Chapter 11: Reopening the Wounds
The end of the parade unleashed the festivities upon the city or Oarai. Vender stalls were set up in every park and public area with games, food, and souvenirs for sale. The Sensha-do team changed back into their regular uniforms the moment they returned to the prep lot. Going back to her normal uniform; however, did not help Saori or her bright red face of embarrassment.
Everybody, but Leopard and Anglerfish Team rushed out of the prep lot to partake in the festivities, leaving them behind with Nixe II. "Was defiling our active tanks not enough?!" Yukari cried, "please tell me you plan on removing these stickers, Ross."
Ross walked up to the tank. To answer Yukari, he pulled off the largest sticker that was blocking the Schwarzwalder school logo. "Yeah, I think we'll keep Nixe II's original design." He tossed the sticker in a nearby trash can. "That reminds me, we should have everyone restore some form of camouflage paint back to their tanks instead of keeping the current paint jobs," he suggested.
Miho joined him by the A7V and began peeling off the stickers. "That's probably for the best. For an exhibition match, it's not very important, but when Nationals start I bet the student council wants us to be as professional as possible," she said.
"I suppose, but can't we still have some fun with it? It's not like anything terrible is going to happen if we lose. I don't know what the council's deal is," Saori said.
"They probably just don't want to make a fool out of themselves since it's the first time Oarai has done Sensha-do in about 20 years," Hana proposed while joining the sticker peeling.
"I wonder what tanks Oarai had back then…" Yukari wondered.
"Didn't Anzu say something about how Oarai specialized in rare or prototype vehicles? How far do you think that goes? Do you think we'll find replicas of paper designs?" Miho asked.
Ross shrugged while throwing away the last of the stickers. "That would be cool. There are no rules prohibiting them. I mean the Type 100 is partially a paper design since only the hulls were made and no turrets attached."
"I wonder what we'll find next. What if it's something super-rare and we get featured! Maybe we'll even appear on national TV…" Saori said dreamily.
Miho giggled cheerfully. "I suppose that would be something pretty special."
"C'mon guys, I'm bored and hungry! Let's go somewhere to eat!" Jody complained.
Ross rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine, do you guys have any ideas?" he asked. "I also have to pick up Natalie so we'll have to meet up with Yukari's parents there."
"Oh, I know a place! There's a new tank cafe and I heard that the food is really good and that they have a lot of tank-themed items!" Yukari eagerly suggested.
"I guess it can't hurt to try something new. I've never heard of a place like that in Oarai," Saori replied.
"It sounds like fun!" Hana said.
"I call shotgun!" Jody shouted while jumping to the side hatch of Nixe II.
"Oh no, you don't!" Ross exclaimed while throwing open the hatch, obstructing Jody's path. "C'mon Miho, you take the commander's position, I'll drive!"
"Eh?! What?" Miho stuttered before Ross grabbed her arm and pulled her into the A7V.
"No way am I gonna let her drive and I don't wanna drive with her next to me," Ross answered while climbing up onto the driver's platform. "C'mon," he said while reaching down to pull Miho up.
"Thank you," Miho said while Ross pulled her up onto the platform. The compartment wasn't terribly cramped, but it was fairly barren, only having two seats. One for the driver which had steering levers in front of it and the next with a little bit of elevation to see out of the tank through some vision slits.
Ross took the driver's chair while Miho sat in the commander's seat. "Wow, so this is what an A7V is like…" Miho muttered with wonder.
"She's a true beauty, a marvel of German engineering. She may not be as impressive as some of the other tanks in Sensha-do, but she's a tough old girl," Ross said. Clanking sounds made their way into the tank as people began climbing aboard.
"Ross you jerk! I'll get back at you for that stunt!" Jody fumed while stomping against the steel floor.
"Tell it to the judge! You had your fun with Nixe II when you drove her to the Sensha-do garage," Ross countered smugly.
Jody stuck out her tongue and marched to the front of the tank. "Fine I'll take the main gunner's position," she scowled.
"You will not fire that cannon!" Ross demanded, "Seriously, we'll get in big trouble."
Jody stuck her tongue out at Ross. "Okay, dad!" she said mockingly.
"You're technically not wrong," Ross pointed out, "The best kind of not wrong."
Everyone had a good laugh at Jody's expense, who responded by throwing an empty shell casing against the platform which filled the tank with the beautiful sound of crashing metal. "Let's go, I'm hungry," she pouted.
"Alrighty then, Yukari, where is this tank cafe?" Ross asked.
000
The Leclerc Tank Cafe lived up to its name. The sign at the front featured a depiction of the Leclerc main battle tank, while sandbags lined the walls of the entrance. Beside the front door were two large models of the French Leclerc main battle tank. Yoshiko and Jungoro were already waiting at the front when Nixe II parked upfront. "Well that's something you don't see every day," Yoshiko said as everyone climbed out of the tank.
"Thank you for watching Natalie during the match. I really appreciate it," Ross thanked while taking Natalie and his diaper bag from Yoshiko. The little girl gladly grabbed onto Ross and leaned against him affectionately. "Aw, I missed you too sweetie," Ross cooed.
"It's no problem, she was well-behaved during the match. She didn't fuss or anything. You must be setting a good example for her," Jungoro praised.
"Thank you. Sorry, we didn't win the match," Ross replied.
Yoshiko shook her head. "Don't worry about it, you guys did wonderfully. You did knock out all but one of their tanks after all."
"Thank you!" everybody exclaimed with a bow.
