Chapter 10
Never in his life had Fox hated feeling as much as he did now; standing underneath one of the three shower heads in the Great Fox II's shower room. The water ran through his fur, soothing his skin as it washed the dried blood from his coat, though he refused to enjoy its hydrating flow. He scolded himself for flinching when the hot stream of water met the scars on his head, face, and chest; causing them to burn with an agonizing passion as it cleansed the wounds from any contaminants that had already begun to infect them. He wished to feel none of it, reacting to pleasure and pain was a luxury he no longer deserved.
He hadn't even wanted the shower itself; it held absolutely no benefit for Krystal. Every second he stood in there was a second he could be using to prepare himself for his upcoming mission. Yet no matter what argument he gave, the team would hear none of it. Fox finally caved on the point that he owed it to them. If they were going to lay their necks on a stone slab by helping him break into the military planet that was known as Katina, one that they had sided with for their entire career with Star Fox, then he could at least set their minds at ease by taking a shower. For Fox, however, the shower remained far from easing.
His mind was racing along a mental track that ran in a repeating loop as he intently watched the red liquid that streamed from his coat onto the tiled floor; it's pace set by the steady, periodic, echoing 'click'.
Here is the result of your choice.
'Click.'
Here lies the consequence of your action.
'Click.'
Here shouts the eternity of your punishment.
Fox's ears now rang from the hammer's haunting fall; his eyes following the diluted blood that traced the grout gaps between the weathered tiles until it poured into the drain. His sorrow for her fed his rage at himself, every muscle under his skin slowly tensing as his emotions flared out of his control.
This blood is none other than your doing!
'Click.'
This blood is on none other than YOUR HANDS!
Then came the bang; the deafening, reverberating bang.
Fox snapped, his right fist bringing all his fury pounding into the tile wall of the shower. He heard her scream; her haunting, heart shattering wail that silenced all else. He retracted his arm and sent it rocketing back into the wall. Again he struck, and again, and again, and again. He saw her tears run down the shower walls as he worked, sending him flashes of when they had wet the pure white fur on her face. He began to switch between arms as he brought his left fist hammering into the wall after his right; a seventh hit, then an eighth, a ninth, a tenth. Exhaled cries joined each blow, increasing in speed as they went; yet he could still hear her own. A sixteenth hit, a seventeenth, eighteenth, twenty-first, twenty second. Fox released a shout as loud as his lungs would allow, continuing his assault until both his fists felt like they were lined with glass fragments. It did him no use, his volume did nothing to rise above hers. With a final blow, Fox turned off the shower water and ripped a towel from its bar. "I'm done wasting time." He growled to himself.
….
Lucy had started toward the shower room door the minute she heard the rapid pounding, but Falco held her back.
"Give him space." Said Falco, trying to sound comforting through his focused appearance.
Lucy offered no acts of disagreement but looked worryingly at the door. Fox's mind was very much a wild card at this point; she feared for his safety. It had been her idea for Falco and herself to standby outside in case Fox did something drastic, and though Falco had expressed annoyance, she could tell he felt the same when he didn't put up a fight or volunteer Slippy for it. She sensed that Falco was also recognizing the possibility of the worst, and he prided himself in being the most qualified to subdue Fox should the worst occur.
Then came the shout. It burst through the Great Fox's walls as if they weren't even there, painfully falling upon their ears as if it were piercing them.
Before she could even look up at him, Falco had let her go and overrode the panel on the wall that opened the locked shower room door. He rushed inside and Lucy followed close behind, both found Fox violently drying himself off with a towel.
Lucy had attempted to prepare herself for seeing Fox in his undressed state and stay professional, though her attempt was in vain when a slight blush still presented itself through her fur and her eyes had dart away. She was relieved that Falco wasn't paying any attention to her, and Fox wasn't showing any signs of even recognizing his naked presence. Once over herself, she felt even more relieved when she assessed Fox to be alright, until she laid eyes on his hands.
"We ask you to clean up, and you go and make more of a mess of yourself." Falco scolded.
Fox didn't even look at Falco. "I'm clean enough, there's better things to do during our transit." Fox threw his towel to the side and reached for his clothes.
Falco snatched Fox's wrist and drew it in so that Fox was forced to face him. Falco glanced fiercely at Fox's captured hand, then looked back at Fox with raised eyebrows.
Fox looked and found his knuckles, his fingers and the back of his hand covered in blood that trailed down his forearm, seeping into Falco's own feathered hand that gripped his wrist. Irritation flared in Fox's temperament as he ripped his hand away and walked over to the first aid kit the team kept on the wall.
Falco sighed. "You're at least going to freaking eat; Slippy's waiting." He turned and walked out of the room.
Lucy and Fox were now alone.
Fox moved violently swift as he grabbed a roll of bandage wrap, dressed both knuckles, washed away any blood from his fur the wrap didn't cover, dried his hands with his towel, and continued to dress himself.
Lucy silently observed everything. She felt the urge to say something helpful, give some mediating advice to help Falco and he get along, but nothing suitable came to mind. She also felt the urge to leave; dressed only in his boxers and slipping on his second black sock, the decent thing to do would be to give him privacy until he was completely dressed. But here's another chance to tell him. She thought as her heart rate rose. I wouldn't even have to say anything, I could simply… No. Lucy turned and walked out of the room as quick as she could.
Her face burned red as she internally lectured herself for her rash thinking. Now is not the time! She continued to walk down the hallway, unsure of where she was even headed.
…
Amanda sat, her rounded jaw resting on her fist, at a long steel table in the kitchen of the Great Fox II as she watched Slippy determinedly stir away at some Gornt cubes he had cooking in a small pan on the kitchen stove. To Amanda, he seemed blissfully lost in his work as he juggled between agitating the meat and sifting through a variety of spices and sauces, looking for just the right ones to add quality flavor to the dish; it made her sick.
"How do you do it?" She asked.
Slippy answered without take his eyes off his project. "Cooking is just something I've always enjoyed doing. Get involved in it enough, and you pick up enough tips and recipes to make anybody a decent chef. With Gornt for example, I tak-"
"Not the cooking you…" Amanda's agitation kindled as she cut him off, but she forced herself to swallow the rest of her sentence. I love you, but sometimes… "How do you go about things as if nothing is wrong in the universe?"
Slippy looked back at her and blinked blankly. "What do you mean, my lovely water lily?"
