By: Wolf E. Urameshi
Emails: brooklyn2040@yahoo.com, wolf_urameshi@hotmail.com, wolf_urameshi@myway.com
Disclaimer: All characters from Star Fox are the legal property of Nintendo, and Rare. No infraction of the law is meant in any way. All original characters in this story are my legal property, are copyrighted, and may not be used without permission. If you would like to use them, please email me first. Don't you think this copyright thing is getting old?
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Well, well, well. How do you like my fic until now? Enjoy it, because it's finally coming to an end. Not in this chapter, but it's starting to come to an end. A few more chapters, and it's the end for it. But don't worry-the real action begins here. Now, where was I last time? Oh yeah, Bill and Falco, after apologizing to each other, arrived to the campsite, only to find it has turned into a battlefield. HMMMMM… They'll fight the soldiers there, and they will take down the campsite, and then make a plan to go to the Thorntail Hollow Base. Stay Tuned!
Chapter 17: Courage, Cowardice, And A Question Of Trust
Bill ran in and joined Falco in the fight. He gasped as two more bad guys jumped on Falco's back. "HEY! Get down!"
Bill ran in, knocked them down, and delivered strong punches to their faces. Falco looked at him in appreciation. "Thanks!"
"You welcome," Bill replied, but then yelled as he fell down, and ten more soldiers stood over him.
"Hey, mess with someone your own size!" Janus yelled as he ran and started to take them away from Bill one by one. One by one, he hit in the mandible, and by the time he was done, Bill had already started fighting again. He looked at Janus, who made an angry face. "Thanks, I forgot!"
Meanwhile, Wolf was fighting relentlessly. He kept attacking without remorse. "Aah! Go back from whence you came!" Then, Falco slowly walked backwards, tired, when suddenly, Wolf collided with him. They both raised their hands and hit each other.
"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE AIMING!" Falco yelled at Wolf.
"WHERE I HIT?! WHAT ABOUT YOU?!"
Suddenly, two soldiers approached them from behind. "HEY! BEHIND YOU!" They both yelled as they quickly delivered a strong punch to their guts, knocking them out.
"Thank you! You're welcome!" Falco and Wolf replied as they resumed their fighting.
"Now You're welcome," Janus replied as he resumed his fighting. Meanwhile, Krystal had managed to keep an edge on her enemies with her staff. She hit two more in the heads with her staff, but she gasped as she saw three more soldiers headed her way.
She quickly managed to do four back flips and twirled her staff as she hit them. "Whew…" Fox gasped as he saw her doing the back flips and hitting them.
He walked to Krystal panting. "Hey… Since when do you do gymnastics?"
"I don't know," Krystal replied as she hit another villain with her staff without even looking.
"What do you mean, 'I don't know?'" Fox replied as he aimed his blaster backwards and shot at one more soldier in the same way Kryztal did: He didn't look.
"Well, I'm just full of mysteries," She managed to reply as two more soldiers approached her. She turned and attacked them on their heads with her staff.
"Yes, I can see that," Fox replied to her as he turned, and fired his blaster at two more bad guys with his blaster. He looked back at her.
"What do you say?" Krystal asked as Fox smiled.
"Okay, good luck!" Fox said as he kissed her on the cheek, and resumed his fighting. Krystal did the same.
Meanwhile, Janus, Alma, and Katt had managed to keep themselves on their feet.
"This is insane! They just keep coming," Katt yelled as Janus posed with his muscles and scared away a whole group of bad guys.
"I know! You've been saying that for the last fifteen minutes! Won't you shut up?!" Janus replied as Katt made an annoyed face.
"How dare you insult me?!" Katt replied, annoyed.
"Guys, quit it! We should be working together and you're fighting over muscles and insults!" Alma yelled, but they just snapped back, "SHUT UP!"
"Don't insult me!" Katt yelled, sulking.
"I didn't! By the way, you want to take a rest?"
"Be my guest!" They hit one more guard, and they sat down, panting.
Meanwhile, Falco and Bill were panting as they kept hitting more soldiers with whatever energy they had left.
"What's going on?! These guys won't stop!" Bill yelled as Falco quickly snapped back, "I KNOW THAT! Keep quiet, and fight!"
