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Chapter Twenty-Two: Dual Edge
Did jealousy took over here, or hate? Garou's heart was broken, and yet he still cares for Lupina. Leaving the team with a heavy heart, he departed without saying goodbye to her. Meanwhile, will Rolf able to stop the virus from infecting him? What will be the consequences if he didn't?
"Where have you been?" Wolf wondered as he looked at the two approaching canines and a bird. He then noticed the absence of Garou and Lupina. "By the way, where're the love birds? Don't tell me they had a date! We can't start the meeting without them!"
"You'll expect Lupina to come here along with Rolf," Wulf nodded, "but I'm very positive that Garou won't be joining us…"
"Wha… what happened? Did I miss something?" Wolf gasped and was dumbfounded. "I should've not gone here earlier. Did the quarreled again?"
"Bro, they quarreled, but we didn't expect them to break up," Fox answered back. "Garou knew Lupina won't return to the team unless he's not around, that's why he took the initiative to move out. I seriously think that he still loves her, but I don't know about Lupina." Then came Lupina followed by Rolf.
"Hey there," Rolf greeted Wolf. "I haven't seen you earlier. You quickly left and entered the meeting room. My name is Rolf and you must be…" Wolf was surprised by him.
"Wolf O'Donnell," he smiled, but then looked at him keenly. "They say you're Lupina's old friend, and um… you two were very close back then…"
"And we're still best friends after all that time!" Lupina added as she hugs Rolf's other arm.
The brown wolf noticed the missing member of the group. "Say, where's Garou?" he asked the four. "Shouldn't he be along with you guys? Don't tell me he took Lupina's words so seriously! Maybe we'll have to search the…"
"I don't think so Rolf," Lupina growled in a low tone. "I don't want to see him now for the time being." She then thought of him, thinking about what happened earlier. Is he angry at me, or did I break his heart? But, he's still wrong! He's such a jerk, punching Rolf! Still, I wish he wouldn't lose himself after what I said earlier… These kept on ringing in her mind.
"Yeah, you won't need to," Falco groaned as he crosses his arms. "Mr. Ice Wolf just left the base a few minutes ago. He believes that you won't return to Galaxy Wulf because he's around. That's why he bid farewell…"
"That naïve!" Lupina yelled at them. "Just let him go! He should know that it was his fault this happened, and besides, he won't go off to far!" However, deep inside her heart, she feels sorrow and worry. Garou, why? Don't tell me you really…
"I just hope so…" Wulf nodded. "By the way he looked earlier, I believe he's dead serious…"
Meanwhile, somewhere inside a tavern at Fortuna City…
"Give me your best beer," Garou growled at the bartender as he sits down at the beer section. "I'm filling a couple of mugs." He then looked around, seeing no customers at all.
"How old are you?" the bartender raccoon asked at the frowning ice wolf. "You know we don't serve alcoholic beverages to minors."
"Damn it! I'm 25, for shit's sake!" he rumbled as he slams his palms to the table. "Don't I look like an adult, a poor, gloomy, depressant ice wolf that has no idea about love who's sulking here all by himself?" The bartender just quickly gave him two mugs filled with beer.
The ice wolf grabbed one of the mugs with bubbles oozing out from the rim of the mug. As Garou took his first sip, he didn't feel anything changing from him. "Fucking shit!" he yelled, slamming the mug down, which fortunately didn't brake. "I forgot that ice wolves are almost tolerant to liquor! Damn life!"
"If I were you, I'd stampede myself to the street," the bartender talked to him as he wipes one of the empty mugs. "Anyway, you said you're an ice wolf, eh? I thought Terrans aren't allowed to enter Lylatian territory…"
"Frigging war…" Garou howled. "I just wish it all ends and we all live peacefully! My life was ruined because of that damn shit!"
"I agree… I haven't got many customers today. Thanks to Gen. Pepper, my business is in jeopardy! Why can't he just accept the fact that Lylat is already a big place… Many people here wanted to expand, but many also wanted peace…"
Suddenly, Garou took interest of the subject. "Is Pepper really going for imperialism and expansionism?" he wondered, especially on how he said those words.
"Well, I don't know, but that what happens in an aftermath of the war, right?" the bartender answered. "Losers give something from them to the victors. I don't know how you Terrans do in war, but that's what's commonplace in Lylat… The general believes that you Terrans also wanted Lylat, but I doubt it."
"So everything is just a misunderstanding, and… that Omega character…" he quivered with enlightenment as he remembers what Fox told to them hours ago. "Maybe there's a better way to end this war after all…" He then stood up, dropped some cash at the table and went off. "Thanks for the info, dude."
"Wait, earlier you have problems of love… Are you willing to go back there?" the bartender asked in curiosity as he picks up the dough.
