Chapter 11: Tankery History!
There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.
Buddha
By the time the sun was rising, Shinobu was already halfway through her morning run. The summer heat had forced her to leave her hoodie behind, her hair either matted to her forehead from the sweat or flying behind her as she ran through the park.
The first match weighed heavy on her mind. Despite having the numbers, the swift defeat of the Japanese team made it impossible to think that the team could go through the next matcg without doing something new against their opponents. Nishizumi was good, and her sister was good, but the Americans were clearly better, and that meant a change in the gameplan.
More than that, there was the shame that Duck team hadn't been able to make a lick of difference in the match. "Our Type 89 was perfect for that kind of match," Shinobu though, angrily picking up hear pace as she finished her run. "We need to play better next time, no, have to play better."
Running to the edge of the ship, Shinobu looked over the side to see some men working around the American transport. "Wonder if they're offloading some more speakers," she grinned, before stopping and turning to get a better look at the boat. "Am I seeing things?" Shinobu whispered. Kneeling down on the deck, Shinobu couldn't quite figure out what was setting off an alarm bell in her head, but there was definitely something different about the American ship.
Sensing someone behind her, Shinobu spun around to see Saki standing a few steps back calmly taking in the scene. "Oh, hey there," Shinobu said, standing up. "What're you doing here? I figured you'd be at the park."
Saki just went to the edge and looked over the side at the American ship, tilting her head to the side. "I thought it wasn't just me," Shinobu said, feeling vindicated. "If you think there's something wrong with their ship, then we need to let the others know. C'mon, let's get on land and head for the hangars."
"Bulldog really fits doesn't it," Pekoe said, cleaning out the turret as Darjeeling checked the hatches. "It might not be as cute as the others, but it can keep fighting as long as it needs to."
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," Darjeeling said, moving the main hatch back and forth. "To be honest, we probably should have brought one of our Centurions instead. We have plenty of armor and firepower, but I'm worried our lack of speed will be an issue as the matches go on."
"I don't see it that way," Assam said, as she took a wrench from Nilgiri to keep working at the engine. "If something happens that the team doesn't expect, we can act as a mobile rally point, keep the team together if they need to stabilize themselves when they're pushed back."
Darjeeling nodded, satisfied with the hatch. "Well, hopefully our practice before the next match will ease our communications troubles."
"Morning." Turning, Darjeeling saw Anchovy walking over, holding up some coffee. "There's plenty if anyone wants some, apparently Mr. Taylor got them for us."
"Then it would be a waste to not accept his kindness," Darjeeling said, climbing off the turret. "Tell me Anchovy, are you and your team doing alright?"
"Yeah, we're better now," Anchovy said, cracking open her can. "My team and I have decided; we're going to accept the American offer."
"As will we," Darjeeling said, leaving Anchovy with her team as she walked to get the drinks.
"Morning," Miho said, walking up next. "Is everything ready for practice today?"
"Of course," Darjeeling said, walking with Miho to the table. "Miho, Anzio and ourselves have decided to accept the American offer. What about your team?"
"I sent out an email last night, everyone should have gotten it by now." Taking a can for herself, Miho looked over the hangars, clutching her coffee tightly with both hands. "What do you think Pravda's vote will be?"
"A no, but only because of Katyusha's pride. She doesn't want to appear weak at any cost." Sipping her coffee as she watched the Saunders girls walk in, Darjeeling smiled at Miho. "I'm sure she'll come around though. As much as she hates to be perceived as weak, Katyusha would hate being considered the reason that her team lost just as much, if not more. No, I'm more concerned with Kuromorimine."
Miho nodded, looking over at the Tiger. "Maho is the next head of the Nishizumi school, throwing off tradition is something she just can't do that easily."
"Without tradition, art is a flock of sheep without a shepherd. Without innovation, it is a corpse." Sipping her coffee, Darjeeling smiled to Miho. "You made a break from tradition, but didn't give up the core values of it, did you? Isn't the Nishizumi creed to always advance, no matter what?"
