There was a crack overhead, thundering claps of ballistic shells followed by shrapnel flinging into the worn buildings below. Among the pieces of debris and flame flew Fox McCloud, his body limp in its stasis suit as he careened through glass walls. He rolled unto a stop, and remained motionless in the silence of the hive city's depths. Neon lights glowed, and the sounds of screaming jet cars soon grew loud. Three riders came screaming into the building Fox had fallen into, vulpine like Fox, driving fast in single passenger jet bikes before halting before the fallen mercenary.
The front rider killed his gravity turbine and dismounted, his heavy boots kicking up dust and debris as he made his way calmly to Fox. The two other riders dismounted as well, following behind their leader with rifles in hand, "He sure put up a fight didn't he" One said, pulling of the helmet of his stasis suit.
The leader of the riders turned to him "Keep the helmet on, the city's air will kill you faster than bullet wounds." He turned to Fox, kicking him hard on his side, "This dog will be dead soon enough, there's no way his suit is functioning after that shot…"
The shortest of the riders, jittery with adrenaline, held up a compact rocket launcher in triumph, "Human weapons aint to bad! Blew em right out of hez little canopy didn't it? He tried to shoot you Jothem!"
The leader, Jothem, nodded, "Nearly got me…" He knelt down to Fox's helmet, grabbing it firmly before ripping it off. Fox's eyes squinted as he lost his mask, the thick polluted air making him cough violently. "It's nice isn't it?" Jothem said with a laugh. He let out a sigh and pulled out a flat computer drive from his combat vest, "You know, I'm surprised they sent a mercenary to get this file from me. I assumed it was worth more value than that…" He looked to Fox, "Unless, of course, the galaxy's finest were never informed of the file's theft." Fox looked to Jothem, blood beginning to trickle from his nostrils, "Who sent you mercenary?" Jothem said. Fox replied with a cough.
The jittery rider pulled a laser pistol from it holster, and pointed it to Fox quickly, "Let's just off hem Jothem eh? I'm sure his suits got sem sorta tracker on it. Maybe itell get us to where he came from."
"Relax, I'm sure our friend would love to co-operate with us. One mercenary to another…" Jothem replied, never taking his eyes off of Fox. He pulled a knife from his pocket and placed in on Foxes neck – casually sliding it across his skin, sheering off his fur with ease. "What do you say Fox?"
Fox coughed, "If you're going to give me a trim… at least make it even." A smirk came over Foxes face, followed by more violent coughing. Jothem laughed himself, putting his knife away while taking Fox's helmet and crushing it underfoot.
"You're funny… but humor won't get you very far in this pollution." Jothem said, kicking the broken helmet away, "Now, I can leave you here if you wish. That's fine. But I got this feeling you're not going to want that. We're both mercenaries right? We both got a job we have to do. So I'm offering you a chance here. I get you somewhere safe, and you help me in return."
Fox looked long at Jothem, his green eyes now focused and sober, "Just business?"
Jothem nodded, "Just business, and I'll tell you what. You help me out, and I'll split the credits I get for ransoming this information."
Fox laughed, rolling to his back, "I should be blown up more often…"
"Do we have a deal?" Jothem asked.
"Yeah, I guess we do…" Fox said, coughing more violently. Jothem nodded, pulling his laser pistol from his holster, and quickly turning it upon his fellow rider. He pulled the trigger, and the rider's chest burst open as he plummeted to the earth .The jittery rider, upon seeing his comrade's recent collapse, struck upright in his posture, looking to Jothem with a new found fear.
"Good." Jothem said, pulling the fallen rider's helmet from this head, "Well, let's get going then." He offered the blood stained helmet to Fox, who took it with a weak hand, "I never did catch your name…"
Fox struggled to sit up, but when he did he quickly put the new helmet on – and took a relieved breath. He turned to Jothem, "It's Fox, Fox McCloud."
/
"He should have been here by now…" Krystal said, looking to the dock bays through the lounge's windows. She was accompanied by Slippy and Falco, both of whom where more occupied with a card game than Fox's return.
