The cuffs on her wrist now felt like normal as Hanoashi sat quietly in the transport van, surrounded by Rikona and Saori. It's still hard to believe that Saori is with us three strikes, especially considering that she now has a one year mandate as a third strike and an extra year on her record for that fight. Even harder to believe that she even got into a fight, but none the less, that's what happened, she noted to herself.
Letting out a tired sigh, Rikona gazed over at him. "Mark is seeking the death penalty for Napo," she admitted quietly.
"Good," Saori muttered. "I hope I get to watch that bastard die."
"Saori?" Hanoashi prompted.
"Sorry...it's just that he's abused us so much...you've felt it," Saori apologized. "Prison...it's changed me Hanoashi," she added somberly.
"I highly doubt that any of us will be the same after prison," Hanoashi sympathized. "But still...to want to watch someone die is...well he does deserve it, but I'd much rather not want to watch it.
"Believe you me Saori, you'll be wishing you hadn't watched it. "Believe it or not one of the guards tried to grope Mika when she first arrived, Mark had him in the intensive care unit...actually he's still in the intensive care unit last I've heard," Rikona noted, before letting out a small sigh.
"Miss my company?" Hanoashi teased.
"Bitterly...would be nice if we could just hang out like we used to," Rikona half whimpered, half whispered.
"It would be nice...but we've been sentenced and there's not much we can do about it," Hanoashi noted.
"You might be able to survive if we all got a sudden release, me? I'm probably get beaten up on the streets and left for dead," Saori sighed.
"Maybe...I don't know...people were so pissed at what we Matsumino were doing that they might try to beat me up if I went out right now...then again this academy hasn't showed me much hostility," Rikona noted.
"We'll be approaching the practice area in fifteen minutes," the driver noted.
Stepping out of the transport she was surprised to see Hana and Erwin here.
"Wonder why we are all here?" Hana asked as she approached.
"I don't know," Hanoashi noted. But it's good so see them doing well...calloused hands aside, she added silently.
"Just a little competition," the guard noted.
"Alright, so here's the skinny," a judge noted. "You girls will be competing with the other bad company squadrons in an elimination match. The winner of the tournament gets to pull one of the girls from the bad company as their own, any girl with a small handful of exceptions. Additionally, the MVP for the Drivers, Gunners, and Commanders gets the opportunity to switch to a different bad company school should they wish," she noted.
The girls looked excitedly at each other, but with trepidation. I...I like it in the 444th, I don't want to move somewhere else...Hanoashi pouted, glancing at Rikona worriedly.
"Don't worry, we won't be going anywhere," Rikona whispered. "I have to stay on for Mark's sake, none of the duck's are swapping, and as for you...well they'll give you a choice if they choose you," she added. "Considering the fact that you tried to warn Ooarai and all."
"A...alright..." Hanoashi whispered.
"Been a while huh?" Hana smiled at her kindly.
"Yeah, it has," Hanoashi smiled at her in return.
"What I wouldn't give to be able to choose where I go," Erwin sighed happily.
"Er...I'm pretty happy with the 444th," Hanoashi confessed.
"It seems more comfy than the camp green and orange lake," Erwin smiled.
"Hey at least we're digging once every two days now," Hana smiled.
"Wait...what?" Hanoashi gasped. "Thought you said it was every day!"
"That's only for the first five weeks, after that we get a day's break. Still rough on a girl though," Hana sighed, rubbing her hands. "They've lost their femininity," she added ruefully.
"We were all involved in reckless endangerment Hana..." Erwin noted somberly. "And Hanoashi here tried to warn us..."
Not this again! You screwed up, so just deal with it! Hanoashi flared up briefly, but then calmed herself down quickly.
"Alright girls, mount up!" one of the officer's growled.
"Awe...we barely got to talk too...but better get to it," Erwin muttered.
Loading up into the T-80, Hanoashi glanced down toward Kelly and Maho. "Is the new coach doing alright?" she asked.