Miho kept looking at the Tiger, that massive field brown monster that could take on all of Ōarai at once and walk away with a win. It was the physical embodiment of the Nishizumi style; massive, powerful…
"Maybe it's too legendary for its own good," Miho whispered. "Whenever it takes the field, everyone fears it, but that just makes it the biggest target."
"What's that Miho?" Darjeeling asked, Miho snapping out of her moment.
Miho laughed, smiling brightly at Darjeeling. "Oh, it's nothing, just thinking out loud," Nodding, Darjeeling tapped Miho's coffee with her own.
"Miho." Looking out from the hangar, Miho saw her teammates standing outside, all sullen and looking disappointed. Anzu stood in front, smiling despite the obvious mood everyone was in. Handing her drink to Darjeeling, Miho ran outside to meet her friends. "We got your email," Anzu said flatly. "It's all pretty clear and to the point. Just like you."
Miho's smile faded. "So, what do you all say?"
"We took a vote on the way over," Aznu said, her smile growing again. "If the American teams are foolish enough to make this kind of mistake, we shouldn't turn them down should we?" The other girls started smiling, Miho seeing Momo giving a small grin and nod. "What are your orders Nishizumi?"
Miho stood a little taller knowing her teammates were behind her now. "All teams, today we'll be practicing our comm skills. I want all tanks to get their radios ready and standby."
"What about the other teams?" Aya asked. "Don't they need to say yes too?"
"We did," Kei said, the Saunders team walking up with Anzio and Pravda beside them. "Anzio and my team agree that the American team isn't taking us very seriously by offering us this deal."
"So we gave all our teams the chance to decide whether or not we would agree to the deal," Anchovy said, tapping her riding crop in the air. "The decision was unanimous across the board."
"I disagree," Katyusha said, smiling atop Nonna's shoulders, oblivious to the look Nonna was giving the team. "We still have eight more matches to show our true abilities, so my team thinks we should fight on through it."
"That leaves one team then," Darjeeling said, going out to join the others. "If Kuromorimine declines too, then the entire offer will fold in on itself. We can't fight as a team if two of ours don't agree with this course."
"I'll talk to my sister and her team, everyone else needs to get ready for practice. Kawashima, can you handle that?"
"Of course commander," Kawashima said, spinning around to the others. "Alright, everyone see to their tanks now, we need to make sure we're communicating effectively in two days time."
Miho watched as the teams ran for their tanks, checking their gas tanks and loading up on shells. The sound of approaching a number of approaching footsteps behind her told Miho that the rest of the team had arrived. Turning, she saw Maho and the Kuromorimine girls walking over. "Sister."
"Miho." Maho nodded to Erika, who quickly herded the team to the Tiger. "They said I would be the one to make the final decision."
"So, that's means you made a decision then?" Miho nervously stared at her sister. "What was it?"
Maho seemed to struggle with the words, her hands shaking as she tried to vocalize what she needed to say. She opened her mouth once, twice, three times to try out what she had decided. She was even holding her head down away from Miho to keep from making eye contact.
Miho gently put a hand on Maho's shoulder. "Sister, it's just us here, you can tell me."
Maho looked up shaken, tears welling up in the very edges of her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she made one last push to say what she needed to. "We cannot accept their offer Miho. If mother found out, we would both be in trouble."
Miho smiled softly at her sister, hugging her tightly to try and comfort her. "I understand sister. I'll talk with the others, I know they'll understand."
Maho shook a little, slowly returning the hug. "I'm sorry Miho, I'm so sorry."
Miho nodded, smiling at Maho as she broke the hug. "I understand, I promise."
"Miho, Maho." Turning, the sisters saw Ami walking over, Capt. Armstrong following behind her. "I want the team gathered upstairs, there's a matter I need to discuss with everyone."
"Understood ma'am," Maho said, snapping to instantly. There was no trace of unsteadiness or fear, it had been replaced with the Nishizumi style. Miho nodded, the two quickly gathering the team and moving them all into the suddenly cramped upstairs. Ami and Armstrong stood close to the door, Armstrong keeping his eyes focused outside.
