The Great Awakening

Corneria City Bank

10:00am

Hello folks, I'm Rockefeller, now as the summary said this isn't really meant to be a full story, but depending on how everyone responds to it, I might make something out of it. This was just a quick idea that came into my head and I really have meant it to introduce my writing style. And hopefully have people critique it and tell me what I need to work on.

I would appreciate any advice that I can get; after all it will be helpful for me in the end, so please rant on to your hearts content. I hope you guys like what I have so far and again, maybe I will make something more out of this, but for now, I'll see you guys later.

"I don't know Falco, this whole flight instructor thing just doesn't seem for me. I want to feel that adrenaline rush like we use to." Fox stood in the center of the city bank; his face was a solemn one as he stood next to his old and best friend, Falco Lombardi.

" I understand that McCould but I don't want to be the one to tell your wife and your boy that you got killed in some race" Falco placed his feathery blue hand on Fox's shoulder and gave a stern loom at his friend. Fox's ears sagged down at his friends face. Fox was a well-built and battle-hardened Vulpine, his fur was a light orange and his face had mixes of white in the muzzle and ears.

Falco one the other hand was slightly slimmer but just as tough, or so he would claim. He had navy feathers and red "rings" around his eyes. He had a reputation for being stubborn and even arrogant at times, but his friends still loved him and he was still a hero to Corneria just like Fox was.

"Let me do this Falco, I love my family but I'm just afraid at this pace that I'm going to explode. Leaving the mercenary life was harder than I could have ever imagined. Besides this was your idea in the first place." Fox was speaking of Falco's idea to use their Arwings in races, at the time it seemed pointless and Fox thought that he may join his wife as a flight instructor after the war. But the teaching job wasn't for him, it was just too slow paced. I need this Falco, he would know better than anyone else.

Currently Falco was racing, and was making a decent living out of his new career, but he even admitted to missing combat just like Fox has been. Recovering after all the wars wasn't easy, both of them still faced nightmares of what they went through and what they had to do to win, but now they just felt empty, they where soldiers without a purpose any more.

Falco looked into his friends said eyes and felt sympathy for his Fox. Even the loads of money they received after the Anglar Blitz couldn't solve this problem for the two men, Fox was right this was Falco's idea but he didn't want to risk his friends life in some on a track in the middle of nowhere. When Fox originally lost Krystal after kicking her off the Star Fox team he was just a mess of emotions and regret. Falco mentioned racing has something to cheer the Vulpine up a bit, and then the Anglars happened. After the war Fox made amends with the blue vixen and where now happily married, or at least one was happy.

"Fox, you're right I do understand, but just think about this okay?" Fox nodded at the bird and look ahead at the line he stood behind. Fox came here to withdraw some money so that he could use it to re-fit his now baron Arwing. The old fighter and him served in many battles together but now it sat alone, wasting away in a hangar at the Corneria Flight Academy. Falco came with him obviously to make him change his mind but it seemed the bird had given up. For now at least.

"Just don't fuck up out there, you don't need to make a legacy of fathers dying in the McCould legacy" Normally Fox would never let anyone bring up his father, especially not in those term, but Falco was just trying to take care of Fox. Fox just kept his head forward and argued with himself.

The bank they were in had a beautiful and very detailed structure; each wall had a carving in it, war heroes, children playing, and several things that represented Corneria. The floor was made of spotless tile and one could even see their reflection in the ground.

There where two counters with clerks stationed at them, they had no glass surrounding them, just simple metal bars. They didn't offer the best protection for the clerks at the counters but they looked more formal.

This bank was obviously build by a very passionate group of architects, and in a way it represented the city has a whole. Corneria City was more prosperous than ever; the end of the war brought a train of good things for the large planet.

Businesses where booming, and money seemed to fill everyone's pockets. Military contractors now focused on more civilian endeavors and this caused for technology to improve rapidly after the end of the war two years ago. But most importantly, crime was at an all-time low everywhere around the planet, petty crimes and misdemeanors where the only crimes left, murder was becoming extremely rare along with armed robberies. Corneria was becoming a real utopia.

