Chapter 1: Ten Years Later
Corneria – Present Day
"Good morning Corneria City! It's a lovely, cool morning, with the temperature at 50 degrees! Be sure to bring a jacket, and an umbrella because it's going to rain later! Welcome to the –"
Fox McCloud rolled over and smashed his alarm clock with the bottom of his fist. The clock skidded across his tiny nightstand and fell between the crack of the stand and the wall. The vulpine groaned, as sleep and the warm blankets threatened to lull him back into slumber. Instead, Fox slowly blinked his eyes and breathed in slowly. The musty air of the room filled his nostrils, causing him to crinkle his nose. He sat up, swiveled and placed his feet on the dirty carpet below.
The former leader of the Star Fox team stood up, his back protesting with pain as the vulpine took his first step forward. With each step that he took, each joint groaned and complained. The years of combat and old injuries had finally caught up with him. Movement was always difficult for him in the mornings, but once he finally had his cup of coffee and was moving around, the pain would disappear from his joints. He made his way through the maze of littered dirty clothes, old soda cans and discarded pizza boxes before he made it to his window.
Fox lifted his window to his tiny one-bedroom apartment. A cool wind blew through the alleyway, entering his room. Fox's senses danced with joy as the fresh air erased the stuffy and dirty room. The vulpine turned away from the window, looked on the ground and shook his head with guilt. He had been meaning to clean up the apartment, but he either became lazy or he had put it off.
The vulpine stepped away from the window and continued to his left. Across from him was the bathroom, with a tub-shower combo, a toilet and a sink with a single mirror pane. Fox opened the mirror, which also served as a medicine cabinet, took out his red toothbrush and his toothpaste. He squeezed out the minty scented light blue toothpaste and placed the toothbrush in his mouth, starting the process of cleaning his teeth.
Fox put away the toothpaste and closed the mirror cabinet. As he brushed his teeth, the vulpine's emerald green eyes stared back through the mirror, inspecting the person that stood before it. At the age of 43, Fox still looked young, but there were signs that strayed away from the fact. His brown color was slowly fading with tinges of grey showing. His fur was losing its' luscious color, and had become more coarse with age.
The vulpine spat out the mixture of toothpaste and saliva into the sink and rinsed his mouth out with water. Fox leaned in, inspected his face and after a grunt of satisfaction, McCloud turned and entered his bedroom again. He walked up to his dresser, opened it and groaned with annoyance. It was empty, as he had used up all of his clothes and had forgotten to do his laundry in the past month. He rolled his eyes at himself and Fox set upon the chore of divvying up his clothes. Once Fox had finally figured out which clothes smelled the least, the vulpine threw them on and made a mental note to do the laundry when he arrived home.
The sun was streaming through the window into the living room as Fox walked in. The living room was big for him, but the perfect size for a couple. There was a couch pressed up against the wall, underneath the window and a chair was propped in the corner. In the middle was a glass coffee table with wooden framing. In the corner of the room, opposite from him on the left hand side near the kitchen counter was a TV.
Fox turned left and entered the kitchen. He smiled to himself as he saw the fresh pot of coffee was waiting for him, the smell wafting through the air and into his nose, causing him to drool. McCloud hurriedly pulled a mug out of the cabinet and poured coffee inside of it. He turned to the refrigerator and pulled out creamer. He used to love black coffee, but as he had grown older, his taste had changed and now he hated the bitterness of it. Fox shook his head with a sad smile, remembering how much black coffee he drank during his Star Fox days. He knew the team had hated him for hoarding the coffee, but Fox couldn't help himself. He loved the drink!
After Fox had poured and mixed the sugary concoction, the vulpine carried the mug back into the room and sat down on the table. He placed the coffee on a coaster on the glass coffee table. His eyes strayed to the middle of the table and its contents which inhabited it. There were a pile of returned letters, all addressed to Krystal. McCloud didn't have the heart to throw it away, but he knew that his relationship with the vixen was destroyed, possibly forever. Ever since Peppy's death, Fox's life had spiraled downward as he pushed away his best friends and ultimately his wife.
But once the vulpine realized his mistake, he vowed to make things right with the beautiful Cerinian vixen and he had started by sending letters to her, hoping that she would respond back. But one by one, the letters were returned, and Fox kept them all in the middle of the coffee table, until one faithful day the vulpine received an envelope from the vixen.
Once he had seen it, his heart leapt with joy. Maybe there was a hope of reconciling after all, but it crashed when he opened it. Inside was a blue letter, and a golden wedding band. Fox had held back tears when he saw the contents as he pulled the ring and the letter out. Placing the ring on the coffee table, Fox opened the blue letter. It was a divorce paper and Krystal had already signed her portion of the letter. Once he had seen the signature, Fox felt like his heart was being ripped open, but he understood. Even still, he refused to sign his portion, conflicted with the possibility of moving on and winning the vixen back. So the ring remained on top of the blue letter on the coffee table, serving as a reminder that there was no future with Krystal.
