Memories fade, but are never lost

Search and you will surely find them

They hold secrets

And lessons

"Panther, are you doing alright? You've been distant lately."

"Yes boss, I'm doing fine... just have a lot on my mind."

"Just call me Wolf; we're not fighting some war anymore."

"Sorry b- Wolf. Years of habit, I suppose."

"Hey, is something wrong?"

"Leon and I have been worried about the city; it feels different."

"You sure you're not just delusional?"

"I don't know, I've just got this bad feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"You worry too much."

"Maybe."

"Go get some sleep if you know what's good for you… I'll be there in a few."

"A shame we don't have enough money for a third bed... Leon and his night terrors."

"That's a conversation for later."

"Heh, alright. Good night."

"Night."

"Oh... Wolf?"

"Huh?"

"I'm glad you're here with me. You're my-"

"I know."

Wolf woke in a cold sweat, his tank top drenched and his hands clammy. He shoved the blankets off his body and reached to the other side for someone to hold, but there was nobody to comfort him.

"Panther was right," he whispered, his eye shut tightly to block the tears.

Wolf tried clearing his head of his thoughts, but they just kept repeating themselves in his head. He whimpered softly before he realized what he was doing, and he sighed, shaking his head.

He got up, looking down and sniffing his shirt to test it's usability. Wolf grimaced as heavy sweat and musk invading his nose, and scanned the room for suitable clothes, his eye settling on the small closet the corner. He got up from the bed and walked over to it, opening the door up. He grabbed the first shirt he saw before he turned back to the bed. Wolf shed his disgusting tank top and threw it on the desk before he put the new shirt on. It was a bit too snug, and if his gut wasn't visible before, it certainly was now. Wolf shrugged to himself, sitting back down to slide his combat boots back on his feet. After that, he grabbed his coat and put it on.

He sniffed his armpits as he walked out of the room and grimaced. Deciding there wasn't much he could do about it, he left.

He walked down the hallway with his hands shoved in his pockets while he looked at the floor, mulling over his dream. One distracted moment later, he slammed into someone and fell to the floor with a yelp of surprise. He looked up to see Bill staring down at him with a sheepish grin. Wolf could pick up the scent of sweat on his Cornerian flight jacket from the floor; nobody must have had time to clean up.

"Sorry dude, I didn't see you there!" Bill exclaimed, reaching a hand down. Wolf took it with a ghost of a smile on his face, getting back up.

"Where are you headed?" He asked, his shoulders relaxing as he walked beside Bill to the elevator.

"The bridge. We're almost at Corneria, dude." Bill raised a brow at Wolf, who shrugged.

"I was sleeping." He looked to the side as Panther's words of warning flitted across his mind again.

"You seem to be doing that quite a lot." Bill entered the lift after Wolf, who frowned as he rubbed his head.

"I can't even remember how long it's been since I got on this ship." He scratched his chin, trying to recall just how many times he had slept since Corneria.

"The General hasn't even tried contacting us after what happened." Wolf looked at him with confusion while Bill stared down at the floor, his blue gaze darkening in a shadow.

"There's no reason to keep that a secret; an entire damn capital city fell!" A clank echoed throughout the space when Wolf kicked the wall.

"He has to contact us when we enter Cornerian airspace, dude," Bill stated. Wolf scratched his ears as he narrowed his eye.

It didn't make any sense for Pepper to abandon his people during a crisis situation and then to cut contact with the people most qualified to handle the job. Wolf shook his head, his tail dropping between his legs. He needed to find out what was in the city, even if the very thought of setting foot down there made him freeze up.

Panther's warning shot through his head again and he clenched his teeth.

The door opened and deposited the pair into the bridge, where people were busy shuffling between various consoles and holomaps. Wolf followed Slippy with a curious gaze, watching him flip through holograms of different G-Diffuser systems and models of the Arwing. He would've walked over to take a closer look, but Bill grabbed his wrist and dragged him over towards the front of the bridge before he could do anything.

