Mission 17 – Secrets
Everyone was once again gathered in the lobby of the Cornerian hospital. They were waiting for the results on Obsidian. After the initial explosion, Sirus rushed into the cave, searching for the younger wolf. He found Obsidian lying face down among some debris, his body partially ablaze from the fire. Obsidian had cleverly used the blood stained blanket to protect him from the flames, but unfortunately it was not damp enough to prevent him from burning. The young wolf's legs and lower back were severely burnt.
Damon was crying in Sirus' chest. The young hybrid's chin was slightly scratched from being thrown out of the cave. Once he discovered that Obsidian was injured trying to protect him from harm, Damon broke down almost immediately. Peppy and Falco were particularly displeased with him.
"See? I told you the kid would be in our way!" Peppy said audibly, leaning against a wall. Apparently his predictions he made about Damon the day they accepted the hybrid was correct. Falco nodded in agreement, but he kept his opinions to himself. The bird had learnt his lesson, after being knocked out by Obsidian.
"Come on Peppy, Damon didn't mean to do it." Slippy piped, "Who knew he would have a seizure right before the bomb exploded?"
"I think everyone should just shut up." Fox demanded with authority, "You guys are not helping at all." The effects of the team leader's words were quite effective. The only noise made after Fox spoke was a soft grunt from the old hare, and Damon's constant sobbing.
A team of doctors and nurses came out with Obsidian on a medical bed. Everyone immediately stood up, but they kept out of the team's way. Sirus caught a glimpse of Obsidian on the bed. The young wolf's entire body was covered by bandages. One of the doctors stayed behind and told StarFox about Obsidian's condition.
"Most of Mr. Ares' burns are not too severe, except for the ones on the back of his legs and his lower back. Those will probably leave scars. He also has a few light burns on his upper back and his head, but those should heal pretty well on their own." The doctor continued, "He is a very lucky man, and he should be out of the hospital in around three weeks, give or take a few days."
"How swell." Falco commented, "It would be a pity if his pretty face got scarred."
"Falco, do you need to be punched again?" Sirus threatened. The wolf had bonded with Obsidian quite well, even though the young wolf was not Sirus' true brother. For Falco do say such an insensible comment was pretty much asking for trouble from Lieutenant Ares. The bird merely shrugged and looked away from the middle aged wolf.
Sirus stood up, holding Damon in his arms. Although the sobbing teenager was quite heavy, the former Wolf O'Donnell could easily carry him. From a distance, the pair looked like a father and son. "Come on, let's go and see how Obsidian is doing."
Lieutenant Sirus Ares entered his brother's room. Damon held his hand, still whimpering. The young hybrid was obviously too nervous to see Obsidian in his injured condition. Damon believed entirely that Obsidian's injury was wholly his fault. The two quietly approached the young wolf's bed, fearing that they would disturb his rest. Power and strength still seemed to emanate from the young wolf, even in his injured state. Sirus finally realized that Obsidian was far from ordinary.
The door suddenly slid opened again, and a menacing red figure stood in front of it. It was Jade, her eyes blazing in anger. Without saying a word, the young cat stormed over to Damon and slapped his face, sending the young hybrid flying. Damon crashed against a wall, crying audibly.
"You incompetent little freak," Jade hissed at the young hybrid, tears welling up in her eyes. She too believed that it was Damon's fault that Obsidian was injured, since she acquired her information from Falco and Peppy, who were obviously biased. "Look at what you did to Obsidian!"
Sirus placed a hand on Jade's shoulder, trying to comfort the girl. Even though Obsidian was Sirus' brother on paper, Jade was the closer to the young wolf than anyone else in the Lylat System. It was reasonable for her to be angry, but it wasn't at all for her to hit Damon. "Jade . . . It's not Damon's fault."
Jade picked up Sirus by the collar, "So what, is it yours?!" she glared at him menacingly. She then hurled his body straight into Damon's. An audible yelp emitted from the young hybrid. Sirus grimaced from the landing, but in the end Damon suffered more from the larger wolf landing on him. Damon lay in a crumpled mess in the corner of the room. Sirus stared fearfully at Jade, knowing he'd angered her, and now he wasn't sure what she would do. He hugged Damon protectively, watching Jade glare at Damon, causing the young hybrid to crumple lower. He stared apologetically at Jade, accepting all the horrible responsibility for what happened. Jade took a step towards the two.
