A quietness had taken hold of the small patch of woods. The soft lights of rays from the high sun broke through these woods at sporadic points, giving an ominous look to the lightly lit woods. The ominous-looking woods was nothing next to the nervousness of the crew aboard Wolverton Academy's M4A3E8, or better known by its nickname "Easy 8". It had the tankery clubs colors of a green base, splash with a grey color scheme, with a grey wolf's head on either side of the turret bearing its teeth in defiance.
The reason for this nervousness was because the start of the match against some of their academies instructors was about to begin, and the chance to show up their main tormentor from that group in Linda Sickle.
This M4A3E8 tank commander was Fukushu Nishizumi who was standing tall in her commanders cupola, the young girl was feeling antsy with all the waiting, now look down to the side of her tank. Attach on both sides by strings were some logs that were situated against the side armor of her tank. Fukushu didn't understand why the academy had all tanks use them, she understood that they could be used to help a tanks traction in a muddier environment. While also using them for minor protection against high explosive shells, but against a high-velocity anti-tank shell they were useless. It made Fukushu wonder what the point of having them on was, but soon gave up pondering it over.
Still feeling great impatience made Fukushu take off her 1938 US tankers helmet to wipe some sweat from her forehead as the heat of the day was evident even in the shade of trees, while her long light brown hair was allowed some freedom. As she was still waiting for Jasmine's order to move out.
The helmet was like her tank that had the dark green color job, with a stripe camo of the grey to go over the base color. She turn it over to look at one of the ear flaps that had a wolf paw color in grey on it. All tank commanders and crews of the Wolverton Academy had to wear the helmet, which Fukushu did with pride.
This academy was her gateway to finally being in Sensha-do, away from her father Tsueno's stifling nature of being against the sport. She still remember growing up with him, though back then her name was Kiko Nishizumi before she had it changed thanks to Konomi to Fukushu.
Fukushu thought back to those days as Kiko Nishizumi and to what her life like was before Wolverton.
She still remember her father, Tsueno Nishizumi was a generous and loving man with corny dad jokes for her. He always love playing with her, yet there was always this unexplainable sadness in his eyes. Kiko as the years wore on, wonder if her father's sadness was because Kiko's real mom wasn't around and they weren't a complete family without her, yet even till the day she left home, she never understood the mystery behind his sadness, till one late night she found the truth behind her father's sadness years later.
It was when Kiko turn 12 that their relationship as daughter and father was to begin to deteriorate. Kiko discover the sport of Sensha-do, a girl-only sport in Japan that saw them fight in epic battles with World War Two tanks. Kiko felt an unknown pull towards the sport for some odd reason, she still wonder where it came from, yet it was there. A desperate need to be in the sport took root in her from that day forward, yet unfortunately, America didn't partake of the sport, so she was left stuck watching from afar.
Yet Kiko wasn't deterred since she found out the school carrier USS George Washington, that house the great Saunders University High School accepted applicants from America if they could pass their entrance exam. Fill with excitement that she could take part in Sensha-do when she turn 15, Kiko went to her father to ask for permission.
It was after she ask for his permission about taking the exam to join Saunders school, that she realize her father had a different opinion of Sensha-do. For the first time in their relationship, he yelled at her. Tsuneo said that she would never do Sensha-do and she needed to forget that sport existed. It shock Kiko who had never seen him so angry, yet the unknown burning need to be part of the sport made her fight back, which only made her father angrier.
For the next two years, all they did was fight with one another. Their loving relationship deteriorated into hate and loathing. Many times Kiko ask for an explanation of why he hated the sport, to which he would say 'I have my reasons' then storm off to cool down. Kiko knew she wasn't going to get any answers out of him, so she went to some of her other family members of Tsueno's side who live in Utah along with them, yet they all wouldn't help her or explain why her father hated the sport.
This all left her frustrated like she was all alone. Her father would later after he cooled down to tell her softly that he was sorry and that she would understand when she was older about his reasons. However Kiko knew that was all a lie, and that he was just saying things to soothe his own ego, so she decided to take things into her own hands.
At the age of 14, Kiko learn of another Nishizumi family in Japan, famous for its tankery tradition. She again tested her father, asking if she was related to Shiho Nishizumi. After she ask, he said nothing for a moment, then silently told her to never bring that name up to him ever again. Though she got no answers again, her father's reaction was enough to tell her that she had to have some relation to the Nishizumi, so she made a plan to meet them.
Her plan she decided to try, was to run away to California, then from there take a plane all the way to Japan and hope her distant relatives would take her in and help her achieve her dreams of tankery, yet how and with what money was a matter of debate, yet nothing was going to stop Kiko doing something she knew in her veins she had to do and wanted to do.
She didn't get far, as, at one of her stops at a bus station late at night, she was mug by some thugs, who had played on her need for money by telling her they show her an easy way to make some to lure her in. They stole what little money she had on her, though she had stolen it from her father. Then they thought they have some fun, since it was the dead of night and no one was around, to which Kiko scream for someone to save her. That, someone, was Konomi Nishizumi, as she came to the rescue, Kiko watch her handle the thugs as if she were toying with them, Konomi even threaten to break one of the thugs arms unless he apologize for his behavior towards Kiko.
Kiko still didn't know if it was fate or chance that Konomi saved her that day. Yet she didn't care, as she had finally met another Nishizumi, who cared for her and told her about a secret tankery academy being set up right there in America, with a chance for Kiko to join and follow her dreams of doing Sensha-do.
Even with the great news about the secret academy, Kiko still wanted to meet her famous family members in Japan, yet her positive thoughts about them were squash when Konomi told her the truth about what the Nishzumi's were really like from her own horrid past. Kiko learn the shocking truth of the dark history of the family, which practice Panzer Kettō, which left many girls of branch families broken and outcasted for their failures for not winning and brought shame to their families. Konomi had been one such girl, who once had a deep love for Sensha-do, till Shiho Nishizumi took all that from her for some time.
Learning about this, Kiko grew to instantly hate the Japanese Nishizumi family. She wanted nothing more than to avenge Konomi's humiliation, for the very woman who was the mother she always wanted all her life, which was why she change her name, for one to leave her old life behind and second to remind herself what her first goal in Sensha-do was to be accomplished first. It was then that Kiko Nishizumi no longer existed and thanks to some quick legal work, Fukushu Nishizumi was born, with a mindset to exact vengeance for her mother and tutor on the Nishzumi's of Japan, by whatever means it took, Fukushu would make sure justice was done.