"Well, we have to head back home now. Don't stay out too late!" Yoshiko said.
Everyone nodded as Yukari's parents entered their car and drove away. "C'mon let's go!" Jody urged and practically barged into the cafe. Inside, the cafe was themed after a military barracks with a hint of Japanese cafe style. The majority of the tables were plain, unpolished wood with matching benches with a few higher wood tables with stools scattered around the brick pillars complimenting them.
"Wooden benches? Isn't there something… I don't know, more comfortable?" Saori wondered.
Jody rushed over to a long empty table. "I don't care! I'm hungry and need food now!" she exclaimed while quickly snatching up a menu from the table. Everyone else took their seats.
Tandy and Chloe sat across from each other. Tandy pulled out a deck of playing cards, causing Miho to look over with interest. "What are those?" she asked.
Tandy looked up from shuffling his deck. "Playing cards," he simply responded while dealing out a game of five-card poker to himself and Chloe.
"Don't you have these here?" Chloe asked.
"Oh, they look like Hanafuda cards!" Hana added.
"Hanafuda?" Tandy asked. "All I know is the simple 52-card deck."
"Hanafuda is a type of playing cards that are native to Japan," Hana answered, "They have beautiful designs of flowers on them, at least the ones I collect all do."
Tandy nodded. "Ah, so you collect cards. My family made cards for generations at the reservation before my parents moved further west," he said.
"Reservation?" Saori asked.
"I'm a Dakota Native American, my family's tribe resides in Montana at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. My parents moved to Oregon a few years ago for work and we ended up in Schwarzadler," he explained.
Jody interrupted by nearly eagerly pushing the buzzer shaped like a Fiat 2000 that made a firing sound. "That sound's from the Type 90's main gun!" Yukari eagerly recognized.
Hana giggled. "I expected nothing less from a tank cafe."
"Wait a minute, we're not ready!" Chloe and Tandy objected while grabbing menus.
"It's your fault for playing cards," Jody huffed.
Ross just shook his head while putting his menu down. "I'm sure you'll find something quick. There's some pretty good stuff on the menu," he said. In his arms, Natalie started squirming and lightly cried while moving her fists to her mouth. "I guess it's time for you to eat as well," Ross noted while pulling his diaper bag onto the table.
A waiter wearing a tank uniform-inspired outfit approached their tables. "May I take your order?" she asked pleasantly. Hana gave her Anglerfish Team's orders while Leopard Team gave their orders individually. "Could I also get some warm water as soon as possible? Not too hot, but warm enough for formula?" Ross asked.
"Of course, will that be all?" the waiter replied.
"Yes, thank you," Ross said.
"You're welcome, your order will be out soon." The waiter saluted and marched off as if she were a soldier in a parade.
Ross nodded and looked down at Natalie. She was still fussy so he gently rocked her back and forth.
On the other side of the table, Miho and Hana looked at the scene with two different moods.
Hana took a few deep breaths and steeled herself. Everything's fine, it's a normal thing for babies to cry. There is no need to be squeamish… but please don't cry any louder, please, she thought to herself.
Aww, how cute, Miho thought.
However, everybody else turned to Ross when he began to softly sing, "Oh give me home where the buffalo roam. Where the deer and the antelope play. Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the sky is not cloudy all day."
The members of Leopard Team's eyes widened. "He… he hasn't sung that song in…" Jody whispered. Alex jabbed her with her elbow, causing Jody to pause and resume listening.
Ross's singing caused Natalie to pause and look up. Their eyes met and Ross smiled warmly. "Oh give me a land where the bright diamond sand throws its light from the glittering stream. Where gliding along, the graceful white swan, like a maid in her heavenly dream."
Anglerfish Team looked on in awe. "He sings so good," Miho whispered.
Ross didn't pause or look up. He just sang his song to his little girl. "I love the wildflowers in this bright land of ours. I love the wild curlew's shrill scream. The bluffs and white rocks and the antelope flocks that graze on the mountain so green. Where the air is so pure and the breeze is so fine. The zephyrs so balmy and light. I would not exchange my home here to range, forever in azures so bright," he finished. Natalie had stopped squirming and leaned into Ross while sucking her thumb. He gently held her close. "Don't worry sweetie. I'll always be here for you," he cooed. When he looked up, he met the stares of the rest of Leopard Team and Anglerfish Team. "What's up, guys?" he asked.
"You've… you haven't sung that song well… since…" Jody mumbled, "You should sing it more. It was a nice song."
"That was beautiful Ross," Miho complimented.
Ross blushed and turned away. "Oh um, thank you," he said.
"What's the name of that song?" Miho asked.
"Home on the Range, it's an old folk song about the American West," Ross answered, "It's my favorite song."
The sound of electric motors interrupted him. From a conveyor belt lining the front wall of the cafe, two M26 Tank Transporter models drove onto their table with plates of cakes on their trailers. One stopped at Anglerfish Team's part of the table while another stopped at Leopard Team's part of the table. "Oh wow, they brought our order on a pair of Dragon Wagons!" Yukari exclaimed while grabbing her cake from the trailer.
Ross picked up the bottle of warm water he asked for. He took out a baby bottle from his bag and poured a packet of formula into it before adding the water. He tightened the lid onto the bottle before giving it a few good shakes to mix the formula. "That should do," he said before giving the bottle to Natalie, who eagerly grabbed it and started drinking. Ross smiled and grabbed his own cake awkwardly with his free arm.
"So how did you take out the Crusaders Leopard Team?" Miho asked.
