CHAPTER 8

ADJUSTMENTS

Late spring had come and gone with summer taking its place. The usual cool breeze that came with the nice clear weather was now replaced with a dusty heat. It was one of the hottest summers in ten years and as luck would have it, AC for the entire base had broken down. Forcing the residents of Arzanel to pull open whatever windows they could in hopes of tempting in a non-existent breeze.

It was times like these in which Cal spent most times outside as even without training or combat, Cal had other things to keep him occupied. For the past month whenever he wasn't helping Jasmine stock up the mall or help bring in the supply crates, he had taken up Ersha's suggestion of fishing around Arzanel's beaches. Fish was one of the most popular things on the menu as it was the freshest thing around. Especially served with Ersha's fresh vegetables from her garden. It not only brought in extra money, but Cal enjoyed doing it as it reminded him of his old life. By his side rested a bucket with a catch of eight silver Salmons piled on top of each other, their mouths flapping up and down to cycle what little oxygen in the water was left.

A lot had changed over the past month. Cal had become more commutable around everyone though he still needed to work on figuring everyone out. If they weren't avoiding him, they were hogging or smothering him. But Salia, Naomi, Ersha, Scarlett, the command staff, and even Zola were there to help him out. And while Naomi's suggestion to lock his door had given Cal mostly quiet mornings, he had noticed the outside of his door had developed several scratches and dents that weren't there before.

As the waves splashed against the perimeter of rocks separating Arzenal's lagoon from the open sea, Cal felt the rod twitch and he set the hook, the shaft bending from the strain of something that felt a lot larger than a Salmon. As a shadow loomed in the shallows, Cal waded out and took a hold of a gill flap, dragging out of the serf a monstrous bronze grouper that was almost the size of Vivian.

"Wow, well get a load of that!" he cried. Jasmine was sure to pay a good price for a catch like this. Checking his sports watch, he saw that it was almost 2 o'clock. Time for his shift at the mall to start. Taking up the bucket in one hand and throwing the Grouper over his other shoulder, Cal headed back into the base, his monstrous catch catching the eye of every girl he passed. Due to the busted AC, none of them were wearing their uniform jackets, though the Armorers still wore their coverall which they were nearly swimming in from the heat. Cal himself had made some changes to his uniform, his jeans had changed from blue to black and his heeled boots had been replaced with white and black sneakers which were a huge relief to his feet. As he finally reached the mall, who should he see but Inspector Emma Bronson going over the latest supply shipment. As usual, she was trying to maintain her strict professional manner by appearing in full uniform though judging from how rapidly she was fanning herself off with a tassel fan, she was almost on the verge of passing out.

"Ah Cal, perfect timing," Jasmine greeted him. "You're just in time to help me with the delivery crates." Emma turned around and frowned at who was approaching. While Emma had become less scared of Cal and had begun to treat him the same as the other Norma, her prime mannerisms had made her the primary target for Cal's jokes.

"Hey Jasmine, look what I caught." Cal hosted up the Grouper for all to see, which Emma flinched at the sight of.

"Get that thing away from me," she ordered, covering her nose with a handkerchief. "It stinks."

"Aw come on Inspector," he teased, holding it face first to her. "Everyone loves fresh fish. Bet he tastes really good." He edged the fish towards Emma's face who squealed like a little girl in disgust.

"Stop it!" She protested, as Cal put the fish back over his shoulder laughing.

"Well do I deserve big cash for this guy?" he asked.

"I'll think about it," she said. "For now, I need you to restack the shelves across the back and the 2 vending machines. Just don't mix the vegan food with the burgers like you did last time." Walking back with Jasmine and the Inspector, Cal dropped his catch off at the walk-in cooler when Jasmine caught sight of the mischievous grin on his face. Oh boy here we go, she realized.

"Oh no Inspector, I've lost it!" Cal panicked feeling around his pockets in a faux state of panic.

"Lost what?" Emma said impatiently.

"Has anyone seen my dickfor?"

"What's a dick for?" Emma asked with a puzzled look. Some of the other mall personnel overheard and broke out into hysterical laughter and she realizing to late what she had said, covering her mouth with her hands as her face went crimson before slapping Cal across the back of his head and running off. "Why does it always happen to me?!"

