VALKYRIE SMASH

Before the Olympians attacked the forty sixth base, a big event was scheduled to announce the end of the war and the peace treaty with the Nephilim. Of course, that event had to be delayed with Sam going on his other-world mission, but now that he has returned it was time for things to move forward.

Three days left until the Primordial's arrival. Two days before that the award ceremony would take place and the Valkyries have been busy preparing for it as well.

"haa~... I can't believe it's tomorrow..."

Zero Three let her body sink into the sofa as she heaved a long sigh. With the day coming to an end she had long since changed out of her uniform, donning a simple shirt and shorts she had picked from the supplies delegated to them by the Doctor. Her slightly flushed skin showed that it hadn't been that long since she was in the shower. With how busy she had been recently she didn't have the time to enjoy swimming and because of that the tan she was so proud of had faded away at some point.

"The big day is finally here, huh?" Said Ichigo with her usual sweet smile. Having made preparations to head to bed as well, she wore a light white dress that served as her pajamas.

"To think the day our contributions get recognized would actually come." Said Nino. She was dressed in the same T-shirt and shorts pair as Three. "I always thought they would keep treating us like weapons till the very end."

"I doubt that much has changed." Said Miku. "Doctor has been worried about it for a while now."

The blond one seemed a little down as she hugged one of the pillows. From the looks of it she was heading to bed as well, having changed into her sleeping garments and gathered her hair into two buns on each side of her head.

"Well, I'm sure everything will be fine. This is Doctor we're talking about, after all."

Everyone, with the exception of Ichigo, turned to the speaker with cold glares. Nine didn't seem to mind the hostility, being in too good of a mood to care about how others felt.

"You know he's going to punish you again, right?" Three asked.

"I wonder about that~"

Seeing that she wasn't worried about the consequences of what she did the day before, everyone understood that the time she spent with the Doctor had been worth angering him. As his personal Valkyries, they all looked forward to receiving that man's love, however none of them let the wait affect their actions, unlike Nine who seemed to be addicted to the act.

"I hope we get some free time after the Ritual is done." Nino sighed. "I want to have some fun with Doctor as well..."

"At this rate it might take months before we get our turn." Said Zero Three.

"Um... don't you already know?" Ichigo gave the Japanese doll a nervous look.

With her Needle Nino could easily check when the Doctor is available. She could even move things around so he would have more free time, but for some reason that wasn't in her plans.

"What's this~?" She turned to the pink haired Valkyrie smiling mischievously. "Are you that eager to have fun with Doctor once more? It's been only one day~"

Ichigo's face flushed in an instant and she quickly waved her hands trying to deny the claim.

"Th-that's not it! I was just-"

"There is nothing to be ashamed of." Three joined in on the teasing. "You want Doctor to make you feel good as well, right?"

"I..."

"Well, I doubt you would have much trouble in that regard." Turning to Nine, Three looked at her with half-lidded eyes. "It seems big breasts can earn you a pass when it comes to this stuff."

Nine simply smiled in return while Ichigo stared down at her own chest, blushing as she remembered how Sam kept groping it as they went at it.

"Us flat chested Valkyries have a big disadvantage." Said Nino. "Our cuteness can't compete with those things."

"That's not true." said Three. "I'm sure Doctor enjoys small ones as much, if not more. Right, Miku?"

"Hm? Yeah, probably..." Miku replied.

Her lack of enthusiasm didn't go unnoticed by the others. Being the Doctor's first Personal Valkyrie they expected her to jump at the chance to join such discussions, but apparently the young Valkyrie had something else occupying her mind.

"Miku..." Ichigo, being right next to her, took it upon herself to ask "Is something wrong?"

At the same time, Nino's gaze seemed to wander away. She had a hunch about what was bothering the petite blonde which led to some heavy guilt weighing on on her chest.

"B3..." Miku said after a while. "She was supposed to receive the medals meant for her old team tomorrow..."

The atmosphere turned somber for a moment as everyone finally understood. It was decided that all valkyries would receive a Medal of Honor for their bravery and sacrifice in the war against the Calamities. Those who lost their lives in battle would have their surviving teammates receive them in their stead, and if no one survived the last battle the duty would fall on the commander of the base they belonged to.

B3 was something of a leader to the Valkyries of the forty fifth base, and though she never showed it in front of others it was clear that their deaths affected her quite a bit. The award ceremony seemed to hold a great significance to her as she started taking it much more seriously once she was told about the part she would play.

Having her comrades' sacrifice recognized held great meaning to her, but unfortunately, after everything that happened in the Nephilim world, she lost the chance to attend the event.

B3 was quite friendly with everyone, however she seemed to get along particularly well with Miku and Nino ever since she moved to the now destroyed Resistance headquarters. The petite blond was the most affected by her absence, and with the ceremony being only a few hours away she couldn't stop herself from feeling down.

"I'm sorry..." said Ichigo, her head lowered. "If I was a better fighter..."

"It's not your fault." Miku replied. "We all know who's responsible."

The comment was directed at none other than Nino who could only keep her silence. Whether she liked it or not, it was her sister's fault that two of their friends were now in a coma.

"There is no point in dwelling on what happened." Said Zero Three trying to defuse the tension. "At least we have a chance to bring them back."

Just like human soldiers, the Valkyries who died in battle won't return. Simply having a chance to see them again meant those two weren't truly dead.

It will take some time and effort to bring them back, but looking at the alternative it was much better than having to say farewell.

"Sis..." Nino began but then came to a stop. "Atropos said she tried to keep track of Clotho's whereabouts, but..."

It wasn't easy to find someone hopping between dimensions on a frequent basis. The youngest of the Fate sisters was still on her quest to create heroes who could help stop Zeus and those who shared his sick ambitions. All they know is that she was making use of Fallen Worlds to help them awaken, and though it hasn't been confirmed, there was some suspicion about her working with a powerful Primordial to steal Keys from those who went through the trouble of creating them.

With all of that considered, finding Clotho might not be the only hurdle facing them. There was no guarantee that she would help them, seeing that she might not approve of their leader's goal.

"Well then! It's time to sleep!" With complete disregard for the heavy atmosphere, Nine stood up from her seat with quite a cheerful expression. Looking at her it was doubtful whether she truly intended on getting some shuteye. Valkyries didn't need much sleep, however with the award ceremony ahead of them they all agreed it would be for the best if they got some rest.

As everyone stood up to leave, Miku walked over to Nino and looked her in the eyes.

"Doctor is trying to reach Akasha and we are going to do everything we can to help." She said, her eyes cold and emotionless. "If anyone tries to stand in his way it is our job to eliminate them, no matter who they are, understand?"

Nino lowered her head, remaining silent for a while. The petite blonde was going to take that as her answer, but the Japanese doll looked up once more, this time a smug grin decorated her face.

"Of course." She said. "I would do anything to help my beloved fiance~"

Taken off guard, Miku received quite the devastating blow from her raven haired friend. Despite being the first to earn the title of his Personal Valkyrie, recently it was starting to appear as if the others were making strides ahead while she remained in the same position.

"Heh, your arc is over now." Miku shot back, hiding her wound with a grin of her own. "It's time for another heroine to take the stage."

"And you think it's going to be you?" Nino replied. "Sorry but... I don't think you have anything to distinguish you from the background."

The two continued their banter for a while before heading to their rooms. Though she hated every bit of it, the exchange helped improve Miku's mood, taking her mind off the other things that had been bothering her. The same could be said about Nino who had to bear the burden of gazing at the future to ensure they're always on the right track.