Hello, Readers, Writers and blessed Lunatics! I am back and I have to apologize for how long it took. I started writing New Paradigm ch 2 two weeks ago, but shortly after spent some time in the hospital with a concussion. No fun... So with all of the trauma to my head, I wasn't focusing on the writing very well. That was followed up with a good deal of trouble writing ch 2. So, After using this story to change the monotony of New Paradigm, I decided that I would actually post it.

This is my second Star Fox story and while I am posting it, my focus is going to be on New Paradigm. That being said, I am having an incredibly fun time writing this and will definitely finish it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Fox or its characters, nor do I make any money from these publications. All original characters are my own or used with permission.

Rating Note: This story is rated mature for Police and combat violence, strong language, Blood, Gore and descriptive Deaths (To include but not limited to gravity, snipping, car wrecks, hand-to-hand combat, irate felines and shot glasses), severe emotional distress and sexual content of varying type.

If there was one thing you could say about Fichina, it would be that the place was cold; deathly cold. At all times, in all seasons, you were always sure to see your breath and not feel your toes. But this fact could not keep SGT Michael Fine from being outside right now. Actually, no fact could keep him from being outside at the moment. He had men to lead and this mission was going to be a shit storm!

If there were two things you could say about Fichina, the second would be that the place had gone to hell in a hand basket. Only five years had passed since the Aparoid invasion, when this semi-frozen rock the police sergeant called home had almost become a completely frozen rock. In that time, the economy had exploded, the planets population boomed, a dozen large cities sprung up seemingly overnight and Fichina finally had a good name in Lylat… And then it all crumbled.

Sure, Fichina still had its stable economy, large cities and decent population, but what it also had was a massive underground weapons trade, a drug market that rivaled the economy and more organized crime than a mob movie marathon. The planets success had immediately attracted the attention of every lowlife that wanted a fresh start or had something to prove. Now, the entire planet was a cesspool of crime and corruption. It was a dangerous place to call home if you were a cop. Still, it was home.

'Maybe things will get a little better after today…'

It was almost 0530 hours and it was time to make sure their net was spread tight. The officer touched his earpiece and spoke softly.

"All teams, this is Alpha leader, check your placement boys, it's almost go time!"

The officer looked around at the collection of garbage and discard shipping materials spread around his hiding position. To his right, he could see three of his team shift slightly, still crouching behind a large metal box. Fine emulated the motion, trying his best to keep blood in his legs while staying as low as possible.

"Alpha leader, this is Bravo leader." A soft, harsh voice filled the SGT's earpiece. "Bravo team is still moving into position. We've got a lot of noisy material around here and we're having trouble making a stealthy approach. I'll call up when we're ready."

"Acknowledged, Bravo leader. Make it as fast as possible. We've only got one shot at this."

Fine was slightly upset by the delay, but he couldn't hold it against Bravo team. This area was not where any of them would have preferred to be for an early morning raid. But it wasn't their call this time; it was their targets.

"Alpha leader this is Charlie leader. We're in position and have eyes on all the heavy tech. We'll torch it all when this starts."

Now the husky smiled… More like he smirked, thinking about how shocked their objective's security will be when all their 'big guns' go up in smoke the minute they spring this trap.

"Alpha leader this is Delta leader. We're in position, but the east side of this building does not look like how it did in our schematics. There is what appears to be a door-less garage in the wall and we can't see what's inside. From out here, though, it looks like it eases down into the basement."

That couldn't be good. The plans they used to prepare for surrounding the three story building had included the basement but had nothing on it that met Delta leader's description. If the men who had claimed this structure as their own did some renovating, then there was no telling what kind of surprises were in store for this mission and its participants.

'Thank God we're not the only ones involved this time.' He released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Roger, Delta leader. There's nothing we can do about it now. Just keep a tight watch on it in case anything happens. Keep me posted."

With another shift of his weight, Michael took a few steadying breaths to ease his nerves. He knew now that the only thing stalling this mission was Bravo team getting into position and him getting the final green light from Headquarters. In that short amount of time, he would find out if all their rehearsing had done the trick. To think, this operation hadn't even existed sixty hours ago. In less than three days the plan had been created, the teams had been selected and all the motions started that put all four teams in front of a decrepit old apartment building in one of the worst parts of the city of Kern.

'Those Mercs better be as good as they say!'

"Alpha leader this is Bravo leader. We're in position and awaiting your signal."

Michael Fine sighed again, getting as much of his anxiety gone as was going to be gone. Slowly, he reached for his radio, hanging tightly to his tactical vest. He keyed the mic without a sound.

