Chapter 5: The Kill Zone
(A shortened version of the WCTF intro plays, before it cuts to Thomas and John.)
Thomas: Welcome back! I'm sure you all have grabbed your popcorn, sodas, and everything in between. Because the first qualifying match is about to begin!
John: Now, as we all know, Elimination Match is the default for qualifying rounds.
"Huh, interesting," Kay commented.
John: Of course, since Redshire Hills International School has arrived with less than the standard team size, Helvetica Peak Academy will reduce their numbers to make it fair. Not that it'll make things any less exciting.
Thomas: I agree. Oh! Speaking of which, the match is about to start!
(Scene changes to the field where the screen had been set up. Two rosters are shown, one labeled "Redshire Hills International School", the other labeled "Helvetica Peak Academy". The first displayed "T95E1", "B1 Centauro", "Leo. 1A5", "Scimitar LT", "T-10M", "Strv 103B", and "T-64A" in the rows underneath the title. The second one displayed four "Pz. 68 AA2", two "Pz. 61", and one "CV9030CH". The remaining three rows on both rosters were left empty. Thomas and John can be seen in the lower right corner in a small square, like a face cam.)
"So, they have Panzer 68s and Panzer 61s, but what's a CV9030CH?" Assam asked.
"The CV90 is a family of Swedish tracked combat vehicles designed during the mid-1980s and early 1990s. The CV9030CH is an export version adopted by Switzerland, which used a 30 mm autocannon. Since it was developed specifically for the Nordic sub-arctic climate, it's off-road mobility is top-notch!" Yukari explained excitedly.
"Oh, I see."
John: Right, time to get out my sheet of witty comments. Now where did I put that?
(John ducks below the table, sounds of paper shuffling can be heard.)
Everyone chuckled.
Thomas: You actually keep that?
John: Yes.
Thomas: (exhales)
(Scene changes to a larger field. Fiona, James, and Elizabeth were walking up to where Claude was standing. Two more people can be seen standing next to her, the first was a boy with short, crisp blond hair, the second was a girl with shoulder-length dark brown hair. Both of them were wearing 1940s era Swiss Army dress uniforms.)
"Wait, aren't those dress uniforms for the infantry?" Yukari pointed out, "They really didn't do their research very well, haven't they?"
"Hey, isn't that Claude over there?" Kay wondered.
Fiona: Hey, isn't that Claude over there?
"Huh..."
"Again, why does this keep happening to us?"
Elizabeth: Yep, that's him alright.
(The three walk up next to him, facing the two from Helvetica Peak.)
Claude: The first match of the qualifying rounds, Helvetica Peak Academy of Switzerland versus Redshire Hills International School of Britain, will now begin. Elimination Match rules are in effect, the team that disables all vehicles of the opposing team will be the winner.
(The boy walks up and offers a handshake to Fiona.)
Helvetica Peak boy: I'm looking forward to fighting with you.
(Fiona hesitates for a moment, before shaking his hand.)
Fiona: Us too.
Helvetica Peak boy: My name is Jostli, try not to forget my name.
Fiona: Oh, of course I won't.
(Jostli lets go.)
Jostli: Good, let's fight.
(Jostli and the girl walks away.)
James: Fiona, let's go.
Fiona: Right, coming!
(Claude watches as they walked away.)
Claude (whispers): Good luck.
(Intro starts)
"So...first match, how is it going to go then?" Kay asked.
"Obviously, they win. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to sit through like a ton of episodes," Alisa replied sarcastically.
"It probably won't be easy. Even with balanced teams, they are still going up against more experienced crews," Darjeeling commented.
(Camera cuts to Jostli and the girl, who were approaching a row of tanks, which were all painted with an olive green, light brown, and black camouflage pattern. They were all parked near the edge of a forest.)
[Author's Note: I'm not even vaguely familiar with the geography of Carlisle, so please excuse me if I portray any part of it inaccurately or incorrectly. Also, many dialogue in foreign languages are translated using Google Translate, so they might not be very accurate as well.]
Helvetica Peak girl: Kommandant, verwenden wir die serienmäßig taktik noch? (Subtitles: Commander, are we still using the standard tactics?)
Jostli: Ja, aber halten Sie ein Auge, Aina. Sie dürfte uns überraschen (Subtitles: Yes, but keep an eye out, Aina. They might surprise us.)
