9:00 A.M. Corneria Air Base Medical Bay

Fox sat in a chair, his arms folded tightly over his chest and his head down. He had fallen asleep late at night waiting for the doctors to tell him the two they brought in were ok. The only message he got was that they wounds were cleaned out from the chard tissue and fixed. Now it was all in the wills of the injured two. Fox could do nothing but wait, knowing they would both pull through, and he fell asleep waiting

Fox woke up to a hand on his shoulder gently shaking it. He took a deep breath and looked around then up to the one who woke him. With a lazy smiled and a yawn he grumbled out a good morning. He stretched his arms out over his head and arched his back getting a pleasing few pops from it followed by his neck when he rotated it.

"You were here all night, Fox." The soft gentle voice of a familiar vixen spoke up. "Here I brought you some coffee."

"Thanks Krys. Why is Katt not with you?" he took the cup from her and treated it like it was the last cup of coffee on the base when he drank it. "The doctor said you shouldn't be alone."

"Katt is still sleeping. And I am not going to kill myself so you do not need to worry. I will never forget what happened and I will have the fear of it happening again with me but sulking and feeling bad will not help." Krystal spoke softly before looking down to the floor. She looked back to him and smiled. "Besides, feeling that everyone around me was feeling bad for me was making me feel worse."

Fox smiled and slowly reached over taking one of her hands from her cup and brought it to his lips kissing it gently. He knew it would be a while before she would feel safe again but he was happy to see her taking the step she did. Krystal smiled to him and took her hand back after he kissed it and placed it back on her cup before taking a sip. She would wait with him and keep him company for a while.

The Doctors walked in and out of the room some with breakfast others yawning with coats in their hands. One doctor stepped out and looked over to Fox and smiled to them. He walked over and took a seat across from him. The doctor was tall and looked like a white and brown greyhound with reading glasses placed on the top of his head.

"You're the one that brought those two pilots in?" The doctor spoke gently

"Yea, are they ok? Are they awake?" Fox sat up quickly, hoping for good news.

"They are both doing well but the first 24 to 48 hours will be most critical for them. If you want you may go in and see them. But I will request that you make it short and not to wake them." The doctor smiled softly and stood putting his arm out to the door in a welcoming gesture.

Fox and Krystal stood up and walked through the doors and slowly down the hall. They could hear other patients talking with each other and guests. They stopped seeing the doctor they were talking with stop and open the door to a dark and quiet room. Fox looked to Krystal taking her hand in his as he walked into the room. The only light was the rail lights behind the bed that lit up the emergency call buttons and a few other switches.

Wolf and Panther both lay in the room each looking like they traveled through hell and back. Their blankets covered them up to the waist and that was all. They had hospital gowns on and all they did was hide the bandages underneath. Wolf had two I.V. drips in his left arm and a mask on his face pushing oxygen. Panther was no better with one I.V. and one blood bag and his own mask.

Fox walked over to Wolf looked over him shaking his head. He looked to Wolf's face and noticed the scanner like object was missing and a sunken eyelid lay in its place. Turning to the table he saw it laying there waiting to be placed on again. He reached over and lifted it up. Fox only smiled before placing it closer to Wolf. He turned and looked to Krystal who was with the other.

Krystal walked over to Panther and took his hand in her own. She frowned feeling the pads were chilled. She patted his hand softly and closed her eyes. Shaking her head lightly she placed it back down. She turned to look at Fox seeing him looking over Wolf's scanner before he turned to look at her.

"They were not our allies or friends, but they did not deserve what happened to them." Krystal spoke softly looking back at Panther.

"Your right, though we don't know what happened so this might be the result of something they did. When they wake we will talk with them and figure out what happened." Fox whispered as he started out of the room. "Let's go, they don't look like they will wake up anytime soon."

Krystal nodded following Fox out of the room and back down the hall. They walked quickly and quietly back to the Great Fox. Fox himself had a lot to think about now that his best friend was in the hospital because of some drug, and now two of his rivals for unknown reasons. This landing was not looking too bright with everything that had happened.

