Chapter 22: Finality
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The shuttle rocketed upward above the city, headed towards the blackness of space,
leaving behind the blue garden world of Corneria. But their destination was merely a
figure hanging above the planetary gem, the orbital station, like a hawk, waiting to dig its
talons into the prey. Their ship broke through the wispy white clouds above Corneria as
they shot higher and higher. Soon they were with the stars above the planet, rocketing
away to complete the one task they were set out to accomplish;
To save the planet.
Fox looked back in the cabin of the shuttle. He noticed that Katt's jacket and clothes were
frayed and torn, Falco's too. He noticed Peppy unconscious on the floor, Slippy knocked
out as well, Rob hovering over him tending to his injuries.
"That must have been one hell of a crash, but impeccable timing."
Katt raised her eyebrow looking up, "Why do you say that?"
"Let's just say that if you hadn't hit the building you hit, Andross would have already
launched a biomissile and Corneria would be dead. It was a bioweapons research center,"
answered Wolf.
"Jesus." Falco coughed, rubbing his ruffled feathers. "You're welcome I guess."
"It's good to see Slippy alive too." Fox got up from his seat and knelt down next to the
amphibian's unconscious body. He was breathing softly, his chest heaving up and down
quietly.
"How did he survive the attack on Macbeth? Pepper....I mean Andross, nailed him right
where the Corodus control center was."
Falco looked away, "That's what we don't know. He's under some sort of mind control.
We found him in perfectly good condition except for some injuries he hid from us. He
was right smack in the middle of the crater where Pepper's...er Andross' weapon hit.
After we took Slippy back to the Great Fox, he almost destroyed the entire ship before we
detained him in a holding cell." He looked over at Katt who was rubbing her jaw.
"Yea he put up quite a fight," she added.
Fox looked back down at Slippy as he noticed something peculiar, his eyes were opening
slowly.
Olivia, who was in the pilot's seat next to Max, poked around the controls, "I can see the
orbital station now. I'm taking us to it."
Max stared in awe at the debris field they were traversing through. Pieces of torn apart
ships were strewn about the stars, floating lazily in a lifeless drift. Everyone rushed to the
front window to watch. Fox stayed behind with Slippy.
The toad opened his mouth with a struggle as though trying to choke out words. Fox
leaned closer to try and pick up the words..
"The dagger...is raised Fox..." Slippy's eyes strained in pain.
"There is....no time...for you..."
"Your home....will....die..." His face contorted in anxiety as though fighting his words.
"The system....will....fall..."
Fox quickly shot up. "Olivia we need get to that station as fast as possible! We don't have
much time!"
"What does it look like I'm doing?!" The shuttle rocketed through space towards a white
speck hanging above Corneria. Everyone stared out the window as they watched the
speck grow larger and larger as they approached. It was a small white colored station
with a circular shape, several antennae spoking out of the structure. Large tinted windows
covered most of its hull. It looked like an observatory yet it was being used to serve a
much more sinister purpose.
Bill's green and white fighter appeared next to the shuttle, matching its speed, "Alright,
Elena and I will be watching out for you guys. It's fairly quiet around here though."
"That's good to know," Olivia smiled. "Alright, get us a scan Max."
The feline focused the sensors at the station watching his controls carefully as the readout
came through.
"The station appears empty, except for two life signs, one canine, one ape."
Wolf took a deep breath, "What about weapons?"
"I'm also reading a large power surge towards the ballistic launchers. Something's going
on in there, I can't say what for sure. I'm going to take a guess that it's the biomissile
powering up."
Fox glanced out the side window, down towards the planet of Corneria. It looked so
peaceful just sitting there with a gun held to its head, the blue green sphere oblivious to
the peril at hand.
"Alright get us to dock."
"You're not going alone are you?" Katt watched him as he zipped up his jacket and
charged up a blaster.
"Of course he's not." Wolf grabbed Fox's arm as the shuttle neared the station, slowing
down as it approached. "I'm coming with you."
"The hell you are," he retorted. "There is no point to risk your life in this too Wolf. I will
handle it myself."
"I disagree," started Falco. "You need to take someone along incase something happens.
Don't be foolish."