"Touch them again, and I'll kill you..." a voice commanded, Obsidian's voice
Jade turned around, staring eye to eye with Obsidian. Her eyes instantly changed from fury to relief. Her eyes filled with more tears, "Oh Obsidian, I'm so glad you're okay."
"Stow it Jade, you've really pissed me off at the moment." Obsidian's gaze switched to his "family" in the corner. "It's alright Damon, I don't blame you, please don't cry. I'm fine, it's going to be alright." He said soothingly.
Jade glared, "What's with you Obsidian, you act like you love him more than me. You've changed so much ever since you've met him." Her expression softened, "Rocky, come on, I love you. Are you really just going to let him get off so easily for what he's done to you?"
Obsidian tried to smile under the bandages, "Jade, I'll never stop loving you...but this isn't Damon's fault. It was something that couldn't be helped. I don't blame him at all for what happened."
"You realize there is reason for father to keeping Damon around right?" Jade asked, bouncing onto Obsidian's bed. In some ways the cat was just as mature as a young child, especially how she handled her anger. Her own powers had spoiled her. She was told she was superior ever since she was created. She was allowed to kill almost anyone without consequences. She was, in a way, a goddess.
"Yes, and that doesn't mean I should love him more or less than I do right now." Obsidian said with a smile, "Besides, it is part of our duty to keep him both physically and mentally healthy. What you just did was wrong, and you could get punished for that."
Jade chuckled, "I could, but I doubt it. Father likes me more than you."
"I know, but I don't care." In truth, Obsidian cared a lot. He was stronger and better than Jade in many ways, it was unfair that Dr. Zenotabi favored her over him. Unfortunately, his father was always correct, in every single way.
"Oh, you don't? Then why are you always competing with me?" Jade asked, raising a brow. She grinned and imitated his voice, "Why do you always get the fun stuff, why do you get to do this, why do you get to do that . . ."
Obsidian growled, and raised a hand to punch the black cat. Unfortunately he also had burns on his arm, making it a very painful move. Letting the pain quench his anger, the wolf spoke again. "Not anymore. I actually like Damon and Sirus more than competing with you."
"That's just sad." Jade teased, "You are not even related to them in the slightest way. You are only Ares' brother on paper." The cat leaned closer, playing with the bandages on Obsidian's chest. "I am your REAL sister. I am your REAL partner."
"Jade, if I wasn't hurt, you would be dead by now." Obsidian warned, snarling at the cat. "Just go away."
Jade was hurt by Obsidian's words, but she acted as if she didn't hear them. Never before did Obsidian's death threats hurt more than they did just now. He was threatening her because of some made up friends and family. The cat snorted, and raised a closed fist in the air. She could crush Obsidian right now, if she wanted to.
"I dare you." Obsidian said, looking straight into her eyes. "You are so pathetically childish."
"At least I am not the one messing up daddy's missions!" Jade began to tear, her fist trembling in the air. The black cat bent down and kissed Obsidian on the cheek, bringing her fist down forcefully on his chest at the same time. She loved him, yet she hated him. As far as she knew, kissing was a way to express love, and punching was a way to express hate. So, she did both.
Obsidian coughed and grinned. "So are you going to leave us alone now?"
"Yes. Take care Rocky." The black cat sniffed, wiping her tears. Jade darted a murderous glance at Sirus and Damon, who still lay in a heap against the wall. "I'll be back."
"You seriously need to work on controlling your feelings, sis." Obsidian raised his hand, waving goodbye to the cat. Once she disappeared, the wolf began to cough profusely. Her punch was at least two hundred pounds, but her kiss was as sweet as honey.
Sirus stood up and gathered himself together. It almost seemed as he just listened to a pair of children converse. It was a scary reality, for people like Jade and Obsidian to exist. They were considered to be allies for now, especially Obsidian, who seemed to have developed a liking towards Sirus and Damon. The older wolf looked down at the younger sadly, "I am sorry Obsidian. Did that hurt?"
"Why don't you ask her to give you a punch and find out?" Obsidian coughed out. He disliked it when people asked stupid questions, such as the one Sirus just asked him. The wolf's head rolled over, his blue eyes looking at Damon, who was still on the ground. The young hybrid was still crying, his face swollen from Jade's slap. Almost immediately his anger subsided, replaced by remorse for the teenager. "Sorry Damon, I'll beat her up for that one."
