Black Cell

Chapter 2

I awoke sometime later when I heard Zima coming back up the stairs. My clothes rested on the chair beside the bed and she sat down next to me as I sat up.

"Hey Zima."

"Well, the club has shut down. Your tiger friends are in the basement," She chuckled and continued. "Mishkin is completely sloshed. He had a bit too much vodka but the other, Janus, is sleeping soundly." She smiled at the thought.

"Well, I am glad that they are ok." She looked at me and her blue eyes seemed to penetrate my soul.

"I have missed you Calyx."

"Probably me even more. You know, I never got to thank you for that night." She smiled and Zima stood up, she shed her dress and she laid down next to me. Zima slipped under the covers and I felt her body press against mine.

"Well, here is your chance now."

Fox sat on the hospital gurney, he had been fed, taken a shower and now was in a dormant state, I mean, he did just come back from the dead.

The nurse walked into his room and she adjusted the IV into his arm, she increased the flow and took a few notes on her clipboard. She left and Fox stirred but did not wake up. A few minutes later, the closet opened silently and a black cloaked figure tip pawed into the room. Night had fallen and he kept in the shadows as the doctor came in.

"Hmm, still sleeping, well, I guess I'll be back later." The figure walked out and with practiced skill; the assassin crept over to the sleeping vulpine. A small tube and a dark beam materialized out of the tube. The assassin raised it over Fox and the breath was held as a smile crept onto its face.

"Try again." Fox said as he slammed his paw into the assassin's chest. The figure was taken by surprise and it was floored as Fox sat up. He quickly pressed the call button for the nurse and he vaulted out of the bed as he took the IV out of his arm. He held the needle out and the assassin stood up. "Who are you?"

"You don't remember Fox?"

"No, who are you?"

"Fox, they want you back." The voice was clearly disguised and its muzzle was veiled. "They need you back."

"What? Who wants me back?" Fox said and the assassin stood up. A paw came out and a dark blue paw was unveiled. "Amethyst?"

"Fox," She holstered her knife and the veil was shed off her muzzle, the small voice garbler was removed from her muzzle and she put it away. Amethyst was a dark lupine with dark blue fur, jade eyes, white fur around her ears, and a star tattoo on her left cheek. "I need you to come back to the Black Cell."

"No, that is not possible. I broke off relations with the Cell a long time ago." He said and the nurse walked in.

"You called, what the!" She stopped when she saw Amethyst and she ran out of the room, screaming for the doctor.

"Fox, I'll find you later," She walked over and kissed him for two seconds then melted back into the shadows as she left the room from the window. Fox lowered the needle and he sighed, the kiss had made him remember what they had.

Black Cell…his former organization, it wanted him back.

I awoke sometime later and light filtered into the window as I looked at the small clock on the dresser, it read 11:00. I yawned and I noticed that Zima still was wrapped around me from last night. I stroked her forehead and she came awake.

"Calyx." She said my name and I felt her tail fall over my hip as it wound around mine.

"Yes, Zima?" I asked and we kissed for a moment.

"I really love you, do you know that?"

"I do, ever since I met you down in the basement of the club. So when do you open?"

"Well, we're usually a night hotspot but I open sometime in the afternoon, that's when business starts coming in." She moved her muzzle into my ear and whispered something. "But I'll open anytime for you." I smiled and I detangled myself from her as I slipped on my clothes.

"I'm going to check the tigers, I'll be back."

"Ok, I'll be down in a moment." I walked down into the club and the chairs were stacked on the tables and the lights were off as I walked into the basement. Mishkin and Janus were still sleeping and I went over to Janus.

"Hey, wake up." He stirred and his eyes gradually opened.

"Oh hey Calyx, what time is it?"

"Time to get up, now get your brother up it's almost 11." I walked back up to the main room and Zima had the lights on, she was putting down chairs and I helped her.

"I guess after we put down all these chairs, I should open." I nodded and I walked over to the door, I opened it and a figure was standing at the door. Before I could ask, he slammed his paw into my chest and I flew onto the floor as he pulled out a blaster.