That did it. His stupidity had already lit the fire, but the buttered-up title added the fuel. Amanda slapped the hand her jaw was resting on down on the table. "Allow me to spell it out for you! Krystal, our past and dearly treasured team mate has been shot down and captured. Our leader dove head first into hell to save her, coming back empty and looking battered and possessed by whatever lay in its deepest trenches! And responsible for it all is Andross grand jr., who plans to end everything by a means that we don't even know of yet; brutally torturing, maiming, and using Krystal as leverage so Fox will-" Amanda fell silent. During her lecture, Slippy's face had slowly revealed the side it had brilliantly been hiding the entire time. He stood there staring towards the ground, more crestfallen than Amanda had ever seen him.
After a moment of silence, Slippy spoke. "It's… it's just another day in the life… right?"
Amanda opened her mouth to say something, but she caught herself upon noticing Slippy wasn't finished.
"I mean… we've been down before. We almost lost Peppy twice, Falco abandoned us for a period of time, Fox himself has been hardly a centimeter from death more times than I can remember…" Slippy turned back to the Gornt filled pan and continued stirring as he talked. "But… we've never been out… we've always pulled through." He switched over to some broccoli he had boiling in a pot and removed it from the stove burner, pensively carrying it over to the sink to be drained of its water. "It's no different from now. It doesn't matter how dire, how gruesome, or how horrific the threat; we'll pull through." Slippy said, attempting a smile as he finished straining the pot and returned it to the stove top; turning off its assigned burner. "Fox and we will pull through… right?"
Amanda had gone from feeling angry to lost. She looked away and rested her forehead in one of her hands as she breathed a sigh. "He mutilated one of her arms, right in front of him. Death is bad, but that…" She paused, looking for the right words to finish her sentence; but they never came.
It was some time before she finally heard Slippy croak, "I-I'm j-just glad i-it wasn-n't y-you…"
That stole every word, every thought, even her very breath away from her as a towering amount of guilt fell upon her. She looked over at Slippy and found him staring a hole into the floor. Amanda stood up and rushed right over to him. "Oh baby…" She cooed as she embraced him in her arms, what a bitch I am… "I'm so sorry…"
Tears began to escape Slippy's eyes as he returned her loving hug. "I c-can't im-magine what he-he's go-going th-through… I n-never want t-to kn-know…
"And you never will baby, I love you." Amanda said with all her passion, fighting hard to hold herself together.
Slippy tightened his arms around her as his saltine drops continued to roll down his smooth, green cheeks. "I l-love you t-too, s-so m-much."
They continued to hold each other until the smell of burning meat slithered into their noses.
"G-gah! My Gornt c-cubes!" Slippy shrieked, nearly pushing Amanda over as he rushed to stir his burning meat. He almost ripped the burner heat nob off the stove when he switched it off to stop the Gornt from getting any crispier.
That's when Amanda heard the thump. She looked toward the sound to see what she assessed as Fox's limp body lying on its side on the kitchen floor by the entryway. "Fox!" She announced as she rushed over to him.
Slippy appeared by her side while she checked Fox's pulse and listened for his breathing.
Fear protruded from Slippy's eyes. "Is-s h-he-?"
"Of course he's still alive!" Amanda's statement was confident, but the relief in her voice showed that at first, she too had feared the same. "The poor thing is just exhausted…" Amanda observed that he had indeed showered due to his cleaner fur and change of clothes. Fox now wore a long sleeve, green combat shirt with a vibrant red lines tracing from shoulder to shoulder over his chest and dividing his abdomen; with an identical pattern on his backside. Two shoulder pads of the same color were attached to the shirt, and over the shirt he wore a white, sleeveless down vest. Green cargo pants displayed a white belt and blaster holster on his right leg along with two white kneepads. His boots were a lower cut version of what he usually wore.
On his hands were a pair of white gloves with firm knuckles built in, and a white, flat neon green touch VDT that was secured on his left wrist; replacing his damaged headset. Upon looking closer at the gloves, Amanda noticed a slight red stain around the knuckles. She gently pulled his right hand's glove off to expose a nearly blood-soaked bandage wrapped around Fox's entire hand. "Oh Fox…" She said pityingly, "what have you done to yourself…"
"He's p-probably starving, especially if h-he's lost more b-blood!" Slippy added. "I'll grab s-some water."
"He can't drink right now!?" Amanda irritably exclaimed.
"Ice c-cold water!" Slippy explained as he made his way to the fridge.
"You aren't gonna..."
Upon his return, Slippy was carrying an entire pitcher of refrigerated water.
"Slippy!" Amanda scolded.
"He'd be angrier if we w-waited for him to wake, you know how much of a r-rush he's in."
Finding no further ways to argue, Amanda hesitantly looked back at Fox.
Slippy positioned the pitcher's spout about half a meter above his head. "S-sorry Fox…" He said sincerely as he began pouring the chilling liquid on Fox's cheek, taking care not to pour it directly into his ears, eyes, or nose.
Moments later, Fox awoke with a start; spitting any water from his lips and shaking any from the fur on his head. Afterwards he just continued to lay on the ground, breathing deeply from the shock of the icy water.
Slippy knelt beside his friend. "You scared us for a second their Fox."
Fox said nothing, just continued staring into the wall he faced; looking as he did when they had first brought him back.
"Can you tell us what happened?" Amanda asked, still staring at his bandaged hand.
Fox remained unresponsive.
Slippy gently grabbed Fox's chin and maneuvered it so that Fox's gaze faced his. This time Fox's eyes moved to meet Slippy's own pupils. Slippy spoke in a guiding manner hoping to finally get through to him. "We're gonna get you into a chair at the table and finally get some grub in your stomach. Think you can walk if we help you over there?"
Fox's eyes fell to the ground. Moments later, he found his voice. "I can manage walking on my own…" He said as he started to push himself off the ground.
"Ohhh, I say different!" Amanda objected, moving in to help Slippy support Fox's weight. "We don't need you falling over again." When she noticed that Fox was about to give a rebuttal, she added, "Neither does Krystal."
That shut him up. Fox reluctantly relaxed and allowed both Slippy and Amanda to help him over to a chair at the kitchen table. Once sitting, Fox rested both his elbows on the table and buried his head in his hands.
Slippy placed a hand on Fox's shoulder. "Now I'm gonna mix up your dinner and get you some Electrolizer to drink, don't go anywhere on me." Fox gave no sign of response, but Slippy hadn't waited for one anyway.
Amanda remained at Fox's side, pullinrg up a seat next to him and contemplating if there was anything she could do to help ease his anxiety and nearly unbearable guilt. She ventured to touch and slowly rub his back, but he seemed to tense up all the more as she rubbed.