10:00 A.M. Corneria Air Base Lab. 1

Falco woke up with an alarm going off in the distance. Once he was up and looking around the alarm stopped and he only grumbled as he already did not like this place as they were not going to let him have anything in this place but a bed. He got up and walked over to the bars and leaned against them watching the doctors run around checking different things. One approached him and was holding a tray of food for him.

"Ah food, finally something to enjoy in this place," Falco spoke up reaching his hand out to take the tray.

"You might not want to get your hopes up." The doctor handed it over" it's just cafeteria food nothing special. Eat up we got a long day and dinner till six tonight."

Falco took the tray and looked at it before pulling it in to the bars and walking over to his bed to eat. The doctor was right he shouldn't have got his hopes up. The food was boring tasteless cafeteria food. He swallowed down as much as he could before looking back out and waiting for someone to come to him and let him know what was going on that day.

A few doctors looked in at him as they walked by before looking back to what they were doing. He had got a physical the moment he entered the lab the day before and had more blood then he liked drawn from him. He only got up and placed the tray down on the bed as he started to pace and walked around the cell he was in. He was sure if he wasn't sane he would snap soon.

An older doctor walked up to the pen and looked in to Falco and smiled to him. He moved his hand up beckoning him to the bars so they could talk. The doctor opened a file and pulled out a few papers while Falco walked over and joined him.

"Falco, we did some testing on the blood we took from you." The doctor spoke out reading his papers. "Apparently the drug that Hawk supposedly got you with didn't not filter out of your system as it did in every other test subject we had."

"So you're saying this problem I am having is one in what, a million chances?" Falco snapped out a bit.

"Well yes and no. We didn't know something like this would happen however we assume your body absorbed it and stored it like it would fat." The doctor pulled out a notebook and opened it pulling a pen from his pocket. "Can you tell me everything that happened twenty four hours before the incident up to said incident?"

"No, I can't, I don't remember a good portion because I fell asleep and when I woke up I was in a jail cell." Falco crossed his arms and barked out slightly getting annoyed as people talking about it like he knew he did it and knew exactly what happened.

"Ok how about up till you fell asleep then?" the doctor smiled trying to be helpful.

"The day before we had the Grand Ball at Pepper's home, after that I went home. In the morning I got up had a cup of coffee and went back to my room to read then fell asleep." Falco spoke slowly making sure he didn't forget anything.

"Between the time you went home and woke up what did you do? We need to know everything because anything could have triggered it. Do you remember eating anything at all between the times you woke for the ball till then too?"

"I went home to the Great Fox with my girlfriend. Do I need to go into detail about what happened? As for eating anything I had lunch that day and that was just a B.L.T. sandwich. And the coffee was it for the day after."

"No no you don't I get the idea thank you." The doctor kept writing "ok. Falco I will be right back and I think I will need a sample of some fat on your body. So sit down and relax I will have on the assistance get a television or something for you to watch while you wait."

Falco nodded in thanks to some kind of activity he could do now. He didn't care much for television but it had to be better than sitting with nothing to do. He walked to the bed and grabbed the tray walking over to the bars holding it out to one of the assistants walking by they stopped looked at him for a moment confused before taking the tray from him and placing it on a table by the door. After a short while the assistant walked in placing a small 16 inch television in the room followed by a small stand for it to sit on. Falco was going to try and enjoy his time now that he had something to occupy his attention.

One Soap Opera Later and Falco was lost in the story of Alice loves Barron and Barron loves Carly, but Barron and Cheating on Carly with Alice to get back at Derrick because Derrick loves Alice. The door opened and Falco Glanced over quickly before looking back to the screen.

"Falco are you ready?" The doctor spoke.

"Sshh, one moment Barron is about to admit to Carly that he was sleeping with Alice because he wanted his revenge against Derrick for stealing if girlfriend in high school." Falco was actually lost in the show before getting the doctor to look over and then turn it off.

"Come on, I am sure one of the female doctors has series on chip." The doctor coaxed Falco off the bed and out of the pen in to an operating room.

The procedure didn't take long as all they did was clean a spot off on his hip gave a shot of lidocaine and used a larger needle to pull a few pieces of fat from his hip and rear. Once done they bandaged him up and sent him back to his cell to watch more of his recently favored show.