"S-She is right!" Damon wailed audibly, "I am a useless incompetent freak who can't do anything right!" The young hybrid got off the ground and ran out of the room, slamming the door as he exited, covering his swollen cheek as he went.
"Sirus, follow him and make sure he does do anything stupid!" Obsidian almost shouted at his brother. The older wolf immediately got up and rushed out the door, leaving Obsidian alone in the room. The young wolf muttered to himself, "I swear . . . I am going to hurt her for this one."
"I am officially scared of Leon now." Dr. Zenotabi said, gazing at Andrew's mangled body in front of him. The monkey had been disemboweled, obviously by the psychotic lizard. It was almost good to know that someone shot Andrew in the head, probably to end his misery. Such a death would have been slow and painful.
"I was scared of him a while ago." said Pepper's holographic head. "Ever since he attacked Corneria, everything became a mess. The economy is collapsing; people no longer trust the government, not even themselves." The bloodhound was watching Zenotabi work on Andrew's body, hoping Leon had left clues about his next destination. "I still can't believe he would kill his own teammate, after killing a whole wing of guards and prisoners just to save him."
"I have a feeling that your two captains can explain it better than me." Zenotabi said, putting down his tools. It was sickening how Andrew was eviscerated. The man's liver was torn out of his body, along with a few other vital organs. The doctor took off his gloves "I don't think I can do a lot from here."
"You know, why do you want Leon alive anyway?" Pepper questioned after a long pause, "Is it worth it? He is killing more and more people by the moment."
"His cerebral impulse interceptors can be a valuable asset to our military technology." Zenotabi replied, "So, we can both find him and see if he will tell, or wait till I figure out his secret. He cannot die before one of those things happen."
"Then I hope you hurry up, because I don't think we can find him anytime soon." Pepper said with a chuckle, "And Dr. Zenotabi, be careful of what you are meddling with."
Zenotabi chuckled, "The last time I checked, you were the one meddling with everyone's business, Pepper."
"There is a time when a student surpasses the master, doctor." Pepper laughed at his own joke, "Well, I better be off then. Good luck on your research." With that, the bloodhound's hologram disappeared.
Zenotabi looked at the corpse in front of him. "The wise master always keeps his students in check." And yes, Leon was a wise master, but also a cruel master. In many ways, Dr. Zenotabi was also treating Obsidian and Jade the same way. However, he could feel that his control over Obsidian in particular was starting to slip. Perhaps unlocking the secret of the cerebral impulse interceptors would put an end to the problem, and Leon along with his specimen thirteen were the keys to unlock this secret.
Sirus stood outside Damon's room on the Great Fox; Sirus had easily tracked the hybrid back here. He raised his hand and knocked softly on the door. An audible wail could be heard on the other side of the thin metal door. He tried opening Damon's door, but Damon had it locked.
Sirus stared up at the ceiling, "ROB, could you please open Damon's door. He needs me right now."
ROB sounded through the intercoms, "Affirmative, Damon is under his bed, in need of cuddles and comfort."
Sirus couldn't help but chuckle at the robot's attempt to assess the situation. "Thanks ROB..." Sirus said as the door slid shut behind him. Sirus looked around; Damon's room was pitch black. He could hear Damon's gentle sobs not to far away. He stumbled his way over to Damon's bed. He lay casually on his side, staring into the darkness where Damon was. Sirus needed to see Damon, so he closed his eyes. He took a moment to adjust his mechanical eye with his thoughts, something he hadn't tried since he'd received it. He opened his eyes; the room was illuminated in a greenish tint. His mechanical eye was equipped with night vision capabilities. He smiled, Damon was there, huddled under his bed, sobbing his little eyes out. He was staring back at Sirus sadly. The wolf knew Damon could see him perfectly; Leon had tweaked his vision to give him nocturnal capabilities.
Sirus reached his hand out, placing it palm up, directly in front of Damon. Damon brought his nose down to it. He inhaled deeply, taking in Sirus' scent. He rested his muzzle in the palm, lightly nuzzling it for comfort.
"Wolf..." Damon whispered through his tears. The first time he had actually called Wolf by his real name ever since the secret had been revealed. Damon crawled out from under his bed and straight into Sirus' arms. "...Wolf..." he muttered again.
