Chapter 4: The Tournament Arc
Honestly, Erika had no idea how she got pulled into this.
Well, the show wasn't too bad, actually.
The same could not be said for the antics happening around her...and to her.
And there was still a handful of episodes to go through.
Well, at least the show was enjoyable.
Maybe.
"You took quite a while, Erika," said Kay.
"Let's just get this over with."
(Episode starts at the open field from last episode. The S-tank drives up in front of the camera. The Leopard can be seen in the distance.)
Rebecca: That's tiny...
Danielle: Hey, are you sure about this?
Mavis (radio): Yeah, Mellissa looked up on the web, and said that the gun on the S-tank should be able to hit targets at 1200 metres. So, we're at 1200 metres right now.
Danielle: Okay, Rebecca? You think you can do this?
Rebecca: Yeah!
Danielle: Alright.
(The S-tank turns to face the Leopard, and immediately fires.)
"They didn't even aim properly," Yukari shook her head.
(The shot misses completely. The Leopard's gun fires, shot connects, and bounces off the angled front of the S-tank with a loud "CLANG!".)
Rebecca: That...was a bullseye.
Danielle: My ears are ringing...
Mavis (radio): Aim your shots carefully, you don't have an unlimited supply of ammunition. Oh, and try to minimise the amount of time you remain stationary after firing.
Danielle: Okay...
(The S-tank drives off. Camera changes to a hill overlooking the field. The T-10M is parked there, with the Prefectorial Board members watching the other teams practise.)
Tina: James, I have the accuracy evaluations from all of our training sessions, and...well...
James: How is it?
Tina: Well, at a distance of around 1000 metres, our team had a 61% hit rate, Team B had 63%, Team C got 58%, Team D, 59%, Team E, 42%, and finally, Team F got 55%.
"So the team in the Leopard got the highest accuracy, while the one in the Scimitar, the lowest," said Erika.
"Then again, the Scimitar is armed with an autocannon. Not really the best gun for long distance shooting," said Yukari.
Elizabeth: Not exactly good numbers, aren't they?
James: We're leaving on Wednesday, we'll just have to make do with it.
(Just then, Adrianne walks up to the group.)
Adrianne: I've decided.
James: Oh, hello Adrianne. You've decided what?
Adrianne: I'm taking Tankery.
(Intro starts)
"This is starting to get interesting," Kay commented, now on her second bag of popcorn.
(Scene changes to James' office, all the tank commanders were assembled there, either sitting on the armchairs or standing around. Elizabeth was standing in front of a whiteboard, with words, arrows and all kinds of scribbles all over it.)
"Episode 4: Onwards To the Tournament!"
Elizabeth: -and then, we shall lure them into..."The Kill Zone"-
(Elizabeth smacks her hand against the whiteboard, over an area marked out "KILL ZONE".)
Elizabeth: -and blow them to kingdom come!
(Her words were met...with no words at all.)
"All right, jeez. Calm down," said Alisa.
Yukari turned to Miho, "Say, doesn't this strategy look...familiar?"
Miho nodded, "It's the same strategy that we used against St. Gloriana, right?"
"I'll admit, it was clever to lure us into a close-range engagement, though your execution was a bit...off," said Darjeeling.
Elizabeth: Hey! It'll work! Trust me, I saw it a movie once!
"I guess she must be a big fan of military movies," Kay commented.
Danielle: You sure?
Regina: I'd like to point out a few...issues with your strategy. Firstly, how do we ensure that the enemy team will drive within close-range of our tanks? Secondly, where is this so-called "zone" going to be?
Elizabeth: It's "The Kill Zone", and...and uh...I...didn't think that far ahead, didn't I?
Regina: No, you didn't.
"Total...ice queen," said Alisa.
James: We don't know what environment we're going to be fighting in. They'll only tell us during the pre-match briefing.
Mavis: Well, at least we have something to start with. Now, I think we need someone to bait the enemy into our..."kill zone"-
Elizabeth: "The Kill Zone".
