Short Stories

= Introduction = ''Hello dear Reader, my name is Narrator and I will be your guide on what you are about to see. Fantastic creatures! Fated Heroes! There are even a few laughs around here somewhere!''

My dear Reader, take my hand and I, Narrator, shall show you!

= Story I: David and Goliath = ''Ah Reader, This first story takes place in what you would call, the past. Observe as you watch a poor, helpless tankette struggles against the might of the superior enemy!''

"Erina! I told you that they will overpower us!" The young first-year said.

"Save the talk for later!" The cramped space of the TKS shook as another round landed beside it." I'm trying to get away from this 'four!"

''Ah, it seems as though our hero, Erina is in trouble. Just how does she plan to escape this lonely Panzer IV?''

Erina squints. "Take us up that hill, Squirt, the narrow path is too steep for them."

"I told you not to call me that!" The small tankette starts to turn to the hill, barely dodging the shot that would have destroyed them.

"Ok, Laura, just don't let us get knocked out!" The Panzer IV behind the TKS starts to slow down as it goes onto the slope. "Laura, pull into those bushes over there, we can hide in there." The tankette disappears into the brush. When the pursuing Panzer finally crests the hill, it stops.

''Oh ho! Quite an interesting development! The TKS's small size makes it perfect for the sneak attack! Look! There it is! Our hero must be aiming right for the belly of the monstrous feline!''

The round from the 20mm anti-tank gun bounces off the side armor of the panzer IV. The turret starts to turn towards the shot's origin.

"Dammit" Erina grumbles to herself.

"I'm moving already!" Laura in the seat beside her says as she yanks on the tillers. The Panzer is left clueless as the back of its turret becomes the target. The shot goes through and the white flag shoots up.

''Ah, what a rather impressive show of talent at such a small scale! To see such a skilled tanker at a young age is truly fascinating, don't you think Reader?''

= Story II: The Crew = ''Welcome back, Reader, Monterey seems to be having trouble about how he could crew his tank. Let's see how the problem gets solved.''

Monterey sighs, he has looked over the fliers that he printed out to advertise the spots in his tank that he needs crew for. Swiss looks over his shoulder.

"I can help you, you know." She says, looking at the writing.

Monterey turns to Swiss. "How? Nobody is replying."

Swiss holds up the flier, "it sounds forceful, and also if someone wanted to join Sensha-do, they would have already." She sets the flier on the table and lays out her plan.

After a moment of consideration, Monterey opens his mouth. "That will work, do it." Swiss smiles and leaves the dorm room.

Five hours later, Monterey is sitting on top of the P.43's turret, tracing the outline of the eagle with his fingers when Swiss comes along with two girls.

"These are the people you want me to meet?" Monterey says as he drops himself to the ground.

"Yep, and I chose them just right for you!" A smile beams on Swiss's face.

One of the girls, a taller red head, speaks up. "Hi, you must be that boy that everyone is talking about."

Monterey scratches the back of his head. "Yeah, that's me."

The red head extends her hand. "I'm Romania Natsami, I'll be joining your team. I want to shoot that thing."

After a moment of hesitation, Monterey takes it and freezes momentarily, but recovers. "It's good to have someone else. I'm Monterey, but you probably already know that."

The other girl, an average-sized one with black hair that is cut short, steps forward with a slight blush. "I-um- I'm Matsuma Myruki, but my friends call me Pepper."

Monterey looks to her. "So you are going to be my driver?"

"I can do that, I've driven before."

"Sounds good." Monterey turns to Swiss. "So we have a gunner and driver, I'll be the commander, so that leaves the loader. Who should be loader?"

Swiss smiles and points to herself. "Me!"

Monterey sighs, then smiles. "What could I expect, of course you would want in on the action."

''What a happy ending, Monterey has his crew and new friends. This was all thanks to Swiss's love for her brother.''

= Story III: Chichi's Dark Side = ''It may be a common misconception, but Chichi doesn't have just one alter ego. The story I am about to tell you now is a dark one. It started back to just after Chichi left the hospital.''

Chichi wheels her way through the parking lot of the hospital. The sun was setting and the shadows grow longer.

A lengthy figure stands in the darkness.

"Greetings, Ms. Okinawa."

Chichi jumps in her wheelchair, "Wh-Who are you?" Her lips tremble with fear.

The figure disconnects from the shadow. It is a young man wearing a black suit complete with a small Reich pin. "It doesn't matter about who I am, but what I will tell you now. I've been ordered to have you join us." The man hefts a device that looks like a baseball bat.

Chichi slowly rolls away, "And if I d-disagree?" She stutters.