"It's not your fault." She offered as a healing comment. Amanda nearly jumped out of her skin as Fox instantaneously slammed both his fists down on the table.
"Yes it is my fault! Every bit of her suffering is my fault!" Fox launched out of his chair, pointing at himself as he continued to lecture Amanda. "Everything I ever did put her in harm's way! Letting her join Star Fox led to her being in danger on our missions! Kicking her off led to her joining up with Star Wolf! Fighting that bastard Panther led to her hurdling down to Venom! Now, when I actually had a chance to set things right and save her, I GOT HER ARM BLOWN OFF!"
Amanda jumped up and met Fox's wrath with as controlled of a demeanor as she could manage. "You know as well as we do that you were looking out for her safety."
It took everything Fox had to keep himself from flipping the table ahead of him. "Did you not hear me?! I said her arm, is fucking, OBLITERATED! How the hell did I PROTECT HER?!"
Amanda's calm failed her as her volume began to rise. "She made her own choices! She chose to chase after you after you saved Dinosaur Planet! She chose to join Star Wolf after you removed her from the team! And she chose to put herself between you and Panther in order to save your life! She knows you care for her Fox; she still feels the same! She wouldn't have done what she did had she not!"
"CARES FOR ME?!" Fox lost control as he threw a rear-kick into the chair behind him and send it crashing into the wall about two and a half meters away. "I SHATTERED HER HEART! You weren't there that night on the roof! Her eyes… her tears, OH HER TEARS!" Fox grasped his head, crumpling his ears as he fell to his knees and wept.
Amanda's voice caught in her throat. She had dealt with worse screaming duels in her life, but she had never seen someone so mentally affected by their own history.
Fox quietly sobbed for a moment longer before adding. "I brought her tears then, and I've brought them now. I had broken her mentally… now I've broke her physically…"
Silence took control of the room as even a single breath could hardly be heard. Amanda was at a loss for words. She still wanted to help, but after what just went down she was afraid of making things worse than she already had.
…
Slippy had stood by as the silent observer. It wasn't new to him for Fox to be so hard on himself, as well as how impossible it was to change that perception. If Fox was convinced he was in the wrong, he might as well have slaughtered an entire village of innocent kits. Slippy crept over to his wife and whispered to her, "Let me talk to him for a bit; I'm sure the others are on their way if they heard any of that. Would you keep them at bay while Fox and I chat?"
Amanda seemed nervous of leaving her husband alone with Fox, but she eventually gave a light smile. "All right honey." She kissed Slippy on the forehead. "I'll be right outside in case you need me."
With that, Amanda stepped out of the kitchen and closed the door behind her.
Slippy looked down at Fox, who was still weeping on the floor with his hands clamped tightly around his skull. Slippy made his way around to and knelt in front of his childhood friend.
Fox acknowledged Slippy's presence by releasing his own head and looking up at him.
Slippy's heart broke a little at the sight of Fox's eyes. All hope was nearly gone from them; the only fire left was from a seemingly programed determination that only the ending of his life would extinguish.
Fox spoke. "I have to free her from this Slippy… I won't go on in life if I don't."
Slippy said nothing, just continued to look upon his friend with pity.
"I do not deserve a single breath until she is back with Star Wolf, back with… Panther…"
After a couple of seconds had gone by, Slippy gave a slight nod and patted Fox on the shoulder. "Well you can't go rescuing a damsel in distress with next to no energy. You need food Fox, so why don't you go retrieve your poor chair back there and grab yourself a spot at the table. I'll throw your plate together, you're gonna love it!"
Fox breathed a pathetic laugh as a smile crept onto his face. "Thanks Slippy..." He said, another tear slipping down his cheek.
Slippy gave Fox a smile and another pat on the shoulder before hurrying back to his ingredients. "You're gonna get through this." He announced over his shoulder as he worked. He tossed the Gornt meat and broccoli on a plate together, mixed it up, then poured some tangy, bottled sauce that he had personally heated and tweaked over it all. He then walked over and placed the plate and a fork he grabbed from one of the counter drawers in front of Fox, who had forced himself back into his place at the table. Slippy grabbed the spot Amanda originally was in.
Fox gave Slippy another word of thanks before picking up his eating utensil and going to take his first bite, however the end of the fork came to a halt right outside his mouth. Fox continued to hold it there, his face portraying the struggle he was facing to bring it the rest of the way. He finally surrendered as he lowered the utensil back onto the plate, screwing his eyes shut as his head fell and hung above his dish. "Why… was I such a coward? Why didn't I let her choose for herself when I had her?"
"Because you care for her and you wanted her safe-"
Fox took a breath to respond with, but Slippy jumped to it first. "REGARDLESS, of what ended up happening; your intentions were for her safety. Even if you had chosen to keep her with us, she very well could have been… you know… hurt, with us; with you. It's not really possible to see the future."
Fox still didn't look back up. "…At least she would've been happy…"
"We screw up sometimes." Slippy said, cracking a grin. "What matters is we do everything we can to redeem our mistakes. From what I can tell, you are doing just that! Minus one thing…"
Fox looked up at Slippy curiously, his eyes red and dry from the tears he had completely expended.
"Eat!" Slippy commanded.
Fox gave an embarrassed smile as he looked back down at his food. "I wish my stomach was more cooperative…"
"It's not your stomach Fox, it's your heart. For Krystal's sake, force it down; bite by bite. I think you'll find your stomach'll come to its senses."
Fox chuckled as he raised his fork and took his first bite. The food lit up his taste buds as the meat, though a bit overdone, squeezed out its juices from the pressure of Fox's teeth and mixed with the sweet, piquant sauce drizzled over it. Even the broccoli added its own wonderfully unique flavor. If only he didn't have that sickly feeling that continued to plague his emotions, this would've been a meal Fox would've thoroughly enjoyed. However, he did as his friend had told him and continued eating; bite by bite. Halfway through his dish, Fox paused again. "How do you do it?"
Slippy looked at Fox nervously curious. Why do people keep asking me questions and expect me to know their subject?!
Fox sensed his friend's confusion. "With Amanda… knowing each day that she could… die; by your side."
Slippy had to think for a moment before answering. "You know… it's… it's a partnership. She too faces the same thing. I very well could die by her side, has she left me?"
Fox's gut grew tight as he felt like puking; his ears resumed buzzing and his vision grew fuzzy as they had before he lost consciousness just moments ago.
Slippy caught Fox's expression and instantly wished he had said that better. "I don't mean to guilt trip you with that, it isn't easy! It's just…" Slippy searched for the words to keep going, yet fell at a loss.