Mavis: -then we fire at them all at once.
Elizabeth: That's what I said!
Fiona: So, who's going to be the bait?
Danielle: I think Regina here would be so gracious to volunteer her team for it.
Regina: Hey, quiet you congenitally clueless simpleton.
"Hmm, that is quite the colourful insult," Darjeeling commented.
"That was an insult, right?" Kay asked.
"Kay, you shouldn't have said that," said Alisa.
"Why?"
Danielle: That was an insult, right?
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...why does this keep happening to us?" Erika groaned.
Danielle: I feel insulted so I'm gonna assume that it was an insult.
Regina: I didn't realise you knew what "assume" meant.
Danielle: Why, I oughta...
"Boss": Okay, break it up you two. As much as I like to see a catfight-
Danielle: What...
Regina: Excuse me?!
"Boss": -now's not a good time.
Danielle: Yeah, sure thing...what's your name again?
"Boss": Clifford Beville, Clifford...Beville, you got that, right?
Regina: Talking slowly won't make her understand her better.
Danielle: Hey!
James: Moving along now! I think Regina's team would be the most suitable candidate to bait the enemy.
Regina: With all do respect, sir. Why do you think so?
James: The Scimitar light tank is the most agile vehicle out of our entire line-up, plus it's also the smallest and hardest to hit. We need the bait to still be active up until they reach the engagement zone.
Elizabeth: "The Kill-"
Esabella: Elizabeth, just stop.
James: Of course, we still need your consent, Regina. As the commander of your team, you have to be willing to do this. So, are you willing to do this?
(Regina thought about it for a moment.)
Regina: Very well, for the sake of our team, I'll do it.
Fiona: Okay, that's settled. But, where's our "kill zone" going to be?
James: That will have to wait until the tournament. So, I suppose this is the end of our strategy meeting.
Clifford: About time, see you guys later.
(Clifford gets up from his seat and walks out.)
Fiona: Well, see you all on Wednesday.
(Fiona walks out of the office, followed by the rest.)
Mavis: Make sure to get plenty of rest the day before.
Danielle: Yeah, yeah, whatever.
(The Prefectorial Board members stayed.)
Elizabeth: You think it'll work, right?
Esabella: You're unsure?
James: I think...we should just hope for the best.
Regina: Well, I shall take my leave now.
(Regina left the office.)
Elizabeth: What about Adrianne?
James: Her? Well, she is a bit of a...late addition to the team, but I think she'll have no problems catching up everyone else.
Elizabeth: It's not that...
James: ...Oh...
"Wonder what this is about," Kay commented.
"It probably isn't good, judging by that tone," said Maho.
Elizabeth: Is it okay for her to do Tankery?
James: I am concerned about her, but I trust her judgement. If she thinks she is able to take Tankery, then so be it.
Elizabeth: It's just that...last year...she...
James: (sighs) As much as I want to forget about that, it's impossible to ignore. We'll just have to...hope for the best.
"Well, that was a bit depressing..." Kay sighed.
"I wonder what they are talking about," Ritaiko commented.
"Like Maho said, it must be a bad thing, and it had something to do with Adrianne," Darjeeling commented.
"We'll just have to wait and see then," said Maho.
(Scene changes to the school gates, Danielle, Rebecca and Adrianne can be seen exiting the school gates.)
Rebecca: Phew, I'm bushed.
Adrianne: (sighs) I certainly am fatigued right now.
?: If you don't mind me asking-
(Camera changes to face the newcomer. It was a boy with short, black hair, who wore a tan jacket over a grey undershirt, charcoal gray cargo pants with a green military beret half-tucked into one of the pockets, and black combat boots.)
Black-haired boy: -is there still an open slot for your Tankery team?
Rebecca: Uh...well...
Danielle: Well...we don't know...buuuuut, we can always use more members.
Black-haired boy: Great!
