Two weeks later…
The skies in the Pacific Ocean were clear with a few scattered clouds and a slight wind coming in from the south. It seemed tranquil and peaceful, and it was…before it soon lit up with gunfire and explosions. Japanese fighter pilots were in a knock-down, drag-out fight with American fighter pilots for aerial dominance. The American fighter pilots were focused on taking out Japanese aircraft and protecting the B-29 bombers while the Japanese were just focused on taking down any American aircraft they could get in their sights.
A Japanese Mitsubishi Zero fighter was chasing after a Curtiss SB2C Helldiver dive bomber after it had dropped a bomb on a Japanese light carrier. The pilots did their best to avoid flying into other planes having their own aerial dog fights. The American pilot put on his best maneuvers but the Japanese pilot wasn't letting him out of his sight. A short barrage of bullets from the Zero's guns clipped the Helldiver's fuselage when a heavy impact caused the Zero to jostle around. The pilot nearly lost his grip on the steering and looked up to see Superman had landed on his plane.
"Konichiwa." Superman punched the rotor wing with his shield causing it to break off before he jumped away. The Zero plummeted to the water below as Superman threw his shield and it hit three more Zeros in the wings before Hawkman caught it and used it for cover as he smashed shield first through a Zero wing and then sliced another coming at him from the side with his axe. Hawkman caught Superman as he fell through the air and handed him back the shield before throwing him up high. Superman sailed through the air, smashing through a Nakijima Ki-44 fighter interceptor before he fired a few precision bursts of his heat vision, taking down a few more airplanes. One Japanese Kawasaki Ki-61 fighter plane got him in his sights and opened fire with his machineguns, but the .50 caliber bullets ricocheted off his body and the shield. Superman grabbed onto the cockpit of the fighter plane as it carried him away when a series of explosions went off nearby.
They were from Hawkwoman who was bashing any Japanese fighter plane that got close with her spiked Nth metal mace. It sparked with electricity as she dragged it underneath the chassis of a zero before she spun and tucked her wings in to protect herself from gunfire. The bullets bounced off against her Nth metal armored wings and she kept spinning as two Ki-44's came in close. When they were close enough she extended her wings and the Nth metal armor which cut through two planes before bashing a third with her mace. Blue Beetle flew by, blasting several planes with his energy cannons. His suit protected him as he blasted a few more Zeros and then a Ki-61 that was on the tail of a dive bomber.
Several days later…
The loud bellows of Japanese naval cannons continued to go off in a rhythmic-like pattern as they fired on American battleships that neared the Philippine islands. The earlier aerial assault had taken out a large contingent of Japanese aircraft but there were still more based in the Philippines. They were outnumbered especially with the Hawks and Blue Beetle on the US side. The aerial battle above was just as chaotic as the naval battle below. The Japanese battleships Yamato and Musashi were floating fortresses and despite several dive bombers landing hits they were still functioning at near peak performance. Their massive long-range guns had finally managed to hit their mark on a few American light cruisers, but their carriers were still out of range and none of the Japanese bombers managed to break through the aerial defense.
Captain Kōsaku Aruga was in command of the battleship Yamato, and he looked out from the helm at the ocean that was his battlefield. They sustained some damage from a few dive bombers but other than those few who made it through it didn't seem like the Americans were making the push that they had anticipated. Their radar hadn't picked up any nearby submarines close enough to launch torpedoes, and the battleships and cruisers were maintaining a distance. "Something doesn't feel right…"
"Captain!" His radar technician alerted him as their sonar picked something up moving fast. "We have incoming! One thousand yards and closing in fast!"
"A torpedo. Foolish to launch one so far away. Prepare intercept torpedoes!" Captain Aruga ordered.
"Captain! Torpedo is now 500 yards and closing in!"
"That's impossible." Aruga's first mate declared. "No torpedo can move that fast."
Captain Aruga then adopted a look of worry. "Unless it isn't a torpedo."
Captain Aruga was correct as it wasn't a torpedo heading to the Yamato but rather a man. Swimming through the deep water of the Pacific Ocean towards the battleship Yamato was Superman. Achieving speeds of up to Mach 3, his body cut through the water faster than any vessel known to man. The heavy pressure and dark light of the water would make this kind of approach difficult even for submarines, but Superman could handle it. His body didn't feel anything other than the cool water of the Pacific and his super vision made it, so he saw things as clear as day. His gaze was locked onto the Yamato, and he kicked his feet as fast as he could before holding the Vibranium shield up. He cut through the water like a supersonic spear and was heading for Yamato's keel.
