Vice Admiral Matthew D. Watson
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked hesitantly to Vestal as she escorted me to the port's 'hot springs' at the end of the day. It was little more than a glorified public bath with an artificial hots spring that the Sakura camp made just to feel more at home with an adjacent cherry blossom tree, but everyone seemed to enjoy spending some quality time there including myself.
"It should be fine, the girls would not mind as long as it's you who enters... I think..." Vestal said rather nervously.
"Well... I know that fritz and enty are there, I guess I can catch up with whats going on the port from those two..." I said I began to ponder the fact that, I might see enterprise bare skin. The thought of it made me look down in shock.
"What's wrong?"
"This is bad..." I said with a sense of dread.
"Why? You need to do this daily to improve your health!" Vestal protested
"Vestal... I am going to see my secretaries bare skinned... this is really bad..." I said as I felt something run down my nose while my imagination went off the walls.
"Commander! Don't you turn into a pervert like the rear admiral! That's the reason we don't let him in with us!" Vestal said alarmed as she cleaned my nose. My head still pounded me with a pulsating headache and the nose bleed was not helping with the swelling, but she had a point as to why I had to visit the bath.
"Sorry... but when you are surrounded by beautiful women such as yourselves, you can't help but think about those things. Do you honestly think I could keep my eyes off any of you if that were to happen...?" I asked as Vestal flustered looking away embarrassed but it at least caused her to finally smile.
"You are such a sly fox... but I have to admit that you have your own charm commander. You might want to teach the rear admiral how to behave himself if he wishes to be close the girls more often."
"There is nothing wrong with Jackson Vestal... we just have different approaches on how we tackle problems..." I said with a slight smile.
"Rather brave of you to admit your plan to me commander, I could tell everyone about this..." she said as we finally approached the entrance to the public bath. You could hear some of the commotion from the outside like some of the girls spilling cold water on others.
"You can say it Vestal, the girls are aware of it anyways and could care less about it. This is what happens when others trust you..." I said before we parted into separate changing rooms, I could hear the commotion more clearly. The distinct voice of Emiko and Eugen stood out from the rest although it was difficult to understand. All I could deduce was that someone was grasping someone else in their... chest region...
"Are you done?" Vestal asked waiting just outside of the changing room.
"Yeah! Just give me a second!" I said as I slowly made my way towards Vestal.
"I don't know why you are so worried about the others, I am sure they will behave..." she said as she looked up to me with a smile. Her figure as well was nothing to scoff at, it was rather difficult to avert my eyes without looking embarrassed even though she was wearing a towel.
"Now a days, 'proper behavior' is as reliable as a wet noodle trying to stay straight..." I said before I opened the sliding door into the baths only to be greeted a rather... interesting scene.
Eugen seemed to be preoccupied firmly grasping Emiko in a particular area, I knew that my little demon child was rather curvaceous, but what I saw made me reconsider how slim she really was. It gave me rather mixed feelings having such a scene in front of me: On one end you had my ex- girlfriend doing something that Jack would be jealous of. On the other hand, you had my supposed stepdaughter flustered and confused as to what the hell is going on.
"My they are bigger than I expected, Matthew must be having so much fun with them." Eugen said still pressing her body against Emiko who seemed stiff as flag pole.
"I-i don't know what you are talking about... and... c-can you please stop? I feel weird..." Emiko said before noticing that I was at the door.
"C-Commander! P-please tell her to stop... I don't like this..." she pleaded before the rest of the girls took notice of me along with Vestal. It suddenly felt like I was thrown into a pit of hungry wolves and was but a simple innocent lamb, Eugen stopped immediately as she noticed the only thing keeping me from exposing myself was a simple towel.
"My oh my..." She said with a mix of surprise and shock, I could see poor little Leipzig on the corner of my eye fainting from the pressure before Helena called out to her panicked as Leipzig's body seemed more of a rag doll.
"... There is an empty one over there commander, let me finish here before it's your turn~" Eugen said pointing at one of the bath pools with a rather mischievous yet ominous tone as I audibly gulped.
"O-okay..." I said nervously making my way towards the nearest pool, the room went silent with the exception of a few murmurs as well as Helena attempting to wake Leipzig before Vestal rushed past me towards the pair of cruisers.
As I stiffly sat down on the warm and calming waters of said bath, it is only then that I took notice that the very peculiar rocks on the edge were far from the fact. It was non other than a flustered Bismarck attempting to hide her embarrassment as well as her all to natural human cravings for a member of the opposite sex.
