CHAPTER 5

NEW SURROUNDINGS

From outside the first squad's locker room, Salia stood guard so Cal could shower without worrying about anyone barging in on him. Zola and the rest of the squad were still in training, so they picked up his boxers and his pilot's uniform from the second squad locker room. In her hands she carried a first aid kit so she could change Cal's bandage after he was done and her cheeks went bright pink at the thought of actually putting her hands on a man. She was just in the midst of checking her watch when who should appear but Zola and the others. Zola took one look at her and knew exactly what was going on.

"Nice work Salia," Zola teased. "I think I can handle him from here." Salia was about to respond only to divert her to keep Vivian from entering.

"You can't go in there. Cal's in there."

"So?" Vivian asked.

"Because…boys are different!" Salia cried, Vivian tilting her head as if questioning her sanity. In the midst of her distraction, Zola took her chance to slip by Salia and enter the locker room. "Captain! You can't go in there you'll make him uncomfortable." To no one's surprise Zola wasn't about to let that stop her and began to move towards the door that led to the showers.

"I'm just worried he's lonely in there. I think he might enjoy some company."

"I bet he would." Hilda scowled. "He's a pervert."

"Cal isn't a pervert," Naomi argued.

"Are you kidding? Did you see the way he looked at some of us in our plug suits?"

"Hey At least he doesn't try to feel us up like the Captain." Naomi fired back. Zola meanwhile had unzipped her top and was nearly through the shower room door when Salia and Naomi leapt in front of her with outstretched arms to block her way.

"Captain please, I'm not sure that's a good idea." Ersha protested. As Naomi and Salia held their ground, Chris finally noticed the pair of boxers lying on top of the laundry basket.

"Hey Rosalie check it out," Chris said as she held them up for all to see. Those not assembled by the shower door gathered around for a closer look.

"So that's what boys wear," Rosalie whispered. They were nothing at all compared to girls' underwear. They were like a pair of tight shorts that reached down to the thighs.

"Why do they have buttons at the front?" Vivian innocently asked. "Is it some kind of pocket?" Before anyone could answer, Hilda snatched them out of Chris's hands so she could examine them.

"I've got an idea," she smirked. "Why don't we hang these in the cafeteria so everyone can have a look."

"Don't you dare!" Salia ordered, still trying to hold Zola back.

"Yeah that's beyond mean!" Naomi agreed.

"Hey, newbies always get hazed." Hilda said. "It's tradition. Besides, he could stand to get knocked down a peg." Behind Hilda, a long shadow towered over the three girls. Rosalie and Chris grew terrified expressions and backed away. As Hilda wondered what they were looking at, a hand fell over her shoulder and she turned around to see Ersha leaning over her with a smile.

"I think that might be a little too far for a first prank don't you think?" Hilda gulped and immediately dropped the briefs back into the basket. Ersha hasn't been nicknamed the Arzenal Mauler for nothing.


Cal sighed as the let the hot sprinkling water wash over him; much better than washing off in a cold sink. Cal was certainly amazed by how the big the showers were here. This one probably had enough room for ten people. At the back of the washroom, a pair of sliding glass doors opened out onto a patio where what looked like a small pool wafting with steam had been built into the floor. An actual Onsen. He had always wanted to try one but with Salia waiting for him outside he didn't want to keep her waiting.

With a final rinse, Cal shut off the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, not noticing the commotion in the locker room until he opened the door. Captain Zola was trying to push her way past Salia and Naomi but wound up pushing Naomi too hard and the pink haired girl fell against Cal, grabbing on to his waist to keep herself from falling. Cal yelped in pain and Naomi jumped back in a panic.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry I didn't mean too." As Cal held his abdomen taking in deep breaths, everyone stopped what they were doing and a collective gasp rose among them. Without his plug suit or bandages Cal's entire body was covered with black and purple bruises. With the state he was in, even Hilda felt some pity for him.

"It's okay," he assured her. "Just got a little shook up that's all."

"Alright everyone out so he can change," Salia ordered. Once they left, Cal dressed back into his lower garments before calling Salia back in. Kneeling in front of him, she proceeded to wrap his abdomen in a new strip of gauze, her heart racing at how she was touching a man. Her eyes looked up into Cal's midsection and she gulped. He wasn't muscular but he was well toned and she had to force herself not to follow Zola's example to cop a feel.

"Hey you okay?" Cal asked snapping Salia out of her trance.

"Yes…yes, I'm fine. There that should do for now." With a fresh bandage on, Cal changed into his new uniform. Like the rest of the squad, the top was a midriff bearing white tunic trimmed in black though he had also been given a black tank top to wear underneath to cover his midsection. Also included was a waist belt that included a white satchel and a knife sheathe like his plug suit, and a jacket that was trimmed in maroon instead of blue. "So, what should I do now?"

"Why don't you head to the cafeteria and get something to eat," Salia suggested. "It's going to take us a while to wash up."

"Oh yeah. I'm starving!" he beamed. Salia couldn't help giggling. He was just like a child.

"Just take the south hallway back to the simulators then go right before you get there. I'll find you there and we'll pick up your room keys from Jasmine."

"Thanks." Cal gave her a thumbs up as he left. Outside the rest of First Squad was waiting for their chance to shower.

"I hope the vice-captain was gentle with you," Zola joked. "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"Nope I feel much better. She told me to go get something to eat so I'll see you all later." His stomach growled as he pushed past them only to yelp when Zola managed a quick slap on his rear.

"Take care of yourself now," she sang. Deciding to get away while he still had the chance, Cal hurried though the hallways. He found his way back to the simulators easily enough but after turning right, he must have taken a wrong turn. Unlike the island, there were no landmarks to help him get his bearings. After passing the simulator room a third time, Cal gave up and decided to just ask the next person he saw for directions.

"Cal!" someone called. He looked up and hurrying towards them were three familiar faces.

"Hiraku, Pamela, Oliver," he called back, the three beaming that he had remembered their names.

"How are you doing?" Hikaru asked.

"I'm trying to find the cafeteria but I think I'm lost."

"We were going there ourselves since it's our break." Pamela said. "We'll show you."

"Would you like to sit with us?" Oliver asked.

"I'd like to." Cal nodded; the three girls giddy with the notion that they got to eat with him first.


As she lathered her loose pink hair, Naomi couldn't stop thinking about how she had fallen into Cal and how toned he was. But the shock of his injuries had left her more than a little concerned. "Is Cal really okay?" she wondered aloud. "Who could do such a thing to him?"

