A Few Things Before You Read:
Some of you may recognize my name as the person who wrote an old and unfinished work, "Of Rupture and Rapture". For lack of a better word, you could say that I indeed, "died". I fear that someone may see this and feel cheated that I wrote something new instead of finishing my previous work. However, this story was actually an exercise--a dare, if you will, by the wonderful Etoile Tsubasa. She challenged me to do this to help me start writing again, as I have been unable to do so in a very long time. Rest assured, I am very sorry for not finishing what I started, and that's it's probably far too late to make up for it completely. Nevertheless I will still finish "Of Rupture and Rapture", but hope that you can enjoy this in the mean time.
Also, who do I have to address to request additions for the character selection part in the menu? I don't really think it's fair that Lucy, Amanda and Dash aren't on the list. I've been waiting for the longest time for them to appear, but it never happened. Surely, if Fara, Fay, Miyu and Vixy get to be on the list, so do they.
Stockholm Syndrome
A rigid chill traveled throughout the planet of Titania in its long shade of night. The bitter desert winds whirled over the wide, sandy dunes, and passed an abandoned training station that rested upon a hill of rock and dust. Two fighter-crafts, each of menacing design with pointed wings and red and black paint, lie silent just outside, and within the building there were two corresponding pilots. There was a third and fourth, however, who had to squeeze in as passengers. The fourth, in particular, did not fit in with the group. Unlike the other three, who were larger men of beastly disposition, the fourth was a demure and fragile young woman with rabbit-like features; long ears, cotton tail and all. Her name was Lucy Hare, and she had been kidnapped by Star Wolf.
Lucy kept her arms crossed together as she walked in the station's empty hall, tensing every muscle in her body, letting only the very edges of her feet touch the floor as she crept along. In this state, she desperately tried to weigh her options. A teacher in the artificially inhabitable planet known as Fichina, the hare had a vast wealth of knowledge, but she felt it was all of little use in such a dire situation, and struggled to figure out a plan. With the hand of fear clutching her, she struggled to compose her thoughts together in a single, working process. She had always been able to think clearly in stressful situations, but this time…was different.
As the station's entrance approached her vision, she concluded that her only chance of escaping was to highjack one of the Wolfens, those flying monstrosities that stood as the flagships of the rogue mercenary group. She knew her options were very limited, and that her time was short, assuming that she had managed to creep past her captors without waking them up. Surely, she thought, if I could just get into the atmosphere before any of them get up, I can figure out my way home and alert the military before they can even catch up to me.
A mash of snores and snarling coming from a room close by brought a faint touch of relief to the hare. With the gentlest nudge of her delicate fingers, she managed to push the side room's door open. In she crept, the soft tapping of her toes against the floor hidden by the continuous snores of the large, black-furred man lying on his bed. On his back and arms spread wide across the thin, gray mat, a collection of mutterings spilled from the panther's opened, drooling mouth.
"Now, now, ladies…let's not fight…you can all get a turn with Panther…hrmph…"
A soft, "Eww…" escaped the hare's mouth, but she began her rummaging through his room without fear of him waking; if there's one thing Lucy was sure of after spending such time with Star Wolf, it's that they loved the sounds of their own voices, and it was especially true of their recent addition, Panther. As the hare expected, his sleep-induced sentences overlapped the sounds of her opening drawers and lifting sheets. Even when a louder, "Aha!" passed her lips, the panther merely responded by rolling over, his words now muffled by a pillow. Now with a small card-key in hand, Lucy scampered out of the room, as quickly as she came.
With her plan in motion, Lucy began to feel her muscles tighten and her heart palpitate. Panther's temporary dorm was the first room next to the station's entrance, and she had just acquired the means to borrow his Wolfen and fly to safety. Now that she had started, she thought, she had to see it through. In fear that the massive sun of Solar would rise upon the desert planet at any moment, the hare sprinted to the entrance. As soon as a thin crack exposed the outside world, a harsh gust of desert wind smacked her pinkish face. She squinted, threw her arms over her eyes and continued. The noise might wake up her captors, but at this point she felt she had to risk it. If she could just get in the air before they realized what was going on, she'd be fine.
