A lone vulpine man stared into the empty whiskey glass in his hand. He sighed as he rapped his knuckles on the bar.
"Hey, nother round over here." The bartender brought a glass bottle over. He froze as the vulpine's hand grabbed his wrist. "Just leave the bottle." The bartender shrugged as the orange and white vulpine stared into the now full glass in his hand. He brought the glass up to his muzzle and let the whole container of liquid slide down his throat, burning the whole way down.
Fox paced back and forth in his apartment, trying to think of how to say what was on his mind. Over the past six months, all he could think about every time the team went into combat, was whether Krystal was going to be hurt or not, lately, so much that it was starting to cloud his judgment in combat. He wasn't simply scared of the blue vixen being hurt, but utterly terrified of it. it had been invading his dreams for weeks now, almost every night, an increasingly gruesome and painful death or injury was shown to him, to the point that he was now terrified of falling asleep. The only solution, is that she leaves the team. We can get an apartment together, or maybe a new ship. We'd still be together… his thoughts were suddenly cut off as a pair of familiar soft arms wrapped around him from behind, a nose gently nuzzling his ear.
"Hey Fox, what's going on?" he sighed as he turned around, holding her at arm's length and simply admiring her beauty. She sighed before she spoke again. "Come on Fox, I could feel your distress from three blocks away, what's on your mind, you've been like this for weeks now?" he sighed and pulled away from her, dropping onto the couch and running his hands over his head. Krystal sat beside him, gently stroking his shoulder, her stunning turquoise eyes fixed on him.
"Krystal, I want you off the Star Fox team." Her entire body froze, and even Fox could feel the sudden pang of pain emanate from her.
"What?" he looked directly at her now, seeing the wide eyed expression, and knowing she was terrified.
"It's not that I don't like you Krystal, hell, I love you more than I thought I ever could love someone. I just don't want to see you hurt. Everything is already done, and where ever I go, can be your home." She stood up and marched over to the window, her head falling into her hand. "I don't want us to stop being together, I just don't want you in combat anymore." He stood and walked over to her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. She violently swatted it off, her voice seeming to explode out of her.
"And it's already done? Just like that, you just kick me off the team, without even asking what I thought first! You didn't want to lose me? Well guess what, you just did, you self-centered ass. What, did you think I was just going to be your good little pet and do exactly what you say? Don't even try to follow me!" she stormed right back out the door, tears already streaming down Fox's face. Pain seemed to radiate from his chest as he slumped to the floor, his back against the sofa.
"Hey, you alright?" the bartender was standing in front of him now, leaning on the bar. Fox's eyes felt wet as he responded, letting a sharp edge into his voice.
"I'm fine." The bartender grunted at him, almost as if he was about to laugh.
"No you're not. The McCloud I heard about, wouldn't be drowning himself in this shit hole." Fox glared at him and the bartender threw his hands up and walked off. "Alright, I get it, don't want to talk." Fox sloshed more of the dark amber liquid into the glass, spilling some over the rim. He chugged the glass again as newer memories flashed through his mind.
"Fox, we got new contacts! Four of them!" he glanced down at his sensor board, watching the pirate fighters retreating as the four new ships approached.
"Alright Falco, let's get them!" he rolled and pitched his Arwing, lancing toward the enemies. All four ships had the same red and black hull, all too familiar to Fox. "Star Wolf." A new voice came over the radio.
"We have you out numbered two to one Fox. If you have a brain, you'll stand down." He grunted as the distance closed between them.
"You've never beaten us before, you're not starting now." He fired his lasers at the lead Wolfen and the formation split into different directions. Fox looped after the lead fighter, trying to stay tight on his tail as he juked and maneuvered.
"Not this time, Star Fox!" a Wolfen dropped onto his tail and Fox was forced to break off, rolling and diving away. It was almost like the pilot knew what he was going to do, and a missile slammed into his Arwing. He fought to bring the fighter back under control as alarms went off in the cockpit. The fighter stopped spinning and he pulled up toward his assailant. The fighter was already lined up on a head to head course. He rolled and yanked back on the control stick, causing his fighter to corkscrew. The Wolfen shot past, unable to hit Fox as he brought the G-diffusers online and ruddered, swinging the fighter into a chase of the Wolfen. It juked and rolled, but to no avail as Fox pounded laser after laser into the fighter.
"At least you haven't lost your touch, Fox!" Fox froze as the familiar feminine voice spoke. He brought his fighter to a stop as he spoke into the radio.
"Kr-Krystal? What are you doing in Star Wolf?" she didn't respond as she brought her fighter around and fired into Fox's unshielded Arwing.
Fox poured himself another shot and was about to down it as a female voice drew his attention.
"I'm looking for a Vulpine male. Good looking, not a bad pilot. Someone said he might be around here." Fox glanced up, seeing the familiar Reddish brown Vulpine leaning on the bar, staring at him with a slight smirk on her face. She had let her vibrant red hair grow out well past her shoulders in the almost thirteen years since he had seen her. She had a pair of low profile goggles on her head, acting almost as a hair band. A three-quarter sleeve jacket hid a tank top underneath, and her cargo pants had a blaster hanging off her hip.
"Fara?" she had a sad smile on her face as she spoke to him again.
"Yeah Fox, the one and only. Look, I'm sorry, but I need your help with something. Will you?" Fox glanced down at his glass, unable to look at her.
"Twelve and a half years since we broke up, and you walk in, asking for my help. A lot has changed since we were in school Fara." She stood closer to Fox and crossed her arms, leaning on the bar again. Fox downed the glass again as she spoke
"I know. I'm not exactly the girly girl you knew." Fox grunted, letting his forehead rest on his hand as he stared at the glass in his hand. "Look, I'm working for Peppy to hunt down an assassin. I could use some one with your skills."
"I'm not a mercenary anymore. Go find someone else to go on your little crusade." He poured another shot and downed it faster than it filled.
"Fox, you remember Senator Spaniel? We are hunting the assassin who killed him. Fox, if you won't do it for Peppy, do it for me. For old time's sake." He glared at her for a second before he growled and dropped a cluster of bills on the counter.
"Fine. Once this assassin is dead, then I'm out, permanently." Fara nodded and held out her hand smiling.
"Let's go meet the rest of the Phoenix Fire then." He shook her hand before they marched out of the dark bar and onto the busy streets of Corneria.