Aina: Verstanden, Kommandant. (Subtitles: Understood, Commander.)
"Umm, that's German, right?" Saori asked.
"Yes, it is," Maho replied.
"Wait, so people speak German in Switzerland?"
"Apparently."
(Camera cuts to the middle of an abandoned village, the tanks from Redshire Hills were parked there. Camera zooms in on the T95E1, which was painted with the Woodland Pattern. A stylised tank helmet with an ace of spades playing card leaning against it was painted on the turret, and the school crest was painted on the upper glacis plate. Fiona can be seen climbing into the tank.)
(Camera then cuts to the inside of the T95E1.)
"Episode 5: We're Rolling Out!"
"Weeee're rooooolliiiing out," Kay sang.
"Still got that song stuck in your head?" Alisa asked.
Sonia: Hello again!
Samson: How did it go?
Fiona: Okay, everything will be okay. Let's have a good match!
Sonia: Right!
(Camera cuts between the other tanks, before cutting to Thomas and John.)
Thomas: Always the tensest moment of the tournament.
John: Yes, yes it is.
(Camera cuts to a frontal view of the Helvetica Peak team, then the Redshire Hills team.)
Claude: (radio): Match...start! Panzer Vor!
(The tanks begin to move, driving past the camera. Camera then cuts to the Helvetica Peak team, their tanks drives off one by one.)
John (offscreen): And they're off!
(Camera cuts to the field where the large screen had been set up. An overhead view of the Redshire Hills team can be seen.)
Thomas: Well, I have high hopes for the newcomers. Let's see how they do.
(Camera cuts to the Redshire Hills team, who were driving down the field.)
Fiona: Remember the plan. If we pull it off, we'll finish this nice and easy!
"If I know any better, it'll go about as well as it can be," Erika commented sarcastically.
"Uh...have confidence in them, Erika," said Ritaiko.
James (radio): Team Blizzard, Stingray, and...Echo-Echo will cover the east.
"Weird names," Mako commented.
The rest of the Ooarai team decided not to comment on that.
James (radio): Team Forrest, Ebony, and Snowdrift will cover the south.
Sonia (radio): Which way is south?
Danielle (radio): Umm, that way?
Adrianne: Danielle, south is not behind you...
Danielle: I thought I told you to call me "Kay".
Adrianne: I'm not really a last-name basis kind of person.
James (radio): And...is this a typo?
Elizabeth: Nope.
James (radio): Well, okay. Team Ice Cube?
"Okay, 'Ice Cube'? What kind of name is that?" Alisa remarked.
(The Scimitar rolls in front of the camera, it was painted light gray. The school crest was painted on the sides, and a cartoonish-looking ice cube painted on the turret. "13 GG 37" was painted in black on the transmission cover.)
Alisa snickered, "Well, I almost feel sorry for her."
Kay raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
"Almost."
Regina (radio): Here.
James (radio): Bait the enemy and lead them towards point E12. We'll take care of the rest from there.
(Camera cuts to the inside of the Scimitar.)
Regina: Affirmative. (sighs) How did I get dragged in here with you two?
Stephen: You tell me.
Regina: Also, what's with our team name?
Martin: I don't see what's wrong with it.
Regina: It's nonsensical, couldn't you have come up with a more suitable name?
Stephen: It's as suitable as it gets.
"Ohhhh, buuuuurn," Kay sing-songed.
"Again, I feel sorry for her...almost."
Martin: You didn't have a problem when you approved it.
Regina: I was groggy.
Stephen: Sleep more then.
Regina: You think I have it easy, don't you?
Stephen: Wait, you don't? That's...quite shocking...
(Camera cuts to the inside of the S-tank, Regina's voice can be heard on the radio. Danielle was snickering uncontrollably.)
Regina (radio): Oh, you two...
"Looks like someone left their radio on..." Saori commented.
"Unfortunate," Darjeeling remarked.
(Camera cuts to the outside. The Scimitar swerves to the left and drives away.)
Sonia (radio): Can someone please tell me where south is?
Joseph: Let's just follow the rest.
(The remaining tanks can be seen driving off into the distance.)
John: Looks like Redshire Hills is...well...I'm actually not sure what they're up too.
Thomas: All in due time my friend, all in due time. Speaking of which, the Scimitar appears to be searching for the enemy team. Let's hope they don't get disabled.
