Ch.7

A Rookie's Big Break

"That was unbelievably AWESOME! Did you see the way I beat the crap out of that thing!? I felt so strong, like I was know what I was doing but at the same time I was freaking out! What's that called again?" Calvin asked.

"You mean 'instinct'?" Jim replied. The man was standing next to the teen inside his hotel room listening to Calvin's first experience as a superhero.

"Yeah that."

"I'm grateful that you backed me up there during the fight, but I can't help but notice that you dressed up just like the Green Lantern Corp, except you're blue."

Calvin smiled and brightened his eyes as he began to explain the answer to Jim's question. "Oh that. Well you see... The Green Lantern Corp wasn't the only Lantern Corp that existed in the DC Universe. There were many more, each one with their own color, power and beliefs. I am as Adara explained to me; a member of the Blue Lantern Corp, an intergalactic peace force who fight for hope throughout the universe."

Jim raised an eyebrow as he took all this in and gave it some thought. Silence filled the room for a few minutes until Adara communicated with Calvin to break it up.

'I never knew you were so interested about the Lantern Corp Calvin.'

'Yeah well, I can't blame those guys for being so awesome.' Calvin thought as he wondered off in his own world.

Jim sighed in exhaustion as he overheard Calvin's telepathic conversation and said to Adara "Calvin has gone bye bye Adara. Would you mind filling us in about that Kyrieloid I was fighting?"

'I'm afraid the 3Kilie's background is unanimous to me Jim. But, I could tell by his aura that this fight is far from over.'

"Grreeeaaatt. As if I didn't have enough on my hands."

Calvin smiled and said "Oh don't get so down Jim, I'm sure you'll get through this."

"Easier said than done rookie."

Jim's door started knocking and Jim turned his head to see Krystal opening his door. Krystal faced the two humans with a happy face and said "Jim! Turn on your TV to the News channel. There's something you need to see."

Jim got up from his seat and fulfilled her request by using the remote to turn the TV to the news channel and it displayed a raccoon in a blue suit reporting a captured scene of Jim and Calvin fighting the Kyrieloid.

The raccoon said "This Trevor Owens with the Eyewitness news, our crew has recorded Corneria's protector Zenith fighting yet again another alien giant bent on destroying the city of Corneria. Though the Ultra eventually won the battle, he was not alone. What also surprised us is that the Ultra was being supported from what it looks like to be another human being, seemingly at an age of 17 and is flying in a blue aura using a ring while wearing a skintight blue costume and a mask. All of us Cornerians ask these questions to ourselves: Who is the stranger before us? Where did he come from? And more importantly, Can he be trusted? Our reporters have gone to the base of the famous team of mercenaries called Star Fox, to find answer to these questions. But, General Pepper has politely refused to answer any of these problems, leaving us to find out for ourselves what this whole thing means. I'm Trevor Owens and this the Eyewitness news, Good night."

Jim turned off the TV and shook his head while saying "Man, can't those reporters ever keep a secret!?"

Krystal walked over to Jim and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and said "They were just doing their job Jim, I mean if I were a witness to that fight I too would seek the truth."

"Yeah but that doesn't mean they have to stick their nose in our business. There's a reason why we keep this stuff secret ya know!"

Calvin frowned at Jim's negative response and replied "Oh Jim Jim Jim. You need to stop being so down and just look at the bright side every once in a while."

"Like you have any idea what it's like to deal with something like this!"

Calvin twitched at Jim's shouting and said "Sorry dude, I'm just trying to help out."

Krystal made a sly grin as she hugged Jim around his neck and said "Don't worry Calvin, Jim's just jealous because you finished the fight with a better performance."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"I'm just saying you were a little run down when you fought that thing Jim, and Calvin did have a better chance at it."

"Hah! Beginner's luck! And in case you don't remember I've been fighting lots of monsters and aliens to deserve the that much respect!"

"Well if you weren't so die hard on your training and spent more time on your vacation, like you should've done in the first place. You would've had a better chance in winning."

"Hey that's not fair!"

Calvin chuckled at the affair Krystal and Jim were having and thought to himself 'Man, they are SO like a married couple. They'd have a better chance in 'I Love Lucy', except without all the retro crap and all that shit.'

