30 minutes after their encounter in the bathroom, Anya and Sofia were now headed towards the summoning chambers. After Sofia had helped Anya wrap her side, the two had gotten ready rather quickly.

"Was it a battleship?" Sofia pestered, watching Anya carefully. The latter gave a sigh, once again shaking her head.

This was also a new thing. The second the two women had stepped outside of the American HQ, Sofia had once again taken up the interrogation to find out just who exactly had given Anya the wound.

"No, it was not a Battleship... Thankfully. I'd probably have more problems than not if it was a Battleship...." Anya explained, giving her uniform one more look over as they walked. Sofia however was not about to let it go.

"Was it a Carrier?" Sofia asked, a small smile now forming on her face. To be honest, she trusted Anya's judgment with something like this. But she was pestering her for a whole  other reason. That was the simple fact that when you kept pestering Anya, she had a habit to-

"CAPTAIN ALGERONA. For the love of everything that's good about the world, shut up." Anya finally seethed. Sofia merely chuckled, her hands now behind her back as she gave a short nod.

Anya shook her head, keeping a glare pointed at Sofia for a while. Well, all the way until the latter spoke again, still under the threat of death from Anya's gaze.

"Looks like we've been spotted." She declared, pointing ahead. Anya followed her gaze to find Admiral Ishigara standing there, behind him to either side none other than Nagato and Mutsu. Next to them stood the gaggle of Destroyer girls that Anya had met earlier. Yuudachi was enthusiastically waving at the two, causing Anya to give a small laugh. "Make some friends, did you?" Sofia asked, watching the blonde destroyer. Anya simply nodded.

"ADMIRAL!" Yuudachi yelled for effect. Anya simply shook her head in an amused fashion as Shigure smacked Yuudachi upside the head.

"Admiral. Captain." Ishigara greeted once they were at a more acceptable range than the one Yuudachi had chosen. "It is good to see you again. But before we continue, there are two things I would like to inquire about..." He explained. Anya and Sofia nodded in response.

"Of course. And those would be? Although... I think I already have an idea of what they are...." Anya stated. Ishigara gave a nod.

"First... Let's discuss what Mutsu dubbed the 'Tenryuu Incident'. Although you may hide it well, I imagine that your side is sporting a nice bruise. Am I wrong?" Ishigara asked. Before Anya could answer, Sofia spoke first.

"I said Cruiser. Why didn't you saying anything?" Sofia asked. Anya shook her head.

"Tenryuu's a light cruiser. Be more specific when looking for an answer Captain. Anyways, to answer your question. Yes, my side is now showing quite the bruise." Anya answered. Ishigara nodded in response.

"Nagato and Mutsu informed me that you thought that the incident was not fully her fault, that you were to blame as well. Is this true?" He asked. Anya nodded.

"Yes. That's what I think. It was partly my fault because I wasn't watching where I was headed. If I had been, this whole thing could've been avoided." Anya explained. Ishigara nodded.

"Truth be told, Tenryuu admitted what happened after Mutsu caught up to her. And I have no doubt that she didn't mean it. But should something like this happen again, please do not hesitate to inform me. Although this was an incident that could've been changed, there are girls on base that would not hesitate to harm yourself or Captain Algerona here under the guise of an accident, no matter how much harm may be done. Can I count on you to agree to this?" Ishigara asked. Anya nodded as did Sofia. Before Ishigara could continue however, Anya spoke again.

"Nothing's going to happen to Tenryuu right? I'd hate to see something happen to her because of something on my account... Especially on our first day...." She asked. Ishigara let out a light chuckle as he answered the American Admiral.

"No. Nothing major. A few extra duties here and there, but nothing to warrant worry I assure you. Anyways, this brings me to our second topic. This pertaining to the destroyer girls that we are in the presence of." Ishigara stated. Anya gave a nod.

"You want to know my reasoning for having some of the girls observe the summoning...." She clarified. Ishigara gave a nod, Anya responding in turn. "Well... We're all aware of the fact that American and Japanese Ship Girls will be working together from now on. But they're not aware of that. Not yet at least. I figured that having a few of the girls observing and present when the first comes through, I thought it might help them accept and adjust... If only slightly..." Anya explained. The others listened to her explanation as Ishigara nodded.

"I can see your reasoning in that. But let's say that the American Kanmusu does not react so well to their presence. What is your plan then?" Ishigara questioned, a brow raised in a questioning manner as he looked at Anya. The latter nodded at this.

