CHAPTER 27

CLUMSY SAVIOR

"Oh, you're awake." Still in complete bewilderment and shock, Ange's eyes twitched at how strangely casual the boy was being. As if waking up next to a strange girl who was also naked was something completely normal. 'What? Who? Why? Nude? Tied up? What the hell is going on!?' As if realizing what she was thinking, he quickly jumped out of bed and pulled on some nearby pants. Ange looked around and spotted her plug suit laid out on a table next to a clay stove.

"Sorry. I had to restrain you just in case," her captor said as he poured a cup of coffee from a pot on the stove. "Tell me, how did you…" Before the boy could finish his foot stepped on an empty bottle and he pitched forward, his face planting itself right between her legs. "Wait! I wasn't…" he tried to say before Ange shrieked at the top of her lungs, slamming her knee into the boy's face, and stunning him long enough to slip her legs underneath him and flip him over her. The flimsy headboard of twigs smashed from the impact and Ange snapped the restraints. After covering herself with the bedsheet, Ange tore across the room and snatched her plug suit before fleeing the cave, being sure to stomp on the pervert as she fled. 'Where the hell am I?' she wondered. The last thing she remembered was Miranda's unit flying away as water filled her cockpit.

After putting some distance between herself and that pervert, Ange dressed and slowly wandered through the jungle until she came to a cove. Crystal blue water lapped at a stretch of white sand beach. And resting on the beach as if taking a rest was Villkiss. Feeling relieved, Ange ran up to her unit and turned the activation key, but nothing happened. 'Come on. Why isn't it working?' Ange mashed the buttons in frustration, then climbed back out when she noticed the burn marks around the lower vents. Checking inside, Ange reached her hand in and pulled out a clump of rose-colored underwear.

"What the hell?" she wondered before she remembered the smug look on Hilda's face.

"Need a hand your highness."

All the anger and frustration finally boiled over as Ange began to tear up the underwear in a fit of rage. "Damn you…you…you BITCH!"

"Well, that's a little extreme." Someone said. Ange looked up and who should she see but that pervert walking towards her. In addition to his pants, he now wore a green shirt over his lank frame. "I saved your life and this how you…" But the boy didn't even finish before Ange drew her gun and fired a warning shot into the sand inches from his feet.

"Come any closer and I'll shoot!" Ange threatened.

"Woah woah calm down!" The boy pleaded with raised hands. "I don't mean you any harm I swear! Besides, you already shot at me!"

"You tied me up, stripped me and cuddled me while I was naked!" Ange glowered at him, her gun hand shaking with anger.

"Okay I guess that's fair." The boy sheepishly admitted.

"I bet if I hadn't woken up you would have done something even more indecent to me!" 'And I thought that perverted male Norma was bad enough.' Ange thought.

"What do you mean more indecent?" The boy asked. "You think I'd do something despicable like that? Would I grab a girls perfectly round breast while she was unconscious? Have my way with her smooth defenceless flesh? Experience every nook and cranny of the female body?" Ange flushed in a mixture of rage and embarrassment. Was this guy not listening to himself? "Do I really look like that kind of guy?"

"You sure as hell sound like you are!" Ange yelled at him. "You're a creep and a pervert, you come anywhere near me, and I'll kill you!" Ange approached him slowly and carefully, ready to shoot if he so much as moved.

"No please don't hurt me." He protested. "I was only trying to help…GHAAHHH!" Unknown to him, his foot had landed next to a small crab that pinched his exposed little toe through his sandals. The boy leaped forward and wound up crashing into Ange. Once the dust had cleared, Ange's face turned beet read as she saw that he had once more planted his face in her crotch. After a short chase through the jungle in which several gunshots were fired, Ange finally caught the pervert and left him tied to a tree.

"And stay there you sick freak!" She spat as she stormed off.

"Come on don't leave me." The boy pleaded. "I swear I didn't mean too!"

With Ange and Villkiss now missing past the 12-hour mark, the Command Centre ran busier than usual. On top of that Cal had struck one of the security personnel and had refused to use Siegfried to locate both Villkiss and Ange. Overall, Commander Jill's patience was even more strained than usual. Putting out her cigarette out in her ashtray, Jill ordered Olivier to check in with the transport that Mei and Salia were piloting. "Have you located unit Ange yet, over." Jill asked over the radio.

"Negative Commander. We haven't located Ange nor Villkiss." Salia replied. "We're now moving on to the next sector. Over."

"Keep searching, return the sooner you run low on fuel." Jill ordered. "We'll search tomorrow if you find no results on Ange or Villkiss."

"Vivian! Stop eating the Brownies!" Jill heard Ersha scold.

"Hey! Save some for the rest of us!" Mei complained.

Jill scowled as she cut the line and felt a headache coming on. 'Damn kid.' She pondered rubbing her temple. 'He always jumps instead of thinking!' She knew Cal was rightfully concerned for his younger comrade, but he had overstepped the mark and questioned her authority once again. 'If I can't get him under control then how am I supposed to get Ange to fall in line when the time comes? That is if she's alive, but we need Siegfried to locate Villkiss.' Her train of thought was cut by a panic-stricken Inspector Bronson who was currently speaking to her father via Mana screen.

"I should have been notified about this earlier! Both me AND the Commander need time to prepare!" Her sudden outburst caused even the Command Staff to turn around where they noticed how pallid she suddenly looked.

"Don't worry Emma the NMB informed me Corporal Eric Lawrence isn't too troubled on having a big fuss made about his arrival. He's just there to do his job same as you." Mr Bronson urged in an effort to get his daughter to calm down. "All the information will be sent to you by the committee. Just make sure the Norma are on their best behaviour when he arrives." Once her call had ended, Emma sunk into her chair.

"What was that all about?" Jill asked.

"First I have to deal with that hooligan!" Emma said faintly. "You need to get him under control. I caught him red handed trying to sneak down to the prison ward to visit pilot Miranda."

"Don't worry, I'll get a hold of him when I get the chance." Jill promised through a clenched jaw. "But if you would…"

"Yes of course," Emma sighed as she swallowed the lump in her throat. "My Father and the committee have just informed me that…that…"

"Well spit it out." Jill urged.

"They have chosen a suitable bodyguard for my protection." Emma bit her nail. "A Corporal from Rosenblum and he'll be arriving the day after tomorrow!" The Command staff all gasped loudly from this latest news but returned to work when Jill gave them a warning glance.

"Why was I not informed of this?!" Jill demanded.