"Then this will give no choice in the matter." The man swings down the device onto Chichi's head.

The man looks down and sighs. "Welp, that's another puppet for Vermillion to control. Now onto the rest."

Chichi goes limp, not from shock of the impact, but from the injection of a brainwashing chip that went straight into her brain.

= Story IV: Confession = The sky becomes illuminated by the colorful explosions. Mozzarella and Monterey lick the grease of their food off their fingers as they sit by the smoldering embers of a fire, slightly seperate. The pantera had been parked at the bottom of the hill where M&M were. The festivities below were for some holiday neither Monterey nor Mozzarella knew about.

But it wasn't the fireworks that had Mozzarella's attention, she was looking at Monterey as he looked up into the sky. She watches the way how the colorful bursts mix with the red-ish brown in his eyes. This silence continues until Monterey opens his mouth, making Mozzarella look back up into the sky.

"Listen, Mozz..." Monterey hesitates, "I need to tell you something."

Mozzarella continues staring into the night sky, sneaking glances at Monterey. "What is it?"

"We've been friends for a while now, right?" Monterey chooses his words carefully. The next glance that Mozzarella has at Monterey is met with his gaze. They both look down awkwardly. "I'm just starting to feel like there is something more than that." Monterey shakes his head in confusion, "maybe this was a mis-"

Mozzarella interrupts Monterey, "this isn't a mistake. Go on, tell me what you want to say."

"Well, how can I best say this," Monterey stammers, "I like you, I like you alot." His cheeks turn red as Monterey rubs the back of his head.

Mozzarella smiles, "I actually like you too." Her cheeks also turn red with embarrassment.

Relieved, Monterey continues, "Mozzy," he pauses for composure, "will you be... my girlfriend?"

Tears start to form in Mozzarella's eyes, worrying Monterey. "Did I do something wrong?" He edges closer to Mozzarella's side.

When Monterey is close, Mozzarella bursts into tears and jumps into Monterey, hugging him. "Yes!" She exclaims, "I've been waiting for you to say that for so long!" She says, crying into his shoulder. It takes a few moments for Monterey to react and wrap his arms around her.

Now they lay, under a single blanket, watching the fireworks. This moment in time is etched forever into their memories. It seems to last forever, the popping becoming an ever-present becomes the only sound in the night. Almost nothing could break this moment between them.

= Story V: Sibling Bonds = ''Welcome back, dear Reader. I'm Narrator, and it's been quite a long time since these stories came out. But here's a new one! Seraphina and Akira get into a small situation. Let's see how they can get out of this one!''

It was a quiet Sunday in Midway with the sun shining brightly on the fields and hills, with the city outlined at the bottom. Two tanks were racing at the top field, Sera's AMX and Akira's Blaze were equaled with speed, but it seems the AMX got to the finish by the gun. Both skid to a stop and Seraphina opens up the hatch.

Seraphina: "Wow, what a rush Joker! You almost got ahead of me that time."

Akira: "Well, I have to hand it to your AMX, sister. That tank is quite the speedster. I just feel ashamed that I had to use my Flare Ability to get a better boost, yet I still lost."

Seraphina: "Hey don't beat yourself up bro. You'll win it next time."

His face lights up. "Really?"

Seraphina: ''"Yeah, I'm sure of it." She smiles at him and gives him a thumbs up. "Anyways, let's head back home. Hollow's waiting."''

???:

Both: "Huh!?"

From the hill behind them were a gang of soldiers of the Reich. There was a VK 36. 01 H, a Jackson, two T37s, and a T-44-100. The leader was an aging man with a white beard. His right eye had a scar, and his voice was hoarse and rough.

Leader:

Seraphina: "Can you leave us alone! We're just training for our tankery tournament, mister."

Leader:

Akira: "Fine. But before you take us away, good sir. May we please know our captor's name before you ship us off?"

Leader:

Akira: "Well then, Mendeleev.... if you want us to comply, then you're gonna have to LEEV us alone! Then you'll have to catch us first! Sera, now!"

As Mendeleev fires at the Blaze's turret, the AMX shoots at the ricochet, staggering the T-44-100, and missing the shot. Just then, Sera's eyes glow blue in a flash. A cloud of smoke surrounds them both as Mendeleev orders the rest of the soldiers to fire at the mist. All the tanks fire at the smoke, yet no connecting bullets. When the smoke clears, both tanks were nowhere to be seen.

Mendeleev:  His face turns to a steaming red.

All: "Yes sir!"

The T37's make chase and follow the AMX through the maze of buildings called Midway. Both T37 were fast light tanks, but Sera's AMX was designed to be faster. Both enemies attempted to shoot the renegade tank. Shot after shot, the AMX keeps dodging, but they won't be missing for long. She sits in her tank, as she radios through her headset for her brother's signal.

