Vice Admiral Matthew D. Watson
"... and that's what happened..." Emiko said as she sat on a chair guarded by Shoukaku and Helena
It would seem that my recovery was cut short with the ever increasing activity at the port, I knew than an attack would have eventually come to our sector as we anticipated. But never in my wildest dreams I would have expected for a small skirmish to have ended up like this.
"... So let me get this straight..." I said taking a deep out of frustration.
"Enterprise is damaged, Zuikaku is hardly conscious, Shoukaku here used up every single aircraft in her inventory, five five six got damaged and Helena almost died because of a single ship..." I said as the trio looked at me embarrassed.
"Still... given the situation, you all performed admirably... but then again... I still have to question as to why you disobeyed orders from the lieutenant commander..." I said as Emiko froze like a deer staring at a pair of headlights.
"Shoukaku, Helena. What's your side of the story concerning this?" I asked before the pair stared at each other.
"Well, I didn't see much... I was more focused on my sister rather than paying attention to this... upstart..." Shoukaku said with a very clear disdain for Emiko who attempted to bury her face in her coat.
"Silent was..." Helena said hesitating for a moment as Silent and her locked gazes.
"... She had all the reason to be scared commander, she was too armored for her weapons to make any significant damage and that's not counting the shields she had." Helena said trying to find a rational explanation to all of this.
"So you would have done the same Helena?" I ask with my usual bulldog like face as I tried to focus. Normally any of the girls would be intimidated by it like Silent or Shoukaku, but Helena knew me all to well not to be concerned.
"I would have commander, you would have told me to retreat anyways..." Helena said with confidence, it reminded me of how close our relationship has been through the years. Even Katie gets along with her which is no easy task to pull with that crazy firecracker.
"Fair enough... So is this the mystery ship that we are looking for... huh..." I said thoughtfully before taking notice that our resident composer seemed as if she had something to say.
"We are very lucky to have survived..." Emiko said with a faint shiver as Friedrich observed her intently.
"... Is there something we should be aware of?" I asked as the rumble of a jeep could be heard outside.
"... That monster... i-i..." Emiko stuttered as the all to familiar sense of dread began to overwhelm her. I stood up a little to quickly for my brain to process, but my will won over my condition.
"It's okay kiddo... just take your time..." I said rubbing her head as she flustered, this calmed my poor little pup but it made the others in the room somewhat jealous of her.
"I... s-she... she is the reason why I lost my real voice..." she said staring blankly into the abyss as she reflectively rubbed her neck. It was hard to see the scar that she had on her neck, but never the less it did not take an engineer to connect the dots.
"So... you didn't engaged because you are scared of her?" I asked, but all she could muster was a slight nod as she cowered in her seat while Shoukaku looked down upon her with mixed emotions.
"Wait... what do you mean... you have fought her before?" Shoukaku asked but Emiko only sat on a fetal position.
"... Let's just say I had quite a few encounters with her... I... was forced to fight her every single time, she wont kill you but you will wish she did. I honestly don't know how I have been able to survive this long..."
"You have all the right to be scared of her child... she has to power to rival even observer alpha..." Friedrich said as she walked over with her a far more intimidating attire. She looked more of a teacher rather than the fallen angel of the iron blood. I may be devoted to my wife, but if she ever decided to... let's say persuade me to... at the very least do things with her. She would find this to be far to easy of a task to accomplish.
"So you have more information concerning this ship Fritz? Anything I should know of?" I asked a as she knelt down towards Emiko comforted her.
"Of course... You already know as to how she came to be do you not?" Fritz asked me as a flustered Emiko still processed what to do with this sudden affection.
"... Alright girls... I need you to hear this..." I said focusing on the pair who seemed ever so curious.
"That ship that you encountered, is a variant of the Scarlet class..." I said as Shoukaku's curious expression slowly turned serious coming to the realization of my words.
"Wait... so Scarlet and her...."