[BOOM & Massive shake]
Captain Aruga, his officers, and his technicians held on for dear life as the sudden impact of the Yamato felt like the vessel had been dropped onto a mountain. "What on earth was that?" Captain Aruga questioned.
"Sir, there is a breach in the keel! We're taking on water!"
"Impossible! No weapon could pierce through the ship's armor in one hit!"
"Captain, look!" One of his officers pointed to the starboard side of the ship and they all saw a figure leap out of the water and land on the deck of the battleship. From the red and blue uniform and large S on his chest they knew it was the Superman, the American's super soldier. There were many in the Japanese military who believed the Superman to be nothing more than a fabrication for a new weapon. Captain America was one thing but no man, even transformed by science could do the things he has done.
Japanese soldiers on the deck grabbed their weapons and attacked but Captain Aruga and his men witnessed how outmatched they were. Bullets bounced off Superman's skin, he moved with greater speed to the point where sometimes he was a blur. his strength sent men flying back or thrown overboard and even though he was outnumbered he was winning. Captain Aruga saw Superman throw his shield and it ricocheted around hitting a dozen of his soldiers before he rushed over and grabbed onto one of the 46-centimeter Type 94 guns on the deck. These guns were the largest ever fitted to warship in naval history with three massive barrels connected to a protected armor housing that fired high-explosive or armor-piercing shells. The Yamato had nine of them, three in the front, three in the middle and three in the back and each weighed 166 tons. Superman simply grabbed one of the three cannons and with a mighty yank he ripped the entire gun emplacement out of its holding and hurled it into the hull of a nearby ship. Clark saw some of the guns on the deck turned towards him so his eyes glowed red and he unleashed beams of his heat vision that melted through the metal in seconds. He didn't stop until all the guns on the deck were rendered useless and despite this the soldiers on the deck fought with a fanatical fervor. Even with what they just witnessed they would die to the last man and fought with all their heard. For Captain Aruga, reality had hit him like an anchor.
"We cannot win this war." Captain Aruga muttered.
Manila, Philippines December 1944
[Deafening roars of applause]
Army bombers and Navy airplanes flew over the capital of the Philippines in celebration. The city of Manila was in an uproar as Marines and Army alike of the US and Australian forces along with home guard and rebel partisans of the Philippines were in celebration. Two months of hard fighting had paid off. The Japanese naval defense of the Philippines cost them about 67 ships with 1 fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 2 carrier/battleships, 7 battleships, 13 heavy cruisers and 6 light cruisers, 35 destroyers and over 350 airplanes destroyed. Among the ships destroyed were the Yamato and Musashi, Japan's best battleships so if that wasn't a big enough blow for them than the liberation of the Philippines was a bigger one.
That's not to say it was easy. Torrential rains and difficult terrain like Peleliu made the goings tough with nearly a quarter of a million Japanese troops defending the chain of islands. Eighty percent of them died but soon enough General MacArthur and his men had liberated the island and were now walking among the streets that were in celebration. To MacArthur, this was somewhat of a personal victory as the sting of losing the Philippines earlier in the war had been healed. Clark, Dan, Carter, and Shayera were showered with praise and treated almost like royalty. People bowed their heads and got on their knees in the beginning, but they picked them up and joined the celebration. Clark put a few kids up on his shoulders and carried them around as they waved to everyone.
The Pacific Theater was entering its final stages. Not a bad way to ring in the new year.
Line Break xxxxx
February 1945
With the success of the recent Philippines campaign, it seemed an end was coming to the war in the Pacific. The fighting had been intense with two months spent hopping between the various islands of the Philippines but in the end the Allies had come out victorious. Adding onto the good news was that just as the campaign in the Philippines was coming to an end, the British Commonwealth led the offensive in Burma. That was primarily a British-led campaign with the US providing support. Once the Philippines were liberated measures were taken to prepare for the next offensive but much like in Europe, logistics and bureaucracy hampered war progress. Here in the Pacific even more so.