"So you all might have noticed that I've been slightly on edge since I was put in charge of the team," Ami said, putting her hands on her hips as she spoke. She didn't look at anyone yet, she was too busy staring at the ground. "I know I've been harsh. There is a reason for it. Don't misunderstand, it's not an excuse. It's just something that…something I hope you'll all forgive me for not telling you about sooner."
Whispers ran through the room, stopped by Ami's glaring. Taking a breath, Ami visibly tried to calm down before moving on. "As you may know, I was a student at Kuromorimine alongside Shiho Nishizumi. She was my tank commander, I was her gunner." Another quick round of whispers, but Ami didn't need to silence them before moving on. "What you all should know, what I should've told you all…This isn't the first exhibition between American and Japanese tankery…"
"All tanks, proceed in wedge formation to map sector E5 and wait for further orders." Looking up from her sight, second year Ami Chouno watched as Shiho Nishizumi called out orders as she surveyed the field from the commander's hatch. "Tanks 3 and 11, I want you on the flanks, keep a sharp eye out for any light scouts." Taking her hand away from the headset, Shiho closed the hatch and came back down into the turret. "Is our cannon ready?"
"Loaded and set miss," Ami said, cheerily spinning around. "Do you think they'll underestimate us?"
"I don't want to think anything until we make our first contact," Shiho said, Ami catching her giving the faintest grin. "But I feel they'll regret coming here today."
Ami smiled, going back to her gunsight. The open fields flew by as the team rolled through the countryside outside the Nishizumi estate. As Ami watched the fields fly by, she felt the excitement welling up inside. This was the first match of its kind in the world, the first real match between American and Japanese tankery in history. "I still can't believe the tanks they brought with them. T18s? M2 Mediums? They have to know those won't do anything for them."
"They can do everything if the legends about the Armstrong family have any truth." Still reading the map, Ami noticed Shiho looked puzzled about something. "Chouno, when we went through grid F4 yesterday there was no cover in place correct?"
"No miss, just flat grass, why?" Ami asked, hand suddenly gripping on her controls.
Shiho jumped up to look through the vision slits. "Because three bushes grew overnight." Grabbing her throat mic, Shiho barked, "All tanks, commence fire on cover in map sector F4, HE shells."
Instantly, every tank following the Pz. III stopped and trained their guns on the bushes. Ami sighted in easily on the plants, grinning as the loader rammed a HE shell home. "Round up!"
"On the way!" Pulling the trigger, Ami grinned as the shell screamed through the air, blasting apart the shrubs and revealing two T18s waiting inside them. Almost on cue, the two tanks had their flags jump up the second their cover had disintegrated.
"All tanks, return to formation and keep an eye out, tanks 3 and 11 continue with your orders." Sitting back in her seat, Shiho went back to the map with an intense glare. "That leaves them with nine tanks, and they've lost both their spgs."
"Then we can take them out easy," Ami laughed. "After all, they're using vehicles that are all rejects."
"No, they chose their tanks for a reason," Shiho said. "But why?"
"Commander, our engine is cutting out!" Looking through her hatch, Shiho watched as tank 3 jerked and lurched forward, the treads spinning and stopping like the tank was having a seizure. "We're losing all power, orders?"
"Tank 11, cover tank 3 until repairs can be made-"
"Tank 6, our engine is cutting out too," a second panicked voice shouted. "Commander, I think tanks 2 and 9 are having trouble!"
Turning the turret, Ami saw two more tanks on the right stalling in formation, tank 2 pulling to the right as tank 9's crew started to jump out to fix the problem. Until her turret started to slow down. "Commander, we have the same problem!"
Shiho grabbed her radio. "Tank 9, get back inside and button up, any tanks still functioning, form a perimeter and stand ready." Grabbing her map again, Shiho started to trace her finger along the grid sections. "Focus attention on D-6, there's a hill they can come over and hit us from."
