-------LOS ANGELES, PRESENT DAY-----

It had taken Iowa a lot of patience and coaxing to get Musashi’s head around the idea of where they where. But Iowa had kept things brief, she had something to do. A throw of a rock away from the battleship lay a restaurant, and Iowa finally managed to place an order for the two double cheese-bacon-avocado burgers, two triple chocolate chip milkshakes, the waiters phone number, two large fries and BBQ sauce dip. 

Musashi didn't understand a word what Iowa said. 

‘Back on topic…’
‘Yeah, alright ooookay! So, where were we?’
‘How…’
‘Not exactly sure. But, I’ve spoken a litte to some. Most of us feel something when you sleep. A dream of sorts. It’s like… cold, dark. Like falling, but slowly, slowly’
‘That would be called sinking’
‘Yeah. And everyone has that-’
‘Almost’
‘Okay! Almost everyone has that dream once. The next dreams usually don’t have the fall. Just the cold, deep, endless darkness’. And the pain
‘Yeah’
‘So, that’s probably less of a dream, and more you and your connection to your steel hull’

Musashi raised an eyebrow

‘Damnit, It’s hard to do this and not sound like an ass! But, to be blunt, your steel hull exists in this world too, just not floating. But those odd nights, you feel the shells, the damage. But most of all, the cold water and the darkness’

Musashi didn’t look angry. There was something else in those eyes, usually radiating fire. There was sadness in them. Which made what Iowa a little hesitant to go on

‘I didn’t feel that. I felt the water, absolutely. But i felt the sun too. I heard seagulls, i heard people. People walking around on my decks. And then one day, admittedly after too much sake, I woke up in that room we found ourselves in. That’s my connection to the steel hull, I guess’

They both looked out at almost 900 feet of battleship.

‘It’s been a while…’
‘Over seventy years’

Musashi sighs

‘So you tell me. As I’m sure you can imagine I’m having a hard time taking that in’

Iowa was really, really, REALLY hard time not mentioning her fingers, but decided that starting a fight here wasn’t a good idea.

‘Yeah…’
‘So why have you brought me here? The future?’
‘I don’t think it’s future or past, it’s a new world, and this old one. Anyway, believe me about the planes now?’
‘It would be strange not to at this point’
‘So, then there is the the slightly bigger issue we have to discuss’

Iowa brought up the point raised by Intrepid in the storage room. What would they be without a war? How much would they mean to the admiral when the last barrel had cooled down, and the roar of the last radial engines and fallen silent? Asking the admiral wasn’t really an option. Because what admiral would say something like that? She naturally didn’t have Warspite’s speech, but the message got across. What an odd situation to be in. They had fought for victory for how many years now? And now that the end was in sight, they couldn’t decide to grab it or not’

The waiter, a thin, young man, or a boy even could barely carry all the food Iowa had ordered

‘Oh, and two large colas, please, Haven’t had good cola in ages. And my friend wants ice in her. Got it-’

She looked away from Musashi a second, and at the name tag of the pretty nervous guy in front of her.

‘-Terry?’
‘Y-yeah, I got it’

Iowa threw a kiss at the waiter who turned around, and was spared his increasingly red face

‘Why are you doing that? You’re going back to the naval district in an hour anyway’
‘Yeah, I am. Better this than being an ass I suppose? Ah, whatever. I’m just spreading the joy, you know me?’

Musashi scoffed

‘Do you just go here blow hope into waiters and then walk away?’

Iowa laughed. A warm laugh.

‘Nah. I bring back loads of stuff to the district from here. Clothes mostly’
‘Clothes?’
‘Oh yeah. Sure, it’s LA but our normal outfits is gonna draw too much attention. I brought some stuff for warspite. Her dress is many things, practical ain’t one of them’
‘She is so full of herself’

Iowa chuckled

‘Yeah. Yeah she is. Then again, there’s only one ship has set sail since we conquered the seas that has done half of what she has, or been half as useful’
‘And which one would that be?’
‘Enterprise’

Musashi grumbled a little

‘I should have guessed…’
‘Whatever, nevermind that now. I bring other stuff from here too, you know? Sara isn’t a morning person. I get energy drinks to her. They’re like coffee, but sweet’
‘You said Sara. That’s sweet’
‘Sara is a big sweetie’

The conversation died down a little as Iowa slurped up the last of the triple chocolate chip milkshake and patted her own belly

‘Ahh, that hit the spot. Whatcha think, Syrup?’
‘Excuse me?’
‘Brown and sweet. But c’mon now, like the burger?

