Chapter Fifteen: Open Your Eyes
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!
Space Den landed on the Defense Force. Many evolved soldiers surrounded the starship, inquisitive to what happened up there. As the hatch opened, Eagle and Garou exited the vehicle. Bill, the one who is leading the evolved soldiers, stepped forward to ask them.
"So, what happened?" he asked the two.
"We're successful," Garou replied as he gave the muscular dog a sphere-like device. "They were up to something. I suggest not breaking it so that we could look into it further."
"It's only a matter of time before they join us," Eagle also added. The dog then noticed the bird's folded wings.
"What's with the wings? Why are they folded? Did something happen…?"
"They put up a good fight, but we won," he answered back. Bark, Slippy, Lupina, Leon, Peppy, and Katt then left Space Den and walked forward. From the way they walked, they looked like they were beaten up.
"All right, let's show them the path to evolution!" Bill declared as his dog tags shone from the afternoon sun. A drum filled with infested water was carried there by an evolved she-cheetah and a bunny. The hound opened it and growled, "Drink or die. Choose."
"Choose? Okay," Bark smiled as he commanded a signal to everyone. "Fight! That's what we choose!" He pushed a button that made the device Bill was holding to explode. Large smoke spread out to the area, and Eagle gathered his energy to spread it with his wings.
"What the fuck is this!" an evolved female bat coughed up as she inhaled the smoke. She tried to fly up, but she fainted.
Many soldiers fought back. A magnetized armadillo attempted to gather all of the bombs, but he failed. Garou flew up and blasted ice, making sure nobody could leave. Eagle made the smoke expansive. The rest fired the darts.
"Damnation! Garou and Eagle fooled us!" Bill shouted to command the soldiers to fight back. However, more bombs exploded and many darts were fired around. He was hit to his left side of his neck with a dart. Slowly, his head started to ache, and pretty soon, he fell down.
"We did it, right?" Peppy cheered. "The Defense Force is now virus-free!"
Lupina suddenly thought of something. She remembered Fara, the vixen she made friends with earlier. "Say Katt," she asked her, "do you know where she stays at?"
"Yeah, it's just near here," Katt replied with wonder. "Why? Is something wrong?"
"I have a feeling she's not okay, so I guess I'll check her up!" she nodded as she grabbed a motorcycle from the Space Den. "Could you give me the coordinates?"
Katt pressed a few buttons to the vehicle's console. "There! That should do it! You should better be careful! That place is already infested."
Lupina showed her two vaccine bombs and a pistol loaded with darts. She then grabbed her helmet and wore it before finally leaving the place.
"There she goes," Garou commented as he rubbed his chest. "Man, she really likes to look for trouble…"
"Are you saying our main enemy is none other than Fox's father?" Wulf growled as he unleashed his neutron blade. "But why?"
"Yeah! I understand that you're a victim of war, but why suddenly have the desire to change the whole system?" Wolf also asked.
"Father?" Fox echoed out. He couldn't say a thing. Was he all being manipulated? Was he fooled by his father?
"You have no idea what happened to me, I can tell from your faces," James answered as he crossed his muscular arms. "Let me tell you what happened to me. After I was blasted away by Pigma, I took redemption to a nebula. There, the life support system of my Arwing started to activate. I flew away when the pig was gone. I thought I was a goner, for the life support system was almost exhausted. My last chance was to land on a nearby planet… Macbeth. There, I was saved by a group of scientists. I didn't know why, but I heard them saying that I was a good guinea pig. They used the microbes into my bloodstream, making me alive. My wounds recovered fast, and I regained life."
"I thought they saved me. I was wrong. After feeling the youthful energy in my body, I started to change. My muscles started to grow. I became stronger. My fangs and claws became sharper. My senses were enhanced by many-folds. I had a perfect body of both looks and power, for I was indestructible. Then, I told to myself, that what happened to me was great. Evolution was power… I was allured to it. However, something inside of me snapped me out from those illusions, the desire to see my family again… It opened my eyes to what really was happening. I killed every one of them… making sure they won't do this experiment. I left the place, but not the planet."
"Soon though, I realized the mistakes I made. After you, Star Fox, defeated Andross, you barely survived. I was horrified. I knew this whole system was just full of wars, and it won't end. I don't want to see you suffer… I don't want to see Peppy or even Falco to suffer. It won't be fulfilled until I changed everything. Thoughts flew back to what made me evolve. I returned to the site of my evolution, only to find out that Cornerian forces had already taken the virus."
"I then traveled to Corneria after hitching a ride on a Cornerian ship. I realized that the microbes were added with a special discipline formula, the ability to make the evolved person follow a command... an ideal tool necessary for reshaping Lylat. Then, I also encountered a poor genetic scientist named Kane. I thought of using him as a tool for remaking the virus to my command. I fooled him by saying that he'll be an emperor. Everything went on… the attacks, the capturing… When I heard that Star Fox was gone, that's the sign of Lylat's fall… My plan was to capture you and the team and evolve you. In fact, I was hoping that Star Wolf would also be beneficial… However, I didn't realize that the visits to the labs and this dam would create so much ruckus, that the government asked help from someone named you… Wulf…"
"So, you're…" Falco slowly talked back. "You're not saying you're going to change every people in Lylat into beefcakes and dominatrix? But… but if you said was true, why you sent me a bomb and ordered soldiers to attack Wolf's house?"
"He wants me dead," Wulf answered his question. "I guess he knew I have Anatyde inside my blood… I am immune to his self-proclaimed evolution…" He then ordered Wolf and Falco, "You two, get Fox outta here! He wants him evolved!"