"You shouldn't call me that." Sirus picked the young hybrid off the floor and sat on the bed. "Wolf is dead . . ."
"I don't care!" Damon said angrily snuggling into Sirus' lap, "You are Wolf . . . And nothing can change that."
"I was Wolf, but not anymore." Sirus emphasized on the word 'was.' He spoke with a soothing voice, trying to calm the young hybrid. If anyone in the team found out about his true identity, something very unpleasant may occur. "You can't call me Wolf anymore."
Damon sniffed, but nodded in agreement. The boy looked up at the wolf with his watery eyes. "Sirus, why am I so useless?"
"You are not useless." Sirus said, gently stroking Damon's swollen face. "Don't say things like that Damon."
Damon winced as Sirus touched his face, only further reminding him of his error. "Then tell me a purpose I have on this ship, or tell me one thing I can do to help the team."
Sirus stared into Damon's sullen eyes, "You..." his words fell, and he merely clutched Damon to his chest.
"See," he weakly said, "Everyone was right about me...I'm just in the way..." he sobbed harder, "...a useless incompetent freak..." he relaxed into Sirus' grip, all the energy he had left he focused into his tears.
"Hey, I haven't done anything yet, have I?" Sirus said soothingly into Damon's large jackalish ears. The wolf smiled, "So I am just as useless as you are."
"You are the best pilot in the whole Lylat System. . ." Damon said through his sobs. "I am n-nothing by a failed experiment."
"I can make you into the best pilot in the entire Lylat System." Sirus' tone changed. He held Damon by the shoulders and stared at the young hybrid's face. "But it will take lots of hard work and dedication. Do you want to do it?"
Damon looked into Sirus' eyes, "I can't fly a plane if I have seizures. . . What if I have a seizure during a flight?"
"If I can fly a plane with one eye," Sirus said, standing up from the bed, "Then you can fly a plane with seizures."
"I can't." Damon said, sobbing. "I am scared. What if I do something wrong? What if I kill someone?"
"Too many what-ifs" Sirus said, pulling Damon out of his bed by his hand. Damon lacked confidence, and he needed to surpass his fears. The older wolf stood pressed a button on the door, ready to drag the young hybrid off to practice. "The more you practice, the more confident you are going to be, and the less likely you are going to be scared. Now come with me. I am going to make you into the best pilot who ever lived."
Damon whimpered, reluctant to follow Sirus. He never understood why the wolf was so obsessed with flying. Sirus was also very stern when it came to flying; every mistake Damon made resulted harsh criticisms. The door slid opened, bringing light into the pitch black room. In the doorway stood a dark figure, ROB the robot.
"Forcing Damon to fly when he doesn't wish to is a negative action." ROB said with a cold metallic voice, "Wolf O'Donnell."
Both Sirus and Damon froze, the wolf still gripping the hybrid's hand. They forgot that ROB was monitoring every part of the ship. The robot had listened to their whole conversation. No, the robot had listened to every single conversation ever made, including the one Sirus had with Jade and Obsidian. The robot knew everything.
"ROB. . ." Damon whimpered, "Please don't tell."
The robot stood still, assessing the situation. "I am not programmed to lie."
"Please ROB." Damon begged, starting to tear again, ". . . You don't have to lie. . . Wolf is really Sirus Ares."
"The repercussions of this secret being exposed are above my abilities to calculate." The robot thought for a little while, then wiped the tears off Damon's eyes. "I will keep it a secret."
"ROB. . ." Sirus smiled at the robot, "Just to be safe, can you delete that data from your memory?"
"Negative." The robot replied, "I cannot delete any information from my database until Fox McCloud and Slippy Toad approves."
"So what are the chances of them finding out?" Sirus asked curiously.
"I will now transfer all documents pertaining to your identity to my tertiary hard drive" Rob said with his emotionless voice. "It is sixty eight percent less likely they find those documents."
"Tertiary hard drive," Sirus arched a brow, "What kind of information do you keep there?"
"Five random examples of documents I record in my tertiary hard drive include the following." ROB replied, "Recordings of individuals in the bathroom, the number of cockroaches eliminated each day in the storage room, number of destroyed enemy ships during the Lylat Wars, recordings of Fox and Krystal's bedroom, and recordings of Falco's bedroom."
Sirus chuckled, "Thanks ROB."
"Your gratitude is recognized." The robot said as he turned to leave the corridor, "Lieutenant Sirus Ares."
