II

Resurrect

So how exactly, do we cross all this barbed wire?

"We can hop over the barbed wire and risk getting our legs snagged and bleeding all over." "Fuck that." Lot instantly spits at the ground right after. Yeah, not the best choice if even she disagrees with it of all people.

So I look over to the sides; this five meter clearance is a road and a sidewalk alongside the staircase. Everything else is a fifteen meter breadth of rows of barbed wire in front of shabbily constructed walls. Even the top of the walls are rigged with barbed wire…

… Voices.

"Lot, incoming." "Wha-" My sister can barely respond as I yank her wrist and drag her back to the staircase. I go half a flight of stairs down, crouch both of us down to the floor, and I shut younger sis up with the most severe look I can muster.

Both us hear metal shuffling from beyond the wide entryway of the staircase above.

"You know, it's a hassle that we have to rearrange the barricades everytime we exit or enter. Like, what's the worst that could happen, we get sacked by the Discipline Committee in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah, no chance that happens. Bowl cut midgets scurry home by the time it's four in the afternoon in the weekends, what's the point anyways?"

Two distinct voices approach the staircases…

"Won't hurt if we leave the barbed wires unarranged while we both sneak up to the surface levels."

I hold my breath as their steps echo across the staircase, ready to yank Lot with me…

"I wonder, will the mall still be open at this hour? Kinda boring that we're always stuck with the convenience stores up at night…"

… Their echoing steps and words head upwards the stairs, never making an appearance to us. Both me and my sis exhale in relief, though I quickly make headway back up to the entrance of the staircases.

A set of wooden pallets was placed over the coils of barbed wire to cross over to the road, providing us a clear path to Johannesburg. I momentarily look back to Lee, and I mouth 'go' before I take my steps over the planks.

The outskirts of the Zuikaku's slums are really quiet and tame compared to what we see around us.

Shit, the place kinda stinks. Each 'house' is about a meager seven or so square meters in average space. Every few 'houses' we pass by, we stumble into or hear a small fight between two to four students. Maybe even more.

The more we move, the more eyes I feel piercing through us. Right, the amidships sector of this level of the Zuikaku is where the SU is stuffed through. Only problem is where exactly in this place is Warehouse 5A.

Sis leads us two into what I think is the plaza of the place; a rundown fountain dried out of its water supply, with several garbage bags littering its basin and lower tiers. All of the other exit points are, blocked off by incoming groups of girls.

I look behind us and, we're blocked off too. Shit, we're surrounded, and this looks like the place for a nightly gang beatdown.

… Not gonna lie, I'm kinda down.

Lee suddenly yanks me close and whispers to my ear with a grit in her voice. "Not the time, Lot. We have a mission to get done." Ah, must've thought aloud.

"Well, well, well. If it looks like we got some sneaky snitches late at night!" One of what I think are the gang leaders holler out when her eyes land on us two, making just about everyone here in this de facto plaza look at us.

"You think I won't notice you're not one of us here!?" The loud bastard further shouts at us as she approaches, and the mob encroaches on us.

"You know, I'm down for a beatdown here someday, but me and sis here have shit to do and sort, so kindly-" "So what, to do the Discipline Committee's dirty work, huh!?" One of the other ringleaders sneers as she leans close to my older sister.

"I bet you lot are their mercenary dogs; you went here for some quick cash." "Wrong move, bumpkins." "You should've tried earlier this afternoon!" Some of the treacherous crowd guffaw at that, and the assumptions and threats keep on coming.

This is bad! I look at Lee and… Ohhhh has that blank stare in her eyes, this is gonna get ugly. Hopefully I can snap her out before she goes ham!

"Shut THE FUCK UP! WE CAME HERE FOR WAREHOUSE 5A, SO LORD HELP ME OR I'LL CAVE YOUR FACE RIGHT IN!" I shriek, only realizing when someone grabs my arms back. I was clutching one of Johannesburg's ringleaders tightly by the front of her collar, her face morphed in utter shock and growing terror.

