Friday August 23rd, 2013
It was the crack of dawn. The sun had just breached over the horizon, its rays stifled by puffy clouds that had rolled it. Birds were just beginning to sing their melodies that serenaded the people that lived in Little Long Beach, whose songs would gently rouse people from their restful slumber.
Valarie and Emma did not get to hear the chirping of the birds. But a knock at their door.
"...Hmm?" Valarie muttered, her voice heavy with sleep.
"Someone is at the door..." Emma said with a yawn.
"Yeah, and I have a pretty good on who it is."
Valarie got out of bed, stretched, and walked toward the door. Once opened, it was exactly who she thought it was. Madison. She was wearing a business suit with a feminine flare, dyed in navy blue. There was something between her arms, though Valarie was not yet fully awake to dwell much though on it.
"It's not even 6 AM yet, Madison." Valarie told her.
"I know, and I apologize. I would normally not show up at such an early hour, but today is a special circumstance. You already know what's going on."
Valarie slowly nodded. "I do. But we're starting already?"
"In a way. First, you need to get fully awake."
Madison walked in and set aside what she was carrying. She moved to the kitchen and got started to get a cup of coffee prepped. Valarie sat herself at the kitchen table and waited for Madison to finish. Not long after, she was presented with a fresh cup of coffee. She took a sip and hummed in satisfaction.
"Oh man, this is some good coffee you made."
"I did say we are a coffee school. We know our stuff."
Valarie eagerly downed the drink and felt the caffeine work its magic. Now more alert, she was ready for the day ahead of them.
"Now to get you all dressed up." Madison informed.
She fetched the things she had brought and showed it to Valarie. It was a sleeveless business dress that hung just below the knees. Around the waist was a large ribbon. It was all dyed a splendid shadowy black.
"Oooh," Valarie uttered. "It's so beautiful and stylish."
"I'd knew you'd like it," Madison replied. She passed the dress to her along with a bag of accessories. "Put everything on. Let's see how they look on you."
Valarie went to her bedroom and into a walk-in closest. The closed the door behind her and got dressed. Madison waited to see her sister's new get up, with Emma, now fully awake, sat up in her bed and her eyes trained on the closest door. Two minutes transpired when the door then opened with Valarie walking out in her new attire.
"Alright," Valarie said, adjusting her dress. "How do I look?"
In addition to the sleeveless dress were stockings that too were dyed black that adorned her legs. For shoes, Valarie had a choice between flats or heels. As Valarie never before in her life has worn heels, and keenly aware of the learning curve involved, elected to go with the flats.
"Damn, does it all suit you so good." Madison said with a smile.
Emma didn't immediately respond, her eyes gleaming. She was entranced at Valarie's appearance. Valarie was already a beautiful girl, among all the other things she loved about her. Now, right before her eyes, Valarie has reached another level of beauty she didn't know was possible. Oh, how lucky she was to be with such a girl.
"You're gorgeous," she finally uttered. "Drop dead gorgeous!"
With all the compliments sent her way, Valarie entered into a deep blush. "Well then...thanks."
"Alright!" Madison then said with a clap. "Let's get this day underway."
"You look pretty damn fancy."
"Mmm, thank you."
On Golden Gate's carrier, Julian and Cassandra were having a chat. The two girls were aware that today will be a busy day for both of them for different reasons. For Cassandra, her energy will be devoted to trying to get Viola to transfer to her school and instead of Catalina. Plus, she looked forward to tormenting Madison in any way she can. If she could take Viola way from Madison, it would be a triumph. Such a thing would surely devastate her. Ever since the two had their fencing match
two years ago, Juliana has utterly despised Madison as the artsy girl has delivered her a horribly humiliating defeat. Since that day, she has been itching for a chance to some revenge and today will be her best chance to attain it.
Cassandra was excited for this day for a different reason. Reconnaissance. She didn't care about Viola or about Golden Gate's desire to have her attend. Honestly, she couldn't give less of a damn about any of this. The only reason why she transferred to Golden Gate herself was to use its carrier to go around the world for the tournament. That, and use the resources of Juliana, as she was quite wealthy herself, to aid in her personal crusade to 'save' tankery
"When will you go and do your thing with that princess?" Cassandra questioned.
"I'll head on over there an hour or so after Viola arrives at Catalina's campus. To give Madison a false sense of security. I'll then pop in and do what I do best."
They both chuckled.
"So, what will you be doing?" Juliana then asked. "You haven't really gone into much detail."
"Me and a couple of girls will be out and about Catalina's ship. Mainly to learn all that we can about Mojave Rose's captains. Though that'll be the responsibilities of others. My focus will be elsewhere, so I won't be on campus much.
"If you won't be on their campus much, where will you be?"
"I've looked up a map of their school ship and examined in thoroughly. Out of all the buildings I've combed through, I've found one that is suitable to house armored fighting vehicles and is close enough to both the campus and student apartments."
Juliana shot her a smirk. "Ah, a repeat of doing some 'maintenance' like last time?"
Cassandra returned the smirk in kind. "Let's see how the dice rolls."
Catalina's campus was a whole new definition of busy. All members of the school's staff were out and about finalizing the last preparations. Some were sprinting as they moved around, making sure balloons looked their absolute best, students on their best behavior, and the campus expunged of any and all blemishes that could otherwise hurt the school's chances of success today.
At the main entrance of the campus stood three girls who all felt various levels of nervousness.
"Why is it just us three?" Valarie remarked. "You'd think a visit from a German princess would have a lot more fanfare."
"This was her specific request," Madison told her. "She didn't want to arrive to some celebration. That's why its just us three and why the three of us will be the only people with her for the day."
Natalie, who wore clothing similar to what Madison had on, but in a light gray, was looking down the road. "So, we're looking for a limo or what?"
"No. She said she's walking here."
"Oh. Um. Does she has some sort of entourage with her?"
"She's alone."
Both girls looked at Madison with puzzled expressions.
"I thought you said Viola was a posh girl?" Valarie asked her.
