Mission 07 – Questions
Fox stood happily nest to his wife. Gently he rapped on the door, which easily creaked open. Fox raised an eyebrow, his wife was equally curious. They both walked into the house. Fox spoke loudly, "Bill, are you home? The door was open..." There was no reply.
Krystal was rubbing her arms, the house was unusually cold. The air conditioner was on, but it felt like it had been running through the night. Krystal turned to her husband, "I'm going to have a look around."
Fox nodded, "Okay, be careful, this doesn't feel right. It's unlike Bill to leave so many things running needlessly. Call me if you need anything."
Fox slowly crept upstairs; he didn't like this at all. Bill had never been so negligent. It wasn't in his nature. He kept one hand on his blaster, just in case. He peeked in each of the rooms, each one was clean. They were all tidy and nice. Finally he came to the last room in the hall. He was about to open the door when a blood curdling scream shot out. It was Krystal, her high pitched wail lasting almost until Fox got downstairs. Fox stepped in and gasped. It was a child's playroom, but it was splattered with blood. Bill's children were in the center of the room, most of their bodies caked in blood. Their bodies were twisted, as if they had been writhing in agony. Fox found why upon further inspection, and it nearly made him vomit.
Fox was shaking, he was heading upstairs as Krystal was going to phone the authorities. He could barely stand straight, and had to grip the stair banister just to keep upright. He wondered fearfully what he would find up in Bill's room. He threw open the door, blaster at the ready, but the tip shaking a tad. When he looked at the room he dropped the gun and fell to his knees. Bill was sprawled on the ground, laser wounds in various places; he was also caked in blood. His wife was lying in bed; Fox didn't want to know how she died. He didn't want to move at all. He screamed out in pain and frustration at the loss of his good friend. He picked up his blaster and shot angrily at the taunting message left on the wall, the evil message written in blood.
I am the Great Leon...and my revenge has only begun!
Fox trudged into the Great Fox. Falco was there waiting for him, smirking haughtily. Fox didn't want to hear anyone talk right now. He felt broken; he wondered if this is how Damon felt. Fox hadn't had to feel like this for a long time, not since his father had died.
Falco broke the silence, ignoring the grim expression on his leader's face, "So Fox, mind telling me how you were beat by that Ares fellow?"
Fox walked by Falco, ignoring him completely. He continued onward, completely numb to Falco's jeers and protests. Then suddenly they stopped, he turned his head back and saw Krystal whispering in Falco's ear. The falcon's eyes went wide and he covered his beak. He suddenly looked ashamed, and sent an apologetic look towards Fox. Fox simply nodded and continued walking.
Soon he found himself in the recreation room. It wouldn't be long until everyone heard. The police had only asked him a few questions and said he and Krystal could return home. All the evidence was there anyway; even in his fury fox hadn't damaged the key piece. Everyone knew it was Leon, and now everyone would know he was back with a vengeance. Not just for the StarFox team, but for all the people who had stopped him. Fox had been told that the police had already investigated three similar murders. One was the family of a Cornerian senator, the next was a Cornerian officer in the military, and last was an ambassador and his wife visiting from Zoness. Fox felt sick and empty inside. He felt like he wanted to cry, he tried to stop it, but couldn't. He had just lost one of his best friends. He felt someone hugging his shoulders, and assumed it was his wife. He patted the shoulder of his embracer and looked up. Instead of staring into the eyes of his wife Damon was caringly nuzzling Fox's shoulder, softly crying with him.
Fox felt bad for all the things he had said about the kid. Fox suddenly knew how the kid felt, the pain of loss. Especially after being so close to reuniting with that person. He felt ashamed for the jealousy and anger he had felt towards the child when he was crying. The boy hadn't been trying to do anything wrong, he just needed support and comfort. Now Fox felt as weak and helpless as the boy, and he began to cry like Damon had. Fox shamelessly fell into Damon's embrace, sobbing into the hybrid's chest.
"I'm sorry..." Damon whispered, "I wish it didn't have to be this way."
Fox had been sitting with Damon for about an hour, and then admitted he just wanted to go to bed. Damon helped prop up Fox, and allowed him to lean on his shoulder all the way to his room. Fox opened his door and slouched in. He sunk into his bed, not even bothering to take his uniform off. Damon just stood in the doorway, then walked in and took Fox's boots off for him so he could be slightly more comfortable. Damon smiled weakly and then walked out of the room.
Fox lay there on his bed, wondering why Bill had to die. He hadn't deserved it, he wasn't even part of this really. He was more of an innocent bystander in this situation. He had helped in the war, but he was only stationed on Katina. He had nothing to do with StarWolf at all. Fox lay there and mourned for Bill. He didn't move for what seemed like hours.