"Sis! I know we have a mission, but Christ Lee, calm down!" My younger twin's voice snaps me out of my daze as she pulls me backward, the grip of my hands losing the collar of the girl before me. When Lot's arms let go, I look around the two of us; the large crowd of delinquent students look at me as if I was a monster with a broken chain.

"So, Warehouse 5A?" The crowd parts with gasps for a new voice, revealing a tall girl with long black hair in a ponytail wearing a black long coat and black boots over her Naval Studies uniform. Her top seems undersized too.

"Ogin-sama!?" "The Boss is here!" "Oh shit, something's gonna go down." The audience erupts into a chorus of hushed whispers. So this one is the highest boss of these damn slums, it seems.

I, I fucking can't with this, if this Ogin girl is like all these shits, I will-

"Do you new faces know about the hag that lives at that warehouse?" Oh, she can talk peacefully. Good grief, good grief. I take deep breaths, and I can feel my sister's palms rub my shoulder and chest.

"You okay, sis?" "I'm fine, I just… Need to calm down." I hold my palm out to the boss girl Ogin in a gesture to wait, to which she would place her fingers on her temples with a sigh.

"Oi! I know you lot don't take kindly to visitors from the upper levels, but come on, at least hear them out! You lasses are better than this!" She barks out to everyone surrounding us. The hostile crowd wilts under her stern hollers, most especially the gang leaders who hang their heads low in shame.

"So, she's good now?" The boss asks my sister, looking at me as my breathing is now slow. "Yeah, I'm good to talk, thanks sis." I take another deep inhale, patting Lot on her shoulder. "No prob, Lee."

"No idea who the old lady is." I speak when I turn to look back at Ogin, to which she simply smiles. "I can tell that you have business with where she stays." She beckons as she turns around to walk.

I look back to Lot. She's wary; so am I, but this is our only shot. I pull her close by the hand and we follow the ringleader.

"Lee, are you sure about this?" My twin whispers. "Not only do we find the SU, perhaps we can also negotiate with that woman. Maybe she's not moving away from the warehouse because it's the only place where she can store the damn thing."

"But why is she defensive of the warehouse then?" "It's either it's her prized relic and she's not risking moving the tank at all. But maybe, hopefully, maybe she's been involved with Ooarai's former tankery team." "That's too hopeful." We turn another corner, and we find ourselves being led into a clearing in front of a massive, rusty warehouse door. 5A is written on it.

"So, let's see if you can convince the hag to open up." Ogin turns to us with a resigned look, as if she is expecting us to fail right off the bat. "Let's go, Lot." My sister grunts as we trudge to the access door beside the large door.

Damn, poor door's been beaten and dented all over, probably torn off several times and crudely put back on the door frame. That woman is persistent, I can tell.

Lot knocks on the door, albeit gently. Muffled sounds would come from inside, followed by a gruff, elderly voice. "At this time, OF THE DAMN NIGHT!"

I pull back my twin from the door just as it swings inwards, and out stomps a woman. Her graying brown hair is disheveled, her green eyes are bleary and unfocused, and her posture is hunched over. "WHEN WILL YOU SHITS EVER LEARN!? IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY-"

She stops yelling when her eyes focus on us two, staring at us for a good five seconds. Her gaze then locks to Ogin near us, and to the surrounding crowd, before she speaks once more at us two. "So they brought me new faces late at night, huh?"

"They're saying they have business with your warehouse." The ringleader speaks, to which the hag snorts at us with a disdainful glare. "You brats better have good reason or fuck right off."

"We need the SU-100." I get straight to the point. The old woman's scowl deepens, before she steps back and slams the door. "First my warehouse!" "Ma'am, we can explain!" My younger twin shouts as rushes and busts the door open with a slam of her palm.