"They are sisters... yes... But believe me when I say this. Scarlet is better off not knowing her... she is terrifying..." Emiko said shaking like a scared puppy.
"There there... everything is okay..." Friz said as Emiko sunk her face in her bosom.
"How... just..." Shoukaku asked in shock, but Helena seemed unusually calm for such a news.
"Both of them were going to be designed as aviation battleships, the but that never came to be when we decided to turn on those devils..." Friedrich said before she stood up.
"... Scarlet was hardly built when they took 'hull k' as they called it... we had to abandon them both at hamburg and by the time we were able to retake the city, they hull k was already gone..." Freidrich said with a somber expression as she caressed the manjuu who focused ever so diligently on the typewriter as we spoke.
"I see... so she is one of us then? How were they able to make her comply...?" Shoukaku asked with concern behind her voice.
"The sirens are capable of controlling your mind regardless of what you are." Emiko said still looking down, you could almost see how sweat began to drip from her forehead as her mind ran with endless thoughts of her experiences.
"Wait... so you're saying..." I said as she looked at me with lifeless eyes.
"That any of us in this room can be turned against one another..." Emiko said before the whole room went silent, even the diligent manjuu Fritz calls Ludwig stopped typing. He looked over nervously before hesitantly returned to his duties or at least attempted to before Fritz took him in her arms.
"... You will one day have to fight someone you knew and the probability of bringing them back is slim to none..." Emiko said running her hands through her silver sea salt covered hair as I took notice of her breathing becoming ever so heavy.
"... Then... the battle of leyte..." Helena asked still processing all of this.
"Yes... many of the ships that sunk were captured... they either turned them into reproduction ships or... they turned them into sirens... like lady Akagi or Samuel b. Roberts..." Emiko said before Helena and Shoukaku let out a faint gasp.
"Sam... shes alive...?" Helena asked in a mixture of shock and relief. Those two were good friends for the longest time, Sammy might have looked like a child but her maturity told you otherwise.
"... Can we at least try to save them?" I asked after a brief moment of silence, before Emiko looked up once again in anger.
"Didn't you hear me? You can't save them! If you don't remove that damn chip properly they die like Witold did!!" Emiko yelled with a sharp glare in her eyes before tears began to roll down out of anger.
I looked at Shoukaku and Helena to signal them to leave the room, the pair hesitated briefly but they complied with my selfish request. She was bound to speak something that she was not supposed to say again although I allowed Fritz to stay, she listened intently from the corner of the room with a now sleeping Ludwig on her chest.
"Pour your heart out... you know you can trust us Emiko..." I said leaning on my desk, she took a moment to compose herself which by that time Fritz as well leaned next to me rather a little too close for my comfort.
"... We tried so many times... those that don't have the mental fortitude don't survive for long. They are driven insane and we could do was granting them the wish that they wanted..." Emiko said as her expression slowly turned to pain as well as her tears began to run down more profusely. We didn't dared to talk or ask questions, we honestly did not know what to do.
"... I had to fight people that I knew, I had to kill people that I used to call friends. To have survived... I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse... Now I'm all alone again. I'm alive but with what purpose?"
"... That is something you need to find yourself Emiko, right now you could say your purpose is to protect me."
"I failed to protect you!!" Emiko yelled with a sneer, once again the room remained silent. Ludwig seemed all to intimidated by little devil's glare.
"I failed to protect the others, I couldn't move because I was scared of some dumb idiot who can't control herself and that's not counting on that I can't even take care of myself! You are pretty much my babysitter, Yamato is always there to tell me what to do and the others did the job that I was supposed to do!! So tell me commander, what is the point of me being here because I am tired of being a god dammed damsel in distress!!" Emiko yelled, she took a moment to compose herself once again, although I could feel Friedrich nudging my elbow to comfort her. I hesitated for a moment, thinking that she just needed space. But if I learned one thing from Fritz, its that her intuition was always reliable.