Fox lay on his bed, listening to the quiet silence that had fallen over the ship. He wondered why Krystal hadn't come in yet, but felt too weak to go after her. He knew he had to stop Leon, to prevent anything like this from happening again. Suddenly he heard a high pitched scream, the same he had heard early this morning. Fox was suddenly on his feet, fear and adrenaline filling his exhausted body. He ran towards the cries, running he saw Falco slumped against a wall. The bird was unconscious. This filled him with more dread as the screams became louder, no sounding as if they were filled with pain. Fox ran into the recreation room, for people were inside. Damon and Sirus were both slumped against a wall, and across the room was something far worse. Leon Powalski had Krystal pinned against the wall, a knife to her throat. He was only a foot or so away from where Fox was
Leon cackled when he aw Fox there, "Ah, McCloud, I'm so glad you could see this!" Then with a quick flick of the wrist he slit Krystal's throat clean open. Fox stood in shock as the blade exited the other side of the neck, the tip of the dagger pointing t Fox himself. A few droplets flecked Fox's face, and ran down his cheeks like crimson tears.
Fox bolted upright in his bed, gasping for air, sweat soaking his clothing and fur. He looked around, trying to get himself reoriented. He was lying in his bed. Suddenly the door whirred to life and slid open. Light from outside enveloped the room, streaming over Fox. The vulpine blinked disbelievingly, in the doorway stood his wife. His mouth gaped open, it had all been a dream, but it had been so real. He could have sworn he felt the blood on his face. He weakly got up and stumbled to Krystal. He grabbed her and hugged her tightly, softly kissing her neck and crying into it. Krystal rubbed his back and embraced him tightly.
"It's okay Fox..." Krystal said soothingly, "It's okay..."
Damon sat inside the Arwing simulator, alone, and furious. In front of him were waves and waves of unequipped enemy ships. The hybrid shot them down, his teeth grinding in hatred for his enemies. The simulation was for improving his combat skills and accuracy, and Damon seemed to be pretty confident.
"Now entering stage two, prepare for hostile enemy aircrafts." said a robotic, monotone voice. The screens turned off as the computer generated a new scenario, with three hostile enemy aircrafts shooting at Damon's Arwing. The hybrid did a barrel roll to the left, dodging the lasers, and then returned fire, destroying all of his enemies at once. Damon snickered, it was too easy.
The program restarted again, this time with four enemy aircrafts. Damon destroyed them with ease, just like the first three. "Next." Damon said, grinning.
"Lesson one, never underestimate your enemies." said Mr. Ares' familiar voice. His ship showed on the radar screen, not as an Arwing, but as a Wolfen II. The Wolfens were faster, more maneuverable, with stronger defensive attributes, but weaker firepower than the Arwings.
"Friend or foe?" Damon asked, aiming his lasers at the incoming ship. Mr. Ares or not, an enemy was an enemy.
"Friend, but just for now," Sirus said over his intercom, "Watch out behind you."
Damon turned to the left, drawing a graceful arc with his ship, getting ready to face whatever the computer program had prepared for him. He charged the laser of his ship, waiting for his enemies to approach.
"No! That was too slow!" Lieutenant Ares' voice barked, "You are supposed to do a flip, not some lousy turn!"
"Sorry!" Damon winced at that commanding tone. He had never thought Mr. Ares was so strict when it came to aerial combat. "Sorry sir, I'll do it next time."
"On the real battle field, there is no next time!" Ares barked again, "You should work on maneuvering skills, kid."
"But I've done all of them!" Damon protested, "They are not even that hard!"
"Really," Sirus asked with a mocking tone, "Let me give you a challenge, try to shoot my ship down. I will not retaliate."
"You asked for it, Mr. Ares." Damon replied, charging up his laser. The tracer automatically locked on to the Wolfen that Sirus was using. Instead of releasing the charged laser, the hybrid released a homing bomb. "Take that!"
"Good shot." Ares replied casually as his ship was engulfed by the bomb's blinding radiation. Once the blinding light faded, Damon found that his target was still perfectly intact, only loosing a miniscule amount of his shield.
"Hey! I shot you with a homing bomb!" Damon shouted, completely surprised. There must be something wrong with the simulation.
"The Wolfen II is equipped with a force field that is designed to block homing bombs and lasers." Sirus explained, "This was Wolf and Leon's brilliant idea to give themselves an advantage against StarFox during their last battle on Venom."
"So I am supposed to hit you with pea shots?" the cadet asked, holding his fire for a moment. "Fine with me..." The cadet began to shower Lieutenant Ares' Wolfen with his twin lasers, but it was more difficult that he expected. The Wolfen II was faster and more maneuverable, making Damon's task very difficult. Sirus wasn't making it any easier by showing off his superb skills.
"I give up! This is impossible!" the cadet whined, slowing down his ship for a landing. "This is so unfair."
"Who said the battlefield was fair?" Sirus asked, his ship slowing down as well. "You see? You still have to work on your maneuvering skills, kid. Fox fought Wolf with the exact same circumstance on Venom, but he didn't give up."
"But Fox is . . . He is a professional pilot! I just started!" Damon exclaimed, "You don't expect me to be as good as he is, do you?"
