Chapter Two: Unusual Meetings

A single Venomian warship floated lazily just above the surface of Corneria, unescorted by the several flights of fighters that lay waiting in its hangars. The lizard captain felt that there was really no reason to send anyone out on patrol, since there was virtually no threat against the massive carrier in the planet's wilderness. While the initial assault six years ago had been repulsed by Corneria's defenders, the survivors now lived clustered together in underground bases, protected only by the small percentage of the military that had been left alive after the skirmish, plus any new recruits that they had managed to gather during the following years of the war.

As a result, most of the planet was mostly undeveloped, with no one attempting to make a living away from the shelters and bases set up by the Cornerian Defense Force. This meant that the Venomians could fly over the area without having to worry too much about their safety: as long as they didn't stray too near the protected refuges, they would be fine.

For this reason, the Venomian captain did not bother to have even a single scout flying around the surrounding area, or to survey the landscape through the thick windows as he leaned back in his controller's chair and waited to make contact with another fleet craft. Perhaps if he or his men had been paying more attention, they might have noticed a small trio of figures beneath them, watching the warship fly past. Of course, even if they had noticed this detail, they may have ignored it: after all, what could a tiny group of Cornerians possibly do to them?

* * *

"There!" Fox McCloud lowered his binoculars and pointed to the northwestern sky. "It looks like a Venomian warship, flying low over the horizon there. Can you see it?"

He glanced over his shoulder at his two companions, temporarily distracted by the fluttering edge of the tattered green cape he had flung across his shoulders. The cloak was frayed and slightly worn, like most of the clothes he owned anymore, but that didn't particularly bother him. As long as he was comfortable wearing them, and they served their purpose, he was okay with it. Fashion matters little when one is simply struggling to survive.

His friends were dressed similarly, with ragged, makeshift clothing that kept them modestly covered without hindering their natural movements. In addition, the female blue falcon wore a cloak of scarlet fabric over her shoulders, and a bandanna with frayed edges kept most of her longer feathers away from her face; while the amphibian's only additional item other than his normal clothing was a heavy backpack he carried.

"We can see it, Fox," Falco responded. Flipping a stray blue feather away from her flashing blue-green eyes, the slender young avian gazed at the young vulpine and asked, "What do you say to relieving them of their burden of serving Andross?"

"An excellent idea," Fox replied, grinning.

Even as he spoke, he revved the engine of the airbike he was sitting upon. Falco smirked at this, and suddenly a cloud of dust appeared as she took off on her own craft, darting toward the carrier. Fox blinked once in surprise, taken off guard by her sudden departure, then zoomed after her.

"H-h-hey, wait for me!" his other companion protested. Slippy hastily brought his airbike around and followed behind his two friends, still calling, "W-w-wait, wait for m-m-me!"

Ignoring the frog's faint pleas, Falco kicked her airbike's engine into overdrive. As she neared the Venomian cruiser, she carefully aimed her stolen bazooka at its steel hull.

Wait for the shot…now!

Her finger squeezed the trigger, and a huge explosion rocked the warship as her shot connected. Smiling, Falco took aim again.

* * *

On board the Venomian cruiser, the captain let out a cry of surprise as the ship bucked forward, pitching him off of his seat and sending him sprawling forward, his jaw hitting the deck with a thwack. Leaping to his feet, he steadied himself by grabbing one of his chair's arms, and took a moment to catch his breath before making his displeasure at what had just occurred known.

"What's going on?" the commander demanded in a rage, glaring at his squirming soldiers.

"We don't know!" one of the lowly underlings sniveled. "A massive explosion just damaged the front of the ship!"

"We're under attack!" another lizard screamed.

"Who's crazy enough to attack a Venomian warship?" the commander spat.

As if provoked by his outburst, the ship pitched wildly again. The captain and crew reeled, struggling to remain where they were, and a few unfortunates who had been standing when the blast hit found themselves landing roughly on the floor or crashing into equipment.