Adrianne: Kay, we don't have any extra tanks, and there's no extra spots in any of the teams for him. Besides, we already have extra members in case we need another team.
Black-haired boy: No worries, I'll just bring my own.
"Wait, he OWNS A TANK?" Erika exclaimed in shock.
"Hmm, impressive. Privately owning and maintaining a tank is no easy feat," Maho commented.
"Naomi? You got nothin' to say?" Kay asked.
Naomi stopped chewing her gum for a second, "I prefer to make comments only when I want to."
"Oh, okay then. Whatever floats your boat!"
Danielle: Uh..what?
Rebecca: You own a tank?
"Yukarin, you want a tank yourself...don't you?" Soari sweatdropped at the expression on Yukari's face.
Black-haired boy: Not really, my dad helps me out with the tricky bits. I don't use it much anyways, but now seems like the perfect opportunity to really push it.
Rebecca: Wow! That's great! James is going to be happy about this!
Adrianne: (sighs) Anyways, I'll be seeing you. Don't forget to come get me on Wednesday.
Rebecca: Uh, when did we agree to that?
Adrianne: Do you want me to come with you or not?
Rebecca: Nothing personal, Adrianne. But, I'm not going to wake up any earlier just to come get you. Sorry.
Adrianne: So, you can't be bothered to wake up at six?
Danielle: Actually, we're all meeting at six o'clock. We're supposed to wake up much earlier.
Adrianne: ...
Danielle: Fine, I'll come then.
Black-haired boy: How about I come as well? I'm used to waking up early anyways.
Adrianne: Fine. Bring something loud, just in case.
Black-haired boy: Alright, it's settled then. I'll see you on Wednesday.
Danielle: See ya!
Rebecca: Bye!
(All three of them walked away.)
Rebecca: I wonder what tank he'll bring.
Danielle: (shrugs) No idea.
Black-haired boy: Hey, wait! I didn't...get your names yet...nevermind...
(The boy takes out his phone and dials someone. After a while, someone answers.)
Black-haired boy: Hello? Yeah, we're good. Y-yes, Wednesday, Wednesday. Just...just remember your practice, okay? We'll be fine. Meet me at my house, 5 a.m., okay?
"Who wakes up that early," Mako asked.
Black-haired boy: Okay, bye.
"Wonder what tank he'll bring?" Ritaiko wondered.
"We'll just have to wait and see," said Hana.
(Timeskip to Wednesday. The tanks are shown parked outside the garage, all repainted.)
Derek: Here you are, six tanks, fully repainted and touched up. We spent all evening deciding on the colour schemes and logos, I hope you'll like them.
(Camera changes to the front of the T-10M, Derek and the Prefectorial Board members were standing next to the T-10M, which was now in a dark green colour. The school's crest can be seen painted on the side of the turret, along with a stylised tank shell in-flight surrounded by white wind lines.)
James: Thank you.
(Camera changes to the Leopard, which was painted gunmetal gray, with the school crest painted on the upper glacis plate. A black leopard head with a white outline was painted on the turret. Mavis' team was checking it out.)
Nickie: Awesome!
Mavis: I insisted that we do the repainting, but they wouldn't budge! Oh well, I guess we should still be grateful for their efforts.
(Camera changes to the Centauro, which was now painted in a khaki brown colour, with the school crest painted on the lower glacis plate. A cannon barrel with shockwaves radiating from the muzzle was painted on the turret. Clifford stood on the engine deck and watched as the rest lowered the shells into the turret.)
Clifford: Alright, that's it. Steady, steady, good, that's good.
Nickie: I would have preferred a more cool-looking colour scheme, but this is pretty okay, I guess.
Carla: It doesn't really matter what colour our vehicle is, (slams her fist into her palm) we're rolling in, raising hell, and maybe we'll kick some ass.
"Maybe?" Mako mumbled.
Clifford: Probably would've been cooler if you didn't say "maybe".
Carla: Sorry...