Cal howled with laughter, Jasmine sighed and shook her head. It was like looking at a younger version of Gaz. "You're gonna get yourself in real trouble with the Commander if she ever decides to complain to her or her father." Jasmine warned.

"Come on, she needs to get a sense of humour." Putting on his utilities apron, Cal got on with his work, his co-workers high-fiving him as he passed by.

Leaning back in her chair Jasmine watched over mall as the residents either busied themselves playing the games or looking over the newly restocked clothing and items. Vulcan lay down by her side fast asleep, though Jasmine had no idea how he could sleep in this heat. Especially with all that fur. At least sales had been good that day. Whenever Cal was on shift, the girls would always come in and spend more money so they could watch him work. Especially since Scarlett's training with him was starting to show results. Over the past month he had probably put on a good 10 lbs of muscle. And speaking of Cal, he just happened to be walking towards her just as she looked up.

"You finished now hon?"

"Yeah I'm all done for today." Jasmine reached into her lockbox and pulled out 2 thick stacks for Cal's pay. She had decided that bringing in that big Grouper had earned him a little extra, and the look of joy on Cal's face was worth it. He had just finished pocketing it in his satchel when a pair of arms wrapped around his neck and almost dragged him to the floor.

"Hey Cal, what you doing?" Cal pulled Vivian's arms from around his neck to address the bubbly young girl.

"Hey Viv. I'm just finishing up work." Cal said.

"Cool, you wanna look at the cool new toys Granny got in?"

"Watch it." Jasmine warned pointing a cane at Vivian she had hidden behind her chair. "Or I'll give you a lump on your head that'll give you a growth spurt." Cal heard the stories of that cane. Jasmine didn't need it of course. She just kept it handy for any potential shop lifters or if a fight broke out in the mall. The 'death stick' they called it. Quick to put some distance from Jasmine, Vivian dragged Cal by his arm to the newly stocked weapons. Vivian was practically drooling over the latest inventory though Cal had his eyes on the M4A0 assault rifle. As he found out on his second combat mission, the F2001 Rosalie and Chris had gotten him turned out to be a terrible choice. The recoil was horrible, leading him to miss every shot that was outside of close range which Hilda had been quick to rub in his face. Even with help from Salia, Cal found himself jockeying with Chris for the lowest pay-out in the squad.

Combat mission 5 (2 days later)

"Yahoo!" Vivian cheered; her hands grasping the overly long steering handles that raised up over her head. Told by Jasmine that they were once used by a legendary pilot called "the 1000 Dragon Slayer," Vivian had purchased them without hesitation. 'How the hell is she able to even fly with those?' Salia wondered.

"Oi Vivian be careful," Cal warned. "Those things still aren't tested yet."

"Nah I got this!" She boasted. "By the way nice upgrade." After his fourth mission, Cal had finally earned enough to recolour his Glaive from its old boring grey to navy blue with race red highlights. It had cost him a lot but it was worth it so he could finally stand out.

"Get ready," Zola warned. "Here they come." In the sky ahead, the singular opened, and the DRAGONs swarmed out towards them.

"Category 2 encounter confirmed," Pamela announced, "One Galleon and forty Schooners." Converting to Destroyer mode, First Squad began picking off the Schooners while Zola, Salia, and Naomi kept the Galleon busy. Targeting a line of Schooners heading right for him, Cal tilted his gun sideways like Salia told him and the recoil caused the gun naturally fan, shooting a horizontal spread that cut across the group. As the swarm split off, Cal charged in where the F2001's faster rate of fire worked to his advantage. He managed to take out three with a combination of hit and run attacks and was about to charge another group when a sudden strafe of machine gun fire cut them down before he could close the distance.

"Will you knock it off!" he yelled as a red Glaive shot past him. "I'm trying to save up for the 'M4.'"

"It's not my fault you're dragging behind," Hilda snarked. Cal tched and turned towards another group when a combination of cannon fire and machine gun fire took them out.

"You guys!"

