CHAPTER 10:

BROTHERLY MATERIAL

'Just how much longer is this going to last,' Jasmine wondered as she fanned herself off. Even with half the Armorers working on the busted AC, the stupid thing still wasn't fixed and the heat was getting unbearable. Even Vulcan at this point was unable to cope. The shaggy golden dog lay down by her side, his tongue draped across the floor. The mall wasn't particularly busy today since it was right next to the launch hanger and closer to the heat outside. A few of the girls clustered around the air hockey table but they weren't playing. Instead they leaned over the air holes trying to cool off in the only breeze around. Wiping the sweat off her brow, Jasmine looked up just in time to see Mei and a few of her girls' approach. The young mechanic's face was streaked with grease and sweat but she was smiling.

"Please tell me you have some good news," Jasmine begged.

"Yep," Mei wheezed as she wiped her brow. "We finally got the parts in we need. Just give us five minutes and it should be on."

"Thank God for that," Jasmine sighed. "Why don't you and the rest pick out something you like and I'll add a discount. I'd say you've earned it." Mei and the rest beamed happily before they suddenly turned crimson red. Jasmine followed their line of sight and her eye twitched as she saw Cal walking by with a load of empty boxes to the baler but no shirt on. 'I'm not having that,' she thought as she took up the death stick. Pulling in the customers was one thing but Jasmine did have standards.

"Hey Jasmine," he said as she walked up to him. "I got those electronics unloaded."

"Good. Now put your shirt on. This is a mall not a strip club."

"Aw come on I'm too hot." A crack like a whip echoed across the mall as she struck him on his rear with the death stick. "OW!" he yelped before a second blow to the head nearly dropped him to the floor.

"I'm not asking I'm telling!" she warned. "My mall my rules! Now get to it! And pick up these boxes you dropped!" Cal quickly scrambled to pick up the load he dropped and ran for safety before she could get in a third hit. It seemed Gaz had passed on more than his bad taste in jokes to Cal. He also preferred to work shirtless when it was hot. No way was she going to let Cal do the same.

Cal didn't understand what the problem was. He and Gramps always worked shirtless when it was hot. But thankfully, the AC came on just as he threw back on his top, unleashing a sigh of relief from everyone on base. After finishing his work and collecting his pay, Cal caught sight of a group of girls around a particular display of new items that had just came in and he quickly dashed off before they could see him. As such, he didn't notice Salia wating for the crowd to disburse before she came forward. She looked around, making sure no one was watching before she picked up the small rectangular box of contraceptives.

"Hey Salia, what you got there?!" Salia eeped and jumped as she hid the box around her back. How was Vivian able to sneak up someone so quietly? "What's up with you?"

"Er nothing," Salia lied. "I was just looking at a few things." Vivian peered around her and surveyed the rack of items behind Salia.

"What's the deal with those things? Almost all the older girls are going crazy over them. What are they for anyway?"

"You'll find out when you're older," Salia said.

"Well I had a look the other day when opening the packet, I thought they were some sort of chewing gum. Instead they turned out to be weird looking balloons." Salia couldn't do anything but facepalm.

"Vivian promise me you won't look at these things ever again." Ever since the news had broken it had been one headache after another.


(A few days ago)

Even after using what felt like half a bottle of anti-perspirant, Emma Bronson was practically swimming in her sweat soaked uniform. She would have taken off her jacket but her sense of professionalism wouldn't allow it. It was lunchtime and as usual, Emma was taking her meal at the officer's table on the exterior balcony alongside Commander Jill. While Emma didn't care much for the Norma, she did have a begrudging respect for Commander Jill who not only matched her in terms of respect for protocol but also basic manners. Which was more than she could say for most of them, one in particular. Just a few meters away, she could hear Cal devouring his food behind her with all the etiquette of a feral dog. With her temper already shortened by the heat, Emma finally hit her limit and stormed over to where he sat alongside the rest of First Squad.

"Will you eat your food properly you animal!" She scolded, her eyes casting a disapproving glare towards Captain Zola who was groping Rosalie and Chris' rears. "Honestly you Norma have no manners."

"Aw come on Inspector," Cal said with a mouthful of food. "Ersha's curry is the best. You should try it."

"And don't speak with your mouth full!"

"Oh just leave him alone," Zola interrupted. "So what if he's a little rude. After all, aren't us Norma only good for killing DRAGONs?"

"That's not the point," Emma argued. ""Honestly Captain I would have thought you of all people would knock that out of him. Who knows what else he'll do if you don't discipline him properly?" Zola grinned. It was just the opportunity she had been waiting for.

"Don't worry Inspector. I've made sure to train him vigorously in combat, flying and…other things." Emma paled as her eye began to twitch. Chris and Rosalie shot each other bemused looks. At another table, the command staff overheard as well and looked at Cal in alarm.

"What…what is that supposed to mean?" Emma demanded.

"Exactly what you think it does." Emma's mouth dropped open while across the cafeteria, every Norma within hearing distance currently drinking spat out their water in shock.

"No way!" Rosalie and Chris cried.

"What!" Naomi cried.

"My goodness!" Ersha gasped.

"Since when?" Emma yelled

"Well let's see." Zola began to count down her fingers. "Four, five…six…wait no that was this morning. He really does have some impressive stamina."

"Captain how could you!" Salia shouted.

"What?" Zola smirked. "You snooze, you lose girls." Within the hour, the news had spread all over the base. Cal and Zola got an earful from Maggie about using protection and Emma was in hysterics thinking she would be dealing with a pregnant Norma but thankfully that never occurred. Salia and Naomi didn't talk to Zola for nearly a week afterward but seemed to calm down after Cal told them she didn't force him into it. In the end, holding a grudge would damage squad morale, and they were just relieved Cal was still himself.