"I do, actually." Sirus said as he stepped out of the simulator. "He was only eighteen when he won the war for the Lylat system."
Jade walked along side of Obsidian, both carrying briefcases. Today they were not disguised as anything in particular. Jade was wearing her favorite leather suit, while Obsidian wore a jet black business suit. Tonight they were supposed to check on Mr. Ares' status, and update him with some additional instructions. Of course, they may also give him a bonus, if everything went well. Jade didn't bring her favorite sniper rifle, but her partner brought his black-oxide coated rapier.
"So Rocky, which way should we go?" Jade asked as they arrived at the airport. It was the evening, and the stars were shining bright tonight.
"That way." said the young wolf, pointing towards the entrance "Not the roof."
"Brilliant idea, but that's not fun." Jade complained, but she followed his advice at the end. She had nothing to hide from the guards, and he seemed completely comfortable with entering the normal way.
The pair of assassins walked through the airport terminal, until the reached the checkpoint. Two guards were assigned next to the metal detector, and today seemed to be their lucky day. The young wolf walked up, and unsheathed his sword with immeasurable speed. Instead of decapitating the guards, Obsidian smiled and offered the swords hilt to one of them. "Hold this for me. I'll be right back."
Jade was already through the metal detector, and walking towards the Great Fox. She didn't bring any metallic objects with her today, not enough to trigger the detector.
Before the guards could respond, Obsidian was off with his partner, walking the same direction. The poor guard held the wolf's sword, wondering what just happened. Why would anyone still carry a sword these days?
ROB's voice rang in Lieutenant Ares' room, "Mr. Ares, two strangers are at the entrance, requesting to speak to you. Look on your personal display to see their images. Once Sirus turned on his screen, he saw the black cat and another young wolf that he had not seen before. He knew that they were dangerous, but he also knew that they were here for him.
"Let them in, ROB." Ares said, wondering if he made a mistake.
A moment later the pair appeared in Lieutenant Ares' doorway. For now none of the other members realized that there were two strangers aboard, except ROB and Mr. Ares. Jade sat down on Sirus' bed, while Obsidian chose to take his chair. Sirus didn't protest against their actions, knowing that they were very dangerous in their own ways, especially Jade, whom Sirus saw jumping out of a window and landing unscathed.
"Relax." Obsidian was the first to speak, "If we were here to kill you, we wouldn't be taking the front entrance, and you would be dead already."
"Oh Rocky, stop scaring Mr. Ares," Jade said with her sweet tone, but it was laced with mockery. She was teasing Sirus in her own way. She opened her suitcase, revealing a collection of papers. There were more instructions for Lieutenant Ares to follow. She took out a large envelope and placed it on Sirus' desk, then returned to her seat. "Well, it seems like everything is going well, right Mr. Ares?"
"Uh. . .Yes, everything is fine." Sirus answered. There was something about these two that made them above the ordinary. And that something was making Sirus Ares very nervous.
"Good, then our Boss told us to give you this." Obsidian said abruptly after Sirus answered, "It's your bonus, Boss said he was pleased with you. Keep up the good work. Inside this suitcase you would find one hundred thousand dollars in cash." The young wolf shoved his suitcase towards the older wolf playfully.
"Oh yeah, our Boss told us to remind you that he wants Leon Powalski alive, and in good mental health. If you fail, we would have to kill you. And I am sure you don't want that to happen, right?"
"Yes, tell your boss that I am very grateful for his kindness." Wolf said, opening the suitcase. Indeed, it was full of money. "Would you mind telling me who you are? And why does you boss want Leon alive?"
"I am Obsidian, and she is Jade." The young wolf replied, "For now, I am your younger brother, and she is your second cousin."
"And we make quite a talented family." Jade said jokingly, "As for my Boss's intentions with Leon, I cannot answer that question."
Sirus nodded. He couldn't help but fear the two young adults in front of him. They were no more than twenty years old, yet they could talk about death at the dinner table and laugh about it. Who were these people? "Err, may I speak to your boss sometime in the future?"
"You already did, believe it or not." Jade replied, "That's all I can say for now, otherwise Rocky here would strangle me."
"You need to learn how to keep you mouth shut, Jade." said the young wolf, who clearly had an explosive temper.
"Well, is everything clear, Mr. Ares?" Jade said, standing up, "If not, you can ask your questions now, or read the papers later."
Sirus nodded and forced a smile on his face. "Are you two leaving?"
"No, they are not, they're staying right here." A voice stated, Fox suddenly turned the corner into the room, revealing he was the speaker. "At least if they're hungry," Fox smiled to the two, "I know it's a bit late, but none of us have eaten and we've prepared some food. You may join us if you'd like."
Obsidian spoke, "No, we rea..."
Jade cut him off, "We'd love to, there's no problem. Thank you for the offer." She grinned at Obsidian whose mouth was still hanging open. Obsidian gave her a menacing glare and Jade simply acted innocent. Sirus rolled his eyes and walked towards the kitchen, leaving Fox to tend to the two.
