Chapter 12: From Tank Commander to Babysitter
The day after the Zuikaku left the port, regular practice continued with the first lessons learned from the St. Gloriana battle being addressed. In Garage 2, the Freikorp commanders met with Miho and the student council to discuss what to do next. "We've got some time before the ceremony where we'll draw our first opponent for the nationals occurs so we should use that time to address our weakness and train the new teams to be ready," Miho said.
Joseph pulled a few papers out of a folder he was holding. "I was able to get some teaching materials on indirect fire," he said while handing the papers to Miho, "These should help Medaka Team learn the process of gun laying. Hopefully, they'll understand it better than I can."
Miho took the papers and looked them over. "Alright! These should help a lot, I'll make sure Medaka Team gets them," she replied.
"Speaking of them, we haven't tested their weapons yet. We don't know what their rockets are capable of just yet," William suggested.
"Those rockets should be powerful! Let's organize a firing test as soon as possible," Ross suggested.
Miho contemplated the proposal for a moment. "Alright, I suppose it can't hurt if everyone's done preparing their vehicles," she decided, "I'll go talk with them for a moment and hand them these materials."
Miho left the Freikorp and student council, who had begun discussing logistics and what needed to be ordered. She entered Garage 5 and approached Medaka Team, where Houston and Vandenburg were loading rockets into the rack above the turret. Canaveral and Kennedy jumped down from the turret into which they had been loading shells. "Hey, captain! What's up!" Kennedy greeted eagerly.
"Hi, Joseph gave me some materials that will help you learn gun laying. Since your rockets have a pretty good range and are vulnerable to most weapons, we'll be keeping you out of the combat area as much as we can," Miho said while handing the papers to Canaveral.
"I see, so like artillery?" Canaveral asked.
"Exactly! Whenever we need artillery support, you'll be there to fire a barrage of rockets at the enemy by calculating the elevation and direction your launcher needs to be at for the rockets to fall onto the enemy," Miho answered.
Houston and Vandenburg jumped down from the engine deck of the M4 Sherman. "Aw man, I hate math," Houston complained while taking one of the papers.
"Don't worry, you can stick to the heavy lifting," Canaveral reassured. "This shouldn't be too hard for us to figure out. We'll do some study work and let you know when we've got it down."
Miho smiled. "Okay! Until then, would you like to test out your rockets for the team?" she asked.
Canaveral looked at Miho with a smirk. "A firing test huh? I like it. Vandenburg's been pretty excited to test them out," Canaveral answered.
"Don't just tell her that…" Vandenburg complained while turning away.
Canaveral giggled. "Alright, alright, let's try these rockets out!" she declared.
The four members of Medaka Team climbed into their tank. Houston sat down in the driver's position, Vandenburg climbed through the loaders hatch, Canaveral took the commander's post, and Kennedy took the loader's position. "Alright, testing intercoms," Canaveral asked after putting on her headset.
"This is Houston, we have no problems," Houston replied.
"Alright everyone, let's put on a show for everyone! What do you want us to shoot at Miho?" she asked.
"We'll head out to the range and then you can fire on one of the targets! We'll lead you there" Miho shouted back.
Canaveral nodded and ducked into the tank. "Alright, we'll be doing the test at the range. We'll be following Miho out there," she informed.
Miho jogged back to Garage 2, where Anglerfish Team, Turtle Team, and the Freikorp commanders were waiting. "We'll be doing a firing exercise first, so we'll be heading to the range in a few minutes," Miho said.
Everyone dispersed to their tanks and entered them. Miho climbed aboard the Panzer IV and stood in the commander's cupola. The rest of Anglerfish Team followed and they took their positions. "To see a T34 Rocket Launcher in action! This is gonna be awesome!" Yukari exclaimed.
"It should be quite the show," Hana followed.
"I have a question, Miho! You can only load the T34 from the outside right? Wouldn't that make the tank open-top and not allowed?" Saori asked.
"Someone's been studying…" Mako teased.