Wolf scowled as he led him to Fox, but he didn't protest, if only to keep from instigating another fight. Fox was seated in the captain's chair, and he smiled at Bill when they came to a stop in front of him. He then looked down at Wolf's gut with a contemplative expression, which made Wolf squirm in his spot.

"Bill Grey and Wolf O'Donnell reporting for duty, Commander Fox!" Bill exclaimed, saluting Fox. His face was neutral even as Wolf looked at him with a skeptical gaze.

Fox, however, merely laughed. "At ease, soldier," he chuckled, motioning for Bill to relax. He grinned, resting his hands on his hips.

"What do you need us to do, dude?" Bill took his green pilot's helmet off and held it between his arm and side. Wolf found it rather odd that he kept it on so long.

Fox looked at Wolf, regarding him with a indifferent gaze. Well, it was an improvement from hatred, he supposed. "You any good at working with fighters?"

"Yeah, had to keep my Wolfen in good shape with scraps," Wolf replied, allowing himself a smug grin as he crossed his arms.

Fox looked at him, nonplussed. "Oh… well, uh, in that case you can go help Slippy. He's got some work that he needs help with," he stuttered. Wolf only smiled wider.

"I suppose I can handle it." Wolf ambled towards Slippy, who was situated at his desk and typing away at his computer.

Wolf grabbed a chair from a nearby desk and rolled it over to Slippy, who looked up at him with a frown and slightly widened eyes. He sat down, sighing as he peered at the computer screen.

"Fox told me you needed help with something?" Wolf asked, trying his hardest to keep the edge off his voice. Slippy's shoulders relaxed, and he nodded.

"Yeah. I'm making a new model of G-Diffuser, but I can't get the stabilizers to even out with each other properly. By themselves, they work just fine, but they need to sync with each other to prevent the Arwing from being flattened by the reversed pressure." Wolf nodded along, hanging onto every word even if he didn't quite understand a few of them.

"Show me the diagram," he murmured while he rested his arms on the desk.

Slippy pointed up at the hologram above Wolf's head, and it changed into a diagram of a pair of G-Diffusers, but they were unlike anything he had ever seen. The outer shell was much longer than the design he had seen on the Arwings previously, but it was trimmed down to about half of the original size. Wires and circuitry were entangled in a spider web too complex for Wolf to comprehend on a large scale, and he drank everything in with awe.

"How much did you cram into those?" Wolf looked at Slippy with a widened eye.

He shrugged. "Enough to where I had to use microscopic wiring just to make sure the hydrogen coils could be optimized to use most of the space in it," he stated with a lazy grin. "Zero-point energy is more efficient, but I haven't been able to run tests to see how dangerous it could be. Maximizing the coils is my best option." Wolf raised his brow at the term 'zero-point energy.'

"Then there's your problem; you didn't give enough space for magnets to help balance another Diffuser's energy out. If you look right there," he started, pointing to a spot at the end of the coil, "You didn't leave enough room for them to breathe; at least a centimeter would fix it."

Slippy gawked at him for a moment before shaking his head and turning to his computer to make the necessary adjustments. A moment later, the hologram updated with the necessary constraints added.

"You should probably get your robot friend to start making them," Wolf pointed out with a smirk, looking over at the maintenance machine that was carrying a few crates with it on the other side of the bridge.

"Nobody else here can even remotely understand this; That's real intellect you've got!" Slippy sputtered with a smile. Wolf grinned back, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"If you ever need more help, just let me know," Wolf said, getting up from his chair. He was glad someone appreciated him.

Wolf glanced around the bridge to see if there was anything else he could do, but everyone seemed too busy doing their own thing, whether it be checking diagnostics of the Great Fox or reviewing holomaps of Corneria.

He looked out of the bridge window, and he wasn't too excited to see the glittering jewel of Corneria off in the distance, about five hundred thousand kilometers away if he had to make a rough estimate. It looked just a beautiful as ever, but the capital was still invisible to the naked eye among the cloud cover and sunlight glinting off of the planet.

Wolf walked next to the captain's chair while he observed Corneria, stopping a few feet from Fox, who cleared his throat. Wolf looked at him, the corners of his jowls turned in a frown.

