Vice Admiral Matthew D. Watson
If there was one place where I enjoyed staying where there were plenty of other folk, it would have been the city of Saint Petersburg. You had the usual city folk running about with their normal lives as well as country folk selling their produce at the square. It was a perfect blend of and a nice slice of life just like in my time in the Iron Blood's most iconic cities. But unlike those cities, Saint Petersburg was the site of something I could have never imagined in my wildest nightmares.
For little over a year, the city was besieged by those damn monsters. No one could leave nor arrive, we were all surrounded, slowly starving to death one by one in constant fear of the siren air raids. No one was going to help us, not the Royal Navy, not the Eagle Union and certainly not the Iron Blood. We were on our own in a city of snow trying to survive and or praying for some miracle to happen.
The air raids were constant and the constant sound of anti aircraft fire or bombs collapsing yet another building became all to common. But in the midst of all of this, the reoccurring sound of a metronome through speakers could be heard warning us to take cover... and i was the one in charge of such thing.
All of this, happened in a matter of a year. The once bustling and wonderful city was now the ninth circle of hell itself and I was one of many that thought to give up as my thoughts lingered with my times with Eugen. But just like many as well, there was always someone there to keep me pushing me forward.
"Comrade Lieutenant wake up..." a tired voice called out to me as a sharp pain on my leg took my drowsiness away.
"I-I'm awake! I'm awake!" I said as my binoculars fumbled in my hands, it was the one and only Rossiya who seemed more relieved than angry to see me moving.
"You mustn't fall asleep here commander, the cold will slowly kill you especially in the state that you are in..." Rossiya said placing a warm coat over me, I was numb from the cold let alone having the strength to lift our equipment towards the bunker where it was warm and at the very least safe from an attack.
"I know... but one of us must keep an eye out, we need to keep that metronome playing every time there is another attack..." I said before she laid next to me a warm cup of black coffee.
"Drink this..." Rossiya said with a slight glare, but I could tell she was worried.
"... Thanks..." I said as I clumsy grabbed the mug, the coffee was horrible to the taste. But at the very least it gave me enough strength to keep myself awake.
Rossiya looked on from the bombed out hole that my Grandfather's office had from a previous attack. The gentle but deadly cold breeze of the Siberian winter flowed into the office without mercy, but for someone like Rossiya this was mere child's play.
She quietly scanned the area only to be dismayed at the all too common site of frozen bodies being hauled into a cart that was being pulled by the ones who seemed more like walking skeletons than humans. The only thing that kept us going was our will to live, no matter how small it was we kept on going with the only thing bringing us comfort being the sawdust flavored rations we were given.
"... We've really hit rock bottom haven't we?" I said feeling the mug being heavier than usual.
"... We have suffered far worse comrade, we may have been weakened but it does not mean that we have been defeated." Rossiya said as her white long hair danced gracefully against the wind.
"You have a point, but it makes you think what will happen if we do not find a way to get a proper supply line over lake Ladoga..." I said leaning against the wall as I looked at Rossiya's intense glare.
"The supplies will arrive, the city will once again return to its former glory comrade... Yet it would have not been possible without you leading the counter attack Comrade lieutenant." She said with a slight smile.
"Well, I can't just sit by and do nothing Rossiya... and besides..." I said before taking a deep breath.
"All I did is point to the right direction along with Jack so it's not like I did much..." I said before she turned to face me.
"An effort that could not have been done with a missing cog of the machine, it was not required of you to be that essential piece that we needed. Yet you decided to volunteer for everything we had an issue with, if it were not for your foresight we would have lost more than what we've had. For that I must commend you comrade lieutenant... Not everyone has the same resolve as yourself." she said looking at me sternly.
"... I'm only doing my job... our goal is to save human lives after all..." I said looking away feeling my cheeks warm themselves if only slightly.
"It is... unfortunately, things never seem that way..." she said before the distant roar of the perimeter anti craft guns were heard. I did not think twice to turn on the metronome although my movements seemed all to clumsy for it to be normal, I felt my body just beginning to shut down from the fatigue, I needed to get to safety but I slowly began do doze off where I stood.
"Prosypaysya! Now it is not the time for a nap comrade!" she said as she slapped my cheek rather forcefully before she noticed something that almost sent her in a panic.