"Another hit! This one went off next to the containment quarters!"

"What? Check the status of the prisoner!" demanded the incredulous captain.

The order rang out through the ship. As several soldiers rushed to carry out the command, the commander slumped in his seat, one hand massaging the scar on his cheek gently. He no longer felt lucky about who he had captured before, knowing that if this one escaped from Andross now, there would be hell to pay, most likely taking the captain and his crew down for good. This was not going as well as he had believed…

* * *

Inside the cell he had been thrown into by the rough Venomian soldiers, Peppy Hare stumbled wildly as the warship pitched. The old veteran had some difficulty keeping his balance, but somehow managed to stay on his feet despite the floor nearly dropping out from beneath him.

"What on Corneria?" he cried. "What's happening?"

His long ears twitched as they picked up on noises outside of the dirty chamber: the door was solid steel, with only a tiny window to see outside, and that was currently covered by a thin metal plate, so he had to rely on what he could overhear. Several alarms were blaring, and he could hear the muffled screams of panicked lizards.

Something's wrong with the ship, he thought silently. Damn! I've got to get out of here before we crash, or…

He didn't allow himself to continue along that line of thought: the jail cell would probably be completely crushed in the collision. Plus, if through from miracle the impact didn't kill him, he would still be trapped on an enemy spacecraft, most likely badly wounded and unable to defend himself against anything the guards might do…

"Somebody check the rabbit's cell!" a frantic voice yelled, nearly drowned out by the blaring sirens.

Hearing that, an idea quickly formed in the veteran's canny mind. Moving to just beside the door, Peppy pressed against the wall as close as he could and waited, gritting his teeth and trying to keep the noise of his breathing as hushed as possible. Soon, a pair of reptilian eyes appeared at the narrow slot in the metal door.

"What the heck? He isn't here!" the guard shrieked, unable to see the hare crouched in the shadows.

A rustling of keys, then the door swung wide to admit the lizard soldier as he raced inside, looking around wildly. Without hesitation, Peppy leaped toward the guard, paws already balled into fists. Before the startled lizard could react, the rabbit's fists connected with his face, and the guard slumped to the ground in a daze. Quickly relieving the guard of his laser pistol, Peppy shot the crumpled soldier once in the head, then bolted into the corridor.

"The prisoner's escaping!" the guards outside shouted, stating the obvious.

They fumbled for their blasters, but before they could take aim, Peppy fired several shots toward them. His aim was true, and as they collapsed, the old veteran raced toward the docking area, praying that he could locate a suitable ship to escape in time.

* * *

"What do you mean Peppy's loose?" the commander shrieked at the top of his lungs.

The unfortunate soldier who had brought him the news quivered, shrinking back from his enraged superior. Before he could answer, however, another explosion ripped into the room. All the lizards screamed in unison as the fire swept over them. The Venomian carrier plummeted toward the ground, smoke streaming from its hull.

* * *

"DAMNIT!" Peppy howled as he saw the ground below rush up to meet the warship.

As the carrier hurtled toward the unforgiving surface, the veteran forced his 'borrowed' escape pod out of the docking area, pushing its engine into overdrive as it rocketed free of the hulking remains of the once-proud ship.

* * *

"Yes! Man, I'm good!" Falco cheered as she watched the Venomian warship crash into the rocky soil, so caught up in her victory that she failed to notice a single escape vessel blasting away from the wreckage.

"Uh, nice work, Falco," Fox said as he finally pulled up alongside her, "but next time, could you be a little more careful?"

The blue falcon stiffened at his words, and whirled to face him, blue-green eyes flashing angrily. Fox winced backward, and decided to drop the subject.

"Now let's see if there's anything worth salvaging," he said as Slippy pulled up behind them on his airbike.

"You two can handle that," Falco replied with a dismissive wave of her wing. "I've already done my fair share of the work. I'm heading back to the den to change out of these rags."

"What? Hey, wait just a…" Fox stammered, but Falco had already turned and jetted away, leaving him to stare after her airbike in exasperation.