Even though he had accepted that, Fox still held out hope after hope that one day, maybe just one day in the future that Krystal would take him back. So he remained single, saving his life and his energy for the woman he wanted to love for the rest of his life. Sure, his work friends had set him up on dates with other women, but Fox had made it abundantly clear that he wasn't interested in them. Many times, his dates left with a huff of anger or even sadness. But some women had even remained good friends with him, and for that, Fox was grateful. However, as several years went by, Fox came to a realization and accepted that Krystal would never take him back. Not since what he did to her. But now, he was in a relationship and a good one.
He didn't mind being single, but he hated being alone, which is why he found the woman who he thought was perfect for him. Back in his younger days of leading the Star Fox team, he was constantly surrounded by his best friends: Flaco, Slippy and, Fox paused in his thought, Peppy. The vulpine shook his head with sadness. Peppy.
The name lingered in his head, echoing like a drum: Peppy. Peppy. Peppy. Already, Fox could feel guilt, sadness, anger with a mix of regret building inside of him. Guilt that he couldn't stop the death of his second father. Sadness because he had lost the one person who raised and truly understood him. Anger at himself that he hadn't caught the person who was responsible for the explosion and regret. Regret was the biggest emotion that Fox felt. Regret that he hadn't focused more during that day. Regret that he wasn't a better son to Peppy. But most of all, regret that he hadn't appreciated the old hare more. It took Peppy's death to cause Fox to realize how much the mentor, father and leader really meant to him. The emotions churned and twisted inside the depths of his soul, threatening to be released and destroy everything in its path like a raging monster.
He took a sip out of his mug, the coffee and creamer mixture dancing over his taste buds, giving the vulpine pleasure of its taste. Soon, the buildup of emotions died off, leaving Fox feeling empty inside. The vulpine felt void of any love, and he felt like he deserved it. McCloud looked to his left from the chair, and across the room, next to the hallway that led to his bedroom, was a wall, full of tiny holes proving that multiple of items were hung there.
Memories rushed back to the vulpine as he observed the wall. A couple of weeks after Peppy's death, the Star Fox team didn't take up any jobs, as the leader was in deep mourning. But one day, his sadness was gone, replaced with anger and guilt. Thus began his drive towards finding the person who was responsible for the death of his mentor. Fox collected every evidence that he could, every newspaper article about the bombing, every picture that was taken that day, and he even broke into the morgue in Corneria City and stole the body of the wolf to inspect it.
These actions drove him to split from the team. As soon as the other members, Falco and Slippy made it clear that they wouldn't join him on his crusade of revenge, Fox left the mothership. The only person who stuck with him was Krystal. The husband and wife had moved into a two story home in the outskirts of Corneria City and a couple of months later, Krystal gave birth to a healthy baby boy, they named Marcus McCloud.
The blue furred tod with the sparkling eyes like the ocean popped in Fox's mind and the vulpine smiled with sadness. The first couple of months were the happiest times for Fox as his cute son kept him distracted from what had happened. But eventually, feelings of anger, guilt, sadness and regret all caught up with the vulpine and he became obsessed with finding Peppy's killer. His obsession eventually caused more arguments and fights with Krystal as the couple started to drift apart.
"I understand what you're going through Fox! I'm still hurting!" Krystal was crying. "But you have a wife and a son. Please come back to us."
Fox shook his head as he stepped out of the living room. "I can't Krys! You know I can't. I'm so close! I'm close to finding him!"
"You said that a couple of months ago!" Krystal protested. "And look at where it got you!" She stopped and took a deep breath. "Please pay attention to what you're doing. You're destroying this family!"
Fox whirled back. "I'm destroying this family? I have a wife who doesn't want to see Peppy's murderer brought to justice! If anything, you're destroying this family by not supporting me!"
"Let me make this clear. It's either Peppy's killer or me."
Fox stared at the turquoise colored eyes of his wife. He knew how much she loved him, and how much he loved her. But Peppy's death was the tipping point. "You know what I will choose."
Krystal nodded sadly. "Then don't come back."
McCloud turned away and went upstairs to the master bedroom. He packed up everything he had owned, put it in his car and moved into the city of Corneria and found an available apartment. Once he did, he promptly moved in right away.
As soon as Fox had signed the form promising that he would consistently pay rent on time, the vulpine resumed his attention to work. He nailed every evidence that he had packed onto the wall and spent his days pouring over each word, each line and each concept that the evidence provided. But as the years had gone by, and Fox kept running into walls, he had turned to the drink.
The vulpine was banned from almost every bar in his neighborhood for his ability to start fights in a drunken stupor. But one night, after Fox had been thrown out into the rain by the bartender, the man he tried to start a fight with stepped out also.
As the rain poured down on him, hitting his body and making the pattering noises as it hit the street, Fox drunkenly stood up. The man before him was a muscular cheetah, with tattoos covering his arms and up to his neck.
"I'm really sorry about what I said." Fox slurred, "But you have to give me credit. Your brother does look like your wife."
The cheetah smirked, snickering at the audacity of Fox.
Fox raised his hands, swaying in place, the rain blocking the majority of his vision. "Well? Come on! Hit me!"
The cheetah didn't move, which only enraged the vulpine.