John: Yeah, because honestly, light tank drivers aren't really known to be the most sanest of individuals.
Thomas: Ignoring that blatant generalisation, looks like the first encounter is approaching quickly.
(Camera cuts to the large screen. This time, a map was displayed. A tank-shaped icon labeled "RHIS" and "Scimitar LT" was displayed in the middle, several other icons labeled "HPA" and "Pz. 68" alongside "Pz. 61" were slowly approaching from the top.)
(Camera then cuts to the Scimitar, which was parked behind a small bush at the top of a hill. Regina pops out of the turret, looks around, and then takes out a pair of binoculars. Camera cuts to her POV as she peeks through the binoculars. After a few seconds, several tanks can be seen cresting another hill some distance away.)
Regina: Identify targets.
(Camera cuts back to the Scimitar. Stephen comes out of the gunner's hatch.)
Stephen: Uh...I can't see a damn thing.
"Just give him the binoculars," said Alisa.
(Regina reluctantly handed the binoculars to Stephen.)
"Huh, that was a thing," Kay commented.
(Stephen peers through the binoculars.)
Stephen: Hmm, 2 Panzer 68s and 2 Panzer 61s. Funny, that's only about half their force.
Regina: Regardless, taking out half their force should allow us to secure our victory. So long as we isolate the remaining tanks afterwards.
Stephen: Yeah. Anyways, I looks like they're close enough. Let's begin.
Regina: Hmm, are you certain?
Stephen: Hey, who's the one with the binoculars around here?
Regina: Hmpf.
(Stephen and Regina drop back down into the Scimitar.)
(Camera cuts to the Helvetica Peak tanks, several shells bounce off their front. The two leading tanks turn their turret slightly to the right. Camera cuts to the gunner's POV, who was looking through the gun sights. The Scimitar can be seen in the distance, which was turning around.)
(Camera cuts to the Scimitar.)
Regina: Withdraw, now!
(A shot hits the hill behind them.)
Stephen: Whoa!
"Now they just need to lure them back to the rest of the team to take care of the rest," said Miho.
"Let's hope they can pull it off," Yukari commented.
"But where's the rest of their team?" Erika wondered.
"Right, this plan won't really work if the entire team engages from multiple directions," Maho commented.
(Camera cuts back to the Panzer 68s and Panzer 61s, who were now giving chase.)
Panzer 68 commander (radio): Commander, we have a visual on their light tank.
Jostli (radio): Affirmative, don't chase them for too long. It might only be a feint. Keep a lookout for their main force.
Panzer 68 commander (radio): Roger.
(The tanks begin firing on the move.)
(Camera cuts to the Scimitar. Several shots either hits the ground around them or narrowly miss them.)
Stephen: Incoming!
Martin: No worries! We'll get out of this alive, if my name isn't Martin Al-
(A shot narrowly misses the Scimitar and hits the ground in front of it, showering the tank with dirt.)
Martin: Son of a motherless-!
(Another shot misses hits the ground nest to them. The Scimitar proceeds to zig-zag its way into the distance, with the Helvetica Peak team in tow.)
"The bait's been set," Yukari commented.
"But where's the rest of them?" Ritaiko wondered.
(Camera cuts to a small ridge. The rest of the Redshire Hills team was parked on top of it, facing the steeper side. Camera zooms in on the Leopard 1A5, Mavis was taking pictures of the landscape with her camera. Camera then cuts to the inside of the tank, Darcy was peering through the gun sights, Nickie appeared to be bored out of her mind, and Mellissa was reapplying her make-up.)
Nickie: Shouldn't Tankery be more exciting then this?
(Mavis ducks back into the tank.)
Mavis: Well, my dad told me that tank crews have to sit in cramped tank interiors for hours on end, through hot summers or frigid winters. In comparison, we have it easy.
Nickie: Huh...I never really thought about it that way...
(Camera cuts to the Centauro, heavy metal music can be faintly heard. Camera cuts to the inside, Carla was playing a song on her phone, with the volume turned up.)
Panzers on Russian soil
A thunder in the east
Hugh: This is a nice song.
Carla: You're telling me.
"Hmm, this song sounds familar..." Kay pondered.
"It's a bit...rough for my tastes," Darjeeling commented.
