Flipside: The Worst Foe Possible - Part 1

Annabeth being right was always a pain, but it was especially bad when whatever stupid idea she had worked so well. Just by sending the over-gunned fairies, the tide of the battle on the eastern flank changed drastically.

The small boats on the enemy side had even fewer weapons capable of fighting air than their own allied ships. They were also even smaller, so simple explosives and grenades soon made quick work of them.

Cleaning the first side took less than half an hour after their arrival.

And from what the scouts had reported, after the explosion some fifteen minutes ago, the battleship on their back wasn’t moving anymore. More than that, they also reported a very small object approaching the Leviathan soon after.

By logic, it meant that Annabeth and Minako were also successful in their mission and were coming here. Why they ignored the radio was a question, but they weren't answering any calls. And so, it was reasonable to ignore the other flank and rush to the Leviathan.

They had reinforcements already, but it was still worrying that their base was being invaded. It also didn't seem as if the fires were going down and fairies reported firefights still happening inside so that one was the biggest threat.

So, they used the Beehive’s barrier to ignore the defensive line and rush to the headquarters. The small frigate then docked wherever possible and everyone that could fight boarded the moving dockyard. One of them was very excited to go somewhere that, as long as she went far enough, she wouldn’t be able to see water.

“You’re going too, Alya? The sword-wielding girl asked as she watched every single crewmate of the Beehive take some piece of gear and take flight. “I don’t think evacuating the ship would be the best plan here…”

“I-it isn’t, but… but I have t-to help the admiral. It’s either this or, or leaving the port, so…”

Karim decided that she would help the base no matter what and it was impossible to convince Colette of anything right now. Leaving was set in stone even if it meant leaving the Beehive alone, but that could be a problem. In special, Annabeth would complain a lot if anything went wrong now.

Which meant that all was fine as long as they didn't tell her. And it wasn’t as if they had ever entered danger anyway, so it was fine.

The barrier worked perfectly on the blondie’s eyes, so the best defense wasn’t keeping her and the brawler inside, it was leaving the area and hiding. Something they couldn’t do if the captain of the ship itself, and most of her crew, was so adamant about helping Moem and the Leviathan.

Most of them didn’t even have half a kit, there were only enough vests for the two main teams and some were going with only their innate magic as weaponry. But none wished to retreat.

“Then go secure the admiral and try to retreat from the base. This place is too dangerous right now...” Karim warned the white-haired captain as her subordinates took flight and then watched as she saluted her and did the same. “And you waiting there, stay out of sight and don’t die. Annabeth may straight-up fill my house, or worse, of holes if you do.”

She also gave a warning to the self-proclaimed angel that was waiting on the side. Michael was mostly silent until someone spoke to him, so it was easy to lose sight of him, so she was betting that this much would apply to their enemies too. He was going to be left inside the Beehive with little more than a skeleton crew now, so some extra precautions were good to have.

She would prefer to safeguard him too, but it was sometimes necessary to ignore the few in favor of the many. And in all possible metrics, the Leviathan was very much 'the many'.

“Don’t worry, little hybrid. I’ll be sure to not be captured again… I’m not fond of being locked up as is.”

“Seems good enough. Worst case, we still have some lifeboats, so drop one and hide inside if need be. Losing this ship would be way less troublesome than getting Annabeth angry…”

“Don’t worry about me and move, young girl. You have people to save, don’t you?” He turned to the moving sea base and the many sounds of gunfire and metal being crushed filling it. “Just beware, I can feel something vert ominous roaming this place… Try to flee if you cross paths with it.”

“Hard to do so when all I have is ‘something ominous’ to go with, but I’ll keep an eye open.” She answered right as another volley of missile pods rained over the Leviathan. “They still have more… I’ll go now, Michael. I pray we meet again later.”

“Good luck out there.”

Karim gave a small nod in answer and then finally rushed away from the ship. She could already see guns firing from the sky and attacks going against these, but they were way closer to the center of the base than she was. And going there wasn’t her goal anyway.

The petit priestess was better suited to places with as many allies as possible, so the place she could shine the best was likely the noisier. Such places would, with most chances, be where the big fights were happening and where her prayers would have more effect.

She only wished that Colette would’ve stayed close by. Having a heavy hitter with her would give them a lot of peace of mind to say the least.

Either way, Karim started to pray and sprint toward the nosiest location in her surroundings. Then, lo and behold, in less than five minutes of search, she found some sailors trying to fight off a group of enemies in tactical armor and dolls.

Leviathan’s crewmates were equipped with different guns or using spells to fight, but none seemed to be designed fighters. The base should have marines and defense teams though, so it was a sign of how bad the situation was here.

Another one was how damaged the buildings being used as cover by both sides were. Some were almost ruins and there were breeches on the ship too. And that was without commenting on how many wounded and dead Karim could already see.

A quite gruesome sight for the blondie’s standards and one that, as she approached, started to worsen.

Even before she could change from prayer to her hymns, one of the buildings on the enemy side was almost pulverized. And from its remains, she got a good look at the same person she was wishing to be close by a few minutes ago.

In some kind of weird coincidence, both the blonde cop and the brunette inquisitor had ended in the same place at the same time. And Colette was having a field day against the goons in tactical suits trying to fight her off.

The collateral damage was a minus in this situation, but having her was for the best either way.

Still, the amount of ranged fire aimed at the brawler was starting to be a problem and her strikes were slowing down the more aware their enemies got. She also didn't have much of a cover by now due to having destroyed most of it. But it was no reason to worry, for seeing Colette needing help made the little priestess remember exactly why she was there.

In a moment, the air got filled with her voice and the energy-infused song reached all that could hear it. For the ones she saw as allies, their wounds would close and their spirits would recover. And for those she saw as enemies, their bodies would get sluggish and their will would falter.

It was a powerful effect that was soon felt, even if it took a while for most to understand what was happening.

“Thank you, Shorty!” Colette thanked since she, differently from all others, already knew about this skill and wouldn’t get surprised as much. And as someone that wouldn’t waste a chance, she used the surprise of her foe’s reactions to break her predicament from earlier and rampage more.

And for now, it seemed that saving the Leviathan would be as simple as helping with the sea battles from earlier.