"Hey, stay where you are panther." He said as he had a blaster out. She froze and I stood up. "Where is he?"

"Who?" I asked and my chest ached, he must have hit me with a solid object because no paw could do that.

"Fox McCloud, he was with you Calyx and now where is he?"

"He's dead." The blaster was lowered and the figure was still backlit and I could not see his image.

"When did this happen?"

"A month or so ago, he was killed by a SWAT team, I was there when he died. The figure's Comm rang and he answered it.

"I found Fox." A voice said on the end. I saw his head move back up to me and I figured he had a puzzle look on.

"Are you sure? I have a panther here that says that he is dead."

"He's lying, I saw him in the hospital. Where are you?"

"At the strip club, but how?"

"Well, he is Fox McCloud." I replied and the figure put away the Comm. He holstered his blaster and he left the club without a word.

"What was that?" Zima asked and I shrugged.

"No clue."

Fox walked into the discharge room and he signed himself out of the hospital; he was wearing a shirt, pants, shoes, and a wrist Comm. He stepped out into the bright sunlight and he shaded his eyes as he mixed into the Cornerians on the street, there were so many and he pulled up a map on the Comm. He needed to find a ride to Zoness; with any luck, Calyx would be there. He walked to the docking bay and he strode up to the ticket window. The vixen behind the counter yawned and he took out the money that he had.

"One way to Zoness."

"Eighty credits please." Fox handed over the money and she gave him no change. He took his ticket and he looked at the departures; Zoness was leaving in an hour so he sat down on a bench.

Someone sat down beside him and it was Amethyst.

"How did you find me?" Fox asked and she smiled at him.

"I have my ways." She didn't look like an assassin anymore although it didn't compromise her figure, which was outstanding; her clothes consisted of pants, a tank top, shoes, and an amethyst necklace. How fitting. "So where are you going?"

"Zoness, I need to find an old friend."

"I can get you there; my ship is in the docking bay right now. We could leave right now." Fox looked over and he mulled it over. He felt her take his paw and a thousand memories of them cascaded down in front of him.

"Well, since you put it like that, I guess I have no choice." Fox stood up and he walked with Amethyst to the docking bay. It was a long walk and Fox felt the lupine's arm loop around him.

"So Fox, I heard you went to Shark Tank." Amethyst said. She had to look up a bit since he was taller than her and Fox nodded.

"Yeah, but I'd rather not talk about it until we get to the ship." Amethyst nodded and she looked back.

"We're being followed, keep your pace steady and keep talking to me."

"Who is following us?"

"A rival Cell, you remember Crimson Cell right? Well, apparently they found me and they know who you are."

"So what do we do?" Fox asked and Amethyst kept walking.

"I'm still trying to figure that out." She let her arm drop from Fox and it strayed to a small holster on her belt. She drew out the small tube and she slipped it into Fox's paw. "Do you still remember how to use this?"

"As it was yesterday."

"If we get into a tight spot, use it." She said and a hoverbus was stopped at the corner. "In the bus, now." They walked in and the doors shut just as the Crimson Cell members walked up to it. They turned away and the bus rumbled as it moved into traffic. Fox looked around and he realized that they were the only ones one.

"Hey driver, take us to the docking bay."

"No problem sir." He answered and Fox sighed.

"That was close."

"Yeah, they would have killed us if they caught us." The lupine said and she laid her head on Fox's shoulder. "Do you remember when we met?"

"Yes, that was a very strange day. I think it was night and I doing a job that required a tremendous amount of stealth. Somehow we had to face off and I won."

"No, I had you floored, I definitely remember that." She said and looked up at Fox.

"I don't know; I seem to remember that I had you begging for mercy." Amethyst sighed and she shook her head.

"Well, fine but that's not how it happened." The bus stopped and they walked out into the docking bay. She led Fox to a small, grey ship and the hatch opened at her presence. They walked in and Amethyst took out a small Comm from her belt, he flicked it on and did a full scan of the ship. "Ok, no foreign objects." She walked into the cockpit and sat down, her paws ran over the console and the ship rumbled as the engines came online. Fox sat down next to her and the ship shot out of the bay, it passed into space and she set the autopilot for Zoness.

