Prologue
Ten Years Earlier-Corneria City
Clouds covered the night sky above the bustling metropolis which was Corneria City. Cars roared, people chattered and business vendors yelled, attempting to sell their goods. Delicious aromas wafted from fast-food and restaurants, luring hungry customers. Criminals pickpocketed unsuspecting victims when patrolling police officers looked away. It was a normal evening in Corneria City for its citizens, save for two.
The clouds broke apart as the moon hung like a lemon rind in the sky, shone on two figures, running on the rooftops of apartments several miles away from the center of Corneria City. The first figure jumped across the gap, which separated the two apartment buildings, landed and rolled smoothly. He looked back and smiled at the second. The first figure stood up, turned and started to run when he saw his adversary jump.
The second figure was a full grown male fox, full of muscle and sinew, thanks to years of combat training. He wore a dark green shirt with cargo pants and combat boots. A brown jacket covered his shirt, blocking him from the wind. His emerald eyes were dark as the vulpine kept his focus on his target. Fox McCloud jumped across the gap, looking down as he did at the dizzying heights he was at, landed on the other roof, rolled and stood up, all in one movement.
The target was still a ways ahead of him, but McCloud kept his pace, knowing that he could remain at the speed he was at for a long time. The target turned right, slid over an air conditioner unit and jumped across another gap onto another building. Fox turned and rolled over the unit and jumped, not once taking eyes off his target.
The runner looked back and noticed that Fox was still hot on his heels, decided to change his plans. He turned on an extra burst of speed and instead of jumping across the gap, jumped down. Fox stopped for a second, surprised at the change of plan, then hurried to the gap and looked down. His target had landed on a fire escape platform two stories down, and hopped the rails, landing on the awning of a shop, slid down and landed on his two feet perfectly on the ground. The figure looked up and saw his adversary still on the roof.
He smiled through his bandanna, which covered a part of his face, but then his smile disappeared once he saw Fox McCloud jump and land on the fire escape platform with a resounding clang. At the sound, the figure turned around on his heels and started to run out of the alleyway and into the street. Fox looked over and muttered to himself, "I'm not paying the owners back if I break this."
McCloud placed both of his hands on the rails, lifted himself and launched himself over the railing. He landed on the awning with a soft whump and rolled off, landing on both of his feet as he looked up. Ignoring the gawping people around him, McCloud stood up and continued his chase. Once he left the alleyway, the leader of the Star Fox team looked around hurriedly.
I lost him! I lost him! Fox berated himself. He cursed to himself, running a hand through his light brown hair. He knew he saw the target turn right as he left the alleyway, and so Fox headed in the direction. Crowds of people bumped into him, which annoyed the leader of the Star Fox team because he lost his focus.
Come on, McCloud. Where is he? Where would he go?
Fox continued his fast walk, his eyes scanning the throngs of people. Men, women and children of all ages hurried around, trying to go to their destinations. Fox shook his head and was ready to give up until a flash of brown caught his eye from the street light. The vulpine turned and saw the long trench-coat that his target was wearing. He smiled and shoved his hands in his pocket, as he picked up his pace. He knew that if he had drawn his blaster, the crowd would disperse in mass hysteria, which would cause him to lose his target. No, Fox had to try to use the element of surprise to catch the enemy. He attempted to use the crowd as cover as he kept his eyes on the target. As Fox walked, he pushed people out of the way, to attempt to gain a better view. Suddenly the target stopped and as he stopped, Fox stopped quickly. The vulpine propped up the collar of his jacket, which provided some cover to the lower half of his face and pretended to examine the goods of a store through the window.
Fox could see that the target was searching for him. As the crowd of people started to disappear, Fox watched the target out of the corner of his eyes. The target had a long, brown trench-coat which covered his tail. Underneath the coat, the target wore a black shirt and black pants, which erased any indication of what kind of species he was. On his face, the target wore a red bandanna and he had a hood which covered his head. The only part that Fox could see from the target were his eyes, which shone blue through the street light.
The target stood scanning the crowd before him. His eyes moved around and then it rested on a person looking through a store window. He squinted, looking closer, and once he confirmed, the target turned around and started running.
Fox groaned to himself and started to chase his adversary. "Move out of the way! MOVE!" The leader of the Star Fox team yelled. Some people heard and saw the vulpine running, stepped out of the way, but others didn't. Fox pushed the people who didn't hear him out of the way, muttering angrily to himself. He saw his target dip into another alleyway, between a store and an apartment. Fox turned on an extra burst of speed and reached the beginning of the alleyway and watched with shock at his target. The unknown figure was athletically and acrobatically climbing and jumping his way to the roof. He climbed up a chain-link fence and instead of dropping down, the target balanced on the long pole that held the fence up, and with a grunt of effort jumped. He made contact with a railing on the landing of a fire escape and the target pulled himself up effortlessly. The unknown figure then raced up the steps and jumped off the railing, grabbing onto a pole. He climbed up with ease and reached the rooftop.
Fox shook his head. "You've got to be kidding me!" He muttered. "We were just on the roof!"