"The humans probably," Salia said. While wrapping him she had noticed a print of a boot mark under his right rib where it was bruised the worst.

"That's mean." Vivian pouted before she perked up. "Hey! Why don't we do something to cheer him up. Maybe get him a present."

"I think he would like that very much," Ersha agreed.

"Well you certainly seem to like him," Hilda said. "Just because he's hurt doesn't mean he needs a pity party. We've all had worse from combat."

"Aw I think someone is a little jealous of the newbie." Zola teased while being bathed by Chris and Rosalie. "I have to admit he was rather impressive for his first simulation; I've never seen a first timer do a perfect loop at such a low altitude."

"Says you," Hilda retorted. "If he continues to be a show off it'll cost him and maybe us in the end."

"You're right but he wasn't as bad as Rosalie's first time." Zola joked. "Right Rosalie?" Rosalie gasped in embarrassment.

"Yeah…well…my first time was an experience." Her first launch had made her wet herself in fear and as punishment, she was made to clean out the entire interior of the simulator.

"Hilda's right." Salia said. "If he doesn't take this seriously, he'll get himself killed."

"Well we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen," Zola said. "I've never lost a rookie yet and I don't intend to start now. At least not until I get a taste of him." Salia and a few of the girls grimaced at Zola's comment.

"I think he'll do great," Vivian said. "Cal is awesome. He's got such badass skills."

"And don't you encourage him either," Salia sighed.


As he stood in line behind his three escorts, Cal took a moment to look around the cafeteria. A multilevel dining area, it was full of metal tables with bench seats big enough to fit three to four people on each side. All around him, Arzenal's residents stared at him with the same mixture of curiosity, uncertainty, and lust. Finally, the four of them reached the serving counter and Cal took one of the metal trays as Olivier and the others did. Behind the counter, an older woman with a chef uniform dumped a pile of food on his tray, Cal was disappointed with the portion and asked for another load. The chef shot him a questioning look but complied.

"Just don't waste it," she said. With his lunch in hand, Cal joined the command staff at one of the tables, the girls around him shocked by how much food he had.

"What is this anyway?" Cal asked. It looked like some kind of stew over white grains.

"You've never had curry and rice before?" Pamela asked. "It's really good."

"Ersha made it so you know it's the best," Oliver said, the other two nodding in agreement. With their assurance, Cal took one bite and felt as if he was in heaven. It was spicy, savoury, and Cal began stuffing his face, swallowing entire mouthfuls without chewing. He was already halfway done while the command staff had barely touched theirs. The reaction from those around him varied from amazement to disgust.

"Wow, boys sure have big appetites."

"He's really funny. I hope he sits next to us for super."

"He's even worse than Vivian."

"God what an absolute pig."

Cal however paid them no mind and continued to eat as if he hadn't had a meal in days.

"That was good," he sighed as he finished. "If every meal is this good then I'm going to like it here."

"You must have been starving," Hikaru noted.

"Well after so much rabbit stew, venison and wolf heart you get a craving for something different." The three of them looked at him as if he had gone crazy.

"You eat wolf heart?" Pamela asked.

"Gramps' rule was that we eat what we caught so most of what we ate was game," Cal said. "Well that and seafood."

"What kind?" Oliver asked.

"Mostly crab, mullet, abalones and clams. Salmon and Bass when they were in season. Sometimes, we'd even get lucky and a shark would come in close enough to shore for us to bring it in."

"Wow," Hikaru said. "We've got a beach out back beneath the north cliffs. If you set out some traps you could sell what you catch to Jasmine. I bet the Norma here would pay through the nose for fresh fish." Before they could elaborate further, a group of seven girls approached their table.

"Excuse me." One asked. "Are you the male Norma?"

"Yep." Cal answered. Some of them blushed slightly by how different and deep his voice was compared to a girl's.

"Wow that's so cool. We didn't think male Norma existed."

"Will you come sit with us?" Before he could answer, the girls clustered around them, squishing Cal between them and nearly shoving the command staff out of their seats.

"Can we feel your arms?" one asked, her hand already feeling his bicep.

"Wow they're so hard and toned."

"He could rival even Scarlett."

"Why don't you come to my room. I can give you a massage." Without warning one felt across his torso which made Cal wince in pain. In response, Hikaru hissed like an angry and the group backed off.

"Will you all leave him alone! He's really hurt!" Pamela yelled.

"Oh no. We're so sorry."

"Why don't you come with me and I'll take you to the infirmary?"

"I can treat your wounds myself."

"Wow you must be so tough." Pamela face palmed at how things were getting out of control while Hikaru got ready to launch herself across the table.

"All right break it up all of you!" Standing behind the girls, Salia had appeared with a clip board in her hands and an angry look on her face. "He's got things to do so give it a rest!"

"No fair Vice-Captain!"

"I bet she plans to keeps him all to herself."

"Greedy!" Salia ignored their complaints and gestured for Cal to follow her.

"Thanks for saving me, "Cal panted as he waved goodbye to the command staff. "What was that about?"

"Ignore them. Most of them have never see a man before in their life and you are the first boy to appear on Arzenal."

"Some of them are pretty scary. Especially the Captain. Why does she keep grabbing my butt?"

"She's "fond" of new recruits," Salia answered. "If anything happens just come tell me and I'll get her to stop." Cal nodded as he followed Salia and soon found himself at another interesting place. All around him was more stuff than he could imagine. Shelves full of everything from food to power tools, cases of jewellery, and racks of clothes. Mostly dresses. In one section, a group of Norma had clustered around what looked like a series of pool and ping pong tables along with game cabinets. On the wall overhead was a big purple sign with multi-colored letters that read 'Jasmine Mall.'

"What is this place?" he wondered.

"It's the Arzenal mall," she said. "It's one of the few amenities the humans allow us to have. If you have the cash you can spend it here however you want."

"Cash?" Cal said. "What's that?"

"The key to happiness kid." Salia grimaced as she turned around and saw Jasmine walking up to them. "Safety, companionship, peace of mind. All those things have a price. The only question is how much."

"Please don't give him the wrong ideas," Salia begged.

"I'm a realist hon," Jasmine said. "You don't get to be my age without becoming one." Turning to Cal, Jasmine looked him up and down. "So you're Cal huh? I was hoping to have a chance to talk with you. I'm sorry to hear about Gaz."

"Wait, you knew Gramps too?" he asked.

