Chapter Twenty: The Strongest
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!
"I won't… give up," Wulf growled out as Rufus took injury from James' blows. His body was badly injured, and although Anatyde helped him recover gradually, the wounds James' gave them were too much. His outfit was covered in blood, and Rufus was almost showing signs of fainting.
"Damn… I never had this fun," Rufus grinned with blood dropping from his mouth. Like Wulf, he had his uniform drenched in blood. He took the most attacks, and although he wasn't showing it, he was actually protecting Wulf. "You worm makes the battlefield intense."
"You called me a worm?" James growled as he clenched his fists once more. His hands were dirty and had some bloodstains from the wolves' injuries. He had no damage, yet he was tired from the battle, and he was allured when Wulf told him peculiar words earlier. "Do you know that this worm almost killed you? I believe that even with those fused cells in your blood, you will die because you have too many injuries in your body." Apparently, Rufus just scoffed him.
"I can you anything," he laughed, "because I can call any person who stooped low a bug, or even more lower than it! You're just a parasite now, James, not a hero." The alpha fox growled as he threatened him with his fists, but a voice took the three's attention.
"THAT'S NOT TRUE! MY FATHER IS A HERO, AND HE'LL ALWAYS BE A HERO!"
Fox McCloud stepped out from the shadows. He was observing the fight since the time he arrived. He didn't join the other Chosen Ones in defending the gates. "He's doing everything to save this piece of garbage! Wulf McWolf is the parasite! If he continues to exist, he'll contaminate the future my father suffered and worked hard! Fuck, I don't even know you!"
"Heh, his name is Rufus Reavis, my arch-nemesis, my Wolf O'Donnell," Wulf grinned while unleashing his neutron blade once more, giving Rufus a glance. "Should I tell you that he has Anatyde in his blood as well? You should consider us as parasites, not only me! Oh, and sorry about earlier Fox… sorry if fainted so quickly. I was holding back because I don't want to harm you or your father… But now… if I have to stop you with my life, for my mission... for the system… and for my friends… then I'll have to bring you two down!"
Rufus smiled as he sided beside him, "Now you're taking my line… What else should I say? You've said everything… Oh well…" Fox and James, father and son, prepared themselves for the two.
"Give it up, you two! You've given your best to my father yet he's still not injured, while you two, on the other hand, were almost dying… With me around, what makes you think that you'll win?" Fox growled back. His nine tails started to flicker with flames, a sign of anger. However, James blocked his way with his arm. Fox was surprised to see this.
"This is my fight, son. Go back and stop their defenses in the waterway gates," James told his son, who was slightly surprised by this. "Don't worry. Evolved species don't die. They become invincible and strong. These two won't stop me." He even flexed his bicep just to assure his son that he wasn't threatened, but he still insisted.
"Father…"
"Trust me son…"
"You know, I still don't want to hurt them," Wulf whispered to Rufus while observing the two. "I can't see them cry because one of them dies, especially when it was I who did it. Look… you may not understand it but…"
"What do you mean I don't understand it?" Rufus furiously whispered back. "I thought you knew me well, McWolf! Hey, you know that I didn't know my father, and that my mother died when I was young, right. So… I know what he's feeling… I really couldn't come up with a plan without one of them getting hurt badly."
Fox walked away, with feelings of regret. While he left the room, he absolutely didn't left the place.
"Now, where were we?" James grinned as he cracked his knuckles. "All right, I want to finish this now. I have many plans and I don't want you two to hinder my schedule. I'll kill you now."
"I'll have to stop you then!" Wulf yelled, but he was stopped by Rufus. "Huh? What now?"
"I think I know what to do… Call me stupid, but this might snap him out," he told the grey-blue wolf. "Don't attack. Let him come near you… I have a plan… Now trust me, okay? We won't be able to pull this off without trust."
"I know… I will… trust you…"
"Just focus!"
"OW OW OWWWW!"
Lupe grumbled as Bark wrapped the deep bite of Panther with gauze. "Could you please make it less painful? I had enough when my beauties were pulled!" The dog just laughed from his reaction. "What's so funny, four-eyes?"
