Disclaimer: Starfox is copyright to Nintendo… not me… only Nicolae, and his brother Xavier belong to me, as well as other added characters.

A/N: I have a concept drawing of the Super Wyvern, (drawn by moi 3) here: Two: Wolfen

Fox walked down the tarmac, an almost disappointed look on his face, 'I almost lost that kid…' he thought.

Krystal walked from her Arwing, and met him as he walked toward the number 7 fighter. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"He almost got himself killed." They walked up to the fighter.

The wings were forward swept variable geometry wings that connected to two large delta wings, and two canards protruded out of the fuselage just in front of the solid cockpit. The cockpit canopy was two solid aluminum armor plates that had cameras positioned all about it, just below the cockpit there were Vulcan cannon ports on both sides of the fuselage. At the rear were two, thrust vectoring G-diffuser systems, connected directly to them were the elevator flaps, on the bottom there were two concussion missile bays in front of each of the side landing gear bays, a Cold Fusion bomb bay below where the cockpit is on the underside, and twin plasma cannons. Near the nose of the fighter was a plasma charge launcher, and vernier booster ports were scattered about the fuselage and engine cases.

As fox walked around the fighter he notices some blood on the ground, and he peered around, knowing where it came from.

A white furred vulpine, in a green flight suit, leaned on his fighter, his nose bled and he was sore all over. "Hello Fox" He said in a low tone, as he wiped the blood from his face. "Something bothering you sir?" he looked up toward McCloud, whose face twisted with anger.

"Kid, what did I tell you about flying like that?" He spoke sternly

"You specifically told me not to." He glared at fox as he walked closer "Sir I had it under…"

"The hell you did Ensign! I saw your fighter freeze while you succumbed to G-LOC, The blood on your face is proof that you blacked out!" Fox was yelling in his face like a drill instructor. "Dammit Kid I'm serious, you keep flying like that, and you'll die very soon!"

"Instructor McCloud, he's trying his best to be at the top of his class." Said a young feline trainee, Ensign Kamille 'Koneko' Fera almost inaudible. "Why don't you see that he's trying to impress you? Tony isn't trying to make you angry."

"Seriously man, I'd kill to have his reflexes." Said Ensign, Lyle 'Boomer' Maynard, another one of Fox's nuggets, "I can't even maneuver my fighter like Anthony can."

Fox fell silent, and turned toward the growing group of trainees. He noticed that they looked sullen.

"Fox, you really shouldn't be jealous" Said Krystal, she looked into Fox's eyes "Xavier is the shining star of this small group of pilots, everyone looks up to him." She and fox watched as his nuggets asked Xavier numerous questions, how he flies like he does, whether he's okay, and such.

Fox let out a heavy sigh, "I know, but he takes too many risks…" he looked at his watch. "Well that next sortie is in a few minutes, General pepper wants me to wrap this up, so I've called in Falco to help me with this, speaking of which, he should have been here by now." He looked at Xavier, who was smiling and conversing with his companions "I hope that kid can take the stress of a live fire exercise"

"You're in charge of the crucible this time?" Asked Krystal

"No, I'm going up to watch my nuggets. Falco is the instructor this time." He put his hand on her shoulder "Come with me, so if one of the trainees has trouble, you can guide him back down."

"Okay Fox" She walked toward her Arwing. "I'll see you in the air."

"Alright" he said, he then turned toward his trainees "Yo, Nuggets!"

An Arwing came into view, on a course to sonic boom the base. "Heh heh… sorry I'm late" Falco said to himself.

Fox continued, "I don't have time to brief you in the main room but your fighters are going to be loaded with live ammunition for this next part of the trai..." Fox suddenly ducked as Falco flew past. No one heard him as he was coming, but the silence became a deafening roar as he passed and banked left. "Goddamn it!"

"Hey Fox, so what did you think about that?" Falco's arrogant voice came through McCloud's communicator. "Did I scare you?"

"Falco! It's about time you got here." He put the communicator back.