"She's much better than the older coach, strict, but nicer," Kelly smiled.
"Absolutely an improvement," Maho grunted.
"Rikona, you'll be taking command of the team for the match, You'll be heading on out to section A-5-2 as your starting location. Unlocking the tank now, guns will remained locked until the match start," The TWSCO ordered.
"Understood, all units follow me," Rikona ordered.
Hanoashi glanced at her map and nodded. "Maho, take us in carefully, we don't want to get a log stuck in our track and this place is pretty forested."
"Nakajima, Erica, Hanoashi, you're on scout duty. Taeko, Saori, Ayumi, you're with me," Rikona commanded.
"Understood!" Hanoashi smiled.
"Match is starting, unlocking guns now," their TWSCO announced.
"Right, let's do this," Hanoashi smiled. She noticed a lot of drones dotting the skies. "I'm guessing that they are going for a points match?" she amused.
"Of course you'd figure that out right away," their TWSCO muttered.
"I have been operating in these matches for three years, ma'am, of course I'd pick up on it," Hanoashi bragged.
"Watch that hubris though and have fun!" the TWSCO laughed before going silent.
"Right, we'll be heading to F-17-3 and see what's they're, then move toward ending 6, and we'll pause if we see nothing," Hanoashi noted.
"We'll be counting on your vision commander," Maho noted. "Considering that we cannot exit the tank and scout."
"It is what it is," Hanoashi nodded. "Say that you had to move to another school, which one would you go to?"
"From what little I've heard the bad company at Maple seems pretty quaint," Kelly shrugged.
"Maybe Bonpole's?" Maho shrugged.
"Enemy Sentinel at eight o clock!" Hanoashi shouted, getting on the makeshift radio. "Hanoashi to commander Rikona, we've got a sentinel...no wait, a sentinel and a Stuart...Taking fire! Sounds like a German 75 millimeter!" she gasped. "Maho evasive action!" Hanoashi called.
"Rikona to Hanoashi, lead them to point C-12-2, we'll ambush them there!" Rikona called over the radio.
"Understood!" Hanoashi noted, before gazing down at her friends. "Pour it to it Johnathan!" she shouted, referencing a famous movie quote.
"On it! And please don't get Miho to saying that over and over again!" Maho whined.
"No promises," Hanoashi smirked.
"Taeko, hide behind that outcrop of bushes, Saori, you'll take the other side," Rikona ordered.
"Understood," Taeko mused. "Asuga, behind that outcrop of bushes, let's try not to make it too obvious. Fusae, be ready to fire at a moment's notice," she order.
"Still can't believe Hanoashi left us to die last time," Fusae muttered as she gripped one of the handles in preparation.
"We did our duty that day, Hanoashi would have done the same if asked," Taeko affirmed in defense of her sister in law. "Although...I've never been asked to do such a thing under Miho, so...it did shock me a bit," she added, her voice shaking a bit.
"I mean we are cannon fodder," Asuga reminded them as she parked the tanks behind the bushes. "Do we really have any right to complain if we're asked to form a fighting retreat? And besides, at the time Hanoashi was commanding the M-3 lee, which is our most valuable asset, at least as far as the spare squadron was concerned."
"I suppose..." Fusae noted reluctantly.
"Hanoashi to Rikona, We'll be coming right up on you," Hanoashi reported over the team radio. "Half a click...Maus Damn It!"
"Are you alright?" Rikona gasped.
"Checking," Their TWSCO called over the radio. "Shes fine, just got knocked out though," she added.
"Thank goodness she's alright," Rikona mused, closing her green eyes for a moment, before opening them. "Ayumi, pick up where she left off."
"But you'll be all alone!" Ayumi protested.
"Just do it!" Rikona growled irritably.
"Y...Yes commander," Ayumi stammered.