"Comrade I must get you to a heat source right now!" she said almost jolting me towards her only to feel something warm and soft.
"What's going on Rossiya, I feel..." I said as my body felt as if a boulder slammed itself on top of it. Rossiya briskly picked me up but mouthed something that I could not understand, the only thing I could hear was the constant ticking of the metronome, it was the only warning that the people of the city had to reach safety as well.
I still hear the anti aircraft fire every time I hear that same beats of the metronome, I can smell the burnt gunpowder or the burning of oil as well as our meager food supplies to this day. That may have been little over a decade ago, but it still feels as if it was last week that I was running that fever as well as that damn hypothermia I caught. If it were not for Rossiya... who knows what it might have happened if I laid there.
"... And that should be so far what the destroyers found..." Scarlet said as I once again came back to my senses as five five six curiously played with that same metronome that saved so many lives. It played that same monotonous rhythm that reminded me too much of my earlier days, I really could not help it. It was after all where I truly learn what it meant to hit rock bottom.
"... Yes... um... leave that on my desk, I will need to send a copy to the admiralty..." I said trying to regain my bearings once again as she stood in the center of the room, surrounded by the secretarie's desks. She seemed embarrassed thinking she bored me, but the others knew it was me once again in 'lala land'
"A-ah, right... i-is there something I missed?" she asked as she diligently reviewed the papers.
"Don't stress so much over it or your hair will gray quicker than Matt's ~" Eugen said reclining in her chair as she enjoyed some of my cooking.
"Hey it's only one or two hairs..." I said with a slight chuckle.
"For now that is... Next thing you know you are talking like that old floating museum."
"As if you can brag about it, a few more years and you're going to start complaining about a bad back." I said only for her to cross her hands before she turned away.
"Tell that to the floating hotel..." she muttered before Fritz let out a hearty laugh.
"He is not wrong Prinz Eugen, although it would be a rather excellent excuse to receive one of his massages..." Friedrich said before I looked down at my desk feeling somewhat embarrassed myself as well.
"W-well the massages aren't cheap..." I said before I nervously chuckled.
"A... massage? Are you even allowed to do that commander?" Scarlet asked with the curiosity of a puppy.
"Officially... not really... but it doesn't say anything when you are not on duty so we should be good." I said before I leaned back taking a deep breath.
"There is nothing wrong with having that kind of interactions child. As a matter of fact, if you do not have a special someone one day, it will be ordered from the admiralty for you to become romantically involved with a human in order to continue your bloodline." Fritz said as she read more reports.
"... Isn't that illegal?" Scarlet asked but the girls took a moment to find a way to respond to her.
"Normally... it would be the case Scarlet, but since we are fighting in a war. They expect us to have children before we reach a certain age in case we pass away..." I said as I relaxed on my chair.
"But... why? I think we should be allowed to choose no matter how long it takes..." Scarlet said slightly irritated.
"I agree... but nothing makes sense after the sirens showed up little pup..." I said before I blankly stared at the ceiling
"...Then again, our so called 'freedom' at times needs to be taken away in order to preserve a species... at least... that is what my grandfather would tell me..." I said as I still heard the incessant ticking of the metronome.
"You don't get it upstart? If he dies it's one less human to help on continuing future generations and with how little there are compared to the past, it is a far cry..." Eugen said watching her like a apathetically.
"... There used to be much more of them before we all came to life in this form young one..." Fritz said organizing more of her papers.
"... Little over seven point eight billion of us to be exact. It would be a miracle if we even reach a billion now with that damned war..." I said with a sigh.
"I see... so is this our purpose? To protect humanity and help them?"
"...It is but, you want my honest opinion little pup?" I asked before she nodded looking at me intently.
"Once you see the things we've done, I would be surprised that you wouldn't sided with the sirens... We aren't easy to please nor handle." I said as I looked at her in the eyes, but she surprised us all with an unexpected chuckle.
"The way that you say it commander, it just sounds like a normal day for all of us. We aren't easy to handle either you know. We just have to learn from each other no matter how many times we fail or repeat the same mistake." She said with a smile. It seemed so genuine and sincere, devoid of any cynicism unlike us who have seemed almost everything this world had to offer.
"You're not that far from the truth, although at least for the time being we have all learned our lessons before it repeats itself once again..." Fritz said as she fixed her hair while reading yet another paper.