"I don't know but if we don't get everything ready just imagine what kind of mark it'll leave on my record!" Emma worried. "You saw how the Norma acted when that deviant arrived just imagine what they'll do to fresh meat!" Jill tapped her prosthetic fingers on the desk. With this sudden complication she would have to inform the others immediately. However, Salia wasn't on base, and Cal was being a brat.

"Don't worry I'll handle the Norma. We'll have everything prepared for when he arrives."

"I should hope so." Emma agreed feeling a lot of weight off her shoulders. "If you'll excuse me, we have to sort out the paperwork for the Norma Management Board for the Corporal's arrival, they'll need your input." 'Wouldn't make a difference if I had my say.' Jill thought as she lit up another cigarette. 'I'm a Norma not Human.'

"Pamela you're in charge until I get back. Stay connected with Warhammer 019-210. Contact me at once if they find unit Ange." As Jill followed the inspector, she felt a sudden dread. If she couldn't get Cal under control, then having another human on base let alone another man might make him do something stupid if provoked.

Once the inspector and Commander left the command staff didn't hesitate to discuss what they heard. "I heard the rumours from Maggie during the celebration, but she was so drunk that night I didn't believe her." Olivier whispered.

"What do you think he looks like?" Pamela wondered. "I've only seen pictures of bodyguards in magazines."

"Corporal Eric Lawrence he's called. I hope he doesn't hurt Cal." Hikaru worried. "You all saw those injuries when he arrived. Who says they'll do it again?" The three gulped as they exchanged looks of nervousness and curiosity regarding who this Corporal Eric Lawrence was. Foremost in their minds was how he acted around Norma. And Cal being a male Norma could mean trouble.

"Cal can take care of himself." Pamela reassured. "I'm just surprised the Commander didn't throw him in solitary with Miranda."

"Poor Miranda suffered enough." Hikaru sighed. "Cal's not like that. He's just going through a tough time losing Naomi, Zola and Coco."

"I'm shocked myself that Cal hit one of the security personnel." Olivier muttered. "You know how they are since they're loyal to the Commander."

"Still, he shouldn't have done that." Pamela decided. "I overheard a few girls from second squad saying they always knew he was a violent psychopath."

"Yeah right," HIkaru scoffed. "Sadie probably. She's the biggest psycho here! I would have done the same if it were anyone of you. I should know. Cal's nothing like that."

"About that, I found a drawing of you inside one of your books." Pamela told her suspiciously. "I'm guessing Cal drew that."

"Well…one thing led to another…and…he asked if he could draw me." Hikaru blushed.

"No way!" Olivier gasped, going pink in the cheeks. "What was it like?!" Hikaru gave a shy smile hiding her face from her two friends.

"It was…an experience." She flustered.

"So, are you guys, you know?"

"Oh no we're just friends." Hikaru reassured.

"Just friends…" Pamela raised an eyebrow.

"…with benefits…" Hikaru giggled as she covered her face.

From inside the first squad showers, the hot sauna steamed up the sliding glass doors. Using the sauna during the wintertime made it even more relaxing as the heat protected them from the bitter cold. With the burn princess finally out of their hair; Hilda, Rosalie and Chris passed their time enjoying a much needed reprieve. Chris sat in between Rosalie's legs while Hilda sat at the other side, her hair tied up with a gleeful smirk on her face. "Ah, I could stay like this forever." Chris let out with a relaxed sigh.

"Her highness is finally out of our lives." Rosalie moaned stretching the stiffness out her back.

"I told you, just leave all your troubles to me." Hilda leaned back till the hot water touched her chin, overjoyed that her plan had worked. The image of that cold hearted bitch crashing into the ocean made her grin. But thinking on following events made her smile disappear. The image of Miranda being taken away to solitary and the look of confused terror on her face made Hilda feel a little guilty that she got dragged into it. From what Salia had said before she set out on a wild goose chase, Miranda wasn't suspected in causing the crash, but she was going to spend some time in solitary for deserting a comrade.

'That spoilt brat deserves to drown.' Hilda bitterly thought. 'I don't see why the newbie had to be detained for leaving her behind while Burn Princess didn't even get punished for getting Coco and Zola killed.' She then remembered how she had gone for her gun when security squad were ready to attack Cal. 'Why did I do that?' She questioned herself. 'Because he's my comrade. I wasn't going to stand by and…' But even that felt like an excuse. 'God stop it! This is Cal we're talking about. He's been through enough already with what he told us.'

"Hey Hilda, you okay? You look angry." Chris suddenly asked.

"Wh…what!"

"Aren't you glad that bitch is gone?" Rosalie wondered, raising her eyebrow at Hilda's conflicted expression.

"Of course, I am." Hilda coughed. "Just feel a little boiled." Spotting the rain clouds gathering across the skyline, Hilda climbed out. "Let's get inside, before this storm hits." Rosalie and Chris agreed, eager to return to Zola's old quarters for some fun. However that sinking guilt still played on Hilda's mind all throughout those hours. 'I'll make it up to Miranda.' She promised. 'I need to be a responsible Vice-Captain to my younger squad mate. And who knows she might become a great forth member of our group.'

Minutes turned into hours as the warm blue sky vanished behind the darkening veil of clouds. Unable to so much as get Villkiss to turn on, Ange searched the cockpit for anything that she could use. "Shouldn't these things have emergency rations, a radio or flares?" she wondered aloud.

'Think of it as our coffins.' Salia's first lesson echoed in her head. "Who am I kidding." Ange frowned in defeat and gave a startled yelp as something cold and wet lapped at her ankle. Ange looked down and realized that the sudden storm surge was pushing the tide in. "Just great!" she groaned as she jumped down into the freezing waist deep water that was already starting to fill the cockpit. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, it started to rain, and thunder cracked overhead like a canon. Ange dashed into the forest hoping to find whatever shelter she could and after a few minutes of wandering blindly and soaked to the skin, she found a large tree with a hollowed interior. It wasn't much of a shelter but at least it was somewhat dry. Sitting inside, Ange began to shiver from the cold, made all the worse by her flimsy plug suit. 'I don't see why all the plug suits couldn't be like the Male Norma's.' Aside from her mother's death, today was turning into one of the worst days of Ange's life. Cold, damp, hungry, and lost; it began to dawn on Ange how alone she actually was, and she only had herself to blame.

'You Norma are everything that is wrong with this world, especially you!'

Ange remembered screaming those words at Cal, who even after that had tried to help her acclimate to Arzenal.

"Why would he come for me? After the way I treated him." Ange realized. Especially after what happened to Coco.