"Sorry Cal," Chris said. "Nothing personal."

"Besides," Rosalie pointed out, "If we don't hurry up, we'll lose out on the big one." Once all the Schooners were eliminated, the entire squad ganged up on the Galleon, it's lightning blasts streaking across the sky in a desperate attempt to shoot down the opponents flying circles around it.

"Everyone in position," Zola ordered. "Cal, get ready to sting." That was the other problem with the F2001. It didn't have an RPG launcher which limited the potential Cal had to damage the big DRAGONs. From all around the sky, a barrage of grenades was unleashed on the Galleon, their explosions knocking around the huge DRAGON as if it were a punching bag. With it disoriented and off balance, Cal dove in and plunged his Glaive's sword into the base of its spine, paralyzing it long enough for them to fire their freeze bullets and finish it off.

With the mission over, the squad returned to base. As Cal expected, his pay for that week was miserable. Only about 754,000. "Pocket change," he sighed. If it weren't for the fact Zola had involved him in taking down the Galleon his pay wouldn't even be half that.

"Yaaaeehhh!" Vivian cheered as she bounced up and down, a stack twice as big as his own in her hands. "I beat my record for schooner class kills!" Cal, Salia and Naomi just stared at her with a blank expression. 'Maybe Jasmine wasn't lying about those control sticks after all,' he thought.

"Well to be fair there were a lot of DRAGON's today." Ersha pointed out.

"I forget," Hilda said, "how many did you get Cal?" As she spoke, Hilda flipped through the wad of cash to further rub salt in the wound.

"Whatever," he said. He knew she just wanted a reaction out of him and he didn't want to give her the satisfaction.

"Hey cheer up," Hilda called as he walked off. "There's always next week."

"Hilda," Salia scolded, the redhead rolling her eyes in annoyance. "Competition is one thing but you're damaging squad morale."

"I agree," Chris said. Hilda raised her eyebrow and Chris flinched slightly. "I mean, Cal's not a bad guy. Maybe you could try being a little nicer to him."

"Oh come off it," she remarked. "It's not my fault he can't take a little ribbing. Maybe next time he'll be more careful about purchasing a weapon."

"If you say so," Rosalie smirked. "Though I'm starting to think you do it just so you can get his attention." Hilda's face flushed even redder than her hair.

"That…That is ridiculous!"

Gazing up at the price tag, Cal counted down his payment from Jasmine, adding up what he had saved. 5.5 Million and still he was 85,000 off. "Damn it." Cal sighed.

"Hey cheer up Cal," Vivian tried to assure him. "Just one more day of helping Granny and you'll have that baby. Or I can let you borrow some of my savings."

"No, don't do that." Cal told me. "My Gramps taught me, if you worked hard good things will come. Take no short cuts." Vivian gave a shrug and went back to eyeing the weapons. Cal meanwhile went to pick up a new pair of socks and was in the midst of trying to find Jasmine when something caught his attention. Around the entrance to the arcade, a cluster of girls were huddled together.

"Give me that one."

"I'll trade you this one for that."

"I've already got three of those." His curiosity piqued, Cal came over and peered over one of their shoulders where he saw to his horror that they were trading pictures of him. Some of them were of him working the mall, fishing, but a few were of him naked in the shower or changing.

"Oi gimme those!" he shouted in embarrassment. The girls looked up and turned blue as they realized who had stumbled onto Arzenal's latest trading craze. Cal lunged for the photos as the girls scattered, spreading the photos all over the floor. The sudden commotion caught the attention of the other shoppers and when they saw what Cal was trying to gather up, he suddenly found himself in a pile of withing bodies, each one trying to snatch up a photo for themselves.

"Hey, that one's mine!"

"Gimme!"

"I saw it first!"

"All of you stop!" Cal yelled as he was shaken back and forth like a baby rattle.

"Don't worry Cal I'll save you!" Vivian yelled as she jumped into the fray, accidentally elbow dropping Cal on the head.

"Knock it off!" Jasmine roared, her cane lashing out and giving every one of them a good thump on the head. After a minute of confused fighting in which everyone got hit a lot by the death stick, all of them stood in a line as Commander Jill and Inspector Emma stood before them.