Slippy suddenly shot up as Rob tried to hold him down. "Time! You waste!..." He
mumbled something incoherent, "The planet...will...die...!"
Everyone stared in horror.
"Alright Katt, do you have any knowledge of bio-weapons?" shouted Fox under Slippy's
painful bellowing.
"The poison placed! The venom sheathed!" The amphibian continued to shout and
struggle in hysterics as Rob held him firmly to the floor.
"Uh...um..." Katt stuttered, "I helped out with the ecological programs on Zoness a few
months ago. We dealt somewhat with..."
"That's all I need to hear!" The shuttle shook as it connected with the station. A clamping
sound could be heard as the doors locked into place. "Alright Katt take a blaster with you,
we're going."
Wolf charged his blaster as well, "I'm going on there with you too."
"NO!" shouted Fox in anger, "You are not!"
Olivia looked back at the tension unfolding as Wolf clenched his teeth together in anger.
"Listen Wolf," he added. "I care too much about you to see anything happen to you.
You're going to stay here and secure the shuttle."
He couldn't respond, he just stood in anger and defeat as he felt himself sink into his seat.
The door to the shuttle slid open to a corridor on the station. Fox and Katt stepped out
with one final look at everyone.
"This will be over soon." The door closed behind them as the ship went silent.
Wolf sat quietly for a moment as Olivia got up and huddled close to Max. He should be
on that station with Fox he thought. He was not going to just sit there while Fox faced
such danger and trouble with only that idiotic pink furred feline at his side. No, this isn't
going to do.
"Open the door Olivia."
"What?"
Wolf cocked his blaster letting the energy charge up in it. "I said open the door, I'm
going on there."
"But Fox said..." Her words were silenced as he pointed the gun to her head.
"What the hell are you doing?!" shouted Max in distress.
"I'm saving my friend, that's what I'm doing."
"You're going to screw up the whole mission," Falco frowned in resentment.
Olivia pressed a series of buttons on her console inciting the door to open. Wolf put the
blaster away in its holster as he zipped up his jacket just as Fox did moments before.
"I'm sorry I had to do that."
Olivia shook her head as he stepped into the corridor of the station, the door closing
behind him.
"Be careful Wolf."
*****************************************
Fox and Katt traversed slowly through the dimly lit hallway. The station was silent,
except for the hum of energy flowing through the floor panels. The corridor was merely
lit by deep blue lights on the floor giving the area an eerie sensation.
"The command room should be nearby, this station is only one deck." Katt nodded as
Fox stepped ahead of her. "There is not much time, we need to hurry."
They both began a light jog down the corridor. Their boots clicking against the metal as
they paced through the blue lit hallway. They came to a door with a key panel on its left
side. The words, 'Control Room' were printed in small letters across it.
"This must be it." He pressed a green button on the panel causing the door to slide open.
They stepped through into a room that appeared to be the bridge. It was dark, the area
merely lit by the stars outside the gaping wide window and by the luminosity of the
control panels and console screens. Corneria could be seen behind the glass across from
them, the beautiful swirl of clouds above oceans and green lush mountains. It was in
grave danger.
"So you have persevered Fox McCloud." A voice caught their attention. Fox's eyes
darted towards a console ahead of them. They met a red uniformed canine that stood
behind a control panel who was typing away at a console with his head down.
Fox quickly lifted his blaster, pointing it at Pepper. "Andross, you will cease this at
once."
The canine looked up as he stopped typing. "Fox...you wouldn't hurt me would you?"
The voice sounded soft, and endearing.
"It's me...General Pepper." He frowned in confusion.
Katt didn't flinch as she held her blaster up, Fox doing the same.
"I remember when you were born Fox. Your mother and father were so happy..."
"Stop it!" he shouted. "You...you're trying to distract me Andross!"
"They loved you so much Fox. You were such a beautiful child and they were such
beautiful parents."
"You shut up! Shut up!" Fox was near tears as the gun began to quiver in his hands.
Katt's eyes switched between the weakening Fox and the soft spoken Pepper. It was
haunting, something horrible was happening here. The bio-missile, where was it.
Something quickly caught her eye, Pepper's right hand was quietly pressing buttons very
discreetly, so clandestinely, almost unnoticeable.