"This is a message to all Kuromorimine tanks." Everyone in the tank froze, Shiho slowly looking out of her hatch to see that from behind the hill, a single M3 Lee stood, waiting. Looking over, Shiho saw with relief that tank 9 had buttoned up. "Your engines have stalled. Concede the match or be fired on."
"Concede? The hell is she talking about?" Ami growled. "C'mon commander, we can take them right?" Smiling, Ami saw Shiho glaring out the turret, slowly closing the hatch. "Commander?"
"Commander Armstrong, you know the Nishizumi style does not allow for surrender," Shiho said firmly. "How do you know all our tanks are having difficulties?"
At Shiho's words, the rest of the American team appeared, rolling out from behind and over the hill, training their guns on the Kuromorimine tanks below them. "This is your last warning. Surrender or be fired on."
Ami took a look outside quickly, watching with dread as the enemy guns lined up. "Commander, we need orders!"
Suddenly, Shiho's eyes went wide. "All crews, brace for impact now!"
Before Ami could register what was happening, the Panzer III was rocked by the impact of a 75mm. The radio came alive with shouts and panicked cries, the American tanks pounding away from a distance. White flags sprouted like weeds across the Kuromorimine tanks, smoke pouring out from the defeated German armor, but even after the flags were up the American team kept firing long after it was clear their opponent was down..
Ami clutched her head, pulling her hand back in shock to see that there was a thin line of blood on her palm. "Is everyone alright?" A trio of groans answered her, Ami seeing her crew members shaken but otherwise unharmed. "Commander, are you alright?"
"Tank 7, report!" Shiho cried, shoving the hatch open. Taken aback, Ami opened her hatch and had to clap a hand over her mouth. Tank 7 was on fire, the turret nearly knocked off the ring and the barrel shot clean off. Shiho cried out again, her voice breaking. "Tank 7, come in! Someone answer me dammit!"
Feeling her eyes start to tear up, Ami looked back at the Americans to see their commander standing out of her Lee, her cold blue eyes boring into them even from a distance. Ami gritted her teeth, trying to bite back her anger as Shiho jumped from her tank and started running to tank 7.
The team watched Ami in stunned silence, no one dared speak or even move until Ami said anything. "The commander and gunner were burnt, and the loader suffered a concussion. Technically we weren't playing an official match, so no one was ever reprimanded."
"But we've never even heard of this," Erika whispered. "No one has ever said a thing about it, not even Ms. Nishizumi."
"The instructor has her own reasons for not bringing up the match," Ami said, trying to keep composure. It was obvious that even bringing up the memory was a pain that none of the girls could imagine. "Which is why I've been so hard on you."
"All evidence points to the American team sabotaging the fuel and batteries of the Kuromorimine team," Armstrong said, jumping in. "It was simply a matter of time before the enemy tanks failed and could be eliminated. Since the match wasn't official, nothing was off the table."
"But, that means your sister…" Momo glared at Armstrong. "So why? Was your younger sister anxious to outdo her older siblings?"
"Please, don't paint us all with the same brush," Armstrong said. "Katherine and I are nothing like Olivia. What matters is that Ami tells you why she's been so harsh."
Ami glared at Armstrong, but slumped her shoulders and leaned back against the wall. "The truth is that after that match, the instructor decided that our efforts would be better served by becoming more diligent, always being on guard and taking no chances or changes that could be exploited. I figured that the best way to keep you all safe was to do the same."
The girls just stared at Ami, some angrily, others with a sense of confusion. Rabbit team looked like they were about to start crying. "I won't apologize for what I did, there's no point in it." Ami stood straight and started moving for the door, putting on her cap as she did. "But I'll warn you to be on the lookout, the Americans will play dirty if they think it will give them an advantage." Nodding to Armstrong, Ami walked out, leaving the girls grasping for an answer.
"I suppose this would be where I try to defend her actions," Armstrong said sullenly. "But I can't. Tankery is supposed to be a sport, not a conflict. She should have treated you all like the girls you are, not recruits in training." Taking his own hat in hand, Armstrong went for the door as well. "I will apologize, for my sister's actions on that day."