"Headquarters this is Alpha leader. We're in position, mission is a go."

The husky forced himself to breath as he waited, noticing the first traces of dawn in the early stillness. He always got nervous when he knew he would be in a firefight. You never really get used to it.

"Alpha leader this is HQ. You have a green light; I say again, you have a green light."

"…Acknowledged."

Tightening his grip on the old blaster rifle in his hands, he spoke the words that he had been dreading all night.

"All teams, mission is a go. Take the objective."

As quick as he could possibly muster, the cop raised his rifle to rest on the box that had seconds before been his cover and trained his eye down the weapons sights at one of the four men flanking the entrance to the building.

"Kern Police Department! Drop your weapons!"

The response he got was the flash of a blaster and several indiscernible expletives. As his men came out of cover and began to join the SGTs suppressive fire, Michael Fine was suddenly very happy that they were just the distraction.

In another part of Kern, an industrial area surrounded by abandoned warehouses and the scorched remains of various motor vehicles, a shuttle-sized craft sat in an abandoned parking lot. To most, the small spacecraft would have looked like an oversized van sitting there waiting for an owner that would never come again. If one had taken the time and been of a very specific line of work, however, he or she would recognize it for what it was; a refurbished Venomian Troop shuttle.

Even being of the right mindset, most would still have difficulty recognizing the craft. It was obvious that it had not been used by its creators in years. The old green and yellow titanium alloy armor had been stripped off and replaced with Durataneum, the same metal that served as the armor for all of Corneria's larger fleet ships. The engines had been replaced with a pair of side mounted G-diffuser systems and the sides of the craft had been outfitted with a pair of sliding doors. It was a one of a kind vessel… and it was not abandoned.

"The teams are moving into the area. We might have six minutes before we can begin our assault."

A high pitched, squeaky voice yelled back into the transport from the cockpit, catching the attention of the five people standing there.

They were all dressed the same. Each one wore black fatigues, their upper bodies covered by light weight armor and tactical vests. The vests were outfitted with various pouches and pockets that each member of the team had filled with tools specific to their assigned tasks. Their fatigues were tucked into black combat boots and every face was half covered by a heads-up display placed over one eye.

"Alright!" The orange fox yelled, grabbing everyone's attention. "That gives us just enough time to go over this again."

He waived his hand over a circular console in the middle of the bay (another addition to the ship). As the holographic display flickered to life, a three dimensional transparency of a four story building came into focus. The other four figures surrounded the display and locked their eyes onto it as the vulpine continued.

"Our target is Armond 'The Arm' Desmond, small time crime lord and recent new leader of the Hyron Maffia. He was last seen entering this building on the south side of downtown Kern. That was four days ago. Intelligence points to him using this building as his staging area and safe house while he fights to establish control of his organization after the last leader was killed in a conflict with another syndicate. While it provides him with good protection from other crime lords, it also leaves him isolated and vulnerable to us."

"The plan is simple. The local PD is surrounding the complex as we speak. When everyone is in position, they will draw fire and attention to the lower levels of the building and surrounding areas. The group's heavy equipment will be destroyed in the initial assault, along with any visible transportation. After that, their job is to hold a cordon around the complex while we do our part."

"When we receive our signal, Slippy will fly us in low and fast, staying as silent as possible. We'll land on the roof with our six o'clock facing the roof entrance. The minute we touch down, we'll drop the hatch and begin our assault. Mark," The fox pointed at the lynx across from him. "You'll stay with the ship and back up Slippy. When that hatch drops, I want you on the deck providing cover with the heavy machine gun."

The tall cat nodded while he crossed his arms. "Got it."

"We will only be on the roof for a few seconds. While Mark provides us cover, we will approach the roof door from both sides and enter the building. Here's where things get interesting. The building has no elevators and only one stairwell; the one we'll be occupying. Once inside, we will hit every floor, clearing every room. Once a floor is clear, there's only one way to get back to it and that is through us. Falco, Miyu!"

The blue avian to his left and the female lynx across from him met his gaze. "You two will be with me clearing the floors. Falco, I want you to bring explosives and your heavy blaster. Miyu, you're on breach." The lynx responded to him with a Cheshire grin.

" Katt," He turned to his right to lock eyes with the pink feline. "You will stay in the stairwell and keep us covered from the rear. Make sure to take extra mags for your machine gun. It might get real hairy for you."

She nodded quickly. "Right."