Slippy's words brought Fox's senses back with a cold sweat, though his guilt was still unconquered. "I heard you talking with Amanda… I know it's not easy for you… but you still do it. Why couldn't I… have seen it how you do…?"
Slippy milled the question over in his mind. He had never really realized how inspirational his relationship with Amanda was. Now he had his close friend since they were younglings, sitting in front of him in pieces; wishing he had made the same choices as he had. I actually always modeled the amount of passion you had for Krystal. Slippy thought. You treated her better than I've ever seen any male treat his mate, until she got kicked off… But even then, you did it out of love… and ultimately it was a choice that destroyed you; it's still destroying you! Slippy decided to revert back to the best way to handle Fox. I can't make you forgive yourself, but I can assist you in redeeming your sins.
"I'm not an all wise one," Slippy started out, "but I'm willing to bet that holding onto your past will not help you in saving her. You made bad choices, but the only way to get her back, to safety I mean, is to stop focusing on what you did, and stay focused on what you're going to do."
Fox looked at his dish, as if to ask himself if facing his past was something he could actually do.
Upon seeing Fox's continued struggle, Slippy added, "Don't let her pain be what sinks you; let it be what fuels you! You may have put her there, but who physically pulled that trigger?"
Slippy could hear Fox gritting his teeth behind his lips.
"And now, who is the one responsible for getting her out?" He continued.
Fox remained silent, but for Slippy his answers were clear. He dropped his tone to one that commanded a decision be made; whether verbally or mentally. "What are you gonna do?"
Fox looked up at Slippy with a savage determination. "I'm gonna do what I have to, to save her." The vicious blood lust returned in Fox's eyes, and Slippy could tell his teeth were still grit behind the tensing skin over his mouth. "Then I'm gonna slaughter Andross' grandson."
…
Amanda had stood outside the door of the kitchen the entire time, waiting for either Fox or Slippy, or both, to emerge. As her husband had predicted, Falco showed up hardly fifteen seconds after Fox's outburst; ready to bust a certain head. Amanda deeply savored the sweet taste of telling him to fly back to what he was previously doing, and that she and Slippy had it under control.
Unable to cut her off like he did back when they were conversing over the comm lines, Falco was no match for her stubbornness and had to turn away grumbling, "Just wait till he goes for one of your throats, you'll come crying."
Amanda's blood boiled a little at that comment. Why do you have to assume the worst with him, you arrogant-
Finally the door slid open and Fox darted out, headed off somewhere in the ship. Amanda felt slight relief upon seeing a flame of hope and determination in his eyes. Her relief was mixed with confusion and slight worry when she switched eyes to her husband, who was now sitting with his head in one hand looking distressed. She walked into the kitchen and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Why the long face baby?"
Slippy breathed a sigh of defeat. "Why do I even try? I knew it wasn't a good idea to try, I just… thought I was doing great!"
Amanda gave his shoulder a positive shake. "Looks like you did great to me, he bolted outta here looking ready to save Krystal two times over!"
Slippy inhaled through his teeth as he sat up straight and looked at his wife. "Oh yeah, I got him hyped to save Krystal, as well as 'slaughter Andross' grandson'…"
Amanda slowly released her grip on Slippy's shoulder as she turned away from him and starred towards the doorway. "I don't blame him."
"You don't get it." Slippy stated. "I mean he legitimately wants to slaughter Dash. You didn't see the look in his eyes, the grit of his teeth, the snarl of his snout. He wants that ape's blood; bad!"
Amanda whirled around and faced her husband. Her growing sympathy for Fox pushing her towards a hostile defense. "And who can blame him?! You know what he did to her! Why wouldn't he?! Wouldn't you?!"
Slippy looked down at the grated floor. "I don't blame him, I-I wouldn't blame anyone, but this is Fox we're talking about; well hearted Fox. The Fox that always seeks the absolute best solution to every situation. If he succumbs to this world of madness he's been tossed into, who is he going to come out as?"
Amanda was caught without a reply.
Slippy looked up and met her face to face. "To murder Dash in cold blood, would be to murder himself as we know him."
…
What are you thinking?! Lucy lectured herself. He's been beaten, captured, tortured, and threatened into a world of hell, and you're wanting to spark something up?! Stupid Lucy! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Lucy finally pulled herself out of her head enough to see where her legs had taken her; the hallway that split the Great Fox II's hanger.
The passage stretched a good one hundred meters ahead of her, matching the length of both bays, and every twenty-five meters were duly placed openings big enough to allow large crates and equipment to be passed over to the adjacent hanger. All of these openings had inactive emergency force field barricades installed in case the shields to each hanger spacecraft entrance were ever to go down. The walls to the hallway could also be drawn into the floor via the control panels in the bridge or a smaller panel in the hanger itself; this allowed larger items such as starfighters to pass between the bays. Feeling relief at seeing and hearing that it was completely empty, Lucy crossed over into the starboard side hanger and picked a spot on the outside wall of the hallway, slid to the floor, and hung her head between her knees.
You aren't even on his mind right now, how could you be?! The real love of his life is the one that he's been threatened with, what kind of male would he be if he had anything but rescuing her on his mind?! Stupid! Stupid Lucy! Then came the thought that always kept her hope burning, if only it didn't keep her confusion equally alive. He's never kicked me off. He's looked out for me very closely and never put me in any danger greater than they each face individually, but he's also trusted me to look out for myself.
She lifted her head up as her eyes danced around to different spots on the floor, as if her mind were spread out on the ground and she was skimming through its contents. Could that trust be something he simply doesn't have for Krystal? One that he couldn't form? Does that mean… maybe… she was more of a burden to him? He could've loved her, at one point, but maybe upon discovering her inability to adequately protect herself, she became a liability to him? Just like every other civilian in this world?
Stupid Lucy! Stupid, stupid, stupid! He loves her! He's nearly gone insane over her brutal imprisonment. Yet a certain word began to burn in her head that weakened the love factor. Attachment. He tried to free himself of that responsibility, but his past love for her gave him an attachment that upon learning she had put herself back in danger by joining Star Wolf, he's automatically re-assumed his role as protector.