'I just think you're so incredible Miss Ange.'

"OW!" A sudden pain like two burning needles made Ange leap up, looking down to her exposed thigh to see a snake daggling from her groin, its fangs sank into her flesh. With a quick swipe she managed to get the snake off before dashing back into the forest. Pushing on with no sense of hope or direction, Ange felt the bite burning as her leg felt more numb the longer she walked. 'The beach can't be this far.' Ange thought. She must have miss guessed the path she had taken. 'Where do I go, what should I do?' As her walk slowed to a limp, she looked down to see the snakebite had swollen and turned the color of a rotten plum. Her whole body began to grow weaker by the second and it only got worse the more she pressed on. 'Maybe I could find that guy's cave…maybe…maybe…' Finally, her legs gave way and she collapsed into the mud. Ange lay on her back, unable to do anything more than stare up at the rain falling down on her from above.

"Someone…" Ange whimper, "…help." 'Why did it have to end like this? At least I would have liked to go down fighting DRAGONS.' She didn't know why her mind was spinning all over the place. Just that she was tired, numb, unable to move and alone. Ange's vision began to blur, and the darkness moved in to claim her. 'No…nobody is coming for me…why would they? Nobody cares…and it's all my fault.' Ange felt the hot tears stream down her cheeks as she accepted her fate when something crunched through the litter towards her. Ange wearily opened her eyes and could just barely make out what looked like a human figure. "Help…" She begged before blacking out. In a state that was half awake and half dream, Ange felt a pair of hands gently cradle her as some kind of pillow was shoved under her head. A prick of pain and pressure touched her leg as she moaned before she felt herself lifted from the ground by those same hands that felt so familiar. Like the ones that wrapped a blanket around her all those weeks ago, the day after she lost everything. "Cal…" Ange wheezed weakly 'I'm sorry Cal…please…don't let me go.'

"Well, this isn't how I imagined myself after saving her life." Tusk sulked as he rested against the tree. It wasn't as if he couldn't free himself, but he didn't want to make things worse for himself and risk making that girl any angrier. Finally deciding enough time had passed, Tusk reached for his pocketknife and cut himself free of the now rain soaked vines. Glancing off toward where Villkiss lay, Tusk guessed that the girl was most likely seeking shelter from the storm. 'I hope she doesn't decide to shoot me again. But why isn't father's machine here looking for Villkiss?' Tusk wondered as he made his way to the beach. But no sooner had he turned past some scrub when who should he see laying in the mud but the girl in blue breathing heavily. "Hey are you okay?" Tusk asked as she cautiously approached.

"Help…" She begged before passing out.

"Crap." Tusk hurried to her side, cradling her in his arms, lifting her head up to check if she was breathing. "Hey, talk to me what's wrong?" It was then he saw the swollen bleeding holes in her inner thigh. 'A bush viper. Shit this is bad. How long ago was she bitten?!' With little time to waste. Tusk took his shirt off to make a makeshift pillow and gently placed it under the girl's head. Pulling open her legs, he clamped his mouth down on the wound and sucked as hard as he could. The girl let out weak groans of pain as Tusk spat out mouthful after mouthful of poisoned blood until satisfied he had sucked out the venom before picking her up and carrying her to his cave. Once home, he placed the girl onto his bed and administered some of his homemade anti-venom and dressed the wound. 'Good thing Father and Uncle Jacob showed me how to do this.' He thought. 'Hopefully she's through the worst of it.' Stripping the girl out of her soaked plug suit so he could dry her off, he finally noticed the green jewel on her ring. 'I knew it. I haven't seen a ring like that or Villkiss in over 10 years now.' Tusk still remembered that awful day clear as when it happened…

…Red and orange flames burned everywhere, smothering the destroyed buildings that now resembled giant tombstones while smoke blackened out even the sun. In the distance, a great black machine with 6 wings hovered in mid-air. All around the boy lay the mangled and broken bodies of both Norma and Ancient folk. Children and the few surviving adults who crawled out to their dead parents and comrades. And amongst them was his mother and Father. His Father lay on his side beside a broken and smashed black and red machine, the largest Para-mail of them all, Siegfried. His Mother lay bloodied in his Father's arms like husband and wife should, but not like this. "Mother! Father!" 6-year-old Tusk cried out trying desperately to wake them up. Though the panic and confusion he saw walking limply towards him a tall stern faced woman in a black rider suit holding her bloodied stump of an arm. And behind her, the machine of hope Villkiss was buried in flames.

"Tusk come on we have to get out of here!" Someone yelled.

"Uncle Jacob…" Tusk gasped in horror at the sight of his godfather. The left half of his face and shoulder burned and blistered, and his eye was milky and blind. Now he could hear something approaching and Tusk looked up to see dozens of Mana military hovercraft closing in when he was forcefully yanked to his feet.

"On your feet that's an order!" Jacob ordered.

"NO MOTHER, FATHER!" Tusk screamed as he struggled to get free…

…The mere memory of that day was a constant reminder to Tusk of hopeless his people's struggle was. But now, not only was Siegfried back but Villkiss too. 'Is Alektra really planning Libertus again?' He wondered. 'If so, I'll have to give Villkiss a look over. I never thought I'd see the day another pilot would be found. She must be something special.' He smiled down at the girl before him, dressing her in one of his father's old dress shirts before he covered her with the blanket. 'I wonder if Uncle Jacob knows about Villkiss's return. Whoever is piloting Siegfried has a real burden on their shoulders as Villkiss' knight.' And if Libertus were to begin again where would that place him? 'I don't deserve it. A knight needs to be brave and strong like my father. But me, I'm a coward who ran away.'

The last two days were turning into one of the most frustrating of Cal's time on Arzenal. Not only did he get into an intense argument with Commander Jill, but he was barred from visiting Miranda in solitary. Cal had tried to sneak down but was caught red handed by the Inspector who shouted herself hoarse at him. Even worse, his little incident with Security had spread around Arzenal like wildfire.

After a workout session with Scarlett that helped him work off some aggravation, the two of them sat in the cafeteria. Commander Jill wasn't joking about him having half rations until the end of the week as the chefs had given him a smaller portion of food. "What do you expect?" Scarlett asked through a mouthful. "I mean, I understand you wanting to look out for Miranda, but you can't just punch security and then mouth off to the Commander and not expect to get off without some misery." Many however didn't seem to share Scarlett's sympathy as around the cafeteria, some were giving him weary stares as if Cal was a wild dog that had gotten lose. "Ignore them. They'll forget all about it in a week and be back to stalking you like normal." Across the Cafeteria. Cal spotted Hilda, Rosalie and Chris eating merrily at another table and grimaced.

