Neptune Reacts to Tankery, Part 2!
A/N: Welcome, one and all, to Weiss Reacts! Damn, my exam period is ridiculously busy. And the questions are stupid. And the rest of my life weighs on this crap. So, nothing's changed except that now I'm far more irritated than usual.
Apologies for that, now let's get this tankfest out of the way!
DISCLAIMER: RWBY does not belong to me, otherwise Jaune would get a suit of armor to match his knight motif (that'll turn him into a true knight. Badass points for making it out of Grimm bone.)
Girls und Panzer belongs to Studio Actas.
All mentioned franchises and characters belong to their respective creators.
"We're taking fire on the left side, Mistress Belladonna." Norn announced, reminding Blake of the current predicament they were in. Blake grumbled.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" The catgirl cried, climbing out to survey where the other tanks were with her binoculars. "I can see that!"
"Your sarcasm lacks a clear stimulus. I am unable to figure out if you are making an attempt at humour." Norn responded calmly.
Minako giggled, swerving around to avoid a blast she could hear coming. "She's a keeper, alright."
"I'm getting snarked at by a Persocom. Wonderful." Blake groaned as she poked her head out of the tank, looking to their right.
The Tiger was paving its way through a dirt path that cleaved through the woods. A trail of smoking craters followed behind them, where Minako had managed to swerve away from their opponent, the Panzer IV, which trailed behind another path, gaining on them quite quickly due to its lighter bulk. The catgirl cursed as the tank's turret aimed just in front of them, hoping to lead the target.
It didn't help, of course, that Sun, Isara- one being a skilled mechanic who'd familiarized himself with the tank's inner workings and the other being a bigger tank nerd than Neptune- and Pyrrha, who was of course skilled at basically everything, were the crew of the Panzer. It was basically only due to Minako's insane driving and Norn being a very good shot with a tank turret that the Panzer hadn't taken them out yet.
"They're aiming in front of us." Blake noted. "Arisato, move backwards and see if we can't duke them out."
"Roger!"
"Norn, turn the turret to eight o'clock and fire on my command. We should nail 'em straight in the track."
The gynoid maid nodded, loading a shell into the barrel with one hand. "Understood, Mistress Belladonna.
I must warn you of the risks. Miss Gunther and Mister Wukong are highly skilled at manoeuvring and utilising tanks. There is a zero-point-zero-zero-two chance that this manoeuvre did not occur to them, and a zero-point-zero-zero-one chance Miss Nikos did not notice you watching them."
"You know how it goes, Norn." Blake gritted her teeth, following the Panzer's movement.
"Indeed. 'If it's higher than zero, it's as good as one-hundred-percent." Norn repeated. "You have said that upon multiple occasions. I have yet to understand what it truly means..."
"It's like having Spock and Kamina trying to argue in the backseat..." Minako muttered. "Blake, how much longer until I reverse?"
"Reverse...reverse now! Now!" Blake ordered, slinking back into the tank and sliding her binoculars away.
Minako grinned, before slamming her foot on the pedal, sending the tank into reverse. Blake stumbled slightly, landing with a grunt onto the commander's seat.
"Gah! Try not to hit the pedal so hard!"
"You said now, didn't you?"
Blake grumbled as she rubbed her backside, reeling slightly from the impact. "Couldn't those two have installed some seat cushions in the seats before they sent this out-"
Suddenly, a strong impact slammed into the Tiger's side, shaking it violently and shaking Minako off the driver's seat. Norn barely budged, her typically emotionless expression still unchanged.
"Owie..." The brunette rubbed her side, checking to ensure her short sword wasn't harmed by the impact before clambering back onto the seat, trying to move the tank.
"...damn it. I think we're out."
The catgirl clenched her fist, before climbing out to survey the damage to the Tiger.
A large, black mark had been created on the side, smoking from the impact. A small white flag had sprung up on top of the turret, waving feebly in the wind.
Norn looked over to Blake. Minako swore that despite her expression having not changed, there was a hint of amusement on her serene face.