"With some pretty incredible driving, if I do say so myself," Tandy boasted.
Jody rolled her eyes. "Last time I checked, it was my gun that knocked them both out," she replied.
"We turned the turret around in an intersection which knocked down a traffic light. That put some distance between us and the Crusaders, just enough to dive onto a side street and stop. Then we knocked out the first Crusader when it followed us in and Alex was able to load another shell before the next one followed," Ross described.
"Oh wow, Alex, how'd you reload the gun so fast?" Yukari asked.
Alex shrugged. "You just do it," she answered vaguely.
"That's it?" Yukari asked.
Alex silently nodded before eating another piece of her cake. "I think it's just a mix of practice and good teamwork," Ross said. Natalie seemed to agree as she finished her bottle by shakily tossing her bottle onto the table and babbling loudly. Some of the formula split out and splashed onto Ross's shirt. Ross sighed but held back a chuckle and grabbed a few napkins to dab away the formula. "Someone's energetic," he commented while wiping off Natalie's face. She babbled with indignation while swatting at his hands while he wiped her face. "All better?" Ross asked while crumpling up the napkin and putting it aside.
Their antics and the table's idle chatter were interrupted by another person speaking up. "Vice-captain?" a girl with light blonde hair wearing a dark gray uniform and black skirt said as she approached, "Or would that be former vice-captain?"
Another girl approached beside the blonde girl. She looked almost identical to Miho, except her hair and eyes were a darker shade of brown. "I didn't expect to see you do Sensha-do again… especially not with your present company," she addressed.
Tandy and Chloe stopped their card game while everyone else stopped their conversations to turn to the two girls. "Sister…" Miho weakly said.
So these are the girls from Kuromormine and I'm guessing the one that looks like Miho is her sister, Ross thought to himself. "What do you mean by present company?" he asked tensely.
"I never expected to see Miho running around with gamblers and boys who can't control themselves," the blonde girl jeered, "although, after last year, I shouldn't be surprised that she let people like you on the Oarai Sensha-do team. She never had any respect for tradition and certainly lacks the spine to tell you foreigners off."
Ross's eyes narrowed, but he turned away and he clenched his free hand into a fist. The girl from Kuromormine didn't give him any respite. She decided she'd like to make Ross her current target. "What a cute little girl," she said mockingly, "I've heard you're her father, who's the poor girl that gets to be a teen mom because you couldn't keep your hands to yourself?" she taunted. She turned to Chloe. "Is it perhaps blondie?" she jeered before turning to Jody, "perhaps it's the feisty redhead here." Finally, she turned to Alex. "Or maybe you're into the silent type. Although… that would certainly be a concerning implication," she provoked.
"No… s-she ran," Ross whispered, his voice seething with anger, but he remained staring at the floor.
"Sorry, I couldn't hear you," the blonde girl said mockingly.
"She fucking ran! She left and I don't know where she fucking went!" Ross shouted. Tears filled his eyes as he stood up. "And unless you know where she is then why don't you fuck off!" he screamed, his face bright red from anger.
The blonde girl and Miho's sister stepped back with surprise. The cafe went silent as everyone stopped and stared at Ross as he angrily stared down the blonde girl. The silence was tense and felt unending. Everyone at the table sat with shock and alarm.
Until a shrill cry shattered the silence. In Ross's arms, Natalie cried and squirmed. She kicked her legs in the air and swatted at Ross's chest as if she were trying to push him away. Ross's anger vanished at his daughter's cries and he turned to his daughter with a crippling realization.
I-I scared her… she's crying because of me, he thought with guilt. Ross's tears broke out of his eyes as he began to break down. He left the table and rushed out the door in tears while also trying to calm Natalie down.
Miho stood up from her seat and slammed her hands against the table angrily. "What is wrong with you Erika! Why are you trying to antagonize my friends!" she demanded.
Erika scowled and looked away arrogantly. "You're the 'captain' who's stomping over Sensha-do! You're letting male foreigners into our sport after you already neglected your duties and failed to uphold the Nishizumi style. If anyone's the antagonist, it's you!" she accused.
Everyone gaped at Erika as she dared Miho to respond. Miho didn't respond and shrank away from Erika's glare. Yukari, on the other hand, stood up. "If I may say something, I think Miho did the right thing during last year's nationals!" Yukari declared.
"Our friends have every right to participate just as much as we do!" Hana followed, standing up herself.
"What's the problem with letting boys into Sensha-do anyway? We aren't hurting anyone," Tandy fumed.
Erika narrowed her eyes at Tandy, who glared back. "You boys pollute our traditions. You have no concern for the grace, power, and tradition of Sensha-do. All you want is violence and destruction, just like in 1989!" Erika accused.
"That's enough Erika," Miho's sister interrupted, "let's go."
Erika turned to her captain with a frown but ultimately relented. "Yes, Captain Nishizumi." The two girls began walking away, but a light tap on her shoulder caused her to stop. She turned to investigate and saw another girl.
She wore a black tunic with matching black pants adorned with golden buttons. Her hair matched her blazing brown eyes which stared at Erika with seething hatred. In her right hand was a rolled-up newspaper. "Can I help you, Grandma?" Erika spat, "Who even still reads newspapers?"
"This newspaper isn't for reading," the girl spat back.
"Then what are you going to do, wack me with it like some cranky old lady?"