"You still having problems with Hilda?" Scarlett asked. "I thought you two reached an understanding."

"Actually, it's with Rosalie and Chris. I've still got stomach problems after their little stunt with the water bottle." Overall, going on a diet would be best. "I'll ask Maggie if she has anything to help with that after I get this brace took off tomorrow."

"Good, then you can start lifting your weights again." Scarlett noted. "And if you think I'll go easy on you forget it. We'll have to work double hard just to make up the slack." Cal was about to fire back when Inspector Emma Bronson suddenly approached them.

"Ahem. Pilot Cal, after you finish eating, I want to have a word with you."

"Anything for you Inspector." Cal smirked. "Though wouldn't the beach be more romantic?" Predictably Cal received a slap upside his head before Emma stomped off. After finishing his meagre lunch Scarlett wished him luck as he followed Inspector Bronson through the hallways to the upper levels of the island and into the interrogation room that was used for newly arrived Norma.

"Take a seat," she ordered. Cal pulled out a chair from the table in the centre and looked around at the various chains and tools hanging from the wall.

"If you're planning what I think your planning I have to admit this is a little too kinky for my taste Inspector." Cal joked. Emma simply ignored him.

"I have a few questions I have been meaning to ask you for some time." She began.

"A proposal? It's kind of sudden."

"Be quiet!" She snapped before composing herself. "I wanted to talk about Coco and what you said to her before she died." To his surprise, Cal felt a tiny hint of sadness in the Inspector's tone, almost as if she felt grief for a Norma's death. Well in any case, he had expected she would ask him about his past eventually. Luckily, Cal had rehearsed for this exact scenario.

"I see." Cal said plainly. Emma shot him a wary look.

"Well, you care to explain yourself."

"It's true." Cal spoke up. "Back when I lived with my parents, my Gramps had told me how when I was born, the humans had planned to kill me because I was a male Norma." He hoped he sounded convincing, but the Inspector had kept a stone gaze so he couldn't tell for sure.

"I didn't know you had a grandfather. Your case file said you didn't have any other family besides your mother and father."

"He wasn't related by blood." Cal told her. "He was a very close friend to my mother. But he was like family to me, so I called him Gramps." It technically wasn't a lie, not that mattered to the Inspector.

"And you believed him?"

"Well yeah. Have you heard of any other Male Norma out there in the world? I never had any reason not to believe him." Emma couldn't believe that she was having a calm conversation with the Male Norma. Everything he said seemed genuine but something about his arrival and the Mana craft carrying him going down in a lightning strike just didn't make sense.

"What happened to him and how did you survive the crash before you got here."

"Through sheer dumb luck!" Cal said rather fierce making Emma flinch. "If you really want to know, my Gramps was killed by the very humans who took me." This sudden revelation made Emma's eyes bulge as she thought back to that day Cal arrived covered in bruises and blood.

"I do not believe you." She finally said. "We humans don't kill our own. You Norma are here because you don't belong in a civil society." Emma tried to sound firm but inside she was trembling by Cal's sudden change in demeanour.

"If you believe that then I'm starting to question your intelligence." Cal said coldly. "Your kind may see us as monsters but to me, humans are the monsters. I lived in piece with my family until you all destroyed it and took everything away from me. Just like those innocent babies and every other Norma here." Emma sat glued to the chair, utterly lost for words. "If that's all, Chief Inspector Bronson," Cal saluted, "may I leave?"

With the Male Norma gone Emma sat on edge and alone in the dark holding cell room for a few moments when she received a sudden Mana call. Opening her Mana screen, she saw it was her father once again.

"Hello Papa."

"How's my pretty little girl." Mr Bronson smiled. "I have the files for Corporal Eric Lawrence. I hope you and the Norma are preparing for his arrival."

"We are Papa." Emma gulped. "I just hope he doesn't change his mind and want to leave. It will look bad on my behalf once it reaches the NMB.

"You may be his superior in terms of rank, but I must caution that you get the Norma on their best behaviour." Mr Bronson told her. "Corporal Lawrence may be assigned to protect you from future close ranged DRAGON attacks, but he is essentially a second pair of eyes to report back to the committee. And he has a zero-tolerance policy on bad behaviour."

'I guess that makes sense. He has worked as a bodyguard for two of the royal families.' Emma noted as she read through his file. "I'll make sure to do my job and keep the Norma in check. I promise I won't let you down Papa." Once the call had ended and Emma finished reading Corporal Eric Lawrence's file, she pulled up the Corporal's mugshot.

"Oh my." Emma gaped her cheeks turning crimson hot. He was a large man with neatly combed back navy-blue hair. His face was hard and chiselled with a very nice jaw line that gave Emma the indication he must work out a lot. His eyes were hazel brown and she guessed he looked in his late 20's. Her insides felt they had been filled with lead. The realisation she would be in the company of not only another human but a man besides that perverted male Norma made Emma giddy

'I will take great care of you dear Lieutenant Bronson.' She imagined her dream bodyguard kneeling before her, a beautiful banquette of flowers in hand as a token of his service.

"Pull yourself together Emma!" She squealed. "He's my personal bodyguard not my knight in shining armour!"

Eating her tray of food, Hilda looked up to Rosalie and Chris who were happier than they had ever been since the Burn Princess arrived. Though Hilda was the dominant one in bed she was never as aggressive as Zola which seemed to make Rosalie and Chris enjoy it more. Hilda however was less relaxed. In addition to her lingering guilt over Miranda, nasty rumours about Cal were spreading like wildfire which grated on Hilda's nerves for some unknown reason. From a table behind them, two armourists were having what sounded like an absorbing conversation. Then something of what they we're saying caught Hilda's ears and she paused to listen.

"So anyway," A plump girl was saying. "I told Terra to go and hide up in our quarters. She's terrified Cal might jump out and finish her off."

"How is she?" a girl with brown pigtails asked.

"Has a nasty bruise and a cut on her lip. She almost needed stitches." Hilda bit her lip resisting the temptation to give them a piece of her mind.

"But why would he do such a thing? Cal has always been so nice." The girl with pigtails said. "He's always helped people out in the mall. And he's also talk to me a few times. He never seemed the aggressive type."

"Hannah." the plump girl said doubtfully. "You never saw what he was like when angry. He almost looked like he was about to kill the princess yesterday. I'm telling you he's dangerous!"