(Camera cuts to the inside of the S-tank, Danielle was also playing a song on her phone.)
One million men at war
The Soviet wrath unleashed
Danielle: Hmm, nice song.
Adrianne: Can you keep it down? I'm trying to read.
Fields of Prokorovka
Danielle: Whatcha say?
Where heat of battle burned
Rebecca: She said "keep it down"!
Suffered heavy losses
Danielle: What!?
And the tide of war was turned
(Camera cuts to the inside of the T95E1.)
Fiona: Jeez, where are those guys?
Sonia: Oh hey! Here they come now!
Fiona: Huh? Really?
(Camera cuts to the forest nearby. The Scimitar bursts out the bushes and races towards the ridge.)
"Yep, they're here, along with some company," Alisa commented.
(Camera cuts back to the T95E1, Fiona picks up her radio.)
Fiona: We've got incoming!
(Camera cuts to the inside of the S-tank.)
Reinforce the frontline
Danielle: Huh!? Oh! Rebecca, get on the gun!
Rebecca: That's what you could hear?
Force the axis to retreat
(Danielle fumbles with her phone for a moment.)
Send in-
Danielle: Alright, let's do this.
(Camera cuts back to the forest. The Helvetica Peak team emerges, and races towards the ridge. Camera cuts to the inside of the lead tank, a Panzer 68. The gunner was peering into his sights, he looks surprised for a moment, before looking more closely into his sights. Camera cuts to his POV, the tanks on the ridge can be seen.)
Panzer 68 gunner: Gesù! (Subtitles: Jesus!)
"Wait, that doesn't sound German!" Saori exclaimed.
"If I remember correctly, Switzerland has more than one official language," Darjeeling explained, "I think there was...Romanian? No, no, that's not right..."
(Camera cuts to the tanks on the ridge.)
Fiona (radio): Fire!
(Several 90 mm, 122 mm, 105 mm, and 125 mm rounds were fired at the Panzer 68s and 61s. Most of which impacted the ground rather than the targets, others bounced off turrets and any surfaces that wasn't flat.)
"Come one, at that range?" Erika drawled.
(Camera cuts to the inside of the T-64A. The autoloader rams a new round into the breech.)
Alfred: Come on, get your aim right this time, Henry.
Henry: Oookay...
(Camera cuts to Henry's POV, a Panzer 61 drives into his reticle. He pulls the trigger. Camera cuts back to the outside. The T-64A's cannon fires, and the shell hits the Panzer 61 dead center. It grinds to a halt and a white flag pops out.)
Henry: Enemy vehicle disabled!
(Camera cuts back to the sportscaster duo.)
Thomas: And Redshire Hills draws first blood. Looking good so far.
John: Oh hang on! Here comes trouble!
(Camera cuts back to the ridge. The remaining Helvetica Peak tanks were driving up the more gentle slopes on both sides of the ridge, while the Redshire Hills tanks were turning around to engage them.)
Danielle: They're gonna climb up here any second now!
(Camera cuts to the Leopard.)
Mavis: Aim at their treads!
(The Leopard drives forwards.)
Darcy: I-I can't aim down enough.
(The Leopard continues driving forwards.)
Mellissa: Chill, I'll take care of that.
(The Leopard slowly inches its way over the edge of the ridge.)
"Isn't that a bit dangerous?" Yukari pointed out.
"This won't end well," Kay shook her head.
Mavis: Watch it! Wait, too far! Back up! Back! Up!
(The Leopard began sliding off the ridge. Mellissa puts it in reverse but the tank slides off.)
Mavis: Oh god!
Nickie: Whooooaaa!
(The Leopard slides down the ridge.)
Mavis: Turn the turret! The gun's going to run aground!
(Camera cuts to the bottom of the ridge, a Panzer 68 was driving alongside it. Camera then cuts to the inside, the girl from earlier, Aina, was sitting in the commander seat. She hears a noise, and glances to her side, only to see a Leopard 1A5 sliding down the ridge towards her.)
Aina: Eh?!
(The Leopard crashes into the Panzer 68, flipping it onto its side, where it balanced for a moment before rolling completely upside down. The Leopard comes to a rest with its turret turned to the left.)
Mavis: Ow!
Nickie: Everyone okay?
Mellissa: Uhh...super...
Nickie: Hey uh...now what?
