[Phantom: well this is a short chapter, so sorry I don't have much free time on my hands with classes. but my old cars fixed and sold and I'm Rollin in a new set of wheels, it's a 98 but with some fixes it runs just like new. any way chapter ten awaits you, what glorious

Muse: just get to the story he'll be like this for a while.

Phantom: no one knows what could happen, adventure, drama and romance

Muse: no, really you need to go. like now.]

Chapter 10

Conviction

Falco could hardly believe what he was looking at. Bill had taken him and Katt to the control room where he had pulled up the Cell where a black furred, dead eyed vulpine sat Cross-legged in an empty cell "that's Fox?" he asked incredulously, turning to Bill who nodded. Katt put both hands over her mouth. "Jesus Christ… what happened to him?"

"All I know is from information we patched together through a number of sources, he won't talk to us. And Krystal's not an option, she had an emotional breakdown when she saw him."

"It was pretty cool though," said the spiky haired lab by the door.

"And who are you?" Katt asked folding her arms across her chest.

"Keith Arling, Detective stationed in the SI building. But anyway all the sudden he escapes from the first room we had him secured in. And he's leaping over the guards and down the hall and the next thing we know what's going on, he's sliding back to us on his face. There's Kursed standing in the hall all riled up, and she just starts pounding on him and."

An older looking German shepherd entered and said gruffly, "yes it was interesting," walking over to the security cam monitor he began pressing buttons "this is my favorite part." He said hitting the play button with a smirk. Falco surmised that this was security footage and not a live feed.

Fox was tied to the bed, Falco watched as Fox woke with a start and pulled at the restraints then calmed as he tested them. But soon he stilled and then strained his neck to see Keith enter the room from a different camera angle, they talked for a time, and when the coffee cup in the Keith's hand shattered it was clear Fox was provoking him. Falco saw Fox's Right paw working at the clamp and saw it give just as Keith approached the bed, there was a pause just before Fox let out a vicious upper cut that caught Keith square in the jaw and send him sprawling. "HAHAHA!" the German shepherd roared with laughter, "that was a good hit… sorry, my names Joe Demount, special Investigations." He said turning back to Falco and Katt and shaking their hands.

"Falco Lombardi." Falco said.

"Katt Monroe."

"A pleasure." Joe said, "Now I'm sure you'd like to see Miss Kur… Krystal."

"If that's alight?" Katt asked hopefully.

"If you'll follow me I can take you to her room." Joe said leaving the control room with Katt in toe. And Keith a little behind.

"Ok Bill." Falco said turning back from the door "let's talk."

X

Krystal had been left alone when Joe had suddenly left, and as it would happen a dull ache had reappeared in her Bandaged leg. It had healed rather well all things considered but it still gave her trouble, and her little brawl had probably reopened the wound a little, groaning as she stood, she hobbled over to the small foot looker that they had left her, inside where some essentials some clothes and at her request a roll of bandages so she could re-rap her leg when she needed to. She had just gotten her pants off when the door opened and Joe entered with a "you have a visitor miss…" he trailed off noticing that Krystal was only wearing a shirt and her underwear. Krystal blinked when she saw him then held the pants in front of her exposed region.

"Are you just going to stare?" she asked, Joe closed his mouth and went back outside, closing the door Krystal heard Joe talking to her visitor.

"If you'll wait she's changing clothes and,"

"Oh out of my way Girls don't worry about that with each other, move." The door opened again. Krystal turned to see a grey feline walk in, her flight suit was tattered and worn, and the blaster pistol at her side looked old and well used. She walked into the room four steps and stopped crossed her arms and looked her up and down.

"Well you don't look to bad. Little wide but you look good in lacy black." Krystal was slightly confused. Katt folded her arms "now why are you looking at me like you don't even know who I am, it's only been about five years, since you left Star Fox and you can't even remember poor little kitty Katt." Krystal rushed her and hugged Katt, not saying anything, Katt hugged her back. "Nice to see you too." Katt said.

