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A/N: I gotta say out of all the stories I made on this site, Little Bird, is my most proudest work, and my most favorite. But despite the low views it gets, Peter "Gale" Daulton is by far the best character I ever wrote up and nothing is gonna change that. However even though the main story and Daulton's arc is finished I still feel like going further with it, you know.

Hope you enjoy.


Feeling warm and cozy in her one bedroom apartment, Miho, was sound asleep under her covers, with her favorite Boko stuffed bear snuggled up tightly in her arms, turning on her back Miho felt her side bump into something firm. It like it was sinking into her mattress like two heavy polls on both her right and her left side of her bed, and then suddenly she herd a soft crunch above her. Slightly cracking her eyes open Miho saw a strange blurry shape, but as her vision became clearer the shape was actually Daulton standing right over her while eating a bag of chips.

"Sup."

"... DAULTON!" Miho screamed, "How did you get in my apartment?!"

"You forgot to lock your door," Daulton explained simply hopping off the bed to show Miho that her was wide open.

Wide-eyed Miho was shocked that she left her door unlocked... that is until she noticed that a screwdriver was lodged into the door knob.

"Why did you break into my apartment, Daulton?" a grumpy Miho demanded.

"I needed to borrow a cup of sugar, but I didn't want to wake you so I let myself in," Daulton said, "But then I got hungry and the corner store wouldn't open for a few more hours so I raided your pantry."

Miho gave a cold harden stare right at Daulton's oblivious face as he continues to munch on her chips.

"Goodnight, Daulton," Miho told him wanting him to leave her in peace.

"Alright," Daulton understandably left, "If you call the landlord, tell him that I thought this was my apartment."

Closing the door shut Miho collapsed back to her bed slowly letting her eyelids cover her view just when she was about to doze off her alarm clock went off waking her up before she can go back to sleep. Staring blankly at the ceiling Miho slaps the fin of her dolphin alarm clock as the sun's rays slowly crept through the shades.

"Ugh... !" Miho groaned, "Time for school..."

"CAAAAW!"

Miho then suddenly heard a loud cry within her room causing her to roll right out of bed and onto the floor as the random noise scarred her, darting around the room Miho spotted what made that sound. Looking up to one of her cabinets Miho saw that there was a seagull perched on top squawking at her, figuring that the door was left open for a while one seagull might have just walked through.

"Uh no," she cried getting the door open and grabbing a broom, "C'mon, Mr. seagull, I need to get ready for school."

As she tried to shoo the bird away the seagull just panicked and started going wild flapping its wings and crashing into everything in the room.

\X/

Finally getting the seagull out of her apartment, cleaning the mess that bird made, and getting her uniform on Miho was walking down the street with her hair a mess and when came to a street Daulton was already there giving a sleeping Mako a piggy-back ride.

"Morning neighbor," Daulton greeted with a bright smile, "Wow! you look like shit."

"You let a seagull into my room," Miho told him with a low growl, "I see you're helping Mako to school."

"For a girl who takes her education seriously, she really neglects her attendance," Daulton said.

"She really likes her sleep, I just hope she pay attention when we get to the opening ceremony today," Miho noted.

"Oh that's right, another year another Tankery Tournament," Daulton remembered, "It's just calling on your first match right?"

"Yup, do you have any plans?" Miho then asked.

"Yeah, Kay invited me to play poker with her and the rest of the Saunders girls," Daulton told her.

"That sounds nice," Miho commented.

"Well hope I don't empty their pockets, because I'm in it to win it," he said in confidence.

The light for the crosswalk soon changed letting the three pass safely on their way to school.

\The Next Day/

Meeting back at the hanger the girls all gather to discuss battle plans for their first match after being paired up with Anzio.

"Alright is everyone present?" Anzu spoke out spotting the last member walk in.

"That's everyone," Saori confirmed with a thumbs up.

"Good," Miho stepped up front with Yukari following behind with a white board, "We have much to plan for with our match with Anzio Academy."

"We've mopped floor with them before, we can do it again," Noriko smugly remarked.

"Getting a little over confident don't you think?" Midoriko said trying to bring the volleyball captain back to earth.

"Focus girls!" Miho tried to get them back on track.

