Mission 13 - Parasite
General Pepper stared out the window of his office and saw fire and destruction. One hundred and four military fighters crashed themselves into Corneria City today, killing over ten thousand people and destroyed many buildings. It was just like Andross' invasion of Corneria eight years ago, except this time it was done by Leon Powalski. Pepper lost a major battle today, a battle that cost the lives of over ten thousand civilians.
The telephone on the general's desk rang. Pepper slowly turned around, eyeing the phone, pondering if he should pick it up. Hesitantly, he did.
"General Pepper!" said a frantic voice, a soldier, "Pigma Dengar escaped, Leon Powalski came to the execution grounds and saved him! He killed a dozen of my men and flew off! What should we do?"
"I don't know. What should we do?" General Pepper muttered, rubbing his temples. There was nothing they could do. They lost, entirely. "Just . . . Try to recapture them, shoot them down. Do something..." Pepper slammed the phone down, cursing his luck.
Pepper went back to witnessing the carnage. The phone rang again, the aging bloodhound sighed. He picked up the receiver and gruffly spoke, "Hello?"
The voice on the other end sounded disheartened, but Pepper immediately recognized it, "Hello General, we are stuck in a grave affair…"
Pepper stood at attention, as if he were in the presence of the man on the other end of the line, "Mr. President Sir, my apologies about this incident. We weren't prepared for Leon trying something of this magnitude."
"I know General, that's why I'm calling. The people won't tolerate failure of this magnitude. It makes us all look bad. I have a proposition for you…" The President said.
Pepper sighed, "I believe I know where this is going Mr. President, I'll begin cleaning out my office." Pepper felt his eyes began to tear.
"I'm sorry old friend, we're going to do this in the most discreet and honorable way possible. You and Captains Harding and Tintoretto are being dismissed from your duties. You still retain your dignity and your title; nothing is being stripped from you. You will be supported with your usual military paycheck. You're going out a hero Pepper…we're not going to allow the media to slander your good name." The President said reassuringly.
"So basically what you're telling me sir," Pepper could help but chuckle, "Is that I'm fired…with honors."
The president chuckled as well, "You retired as of three days ago; you were never involved with the prevention of this incident. The two captains were brave enough, attempting to stop the plummeting ships or change their course to protect pedestrians."
"What am I supposed to do from here Mr. President?" Pepper asked.
"Just try to lay low, we'll handle the situation from here." replied the President. "After this is all over we're sending you, the captains, and the Star Fox team on an extended vacation. Call it a little bonus for all your hard work."
Pepper nodded, "Do you have a replacement for me yet?"
"We're working on that, you've been with us so long, and you did so well, I don't know if anyone can take your place…" The President's words made Pepper smile further.
"Thank you sir…" Pepper softly began to cry. Both from pain of all this destruction, the sadness of losing his beloved job, and from the happiness the President's kindness gave him. Pepper softly hung up the phone after some departing pleasantries. He turned away from the chaos of Corneria City. He reached in his desk and pulled out a lollipop, an old habit he had never really kicked. Whenever he was worried or sad he would find himself licking a sucker. He wondered what would become of this situation, what would become of the city, but most importantly what dangers laid ahead for Star Fox. Since they were now going to be involved fully in this crisis, but also that they were the next big targets on Leon's list.
The lifeless body of a reptilian pilot lay on an autopsy table, stripped of his clothes. There were burnt marks all over his body, as well as a few metal and glass shards impaling his chest. The lizard had obviously died from the impact of his crash. However, there were other reasons why he ended up on an autopsy table. Not just any autopsy table, but Dr. Zenotabi's autopsy table.
"Father, should we do a full or partial autopsy?" Obsidian asked, wondering what his father wanted from the dead man. Obsidian stood by his father's side, carrying a tray if dissecting tools. The young wolf looked coldly at the dead lizard in front of him. This man had killed more than thirty innocent people in his death, a suicide. The young wolf had no interest in dishonorable people like these, but his father suspected a mass suicide was not the answer to this particular disaster.
"A partial would do, I don't want to start ripping the guy apart just to look for one thing." Zenotabi asked, slipping on his gloves and mask. The doctor began to inspect the body of suspicious marks. He found some bruises around the dead lizard's neck, and a few faint finger markings on his face. Both of the marks were very faint, indicating that they appeared many hours before the pilot's death. "Obsidian, take a look at this. Can you tell me what this is?"
"Someone tried to strangle him." Obsidian replied, without taking a closer look. "It's either a restraining hold or a sleep hold. I usually use this kind of hold to kill or break someone's neck, but the pressure applied on this person is not strong enough for serious damage."
"How about the finger marks?" Zenotabi asked his assassin son, "Anything suspicious about those?"
