Brand New World
Chapter 4
Above the surface of the planet, three pinpoints glided towards the cloudy atmosphere. The craft angled their trajectory to glide through reentry, their outer hulls glowing red as the pilots within guided their craft, running through the motions as the experience accumulated over years of practice and combat experience went to work. Piercing the atmosphere, one of the pilots led the others down to the surface, wooded land racing underneath him as he set his sights on the small point in front of him. His headset crackled as voices spoke. "So what do you think Fox is doing down there?"
"Probably has something to do with what happened the other day with the Venomian attack."
"Just doesn't seem right, Venom attacking this far out."
"They're probably getting more desperate. Without a strong leader to guide them, they're taking any chance they can get to attack us."
"Well so much for Cornerian Military protection. If they're relying on us, they must be stretched further than General Pepper let on."
"Alright you two, the base is coming up." the pilot replied to the voices on his intercom. "Let's give the science geeks our codes before they get a little jumpy."
"This is simply amazing!" Professor Amirs burst through the door excitedly, his eyes wide. "You will not believe the breakthrough I made with him!"
"Believe me, we're dying to hear it," McCloud replied, leaning against a table. Doctor Aeries held his PAD, as Amirs had requested.
"Well, I gathered that his name is Jason, he comes from a world called Earth, and he's a 'human' as he calls himself, is currently a student at a college, and served in his nation's military."
"Is that all you got?" McCloud asked.
"Well, what he gave us was pretty extensive, based on what he knew, but I feel we could know more if we used the Rift Window again."
"Rift Window?"
"It's what he named the device that opened the door between our world and his."
"If I can just gaze into his world, we can learn so much more,"
"Or spill his world into ours, or vice versa," Doctor Aeries replied.
"Not if I turned the power down. Last time, I had it up to full. But this time, it will only be at only one fourth the strength. It should be sufficient to just look through." Amirs set out for the door with Aeries behind while Fox lingered, glancing back at the young man behind the one-way glass. It didn't feel right, keeping him locked up like this.
"Would it be alright if I hung back for a bit? I'm expecting a report from my team soon." Aeries looked over his shoulder as Amirs walked past the door.
"It will be alright. Just remember to lock up when you're done." He had a knowing tone as he said this, and followed after Amirs.
So far, the so-called "Greatest Adventure" Malachi had promised has been a bust, Jason thought. He was sitting with his back against the wall, looking up at the fluorescent light in the ceiling when he heard the door next to the glass opened and prepared himself for another bombardment of questions. He saw the vulpine he saved earlier walked in, dressed in a different outfit of a flight jacket, pants, metal boots and a red scarf. A white stripe ran between his pointed ears and his emerald eyes looked sharp and soft all at once. Jason repositioned himself so he sat up straighter as the vulpine walked to him. After a moment of silence, the vulpine looking like he did not know what to do, he cleared his throat and spoke in, what Jason thought, was an authoritative tone: "Hello."
"Hi," he answered back. The vulpine still looked unsure, maybe even somewhat uncomfortable.
"Not quite sure what to say here,"
"Didn't they give you a list of questions to ask me?" Jason asked.
"No, actually. I'm sort of here on my own. I'm not gonna hit you with a thousand questions all at once."
"Oh, thank Christ." Jason breathed in relief. The vulpine pulled up a chair to sit in front of the human.
"My name is Fox, by the way. Fox McCloud. I'm what you might call a leader of a team, and you also saved my hide back there."
"That, well, I was just reacting to the situation."
"Even so,"
"Don't mention it. Now can you do me a favor?"
"Sure." Jason leaned in close.
"Get me the hell out of here."
"This is where the fun happens!" Amirs made a sweeping motion of the large room around him. Engineers, technicians, assistants and other personnel went to and fro about the large room around the large contraption in the center; a catwalk surrounded what seemed to be an empty space, while from the top and bottom protruded what looked like electrodes, conical-shapes with a round end. Aeries looked about, seeing the device for the first time while the lemur seemed to bask in pride of the technological achievement he had achieved. "When we first activated it, we were just hoping to glance on the other side of the dimensional wall. But we had proved that it is more than just that. It is now a Rift Door."
"And now you hope to just open that door a crack, is that it?" Aeries asked.