Calvin interrupted the couple by saying "Um, excuse me. I understand that this may seem a bit out of the weather, but hey what do we care what the news think? The more important thing is that we won, we're all safe and that's that. So what's there to be worried about?"

Jim calmed down for a few moments and replied "What are you, some kind of therapist?"

"Nope just some guy who just has to keep on saving your ass every day."

"Don't push it, smartass." Jim mocked with a threatening glare and laughed a bit at Calvin's joke.

Just then, Jim's communicator started beeping with the caller ID saying "General Pepper" on it. And the communicator constructed a hologram of Pepper's face from the device, he looked at Jim with a stern face and said "Jim, I need you and the team to come down to my office immediately. And uh... bring your friend with you too."

"Whatever for General?"

"Because this concerns him too, and it's because those freaking reporters won't leave me alone! *ahem* Anyway, come on by with your friend and the rest of the team. And hopefully, those damn reporters cans stop bugging us- Wha? No! I do NOT have 3 wives and 14 kids to feed! What kind of a man do you take me for!?" And then Pepper signed off the call and the hologram vanished.

The three of them laughed at Pepper's response to one of the reporter's questions.

Krystal said "The General seems to have his hands full at the moment."

Calvin replied "Yeah, but seriously who comes up with bizarre questions like that? It's a wonder how they get people to watch their show."

Jim, trying to stop chuckling said "I know, well you heard the general. We have to go meet up with him and see what's up."

"Ooh! Can you guys drive and can I fly to his office? I want to use my amazing powers again."

"Yeah... I think you better come with us to the car. You're still new to this thing. You might accidentally hurt yourself."

"Oh right, lead the way Jim." Calvin replied, while feeling a little down.

Cornerian Army Command Central: Jim, and the rest of the team drove up to the command center and preceded to walking the Pepper's office. But when they arrived, they discovered the main entrance to be surrounded by reporters and detectives, just anxious to get some answers from the man in charge. Jim and the others agreed that going through the front was a bad idea while Calvin replied "Since when does going through the front door was ever a subtle approach?". So they decided to drive up the back entrance to go unnoticed by the swarming crowd of news workers and walked right up to the office door.

Calvin started sweating a bit as he got nervous meeting the general himself. Adara began to notice this and said 'Don't be nervous Calvin, just take a deep breath and calm down.'

Calvin nodded to himself and began to relax. Jim opened the door and the 3 of them went inside. They find General Pepper sitting behind his chair looking out the giant window of his base, he turns around in his seat with a smile on his face and said "Ah. There you are everyone. Nice to see you Jim."

"Nice to see you too sir."

Pepper looked his eyes curiously towards Calvin and said "You must be Calvin Daring am I right?"

"Um... Yes that's right Mr. Pepper, uh sir."

Pepper chuckled at Calvin's nervousness and said "No need to get all shaken up Calvin. And please son, call me Pepper."

"Thank you, uh Pepper."

Jim and Krystal nodded at Pepper getting the signal that he wishes to speak to Calvin alone, so they and Fox and Slippy began to walk out of his office and closed the door leaving the human and general all to themselves. But what they didn't notice is that Slippy used his tracer and placed it in the plant and used a monitor to eavesdrop on the conversation.

"Hey, Seems like I'm just in time." The team twitched at the sudden sound of the recognizing voice they just heard. They turned around to see Falco in a brown jacket, a red t-shirt, blue jeans, and blue shoes and with that usual cocky smirk on his face.

"Falco!? What are you doing here?" Fox questioned his best friend about his appearance.

"When I left, I gave this some thought. At first, I thought this kid being here was a bad idea. But then I thought, maybe I should give this guy a chance. Just felt tired about running away from problems, and decided to come back here and give it a shot. Besides, what's a squirt like him gonna do to mess with me anyway huh?" Falco said, while sounding pride in his voice.

Fox rolled his eyes at Falco's typical self-respect and said "Well, I'm glad you made up for it. Now come over here so you can listen to what the General is saying."

Slippy began to enlarge his monitor so he can see what the general is going to say.

Calvin began to be nervous again and thought to himself 'Urge to commit suicide, rising.'

Pepper took a piece of candy from his bowl on the desk and offered it to Calvin and said "Want a peppermint?"