"He and I were good friends," she admitted with a sigh. "You've got a lot to live up to kid. Make sure that Gaz's sacrifice was worth it."

"I will Ma'am."

"Polite too," she said. "Good. Nice to see Gaz brought you up well. Keep it up and you'll do just find here." Salia was certainly shocked to find out Jasmine knew of Cal's existence as well. Did Maggie and Mei know? But if so, why didn't Jill tell her? Cal meanwhile suddenly tensed as he looked down and finally saw the yellow dog standing beside Jasmine. His eyes widened with fear a as he reflexively reached for his knife. The dog itself picked up on his fight or flight reaction and nervously growled.

"Vulcan down!" Jasmine ordered. The dog sank to the floor and Jasmine raised her hand to calm Cal down. "Easy kid. Vulcan wouldn't hurt a fly. In fact, he was a gift from your Gramps. Just give him some time and he'll get used to you." Cal took his hand away from his knife but kept his eyes on the dog. The sooner he got away from it the better. "That uniform doesn't look too comfortable," Jasmine noted.

"It's not," he said. Jasmine nodded and gestured for them to follow.

"Come on. We'll get you measured up for a custom made uniform and plug suit." As he they walked off, Cal saw something over the edge of one of the barriers dividing up the mall's sections that made him stop in his tracks. As if in a trance, he wandered away from Jasmine and Sal and stood in awe at what lay before him. Suspended on the wall above him were weapons bigger than anything he had ever seen before, way bigger than any human could wield. The sword hanging directly in front of him was longer than his old Skyhook.

"Impressive huh?" Behind him, Jasmine and Salia had followed after him after realizing he had wandered off on his own. "See anything that catches your eye?" The older woman asked.

"How…how can anyone use these?" he gaped.

"Take a look over there," Jasmine explained. Cal followed her direction and was greeted to another surprise. At the far end of the department, four towering mechanical figures looked down on the residents. All four were a dull grey colour with their own unique design.

"No way," he said. "You actually have Dagnums here?"

"I'm not sure what that is," Salia answered, "but these are Para-mail in Destroyer mode. When we engage DRAGONs, we convert them into this form for battle."

"This one here is a Glaive," Jasmine explained as she gestured to the winged machine. "It's the standard issue close combat model. As a rookie you'll be starting off with this one. It's not much on its own but its fully modular and widely customizable. With enough cash and the right setup, you could make it the most powerful units imaginable." She then gestured to the unit next to it. This one was burlier with heavier armour and shoulder mounted engines. From its clavicles, a pair of hardpoints rose up on which two canons with six chamber revolving magazines had been attached. "And this one's a Hauser. They're slower and less agile than the Glaives but they can take a lot more of a beating. We use them for heavy artillery and long-range support." The next unit was similar to the Glaive but thinner, with four wings extending from its upper back and hips. I almost reminded Cal of a fairy. "Razor's are our newest model but they're not available for open purchase yet. They're meant for high speed pursuit and interception so they're only available to pilots with top level reaction time." Finally, they stood before the last unit. Similar to the Glaive, instead of wings it mounted a pair of engine pods extending up from its upper back. "And this here is the Arquebus, the crème of the crop. Perfectly balanced like the Glaive but twice the performance. Only squad leaders and the best of the best are able to purchase one of these." Cal stood transfixed at the mechanical figures looming over him. The thought of being able to pilot something like that made him salivate. "Like a kid in a candy store, isn't he?" Jasmine grinned. Salia however was less than amused. She had seen that look on Jasmine's face before. Sales were to her like new recruits were to Zola.

"I think we've wasted enough time here Cal," she said. "We still have to pick up your medication from the Pharmacy."

"Huh? Oh yeah right." Continuing on his way, Cal cast a glance back at the towering machines and promised he'd be back. Later, at the changing rooms, Cal held out his arms as Jasmine measured him out with a roll of tape.

"So, what's this cash you keep talking about?" he asked. From out of her satchel, Salia pulled out a stack of green paper slips held together by an elastic band.

"Here," she said as she tossed it to him. "We receive it as compensation for doing our duty. That should be enough to get you situated for the next week. Just don't waste it on anything frivolous."

"Now Salia," Jasmine smirked. "I imagine the boy could use something to make him feel more at home. Why not let him treat himself?"

"I thought I asked you not to give him the wrong ideas?" Salia tensed. Cal looked down at the stack of bills and had to admit, the idea of being able to trade these slips of paper for anything he wanted was a good feeling. But Salia had told him to be responsible with it and everything she had told him was right so far. He'd wait until he started earning it himself, then do as Jasmine said and treat himself.

"Say, do you have chocolate eclairs here?" he wondered.

"Are you kidding kid?" Jasmine smirked as she wrote down his size. "Here at the mall, I sell everything from those to railguns. In the meantime, I'll get my girls to work on this. Should be ready in about a week so you can get it after your first big pay out."

"Hey Cal!" a familiar voice called. The group looked up and who should they see running towards them but Vivian, Ersha following after her with a look of resigned amusement. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Not at all," Ersha said as she held out the bag she was carrying. "We got you a little something to welcome you to Arzenal." Cal accepted the bag and looked inside, beaming as he saw a pencil set and a drawing pad. "We stopped by the classroom and the kids showed us the drawing you made for them. We thought you might be able to use this to make some more from what you see around Arzenal."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it," he said. One pencil in particular stuck out to him and he took it out for a closer look. On the eraser end was a what looked like a teddy bear that had been stitched together from broken off pieces of other stuffed animals. Its tongue stuck out from its mouth and both of its eyes were bulging.

"That's Perolina," Vivian said. "She's really popular here."

"Do you not like it?" Ersha asked.

"No really it's great," he told them. "It's just, well I guess I'd have the same look if something were stuck up my ass like that." Vivian broke out into a fit of near hysterical laughter though both Salia and Ersha blushed a bit at the tasteless joke. 'He's Gaz's kid alright,' Jasmine thought with a grin. Gaz had a crude sense of humour, but it was one of the things Jasmine had come to like about him over time.


After picking up his medication and a few extra essentials from the mall, Sala escorted Cal to the residential wing and stopped at a door labelled 13-A. "This is your room," she told him, handing him his keys along with two bags holding his initial supplies. "I doubt they'll assign you a roommate so you'll have it all to yourself. Roll call is at 5 A.M. Make sure you're ready for morning training."