(Present)

Even with the heat, mid-morning training went along as normal. But at least they would have a short day. It was laundry day for First Squad plug suits so simulator and target practice had been cancelled. After finishing up their sparring sessions, Zola called for a water break and they sought shelter beneath whatever shade they could find. Under the cover of a tree, Cal sat down alongside Vivian who for once was too drained to chatter.

"Man this sucks," Vivian gasped as she guzzled down her water.

"You're telling me." Cal sighed as he wiped off his brow. "After training I'm going for a dip down by the beach."

"You did rather well today Cal." Ersha praised. "You really gave me a run for my money." Cal didn't know about that. He was still sore from the body slam she gave him her earlier. A short distance away, Rosalie and Chris were on the verge of passing out while Hilda watched Cal with the same murderous look from when she had caught him and Zola together. Despite beating Cal in their last run and successfully nailing him in the stomach during their sparring session, she didn't feel any less angry.

"Hey what's wrong Hilda?" Rosalie asked.

"Nothing," she grumbled

"C'mon you've been in a bad mood all week," Chris agreed, "Just tell us what's wrong."

"I said drop it!" Hilda snapped as she stormed off. Having watched the entire exchange, Zola got up and followed after her. "Is something wrong Captain?"

"You tell me," Zola said. "You already knew, didn't you? Out of the entire squad you were the only one that wasn't shocked." Hilda glowered as she took another sip from her water bottle.

"Yeah and what of it?" With a sigh, Zola stepped towards her and hooked Hilda's chin so she could lift her gaze up to hers.

"Hey, just because I slept with him doesn't mean I'm going to throw you away." Zola said. "I just wanted to see what it's like. You can't tell me you haven't wanted that too." Zola's assurance was of little comfort to Hilda. It was men who had taken her away from her home, from Mama. And now another one was about to take her place as Zola's favourite. And Hilda had endured too much to have it all slip away from her now.

After a final round of calisthenics, Zola called it a day and they headed for the showers. As usual, Cal allowed the girls to go in first. "It's not fair he has to wait every time we have to shower." Naomi said. "Hey Salia, why not talk to the Commander about giving him one of his own."

"The Commander wouldn't allow that." Salia answered. "So we all have to put up with it."

"Yeah but why can't he just come in with us?" Vivian asked. "He's dressed with us when we've had to run to combat."

"Exactly," Ersha agreed. "It's not like he'll do anything."

"It's not him I'm worried about," Salia, said her gaze shifting towards Zola.

"Don't worry Vice-Captain," Zola smirked. "I'm not going to do anything while showering. Besides, I've already washed his back for him." Every eye in the shower turned towards their captain.

"What else have you done with him and haven't told us?" Rosalie asked.

"That's about it." Zola assured them. "Beside I wouldn't mind if he was in here with us wouldn't you agree?" Salia rolled her eyes though Chris and Rosalie gave a slight nod. Naomi and Ersha simply shrugged. The idea wasn't entirely unpleasant. Plus they trusted Cal.

"Are you kidding me?" Hilda cried. "Let that pervert in here? You can't be serious!"

"Why not?" Chris asked.

"Because…because, he's a creep! I bet he'd love to see us all naked!"

"You'd be surprised." Zola told her. "He's quite mature. Especially when he washed my back and in bed." Salia and Hilda both grimaced in disgust and embarrassment.

"Seriously what's he like?" Rosalie asked eagerly. Unable to resist, Naomi tuned in wanting to know every detail.

"Captain please not in front of Vivian." Ersha urged.

"I don't get it," Vivian said. "What's everyone talking about?"

"Never mind!" Salia and Ersha both yelled.


Once the girls were finished, they all passed by Cal who waited outside the door. Some gave him funny looks though Cal didn't think much of it. He just smiled back at them making Salia and Naomi go scarlet. Now that he had the showers to himself, he would have chosen to relax in the onsen but he was due for his shift at the mall. As soon as he shut the shower room door however, Hilda sneaked back in. She slowly tip toed around the locker room as to not to alert Cal and found his clothes neatly folded on the laundry basket. 'This will teach him a lesson,' she thought with an inner cackle.

Oblivious to what was happening out in the locker room, Cal quickly washed up and stepped out with a towel wrapped around his waist only to find an empty laundry basket. Cal looked around in alarm, even checking the lockers but only found personal items. 'Where're my clothes?' he panicked. Something caught his eye by the door and he saw a single white sock on the floor. Picking it up, he looked it over and found a single strand of long red hair. 'Hilda!'

Cal looked out into the hall, even calling for help but no one came. After 10 minutes he realized he had no other choice. Grabbing his satchel from his locker Cal took in a deep breath as he opened the locker room door in just his waist towel. With as much dignity as he could muster, he made his way towards the mall. As if on cue, a group of girls appeared before him and Cal hurried past them, his face feeling like it was on fire. The girls meanwhile froze when they saw him, their faces a mix of shock and excitement as they watched him pass.

"Oh my god that is so hot."

"He's really sexy."

"It's a shame he's got that towel around him." Increasing his speed as fast as he could without his towel falling off, Cal pressed on when he suddenly bumped into someone tall. Fearing that he had walked into the Commander, Cal nervously looked up but to his relief saw it was only Scarlett.

"You've got more balls than I thought kid," she smirked as she looked him over. "Let me guess. Someone stole your uniform."

"Pretty much," he murmured.

"How about I go with you," she offered. "Make sure you don't walk into any more trouble."


Counting out the change, Jasmine bagged up the pencils and pad Irma had just bought. A quiet shy girl who loved to draw, Irma's shoulder length orange hair framed a high forehead that spoke of her intelligence. Jasmine always though it was a shame she considered it her primary flaw. "Found any new inspiration lately?" she asked with a sly grin.

"Erm…no!" Irma cried going red. She really didn't want anyone to know of her drawing of Cal that she kept in her underwear draw.

