Girl und Panzer: The Yankee's in Tank

Chapter 43

Operation Cherrybomb Finale

After the small skirmish that the group of rogue Rangers initiated, it then shows Houston standing in front of the group responsible for attacking the enemy, with a look of disappointment on his face as he pinches his temple.

"Gentlemen, let's be clear.... I would choose death before betrayal... There is no deceit in death, but betrayal is the willful slaughter of trust," Houston said in a disappointed tone.

"Sir, we saw an opportunity to take action, so I took the initiative and I-" Before the young Ranger could continue talking, Houston cuts him off.

"I gave you strict orders not to engage... Your insubordination could cost us dearly... As of this moment, you are now reassigned to a platoon of the second infantry," Houston said.

"Sir, I-" The Ranger tries to explain, but again Houston cuts him off.

"Get the hell out of my sight," Houston said.

The dismissed Ranger, his expression a mix of frustration and regret, salutes sharply and then turns on his heel, quickly leaving Houston's presence. The other members of the group stand in uneasy silence, casting glances at each other as they absorb the weight of Houston's words.

Houston takes a deep breath, trying to quell the rising tension in the air. He looks at the remaining Rangers, his gaze stern but also carrying a sense of shared responsibility.

As the others, who were nervous that Commander Houston would reprimand them, found relief when he instead dismissed them. He headed back inside the tent, still waiting to give the order to attack. After witnessing what had happened, the girls all observed Houston retreating to his tent.

Inside his tent, Houston, about to sit down, suddenly began coughing intensely. He fell to his knees, feeling his body weaken. Quickly, he pulled a syringe from his back pocket and injected it into his neck. Taking a few deep breaths, Houston cleared his throat and slowly got back on his feet. He then threw away the empty syringe, taking a moment to collect himself.

Meanwhile,

In the camp with the section of North High School, Gunther's crew sat by the fire, cooking their meal. Engaged in a friendly talk in German, Gunther was busy gathering wood for the fire.

As he packed up the wood stash in his hands, Nonna appeared out of nowhere, startling Gunther and causing him to curse at the sudden surprise.

"Jesus... You scared the crap out of me, Nonna," Gunther said.

"Sorry.... Hey Gunther, do you have a moment?" Nonna asked.

"Sure, what's up?" Gunther replied as the two walked together, with Gunther still holding the pile of wood in his hands.

"Remember our talk about when we saw our friends having a relationship working well with them and all," Nonna said.

"Yeah, I remember that talk. What's wrong with it?" Gunther asked.

"Well.... I was thinking about us... and how I still remember you protected me despite having half of your body broken and your arm as you fought off those wild wolves until Houston came in to save us from them... And then the beating you suffered when you were captured. I don't know why... Why do you keep scaring me when you put your life in danger?" Nonna said.

"That.... I don't know.... Mostly because during the time when we were in that very snowy forest surrounded by wolves, I knew for a fact I couldn't leave you there. It didn't feel right or great if I just left you there, but I didn't.... During when I was captured, I couldn't stand and see Jefferson getting brutally beaten for the unfair conditions we were suffering as Americans," Gunther explained as he then placed the logs of wood down. The two sat down and continued talking.