"You able to help Slippy?" Fox asked, the ghost of a smile appearing on his face.

Wolf nodded, his ears perked. "Yeah, it wasn't anything terrible. I fixed his issue," he answered, his eye gleaming triumphantly.

"That's a relief," Fox snarked, rolling his eyes. "That guy can build some amazing stuff, but it takes him forever to decide on what problem to solve and what to build."

"I'd imagine; hell, it must be tough listening to that all day." Wolf scratched the back of his head.

"Don't even get me started."

Wolf glanced back at the scene behind him, and he watched Bill looking over a datapad, stylus in his hand. "What's he doing?" He jerked his head in Bill's direction.

Fox turned the chair to see where he was gesturing, and hummed. "He's piecing all of the information we have to see what caused this."

"Should I help?" Fox looked at him with a strange expression as he scratched his chin.

"I guess if you want to."

Wolf mentally shrugged at Fox before walking over to Bill. He peered over his shoulder at the datapad to see news feeds flying across the screen as Bill flicked his stylus over it.

"Find anything?" Wolf asked, light grin gracing his features. Bill jumped as he registered his presence, but he quickly recovered, shaking his head.

"Huge headlines from the other planets about Corneria going dark, but nothing very specific, dude," he said, closing his eyes and angling his head towards the ceiling. He let out a frustrated groan, setting the pad on a nearby console.

Wolf crossed his arms. "Well why try to look for what isn't there?" He raised his hands in a surrendering gesture.

"There has to be something I missed!" Bill threw his hands in the air with a huff.

"When we get to Corneria, we'll be able to fit this together. Don't start worrying about something you don't have the components for." Wolf shook his head in disapproval, and Bill stuck his younger out at him.

"But this is complete bogus, dude!" Bill's ears drooped and Wolf chuckled, rubbing his shoulder.

"Work yourself to death if you want, it's not my problem." He shrugged, patting Bill one last time before walking away while his tail wagged behind him. Wolf heard Bill grumble something from behind him, and he shook his head with a grin.

He took another look out the window, and Corneria seemed quite a bit closer this time, taking up a good third of his view. It was close enough for him to see the blockade of Cornerian battle cruisers, he noted as his claws dug into his palms. Wolf glanced over at Fox who caught his gaze and nodded at him.

"I'll try to make contact," he said while tapping a screen on one of the arms of his chair. An orange holographic display then appeared in front of him and he started touching through it.

The rest of the team started to congregate around them by now with Wolf in the front. He shared an uncomfortable look with Krystal beside him before they looked away from each other.

Wolf shifted on his feet, trying his best to keep to himself, which was honestly rather hard considering how tightly packed they all were. He frowned, tightening and relaxing his shoulders.

In the blink of an eye another screen appeared, tinting the exterior windows and darkening the bridge. Static crackled on the screen for a second before it cleared up where it showed the good General Pepper himself in a pair of gleaming aviators.

"If it isn't Star Fox. Nice to see you again," he greeted before he glared at Wolf, who shivered but didn't look away from Pepper.

"Wish I could say the same, sir," Fox replied with a yawn. Wolf looked at him as he cocked his head; how could he be so nonchalant?

"I see your ranks have changed since we last met." Pepper rested his chin on his hands. Fox's eyes narrowed a nearly imperceptible amount before he regained his composure.

"I wouldn't have had to if you knew what was going on in your city," he shot back, leaning forward in his chair. Wolf's eye widened as the conversation developed further.

"You've got no idea what you're talking about," the General growled, his hands gripping onto the tassels of his uniform.

Fox hummed. "That does remind me… what exactly did happen in the city? Could you enlighten me about all of that, sir?" His ears pinned to his head.

"I'd say the more important question is why do you have Bill and Wolf with you? Bill is just a coward who abandoned his duty, but Wolf? He's a dishonest criminal who murdered dozens of Cornerians when he worked for Venom, and he's got plenty of counts of armed robbery and murder under his belt from after that! Even you should know that he's nothing but filth!" Pepper exclaimed, vicious grin appearing on his muzzle.