"W-we got stuck with clean-up duty again, h-h-huh?" Slippy said more than asked.

"Uh huh," Fox said with a groan, shaking his head slightly. "Well, let's get to work."

* * *

A slender figure leaned nonchalantly against the rocky side of a cave wall, staring out toward the darkening horizon. Falco Lombardi had her wings crossed over her chest, but did not appear the slightest bit annoyed or worried about her two missing comrades. The trailing edge of her long-skirted, handmade tunic fluttered gently in the cool breeze that wafted into the cavern, its bright crimson shade causing her to stand out against the sand and rocky outcroppings. However, it didn't matter to her, for there wasn't anyone around that could spot her there, and even if there had been a Venomian nearby, she knew that she could easily take them out with the pistol she cradled in one hand.

Finally, as the sky continued to darken, the avian spotted a pair of small figures darting over the rolling sand dunes, and she smiled. Both of the airbikes appeared to be fairly loaded down, probably with whatever the boys had managed to find in the wreaked warship.

"Well, well, you finally made it back," she teased as the vulpine and amphibian pulled through the entryway and parked their airbikes close to her own. "Find anything good?"

"S-s-some stuff," answered Slippy. "We would have found more, if y-y-you hadn't blown up half the cruiser."

Fox winced inwardly, thinking of Falco's likely reaction. Sure enough, whatever the toad was going to say next trailed off under the avian's glare. The trio walked together into the main part of their hideaway, where a large chamber cluttered with various things they had acquired branched off into several smaller rooms and hallways.

"I need a rest," Fox sighed, rubbing one of his eyes in exhaustion.

"Fine," Falco said disinterestedly, turning away with a languid stretch. "I think I'll go hop in the lake and take a bath."

"Why didn't you get in while we were gone?" Slippy asked.

"I didn't want you two to get back and not see me here," Falco replied, picking up a makeshift towel from a shelf. "You get worried so easily."

As she turned and started up the corridor leading to the lake, Fox shook his head and rolled his eyes at the avian's comment. Suddenly, Falco whirled around, eyes flashing. For a moment, Fox thought she had somehow seen what he had done while her back was turned, then realized that she wasn't glaring at him.

"Oh, and Slippy?" she added, ice in her voice. "If I catch you anywhere near the lake while I'm bathing, I'll turn your slimy hide inside out!"

"O-o-okay, okay!" Slippy stammered, his face turning a bright crimson shade as he hastily motioned for Falco to calm down.

The falcon's blue-green eyes flashed warningly one last time, and then she turned and stalked up the corridor. Slippy turned pleading eyes to Fox.

"She'll never forgive m-m-me for that, will she?"

"Doesn't look like it," Fox answered, allowing a little sympathy to surface in his voice.

At the same time, however, he couldn't prevent a little smile from tugging at the corners of his mouth. Slippy noticed this, and his face reddened even more.

"Oh n-n-no, not you too," Slippy wailed. "L-l-look, I've told you before, it was an a-a-accident! I j-j-just wanted to take a quick swim that night. I-I-I didn't realize she was taking a bath at the time, honest! You believe me, r-r-right?" His voice had steadily risen several octaves. "R-r-right?"

Fox didn't bother to answer, instead slipping into another chamber to rest. Behind him, Slippy continued to moan sadly, "Oh n-n-no, why doesn't anyone believe me? F-F-Foxxxxx…"

With a groan of exhaustion, Fox flopped down onto his makeshift bed, the tattered sheets shifting beneath him as he tried to get comfortable. Something jabbed into his side painfully, and he yanked it out and glanced at it. His annoyed expression softened as he recognized the faded picture in the beat-up wooden frame. His fingers strayed absently to the familiar figure captured in the photograph.

Father…

Unaware that he had whispered the thought aloud, Fox McCloud slipped into a light sleep, face half-buried under the covers, one paw still gripping the old frame.