"Got it," he said. Salia proceeded to walk away when Cal suddenly called out to her. "Hey Salia. Thanks for everything today." Salia stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"You're welcome," She finally said, hoping her blush wasn't too noticeable. Cal entered his room and took a look around. It wasn't much bigger than his old room from back at the cabin but it was a lot more barren. The only furniture was a pair of twin beds and matching wardrobes. At the rear, a single barred window gave a view of the ocean and the starlit sky.

Choosing the bed on the right, Cal began making himself at home. From one bag, he pulled out the linen so he could make his bed along with some toiletries and a small bottle of laundry detergent. From the other bag he pulled out another outfit which Salia had told him was "training gear;" a pair of green cargo pants, black tank top, grey elbow pads, and brown combat boots. As he further explored the room, he found a small sink which was a relief to him. He had been wearing the same pair of boxers for nearly two days and he was starting to feel dirty. After cleaning them and setting them on the sink edge to dry, he finally noticed how tired he was. Though he never liked sleeping in the nude, Cal settled into bed and drifted off. In doing so, he had failed to notice that he had forgotten to lock the door which slowly creaked open.


In Arzenal's top yard, nestled against the mountains in the northeast corner, was a small villa. As Inspector General for Arzenal, Emma Bronson was granted luxuries that surpassed even those of Commander Jill. However, leisure was not the reason she had locked herself inside all afternoon. She didn't want to run the risk of bumping into the male Norma unescorted. The thought of him getting his hands on her and having his way with her was too frightening to think about. So, she had spent most of the day trying to contact her superiors in the Norma Management Board. When they didn't call back, she had tried her father. As majority leader in the Rosemblum parliament, he was one of the few government officials outside of the cabinet with clearance to know about Arzenal.

Finally, just as night began to fall, Emma received a call back she had been waiting for. Through her Mana window a video feed of an older man with greying brown hair appeared.

"Hello Emma." Her father said fondly. "How's my baby girl doing?"

"I'm alright Papa." Emma smiled. "But what took you so long to call me back?"

"I'm sorry, there's just been a lot of files to fill out and meetings with the NMB in regard to the male Norma." Her father's face grew more serious. "Has he said anything vital that needs reporting to our superiors?"

"No nothing of importance," she groaned as she buried her face in his hands. "But that's the least of my problems. If he were a regular Norma I'd know how to handle him. But since he's a man there's no telling what sort of perverted thoughts he has. I can feel him undressing me with his eyes every time he looks at me."

"Emma take a deep breath," her father instructed. "You asked me to get you a position where you could prove yourself remember? And inspector of Arzenal is a very important role. You're the first line of defence keeping the Norma in line. You can't just up and quit because something unexpected happened."

"I know…but Papa…"

"It's okay," he assured her. "No filthy Norma is going to put his hand on my little girl. Just remind the Commander that if she doesn't keep him in line, she'll answer to me. And you still have the authority to discipline him however you see fit. You are the highest authority on Arzenal after all."

"I guess you're right," Emma agreed, a bit comforted with her father's assurance. "I'm just surprised a male Norma could even exist. How did this not get noticed until now, and his story of a Mana transport ship crashing with him as the sole survivor, something doesn't add up."

"Rest assured the NMB have investigated this matter thornily but you needn't worry, hopefully this male Norma is a one-time thing. Just don't be afraid of 'it'."

"Okay Papa. I'll try my best." The call got cut off and Emma leaned back to compose herself. 'Just treat him like the rest,' she told herself. 'He may be a man but he's still just a Norma.'


Now that he knew Emma was alright and that she wouldn't dig any deeper, Senator Bronson cut the call but could not relax. On the other side of his desk stood a tall, slim man in a navy-blue and black suit with gold lining with long silvery blonde hair draped down to his waste. A face that was feminine yet stern and his eyes were hidden by a pair of jet-black sunglasses. "Are you satisfied now?"

"You played the act well Bronson. Your daughter doesn't need to know the truth about where the male Norma came from or the matter of which he got to Arzenal. It would just cause her 'difficulty.'" Bronson wasn't sure what disturbed him more, the thinly veiled threat against his daughter or the complete lack of emotion with which his guest made it.

"I understand. But I hope the male Norma doesn't cause trouble for my daughter."

"It's her job to handle the Norma regardless of trouble or not. And if you both want to keep yourselves in good standing, I'd advise you to close this matter immediately and get on with your jobs. Understand?"

Bronson said nothing but he stood up to salute the mysterious young man.

"From now on anything your daughter sends you regarding the male Norma, you report it to me alone, not to your superiors, not the head of the NMB, to me only."

Bronson got the message but as the young man was about to leave Bronson without thinking stood up and blurted out. "Who are you?"

The young man turned his head half way and flashed a wicked twisted smirk. "The name's…Blackadder."

Once his office doors closed and he was alone Bronson slumped back into his chair. He had never heard of his man in his entire life but the way he carried himself told Bronson he was not one to be taken lightly. He just hoped Emma hadn't gotten herself into something too dangerous.


Alone Blackadder entered the elevator and with a small effort linked a private security code to the building, disabling and wiping out all of its Mana camera footage of his presence before opening a private line to a Non video. "Mr. Dutch Vision I presume." He spoke plainly.

"Who is this?" Dutch demanded. Ever since letting the boy escape and putting his entire career on the line, Dutch was not in the mood for games.

"My name is Blackadder. I assume Master Embryo told you about me." A sudden shuffling and Blackadder smiled as he imagined Dutch's face paling in fright.

"Yes that's correct. What can I do for you?"

"As I'm sure you know, Master Embryo has placed me in charge of the NMB while you recover from your wounds. But I'm interested to know your connection and past to the male Norma and his guardian." Blackadder could sense with a satisfied grin the humiliation and anger from master Embryo's old dog. "But I digress, I'm more interested in your investigations of the missing humans and Norma these past 15 years and their possible links to eachother.

Dutch growled. "If you really want to know, I believe there could possibly be a Connolly of humans helping and hiding Norma. But I'm yet to find any solid evidence or locations of my investigations of these disappearances."

"Don't worry Mr. Villson, I'll take it from here." The elevator doors opened Blackadder had disappeared.


The sudden blare of a bugle horn though the intercom made Cal lurch out of bed. It was still dark outside, and he wasn't sure where he was. 'Morning training,' he remembered. Quickly, he dressed into the training gear Salia had helped him purchase the previous day and gulped down two of the painkillers. 'That's weird,' he noted as he rushed out the door. 'I could have sworn it was closed.' A security team he encountered in the hall directed him to the upper yard where after emerging from the stairwell, he saw Captain Zola and the rest of First Squad standing in the training yard in front of the command centre. They all were dressed in the same ensemble as him though their tops were smaller and more revealing.