Everyone was once again gathered in the lobby of the Cornerian hospital. They were waiting for the results on Obsidian. After the initial explosion, Sirus rushed into the cave, searching for the younger wolf. He found Obsidian lying face down among some debris, his body partially ablaze from the fire. Obsidian had cleverly used the blood stained blanket to protect him from the flames, but unfortunately it was not damp enough to prevent him from burning. The young wolf's legs and lower back were severely burnt.
Damon was crying in Sirus' chest. The young hybrid's chin was slightly scratched from being thrown out of the cave. Once he discovered that Obsidian was injured trying to protect him from harm, Damon broke down almost immediately. Peppy and Falco were particularly displeased with him.
"See? I told you the kid would be in our way!" Peppy said audibly, leaning against a wall. Apparently his predictions he made about Damon the day they accepted the hybrid was correct. Falco nodded in agreement, but he kept his opinions to himself. The bird had learnt his lesson, after being knocked out by Obsidian.
"Come on Peppy, Damon didn't mean to do it." Slippy piped, "Who knew he would have a seizure right before the bomb exploded?"
"I think everyone should just shut up." Fox demanded with authority, "You guys are not helping at all." The effects of the team leader's words were quite effective. The only noise made after Fox spoke was a soft grunt from the old hare, and Damon's constant sobbing.
A team of doctors and nurses came out with Obsidian on a medical bed. Everyone immediately stood up, but they kept out of the team's way. Sirus caught a glimpse of Obsidian on the bed. The young wolf's entire body was covered by bandages. One of the doctors stayed behind and told StarFox about Obsidian's condition.
"Most of Mr. Ares' burns are not too severe, except for the ones on the back of his legs and his lower back. Those will probably leave scars. He also has a few light burns on his upper back and his head, but those should heal pretty well on their own." The doctor continued, "He is a very lucky man, and he should be out of the hospital in around three weeks, give or take a few days."
"How swell." Falco commented, "It would be a pity if his pretty face got scarred."
"Falco, do you need to be punched again?" Sirus threatened. The wolf had bonded with Obsidian quite well, even though the young wolf was not Sirus' true brother. For Falco do say such an insensible comment was pretty much asking for trouble from Lieutenant Ares. The bird merely shrugged and looked away from the middle aged wolf.
Sirus stood up, holding Damon in his arms. Although the sobbing teenager was quite heavy, the former Wolf O'Donnell could easily carry him. From a distance, the pair looked like a father and son. "Come on, let's go and see how Obsidian is doing."
Lieutenant Sirus Ares entered his brother's room. Damon held his hand, still whimpering. The young hybrid was obviously too nervous to see Obsidian in his injured condition. Damon believed entirely that Obsidian's injury was wholly his fault. The two quietly approached the young wolf's bed, fearing that they would disturb his rest. Power and strength still seemed to emanate from the young wolf, even in his injured state. Sirus finally realized that Obsidian was far from ordinary.
The door suddenly slid opened again, and a menacing red figure stood in front of it. It was Jade, her eyes blazing in anger. Without saying a word, the young cat stormed over to Damon and slapped his face, sending the young hybrid flying. Damon crashed against a wall, crying audibly.
"You incompetent little freak," Jade hissed at the young hybrid, tears welling up in her eyes. She too believed that it was Damon's fault that Obsidian was injured, since she acquired her information from Falco and Peppy, who were obviously biased. "Look at what you did to Obsidian!"
Sirus placed a hand on Jade's shoulder, trying to comfort the girl. Even though Obsidian was Sirus' brother on paper, Jade was the closer to the young wolf than anyone else in the Lylat System. It was reasonable for her to be angry, but it wasn't at all for her to hit Damon. "Jade . . . It's not Damon's fault."
Jade picked up Sirus by the collar, "So what, is it yours?!" she glared at him menacingly. She then hurled his body straight into Damon's. An audible yelp emitted from the young hybrid. Sirus grimaced from the landing, but in the end Damon suffered more from the larger wolf landing on him. Damon lay in a crumpled mess in the corner of the room. Sirus stared fearfully at Jade, knowing he'd angered her, and now he wasn't sure what she would do. He hugged Damon protectively, watching Jade glare at Damon, causing the young hybrid to crumple lower. He stared apologetically at Jade, accepting all the horrible responsibility for what happened. Jade took a step towards the two.