The distance to transport supplies from the US to the Pacific theater was greater than that of Europe especially when most of it was done by ships. Superman, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, and Blue Beetle helped push the offensive and saved lives, but they spent just as much time fighting as they did transport the wounded and carrying supplies. The bureaucracy part came after the fighting as once the Philippines was secured the Marines and Army were on a sort of temporary hold action while Allied Command figured out their next move. Part of that was the pollical machinations going on at the time. President Roosevelt and Prime Minster Churchill met with Stalin at the Yalta conference earlier in October 1944. With Hitler dead and the war in Europe over it seemed like the perfect time for the world leaders to discuss postwar peace in Europe dealing with collective security and the re-establishment of the nations that the Nazis had taken. The main takeaways were demilitarization and denazification of Germany along with punishing the war criminals, war reparations, Berlin would be split into four occupation zones to prevent potential military revival, and the Soviet Union agreed to participate in the newly established United Nations and declared war on Japan. Then came the work on the rebuilding of Post-war Europe. Eastern Poland including Warsaw and much of eastern Europe that the Soviets had pushed through towards Germany was under their sphere of influence. Slowly Stalin was having his forces pull back into Soviet territory and it seemed like some lines were being drawn. The recognition of the communist Provisional government of the Republic of Poland was formed by the Soviet Union with subsequent provisional governments set up in Romania, Yugoslavia, and eastern Czechoslovakia and eastern Poland until future free and democratic elections could be help. Clark felt a sinking feeling in his gut when he heard this as he felt like maybe something bad was going to happen. Perhaps if he had stayed in Europe to go with President Roosevelt than maybe he wouldn't feel as bad but unfortunately there was still a war to fight.
Sinking feeling in his gut aside, there was one unilaterally good thing that came from the Yalta conference which was the stance Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin had on Japan. Total and unconditional surrender of the Japanese. No appeasement or disarmament, total surrender. When the new year of 1945 came about it seemed like things were really at the end of Japan. The Soviet Union denounced the Soviet-Japanese Neutrality pack of 1941 and began their attacks in late January while the Burma campaign ramped up. The US was preparing for the next offensive and that was the small island of Iwo Jima.
Iwo Jima
[Deafening booms of artillery and machinegun fire]
The screams of men dying on the volcanic sand beaches of Iwo Jima were drowned out by the shouts of orders, the engine rumbles of tanks and LVTs moving around the beach and loud explosions of artillery echoing from the mountain and the bombs of the fighter planes up above. Marines were pushing up through the rough volcanic sand that did everything it could to slow them down and those unfortunates enough were picked off by Japanese machineguns. Gunnery Sergeant John Basilone was laying in the sand as he saw men around him dropping one by one when he saw some soldier of his platoon cowering in a crater, so he rushed over and jostled him about.
"Look at me! I said look at me!" Sergeant Basilone shouted to the young man. "You want to live?! Get off the beach! MOVE!"
He pushed the man back to his feet and ran forward, ushering men to keep moving and avoid getting pinned down. The Japanese had pre-sighted the beach, so they'd get killed if they stayed. They had to keep moving. Braving though mortal shells, gunfire and artillery, Gunnery Sergeant John Basalone, at great risk to his own life, valiantly led men through the heat of battle.
"Off the beach! Keep moving!" He shouted when he spotted his gunners. "Evanson! Tatum! Let's go! Get the fuck off the beach, you sons of bitches!"
That ushered the men forward and they followed Sergeant Basilone through hell. He made it up a mound of sand and hit the ground in time to see and Japanese bunker open fire on some men from another squad once they moved from cover. The bunker had to go before they could push on. Basilone turned around to Tatum and Evanson. "Set that fucker up here! Move!" They moved with a purpose and set up their .30 caliber machinegun up.
"We're gonna kill that bunker! Get me a rabbit team!"
"Get your charges and get ready to move!" Basilone told a lieutenant before he moved over to Tatum and Evanson. "Aim for the gunport! Short bursts! Go, go!"
With cover from the machinegun, the weapons team moved towards the bunker with a satchel charge. The satchel was thrown in through the gunport and took out the gunners inside, a bazooka took out a mortar team on a nearby hill and then a flamethrower burned out the Japanese still in the bunker. Basilone picked up the Browning machinegun and charged forward, gunning down Japanese soldiers much like he did on Guadalcanal as his men followed in behind them. They pushed through the Japanese trenches and cleared the way for others to follow.
