The tragedy of Mount Hood

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November 10, 1944.

Seeadler harbor, admiralty Island.

"Hey Mindanao! What have I told you about "lightin' luckies" around me!" A brash voice barked at a repair ship-girl sailing closer to the ammo ship-girl.

"Yeah, yeah, I got ya'." The tanned girl grumbled under her breath and flicked her cigarette behind her helmet bearing the red cross.

"Marco." Mindanao badgered as she started handing out chocolate to the other smaller ship-girls.

"That's not my name, it's Mount Hood." The ammo laden girl sulked walking across her bow and set a box of bullets down.

Unknown to the ammo girl, the top popped open as a single bullet fell to the deck.

"Don't you think it's a bad omen to be named after a volcano or that British battlecruiser? You know, being an ammo ship and all?" Mindanao asked concerningly as she began to give first aid to a few ship-girls surrounding her and Mount Hood.

"Are all Filipino ships superstitious?" Hood snipped, grabbing an armful of shells and headed for a small ship-girl waiting midship.

"Also, aren't you a little close today? You should be with the others." Mindanao asked with a joking tone.

"Look, it's more convenient this way. God, always with the lectures with you-?!" The ammo girl groaned, stepping on the stray bullet.

"Wahhh!" Mount Hood feet flew up into the air as she landed flat on her back with arms full of ordinance.

"Hey! You ok?" The tanned repair ship asked concerningly as she heard a loud thud.

"I'm fine MOTHER!" AE-11 barked sarcastically as she suddenly heard something rolling.

Looking down between her legs she saw a shell spin away from her and straight for the open hatch to hold three.

Scrambling wildly, Mount Hood raced for the shell as it bounced over the edge of the hatch and fell straight to the bottom of the hold.

"Mindanao, GET DOWN!" Mount Hood screamed as Mindanao looked over to see her comrade completely engulfed in flames and explode.

KA-BOOM!

Mindanao threw her hands up instinctually to protect her face and neck.

"Agghh!" The repair ship cried out painfully as it felt like someone hit her with a shotgun point blank in the chest.

Feeling up her frontside she had multiple chest wounds and fell backwards to the water. She could hear crying and moaning all around her.

Mindanao thanked God she didn't get hit in the lungs, but now she could barely move much less help anyone else.

"S-She's gone."

Mindanao eyes started to water, thinking how Mount Hood was just in front of her a moment ago.

There was nothing left of the ammo girl on the water, just a rain of debris and a giant mushroom cloud that had once been a union ship-girl.

"Corpsman!" Mindanao yelled, sobbing loudly as her right forearm covered her eyes.

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