(Note: This fic was planned before "Sonic Heroes" was released, and doesn't include that in the timeline)
A Tainted Legacy
Space was as calm as it ever was, with the infinite twinkling stars the only company for the massive ship that hurtled through it toward a beautiful planet. The Great Fox was an old vessel, but still as powerful and fast as ever thanks to the tireless efforts of its crew. There was nothing they wouldn't do to keep it in shape and keep the Starfox Team together. It had existed since before its leader was born... he wasn't about to let it fade.
"Will you pay up or not?" Fox McCloud asked irritably from his comfortable captains chair in the middle of the bridge. "Because we always have a steady job at Corneria if you would rather not."
"Fine, I'll pay, but only after the target is destroyed." The static-covered figure replied irritably before he cut the transmission. Fox looked to the side, giving his teammates a thumbs up.
"With that much cash, we'll be able to outfit the Great Fox with those new ion engines." Slippy Toad commented eagerly. His slimy green skin made the others avoid contact with him generally, but he was a wizard with making the Great Fox and Arwings run at maximum capacity. "We could cover half a galaxy in the span of a day."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Falco Lambardi reminded him, walking over to stand beside Fox's chair. His feathers were slicked down against his body since he couldn't actually fly without his Arwing. He was also the best pilot in the team next to Fox himself. "We have to catch this guy first, and from the sound of it, he's a pretty bad egg."
"If he wasn't a bad egg we wouldn't take the job." Fox stood up and straightened out his flight jacket, looking around the bridge of the ship. "Has anyone seen Peppy today? We have to get down to the surface and nab this guy. We can't do it without him." Slippy shrugged his shoulders and Falco shook his head. "Falco... get ready for takeoff. Slippy, you'll stay with the Great Fox."
"Right." Fox's shipmates turned to their duties as Fox turned to head into the back of the ship. He stopped outside the door to Peppy's quarters, listening for any movement inside. It was silent, so he put one hand on the door and pushes it open. The room was dimly lit, only the twinkling stars outside the reinforced window illuminated the old rabbit sitting in a comfortable chair on the other side of the room. The pair of ears sticking out above the chair didn't even twitch when he entered.
"Peppy, what are you doing?" Fox reached over and turned up the light so that he could see his old friend. The gray hairs that had once been spotty had taken over the rabbit's features. The spectacles he needed to see were tucked into one pocket. He was staring up at Fox, squinting at the sudden light. "We have a job to do... we need you to fly with us. This could be a tough one."
"I don't think I can do it Fox." Peppy shook his head, his ears drooping slightly. Fox cocked his head to the side. The old rabbit raised one hand. It shook and swayed side to side, as if he were caught in an earthquake only he could feel. "My old nerves are getting the better of me..."
"Don't worry about it, you're one of the best pilots I've ever known." Fox walked up to him, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm sure you can handle it." He said in a softer tone. Peppy was the last remaining member of the original Starfox Team, of which Fox's father, James McCloud, had been the leader. The wizened old rabbit looked up at him with an accepting gaze, shaking his head.
"No... I can't." Peppy said simply. Fox looked down at the ground, lowering his arms to his side. "I think it's time I leave the team, Fox." He stood up, moving stiffly over to the bookcase beside his bed. "I would rather stay here with my books than go flying through space anymore..." He didn't look back at Fox, remaining silent.
"Me and Falco are heading out... you and Slippy maintain the ship..." Fox told him. Peppy nodded wordlessly, not looking back at him. So Fox left the old rabbit's quarters and made his way down to the hangar bay. Falco gave him a quizzical glance when he noticed that Peppy was nowhere to be seen, but Fox shook his head and climbed into the cockpit of his Arwing.
Falco silently followed suit, turning on the engine of his ship. "How are we supposed to find this guy?" Falco asked through the receiver in his flight helmet.
"If what our employer said is any indication, it won't be that hard." Fox replied.
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The scorching desert sun shone down on the sharp landscape, but the natural breeze that flowed through the land kept the temperatures from exceeding unbearable levels. Cries of anger and frustration echoed through the empty plains as a pink and red figure charged headlong through it in pursuit of a blue and red blur. "Get back here Sonic!" She screamed.
"Hey, if you want me, ya gotta catch me Amy!" Sonic grinned, running backwards with his arms folded across his chest. He ran just fast enough to keep out of her reach without getting too far ahead of her. "You know that's my number one rule."
"I WILL catch you Sonic!" Amy huffed before collapsing to her hands and knees on the ground.
"Hey!" Sonic slowed to a stop and ran up to her, kneeling down to make sure she was okay. "Amy? I didn't wear you out TOO much did I?" He asked. The pink hedgehog kept her head down for a few moments, then lifted her head with a victorious grin.
"I GOT you!" She lunged for him, but in a blue flash Sonic vanished just before her arms could close around him. "Blast it!" She yelled in frustration. Sonic laughed and shook one finger at her from the top of a nearby boulder.
"Gotta do better than that." He smirked and gave her a wry wink. Amy glared at him, then her eyes went wide and she looked up at the air over his shoulder. Sonic was about to call her on her bluff, but then he felt a heavier breeze than normal flowing through his quills. "What the...?" He whirled around in surprise to see two huge ships hovering in the air in front of him.
One of the ship's cockpits opened and a fox stood up, staring down at him. "Sonic the Hedgehog... you're coming with us." He declared, as if it was already a sure thing. Sonic grinned and turned to face him.
"Number one rule. You want me? You gotta catch me!" Sonic whirled and took off, grabbing Amy with one swoop and streaking through the desert like a blue bullet. Amy screamed and clung to his neck tightly as the landscape passed by underneath them at a breakneck pace. Sonic looked back to find the two ships flanking him at the same speed his was going.
"Sonic! Be careful!" Amy screamed as they passed over a particularly large boulder. Sonic bounced from it to a nearby outcropping of rocks, making his was toward a large canyon just ahead of them. The two ships followed behind him, covered in the massive dust storm created by his passing through. "WALL! WALL!" Amy screamed.