"Fair point. And I did give this some consideration. And my answer is this. While yes, it could go south from what we're expecting, I figure it won't. Simply to the fact that they'll still be trying to get used to everything in a human form. I've read your reports on this in particular. It seems that a Ship Girl's first 24 hours, especially their first hour, they're still trying to accept everything around them. So they won't be keen on getting into a fight right away.... Or so I hope...." She explained. Ishigara nodded, turning to the group of destroyers next to them.

"Do you agree with what she said?" He asked the five. He in turn received five nods of various degrees, Yuudachi even offering a verbal answer.

"Yep, poi. When I first came through, like, I was all focused on the fact that I had hands, poi." She answered. Fubuki nodded at that.

"Yeah. It was really weird... One second I'm a ship, and then all of the sudden, I'm a girl..." The destroyer answered. Anya gave a small nod as Sofia let out a small laugh.

"Well, you've certainly thought about this. But what happens if that doesn't occur? What happens if the Kanmusu react more violently than you are expecting?" Ishigara asked. Anya nodded in agreement.

"True, very true. But I doubt that Nagato and Mutsu are not prepared to intervene if needed." Anya answered. Ishigara cocked a brow at this as he looked back at the Battleship sisters, neither of them exactly meeting his gaze at the moment, as if to avoid the discussion. Ishigara chuckled in response.

"Well... That's my concerns answered. After you two then." He answered, gesturing to the door. Anya nodded, taking the lead, followed by Sofia. She slowly opened one of the two double doors, stepping inside the warehouse like structure. But when they got a look inside the building, that's when they found themselves paused in mid stride.

Sure, the inside looked no different from any other warehouse. Barren, empty. Except for one thing in particular. One thing in the direct center of the massive room. And that would be the 15 foot tall object sitting in the middle of the room.

It reminded Anya of a portal that you might see in some high budget Sci-Fi movie. The border of it seemed to be about 2 feet in width, a dark gray in color, looking to be made out of stone. Combining the width of the border with the actual Gateway's width, it was about 16 feet across the entirety of it. The border wrapped the edge of the portal itself along the left, top, and right sides of it. But it's what the portal itself looked like that astounded Anya.

As she looked at the view inside of the portal, it seemed to be a view of the ocean. The water sat calmly as the sun shone low in the sky, giving the impression that it seemed to mimic the time of day it was outside. A heavy fog blurred their vision from seeing very far in, maybe giving them 25 feet of visibility inside. Water lapped up what seemed to be an invisible barrier, keeping the floor outside of the gateway dry. Anya and Sofia stared in awe at it for a few moments, causing a few laughs to come from the Destroyers behind them.

"What... What is it?" Anya finally asked, Ishigara coming to a stance next to her.

"This is the Summoning Gateway as we have dubbed it. This is how we bring new Kanmusu through." He explained. Sofia took a few steps towards the object, peering into it, as if willing the fog to fade.

"Is that fog always there?" Sofia asked to no in particular. Ishigara gave a nod.

"In the three years that we have had this, that fog has never once lifted. Perhaps shielding us from something we are not meant to see...." He responded cryptically. Anya watched it a few more moments before turning to him.

"You would think that since you made it-" but she was cut off when Ishigara shook his head.

"We didn't make it." He answered. Anya went wide eyed for a moment as Sofia slowly turned to him.

"You didn't make it? What, it just appeared one day?" She asked. He gave a nod.

"Precisely. We had no hand in its creation. We merely found out what its purpose was...." Ishigara responded. Anya let off a light chuckle.

"So what you're saying is that you had no idea what it did, you just poked around with it until it finally did something...." She clarified. Ishigara gave a nod. "Human curiosity at its finest I suppose...." Anya finished.

Ishigara then stepped towards the left side of the gateway, gesturing to the border of it.

"If you two will direct your attention to the border here, there's something I need to make clear to you. Up to the left, what do you see?" He asked. Anya and Sofia turned their gaze towards the left side of the border, studying it for a moment. That's when they began to notice an engraving. Studying it closer, it became clear in shape. It was the Japanese Flag. And just under that sat the numbers 60/60. Anya and Sofia studied it a bit more until it finally occurred to them what it meant.

"A limit?" Sofia asked, turning back to Ishigara. The man nodded.

"We aren't sure how or why, but the Gateway puts a limit on the number of Kanmusu you can bring through altogether. This being said, this is why we haven't been able to summon a new Kanmusu now for close to a year...." He explained. Anya looked over the number for a moment before looking back at him.

"Is there a way to change it? Or increase it?" She asked. He shook his head.

"We've tried many different things to achieve a change with this number. The only thing we know for sure that changes it is when a Kanmusu is lost in battle....." He answered. Anya paused a second, considering what this meant, before answering.