"Let's just say I learned a few things from a guy who was friends with Lee Petty," the girl replied. She swung the paper at Erika from the right. Erika held up her hand to block the swing. However, when it hit her hand, it didn't bend like regular paper. Instead, it hit hard and unyielding until it pushed past Erika's hand and impacted the side of her head with a noise that betrayed its paper appearance, sounding more like metal striking bone.
Erika stumbled back and held the side of her head while Miho's sister stepped between her and her attacker. "Just who do you think you are!" Erika spat while holding the side of her head. "What the hell is up with that paper!?"
"Who the hell do you think you are insulting my friend's friends!" the girl shouted. She unwrapped the paper, revealing instead a silver torque wrench. The Kuromormine girls stepped back. "Why don't you get out of my sight before I show you what this 'old lady' can really do!" the girl shouted while angrily waving her wrench.
"Let's go, Erika. We have no more business here," Miho's sister ordered.
"Just so you know, there's an unspoken rule in the Nationals. Any school that will only damage the name of Sensha-do should just stay out of the tournament," Erika jeered.
"It would be a real shame if one of those schools beat the veterans who were too busy sitting around in their ivory towers coming up with those rules," Mako responded.
Erika growled but followed her captain out of the cafe. Everyone around the table sat back down awkwardly while the mysterious girl approached them, except for Miho who looked like she could start crying at any moment. "I-I'm going to follow R-Ross," she stuttered before rushing out of the cafe herself.
The remaining members of Leopard and Anglerfish Team sat in stunned silence. Chloe and Tandy stared down at the hands of cards they had dealt before the food and interruption arrived, but didn't act on them. Jody glared at her lap angrily while Alex held her shoulder to comfort her. Mako and Hana resumed eating slowly while Saori and Yukari just sat wondering what to do. "Those girls were from Kuromormine, weren't they?" Yukari said quietly.
"Clearly, Miho called one of them her sister," Mako replied.
"Well, I suppose this isn't what I expected for a reunion with my friends and meeting their new friends, but it'll have to do," she sighed and sat down next to Jody.
"Hey Victoria…" Jody muttered.
"Victoria? How do you know her?" Hana asked, trying to regain a sense of normality.
"I guess now is as good of a time as any. I'm Victoria Valentine. Have you met William? I'm his sister, younger by two years and if I find him I'm gonna turn him into swiss cheese for not inviting me to join you guys!" Victoria introduced boisterously.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Victoria," Hana said nervously.
000
Outside the cafe, Miho looked left and right for Ross but found nothing to indicate where he might've gone. On the positive side, Erika and her sister were nowhere to be found either. In front of her was Nixe II, which she approached. "I-I guess this will be the first place to look," she stuttered. She opened the side hatch slowly and climbed in. There was no noise in the tank. She looked up to the driver's platform where she found him.
Ross sat in the driver's chair weakly rocking Natalie back and forth. His eyes were bright red and his uniform, once a clean, pristine white, was damp with tears. Miho closed the hatch slowly so she didn't alert him. He didn't even look up at the slight clunking the hatch produced when it shut. "Ross… may I come up there?" Miho asked nervously.
He responded with a silent nod. Miho climbed up shakily and slowly before sitting next to him on the steel floor. She looked over at Natalie, whose face was just as red as her father's but her eyes were closed. She was sleeping peacefully.
"It's my fault…" Ross whispered.
"Ross… I-I'm sorry about Erika," Miho apologized.
"Why are you sorry? It's my fault things are like this. I made her cry. I'm the reason she left. I'm the reason things are-"
"Ross… please stop," Miho begged, "what Erika said was uncalled for."
"And? I still shouted… I still made her cry…" he replied solemnly.
"And she forgives you. Natalie forgives you," Miho comforted, "you've never wanted to hurt her. You were just defending her, right?"
Ross stopped and sniffled. He rubbed his eyes with his free arm and turned to Miho. "I-I let my anger get to me. It's still my fault."
"Not everything is your fault, Ross…" Miho said.
"Then why did she disappear?" Ross asked.
"I-I who disappeared?" Miho asked.
Ross turned away and looked emptily outside the vision slits. "Right, I haven't told anyone here yet. A-about her mom," he said.
Miho took a deep breath and steeled herself. "W-who is her mom Ross?" she asked.
Ross continued staring out the vision slit without a word. Miho waited patiently for a few moments before she opened her mouth to apologize for asking. "Her name is… her name is Lisette," Ross answered sadly. "She was the most beautiful girl I had ever met. We met at a party and… alcohol was involved. One thing led to another and…"
Miho held back a gasp. A party? Alcohol? That doesn't sound like Ross at all, she thought. "Was that the night that…" Miho asked.
Ross nodded. "I don't remember anything but waking up with a headache and a girl in my arms. We had never met before then, and I didn't remember the party at all. I still don't remember much about that night," he said. He dryly chuckled. "But after that night, everything changed. No more alcohol, partying, smoking, and jumping from girl to girl as if they were nothing but toys. None of that crap," he explained, holding himself together.
"You… did that sort of stuff?" Miho asked.
"Yeah, you know how I told you the story about baseball and how I started tankery? That was pretty much it for me as a kid. I only had William and Joseph as friends. I-I had nothing but them. I suffered from horrible anxiety and became complacent. Then… they started hanging out with other people and I was afraid I'd be alone," Ross said.
Miho understood. Her sister was also her only friend as a young girl, at least before her last year in elementary school.
"I tried to turn myself around… to become cool. So I turned into something that I'm ashamed of…" Ross lamented, "God I was so stupid back then…"
"You weren't stupid, you were afraid," Miho comforted, "We all make bad decisions."