Fox ran into the alleyway and climbed up the chain-link fence. Instead of doing what his adversary did, McCloud dropped down and rolled on the wet floor. He looked up and saw his target running on the roof ahead of him and the vulpine kept up with the figure from the ground. The target looked behind him and seeing no one stopped for a second. Then he decided to look down and saw Fox still stuck on him like glue.
The figure turned left and Fox saw him disappear past the roof. He smiled and shook his head. He lived in Corneria for years and knew the layout like the back of his hand. Fox left the alleyway and followed his gut. The leader of the Star Fox team entered a rundown building that acted as a hotel. But once the automatic doors opened, Fox was surprised at how nice and clean the lobby was. Instead of stopping to admire the wonders of the lobby, McCloud ran to the reception desk and yelled "Where's the stairs?"
The receptionist, a female cat became flustered. "It's over there sir. But if you are not a guest, you can't use… Sir!"
Fox ignored her and continued to run. Instead, he heard a second receptionist, a female rabbit, whisper "I think that's Fox McCloud."
As Fox opened the doors to the stairs, the cat gasped loudly and said "The.."
"Yes!" Fox yelled. "I am!" The doors closed, but Fox still could hear the screaming. He shook his head with tiredness. He enjoyed the fame, but hated it when it interfered with his work, which was all the time. The vulpine ran up the stairs until he reached the final floor and threw the door open.
The cool air blasted in his face as the sounds of traffic roared in the distance. He made it to the roof! Fox smiled while panting, as he looked around. His gut instinct paid off as he saw his target running on the roof. Fox's short cut caused him to be even closer to the unknown figure. Fox closed the door and continued the chase.
The unknown figure heard the door slammed and looked back. He gasped with shock as he saw the determined vulpine even closer than before. The target kept running, but at the same time, he reached in his pocket, pulled something out and threw it on the ground.
Fox saw the ball hit the ground and it rolled towards him. The ball glowed with a blue light and then exploded. A blast of energy slammed against the vulpine and he flew back several feet, landing on the hard, flat rooftop with a thud. The vulpine coughed, but stood up and continued his chase.
The leader of the Star Fox team had lost several feet on his target, but he was determined to catch him. The target turned right and kept running, but then stopped immediately. Fox smiled with victory. The target had made a mistake as he ran into a dead end. The unknown figure looked down at the sidewalk full of people, his mind racing. His blue eyes scanned the possible options to escape, but came up with none. The only option left was to fight or to jump. He chose the former and with a cry, the figure pulled out a knife and attacked.
Fox's eyes widened as he saw the attack coming, but instincts and years of combat training kicked in. He dodged the first knife thrust and backed up. The figure changed his stance in which he reversed the knife, holding it by the handle in his right hand, its blade facing his elbow. The target attacked at a horizontal swipe with speeds that even surprised the vulpine. Fox ducked underneath the attack, feeling the air from the whooshing blade as it nearly clipped the tip of his ears. The fighter brought the knife back, determined to slice Fox's neck. Fox saw the movement and caught his enemy's wrist with his left hand and punched him hard with his right.
The figure backed up, coughing heavily. But once he saw Fox advance, he resumed his aggressive fight. The figure held the handle of the knife with both of his hands, jumped and attempted to bring it down on the vulpine's head. Fox caught both of his enemy's hands, the blade dancing inches from his face. McCloud looked at the blue eyes of his target and moved swiftly. The vulpine pushed and moved around, which caused him to be next to his target, still holding onto his hands. Then the leader of the Star Fox team let go of his right hand and drove his elbow into the face of his target. McCloud smiled at the crack noise as it made contact to the cheek bone.
The figure backed up, letting go of the knife as he groaned with pain at the broken bone. "I'm done with this!" he yelled as he reached in his jacket and pulled out another ball. He pressed the button, but before he threw it, a force yanked the ball out of his hand.
Fox McCloud had thrown the knife. It whizzed through the air and slammed itself into the ball, yanking it out of the target's hand. The ball and knife clattered harmlessly onto the ground behind the figure. Fox immediately pulled out his blaster and had it trained on his enemy. The target quickly backed up until he was standing on the ledge.
"I'm only going to ask you once." Fox growled, his voice dangerously low. "Where is he?"
The figure didn't answer, instead he stood on the ledge, swaying slightly.
"I said… Where. Is. He?" McCloud took a step forward with each emphasis of the word.
The figure was silent, then he started laughing. "You asked me twice." His blue eyes sparkled underneath the moon light. "You've already lost, McCloud." He winked and stepped backwards from the building.
Fox holstered his blaster and rushed forward. He expected to see his target lying dead on the sidewalk, in a pool of blood. Instead he was greeted with a plane, black as night, floating upwards with the target climbing into the cockpit. The target winked once again, turned the ship around and zoomed away into huge city. Fox stood his ground against the powerful thrusters and once he saw the plane fly away, he immediately pressed a button on his wrist.
A familiar face appeared. "Falco!" Fox yelled exasperated.
"I see him. I'm on it!" the blue bird answered.
A roaring noise was heard behind him and Fox turned around. An Arwing with the Star Fox logo flew above him, and Fox saw his best friend give him a cocky thumbs up, before going on the chase.