Mellissa: Well, we're still fine.
(Just then, a shot hits the side of the Leopard, knocking it out. A Panzer 61 drives around the two disabled tanks.)
"That didn't end...the way I expected."
Mellissa: Err, I think we're...not fine...
"Yes, we can see that."
Mavis: Yes, we can see that.
Erika didn't say a word. But she glared at the screen so hard that if the power of her glare could be harnessed, she could technically power every light in Tokyo.
"Erika, enough of that," said Maho.
"Yes, commander."
Aina (radio): Kommandant, das ist Monte Rosa Zwei, wir worden sind beseitigt. (Commander, this is Monte Rosa Two, we have been eliminated.)
Jostli (radio): Jemand verletzt? (Anyone hurt?)
Aina (radio): Nein. (No.)
(Camera cuts to the Centauro, as it turned around to engage the second Panzer 68 that was almost at the top of the ridge.)
Carla: Oh boy. Nicky!
Nicky: On it!
Clifford: Back, back, ba-
(A shot hits the ground behind the Centauro.)
"Wait, where did that come from?" Saori asked.
Yukari held up her fingers one by one, "They took out a Panzer 68 and a Panzer 61, another Panzer 68 and Panzer 61 are currently engaging them...That leaves two Panzer 68s and a CV9030CH unaccounted for."
"Not anymore apparently," Darjeeling commented.
Carla: Whoa!
Nicky: What was that?
(Camera cuts to the hill behind the ridge. A Panzer 68 can be seen driving down the other side as a second one began cresting the hill.)
Jostli: Monte Rosa Four, Grand Combin One, pin them down! We'll provide fire support!
(Camera cuts to the T-10M. It turns around to engage the two Panzer 68s. Its gun fires, but misses. The Scimitar can be seen driving up alongside it.)
Regina (radio): Sir! Our position's been compromised!
"Yes, we can see that," Alisa drawled.
James (radio): Yes, I can see that.
"..."
"..."
"Why?"
"Join the freaking club..."
Regina (radio): Sir, I apologise. We forgot to account for the remaining enemy tanks during our reconnaissance.
James (radio): Now's not particularly the best of times for regret. Regina, stay behind the stronger vehicles. We can't afford to have you eliminated.
Regina (radio): Of course.
(The Scimitar drives away. The T-10M fires again as return shots bounce off it's turret and upper glacis.)
(Camera cuts to the T95E1.)
Sonia: What do we do?
Fiona (radio): We're sitting ducks if we stay here. We have to fall back.
(Camera cuts to the T-64A.)
Alfred (radio): Agreed, a tactical withdraw at this point is our best option, but we need an opening.
Henry: No problem. Sidney!
Sidney: Right!
(The T-64A drives towards the slope next to the ridge, and encounters a Panzer 61. The Panzer 61 fires first, but it simply bounces off the steeply-angled front of the T-64A, which fires back in return. The shot knocks out the Panzer 61 and the T-64A drives around it.)
Alfred (radio): Left flank has been cleared, follow us!
(Camera cuts to the T95E1, which is now driving off.)
Fiona (radio): Roger, we're on our way. Everyone, retreat!
(Camera cuts to the T-10M.)
James (radio): Affirmative.
(The T-10M withdraws, and the rest of the team follow suit. Camera cuts to the S-tank.)
Danielle: Everyone's retreating. Let's go!
Rebecca: Alright!
(A shot hits the side of the S-tank.)
Rebecca: Wah!
(The left track breaks. The right track begins moving, but the tank doesn't go anywhere at all.)
Rebecca: Huh? What happened?
Adrianne: Our track must have broke.
Rebecca: Not again!
(Camera cuts to the rest of the team racing down the slope, and away from the ridge. Camera cuts back to the S-tank.)
Rebecca (radio): Wait! Don't leave us here!
(A Panzer 68 drives up next to it, and slowly turns its turret towards it.)
Danielle: Uh oh.
(The Panzer 68 fires. Unsurprisingly, it hits its target. A white flag pops out.)
Adrianne (radio): We're down.
Rebecca (radio): Good luck you guys!
Danielle (radio): Win it for us, 'kay?
Alisa groans, "Ugh, there she goes again."
"Come on, it's not that-"
"Yes, it is."