Ross only stared out the vision ports and didn't respond to Miho, so she continued. "Why don't you tell me about her?" she asked.
"Huh?" Ross replied.
"Tell me about Lisette. What was she like?" she asked while placing her hand on his free hand.
Ross turned to her. His eyes that were empty before became alive again. "She turned me around, sort of. It was the knowledge that I-I got her pregnant that broke everything up. When she told me, I was shocked. I ran away initially. I tried to hide from the truth and that led me to the church."
000
The streets of Schwarzadler were dark and wet with the downpouring rain. Ross walked along these streets in a daze. "How can this be happening?" he said to himself, "What am I going to do?" He looked to the sky which blocked the stars with thick rainclouds. "Who do I got to?" William and Joseph came to mind immediately, but he shut the idea down. "They still hate what I've become. What have I done?" he wailed to nobody.
As the rain poured harder, Ross fell to the curb and sat on it as water rushed down the street. He put his head in his hands and cried. "Everyone's left you behind and only now in your time of need do you acknowledge them? Stupid stupid STUPID!" he shouted into the darkness.
"Do you remember where I told you to go if Mommy and Daddy aren't home yet?" a voice said from a long-forgotten memory. The thought stopped Ross in his tracks. The voice was so familiar, but it couldn't be…
The sudden memory tugged at Ross's heart and guided him. "That's right!" the voice rang, "Go to Pastor Barnes at the church. Don't listen to anyone who says they've come to pick you up. Always always always go to the church if we aren't picking you up. Pastor Barnes will always help you okay, sweetie?" the voice instructed.
"Mom…" Ross whispered into the night. "Thank you…" he said. He continued walking up the street, but now with a purpose. In the distance, a bell tower appeared, connected behind it was a large building with lights shining out into the night through its massive stained glass windows.
Ross stumbled into the building soaked to the bone. The front room under the bell tower was empty, but he could hear light classical music coming from beyond the room and into the main section of the church. He stumbled past the front room and into the rows and rows of pews after leaving his shoes at the front. The main room was empty, except for one middle-aged man sitting at the first pew. "Mr.- um, Pastor Barnes," Ross called out as he stumbled forward.
The pastor looked up from his bible which he was studying. "Ross? Is that you?" he asked while standing up with surprise.
"Pastor… I-I need help and I have nowhere to go…" Ross stuttered and fell against one of the pews. He barely held himself up as Pastor Barnes approached.
"My, my, you have gotten so big…" the pastor whispered, "come with me, we have some spare clothes in the basement and some soup leftover from the soup kitchen." He took Ross by the shoulder and guided him downstairs, ignoring the dampness spreading to his robes from Ross's clothes.
"Pastor, I-I need guidance. Lately, everything's just been so-" Ross stuttered.
"Quiet son, save your energy until you are ready to speak," Pastor Barnes advised. He opened a large closet filled with stacks of donated clothes that the church had received. "Normally we'd send these away to a charity organization, but I think you are in just as much need at this time," he whispered while putting together a fresh set of clothes for Ross. When he was finished he handed them to Ross. "You can change in the bathroom by the stairs," he said while pointing back towards the basement entrance where a small bathroom was tucked away under the stairs. While Ross was doing that, he went to the kitchen at the back of the main room. He turned on the stove and pulled a pot from the refrigerator. He poured some soup into a small saucepan and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet.
"What caused him to be in this state?" the pastor wondered while the soup began to heat up, "He hasn't come here since his mother passed, so it must be serious."
As the soup began to bubble, he turned off the stove and poured it into a bowl. Returning to the main basement room he set the bowl on the main table of the room where Sunday School and other events held by the community would gather. Ross slowly exited the bathroom looking a little better. The pastor sat on the opposite side of the table where he sat the soup. "Have a seat," he offered.
Ross nodded and sat down. "Thank you, pastor," he said.
"You're welcome, son. Now, what's the matter?" Pastor Barnes asked.
Ross ate a few spoonfuls of soup before he replied. "I-I've messed up, I'm messed up. Everything's messed up," he stuttered.
"Then let's start at the here and now. Why are you here Ross?" Pastor Barnes asked.
"I need help. I was at a party and there was alcohol and…" his voice choked up for a moment. "I got a girl pregnant."
The pastor nodded to himself. "That is a difficult situation. Have you told your father?" he asked.
"H-he did not take it well," Ross answered. "He said he never wanted to see me again."
Pastor Barnes sat in shock for a moment. 'It seems James has only fallen further since Catherine passed,' he thought. "I'm sorry to hear that. As your guardian, he should have been the first person to support you. The girl… does she intend to carry the child to term?" the pastor asked.
"She does and she wants to pursue a relationship," Ross answered. He put his head in his hands.
"And does she intend to keep the child?" Pastor Barnes asked.
Ross only nodded in response. "So now is when you need to be strong. The church and I can help you, but ultimately you're going to have to step up as well," the pastor stated.
"But how? How can I be a father? I'm not even out of high school and I don't even have a stable income," Ross replied.
"It certainly won't be easy…" the pastor said, "but you aren't alone. I'm no social worker, but there is aid you can get from federal and state programs. Who's the mother?"
"Her name is Lisette," Ross answered.
"And do her parents know?"
"I don't know."
Pastor Barnes thought to himself for a moment before speaking, "Ross, I think I know what you can do… at least some things you can do. If you had enough income and were able to get through high school, then do you think you can handle this development?"