"Who did you lose....?" Anya asked slowly. Ishigara hesitated for a moment before responding.

"We lost the Fusou sisters rather early after their appearance , Fusou and Yamashiro.... After we did so, the count went down to 58 out of 60.... This is another thing. If a Kanmusu is lost in battle, it is doubtful that they will return again...." He explained. Anya gave a slow nod, her eyes wandering over to the seven Ship Girls they were with. She watched them for a small moment before turning back to Ishigara.

"Well... Let's get this party started then...." She stated, but before Ishigara could respond, a familiar voice was heard yet again.

"A Party, poi? Where!?" Yuudachi asked. Anya laughed as Sofia let out a small chuckle at the sudden response. Ishigara merely shook his head as the three heard someone hit Yuudachi upside the head, no doubt being Shigure.

"Oh, I had wanted to ask. Who was the first Kanmusu the Japanese summoned?" Sofia asked. Ishigara thought about it a moment before answering.

"Our first summoning resulted in the Light Carrier Ryuujou." He responded. He then pointed to the Gateway. "Alright. Here's how it worked for us. You reach out and place a hand on the water's surface. But since there are two of you, make sure Admiral Johnson places her hand down first." He instructed. Anya and Sofia looked from him to the water of the Gateway.

"Is that all you did?" Sofia asked, still looking at the Gateway.

"Pretty much." Came the response. With a shrug, the two American women walked up to the Gateway, Anya taking the lead. Doing as they had been instructed, Anya carefully reached through then Gateway, placing her right hand in the still waters. It felt strange, she thought. It didn't feel like normal water. Sofia did so a few moments after Anya, feeling the same sensation.

Then the water started to sting.

The two women jerked their hands out of they water, shaking them wildly for a moment.

"Oh hell, that hurt." Sofia answered after a moment. Anya nodded in agreement, running her other hand over where she had felt the sting. And found herself becoming rather confused.

On her right ring finger, she now adorned a ring, a dark silver dominating most of the metal. A dark blue gem decorated the top, the inside seeming to move as she watched it. On each side of the ring sat two anchors, gold in color. As she flipped her hand over, she noticed an inscription on the outside of the band. It simply read "Not For Self, But For Country". Anya raised a brow as she looked over at Sofia, finding her friend inspecting her own new addition.

After a moment, she turned to Ishigara, a questioning glance evidently on her face because he couldn't help but laugh.

"I could've warned you, but where's the fun in that." He answered as he removed one of his white gloves, showing his own ring. "The ring marks you as the one they look to for leadership. It marks you as the one who sent the call to arms. But for now, we play the waiting game...." He instructed. The two women nodded and looked back to the Gateway, watching for any sort of indication that it had worked.

"So how does the whole Call work? Do they automatically know or....." Sofia trailed off as Ishigara prepared an explanation to the best he could offer.

"Well... We don't exactly know how it works and even the Kanmusu already present only give vague explanations. But it sounds like a simple idea behind it. When you touched the water, that sent the initial Call. Now think of the Call as a rock falling into the middle of a pond with multiple flowers laying on the surface. The ripple will reach all of them, but some faster than others." He explained. Anya nodded as she looked back to the Gateway.

"So the souls that are closer to the initial starting point will respond first..." She answered. Ishigara gave a nod. "Is there any way to tell who's closest?" She asked. The Admiral shook his head in response.

"At this point, it's luck of the draw to who you get first...." He responded. Anya then had another question.

"How do we bring another after the first through?" Anya asked. Ishigara pointed to her ring.

"The gem will turn a light blue, signifying that another is ready to come through." He explained. Anya nodded before she fell silent, watching the Gateway intently. Sofia came to a stance behind her, doing the same.

The two watched the Gateway quietly, the room remaining rather quiet at the moment. Even the water seemed to sit still with anticipation. The only noise that could be heard was the occasional excited whisper from the small group of destroyers.

Anya watched the fog for any sign of movement, silently willing it to produce a result. That's when a new noise began to occur, slowly becoming more and more prominent in the air. It sounded like water was being moved, as if forming smaller waves. Anya immediately recognized the sound.

Wake. It was a ship's wake she was hearing. She watched intently as the sound drew closer and closer, the water in front of them now showing signs of disturbance as well. That's when she spotted it.

Even though the fog remained stubborn and unmoving, Anya could just barely make out the silhouette of a person. As she watched, the figure eventually emerged from the fog, slowly gliding towards them over the water's surface, revealing to be a girl, medium height from the looks of it. Dark red hair hung past her shoulders, waving slightly in the breeze. Dark blue eyes watched Anya curiously as the girl neared the gateway.