Jade followed Fox, with Obsidian backing the line. They entered the Dining room where everyone was sitting, a pot of stew and some bread and butter laid out on the long table. Peppy stood and greeted Obsidian with a handshake. Peppy yelped as his hand was gripped. Obsidian quickly let go, and put his hands behind his back.
"Quite the grip you have there..." Peppy said, flexing his hand.
Obsidian and Jade took two seats. Damon was in the center of them. He looked at Obsidian's tall, sleek and muscular body. He was so well defined, Damon felt ashamed to look at himself. He hadn't much muscle definition due to his underdeveloped nature, he looked almost feminine. He was freakish while the wolf next to him was amazingly handsome. The man emanated power and strength, Damon could help but cringe at his authoritative nature.
"It's okay kid, he's a big push over, really." Jade whispered jokingly. She giggled as she received a disapproving glare from Obsidian, "Oh calm down Rocky, you're scaring the kid. I'm just trying to lighten him up."
"There's no need to be frightened, I mean you no harm." Obsidian took a sip of his soup.
Damon frowned, "I'm just a bit embarrassed is all, I'm so freakish and weak looking. I was admiring you're build, something I'll never be able to attain..."
Obsidian whispered back, "It's alright little brother, I think you have other abilities that make you unique and powerful. You need to remember that you're special, and while other people may dislike you for what you can do or what you look like, you really mustn't let it get to you. Be proud of who you are."
Damon smiled and hunched over, eating his dinner. That was the first compliment he had ever received from a stranger. It was strange how the wolf addressed him as his little brother. The black cat was very nice too. Somehow, he felt strangely close to these people. Perhaps it was because they were related to Mr. Ares.
"So, mind if I ask about your occupations?" Peppy asked, looking at Jade and Obsidian. "Your brother has excellent piloting skills, Obsidian."
The young wolf smiled at the old hare, "I am currently studying as a medical student. If all goes well, I am thinking about becoming a medic for the Army." That was of course, a half truth, but not an empty one. If Peppy decided to ask for evidence, Obsidian had more than enough to provide.
"Quite a talented family you have, Mr. Ares." Peppy was impressed, "How about you, Jade?"
"I work for the CIA." Jade replied, glancing over to Obsidian. This was not a lie, she was an agent of the Cornerian Intelligence Agency, at least on the surface. In fact, she collected most of the vital information for her Boss. Whoever she actually worked for had plenty of connections within the government, as well as the military.
"Wow. . ." Falco couldn't help but wonder at the Ares family, a medical student, a CIA agent, and a pilot with skills that could pit against the legendary Fox McCloud. It was surprising that no one had heard of their family name before.
Fox McCloud was not paying the slightest attention to their conversation. He was still mourning over the death of his best friend. He remembered all those moments with Bill during their years in the military academy, the battle of Katina, and how Bill supplied him during their mission on Solar. Everything memory seemed to resurface, but it was too late, his friend was gone. Fox couldn't help but allow two trails of tears to trickle down his face.
Krystal stopped conversing with the others, and comforted her husband. The rest of the StarFox team paused with their dinner, watching the couple. At the height of their conversation, they seemed to have forgotten Fox. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do about it, except to give their leader support. The whole room abruptly fell silent, the only ones still eating being Jade and Obsidian. Perhaps they were insensible, but Fox McCloud's personal problems were none of their concern.
Knowing that their abnormal behavior may alert the team, Jade dropped her cutlery and looked over to Fox. "I am sorry about Commander Grey's death; the CIA is working hard on investigating the murder. I am sure Leon would be caught soon." Of course, she said this just to be inconspicuous. She then gave Obsidian a swift kick under the table, a sign for him to stop eating and say something.
"Ouch! I-I mean I am sorry, Fox." said the young wolf, rubbing his shin. Jade's kick was powerful, too powerful for his comfort. If they were outside, he would be more than happy to have a spar match with Jade. But not right now.
"I'm sorry, please excuse us." Fox sniffled, standing up from the table; sadness came over him like a wave, drowning him without warning. Krystal followed her husband, and both left for their bedroom. Everyone else was completely silent. Even Prince Tricky paused from eating his delicious grub tubs in his little corner of the dining room.
"Perhaps this is not the best time for us to visit." Obsidian said, standing up from the table, "Thank you for the dinner, Jade and I should be leaving shortly." The young wolf nodded to everyone in a polite manner. His eyes met Sirus' for a moment, "Enjoy your dinner, and best of luck to all of you. I'll see you later, brother."
"You too, Rocky. . ." Sirus replied, and watch his "relatives" walk out the room. One more question remained in his mind, were they the ones who attacked the high security prison? Obsidian and Jade seemed certainly capable of doing so, except it didn't make much sense for them to release Leon, and then try to capture him again. Perhaps there was more to the story than the two was giving him.