"That's the idea." Sonic grinned as they passed into the canyon. He looked back to see one of the ships still tailing him through the narrow passages. He couldn't see any sign of the second one. Thinking fast, he leapt from one of the larger rocks on the ground, flying onto one of the walls where his feet found every nook and cranny, still propelling him forward.
The ship behind him rose to his level and pulled up next to him. There was a bird-like figure sitting in the cockpit, gesturing for him to go down and moving his beak. Playfully Sonic put one hand to his ear, forcing her pursuer to repeat to the command. With mock frustration Sonic leapt from the wall and landed on the nose of the bird's plane, staring into the bird's shocked eyes.
"WHAT?" He screamed into the wind with a mocking grin. The bird glared at him, but Sonic looked up in surprise when he heard a sound above him. An emerald green blast slammed into the nose of the plane right at his feet, sending the hedgehogs hurtling through the air toward the canyon wall. The bird's ship tilted downward, then pulled up to exit the canyon just before going into an area too narrow for the wide wings.
Amy screamed until the two hedgehogs slammed into the wall and slid end over end down to a nearby ledge. Sonic groaned and pushed himself to his hands and knees, while Amy shook her head and turned to a sitting position. "Oohhh... my head... I think these guys are serious..." Amy muttered worriedly. "There must be some mistake."
"Yeah there's a mistake. They made me mad." Sonic growled and pushed himself to his feet as one of the ships moved to hover in front of the ledge they were on. Sonic took a running leap from the ledge and slammed feet first into the ship with enough force to knock it slightly off balance before bouncing off again. "Come get me!" No longer burdened by Amy's weight, the hedgehog streaked down the side of the canyon and disappeared through the narrower part.
Sonic looked back, somewhat surprised to see his pursuer entering the narrow canyon pass at a sideways angle. With a sneer he pumped his legs as fast as he could, darting through the rock formations that barred his path. A rain of emerald green fire blew chunks out of the surrounding landscape, but the hedgehog leapt through holes in rubble and over fragments of Earth.
Without warning a massive explosion rocked the canyon ahead of them, blocking the way forward with a pile of rubble. Sonic smirked and started up the canyon wall, but his pursuer's right wing slammed into him from behind, knocking him from the rocks. A wild grab saved the hedgehog's life by gripping the edge of the wing as the ship lifted out of the canyon, soaring high into the air.
Sonic clung to the ship's wing, looking at the cockpit. The fox from before was squinting at him. Sonic looked ahead to see the second ship coming right for him, its lasers starting to power up. Sonic pulled himself up to the edge of the wing he was clinging to, kneeling on the edge until the other ship opened fire.
The emerald blast soared right over him as Sonic leapt from the wing, thrusting his torso forward to send himself into a spin as a ball half his normal size. His quills cut through the air from the speed of his spin, hitting home on the second ship's wing. They sliced through the metal like a knife through butter, dropping the wing to the ground and sending the ship hurtling through the air.
Sonic grabbed the severed wing and knelt on the center of it, using the wind to ride it toward the earth beyond the canyon like a hang-glider. The bird's ship plummeted toward the ground, spinning through the air until it slammed into the Earth far below. A thunderous crash echoed through the empty desert, and billows of dust and smoke flew into the air.
Sonic rode the wing to the ground and leapt off just before it hit, landing on the ground in a fast roll until he could jump to his feet and skid to a stop. He whirled as the Fox's ship landed on the sand and the Fox climbed out, running desperately toward his friend's ship. Fire was starting to reach out of the steel hull, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the sky.
Who were these guys, and why were they after him? The symbol on the wing he'd ridden down looked like a winged fox... maybe he could use it to discover their identities? Sonic's mind was racing almost as fast as his feet as he turned to hightail it across the desert. It wouldn't help to try to get them now, they still had one fully functional ship. His specialty was running, not combat. He would need backup if he wanted to do more than get in a lucky shot...
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"Falco!" Fox skidded to his knees beside the upside down cockpit of his teammates Arwing. The glass of the windshield lad scattered across the desert floor. He knelt down as low as he could to peek inside the ship. His friend was still strapped into the Arwing's seat, upside down and unconscious, but it looked like he was still breathing.
"Don't worry Falco, I'm coming." Fox put his hands on the side of the ship and heaved upward, trying to roll it just enough to get underneath. The ship groaned, but remained solidly planted where it was. Fox grunted and strained, but all of his efforts proved futile. "I can't... get it..." He growled. Finally he stopped and slumped on the sand, putting one hand on his head.
"Fox..." Falco's voice floated out from under the Arwing. It sounded hoarse, but it was a relief to hear it at all. "Did we get him?"
"Not yet... but we will." Fox put one hand on the hot steel, smiling slightly. "Just hold on, I'll figure something out." Fox scoured the surroundings for something to help roll the ship over with, but nothing nearby was strong enough. "Maybe I can dig under the sand..." Fox started shoveling handfuls of sand out of the way, but suddenly he saw something reflected in the Arwing's hull.
He whirled out of the way just as a massive golden hammed slammed into the steel Arwing. The entire ship began to vibrate, along with the hammer, which the pink hedgehog from before dropped with a surprised grunt. Falco howled from inside the cockpit, trapped inside of the gigantic bell.
"Ow, ow, owie! That hurt!" The girl shook her hands out, glaring at Fox. Fox stood up and pulled the Blaster from its holster, pointing it at her.
"You're the girl who was with Sonic." Fox quirked one eyebrow. "He just left you behind? Doesn't seem like much of a leader."
"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you leave my Sonic alone!" The girl managed to restore the feeling in her hands, but she didn't move to pick up her weapon thanks to the blaster pointing at her chest.
"We were hired to bring him to justice." Fox retorted. "And we're going to do that."