"I also said she was also down-to-earth. That side of her must be dominating today," Madison explained. From the corner of her eye, she spotted one of the school administrators standing a distance away. The look on her face told Madison she wanted to talk. "Excuse me."
She departed and went straight for the administrator.
"Good mor—"
"I hope today works in our favor, Madison." The administrator said, cutting her off.
"Uh. Yeah. I hope so too. I won't let you guys down."
"Good. Now, me and the other administrators have been hearing that a member of the tankery team we're hosting is actually related to you. A half-sister, if I recall correctly. My, what are the odds?"
"...Yeah, yeah!" Madison said, feigning ignorance. "Like a one-in-a-billion chance!"
"Oh, I'm sure," the administrator said with a faint grin. "Get Viola, Madison."
The administrator walked off, leaving Madison to dwell on what was said to her.
"No pressure...no pressure."
She returned to Valarie and Natalie. The only thing now left to do was wait. It was nearing 9 AM, clouds still remained in the sky which made the temperature in the air nice and cool. A good thing as none of the girls were in any particular mood to break out in a sweet. Their senses were trained to here or see anything that could indicate an impending arrival. Through careful hearing, they then heard the squeaking of chains.
"That's a bike." Valarie deduced.
"Ah, must be some student whose late. I guess not even free catering can get some people out of bed soon enough." Madison remarked
The three of them were prepared to dismiss whoever was riding in but when the bike rider came into view, they couldn't help but stare. It was a girl were was wearing a silk blouse stylized after Chinese porcelain, its vibrant white-and-blue colors absolutely beautiful. In addition to that, she wore black slacks that covered her leather fashion boots. Her hair was short, just above her shoulders, and was a very light blonde, almost bleached. The girl also sported protective gear typical for bike riding. She wobbled slightly as she rode in.
"Hallo!" greeted the rider.
"Ha. Don't need to know German to know what she said," Valarie said with a little laugh. "That must be Viola."
"Yeah, that's her," Madison said. "She said she'd be walk—"
Her sentence was interrupted when all three girls suddenly saw Viola crash right in front of them. Viola was so preoccupied with her hellos that she failed to noticed that curb that her front tire hit. She was propelled over the front of her bike and landed on the concrete with a thud. The three girls gasped and rushed over to her. They were stunned to find her laughing. Viola helped herself up, dusted herself off, and started speaking.
"Um," Madison uttered. "What is she saying, Natalie?"
Natalie listened closely, sported a smile, and translated. "She said that if we can that she never rode a bike before. She passed by a bike shop and purchased one on a whim because she's sixteen and never had a bike before. She's okay."
Viola removed her gear and picked up her bike and continued to speak.
"Now she's asking where she can store her belongings." Natalie informed.
Madison pointed out an area where Viola can store her thins. Once she took care of that, she returned and looked at Natalie with a ponderous expression.
"Sprichst du Deutsch?" Viola asked
"Ja." Natalie replied proudly.
Viola grinned from ear-to-ear, pleased to meet a fellow German speaker. She then cleared her throat and a look of concentration was now on her face.
"My English," she said slowly, her German accent strong. "Not great, but I...want to show...you what I know. The, um...the ah, Verdammt, was ist das Wort auf Englisch...Übersetzerin. I enjoy the Übersetzerin."
"Translator," Natalie said. "She appreciates the translator."
"You're very welcome!" Madison said. "Now for some proper introductions. My name is Madison Force, the student council president of Catalina School of the Arts. This is my lovely sister, Valarie Woodlin, and our wonderful friend and translator, Natalie Welti.
Natalie translated for Viola.
"Madison, Valarie, and Natalie," Viola repeated. "Pretty names."
All three of them blushed. Viola then straightened her posture and placed her hands behind her back. She was well aware of her regal ancestry and was not afraid to flaunt it. Though she did have a side of her that can be considered down-to-earth, she has become accustomed to a life of privileges and luxuries that she fully expects a school like Catalina to provide.
"Shall we start?" Viola said.
"Of course," Madison responded. "We have quite the day in store for us."
The four girls walked onto campus and got their day underway. Madison gave Viola the same tour she had given to Valarie when she herself was new to the ship. Though, this time around, Madison gone into more thorough detail of all the aspects of the campus they passed by. The state-of-the-art gym and accompanying sauna were clear favorites of Viola as she was the athletic type. They spent a good amount of time in there as Viola wanted to see all the various exercise machines and equipment. When she was shown the pool, well, that was a cherry on top.
"Dies ist ein Paradies für Sportler." Viola remarked with some awe.
"An athlete's paradise, she says." Natalie translated.
"Damn right it's a paradise!" Madison exclaimed. "The gym, pool, and sauna, together, was a six million dollar project."
"Six million..." Valarie echoed with disbelief.
"I know right? The school got a great deal."
"Six million is a great deal. Alright sure."
Once Catalina's gym was thoroughly explored, the girls walked back outside. Madison looked toward a certain. She smiled.
"Say, Viola, are you hungry?"
"Das Essen in meinem Hotel war Scheiße. Ich habe nicht gegessen."
"What she say?"
Natalie hesitated. "Um. The food at her hotel...didn't meet her standards. She's starved."
"Well, lucky for her we got some all-star catering. Let's enjoy ourselves!"
They went to the building in question. As they walked, it was here that Viola saw more of Catalina's student body. Unbeknownst to her, classes were cancelled today. Though students were required to be on campus, the news that a catering service will be here today to provide superbly delicious meals for free was spread around the previous school day. That was all that was needed to convince students to come to school on their day off. Viola's visit was seen as an excuse to have a party of sorts and if she could see Catalina's students having fun and being all relaxed, that could be the needed edge to get her to transfer here.
They were outside the building and it was clear that is was busy, with a line stretching outside from one door, and a stream of students with plates of food exiting out an other. The aroma of something savory filled the air that made mouths water.
"I like this," Viola said. "I like it a lot."
"The caterers are from Berlin so they'll understand you. They're serving all sorts of dishes from around the world, known for their fusion dishes. You should get in line before it gets any longer than it already is."