"Mr. Armstrong!" Yukari shouted, standing up from everyone else. "You shouldn't apologize for your own sister just because you think we need an apology, right?"
Armstrong stopped at the door, shocked for a split second before giving Yukari a gentle smile. "No, you're all too old to accept that I suppose." Putting on his beret, Armstrong nodded. "I'll see you all later."
The girls watched as Armstrong left, turning their eyes on Yukari as the door closed. Yukari stood firm, staring at the door, trembling a little. "I can't believe it," she muttered. "I can't believe they think they can treat us like that."
"Yukari?" Miho said quietly, daring to reach out for her friend. "What's wrong?"
"We're the team that won the nationals last year!" Yukari said, grabbing Miho by the shoulders, shaking so hard and fast that Miho's head started to spin. "We're able to take care of ourselves, but they don't think we're up to it."
Miho's head rolled around for a second after Yukari let go, Yukari suddenly letting go. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Ms. Nishizumi!"
Shaking her head straight, Miho waved Yukari off. "It's okay Yukari. I think you helped me realize something." Standing, Miho looked at her team, nodding to them. "Everyone, I know the right answer to give the Americans."
"Wait, are you sure about that answer?" Kei said, jumping up. "Miho, we might not even last three matches against the Americans."
"I know, we'd probably stand the best chance by taking this way," Miho said, looking over to her sister. "But I don't think I could live with it, knowing that I wasn't able to give my team victory without taking an easy way out. I'd rather we all fight our hardest together rather than know that our victory wasn't earned. Right?"
"The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities," Darjeeling said. "Perhaps this might be the right course of action after all. The only way to know is to trust Miho's judgement."
Maho's eyes lit up, as everyone came to a realization, then a steely determination. Seeing the team nod as one, Miho smiled, then started to walk to the American room when she stopped. "Wait, where's Saori, and Hana, and Mako?"
The trio burst in seconds later, all three looking terrible. Hana was red-eyed and clearly trying to hold back more tears. Saori looked shaken, unable to even stand straight. Mako just hung limply between the two, barely conscious.
"What was that you were saying about being able to take care of ourselves?" Erika asked, Yukari flinching a little.
"What happened to you?" Miho asked, going over to help with Mako. "You all look like something terrible happened.
"It was awful, a terrible dream," Saori whispered. "I saw myself, walking in a wedding dress, but I was so old Miporin," Saori said, clinging to Miho as the commander tried to support Mako. "I kept crying out, I couldn't get married, I kept getting left at the altar."
"The roses outside my house had fallen to the ground when I woke up," Hana said, clearly on the verge of tears. "Mother and Shinzaboru said they'd try to fix it, but there's just no way, they're all dead."
"What about Mako?" Miho said, an edge of fear in her voice. "What happened to her?"
"This isn't anemia," Sodoko said, taking Maho off Miho's hands and laying her down on one of the chairs. Checking Mako's pulse, Sodoko nodded. "This is sleep deprivation, her body literally needs to shut down now or never."
"So it's safe to say none of this is coincidence," Katyusha said. "The Americans clearly have the greatest fear of Miho and her team."
"Which is why they're targeting her crew and not Miho," Maho said. "They know that they're the key to getting at Miho's resolve."
"We still need to practice," Momo said. "Nishizumi, I'll handle the practice, you make sure they're alright."
Miho nodded, the team streaming out the door in front of her. "Wait, Kawashima!" Stopping, Momo looked over to Miho. "Please, tell Cadet Armstrong that we won't need their offer. Okay?"
Momo nodded. "I'll take care of it immediately." Closing the door, Momo looked out over the assembled team. "Alright, everyone get to your tanks and be ready for practice! Radio operators, I want to hear each one of you communicating like experts!"
"She seems really excited," Yuzu said, watching as Momo followed the team to their tanks. "But do you think Miho made the right decision?"