"James and Vixy...they loved you til the day they died..."
"You're activating the weapon!" she screamed.
Pepper snapped from his soft gaze, his face twisting at the pink feline. He swiftly raised
his hand up, clenched teeth showing. Suddenly Katt lifted up from the floor. She flew
back by some awesome power and slammed into the consoles behind her with a
horrifying crash of sparks and glass.
Fox fired a shot at Pepper in reflex, the beam striking the canine in the arm. He howled,
trying to grab the console as he staggered, but he slipped and collapsed to the floor.
"Missile target acquired, activating launch sequence," the computer aimlessly mumbled
the words as Fox panted and wiped a tear from his face.
"Don't ever fucking talk about my parents Andross." He looked over at Katt's limp body
on the metal plated floor, then back at Pepper, then at Corneria outside the windows.
"Missile launch in one minute and thirty-five seconds."
He still kept his gun raised, "Show yourself Andross you coward. Go on and show
yourself."
The doors to the bridge opened, causing him to swing around and point his gun at the
entryway. Panic set over him as he watched a shadowy figure stumble into the dim light
from the stars outside. He saw the outline of the ape figure, but something else was with
him. He was holding someone closely, someone furry and gray...
It was Andross with a gun to Wolf's head.
Fox held his blaster in shock as his friend shook his head under Andross' hold.
"I'm sorry Fox."
"Look what I have here," came the ape's vicious growling voice. "It's your friend Wolf
O'Donnell!"
Fox shook his head as well, unsure of how to respond.
"You like him don't you?...maybe even love him, yes?" Andross smiled digging the gun
harder into the side of Wolf's head. He had his other arm around the lupine, clenching
tightly so he couldn't move at all.
"Fox..." cried Wolf in pain, "Forget about me, save Corneria, stop the biomissile."
"Ah more decisions McCloud. Save O'Donnell, lose the planet, or lose O'Donnell, but
save the...well there is no saving the planet here, this time I win no matter what
McCloud."
Fox strained his eyes, "Controlling Pepper has made you weak Andross. Look at yourself,
reduced to holding someone with a material gun. With your powers you should be able to
snap my neck from across the room...but you can't."
He gripped Wolf tighter, still holding the gun to his head. "Oh how beside the point you
are McCloud."
The computer beeped. "Missile launch in forty seconds."
Andross raised an eyebrow. "What does the great McCloud do now?"
Fox stepped back slowly towards the control console.
The ape cocked the gun. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. One more move and his brains
will be smeared against the wall."
"Missile launch in fifteen seconds."
"Shoot me Fox." Wolf whispered the words softly.
His tail went stiff as he stared back at him.
"Ten seconds."
A glance at Corneria, it was beautiful. What was Wolf trying to say...
"It's over for your home McCloud. You shall witness its death."
Fox smiled, he knew what to do.
"Not today Andross." He pulled the trigger on his blaster, the shot pierced into Wolf's leg
as he yelped out in pain. The ape went confused, dropping his gun to accommodate for
the lupine's dead weight. Fox rushed over to the console and slammed his paw into a
button he knew all too well.
"Self destruct activated, missile launch sequence aborted. Four minutes til overload."
Andross' face twisted in shock. "No..." He dropped Wolf to the floor and grabbed the
gun, quickly pointing it at him.
"If I can't kill Corneria, then I'll kill your beloved friend."
Wolf's eye widened, "Fox!"
Several shots blasted into him as he laid on the floor. His body twitched with each
searing laser, one after the other, not stopping until the gun clicked out of energy. Smoke
rose from the holes in Wolf's jacket, seven holes, seven tendrils of smoke rising slowly.
He choked a breath as he stared at Andross' deep laden eyes.
Fox's jaw dropped, unable to strain out the faintest response as his eyes rested on Wolf's
limp body.
Andross laughed a lasting malevolent laugh. It seemed to echo through him, through the
room, through space, through time. He faded away with a purple flash. He was gone.
Fox dropped his gun, rushing over to Wolf in panic, kneeling next to him. He placed his
hand on the side of Wolf's face as he laid there, life seeming to slip away from him as he
panted and stared upward towards the ceiling.