"Well, I'll just let good ol' fate handle it… There are more important things to do than that," Garou exclaimed. "Besides, she always thinks of me as a dumb ass and a jerk… and after I inform what's going to happen and do something not idiotic, maybe, just maybe, she'll change what she thinks of me…" He then exits the tavern, and started to take off and return to base.
Back at the base…
"We have received information that Pepper's armada will attack three hours from now, and if I didn't know my friend any better, I'd say he already knows that will be attacking at the same time," Lupine explained at the group of highly-trained officers, Star Fox, and Galaxy Wulf, "we're minimal when it comes to battle fleet and weaponry, but we're not here to cause war. We only intend to stop it. The only way to do so is to disable the two sides: Gen. Fox McCloud of Terra and Gen. Pepper of Lylat."
"So we're using those spacecrafts only to weaken them?" Wulf asked for confirmation.
"Yes," Lupine nodded. "However, as much as possible, we don't want any casualties. We need to disable them only, not kill them."
"So that's why you've supplied the weaponry with Plasma Nets and Neutral Flares," Fox remarked. "They will neutralize the beams and other projectiles they tried to fire, and the net will immobilize them."
"Yes…"
Rolf was listening to the discussions made by Gen. Lupine. He hopes that nothing will turn bad. However, his fear starts to bother him. His head starts to ache, and unusually, it felt worse. He shouted in pain as it intensifies. It not only interrupted the ongoing meeting, but also took the attention of many, especially Lupina. He fell down the floor, continuously twitching and feeling the pain.
"Rolf!" Lupina shouted as she tries to approach him, but he was stammered by Rolf.
"D-don't get near me… everyone!" Rolf yelled. Before the virus could control him, he must say something, which he did roughly and with difficulty. "I… I have to confess… something… ARGH! I… was… captured by… UNGH! I… was… captured… by… AGH! Omega… implanted… a virus… in me…" The jerking then stopped, and he slowly stood up. Something's wrong, as an evil presence is drawing. Lupina however, tried to get near him.
"Lupina, don't come close to him!" his father yelled, but it was to late.
"Rolf, are you all right?" she asked as she held out his hand, but she was answered by a very tight grip at the wrist.
"Fool!" Rolf answered as he throws Lupina away. "Rolf's dead. I am simply using his body as a vessel, and now that I have full control over it, I can easily destroy this base! No one must stop the war, and I'm going to rip whoever stands in me and Lord Omega's way!"
"It's that word again… Omega!" Fox growled. "Wulf, this is the same as what I heard from X-Eagle! Omega probably wants to start the war, and he's sending them to make sure it happens!"
"I'm not waiting for that to happen," Wulf answered back as he unleashes his neutron blade. "Wolf, Falco, wanna play?"
"Why not? We're actually bored!" they replied with a smile.
"Guards, restrain him!" Gen. Lupine ordered. He then quickly approaches his daughter, who slowly gets up from the fall. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she answered weakly, "but Rolf… He's not the Rolf I know anymore…"
"Poor Lupina! Too bad that ice wolf inferior is not here to protect you!" he laughed. The officers and the other guards tried to stop him, but they were easily blown away and get rid off by blowing them with a powerful ice blast. Lupina was offended by his sentiments.
"No… Garou is not an inferior…" she whimpered slowly, with tears falling down. "He… he's just like Rolf, only unrefined… but I like him… I feel sorry because I treated him like a jerk but… sometimes… I really like him that way…"
"Bleh! You only like him because you need him!" Rolf smiled devilishly. "And the former owner of this body also felt that you love him too, that's why he passed the opportunity on you two being fiancé and fiancée… What a wuss!" He then fires a powerful ice blast towards her.
"Lu, watch out!" Gen. Lupine yelled, but she was in a trance.
Lupina was alarmed by the virus' words. It made her aura strong. She feels both anger and love, and she intends to bring justice on them. "How could you ruin the life of my old friend and insult Garou?! You're feind!" she yelled as she positions her hands as if she was charging aura. "I can't let you do that to me or my friends… or to anyone else!" The aura glows strongly at those two, almost-cupped hands. She then focused even harder, garnering more strength. At the split-second, she fires her charged aura. A large beam that engulfed the ice blast. "Shinkuu Hadouken!"
Rolf was surprised to see that coming. He was blasted away by the large beam, sending him to the docking bay. As the beam of aura disappears, Lupina fell down, tired.
"Wow, now I'm impressed!" Wulf smiled. "Say, why not teach me Hadouken?"
"Sure thing, after the war…" she winked as she tries to stand up.
"Uh guys, I know you're partying and all… but uh…" Falco distressed, pointing the smoky area of the docking bay where Rolf and the Shinkuu Hadouken collided.
As they looked at it, they still see a strange figure. Is the virus really defeated, or is it just the beginning? Something troubles our heroes.
Hey! Catch up next chapter!