BC-4 Prequel Part-2

                                    

                                          
     Hey, this chapter is really dark, like more dark than my other chapters. Mainly the end is super messed. Probably trigger people. But have fun anyways! 
                          
      Alice holds on as her and her friends barely make it out of the collapsing parking lot.
The Centurion slams down as it crawls over the ramp, very reminiscent of the way WW1 landships did over trenches.
Azumi locks the right track and the tank aligns with the road.
She puts it into the next gear and the tank speeds up.
As they're moving, they take a moment to review their current situation.
The city was being bombed with far range artillery, but they were sheltered.
Azumi remembered the tanks rushing into the city.
They were likely the tankathlon tanks trying to help the people of the city.
But no one knew who was lobbing the shells onto the city, or the reason why.
Megumi sat in her seat, thinking of a reasonable explanation for everything.
She remembers the day before, she saw something strange show up on the news. They told of many terrorist attacks on minor cities and villages. Strange ships at sea, and old aircraft flying high above. 
All major countries just explained it away, saying they were just military training exercises.
But who could trust the news nowadays anyways?
                          
     "So girls, what happens now?" Azumi says rather calmly.
The others sit, and wait for eachother to say something.
Alice holds Boko.
Rumi sorts the ammunition.
And Megumi cleans the gun optics, she wiped the lens down. She looks through, to check the quality of her cleaning.
But in the process of doing so, she looks down the street through the scope.
And Megumi sees chaos.
                          
     "Oh my god..." She whispers.
     "What's wrong Megumi?" Asks Rumi.
The shocked girl motions her friend to come.
Megumi moves over, and Rumi takes a look through the gun sight.
And soon Rumi sees the destruction.
She can make out a lady standing in front of a burning school, a boy holding his decapitated arm, a burning bus, a young man grasping the pieces of his girlfriend, and many, many more horrific sights. 
The two are speechless, or rather too frightened to speak.
                          
     Azumi then sees everything through the driver view ports. She pops the hatch open and gets some fresh air while operating their tank.
She immediately regrets this action though, as the smell of burning and rotten flesh invades her nostrils.
While doing so she doesn't pay attention to the road.
They accidentally crush an injured cat with their left track.
Azumi instantly hears the cries of the household pet.
After driving away, Azumi realizes something.
She cared more for the crushed cat rather than those that needed actually help.
                          
     "Commander, maybe you should come down here." Megumi gets the attention of Alice.
She innocently plays with Boko, using her active imagination. That was a good thing, it distracted her from the horrors that they drove past. No kid her age should see that part of reality.
      "Hmm? Why's that?" Alice perks her head up, the little bow in her hair bouncing about.
     "Uhh, I need your help down here." 
It was a lie coming from Megumi's mouth, but Alice agrees to help, but it was just a distraction planned by Megumi.
She spared Alice from seeing the horrific sights.
Alice sits on Megumi's lap, Megumi keeps her occupied by asking her questions about Boko.
Rumi taps Megumi's shoulder and whispers;       "Good job.".
                          
     Several people called their tank for help, but the girls couldn't hear them due to their powerful engine or just ignored.
Azumi, Megumi and Rumi knew they needed to keep Alice safe, and to never expose her to these hellish images. And in their current situation, ignorance was bliss.
                          
      "Look!" Azumi shouts, she opens her hatch to get a better look. 
Several vehicles drive past in the distance, even through the crowded alleys and streets, they recognized the moving shapes.
The vehicles are light tanks.
"I bet it's those girls who were playing with their little 'tankery' tanks." Rumi scowls.
Megumi tracks one target through the optics of the gun.
     "...An M2A2...?"
     "Aren't those really rare?" Azumi asks.
Rumi thinks, "Hmph, an M2A2 can't take out a tank in a game of tankery."
      "But Anzio use their C.V.33 tankettes." 
      "Our question still remains, who is using those light tanks?" 
Alice steps in.
     "Doesn't this city have a history with tankery? Maybe it's just the people driving around an old relic." 
     "That's an interesting theory." Azumi responds.