"Touch them again, and I'll kill you..." a voice commanded, Obsidian's voice
Jade turned around, staring eye to eye with Obsidian. Her eyes instantly changed from fury to relief. Her eyes filled with more tears, "Oh Obsidian, I'm so glad you're okay."
"Stow it Jade, you've really pissed me off at the moment." Obsidian's gaze switched to his "family" in the corner. "It's alright Damon, I don't blame you, please don't cry. I'm fine, it's going to be alright." He said soothingly.
Jade glared, "What's with you Obsidian, you act like you love him more than me. You've changed so much ever since you've met him." Her expression softened, "Rocky, come on, I love you. Are you really just going to let him get off so easily for what he's done to you?"
Obsidian tried to smile under the bandages, "Jade, I'll never stop loving you...but this isn't Damon's fault. It was something that couldn't be helped. I don't blame him at all for what happened."
"You realize there is reason for father to keeping Damon around right?" Jade asked, bouncing onto Obsidian's bed. In some ways the cat was just as mature as a young child, especially how she handled her anger. Her own powers had spoiled her. She was told she was superior ever since she was created. She was allowed to kill almost anyone without consequences. She was, in a way, a goddess.
"Yes, and that doesn't mean I should love him more or less than I do right now." Obsidian said with a smile, "Besides, it is part of our duty to keep him both physically and mentally healthy. What you just did was wrong, and you could get punished for that."
Jade chuckled, "I could, but I doubt it. Father likes me more than you."
"I know, but I don't care." In truth, Obsidian cared a lot. He was stronger and better than Jade in many ways, it was unfair that Dr. Zenotabi favored her over him. Unfortunately, his father was always correct, in every single way.
"Oh, you don't? Then why are you always competing with me?" Jade asked, raising a brow. She grinned and imitated his voice, "Why do you always get the fun stuff, why do you get to do this, why do you get to do that . . ."
Obsidian growled, and raised a hand to punch the black cat. Unfortunately he also had burns on his arm, making it a very painful move. Letting the pain quench his anger, the wolf spoke again. "Not anymore. I actually like Damon and Sirus more than competing with you."
"That's just sad." Jade teased, "You are not even related to them in the slightest way. You are only Ares' brother on paper." The cat leaned closer, playing with the bandages on Obsidian's chest. "I am your REAL sister. I am your REAL partner."
"Jade, if I wasn't hurt, you would be dead by now." Obsidian warned, snarling at the cat. "Just go away."
Jade was hurt by Obsidian's words, but she acted as if she didn't hear them. Never before did Obsidian's death threats hurt more than they did just now. He was threatening her because of some made up friends and family. The cat snorted, and raised a closed fist in the air. She could crush Obsidian right now, if she wanted to.
"I dare you." Obsidian said, looking straight into her eyes. "You are so pathetically childish."
"At least I am not the one messing up daddy's missions!" Jade began to tear, her fist trembling in the air. The black cat bent down and kissed Obsidian on the cheek, bringing her fist down forcefully on his chest at the same time. She loved him, yet she hated him. As far as she knew, kissing was a way to express love, and punching was a way to express hate. So, she did both.
Obsidian coughed and grinned. "So are you going to leave us alone now?"
"Yes. Take care Rocky." The black cat sniffed, wiping her tears. Jade darted a murderous glance at Sirus and Damon, who still lay in a heap against the wall. "I'll be back."
"You seriously need to work on controlling your feelings, sis." Obsidian raised his hand, waving goodbye to the cat. Once she disappeared, the wolf began to cough profusely. Her punch was at least two hundred pounds, but her kiss was as sweet as honey.
Sirus stood up and gathered himself together. It almost seemed as he just listened to a pair of children converse. It was a scary reality, for people like Jade and Obsidian to exist. They were considered to be allies for now, especially Obsidian, who seemed to have developed a liking towards Sirus and Damon. The older wolf looked down at the younger sadly, "I am sorry Obsidian. Did that hurt?"
"Why don't you ask her to give you a punch and find out?" Obsidian coughed out. He disliked it when people asked stupid questions, such as the one Sirus just asked him. The wolf's head rolled over, his blue eyes looking at Damon, who was still on the ground. The young hybrid was still crying, his face swollen from Jade's slap. Almost immediately his anger subsided, replaced by remorse for the teenager. "Sorry Damon, I'll beat her up for that one."
