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 Submersible Witches 8: The Land of Oz, or I'm crazy enough to run during SWQ and early, too! 
 	Standing on the ruined deck of the IJN Destroyer Yukikaze, the smell of fresh fire still lingering in the air, is a welcome sight. A youthful woman with blonde hair reaching her shoulders beams confidently at the stunned and weary crew, hands on her hips and a smile on her face. She gazes at the crowd, taking in their reactions to her extravagant entrance. Her smile slowly fades as much of the crew returns to work, clearing damaged pieces of the ship as they struggle to protect it from more attacks. Irritated, she tilts her head.
 	"Hellooo, didn't you hear me? The Wizards of Oz are here!" Again she looks at the crew, frustration growing until she snaps her fingers. 
	"Oh, of course. Jappers. Of course they wouldn't understand." She rolls her eyes self-mockingly. "Come on Sarah, you should have known better," she scolds herself. She makes to take flight once more but ceases as you catch her eye.
	"Ah! Surely you have heard of the Wizards of Oz!" she says to you.
 	You furrow your brow, confused. "What, do you mean like the book?"
 	"No!" she says, angered. "I mean, yes, but not..." Her posture slumps as she stares at you incredulously. "You really don't know?"
 	You turn to Henrieta and Miranda, hoping either one might know what this Sarah was talking about. They look as confused as you. You turn back to this strange witch and in unison, the three of you shake your heads.
 	"But we're-"
 	BOOM. An explosion interrupts her as a failing Martian fighter detonates several hundred feet above the Yukikaze, ending its journey into the sea early. With a determined look, Sarah once again takes to the skies, joining the three planes you can see in fending off the Martian attack.
 	You turn to your allies, confused. "What the hell was that?"
 	Shrugs are your only answer. 
 	Finding your current tasks currently completed, you stand at a crossroads. Socks and Rae should be on the Jintsu, Rae hopefully successful in fending off Socks from attacks by twitchy crew members. Miranda and Yetta look at you curiously, having decided informally to let you take charge of this situation; you shift uncomfortably at the prospect of leadership. The Yukikaze is no longer burning, the crew working quickly on damage control. The sky is filled with small but sleek Martian craft that should be making quick work of your small reinforcements, but they seem to be having a devil of a time living up to those expectations. Your M1911 still has plenty of rounds left and shells for the deck gun litter the deck. The majority of Martian commandos are now dead or in the drink. What do you do?
 [ ] Sweep the Yukikaze; the crew could use all the help they can get.
[x] Head to the Jintsu; you're worried about Socks and need to deal with the sub's tac display.
[ ] Take to the skies; Wizards be damned, they could use some (inexperienced) help.
[ ] Other
 	Above you, the Martian fighters twist and turn, struggling to make their faster and sleeker aircraft match the moves of the more skilled Wizards as they slice through the sky. Fascinated, you pause to watch the delicate dance of the pilots. You wince a few times as you think the Martians are about to get a bead on them, only to be relieved when the maneuver is completed and the chasing Martian has to break off or becomes a smoldering wreck. 
 	Yeah, fuck that.
 	"Miranda, Yetta, think you'll be ok over here?" you ask, not wanting to go gallivanting on your own if they need your help.
 	Miranda nods. "Yes, I think we can handle it. Why? Going somewhere?" Her face twists in worry as her eyes focus on your Strikers.
 	"Don't worry, I'm not about to join that chaos," you assure her as you point to the air battle. Another Martian craft smacks the water several hundred meters out as you do so. "I'm going to join Rae on the Jintsu, I'm worried about Socks."
 	Miranda and Yetta give you a curious look, but nod. "Alright, take care of yourself," Miranda says. "We'll do our best to help the crew."
 	You nod and do your best to appear confident. You feel nothing like it, though, with these Strikers you're wearing being rather foreign objects. You should be fine for such a short journey over, but should any Martians get bored of being shot up by your reinforcements...
