Chapter IX
The Final Battle
It was a long journey to the center of the base where Andross was hiding. Fox's heart was pounding out of his chest, his mind focused on the upcoming battle with his nemesis.
I can't lose now, not after how far we've come. I will kill Andross and I will avenge my father!
It wasn't long before his Arwing lights dimmed once again and the deep, menacing voice he heard in Area 6 came back over his comm channel. It spoke, "I've been waiting for you, Fox McCloud."
Fox shouted, "Andross! Where are you hiding, you coward?"
Ignoring Fox's shouting, it continued, "You know that only I can control the galaxy."
Fox gritted his teeth and continued down the tunnel. He could see an opening in the distance; it almost looked like a wall of black was on the other side.
Andross continued, "It is foolish to come against me!"
Fox just continued down the tunnel towards the fight ahead, ignoring the voice to the best of his ability.
"I'm looking forward to this!" His laugh was the last thing Fox heard before the lights powered back on. He had reached the end of the tunnel and entered a large, vast room about the size of the Great Fox. The walls were the most unusual; they were changing colors in a tie-dye manner.
Fox put his ship into neutral so it wouldn't move forward; with the walls changing all the time, it was impossible to tell where they really were. But there was still silhouette of black between him and the walls. It emerged from the shadows and revealed itself.
A massive head and two hands appeared; that was all that was left of Andross after the Venom air began to mutate him. His old, wrinkled face was framed by his bushy grey hair. His ears pointed out from his head. His gold gloved hands were fully detached from his body and were taunting Fox with the 'come here' signal. His head was laughing that maniacal laughter that sent chills down Fox's spine, as if he heard it before.
Fox said with a sarcastic tone, "So this is what five years of mutation can do to a crazed ape scientist. You're going to pay for what you did to me, Andross."
"We'll see about that, McCloud!"
If only I knew where his weak point was.
Fox began shooting his twin lasers at the monstrosity. He saw no visible damage being inflicted, only mild irritation. Andross raised his left hand and balled it into a fist. Fox managed to narrowly roll out of the way as the fist came rocketing through the air towards Fox's Arwing.
Fox ceaselessly fired upon Andross head, still finding no weak spots. Andross continued to laugh his maniacal laughter when Fox noticed his eyes narrow.
Hmm, maybe if I blind him, it'll give me a chance to find a weak spot.
Fox began shooting at Andross' right eye. One of his lasers hit, and it must have caused a serious irritation. Andross' right hand floated up to the eye and began rubbing. Meanwhile, his left hand straightened out into an open palm. Fox took a chance and began shooting at the open palm on Andross' left hand. A torrent of laser fire later, the hand exploded into nothing.
The head cried out in pain, but quickly shook it off. The right hand began pointing at Fox's Arwing, and before he knew what was happening, lightning began shooting from his finger tip. Fox rolled out of the way and began shooting at Andross' eyes once again.
This time, he merely shook his head and exposed the palm of his other hand. Fox fired relentlessly at the open palm, decimating the hand just like he had the other one. But the head didn't waste one second moaning in pain.
Andross opened his mouth and began deeply inhaling, drawing Fox's Arwing towards his open mouth. Fox reacted by arming his last Smart Bomb and taking aim.
Oh no you don't you crazy old ape.
Fox fired the last bomb into the mouth of his nemesis. Andross closed his mouth and began chewing. Fox still knew when the bomb detonated; Andross' eyes widened and he opened his mouth and yelled. His head began shaking violently.
Fox was blinded by the flash and explosion his foe. But his victory was short-lived when he heard Andross' voice over his comm once again, "You know that only I have the brains to rule the Lylat System! You will not stop me, Fox McCloud! You will die just like your father!"
The smoke cleared; the first thing Fox noticed was the walls were now replaced with solid grey walls covered in tanks of what Fox assumed to be explosive gas. The room itself was occupied by nothing but Fox's Arwing and a large brain with two eyes.
So, this is his true form after all that mutation? Well, same plan as before: blind him.
Fox immediately began shooting one of the eyes. He kicked his Arwing gear and accelerated it around the giant brain and behind it. But they eyes were following his every move; they weren't restricted to the brain, they were moving around the room, chasing the Arwing. Fox looped up and around and got behind one of the eyes, and shot it down; there was only one eye left. He saw it out in the distance; it was coming at him head on. Fox opened his laser fire upon it, decimating it just as quickly as he did the other.