She was dressed in a dark blue sailor top. Six gold buttons sat in two vertical rows on the front, giving the outfit a vibe of professionalism. The sleeves of her top only went about half way down her arms, stopping because they had been rolled up to the elbow. Each shoulder adorned a gold anchor on the side.

She wore a skirt matching in color, the length of it going to about her mid thigh. From there, Anya noticed that the girl was adorning socks and shoes, in the same combination of dark blue and gold as well.

After a moment, the girl offered a wave followed with a small smile. Anya was going to return the gesture when the girl suddenly wheeled around back to the fog, at the halfway point, as if waiting for something. She then raised her hand in a waving motion, as if telling someone to follow. She then wheeled back around to Anya and Sofia, continuing with her journey to the gateway.

As the girl drew closer to Anya and Sofia, they noticed something appear in the fog yet again. And another. And another. All the way up to six additional silhouettes. Anya and Sofia traded a startled glance as the destroyers behind them broke into nervous whispers. They watched as six additional girls emerged from the fog, slowly skating over the water towards them much like the first had done. The only thing the same about the six was the outfit they adorned, the same as the first girl. Speaking of the first, she was just fixing to exit the portal with an elegant finish. Or so that was the plan.

Anya and Sofia weren't sure where the girl had gone wrong, but she had. One second, she was the image of elegance and grace. The next second, she was face planting straight into the hard ground of the Summoning Chamber, even sliding a few feet for good measure. Sofia bit back a small laugh as she and Anya moved to help the girl to her feet, an action that was answered with a quiet thank you.

After the two had helped the girl up, they waited for the other six to cross through the Gateway as well. Eventually, they did so, albeit more carefully seeing how the first one had wound up. Ishigara took a few steps back towards his girls as the two American Sailors and the presumably seven American Kanmusu sized each other up.

"Well...." Anya began after a few quiet moments. "This is... Quite the result...." She finished, quite calmly. One of the girls, the fifth to come through if Anya saw right, chuckled dryly.

"If cruiser girl here hadn't of screwed up her crossing, that would of looked a whole lot more impressive than what you got, Admiral. You are our Admiral, right?" She questioned. Anya nodded sheepishly.

"Right, right. My bad. Let's get introductions out of the way. I am Vice Admiral Anya Johnson of the United States Navy." Anya answered, Sofia speaking right after her.

"I am Captain Sofia Algerona. And we are to be your commanders if you would...." She answered. Anya gave a nod as she continued.

"So first, let's find out who decided to show up. I'm assuming you all remember your previous designations?" She asked. She got nods from the seven. "Alright. This makes things easy. How we're gonna do this is we're gonna do it by type. Subs, Destroyers, Cruisers, Carriers, and Battleships. So right now, I'll ask if there are any Subs." She stated. She watched as the seven traded glances with her and each other before remaining quiet. Anya nodded.

"So, no Subs. Alright. Destroyers? Step up please." She stated. This time, she got two.

The third and fourth to cross through, she recalled, bounded up to a stance in front of her. Both of them looked to be about as old as the Akatsuki sisters in appearance, maybe even younger. But not by much. They watched Anya curiously for a moment before Anya turned her attention to the one on the left.

"Alright. How about you first." She suggested. The young girl gave a wide grin as she answered her new Admiral.

"DD-453. USS Bristol. 19th of the of the Gleaves Class, Admiral." She answered, her grin never leaving her face. Dark black hair cascaded down to her shoulders as bright orange eyes watched Anya with a sense of awe. Bristol held her hands behind her back in anticipation as Anya let out a small laugh.

"It's good to meet you Bristol. And good to have you back." Anya responded. Bristol's grin only seemed to get wider as Anya turned her attention to the second of the two girls, immediately finding a difference in them already. Where Bristol had readily looked straight at Anya, this girl was staring at her hands. Anya bent down to the girl's level, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "And how about you?" Anya asked.

The young girl slowly looked up from her hands, eventually looking at Anya. "I- I'm DD-181, USS Asakaze, 20th of the Gleaves Class...." She slowly explained. Anya arched a brow at this.

"20th of the Gleaves but your name is Asakaze? You weren't by chance given to the JMSDF after the war were you?" Anya asked. The young girl slowly nodded.

"Mhm. I w- was given to them in 54 to h- help." She eventually got out. Anya nodded as she turned to Bristol, who was watching the younger girl with concern.

"Bristol, you're the nineteenth and she's the twentieth. You wouldn't happen to know her full name, would you?" Anya asked. Bristol nodded vigorously.