 	Shaking that thought from your head, you again leap off the Yukikaze, taking flight several feet over the water. The Jintsu is some ways ahead, but they've drawn in closer to try and concentrate the fleet's AA, a questionable choice; it also allows the enemy to concentrate their attack. 
 	The sea has grown more violent, the wind having picked up. Occasional spray comes up to hit you and you're ill-prepared to deal with being wet. Annoyed, you gain some altitude. Please with your new immunity to the ocean, you smile.
 	And then the air to your left cooks your arm.
 [ ] OW. DIVE.
[ ] FUCK. CLIMB.
[x] SHIT. BREAK TO THE SIDE
[ ] GOD DAMMIT. OTHER.
 	The pain is incredible. Only your quick reflexes, magical abilities, and an early push of the trigger keep you alive as Martian Masers cross your profile. Nursing a badly-burned arm as best you can in flight, you quickly break to the side, trying to evade your unseen attacker. Again, the air becomes unbearably hot as the alien weapon is fired at you, your shield doing nothing against the ambient temperature as it absorbs the energy of the Maser. 
 	Turning your head to find your attacker, you find him tailing you, his craft moving as slowly as it can. If you were a more experienced flier, you'd have an easy time making him regret such an arrogant decision. As it stands, however, you can't shake him as you sweep side to side. He's slowly getting closer, but he won't overshoot you before he gets on top of you...and you'd rather not test your shields at point-blank. Panicking, you yell.
 	<HELP! Martian on my tail!> You try not to think of your magical tail roasting as you say so.
 	Over conventional radio, you miraculously hear a response. <Who's this?> comes a confident voice. 
 	<CPO Cleona Kuykendall, USN. I left the Yukikaze, I'm en route to the Jints-OW!> Another burst of Maser fire heats the air uncomfortably around you. He's getting closer.
 	<That you in the Striker, honey? Hold on, missy. I've got him.> You can almost see the cocky smile of this responder. Must be a...
 	The pilot of the Hawker Tempest screams by like a bat out of hell, coming at you from just barely above and directly opposite of the Martian. The alien realizes his mistake and attempts to accelerate, pulling hard to the right, but the pilot aims true. The Martian flies off, brand new holes gaping in his craft, before he ejects. You know nothing about Martian escape systems, but the way he hits the ocean makes you think there might have been a malfunction.
 	<Haha, did you see that?> asks the pilot, enjoying himself. <The name's Max Caulders. Nice to meet you, Cleona.>
 [x] Nice to meet you too. Thanks!
[ ] You nearly hit me!
[x] Other - "How are you communicating over my magic radio?"
 	<Thanks,> you say. <My arm's burned pretty bad. I didn't know what to do.>
 	<What? A Martian begging to get pegged like that and you were clueless?> Max asks, his cocky pilot voice either taken up a notch or gone, you can't tell. <How long have you been using those Strikers?>
 	<...A couple days,> you answer truthfully.
 	<A couple days!? You've either got a death wish or bigger balls than me, taking to the air during combat with a couple days of use on those things.>
 	<Well, I...um...> You can't really think of an excuse that would please this pilot. You decide not to try. <How are you talking to me, anyway?> you ask instead.
 	<...Ever hear of a little invention called the radio?> he asks back, his patience likely wearing thin. <It's real helpful. Lets people talk at a distance. You're using a form of it right now. Ring any bells?>
 	You don't dignify that with an answer. Instead, you continue to the Jintsu, landing on the deck with a thud. You put out your good hand (thankfully your right and not your left), making sure you don't crash or fall over. Various Japanese crew members scurry about, doing lord knows what, but they certainly don't notice you. You struggle to head inside, hoping to maybe wander into someone that knows English and can point you towards the infirmary. 
 	"Cleo!" comes a voice. "My god, what happened to your arm!?" 
 	Rae Caulders appears from the nearest hatch, a curious Martian peeking over her shoulder. Socks doesn't appear to be shot yet, which is a good sign. Rae's found some string and tied the Strikers together, hanging them over her shoulder.
 	"Nothing much, just bumped into an angry alien..."
