Chapter 2: Taking The Reins
"So, everybody ready?"
There was a not-so-resounding "Yes!", or "Yes.", or "Yeah, okay...".
"Alright then, episode two of Art Of Panzer, commences...now!"
(Intro starts [yes i'm too lazy to actually type it out shut up].)
"Oh, this is different," Hana commented.
"Pilot episodes usually don't have intro sequences," Darjeeling explained.
Everyone waited patiently for the intro to finish.
(Scene starts off from the previous episode, in the garage where the T95 was still sitting, with the students in overalls and coveralls working on it.)
"Episode 2: This Is Your Tank, Use It!"
Fiona: Only one?
James: Hmm, with all the members here, including us, we could actually field up to...six or seven tanks.
"That's more than what we started out with," said Saori.
"They certainly did a better job, didn't they?" said Miho.
"But it's still no good if they can't find more tanks to field," Erika commented.
Sonia: Can we even work with this...rusted thing anyways?
Elizabeth: The Auto Shop Club said that they can at least replace the worn-out parts by tomorrow.
Esabella: Even so, we don't have the budget to purchase new tanks.
"Jeez, that voice is so monotonous. It's like that girl never smiled once in her life or something," said Kay.
James: The only way now is to try to locate the old tanks.
One of the girls: What does that even mean?
(At that moment, a girl walked into the garage. She was shorter than the rest, some by at least a head. She had her short, black hair done up in two small pigtails, and wore the same uniform as Elizabeth and Esabella. She was holding a large file over her head and slowly walked over to James.)
"Huh, she quite short," Darjeeling commented.
"Please don't let this be a Katyusha," said Erika.
Meanwhile...
"HA-CHOO!"
"Are you cold, Katyusha?"
"No, someone's probably thinking about how great Katyusha is!"
"If you say so."
"Probably not, she's doing work. Also, she's too tall. Definitely not a Katyusha," Kay joked.
James: Ah, perfect timing, Tina. (picks up the file) Now, this is a record of all the tanks the old Redshire Hills' Tankery Club operated. Most of them have already been sold off.
(Some of the students looked downcast.)
James: However, there are some reports of tanks gone missing. So there's a possibility that they are still around here.
Sonia: So where do you think we might find them then?
Regina: The reports labelled them as missing tanks, so obviously we know as mush as you do.
"Yeesh, she's a total ice queen, I just know it," Alisa commented.
Assam saw an opportunity, but decided to remain quiet. This joke was way too easy.
Sonia: What? How on earth are we going to find them?
Elizabeth: They're huge armoured boxes on treads, they're not that hard to find.
James: Well then, begin the search. Return here by lunchtime.
(The large group began streaming out of the garage, groaning and murmuring.)
Fiona: I guess we better go then.
Samson: Yeah.
(Fiona and her friends also leave the garage.)
"You know, this is kind of like how we started off," said Hana, "Beginning with a single tank and then searching for the rest."
"Yeah, it kind of is," said Saori.
(Scene changes to a forest, where Carla was searching. She was accompanied by three boys, the first had spiky, brown hair held up by a red bandana. He wore a white tank top with red patterns on it, and tight black pants tucked into a pair of brown combat boots. The second had long black hair with sunglasses perched on his forehead; he wore a off-white t-shirt with a skull symbol and the words "JOIN THE BLOODY REVOLUTION" along the top and bottom, jeans with a fake chain hanging from it and badly scuffed black sneakers. The third had also had spiky hair like the first, but it was dyed red and tucked into a black beanie. He wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, under a short-sleeved navy-blue jacket, grey pants with a few tears in it and black sneakers.)
"Their dress code must be really lax if they can dress up like that and get away with it," Kay commented.
Beanie boy: You think there might be one here, Carla?
Carla: There's gotta be one around here somewhere, I think.
Beanie boy: Well, that's comforting.
Sunglasses boy: Carla, we joined this club to ride in tanks, not look for them.