"Would anyone care to explain?" Jill asked, her icy glare striking fear in everyone.

"When are you Norma going to learn not to fight in the base!" Emma scolded. "You always cause me headaches! Especially you, you heathen!" she said as she pointed at Cal. "When are you all going to learn to keep it in your pants for more than five minutes?" Cal wanted to explain, but he had no idea who had taken the photos. Plus, as much as he didn't want to take the fall for something, he had no control over, the thought of ratting out fellow Norma to the Inspector just didn't sit right with him. When no one gave an answer; Commander Jill, Jasmine and Inspector Bronson shouted at them for half an hour before being punished with having to write a 20-page apology to Emma and Jasmine for causing a ruckus in her mall. In addition, Emma assigned Cal to cleaning duties for a week from 16:30 to 20:00, obviously as payback for his dirty joke from this morning.

"Sorry for accidently hitting you," Vivian said as they walked back to his room. "I was aiming for Becky."

"Don't worry about it," he assured her as he rubbed the bump on his head. "That was one hell of an elbow drop. You can pay me back by teaching me it sometime."

"It's a deal!" She beamed. "Hey, can I see your room. I've never seen a boy's room before."

"Sure. I don't have much though since I'm saving up for that new rifle." Upon arriving, Cal welcomed Vivian in, and she gazed around in wonder. The bed he slept in had a night blue cover with stars plastered over it that came with two pillows with the same colour and pattern the sole decoration of which was a fly eating plant, it wasn't much but the one thing Cal really wanted was another roommate, at times it got very lonely at night when Naomi or Salia weren't around. But what Vivian seemed to like the most was the drawings Cal had down. Plastered all over the walls were images of his home island and places around Arzenal. "Cool." she said. "Hey want to hang out?"

"I'm afraid I can't. I'm due for a session with Scarlett. And If I'm late again she said she'll put me in something called the Scarlett Choker."

"Awww!" Vivian whined. "Okay. Buy you gotta promise we'll hang later."

"Okay okay I promise," he vowed.

"Good see you later!" Vivian bounded out the door and Cal sighed. As much as he liked Vivian she could be exhausting at times. After changing into his training gear, he hurried to the base gym and barged in just as Scarlett was finishing her stretches.

"Well look who actually turned up on time today." Scarlett mussed. "Looks like I finally got through your thick skull."

"Not for lack of trying though," he joked. He always got abuse from her, but he knew she was only doing it to toughen him up. Gramps would sometimes do the same thing to push Cal ahead when he was young.

"I heard about the commotion in the Mall," she joked, turning Cal's face red. "I hope my girls will share the pictures around."

"That's not…shut up!" Cal was more than mortified. He got the impression that this wasn't the first-time photos had been taken of him without him knowing.

"I also heard the Inspector really let you have it."

"Not my fault she doesn't have a sense of humour." Scarlett gave a chuckle and the two of them got to work.

Workouts with Scarlett were strenuous enough to make actual combat seem like a vacation. Three times a week, Cal was supposed to meet her at the gym with alternating days for back and shoulders, chest and arms, and core and legs. Each session began with a cardio mix of hitting the bag, cycling, and stairclimbing. From there they progressed to a combination of weightlifting, pressing, and tension pulleys before cooling down with some light calisthenics. However, as he had found out in his first session, workouts with Scarlett were anything but easy.

"Come on move it!" she barked over Cal as his arms trembled from the weight of the barbell he held overhead. "You've only done three reps! You call yourself a man?!" After that first day, Cal was so sore that even breathing hurt. In Scarlett's eyes, anything less than being pushed to your absolute limits was a waste of effort. No wonder she had trouble keeping a workout partner. He almost wondered if she hadn't killed off all of her old ones.

Finally, the first sequence was finished, and Scarlett called time for a 2-minute water break. As he leaned back against the inclined bench press, Cal wiped himself off with his towel and looked down at himself. As tough as it was to keep up with her, he couldn't deny that he was starting to show results. Already he could see an increased definition in his musculature. "Hey Scarlett." Cal asked.