"I just don't want us to get disqualified!" Saori replied, annoyed with her hull partner.
"Well, it's true that the rocket launcher needs to be loaded from the outside, but open-tops aren't explicitly banned, just subject to more scrutiny from the Sensha-do Federation's Tank Approval Board. The T34E2 is approved because the tank is operated completely from the inside and can be loaded before the match. Whether it can be loaded during a match… so far it's a gray area and there's been some debate in the JSF on how to handle it. It's not explicitly forbidden though. I won't allow them to reload it during a match though, that's too much of a risk to take," Miho explained. "Anyway, are all tanks ready?"
The various teams radioed in to confirm that they were ready. "Alright everyone, follow us and head to the range. Panzer Vor!" she ordered, "Mako, take us to the range."
Mako nodded and the Panzer IV drove forward out of the garage. Turtle Team followed them and behind them were the tanks of Freikorp Oarai. The rest of the tanks fell in line behind them, with Mongrel Team in the KV-1K being the last tank in the column.
The range was greatly expanded from its beginnings as a hillside and five concrete blocks. Now it boasted fifteen large target blocks arranged in three levels on the hillside. "Medaka Team, feel free to fire at any of the targets, but wait until my command," Miho ordered.
"Affirmative," Canaveral replied. The T34E2 drove to the middle of the firing line and aimed directly down the center with the KV-1K parking beside it. "Backblast clear?" she asked into the radio.
"Backblast? What does she mean?" Taeko asked.
"The backblast is the exhaust from the rockets. You don't wanna be behind the launcher when they start firing," Erwin explained.
"Backblast clear Medaka Team cleared to fire," Miho confirmed.
Canaveral smirked and turned to Kennedy. "You ready?" she asked.
Kennedy smirked back. "Yes ma'am," she answered.
"3... 2... 1…" Canaveral counted down over the radio, "Blastoff!"
The first rocket ignited, sending a blast of fire behind it. The rocket screamed through the air like a loud whistle and detonated when it hit the block. Everyone clamped their hands over their ears and shielded their eyes as a large fireball consumed the first concrete block. The shockwave shook every tank and the two concrete blocks next to the first were enveloped in fire. A second rocket followed and amplified the destruction. A third followed and then a fourth, fifth, and sixth rocket. "Cease firing, cease firing!" Miho demanded.
The rocket launcher stopped and the smoke began to clear. Despite putting their hands over their ears, ringing persisted for a long time after the rockets stopped. The smoke cleared away enough for the team to survey the damage. Miho slowly exited her cupola to survey the area. What she saw shocked her.
The target concrete block, although charred and smoking, was structurally hardly damaged. The area the fireball consumed was the same. "Remember, this stuff hardly does anything," Laika pointed out, "It's null explosive filler. It's just all for show. The burn marks and smoke are all fake too."
"Right… all for show," Miho whispered. She took a few breaths to calm down. "Anyway, why don't we test out Mongrel Team's rockets?" she suggested.
Laika activated her intercom. "Alright Alexei, you've got the fuse," she said.
"Understood ma'am, firing in three, two, one," he counted before flipping a switch in front of him. The 132mm rockets fired one by one with a similar whistling scream to the T34. The first four rockets fired towards the range one by one, followed by the four in the back. Another fireball was set upon the firing range and watched in awe once more.
"Impressive…" Miho whispered. "Good work, now we'll proceed onto our standard gunnery exercises."
000
As practice came to a close, the teams parked their tanks in the garages. William jumped down from the Tiger H2. "Good work today everyone," he complimented loudly so everyone could hear. "I'll be right back," he said and exited the garage. He glanced into each of the garages as he walked past. It might be a good idea to invest in some more space sometime in the future. We can fit 20 tanks and five utility vehicles in total, but it could get very cramped if we reach that point, he thought to himself. He kept walking until he reached the final garage. Inside, Rabbit, Medaka, and Mongrel Team were finishing up their post-practice duties.