"Everything we know about 'The Arm' tells us that he will let his men do the fighting and do his best to keep himself safe. Our goal is to corner him in the basement. Once there, we can pick off his last few guards and nab him. Remember, this is not an assassination. We are here to apprehend Desmond, not kill him."

"Fox, we've received the signal." Slippy called from the cockpit again. "Hang on. I'm beginning insertion. ETA, ninety seconds."

The five mercenaries crouched and caught themselves on the shuttle walls as the craft lurched off the ground. In seconds, it had turned towards the distant firefight and moved to join it.

"Alright, this is it. Mark, take your position."

The lynx was already walking towards the rear of the craft, his right arm loaded with the weight of 'little timmy', his affectionate nickname for the teams C287 Heavy Machine Gun. Falco was checking his pouches, making sure all his gear was strapped down and he had enough firepower. Miyu stepped up next to Fox, having just replaced her blaster rifle with one of two CX-5 pump action Scatterblasters that the team owned. Her earlier grin was still present on her face.

"Take your positions. Falco, Katt, take the right. Miyu, with me on the left."

"Forty-five seconds."

Fox could barely hear Slippy's voice in the front of the ship. Luckily his vulpine ears made it even possible. He nodded to no one in particular as he flipped on his headset, the display over his right eye flashing to life.

"Thanks, Slip."

He spoke into his headset now, glad to not have to yell at his team when they were three feet in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Mark shift his weight down onto his knee and fall forward, dropping into a prone firing position as he released his bulky weapon's bipod. He took a deep breath as he tugged the butt plate into his left shoulder and place his right hand on the small of the stock.

'He always looks so calm when he's behind a weapon.' Fox mused to himself. 'I need to ask him what his secret is.'

"Ten seconds!"

Fox breathed in deep. To him, time seemed to slow down as he calmed his mind and his nerves. He focused all of his senses toward the mission at hand. He gripped the handle of his blaster, forcing it to press hard against his palm. He closed his eyes and listened to the faint sound of weapons fire far below him. He ground his boot into the deck, eager to push off into the fight. He always relished this feeling before a mission. Where the last few seconds of peace and tension stretched before he would have to become what he had been all his life; a soldier of fortune. This was when the fire in his blood burned hottest. This was when he became the man every enemy of Corneria feared.

The sudden impact with solid ground caused his eyes to shoot open, his ears to tuck themselves against his head and his reflexes to jump into action. His vision was focused forward as his left hand flew to the switch on the wall that caused the door in front of his face to fall out, creating an easy ramp for the team to run down.

"Go!"

Fox was moving before he saw the rest of the team's reaction. He didn't need to see it. He knew all of them and all of them knew what they were doing. This time would be no different. Fox moved forward quickly, keeping his upper body stable as he trained his blaster on the door fifteen meters in front of him. He was passing several rows of air conditioning vents on his left while the echoing crunch of the roofs gravel told him Miyu may have been only inches behind him. He was only halfway to the door when it flew open and a pair of men stepped out, each one leveling a ballistic rifle on their hip right at him.

While he could have killed at least one of them, he didn't bother. He felt no fear or concern or even surprise. He knew that there would be someone up here and that was why he planned things the way he did. No sooner had the men opened the door then the thunderous cadence of the heavy machine gun ripped through the air behind Fox. The pair in front of him never pulled their triggers as the large 7.62 mm slugs tore into their bodies. The impact from the heavy rounds forced them to fall back, landing on the roof to never move again.

Fox breathed through a smirk as he changed course to move directly to the roof access. In the corner of his eye he saw Falco moving in the same manner with Katt following barely a foot behind. One of the unfortunate men whom Mark had just gunned down landed on the door, his elevated body serving as a doorstop, leaving nothing in between the team and the stairwell. As they paused outside the doorway, Fox turned to Falco just long enough for the other to nod without making eye contact. As Fox faced forward again, he stepped through the door, quickly bringing his blaster to bear on the steps below him. The stairwell was empty, but he knew it wouldn't stay the way for long. So, he continued down the metal steps, the rest of the assault team filing closely behind him, matching his rapid pace.

They quickly covered the two flights of stairs separating them and the top floor. Fox paused just before he reached the door and waited for the gentle pressure of the rest of the team as they pressed up against his back. Once he knew they were all there, he reached out and turned the door handle. The handle turned with no resistance, and as he held it in its open position, he leaned back, pushing against Falco who then pushed against Miyu, who pushed against Katt. The next few seconds would happen very quickly.

Katt pushed forward, signaling for everyone ahead of her to do the same. Once Fox felt the push he threw the door open with enough strength to make the handle touch the wall. With the door wide open, Fox stepped into the hallway and trained his blaster down its length. Falco and Miyu were both less than a second behind him. Katt stayed in the stairwell, propping the door open and keeping a close watch for any visitors.