Taeko watched as the Panzer I took off, and a thought came to her mind. Will we upgrade that tank as well? I mean upgrading from the CV-33's was wise, but the more we upgrade the less that the main team has...
"I've got them on the trail!" Ayumi announced excitedly, and Taeko watched as Fusae got ready. Loading a shell into the cannon, she watched as they managed to knock out the Sentinel and then Rikona snagged the Stuart.
"Nice going," Rikona called out. "Fall back to B-7-4, and we'll regroup."
"You expect reinforcements?" Saori guessed.
"Sniping actually," Rikona noted. "I suspect that Stug III may be what got Hanoashi after all," she added as the three took off toward their regrouping procedures.
Hanoashi was seated in a secure location where she was given a glass of water and a Cal-biscuit. Accepting the food and drink gratefully, she ate quickly, before being sat in a bondage chair between Maho and Kelly.
"That Sentinel has good aim," Hanoashi sighed as she turned to watch the remainder of the match.
"Looks like Taeko got revenge for you," Maho smirked.
"I owe her twice...three times really," Hanoashi smiled.
"What was the first time?" Maho asked.
"She was the one who found Hanoashi and I...we...we've been thankful every since," Kelly smiled.
"Oh...I'd have thought that you'd have hated the one who found you," Maho mused.
"Not really considering how things turned out," Hanoashi smiled reassuringly. "Though Taeko did worry about that when she did find me...really I was considering turning myself in, but given they way that officer basically assaulted me and some of the conversations I overheard when I realized that he was trying to arrest me and not trying to kidnap or kill me...I got scared," Hanoashi shrugged. "Really though, I'm glad to be getting my prison sentence over with, even if it is boring and contains some rather unpleasant moments..."
"Yeah, that coach was an ass," Maho growled.
Let's try not to think of him anymore," Hanoashi sighed.
"Right," Maho and Kelly quickly agreed as they turned their focus into the current match.
Taeko glanced around with a small sigh as she was now on scouting duty. "Can't believe she wants us to find that Stug!" she muttered loudly.
"Well on the bright side they can't jump out and dig a trench to hide in," Asuga noted.
"They could have painted it though," Fusae muttered.
"Would the spare companies have the money for that?" Taeko mused.
"Blue Division just bought us two new tanks, don't take it for granted that they'd be unwilling to spend money on a new pant job," Asuga reminded her. "Especially if it helps them avoid losing a new member, let alone gain a new member."
"I suppose you're right," Taeko smiled. "Hold on, something metal is in those bushes," she squinted. "Quickly, fire!" Taeko gasped as she ducked into her tank.
Her heart sank as she heard her knock out flag deploy, but she also glanced out to see Asuza giving her a quiet smile. She then noticed that the Grant's knock out flag was also deployed. "Well girls, we took em out as well...good work."
"Two kills in a match, no one can complain about that," Fusae noted excitedly, giving the air a little fist pump.
"But our objective was to take out the Stug..." Asuga reminded them.
"Oh yeah that's right," Fusae noted.
"Hm...the Grant also as a seventy-five...is it possible that we're confusing the Stug with the Grant?" Taeko mused.
"That's possible," Asuga consented.
"Isn't Koala an Australian school though? Why would they want a Stug?" Fusae brought up.
"It's possible that they got it from Ooarai, after all the bad companies programs is designed to strengthen some of the smaller schools via a prison program...and we don't need to necessarily use the same equipment as our sponsor schools," Taeko noted.
Just then the armored prison transport vehicle went up, and Taeko sighed as she and the girls were cuffed and hauled off. She glanced over at Asuza and smiled. "Are you doing alright?" she asked gently.
"As well as the rest of us," Asuza huffed. "Really miss how my hands were before camp greenlake," she added with a huff.
"Yeah, I can see how calloused they are," Taeko observed. Imagine digging holes for five straight years, every day! She shuddered. And then there's being locked in that cage for everyone to gawk at!
