The Next Job

A smoky smell filled the already tainted aroma of liquor. Loud rock music filled the entire bar as many different species converged on the "bad side" of the planet. Mercy be upon those who just happen to stubble into the area on their own free will, with some barley escaping to live the next day.

Inside the rough bar of Tavern's Tavern, you could find the worst of the worst in here. The usual patrons are here during happy hour, and that causes quite the commotion for those who really can't hold their own. A rivalry game of billiards can heard as both alligators and crocodiles have their back and forth between what makes their species better and the other worse. A slipper, green salamander sits in the corner, twirling a knife in a trench coat, waiting for a potential buyer. A flock of dirty birds were huddled at a table, seeing who could survive the most shots. Overall, it was a busy and normal day.

That's why when the next patron entered, it made everyone stop and turn their heads. A brown vest, black pants, and blaster in holster were somewhat the common wear around the parts, the fact that it was a woman that walked in caused everyone to quiet. As everyone got a good look at her features, they could tell the breed was a vixen. It caught everyone off guard when the saw the color of her fur: blue.

She casually walked in and sat at the first stool she could find on the counter. Her ragged looks complemented the number of bags under her eyes, as it was errant that she hasn't had a good sleep in ages. She placed her elbow on the counter and rested her head in her palm, tapping her other hand as the claws loudly clicked.

"What'll it be, hun?" The boar bartender looked her over.

She stared at the wide variety of liquor they had on display and counted around thirty different bottles. She continued to tap her claws on the counter before stopping.

"Four fingers," she finally said.

"Four fingers of what?" The bartender leaned against the sink.

The vixen looked over the selection again before looking back at the boar.

"Something strong." She reached into her front vest pocket and pulled out three, sliver 5 credit coins and tossed them on the counter. She returned to her position of leaning on the counter. The bartender looked at the credits and back to her.

"Alright. You asked." The boar reached for a whiskey glass and wrapped his four fingers around for the measurement.

While the boar was preparing her drink, she looked to her right and saw another patron just two seats from hers. He was wearing a black hoodie, covering most of his face, only his muzzle was showing. She saw by the shape it was a male and the color was orange. He had his arms crossed on top of the counter and a drink with him, a very dark bock.

"Oh damn, tuts. You need me to spread some cream over that cake."

The vixen rolled her eyes. She looked over her left shoulder and saw one of the alligators had abandoned the billiard's area to try and get his rocks on with her. Obviously, starting with that line didn't even help in the slightest. All she did was ignore him and turned back to the bartender.

"Love it when a babe plays hard. Makes forcing myself even better." The alligator then grabbed her shoulder hard and turned her around. He was surprised it was easy, but that's because she was prepared. Once she was facing him, she grabbed his muzzle and slammed her leg right in his eye. The alligator reacted to the pain before he felt himself kicked off his feet and his head was slammed against the counter. His back fell against the floor and blood was falling from his eye before he saw the boot of the vixen fall into him.

It would be the last thing he saw before the entire bar heard a loud crack. The vixen removed her boot from the alligator's skull and wiped it clean on his arm. She looked around the room and all the ruffians stared wide-eyed at her, only her breathing could be heard under the rock music. Everyone returned to what they were doing, even the alligators at the billiards continued their game.

The vixen slummed back down into her seat and the bartender slid her four fingers to her. She caught it and measured herself to see if he wasn't short, she needed something strong if she wanted to continue. She looked up and saw the boar flip a credit back to her, she caught it and looked it over and back to him.

"You clean up."

She realized that he would only charge her a third if she dragged the body out. She didn't feel like it and threw the coin back to him.

"You fucking kidding me?" The boar threw his cloth down and went around the counter to drag the alligator's body to the back. She heard him struggling, but the alligator deserved it. She was about to take a gulp, feeling the cool touch of the glass on her lips before the hooded male finally talked.

"You must get that a lot."