Now on the third floor, the clearing team hugged the left side of the hall, knowing from the schematics they studied that the first room was on the left. Each member also knew that each floor had six rooms and they would have to make sure that every one of them was clear. The first door stood ajar as did the fourth further down on the right. The team never stalled. As Fox neared the door, he rushed in. Both Falco and Miyu followed just as quickly and in less time than it took to blink, the three mercenaries had all three corners of the room covered by a weapon. They quickly walked across the room, making absolutely sure there was no one there.

"Clear!"

Fox's quiet command carried easily across the room, causing the companions to turn around and exit the room just as swiftly as they had entered it. As they entered the hallway, they lined up again on the right wall, aiming to enter the next room. The door was shut but a gentle turn told Fox that it was not locked. After leaning back to signal that he was ready, they cleared this room in the same manner as before, repeating the process for all of the following rooms.

It was not until they reached the final room on the right that they ran into trouble. When Fox tried to open it he found it to be locked and a split second later heard the muffled voices from within. Pausing for a few short seconds, he listened, his ears turned to aid his hearing. Without a word, he turned his head back slightly and held up four fingers. He followed this gesture by making a fist and pushing it forward in a short punch and then flicking his thumb up from the fist.

Both of his team mates got the message loud and clear. Miyu ran up from the back to stand right in front of the door, her Scatterblaster trained on the handle. While she moved, Falco reached into one of his pouches and removed a short silver cylinder topped with a pull-pin and spring-loaded lever. With the cylinder in hand, he moved to stand next to the door as Fox moved back, falling into position behind his friend. Catching his team's attention, Fox held up three fingers, silently counting down before he dropped his hand back to his blaster.

Miyu acted first, pulling the trigger on her weapon and sending eight beams of piercing energy straight into the area surrounding the door handle. The bolts penetrated the materials of the door and wall, and as Miyu pumped the weapon, extracting the small energy crystal and loading another, she brought her right foot up and kicked the door just left of the ruined handle. The door flew in, the handle and a small part of the door separating from the rest of the barrier. With the door open, Falco yanked the pin out of the grenade and threw it inside. Miyu ducked away from the door to keep from becoming a target and took her place behind Fox, who waited to move until the Flash-Bang grenade went off.

In less than two seconds it detonated, filling the room with intense light and sound. As soon as the light was gone, Falco sprinted into the room, leading the charge this time.

As they entered the room, they observed the four men stumbling around in confusion. Even in their confused state, though, they still had the sense to recognize enemies; which is why all of them were trying to narrow their weapons at the intruders. They never got a chance to fire as the mercenaries' weapons all flashed, sending the criminals to their graves. With the last room on this floor clear, the team returned to the hallway; just in time to hear the rapid discharge of a machine gun from the other end of the hall.

Falco was moving first, realizing that Katt was engaged in a fight. Fox and Miyu followed close behind as the trio ran to aid their friend. By the time they entered the stairwell, however, Katt was no longer firing and the stairs just below and in front of her were littered with three fresh bodies. Falco took a second to process the scene on the stairs before he slowly turned to Katt, his eyebrows raised and surprise registered across his drawn face.

Katt shrugged.

"What? They were right there."

Falco just shook his head, the awe on his face disappearing before he muttered to himself. Fox could only make out something about 'her bad side' as he walked into the stairwell.

"What was that, Bird Boy?" Katt regarded him with raised eyebrows and a look on her face that dared the avian to repeat his comment.

"Alright, enough chatter; we still have work to do."

Fox's voice broke the amused atmosphere. He started down the stairs, his blaster trained on the now empty space below him. The rest filed in quickly and soon they were at the door of the second floor. Fox tested the handle again, finding it unlocked like the floor above. Repeating their assault process, Fox threw open the door and started to clear the floor. Approaching the first left door, the trio stacked up on each other again and prepared to enter the room, but just as he threw open the door Fox saw a change in his blaster. Its power reading suddenly dropped from more than ninety percent to zero. He was already entering the room when he realized what the only thing that could make that happen was.

"Blast Jammer!"

His warning to the other members of his team was barely yelled in time to keep them from following him in, but he was still entering the room. As he cleared the doorway, Fox dove forward and rolled, luckily placing himself behind a metal desk. He wasn't even fully behind the desk when the high pitched 'bang' of projectile assault rifles issued through the room. Fox thanked whatever god that was there for the desk being metal. If it had been anything else, he would have been a very dead fox. The weapons quieted as a voice called to him from within the room.

