Chapter 25, this is one long story, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Funny thing is that writing is hard for me, I have the ideas it just isn't easy for me to put it on paper so I frequently have all kinds of errors on an essay or in this case a story. Hope it isn't a problem for ya'll out there.

Well without further ado, I don't own School Rumble, Bleach, or Full Metal Panic. Please review or maybe even tell a friend; thank you.

Chapter 25: Checking Out

"Cut off the head and the body will die."

Unknown (if you know please tell me)

0825 Hours; July 26th, 2010; ten blocks from the Korean People's Army HQ

"Where is 2nd platoon?!" shouted 1st Lt. Matsumoto to her second in command.

"They just radioed in ma'am, they got separated and lost. They just dropped off some prisoners and are headed our way now!" shouted her sergeant major over the zips of bullets flying over their heads.

"2-8! Relocate your MG to the left flank!" shouted Lt. Matsumoto at a soldier manning an M60 light machine gun. "2-6, get a rocket on that BMP!"

'Shit, I wish the buildings weren't so tall or we could get fire support,' thought Matsumoto as she dived to avoid a burst of 30mm fire from the BMP-2. She saw Echo 2-6 fire an AT4 at the BMP-2 and destroy it.

The buildings in the area were all at least 20 stories tall, many were taller which made it difficult for choppers and fighters to provide air support and nearly just as hard for howitzers or even mortars to bombard the streets.

"They're falling back!" shouted Echo 3-1.

Matsumoto could see he was right and saw a chance to gain ground. "Forward, now!"

1st platoon charged to a pile of rubble that the PKA had used as a barricade. Matsumoto found herself using a destroyed Mi-24 Hind for cover. 'If they're crazy enough to fly into these streets why don't we have pilots who do that?'

"Lieutenant! The Captain is on the line for ya'!" shouted a radioman handing her the receiver.

"This is Echo 1-1, come in Echo leader," she said.

"I need a SITREP," said Captain Hitsugaya.

"2nd platoon got separated from us, I don't know their status other than they're still alive. We're fighting for every block. I'm glad 2nd platoon is tacking the hotel because I don't think we'll have the strength for it," said Matsumoto.

"I see, good. 3rd platoon here is digging in and we just got hit by an enemy armor platoon support by choppers. Judging by the amount of soldiers they're throwing at us I don't think they have a lot of people defending the hotel."

"What do you mean Captain?" asked Matsumoto confused because she sure felt like they were fighting against a pretty difficult enemy.

"These guys look like they're reinforcements being sent to stop your advance. If you could see the amount of firepower they're trying to throwing your, you'd see they do not seem to have a lot of confidence in their defenses," said Captain Hitsugaya.

Matsumoto nodded, even though he couldn't see, "Okay then, we'll keep pushing and can you see about getting support."

"I already call in for armor and 28th Armor Battalion is sending a squad your way."

"Rodger that, arigato Captain, Echo 1-1 out."

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0940 Hour; July 26th, 2010; one block from the Kin Omizu Hotel, PKA HQ

"Gomen (sorry) about our being late ma'am," said Lt. Hashigawa as 2nd platoon arrived at last.

"I'm just glad that you're here," said Lt. Matsumoto, happy to see reinforcements. "We should stay by, one of Dagger Company's squads is on their way."

"What's their ETA?"

"1 minute."

Two Japanese Type 90 heavy tanks were barreling up the street crushing debris in the path. "This Dagger 3-3 and 3-4, just tell us where to go Lieutenant."

"There's a T-62 plus two T-54s in front of the Kin Omizu," said Matsumoto into a radio. "We'll try and keep the RPGs off you. Just keep us covered and carve a path for 2nd platoon."

"Copy that ma'am… stand by. Gunner, load a sabot and target that T-54 on the left… fire!" Matsumoto felt hear ears ring from the muzzle blast of the 120mm gun. A sabot streaked through the air, blasted apart, and propelled the real projectile at an incredible speed that punctured the tank's armor. The T-54 front was ripped open and the engine was blasted out of the rear from the explosion.