/
The noise of traffic was drowned out due to the roars of the two powerful planes. Falco Lombardi, the ace pilot of the Star Fox team, sat comfortably in the pilot's seat. Buildings and high-rises zoomed past him as the blue bird pressed forward on the thrusters, encouraging the Arwing to go faster. The coms crackled and Falco pressed a button on the console in the Arwing. Fox's face appeared in his view.
"I've got my sights on him Fox. I'm going to engage."
The vulpine shook his head. "Don't engage. That's a bad idea. We need him to lead us to wherever he is going. Since he has a head start on you, he may not know you're following him. Hang back and don't engage!"
Falco sighed. "That's a horrible plan."
"It's the only one we got. Fox out!"
Fox's face disappeared and Falco pulled back on the thrusters, slowing his Arwing down. He saw his target weave and dip between buildings, obviously trying to shake any possible followers. Where's the Cornerian Air Force when you need them? Falco thought to himself. The blue bird eagerly shifted in his seat. He knew that General Pepper had called off the C.A.F because of this high-risk mission, giving the Star Fox team to fly through the "no-fly" zones.
I need a better view. This guy is good.
With that thought, Falco started to climb, his Arwing straining against the Cornerian gravity. But as usual, the Arwing's powerful thrusters beat the battle as Falco climbed into the night sky. He leveled his plane out and surveyed the scene below.
Now where is he?
But Falco couldn't find his target. The only things he saw were the traffic down below and the lights from buildings, houses and other business. Falco checked the other side and a zooming figure caught his eye. He tipped his Arwing slightly and saw the target zooming around and between buildings.
This guy is being wild. He has no pattern. No route to follow. Just generally causing chaos. Falco smirked to himself. I like him already.
Sure enough, the citizens of Corneria were screaming with panic as the plane flew dangerously close to the buildings, but the target expertly maneuvered his aircraft to avoid crashing into the high-rises. Falco shook his head. Fox. Why can't you let me engage?
Making a quick decision, Falco tipped his Arwing and went into a dive. He aimed his sights at the wing of his target. He knew that if he got a shot off, the plane would lose engine malfunction and if the target was a good pilot, he would be able to land safely without endangering any other people. As he lined up the sights at the target, it disappeared behind a building.
Falco swore softly at himself for not being quick enough. He felt his Arwing gain more speed as the blue bird and his aircraft got closer to Corneria City. At the last minute, Falco pulled up his plane and zipped around the buildings. He saw the enemy plane ahead of him. He's leaving Corneria City.
Sure enough, the target left the city and flew into the countryside. Falco followed, but turned down his engine. It caused his plane to fly slower, but stealthier. Perfect area to get a shot off.
Falco aimed down his sights once again, his finger over the trigger. But as soon as the target appeared in his sights, another roaring noise was heard. Falco looked around him, but couldn't see anyone. He pressed a yellow button on the console on his right and the cockpit flashed a reverse camera. Who are these guys?
There were two planes, identical to the one he was chasing. Falco immediately clicked the yellow button again and the camera disappeared. He pressed another button and heard the static of the coms. Finally, Fox's face appeared.
"I've got two bogies on my tail." Falco said.
"Damn it! Okay, shake them off your tail, but keep an eye on the target!"
"Should I engage?"
"No! Do not engage Falco! That's an order! We don't have a lot of time!"
"But Fox, the sooner we get the bogies out, the sooner…" Falco was cut off as gunfire sounded, the bullets ricocheting off his Arwing. "Alright. That does it!" Falco muttered.
"Falco! Do not engage!" Fox yelled. "We have more things to worry about than your personal vendetta!"
"Got it! Won't engage!" Fox's face disappeared and Falco shook his head. Alright. Let's see what these guys can do.
Falco spun, dodging the bullet fire from the two planes behind him. He noticed the target banking around and heading back to Corneria City. He leaves the city then he goes back? Falco thought. Then a realization hit him. He knew I was following him. This was a trap.
The ace pilot of the Star Fox team, banked sharply to the right and started following the target. Gunfire sounded, breaking the silent night, as the bullets continued to bounce off the Arwing. Thankfully, the Arwing was barely getting any damage. But the gunfire was really annoying the blue bird. I need to get rid of these guys.
The target sped into Corneria City and Falco followed with the bogies on his tail. The blue bird hurriedly searched for a perfect place to shake the bogies, and a plan immediately formed in his mind. He left the target's trail and flew towards the tallest building in Corneria, the Cornerian Central. The building, towering at fifteen thousand feet was the architectural wonder of the modern day. But Falco didn't care. He wanted to use the building to his purpose.
Once Falco reached the building, he immediately turned right then banked left, while pulling his Arwing upwards. He used the reverse cameras and saw that the bogies didn't slow down or pull away. Rather, they followed suit. These guys are good!
As Falco and the two bogies spiraled around the building into the evening sky, Falco put his Arwing at a climb, trying to penetrate the atmosphere of Corneria and reach space. He looked back and saw that the bogies were still on his heels. Come on, the blue bird thought, You know you want to!
Sure enough, the two bogies put an extra burst of speed, hoping to ram the Arwing. The planes had a blunt tip which allowed them to smash into any unaware vehicles without damaging it. The ace pilot of the Star Fox team gave out a wry smile as he waited for the right time. Wait for it… Wait for it… Now!