"Precisely," Amirs replied. The Avian looked back at the contraption, taking in the size of the thing. It must have taken years to build something this large-scale. "Let's see what we can see. Activate the Window!" At the command, technicians at their stations typed in commands and codes onto consoles around the Window. People cleared out of the way as a low hum was heard, then increased to loud whir as the protrusions both above and below began to work; first they slowly spun, then sped up till they were just a blur as light and energy formed between the two blurs. A sphere of white grew until it filled the space between the blurs. The brightness dimmed and the sphere appeared to be in a state between solid and liquid, seeming to be solid while not fully whole or formed. As the creation of matter and energy formed, it changed shape, turning from spherical to oval, and became brighter once more. Then, it seemed to collapse on itself while an outline of its original shape remained and a swirl of light remaining where the matter was.
The air seemed different here, not as sterile. Jason breathed in, finally free of the prison he was in. "Feeling better?" Fox asked.
"Lots, thanks." Jason replied. He heard the hum as his ears twitched, as did Fox's. "What's that sound?"
"I think it's the same thing that brought you here."
"Where is it?" Fox pointed at the door and followed after the human.
"Window holding and stable," came a techie's report when the swirl retained its shape after its conception. Amirs looked at it with a mix of glee and awe, while Aeries looked at it with curiosity.
"Now, let's take a peek at…"
"Sir, we have an anomaly forming. It looks like the rift is growing!"
"I ordered you to keep the rift at only quarter strength!" Amirs replied, looking back at the techie. However, he turned back to face the lemur.
"It's getting stronger on its own. We can't account for it."
"What's going on?" Aeries asked.
"I don't know," Amirs replied.
"Sir, we are showing mass forming in the rift!"
"Something else is coming through?" Aeries asked.
"Maybe it's another human. Let it through!" Amirs replied, turning back to face the rift. "Two inter-dimensional beings in one day. What are the odds?" the lemur asked enthusiastically. Aeries did not share in his enthusiasm.
Another place, between spaces, Malachi looked up, a wicked smile forming. "He's coming,"
The door opened, and Jason saw the Rift Window with Aeries and Amirs in front of it. He saw the swirl of energy begin to turn faster and faster, grow brighter and brighter. He felt himself being pulled as if by a vacuum, while others were being sucked towards it as well, the very air swirling and turning as the sounds of a hurricane deafened almost everything. "What's going on?!" Aeries yelled, holding on as the air swirled around him, struggling to hold onto the railing. Amirs did the same, even his prehensile tail roped around the rail.
"It's whatever's coming out! Because whatever it is, is so much larger than a human, the rift is taking in everything it can to produce the necessary energy to expel it, both in our world and in the next! And that includes air, people, any matter it can suck in!"
"Shut it down, now!" Aeries ordered.
"We can't! If we do, we risk a meltdown which could take the entire planet with it!" Jason grabbed onto the nearest, most secure thing he could find, while Fox did the same. All the while, He saw the rift getting bigger and brighter. Finally, a booming sound was heard and bright red and blue light erupted from the rift and upwards through the ceiling. The force of the expulsion was enough to force everyone against the wall. Jason, despite the force pushing him back, still looked up at the brilliance before him, and was in awe. He thought he could see an outline of a figure in the light, but in a moment it was gone, and the light surged through the ceiling of the lab.
Malachi smiled as he saw through his inner eye the being he had summoned had finally taken the stage. Now, the play he had written will unfold, and his plans will bear fruit.
Papers and debris floated around while the modules sparked and fizzled, then pieces fell off while the ones on the bottom fell apart onto the floor, the ones on the ceiling barely hanging on by their wires. Amirs got to his feet while Aeries helped the assistants' to theirs. As the lemur dusted himself off, he looked and was shocked to see Jason helping Fox to his feet. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded loudly, pointing an accusing finger at the human while walking towards him brusquely. Jason turned to face the lemur, his expression turning hard.
"I was tired of being in the cramped room of yours. I wanted some fresh air."
"Do you have any idea what could happen? What nearly happened? Who let you out?!"
"I did." Fox replied. "It wasn't right to keep him locked up like a prisoner. He's a guest!"
"And on whose authority, captain, did you let him out?"
"Mine, Professor." Aeries replied, walking towards them. Amirs turned to face the Avian. "Do you realize what could have happened, Aeries? We could have lost the greatest scientific find of the age! He must be put back in the safe room at once! Who knows what kind of contaminants he's been subjected too!"