We stared at each other in silence for what it felt like an eternity as the others seemed to have somewhat returned back to normal although Eugen still seemed more focused now on me rather than my little demon child. I could feel her rather lustful stare from across the room as I felt goosebumps run all over my body.
"Okay, just think about her when she was just a condescending bitch... Yeah that should work." I said to myself as I looked at the 'pride of the iron blood'. Her wet silk like blonde hair stuck to her very feminine and well proportioned body as she shuffled anxiously with the rare sight of her somewhat cold yet vulnerable state.
"Dang gumit! How can she be so hot and cute at the same time?! This isn't fair!" I said once again in my mind, she was making me feel like a teenager once again with her presence and that was not counting that I wasn't even feeling contempt for her as I usually did.
I do not understand why but even after everything she has done me, all of the humiliations, all of the ridicule I had to endure thanks to her. There was no denying that I still harbored some hatred towards her even after all of these years.
But there was my other side that screamed at me to see the other side of the coin as well, just like me she has been humiliated and ridiculed as well. She was not allowed to harbor any emotions nor sympathy for anyone who was not Iron Blood. No decision was truly made from her, a mere puppet to her leaders while she just followed order like the loyal and dedicated soldier she was. She was also a figurehead just like Nagato being forced to watch as their nations marched on to spill blood once again against our fellow brethren.
Bismarck was the embodiment of the ideals of her nation, a country that was once rich in culture as well as scientific advancements. But thanks to those madmen who twisted those ideals, her country is nothing more than a smoldering pile of rubble split into the factions of Azur Lane.
I pondered all of this as I tried to not pay attention to the goddess Freya in front of me, after so many years I began to believe that maybe I should have let bygones be bygones. That was until Tirpitz had that... 'accident', yet I could not help but feel partly responsible for it since she is one of my ships at the end of the day.
"... How are you feeling...?" Bismarck asked softly causing me to snap from my deep meditation.
"Huh? Oh... well... my head is killing me but it could be worse..." I said followed by a nervous chuckle, an awkward silence befell to us once again as I once again sensed Eugen observing from afar as well as Emiko like a pair of curious cats.
"I see... Well I am glad that you are able to speak... I..." She said stopping herself as she crossed her arms accentuating her voluptuous chest as my eyes were drawn to them before looking away awkwardly as soon as I felt Eugen's presence ever so more ominous like a wolf ready to pounce on its prey.
"...Still having a hard time trying to say something that isn't soldier like?" I said before she nodded sheepishly.
"You'll get used to it if you expose yourself more..." I said before I leaned back on the seat in hopes of relaxing ever so slightly.
"I have good news for you, they were able to re-summon your sister's keel with that memory tag you gave them... Last I heard she was asking for her big sister Bismarck." I said as I closed my eyes, Vestal was not joking when she mentioned that I would feel the effects immediately.
"... Did she really asked about me...? Even after what I did to her..." she questioned as I could hear the water splashing around me as well as the commotion caused by some of the destroyers who played in the separate pools.
"She is still your sister Bismarck, you are lucky that you can have her back again even after what you did... if it were up to me I would have given you the same treatment so you could forget everything you have done..." I said nonchalantly before taking a deep breath.
"... Why not do it? You could just end me and stop all the problems I keep causing everyone... hardly anyone even dares to approach me at this point thanks to what I did... I am really not worth the effort be maintained even as a reserve..." she said with pain in her voice, the tone is all that it took to open my eyes just to be met with a completely different woman than before.
She was vulnerable to whatever I would say, I dare say she was even remorseful to the things she has done, the more I thought about it the more it made sense. A leaderless soldier trying to find her purpose after failing to protect her country and betrayed by its leaders? How could I not foresee this? Was I too focused on the past and on myself to realize that she was in need of help as well?
"... I thought the same at first Bismark... but I can't allow such a thing to happen..." I said looking at her intently.
"I am partly to blame as well for the things you did Bismark..."
"Oh don't you start with that... You were never involved on this, let alone cared..." she said now becoming visibly angry.
"I am your commander Bismarck, you know that anything you do I will be held responsible and it it my duty to make sure everyone under my command is taken care of, regardless of how we feel towards one another." I said before our eyes finally met, she weren't cold and demeaning as she usually did every time she spoke. It was almost pitiful to see her with such pain, I can only imagine the stories that she has hidden from everyone that no one knows or the guilt that she must feel for just 'following orders'.