Thirty more minutes passed before they were finally finished fighting. Everyone was very tired. Fox and Krystal were sitting down panting. Janus and Katt passed out from the battle. Bill and Falco were sleeping peacefully at Wolf's side. Suddenly, Fox's comm beeped. Fox raised it, and pressed a button. Slippy's face appeared on the radio.
"You look beat! What happened?!"
"Something unexpected. It was a sham, and Katt was right: Something WAS wrong."
"I see. You need medical help."
"Yup. And make it fast."
"On the way. I'm on my way there now. Oh yeah, I have a message from James."
"What… Did he say?"
"He said that he's proud of you, and that he's sorry for not sensing that big fight you got into."
"Whatever. Just get some help please."
"Okay, just hold on."
Later, Slippy had arrived at the campsite, with some First Aid equipment and some bandages. He gasped when he saw the sight. Fox and Krystal walked slowly towards Slippy. "Hey."
"Hey there, Fox. How are you feeling?"
"Not so good. You can see that by the way they look,"
"Yeah, I know. You really need help."
"I still don't get it. How did they know they were coming here?"
"Maybe they prepared for the most common eventuality. They probably guessed they would come here to rescue you, so they must've had a good guess."
"Huh. Now I know how a criminal feels like."
"Ha-ha. I know. Now, we better tend to those wounds."
Slippy started to help Fox and the others with their wounds. Janus was the least one wounded, so he volunteered in helping. From all of the good guys who were wounded, Bill was the worst one of them, so Slippy spent a long time checking on him before arriving to a simple conclusion.
"I'll have to take him to the Arwing to take care of his wounds. They look pretty bad, possibly even worse than Falco. He'll be placed in intensive care," Slippy announced as everyone nodded.
"Will he be alright?" Fox asked in a concerned tone.
"Oh, don't worry, I'm sure he's been through worse," Slippy replied. He mounted Bill in his Arwing, and took off into space.
Later, a small fire had been set at the center of the camp. Falco and Katt were huddled together against the fire. Fox and Krystal were talking about the day. Janus was sitting near the fire at Wolf's side. Alma was eating a Puk Puk Egg. And…
"Hey guys, I was just thinking…" Krystal said as everyone looked up to her. "Why would they want Tricky?"
"Hey, that's right, I haven't seen him… Where is he?" Fox asked her, who looked back at him.
"He's alright. He's with James at the Lookout."
"I see. Isn't he the Earthwalker Prince?" Janus asked piqued with interest.
"Uh-huh. Also, I think he may be a key plot to all this." Katt replied as Falco looked at her.
"In what way?" Falco asked her, who only looked down.
"I don't know… I mean, why?" Katt asked, but Alma cut in.
"Hey, what about that Scales guy? He hasn't made a single show ever since we landed here." She asked. Krystal and Fox looked at each other, and nodded.
"Yeah, I agree. He hasn't shown up. Wonder if something happened to him?" Fox asked himself.
Everyone remained quiet. Alma closed her eyes. A small wind howled. She opened her eyes. "…Scales is still alive."
Everyone quickly turned to her. "WHAT?! Scales?!" Janus asked in a desperate tone.
"Yeah. The wind told me. He's hiding." Alma replied. Janus shuddered.
"What's wrong, Janus? You look pale," Fox asked him, who only gave out a small shiver.
"It's him… He's…"
"What?"
"Scales is…" Janus replied in a shaky voice.
"He's what?" Falco asked, nervous.
"He's my father."
An immediate silence overtook the room. No one made a single sound. "He originally wanted me to be a tyrant, but I knew better! I would never abuse of someone! So, I just passed myself off as a researcher," Janus explained as everyone was amazed by such words.
"Then what happened to your mother?" Alma asked him, who shook his head.
"He killed her with no remorse. It was exactly a year after I was born. I never met her, although I DID hear she wasn't a Sharpclaw. She was… I can't remember. I've been told that she was a beautiful vixen. I never knew,"
"Wow… I'm so sorry. I didn't realize. Oh yeah, by the way, how old are you anyway?" Katt asked Janus, who chuckled.
"I'm twenty-one years old," He replied.
"Oh? I thought you were older! I was thinking you were, like, forty!" Wolf said as Fox hit him with his elbow on the rib.
Suddenly, Janus only started to shake violently.
