Anchors Aweigh

chapter 2

The room was definitely filled with tension.

After the reveal of who they were, a silence washed over the room. All 3 of the room's inhabitants hadn't uttered another word after their introductions.

Shoukaku and Zuikaku had shocked looks on their faces with wide eyes as they looked at the American girl. They were still staring at her.

Enterprise was still nervously scratching the back of her head while having her eyes closed and still smiling. She was almost starting to sweat underneath their gazes. Being by herself and outnumbered 2 to 1 did not make her feel secure. God she wish she had Hornet or Yorktown with her here. Actually, scratch that. Having them here with her would have been an even more horrible idea.

The 3 girls continued their silent standoff. Each of them were aware of the history they had together. Their encounters with each other throughout the Pacific War was one of the most notable rivalries the girls have ever had with how many times clashed.

For Enterprise she felt...frustration, was the best word she could use to describe it, when she saw the two of them. The two crane sisters were truly one of the most intense oppositions she had in the war. They had faced off against other so many times. In the Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz, They were the ones that had been able to hit and damage her with some of the most immense pain she had ever felt. Not only that, they were also the ones that had hurt her friends and sisters. They had participated in the Pearl Harbor attack. They were the ones directly responsible for Lexington and Hornet's deaths.

On the flipside, the sisters felt that same feeling of frustration towards Enterprise. They had squared off in multiple instances, but they felt it was multiple instances too many. They had sworn they sunk her in the Solomons and Santa Cruz. But after each time, she came back, like a Grey Ghost that would come to haunt them for the rest of the war. And also to them, they knew that she was the one responsible for many of their friends' deaths in the war.

The 3 were locked in place for a while. The thing that broke the stagnation was when Zuikaku started moving. She turned around and started heading towards the door, not even saying a word.

"Wait! I...uh..." Enterprise yelled out as she raised her hand towards Zuikaku.

Zuikaku turned around to look at her. Enterprise opened her mouth but found that no words came out. What could she say in this situation?

With Enterprise remaining silent, Zuikaku turned back around, headed out of the room, and closed the door behind her.

Enterprise stared at the door for a while, debating or not whether she should go after her or not. She broke her head away and then turned her head towards Shoukaku. She was still looking at the door from where Zuikaku left.

But with the departure of Zuikaku, Enterprise realized that she was now left alone with Shoukaku in the room who still hadn't made a move or response. She wondered what she would do.

As if Shoukaku heard her thoughts, she turned her head back towards Enterprise. "I'm sorry about that Enterprise-san." Shoukaku said to her.

Now that wasn't a response that Enterprise was expecting from her.

"N-no, it's fine. You've got nothing to apologize for." Enterprise waved her hands. She wondered why Shoukaku was apologizing to her.

"It just might take Zuikaku some time to take this in and get accustomed to it." Shoukaku said as her mouth curled up into a melancholic smile. "Enterprise-san, regardless of our past relationship, if we are to be working with each other and living together, I would like for us to be on friendly terms."