"We ran the tests, and they show he is in no danger from our germs, nor are his germs dangerous to us!"
"We can't know that for sure!" Amirs argued.
"I am no one's prisoner, and I will not be treated as one!" Jason replied sternly. Amirs turned to face him.
"Listen to me. The outside world here is dangerous. Unless we run full tests on you, i…" Amirs found it hard to breathe, and found himself lifted up into the air. Jason kept a steady hold on the Lemur as he picked him up as easily as though he were a child.
"Either I stay out of there, or you will join me in there." Jason replied in a low tone. His hand tightened ever so slightly on his neck while Amirs struggled against his hold. Aeries motioned for security to come closer while Fox reached for his sidearm, but a second later he released the lemur onto the floor. Amirs hacked and coughed on the catwalk, holding his neck. "I will not be subjected to any more tests, I will not be poked and prodded for the rest of my life, and I will sure as hell not listen to you!" Amirs looked up at the angry human. "Understand?" He didn't wait for a reply. Jason turned on his heel and exited out the door while Aeries helped Amirs to his feet. Fox followed after Jason, catching up to him.
"Hey, hold it!" The human slowed, and stopped. He turned to face the Vulpine as Fox looked him in the eye.
"I don't know where you come from, and I don't care right now. Any other time I would have pulled my gun on you. I understand and appreciate your situation, or you might call it a predicament. Either way, you try to pull that again, I will fire."
"Thanks for the warning. I had to get my point across."
"I know." Jason was the first to look away and head back.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to the lab, I guess. Where else can I go?"
"I can try to get you better rooms. I'm sure Aeries can arrange it." He stopped and looked back.
"You sure about that?"
"Right now, I think Amirs is the one in charge of this facility." Fox replied with a slight smile.
"Geez, what do you think that was about?" a short, round figure asked.
"Probably a leak somewhere or maybe a breach."
"Will you both cool it?" the leader replied. The leader, a blue-feathered Avian with a sharp yellow beak, wearing a flight jacket, pants, metal boots and a blue scarf, adjusted the shades on his head. On either side were a Hare and an Amphibian. The Hare was older, his ears, which were normally straight, started to droop somewhat and he had a slight mustache growing. He wore a jacket that almost touched the floor, wearing an orange shirt with a matching scarf. The Amphibian was the shortest of the trio; his jacket barely covered his round body. His small green hands poked out of the sleeves while a red cap sat precariously between his two large eyes. "Fox told us to meet him in the control center, that is the extent of my knowledge and I am happy with it."
"Well I'm not. You know those sirens reminded me when we first had to tangle with the Venomians some odd twenty years ago. It was just after…"
"Look, Peppy, you can reminisce after we get to the control center."
"Now don't start with me, Falco. I may be older, but that makes me at least twice as wise as you are."
"Yeah, well, you're half right." Falco replied. The Amphibian, Slippy, rolled his bulbous eyes as they exited the hangar and went down the corridor, personnel moving out of their way as they went further down and reached another door. They entered and found the Vulpine waiting for them. The control center was a round room with multiple people working at different consoles, while all around were windows of the outside. Fox was looking out when he heard the door open and turned to face his friends.
"You guys get here ok?" he asked, wearing a friendly smile.
"Well everything went ok, till we got here and heard the big siren go off. What was that about?" Falco asked.
"Nothing, just an experiment that almost went out of control, and would have sucked the planet into another dimension."
"Oh, so nothing serious." Falco replied.
"Not as such, no."
"How much longer will we have to stay here and babysit these guys?" Slippy piped.
"Actually, the experiment is done."
"So what's the verdict?" Peppy asked. "Are we able to look into other worlds as these guys claim, or what?"
"Well, not exactly. Something…happened."
"Yeah? What?" Falco asked.
"Follow me." Fox headed to a different door, and the rest of his team followed. "While the gateway did open, it wasn't exactly a window, it was a doorway."
"A doorway to where?" Slippy asked.
"Apparently another world. Someone came through it, and that's what the ruckus was about." Falco paused for a moment before walking forward.
"Wait, wait. You're saying something came through from some other dimension?"
"Someone. I met him. He saved my life."
"Saved your life?" Slippy asked.
"You got the report about the Venomian strike force infiltrating the planet? Well they showed up right when he got here. He took a couple of them out and saved me in the process."