"MOVE!" Basilone continued to lead the charge through the trenches when they got pinned down by a machinegun set up in the wreckage of a plane. He was about to lead his men on a flank when a bright flash of light soared over them and took out the machinegun nest.
[Boom]
Superman crashed onto the ground nearby and shielded Sergeant Basilone and his men from gunfire before he fired a few more bursts of his heat vision to take out a few more entrenched positions. He then looked over at Sergeant Basilone. "The Japanese have more entrenched positions over that hill. Get your machinegun teams set up over there! And then I want a mortar team as well!"
Sergeant Basilone nodded and looked to his men. "You heard him! Move your asses!"
A squadron of fighter planes flew above the beaches with Blue Beetle leading the charge. The planes fired their rockets at enemy emplacements while Blue Beetle flew towards the position of one of the big guns on the mountain and blasted a big enough hole to fly through where he began taking down the crew working the gun. Hawkman and Hawkwoman flew in right behind him and assisted him in dealing with the Japanese and they began working their way through the tunnels much like they did on Peleliu. The Japanese wouldn't be focused on them until it was too late as they were too preoccupied in dealing with Superman.
"Tatum! Evanson! Set that fucker up here!" Basilone pointed to a spot with good cover and view of the area and was perfect for their machinegun. They scrambled into position and quickly set up. "Do not leave this position come hell or high water! Do you understand?!"
"Aye, Gunny!"
The machinegun team put down suppressing fire as Sergeant Basilone went to get more men and consolidate their attack. Now that they had opened up an entry point through the Japanese defenses it was time to push. He saw some Marines taking cover next to a tank that was stopped because of a mine field up ahead so he rushed over and grabbed one soldier. "You tell that tank to follow me!"
"Aye, Gunny!"
"The rest of you get as much ammo as you can carry and follow me!"
"Aye, Gunny!"
The men moved with a purpose, following Sergeant Basilone across the sands. Sergeant Basilone guided the tank and three more through a minefield to push forward as the men he got were joining his platoon. Explosions and mortars went off around him, but it did not deter Sergeant Basilone at all who, through great risk to his own life, continued to lead his men into the harrows of battle. With all the chaos of the battle going on, he did not see a small mortar coming down on his position. In the blink of an eye, Superman super sped right to Sergeant Basilone's side. He turned him to the side and covered him with his body and the shield as the mortar went off, protecting him from the blast and shrapnel that would have otherwise killed him.
"Keep your head down, Sergeant!" Clark shouted before he fired a few bursts of his heat vision while Sergeant Basilone kept running and organized his men to follow Superman onward. While the battle raged on, Sergeant Basilone's efforts would earn him a Navy Cross once the battle was over but to Superman, he just ensured another Marine would make it home to his wife.
Five days later…
The American forces had managed to move off the beaches and secure land around Mount Suribachi, cutting the Japanese off from their main defensive fortification from the land but there were still networks of tunnels underneath. The Japanese had pulled back from the beaches to fortify the airfields. While the beachhead had been secured so armor and artillery could be moved in the landscape made movement very difficult not to mention Japanese surprise attacks. Japanese troops would spring out of previously unseen tunnels and move out at night in small groups to attack American foxholes under cover of darkness that after the first night the navy began firing star shells to illuminate the island. Flamethrowers and grenades were constantly used to destroy Japanese tunnels but Superman, the Hawks, and Blue Beetle helped in that regard as well.
It was the morning of the sixth day, and they had formed a solid defensive perimeter so supply camps could be set up for the soldiers. The Hawks and Dan were getting some rest as they couldn't go days without rest like Clark could. Clark was in the tent of Colonel Chandler Johnson of the 2nd Battalion 28th Marines and they would now push up to secure Mount Suribachi.
"Now we think Mount Suribachi is done but we haven't hit the area as much since our initial landings. The Japanese could very well be waiting for you." Colonel Johnson pointed Mount Suribachi on the map. The dormant volcano was 169 meters high and traversing it would entail hiking up steep hills and volcanic rock. No doubt the Japanese would have defenses on it and while they had cut the Japanese off on land, there were still tunnels up there.