So all the thoughts of joining Saunders were taken off the board as she join the secret academy of Wolverton, where she tested very high in the initial exams. The reason for this was because she had been studying tanks and tactics behind her father's back over the years to understand them and because she had found a great love for it too. The examiners promoted her to tank commander, the youngest from the small group that was being accepted into the academy, a great achievement at the time, that Konomi was immensely proud of her, since she wasn't pulling any strings for Fukushu, which meant she earn that spot all on her own.
Yet, for all the initial promise, Fukushu hadn't been able to match the results on the practice field. She struggle with getting her distances right in high-stress battle situations, sometimes her orders were too overzealous as she went in for tank kills, while she struggle to gain respect with some of her crew members. Which only made things tougher on this young tank commander, who already had to deal with gossiping behind her back that she was only here because she was the daughter of the Master Instructor Konomi and that she really didn't belong.
For all this struggle early on, there was one thing Fukushu would not do and that was quit. She was persistent for the mere fact that there was no other way for her now. If she didn't stick to it, what else was she going to do? Go back to her father who probably just approve of her failing because he hated the sport? That couldn't happen for Fukushu, she also couldn't let Konomi down, and who she always saw as her adoptive mother and recently had accepted their bond as such. If Fukushu let her down, she didn't think there be any worse feeling that could break her heart than that.
So Fukushu would struggle all she could to get better. Even against Linda Sickle, former commander of Saunders and now her personal tormentor wouldn't stop Fukushu, and even better yet, today was the day to give her hellish instructor a beat down. As the mock battle with the instructors was about to begin, as Konomi promised, and Fukushu wasn't going to let it past her by.
"Fukushu, you ready?" Jasmine said over the net.
The young tank commander, with her heart, fill with iron determination and unbridle excitement, put her tanker helmet back on, then brought her wire communicator up to her mouth, "ready platoon leader."
"Then let's go get her, all tanks move out," Jasmine said with an approving tone over the net.
Time to go show that black hair harpy who's she dealing with
XxxxxX
The Wolverton tank column was on the move, with Morena's M18 Hellcat in the lead, follow up by Jasmines M4 Sherman, along with Ellie's M36B2, and Fukushu bringing up the rear with her M4A3E8. All tanks share the green base color and grey splashed camouflage scheme that their academy use for their tanks, they as well had some wooden logs attached to the sides of their tanks. Pushing forward over the paved road they were traveling slowly. Around them was mostly open countryside, with large patches of woods everywhere, and the forested mountains in the background.
The day was bright with the high sun shining in the cloudless sky. While the heat was starting to kick up a bit, yet it was the coming heat of battle that the tank commanders and their crews were really wanting at this moment. To finally show they could fight at the level of their instructors Konomi had left for them to have a chance to beat them.
"Alright Morena you got lead, scout ahead out to point 0532, use max speed if you have to. I'm not letting Linda ambush us, so make sure to keep a lookout for her platoon, the rest of you stay with me," Jasmine said over the net.
"Roger!" Her team yell back.
Morena order her driver to head out at full speed, leaving her column behind. Fukushu watch her go, feeling a bit jealous that she might be the first one to take a shot at the instructor team. Yet knew the M18 Hellcat was made for scouting, while her M4A3E8 was made for dueling and brawling, to how exactly Fukushu was going to fight Linda today, and make her never question her skills again.
"Alright, Ellie and Fukushu check on your crews too. Make sure your internal crew nets are good, don't want any communication problems when the shells start flying," Jasmine order over the net.
Fukushu acknowledge her platoon leader's order, then switch her wired communicator over to the internal net, "alright com check, everybody sound off."
"Holly, check," her driver sounded off happily, she was the same age as Fukushu and the two got along well.
"Rebecca, check," her assistant driver/ bow gunner sounded off equally happy, she was well was the same age and got along with Fukushu.
"Nicole, check," her gunner sounded off, though with annoyance, she was 1 year older than Fukushu, as well the two didn't get along.
"Alice, check," her loader sounded off, she had a neutral tone, she as well was 1 year older than Fukushu, yet she was impartial towards her, as she was stoic and rarely show any emotion.
The young Nishizumi acknowledge her team's sound off, though she was peeve with Nicole. Ever since she was assigned to her, the gunner had always been a thorn in Fukushu's side. Which didn't help if your gunner didn't trust your call out during engagements, which was one of the reasons she had been struggling in drills. A gunner and commander had to have a trusting relationship in Sensha-do as the two needed to be in complete sync with one another to make full use of their tank, yet these two didn't have that sort of relationship.
Fukushu wonder if it was because Nicole didn't like being under the command of someone younger, or she just had no respect for her. Every time she tried to talk it out with Nicole, the crimson haired girl would just scoff at her, calling her nothing more than an upstart tank commander who didn't deserve her spot and was making her job harder as a gunner.
Pushing the thoughts away, Fukushu spoke once more over the crew net from the commanders cupola, "Alright girls, we got a chance to give it to Linda today, let's not muck it up."
"Don't worry commander, we got this," Holly excitedly said.
"Can't wait to send some tracer rounds into her face," Rebecca said matching her friend's excitement while gripping her M1919 Browning machine gun steadily.
"Just try not to make me look bad," Nicole said annoyed, which dampen the positive mood a bit.
"Well how about you fire when I tell you," Fukushu shot back, now sitting down inside the tank and in her commanders chair.
Nicole turn in her seat back to look at her young tank commander. "Didn't you read the manual, you're supposed to let me fire when ready. Man, out of all of the tank commanders, why did I have to be put with you."
Anger took over Fukushu as she stare at her vexing gunner, "then why don't you transfer out of this tank, you obviously don't want to be here."
"No, I don't want to be with you, if they put an actual competent tank commander in here, I tell you we be on top of the leaderboard already," Nicole shot back
"Please stop fighting," Rebecca said from her seat, she never like fighting which had become a staple for the gunner and commander every time they went out on the practice field or even simply passing each other in the halls of their academy.
"If anybody should transfer out, it should be you. We all know you got in here because your Miss Nishzumi's daughter or whatever. Just because you know the academy's Master Instructor, doesn't make you worthy to be here," Nicole said, wanting to finally put her tank commander in her place.
Fukushu was about to fight back, but then the usually quiet loader Alice spoke up, "Nicole, you really think you're any better. You may have a gift for the gunner's seat, yet you fight with every tank commander you have been paired with, not just Fukushu. That's why you have been kicked you out every other crew so far or had you forgotten that."