(Camera cuts to an overhead view of the ridge. The Redshire Hills team can be seen driving away, while the Helvetica Peak team drove to the edge of the ridge. Several shots rang out, which all miss.)
Thomas: Oh ho! Looks like the table's been turned, and its not in Redshire Hills' favour.
(Camera cuts to a road on the outskirts of a town, the Redshire Hills team turns onto it and heads towards the town.)
Regina: Did we lose them?
Martin: You know, you're not supposed to say tha-
(Several shots hits the back of the Scimitar, it comes to a stop and pops a white flag.)
Stephen: Oh, we've been camped! That's not fair!
(Camera cuts to a nearby bush. The CV90 can be seen behind it, with wisps smoke coming out of its cannon barrel.)
Jostli (radio): The town? Okay-
(Camera cuts to the Helvetica Peak team, Jostli can be seen riding the Panzer 68 unbuttoned.)
Jostli: -we'll head there now. Weisshorn One, update enemy status every fifteen minutes.
CV90 commander (radio): Roger.
(Camera cuts back to the Redshire Hills team, who was driving through the town now.)
Regina (radio): My apologies, sir. We've been eliminated.
James (radio): Right.
Alfred (radio): We took out three enemy vehicles, and we lost...three as well, I think.
Fiona (radio): So, we still got a chance of doing this.
James (radio): Question is, what do we do now?
"Well, currently they have the terrain advantage, being in a urban area. It's ideal for setting up close-range ambushes, limits their visibility, and does not allow them to take advantage of their long-range firepower," Miho mused.
Alfred: We've gotten a headstart, but they won't take forever to get here. We were spotted after all.
Carla: Well, let's get it on then!
(Camera cuts to a hotel room. A girl can be seen sitting on an armchair facing a television, which showed a bird's eye view of the town as the Redshire Hills team navigated around it. Just then, someone knocked on the door.)
Girl that is totally relevant to the plot later: Come in.
Everyone's eyes widened at the girl's voice. Pekoe turned to Darjeeling.
"Darjeeling, did you happen to moonlight as a voice actress?"
Darjeeling, equally surprised, slowly shook her head, "No, if I remember correctly."
"Her resemblance is...uncanny," Naomi remarked.
"Agreed," said Alisa.
(A boy entered the room, and approached the girl.)
Boy that is totally relevant to the plot later: You sent for me?
GTITRTTPL: I sent for you? Oh, yes I did.
BTITRTTPL: What is it then?
GTITRTTPL: I just wanted someone to hold a conversation with me.
BTITRTTPL: Hmm, very well then. What is it that you wanted to talk about?
(The girl gestured towards the television.)
BTITRTTPL: ...I see...
(Camera cuts to the road leading into the town. The Helvetica Peak team emerges from the field and turns onto it. The CV90 drives out of a nearby bush and follows them. Camera then cuts to a quaint neighbourhood. The three Panzer 68s split up at an intersection. The CV90 followed the one going down the central road.)
Jostli (radio): Find them, and report their positions. Do not chase them in too far.
(Camera cuts to the T95E1, who was parked halfway around a corner.)
Fion (radio): Everyone ready?
James (radio): We're in position.
Alfred (radio): All good.
Clifford (radio): We're ready, you're ready?
Fiona (radio): Wait, Clifford? Where's Carla?
Clifford (radio): Well, we had to mix it up a bit. Nicky hit too many trees...and lampposts...and fences...
Nicky (radio): ALLEGEDLY!
"Jeez, no need to shout. We can hear you just fine," said Alisa.
Clifford: (radio): So, I'm the commander now. Carla's the loader, Nicky's on the gun, and Hugh's driving.
James (radio): Well, as long as you're comfortable with it, it shouldn't be a problem.
Clifford (radio): Wait, I think they're coming.
(Camera cuts to a Panzer 68 that was driving down a street lined with shops on either sides. As it drove past an intersection, a shot rang out, and hit the front of the turret from the side. The extreme angle causes it to bounce off harmlessly. The Panzer 68 turns right as the camera zooms out, revealing the Centauro parked just down the road.)
Nicky: Uh oh.
Clifford: Gun it, Hugh!