"Bullshit!" Hilda snapped as she whirled around to face them, the two girls nearly jumping out of their skin. "Do you really think Cal goes around attacking people for no reason?! Or did you forget that bitch Terra tried to hit him first!? And all because he tried to help our younger recruit from getting thrown in solitary for no good reason! Instead of listening to whatever crap Terra says why don't you ask Cal what happened!?"

"And what, get attacked by him too!?" The plump girl fired back. "Why are you defending him? Everyone knows you don't like him."

"Yeah I do. And you know what I hate even more? People who talk shit about my squad mates." Hilda glared right into their frightened eyes as the two girls got the message and left without argument. With a tch of disgust, Hilda turned around to see Rosalie and Chris staring at her in astonishment. "What?" Hilda said.

"Nothing, just surprised." Rosalie said almost laughing.

"I never thought you would get so defensive over Cal." Chris giggled. "Maybe next time you'll finally join us."

"I'd rather bang the Burn Princess!" Hilda huffed. "I just can't stand bullshit rumours about those who don't deserve it. Zola taught me that." The mention of their former Captain's name brought down the mood and the three frowned.

"Come on, I've got a lot of pent-up energy left from putting up with the burn Princess." Rosalie urged.

"You two go on ahead I have something I need to do." Hilda said.

"Like what?" Chris asked.

"Shopping for ingredients." Hilda said as she picked up her tray.

"Ingredients?" Rosalie wondered.

"Don't ask me I thought she hated cooking." Chris remembered. "We'll just start without her. Just the two of us."

With the day coming to a close, the sky turned a blood orange across the horizon. By now, Ange had been missing for two days which made both Ersha and Salia very worried, although for different reasons. With fuel running low, the transport had headed back to resupply.

"It'll take 30 minutes to gas up," one Armorist announced.

"Too slow make it 15!" Mei ordered. From the hanger entrance, Ersha leaned against the stone wall sipping on her water and watching curiously as Salia followed after Jasmine along with Mei. 'Where are they going? I thought Salia was desperate to find Ange and her machine?"

"You seem eager." Ersha turned to see a familiar red head stroll over.

"Hilda."

"I don't get it. Why go out of your way to save someone like her?" Hilda asked leaning against the wall beside Ersha. "Even Cal has had enough of that bitch. It takes a lot to push him over the tipping point. I know you've always been a mother hen but damn." Ersha faced Hilda with a calm expression.

"I know you girls and Cal can't forgive Ange yet." Suddenly, Ersha's expression became stern and angry. "And why you would sabotage her machine. It was bad enough you decided to actually do it but what if Miranda had been blamed for it?" Hilda eyes flickered both out of surprise and guilt but she regained her usual proud manner.

"It wouldn't have come to that. I'd never let someone who didn't deserve it take the fall."

"Perhaps," Ersha said. "Still, if someone doesn't accept Ange, she'll always be alone. It doesn't matter if we're girls, or boy, or even a former princess. We're all Norma. I know in my heart that Cal will forgive her. He always bounces back and keeps on moving forward no matter the hardships he faces." Hilda simply scowled and turned her head away. "And besides she reminds me a lot about you Hilda and how you used to be when you first arrived." Being compared to Ange was bad enough but dragging up old wounds was even worse. "So no matter what happens I can't turn my back on her."

"That dirty skank really reminds you of me?" Hilda laughed. "Keep that up and you're next."

"You better not let Cal hear that. He won't be too happy if he found out you caused Ange's machine to malfunction and got Miranda put in a cell."

"Look if it makes you feel better, I'll make it up to Miranda tonight." Hilda sighed. "I'm supposed to be her Vice-Captain now and I've failed to look out for my rookie."

"That explains what you have there." Ersha noted as she nodded at the bag in her hand from which the smell of apples and cinnamon rose out of. "You better keep that away from Cal. He'll be attracted to it like a moth to a light."

"If he does, I'll kick him hard enough to turn him into a woman. One was enough for him." Hilda said trying to sound tough, even though her face was turning the same color as her hair.

"It's nice to see the real you come out. You should learn to show it more." Ersha beamed. "Who knows, you might catch Cal's eye." Hilda looked like she was about to deck Ersha, not that she'd stand a chance. "If I may say you sound just like Naomi when you show your true colors."

"What are you talking about?" Hilda blushed. "I'm nothing like Naomi." 'There's no way Cal would look at me that way.' Hilda thought making her head explode at the very thought.

"I remember when he first arrived you couldn't stand him." Ersha giggled. "Now you seem quite smitten. You two would make good friends. Or maybe something more."

"Oh shut up!" Hilda yelled as she stormed off as Vivian came skipping over with a large bag of rations for the search.

"What's wrong with Hilda?" Vivian asked.

"Nothing we just had a little chat." Ersha answered ruffling the younger Norma's hair. "She's just still a little angry about Captain Zola and what Cal told us yesterday."

"I don't get it. First she hates Big Bro, now she doesn't?"

"She doesn't hate him. Sometimes even grownups get complicated about their feelings."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll find out when you're older."

During his shift at the mall, Jasmine called Cal over for a private chat where she told him Commander Jill was holding another meeting in an hour. Once he arrived, the Commander and Maggie were already waiting. Jill still looked pissed with him, but Cal wasn't going to let her intimidate him. Minutes later Jasmine, Salia and Mei arrived along with Vulcan the dog trailing behind them.

"Great you're all here." Jill crushed her cigarette in her prosthetic palm. "Before I inform you why I called you all here, have you located any trace of Ange?" She looked to Salia but it was Mei who answered.

"No nothing." Salia didn't reply but kept her eyes on Cal not wanting to see the disappointment in Jill's face.

"Keep searching. Now, on to business, as some of you may know." Jill looked at Maggie with a particular hint of annoyance. "The NMB have decided that after the Category 5 attack that resulted in the Inspectors almost death, they are sending a personal bodyguard for her protection." The entire room went silent in shock.

"You're kidding. Another human?" Mei gasped.

"How is this allowed, I thought only one human was needed to oversee our duties." Salia frowned.

"It's a problem." Jasmine rubbed her chin. "Another human to keep an eye on."

"My thoughts exactly." Jill continued. "The committee have a habit of not sending anyone who's a pushover. Remember Jadis?" The very name inspired loathing and fear in all the women. "My guess is he has orders from the NMB to keep an eye on us. We don't know who this guy is, or what he is capable of. For all we know, they already know about Villkiss and sent him here to shut us down."