"They did reduce the amount of holes we have to dig to once every two days though, which is a plus," Asuza smiled.
"I wonder why that is?" Taeko wondered.
"I suspect that it's to toughen us up for the first few weeks, then let us relax a bit," Asuza shrugged. "You've become quite the commander it seems, Taeko, I didn't expect that coming from you of all folks!" Asuza laughed.
"Why's that?" Taeko asked gently, not too sure if it was an insult or a compliment at first.
"Well...you've always seemed so quiet and introverted back at Ooarai," Asuza smirked.
"I guess I am a little more on the shy side of the scale," Taeko smiled.
"But seriously, from what little I've seen you have become a great tank commander," Asuza encouraged.
"I hope so...I...I worry about it sometimes," Taeko confessed.
"You took me out and I've had a half year's experience over you," Asuza noted kindly. "Taking out one for one is pretty good."
"Two for one. I took out a Sentinel earlier," Taeko smiled.
"That's even better! Well...for you I mean, not so much for us, but it goes to prove my point, that being you've became good at this commanding stuff," Asuza smiled. "Did Hanoashi teach you things?"
"When she could, for a while we were cellmates, but somethings happened with us and we ended up being sent back to the third strike pen and..."
"I understand, it happens," Asuza noted non-judgmentally. "Really wish she could have taught me more back at Ooarai...not that it'd do me that all that good, I'd have received a year regardless," she added with a small whine.
"I wish we had her over Miho as our team commander back at Ooarai..." Taeko whispered.
Rikona gazed at her map. "Grant or Stug...they have both..." she muttered, before sighing. "At least Taeko and my cousins are alright..." she mused. "Saori, on me. Ayumi, scout through sections J-14, 3."
"Understood commander," Ayumi noted, more confidently now.
"Will she be alright on her own?" Saori asked, stretching.
"We'll have to hope so," Rikona mused darkly. "Even with upgrading our CV-33's, there's just not enough in the budget for any more upgrades," she added. Especially if Antony is going to do what I think he's going to do. Question is...how much... She trailed off her thoughts and looked at her map again. "Wish I knew what took Taeko out," she added to herself.
"For all we know it was a Stug or perhaps another Stuart," Saori noted.
"Um guys...we ah...managed to take out the Stug," Ayumi began slowly.
"Say again?" Rikona asked.
"Yeah...we kind of panicked and fired on the sides and..." Ayumi noted.
"TWSCO, can you..." Rikona began, but their TWSCO simply let out a noncommittal grunt. "Fine...but that's hard to believe Ayumi," Rikona noted.
"I know, we can't believe it either," Ayumi radioed back.
Glancing up at the sky, Rikona let out a ragged sigh. "Maus save us all..." she muttered.
Taeko ate the Cal-biscuit gratefully, before drinking her water and then being latched into her chair, next to Asuza.
"So, cell-mate?" Asuza asked.
"Saori at the moment, Hanoashi and I were supposed to room together...but then the incident and our separation...right now she's rooming with a Kimberly," Taeko mused.
"You're lucky, Mama Saori is so nice," Asuza mused wistfully. "Me though...I guess that I'm lucky to have Hana looking out for us, but still...it's not the same without our sempai," she trailed off. "How is she by the way?" she asked.
"Pissed that she got an extra year and one of them being a mandate, but she's still handling things alright. I've been trying to keep her distracted, which isn't always easy," Taeko confessed.
"That must be hard...what's it like again as a third strike?" Asuza asked.
"Well, we..." Taeko went into the finer details of what she and the other third strikes had to go though. "So yeah, not exactly the most present life. Even so, I'd hate to be digging holes every day...or every other day," Taeko muttered. "I do not envy you over at Koala Forest."
"Yeah, it's frustrating and your hands get so big and callused...not to mention blistered. It's...not easy on a girl either," Asuza sighed.