"Whatever you say girl, have fun." Irma ran off blushing, but stopped in her tracks as she dropped all her art supplies, the sound of her purchase hitting the stone floor alerting everyone turn in the vicinity. Jasmine looked up herself and her eye began twitching. Walking towards her was Cal with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Nearly every girl in the mall was staring at the sight. Some even took pictures and a few tried to approach him. Thankfully, Scarlett who walked alongside him shot a warning glance and they all kept their distance. 'Oh, I can't wait to hear this one,' Jasmine thought.

Around the mall, the rest of First Squad reacted in various ways. Ersha covered Vivian's eyes as Chris and Rosalie looked on in shock. Naomi was looking at some of the clothes with Salia and the two went bright red, though Salia turned away. From around a corner, Hilda watched the entire scene with a triumphant grin.

"Interesting look," Jasmine said. "I know the weather has been a bit stuffy the past couple of days, but isn't that overdoing it? Where's your uniform?"

"Apparently it magically walked away." Cal said sarcastically. "You got a uniform I can buy?" Jasmine couldn't help but pity the boy. Everyone had their snide remarks and pranks now and again, but this was beyond sadistic in her eyes.

"You're in luck, I've just received your custom uniform this morning." This seemed to brighten Cal's mood as Jasmine caught one girl trying to get a sneaky peek of her camera up Cal's towel. Scarlett saw it as well and a quick crack of her knuckles sent the peeper scurrying away. Before they could get him out of sight however, a familiar shriek cut through the air

"It never ends with you does it you sexual deviant!" Inspector Emma cried. "This is not acceptable! Don't you have any sense of shame!?" Cal couldn't help but look at her dumbfounded.

"Well if you want Inspector, I can just take it off now," he joked. "But wouldn't that be even worse?" Emma gave him a good slap across the head before running off, the crowd of girls snickering at her.

"Alright show's over," Jasmine said as she and Scarlett Jasmine guided Cal to an empty changing room. Surprisingly, a crowd had gathered after overhearing the conversation; even more eager to see Cal in his new uniform than when he was just in a towel.

Finally, Cal emerged, and the mob began to squeal and whistle in excitement. Just like the Commander, Cal's tunic was full length with the white black lining of the Para-mail squad with black slacks tucked into his boots; which unlike his first pair were flat soled and wide toed. Much more suitable for menswear. His jacket was full sleeved though instead of maroon the shoulder pads were a dark blue colour.

"How do I look?" he asked as he checked himself in the stall mirror. It felt a lot more natural than the one he'd been wearing for the past eight weeks.

"Looking good," Scarlett beamed as she gave a thumbs up.

"Like a million cash," Jasmine agreed. "Which is about what it costs." Cal handed Jasmine a stack of bills from his satchel and went off to wander the mall. Passing by the arcade, he saw none other than Hilda playing a game with Rosalie. Chris was standing behind them and looking rather down as she watched them. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the red head who turned to him and gave him a little wave with a fake smile on her face. 'I swear, I'll get you back one day Hilda. Mark my words.'

Cal's bad temper calmed when he saw Ersha and Vivian buying a few buckets of paint in different colours. "Oh Cal hello," she greeted him. "I must say that uniform really suits you."

"Thanks, it is a breath of fresh air compared to the old one. It was getting a bit too tight"

"Is that why you didn't want to wear it?" Ersha teased.

"Watch it." Cal warned making Ersha giggle. "So what's up with the paint?"

"We're going to repaint the clubroom for the kids," Vivian chirped. "Want to help?"

"I'd love to." Cal said. As he helped them gather up the tools they needed, Cal occasionally saw Ersha acting as if her mind wasn't on her current task.

"Hey Ersha, is something bothering you? You seem kind of out of it."

"Oh, do I? No it's nothing. I'm fine." Ersha assured him.

"You're a terrible liar," he told her. "Did something happen to the kids? Is it Abigail again? I thought she was doing better now."

"Abigail is doing just fine. It's Coco I'm worried about."

"Why? Is she okay? What's wrong?" Cal asked.

"She's just been a little bit down for the past few days. She didn't do too well on her practice exam." Cal tilted his head in confusion.

"Practice exam? What's that?"

"Well, a week after the kids turn 12, they have to take part in an exam to determine which department they'll wind up in. The highest scores are given a place in one of the squads. And Coco really wants to be in the first squad because you're part of it."

"I see," Cal mused. "Hey why don't I buy her a gift to cheer her up. It might just boost her confidence for her real exam."

"Sure," Ersha agreed. "I think that would be a great thing to do." As Ersha went to pay for the paint and tools, Cal took the time to look over some of the gifts and he came across a few keychains. 'That one should do' He decided.

By the time they arrived at the Clubroom, the rest of Ersha's helpers were dragging out the last of the chairs and tables. Naomi were there as were a few younger Norma. To Cal's annoyance, Hilda was among the group. He shot her a nasty glare but she mockingly smiled back at him.

"I see Ersha managed to persuade you to help out." Naomi said.

"No persuasion from me," Cal answered. "I'm happy to do it."

"Alright everyone," Ersha ordered, "the kids won't be out of their lessons till afternoon, so I want this room repainted before they return."

"Yes Ma'am." Along with the items from Jasmine's Mall, Cal and Ersha had also brought a tarp for the floor and plastic aprons to protect their uniforms. Both Vivian and Naomi tried to partner up with Cal but Ersha had them draw lots and to Cal's frustration, he found himself paired up with none other than Hilda.

"Just try not to get in my way," she said. Cal, not wanting to get into it when there was work to be done, ignored her and got to work. The wall Ersha had assigned them was a mural of a bright blue sky complete with fluffy white clouds and a yellow sun.

"Hey Ersha," he suggested, "how about I add some birds to make it seem more lively."