"So they're just using the Inspector's near escape from being eating alive as an excuse for someone competent to put their foot in the door?" Cal noted looking rather tense. Jill lips curled into a smile, glad Cal was catching on quick.

"Due to unfortunate circumstances, Corporal Eric Lawrence will be arriving tomorrow morning." Jill pulled out a printed a file of Corporal Eric Lawrence, his picture clipped to the top right of his file. Most cast unnerved looks at the mugshot of Corporal Eric Lawrence except for one person.

"Oh my, he's rather handsome, I hope he allows me to run some tests on him." Maggie purred.

"Rein it in Maggie!" Jill snapped. Salia looked to see Cal's left fist clenched, the nails digging into his palm. She gently took his hand in hers and seemingly put him at ease.

"Is something wrong Cal?" Jasmine asked, sensing the fury and seeing the almost murderous look in his eyes.

"Nothing, it's just he reminds me of the humans who attacked me and Gramps." Cal said his teeth bared. "Who's to say another one will do it again here?!" Vulcan whined and leaned against his braced right hand.

"Don't worry about that. Just be glad it's not Jadis," Jill reassured, lighting another cigarette. "When she was inspector, she was a bitch straight out of hell. But it's in their contract not to murder another Norma unless in a life and death situation."

"I'll see if I can boost the scanner range and accuracy, we don't want our guest to arrive during a Sortie." Jasmine suggested with a grin.

"I'll have my girls clear the upper launch strip." Mei said. "But me and Salia should head back. They'll almost be done with refuelling the Warhammer."

"Good, but make sure you return before curfew." Jill ordered. "I'll inform all team leaders and Squad Captains that all training and drills will be cut short. The Inspector wants to introduce the Corporal in the Cafeteria. As for you," Jill said as she glared at Cal, "stay here. I want to talk to you. The rest of you are dismissed." Jasmine gave Cal a pat on the shoulder, Salia glanced anxiously back before the door shut leaving Cal alone with Jill. 'What does she want with Cal?'

Once alone, Cal and Jill looked at each other for a few awkward seconds until Jill broke the silence. "I heard about what happened. Sneaking down to solitary to visit Miranda."

"I guess the Inspector told you that. What do you want an apology?" Cal said unconcerned. "You've already shown you care more about Ange than her."

"Look." Jill sighed, feeling she was hitting a dead end with him. "If you really want to help those you care about then we need Villkiss." Her words seemed to work as Cal's attention perked up. "You said you wanted to do everything in your power to free all Norma from this life. But you and Siegfried aren't enough. We need Villkiss and for Libertus to succeed, we need Ange to pilot it."

"But why do we need her?" Cal demanded. "She may be able to pilot that machine but that doesn't mean she's the only one who can. I bet Salia, Scarlett, Hilda or even Vivian could pilot Villkiss better."

"But you're forgetting something." Jill reminded pointing at her wrist. In response, like a light flickering on inside his head, Cal lifted his left sleeve to examine the red gemmed bracelet that activated Siegfried.

"So you mean to say…"

"You and Ange may hate each other's guts, but we need her ring." Jill told him. "That's why we have to recover Ange too. If things come to worst, bring back at least her left wrist." Cal gulped from Jill's cold tone. "Siegfried is the key, and we need Villkiss knight to find it. Understand?"

"Yes Commander." Cal saluted. "I'll join the search tomorrow with Salia and Mei."

"Good boy." Jill smiled. Cal was about to leave before he turned back to her. "Commander with your permission may I visit Miranda down in solitary." He tried to sound straight forward not wanting to rile her any further.

"Go before I change my mind." 'Goddammit Jasmine you really know how to get to me.' She thought. 'Jill the girl is only 12, she lost someone who was like a sister to her, you of all people know what it's like to lose a sister figure.' Once Cal left, she looked once more over the new Human joining Arzenal, dreading his arrival. 'I just hope he doesn't cause to much trouble, especially with Cal, if provoked he might do something we all might regret.' There was nothing she or anyone else could do other than prepare and plan for whatever steps they would have to take if this Corporal Eric Lawrence was going to be a problem.

After whom knew how long after she had blacked out, Ange finally awoke. Groaning as she pried her eyes open, she found herself back in the pervert's cave. She felt rather cozy and warm, but her body felt stiff, and her left leg was still sore and numb.

"Don't force yourself." Ange sat up and saw the pervert stirring a pot set on the stove. "I sucked out all the poison. But your body is still purging the remaining toxins. You've been asleep for over a day." Ange looked down and gave an annoyed glare seeing she had been stripped out of her plug suit and now wore a buttoned-up shirt. "Don't go there." The boy sighed. "I'm not the type to do anything to a girl who's paralysed." After pouring the contents of the pot into a wooden bowl, he sat in a chair next to the bed. "You would have died from the poison if I haven't gotten to you in time. You should learn from this and never go into a rainforest half-naked."

"Don't patronize me." Ange grumbled turning her head away until she smelled something.

"Here." She turned to see a spoon of what looked like stew which Ange looked at apprehensively. "It's food, when the last time you ate?" The boy asked gently.

"I don't want it. I don't know what's in that stuff." Ange said defiantly. Her stomach however betrayed her as it rumbled loudly.

"There's nothing weird in it I swear." The boy chuckled. Reluctantly Ange took a bite of the weird looking meat and swallowed.

"It's gross." Ange sulked. It was actually quite good, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction and simply opened up for another mouthful. "What is it?"

"It's sea snake." The boy told her making Ange reflexively gag. Despite her revulsion, she managed to swallow and slumped on the bed. 'I don't think I like snakes anymore,' she thought. "I hope you can learn to trust me a little now." The boy said as he continued to feed her. "Because I'd really appreciate you not punching and shooting at me anymore."

"I'll think about it." Ange said. Something about this guy didn't add up. He was a human who liked Norma. She didn't know anyone to care about Norma other than her parents and possibly Momoka. 'Come to think of it why hasn't he used his Mana yet?' Suddenly, Ange was distracted by the realisation of what he had done.

"What's wrong?" The boy asked.

"Did you say you sucked out the venom? With your mouth?!"

"Well…yeah. What else would I use?"

"Seriously!?" Ange blushed.

"But I had too…" The boy smiled nervously, turning blue. Ange's eye twitched and she lunged at him. "Yaowww! What the hell!?"

"YOU NEVER SAID I COULDN'T BITE YOU!"

