Chapter Text
Shinano stepped out of the green metal door as she found herself once again in the city. The afternoon sun had set into the horizon as the evening burned its orange hue. Shinano smiled as she looked up at the sky.
“The sky. It looks so beautiful.”
Enterprise nodded as a slight smile grew across her lips.
“It does.”
Shinano nodded as she walked down the sideway. A newspaper stand stood in front of her. A man wearing a grey suit and a black fedora stood inside.
“Ma’am, would you like an evening paper?”
Shinano shook her head as she smiled.
“No, thank you.”
Shinano walked up to the docks as she gripped the railing. The Statue of Liberty stood in New York Harbor. Enterprise smiled as she placed a hand on the railing.
“You know. I haven’t been to New York in a while.”
Shinano nodded as she closed her eyes.
“I see. It looks so beautiful.”
Enterprise nodded as the seagulls squawked above. Shinano turned her head as she looked at an apartment. The light was on as a silhouette of a woman appeared.
“Let me check that out.”
Shinano ran towards the apartment block as she opened the door. Enterprise ran close behind her as Shinano ran up the stairs as fast as she could. She stopped in front of a door as she looked at the number plate.
“312”
Shinano placed her hand on the doorknob as Enterprise stood behind her. Shinano walked inside the apartment as she looked around.
“Mama. Am I going to amount to nothing?”
Shinano stopped as she looked at a door that was opened a crack. Enterprise poked her head inside as Shinano followed suit.
A young boy was sitting on a metal box spring bed. He rested his head on his mother’s lap with his emerald eyes filled with tears. The woman smiled as her emerald eyes met her son’s. Her red hair shined from the evening sun coming in through the window.
“You can amount to anything you want.”
The boy sighed as he closed his emerald eyes.
“But dad said-”
The woman sighed as he stroked her son’s hair.
“Don’t listen to him. He says things that even he knows aren’t true.”
The boy nodded as his mother stood up. She placed his head on a pillow and let out a heartful sigh.
“Bridget?! Where are you?! Are you done putting the little brat to sleep yet?!”
The woman sighed as she kneeled and kissed her son on the forehead.
“I love you, Irvy.”
The woman walked out of the bedroom as Enterprise walked inside. She looked around as her violet eyes filled with wonder.
“Is that?”
Enterprise looked at a wall as her eyes locked on a calendar.
“Tuesday, February 4th, 1930.”
Enterprise sat on the bed as she stared at the young boy.
“Irving?”
Shinano sighed as she placed a hand on Enterprise’s shoulder.
“Enterprise. You know this is only his memories.”
Enterprise nodded as a tear went down her face.
“I know. But he looks so much like Olin.”
Shinano sighed as she held Enterprise’s hand.
“We need to keep going.”
Enterprise nodded as she wiped away a tear. The duo walked down the stairs as they found themselves back on the sideway. The evening sun had set, replaced by a full moon shining in the sky. Shinano looked up at the moon as she held her hands together. Enterprise stood next to her as Shinano covered her mouth with her fist.
“Heh heh. Let’s keep moving.”
Enterprise nodded as Shinano walked down the lamp-lit street, feeling the cool night air on their skin as they walked.
Irving awoke on a cold concrete floor, surrounded by broken glass. A single grey metallic door stood in front of him as he placed his hand on it, feeling the cold metal against his skin. The door slid open as Irving stepped inside.
Irving looked around as he felt the warm sun on his skin. He stood on a concrete pier as he placed a hand on his hip.
“Where am I?”
“Hey! Wait for me!”
Irving jolted as he hid behind a wooden crate. He poked his head out as his emerald eyes looked around.
Two young girls with long white hair ran around a tired-looking woman with red glasses and unkempt brown hair. She held a clipboard in her hands as a tired smile grew across her lips.
“I need to make sure all of you are here. Yorktown?”
A young girl in a white sundress raised her hand as her young white hair flowed in the wind.
“Present!”
The woman nodded as he looked at her clipboard.
“Enterprise?”
The other girl with white hair nodded as she crossed her arms. A Bald Eagle rested on Yorktown’s shoulder as she rubbed him on the beak.
The woman’s eyes went wide as she looked around.
“Where’s Hornet?”
A young girl with blonde hair ran up to the group and smiled.