All that was left was the giant brain, which had begun to move itself around after Fox destroyed the eyes. It was tracking his every move, as if it could still see. Fox shot laser after laser at the brain as it approached, doing no visible damage to it. He banked to the left and flew around the brain to the other side of the room. He took a good look at the brain's backside and saw a discolored cerebellum under the hard exterior.
That must be the weak spot; it looks softer than the rest of the brain.
He pulled a u-turn in his Arwing and targeted the cerebellum on the underside of the brain, unleashing a torrential rain of laser fire. It careened towards the giant mass of tissue, colliding with the soft underside, causing it to burst and explode.
Fox shouted, "Hell yeah! It's over; you're done Andross!"
But his victory was cut short when Andross' voice came back over the comm one last time, "If I'm going down…I'M TAKING YOU WITH ME!" The brain detonated into an explosion, setting off the tanks on the walls and creating a colossal chain reaction that would consume the entire room and much more.
Oh, shit! I need to get the hell outta here, fast.
Fox frantically looked for the tunnel he used to get in. He spotted it on the far wall and hit the thrusters towards it. But he saw something odd as he got closer; it wasn't the same tunnel he used to get in. This tunnel split into two paths, and Fox knew that only one way would lead him to the surface.
SHIT! Which one do I take?
The decision was fast approaching; Fox began veering to the right. But he hesitated when he heard an all too familiar voice in his ear.
"Never give up, my son! Trust your instincts!"
Fox gasped in shock at the sound of the voice, a tear forming in his eye:
"D-Dad?"
Fox looked down the tunnel towards the fork in the road and saw the last thing he expected to see in the depths of the planet, an Arwing. The voice in his ear responded, "This way, Fox." The mysterious Arwing flew down the left path. Fox followed with his thrusters engaged, trying to outrun the explosion that was following him down the tunnel.
Another fork waited ahead. The mysterious Arwing flew down the left path again; Fox followed its every move, taking a right at the next fork. The fireball behind was growing. The complete backside of Fox' Arwing was charred by the heat.
Fox relentlessly followed his father's Arwing as it veered left, then left again, and then right down the tunnel. At the end, he could see the green clouds of the planet's sky. His father's voice echoed in his ear one last time, "You've become so strong, Fox. I'm so proud of you."
Fox hit the thrusters forward one last time and shouted as he approached the surface of the planet. He blasted out of the tunnel's opening and into the sky of Venom. The fireball that had been tailing him throughout the tunnel flew out and spread into the skies as well. Fox kept speeding for the skies, his thrusters at maximum output until he reached low orbit.
Fox slowed his ship down, trying to do the same for his heart; the fireball didn't have the gumption to make too far into the air. Fox looked around frantically for his father's Arwing, but there was no sign of it; it had disappeared just as fast as it appeared. Looking up to the sky, Fox saw the Great Fox in orbit around the planet. Kicking his Arwing into gear, Fox made his approach.
On the bridge of the Great Fox, Falco, Peppy, and Slippy watched the explosion shoot out of the tunnel. "I hope he made it out in time," Slippy commented. The team continued to wait in silence.
Moments later, ROB spoke up, "Incoming transmission."
The ship's audio comm channel sparked to life before a voice spoke up, "This is Fox McCloud; mission accomplished!" The bridge was overcome with shouts and celebrations from the three team members.
Fox docked his Arwing in the hangar bay and took off his helmet. He hopped down to the floor and ran for the door and sprinted to the bridge of the Great Fox. As soon as he entered, Slippy ran up and gave Fox a high five, shouting, "Way to go Fox!"
"That's how ya do it!" Falco said as he gave Fox a strong handshake.
Peppy stood and smiled at Fox, with his hands behind his back and a tear in his eye. Fox walked over and gave his old friend and mentor a hug. Peppy said, "You did it, Fox."
Fox and Peppy let go of each other and lingered over to the window. Fox gazed down at the green planet looking for any sign of his father's Arwing, but to no avail. Peppy looked over at Fox and asked, "What's wrong, Fox?"
After a moment, Fox replied, "Nothing…nothing's wrong." Fox turned around and said, "Slippy, get the General on the communicator; I think we have some news he would want to hear."