A/N: People don't write author's notes here either…oh well.

Onto the introduction! I'm Crazy Foxie, and I'm a major fan of the Star Fox series (except Adventures). I wrote this since I realised there were little fics dedicated to WolfxKrystal, if any, and hence I decided to write one myself. I love this pairing, no matter how bizarre it sounds, and they need more love! Anyone with me?

The fic tells the story of the short space of time in Command's introduction, when Krystal is seemingly missing. Sargasso Base Hideout is from Assault, hence this is Star Wolf's territory, the same way the Great Fox belongs to Star Fox. Except it doesn't move.

Anyway, onto the chapter itself. Hope you like it!

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Nintendo except Tab Downs. He's my own because I needed some sort of subordinate.

/\/\/\/\ Chapter 1: Running /\/\/\/\

The first time she was at Sargasso Base Hideout, she and her fellow pilots were searching for Pigma. She had been part of Star Fox then, a valued member who had the same rights as anyone else. No one looked down on her, no one smothered her opinions simply because she was a girl, or because she joined the team later than everyone else.

No, she was regarded as a colleague, a friend. The four of them used to laugh, joke around together as if they had known each other for a lifetime.

Until that day.

The second time she arrived at Sargasso's metal doors, she was there for a purpose of her own, not for what was best of the Lylat system or for the sake of a crazy goose chase. For once, she was doing something for her own good. Whether it was the right thing or not, she didn't know. All that she knew was that this was the place she would find some answers, maybe even some form of sympathy.

She expertly steered her ship to the docking bay, where people were already opening the doors. How they knew she was coming, she had no idea. It saved her from having to explain, though. Looking left and right, she made sure her spaceship slotted into the iron supports perfectly before turning off the engines. Flicking open the transparent overhead, she caught sight of someone offering their hand.

"I am to escort you to the office," a gruff voice said. She could tell by uniform he was wearing and how everyone remained where they were that he was the one in charge. His crimson eyes bore into her, his hand still stretched out. Even though his grey uniform covered up his torso, she could tell he was part tabby from the rounded face, striped fur and proud tail. To be polite, she allowed him to take her hand and let her down from her vehicle.

Without any further words, Krystal followed the cat down corridors which began to look the same, with its identical bolts and same shade of grey. The ceiling was similar to the walls, with its numerous panels of metal and same rusty look. The only sounds were the rings of their footsteps as they progressed. Suddenly, he veered to one more left and opened up a door there with a touch of his hand.

"Please enter," he commanded, bowing his head and taking a step back. Hesitantly, she took several steps into the room.

"Krystal!" A blur of black ran into her before she could register what was going on. The force of the impact almost sent her back out of the room again, but she kept her feet steady. "I knew it was you as soon as I saw the spaceship! Even though the cruel exterior of the fighter is our enemy, I knew it was you! You have no idea how much your presence means to this beautiful soul."

Panther stopped hugging her, but still kept his hands on her shoulders. She could feel his eyes searching her up and down, but she was more interested in her surroundings.

The office was rather spacious for its name, to say the least. There was a circular table in the centre of the room, four chairs around its perimeter. A filing cabinet was on one side of the room, but there seemed to be more paperwork around it rather than in it. The top of it had what seemed like framed pictures, but from this distance, she couldn't see exactly what pictures were worthy for display.

In the far end of the room, there was a large window overlooking the mechanics of the base and the galaxies beyond. By the window, she could make out something that looked suspiciously like a safe. Several doors branched off from the office, but all these doors were shut. Leon was lying on all three seats of a sofa to her right, clawing the tassels of a cushion he had found.

"Downs showed you in, did he?" the chameleon asked uninterestedly, still toying with the tassels. It took her a while to notice he was asking her. And even more time to work out Downs was a surname.

"Um...I guess so," she replied hurriedly. Leon turned his head slowly to the vixen, narrowing his eyes.

"You don't look yourself," Panther finally concluded. He stroked his chin pensively, cocking his head slightly to the side. "Bad day?"

If he had asked a week ago, she would have lost it. Today, she had spent all day cooped up in an Arwing trying to locate the Sargasso Base. Whatever the case, she didn't have a perfect day.

"Is Wolf here? Things would be a lot easier if he was." Krystal knew the answer before Panther opened his mouth.