"Yeah?"

"There's something I wanted to ask of you."

"Go ahead," she told him.

"I heard around you used to be a part of first squad back a few years ago. And when we met you were very friendly to Ersha and Naomi in particular." Scarlett's expression changed from curious to somewhat sad.

"Yeah I used to be assault leader back in the day. The younger squad mates, especially Ersha, they were like my little sisters." Cal had a feeling she wasn't telling him something but wondered if he should press the issue. The way Scarlett looked reminded him of how Gramps seemed whenever Cal asked about his mother. "Go ahead," she said. "I can tell there's more you want to ask."

"Well," Cal said, "the way you and Captain Zola looked at each other. It's kind of how Naomi and Hilda look at each other when their sparing or playing games at the mall. Are you two rivals like they are?" Scarlett sighed and fingered the rim of her water bottle.

"Not exactly Cal. It's complicated. Me and Zola used to be close. Very close, but then she changed.

"Changed?" So Zola wasn't always 'Zola'? It was hard for him to picture her any other way. "How?" Beckoning him to move over, Cal turn around on the bench so Scarlett could sit down beside him.

"You're still new here Cal so you might as well know. Life here can get to people. Me and Zola have been here since we were kids and we've seen a lot of people go. Some died in combat. More than a few threw themselves off the cliffs. So, you have to find some kind of an outlet. I found the gym and now look at me." Scarlett flexed her arm which was nearly as big around as Cal's neck. "Zola though, found another release. Long story short our interests caused us to drift apart. And after I became Captain of Second Squad it just widened the gap. Does that answer your question?"

"Yeah," he nodded. Cal could tell there was more to the story, but he didn't want to make her upset.

"Hey don't get all down on me," she said she ruffled his spiky black hair. "Two minutes are up. Let's get to work on those traps. I want to hear them scream."

(The next day)

Grasping the mock rifle in his hand, Cal pointed the wooden knife blade taped under the barrel straight ahead. For combat training that day, First Squad was focusing on bayonet combat and Cal had drawn Zola as his opponent. The merciless summer sun beat down on them from overhead while the ground radiated with reflected heat as both were drenched in sweat.

"Begin," Salia called. Zola struck first, her bayonet thrusting forward. Cal countered with a rising block from the flat of his barrel, twisting around before striking back with the butt of his stock. Zola bent out of the way and spun around him as Cal realized she was trying to cop a feel on his rear again. Which is just what he hoped she would do. Twisting the opposite direction, Cal swiped his leg at Zola's ankle, tripping her so she fell onto her back. Before she could get out of the way, Cal had already pounced on top of her, one leg pinning her arm and the second planted into her knee as his bayonet pointed right at her throat. Zola looked up to him in shock but gave an impressed smirk as she raised her hand in defeat.

"Win for Cal." Salia announced. The rest of the squad could only gape in amazement. Even Hilda had to admit being able to defeat Zola was impressive. Up to now only Salia had managed that.

"Not bad," Zola admitted. Cal offered her his hand, but Zola pulled him down, wrapping her arms around his head to hold his face into her bosom. Cal tried to push her off, but she wrapped her legs around his waist to hold him firm.

"Captain I can't breathe!" Cal muffled, the scent of gooseberry and strawberry filling his senses.

"What are you doing to him?" Naomi shouted.

"Captain get off of him!" Salia ordered. Zola however just smiled mockingly while stroking the back of Cal's head.

"Aw don't get jealous you two. I'm just giving him a hug." Cal put his hands under Zola's chest and pulled back hard to get some air. But he lost his footing and he fell with Zola on top of him, the impact and weight of her knocking the wind out of him. Finally, she got off him and helped him to his feet. "Looks like your training is starting to pay off." Zola said wrapping her arm around his shoulder leading him to the rest of the squad. "You should take a few notes Hilda." Hilda pouted in embarrassment. Next up was Salia and Naomi. As the others watched the two of them square off, Cal decided maybe now would be a good time to ask.

"Erm…Captain."

"Yeah sexy."

"I was wondering about Scarlett." Zola's smile disappeared.