"I think that would be a great idea," Ersha agreed. Though Cal had never been much for painting, it wasn't too different from sketching aside from being a little messier. On her half, Hilda cast a sideways glance and felt herself getting annoyed by the amount of care and detail he was putting into his work. 'Does he have to give his best to everything?' she won't wondered. 'Seriously it's like he doesn't know the difference between work and play.' Hilda was never one of the more open of the Norma so she didn't spend much time with the younger kids. The only reason she had volunteered was that she owed a favour to Ersha.

"Hey Cal," Vivian suddenly asked. "I always wanted to ask; did you have a family before you came to Arzenal?" Cal paused and pursed his lips.

"Yeah, I did, but it doesn't matter now."

"Why, did something happen?"

"Yeah but I don't want to talk about it okay." Cal felt guilty for being short with her, but luckily Vivian seemed to get the point and dropped the matter. Turning back to his work, Cal heard snickering behind him and knew Hilda was up to something. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"Nothing," Hilda sang. Cal turned away when he heard the giggling again, this time from some of the other girls. He quickly spun around, and saw Hilda was standing in the middle of the room whistling. Something dripped on the back of his neck and when he reached around, he felt pain dripping from the back of his hair.

"I suppose you think that's funny." Unable to hold it in any longer, Hilda broke out into mocking laughter. In doing so however, she had shut her eyes and Cal seized his opportunity. Giving his brush a fresh dip, Cal flicked his wrist and painted a wide blue stripe along her entire face.

"It's a good look for you," he said as the other girls burst into laughter. Hilda began to fume, her flush and the paint on her face making her turn a dark purple. 'This means war,' she vowed.

Finally, they finished and began to clean up. Hilda and Naomi folded up the floor tarp while Ersha helped Cal and Vivian carry in the furniture.

"So why don't you ever talk about your family?" Vivian suddenly asked. "Do they hate you since you're Norma?"

"Vivian!" Ersha scolded. With an angry grunt, Cal dropped the chair he was carrying.

"It's because they're dead!" Ersha and the other girls gasped and even Hilda seemed a little surprised.

"Oh," she said, "I'm sorry."

"You didn't know." Seeing how genuinely remorseful she looked, Cal put an arm around her. "Look I got into trouble along with my Gramps and things didn't turn out well. Someday I'll tell you the whole story but not now okay?" Naomi looked on in pity. She knew how badly thinking about what happened to Cal hurt him.

"Okay." Vivian. Clean up was soon finished and while most of the volunteers went on to other matters, Hilda and Vivian stayed behind to put on the final touches while Cal, Naomi, and Ersha went to tell the kids they were done. Peering out into the hall, Hilda made sure they were gone before grabbing a paint can that still had some in it.

"What are you doing?" Vivian wondered.

"Just keep quiet and you'll see," Hilda smirked. 'We'll just see how he likes being used as a canvas.'


The moment they arrived at the classroom, the kids sprung up and immediately dragged Cal towards what they were doing, multiple drawings of what looked like his cabin. They wasn't quite as detailed or realistic as his, but Cal couldn't help but feel flattered. "Wow these are great," he praised.

Ersha and Naomi took over so Mary could have a break. The kids brought out a few board games and Cal did his best to look like he was trying while letting the kids win. Abigail in particular seemed more cheerful and happy than before, but Coco sat off by herself, staring out the window at the hanger set across the way.

"Mary," Ersha called snapping her out of her nap. "Me and Naomi are going to fetch the kids some snacks." Her eyes pointed to Cal making Ms Mary chuckle and she nodded. "We won't be too long." Cal meanwhile went over to sit beside Coco.

"Hey Coco everything okay?" Coco turned to him rather nervously.

"I'm fine. It's nothing."

"I heard that you didn't do too well on your test." Coco lips quivered and she hung her head.

"I tried my best but some of the questions are too hard." she sniffed. "Miranda had one of the highest scores and I'm scared I won't be with my best friend." Cal hummed and reached into his satchel.

"Here." Cal pulled out the keyring and Coco widened her eyes in surprise. It was a red shield emblazoned with a double-bladed axe and a thorn red rose wrapped around the haft, the sigil of first squad.

"For me?" she asked as he placed it in her hands.

"I thought it might give you luck," he told her. "If it really means that much to you to join the first squad then don't give up hope. And don't ever stop trying."

"But what if I fail.?"

"My Gramps always told me to never doubt myself. That you're the only one who decided what you can and can't do. And I think you have more potential than you give yourself credit for. So the next time you feel sad or that you can't do it, take it in your hand and say that you can." Coco gave a tearful smile as she threw her arms around his neck.

"Thank you."


Today, Naomi and Ersha decided to bake some brownies and the entire kitched had the bittersweet smell of baking chocolate. "Naomi," Ersha suddenly said.

"Yeah what is it Ersha?"

"Have you noticed how upset Cal gets when anyone mentions his family or when he talks about his Gramps?"

"Yeah," Naomi said. "Salia has noticed it too. The worst I saw him was after his first sortie. He puked in the bathroom and almost collapsed." Ersha looked very worried. "I don't think it was because of the shock of combat. I think it was something else."

"Did he tell you?" Ersha asked.

"Not exactly but when I talked to him in his room, he told me he had lost his Gramps and I think we can all guess what the humans did to him. The wounds he had when he first arrived were pretty bad." Ersha grimaced as she remembered the state Cal was in the first days he was there.

"I've seen a few kids in my time who went through something similar. Abigail's gotten better but she still has her moments where she goes off to cry by herself. Cal however, I think went through something far worse. I think he might have PTSD."

"That makes sense," Naomi agreed. "What do you suppose we should do?"

"It's hard to say," Ersha sight. "We need to let him know we're here if he wants to talk but if we push too hard, he might just bottle it up even more."