Maybe he wants to move on… that's why he's let me stay. It could be that he doesn't care for me, that my fate on this team doesn't matter as much to him as Krystal's did… But if that were true, then me being Peppy Hare's daughter would have still put enough weight on him to want to kick me off as well. He's not a coward though, he can accept the responsibility of a life; I'm the proof! But his attachment to Krystal is keeping him from moving on…
The sound of approaching footsteps severed her from her thoughts. Lucy lightly hopped to her feet, pressed herself as close to the wall as she could, and listened. She heard the comer walk within a meter of the wall behind which she was hiding, but then the steps trailed off towards the port hanger. Curious to find out who it was, Lucy kneeled, laid her ears flat along the back of her head, and peeked around the corner of one of the openings.
Keeping the starboard hanger reserved for their starcraft, the portside side bay was used for storage. The only cargo the team really had was food, hygiene, and medical crates; about a month's supply at a time.
They also invested in plenty of repair parts for the vital organs of the ship. However, these took up a large amount of space in the port bay. Crates full of engine room parts, wiring and circuit boards, backup battery cells and generators, as well as stacks of panels and wire made of a strong metal alloy for emergency welding nearly covered the portside floor.
At first, Lucy had seen nothing but the cargo they stored in the opposing bay, but then Fox stepped into her sight. Lucy instantly ducked back behind the concealment of her wall, praying he hadn't seen her.
Upon hearing a crate being pried open and dug into, she crouched even lower, laid her ears back, and peered back out to observe. Out of a crate that kept him in her view, Fox had pulled about five food cans; pausing on the last can. He stared at it closely as his grip on it slowly tightened, his eyes screwed shut, and his entire body began to tense and shiver. As quickly as it had begun, Fox shook himself of it and disappeared into the cargo.
Lucy rolled back into a sitting position and laid her head against the wall a bit harder than she meant to. Ow… She mouthed as she brought her head forward and gently rubbed the back of it. Love or attachment…? She asked herself as she began to analyze what she'd seen. Either way, he'd had a thought that brought him pain; immense pain… Lucy recalled the veins she had noticed bulging through the skin and fur on his neck alongside the muscles that defined it. She felt a little foolish, but she couldn't help allowing sights like that to feed her attraction to him.
The image of him standing in his boxer briefs flashed back in her head, followed by his completely bare state before. She blushed and immediately tried to erase them, but they had already left their imprint. Her mind traced over Fox's lean, well defined body. Even in his usual clothing that he currently wore, certain routine movements he made gave hints of the muscles sculpted into his frame. Fox was never a gym addict, from what she knew of him, but she did catch him indulging himself in mission based training, calisthenics, and running whenever time permitted; and everyone on Star Fox knew that he routinely kept his eating habits as healthy and natural as the team's budget and storage capabilities would allow.
Lucy's ears picked up Fox walking back out of the collection of crates. She looked back around the corner in the same low-to-the-ground way she had before and watched. Fox stepped out of sight for a moment, but came back carrying a fully automatic laser rifle. He made a few adjustments to the switches and bolts on the rifle, then entered a power cell. Lucy gazed admirably at him, aweing over his confident and knowledgeable actions. You always look like such a soldier.
Afterwards, Fox raised the blaster into a firm firing position and fired at the roof of the hanger. Lucy could tell by the sound the shot made upon contact that it was simply a stun blast. The team never trained using full powered laser shots while in the Great Fox.
Suddenly his head turned towards her and Lucy darted back into cover; tensing with terror and praying she made it in time. Please don't check, please don't check, please don't ch- She heard his approaching footsteps. No-no-no-no-no-no-no! She noted the Sky Claw three meters from her and instincts took over. Light as a feather she darted to its wing, leapt, reached, grabbed, and pulled herself upon it; laying flat without a sound. She heard his footsteps reach where she had been and halt. She could nearly sense his tense gaze scan over the hanger. All she could do was hold her breath and wait.
Eternity passed, then silently she exhaled with great relief as his footsteps departed back to where he came. After moments more went by without his return, she crept across the wing to the dismount ladder on the craft. Once back on the ground, she returned to her wall and listened. Her ears picked up his lungs taking and releasing a deep breath before shouting, "Firing!" Then his footsteps took off into the crates.
Lucy fell back to her sitting position as his blaster fire brought her rest. You are a soldier! Just look at your sense of awareness and security… She thought with grateful humor. Fox himself refused to claim to be one of the best fighters known to the universe, but Lucy wished he could see what she did; it was her most passionate admiration of him. You have bravery, you have mental and physical strength, and you put them both into your determination! It's your greatest quality, but also your greatest weakness… You've created this allegiance to Krystal that you cannot break, you're determined to see her safety through to the end, even if it means trading the galaxy for her!
The hope inside herself began to grow with excitement. What if you were shown another way…? That someone else cares for you like she did, someone you can put trust in. Someone you could love without having to babysit. What choice would you make? Lucy heard Fox curse himself at a poor shot he had taken. Pity mixed with her emotions. What are you doing Fox? You're going to kill yourself over this…
Her heart began to race with disbelief that she was actually considering telling him. This is stupid Lucy! If you're wrong, you could lose any respect that he possibly has for you, he could begin to HATE you! The entire group would consider you crazy, self-absorbed, and selfish! You might just buy your own ticket back home teaching astrophysics again…
Lucy shuttered at that thought. How quickly you forget, there was a point Fox had refused to be responsible for you…
Before she had taken up teaching, she too had chased the dream of a pilot; taking volunteer classes at the Cornerian Flight Academy and from her father. Once a confident fighter pilot, she reached out to the Star Fox team and attempted to join; Fox instantly shut her request down.
Lucy had been blown away at first, though she later learned from her father that Fox was currently undergoing great strife under just having let go another female pilot he was terrified of losing to Star Fox's dangerous career. Calming her frustrations with understanding, and refusing to serve under a military contract or any other rag-tag merc' group, Lucy surrendered and pursued another passion; astrophysics. She already knew plenty about the field through her own childhood research and additional knowledge gained while learning in-space flight and navigation; so it didn't take long for her to land a respectable position as a professor at a university on Fitchina.
Lucy had enjoyed teaching about the nature of the vast amounts stars and planets to others, watching their eyes light up daily at the glory they held; but nothing could compare to experiencing that glory in person. Being surrounded by the bright, vibrant colors and shapes of each individual piece of the galaxy was nothing short of a dream; a dream that she was finally able to live out through Star Fox.
Upon an attempted siege of Fitchina by the Anglars during the Anglar Blitz, Lucy had instantly stepped up to the fight along the Cornerian Military and the arriving Star Fox team. They were victorious, and after assertively rallying with Star Fox back in the Great Fox II's hanger, Lucy made a second attempt to join their ranks. Fox finally admitted her potential, and Lucy was now free to take flight alongside them and the infinite amount of stars the galaxy held.