At his own mark, Falco shut off the engine of his Arwing and pulled back hard, causing the plane to flip. As he did, he gazed through the cockpit and saw the surprised look on his chasers. So Falco did the only thing he could do, which was to give them the bird. Falco smirked to himself and he glided back towards the city. He turned the engine back on, happy to hear the familiar hum and the roar of the thrusters from the plane.
The blue bird turned on the reverse cameras and noticed the bogies turning around, but Falco was already ahead of them. These guys don't give up do they? Now for the finale!
The ace pilot of the Star Fox team pressed another button on the console. The Arwing shuddered, as its wings folded, causing the plane to become smaller. Because of decreased space, the Arwing became faster, but if the pilot turned left or right even slightly, the Arwing would turn violently. It was a trade-off and the blue bird knew that, but he was already a professional in these matters. He knew his Arwing inside and out and was confident in his own skills.
Falco sped towards the ground, the high-rises zooming past him. He looked back and noticed that the two bogies were doing the same. He aimed at the traffic down below and at the last minute, the blue bird pushed forward on the controls, causing the Arwing to flip upside down and into the Cornerian Metropolitic Tunnel. The Arwing smashed against the ceiling of the huge tunnel, showering sparks into the traffic below. Falco quickly corrected himself before he crashed into the ground. He looked back towards the beginning of the tunnel and saw that the bogies stopped.
Falco whooped, nearly causing his Arwing to dip more and crash into the traffic. No time for celebration right now Lombardi. Let's not kill anyone and get out of this alive.
Cars honked and nearly swerved as the powerful Arwing flew through the tunnel upside down. Parents and children looked up through their cars with awe, as they saw the Star Fox logo Arwing zoom above them. Instead of waving like he would normally do, Falco kept his focus on the task at hand. He gave out a sigh of relief as he saw the end of the tunnel and once Falco left the tunnel, he corrected his plane and the blue bird gave out a cheer! "Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!"
The blue bird lost trail of the bogies and flew back into Corneria City. Unfortunately, he lost the target and the ace pilot of the Star Fox team shook his head with sadness. I just jeopardized this mission.
He pressed a button and the static sounded. Fox's face appeared in Falco's vision for the third time.
"I lost the target Fox."
Fox spat out a swear word that caused the parents behind him to gasp and cover their children ears. The vulpine shook his head. "Resume patrolling the skies! If you see him again tell me! Lives are at stake Falco!"
Falco nodded sadly. "I know Fox. I know."
Fox's face disappeared and Falco leaned heavily back in his chair. What have I done?
/
The Great Fox
Slippy Toad, the official mechanic and weapon developer of the Star Fox team sat in his chair, focused on his work. Sparks flew off the metal from the torch that the toad was using. Finally, as soon as the crack was sealed, Slippy turned off the torch and inspected it. The toad smiled with victory and nodded. It looks good and new
The coms crackled and Fox's voice entered through the earpiece of the toad.
"Slippy!" Fox's voice was panicked. "We lost him! Track him now!"
Slippy hurriedly pushed away from the desk and rolled across the room to the multitude of computer screens that littered his wall. He punched in the keyboard and started to search.
"Searching traffic cameras…" The toad shook his head with frustration after a few minutes of searching.
"Slippy! Find him now!"
Slippy nodded his head, and wiped sweat that was rolling down his face. He knew the pressure and the intensity of the situation. They needed to find the target right away. Lives are at stake Slippy. Your friend's life is at stake.
"Hacking into the C.A.F" Slippy said as he punched in keys on his keyboard. The screen turned red and Slippy smiled. "I'm officially in!"
The toad pressed more keys and said "Pulling live feed from the satellites! I'm searching…"
Slippy eyes scanned the screen across from him of any trace of the target. A black vehicle caught his eye and the toad confirmed it was a plane. "Found him!" The toad announced with glee. "He's in Cornerian City Center. The target is near Krystal's position!"
"Yes! Thank you Slippy! Keep an eye on us will you?" Fox asked.
"Yes Fox! Slippy out!"
As soon as the coms shut off, Slippy was left alone in silent. The familiar humming of the Great Fox did nothing to soothe the toad. Slippy rolled back across the room to the piece of metal he was working on. He blew off the small patch of dust that settled from the dirty room and picked it up. The mechanical toad then rolled to a table next to him where a robot was lying.
Slippy picked up a screwdriver and started to screw the robot's chest back on. Once the toad was done, he smiled and flicked the 'on switch'. Yellow light appeared for the eyes and the robot sat up, turned around and stood up on the ground.
"It's good to have you back ROB." Slippy said out loud. Then the toad looked out into the dark hallway and whispered to himself. "Bring him back Fox. Bring him back."
/
Krystal glanced at her watch, which blinked out the time, 8:00 pm. It was 30 minutes since she received the call that the target was in close proximity to her. But in a crowd as dense as this in Corneria City, Krystal knew that she had no hope in ever finding him. Nevertheless, the blue vixen kept her eyes open and her ears sharp for any possible suspect.
Every once in a while, the Cerinian vixen would glance at a figure and become suspicious. She would then use her powers of telepathy, to explore the mind of the person. Krystal hated doing that, because it was an invasion of privacy, but with the urgency the situation, the vixen would do anything to bring him back.
