-Disclaimer- Star Fox and all related materials are copyrighted to Rare. All other original characters are copyrighted to their respective owners.

Mission 00 – Specimen 13

The scalpel glinted in the soft florescent light, the reflection of the victim strapped to a metal chair reflecting in it. The small victim stared into his own reflection and whimpered. He saw the fear in his own face, knowing all to well what was going to happen. The angle of the blade tilted, and the child's face was replaced by another. A face he had known all his life. The face he had learned quickly to fear, for he was the worst. Behind him, the man in the reflection; was Leon Powalski, scientist and mercenary under Andross. Even though the tyrant was gone, Leon still loved to play with his "pet." The child was strapped tightly to the chair, unable to get away. Leon loved to torture the small child, and had kept him as a personal servant ever since it had been concluded that he was a failed experiment. The young child was barely eight years old, and had been mercilessly abused by three of the four members of Star Wolf all his young life.

The scalpel came down, but stopped with lightning speed, threatening to break the skin. Leon laughed as his victim yelped; he would always relish the fear he could instill. This one was especially satisfying as he would never disappoint. He would cry and wail at the glance from Leon. He never knew what to expect, any of the team could come and strike him at any moment. He would never allow himself to sleep often, any sign of vulnerability on the boy's part meant excruciating pain or verbal thrashings. Leon smiled, his robotic eye twitching, he traced the scalpel from the top of the boy's cranium, slowly, making his incision deeper as he went. He smiled as the boy's eyes trickled down tears. "Come on," Leon egged, "Let's see some tears. They're not going to find us anytime soon."

The boy closed his eyes and tried to think of his one saving grace. That person was Wolf O'Donnell, and was somewhere else in the underground complex, unaware that he was being tortured. Wolf was the only one of the Star Wolf team who showed the poor child strapped to his seat any compassion and love. He had treated him like a person, and not some animal, some object. The child had helped Wolf too; at one time Wolf was filled with hatred and thoughts of vengeance. When Leon brought the child home that changed. Wolf began witnessing the violent acts of brutality performed on the child. He then realized he had been doing the same thing to all the people of the Lylat system, all for the sake of revenge. Wolf created a fatherly bond with the child, lending support and comfort as the rest of his teammates would abuse him.

"Having fun?" another slice, followed with a rough tear, and the top of his skull was exposed. Leon relished in the thought that he was forcing the boy to do this without anesthetic; after all, it wouldn't be any fun if he didn't make his victim squirm. "I know the Cornerians are here, but we still have some time, a little more than enough to get this done." The chameleon said. The boy's head was clamped tightly by two vice-like projections of the chair, allowing minimal movement.

A soft whimper emitted from Leon's victim, he wriggled against his bonds. The chameleon chuckled, "Do you think they've caught O'Donnell yet? Do you think they'll give us a fair trail, or will they just execute us here? Oh, won't it be such a shame to see Wolf's corpse as they drag you out? Will you cry?" Leon laughed maliciously while his victim did start to cry.

"I would advice you to stay still while I do this." Leon's sentence was drowned out with the buzzing of an electric motor. In the chameleon's hand was a grinder, designed specifically for brain surgery. Without any warning, the spinning disk made contact with the boy's skull. The child screamed weakly in vain, his voice muffled by the surgeon's tool. The last thing the boy heard was not his own scream, but sound of the blade grinding through his skull. Then nothing. . .

"See? That wasn't too hard, was it?" Leon chuckled at the boy's motionless body on the chair, his skull still held in place by the pair of clamps. The lizard reached for a metal dish of chemicals from a nearby tray. Submerged inside were three cylindrical probes, each with scores of thin metallic fibers attached to one end of the elongated structure. "Yes, my pretty ones, oh yes. . ." Leon muttered to himself as he took one of the probes out from the dish with a pair of tweezers, inspecting it with great care. The lizard's robotic eye rotated towards the child's unconscious body on the chair, and he frowned. "What a waste this is . . . but it's too late now, time is running out." Using the bloodied scalpel, he tapped the surface of the small probe in different places, with surgical precision. Suddenly, the metallic fibers of the probe twisted and writhed, dancing and twitching as if they were alive. Gently, Leon laid the squid-like probe on the child's exposed brain, and watched it bury itself into the cerebral tissue.

"Well, I guess we are done." Leon said moments later. All three probes were successfully installed, and now the lizard was merely finishing up, closing the child's skull. Soon there was a pounding on the thick door. Leon's metallic eye glanced at the door, while the other eye remained on the unconscious boy. "It seems I've underestimated the abilities of our friends." The pounding grew louder, and soon voices could be heard yelling through the metal.

"Leon Powalski, make it easier on yourself and come without a fight like the rest of your team." He could hear the military yelling.

Leon turned back to his unconscious prey, bending close to his ear, "I guess it's time to say goodbye . . . You did well today." That was, perhaps, the first compliment Leon had given the little child. "Enjoy your new life, my boy."

The door hissed open, and the Cornerian army, clad in red, flooded the small medical room. Guns immediately aimed at Leon from every direction. Leon again chuckled, casually placing his hand in the air. One of the officers walked up and handcuffed him, "Leon Powalski of Star Wolf you are under arrest for various crimes against the Lylat system. You're going to be in more bonds than you've put that poor child in."

A couple of soldiers grouped around the surgical chair, staring at the poor motionless child, his face covered in blood. Leon's robotic eye glanced at the boy, a smirk appearing on the lizard's face. "I'll be in touch…"