Author's Note

I know what you all are thinking. Finally he has gotten around to putting up an update! I know I know. I probably maybe have a chance of having some issues with keeping to my schedule...Probably...Again I am sorry for the delay...you guys probably got bored of apologies at this point right? Heh...

On a separate note, it is Chinese New Year so Happy Chinese New Year to all the Chinese readers there. Actually are any of you Chinese? would be awkward if I wished it and none of you are. Well I am Chinese so I am wishing it regardless. and pipe down I can already hear the gasps of disbelief from you guys. An Asian who is this lazy at updates and stuff? Is it even possible? That is what you guys are thinking am I right? Well I defy that stereotype so there you go.

I am guessing that you guys probably lost interest by the first sentence so I should probably shut up now. Again reviews would be appreciated. Enjoy the story!

Chapter 8

It has been two weeks since our match with Hera High's Senshado team. Ever since then our training has kicked into full gear. Within that time we learned the perks of every tank. From the degree of turret rotation per second to the rate of acceleration of each tank. Everyone made sure to know their tank inside and out. After hours of training sessions we would spend time on the maintenance to keep the tanks in working order.

Both the training and maintenance were back breaking work and everyone would complain of fatigue the next day but when time comes to train again no one miss a session. In all honesty everyone welcomed the change of pace from what they were doing before this. Most were going through their punishment while others just isolated their group from the rest of the school. This is understandable as we were usually the targets for verbal abuse and the like as we had, for the lack of a better phrasing, tarnished the school's reputation for victory. That doesn't sit well with most of the students in the school and hence their hatred for us. In some way, the club is like a form of safe haven where we can get away from all of it and enjoy being regular students. But it was also a double edge sword since it is another topic used to ridicule us, as it is a female sport and all that.

With that being mentioned, it's not all smooth sailing for us. As I soon find out, bringing together people with different interest for the same cause is not without its shortcomings. Trivial matters such as disagreement in music, punctuality and even food are a few of many that comes to mind. Though these idiotic disagreement would flare up into heated argument at times we would always laugh it off in a blink of an eye and no one really takes such things seriously. And that is the situation I find myself in when I entered the garage. Two of my team members arguing on the music to be played while we prep our vehicles for the day's practice.

This is my life now. Settling disputes on the music to listen to or whether carbonara or bolognaise is the better sauce.

"Can't we just play both?" I asked tiresomely.

"But which one goes first!?" Both of the disputing party yelled out loud.

"For god sake decide on a coin toss and be done with it!" I snapped at the top of my lungs.

"Hey Keiji. I've been meaning to ask. Don't you feel stressed yelling like that all the time? Are you happy like this? You should learned to relax more. It can do wonders to your mental and physical health." One of of the disputing party asked almost casual like.

"Ya. If you keep this up you may end up popping a blood vessel." The other guy added. All I could do is stare at them while my right eye twitches as I try not to strangle them.

What did I do in my previous life to deserve this?

After a quick preparation with both songs being played, we went about practicing large scale manoeuvres and obstacle course driving. Though we are on a school carrier, we were lucky that ours have plenty of open space. So when it comes to the question of having a big area enough to practice in, the answer is as simple as Mr Kenshin drawing out a rectangle on the school map and declaring it ours to practice in. And that is exactly what happened. It was so nonchalant I begin to wonder is the school going to be alright being run by him. But then again he has been running the school for ten years so he must be doing something right.

After the joint practice, we went about with our own individual practice. Fukuda and his crew practiced on long range fire and shoot and scoot tactics in his Jagdpanzer while Tetsuo his crew practice their vehicle handling and firing on the move together with Ryoji and his crew in the T-34 and Satou and his crew practiced urban combat. Me and my group went about the whole training area helping each team in turn, giving them advice and act as their adversary if needed.

"Hey Keiji! You done with your practice?" Suzaku asked in the garage as we were cleaning up our tanks.

"Yeah we just got off. What up?"

"Just here to see how you're doing. Heard you got yourself a match." Suzaku commented.

"Yeah. The old man got a message from Saunders a few days ago asking to have a match with us." I said as I recalled the message. "Actually it was more like a challenge."

"Should make for a interesting match. So how are things progressing?"

"The usual I guess. Everyone is getting along and so on."

"Then why do you looked so tired?" Suzaku asked sceptically.

"Have you seen the disputes these people have? Any sane man would have strangled them by now."

"So you are saying that you're insane?"

"I am driven to insanity by them." I said and the two of us share a laugh together.

"Hey, if you need any advice on how to run a club you can-" Suzaku said halfway when the commotion near the entrance caught his attention. "Looks like you have some company."

"Apparently so." I said as I excused myself. As I got nearer, the angry shouts became clearer and more heated and threats and insults starts flying back and forth.

"Bitch! I will cave your head in if you open that mouth of yours again!" Satou's voice came from the other side of the door as I reached it and and opened it. He always have a short fuse for people who antagonised him or his friends. And he would not hesitate to bring his fist up either. Brings back memories of our time facing off bullies when we were younger.

"Can you even do that you coward? And was I wrong!? None of you deserve to be here! You are all a disgrace to the school!"