 	"You got into a dogfight with an alien!? You!?"
 [x] Not now, get me some fucking medical attention.
[ ] Yeah, took him down real good.
[ ] One of the Wizards "helped" me.
[ ] Other.
 	"We can talk about that later, Rae. My arm hurts like hell."
 	She blinks. "Yeah, you're right. Let's get you to a medic-type." She begins to lead you inside, apparently knowing something of the layout of the ship. You teeter as best you can on your Strikers, falling greatly behind before you realize it. Luckily, she realizes her mistake and doubles back, this time lifting you by your shoulder and helping you walk. It would probably have been easier to take the damned things off, now that you think about it.
 	[Kuykendall, what happened?] asks Socks, again linking your minds. [Is the flotilla in danger?]
 	[Yeah, some of those Martian fighters are zooming around. Don't worry though, the pilots we got flying around seem to be doing really well.]
 	With that, he surveys your mind, feeling the pain of your burned arm. [You require medical attention, Kuykendall. Maser fire can be quite serious. We must locate the medical faci-]
 	[It's ok, Socks. Rae's taking us there right now. We can do a lot with magic, so don't worry.] You nod at the alien, trying to assure him that you'll be fine. He cautiously backs off and resumes watching any regular of the Jintsu that looks his way. 
 	"Alright, here we are." Rae leads you into the infirmary, a medic team waiting for any casualties to come through the door. They're all Japanese, but the lead physician speaks up.
 	"Get on the bed," he says in a heavy accent. With no one else yet harmed, you have his full attention. 
 	You comply, sitting on one of several stiff beds with Rae's help. She takes off your Strikers, setting them aside as the bespectacled man examines your burned arm.
 	"This is very bad," he says expertly.
 	"Yeah, I could tell," you manage. 
 	He looks at his staff, none of them witches, then looks at Rae. "This will not heal very well or very quickly. You must help."
 	"I'll do whatever I can," Rae says, advancing. She places her hands on you, directing magic into your body. It's very soothing and a calmness overtakes you. Laying back, you close your eyes...
 [ ] Let sleep overtake you, life is sucking a bit right now
[x] Fight it
[ ] Other
 	As tempting as it might be to get some sleep, you fight the urge. There's a battle going on outside, and though you might not be useful in the air, you're still a witch. You'd rather be awake for when you might be needed than sleeping the battle away. You grunt as your skin heals itself, potential scarring wearing away. After awhile, Rae steps back, your arm as healed as it'll ever be. She sighs, surveying her handiwork.
 	"Well, at least it looks good," she says. "I might have missed a spot or two underneath, but that should heal fine...right?" She looks to the Japanese man nervously.
 	"Yes, well enough," he says. He produces a sling, putting it around your neck.
 	"Is this really necessary?" you ask. Your arm feels pretty good right now, and Rae's right. It looks great. 
 	"Better safe than sorry," he replies. You struggle not to laugh at his pronunciation.
 	You hop down from the bed, your left arm secure in its sling. Rae helps you up and the three of you walk out of the infirmary with the doc's blessing. Heads turn as Socks leaves as silently as he came.
 	"So, what the hell, Cleo?" Rae asks, leaning against a bulkhead. If you guys are needed, the yells and explosions that would accompany such a situation should alert you. 
 	"What do you mean?" you ask. "There's a lot that just happened, and I nearly died twice. You looking for specifics?"
 	"Yeah, give me something. I've been cradling this guy for most of the fight and he's not exactly talkative." Socks stares at her as she points. She tries to stare back, but quickly averts her gaze.
 	"Well.." you begin.
 [x] Met some Wizards
[ ] Pressed a big red button
[ ] Fought some fires
[ ] Other
 	"I got toasted on my way back here. I flew a little too high, attracted the attention of a Martian," you say, looking away. "Then, uh, I asked for some help."
 	Rae waits for you to continue. When you don't, she rolls her eyes. "And? Come on, Icarus, there's more."
 	"And I got some help. Pilot shot down the Martian and I landed here."
