Happy 2009, everybody! I hope you all have been having an awesome break, and will have a great new year. I know I just made some new story, but I really want to finish this one. Plus, it's been a while since I updated this. 20 chapters...I can't believe it! Okay, enjoy!
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Fox and X glared at each other from across the dim room. The faint lighting was enough for one to see the glint in the other's eyes. Mentally, both were angry. Enraged would be a better way to describe it. Neither made a move forward, the only motion at all was the invisible tension between their eyes.
X seemed alert, which confused Fox. It seemed as though the cat had just walked into the room, and had not just gotten into a scuffle with Wolf O'Donnell. It had been Wolf who make the first lunge, and now it was Wolf who lay quietly on the stone ground. Fox knew from experience that Wolf was a skilled fighter, but the fight between the two had only lasted about five minutes. X had taken some hard-looking hits, courtesy of Wolf's astounding strength and combat skill. And yet here he stood before Fox, unscathed. This factor made Fox slightly nervous, but there also a much more threatening reason for Fox's jittery nerves.
Whenever Fox was forced into ground combat, the opponent made the first move. His biggest strength in a fight was his speed and agility, something often miscalculated by whoever was opposing him. But here he found himself in a different situation. The cat staring him down knew all about his combat technique, and therefore refused to fight first. This was posing as a problem for Fox.
Since he was considered short and light for his age, Fox knew he wasn't that strong. He was fit, of course, but he wasn't about to win any heavy-lifting trophies or anything like that. After seeing how brutally X and Wolf fought before, Fox had a pretty clear assumption this feline was stronger than himself. There was also the fact that any move Fox made, the tiger could easily figure out and use to his own advantage.
X grinned, knowing he had Fox caught. Fox narrowed his eyes as the smile crept onto the feline's face. He guessed what the cat was thinking, and Fox was getting aggravated. He took a deep breath, knowing the trick of forcing oxygen into his brain wouldn't settle his rampant emotions every time. He needed a plan. If only he could...
A light went off in Fox's mind. He rolled the idea around in his mind, immediately seeing something going wrong. What is his calculations were off, and his assumptions were wrong? If he messed up and couldn't regain himself, he would probably join Wolf in the realm of unconsciousness. And with them gone, who knew what this crazy cat would do?
Fox shook his head subtly, praying X didn't notice. He couldn't doubt himself, he just had to go in and do it. Hopefully, once the first blow was dealt, quick logic and adrenaline would take over his mind.
Taking a deep breath, Fox wordlessly charged. X was taken by surprise for a second, but then a grin replaced his astonished expression and he raced towards the approaching vulpine. When Fox was close, he pulled back his fist, and X pushed his arm forward as an attempt to block the punch Fox seemed to be preparing. But as Fox grew dangerously close, X's expression formed into one of confusion. Fox still didn't punch.
Now it was Fox who grinned. X had taken his bait.
With his right hand still pulled back, Fox grabbed X's forearm with his left. With a swift pull, Fox brought X's face inches to his own. At that moment, Fox finally struck his right fist out, solidly connecting with the cat's half-mechanical muzzle. X stumbled back, taken off guard from Fox's surprising offense. Taking advantage of the cat's dazed state, Fox ran forward, jumped and spun in the air, landing a hard kick on the side of the cat's face. The force from the blow caused the cat to fly back a few feet, landing hard on the ground.
Fox landed on his feet as X struggled to stand, panting slightly. He growled at Fox, the fury evident in his golden eye. "That was a sly trick, McCloud. Last lucky shot you'll have."
Fox grinned, causing the feline to growl even louder. Fox decided to get him as angry as possible. If this tiger let the rage get the better of him, his common sense would shift. "Wanna prove that?"
X kept growling, but he didn't advance. Through his anger, he saw the game Fox was trying to play with his emotions. He ceased his growling, choosing words instead. "I don't think I have to prove it, Fox. I see through your little plot. You thought you had me, didn't you?" Fox glared angrily, and X had his answer. "Don't underestimate me. It will only lead to your demise."
Silently, X applauded Fox's attempt to get his thoughts jumbled. Though he'd never admit it, Fox had almost succeeded. While his outside expression remained transfixed in a cold glare, on the inside he was planning his next move. Hopefully, Fox wouldn't mind if X decided to join in his little mind game.