It was an addiction, her first love. She couldn't go back to that university, not after what she'd gotten a taste of.
But if I'm right… her pulse grew faster. Could I… Would he… bring an end to all this before it begins? Lucy looked back around the corner, her ears focusing back on the blasts that Fox continued to emit from his rifle. Could we actually… be together? The sounds were slightly muffled through the blood that was now violently pumping through her ears. Her head spun as the veins in her wrists and chest began to noticeably pulse under her skin. I have to try… if there's any chance I have of saving him, I have to try!
Her decision was made. She slowly rose to her feet, building the energy she needed to fight the tightness in her throat in order to announce a cease fire. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
"Entering the hanger!"
Lucy's eyes grew wide as her entire body stopped beating. She quickly slammed herself back against the wall she used as her concealment. Once she resumed breathing she crouched and peered back around into the passageway to see who had beat her to the announcement.
….
"Entering the hanger!" Falco bellowed as he casually walked down the hallway that split the Great Fox's hanger into two bays. He strolled down to the second set of openings and turned towards the one on the port side. Out of the maze of crates and materials stepped Fox, carrying a fully automatic laser rifle in a patrol ready position.
"How much time ya got left?" Falco asked as he came to a halt.
"Three hours, fifty-eight minutes." Fox answered without even checking the watch he had been given.
Falco observed that the watch wasn't even on his wrist. "And what are you up to right now?"
"Target practice and maneuvers. You need something?"
Falco shrugged in his care free manner. "Just checkin' up on ya."
"I'm fine. Now please either leave or stay right where you are so that you don't end up getting stunned." With that Fox turned and headed back into the cargo. He had sounded more earnest and stressed than irritated.
Someone's pumped full of anxiety. Falco thought with condolence as he followed Fox; snatching a mango from one of the crates and indulging with a bite."All these drills are gonna end up exhausting you before your actual task;" He commented as he chewed. "You already need rest from what you previously went through."
Fox gave no response, he just continued through the vast setup of assorted crates; stopping at every cluster of two to three vegetable and/or soup cans he found on the floor to set them back on top of the metal box or boxes nearest to them.
Yeah, that's what I'd say too. Falco swallowed and smirked, simultaneously assessing the cans to have come from the ship's kitchen or one of the food crates here in the bay. He searched for a new way to investigate Fox's head. "So… your watch: complements of Bowman?"
"It was on my wrist when I woke up." Fox said shortly. He had stopped at another couple of cans but only set one of them up on a crate, leaving the second standing up right on the ground as he continued on.
Now you're starting to sound testy… Falco thought, but decided to keep prodding anyway."Woke up?" He nonchalantly asked, taking another bite of his fruit. He caught Fox's muscles tense at his continued questioning.
"After Dash made his wishes clear to me, his crony put me under. Next thing I knew, I woke up in my fighter on some empty plain on Venom, with the watch on my wrist." With all the cans back in their intended place, Fox started to head back towards the perimeter of the 'cargo city'.
Falco swallowed. "Who's the crony? A surviving member of Dash's military?"
Fox stopped and closed as eyes as he breathed an irritated sigh. "It doesn't matter." He said sternly. He opened his eyes and resumed walking. "None of it matters…" He added as his tone calmed.
Falco gave another collected shrug as he followed. "Sorry, just tryin' to get a background to your situation here;" He snatched another bite. "Look at the details and help you formulate a plan." By the time he finished both he and Fox were back where they started.
"My plan..." Fox slightly shuffled his feet in place, his back was still to Falco. "I've been thinking it through over and over ever since I woke up on Venom, and my task has been left as such a mystery that I have no idea who I'm meeting, where I'm meeting, where he or she will be taking me and what the heck it is I have to steal." Fox looked down at his weapon and began to check various settings on it. "My only guess is it's going to be something high tech, so it's most likely going to be locked away in a secure facility inside an already heavily guarded section of the base."
Fox turned towards Falco, but his attention was directed towards different areas as he spoke his mind, as if visualizing his words. "Fly in? Better say a prayer before you challenge their countless surface to air defense systems. Don't even get me started on the Landmaster, they'd have us surrounded in seconds."
Fox removed his supporting hand from his rifle to accompany his speech with gestures. "On foot? Maybe, but I won't be able to sneak any weapons in there; they'll scan me head to toe. Even if I did make it all the way to the package without any trouble, there's absolutely no way I could get it out. Even if the item was small and concealable, the scanners would pick it up underneath my clothing; that's if it wasn't rigged from the start with an alarm that will go off when touched."
"I guess I could try to steal a guard's weapon, fight past the rest of them as well as any sentry turrets, security fields, and Lylat knows what else; but I'm no special ops soldier. I know moderate level infantry tactics at best. I'll be going up against countless highly trained soldiers who run close range combat drills in their spare time."
Fox looked at Falco as a glint of hope appeared in his eyes. "The sewers were the final thing I considered. I've been having R.O.B. search the Cornerian data base for any structural information on Katina he can find." He nodded in the direction one would have to head to reach the Great Fox II's bridge.
Fox continued. "The few files he's found that would be of use are classified. Now granted he can covertly hack into them, I might just have a way; but only if time will allow. If my contact on the ground isn't willing to provide me an exact 'address'-" Fox performed the quotation symbols with the fingers on his free hand, "of where it is I need to go, then that plan is dead in the water. There'd be no time to cross reference the entire planet's surface layout with the layout of the tunnels." Fox's gaze fell towards the ground. "If I made an error or a wrong turn, Krystal would be good as dead."
Fox looked back at Falco. "My plan, is to meet with this contact and hope to the powers above me that he or she has something in mind. Dash could hardly contain his excitement in telling me how he had it planned from the start to use me for this. He knows something, something that's going to allow me to get him that equipment."
Falco stared at Fox. "Take a moment and catch your breath." He teased.
Fox turned away from Falco and towards the community of steel boxes, lifting his rifle again to make sure it was loaded. Afterwards he slowly lowered it, and a few moments past in complete silence. Finally, he spoke again. "I have one shot to save her, Falco. I don't have time for a second chance. Corneria's gotten word of the uprising involving Venom and the rest of their response force is on its way. Bowman and his crony have plans to hold them off, but they can't hold out forever. Whatever path I take on Katina has to work, or she dies."
With that, Fox tucked the weapon into his shoulder, kneeled to a low crouch position, and darted into the maze of crates. "Firing!" He shouted as he disappeared.