Fox stood happily nest to his wife. Gently he rapped on the door, which easily creaked open. Fox raised an eyebrow, his wife was equally curious. They both walked into the house. Fox spoke loudly, "Bill, are you home? The door was open..." There was no reply.
Krystal was rubbing her arms, the house was unusually cold. The air conditioner was on, but it felt like it had been running through the night. Krystal turned to her husband, "I'm going to have a look around."
Fox nodded, "Okay, be careful, this doesn't feel right. It's unlike Bill to leave so many things running needlessly. Call me if you need anything."
Fox slowly crept upstairs; he didn't like this at all. Bill had never been so negligent. It wasn't in his nature. He kept one hand on his blaster, just in case. He peeked in each of the rooms, each one was clean. They were all tidy and nice. Finally he came to the last room in the hall. He was about to open the door when a blood curdling scream shot out. It was Krystal, her high pitched wail lasting almost until Fox got downstairs. Fox stepped in and gasped. It was a child's playroom, but it was splattered with blood. Bill's children were in the center of the room, most of their bodies caked in blood. Their bodies were twisted, as if they had been writhing in agony. Fox found why upon further inspection, and it nearly made him vomit.
Fox was shaking, he was heading upstairs as Krystal was going to phone the authorities. He could barely stand straight, and had to grip the stair banister just to keep upright. He wondered fearfully what he would find up in Bill's room. He threw open the door, blaster at the ready, but the tip shaking a tad. When he looked at the room he dropped the gun and fell to his knees. Bill was sprawled on the ground, laser wounds in various places; he was also caked in blood. His wife was lying in bed; Fox didn't want to know how she died. He didn't want to move at all. He screamed out in pain and frustration at the loss of his good friend. He picked up his blaster and shot angrily at the taunting message left on the wall, the evil message written in blood.
I am the Great Leon...and my revenge has only begun!
Fox trudged into the Great Fox. Falco was there waiting for him, smirking haughtily. Fox didn't want to hear anyone talk right now. He felt broken; he wondered if this is how Damon felt. Fox hadn't had to feel like this for a long time, not since his father had died.
Falco broke the silence, ignoring the grim expression on his leader's face, "So Fox, mind telling me how you were beat by that Ares fellow?"
Fox walked by Falco, ignoring him completely. He continued onward, completely numb to Falco's jeers and protests. Then suddenly they stopped, he turned his head back and saw Krystal whispering in Falco's ear. The falcon's eyes went wide and he covered his beak. He suddenly looked ashamed, and sent an apologetic look towards Fox. Fox simply nodded and continued walking.
Soon he found himself in the recreation room. It wouldn't be long until everyone heard. The police had only asked him a few questions and said he and Krystal could return home. All the evidence was there anyway; even in his fury fox hadn't damaged the key piece. Everyone knew it was Leon, and now everyone would know he was back with a vengeance. Not just for the StarFox team, but for all the people who had stopped him. Fox had been told that the police had already investigated three similar murders. One was the family of a Cornerian senator, the next was a Cornerian officer in the military, and last was an ambassador and his wife visiting from Zoness. Fox felt sick and empty inside. He felt like he wanted to cry, he tried to stop it, but couldn't. He had just lost one of his best friends. He felt someone hugging his shoulders, and assumed it was his wife. He patted the shoulder of his embracer and looked up. Instead of staring into the eyes of his wife Damon was caringly nuzzling Fox's shoulder, softly crying with him.
Fox felt bad for all the things he had said about the kid. Fox suddenly knew how the kid felt, the pain of loss. Especially after being so close to reuniting with that person. He felt ashamed for the jealousy and anger he had felt towards the child when he was crying. The boy hadn't been trying to do anything wrong, he just needed support and comfort. Now Fox felt as weak and helpless as the boy, and he began to cry like Damon had. Fox shamelessly fell into Damon's embrace, sobbing into the hybrid's chest.
"I'm sorry..." Damon whispered, "I wish it didn't have to be this way."
Fox had been sitting with Damon for about an hour, and then admitted he just wanted to go to bed. Damon helped prop up Fox, and allowed him to lean on his shoulder all the way to his room. Fox opened his door and slouched in. He sunk into his bed, not even bothering to take his uniform off. Damon just stood in the doorway, then walked in and took Fox's boots off for him so he could be slightly more comfortable. Damon smiled weakly and then walked out of the room.
Fox lay there on his bed, wondering why Bill had to die. He hadn't deserved it, he wasn't even part of this really. He was more of an innocent bystander in this situation. He had helped in the war, but he was only stationed on Katina. He had nothing to do with StarWolf at all. Fox lay there and mourned for Bill. He didn't move for what seemed like hours.