After about a few more hours of doing nothing but watching television and pacing his room the doctor finally came back to talk to him and maybe explain a few things to him. This may even be the end of this torment that he needs to go through to get back his freedom. He walked to the bars and looked out to the doctor who just smiled up to him.

"Good news my boy it is dinner time." The doctor lifted up a tray and handed it to him. "After a few more tests from the fat cells we collected from you I believe we might find a way to get you all fixed up and ready to fly again."

"Really?" Falco took the tray. "Do you have any idea of what happened or a way to fix it before the results come back? If it is something I can try to fix now that would be great!"

"I believe the bit of the drug that wasn't used in your body is stored in your fat cells and when you didn't eat, from that B.L.T sandwich till the coffee that morning your body started to feed off the few fat cells you have and got quick dose of that drug and it did its thing." The doctor crossed his arms and sighed. "As of right now if that is the case we will need to find a way to get the rest of the toxins out of your body so it doesn't happen again.

Falco looked to him in disbelief. If what he said was true who knew how long it would take before he could get out of here. Falco wasn't a doctor but he did remember his high school biology a little and knew that he will always have body fat and what is pulled in it doesn't exactly just get washed out or tossed out that easily or quickly.

"Thanks for that bit of info doc. I think I will go back to my Soap now." Falco walked back to his bed sitting down and eating his meal slowly. When the doctor left the cell Falco toss the tray to the floor not being hungry anymore. "God, I wish I could just turn back in time and tell her to lock her door."

6:00 P.M. Corneria Are Base Medical Bay

Fox, Krystal, and James decided to take another visit to the two pilots that were brought in the night before. They wanted to know if there condition got better and if they woke up. When they got to the Medical Bay that had to wait for clearance in to the room to visit because there doctor wasn't there and they were not family.

When they entered the room Wolf turned his head to the door looked to them with his left eye. The table next to the bed had a tray of food on it and the scanner that was there was moved to the dresser out of his reach. He watched as they walked in his eye widening as he was James.

"Did I die? Is this Hell?" Wolf spoke gruffly "James and his son. This must be hell."

"No, Sorry Wolf, this is just Corneria Air Base's Medical Bay." James spoke out walking to the other side of him taking a seat in a nearby chair.

"How are you feeling?" Fox spoke join his father by his side.

"I honestly feel like shit, but the medication I am on I cannot feel a thing." Wolf smirked and looked to Krystal giving her a point making her stop. "Can you hand me that?"

"Hmm?" Krystal turned seeing the scanner and lifts it up walking over to him and handing it over. "Here you go."

"Thank you." He took it and started putting it on turning his head away when he slid the eyepiece in to his empty eye socket. Once done and placed his hand against it turning it on and getting it set so he could use it again. "Much better, thank you again Krystal. I take it you got my distress call?"

"Yea, dad and I went out towed you in you were both passed out." Fox spoke quietly not wanting to wake Panther if he was still sleeping. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"Hawk, a man we thought we were an ally with was nothing more than a back-stabber. He took over our hideout and we had to escape." Wolf spoke out roughly not wanting to get into too much detail. "Leon betrayed us too, tried to kill Panther, but I took care of him."

"Who was this ally" James spoke out crossing his arms having the sense the whole truth was not being told. "Tell us what happened from the start."

"Hawk Rangard, We were hired to break him out of Beneria base prison. We did and brought him back to the base as the contract stated before we were to drop him off elsewhere at a later time." Wolf growled clenching his fists tightly. "I should have declined the request the moment the customer refused to give us his name and information."

"Should have but didn't. And we did the mission. Got out got home, and waited for the next call." Panther had woke-up and listened to what was being said before speaking up himself. "Then I went to go check on Hawk and check for any messages for missions when I saw him talking on the hololink. I listened in before getting Wolf that's when it all went sour."

Fox looked up hearing Panther before walking over and pushing the curtain back so he could see everyone. Panther winced to the light from the other side of the room before blinking and getting his vision back. Panther smirked like he usually did for Krystal seeing her.

