Black Cell

Chapter 1

Author's Note: I now tell another tale of a panther and a vulpine. This will be my eleventh fic and I can't believe that I made it this far after several brick walls. I would like to thank all my supporters from when I was Great Fox until now and future ones too. Now this is a continuation of Dance of the Macabre, so if you are confused, read that one first. Now onto the story!

Two months after being recaptured in Zoness…

I walked into a small holding room in Shark Tank and I was being processed. For what you must ask; well today I would be released from the prison. I had served my time and I was a free creature as soon as I left the prison.

"Come over here inmate." A guard said and I walked into an adjoining room. "State your name."

"Calyx." I said and the guard tapped on the console in front of him.

"Calyx, in for fifteen years for the crimes of murder, rape, drug trafficking, and hijacking; served five of the fifteen years. Have you been rehabilitated?" The question was asked to every inmate and their response either let them out or keep them in for the rest of their term.

"Yes sir, the killer in me has been exposed and he has passed on." It seemed satisfactory so the guard motioned for my release. Two guards took my paws that were bound behind me and they escorted me to the docking bay. I stepped onto a shuttle and the doors closed behind me.

It was the most beautiful sound in the world.

The shuttle set down in Corneria a few hours later and I stepped out into the air, even though the quality wasn't so good, it seemed like heaven as I felt the cuffs fall off.

"You're free now." The guard said and the shuttle took off behind me; the city was before me and I looked at what the guards had given to me on the ride here. I had a small Comm, a hundred credits, an ID, and a wallet to keep the money and ID in. I slipped the wallet into my clothes that had been given to me when I left the prison; they were denim colored pants, black shirt, and a pair of shoes. I strapped the Comm to my wrist and I walked into the streets.

There weren't a lot of panthers roaming the streets; in fact, I was the only one at the time. I received odd looks from passersby's but I ignored them; panthers must be stereotyped because even young ones were kept away from me. I looked to my left and I saw something of interest, an apartment was up for sale. I walked into the large building and I walked over to the receptionist.

"I saw the ad on the door."

"Let's see some ID." She said rudely and I handed it over. "We don't offer to former inmates; now get out of here before I call the cops." I quickly walked out and a thought occurred to me, I needed to get to Zoness. I called a taxi and I hopped in.

"Main Docking Bay and step on it." The driver nodded and the cab flew through the streets of Corneria, he took a few dangerous turns and a few minutes later I arrived. I gave him a few credits and ran to the ticket window. The female feline behind the counter looked bored and she yawned when I came up.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, one ticket to Zoness, one way." She tapped the screen in front of her and yawned again.

"That will be eighty credits." I forked over the money and she printed out a ticket for me. I took it and looked at it, the next shuttle was leaving in a few minutes and I quickly ran to the gate. I passed through it and stepped onto the shuttle just as the doors were closing. I looked around and there were two other passengers on the shuttle, they were two tigers that looked exactly the same.

"Why are we going to Zoness again?"

"I don't know, I can't seem to find us a job here anywhere. No one will take in recent inmates." The other tiger responded. They looked awfully familiar and I chanced my luck.

"Mishkin and Janus?" They immediately looked up and I waked over to them.

"Calyx! What are you doing here?" Mishkin asked me and I smiled,

"I'm going to find Zima. I never got to thank her for a night a few months ago." I replied. Mishkin smiled and I knew what he was implying. "Stop acting like a kitten Mishkin."

"Ok, I'm sorry Calyx." We were silent for a bit and Janus leaned forward.

"So when did you get on parole from Shark Tank?"

"No parole here, I am a free panther." Janus laughed and he punched me on the shoulder.

"Nice, we're still on parole thanks to the ass over here."

"Hey, I didn't know that I took his spot at the table." I gave Mishkin a puzzled look and Janus explained.

"He sat down in the cafeteria and it was occupied by another inmate, he was a lot bigger than us and we paid for it."

"I was in the infirmary for a week." Mishkin added.

"But after my brother recovered, we were released on parole. And now, we are on our way to Zoness."

"Do you ever think about Fox?" I asked and the pair nodded.

"Yes, he was like a father to me." Janus said and Mishkin was silent for the moment.

"I saw him in the morgue and something freaked me out."

"And that is?" Janus said and he continued.

"Well, the fur wasn't cold, I mean it as like he was still alive and was just in suspended animation or something." My jaw dropped and Janus looked at his brother.

"You never told me that."

"Well, I thought that it didn't matter since he was dead but now that I think about it, I'm not sure that he died."

"Well," I interjected. "He did die once before and he came back. Did he ever tell you about that?" I said and the tigers nodded.

"Yeah, he was shot by another merc named Falco, um," Janus struggled for the name and Mishkin continued. "Lombardi. He took a bolt right to the chest, how he survived is beyond me."