"Self destruct in three minutes."
"No Wolf....I...I wish things could have been different."
"I know Fox." He chuckled softly, he didn't seem to be in pain as he laid limp on the
floor.
"Amazing...I always knew you'd laugh at death...I want to tell you something...before it's
too late Wolf..."
Before he could continue, Wolf raised his finger and put it to his lips, silencing him. With
a tender smile, he leaned up from the floor and buried his snout into the orange fur on
Fox's neck.
He closed his eyes in response, letting the wolf press his muzzle to his fur softly as he
took in his scent. A tear dripped from Fox's face as he pulled away. It was as though he
was unaware of his impending death he thought, so confident, knowing that all was worth
it in the end. The gray lupine smiled, slowly unzipping his jacket, drawing a curious look
from Fox. He continued to unzip, lower and lower until something caught his friend's eye.
Instead of blood or holes in his chest, there was a strange black fabric under the jacket
covering his fur.
The laser proof vest.
"What were you going to say Fox?" he asked with a grin.
Fox gasped hotly, stunned at the sight of the vest that he had seen him put on when they
were in the hover train. He quickly felt heavy with emotion, filled with immeasurable
relief.
"Self destruct in two minutes."
"No time to discuss Fox, help me up." He grabbed his hand and raised him off the floor,
holding his arm around him for support as Wolf winced from the wound on his leg.
Katt moaned as she got up from the floor, brushing pieces of glass off her, "Oh...what
happened this time...?"
"No time to explain, go get Pepper." Fox flipped open his PDA while holding Wolf,
"Falco, it's us. We stopped the biomissile and we're heading back to the ship. Tell Olivia
we're going to have to make a quick retreat."
"Understood Fox."
Katt knelt next to Pepper as he got up.
"Oh...where am I?"
"General Pepper? Are you ok?"
He looked over at her with a confused look, "I...I don't know?"
She helped him up slowly as he held his arm in pain. "What...what exactly is going on
here? Who are you?"
"I'm Katt Monroe. There's no time to explain General."
The bewildered canine looked over at Fox who was holding someone close. He had gray
fur and a blind eye. It couldn't be who he thought it was...
"Fox? Is that you?...And is that...Wolf O'Donnell with you?" He strained his eyes unable
to comprehend the situation. Nothing was making sense to him right now, his setting, his
location, his surroundings.
"General there isn't time to shed light on this, just follow me ok?"
"Self destruct in one minute."
Pepper looked up sharply at the words, "Alright, this is going to require a full explanation
when we get back to Corneria."
They all staggered onto the shuttle, everyone's eyes widening at the sight of Pepper
entering the ship. He held his arm, still in pain from the blaster wound as he plopped
down in a seat next to Falco. Fox decided to just carry Wolf as it was faster. They all
piled inside as the door shut behind them.
"Alright get us out of here Olivia."
The shuttle detached from the door and zoomed away. Their craft shot further and further
into the stars, Corneria hanging with memorable beauty in the background. After a
moment of silence the hull of the station exploded open, bursting outward in a massive
explosion, a spherical plume spreading through space as the shuttle sped away. After a
moment it faded to just a spreading dust cloud of debris.
Fox buried his head into Wolf's jacket, sniffing his scent as much as he could, "I thought
I lost you. I thought you were going to die right then and there on that cold metal floor."
Wolf couldn't help but smile at the way Fox was acting. "You know, I'm curious...what
were you going to say to me on that station?"
Fox just looked at him incredulously.
"Now I'm positive this is going to require a lot of explaining." Pepper held his gunshot
wound but managed a weak smile as he watched Fox and Wolf. "What happened to
Andross, is he dead?" He spoke his words in pain as he tried to catch his breath.
Fox looked at him for a moment, deep in thought. He remembered seeing him disappear,
but he wasn't sure if he had stayed on the station or not. But now it appeared he was gone,
Pepper was himself again. Maybe that was an indication of Andross' death...
"Yes...he's dead."
Wolf looked over at him, his one good eye showing the stress of Fox's obvious lie, he
wrapped an arm around him and leaned into his fur. All that mattered now was that it was
over...