"Like with Hilda?" They both remembered Hilda went through the same thing when she first arrived. To this day, she never talked about her family and kept most at arm's length, even though Ersha always felt that underneath she was actually a sweet natured girl. It would be a shame If Cal turned out the same. It was the main reason why she always tried to give the kids a happy childhood before they were sent into hell.

"I know what we could do," Ersha beamed as she clicked her fingers. "We should try to help him out for a change. He always goes out his way to make everyone happy so I think we should do the same."

"That's a wonderful idea Ersha." Naomi said. "It might make him comfortable enough to open up to us. But how?"

"I have a few ideas. But I know what will make him happy right now." The oven dinged and both girls chuckled as they packed up the brownies and headed back to the classroom. When they arrived, they saw one of the kids was teaching Cal how to juggle with some of the balls.

"Like this?" he asked as he tossed two balls from one hand to the other.

"Yeah," she said. "Keep practicing and you'll be as good as me." Upon seeing Ersha and Naomi return, the kids were more than happy when they got their fill of sweets. And as usual, Cal stuffed his down. The kids stared in amazement though Ersha feared that would set a bad example.

"Look Ersha," Coco said as she ran up to her. "Look what Cal got me." It seemed as if Cal's plan had worked.

"I don't think that's a good Idea," Vivian said. Standing atop one of the chairs, Hilda propped the door slightly ajar as she sat the paint can along its upper edge.

"Come on it will be funny." She defiantly said. "Besides fair's fair." Peeking out, Hilda looked to see Cal walking at the head of a crowd that included the kids, Naomi, Ersha, and Mary. A crate of arts and crafts from the classroom was carried in his hands and Hilda leaped off the chair, getting a fair distance back when it opened and the can tipped over, splashing onto a head of pink hair. Both the room and the hallway went dead silent as Ersha calmly wiped the paint from around her eyes. Behind her, Cal and the others stared wide eyed at what had happened. Ersha had opened the door for him and his load only to wind up taking the hit that was meant for him.

"Who did this?" Ersha asked with a calm smile. Vivian pointed at Hilda who stood frozen in fear as Ersha cracked her neck muscles and knuckles.

"Five second head start," she cheerfully warned. "5…

"Ersha wait! I swear it was meant for…"

"4…3…"

With a yelp of terror, Hilda ran out the door as fast as she could go. She had just vanished around the bend when Ersha reached 1 and took off with inhuman speed after her. Cal meanwhile whiped off a few drops that had splattered onto his uniform and face.

"Well, that was eventful." Cal joked.

"Let's get this cleaned up." Naomi suggested.

"Aw can't we finger paint with it?" one kid asked. In the distance a crash echoed from down the hall followed by Hilda's pleas for mercy.

"Ersha Piledriver! Ersha Lariat! Ersha Leglock!" Mary got a mop and water as Cal and Naomi helped clean up the mess. "And now for the finisher, Total In-Ersha!"

"Ow," Cal winced. "Even I felt that one."

He almost felt sorry for Hilda. Almost.


Simulator drills weren't just limited to flying and battling DRAGONs. It was also an opportunity to test their combat skills against other Para-mail. Inside his simulator, Cal was weaving around Salia's attacks, her blade nearly cleaving off his limbs as he tried to put some distance between them. Battling the others made it all the more fun as it was like playing a match at the arcade game. Salia however took the training very seriously. "Come on, concentrate," She scolded as she grazed his armour. Cal shifted to flight mode and shot past Salia. Once he was clear, he turned back to Destroyer mode and spun around, pulling his M4 to open. His opponent swerved to the side and circled around Cal as he continued to shoot after her, oblivious to how fast his ammo was going down. Finally, his rifle clicked on an empty chamber and she charged in. Cal met her sword strike with a parry of his own but she kicked at the abdomen of his unit, sending him hurtling out of control and crashing into the surf before he could recover.

'Mission failed,' the screen read. Cal climbed out and guzzled down some water as Salia exited the simulator next to him. You didn't do too bad," she told him. "But you need to keep a closer eye on your ammo counter."

"It's a lot harder compared to sparring session," Cal huffed. "It's not really your body that you're moving."

"Don't worry I'm here to help you out with much as possible." She reassured him. "At the moment you're now in the top 150 pilots. You're just behind Vivian and that's definitely something to be proud of."

"Yeah well I have a good sparing partner." He gave her a pat on the back and Salia yelped from the impact. "Oh sorry! I didn't mean to hit you that hard!"

"No it's okay." she blushed. "You just startled me." Again, Salia was caught off guard by how much stronger than a woman Cal was.

"You sure are easy to scare," Cal joked. "Chris might have some competition." Salia rolled her eyes but she liked how innocent he was. It helped her feel at ease around him. Suddenly, someone wrapped their arms around her shoulders from behind and Salia gave another yelp.

"Hey Salia," Naomi sang as he pinched her friend's cheek, "are you giving Cal hell with your lessons?"

"Knock it off Naomi," Salia said as she wriggled free.

"Aw you need to learn to loosen up when you're in Cal's presence."

"What I'm not tense! Who says I'm tense?" she fretted.

"You know," Naomi suggested, "if you're still this shy around him why don't you not go on a date with him to break the tension."

"Can someone please explain to me what a date is already?" Cal asked.

"Well Cal," Naomi grinned, "can I ask…do you like me."

"Sure I do. You're my friend."

"And do you like Salia?"

"Will you stop!" Salia protested, her face redder than Hilda's hair. She tried to run off but Naomi held her in place by her shoulders.

"Well when you like someone, you take them on a date to bond and you like each other even more, so will you take Salia on a date one day?"

"Okay. You're all my friends and if that makes us even better friends that would be great." Naomi giggled at his naivete. 'Even after sleeping with the Captain he still doesn't have a clue what a relationship is.' She thought. Salia meanwhile hid her face in her hands. How did she end up in this position? She wanted nothing more but to curl up in a dark corner somewhere. "Hey, I was just thinking." Cal said holding his gold bracelet. "Since we have matching bracelets does that make us best friends?"