"Good," Zola said. "You're on time. I almost was afraid I'd have to come and wake you up myself."

"He'd probably love that," Hilda grumbled.

"So are you ready?" Zola asked. "Any pain?"

"Ready Captain," Cal saluted. "I got medication from Maggie, so I don't think I'll have any problems."

"Good," she said. "Because by the end of the day you're going to be rolling in it. You want to fly with us, you'd better be able to keep up out of your machine as well."

"Yes Ma'am." They started with a warmup exercise of stretching and light calisthenics followed by a jog around the training yard and finishing up with a cooldown of more calisthenics. It was pretty much the same as what Gramps had put him through. The session lasted an hour and when it was over, Zola lead them to the cafeteria for breakfast. The menu today was egg whites with bland porridge and canned fruit. Not very filling but Cal knew from experience that eating a heavy breakfast before physical activity was never a good idea. To his relief, Salia had saved him a place so he could sit with her Ersha, Vivian, and Naomi. Zola pouted a bit that Salia was keeping the fresh meat all to herself though the others were relieved, especially Hilda when she saw how he ate.

"How can he eat like that?" Rosalie gasped. "What is he a pig?"

"Pigs chew their food," Hilda snarked. How could he be so cheerful? Arzenal food was mediocre at best but he acted like it was the best thing he ever had.

"Such a manly appetite," Zola chuckled. "If his other appetites are just as big, I might need some help keeping him sated." Chris eeped at the thought while Hilda grimaced in disgust. Rosalie however grinned a bit at the possibility. Meanwhile Salia and the rest watched Cal scoff down his breakfast with a mixture of amazement and chagrin.

"Well if his pilot skills won't kill him his eating will." Naomi joked.

"And I thought Vivian had a big appetite." Ersha laughed. Salia on the other hand could only watch and cringe. Cal was nothing like the gentlemanly knights in shining Armor she had always fantasized about. But she had to admit he was pure and oddly enough quite charming in his own way. He was like a little kid who saw the best in everything.


After breakfast, it was time for heavier mid-morning training. Despite being pilots, the Norma of Arzanel were subjected to drills designed to maximize strength, stamina, firearms, and hand to hand combat. Their regiment today started off with strength training in the gym, though Cal found he had to take more breaks than he would have liked due to his injuries acting up. From there they went through a mile-long terrain run in full gear. That was a bit easier as Cal had plenty of experience hauling game home through the woods of his island though he still had to pace himself and wound up coming in dead last, much to Hilda's amusement.

Next was hand to hand combat sparing which Zola told him to sit out and watch so as to not aggravate his injuries any further. Cal had sparred with Gramps of course but these girls were something else. What they lacked in the size and strength Gramps had possessed, they made up for in speed and agility. Especially Salia who sparred with Zola, being able to match her Captain move for move despite the size and reach difference. Hilda and Naomi both seemed equal in combat but the way they went at it almost seemed as if they were trying to kill each other while Vivian treated her sparring with Chris more like a game, much to the silver haired girl's annoyance. Ersha though was the biggest surprise. The pinkette had picked up Rosalie like a rag doll and practically body slammed her. Cal made a mental note to NEVER get on her bad side.

After a quick trip to the locker room to change into their plug suits, First Squad's next stop was the shooting range where images of DRAGONs adorned with bullseyes had been set up for target practice. Under Salia's guidance, Cal demonstrated his proficiency with firearms; working up from pistols to shotguns and then to assault and sniper rifles. When the scores were tallied, Cal scored 6th place with a respectable 77.2%.

"Way to go Cal!" Vivian cheered as they headed back to the cafeteria for lunch.

"You're pretty good at this," Ersha said. "I can't believe you haven't you done this before."

"Well I used to hunt every day, so I know how to shoot," he admitted. "To be honest I'm better with a crossbow. They're quieter and have less recoil."

"Maybe you could get one at the mall," Naomi suggested.

"So cool," Vivian awed, "What did you catch?"

"Mostly squirrels, rabbits, fish, pigs, deer and once…a wolf." Vivian looked starstruck but Salia however noticed how Cal said word 'wolf' like it was a disgusting word. 'Come to think of it he seemed bothered by Vulcan the other day,' she remembered. Had something happened that gave him a fear of dogs? "Actually. last night Pamela and the others said I could make some extra money by catching seafood from the beach and selling them to Jasmine."

"That would be a great idea," Ersha said. "I actually used some of my earnings to buy a patch of land here that I turned into a garden so we could occasionally have fresh produce. I think some fresh protein would accompany them perfectly."

"At least one of us would be making money," Hilda grumbled. She couldn't wait until he recovered from his injuries so she could kick his ass during sparing.

"Now, now no need to get jealous," Zola said as she wrapped her arms around her and the others. "Plus it's always better to have a capable comrade than a bad one." Chris just hoped he didn't become good. She was already at the bottom of the weekly pay out and one more teammate meant less kills which meant less cash. "And we haven't even gotten to the best part of training yet," she added.

"You don't care who it is so long as they're fresh meat," Hilda fired back.

"You can't deny the idea hasn't crossed your minds," Zola smirked.

"Kind of." Rosalie answered. "I mean I wonder how different it would be."

"Rosalie!" Chris moaned.

"Aw come on Chris."

"You girls are so adorable." Zola laughed.


The next three days went by and while the training schedule varied with the day, Cal got a little better each day. With help from Zola and Salia, Cal's pilot skills quickly improved, while in his free time, Cal read up on tactical theory regarding how to take down the DRAGONs so he would be ready when the time came to go finally go up against them.

After his bruises faded ever more and with permission from Maggie, Zola finally allowed Cal to start his hand to hand combat training. "Finally," she said with a hungry grin, "I've been waiting to see what you can do."

"Captain," Salia interrupted. "I think it would be best if I sparred with him."

"No," Hilda suddenly spoke up. "I'll handle him first. Let's see if he's as good as he thinks he is."

"Very well then," Zola sighed. Hilda smirked with anticipation as she and Cal walked off to the sparring ring and Salia got ready to call time in case she tried anything.

"Don't think I'll go easy on you," she warned.

"I wouldn't expect you to," Cal countered.