"And that's nothing compared to people gawking at you through the page huh?" Taeko mused as she moved her bound wrist a bit, not exactly apprenticing how they were latched into the chair.
"I see that you're not all that fond of the bondage," Asuza mused.
"Never imagined myself being in such a predicament, let alone serving a five year prison sentence," Taeko sighed, slumping. "I came very close to getting life, or practically life...there's talk that I have something like 90 years if I fail this program."
"Talk about pressure..." Asuza muttered. "I've only got two years," she added.
"Why...you weren't involved in..."
"The radio operators and commanders all got extra time," Asuza noted. "Poor Hana got three years because she wanted to swap from the 444th to the camps," she added.
"That sounds rough, three years of digging..." Taeko paused as she realized they kept going back to digging. "Sometimes I fantasize if Ooarai never restarted her Sensado program."
"The school would have closed down...but it'd probably...no it would have been better if it had been left alone. The Student council would be alive and we'd be off having fun," Asuza mused.
"Wouldn't be easy though," Taeko mused. "Much...much easier than prison, but still..."
"It's not like we'd have known about this version of the timeline, would we?" Asuza brought up.
"Hm...guess you're right," Taeko mused, before letting out a small laugh. "Imagine us thinking that it couldn't get any worse then having to switch schools. Maus we'd be so naive!"
"Or imagine if we suddenly appeared in their universe after they swapped schools and told them our story," Asuza chuckled. "Yeah you think you have it bad? Imagine having to spend two to five years in prison and having to struggle with the knowledge that you either killed or played a part in killing the student council."
"To be honest prison isn't necessarily all that bad," Taeko mused. "Or...at least it isn't as bad as I thought it'd be," she added.
"You're lucky Taeko, it's worse than I imagined it'd be," Asuza sighed.
"Maybe in some ways I am lucky," Taeko agreed reluctantly. If we avoided that idiot, leering abusive coach we had up until a week or so ago, I could really consider myself lucky all things considered, she added silently.
"Is...Miho doing alright?" Asuza asked.
Taeko gazed down. "I...I don't want to talk about Miho," she noted bitterly, before letting out a sigh. "But...she's doing about as well as the rest of us I suppose."
"I'm guessing you hate her?" Asuza whispered.
"I...as much as I'd rather just get over it...what she did to us...all of us...it's not exactly easy," Taeko admitted with a small sigh. "Look at it from my perspective, I'm in prison for five years, nearly got life, my friends did get life, all from following Miho's order. Yes, we too bear a responsibility for what happened , but that was her plan, and she has what...nearly a decade's worth of Sensado experience at that?" Taeko paused briefly. "Veteran team commanders such as Hanoashi, Darjeeling...even Kaytusha would have never tolerated such a plan, and yet here is Miho, with as much if not more experience then they do...and she commands us to do this?"
Taeko let out a deep breath. "My anger towards Miho is so bad that sometimes I wish I could go back in time and just toss her over the academy railing, and I'm not even sure I'd care if it got me life in prison in return for you not to have to come here," she confessed.
"I see your point," Asuza conceded. "Believe me, I'm not exactly..." she paused as Miho's crew came in and were launched into their chairs.
It took all of Taeko's energy not to glare at the former Nishisumi heiress.
Hanoashi let out a sigh as the water hit her aching back, flinching at it's coldness but by now she wasn't complaining.
"This water is far too cold," Saori muttered from her other side.
"Tell me about it," Hanoashi muttered. "I tended to use lukewarm water in the showers to help father save as much as possible but those seem scorching compared to this." She then let out a small laugh. "Does wake one up though," she added.
"Are you getting along with Kimberly alright?" Saori asked.
"She's a great cellmate," Hanoashi smiled, before letting out a small frown. "I just wish she didn't have to go through that the previous warden put her through...having to go to prison for five years on top of the guilt she has for what she did to that man..."
"Yeah...she reminds me of Taeko in that way...though speaking of she doesn't seem to be too found of Miho," Saori noted.