"You alright?! What is it?!" Fox asked, only to receive no response, and more shaking.
"It was… Horrible…"
================================================
MANY YEARS AGO, IN AN UNKOWN PLACE…
"Come on! Get up! Fight like a true Sharpclaw!" A huge, tyrannical Sharpclaw shouted at a smaller one, who was completely covered in blood. The little Sharpclaw slowly got up, and yelled as he quickly ran up to the bigger one, and started to deliver many blows, all of which were blocked. Suddenly, the big Sharpclaw delivered a very powerful kick to the small dinosaur's chest. He only groaned in pain, and fell to his knees as the giant Sharpclaw walked to him, and looked down to him.
"You disappoint me, Janus!"
"Father, give me another chance! I'll…"
"SILENCE!!!" The Sharpclaw kicked the smaller Sharpclaw in the face, right below the mandible, and sent him flying across the red-and-blue arena, and crashed into a wall. He fell down to the floor, bleeding in his mouth.
"We will continue tomorrow. I expect you will have improved by then. Otherwise, it will be too late for you!" With that, the fighter left the building. Janus lay there, completely weak.
'I was tortured every day of my life. At first, I thought it was right to let myself to be tortured by him. Soon, I learned I was wrong. I learned that the next day.'
"You're a simple joke! You can't even stand up!" Scales yelled at his own son, who only lay on the ground, unconscious. "Why did I even bother creating you with your mother?!" He left afterwards.
'When I opened my eyes, I realized I wasn't at the arena where I trained everyday. I was somewhere… Else.'
"Uh… Where am I?" Janus asked as he opened his eyes slowly. He looked around. He was in a bed, and in a room completely in white. Laboratory equipment was everywhere.
"Oh, you're awake! Thank goodness!" A voice said as Janus got up. He looked at himself. His wounds were all covered with bandages.
"Who're you? I can't see well, the light's blinding me…" Janus replied as the voice gasped.
"Oh, dear me! How rude! Let me turn off those accursed lights." A flick was heard, and the lights were dimmed. Janus gasped as he saw the one responsible.
"…Dr. Windstorm? But, aren't I forbidden to talk to you? Why are you helping me?" Janus asked as Windstorm smiled.
"I can't take this lightly. He's making you go through things that aren't fair either for you, or me."
"You think?"
"Of course I do! You have rights!"
"I don't. I'm a useless moron."
"Of course you do! Unless, of course, you want to have it your way…"
"Wait! Can I actually stand up to him?!"
"Well, of course! Who does he think he is?!"
"How?! Please, tell me!"
"Or better yet: Let me help you."
"You want… You want to help me?"
"Yes, I can help you get stronger. But you need proper training first."
"What kind of training?"
"Training that will be less violent than his kind of training. I assure you, you will be in good hands."
"I don't know…"
"You don't trust me, Janus?"
"Oh, yes I do, but… I'm not sure…"
"You still have some time to think about it. Why don't you get some rest and tell me later?"
"No."
"What?"
"Help me. Please."
"I see. Are you really sure?"
"Of course I am! If I'm to overthrow him, whatever! I'll do it!"
"That's the spirit!"
'From there on, the whole world changed. The next day I started my training. The professor was a little crazy at first, but it was worth it-in fact, it was way better than what Dad did to me. I was happy with Windstorm. I can remember… Everyday, he made do all sorts of things: He'd make me carry some crates across the lab, he taught me the names of most chemicals known, everything. He also gave me some training to increase muscular resistance and speed, like lifting barbells and running around. I can remember one of those days...'
"OK, are you ready?" Professor Windstorm asked as Janus nodded slowly.
"Yes. Get on with it!"
"Android on!" Windstorm replied as he activated a small robot in the room.
"BATTLE MODE ENGAGED. ENEMY IDENTIFIED. HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT MODE ACTIVATED. STARTING DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY!" The android whirred as it ran towards Janus, who changed to a fighting stance. Then robot raised a mechanical hand and delivered a punch to his face, but before it hit, Janus got the arm with his hand, and with a roar, he only ripped the arm apart. Windstorm gasped.