* * *

Falco shrugged off her clothes and waded into the shallow lake. They were so lucky to have discovered a pond so close to their home, she thought as she immersed herself in the cool water. After all, a lady of her stunning beauty should never have to put up with filthiness…

"Not that the sorry conditions I live in are exactly suitable for me, either," she muttered under her breath.

Stubbornly pushing that thought out of her mind, Falco instead focused on relaxing. She let the chilled waters flow around her body, allowing her mind to drift away, temporarily letting go of all the fears, frustrations and doubts that secretly plagued her during the day.

* * *

Peppy gritted his teeth as he pushed himself forward, trying to ignore the slight throbbing in his legs. The enemy craft he had 'borrowed' had run out of fuel and suddenly given out on him. Now it felt like his legs planned on giving out on him as well. The veteran knew that time was running out for him: he could sense that even now, Venomian troops were searching for him. And if he was caught again…

Don't even think about that, Peppy, he scolded himself, even as he felt himself nearly stumble. Damn, I'm getting too old for this sort of thing…

At that moment he spotted it: a small opening in a nearby hillside, half-hidden by a cluster of rocks.

Shelter, Peppy thought, thanking the powers above for the natural cavern's presence.

With one last glance about to make certain no enemies were nearby, he ducked into the cave. Inside, he slumped against one of the walls with a sigh, almost collapsing from relief at having finally found a safe place to rest.

His hand brushed up against a cool, smooth surface.

"Eh?"

Confused, Peppy turned to see his hand resting on the side of some sort of vehicle. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he realized that there were three of the unusual-looking crafts nearby.

"…What the…" he murmured, completely stunned. What on Corneria were three airbikes doing in a cave?

Somebody's living here.

Fighting down the wave of fear that swept over him with that realization, Peppy tried to figure out who possibly might live in a hidden cave.

"Maybe it's the young McCloud," he whispered to himself, daring to hope.

And maybe it's a Venomian base. What about that possibility?

"At any rate, I need to investigate," Peppy murmured.

Keeping one paw hovering near his blaster, he slowly continued down the corridor, keeping his ears pricked and his eyes watching every shadow. He was mildly surprised when he walked into a well-lit cavern. It looked more like a living room then it did a natural cave: makeshift furniture had been placed inside, and large planks half-attached to the walls served as doors to other areas. A scattering of clothing, spare parts, and various other items cluttered the floor, give the impression of a place that had been lived in for quite some time. Peppy stood uncertainly for a moment, trying to figure out which way he should go next.

* * *

Slippy bent over his latest project, face still slightly red with embarrassment. He crouched down on the floor in his 'room', the half-finished skeletons of a dozen other projects surrounding him. He'd work on them later, he told himself; right now, he wanted to get a head start on his latest idea.

A bright red and white cap was half-perched on his head, beginning to slip off as he bent further over his new invention, and he absently readjusted it. The hat was very precious to him, and not simply because it happened to have his first name embroidered on its front. It was one of the few items that he had managed to salvage and take with him during their flight from the burning Corneria City, and the only thing he had left of his parents.

Slippy struggled not to think about things like that too much: looking back on those times only caused him to become depressed. He figured that both his mother and his father were dead, that they had been killed in the Venomian attack six years ago. Morbid, yes, but he considered that better than blindly hoping that they were alive and well, knowing that if he ever discovered that they really were long dead, it would break his heart.

Outside the door, he could hear somebody moving around. A sudden thought occurred to Slippy: if that was Falco, then he might have some time to take a quick swim before the water got too cold from the night air. Picking his way through the clutter on his floor, he got to his door and opened it slightly, peering out.

It wasn't Falco. A stranger was standing in the den.

Slippy froze, his rotund eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets.

Venomian! His mind shrieked. What'll-I-do-what'll-I-do-what'll-I-do?!?

Heart pounding wildly against his ribcage, the toad cowered behind his door, keeping it open a bare sliver as he stared at the intruder.