Carla: Hey, don't blame me, Nicky. That wasn't in the contract.
(While the rest were talking, the boy with the bandana pushed apart some bushes. His eyes widened and he turned around.)
Bandana boy: Hey, guys! I found one!
Beanie boy: You found one, Boss?
Bandana boy: Yep. Give 'em the call!
Nicky (the sunglasses boy): Okay. (takes out his phone.)
(Scene switches to the garages, where the Prefectorial Board members were. Elizabeth was on her handphone.)
Elizabeth: Hmm? The forest? Okay, we'll send them for it. (hangs up) They found one!
James: Which one did they find?
Elizabeth: They said they didn't know what kind of tank it was. But they said that it was smaller than the last one.
"It's probably a light tank, or an armoured car then?" Yukari suggested.
Regina: Well, at least they can get things done.
(Scene switches back to the forest, the group had gathered around a tank, which was sitting on its side at the bottom of a hill.)
"That's an FV107 Scimitar! An armoured reconnaissance vehicle used by the British Army, mounting a high velocity 30 mm L21 RARDEN cannon. It was issued to close reconnaissance squadrons of the Royal Armoured Corps armoured regiments, eight Scimitars for every five troops."
"But doesn't the Scimitar only have room for three crew members? There's four of them, how are they going to assign them?" Miho wondered.
"They'll probably assign them differently from how we did it," said Hana.
"Boss": Looks like someone had a bad time with this.
Carla: Yeah...
Beanie boy: ...
Sunglasses boy: ...
Carla: ...
"Boss": ...
Carla: I'll guess we'll just wait then...
(Scene switches to another part of the forest, where the trees were slightly more sparse. Danielle was accompanied by another girl, she was half a head shorter than Danielle and had shoulder length brownish-red hair tied into a pair of long, thin pigtails. She wore a white shoulderless shirt, black and crimson skirt, white knee-high socks and red sneakers.)
Red haired girl: Hmm, so if I was a tank, where would I be? Hmm, searching, searching, searching...
Danielle: Is that something you say to yourself all the time, Rebecca?
Rebecca: (shrugs) More than you know, less than you...
(Rebecca gets cut off as she, along with Danielle, falls forwards.)
"Less than...what exactly?" Alisa wondered.
"Guess we'll never know," Kay shrugged.
Danielle: Ow... (gets up) What the heck did we trip on?
(Camera points at the ground, revealing something half-buried in the ground.)
"Doesn't that look like..." Yukari started.
Rebecca: (gets up as well) It looks like a...metal pipe of some sort.
"That's not a metal pipe. That's..."
Danielle: Stupid pipe! (kicks it with an audible "CLANG!") Yeow!
Everyone winced at that, "That has got to hurt!" Kay commented.
"That's...a cannon barrel..."
Rebecca: Stupid...metal pipe? More like a metal barrel, or...
(Camera pans out, revealing a tank that's almost completed buried in the ground.)
Rebecca: A metal cannon! We found one!
"Yukarin, what tank is that?"
"Not sure, most of it is buried in the ground, so I can't quite tell. All I can say is that the gun is 105 mm in calibre."
"But most post-war tanks have 105 mm guns, so discerning what model it at the moment will be nigh impossible," said Maho.
Danielle: (hopping around in pain) Okay, let's go and... (falls over again) Ow...
Rebecca: Are you okay?
Danielle: Just peachy...
"Who even says that?" Erika shook her head.
(Scenes quickly change between three more locations, where three more tanks were discovered. One was stuck halfway up a tree, another was sitting in a pond and the last was found under a stone arch bridge.)
Yukari's face lit up, "Wow, a Centauro, a Leopard 1A5, and a T-10M too," she sighed, "Too bad we're not allowed to use them here, it would've be awesome."
Kay had a similar expression, "Same here..."
Alisa and Mako glanced at each other, and sighed.