(Camera changes to the S-tank, which was now painted azure, with the school crest painted on the lower glacis plate. A stylised stingray was painted on the upper glacis, next to the gun. Rebecca was leaning out of the driver's seat. James walked over her.)
James: Good morning, Rebecca.
Rebecca: Oh, morning!
James: Where's the rest of your team?
Rebecca: Kay's gone to get Adrianne, who probably isn't going to coming very soon.
James: Oh dear...
Rebecca: Oh! I almost forgot to tell you!
James: Tell me what?
Rebecca: Well...
(Scene changes to a modest-looking two-storey house. Grunting noises can be heard from the inside. Camera changes to the inside of a bedroom. Danielle can be seen struggling and pulling at a blanket, which Adrianne was hiding under.)
Danielle: (grunting) Adrianne, get up already!
Adrianne: I'm tired...
Danielle: WE HAVE A GODDAMN TOURNAMENT TO GO TO!
Adrianne: ...I'm...tired...
"Uh, Mako? You're not gonna be mad again, right?" Saori asked.
"No."
"Are you..."
"Yes."
Danielle: I swear, if you're not getting up, I'll...I'll...huh?
(The house began to shake slightly.)
Danielle: What's going on?
(Camera changes to the outside of the house, a tank in a beige, russet, and charcoal black camo pattern rolled up next to the house. The tank had white line that went right around the lower half of the turret, with a break in the line containing the number "092". An emblem of a bear standing on its hind legs was above that, with the words "За славы" next to it.)
"A T-64A..." Yukari stared in awe, "It was the tank that formed the basis of modern Russian tank designs, marking the first use of autoloaders as well as composite armour. Its production was kept mostly a secret up until 1970, several years after it formally entered service. In fact, no T-64s were ever exported, many ended up in Russian and Ukrainian service after the breakup of the Soviet Union."
Kay whistled, "He really took good care of it."
"Well, the camouflage and markings aren't historically accurate, but it does look pretty cool," Yukari commented.
(The tank comes to a halt, and then fires.)
Neighbour: What the hell was that?
?: No worries! It was just a blank!
(Camera cuts to Adrianne's bedroom. Adrianne barely manages to get herself up.)
Adrianne: It's too early for this...
?: Nonsense!
(Danielle opens the window and peeks out. The boy from yesterday could be seen standing on top of the tank.)
Black-haired boy: Come on, get yourself in shape and let's go!
(Camera cuts to the outside again.)
Danielle: Huh, talk about a wake-up call.
"It certainly is," Darjeeling commented.
"Who would do that anyways?" Alisa asked.
Miho and her friends silently agreed not to say anything.
(Adrianne joins Danielle at the window.)
Adrianne: This was not what I had in mind.
Black-haired boy: Well, you do seem like the type who would need a major wake-up call.
Adrianne: ...I'm going to get ready now...
(Adrianne walks away from the window.)
Danielle: Don't keep us waiting.
(Danielle walks away from the window.)
Black-haired boy: Wait, what're your...names...oh well...
(Scene changes to the streets. The T-64A can be seen driving around a bend, Danielle was sitting on the front left side of the tank while Adrianne sat on the other side, groggily reading a manual titled "Stridsvagn 103 Handbok: Bakre Förarpositionen".)
Some man: Hey, what's going on?
(Camera zooms out. Some residents are peeking out of their balconies and windows as the T-64A drives past.)
Some man: Is that a...tank?
Some kid: Mom! Mom! It's a tank!
Some old man: Oh, so it's the T-64A.
(Camera cuts to Danielle's perspective, an old man can be seen watering his garden.)
Some old man: It's been a while since I've seen a tank running around here.
(Camera turns to face the other way, a man can be seen standing on a balcony.)
Some man: So, it's true then. Redshire Hills is restarting its Tankery club?
Danielle: Well, yeah.
Some kid: Mom! Hurry! You're going to miss them!