 	"Oh. Well, that's fine, I guess. Any idea who they are?"
 	You rack your brain, trying to remember the names of the extravagant bastards that came to your aid, but with the pain and the healing, you can't quite remember. "Can't remember their names, but they call themselves the Wizards of Oz."
 	Rae goes blank. "Did you say 'Wizards of Oz?'"
 	"Yeah, why?"
 	"Oh, um...nothing."
 [ ] That doesn't sound like nothing
[x] Alright. Any problems with the crew and Socks?
[x] Other
 	You give her a look. The look. "Rae, we can deal with your family issues later, alright?"
 	She jumps a bit. "You know!? Nooooo! Look, I know that they can be a handful and everything and that they even act like assholes sometimes-" she cries, pouting a bit. Before she can fully launch into her apologetic rant over her relatives, however, you raise your hand and interrupt.
 	"Look, I get it. It's cool. You can introduce me later, alright?" you plead.
 	"...Alright. I just...They can be so full of themselves! Even when I was a kid Max would-"
 	You give her the look again, and she backs off from her rant. "Good. Thanks, Rae. Now, have you had any trouble with Socks? I imagine things are a little tense, what with the attack and everything. Anyone try to pull a gun on him?"
 	"No! I mean, well, one, but he put it down real fast when I asked," Rae replies, smiling.
 	"Oh? You speak Japanese?"
 	"...Well, when I say 'ask,' I mean..." she trails off.
 	"As long as Socks is safe, I guess that's fine. He saved my life again today. We keep him around much longer, we might have to give the guy a medal."
 	"Saved your life?"
 	"Well...the sub started sinking while I was in it, trying to bring it back to the Yukikaze. Some Martians hijacked it."
 	"And it just randomly started sinking!?"
 	"Er..no. There was a big red button..."
 	This time it's Rae's turn to use the look. "You pushed the big red button? Seriously? You never push the big red button! Ever!" She sighs. "And how did Socks play into this?"
 	"I needed help driving the sub," you say meekly. "But the Martians were using some psionic somethings to attack his mind, so-"
 	"So you had me barrel out of the ship, carrying Socks out of there." Rae smiles. "Sounds like you owe both of us, Cleo."
 	"Hey, I saved your life back on the Harbinger with Socks' help. We're even."
 	"Wait, Socks helped?" Rae asks.
 	"Yeah, actually. If not for him, then...Oh, wow."
 	The two of you turn to Socks. Incredibly, you both owe your lives to the same Martian. Startled by the attention, he turns to you.
 	[Yes, Kuykendall? Is something the matter?]
 [x] We owe you our lives, you big lump.
[ ] Nothing, you bozo.
[ ] Other.
 	[Nothing you big lump. We're just talking about how we owe you our lives.]
 	Socks' confusion pours through the link. [What are you talking about? Until recently I've been a part of your enemy.]
 	[You help heal Rae when she was dying in the cell. You helped me when I was about to drown in that sub. If not for you, we'd be dead. Did you forget about that?]
 	[If that is the case, then we are even; you've protected me from your and my own people constantly since I have been in your custody. There is no debt here.]
 	You smirk. [Oh, did they ever have a gun pointed at your head? We were in immediate danger of dying, Socks. Did those commandos even ever see you? Sure, you've been our enemy. Sure, we don't completely trust you. That doesn't mean you should sell yourself short. We owe you one.] 
 	Not fully convinced, he thinks about what you've said for a few moments. [Believe what you will,] he finally says. [I could all too easily be part of an elaborate ruse. Don't forget that, Kuykendall.]
 	[You're right, but I'm not exactly feeling that from you.]
 	[I am not only an expert researcher in the field of Psionics, I am a top practicioner. I could easily be hiding something from you,] he warns. 
 	[And you could not be.]
 	[...Are you always so overly trusting?]
 	[Believe what you will,] you say.
 	"Finished with your moment?" asks Rae.
 	"Yeah."