(Scene changes to an overhead view of the garage, where all six tanks have been arranged in a row outside.)
"What's with the tank destroyer there?" Kay asked.
"The Centauro?" Alisa raised an eyebrow.
"No, the turretless one."
"That's not a tank destroyer. That's a Stridsvagn 103, also known as the S-Tank. It's a Swedish post-war main battle tank, easily recognisable with its turretless, low profile design. Despite this, the S-Tank is not considered a tank destroyer because its designated combat role matched those of other tanks within contemporary Swedish doctrine," Yukari explained.
"Oh, okay then."
James: Now, according to the records, we currently have a T95E1 medium tank, a B1 Centauro tank destroyer, a Leopard 1A5, an FV107 Scimitar light tank, a Stridsvagn 103B, and a T-10M heavy tank.
(Camera changes, faces the front of the T-10M.)
James: Now then, let's move on to the cleaning.
(Elizabeth walks to the front of the T-10M, and touches the front glacis plate.)
Elizabeth: (flinches) Ugh, it's all rusty and sticky!
(Camera changes, faces the T95 medium tank now. Sonia is on the turret roof, trying to pry open the hatch.)
Sonia: Gah! I can't get this thing open!
(Turret suddenly pops open.)
Sonia: Woah! Nearly fell off there.
Samson: Careful there, Sonia.
(Camera changes to the S-tank. Four girls are standing around it. The first was a redhead with a bob haircut. She wore a brown shirt, a green pleated skirt, matching socks, and black Mary Janes; she had a camera around her neck. The second had long black hair that went slightly lower than her shoulders, and covered her right eye. She wore a black knee-length dress, with an equally long violet coat, and violet boots. The third had boyishly short brown hair. She wore a blue tank top, blue checkered shirt, jeans, and black sneakers. The fourth had neck-length blonde hair. She wore a white dress shirt with a maroon tie tied loosely around the collar, brown and white checkered skirt and brown knee-high boots.)
Brown haired girl: This one's looks...funky...
Blonde girl: Hey, Mavis! Wasn't you dad like, some photographer during World War II or something? Did he see anything like this?
Mavis (the redhead): No. He retired long before anything like this came out. All he spotted were...what were they again? Tigers?
"So her father was somewhere on the German front?" Yukari wondered.
"Probably," Ritaiko shrugged.
Blonde girl: Yeah like, I have to agree with Nickie on this one. It looks kinda funky.
(Camera changes to the Centauro, Carla was standing on the engine deck while Nicky and the rest were walking around it.)
Nicky: Looks tough.
"Boss": (kicks one of the tires) Sturdy...but does it go bang?
"Of course it does! The Oto Melara 105 mm/52 caliber gyro-stabilized high-pressure low-recoil gun is no pushover! It's got a thermal sleeve, integrated fume extractor, Galileo Avionica TURMS fire control system, the works!" Yukari exclaimed.
(Camera changes back to the T95. Sonia sticks her head inside the turret, before reeling back with her hand over her mouth.)
Sonia: Ugh, it stinks.
Joseph: Well, this thing has been sitting around for years.
Fiona: We're going to have to clear out the rust, and air it out too. Maybe get the paint touched up too.
Sonia: Alright! Let's get to it!
"Hmm, this is bringing back memories," Hana smiled.
"It's only been a couple of months," Soari commented.
"Yes, but it has been a few memorable months."
"True..."
(Scene changes. Everyone, in more appropriate attire, is cleaning the tanks, including the Prefectorial Board members.)
Sonia: Hey! Don't splash water on me!
First year girl: Sorry!
Elizabeth: Who are you guys again?
(Camera slowly pans over to the rest of the tanks. There are two boys cleaning the Scimitar. The first had poofy black hair, with a pair of black framed glasses tucked into the collar of his shirt. The second had dirty blonde hair with buzz cut sides.)