"Alice! Don't bring that up! I was just having a bad day when those tank commanders were riding me too much and I snapped alright," Nicole shot back at her loader but didn't look her in the eye.
"It seems having a bad day is sort of your thing," Fukushu said with a grin, wanting to take shots at her gunner, to finally get some payback.
"You little bit-," Nicole began to say, but again Alice cut in.
"And a commander should be more mature or her crew will never respect her," Alice said nonchalantly.
The words were spoken with a quietness that border on some intensity cut right through Fukushu. She knew Nicole had an open distaste for her, yet Alice seem to harbor her own reservations, however, she seem to hold back. Fukushu thought that might be her way of giving her a chance to see if she was worthy of being a tank commander, which so far she wasn't living up to that chance.
"Sorry Alice," Fukushu said solemnly.
"Why does she get an apolo-," Nicole began to argue but was cut off again.
"Don't mind Fukushu, but you need to start showing results or Linda is going to be on your case again," Alice said in a bored tone, as she turn to stare straight ahead now.
"I know, don't worry, this day is ours alright. Just stick with me and will do alright," Fukushu said confidently, to which her driver and bow gunner voice their support for their commander.
"I'll believe it when I see it," Nicole said, obviously not on board.
Fukushu didn't mind the retort as she stood tall again in her commanders cupola and watch from the rear of their column as they continue to ride down the road. Her eyes kept scanning the terrain for any signs of trouble, as Linda and her instructors were obviously going to try and ambush them, however, Fukushu hope Morena would find the enemy so they could have a proper standup fight with them.
It was sometime before Morena radio back to Jasmine. "Commander, I got dust clouds in the distance. Looks like it's coming from the west and traveling north, maybe going for point 0398."
Jasmine look over her map a bit, then spoke back over the net, "there's no advantageous position in that direction. No hills or anything to take advantage of."
"Your right, yet theirs a small creek running along that way, we can use the depression of it to ambush their forces. What do you say, commander?" Morena ask over the net.
"Hm, Ellie what do you think?" Jasmine ask.
The tank commander of the M36B2 thought it over as she read the map, "theirs a large wood that runs adjacent some ways from the creek that be perfect for us, so how about me and Fukushu snipe at them to draw them in, then you and Morena charge in while we cover you from the woods."
"I like that plan," Fukushu said excitedly over the net.
"Alright, let's do it. Morena shadow their dust cloud and keep us informed," Jasmine said.
"Roger, let's give it to Linda girls!" Morena said excitedly over the net.
"Yea!" They yell back.
XxxxxX
Just like when the mock battle had started, Fukushu was again under the shade of trees looking past the open countryside that would serve as the sight of their ambush. To their front was a sunken creek bed that Jasmine's M4 Sherman had taken a position in and was completely out of sight, as they were still waiting for Morena to report back to them about Linda's tank column. Fukushu's Easy 8 was positioned 50 meters away from Ellie's M36B2, that way they had wide fields of fire as well as interlocking fields of fire when they had to cover their teammates when they sprang their ambush.
"What do you think Linda's face is going to look like when we beat her?" Fukushu said over the net with glee.
"Let's focus on making that happen, alright? We still haven't beaten her," Jasmine reply, with a bit of concern in her voice.
"Yea Morena needs to hurry up with the reports," Ellie said annoyed, yet her friends could tell she was worried about their latin friend.
"Don't worry, she's got this. That girl is a definite honeybad-," Fukushu started to say, but was suddenly cut off by a net call.
"This is Morena here! The dust cloud was a feint!" The M18 tank commander said over the net.
"What do you mean?!" Jasmine reply excitedly over the net.
"It was one of Linda's M24 Chaffee towing some logs behind it to kick up a large amount of dust, they trick me. Shoot! I been spotted by another M2-" suddenly the net call was cut off.
"Morena respond!" Jasmine said over the net, yet there was no reply.
"We need to go help her," Ellie said worriedly.
"I'll go," Fukushu said, as she started to call orders down to her driver Holly.
"No, we can't get baited into separating ourselves," Jasmine order over the net.
"We can't just sit here now. Linda use the feint dust cloud to draw us over here. She had to know we're here and might be working her way around us," Ellie said over the net.
"Let me regroup with you in the woods and will come up with a new plan," Jasmine reply over the net.
Jasmine's M4 Sherman slowly began to reverse out of the sunken creek now. The rear of her tank had only just begun to get over the muddy depression when two AP Shells roar into the front of her tank knocking her out with a white kill flag popping up, as the teams were using live rounds as they did in Sensha-do instead of practice rounds, which left the platoon leaders Sherman smoking in defeat, as it lifelessly slid in the mud back down into the sunken creek bed.
All the while, Ellie and Fukushu watch all this in horror as their platoon leader was gone, and it was just them. Quickly Ellie standing tall in the modified roof hatch of her M36B2, brought the binoculars around her neck to stare across the field to see two enemy tanks advancing on them through the brush and sparse trees across the creek and coming over the road that ran adjacent to them.
It was one Panther Ausf.D color in green and brown camouflage that had just run over a large bush and was coming on full speed towards them. This tank didn't surprise Fukushu or Ellie, as it was a gifted practice tank from Wolverton's Academy financial backer in Chiyo Shimada, from what Konomi had told them. Though this tank was merely for practice as the team would only use American World War Two tanks entirely.
The other enemy tank was the dreaded Sherman M4A3E2 Jumbo with the same green and brown camouflage, which was a shell bouncer both girls knew well, even a Tiger 1 had to fear its armor or pay the price for underestimating it. Fukushu knew this well after rewatching the match between Chi-Ha-Tan and Saunders, as Commander Miho Nishizumi struggled with them, though she took some pleasure to see the hated Nishizumi family member fight for dear life, Fukushu only wish she was taken out in the match.
"Fukushu, I'll deal with that Panther. You deal with the Jumbo tank, remember it's weak spot," Ellie said over the net.
"Yea, yea, just under their gun mantlet and into the turret ring," Fukushu said, remembering her studies, then switch over to her crew tank net. "Alice load AP, Nicole target the Jumbo, 11 o'clock, 600 yards, fire when ready."
"Up!" Alice said, using the American tank crew terminology for loading.
"Are you sure that's the right distance? They're moving pretty fast over the flat ground," Nicole said anxiously back over the net, as she watch through the aim sights at the oncoming tank.
"We don't have time to argue over this again, just trust me," Fukushu said back with annoyance in her voice.