But before they could carry on the door swung open letting the sun light flood in, the girls looked over their shoulders, and there just walking in was Daulton looking down and looking like he's trying not to lose his head.

"Gale? what're you doing wandering in?" Yukari asked as she approaches him.

"I need to tell you girls some thing, and it's not good," Daulton said.

"What's wrong?" Miho asked.

"Well... remember that poker night Kay invited me to?" Daulton reminded.

"Don't tell me they shook you down?" Momo spoke almost in embarrassment.

"It's more like bad news for you," Daulton corrected.

\Last Night/

"Full house!" Daulton proclaimed laying winning cards down on the table.

It was after the opening ceremony and Daulton had been invited onto Saunders' carrier where Kay, Alisa, and Naomi held there poker nights at, in a secluded dark room in Kay's house with only one light source hanging right above them.

"There's goes my lunch money," Naomi pouted.

"I'm not worried because I have luck on my side," Alisa bragged keeping her cards close to her chest.

"Take off your jacket, Alisa," Kay ordered.

Alisa froze darting her eyes towards everyone who all stared back at her, Alisa slowly complies unzipping her jacket, and handing it off to Kay who turns it inside out revealing cards that were hidden in the sleeves, leaving Alisa to chuckle nervously.

"You little cheat!" Naomi exclaimed in anger chasing Alisa around the house.

"Well with those two busy, how about we make a special wager?" Kay offered.

"Special how?" Daulton asked.

"Let's skip betting with money, let's instead do this," Kay explained, "Whoever loses has to do what the winner requests from them, and they can not decline."

"Deal, I already have ten things that I have in mind," he agreed.

The deck was sent and the cards were drawn out, Daulton spreads his hand like a fan reading each card which made him want to put a smile on his face while Kay sat back with a cool expression on her face with her hand ready.

"Four of a kind, baby!" cheered in triumph with four aces and a king in his hand.

Daulton leaned back in his chair feeling confident, but Kay however smirked at him.

"Royal flush," Kay said frank placing her hand over Daulton's showing an ace, a king, a queen, a jack, and a ten, "You have to do whatever I say."

"Ugh!" Daulton groaned, "Alright let's get this over with, what do you want me to do? shave my head? strip naked and run down the street bear-ass?"

"Those all sound good, but I'm in for a favor to ask," Kay put it.

"A favor? what kind of favor?" Daulton started to questioned.

"I need you to make a call for me and I need you to get me this," Kay requested bringing out a photo from her coat to show to Daulton.

"No, no, NO!" he firmly made his stance sounding completely upset, "C'mon anything, but that!"

"Nope, this is what I want," Kay stood firmly on her request.

"No! I don't care if I lost a bet, he needs to stay where he is," Daulton refused.

But as he attempted to leave Naomi and Alisa shoved him back into his seat standing on opposite side of him to keep him from leaving.

"Take back the money, c'mon I'll even blow you," as that last plea made Naomi and Alisa flinch, Kay on the other hand maintained her victorious smirk.

"That does sound tempting, but a bet is a bet," Kay told him and she then presents a phone to him, "Time to make the call."

Seeing that there's no talking out of it Daulton had no choice and so he dialed up some numbers.

\Present/

"What was the favor?" Momo demanded grabbing Daulton by his collar, "What did you do?!"

After pulling Momo off of Daulton, Angler Fish team asked what was the favor.

"What was it that they asked you to do?" Hana was first.

"Did you tell them all our strategy?" Saori interrupted.

"No."

"You gave them a new weapon?" Mako asked.

"No."

"What did you have to do?" Yukari brought his gaze over to her.

"I called in a ringer for them," Daulton told them.

"A ringer?" Miho repeated,

'Yeah, I knew a guy who was a real ace in tanks back in the States, but I heard he was spending his time in juvie." Daulton said.

"A boy in tankery?" the girls started murmuring among one another.

"Well it doesn't matter, he's in juvie remember, so there's nothing to worry about," Momo tried to settle everything, but can see the nervous look on Daulton's face, "... Right... ?"

"I... may have pulled some strings..." Daulton put it.

"You have those kind of connections?" Yuzu spoke in surprise.

"International champion of the world, remember? I meet people all over," Daulton explained.