"You're right. There are three tunnels up there that feed into the main gun that Blue Beetle destroyed the day of our landing here." Clark pointed to the southern part of the volcano. "I took a quick look at the tunnels, and they intertwine with each other until they reach here." Clark pointed to a spot about half a mile northeast from the spot of the main cannon. "Then the tunnels spread out to various points on the island."
"It's like a godman spiders web." Colonel Johnson remarked.
"Thankfully the tunnels aren't that large. The areas where the gun emplacements are because they need space, but the actual tunnels are only about three meters in height and width. I can locate the tunnels and make the goings much easier. We'll start from the cannon and make our way through." Clark suggested.
"All right." Colonel Johnson agreed and stepped out of the tent. "All right, First Platoon! You're going up the hill! Captain Elbert's in charge! Bring extra weapons and ammo!"
"You heard him! Move!" Their sergeant shouted when Colonel Johnson grabbed a folded American flag and handed it to his lieutenant.
"Lieutenant, when you get up there put this up." Colonel Johnson told him.
"Yes, sir."
Clark saw Carter, Shayera, and Dan getting up, but he waved them off. "You three rest up. I'll lead them into the caves and will radio the progress. I got this." Clark grabbed the shield and led 1st Platoon up Mount Suribachi. The going was tough for the Marines with the slope and uneven terrain, but they had trained in preparation for this mission climbing similar mountains. Still, they weren't super soldiers, so Clark was ahead of them, but it was partially to check for any traps or ambushes. Every now and then the Marines would see Superman punch or kick a spot to close up a gunport or take out a Japanese sniper. The men felt at ease with Superman. With everything they've seen they knew they'd be safe with him around, so they were fairly relaxed and joking around a bit.
"Don't worry, Iggy. They never shoot at the first patrol."
"They don't?"
"No. They want us to go up to the top, signal to the others that it's ok, then shoot everybody else as they come up the mountain?"
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Unless of course they want to make an example of us and discourage all the others."
"I think you're full of crap, you know that, Hank?"
"Really?"
"Yeah. Besides, with Superman here we'll be fine."
Clark reached the summit first and noticed a few Japanese hidden among the rocks for an ambush, so he blurred around in a burst of super speed and knocked them out. When the Marines arrived, they saw Superman standing around several knocked out Japanese soldiers. "It's clear. Tie them up and bring them to battalion intelligence. They'll be unconscious for a few hours."
"Yes, sir. You heard him." The lieutenant ordered and some men took the Japanese for the long walk back down the mountain. "Set up a perimeter and dig in!"
The men spread out and took a moments rest as some marines got ready to put the flag up. They got some poles and moved it to a spot before the Lieutenant took out the flag and held it out to Clark to let him have the honor. "No, Lieutenant. You and your men can do this." Clark said, stepping back and letting them have the limelight. A photographer had joined them and snapped a few pictures as the men held up and set the flagpole into the ground. The wind made the flag flap proudly in plain view for everyone even from down on the beach and in the nearby naval ships to see.
"YEAH!"
"WOO!"
"USMC! USMC!"
[Distant cheering]
Everyone cheered and whooped in celebration when the flag was raised on Iwo Jima. The horns on trucks and LVTs were honked while the foghorns of ships blared out. It was truly a special moment. Clark let the men enjoy it a while longer before they began moving to the tunnels. He and the other Marines would be unaware until much later that while they were busy clearing the tunnels of the Japanese Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal had arrived on Iwo Jima. He saw the flag flying up on Mount Suribachi and he wanted it. While he did get a flag, he didn't get the actual flag as it had been replaced and when the second flag was placed war photographer Joe Rosenthal would snap a picture that would quickly become a media darling for the US.
Still in the end it didn't matter because another week later they secured Iwo Jima on February 28th, 1945. Even with all the help of Superman, the Hawks and Blue Beetle, it was still the bloodiest battle of the Pacific war…until they got to Okinawa.
April 1945
Okinawa
This was the penultimate endgame to end the war. The Okinawa and its islands were to be used for Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands. Already their bombers were doing good work from the Marianas and Iwo Jima, but Okinawa was only 340 miles from the Japanese home islands and if they wanted to take the fight there than it needed to be taken.
