Chapter Eleven: Plague
I don't own Star Fox, but I own my characters. Using my characters means you have to ask me for permission and giving me credit. I would be delighted then when you do! This is probably one of my long-running stories, so bear with it!
"Ouch…"
Wulf grumbled as he felt his stomach aching while lying on a bed. Bark moved what seems to be a scanner over the poor wolf, and then turned it off.
"You can vomit now," he chuckled, and then he noticed Wulf vomiting water to a disposable bin. He was aided by Wolf.
"So," Wulf asked with a rather suffering voice, "am I going to evolve? What will happen to me?"
"Wait… Wolf, why won't you scratch yourself and give me a small sample of your blood," Bark insisted to Wolf. The evolved lupine followed, as he slid his long nail to his arm, creating a cut. The dog grabbed a slide and a small spatula, slowly acquiring the blood from the wolf and placing it to a scanner of a computer that scanned Wulf.
He pushed a few buttons, and then smiled, "Nope, you won't transform. According to the scan I made on you, the Anatyde inside your bloodstream prevented any of the microbes from infiltrating your DNA. In fact, you're immune to this. However, since the Anatyde fights the viruses, you'll feel nauseated and the healing process of your wounds will slow down for a while, and for the finale, you'll vomit water containing those microbes. I recommend you to not feel like that if you're in a tight situation."
"So, can you explain to us how Wolf changed?" Peppy asked while occasionally looking at the door, knowing that it would be disastrous if Fox would come down. "I believe he was infested by the microbes, but how?" He then glanced to Katt, who was very inquisitive from the view of the base up there, and Lupina, who was singing a tune while operating one of the consoles of the ship.
"Wulf told me that we shouldn't drink any water from the defense force," Bark replied while showing the microbe cell to the monitor. "Well, not only that, but we shouldn't make any contact with water containing this virus. As you can see, these things can enter through the skin cells, or if they enter orally, they let themselves be absorbed by the body, and their main target is the brain. They'll alter the psychological thinking of the victim, making them think that they like what's happening to them. They also control the brain to enhance the glands of the body for the change, and they alter the DNA mapping of the host."
"So… I was able to snap out of it psychologically, but I'm trapped in this body forever?" Wolf concluded as he showed his body.
"Theoretically, yes," Leon, who seems to get Bark's drift, remarked, "my friend, be lucky! At least you have the nice body and extra-ordinary powers!" Bark then continued.
"With Wolf as example, you can see that the virus enhances the anatomy of their victims. If the virus hosts XY or male chromosomes, in other words, the host is a male, the victim's muscles grow, resembling a body-builder, and they have enhanced athletic prowess. If the virus hosts XX or female chromosomes, or the victim is female, the muscles become leaner, the victim becomes sexier, and they acquire enhanced senses and intelligence."
"According to the classified files from the Bio-Weapons Institute, the place were these germs originated, they created these for the purpose of enhancing the military power. They also introduced disciplinary control into the nucleus of the viruses, making the host obey to the one who enhanced them, since they were also planning to use this on prisoners. Your man Kane altered this to turn those evolved ones as his soldiers… Naming this virus CEL, or Central Evolution Lylatian, the reason they created this is because they fear that something might happen after the disbanding of Star Fox…"
Wulf nodded as he glanced at Peppy. "You know, I think your system got too dependent on Star Fox, that they seriously don't know what they're doing when you guys disappear…"
"Slippy, Leon… Come here, we need to work this out on finding an antibody for this microbe and a cure for those evolved ones," he told to them as he grabs a stock of lab instruments. "You guys will have to halt Kane. This is his first step, and he might target the city's water supply…" Wulf and Wolf nodded.
Suddenly, Fox and Eagle came running towards the bridge. It seems that they had stayed there after they have departed from the ground, not knowing Wolf and Wulf arrived.
"Fuck it," Fox complained, "they just won't stop. The monsters below can fire projectiles towards us. We can't backfire, since…" He then noticed a familiar face. Wolf. His anger was building once more. "You… traitor!"
"Huh?"
Fara grinned as she waved hi to her working partner. It was awhile after she had returned from base after sending Lupina to that area, not knowing that the defense force has turned into a den full of evolved soldiers. Anyway, she walked forward to a lizard wearing a pilot's uniform.
"Cheeks," he called Fara, "so, am I seeing you tonight at your apartment? We both have finished our work in the base, so I guess you won't be doing anything tonight."
"No problem!" she replied as she places her arms around his left arm. "In fact, you can drive me to my flat and we can have dinner there. And also, I want to sleep with my Louie!"
The lizard named Louie nodded, and he and Fara walked towards his vehicle. He opened the door for her before he went in. As they started to leave, he seemed to know Fara.
"It seems that you've forgotten what happened to you and Fox, huh?"
"Well, yeah. After two years since our breaking, I felt that I'm not right for him. We're still friends, although not as close as… you and I…"
He placed his left arm over her right shoulder. The two seem to be perfect couples. They stopped at the apartment Fara stays, and they soon entered her room…
"Give me a break, Fox," Wolf growled from his seat. "I am not a traitor, and I am evidence! Can't you see what the enemy did to me? Now tell me, how can I be a traitor?"
"Damn you and your kind," Fox growled as he pulled his blaster out from its casing. "You left Falco! I can't find that bitch, so you left him! It would've been better if you two were the ones left… and it could have been far better off when you, Wulf, didn't bother our peaceful lives! I don't care what happens to this place! If I heard that this was coming, then let hell decide what would've happened to me!" He seemed to be out of his mind.