Fox lay on his bed, listening to the quiet silence that had fallen over the ship. He wondered why Krystal hadn't come in yet, but felt too weak to go after her. He knew he had to stop Leon, to prevent anything like this from happening again. Suddenly he heard a high pitched scream, the same he had heard early this morning. Fox was suddenly on his feet, fear and adrenaline filling his exhausted body. He ran towards the cries, running he saw Falco slumped against a wall. The bird was unconscious. This filled him with more dread as the screams became louder, no sounding as if they were filled with pain. Fox ran into the recreation room, for people were inside. Damon and Sirus were both slumped against a wall, and across the room was something far worse. Leon Powalski had Krystal pinned against the wall, a knife to her throat. He was only a foot or so away from where Fox was
Leon cackled when he aw Fox there, "Ah, McCloud, I'm so glad you could see this!" Then with a quick flick of the wrist he slit Krystal's throat clean open. Fox stood in shock as the blade exited the other side of the neck, the tip of the dagger pointing t Fox himself. A few droplets flecked Fox's face, and ran down his cheeks like crimson tears.
Fox bolted upright in his bed, gasping for air, sweat soaking his clothing and fur. He looked around, trying to get himself reoriented. He was lying in his bed. Suddenly the door whirred to life and slid open. Light from outside enveloped the room, streaming over Fox. The vulpine blinked disbelievingly, in the doorway stood his wife. His mouth gaped open, it had all been a dream, but it had been so real. He could have sworn he felt the blood on his face. He weakly got up and stumbled to Krystal. He grabbed her and hugged her tightly, softly kissing her neck and crying into it. Krystal rubbed his back and embraced him tightly.
"It's okay Fox..." Krystal said soothingly, "It's okay..."
Damon sat inside the Arwing simulator, alone, and furious. In front of him were waves and waves of unequipped enemy ships. The hybrid shot them down, his teeth grinding in hatred for his enemies. The simulation was for improving his combat skills and accuracy, and Damon seemed to be pretty confident.
"Now entering stage two, prepare for hostile enemy aircrafts." said a robotic, monotone voice. The screens turned off as the computer generated a new scenario, with three hostile enemy aircrafts shooting at Damon's Arwing. The hybrid did a barrel roll to the left, dodging the lasers, and then returned fire, destroying all of his enemies at once. Damon snickered, it was too easy.
The program restarted again, this time with four enemy aircrafts. Damon destroyed them with ease, just like the first three. "Next." Damon said, grinning.
"Lesson one, never underestimate your enemies." said Mr. Ares' familiar voice. His ship showed on the radar screen, not as an Arwing, but as a Wolfen II. The Wolfens were faster, more maneuverable, with stronger defensive attributes, but weaker firepower than the Arwings.
"Friend or foe?" Damon asked, aiming his lasers at the incoming ship. Mr. Ares or not, an enemy was an enemy.
"Friend, but just for now," Sirus said over his intercom, "Watch out behind you."
Damon turned to the left, drawing a graceful arc with his ship, getting ready to face whatever the computer program had prepared for him. He charged the laser of his ship, waiting for his enemies to approach.
"No! That was too slow!" Lieutenant Ares' voice barked, "You are supposed to do a flip, not some lousy turn!"
"Sorry!" Damon winced at that commanding tone. He had never thought Mr. Ares was so strict when it came to aerial combat. "Sorry sir, I'll do it next time."
"On the real battle field, there is no next time!" Ares barked again, "You should work on maneuvering skills, kid."
"But I've done all of them!" Damon protested, "They are not even that hard!"
"Really," Sirus asked with a mocking tone, "Let me give you a challenge, try to shoot my ship down. I will not retaliate."
"You asked for it, Mr. Ares." Damon replied, charging up his laser. The tracer automatically locked on to the Wolfen that Sirus was using. Instead of releasing the charged laser, the hybrid released a homing bomb. "Take that!"
"Good shot." Ares replied casually as his ship was engulfed by the bomb's blinding radiation. Once the blinding light faded, Damon found that his target was still perfectly intact, only loosing a miniscule amount of his shield.
"Hey! I shot you with a homing bomb!" Damon shouted, completely surprised. There must be something wrong with the simulation.
"The Wolfen II is equipped with a force field that is designed to block homing bombs and lasers." Sirus explained, "This was Wolf and Leon's brilliant idea to give themselves an advantage against StarFox during their last battle on Venom."
"So I am supposed to hit you with pea shots?" the cadet asked, holding his fire for a moment. "Fine with me..." The cadet began to shower Lieutenant Ares' Wolfen with his twin lasers, but it was more difficult that he expected. The Wolfen II was faster and more maneuverable, making Damon's task very difficult. Sirus wasn't making it any easier by showing off his superb skills.
"I give up! This is impossible!" the cadet whined, slowing down his ship for a landing. "This is so unfair."
"Who said the battlefield was fair?" Sirus asked, his ship slowing down as well. "You see? You still have to work on your maneuvering skills, kid. Fox fought Wolf with the exact same circumstance on Venom, but he didn't give up."
"But Fox is . . . He is a professional pilot! I just started!" Damon exclaimed, "You don't expect me to be as good as he is, do you?"