(Scene changes to the front of the school. Several trucks with flatbeds can be seen, some of the tanks have already been loaded onto some of them. The rest were lined up behind the empty trucks. James, Regina and Elizabeth can be seen standing next to the S-tank.)
James: (checking his watch) Hmm, I wonder where she is.
Regina: If she doesn't show up, we'll just have to leave without her.
James: Give her time.
(As if on cue, the T-64A come around the corner and stops right behind the S-tank.)
Danielle: Hello!
Adrianne: ...This is way too early for anyone to be awake...
Mako silently agreed with her.
(Danielle hops off, while Adrianne slowly gets off. James approaches the two.)
James: So, you're here, but who's driving this tank?
(Two hatches opens, and two boys emerges from the turret, a third climbed out of the driver's compartment. The second boy had short dusty blond hair. He wore a white t-shirt with a picture of a thick mustache and the words "glorious mustache compels you" followed by "to shave", an olive tan jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, jeans, and blue sneakers. The third had black hair. He wore a pale blue dress shirt with a black tie, a loosely buttoned black sweater vest, beige pants, and black derby shoes.)
Black-haired boy: Redshire Hills' History Club, reporting.
"Oh? Looks like they have one too," Hana commented.
Elizabeth: Well, better late than never, Alfred.
Danielle: Huh? You two know each other?
Elizabeth: I'm the Head of Elective Affairs, remember? I know every club and club member down to a tee.
Danielle: Oh, okay.
Alfred: So, Henry, Sidney, we're all here. We're ready for combat anytime.
Regina: Now just wait a minute, you can't just show up just like that-
James: Regina, it's fine.
Regina: But, sir...
James: Every school in the tournament will receive enough accommodation for a full Tankery team, we currently do not. Plus, it never hurts to have another addition to our team.
Alfred: Ok, so we're good then? Great! Sidney?
Sidney (2nd black-haired boy): Yeah?
Alfred: Don't scratch the tank when you get it up the lorry.
Sidney: Okay.
Elizabeth: Umm, there is room on the trailer, right?
James: Of course.
(Camera cuts to the S-tank, the T-10M in front can be seen slowly driving up onto the trailer. Adrianne was leaning against the side of the S-tank, still reading the manual.)
Rebecca: Are you sure you can do this?
Adrianne: Yes.
Rebecca: Are you sure you can do this?
"Real confident, aren't you?" Erika drawled.
Adrianne: Yes.
Rebecca: Are you...
Adrianne: Yes.
Rebecca: Umm, okay...
(Danielle walks over.)
Danielle: All good to go?
Rebecca: Yep...I think...
Danielle: Hey, relax. You'll do fine, we'll all do fine. You know, just "feel free to shoot up a storm"!
Rebecca: So...should I shoot up a hurricane then?
Danielle: Uh, let's not. We don't want to blow away the competition.
Some chuckling could be heard.
"It wasn't even that funny," said Erika.
(Just then, Derek walked over.)
Derek: Okay, your turn to go up.
Rebecca: Okay!
(Adrianne and Danielle backs away as the S-tank drives up onto the trailer.)
Rebecca: Is that good?
Overalls girl: Yeah, that's good enough.
(Camera cuts to the road behind the trucks. A coach can be seen with the baggage compartment open. Fiona's team was standing next to it, along with a few others.)
Mavis: My name is Mavis, Mavis Witherow. It's nice to meet you all.
Samson: Same here.
"It appears that they're introducing to each other," Darjeeling commented.
"Don't we already know their names?" Saori asked.
"We do, but some of the characters don't."
"Oh, I see. Makes sense."
Sonia: Who are you again?
Martin: It's Martin, also known as PixelKnight1, if you surfed the internet regularly.
Sonia: Wait, you're PixelKnight1!? Oh, I loved your latest video, it was hilarious!
Martin: That's me. You know, I never thought I'd meet one of my followers in real life.
Sonia: Me neither. I mean, I never thought I'd meet PixelKnight1 in real life. Wait, doesn't that mean...