"Give it up, Star Fox! There's no point in trying to stay alive anymore! You're precious blasters are useless to you!"

Fox sneered and growled at the faceless voice as it began to laugh. He allowed his tail to twitch in annoyance as he unclipped the holding strap on his sidearm. Fox triggered the power-up sequence of the pistol and counted the three seconds it took to be ready to fire. When the seconds vanished, Fox twisted around and came to his knees, placing his left arm across the desk and steadying his right on top of it. He found his first target directly in front of him and used his tail to steady his balance as he aimed.

He then pulled the trigger twice in quick succession, the barely present recoil of the Plasma Pulse Pistol (PPP/tripleP) allowing him to keep on target. The superheated bolts of energy slammed into the gunman's chest, easily burning through his blaster resistant armor and discharging across his ribs. As he began to fall, the man next to him looked over and stared, his eyes widening in shock as he realized what had happened. He turned back to find Fox just in time to see two more bolts slam into his own chest, ending his life just as quickly as his comrades'.

"Who says I need a blaster?"

Fox stayed in that position for a few seconds, waiting and watching to make sure there was no one else in the room. Content that he was safe, he stood and walked around his cover, aggravated and showing it. That they had not been told that this organization could afford tech like Blast Jammers was a severe breach of information. They should have been able to expect this. He let out an angry growl as he slammed his boot down on the small device, shattering it.

"We're clear. The blasters should be working again."

He idly stepped out of the room, looking down at his blaster to see its power readout turn yellow and then green as it ran the automatic systems check. He looked briefly at Falco and Miyu, who were making sure their own weapons were back to working order. When they were both sure they could continue they met Fox's gaze. He got the message and the three continued. The rest of the floor was cleared without incident.

As they returned to the stairwell, Katt turned to Fox.

"The fighting outside has died down significantly. You guys just missed a group of gunmen running off the first floor and heading for the basement."

Fox nodded at Katt, taking a second to think through the information.

"They may be trying to rally a last stand in the basement. Eyes open, everyone. Things are about to get ugly."

His team nodded their compliance while Mark and Slippy's voices confirmed that they heard as well. Fox tapped his wrist gauntlet and adjusted the frequency of his headset.

"Alpha leader this is Fox McCloud. Do you read me?"

The husky's voice immediately responded.

"Roger, Star Fox. Loud and clear."

"We're in the stairwell on the second floor. We just saw a group of fighters exit the first floor and head to the basement. It may be safe for your guys to take the first floor and tighten the cordon. What do you think?"

"Acknowledged, Star Fox, we're already taking it. The first floor seems clear. You should be safe to force the objective. Happy hunting."

"Thanks, Alpha leader."

Fox switched his headset back to the team's frequency.

"We're clear to head straight for the basement. Let's go!"

Staying in single file, all four of them rushed down the stairwell toward the lower most floor, each member taking care to watch the first floor door as they passed by, just in case the mafia soldiers had another surprise ready for them. As they continued further toward the basement, Katt kept her eyes and her weapon trained on the door just above them.

When Fox caught sight of the basement door, the first thing he noticed was that there was no door. It had been removed at some point, its unused hinges hanging on the frame. The second thing he noticed was the way the light displaced itself in the room. It wasn't even. Instead of the light all coming from the celling it all came from the left side of the room…and some of it was red. As the team got closer, Fox also noticed a sound that should not have been there; a steady rumbling that he couldn't quite attach to a source. Yet as the team came up to stand next to the door, Fox's eyes widened in shock as his nose caught a scent that immediately brought the picture together: engine exhaust.

"Go, Go, GO! Take the room. They've got a vehicle!"

Fox was through the door without another moment of hesitation. He suddenly saw the entire mission failing as he entered the once closed basement that had since been converted to an underground garage. Fox caught sight of the tail lights of the only vehicle in the facility, knowing instantly that that was where their target was. Fox felt and heard several slugs hit the wall behind him and instantly turned away from the vehicle to fire on the gunman who was standing behind a crate to his left. The crate offered no protection to the man as Fox blasted right through the wooden box and tore a seared hole into the man's chest. Fox could vaguely hear more blaster fire behind him as his vision traced the basement, alert for anymore threats. A flash in the corner of his right eye told him Falco had taken out another wise guy, while at the same time a high pitched 'zingk' behind him told him Miyu had also scored another kill.