Smiling, Viola promptly left for the line, entranced by the smell of cooked food. The three girls lingered a bit behind.
"It's going well so far, I think." Natalie said.
"So far," Madison repeated. "They're still more work to be done, more things to show her. I'm optimistic that we can pull it off...as long as," she paused to look around, as if she was searching for someone. "...Um. We can pull it off. I'm sure."
Valarie and Natalie couldn't dwell much on this strange action made by Madison as the sights and sounds of the catering distracted them.
"I'm just gonna," Natalie said, before sniffing the air. "I'm gonna get in line," She then spotted Ray. "Yeah, I'm definitely going. If you'll excuse me..."
She departed, leaving Madison and Valarie alone.
"Sorry for not talking much," Valarie then said. "I just don't know what to say that could help you out here.
"Don't sweat it," Madison replied, giving Valarie a sympathetic rub on her shoulder. "Talk when it feels right. Don't force yourself."
"Okay...I just feel a bit useless here."
"You're definitely not useless. You're in a bit of a rut. I've been there. Want to know how I feel better?"
"What?"
Madison gestured toward the building. "Some great food!"
Just outside the main entrance of Catalina's campus, a small group of girls congregated. They were wearing casual clothing typical for teenagers. And good thing they were as for today, the students of Catalina were not wearing their usual school uniforms,as they too were wearing their personal outfits. As today wasn't technically a school day, the students weren't required to adhere to the school's dress code. All the better as it mean that these girls could waltz onto campus and blend in to the crowd. They had a mission to carry out. Cassandra stood in front to address them
"You all have your respective responsibilities. You all know what she looks like from the news article. Valarie Woodlin. She's most likely on campus on the account of the German princess visiting today, as the school is treating like some huge event. Seek her out and pretend you're like curious students, wanting to know about her experience in the sport. Ask detailed questions. By the end of the day, I want a comprehensive profile on her."
"We're on it." one of the girls said.
The group split off, with the majority heading onto campus. Cassandra remained where she stood, along with two others.
"You two are with me," Cassandra explained. "We're off to an garage."
Cassandra walked off with her helpers following in tow. Her phone was out as she was checking a map on it often to ensure that they were heading in the right direction. The garage in question was a fifteen minute walk away from the campus. The sounds of the active campus faded away to a mere murmur in the distance headed toward their destination. Their travels were uneventful, though Cassandra was vigilant of their surroundings, particularly keeping an eye out for any Catalina students as they could potentially be a member of the Mojave Rose tankery team. Cassandra wasn't entirely sure if the whole team would recognize her as she didn't know if Valarie informed the rest of the team of her actions. But she knew for certain that there was at least four members of the team that would absolutely recognize her.
Mojave Rose's captain.
The commander of the IS-3
The commander of the Jagdpanzer IV
And then there was this other girl.
Cassandra recalled after the match between Mojave Rose and her old school of Old Dominion, four members of Mojave Rose came to their private tent to, in her mind, 'bitch and moan'. They came and ruined everything. That recording sunk Cassandra's chances of lying her way out of the situation. They humiliated her. She understood why their captain and commanders of the IS-3 and Jagdpanzer came as she had directly affected them in some way. But there was also this other girl, who was rather tall and slender. Cassandra never understood who she was and why she was there. This girl never talked, but stared her down. Cassandra rembered that the hands of the girl twitched faintly, as if she was restraining herself from doing something. Whatever that something was, Cassandra has never figured out.
She didn't know what her problem was.
Soon, the three girls had the garage in sight. They kept their distance as they fanned out to ensure that the immediate are was vacant of people. It was. Cassandra then approached one of the side doors, placed her hand on the knob, and attempted to open it, though of course it was locked.
"Eh, thought so," she remarked quietly. She turned to look at the girls that came with her. "You two be on either ends of the street that lead up to this place. You're my lookouts. If you see someone that looks like they are coming to this place, send a text."
"Got it." the girls said, and went of to their positions.
Cassandra returned her attention to the side door and reached into her pockets. A lockpicking set was dug out and she got to work on the door. She had been practicing a whole lot in the ways of lockpicking since leaving Old Dominion. A few minutes of playing with the lock yielded a click, followed by the door being opened. She chuckled to herself.
"And in I go."
She entered the garage that held the vehicles of Mojave Rose. All of the machines were parked in a long neat row. The garage was clean, with all the tools and other items the team used to maintain their vehicles stowed away in their associated shelves. Her footsteps echoed greatly in the building, with them being the only sounds being produced. She found herself in the middle of the garage and stopped to ponder her next course of action. She was tempted to some sabotage like she did before, but since Mojave Rose's next match was over a week away, they had all that time to discover what she did and fix it. She was glancing around when her eyes then trained upon a light tank.
"An AMR 35, hmm?" she remarked. "You definitely didn't have that before."
She took a picture of the tank, and continued looking around. It wasn't long before she spotted something else.
"And a Type 97 too with the stubby 120mm. You guys will just take any tank, huh?"
Another picture was taken and her snooping around continued. As luck would have it, she stumbled across a huge crate on the garage floor. Looking down upon it, she read the markings written on top of it.
M1A2 76mm GUN
"An upgrade," she determined. "For your Jumbo."
She looked around the find the tank in question, and while doing so, sighted the Cromwell. With its mounted weaponry.
"Rockets?" Cassandra remarked with some surprise. "I do quite like tulips myself.
Both the new gun and tulips had their photos taken. Cassandra took a lap around the garage to see if she could find anything of note to photograph but found none. She paused to contemplate what could she done.
"Any team needs an office for administrative stuff," she pondered aloud, then spotted a set of stairs. "An office has all sorts of goodies for a person like me."
She went up the stairs and walked down a hall to one of the doors. There was a window right by it. Peering through, she saw that it had some computers and filing cabinets within.
"Gold."
She again dug out her lockpicking set and got to work on the lock. She could feel the door about to open by her commands when she then felt a vibration in her pocket. She stopped and checked her phone. She received a message.
"Two people heading right for the garage."
