Andou's Rebellion

Chapter 4 - Breaking Point

"I can't believe I let Fontaine talk me into this," muttered Andou as she approached the Sensha-dō field. She held her hands in her skirt and walked with her head down until she bumped into something. On looking up, Andou was greeted by a new flag poll at the front of the gavel pit where the girls parked their tanks that flew both Kuromorimine's and BC Freedom's flags side by side. "What the?"

"Hey Andou, that is your name right," said one of the Kuromorimine girls.

"Yeah, and you are again?" asked Andou reaching her hand out.

"Helena," replied the girl indignantly.

"Yeah... I forgot." replied Andou.

"I could tell." said Helena crossly, "But you might want to get in the habit of remembering, after all I will be your new co-commander."

"What!" yelled Andou.

"Easy, Andou," said Oshida as she placed a hand on Andou's shoulder.

"Don't tell me to take it easy, what the hell is she talking about!" yelled Andou.

"Helena will be fighting along side you," replied Marie as she walked forward.

"Like hell she will!" replied Andou.

"We have already made our decision," replied Marie.

"'We'. Who's 'we'?" asked Andou accusingly.

"'We' is myself and Miss Marie!" announced Oshida.

"You! I should have known you'd have your nose in this, always sticking it up Marie's...."

"What's going on?" asked one of the girls from the team.

"These traitors went behind my back and added her to the commanders' team!" growled Andou as she pointed to Helena.

"What!" exclaimed one of the other girls.

"This is bullshit!" said another.

"So what?" challenged one of the other girls. "If Marie wills it..."

"Oh 'if Marie wills it'? Is she our queen! Must we kneel down to her and prostrate ourselves now, too?" demanded the girls by Andou's side.

"You stupid Examination girls never get it!" spat another of the team.

"What! 'Stupid examination!' that's it!" growled the Examination girls as they began moving forward for the Escalator girls.

"Stop!" yelled Oshida.

"Why should we?" asked Andou.

"Andou look, we decided that because we are the majority and because you were so angry the other day..." began Oshida.

"Oh because I was angry? Did you think this would make me feel better? Because it doesn't!"

"Andou..." tried Oshida.

"Shut up!" yelled Andou.

"Andou!" yelled Marie.

"I said shut it!" she screamed with tears in her eyes. Andou turned around and left the sparring grounds and moved back towards the Examination side of the ship. Andou made it to her room and slammed the door behind her, throwing her hat against the wall. She fell to her knees and sobbed hard. "I can't believe it!" she cried. "They're replacing me!"

Andou sobbed into her coat as she lay on the floor until someone knocked at the door. Andou cried still but raised her head as the person knocking opened the door. It was Fontaine. And the rest of the Examination girls of the Sensha-dō team.

"Andou," whispered Fontaine, as she walked into Andou's room.

"What's up, Fontaine?" she asked with a sniffle.

"We came to find our commander. We agree it was wrong of Marie and Oshida to make decisions behind your back and so we wanted to show our loyalty," said Fontaine, sitting beside Andou. Andou looked back in disbelief. All her friends, all her team mates were on her side. Something she felt Marie and Oshida rarely were.

Andou wiped her face and stood. She looked at the girls standing before her, then smiled. She nodded to them saying, "Very well, if our commanders wish to act without us, we will see how long they hold up without us." began Andou. "Now, here's what we shall do," she said, moving close to her team.

"This is a mess!" yelled Oshida. "Damn it, Andou, why must you be so stubborn!" Though Andou was not present, Oshida felt the need to yell as if she were.

"It's not going to be an issue I'm sure," said Marie. "We've had strife before, and we resolved it."

"Yeah, well you'd best not say that in front of those Kuromorimine girls. They might be on our side, but the affairs of BC Freedom are best kept on this ship," said Oshida to Marie.

"Yes..." sighed Marie.

Helena stood outside the commander's room and listened in. When it was quiet she walked in and greeted the two commanders. "Helena!" gasped Oshida.

"Hello, Oshida. Hello Marie," greeted the Kuromorimine girl.

"I hope you didn't hear too much of our bickering," joked Marie.

"No no, I just came to ask if this Andou girl will be an issue for us moving forward," she stated bluntly.

"Andou's a hot-head. By tomorrow she'll calm down after drinking her piss water beer, that those Examination students enjoy so much," dismissed Oshida.

"Yes, to put it more kindly, she does tend to act out." sighed Marie.

"I see. Well I hope we can move forward," said Helena. "If it's alright I think I will retire to my board with the other Kuromorimine girls, if you seek us we will be there. Helena left and smirked as an idea entered her head. Having already had success in deceiving the command of the BC Freedom team's leadership, this next plan didn't seem so far fetched.