Fall of a Hero

-chapter six-

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by l77ercenary

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The challenge was set and called. The battle would take place in an open area on Titantia. The way things were set up, though, things were definitely unfair for Star Fox. Andross did expect that if he did hand over Peppy Star Fox might make a run for it and forget the fight. Andross wasn't going to take that chance. Peppy would be held and guarded by Venomian forces until the out come of the battle. Just in case, the Great Fox was on standby. Either way, the Star Fox team was reduced to three for the battle.

Just so that Andross didn't try to pull any of his tricks, a Venomian battle cruiser that would be in the space just outside of Titania would be watched by ROB64 and the Great Fox at all times. Andross wouldn't just outright kill Peppy. If he did, he'd lose his advantage over Star Fox and he knew it.

In the skies of Titania, Star Fox flew in formation as they waited for Star Wolf to make their appearance. They didn't know how their enemy would come or even what to expect. Slippy knew what to expect, but wasn't very good at detailing the exacts. So Fox and Falco was left in the dark until Star Wolf did show up.

Falco had just about used up all his patience. "Why don't they just come already?"

"Just keep your eye open, Falco." Fox said. He knew how his friend felt. The Arwing II was great and made him feel like he had a chance, but he was sure that he'd jump over six feet high if even a pin dropped.

Of course, he had good reason to be nervous.

"Well well, Star Fox. Good to see you didn't chicken out." Wolf O'Donnel's voice broke through over the radio.

"Keep on your toes, guys! Star Wolf is here!" Fox shouted to his team mates as he looked around for where Star Wolf was entering the battle from.

"Yes, we're here, and now you're gone." Leon flew right across Falco's path, jarring the Arwing II.

Falco kept his jet steady. "Whoa!"

"Peppy is in good hands!" laughed Pigma. "I'm just sorry I can't shoot him down now!"

"I'm going to finish you off, froggy!" Andrew smirked to himself as he brought his Wolfen III around behind Slippy's Arwing II.

Just the way that the Wolfen IIs were suddenly around behind them made Fox realize one thing.

"These guys are fast! Watch it!" Fox said as he tried to shake Wolf from his tail.

"No you don't, Fox." Wolf grinned, not budging from his position.

"I think I know that, Fox!" Falco replied to Fox's message. "I think it's time to show these guys who they're dealing with."

"I think you're right, Falco." Fox smirked evilly. "Hey, Wolf?"

Fox did a perfect barrel roll and suddenly sped off to the side faster than Wolf could follow him.

"What the heck?!" Wolf pulled the Wolfen II around to follow.

"Are those new ships?" Leon asked.

"You decide for yourself, pal." Falco said as he did the same maneuver as Fox. He got around behind Leon, and before the chameleon knew what had hit him, Falco had gotten in a few good hyper laser blasts on the Wolfen II's wing.

"This can't be happening! This isn't supposed to be this way!" Leon protested as he barrel rolled to keep the other laser fire from penetrating his shields.

"I was hoping for a challenge." Wolf laughed.

"You got one, Wolf." Fox fired his own lasers, but Wolf deflected them with a simple barrel roll.

In another part of the area not far away, Andrew was looking around for his quarry.

"Hey, where'd he go?" Andrew looked around, wondering where Slippy had gone off to. These new Arwing IIs didn't show up on radar, so he couldn't rely on that.

"I'm right here, Oikonny!" Slippy was right behind Andrew and Andrew hadn't known it.

Andrew's Wolfen II rocked as Slippy barraged it with wave after wave of laser fire. Andrew didn't even have the chance to barrel roll before his ship had had enough. He was the first to go down. It was known that Andrew wasn't the best pilot, but how Slippy, who wasn't a very good pilot, either, had shot him down that quickly was somewhat unnerving for anyone witnessing it. Andrew screamed as he went down. Whether he ejected or not, no one knew.

"Way to go, Slip'!" Falco half yelled half laughed over the radio.

"That's one down. Three more to go." Fox said as he fired on Wolf.

Wolf easily dodged the hyper lasers. "It's not as easy as you think."

