Two Heroes Collide 4, A New Leaf
-Author: Okamichan

DISCLAIMER: StarFox characters, trademarks, etc. are owned by Nintendo. GalaxyWulf characters, trademarks, etc. are owned by, none other than, ME! Please forgive my grammar and spelling! Feel free to e-mail me [wolfox_okami@hotmail.com] about MY characters!

Chapter 4: Second Chance

A quote from a mercenary:

"I might be evil, curse me if you will, but I never betray someone I called a friend."
-Rufus Reavis

The explosion was dramatic. It was hell. No one can survive that tragedy.

"Mission complete, Andross!" Coyote laughed as he leaves the scene. But before this happened, let's go back to the event where Rufus left the mother ship.

"I can't let them die!" Rufus thought drastically. His mind was impaled by the idea of Wolf being killed. He cannot lose him. He was only his best friend after Wulf "did something against" him. He could not see a tragedy approach to his pal. Never. But, if he tried to rescue him, then, not only Wolf's life will be jeopardized, but also his reputation. He cannot take the risks. He closed his eyes, thinking what to do.

Then he remembered. He knew Wulf still trusts him. Even thought they were enemies, Wulf sometimes remembered that they were once friends. So, Rufus quickly opened up his monitor and contacted Space Den.

Somewhere near the boundaries of Terra System, Space Den, GalaxyWulf relaxed on their last scouting.

"When is this ever going to end?" Lupina whimpered, "StarFox has been on a vacation! What about us?"

"Lu, come on!" Wulf cheered, "This will be the last route! After this, we'll all be speeding back at Colonium!"

Suddenly, the large monitor bleeped. It was a distress call. Someone in Zektor Neo. Someone named Rufus.

Garou reluctantly asked to Wulf, "Should we answer it? It came from Rufus, so it's a trap!"

Wulf patted Garou's shoulder. He resolved, "Garou, it's a distress call. I don't care who ever sent it, but as long as it's a distress call, we're going to help."

"Wulf, it's too dangerous!" Bark remarked.

"Yeah! I've heard meteor showers are coming there!" Vulpin barked.

"It's for the best..." Eagle sighed to Wulf, as he pats Wulf's shoulder.

"Well, then I should go alone, then." Wulf commented, as he looked at the distress signal.

"I guess we can't stop you," Garou complained, "so let me come with you."

"Well, good luck..." Lupina said as she presses a button to confirm the distress signal.

The two pilots rushed to their fighters and took off. They headed towards the location where Rufus' call was transmitted from, Zektor Neo.

Rufus was slightly relieved after the answer. But he was afraid that they might fail, so he hid among the darkness in space, so he could help.

Then, the explosion occurred. That frightened Rufus deep to his heart. The help was not yet near on sight. StarWolf cannot survive that drastic explosion. His body became tensed.

Wulf and Garou trailed near the area when suddenly Garou called out.

"Wulf, I'm picking up a high heat temperature to our destination," the white lupe reported, "according to my thermograph, the heat looks like scattered. It looks like an-"

"OH NO! AN EXPLOSION! WE MUST HURRY!" Wulf ordered as he quickly set his warp thrusters to turbo.

The two made it to the scene of fiery hell. The ship was slightly whole but was burning like inferno. This is the scene where the StarCoyote left.

"What should we do?" Garou asked with his heart beating fast.

"Use... Use our ice bombs!" Wulf quickly ordered.

The two fighters fired four small missiles to the burning ship. Those missiles suddenly exploded into Kelvin-degree cold gas. It quickly froze up all of the burning structure.

The two quickly neared to the mother ship. They landed to the broken pad, and looked for survivors.

"The survivors could be unconscious after the blast." Wulf said as he peered to the icy walls.

They searched for casualties until they reached the control room. They were surprised to see the whole StarWolf team frozen! However, they were not amused. Garou started to clear the area until they've noticed that they were the only people aboard the ship. Wulf concluded, "Rufus was right... He wanted to get some help because an explosion might happen..."

Garou looked at the faces of the team. He analyzed everyone, and soon spoke, "Looks like they were either frightened, scared, terrified, or..."

"Or they were thinking that can make it..." Wulf continued. "Let's not make them feel disappointed or lose hope. Let's bring them to Colonium and hopefully recover them."

"Aye with you!" Garou gleefully answered.

The bodies weren't frozen. The two were able to carry the unconscious bodies to their fighters, and then they took off.

Rufus felt like a thorn was removed from his throat. His friends are saved. He whispered to himself, "Thanks, Wulf. I owe you one..."

However, before they could actually leave, meteor showers suddenly approached. With the help of their fighters, though, they blasted off the meteors.

But it was too many. They can't stay there and shoot all day. They have to bring the injured to a hospital. Suddenly, from the shadows, a bomb was lobbed. It exploded into shockwaves that can destroy rocks. All of the meteors dissipated, and the two were saved.

Wulf leaned to his side. He saw Rufus' fighter, leaving the scene. He thought to himself, "Thanks Rufus. Thank you very much..."

In the next day, in a hospital in Colonium, a planet in Terra System that looked like Corneria, Wolf waked up on a hospital bed, feeling weak.