The division landed on the western coast of Okinawa with no resistance, which many felt was a trap. It wasn't as there was no defense there but rather the Japanese were elsewhere. Everyone knew that the Japanese wouldn't give up Okinawa to the last man, so they were waiting for them. The plan was to cut the island in two and advance across to the eastern coast. They did so with little resistance and cleared the relatively peaceful countryside. Again, there was no armed resistance only civilians. Clark had picked up the dialect and he also knew Japanese so he could speak with the locals. Despite the coming battle he was kind and courteous. The Marines kept their distance, but Clark and the others were comforting, which in turn helped them. One of the elders informed them that the Japanese had forcibly conscripted many of their young men and even children into their war so it meant that they could be facing human shields. Already the naval battle had proven to be crazy as the Japanese resorted to kamikaze attacks of their planes on Allied ships. Clark and the others spent days fighting off kamikaze waves of planes from their ships and still some were sunk. The Japanese were literally fighting to the death and making sure they took down as many Americans as possible.
Once they began heading south the fight really kicked up and Clark was stretching himself thinly by trying to be everywhere, but he just couldn't be. He helped push the offensive in one area and it cost lives in another, and the Japanese were dug in tight. Even staying up for up to 72 hours straight wasn't enough. The defenses put on the ridges in particular were especially harrowing. The others helped where they could but had to limit their flying to carrying off wounded as they would be fired on and risk whoever was with them.
[Artillery Shell explosions and gunfire]
Clark raised the shield to block mortar shells and bullets from nearby marines he was protecting as they were dragged to safety.
"Move! Move!"
He turned and fired a few bursts of his heat vision to take out heavily armored entrenched positions on Kakazu Ridge which were two hills connecting that formed part of the Shuri line's outer perimeter. The injured were pulled over to the Hawks who were behind cover and then proceeded to fly them to a medical station further away. Blue Beetle landed next to Superman, firing energy blasts from his arm cannons and they pushed up together. Clark blitzed forward in a burst of super speed and smashed through a bunker and took the Japanese in quick succession with several quick punches and strikes before he unleashed his heat vision and took out the gun emplacements, taking the ridge.
"Tennōheika Banzai! [Explosions]"
Clark's super hearing picked that up from Maeda Ridge AKA Hacksaw Ridge so he turns to Dan. "Dan, stay here! I've got go."
"Wait, you can't go by yourself. Let me help."
"Stay here and help these men."
"The ridge is secure. Carter and Shayera are coming back—"
"DAMMIT, DAN! STAY HERE! I'M YOUR CAPTAIN SO FOLLOW ORDERS!" Clark shouted in anger before he super-jumped away. Dan watched Clark's fading figure disappear in the distance in confusion and shock. He didn't know Clark as well as Taskforce Vanguard, but he had never seen him go ballistic like that.
Elsewhere…
A Japanese banzai charge was going to reinforce a division of Japanese troops that were fending off another American incursion on Hacksaw Ridge. The Japanese charged with overwhelming numbers on top of one another and the Americans were retreating when the looming sound of an artillery shell was heard only it wasn't an artillery shell. Something heavy and moving fast crashed into the ground and dozens of Japanese soldiers were sent flying back. The Army men looked and saw Superman fending off the Japanese, fighting them hand to hand with his shield though his unarmed combat sent dozens of Japanese flying around the battlefield. He then zig-zagged around the area in a blitz of super speed but more were coming, and his frustration reached a boiling point making his eyes glow like the sun.
"RAHHHH!"
Approximately ten seconds passed of uninterrupted heat vision at full blast and when Clark stopped all that remained was a molten battlefield and charred remnants of Japanese soldiers. The army cheered on, but Clark's mind was just overcome with adrenaline before he suddenly realized what he did. He killed over a thousand Japanese without hesitation and there wasn't even anything left to bury or identify them. Clark took a few steps before he walked away. Soldier sang his praise and patted him on the back and arms, but Clark just kept walking far enough until he was alone and he fell to his butt. All of the adrenaline and everything just hit him at once. He would never have done that if he was in the right mind but just now he wiped out thousands of people. Sure, he's had to kill for the war but this…this was different. Wasn't it?
The more and more he fought in the Pacific the more and more he felt like he was beginning to lose it. Things couldn't get worse, right?
It would be that day that Clark learned President Roosevelt passed away.
It could get worse.