Obsidian smiled at his father and placed a gloved hand over the dead lizard's face. The wolf applied pressure on either side of the dead body's cheek, and the lizard's mouth gapped open. "Someone tried to shove things down his throat, I assume."
"Thanks son, that's all I needed to know." Zenotabi smiled; so far everything matched his hypothesis. This was not just a mass suicide, someone did something to the pilots before they flew, causing them to crash. "Obsidian, call Jade and see if she could get us a few more dead bodies of the pilots. I want ones that are in good condition, understand?"
"Yes, father." Obsidian left the room, leaving Zenotabi with the dead pilot. Of course, he spent some time catching up with his sister while giving her the assignment through the phone.
Zenotabi opened the mouth of the dead lizard again, inspecting the back of the mouth. There wasn't a lot of damage done to the epithelial cells, so whatever went down his throat didn't go in by force. The doctor arched a brow, wondering what the object was. As for where it was, Zenotabi was ready to rip the lizard apart to find it if he had to. Perhaps a full autopsy was needed after all.
"Obsidian!" Zenotabi roared, getting rather impatient. "Come here!"
The agile wolf scuttled back into the room, like an obedient child. "Yes father?"
"I changed my mind; I am doing a full autopsy." Zenotabi said, taking a scalpel fro the tray. He carefully ran the razor sharp blade along the lizard's skin, cutting a "V" from the clavicles to the sternum, then another cut straight down the abdomen, forming a "Y" shaped cut. He then slowly peeled the skin and bone off the rib cage, exposing the bones and the organs. "Obsidian, you may do the next part."
"Sure." Obsidian replied. The wolf took out a large pair of cutters and severed each rib around the sternum. Once done, the wolf removed the top part of the lizard's ribcage and placed it in a tray, exposing the lungs and heart.
"Thank you. Now help me with the organs." Dr. Zenotabi smiled. If he was to cut the man's ribs, it would be much too time consuming. He wanted to find his answers quickly. The doctor began to remove the organs one by one, and Obsidian placed them in individual trays for inspection later.
"Alright, let's flip him over." Dr. Zenotabi said as they removed the last set of organs. "I want the brain."
"And I thought you said a partial autopsy would do, father." Obsidian joked, helping Zenotabi flip over the dead pilot's body. To remove the brain, they had to open the skull from behind, otherwise the lizard's face be disfigured during the process. Zenotabi carefully cut open the scalp from the base of the neck, revealing a large part of the skull. If Zenotabi's guess was right, then their answer should surface quite soon, quite literally.
After fifteen minutes, Dr. Zenotabi managed to remove the entire brain without disfiguring the pilot's face. And indeed, his answer was right there. There was a small black cylindrical implant in the man's cerebellum, just behind his olfactory bulbs. The doctor tugged at the small implant curiously, but stopped when he realized that it was quite deeply implanted.
"Well, I think I've found the answer." Zenotabi said with a satisfied tone, carrying the brain with him as he walked towards the exit. Turing around, he added, "Obsidian, you can stitch him up and freeze the organs. Remember to clean up everything, throw away the garbage. I, on the other hand, will see if this really is the answer."
"Yes, father." Obsidian eyed the corpse has his father exited. He flipped the lizard's body over again and replaced the rib cage. As he slowly and carefully stitched up the cuts, obsidian noticed that the lizard was actually young, perhaps in his early twenties, and quite handsome too. Now that his father said he found the answer, the young wolf began to pity the young reptilian pilot. Perhaps this wasn't suicide, maybe it was murder.
Zenotabi entered his office, with a brain in a tray. He didn't care about anything but the answer now. The doctor set the tray on his desk, and began his work, with a pair of tweezers in one hand, and a scalpel in another. He raised the scalpel; he sliced the brain clean in half, dividing the brain into each separate lobe up until the cerebellum. He didn't want to sever all of the veins from the probe. He slowly began cutting away at each lobe, he noted all the thin mechanical veins, each branching of into more veins. This was similar to the probes in Damon's head, but better. With one probe he had taken over the entire brain. He also didn't have to implant the pieces surgically; Zenotabi figured this was the item that was shoved down the pilot's throat.
He finally tugged lightly, the veins slipped out from the dissected vein with ease. A few broke, but for the most part it stayed in tact. These were a vast improvement on Damon's model. Instead of having three separate probes, now only one was necessary. Leon had removed the necessity of surgery. The probes could also remove themselves if necessary; Damon's model didn't have the ability to retract its veins. This was unfortunate for Damon, now he really was stuck with them for the rest of his life.