X

It had taken nearly an hour, Falco thought, for Bill to brief him on the situation, Katt still hadn't returned, and if Krystal was here Falco could understand why, there was a lot to talk about after nearly five years. Joe had come back obviously uncomfortable being around the two women as they reunited, Falco assumed that there would be lots of crying, some giggling. After everything Bill had told the only thing Falco could think to say was "Shit." Bill nodded his agreement to that.

"Yeah, that's about it." Joe said.

"So where do things stand?"

"I'm waiting," Bill began "for Fox to understand, that this is his chance to redeem himself, in his own eyes too."

"Something tells me He's trying to pull himself out of a hole that he's dug to deep." Joe said, "there's still some good in him, his actions prove that, he's saved just as many lives as he's taken but the lives he's taken overshadow the good."

"Can I talk to him?" Bill blinked and looked at Falco who was dead serious, then to Joe who shrugged with a why not.

X

Inside the cell Fox sat cross-legged in his corner the absolute lack of noise except his breathing, fill the room. He didn't notice anything in the real world, his mind was a battle field, in his mind he was running across the poisoned planet Venom, running, fighting, dying. His breathing heavy behind his respirator. The concussion of gun fire, there were others around him. He couldn't make out there faces they were just blurs that ran beside him. A flash of light and a concussion told Fox that the mortars where falling and so were those running with him. A blast close to him knocked him off balance and he fell into the dirt, his ears rang as he scrambled to his feet and kept running.

The door to the cell opened and a tall avian walked in closing the door behind him. "Hey, Fox."

"Who?" Fox asked. Looking the figure up and down, their face was in shadows.

"Fox, Fox McCloud, you know, legendary Hero, son of the war Hero James McCloud, ring a bell."

"No, you're in the wrong cell, there are no heroes in this room." Fox said laying his head against the wall. "just a mad man."

"Come on, Foxy," the avian said "don't be like that."

Fox lifted his head "what did you call me?" the avian stepped forward casting light on his face. Fox felt a flash or recognition.

"Foxy, you don't look to good in a restraint jacket." Falco said "you got that mad fox look to ya."

"That right," Fox said in a monotone, "I'm a mad fox, a crazy bastard who kills for money." Falco walked closer.

"Not much different from what we use to do, is it?"

"They shot back." Fox said blankly.

"What?" Falco leaned closer, suddenly Fox stood, Falco wasn't sure how and his head rang after Fox head butted him and sat back down, or rather fell on his side and squirmed into a sitting position.

"We were soldiers," Fox said dragging on the words "and we fought soldiers, this isn't the same, I'm a mercenary and I kill whoever they pay me to kill."

"So why not kill for the government?" Falco asked him seemingly tired of the conversation.

"Unofficial early assignments." Fox said quietly.

"Oh, some black market Ink and Blood." Falco replied. Fox gave a chuckle for how Falco used their old slang for a hit contract. "Signed with ink, Sealed with Blood." The saying went. "So what, you could have redeemed yourself at any time, I know I've walked this path Fox, It's not impossible to turn around."

"If you have a reason to turn back," Fox looked at his hands he flashed back to the freighter vessel, the young vulpine lying on the floor in front of him, bleeding. His blood on Fox's hands. "What do I have?"

"You have friends." Falco said. Fox's ears twitched. He sat still for a while, as Falco stared down at him with a disappointed look. After a time Falco lost his patience, rushing forward, he pulled Fox up by his collar, "GOD DAMN IT FOX!" Falco shouted, "How long are you going to wallow in self-pity?" Falco pulled back his arm and struck Fox in the face, "how long are you going to soil your old man's name, by sitting here and doing nothing. Even as a criminal wanted by a number of governments, you still manage to help people who need it. Even if you don't realize it." Fox fell out of the Jacket and to the floor. He didn't bother to wipe the blood off his face from Falco's punch.

"You couldn't have just waited a little longer?" Fox said, his voice dripping in sarcasm "you know it's not easy to get out of those things." Falco cracked a half-smile.

"You little shit." Falco said throwing the jacket at him. Falco shook his head, then said, "come-on we better go see Bill. see what he wants to do next."

[ all right Falco, way to give him a kick in the pants, now... will Fox be able reconcile the past four years, right wrongs, and tell Krystal how he feels. you'll have to wait something tells me it's going to take a lot to heal this wounded war Fox.]