"Alright, what's the problem here?" I said interrupting the ongoing conflict outside the garage and signalled Satou and the others to stand down and let me handle it. It was Senji and his buddies again. Though we tend to get shot at from time to time by other students, Senji's group and a few others would make it their life mission antagonise us whenever possible. One could say that that the higher powers up in heaven decided that there is not enough conflict as things are and proceeded to dump another truck load of it at us. "Here for your obligatory visit of the day Senji? We were wondering when you would show up."

"Ah, the great shame of the school is here guys." Senji said as he gestured to me for his friends earning shouts of approvals from them. "You know I always have question about your manhood but seeing you doing Senshado really explains a lot. I mean why else would a man?"

"Charming. I have been meaning to ask, are you and your buddies purposely taking time out of your schedule to come at us or do you guys have that little of a social life and are so desperate for human interaction that you come here to see us?" I asked in an overly patronizing manner. "If you guys just want interaction all you have to do is ask and we would be happy to introduce you guys to a boulder we have behind the garage. It has such a wonderful personality that I am sure that you guys would get along swellingly."

"Say what you like trash, but the fact remains that you are nothing but a worthless waste of space." Senji said stepping forward to get in my face. He then brought up his right hand and jabbed at my chest with his index finger. "And you have brought together the garbage of the school to try and save them from expulsion is laughable. They are nothing but failures and failures does not deserve to even be on this boat. If not for the old man shielding all of you would be out of the school long ago."

"This will be my only warning. Take back what you said about everyone."

"Or else what? You going to hit me and get booted out of the school? As if you have enough balls to do that. Laying a hand on a fellow student at this point in time will be the end of you." Senji said dusting my chest with his right hand to prove the point.

I just tilted my head and gave a harmless happy smile in response. Senji wanted to continue his fun but he only went as far as to open his mouth. Before he could utter a word, I had my right leg hooking his and pulling it back off balancing him. At the same time I had my left hand holding onto his right arm as my right hand is on his chest pushing him down on the ground. Normally this is used to defend against attackers and may even give them a concussion if done in a certain way but this time around I made sure to apply just enough force to knock the wind out of him when he hits the ground. As Senji catches his breath, I kneel down to his level with my right leg on his chest.

"You see Senji here's a little thing about me that you should know. I have no problem with people insulting me in every possible way known to man. I would usually just brush it off as if it was nothing. But if you were to take a shot at any of my friends here, you better make sure " I said still maintaining my cheerful smile. "But if you were to so much as to take even an insulting glance at any of my friends then we would have a problem. And I am not saying the me pushing you down on the ground problem but more of a me putting you in a hospital problem. Do not for a second think that disciplinary action is enough to protect you from what I want to do with you. Got that Senji?"

After saying my piece I got up and stepped back and took a deep breath. Finally paying attention for the first time in a few seconds, I noticed that my tank crews together with Satou stood in a line in front of me ready to throw down with Senji's friends. They formed a barrier between me and Senji's friends who were on edge since I took down their buddy. Soujiro casually glance over his shoulder and gave me a thumbs up showing that they have got my back. I replied with a smug smile and a nod.

Sometimes they drive me mad but they can be great friends at times.

Senji quickly stumble away from me to his friends as they glared at me as if they were going in for a scrap with us. As if on cue, the rest of the club members stepped forward and glared back at them. There is only so much a person could take and at that moment we decided that we have had enough. Even though we tried to accept that it's the price we pay for going against the school's norm, we decided that we would take no more from our schoolmates. And why should we? We did what we did for the sake of the school. Well, everyone except for Ryoji and his crew. They did it to liven up the school and to earn a bit on the side. But my point is that the people in this school needs to wake up. The founder of this school envision a school where students would always give their best and be proud of that effort and not a school where everyone only endeavor for victory. The way things are at this moment is an insult to all that the founder, Mr Kenshin and me and my friends stood for.

Back to the stand off at hand, numerical wise we have at least triple their number and a straight up brawl with no tactics would favour the side with more people. Senji seems to have understood that and that he has stumbled into a hornet's nest with his proverbial pants down. But still wanting to save some face, not that there is any face for him to save to begin with, he dusted himself off with a look of disgusts directed at me.

"You better watch it Shinamura. This isn't over." Senji said pointing at me. He then turn around and signalled his group that they were leaving.

"So...we are all your friends now?" Satou ask breaking the lingering tension after that annoying bunch has left. Looking at him, I noticed that everyone is looking at me.

"Of course. All of you here are my friends. My comrades in arms. And I would trust all of you with my back." I said to everyone and received a warm smile from each one of them. "All except for you Satou. You are like my...what's the word...uh...how do I put this delicately... my dog I guess? Yeah, that fits perfectly . You're like my dog and I wouldn't even trust you with my lunch." I added jokingly and eveyone laughed at it.

"You are a cruel man Keiji." Satou said chuckling as he flipped me off.

"I learned that from you." I replied as I returned the favour. "Alright guys let's finish up here and go. I really need a shower after touching that flith." I said and got a chorus of agreement.

"Glad to see that the you even have the assholes handled." Suzaku said once the activity in the garage returned to normal.

"At some point I do have to put my foot down. It was just coincidence that it landed on Senji." I said with a shrug.

"Well I got to be going. Good luck prepping for your match." Suzaku said as he leaves.

"Oi Keiji are you just going to sit on you ass the whole day!? The tank ain't going to clean itself!" Kyoji yelled at me and earned a few joking insults from the other guys in the garage.

Sometimes I wonder if I should love them or strangle them.