"I don't know… this is something I've never even thought about. I don't have any siblings, I don't know a thing about babies, and I don't even know Lisette that well."
"Then learn and take one day at a time. You can't plan every second of your life out, but I know where you can work to support your child and I can get you resources to learn from. You just need to take that first step," the pastor said.
My… child… Ross thought. A warm, loving feeling formed in his chest when he thought about those words. Suddenly the idea didn't seem too impossible. He thought about Lisette and something else formed as well, another warm feeling. For the first time that night, Ross's lips formed a small smile. "I think I can take that step."
000
"After that night, Pastor Barnes helped me find a job at a daycare that was affiliated with the church. It certainly helped me learn a lot and got me ready for the following October. They even let Natalie stay there when I was at school or was working. When I saw Lisette again at school… I asked her out and she said yes," Ross said.
"That sounds wonderful," Miho said.
"It was a wonderful time. It almost felt like we were supposed to be together. She was smart, kind, helpful, everything you could ask for, and she was beautiful. She had the shiniest blonde hair and brightest blue eyes I have ever seen. Natalie got my hair and eyes, but every time I look at her face, I can still see so much of Lisette in her," Ross explained, "and when Natalie was born that October… It was the most stressful and the happiest day of my life."
Suddenly, a sinking feeling hit Miho as if she knew what Ross was going to say next. "And then… she disappeared, her parents, her things, everything was gone. I started living with them after I packed up my things and was kicked out by my dad, but when I came home two weeks after Natalie was born, everything was gone and the house was vacant. It was just me, my little girl, and this note." Ross pulled out his wallet and within was tucked a small piece of folded paper. After he pulled it out and unfolded it he began reading.
"Ross, I'm sorry. I can't do this anymore. I thought, I hoped, I prayed that things would work out, but I can't do this any longer. It's just too much. I'm sorry," he read. "And then I was alone again. I had so much hope. I had quit partying, drinking, and smoking. I was working and everything was going to be sorted out," Ross rambled, "and then everything that I had worked to rebuild fell apart."
"She just disappeared?" Miho asked.
Ross nodded and put the paper back in his wallet. "She hasn't completely left me. Someone I know is in contact with her. How? Because every month I get an envelope from her with nothing but money in it. That didn't change when we left America, so someone is in contact with her to change the address. I just… I don't want to investigate it because, at this point, I think I'd rather not know," Ross said.
"Ross, I'm sorry that you had to go through something like that. I can't imagine how difficult it must have been," Miho comforted.
Ross dryly chuckled. "Is that so? We both have been abandoned by our loved ones, haven't we? We're just a pair of disgraces from different sides of the pond," he dryly stated.
"I-I suppose so," Miho replied.
"We aren't so different… It's a phrase that Pastor Barnes loves to use. He uses his position to try and bring people together, to help as many people as he can, and to better people in their faith and in their life. I owe a lot to him, but he'd never agree with that. He never asked for anything back from the owns he helped," Ross said, a single tear forming in one of his eyes. "I'd still like to repay him back someday."
"He sounds like a wonderful person. I'd like to meet him someday," Miho said with a smile.
The entry hatch below them opened slowly. "Ross, Miho? Are you in here?" Jody asked quietly.
"Up here," Ross answered.
Jody poked her head into the tank. "Ross!" she exclaimed while jumping into the tank, "Are you okay?!" she asked with concern as she climbed onto the side of the platform and hung there.
"You know… I think I might make it," he joked with a small smile.
"Don't run off like that, you had me worried…" Jody admitted.
"You should have seen it. Jody looked like she was going to go to town on that Erika girl. What was even up with them, Miho?" Chloe asked.
"Um, Erika can be pretty abrasive sometimes…" Miho shyly answered.
"Wow, what gave that away?" Jody asked sarcastically.
Ross glared at Jody. "Now's not the time for sarcasm," he said.
"She's probably the biggest believer in the Nishizumi Style of Sensha-do, outside of my mother and sister, and also the biggest critic of my actions last year…" Miho explained, "I guess her traditionalism has also translated into a hatred of boys in Sensha-do. She never had anything positive to say about forms of Sensha-do, like tankery or Panzerfahren, that allowed boys to compete."
"I can't understand some people. I guess the only way they'll learn is with a good old-fashioned torque wrench!" Victoria declared while waving around her roll of newspaper.
Ross stared at her in horror. "Oh god, she found us…" he shuddered.
"Ross, my friend, how good it is to see you!" Victoria exclaimed, "You wouldn't happen to know where my dear brother is would you?" she asked.
Ross nervously chuckled. "Um, no I wouldn't."
"You're lucky you're holding your daughter or I'd knock you senseless for that information…" Victoria said with a dark, mischievous glare
Well, William, it was an honor to be your friend… Ross thought.
"Until then let's go have some fun! You gotta catch me up on all you guys have been up to! I heard you," Victoria paused to gesture to Anglerfish Team, "all formed a new Sensha-do team! You guys have to tell me all about it, but first, let's see what this Ankou Festival is all about!"
"Wow, you have a lot of energy!" Saori exclaimed.
"You're making it hard to sleep," Mako moaned while laying against an MG 08/15 mounted in the hull.
"Come on, Mako, if you sleep now, you won't be able to sleep later," Saori advised.
"Less talking more sleeping," Mako responded while turning over to face the wall.
I know just how to wake you up girlie, Victoria deviously thought.