Musashi didn’t know wether to smile or take offense. But she did like the burger. And the over-the-top milkshake. And the cola.

‘I was thinking about Enterprise. She got her her new… super rig let’s call it because another ship was named after her? Six and sixty-five?’
‘I mean, I dunno for sure. But that’s my guess’
‘Do we do that?’
‘Hm?’
‘Japan’
‘Yeah. Buncha new ships have names of old ones’

Musashi smiled with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

‘Nah, sorry. Not you sister either. That’s a bit touchy still’

She scoffed

‘Wasted potential’
‘Kaga is still a carrier. One of their newest’
‘Think she will become like your friend if we bring her here?’
‘Honestly, no. Not that I know for sure. But Enterprise came that way. And besides, good luck getting Kaga in a smaill room with just me’

‘Maybe not’

Musashi slid the phone across the table and looked at the screen.

‘But i think Ise will. She was affected by the radar spell your friend placed on her’
‘Maybe. I don’t think we’re getting much out of it, but it’s worth a try on a slow day. But until then, be quiet about this place, alright?’
‘I’m not keeping secrets from my sister’
‘Figured as much. But for the love of god keep it between you two’
‘That, I can do. Not that I like keeping secrets from the Admiral. I’m right in guessing you haven’t said a word about it?’
‘Yeah, you’re right in guessing that’

Iowa scoffed a little and looked out over the silhouette of the massive grey warship. Her.

‘Can you move it?
‘Huh?’

Musashi nodded to ship

‘Aim the guns, turn the rudders, the engines…’
‘I think so. I can’t exactly do anything conspicuous, which is a little tricky with a damn battleship’
‘What’s with the shyness all of a sudden? You’re acting all movie star in the naval district. Even Sendai is copying you with the stupid V-sign, the pouting, the winking…’
‘It’s not pouting, It’s… ehh, never mind. Just not sure that’s the way to go. People would get curious, wouldn’t they? And that would just turn into a dumpster fire. Nah, the naval district is pretty cool, as long as I get to visit here some’
You actually called the naval district “cool”...’
‘Am I not allowed to?’
‘Iowa asking for permission, that’s quite something. Don’t you have a reputation to uphold or something?’

Iowa shrugged

‘And who do I keep that reputation to? Who do I really want beside me? Eugh, enough of this. We need to get back to the naval district, or your sister won’t be happy with me’

Iowa paid the nervous waiter with a 50 and a red kiss mark on the receipt and then left. The Museum was about to close when they headed back. The whole ship was bathing in the orange Californian evening sun. It was quite a spectacle, which is why Musashi was a little surprised when she heard a stifled laughter from behind.

‘Is something amusing you?’
‘I just remembered some words, a verse if you please that was popular around the time I was put here’
‘Do tell’
‘Let's see, I'm not exactly sure, but… “The sun may rise in the east but at least it settles in a western location”’
‘I didn't know Americans had poetry. And another mention of my skin tone and you will swim home’

Iowa giggled a little at the fact Musashi called the Red hot chilli peppers “poets”. 

‘C’maaan, don't be a bore, syrup’

Musashi sighed and asked herself where she found the strength do deal with this apparent overgrown teenager.

They came back to the naval district eventually, as Iowa had gotten her accessories back on and Musashi had sorted out the bandages. The meeting they had left had apparently concluded, and only Intrepid was left. She had decided to take a bit of a later dinner and spent the afternoon in a couch, reading. 

‘You guys took your sweet time’
‘C'mon nerd. I had to show her a little’
‘Why do you call her a nerd?’ Musashi cut in, questioningly
‘Cause she is a nerd’

Iowa smiled to Intrepid who scoffed a little, adjusted her reading glasses and returned to her book. Even the somewhat dense Musashi could see this was a bit of teasing from two who were close

‘Talk to Aoba if you get the chance. Your may share some interests. I have a thing or two to discuss with Yamato’
‘Yamato is fine, but for the love of God, let's not involve the admiral yet, aight?’
‘Not for now. You have my word’
‘Thanks syrup. Take it easy’

Iowa deliberately raised her voice, just a touch, so they both could hear. Musashi stared daggers into Iowa’s back as she left the room. She followed suit soon after, heading for the Eastern District. This left Intrepid alone, who could finally toss away the book she wasn't reading anyway, get her phone up and play another episode of Stargate SG-1.