Fox barely acknowledged the distinct 'Chik-chik' of her Scatterblaster as he leveled his own energy weapon back at the All-terrain Urban Vehicle in front of him. He was about to shoot out the back left tire when he heard Katt yell his name. The shout pulled his vision up from his target and he identified what the problem was. The skylight of the truck was open and a very angry leopard was leveling a heavy blaster at him. There was no cover for him to get to. Fox was trapped.

As he watched what he was sure would be his last mistake unfold in front of him, the leopard convulsed and flailed about as blood erupted from dozens of small holes that were springing up all over his body. The leopard's body went limp after a few seconds and fell back into the vehicle, just as said vehicle spun its tires and charged up a ramp into the open morning air.

Fox was breathing rapidly as he turned around to find Katt, her machine gun still shouldered as smoke billowed out the barrel. She dropped the weapon down and looked right at him, a fire in her eyes that he had seen very few times since he met her… and usually then only after a massive fight with Falco. Said avian was running after the departing vehicle yelling at the rest of the team.

"He's getting away! We need to get after him."

His voice broke Fox out of his own shock as he turned and ran after Falco, the feline and the lynx close behind him. There was little time to act.

"Mark, the target's on the move. Launch the bikes over the east side of the building. Set their forward motion to end after fifteen meters."

"Acknowledged." Marks voice was emotionless as usual.

"Slippy, once the bikes are off, get airborne and follow us out. We'll need eyes in the sky to keep track of the vehicle."

"Roger."

As the assault team exited the basement into the predawn chill, it was easy to see that this turn of events was not planned for. Part of the police team was in chaos, its leader yelling into his earpiece trying to make heads or tails of the situation to headquarters. Several of the officers simply stood their looking at the mercenaries as if they expected them to simply fix this problem. Fox intended to do just that.

In that moment he heard the roaring whine of a pair of powerful engines start up. He turned around to watch as the teams hover bikes ran right off the roof and fell to the ground, the light weight of their frames allowing the repulsion fields to keep the bikes from actually impacting the asphalt. Fox was moving toward the right vehicle as Falco and Katt were already mounting the left. In seconds, Fox had his hands on the handles. He then felt Miyu land behind him and grip his shoulders as the steady thrust of two G-diffusers told him that their mission shuttle had taken off.

"Slippy, can you see where they went?"

There was a quick pause as the shuttle passed overhead and picked up speed.

"Not yet, Fox. What exactly are we looking for?"

Fox was about to describe the AUV when the sarcastic tone of Falco interrupted him.

"It'll be the only vehicle on the road with blood covering the roof and the skylight, froggy! You see anything like that?!"

Falco was restless, Fox could see that. He gripped the handles of his bike with white knuckle strength. If he didn't know better, Fox would think that Falco was worried the target was going to actually escape.

"Yeah, Yeah, Falco, I hear ya… I've got eyes on him. He's heading north, towards the south-side highway."

Fox didn't like the sound of that.

"He'll probably get on the highway. It gives him the clearest escape route. Stay with him, Slip, and call the police HQ. Tell them to clear that highway. We don't need civilians getting caught in the crossfire!"

Before he even finished talking, Falco took off out of the cordon. Fox paused a few seconds more to check the bikes settings before he followed his friend in pursuit of their prey. Unlike the vehicle they were pursuing, the hover bikes didn't require specific terrain to travel on. They were also heavily maneuverable do to the high degree of control the repulsion systems gave the driver. These facts allowed the team to bypass intersections, cut across open areas and maintain high speeds without fear of losing control or causing an accident. This was why it only took a little more than a minute to catch up to the fleeing vehicle.

"There he is, Fox. He's right in front of you."

"Thanks, Slippy. Stay on him." Fox was still a good ways behind Falco as the two raced after the mob leader. "Did you get in touch with police headquarters?"

"I did, Fox. They're blocking off all the highway entrances and announcing an alert on the local comm stations. Hopefully, they'll be able to prevent any bystanders from getting on the highway."

Fox didn't reply initially as he saw said roadway in the distance. There was no more than two miles before their target made it to the on ramp. There wasn't much time to act.

"Slippy, get ahead of him on the highway. Fly in low and give him something to focus on besides the civilians."

As Fox was speaking with Slippy, the AUV put on more speed. Falco and Katt were still ahead of him, still trying to close the distance with the retreating vehicle as Fox increased his own speed. He hoped they could end this chase quickly once they hit the highway.

Fox had just come up even with Falco when the truck turned entering the on ramp for the south-side highway. Both bikes followed and Fox became very anxious about what they would find once they were off the ramp. He knew that this would be very ugly if there were a lot of civilians present.