"Her name is Ellyson. And she's my younger sister! Don't you be mean to my sister. You hear me, Admiral?!" Bristol demanded, her hands on her hips in a obvious fashion. Anya let out a small chuckle as she nodded.

"Wouldn't dream of it Bristol." She stated. She then turned her gaze back to the second. "DD-454, USS Ellyson. Well, you clearly have two names. Ellyson and Asakaze. When it comes to your files, I'm going to put it down as Ellyson. But what do you want me to address you as?" Anya asked. The small girl looked surprised at her words.

"Y- you're giving me a choice..?" She asked, surprised at what she was hearing. Anya nodded.

"Well of course. You had two names during your service and I have to respect that. So what will it be? Ellyson or Asakaze?" Anya asked. The small girl stared at her for a moment before a small smile appeared on her lips.

"I- I'd like to be k- known as Ellyson if that's alright....." She answered. Anya nodded, giving the girl a small pat on the head. Ellyson's light brown hair stayed relatively calm under the pat. Light blue eyes watched Anya with admiration.

"Ellyson it is then. Now, would you two fall back into line, please?" Anya asked. The two gave a nod as Bristol pulled on her sister's arm, pulling the two back into line. Anya then looked at the other five.

"Cruisers?" She asked. As she had expected, the first girl that had come through, the one that had fallen on her face, stepped up to her. Anya watched her curiously. "You alright after that slight misstep?" Anya asked. The girl nodded.

"Yeah, I think I'll be alright. My nose hurts now though... That's still weird... I have a nose.... Anyways, I'm CL-51, USS Atlanta. Nameship of the Atlanta Class Cruiser. It's good to meet you, Admiral." She said, giving a smile as she did so. Anya gave a nod.

"Good to meet you too, Atlanta. I trust that you'll be more careful from now on?" Anya asked. Atlanta gave a small nod, a small blush coming to her cheeks.

"Of course...." Atlanta stated before slowly falling back into line with the others. Anya then looked to the four that had yet to come up.

"Alright.... Do we have any carriers here?" Anya asked. And to her surprise, three of the four final girls stepped up to her. She looked between the three before finally settling on the one to the left. The one that had criticized Atlanta for her entrance.

"CV-16, USS Lexington. Eighth of the Essex Class Carriers. Are you really our Admiral? I mean... You're a woman...." Lexington questioned. She looked to be about 19, coming in just  an inch or two shorter than Anya. Her light blonde hair stretched just past her shoulders as her bluish-gray eyes watched Anya, as if critiquing her every move. Her arms were crossed as she seemed to put most of her weight to her left side. But before Anya could respond, Lexington received an elbow in her side from the Carrier next to her. Said carrier looked at Lexington with a scolding gaze, one that, to Anya's surprise, Lexington didn't dare meet.

"Yes, I really am your Admiral. Even with the fact, that yes, I am a woman." Anya stated with a slight smile. Lexington gave a huff as Anya turned her attention to the second of the three, the one that had elbowed Lexington in her side. After lifting her gaze from Lexington, the woman looked at Anya with a small smile. Dark brown eyes studied Anya carefully as her dark brown hair was tied up into a ponytail. The woman looked to be about 20 years old in appearance. She came up to about Anya's height, a solid 5"10.

"I apologize for Lexington's rashness, Admiral." She stated in a sweet motherly tone, much unlike the one she had used to quell Lexington. Anya slowly nodded as she waited for the woman to introduce her self.

"I am CV-1, USS Langley. Only member of the Langley Class of Carriers. It is very nice to meet you Admiral." She explained. And just like that, her scolding Lexington suddenly made sense. Anya nodded in response with a smile.

"It's good to meet you Langley. Remind me later, there is someone who very much wishes to meet you." Anya explained, which seemed to catch Langley off guard.

"Meet me? Why, who could want to meet me? I'm just a simple carrier." Langley insisted. Anya shook her head.

"You'd be surprised. And you're not just a simple carrier, do remember that." Anya stated. Langley gave a small smile in response, nodding her head as she did so. Anya then turned her attention to the last of the three, the two watching each other with a studying glance. She had dark gray hair that went down to about her mid back. It seemed to give off a slight silver in appearance when ever her head made even the slightest of movements. Dark green eyes watched Anya, as if studying her every move. She looked to be maybe 18 or 19. She stood a few inches taller than Anya. Maybe 6 foot solid if Anya had to guess. Eventually, the girl spoke.

"I apologize for Lexington's attitude, Admiral. I for one do not have a problem if you're a woman." She declared, nodding as she did so. A huff came from Lexington in response.