"Well I'm glad to see you too…" He said sarcastically

McCloud ignored that remark "Well, as soon as you're loaded get ready to get back in the air, this is your final test." Fox cleared his ears "Let's move!"

The tarmac suddenly crowded as workers moved in, carrying ammunition, coolant, and fuel rods. The pilots scrambled to their fighters, and strapped back in, some eager for another sortie. As each Super Wyvern was loaded, they began to taxi to the runway, their fully laden fighters too heavy for vertical take-off

All of the fighters lifted off one after the other until one was left, Xavier's. "Hey Kid, you gonna be alright?" asked one of the flight crew, "Yeah I'll be fine." He answered, "Okay then good luck Kid!"

He taxied to the runway and positioned the craft on the center line. As he waited for clearance to take off, he checked to see if his control surfaces were working correctly, like he always does. "Alright I'm good" he said to the tower. He opened his canopy, and rendered a salute to the ground control officer. The officer returned the salute, he closed the canopy. "Alright Kid, you're cleared for take-off." His radio spouted.

As soon as he heard that message, he pushed the throttle to maximum. Dust was blown into the air behind the sleek aircraft; and then he let off the gearbrake. The warplane catapulted forward, picking up speed. Xavier watched the airspeed indicator, "160… 190… 250!" He then pulled on the stick, making the plane suddenly pitch up sharply, and lift off the ground.

---Meanwhile over the Orion Ocean---

"Alright "Kilo"… so we're still missing one trainee?" Falco asked the other instructor in charge of Bravo squad, Captain Aaron 'Kilo' Owens.

"Yes sir, which is number seven, Ensign…" He thought a moment "Oh, yeah… Ensign Xavier Anthony, Callsign 'Kid'" the Captain then spoke in a lower tone, almost disappointed, "That's strange, he never misses a sortie."

Fox, who was observing Bravo squad, said "Yeah, I know…"

The comm channel from number twelve beeped in, on Kilo's radio "Yes Koneko?"

"Sir" the voice of the young feline came through the comms, "I've picked up Tony's, I mean Kid's IFF signal, he's coming in from bearing 020, distance 5 kilometers and closing."

"Understood," Kilo acknowledged, then spoke to Falco "Falco, Kid is in your hands when he gets here."

"Yes Captain."

"Don't be too rough on him." Krystal told Falco.

"Alright Krystal" Falco then thought for a second; then he had an idea, "I'm going to test him… Ensign Fera, what's his position in my squad?" said Falco.

"Sir, he's on the starboard side of the squadron, next to 'Boomer'" she answered.

"Well his position just changed, I want to keep an eye on him. Hey Boomer." Falco said into the radio.

"Yeah?" Boomer replied, he was always talking to people as if they were at his level. "Do you need anything?"

"Yes, Take the trail position behind me. I want a symmetrical formation, and Fera, ahem Koneko" he said.

"Yes sir"

"Take position on my starboard flank." Falco ordered.

"Yes sir." She backed off the throttle, and lagged behind. As soon as she was clear she banked right, then banked back left as she got behind her new position then accelerated to take her place in the formation, "In position." She reported.

"Good" Falco then sent a transmission to Kid, who was now, less than 500 meters away. "Are you this, Kid that I've been hearing about?"

"Yes sir" He took his usual position.

"I'm your instructor for the exercise, Falco Lombardi. Now my first order to you is to take your position in the formation."

"I'm already there sir." He answered

"Your new position, on my port flank," Falco said to him, "Hurry up."

"Yes sir…" Kid immediately banked right but still matched the speed of the formation.

"Where the hell are you going? I said on my Port side!" Falco yelled, but Kid didn't answer.

Fox watched Kid closely, What are you planning to do now? He thought.

Kid leveled off, and then suddenly banked left, but only a little. Kid drifted toward the formation.

"Kid, Port side, NOW!" Falco was beginning to fume.

"Heh… be patient" Kid said to him.

"What are you doing Tony" Koneko was getting worried.

"Don't move." Kid said. It looked like the two were going to crash but he suddenly flipped upside down, and yawed over Koneko, and Falco.

