A/N: Chapter 2!
"Annoying insects."
Leon mumbled as he pulled the hat he was wearing over his face. The streets of Corneria were rather full tonight, with people enjoying the bright night life of the city. Leon wasn't too concerned that someone would recognize him. They were all too busy rushing to nightclubs or displaying public indecency.
There has been quite a bit of heat lately on Star Wolf since they raided a cargo ship full of ammunition that was meant for the Cornerian army. For the last few weeks, police have been patrolling the streets and the sky's, making it very difficult for the team to do anything but keep out of sight.
Leon hated keeping a low profile.
It meant being stuck at the hideout for only God knows how long and being bored out of his mind. It also meant being dressed like this. Leon had a navy baseball cap hiding his face, a pair of faded jean shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt that said "I Heart Corneria."
He felt ridiculous.
He bumped shoulders with some frat boys just coming out of a bar. One of them looked at him like was ready to throw a punch but then just turned around and vomited. Leon let out an exasperated sigh.
"Kill me now Lord."
"If you don't stop bitching, I'll do it myself." Came the gruff reply from his partner beside him. Wolf peered at him sternly behind the dark sunglasses he wore. He was dressed in a bit more relaxed fashion than his teammate. A pair of jeans and black dress shirt which the whole top half was drenched in sweat. The sunglasses obviously to hide his one eye.
He wiped some sweat away from his brow. Wolf was finding the weather to be very unusual as of late. The heat was almost unbearable at some times, even this late at night. If the team wasn't underground right now he would fly to Aquas himself.
Wolf looked at his watch. They were late. He signaled to Leon to turn down an upcoming alley. Leon took a whiff of the air and made a face.
"It's bad enough I have to dress in this absurd fashion and now you drag me down a urine soaked alley way? Xanatos better pay good this time O'Donnell."
"Well we wouldn't have to worry about that if you and Panther hadn't gone and fucked everything up." Wolf snapped at him.
"Hey, it was Panther who decided to try to pursue his affections towards the female pilot." Leon rebutted.
"And if I remember, it was you who told the crew that they were under the mercy of 'The Great Leon'." Wolf added. "Now everyone knows we're still alive and worse, under investigation."
"Hmph. I thought you loved a challenge."
Wolf ignored him and continued to walk. The two continued down the alley way for a little while more until they came to a dead end. There was an iron door with two large doberman guards on both sides. As Wolf and Leon approached, Wolf stopped for a moment and turned around.
"What is it?" Leon asked. Wolf scanned the alley way behind him and the roof tops above. He felt like he was being watched. But all he could see was fire escapes and wet laundry hung out to dry against the clear night sky.
"Nothing." Wolf mumbled, shrugging it off and approached the guards.
"You got business with Xanatos?" The one on the left asked gruffly.
"Tell him Wolf is here."
The one on the right opened the door and walked in. A few seconds later he came back out nodding to his partner.
"Give us your weapons."
Leon was about to protest but Wolf silenced him with a look. The lizard reluctantly gave up his blaster as did Wolf. The guard gave them both a final pat down before letting them in. Once inside they met a sharp dressed german shepard. He stood before them in an expensive black suit, his hands clasped behind his back.
"You are late. Xanatos has been waiting for you." He said eyeing them both. Wolf shrugged and said, "Well, we're here aren't we?"
The shepard frowned at the two. "Follow me." He said and walked down a narrow corridor. Wolf and Leon exchanged glances and followed him. They kept a reasonable distance so they could converse.
"No weapons? Are you insane? We've done hundreds of deals before and never have I had to give up my blaster. This is a trap O'Donnell." Leon hissed at him.
"Just shut up. Xanatos isn't smart enough to set me up. He needs that weapons cargo for his gang and I'm the only one who has enough of it. Now relax and let me do the talking." Wolf snapped back at him.
Leon shook his head and asked, "How did Panther get out of such a ludicrous idea?"
"Because he's out whoring himself to the local women or lounging around that fucking café. Either way, he's useless." Wolf answered. The two then found themselves in a large, empty room that looked like it use to be a hotel room. There were dirty sheets laid upon old furniture and the place was completely covered in dust. Guards with guns surrounded the room and in the middle, behind an old wooden desk was an elderly cheetah in his seventies dressed in a white suit. He peered at them both with annoyance, his dull green eyes narrowing into slits and his wrinkled face twisting into a sneer.
Wolf loved to piss him off.
"Nice digs you got here Xanatos." Wolf said sarcastically. The old cheetah laughed then coughed violently.
"Still a smart ass I see." He wheezed. "Your late O'Donnell. Again. Having trouble with the officials? I would hate to think that the great Wolf O'Donnell is losing his touch."