"Shut the fuck up, E." Came the response. Then, came the obligatory scolding from Langley. But Anya had still heard the nickname clear as day. Her eyes widened by a few fractions, trying to keep it subtle. But not enough since the girl seemed to still take notice. Stifling a small laugh, she nodded.

"Well... That's certainly one way to be introduced. I am CV-6, USS Enterprise. Second of the Yorktown Class Carriers. It's good to be back, Admiral." Enterprise stated. Anya nodded.

"It's good to have you back Enterprise. There's a lot of people expecting you to do well...." Anya explained. Enterprise gave a nod in response.

"I hope to prove them right...." She stated. Anya gave a nod in response as the three carriers stepped back into line, albeit Lexington a little grudgingly. Anya then shifted her gaze to the last of the seven, finding herself to be rather short compared to the woman. She looked to be about 6"3 if Anya had to guess. Strawberry-blonde locks ran to the length of her shoulders, ending in multitudes of curls. Dark brown eyes watched Anya, as if reading her like a book. The appearance of a 22 year old stood before her. Anya didn't even need to guess what type of ship she had been, the Navy Blue sailor top doing nothing to cover her toned stomach. That combined with... Other pronounced parts of her body practically shouted her existence as a Battleship.

"Battleships?" Anya asked. Sure enough, as if engraving it into stone, the woman stepped up in front of Anya, the taller woman peering down at her. The American Admiral returned the gaze directly, staring up at the woman. After a moment, the tall figure cracked a wide grin.

"You know, you're pretty small for an Admiral.... You sure your name isn't Anya "Shorty" Johnson?" The woman asked, crossing her arms in amused fashion. Anya bit back a small laugh, nodding.

"Pretty sure my middle name is Shirley. But I can see where you might get confused. However, I'm much more interested in what your name is..." Anya stated, looking back up at the taller woman. The latter watched Anya, her amused grin ever present on her face.

"Hmmm... I'm not sure. Can you recall an old Battlewagon that was sent to the bottom of Pearl before the day even really started?" The woman stated, watching Anya carefully. The American Admiral then knew without a doubt who exactly was standing in front of her.

"Arizona...." Anya finally said. The taller woman gave a nod, a loud laugh accompanying her gesture.

"Right you are, Admiral. BB-39, Second of the Pennsylvania Class Battleships at your service." Arizona declared. Anya gave a nod as she took another moment to study the woman before her.

"It's good to have you with us Arizona...." Anya finally stated. Arizona gave another hearty laugh.

"It's good to be back, Admiral. Glad the Navy still has a use for an old Battlewagon like me. But this does warrant the question that I imagine I'm not alone in wondering...." Arizona said.

"Why you girls were called back...." Anya answered. Arizona along with the other six gave a nod. Anya turned to Sofia, gesturing her forward.

"Captain, if you would?" Anya asked. Sofia answered with a nod, the two women trading places. Sofia took a moment to look between the seven before starting to speak.

"Well... Let's establish the obvious. Today's date is July 27th, 2022." Sofia began. But before she could continue, Atlanta spoke.

"2022? What, did the war never end?" The Light cruiser asked. Sofia shook her head.

"No, the war, or World War Two as many people refer to it today, ended in 1945. four years after the U.S.'s entry. Allied Victory. You were called for a different reason. Does the term Abyssal mean anything to you girls?" Sofia asked. The seven traded glances before something seemed to click with Lexington, eliciting a long drawn out sigh from the Carrier.

"Is it the Ocean Skanks?" Lexington asked, rather abruptly. Sofia raised a brow before shaking her head.

"Forgot, Lexington, that you went down in 2019...." Sofia admitted. She of course was referring to the period of time when the Abyssals seemed to target the various Museum ships the U.S. had spread around. Because of this, the only few that survived were the Iowa's and Alabama. Others, such as Lexington, were now little more than scrap laying along the bottom of various bodies of water. "But yes, as Lexington put it, the Ocean Skanks. Otherwise known as the Abyssals." Sofia clarified. Langley was the one to speak this time.

"What are the Abyssals...?" She asked after a moment, watching the Captain curiously. Sofia shrugged.

"We don't know, even to this day. First contact was made back in 2018. And we've been in a war with them for close to five years now. The best we have is that they're some highly evolved aquatic life form. Highly hostile. Well bent on bringing any sort of progress to a stand still. First week of the war, close to seven million American Lives were lost." Sofia revealed. She watched as the seven's eyes widened in disbelief at the number.

"Seven million? Shit... I knew people were lost but that's.... That's hard to think about...." Lexington answered after a moment. Enterprise nodded slowly.