Poofy haired boy: Stephen used Power Spray! It's super effective!
Blond haired boy: Tank is now clean! Stephen gained over 9000 XP!
Stephen: Stephen leveled up! Martin is now...diamonds!
Martin: Wait, what?
Stephen: (stifles laugh) Sorry, that went a little crazy there.
Martin: Right...
Regina: Can you two quit it and focus on the task at hand?
"Yep, totally ice queen."
Stephen: Alright, alright. Jeez, steady on, we'll get this done.
Martin: Doesn't mean we can't have fun as well.
"So I suppose they're the 'eccentric' ones of the English?" Darjeeling asked.
"Sooo, basically, like you?" Kay smirked.
Darjeeling went quiet, for a while, "I...don't know what you're talking about..."
Pekoe and Assam just sighs.
Nicky: Carla, we joined this club to ride in tanks, not wash them.
Carla: Hey, don't blame me, Nicky. That wasn't in the contract.
Nicky: Why does this sound familiar?
"Boss": Come on guys, don't slack off. We don't want them to think we Rock Band Club members are just some layabouts.
"Who even says 'layabout' these days?" Erika facepalmed, again.
"Boss": We're hardcore...to the core...and the bone...yeah...
Carla: You try too hard, Boss.
Nicky: Yeah...
James: Okay, good job everyone.
Elizabeth: I've never done anything like this before. Being a prefect doesn't really allow you to get down on your knees and work to the bone!
Esabella: Only you can find excitement in things like this...
Elizabeth: Oh cheer up, sis!
(Timeskip to the end of the day, the sun is almost setting. The camera pans across all the tanks, almost perfectly clean, before stopping in front of the T95 where Fiona and the rest looked exhausted.)
Sonia: I'm so tired...
Samson: Me too...
Joseph: Me three...
James: (sighs) Good job, everyone. We'll have the Auto Shop Club handle the rest. You may all go.
Elizabeth: Rest...rest up well...I know...I need to... (collapses)
James: Our instructor will arrive on Monday, have a good night's rest the day before, and eat up well before coming. Don't eat too much though, I don't want anyone getting sick during training.
(Everyone sighs and groans as they disperse and leave.)
Joseph: Heh, can't wait for Monday. You?
Sonia: Yep...woo hoo...
Samson: I think I'm gonna take a shower.
Fiona: Yeah, me too...My everything is sore.
"Your everything?"
"It means your entire body, Maho," Kay replied.
(Scene changes to the trio's dormitory room. The digital clock on the nightstand reads "8:12 AM" and "Monday".)
"Huh? Wednesday already?" Alisa exclaimed.
"It's called a timeskip. It's used to quickly progress and develop events without getting bogged down in irrelevant or uninteresting details," Darjeeling explained.
"You sure have some knowledge when it comes to television, Darjeeling," Kay commented.
"I have garnered an interest as of late."
(A hand reaches out to grasp the clock, turns it sideways, before tossing it aside in alarm.)
Samson: We're going to be late!
Fiona: What!?
Sonia: What?!
(Scene changes to the streets, where the trio are sprinting towards the school.)
Sonia: How can you forget to set your alarm?
Samson: I just...forgot, okay?
Fiona: (groans) The one time...the one time...
(They suddenly stop.)
Sonia: Wait, who's that?
(Camera switches to their point of view. A girl is slowly walking down the sidewalk, apparently fatigued and struggling to keep walking. She had shoulder-length black hair with a white carnation pinned in her hair. She wore a short green dress with a yellow sash tied around the waist, white pants and black strap heels.)
"Hey, that girl...doesn't she resemble Mako a bit?" Saori pointed out.
"She...actually kind of does..." said Miho.
Samson: Umm, are you alright?
(The girl stops, still looking unsteady.)
Black haired girl: It's...painful...
Fiona: Huh?
Sonia: What?
Black haired girl: (sighs) I can't go on like this...
Fiona: Erm...