Now the only question was how Leon made his victims brains react to his whim. Zenotabi figured it had to do something with signaling the impulses through the brain. He just had to figure out the frequency at which they operated, then how Leon created the signals to push right impulses to control. He had some work ahead of him, unfortunately this specimen in its broken state was useless. Fortunately for Zenotabi he had plenty more specimens where this one had come from. Since he didn't need any more proof, he had potentially over another one hundred probes coming his way, and he was confident that he would solve this mystery by the hundredth try. However, he must tell someone of high authority about his discovery. The attack on Corneria City was mass murder, not mass suicide. Leon was to blame, not the innocent pilots.
"Hello? Is General Pepper available?" Zenotabi asked after picking up the phone, "I have something of great importance to tell him."
"General Pepper retired from his position three days ago." an assistant replied.
"What? Well . . . Err, thanks. I'll try someone else then." Zenotabi was shocked. General Pepper retiring was definitely unpredictable. How could the general retire, at a time of chaos like this? The doctor fell into his chair, hanging up the phone. "This is ridiculous."
"Hey dad, I have five more dead pilots waiting outside for you." Jade entered the room with a cheerful smile. Noticing that his father was not particularly enthusiastic, she leaned closer, "What's wrong? You don't look too happy."
"My boss, and your boss, just retired." Zenotabi said coldly, "Which means we should hurry up and find another boss, otherwise I won't have enough cash to keep researching."
"You know, I could just rob the bank for you." Jade said jokingly, "It's much easier that way."
"Well, that's not very nice Jade." Dr Zenotabi said with a warm smile. This girl surely knew how to flatter people, unlike Obsidian, whose performance was deteriorating lately. "And robbing the bank makes me no different from Leon Powalski."
Jade chuckled. "People who kill secretly are heroes, and people who kill openly are villains. What a strange world we live in, father."
Zenotabi chuckled and kissed his daughter on the cheek, "Yes, a strange world indeed."
Krystal, along with Lieutenant Ares surrounded Damon on his bed. It had been three weeks since Leon's attack on Coneria City. No one except a handful of high ranked military officials knew about the truth, about the Cerebral Impulse Interceptors. Not even StarFox, or the former General Pepper for that matter. Such knowledge would only cause further chaos if exposed to the public. Pepper on the other hand seemed to have vanished from Lylat system without a trace. For people like Fox McCloud, such a disappearance was quite suspicious. However, they had much more to worry about. A large section of Corneria City was destroyed during the disaster. Most people suspected it was Leon's wrongdoing, some say that it was a mass suicidal attack, lead by some unknown military leader. But the leading theory was that Leon had some super weapon that disabled the fighter planes, causing them to crash. However, there was one thing StarFox was happy about, and that was Damon's recovery.
The teenage boy lay in his bed with a big grin on his face. His internal organs were all restored, but his sever spine was still healing. As a result, Damon could not use his legs yet. However, since the night Sirus told him his true identity, the boy had been happier than ever. The pair had already formed a close relationship, much like one between a father and a son. Everyone in the team could sense it, but none of them was able to guess the reason.
Damon eyed Fox McCloud nervously as he came into the room. As far as the Damon knew, Fox had not visited him ever since the night Leon used his body to attack him. "Hi . . . Fox."
Fox smiled at the teenager, who was obviously tense. "Finally, I came at the right time, it seems. Every time I come to visit you, you are sleeping."
Damon smiled and tried to scratch his head, only to find a thick layer of lead between his fingers and his scalp. "I thought you hated me for hurting you."
"I hated Leon, not you." Fox replied, "I am sorry for hurting you so badly, Damon."
"It's my fault." Damon began to tear, "I didn't know what I was doing. All I remember was that I was sleeping, and then I woke up with so much pain . . ."
Fox wiped Damon's eyes through the lead helmet, "It wasn't your fault, and you couldn't have done anything about it."
"I only wish . . . I only wish I could be stronger." Damon said through his sobs.
"Trust me kid, you are strong enough." Fox said jokingly, rubbing his throat, "Any stronger and I would be dead by now." Krystal nudged her husband on the side for saying such an insensible joke, but everyone laughed, including Damon.
Another figure entered the room. It was Mr. Ares' younger brother, Obsidian. The young wolf was carrying a square cardboard package under an arm. Everyone eyed the wolf intensely, but Obsidian didn't seem to notice. He merely set the heavy package down next to Damon. "Dr. Zenotabi has a new present for you."
"That's nice of him. What is it?" Damon asked with interest. Everyone else was just watching the two younger ones converse, but Obsidian was not uncomfortable with the situation at all. Damon eyed the box, wondering what was inside.