"Why now? Why after so many years you all the sudden care about me...?" she said after a scoff, I took a deep breath as I stood up walking towards her she only looked away in embarrassment once again before catching the all too jealous stares of quite a few girls including Enterprise who seemed to be sitting near by with a very determined Nagato eyeing me like a hawk.
"It's simple, I finally got my head out of my ass and let bygones be bygones..." I said only for her to huff in amusement.
"Look, it's still inexcusable all the bullshit you did to me, but that was what? Eighteen years ago? I think it's best to just forget about it and start over before you start sinking more of my staff..." I said half jokingly before she once again scoffed attempting to hide her embarrassment.
The conversation died down once again, I took the moment to lay down on the water with only my head just above it, yet I had this uneasy feeling that Bismark's gaze locked on to me unable to control the urge to look.
"... It's okay to watch Bismarck, I ain't going to bite your face off..." I said before she let out a rather audible gasp.
"... W-what do you mean? I-i..." she said in a mild panic before taking a deep breath.
"Y-you also have been eyeing me ever since you sat down too!" she said with an uncanny childish attitude for once, it definitely caught me off guard as well as the others.
"Bismark... you are in a bath with a piece of cloth covering you, its sticking to your body like glue on paper showing your sexy figure and you expect me not to look?" I said opening my eyes once again only to be met a beet red Bismarck.
"... And that's not mentioning that you look way too cute for your own good with that face you're making." I said with a poker face as I as well tried to hide my embarrassment.
She once again looked away before silence once again befell on this little pool, the gaze of several girls still lingered ever so suspiciously now that Bismark and I were sitting next to each other. I could not stop watching her nor help but smell the fair yet sweet smell of her conditioner. I quickly dove under the water just to get my face wet and hair wet before surfacing once again in an attempt to clear my mind but to avail.
"You know... You've changed a great deal ever since you first arrived to Hamburg that day..." Bismark said softly before I let out a chuckle.
"... Yeah... Remember how Hipper tried to arrest me 'cause she thought I was an impostor?"
"Of course, that was quite the ordeal especially when I found out that Kornigsberg was keeping an eye on you..." she said with a slight smirk
"... Yeah she was very... Passionate about her job... At least she went easy on me unlike that other guy. What was his name again?"
"You must mean that young matrose that was reminding Graff Zeppelin of the meeting with Gneisenau for the after action report of your escort." she said with a feeling of nostalgia.
"... I never told you this but Hipper felt guilty for treating you so unfairly. Remember those sweets that Eugen brought for you as a welcoming gift?"
"Wait... that was her?" I asked almost surprised.
"Of course, she took a liking to you since you were taking care of her sister and I quote 'he looked like a soft pillow'..." she said staring blankly towards Eugen who was dumping a bucket's worth of water over Emiko who audibly gasped.
"Wait, are you serious? The flat tough cookie has a heart? No way...." I said sarcastically.
"Of course... there were many that did... even I took a liking to you..." she said anxiously as I sat upright surprised of this confession.
"Wait a minute... You? Then why all the shit you made me go through...?" I asked as she looked towards little Zeppy who was being washed by her mother.
"... I was too focused on my duties... I never really held any animosity towards you, but I had orders I had to follow. For our chancellor you were just a liability unless you were to return as a model Aryan spreading our ideals, I never really wanted to cause the harm I did to you unless it was warranted. But I had my orders... I could not disobey them, I guess my true flaw was my loyalty to my leaders even though they were... unquestionably the true enemy of humanity." she said almost repeating word for word of what I had deduced through the years.
"... I will agree on one thing, you're an idiot... but its not because of your loyalty..." I said resting my head backwards only to see the all to familiar night sky rather than a certain albino fox hypnotizing me with her crimson eyes.
"... You're an idiot because you see that as a flaw, I say that your loyalty is a virtue and an example for others even though you were on the losing end of the war..." I said only for her to perk her lips in silence.
"It took your sister to stop you from defending those ideals for the time being and even still after so long, you still did wanted to follow their orders... To be honest, I think it is something you should be proud of even if you were misguided... You know all too well that even a siren can make a mistake. So don't be too hard on yourself..." I said as a soft smile crept on Bismark's face.
"Thank you... It means a lot coming from you..." She said as her voice shook.
"You just think too hard... if you keep it up, people will start to think that you are the sequel to the ice queen." I said causing her to chuckle.
"My sister hated it when you called her that."
"Oh I know, she actually snapped one day because of it, she looked so cute trying to act all tough." I said before she scoffed once again before I heard the mummers of fritz preparing herself to enter the baths.
"You know... she saw you more than a friend... You were able to melt the ice around her heart... that is an achievement to be proud of..." she said staring at the water blankly.