Fox slowly shifted to the right, taking each sidestep cautiously. His eyes never wavered from meeting the cat's piercing glare. Each of Fox's steps was mirrored by the feline, and soon the two were circling the dim room, around the unconscious Wolf and bound General Pepper. "I can guess what you're thinking, Fox. You're thinking about failure. What will happen if you don't succeed in defeating me? What will become of your precious system, your home...your team?"
Fox tensed up at the mention of the Starfox crew. He had briefly wondered what would happen if, for some insane reason, this cat actually prevailed. But that was before, when he was sure he would come out on top. Now that the odds were stacked higher against him, he thought it over harder.
"Falco is one tough bird, and he will probably join you and Wolf in my more intense experiments. Slippy will be put under mind control instead, like the rest of the general population. Using his mechanical knowledge, we can create machinery that will be unconquerable." Fox cringed at the mention of his teammates, and couldn't believe they were even being mentioned in this list of ridiculous, horrid fantasies rolling of X's tongue.
"And of course...there's Krystal." Fox stopped shuffling and froze. The cat grinned, knowing he found a sensitive subject. "She's quite dazzling, isn't she? Can't let a pretty thing like her go to waste." Fox clenched his fists, trying to shut out the rage growing rapidly inside him. "For such a fine vixen, she only deserves the best...companion. And who is better suited for her than the controller of the Lylat System?" X's last words were dripping with venom. "I mean, unless she refuses...then I will see to her death personally. But don't worry, I will make sure she feels some sort of pleasure before I kill her." X paused, not seeming to notice how heavily Fox was breathing. "Actually, I take that back. I will make sure I get some sort of pleasure before she dies. It's the least she can do-"
X was silenced by a roar from across the room. It sounded primitive and almost cannibalistic, as though it was being created by the lungs of a wild, savage beast. But only Fox stood there.
X's eyes widened in surprise. Fox's hackles were practically stick-straight in the air, and his breathing was heavy and rhythmic. But it was his eyes that shot fear into X. There it was again: the redness in Fox's irises. But this time, no green was to be found.
"Shut the fuck up, you crazy bastard." Fox's voice was low and quiet, which was not what X was expecting. However, it had tones of pure rage and anger behind it, barely contained within Fox's words. As he spoke, his eyes remained crimson, and the blood color still remained as Fox took a step forward. X instinctively took a step back, and silently scolded himself for appearing afraid.
Within Fox's own head, the smarter side of his brain was screaming for him to stop and get a hold of his common sense. Through his rage, Fox started listening to the logical part of his head and stopped moving. The red slowly faded from his irises.
On the inside, Fox was satisfied with himself for regaining control. But on the outside, he still had his teeth bared. "If you touch her...if you even go anywhere near her..."
"You'll what?" X spat, narrowing his eyes. Fox returned the icy glare, picking his brain for an idea. Anything...wait. When he was running at X, he had stepped back. Fox had seen the fear in his eyes. But what had he been so afraid of? Then, it clicked. X had been afraid...of him. Or rather, the beast inside him, the animal that almost made him lose control.
Fox kept that thought inside him, and he continued to slowly advance. X held his ground, anticipating Fox's next move. He had assumed Fox was still in his enraged, slightly primitive state. Little did he know that Fox knew exactly what he was doing.
Mustering up a deep growl from somewhere in his throat, Fox sprinted forward. He covered the ground separating him and X within a few seconds. After a few quick calculations, X waited until Fox was close, spun, and lashed out with a roundhouse kick. Fox ducked while X was spinning, and kept low to the ground as the feline's foot barely passed over his head. While X's foot was still out, Fox popped back up and sent a fist straight into the cat's gut.
X gasped, and leaned forward as he desperately gulped down oxygen. As he was hunched forward, Fox lifted his elbow and smashed it into the center of the cat's back. X's eyes bulged, and he dropped to a crouch, supporting himself with one hand planted firmly on the ground. Fox roughly sent his knee into the kneeling tiger's face, and X fell with a grunt.
Now X was on the ground, the non-mechanical half of his face bleeding due to Fox's harsh blow. With a look of disgust etched onto his face, Fox grabbed the cat by the ears, pulled him up, and shoved him into a wall. Keeping one hand tightly grasping X's throat, Fox spit in his face and harshly backhanded him across the face. "That was for Krystal."
Then, Fox noticed the gruesome-looking patch of oozing nastiness on the cat's shoulder. The armor was missing. It didn't take Fox all too long to figure out Wolf must have pulled it off when he was chained up. Gritting his teeth, Fox grabbed the top of the cat's armor shielding his face and pulled. Ignoring the cries of pain flooding out of the feline, Fox peeled off the metal plating and tossed it to the ground. "And that was for me, you son of a bitch."