"S-She is right!" Damon wailed audibly, "I am a useless incompetent freak who can't do anything right!" The young hybrid got off the ground and ran out of the room, slamming the door as he exited, covering his swollen cheek as he went.
"Sirus, follow him and make sure he does do anything stupid!" Obsidian almost shouted at his brother. The older wolf immediately got up and rushed out the door, leaving Obsidian alone in the room. The young wolf muttered to himself, "I swear . . . I am going to hurt her for this one."
"I am officially scared of Leon now." Dr. Zenotabi said, gazing at Andrew's mangled body in front of him. The monkey had been disemboweled, obviously by the psychotic lizard. It was almost good to know that someone shot Andrew in the head, probably to end his misery. Such a death would have been slow and painful.
"I was scared of him a while ago." said Pepper's holographic head. "Ever since he attacked Corneria, everything became a mess. The economy is collapsing; people no longer trust the government, not even themselves." The bloodhound was watching Zenotabi work on Andrew's body, hoping Leon had left clues about his next destination. "I still can't believe he would kill his own teammate, after killing a whole wing of guards and prisoners just to save him."
"I have a feeling that your two captains can explain it better than me." Zenotabi said, putting down his tools. It was sickening how Andrew was eviscerated. The man's liver was torn out of his body, along with a few other vital organs. The doctor took off his gloves "I don't think I can do a lot from here."
"You know, why do you want Leon alive anyway?" Pepper questioned after a long pause, "Is it worth it? He is killing more and more people by the moment."
"His cerebral impulse interceptors can be a valuable asset to our military technology." Zenotabi replied, "So, we can both find him and see if he will tell, or wait till I figure out his secret. He cannot die before one of those things happen."
"Then I hope you hurry up, because I don't think we can find him anytime soon." Pepper said with a chuckle, "And Dr. Zenotabi, be careful of what you are meddling with."
Zenotabi chuckled, "The last time I checked, you were the one meddling with everyone's business, Pepper."
"There is a time when a student surpasses the master, doctor." Pepper laughed at his own joke, "Well, I better be off then. Good luck on your research." With that, the bloodhound's hologram disappeared.
Zenotabi looked at the corpse in front of him. "The wise master always keeps his students in check." And yes, Leon was a wise master, but also a cruel master. In many ways, Dr. Zenotabi was also treating Obsidian and Jade the same way. However, he could feel that his control over Obsidian in particular was starting to slip. Perhaps unlocking the secret of the cerebral impulse interceptors would put an end to the problem, and Leon along with his specimen thirteen were the keys to unlock this secret.
Sirus stood outside Damon's room on the Great Fox; Sirus had easily tracked the hybrid back here. He raised his hand and knocked softly on the door. An audible wail could be heard on the other side of the thin metal door. He tried opening Damon's door, but Damon had it locked.
Sirus stared up at the ceiling, "ROB, could you please open Damon's door. He needs me right now."
ROB sounded through the intercoms, "Affirmative, Damon is under his bed, in need of cuddles and comfort."
Sirus couldn't help but chuckle at the robot's attempt to assess the situation. "Thanks ROB..." Sirus said as the door slid shut behind him. Sirus looked around; Damon's room was pitch black. He could hear Damon's gentle sobs not to far away. He stumbled his way over to Damon's bed. He lay casually on his side, staring into the darkness where Damon was. Sirus needed to see Damon, so he closed his eyes. He took a moment to adjust his mechanical eye with his thoughts, something he hadn't tried since he'd received it. He opened his eyes; the room was illuminated in a greenish tint. His mechanical eye was equipped with night vision capabilities. He smiled, Damon was there, huddled under his bed, sobbing his little eyes out. He was staring back at Sirus sadly. The wolf knew Damon could see him perfectly; Leon had tweaked his vision to give him nocturnal capabilities.
Sirus reached his hand out, placing it palm up, directly in front of Damon. Damon brought his nose down to it. He inhaled deeply, taking in Sirus' scent. He rested his muzzle in the palm, lightly nuzzling it for comfort.
"Wolf..." Damon whispered through his tears. The first time he had actually called Wolf by his real name ever since the secret had been revealed. Damon crawled out from under his bed and straight into Sirus' arms. "...Wolf..." he muttered again.
"You shouldn't call me that." Sirus picked the young hybrid off the floor and sat on the bed. "Wolf is dead . . ."