Falco directed his eyes to the floor. And by death, you mean absolute mutilation. What the hell kind of universe is this? It's not just a good ol' shot to the head anymore. Either way, what we're about to do is absolutely insane! No one deserves to go out like that, but we're still talking one life versus trillions! But I'm probably blowing it out of the water, he'll just enslave us all once he's been named King of Lylat.
Falco blew out a long, dramatic exhale before biting back into his fruit, continuing his train of thought. Then with the slicking back of the feathers on his head, he swallowed and muttered, "Hell, I guess we can try to take back what we stole after she's safe." Another bite and a shrug. "If not, I've never had an issue with running from the law before."
"I'm going to kill him." Fox spoke with menacing sincerity as he came back out of his combat range.
Falco had nearly jumped. Either you're fast, or I was in my head for longer than I thought. Deeper than I thought too… He hadn't heard a single shot.
Fox was looking him dead in the eye. "I'll die with him if that's what it takes, but I will kill him."
Falco stopped chewing, studying Fox closely. Damn… The soul hungry tone of Fox's voice sent a chill up his spine. You aren't bluffing.
Before either of them could think any further, R.O.B.'s voice came over the ship's intercom. "STATUS REPORT, THE FILES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY DOWNLOADED AND ARE READY FOR VIEW. WE ARE ALSO APPROACHING KATINA, ETA TEN MINUTES."
Fox switched the safety back on, unloaded the rifle, and set both the rifle and cartridge back in the crate from which he pulled it. "Guess practice is over…" His voice became low and dismal, as if the weight of what was about to be attempted just hit him. Fox turned around and headed towards the hallway that would lead him to the bridge. "You coming?" He asked Falco over his shoulder.
Falco swallowed and started off after him. "You kidding? You ain't leaving me behind in this gray, dreary place." He tossed the small remainder of his mango off in the distance.
"Really?" Fox commented playfully over his shoulder, though Falco knew it was far from playful.
"You know it; I always loosen up whenever you're too occupied with somethin else."
…...
Lucy listened to the teasing banter between the two sets of footsteps fade into the distance; leaving her in silence. She looked around at the gray, rusted steel walls that towered over her from all sides. Darn it Falco, why'd you have to say that?! She replayed the whole conversation in her head, recalling the passion in Fox's voice when he spoke of Krystal. Her attention was drawn back to the walls. Their tall presence suddenly felt damning, as if they were burning her with a fiery stare.
You are being so selfish! Why are you so concerned about where Fox's heart is when lives are at stake?! The answer came instantly. Because he could lose his life to this. If there's any chance I could talk him out of this madness… What if you're wrong Lucy? Lucy sounded a frustrated grunt as she grabbed both her ears, one in each hand, and yanked them down the sides of her head. The pain felt nothing less than deserving; it ignited a headache that her indecisiveness fueled without sparing. She shut her eyes tightly and prayed. What do I do? Am I just to sit back and wait this out? Let him go and hope he survives?! Her hands dropped to her sides as her ears slowly rose to their natural position. She sat still for minutes on end until she reached a conclusion. You'll wait. Maybe the task will provide him an answer so I won't have too. Katina's forces should only capture him at worst.
She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of what that would result in. She knew Krystal only through short confrontations with her via Star Fox's interactions with Star Wolf, primarily during the Anglar Blitz, but the fate that awaited the blue vixen was one that not even the darkest of souls deserved. The only thing that slightly eased Lucy's nausea was Falco's logic of trading one life for billions. But what about Fox? Her death will kill him right alongside her, how much of himself would he lose? Could his mind be repaired from that burden? If I'm wrong, if he does truly love Krystal, he'd be lost forever.
Lucy stood up and began to make her way over to the large force field that separated the Great Fox hanger from the vacuum of space. But if I'm right, we could pull him out of it. We could save him, and then I'd confess. Her heart began racing along with the stars that appeared to dart away from the large vessel as it traveled to Katina. She felt she was diving into her own world of madness. Am I hoping for a fantasy? Or could this be real? Lucy closed her eyes and bowed her head. I'll wait. One way or another his future will be set, and whichever way it heads will determine my chances.
What if he makes it? What if he obtains what he's after and escapes Katina? He'll go after her. He'll return to Venom where his chances of survival are even slimmer. Lucy had every doubt in her mind that Dash would just let Fox and/or Krystal walk away. Am I just going to let him walk to the guillotine without trying? Without saying a word? Would it matter if I did? Would I appear the selfish, coldhearted dunce? Or would I open his eyes to the chance of a life of freedom? A life where he no longer had to play protector?
Lucy gave a light, drawn out sigh. It's a gamble Lucy, there's no denying it. Is the chance worth your position on this team and the respect you have from its members? Lucy opened her eyes and looked back out towards the never-ending amount of stars the Great Fox barreled past as it drew close to its destination. It won't be long until I find out.
…
"These could work; I just wish we knew where you were going..." Slippy said as he anxiously continued to scan the three-dimensional map of Katina's sewer system layout over and over.
Fox turned away from the cylindrical holographic table the map was projected from, looking out the bridge's observation window toward the desert planet that was their destination; watching it increase in size as they drew closer. He began to feel his fear creep up his spine, stimulating every hair on his back to stand. Fortunately, through determination, he was able to keep his tail from fluffing. "We can't even land until I know where I'm supposed to meet my liaison."
Falco was leaning against the control panel that stretched out from the steel wall right underneath the glass of the observation window; hardly a couple meters from Fox. "You could always try the visitor center." He commented with a cool smirk, arms folded, and eyes lazily shut; as if he were napping.
Fox showed no reaction to Falco's sarcasm. He only responded, "I might have to if no one contacts me soon."
Falco glanced at Fox, then chuckled as he looked over at the 3D map of Katina's sewer system.
Slippy and R.O.B. were continuously scanning over the hundreds of sections that could be accessed from inside any high security portion of the planet, then tracing the underground tunnels to any area that could be used as an extraction point. Slippy announced his next fact. "We'd also have to worry about flooding, over half of these tunnels are going to be filled with water; which is going to make an escape even more difficult..."