“I’m right here Dr. Anzeel!”
Dr. Anzeel smiled as she looked at her clipboard.
“Well, that’s everyone. Now how about we go inside and get some snacks?”
The three girls cheered as they gathered around Dr. Anzeel. Irving felt his heart melt like warm chocolate as he looked at the group.
“She looks so much like Little Enterprise.”
Irving sighed as another door appeared. Its oak finish beckoned him to open it as he placed a hand on the brass doorknob.
“Here goes nothing.”
He turned the doorknob as he stepped inside. A bright white light enveloped him as he closed his emerald eyes.
Shinano and Enterprise walked on the sidewalk together as the glow of car headlights filled the streets.
Enterprise stopped as she looked at a door. The green wood had a chunk blown off as the jagged edge stuck out. Shinano walked up to the door as she shook her head.
“Enterprise. I’m not sure-”
Enterprise shook her head as she opened the door. Shinano followed close behind as a bright white light enveloped the two shipgirls.
Irving held his M1 Garand close as he looked around. Hedgerows towered above him as far as the eye could see. He walked down the dirt road and found himself in a clearing.
Robert smiled as Irving saluted him. Malcolm sat on an empty wooden crate as he worked on his radio.
“Ah, Irving. You’ve arrived.”
Irving nodded as he stopped saluting. A devious smirk grew across his lips as he looked at his squad leader.
“I wouldn’t miss this party for the world.”
Robert nodded as a man wearing a paratrooper uniform walked up to him.
“Are you going to introduce me to your men, Lieutenant Sharp?”
Robert nodded as he crossed his arms.
“Alright boys gather around.”
The men of Robert’s squad gathered around him as he grabbed a map from his vest pocket and placed it on a crate.
“Today we’ll be taking a village that’s nearby. Our flyboys flew recon over the area and claimed there was little to no resistance. However, I’ll be sending in a couple of our boys to make sure.”
The squad nodded as Robert took at Irving.
“Reese, you’ll go with Hall to scout out the village with our friend here.”
Irving raised an eyebrow as the man in paratrooper fatigues walked up to the center of the group.
“My name is Jackson Monroe. 101st Airborne. I got separated from my group, but I saw you’re short on an engineer.”
Robert nodded as he looked at Paul. He sat on a wooden chair, his leg wrapped in gauze. He blew some air from his nose as he crossed his arms.
“I know. You don’t need to rub it in.”
Robert looked at Irving with a slight smile.
“Reese, Hall. I’m sending you in with Monroe to make sure the aerial recon was right. Radio in what you see and we’ll be right behind you.”
Irving nodded as he looked at the two men. The three men walked down the dirt road as they clutched their rifles tight.
Irving felt the hot June sun on his skin as he looked at the blue sky. A P-47 Thunderbolt flew overhead as a slight smile grew across Irving’s lips.
“Sounds like our flyboys are giving them a beating.”
Malcolm nodded as Monroe looked around.
“What is all this stuff around us? Corn?”
Malcolm closed his eyes as he smiled from ear to ear.
“Ha ha ha ha. Nope. It’s wheat.”
Monroe raised an eyebrow as he looked at Malcolm.
“How would you know?”
Malcolm slowly opened his eyes as his smile faded.
“I grew up on a farm. We would grow corn almost every year.”
Monroe nodded as Malcolm looked at the wheat fields.
“That, and wheat looks nothing like corn.”
Monroe raised an eyebrow as he looked behind him.
“What do you mean, almost every year?”
Malcolm felt a slight smile grow across his lips as he held his M1 Garand.
“Well, if you grow a crop that takes the nutrients out of the soil too many times, the soil becomes infertile and unusable. We found that out the hard way. When the dust bowl hit, we nearly lost everything.”
Monroe nodded as Irving crouched down. He held his fist up as he looked behind him.
“Hold up. I see a destroyed farmhouse.”
Irving looked at the destroyed farmhouse as he squinted his eyes. A strange shadowy figure moved around the house as Irving ducked down.
“I think I saw something.”
Malcolm nodded as Irving looked at Monroe.
“Come with me. We’ll check it out. Mal, you’re staying here.”
Malcolm nodded as Irving and Monroe crouched down and crept towards the ruined farmhouse.