"WARNING! LEFT ARM DESTROYED! ACTIVATE LONG-DISTANCE COMBAT WITH WEAPONS!" The android only activated a giant array of guns and weaponry, and started to fire at Janus. Seeing the danger, Janus jumped into the air, and somersaulted to the floor. Quickly, the android started to fire to the area in which Janus stood. He immediately back-flipped ten times with incredible speed, therefore, he was evading all the blows. Then, he started to run in circles around the android, which was relentlessly firing.
Suddenly, the robot stopped firing. "AMMUNITION DEPLETED. NOW RECHARGING."
"All right, this is my chance to destroy it!" Janus ran and jumped in the air. As the android reloaded its systems, Janus delivered a flying kick to the Android's head, and knocked off the head. The head went down to the floor.
"WARNING: SYSTEMS DESTROYED. CANNOT CONTINUE WITH OP—"
Before the head finished its speech, Janus had crushed the head with his bare feet. He only roared as the Professor watched, antagonized at those changes in Janus.
"This is amazing! I have never seen such a quick development of power and speed in only months. It's only been seven months now!" The Professor said as he only watched Janus walk over to a bottle on a table nearby, and he sipped on some water. "What an amazing speed and power. This is truly something to see!"
'The Professor was right about me: I was a Sharpclaw prodigy. After three more months worth of training, I decided that it had been about time to settle the score with my father.'
"What?! Now?! But, don't you think…?"
"Oh, don't worry, doc! I'll be alright!"
"You think? Goodness… Now that I think about it, just look at you: You've changed from a young one to a mature person."
"For once, you used your head."
"Ho ho, you crack me up at times. Well then, I will be waiting for you here."
"K, I'll see you later!"
LATER…
"WHAT? Ten men already destroyed in the castle!? Who is the one responsible?!" Scales asked as he only looked around the room, desperate.
"I am." A voice said as it jumped down from a balcony and landed in front of Scales.
"IT IS YOU!!!"
Janus looked at his father. "Hello, Father. It has been a long time."
"Just where have you been, you pest?!"
"Training, as you asked. Isn't that what you always wanted?"
"Where were you?!"
"Somewhere I chose. I won't say. But if you want to learn so badly, why not try fighting me?"
"You DARE to challenge me?!"
"You don't care about me. You're no longer my Father- just a thorn on my side!"
"Is that so?!"
"I'm sick of you!"
'Then… The words came out.'
"I HATE YOU!!!"
Scales was shocked. He never knew of the day his own son would say that. But what was the point in keeping him anyway? He loathed him, after all.
"Fine… Whatever you say, I'll listen. Now, if you wish to fight me, bring it on!" Scales ordered as Janus ran up to him, screaming in tears.
He ran up to his father's face and dealt a kick, but Scales blocked it. Janus quickly replied and hit him with another kick, this time hitting Scales right in the nose. He retreated, covering his nose with his bare hands.
"You… You will be disposed of now!!" Now he was angry. He tore his clothes from his waist up, and revealed his slender, green muscles, but his son wasn't afraid of such a sight.
"Is that supposed to frighten me, Father? I don't think you're all THAT strong," Janus told his father as his eyes were glowing red.
"Oh, I don't think so. This is only the beginning of the pain I will cause you!"
"I don't think that's it. Are you afraid of me?"
"What are you saying?! And what's your point?!"
"You're afraid of your own son, right? I bet Dr. Windstorm told you."
"Of course he was telling me! I forbid you from EVER talking to him!"
"I knew it. You're just jealous and afraid. He's a lot better trainer than YOU are."
"Be quiet!"
"Make me! I have a life! And as for you, get a life!"
"Get ready to die!"
"Get ready to be defeated!"
They ran to each other and started the fight as the moonlight crossed into the frontier. Only the break of dawn would stop them.
'I can't remember the details well… I won, but I ran away before he could even notice. I decided to continue my training with Doctor Windstorm in his laboratory. Five years had passed, and I was practically a hybrid: A researcher, not as perfect as Windstorm but close, and a natural fighter, with an incredible power. But one day… My training was over. I had gone out to get a couple of things for the Professor, but when I arrived at his lab…'
"Professor! I'm home!" No response. "Professor?"
Janus dropped the small bag of things on the floor, and walked around the lab, wondering where the Professor had gone to.
"Professor, if this is an alert-mind test, it's not funny, so cut it out." No response. "Something's wrong! Professor!! Where are you?!"