"Justice?" The girl exclaimed incredulously. "Sonic's never committed a crime in his life! Except maybe jaywalking... but that's not worth this!" Fox cocked his head and lowered the blaster to his side, though he kept it in hand.
Fox's eyes darted back and forth between the girl and the Arwing, where he knew his teammate was still trapped. He slid the Blaster back into its holster. "We'll sort this out later... I have a friend trapped underneath the Arwing that I have to dig out."
"Fine..." The girl grabbed her hammer and moved out of the way as Fox walked over to the Arwing and resumed digging. He kept his highly sensitive ears were trained for the slightest noise behind him. This would tell if she was really an innocent here, or if it was all an act.
To his surprise the girl knelt down beside him and started pawing at the sand. They worked together to dig enough of a hole to get under the side of the Arwing. Fox removed Falco's seatbelt and carefully pulled him out from under the ship. When he was free Falco looked up at them, with a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Looks you found a cute one here Fox..." He muttered when he saw the pink hedgehog kneeling over him. Amy blushed slightly while Fox gave a slight chuckle. It was good to know his friend was okay... now they just had to give him time to recover, figure out what was going on here, and then find Sonic all over again.
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The hare's wizened old hands lifted the small book from the depths of the bookshelf, turning it over and over as though reading its contents without his eyes. Peppy opened the book and scanned through its contents, looking through the pair of spectacles that had become a necessity in his old age. Even a rabbit's eyes couldn't last forever.
The book flooded his mind with memories, some of which brought a tender smile to his lips, while others filled his heart with the deepest regret. He'd had more adventures than he could possibly remember, ever since James McCloud had started the team. And then of course it continued with his son... Fox...
Without warning a piercing screech echoed through the ship from the intercom, only to vanish as fast as it had come. Peppy looked up in surprise and moved to the door, stepping out into the hall. "Is anyone out there?" He moved slowly down the hall, clutching the book in one hand. "Slippy? Are you up there?" He sidled toward the bridge.
As he pushed the bridge door open something slammed into him from behind, sending him hurtling into the bridge on his hands and knees. He looked back, but all he saw was a silver blur that vanished as fast as it had appeared. He quickly scanned the room, listening to the rapid footsteps on the metal, but the figure remained elusive.
"You, stand still." Peppy pushed himself to his feet, wishing he had a Blaster with him. "What are you doing on our ship?" He demanded. He grunted when something landed on his shoulder, shoving him to the ground and pinning him there face down. The soft hum of the ship was the only sound that remained after the clang of Peppy hitting the metal faded.
His attacker's shadow stretched out in front of him on the cold steel floor. "You... you're one of them..." The figure on his shoulders spoke softly. "I must have been right..." Peppy shook his head, trying to remember. That voice sounded familiar... "You were the ones who ruined my life."
"I don't know what you're talking about..." Peppy replied, trying to push himself off the floor. The weight of his attacker kept him down however.
"It doesn't matter." The shadow moved forward as the intruder stepped off of him and started across the bridge toward the command chair. It was a hedgehog with wilver skin. "I suggest you evacuate to the surface... because none of you are leaving this planet until I find the one responsible for all of this." He tapped a few commands and the Great Fox turned in orbit, heading straight down toward the planet.
"No... you can't!" Peppy leapt from the floor and charged at the silver hedgehog. The intruder easily leapt out of the way, landing in a crouch halfway across the bridge. Peppy tried to alter the course of the ship with the control panel, but the systems were already locked down as the ship entered the atmosphere.
"Suit yourself if you want to go down with the ship. I have other matters to take care of." With that the black hedgehog vanished in a silver blur, charging out of the bridge of the Great Fox. Peppy turned to watch the front windshield as the ship ignited on contact with the atmosphere, plummeting uncontrollably toward the ground. This ship had survived a long time... but it looked like that time was over...
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Sonic slowed as he neared the small house overlooking the ocean. Two flights of stairs were dug into the cliff face, and a long runway extended out over the ocean, flanked by a row of lush palm trees. The house was very small, consisting of a small living area, a bedroom, and the hangar where his friend's plane, the Tornado 2, was housed. The sun was already beginning to set... the delay of dealing with his attackers in the desert had cost him much of the day.
Sonic pushed the door open and went inside. He found his small protégé, Miles Prower, sitting at a small desk tinkering with what looked like a ball the size of his fist. At the sound of the door the young two-tailed fox looked over at him, then gave him a wide smile.
"I was wondering when you'd get here. You're pretty late Sonic, and you're never late." Tails pushed his chair back and stood up, gesturing to a comfortable looking couch against one wall. "I'm almost finished with what I wanted to show you, it'll just be another minute."
"Actually Tails, I have something I want you to help me with." Sonic walked up to the desk and pulled out a small piece of scratch paper. Tails watched curiously while Sonic scribbled a rough sketch of the symbol he'd seen on the plane's wing. "Do you recognize this at all?"
"Hmm..." Tails grabbed it and studied it for a moment. "It looks like a winged fox. I have no idea what it could mean. Where did you see it?" Tails asked curiously.
"Me and Amy were..." Sonic trailed off, realizing he'd forgotten something very important in his haste to enlist Tails' help. "Damn... I forgot about Amy! She's still in the desert with those goons!"
"What? We have to go save her!" Tails stood up quickly. Sonic turned to run out of the house, but Tails grabbed his arm before he could proceed any farther. "Let's take the Tornado, it's not as fast as you but it can handle a fight better."
Sonic nodded and turned to head for the hangar. He couldn't believe he forgot about her... he'd been so distracted by the sudden attack that she'd completely slipped his mind. He hoped she was still okay when he got there...
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Amy sat on her knees on the desert sand with Falco's head resting on her lap. The crash had taken a lot out of him, it would take him a while yet to recover. A fire was the only light as night fell aside from the twinkling stars high overhead. Falco was staring up at the sky, while his partner Fox worked on the remaining Arwing to make it seat three people instead of the usual one.