"She's not," Hanoashi noted flatly. "Believe you me Saori, it's not something you want to get started with her," she added, glancing at her sister-in-law who was bathing and happily sharing a joke with Rikona.
"Yeah...I made that mistake once...is there anything we can do to put her mind at ease?" Saori asked.
"Only time and the comfort of friends can do that," Hanoashi whispered, rinsing out her hair.
"I guess so. What are you going to do when you get out Hanoashi?" Saori asked.
"I'm getting married to my childhood friend Yukaro, so I'll probably focus on housework and such. Might get a part time job, but since I want to have a few kids...maybe not."
"Lucky...I wish I could get married," Saori yawned.
"Tired?" Hanoashi asked in sympathy.
"Very much," Saori paused as the water pressure lowered, their cue to hurry up.
Rikona made her way into Antony's house, who was waiting for her. "Thank for coming Kona," he smiled.
"I see you've taken to using my nickname without my permission," Rikona folded her arms.
"Come on, can't I at least get a hug," Antony teased.
"Fiiiinnneeee..." Rikona relented, lowering her arms as he approached and embraced her, causing her to reluctantly wrap her harms around him. "So we won the first match," Rikona breathed, goring slightly more comfortable with the action.
"Yep, but we've still got to win at least our next match, it's a points match system," Mark noted.
"True..." Rikona paused, before wiggling out of his arms, only for him to grab her hand briefly. "Did I say you could hold that?" she asked, half in disdain and half jokingly.
"Come on now..." Mark whined, though his peculiar voice made it sound weird.
"We can cuddle I suppose," Rikona relented, gazing over at the couch. She made her way over and got herself comfortable, allowing him to snuggle up next to her. "Guess a hard day at work?"
"Still putting all of my father's fires out," Mark sighed ruefully. "Really could use a home cooked meal right now," he gazed at her, before shaking his head. "But they forbid you from eating on the outside huh?"
"Yeah, wouldn't be fair. But a home made meal with no cal-cake is very tempting," Rikona forced herself to relax.
"A bit over four and a half years now," Antony reminded her.
"Yeah, can't wait to get out," Rikona smiled. "As much as I enjoy bondage...prison is something I never want to experience again," she added in a whispered voice, scrunching up next to him, which was a bit awkward considering that she was a bit over six foot tall. "Maus this is awkward...wish I was a foot shorter," she muttered.
"Are you getting along with your cell mate well enough?" Antony asked.
"Miho's nice enough, I wouldn't say that she and I are friends but we are friendly enough with each other when we do speak, and sometimes we share stories," Rikona mused.
"Blue division is moving on to the next round by the way," Mark noted.
"That's great!" Rikona smiled.
"Yes...we'll have some of the bad company in there...you included," Mark smiled.
"I'll do my best," Rikona promised.
"No pressure, just do what you can," Mark smiled. "I presume that Hanoashi and Taeko are handling things alright?"
"They seem to be...it's a bit unfair that they can't be sent back to the second strike area though," Rikona protested gently. "I mean I know that means that we won't be seeing each other nearly as much, but Hanoashi really doesn't like wearing the three strike garb and Taeko hates being near Miho."
"I can understand , but still, it's out of my jurisdiction I'm afraid," Antony sighed. "As long as they behave and continue to prove themselves I'm sure that they'll be back in the second strike pen before long."
"Hmm..." Rikona hummed in contentment. "Still, I'm excited about participating in my first official match, but nervous as well."
"Hanoashi should be able to get you a lot of pointers," Mark smiled at her.
"Will she be participating as well?" Rikona asked quietly, growing excited at the prospect.
"I don't know, unless injured or tired you compete in all of them so as to give you experience, or at least your name is first if the bad company is involved, but the rest is up to El to decide," Mark noted.
"I guess so..." Rikona sighed. Be nice if she could be with me though...