The tanks slowly crawled forward with 1st platoon using the tanks as cover while they advance. From the buildings above, the PKA soldiers were firing AK-47s, SKSs, RPKs, RPDs, PPSH-41s, RPG-7s, and any other weapon they could use on the Japanese. The tanks commanders were manning .50 caliber machine guns mounted on the hatch and returning fire while giving a stream of orders to the crews. Chunks of concrete, steel, glass, and even a few bodies rained down on them as the Type 90s fired shots into the buildings with their main guns.

A blast ripped through part of 2nd squad as a 100mm shell hit the position they were in. In response, the T-54 that opened fire on 2nd squad was shattered by a HEAT round from a Type 90. The T-62 seeing its allies destroyed began to withdraw, but was hit in the track by an AT4, leaving it disabled. On the turret of the T-62, the tank commander and gunner opened their respective hatches and raised their hands in the air; the driver popped his hatch open and joined his comrades in surrendering.

"Get a round on that door!" shouted Lt. Hashigawa as 2nd platoon advanced from the rear to the front of the hotel. Dagger 3-4 turned its turret to face the barricaded front entrance of the Gin Omizu and fired an HE round into the front entrance. Dust clouded the air and pieces of wood and metal flew though the air as the entrance was blown open.

"Throw grenades, then charge!" shouted Lt. Hashigawa. About half a dozen grenades were tossed into the hotel kicking up more dust in the explosions. "4th squad, breach! 5th squad you're next! 6th squad follow 5th!"

Guns blazing, 4th squad was pushing their way in. Asou doubled-over and walked in with his gun raised. He saw PKA soldiers on an elegant staircase that led to the upper floors; he fired a 3 round bursts at into them. Kitsumori ran in and mounted his FN Minini's bipod on a table with brochures stacked on them and fired at long bursts at the PKA soldiers as they darted around. Harima and Jupei joined Kitsumori and fired from behind a couch in the lobby. Kurosaki fired a continuous burst of automatic fired at the front desk while Abarai prepped a grenade and tossed it.

A silence descended on the lobby. "Clear!"

"Okay, 1st platoon will secure a perimeter. Let's clear this floor and then push upstairs," said Lt. Hashigawa.

5th squad ran towards the dining room's glass pane doors. Asou opened the door and walked in with Yamako, Ishida, and Kaoji right behind him; they immediately spread out along with the rest of 5th squad. The room was full of tables with white tablecloths, red napkins, and other things as though they were preparing for diner.

"Check the kitchen," said Asou.

Ikuro led her to the double doors of to the kitchen. She paused to listen at the door and signaled that someone was inside. She slowly opened one of the doors and Abarai and Kusosaki filed in behind her. A PKA soldier was looting some of the silverware, not realizing that three Japanese soldiers were right behind him.

"Jap bastards, they rape our women, destroy are homelands, and they eat and live well," grumbled the PKA soldier in Korean.

With Kurosaki and Abarai with their weapons trained on him, Ikuro decied to get his attention by picking up a soup pot and dropping it on the spotless tile floor. The soldier wheeled around upon hearing the noise and saw two Japanese soldiers with Type 89 assault rifles and one with an M4A1 carbine.

"Surrender," said Ikuro, or at least she hoped that was what she said since she didn't speak Korean.

The PKA soldier's AK-47 was lying on a cutting board just outside of his reached. Slowly he reached behind his back while Ikuro slowly, gently stepped forward with her gun raise.

"DIE!" screamed the soldier as he chucked a cutting knife he managed to grab behind his back. Ikuro shrieked in pain as the knife cut her arm. As the soldier dived for his gun Abarai and Kurosaki opened fire.

"Is he dead?" asked Abarai.

"I think the big pool of blood forming around him is kinda' a give away," said Kurosaki sarcastically as indeed a pool of blood formed, very clear against the white tile floor.

"Miyu-san, daijōbu (are you alright)?" asked Kurosaki. "Here, let me take a look."

She nodded and removed her hand from her arm. Kurosaki inspected the wound; he pulled out a bandage and wrapped it around her arm. "That will have to do for now, it's not deep so it'll be okay for a while, but I want to check it later to see if it gets infected."

"Sure, and arigato," said Ikuro.