"We apologize... for attacking you." Falco spoke for the first time since they'd pried him out of the downed fighter. Amy blinked in surprise, then gave him a gentle smile.
"Hey, at least you learned not to mess with my Sonic." She nudged his shoulder jokingly. They sat in companionable silence for a few more minutes before Amy spoke again. "So you're a pilot... do you do a lot of this bounty-hunter work?"
"We do what we're called to do." Falco replied. "You know, guard-duty here, saving a planet there."
"Sounds exciting." Amy looked down at him appreciatively. "Well, not for the guys you're hired to stop of course..."
"We don't take dirty jobs." Falco replied. "We were told Sonic was a threat to people around here."
"The only person here Sonic is a threat to is Dr. Eggman." Amy smirked. "I bet you anything he's the one who called you here." Falco grunted, but didn't respond. His eyes scanned the sky until suddenly he blinked and pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Hey, be careful! You're not better yet!"
"No..." Falco's voice was shuddering in horror. Fox looked back at him, then turned his gaze skyward. Amy followed their looks, gasping when she saw a meteor-like fireball plummeting toward the ground trailing thick smoke.
"The Great Fox..." Fox muttered in horror as the fireball vanished over the horizon. The explosion as it hit the ground lit up the night sky like a second sun, forcing all three campers to shield their eyes. It finally faded and Fox shook his head. "I'm going to check it out..."
"Hold up, I'm coming with you." Falco pushed himself to his feet with a grunt, making his way to Fox's Arwing.
"Hey, wait for me! You're not completely healed yet!" Amy rushed after him and climbed in the ship with them. The extra two seats were squeezed into the back, but they were better than sitting on the equipment. The engines flared to life and the Arwing rose from the ground, taking off across the darkened desert landscape.
"Those two had better be alright..." Fox muttered worriedly under his breath. Amy looked back and forth between Fox and Falco, keeping silent. Falco was staring morosely out at the landscape below, one arm held across his bare chest. Amy put one hand on his arm and gave him a comforting smile.
The console started beeping moments before a series of impacts riddled the bottom of the Arwing, a few bullets punching through into the seats. Amy screamed in surprise and the ship veered off to the side, avoiding the continuing stream of fire. "Hold on!" Fox shouted back to them, taking the ship into a rapid spin.
Amy clung to her seat until her arms gave out and she started flying into the air, but Falco grabbed her and yanked her onto his lap, holding onto her with his arms and holding the floor with his bird's claws. "I got you." He told her as the ship went into another spin, narrowly avoiding another stream of fire. The Arwing came around again, putting their attacker in its sights.
Amy looked up and gasped when she saw a blue plane with a figure standing on the top pair of wings. Fox moved to fire, but Amy yelled before he could. "No! Don't fire! That's Sonic and Tails!" She yelled. Fox's thumb moved away from the trigger, but another hail of bullets dotted the hull. "We have to let them know that you're not trying to hurt them anymore."
"If you've got any suggestions, I'm open. Because my only other option is to disable them." Fox brought the Arwing around again, sending it into a barrel roll to avoid one of the Tornado's missiles. It detonated feet from the Arwing, knocking it off kilter. Falco's arms tightened around Amy to keep her from flying against the wall.
"Don't worry Fox, we're here!" A high-pitched voice came over the intercom. Two blips appeared in the radar, and outside Amy could see a missile streaking toward the Tornado.
"Slippy! Hold your fire!" Fox exclaimed too late. The missile barreled into the Tornado's wings, detonating in a spectacular fireball that lit up the surrounding darkness.
"SONIIIIC!" Amy screamed, pressing herself up against the glass windshield that covered the cockpit. Her mouth hung open in shock as the remains of the Tornado plummeted to the ground in a myriad of pieces, blanketing the desert in steel. Amy went numb, sinking back onto Falco's lap, no longer feeling anything. The rest of the world seemed to black out, leaving her alone in this dark world in which she found herself trapped. Sonic... was dead...
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Sonic clung to his friend's hand as tightly as he could as Tails' twin tails spun with the force of a helicopter blade. The smoke from the wreckage of the Tornado 2 covered their descent, allowing them to each the ground undetected. By the time they touched down, the two ships were already gone into the distance. Tails collapsed to the ground panting and nursing his tails.
"I think I pulled something..." Tails growled. One of his tails twitched spastically, but his hands ran over it until it finally calmed down.
"We have to find Amy before they do... but she could be anywhere in the desert by now." Sonic sighed and shook his head. "They might already be holding her captive for all we know." He looked over at his young friend. Tails pushed himself to his feet and moved to stand beside Sonic.
"I wouldn't worry about her too much. She can handle herself." Tails stared after the two ships. "What I want to know is where those things came from. I've never seen anything like them, they made the Tornado look like a bath toy." His tails idly brushed against the ground as his hand reached up to stroke his chin. "I'd sure love to get my hands on one..."
"Maybe we can get our chance." Sonic looked up at the thick smoke trail that still hung in the air. "They owe us a plane now, after all." Tails smiled and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Come on, let's get going." Sonic took off across the desert at a breakneck pace, with his fox friend rushing along behind him.
"Ow... ow! Sonic wait, my tails can't take it right now!" Tails slowed down to let his tails rest, but Sonic double back and scooped the fox up in his arms, resuming his dash through the desert. The smoke lowered toward the ground until they could see a fire lit up in the distance over a small hill. Sonic slowed to a walk and let his friend down as they peered over the hill. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon as they watched.
"Looks like they brought some friends along..." Sonic noted when he saw that a frog and a rabbit had joined the fox and bird from before. He looked past them, seeing their airships sitting just outside the firelight. "This'll be too easy. We sneak around and..."
"Sonic wait... Amy!" Tails pointed vigorously to a point outside the firelight. Sonic looked to see the young pink hedgehog lying facedown outside the firelight with her shoulders shaking. "She's crying... they must have caught her in the desert.
"We have to get her out of there." Sonic looked down at his little friend. Okay, here's the plan...