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The shuttle rocketed upward above the city, headed towards the blackness of space,
leaving behind the blue garden world of Corneria. But their destination was merely a
figure hanging above the planetary gem, the orbital station, like a hawk, waiting to dig its
talons into the prey. Their ship broke through the wispy white clouds above Corneria as
they shot higher and higher. Soon they were with the stars above the planet, rocketing
away to complete the one task they were set out to accomplish;
To save the planet.
Fox looked back in the cabin of the shuttle. He noticed that Katt's jacket and clothes were
frayed and torn, Falco's too. He noticed Peppy unconscious on the floor, Slippy knocked
out as well, Rob hovering over him tending to his injuries.
"That must have been one hell of a crash, but impeccable timing."
Katt raised her eyebrow looking up, "Why do you say that?"
"Let's just say that if you hadn't hit the building you hit, Andross would have already
launched a biomissile and Corneria would be dead. It was a bioweapons research center,"
answered Wolf.
"Jesus." Falco coughed, rubbing his ruffled feathers. "You're welcome I guess."
"It's good to see Slippy alive too." Fox got up from his seat and knelt down next to the
amphibian's unconscious body. He was breathing softly, his chest heaving up and down
quietly.
"How did he survive the attack on Macbeth? Pepper....I mean Andross, nailed him right
where the Corodus control center was."
Falco looked away, "That's what we don't know. He's under some sort of mind control.
We found him in perfectly good condition except for some injuries he hid from us. He
was right smack in the middle of the crater where Pepper's...er Andross' weapon hit.
After we took Slippy back to the Great Fox, he almost destroyed the entire ship before we
detained him in a holding cell." He looked over at Katt who was rubbing her jaw.
"Yea he put up quite a fight," she added.
Fox looked back down at Slippy as he noticed something peculiar, his eyes were opening
slowly.
Olivia, who was in the pilot's seat next to Max, poked around the controls, "I can see the
orbital station now. I'm taking us to it."
Max stared in awe at the debris field they were traversing through. Pieces of torn apart
ships were strewn about the stars, floating lazily in a lifeless drift. Everyone rushed to the
front window to watch. Fox stayed behind with Slippy.
The toad opened his mouth with a struggle as though trying to choke out words. Fox
leaned closer to try and pick up the words..
"The dagger...is raised Fox..." Slippy's eyes strained in pain.
"There is....no time...for you..."
"Your home....will....die..." His face contorted in anxiety as though fighting his words.
"The system....will....fall..."
Fox quickly shot up. "Olivia we need get to that station as fast as possible! We don't have
much time!"
"What does it look like I'm doing?!" The shuttle rocketed through space towards a white
speck hanging above Corneria. Everyone stared out the window as they watched the
speck grow larger and larger as they approached. It was a small white colored station
with a circular shape, several antennae spoking out of the structure. Large tinted windows
covered most of its hull. It looked like an observatory yet it was being used to serve a
much more sinister purpose.
Bill's green and white fighter appeared next to the shuttle, matching its speed, "Alright,
Elena and I will be watching out for you guys. It's fairly quiet around here though."
"That's good to know," Olivia smiled. "Alright, get us a scan Max."
The feline focused the sensors at the station watching his controls carefully as the readout
came through.
"The station appears empty, except for two life signs, one canine, one ape."
Wolf took a deep breath, "What about weapons?"
"I'm also reading a large power surge towards the ballistic launchers. Something's going
on in there, I can't say what for sure. I'm going to take a guess that it's the biomissile
powering up."
Fox glanced out the side window, down towards the planet of Corneria. It looked so
peaceful just sitting there with a gun held to its head, the blue green sphere oblivious to
the peril at hand.
"Alright get us to dock."
"You're not going alone are you?" Katt watched him as he zipped up his jacket and
charged up a blaster.
"Of course he's not." Wolf grabbed Fox's arm as the shuttle neared the station, slowing
down as it approached. "I'm coming with you."
"The hell you are," he retorted. "There is no point to risk your life in this too Wolf. I will
handle it myself."
"I disagree," started Falco. "You need to take someone along incase something happens.
Don't be foolish."