Samson: You...need any help?
Black haired girl: But...I have to go...
Sonia: Hello? Over here?
Samson: Yeah, I think she needs help...
"Yep, definitely like Mako," Soari sweatdropped.
(Scene changes to the school gates, Regina is standing there with a clipboard in hand.)
Regina: Hmpf, you again.
(Fiona, Sonia, and Samson walk into view. Samson has one of the girl's arms over his shoulder.)
Regina: Miss Adrianne, your latest string of tardiness amongst all your other strings of tardiness is simply...disgraceful...at the very least. Disgraceful for someone of your calibre.
Fiona: Sorry, Regina. We...
Regina: Of course, I expected Miss Adrianne, but you three too? (sighs) Look, I'll let you three off with a warning. As for Miss Adrianne, you caught me in a good mood today. I'll let you off, as well.
"That was...surprising kind of her," Mako commented.
Adrianne: That was surprising kind of you, Miss Eiss...
Mako felt thirteen pairs of eyes stare at her.
She wisely decided to remain silent.
Regina: Don't make me change my mind, Miss Adrianne. Don't think that just because you're one of our school's honor students means that you can get a free pass in things like this.
Adrianne: Yes, Miss Eiss...
Regina: Oh, one more thing. If any of you three see her on the way to school, do yourselves a favor and just leave her.
Sonia: Uhhhhh, okay?
(The four walk inside the school, with Samson still supporting the girl.)
Adrianne: Sorry for causing a bother...
Samson: Huh? Not...not at all. It's fine.
Adrianne: I'll pay you three back...eventually...
(Timeskip to the afternoon, where everyone had gathered in front of the garages.)
Danielle: So, I heard you three were late. What happened this time?
Samson: Oh, that? We just overslept, nothing really.
Danielle: Doesn't seem like you three are the only one, where's that instructor guy?
James: Hmm, should be arriving right about...
(As if on cue, a large military jet flew overhead. As it flew over the garages, a beige coloured tank secured to a large metal tray was dropped out the back, careening down the field before coming to a stop.)
"Wow! Talk about an entrance," Kay exclaimed.
"A tad bit unnecessary, don't you think?" Darjeeling asked.
Erika huffed, "A bit too unnecessary."
Elizabeth: Sweet mother of heck!
Esabella: Can't you express your shock in a more...normal manner?
(The tank reverses out of the tray and speeds towards the group, before coming to a stop.)
"A Chieftain Mk. 11, the most formidable main battle tank in the world. At the time of its introduction in 1966, it had the most powerful main gun and most effective armour of any tank yet made!" said Yukari, amazed.
"It does look pretty strong," Hana commented.
(A hatch on the turret pops open, and a man in tank overalls emerges. He had short black hair, tucked under a beret, and some stubble on his chin.)
Saori looked dejected, "Why do they get the male instructor?"
"You're still hung up on that?" Hana asked.
Everyone else decided not to pay any attention.
?: Well, hello there.
(Gasps and muttering can be heard, as the man climbs out of the tank and marches over to the front of the group.)
James: Everyone, I'd like you to meet Claude Anderson. He's been kind enough to join us today to help us with training.
Claude: Nice to meet you all! Now then, I heard that a certain school had reinstated its Tankery club, and that there are a lot of members doing it for the first time. Am I correct?
(There was some more muttering, and only a handful saying "Yes.".)
Claude: Ahem, atten-shun!
(Everyone stopped, and stood upright.)
Claude: Now, I want to hear a "yes" and the next word should be "sir" and it will be loud! Do you understand?
(Everyone shouts "Yes, sir!".)
Claude: Perfect.
Beanie boy: Erm, can I uh...ask a question...sir?
Claude: Permission granted, go on.
Beanie boy: Are you...uh...popular with the girls? I mean, you being a military guy and all. Don't girls go for big, strong guys?
(Claude mulled over this, for a moment.)