"I wouldn't sweat it too much, Fox has been known to make people wait around. Even his girlfriend." Falco said, looking up from his game. Krystal's blue fur glistened in the halogen lights of the lounge room, she played with her tail nervously as she dropped onto a nearby couch.
"He usually calls…" Krystal said under her breath.
Slippy laughed, "Well, usually being the key word."
Krystal shot a glare at him, "I think you should be a little more worried! They said the assignment he had was dangerous. What if something bad happened, or if he…"
Falco sighed, "They're all dangerous Krystal, and sometimes you get into a situation where you can't call your girlfriend." Falco threw some cards onto the playing table, and Slippy let out a grunt.
"You win again…" Slippy said, standing up slowly.
"I do win again." Falco answered with a laugh. He turned to Krstyal, whose eyes still remained fixed on the docking bay, "It's going to be fine Krystal. Really, if there was something wrong, well… it's going to be fine." Falco's words seemed to bounce off Krystal, who still kept her eyes fixed on the docking bay. Falco and Slippy played for a little while longer, but eventually retired for the evening.
But Krystal remained there, waiting after sleeping hours, waiting for Fox who never came back.
/
There was a daze over Fox, his body sore and immobile as he rested on a rusted and tattered cot. Jothem stayed by closely, the two sharing a worn down room within the hive city depths. Outside their room rested the many other mercenaries who were Jothem's companions, the lot of them armed with similar gear and life support systems. They murmured silently, in a language Fox was not used to. As Fox came to his senses, Jothem turned to him.
"You rest well?" Jothem asked.
"As well as one can, with shrapnel wounds." Fox said with a grunt, "You guys bother to use any healing syringes?"
Jothem laughed, "Don't have any Fox. This isn't exactly an elite unit." He pointed to the mercenaries outside, making note of their tattered war gear and worn weaponry, "So, might I ask what it is, exactly, you were sent here to do?"
"Get the information you have." Fox replied, sitting up slowly.
"Do you know what the information is?" Jothem asked.
Fox shrugged, "Something worth one hundred thousand credits." He moved to the side of his bed, and stood slowly.
Jothem kept his eyes on Fox as he slowly began to pace around the room, "One hundred thousand credits? Well, that's certainly disappointing…"
"Seems pretty good to me," Fox said, "But apparently, the information is worth more?"
Jothem laughed, "You know, it's always a good habit to ask questions before you take on a job. Could save you this kind of trouble."
Fox stopped, and looked to Jothem with interest, "So it is something that's worth more."
"It is." Jothem said with a smile, "It absolutely is." Jothem watched as Fox nodded slowly, and continued to pace the room in a steady manner, "Do you want to know what, exactly, it is?"
"I suppose it couldn't hurt things." Fox replied, looking to the mercenaries outside. He checked his surroundings casually, but was disappointed to find that the room had been cleaned of any make-shift weapons. As well, his armor had been removed during his unconsciousness, now all that remained was the jumpsuit he wore under his gear.
Jothem stood, "It is a map, a map to a gateway Fox. Into a world which I think could carry much prospect." He walked over to Fox side, and looked out to the mercenaries as well, "Well, at least, there must be promise of prospect… for it to be guarded so carefully I mean."
"If I were to guess, it sounds to me like you want to do more than get a ransom for that map." Fox said.
"You're absolutely right Fox, I've made a copy of the map, and while I'm going to sell back the original. I will see for myself what this gateway leads to. But… of course, there is a catch. The map is encrypted in a code I cannot solve on my own. An encryption which, apparently, a well-renowned Fox McCloud is familiar with."
Fox, now feeling more nimble, felt his confidence begin to come back to him. He stepped out of his room, into the group of mercenaries. Jothem followed, "I take it there's a reason you haven't killed me yet, aside from figuring out who my seller is?"
"Yes McCloud," Jothem answered turning to Fox, "and it is something which, unfortunately, cannot be negotiated with." Those mercenaries around Fox raised their weapons, which inclined Fox to laugh subtlety.
"You do seem to get what you want don't you Jothem?" He asked.
Jothem nodded, "I do McCloud. Now," He pulled the computer drive from his combat vest, "Would you be so kind as to lead us to our promising new future?"