Krystal sighed with frustration and worry. She couldn't find the target that the team was hunting. The Cerinian telepath continued walking around in the Cornerian City Center. Shops lined the street as civilians of all ages mingled, bartering, selling and even trading. Aromas from different restaurants and street vendors caused her mouth to water and her stomach to rumble. Krystal shook her head as she placed her paw on her stomach, convincing herself that she wasn't hungry.
But it's hard when you're eating for two she thought to herself.
She smiled at that thought as she felt the bump. A couple of years after the Aparoid War, Fox had asked her for her hand in marriage and the vixen accepted ecstatically. The married life was easy, but she knew that it was about to change. In fact, it already started to change as they had one last mission to complete. Soon, Fox would have to retire from the mercenary business and both would have to settle down. The Cerinian telepath was already looking at houses for sale in the outskirts of Cornerian City, far from the city, but close enough for school where their child would go. But deep down, Krystal knew that Fox would miss the adrenaline and the rush from combat. The vixen sighed, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Krystal looked down at her own necklace, which sparkled from the street light. It was a simple necklace with two rings hanging from it. One was hers, which was a silver ring with a crystal in the middle of it. The vixen cherished that ring and laughed at the irony that Fox chose the jewelry that had the same metal as her name. The other ring was Fox's, which was a golden band with silver lining. After the wedding, Fox had returned his ring, with fear that if something went wrong on a mission, any memory of him would be lost. Krystal was hurt at first, but then realized that he was caring for her and so she accepted the ring without complaint. To keep it with her at all times, Krystal made a necklace, placed the ring on it, and she wore it faithfully every day since the wedding a year ago.
A shout erupted from the crowd, snapping Krystal from her thoughts. She looked in the direction of the disruption and saw someone hurrying through the people, pushing everyone right and left. Krystal focused and noticed that he was wearing the brown trench coat and the red bandana. Quickly, she sent a telepathic message to Fox.
I've got eyes on him.
She waited and within seconds, she got an answer, which sounded out of breath.
Good! Keep your distance. I'm on my way.
Krystal nodded to herself and continued on her walk. Along the way, she kept her eyes on the target as she pretended to window shop. Sometimes she ran into people who recognized her and she politely smiled and excused herself. The crowd started to build up more and more as the target and Krystal got closer and closer to the middle of the Cornerian Center. She started to forcibly move the people out of her way, while apologizing as she kept her eyes on the target.
Something caught her eye and it was Fox McCloud. He was working his way through the crowd, keeping incognito as he walked towards her. Once McCloud arrived, Krystal pointed the target out to him. "He's right there." She murmured.
Fox nodded. "Okay. You continue this way and I'll go around. No more games. We are taking him down right now."
Krystal nodded and she started to walk, but felt herself stop. Fox had grabbed her arm. The vulpine gave her one of his rare smiles. "Stay safe okay? I hate the fact that you're even here."
Krystal glared at him. "Fox McCloud. I was going to come anyways. You should've known that."
Fox let go and smiled again. "Note to self: Never get in an argument with you."
Krystal smiled sweetly, "That's right, honey. Now go save the world."
Fox kissed her quickly on the cheek, turned around and disappeared in the crowd. Krystal watched him go then resumed her focus back on the target. This time, the target stopped moving as he held up a walkie-talkie. Krystal reached out with her mind and attempted to catch the conversation as she had the ability to catch the word formations in the mind before people even spoke it.
Yes Boss…..It's primed. Setting it off now.
At that thought, Krystal immediately took off in a sprint. Fox! He has a bomb!
What? Oh… sh-
His telepathic message was cut off as Krystal saw him start running. The vixen pushed the crowd out of the way and saw the target press something on his wrist. A beeping noise was heard, but the crowd drowned it out. Fox pushed someone out of his way, a female coyote, then he dove forward, knocking the target down on the ground.
The crowd saw the event unfold and they backed away, screaming with fear, not knowing what was happening. But once they recognized that it was the leader of the Star Fox team, they stared at him with wonder. Krystal pushed her way through the throngs of people, before finally arriving to the center.
Fox was punching the target repeatedly in the face, his hand getting bloodier and bloodier with each attempt. "Tell me where he is!" Fox yelled with frustration. "NOW!"
The target coughed, and he slowly moved down his red bandana, showing a blocky snout, tinged in grey, a sign of the lupine. The wolf smiled and coughed out blood and showed his fangs. "You're too late Fox McCloud."
Fox yelled with anger and frustration and punched him again. Krystal hurried forward and attempted to get the enraged vulpine off. She pulled and pulled, but Fox was stronger than her, which proved that her efforts were futile. Finally, the vixen reached out with her mind and tapped into his emotions, sharing her feelings of calm, which in turn calmed the vulpine down.
The demeanor of Fox immediately changed. He stopped punching the target, and instead he stood up. McCloud looked at Krystal and knew what she had done, but instead of yelling at her like she expected, she received a telepathic message: Thank you.
Krystal only nodded, then she looked back at the target. His face was bloodied and bruised, but he was still alive. The vixen tapped into the lupine's mind, exploring what his plan was and when she figured it out, she immediately looked at Fox "Stop him!"