Jody had the same idea, as the two picked up empty shell casings. The two pranksters looked at each other with an evil grin and simultaneously dropped the casings onto the ground next to Mako. The screeching and banging echoed throughout the tank as the casings bounced. Everyone covered their ears except for Mako who was not deterred and slept through the chaos. Natalie on the other hand…
While Ross was trying to calm down a screaming baby while glaring at Jody and Victoria, Miho's phone vibrated. She pulled it out and read the text message. Once the chaos had quieted she spoke up, "Guys, Anzu and the student council want to meet up at the Sensha-do garages," she informed.
"Alright, I'll drive again," Ross said, before realizing a serious flaw in his plan. So how am I going to drive while holding Natalie? He thought to himself. "Do you mind holding her Miho?" Ross asked.
"Really? Is that okay?" Miho asked.
"Well, we aren't gonna get moving if I'm holding her and driving," Ross noted with a smile.
"A-alright," Miho said while taking Natalie from Ross. Natalie grabbed onto her uniform and leaned against her. So cute… Miho thought with a smile while looking down at her.
"It looks like you're a natural," Ross teased while turning on the tank's engines.
"I guess I am…" Miho replied.
"Well then, ladies and gentleman, to the garages!" Ross declared and pushed the accelerator forward all the way. The Daimler-Benz engines roared to life and the tracks began to turn, pushing the tank forward at the brisk speed of just under ten miles per hour.
000
The A7V approached the garages where the rest of the team had begun to gather. "Well, well, well… looks like William's finally joining us!" Victoria exclaimed eagerly while looking through the sights of the main cannon.
"Um, you're not really going to hurt him, right?" Miho asked.
"Of course not! I would never do anything like that to my dear brother," Victoria replied. Her mischievous smile told Miho otherwise.
"We'll be lucky if we find enough to bury…" Ross whispered to Miho. He held back a laugh as Miho's face grew anxious and concerned. "Nah, she'll just rough him up a little. He'll be fine."
Nixe II came to a stop next to the M6 High-Speed Tractor that was loaded with cardboard boxes. One by one, members of Anglerfish and Leopard team disembarked. While everyone greeted and talked with their friends, Victoria slowly stepped out of the tank dramatically. William and Joseph, who were leaning against the front of the M6 met her gaze. "Well old buddy, it was great knowing you," Joseph solemnly said while putting his hand over his friend's shoulder.
"I feel the same way…" William replied, putting a book by Ralph Waldo Emerson that he had been reading aside in the M6. "So, Victoria, what are you doing here?" he asked.
Victoria slowly stepped towards William until they were face to face. "I thought I'd take a little trip to Japan, you know, as you do. I don't much appreciate being left at home while you were running around in a new country, much less when you could've invited me…" she answered.
"Well, the program was limited to just my crew and theirs," William noted while gesturing to Ross and Joseph.
"You make it sound like I couldn't have just paid my tuition myself, which I have already handled," Victoria countered.
William blinked. "You're seriously transferring here? Why?" he asked.
"Well, maybe I wanted to continue doing Sensha-do with my brother before he graduates. Maybe I want to see what living on a school carrier is all about. Or maybe I just want to torment you for the rest of your pitiful existence!" she shouted while ramming her newspaper-torque wrench combination into her brother's stomach.
William groaned in pain and fell to the ground. "Son of a- you still have that thing!?" he gasped while clutching his stomach.
"Of course, why wouldn't I?" Victoria answered with a smirk.
"Damn, thought I'd finally be free from your shenanigans. Guess I was wrong," William said with a cough. After he caught his breath, he jumped up and tackled Victoria to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that obscured the fighting within.
The student council and a few other members of the team stepped forward to intervene. "You're gonna want to wait this one out folks. When these two go at it, they won't stop and you'll come out looking like swiss cheese," Ross advised. Everybody stepped back from the battle of siblings as they cursed one another and scuffled on the ground.
"Is this normal?" Miho asked. "William didn't seem like the guy who would get into fights."
"Perfectly normal. These two have a long history…" Ross answered.
"They are siblings. I bet they've been fighting since Victoria learned to walk," Joseph added.
"That long!?" Miho asked with shock.
"Yeah, for as long as I've known them, they've fought like this. It'll die down on its own," Ross added.
The two siblings broke away from each other's grasp. They glared at each other with dust-covered eyes. Their clothes looked a little roughed up and they had some minor scratches on their arms and face, but ultimately nothing serious. "That all you got?!" William taunted.
"Meh, I could go on, but you're so weak that you're starting to bore me," Victoria replied.
William rolled his eyes and dusted off his hands. "Whatever makes you happy…" he muttered while pulling a handkerchief from his coat and wetting it at one of the garage sinks. "You need one of these too?" he asked.
"Sure, why not," Victoria answered. William pulled out another one from his coat and tossed it to his sister. "Thanks," she said.
"So, you're gonna do Sensha-do with us? Did you bring a tank from home?" William asked.
"No, they sold all the other tanks away after you left. I couldn't even save my Ersatz M10 Panther…" she answered sadly.
"They seem bent on wiping us from the face of the earth, aren't they?" William asked.
Victoria nodded. "They even shut down the aviation club. If it wasn't for Melitta and Manfred, the Junkers would've been sold as well," she explained. On cue, the sound of three aircraft engines interrupted their conversation as a silver plane flew overhead. "Of course, if I'm going to do Sensha-do with you… I'm going to need a crew right?" Victoria asked with a cheeky smile.
"I suppose that might help," William answered while watching the plane descend towards the Oarai carrier, "How many are joining us?"