"Come on! Let's have a go! Or are you a coward? I'll have you know that I never lost a fight I've been in. In fact, I…"
The vulpine's words got cut off as the cheetah did a massive left hook. His fist crashed into the jaw of Fox and the former leader of the Star Fox team crashed down into the ground, unmoving.
The next thing Fox knew, he was out of the rain and inside an unfamiliar room, his head throbbing. Scented candles lined on a dresser as cotton blankets wrapped around the vulpine. Jazz music played through the radio and the aroma of cooking wafted into the bedroom. Fox had tried to move, but found that he couldn't because every time he did, he would let out a groan of pain. Soon the door opened and a female vixen walked in, her coat a luscious orange color. Her blue eyes twinkled underneath the candles as she carried in a bowl of steaming soup.
Fox watched her dumbfounded as she sat down on the edge of the bed, dipped in the spoon and placed it on the nightstand next to him. Then she smiled shyly at McCloud and pushed her hair back behind her ears.
"W-who are you and where am I?" Fox asked after a couple of seconds passed.
"Don't worry Mr. McCloud. My name is Reyna and you're in my home. I found you unconscious and bleeding outside of 'No Name' bar." She giggled to herself at the joke. "The bar has a name and it's called 'No Name.'"
Fox politely nodded, still confused. "But why am I here? Why didn't you take me to the hospital?"
"I'm a doctor." Reyna explained. "When I found you, I immediately knew who you were. I didn't think that the great Fox McCloud would want the general public of Corneria to know that he was in the hospital after a bar fight? It wouldn't do good for the public image, am I right?"
Fox grunted. "I don't care about that anymore." The vulpine turned and started to rise. "Thank you for finding me, but I need to go."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Reyna warned. "You're still weak."
Fox shook his head and continued to rise. As soon as he reached his full height, he crashed against the ground, his blankets falling down and the vulpine gave out a groan of pain. "On second thought" Fox mumbled into the blanket, "Can I stay here?"
Reyna nodded, smiling. "I think that would be the wisest course Mr. McCloud."
Fox nodded as he slowly climbed up off the ground to get into bed. Then he noticed that he was colder than usual. He looked down and immediately grabbed the blanket and wrapped himself with it. "Wh-where are my clothes?" He stammered.
"Drying." Reyna answered. She looked at the red-faced fox standing before him. "Don't worry Mr. McCloud. I have been treating patients from a young boy to an old man. I'm pretty sure I could get you undressed and wrap you up with that blanket with my eyes closed." The doctor winked, stood up and walked to the door. "Soup's on the nightstand, Mr. McCloud. I work tomorrow morning, so I must go to sleep. Goodnight."
"Goodnight." Fox said with wonder, "And Reyna?"
The vixen stopped and looked back.
"Why did you save me? You could have kept walking, but instead you stopped. Why?"
Reyna shrugged. "I'm a doctor for one. If I see someone in need, I have to help them. But I think everyone deserves a second chance." Her eyes twinkled with a mysterious glow as she smiled. Then the vixen left, closing the door behind her.
A beeping noise snapped Fox back to reality, as he looked at his watch. It read 8:30 and Fox slowly nodded. He stood up, finished the rest of his coffee, walked to the kitchen sink and placed the cup into it after filling it up with water. The vulpine glanced at the bowl on the kitchen counter, which held his car keys and after a couple of seconds, shook his head. Instead, he grabbed his apartment keys and walked to the front door, which had a bag in front of it. Double checking the contents of the bag, Fox nodded to himself and picked it up, slinging it over his shoulders.
He had a car, but didn't really drive it unless he had to leave the city. Instead, Fox knew the importance of staying healthy and wanted to maintain the health and wellness he had when he was younger. Ever since Reyna found him in the rain and nursed him back to health, Fox made the decision to change. He was grateful for the vixen and was happy about the second chance that he was given. Now Fox would use the second chance to the best of his ability. The vulpine dropped the obsession of finding Peppy's killer, packed up the evidence in a box and placed it in storage. Then he actively searched for a job and found one as a trainer, and a martial artist teacher at the local gym. The owner of the gym knew who Fox was and didn't hesitate to hire him.
Fox stepped out of his apartment and closed the door behind him, locking it. The vulpine then walked through the hardwood floor hallway to the stairs. As he started to walk down, a voice called out to him from an apartment and Fox stopped. He turned, looked back and smiled at the elderly Bengal cat who was watching him. "Hello and good morning Mrs. Chow. What can I do for you?"
"I told you Fox McCloud. Call me Doris! The radiator is acting up again. Can you take a look at it?"
Fox nodded. "I will come by…" The vulpine stopped as he scrolled through his mental calendar "Hopefully after work today?"
Mrs. Chow nodded. "I have bridge later this afternoon. Just come by and I'll let you in. Thank you."
Fox leaned in and gave the elderly woman a hug. "You're welcome. I'll see you later this afternoon."
The cat smiled and closed the door, prompting Fox to continue on his way. He walked down the stairs, went through the small hallway and out the door.