Oh please go away, please please please go away…

The stranger surveyed the room, long brown ears straining to hear. Slippy wondered if the man could hear his heart thudding; it sounded like deafening thunder in his own ears. One of the stranger's paws hovered over a nasty-looking blaster in his belt. As the intruder's red eyes swept over the door to where Fox was sleeping, he seemed to pause, and the frog felt his heart nearly leap into his dry throat. He nearly fainted with relief when the stranger's gaze moved on.

Suddenly, the invader began to move. As he carefully, silently crept up a passageway and disappeared from sight, Slippy crept out of his room, mind reeling with a thousand thoughts at once.

Falco's up there! he realized with a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Trying not to make any noise, he made his way toward Fox's door, thinking I've got to get Fox!

But his trembling hand paused as he gripped the makeshift handle.

But what if the stranger gets to Falco before I can get Fox up?

With that thought he made his decision. Releasing the handle, Slippy instead picked up a laser pistol sitting nearby. Gulping, he began to sneak up after the invader.

* * *

Peppy blinked once as he arrived at the end of the tunnel, a little startled to discover that he had wandered into an open area. Several paces away, he could hear what sounded like splashing coming from behind a large pile of rocks. Curious, he crept closer, failing to notice the clothing draped over one of the boulders. He silently peeked around the corner…

* * *

Falco flung back her head, sending glittering droplets of water flying in every direction. Brushing back damp feathers from her eyes, she continued to splash the cool liquid over her body.

* * *

Well, that was about the last thing I expected to see, Peppy thought.

Fully aware of his face flushing a deep crimson, the embarrassed rabbit quickly averted his eyes and prepared to retrace his steps back down the corridor. Maybe he should look into some of those other rooms…

At the last moment, his sharp eyes noticed the thin red beam flashing toward him. Then his shoulder erupted in sudden pain as the laser connected, burning into his fur. Biting back the howl of pain and rage that threatened to erupt from his lungs, Peppy rolled away from the lake, grabbed for his blaster, and pointed it toward his assailant.

His eyes widened as he spotted the short, trembling toad cocking a laser gun at him. As he stared, stunned, the obviously frightened youth struggled to keep his gun level with the rabbit's body, despite his violently shaking arms. The amphibian's blue eyes were wide with a strange mixture of overwhelming fear and a determination not to run away.

This child is my enemy? Peppy thought in disbelief. Keeping a careful eye on the young frog, he slowly lowered his gun a hair.

"D-d-don't move!" the toad ordered in a hoarse whisper, his voice breaking as he mistook the movement as getting ready to fire.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Peppy offered quietly, catching and holding and youngster's frightened stare with his own calm gaze.

"You l-l-liar!" the boy retorted, struggling and failing to keep his voice even. "Y-y-you're one of Andross's s-s-spies, aren't you? W-w-well, I won't let you hurt my friends!"

Andross's spies? Hurt my friends? So that's it, Peppy mused.

Turning his most friendly smile on the frog, he whispered, "Oh, don't be silly. Do I look like a Venomian spy?"

"N-n-no… You do look kind of o-o-old for a spy…" Slippy admitted, confused.

Trying to ignore the jab at his age, Peppy continued, "Well then…"

"But you could still be one!" Slippy finished, his laser still pointed at Peppy's forehead.

Damn. Peppy didn't like where this conversation was headed. Carefully, he shifted his weight to get into a better position for battle. He loathed the idea of having to hurt this kid, but if the toad insisted on trying to shoot him… Even now, he could just barely hear the frog's muttering to himself, trying to sort out his next move.

"Oh man oh man oh man, w-w-what now? I-I-I don't know what to do with this g-g-guy. I-I-I wish I'd gotten F-F-Fox up, he'd…"

"Fox? Fox McCloud?" Peppy blurted out the words before he realized how they might be interpreted.

The amphibian's eyes nearly doubled in size, and he stared at the rabbit in shock.

"Oh n-n-no, you are an assassin! A-A-Andross sent you to k-k-kill Fox!"