A few minutes later the ground floor appeared to be secure. 4th squad, along with Lt. Hashigawa was leading the way up the main staircase while 5th went up the emergency stairs and 6th went up a secondary staircase.

All squads and squad members communicated via short range radios mounted on their ears, similar to a blue tooth, but required no phone and could only carry a single about a half mile.

"This is 5 squad, we're on the third floor. Proceeding to check and clear," said Asou as he gently opened the door.

"Clear," said Yamako as he gazed out the door with his rifle raised.

"Has someone cleared this floor?" asked Ishida he saw bullet holes and blood on the wall.

Kurosaki examined the blood and shook his head, "Iē, this is dry. It must have been here for maybe several hours"

"Are those 5.52mm rounds?" asked Kaoji.

"Looks like so however was here was on our side… or using a NATO weapon."

"Check that door," said Ikuro pointing to door marked 'Employees Only.'

"It's locked, hang on a sec'," said Abarai, he stepped back and kicked the door and than jumped back howling in pain.

"Uh… Abarai, some places like to reinforce doors so people can't kick 'em open. Especially government buildings and upscale businesses," said Ishida shaking his head and adjusting his glasses on his nose like he always did when he was explaining or lecturing people.

"It looks like someone broke it down once before," noted Harima seeing damage to the door frame and that it was recently repaired.

"This should work," said Shimazu releasing the safety Remington 870 and aiming it at the door. He fired one shot into the door jam and two where the door hinges were. The door slowly fell backwards into the room.

"Breaching, breaching!" shouted Ikuro as she led her assault team into a room full of security monitors. There were only a few KPA soldiers in the room and they were overpowered.

There was one soldier in a corner who was staring down the barrel of Harima's Type 87 assault rifle. The soldier slowly placed his PPSH-41 sub-machine gun on the ground and raised his arms slowly. Hanai pulled out a plastic cable zip tie (1), wrapped it around the soldier's wrists, and tightened them.

They left the restrained soldier for someone else to deal with and cleared the floor. They met little resistance as they cleared the third floor, than the sixth floor, the ninth floor, and every third floor.

"This is Echo 4-1, we're pinned down on the main staircase outside of the conference room, we've sighted PKA VIPs (very important person) (2), all squads make your way to the 27th floor," said Lt. Hashigawa.

"This is Echo 6-1, we're on the 26th floor, ETA 40 seconds."

"This is Echo 5-1, we're on the 24th floor, ETA 120 seconds," said Asou. They were on a hallway with a row of windows that faced the street.

"This is Echo 1-1," said Matsumoto from the outside, "all Echo call signs be advised, we have an incoming Mi-24 Hind, all units take cover."

"This is Dagger 3-3, releasing smoke screen."

Harima looked down onto the street from a window and saw the two Type 90s shooting smoke grenades from launchers mounted on the turret. He saw the smoke trail from the grenades as they hit the ground and smoke billow up effectively hiding them from the view of the chopper.

The Mi-24 Hind, pulled into view, Harima had seen them attack them before, but never this close. It was huge, much bigger than the choppers the Americans and the rest of NATO use (3). He could see it had six rocket pods, three on each side, and a four barrel .50 caliber gatling gun under the noise. He saw the gatling gun wheel to face the hotel and fire a burst.

"Shit! Take cover!" shouted someone over the radio.

"This is 4-1, the main staircase is in its line of fire! Someone shoot it down!"

Harima saw the chopper turn slowly to bring its rocket pods to face the hotel.

"Harima, shoot it with a rocket," said Asou.

"But it's a chopper, it'll just fly out of the way," protested Harima.

"It can't move quickly, if it does it could crash," said Asou.

Harima leaned his rifle against a wall and grabbed the strap of the AT4 that was slung over his back. He released the weapons safety and took aim. He fired a rocket, he jerked back from the recoil. The 84mm AT rocket smashed into the main fuselage. The Hind listed and began to spin.

"Look out!" screamed Abarai, the Hind's spin was about to bring the chopper's tail crashing into the floor windows of the hallway they were on.

Rolling, scattering, and diving, 5th squad managed to avoid the concrete and twisted metal that flew through the air upon impact of the chopper.