"Damn… that's sweet" Boomer said in disbelief as he watched Kid literally fly within feet of the two fighters.

When he reached his position he rolled and leveled off "I'm in position instructor."

That had to be luck thought Falco; I've never seen or done that before.

"You ok Koneko?" Kid asked her.

"Yes… I'm okay" she shuddered, "Where'd you learn that?" she asked.

"Movies." He answered jokingly.

"Tch, Kid, you scared the hell out of me, don't do it again." Falco said "But I'll admit it; that was damn impressive!"

"Hey guys, I'd hate to break it to you but how long until the crucible?" Boomer asked, rather uneasily.

"A few minutes, Why?" said Falco.

"Cuz, I'm seeing two bogeys on radar, closing fast."

The two fighters, F/A-WOLFEN3s, were closing distance.

"I see them too, Kilo, you catching this?" Falco asked.

"Yeah, I see 'em too."

"Tally-ho on the bogeys, I have a visual" Said Krystal "That's in interesting fighter, X shaped wings."

"McCloud…" A voice boomed through the comm channels.

"O'Donnell, where in seven hells have you been?" Fox asked Wolf.

"That doesn't matter; prepare to defend yourself." Wolf then changed frequencies after the ultimatum, "Panther, Go after the Squad with two Arwings, the lone one is Fox."

"Yes sir." He sped ahead.

"Everyone, break formation, they're hostile!" Fox said

"Shit! Scatter, and head into the clouds!" Kilo ordered both squads, "Do it NOW!"

The two formations broke up.

"You won't get away…" Panther locked onto Boomer's fighter.

"Damn, radar spike." Boomer hit the accelerator, and tried to scram for the clouds. He suddenly felt the aircraft lurch violently. "Am I hit!?" he then was seeing red plasma bolts and tracers fly past him. "Damn it!"

Panther got a solid lock onto Boomer "Wolfen two, Fox 3" A radar guided concussion missile flew from a pod, careening toward his wounded fighter.

"Boomer, Missile! Break!" Krystal shouted.

"What!?" Kid looked at boomer's wounded fighter, the missile closed fast.

"C'mon" Boomer tried to bank left, but came to the grim realization that his starboard canard was damaged, "Damn, gotta pull up!"

"Sorry, but I can't let you do that." Panther fired his vulcans and plasma cannons ahead of Boomer, cutting him off.

"Shit." The missile struck Boomer's fighter in the port side engine, sending the fighter into a tight roll. "Damn, ejecting" He blew the canopy, and the seat shot out like a cannon, The fighter plummeted to the sea below. Shortly after Boomer had engaged his chute.

"One down," Panther reported "but he'll live, what do I do, Wolf?"

Wolf, who was engaged with Kilo at the time said "Destroy his parachute, I want Fox to hear him scream."

"Understood" Panther circled around and aimed his Plasma cannons at Boomer's chute.

"Damn" Fox turned to intercept, only to be nearly perforated by Wolf's vulcans.

" Take a seat Fox!"

"God…" Fox couldn't avert his glare from Panther's fighter.

Panther fired a burst into the parachute, searing it, and causing it to collapse. "Aw fuck me!" He yelled as he plummeted to the ocean.

"Boomer!" Koneko also watched the small dot that was Boomer, fall helplessly to the ocean, and his death. At the height which his fall started, the sea would be like concrete.

Boomers scream filled the com channels, as well as chatter between the other seven trainees, one pleaded "Somebody help him!" while others sweared, and said it was hopeless.

Then, after what seemed like an eternity, Boomer fell silent. He hit the water so hard that it instantly pulverized his body, but as if his death wasn't bad enough; Panther strafed across where he fell with 20mm fire. Even if Boomer survived the fall he would have been killed by the barrage, which tore his already broken body to shreds.

"That bastard!" Another trainee, 'Lancer', moved in to engage Panther "I'll kill you!"

"Heh, come, come to your demise…" Panther mocked him.

"One gone, Eleven to go." Wolf mused.

I'll end the chapter here, this one was quite long.

I hope I did well on this one.