He approached the crew of the M3 "Grant I," who had noticed his presence and warily turned to him. I really hope I'm not going to come off as a disappointed parent or something like that, he thought. "Can I speak with you all for a moment?" he asked.
Azusa stepped forward nervously. "Y-yes, Mr. Valentine, what do you need?" she answered timidly.
"I'd like to talk about the St. Gloriana match for a moment," William asked.
Azusa nervously fiddled with her hands while the other five crew members awkwardly tried to hide behind her. "I-I," Azusa stuttered for a moment.
"We're sorry we failed to protect your tank!" the girls apologized while deeply bowing.
William stepped back and put his hands up. "There's no need for that. I'm not here to scold you, just to figure things out," he clarified, "like why didn't you fire when the enemy tanks started attacking from the sides?"
Ayumi and Aya stepped forward to stand next to Azusa timidly. "I-I didn't know who to shoot at. I was afraid I was going to shoot at a tank that Aya was going to shoot at," Ayumi confessed.
"I had the same idea…" Aya followed.
"In that case, Azusa, you should give each of your gunners specific orders. Like, 'Aya fire to the tank on the left' or 'Ayumi fire to the tank on the right.' That'll prevent something like that from happening again," William advised.
Azusa looked down at the ground sadly. "Of course, I'm the commander…"
"But that doesn't mean you're fighting the battle all on your own. You all have to work together. I think you guys have the potential to be a great tank crew," he encouraged.
"Why do you think that?" Azusa asked.
"Well, you all are quite close, correct? Ross told me about how you approached him wondering if he could help you stick together in one tank. That's probably the most important first step in creating a great tank crew. If you all can lean on each other and get along, then you won't have any trouble accomplishing your tasks together," William answered.
Azusa and her crew looked at each other. "Yeah, we've all been friends since kindergarten," Azusa said.
"But we still have so much to learn," Yuuki admitted.
"Will you teach us how to be a better tank crew, Mr. Valentine?" Azusa asked.
William smiled reassuringly. "Of course, I'd be happy to help."
000
Ross leaned against the kitchen island looking over a letter that had arrived at their apartment. "Of course, they'd request this sort of thing after we've left port," he complained.
"Whatcha got there?" Joseph asked after pulling a fresh, cold can of cola from the fridge. He leaned over the island and spun the paper around to read it.
To the participants of the American-Japanese Joint Schoolship Development Commission's Transfer-Exchange Program, the opening line read with the official seal of the commission's symbol, an aircraft carrier featuring a cartoony school on the deck in the center with the flags of Japan and the United States in the background, next to it.
"Wow, they chose a long title for the commission," Joseph commented.
"Welcome to the world of government bureaucracy. May I interest you in the Rinder kennzeichnungs-und Rindfleisch etikettierungs überwachungs aufgaben übertragungs gesetz?" Ross asked. His words sounded more like alphabet spaghetti.
"Stop speaking Welsh! Begone demon!" Joseph shouted dramatically while waving his arms around.
Ross laughed hysterically and slapped his knees. "It's German you dunce, not Welsh!" He gathered himself together enough to explain the word. "It was a law in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
When translated it means 'Cattle marking and beef labeling supervision duties delegation law.' Sadly it got repealed in 2013, to the relief of many German legal transcribers."
"How in the world did you know that and how did you even manage to say it?" Joseph asked.
"Long story… I was failing German I a few years back and I needed all the points I could get. Now through… very legitimate and honest means, I was able to learn that there was going to be an extra credit question that would be worth a ton of points that would go to anyone who could answer what that word meant," Ross explained while leaning back onto the island.
Joseph to a long drink from his Cola. "Maybe next time just show up to class…" he muttered. "So what's this letter all about? Why're you all frazzled up?" he asked, starting a southern accent.
"There will not be enough of your body to bury if you keep that up. I get enough of that crap from Jody," Ross warned.
"What was that commander? You say to fucking send it bro?" he taunted before taking another drink.