"Oh nothing, it just makes me imagine what were you doing when fighting Panther!" he replied while giving another grin. "By the way, the bite will recover for about thirty seconds, so I suggest keeping it still while time passes. Cell regeneration isn't that quick, you know!"
Lupe just set his arm to the table. While doing so, he observed Panther, who was slowly awakening from his unconsciousness. He held out his rose and thought to himself, "Heh! I am both beautiful and strong! Hah! I should welcome that person with my presentation!"
"Keep your ideas to yourself, Lupe… It's bad!" Bark laughed once more, giving Lupe an irritating feeling. "Oh, thirty seconds are up! You may take the gauze off." On how The Lupe removed his wrappings seemed to be like he opened up a Christmas gift. "And look, Panther Caroso has just awakened!"
Panther slowly opened up his eyes. He slowly picked himself up from a recovery bed. As he finally stood up, he looked at himself using a mirror. "Oh no, this is bad… I am now a stupid hunk who walks around in underwear…" he dissed.
"Feast your eyes on The Lupe!" the brown wolf with silver hair proclaimed once more, giving Panther a slight sign of wonder. "Behold to the most handsome creature to step into the universe!" He showed his red rose and held it with his mouth while posing. "Heh! I hope this teaches him a lesson not to challenge me, The Lupe!"
Panther slightly remembered what happened earlier. "Well, I have to," he thought. "His ego needs some refining…" He approached Lupe and smiled back while showing his red rose, "Don't worry, I already saw him. He was earlier at the mirror when I glanced at it." He then chuckled, giving Lupe a sign of anger.
"Why you cocky little… GRR!" he grumbled, but unlike earlier, he cooled off. "Oh well, I'll let you linger in your own imagination. Let yourself be shined by truth!" He left the place, leaving Panther to fall down to the floor, flat.
He was approached by Bark. "So, how are you feeling?"
"Nah, I'm okay… I'm really not used on walking around almost naked, and with my muscles, well, buffed up. I don't know what the chicks would think about me with this," he replied as again he pointed himself. "Do you have any shirt or uniform to help me with this kind of need?"
Bark shook his head. "Sadly, we haven't got a time to make clothes for evolved people… and I guess you'll have to be patient with the almost naked idea. Unlike most evolved specimen, I found out that your DNA couldn't revert back to its original form, for some odd reason. It seems to me that the CEL virus was compatible to your chromosomes, that the DNA alteration was better. You were a lot better than normal evolved soldiers… but it cost you to remain in that form forever… that is, until I figured out a way to break those codes."
"Aw… shucks… and I thought I could wear my favorite shirt and go to a café with a beautiful woman," he whimpered out with a frown. "Oh well… say… I remember a fox telling me something about The Chosen Ones. I think a fox, a wolf, and a falcon were also considered as chosen ones… Maybe he was referring to people who, once evolved, are capable of dealing more destruction but cannot revert."
Bark nodded with a slight humor, "Now I am sure that pretty boys are also smart… Damn, that means I'm handsome too! I need a rose to complement it!" Panther slightly chuckled, but was surprised to see Lupe returning.
"Boys and girls, we're having trouble!" Lupe told them. "A pink beautiful feline carrying an evolved blue bird is heading here! We should help them!"
"Pink cat? Blue bird?" Bark asked back. He's sure about who they were.
"Beautiful feline?" Panther thought. A flirt made his way on planning for this beautiful feline.
Katt, who was assisted by Jill, carried an unconscious Falco. They quickly brought him to the recovery bed to make sure that he'll be okay. "He was suddenly having headaches," she whimpered. "We don't know what to do. Garou told me to take him to you…"
"Don't worry! I'll have him fixed up. Try to relieve yourself, okay?" Bark comforted her as he opened up a computer beside the bed. He placed a few wirings onto the falcon's body so that the computer could scan him. "I also need to be sure if what Panther said was true," he thought.