"Fine, whatever," Nicole said, then rotated the gun with the power traverse and set the sights for the Jumbo tank, yet instead of depressing the gun, she elevated a bit since she didn't trust Fukushu's call out, then step on the firing pedal and call her shot. "On the way!"
The Sherman Easy 8 let loose a furious AP shell from its large-caliber 76mm High-Velocity main gun with a muzzle brake on it to help with recoil. Fukushu watch her tracer round with glee, till that glee turn to embarrassment when the shell roar well over the head of the Jumbo, which left the crew in a state of silence, no one wanting to make a comment.
Fukushu didn't let the silence last any longer. "How could you miss!?"
"It's because you measure distances as well as you measure your ego you brat!" Nicole shouted back over the crew net.
"You up the gun's elevation because you didn't trust my distance, you needed to lower it!" Fukushu yell back.
"How can I trust a tank commander who only got in here because of her mom, while I had to work my ass off to be here!" Nicole fought back.
Wanting to argue further, Fukushu was cut off as Ellie's M36B2's 90mm cannon roared to life. Unlike Fukushu's gunner, Ellie's gunner was a true marksman that trusted her commander, which was perfect for this tank destroyer gun that could even give a Russian IS-2 a bad day.
The 90mm shell soar at the Panther's frontal armor, which Ellie knew couldn't withstand her tank gun's power. As it hit dead center of the enemy tanks armor, which overloaded the sensors as a kill shot, as smoke billow from the defeated tank, with the white kill flag popping up on it. It was another kill mark for Ellie and her deadly crew who were going to be moving up the leaderboard.
Fukushu smash her fist on her tank's hull, since again she was the lowest on the leaderboard of the academy when it came to mock battle kills. Even the other tank commanders in other platoons who use M4 Shermans had racked up more kills, while she was bottom 3 with a much-improved M3 76mm gun over their M3 75mm ones.
"Good shot Ellie," Fukushu said, not forgetting to not praise her older friend.
"Thanks, let's focus fire on that Jumbo together, we can do this alright Fukushu!" Ellie said, doing her best to bring Fukushu back up.
"Alright, let's do it, I will head out and draw its fire you take it down," Fukushu said, glad to still have Ellie's support.
"Wait! Our guns can hit it from here!" Ellie argue over the net.
"I can't trust my gunner to hit squat, so mind as well be useful some other way, just don't let Linda take me out, She'll never let me hear the end of it," Fukushu said, then cut off the net call with Ellie, before her friend could argue some more.
She now switch to her crew net again. "Holly were moving out, were going to head to the creek to take a position in the sunken part for cover, so give me full speed alright?"
"Roger!" Holly said over the net, then put full stick to make the Sherman tank lurch out of the woods.
"Rebecca," Fukushu call over the crew net again. "Give Linda some tracer rounds, to get her attention on us and give Ellie time to take her out."
"You got it!" Rebecca said eagerly, as she adjusted her periscope till she could make out the Jumbo slightly to her left, then pull her 1919 Browning machine gun's trigger in bursts, while sending angry red tracer rounds her way that ping and spark off the Jumbos' armor.
"This plan is so stupid, we're meant to snipe, why are we moving out?" Nicole accuse over the crew net.
"Since we can't hit anything, we mind as well make a distraction for Ellie to get the kill," Fukushu said begrudgingly over the net.
"It's cause you don't call out the right distances," Nicole again accuse her commander.
"No, you already stated your reasons why you don't trust me and I'm done hearing it now, you're already making my job harder. So just shut up and sit there, it is more useful than asking you to fire," Fukushu shot back, as she had just about had it with Nicole.
To her credit, the gunner said nothing but seethe silently in her gunner chair. Nicole was already planning to transfer out of the tank after the match, as now she was fully done with this upstart tank commander who didn't deserve her spot and if she continue to serve under her, Nicole wasn't going to fulfill her dream of doing Sensha-do.
Fukushu's M4A3E8 was now driving over the open ground, while Rebecca kept up the machine-gun fire at the Jumbo. Linda's Jumbo Sherman tank didn't halt its advance even with its Panther teammate gone, as she trusted her heavy frontal armor to bounce shells and the tank's Gyrostabilizer to keep on target as it fire on the move.
Linda's gunner fire its 75mm gun once at Fukushu's tank, yet just barely miss her target, as her shell screamed low into the ground kicking up dirt as the tracer round ricochet over Fukushu's tank into the woods behind her. Ellie, resolve not to let her teammate's distraction go to waste as she eye the Jumbo through her binoculars.
"Sophia load AP, Evie traverse right 11 o'clock, 400 yards, get under its gun mantlet and put that Jumbo down!" Ellie order to her crew.
"Up!" Sophia her loader said.
Evie, Ellie's gunner, got her sights adjusted to the Jumbo Sherman, and was about to call her shot, however she never got the chance to fire.
The reason for this was the sudden screaming of two AP Shells that slam into the back of the M36B2, which cause Evie to pull the trigger by accident, sending the shell out, but her angle was wrong and bounce off Linda's Jumbo armor. Ellie shook away the dizziness from her head, then turn around to see her engine block smoking and just saw past the smoke to the sight of 2 M24 Chaffee's that had closed to within 80 yards of her in the woods.
"Damn, they were working their way around us after they dealt with Morena," Ellie growl as she now watch the two tanks drive past her defeated one.
Fukushu just turn around to see the 2 M24 Chaffee's now coming out of the woods to her back, and with the Jumbo at her front, it was practically over now. Fukushu just had to wait for them to mass fire on her to end the mock battle, while once again proving to Linda that she wasn't up to the task of being a tank commander. She wonder now if they demote her, maybe to a bow gunner or something.
Maybe I'm just no good at being a tank commander, if I can't even get my own gunner to trust me, how am I going to beat someone like Miho or Maho Nishizumi? They tear me apart at this point.
It was the last thought the tank commander had as her tank was subjected to three hits all at once from the instructor team, which was going to have no mercy on their troubled student. Linda in particular aboard the Jumbo Sherman tank shook her head ready for the berating she was going to hand down on her charges.
XxxxxX
"So, I have to ask ladies. Are you running a circus in this platoon?" Linda, sub instructor for Wolverton Academy said.
Linda Sickle the former commander of Saunders University High School and now the sub drill instructor for Wolverton Academy. She was only pushing 19, with long black hair that went well with her dark blue eyes wearing the gray tanker jacket with the large white star on the shoulder, along with the dark green shorts, gray long socks, and lastly dark green high boots. As much as some of the girls of the academy wouldn't admit openly, was that Linda was a real beauty, but personality-wise was a whole other thing.