"My probability calculations were correct. You equipped me with a Spiral Computer. My processing ability parallels that of Project YAMA-"
"Norn!" Blake snapped harshly. The robot maid stopped herself.
"I duly apologise for that."
"Project YAMA...Yamato?" Minako raised an eyebrow. "What's that about?"
"That is classified information. Only Mistress Belladonna and Miss Xiao Long are permitted access."
Blake clambered back into the tank, banging the side of the tank with a closed fist. "Damn it...we're screwed if we have to do a real fight..."
"Good game." Pyrrha's voice burst into life on the radio, congratulating the Tiger team. "I applaud your performance.
Perhaps you should have not telegraphed it by making yourself visible and looking at our path."
"Yeah, I'm a moron." Blake sighed, frowning. "Why did you guys shove me into this again?"
"If it makes you feel any better, it's your first time commanding a tank crew with rookies." Isara pointed out over the radio.
"Thanks, Gunther. I didn't want to do this tank thing to begin with!"
Norn sighed, grabbing a kettle. "I will prepare some tea for you, Mistress Belladonna. Miss Winter has recommended it as a calming agent."
"...fine, Norn. Alright." The catgirl sighed. "I need a freaking drink anyway."
After the battle...
The tanks had gathered in the clearing they had first met half an hour earlier. Neptune's team had won- after all, with the vast majority of the Tankery fans on the team, it was all but inevitable that they would win.
Neptune climbed out of his tank, clapping slowly.
"Excellent job, team." Neptune declared. "We're really going to knock the socks off of 'em."
"Knock the socks off of 'em?" Minako blinked. "Who still says that?"
Winter merely giggled at the comment, covering her mouth to hide it ineffectually. "I applaud your enthusiasm, Mister Vasilias."
Blake groaned, clambering out of the Tiger. "That was unnecessarily rough, Neptune. You guys basically blasted our entire team to shreds!"
Nora stuck her tongue out. "Nyeh, you guys are just bad~"
"The armour plating of the Maus is almost impenetrable by the simulation shells utilized under Sensha-do League rules." Norn pointed out. "Even with the necessary skill you claim we do not have, it would be improbable to break the plating within a reasonable amount of time."
"Probability nothing~"
Sun frowned at the damage to the Sherman, studying the tracks. "Yeesh. You didn't have to blast the tracks out, did you? These are pretty hard to install."
Nora stuck her tongue out. "Nyaaaaah~"
Ren sighed, chuckling. "This is why you guys shouldn't have given her the big tank."
The catgirl groaned once more, wrenching herself off of her tank. "Well, if you people are done, I'm going to go get myself something to eat."
Neptune frowned, but allowed it.
"Drivers, get ready to drive your tanks back to the hangar. We'll meet again later this afternoon to discuss strategies."
Sun nodded at his friend to signal he understood. "Will do."
Frowning, he continued looking at the Sherman's track. "This is one big hit...hope we can pay for a new track..."
He ignored the Maus flickering briefly behind him, flickering a vivid purple. On the side, a pentagram glowed with power, written in an incomprehensible tongue long forgotten by even the most unholy of scholars.
That was, save one.
One week later, in Beacon Academy...
During special occasions, such as the Cockerel Festival, Beacon had several playing fields to utilize for various sporting events, from tournaments to races to large fairs and festivals. One such field was the Ruined City, a war-torn city arena, filled with various destructible obstacles and places to hide behind for tanks of all kinds. It was fairly famous now for being the site of the fight between Ren and Ruby during the Cockerel Festival, where Ren's Lotus Palm had all but decimated one of the biggest buildings.
This was one such occasion.
The Ruined City's stands were currently filled with students from both Beacon and the visiting Oarai Girls High School, holding up signs to support their respective sides. Supposedly, the set-up of the visiting team was similar- a Tiger and a Panzer, with the Hetzer and a STuG III, venerable giants from Oarai's resurrection as a formidable Tankery school.
Neptune was standing in front of his four tanks, crossing his arms. He was grinning with anticipation, waiting for the signal to go.