Panther felt sorry for the pink cat. "I need to make sure she won't feel stressed out, and also, I need to make sure that she gets attracted to me. Hmm… I could use my suave words and this newly acquired body of mine…" He quickly walked towards her, now having smooth talks ready. "Hello there, beautiful," he roared out. "Try not to think about bad things, for you're adding wrinkles to your face, and I don't want to see your beauty to be ruined. You're so beautiful that you make me tingle all over." He then showed his rose and placed it on his mouth while flexing. "You make my muscles contract for you!" Katt slapped her own face after seeing that.
"Grr! He's doing it again! It's time to show who the boss is!" Lupe thought. With the help of his tele-bomb ability, he created an explosion in front of the cat. He then entered through the smoke and proclaimed while doing his pose, "Boys and girls, especially the female fatale, let your eyes melt on none other than The Lupe!" He then brushed his hair and smiled, "Why, you never come across an extremely handsome face like me! I have the silver hair, the yellow sparkling eyes, and of course, the suave lingo!" He walked around Katt and grinned, "Of course you may choose others who have at least made a small success, but why bother when you can have me!" Katt just became speechless.
"AGH! I'LL BE LETHAL IF YOU TWO DON'T STOP IT WITH YOUR PHILANDERING!" she yelled so loud, scaring the two out of their wits.
Panther and Lupe moved away, with Jill laughing. "So, you boys learned your lesson?"
"Indeed, mademoiselle," Lupe replied with his suave silver hair flailing and hitting Panther's chest. "Never get near to deadly women you just described fatal!"
"Good and bad news, Katt," Bark confirmed after scanning Falco's physiology. "The good news is that he'll be back with us. The bad news is that he won't be able to revert back to the normal him. Unless I find a crack for the DNA mishap, the CEL virus inflicted to his and the other Chosen One's DNA, he'll just have to get used on having big body and flame throwing." Katt just sighed with stress after hearing that out.
"I'm not pretty sure if I should put them on, it makes me look like a punk," Wolf commented as he pointed the piercings on a desk. "Besides, they don't look like what they should be anymore! It's just a big lump of iron now." Lupina laughed while Bill attempted to pick out one that was not deformed.
"Well, at least we got you back," Lupina replied as she sat beside the muscular wolf wearing black trunks. "Anyway, what happened to you? Why did you turn against us while you've been cured?"
"Oh that! Thanks for reminding me," Wolf replied as he told them what happened. "Wulf and I were able to locate Fox, and we're able to save him. We then faced Falco and turned him back with us. Then, Wulf almost got Kane, although he was able to escape. When we were about to look for him, he attacked us, but this time, he's evolved. We were victorious, but we wondered if it was all over…"
"Then why the attack on the waterways?" Bill wondered. "Does that mean there's a man behind everything, just like what Bark told us earlier? You mean Fox's father was behind everything?"
"Yeah, Bark's right, Bill," Wolf continued on. "We suddenly saw James, Fox's father, and heard his goal. He wanted to change everything in Lylat to prevent more wars, more pain, and to be with his son. His idea is warped, if you ask me. Anyway, he was evolved, yet he has a clear thinking. He then jailed Wulf, and Falco and I were sent to a psycho-alteration drive. It's basically reopening the evolved attitude we had. When we were back as bad guys, we just saw Fox evolved. I think his father convinced him. Then, we were titled as the Chosen Ones, and we took the last member, Panther. We attacked each gates, but I believe we failed, which is good."
Lupina suddenly got worried. "What about Wulf? Don't tell you left them?"
"I was worried about him too! I wanted to go back there!" the wolf growled as he sighed. "Hey, let's go there, Lupina. What about you, Bill?"
"I think we three should stay here and help Slippy," Bill recommended them. "After all, I remember Bark asking where the leader of… what was that team again Lu?"
"Nebulla Wolf… Rufus, their leader, went looking for Wulf. It bothers me though, why our foes are helping us," Lupina shrugged. "But then, I know the Nebulla Wolf crew, and they only follow what Rufus tells them, so I am wondering why Rufus is looking for Wulf."
"Rufus? Nebulla Wolf? I guess I was away for too long," he nodded. He then stood up and patted Bill. "Hey, buff dog, tell Slippy we'll be away. I want to make sure Wulf's okay…"
"Oh well… if you insist…"