"I assure you, I'm no…"

"I won't let you h-h-hurt Fox!"

Slippy cocked his laser at Peppy's forehead and, before the rabbit could protest, pulled the trigger. Instinctively, the rabbit flung himself at his opponent, and the pistol clattered to the ground as the two went sprawling backward, hitting a shallow part of the lake at full speed.

"What the-" a female voice cried out.

Slippy and Peppy opened their eyes and looked up in perfect unison. Falco stared back at them, her dress half covering her body, her aquamarine eyes wide. For a moment, a terrible silence hung in the air. Then the stunned expression on Falco's face became one of total outrage, and she screamed…

The next thing Peppy knew, he was hurtling down the corridor at top speed, the toad running beside him. Behind them, Falco was in hot pursuit, one hand clutching her folded dress around her, the other hand holding a laser pistol, still shrieking at the top of her lungs.

"KYAAA! Slippy, you perv! You are so DEAD! I don't know who your little friend is, but you are both DEAD MEAT, PAL!"

As if to emphasize this threat, a laser blast whizzed past, just barely missing Peppy's ears. The veteran yelped and forced his legs to move faster.

Why couldn't that stupid frog keep his grip on the blaster? He wondered, not a little bitterly.

Well, he had more important things to worry about right now. The laser blast kept flashing around him, each shot seeming closer than the last.

After what seemed like an eternity of running and dodging laser fire, Peppy and Slippy burst into the main den. Not knowing where to take cover, the two began to race around the room in a rough circle, Falco still on their heels. Her laser seemed to have run out of charges; but unfortunately, she hadn't run out of anger. Grabbing whatever she could get her hands on, the falcon began to toss a volley of objects their way. Spare parts, various articles of clothing, and everything else not bolted down literally flew like guided missiles through the air.

"Ouch!" Peppy cried as a gear collided painfully with his cheek. "Now calm d-ow! -n, my –whoop - lady, I –whoa! - don't mean y-oh! -you any ha-aaHHH!"

The last word became a shriek as the rabbit noticed a rather large screwdriver streaking toward his face. He quickly ducked, and the tool flew harmlessly overhead.

"SHUT UP AND HOLD STILL, GRAMPS!" Falco ordered, taking aim with another tool: she had apparently discovered one of Slippy's toolboxes.

Unable to even protest her insult, Peppy continued to dodge around, struggling not to get hit, as he thought desperately of what might calm the enraged avian down.

Suddenly the door to one of the rooms burst open, and a very irate-looking Fox stomped out.

"What the heck is going on out-" he demanded.

Before he could finish his question, however, a wrench slammed into his face, and he dropped to the floor, unconscious. Dead silence hung in the air as the others stared at his stunned figure.

"Uh…" Falco finally stammered, eyes wide, an almost guilty expression on her face. "Sorry about that, Foxy… Help me get him into bed, you two."

Not wanting to tick off this girl anymore, Peppy nodded numbly and went to help Slippy lift the dazed McCloud off the ground and carry him into the room the vulpine had burst out of a few moments before. He saw how both amphibian and avian glared at him warily, neither taking their eyes away from the rabbit even as they set Fox down.

Peppy forced a smile, hoping to ease their suspicions somewhat. The expression froze on his face as he felt the barrel of a laser gun press into the back of his head, planted firmly between the base of his ears. Somehow, the female falcon had managed to slip out of his sight and step up behind him without making a sound or tipping him off with her movements as to what she was doing.

"Okay, you. Move," she ordered under her breath. "I still don't know who you are, but until we get this sorted out, you're going to be staying here. Come with me, and don't make a move that I don't tell you to make."

Obediently, Peppy remained perfectly still, and raised his paws into the air at her sharp order. Out of the corner of one eye, he noted that Slippy had retrieved a gun as well, and kept it trained on the rabbit as he interposed himself between him and the unconscious vulpine.