"Begin!" Zola ordered. The two of them assumed a fighting stance and Hilda made the first move, running in low to uppercut Cal's chin. Cal managed to dodge but still felt the gust from Hilda's punch brush against his cheek. In alarm, Cal fell back and Hilda pressed her advantage, her constant barrage of punches forcing him to keep his arms up to block when a knee suddenly came up and nailed him in the gut, driving the wind out of him and making him double over.

"Consider that your first lesson," she told him. "Always watch out for a sneak attack."

"Point for Hilda," Ersha noted.

"Come on Cal!" Vivian cheered. "Show her your moves!" After regaining his breath, Cal looked up and glowered a bit at how Hilda was smirking. Ever since he arrived, she had been giving him attitude and he was starting to get sick of it. Gramps had told him that the key to winning a fight was in identifying an opponent's deficiencies through their strengths. 'She's a lot faster than me,' he thought. 'Plus, she's smaller so she can get inside my attack range pretty easily.' But Hilda also moved around a lot more, trying to either keep him on the defensive or get the first blow in.

"Let's go," he said as he resumed his stance.

"Round two begin!" As he hoped, Hilda struck the first blow but this time Cal countered with an offensive block, striking back with his greater strength. The sudden impact threw Hilda off balance and she tried to counter with a high kick to his head. Again, Cal blocked and hooked her ankle, sending her falling to the ground. Before she could get back up Cal was on top of her, his fist a hair's breadth from her face.

"Yeah Cal!" Naomi cheered. "One more for the win!" Cal offered her his hand but Hilda slapped it away as she got up on her own.

"No more playing around," she said. She was NOT going to let a man of all things humiliate her like this. With the signal given, Hilda charged forward, her legs kicking furiously as Cal fell back under the constant barrage. This wasn't just a sparring session anymore. One good kick would possibly send him right back to sitting on the side lines.

"Hilda reign it in!" Salia ordered, not that the redhead listened to her. Hilda continued to press her attack until Cal found himself at the edge of the ring. Cal's opponent smirked as she readied to finish him of with a high roundhouse to his head. But instead of connecting, Cal dodged and rolled around her, seizing her in a combination shoulder lock and chokehold. Hilda struggled to get free but Cal used his greater strength to force her to the ground.

"Look just calm down," Cal said. "I've won so just…" and Cal's voice was lost in a strangled cry. Because he was so focused on holding her down, Cal hadn't noticed that Hilda's leg had kicked back and planted its heel right in his crotch. Cal released her and dropped to the ground, clutching his crotch as he curled up in agony.

"Hilda!" Salia scolded as Naomi and Ersha ran over to make sure he was okay.

"Hey," she gasped, "it's his own fault for getting cocky. Consider it a free lesson."

"She's right," Zola said. "But I wish you could have won in a way that didn't damage him." Hilda merely smiled as Ersha and Naomi helped Cal to his feet. That should remind him of his place.


By now it had been a week since Cal had arrived at Arzenal and things seemed to be getting in order. Even Inspector Bronson seemed to have calmed down a bit and while she was still wary of him, she no longer seemed to worry that he was going to jump her like some wild dog in heat. As they walked through the hanger, Jill read over the report Salia had typed up for her.

"It seems he's coming along nicely," she noted. According to Salia, Cal's physical aptitudes were above average in all areas. His firearms skill and close combat were moderate though he showed capability and willingness to learn. Gaz had indeed trained him well. The one thing Salia seemed concerned about was his piloting. While he had taken to Para-mail flight fairly quickly, he still took a lot of risks during simulations.

"And that's what concerns me," Emma said. "I've never seen any latecomer adapt this quickly to the training regimen. I'm almost convinced that someone was training him prior to his arrival." Jill shut the file and lit a cigarette.

"Maybe he's just a prodigy," Jill said. "We Norma are natural fighters after all."

"I suppose there is some truth to that," Emma agreed. With a parting salute Emma left to attend to other matters. Jill however continued to another part of the maintenance hanger where Mei and a few other mechanics were performing a final tune up of a basic Glaive, the standard issue type assigned to all rookie pilots. As Jill approached, the armorers took notice and ceased their labours to salute her.

"How's his unit coming along?" she asked.

"As good as it can be Commander," Mei confirmed.

"Good. If the pattern doesn't deviate, then sometime in the next few days, we might just see what he's capable of."


Another day had come to an end as Cal and Naomi walked down the hall. "You alright?" she asked as Cal held his throbbing ribs. "You sure you don't need to see Maggie?"

"Yeah I'm fine." Cal said. "What is Hilda's problem anyway? What did I do to her to make her dislike me?" Cal hadn't expected any of his squad mates to go easy on him. Rosalie and Chris, he dominated pretty easily but the others were way better than him. Salia's technique was flawless and she could counter whatever move he threw at her. Ersha had flipped him to the ground the moment he got near her while Captain Zola had pinned him beneath her with his face wedged between her ample breasts, a sensation he had mixed feelings about. And Vivian, well he wasn't sure what she had done. He had just lunged at her and it was like she was flying all around him before her legs locked around his head and she threw him to the ground. But unlike the others, whenever he paired up with Hilda for sparring, she always seemed to go at him with the intention of hurting him.

"Hilda's…" and Naomi paused as she searched for the right word, "…complex. She was a latecomer like you. Most of us were brought here when we were babies but she arrived when she was six. I don't know what happened when they brought her in but she spent her first few months here isolating herself from everyone before she finally opened up to Rosalie and Chris. Just give her some time and she'll get used to you too. It took me at least five years before we became friends."

"Really?" he asked. "The way you two go at it when you spar it's like she hates you even more than she does me."

"That's just how we express ourselves. In first squad, we're all like sisters so sometimes we fight but we always have each other's backs. Salia and I have been best friends since we were kids and Ersha's the closest thing to a mother most of us have known. Besides, Hilda and I have a bit of a rivalry in the Arcade so we're always trying to one up each other one way or another. Hey, come to think of it I don't think I've ever seen you there."

"I've been busy studying," he said. "Salia gave me a list of field manuals describing DRAGON types. I want to be ready for when I finally fight one."

"Hard work is good but you need some down time or else you'll collapse. Hey after you shower why don't we hit the mall and I'll teach you some of the better games they have there." Cal perked up at the prospect. He knew about video games but due to them being only accessible through the Light of Mana, he had never been able to play them.

"Yeah that sounds great," he agreed. When they arrived at the the locker room Naomi checked inside. No one was inside so out of generosity she let Cal go first, though she had to admit, the thought of showering with him wasn't entirely unpleasant. Cal meanwhile washed up as quickly as he could so he wouldn't keep her waiting. Over the last few days his wounds had nearly completely faded away. Soaking in the onsen really helped his recovery though he wished he could have a bit more freedom in how he used it.

