A Wolf in Fox's Clothing

Chapter 10 - A Terrible Crisis

Our ships flew out from the docking bay of the City Capitol. I glanced on Leon and Panther, who both demanded to be discharged from the hospital as soon as they heard that the Aparoids were coming. I was worried because I knew they haven't fully recovered yet. Some of their wounds were still covered in bandages and gauzes, but I knew they wouldn't back out. I would just have to keep my eyes on them.

It wasn't long before I could hear them argue. I was pretty sure Falco would soon begin to insult Leon or Panther.

"Whoa, lizard boy, you sure you could still fly?" I heard Falco taunt Leon from the communications... just as I thought. "You still wrapped around in your bandages. I don't want to cram my style by having to watch your back!"

As expected, the chameleon would make a response. "Impudent fowl! You'll be the one who'll need to watch your back! I won't be saving you when you-Agh!" His sudden jerk made me worry.

"Leon?" I asked. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just got some random pain," he responded. I could tell that he was having a hard time breathing before he adjusted to a regular breathing pace. "Don't mind me."

"I can't risk you both," I told them. I wouldn't risk them again. "I know I won't be able to convince you two to turn back, but I don't want the both of you to die because of your current state. I'll be asking Fox's crew to keep an eye on you..." Hopefully, they would still listen to me, even though Fox was around. "Slippy, keep an eye on Leon. Krystal, you keep an eye on Panther. Is that fine with you, Fox?"

"No problem." he quickly answered. "You guys keep an eye on them, okay?"

"Well... okay," Slippy replied with some sort of uncertainty.

As I thought, Panther wouldn't like it. "But... It would be quite un-gentleman of me to allow Krystal to watch over me, when I should be the one protecting her."

"Oh, be quiet," she scolded him. "I know you'll get your chance soon once you recovered your injuries."

I wanted to hear them bicker more, but I realized that we were reaching space zone. "Quiet, everyone. We're here."

Fox then added, "All we have to do is to rendezvous with the small Cornerian fleet." I looked around the empty space, and even at my radar. What did he mean by Cornerian fleet? There was no one around.

"What fleet?" Leon wondered. "I don't see anything!"

"Fox... I thought we were supposed to meet with the fighters the General deployed!" Falco suddenly reacted. We both probably felt the same thing - something bad had happened. "Don't tell me they got blasted off by the enemy!"

"Oh no... I don't think they were blasted by the enemy," Slippy spoke, confirming my worries. When I looked at the space again, I suddenly saw many crafts coming from the darkness. There was a larger one at the center... Wait, those smaller crafts. They resembled the Cornerian fleet ship! "They... they are the enemy!" My hands suddenly shook on their own. I felt nervous.

"Goodness... Is that the Cornerian fleet?" Krystal gasped. Yeah... We were all quite terrified. If the Aparoids Lander had created could infect quite a number of ships this quickly... then we really had little hope here.

"Huh? We're receiving transmission?" Panther said. The monitor in our HUD was giving a static signal until an infected dog pilot appeared. "The hell...?!"

"You shall join us... You shall evolve with us," he spoke in a robotic tone. The way he looked gave me the shiver - he has very little fur aside from his snout... all armored and freaky. "Our creator... shall take over your planet..." Just as I thought... They were beginning the attack on Corneria.

The screen suddenly went static again. Lander's head popped up, all in his Aparoid greatness. It was as if his whole body was melded with some ship. "Why hello there! Look at what I have done! I have created something that will allow me to take over Lylat! Thanks to you, Wolf, or should I say Fox, the whole Lylat System shall bask under my reign!" All because of me... I knew I made a big mistake. My hands were shaking.

"Don't listen to him, Wolf!" Fox shouted back. "You had to do it because your friends are in danger! Just keep that in mind!" Friends huh? Did it include him? "We'll stop him!"

"Stop me? Hah! In a matter of minutes, you lot will also join me!" Lander threatened. "Now, my minions! Attack them!"

"As you command, master."

A large group of infected ships charged towards us. There was no other choice but to fire back. "Let's crush these gnats!" I growled, charging my shot to full power and firing them. The laser homed... and... What?! "Our shots!" The beams from our ships simply bounced from their machines. "The heck?!"

We all scrambled off of our position. "All right! They're annoying! These bugs have upgraded shi-Agh!" Leon! His ship lost control and soon a barrage of lasers blasted his ship! No! "Gah!"

"Do a barrel roll, damn it!" Falco yelled, shielding the chameleon from the lasers while rolling. "You owe me big time, lizard boy!"

"Crap," the chameleon responded with some sort of ached tone. Something was wrong with him. "Bird... in front of you!"

"Huh?"

A black... swarm? It engulfed Falco's Arwing in an instant. "Falco? FALCO!" I cried out from the communications line. I received no reply but screams.

"Aghhh! No... AHHHH!! THE PAIN!! YAAARGHHH!!" he yelled out quite loud. The way how he shouted... the pain... I could feel it. It then went static. Suddenly, he popped up, only... Oh no. He was infected. "Long live the Aparoid swarm."

"No... Not Falco!" Fox shouted. "Everyone, retreat!" He was right. He had no chance of defeating this one, let alone getting out without risk of getting infected.

"Don't escape. You need to come with me, Fox," Falco, also in robotic tone, spoke. "Slippy. Krystal. You three as well, Star Wolf. Come with me. Join the swarm." His ship tailed us, and soon caught Slippy, who was the slowest on our bunch. He fired a beam at the engines of the Arwing, disabling the engines. "Slippy Toad... One of us."

"Don't help! Ungh... No! Don't help! Get out of here as fast as you can!"

Fox simply cried. I wanted to stop and turn as well, but it was risky. We couldn't... save him. We wanted to save him, but we couldn't. It wasn't a matter of time before we heard him scream and soon... acted like an Aparoid.

"Ugh... My hands are... aching too!" Panther growled. No... not him too! "Hurry, boost out of here while you still can. I'll try to stop them for a while with my laser."

"Sorry... Panther... but I swore that I would protect you..."

"Huh?"

Her ship flew behind Panther's Wolfen and lobbed a bomb. The explosion thrust his ship forward from our lines, while she was blasted back at the nearing swarm... No... not a sacrifice. "Farewell... everyone... I know... you'll save us..."

"Krystal!!"

Panther tried to speed back to the swarm, but I rammed my ship towards his. "No time, Panther!" I shouted back. I was crying too. She was the one who helped me back when I was pretending as Fox. Now... she was gone. "We'll save her!" I looked at Fox through the cockpit. He was crying as well. His team... lost. "Fox..."

"Wolf... I... I can't move on... without them."

"Fox, what are you...?" I had a feeling about this.

"Wolf... The swarm... it's getting near... At our speed, we won't be able to escape quickly." He rammed Leon's ship towards me, making me push both Leon's and Panther's Wolfen. "Wolf... promise me..."

"Fox... what are you trying to do?"

"Just promise me that you'll save me! You'll save Star Fox! You'll save Corneria! You'll save Lylat!" He wouldn't...!

I heard a bomb being lobbed at the back of my ship. "No! Fox! Don't!" I shouted. It was too risky.

"Save... everyone..."

The bomb exploded. The explosion pushed us in miles apart. His ship was absorbed by the black swarm while mine continued to boost through the Cornerian atmosphere. I wasn't sure... I was afraid. What would happen next...

"Wolf... We will save them right?" Panther asked. For the first time I saw his eyes quite moist with tears.

"We... will..."