X
It was a busy day the next morning on as Maho waited patiently by an empty lot looking out to the coast with RELATIVE peace.
"Your ride should've been here by now," Daulton exclaimed in boredom behind her.
"It's just three minuets away from the estimated time," Maho reminded.
"I would've gotten here like an hour ago," Daulton told Maho much to her annoyance.
But in no time Kuromorimine's Fa-223 could be seen flying over the horizon becoming larger as it approached, the wind starting to kick up due to the aircraft's double propellers as it gently landed on solid ground. The door open, the steps extended out to the ground, and Maho's second in command, Erika, was the first to greet her superior.
"Commander!" Erika saluted.
"Good to see you Er-"
"Can we get this flying circus going," Dulton interrupted so rudely.
"Hey! don't you just go interrupting the chain of command!" Erika got defensive.
"Who's the loser?" Daulton asked never being introduced to Erika before.
Flushed and furious Erika never felt so insulted before to a point that she really wanted to assault the young man, but Maho remained ever unmoved.
"This is my Vice-Commander, Erika Itsumi," she introduced brushing off the name calling Daulton thrown around to Erika's gasping surprise, "Erika, you already know who Mr. Daulton is."
"Yes, Ma'am, I unfortunately have," Erika remarked almost grinding her own teeth.
"Glad to be inconvenience," Daulton quipped to make Erika more frustrated.
"Let's just return to the carrier," Maho tried to to be the mature one as always.
"What! you mean... with him?" Erika pointed to the only boy around.
"Mr. Daulton will be accompanying us," Maho confirmed.
To Erika's dismay Daulton followed Maho onto the Fa-223 however as the aircraft got back into right when it turned to course where the carrier was an issue arose.
"Let me fly," Daulton assertively suggested trying to take control of the stick causing the chopper to bounce around in the air.
"HEY! STOP THAT I'M THE DESIGNATED PILOT!"
"I HAVE WAY MORE EXPERIENCE THAN YOU!"
"MR. DAULTON! PLEASE GET BACK IN YOUR SEAT!"
"I'M TRYING BUT NUMB-SKULL HERE WON'T GIVE IT UP!"
"I MEANT THE PASSANGER'S SEAT NOT THE PILOT'S!"
"GET AWAY FROM THE CONTROLS!"
"MAKE ME!"
*BONK!*
"OOOWE!"
\X/
Landing to port the Saunders' carrier has dropped anchor with residence loading off to retrain their feet for solid land, but in hangers George had no plans to relax instead was test firing both gun and engine. Hearing the satisfying sound of the bolt slamming inside an empty chamber and the purring of the engine rumbling within, everyone else has gone to relax before tomorrows match.
Laying under the tank George inspected each wheel with nothing more than a flashlight, but while careful inspection George suddenly heard foot steps echoing within the hanger, looking between the treads George thought he saw a pair of legs running between the Shermans.
"Anyone there?" George called out, but there was no reply.
And so he returned to work, however the clacking of dress shoes crept back this time spotting the polish shoes coming closer before disappearing.
"Alright wise guy if you think you can-"
"Hey George."
"WHAT TH- !"
*BANG!*
"Owe... !" George moaned as he held his head.
While trying to warn whoever was there Alisa rolled up besides George laying on top one of the mechanic creepers, but wasn't intending to scare George which caused him to jolt up, and slammed his head to the bottom of the tank.
"What the hell!" George exclaimed.
"I'm so sorry, George! I didn't mean to scare you," Alisa apologised with the two still remaining under the tank.
"I'm alright, I'm alright," he reassured, "Why you gone and go give me a head ache?"
"Oh I thought I try to be playful," Alisa explained, "What are doing in the hanger all by yourself?"
"I thought I get some work done."
Inspecting the rest of the bottom of the M8 the only thing Alisa can note how quiet and lonesome it was to be in the hanger while all the others went out to relax.
"I think you've done enough for at least week," Alisa commented rolling out, "C'mon, just you and me. Please... "
In all honesty George didn't feel like leaving, but hearing Alisa plead with him to come was almost like hearing kitten cry out for attention so he gave in.
\Later On/
Back on firm grounds George accompanied Alisa to town as the walked side-by-side, this time Alisa wore to more of her liking, a white dress shirt and black skirt long enough to reach her knee, with a blue vest, and finally wearing a dark beanie with ears and tassels, her pigtails still sticking out.
It must've been a lucky beanie because Geore can tell that Alisa's confidence is much higher than all the times he spent with her, at time when spotted a shop or a stand Alisa will grab his hand, and start dragging George all over town. Rushing into stores, taking in the sights, and having a snack break hear and there it was almost hard to keep up.
"You're full of energy today," George noted.
"I'm just happy for such a beautiful day," Alisa figured, "I really needed it, especially what happened yesterday."