With an exhausted sigh Miranda turned over on her rock-solid bed. No matter how much she adjusted herself she found it impossible to get comfortable. Solitary was worse than she had imagined. It was small, cold, lonely and the food was the worst. Only a glass of water and something disgusting called Food Loaf that looked as if it had been fished out of a toilet. Holding the covers over her face, Miranda began to cry into the thin sheet. She had lost Coco, had no one to help her, and now she was all alone. "Why is this happening to me, all I wanted was justice for Coco." She sobbed uncontrollably. "I just want Coco back. I had only her and now I have nobody.

"Pstt" Miranda lift herself up slightly hearing a faint whisper. "Hey Miranda, are you awake?" She squinted her eyes through the darkness and saw a tall muscular figure standing behind the bars.

"Cal you're here!" Miranda cried out. Jumping off her bed, she ran to the bars and stuck her arms out so she could hug Cal around the waist.

"Woah hey it's alright." He soothed stroking her head gently.

"I'm sorry." Miranda sobbed. "I just felt so hopeless. I didn't think I'd see anyone ever again."

"Shhh, you gotta be quiet." Cal hushed. "I got permission to see you but it's only a short visit." Miranda put her head between the bars burying her face into Cal's chest.

"I'm just so grateful that my tears won't stop. I'm so sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, but you'll be out here tomorrow I promise." Miranda looked up to him, her eyes puffy and red. "Look I haven't got long but take this." Cal reached for his satchel and pulled out a vanilla chocolate pudding, Coco's favourite. "Better than living on bread and water all day." Miranda beamed as she wiped her eyes.

"Thank you, Cal."

"Look just promise me that you won't do that again in battle." Cal knelt to her level. "I know how you feel. I still don't forgive Ange for what she did but we're a team and it's not you." He put both his hands on her shoulders. "Just promise me you won't lose who you are. The nice girl who was one of my first friends here. Okay?"

"I promise." She sniffed. Waving goodbye, Miranda sat back on the bed feeling a lot better and began to devour her pudding that was fresh and smooth. 'I promise I'll never hate these or Arzenal's food ever again.' But she vowed not to make pyramids out of them like Coco use to do.

Peering around the dark corners, Hilda crept against the walls trying to not to make a sound. Security personnel didn't seem to be close and with the coast clear, Hilda turned the corner into solitary.

"WHAA!" Hilda squeaked bumping right into Cal, dropping the bag she was holding, Cal caught it before it hit the ground. "Geez don't scare me like that!" She hissed, slapping him on the arm.

"Don't blame me I didn't…hey wait a minute what are you doing down here?" Cal questioned.

"It's none of your business but I thought I'd visit the rookie."

"I know what you did." Cal glowered at her.

"What…how…"

"I'm not stupid Hilda." Cal scolded. "I saw the look on your face when Miranda was taken away. It was pretty obvious. I don't know what you did but I know you were the one to sabotage Ange's machine." Hilda felt her heart hammer against her chest that it hurt, she had never seen Cal this angry before.

"I…look." Hilda sighed feeling the guilt overwhelm her. "I came down here to make it up to Miranda. If I knew she would have gotten involved I would have found another way. All I wanted was retribution for Zola." Cal saw tears welding in Hilda's eyes and decided not to be too harsh.

"I know I miss her too." He said solemnly. "What happened to Zola and how you felt about her. It's the only reason you're not in a cell too." Hilda wanted to argue back but decided against it knowing Cal was right about Miranda. "But you still owe me for not telling the commander." Cal smiled a hungry look in his eye. Hilda blushed covering her chest.

"You…you…pervert…" She caught herself as Cal pulled a warm slice of her apple pie out of the bag which he handed back to her. "Hey that's not for you!" She pouted.

"Not my fault your cooking kicks ass." Cal took a bite of apple pie, his face bursting with color from the juicy flavour. "Hey how come you never picked the apples during summer season. The kids and everyone else would love these for dessert." He said through a mouthful.

"I don't like apples." Hilda responded grimly. Just looking at the mini orchard in Ersha's garden plot reminded her of home.

"Well, you're a great cook. Almost as good as Ersha and Tanya." Hilda smirked as she rubbed her thumb at the side of Cal's lip and sucked a piece of the crumble.

"I wouldn't count on it." She admitted handing him another slice before going her way.

"Hey Hilda." Cal called back through a mouthful. "The pie is the best thing on this island!" Hilda gave a slight amused smile. 'God he's like a kid.' She mused, sneaking up to the bars she spotted Miranda spooning down the last of a Vanilla pudding. 'Looks like he had the same idea as me.'

"I see you're enjoying yourself." Hilda announced trying to sound cool.

"Uh…Vice Captain!" Miranda cried as she jumped up.

"Here take this." Hilda wrapped her remaining 3 slices of apple pie in a cloth and handed them to Miranda, her face beaming with excitement.

"Thank you, Vice-Captain. I don't know how to thank you.

"Don't worry about it newbie." Hilda said. "From now on just leave your problems to me. I'll look after you."

Walking back to his room Cal was glad he finally had it all to himself again. Having Ange as a roommate was a nightmare that he was glad to be done with though he had to admit there were sometimes when she wasn't a bitch. "Who am I kidding? I prefer having my room back to myself." Turning the door handle, Cal felt a tap on his shoulder and looked over to see Rosalie and Chris. Rosalie was dressed in a tiny black tank top that showed her midriff and a bit of underfoot with yellow shorts hiked right up to her buttocks while Chris wore a more modest white t shirt and green short shorts. Both were barefoot. "What are you two doing here?"

"Hilda hasn't returned so we wanted to bunk with you tonight." Rosalie purred, pushing her cleavage together. Cal however crossed his arms and frowned.

"I'd really rather not get the shits again." He grumbled.

"Oh come on!" Rosalie pouted. "We said we were sorry!"

"We just wanted to make it up to you." Chris blushed, twiddling her braid. "Can we please come in. I heard you've been drawing nude portrait of girls. Maybe we could be a part of your portfolio?" It didn't take long to make his mind up. He did have a lot of pent-up energy and he wasn't about to show them any mercy after what they put him through. Inviting them in Cal, gave them both a cheeky slap on their rears, the girls yelping in excitement and laughter.

"We'll looks like tonight's gonna be a long night."

"Please be gentle." Rosalie said nervously.

"What do you have in mind." Chris giggled. Opening his drawer Cal pulled out his sketchbook.

"Go ahead and pose for me." He requested with a perverted grin.