"Getting careless, are we Fox?" Peppy asked. "You may have single-handedly stopped the Lylat Wars, but you've let it gone to your head if it takes an alien to save your hide." Fox chuckled.
"Don't remind me," Fox replied. He led them to another part of the station, this one was more of an enclosed biome; trees reached upward to touch the dome-like force field, while below grass, shrubs and other plants grew in their shadows. Small animals darted in between the trunks of the trees, trying to escape predators or find a safe haven. It was made to be used as a model of the larger ecosystem outside, but there's a more important reason why Fox brought them here. Standing before the force field, his hand lightly touching it, Jason heard the light footsteps of the team. He turned to face them, letting them look at him for the first time. At first, they were taken aback, save Fox.
"He's…a simian?" Peppy asked.
"Not quite. He's simian-like, but…"
"I prefer to think I'm different from them." Jason replied.
"This is Jason. Jason, let me introduce my team; This is Peppy, tactical advisor and arguably the most senior member of our team." The Hare stepped forward and shook his hand, which Jason returned.
"Glad to meetcha, son."
"He's been part of the team since my father formed it." Fox explained. He turned to the Amphibian. "Slippy Toad, our mechanic and engineer,"
"Don't forget inventor, Fox. I've designed and built most of the stuff our team uses!" when Jason took his hand, he noticed it felt smooth and wet. Fox turned to the last member.
"And this is Falco Lombardi, our ace pilot. He can fly just about anything."
"And shoot down just about anything too," he added. He didn't try to shake his hand, simply rubbed the side of his beak with a single digit-like feather and either sneered or smirked, it was hard to tell with his beak. "So you're the new ET that forgot to phone home."
"You know, I would, but the reception here is sucky. Maybe if you directed me to the nearest wormhole, or whatever, I might get better reception." This time Jason knew he smirked.
"I kinda like him already." Jason turned to Fox.
"Were they able to find out where it went?"
"Where what went?" Peppy asked.
"They don't know. As immediately as it appeared, whatever it was just vanished.
"What vanished?" Slippy asked.
"The reason why all the alarms were going off. That loony lemur tried to open the Rift Window again to take a look in Jason's world, but something else came through."
"What was it?" Peppy asked.
"Some kind of luminescence. A bright, blinding light that just shot upward through the roof! I thought I saw something else, too."
"Like someone inside that light?"
"You saw it too?" Fox asked. Jason nodded.
"Whatever it was, I doubt it came from my world. I haven't seen anything like that before."
"Whatever it is, Amirs is hard pressed to find it. He thinks it might answer some scientific questions."
"Yeah, since I can't seem to answer any of them, no matter how many times I answer his questions."
"Well, anyway, I was going to head back to the Great Fox. General Pepper is going to want to know what happened here." Fox replied. Fox said farewell to Jason for now as he and the team left the bio dome.
"You mean that Venomian detachment on this world that managed to slip past security while we were sent out on deep patrol?" Falco asked. "You could have argued that we would have been better used here! For Corneria's sake, we almost lost you!"
"No one could have predicted this would happen, Falco," Peppy reasoned. "Besides, we were the ones who picked up those deep-space signals in the first place. We had to investigate, even if it was a trap."
"I still don't like it. Besides, we missed out on the only action here. I'm not cut out for just patrols and no shooting. I live for the laser fire flying around, things exploding and all that crap."
"You know you put a whole new spin on the term "Bird of Prey", Falco." Slippy replied. The team went down the corridor back to the hangar. As they reached the hangar and the waiting Arwings, two things happened at once. First, the hangar rocked and trembled as loud booms were heard, almost knocking everyone off their feet, and the alarms sounded immediately after, followed by an automated voice: "Unidentified craft have been sighted! Repeat, unidentified craft have been sighted!"
"That's not good," Falco said, bracing himself against the wall.
"Actually, looks like you just got your wish, Falco," Fox replied, looking out of the hangar. The Avian looked up and saw what the Vulpine did. Dozens, if not hundreds, of small shapes heading directly for the base. From above, four larger ships, presumably the carriers, continued to drops their payloads on the center. Only the force field protected the people from harm, but it wasn't meant for this kind of punishment, and would only be a matter of time before it would collapse completely. Wasting no time, the team acted instantly, getting into their Arwings. Already, the bombs being dropped were starting to damage the station; pieces of machinery were falling from the ceiling of the hangar, and several systems were overloading, causing panels and wires to spark and become aflame. One by one, the Arwings flew from the hangar and split apart into pairs. Falco and Fox, the most capable pilots, headed for the fighters while Peppy and Slippy headed for the larger ships, their skill enabling them to dodge the larger bombs. Over his headset, he heard Falco's voice crackled.