"Oh, really?"

Meanwhile, Pigma Dengar had been biding his time. He knew he had to strike at the right moment. He wasn't that great of a pilot, either, but he knew exactly when and where to hit. Or, at least, he thought he did. He saw his moment and jumped right on Slippy's tail, hoping the pilot would be tired after the battle with Andrew.

"I can't wait to tell Peppy that I shot down his little frog friend." said Pigma. But it wasn't Slippy that Pigma had to worry about.

"Oh no you don't!" Falco came up right behind Pigma, having shaken Leon off for a few seconds at least. That was all he needed. He immediately set up a volley of laser fire upon the unsuspecting Pigma's Wolfen III.

Pigma didn't even have time to yell. The Wolfen III was destroyed in mid air. Falco made sure of that. Everyone could tell that was the last they'd ever hear of the pig. No one really cared. No one really liked Pigma, anyway.

"Now for Leon." Falco said.

"I'm with you, Falco!" Slippy answered.

Both Arwing IIs converged on Leon's Wolfen III. Leon managed to shake them off with a somersault, but wasn't sure how long he'd last after he'd run out of tricks.

"Wolf," Leon asked his leader over private communications. "What are we supposed to do now?"

He received no answer. Wolf continued to trade blows with Fox as Falco and Slippy gained ever more ground on his wingman.

"Annoying bird! I'll finish you off first!" Leon turned and came straight at Falco, as if he was playing a game of chicken. He began firing straight at Falco's cockpit.

Luckily Falco was able to barrel roll and pull up just in time before Leon could do any damage. Slippy came down behind Leon's Wolfen III and began firing. Leon easily deflected the laser fire with his shields. Leon Powalski knew that he couldn't take a two on one battle. Now with Star Fox in new ships. Not without his other team mates to back him up.

"Wolf, the odds are against us." Leon tried to persuade Wolf. "We have to make a run for it."

"Go if you want!" Wolf growled back.

"Wolf!"

"I'm not running away yet." Wolf growled again. "Things aren't that bad yet."

Leon pushed the Wolfen III and boost out of the fray, escaping. He didn't want to leave Wolf behind, but if Wolf wanted to stay and get himself killed, then let him! It didn't matter any to him. After all, it wasn't Wolf that was signing his paycheck. It was Andross.

"Three against one, Wolf. Are you sure you don't want to run?" Fox asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. Wolf despised it.

"I'm not running yet, Fox. Just wait and see what I have in store for you!" Wolf laughed as he got in a few good hits on Fox, the first hits either of them had gotten yet on each other.

Fox spiraled out of the way as Falco and Slippy came to his rescue. Wolf deftly dodged each oncoming blow and was soon back on Fox's tail again, firing away. Then it happened. One of Wolf's laser blasts made contact with the Arwing II and hit it in such an exact spot that it knocked the G-Diffuser system out. In other words, Fox could barrel roll all he wanted, but he couldn't use his shields. He had no shields as of then.


"Now I've got you, Fox." Wolf said as he closed in for the kill. Fox did his best to stay out of the wolf's sights.

"Falco, Slippy, where are you guys?!" Fox shouted urgently into his communicator.

"Right here, Fox!" Slippy answered back.

Falco didn't sound as calm as Slippy. "I can't get a lock on him! He's too fast!"

Fox started to do an U-turn, but Wolf acted just a moment faster. He did a somersault and fired a smart bomb straight at Fox's vulnerable ship. The Arwing II took the entirety of the bomb blast. Inside the cockpit, Fox thought that the jet was going to shake itself apart, or him apart, for that matter. He tried the controls, trying to pull the Arwing II away, but the controls in front of him sent out a few sparks, moving sluggishly. That was when Fox realized that he had lost a wing. His right wing had taken the bomb directly.

A smirk crossed Wolf's muzzle. One more blast like that and Fox would be finished. Who cared about the rest of the Star Fox team? Keeping the Star Fox team together with Fox McCloud gone wouldn't be an easy feat. All it took was this one defeat. Wolf locked on and fired another smart bomb at Fox's Arwing II. This was it..........