The cool Cornerian wind hit Fox in the face and the vulpine shivered softly. The radio station wasn't lying, but Fox turned to his right and started to jog. Apartments, trees, parks and different houses moved past him as the vulpine got closer and closer to the center of the city. Older buildings turned into newer and high tech as the streets became busier and busier. Fox made his way through Corneria Center and back out, jogging to the outskirts once again. The whole route was five miles, but Fox didn't care. He was just grateful that he found an apartment that was close to the hustle and bustle of the city.
His phone rang. Fox stopped jogging and fished in his pocket as he searched for his phone. He pulled it out, checked the caller I.D and smiled. Fox pressed the call button and placed it to his ear and spoke with a hint of joy. "Hey honey!"
"Hello Fox!" Reyna answered on the other end. "I have wonderful news!"
"What's that?"
"My boss allowed me to switch my shift. So that means we can have the weekend getaway to Golden Shores we always wanted."
"That's wonderful!" Fox smiled. "We can… ah… discuss logistics over dinner tonight?"
"Eight o clock?" Reyna asked.
"Sure! Fowler's Café?"
"Sounds perfect."
"I'll see you there!"
"Alright Mr. McCloud. You better not be late!"
Fox smiled. "I won't. I gotta go. I'm actually going to be late to the gym."
Reyna chuckled. "Alright. I'll talk to you later. Bye."
"Bye."
Fox hung up his phone and placed it in his pocket. The vulpine smiled as he continued to jog to the gym. Reyna was good to him. He still couldn't wrap the head around the fact that they were dating for two years. Fox had been with Krystal for a year and a half, then spent five years searching for Peppy's killer, only to have Reyna find him on that faithful night. Then the vulpine started to fall for the shy, well-spoken doctor and within a year, they started to date.
At first, Fox felt like he was betraying Krystal, as a piece of his heart still belonged to her. But once he realized that Krystal would never take him back, much less have him meet their son, he decided to move on. He contacted Reyna and asked her out for coffee and the doctor had accepted his offer.
As the two became close, Reyna had opened up to him that she was in two abusive relationships and wasn't ready to be dating again, but she felt that Fox wasn't like her other ex-boyfriends. IN turn, Fox slowly opened up, peeling layers after layers of his past, revealing his father's demise, the missions they had to go on, the countless of times that Fox had almost lost his life. As he spoke, Reyna could tell that he became excited as he shared his stories. Sometimes when he was finished, he would end with a far-away look, as he thought of his past. However, in each of their dates, Krystal would pop in the vulpine's mind every often, causing him to become distracted and unattached to the conversations.
Reyna was a smart vixen and she caught on really quickly when Fox would space out, or not pay attention to the conversation. So one night, she went to his apartment, sat him down and asked him to explain why he was seemingly unattached to her and was worried that she wasn't good enough for him.
Fox sighed, stood up and went into his bedroom and fished out his wedding ring from the dresser that he always put in whenever Reyna visited. He was ashamed to share that he was married and was afraid that the contents of the separation would be enough to drive Reyna away.
But when Fox placed the wedding ring on the table without a word, Reyna looked at it and looked back without surprise. "So you were married?" she asked. "To Krystal I presume?"
"Yup."
Reyna folded her hands on her lap. "So you miss her don't you?"
Fox looked at the doctor with surprise. "Yeah… I do. I do miss her very much."
Reyna nodded empathetically. "Why do you still have the ring?"
"It's a reminder."
"For what?"
"The fact that I can never get her back. That I have to move on." Fox sighed and shifted uncomfortably in the chair. "Krystal and I were arguing because of…. my hobby. She made it clear that she doesn't want me back. So every morning, I look at the ring and think about the possibility of a future I could have with her. But now I know it will never happen. It serves as a reminder that I lost my wife and my best friend because of my selfishness. I regained the hope that I could be a different man when I met you Reyna. This ring also gives me hope that I could be a man for you."
Reyna nodded again, her mind processing his words. "You're hobby…. I'm going to assume that has something to do with Peppy's death?"
"How'd you know about that?"
Reyna gave him a look. "The explosion was televised on every news channel. I saw it and I followed the case. If the cops didn't have a lead, then you wouldn't. When I found you in front of that bar unconscious… I put two and two together just now."
"You're good. Maybe too good."
Reyna smiled as she stood up, picking up her purse. "So people tell me. Thank you for telling me this Fox. I understand how difficult it must be for you, but I want you to know that I will support you no matter what. Whatever happened in your past stays in your past and whatever mistake you made, I'm here for you." The vixen kissed Fox on the cheek. "I'll see you later."
Even to this day, Fox was still astonished at the honesty and the kindness of Reyna. The conversation only boosted his confidence and his drive to be the best boyfriend and possible husband for the vixen. But even still, he had that longing to see Krystal. Even though he was with Reyna, he still felt that the Cerinian telepath was made for him. That they were made for each other. If Fox could travel to the past and change what he did, he would. But was too late now.
The vulpine crossed the street and ignored the blaring horns of the cars that were trying to do a right hand turn. Once he arrived at the double glass doors of the gym, Fox stopped jogging, pulled out a water bottle from his bag and took a deep drink. He sighed with content, twisted the cap back on and placed it in the bag. The vulpine opened the door and entered.