"What about her?" Zola asked with a hint of venom in her tone.

"She told me that you and her used to be really close. But to me it seems as if you hate each other."

"Hey," Hilda snapped. "Mind your own business!"

"Cool it Hilda." Zola shot her a warning glance and the redhead immediately shut up. "Yeah, the two of us came here when we were little and became close friends. We used to be a good tag team when it came to combat but…" Zola stopped as she looked slightly annoyed. "She and I were a thing, but things changed. Does that answer your question?"

"I'm sorry Captain," Cal apologised, feeling as if he had reopened a wound that hadn't healed. "I shouldn't have been noisy." Zola chuckled and pulled him against her.

"You're so cute. Don't worry about it. Besides, I've got these three to keep me company." With her free hand, she pulled in Hilda, Rosalie and Chris. "We're all Norma here so we do what we need do to keep each other happy." Chris and Rosalie blushed but Hilda just stared off to the side with a blank expression. Unknown to her, Cal had noticed her look and was puzzled by it. 'She's always around Zola,' he thought. 'She practically glues herself to her side so why does she look sad?'

"Are you ready Cal?" Salia asked.

"Ready."

"Begin combat simulation Gamma. Difficulty 6." On the exterior monitor, Salia watched as Cal piloted his Para-mail towards the oncoming swarm. Angling his gun, Cal used the recoil to help guide his barrage into the thickest cluster of enemies. Schooners fell by the wayside but the rest of them scattered in all directions. 'Just one more mission and I'll be rid of this damn thing,' he thought. A sudden roar caught his attention, and he looked up to see a Frigate bearing down on him. The larger DRAGON snapped its tail, sending a mass of quills Cal's way, forcing him to barrel roll to avoid getting hit. The Frigate lunged and snapped but Cal dove seaward before looping up, his engines cutting off to drop down on the Frigate and plunge his freeze bullet into the nape of its neck.

"Good work Cal," Salia praised. The move he had used to take out the Corvette on his first mission had become something of a signature move of his in both combat and the simulations. Vivian named it the 'Cal Death Drop' and the other pilots and armorers had taken it up as well. Meanwhile, the remaining Schooners turned around for a second pass. Rather than waste bullets trying to shoot them at range, Cal drew his sword and plunged head long into them, his Paramail a whirlwind of slashing steel and hot lead that tore them to shreds.

"Mission complete," Salia announced. "Time 1 minute, 34.45 seconds. That's a new record for you." Across Cal's visor, a list of successful combatants scrolled across his vision, and he saw he was ranked 195th. Throughout the the generations and years of Arzanel, there had been hundreds of pilots and all their scores and times had been recorded. Only one, the '1000 DRAGON Slayer,' was ranked 1st in every mission. The only ones in their squad who came close to that was Salia at 64th and Zola at 69th. As Cal climbed out of the simulator, Salia handed him his water bottle. "Keep this up and you might make it into the top 100."

"That's the plan," Cal said as he took a drink. "I really appreciate you helping me out. If it wasn't for you coaching me back in that first week, I might have been lizard food."

"Well," Salia said with a blush, "It's my job as Vice-Captain to look out for new recruits."

"Damn it!" someone yelled. "That was supposed to be my kill!" Cal and Salia looked further down the row of simulators where Naomi and Hilda were engaged in their own scenario.

"It's not my fault you're dragging behind," Naomi remarked. Cal couldn't help smirking at seeing Hilda getting the same kind of grief she gave him. As he and Salia walked over to see what was going on, Cal's hand brushed against hers and her blush deepened. Salia edged her hand closer, wanting nothing more than to hold his but stopped herself. 'Come on Salia get a hold of yourself, what will people think if they saw?' Naomi and Hilda meanwhile stepped out of their respective simulators. Naomi had a brightened expression while Hilda looked as if she had bitten into something sour. "Ah come cheer up," Naomi teased. "Don't be a sore loser."

"Whatever." Hilda puffed, "You got lucky this time."

"If you say so." Naomi joked as she spotted Cal and Salia. "Hey guys, what's up?"

"Hi Naomi," Salia answered. "Captain Zola asked me to collect the simulator data of everyone's progress for today."