"Shit."
Cassandra dropped what she was doing and headed back downstairs. She ran toward the side door she had used when she heard it being opened. She stopped dead in her tracks, and quickly hide behind the VK. She slowed her breath and listened intently as footsteps filled the garage.
"Is it here? Is it here?" one of the voices exclaimed.
"It should be!" another rang out. "Ah! There! C'mon!"
Cassandra heard Haley and Heidi as they excitedly approached the crate. Haley grabbed a nearby crowbar and pryed open the crate, revealing their new gun in all its glory.
"So beautiful," Heidi remarked with a please sigh. "And the muzzle break makes it so damn cool."
"That is does," Haley responded. "Mounting this thing will be fun, I just know it!"
"Alright, so wanna go on campus as see what this catering stuff is all about? And why are they here anyway?" Heidi asked.
"Who knows, and who cares! Free food!"
The two bolted out of the garage, closing the door behind them. The place fell into silence thereafter. Cassandra emerged from her spot behind the VK and finally allowed herself to breath. That was her cue that she has been her long enough. She made her way toward the door but caught something gleaming in the sunlight. On top of a tool box was a solitary key. She grabbed it and held it close to her eye. Etched on it was the word 'spare'. She quickly tucked it into her pocket and now exited the garage. She motioned to her lookouts to join her as they all walked away at a brisk pace.
"You find anything good?" one of them asked.
"A fair bit," Cassandra told them. "Though I was this close to finding more good stuff, but I had to bail. Though I got a good feeling that we'll be coming back here," she tapped her pocket. "I'm not done with that place, not by a long shot."
"So what are you gonna do with the stuff you did find?" asked the other.
"Well, considering that they'll be facing off with the New Zealand team next Saturday, I'll post what I found online in a way that the New Zealand team will just come across them. They'll think nothing of it as they take the info and use it accordingly. No one will ever know the photos were taken by me. Now, let's do another risky thing."
"Like what?"
"I overheard some catering thing on Catalina's campus. I want to swing by. I skipped breakfast today and I'm famished."
On campus students were strewn about, a jovial atmosphere felt and enjoyed. The air was pleasantly warm, the birds sand their songs, and butterflies flew. There was an ever-present sound of conversation and laughter as Catalina's students hung out as they ate the meals provided by catering. They were nothing short of excellent, with something for everyone. In an area full of outdoor tables, Madison and the rest of the girls were eating together. Viola, with a knife and fork in hand, cut off a piece of her filet mignon and held it closely to her eye. It was pink in the middle.
"Perfekt."
She took a bite and enjoyed the heavenly delicious morsel. Madison had a huge smile on her face knowing that the catering was definitely pulling its weight.
"So, Viola, how are you finding the school thus far?"
"Fancy," Viola replied after taking another bit of her meal. "Very fancy."
"Fancy is what we do. By the way, your English is pretty good."
"Thanks. I know few words. I'll learn more."
"I have no doubt that'll you become a fluent speaker in no time."
Viola stared at Madison blankly for a moment, then looked at Natalie.
"Was hat Sie gesagt?"
"Sie sagte, Ihr Englisch wird sehr bald großartig sein." Natalie translated for her.
Viola grinned. "Ah! Thank you!"
They continued eating. All the while, Valarie had a question brewing in her mind. Something she was curious about since she first learned who Viola was and her family background.
"Viola," she began. "You probably get this question a lot, but, how do you feel knowing you're related to a person like Kaiser Wilhelm the Second?"
Natalie translated the question and all three girls at the table waited her response. Viola set down her fork and knife and thought for a moment.
"If I had to have a German leader as family," she said in English. "Better the first war than the second."
It took a moment before all four at the table erupted into laughter.
"Oh thank god for that, huh?"
"Yes, thank the lord!"
As the group ate and chatted together, a boy and a girl sat at a table not too far from them.
"You are the pickiest eater ever!" Cassidy exclaimed. "Of course you went for the burger and not things like sushi. You always order burgers are restaurants never anything fun and interesting."
"I like comfortable things," Nathan told her. "And burgers are comfortable. You're the weird one who likes to eat raw fish. That can't be healthy."
"It is healthy and so delicious that I'm mad that you're missing out! Hey, you did ask for any veggies on your burger?"
"I have onion rings."
"That doesn't count, its fried."
"Yes it does! Onions are vegetables!"
"All the nutrition is lost when its fried!"
"It tastes good!"
"Ugh, alright, here. I have some sliced tomatoes. Put them in you burger."
"No."
"Why not?"
"It's cold."
"W-why is that a problem?"
"I dont want cold things in my burger."
Cassidy buried her face in her hands for a sold few seconds. "Okay. Okay. Eat your burger. But the next time I make a health smoothie, by god, you better drink it."
"Fine."
"Why is there food here anyway?"
"Beats me."
"Can you ask?"
"Ask who?"
"Valarie is at the other table."
"Pfft. Your question. You go ask her."
"You're the commander, I'm not. It's only right for you to talk to her. A private in the army wouldn't just go up to the general to ask him something."
"This is a sports team. Not the god damn army!"
"Please?"
Cassidy rested her head on the table, then got up from it "You know what? I will. Going to the captain? Not a thing for babies, such as yourself."
Nathan took a big bite of his burger and gave her a huge grin that irritated her. Cassidy walked the short distance toward Valarie's table, her approach noticed by them, and sat herself next to Valarie, her brazenness stunning them all a bit.
"Hey Val," Cassidy greeted. "How's it going? Damn, you look all formal and shit. All of you do, actually. Y'all going to some opera?"
"I'm doing good, Cassidy," Valarie replied. "And no, we're not going to the opera. We're dressed for the occasion."
"Occasion, huh? Yeah, I've been wondering about that. What is this all about?" Cassidy said as she gestured her hands to the air. "Like, what's with the food. Not that I'm complaining because I, unlike my brother, actually enjoy more than one kind of food. Is it some rich kid's birthday or something?"
"No," Madison then said. "All of this is for a special person who is visiting the school today."