"Of course it does. We're like a unit aren't we." Naomi nudged Salia with her arm making the purple haired vice-captain nod nervously. At that moment Hilda and Vivian finished their duel and exited their simulators. "Hey Hilda, you doing okay?" Naomi asked, noticing how banged up she was.

"I'm fine." She said with a sour look. The beating she received from Ersha damaged her pride more than anything.

"Well it serves you right for trying to play pranks on Cal." Salia scolded. "You're lucky the Captain or the Commander didn't assign you to cleaning duties for your stunt with his clothes and the paint." Hilda sulked and turned her nose up.

"So what kind of cannon are you thinking of getting Cal?" Vivian eagerly asked. "I heard you're being appointed to light artillery with Rosalie and Naomi."

"Not sure," he mused as he crossed his arms. "Maybe a twin ballistic cannons like Rosalie, or how about four-barrel rotary vulcans."

"Ohhh, cool. I've been saving up for a few upgrades myself."

"That's a lot of money you need to save up then." Salia reminded him.

"Don't worry, ever since I got my new rifle, I've manged to do just fine." He looked at Hilda with a grin. Hilda had to admit he was pretty good. And the M4's accuracy at range made it harder to steal his kills. But the fact of being outclassed by someone who was still technically a rookie didn't make her mood any better. In response she whipped her head, his face getting hit by one of her pigtails again as she walked off. Cal decided it was best not to tease her and just let things go. "Hey, I'm gonna hit the showers. I need to help Jasmine in an hour."

"Okay, I'll go with you, training is over anyway," Salia said.

"There's nothing stopping you just going in with him," Naomi suggested.

"I would never do that!" she yelled. As she walked alongside him with Naomi and Vivian behind them, Salia looked at him and wondered if Cal really would be able to pilot Siegfried. 'I'll help him to become the best rider in Arzenal and prove to Jill that I can Pilot Vilkiss alongside Cal.' she thought.


Even though he knew Salia was guarding the door, Cal made sure to put his laundry in his locker so as not to take any chances of Hilda stealing anymore of his clothes. However, he failed to notice a pair of lacey underwear in one of laundry baskets hidden in the corner. He opened the shower room door and the sound of running water told him too late that he was not alone. At one of the far stalls was Ersha and both their eyes went wide as they turned around.

"Oh my god Ersha I'm so sorry! I should have checked if anyone was in here!" He was just about to flee out the door until Ersha spoke up.

"No it's okay, I should have left a sign or something to let you know I was in here. If you want you can still use the shower. I don't mind." Ersha tried to remain calm but her heart was racing. She trusted Cal but never in her entire life did she ever think she'd be naked with a boy.

"Erm…okay then." Making sure he kept his back to Ersha, he took one of the stalls opposite her. 'This isn't so bad,' she thought. "it's just like showering with everyone else.' Ersha looked down and saw flakes of blue at her feet and she sighed in annoyance. The bottom of her hair was still caked with dry paint even though she thought Naomi had washed the back of it properly.

"Cal will you do me a favour." Ersha shyly asked.

"Yeah."

"I've still got paint in my hair. Could you help me wash the last of it out?"

"Uh…okay sure," he gulped. After rinsing the shampoo out of his own hair, he approached Ersha with a sponge and shampoo. She relaxed herself but covered her chest as Cal washed the bottom of her pink hair which draped all the way down to her hips. He forced his eyes upward so as not to look at Ersha's perfectly round buttocks and kept improper thoughts at bay. 'C'mon Cal this is Ersha not Zola.' Ersha herself found that he was doing quite well, handling her hair in a way that was surprisingly gentle. And she couldn't help but blush a bit when his hand brushed against her back. After a few minutes, Cal finally got the last of the dry paint out of Ersha's hair. "That should do it," he said his heart banging against his chest.

"Thank you." Ersha said. As quickly as they could, the finished up their shower and changed back into their uniforms. "I want to thank you for cheering up Coco the other day. She's really brightened up and appears to have taken your advice seriously."

"I'm glad she's happy now," Cal said a hint of sadness in his voice. "But I don't know if I did the right thing."

"What do you mean?"

"I know she wants to join the first squad, but I'm just worried I've signed her death warrant."

"Cal don't say things like that." Ersha told him

"It's just I've already lost someone I loved, and I'm just scared that I'll lose all of you and the kids when they grow up." Cal cross his arms over his chest and began to shake so Ersha hugged Cal from behind to calm him down.

"I know how you feel. I lost someone close to once. So has every pilot. The truth is I try and give the kids a happy childhood before they are assigned to the squads but that's how things are." Ersha kept a firm grip around Cal.

"I'm just worried that I won't be able to protect you all. It's my fault I let my Gramps die and I'm terrified that it's going to happen again." Ersha tuned him around caressed his cheek, wiping a tear from his eye.

"Cal, whatever happened before wasn't your fault. You're one of the kindest, noblest people I've ever met in my life. The fact that you haven't tried to take revenge for what Hilda did alone proves you're a better person than most of the Norma here." A huge smile grew on Cal's face as he looked into her beautiful emerald eyes and in that moment, Ersha leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Their lips were barely touching but Cal felt he could melt. After pulling back, Ersha looked at him and blushed. It was only now she realized how handsome he actually was.

"That was my first kiss." Ersha told him. "Don't tell anyone or I'll have the kids give you a full makeover next time." Out in the hall, Salia and the rest of the squad were still waiting their turn when Cal and Ersha both stepped out together.

"You were right Captain," Ersha said. "Cal is quite mature when it comes to shower time." The girls gawked but Captain Zola gave her a look of approval.

"No fair Ersha!" Naomi pouted.

"You snooze you lose!" Ersha quoted Zola.