"... Look kiddo... ima' tell you what my gramps told me when I was your age: 'You can't expect to do everything by yourself, you're not born knowing everything. Even when you grow older and wiser, you will realize that you will still depend on others as well the older you become...' " I said before I pulled her into an embrace, she did not struggle nor complained. She just went along with it and even returned my gesture as well.
"I can't fault you for not being able to engage, but if you told me this I would have been more cautious in sending you out there or at the very least we could have helped you control your fear..." I said parting ways, she was as red as a tomato on harvest season, all the crying as well as her anger had her blood pressure going off the walls. But at least calmed her down enough to be paying attention to my advice.
"... I understand you have a job to do here as well, but you aren't perfect. Besides you're still kid, don't be desperate in trying to prove something right now. Just relax and and train to become the person you want to be, of course not ignoring that you have duties as well or spend some time off with friends which is important as well." I said patting her in the head, she didn't respond or fired back with her usual tough cookie attitude, but her bashful expression said all I needed to know.
Shes just a kid trying to find a place to call home, a purpose in life like I once I did at one point in my life as well and the more I spent time with this girl, the more I began to understand why Yamato really wanted her here, why did she took her under her wind and brought her to me. It was almost like looking a reflection of myself, that clever fox knew I could not turn this down.
"Okay? But... how?" she asked before a sniffle as I pulled my hand away.
"Well... With this sudden shakedown i saw something very clear..." I said crossing my arms.
"The technology you wield is a game changer in this war, but you don't have the experience all of the girls have nor will be able to exploit your weaponry until you yourself do it by trial and error..." I said before sighing in frustration. It took me a moment to think of what to say to her as I stared blankly at the floor.
"...But that does not mean she is unable to learn from her peers. Perhaps assigning her to someone who is skilled enough yet similar to how she was trained." Friedrich said as I came to a rather very obvious realization.
"Sheffield..." I said still looking at the ground.
"What?" Emiko asked confused.
"Why didn't I think of it before... Fritz you're a genius..." I said as I almost dashed towards one of the filing cabinets.
"...Emiko, you're with the joint operations strategic service right?" I asked as I rummaged through the very neatly and organized files searching for Sheffield's file.
"Yeah? I'm trained in reconnaissance and evasion..." she said as both of the ladies looked in confused.
"Fortunately for you, there is someone else in this base who is also affiliated with the J.O.S.S..." I said before finally finding Sheffy's file.
"...H.M.S Sheffield, you've met her right?" I asked as I walked over towards her.
"The maid that carried you to the hospital? Yes..." she said as I read the file, it contained her armaments, abilities and even a personal description down to her body proportions with a stamp from a certain rear admiral.
"She will teach you everything she knows. Sheffy can be a bit rough around the edges but she means well." I said walking over to my desk before I slumped down on my chair.
"I'll arrange all of this tomorrow... get yourself something to eat. All of that fighting must have worked up an appetite."
"But... I'm not hungry..." she said tilting her head slightly.
"Then play some videogames with Ayanami or just take a walk around, I just want you to take some R and R so we can start all of this tomorrow okay?"
"Okay... Do you know where Ayanami is by any chance?" She asked with a tone of disappointment.
"I think she was in her room playing birb souls, apparently she tried to take on fluffball eater of slippers by herself." I said only for her to place facepalm.
"That idiot, I told her to wait for me!" she said before she quickly took her leave.
"You better hurry up before she tears another hole in the wall..." I said as the implication of her playing the game settled in.
"... Hey... Matthew?" Emiko asked as she stood holding the door open.
"Yeah?"
"Thanks... I needed that..." Emiko said with a slight smile.
"Any time... if you need to talk to someone you know where to find me" I said before she nodded slightly taking her leave looking embarrassed.
"... My... quite the charmer aren't you boy?" Friedrich asked as she leaned on the desk adjusting her reading glasses.
"I may have learned a thing or two along the way... although couldn't have done it if you didn't tell me..." I said walking back towards my desk.