"... I had my suspicions, I think it was obvious when she fell asleep on my shoulder when we sat on the roof of the office on that Christmas night..."
"... I assume Yamato gave you a hard time because of it..." she said after the murmuring intensified.
"Surprisingly, not really... although it genuinely terrifies me when she keeps her mouth shut..." I said before a very particular group of girls entered the room.
The first one to enter was the imposing but motherly Fredrich der grosse, the quiet yet harsh Sheffield and the... 'ugly' sisters Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The four seemed to be having a small talk before Fritz took notice of me sitting with Bismarck.
"Oh? You are getting acquainted with little Bismarck? Well that is quite the unexpected turn of events my child..." She said with an ever so ominous tone. Her voice was sinister as per usual yet sweet, she was the devil disguised as a beautiful and charming woman.
Her cold and soulless amber eyes were too alluring to anyone caught in their sights. You could almost feel as if she was staring at your very soul and needless to say unsettling. But you soon realize that she is the embodiment of deceiving appearances as well, she feels like the mother of the girls regardless of faction and has become more or less the mentor for many of the girls that she has come across.
"Hey, I can't just leave her out of the loop now can I?" I asked only for the trio behind her locking their gaze at my scarred chest.
"You lech- I mean Master... why are you here...?" Sheffield asked with her usual monotone demeanor.
"Vestal told me to come here since my frail human body can't take this much punishment unlike you girls so now I am here... just don't mind mebwbwbwb..." I said before laying once again sinking under water in an attempt to not suffer another nose bleed thanks to the site that was just presented to me.
I once again surfaced only that this time, I merely had my head above water as I heard the girls converse although I could not understand it. The exercises with the addition of the paper work that i was able to complete with the help of the girls had me worked up in the state I was in.
I felt as if I was in a worse state than two days ago, the headaches were constant, my dizziness would not subside and to make matters worse I still had to be on morphine. It was clear reminder of my mortality and I know that the girls were more than capable to stand on their own but I could care less of our differences, they are my girls and I swore that I would protect them as well and I'll be dammed if I would allow them to die if it was preventable.
I dosed off as I slowly began to float oblivious to the world for what it felt like minutes, I could hear Bismarck still talking with Fritz and the others as they drew ever so closer to the pool yet I continued to lay down on the steaming hot water making me ever so drowsy.
"Look at him, I could just eat him up~" I heard someone say before I realized that I was once again slumped backwards, my throat felt somewhat sore as if I snored while I still had the uneasy lightheadedness as before.
"... What do you mean by that...?" Someone else asked anxiously as I slowly began to regain my bearings.
"...Allow me to give you a demonstration...~" the other said as I felt her body press against mine. I immediately jolted upwards causing the girl to fall backwards as well but not before I instinctively took a wrapped my arms around her.
I quickly realized that I was holding on to none other that Prinz Eugen herself, the move was so sudden that she was stunned as she looked up to me with her fiery orange eyes. She didn't know how to react and neither could I.
It felt as if time stopped if only so so briefly, but for us it felt like and eternity as our hearts began to beat faster with every passing second, The faint but sweet smell of her shampoo was the only thing that caught my attention, it was just like that first time that she sat on my lap, she looked at me just like that time. That is when I realized as well that no matter who tried, Prinz Eugen's heart belonged to me...
"W-What are you doing?! You will be in trouble if you keep hugging her like this commander!" Emiko demanded, my mind was hazier than a chronic pothead's bedroom after a marijuana binge with his buddies, but I was able to take notice of Enterprise who seemed to have joined as well as Fritz and her group.
"... Please explain to me what just happened..." I asked confused as I still held on to Eugen who seemed amused at the thought of making Emiko as well as the rest of the girls present jealous. Unlike Scharnhorst and Gneisenau who easily fell for the trap, Fritz seemed somewhat indecisive into what to do next while enterprise and Bismarck looked on sternly.
"Oh? Is that what you think? Then what will you do to stop me little munchkin~?" Eugen asked as she pressed herself even tighter as she looked on before Emiko gritted her teeth in anger like a yapping chihuahua.
"Eugen, stop bothering the commander. He is not feeling well..." Bismarck commanded but she did not budge, my vision was beginning to become blur once more. My blood pressure was rising due to Eugen, the temptation was all to great to make her mine once again in front of everyone, but my will still remained even if it was shaken.