"No ma'am" Jasmine, Ellie, Morena, and Fukushu all said together.
With the match finished, the batter platoon's tanks were towed back to their tankery club garage so the mechanics could get to work on fixing them, much to their dismay seeing how thrash the tanks that had look so pristine when they left, were now nothing more than scorch hunks of metal. Yet they love fixing them up, so there was little complaint from them.
Now the platoon commanders were to be put on trial by their current drill master Linda Sickle, and she was not the kind of judge you wanted even on her good days. She walk along the small line of tank commanders with her hands clamp behind her back, with precise steps that spoke to her discipline.
"Are you sure? Because I don't think I have ever seen a bunch of clowns make me laugh as hard as you four," Linda said, still walking back and forth.
The tank commanders all said nothing back to that, though Linda's words made them seethe.
"Do any of you have an explanation on why you failed today?" Linda continue.
"I was overzealous and didn't see the big picture that led my platoon to defeat," Jasmine said, doing her best to take the blame as the platoon leader.
The black hair drill master just shook her head. "No, you fail to think outside the box. Do you think we have you carry those logs on your tanks for show? So you can feel like a real World War two tanker ladies? No, you use them to tow behind your tanks to make a dust cloud, get the enemy salivating over an ambush and then ambush them."
"Sorry ma'am," Jasmine said remorsefully.
"Sorry doesn't cut it, platoon leader, you're the one in charge of these girls, yet you let Ellie make the plan," Linda said, now coming over to Jasmine to get in her grill. She knew about that after the match when the other instructors inform her about Jasmine and her platoon's net conversations, which Linda was now using against the platoon leader.
To Jasmine's credit, she never flinch as she spoke. "Is asking for advice from your team, not something I'm allowed to do?"
"Listen to you, your father is the head director here. Mister Johnson fought in the Gulf War earning decorations for bravery. You want to know why he got there?" Linda ask, her face neutral.
"Yes ma'am," Jasmine said, not wanting to back down.
"Because he took charge when he needed, led his platoon out of many scraps with the Republican guard. Why you can't follow that simple rule like him, is why your platoon will continue to fail. It doesn't matter how many tank kills you all get, if even one member of the pack is weak in the hunt, everyone fails, is that to be understood ladies, " Linda said, now stepping back to look at all of her charges.
"Yes ma'am," the group said back.
Now Linda set her sights on Morena. "Now care to explain to me senorita, why as the team's scout tank you fail to identify the threat before making an assumption to your platoon leader?"
"I thought you wer-," Morena try to say.
"I thought doesn't cut it! We beat this into you every day: see, confirm, and then report. A dust cloud could be anything, you need to make sure of your enemy's intention before assuming. If you did your job properly, then your platoon wouldn't have been caught out like that, as you were as well!" Linda snarl at her.
Morena went quiet for a moment, then spoke up again. "Sorry ma'am, won't happen again."
"When you finally start acting like a scout, is when I believe that Morena. Your tank may be a tank destroyer, but your speed is made to scout. If you can't do that simple part, then maybe an M4 Sherman will do you better. You make a nice big distraction for your teammates at least," Linda continue her scolding.
"Yes ma'am, I won't let you down next time," Morena said, though her hands were clasping in rage at the moment.
Now Linda focus on Ellie. "Well your about the most positive thing to happen today, though the fact that you didn't check your surroundings again confirms to me that your tunnel vision is bordering on a mental problem at this point."
"But I'm a sniping ta-," Ellie said, making the mistake of trying to reason with her drillmaster.
Linda was in her face before she could say the words, "don't give me that bull! It's because you're a sniping tank, that awareness of your surrounding is paramount! You're not always going to have someone to watch your back, so stop thinking that senorita over here is going to bail your sorry ass out all the time!"
Ellie began to shake from the sudden storm of words, then reply looking at the ground, "yes ma'am."
Shaking her head, Linda now came to her last victim for the berating. "Well Fukushu, is there anything positive I can say about you, or better yet is there any reason for me to waste my breath on you."
Fukushu said nothing, since there were no words she could find to explain another failure.
"For months you've had chance after chance to sort your sorry self out," Linda said, her voice low and threatening, "and still I have to wonder how in the world they thought you make a decent tank commander."
The will to fight back overrode Fukushu's common sense. "Well I had the right mea-."
"Just shut up! All I ever hear are excuses and that's it. I've already had a request from Nicole to be transferred out of your tank, while I'm of the mind to just bump you down to the reserve group," Linda said, now towering over Fukushu.
"We don't have a reserve group," Fukushu said, still not getting the gist to not test her tormentor.
"Yea, you will have the honor to be the first member. You can at least save me the time of trying to drill you into an acceptable tank commander. At this point I say that is an impossible task, so you mind as well quit while you're at it," Linda said, then turn around to walk away from her, though secretly this was part of her plan to goad the girl into saying something stupid.
Fukushu watch Linda's back, then utter some words that seal her fate. "What makes you so special?"
There was a collective gasp at the brazen comment. Jasmine wanted to go over to her underclassmen and lead her away, Morena just said a silent prayer in Spanish for her friend's soul, while Ellie who was standing next to Fukushu, look ready to jump in between their drillmaster and her to protect her, even if Fukushu was the one asking for it.
Linda turn around slowly, her face in a silent scowl at her charge. "Care to repeat that brat."
Feeling no fear, thinking this might be it for her in Sensha-do, Fukushu press on. "What makes you so special that you can lord over us? You never even won a championship in Japan's National High School Tournament, and the one year you were in command you got bash by Pravda in the second round."
There was a collective silence from everyone, so quiet you could just hear the low whistle of the passing wind.
"Well, if there is anything I can say I like about you Fukushu, it's that mouth of yours that doesn't hold back, so you think I have no right to drill you, huh?" Linda said with a wicked smile coming over her face.
"No I don't, you just yell at us all the time. You never train us like Konomi does, you just expect us to bow and cower," Fukushu said fearlessly.
"Well, you don't like my training is that it? Well how about I give you a chance to be rid of me, eh?" Linda said with a devilish smile on her face.
"Huh?"
Linda place a hand on her hip, while still giving Fukushu a devilish grin. "If you can put me in the dirt right here and right now, I will resign."
"You're not serio-," Fukushu started to say.
"Of course, I'm serious, though to be honest, I don't put much faith in you to do that. Don't worry, when I win, I won't suspend you or anything, since I'm sure you're going to leave on your own after I humiliate you," Linda said with a smirk.
