Chapter Seventeen: The True War Begins
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!
"Okay Eagle, tell us what you feel…"
The avian just recently swallowed a test tube filled with red liquid. Afterwards, he just didn't feel right. "Man, what did you guys just mix?" he grumbled as he headed towards Space Den while covering his mouth. Slippy and Leon just glanced at each other, hoping that their concoction would work.
"Okay, cross your fingers!" Bark smiled as he walked towards the two. "It's nice of him to volunteer as the first person to take a sip at your remedy."
"Apparently, among the group who just evolved, he doesn't like what happened to him," Leon nodded as he took a timer and recorded the number of elapsed seconds. "Wow, the effects of the Liberation antibody took long! I wonder what the results would be."
A few more minutes later, Eagle came out of the starship. He's now wearing his usual Galaxy Wulf outfit and with a bandanna. His wings were back to two, and he didn't resemble a bodybuilder anymore. He swept forward while cheering. "Okay! I'm back! No more small clothes for me!" He then hugged himself, saying, "I miss my uniform!"
"Thankfully, you have spare uniform!" Bark smiled sarcastically. "Anyway, how'd you feel while reverting back? Why did it take you so long?"
"It was painful, but it was short. It took me long since I was going to the showers after I reverted back," he reported back with a laugh. "The medicine was bitter but tolerable. I wonder how you two came up with that."
"Simple! We just used the CEL virus and copied its structure, but we turned the clone into an antibody!" Leon proudly explained to the bird. "Now with this, we can cure everyone!"
"Aw shucks…" Bill grumbled for a while as he rubbed a bruise from his head he got earlier from Lupina. "I'm gonna miss this rock-hard muscle-toned body of mine! I'll also miss shooting eye lasers!" Lupina just gave a demonic laugh.
Bark thought of something. "Say, Bill's right," he told them. "We shouldn't change these people back to normal yet. After we deal with the attempts of those evolved people of the syndicate, and put a stop to it, then we can think about it." Everybody agreed. They needed the power that was given to them… their powerful body and their newly developed abilities.
The bat commander flew down once more, returning from her scout. From the way she looked, it seemed trouble. "Sir, we have a problem," she reported as she wiped the sweat on her forehead. "Many evolved soldiers are grouping up! They're going to target the five blockades of the waterways at the same time! If we focus on just one of them, then we'll be in big trouble, since they may destroy the other blocks while we're busy dealing with the other one."
Bark adjusted his glasses. "So we need to split up. That can be arranged, I guess."
The bat replied once again, nervously, "That's another problem. They're too many if we split up into five groups, even with the whole people in the defense force! Also, I just saw missiles heading towards our location! From the design of the warheads, it looked like it came from the naval force you just made contact with!"
"What the fuck," Fara flabbergasted. "You mean to say…" Whispers from the group suddenly started.
"Let's not get too hasty, okay?" Peppy tried to calm them down. "I'll contact Admiral Lombert." He opened up the computer and made a transmission to the Nautilus. As the screen popped up, though, he was surprised to see a muscular tiger slowly scratching the monitor of the other side of the transmission. The evolved general gave a grim greeting.
"Glory for the prince! The new world shall be ruled by Prince Fox McCloud and Lord James McCloud! You people will die because you make it so impure!"
The transmission suddenly was cut off, and Peppy was in a state of surprise. "Prince Fox McCloud? Lord James McCloud? What did he mean by that?"
"Oh no! Don't tell me…" Slippy suddenly remarked with a frightful look "Don't tell me Sir James McCloud was all behind this, and Fox got evolved and joined him! What about that character named Kane? Wait… isn't his father dead!"
"I can't believe it! Fox got himself evolved and his father was behind everything! I thought he was dead!" Katt also jerked out. "Wait… maybe that tiger was just lying! You know… Kane's plan to ruin our heads?"
"I don't think Kane could spit that out that easily," Garou made his remark as well. "I don't know about this James character, but when you said about him dying, don't you think that these viruses made him alive again, but only evolved? And now, he wants his son evolved too, and the whole system!" Everybody just kept silent… they slowly forgot about the missiles.
"So the Deus ex Machina is finally revealed, eh..." Bark sighed while keeping his intellectual and cool look on. He looked up, seeing four missiles heading straight towards them. "Okay, you know what to do…"
Bill immediately removed his shades and fired a red beam form his eyes. Garou breathed an ice beam, and Eagle jumped up to stop the other missile. However, the material was so strong, that it couldn't be destroyed by just that. The momentum of the missile the bird tried to clash was so powerful, that he got himself knocked down to the ground.
"Okay, this is the situation where things get hairy," Katt shouted. "Fuck you shits! Eat laser!" She then fired the plasma rail gun just beside her, giving everything that it had to the missiles, but didn't work.
"Now boys and girls, that isn't the right way to get rid of them!"
A voice echoed out from nowhere. Everybody looked around, but no one was there. Suddenly, the missiles exploded one by one, with the fourth one being pierced by a laser shot. A big explosion occurred, but thankfully, it was far from the people on the ground. Nobody knew what just happened.
"I think I know who did it," Bark smiled as he looked to his right.