The group had since long split up. Enterprise had gone down to the waterline, initially to help little Gamby with low light carrier ops, but the heavy cloud cover made that an impossibility. It was instead Richelieu and Warspite who got to be the conversational partners for the evening.

‘They already have an answer’

Richelieu threw a rock across the water. It bounced a few times before disappearing.

‘Think so? I doubt they have even told everyone yet’
‘I’m certain’
‘I too’ Warspite began ‘Think there will not be any hesitation to the question. They will do their utmost to destroy the enemy, as they have done for years. If this eradicates them completely, so be it. They will deal with those consequences when they come’
‘And that makes me Vishnu’, Said Enterprise in an entirely new tone. Warspite raised an eyebrow. 
‘Death, destroyer of worlds? I know those words. And I know what they mean. Do you have it, Enterprise?’
‘The bombs…’ Richelieu stuttered a little bit. 

Enterprise wanted to say something. She knew exactly what they meant. But something, deep in her forced a reply

‘I cannot confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons on any navy ship’
‘Fair enough, if that's how you feeling’
‘What I am feeling, is that I should practice if I'm gonna be the end of this. Can't look bad’
‘So when will you set sail?’

Enterprise stared out in the vast darkness

‘As soon as I know if I'm doing this solo or not’
‘Mon dieu, you're a carrier! How'd you go alone? Unescorted?’
‘Yeah, I better get some company then. Fast company, I can do over 30 knots, don't want an anchor’
‘You go have your fun, youngsters. I shall go tend to the new arrival’

Richelieu stifled a laugh as Warspite turned around and headed for her room. The “new arrival” in question was HMS Nelson, a battleship somewhat comparable to Nagato in capabilities. And “tend to” most likely meant sitting up half night and chit-chatting with with Ark Royal about the war.

‘Let’s go, mon ami? I have to say, I am more than a little interested in those radar planes of yours’
‘I never imagined I’d be escorted by the French. To hell with it, let’s go. I just want to get Intrepid with me here. She seemed to know everything about my planes. See if anyone else wants to come along for some practice, if you want’
‘Oui, mon ami. Meet you by the water’
‘Yeah’

Intrepid hadn't moved an inch, still in the couch watching stargate. 

‘Am I disturbing?’
‘Ohnonono, it's fine! What is it?’
‘I need to get out to see, know what my planes do. You seem to know them, and I want you to come along’

Intrepid put her phone aside

‘I won't go to sea without Iowa’

Enterprise smiled and reached out a hand to the nerd. 

‘Come on then, let's find her’

The finding process was very easy. Iowa was in her room, oddly enough wearing a college hoodie and a sweatpants, and more surprising, glasses

‘All dressed up for us? C'mon Ilo (iLo), we're going for a sortie’

Iowa suddenly got a bit of an angry expression, and Enterprise looked at Intrepid with a hint of confusion

‘Ilo?’
‘You didn't know? She was sponsored by the president’s wife, Ilo Wallace’
‘Cool. Shall we go?’
‘Nooo…’

Iowa dug herself deeper in the couch and hid under a blanket.

‘I'm tiiiiired’
‘Told you, Intrepid. She’s too lazy. Let’s just roll with Richelieu or Bismarck or something. Let’s go’

The bait had been set, and Iowa threw herself over it like she hadn’t eaten in weeks

‘Waaaaait! Wait! Waitwaitwaitwait! Fuck!’

Iowa moaned and groaned as she got rid of her big sweater and pants, not caring much that there were two people in the doorway watching her. Her outfit worn with the rigging was remarkable to say the least. The only thing it really reminded Enterprise off was the kind of outfits the Pin-ups were dressed in as they were painted in the nose of warplanes. Some might say ridiculous, and Iowa would call those “jealous”. She was blessed with a body that would cause just that, jealousy, and her outfit very much emphasized that.