"Just Melitta and Manfred. We've got a tank coming over the pond, but it'll take a while to arrive," Victoria answered.
"What tank?" William asked.
Victoria smirked. "Super fast, super powerful, super hard to take out," she said vaguely.
William sighed. "Whatever, we'll find out soon enough," he relented.
"I wouldn't be so sure. England is so far away," Victoria said.
William waved her off and pulled a box from the back of the M6 Tractor. "Alright everyone, listen up!" he shouted while walking to the center of the crowd. "The official uniforms of the Sensha-do team have arrived, so now you'll be wearing these during practice and in our matches," he announced while opening the box after setting it on a table.
Miho stepped forward and pulled the first uniform from the box. She turned around and held it up for the team to see. For a top, a Prussian blue button-up jacket with a green undershirt under it. It was accompanied by a choice of a white skirt, similar to the green skirts the girls wore for school, or white pants. Joseph sat another box next to it filled with steel helmets. "These are M1956 Stalhelms used by the West German army for a time. The Oarai school logo and each team's logo have been printed onto them as well," Joseph said.
"It looks cute, I like it," Saori commented while picking up a uniform bundle. The boxes placed on the table were for Anglerfish Team, but Atrox and Hyena Team began handing out boxes for the other teams from the M6.
"These ones are unique because they have the Anglerfish of our school on the back of the jackets. I thought it made sense since you are the lead team!" Yuzu exclaimed.
"Did you design the uniform, Miss Koyama?" William asked.
Yuzu nodded excitedly. "I did, I handle a lot of the graphic design work for the student council, along with their paperwork, organization, scheduling…" She paused to clear her throat before continuing. "It was a fairly simple task though."
In a flurry of activity, everyone outside of the Freikorp tried on their uniforms, changing in their tanks just like the Freikorp did when their uniforms had arrived. After half an hour, everyone was in their uniforms and eagerly talking between the teams.
Ross looked at his crewmates talking with Anglerfish Team when Miho approached from beside him. "So, what do you think of the uniforms, Ross? How do I look?" she asked.
Ross turned to her. He blushed slightly as he looked over his captain's uniform, "I-it looks good. It makes you look like a real tank commander!" he complimented. Natalie seemed to agree if her unintelligible babbles were anything to go by.
"Thank you! I thought the same when you first got your new uniforms," Miho responded with a small blush.
"We should put the school logo and our team mascot on our Stalhelms as well. You know, for uniformity," Ross pointed out, pulling himself together.
Miho nodded in agreement. "That would be good. The new uniforms make yours stand out a little less now."
"We now look like we're on the same team," Ross said.
"Yeah, all ten teams," she followed.
With the rocket club teams, they felt there were two more additions they needed. They put their lab coats over their uniforms but kept them unbuttoned. "Now we need our own team names," Canaveral stated.
"It needs to be an animal, but we should make it space-related as well!" Kennedy proposed.
The rocketeers nodded together and thought up ideas. "What animals are related to space? I guess animals that have been to space with people," Laika proposed.
"We should be Medaka Team!" Canaveral suggested, "It's a fish that the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency sends to space on occasion to study."
"And we'll be Mongrel Team, after my nick namesake Laika, who was a mixed breed," Laika declared. Her crewmates silently agreed.
Miho smiled and added the two teams to her list of teams and crew members. "We'll get stickers of your mascots for your helmets once you paint a design onto your tanks!" she exclaimed, "I can hardly believe we got ten tanks ready for the nationals. We would have been lucky to get even half of this number at the start."
"And I hope you have more uniforms because you're going to get an eleventh tank within a… fairly responsible amount of time," Victoria said.
"We'll order more when your tank arrives Victoria," Miho reassured.
"Just be patient," William said. Victoria responded by slamming one of her feet down on one of her brother's causing him to jump away in pain. "Come on! That was uncalled for," he groaned.
"Just like your existence," Victoria playfully insulted.
They were interrupted by the loud screeching of rubber wheels and crunching gravel as a Junkers Ju 52 speed past the garages on the gravel field. Everyone held up their arms to block a wave of gravel dust that flew into the garages. They rushed out once the dust had settled to see the plane successfully stopped just inches from the end of the field and the entrance to the forest. By the time everybody rushed over to the land airplane, its pilots climbed down from the cabin. "Another happy landing," Manfred declared.
"Four out of ten," Melita replied. The two wore leather bomber jackets over Oarai uniforms with flight caps and goggles. "Well everyone, I'm Melita Walker, a pleasure to meet you to those I have not met."
"Manfred Liberty, professional crash lander," Manfred joked.
Miho, Victoria, and the student council stepped forward. Victoria spoke first. "It's good to see you two again. Ready to become tankers?" she asked.
The two nodded with smiles. "How wonderful, we're getting new recruits and tanks left and right!" Yuzu explained.
"Welcome to Oarai! I'm captain of the Sensha-do team. I'm Miho Nishziumi," Miho introduced.
The two pilots gave her a salute. "We are eager to join you on the battlefield!" they declared.
"It's great to have you join us," Miho said.
000
Guess who? It's me back at it again with no self-restraint! This chapter was an absolute banger to write for obvious reasons. From's Ross's backstory to another (eventual) Freikorp commander, a lot happened and I am so glad it came out as well as it did. But the train doesn't stop here! (Although we shall be lightly applying the brakes) Up next!
Chapter 12: From Tank Commander to Babysitter!
Edit: I've changed 1979 to 1989, the reason will make sense in the next chapter.