A/N: Okay, some of you were saying I was bouncing a little too much so I'm gonna ease it up a little.

--

1236 19 April 2439 (Venomian Military Calendar), Venom Army Base

"Star… Falco? I thought it was Starfox."

The blue avian grinned smugly, "Not anymore. You're not gonna hear from McCloud anytime soon."

The lupine in front of the team looked down at the ape's body, a large black bag lay next to him. Dash's body was covered in bullet wounds. They had been cleaned and stitched together, but it was still easy to see through several of them.

Falco folded his arms across his chest and raised his sunglasses, "So… Are you going to give us an assignment?"

The lieutenant shook his head quickly, "Yes, I want you to start and go begin to take out any enemy hideouts, take it by sections. A little bit each day would be better."

The falcon chuckled, "I don't mean to offend you. But I like to take things out in one shot. The big bang." He raised his eyebrows.

"Falco," Katt whispered in his ear, "We don't know what we're up against. Maybe it is better if we do take the planet sections at a time."

He pushed her away, "You're not the one making the decisions here." He snapped, "We'll leave immediately."

"Thank you. Do you want us to send some troops with you?"

"Naw, we work alone."

"Very well. Go ahead, report back here when you are done and give us an update of what you accomplished."

Falco nodded then turned around, motioning to his team, "Let's go kick some butt."

Everyone followed back to the Great Fox which was landed on the surface. The main hatch unlocked, lowering the door for the team to enter. The engine howled to life as the old ROB64 started the systems. The huge carrier lifted off the ground and began floating back into orbit. The blue bird ran down to the hanger, the team following close behind as they hopped into the Arwings, while he took his Sky Claw.

ROB released the lift lock and launched the ships off. Falco slammed on the throttle and began scanning the surface of Venom. After several minutes of flying, Zach spoke.

"Hey, I think I see the base."

Falco looked ahead. Sure enough, there were several buildings and fighters sitting in front and below them.

"Alright!" he said, "Fly in low and take 'em out."

In unison, the fighters swooped in low and unleashed fire. The steel plasma easily destroyed the ships and the people in them. Falco unleashed a nova bomb that blew up the rest of the small base. The Arwings sharply turned to the side to avoid the fire and flying rocks.

"Well done," the avian said, "Let's keep going."

As the team carried on, they encountered another small base. Before the falcon could begin shooting, a bomb shot down, striking the hideout dead center. The jets stopped as the dirt flew into the dirt. A flash of silver and blue streaked down and turned sharply back up into the skies of Venom.

"That's one party you've got goin' on there. Sorry to crash it. But no one interferes with my assignments."

Falco's jaw dropped, he narrowed his eyes and stared out the cockpit at the flash that was still flying into the blue. He knew that voice, he knew that ship. He blinked and felt his body run numb.

"Krystal?"

--

0345 hours 20 April, 2439 (Aquas Standard Calendar), Aquas Capital City, Residence of Slippy Toad

"Slippy? Come in, Slippy Toad?"

The frog jerked up in his bed and looked around. He looked at the table next to his bed, the clock read three forty-five.

"What is it honey?" Amanda asked from next to him.

Slippy yawned and picked up his comm. which was next to the clock, "I'm sure it's nothing." He stood up and began walking out of the room, "I'll be right back."

His wife lay back down, "Just don't be too long."

"Of course not."

The toad stepped out into the hall and opened the link. Fox McCloud's face flickered onto the screen.

"Hey, Slip. How'ya doing?"

"Fox? You realize it's four o'clock in the morning over here don't you?"

"Oh right. I'm sorry, It's almost four in the afternoon over here."

"So, this is a first. What do you want?"

"Peppy's sending me to Venom, wanna come?"

Slippy scratched his chin, "I- I don't know Fox, Amanda recently got pregnant. And besides, what use would I be? I can't fly and with Star Falco, you don't have the Great Fox and you'll have plenty of military mechanics."

"That's true, but you're the only one I trust to operate on my Arwing."

The frog sighed, "Can I talk to you tomorrow? I'm really not in the mood right now."

"Fine, but I need you to make you to make decision and fast. Peppy's growing impatient."

"Right."

The screen went black and Slippy slouched against the wall. Months after the Angler rebellion and Fox was choosing now to invite him on a mission. He set his head against the wall and closed his eyes, thinking in the quiet darkness of the hall.

"Slippy, you must be freezing out there, come on. I'm not gonna fall asleep until you come back in here and tell me what's going on."

The frog stood and paced back into the room. Amanda was propped up on one elbow and looking at him, her eyes expectant.

"Sorry," he apologized as he pulled the sheet over them, "Fox… Fox wants me to go to Corneria and accompany him on a mission to Venom."

"Are you going to go?"