Fox looked down and saw what she was talking about. The target had bit into something and swallowed. Suddenly the lupine's body went into a fit of spams then he laid still, his mouth foaming. Fox leaned in closer and caught a quick whiff of bitter almond. "Cyanide" he spoke with disgust. The vulpine stood up and kicked the body with anger. "We just lost our only lead!"
Krystal watched her husband walk around with frustration. The crowd was still surrounding them, all whispering about the events that unfolded before them. The vixen shook her head. She knew that there was an option, but she hated doing it. On her home planet of Cerinia, if someone got away with murder, a person with telepathy can explore the memories of the victim to figure out who did it. When she was a young woman in Cerinia, the Cerinians discovered that she had the gift and forced her on the job. As a young girl, Krystal was heavily scarred with the brutal memories of the killings, but she knew she had to do it in order to bring rest to the victims.
The vixen walked towards the body, and knelt down, inspecting it for a minute. She placed a hand on the lupine's forehead and concentrated. Flashes of images raced across her mind, as she dug deeper and deeper. Even though the body was dead, the brain still held storage of memories, but when the body dies, the older memories disappear. So Krystal raced through each and every memory until she found what she was looking for.
The lupine was standing in an alleyway nodding. Out of the shadows, an indecipherable voice echoed, "Where did you place it?"
"In the new building boss. Like you said."
"Good, good. The blast must take as many people as it can. And the old man?"
"He's being transported there. But he's proving to be more difficult than expected. He's already killed five of our guards."
"Fool! I told you not to underestimate him!" the voice paused then it laughed. "This plan is coming into fruition! Go now and do not fail me!"
The wolf nodded, turned around and left the alleyway. The memory became blurred and Krystal snapped back to reality, breathing heavily. Fox noticed her ashen face and rushed to her side. "Are you okay?"
Krystal shook her head. "The bomb is in one of the new buildings!"
"What?" Fox said with confusion. "How do you know?"
Krystal shook her head again. "Just trust me."
"Okay. Which building?"
"I don't know. The wolf just said new building."
Fox nodded and stood up quickly. He pressed another button on his wrist and spoke, "Slippy! Are there any new buildings being opened or released today?"
"Searching."
A few seconds passed before Slippy spoke, "Got it! We have a new bowling alley, a new movie theater and…. The new Science and Weapons Development building by the C.A.F is being opened right now. The mayor is supposed to be there."
Fox looked at his wife and Krystal nodded. "That one."
"Thanks Slip!" the vulpine shut off the communicator. "It's fifteen miles out of Corneria. We'll never get there in time!
Krystal looked at the dead wolf and noticed something flashing from the bracer on his wrist. It was a timer, and it was counting down. "Fox!"
McCloud looked at his wife and saw what she gestured to. He looked closely and cursed out loud. "We don't have thirty minutes to run there!"
A roar was heard above the couple and Fox looked up. His communicator beeped and he answered it. "Slippy said that you may need a ride. Fancy one?" Falco asked.
The crowd screamed with panic at the sight of the Arwing descending down. Within seconds, the area was deserted as the plane touched the ground, and despite the urgency, Fox could not help but smile. "Just like Fichina huh?"
The vulpine saw the blue bird smirk in the cockpit "This time we are not exactly in a war zone, but you have to admit, my piloting skills were pretty dang good back then. I mean, it was difficult trying to keep you alive."
Fox chuckled as he climbed on the wing of the plane. He looked back at Krystal. "You coming?" he asked.
Krystal nodded quickly. The vixen ran and jumped on the other side of the Arwing.
"Alright kiddos. This is pilot Falco speaking. Keep your hands and feet on the Arwing please. I am not liable for any possible deaths."
Krystal giggled and Fox rolled his eyes. "Can we get going now?"
Falco answered by pulling his Arwing off the ground and soon enough all of them zoomed through Corneria city. Buildings turned into apartments which then turned into houses as the fighter plane left the city and entered the suburbs. Lights danced in the sky as spotlights flashed around, signaling the opening of the Science and Weapons Development building. Music blared from speakers, which trembled the Arwing a bit. Falco circled around, and once he noticed a place to land, the Arwing touched ground with a gentle bump.
As soon as the Arwing landed, Fox and Krystal jumped down. The music stopped playing and the mayor was already giving his speech. Fox shook his head with despair. There was a huge crowd in attendance, all excited to see the opening of the building. "We need to clear the space" Fox yelled over the noise. "Get bomb squad on the scene now!"
"But that'll take a long time!" Falco said.
"I don't care. Do it now! And Krystal?"
The vixen nodded. "I'm on it." She concentrated again, searching through the jumbled thought patterns of the crowd until she finally found the target that she wanted: the mayor.
Fox listened to the mayor. The male basset hound was speaking, "With this new building, the City of Corneria is committed to the defense of our people! In fact…." Suddenly he stopped. The crowd stopped cheering and were silenced as the mayor looked around. Finally he stared straight at the leader of the Star Fox team and nodded slowly. "I have just received word that this event is finished. Please make your way to the parking lots now."