Fukushu just stare at the black hair drill instructor, then before her friends could jump in to talk her down, she took off her tankery jacket in a rush. Underneath was only her black shirt that was a little baggy on her very tone body. Quickly Fukushu took a fight stance, which she learned from the self-defense classes the academy made them do, mostly for conditioning.
"Good," Linda said, then took off her tankery jacket as well, handing it off to one of her instructors to take, she as well had a black shirt underneath, though she fitted it better with her larger build than her opponent.
Jasmine step out of the line now with worry. "Miss Sickle, I believe this is going too far. Were an academy not a military boot camp."
"I'm sorry, did I ask for your input?" Linda said looking menacingly at her now.
"No, but this isn't what Miss Nishizumi wanted for us," Jasmine said, doing all she could to stop this.
"The hell you know about what she wants. I get paid to drill as I see fit, she didn't just pick me up after I graduated for the fun of it. So stand there and watch, or so help me I will bump you down to driver. Your daddy being the director isn't going to save you here," Linda shot back.
The platoon leader gritted her teeth and step back in line, feeling remorse for not doing more.
"You won't insult her ever again," Fukushu said, wanting to defend her friend from Linda for good this time as she slowly approach her.
"I will, as I will insult you for being a worthless tank commander," Linda said, knowing she was going a bit far with that, though this was what Konomi wanted of her, to push Fukushu in a way to get the best out of her, though it still surprises Linda that the master instructor wanted her to do this to her own adoptive daughter.
Being called a worthless tank commander was the final straw from Fukushu, who charge forward recklessly. Though Linda wasn't fazed by the sudden aggression, as she didn't even bring her hands up to defend herself. Instead, she slip the young girl's wild punches, dodging with rapid head and body movements. Yet Fukushu wasn't deterred as she kept pressing forward wanting desperately to put this girl into the dirt.
"Is this all you have? All that anger and aggression is just for show isn't it," Linda said, after she slip another punch with a chuckle as she toy with her foe.
"Shut up!" Fukushu said, still pressing the attack.
Smiling at her foe's weakness, Linda let Fukushu throw another punch that she slip by, then decided to end this pathetic contest as she curl one of her hands into a fist. Then brought the fist right into the stomach area of Fukushu. The impact was devastating as all air left Fukushu's lungs, while spittle flew out of her mouth. In short order, she fell to the ground with her arms around her stomach, finding trouble breathing.
"All that anger and no conviction to use it on your enemies, how pathetic," Linda said standing over her foe now.
The trio of girls looking on, now seeing that the fight was over came forward to look after Fukushu, but were stopped by Linda who held her hand up to them.
"Don't coddle her, she wanted this. Let her feel the pain of knowing that she is no better than dirt at this point," Linda said now with a menacing look on her face.
"Esto más allá de cruel," Morena said, her anger towards Linda making her turn to her Spanish.
"Once Konomi hears about this you will be gone," Ellie shot in as well.
"Your no drill instructor, your just a bully," Jasmine said as well.
Linda shook her head at the three of them, "you all just do-."
She was cut off, as Fukushu, still struggling for breath, reach a hand out to grab Linda's ankle of her boot. Linda just smile down at the defiant girl, knowing this is what she wanted. Konomi had told her that Fukushu had a determination that would never let her quit, now Linda could see that for herself.
"Well, guess you got some fight in you still," Linda said, then look back at the trio of her charges, "there is a motto I live by in life ladies. The hell with being liked!"
The sudden loud words made the trio stiffen up.
Linda continue. "You all can shit talk me behind my back till the cows come home and you can hate my guts as much as you like. It doesn't bother me, because I am not here to be your friend, I'm here to build discipline into you. For the day will come when you will take on Japan's best Sensha-do teams while representing America. If you go in there and muck it up, you're not only embarrassing yourselves but also our home country. Is that understood?"
The trio's hands were clutch at their sides so tight they went white, but they had to see the truth in Linda's words as much as they hated it. "Yes, ma'am."
"Good, now go and get shower. But not you Fukushu, you stay," Linda said, now looking down at the still struggling girl holding her devastated stomach, but still had one hand on Linda's ankle.
Jasmine look ready to argue, but was ushered away by other instructors much to her worry for her young friend. Now only Linda was left with Fukushu still on her knees holding her stomach area that she still felt the effects of the punch earlier from her superior.
"So you done laying in the dirt worthless tank commander?" Linda said, now that they were alone, she had to get this girl back on her feet, Linda needed her to keep fighting back.
"Don't...don't...call me...a worthless," Fukushu said, now rising up a bit.
"Oh," Linda said with a smirk. "Then what do I call you? Dirt muncher? Commander Brat? Those might suit you."
"Fuc-," Fuskushu try to say.
Linda cut her off. "If you got the energy to curse me then you got the energy to stand up, so do it!"
As much as Fukushu wanted to tell her off, she comply by gingerly trying to rise up now. Her first attempt was a fail as she slip, but her second attempt was a success as she stood to full height with her fist raised for another go with Linda, not wanting to give up even now.
The black hair drill instructor smile, then came forward to meet her charge with another beating, but as she got close Fukushu had a surprise for her. In her attempt to get up, she scrounge up some dirt in her hand, and now that her tormentor was close, she toss it at her face. Linda yelp in surprise as she desperately swatted at the offending dirt, which gave Fukushu the opening she needed to lay a heavy punch across her foe's face.
Linda fell back into the dirt with the punch, leaving a nasty bruise that would get uglier later. Yet instead of getting angry at the dirty trick, the black hair tormentor began to laugh, that border on the line of something akin to some evil cartoon villainess who just achieve her ultimate plan, which sent a shiver up Fukushu's spine.
"Good, good, you found an alternative means to beat me," Linda said, rubbing her face that smile back at Fukushu.
"What's your problem? You praise me for fighting dirty," Fukushu said aghast at her instructor, now wondering if she was sane.
"I praise you for finding a way to fight back. If you need to fight dirty to win do it," Linda lecture to her charge.
Fukushu was a bit torn by the statement, because for some reason she believe it, yet fought back. "That isn't right, Sensha-do should be fought with honor."
The black hair drill master let out a vicious chuckle at her student's naivete. "Honor? Who the hell cares about that? I'll let you in on a little secret my little wolf pup, Sensha-do is a sport all about the survival of the fittest. It's ruthless and brutal when the cannons start roaring all that so call sportsmanship is thrown out the window."