(As they were talking, the blonde-haired boy from earlier walked pass them with some duffel bags slung over his shoulders. Mavis comes over to help him load them into the coach.)
Martin: Yep, Stephen...is GaminglyEnglish, his username I mean.
Sonia: Huh, I always wondered why you two sound like them.
Martin: You didn't figure that out?
Mellissa: Hey, when you two are done warbling, get on. We're leaving soon.
"Who even says that?" Erika raised an eyebrow.
Martin: Yeah, alright.
Sonia: Okay.
Martin: Who says "warbling" these days?
Sonia: Dunno.
(Camera cuts to further down the road. The convoy of trucks begins moving off, along with the coach.)
Carla: Woo hoo!
Sonia: I'm so excited...and...maybe a little nervous too.
Joseph: I hope we'll do well.
Nickie: I'm sure we will, we've been practising all month for this.
"I wonder how the tournament will be like," said Yukari excitedly, "and what schools and countries we'll see."
"I'm betting on the Americans!" Kay exclaimed.
"Perhaps France will appear?" Pekoe suggested.
"Germany will certainly appear," Erika declared.
(Scene changes to a road overlooking a large town, the convoy can be seen driving past.)
Fiona: Check it out.
Mavis: Wow, I've only ever been here as a kid.
Mellissa: Oh good. Maybe you can show us around later.
(Scene changes again to the outskirts of the town. There are a lot of people gathered around the streets and in a nearby field, where stalls and a large screen had been set up.)
Announcer: Attention, attention! The first qualifying round of the 63rd Annual WCTF Tankery Tournament will begin in about two hours. Please remain in the designated viewing areas during the match.
"Wow, this looks like it'll be shaping up to be a really interesting show," Kay commented.
(Camera cuts to another part of the field, many large tents had been set up. The trucks were parked nearby and the tanks were being unloaded. The coach was parked some distance away, everyone can be seen disembarking from the coach.)
Announcer: Don't worry, you will still have great views of the match with comfortable seating...and refreshments. Thank you, and have fun!
Hugh: Man, that was a long drive.
Sonia: I'm so excited...and still a little nervous.
James: Okay, we have around an hour and a half to prepare. Stretch yourself, get the tanks ready and what not. I know this may be a bit overwhelming for some of you, so do what you need to do to prepare.
Clifford: You got it.
Fiona: Right!
(Then, Elizabeth and Tina walks towards the group with a stack of boxes.)
Elizabeth: Hey, before you go, don't forget to grab one of these!
(She places her stack down, and opens one of the boxes, and takes out a olive green military jacket wrapped in plastic. It had a sergeant rank sewn into the upper part of both sleeves and a nametag that read "J. Pierce" sewn above the right breast pocket.)
Carla: Uniforms?
Elizabeth: Well, not exactly. We didn't have time to make a full uniform, all we got are jackets. Anyways, come get your jackets then.
Fiona: Who's J. Pierce?
James: That's me.
(James walks over and takes the jacket.)
Fiona: Wait, your last name is Pierce?
James: Yes.
"Hmm, Pierce? That's an...interesting family name," Darjeeling commented.
Sonia: Why didn't you tell us?
James: You never asked.
Elizabeth: Yeah, you asked me, and Esabella, and Regina too. You know all our last names, except for James. But now...you know his last name...so...yeah...
Fiona: ...soooo...can I have my jacket?
Elizabeth: Oh! Yeah, of course.
(Scene changes to an intro sequence. The camera backs up from within a cannon barrel, it emerges from it, revealing that it was the gun of a Challenger tank, which was in a gray background. The gun fires and the camera follows the shell as it passes several screens of tank battles, before the shot hits a logo and ricochets off, this was the logo of the Worldwide Competitive Tankery Federation.)
"That was pretty cool," Alisa commented.
"Hmm, it appears that this tournament is being televised," said Darjeeling.