"Must be some special person. Lemme guess, the freaking Queen of England?" Cassidy joked.
"You're closer than you think," Madison told her. "For she is from royalty. A princess to be exact."
"No shit?"
"No. Shit."
"Damn," Cassidy said, letting out a whistle. "I bet I missed her while getting some food."
"You're in luck. She's right here." Madison said, pointing to Viola, who was amused by the whole conversation.
Cassidy's face blushed a deep red. "Oh. Um. Right. Uh, hello."
"Hallo." Viola replied.
"Viola here is visiting out school as she wants to transfer to an American school, so she's shopping around, so to speak." Madison explained.
"So she wants to experience the American life, hmm? See what we have to offer to her?" Cassidy asked.
"Exactly."
"Nothing is more American than baseball! I can show Viola how the game works. Me and my brother were about the head to the school's field to do some practice after we ate if you guys wanna come."
"Hmm, I dunno if our schedule would..." she paused. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure that rattled her soul and left a bitter taste of poison in her mouth. A girl that she prayed wouldn't come, but as it turns out, no one was listening.
Juliana.
The girl was walking about as, no doubt searching for them. At the moment, she didn't see them.
"One second thought," Madison then said. "That actually sounds pretty fun! Let's go to the field. Like right now. And fast."
"Alright!" Cassidy exclaimed.
Madison lead the group as quickly and discreetly as she could, making sure that Viola was in front so that all the people would block her from view from Juliana. The school's field was on the other side of campus, which was good for Madison as getting distance between her and Juliana would sooth her nerves. Within a few minutes, they'd arrived. Cassidy and Nathan had brought a bag with them and set it on the group. It was unzipped, Cassidy got out an aluminum bat that shined greatly in the sun.
"Oh yeah, I'm totally in my element." she said with a grin.
She swung the bat around to limber up, then handed it to Viola.
"Wanna get to know America? You gotta play baseball. You familiar with the sport?"
Natalie translated the question.
"A little. You hit ball and then run, yes?" Viola asked.
"That's pretty much it. Though we'll just doing some batting practice for now."
Viola grabbed hold of the bat. The rest of the group gave her some space as she swung it around to get a feel for the thing. She had a smile on her face. A huge one. Once she got used to the feeling of swinging a bat, she nodded toward Cassidy.
"Ready? Alright! Nathan, stand behind her as you're the catcher. I'm the pitcher. The rest of you girls, um, just stand there and look pretty."
Nathan slipped on a catcher's mit and got in knelling position behind Viola. Cassidy got some baseballs with her and readied herself. The area got quiet. Viola held the bat tight and was a batter's stance. A few moments went by as Cassidy stared down Viola, a grin slowly forming. In a motion she had done countless times before, she pitched the ball, it flying straight and speedy. Viola swung, but the ball was already in Nathan's hands before she even realized what happened.
"Prediction is key," Cassidy told her. "You gotta know where the ball will be before it gets there."
Viola stretched and got in the stance again. Cassidy reached for another ball and threw it. Same result. Viola swung and miss.
"Verdammt."
"Jackie Robinson missed too, y'know. Keep trying."
Viola then asked a question.
"She says if the ball just hits the bat, does that count?" Natalie said.
"Yeah, for sure."
They readied for another attempt. Cassidy threw another ball where then Viola thrust the bat in front of her, where the ball hit and bounced off toward the ground, coming to a stop after a few feet.
"What? You bunted?" Cassidy remarked.
"That counts." Natalie told her.
"Yeah, well, sure, if you wanna play that way. But a bunt doesn't get the crowd at a stadium all fired up, them screaming and yelling at what they're seeing down at the field. No, what gets the crowd wild is a home-freaking-run."
"Show me, please" Viola asked her.
"Gladly. Nathan, you're pitching."
Viola handed the bat back. Cassidy got into a batter's stance, with that alone telling everyone that she was experienced and knew what she was doing. Nathan was ahead of her with a ball in his hand, ready to pitch. Though Cassidy was the one who had an undying love with baseball, her younger brother enjoyed it too, though to an lesser extent. Over the years, Nathan has been Cassidy's training partner and together, their skills were honed and they had developed a wonderful synergy. Brother and sister were in their respective stances. Nathan then threw a ball right at Cassidy. Time seemed to low down as she focused intently on the ball. In her mind, she calculated the precise moment when to swing. It all happened so fast. Cassidy swung her bat and smacked the ball with a loud wack, sending it flying over the field, a fence, and disappearing out of view behind building outside the field.
"Get outta here!" Cassidy exclaimed with joy. "That's a homerun right there! All the runners are booking it to home plate, one point, two points, three points! Thaat's it! The Cubs win! One day...One day," she paused to compose herself. "Alright Nathan, go get the ball."
"Ugh," he sighed. "Fine."
"Hold on now," Madison then said. "Don't you know what's behind that building?"
"Um. No?"
"The. Ocean."
"What?"
"You hit your ball in the ocean."
"Oh, hell yeah! I'm knew I was the best!"
Viola clapped. "Wunderbar!"
Cassidy took a bow. "Thank you, thank you. Just me being great, no big deal."
"Thank you Cassidy for the baseball lesson. We'd love to explore more of the sport, but we're pressed for time here." Madison explained.
"I getcha. Gotta see all the fancy stuff this place has. And lemme tell ya, it has a whole bunch. Oh, and Viola, if you ever transfer here, I can teach you more about baseball. I'll make you a pro like me!"
Madison gave Cassidy an approving nod and they departed, leaving the brother and sister duo to play ball.
They left the field and returned back to campus. They were still more aspects of the school remaining to show off to Viola. One such thing was the school's art museum, whose exhibits were created entirely by students. It was closed today, but Madison had special access to the building. The group entered the stone-built museum and found the place incredibly quiet as the outside noise was perfectly muted thanks to the thick walls. It was a cool place too, wonderfully air conditioned. Immediately upon entering, they were all greeted with a marble statue of a Roman god in a war-like pose, holding a sword high in the air.