Yet there was this side of me that craved once again those memories is had with Prinz Eugen. Enterprise may have been my 'highschool lover', but Eugen... she was on a whole different league that lucky E. Don't get me wrong, they both have changed my life for the better and I still have lingering feelings for them, but Eugen... she knows how to play with my heart strings.
She knows me all too well, let alone know how to treat me while having 'fun'. Out of all the girls present, she is the one that could easily make me play her game. How could I ever possibly be able to defeat my first secretary in such a battle of wills?
"And what will you do about it Bismarck? You two seemed to have been getting along just fine..." Eugen said gripping me tightly like a child.
"We were merely speaking about the after action reports..." Bismarck said with a stone cold face, that little facade would work with anyone, but for Eugen, this was mere child's play.
"My you must be sick if you were that red, did all of your confidence flew away or did it retreated into those pair of oversized balloons?" Eugen said with a rather hostile tone before Fritz caught our attention with her ominous laugh.
"You found something amusing miss Friedrick?" Bismarck asked hesitantly.
"My oh my, all of you seem keen in vying for his attention... it is rather amusing to see you bicker like little children..." Fritz said with a slight smile as her towel barely covered her... turrets. I had to look away almost immediately slightly embarrassed but she was quick to notice to where me eyes were being lured to, she was doing this on purpose and it was nor it will be the last time she attempts such a thing.
"You are no better miss Friedrick, you are just pretending to be mature but I can tell that you wish to do the same as well..." Eugen said as I felt my head pulsating from the pressure, I could smell the blood beginning to pour from my capillaries.
"You are sharp as ever little one, it is only fair that I as well attempt my luck with our boy here." Fritz said only for Eugen to perceive this as a challenge.
"Wha- You too miss Friedrick?!" Emiko exclaimed taking the words right out of my mouth.
"Why does it surprise you child? Your 'father' here was the only commander within the iron blood to be taken under our care before the war. It was only natural that his charms befell on all of us with his kind and gentle soul... what worthy woman would not dare seek such a partner? Of course he is now with Lady Yamato but..." Fritz said before she moved herself next to me as well.
"... How he treats you how ever, has sparked a keen desire to be with such a partner as well for many of us. Even if we were to just be a second wife or a concubine, it is our purpose as well to aid in repopulating the world after we have finally served our purposes. Of course I could claim any of the young men in the village, but I personally would prefer if I were able to bear some more... acceptable genes. Would you not agree...? Boy..." she asked next no my ear like a succubus seeking her next meal. I was done for at this point, I was at the mercy of the girls in front of me unless Emiko attempted to save me. But just like many, she was as well terrified of 'mother Friedrick'.
I was beginning to breathe heavily, my body was overheating and I was on the verge of passing out from a mind shattering headache, I had to act fast before I became prey of my beloved ships or worse I ended up with a serious medical condition.
"Hey! What do you think you are all doing?!" Vestal screamed as she rushed towards me. It wasn't long before Eugen was shoved back into the pool only to be greeted with a bare skinned Vestal hovering over me checking for my vitals, that was all it took to take me over the edge.
The accumulated pressure caused my nose to immediately drip profusely as if I just got my nose broken. It wasn't long after I could hear Vestal's audible frustration of my... urges.
"We should have turned back while we had the chance, can't you see he is not well?!" Vestal said laying me back as I began to struggle to breathe, for a moment I even forgot where I even was.
"M-Matthew?!" Emiko called out alarmed.
"Silent, get me the first aid! And you five, we have to get him out of the water!" Vestal ordered, Emiko did not even thought twice in darting off towards the first aid kit while the others were too surprised to move, that is when I heard the least expected thing to ever happen in this bath.
"Goddammit Vestal! He almost had it!" someone screamed from the adjacent tree, it did not take a detective to know who it was and he knew all too well that he just gave away his position.
"What a coincidence, Anton needed some calibrating..." Scharnhorst said with a dreadful glare before someone figure dressed casually leapt from the cherry blossom tree and on to the ground.
"God dammit Jackson..." I said before my vision gave away once more as I heard the panicked cries of little zeppy.
Was this a bad decision? I guess you could say it was, but hey I was at the very least bury the hatchet with Bismarck. She's not a bad lady, sure you could say that her committing fratricide is something is a grave mistake that she will live forever with, but I am her commander. What kind of leader would I be if I were to just toss her aside when she needs someone the most?
I would not only be spitting on my oath but on my grandfather's grave and that is something I will never dare to do as long as I have a head on my shoulders. Yet the real question is, what would you have done grandpa'? How is it even possible to forget all of this just like you did with her? I wish you were here to answer me such a question...