"Hey maybe we can ask for a few-"

"Don't push it!" Daulton warned Anzu who then just shrugs it off like a joke.

"Alright so Saunders is gonna get a new player, who is this guy anyway?" Erwin finally asked the big question.

"He's on his way right now, and... ugh! I still can't believe I'm springing that idiot out," Daulton said, but it sounded like he said it to himself.

"You must really not like this guy?" Saori noted.

"No, that's not it," Daulton told them otherwise.

"Then what is?" Miho asked.

"It's too hard to pick up where to begin," Daulton deflected.

"THEN WHO IS HE?" Momo demanded losing patients.

"His name's, George Stuart," Daulton finally answered, "And he might be the best tanker in America."

\X/

The Saunders' carrier was in port with the three main members of the tankery team waiting at an empty parking lot Kay and her girls watched closely until they spotted a single dark bus appearing from the tree covered road. The bus rolls into the parking lot its brakes hissing to a stop as the lumbering box halted right in a couple of parking spaces away from the three. The doors folded and a man comes stumbling out as he was being pushed off by a young gentlemen in handcuffs who then socked the man in the face knocking him down, but was then whacked with a night stick from behind.

"That must be him," Kay noted eagerly.

"Are you sure this was a good idea, Commander?" Alisa asked.

"Yeah, not even Daulton wanted to call this guy up," Naomi added.

"I'm pretty sure Mr. Stuart here won't argue with his new arrangements," Kay said in confidence.

After wrestling the young man back in control the men dragged the passenger to them.

"Are you the girls that posted Mr. Stuart's bail?" the man asked.

"Yup, that's us," Kay confirmed with great enthusiasm.

"... You do know who this guy is, right?"

"Yup," Kay answered without hesitation.

"... Are you like cousins... ? family friends... ?" the man then asked confused with what relation these girls had with the boy.

"We're just a bunch of random girls from an all girls school," Kay honestly told him.

The man just glances between Kay and the other two, Alisa and Naomi, who just stood just confused as he was.

"Alright, but after those cuffs come off he's your problem now," he then told them as he took out the key to George's handcuffs.

"We are fully aware of that," Kay responded without a hint of concern.

"Wait can we have a say?!" Alisa exclaimed.

"Too late he already has the cuffs off," Kay told her.

Unlocking the chains the guards boarded back onto the bus and threw a duffle bag out onto the pavement next to George's feet, with a hiss the bus started rolling away leaving the kids behind. The girls stood silently Alisa and Naomi out of awkwardness while Kay stood with a confident grin on her face even though George hadn't made a single expression, the only thing moving on his face was a brow rising in question.

He was a burly young man, wearing a dark leather jacket with a wool interior, his collar soft and white like a sheep's fur coat, looking down Alisa saw that the boy wore boots that would easily flatten her beneath his rough soles. It was impossible to tell what color his hair was, black or brunette, as his hair was too shaven down to tell one for the other.

"Hello, George!" Kay greeted eagerly, "My name is Kay and these are my right and left hand girls, Alisa and Naomi," she introduced with Alisa giving a weak wave and Naomi barely flinching, "I hope your trip here to Japan went smoothly, c'mon let's get you to where you'll be staying."

With a quick introduction out of the way Kay turned to guide George over to the Saunder's bus, the young man bent down to pick up his bag hoisting it on top of his shoulders, and started following. Naomi stared at their new teammate intensely she had a sick feeling in her gut that this boy was trouble, as he was about to pass her George gave her a glance, and kissed the air towards her making Naomi lose focus. The boy chuckled in amusement showing his first sign of emotion and she can start to see why Daulton was against calling him.

\One Bus Ride Later/

After a quick bus ride back to their carrier the Saunders girls brought George to their school where the rest of the team stood waiting. A welcome banner was suspended by two Sherman tanks barrels that was parked across from each other in front of the school's gate with a row of girls standing in salute, but mostly gave George a warm greeting. This was something Kay set up for George in hope that he will be compliant, it must've been working because George was grinning with eagerness to meet his new teammates.

"We're here," Kay sang out stepping clear to let George off first.