"How did these guys get past the sentinels around the planet, or the Great Fox for that matter?"
"that's what I want to know," Fox replied. The fighters, Invader III's by the look of the twin stabilizers and inverted wings, began to fire at the two Arwings when they got in close. Fox and Falco switched from single to twin lasers, and outside on the fighters, the blue G-Diffuser pods opened up. Both Arwings surged forward and fired at the horde, downing a dozen fighters as they punched a hole right through the middle. "Falco, switch to all-range mode!"
"Way ahead of ya, Fox!" As the fighters pulled up, the wings opened up to as far as they could, allowing for full mobility. Falco fired a smart bomb, the explosive detonating just above the horde, but devastating its number. "Think that got their attention?" Falco asked.
"If not, their either single-minded or stupid," fox replied. However, the fighters' attentions seemed to be focused on them, as scarlet bolts of light danced around the two Arwings. Fox barrel-rolled as shots were coming at him, the wings deflecting the lasers away while Falco, being chased by a trio of fighters, somersaulted behind them and wiped them out with a charged shot.
Above, the carriers continued to drop their bombs on the complex. Peppy and Slippy evaded the large bombs and soared ever higher towards them. The large, brick-shaped vessels had the image of Venom's former ruler built onto the front, while laser turrets swiveled in search of targets, unmistakably Dorisby-class. "Slippy, see where the bombs are coming from?" Peppy asked.
"I see 'em. Let's knock 'em out!" the amphibian replied. Both fighters fired their smart bombs directly into the bomb bays of one of the ships. The bombs exploding in the bays tore the ship apart on the inside, causing explosions to erupt in various places before the ship itself blew apart. The other Dorisby-class aimed its turrets at the Arwings. Slippy barely evaded and fired another smart bomb. The projectile hit but the ship was unharmed. "Slippy, his armor's tough! Use your bombs wisely and follow me!" Peppy ordered into his mic. The Hare guided his fighter downward towards the belly of the ship with the Amphibian following closely. Underneath, the bomb bay doors were opening. Slippy fired his last bomb, while Peppy fired a couple. Inside, the smart bombs detonated, exploding the other bombs inside as well. Outside, Peppy and Slippy flew as fast as they could from the scene as the Dorisby-class went up like a miniature sun.
The Invader IIIs were supposed to be the most advanced fighter developed by the Venomians during the Lylat Wars. The inverted wings and stabilizers allowed for maximum maneuverability, and the double lasers made them able to fight off most anything…as a swarm. Fox and Falco, dodging and weaving about the horde and picking off fighters, proved just how inferior the Invaders were. It took only a couple of hits with the twin lasers before they fell to the ground below in a macabre of fire and smoke. Fox targeted a trio with a charged shot, and let it fly, watching all three explode in the air. "Man, these guys are either persistent, or too dumb to quit!" Falco's voice crackled over fox's headset. The Avian shot down two more and winged another, watching it spin out of control towards the ground.
"What's the difference?" Fox asked. He looked down, and what he saw made a chill go up his spine; several vehicles, Venomian Landmasters, carriers, and even troops worked their way towards the complex. It dawned on him as he keyed his headset. "Guys, this is Fox. This was a diversion! The Venomians are sending ground forces to attack the complex!"
"But why bomb it if they were going to send in ground forces?" Slippy asked.
"To lure us out! They waited till we were dealing with the fighters and bombers so they could send in the troops." Peppy replied.
"Then let's try to head back!" Falco replied, gunning his Arwing back towards the complex. Already, the Landmasters were shelling the force field, which was weakened by the bombing from the two Dorisby's. Ground troops marched off of the carriers as defense and security personnel took up positions around the complex inside the barrier. When all the Landmasters were lined up, they discharged their payload onto the force field. The force of the barrage was enough to collapse the field, and the soldiers marched towards the complex. The defense and security personnel open fired on the oncoming Venomian horde, killing dozens of troops before being forced to pull back inside the compound. As they fell back, the Venomians fired upon them as well, trading red laser bolts with emerald. As the security forces fell back inside the complex, The Landmasters began their advance behind the ground troops, but held their fire. Their orders were to take the complex intact, and retrieve whatever data they could get.