X was panting heavily, his breaths coming out as a wheeze due to the screaming. He looked down at the ground as he waited for the burning pain to subside, then looked up. Fox felt a cold spark shoot down his spine. X's unmasked face was grayish and rotting, with huge, white-tipped bumps all over it. Some of the bumps had opened, and a pinkish-red liquid oozed out of the holes. A mix of pus and blood, Fox observed.
But it was where an eye should have been that shocked Fox the most. Instead of an eye, a black hole stared at him. Sure, Fox knew some officers and generals missing an eye, but they normally wore an eyepatch. He had never seen one up close. Something about the void that remained unfilled on the cat's face made Fox's stomach turn. A small part of him regretted tearing the metal from X's face.
X took Fox's second of shock as an opportunity, and shoved Fox away. Fox stumbled back, quickly regaining his focus. He ducked as the enraged feline swung at him. As the punch passed over Fox, he reached up and grabbed X's arm. With a grunt, Fox sent the cat toppling over his shoulder. His sensitive ears picked up X's tail shuffling against the floor as he attempted to stand, and Fox spun around with a roundhouse that hit the unbruised section of X's face. The momentum created a force that sent X flying across the room, where he crashed against the wall with a thud.
Fox noticed that X was moving his head around, trying to shake off his collision with the wall. However, he still wasn't trying to stand. Taking the opportunity, Fox grabbed one of the chairs and set it in the middle of the room. He backed up until he was opposite his feline foe. Taking a deep breath, Fox darted forward, pushing his speed to its limit.
When he reached the chair, he stepped one foot up onto the seat, and put the other on the back of the chair. It looked as effortless as climbing a flight of stairs. Before the chair could topple over, he pushed off the back. The force and momentum from the sprint catapulted him into the air. While his head was still spinning, X glanced up and saw Fox launch into the air.
For a second, he remembered watching James McCloud getting through Venom's base. Andross was watching the vulpine's progress through the security cameras set up throughout his lair, and he told the feline to watch. He was amazed at how gracefully James fought. Every blow thrown at him was easily dodged, as though he were dancing. Then, the right moment presented itself, and James would deal a few devastating blows and leave his opponent in a heap.
Now, watching Fox airborne, X couldn't help but notice the resemblance between the two McClouds. Fox was even more quick than his father had been, and his combat skill was either equal or excelling James. He watched in some sort of hypnotic daze as Fox flipped effortlessly through the air. He only came back to reality through Fox's foot, which collided with the top of his head and sent him face-first into the stone ground.
As searing pain erupted from the heavily damaged side of his face, the haze blanketing X's mind vanished. It was quickly replaced with a burning rage. For years, he was forced under the shadow of a failed scientist, while silently waiting for a chance to prove himself. Finally, the golden opportunity had presented itself, and he had worked so hard to take it.
Countless hours, days, weeks, even years of his life were wasted on unsuccessful experiments and deep observation. Miraculously, he managed to kidnap the leader of the main army against him, then shoot down and capture the two best mercenaries in current existence. In his grasp, he held the only beings who stood in his way.
Visions of his future creation formed continuously through his twisted mind. It was all he ever thought about, and he grew bent on making it a reality. Two of the three captives who he needed to destroy were unconscious, lying uselessly on the ground. He had come so close, and yet the ache in his head was almost speaking to him. It was telling him not to let his guard down just yet, that his reality was not carved in stone. There was still one left, and that one had already proved he'd be nearly impossible to conquer.
As quickly as the doubt sailed into his head, his typical stubbornness kicked it out. He needed to finish this. If it was Fox McCloud he was up against, so be it. No matter what, his dreams needed to become a reality. He had been let down so many times, and this vision, this imaginary world under his rule...it needed to happen. Fox was acting as a dam, standing between him and his dream. When Fox finally fell, the waters would flow all over this pitiful world. And, when all dried, it would be X to make the world rise again – his world.
Fox stood over the cat, waiting for a movement, a sign of life. For the briefest instant, he thought X was done, but soon the feline began to shake violently shake on the ground. Fox cautiously took a step back, bracing himself.
In a split second, X lashed out from the floor, attempting to knock Fox's legs out from under him. Working on instinct, Fox flipped back at the last possible second and landed in a crouch, one hand on the ground to support him. X was on his hands and knees, but quickly shifted into a flying pounce. Once again, Fox had no choice but to flip back, this time landing on his feet.
