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Macross Frontier
8:20
By
Raymond Cooper
The following takes place between 8.20 and 8.21 on the final morning to hand in the final Drama assessment.
8:20:00
Alto watched his satchel with his assignment and extra items in it disappear into the sky as he held his side and back in pain from where he'd been punched. He took a staggering step after it, but Ozma grabbed him again, spun him around and belted him across the cheek with the barrel of his pistol.
"What did you do to Ranka?"
"Wait, Captain," Michael called from Klan's hand, "I've just explained to Klan what's going on. Alto didn't do anything. He was getting her assignment to school for her."
"Is this true?" Ozma demanded of Alto. Alto nodded, holding his cheek now gingerly with his other hand. Behind him, Sheryl's limo pulled further away. "Why didn't you say something?"
"You didn't give me much choice!" Alto's fists balled. "And my assignment was in that bag!"
8:20:19
Ozma holstered his gun, scowling. "I thought you were going for a gun. But why is Ranka all flushed and... and sweaty?"
"She has a cold!" Alto yelled back. "She's sick! Michael put her back into bed for me."
"That explains why you were getting her into bed," Klan replied, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Michael.
"I said everything was completely innocent."
"It doesn't explain why you stole Ranka's assignment from me," Alto reminded him. He glanced at his watch.
8:20:36
"Grace, I want you to copy this paragraph for me, and in my handwriting." Sheryl pointed out the conclusion on Ranka's second page, and handed Grace her own assignment piece. Grace took a proffered pen a moment later, and began scribbling at a rapid rate.
"This would be considered cheating, you know... if you were ever found out. It could lead people to look to where you came from."
Sheryl shot Grace a sharp look. "I'm Sheryl Nome," she replied, eventually. "And sometimes, Sheryl Nome needs to copy homework from her friends, just like anyone else."
8:20:56
A moment later, Ranka's torn assignment flew out the driver's window of the limo as the limo pulled away for the school.
8:20:57
"Nanase! What a –" Luca broke off his introduction as Alto's bag screamed out of the sky and slammed into the ground in front of him, tearing the side and spilling some of the insides out. Including –
Luca gasped.
8:20:59..
8:21:00
To be continued...