A shaking hand grasping Panther's card-key, she ran out to the Wolfens, standing just outside the station in a massive iron hull, which she assumed used to work as a hangar for Cornerian soldiers years ago. Her wide, red eyes scrambled for a moment until they were able to focus on the rose insignia painted on one of the Wolfens; Panther's card-key would only work for his, so it was his that one that she ran to. Lucy knew that the Wolfens were surprisingly sophisticated fighter crafts, and more powerful than her own ship, the Sky Bunny. Still, she had a fair knowledge of such devices, having been an aspiring pilot in her youth. Surely, she thought, the same principles would apply. After all, she merely had to get herself away from this place, away from these men.
"If I could even just get to Corneria, I'd be okay…" as she climbed on the Wolfen, her words left her mind and out her mouth, as though she had to tell herself she could accomplish this feat. "If I could just get away…get away from him…"
"Get away from who?" asked a slick, deep voice that sent a chill down the hare's spine, spreading throughout her body.
A single, "Eep!" flew from her mouth before she became paralyzed with fear and anxiety, causing her fall backwards, off Panther's wing and into a conveniently opened pair of silver, muscular arms. The sensation of another person in contact with her eventually warmed her senses, allowing her to regain movement. She slowly cranked her head upwards, as though knowing there was something awful ahead but had to gaze upon it anyway, and saw the gray and white-furred, one-eyed face she feared. With her senses back, she gathered the strength to mutter, "…Shoot", before allowing the strain to envelop her, her head bent backwards and left hanging over the arms of her captor.
"Well, Bunny, I hope you're proud of yourself," grunted Wolf as he tied the final knot between Lucy's shoulder blades, "You just lost your moving privileges."
As the hare shifted back into consciousness, her eyelids raised slowly, heavy with reluctance, allowing her to once again see the dark, hulking figure of the man who planned her kidnapping. Bound to a chair she had in the room she was placed in, she was forced to watch him walk from behind her. She shuddered in the confines on the ropes with the thumping of Wolf's clunky black boots. As he positioned himself on a chair two feet across from her, she tried to swallow all the anxiety that was collecting in her face, for she knew she was in for a very uncomfortable conversation.
"Did you really think we'd just let you do something like that? Did you honestly believe I would sleep while you were free to roam about?" His words caused Lucy to flinch a bit, and he could see the frustration in her slight movements and expression. "I know you must think I did it on purpose…letting you come so close before taking it away from you. Granted, you never saw the others watch guard, so I suppose you had reason to believe you had a chance to escape…and let's face it, I don't work with the brightest bunch," he mused himself with his tone, displeasing Lucy all the more, as though he was indirectly making fun of her for thinking she could escape his grasp. Though she wanted to avoid direct contact with him, she glanced at him once to find him lightly touching his cybernetic eye with his clawed fingers. "I'd make a joke about sleeping with one eye open, but it doesn't really apply to folks like me."
His devilish smirk, accented with sharp, glowing white teeth, caused Lucy to huff and look away. Wolf O'Donnell, leader of the rogue mercenary group, watched her displeasure and laughed. "Heh, so NOW you're giving me the silent treatment? After all we've been through?"
No response; the hare kept her head as far to the side as possible, concentrating on the dark wall of her assigned room, hoping that the lupine, like a bad dream, would simply go away if she ignored him for a long enough time. As a counter, Wolf placed his hand underneath her chin and locked her head between his claws so that she had to look at him. "What's the matter, Bunny? Are you afraid of me now?"
This was a feeling all too familiar with the hair; the situation she was in—in the hands of this hulking, fearful figure—mirrored the events of her capture, still fresh in her memory. The intense glare of the wolf's single working eye brought her back to the instant, just three days ago, when he had stolen her from her life.