"I'm not sure yet, maybe, if I do, what'll you do about the kid?"

The pink frog laughed softly and pecked Slippy on the cheek, "I know you'll come back alive, go. I'll be fine."

"You must have a firm belief that I'm gonna come back. Okay, I'll tell him tomorrow."

Amanda rested her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, "Get some rest, you're gonna need it."

--

1854 Hours 22 April 2439, (Cornerian Military Calendar), Cornerian Air Force Base

The vulpine shielded his eyes as the giant carrier touched the ground. He knew who was on the ship, but he was still anticipating it greatly. Fox had been to Venom before. He had only been eighteen at the time, but even though he was returning for the second time now, he felt the same way.

The door opened and different people began trickling out. Fox scanned the crowd and picked out a green frog. He waved his paw and called, "Slippy!"

The toad looked up and saw Fox, he smiled and quickened his pace until he was standing in front of the vulpine.

"Hey Fox," Slippy said.

He clapped the frog on the back and began walking in the other direction, "So… How've things's been."

"Fine, I haven't heard anything about what happened on Venom though. Is Dash really dead?"

Fox nodded, "We're just gonna go meet up with Falco and his team to help them out."

Slippy chuckled, "I don't think he's gonna be too happy about that."

"Falco can think whatever he wants. We're gonna show up and he's not gonna be able to do anything about it."

Slippy turned to him, "Are you sure about this?"

"About what?"

"This whole going to Venom. Don't'cha think that it may be a bad idea."

"Why?"

"It seems like Falco's got the whole thing taken care of. So… what's the point?"

"Falco? Pshaw, I wouldn't worry about him too much. Besides, I might be able to bring the team back together."

The toad pulled away from Fox, "So that's what this is all about, huh? Bringing the team back together so you can take all the glory again?"

The vulpine backed up a little, "No, of course not. Don't you miss it though, being on the Great Fox together? During missions, how Falco would be all bitter and Krystal would give him crap? Don't you want it back?"

Slippy seemed to think for a second, "As a matter of fact. No."

Fox narrowed his eyes, "What?"

"No. I'm not doing this, Fox. You're just being selfish. You know it too. Admit it, you don't care for us. Not even Krystal."

Fox took a step forward, "Slippy-"

The toad shook his head, "I'm sorry Fox, but I can't do this." He spun around and walked back into the ship. Fox stared after him, his jaw dropped and he fumbled around his face to close it. Had Slippy just stood up for himself? The vulpine banged on his head a few times, hoping he would wake up in his bed at home. With no luck, the fox could just watch as the ship lifted off the ground and took off into the clear blue sky.

"Fox?"

He spun around and saw General Peppy walking towards him, "Oh, hey."

"Where's Slippy?"

The vulpine looked towards the sky, the ship was gone and not coming back, just like everything else, "He… Left."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Are you sure he's not gonna come back?"

"Pretty darn."

"All right, well, we're getting ready to take off, you should go."

"Fine."

Fox began walking towards the other carrier that was waiting. He walked aboard and looked at the radars. He felt himself half-expecting a small ship to appear.

"What's wrong with me?" he whispered to himself.

--

"But dad, why can't I come with you?"

James sat down next to his son, "I'm sorry son, but I've got no choice. Besides, Peppy will be here with you while I'm gone."

The small vulpine pouted, "But there's nothing to do here without you. And besides," Fox looked around to see if there was anyone else in the room, "Peppy's boring."

James looked down, smiling, "Don't say that. Peppy deserves a lot of respect. He's been through a lot more than Pigma and I have experienced together."

"But-"

"No, Fox. How 'bout this? When I get back, I'll take you for a ride in my Arwing."

The little vulpines eyes brightened, "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Okay," Fox hopped off the bed, "I'll see you soon."

James picked his son up so he was heaved over his father's shoulder.

"Hey! Put me down!"

The larger fox put him down, "Okay, behave yourself and I'll be back before you know it."

Fox hugged his dad's leg, "I'll miss you dad."

"I'll miss you too, son. I love you."

"I love you too."

--

Fox was jerked back to the real world to hear the drone of the engines.

"Captain, are you okay?"

The vulpine looked down and saw the pilot sitting in the seat next to him, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just get this thing off the ground."

"Yes sir."

--

0845 Hours 23 April 2439 (Kew Military Calendar) Skies above Venom

The blue vixen jerked awake to find herself still inside the cockpit of the Cloudrunner fighter. She looked around, she was still in orbit above Venom. Kursed stretched, sighing as the bones were restored to their rightful places and looked around. Recalling what had happened the day before. She had known that the pilot she had directed he comments to was none other than Falco Lombardi. He had known it was her was well. Had Fox brought the team back together and left her out. But she hadn't sensed McCloud or Slippy either, the other thought patterns were unfamiliar to her.

