Defection (MentalModel!Brothers and OC)

Chapter 4

Jyushi's laughter echoed out around the underground dry dock as I gave a weak smile to the military officer scowling down at me, his arms crossed over his chest as his left eye twitched a little.

"Hey, Daddy..." My voice trailed off as my dad took in a deep breath through his nose, his stern gaze switching from my figure to the one still celebrating in the dock adjacent to where the Admiral Hipper had been parked, "I, uh...I can explain."

"I'm sure that you can," My dad lowered his gaze back to me, the stern look fading a little, "Just so you're aware, this is not what I meant by 'driving the enemy Fog ship away'."

"This wasn't my intention, either, Daddy!" I threw both of my hands out to my sides before pointing over at Jyushi, "I wasn't aware that Todo knew him and was fully intending on the destroyer leaving without a fuss, but my ship had other plans. He said that he knew the destroyer like a friend and had invited him to escape across the Atlantic before our paths crossed."

"Is this true?" Dad looked slightly behind me, locking eyes with Todo who stood just beside me.

"Affirmative, Vice Admiral," Todo nodded, "It wasn't my intention for Jyushi to arrive here without prior notification."

My dad took another deep breath in as he watched Jyushi continue his little celebration before he fixed his gaze on me, "I'll need to calm the board down from this new...development. In the meantime, both Fleet of Fog ships will stay here in complete lockdown while you're returned home."

"You mean we're the Navy's prisoners until a decision can be made about what to do with us," Todo huffed out behind me, "Understand this, Vice Admiral, Jyushi and I will refuse orders from anyone else other than Ashley. She is our captain, and thus a higher priority than whatever you think you are to us."

I wheeled around to face Todo, my eyes wide in shock as he folded his arms across his chest, his dark eyes challenging my dad as both men maintained a glare.

"We'll go on lockdown to make sure that you don't scare yourself silly with two Fog ships in your little base," Jyushi hummed from his sitting position on the bow railing of the Max Schultz, "Anything else needs to be ordered by our captain."

My dad looked between the two men before he closed his green hues, "As it would be for any other captain from a different nation."

Todo looked towards Jyushi and they nodded as one, several red elongated hexagonal shapes surrounding them before the shapes staggered down to the deck, the new shapes fitting in the pattern while the ones on top disappeared into the air. When the hexagonal shapes touched the deck, they raced out along the deckplates in the same manner that they traveled down the men before spreading across the whole ship.

Each hexagon held an English word emboldened in dark red: 'LOCKED'.

I could feel a shift in tension as both Mental Models looked towards my dad, Todo raising his voice first, "Better?"

"For now," Dad instantly replied, turning towards the movable walkway and beckoned for me to follow, "I'm not sure how long you'll be kept here, but if everything goes according to how I see it going...Ashley will remain your captain as long as you both offer your services when we need it. I don't like admitting this, but our straggler fleet here in Quincy can't hold much of a candle to what you two can do on your own."

"And after that?" Jyushi pressed further, leaning against the railing along the destroyer's deck.

"You'll more than likely be free to sail under Ashley's command," My dad cast a stern look to both Mental Models before continuing to the pier, my attention split between following him and making sure that both of my ships were all right.