DISCLAIMER: I don't own Starfox. Nintendo does. I own Azulia Lombardi, Draco Lombardi, and Jad Tayel. If you wish to use them, email me (neptunerising@poetic.com)
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Falco gasped, his eyes widening. It was like a city underground, only with no buildings. There were only rooms, countless rooms, all lining the walls. Falco looked over at Katt.
"I'm assuming you know where we're going?" he asked.
"Yes," Katt said with a grin. "Now, you have to be careful. This is the black market of Titania."
"I can take care of myself," Falco grumbled, following Katt once more.
Truthfully, Falco was nervous about being underground. Since he was in a sub-basement, he had two other sub-basements, and the basement above him. He was four levels underground. He stayed close to Katt. He wasn't as nervous when he was near her, for some reason. Her pace had increased now that they were underground, and her ears twitched constantly. Falco sensed worry.
"What's wrong?" Falco asked, quickening his pace to walk beside Katt.
"Nothing," Katt said. "It's just... The people here aren't the nicest, ya know?"
Falco understood. These were all criminals. Of course Katt would be nervous. He wondered if he would recognize anyone here. Most of the criminals he knew were from Corneria City, but it was likely that some had moved here. Rustburough City wasn't exactly the most pleasant city to live in.
They stopped in front of one of the doors, and it dilated automatically. Katt and Falco walked in. A small leopard stopped them.
"Who're you?" he snarled in a gruff voice.
"Great, a new guard," Katt sighed.
Falco stared hard at the leopard. He looked familiar. The leopard was glaring at Katt as she tried to explain something that Falco wasn't paying much attention to.
"Jad? Jad Tayel?" Falco asked finally.
The leopard looked over, startled. He walked up to Falco and looked up at him, studying him carefully. Finally, the leopard grinned, his sharp teeth glistening.
"Falco Lombardi," Jad laughed. "I haven't seen you since you were eleven! You've done some growing up, haven't you?"
Jad ushered Falco and Katt in, and Katt looked at Falco questioningly. Falco just smiled. Jad had known Falco's father. Actually, they had been mortal enemies. For some reason, though, Jad took a liking to Falco after his father died, and had looked after him. Falco had become the first member of his gang not to be feline.
"So, what do you two need?" Jad asked.
"Information," Katt said. "About someone in this city."
"Well, you've come to the right place, then," Jad said. "Now, who are you looking for?"
"Azulia Lombardi," Falco said.
"Azulia?" Jad echoed softly. "Falco, she's-"
"I saw her, Jad," Falco said. "Just an hour ago. I know I did."
Jad sighed softly and walked around a corner. Falco walked around the corner as well, and saw Jad typing at a gigantic computer. The keyboard, which seemed to need two creatures to operate at once, had no actual keys, per say, instead it had lines to separate the buttons of the black touch sensitive surface. The monitor, if you could call it that, was a hologram as big as the keyboard.
"Who'd you borrow this from?" Falco asked mischievously.
"Didn't "borrow" it from anyone," Jad said with a chuckle. "Bought it myself."
"And where did you get the money?" Falco asked.
"I never said I didn't borrow any money, now did I?" Jad said, laughing again.
Falco smiled as he shook his head. Some things never changed. He looked up at the screen, which was flashing through profiles of all of those who had been seen in the city within the last two days. Finally, the computer beeped and stopped flashing.
"Well I'll be damned," Jad said softly, seeming shocked himself. "Guess you were right."
"Where is she now?" Falco asked quickly. "Can you find that out? And how long has she been here?"
"Calm down, Falco," Jad said. "I should be able to find that out. Now let's see..."
Jad began typing again. The computer began to search the profile. Falco waited impatiently. He wanted to find his mother. Ever since she had gone missing when Falco was little, he had wanted to find her. His father, Draco, who had never liked Falco, finally grew annoyed with his persistence in finding her and admitted to Falco that he had killed her. Jad had confirmed this later. He had been there. That was probably the reason Jad liked Falco, now that he thought about it. Jad had always had a crush on Azulia. He had never forgiven Draco for that, and told Falco on more than one occasion that he was more like his mother than his father. Except for his temper.
The computer beeped again, and Falco turned his attention to the computer. The word "Classified" was flashing on the screen.
"I'm sorry, Falco," Jad said. "Someone must have classified it... And I know who would, too. You'll find him on sub-basement fifteen."
"Sub-basement... Fifteen?" Falco echoed much more meekly than he would have liked.
"I'll go by myself," Katt said.
"No," Falco said. "I'll go, too. You're looking for my mother, after all. And I wouldn't want you to get hurt, kitty cat."
Katt glared at him, and Falco grinned. That would make Jad and Katt ignore his phobia.
"Like you would protect me, bird boy," Katt said.
Yes, Falco thought, startling himself.
Of course he would, Falco rationalized. She was his friend. Katt just wanted it to be love. She was beginning to make him think that everything that might even be remotely romantic meant love. Falco sighed inwardly. He would have to stop thinking like that.
"You'll need another code to get into the fifteenth sub-basement," Jad said. "But your wristband will open it automatically, so you don't have to worry. As for you.." Jad turned to Falco. "You've got one of those wrist pads for your Arwing, don't you?"
"Yeah," Falco said. "But I don't know how it works. I mean, Slippy made it, not me."
"Let me see it," Jad said.
Falco extended his right wing and rolled up his sleeve. Jad studied it for a moment and walked over to a desk. Pulling something a small computer chip out of a drawer, he walked back over to Falco.
"Good thing this is one built for upgrades," Jad said. "Open it for me, please."
Falco pressed three numbered buttons and the small panel opened up. Jad pressed the chip in his paws to the chip inside the wrist pad. It clicked together.
"There," Jad said. "Now the door will recognize your presence."
"Thanks, Jad," Falco said.
"Any time, Lombardi," Jad said. "Now you'd better get going."
Falco nodded, and he and Katt walked out.