"Where am I?" he asked. Suddenly, someone answered from the back.

"You're in a hospital!" Wulf smiled, "Good morning, Wolf!"

"Hospital?" Wolf was shocked, "You mean... I'M ALIVE?!"

"Uh, yeah..." Wulf pondered.

The two conversed...

"How did I, I mean we survived?"

"Well, we were able to freeze the burning ship you were in. And then we were able to pick all of you up there."

"I guess I should say thanks..."

"It's just part of the job!"

Then, the rest of GalaxyWulf team entered the room.

"Everyone?" Wolf sighed.

"Geez! You're a heavy load!" Garou laughed, "You're heavier to carry than Pigma!"

"Guess it's his muscles!" Lupina winkled.

Eagle gruffed, "Well, at least Rufus-"

"Rufus? That traitor..." Wolf cut Eagle's words.

"I wouldn't say that if I were you..." Vulpin leered.

"Why? He tricked all of us in dying there!" Wolf complained.

Lupina sat beside Wolf. She taps Wolf's back, and gently said, "Well, Rufus is your friend. He gave us a distress signal about the tragedy. Also, he saved all of you when a meteor shower occurred. I think you should thank him..."

Wolf became quiet. He was wrong all along. He blinded himself to believe that Rufus was trying to save them from the start. He beckoned at Wulf, then he stood up, and nodded. He softly replied, "Sorry. He also tried to save me, but I guess I was too stubborn to accept his help..."

"It's okay..." Wulf cheered.

They left the room, and walked to the park to get some fresh air.

"What about the others?" Wolf wondered, as he sits on a bench.

"They're over there, talking to Wulf!" Bark pointed.

Wolf saw the guys near the fountain, talking to Wulf. Then, they walked towards him.

"Hey there, Wolf!" his team greeted.

"I'm fine! What about you?" Wolf implied.

"Oh yeah, we're fine!" Leon swinged, "But where's your eye-patch?"

"Yeah... I didn't notice that I was wearing it..." Wolf realized.

"It must've fallen off when I carried you. I wasn't concern about that... Sorry..." Garou apologized.

"Nah... It's fine!" Wolf smiled.

Suddenly, Fox and Falco dashed towards to Eagle, who was asking a report about Andross.

Falco said, "Hey Eagle! Andross' reports is just-"

Fox surprisingly yelled, "Wolf? What is he doing here?"

Wulf replied, "Oh, I forgot to tell you, StarWolf met a tragedy so we saved them."

Falco reacted, "Why did you save them?"

Wolf then sprouted to the conversation and smiled, with his left arm stretched to Falco, "I actually I owe them my life! Hey, let's make peace, okay? I don't want any more fights. So, a handshake?"

"Me, shaking hands with you, you must be joking!" Falco answered roughly.

"FALCO!" Eagle grunted.

Fox was just silence and hardly looked at Wolf or any of his teammates.

"Why? Don't you trust me?" Wolf replied softly.

"WHY? Because you're going to trick us, you sniveling, little wolf!" Falco testified.

"Oh yeah? Well, prepare to meet Mr. Fist!" Leon urged as he flexes his arm.

"Bring it on!" Falco answered.

"Leon, please stop!" Wolf insisted.

"No way! I don't want that bird brain insulting you!" Leon strut.

"Falco, stop it..." Fox grunted.

"Aww, come on!" Falco pleaded.

The two wanted to beat each other while Vulpin is trying to stop them. Suddenly, this young fox's temper rose out.

"ENOUGH!!!" Vulpin yelled as his body is covered in flames, ready to scorch anyone.

Wolf just rushed to the seaside, leaning and crying.

Lupina ran towards him and rubbed his back, trying to calm Wolf.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why is everyone doing this to me?" Wolf questioned Lupina.

"It's because we care for you."

"... No! You just wanted me to be hated more!"

"That's not true!"

"Then why?!"

Then, Andrew joined him. He answered, "Because we know you can change. You and the rest of us..."

But Wolf just tampered, "But how can I change if nobody else doesn't want to give me a chance?"

Fox suddenly touched Wolf's shoulder, "Some people wanted you to change."

Then, Wulf rubbed Wolf's back, "We're here, ready to help..."

Wolf smiled at them, especially to Fox. He replied, "Fox, sorry about all those-"

"I know it's hard to forgive someone," Fox confessed, "but I'll try..."

Lupina then touched Wolf's dead (?) eye and closed her eyes. She whispered to him, "This the sign of your second chance..."

With warmth, Wolf's left eye twinkled. It felt warm, and suddenly, light traveled through it.

"Try to open it." Lupina requested.

Wolf moved his left eye. Then, miraculously, his left eye was REVIVED! He was so happy that he went into tears.

"Thank you very much, Lupina!" He cried.

"No. I didn't heal it. You're passion for a next chance of life healed your past wounds." Lupina smiled.

Everyone went close to him. Falco just smiled and said, "Well, all right. Prove yourself that your going to change!"

"Anything!" Wolf answered.

Wonder what's Falco's mission for Wolf? Then read chapter 5, Gene Splice!