"I do, actually." Sirus said as he stepped out of the simulator. "He was only eighteen when he won the war for the Lylat system."
Jade walked along side of Obsidian, both carrying briefcases. Today they were not disguised as anything in particular. Jade was wearing her favorite leather suit, while Obsidian wore a jet black business suit. Tonight they were supposed to check on Mr. Ares' status, and update him with some additional instructions. Of course, they may also give him a bonus, if everything went well. Jade didn't bring her favorite sniper rifle, but her partner brought his black-oxide coated rapier.
"So Rocky, which way should we go?" Jade asked as they arrived at the airport. It was the evening, and the stars were shining bright tonight.
"That way." said the young wolf, pointing towards the entrance "Not the roof."
"Brilliant idea, but that's not fun." Jade complained, but she followed his advice at the end. She had nothing to hide from the guards, and he seemed completely comfortable with entering the normal way.
The pair of assassins walked through the airport terminal, until the reached the checkpoint. Two guards were assigned next to the metal detector, and today seemed to be their lucky day. The young wolf walked up, and unsheathed his sword with immeasurable speed. Instead of decapitating the guards, Obsidian smiled and offered the swords hilt to one of them. "Hold this for me. I'll be right back."
Jade was already through the metal detector, and walking towards the Great Fox. She didn't bring any metallic objects with her today, not enough to trigger the detector.
Before the guards could respond, Obsidian was off with his partner, walking the same direction. The poor guard held the wolf's sword, wondering what just happened. Why would anyone still carry a sword these days?
ROB's voice rang in Lieutenant Ares' room, "Mr. Ares, two strangers are at the entrance, requesting to speak to you. Look on your personal display to see their images. Once Sirus turned on his screen, he saw the black cat and another young wolf that he had not seen before. He knew that they were dangerous, but he also knew that they were here for him.
"Let them in, ROB." Ares said, wondering if he made a mistake.
A moment later the pair appeared in Lieutenant Ares' doorway. For now none of the other members realized that there were two strangers aboard, except ROB and Mr. Ares. Jade sat down on Sirus' bed, while Obsidian chose to take his chair. Sirus didn't protest against their actions, knowing that they were very dangerous in their own ways, especially Jade, whom Sirus saw jumping out of a window and landing unscathed.
"Relax." Obsidian was the first to speak, "If we were here to kill you, we wouldn't be taking the front entrance, and you would be dead already."
"Oh Rocky, stop scaring Mr. Ares," Jade said with her sweet tone, but it was laced with mockery. She was teasing Sirus in her own way. She opened her suitcase, revealing a collection of papers. There were more instructions for Lieutenant Ares to follow. She took out a large envelope and placed it on Sirus' desk, then returned to her seat. "Well, it seems like everything is going well, right Mr. Ares?"
"Uh. . .Yes, everything is fine." Sirus answered. There was something about these two that made them above the ordinary. And that something was making Sirus Ares very nervous.
"Good, then our Boss told us to give you this." Obsidian said abruptly after Sirus answered, "It's your bonus, Boss said he was pleased with you. Keep up the good work. Inside this suitcase you would find one hundred thousand dollars in cash." The young wolf shoved his suitcase towards the older wolf playfully.
"Oh yeah, our Boss told us to remind you that he wants Leon Powalski alive, and in good mental health. If you fail, we would have to kill you. And I am sure you don't want that to happen, right?"
"Yes, tell your boss that I am very grateful for his kindness." Wolf said, opening the suitcase. Indeed, it was full of money. "Would you mind telling me who you are? And why does you boss want Leon alive?"
"I am Obsidian, and she is Jade." The young wolf replied, "For now, I am your younger brother, and she is your second cousin."
"And we make quite a talented family." Jade said jokingly, "As for my Boss's intentions with Leon, I cannot answer that question."
Sirus nodded. He couldn't help but fear the two young adults in front of him. They were no more than twenty years old, yet they could talk about death at the dinner table and laugh about it. Who were these people? "Err, may I speak to your boss sometime in the future?"
"You already did, believe it or not." Jade replied, "That's all I can say for now, otherwise Rocky here would strangle me."
"You need to learn how to keep you mouth shut, Jade." said the young wolf, who clearly had an explosive temper.
"Well, is everything clear, Mr. Ares?" Jade said, standing up, "If not, you can ask your questions now, or read the papers later."
Sirus nodded and forced a smile on his face. "Are you two leaving?"
"No, they are not, they're staying right here." A voice stated, Fox suddenly turned the corner into the room, revealing he was the speaker. "At least if they're hungry," Fox smiled to the two, "I know it's a bit late, but none of us have eaten and we've prepared some food. You may join us if you'd like."
Obsidian spoke, "No, we rea..."
Jade cut him off, "We'd love to, there's no problem. Thank you for the offer." She grinned at Obsidian whose mouth was still hanging open. Obsidian gave her a menacing glare and Jade simply acted innocent. Sirus rolled his eyes and walked towards the kitchen, leaving Fox to tend to the two.