Ross smacked the bottom of Joseph's soda can he drank the cola, causing it to overflow in his mouth and spew out of his nose. "Damn bro that burns!" Joseph complained while wiping off his face.
"Don't tempt me any further," Ross warned.
Joseph coughed for a few more moments. "Alright, alright, so what's up with the letter?" he asked.
"Basically formal government language for 'we're here to mess up your busy schedule and leave you without a babysitter because the Akiyama's are busy with renovations'" he complained, "We've got a mandatory briefing with some Japanese and American government officials in Tokyo this weekend. Something something feedback something something legal paperwork."
"Ah, so they want to meet with us… after we've left port and are now several dozen miles from the shore. Man… and I had a workshop night planned with the boys," Joseph said.
"Ah yes, because that's the problem we're facing right now. Not the fact that I can't exactly take my daughter on a fun business trip to Tokyo and I'm not keen on leaving a six-month-old baby alone in the apartment," Ross replied. He put his head in his hands and groaned. "I already called the Akiyama's, as much as I'd hate to impose again, but they can't because of carpentry work that will create a definitely not baby safe atmosphere."
Joseph leaned back against the kitchen counter behind the island. "That's rough," he stated.
"What gave it away?" Ross lamented.
In the living room, Natalie was playing idly on the floor while William sat on the couch sipping tea, specifically Darjeeling tea. He spoke up about the situation, "Why not ask someone on the Sensha-do Team? Jody perhaps?" he suggested, although the last part was slightly sarcastic.
"Yeah no not her, that sounds just as bad of an idea as asking Hana," Ross retorted.
Joseph and William looked at him with confusion. "I get Jody… but why specifically Hana?" Joseph asked.
"Have you seen the way she is when Natalie is around?" Ross asked.
"Calm and elegant? Like she always is?" William answered.
Ross sighed and shook his head. "No, no, you've got the wrong image of her when Natalie is around," he stated.
Hearing her name, Natalie looked up from her building blocks and turned towards the kitchen. She threw down her blocks and babbled loudly while beginning to crawl clumsily towards the kitchen. William sat his tea to the side and grabbed her before she got far. "How about we stay in the living room kiddo?" he asked.
Natalie squealed and waved her arms around. William sat her down next to her blocks, which recaptured her attention. "So, what's up with Hana again?" he asked while grabbing his tea again.
"Well it's quite clear that she doesn't like her, not one bit," Ross explained.
"I don't see it," Joseph said, "She's been around her like twice?"
Ross sighed again. "It's just… I'm good at reading people. When you play the game and hop the bases, you tend to get good at that."
"Ah… so you don't end up getting slapped or worse, thrown out a window after a partner catches you even though she swore she was single," Joseph said.
Ross and William looked at Joseph with surprise. "You um, speaking from experience?" Ross suggested.
"Nah, it happened to my neighbor, funniest thing I have ever seen. Poor guy had a limp from it for weeks," Joseph explained, barely holding back laughter.
Ross and William awkwardly nodded. "Back on track though, Miss Isuzu doesn't like Natalie? Why?" William asked.
"Beats me," Ross answered with a shrug. "Could just be that she doesn't like babies."
"Now that I think about… she does seem like the type that would, being a 'prim and proper' lady and all. Kinda like William," Joseph said.
William rolled his eyes. "I'm not like that," he objected.
"Other than the lady part, yeah you are. Your dainty little teacup and saucer aren't helping your argument," Joseph replied with a teasing smile.
"Sorry that I don't like sucking cola out of aluminum cans," William said. He took a sip of his tea. "I mean can you blame Miss Isuzu though? Babies typically aren't exactly the cleanest things in this world," he noted.
Ross sighed. "Sometimes yes, but they aren't the snotty, sticky, and screaming little gremlins a lot of people make them out to be," he said.
"Well, you are the only parent in this room so you're the most credible source of parenting information here," Joseph joked.
"Thanks for your vote of confidence…" Ross said while rolling his eyes. "As fun as it is, poking each other around and talking about our friend's distaste of babies isn't solving my problem," he said, putting the conversation back on track.