"Cut me some slack. I've been dead for the last few months." Wolf growled remembering that Xanatos loved to piss him off just as much.
"Indeed. By the way Leon, great disguise."
Leon growled in embarrassment and anger as the room filled with chuckles.
Xanatos nodded to the shepard that led Wolf and Leon to him. He approached the desk and set a briefcase on it. The loud click of the briefcase opening echoed through the room. The shepard opened it to reveal a case full of credits. Wolf removed his glasses to look over the case. His one eye roamed over the credits slowly.
The shepard watched him carefully. He found himself staring at the space pirate's eye patch wondering the story behind it.
Wolf closed the case and looked at Xanatos. "Half a million?"
"A decent amount wouldn't you say?" Xanatos said, stroking a ring that occupied his middle finger on his left hand.
"That's chicken scratch on cargo this big. I want a million."
"What!? A million! Listen you son of a bit..." Xanatos's verbal fit was interrupted by a fit of coughing. Wolf stepped back to avoid any unwanted diseases. The feline looked like he was going to drop dead any minute.
After calming himself down, Xanatos glared at Wolf. "I suggest you take my generous offer..." He croaked. The shepard pulled a blaster from behind his back and the sounds of the guards guns being cocked could be heard. Wolf took a glance behind him to see the two guards from outside had joined them, blocking the door.
Leon wanted to grab the case and just leave while they still had their heads but Wolf stood his ground unaffected.
"Alright, kill me then. But if you do, you'll have to spend more months and money to get the amount of ammunition you need from two bit peddlers off the streets."
Xanatos glared at him fiercely. He then signaled for everyone to lower their guns.
"Seven hundred." He said. Wolf spun around and said, "Goodbye."
"Wait damn it! Wait...fine. A million it is."
Wolf smiled. Xanatos signaled to the shepard who started to fill the briefcase with more credits.
"When can I expect delivery?" He asked. Wolf closed the case and pulled out a small piece of paper. He handed it to him explaining, "Cornerian Harbor, section twenty three. The cargo is all there in holding cell one fifty five."
Wolf turned to leave but Xanatos called after him. "You better not be trying to scam me O'Donnell. Because if you do, I will personally torture you in ways that are unimaginable."
"I'm a professional Xanatos. I would never do anything to shake our solid business relationship." Wolf replied with a mocking tone in his voice. He turned back around only to find the guards still blocking the doors. Wolf turned back to Xanatos, giving him an impatient look.
The crime boss sat in his chair as if trying to read the lupine's mind but finally said, "Let them go."
With that the guards moved and Wolf left, briefcase in hand and Leon following him. The two made it outside and back onto the streets. Leon let out a breath of relief.
"Christ O'Donnell, this is the last time I ever accompany you to a deal." The chameleon said. Wolf smirked.
"Duely noted." Is all he said and continued down the street.
Xanatos sat in his chair staring at the address Wolf gave him and stroking his ring.
"Derek." He said.
"Sir?" The shepard asked. "Take some men to get the cargo. And on your way...kill O'Donnell and get my money back."
Derek smiled.
"With pleasure sir." He called some guards together and one of them spoke out.
"Hey Charlie, what's on your pants man?" He asked his fellow guard. They all looked at the cougar's faded black jeans to see three dots that form a triangle slowly making it's way up to his chest. Derek instantly knew what it was and shouted, "Get Down!"
Before Charlie could react, a flashing blue bolt of energy came out of the shadows and blew a giant hole right through the cougars chest. He gurgled once and fell over dead. Derek dove over the desk to protect Xanatos, calling out orders.
"Kill the fucker now!"
The remaining six guards started to empty their rounds into the shadows where the bolt came from. Plaster and glass showered down endlessly as laser upon laser hit the unknown. Soon the sounds of clicking was heard as all the guards guns were empty. No one moved as they waited for the dust to clear. After a few moments, they could see they had blown a huge hole in the wall but nothing else. Not a body or even blood.
"What the fu..." One of them started but was cut off as two large, jagged twin blades burst through his chest spraying blood into the air. He was lifted off his feet as the others reloaded their guns and began to fire again. Their beams hit their fellow guard as he was jerked around like some violent dance.
He fell to the floor and suddenly a large webbing net flew out and pinned one of them to the wall. He screamed as the webbing was made of some sort of blade. The webbing started to retract and cut through him. Another guard started to fire but was yanked off his feet and flew back against the door. He gripped at an unseen object that kept him there. A crackling sound was heard and the object shimmered into view. A spear like weapon was sticking out of his chest. The guard felt himself grow weak and closed his eyes for the last time.
Derek watched the carnage from under the desk, still shielding Xanatos. He could hear the screams and the blood splatter. He looked for a way out but that guard pinned against the door was blocking the only way out. Suddenly the noise stopped.