"I t-told you that I wouldn't l-l-let you h-hurt Fox," he commented, a nervous, crooked grin on his wide face.

"Yes… yes, you did," replied Peppy shortly, vaguely amused despite his dire situation.

Falco jabbed the back of her gun sharply into the back of the rabbit's head again, and he quieted, allowing her to guide him out of the room. As he stepped out, he kept one eye trained on where Fox lay on his bed.

This is not how I pictured my first meeting with your son going, James…he sighed inwardly.

* * *

"F-F-Fox? Are you okay?"

The worried question barely penetrated the fog in his head, yet Fox McCloud managed to groan in response to his friend's voice. A dull throbbing in his forehead forced him to slowly wake up. Forcing his eyes open, he could just make out two fuzzy outlines hovering above him. Even as he squinted to make out the indistinct features, he knew instinctively who they were.

"F-F-Fox? You okay?"

"Come on, Foxy, open your eyes already."

The figures blurred, focused, and became his two friends. Fox could see Slippy's anxious face twisted into an expression of concern, and even Falco looked upset. He became vaguely aware that he was lying on his bed, the sheets draped loosely over his shoulders. Shrugging them off, Fox attempted to right himself, only to feel a wave of dizziness engulf him, and he half-slumped back down onto the bunk.

"W-what happened?" he heard himself ask in a quavering voice. His forehead still pounded, and he reached a trembling paw up to his face, fingers lightly brushing the throbbing area. He could feel a bruise forming, and he bit back a cry of pain.

"Falco whacked you with a w-w-wrench," Slippy told him matter-of-factly.

"Well, if you'd just held still, Fox wouldn't have gotten hit!" Falco hissed at the amphibian.

Fox glanced at Slippy, saying mildly, "Falco caught you watching again, huh?"

"Yes," Falco confirmed, glaring at the frog. "I still have to discuss that little matter with him."

"H-h-hey! I wasn't s-s-spying on Falco!" Slippy protested, face a bright crimson once more. "I was trying to stop that spy from Andross from hurting her!"

"A likely story," Falco scoffed.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up, Slippy," Fox interrupted, staring at the frog. "What spy from Andross?"

"Oh, him," Falco said, pointing behind her in reply. Looking over, Fox could now see an adult rabbit apparently sitting in a chair, unguarded.

"A spy from Andross, and you just leave him sitting in a chair?"

"Not exactly," she replied mildly, and Fox suddenly noticed something about the stranger he hadn't before. The rabbit was bound firmly to the chair by several coils of heavy rope.

"Oh." Fox shook his head, trying to clear away the fog. At his shoulder, Slippy was saying something, and it took the vulpine a moment to realize that the amphibian was talking to him. Turning to face him, Fox mumbled, "Sorry, Slip, but could you repeat that?"

"I s-s-said, what should we do with him?"

"I say we get rid of him," Falco replied before Fox could say anything. "He's been spying on us for who knows how long, and we have no way of knowing what he's found so far! Besides," she added more softly, a slight blush tinting her cheeks, "he's some sort of pervert, sneaking up and watching me like that."

"I-I-I don't think he's been able to find out m-m-much," Slippy interjected. "When I saw him, he had just come i-i-into the den. He c-c-can't have had a lot of t-t-time to look a-a-around."

"That's good," Fox sighed, but Falco was steaming.

"You mean," she began, a dangerous tone coming into her voice, "that you let that nasty old rabbit sneak up to the lake and spy on me?"

"U-u-uh… u-u-uhhh… t-t-that is…" the amphibian mechanic's face turned pale as he scrambled to come up with some sort of defense for himself. The avian glared down at him with a murderous gleam in her violently flashing eyes.

"Don't start, please," Fox begged weakly, not wanting to get caught in another infamous Falco versus Slippy fight. His forehead still throbbed from their last encounter.