"Now that the naval forces evolved, there won't be any means of Wulf's plan to occur!" Wolf concluded as he lifted a heavy dumbbell repeatedly, exercising his arm. "With Lombert releasing the missiles, Wulf's team should be easily destroyed."
"Yes, without them, he'll lose everything," Fox added as he glanced at the mirror, looking at his physique. "It'll be soon enough when he begs us to kill him."
Falco, who was playing with his fireball, cupped his hand and rubbed his right muscular arm. "I'm excited on what the new Lylat would look like! I'm gonna kill those low-class shit heads if I won't see it!"
James then entered the room. Donning his lord outfit – a brown cape, a red scarf, silver dog tags, blue trunks, and his shades, the three bowed down in his presence. "Stand up. You three don't have to bow in front of me."
"Father, we've taken care of the naval vessels you told us. Each of the battleships was slowly infected, and now, all of them are yours to command." Fox reported. "So now, what do we do?"
"Ah yes, here…" he nodded as he pushed a button, revealing a monitor. It showed an image of a black panther with a white scar on his right cheek. "According to our scouts, bounty-hunter Panther Caroso has just arrived from Katina. Apparently, just like you three, he has a promising evolution that showed in his DNA."
"Promising evolution?" Falco asked.
"Well, we took the information of the DNA of the panther from his fur, just like what we did to you three before. We combined it to the CEL virus, and it showed high-evolution levels, just like you three." James explained to them. He then took a bottle of champagne and opened it. "Go and fetch him, and evolve him immediately. Afterwards, head to the waterworks gateways and eliminate any obstacle if there are any…" He filled up a glass and sipped from it. He then looked at the three keenly. "I don't want the three of you to be pressured. This work should be done by me, but I'm afraid I couldn't do it because I have to plan things and…"
Fox cut his father's speech. "No, I think you deserve a rest. You had received so much suffering, so we want you to relax."
"Fox's right. Now that the opposing force is slowly weakening, everything's smooth sailing," Wolf also added. "I know this is for the whole system as well, so we'll be doing our best to help you out."
"Thank you," James gave thanks to the three while hiding his tears, "this means much for the future of our system… and for me…" The three just smiled and moved away, getting ready for their mission.
Wulf looked lifeless inside the cell he's locked. He hadn't opened up his eyes for a while. His right arm was still injured. Thoughts flew inside his head. Many things circulated inside of him. He just felt like he failed. He was slowly losing hope.
"Where am I?"
He kept on walking and walking in the dark path. Holding a small torch, he couldn't see his pathway clearly. He slowly flared his torch to make things more visible, but he failed. Suddenly, an echo took his attention.
"What are you doing there, looking inferior and weak?"
As he turned around, he noticed a red wolf wearing a black jacket, red suit, chest, knee, and shoulder pads. "My enemy, acting pathetic and stupid, gives me a humiliating feeling. I am ashamed to be your opponent!" He looked at his back, revealing his face scarred with a cross-scar at the muzzle part between the eyes.
"Rufus? Is that you?"
Wulf slowly approached him, but the red wolf just greeted him by unleashing his two neutron blades. He didn't use them though, but he kicked the blue wolf.
"Hmph! I thought you're worthy to be injured by my weapons, but I was wrong… All of my brooding and seeking for revenge all ended up in the dust."
"Why? What are you talking about?"
"You're weak! You know why? That's because you gave up! I hate people who give up for no good reason at all! Even those who die didn't give up! You make me sick…"
"I gave up… didn't I? Well, that's because I don't want to fight my friends!"
"Bah! A pathetic reason! You don't want to fight your friends? What about me? You fought me when we were friends! You gave me this scar, and now you tell me that you don't want to fight your friends! Hah, you're stupider than I thought!"
"Why… why do you torment me? Why?"
"I'm just setting things out. That's why…"
Suddenly, an image of Rufus when he was ten years-old appeared. He approached Wulf, saying, "I don't want you to get hurt… I don't want to see you die in a horrible death! You mustn't lose your hope… You have Anatyde in your blood, so you can't lose! You're so close… Are you going to fail your mission…?"
The other Rufus added, "Are you going to fail your mission, just like before, just like what you did to me? Stand up, Wulf McWolf! Remember, your last name, the McWolf clan, isn't made up of losers…" He then walked away, back to the shadows. The younger Rufus faded away.
Wulf, slowly picking up himself, looked at himself. "They're right! I mustn't give up… I won't allow their goal to happen! This system is in jeopardy, and they're the ones in the upper hand! I'm their only chance!" He suddenly heard another voice… this time… it's calling him…
"Wulf…"
"Wulf…"
"Wulf!"
The lupine opened his eyes. He was surprised to see Rufus standing in front of him, guarding the opened door of the cell. He was the one calling his name. "Hey Wulf, you're awake… finally!" He then extended his arm to help the wolf to get up.
"Rufus, what are you doing here?" he asked as he moved his right arm, which was fine now, all thanks to Anatyde.
"I just heard back in Terra that you're not there," the red wolf explained without looking to Wulf's eyes, "so I gathered information. I figured out that you're in this system, and I looked around for you. This place is sprawling with strange people. Thankfully, you're not one of them… I don't want to beat up a handicapped opponent!"