She sighed and her breath covered the glass in a small fog. She took a quick glance at him.

"Like you have any reason to talk." She threw her head back and took two big gulps. It threw her off on how strong it was and she almost coughed as it burned her throat. She sighed as placed the glass down and looked into it, almost halfway empty.

"Maybe I don't." The hooded take a gulp of his bock. "So, what brings you here?"

She didn't answer. She just stared at her glass intensely.

"Let me guess," he started. "Judging by how you look. I'm guessing bounty hunter. Looking for her next job. Correct me if I'm wrong."

She didn't answer, she just stared at the deep brown liquor. She placed the glass down with a small force and turned to him.

"Let me guess," she started. She couldn't see his eye through those dark aviators, but she knew who it was, the orange tod she knew all too well. "Fox McCloud. Former captain of Star Fox. Best fighters in the whole Lylat System. You had it all. The fame. The money. And your teammates loved you. Maybe one loved you a little too much."

Fox looked down, she could see his foot shaking underneath him, knowing it to be him. Fox was fidgeting his thumbs together and kept moving his head.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, yeah?" She taunted him. "You forced her away, fearing for her safety. Little hypocritical since your whole team was filled with your best friends." She stared at him, knowing well what the answer to that was.

The vixen heard a beeping from her hip. She picked up her tracker and realizing her target was on the move. She swirled the last part of her drink and downed it in another two gulps. She placed the glass down and looked over the orange tod.

Fox still had his head down and didn't look up as she stood. Before he knew it, he turned to see and she was gone, hearing the door close behind her. Fox looked at his bock and sighed and then downed it himself. He picked himself and took out two 5 credits and placed it next to his empty glass. Fox jogged to the door and emerged outside.

The dusty air was picking up as the tavern stood near the outskirts of the local town. The dim red dunes went for miles as Fox looked for her. He looked left and then right. He could see the outline of the blue vixen growing smaller as she continued walking. He ran after her.

Once he was a good distance from her, he called to her.

"Krystal!"

She stopped dead in her tracks. No one called her that in years.

"That's… that's not my name!" She didn't turn around. "It's Kursed."

"Not to me." Fox shook his head and slowly walked up to Krystal. She could hear the footsteps coming closer, but she didn't turn around. Once she felt him behind, only then she turned slowly. He was at arm's length, but it felt like it was miles apart. She saw him carefully reach up to his aviators and removed them.

She gasped as those beautiful emerald eyes revealed themselves. In return, he was staring at her blue eyes. They were both lost in this moment before Fox spoke up.

"Krys, why are you doing this?" He tried to reach for her hand, but she pulled back.

"Like I said, you pushed me away."

"You know the reason why." He had a small tear come out.

She did know. When he first saved her all those years ago, she knew he was the one. From their many adventures in the stars and different planets, they came closer. But one eventful encounter would have tested their relationship, which then caused a downward spiral not only for both of them, but for Star Fox. He forced her away for her safety, but she promised to protect him like he does her.

Fox reached out her hand again, and she didn't pull back this time. He took it delicately and rubbed his thumb in her palm.

"Krys, I still love you."

Krystal loved hearing those words from him. Every time they fell asleep, or when they woke up, or even in the company of each other, they would say those words.

"Fox," she said in a shaky voice. "You know I can't go back. I'm already marked here. They'd find me if I go with you."

"Krys." Fox shook his head. "You mean everything to me."

"You meant everything to me, as well." She was almost on the verge of breaking. "But, I cant go back." Fox looked her in the eyes, as if mentally tell her that everything was going to be okay.

Krystal stared back at him. In the distant dunes, there was a light blinking erratically. Krystal looked at it and back to Fox. She knew what was coming, and she prepared herself for it. Fox saw the change of expression in her face, almost as if she's expecting something to happen.

"Krys, what's wrong?"

