Kantai Collection: A New Force For Good

Help Out Of Time

"Yeah, yeah, I know you want to leave the docks. And in a few hours, I'll gladly release you from their care. But until we can verify that most of if not all White Phosphorus damage to your hull and integrals has been taken care of and repaired, i'm not really inclined to listen to anything you say on the matter." The repair ship Answered as she looked down at the cruiser in her dock, held there by the gangways and cranes that her fairies were using to make sure everything was going as smooth as possible. Akashi hummed as she looked over a list, no doubt provided by her fairies. Hipper huffed at the response, the repair ship only shrugging in turn.

"Can I not let it heal on it's own?" She asked. Akashi blinked somewhat before looking at Hipper.

"You really don't have a history with White Phosphorus do you?" She asked. "Didn't meet it during the old war?" She inquired as she met gazes with the German heavy cruiser. When the woman slowly shook her head, staring up at the repair ship defiantly, Akashi sighed. "No, you can not let it 'simply heal' as you do put it. And it's not like you've anywhere to be. You know you've been taken off the active list roster, yes?" She asked to be sure. Hipper mumbled something under her breath as she sank deeper into the docks, spooking Akashi's fairies somewhat as it sent water cascading on their miniature catwalks. The Japanese repair ship watched them a moment before shaking her head.

"I'll take that as a yes." She sighed as she stood, barefoot, stretching as she did so. "Give everyone a few days to cool off about everything and gain a calm mind about themselves. Everything will work out." She offered.

"Everything will work out what?" A new voice asked, coming from the entrance. The two turned to find Maryland approaching, two trays of breakfast in her grasp. One American, one German.

It'd been two days since Hipper had returned from her unusual sortie, and she was still in the docks dealing with the gifts that the white phosphorus had left for her. That meant two days of being unable to do what she wanted while she was checked on again and again by the two resident repair ships.

It also meant Maryland making repeated visits to the docks to check on the cruiser, something neither of them dreaded any longer like they would have days prior. Every two hours. On the dot. Excusing sleep of course.

The battleship and cruiser had formed a fast friendship over the last two days, given that Maryland wasn't actually trying to kill the cruiser anymore and Hipper had been knocked down a few levels because of information previously unknown to her.

Hipper offered a brief smile to the battleship as Akashi sighed.

"She's trying to weasel out of full repairs. She still has quite a bit of superficial damage from the White Phosphorus. That, and my fairies are still making checks over everything else." Akashi explained.

"Ahhh, na. You can't skip out on any part of dock work. One of the downsides of being a ship girl. Akashi and Dio won't allow for it." Maryland offered as she set the tray of breakfast down next to Hipper's dock. The cruiser sunk further beneath the surface once again, splashing more water at the fairies who in turn looked down at the cruiser with small, unthreatening glares. Hipper stuck her tongue out in return as she stayed submerged for a time before surfacing again, sitting up as Mary took a seat next to the dock.

"Take time to enjoy breakfast. Either myself or Dio will return in a few hours." The repair ship offered, Hipper nodding in response. With that, Akashi took her leave, leaving Maryland and Hipper alone with the fairies working on her repairs.

"So? Where'd you get the shorts from?" Maryland asked with an amused expression as she make them out through the water. Hipper rolled her eyes as she snatched a piece of sausage from Mary's tray.