As both bikes cleared the entrance, Fox breathed a sigh of relief that there were no cars in sight on the road. The only thing there was… he had spoken to soon. Ahead, just in front of the swerving mob vehicle, there were at least three other vehicles that had not left the highway. If this wasn't enough, the vulpine could now see the indistinct figures of a pair of bodies hanging out of the AUVs windows.

"Falco, they're going to open fire when we get close. Keep the focus on us. Draw their fire away from the civilians! Miyu and I will try to get close and take out the tires."

"Roger! Hang on, Katt!"

Falco gunned his throttle and shot ahead of Fox, closing the distance between him and the target much faster on the open roadway. He was within twenty-five meters of the vehicle when it swerved to the left side of the highway, cutting in front of a small car. Falco cut right, avoiding the car and catching the attention of the right side gunman. The badger leveled his rifle and fired as Falco tapped the brakes. This slowed his forward motion and the projectile impacted the metal railing on the outside of the highway. As the badger cocked the lever action of his rifle, still focused on the only bike in sight, Fox began to creep up right behind the truck. He would bide his time until he was close enough to quickly cut over and open up a shot at the tires. This should surprise the gunman and let them finish this with less shooting then there would be otherwise. Fox was just ten meters away from the truck when Miyu yelled in warning. A tiger-striped tabby was climbing out of the skylight. As he stood, he leveled a blaster onto the roof and tracked them with the sights. Fox swerved right just in time for the bolt of light to sail harmlessly by them and impact with the road.

He then had to jam the brakes as the coyote on the left aimed his shotgun at them. Luckily, he didn't have time to get a shot off before the pair was out of his line of fire. Fox was about to warn Falco about the shooter on top, when the avian fell back to be even with him, avoiding the pickup truck the whole group was passing. He let off his own brakes as he yelled into his headset.

"That gunman on top is going to pick us off if we don't do something about him!" Falco's voice betrayed his annoyance. "And quick!"

He stopped talking as both teams broke away from each other, just missing another blaster shot. Both bikes had to keep swerving in order to avoid the gun and blaster fire being constantly volleyed at them. In the chaos that followed, one of the shots from the coyote on the left completely missed Fox and impacted the last vehicle they were passing. When the shot landed, the driver panicked and swerved. Fox had to slam on the bikes airbrakes in order to avoid being run down. As the car passed in front of him, its momentum forced it to tip over and start barrel rolling down the highway. Fox swerved again, just barely preventing the impact that would have easily been the death of him and Miyu.

'I hope we didn't just get someone killed…" Fox allowed himself the dark thought before regaining his composure.

"Slippy, get police HQ to send a medical team out here for that car. Mark, we're having a bit of a problem down here. We can't get close enough to stop the truck. I need you to deal with the shooter on the roof."

The icy voice of the lynx came across their ear pieces.

"Copy that. Consider it done."

00000

Mark was standing in the cockpit, right behind Slippy when they called for his help. It was something he had been hoping for that morning. The chance to exercise his skill; the chance to be what this team needed him to be.

"Copy that. Consider it done."

He turned on his heels and rushed into the troop bay, turning right as he cleared the cockpit. At the top of the wall, there was an almost invisible release. Mark pressed that release and stepped back as the weapons case folded out flat. With a quick flip of the snaps, he lifted the lid to reveal the six distinct pieces inside.

With trained precision he picked up the main receiver and the butt stock. These pieces came together with a flick of his wrists. He next lifted the heavy barrel out, resting its back end into the main receiver. As he straightened these pieces together, an audible 'snap' resounded through the troop bay. The next piece out was the magazine. The eight inch long energy crystals flashed in Mark's eyes as he slipped the metal into the weapon and slapped the bottom, forcing the magazine into place. With the nearly completed weapon resting in the crook of his left arm, he retrieved the scope. This he slid onto the rail atop the rifle, spinning it around to lock the precision tool into place.

Mark turned then, still locking the strap into place as he walked to the right side door.

"Mark, you ready?"

Fox always was impatient.

"Almost."

Mark threw his right shoulder into the sliding door, rapidly forcing the portal to open. He wrapped his right arm in the strap as he flipped the bolt action and loaded a round. Leaning against the door frame, he pulled the stock into his shoulder and narrowed his vision down the scope.

"I'm in position. Slippy, keep her steady."

"Steady as she goes, Mark."

"The shooters are all focused on us." Fox's voice filled the headset again. "You're clear; fire when ready."