"Couldn't she have she done that herself?" Naomi asked.

"It was the Commander's orders. It's almost time to see what Para-mail model he'll be assigned to."

"I'd like to get one like Vivian's," Cal said as he glanced at Hilda. "Maybe then I'll be fast enough to keep people from stealing my kills."

"Oh yeah," Hilda shot back. "I didn't see your name on them."

"Come on I'm trying to save up for a new rifle," he groaned.

"Well if you're that desperate you could always pose for more photos," she smirked. Cal's face went beet red as Hilda tossed back her head and hit him in the face with her pigtail. It had become her favourite way to dismiss him. He almost suspected Hilda had been the one taking the photos, but he doubted since she was one of the higher earners in their squad. The two most likely suspects in his eyes were either Captain Zola or Rosalie.

"Well," Salia said, "I doubt you'll get a Razor. Your role in the squad is determined by your performance, style, and experience. From the way you fight, I'd wager the Commander and Captain will assign you to light artillery like Rosalie and Naomi." That could be nice. Having a pair of cannons would definitely increase his odds of scoring a hit before Hilda could steal it away again.

"Hey Cal, afterwards do you wanna hit the Arcade?" Naomi asked.

"It'll have to wait. I'm gonna hit the showers and then I have to help Jasmine out." Naomi pouted in disappointment. "Don't worry it won't take long. I'll come and find you after I finish." Naomi's face lit up and she pulled Cal into a hug. Salia felt a little annoyed, mostly at herself for getting jealous. Naomi was so confident around Cal. She could hug and hold his hand and not worry about what others thought. 'Stop it Salia. Try and think professionally.'

"You'd better," she told him with a wink. "See you then."

"Hey Salia." Cal asked as Naomi walked off. "I never see you around the Arcade. Why not have a few matches with us?"

"I'm not really into that kind of stuff," Salia answered. "I'm just about to burst with paperwork." Cal patted her on the back making her tense up.

"Ah come on Salia. Just have one game with me. I promise it'll be fun." Salia blushed at the sensation of being touched by a man. Cal's hands were quite big and a lot stronger than a girl's.

"I'll…think about it," she promised.

"That's the spirit!"

"Well come on. If you wanna use the showers, I'll come along to make sure no one comes in." Unbeknownst to them, a certain Captain was listening in on them and playfully smirked. 'Now's my chance.' Zola decided as she rushed off before Cal and Salia saw her.

Outside the locker room door, Salia stood guard to chase off the girls that had followed them there. After rinsing off in the shower, Cal wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped out onto the onsen. As the steam from the showers had fogged up the door, Cal didn't realize he wasn't alone until she spoke.

"Well hello there handsome." Cal froze and turned around, his eyes bulging at the sight of Captain Zola sitting at one of the outer showers, water dripped down her toned voluptuous figure and voluminous blonde hair.

"Oh my god Captain!" he cried in a panic his hands covering his eyes. "I am so sorry. I should have checked if someone was in here!" Zola smiled as she couldn't help but find the situation he was in rather amusing.

"It's okay. I don't mind at all. Look all you want." Cal didn't know what to do. His mind and pulse were both racing. He had just started to back towards the door when he felt Zola's hand reach out and grab his arm. "Hey, since you're here, how about you give me hand. I could use some help washing my back."

"Erm…okay," he gulped. Cal grabbed one of the stools and sat down beside her. Zola handed him a sponge soaked in foam as Cal nervously wiped up and down, his eyes angled up so as not to see something he shouldn't. As he washed her back, Zola began to moan.

"Mmmmm. You're pretty good at this. Have you done this before?"

"No…I always washed myself. Plus, the only thing me and my Gramps had was a small shower."

"I see…" she giggled. As Cal washed her lower back, he noticed the multiple scars around her back that looked very old. Without warning Zola grabbed his wrists and pulled him into her as Cal picked up the familiar smell of gooseberries and strawberries. Caught off guard, Cal felt as if he were about to explode like a boiling kettle. "My, my," Zola whispered as she took his hands and laid them over her stomach. "Are you getting excited. You're so naughty." As if in a trance, Cal's hands started to travel all along the front of her body and up to her ample breast. Zola bit her lip and Cal managed to regain his senses enough to push himself away to wash himself. Zola watched him and licked her lips. As Cal lathered his arms, Zola sneaked up behind him as quietly as a Ninja and felt her slender arms wrap around him.