"Alright, ladies and gents." The blue-haired boy called out. "It's time for us to show the masters of Tankery how we do it over in Vale. You guys ready?"
Nora saluted enthusiastically. "Aye-aye, captain!"
"Present." Blake muttered irritably. She hadn't gotten a lot of sleep that night, having been woken at nine- an ungodly hour to be awoken at, at any rate- and, of course, was not entirely on-board with the Tankery to begin with.
"Not sure we've done enough training..." Jaune raised his hand. "So, how are we going about this?"
"Right. Blake's team, you will be referred to as Panther Team. Winter, you will be referred to as Swan Team.
Nora, you will be Chimera Team, and Pyrrha, you will be Badger Team."
"Nuh-uh!" The berserker crossed her arms, pouting. "I want to be Pancake Team!"
"...just roll with it." Ren shrugged. Neptune sighed, rubbing his temples.
"Alright, sure, you're Pancake Team. Whatever."
Velvet looked around the audience, disappointed. "I don't see Weiss-sempai. I was promised Weiss-sempai would watch this!"
"Relax," Blake commented. "She'll probably get press-ganged by Yang or something to watch it."
Indeed, the catgirl spied the brawler dragging the heiress into a vantage seat at the back of the stadium.
"I rest my case."
"So, we know our plans, movements, and so forth!" Neptune slammed his fist into his open palm to emphasise his point. "Team Beacon, move out!
Dust, I've always wanted to say that."
Blake clambered into the Tiger, after letting Norn and Minako get into position first. She rolled her head around to stretch herself out, rubbing her eyes blearily.
"I shouldn't have let Neptune invoke that contract..." The catgirl muttered. "...still, nothing to be done now. I'm actually about to go fight these people with the most unmanly vehicle known to man.
Arisato, how are we on the instruments?"
"Full tank of fuel, nothing looks out of shape...yeah, I think we're good." The driver turned to her, thumbs up.
"The gun is clean. We have the use of two smoke shells to provide us with a screen for concealment." Norn noted flatly. "I do not advise using them here, as the debris provides sufficient cover."
"Alright!" Neptune's voice crackled over the radio. "This is how we're going to do this.
Team Panther and Team Swan will head around the sides of the arena, going through alleys and backroads to flank the other team . Team Pancake, you'll plow straight through to the middle, creating a distraction. Their shells won't be able to pierce your plating, so you'll have an easy time of drawing fire.
My team will try to circle around and flank them from behind. When I give the signal, Teams Panther and Swan will clamp down from the sides, blow them to shreds, and win us the game.
With that in mind, good luck and let's give it a good show."
The radio crackled off. Blake frowned.
"So, I don't even get to go in there and blow them to shreds...this just keeps getting better and better." The catgirl complained. "Alright. I'll get this done and I won't ever have to climb into a tank again.
Let's do this. Team Panther, or whatever, let's get going."
Minako saluted. "Roger that!"
A cannon shot rang throughout the arena, signalling the beginning of the match.
"Team Beacon! ROLL OUT!" Neptune yelled over the radio.
Blake cracked her knuckles. Even if the idea of Tankery displeased her, she still took pleasure in its aim; to defeat one's enemies on the field of battle through skill and explosive weaponry.
"Alright. My pleasure."
With that, the Tiger roared into action, heading off to the right of the arena, heading off into a sideroad in the arena, with the Panzer heading off in the opposite direction. The Maus smashed into a barrier directly in front of it, reducing it to rubble with its massive size, while the Sherman followed behind, swerving off to a side road after a certain distance.
The arena was filled with the rumbling of tank engines, and the atmosphere tense, as neither side had sight of the other yet through the debris, smoke and buildings.
Little did either side know, it was about to get far more interesting.
To be continued...
A/N: Had to cut it short; I have a lot less time due to revision schedules, but I should be able to clinch it next time. And just what IS wrong with that Maus?
So, I hope you enjoyed that, leave your ideas, comments, suggestions, criticisms, reviews and thoughts, and I hope you have a GREAT day! Until next time!