(The Centauro reverses, narrowly missing the return shot. It turns onto a smaller street. Camera cuts to the Panzer 68's POV as it follows the Centauro down the narrow road. It fires again, but the Centauro turns a corner and the shot misses. The Panzer 68 turns the corner, the Centauro can be seen up ahead. The Panzer 68 speeds up and almost catches up, but the Centauro turns another corner at the last second. The Panzer 68 understeers and crashes into a shop.)
"Woah!" Kay exclaimed.
"Umm, Darjeeling? That reminds me, what happened to that shop one of our Matilda's ran into?" Assam asked.
"Well, the owner was...quite grateful about it for some reason. He even sent his thanks to our school," Darjeeling replied.
"Huh, that's a bit unusual."
"Well, if you keep your face to the sunshine, you cannot see the rainbow."
"Helen Keller, wasn't it?"
John: Ohhh, looks like someone's receiving "collateral damage compensation"...again...
(Camera cuts to the Centauro.)
Carla: Woo hoo! We lost them!
Hugh: And I thought we were never getting out of that.
(The Centauro turns a corner, and runs straight into the barrel of another Panzer 68.)
Hugh: Umm...
(A second Panzer 68 appears, its gun pointed at the rear of the Centauro.)
Clifford: Oh no.
Carla: Oh no.
Hugh: Oh no.
Nicky: Oh-
(Both fire simultaneously.)
Nicky: -shit...
"Why do I feel like he was gonna say something else?" Kay wondered.
Erika wanted to retort, but she found herself thinking in the same way.
"Yeah, me too..." Yukari added.
"Okay, this is getting a bit weird now. Can we just watch this?" Ritaiko suggested.
Everyone agreed.
(Camera cuts to the T-10M, which was driving through a residential area.)
Clifford: (radio): Sorry guys, we got taken out and didn't get anyone.
(Camera cuts to the inside of the tank.)
James: (radio): I see. You've done your best. Don't worry, we'll take it from here.
Elizabeth: Can we really still do this?
James: We can still try.
Tina: That's not really saying much.
James: I know. Full speed ahead.
(Tina shifts the tank into gear. Camera cuts to the outside. The T-10M accelerates down the road.)
James (radio): Team Snowdrift, Team Forrest, where are you right now?
(Camera cuts to the T-64A.)
Alfred (radio): On the uh...main street right now, I think.
James (radio): Team Forrest?
(Camera cuts to the T95E1, which was being pursued by two Panzer 68s and the CV90.)
Fiona (radio): Kind of in a bit of a pinch right now.
Alfred (radio): Where?
Fiona (radio): I don't know! All I know is that there's a roundabout coming up!
(Camera cuts to the T-10M.)
James (radio): What roundabout?
(Camera zooms out to reveal a roundabout ahead. The T95E1 can be seen speeding through it, closely followed by the Panzer 68s and CV90. Shots were flying everywhere.)
James (radio): Oh, that roundabout.
(Camera cuts to the T95E1. There was some roadworks up ahead. The T95E1 stops and turns around. The Panzer 68s and the CV90 can be seen approaching.)
Sonia: What do we do now?
Fiona: To be honest, I'm not really sure...
Samson: Well, that's reassuring.
(Camera cuts to the Panzer 68. As it drives forwards, a shot suddenly hits it on the right side. Camera cuts to an overhead view, revealing that the T-10M had shot through a gap between two houses.)
Elizabeth: Got 'em!
(Camera cuts to the T95E1. The tank accelerates and turns onto the front lawn of a house.)
Fiona: We'll take one out and get out of here!
Sonia: Roger!
Joseph: Affirmative!
(The T95E1 stops, and fires. The shot misses the Panzer 68, but hits the CV90 behind it instead. The T95E1 drives off through the fence between two of the houses.)
Josli: Reverse, now!
(Camera cuts to the T-10M. A third Panzer 68 can be seen approaching from the opposite direction, its gun aimed at the T-10M's side.)
Tina: Oh dear!
(The Panzer 68 fires as the T-10M begins reversing. The shot connects anyways and the T-10M is disabled.)
Alfred: Hang on! We're on our way!
(Camera cuts to the Panzer 68's POV. The T-10M rolls backwards, revealing the T-64A approaching from the front. Its gun fires, taking out the Panzer 68.)
Henry: We're good.
(The T95E1 turns onto the road in front of them.)
Fiona (radio): There's only two of them left.
Alfred (radio): One actually.
"This is pretty intense," Kay commented.
