DISCLAIMER: I don't own Starfox. Nintendo does. I own Azulia Lombardi, Draco Lombardi/Dragon L, Jad Tayel, Tori Hart, and Sierra Caridaay. If you wish to use them, email me (neptunerising@poetic.com)

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"Who're you?" Falco asked, stopping cold.

"Falco, I'm hurt," the voice said.

An eagle stepped forward. He looked Katt over with colorless eyes. Falco felt his anger growing the longer the eagle looked. Finally, he turned to Falco.

"My name is Tori Hart," the eagle said. "I was Dragon L's second-in-command. You remember Dragon L, don't you?"

Falco said nothing, choosing instead to glare at Tori. Tori walked over to Katt, smirking.

"I've seen you before, Kattrina Monroe," Tori cooed. "Don't be so surprised. I know everyone in this city. Why do you follow that falcon around? He carries no feelings for you."

Falco stepped between Tori and Katt. He surprised himself, for he hadn't realized he moved at all until he was standing in front of Katt.

"We didn't some here to listen to some speech," Falco said angrily. "Tell us where Azulia is."

"He's got a one-track mind, Kattrina," Tori continued, ignoring Falco. "All he cares about is himself and his affairs. He'll never care about you. He can't."

"What do you want?" Katt demanded.

"What do I want?" Tori laughed. "You, my dear!"

"M-me?" Katt squeaked, startled.

"What do you mean, "her"?" Falco snarled.

"I've been watching you, Kattrina," Tori said. "Ever since you came to this city I've been watching you. And I do believe I am in love."

"That's enough!" Falco roared, shaking as he tried to control himself.

"Temper, temper, Lombardi," Tori cackled, walking up to the falcon. "Afraid I'm going to steal one of your devoted followers? You have so many. I'm sure you won't miss one."

"Katt's not my follower," Falco said. "She doesn't follow anyone."

"She follows you like..." Tori smirked. "Like a child follows his mother."

"Shut the hell up!" Falco yelled, his wing tightening around his blaster.

"I'm the only one who knows the password you need," Tori said. "Without me, you'll never find your mother. And I'm willing to trade the password for Kattrina."

"No," Falco said.

"But Falco, don't you want to find her?" Tori asked.

"I can get the information some other way," Falco said.

"It's your choice, Kattrina," Tori said, turning to her. "Would you rather stay with me, or with this falcon? He watched his own father die, my dear Kattrina. He did nothing to save him."

"My father..." Falco spat the word. "He abandoned me. I thought he killed my mother until I saw her today. I hated him. I still do, even if he is dead."

"Everyone hates Draco Lombardi," Tori laughed mirthlessly. "But everyone fears Dragon L. That's why he became Dragon L. And you, Falco, are very much like both personalities."

"No, I'm not," Falco growled, turning to leave. "C'mon, Katt."

"You act so much like him," Tori continued. "You look more like your mother, perhaps, but you're still your father's son."

Falco's wing throbbed as he gripped his blaster tighter. He had his father's temper and red feathers, of course, but nothing else.

"Your father never loved Azulia, Falco," Tori said. "Azulia was hypnotized by his power, his fame... But most of all, by his charisma. She was only fifteen when she had you. Katt is hypnotized by you, you know. You will do the same thing to her that your father did to Azulia. At least you waited until she was an adult."

Falco spun around and fired twice. Tori slipped out of the way and drew his own blaster. So, this would come down to a shoot-out. Falco didn't care. He was the weapons specialist on Great Fox. He could even outshoot Fox, nine tines out of ten, on the ground.

Tori darted forward, grabbing Katt before Falco could react. Falco lowered his blaster.

"Let me go!" Katt growled, kicking Tori.

Falco heard a blaster go off. Katt seemed shocked, then slipped to the ground as Tori released his grip on her. Falco fired once and Tori fell, blood flowing from the small hole in his forehead. Falco ran to Katt.

"There's... No hospital here," Katt choked out, coughing.

"I'll take you to Great Fox, then," Falco said, lifting Katt up gently while pressing a few buttons on his wrist pad. "Is Sierra still on board, Fox?"

"What's wrong?" Fox asked through the wrist pad.

"Laser wound to... The chest. Katt, not me," Falco said; then to the elevator: "Ground floor."

"Sierra's still here. You're in Rustburough, right? We can dock at the space station, but I'll try and get Great Fox into the city if you want," Fox said.

"The station's fine," Falco said as he walked out of the elevator. "See you in ten. Falco out."

"Who's... Sierra?" Katt asked weakly.

"Doctor. Fox had her on board for a laser wound of his own, oddly enough," Falco said, winking. "He's considering making her a part of the Starfox team."

"As the... first and only female? Good... Luck to her," Katt said with a smile.

"She's a frog," Falco said as he walked down the almost empty streets-it was nearly midnight-Katt in his arms. "One of those colorful ones. Slippy's got a crush on her."

Falco strapped Katt into the back seat of his Arwing. She smiled softly.

"You've got beautiful eyes, you know that?" she said.

Falco, caught off-guard, felt himself redden. He composed himself quickly and pulled his shirt off. He wrapped it around Katt's chest wound to stop the blood flow. He chided himself mentally for not thinking of that before. He jumped into the front of his Arwing.

"I'll have you safe in Great Fox in less than five minutes," Falco said, grinning.

He took off, heading for the Titanian space station, Athena.