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A Tainted Legacy
Space was as calm as it ever was, with the infinite twinkling stars the only company for the massive ship that hurtled through it toward a beautiful planet. The Great Fox was an old vessel, but still as powerful and fast as ever thanks to the tireless efforts of its crew. There was nothing they wouldn't do to keep it in shape and keep the Starfox Team together. It had existed since before its leader was born... he wasn't about to let it fade.
"Will you pay up or not?" Fox McCloud asked irritably from his comfortable captains chair in the middle of the bridge. "Because we always have a steady job at Corneria if you would rather not."
"Fine, I'll pay, but only after the target is destroyed." The static-covered figure replied irritably before he cut the transmission. Fox looked to the side, giving his teammates a thumbs up.
"With that much cash, we'll be able to outfit the Great Fox with those new ion engines." Slippy Toad commented eagerly. His slimy green skin made the others avoid contact with him generally, but he was a wizard with making the Great Fox and Arwings run at maximum capacity. "We could cover half a galaxy in the span of a day."
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Falco Lambardi reminded him, walking over to stand beside Fox's chair. His feathers were slicked down against his body since he couldn't actually fly without his Arwing. He was also the best pilot in the team next to Fox himself. "We have to catch this guy first, and from the sound of it, he's a pretty bad egg."
"If he wasn't a bad egg we wouldn't take the job." Fox stood up and straightened out his flight jacket, looking around the bridge of the ship. "Has anyone seen Peppy today? We have to get down to the surface and nab this guy. We can't do it without him." Slippy shrugged his shoulders and Falco shook his head. "Falco... get ready for takeoff. Slippy, you'll stay with the Great Fox."
"Right." Fox's shipmates turned to their duties as Fox turned to head into the back of the ship. He stopped outside the door to Peppy's quarters, listening for any movement inside. It was silent, so he put one hand on the door and pushes it open. The room was dimly lit, only the twinkling stars outside the reinforced window illuminated the old rabbit sitting in a comfortable chair on the other side of the room. The pair of ears sticking out above the chair didn't even twitch when he entered.
"Peppy, what are you doing?" Fox reached over and turned up the light so that he could see his old friend. The gray hairs that had once been spotty had taken over the rabbit's features. The spectacles he needed to see were tucked into one pocket. He was staring up at Fox, squinting at the sudden light. "We have a job to do... we need you to fly with us. This could be a tough one."
"I don't think I can do it Fox." Peppy shook his head, his ears drooping slightly. Fox cocked his head to the side. The old rabbit raised one hand. It shook and swayed side to side, as if he were caught in an earthquake only he could feel. "My old nerves are getting the better of me..."
"Don't worry about it, you're one of the best pilots I've ever known." Fox walked up to him, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm sure you can handle it." He said in a softer tone. Peppy was the last remaining member of the original Starfox Team, of which Fox's father, James McCloud, had been the leader. The wizened old rabbit looked up at him with an accepting gaze, shaking his head.
"No... I can't." Peppy said simply. Fox looked down at the ground, lowering his arms to his side. "I think it's time I leave the team, Fox." He stood up, moving stiffly over to the bookcase beside his bed. "I would rather stay here with my books than go flying through space anymore..." He didn't look back at Fox, remaining silent.
"Me and Falco are heading out... you and Slippy maintain the ship..." Fox told him. Peppy nodded wordlessly, not looking back at him. So Fox left the old rabbit's quarters and made his way down to the hangar bay. Falco gave him a quizzical glance when he noticed that Peppy was nowhere to be seen, but Fox shook his head and climbed into the cockpit of his Arwing.
Falco silently followed suit, turning on the engine of his ship. "How are we supposed to find this guy?" Falco asked through the receiver in his flight helmet.
"If what our employer said is any indication, it won't be that hard." Fox replied.
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The scorching desert sun shone down on the sharp landscape, but the natural breeze that flowed through the land kept the temperatures from exceeding unbearable levels. Cries of anger and frustration echoed through the empty plains as a pink and red figure charged headlong through it in pursuit of a blue and red blur. "Get back here Sonic!" She screamed.
"Hey, if you want me, ya gotta catch me Amy!" Sonic grinned, running backwards with his arms folded across his chest. He ran just fast enough to keep out of her reach without getting too far ahead of her. "You know that's my number one rule."
"I WILL catch you Sonic!" Amy huffed before collapsing to her hands and knees on the ground.
"Hey!" Sonic slowed to a stop and ran up to her, kneeling down to make sure she was okay. "Amy? I didn't wear you out TOO much did I?" He asked. The pink hedgehog kept her head down for a few moments, then lifted her head with a victorious grin.
"I GOT you!" She lunged for him, but in a blue flash Sonic vanished just before her arms could close around him. "Blast it!" She yelled in frustration. Sonic laughed and shook one finger at her from the top of a nearby boulder.
"Gotta do better than that." He smirked and gave her a wry wink. Amy glared at him, then her eyes went wide and she looked up at the air over his shoulder. Sonic was about to call her on her bluff, but then he felt a heavier breeze than normal flowing through his quills. "What the...?" He whirled around in surprise to see two huge ships hovering in the air in front of him.
One of the ship's cockpits opened and a fox stood up, staring down at him. "Sonic the Hedgehog... you're coming with us." He declared, as if it was already a sure thing. Sonic grinned and turned to face him.
"Number one rule. You want me? You gotta catch me!" Sonic whirled and took off, grabbing Amy with one swoop and streaking through the desert like a blue bullet. Amy screamed and clung to his neck tightly as the landscape passed by underneath them at a breakneck pace. Sonic looked back to find the two ships flanking him at the same speed his was going.
"Sonic! Be careful!" Amy screamed as they passed over a particularly large boulder. Sonic bounced from it to a nearby outcropping of rocks, making his was toward a large canyon just ahead of them. The two ships followed behind him, covered in the massive dust storm created by his passing through. "WALL! WALL!" Amy screamed.