'It feels like a whole other lifetime,' he thought. A week ago, he never would have thought he'd be living in a situation like this. And while he still felt sad about Gramps, the new friends he had made had been a huge help. 'Except for Hilda,' he admitted. He thought back to what Naomi had told him about her being a latecomer and wondered if she had lost someone the way he had with Gramps, or maybe if she had been beaten the way he had. Sometimes, in the tv shows Gramps had recorded for him, Cal would come across a character called a tsundere, usually a girl, who would act mean at first but actually had a secret nice side to her. He had never really had much interest in characters like that. It seemed to him they'd be happier if they were just more honest with their feelings. But maybe it was more complicated than that.

'Judge a person by who they are, not what they are,' he reminded himself. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he didn't really know that much about Hilda. She probably had a life outside of Arzenal the same way he had. 'Just give her some time and she'll get used to you to,' Naomi had told him. He just hoped it wouldn't take five year to do so. Exiting the shower, Cal wrapped his towel around himself and was reaching for his locker when a blaring alarm echoed through the base.

"Attention residents," Pamela's voice broadcast. "This is a first encounter alert. First Squad, prepare for launch." The door to the locker room flew open and the entirety of First Squad rushed in.

"Hey!" Hilda yelled when she saw him. "What do you think you're still doing in here!"

"Sorry Cal," Naomi gasped. "I tried to tell them but…"

"Never mind!" Zola barked. "Everyone suit up! Cal, this is it. Time to see if you have what it takes to fly with us." Rushing to their own lockers, the girls pulled out their plug suits and began to strip out of their training fatigues.

"If you turn around," Hilda hissed, "I'll neuter you with a rusty knife." Cal felt a chill run down his spine as he turned away. Following their example, Cal hurriedly changed into his flight suit and followed the others to the Hanger. The entire base was alive. Personnel from every department was rushing around them in anticipation of a potential attack. In addition to First Squad, the other squads were waiting on standby. From what Cal read in the training manuals, it was standard procedure to send one squad out as an advance party to gauge the strength of the incursion. Depending on the size and class of the DRAGON encounter, other squads would be launched as backup. By the time they arrived at the hanger, their units were already taxiing into position.

"Quick, get those engines started up!" Mei ordered the armorers. "And make sure the spare ammo is loaded."

"Zola squad mount up," Zola ordered. "Cal, that one's yours." The group rushed out to their designated units though Cal felt a bit deficient. Compared to the others, his was a dull grey and its only armament was an assault rifle and sword. 'I hope I can earn a lot of cash today,' he thought. He really wanted to make his unit as cool as his squad mates'. As he had practiced in the simulator, Cal plugged in his plenum chamber cord and his visor lit up with a display screen.

"Alright Cal," Zola said. "This is your first battle, so you'll hang back with Chris and Ersha. Don't do anything reckless. Just pick off any DRAGONs that get in your line of sight or any who break through our formation."

"Yes Captain." Behind the squad, a barrier rose up to prevent backlash from damaging the interior of the hanger.

"First squad confirmed ready to launch!"

"Zola squad launch!" One by one, the units in front of Cal lifted off until the way was clear.

"Unit Cal launch!" Releasing the arresting gear, Cal felt his machine lift off the platform and rocket off in pursuit of the others. Higher and higher they climbed before they finally breached the clouds and levelled off. Call shivered from the chill as he looked down and felt a little dizzy when he realized just how poorly the Para-mail were designed. Without safety restraints of even a canopy, one wrong move would result in him falling out of his cockpit and plummeting to the sea below.

"What's wrong?" Hilda's voice mocked. "Not getting cold feet, are you?"

"Hilda not now!" Salia scolded. Cal shook his head clear and forced his attention on the sky ahead.

"I'm fine," he said. "In fact I'm going to kill more DRAGONs than you."

"Oh is that a bet?" Hilda dared.

"Both of you knock it off!" Zola ordered. "Save the pissing war for after we get back to base."

"Range distance to Enemy Sortie 8 km." The command staff announced.

"Okay all units into formation, get ready to fight!

"Yes Ma'am." They all replied back.

"7 km."

Cal looked ahead only seeing the sky and clouds.

"6 km."

Still nothing but sky.

"3 km!" Where were the DRAGONs? Judging how big they were from the footage he had seen in the classroom shouldn't he see them by now?

"1 KM!" Something sparked in the distance and Cal looked up to see the clouds up ahead start to circle around each other as if a hurricane was forming. At the eye of the vortex, a patch of the sky began to pulse and swell as if a bubble was forming in the air itself. Red lightning crackled around its edge and the bubble finally popped, opening what looked like a hole in the sky through which movement could be seen.

"Here they come!" Naomi warned. His forward display suddenly lit up with dozens of contacts, all of them red, just before the DRAGONs erupted from the hole, roaring with fury as they charged towards them. Cal saw their pink scales and small size and recognized them as Schooner type.

"All units fire!" Zola said. "Take out the small fry first!" The squad opened fire with their underslung weapons and began to cut down the enemy numbers. Entire sections of the advancing swarm vanished from his forward, their corpses showering the sky with a rain of blood. "Everyone get ready! Here comes the main course." Within the singular, the movement of something large appeared as a massive head on a serpentine neck stuck its way through. A Brig. Bombardment type. It's purple scales nearly letting it blend in with the darkening sky.

"Captain Zola," Salia warned. "I'm detecting further movement." A second after the brig passed through, two smaller rust-colored DRAGONs followed in its wake. The newcomers were half the size of the Brig and similar in shape although they lacked the elongated necks, resembling giant tailed bats. Corvettes judging from their length. Flamer-type.

"Category three encounter confirmed," Hikaru broadcast, "One Brig, two Corvettes, 18 remaining Schooners. 'Shit,' Zola cursed. A category three encounter wasn't major enough to warrant backup from Arzenal but it was more than she wanted for Cal's first time.

"Convert to Destroyer mode! Assault team with me. We're taking out the Brig. Artillery, divide yourself up into two teams and take care of the Corvettes. Cal, keep the Schooners off of Artillery until they deal with their targets." On every unit, the control handles were turned up and slid forward as the chasis of the Para-mails rose up and closed around their cockpits, their guns released from beneath their noses and converted to handheld form.