"I don't care!" Damon said angrily snuggling into Sirus' lap, "You are Wolf . . . And nothing can change that."
"I was Wolf, but not anymore." Sirus emphasized on the word 'was.' He spoke with a soothing voice, trying to calm the young hybrid. If anyone in the team found out about his true identity, something very unpleasant may occur. "You can't call me Wolf anymore."
Damon sniffed, but nodded in agreement. The boy looked up at the wolf with his watery eyes. "Sirus, why am I so useless?"
"You are not useless." Sirus said, gently stroking Damon's swollen face. "Don't say things like that Damon."
Damon winced as Sirus touched his face, only further reminding him of his error. "Then tell me a purpose I have on this ship, or tell me one thing I can do to help the team."
Sirus stared into Damon's sullen eyes, "You..." his words fell, and he merely clutched Damon to his chest.
"See," he weakly said, "Everyone was right about me...I'm just in the way..." he sobbed harder, "...a useless incompetent freak..." he relaxed into Sirus' grip, all the energy he had left he focused into his tears.
"Hey, I haven't done anything yet, have I?" Sirus said soothingly into Damon's large jackalish ears. The wolf smiled, "So I am just as useless as you are."
"You are the best pilot in the whole Lylat System. . ." Damon said through his sobs. "I am n-nothing by a failed experiment."
"I can make you into the best pilot in the entire Lylat System." Sirus' tone changed. He held Damon by the shoulders and stared at the young hybrid's face. "But it will take lots of hard work and dedication. Do you want to do it?"
Damon looked into Sirus' eyes, "I can't fly a plane if I have seizures. . . What if I have a seizure during a flight?"
"If I can fly a plane with one eye," Sirus said, standing up from the bed, "Then you can fly a plane with seizures."
"I can't." Damon said, sobbing. "I am scared. What if I do something wrong? What if I kill someone?"
"Too many what-ifs" Sirus said, pulling Damon out of his bed by his hand. Damon lacked confidence, and he needed to surpass his fears. The older wolf stood pressed a button on the door, ready to drag the young hybrid off to practice. "The more you practice, the more confident you are going to be, and the less likely you are going to be scared. Now come with me. I am going to make you into the best pilot who ever lived."
Damon whimpered, reluctant to follow Sirus. He never understood why the wolf was so obsessed with flying. Sirus was also very stern when it came to flying; every mistake Damon made resulted harsh criticisms. The door slid opened, bringing light into the pitch black room. In the doorway stood a dark figure, ROB the robot.
"Forcing Damon to fly when he doesn't wish to is a negative action." ROB said with a cold metallic voice, "Wolf O'Donnell."
Both Sirus and Damon froze, the wolf still gripping the hybrid's hand. They forgot that ROB was monitoring every part of the ship. The robot had listened to their whole conversation. No, the robot had listened to every single conversation ever made, including the one Sirus had with Jade and Obsidian. The robot knew everything.
"ROB. . ." Damon whimpered, "Please don't tell."
The robot stood still, assessing the situation. "I am not programmed to lie."
"Please ROB." Damon begged, starting to tear again, ". . . You don't have to lie. . . Wolf is really Sirus Ares."
"The repercussions of this secret being exposed are above my abilities to calculate." The robot thought for a little while, then wiped the tears off Damon's eyes. "I will keep it a secret."
"ROB. . ." Sirus smiled at the robot, "Just to be safe, can you delete that data from your memory?"
"Negative." The robot replied, "I cannot delete any information from my database until Fox McCloud and Slippy Toad approves."
"So what are the chances of them finding out?" Sirus asked curiously.
"I will now transfer all documents pertaining to your identity to my tertiary hard drive" Rob said with his emotionless voice. "It is sixty eight percent less likely they find those documents."
"Tertiary hard drive," Sirus arched a brow, "What kind of information do you keep there?"
"Five random examples of documents I record in my tertiary hard drive include the following." ROB replied, "Recordings of individuals in the bathroom, the number of cockroaches eliminated each day in the storage room, number of destroyed enemy ships during the Lylat Wars, recordings of Fox and Krystal's bedroom, and recordings of Falco's bedroom."
Sirus chuckled, "Thanks ROB."
"Your gratitude is recognized." The robot said as he turned to leave the corridor, "Lieutenant Sirus Ares."
