Chapter 18:

"Oh oh" Yuuichirou muttered, frowning at the television. "Looks like our girls' Panzer and Erwin's tank will be getting lots of company soon. They may be in trouble."

The on-screen shot now showed four Tiger II's rumbling cautiously through the small town, less than four blocks from the parking garage where Luna and Hippo teams were still stopped. Their huge guns swung slowly from side to side, seeking out the two irksome Ooarai tanks that had dared to disable the Tiger hiding within the shell of the empty store.

"Hai. Big trouble" Taro murmured. "Those heavy tanks are serious business, Yuuichirou-chan."

"Perhaps the girls should flee" Michiru suggested. "While they still have the opportunity to escape."

"Run away? Our Makoto? I don't see it happening, Michi-chan" Haruka chuckled. "She never backs down from a fight, no matter how heavily the odds are stacked against her. And that other commander, the girl who always wears the officer's cap, has a very confident attitude too from what I gathered watching the anime. They aren't going anywhere."

"Hai... I suppose not" the professional violinist smiled beneath her wavy teal hair. "I do hope they are able to triumph against those four rather dangerous-looking machines."

"They will" Yuji pronounced. "My Mako and Erwin will find a way."

. . . . .

Having quickly worked out a makeshift plan, Makoto and Riko buttoned down their top hatches and briefed their crews, waiting for what both girls knew would likely become their final engagement of the match.

"Usagi-chan, let Leopon and Turtle teams know we'll be standing our ground here in the garage" Makoto told the blonde. "Tell them we'll be trying to focus Kuromorimine's full attention on us. With any luck, they may be able to get a good shot or two at the engine compartments of those Tigers before they're attacked."

"Hai." Usagi reached toward her microphone and smiled, "Don't look so worried, Mako-chan. It's not like we're trapped here by a bunch of Beryl's evil youma."

"No, it's Erika and four Tiger II's. To be honest, the way I feel about that girl right now, she and a youma are nearly one and the same to me."

While Usagi made the radio call, Makoto instructed her driver, "Minako-chan, our Panzer and Erwin's STuG will be taking one shot each at the lead Kuromorimine tank as soon as it comes into view at the intersection. After we fire, back us up the ramp as quick as you can. Erwin's driver will be reversing too, so make sure your tanks don't bump together."

"No problem, Mako-chan" the blonde reassured her. "But... won't that mean we'll be trapped on the second floor? Those Tigers will be waiting to blast us the instant we try to drive back down."

"All we need to do is distract them for a minute, buying enough time for Anzu and Satoko to arrive and take their first shots. It's risky, but we don't have any other good options." She waited for Usagi to finish sending her message, then told her, "Usagi-chan, we need to get all of those Tigers mad at us. Really mad, so they maybe even become careless and drop their guard. That's where you come in."

"Me?" the odango-haired girl squeaked. "What can I possibly do, Mako-chan?"

"The instant our Panzer starts backing up, but not before, I need you to rake the hulls of every enemy tank you can see with your machine gun. It won't even scratch them, but hopefully it'll annoy their crews enough to make them concentrate their full attention on taking us out. You'll only have a few seconds to do it, so aim well and make every bullet count."

"I have a machine gun?" Usagi gasped in surprise.

"You didn't know that?" Rei grumbled. "It's been right in front of your face all this time, baka! Didn't you notice the handle for it?"

Usagi stared at the black metal grip. "Oh! That's what that thing is for!" She giggled, "I thought it was just a fancy place to hang my headphones."

"We're doomed" the miko muttered.

"No. We're not finished yet, Rei-chan" Makoto stated. "After the other two Ooarai tanks get here and fire at the Tigers, there'll hopefully be enough confusion among the enemy ranks to give us and Erwin's STuG time for a safe second shot. Minako-chan, you need to-"

"I know!" Minako blurted. "We scoot down the ramp, Ami and Saemonza shoot, then we go back up again! Right, Mako-chan?"

"That's basically it" the brunette nodded. "Ami-chan, the lead Tiger will most likely be Erika's. Whatever else happens, that's the tank I want you to try to kill. I think you know why."