With the bag of his belonging tucked under his arm George stepped off the bus placing his feet firmly on the solid pavement, Kay, Naomi, and Alisa followed after accordingly hanging back to see how their new teammate will conduct himself. Naomi and Alisa suspect the worst to happen, thinking that their friends will just "play" around with the only boy in the whole school and encouraging George to be bold in advancing on the girls. But. In fact those worries didn't come true instead it went as Kay as hoped it would go.

"Hi, how's it all going," George rhetorically greeted the crowd as the girls gathered closer to him.

"Those arms look strong."

"So handsome."

"Are going to enroll in our school?"

They all showered him with flirtatious praise all around it was something that any boy can only dream of, turning back George looked towards Kay, who was just grinning with sunlight bouncing off her pearly white teeth and her gleaming blue eyes.

"How'd you like the welcoming party?" Kay asked with Alisa and Naomi rolling their eyes while George looked like he was gonna chuckle.

"... Cut the crap," George finally spoke so abruptly demanding what's happening, "You clearly didn't bail me out of the clink and have me enroll in an all girls school to ogle me," he stated seeing through the facade, and Kay's confident grin now suddenly turning into a neutral expression, but calm, "Why am I here?"

Giving the question Kay sense there was no real anger in his tone, more like curiosity, and so Kay regain her confidence a smirk etched across her face.

"Well, it's probably for the best that we're honest to each other so let's discuss this inside," she offered leading the way as the crowd of girls cleared the way to the entrance, George taking notice how she sways her hips as she disappears into the building.

Breaking his focus Naomi purposely bumped into George's shoulder from behind as she passed by.

"Eyes straight up, perv," Naomi hissed with disdain in her words as Alisa followed closely.

"Ain't she a prize," George quoted to himself, but actually found Naomi's tough attitude cute then eventually joining them.

\X/

Inside Saunders High Kay and her guest gathered in a conference room taking seat on comfy cushion chairs to tell the news, light streaming through the window behind Kay while Alisa and Naomi stand by George's side as if to make sure he wouldn't bolt out.

"Comfy?" Kay asked her guest sitting across from her with a coffee table between them, "May I offer you a drink?" she then offered gesturing towards a cooler full of ice cold colas in front of him.

"Can we just get to the point," George declined.

"That's what I like to hear," Kay gladly exclaimed, "I want you, George Stuart, to enroll to Saunders High to be part of our tankery team."

There was a drawn out pause of silence George raised a hand to his chin in contemplation.

"C'mon we've bailed you out, flown you all the way here, we've even set up a living quarters for you here, and besides if you say no... what's there to go back to?" Kay listed off trying to persuade him while delivering the last fact more delicately to him.

The smug expression that George had currently sank back to the emotionless face he had previously, cold and unmoving like a statue George drew out a moment of silence before reverting back to his cocky self.

"Hehehe..." he chuckled softly, "Alright, I'm in."

"Awesome!" Kay exclaimed with excitement, and to Alisa and Naomi's disappointment, "Alright we have a tank crew all ready for you for our match against St. Gloriana's-"

"BUT!" George cut off raising his hand to pause, "I only have one favor to ask of you."

"Oh," Kay responded predictably almost knowing that there was gonna be a catch, "I see... welp, I knew what I was getting myself into," she added hooking her finger around her tie then slowly undoing it from her collar making the view of her bare neck more visible to the others.

The Alisa and Naomi were stun from disbelief to the sight of their commanding officer slowly undressing herself, but luckily a maddening blushing George shot up from his seat waving his arms frantically for her to stop.

"NO!NO!NO!STOP!" cried out in a panic, "That's not what I'm asking! I don't wanna keep adding to my permanent record."

"... Oh..." Kay simple let out fixing back her collar and the other just slamming their palms into their faces, "Then what's the favor?"

"I don't want a Sherman. I want MY tank."

"YOUR tank?" Alisa repeated in confusion.

"Why? we have plenty of reliable M4s ready and waiting," Naomi followed up.

"My tank. Or I walk," George gave his final demanded.

Looking of her two doubtful teammates and delinquent Kay had made up her choice as she done this much to bring him here there's no going back, so she lifted off from her seat then walked over to a phone that sat on a desk off to the side and started dialing.

"Yes. I like to speck to the operator, please."