* * *

Peppy Hare watched the trio of youngsters argue over his fate –and nearly everything else –with a growing sense of worry gnawing at the pit of his stomach. When the avian had insisted on making certain that he didn't 'try to escape', he had willingly allowed himself to be bound to the chair in the hope that his cooperation would become a point in his favor. Now, however, it was quickly becoming apparent to him that the three were still extremely suspicious of his motives.

It would be a snap to loosen these ropes, his inner voice informed him. I could slip out of here, take one of those airbikes, and be halfway back to the base before they realized I was gone. Then I could get backup and come back to find them.

No, Peppy quickly pushed the notion from his mind. If I left now, I'd never be able to earn their trust. I have to stay… and pray they realize the truth. Leaning back in his chair, he attempted to make himself as comfortable as possible. He knew that he might be waiting for a long time…

* * *

"Well, I think it's totally suspicious!" Falco insisted. "I mean, why would an old guy like that be wandering around out here?"

"We won't know unless we ask him, will we?" Fox replied. Both of his friends stared at him.

"T-t-talk to that guy?" Slippy stuttered in horror. "But w-w-what if he's a Venomian s-s-spy?"

"You can't expect that guy to tell us the truth," Falco cried. "He'll make up some crazy story…"

"No, he won't," Fox insisted suddenly. Falco and Slippy looked at him, surprised by the sudden certainty in his voice. "I know he'll tell us the truth."

"How?" Falco watched the vulpine's face intently.

"I don't know," he faltered, staring past them at the rabbit tied up in the den. "I just… have this feeling about him and I know… I can tell he won't lie to us."

Falco scoffed, yet caught herself gazing back at the rabbit as well. At the back of her mind, she felt a sort of tugging; a nagging sensation that insisted the guy in the other room was familiar…

"Oh, all right," she told Fox, glaring back at the vulpine. "We can talk to him. But if he gets out of line…" She left the threat unfinished, yet both of her friends understood.

"Right," and Fox got slowly to his feet, swaying slightly.

Slippy was at his side, wondering if the vulpine was well enough to stand and saying as much. Fox waved off his friend's concern and made his way into the other room. The rabbit looked up as he entered, Falco and Slippy slowly following behind him.

Peppy smiled up at the vulpine slowly. Yes… he could see James's influence in the eyes of this young man. It had been nearly six years since he had seen the cub, yet he knew instinctively who this was.

"Hello… Fox McCloud," he greeted the boy.

Fox stepped back slightly, eyes widening in astonishment at hearing his full name being used with such ease by the stranger. Staring at the rabbit's hauntingly familiar face, he asked, "How did you know my name? W-who are you?"

Peppy laughed shortly, cutting off the sound when he realized how he might be misinterpreted. Instead, he gazed up at Fox and said simply, "I know you. I also know who you are, Falco Lombardi and Slippy Toad."

The avian and amphibian reacted much as their friend had, and Falco glared at the rabbit.

"Well," she demanded, "since we obviously don't need to introduce ourselves to you, why don't we skip right to your turn? Who are YOU?"

Peppy sighed before replying, "I was hoping you would know…"

"What, do you have amnesia? You came all this way to ask us what your name is?" Falco mocked. "Do you really expect us to believe that?"

"Falco…" Fox signaled for the avian to be quiet, then repeated his earlier question once more: "Please, sir, tell us who you are."

"I know who you are," Peppy repeated, then rapidly moved on when he saw a warning gleam in Falco's eyes, "because I knew your father, Fox."

Fox felt his jaw drop. Closing it, he stared at the rabbit, eyes widening into orbs as recognition hit. At his sides, he heard Slippy gasp softly and Falco's sharp intake of breath, and realized that they had come to the same conclusion. "No way…" he breathed.

Peppy grinned up at the trio. "I am Peppy Hare, your father's wingman, Fox McCloud. Nice to see you again after all these years," he added mildly. The three youngsters just stared at him, and Peppy knew he'd be untied in a matter of moments.

THUD.

"F-F-Fox!"

"Ah, crap. You're such a wimp, Foxy!"

…Just as soon as one of them regained consciousness, that was…