"I believe that's impossible," James smiled as evolved soldiers blocked their path. While they could take an evolved soldier down, they certainly couldn't take many of them. They can't also use the vaccine, since it might ruin their possible surprise. The soldiers grabbed Fox and stripped him of his clothing, leaving him with his underwear. Wulf was grabbed tightly and was sent to a jail. The two were also sent to a different jail.
"I won't allow you to ruin everything… I don't want to see anybody crying… and this is the only way to make sure of it…"
The motorcycle stopped at a silent flat. Lupina got off and investigated the area. "Hmm… Looks like nobody's home…" She walked forward, entering the silent apartment.
She passed destroyed doors and torn pieces of cloth. Evidences of evolution were around the floor. Suddenly, sharp spikes were fired towards her. She quickly dodged them, and keenly looked behind her. She saw a muscular lizard with spikes coming out from his back.
"I'll get you, intruder! You'll join us soon!" he shrieked out as he charged towards Lupina.
"We'll see about that!" she replied as she charged aura in her fist. "Sakura-ryuu ougi! Ookami ken!" Secret of the Flower Way! Wolf fist! A white flash of light dashed towards the lizard, knocking it out cold.
"That's that!" she smiled as she wiped her jacket. However, she realized that more trouble awaits her. A female eagle and a male jaguar jumped high, ready to pounce her. She quickly jumped upward, with her fist meeting the two. "Tenshou ken!" Rising fist! She cried it out, giving the two beasts a one powerful blow.
As she landed on the floor, a fox with veined muscles approached her, breathing fire. Lupina quickly dodged and rolled to avoid being burn, and prepared to charge aura on her palms. "Hadou shikou ken!" Wave aiming fist! A cry led out. A white sphere of aura was released from her palms, hitting the fox and knocking him down. She then sighed, wondering where Fara was.
Suddenly, somebody grabbed her from behind. A stronger grip made her absolutely trapped. As Lupina looked behind, the one holding her was Fara! She was evolved, and she could lift many times her weight! "You're going to die, fool!" she exclaimed as she tightened her grip.
Lupina realized that she has bombs. She wiggled enough to make sure that she could activate the bombs. As it hit her shoulder, a beeping sound was heard.
Loosening her grip, Fara wondered, "What was that?"
This allowed Lupina to make a counter attack. She quickly grabbed the vixen's arm, and then she slammed her to the ground. She quickly dropped the activated bomb to the fox's position before it released the strong cloud. As she estimated the intensity of the smoke, it was enough for everybody in the flat.
"Sorry Fara," she smiled as she wiped sweat off her forehead, "but I have to do that! At least you were able to taste my martial arts!"
"Take your time, Fox…"
Fox, while wearing trunks, looked down at a vial of liquid his father tried to hand him. "Don't worry too much. The evolution won't be painful. In fact, it'll be ticklish!"
"Why? Just because you lost somebody in war, that doesn't give you the right to change other people who are happy!" he argued back. James just sighed.
"You won't understand, Fox… Let me ask you… would you stay here and do nothing when you know that your loved one is risking his or her life for the sake of this pathetic system?"
"No! Of course not! I also agree that this system looks pathetic, but… It still isn't right!"
"Sooner or later… they'll understand that what we're doing is right!"
"But…"
Lost in his emotions, Fox couldn't think clearly. His dearly beloved father returned, only to become a maniac…. But then, thoughts flew around him. His thoughts flew to the part when people were evolved. They praised it. He knew that it is some sort of psychological alteration, but he knew deep inside, a part of that person wanted that feeling… It only took a strong feeling to break out from the alteration though, since the wanting feeling would become stronger… So it all rolls into one explanation. People who praised their evolution said so because they liked what happened, and those who broke the psycho spell have more desires than evolution…
"Even though they deny it at first, deep inside, they like what's happening to them…"
Fox thought about it. His father's right. Everybody was screaming before any was evolved. Afterwards, they praise it, since deep inside, they wanted to be stronger, better, and the like… He lost all his hope. He knew Wulf couldn't do anything. He knew Wolf and Falco would be forced to follow them or they'll simply be killed. With people liking what's happening, there's no point in fighting back…
"Give me the serum…"
Fox opened the vial. He then placed it to his mouth, and slowly drank its contents. At first, he didn't feel anything, but then, spasms were slowly appearing. His body started to ache. His muscles slowly began to contract. His anatomy started to change. He screamed. His entire new life is about to begin…
"Fox!" Wulf yelled as he heard a cry. He quickly thought of something. He repeatedly hit the door of the cell with anything, but it's so tough. His weapons were taken away, and he has no news of Falco or Wolf.
"I can't allow this to happen… This is madness!" he shouted as plasma started to charge from his arm. He punched the door fiercely, making it fall to the ground. His rage and fury stirred the Anatyde inside him, allowing him to produce plasma.
He rushed forward. He has no time for Falco or Wolf. Fox's in greave danger. Who knows what could happen…
"FOX!"
As he reached the room of James McCloud, he saw the two muscular foxes, with Fox having nine tails instead of the usual one. Fire was brimming from those tails of his.
"The last waltz has played, Wulf," James nodded as he patted his son's shoulder. "Your best man is already ours…"
"Sorry Wulf… but there's no point in fighting," Fox calmly replied. "What's the use of fighting, when everybody enjoyed what's happening…? It's all over… there's no need to tire for something which is not even a threat…"