"Is there anyone on the Sensha-do team you do trust?" Joseph asked.
"Well, I would trust Chloe or Tandy, but I bet they'll be coming with us," Ross answered, "Oh hey look, the letter says they'll help transport students out at sea so long as they send a request by… yesterday."
Joseph facepalmed. "Yeah, that sounds about right. If they need all the transfer students then we can just fly there with the Ju 52," he suggested.
"How convenient! They even allow us to send requests for additional guests if we send in our request by… yesterday," Ross said while throwing the letter onto the island irately.
William waved him off. "Manfred and Melitta can fly back to Oarai until Sunday when they can come back to take us back. It's not that long of a distance for an airplane. Compared to flying across the U.S or the entire Pacific Ocean," he said.
"So, who can babysit Natalie? I still have nothing," Ross asked.
William and Joseph thought in silence for a moment before William had an idea. "Why not Miho? You two have been getting along pretty well lately," he suggested.
Ross thought about the idea for a moment. "I mean, I guess it can't hurt to ask."
000
After practice the next day, Ross entered Garage 2. "Hey Miho, can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked as they walked up to the Panzer IV.
Miho climbed down from the commander's cupola and sat on the edge of the hull. "Sure, one moment," she answered and turned to the rest of Anglerfish Team, who had just begun to climb out of their own hatches, "you guys continue with maintenance. I'll be over in a moment." She jumped down from the hull and stood in front of the boy. "What do you need?"
"This weekend we've been asked by the Department of Education's schoolship commission to a briefing. The problem is I won't have a babysitter for Natalie because the Akiyamas will be busy with renovations. Could you babysit her for the weekend?" Ross asked.
Miho's eyes widened. "Me? I-I've never taken care of a baby before. Am I really the best option?" she asked with surprise.
"Well, all the transfer students are going and there's no better option," Ross answered.
Surprisingly, Miho grew excited at the request. "Sure! I'd love to babysit her for the weekend. It sounds like fun!" she exclaimed.
Ross bowed in appreciation. "Thank you Miho," he said.
"You're welcome, it'll be a pleasure to have her over! It'll be like a sleepover!" Miho exclaimed.
Ross smiled. "Is it okay if I drop her off after practice Friday? We'll be flying out that night," he asked.
"Of course, that'll be fine," Miho answered.
000
Night had fallen by the time practice was completed that Friday. Miho stood in the center of her apartment and overlooked the various baby-proofing measures Ross had given her for the weekend. A baby-gate for the doorway to the kitchen and some outlet plugs would be sufficient, according to Ross, so long as other hazards like houseplants or sharp objects were out of reach. I never thought I'd ever need a baby gate for my room, Miho thought with amusement. Instead of her school or Sensha-do uniform, she wore a more casual pair of jeans and a sweatshirt with white and orange stripes.
A ring from her doorbell broke her from her thoughts. Opening the door revealing Ross carrying Natalie in his left arm and holding a wicker basket with enough folded clothes and diapers for Natalie for the weekend. He wore his usual overcoat and black pants while Natalie wore her white shirt and pink overalls.
"Hi you two, come in," Miho greeted cheerfully and held the door open for him.
"Hi, Miho, thanks for having Natalie stay with you over the weekend," Ross said. He stepped inside and looked over Miho's living/dining/bedroom combination. Something about the shelves and stacks of Boko plushie bears staring emptily at him unnerved him, but he shook them off. Natalie on the other hand looked at the stuffed animals with extreme interest. "I don't think you've ever been over before," Miho noted while closing the door.
Ross looked away from the bears and turned to Miho. "Yeah, I haven't. Nice place, but what's with all the plushies?" he asked, "no disrespect, of course, I just want to know what they are."
"Oh, no worries! These are Boko plushies! He's a really cool bear who never gives up, no matter how many punches he takes!" Miho explained eagerly. She picked up her favorite plushie from her bed and showed it to Ross. "This one is my favorite."