The crowd murmured with surprise as Fox pushed his way through. Falco and Krystal were behind him as he climbed the steps to the gleaming marble building. He reached the podium and spoke in the microphone. "You all know who I am. Please trust your mayor and leave now."
The people jumped with surprise at the command from the vulpine. They all started streaming away. "Falco, Krystal, I need you to do crowd control right now. I'm going in."
As Fox moved away, Krystal grabbed him and kissed him. "Stay safe, and bring him back."
"I will."
Krystal checked her watch, in which she set with the timer. "You have ten minutes!" The vixen said with panic.
Fox nodded and smiled again, which warmed her heart. He winked, turned around and left.
When Fox disappeared inside the building, she barely heard Falco yelling for the people to remain calm and to move, as she thought, Please come back. She placed her hand on her stomach. To us.
/
As Fox ran across the gleaming white floors, he immediately pressed a button on his communicator. "Slippy! I need you to hack into any and all security doors in this building now!"
"On it!" a minute passed and Slippy croaked "You're in!"
"That was quick."
"Who do you think designed the security doors? That's right. My father!"
"Good work! Now scan the building for any radiation and lead me there!"
"Will do! Slippy out!"
Fox turned off his communication and rounded a corner. He bumped into a security guard, a coyote, who jumped startled. "Hey you! You're not supposed to be here!"
"There is a bomb in this building!" Fox said urgently "You need to evacuate now!"
"A bomb? How do you know?"
"Just trust me!"
"Trust you? I don't even know you!"
Fox spun around, grabbed the guard by the collar of his uniform and slammed the coyote against the wall. He spoke with a dangerously low voice. "My name is Fox McCloud and there is a bomb in this building. My friend's life is in danger and if you stop me, I will not hesitate to put you down."
The guard's eyes widened at the sound of the name. Immediately he spoke into his walkie talkie and said "This is Lewis. We have a code 14-A. Start the evacuation protocol right now!"
As soon as Lewis finished his sentence, a red siren turned on, blaring throughout the building. Fox nodded his thanks, but then immediately turned back to the guard "If you were to place a bomb into any room in this building that would achieve maximum casualty, where would you put it?"
The guard thought for a minute "The weapons room. Nobody goes down there. They've got a lot of explosive toys there. It's downstairs."
"Good. Now get out of here!"
Fox spun around and ran towards the stairs. As he did, his communication beeped and it was Slippy, "There's a huge amount of radiation from the weapons room!"
"I know Slip. I'm on my way!"
Fox raced down the stairs and found himself in large hallway. He ran through cursing the person who thought of not putting signs or labels on the doors or windows. The vulpine rounded a corner and noticed that, on his left, was a huge window that expanded from one side of the hallway to the other. A door was at the end of the hallway and Fox raced to it. As soon as he placed his hand on the door knob, a hoarse voice yelled through the window. "STOP!"
/
Fifteen minutes earlier
Peppy Hare woke up groaning, his head a dull throb from the pole that smashed into the base of the skull. The first thing he felt was the smooth, cold floor beneath him. His vision blurred from the bright light of the room and the aged hare slowly sat upright. Peppy looked around slowly, attempting to get his bearings. A beeping noise filled the room, which caused the hare's ears to pop straight up and Peppy jumped.
The hare stood up and inspected the room around him. Different weaponry and gadgets littered the table and Peppy was shocked at the state of the room. The mentor looked on his right side and noticed the huge window. Immediately, Peppy knew where he was: the new Science and Weapons Development building. His good friend, General Pepper had taken him on a tour several weeks ago, before it even opened. Peppy returned his attention back to the tables. General Pepper ordered that these were to be stockpiled. Why are they out like this?
The beeping noise was heard and Peppy followed the noise to the source. Once the hare arrived, he noticed that something was covered by a blanket. The mentor moved the blanket out of the way and was greeted with a device that looked a lot like a bomb. The aged hare immediately turned around and made his way to the door, determined to leave and warn Fox. But once he arrived at the door, he nearly opened it, but stopped as he saw a thin, almost invisible, wire that stretched from the top of the door and down to the bomb.
Good thing I caught this. If I had opened it, I would have set it off earlier, the mentor thought. The hare then let go of the door and hurried back to the bomb. The timer was at fifteen minutes and counting down. Peppy turned and ran to the table, grabbed a screwdriver, and after a few seconds of searching, he found what he was looking for: a pair of scissors.
Peppy hurried back to the bomb and searched the dome for any opening. The bomb was made of steel, with a clear top that showed the countdown. The whole thing was smooth, but Peppy still worked his way around, feeling for any cracks.
There! The hare went around the bomb and found the screws that held the compartment in place. The hare worked on unscrewing it and in several minutes, he managed to get the compartment open. Sweat rolled down his face as he moaned with despair. Wires of all possible colors were tangled inside the bomb. He reached in with a scissor and prayed to silently to any and every god that was watching over him that he would cut the right one.
As the blade hovered over the wire, footsteps were heard and Peppy looked up from behind the bomb. Fox McCloud rushed into the hallway and looked into the room. Then he turned and rushed towards the door. As soon as Peppy saw Fox touch the doorknob, the hare jumped up behind the table and yelled, "STOP!"