"That...that...can't be how it is," Fukushu said, her voice quivering.
"That is how it really is in Sensha-do, sorry to shatter your perfect image of it," Linda said, still sitting looking up at the girl. "You win, you stay, you lose, you go home. Do you think anyone is going to feel sorry for you because you lost, hell no, you just become an afterthought, forgotten, and become nonexistent in people's minds. Yet you win, win, and win some more, people have to look up at you as you rise to the height of Sensha-do."
Now Fukushu grip her head, her mind being torn by Linda, as again she wasn't fighting anymore against these words. If anything, to her astonishment, she was taking them to heart.
"I...I...I..." Fukushu began to say, yet any words she try to find failed her.
Linda smile still sitting on the ground, as now she threw some of her own teachings in. "You like this feeling right now, huh? Do you like the sight of me beaten? Don't you want your enemies to feel what I'm feeling when you take the field in Sensha-do?"
"No...no...no..." Fukushu continue to struggle.
"Don't be shy Fukushu, your whole life your dad look down on you because he didn't want you to do Sensha-do," Linda said, going off the history of this young girl, that she had learned from Konomi that she wanted her to use to mold her daughter while she was gone.
"That's not true," Fukushu said, yet her voice didn't sound convincing.
"It is true, that's why you ran away because you hate that feeling. You want to feel what it means to be on top and have all eyes on you," Linda said, now rising to her feet and coming towards Fukushu.
"Stop, that isn't what I want," Fukushu said, her mind being torn by her drillmaster words.
"You want those damn Nishzumi's of Japan to see the mistake they made that day when they humiliated your mother right?" Linda said, now standing toe to toe with Fukushu.
"Ye...ye...ye...yea."
Linda now lean close to the point where she was touching foreheads with Fukushu, with both of their eyes lock on one another.
Linda now spoke in a whisper, her words cutting through the young girl. "The only way for that to happen my little wolf pup, is to first know your own weakness before you ever can grow."
"I don't have any weakness!" Fukushu said, done with Linda's words trying to convince her, and now wanting to put her back in the dirt as she threw a punch once again.
Though this time the result was different, as Linda anticipated the punch slipping under it, but this time she didn't throw a counter punch to Fukushu's stomach area, yet instead warp her arm around the punching arm and her other arm around Fukushu head. She push forward sending Fukushu onto her back, while now Linda mounted her and put her into a Triangle choke hold, but applying a light touch so as not choke the girl too bad.
Fukushu tap Linda with her free arm as to say she was tapping out, but Linda ignore the pleas and turn her head to whisper into Fukushu's ear. "Is this how you hope to solve things, while not facing yourself? Just hoping your tenacity will make the problem go away worthless child?"
"I'm not worthless," Fukushu said, with tears coming out now, as she had had enough of the beating at this point.
"It's what you are little pup, a worthless child who thinks she can beat the great Nishizumi's to avenge her adoptive mother, what a joke," Linda continue to prod.
"Stop!"
"If you continue to not face facts, then you will never make a good tank commander, and if that happens then all you're doing is letting Miss Konomi down, how can you face her after that? Better to run away again don't you think?" Linda said.
Fukushu now began to softly cry, as Linda had basically loudly said all of Fukushu's internal fears. Hearing them out loud hurt her, Linda was honestly being cruel, but at the same time, she was dropping the truth that Fukushu didn't want to hear, yet needed to.
Knowing she had gone a bit too far now, Linda let go of her hold on Fukushu and got off her. She plopped down cross-legged next to the crying girl now, though she didn't make any move to comfort her. That wasn't her job, she needed to break the girl, make her see things, then build her back up. The building back up started now.
"Fukushu, do you want to know my own weakness? One I didn't see till I had Miss Konomi lay it all out for me when she sought out my help, one I didn't want to face myself, till she finally made me see reason," Linda said now.
The softly crying girl now look up at her drill instructor, then raise herself up to sit on her knees facing her, with her eyes downcast as she waited for Linda to continue to speak.
Linda nodded at the girl then spoke. "Miss Konomi made me realize I was a terrible commander."
There was some silence between them, then Fukushu spoke. "That's it?"
"What you want a goddam list, we're just going off things in Sensha-do. I could drill a team with the best of them, of course being a hardass means you won't be like at all, I found that out very quickly. Yet girls listen to me, took my words to heart, and became a disciplined bunch," Linda said, staring aimlessly at the open blue sky above.
While wiping the last of her tears from her face, Fukushu reply. "Is that how you train Saunders?"
"Yep, though in the end, like I said I was a poor commander. Miss Konomi laid it all out for me, that I had the luxury to beat down on a poor team like Chi-Ha-Tan in the first round, yet against a worthy opponent like Pravda, you were right, I froze up against a competent team. That cost me and my team our dream of being at the top, while I got my karma for beating down on Chi-Ha-Tan as Pravda tore me and my team to pieces," Linda explained.
"Now Saunders lost to Chi-Ha-Tan in the first round this year," Fukushu said, though she was just stating the obvious and not trying to be obnoxious like before.
Linda nodded sadly. "Yep, my underclassmen Kay didn't get to show the world her Sensha-do style, though I believe she doesn't take the sport seriously enough, she just wants to have fun. Guess that's why I and her never saw eye to eye, but at least the rest of the girls still follow my old teachings."
"Is that what you're trying to teach me now?"
A soft chuckle escape Linda's mouth. "Nah, just a variation of it, in line with Konomi's Sensha-do style this academy will be following. If I did instruct with my own style, Konomi would have my head, but I'm allowed to have a little freedom."
Fukushu became quiet thinking things over, then she spoke. "What can I do to improve Miss Sickle?"
"Ah, don't be so formal, just Linda. If you want any improvement to start you need to get Nicole to respect you, she may be a hard case that has gotten kicked out of every other tank because she argues with her tank commanders. However she is one of the most talented gunners anyone can ask for, so you need her to cooperate before anything," Linda said, in a gentle lecturing tone.
"Well she doesn't trust me, I try talking to her, but she just rubs me off," Fukushu angrily reply, hating to think about her gunner who obviously didn't respect her.
"She rubs you off because she just sees a child in the tank commander's role," Linda said back.
The young Nishizumi grew angry at the words. "I am not a child."
"No, you are. You whine when things don't go your way, instead of figuring out how to make it work. A tank commander and a gunner are like a setter and a spiker in volleyball," Linda lecture.
Fukushu cock her head to the side. "A setter and a spiker?"
