Author's Note: I haven't forgotten this series, but anyhow, this'll be a side project. Also, I decided I'll respond to reviews on my profile page, because guests can't get replies.
Abel groaned and started running. Why was he always the one to fall into the mess? Red Dawn started giving him directions to the nearest exit as he began to reach a full sprint, aided by his recently-donned suit.
"Hang a left, no… a right, and duck!" Red Dawn shouted just as the three-way turn came into view. Abel half slid and half turned the corner. A scarlet bolt rocketed past his side and into the wall. He didn't turn to look at the shooter. Then, a left turn appeared. He took it. He ran straight for a few yards, skipping another left turn.
"Contact ahead. Neutralize, but don't kill." Dawn instructed as an avian appeared around the corner, he began leveling his gun when the super-soldier's shoulder took him in the gut. Throwing his arm up to launch his foe, Abel pulled his arm back and hammered the beaked figure with two right jabs as he began to meet the floor.
The Cornerian was held up with his injuries, and wouldn't follow anybody any time soon. He resumed his run, only to be caught square in the back with another bolt. He staggered and stopped.
He began to turn when another bolt hit him. He was forced to the ground, weakened by the first shot. Sixteen more bolts hit him in various places until Abel stopped moving.
Fox McCloud stood over the motionless body as a few other armored Cornerians crowded around. He certainly didn't enjoy filling his 'guest' with so many stun bursts it would have killed anybody else, but he was a monstrous danger.
Finally, General Pepper stood next to Fox, examining the human in an almost cold and calculating manner. He patted Fox on the shoulder, but did nothing else as he ordered the men to load the body. The men obeyed, but seemed hesitant to come into contact with the suit, as if it would light them all on fire at first touch.
Abel awoke tied to a chair. His commando's mindset raced to rationalize and solve the problem at hand. He was bound at the wrists, ankles, and throat. The chair was bolted to the floor, and his helmet was not on him.
A Cornerian appeared from the left side of his limited vision. He was a snow-white dog with gaunt features. He folded his hands behind his back and looked down upon the wreck of a man. He spoke as if informing somebody of common knowledge, "Human, you must answer our questions, and you will be given a limited degree of freedom."
He stared blankly at the canine, his suspicion and curiosity fueling his desire to keep this one uninformed. The canine's face screwed up instantly, and he shouted to somebody behind Abel, "He's resisted everything! Just give me one crack at 'im and I'll have him crying for mercy."
He must have liked the answer he got, because a massive smirk birthed on his thin features. A jolt of fear passed through the human, knowing this probably wouldn't end well. A fist raced into his throat, robbing his throat of air.
The next three punches landed similarly to his left shoulder, solar plexus, and throat again. Then, something snapped for the second time. Everything slowed, and the tormentor's fist seemed to be trapped in tar as it came at him.
Then, it all came into focus as his body reacted to a mix of adrenaline, instinct, and the augmentations of the suit.
His feeble titanium bonds snapped and his fists rose, and trapped the blow by locking his fists around the sides of the wrist. He rose from his seat, unaware that the bonds at his ankles and throat were even there to be snapped.
His hands keeping the hound in place, Abel brought his knee into his assaulter's face, and then moved his hands to snap off two quick punches to the throat. His left foot swept the gasping fool off the floor and rose, and fell like a headsman's axe into his chest, breaking several ribs.
He finished him by putting his left arm through the dog's stomach in an impossibly powerful strike as he tried to get up from his super-powered blows.. He had never been this violent, letting the gore spray the walls, and curling his fingers before he pulled them out of the canine. He no longer cared. A primal bloodlust overtook him, but he had nowhere to vent it.
The room finally came into focus as his blood fever left him. A glass viewing window was behind him. He couldn't see through it, but he didn't have to. He tried the door to the right, but it was locked, and made of stronger metal unknown to him.
He was about to put his fist through the glass when his vision blurred and darkened, and he felt himself slump to the floor. Cornerians rushed into the room, two bearing the red crosses of the Medics Corps.
"Sir!" One of the young medics reported to a sergeant who was overseeing the soldiers guarding them.
"What is it corporal?" The annoyed vulpine asked
"The prisoner sir, he's dead. His heart's stopped, almost as if what he did to Corporal Adams happened to him."
Fox watched it all unfold from behind the one-way glass. He'd never felt anything for the human, due to the fact he hadn't known him very long, but still, two men were dead, and it was on his hands.
Meanwhile, in known space…
"Sir, we've got a message with an origin from somewhere in unknown space!" A startled ensign informed the officer on the bridge.
"An alien race?" The man shouted down to the private from the raised platform in the center of the bridge.
"I'll throw it up on the big screen and see what you think." The private stated as he tapped a few keys quickly before turning to face the viewing window, which doubled as a porthole.
A large primate's face filled the screen. "Greetings to the human race," he began, "we bring you dire news. The crew of one of your ships and the… extra crewman on board has been killed by rebels from our race."
The ensign traded wide-eyed stares with the person at the terminal to his left. The two quickly looked back to the message, while the officer above watched with an imperceptible stare.
"They wish for nothing but our utter destruction and we wish to make an alliance before this becomes genocide on their hands. Meet my team at the attached coordinates and we'll help you take out the base at which you man was confined. My Venomian forces will help you in whatever way they can, so please don't be alarmed by their appearance. This ends the message from Andross, leader of the Venomian army. Death to the Cornerian rebels. Goodbye."
The ensign closed the still image of the ape's frozen face and gave a nervous look the commanding officer.
The officer stared back. "Inform High Command we'll be making a venture to unknown space and require the assistance of Wolf Pack and the Scorpions to recover the remains of Wolf Six for a repeat of Project Tantalus. Also let them know about these… Cornerians and see if we can make a date entry on them."
The ensign gave a nervous gulp, saluted, and began his work.