Chapter 7: Dirty

"I-I must...get...clean..." Z23 muttered to herself like that of a mental patient. Z23 continued to scrub her arms and leg in the shower, nearly 2 hours have gone by since she had entered it. Her skin began to run raw, blood slowly seeping from the scrub points. The image of being Concord's tool for pleasure had tattoo'd itself onto her mind and eyes, making it near impossible to forget. Z23 bit her lip, tears falling down her cheeks as the shower began to sting her raw skin. It was another 10 minutes before she finally shut off her shower, her body wincing invulentarily as she stepped from behind the curtain. She couldn't bare to see herself in the mirror, immediately removing her first aid kit from beneath her sink.

"...what have I become...?" Z23 whimpered, using rubbing alcohol on her wounds. She clenched her teeth tightly to get through the pain, applying medical tape around all of her vulnerable skin places. Dressing with only minimal trouble, she finally took a look in the mirror. Her eyes were red and lightly swollen around the edges; her eyes looked as if she had been through hell itself.

Tidying up her appearance, she then stepped outside of her living quarters, immediately heading towards the Commander's office. It was the one thing that kept any part of her at ease, being around the Commander was like being in a dream to her, a safe place where she could be happy. Arriving at the Commander's door, the door immediately opened, with Duke of York now glancing at her.

"He's been awaiting your presence, doth thou unknown of the time?" Duke of York asking in her typical olde ye English manner. Z23 looked down at her watch, staring with a cold sweat now realizing that she was nearly an hour late.

"Oh no...I must've spent too long in the shower..." She thought to herself, avoiding Duke of York's gaze. Duke of York then knelt forward, gently caressing Z23's arms curiously.

"What happened to thou?" She asked, Z23 tearing away from her in a fright.

"It's none of your concern, rest assured that I am fine," Z23 replied. Duke of York's piercing blue eyes stared at Z23, causing her to suffer from major discomfort. It was if she could see Z23's guilt in plain sight. Duke of York simply gave Z23 a gentle pat on her shoulder, her eyes narrowing on her.

"Taketh care of thine self," she said, walking past Z23. Z23 took a moment to pull it together, steadying her breath and picking out her apologetic words carefully before stepping into the office.

"Commander...I apologize for my tardiness. What may I do to help you with the morning reports?" Z23 asked, the Commander sighing heavily as he avoided eye contact. Z23 took quick note of this, slowly approaching him.

"Commander...is...everything alright?" Z23 said, her eyes turning to that of concern as the Commander buried his face in his hands, his hat resting to his right upon his desk.

"In light of the events that have taken place here...betrayal, spys, and death...the higher ups are calling my position into question...if anything else were to take place, I would be reprimanded and discharged. Z, I need you to prevent anything else that could happen...you've been doing well; you've taken care of every single incident, and I need you to continue to do you finest. Honestly...i feel the fate of my job rests in your hands..." The Commander let out a hefty sigh, leaning back in his chair and rolling his eyes to the ceiling.

Z23 quietly stepped towards the Commander, moving around the side of his desk. As she stood next to him, she hugged the side of his face to her chest, gently stroking his hair as a few years became visible.

"You have my word Commander...you're position is in good hands," Z23 confirmed, releasing the Commander and delivering a salute.

"Thank you Z. In light of what has happened, I want you to appoint a new squadron of individuals that you, yourself trust with all sensitive operations. I can't afford any more slip ups and I trust your judgement," he replied, Z23 now blushing and smiling.

"Yes sir!" Z23 said, immediately leaving for the office door.

"Z, stop for a moment," the Commander called, Z23's heart immediately freezing in place. The commander got up from his desk, finally noticing out all the bandaging on her arms and leg.

"What happened to you?" He asked, inspecting them carefully. Z23 couldn't help but to feel a cold chill run up her spine, desperately trying to think of anything.

"I-I burned myself a little during an engine test. It's nothing to be concerned about. Please excuse me..." Z23 said politely, saluting before stepping out of the door. Her heart fluttered as she savored the fruits of her labor, all the horrible things she had done slowly fading away, all but one...once the thought hit her, she immediately clutched her arms, her frame trembling perfusely as she headed in the direction of her room.

"I-I have to get clean...so I can do the Commander proud..." Z23 stuttered, her body feeling as if she could spit up at any moment. After another hour and another roll of bandages she began going to the quarters of each of the members she wanted for her unit.

xxx

"Clean, clean, clean...wipe, wipe wipe, such is a happy room with a lack of dust mites," Ark Royal sang softly, wiping down picture frames throughout her living quarters. Each of the 20 frames she began dusting and wiping eachcontained images of all the destroyer class units throughout HQ. She wasn't sure when it happened, but one day she found herself in bliss in their presence.