"Yes little pup, you're the setter that needs to place the direction in the right spot, so your gunner who is like an ace spiker can slam it down on your foes. One can't work without the other, that's why the two positions have a close relationship when it comes to this sport. Do you understand?" Linda stated.
"I...I...I...I understand," Fukushu said, letting the words sink into her heart.
"Good, because I am not going to transfer Nicole out of your tank. She's your gunner till you get along or fail enough to get kicked out of the academy, the choice is yours," Linda said.
Fukushu nodded at that, then stood up. "Thank you, Linda. Though I still hate your guts."
Linda let a pleasant laugh escape her lips. "I be disappointed in you if you like me after that beating I just gave you. Don't worry, this is the last time I will ever be this nice to you. From now on, it's back to hating each other, though I expect you to give me 100 percent effort, no matter how much I ride you."
To her credit, Fukushu snap a salute to her drillmaster, resolute to fix her situation and show Linda she was going to beat her low expectations of her, and rise to the top of the academy. "You can count on it. Soon you will be looking up at me when I destroy the Nishzumi's of Japan and conquer the mountain top of Sensha-do."
Without waiting for a reply, Fukushu walk off to find Nicole to talk things out, while Linda watch her till she was out of sight, then she lean back on both her arms and look up at the bright blue sky and felt the gentle wind causing her hair to dance like waves with it.
Have to say, this is way more fun than being in command of Saunders. Here, I just have to drill them till they get it, they may hate me for how hard I am on them, but that's just my life in a nutshell being hated. Yet I don't care as long as I get to be part of Wolverton Academy and seeing them rise high is enough for me. Even better, get to see a star be born with a little push from me. Don't worry Miss Konomi, your daughter is safe in my hands, and will perform to get the revenge you so rightly deserve.
XxxxxX
Fukushu came running back to the rest area for the crews, she had just passed her friends Jasmine, Ellie, and Morena, who all try to fuss over how beaten up she looked. Yet Fukushu just said that she and Linda had worked out their differences which shock them, and were more shocked when she told them she was going to follow her teachings to win, though she reminded them that she still hated Linda as much as they did.
Now she was looking for her crew, and found them all resting at a table. They were eating lunch under the warm sun outside the academies cafeteria, and looked pretty downtrodden. Yet who could blame them, especially after the terrible showing in the mock battle. Already the other tank crews were talking about it, all wondering if Fukushu's crew were going to be broken up, most wanted them to be downgraded to an M4 Sherman so the rest could have a chance at the M4A3E8 since it was the only one in their academies limited tank pool.
Coming up to the table, Nicole's brown eyes lock onto Fukushu's grey ones, and made a move to leave the table, not wanting to be anywhere near her irritant. Today had already been enough for her, worse she had been told that her request to be transferred to a different tank had been denied by Linda after the match, so now she was stuck with a brat of tank commander who only make her look worse and worse fighting under her.
"Nicole wait!" Fukushu yell in desperation.
As much as she didn't want to listen, Nicole stop and turn to face her tank commander. "Haven't you had enough already? Or should I just shut up and listen to you?"
Fukushu wince at the truth in her accusation, she already regretted talking down to her, but press forward now. "Look, I know I haven't been the most pleasant tank commander to serve under."
"That's an understatement," Nicole shot back, making Fukushu grit her teeth and eat the words rather than rise up to them.
"Nicole, listen to her," Alice said still sitting at the table, her tone broker no argument from the gunner.
"Fine, say whatever dumb excuse you got for me," Nicole said in a bored tone.
"I'm a weak setter," Fukushu said.
Nicole just stare at her commander for a moment with a perplexed look, then spoke, "what the hell are you talking about?"
"I'm a weak setter because I fail to give you the right call-outs," Fukushu press forward.
Still perplex, Nicole reply," again, what the hel-."
"You're a weak spiker because you don't trust me to give the right ball to spike, and that goes for all the tank commanders you serve under before me," Fukushu kept pushing forward.
"Well, ok, ye-," Nicole try again to speak.
Fukushu didn't let her reply knowing she had to make her see reason, "we can't function without the other. Like a pack of wolves on the hunt, if even one of us isn't doing our job, all of us suffer. It's only made worse if it's the two of us not working together."
"If you think some petty words are going to convince me to work with a brat of a tank commander, you have another thing coming," Nicole shot back.
"That's why starting now, we're going to live in the same dorm room together," Fukushu said, ignoring the earlier comment.
Nicole was silent for a moment to let that process, "what!?"
"Alice will be switching dorm rooms, ok?" Fukushu said with a bright smile.
The normally emotionless gunner broke out in a smile for the first time since she join the academy, "sounds good to me Fukushu."
"Wait, I didn't agree to this!" Nicole fought back.
Fukushu walk up and grabbed both hands of her gunner, which instantly made Nicole blush at the sudden boldness of her tank commander. She was also mesmerized by the fierce look in her eye, if she were being honest it felt like the eyes of a wolf staring back at her, ready to take her down if she continue to fight back.
"Will do this together, and make sure everyone in this academy know our Easy 8 crew is nothing to scoff at anymore, but only together. We got dreams to take on Sensha-Do's best in the coming year, let's not let our home country down," Fukushu spoke in a resolute tone.
Her words touch Nicole, she no longer saw the brat of a tank commander like before. She was serious, she had dreams like Nicole did, that wanted to raise themselves to the top of the Sensha-do mountain and only together could they achieve that.
"Fi...Fi...Fi...fine, just let go, you are too clingy right now," Nicole said, while not being able to look her tank commander in her eyes.
"Thank you so much!" Fukushu said, then leap to wrap her arms around her gunner.
"Eh! Get off, your embarrassing me," Nicole said, though her words meant nothing to Fukushu, who was seeing the light to the top of Sensha-do get a little brighter.
At the table, the rest of Fukushu's crew watch on with relief in their hearts that they finally might be able to put this pointless squabbling behind them and move forward as a legitimate crew.
"Is this what a tank crew should be like," Holly the driver ask, looking at Rebecca.
"I don't know, maybe?" Rebecca reply back.
"Don't worry girls," Alice said getting their attention, with a smile on her face. "Will soon show this academy were meant to be here."
Both girls smile at the statement, though Rebecca had to comment on something. "Not to be rude Alice, but your smile is kind of creepy."
Alice drop the smile now. "Sorry, I haven't done it in a while."
Holly chuckle at their awkward crew member. "No worries, I think you're going to be doing it a lot more with the coming days."