 	The three of you mill around for a bit, not entirely sure what to do. Nothing requiring your skills turns up, and slowly you begin to see some of the crew move about, no longer rushing to their stations and staying there. They cast their eyes towards the three of you, all foreign in some way to their ship. One or two let a murderous glance out toward Socks, but with two witch bodyguards, they think better of it. 
 	Shooting small-talk with Rae, you all finally tire of standing around and attempt to find Admiral Isaki for some guidance. As you make your way to the bridge, you swing by the stern of the ship, hoping to get a glance at the rest of the fleet. The battle seems to have died down, the crew more in clean-up mode than battle. Several destroyers seem to have smoke coming from their decks, but nothing too serious.
 	"Well, seems like we survived that successfully," Rae comments, leaning on the railing as she surveys the flotilla.
 	"More than that, Rae!" comes a loud voice. "They didn't know what hit them!"
 	Rae spins around with such speed, you might be convinced she hadn't moved between positions. "S-Sarah! What are you doing here!?" she asks with a nervous smile.
 	"I'd do anything to help out my little sis!" Sarah says, punching Rae's shoulder. The way Rae flinches hints at the strength behind the punch.
 [x] Well, aren't you going to introduce me?
[ ] Let the two catch up
[ ] Other
 	"So Rae," you ask, "who's this?"
 	She jerks her head in your direction, shaking as she does so. Her face is pale with the look of death, eyes wide as saucers. "Eh? W-who?" she stammers.
 	"...Your sister. Sarah. Aren't you going to introduce me?"
 	"Ahahahaha," she laughs; it's a horrid laugh of pure terror. "O-of course I will!"
 	Seconds pass as both you and Sarah stare at Rae.
 	"Oh, forget it, she always gets this way around strangers," says Sarah. "I'm Sarah Caulders, part of the Wizards of Oz." She looks at you seriously. "You really haven't heard of us?"
 	You shake your head. "No, we've spent the last week or so stuck on a Martian sub. Popped up around here a few days ago."
 	"Ah, newbi-did you just say you were stuck on a Martian sub?" Sarah darts her eyes towards Rae, a deadly look in her eyes. Rae shrinks against the railing, and for a moment you fear she might flip over it. "What were you doing on a Martian sub, Rae? You told me you were headed for some training in Hawaii!"
 	"B-b-but I was there for some training!" she sputters.
 	"And Martian!? Well, I guess that explains this guy," Sarah says, giving Socks a hard slap on the...well, what qualifies as a back, for a Martian. Socks falls forward a bit, tentacles flailing wildly in anger. "Bit of a freak, isn't he? Surprised you haven't shot him yet."
 [x] ...What did you just suggest?
[ ] Let it slide
[ ] Other
 	"Excuse me?" you ask, irritated.
 	"I'm just saying," she says as she dances in front of Socks' tentacles, weaving to and fro, "that I'm surprised you haven't kill him. Martians are Martians, you know? I mean, I can see why you keep him around, but..."
 	You manage to cool your growing irritation into a more concentrated emotion. Quietly, you begin. "Socks is a top researcher in his field. He's risked his life to bring us Martian-built Strikers and busted us out of captivity in a Martian minisub. He's helped me save Rae's life and I owe him mine personally. Every second he's here he's at risk of dying. I'd appreciate it if you didn't joke about that."
 	Sarah stares at you, frozen in place. "Well hey, I didn't know, alright? Sheesh." She turns to her still-petrified sister. "I'll talk to you later, Rae." Sarah turns around and heads back to where she came from, a small hanger in the rear of the ship. As the distance grows, color slowly returns to Rae's face.
 	"Sorry," she finally manages to say normally. "She means well, but she's a bit of a handful..."
 	"No, it's fine. She didn't know," you say, almost truthfully. Is this really how people are going to treat Socks? you ask yourself. Glancing at him, you can see him glaring at Rae's sister as she makes her way to the hanger. Focusing on your link, you sense him sigh in resignation. 
 	You turn to face the sunset as the flotilla steams onward towards Brisbane. About a week remains of the journey, and you hope things will be better once you're there, though you know they probably won't.
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