Ross silently nodded while Natalie looked at the plushie with interest. She stretched out her arms to touch the plushie and felt its soft fur. Natalie giggled as she pet the plushie bear and enjoyed its texture. "Here," Miho offered to Natalie, who took the bear that was almost as big as her and hugged it. "It looks like Natalie likes Boko too!" Miho exclaimed.
Ross smiled and looked down at Natalie. "It looks like she does. I guess she won't be bored over the weekend," he joked. The two teenagers laughed together.
"No, no she won't. I can take her now if you need to leave," Miho offered.
"Alright," Ross started and set the basket on Miho's low-table. He held Natalie out to Miho, who took her and gently held her in her arms. "Goodbye sweetie, I'll be back Sunday, okay?" Ross said while stroking Natalie's hair. The little girl looked up at her father and smiled. Ross smiled back and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Be a good girl while I'm gone, okay?"
Natalie babbled an incoherent response for a moment before hugging the Boko plushie. Ross turned to Miho one last time before he left. "I can't thank you enough for this Miho. Please take good care of her," he requested.
Miho smiled back at Ross. "Don't worry, I'll do my best, just like Boko!" she answered cheerfully.
Ross bowed one final time before turning to the door when a babble from Natalie interrupted him. "Da," she babbled before pausing for a moment, "Dada, B-Boko!" she exclaimed while shaking the plushie she was holding. Ross immediately stopped and stared at his daughter with shocked eyes.
Miho's breath hitched as she came to the same conclusion. "W-were those her first words?" she asked.
Ross walked back over and patted Natalie's head proudly. "Yeah… her first words…" he whispered. He wiped a small tear from one of his eyes. "I'm so proud of you sweetie," he whispered while giving her another kiss on the forehead.
Nattle started babbling again, "Dadadadada."
"Man, now going to this meeting is really gonna suck now that I know my smart little girl is going to be learning more words while I'm gone. Keep track if she says anything new for me, will you Miho?" Ross asked.
"Of course! It won't be long now before she's going to be able to command a tank like her dad!" Miho joked with a wide smile.
Ross chuckled at the idea. Natalie doing Sensha-do… well maybe in a decade or so, he thought. He checked the town and frowned. "Unfortunately I have to get going otherwise Manfred and Melitta will leave me behind."
"Have a safe trip!" Miho wished as Ross started to leave.
"Thank you, have a good weekend!" Ross followed before leaving.
Miho smiled at the closed door for a moment before turning to the basket Ross had left for Natalie. She gently sat Natalie onto her cot and, while keeping an eye on her, knelt by her table and started to set everything out onto her table.
A pack of diapers, several changes of clothes, a tin of formula, a pair of solid baby food jars, and a few of Natalie's toys. She pulled a tank-shaped toy out from the bottom of the basket and admired its details. Natalie looked up from the Boko plushie, set it aside, and crawled over to the edge of the cot to look over Miho's shoulder. She smiled brightly and tried to grab the tank toy. Miho eagerly handed the toy to Natalie who took it happily. The toy was a solid model of the "Porsche Tiger" officially known as the V.K 45.01 (P). "Do you like it because it's a stronger version of your dad's tank?" Miho asked.
Natalie made the K sound repeatedly in her babbled response. Miho giggled as Natalie waved the tank around. Natalie sat the tank onto the cot and turned it so that the turret was aimed at the Boko plushie. She blew her lips together and yanked the tank upwards as if it had just fired a shot into the plushie. "You're already practicing to be a tank commander from this age?!" Miho joked with a giggle, "Even I didn't start that early."
Natalie giggled as well and continued "firing" at Boko. Miho sat and watched her play for a few minutes until her phone rang. She stood up and grabbed it from her side table. She flipped open the phone and read the caller ID.