"He's out doing some scouting. For our next mission," he explained to Krystal's puzzled expression. He grinned. "You should take a seat." He turned round to Leon on the sofa, tapping his foot lightly.

"Don't expect me to move, this sofa's mine; I was here first," he muttered grumpily, stretching out his legs even more to make his point clear.

Panther wrinkled his nose. "And let my darling Krystal sit on the floor? Do you know what our cleaners do to it?" He leaned closer to the relaxed chameleon. "They put disgusting disinfectant on it. And I have no idea what such revolting chemicals will do."

Leon glared at the panther. "If you're so fussed, just get a chair. It's not too much work to bring it over."

It wasn't exactly too much work for Leon to sit up either. But Panther didn't press the matter and removed a chair from its place with the table, offering it to Krystal. She took it gratefully and moved it to where Leon was.

"So? What's the matter with you?" Panther urged as he brought his own over.

She ignored Leon rolling his eyes. "It all began almost a week ago. We were all just…going through a normal day. A normal life. Then he just announces during breakfast…"

She remembered that breakfast. It was the one day Falco decided to cook. He had dropped at least three plates in his act of non-existent clumsiness. She and Fox had no choice but to clear it up since Slippy was still in bed and Falco insisted on continuing cooking.

It was then he said it. He chose his moments very accurately – exactly where Falco could hear them and exactly when he was closest to her. So close that his fur seemed to mingle with hers, so close their body heat seemed to warm one another.

"Did he dump you?" Panther questioned sympathetically. Leon looked up from the cushion in curiosity. She shifted her gaze away from Panther and gave a slight but noticeable nod.

She saw the cushion that was previously in Leon's grasp fly across the room, landing a few feet away from the door.

"Scumbag!" cursed the chameleon, bolting upright. His curved fingers clawed the mattress as he did so, his strong grip showing just as much mercy to the mattress as they did to the cushion. His beady grey eyes moved furiously round their sockets as he scrutinised Krystal's anxious posture. "You're lying," he accused immediately.

"'Course she isn't! Something as serious as that can't fool Panther for long!" The cat placed a hand onto Krystal's consolingly. "Tell Panther everything, my sweet. Tell me he wasn't right for you in the first place." He gave a soft purr, turning his head expectantly to offer his ear.

"Bleugh!" spat Leon upon seeing the feline act this way. "Whatever the case, I'll rip his eyes out with these very fingers! I'll make sure I can blast a hole through him big enough to see all his internal organs bleeding, bleeding…" He laughed manically in his frenzy, making Krystal reconsider whether telling Star Wolf of her problem was a good idea.

Whether telling Leon of her problem was a good idea.

"Why do you get the honour of doing it? It's my Krystal who's hurt because of him!" Panther interrupted. "I say we humiliate him rather than go your bizarre lengths."

"We do it now, we don't have to do it again."

"Emotion hurts more than pain itself. It'll hurt the little fox more if we meddle with his feelings."

Krystal couldn't distinguish each voice from the other. The pair of them wanted to hurt Fox and each word was booming in her head like a tribal drum. She still liked him as a friend, even if he did just deprive her of everything, but Leon and Panther had no intention of seeing that just yet. If any more harm comes to Fox, it'll all be her fault.

"We need to spill every drop of blood he has to offer – make him realise he's a failure right at the very end. And it'll be a good riddance whilst we're there! Killing two birds with one stone!"

"Just having Krystal as part of Star Wolf would serve as enough. We don't even need to touch a single hair to hurt him," the other pilot said.

The previous voice scoffed. "And let him roam free? No one goes without a fit punishment."

"Tab informed me we have a guest," came a new, lazy voice. The three looked up to see Wolf enter the room, the sliding of the mechanical door still sighing as they widened. His posture was casual, both hands in his pockets as he gazed at the three. "Have you offered the tea and biscuits or whatever other hospitality junk yet?"

Just seeing him made her feel better. Just knowing he was there for her made her feel better. Compared to his fellow pilots, Wolf O'Donnell was the only one that made her feel properly secure. Maybe even more than Fox.

Without even knowing, she had burst into tears.

/\/\/\/\ End /\/\/\/\

A/N: Yay! Introduction of Wolf! Hope this chapter makes sense and please leave a review to tell me what you think of it! I'd love some constructive criticism as well as comments about my characterisations.