"And a dead end would be a dead end in more ways than one…" Fox mumbled. His fear spiked; causing his pupils to expand as the fur all over his body rippled from the chilling wave that swept through his body. He could come up with all the plans and alternative options that the mind could comprehend; he could gear up with the best uniform, weapons, and gadgets ever designed; he could train till he dropped, educating himself in every area of combat that would prove useful; but none of it would matter if the mission were to end in failure. Krystal would suffer… suffer slowly until her body shut down from the unbearable torment, torment that I brought upon her! Fox tensed, which brought back a sudden soreness in his lower left jaw. He lifted his left hand to it and slowly massaged it. Fox had felt it before while he was eating Slippy's dish; the chewing was what first brought his attention to the stressed area. Probably from one of the blows I took from that lion…
"But where there's a problem," Slippy continued. "There's a solution. It's still sketchy, this whole operation is! But once at your destination, if we were to find you a good tunnel to slip into, and if we could find an entry point to that same tunnel from an isolated location, we could use Amanda's Tadpole to retrieve you!"
Fox ran it through his mind. Just like every other idea, it had the potential to succeed, but it had the same potential to fail. There was no sure-fire way through this. All Fox could do was choose, dive in head first, and pray that he would surface. Please… He internally begged. Please, for her sake, let me fix this. You've taken both my parents away from me, please don't take her! It's my fault she's there! You can have me once she's safe, but let me end her pain! Rarely in his life had Fox turned to prayer. His life had taught him that when bad things happen, you can either sit, wait, and pray for something that may not deliver, or you can adapt to your struggles and keep moving. However, when prayer was the only thing left to do, even Fox would fall on his knees and beg for the allegiance of the powers above him.
Falco groaned lightly as he stood up and let his arms fall to his sides. "How long exactly are you going to wait for this guy?"
Fox's gaze fell to the floor as he closed his eyes. "I don't know… let's go ahead and make contact with Katina security and ask for permission to land."
Falco looked at Fox with a bored expression. "And what reason for our visit are we going to give them that you expect to be believed?"
Fox looked back towards the planet. "That we're headed to the freaking visitor center." He answered, expressionless.
Falco chuckled as he leaned back up against the control panel, grasping the edge to both sides of him with his hands for extra support. "This will be interesting."
"SHALL I MAKE CONTACT?" R.O.B inquired.
Fox sighed through his nose. "Go ahead..."
Everyone fell silent while R.O.B. began to input the commands into the keypad embedded in the holographic table to send a call out to Katina. The 3D map of the sewer lines disintegrated and was replace by a model of Katina. The model had a one-meter radius and a flashing red dot marked the exact location the team was reaching out to. The table sounded a light, repeating beeping noise that indicated that connection had not yet been made. Around seven seconds passed before the planet switched out with the upper portion of a uniformed black bear that looked as if he snacked at his work station all day and only stood up to relieve himself or go home. "Identify yourself." The bear ordered.
Fox turned around and faced the hologram. "This is Fox McCloud, leader of Star Fox."
The bear shifted his eyes toward something ground-ward; pecking could be heard as if he were typing away at a keyboard. "I have you here McCloud, state your business."
"Requesting permission to… dock…" What the heck am I gonna say?!
"I'm going to need a where and why."
Fox could tell the bear was easily getting agitated. Fox blanked, giving a quick glance at Falco who just mouthed, 'visitor center', with a wide, teasing grin.
C'mon Fox, think of something! Fox drew a quick inhale. "We're headed to one of your main docks to-"
"Wait, wait…" The bear interrupted. "Your identification has a notification uploaded to it that has orders for you… to head to the main intelligence headquarters in the thirty second quadrant of Katina. It says you are to dock at that exact harbor and… await security to board and search out your vessel for any active threats. Uhhh… once you're cleared, you and a Slippy Toad will be escorted through the security gate that surrounds the headquarters and lead to the entrance where you will rendezvous with a Captain Dalles. He will inform you further from there... Any questions?"
Relief gave Fox his breath, put panic stole it right back. On one side he sent up a thank you for the first part of his prayer being answered, but on the other side he was gravely alarmed that not only was his presence requested, but Slippy's as well. The mission had just become more complicated. Fox now had to worry about getting his best friend out alive along with himself. Damn it Dash! He fought hard to keep himself composed. How dare you go and drag one more member of my family into this! Fox looked over at Slippy who appeared just as flabbergasted.
"Hello?" The bear asked irritably.
Fox pipped up. "No. No, we… we understand. We're on our way to the thirty second quadrant. Have a great rest of your day."
"Thank you." The bear said, his voice making it all too obvious of his relief to finally be off the call. He faded from the table, and the blue lighting fell dark.
Falco was the first to speak. "How the hell does a blob like that keep his position in the military?" His face looked as if he were actually giving the matter a little thought as he continued to stare, disgusted, at the holographic table where the bear once had been.
Fox nor Slippy even heard him. The two simply locked their deeply surprised eyes.
This isn't happening… Fox thought as he intensely analyzed what he was just told; over and over in his head.
"Well…" Slippy said with a nervous smile, breaking the momentary silence. "I g-guess I've always wanted to s-see the inside of the universe's int-telligence capitol…"
The previously caring Amanda for Fox and his situation, instantly turned on him. "I don't care what the orders are, he's not coming with you! You aren't dragging him into this!"
Fox didn't put up even the slightest fight. "You're right, he's… he's not going to be put at risk for my mistakes." Just… what happens if Dash doesn't like that he's not with me? What happens to Krystal?!
Slippy jumped in. "Honey, I'm n-not letting him go in alone! If they are g-giving me permission to ac-company-"
Amanda cut him off. "I don't want to hear it Slippy, he doesn't need you! He will figure it out on his own!" She glared over at Fox. "You will figure it out on your own."
Fox felt more guilt than fear from her, and simply nodded as he looked down toward the ground. I'm sorry Krystal…
For one of the rare times in his life, Slippy snapped. He hopped on top of the holographic table to gain a height advantage on his wife, and spoke with an attention-grabbing sternness. "My dear water lily, I've tolerated your controlling temper nearly our whole marriage, and will continue to tolerate it, but not today! Today, I am going with my friend into that headquarters! That's not his decision, that's not Dash's decision, that is my decision!"
Amanda filled with rage at her husband's defiance and appeared to make an attempt to retaliate, but after a few seconds of silence, her expression fell depressed as she turned and quickly departed down the stairs.
Slippy went to chase after her.
"Slippy!" Fox called.
Slippy stopped and looked back at Fox.
"Stay here with her. I'm the one who put Krystal there, I'm the one who's getting her out. If this put you in your grave…"
Slippy smiled at Fox like he was acting ridiculous. "You aren't getting rid of me, besides, I just stood up to my wife! There's no turning back now."
Fox didn't return the humor. "That wasn't an offer Slippy; that was an order."
Slippy gave a final rebuttal before continuing on after Amanda. "Can't you see? I'm not following orders today, captain."