"Every thing you see in this museum was made by students," Madison explained. "Even that statue right in front of us. It was crafted carefully and painstakingly with a hammer and chisel by a team of students who graduated 17 years ago. Exhibits here are rotated here regularly to show off new things, but this statue has remained since its first appearance. A testament to its quality, and to the kind of students this school can produce."
They stood before the statue, its magnificence being felt by them all. Viola stepped forward and laid her hands on it to feel the texture of the marble. It felt good on her hands and rubbed them on the statue.
"You're not normally supposed to touch museum exhibits, are you?" Valarie wondered.
"Oh, just let her have her fun," Madison responded. "Do it yourself if you wanna."
"I'm fine, thanks."
"Suit yourself."
More of the museum was explored. They went down a hall with both walls adorned with student paintings that were exceptionally well-made. Paintings of nature were very popular, with scenes Valarie recognized as being from Inspiration Part, the exact place the team holds their practices. In another section, was a collection of pottery that came straight from the school's kilns. They were colorful and each contained interesting and intricate designs. Viola looked at each piece of pottery, getting an eyeful. Her hands remained behind her back as she examined the art.
"Alles handgemacht von Studenten. Unglaublich"
"She's amazed that everything here is handmade by students." Natalie relayed.
"MmmHmm," Madison hummed. "There is an upcoming art exhibition next month featuring a whole new set of student-made paintings. These exhibitions are always fun and popular. You definitely don't want to miss something like that."
"We'll see." Viola responded.
The rest of the museum was explored and enjoyed. Soon, it was time to leave the building to head on to their next point of interest. As they walked the campus, Viola asked where was the bathroom as she had to make a trip. One nearby was pointed out and she went off. Valarie, Natalie, and Madison sat down on some benches to await her return, and to talk about the day thus far.
"I was optimistic earlier but now, I'm unsure." Madison admitted.
"Why so?" asked Valarie.
"Viola likes this place, that I can feel. But does she like it enough to transfer here? I have no clue. We still got a few more places to visit like the theater and concert hall. I just hope those places are enough to win her over."
"I hope so too. I understand how much her coming her means so much to you."
"Thank you, Valarie."
The two sisters exchanged smiles and waited. It wasn't long before Viola returned. Though, right as the group was to resume their tour, a girl approached them. She went straight for Valarie.
"Ah, hello," she said. "You are that tankery captain, right?"
"I am." Valarie responded.
"Oh! That is supremely cool, like not even kidding. You mind answering a question?"
"Not at all. Go for it."
"When you make your strategy, what is your thought process?"
Valarie shifted her gaze to the floor to think for several moments. "The essence of my strategy is adaptability. I've researched many tankery teams who go in the opposite way, who are rigid in their strategy, where orders are followed to the letter and any deviation is strictly forbidden. In some circumstances, this can work as this instills discipline in a team so that when they take on expected threats, they do not falter and execute their orders flawlessly. But what about unexpected threats? You can never rule them out. Say you have a group of tanks assaulting a team on a hill. You had the advantage in firepower and numbers. But then, a sneaky Hetzer comes along and rums amock in your ranks. What do you do? You never trained for such a scenario so you never anticipate such a thing. You panic. Your rigid strategy shatters, and the enemy teams takes advantage. So, when I create my strategy, yeah, they are objectives to be done and routes to follow. But I don't have the mentality to blindly stick with them. If the plan has to change, it will, and it has."
"Wow. That is some solid gold stuff, like damn. Thank you" the girl said, who then left shortly thereafter.
"Did you already have that in your head or did you come up with it on the spot?" Madison asked.
"It's been in my head since before the team even existed. To be an adaptable commander. It just felt more natural to me."
Viola, who has listened to the whole conversation and picked up a few English word here and there, got the gist of what was said.
"Panzerfahren?" she questioned. "Du machst Panzerfahren?"
Valarie nodded. "I don't need a translator to know what you just said."
"Was ist dein Rang?"
"Kapitänin." Natalie answered on Valarie's behalf. "Wir sind in den Länderspielen"
"Wir?" Viola singled out. "Bist du auch ein Teil davon?"
"Ja. Teil des amerikanischen Teams."
"Hold up, what are you two saying?" Madison inquired.
"I've told her that me and Valarie are part of a tankery team currently competing in the internationals."
Viola turned back her attention to Valarie. "Wie oft wurden Sie beschossen?"
"She asks how many times have you been shot at." Natalie translated.
Valarie chuckled. "Too many times to count."
Before Viola could get a chance to ask many more questions about Valarie's experiences in the sport, another girl walked up to them.
"Excuse me, but, ah, I hear you're that tankery captain." she said.
"You got the right person." Valarie told her.
"Cool! I've got these questions that have been burning in my mind for a while. Mind helping me out?"
"Might as well get a streak going. Ask away."
"Alright. How would you describe your mindset in commanding your team? Are you authoritative? Or more easy going? Or some kind of mish-mash of the two? If someone on your team fails to carry out a certain task, what do you do with them? And, finally, what do you expect from your team?"
"Oh man, that's some question. Give me a sec," Valarie said as she pondered. "Well, I wouldn't say I'm some totally different person when in a match commanding. Though, there is for sure a difference that I and my friends can feel. So, I guess a tad more authoritative but not like a drill sargent or anything. I treat my team like they're my peers because, well, that's who they are. Actually, no, not just peers, but as friends. We all respect and appreciate each other here. As such, if people on the team fail, I don't get mad. Because I know it in my heart that they tried their damned best. And their best is all I want from my team."
"Fascinating stuff," the girl remarked. "Heh, you should write a book on all this."
She walked off, leaving a blushing Valarie.
"My, you sure are getting some attention today." Madison noted.
"Yeah," Valarie replied. "I kinda like it."
Viola enjoyed the attention Valarie was getting too. She has grown more fascinated with Valarie by the second. When she first met earlier in the day, Viola saw Valarie as just a sibling to her host for the day. But, now, she understood that Valarie was someone more. A person who has done things she herself could never dare to do, being in a steel box as others shoot at you. What more, from all the conversations she had listened to, it was clear to Viola that Valarie possessed a great capacity to lead others to victory. She wanted to learn more.