(R)Sera: ''Hey Akira, I need fire support over here! I can't get a clear shot on these T37.''

(R)Aki: Uh, I'm a little busy over here dodging a Jackson AND a VK 36 H!

(R)Sera: ''I have an idea. Rendevouz them to me, and you shoot them down. I'll switch enemies with you.''

(R)Aki: You always were the smarter one between the both of us, huh?

(R)Sera: ''Hey, don't beat yourself up. Let's just clear out the trash and head back home for some American burgers with Hollow!''

Both calls end and the tanks follow suit and immediately change positions. The Blaze takes out the Jackson and stuns the VK 36 H with just a Flare shot. It backs up and hides to a sniping point. Immediately as it gets it sights in, the AMX rushes out into a clearing as the T37 pursue it with quick speed. The Blaze takes aim, and BAM! The first is shot and lands onto its side, and the other panics. The AMX flanks the remaining T37 and destroys its wheel. BAM! The other is taken out. As the Blaze sits there, a shot ricochets its turret, and it's taken aback. It seems the VK 36 H still remains. The Blaze immediately takes cover as it is almost bombarded. Just then, the AMX dashes to the rescue and destroys one of it's tracks. It tries to shoot it, but the AMX is too quick. Bang! The second shot sets it on fire. And Bang! The third shot takes it out!

Just as the smoke of the tanks clear, all is finally calm, and everything is at peace. Sera takes a breather for a second and her tank is immediately rammed in the side, with no chance to escape. Mendeleev drags her AMX until the tank is between his, and one of the Ruined walls. He looks at her straight in the eyes with intense rage.

Mendeleev:

He aims the gun at the AMX's turret. Sera tries to shoot but is unable to shoot cause the gun is bent. She is staggered and trapped. He laughs loudly with his old and rough voice.

Akira: "Hey Popeye!!"

Mendeleev:

He turns his head to his left to see Akira's Blaze with the dragon emblems flaring orange, as the embers mix with its red steel. His expression immediately changes from mad to screwed as Akira gives him a smug smirk as the lens of his glasses are shining in the sunlight.

Akira: "You mess with one of us, you deal with both of us!"

The Blaze shoots an ultimate Flare shot. The AURA bullet collides into the T-44-100 from one side to the other. It's side armor did absolutely nothing to protect it from the absolute hell it made. All that changed was a white flag with burnt edges, coming out from the turret, signing that the battle is over. A large, burning hole came out of the T-44-100, good thing it didn't get the ammo rack. After the orange and yellowed smoke clears, the Blaze lays there lifeless. Sera jumps out of her AMX and rushes to the Blaze to see if Akira's okay.

Sera: "Holy shit! Akira! Are you okay bro!?"

He lays there laughing weakly as his NDS headset is still on. She takes it off for him and helps him out.

Akira: "Yea.... I'm okay sister. That shot just took a lot of my energy out. Wow I'm tired."

Sera: "Shh, you've done enough, bro. You saved our lives."

They see the old man running away.

Sera: "AND TELL VERMILLION THAT WE AIN'T GOING DOWN SO EASILY NEXT TIME POPEYE!!!!"

They both laugh as they watch the evening sun set above Middleburg and Kuromourimine High School.

''This story wasn't exactly a 'short' one, but a good one at that. This possibly could make more enemies and Mendeleev may contribute in later parts of the story. Summarizing, both siblings are ok, both made it back safely with their tanks in some damaged degree. Hollow lays on the couch asleep, all beaten up too with his Pure Nail glistening by the side of the door. Seraphina and Akira just end up spending the rest of their day sitting by their favorite spot, watching the beautiful Japanese sunset under the cherry blossom by their house, as the pink and white petals flow in the wind.''

= Story VI: Saunders Valentine's Special: = "And, engage!" Kay throws her hands up in excitement. Nothing happens.

"Huh?" Cameron looks up from the switch pad. "That should've worked." Kay looks at him. They are standing on Saunders' main deck, overlooking the city at night from a hill.

"Come on, try again!" She tries to cheer him up. Cameron traces the wires running through the city, mumbling to himself where they could've gotten broken. While he is distracted, Kay picks up the wireless switch pad. "Is it charged?" she asks him.

Cameron snaps back to reality. "Yeah," he says, "all I needed to do is turn it on and flip the main switch." Kay looks down and sees the lever on the side of the box.

"Do I turn it on with this switch?"