"I want to say that she did, since the school doesn't have to worry about being shut down anymore," Anzu said, watching the team mount up. "But I honestly don't know after that first match."
"I said all teams!" The pair jumped at Momo's barking, realizing that they weren't above her when it came to tankery. "Get in that Hetzer, I want to see some progress on our radio work!"
"Looks like the Japanese aren't giving up," Hawks said, watching as the tanks pulled out of the Japanese hangars as Momo walked over. "I think it's safe to say they didn't take the offer after all."
"That's gutsy of them," Katherine said, taking a drink of water. "They wouldn't have expected us to hit them hard. Now we know the kind of team we're dealing with for sure." Smiling, Katherine walked over to meet Momo. "Hey there. So, what was the decision?"
Momo gave a slight bow to Katherine. "Commander Nishizumi decided, we respectfully decline your offer."
"You're still the vice commander?" Katherine asked suddenly. "She didn't appoint her sister instead?"
Momo didn't flinch. If anything, she gave a small, devilish grin. "Commander Nishizumi has a reason for every decision she makes. She's seen right through your tricks as well." Bowing again, Momo went for the Hetzer to mount up.
"Anglerfish team isn't there," Hawks said. Looking around, she saw Ohio State about to head out for a smoke. "Pavlovena, what happened last night?"
"Everything went to plan," Pavlovena said. "We didn't even need to kill the rose bushes, just clip the buds and she breaks down in tears. Their radio operator was about the same, we could hear her shouting that it was a dream and wasn't real. They won't be able to practice for at least two days."
"That gives us two days to see how they perform without Nishizumi at the helm," Katherine said, stroking her chin. "I want Texas to keep an eye on them, make sure they note everything."
"This is too dirty," Yukari said. "We never did anything to them, no one on our team deserves this."
Miho didn't say anything, she just held Saori and Hana close as Mako slept. "They know we're the best team, so they need to make sure we can't do what we need to. They won't try anything physical with the amount of media attention either, so they have to make us look bad." Miho nodded, and looked over to Yukari. "We need to have a sleep over."
Yukari looked up, then broke into a wide smile. "You mean it Ms. Nishizumi? We're really gonna have a sleep over?"
Miho nodded. "It needs to be at your house, I think yours is the only house left that they will go after, meaning you'll be next on their list."
Yukari was shaking with excitement at the thought, shaking Mako back and forth in the chair. "I can't believe it, Ms. Nishizumi, Ms. Takebe, everyone will be sleeping over my house!"
Miho couldn't hold back a smile at Yukari's excitement. It would be the easiest way to make sure they could all be together if something did happen, and if nothing else there was probably nothing the Americans could do to Yukari that would make her lose her cool. "Your parents won't mind will they?"
"Are you kidding? They'll be thrilled that you'll all be coming over, I should call them now!" Jumping up and skipping as she called her parents, Miho laughed awkwardly as Yukari told her parents the news.
"I will too get married," Saori mumbled, still shaking a little as she clung to Miho. "And I'll let them all come to the wedding, just to see it."
"The roses will bloom again, they just have to," Hana whimpered, clearly on the verge of crying again. "I can't stand not seeing them in bloom."
"I hope no one else is going through this," Miho thought, her smile shrinking. "If this is American tankery, I can't imagine how there are entire teams of it."
"What a practice," Carpaccio said, sliding down the side of the P40. "Is your press officer always this strict?"
"Yeah, she's a real stickler for doing things right during practice," Caesar said, walking over with some water. Both of them watched as Momo walked over to Rabbit team, the freshmen cowering more and more the closer she came. "I really don't understand her sometimes. She's always so angry, but she'll bend over backwards when the council president wants something done, no matter how degrading it is."
"Could the council president have some kind of blackmail perhaps?" Carpaccio said, graciously taking the water from Caesar. "A secret that Kawashima doesn't want the world to know?"
"No, you've got it all wrong!" Turning, the two saw Yuzu suddenly clap a hand over her mouth to try and keep from saying anything else. Realizing too late that she'd let herself slip, Yuzu looked around carefully before walking over. "I don't want the Americans to hear this, we need to talk in the tank."