"I still don't get what everyone is so upset about," Vivian said.


(A few days later)

Vivian wasn't lying when she said she'd had gotten a few upgrades. Cal was delivering some crates to the armorers when he saw the new weapons equipped to Vivian's Razor. Not only had Vivian swapped her boomerang blade for a huge battle axe; one of the arms was now replaced by a huge drill and her wings now sported sharp blades that almost gave it a DRAGON-esqe look. 'How much money does that girl have?' He thought. 'That stuff looks far to heavy. Her Razor is a light weight compared to the Hauser's.' After finishing his errands, Cal found Jasmine in the storage room checking off the supply list. "I'm all done with my chores, just put my payment on my tab for the uniform."

"My pleasure," Jasmine chuckled.

"Hey sexy you coming or not?" Zola called.

"I'm finished now Captain." Cal called as he dashed out the storage room doors. 'Honestly, that woman.' Jasmine thought. She remembered those first few days Cal was here. If Zola had ruined him Jasmine was ready to give her more than a few whacks with the death stick. But since Cal apparently went along willingly, she decided to let it go. All part of growing up after all.

"Well I see he's been keeping busy for the past few weeks." A voice said from behind the crates.

"You could say that." Jasmine turned around as Jill stepped out from her cover. "Kid's been working hard ever since he got here."

"So I've seen. Salia's definitely shown to have good leadership skills and training schedules. If he keeps it up, he'll be a great ally when it comes time for Libertus."

"Gaz would be proud of the boy," Jasmine smiled. "He's definitely on track for piloting Siegfried."

"It takes more than just good pilot skills to fly that thing." Jill said with a frown. "It has a bigger purpose than being piloted by a worthy successor. He has to realise why it was made and what it stands for. What the ancient humans stood for when Siegfried was built."

"Gaz wanted Cal to be shielded from that," Jasmine reminded her. "I'm sure he'll be more than fine if he never learned that."

"How long are you going to keep him in the dark? He needs to know everything that we're fighting for and what we and the Ancient folk went through." Jasmine had nothing to say. She knew Jill was right, but it didn't mean she liked it.

"Jill I'm just worried that if Cal ever found out the truth about why Gaz had saved him, his mother and the reason he was born, it might taint the memories he had of the person who raised him."

"Gaz might have had his own selfish reasons for saving him, but he was a good man and a valuable ally. Surely he would be grateful for that." Jill reminded her.

"Maybe, but just promise me Jill. Please don't let him go down the wrong path, it's not what Gaz would have wanted."

"Going through pain is what it means to be a Norma," Jill reminded her. "But I do owe Gaz for saving my life."

"I knew you always had a soft spot here and there." Jasmine joked. Jill just rolled her eyes and left. 'That boy needs a reality check soon. He'll find out the truth sooner or later and I know he'll want Embryo dead as much as I do.'


Cal laid back on Zola's bed clad in only his boxers. A bit further away, Zola who was in her silk robe was retrieving a can of beer from her miniature fridge. Cal looked around and was still amazed by how luxurious her room was. From the huge sumptuous bed to the custom tiled floor to the hot tub in which a stone lion's head poured a continuous stream of water, it was like someplace Cal imagined a queen would live.

"Think fast," Zola said as she threw Cal a can of his own.

"Thanks."

"Well you deserve one for showing me a good time," Zola purred as she laid down beside him. "It seems I've taught you well on how to pleasure a woman." Cal went red from embarrassment. "Aw are you blushing? That's cute." Cal took a sip of the cold beer as his eyes drifted towards a pinboard on which a bunch of pictures had been stuck. One in particular of a younger Zola and Scarlett caught his eye and he wondered the real reason they fell out. It seemed like they were once really close. Zola meanwhile climbed on top of him and traced her finger across his hard chest. "What do you say I let Rosalie, Chris and Hilda on our little fun."

"I'm not sure about that Captain."

"Is Hilda still giving you a rough time again? I'll have a word with her if you want?"

"Actually, Ersha's seen to that," he grinned. Truth be told he often thought about the idea of having sex with other girls as Zola told him. As she explained it, love didn't have anything to do with it. Just pleasure and bonding. But he often though back to Naomi and Ersha's kiss and how genuine and loving it was. He certainly enjoyed his time with Zola but was there really nothing more to it than basic gratification?

"Well then why don't we get back to business," Zola suggested as she licked her lips and bent down towards him. Her tongue pried its way into Cal's mouth and begam fighting with his over dominance when the alarm suddenly blasted though the base. "Damn it!" Zola spat. "Just when it was getting good. Alright get your ass in gear and let's kill those bastards!"

Cal only had time to yank his slacks on as he ran down the hallway behind Zola. They burst through the locker room changing as fast as they could though Cal found it was more difficult to clip the chest together. 'What the hell did it shrink in the wash?' Once they were all changed, they raced to the launch hanger and onto their respective Para-mails. The second they were in position, Command gave the all clear and they were off.

Cal looked at Vivian's Razor as he flew and noted it did in fact look like a Schooner itself with its new armour and curled blade wings. "Vivian I really think you should have at least tested your new upgrades out first. They look like they could get in the way of your combat," Cal said over his radio.

"Where did she have the money to get those?" Chris asked.

"Granny had them in stock," Vivian squealed. "She said they also belonged to the 1000 DRAGON slayer. They're so cool!"

"Focus!" Zola ordered. "The targets have already come of the singular. Contact imminent."

"Category 1, 27 schooners and 1 Frigate." Hikaru announced. On Cal's radar, the screen lit up with dozens of blips.

"All units open fire!" Zola ordered. Machine and semi-auto fire roared across the sky and the forward swarm fell form the sky in blossoms of red. Eager to test out her new weapons Vivian pulled into destroyer mode, clutching her large axe in one hand and her drill arm spinning.

