Here's chapter 10! I really enjoyed writting this one. Tell me what you all think about it!

Colorado walked out of the training room after a match with some of the marines aboard the Mother of Invention, and headed down to the locker room to grab a shower before dinner. He tossed his armor into his locker and went around the corner into the shower room. He relished the feel of the steaming hot water, relaxing as his muscles relaxed from their prior workout. After what could be considered a bit too long, he turned off the water, dried himself off with a towel, and walked back to his locker with the towel around his waist. He opened his locker. With the door opened, suddenly dozens of tiny spiders started flying out of the locker at him. He screamed hysterically, and started to run away from his locker room. Unfortunately he was delayed by the detonation of a flash-bang grenade, with disoriented him mid panic and he ended up running into the hardened metal wall. As the ringing started to fade from his ears, the sound was replaced by hysterical laughter. Colorado groaned as he got back up to his feet, still worrying about the spiders.

"What is happening?" He asked, getting ready to fight. He was really wishing he had his armor on still.

"Calm down dude. It's a practical joke." Wash gasped, still laughing.

"A what?" Colorado growled, still ready for a fight. He was glaring at the laughing people in the locker room.

"A practical joke. Something you do to friends when you're bored to scare, startle, or otherwise cause a bit of chaos in their lives." South explained. She had a very cruel looking snicker on her face.

"Whose idea was it to do it?" Colorado asked furiously.

"York did it. He does most of them. Though the rest of us are known to partake in the practice too when we get bored." North said. York gave his blonde friend a horrified expression for being sold out.

"You better get all those damn spiders out of my locker. And I'll be getting you back for this." Colorado smirked, watching York's horrified expression.

"You just pranked the biggest person on the ship. I think you might want to sleep with one eye open from now on." Wash whispered loudly. The crowds' heads snapped to look at him. Then he realized what he just said and who he said it to.

"Oh god, I'm sorry York! I didn't mean it like-you know I wasn't- I mean-"He stuttered.

"It's fine, Wash. No harm no foul. Colorado, the spiders are mechanical, so don't worry about it. Now get some clothes on! 479er is giving us a ride planet side and we need to be in the hanger soon." York said. Colorado tilted his head to the side questioningly. He pulled his clothes out of his locker, carefully, making sure to stay away from the robot spiders.

"Why would we be going planet side in clothes and not armor?" He wondered.

"We're going clubbing! Do you have no experience with normal socialization?" Carolina asked incredulously. Colorado scowled at her as he finished pulling the black T-shirt over his head.

"Trained and raised to be a war machine since I was six. So, no. What's clubbing?"

"Oh, right. Well clubbing is when we all go to a bar that plays loud music with dim lights and we all dance and drink and party. York's having surgery tomorrow night for an A.I. so we are going out." Carolina said. And with that the other freelancers helped her practically drag him to the pelican where 479er was already waiting.

"What took you all so long? Let's get going already!" She yelled at them. The group all climbed into the back of the drop-ship and secured their harnesses.

"I wonder if you'll have the same effect on a club that Maine does. You're bigger than him and equally socially awkward so I would think so." Wash pondered.

"He'll be just fine. He doesn't speak in grunts and hisses usually. Thanks guys for doing this. We're going to have a blast!" York jabbered on. Colorado looked around. The whole group seemed excited. All the girls were dressed up and wearing clothing that wasn't particularly modest and the guys were all wearing less worn out clothes than they usually did around the halls of the Mother of Invention.

Colorado stood leaned against the wall in the corner of the club, watching all the dancing people. He was slightly intrigued by them. They were all grinding their bodies against one another to the rhythm of the loud, throbbing music pulsing through the building. The noise was giving him a headache, but everyone else seemed to be enjoying it. He looked around and made note of where most of the other freelancers were. C.T. and Wyoming were dancing together, which brought him to the conclusion that you were supposed to dance with people you like or were in a relationship with. The concept seemed so foreign to him. He looked to see Carolina and South dancing together in a similar fashion as the previous two teammates he had seen. Are they a couple too? He wondered to himself. Tex was dancing with random people, switching partners often and not seeming to particularly discriminate against whom she was dancing with, guys or girls. York was doing similar, and their combined actions caused more confusion about his attempt at understanding the clubbing environment than actually helping him. Wash was sitting alone at a counter, downing drinks of varying colors from pointlessly small glasses. He seemed a little off balance, swaying on his stool. He looked around for North, and saw that the man was approaching him.

"You don't seem particularly enjoying yourself." He remarked.

"There are so many people and the music is so damn loud I can't think. Plus everyone keeps starring at me." Colorado responded as the two decided to sit down at a nearby table.

"In their defense, you are a bit on the big side. And people aren't used to seeing people your size. But I understand the music being too loud. I'm not a big fan of it either; I usually just come to keep an eye on my sister."

"I guess so. What's wrong with Wash? He seems a bit… off balance."

"I would think so. He's had enough tequila to be past drunk. He'll be fine tomorrow. Except for the hangover, of course." Colorado shook his head. He had no idea what seemed so appealing about that concept.

"So do you see anyone you think's attractive? Maybe you should ask someone to dance." North continued.

"What do you mean?" Now it was North's time to shake his head.

"Someone you think looks good, who you want to, get to know better or be around. If there is you should go ask them to dance with you." He explained. Colorado just laughed a little.

"I don't know. Yes? No?"

"Come on. There's got to be someone! A girl or a guy, it doesn't matter really. But you should really at least try to get out there and socialize a bit. Us explaining everything isn't going to be able to cover all social situations. You need to get out there and get some experience."

"I'll take a rain check for now."

"Whatever. We might be here for a few more hours though. At least until everyone tires themselves out." North said before getting up and walking over to join Wash at the bar. Colorado Just pushed his chair closer back towards the corner to watch everyone else for the night.

I really enjoyed trying to figure out how a Spartan who was raised in their military setting would feel and think about normal social conentions that wouldn't have been present in their past. This was really fun to write and think about. Hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I did writing it!