"If that's so, then there's gonna be some cheeky commentary coming up real soon," Kay grinned.
"How would you know?" Alisa asked.
(Scene changes to the inside of a studio, a sportscaster's desk can be seen, there was a large screen behind it with the logo of the WCTF displayed. Two men can be seen sitting at the desk, one had short hazel hair and wore a navy blue suit, while the other had black hair in a crop hairstyle and wore a light gray suit.)
Sportscaster No. 1: Hello and welcome, ladies and gentlemen...to the 63rd Annual WCTF Tankery Tournament! As usual, I'm your ever-loving sportscaster, Thomas Hemmingway.
Sportscaster No. 2: And I'm your ever-loved sportscaster, John Cook.
"Now what did I tell you?" Kay asked cheekily.
"Whatever, just enjoy your cheeky commentary or whatever," Alisa replied.
"You said whatever twice."
"Shut up..."
John: Now, we here at the WCTF...that's the Worldwide Competitive Tankery Federation for those of you who don't know...have an affinity for...lots of stuff. Namely, keeping our competitors on their toes, keeping our viewers hungry for more, and of course...things that go boom...
(As he said that, a picture of a cartoonish-looking tank firing its gun appeared.)
Everyone chuckled a little.
John: And I'm sure our viewers would agree...at least for the part about things that go boom.
Everyone chuckled a little more.
Thomas: For those of you who are joining us for the first time, allow us to go over the rules.
John: The tournament is divided into three rounds. We start with the qualifying round, to weed out the competition. Then the second round, we pit the remaining competitors to see who comes out on top to participate in the final round. That's basically how it goes.
Thomas: Correct. Also, age and school year are completely irrelevant, the only attribute being tested in this tournament...is skill. The final combatants will then fight their way through the final bracket in the hope of achieving victory for their school!
John: We'll explain in a bit more detail later, but I'm sure there will be plenty of spectacular spectacles...on which to spectate on!
"Okay, that's a bit too cheesy already," Kay commented, but she still chuckled a bit.
John: I don't think anyone tuning in around the world is going to disagree with me on that!
(As he says this, the scene changes to the televised broadcasts all around the world, from a row of televisions in a shop window where bypassers stopped to watch, to an apartment with a group of friends watching it on a plasma television together, and a bar where all the patrons turned to view the screen)
Thomas: Ah, and why would they? What do you think, Cathleen?
(Scene changes to the field outside, a woman with shoulder-length blond hair was standing in front of the camera. She wore a beige long-sleeved sweater, light blue jeans and flats. She also had a microphone in her hand with the WCTF logo stamped on it.)
Cathleen: Well, I can't wait for the first match of the day to start, and I don't think I'm alone. These fans came from all across the country just to watch this live, and they are looking very impatient indeed. All we can do now is to see how it goes later.
(Camera cuts back to the studio.)
Thomas: Well, speaking of which, let's see what's our first match of the day is going to be.
John: Hailing from one of the most beautiful countries in the world, it's Helvetica Peak Academy of Switzerland.
Thomas: And their opponent will be a local newcomer to the competitive Tankery circuit, Redshire Hills International School. I'm pumped up just thinking about what's to come, and I'm sure our viewers and even our competitors are too.
John: So grab your popcorn, potato crisps and what not, because things are going to get...explosive...real soon.
Thomas: I agree.
(Scene changes to the tents where the team had gathered, many had already changed into their jackets.)
Fiona: Okay, we're gonna do this, and we'll do it just like how we planned.
Elizabeth: Yeah, just do your best.
Regina: Hmph, just so we're clear, we won't blame you all if we lose.
"That's kind of nice of her," Hana commented.
"Wait," said Alisa.
Regina: We will if you don't put in your best efforts though, so don't disappoint us.
"Told you."
James: Well then, good luck everyone. Let's all do our best.
All: Yeah!
(Outro begins)
"Soooo, next episode then?" Kay asked.
Everyone nodded.