"Uh, guys… a little help here," said Harima. The chopper had taken out part of the outside wall and some of the floor; Harima was dangling by one hand. Hanai and Kitsumori both dived for his hand and pulled him back onto stable ground.

"Daijōbu, Kenji?" asked Hanai.

"Hai, but I lost my rifle," said Harima looked down the chuck of floor missing to the street below where his Type 87 was, though not likely in working condition after a 24 story drop.

"We need to get upstairs," said Asou.

"Hai."

They dashed the stairs; Harima in the absence of his rifle drew his Colt .45 out. Asou opened the door to the 27th floor and drew back as a burst of rifle fire hit the door. Asou stuck his rifle around the corner without exposing his head and emptied his clip.

'Fuck, there isn't anyway around, we can only go through this door,' thought Asou. "Kitsumori, cover fire, everyone else… mount bayonets."

The soldiers of 5th squad who had an M4A1 carbine or a Type 87 assault rifle, at least the ones without grenade launchers (4). Kitsumori fired continuously causing the PKA soldiers to scatter and seek cover. Asou, feeling very much like he'd lost his mind completely, charged down the hallway screaming at the top of his lungs. A PKA soldier leaned out from a doorway and Asou plowed into him and pinned him into the wall. He twisted the bayonet while the soldier screamed and shrieked in pain, blood poring out from his chest.

Asou withdrew with bayonet and continued down the hallway, now running off pure adrenalin. He and the others had sliced open at least 18 PKA soldiers. Looking down Asou saw that he had blood all over his uniform and hands.

"This is 4-1, we are almost at the conference room."

"This is 5-1, we are at a side entrance to conference room," said Asou seeing an employee's entrance to the room.

"Breach and take anyone you can, Echo 4-1 out."

"Okay, everyone line up along the wall, will breach and clear. Someone get a charge on that door," ordered Asou.

Shimazu pulled out a C2 charge, a stick with a thick cable loop around the top. He slid it on the doorknob and stuck a wire attached to a detonator. He jogged away from the door and waited for the signal.

Asou waved his hand violently towards the door and Shimazu pressed the button. There was a small blast and the area around the doorknob was blown off.

"Breaching!"

With an even greater feeling that he'd gone over the edge and descended into insanity, Asou led his squad. The conference room was a large room with a high ceiling to opened up to a huge glass skylight. There was a long, massive finely polished oak table with padded swivel chairs all around it. Along the walls columns stood sturdy to help support the ceiling. Asou gunned down two PKA soldiers. He kept running forward when something swing out from behind a column. He felt pain for a brief moment before blackness over took him.

Behind Asou, Harima saw a PKA officer smash Asou in the face with the stock of an unloaded AK-47. Harima watched in horror as Asou fell backwards, blood spraying from his nose which was clearly broken. Asou's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed on the carpeted floor. Harima raised his Colt .45 at the officer who was just realizing that Harima was there. The PKA officer's eyes widened in shock which changed to blackness when a slug hit him in the chest and a second in the neck from Harima's Colt .45. Harima took one step forward to see if his squad leader was still alive when a burst of rifle fire forced him to dive for the floor. He jumped up and fired 6 shots, the slide bolt locked in the open position and he ducked. Harima ejected the empty clip, loaded a fresh one, and proceeded to empty all 8 rounds on anything that looked like the enemy.

"Kenji, they're at least 100m (5) away! Get a rifle!" shouted Hanai.

On his belly, Harima crawled to the PKA officer he'd killed, grabbed the AK-47, slipped the utility belt off another soldier, pulled a fresh clip of Soviet 7.62x39mm M43 cartridges, and loaded the Kalashnikov. He pulled the bolt back and shoved it close, he could tell by the look and feel of the weapon that it was probably two or three times his age. He was surprised by the recoil which was larger than Type 87 or M4A1 he'd fired in training. He was a little disappointed by the AK-47, for all its fame it was not performing as well as the legendary gun claimed. It was still an adequate weapon that killed though.

"Cease fire!" shouted someone. "Room secure!"