The room was warm with a mixture of sweat and grunting of muscular and well-fit boxers. Fox made his way past the ring where two full-grown males were training, a leopard and a lynx. "Hey Fox!" the lynx greeted him as he ducked the leopard's swing.
"Hello Dave, Charlie." Fox answered with a nod of his head. He stopped and watched the two fighters. "Dave, keep your right guard up. Charlie prefers his left."
The leopard stopped fighting. "You can't tell him my secret!" he protested. "I don't see you helping… oof!"
Dave swung a right into Charlie's stomach and the leopard crashed face-first into the ground. The lynx stood over him smiling and looked back at Fox. "Thanks for distracting him for me. I needed the win."
Charlie coughed. "Foul! Foul on the play. Interference from a fan!"
Fox left the room chuckling to himself. Dave and Charles were semi-pro boxers in their twenties, both working together and both hoping to advance to the pro leagues. Fox helped train them once in a while, but stopped when new fighters entered the gym.
The vulpine walked through the hallway and entered another room. This time, instead of a ring, there were mats spread on the floor in different areas. Men and women grunted as they wrestled, trying different moves to put their opponent into submission.
Fox dropped his bag on the bench before walking onto the mat. The first person he made his way to was a lion. He wore a tank top shirt with the gym logo on it and basketball shorts. The lion was staring intently at the two wrestlers and gave a roar with anger. "NO, No, No! Samuel! In order to escape the choke, you need to roll to your left and pull! You keep rolling to your right! And when you roll to your right, you're only letting your opponent get in a better position to cut the freaking oxygen from your freaking brain! My grandmammy could do better than you and she's dead!"
Fox chuckled again as he approached the lion. "Hello Darren. Working hard again, I see. How's your back?"
Darren groaned. "Getting better but it hurts every now and then. My wife wants me off that motorcycle."
"What did you say?"
The muscular lion turned and looked at the vulpine. "Only if she stops being a shopaholic."
"And?"
"She stormed out of the room. Suffice to say that I still have my motorcycle."
Fox chuckled knowing that the couple would never do anything to endanger the relationship. He had met Darren's wife, Vivian before and saw how she was around him. She adored her husband and Fox could tell that the husband returned the same feeling. Whenever they fought, it never lasted more than ten minutes. They were always quick to apologize and Fox was jealous of that.
"How's Reyna?"
Fox turned his focus back on his friend. "She's good, actually. She finally got the weekend off, so we're planning to go to Golden Shores."
Darren whistled with admiration. "Golden Shores huh? That's a beautiful beach. Got something in mind?" the lion smiled.
Fox lowered his voice. "Yeah… I'm thinking about asking her to marry me." Darren turned back to the vulpine with wide eyes. "But I still think that two years is too short. I feel that I still don't know her well enough. I don't want to make a mistake."
"Want my advice?" After Fox nodded, Darren continued "Just go with your gut, man. Reyna is a terrific vixen and I have seen how you two act around each other. She's smitten with you and I could tell that you love her. I'm just surprised you haven't popped the question long time ago… SAMUEL! WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT ROLLING TO YOUR RIGHT?" The lion bellowed.
"Thanks Darren." Fox replied as his eyes watched over the people wrestling. "I gotta go. I see my students."
"Alright! Hey, good luck!"
"Thanks!"
Fox made his way through the maze of bodies and finally reached the mat where a male lupine and a female feline was wrestling each other. The lupine was on the ground on his back as the feline mounted him. The lupine was pushing the feline in the chest, but then the feline quickly switched her position. The cat swiveled around and grabbed the wolf's arm, and fell backwards, using her leg to trap the wolf against the ground, causing him to be unable to move. The cat then started to pull and the wolf immediately tapped the mat. At the sound of the tap, the feline quickly dismounted and stood up, breathing heavily.
Fox nodded slowly. "You did well, Cate. But you need to be quicker on the arm bar. As soon as Roy starts to push you away, you just swivel immediately. Remember, if he keep his hands close to his chest or his face, punch away. Aim for the sides of his head or even his nose. But if he is attempting to push you away, swivel and take him in the arm bar. Do it again."
Cate nodded, her yellow eyes looking back at the white wolf. Roy resumed his position back on the mat and Cate mounted him. Roy started with his hands and arms close to his face, attempting to block off the punch, but once he moved to push the feline, Cate acted. She swiveled around and grabbed his right arm, fell back on the ground and pulled.
Once Roy tapped, Cate got off the ground and looked at Fox with a smile. The vulpine nodded, obviously impressed with the young, twenty one year old feline. "Better. Do it again."
So Cate did the arm bar again and again as Fox watched and was satisfied with her technique. He then explained how to do an arm bar from a back control. He got on the mat and positioned himself behind Roy, wrapped his legs around the lupine's body and his arms around his neck. "You see?" Fox explained. "If you have an opponent that is weaker or more tired than you, just do the choke hold. Because his energy is wasted, there is no way he can fight against it. Doesn't mean that he can't, but odds are that he will be too tired to escape."