"That's the idea." Sonic grinned as they passed into the canyon. He looked back to see one of the ships still tailing him through the narrow passages. He couldn't see any sign of the second one. Thinking fast, he leapt from one of the larger rocks on the ground, flying onto one of the walls where his feet found every nook and cranny, still propelling him forward.
The ship behind him rose to his level and pulled up next to him. There was a bird-like figure sitting in the cockpit, gesturing for him to go down and moving his beak. Playfully Sonic put one hand to his ear, forcing her pursuer to repeat to the command. With mock frustration Sonic leapt from the wall and landed on the nose of the bird's plane, staring into the bird's shocked eyes.
"WHAT?" He screamed into the wind with a mocking grin. The bird glared at him, but Sonic looked up in surprise when he heard a sound above him. An emerald green blast slammed into the nose of the plane right at his feet, sending the hedgehogs hurtling through the air toward the canyon wall. The bird's ship tilted downward, then pulled up to exit the canyon just before going into an area too narrow for the wide wings.
Amy screamed until the two hedgehogs slammed into the wall and slid end over end down to a nearby ledge. Sonic groaned and pushed himself to his hands and knees, while Amy shook her head and turned to a sitting position. "Oohhh... my head... I think these guys are serious..." Amy muttered worriedly. "There must be some mistake."
"Yeah there's a mistake. They made me mad." Sonic growled and pushed himself to his feet as one of the ships moved to hover in front of the ledge they were on. Sonic took a running leap from the ledge and slammed feet first into the ship with enough force to knock it slightly off balance before bouncing off again. "Come get me!" No longer burdened by Amy's weight, the hedgehog streaked down the side of the canyon and disappeared through the narrower part.
Sonic looked back, somewhat surprised to see his pursuer entering the narrow canyon pass at a sideways angle. With a sneer he pumped his legs as fast as he could, darting through the rock formations that barred his path. A rain of emerald green fire blew chunks out of the surrounding landscape, but the hedgehog leapt through holes in rubble and over fragments of Earth.
Without warning a massive explosion rocked the canyon ahead of them, blocking the way forward with a pile of rubble. Sonic smirked and started up the canyon wall, but his pursuer's right wing slammed into him from behind, knocking him from the rocks. A wild grab saved the hedgehog's life by gripping the edge of the wing as the ship lifted out of the canyon, soaring high into the air.
Sonic clung to the ship's wing, looking at the cockpit. The fox from before was squinting at him. Sonic looked ahead to see the second ship coming right for him, its lasers starting to power up. Sonic pulled himself up to the edge of the wing he was clinging to, kneeling on the edge until the other ship opened fire.
The emerald blast soared right over him as Sonic leapt from the wing, thrusting his torso forward to send himself into a spin as a ball half his normal size. His quills cut through the air from the speed of his spin, hitting home on the second ship's wing. They sliced through the metal like a knife through butter, dropping the wing to the ground and sending the ship hurtling through the air.
Sonic grabbed the severed wing and knelt on the center of it, using the wind to ride it toward the earth beyond the canyon like a hang-glider. The bird's ship plummeted toward the ground, spinning through the air until it slammed into the Earth far below. A thunderous crash echoed through the empty desert, and billows of dust and smoke flew into the air.
Sonic rode the wing to the ground and leapt off just before it hit, landing on the ground in a fast roll until he could jump to his feet and skid to a stop. He whirled as the Fox's ship landed on the sand and the Fox climbed out, running desperately toward his friend's ship. Fire was starting to reach out of the steel hull, sending plumes of thick black smoke into the sky.
Who were these guys, and why were they after him? The symbol on the wing he'd ridden down looked like a winged fox... maybe he could use it to discover their identities? Sonic's mind was racing almost as fast as his feet as he turned to hightail it across the desert. It wouldn't help to try to get them now, they still had one fully functional ship. His specialty was running, not combat. He would need backup if he wanted to do more than get in a lucky shot...
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"Falco!" Fox skidded to his knees beside the upside down cockpit of his teammates Arwing. The glass of the windshield lad scattered across the desert floor. He knelt down as low as he could to peek inside the ship. His friend was still strapped into the Arwing's seat, upside down and unconscious, but it looked like he was still breathing.
"Don't worry Falco, I'm coming." Fox put his hands on the side of the ship and heaved upward, trying to roll it just enough to get underneath. The ship groaned, but remained solidly planted where it was. Fox grunted and strained, but all of his efforts proved futile. "I can't... get it..." He growled. Finally he stopped and slumped on the sand, putting one hand on his head.
"Fox..." Falco's voice floated out from under the Arwing. It sounded hoarse, but it was a relief to hear it at all. "Did we get him?"
"Not yet... but we will." Fox put one hand on the hot steel, smiling slightly. "Just hold on, I'll figure something out." Fox scoured the surroundings for something to help roll the ship over with, but nothing nearby was strong enough. "Maybe I can dig under the sand..." Fox started shoveling handfuls of sand out of the way, but suddenly he saw something reflected in the Arwing's hull.
He whirled out of the way just as a massive golden hammed slammed into the steel Arwing. The entire ship began to vibrate, along with the hammer, which the pink hedgehog from before dropped with a surprised grunt. Falco howled from inside the cockpit, trapped inside of the gigantic bell.
"Ow, ow, owie! That hurt!" The girl shook her hands out, glaring at Fox. Fox stood up and pulled the Blaster from its holster, pointing it at her.
"You're the girl who was with Sonic." Fox quirked one eyebrow. "He just left you behind? Doesn't seem like much of a leader."
"Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you leave my Sonic alone!" The girl managed to restore the feeling in her hands, but she didn't move to pick up her weapon thanks to the blaster pointing at her chest.
"We were hired to bring him to justice." Fox retorted. "And we're going to do that."
"Justice?" The girl exclaimed incredulously. "Sonic's never committed a crime in his life! Except maybe jaywalking... but that's not worth this!" Fox cocked his head and lowered the blaster to his side, though he kept it in hand.