"Alright ladies," Ersha broadcast. "Naomi, you're with me. Rosalie and Chris, you take the other one. Cal watch our backs. Let's go." Engines roared and the First Squad artillery team launched their assault as cannon fire streaked across the sky. From the field manual, Cal had read that Corvettes were the second smallest after Schooners, but they always attacked in groups, so it was essential to keep them separated. Multiple shrieks caught Cal's attention as he looked to his forward display and saw a mass of red dots circling around to give aide to their larger comrades.

"Oh no you don't," he vowed. He couldn't do anything to save Gramps, he was not going to sit back and let the same thing happen to his new friends. 'It's just like hunting,' he told himself. 'Just on a larger scale.' With his sword in one hand and his assault rifle in the other, Cal turned and flew straight into the oncoming swarm. Machine gun fire tore into the attackers leading the charge, forcing them to split apart in order to avoid him. Two Schooners however didn't give him enough space and Cal slashed through them, his blade slicing them both nearly in two. Against another group, Cal fired one of his RPGs into their midst, the shockwave killing those closest to it and stunning the rest long enough for him to pick them off with a series of three shot bursts. Seven down, six to go. Meanwhile Ersha and the others were holding their own against the Corvettes. To keep them from using their flame attack and to compensate for the Hauser and Artillery Glaives' deficiency in agility, the artillery team alternated between attacking and drawing its attention. Ersha or Chris would serve as bait and when their Corvette prepared to make an attack, Rosalie or Naomi would shoot either their assault rifle or a round from their cannons through the gap in its guard. As the Para-mail continued to switch back and forth in their roles, the medium sized DRAGONS were quickly being worn down.


With her attention focused on the Brig, Salia couldn't risk giving a look back to see how Cal was doing but on her forward display, the number of hostiles were dropping so she decided to trust that he wouldn't do anything too reckless. The Brig meanwhile summoned a sigil ring that ran the length of its body, peeling off its scales and sending them flying at its attackers.

"Vivian, Hilda, defend!" Zola called.

"On it!" their younger teammate cheered. Pulling her boomerang from its mount, Vivian tossed the flying Buzzsaw through the sky and scattered the projectiles in different directions. With her and Hilda providing cover, Salia and Zola pushed on through the front.

"Load up Freeze Bullets!" Zola said. "I want this thing on ice now!"

"Yes Ma'am," Salia confirmed. From their unit's right forearms, a green spike extended as they fired another barrage from their assault rifles. Faced with a head on assault, the Brig raised a series of sigil shields to barricade itself against their bullets. But with its attention focused on the most prominent threat, it failed to notice that Salia had already passed around to its side. Throwing out her Arquebus's hand, a flash of green erupted from her palm as she fired the Freeze Bullet into the Brig's side, shards of ice erupting from the impact and slowly spreading over it. The wounded DRAGON howled in pain and the resulting gap in its defence gave Zola a chance to launch her own Freeze Bullet into its throat, the reptilian hide freezing almost all the way up to the head.

"Hilda, Vivian you're up. Take this bastard down!"

"On it!"

"Captain Zola!" Hikaru suddenly called. "New contact confirmed." What was that? Salia turned away from the Brig and her entire body went cold.

With the Corvettes now wounded and disoriented from their combined assault, Ersha gave the command for the artillery team to line up for a final strike. Loading up their Freeze Bullets, the Artillery team readied to hit their targets from both sides at once when a sigil ring suddenly formed around both Corvette's mouths.

"Oh no you don't!" Naomi warned. But instead of targeting whichever pair was attacking them, the Corvettes fired at the enemies of the other. The sudden act of cooperation between them threw the Artillery team off balance and forced them to break off attack. Chris's unit however wasn't fast enough, and its right arm was shot off, sending her plummeting towards the sea.

"Chris!" Rosalie yelled. The yellow Glaive raced for her friend but one of the Corvettes lunged for her and cut her off. The second dove for the falling Hauser and was just opening its mouth to snatch her up when an RPG exploded against the side of its face, nearly knocking it out of the sky as something dashed in to grab onto Chris's remaining hand. Inside the cockpit, her head spinning from the G-forces, Chris looked up and her eyes grew wide at the sight of Cal's Glaive dangling her in mid-air, his assault rifle firing a barrage to further discourage the Corvette to continue its pursuit.

"You…," she gasped, "why…?"

"Don't worry I've got you," he told her. "Captain. Schooners are all taken care of."

"Cal watch out!" Salia yelled over the intercom. Cal checked his display but saw no hostiles moving in on his location.

"Above you!" he heard Rosalie scream and Cal looked up in horror as the singular which hung right above him spat out a third Corvette.

"Cal get out of the way!" Ersha and Naomi both shouted. But with Chris's unit hanging on to him he could no longer move at full speed. And if he let her go, she'd wind up taking the attack. Now the Corvette was less than 100 meters away and a sigil ring had already begun to form over its gaping mouth.

"CAL!" Salia screamed

TO BE CONTINUED…

Author's notes

Another chapter done, this one took longer than expected. I'm looking forward in writing the next chapters. Now here's my other OC's character profile Dutch. Once again give a big shout to Eric Micheal Kline for helping me with these chapters.

Dutch Villson

Height: 6' 0", 184cm

Age: Mid 40's

Eyes: Orange

Hair: Black (Greying)

Weight: 82kgs

Build: Lean, Muscular (think Kyoshiro Tohdoh from Code Geass)

Voice Actor: Ron Perlman (Slade Teen Titians)

Profile: Dutch was raised in a strict household along with his younger brother Donnie who he adored. He often worked hard but was overshadowed by his genius younger brother and was forced into the military. It was there he met Gavin Wright and the two became instant best friends. The two being well know for their muscle and cunningness in the academy worked as security guards for the Royal Misurugi family. Then one day while working undercover for the Norma Management Board to keep Cal's existence a secret, a huge fire broke out killing Donnie and presumably Gavin but left Dutch in a coma for a year. After waking up Dutch vowed to find out what caused the fire and why Cal and Gavin's bodies were never found. After working so hard he became head of the Norma Management Board hunting down any Norma who weren't sent to Arzanel. With his cruel leadership more and more Norma were found every year. With his leadership reconsidered by Embryo, Dutch was praised by his Master and in hopes that one day he'll be able to run his own Nation. After discovering that Gavin was alive was the final nail in the coffin bringing all the clues together to finding 'subject Alpha', Dutch vows to get revenge on the two, for his brother's death.