"It's Fox McCloud, there doesn't need to be an explanation. He was the greatest mercenary that ever lived, in my opinion." I said and I suddenly felt very tired. "How long is this shuttle ride?"

"About four hours." Mishkin said and I put my head back.

"Wake me when we arrive."

"Calyx, wake up." Something shook me and I opened my eyes, Janus stood over me and I woke up.

"Ok, I'm up." I said and I felt the shuttle coming to a stop as it rumbled for just a moment. The two tigers were already up and they were standing by the door to leave. I joined them and we walked out into Zoness, the streets hadn't changed even since when I had left them and I wanted to find that club. "I have to find Zima." I said and I turned the Comm on. It was equipped with a map of the entire Lylat System and I tuned it in for Zoness. I located the bar and I began walking.

"Hey Calyx, wait up." The tigers aid as they caught up to me.

"Did you find the club?" Mishkin asked and I saw it in the distance, the door was wide open and it looked like there was a lot of activity tonight. Night was beginning to fall and I quickly pushed past the furs as I walked up to the building. The dance floor was crowded and I turned to the tigers.

"Stay here for a moment; I don't want to lose you in the crowd." They nodded and I walked in. A pretty vixen walked up to me and she was only wearing a brown cloth around her waist, gold earring in her left ear and a pair of stilettos.

"Hey, don't I know you?"

"Yes," I said looking her straight in the eye. "Where is Zima?"

"She's at the bar, why do you know her?"

"Yeah, its been a while." I pushed past her and walked over to the bar. The black panther was dealing out shots when I asked for a vodka.

"Calyx!" She exclaimed and another female took her place as she walked over to her. "Take care of the bar, I'll be back." The female nodded and she smiled at me. Zima was wearing a long blue outfit that exposed her midriff and showed a lot of fur around her chest. "Where have you been Calyx?"

"I have a long story; I need to get two tigers in here first so hold on a sec." I walked back outside and the pair followed me in. Zima nodded and I turned to them. "Well, go have some fun, just don't get into anything too heavy." They smiled and vanished into the crowd, I turned to Zima and I looked into her eyes.

"Is there somewhere where we could talk?"

"Yes, come one." We walked behind the bar and she opened the door to where you could either go into the basement or upstairs. We walked upstairs and I recognized the room from only two months ago, but it seemed like an eternity…

"Hmm, it hasn't changed." The room was sparse with a bed, dresser, and window where Fox had left from... I felt a paw slid around my waist and I looked into the vixen's eyes. "And neither have you." Zima smiled and we embraced as I stroked the back of her head.

"It's been a long few months without you." She looked up at me and I nodded.

"Yes, I have missed you so much." I felt her tail slide around my leg and I kissed her. Zima was taken by surprise but soon she gave into me and I held her tight. She broke he embrace and I looked back down into the bar, there was a clear view onto the dance floor if the door wasn't shut from her room.

"So when does the party calm down?"

"In a few hours, I could close early though." She let go of me and we walked down the stairs. Zima vaulted onto the stage and she grabbed a mike off the wall. The music stopped and she smiled as the occupants looked at her. "Are you having fun tonight?" She said and they roared back their answer. "Well, tonight will be an early one, in an hour I'm shutting the club down, so get in any last minutes things and be prepared to leave." She hooked the mike back on the wall and walked back over to me. "Ok, you have your wish. I need to man the bar for the rest of the time," She put an arm around me and I sighed. "You look tired. Take a rest in my room and I'll wake you up soon." I nodded and I went back up the stairs. I laid down on her bed and Zima's scent filtered into my nose, it smelled so beautiful and I closed my eyes as the music faded.

The nurse flipped through the clipboard as she walked into the morgue.

"Ok, he's done. Done, done, done, done…ok, now where is this one?" She said and she walked over to a body covered with a sheet. She examined the toe stub and nodded. "Fox McCloud, I never thought I would see you here." She bent down to remove the tag and there was a rustling sound, the sheet fell down and her heart jumped into her throat.

"Where…am…I?" A voice asked and the nurse screamed as she saw him, he had sat up and was looking her in the eye. He looked terrible since he had been dead, he slid off the gurney and the nurse screamed again. Fox grabbed the gurney for support and the burse fled as he wrapped the sheet around him. "The morgue? Oh man, I really have to stop dying." Fox walked out of the room and he rubbed his eyes as the few nurses on call at the station looked at him in amazement. "What are you looking at?"

"You...you're alive!" A nurse said and Fox fell against the wall. Two nurses immediately ran to him and they held him as he was suddenly weak.

"I need some clothes, a shower, and food now." Fox said and he was laid on a gurney. "Oh it's great to be back."