Security was no longer a job for people; it was a job for technology.

It seemed that the wars united the people, and now everyone just wanted to move on with their lives peacefully. But nothing lasts forever.

Unknown to the people who occupied the bank two men now stood on top of the bank roof and where strapping harnesses around their bodies, the two wore matching black canine masks and black suits. Slung on their backs they each had a rifle, these rifles where standard in the military issue, cheap but efficient.

The two men found the skylights looking down on the bank lobby; they began to set up at opposite sides. They wrapped ropes around the railing of the skylight and then attached that to their harness. After they quickly checked their gear they backed away from the windows and waited patiently for their signal.

"What are you looking at Foxie boy?" Fox's ears flickered at Falco's words and turned to look at his friend.

"Uh nothing, just thought I saw something in the skylight. Falco didn't comment but he did lift his eyebrow at Fox. He looked up and when he saw nothing in the skylight he shrugged his shoulders.

Fox's mind began to get curious at what he could have possibly seen in the skylight. Deep down his more combat ready instinct was telling him to get ready for something. But he choose to ignore it, he had his blaster so if something did happen he would be prepared. Before Fox could continue to think nearby lights and screen shut down for a few second. Power outage? But how…

At the entrance to the bank doors three figure entered and placed three canine masks over their heads. They went in unseen due to the bank doors being lower than the first floor of the bank itself. Their masks matched their black suits perfectly. Their reflections where like black marks on a painting. Their suits and masks covered any indication of what species they could be. All three had very large duffle bags with them that where currently empty.

One of the three had on a black trench coat instead of the black suit jacket, indicating his leadership over the rest, he also had a shotgun strung across his back.. The second of the group was very large; his muscles may have even threatened to rip his suit. The third was much slimmer and shorter but didn't look any less threatening. The leader looked at his two comrades, they each where checking their rifles, not that they needed to again. The leader walked to the entrance door and place a crowbar across the handles, keeping any unnecessary visitors at bay. He then pulled up his hand and placed it on his plastic ear.

"Tech, we're in, shut the place down." He received no response in return and readied two tear gas grenades in his gloved hands. After five seconds the lights in the entrance flickered off, but only for a few moments. Over the staircase the leader could hear murmurs of confusion and possibly worry, once the voices became silenced he ran up the stairs.

Once he saw the two counters of workers he immediately threw the two grenades in their directions, each landed behind the counters and lightly bounced around. The grenades gave a hiss noise and leaked out the tear gas. Coughing quickly followed then followed by screams of the people who stood in line and weren't affected.

Glass shattering could be heard next, the skylights caved in and gave sight to two more masked individuals who landed with a large thud. Each landed on a different counter and huddled the workers together, forcing them to move away from the counters and into the lobby. One of the masked individuals aimed his gun at the citizens and began shouting orders.

"Alright everyone on the ground! To the center of the lobby, move it!" The man aimed his rifle at all the workers but was very careful not to pull the trigger of his weapon.

The leader stood in the middle of the lobby with a black shotgun in his hand. Today shotguns where considered very primitive, but it could still kill just like anything else, but he had no intentions of killing anyone today. He carried his weapon low to the ground and made sure to keep his eyes open for any suspicious movement. As he continued his watch over the hostages he motioned for the two who entered with him to head to the back with their duffle bags, he threw his one duffle bag to the larger one. He watched as they disappeared behind the walls that lead to the bank vaults. Hopefully they wouldn't need to kill any security guards.

He looked over at the two who stood on top of the counters and was satisfied with their work. The alarm wasn't hit and they had limited time until the cameras would re-boot and report their activities to the authorities.

The leader shifter his gaze back to the crowd and look over each face carefully, then stopped when he spotted the two people who would be recognized anywhere on the planet. The first was the ever so famous and newly wed Fox McCould and next to the Vulpine was his bird friend and fellow hero Falco Lombardi. Both men were lying on the floor like the rest of the hostages. Inside his mask the leader smiled. Well this is quite the lovely surprise.