"... And we will continue moving forwards, isn't that what the humans have done for thousands of years?" Scarlet asked turning to Fritz who seemed taken aback by her statement before letting out an all too common hearty chuckle.
"Indeed you are, if it were not for the cycle of war we would not be here after all..." Fritz said with a slight smile.
"Well... what ever the case may be Scarlet, this will take a strain on your mental fortitude as well as change your outlook overtime. But i hope it doesn't change your outlook in seeing the glass half full. it's refreshing to us seeing someone disagreeing, isn't that right little knight?" I asked looking at our favorite little sub who seemed all too focused on the metronome.
"Five five six? Hellooo?" I called out but she seemed more transfixed at the group pictures and banners I had with members of different factions. Eagle union, Royal Navy, Sardegna Empire, you named it and I have been there and know someone within that faction. But there was one in particular that caught her attention.
"Wow~ You look so young in this picture commander!" Five five six exclaimed as she held a picture frame.
"What? Let me see!" Scarlet said having her curiosity piqued. Our conversation seemed to have quickly died down as all of the girls seemed to have become curious cats.
"My oh my, how come I never noticed this picture?" Eugen asked as peered over the little knights head.
"Indeed, I have not seen this one. Just looking at it reminds me when I pampered you like a little child..." Fritz said slightly flustered as she placed her palms on her cheeks.
"Hmm? Is there something I should know Matthew?" Eugen asked with a hint of suspicion.
"W-well Friedrich was pretty fond of me and when I was around. She treated me pretty well..." I said scratching my chin nervously as my face became flushed. Eugen on the other hand didn't seem to appreciate this small snippet of her previous life, her usual smug was replaced by a slight frown as well as a glare all the while Friedrich let out a heartfelt laugh.
"Do not worry little one, I merely pampered him as if he was my son. We did not do anything while you were both together." Friedrich said before Scarlet turned towards Fritz confused.
"Where was this picture taken? It looks so cold.." Scarlet asked confused before Fritz patted her head.
"It was quite a long time ago, back before the great war started... those were... troubling times..." Friedrich said with a hint of pain in her voice.
The room went silent as both Eugen and Scarlet seemed to notice our sudden change in atmosphere. It was not something many of us were eager to discuss with our re summoned comrades who many seemed to have forgotten the war that changed our lives forever.
"... Well... it was more than that... we all lost someone... some lost far to many to be perfectly honest..." I said as I walked over grabbing the picture frame.
It was nothing too fancy per say but it was a photo I cherished dearly. My grandparents as well as the Sovietsky sisters and a handful of others stood posing for a picture in their uniforms.
I looked at the picture with some nostalgia, the old man had a intense stare as per usual while he held Nikolai closely looking at the camera coldly. Those two were a pair of nutcases to be honest, they always pushed me to my limits but they knew what I was going to expect if I continued this line of profession.
"Who are those two? Is that the grand admiral and some other ship?" Scarlet asked pointing at my grandparents.
"Those two... were my grandparents..." I said as I turned to Scarlet who seemed to have realized she had just opened a new can of worms.
"O-oh... sorry..."
"It's fine little pup you should know who they were as well... these two were Admiral Charles Johnathan Halsey and Battleship Imperator Nikolai the first..." I said as I walked around slowly around the room staring at the picture.
"Wait... then that means-"
"That I could summon a rigging?" I asked as she nodded eagerly.
"I can... if I want for my body to just implode on itself..." I said revealing the multiple scars on my chest from... that one time. Fritz seemed unfazed as she was all too aware of the story, but the others seemed to be taken by surprise by this sudden news.
"T-that happened to you because of an attempt to summon a rigging?" Eugen asked surprised
"It happened because I tried to save you specifically Eugen..." I said before Eugen's typical carefree demeanor disappeared as the others turned to her equally surprised.
"... How...?" Eugen asked as it was the only thing she could muster to say while a ever so increasingly intense glare formed on her face formed.
"... The sirens... they... they were... ripping you and whatever was left of your fleet apart after a battle in the north sea left a few of you looking like crippled wrecks..." I said before I placed the picture frame down on my desk.