Calvin nodded to his offer and took the peppermint from his hand and put it in his jeans pocket for later.

"Fox has told me a lot about you. He says that you're a fine young man who's a little on the cocky side, but just fine."

"Thank you Pepper."

"So, I hear that you too are a human being from Earth, but not the Earth Jim comes from. But an Earth from another dimension?"

"Something like that."

"So how did you come to Corneria to begin with?"

"Well...that's a little tough to explain." Calvin said with uncertainty in his voice.

"That's okay son, trust me I've been seeing lots of things that are hard to explain. So go ahead and tell me what happened. I'm all ears."

"Okay, so it's like this..." Calvin explained everything up until from the accident from his dad's show to the fight he had with Jim and the Kyrieloid. General Pepper just sat there trying to process these events which made Calvin left to wonder if this will be good or bad for himself.

"So you let me get this straight, you were chosen by some mysterious alien woman who chose you to be a member of a police force deep in space that devotes themselves to justice and hope?"

"Yeah pretty much."

"I see...And now you were transported here to combat against something that can threaten the whole universe?"

"You got it."

"Hmmm, okay son here's the deal. I believe in what you just told me about your little problem."

"Oh okay."

"But I gotta ask you something Mr. Daring, do you believe you got what it takes for a teenager like you to be a mercenary?" Pepper asked, while observing Calvin while crossing his arms on his chest.

"I... think I can... handle it." Calvin replied, but with an uneasy tone. He knows that he has no idea what he's getting himself into and is having a hard time believing he can deal with the pressure.

"Calvin, you don't sound confident enough to say that properly. Let me tell you something. I understand what you're going through. Believe me, we both agree you're no soldier. You're not used to something like this, but not to worry. Here at Star Fox, we are here to train our recruits to their fullest potential. To teach them to keep cool under pressure, and best of all...to prove their commitment to their job. I've seen rookies like you get weary at times like this, but you see that's a part of my job. And that is to turn rookies like you, into fine respectable members of our team. I know for a fact that you and I are going to become great friends, so all I ask of you is that you work hard, do your best, and push yourself past your limits and kick the asses of anything that tries to kill you. Now do you understand what this is all about?

"Yes Pepper. I understand." Calvin replied, after hearing the general reassuring his place.

"Good, so I ask you once again. Do you think you have what it takes to be Star Fox?"

"Yes Pepper. I think I do."

"Since you're still under age and have no experience as a soldier, you're not ready to become a full member just yet."

"I understand Pepper." Calvin replied.

"Therefore, I placing you in the rank of Lieutenant command. You will be trained in the fields of combat, firearms, vehicles and medics. Think you're up for the job?"

"Yes Pepper, I believe I can handle it."

Pepper smiled at the seriousness in his voice and said "Good, that's just what I wanted to hear."

He held out his hand and Calvin shook it.

"Calvin Blake Daring, of Earth. Welcome to Star Fox!" Pepper said very proudly. Calvin grinned with victory. After that, the team burst through the door to congratulate the the young human; "You did it Calvin!" "You're the man!" "Who knew you had it in ya." "Awesome dude, YOU are awesome!" Krystal embraced Calvin from behind "Calvin, I knew you could do it. So how does it feel?"

Calvin blushing from the applause he is receiving tried to make a sentence and said "It... feels..uh.. great. Oh man...".

Falco replied "You gonna puke Calvin?"

"No I feel fine. I just need...a...breather." Calvin replied as he tried to stand on his legs.

Jim smiled and began to take notice on this whole day. 'It's like my first day joining Star Fox. Calvin's starting to remind me of myself. I just hope Calvin can control this power that's inside of him'.

Slippy said excitedly "Why don't we all go grab a bite to eat?"

Krystal said while still holding onto Calvin's arm "Sounds great. Come on Calvin, we can't have our newest lieutenant fight on an empty stomach."

Then the team, along with Calvin, began to walk to the bright lights of Corneria City. While General Pepper who was still inside, looked out his window. And thought to himself, 'This kid is something else alright. Will he pull through? Whoever made him a Blue Lantern. I just hope you chose the right guy. But hey, like I said before. Time will tell.' He stared out the glass window like before, with the bullet hole Jim made still being made, and watched the night go by and the city stand out in view.