"Now you brats are after my tank!?" The hag yells again as she shuts the door on Lot's forearm getting through the doorway. "Arghck!" "Please, we know what we're talking about, just listen!" I reason as I help push the door open, letting my sister get her hands out.

"Go away!" She shouts right after she slams the door shut once more. "Please! IT'S URGENT! WE WON'T BE DOING THIS IF WE DON'T HAVE A GOOD REASON TO!" I catch myself shrieking once more, and my sis pats my back as I take deep breaths in and out. "Hey, hey. Lee, just breathe in, okay?"

And then the old woman slowly opens her door again after a moment, staring at us sisters. "... I'll make an exception for you three. Just this once." Us twins follow her stare and look back to Johannesburg's boss, who seems taken by surprise judging by her expression.

"Come in, and lock the door." She is, way quiet than earlier. Lee glances back at me and Ogin, and she nods as a gesture to follow as she goes into the warehouse. Well, moment of truth…

In the middle of this dark, massive warehouse was a light. It was a lantern on the floor, dimly showing us a bed roll, several wooden cabinets, and a coffee table right near it.

The dim orange light glinted sharply against the dark.

That silhouette is unmistakable.

"That's our find." My older sis may be whispering, but the relief and excitement in her voice is unmistakable.

"So that's a, 'tank?'" Ogin would ask intrigued as the woman gestures for us to sit by the coffee table, and she sits on her bed roll. I set the duffle bag holding our metal detector between me and my sister, and our schoolmate sits across us.

"Technically it's a tank destroyer, but based on a tank, so I guess it counts." The hag states with a shrug, grunting as she stretches her neck and arm muscles. "I don't follow." The ringleader simply deadpans.

"... So. Ogin, is it?" "Yes, Ma'am." The owner of this warehouse stares the Naval Studies student up and down with a squint of her green eyes. She then sighs with relief.

"You're reasonable, all the brats here in Johannesburg hold you in high regard, and you're probably the only sane kid in these levels of the Zuikaku." "I- I see." Ogin averts her gaze; she looks uneasy getting compliments from someone she is technically at odds with.

"Now, y'all wanted to use this warehouse for your activities?" "Not my group, but most of the gangs here do." "Only reason I'm staying here is because this place the only damn one I can store this thing in." The woman sneers as she points a thumb at the SU-100, before she looks at us twins with a scrutinizing stare.

"We're staying in a stalemate and wasting time unless you upper level girls tell us why you kids are here in the first place. And at this time of the night." The ringleader looks at me and my older twin expectantly.

Lee sighs and pats my shoulder, giving me a tired look. Ah right, she gave me coffee earlier tonight. Her adrenaline's long gone too, the caffeine from her two Mountain Dews probably is gone at this point, and her outbursts earlier might've hit the last nails.

I look back at the warehouse hag and Ogin, and I steel myself with a deep breath before I speak. "... Look. My sister here knows something from the Student Council, that nobody else here in the Zuikaku knows."

The old woman raises a brow at me, very likely intrigued. "... Go on." I take a moment to recollect myself more. "The Council doesn't know we know, and…"

I take another inhale. "Ma'am, Ogin. Please, don't tell anybody what I'm about to say, or that we told you. Especially, th-the Council." My voice stammers.

Yet another breath in, and I finally say it. "The MEXT is shutting Ooarai down by the end of the year." I finally breathe out and I take a moment to stabilize my breathing, but when I look back up…

My schoolmate is looking back and forth between me and my older sister with growing horror on her face. The woman's stare is now hollow, boring at my own eyes. I look back at Lee and she's just giving both of them a tired yet deadpan stare.

"No, you can't be serious, right?" Ogin gives us a faltering smile, as if thinking we are joking.

"'It takes money to maintain and run school ships. After taking a look at the costs again, we've decided to start consolidating. We will start by shutting down schools that fail to yield satisfactory results.' That's what the representative from the MEXT said." My sister tiredly quotes in a deadpan.

