"My lord…" Panther's deep voice purred over the communicator.

"What is IT, Panther?" Wolf snarled back, trying to stay right on Fox's tail.

"Is Kouga with you?" Leon questioned in a fearful voice.

"No, she flew back with you two, didn't she?" Wolf stated, not paying much attention to his comrades.

"Her ship is not here…and the tracking device isn't showing up on radar, my lord," Leon objected.

Wolf punched his breaks. "How could you two LOOSE Kouga?" He barked viciously.

"My lord…but we have taken the blue fox prisoner," Panther added positively.

"Well… That will suffice….for now," Wolf growled, shutting off his communicator to the Wolfen.

Meanwhile, Fox was flying as fast as his engine would allow. His fuel tanks were greatly depleted, and he feared that now he wouldn't even make it to Corneria at this rate.

Wolf chuckled. "Pup…you are living up to your name. Run from the big, bad, wolf while you still can," Wolf laughed vilely.

"Falco! My god…I am so glad to hear your voice!" Krystal exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…save it," He snapped. "Where are you now?"

"I don't know…somewhere in the prison cells? I was blindfolded as I was brought here…" Krystal laughed weakly.

Falco put a wing over his face. "Great," He sighed, trying to think. "Is there a serial on the door? Or anything..?"

"Erm…C178?" Krystal paused, "does that help?"

Falco didn't respond, but Krystal knew what this meant. He leapt out of his Arwing excitedly. He loved playing the role of hero…and he hardly could standing next to Fox. Thus, he bound Kouga with spare ropes in the Arwing's hold' she was still out from the smoke inhalation. He turned to the main corridor of the ship and raced down it.

"Hmm…?"

"What is it, Panther?" Leon asked curiously.

"I smell a chicken…a rather brave and foolish chicken," Panther snarled, rising from his commanding chair and heading for the main hall.

Leon sensed a hint of suspicion in Panther's words, and flipped on the lockdown switch. He then turned to the security cameras, guessing this had something to do with that rat of a fox.

Corneria was in sight for Fox. He set his shuttle on autopilot as he prepared himself for the getaway he'd have to makes as soon as he'd land.

"Ah…onto Corneria, are we? I'll make it easier on the both of us…." Wolf chuckled, as he fired a rather large fragment of light towards the planet. This beam broke through the barrier that the atmosphere generated naturally; making it slightly easier to navigate the Arwings as the pressure of gravity returned.

Fox dived below the laser as his Arwing cut through the sky. The ship rattled and the controls shook slightly but he was used to this. What he was surprised about, rather, was Wolf's persistence, and odd kindness.

"I bet the hole in the atmosphere was just so he wouldn't wreck his own ship…" Fox whispered angrily as he struggled for control over his Arwing.

Both Wolf and Fox were hurtling towards Corneria's surface at breakneck speeds. Flames erupted around the ships' noses, and Wolf threw confident looks at Fox.

"It's the beginning of your end," Wolf growled.

He then did the unthinkable; firing a charged shot upon landing. This shot broke through the core of Fox's craft, which instantly made the system shut down.

"No!" Fox cried, repeatedly jamming the start and booster buttons. The engine hum gradually slowed, and then it too died. "It'll be damn luck if I survive, he thought. He then gave up fighting with the control panel, and sighed as he pressed his back against the pilot's seat. The Arwing shook madly, and then it gave a jolt as part of the floor fell out.

Even Wolf struggled to level out his ship in the few seconds they had left before landing. He pulled back and veered off to the side, knowing that Fox would need plenty of room to crash.

Fox tried one final time to jerk the controls, but yet again his efforts proved worthless. He wished he could eject himself from the falling ship, but he would certainly catch fire if he was to do that. He then pulled his blaster out, and without thinking shot below the engine, hoping somehow it would jumpstart something.

And thank god, he did.

Falco somehow managed to get to the supposed cell that Krystal was in, after many turns and turn-arounds. Although the falcon was not aware that he was being chased by a very cross panther.

"Krystal!" He called, slamming his fist on the door.

"What are we going to do?" She cried, slightly panicked.

"The damn door won't budge…just hold on…back away from the door while you're at it," Falco growled. He pulled out his blaster and shot repeatedly at the hand scanner, which pretty much blew up. Yet this did nothing at all. The falcon then shot a series of beams at the point where the sliding doors met. This also did nothing. Angry with himself, he threw a fist at the door again, leaving a slight dent, and then he said, "I'm gonna see if these idiots have a hell-launcher. Be right back."

"Falco…just be careful…" Krystal said hesitantly. "I sense that someone else might know you are here…"

"Don't worry about it," He said, throwing his arm carelessly. He then jogged off, in search of the armory.

About thirty long minutes passed while Krystal paced around in the solid white room. She sighed impatiently, fearing that Falco had been captured. This fear clouded her telepathy, making it hard for her to sense anything around her. She tried to clear her mind, but even if she did, something horrible would come to her, like Falco being attacked, or Fox's desperate pleads. Krystal found the image of Fox coming to her quite alarming, but she had to focus on finding Falco.

"Krystal, I advise that you move out of range of this blasted door. Unless of course, you want to be killed," a voice suddenly ordered.

Krystal smiled with relief. Falco made it. She quickly jumped around a corner in the room, and watched as a blinding beam of orange light shot through the door and died at the ship's wall.

Krystal then peered out past the corner, and saw Falco standing there, with a smoking homing-launcher. She grinned slightly, and rushed over to him to give him a hug of thanks.

Falco didn't exactly expect it, but he smiled innocently, and really started to believe he was liking the hero role.

"Well, well, well. I should have expected the foolish chicken to be Falco," Panther growled.

Krystal gasped and put her back to Falco's as Leon appeared beside Panther. The two were sporting machine guns, and fully loaded ones at that.

Falco scowled. "I was just about to leave kitty-cat. Now let me be or I'll force my way out," the falcon tried to reason.

"No…Wolf would be most unpleased to see his captive and his newest crew member be stolen away by a single fighter," Leon hissed. "I think I'll let you join Miss Krystal back in the cells."

"Now drop the gun before I am forced to fire," Panther ordered.

Falco didn't budge, but his eyebrows rose. "You're hilarious cat. Ordering me to drop my weapon. Yeah. Heh. Right." He then aimed the cannon at Panther.

As Falco was speaking, Krystal had stealthily taken up his blaster from his belt. She then caught the falcon's eye, and nodded, secretly notifying him that she had a weapon now. And once he aimed his homing-cannon, Krystal charged the blaster and pointed it towards Leon.

"Game's over boys," She whispered.

And with that, Leon leapt at Falco, knocking the gun askew, making the shot go haywire. The lizard then stood a mere three feet from the bird, and held the gun level with Falco's chest. Falco held his arms up slightly, giving in for the moment.

Krystal, outraged, threw Panther down to the ground. He was surprised by this, one could tell by the hard time he had drawing breath. The vixen then sat upon his chest, gripped his neck with firm claws, and held her blaster to his throat.

"Do it Leon, I dare you," She whispered calmly.

---just one note this time---

don't you just love how I ended it? Next chapter up shortly.