"But if you happen to be in the first round of an MMA match, and you find yourself in this position. You have two options. One, you could try to choke your opponent and see where that goes, or two you can do the arm bar. When attempting to do an arm bar from the back control, it is important that you have your arms around your opponent's neck and keep your wrist locked. Put one of your hands on one of your wrists, but keep you other hand free." Fox clamped his right wrist with his left hand. "When your opponent tries to push your arms away…" Roy moved both arms up, attempting to unlock Fox's arms. "Grab the same hand with your free hand. For example, if your left hand is free, grab the left hand. If your right hand is free, grab the right hand."
"Next, pull that hand behind your opponent's head and swivel." Fox moved to the other side and raised his leg over Roy's head and brought it down, trapping his neck onto the ground as he pulled. "See? It's that simple."
Cate nodded with enthusiasm. Once Fox got off the mat, she jumped in, practicing the move. All day, the vulpine and the cat practiced wrestling and even boxing. Fox was impressed at the speed that Cate advanced in which he decided to let her go an hour early. Cate smiled, thanked the vulpine, packed up her bag and left the gym.
Fox sighed wearily and checked his watch. It was 3:30 in the afternoon. The vulpine loved his job, but couldn't wait to get back to his house. He stood up from the bench, took a drink from his water bottle and started to pack. "Hey Fox!"
McCloud turned and saw Darren approaching him. "What's up?"
"The guys and I are going to catch the game at my house. The Centurions are taking on the Knights. Should be a good one. Want to come?"
Fox shook his head. "I can't Darren. I'm meeting Reyna for dinner tonight. Maybe some other time?"
"Sure! Have fun on your date…" The lion started to turn away and then stopped. "Romatic music is the best way to lighten the mood. Not jazz. It's a mood killer."
Fox rolled his eyes. "Not that kind of dinner, Darren. But I'll keep it in mind."
The lion chuckled as he walked away, leaving the vulpine to shake his head. McCloud left the wrestling room and made his way out of the gym. Rain pattered against the ground and Fox shook his head. He pulled his coat's hoodie up and started to jog. He loved to run, whether it be rain, snow or the blazing hot sun. It helped him clear up his head and enjoy the fresh air.
It was almost five o clock when Fox finally reached his apartment. The vulpine had to take a different route as a road was closed because of a car accident. Once he walked up the stairs, he passed Mrs. Chow's apartment and Fox smacked his head. He had forgotten about his promise to the old Bengal cat. The vulpine stopped and knocked on the door.
A few minutes passed, and the door creaked open. Mrs. Chow's head appeared and the cat smiled. "I'm really sorry, Mrs. Chow. But I forgot I had other plans this afternoon. I can't fix your radiator."
The cat nodded smiling. "It's quite alright Fox. I'm sure your plans are important. They must be because I saw an army man walk to your room!"
"An army man?"
"Sure! He was dressed in red, had a hat on and a bunch of… of… medals on his uniform. He was looking for you."
"When was this?"
"Oh, five minutes ago. Maybe ten? He should still be there because I told him that you'd come home around this time."
Fox nodded. "Thank you Mrs. Chow. Have a good rest of your night."
"You too Fox!" The door closed and Fox continued on his way. The vulpine walked up the stairs and slowly walked down the hallway. He rounded the corner and saw that Mrs. Chow was correct.
Standing with his back to the door was a brown hound, standing at stiff attention, a folder under one of his arms. His brown fur lost majority of its color as it turned gray with age. He was dressed in red, with a C.A.F logo on his hat. On the left side of his suit, medals hung, jingling from the draft. His nose twitched, alerting him to a presence and the hound smiled. "Long time, no see, Fox McCloud."
"General Pepper?" Fox asked with awe.
The aged General chuckled. "Surprised to see me? Thought I had died?"
Fox laughed. "I would be lying if I had said no. It's good to see you again General!"
"Retired general to be exact. I now serve as a consultant to the C.A.F. The new person in charge is General Monroe. Bill Monroe. He's a good man."
"Wh-What are you doing here General?"
"It's a long story. One I had hoped to tell over a cup of coffee?"
Fox nodded. "Of course! Come in, come in!"
The vulpine went around the general and unlocked the apartment. He stepped inside and put his bag next to the door and made his way to the kitchen. "Please make yourself at home."
Pepper looked around at the small living room, void of any paintings or plants. "Charming place you have here."
Fox shrugged as he started prepping the coffee maker. "I have a roof over my head. That's more than what could be said about others. I like it here."
The general sat down on the couch and placed the folder on the glass coffee table. He leaned back against the cushions and gave out a content sigh. "How did you find me?" Fox called from the kitchen.
Pepper laughed. "I was in the Air Force remember? I still have resources."
Fox smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised if you bugged me… Wait, you didn't bug me did you?"
"If I did, you would never find them. Don't worry, I have no intention of invading your privacy."
"You're here…"
"Point taken, but remember I'm only here for the best interest of Corneria."
Fox sighed. "Before you continue General, I can only assume that this is not a social call? So the answer is no."