"Let's move on shall we?" Madison then said. "We have a theater to visit."
Viola raised her hand. "One moment. I want to learn more."
"About what Valarie does?" Madison asked for clarification.
"Yes."
Madison didn't even think about her request. This was something that she hoped would happen, the topic of tankery being brought up with Viola asking about it. What more, it happened naturally, as least, naturally as far she was concerned. From the look on Viola's eyes, Madison could tell that her interest in what Valarie does was great and genuine. This could be just the thing she needs to reel her in.
"Hmm, then what better way to know what she does than meet more members of her team? You know that girl and her brother that showed you baseball? They're part of the team too!"
Natalie translated, with Viola now sporting a puzzled face
"Sowohl der Junge als auch das Mädchen? Ich dachte, der Sport sei nur für Mädchen?"
"She says she thought tankery was a girls-only sport." Natalie informed.
"Um," Madison uttered. "Valarie, this is your area of expertise."
"I don't really care about gender," Valarie remarked. "I just want people who are passionate about the sport as I am. People who love what it represents and what it can do for you. Oh, and, also, mandating a female-only team would be illegal."
Natalie translated what was said to Viola. She slowly nodded.
"Ah, the more the merrier!" she exclaimed, recalling one of the few expressions she knows in English.
"Yes, exactly!"
"Now, let's see if we can find a member of the team to talk with," Madison announced. "Valarie, see anyone nearby?"
Valarie stood on top of a bench to command a better view of the area. She scanned around, her vision jumping from group to group when she sighted a familiar face.
"Found one," she told them. Valarie then raised her voice to get their attention. "Louise!"
Not too far away, Louis heard her voice and turned to look at where it came from. She saw Valarie waving at her to come over here. Louise excused herself from the group she was with and headed right for her. But it was not Valarie who greeted her, but rather Viola, who instantly became enamored with her and ran up to Louise.
"Ein amerikanischer Ureinwohner mit Gesichtstattoos! Woah!'
"...I heard tattoos." Louise remarked, a bit unsettled with how Viola was close to her.
"She's amazed to see someone like you." Natalie told her.
"I can tell. Not many Native Americans go to Germany, I take it?"
Natalie translated, where then Viola shook her head.
"Never seen someone like you before," Viola told her. "Only in cinema."
"In movies?"
"Ja!" Viola exclaimed. She snapped her fingers repeatedly to remember a certain word in English. "Ah...ah...Westerns! That is it. My favorite kind of cinema!"
Louise sensed an opportunity to do some cultural outreach and went for it.
"Those movies are fun and all, but they're really aren't that historically accurate. Especially when it comes to depictions of Native Americans. If I may, I would like to tell you about my tribe and what these tattoos mean to me."
Viola, overjoyed, eagerly sat down on a bench, and with Natalie in tow, they lost themselves in conversation. Madison stepped back and just let it happen. It was all so perfect.
"I have a great feeling about this." Madison said with a pleased sigh.
"She's fascinated by Louise," Valarie said. "And I can't blame her."
"Day's not half over and I think we got this in the bag."
They smiled at each other. Madison let her eyes wander around when she saw something that sucked all the good energy away from her.
"Ah, I see a 'friend'," she told Valarie. "I'm going to say hi real quick. Stay here with Viola."
"Gotcha."
Madison left and marched toward Juliana, who was headed their way. The two meet in the middle of a walkway. Once Madison got close enough, she jumped right into it.
"You can fuck right off."
"Madison, wow, what have I done?" Juliana said with a feigned innocence.
"It's not what you have done, but will do. I know the bullshit you pull at other schools, stealing promising students to take back to the prison that is Golden Gate. Alcatraz was a happier place. They let the prisoners play instruments for god sakes!"
"You're putting down my school? I came here and what do I see? Lazy student just lounging around not doing a damn thing. Just stuffing their mouths."
"Today isn't a school day. Everyone has a day off on the account of Viola's visit."
"Day off?" Juliana sneered. "Typical art school where people can take a break for no good reason. You're all lazy and worthless. Your school pumps out people who can only put color on a piece of paper. Mine pumps put people who makes the world turn. People who actually contribute to society."
"Oh, go fuck yourself."
"Real mature."
Juliana attempted to walk toward Viola but was stopped by Madison.
"Uh, no. You're not going anywhere."
"Is this the hospitality Catalina is known for?"
"Oh, we're hospital. Except for people like you. Get out of here."
"Make me bitch."
They stared down each other for several moments. Madison so desperately wanted to hit her, but starting a fight in a public place and well in view of Viola would be the absolute worst thing to do. She can't start a scene. She just cant. She exhaled sharply, and extremely reluctantly, moved aside.
"That's what I thought." Juliana remarked, her words stung like venom.
Juliana resumed her walk and approached the group Viola was apart of with Madison following right behind her. Though, right as Juliana was about to get Viola's attention, she spotted Valarie. The tankery captain that Cassandra has gone on and on about. She looked at her for a moment, then looked at Madison. She did this multiple times.
"This girl your clone?" Juliana asked.
"I'm her sister." Valarie answered, curious on who this new girl was.
Madison gritted her teeth. Though she didn't want Valarie to know about her rivalry with Juliana, she still didn't like that Valarie revealed such information to her. Though, it couldn't have been prevented without drawing suspicion.
"Sister?" Julian said with a surprised tone. "But Madison is an only child."
"It's a whole thing. We're half-sister technically but we just call each other sisters because it's easier and that's who we are."
"Interesting. Very interesting. Say, you are, ah, trying to remember, a tankery captain, yes?"
"You're the third person to ask."
"Intriguing."
"I bet you have a question."
"I do actually. I'm not that well versed in tankery so I'm curious to know if anything in your personal life could potentially influence how you conduct the sport."
The question brought some bad memories for Valarie. She felt her heartbeat quicken.