And then the hag starts cackling all of a sudden. "Ahahahah! I'm actually surprised it took the Ministry twelve damn years to finally resolve to shut Zuikaku down!" "Oi hag, this is serious!" The Naval Studies girl shot a glare at her, clearly getting agitated.

"So why involve my tank, then? Don't tell me the Student Council is gonna restart senshado here in Ooarai?" "The representative suggested that this school used to have a tankery team, and Council President just jumped at the idea with nowhere to start at." I speak up in my sister's stead.

"Fuck's sake." The warehouse owner cusses under her breath with a facepalm.

"So you're telling me the Student Council is trying to save the school by making us students participate in a sport that Ooarai dropped out of since, how many years has it been again?" Ogin looks at the elder woman.

"Twelve years. I was a member of the old team-" "You were a member and you didn't tell us!?" Both of us shout out in unison; Lee is shocked out of her tiredness and I slam my palms on the table. "Jesus, calm down, you brats."

"Oops, sorry…" My hands limp off the table as I look down in shame. Shit, I forgot it's like past ten in the night.

"Actually, instead of a team commander and a vice commander, Ooarai had three commanders embodying different tactics. I was the one who focused on flanking and ambush maneuvers."

"I, I don't know how I should-" The ringleader starts to speak, only for the old woman to shush her. "Ogin, go to Donzoko Bar and buy me a coffee. I have a lot of catching up to do tonight, and I'll appreciate it if you leave us three for a moment." The hag gets up with a tired sigh, taking some money from one of her cabinets and giving it to our schoolmate.

"Oh, uh, alright then." Ogin manages an uneasy smile, she seems to be thrown off by how friendly the woman is. She accompanies the ringleader to the access door of the warehouse, locking the door behind Ogin.

"My name's Kousaka, and I won't repeat myself." The elder woman introduces herself as she walks back up to the coffee table, grunting as she sits across us sisters.

"Now where was I again?" "Team commanders." Lee sleepily inputs as she leans her head on my arm. "Ah, right! So, there was also Ami who followed a more rigid, defensive fighting style."

"Hold up." I hold up a hand to make her pause. "You don't mean Ami Chouno of the Self Defense Force, and the Senshado Federation? That Ami?" "The one and the same." Kousaka chuckles, and I can't help my eyes widening at this revelation.

"Who's the last commander, though?" My older twin tiredly drawls out beside me. "She's a great in-between of me and Ami, both in tactics and personality. Her name was, uh, Matilda. Walters was her surname, if I-"

"Mom!?" Lee is now awake and both of us gape. The older woman stares silently at us dumbstruck.

And then she looks off to the side. "Holy fuck, that madwoman actually followed up on her promise." Her hushed whisper now becomes a laugh of disbelief as she looks back to us twins once more. "Ahahaha! So that's why you shits look so familiar!"

"Wait, what promise!?" My older twin instantly follows up, to which old lady Kousaka simply chuckles before speaking up. "You know, that Matilda said that she's gonna send her children here on the Zuikaku."

"Mom said she sent us to study here for a year, as a test of independence?" I squint at her as I speak. "Something's not adding up here." Lee adds as the former tanker sighs with a facepalm. "Of course she said that."

Kousaka stands up just in time when knocking comes on the warehouse's access door, striding her way over. "Look, as much as I'd like to talk about nostalgia, I got work to do tonight. Plus it's just Thursday, so you two tykes still have school tomorrow."

Ogin is back with a cup of coffee, which the old hag takes with brief, murmured gratitude. I stand up and haul our duffle bag on one shoulder, and I help up my twin sis on my other shoulder. "Go back up to surface level; I'll handle things on my end for tomorrow night, okay?" She looks back to us.

Kindness seemed to have flickered on them, even for just a moment.

Johannesburg's boss gives us a very worried look as the two of us make our way over to them. I give Ogin a simple nod as Lot helps me walk, and my eyes slowly close down as Lot walks us out the warehouse. "... Let's prove them wrong, shall we?"