"Wolf!" Leon yelled, but he was held back by Bark.
"Fox!" Katt and Lupina tried to grab him, but they were too late.
The vulpine pulled the trigger. A beam hit Wolf at his chest. Fox twirled his gun, and then yelled, "Good-bye, bitch…"
However, he didn't get what he expected…
"Hey, that tickles!" Wolf chuckled as he rubs his chest. Wulf and the others, with the exception of Bark, were taken by surprise.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Bark smiled as he adjusted his glasses, "the dermis of the host becomes strong, that even strong lasers and bullets couldn't scratch them. Imagine if Kane could have an army like that… Now, I hope you realize that arguments should be put aside and we should focus on our goal!"
Wolf and Fox looked away at each other. It seems that they won't forgive each other, although Wolf did once have a slight sign of forgiveness to his foe.
Their drama was cut when something rammed the ship. The whole interior shook from the attack. A missile seemed to hit them.
"What was that?" Peppy asked as he tried to stand up.
"We've been breached!" Slippy yelled as he points at the monitor. "Look! Your heat sensors indicate an unidentified character speeding to this room quickly!"
"You always said that, Slipster!"
A familiar voice echoed the whole room. A fiery figure dropped from the ceiling, slowly dousing the flames covering him. As the fire calmed down, a muscular blue falcon with red spots on the eyes, donning piercings and a tiger-striped underwear was revealed. Falco, an evolved one, is here!
"What the… fuck…" Fox slowly stated as he dropped his pistol. "Falco… Falco! Man, what did they do to you?"
"Hi 'ya, Fox," Falco replied as he cups his hands to create fire. "They turned me into this! They call me a firebird! You know, you have this ultimate body and power if you join me! Boss Kane would be frantically overjoyed!"
"Falco, you're… hot," Katt slowly remarked, but then she snapped back. "I… I mean, you're hot, literally! Why did you let yourself turn into a freak? I thought there's still a pea brain in that skull of yours."
The avian got mad, and hurled a fireball towards her. She dodged, and Lupina came to attack. "We have to stop him! He'll burn up this place!"
"You three, keep on working!" Wulf commanded to Bark, Slippy, and Leon, and then he faced to the group with his weapon unleashed. "I'll keep him busy!"
"That's the whole point!" Falco laughed as he storms fire towards Wulf. "Boss has already deployed those whacky viruses into the main water reservoir of Corneria City! Expect the whole town be partying like there's no tomorrow!"
He dashed towards Fox, who was caught by surprise. He punched him to the stomach, making him faint. Falco then carried him, and then he flew away. Eagle decided to follow him, as he quickly took off from the area.
"Wait! Eagle, be careful!" Wulf yelled to Eagle.
As Eagle soared quickly towards Falco, he shouted, "Give me Fox and I'll stop following you!"
"No, I won't give him to you," Falco grinned with an evil sign, "but you'll stop following us, since you'll become our ally!"
"Huh?"
Without a warning, an ice beam from the ground hit Eagle, freezing him as he drops down.Wulf saw it, and knew something terribly bad will happen.
Louie smiled to Fara as he laid himself on the bad. He dons his underwear while Fara wears her sleeping outfit, her undergarments. "So, are you ready Cheeks?" She giggled as she kissed his cheek. "Okay, then just wait for me!" he smiled as he went to the bathroom to prepare. She then grabbed a magazine to read.
Minutes had passed. Louie didn't come out from the bathroom. Fara got impatient and opened the door to the bathroom, giving the shock of her life. She noticed Louie leaning to the sink. He started to flail back and forth, and then, his body grew. He got the usual anatomy boost, and his back started to change. Some pointy spikes came out from his back, giving Fara a scream.
"Louie!" she cried as she grabbed her night coat hanging from the door.
"What's wrong? If we love each other, then become like me… evolve!" he groaned as he rushed towards Fara.
The vixen quickly ran down from the apartment. While doing so, she got surprised when the doors of her mates busted open, revealing other evolved people. She quickly ran to the stairs, where she was grabbed by a fellow.
"Keep quiet, or you'll get us caught!" a fox growled to her as he covered her mouth. "My buddies also turned into freaks, so we need to get out of here!"
"Ah, you're Commander Reynard!" Fara smiled as she was saved by an officer from the defense.
The two tiptoed away from the stairs, and they quickly reached the exit. It seemed that it was all like a nightmare, and Reynard looked like he's thirsty.
"Better drink…" he commented as he leans to a drinking fountain near the exit. Afterwards, he felt quenched, but he then, he moaned as his head started to feel pain.
"Commander?" Fara wondered.
"Run! Just run! I'm turning into one of them!" he commanded as he slammed his body to the floor.
Fara couldn't take it any more! She got afraid and ran towards the exit, but many evolved people grabbed her. She was strangled by the strong arms of an armadillo.
In front of her eyes, she saw how Reynard transformed. He ripped his shirt, pants, and shoes off as his anatomy starts to grow. His fangs started to grow as well as his nails. His body became muscular, as well as his arms and legs. He flexed those muscles, as veins revealed their glory. His mouth started to fire off flames, making Fara became more afraid. She started to cry.
"You see, you only made things harder," Louie approached her while holding a glass of water. "I'll ease your pain…"
He slowly opened Fara's mouth, and slowly poured the water into it. Then, her head started to ache…