"It's your new and improved helmet." Obsidian opened the package, revealing a metallic headband. It was no longer made of lead, but some unknown alloy that resembled fine silver. Apparently Dr. Zenotabi had figured out a way to block partial parts of the brain, and a headband was all it required. Without warning, the muscular wolf grabbed and removed Damon's lead helmet with a single arm, displaying his strength. Gently, he placed the new helmet on Damon's head. "It looks good on you."
"I hope I don't get teased for it." Damon's eyes rolled up, trying to inspect his new headwear. It was much lighter and comfortable, at least. "Thanks, Rocky."
"No problem kid. If you don't like it you can always wear something over it." Obsidian patted Damon on the head as he stood up. Finally, he eyed every person around him, "I guess I forgot about manners, hello everyone."
"Hello, Obsidian." Sirus was the first to speak, "How are you?"
A small speaker on the wall suddenly beeped, cutting off the conversation. A feminine voice spoke afterwards. "Mrs. McCloud, we believe that we've found something for you at the lost and found. Mind taking a look?"
"Sure, I'll be there in a moment." Krystal said audibly towards the speaker. The vixen kissed her husband on the cheek and strolled out the door. "I'll be right back."
Fox and Krystal had returned to the Great Fox, it was getting late, and they left Damon to rest. Krystal was dragging Fox by the jacket, straight to their room. The door shut and Krystal threw Fox violently on the bed. Falling on top of him and kissing him passionately.
"Krystal, are you all right, you're so rough this evening." Fox said looking at her slightly concerned.
"I'm just fine my lovely foxy, you just sit back and wait for the ride of your life." She slipped off her flight jacket and wrapped it around his back, pulling him into another kiss.
"Err . . . Okay." Fox smiled nervously, Krystal was indeed quite passionate tonight, a little too passionate for Fox's comfort. She felt almost foreign.
Krystal unzipped Fox's sleeveless jacket, then slipped the top of his flight suit off along with the jacket. She fell onto his bare chest, her nose rubbing against his fur. "Fox, you stink tonight."
"Well . . . I didn't get a chance to shower today." That was one of the few insults that Krystal had ever said to Fox, but it was for a good reason. McCloud smiled nervously, "I can go and take a shower now, if you want."
"Good try baby, but you are staying right here with me." Krystal took off Fox's pants, revealing a pair of white boxers, dotted with pink hearts. The vixen chuckled at the sight, "Why would the legendary Fox McCloud wear something like that?"
"Hey, they are my lucky boxers." Fox replied hugging his wife closer to him. "I am sure you should know by now."
Krystal was slightly stumped by the piece of information. She paused for a short moment before continuing. "Oh . . . Cut the nonsense, let's get on with it." Krystal moved to take off Fox's boxers, but she felt his hand gently holding her wrist, preventing her from doing so.
"Krystal . . . Are you feeling alright today?" Fox asked, looking very concerned now, "You are rather aggressive – Ugh!" Fox suddenly felt something pierce his abdomen. It was a cold blade of a knife. The fox gasped in horror and pain, staring at his wife.
"Damn straight I am aggressive, Fox McCloud." A twisted grin appeared on Krystal's face. She drove the knife deeper into Fox's abdomen, puncturing his liver and stomach. Blood began to ooze from the wound soaking the bed sheets. "How does it feel to die in the hands of your own wife, Fox McCloud? Does it hurt?"
"Le-Leon . . . You sick freak . . . What have you done to my wife?" Fox gagged, a small trail of blood trickled down the corner of his lips. His hand tried to hold back the knife weakly, but Krystal was strong, and Fox was weakening by the moment.
"Just like what I've done with the little freak, and the hundred military pilots." Krystal replied licking the blood off her husband's lips, "She is under my control, McCloud. She is MINE." The knife began to slice downwards, slowly threatening to disembowel McCloud.
Tears began to stream down Fox's face. He looked up at his beautiful wife with his blurred vision, while trying to repel the knife as it slowly drove deeper and deeper into his body. "Don't . . . Krystal . . . Please don't."
"Aw, is poor McCloud begging the Great Leon or his he begging his wife?" Krystal said with a grin as she leaned closer, putting her weight on the knife. It sank further into Fox's abdomen, and a painful gasp came from his mouth, along with a few a fresh trickle of blood. Krystal once again bent down and licked it from his fur.
"Krystal . . . Don't do it . . . Fight." Fox said weakly. He was dying. "Fight it . . . Fight him . . . Fight Leon."
Suddenly, Fox saw something in his wife's blue eyes. They were tears. Krystal was fighting Leon. The knife stopped sinking, and began to quiver. The vixen yanked her head back and let out a horrifying scream. "RRROOOOBBB!!!"
Fox smiled and sighed, and then everything faded into nothingness.