BANG

Fox fell and cried in pain, clutching his left side. Krystal stared at him and to the distant dune, the light nowhere to be seen. She looked down and saw Fox bleeding from his left and clutching that side to keep the blood in.

"Fox!" Krystal knelt next to him and applied pressure to his wound, blood trickling out of the cracks of her fingers. Her face was now riddled with concern as she looked over and saw him wincing in pain. She looked around for any sort of object to help her with, only to find miles of dunes and the bar in the distance.

With all her strength, she picked him up and began walking back into the town to the nearest hospital or clinic she could find.

"You're going to be fine, Fox. Stay with me." She walked with one arm over her shoulder and Fox trying his best to stay up, stumbling once and a while. The town felt like ages to get to and even then, the crowds of mammals gathered to see a bleeding, orange tod and a blue vixen in the streets made it more crowded than they wanted to be.

Her legs felt like they were going to give out until they reached the small hospital. She took him into the emergency room and the nurses removed Fox from her and quickly put him on a gurney and wheeled him away.

Krystal looked to her left hand and saw the blood that was on it, she cringed and went to the restroom to scrub it off. She tried to wash the blood, but it was sticking to her fur, even after countless scratches did it stay on. She found it to be hopeless and looked at herself in the mirror.

Her brown vest was covered in sand and small traces of Fox's blood. She looked her herself again and saw the blue face was covered in sand as well. She wiped herself clean and made her way out of the restroom.

Krystal sat in the emergency room for what seemed to be for hours until a nurse approached her with the news on Fox's condition. He suffered loss of blood from the wound and they were able to retrieve the bullet from him. He was stable, but was fast asleep. Krystal asked if she could see him and they granted her permission.

Krystal reached Fox's room and with a shaky hand, opened the door. She saw him with a nasal cannula, eyes closed as his chest rose and fell with every breath. She almost broke down there, but held it in.

"I didn't want you to be like this, Fox. Everything that we've been through, I'll never forget it. I moved on, and need to do the same." She paused. "Thank you, for giving me this new life." She walked out of the room and jumped when she saw one of the doctors.

"Is he in there," he asked. Krystal looked over him and it looked like he'd been through a sandstorm. The grey feline had sand around his eyes, as if he was wearing goggles, his white coat was dirty as well.

"He is."

"Well?"

Krystal shook her head. The feline sighed and rolled his eyes.

"You're only going to get 20 percent now. I'll wire it to you once it gets through."

The feline was about to enter the room before Krystal spoke up.

"You're a terrible shot."

The feline looked down at her and scoffed. He entered the room. The closed behind him and Krystal stood there. It felt like an eternity had passed before the feline emerged. He grabbed the clipboard from the holder on the door and began to write on it.

"Fox McCloud. Time of death." He looked at his watch. "1:32 pm." His pen scratched on the board as he signed his name. "I'll cover it up, okay?"

Krystal nodded and the feline left her there. She could've done it when he was laying on the ground in pain, make it easier for him. But she couldn't do it, no matter how much she tried to, she couldn't.

She closed her eyes as she was somewhat lifted from this. The man she once thought she would marry was now gone, and it felt like a weight had been risen from her. She turned back at the door and closed her eyes, thinking about the times they spent together before it happened.

She knew he was going to be at peace now, and so was she. She began to the elevators before she got a message on her tracker.

20,000 credits deposited. Thank you for your service.

It was finally done; her target was eliminated, and she scrolled through another listing to find. None took her liking until she saw a pirate listing for illegal smuggling. 75,000 credits to be offered. She accepted it and pushed the elevator down.

Onto the next job.

A/N: This was a story I wrote for my English creative writing class. Of course, I had to change the names of the two characters as it had to be original in a sense. I also made Krystal a husky and Fox a white lab. But of course, I got the idea from the infamous game and its ridiculous endings.

Just this one-shot and then back to Immortal Star Fox. A little something to share with y'all, right? Let me know what you think and thanks again for the read.

Until then, Stabby out.