Missing his target, X landed on his stomach, getting some of the wind knocked out of him. Not hesitating for a second, Fox kicked the fallen tiger in the face, causing X to yelp. Then, Fox kneeled on the cat's back, using his knees to pin him down. Hooking an elbow under X's chin, he wrapped his free arm around the feline's face. X was stuck; he couldn't move, and Fox could snap his neck in a blink.
Fox leaned down beside the cat's ear. His movement didn't loosen his grip on the feline's neck, and X couldn't struggle or even move as he heard Fox whisper in his ear. "I should kill you," he threatened. "After all the shit you put Wolf through, and the General...and me. The only reason I'm not breaking your neck in fifty places right now is because I'm giving you one chance at surrender. Stop your intentions, and this can end without a death." Fox tightened his grip on X's neck, causing him to gag. "Or, there will be quite a mess left here. Your choice."
X didn't respond for a few seconds. It appeared that he was weighing his options, but instead he was silently thanking the gods. He had completely forgotten about the combat knife, still sheathed, sitting on his waist. He wiggled his fingers, which were trapped under Fox. Still, he realized he could free himself, and if time was on his side this fight could shift significantly.
Counting to three, X pulled his arm out from under him, ignoring the numbness from the weight that had been crushing it just a second before. He pulled his knife out, whirled around, and came face-to-face with Fox's stunned expression. Grinning, X thrust the blade into Fox's shoulder. He watched with a feeling of maniacal glee as Fox's face morphed into one of pain. He rolled off of X, clutching his shoulder. Using the opportunity, X tackled Fox. As Fox squirmed under him, X pulled the knife out of Fox. The vulpine gasped, but still didn't scream. For some reason, this just served as fuel for X's wrath.
"Scream," he cried with a crazed laugh. "Why won't you scream? Yell, cry out in pain. I know you're in pain, but why won't you prove it?" He held the knife in the air, at an angle where it would normally reflect any light in the room. However, no light broke through the blood caked onto the tip of the blade. Some of the bright liquid rolled down the knife's handle and onto X's paw, while some of the older blood crusted on the edge. Fox's eyes widened as he realized all of that blood was his. His gaze quickly shifted to his shoulder, which was oozing blood. He watched, unable to pull his eyes away from the trail of red dripping down his shoulder. The pain made him feel as though he was on fire, but Fox still made no sound.
X lowered the blade, but too slowly to strike. He held it inches above Fox's muzzle, watching with satisfaction as some of the blood dripped off the knife and onto Fox's white snout. Fox kept his mouth closed, not wanting the cat to have the pleasure of watching him drink his own blood. "Now, Fox, you will feel pain. Merciless, unbearable pain. Then, you will drift into blackness. When you return, the experiments will begin." X grinned, and brought the blade up again.
Under the same conditions, the prisoner would squeeze their eyes shut, hold their breath, and die with a cringe on their face. X would have loved to see that, finding the look of final submission an embarrassment. He was disappointed, however, as Fox's emerald eyes remained open, still lacking emotion. Their cold glare was locked onto the knife, watching it slowly rise to it's peak, then hold still in the air for a moment. X growled, growing impatient as he waited for Fox's eyelids to close. "Shut your eyes, Fox. This will hurt-"
But X never had a chance to finish his sentence. A gray flash attacked his face, throwing the cat off of Fox and sending him flying across the room. Fox blinked, as the shock melted away. He finally mustered enough energy to sit, then struggled to stand. Standing in front of him, breathing heavily and sporting an extremely pissed-off look on his muzzle, was none other than a revived Wolf.
Fox couldn't begin to describe the relief he felt as Wolf turned. He had heard Fox stand, and he couldn't control his jaw as it fell open. Fox was a mess: still coated in blood, a huge gash in his shoulder, and drops of red caked onto his muzzle. Wolf slowly regained himself, and his mouth curled into a grin. "You look like hell."
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There you go. Sorry again for not updating for a while, it's been so busy. Just a quick warning that the next update will either be really soon or not for a long time, so we'll see depending on school and stuff. Thanks to everyone who has read this so far, and has stuck with it. Shoutout to everyone who made this story a favorite and put it up for alert, and especially KrzyKrnK, starfighter-105, and Pasta Masta for reviewing practically every chapter since the crappy beginning. Also one to LegendMaker08 for his talkshow compliments. Read all their stories, cuz they're awesome! Review, please, and enjoy the new year! Later!