Chapter Text
In one of the warehouses
Earl Grey
Shortly after her death
A loud gasp followed by a few other gasps was heard in the vast expense of a warehouse filled with beds, headsets and some medical equipment. In the corners of this building were cameras observing each occupant. As the members of the St-Gloriana Council abruptly woke up, their system in shock, sweat covering their brows, and their skin a shade paler than usual.
The leader of the St-Gloriana council brushed her hands along her blond hair and rubbed her grey eyes before sitting up. She was still in shock at the events that had to happen to her to the point that she didn't even realize the other council members (graduated St-Gloriana members) had begun sitting up as well. She also didn't notice the dozen or so adults that entered the room dressed like scientists and doctors making their way towards her and the others.
Grey couldn't help herself as she sat on the bed pulling her knees up to her chest as her hands continued to furiously search her chest for the bullet wound she had felt. Tears ran down her face as she clutched her chest, she couldn't believe that Darjeeling had shot her, they had known each other for over 5 years. She had mentored that girl, treated her like a sister, she had pulled string after string to get her to be the commander of St-Gloriana, not that she didn't deserve it.
Her thoughts turned darker as the doctors began getting closer and closer to her, a sense of betrayal coursing through her as she still felt where the bullet had ripped through her chest. She remembered the warm feeling of her clothes becoming wet with blood. She had been doing what was best for St-Gloriana, with an alliance with Kuromorimine they would have been certain to win. The glory that would have been brought to St-Gloriana would have confirmed its place as the best school in Japan. They would have been able to take out Saunders, a school that has been their rival since she was a first year.
Who did Darjeeling think she was to believe she could supersede the council and crown herself as queen. The council has been a tradition since the creation of the school, directing the school and keeping it on the righteous path. As her hands had stopped searching herself and she had actively calmed down. Grey swung her feet onto the cold hard floor of the warehouse, the cotton bed behind her simply forgotten as her thoughts began running along the lines of what she could do in this world to retake her power and save St-Gloriana from falling into a dictator's hands.
"Miss if you would follow me, I will show you to the building where you will be staying for the next week." One of the doctors told her as she arrived in front of her bed.
She simply nodded and got up.
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Earl's Room
Earl Grey
An hour later
Grey observed the room she had been given, it contained a desk with some papers and pens on it as well as a small bookshelf above it. There was a double bed in the corner with a nightstand next to it and an on the opposite end of the bed in the bottom right. On the left was a television with a small couch, to the right of the television was a door that led to a bathroom. This would be her room for the next week as she was explained that she would be unable to talk with the St-Gloriana population that hadn't joined in the event. Something about stopping suicide spying from happening.
All she could do is watch the television though, it had seven different channels showing each nation and what was going on at the moment. She shivered as she watched it play out like some sort of film, edited to make each school think they were the good guys. She leaned back into the couch, this whole thing was practically a social experiment.
It didn't excuse what Darjeeling had done though, having her shot and seizing power for herself she had thought of her as almost a little sister only to be stabbed or more appropriately shot in the back. Their relationship would be unrepairable, you can't simply betray someone that badly and expect things to go back to normal.
Pulling up a notebook Earl began writing into it for the meeting they would hold the next day with the other council members. Darjeeling had decided that this political war was gonna be cold and ruthless and they would need to match her with the same intensity.
The screen showed some St-Gloriana girls digging in on the border of Kuromorimine as Earl Grey watched with interest, writing in her notes whenever an idea came up. Occasionally reaching for her chest reflexively as if expecting a bullet wound to appear.
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University School, Senshado Board Room
Alice Shimada
Watching the Battle for Little France play out on the TV in her room.
Alice was sitting on her bed, her TV showing Miho's forces beginning their attack on the Maginot positions. She watched, enraptured by the epic tale that she had barely stopped to take care of herself. She had watched when the war had begun, she watched the panzers rolling over the Bonple forces as they blitzed towards Warszawa.
She couldn't go to sleep or even leave her room for a split second using her Subcommanders Azumi, Megumi and Rumi to bring her food, specifically popcorn, and drinks. They were also just as bewitched as Alice was though, watching Miho as she was hoisted into a position of managing a nation. Watched her as she commanded her force expertly all the way to Warszawa, her tactics and strategies destroying her opponents.
The epic tale of the fall of Warszawa had them at the edge of their seat for as long as it lasted as the Bonple soldiers fought house to house, street to street and even in their great red fort in the center. It had led to many discussions between Alice, Rumi, Megumi and Azumi over what decisions were good and which should be avoided in the future.
