while more followed their path and I glanced up to see who it was.
A streak of blue soared past and I spotted its model resembling that of an Eagle Union make. However, To my surprise, I noticed replacing the stars on the wings was the emblem of the Royal Navy.
The Sirens surrounding us continued to scream as they scrambled to get clear of the onslaught when a much larger explosion hit the crowd with two more following suit.
"Sister!" York called for my attention as she pointed off into the crowd of frantic sirens. I watched her finger direct my gaze to a commotion within the crowd as a blurred figure dashed back and forth dropping the Sirens as it went.
"Who is that?"
"A blessing!" York exclaimed happily as the figure suddenly lept into the air, flipping over the Sirens before landing in front of us and splashing me in the face with the water it kicked up.
"Oh hey there Miss Wales!" A familiar accent spoke. "How are 'ya now?"
When I looked up after wiping the water from my eyes, I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I was greeted by a destroyer with red hair looking back at me with a carefree smile.
"Haida!"
"The one and only!" Haida's smile grew ever wider. "Seems you two found a bit of trouble eh?"
I gave her a nod just as a handful of sirens were torn apart from a barrage of shells. Haida flicked her sword to the side to clean off the blue liquid that stained it as she looked back to see the carnage surrounding us.
More shells rained down as the Siren numbers began to thin drastically. The planes continued to do their runs while I noticed three extra figures race about firing salvos into the crowd. Something, however, I noticed was missing from the action.
"Where Is Tester Beta?" I searched the mess of sirens.
"That the one you're referring to?" Haida pointed her sword behind me where atop one of the rocks stood the elite defending herself against the swarm of planes.
I felt my figure become light as I realized the opening her situation gave me. Gritting my teeth, I launched forward ready to avenge my friend when suddenly something grabbed my torso and pulled me backward.
"What are you doing!" I exclaimed, recognizing the perfume of the one holding me back. "She's right there! We can end this quick!"
"Tis not worth the risk sister! We must flee while the chaos is fresh!" York tried to explain as I fought her grasp.
"She's right. Sooner than later the shock is gonna wear off and these Sirens will tear us to shreds. We gotta regroup!"
"But she's right there!" I repeated, Ignoring both of their concerns.
"The girls are carving us a way through, we need to get out of here"
York began to drag me away from the Elite while I continued to fight. Wiggling and kicking, I tried desperately to escape her Iron grasp.
"No!" I shouted. Tears began to well in my eyes as I fired all four of my guns toward her only to miss entirely.
"She killed Hood! Just leave me to deal with her!"
"Think rationally Wales! The disadvantage is clear, justice will be brought upon her when the time is right, but not now!" York swung around to face me away from the Siren.
My heart raced and my vision blurred as I began to kick and scream like a child. I could feel the tears streaming down my face as I was dragged away from the fight.
"Let me GO!!" I shouted with rage. York never complied even after I tried to throw a fist at her. My anger only grew further as she dodged the strike and tightened her grip. This led to Haida having to take hold of my legs in an attempt to restrain me further.
Soon, I began to shake involuntarily while I pleaded to be released. No longer could I fight as my resistance had exerted most of my energy, leaving me to cry as I was carried away from the Elite.
Explosions continued to take out portions of Sirens around us while I looked back to get one last view of Tester Beta. Remaining where she was last seen, my blood boiled as I noticed the grin on her lips as she watched my broken state be carried away.
"Please!" I begged one last time, my voice weak.
Much to my dismay, my wishes continued to be ignored while a hand rubbed my tear-stained cheek.
"Thou will have another chance sister," I heard York say. "Our wrath will bring about it's demise. Patience be with ye."
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