The vulpine poured the ready coffee into a cup and grabbed the creamer out of the refrigerator. He carried both the mug and the creamer and placed it on the coffee table.
"You don't know what I was going to ask."
Fox sat down in the chair, and shook his head. "But I do. There is no other reason why you're here, General. You want the services of the Star Fox team. In case you haven't noticed, that team is disbanded."
Pepper poured some creamer into the mug and stirred it with the spoon that Fox provided. "I understand, and I did notice that. But please, let me explain first."
"I don't know what you can explain, General." Fox stood up. "I have a good life here. I'm trying to mend my ways. I…"
"This has to do with Peppy."
Fox slowly sat back down on the chair, his face an expression of surprise. "You… you have a lead?"
Pepper nodded. "The C.A.F think so. For the past ten years, after Peppy's death, there were no mysterious explosions. Except this recent one."
The aged General opened up his folder and handed Fox a picture. "This happened on Fichina, several months ago. One of our bases stationed there was attacked. It claimed the lives of fifty men and women. Once the C.A.F heard about it, we immediately investigated it. We found nothing. No evidence of foul play, no discarded bomb parts, nothing."
As the General was talking, Fox studied the picture. The base was still standing, but with a sizeable hole in the side of it. Charred remains and debris littered the ground nearly covered by a blanket of snow. Pepper's right, Fox thought. There's nothing here that can help me.
"But how does this have to do with Peppy's death?"
"This has exactly everything to do with Peppy's death. Remember when we were canvassing the scene, we found nothing. Nothing except bodies. This explosion is the same replica to the explosion we experienced ten years ago. The only thing we can't explain is why this person, after ten years, decided to appear and bomb Fichina? Especially why a base on Fichina? There is nothing on that planet, save for snow."
Fox stood up, stroking his chin as he paced back and forth across the living room. Finally after a couple of minutes, he stopped. "What do you want me to do about this?"
"I need the Star Fox team." He placed a hand up to stop Fox from protesting. "I know the team is disbanded. But I don't have enough manpower to find out who is behind this. This could be one person, or it could be an organization."
"It's an organization" Fox answered. "There's no way one person did this. Also, on the night of the explosion, Krystal said that the wolf was talking to someone. That person must have done it. This required careful planning."
"But why target Peppy?"
"Because he wanted to make it personal." Fox answered. "He knew how his death would affect me. It caused me to break the team and go into… into… a life of destruction." The vulpine shook his head and handed back the picture to Pepper. "Which is why I can't do this. I'm getting better. I'm moving on."
"You don't want to see Peppy's killer brought to justice?"
Fox slammed his fist against the glass coffee table with enough force that it shattered and Pepper's coffee spilled. McCloud pointed his bloodied hand at Pepper. "Not a day goes by when I wish I found the son of a…" Fox stopped, breathing in his anger. He rubbed his face and spoke tiredly, "I want to make him pay. I still do, but…. I can't. I'm sorry General. But you need to find someone else."
General Pepper nodded, not surprised at all by Fox's outburst. "I understand Fox McCloud. Well, if you ever do change your mind…" He reached in his jacket and fished out a card. "You call me. My number is on here. Also…" The General pointed at the folder which was still on the broken coffee table. "That's yours."
The hound stood up and looked back at Fox. "I miss the team. All of you were something. I really enjoyed watching all of you, working together. The adventures and the stories that you must have," Pepper sighed. "They must be good. I bet you miss it… I'm envious. I wish I was younger and full of energy so I could be a member. But that's all in the past. Thank you for your service."
With that statement, Pepper turned around and let himself out, closing the door behind him. Fox sighed and put the card in his pocket and went into the kitchen. He grabbed the first aid kit from underneath his sink, opened it and started to clean the wound on his hand.
Once he was finished, he closed the kit and put it away. Then, McCloud started to clean up the broken glass shards and the spilt coffee. The folder sat on the couch, staring at the vulpine, compelling him to touch it. Finally, Fox gave in to the urge and sat on the couch and pulled the rest of the contents out.
Fox was astonished at the amount of information that the C.A.F had collected. It was more than he had ever found. The pictures gathered from the Cornerian bombing and the Fichina bombing seemed to be similar. Both bombings left no evidence, like the General said, except for bodies. Fox picked two pictures, one from the Cornerian bombing and one from Fichina. He noticed that the explosion pattern was the same. The new building from ten years ago had a huge hole in the entrance, while Fichina had it on the side. Same make and model. Fox thought. He's sticking to what he knows.
McCloud placed the two pictures on the couch beside him and pulled up the list of casualties. The names stared back at him, but Fox paused for a few minutes when his eyes lingered over the name "Peppy Hare – S.F Team". The victims are different. Fox thought. The victims here in Corneria consisted of security guards. It was luck that scientists weren't even there. But the victims in Fichina were army personnel. Where's the connection… Well, besides the fact that they work for the government.