"Million.... Seven million.... Did we even try to stop them...?" She slowly asked. Sofia shook her head.

"Stop them? We didn't even know what they looked like until about a month after that. They don't give off signatures unless they choose to. Sonar? Radar? Useless. We finally caught a break when a Merchant Vessel in the Atlantic finally got a picture of the fuckers." She explained, digging in her pocket for a second. After she did so, she pulled out a folded up piece of paper. Unfolding it, it was revealed to be a photograph. She held it up for the seven to see. And there, they laid their eyes on their foe.

The picture, although quite bad in quality, clearly had one subject. It was of what looked like a woman, black hair and pale skin. She wasn't facing the camera, instead focused on something out of view. She seemed to be standing on the water itself, her arms enveloped it what seemed to be two rather large gun mounts. The gun barrels looked like they were smoking, indicating a freshly fired salvo.

"She is what's known as a Ru-Class Battleship. There are many more like her, and many other classes. They seem to be numberless as well, demonstrated by their willingness to throw countless of themselves at targets, no matter how significant or insignificant their target of choice may be." Sofia explained. Arizona studied the picture for a few extra moments before putting two and two together.

"We were called to fight these things then, I'm assuming?" Arizona clarified. Sofia gave a stern nod.

"Indeed you were. But here's where we get into the part where some of your girls may not fully agree with. We know you girls are effective at battling the Abyssals. But you seven are the first American Ship Girls to come through." Sofia responded. Langley was the one to speak first at this.

"Which means.... Girls of another nationality were the ones to prove that..." Langley put together. Sofia nodded in response. She noticed a few of the girls grow visibly tense, the main two being Atlanta and Arizona.

"Now, before we continue. Realize that the War is behind us. Most of the countries that were in the War are on rather good terms in today's culture. This includes Germany, Japan, and The U.S." Sofia explained. Atlanta narrowed her eyes at Sofia, crossing her arms.

"So what nation were the girls from that proved we could be of use?" She asked, though more like interrogated. Sofia stared back at her a moment, her hands behind her back as she as she answered.

"Those of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Although today, they are known as the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force." Sofia answered. And she swore that she saw Arizona and Atlanta go rigid like rock. Langley however, much to Sofia's surprise, seemed unaffected by this news.

"So we've been called back to fight the Abyssals and the Japanese?" Atlanta asked. Sofia shook her head.

"No. That's a definite no. You've been called back to fight against the Abyssals... Alongside the girls of the IJN." Sofia finally answered. She let this sink in among the seven as Anya stepped up again.

"Before you assume anything, we aren't asking you to forgive them. We aren't asking you to be friends with them. We are merely asking you to work with them in combating the Abyssal threat that threatens all of us." Anya said. The room fell silent for a while, the seven taking in what they had been told. After a moment, Bristol shrugged.

"Oh well. Me and Ellyson served in the Atlantic during the war. I was sunk by a German Sub and as you heard, she served with the Japanese..." She declared. Ellyson gave an uncertain nod.

"I- it is hard t- to see the country I spent sixteen years w- with as anything but an ally..... Even with them as an o- opponent during the war...." Ellyson said. Anya nodded as she then looked at Atlanta, the latter still having her arms crossed.

"How many do they have...?" The light cruiser asked after a moment. Anya answered her, keeping her voice at a level of calm.

"They have 60 girls on base." Anya explained. It looked as if Atlanta was about to have a heart attack.

"Sixty?! On base? You would think that there would be a limit to how many could be on an American-" but found herself paused as Anya put a hand up to stop her.

"We aren't on U.S. soil... We are currently located at Yokosuka Naval Base. A naval base located in Japan." She responded. If Anya could have, she would have laughed at the look of horror that overcame Atlanta's face. Or rage. She wasn't sure which. She heard a dry laugh come from Arizona.

"So they've got sixty girls on base?" Arizona asked. Anya gave a nod. "Those a few of them?" Arizona asked, gesturing to the group of Japanese Kanmusu near the door. Anya slowly nodded as the other six seemed to finally register their presence, their eyes wandering to the Japanese admiral and his girls. "Do they speak English?" The battleship asked. Anya nodded again.

"Yes... They're all capable of speaking English." Anya stated. Arizona watched them a few more seconds before speaking again.

"Bring em over here. Wanna talk to them for a few moments." Arizona replied. Anya watched the Battleship carefully for a few moments.

"Arizona...." Anya started. Arizona laughed.