Claude: Well, first of all. By "girls", you mean "women" right? Well, I'm not willing to divulge my love life. But I can say that I'm happily married, that is all.
Joseph: Sir! What are we going to do for practice today?
Claude: Huh, let me see...You have tanks, you have crew members, and you have a battlefield, courtesy of your "student council".
Elizabeth: It's a Prefectorial Board!
Claude: So, what's missing is? Hmm...
Sonia: Umm, sir? What are we missing?
Claude: Ah hah! That's it! We're missing a battle! So, everyone to your vehicles!
Carla: Wait, what?
James: Excuse me?
Samson: Huh?
(There was confusion and surprise among the group.)
"Just like our instructor, having a mock battle right away as practice, even when we're all new to shensha-do," Yukari mumbled.
"Wait, your instructor did what?" Erika asked.
Elizabeth: Sir? Are you certain that this is a good idea?
Claude: No problem. After all, if you all get your hands on the controls first. I'll know what certain areas you all need to work on. Plus, you'll all gain hands-on experience, never a bad thing.
"You know, this hands-on approach doesn't sound too bad. Right, Alisa?" Kay asked.
Alisa stayed quiet.
"Naomi?"
Naomi stayed quiet.
"Come on, it can't be that bad."
"We tried that already," Naomi replied.
"And it was that bad," Alisa added.
"What are you talkin...oh...right..."
"What are they talking about?" Pekoe wondered.
"It's probably best to not divulge, for now," Darjeeling replied.
Claude: Now, all of you, to your vehicles!
(Nobody moved.)
"That...was a bit anticlimactic," Saori commented.
Claude: Uh, have you assigned your teams yet?
James: Truthfully, we didn't actually have time to do so.
Claude: (sighs) Alright then, I'll do it.
(As Claude assigns each tank to a team, the scene transitions from one tank to another, with the crew members displayed next to it.)
Claude: Team A (the Prefectorial Board members), the T-10M. Team B (Mavis' group), the Leopard 1A5. Team C (Fiona's group), the T95 medium. Team D (Carla's group), the Centauro. Team E (Stephen and Martin), the Scimitar. And Team F (Danielle and Rebecca), the S-tank.
First year boy: Wait! What about us?
Claude: Hmm, I suppose you lot will have to sit out for now.
First year girl: What?!
Claude: Now, assign a role for each crew member. It can be any of four roles, a commander, a gunner, a loader, and a driver. Some tanks will have crew members that perform multiple roles, take note of that.
Rebecca: Umm, Sir! We only have two people here, how do we assign ourselves?
Claude: Well, the S-tank does have a unique crew layout. An S-tank can hold three crew members, but it can still operate with only two. One of you will be the commander and the other, the driver. The tank has an autoloading system which eliminates the need for a loader, and the driver also takes the role of the gunner.
"Hmm, I've never heard of a tank where the driver also took the role of a gunner," said Maho.
"That's the S-tank for you. It's unique in so many ways, and it just doesn't conform with the norms," said Yukari.
Rebecca: What?
Claude: Good luck.
Rebecca: ...What?
(Camera changes to the T95, where Fiona and the rest were on the engine deck.)
Sonia: What? I have no clue what's going on! What do we do?
Samson: Well, we have four people here. So that means everyone only needs to perform one role. I'll take the loader position, it'll probably require a lot of upper body strength.
"It does require some strength, I have felt a bit stronger after taking up the shensha-do as a loader," Pekoe commented.
"Well, I have gotten stronger too. But that's more of because I was the only one in my crew that could fix the tracks..." said Ritaiko.
"I think we all get stronger, just in our own ways, right Oddball?"
"Right!"
Joseph: Well, in that case, I suppose I'll be the driver.
Fiona: That leaves the commander and gunner for me and Sonia.
"Sonia and I," Alisa corrected.
"Oh shut up, Alisa. What are you, the grammar police?" Kay joked.