Slippy suddenly shot up as Rob tried to hold him down. "Time! You waste!..." He
mumbled something incoherent, "The planet...will...die...!"
Everyone stared in horror.
"Alright Katt, do you have any knowledge of bio-weapons?" shouted Fox under Slippy's
painful bellowing.
"The poison placed! The venom sheathed!" The amphibian continued to shout and
struggle in hysterics as Rob held him firmly to the floor.
"Uh...um..." Katt stuttered, "I helped out with the ecological programs on Zoness a few
months ago. We dealt somewhat with..."
"That's all I need to hear!" The shuttle shook as it connected with the station. A clamping
sound could be heard as the doors locked into place. "Alright Katt take a blaster with you,
we're going."
Wolf charged his blaster as well, "I'm going on there with you too."
"NO!" shouted Fox in anger, "You are not!"
Olivia looked back at the tension unfolding as Wolf clenched his teeth together in anger.
"Listen Wolf," he added. "I care too much about you to see anything happen to you.
You're going to stay here and secure the shuttle."
He couldn't respond, he just stood in anger and defeat as he felt himself sink into his seat.
The door to the shuttle slid open to a corridor on the station. Fox and Katt stepped out
with one final look at everyone.
"This will be over soon." The door closed behind them as the ship went silent.
Wolf sat quietly for a moment as Olivia got up and huddled close to Max. He should be
on that station with Fox he thought. He was not going to just sit there while Fox faced
such danger and trouble with only that idiotic pink furred feline at his side. No, this isn't
going to do.
"Open the door Olivia."
"What?"
Wolf cocked his blaster letting the energy charge up in it. "I said open the door, I'm
going on there."
"But Fox said..." Her words were silenced as he pointed the gun to her head.
"What the hell are you doing?!" shouted Max in distress.
"I'm saving my friend, that's what I'm doing."
"You're going to screw up the whole mission," Falco frowned in resentment.
Olivia pressed a series of buttons on her console inciting the door to open. Wolf put the
blaster away in its holster as he zipped up his jacket just as Fox did moments before.
"I'm sorry I had to do that."
Olivia shook her head as he stepped into the corridor of the station, the door closing
behind him.
"Be careful Wolf."
*****************************************
Fox and Katt traversed slowly through the dimly lit hallway. The station was silent,
except for the hum of energy flowing through the floor panels. The corridor was merely
lit by deep blue lights on the floor giving the area an eerie sensation.
"The command room should be nearby, this station is only one deck." Katt nodded as
Fox stepped ahead of her. "There is not much time, we need to hurry."
They both began a light jog down the corridor. Their boots clicking against the metal as
they paced through the blue lit hallway. They came to a door with a key panel on its left
side. The words, 'Control Room' were printed in small letters across it.
"This must be it." He pressed a green button on the panel causing the door to slide open.
They stepped through into a room that appeared to be the bridge. It was dark, the area
merely lit by the stars outside the gaping wide window and by the luminosity of the
control panels and console screens. Corneria could be seen behind the glass across from
them, the beautiful swirl of clouds above oceans and green lush mountains. It was in
grave danger.
"So you have persevered Fox McCloud." A voice caught their attention. Fox's eyes
darted towards a console ahead of them. They met a red uniformed canine that stood
behind a control panel who was typing away at a console with his head down.
Fox quickly lifted his blaster, pointing it at Pepper. "Andross, you will cease this at
once."
The canine looked up as he stopped typing. "Fox...you wouldn't hurt me would you?"
The voice sounded soft, and endearing.
"It's me...General Pepper." He frowned in confusion.
Katt didn't flinch as she held her blaster up, Fox doing the same.
"I remember when you were born Fox. Your mother and father were so happy..."
"Stop it!" he shouted. "You...you're trying to distract me Andross!"
"They loved you so much Fox. You were such a beautiful child and they were such
beautiful parents."
"You shut up! Shut up!" Fox was near tears as the gun began to quiver in his hands.
Katt's eyes switched between the weakening Fox and the soft spoken Pepper. It was
haunting, something horrible was happening here. The bio-missile, where was it.
Something quickly caught her eye, Pepper's right hand was quietly pressing buttons very
discreetly, so clandestinely, almost unnoticeable.