"Wow, it has been so long since I have been on this ship."

"I know; I still have some of your effects if you want them back." Fox looked puzzled and they walked into her bedroom. She went over to a worn dresser and she opened a drawer. "Ok, blaster, knife, stealth suit, and your personal Comm." Fox took the stuff and he checked them over, it was like they were new. "I tried to take care of them when you left the Cell hoping that you would return." Fox strapped on the Comm and he slipped the belt on that had the knife and blaster on it.

"Wow, I wonder if this still fits?" Fox said and he threw it over his shoulder (if you have ever played a Metal Gear game, the suit is kind of like Snake's.) "So how long until we arrive at Zoness?"

"Four hours." Amethyst replied and Fox sighed, he suddenly felt really tired.

"I could really use a nap."

"Well," She gestured to her bed and Fox handed her the suit. "There you go." Fox laid down and he inhaled Amethyst's scent, it had been so long and she walked over to the bed after putting the suit over a chair. She laid down next to him and she looped her arms around Fox. Amethyst pressed her body to him and she placed her head under his muzzle. "How long has it been Fox?"

"Too long." He said and Fox rubbed the back of her head. "I really do love you Amethyst." She threaded her tail through their entwined legs and it curled around Fox's. He closed his eyes and they fell asleep.

Fox awoke sometime later and Amethyst was gone, he sighed and Fox rose off the bed. He walked into the cockpit and Amethyst was working on the console.

"Hey Fox, we're here." She said and Fox sat down next to her. The craft shot through the atmosphere and as Zoness came into view, Fox tried to find the club.

"I hope Calyx is still here." Fox said and Amethyst put the craft down in the docking bay. Fox went back to the bedroom and he grabbed his suit as the hatch opened, they walked out and Fox turned on his Comm. A map came on and he examined it. "Ok, we want to go this way." They walked into the street and Fox blended in, after all, he had many years of practice. They walked to the bar and Fox poked his head in, it was late in the afternoon but business was still slow. He walked in and Amethyst kept behind him as a scantily clad vixen walked up to him.

"Hey, wanna…" She stopped and Fox held up a paw.

"I know, just be quiet for a moment." He saw two animals he knew and he walked over to Zima and Calyx.

"Hey you two." Calyx dropped his shot of vodka and his jaw dropped.

"What the Hell? Fox!" The two embraced for a moment and Calyx slapped him on the back.

"Yes, I know." He turned to Zima and she had an amazed look on her muzzle.

"You are amazing Fox." Amethyst walked up and Calyx burst out laughing.

"Who is this?"

"This is Amethyst, I've know her since pre-Shark Tank. This is Zima and Calyx." The lupine nodded and Fox looked around for the tigers.

"Where are they?"

"Mishkin and Janus are in the basement, they had a late night last night and they are still socked out." Zima said and Fox laughed. Customers were starting to trickle in and Zima went behind the bar. "How long do you two plan to stay?"

"As long as needed, I have someone calling me back." He said and Fox looked at Amethyst. Calyx walked up to Fox and he took his paw.

"Hey man, you ever need some support; I'll be here for you." Fox was taken a bit off guard but he squeezed the panther's paw.

"Thanks Cal."

Sometime later, actually a few hours later when the club was stating to heat up again, Fox stood outside the door to the building. He sighed and looked at his paw, deep underneath the fur was a mark, he had kept it hidden from everyone but he saw it clearly, it was a reminder of Black Cell. An ankh with two snakes wrapped around it, symbolizing the power of the Cell. Fox shivered slightly and he remembered the training he had to go through to become a member, he was put through pure Hell, but that was the only way, if you weren't able to complete the training, you died.

First you received the ankh, then a snake and then finally the other, by that time the Cell has transformed what you were into what you promised yourself that you would never become. Think of it as a corruption of the soul.

But, if you could overcome the darkness that was forced upon you, then Black Cell was family, you would even begin to like it, love it, care for it. Fox had passed the training, he had seen the weak ones pass in the trials and he had only come through with a select few.

Fox shook himself and he was jolted out of the memory…