Janus started to run about the lab, quickly panting as he looked around for his mentor. "PROFESSOR!!!"
The sight Janus had witnessed made him scream with a potent voice: Professor Windstorm was laying on the ground, covered in blood. Shattered bottles were on the ground, full of chemicals, and his whole lab was in ruins.
Janus quickly ran to the Professor's side, anger and fear in his eyes. "Professor! What happened, are you all right?! Please answer me!"
Windstorm shuddered sinking in his pain when he heard his fellow student. "J… Janus… Run…"
"No, professor!! I won't leave you here! Just hold on!"
"Damn it, listen to me, Janus! Your father has a corrupt mind! He's looking for you!"
"For me?! HE did this?!"
"He's gone insane… He wishes to become stronger!!! He used my Physical Enhancement Machine, and now he's an ogre, seeking to kill you!"
"You never told me of that! Why didn't you tell me?!"
"I didn't want you to try it because it was dangerous for you! I didn't want you to become insane, like your father before you!"
"Hold on!" After three hours that seemed like eternity, the professor was miraculously healed.
"Professor, please let me use the machine!"
"No. It's too dangerous."
"Please! I can't go mad!"
"NO! I don't want you to do it!"
"Let me do it! I can endure! I want to put my strength to good use! I would ever use it to harm someone!"
That did it. The professor kept quiet. He gave it some thought, and decided he had no choice.
"All right, I'll let you use it."
"You will?! Oh, thank you so much! I can have my revenge!"
"WHAT? Your revenge? You must be insane!"
"I'm not! I'll prove it!"
"All right, follow me." The professor led his student to a small room with a machine that seemed to have a large tube, large enough to hold someone.
"Listen carefully. This machine is still on the testing process, so it may not be secure to try it. The many times I have tested it on something, it has been unsuccessful. You don't have to do this." Windstorm said as Janus narrowed his eyes.
"I MUST! I have to stop him!" Janus replied as Windstorm smiled.
"…You're the living image of your father. Before tragedy struck him."
"Tragedy? What tragedy?"
"That, I won't tell you yet- you would never be able to understand. I'll wait until you're old enough."
"What if you don't make it by then?"
"I will, trust me. But, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes."
"…All right then. Step inside. And here's a warning: The process may be very painful for you. If you can't take it anymore, let me know so I can shut down the system."
"All right, get ready."
'As I stepped in the machine, I knew that I couldn't turn back. I really didn't care at all about the pain- all I ever wanted was to be stronger. I really didn't care. It didn't even matter.'
"Here we go! Delta Conversion Machine, on!" The professor turned on the machine and as yellow water filled the tube, Janus knew his adventure had only begun. He held his breath and closed his eyes as he was finally submerged in it. Then, an electrical wave started to run through his whole body.
"Uuurrrgh! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" Janus couldn't help but scream at the pain it was all causing him: The machine, his memories, his father's bloody memory, and his desire to have met his dead mother. Suddenly, his muscular mass and body structure started to change. He knew it was done. As he felt his body ripping outside, he could only yell and roar at all of it. He raised his arms, and he broke through the machine with a gigantic roar that made the professor tremble.
"I have… Succeeded." The professor muttered under his breath as he started at the new Janus.
Janus lifted his eye and looked at his mentor, who was only shaking. "Did it… Work?"
"Y-Yes, it did… This is amazing… No one has ever survived such a process before… This is a true discovery!"
"Really?"
"Of course, take a good look at yourself in this mirror!" The professor then placed a large mirror in front of Janus. He walked to it, and slowly inspected himself and his new features: His new and improved muscle, his heightened senses, and his eyes, dyed a deep blue.
"Janus, I believe Scales is coming for you. Your training under me is complete."
"I'm going to get him now!"
"NO!" Windstorm replied defiantly. Janus kept quiet. "This is my last assignment for you: Go to Dinosaur Planet, and try and find a way to help your father. I'm sure he's not evil."
"What?"
"He's possessed by a spirit. Illogical, but true. Go there and find a way to help him."
"Alright. But what about YOU?!"
"Don't worry about me. Go on."
'With that, I left for this planet. I'll never forget that guy. He was my first friend. I'll never forget him…'