"Yeah, just turn it on..." Cameron turns to look at the lever Kay was talking about and sees it pointing towards off. He stops moving and just stares at the lever, contemplating his life all the way up to that moment.

"It's o-kay, don't get too worked-up over it!" Kay says, trying to lighten the mood, "here, you take that side." She hands one side of the switch pad to Cameron. He grabs the side and sees that it is the side with the power switch. He hesitates. "Go ahead, let's do this together."

The apprehension that plagued Cameron left as he was reassured. "Got it!" He flips the power lever and a faint buzz emits from the switch pad.

"Engage!" Kay flips the activate switch and the city below explodes with pink lights. The Saunders' Valentine's Day party is officially started. "Let's get down there!" Kay started down the hill. "I don't want to miss the party!" She stops when she sees that Cameron isn't following her.

"I'm fine here, you have fun," He says softly. "I have to be ready for when me and the guys go on stage later."

"You don't go on until an hour and a half!" Kay starts back up the hill. "You have time." She grabs his wrist and starts to run down the hill. Cameron stumbles, but keeps his footing.

"Hey! Wait!" Cameron stammers, "I'm gonna trip!" Kay does not look back. In fact, she seems to go faster.

Miraculously, they make it down without falling. Inside the city, there are both traditional Japanese and American festival stations. There was a variety of food and game stands. The traditional side of town was wearing yukatas and the American side wore western outfits. In the middle, where the two sides connected, a mixture of cultures can be seen. The biggest difference was the noise, with the American side being much louder. Kay and Cameron were in the American side.

The streets reflected the pink glow coming from the lights, making everything look pink and romantic. Cameron looked around, absent-mindedly following Kay. He was looking down at his watch to see how long he had until it was time to perform when Kay tapped his shoulder.

"Wha?" Cameron looks back to Kay, who is standing with her hands behind her back and a grin on her face. "What's that smile for?"

"A gift," Kay says matter-of-factly and produces a small, white, wrapped box from behind her. It is a thin rectangular shape.

"A gift?"

"A gift."

"For who?"

Behind a nearby stall, Alisa holds a camera towards the two. "Idiot," she whispers to herself.

Naomi walks by the two, and, without stopping, whispers to Cameron "For you, idiot."

Cameron's eyes widen, "f-for me?" he stammers.

"hm-hm!" Kay affirms.

"But I don't have a return gift!" Cameron turns red from embarrassment.

"Silly, this is my return gift to you!"

"How?

"Look around! All of this is from you!"

Cameron looks up. "I suppose..." Kay shoves the box into his hands. "Thanks then."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Open it!"

Cameron opens the box and sees it full of small, assorted chocolates. As soon as the box opens, Kay grabs a piece and tosses it into her mouth. "Finally," she moans out, "I didn't know how much longer I could go without eating something."

After a moment to process what happened, Cameron laughs.

"What? If I don't eat, I'll die!"

Behind the stall, Alisa starts to breakdown. "If only Takashi would smile like that for me," she whimpers.

Cameron takes a chocolate and plucks it into his mouth. "Thank you again."

Naomi speaks up from behind Cameron, where she must have circled around at some point, "aren't you supposed to be getting ready for the show?"

Cameron looks down at his watch and realizes that he only has 5 minutes before performance time.

"You go," Kay assures Cameron before grabbing the box in his hand. "I'll hold on to these, 'kay?"

Cameron decides that he doesn't have time to retaliate and runs off to get ready.

Five minutes later:

At the stage, a crowd gathers as Fortune Platoon take the stage.

"You ready?" Michael says to Cameron as he adjusts his mouthpiece.

"Oh, I am," Cameron assures.

"Let's do it, then."

"Hm!" Cameron turns to the microphone infront of him. "How are you guys doing tonight?" He singles out a guy close to the front of the stage as Kyoya starts a beat. "You doing good? You look good I can tell you that." A small laugh comes from the crowd. Cameron looks down at the crowd and sees Kay at the front. Alright, let's get this party started!" The crowd starts to cheer as Cameron starts to play 'Brasshouse'.

After warming the crowd with a few songs, Cameron readjusts the microphone. "So I know that today's Valentine's day, so I wanted to do a little something special for tonight."

The band starts to play https://youtu.be/7oB4rE67L0I

After the song, Cameron looks at the crowd that is now cheering. "Thank you all for tonight! I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day! Goodnight y'all!"

''In the end, Cameron never saw those chocolates again. Well, Dear Reader, I would like to wish you all a happy Valentine's day. Know that even if it doesn't feel like it, there is always someone there to love you, even if you find yourself far, far from home.''

= Story VII: Traitors of the Reich = This is a story about our favorite comic relief duo, Alex and John.