Mark barely heard his vulpine leader. His focus was on his crosshairs, where the head of the tabby in the skylight now lay. His breathing was slow and steady. The easterly rising sun highlighted his target and produced no glare. He was in complete control. He inhaled, tightening his grip on the trigger. He exhaled.

"One shot, one kill."

The trigger came home.

00000

It happened so fast that Fox almost missed it. One second, the cat in the skylight was holding a steady grip on his blaster and the next a stream of red light entered the right side of his head and exited the left, accompanied by a splatter of pink liquid. The cat's body stooped over in the skylight as the blaster he was no longer holding slipped off the truck and tumbled down the highway toward the mercenaries.

"Target down."

While Fox would never say that he regretted hiring Mark and Miyu Lynx to the team, he could say that sometimes Miyu's brother scared him.

"Alright, it's time to end this. Falco, you and Katt fall back behind us. We'll cut right and draw the gunman's fire. While his attention is on us, come up behind the truck, then cut over and take him out. We'll repeat the process on the other side. You draw fire and we'll take him down."

"Got it!"

Falco tapped the brakes and fell in behind Fox just as the vulpine began to ease right and push his acceleration. The gunman in the window began to fire at the new target; his lever action rifle slowed his firing rate. As Fox and Miyu moved up on the highway, the shooters attention stayed on them. He didn't even look back as Falco came from behind the truck, Katt already leveling her weapon as her target came into view.

Her machine gun yelled across the highway, sending the man to his grave. His rifle hung loosely from his grip as it dragged along the road. With one threat ended, both bikes fell back behind the truck and prepared to replay their strategy.

With far more enthusiasm than Fox had, Falco gunned his engines and swerved to the left of the highway and the AUV. Katt yelled as they caught the attention of the coyote, who fired a wild shot that missed them completely. The empty shell fell to the road as he readied another shot for the speeding mercenaries. He was in the process of aiming that shot when he saw Fox come around the truck, Miyu's scatterblaster already leveled at him. The coyote tried to turn his shotgun to the more eminent threat, but Miyu fired before he got there. The cluster of bolts tore through the shotgun before burying themselves in the coyote's chest. The team was now free and clear.

"Take out the tires!"

Fox yelled into his headset as he fell back and moved to the right. They had him! They just had to make him stop. As Miyu charged her blaster again, Katt's machine gun cried out. A split second later and the AUVs tail end began to swerve right as the back left wheel began to drag along the asphalt.

"Miyu, hurry!"

Fox didn't actually need to push the lynx, who was already aiming her weapon. Another quick 'zingk' and the back right tire burst, forcing the truck to swerve uncontrolledly in both directions.

"Falco, hook on!"

Both pilots flipped several switches on their control panel before hitting a sideways trigger under their left thumbs. Almost simultaneously, spearheads shot out of the front end of both bikes, each one burying into and locking onto the armored truck; the quick thinking and experienced aim of the pilots displayed in the accurate shots. Fox flipped the lock in place for the metal tether attached to the harpoon and gunned the airbrakes. Falco followed suit and slowly, they dragged the truck to a complete stop on the now clear highway. Fox jammed the parking brakes as he began to shout orders.

"Take him! Falco on the driver, Katt on the left side door, Miyu with me. Move!"

The four of them were off the bikes in a flash. Miyu moved ahead of Fox as he adjusted the grip on his blaster. The lynx yanked open the door and Fox ran into the doorway. He turned his blaster into the back seat just as Katt was throwing open the opposite door. There in front of them, his arms up and a pair of silver-plated TriplePs hanging from his fingers, was a pit bull. He glared at his intruders as Falco called back from the front.

"Drivers good. No weapons."

Fox nodded, keeping his eyes on the burly dog in front of him.

"Armond Desmond?"

"Who the fuck wants to know!? And Why!?"

Fox dropped his blaster to his right side, allowing it to hang from its shoulder strap. With his hands free, he began to retrieve a piece of paper from under his armor.

"My name is Fox McCloud. Maybe you've heard of me. This is my team; Star Fox. As for the why…" Fox unfolded the paper and displayed it to the pit bull. "By the authority of the mayor of Kern, I have a warrant for your arrest. We are to take you into custody and deliver you to prison."

Fox dropped his arm.

"Any more questions?"

So, what did you think? I am a huge fan of reviews, both receiving and responding to. The second chapter of this will be up whenever it's done and hopefully not before I make more progress on New Paradigm.

Also, I have a poll up on my profile. I have an idea for a realistic Mortal Kombat/Nintendo crossover and I want to here everyone's opinions about who you would like to see WIN the tournament. Please vote; I can't wait to get started on it.