She had been working late that night. Lucy kept the university illuminated with her progress, a single shining light among the otherwise dark and clouded city around her. Grading exams, overlooking papers, planning out future lessons; such had become mere reflexes for the teacher. It was only due to pure accident, a flicker of her eye against the clock, that she even realized that she had stayed for so long. Embarrassed, she packed her things, locked her classroom door and set out into the night. Though Fichina was able to sustain life and civilization through a climate-controlling dome, the city which it encompassed remained bitter in the twilight. Within the dome, the temperature was not enough to be fatal, but it still brought shivers to the hare, bundled up in a thick jacket and scarf. The city's contents, humming hover cars and people bustling and talking, blended in the hare's ears as a single, monotonous buzz. It was much softer in the later hours, the faintest signs of life scattered off in the distance.
A deep thumping trailed from behind her, but Lucy thought nothing of it; surely, it was the sound of another walking in the same direction, someone who would break away from her hearing as soon as one of them reached their destination. Without giving this unusual sound a second thought, she continued home. With every passing corner, every foot that was crossed, the ominous thumping sound remained, its pace increasing ever so slightly. Before the hare had time to turn her head to see who had been following her, a large set of hands emerged from the shadows, one yanking at her arm, pulling her towards him, and the other covering her mouth.
"Well, hello there, little Bunny," said a sly voice. A long nuzzle leaning against her face let her know her stalker was lupine. "What are you doing out so late? These streets can be very dangerous."
The hare shook and squirmed to the extent of her strength, her screams muffled by the wolf's guarding hand. She managed to jab him in his artificial eye with her elbow, and sprinted across the sidewalk, but the lupine was able to make that distance in a single leap, his powerful legs catapulting himself to her in an instant, slamming her into a nearby building. Before she could work up a running pace and give a single yelp, her back was against a wall of bricks, her arms pressed down and wrists constricted.
"Aww, going somewhere?" said the wolf with a wide, pearly grin, as though her attempt to escape only amused him. It was as though the hunter liked playing with his prey. "Sorry, little lady, but you're gonna have to cancel your plans and come with me. And I wouldn't bother trying to resist me again. I don't take rejection very well."
It was that same look, the same simple action that shook the hare's very foundation and left her quivering. Just as before, just as that night when he captured her, he had managed to steal her without any effort, and it made her sick. All her life she had wanted to make herself useful to those around her, particularly her father, Peppy Hare. She had wanted to be a pilot, and she had wanted to be strong, but in a matter of minutes, this brutish man had shown her just how weak and helpless she truly was. There was a certain aura about him, an overwhelming presence that gripped her and threatened to engulf her entire being if she did not struggle with the last fiber of her existence.
"Well, Bunny?" asked Wolf again, his claws aching to dig into Lucy's cheeks, "Got anything to say for yourself?"
The hare was overcome with disgust, both at her captor and at herself. Her body numbed with the tightness of the ropes, her face like putty within the wolf's clutches. Wolf's grin remained ever vigilant as he watched his captive's rebellious spirit crumble. Her nose began to scrunch, ears flopping down until they hovered to the side of her head, until finally her wide eyes began to collect a thick coat of mist. Before the lupine could enjoy another moment of Lucy's misery, a small moan slipped from her mouth, and as her eyes slammed shut, the small traces of water turned to a spewing fountain of tears.
"Wh-what are you doing!?" he exclaimed, feeling the sphere of gravity he had created was being cracked. Lucy only answered with more tears, and what began as small whimpers and sniffling soon evolved into a distressed whaling, as though she no longer cared about upholding a sense of pride. Fat drops of salty water slid against her opened mouth, and the wolf backed away, confounded by her wild display of emotion. It was a catastrophe and he could not look away.
"What is going on in there!?" yelled a sharp, slithery voice. A gaunt reptilian man threw the door open and snarled with displeasure. "What is that INFERNAL racket, Wolf?"