He was already running when he heard the sirens and the announcement that enemy troops were entering the complex. Jason wanted to head for the hangar and see if he could catch up with Fox, but he thought he saw the familiar form of Malachi, and followed it back to the lab where he was held as everyone around him headed for the nearest shelter. Inside, the door to the safe room was opened, and inside on the bench was his knife, the knife he got while in Afghanistan. Still in its sheath, he pulled the large hunting knife free, seeing that it was indeed his old knife. He looked behind and saw Malachi smiling before vanishing.
Professors Amirs and Aeries worked to store the data on their PADs before deleting them from the main computer banks. The control room was guarded by several guards and thick doors, but they would only hold the enemy off for so long. "Almost done here, how about you?" Aeries asked.
"I'm nearly done transferring the data from on the Rift Window, I just need a few moments!"
"Looks like we might not have it," Aeries replied, hearing the sound of laser fire outside. In the corridors, the security personnel fought furiously against the Venomian soldiers, but they were outnumbered at least five to one. Soon, they were being pushed back till they stood between the control complex and the soldiers. They took up positions in the adjacent rooms for cover and fought them from there, buying precious time.
"Looks like the party's started without us!" Falco smirked. He dove down and fired a smart bomb at the group of Landmasters heading for the complex, killing them and the Venomian soldiers just outside. Fox saw and felt his heart sink as he tapped his headset.
"Falco, pull back! You're going to wipe out the base if you keep that up!"
"So what do we do?!" Falco replied indignantly.
"We'll have to take the fight to them! Let's land and see if we can't give them a hand." Peppy replied. The Arwings landed in the area cleared by Falco's smart bomb, and the pilots disembarked on the ground. Fox pulled his sidearm onto his waist as he opened the storage compartment on the underside of the fuselage. He pulled out the sections of battle armor that he wore previously, the rest of the team doing the same, each pulling his own customized battle armor out of their compartments. When they donned the battle armor, the four of them headed for the complex. Inside, the Venomian soldiers fired on them, but Falco and Fox took point and drew their weapons. Fox fired his blaster at them, while Falco pulled out two out of his holsters. Both laid down suppressive fire while killing or wounding the enemy as they fell back. As they were, Slippy, in his own armor, ran forward and threw a round object at the fleeing soldiers. A large explosion rocked the base and sent bodies flying or tore them apart. With that, Fox and Falco went ahead while Peppy and Slippy held back to guard the entrance to the complex. The Vulpine and Avian ran past dead bodies towards the heart of the complex, the sound of laser fire and cries of the dying became more and more distinct. They caught sight of the black-armored Venomian soldiers at the entrance of the control center, and fired. Despite the larger numbers, the Venomians were out in the open, little to no cover, and fighting a battle on two fronts while the Cornerian security forces and Star Fox duo took cover in adjacent rooms, picking off the troops till all that was left were soldiers who dropped their weapons amid a pile of dead bodies.
"That was fun," Falco commented through his helmet. Fox looked at the Avian, then back at the pile of dead. A Cornerian soldier, a gold Canine in a green uniform and combat vest and pads, walked up to them, rifle in hand.
"This isn't all of them. Another group was headed west, towards the lab where the alien was kept."
"We gotta head down there, there might be civilians still there."
"I'll send a detachment." The Canine turned to the others but felt a hand on his shoulder.
"It'll only slow us up, we gotta move fast and now. Tell anyone who's left to evacuate out of this place."
"Got it." Fox and Falco headed in the other direction while the Cornerians escorted the captured Venomians towards the entrance, followed by the other scientists.