*CRACK*
Irving and Monroe dove for cover by a pile of rubble as they ducked down. Monroe looked around as he ducked his head down.
“Sniper! In the ruined farmhouse!”
Irving nodded as he looked at Monroe.
“Alright. Let’s go around the back and take him out.”
Monroe nodded as he held his M1 Garand close.
“Alright. I’ll be right behind you.”
Irving nodded as he ran out of cover. Monroe followed close behind him as Irving ran up to the side of the ruined farmhouse. He poked his head out of cover as he looked at a green wooden door.
“Alright, On me.”
Irving ran up to the door as he, and Monroe stood by it. Irving gave Monroe a nod as he kicked the door down. Monroe pointed his M1 Garand as he walked inside the house, with Irving walking right behind him.
“I’ll take the stairs.”
Irving nodded as Monroe ran up the wooden stairs.
*CLICK*
Monroe’s eyes went wide as saucers as an S-mine bounced into the air. Irving jumped out of the house as it exploded. He covered his ears as he slammed his emerald eyes shut.
Irving slowly stood up as he walked back into the ruined farmhouse. Grey dust filled the room like a thick mist.
“ARGGH!”
Irving fell to the ground as the sniper tackled him to the floor. He pressed his thumbs against Irving’s neck as Irving gasped for air. He reached for his knife on his torso as he wrestled the sniper to the ground.
*CRACK*
The sniper slumped over as he fell on top of Irving. Irving threw the sniper off of him as he turned his head. Malcolm stood in the doorway as he held his M1 Garand, the barrel emitting a streak of grey smoke.
“Where’s Monroe?”
Irving slowly walked up the stairs, his eyes as wide as saucers.
Monroe lay on the bottom of the steps, his face permanently affixed with a terrified stare. The explosion ripped his legs off, leaving only sharp white spikes of bone surrounded by torn red flesh.
“Monroe’s KIA.”
Malcolm nodded as he placed a hand on Irving’s shoulder.
“Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Irving nodded as the two men ran out of the farmhouse. Malcolm held his radio receiver in his hand as he sighed.
“Fox 7-1 this is Fox 7-5. The area is clear, 1 KIA.”
“Understood. Armor’s moving up.”
Malcolm nodded as he placed the receiver back in its container. Malcolm looked at Irving as Irving looked at the dirt road, his face filled with sorrow.
“You want to know something, Irving?”
Irving sighed as he held his M1 Garand.
“What?”
“That was the first person I ever killed.”
Irving looked at Malcolm as the sad look on his face disappeared.
“Really?”
Malcolm nodded as he closed his blue eyes.
“Yeah. I thought I would feel so guilty.”
Irving nodded as the two men stopped walking.
“Well, do you?”
Malcolm shook his head as he closed his eyes.
“No. He was going to kill you. And he likely laid the mine that killed Monroe.”
Irving sighed as the sound of tank treads filled his ears. The two men jumped to the side of the road as an M4A2 Sherman thundered down the dirt road, kicking up dust as it did so. A GMC CCKW truck drove close behind it as Robert waved at the two men.
“You fellas need a lift?”
Irving and Malcolm ran behind the truck as Paul pulled Malcolm into the truck. Robert pulled Irving up with his arm as the two men took their seats.
“So how was the village?”
Irving sighed as he looked at the bed of the truck.
“We had no resistance, other than a sniper that-”
Robert sighed as he looked at the bed of the truck.
“I know.”
Irving sulked in his seat as Robert placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey. We’ll be staying a few nights in the village you and Hall secured. I even heard they’ll give us hot chow.”
Irving nodded as the truck drove down the dirt road, the warm June sun setting on the horizon.
Enterprise stepped out of the ruined door as a single tear went down her face. Shinano raised an eyebrow as she looked at Enterprise.
“I never knew.”
Shinano walked up to Enterprise as she placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Knew what?”
Enterprise sighed as she looked into Shinano’s eyes.
“That’s what Irving saw. If that’s just a taste of it, I don’t know what else he might have witnessed.”
Shinano nodded as she stroked her chin.
“Wait. So if both you and I saw Irving’s memories, what does that mean?”
Shinano gasped as a slight smile grew across her lips.
“We’re inside of Irving’s mind.”