"They're all just so cute!" She stated, hugging a frame to her apron covered chest. Placing it back down, she wiped a small smudge off of it, smiling contently as she moved on to the next. Lifting up the next, she stopped, her face blushing heavily as gaze over it. It was an image of her and Z23 coming back from their first mission together.

"And you are the one I cherish most of all..." Ark Royal said lovingly, raising up the frame to her lips so that she could kiss Z23 through the glass. It was that very mission that confirmed her feeling that she felt for her comrade. She was singled out and ambushed during the battle but Z23 came in, fighting side by side with her until the enemy was no more.

Her dreamy eyed gaze was interrupted by a light knocking on her door. She quickly laid the frame down, hustling over to her viewing hole to see who it could be. As if on cue, Ark Royal saw Z23 standing outside her door, bandaged up and awaiting entry.

"Just a moment!" Ark Royal shouted, quickly tossing off her cleaning gear and hopping into her uniform pants and shirt. It took no more than five minutes, adjusting her hair in her mirror before grabbing the door handle.

"Just stay calm, I'm sure this is just to tell me something. Just. Act. Naturally,'" she said, her heart fluttering as she opened the door. Z23 put on a small smile, giving her a salute politely before moving at ease.

Hello Ark, may I come in?" Z23 asked, Ark Rival's heart beginning to race in her chest.

"Y-Yeah, of course you c-can," her words shook, her face slightly red as she smiled. Z23 paid no mind as she walked in, her eyes looking around at the neat and clean living space. She then grabbed the seat that sat at Ark Royal's desk, turning it around to face her.

"I've been appointed by the Commander to establish a squad of nothing but people I can trust. We've been through quite a lot together and frankly, there's no other unit I trust more than you. So, will you join my squad?" Z23 got straight to the point, smiling softly as Ark Royal's heart began to thrash in her chest.

Y-YES! I'D L-LOVE TO!" Ark Royal replied, her face flushed red as she spouted politely. Z23 then smiled, raising back to her feet and holding out her hand.

"Thank you, it means a lot to me especially after these recent events," Z23 said in great confidence. Ark Royal grasped her hand, smiling affectionately with her eyes narrowing down on Z23's.

"You can count on me," Ark Royal replied, calming her nerves so she could quit making a fool of herself.

"Report to the commons at 15:00 hours, OK? I'll be waiting," Z23 gave her a slight, polite bow of appreciation before leaving the room. Ark Royal waved good bye, sliding her back down her door after closing it. Her breathes grew heavy, prompting for her to place a hand to her chest.

"W-What's gotten into mme...for some reason I can't calm my body down," she whined, shutting her eyes as she let her free hand rest in her lap. She'd stood beside Z23 before with no issues in the past, however, this was the first time Z23 came to her personally as well as the first time she entered into her room. Ark Royal slowly rose up, quickly moving over to her bed and laying out upon it. Her body continued to yearn for Z23, overtaking her rational thought process.

"I-I can't stop it..." Ark Royal said weakly, grabbing the frame with Z23's picture again, pressing it to her chest as her free band's slender fingers slide between her legs. Already quite moist, she began rubbing them aggressively into her slit, clenching her teeth and mouth shut to try and keep from making too much noise. The feeling for someone that saved you from the clutches runs deep, and that was no exception for Ark Royal.

She bit her bottom lip as she rubbed harder and harder, the moist, sloshing noises of her snatch filling her ears as she thrust her pelvis upward, allowing for a deeper reach. Endless whines and whimpers began slipping from between her lips, immediately covering her mouth as she let out a loud squeal, her legs quivering vividly as she came to an intense climax.

Breathing heavily, a passionate sweat drained off of her and into her sheets. Removing her fingers showed a sticky discharge, her eyes hazy from the intense release. She then turned on her side, smiling contently as she held the frame to her chest before drifting off for a nap. With an ear bud in her ear, Z23 heard the entire thing, having placed a bug on the bottom of her chair. Z23 found herself blushing profusely, this time taken off guard. She planned to bug each room in hopes of catching others with eyes for the Commander.

This, on the other hand, was quite a strange surprise, and to Z23, not exactly a pleasant one. Memories of Concord having her way with her filled her nervous system, causing her to tremble as she returned to her room mid searching.

"I know we can't really be together, but having you as close to me was just as good. Sweet dreams, Z23," Ark Royal whispered, kissing the picture once again before pulling a cover over herself.

"I-I know I can trust her...but...I need to be c-clean...I-I must get c-clean, for the Commander..." Z23 winced and cried from the pain of her rub wounds, blood beginning to line the bottom of her shower floor.

Continuing...