"James and Vixy...they loved you til the day they died..."
"You're activating the weapon!" she screamed.
Pepper snapped from his soft gaze, his face twisting at the pink feline. He swiftly raised
his hand up, clenched teeth showing. Suddenly Katt lifted up from the floor. She flew
back by some awesome power and slammed into the consoles behind her with a
horrifying crash of sparks and glass.
Fox fired a shot at Pepper in reflex, the beam striking the canine in the arm. He howled,
trying to grab the console as he staggered, but he slipped and collapsed to the floor.
"Missile target acquired, activating launch sequence," the computer aimlessly mumbled
the words as Fox panted and wiped a tear from his face.
"Don't ever fucking talk about my parents Andross." He looked over at Katt's limp body
on the metal plated floor, then back at Pepper, then at Corneria outside the windows.
"Missile launch in one minute and thirty-five seconds."
He still kept his gun raised, "Show yourself Andross you coward. Go on and show
yourself."
The doors to the bridge opened, causing him to swing around and point his gun at the
entryway. Panic set over him as he watched a shadowy figure stumble into the dim light
from the stars outside. He saw the outline of the ape figure, but something else was with
him. He was holding someone closely, someone furry and gray...
It was Andross with a gun to Wolf's head.
Fox held his blaster in shock as his friend shook his head under Andross' hold.
"I'm sorry Fox."
"Look what I have here," came the ape's vicious growling voice. "It's your friend Wolf
O'Donnell!"
Fox shook his head as well, unsure of how to respond.
"You like him don't you?...maybe even love him, yes?" Andross smiled digging the gun
harder into the side of Wolf's head. He had his other arm around the lupine, clenching
tightly so he couldn't move at all.
"Fox..." cried Wolf in pain, "Forget about me, save Corneria, stop the biomissile."
"Ah more decisions McCloud. Save O'Donnell, lose the planet, or lose O'Donnell, but
save the...well there is no saving the planet here, this time I win no matter what
McCloud."
Fox strained his eyes, "Controlling Pepper has made you weak Andross. Look at yourself,
reduced to holding someone with a material gun. With your powers you should be able to
snap my neck from across the room...but you can't."
He gripped Wolf tighter, still holding the gun to his head. "Oh how beside the point you
are McCloud."
The computer beeped. "Missile launch in forty seconds."
Andross raised an eyebrow. "What does the great McCloud do now?"
Fox stepped back slowly towards the control console.
The ape cocked the gun. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. One more move and his brains
will be smeared against the wall."
"Missile launch in fifteen seconds."
"Shoot me Fox." Wolf whispered the words softly.
His tail went stiff as he stared back at him.
"Ten seconds."
A glance at Corneria, it was beautiful. What was Wolf trying to say...
"It's over for your home McCloud. You shall witness its death."
Fox smiled, he knew what to do.
"Not today Andross." He pulled the trigger on his blaster, the shot pierced into Wolf's leg
as he yelped out in pain. The ape went confused, dropping his gun to accommodate for
the lupine's dead weight. Fox rushed over to the console and slammed his paw into a
button he knew all too well.
"Self destruct activated, missile launch sequence aborted. Four minutes til overload."
Andross' face twisted in shock. "No..." He dropped Wolf to the floor and grabbed the
gun, quickly pointing it at him.
"If I can't kill Corneria, then I'll kill your beloved friend."
Wolf's eye widened, "Fox!"
Several shots blasted into him as he laid on the floor. His body twitched with each
searing laser, one after the other, not stopping until the gun clicked out of energy. Smoke
rose from the holes in Wolf's jacket, seven holes, seven tendrils of smoke rising slowly.
He choked a breath as he stared at Andross' deep laden eyes.
Fox's jaw dropped, unable to strain out the faintest response as his eyes rested on Wolf's
limp body.
Andross laughed a lasting malevolent laugh. It seemed to echo through him, through the
room, through space, through time. He faded away with a purple flash. He was gone.
Fox dropped his gun, rushing over to Wolf in panic, kneeling next to him. He placed his
hand on the side of Wolf's face as he laid there, life seeming to slip away from him as he
panted and stared upward towards the ceiling.