‘Aight, let’s go fuck shit up’
‘Iowa! Watch your language!’
‘Ugh… Okay mom’

With healthy amounts of trash talking and sarcasm, the three finally made it down to the water and the ensemble that had gathered there. Enterprise knew Richelieu would be there, but Bismarck and Roma weren't expected.

‘Hellooooo ladies! Gonna go for a little night sortie?’

Iowa happily cheered the three battleships on.

‘Normally my other duties would take priority, but I’m curious to your new aircraft’

As expected, Bismarck responded with something out of a textbook, and Roma just wanted to get away from Aguila, who was snoring now, and drunk on wine an hour ago.

‘We should however consider our escorts. We’re currently four battleships and two carriers, not exactly a fleet suited to ASW’

Intrepid looked over to Bismarck who admittedly had a point. They hadn’t had that many submarines as of late, discretion is the better part of valour. Or something else Warspite would probably say

‘Shouldn’t be a problem, even if none of our destroyers are up to it. The Japanese have destroyers patrolling the harbor, and we have the bimbo who probably could convince them to come along’

Intrepid expected Iowa to turn around and stare daggers, but it seems “Bimbo” hit a little too close to home for Richelieu and Bismarck as well. Intrepid was faced with three angry sets of eyes, all wondering whom she meant.

‘N-no, I didn’t mean it like that, I-I was just, uhh-’
‘I vote Intrepid to get escorts’, Grinned Iowa
‘Oui’
‘Sicher’

Intrepid sighed. She knew she couldn’t talk her way out of that

‘Y-yeah, sure. Let’s go’

Iowa may be a bit of a joker, Enterprise thought, but she was nothing if not deadly serious with the task at hand, especially regarding american flattops. She had nearly met her maker to get Intrepid out of the way of air attack before, and she’d probably do it again if needed. She was first on the waves, first to train her guns on the dark blue horizon and first to fire up her radar to scan for threats. Sadly, she had to wait half an hour as Enterprise got her scavenging pumps up and running since there was “sand in them”. At about an hour before midnight, the six finally set off towards the Eastern naval district, probably giving whoever was patrolling that night the scare of her life

It would be even worse, since enterprise had a definite and unfortunate Abyssal-like glow to her eyes. Intrepid was fairly sure it was due to her fuel rods; uranium had a light blue glow from it when critical. She borrowed Richelieu’s shades for the moment, and looking like a dork in the process

‘Enterprise, I’d like you to get those radar planes up’
‘Yeah Bismarck, thing is I can’t protect them with any fighters, and I just have four of them’
‘Oh hell yeah you can. Let me show you-’

Intrepid was briefly interrupted by Iowa if it was “Time for top gun yet”, which it apparently wasn’t. Intrepid continued:

‘So, get one of those planes with the weird angled tailplane, Yeah, that one. Now, case is you have like 15 different kinds of planes, but you only really need four, and three quarters of that could be these guys, the F-4 Phantom’
‘I think you told-’
‘Shhh. Phantom is great. Phantom does everything. Now, get a flight of four up and have them circle us’
‘In the dark?’
‘In the dark. radar works in the dark, and so does heat. Get ‘em up’

Enterprise’s lever action flight deck hissed and spewed out scalding hot steam four times as the planes were sent skyward.

‘I can’t see them, Intrepid’
‘You don’t have to. Now get the Hawkeyes up’
‘Geee, alright mom’
‘What? You too? It’s not my fault I have to take care of you two!’

Enterprise could overhear Iowa’s laughing over Intrepids angry yelling and the roar of two 5000hp turboprops.

‘Alright, get it up to about Angels 12 and then I’ll show you how to get the most out of her’
‘Right…’

The gun recoiled a fair bit harder throwing the heavier plane in the air. Mother 1 ran the engines as hard as it could to get up to 12 000 feet and start the operation

‘So, do you see the six of us on your radar?’

