Second Breakdown

Disclaimer: All of Star Fox characters, names, trademarks, etc. are owned by Nintendo. Anything else belongs to me.

NOTE!

Anyway, this story is the sequel to my other story, Red Alert, which is obviously another Star Fox fanfiction. However, the connections are just small, so you can actually understand the main idea without reading that story. Still, for those of you who wish to extract everything, then go ahead and read it.

Chapter 1 – In Due Time

A few weeks ago, in an abandoned laboratory in Terra System, there was this female weasel scientist named Artemis. Wearing black robes and thick glasses, she sat down on a dusty processor. She was scavenging the files on a broken down computer, as if she was looking for something important.

"Don, dear, finished with that pile?" she asked as she continued to scan the monitor.

A bulky tiger wearing brown sleeveless shirt, black pants, and black boots, stared at her and groaned, "Sorry, milady, but there's nothing here worth while." He then grabbed another parcel and unloaded it, only to find out that nothing was in there.

"There's nothing in this crap!" she complained as she squandered on the drawers at the desk. An object suddenly caught her eye. It was a bit dusty, but something in it grabbed her attention. It was an old recorder hologram, an object that resembled a digital camera.

She took it and activated it. The device showed a three-dimensional image of an anatomy, with small boxes of DNA and cells shown at the same time. A voice was also speaking while it was being presented.

Kane's log entry is commencing…

Ahem…

I have finally found the way to evolve an entity! I've just heard that a certain virus called the CEL could inhabit a host's genes and cells, allowing it to evolve in the process. These viruses were created to follow orders of the creator as well. The informer named James was actually giving me a good deal. With this holographic data, he proved to me that such things exist! Now, my dream of a world I rule upon on is coming to reality…

Before the record was finished, she threw it away. She was angered by Kane's goal. "Hmph! Reality? You were easily destroyed and your plan foiled!" she laughed. "Using viruses for evolution simply gives you a weakness. For every virus, hon, a cure can be created."

"So, we just did nothing here? I thought that was useful, my lady," Don commented as he picked it up. The object was still playing, and it suddenly showed an image that Artemis liked.

She once more took it, and proclaimed, "Hmm… The evolution was caused by the sudden change of the genes… Ah… I see!" She then threw it away once more, and then, she walked towards the tiger. "Don, I have a question. What if you could control the device that can stabilize your build?"

"Well, I can alter the figure because I have the power to do so," he answered back.

"Precisely!" she complemented him with admiration. "The make-up of a person's DNA is merely but small. If you can control something like the pituitary gland, you can alter the anatomy of a person, and because the gland itself did it, and not some parasite, it cannot be cured! Hah! See that, Kane? You're too narrow-minded to see that!"

"So, what are we going to do now?" Don asked as he opened the door for Artemis. "We need some items to do such altering devices."

"Oh, but remember, I am a woman of many craft," she grinned. "I have enough funding for an object, and our base has enough people, but what we need are guinea pigs. I want you to kidnap five commanders of TERRA Squad. We'll use them for gain…"


A day before Fox awoken, Galaxy Wulf was preparing to leave. They got an urgent call from TERRA Squad - short for Tactical Entrapment and Rescue Access Squad, the main defense force of their home system. They were slightly upset because they were leaving Lylat, and they hadn't spent any time to enjoy with their friends.

"Tough luck, Garou," Lupina snickered as she punched the ice wolf's shoulder. "Tell you what. I'll be today's cook just to make sure you guys will smile, okay?" Everybody smiled back, especially the ice wolf. He then hugged her, but he was answered by a powerful head knock.

Everybody except Fox was there. Even the General Pepper was there to bid them farewell. They did a great job in stopping Kane from creating a new Lylat. Although destruction had been given, it was a chance to rebuild all that's lost.

"Where's Nebulla Wolf?" Peppy asked Bark, who was finalizing everything. "I thought they were with you after defeating Kane…"

"Well, they really wanted to split early," he answered back while adjusting his glasses. "That's like them, always leaving before the celebration."

"Heh, I never got to see that Rufus character," Wolf mumbled in a loud manner so that Wulf could hear it.

"Who knows? Maybe you can meet him," he replied while patting his shoulder. "Oh, and Wolf, please help out Fox, okay. He might get a bit shaky after staying out of Star Fox for two years. Try to fight him for a while to tense him up." The grey wolf grinned, and he just nodded. "Oh, look at the time… See you later, guys! Maybe next time, we get to have a mission back here!"

"Farewell!"

"We'll see each other again…!"

After a few minutes after the take-off, Wulf relaxed himself at the captain's seat. "Phew, finally, time to sit down," he commented as he sipped coffee. "All right, open up the communication."

"Confirmed," Eagle complied. The monitor in front of them projected the TERRA Squad emblem, and then, the image of a female general named Anita Alexix, a white wolf.