Jade followed Fox, with Obsidian backing the line. They entered the Dining room where everyone was sitting, a pot of stew and some bread and butter laid out on the long table. Peppy stood and greeted Obsidian with a handshake. Peppy yelped as his hand was gripped. Obsidian quickly let go, and put his hands behind his back.
"Quite the grip you have there..." Peppy said, flexing his hand.
Obsidian and Jade took two seats. Damon was in the center of them. He looked at Obsidian's tall, sleek and muscular body. He was so well defined, Damon felt ashamed to look at himself. He hadn't much muscle definition due to his underdeveloped nature, he looked almost feminine. He was freakish while the wolf next to him was amazingly handsome. The man emanated power and strength, Damon could help but cringe at his authoritative nature.
"It's okay kid, he's a big push over, really." Jade whispered jokingly. She giggled as she received a disapproving glare from Obsidian, "Oh calm down Rocky, you're scaring the kid. I'm just trying to lighten him up."
"There's no need to be frightened, I mean you no harm." Obsidian took a sip of his soup.
Damon frowned, "I'm just a bit embarrassed is all, I'm so freakish and weak looking. I was admiring you're build, something I'll never be able to attain..."
Obsidian whispered back, "It's alright little brother, I think you have other abilities that make you unique and powerful. You need to remember that you're special, and while other people may dislike you for what you can do or what you look like, you really mustn't let it get to you. Be proud of who you are."
Damon smiled and hunched over, eating his dinner. That was the first compliment he had ever received from a stranger. It was strange how the wolf addressed him as his little brother. The black cat was very nice too. Somehow, he felt strangely close to these people. Perhaps it was because they were related to Mr. Ares.
"So, mind if I ask about your occupations?" Peppy asked, looking at Jade and Obsidian. "Your brother has excellent piloting skills, Obsidian."
The young wolf smiled at the old hare, "I am currently studying as a medical student. If all goes well, I am thinking about becoming a medic for the Army." That was of course, a half truth, but not an empty one. If Peppy decided to ask for evidence, Obsidian had more than enough to provide.
"Quite a talented family you have, Mr. Ares." Peppy was impressed, "How about you, Jade?"
"I work for the CIA." Jade replied, glancing over to Obsidian. This was not a lie, she was an agent of the Cornerian Intelligence Agency, at least on the surface. In fact, she collected most of the vital information for her Boss. Whoever she actually worked for had plenty of connections within the government, as well as the military.
"Wow. . ." Falco couldn't help but wonder at the Ares family, a medical student, a CIA agent, and a pilot with skills that could pit against the legendary Fox McCloud. It was surprising that no one had heard of their family name before.
Fox McCloud was not paying the slightest attention to their conversation. He was still mourning over the death of his best friend. He remembered all those moments with Bill during their years in the military academy, the battle of Katina, and how Bill supplied him during their mission on Solar. Everything memory seemed to resurface, but it was too late, his friend was gone. Fox couldn't help but allow two trails of tears to trickle down his face.
Krystal stopped conversing with the others, and comforted her husband. The rest of the StarFox team paused with their dinner, watching the couple. At the height of their conversation, they seemed to have forgotten Fox. Unfortunately, there was nothing they could do about it, except to give their leader support. The whole room abruptly fell silent, the only ones still eating being Jade and Obsidian. Perhaps they were insensible, but Fox McCloud's personal problems were none of their concern.
Knowing that their abnormal behavior may alert the team, Jade dropped her cutlery and looked over to Fox. "I am sorry about Commander Grey's death; the CIA is working hard on investigating the murder. I am sure Leon would be caught soon." Of course, she said this just to be inconspicuous. She then gave Obsidian a swift kick under the table, a sign for him to stop eating and say something.
"Ouch! I-I mean I am sorry, Fox." said the young wolf, rubbing his shin. Jade's kick was powerful, too powerful for his comfort. If they were outside, he would be more than happy to have a spar match with Jade. But not right now.
"I'm sorry, please excuse us." Fox sniffled, standing up from the table; sadness came over him like a wave, drowning him without warning. Krystal followed her husband, and both left for their bedroom. Everyone else was completely silent. Even Prince Tricky paused from eating his delicious grub tubs in his little corner of the dining room.
"Perhaps this is not the best time for us to visit." Obsidian said, standing up from the table, "Thank you for the dinner, Jade and I should be leaving shortly." The young wolf nodded to everyone in a polite manner. His eyes met Sirus' for a moment, "Enjoy your dinner, and best of luck to all of you. I'll see you later, brother."
"You too, Rocky. . ." Sirus replied, and watch his "relatives" walk out the room. One more question remained in his mind, were they the ones who attacked the high security prison? Obsidian and Jade seemed certainly capable of doing so, except it didn't make much sense for them to release Leon, and then try to capture him again. Perhaps there was more to the story than the two was giving him.