"Hey!"
Sonia: Then who will be who?
Fiona: Sonia, didn't you take archery a while back?
Sonia: Huh? But that was only a trial period, and this is completely different.
Fiona: So you'd rather be the commander then?
Sonia: I...uh...alright, I'll be the gunner.
Fiona: And that leaves me as the commander.
(Camera switches to the Leopard, Mavis and her group were walking around it.)
Brown haired girl: How in the world do you drive this thing?
Blonde girl: I'll ask my friends on the web! (takes out handphone)
Long haired girl: Are you sure this is safe?
Mavis: Don't worry, Darcy. We'll be fine, I'm sure of it.
Darcy: Oh, okay...
(Camera switches to the Centauro. Carla's group was staring up at its side.)
Nicky: Finally, we get to ride this thing. Now, how do we get up?
"Boss": Huh...
(Carla walks up to the side of the Centauro.)
Carla: I can give you guys a boost if you need to.
Beanie boy: Are you sure?
Carla: Hugh, I'm sure. Now, who wants to go first?
(Camera switches to the T-10M.)
Elizabeth: I gave the interior a once over. It's manageable, but the driver's seat is pretty cramped.
James: Then who's going to be our driver.
(Everyone turns to look at Tina. Dotted lines appear, indicating how short Tina was compared to the rest. Tina looked to her left, then to her right, and then pointed to herself. The rest nodded.)
James: Oh, by the way, Regina. There's no room for you in the tank.
Regina: What? Then what do I do then?
Esabella: You can join...them.
(Esabella points to Stephen and Martin, who were near the Scimitar. Stephen was wearing his glasses this time, as well as a white shirt with random scribbles and doodles all over it, brown cargo shorts, and blue sneakers. Martin wore a grey pullover shirt, blue corduroy pants, and red sneakers.)
Regina: You can't be serious.
Elizabeth: Well, go ahead. They need an extra crew member after all.
Regina: (sighs in exasperation)
(Camera switches back to the Leopard.)
Blonde girl: Hey, I got replies!
Brown haired girl: Well, what do they say?
Blonde girl: Let me see. "I have no idea what you're talking about, sorry.", "Just Google it!", "Start by..." oh god...
"What did her friend say?" Miho wondered.
"Judging by her expression, I think it's best we didn't know..." Kay replied.
Mavis: What?
Blonde girl: Nope! Nothing at all. I guess we have to like, figure this out ourselves.
(Camera changes back to the T95, Fiona is seen entering the turret, the rest a presumably inside already. Camera then changes to the interior, Joseph is in the driver's seat, Sonia's on the gun and Samson sat near the ammunition.)
Joseph: Smells like...metal.
"Real surprising," Erika drawled.
Sonia: I'm excited...but also a little nervous too...
(Suddenly, the radio crackled to life.)
Claude (radio): Ahem, checking, checking, one, two. If you can hear me, start your tanks up!
(Camera changes to the inside of the T-10M. Tina is in the driver's seat with a manual on her lap.)
Tina: So, start by...starting the ignition...hmm...this one...
(Camera briefly switches to the outside, where the T-10M's engine starts up with a mighty roar, before winding down a bit.)
"Wow, that sound..." said Yukari.
Elizabeth: That's a healthy sound.
Tina: Now...switch to first gear...this lever here...oof...it's stiff...
James: Everything alright there, Tina?
Tina: No...I'm...fine...wah!
(The lever wrenches free, which sends the T-10M rolling backwards.)
Elizabeth: Wha..what? We're going backwards!
James: Stop!
(Tina manages to stop the T-10M, just short of the back wall of the garage.)
Tina: Phew...sorry about that.
James: It's alright. Now, take it easy and move out.
Tina: Okay.
(The T-10M slowly moves out of the garage, along with the S-tank. Camera pans over to the T95, before switching to the view of the interior again. Joseph is flipping through a manual.)