Maho Nishizumi, it read. Normally she would have been ecstatic to get a call from her sister since she never showed her true self in public, but she remembered the events at the Leclerc Tank Cafe. She frowned and with a shaky hand clicked "accept." She turned and looked at Natalie while the cellphones connected. "Hi, Maho," Miho greeted stoically.
"Hi Miho," Maho replied. At her dorm, Maho, normally calm, cool, and unyielding just as the Nishizumi Style School of Sensha-do demanded, was just as anxious as her sister as she sat at her desk. She shook her anxieties aside, just as she would on the battlefield, and spoke. "Miho, why are you doing Sensha-do again? They aren't forcing you to do, are they? Those Americans?" Maho asked with concern.
Miho took a deep breath and answered, "No, it's not them."
"Then why are you doing it again? After last year…" Maho trailed off.
Should I tell her about the student council? Should I just lie? No
that'd be wrong… she thought silently for a moment, before giving her answer. "I'm doing it… I'm doing it again for my friends." It's not really a lie.
"Your… friends?" Maho asked. Sensha-do isn't about friendship. It's not done simply because it's fun with friends. It's a martial art! Maho thought, but instead of anger, it was with confusion.
"I know you wouldn't understand… you agree with Mom about it being more than just a sport," Miho followed.
"Your right Miho…" Maho said, "I don't understand, but I still support you. Do you remember what I said after you told Mother that you would be transferring to Oarai?"
000
At a low table, the three members of the Nishizumi family knelt. Miho knelt opposite of her mother, Shiho Nishizumi, a stern-looking woman with long black hair and eyes similar to Maho's. Maho knelt on the right side of the table next to them both. "So, you just intend to leave?" Shiho asked emotionlessly.
Miho nodded timidly without a single word. "I know Oarai has no Sensha-do Team. Regardless, you are not fit to be a tank commander even if they did. You are not fit to be a Nishizumi. Get out of my sight," Shiho spat, showing the only emotion left in her that Miho could see, disgust.
Miho's eyes filled with tears, but she help herself together long enough to stand up, bow, and leave the room. She slowly walked back to her room and entered without turning on the lights, keeping the pink walls darkened. She sat on her bed and stared downwards to the floor. She didn't know how much time had passed before a quiet knock on her door broke her from her downward gaze. "C-come in," she weakly answered.
Maho slowly entered the room and sat next to her. She wrapped an arm around her sister comfortingly "Miho, there's one thing I want you to know," she said.
"What?" Miho mumbled.
"No matter what happens between you and Mother, I'll always be there for you."
000
It's a good thing for her that she said that AFTER I had already gotten scolded and pushed around by Mom and everyone else… Miho thought uncharacteristically bitter. "Yeah… I remember," she answered.
"Good," Maho replied with a small smile which quickly faded. "But I'm afraid I didn't call just to ask you why you're back in Sensha-do…" she said.
Miho frowned and jumped to the subject they were both avoiding. "Why Maho? Why did you insult my friends and allow Erika to bully them!?" Miho demanded.
"Miho, I will admit that Erika was going a bit too far-" Maho started.
Miho cut her off. "A bit too far? What she said-"
This time it was Maho who interrupted her, "Miho listen, she went too far, but what she said wasn't entirely wrong and she only went that far because she cares for you!"
"Cares for me? By attacking my friends?!" Miho asked angrily.
"Miho, please listen to me. The Americans… I don't trust them, especially the one with the baby-"
"His name is Ross and Natalie is his daughter's name," Miho corrected.
"Regardless, I-I think the evidence speaks for itself. He's clearly a womanizer, someone who can't control himself, playboy, call it what you wish. He could take advantage of you and I don't want to see you hurt," Maho pleaded.
Miho shivered and narrowed her eyes. "You don't know the whole story! He's the one left alone with a baby! He is the one who is hurt!" she responded angrily.
"That's only more reason for concern! He could latch onto you, use you-"
Miho's anger fell away into exhaustion. I'm tired of fighting everyone… "Maho, please…" she whispered as she fell to her knees.
Maho stopped speaking for several moments. "I just don't want you to get hurt," she pleaded.