Enterprise closed her eyes and a sort of black screen flashed up. She saw herself as a big, dark blue dot in the middle, trailed by CV11 and surrounded by BB61, BSCT, RCLU and ROMA, all as lighter blue dots. The abbreviation for Bismarck was a bit odd, but she knew where she was, at least

‘Yeah’
‘Planes?’
‘Uhh…’
‘Maybe you have to change the overlay. Is there a “show all” tab?’
‘A what? The hell is this. I’m not a scientist’
‘You have eight nuclear bombs with brakes as engines, you better become one’
‘Shit. Uhh… wait, I got it, I get the planes on here now’
‘How many?’
‘Five. Mother-1 and Phantom-1-1 through -4’
‘That’s good for now. As long as those are up, we’re fine. Let’s get going’

It didn’t take long to get to the eastern district. Enterprise figgled a little with the settings, defining her down section, plotting courses for the planes and such. They arrived quickly and without issues. As promised, Intrepid was the one to go and ask the patrolling destroyers for some help

Sadly, not all destroyers are as helpful as the others, as she would find out

‘Identify yourself or eat torpedoes!’
‘Whoa, calm down, I’m Intrepid, a friend!’
‘You’re American, what are you doing here? Go away’
‘Y-yeah, but I could use some help. Who are you?’
‘Akebono. I’m patrolling here. Go away’
‘Don’t wanna do some escorts? We got lots of ships-’
‘I will not abandon my post. Go aw-’
‘There are four battleships out in the bay guarding a ninety thousand ton supercarrier out there. Plus me. You don't add much to that. But we do need something to fight submarines if we’re going to go out there. So either you find me some help, or Iowa is going to waltz into the destroyer dormitories in the dead of night and no one is going to be happy with how that ends. We need submarine protection and we're really not leaving here until we get it. You in or you out?’

‘They would never stop whining if they knew I let Iowa in…’ The grumpy DD muttered
‘What?’
‘I wasn't speaking to you, cow! Go away! Wait out there and don't come back if I tell you to go!’
‘Alright, take it easy, I'll wait out there’

As Intrepid got back out to the group, she could soon hear Iowa laughing her ears off. She apparently found it infinitely amusing that Intrepid ran into the least friendly destroyer they entire naval district had to offer. 

But to their surprise, Enterprise actually got some radar returns a few minutes later. She fired up her radio. 

‘Four unidentified contacts on heading 1-2-5 at 18 knots, this is Test Section Lead, please identify yourselves’

A kind and gentle voice responded immediately. 

‘Test Section Lead, this is lead ship of the Ayanami-class destroyers, Ayanami with sister ships Amagiri, Akebono and Ushio. Have you requested escort?’
‘Correct. Continue on current heading and assimilate with Test Section, assume callsigns Test 7 through to 10 respectively’
‘Yes! We will be there soon!’

The four destroyers soon formed around the battle group in a rhombus formation. Unfortunately, this is when Akebono saw Iowa was here too

‘Why didn't you say she was here?!’
‘What's it to you?’
‘She's bad! A bully! I'll radio in Yamato, she will kick your ass, just like last time!’

Iowa interrupted her crying laughter with biting her lower lip and rolling her eyes back’

‘Kicking-’ She regained her breath from the laughter for a few seconds ‘-Is only the first of a long line of things she did to this ass’
‘I hate you! I hate you! I'll shoot all my torpedoes!’

She didn't respond much due to her sides physically hurting from laughter and that she could barely stand up. It was quickly interrupted by a swift bitch-slap coming from her right. 

‘Owie! What was that for!’

Enterprise looked down at the smaller and somewhat hurt battleship. 

‘You leave and we still have 25 really big guns left, they leave and this whole thing is in the trash. Behave’

Iowa mumbled an apology and rubbed her sore cheek as Enterprise fell back into formation. They all sailed quietly for a while before Intrepid opened her mouth. 

‘To our escorts, I'm sure you're figured out this new carrier is something special by now. She's responsible for the greatly enhanced gunnery and thus overwhelming victory we achieved a few nights ago. We're going to test that under a bit more controlled conditions. However, and you need to listen very closely to me on this, because it might save your life. If she gets hit, and her engines get destroyed, don't try and save her, flee, run for your lives’
‘Wait a minute…’
‘Her engines are little more than eight nuclear bombs with brakes on them. If they go, be far away from them’

The whole fleet went silent for a few minutes.

‘T-test Section Lead, this is Ayanami. Uhm, who are you’
‘I suppose the cat is out of the bag already. I'm Enterprise. Sort of. We think Wo took my body and rigging, and my mind went to… Whatever this is instead. We're still figuring things out’
‘They said we sank you three times’
‘You got close three times’

The whole section went quiet again, until Ushio peeped up on the radio. 