"Ru…" he spoke out in a low tone, catching Rufus' attention.
The red wolf was silent for a while. He didn't realize he was helping his old friend-turned-enemy. "What are we wasting time for? Let's move!"
"Umm… I just want to say thanks, Rufus… Thank you for everything…" Wulf nodded with a smile. "Anyway, you're right! Let's move out!"
Panther's fighter slowly drifted down at the airport. After a complete touchdown, he was surprised to see the whole place being a ghost town. Everything was empty. Nobody was left inside… He saw ruined walls, tattered pieces of cloth lying on the ground, and misplaced objects.
"I can tell that the people here don't clean very often," he commented as he walked forward, readying his blaster just in case of an attack. "Hmm… I've never seen the airport so quiet… It's so odd…"
Suddenly, the glass ceiling burst out, making many glass shards to fall down. Panther quickly evaded it, and he started to point his blaster up to the ceiling. "Okay, show yourself!"
"Now, now… don't get too hasty!" a voice echoed out from the hallway. "You'll meet us soon… and then, you'll join us!" Fox appeared as he walked towards the panther, with a vial on his hand. "Now, be a cooperative person and drink this juice! You'll thank us afterwards!" However, Caroso aimed and fired the vial, but the fox covered it with his palm, dissipating the blast quickly.
"What are you?" he asked as he started to move back slowly. Suddenly, he bumped to what seemed to be a large rectangular metal plane. Restraints appeared from the plane and grabbed one of Panther's wrists.
"Don't fight back! It's useless," Wolf, who just entered the scene, laughed as he snapped his fingers, making the plane release chains, grabbing Panther's right leg.
The black panther didn't give up, tough. He quickly aimed the blaster at Wolf's head and fired it. It hit Wolf's cheek, but no injury was present. Falco suddenly appeared and grabbed the blaster, and melting it with his palm. He then pushed the cat to the metal wall, making sure that he won't escape.
"What do you want from me!" he yelled as he struggled from the restraints.
"Nothing! We just want you to join the people who'll lead Lylat's future!" Falco grinned as he did his usual job, forcing the victim's mouth to open with his hands. Fox quickly opened the vial and made the Panther to drink the contents. After he gulped it, the metal plane released the feline, and it reverted back to a piercing for Wolf's body.
"What… what's happening?" Panther jerked out as he felt spasms in his body. Having difficulty to breath, he removed his chest plate and opened up his outfit. He suddenly felt tensed, and his anatomy slowly started to shake for the evolution. His uniform torn out as his muscles grew. He opened his mouth to make way for sharpened teeth. He opened his hands and feet for the sharpened nails. With only minimal clothing, he roared out as he felt the energy residing within him… His brain also changed… now his desires were gone… for he had achieved evolution.
"Welcome to the pack," Wolf greeted the evolved panther. "Anyway, my name's Wolf O'Donnell. The bird's Falco Lombardi, and this one's Prince Fox McCloud, son of the future Lylatian lord. You, Panther, are one of the chosen ones, just like us three."
"Thanks," he replied as he looked at his sculptured body. "So, you said earlier that I am one of the chosen ones, huh?" He slowly focused his thoughts inside his body. He felt that his anatomy was brimming with so much energy. "I see… So, what are you guys going to do now…?"
"To the waterway gates, Panther!" Falco cheered. "It's just a matter of a few shit loads before we change Lylat."
"I agree…" Panther grinned with an evil intent.
"Now, boys and girls, let's not lose our heads!" a brown wolf with long silver hair proclaimed. "Rufus, I mean boss told us that we should help you out!"
"Anyway, thanks, Nebulla Wolf," Bark smiled as he wiped his sweat. "That made me nervous back then."
"Excuse me, but who are they?" Peppy asked Bark while pointing to the brown wolf, a cheetah with two blaster-like weapons, and an armadillo.
"They're Nebulla Wolf!" Lupina told them. "So, you guys are going to help us, right?"
"Yes, mademoiselle!" the brown wolf smiled. "My name is Lupe Leon, the most handsome being ever to step in this universe!" He then pulled out a rose and held it with his mouth, while doing the "Lupe" pose. He can telekinetically make things explode by thinking about them.
"I'm Arma Dillo, nice to meet you!" the armadillo smiled. While innocent looking, he can be a wrecking ball.
"I am Gustav Cliff, the newcomer of the team," the cheetah laughed while scratching his head. "Galaxy Wulf probably doesn't even know me!" An expert marksman, he never misses at all.
The three approached the group, which gave inspiration to Bark. "Okay, since we have these three on our side, we can still continue with the split-up we planned earlier!"
"Yes, that would be great! Now that they expect us to be dead, we'll surprise them! Yeah!" Bill cheered as he flexed his muscles.
"Booya! All right, let's party!" Gustav yelled out!
"The true war is about to begin!" Fara added.
Before moving on, though, Bark asked Arma, "Where's Rufus?"
"Oh, he said he's going to look for Wulf," Arma answered back.
"I see…" he just spoke out while adjusting his glasses and with the breeze blowing his robe.