My mind began to wonder back to thoughts of Yamato, having such a foe facing us made me reconsider my position in case they needed aid, yet something told me to not risk any of my girls. At this point I did not know what to do.
"...Matthew?" Fritz called out my name waving her hand in front of my face.
"Huh? What?" I asked looking around briefly confused, I only now realized I was sitting on my chair lost in my own thoughts.
"My... What am I going to do with you? Spacing out again like this? You must be really be exhausted, let us take a break shall we?" She asked before taking my hands and leading me towards the couch, I did not resist with her rhetoric question. Ever since Yamato left my sleeping schedule has been going haywire, then the little skirmish happened and well... let's just say that the stress has taken a toll on my health.
Friedrich sat down on the couch before she pulled me to rest my head on her soft pillow like lap, we remained there in silence as I felt her hands run through my hair. My tried to rest but my mind still lingered on my wife. I had to tell someone and what better person than Yamato's closest friend as well as mine.
"You are worried about Yamato are you not?" she asked breaking the silence as if she read my mind.
"... Yeah... is it okay if you hear me out as well Friedrich?" I asked after a brief pause.
"Of course... you have all of us worried, you seemed sickly as of late..."
"Sorry... I just...its been almost two months already since she left port... when she was getting her refits, that was different but this...? Just the thought of having to sink Yamato because she was captured makes me feel like I'm going to get a heart attack..."
"I understand... I can not blame you for this..."
"It's repeating itself again and I can't stop it... I should have just blocked them from leaving..."
"What do you mean by that child?" she as the back of my head pressed itself against her stomach, normally I would enjoy such an opportunity. But my situation was something far from something normal.
"... I know what happened to Eugen after north cape... I know what happened to Musashi, Atago and Akagi... And now it's Yamato's turn on the chopping block... I can't take it anymore... I know I am no saint and I messed around a lot but... why does it have to end like this...? I just want to settle down with someone and have a family... is that too much to ask?" I said as my voice shook from the pain I felt.
"... Life can be cruel commander... especially in times of war... all we can do is honor their memory and carry on, no matter how difficult it may seem..." Friedrich said as her expression was no longer that sweet and kind smile she always gave to everyone. She was worried and with good reason, it wasn't the first time my will has been shaken.
"I know... but how can you continue when everything you touch dies? I don't want to risk losing any more people... I just..." I said before Fritz pulled me up towards he chest embracing me, it was soothing to have this warm feeling again.
"Do not let that concern impede you from doing your job as well Matthew. If we do not make the sacrifices that are expected of us, then that dream that you seek will be nothing but a dream for you and my others..." she said before lifting my face and locking eye contact, her face told me she was attempting to be serious, but her eyes told me she was more than worried over my overall state.
"... Mistakes will be made and they will forever will be with you, but you can not waver in your resolve commander. Should have my predecessor retreated after the battle of Torgau? Should he have just surrendered when the Russians were at the gates of Berlin? No, he refused to let such a thing waver his resolve. The fate as well as the trust of an entire nation rested on his shoulders and just as the people of prussia depended on him, we place our trust as well as out fate with you commander..." Fritz said as her warm hands we firmly placed on my cheeks.
"... You have a point... I just... need time... it's just.. I never even get the time to process one thing before I'm thrown it no another issue that I need to solve..." I said sitting down next to her now having felt like a weight is being lifted off my shoulders.
"... If only I could summon Nikolai's rigging... I would have been able to save Eugen as well as the others..." I said but Friedrich seemed offended by my statement.
"That bravado will only get you killed boy..."
"It's not bravado... I just... feel useless when all of you have to rush in to save me... Jesus I sound like Emiko..." I said placing my hands on my face from the embarrassment causing Friedrich to giggle.
"Well I find it endearing that the two of you are so alike. It almost feels as if she was your own flesh and blood." she said as I took a deep breath.
"I know right? It really is... if Eugen and I kept going we would have had a kid her age. I never told you the little escapades we had while I was over there have I?" I said leaning my against the sofa only to find Ludwig sitting next to my face before I rubbed his belly with my index finger.