"Well, well, well, looks like our local war heroes have come to the bank. Wrong place at the wrong time huh?" At the leaders words Fox looked into his mask and gave a growl. The sign was humorous to the masked man and he chuckled at Fox's gesture. He gazed at Falco who held a similar gaze of hate that Fox had.

"What do we do with them Boss?" The leader didn't bother too look at his men who asked the questioned. He continued to stare back at McCould. In his eyes he could see McCould was weak, his gaze wasn't strong like it might have been before. He could see the conflict inside the famous pilot.

"Now, we don't want to take the lives of these good men, but I'm afraid that I need your blasters gentlemen." At the man's words Fox slowly reached for his blaster and grabbed the front of the weapon to appear cooperative. He slid the weapon to the man's feet and saw Falco do the same.

"Much better, Corneria has enough dead heroes as it is, you know a whole lot about dead heroes don't you McCloud" Fox wanted to rip this mans throat out with his bare hands. Only scum like this man would have the audacity to do something like this, and even bring up his father. James McCloud was respected by all who knew him, and anyone who knew of him respected him just the same. The masked man standing before Fox was true scum.

Behind the counter the two who went to open the vault reappeared and now their duffle bags where filled to the brim, obviously with cash that was stored in the bank vaults. The large one was carrying two of the bags while the small one had just the one, but the smaller one was also dragging a large cart full of more cash behind him.

"Where there any casualties?" The leader asked has the large one passed him, the burly man looked back and shook his head, confirming that they hadn't killed anyone. Good I prefer it this way, no blood.

The leader waved his hand to the back and the two on the counter went to riffle through the vaults and pick up what the previous group left behind. After they disappeared the leader pressed his gloved hand against his the ear of his mask and began talking to the hidden member of the group.

"Tech bring the van up and open the back, we'll be there in 30 seconds." Time seemed to slow down as the leader gave one last look at the two war heroes in front of him, he felt his anger build, but it wasn't the time for anything rash, he needed to get his team out. The two men who previously occupied the counter rushed out with one more cart of money, this cart has a considerable larger amount of money on it though.

The group of criminals formed up and gave one last look to the crowd before they turned their tails and ran for the small stairs that led to their escape. Once the men stepped out one of the workers ran to the back and hit the alarm switch that immediately alerted the CCPD of the crime that was taking progress.

In the crowd Fox and Falco got up and looked at each other, they both shared the same shocked faces, without their blasters they could no longer do anything to stop the bank robbers, it all depended on the police now. But no major crime like this ever happened in Corneria, no one had the will to even attempt it, but the impossible seemed to just be pulled off.

The entrance doors busted open and five blacked out people stepped out of the bank, they headed to the street quickly, once they reached the street they spotted a black van that was. The van was large enough to fit them all and there new packages they just acquired. On the outside the van was armored and pitch black just like the men who approached it. The back was already open and the members who had money quickly threw duffle bags in the back. The larger of the group lifted the carts and dumped what money they could into the back.

On opposite streets people looked on with shocked faces, some even began to call the cops on cellphones and wrist communicators. Two patrol officers on the sidewalk saw what was occurring and after a brief hesitation steadily walked to the van with weapons drawn, before they could get too close they had to take cover behind cars when they saw the red laser heading their way. The car windows melted away at the fierce power of the laser weapon. The officers kept their heads down as the laser fire continued to pore into the vehicle they where hiding behind.

Next to the van the largest of the group of thieves was firing his weapon at the officers, with this new distraction the rest got into the side passenger seats. While there leader ran to the passenger door and pulled the door open. He grabbed the sidebars and threw himself into the van. The driver next to him had on the same mask as the rest of them.

"Alright tech, get us out of here."

Phew, that was tough work, I had hoped to make this 6k long bit I felt that it didn't need to be excessively long. Like I said before I cant wait to read all your reviews and hopefully learn something valuable that will help me write something more than this. Thanks guys, I'll see you later, literally, check your windows. This neighborhood is dangerous.