‘We're all friends in the Naval District…’
‘Sounds good to me’
‘Oooookay, this has gotten a bit gloomy, c'mon E, show us the tomcats!’ 

Iowa naturally sounded cheerful, but she put some extra sunshine and sparkles to her voice for this occasion

‘Tomcat?’
‘Yes, F-14 Tomcat, the big fighter. No, that's an A-5 Vigilante. Yeah, that's a Tomcat,Launch it!’

The “Tomcat” was gigantic for a fighter, even dwarfing the B-25, a plane considered too large to land on a carrier. Enterprise put a single one on the back of the launcher. However, the plane didn't launch as she pulled the trigger. Instead, the engines spooled up, and both main wings slowly extended from their sharp backwards angle until they were almost perfectly straight. 

‘The hell…’
‘That's soooooo cool! C'mon, launch it!’

The Tomcat climbed to the sky with the roar of sixty thousand pounds of thrust. Poor Ayanami at the front of the section ducked and covered her head. A moment later, Enterprise had it on her scope as “Wolf 1”

‘Does it do anything?’
‘Fleet defence. Anything flying that gets within a hundred nautical miles of us gets vaporized’, Intrepid assured
‘A hundred? How do I see them?’
‘Should appear as green and then red dots’
‘I just have blue ones’
‘Just us out here, then’

Enterprise nodded and sent up another Tomcat, to let the two of them have a bit of a mock dogfight with the Phantoms. It was really no match. The massive tomcats were heavier, yes but were obscenely more powerful, with or without afterburner. The wings were much bigger, and the entire fuselage was a big lifting body. But the figures didn’t interest Enterprise much, but rather the way they moved. It was a completely different way of moving from the old propeller planes she was used to. And faster, much faster. How fast?

‘Hey, Intrepid, how fast does these things go?’
‘Well, at high alt-’
‘Whoawhoawhoa, don’t listen to the nerd and her numbers! Here, do something cool about instead, just tell it to “Buzz” you’, Iowa said, suddenly all cheery again
‘Eh? Buzz? What does that mean?’
‘Iowa is an overgrown teenager’, Intrepid sighed. ‘But it is kinda cool’
‘Oh yes!~ Even the nerd agrees! C’mon big E! Do it!’

With a hint of confusion, she switched her radio to the flight controller setting. 

‘Wolf squadron, buzz me’

The two F-14 spread their wings and dumped copious amounts of fuel in their afterburner, climbing well above ten thousand feet. Well up in the realm of heroes and angels, the Tomcats swept their wings and turned all the energy they had built up as altitude into speed. With afterburners still turning fuel into fire, they came screaming down, well over the sound barrier, towards Test section. Wolf squadron approached from their port bow, just a hundred feet above the water, followed by a vapor cone and a trail of ringing ears (and for poor Amagiri, shaking legs). 

‘Yeaaaahhhh! Wooohoooo!’

Intrepid was cheering the planes on as they turned skywards to bleed off some speed. 

‘The hell was that…’
‘So, dear Enterprise, that's the Tomcat. It was designed to replace the-’

Intrepid shamelessly read straight off of a screencapped wikipedia page to remember all specs of the F-14, which never flew of her deck. Further in the front of the section, Iowa helped Amagiri to stand up properly. Big engines cause lots of vibrations, that some are naturally more sensitive to. She teased a little, and noticed how Amagiri was extraordinarily fit for a destroyer, toned belly and all. Iowa made a mental note to get some pre workout for her next time she was in LA. 

Further back, a little speck appeared on Enterprise’s screen. A quick check around the group revealed this was a tiny, uninhabited island. Or, in US Navy terms, “target practice”. 

She considered her options a little while, and inquired it any of her aircraft were capable of recording video footage, which turned out they absolutely were. The plane that was almost like the Hawkeye, called Greyhound had stores for high resolution video cameras. The plan was dispatching one Greyhound loaded with video cameras to the island which one destroyer would light up with numerous illumination flares. The battleships, guided by the Hawkeye’s big radar would bombard the island in turns and from closing ranges, all recorded by the aircrafts video camera. 

‘Destroyers of Test Section, this is Enterprise. Does anyone volunteer for a special assignment, because gunnery practice is about to begin’