"Isn't sensha-do pretty much the same?" Saori asked.
"Well...yeah. But, watching shensha-do is almost as intense as participating in it, right?"
"Well then, it appears that the odds are in their favour now," Darjeeling commented, turning back to the screen.
"A 2 vs 1 situation is favourable, but not by much if they don't take advantage of it properly," Maho commented.
Fiona (radio): Let's get them!
Alfred (radio): Hey, let's not celebrate until it's all over.
Fiona: Right, let's go.
(The T-64A turns around and the two tanks began moving off.)
Alfred (radio): Stick close to the wall.
(The two approached an intersection. The T-64A drives out and gets hit in the side, causing the track to break.)
Sidney: We've lost our track!
(The Panzer 68 approaches, and fires again. The shot connects and takes out the T-64A.)
Alfred (radio): We're down! It's up to you now!
Fiona (radio): Umm, okay.
(The Panzer 68 stopped just before the intersection.)
Sonia: Now what?
Fiona: Joseph, back it up a bit.
Joseph: Right.
(The T95E1 reverses and turns away from the wall.)
Fiona: Joseph, try to bait them into firing, then we'll finish this.
Joseph: Right.
(Joseph repositions the tank and pauses for a moment. Then, the T95E1 surges forwards.)
Joseph: Get ready, Sonia.
Sonia: Alright!
(Joseph brakes hard as the T95E1 went halfway around the corner. The Panzer 68 fires, but hits the upper glacis at an extreme angle, causing the shot to ricochet.)
Fiona: Now's our chance!
(The T95E1 drove around the Panzer 68, its gun trained on the Panzer 68's side. The Panzer 68 tried to turn towards the T95E1, but the T95E1 fires and the Panzer 68 is disabled.)
Claude (PA system): Helvetica Peak Panzer 68, inoperable.
(Camera cuts to the screen at the spectator's field. The team rosters were displayed, only "T95E1" and "Pz. 68 AA2" were highlighted. Then, "Pz.68 AA2" became grayed out.)
Claude (PA system): All tanks of Helvetica Peak Academy have been eliminated. The winner is Redshire Hills International School.
(Camera cuts to the spectators, some were cheering, others were whispering amongst themselves or looked surprised.)
"They seem surprised," Saori commented.
"Well, it's not everyday a no-name school beats a more experienced one in a tournament," said Alisa.
(Camera cuts to the S-tank, which was being secured to armoured recovery vehicle. Danielle can be seen smoking a cigarette.)
"Wait, is she smoking?" Kay asked.
"Well, they did say she was a delinquent, right?" Hana replied.
"Yeah, speaking of which, this is the first time she's done anything borderline 'deliquent'," Erika added.
"Oh hey, you're right," said Kay.
Danielle: Huh, looks like we won.
Rebecca: We did?! Yes! Yes! We did it!
Adrianne: Can you stop that, I'm trying to read here.
Rebecca: Sorry.
Adrianne: No, not you.
Danielle: Hey, come on. I just started with this one.
(Camera cuts to the T-10M. James and the others were standing near or on the T-10M.)
James: So, we won this round.
Tina: You think we can really do this?
James: I'm not exactly certain. But it's good to have hope.
(Camera cuts to the tents, the team was resting inside while the Auto Shop Club members were fixing the tanks nearby.)
James: Well, we've all done a good job today. Let's keep this up.
Samson: (sighs) My shoulders are really sore.
James: Now, I wanted to do a debriefing. But I believe it's better that you all have some rest.
Regina: We'll review our battle performance tomorrow. Meet up here, no later than 11 AM.
Danielle: Right, right.
Regina: Say it once, and only once.
Danielle: Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight...
Mako smirked slightly.
(WCTF intro plays, then cuts to Thomas and John.)
Thomas: Now that was a pretty close match if I say so myself.
John: But before we move on to our next match, I think we should tease you a bit.
"You bastard," Kay muttered.
"Did you say something, Kay?" Darjeeling questioned.
"Umm, no..."
Thomas: That's right. Something interesting will be coming up in the second round. We're not allowed to say anything about it yet. But we are allowed to say that Lady Luck will be smiling down upon us for the entire second round. And by "us", I mean only "us".
John: That's all we have for now. So, our second match for today will be-
(Outro starts)
"Aww, why do they always have to tease us?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...pause..."