The black armored troops stormed down the halls, firing indiscriminately. They didn't care, they weren't true soldiers, just hired guns on the payroll of the new leader of Venom. They were promised two things; wealth and women. Wealth from the employer, and women from the people they captured. The screams of the scientists and personnel egged them onward, and several broke off from the group to raid other rooms, either firing into them or entering them and locking the doors, the screams mingled with laughter. A Cornerian Canine, a husky-girl, ran into a room and locked the door behind her. She ran into a corner and crouched down, trying to be quiet, despite her fearful gasps. This wasn't what she was expecting, nor wanted, when she signed onto this assignment. She was just supposed to be an engineer, that's all. The Cornerian Husky looked up when she heard the boots stomping past and shouts of the troops. She breathed easier, her head falling to her hands as a soft sob shuddered through her. She heard the door slam open and screamed when she saw the black armored troop standing in the doorway. The merc smiled evilly under his helmet and closed the door behind him, not caring that it didn't close all the way. Fear gripped her tightly as she tried to back away from the advancing figure, but the wall stopped her. The armored figure threw his rifle on the table and lunged at the husky-girl, making her scream again as he picked her up and threw her on the table, tearing at the skirt of her uniform and exposing her white panties. He tore them off and unzipped his fly, turning her over onto her belly as she sobbed, begging for him to stop. He smiled even more, even as he felt something pierce that back of his neck. He couldn't breathe, tasted blood, and was in extreme pain. The husky girl, still sobbing, looked up to see something sticking out of the neck of the merc. With a death rattle, he fell off the object and onto the floor. She still looked up, and saw the alien, holding the bloody knife in a hand. She was paralyzed with shock as the alien looked down at her, then left the room. Jason caught up with the horde, and leapt onto them with a yell. He stabbed another in the chest with his knife, the blade easily piercing the armor and flesh as though it were melted butter, and came away just as easily. The startled troops turned and fired, Jason catching two hits in the chest, but these only stung him, hardly slowing him down as he pressed his attack; hacking, slicing and slashing as screams came from the horde with the sound of blood being sprayed onto the walls and floor.
"Did security do this?" Falco asked, stopping when he saw the bodies on the floor. Blood spread around them, like a crimson moat, as Fox knelt down to examine one of them.
"Not unless they killed them with just a knife and their bare hands," the vulpine commented.
"Think it's our visitor?"
"That's what I would guess. Let's go."
"Sir, we got a report from our ground forces."
"What does it say?"
"They lost most of their forces, some are captured, unable to continue the mission without reinforcements."
"Very well. Bomb the complex from orbit.
"But sir, our own are still in there."
"They're not our own, they're just hired scum. We have our orders."
"Yes sir."
Fox and Falco came to where the horde was, or what was left. "What the hell?" Falco and fox, their arms drawn, walked cautiously among the dead.
"The wounds are the same," Falco commented, looking down and saw one of the troops was a black-furred Lupine, a member of the mercenary guild. "Well now we know who these guys are. I recognized one of them as a Black Wolf."
"Yeah, Venom's gotta be short on troops. Looks like they're outsourcing."
"At least they did, till they met up with whatever did this." They heard screams, and ran towards the source. They saw bodies being flung everywhere while a blood-stained figure slashed with his knife. Jason stabbed upward into the skull of one of them before wrenching the knife free and slashing open the throat of another, through two inches of armor. Blood splattered onto his face as he yelled and slashed downward, a screaming trooper falling back with a large vertical, bloody gash going down his chest. One of them grabbed him from behind, but the human grabbed his assailant's arms and knelt forward, making the armored figure fall off of Jason's back and onto the floor. The human stabbed him in the neck and looked up to see two more backing from him, both were shakily pointing their rifles at him. He could tell by the way they moved and trembled that they were afraid. His shirt and shorts were stained a deep red, his face splattered with crimson, his blonde hair was contrasted with streaks and splatters of red in it. Red bolts of light struck him in the chest and head, adding more burnt spots to his body. Jason turned his face away reflexively as it hit him, his skin feeling like it a thousand hornets stung him all at once. He turned back to face them, a large red welt on his forehead. With a yell, he lunged at them, his knife piercing the visor of a helmet, and his hand crushed the windpipe of a throat as they fell to the floor. Jason picked himself off of the dead bodies and looked back, seeing the stunned duo.
"Fox Falco," He said simply. "Are there any left?"
"Uh, I think you got them." Falco replied.
"What about the people?" Jason asked, unsteadily walking towards them.
"Most got out. We're here to see if there are any left." Jason slumped against the wall and fell to the floor as the two went to him, trying to steady him. He was running on adrenaline, and it was now wearing off. He didn't think, only acted.
"Check…the rooms…" he said, dazedly. He felt sick to his stomach, and put his head between his knees.