"General," Wulf saluted. "I've gotten the message, but I need clarification in this…"

"Wulf," she explained clearly, "listen, here's the situation: five of our newly-assigned commanders were kidnapped. A note was left, and it detailed that a certain person named Don, a once captain of a platoon in TERRA Squad, abducted them. However, the message also told us that a scientist going by the name Artemis was the ringleader. Here's the message." A voice tag was then played.

Listen here, TERRA Squad! We have your five commanders here. Don't worry, though! I'm treating them properly. They're well fed, cleaned, and such, but what I like about them is that they don't complain about being chained! Anyway, Don, the military man you kicked out, kidnapped them. What do we do with them? Well, it depends… Give us 10,000,000 DL in my account shown in this message, and I'll free them. However, pay lower or do something I will not like, then prepare to lose them! I will evolve them! That's right, an incurable state! So, what will it be? Oh, just in case you wanted to know me, I'm Artemis, Kane's colleague…

"Kane's colleague?" Garou suddenly reacted. "Hey, that mean's…"

"Yes," Gen. Anita continued, "she might have an idea on the evolution. The fact that she said incurable state hints us that she may develop a stronger pathogen… but anyway… there's another reason why I called you… especially you, Wulf McWolf…" An image of a ship, broken down and almost torn apart, was displayed. Wulf felt that it was familiar.

"Hey, that's… El Condore! That's my parents' starship! What…" he suddenly burst.

"We were able to track a distress signal, so we sent out aid ships there. We found out that an ambush occurred here. The crews of the ship were already taken to hospital, so Aramias, George, and your mother are in good hands now… but your father… he's missing… A note was also left… It's from Artemis…" A blurry video of a wolf shackled to a wall, leaning down to the floor, was showed to the tensed wolf.

This will be my insurance. If Galaxy Wulf intervened, I'll evolve his father, Lupus! A great soldier and adventurer like him must be a good collection in my evolved soldiers!

"I leave you the decision for us to give the ransom or not… Don't worry, your father has given us so much that we will pay the ransom…"

"No," Wulf growled as he shook his fist, "I'm going to save him and the commanders, and I will make sure he won't be evolved as well as the others…"


It was already today. Inside Artemis' base, one of her soldiers was fastened to a bed. His outfit was stripped off, leaving him with minimal clothing. Pads were placed on his chest, wrist, and thigh, as they were used for detecting. A metal band was placed to his head, and well, terror beckoned him.

"Ready?" Artemis asked to Don. "Is he properly secured?"

"Yes, madam," he confirmed it.

The soldier cried out in fear. However, he was too late. An impulse of waves traveled to his head. He breathed out slowly and evenly, before he cried out again. Soon, he stopped. The readings on Don's monitor showed no life signs. He was dead.

"Not again!" Artemis shouted in fury. "I can't believe I miscalculated!" She then readjusted the configuration in the computer. "What? The waves were perfect! How come it didn't work?"

"Maybe because there wasn't balance, or maybe you're rushing things, my love," he suggested as he took the soldier off. "Try making the waves to alter the brain slowly…"

She thought about his suggestion. "Hmm, you're probably right," she whimpered as she changed a few of the controls. "Okay, get me another soldier." However, she saw him undressing himself and putting the headband on. "What, what are you doing?"

"Well, I want you to evolve me, so that it'll work… I know you trust me, milady," he insisted, "and I trust you… with my life. If I risk myself, I know you'll do your best…" He then placed the pads to his chest, wrist, and thigh.

"Don… All right, I'll let you do it…"

She turned on the device once more. Waves surged into the tiger's head. He felt an intense pain gathering in him. Artemis was about to stop it, until she saw something. He didn't die. Physical alterations were showing up. His muscles were growing and expanding; his fangs were sharpening; his nails were growing.

Minutes had passed since the evolution was successful. Artemis opened up a locked dark room. In it contained a smoke grey wolf chained to the wall. He was still covered in blood, as stains from his fur can be seen. He was Lupus, Wulf's father.

"Heh, trying to scare me? Sorry girl, but it won't work," he mumbled.

"Oh really?" she grinned. "Don, be a dear and please come in!" A muscular figure suddenly entered the room. Lupus was surprised to see an evolved creature. "What were you saying?"

"How… how did you?"

"Simple," she explained as she touched the tiger's chest. "By altering the brain using electric waves, it changes the function of the pituitary gland, allowing the person to grow into a more powerful form. Because the body was not infected, it cannot be cured! It is as if the body changed because it wanted to… It transformed itself!"

Don suddenly grabbed the wolf to the neck. Artemis approached him and chuckled, "Lupus, you're going to be just like him, along with the others who are waiting to be evolved!"