Fiona: Are you looking for a certain page, Joseph? You're flipping through that book pretty quickly.
Joseph: No. I'm a speed-reader and I've got photographic memory.
Samson: That seems a bit too convenient.
"So...Mako, is that how you learned how to drive the Panzer IV," Saori asked.
Mako still remained silent.
"Come on, we promise not to talk about...that."
(Joseph tosses the manual aside, and gets the T95 moving immediately. Meanwhile, in the Centauro...)
"Boss": Hey, look. They're all going already. Nicky?
Nicky: Don't worry, I...got this.
(The Centauro lurches forwards, before stopping.)
Hugh: Huh? Did it stall?
Cue simultaneous jaw-dropping and facepalming.
"Wha...how?" Yukari was in disbelief, "How do you stall an Iveco V6 with an automatic transmission?"
"Apparently, only he knows how..." Alisa groaned.
Nicky: Hang on.
(The Centauro's engine starts up again, and the tank destroyer slowly and unsteadily made its way out of the garage.)
"I guess that makes him the opposite of Mako," Saori commented.
"Still, how...how do you..."
"Yukarin, I think you should stop."
Carla: How do you even...
"Exactly!"
(Camera switches to an overhead view, showing all the tanks moving out of the field, and towards a forest.)
"Alright! Here we go!" Kay exclaimed.
Elizabeth: It's so shaky in here!
Blonde girl: These controls are so heavy!
Claude (radio): Okay, there should be a map inside each tank with your starting positions marked out. I want all tanks to head for each starting position and await further instructions.
(Scene changes to inside the forest, the Centauro can be seen heading towards the camera.)
Carla: Watch the tree!
(The Centauro crashes into a large tree.)
All: Ow!
"Boss": Nicky, I know I told you to be like a maniac on stage, but stop driving like a maniac!
Nicky: Sorry! This is a lot harder than it looks!
(Camera switches to another part of the forest, the T-10M passes by the camera.)
Tina: This actually isn't too hard, once you get the hang of it.
James: Hey, Tina. Don't get too cocky, okay?
Elizabeth: Yeah, we don't need another Napoleon around here.
Esabella: Napoleon was male.
Elizabeth: Sis...
(Camera switches to the S-tank.)
Rebecca: Hoo boy, driving is one thing, but how do I work this cannon?
Danielle: You'll be fine.
(Scene changes back to the garages, Claude is in a watchtower near the garages, with a radio and binoculars in hand. The tanks can be seen stopping in different locations.)
Claude: Alright! Everyone is in position. Good! But movement is just one half of Tankery, there will be combat as well. That being said, I'll give you all some simple rules. The last tank standing is the winner, a tank is considered "inoperable" if a white flag pops out. A tank will be rendered "inoperable" if it gets hit by a penetrating hit, so aim carefully. You are not to shoot if there is someone outside of the vehicle. Otherwise, feel free to shoot up a storm!
"A white flag? Like how it works in shensha-do?" Miho asked.
"Well, it is a sport about tanks, so it's bound to have similarities with shensha-do," Kay replied.
James: Well, okay then...
Tina: That's not exactly the tone of voice I want to hear from the Head Prefect...
Claude: "Tankery begins, with respect for your opponents, and will end in the same way.". Let us not forget about the core values of Tankery. "Honor", "Valour", "Perseverance", "Respect". Let's have a good, fair fight. Is everyone ready?
Fiona: Team C here, we're ready!
Regina: Team E, prepared for battle.
Carla: Team D, good to go!
James: Team A, ready.
Mavis: Team B is ready.
Danielle: Team F, ready to roll!
Claude: Okay. Panzer Vor!
(Outro begins.)
"What? Cliffhanger? Oh...well, anyone need a break or something?" Kay asked.
"No, we're good," Miho replied.
"Same here," Darjeeling added.
"You may start the next episode," said Maho.
"Alright!"