"Leon apparently was working with Hawk and we never knew. He shot Panther. I killed him and ran out with Panther before we both got killed. We got to the Arwings and took off. Then hyper Drive must have been too much for us to handle is the state we were in." Wolf spoke up again finishing the tale before turning his head looking to Panther seeing he looked just as bad.

"You're two brave pilots" James spoke up before standing and putting his hand on Wolf's shoulder. "Panther, do you know who he was talking too and about what?"

"Hawk was talking about some drugs he stole and doing a drop off but didn't say where. As for the person he was talking to I only heard his voice and the back of his head, I didn't get a name I had to run before I was caught." Panther spoke softly. "If I hear the voice I can let you know if that is the person."

"Good thanks a lot Panther; we will find Hawk and take care of this mess as quickly as we can." Fox spoke quickly "However, as you both know no job we do is free and you will have to pay even for us picking you up and towing you in."

"What do you want Fox? You want us to surrender to Beneria for breaking Hawk out?" Wolf growled out unable to do anything to protest what Fox was saying. "You just want to humiliate us or make us give up our jobs?"

"No," Krystal spoke up looking to them before smiling. "The Star Fox team all agreed that until this problem is over you and Panther will no longer be The Star Wolf team."

"You will be part of The Star Fox Team and will be until your debt is paid off. You will do missions with us but will get half the share you would get. Meaning if you and I did a mission worth twenty k you only gets five k as the other five will go to your debt." James yawned out a bit lazily as he had taken his seat again "And so on even if both of you join a mission."

"If you don't like that, then you can pay the money and not worry. We only want the money we burned on fuel, oxygen, and the hassle. Used to get you." Fox leaned against the dresser and crossed his arms. "But helping after that will cost more, a lot more"

"That's a hard deal to make Fox and you know that." Wolf watched them all knowing none of them were joking. "Panther what do you think?"

"Honestly I would do it. I do not think we can deal with Hawk and our entire base alone. Not to mention the one Hawk works for." Panther spoke out sitting himself up with the bed. "We have nothing to lose but a little pride and hell we can't be a team without a third member. We would be a Duo and people might start thinking things."

Wolf smirked and laughed a bit having the other join him because of Panther's comment. Wolf looked over to Fox and nodded. He looked to Krystal then to James nodding to them.

"Then it's a deal. Though we are not part of your Team, we are still The Star Wolf team we are just requesting your help while we look for a third team mate." Wolf put his good hand out to Fox watching him.

"Deal." Fox stepped over and took his hand in a firm handshake. "I will have your Arwings scrubbed and loaded in to the Great Fox II and when the doctors say you can, we will leave. We already had the insides scrubbed of your blood we will have Slippy take care of everything else."

"Thanks Fox, as much as I hate to say it, you're still my rival, but I do respect you. Anyone else and we might have been left for dead out there. Just know this once our debt is paid we are gone and we will be your rival once again." Wolf smiled as he spoke.

"Yes and I will go back to perusing the Lovely Krystal once more" Panther purred out extending a hand over to Krystal.

"Oh goodie."Krystal spoke after hearing Panther. Though she used his words against him "Hurry up and get better and you will have that debt paid off in no time. Till then you cannot pursue me."

"What, I will still pursue before then. Do not fret." Panther spoke out trying to be charming and making Fox turn a rather nice shade of red.

"But panther you said you would go back to Pursuing so that means from now till then you cannot." Krystal smiled as walked over to Fox Touching his arm gently calming him down.

"But… ah… um" Panther was at a loss she was right and now he was stuck with what he said. Oh to be so close to her and not be able to do anything to woo her. It was going to kill him a little on the inside every day. And the look of defeat gave them all a slight chuckle.

Soon after the three left leaving Wolf and Panther alone to rest while they had nothing better to do. It was going to be an interesting few weeks and everyone knew. Now all they had to do was get the Great Fox ready for two more travelers and two more Arwings and wait for their time to come for them to set off. They would have to find Hawk and bring him to the justice he so deserves. As well as finding out who he worked for so they can stop the drop off and the problem that could be if the drugs were placed into the wrong hands..