"Aww, shut up, Leon!" Wolf blasted back at the lizard, "I'm taking care of it!"
"What is the matter here?" said a third voice, deeper and younger than those of the other rogue mercenaries. After Leon, a black, yawning feline man came through the door. "What is all this noise I hear?"
"Ugh…this is not happening," Wolf grunted and rubbed his face with his hand while Lucy continued to cry.
"Wolf!" cried Panther upon seeing the hare, his weary eyes now wide open, "What have you done!? You've tied up this poor, beautiful young lady…and you've made her cry!"
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Wolf responded with a snarl, "I guess I forgot we were her babysitters, not her CAPTORS!"
"No need to raise your voice at me! I just do not see the need for such brutality towards such a delicate flower!"
"Wolf!" exclaimed Leon, "You were going to interrogate her? Without me!?"
"Cut the crap, both of you!" the wolf shouted at his cohorts, his real eye twitching and teeth clenched. "I wasn't torturing her. I caught her trying to sneak off! With YOUR Wolfen, I might add, Panther!" He turned to the hare and blasted at her, "And you! Stop that ridiculous crying!"
"D-don't…don't tell me what to do!" Lucy responded in an ardent sobbing.
Wolf was taken aback by the hare's resistance to him, the wrinkles on the edge of his snout deepened as he growled. Still, he was not completely surprised; she had fought back when he first captured her, and for a while, she remained angry. By this time, the wolf had figured her spirit was breaking, and that a tired little girl who wanted to see her daddy was all that remained. Yet, there it was, Lucy was still fighting back. Physically she was no match for him, of course—his own body, hardened by years of crimes and deviance, toppled over her frail build of innocence and idealism. There was, however, a spark within her that had given her a quick-witted response for every empty threat and insult he had for her. His two associates did not think much of her sharp tongue, but, for reasons he could not fully understand himself, Wolf's nerves were stricken by her words.
After tracking down and capturing her, team Star Wolf took Lucy Hare to an abandoned training facility for the Cornerian forces stationed on the desert planet of Titania, figuring their base in the Sargasso Station would be too obvious. For the lupine, it unearthed a few, distant memories of when he, Leon, and the two other unsavory characters that made up the previous Star Wolf, worked under the genius hands of Andross, a scientist who had fallen from grace in search for power. Though this partnership had ended in failure, Wolf still took some pleasure in recalling events of destruction long passed. It reminded him that he had become stronger, fiercer, and colder.
Wolf brought Lucy to one of the hollowed dorms within the base. Barely conscious after their encounter, she was revived with the gentle tapping of her body as the lupine dropped her on the hard tablet of a bed. Planning to lock her up until her father complied with his request; the hare flung her torso upwards and cried out, "What do you want with me?"
Wolf turned to her and smirked; in time, she would come to find that expression intolerable. "You're a teacher, right? You should be smart enough to figure it out."
He attempted to walk out of the room again, but a second question pulled him back. "Does it…have something to do with my father, then?" she asked, calmly as she could in such a hostile environment. Wolf could feel the vibrations in her voice.
"Brilliant deduction. You're daddy is the new Cornerian general, so I figured he has some extra cash on him. As you may have noticed, this team has three pilots but only two fighters. It would just happen that my darling Wolfen is in need of repairs that I currently cannot afford."
"So…you're holding me for ransom?"
"Heh. Once again, I applaud your genius. Didn't even know Peppy had a daughter before I hacked into the military's system and dug up some info. Is he ashamed of you or something?"
"What…?" the hare squeaked, a layer of embarrassment and shame surfacing through her face. "No! I'm a private citizen, he wouldn't want me involved in…all this matter….it's why he didn't want me to become a pilot."
"Guess that makes sense. If that frog kid weren't the son of the Research and Development Director, I would've just assumed he crawled out of the sewers."