Before Caesar or Carpaccio could object, the two were herded into the P40's turret, the three girls practically wedged into each other thanks to Yuzu's…personal space.
"You have it all wrong about Momo and Anzu," Yuzu said, satisfied that no one would be able to hear them. "Anzu would never blackmail Momo, and Momo doesn't have any horrible secrets that she would want to hide."
"Well you're the one who just dragged us in here," Caesar grumbled. "Are all turrets this cramped?"
"If that's true, why are you suddenly so anxious to explain it?" Carpaccio asked. "If it's something so important, go ahead and say it."
Taking a breath and nervously looking around again, Yuzu went on. "Momo and Anzu went to grade school like both of you, but they weren't friends at first. If they weren't bullying Momo for her glasses, they were bullying Anzu for being shorter than everyone else."
"So you're saying they bullied each other?" Carpaccio asked. "That's even worse!"
"No, it's different than that," Yuzu said, smiling now. "Apparently, one day Momo started telling off the people that were bullying Anzu, saying they were just too scared to take on anyone bigger than they were. Then, Anzu started cutting down anyone who bullied Momo by making them just look ridiculous in front of everyone else."
"So they both owe each other," Caesar said, crossing her arms. "So why does Kawashima let Kadotani treat her like a piece of furniture sometimes?"
"It helps both of them I think," Yuzu said, leaning back against the turret. "For Anzu, it helps her with any feelings she might still have about her height, by making her feel bigger than someone else. As for Momo, I guess it helps her learn to not get angry at everyone just because they need her to do something."
Carpaccio just scratched her head awkwardly. "Well, I guess it if works I shouldn't judge."
"Then what about you Koyama?" Caesar asked, pointing at Yuzu. "If you're telling us things the Americans can't have us knowing, what do you have to say about yourself?"
Yuzu looked down for a second, her smile fading as Carpaccio sent a hard elbow into Caesar's stomach. "I hit puberty pretty early, and I my parents had moved to Ōarai as I started to develop. All the other girls bullied me pretty badly, sometimes all I would do was cry my heart out after school." For a second, Caesar was worried that Yuzu was going to start crying in the turret, but she looked up with a wide smile instead. "Anzu and Momo were the only girls who didn't treat me like I was different in a bad way. They were the first friends I made in Ōarai, the best friends I've ever had." Looking at Caesar and Carpaccio, Yuzu grabbed their hands and looked desperately into both their eyes. "If the Americans knew about this, they could use it against us somehow, I know it. Please, swear you won't tell anything to anyone?"
"How could we tell anyone about a problem that doesn't even exist?" Carpaccio said, smiling back at Yuzu. "All I heard was that you three are the most loyal of friends, and that you're the best Hetzer crew in Japan."
Caesar nodded in agreement. "Like the triumvirate of Rome, your strengths balance each others weaknesses. There's a reason you three are the best to lead our school to greatness." Smiling, Caesar grabbed at the hatch. "Now get me out of this thing before I go crazy!"
"Wait, we don't know if anyone's out there," Carpaccio said, trying to stop Caesar from making a rash decision. "At least check to make sure before you burst out!"
"If this is how turrets are supposed to feel, I'll never be in a tank with a turret!" Shoving past Carpaccio, Caesar jumped out of the turret to take a great big breath of fresh air, smiling until she saw Cadet Kyoshi leaning against the back of the P40.
"I'd learn to check your surroundings," Kyoshi said, standing up to walk back to the American tanks. Stopping, she shot a wink back to Caesar. "But then sometimes I can be hard of hearing, so sometimes I don't hear things that I probably should."
"What does that mean?" Carpaccio said, looking up at Caesar as the Roma-phile watched Kyoshi walk back to the Yellow Rose.
"It means the Americans are strange," Caesar said, watching as the Americans set their own tanks away for the day. "But I think we're all alright."
"Then can I please get out of the turret now?" Yuzu asked.