Fox's eyes darted back and forth between the girl and the Arwing, where he knew his teammate was still trapped. He slid the Blaster back into its holster. "We'll sort this out later... I have a friend trapped underneath the Arwing that I have to dig out."
"Fine..." The girl grabbed her hammer and moved out of the way as Fox walked over to the Arwing and resumed digging. He kept his highly sensitive ears were trained for the slightest noise behind him. This would tell if she was really an innocent here, or if it was all an act.
To his surprise the girl knelt down beside him and started pawing at the sand. They worked together to dig enough of a hole to get under the side of the Arwing. Fox removed Falco's seatbelt and carefully pulled him out from under the ship. When he was free Falco looked up at them, with a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Looks you found a cute one here Fox..." He muttered when he saw the pink hedgehog kneeling over him. Amy blushed slightly while Fox gave a slight chuckle. It was good to know his friend was okay... now they just had to give him time to recover, figure out what was going on here, and then find Sonic all over again.
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The hare's wizened old hands lifted the small book from the depths of the bookshelf, turning it over and over as though reading its contents without his eyes. Peppy opened the book and scanned through its contents, looking through the pair of spectacles that had become a necessity in his old age. Even a rabbit's eyes couldn't last forever.
The book flooded his mind with memories, some of which brought a tender smile to his lips, while others filled his heart with the deepest regret. He'd had more adventures than he could possibly remember, ever since James McCloud had started the team. And then of course it continued with his son... Fox...
Without warning a piercing screech echoed through the ship from the intercom, only to vanish as fast as it had come. Peppy looked up in surprise and moved to the door, stepping out into the hall. "Is anyone out there?" He moved slowly down the hall, clutching the book in one hand. "Slippy? Are you up there?" He sidled toward the bridge.
As he pushed the bridge door open something slammed into him from behind, sending him hurtling into the bridge on his hands and knees. He looked back, but all he saw was a silver blur that vanished as fast as it had appeared. He quickly scanned the room, listening to the rapid footsteps on the metal, but the figure remained elusive.
"You, stand still." Peppy pushed himself to his feet, wishing he had a Blaster with him. "What are you doing on our ship?" He demanded. He grunted when something landed on his shoulder, shoving him to the ground and pinning him there face down. The soft hum of the ship was the only sound that remained after the clang of Peppy hitting the metal faded.
His attacker's shadow stretched out in front of him on the cold steel floor. "You... you're one of them..." The figure on his shoulders spoke softly. "I must have been right..." Peppy shook his head, trying to remember. That voice sounded familiar... "You were the ones who ruined my life."
"I don't know what you're talking about..." Peppy replied, trying to push himself off the floor. The weight of his attacker kept him down however.
"It doesn't matter." The shadow moved forward as the intruder stepped off of him and started across the bridge toward the command chair. It was a hedgehog with wilver skin. "I suggest you evacuate to the surface... because none of you are leaving this planet until I find the one responsible for all of this." He tapped a few commands and the Great Fox turned in orbit, heading straight down toward the planet.
"No... you can't!" Peppy leapt from the floor and charged at the silver hedgehog. The intruder easily leapt out of the way, landing in a crouch halfway across the bridge. Peppy tried to alter the course of the ship with the control panel, but the systems were already locked down as the ship entered the atmosphere.
"Suit yourself if you want to go down with the ship. I have other matters to take care of." With that the black hedgehog vanished in a silver blur, charging out of the bridge of the Great Fox. Peppy turned to watch the front windshield as the ship ignited on contact with the atmosphere, plummeting uncontrollably toward the ground. This ship had survived a long time... but it looked like that time was over...
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Sonic slowed as he neared the small house overlooking the ocean. Two flights of stairs were dug into the cliff face, and a long runway extended out over the ocean, flanked by a row of lush palm trees. The house was very small, consisting of a small living area, a bedroom, and the hangar where his friend's plane, the Tornado 2, was housed. The sun was already beginning to set... the delay of dealing with his attackers in the desert had cost him much of the day.
Sonic pushed the door open and went inside. He found his small protégé, Miles Prower, sitting at a small desk tinkering with what looked like a ball the size of his fist. At the sound of the door the young two-tailed fox looked over at him, then gave him a wide smile.
"I was wondering when you'd get here. You're pretty late Sonic, and you're never late." Tails pushed his chair back and stood up, gesturing to a comfortable looking couch against one wall. "I'm almost finished with what I wanted to show you, it'll just be another minute."
"Actually Tails, I have something I want you to help me with." Sonic walked up to the desk and pulled out a small piece of scratch paper. Tails watched curiously while Sonic scribbled a rough sketch of the symbol he'd seen on the plane's wing. "Do you recognize this at all?"
"Hmm..." Tails grabbed it and studied it for a moment. "It looks like a winged fox. I have no idea what it could mean. Where did you see it?" Tails asked curiously.
"Me and Amy were..." Sonic trailed off, realizing he'd forgotten something very important in his haste to enlist Tails' help. "Damn... I forgot about Amy! She's still in the desert with those goons!"
"What? We have to go save her!" Tails stood up quickly. Sonic turned to run out of the house, but Tails grabbed his arm before he could proceed any farther. "Let's take the Tornado, it's not as fast as you but it can handle a fight better."
Sonic nodded and turned to head for the hangar. He couldn't believe he forgot about her... he'd been so distracted by the sudden attack that she'd completely slipped his mind. He hoped she was still okay when he got there...
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Amy sat on her knees on the desert sand with Falco's head resting on her lap. The crash had taken a lot out of him, it would take him a while yet to recover. A fire was the only light as night fell aside from the twinkling stars high overhead. Falco was staring up at the sky, while his partner Fox worked on the remaining Arwing to make it seat three people instead of the usual one.
"We apologize... for attacking you." Falco spoke for the first time since they'd pried him out of the downed fighter. Amy blinked in surprise, then gave him a gentle smile.