Still blushing, Lucy gasped, remaining silent before gathering the nerve to speak again. "…Are you planning to just throw insults at me and everyone I know this whole time? Maybe you could at least steal me some books so I can ignore you."
"Well, well! Guess there's a little spunk under all that sugar."
"What is THAT supposed to mean!?" Lucy huffed, "I-I…I may look all sweet, but that doesn't mean you can push me around!"
"Is that so?" he said with a sly tone, puncturing the ends of the bed she was sitting on with his sharpened claws. "Listen, Bunny, this isn't anything personal—you were just the best way I knew to make a quick buck. I think you need to learn your place and this will all go a LOT smoother."
"…Bunny? Oh, I see, using an incorrect term to demean me, like you did with Fox calling him a pup…Well…Papa won't negotiate with the likes of you! He'll probably just get the rest of Star Fox to storm this station a rescue me, leaving you with nothing….Then again, I'm sure you're familiar with that feeling. Papa's told me of all your little encounters, and how Fox has bested you EVERY time!"
"Is that so?" Wolf growled, putting one of his hands to the hare's slender neck, "The way I see it, dear old daddy is the one who's in no position to threaten anyone. After all, I'm the one who has something he'll be wanting back."
Lucy felt the cold touch of the wolf's palm against her neck, the tips of his nails brushing against the side of her face. At any moment, he could channel all his strength to that hand and that would be the end. She knew this, but did not want to submit to him so easily. "You…wouldn't dare," she said in a thin breath, "You would gain nothing by killing me…a-and I know it's not in you. You're a beast, but…you're not a monster."
"Oh? And what gave you THAT idea?"
"Papa…and Fox…they've told me a little about you. They say you're a good pilot and…have shown moments of dignity and honor. L-like during the Aparoid invasion…you helped Star Fox beat the Queen…you had several opportunities to let Fox die, but you chose to help his cause. If you were the crook you pretend to be, you wouldn't have done that."
"Humph…" The lupine frowned, releasing Lucy from his loose grasp. Again, he turned to walk away, but again she spoke out.
"And Krystal…she was with you guys for a while…she told me…She and I are friends, but…she and Fox went through a…standstill in their relationship just before the Anglars came and…"
"I already know," Wolf's tone went from devious to blunt and distant, "Krystal didn't talk much during her time with us, but I knew she only requested to join to hurt Fox. That was the one thing she had in common with me, so when that was gone, so was she. I didn't like her and let her hang around only for that reason."
"Well, I'm…sorry to hear you have such a low opinion of her, not that I was happy to hear she had joined you, but…she actually told me you were the only one of the three who had a sense of honor…she's a telepath, you know, she can sense these things."
"Yeah, okay, like I care what SHE thinks," he sneered, "She may have been with us for a while, but I knew she didn't belong here. People can change, but not like that. She'll always be Fox's girl, just as goody-goody as he is. She was probably just PMSing or something."
"Wha—ugh!" the hare exclaimed, too confounded to formulate an immediate response. "…Well, she DID also tell me you were a remarkable chauvinist, so…I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."
"Hey, hey! I ordered her to cook because she was the newbie, not because she was a woman!"
"That…brings up another issue…how long do you plan on keeping me here? Because…well, I mean…I could…"
"Spit it out! You live on your own, so it'll probably be another day before anyone even notices you're gone. What do you want?"
"Well, I was just…thinking, if it's going to be a while before Papa reaches me, and maybe if you promise to cut the lame empty threats…I could make something for all of us. N-not…that I want to be nice to you jerks, but, since I have to eat, too…"
Wolf stared at the hare, absorbing her words which seemed to have the faintest hint of kindness deep beneath her condescending tone. After a pause, he responded with a light grunt, "I have no intention of harming you, you're no good to me that way, and there's no point hurting a defenseless Bunny like yourself." He watched as Lucy pouted and turned away, and the sight of her flustered face returned the grin to his face. "But since you're offering, I'll see what we have in our rations."