"For myself, yes," she said in a plain tone. "All sorts of things in my personal life can influence how I conduct the sport and draft up my strategies. Good...and bad."
Juliana nodded. "I see. Thank you."
She then approached Viola who was still in the middle of talking with Louise. She calmly waited for the most opportune moment to get Viola's attention, when then she spoke to her in fluent German. Viola was charmed being spoken in her native language and the two entered into a conversation. Madison gestured Natalie over to her.
"Tell me, what are they saying?"
Natalie listened in closely. "They're just exchanging pleasantries...now they're having small talk."
"Textbook," Madison muttered under her breath. "Butter them up to scoop them up."
"You got some history with her?"
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"Yeah," Natalie said. "I can relate to that."
They continued to monitor the conversation when they noticed things take a turn. Juliana asked Viola a question and the response she got wasn't what she expected at all.
"Oh, what now, what now?" Madison asked.
"She asked Viola when she would visit Golden Gate, with her saying that she no longer would."
"You're kidding!"
"I'm not. Viola told her she has made up her mind."
"Is it us?!" Madison said with huge excitement.
"She didn't say who, calm it down."
Viola then stood up from where she sat and walked toward Madison. With her hands behind her back, she cleared her throat. "This day has been fun. I've made my choice," she focused hard to remember all the English words she knew. "I shall transfer to Catalina."
"What?" Juliana remarked, stunned. "Why this place?!"
"Die Atmosphäre spricht mich hier an"
"She has good vibes with this place." Natalie informed the rest of the group.
"And..." Viola then said. "Her." she said, pointing to Valarie.
"Me?" Valarie remarked.
"Ja. You're interesting, and you're team too. I...want to learn more from all of you."
"You'll definitely being seeing more of us."
Juliana scoffed at all of this and started to walk away. Madison quickly caught up with her, with the hugest smile on her face.
"Oh, leaving so soon?" Madison mocked. "Have you tried the exquisite catering service yet?"
Juliana turned to face her. They were mere inches apart.
"Go fuck yourself and this school." Julian swore.
"Ohhh, that's not very mature of you." Madison remarked.
"You're going to get beaten one of these days. And you'll deserve it."
"Is that a threat?"
"It's a fucking promise."
With that, Juliana stormed off, with Madison watched her leave with overwhelming satisfaction. She returned to Viola and together they hammered out final details. The day has come better than anyone could have possibly imagined.
Elsewhere on Catalina's campus, Heather was enjoying the festive mood with Ashley. The pair were reclining against the base of a palm tree.
"Can't go wrong with free food, hmm?" Ashley remarked.
"No, you cannot."
"So, how's being a costume designer?"
"Oh my god, it's the best. I've been texting Alice a lot recently, sending her costume ideas and she's loving it. Hey, have you thought about that piano player thing?"
"I have," Ashley said with some hesitation. "And I decided to give it a try. I just need some time to sharpen my skills. They are beyond rusty."
"Nice!" Heather exclaimed. There was a grin on her face that very quickly disappeared when from the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar person walk not too far away.
"I don't god damn believe it," she muttered. "It's her."
"Who?"
"Her."
After some thought, Ashley figured out who Heather was referring to.
"What?" she gasped. "How is that possible? How the hell is she here?"
"I don't know, but I do know that she has a deathwish."
Ashley then noticed that Heather's hands began to twitch.
"I...I gotta go to the garage. Right now!" Heather said, paranoia gripping her totally.
Before Ashley could even say a word, Heather sprinted off toward the garage.
"Goddamn it. This day was just so good."
With an exasperated sigh, she rushed off to catch up.
The day has progressed, where it was now the afternoon. By now, Viola has already returned to her hotel and Catalina's campus was now vacant of students, the caterers gone. For the Mojave Rose tankery team, their day was not yet done as they had their regular meeting to attend to. Valarie was among the first people to arrive, though to her surprise, she found the one of the side doors open. Investigating, she entered the garage to find it already occupied. She found Ashley leaning against the wall. She looked exhausted.
"...You're already here?" Valarie questioned. "Wow, that's some initiative."
"Yeah...initiative. I'm tired...real tired. Can I have a few minutes to rest here?"
"Sure. Where's Heather?""
"Where else?"
"Figured."
Valarie walked to the T-44, where she found Heather on top of the engine deck. She wasn't wearing her tankery uniform, but her casual clothes. They were absolutely covered with grease and other grime, not to mention sweat as she has been working diligently for however long she was in her.
"Okay, what's up Heather," Valarie spoke to her. "I know you really like the T-44, but you never came to the garage before any of us to work on it."
"I'm looking for sabotage."
"...What?"
"I saw her, Valarie. I saw that girl. That bitch from Virginia."
Valarie noticed that more members of the team were arriving. She stepped closer to Heather and brought her voice down.
"She's here? Are you sure?:
"I saw what I saw. She was walking around campus. When I did see her, I went straight here. I didn't just check our tank...I checked all the others on the team."
"Are you serious?"
Heather nodded slowly, her weariness building up. "I got paranoid. So paranoid. I didn't find anything amiss...Ashley helped too but it's just two of us. We can't give each vehicle the thorough inspection they deserve."
"I'll make sure the team pays extra attention to maintenance today, don't you worry."
"Are you gonna tell them what's up?"
"No. Not gonna worry them."
Heather hopped off the tank. "No? Why not? This concerns everyone."
"I don't want this team to get drawn into this drama that I didn't want in the first place. If any more problems come up, we can deal with it, okay?"
Heather inhaled deeply. "Alright. Fine. Keep it lowkey...hmm...that's actually better that way."
Valarie nodded. "It is, isn't it? Now, you and Ashley done a lot. You two are excused if you wanna leave."
"Oh, I'll just take a nap in the tank."
Heather climbed back on top the tank and motioned to Ashley to come over. Together, the pair got in the tank and napped. Outside, Valarie sighed and leaned against the T-44. Her hands were on her knees as she closed her eyes. Today was a good day, and now it had to end like this. It left a sour taste in her mouth that just could not go away.
"Another god damn thing to worry about."