"All I know is that you must have been a great partner for her to have kept your memories in the most secured place in her data chip." she said after very subtly shuffling closer towards me.
"Eugen... she's amazing... if all the girls I have had a relationship with were to compete, Yamato would have a hard time against her." I said before sighing.
"Oh? Is she that important to you?" she asked but just the thought to answer such a thing made me fluster.
"...Of course... they assigned me Eugen because she was a bit of a 'troublemaker' remember?"
"How could i forget..."
"They say Eugen was complicated but... I learned more from her than she learned from me. She was open minded and tried to find a way to make things less stressful. I learned how to become a better person thanks to her."
"It almost sounds as if you admire her..."
"Of course I do, I admire every single one of you for the things that you all do. But Eugen is a special case Fritz... I thought I moved on but... the other day in the baths..." I said before looking away flustered.
"Eugen wasn't the only thing that caught your eye that night boy..."
"Gee I wonder why... it's not like I haven't even had any sort of affection for the past month and a half and you just 'accidentally' perked them at the right time." I said sarcastically before I took another deep breath.
"How unfortunate for her to not have been alone..." she said grabbing Ludwig to escort him out the door.
"If she was... you know all too well what would have happened... I can't deny it. I still love that damn troublemaker." I said as Fritz turned towards the door with a smile.
"Did you hear all of that, child?" Fritz said as I looked at her confused.
"Very clearly..." Prinz Eugen said as she walked in her usual smug. I could suddenly feel my face as well as my body catch fire from the embarrassment, she heard everything I said about her? I should have known that this was a set up.
"A-a-u-umm... h-hi... Eugen... what brings y-you here?" I said with the confidence of a terrified mouse.
"My why so bashful now commander? If you keep making that face..." Eugen said walking up towards me before sitting on my lap pressing her body against me.
"... Don't complain when I eat you up... then again, i know now that you wouldn't object to it..." she said next to my ear, her voice was sweet yet seductive at the same time. It was a trap that I myself walked into, I thought that it was Friedrich who would have attempted something. I would have never expected that she was helping Eugen.
"A-a-a- u-um.... i... well..." I was at a lost for words, it did not help when I felt those soft lips connect with my cheek. If I was a car, my engine would have blown by now.
"Shall we finish what we started on the baths... dar-ling?" Eugen said only inches from my face with that same bright smile she always gave me. It's only then that I notice that Friedrich left the room as leaving the door locked.
"... You're so stubborn you know that...? " I said after a light chuckle, i already accepted my fate with her. There was no way i could escape now.
"I am only reclaiming what's rightfully mine darling..." she said before her lips connected with mine, a simple kiss kept on becoming more intense before one thing lead to another and well... let's just say we had a good night sleep, it almost reminded me of that time when we went to Munich.
Was I proud for what I did? No, I still loved that idiot but no matter what I thought of it, people around were did not seemed to be bothered by it, but I was. I failed on my vows because I could not keep it in my pants, but then again... Yamato very often insinuated to find an additional partner specifically from the iron blood well.
Is it perhaps that I am stubborn? Maybe, but I tried my best to remain loyal to her. Now a days it may seem that I am just stuck in the old ways, back when humans were more common than a siren. Values like those didn't matter anymore and All of my comrades didn't seem bothered by it, but why me? Was it because of my grandfather? I will never know.
But the more time I spend with my fleet, the more I seemed inclined to... comply with their request. There is not denying I like them as well but. Should I allow them to be part of my life or push them away? The thought of losing them again made my gut twist with anxiety, especially now that I have not only them but a girl who I could consider my daughter.
She is a great kid, kindhearted and smart, but stubborn as a mule if I'm perfectly honest. Emiko if you're reading this, I hope you aren't on your way with your sword to cut me down in pieces. But if you do: I know that you're going to do great things, you are a tough cookie kid and been through rough shit but don't let that drag you down, keep moving forward and show those siren who really is in charge around here...