A bright beautiful morning sky greeted Ange as she woke up inside the cave. Her perverted saviour however was nowhere to be seen. Slipping on a pair of the boy's sandals Ange walked until she arrived at the beach to find the boy working on Villkiss. A tarp had been laid on the sand beside it, weighted down with a metal toolbox and several tools. "Oh hey." The boy greeted, as he unscrewed a panel. "I see you're okay to walk around now."

"What are you doing?" Ange asked leaning over to get a better look.

"Fixing it I hope."

"Can you?"

"Sometimes, Para-mail wrecks and parts would wash up on the shore here." He explained. "Studying them is a good way to pass the time. Oh, can you hand me that hex wrench?" Ange handed him the requested tool and her nagging suspicion about this guy had finally peaked.

"Why are you doing it by hand, why not use your Mana?" She got no reply. "How do you know about Para-mail? And what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere. Who exactly are you?" The boy didn't answer but Ange could have sworn she saw his shoulders tense. Finally he stood up to look her in the eye.

"I'm Tusk." He introduced himself. "And yeah that's my real name."

"That's not what I…"

"Ah I see." Tusk interrupted, removing a few burnt scraps from Villkiss's interior. "The output circuitry is completely fried. If I fix that then the radio should come back on. Then you can call your friends to come pick you up."

"Don't even bother." Ange told him as she sat down on the tarp. "Maybe it's best if I stayed dead."

"Don't say that. I'm sure they're really worried about you."

"I doubt it," Ange sighed as she pulled her knees up to her chest. "I screwed up. In a big way. Trust me. They'll be a lot happier with me gone." She doubted even someone as kind hearted as Cal would even bother coming for her. Ange just wished she could take it all back with him and Vivian, Ersha and especially Miranda. The three of them had been the only ones to treat her with kindness. And as for the latter, Ange couldn't blame her for leaving her to die after what happened to Coco.

"That's rough." Tusk mumbled. From what his father had told him about Arzenal, late arrivals always had a hard time adjusting. And if this girl could really pilot Villkiss then that meant she had to be from one of the human Royal Families. 'I was hoping to ask her about Siegfried and who's piloting it?' he remembered. 'But maybe what she really needs is a break.'

"You know, if you want to, you could stay with me for a little while." He offered. The girl looked up him, surprise in her beautiful ruby red eyes. "I promise I won't do anything weird." Finally, the girl smiled.

"Thanks."

"But still it won't hurt to try." Tusk vowed as he continued to work on Villkiss. "Pass me the spanner." Ange bent to grab the specific tool and saw Tusk's cheek flush pink from the corner of her eye. Too late, she realised that in bending over, the loose-fitting shirt had slipped open and was exposing a good amount of cleavage. Ange blushed as she covered her exposed breasts before bouncing the spanner at Tusk's head.

"Ow what did I do!?"

"For being a pervert!"

The next morning, most of the residents of Arzenal were enjoying their day as training and drills had been cut early. Everyone that is except Inspector Emma who paced up and down around the command centre.

"Will you try and relax." Jill scoffed. "You look like you're expecting another Category 5."

"Easy for you to say." The inspector cried wiping her forehead with a handkerchief. "I just wasn't expecting this day to arrive so soon." 'Funny how's she's more nervous of her own kind coming over here than we Norma are.' Jill mussed.

"Just keep it together. You're still in the highest position here as chief Lieutenant." Jill reminded her which did little to lessen Emma's tension. Emma's eyes flicked at every second of the clock in a state of excitement and dread. 'What if he doesn't like this place? What if the Norma are too much for him?' She panicked.

"Commander." Pamela said. "We have a Mana aircraft approaching from the north-west."

"Patch them through." Jill ordered.

"Attention aircraft you are entering a restricted air space identify yourself." Olivier said.

"This is Oxen-19, requesting permission for landing." A woman's stern voice answered. Olivier looked to the Commander and Inspector.

"Have them land on the second landing strip." Jill ordered.

"Permission granted." Olivier confirmed. "Land on the secondary launch strip on the northeast cliff of the island." Once the line was cut Inspector Emma began to shake.

"Let's meet our invited guest." Jill said. "You girls keep watch in case a singular opens."

"What was that about?" Hikaru asked once the Commander and Inspector left.

"It can't be the weekly supply aircraft," Olivier noted. "I wonder who's arriving."

"The commander said invited guest so it must be someone to meet with the Inspector." Pamela concluded.

The cold fresh air seemed to do the inspector some good seeing how she had calmed down. Jill and Emma had just arrived at the landing strip as the transport came into view. "You want one?" Jill asked as she offered a cigarette.

"No thank you. I don't smoke those horrible things." Emma grimaced. With their sudden rush to make it in time and with her guest arriving any second, Emma felt her heart drum against her lungs. Finally, the whine of the Mana transport's engines droned overhead and the vehicle began its slow descent. 'Come on stay strong Emma, you need to set a good first example.' She gulped. Emma and Jill looked up as the side aircraft door opened and the boarding ramp extended down to the tarmac. "Here we go." Emma stood strong trying to look professional as possible. Disembarking from the aircraft first was a woman dressed in the Rosenblum military pilot suit and followed a very large man. "Oh…oh dear…" Emma whispered.

"Good luck Corporal Sir." The woman saluted before returning inside the aircraft to. Standing before the two women was a man that looked slightly younger than the Commander, dressed in a sharp uniform of the Rosenblum military same as the Inspector, white and violet purple. His stand-up collared jacket was crisp white with the line of purple running down the middle that was held around his huge form by a black and gold belt. His sharp white and purple suit pants hung at perfect regulation length, just lightly brushing the polished black shoes that reflected the sun light.

'Well, he's a big guy.' Jill had to admit. He looked even taller than Gaz but unlike Gaz who was pure muscle this guy had a burlier shape that gave Jill the impression he was on the porkier side. He carried a large black duffel bag around his shoulder and a large suitcase in the other hand. His eyes were hidden by mirrored jet-black sunglasses that reflected the inspector and Jill on their lenses while his short navy-blue hair was combed back neatly. His overall appearance felt intimidating, but Jill wasn't so easy to feel small. As the transport lifted off, their newly arrived guest approached them, the large, chaffed hand raised to salute Inspector Emma Bronson who returned the gesture and felt as if she was about to pass out.

"Lieutenant Chief Inspector Bronson." The man's voice was loud and deep though it had a calm almost casual tone. "My name is Corporal Eric James Lawrence. On behalf of the Rosenblum committee and the Norma Management Board, I have been assigned to be your personal assistant and bodyguard."

TO BE CONTINUED…