"You that afraid that this big old Battlewagon is gonna hurt them? Admiral, I was sunk by bombs. From a plane. That means Carrier. I ain't got nothing against a few destroyers and a pair of Battleships. Atlanta might blow a turbine, but not me. I'll be fine. Promise." Arizona replied. Anya watched her for a few moments, as if trying to find an indication that she was lying. When she couldn't, she turned to Ishigara.

"They're your girls. This is your call." Anya stated. Ishigara looked between the American Admiral and the newly summoned American Kanmusu. After a moment, he turned back to his girls, giving a hand motion as if to motion them forward. They gave him an uncertain glance, to which he answered with a kind smile. He then turned on his heel, stepping towards the Americans. Nagato and Mutsu fell in step behind him, the five destroyers in various positions behind the two.

After a few tense moments, Ishigara came to a stop next to Anya, addressing Arizona and the others.

"I am Admiral Takeo Ishigara. It is my honor to welcome you seven to Yokosuka. To what extent you accept that honor will be on your own accord." He introduced. Arizona gave a nod, craning her neck to get another look at the five destroyers behind him.

"It's good to meet you. But how about your little followers there? What are their names I wonder?" Arizona asked. Ishigara gave a nod as he, Nagato and Mutsu stepped to the side, uncovering the five destroyers. After a moment, the hyperactive blonde destroyer stepped up first. "And you are?" Arizona questioned. Yuudachi put her hands on her hips in a brave fashion.

"I'm Yuudachi, poi!" She stated, although at the level she said, it sounded more like a yell.

"Poi?" Arizona asked. "The hell does that mean?"

"I don't know, poi. It means.... Well, it means poi, poi." The blonde destroyer answered. Arizona gave her a deadpanned expression. An expression that caused a few of the destroyer girls, both American and Japanese, to break out into giggles.

"Okay.... Well... Your nickname is now Poi. Got that, poi?" Arizona stated, causing Yuudachi to form a pout.

"My name is not Poi, poi. My name is Yuudachi, poi!" She exclaimed. Arizona clapped her hands in agreement.

"Good that you know what your name is." Arizona declared. "Now, how about we meet the other members of your group." She answered. However, Yuudachi continued to look at Arizona, her pout never fading. Arizona watched her for a few moments before shaking her head. "Looks like I broke her.... Anyways, what are your names?" The battleship asked the dark haired Japanese destroyer. Indicated destroyer hesitated a moment before answering.

"I am Shigure, one of Yuudachi's ship sisters. Along with me are Mutsuki, Kisaragi, and Fubuki." She introduced herself and the others by pointing to each one. "It is nice to meet you Arizona-San...." Shigure finished. Arizona nodded.

"It's good to meet you too." Arizona said with a nod. She then turned her attention to the two battleships that were present as well. "And you two? Your names?" The American Battleship asked. Mutsu let off a light laugh before she answered.

"I am Mutsu. And this is my older sister, Nagato." The battleship introduced the two of them. Arizona nodded in acceptance, although finding a small issue.

"You know.... For Battleships... You two aren't exactly dressed very... Well actually, you two aren't very dressed at all...." Arizona explained. Mutsu stifled a small laugh as Nagato merely shook her head.

"What we choose to wear should not be of your concern. And let it be noted that there is little difference in what we wear and your current outfit." Nagato rattled off. But after a moment, she seemed to have something bugging her. After a moment, she spoke again. "Arizona... That day.... I was the flagship of the-" but she found herself stopped as Arizona put a hand over her mouth.

"Nagato, like I told Admiral here, I was sunk by a Carrier. Ain't got no problem with you." Arizona insisted. Nagato looked uncertain though.

"But, I-" but she once again found herself stopped.

"Don't want to hear it." Arizona fired back. Nagato however was not about to back down.

"I insist that you-" but once again, she found herself stopped, this time, a little more... Creatively.

"Nagato. Unless you have a flight deck that I don't know about hidden between your tits, I don't want to hear it." Arizona stated without hesitation.

Jaws hit the floor on both sides as Nagato realized fully what her fellow battleship had said. Mutsu held her hand to her mouth, stifling a full fledged laugh as Nagato's face began to go red as it sunk in, her body seeming to come to a screeching stop. Lexington howled with laughter in the background as Enterprise muttered under her breath. Arizona cracked a wide smile at the destruction she had caused.

"Wow.... Americans are really... Something, poi...." Yuudachi slowly said, the other four Japanese destroyers nodding in unanimous agreement.

Still smiling, Arizona turned back to Anya, who had an almost horrified expression upon her features.

"Arizona...." Anya began quietly, her voice trying very hard to remain as calm as she could. Said Battleship merely grinned, hands on her hips in a victorious fashion. Today was going to be interesting, that much Anya was sure of.