"It's only fair that I wash your back as well, right?" Zola teased. Cal looked around with an embarrassed look.

"I…I…er…" Zola gently pressed her finger against his lips.

"Shh. Just let me do it." Cal nodded slightly as Zola slowly but carefully washed his back. He had to admit it did feel really good. Suddenly, Zola pressed herself against his back, her ample breasts pushing into him. Cal had never felt anything like it. They were soft but firm and incredibly hot. Like a pair of heated globular pillows. He could feel their peaks burning into him as as Zola rested her chin on his shoulder, her fingers tracing his firm chest and arms.

"Why are you doing this Captain?" Cal asked.

"Because you're the only man on this hell hole kid. I've always wanted to do this. I've had dreams of this. And now that you're here, it's even better than I thought. What's wrong? Do you not feel the same?" Cal didn't know what to think. The sensations he was feeling were so strange and alien to him that he wanted to flee. But he couldn't deny that he liked the way she felt against him. Cal shrugged his shoulders and was caught by surprise when Zola quickly leaned in and bit his neck, sucking on his flesh to leave a mouth shaped mark. Untangling himself from Zola, Cal got up to leave. He felt that if he got in the sauna with how hot his body was, he would explode like a bomb. "Where are you going?" Zola asked.

"I think I'll just use the shower today."

"Okay then. Goodnight, Cal." Zola called smiling warmly. He opened the sliding doors and jumped in the shower closest to the locker room door. Running the water on the coldest it would go; Cal was able to cool down. Once done, he quickly dried himself off and was still in the process of changing when he rushed past Salia.

"Cal what's wrong?" She called, not getting an answer. Back in the onsen, Zola leaned back against the rear ledge. 'That kid is something else,' she thought. 'And I thought men would practically give themselves up for an opportunity like this.' With a stretch, Zola lifted her legs up from the water, 'At least he liked it to some degree. I've got him exactly where I want him. I'll get to experience him fully soon.' She sank back drifting into thought about how different Cal would be from another woman. She thought about his firm chest that had become more muscular since he first arrived as her hand started to travel down to a certain spot and pleasure took her over.

AUTHORS NOTES

Well, another chapter done now let's take a look at my other OC who is a Norma, Scarlett.

Scarlett

Height: 5' 7", 171 cm

Age: 24

Eyes: Scarlet Red

Hair: Dark Red

Weight: 60kgs

Build: Slim, Muscular (think Casca from Berserk for example.)

Voice actor: Colleen Clinkenbeard (Erza, Fairy Tail)

Backstory: Unlike most Norma Scarlett discovered by the Norma Management Board at the age of 6, like everyone else she was brough to Arzanel where she met another girl who had been here a year prior named Zola. Immediately the two became best friends, having top grades in the class which resulted in both of them being assigned to the First Squad. Scarlett tried her hardest to be the best but was always overshadowed by her best friend, but she never held it against her. During their young age she along with Zola were the first to sign up in joining Libertus but were turned down due to their young age, a decision that most likely saved their lives. Soon as Scarlett turned 15 her and Zola entered in a relationship together, they both loved each other deeply but that all changed 6 years later when Zola lost her eye in combat. After this Zola's attitude changed and she became more hedonism as she decided to enjoy herself as much as possible thinking her life had no meaning to this world. This caused a rift in their relationship since Zola became more dominant and possessive in the relationship. Eventually the two split and Scarlett was promoted to Captain of the Second Squad as her skills and talents were recognized by Jill. She keesp a strict but caring role to her squad mates and is still good friends with Ersha and Naomi, but she never got over her fallout with Zola and releases all her negative energy into body building at Arzanel's gym. For years she has tried to find her perfect gym partner since none of her girls can keep up with her, now with a man on the Island her new target is Cal.