"Hey, at least you learned not to mess with my Sonic." She nudged his shoulder jokingly. They sat in companionable silence for a few more minutes before Amy spoke again. "So you're a pilot... do you do a lot of this bounty-hunter work?"
"We do what we're called to do." Falco replied. "You know, guard-duty here, saving a planet there."
"Sounds exciting." Amy looked down at him appreciatively. "Well, not for the guys you're hired to stop of course..."
"We don't take dirty jobs." Falco replied. "We were told Sonic was a threat to people around here."
"The only person here Sonic is a threat to is Dr. Eggman." Amy smirked. "I bet you anything he's the one who called you here." Falco grunted, but didn't respond. His eyes scanned the sky until suddenly he blinked and pushed himself up to a sitting position. "Hey, be careful! You're not better yet!"
"No..." Falco's voice was shuddering in horror. Fox looked back at him, then turned his gaze skyward. Amy followed their looks, gasping when she saw a meteor-like fireball plummeting toward the ground trailing thick smoke.
"The Great Fox..." Fox muttered in horror as the fireball vanished over the horizon. The explosion as it hit the ground lit up the night sky like a second sun, forcing all three campers to shield their eyes. It finally faded and Fox shook his head. "I'm going to check it out..."
"Hold up, I'm coming with you." Falco pushed himself to his feet with a grunt, making his way to Fox's Arwing.
"Hey, wait for me! You're not completely healed yet!" Amy rushed after him and climbed in the ship with them. The extra two seats were squeezed into the back, but they were better than sitting on the equipment. The engines flared to life and the Arwing rose from the ground, taking off across the darkened desert landscape.
"Those two had better be alright..." Fox muttered worriedly under his breath. Amy looked back and forth between Fox and Falco, keeping silent. Falco was staring morosely out at the landscape below, one arm held across his bare chest. Amy put one hand on his arm and gave him a comforting smile.
The console started beeping moments before a series of impacts riddled the bottom of the Arwing, a few bullets punching through into the seats. Amy screamed in surprise and the ship veered off to the side, avoiding the continuing stream of fire. "Hold on!" Fox shouted back to them, taking the ship into a rapid spin.
Amy clung to her seat until her arms gave out and she started flying into the air, but Falco grabbed her and yanked her onto his lap, holding onto her with his arms and holding the floor with his bird's claws. "I got you." He told her as the ship went into another spin, narrowly avoiding another stream of fire. The Arwing came around again, putting their attacker in its sights.
Amy looked up and gasped when she saw a blue plane with a figure standing on the top pair of wings. Fox moved to fire, but Amy yelled before he could. "No! Don't fire! That's Sonic and Tails!" She yelled. Fox's thumb moved away from the trigger, but another hail of bullets dotted the hull. "We have to let them know that you're not trying to hurt them anymore."
"If you've got any suggestions, I'm open. Because my only other option is to disable them." Fox brought the Arwing around again, sending it into a barrel roll to avoid one of the Tornado's missiles. It detonated feet from the Arwing, knocking it off kilter. Falco's arms tightened around Amy to keep her from flying against the wall.
"Don't worry Fox, we're here!" A high-pitched voice came over the intercom. Two blips appeared in the radar, and outside Amy could see a missile streaking toward the Tornado.
"Slippy! Hold your fire!" Fox exclaimed too late. The missile barreled into the Tornado's wings, detonating in a spectacular fireball that lit up the surrounding darkness.
"SONIIIIC!" Amy screamed, pressing herself up against the glass windshield that covered the cockpit. Her mouth hung open in shock as the remains of the Tornado plummeted to the ground in a myriad of pieces, blanketing the desert in steel. Amy went numb, sinking back onto Falco's lap, no longer feeling anything. The rest of the world seemed to black out, leaving her alone in this dark world in which she found herself trapped. Sonic... was dead...
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Sonic clung to his friend's hand as tightly as he could as Tails' twin tails spun with the force of a helicopter blade. The smoke from the wreckage of the Tornado 2 covered their descent, allowing them to each the ground undetected. By the time they touched down, the two ships were already gone into the distance. Tails collapsed to the ground panting and nursing his tails.
"I think I pulled something..." Tails growled. One of his tails twitched spastically, but his hands ran over it until it finally calmed down.
"We have to find Amy before they do... but she could be anywhere in the desert by now." Sonic sighed and shook his head. "They might already be holding her captive for all we know." He looked over at his young friend. Tails pushed himself to his feet and moved to stand beside Sonic.
"I wouldn't worry about her too much. She can handle herself." Tails stared after the two ships. "What I want to know is where those things came from. I've never seen anything like them, they made the Tornado look like a bath toy." His tails idly brushed against the ground as his hand reached up to stroke his chin. "I'd sure love to get my hands on one..."
"Maybe we can get our chance." Sonic looked up at the thick smoke trail that still hung in the air. "They owe us a plane now, after all." Tails smiled and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Come on, let's get going." Sonic took off across the desert at a breakneck pace, with his fox friend rushing along behind him.
"Ow... ow! Sonic wait, my tails can't take it right now!" Tails slowed down to let his tails rest, but Sonic double back and scooped the fox up in his arms, resuming his dash through the desert. The smoke lowered toward the ground until they could see a fire lit up in the distance over a small hill. Sonic slowed to a walk and let his friend down as they peered over the hill. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon as they watched.
"Looks like they brought some friends along..." Sonic noted when he saw that a frog and a rabbit had joined the fox and bird from before. He looked past them, seeing their airships sitting just outside the firelight. "This'll be too easy. We sneak around and..."
"Sonic wait... Amy!" Tails pointed vigorously to a point outside the firelight. Sonic looked to see the young pink hedgehog lying facedown outside the firelight with her shoulders shaking. "She's crying... they must have caught her in the desert.
"We have to get her out of there." Sonic looked down at his little friend. Okay, here's the plan...
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