"Self destruct in three minutes."
"No Wolf....I...I wish things could have been different."
"I know Fox." He chuckled softly, he didn't seem to be in pain as he laid limp on the
floor.
"Amazing...I always knew you'd laugh at death...I want to tell you something...before it's
too late Wolf..."
Before he could continue, Wolf raised his finger and put it to his lips, silencing him. With
a tender smile, he leaned up from the floor and buried his snout into the orange fur on
Fox's neck.
He closed his eyes in response, letting the wolf press his muzzle to his fur softly as he
took in his scent. A tear dripped from Fox's face as he pulled away. It was as though he
was unaware of his impending death he thought, so confident, knowing that all was worth
it in the end. The gray lupine smiled, slowly unzipping his jacket, drawing a curious look
from Fox. He continued to unzip, lower and lower until something caught his friend's eye.
Instead of blood or holes in his chest, there was a strange black fabric under the jacket
covering his fur.
The laser proof vest.
"What were you going to say Fox?" he asked with a grin.
Fox gasped hotly, stunned at the sight of the vest that he had seen him put on when they
were in the hover train. He quickly felt heavy with emotion, filled with immeasurable
relief.
"Self destruct in two minutes."
"No time to discuss Fox, help me up." He grabbed his hand and raised him off the floor,
holding his arm around him for support as Wolf winced from the wound on his leg.
Katt moaned as she got up from the floor, brushing pieces of glass off her, "Oh...what
happened this time...?"
"No time to explain, go get Pepper." Fox flipped open his PDA while holding Wolf,
"Falco, it's us. We stopped the biomissile and we're heading back to the ship. Tell Olivia
we're going to have to make a quick retreat."
"Understood Fox."
Katt knelt next to Pepper as he got up.
"Oh...where am I?"
"General Pepper? Are you ok?"
He looked over at her with a confused look, "I...I don't know?"
She helped him up slowly as he held his arm in pain. "What...what exactly is going on
here? Who are you?"
"I'm Katt Monroe. There's no time to explain General."
The bewildered canine looked over at Fox who was holding someone close. He had gray
fur and a blind eye. It couldn't be who he thought it was...
"Fox? Is that you?...And is that...Wolf O'Donnell with you?" He strained his eyes unable
to comprehend the situation. Nothing was making sense to him right now, his setting, his
location, his surroundings.
"General there isn't time to shed light on this, just follow me ok?"
"Self destruct in one minute."
Pepper looked up sharply at the words, "Alright, this is going to require a full explanation
when we get back to Corneria."
They all staggered onto the shuttle, everyone's eyes widening at the sight of Pepper
entering the ship. He held his arm, still in pain from the blaster wound as he plopped
down in a seat next to Falco. Fox decided to just carry Wolf as it was faster. They all
piled inside as the door shut behind them.
"Alright get us out of here Olivia."
The shuttle detached from the door and zoomed away. Their craft shot further and further
into the stars, Corneria hanging with memorable beauty in the background. After a
moment of silence the hull of the station exploded open, bursting outward in a massive
explosion, a spherical plume spreading through space as the shuttle sped away. After a
moment it faded to just a spreading dust cloud of debris.
Fox buried his head into Wolf's jacket, sniffing his scent as much as he could, "I thought
I lost you. I thought you were going to die right then and there on that cold metal floor."
Wolf couldn't help but smile at the way Fox was acting. "You know, I'm curious...what
were you going to say to me on that station?"
Fox just looked at him incredulously.
"Now I'm positive this is going to require a lot of explaining." Pepper held his gunshot
wound but managed a weak smile as he watched Fox and Wolf. "What happened to
Andross, is he dead?" He spoke his words in pain as he tried to catch his breath.
Fox looked at him for a moment, deep in thought. He remembered seeing him disappear,
but he wasn't sure if he had stayed on the station or not. But now it appeared he was gone,
Pepper was himself again. Maybe that was an indication of Andross' death...
"Yes...he's dead."
Wolf looked over at him, his one good eye showing the stress of Fox's obvious lie, he
wrapped an arm around him and leaned into his fur. All that mattered now was that it was
over...
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