Wolf felt breathless as that was laid out in front of everyone. It was all true and everyone knew it, but to hear it said out loud was a different experience entirely for him. His mistakes were completely exposed now.

Fox's resolve was beginning to break, and Wolf could see it in his eyes. "Unlike you, I care about saving someone's life no matter who they are!" He exclaimed, slamming a fist on his chair.

Pepper nodded. "A selfless expression, something your father would've done." He moved his hands to rest behind his back while he grinned and exposed his fangs.

"You have no right to talk about my dad like that!" Fox shouted, rising from his chair. Peppy rushed beside him and rested a firm hand on his shoulder. Fox glanced at him, taking a deep breath.

Peppy cleared his throat. "Why can't you tell us what this is all about? You make it awfully suspicious when you won't tell us anything," he murmured.

Pepper sighed, adjusting his sunglasses. "What you need to understand is this is a need to know basis situation, and frankly, none of you need to know. Nobody gets in or out of this planet, so turn around before things get worse."

"You've got something to do with this, don't you?" Fox pried, his voice raising once more. Wolf glanced between him and the General with a grimace, shrinking away behind Krystal.

"You have two hours to disperse from Corneria." The feed cut out before Fox could make another protest, and the windows became clear once more.

"That son of a bitch!" Fox shouted, his hand slamming on his chair.

Wolf backed off from the crowd, sitting down on a chair near a console. Pepper's words played out in his mind and he shivered, his insults piercing him to his core. He stared down at the ground, faintly hearing Fox raging in the background. Filth, the General called him. A murderer and thief.

The worst part was that Pepper was right about everything he said.

"W- we have to get down there," Wolf stuttered, which made Fox stop shouting and look over at him.

"What did you say?" He asked, his brows scrunched together.

Wolf cleared his throat before shaking his nerves away. "We need to go to the city and figure this out."

Fox's eyes narrowed. "Last I checked you weren't excited about going to Corneria," he remarked.

Wolf crossed his arms. "It's not like we have a choice."

"Then I'm assuming you just volunteered to go down there." Wolf deadpanned at Fox, his arms hanging limp at his sides.

Fox trapped him in a corner, that was for sure… but he asked for it.

He groaned in defeat. "I guess I did," he said, his tail dropping between his legs.

Fox turned to look at the rest of his team. "Anybody else volunteer to go with me and Wolf?" He inquired as he rested his hands on his hips.

After a moment of contemplation, both Krystal and Bill both raised their hands. Fox smiled and his shoulders relaxed slightly.

Bill grinned. "I've been doing nothing but hanging on your ship and leeching for the past few days, so I need to pay my dues, dude," he remarked with a chuckle as he crossed his hands behind his head.

"Okay, so we'll take two Arwings, sneak past the blockade, get to the city, and find out what caused all of this," Fox stated. Wolf looked over at him with his brows raised.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to be rushing into a suicidal and half-assed plan like this?" He asked, his voice rising a bit.

"You heard what the esteemed General said; we've got two hours." Fox bared his teeth, trying his hardest to intimidate someone a good foot taller than him.

"When we die on this mission, I'll have told you so." Wolf glared at Fox, who accepted the challenge with open arms. They both stared each other down for a moment, Wolf prying for any weakness he could find in Fox's eyes.

"Quit it, boys!" Krystal exclaimed, shoving her way between the two and pushing them both back.

"Sorry," Fox muttered as he scratched the top of his head.

Wolf felt his cheeks burn, and he crossed his arms. "Let's get going."

Wolf shouldered his way past a scowling Falco, making a beeline for the elevator. He could hear a few sets of boots clanging on the floor behind him, although he didn't bother to look back. He didn't have a choice except to go along with Fox and his ludicrous plans, but it was the only way to find Panther and Leon.

He was going to find his family.

A/N: This is a long overdue thanks to some people for ripping apart my chapters to make them better before I post them. Special thanks to my friends drbananaface, Reciprocate, Fog, and Raelx for proofreading this story so far for me! Every bit helps, and I'm glad you guys are down for looking it over!