"I ordered the fleet to save you all... but there was... this siren calling herself Omitter who was just..." I said as I clenched my first. All four of them approached me slowly, although Eugen was the only one that sunk her body on my chest. She knew this was not the time for her usual teasing, not it was wise to make a snarky comment.
If you truly wanted to see Eugen's for who she was, this was one way you could do it. She may be a all around tease, but there were some things that even for someone like her there was a fine line of what was deemed acceptable and what was not.
"... Then... you just-"
"He summoned his rigging to fight Omitter but... his body just..." Five five six interrupted on the verge of tears before Friedrich embraced the little knight.
"I don't remember much... just you screaming my na-"
"Stop... just stop..." Eugen said as she approached before gripping me tightly.
"Can you girls give us a few minutes...?"
"Of course... Take as long as you like boy, if you need me I shall be at the cafe..." Friedrich said as she escorted the little knight and Scarlet out of the office.
"Thanks..." I said before she exited the room.
The office went silent for the exception of the metronome, its incessant ticking continued as I allowed to Eugen process this sudden news. It was not something not even I was expecting to blurt out so easily to her, but she needed to know.
"... Did we escape or..." Eugen asked breaking our silence, the question was hard to answer as I pondered on how to respond to it properly.
"... The Northern Parliament saved me... but as for you... they had to scuttle you... even they don't wish to tell me that information..." I said before Eugen's grip tighten again on my back before I responded in tightening my embrace towards her.
"I'm sorry... I put your life in danger for her again..." Eugen said before I pulled her away just far enough to make eye contact with her.
"Hey don't be so hard on yourself Eugen, no one knew about this. Not even I was aware of this, It just... happened... I don't know how..." I said as we stared at each other, but she seemed more angry than saddened.
"You're an idiot... I can always come back but you cant..."
"And watch you just get-"
"No excuses... I need you to promise me that you will never do such a thing ever again... " she said with a slight glare, although it was clear that this scared her greatly. Of course... I would know how she would react. The sheer terror in her face said it all and even if I were blind, her screams were something that I could not get out of my head for quite some time.
"... I'll try... You know how this job is..." I said but she once again looked at me displeased.
"Hey...Don't take this as if it was your fault cause' it wasn't..." I said as I placed my palms on her warm cheeks.
"... You almost sacrificed yourself for me... how do you expect me to feel...?" Eugen said softly before I pressed my forehead against hers, I could feel her body stiffen in anticipation.
"How do you expect me to sit by and let you get hurt? Do you remember what I told you before I was sent to the Northern Parliament?"
" 'No matter where you went, what i felt was never going to change. I promise that we will hold you again.' ... I have that saved... you were such an idiot back then, I honestly thought that you forgot about me when I saw once again... You don't know how happy I was when you called me by name..." She said as my arms slid down to her waist.
"You have to be insane to if you think I will forget about you my Edelweiss..." I said before our lips pressed against one another for what it felt like minutes.
"I don't want to lose you again Matthew... I want us to have that opportunity that was taken from us, perhaps even have what you always wanted..." Eugen said before I looked downwards.
"... Even though I am married to anothe-"
"Doesn't matter, I know that you as well love Yamato. I wouldn't blame you if you brought her back... But as long as you allow me to be part of that life as well, I will go to the gates of hell itself if you went there..."
"That is... quite the proposal..." I said before she let out a giggle.
"Well... that is because I am speaking from the heart... Darling..." Eugen said slightly flustered before parted away from me.
"... I will let you think about it. I have to meet with my sister, she should be arriving within the hour." she said as she begun to make her way out of the room.
"Eugen..." I said before she stopped at the door.
"... Don't take to heart you hear? You don't have to worry about us breaking away again. I wont let this happen..." I reassured her before a smile once again crept on to her face.
"I know you wont..." Eugen said before she left me once again alone in my office with nothing more than just that same metronome playing.
I grabbed the picture frame once again before placing it on its usual spot, I stared at the picture thoughtfully, was this the right thing to do at this point? Or what I said was tactless to say what truly happened that day to her?
"What would you have done old man..." I almost muttered as I stared as his gaze. I would have continued with my little meditation session, but a knock on the door once again interrupted it.
It was non other than Hoshou, it was time for our weekly training although this time was going to be different than other times. I needed time as well to think, I believe being up in the skies would help me with it just like many other times. But we will see about if it works this time as well...