"Miho did a good job attacking Bonple with her forces." exclaimed an excited Alice who was hugging her Boko teddy bear.
"There are some things that could have been improved on," Rumi spoke up grabbing a handful of popcorn as they watched the lull in the war that settled on the world. The TV focused on the Pravda’s forces build-up near Jatkosota and Count High-school's border.
"Of course it was their first major operation after all." Megumi agreed
"Her forces were all still ill-equipped for a war after all." Azumi pointed out
"and her forces were green" Alice added in her two cents
"There were also a few organizational errors, They could have had Count and Ooarai forces work together more. Anzio's volunteers had a few instances where their tanks would have been capable of speeding up certain minor battles but they were ill-used and all the Ooarai Commanders need some more experience in working together." Rumi finally mentioned her own observations as she passed the popcorn to Alice.
"True but their speed and effectiveness cannot be denied even if they had a few problems they need to fix for the future. My concern is of Miho and how she'll take hearing the casualties report... and what about that folder Maho was handed right before the screen cut off." Alice shivered as she mentioned the last part having a bad feeling over the fact.
"It was some sort of spy agency thing so we don't really have a real way of finding out about it except to wait and see." Azumi shrugged
"What about that "Long March" by the Iron Division from Bonple and joining Miho?" Megumi wondered
"Their kind of a sort of expeditionary army and at the same time are like Count High or Yogurt Academy where they've become part of the Oarai. It's an interesting development that is surely going to have impacts that we could never foresee." Rumi mentioned stealing the popcorn back and taking a sip of her drink and eating some popcorn just as the screen switched over once more.
While their hours-long discussion was happening they had arrived at the end of the "Phoney War era" and now the camera zoomed in on Little Rome specifically to watch a particular twin-tail green-haired girl who was lacking her iconic drill hairstyle instead her hair was down in a wavy pattern.
In her left hand a rifle, in the other a pistol as she darted from window to window singing all the while. The camera panned out showing the rebels attacking the palace while also fighting off the Arditi in the streets.
"Hey Alice, wake up it's starting up again" Azumi shook their cute commander
Alice's bleary eyes opened before another gunshot from our local Duce stirred her fully. Sitting up straight up she glared at her sub-commanders and pouted while saying " You were supposed to make sure I stay awake!"
She mumbled as she snatched the popcorn and began eating some more.
"Catch me up on what I missed," she demanded, still groggy from her sleep, her hair dishevelled and her blue PJ's with small little boko bear pattern all crumpled up, her Boko teddy bear slipping from her arms and landing next to her feet.
"Well, other than some air fights over Little Benelux and some naval skirmishes most of the nations have simply been building up their armies and training. Pravda seems to be lining up on the border of our favourite Nishizumi and seems to be preparing for something. Now the dissatisfied Anzio Council is attempting a coup against the popular Anchovy." Megumi quickly summarized
"oh... She looks like a girl from an epic tale" Alice commented a bit quietly
"Yes, she does strike that feeling right now. I just wonder if she'll hold and succeed from this." Azumi wondered
"Anchovy was prepared for this, that's why she has her special forces so close to the city, they're already countering the rebels in the city. There’s no way the rebels can succeed here."
"Agreed they'll fail... they don't have enough forces to do anything and even if they succeed they'll simply paralyze themselves, making them an easy target for the others," Rumi added in
"Miho wouldn't allow it anyway. She wouldn't let her friend fall without her support, plus she's allied to them so it's in her interest for Anchovy to stay the leader of the Anzio Empire" Alice mentioned
Just as Alice finished a rumbling of a tank appeared on the screen as all theirs heads snapped back to the screen which was simply showing an empty street when suddenly a familiar set of tracks appeared on the screen. The camera zoomed out showing Miho's Panzer IV tank rolling along as she spoke on her radio contacting the Arditi.
The battle lasted only moments later as a single tank resulted in a landslide victory for Miho and Anchovy who met outside shortly afterwards.
"That was amazing... the power of a tank in battle." Amuzi mentioned
"see I told you Miho wouldn't let anything happen. Anchovy was amazing to be fighting with her troops even when she wasn’t in a tank, no wonder the others were willing to fight for her." Alice admired
"The tank simply crushed all the rebel's hope with their presence alone. Not to mention how outnumbered they were." Megumi mentioned
" they could have won but they were too narrow-minded using conventional tactics. They had no hope." Rumi finished off.
They turned back to the screen watching the TV talking to each other about some events and eating some food and drinking. Still enamoured with the tournament/TV show-like program.
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