The blue fox made sure that her Mark II Plasma Beam Sniper rifle and blaster were under the seat before she took the ship out of stealth and began her flight towards the surface of Venom. Kursed landed in an open dirt field and scanned the premises and confirming to herself that she was alone and climbing out, holding the blaster in one paw, the other held a knife.

The small vixen tucked the blade into her boot and holstered the blaster as she quickened her pace to a jog. She moved silently across the land, she could sense an enemy patrol up ahead, but she only ran faster, eager for some fighting, she wanted blood. Now.

As she got closer, Kursed pulled out her blaster and unleashed a savage battle cry. The patrolling men spun around but the blue vixen had already leaped into the small crowd and fired once, killing one of the three men. She pulled the knife out and jabbed out, stabbing one in the ribs, growling in satisfaction as she felt the bone splinter beneath the force she carried. The man dropped and Kursed swung out again, cutting the last though the stomach. The fox returned the weapons to their places and continued back to her ship, leaving the remnants of the patrol moaning and dying behind her.

Kursed climbed back into her fighter and leaned back, tapping the armrests of the seat with her sharp claws. She was a Cerinian warrior, she was trained to be fast, and she had been. Her speed never failed her in battles. Never.

The blue fox started the engines and took off again, each of her six senses alert for any signs of her enemy. She slammed the throttle and eventually his super-sonic.

Kursed wasn't paying attention any more. She was tired of taking out the small bases, she wanted to find the main one, if there was any, and soon. She was about to slow down when a neon green laser struck the wing of her Cloudrunner and knocked her spinning and tumbling towards the ground. Scrambling around in a panic, she grabbed her sniper and made sure she had her blaster and knife before ejecting out of the cab of the fighter. The seat shot out and Kursed clutched her rifle close to her chest as the Cloudrunner broke into a series of explosions underneath her. The small fox waited, but she had no altimeter. She waited several more seconds and pulled the ripcord, she didn't want to deploy to high, then her parachute would be shot at and then she would die. The strings and fabric rolled out of the pack and immediately unfurled. The parachute slowed her fall for a few short seconds before landing on the ground.

Kursed swiftly unbuckled herself from the seat and began to run. Before she got far, something sharp dug into her shoulder, not a bullet, because it stayed in her hide rather than exit out the front. She stopped and sunk to her knees, but the devastating blow top her head sent her spinning in a 180 degree roll as she landed on her stomach.

A voice spoke in her ear, laughing quietly and menacingly, "Wheh-eh-hell, what have we here?"

--

Several Hours Later: Venom

"Sir?"

The wolverine looked up from the papers he was reading though, "Yes?" his voice was deep and scratchy, his vocal chords had been damaged in battle, leaving his voice permanently hoarse.

The wolf began walking to the desk. The room was dark except for the dim light supplied by the small lamp. He suppressed a shiver and began to speak.

"At nine-hundred hours this morning. We encountered an unfamiliar fighter. We took it out, and the pilot, she is unconscious, yet alive and is in the holding chambers for now, until she wakes up, and then we will interrogate her." The lupine saluted.

The man behind the desk nodded, "Do we know where the pilot is from?"

"Negative sir, there were no markings on her ship, neither on her clothing."

"Was she armed?"

"Yes sir," the wolf placed several weapons on the desk, "A standard blaster, a knife, and a Mark II Plasma Beam Sniper Rifle."

The wolverine took the knife up and handled it between his fingers, it was long and sharp, eerie looking in the dim light. He set it down silently and did the same with the two guns.

"Good enough, I suppose, see if you can figure out where she's from and what her business is here when she wakes up."

"Yes sir."

The wolverine stood up and waited for the wolf to leave the room the followed, turning in the opposite direction down the halls. Soldiers scooted out of his way more out of fear than respect. He was a dangerous man. He turned and faced a long row of cells. He began walking down them, looking into each. A tabby feline. A small green lizard. A blue falcon.

Then he found his target. A small blue vixen laying in the center of her cell. She was lying on her stomach, there was a bandage on her shoulder where the wolverine assumed the dart had truck her. The fox's head was turned to the side and her mouth was slightly open. His eyes trailed over her curvaceous body and elegant blue fur.

Blue. He never expected that color fur on any animal. This one was special. The wolverine began forming a new plan, if this blue vixen was different in any sort of way, he could use her to his advantage. The wolverine turned away and began back down the hall.

It was Venom's time to rise.

--

Yeah, I know it's not the best ending to a chapter, but I actually got it posted on time. AND THIS WAS NOT RUSHED!! It may seem like it because I wrote from the flashback to the end in a few hours. Thanks for the reviews, please keep them coming.

I actually posted this chapter on time too. Yay! I promised WhiteWolves I would have it up today and I do.