Fox shook his head and put the list of names away. He glanced quickly through different pictures and files until something caught his eye. The vulpine pulled one picture out and glanced at it. It was a dead body of a raccoon that served as a security guard during the Cornerian bombing. He pulled out several more pictures that was related to the bombing and saw that they were recognizable. All the victims had severe burns, some worse than others as they were closer to the center of the explosion. But…
Fox looked back at the Fichina section of the folder and found more pictures. It confirmed his suspicions. All the bodies were charred and unrecognizable. Same bomb, but a more powerful explosion. He must have found a way to make the blast bigger. This is not good.
McCloud shook his head and cleaned up the folder, but left it open next to him on the couch. He sat for several minutes, trying to figure out the connection between victims of the Corneria and Fichina bombings. But so far, all he came up with was nothing.
As he sat and pondered, rifling through his memories over the years, the vulpine slowly started to smile. He realized that Pepper was right. Fox did miss the peacefulness that outer-space had to provide. He missed the adventure and the crazy travels and the mysteries that the team had uncovered. But he immediately pushed it out of his mind. Pepper was right about one thing also. It was all in the past.
His phone rang, shaking Fox out of his thought. He immediately pulled it out. "Hello?"
"Fox? Are you okay?"
"Reyna! Hi!" Fox closed the folder. "How are you?"
"I'm good. I'm at Fowler's Café, and its 8:10. Where are you?"
"It's not 8:10…" Fox stood up and looked at the clock on the kitchen counter, which confirmed Reyna's statement. "Damn it! I'm really sorry Reyna. I was… caught up in work."
"I understand." The vixen answered. "I'll tell you what. Why don't I order what we both like and I'll meet you at your apartment?"
Fox nodded. "I'll really like that. Thank you."
"You're welcome. See you soon!"
"Bye."
After Fox hung up the phone, he threw it on the couch and raced into the bathroom, momentarily tripping over his dirty clothes. Cursing to himself, McCloud turned on the shower and as he waited for the temperature to become warmer, the vulpine went back into his room and grabbed a new change of clothes. Fox undressed and entered the shower, scrubbing the day off.
As he was getting dressed and putting on his cologne, a knock sounded at the door. Fox turned off the bathroom light and went through the living room and opened the door.
The orange vixen, dressed in normal jeans and a T-Shirt stepped inside, holding two bags. "Never thought I'd be the one to pay for dinner." She commented.
"Reyna, I'm really sorry."
"I'm just joking Fox. It's alright." The vixen answered as she placed the bags on the kitchen counter. She pulled boxes out and gave them to Fox. Reyna then turned around and grabbed the silverware from a drawer and both the vulpine and the vixen sat down on the couch in the living room.
Reyna looked at the table. "What happened here?" Then she looked back at the vulpine and noticed his hand. "Ah… so you got in a fight with the table and lost?"
Fox chuckled as he started to eat spaghetti. "That's one way to put it."
The couple chatted about their day. Reyna worked as a doctor at a small clinic in Corneria Center and had to treat a patient with head lice. The shampoo that the family purchased did nothing to alleviate the problem and Fox squirmed at the thought of tiny bugs living on his scalp. "But other than that," Reyna finished. "My day was good. How was yours?"
Fox shifted nervously and then nodded. "It was good. Cate is accelerating faster than I expected and soon she will be one of the best, if not the best, fighter in her division. I'm proud of her."
Reyna noticed the posture change. She placed her dinner next to her and folded her hands. "Fox. What's wrong?"
Fox sighed and knew that it was useless not to tell the crafty vixen. She would either figure out the problem or she would keep bugging the vulpine until he gave in. So Fox explained everything that had happened to him from his meeting with the General to what he had discovered in the folder. With any other person, Fox would have not shared the information, but this was Reyna. He trusted the vixen and he loved her and the vulpine knew that she wouldn't divulge any information.
Reyna nodded as she listened intently. When Fox finished she said, "Do you still have the folder?"
Fox nodded. "It's in my room."
"And General Pepper wants you to form the team?"
"Yes."
"What's stopping you then?"
Fox felt his mouth drop open. He wasn't expecting that reaction from Reyna. "My life… M-my job at the gym. You." Fox stammered.
Reyna smiled. "I know you're struggling to find friends Fox and I know that Peppy's death hurt you. Maybe this is a chance to reconcile and earn your team's trust back."
"But…"
"But nothing Fox." Reyna sighed. "You have been given another chance to make things right. So now here is the chance to find Peppy's killer and to earn your teammate's trust back. Don't lie to me Fox, I know you miss the adventure. I can see it in your eyes when you tell me stories about it. You obviously care about them and if they are your friends, they will come back."
"But don't forget…"
"About your ex-wife Krystal? I haven't forgotten about her. I admit that I am uncomfortable with the idea that you will have to see her to ask her to come back. But I'd rather you get some forgiveness from her. I don't want to see you alone in this journey."
Fox shook his head with awe. "You never cease to amaze me Reyna."
The vixen smiled. "That's what makes me a great girlfriend Mr. McCloud. Now go to sleep. You need your rest for tomorrow."
"Why?"
Reyna picked up her dinner again, and before placing her food in her mouth, she spoke, "Because starting tomorrow, you're going to get your team back."