Derek waited a few minutes and whispered to Xanatos, "Stay down sir."
He slowly stood up, blaster ready. He couldn't see anything but death. Bodies were pinned to the wall, some missing limbs and others with gaping holes in them. Derek wanted to throw up. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw it.
A space of air just lightly shimmering and a bit distorted.
Some sort of high tech camouflage. This guy was good but not good enough. Derek spun around and raised his blaster to fire. Unknown to him, the invisible enemy was prepared. As Derek raised the gun, a hand sized disk with blades surrounding it was cast into the air. It made a high pitched whirling sound and decapitated Derek before he could even squeeze the trigger.
Xanatos watched the body of his best body guard crumple to the floor from under his desk. He fumbled with his coat pocket and pulled out a blaster. The desk was then cast aside like a piece of crumpled paper being thrown away. Xanatos could feel his heart beating faster and faster like it was going to explode. He stared up and the camouflaged figure and fired. Nothing happened.
The gun had jammed.
"What do you want?!" He screamed, throwing his gun at the phantom.
A click and growl came from the figure and a twisted version of Derek's voice rang back at him.
"Kill...fucker...now!"
The two blades popped back out of nowhere and Xanatos screams fell onto deaf ears.
"That fucking old coot!" Wolf yelled as he marched down the alley way, back to Xanatos's little hideout.
"Your insane O'Donnell! We can't take them all on!" Leon shouted trying to catch up with him. Wolf spun around and pointed a finger at him with one hand, the other reaching for his blaster.
"Watch me! That son of a bitch only payed eight hundred! No one, but no one fucks over Wolf O'Donnell when it comes to anything, especially money!"
"But that's more than enough!"
"Not if we want to get all three of our ships repaired and make it to the next system!"
With that he kicked opened the door that they had previously entered. Leon sighed hard and pulled out his own blaster. The two aimed through the corridor to find nothing. Slowly they made their way down to the door that Xanatos lurked behind. Leon made a face and spat.
"What is that ungodly odor?"
Wolf smelt it too. The closer they got to the door the more powerful, it became. Wolf wanted to gag it was so bad. They reached the door and Wolf swung it open. Leon and Wolf pointed their guns in the room expecting to blast away at some goons.
Leon dropped his blaster. Wolf was frozen in place as he looked around.
Blood was everywhere. On the walls, on the floor on the furniture. A few arms and legs lay about. The foul stench of death lingered in the air so heavy, it could almost weigh you down.
"Jesus..." Leon mumbled. Wolf looked to the right and saw a large pool of blood. He looked away disgusted.
His ears perked up at the sound of something dripping. He looked back to the blood seeing it ripple. His eyes slowly traveled upward and his mouth hung open at he saw. Leon followed his gaze and uttered the name of God once more.
Eight bodies hung from their feet from the roof above. Some were missing limbs, and two heads. Their fur and skin torn from their bodies. Muscle and tissue were exposed and the faces frozen in a horrified skeletal expression.
Wolf couldn't believe what he was seeing. He's seen some pretty ugly things from some even uglier people, but this was a nightmare. A slight glare came off of one of the bodies hands. Wolf squinted and saw it.
Xanatos's ring.
Xanatos and his entire crew were hanging up there like skinned rabbits. Wolf did his best to keep his lunch down. Leon felt like he was going to black out. The sounds of sirens suddenly diverted their attention from the massacre.
"Shit..." Wolf cursed under his breath. They needed to get out of there now. He grabbed Leon and dragged him towards the corridor. Leon couldn't take his eyes off the bodies as he felt his body being pulled.
"Snap out of it Leon! We have to haul ass now!" Wolf yelled at him. Leon finally pulled his gaze away and both StarWolf members made a run for it, out into the alley and on the streets opposite of where the sirens were coming from.
On a high roof top somewhere in the city, the camouflaged being returned to his camp. It pressed some buttons on It's wrist guard and the camouflage disappeared. The being sat down next to some odd technology and reached into a bag that hung around It's massive chest.
It pulled out a canine and feline skull. Placing the skulls on a stone ledge, the being stared at it.
The canine had been a worthy prey. Not very challenging but it held some sort of dominance over the other drones of the feline. He made a fine souvenir. But the feline was the alpha male, old but respected by his drones. He was the real trophy.
Then they were the other two.
One was another mammal, the other a reptile. It watched them enter the room from outside but didn't see them when It attacked. The mammal had a battle wound on it's eye. Most defiantly a warrior. And most defiantly worthy prey. The creature leaped onto the ledge in a crouching position, looking at the bright lights of the city.
No matter. He would make a trophy out him soon enough.
A/N: There you go! Chapter 3 coming up!