"Please stop attacking my friends. Give them a chance, they're not bad people," Miho nearly begged.
She must need a cooldown from arguing… she's never been one to be angry for too long, Maho thought. "Miho, I'm sorry. I just want you to be careful around them," she tried explaining, "especially around the girl who attacked Erika…"
The sound of the newspaper and torque wrench hitting bone replayed in Miho's head and her body became cold. Could she be right? No, no, she can't be… but Victoria did attack Erika and she's an American transfer too… she thought as two sides of the story fought for control.
Her thoughts and her conversation were broken when something soft brushed against her left arm. She turned to see Natalie had climbed down from Miho's cot and sat next to her with her toys. She had placed the Boko plushie against her arm and held out her tank toy. "M-mmm, io…" Natalie whispered.
"Maho… I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me or my friends." Miho affirmed.
"Very well. If anything happens, please call me. I don't want to see you hurt anymore," Maho said.
"I do have one more question. Why is Erika so against boys in Sensha-do? What happened? Why did she mention 1989?" Miho asked while taking the tank toy and silently "fired" its cannon at Natalie causing her to clap and giggle.
Maho sighed. "That was the last year Oarai entered the national tournament and the first year they became Co-ed," she answered.
"And the first time boys entered Sensha-do?" Miho asked.
"Yes… and it was a disaster," Maho answered, "the scandal wasn't that boys were in Sensha-do… it was their conduct. They were accused of sexist comments and conduct, cheating, and complete brutalism on the field. They barely weren't disqualified after the first round and in the second they were completely disqualified before the match ended."
"I never knew…" Miho whispered.
"That's why Oarai disbanded their club. The girls left in disgust of their teammate's conduct and the school was banned from the next year's compilation. Miho, if your team joins the nationals there will be girls whose mothers faced those boys. I don't expect them to be kind to the Americans," Maho warned.
"How do you know?" Miho asked.
"Because that was the first year Mother was Kuromormine's captain," Maho revealed, "Oarai and Kuromormine fought each other in the second round and they are the reason she only missed the rest of that year's tournament and the next year's tournament," Maho explained.
S-she never told me any of that, Miho thought with shock. "What happened?"
"One of their tanks rammed her tank in the closing stages of the match, presumably out of desperation since the Nishizumi Style completely overpowered them. Her P-panzer it…"
"It?" Miho asked.
"I-I'm sorry, the rest isn't my story to tell," Maho said, "I can hardly say that much…" In her dorm, Maho's eyes were glazed over and distressed. "That's why I want you to be careful. The same thing cannot happen again. Keep your boys on a short leash, for yourself and your opponents."
It was all too much for Miho to process and she struggled to form a response. "I'll make sure something like that will never happen again. I-I need a moment, but thank you for calling me, sister," Miho said.
"Of course, never forget that I love you okay?" Maho said.
"I love you too, goodbye."
"Goodbye and goodnight Miho."
Miho slowly closed her phone when the call disconnected. She glanced out of the window to see that night had overtaken the evening. She looked down to Natalie, who had curled herself against Miho's knees while clutching Boko. She had fallen asleep while Miho was on the phone. "Ross is a good person… right Natalie?" she whispered while stroking Natalie's hair. She carefully picked Natalie up and stood up, wincing when her legs protested with pins and needles. She slowly made her way to Natalie's basket and removed what was left before setting her on the cushioned bottom. "Sleep tight, okay?"
Suddenly, Miho's stomach growled. "I guess I forgot dinner…" she whispered to herself and quietly made her way to her kitchen.
000
Three days, new freaking record! It has been a long, long time since I have been able to upload two chapters this close to each other without waiting until the second one was complete. It's full steam ahead for our Tank Aces! Perhaps one could call it a... blitzkrieg of content? Thank you all for your time, reviews, favorites, and follows. They all mean a lot to me!
Next time of Girls und Panzer: Tank Aces
Chapter 13: A "Vacation" in a Foreign Land!