"Alright DRAGONs, bring it on!" Vivian yelled. The rest of the squad shifted to Para-mail and readied to open fire when something unexpected happened. The DRAGONs broke off the charge and began screeching to each other. 'What are they doing?' Cal wondered. He got his answer when the swarm suddenly tightened together and made a beeline straight for Vivian.

"Look out!" Naomi warned.

"What's going on?" Salia gasped. In her cockpit, Vivian went blue from fear.

"What…wait a minute! What's going on?" she panicked.

"Vivian fly now!" Cal shouted as he yanked his controls to send his Glaive racing towards her. Vivian gunned her engines and tried to flee but the weight of all her recent upgrades had affected her Razor's manoeuvrability. Now the Schooners had totally blanketed her, encasing her in a spinning ball of scales, wings, and fangs. The rest of the squad couldn't even open fire in fears of hitting Vivian.

As Vivian tried to flee, a Schooner pounced on her from above, knocking her axe from her hand. Another flew in and latched its fangs onto her arm, tearing off her drill at the elbow joint. Without her new weapons, Vivian gunned her engines and launched skyward, the blades on her wings slicing a few in passing. Underneath, Cal rolled onto his back and sprayed the ball from below. At least with them packed together he didn't have to worry about missing. However, the moment she broke free, the larger Frigate crashed into Vivian and she spun out of control. "Someone help!" she screamed.

"Vivian!" Cal yelled as he converted back to flight mode and dove after her. A few of the Schooners tried to chase him but Salia, Hilda and Rosalie provided cover fire and shot them down. Meanwhile, Vivian managed to get back into flight mode but the shock of the Frigate's impact had affected her engines, allowing two of the schooners to grab onto her with their clawed feet. Cal would never make it in time.

Vivian stared petrified at the huge jagged teeth of the Schooners as they attempted to fly off with her until a flash of movement caught her eye and she saw Cal diving at an angle beneath her. "Vivian jump!" he shouted. Before she had time to consider, instinct took over and she leapt from her cockpit. Cal adjusted his speed, mentally calculating the speed and angle at which she fell. He tilted his Glaive to match her fall and was getting closer to the girl but so was one of the Schooners who had released Vivian's Razor to chase after her.

"Catch her Cal!" Ersha screamed. The rest of the squad were too busy shooting down the rest of the Schooners to keep them from going after him while Zola and Hilda held off the Frigate.

"Take my hand," he yelled. Vivian stretched out her arm and managed to grab on as he pulled her down with all his might. The sea however was rapidly closing in. As was the Schooner chasing them. It's jaws wide as it let out an angry screech. Cal pulled Vivian onto the seat behind him and she wrapped her arms around tightly around his torso as Cal clenched his teeth and pulled up as hard as he could. "Come on, come on!" Cal hissed. Turning on his backup fuel tank, Cal gunned the throttle as hard as he could and the engines flashed like an inferno, launching his unit back up to the sky. Behind him, the shockwave from the thrusters kicked up a column of water, splashing the pursuing Schooner in the face and throwing it off balance just long enough for it to crash into the surf.

"I got Vivian," he gasped. "She's okay." Cal checked behind him but didn't see the Schooner emerge to renew the chase. Between the speed it was going and the impact, it must have knocked itself out and drowned. In the sky ahead, Hilda and Zola closed in on the Frigate from both sides and launched a dual freeze bullet into its body, sending it crashing to join the others that had already been sent to the ocean floor.

"Thank heaven!" Ersha gasped.

"Way to go Cal!" Naomi cheered.

"Is she wounded?" Salia asked.

"Well that…wasn't bad," Hilda admitted. The fact that Hilda was actually complimenting him was so unexpected that Cal thought he was hallucinating.

"I'm sorry, say that again," he said.

"I said it wasn't bad!" Hilda snapped.

"Are you finally warming up to him now?" Zola teased.

"Not in a million years." With the mission over, First Squad headed back to base. From where she rode behind him, Vivian cast a look back and saw her Razor had crashed onto a stone reef

"Aw man," she moaned, "that's going to cost a fortune to repair."

"You're lucky you didn't pay with your life for buying those ridiculous weapons," Salia scolded.

"Vivian promise me you won't go overboard with stuff like that again." Ersha pleaded.

"It's Jasmine's fault for letting her buy those things." Chris said.

"No, Vivian should learn to practice them first in the simulators first." Cal argued. "I learned that the hard way when I bought that shitty F2001, right Vivian."

"Yeah. I'm sorry I won't do it again."

"It's fine just don't scare me like that again. I thought I almost lost you." Vivian smiled and snuggled her face into Cal's hard but warm back.

"Thanks for saving me Big Brother." Cal peered over his shoulder at her while the girls' reactions ranged from shocked to happy.

"Big Brother?" he asked.

"Can I call you that, please?" Vivian pleaded. "It's what kids in manga call older boys who take care of them." Cal felt his heart swell. 'What is this feeling? It's like the same feeling I had with Gramps when he would hug me or give me guidance.' Then he knew. It was a sense of protection he felt around Vivian. Only this time he was the one giving it.

"Yeah sure. I've always wanted a little brother or sister."

"Aw isn't that cute?" Zola awed. From the back of her Glaive, Hilda sighed as she watched them. AS annoying as Vivian could be, she was glad she wasn't hurt. But it also made her feel a little sad. Back when she was young, when it was just her and Mama, she had wished to have a sister. Someone to play with and who she could share apple pies with. Mama's apple pie was her favourite thing she was little. Between the bittersweet memories of home and wandering if Mama was still there, Hilda was almost on the verge of tears until Arzenal came into view and she snapped back to reality.

"Alright ladies and boy, were home," Zola announced. "We still have time before bed, so let's treat ourselves to a feast."

"Ohhh Yummy!" Cal and Vivian cheered as they licked their lips.