"Hai." The blue-haired gunner told her commander, "You aren't the only one of us carrying a grudge against Erika and Maho." The tone of Ami's usually soft, gentle voice took on a surprisingly hard edge. "I won't miss any shots, Mako-chan. Not today. I guarantee it."

Makoto grinned at the girl. "Good. Let's send a couple of rounds her way and wipe that smugness right off her face." A moment later, she heard the faint but distinctive clatter of multiple approaching tracks striking against pavement. "Minna, here they come. Let's do our best for Miho and make this crazy plan work."

. . . . .

Taking no chances after the shocking loss of Kuramorimine's first tank, Erika also stood beneath a tightly-closed hatch as her Tiger II prowled along the empty street, leading three other nearly-identical machines on a mission of revenge.

"We're approaching an open area, likely an intersection" she spoke to her crew. "An ideal location for an ambush from those two cowardly Ooarai teams. Gunner, be ready."

She ordered her driver to slow her tank further, allowing its powerful weapon more time to train on each of the dilapidated buildings they rumbled past.

"We're splitting into two groups" Erika radioed her squad. "Tiger two, follow me along the west side of the intersection. Tigers three and four, take the east side. Upon sighting those Ooarai tanks, send them to the scrap heap where they belong."

. . . . .

In the speeding Tiger P, its commander heard a warning from her driver. "Our engine is running really hot, Satoko. It may catch fire again unless we slow down."

"We can't, Tsuchiya. Luna and Hippo are in a real bind. We need to help them out immediately!"

Muttering to herself, Satoko shoved open her top hatch, grabbed a fire extinguisher in each hand and raised herself waist-high above the turret. Bending over the rear of her jostling tank as far as she could, the teen blasted the engine compartment with foam until both extinguishers ran dry. Tossing them aside, she retrieved two more and repeated the process.

Satoko scrambled back inside and pulled her hatch closed. "Did that help?'

"Hai. A little."

"Then keep the throttle open. We'll be at the rendezvous point in another minute."

. . . . .

Watching Satoko's acrobatics from inside Turtle team's Hetzer that now trailed close behind the once-again ailing Porsche Tiger, Anzu chuckled, "Momo, with all the practice she's getting, that girl will probably make a good fire chief someday."

. . . . .

With the rest of her team holding their collective breaths, Makoto watched the muzzle of a Tiger II's long gun barrel suddenly appear to one side of the parking garage's entrance, relieved to find it wasn't pointing directly at either of the Ooarai tanks.

"Not yet, Ami-chan... wait for it..."

The massive machine's hull followed, its turret beginning to rapidly rotate towards her Panzer as the enemy tank's commander spotted their prey and snapped an order to her gunner. A second Tiger II appeared closely behind and outside the first, also quickly bringing its weapon to bear.

"Now, Ami-chan!"

Both Makoto's Panzer IV and Riko's STuG let loose at the same instant, firing downward into the first Tiger's most vulnerable spot. The well-aimed rounds struck home, blowing the engine cover completely off the tank and mangling the powerplant beneath. A white flag sprang from atop its turret, though there was no time to celebrate its welcome appearance.

"It's dead! Back us up, Minako-chan!"

The pair of Ooarai tanks began reversing swiftly up the grade, while in the radio operator's seat, Usagi grimaced and stepped on her machine gun's floor-mounted trigger, swinging the light-caliber weapon wildly from side to side.

"Ahhh! Take this!" the odango-haired girl screamed as her gun chattered like a loud sewing machine. "Hai! Here, have some more!"

Rei burst out laughing as she slid another round into the empty breech. "Usagi thinks she's Rambo now!"

"Shoot higher, Usagi-chan!" Makoto yelled into her throat microphone. "Most of your rounds are hitting the street!"

"Oh! Hai!" The blonde corrected her aim and bullets began plinking off the second Tiger's thick armor.

The Kuromorimine heavy tank's long barrel thundered in reply, its shell cratering the ramp less than a meter in front of her retreating Panzer, fracturing the concrete with a deep, jagged hole and raining chunks of cement down upon the two Ooarai tanks.

Usagi released the machine gun's trigger and sat back, her eyes wide. "Ohh! Minna, I think I made them really mad!"

. . . . .