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1038 Hours; July 26th, 2010; outside of the Gin Omizu Hotel

"That waz' quite a blow ya' took, Staff Sergeant Asou," said a medic who spoke with an Osakan accent. He was shining a small flashlight in Asou's eyes to check his eyesight.

"Sergeant Asou, I think this is yours," said Kurosaki handing him a small pearly object.

"Nani?" groaned Asou, he sounded like he was in pain.

"That woud' be a tooth. Don't worry much, da' Self-Defense Forces can give ya' a fake tooth an' that 'ill work jus' fine. Jus' go up to da' where we got the medical unit set up," said the medic. He left a packet that held two Tylenol pills in Asou's hand and walked off to examine other soldiers.

Asou ripped the packet open with his teeth, swallowed the pills, took his canteen off his belt, and drank down some water.

"At least you're not dead. You've been a good squad leader too us and we wouldn't know what to do," said Hanai.

"Glad you think so, cause I really have no idea what I'm doing," said Asou with a painful grimace. "I'm just making this shit up as I go."

"Where's Harima?" asked Asou noticing he wasn't around.

"What do I look like, his keeper?" asked Hanai with a frown.

"Aren't you?" asked Asou with a raised eyebrow, the rest of the squad stared at Hanai.

Hanai turned red and looked down saying, "Kenji's trying to see if the Americans have any spare guns around."

The American 132nd Armor Battalion and the Japanese 81st Heliborne/Armor Regiment was setting up a forward HQ. US and Japanese trucks had been driving around bring in equipment.

"Well, I'm going to get a fake tooth for my missing one. Hanai, fine Harima and make sure that he doesn't hurt the Americans if they don't give him a gun. Ikuro, have someone make sure that knife wound isn't infected. Shimazu… uh… just make sure nothing bad happens while I'm gone," said Asou as he went back inside the hotel.

Well, so ends the first part of the assault on Shinomoseki. Now for the tough part, the attack on the Chinese HQ. Prepare to start seeing a lot of the Germans since the Japanese will be coordinating their attack with them. I think the next chapter I might let 5th squad take a break from the fighting and rest. Their may be fictional, but they need a break too.

Thank you to Perrou, since you've left about 4 reviews I'm starting to feel like I have a fan.

Respectfully

J. H. Kamiya

Appendix

1. Plastic cable ties or something similar are often used by the military to restrain surrendering people. Handcuffs are often too big or bulky to carry around; where as plastic ties can easily fit inside of a pocket and are much lighter than handcuffs.

2. VIPs in the military can refer to any number of things. It can be government officials, military officers, terrorist leaders, major members of a group, spies, or some kind of target of value.

3. The Mi-24 Hind is the most common model attack helicopter in service. It is much larger than any attack chopper in service with NATO. The Hind was designed to carry a large payload of free-flight rocket pods, it can even carry bombs, or guided missiles. It mainly carries free-flight rockets and sprays their targets with a barrage of rockets. NATO choppers like the Mangusta, Tiger, Cobra, and Apache are smaller because they were designed to carry small numbers of guided missiles and destroy their enemies with minimal amounts of ammo.

4. Sub-machine guns, light machine guns, and sniper rifles do not have the mount for a bayonet; shotguns have occasionally had bayonet mounts like the Winchester 1897 12-Gauge Trench Gun. Rifles with grenade launchers usually have bayonet mounts, but since the bayonet is mounted under the rifle where the grenade launcher is, it is just common sense that the bayonet would be in the way of the grenade launcher (literally). Many people question the practicality of bayonets since they are rarely used in modern warfare; as a result some generals think that bayonet mounts will no longer be included on US guns anymore, but no decision has been made.

5. Most handguns only have an effective range of about 50 yards (45 meters; not exact). 100 yards or roughly 150 meters is the effective range of a machine pistol (sub-machine gun). A carbine normally has twice that effective range, roughly 200 yards or 300 meters. Assault rifles normally have the effective range of 600 yards or 550 meters. Lighter sniper rifles like the Remington 700 (USMC's M40 series or the US Army's M24 series) have an effective range of about 1,100 yards or 1,000 meters. Heavier sniper rifles like the M82A1A of 1,800 meters or 2,200 yards.