Fox jumped back with surprise, not opening the door. He looked at the old hare with concern and worry. "Peppy!" he exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
The hare nodded slowly. "I'm alright as I can be Fox. You need to get out of here!" The aged mentor looked back at the bomb. "You have eight minutes Fox McCloud! Get out of here!"
Fox nodded, ignoring Peppy and breathing heavily. "Okay. Eight minutes to get you out of here." He reached in his pocket and pulled something out. It was small, round and it had wings. Fox pressed some buttons and the drone turned on with a chirp. It shot up in the air and started to hover around.
The vulpine then opened his coms and spoke into it. "Slippy! Can you find me any ventilation in the blueprints? Specifically the weapons room!"
A few seconds passed. "Yup!" Slippy croaked. "Go back where you came from and it'll be on your right!"
Fox left the window and followed Slippy's instruction. He could still hear Peppy's protest echoing through the room. Once the vulpine arrived at the ventilation shaft, he pressed another button and the drone shot up in the air and through the slits of the covering. McCloud then hurried back to the window, where Peppy was working on the bomb.
The leader of the Star Fox team spoke, "Slippy! Connect to my drone and do a scan on the bomb! I need to figure out which wire Peppy can cut!" A beeping noise was heard and Fox looked at the timer. It hit five minutes.
"Scan complete!" a pause was heard and then the toad's voice came through the communicator. "But I have bad news."
"Slippy! Just spit it out!" Fox snapped.
"This bomb is really sophisticated Fox! The maker knew what he or she was doing! There are a bunch of fail-safes and trigger doors!"
"What does that mean?"
"That means there is no way you can defuse it, Fox! No matter which wire you cut, it'll trigger a fail-safe resulting in its explosion! Even if you cut the right wire, it'll go off!" The toad's voice went down to a whimper. "I'm sorry Peppy."
"It's alright Slippy." Peppy said in a comforting tone through the window. "There is nothing you can do."
The coms turned off as Slippy left. Fox paced back and forth, his mind racing. Peppy calmly placed his hand on the window. "Fox you have three minutes. You need to leave."
"Shut up Peppy! You're getting out of here!" the vulpine said, his voice cracking with emotion.
The leader of the Star Fox team walked back to the door and looked through it. His drone flew to it and scanned it, sending it to his device on his wrist. "There is a wire." Peppy explained. "You open the door, the bomb goes off."
Fox cursed with frustration as the scan came off as positive. He also noticed that the scan revealed a second wire from the other side of the door and it connected to the first one. If Peppy cut the first one, the second one would act as a catalyst for his destruction. However, if the hare cut the second one, he would still have to open the door, which would result in the explosion as well.
Peppy could see the struggle on Fox's face. The mentor smiled sadly. He knew that his time had come. Over the years, there were a lot of close calls on different missions. The hare loved the team, and enjoyed serving with James McCloud, but he had grown to prefer Fox. Then his sadness turned to pride. He was proud of the man that Fox had turned into. The hare was proud that Fox surrounded himself with good friends and a supportive wife in Krystal.
"Fox." Peppy said softly. "You need to go. Right now!"
Fox banged against the window, tears in his eyes. "But Peppy! I can't leave without you!"
Peppy smiled. "You're a good leader Fox McCloud, a good man, and it's been an honor to serve with you. You're like the son I never had."
Fox was crying hard. "Come on Peppy! Don't say that. I can't lose you! We'll figure something out!"
Peppy shook his head and looked back. The bomb hit the two minute mark. "There's no time! Leave now!"
When Fox didn't move, Peppy tried again. "Krystal needs her husband and your child needs a father. Leave now! I will be okay. I promise."
Fox hit the window again and yelled with frustration. He pulled out his blaster and shot it, unloading his entire magazine into the window. The window absorbed each bullet, as it was built to do so. A beeping noise echoed through the room and Peppy looked back. "You have a minute Fox! GO NOW!"
Fox nodded, tears streaming down his face. "I'll never forget you." The vulpine spun and disappeared out of Peppy's view.
The hare hurriedly ran back to the bomb with the scissors. He looked at the timer, watching it count down as it the ten second mark. Peppy sighed and thought I had a good life. A picture of the team appeared in his mind. The smiling toad, the joking blue bird, the calm vixen and the stern, but kind vulpine. The hare gave out a sigh, selected a wire, and he cut it with a snip.
/
Fox looked back at his second father figure as he ran away, his heart broken and his spirit crushed. The vulpine bounded up the stairs, taking two steps at a time and ran through the long hallway. Finally, he turned a corner and burst outside. "Get away from the building!" he yelled to Falco and Krystal. "Move now!"
Where's Peppy? Krystal asked in his mind.
Fox didn't answer, which confirmed Krystal's worries.
The blue bird and the vixen harkened his words and both raced down the steps and into the street. Fox was several feet behind them, when the building exploded. Heat, debris and the force of the explosion smashed into Fox's back as he flew through the air and landed on the ground with a crash.
Ignoring his injuries, the heart-stricken vulpine looked at the building behind him and all emotion that he bottled up poured out into one name.
"PEPPY!"
A/N: I hope you enjoyed the prologue! Please feel free to drop a review on how I can improve or your thoughts on this chapter! Thanks!