"Yeah... you'd deserved better," George put it hesitantly.
"Honestly after seeing what happened I don't know what I saw in him before," Alisa explained, "Whatever dreamy thoughts I had of him, you shattered it... I can't thank you enough."
Alisa had a certain glow to her all of sudden now, she smiled to George with a face that made him feel completely warm however some reason he felt more conflicted than joyed, but it will have come at another time.
"So this is the male tanker of Saunders," Erika's voice could heard coming down the street.
Killing the moment between Alisa and George the two spotted two of Kuromorimine's highest ranking students and tankers, Erika and Maho.
"George Stuart, it's a pleasure to meet you a day before the match," Maho greeted so plainly in hopes to start a civil conversation.
"I... wish I could say the same, who are you?" He asked confused of the two's sudden appearance.
"Erika Itsumi and Maho Nishizumi, heiress of the Nishizumi family, and highest ranking commander of the Kuromorimine tankery team."
Glancing behind once again Alisa and George are caught off guard by a sudden appearance, this time being Kay and Naomi.
"I see you two are already scouting out the competition," Kay remarked coming up along George's side.
"He's not much to look at," Erika insulted.
"Hey! read between the lines missy," George instructed her as he held up three fingers.
"You dare throw insults!" Erika got offended.
"You're the one who started it!" Naomi fired back.
"Enough," Maho ordered with Erika about to plead until seeing her commander's cold stare, "There's no need of further dispute since it will be tomorrow."
"Good to hear, see you two there," Kay gave a thumbs up as Erika and Maho turned to leave.
"Hey missy!" George call out just before she left, "Best not pop your head out from your turret because I'm gonna be aiming right between your eyes."
Erika scoffed at George's threat turning back in the opposite direction.
"You can have your turn now," she said aloud to the others' puzzlement.
Folding up a newspaper and rising up from a public bench Kay, Naomi, and Alisa were surprised to see Daulton was actually nearby.
"Peter?" George recognized admittingly he has seen Daulton in years, "Man I haven't seen you in ages."
"Good to see you haven't change since your time in the semi big house," Daulton remarked, his hands held behind his back.
"Daulton! what a pleasant surprise," Kay and girls said.
"Yeah what brings you here?" Alisa asked.
"Well I'm just here to get some things straight between all of us," Daulton told them.
"Oh! then what do you have to say?" Naomi added.
"You girls know I was the one who did all the paperwork to have George released, have him vetted, and flew him out here right?"
"Wait, you were the one who sprung me out?" George spoke in surprise.
"You didn't tell him?" Daulton asked in bewilderment, Kay and the other shrugged and scratched their heads now realizing they forgotten to fill in that detail for George, but Daulton waved it off, "You know what, forget it, because I'm just letting you all know that I'm now responsible for George now."
"So what, you're like my legal guardian?" George said while trying to hold back a chuckle.
"Yeah it's kinda funny isn't it?" George laughed and soon all the other joined in assuming it was just harmless humor, "Oh hey, how's your brother?" all of a sudden George was now the only smiling as the girls froze in dread.
Out of nowhere right when everyone had their guard down Daulton drove his fist right into George's gut, the Kay and the rest barely had time to react in shock as George was clenching his stomach, bending himself down for Daulton give him a vicious right knee to the girls stepped back as George was sent knocking over to the ground, instinctively they wanted to help George up, but Daulton was already standing over him with his hand clutched around George's neck.
"Stay over there!" Daulton told them to back off, his fingers wrapping around tighter as he went on to explain, "Listen here and listen closely, smartass, I'm in deep shit after that match you had before now I can't see my girlfriend, I can't go home until semi finals," he said with venom soaking every word to a dazed George with blood beginning to seep from his nose, "You hear me!" it took a moment, but George manage to give Daulton a weak nod while he held onto his wrist hold his neck.
Everything was just an incoherent mess to George, his sight was blurred, he was struggling to keep the words coming out Daulton's mouth clear to understand, he doesn't remember Daulton hitting this hard before. Light was beginning to fade, George was on the verge of losing consciousness, but the words kept on flowing into his mind despite the fact Daulton already released him, and left him battered on the cold hard pavement.
"YOU REALLY THINK YOU'RE ANY GOOD"
"I'll do better next time... I promise," George uttered so quietly it might as well be murmurs.
"George just lay there don't try to move, ok?" Naomi tried to talk to him holding a rag up to his bleeding nose.
"WHY DON'T YOU JUST GIVE UP"
"You two stay here with him, I'll go get help," Kay ordered as she ran off.
"NO ONE EVER WANTED YOU ANYWAY"
"George can you hear us?" Alisa asked in growing concern.
"YOU'RE NOTHING MORE THAN A MISTAKE"
Those words... how they echoed forever in the back of his mind.
"I'll do better next time... " he repeated to himself without end.
